EDHS Newsletter No. 265 August 2022 We are fortunate to have in our collection a wide range of early images of the Eltham district. Some of these are part of the Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection (SEPP) held in partnership between the Eltham District Historical Society and the Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library). Some are part of the group of photographs collected when the Pioneers and Painters book was published to commemorate the 1971 centenary of the Shire of Eltham. A prominent photographer of some of these early images is John Henry (Harry) Clark, whose background story is detailed in the article on page 7 of this newsletter. We are indebted to him for recording places and people that now are treasured reflections of days gone by. At our meeting at 2.00pm on Saturday 13th August 2022, we will explore some selected Clark images from our collection and with some try to show the current locations where these were taken.1:07:53 duration Digital MP3 file; 23.3MB Also PowerPoint presentation (compressed)audio recording, eltham district historical society, meeting, society meeting, eltham, j.h. clark photo, peter pidgeon

About former Shire / City council memorabilia. Concerning a tapestry made by Denise Horsley of a crest of the former Shire of Eltham which had been made for her husband, a former Shire President of Eltham to present as a gift to the ratepayers at the end of his term in 1983. Cr Horsley represeneted the West Riding which was transferred to the City of Banyule December 15, 1994. Article is about the issue of ownership. banyule city council, joint memorabilia taskforce, nillumbik shire council, allan horsley, artwork, city of heidelberg, denise horsley, diamond valley shire, garry king, harry gilham, shire of eltham, tapestry, west riding

Repairs and reconstruction to front concrete patio, part of the Bridgeland Park Estate. Representative of the period homes of the time and how usage patterns change.Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 6 stripsKodak GC 400-9bridgeland park estate, eltham, houses, leonard crescent

Harriet Falkiner was the daughter of Frederick Edward and Fanny Falkiner. Frederick was Eltham's first postmaster and settled in the district on the Diamond Creek and Yarra River around 1848 where he established an orchard and grazed cattle. The original family home was a pioneer settler's cottage built by Frederick Falkiner in Ely street.Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 6 stripsKodak GC 400-9alexander richard falkiner, eltham cemetery, evelyn falkiner, frederick edward falkiner, gravestones, harriet agrita falkiner

In Loving Memory of Annie Lyon Widow of the late Andrew Lyon of Mildura Died 12th March 1918 and of Helen Bird Widow of Arthur Andrew Bird Daughter of Annie Lyon Died 4th July 1993 Aged 96 yearsRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 6 stripsKodak GC 400-9andrew lyon, annie lyon, arthur andrew bird, eltham cemetery, gravestones, helen bird (nee lyon)

