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Surrey Hills Historical Society Collection
Photograph, Surrey Hills Post Office
... years, the Surrey Hills Post Office moved several times... Hills post office at 609 Canterbury Road. The building... on the ‘purpose-built’ post office at 609 Canterbury Road, Surrey Hills ...The post office opened at this location in 1912. It was demolished in 2000. Post office history in the area: Until 1883 when the railway came through to Surrey Hills, this was essentially a rural community of scattered farms. Land subdivisions soon occurred along the railway line and limited postal services followed soon after, although a ‘permanent’ home for the post office was two decades away. George Sim Junior is acknowledged as our first postmaster; he opened a post office on 1 October 1884 in his father’s general store at 619-621 Canterbury Road, a few doors down from the Surrey Hills Hotel on the corner of Union Road. Over the next 20 years, the Surrey Hills Post Office moved several times into temporary, shared accommodation – in 1889 into Woodhead’s Corner Store at 364 Canterbury Road; then in 1895 to No 376, Hansen’s Exchange Building, part of Hansen’s Terrace (demolished) and in 1901 to 109 Union Road, on the corner of Windsor Crescent. Following Federation in 1901, the new Commonwealth Government established the Postmaster-General's Department to provide postal services to the nation. Many of the post offices constructed in the following years reflected a growing sense of Australian pride and nationalism. It was 1914 when building commenced on the ‘purpose-built’ post office at 609 Canterbury Road, Surrey Hills. Described as “a polychromatic Federation Freestyle building”, it served as the local post office for nearly 85 years until sold by the Commonwealth Government in c1999, after which the post office moved to the current, less prominent site at 100 Union Road. For nearly 10 years under private ownership, the building was successfully adapted for use as the base for two businesses, Gargoyles and Dragons and later the Surrey Sculpture Studio, and fortuitously the historic integrity of the building was maintained. However although renovated in the 1990's, structurally sound and of historic significance, it was not protected under local or commonwealth heritage legislation and was demolished soon after sale. This is an early image of a demolished building which should have been protected. In 1991, when the City of Camberwell conducted a heritage study, (which still informs the basis of the City of Boroondara’s heritage guidelines for this part of the municipality,) the post office was owned by the Commonwealth Government. As such, it could not be considered for heritage listing by the local authorities. Some years later, the Commonwealth and Australia Post rather belatedly recognized not only that post offices have heritage and social value, but also that the architecture of post offices as community buildings is important. A heritage management scheme was developed for the buildings they own or control under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999. Unfortunately, the Surrey Hills Post Office had been sold and demolished before this was finally enacted in 2004. Black and white image, perhaps from a post card, of Surrey Hills post office at 609 Canterbury Road. The building is flanked by a picket fence. There is a woman, a dog and a man in front of the entrance. The man is in uniform - possibly a postal employee.post offices, canterbury road, businesses, surrey hills post office, surrey sculture studio, gargoyles and dragons -
Federation University Historical Collection
Photograph, William Holstead (thought to be), Ballarat from the Ballarat Town Hall Tower, c1940, 1935 - 1945
... towards the Ballarat Post Office and Black Hill 2. Along Sturt...- Ballarat towards the Ballarat Post Office and Black Hill 2. Along ...The original of this photo is in the Kicinski Family Private Collection. Their ancestor William Holstead was hall keeper at the Ballarat Town Hall, so it is though he took these photographs. Three scanned images of black and white photographs showing Ballarat as viewed from the Ballarat Town Hall. .1- Ballarat towards the Ballarat Post Office and Black Hill 2. Along Sturt Street Ballarat 3. Along Sturt Street and Bridge Street Ballarat looking towards Mt Warrenheip.ballarat, ballarat townscape, sturt street, black hill, tram, warrenheip. bridge street, holstead -
Mt Dandenong & District Historical Society Inc.
Photograph, Post Office Mt Dandenong North c1911, c1911
... Landscape view. Mountjoy on hill, post office and residence.... Mountjoy on hill, post office and residence with fence and sign ...Landscape view. Mountjoy on hill, post office and residence with fence and sign post. Mrs Eliza Hand and (probably) Miss Florence hand outside. Another person standing on Ridge Road on the left. On right, the Methodist Church.eliza hand, florence hand, methodist church, mountjoy, mt dandenong north, post office, ridge road -
Whitehorse Historical Society Inc.