Charles Gordon Watts-Phillips was born in 1849 at Forest Hill, Surrey, England, the son of Dramatic Author, Watts Phillips, and Lily Mariner. He departed England for Australia around 1874. His sister Roland was a favourite Australian actress of the early 1900s. Gordon as he was known, whilst residing in Goolwa, South Australia and working as a clerk met and married a widow, Jane Luxon (nee Miller) on the 7th August, 1876 at the Wesleyan Church in Strathalbyn, South Australia. Jane, Gordon’s elder by some 11 years was born in Ireland in 1838, the daughter of Robert Joseph Miller, a carpenter and Jane Miller. She had previously married Captain William Luxon in 1861 at Encounter Bay, South Australia at age 22 and they had four children: William (1864), George Robert (1865), Miriam Louisa (1867) and Harriet Jane (1869), all born at Encounter Bay. Gordon and Jane had two further children together: Caroline Roland Watts-Phillips (1877 Islington S.A.) and Charles Gordon Watts-Phillips (1879 Yatala, S.A.). At some stage, Jane then deserted her husband. Gordon obtained a master's certificate and was a part owner of a small trader. He had also been captain of one of the passenger boats on the Darling River. He was reputedly a popular coastal skipper. By 1891 Gordon was the Captain of the S.S Omeo operating around Sale, Victoria. In August of that year some of the heaviest flooding of the Thomson River ever experienced in twenty years occurred over the 3rd and 4th of August. Gordon, and others, rescued the lives of many families over that period for which he was awarded a Bronze Medal by the Royal Humane Society. By 1892 the S.S. Omeo had passed to another Captain and Gordon subsequently retired from the sea and moved to Melbourne. Whilst residing in Coburg, Victoria, Gordon met Mary Hilda Harvey Huxley who was living in Brunswick. Mary was born in Horsham, the daughter of George Harry Huxley, a miner, and Emma Deane. Having not heard from Jane for some years and believing her dead, Gordon and Mary marry at Carlton on Christmas Eve, 1900. Interestingly, an announcement of the marriage was not placed in The Age newspaper until September 1903, nearly three years after the event by which time Gordon and Mary had a son, Victor Gordon Watts-Phillips, born 8 February 1903 in Carlton. Within months of the placement of this marriage announcement, his former wife, Jane, makes a reappearance but apparently does not interfere and Mary and Gordon continue to live together as husband and wife. Around the same time in late 1903, Gordon’s brother, Basil Watts Phillip wrote from London to the Victoria Police seeking assistance to locate his brother. He had last heard from him in a letter dated Cunninghame, Gippsland, 1891. He indicated that about 1893 Gordon and Jane and their two children were living at Beaconsfield Parade, Albert Park but the whereabouts of all was now unknown. He mentioned Gordon had also been awarded 21 guineas by Judge Boucaut on the 26th February 1884, also a silver medal, for arresting two ruffians who had brutally assaulted a jockey (in South Australia) and that he had been awarded the Royal Humane Society's medal, London, and in 1891, was presented with the Royal Humane Society's certificate of merit (Victoria). Basil also stated his brother had lost the sight of one eye through a stab he received in New York and had a scar on his temple, one on the wrist, two under the shoulder blade, and one on the thigh, and two bullet wounds in the leg. Basil’s quest was published in the Melbourne Herald and assistance was soon forthcoming to the Police. In June 1906 Gordon made his Will, leaving all his estate to his youngest son Victor. Mary was appointed Executrix and it was witnessed by Olive Huxley, married woman, and James Huxley, a pottery maker. James was subsequently killed in France in May 1918. Gordon and Mary have a second son, Basil Douglas born in Carlton in 1911 but he dies as toddler in 1913. At some point Gordon and Mary made their home at Eltham though official electoral roll records record them at Little Flinders Street Melbourne, employed as a caretaker and from 1906 in Brunswick as a decorator then painter. Eltham may have been a ‘holiday’ home but it seems Mary was actively engaged in the community as a newspaper report in the Advertiser in 1922 not long after Gordon’s death indicates Mary was one of the best known and best liked ladies of the Eltham district. She was actively engaged in all matters, tending towards the welfare of the district. At the time of Gordon’s death Mary was president of the Ladies' Public Hall Committee, responsible for the conduct of numerous, and successful entertainments. Gordon’s first and only legal wife, Jane Luxon Watts-Phillips nee Miller, died 6 November 1921 and was buried 8 November 1921 at Springvale Cemetery. Jane had lived 34 years in South Australia and 30 years in Victoria. With Jane now dead, Gordon was now officially a widower and just three weeks later, the retired master mariner of Eltham at age 55 remarried Mary, 42, of 174 Hickford Street, East Brunswick on the 29th November 1921 in the Parish of St Cuthbert, East Brunswick. Gordon died at their home, ‘The Rest’, at 174 Hickford Street, East Brunswick on February 9, 1922 and was buried at Eltham Cemetery on February 11. An interesting link is established with the heavy floods of August 1891 by the erection of a tombstone in the Eltham cemetery. The stone bears the inscription: - “In loving memory of (Captain) Gordon, dearly beloved husband of Mary Watts Phillips. Died 9th February 1922, aged 62 years." Beside the stone is a replica, carved in a marble scroll, of the Royal Humane Society of Australia's Certificate of merit. Part of the wording of this certificate is as follows:- “At a general court of directors holder at the offices of the society at Melbourne on the 6th day of September 1891, it was resolved that the courage and humanity displayed by Gordon Watts Phillips aged 30-years captain of S.S. Omeo, Sale, in rescuing many families from drowning during the heavy floods on Thomson River on 3rd and 4th of August 1891 call for the admiration of the court, and justly entitles him to the certificate of merit of this society, which is hereby awarded." Unbeknownst to Gordon, his second and subsequent legal marriage to Mary initiated a revocation of his Will of 1906, which had solely benefited his son Victor. Consequently, Mary had to apply for Letters of Administration and the only legal beneficiaries would be Mary and his two children by Jane. On June 18, 1940, at age 61, Mary married 70-year-old Arthur Ernest Fenn in Melbourne. Unfortunately for her, Arthur died a year later in July 1941 and was buried in the Cohuna Cemetery near Echuca. Mary lived a further 8 years, passing away suddenly July 4, 1948 in Carlton, and was buried July 7 with her beloved husband Gordon, at Eltham Cemetery. In Loving Memory of (Captain) Gordon Dearly beloved husbandof Mary Watts-Phillips Died 9th Feb. 1922, aged 62 years Also Mary Hilda Loved wife of above Died 4th July 1948 "At rest"Born Digitaleltham cemetery, gravestones, (captain) gordon watts-phillips, mary hilda harvey watts-phillips (nee huxley)

Initially collated by Harry Gilham regarding the history of the cemetery and various developments and artworksarthur munday, cemetery gates, chappel terrace, eltham cemetery, gravedigger, james orford, justus jorgensen, lena cooper skipper, lily agnes jorgensen, mervyn g. skipper, svend erik kroyer-pedersen, vaults

Initially collated by Harry Gilham as part of a file on Eltham Cemeteryclement byne christesen, eltham cemetery, nina mikhailovna christesen

Initially collated by Harry Gilham as part of a file on Eltham Cemeteryclaire fitzpatrick, eltham cemetery

Initially collated by Harry Gilham as part of a file on Eltham Cemeterybarbara ann gilsenan, eltham cemetery, george richard gilsenan, harriet eliza gilsenan, richard edward gilsenan

Initially collated by Harry Gilham as part of a file on Eltham Cemeteryeltham cemetery, cecile madeleine glass, peter glass

Initially collated by Harry Gilham as part of a file on Eltham Cemeteryeltham cemetery, anne hunniford (nee hamilton burgoyne), anne jane hunniford, brenda mary burgoyne, post office, postmaster, thomas hunniford

Initially collated by Harry Gilham as part of a file on Eltham Cemeteryeltham cemetery, jo ilian

Initially collated by Harry Gilham as part of a file on Eltham Cemeteryeltham cemetery, agnes sommerville irvine, beatrice wanliss morrison (nee irvine), william hill irvine

Initially collated by Harry Gilham as part of a file on Eltham Cemeteryeltham cemetery, albert johnson, nellie johnson

Initially collated by Harry Gilham as part of a file on Eltham Cemeteryeltham cemetery, amy kaylock, brougham street bridge, charles kaylock, elizabeth ann kaylock, emily ann kaylock (nee davis), kaylock, kaylocks bridge, richard george kaylock, roy kaylock

Initially collated by Harry Gilham as part of a file on Eltham Cemeteryeltham cemetery, george knapman, knapmans forge, mary jane knapman

Initially collated by Harry Gilham as part of a file on Eltham Cemeteryeltham cemetery, councillors, eltham library, john alexander lewis, patricia lewis

Initially collated by Harry Gilham as part of a file on Eltham Cemeteryeltham cemetery, councillors, alistair samuel knox

Initially collated by Harry Gilham as part of a file on Eltham Cemeteryeltham cemetery, edith lawlor, margaret lawlor, maud lawlor, michael lawlor, peter lawlor, eltham police

Initially collated by Harry Gilham as part of a file on Eltham Cemeteryeltham cemetery, andrew lyon, annie lyon, archibald myles lyons, arthur andrew bird, edith may lyons, flora louisa lyons, flora lyons, gravestones, helen bird, helen may lyons, hester may lyons, joseph william lyons, myles archibald lyons, eltham police

Initially collated by Harry Gilham as part of a file on Eltham Cemeteryeltham cemetery, alfred george morris, clara lucy matilda morris, evelyn hotel, fountain hotel, george hill morris, harriet wilson, jane elliot morris, janet morris (nee mccoll), john morris, margaret ellen wickham, margaret kate morris (nee mccoll), mary ann morris (nee mccracken), morris, thomas alfred morris, william morris

Initially collated by Harry Gilham as part of a file on Eltham Cemeteryeltham cemetery, beatrice wanliss morrison (nee irvine), david sydney wanliss, james hans irvine morrison

Initially collated by Harry Gilham as part of a file on Eltham Cemeteryeltham cemetery, john murray, mary ellen drain, mary murray, peter lawlor, thomas drain

Initially collated by Harry Gilham as part of a file on Eltham Cemeteryeltham cemetery, helen amelia orford, james orford, sarah amelia orford, thomas henry orford

Initially collated by Harry Gilham as part of a file on Eltham Cemeteryeltham cemetery, beulah alice rutter, hubert rutter, june rutter, rutter, samuel rutter

Initially collated by Harry Gilham as part of a file on Eltham Cemeteryeltham cemetery, caroline shillinglaw, jean shillinglaw (nee blemmer), mary shillinglaw, phillip shillinglaw, sarah ann shillinglaw, william shillinglaw

Initially collated by Harry Gilham as part of a file on Eltham Cemeteryeltham cemetery, matcham skipper, myra skipper

Initially collated by Harry Gilham as part of a file on Eltham Cemetery. Gravestones record name as Stebbings but probate documents have no 's', also death registration and newspaper report for probate - no 's'george stebbings, mary ann stebbings, nillumbik cemetery, george stebbing, mary ann stebbing

Initially collated by Harry Gilham as part of a file on Eltham Cemeteryeltham cemetery, john swallow, kel hill, mary josephine swallow, patricia catherine hill