Newspaper - Article, Post Office, 1983
... Forest Hill Post Office...Article in Nunawading Gazette about the first Post Office... Archibald Canterbury Road Forest Hill No 259 Forest Hill Post Office ...Article in Nunawading Gazette about the first Post Office in Forest Hill. The first postmistress was Catherine Peacock (and storekeeper) who died in the 1930's. Later the P.O. was transferred to the North West corner of Canterbury Road and Springvale Road. The first Post Office and store was located at 259 Canterbury Road and this building was demolished in 1950.post offices, peacock, catherine, mcarthur, archibald, canterbury road, forest hill, no 259, forest hill post office -
Clunes Museum
Photograph
... THE SCHOOL HILL. - POST OFFICE, TOWN HALL, ST. THOMAS AQUINAS, ST... PHOTOGRAPHS OF CLUNES TAKEN FROM THE SCHOOL HILL. - POST OFFICE, TOWN ...PHOTOGRAPH OF CLUNES TAKEN FROM CLUNES SCHOOL HILL 1905. LOOKING WEST, PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (ST.ANDREWS) METHODIST (WESLEY) Etc..1.2 TWO SEPIA POSTCARD PHOTOGRAPHS OF CLUNES TAKEN FROM THE SCHOOL HILL. - POST OFFICE, TOWN HALL, ST. THOMAS AQUINAS, ST PAUL'S CHURCH,FRASER STREET SHOPS, ALBION HOUSE, CLUB HOTEL, BUTTER FACTORY BRIDGE AND BUTTER FACTORY, LION HOTEL. .3 PHOTOCOPY BLACK AND WHITE OF THE POSTCARDS.1 Addressed to Miss. L. Weickhard C/o Lucas's Cafe Collins Street Melbourne. One penny stamp affixed, postmarked 05 Message: Dear Miss Wieckhard, Many thanks for the post cards you sent me. This is one to add to your collection, With Kind regards From Florrie B .2 Addressed to Mrs. L. McLennan Olive Marlborough Rockhampton Queensland Message With best wishes for a happy New Year E.M.S.photography, town hall, post office, weickhardt -
Surrey Hills Historical Society Collection
Photograph, 109 Union Road, Surrey Hills after fire damage
... of the Surrey Hills Post Office. In later years the part of the building... it was the site of the Surrey Hills Post Office. In later years the part ...This building was damaged by fire and was subsequently demolished before June 1983. From 1901-1917 it was the site of the Surrey Hills Post Office. In later years the part of the building with frontage to Windsor Crescent was used as the dental surgery of Dr David Ellis; the Union Road part of the building was occupied by a barber and tobacconist for many years. At the time of the fire the building was used by a business supplying hydroponics requirements. This moved to (?) 119 Highbury Road, Burwood.The image is significant because it documents a building which was an important community facility which no longer exists.Black and white photo of a single-storey corner building with a corrugated iron roofed veranda and a single, 4-panel timber door. There is a sign with '109' mounted on the veranda of the building. There are multiple advertising signs on the walls of the building. Two of the windows are boarded up with corrugated iron sheets.shops, barber shops, tobacconists, surrey hills post office, dentists, union road, windsor crescent, hydroponics supplies, businesses, union road shops, dr david ellis -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Photograph - THIRTEEN COLOURED BENDIGO PHOTOGRAPHS
... , Post Office & Law Courts, White Hills Botanic Gardens... & Cenotaph, Post Office & Law Courts, White Hills Botanic Gardens ...Foldout postcard containing Bendigo coloured photographs . Alexandra Fountain, Lake Weeroona, Sound Shell Rosalind park, Post Office & Shamrock hotel, Town Hall, Charing Cross & Cenotaph, Post Office & Law Courts, White Hills Botanic Gardens, Conservatory & Law Courts, Scene Queens Gardens Pall Mall, Lookout Tower, View from Lookout, Pall Mall View, Sacred Heart Cathedral.Nucolorvue Productions PTY Ltd, Moorabin Vicbendigo, buildings, heritage buildings -
Stawell Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Lantern Festival Big Hill c 2000-- 7 Photos -- Coloured
... the Post Office up to Big Hill.... the Post Office up to Big Hill. stawell Seven colour photographs ...Photos of the Lantern Festival workshop held to pull the community together during the battle to save Big Hill from the mining Companies application to have an "Open Pit Mine" in 1998-1999. Master lantern maker Graeme Dunstan coordinated the work shops, with financial support from the "Big Hill Action Group". when the decision from Victoria State Government was given, the group celebrated by carrying lanterns from Gold Reef Hall - near the Post Office up to Big Hill.Seven colour photographs of the Lantern festive workshop at Big Hill in c 2000. Taken by Jim Melbourne stawell -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Negative - Photograph, State School No. 1362, Christmas Hills, c.1900
... Robert Harris, in rooms of the then Christmas Hills Post Office... Robert Harris, in rooms of the then Christmas Hills Post Office ...The School officially began in 1874 under head teacher Robert Harris, in rooms of the then Christmas Hills Post Office Store. By 1879, authorities agreed a new school was required. As with the citing of the Hall, there was considerable local controversy over whether the school should be built on the high point of School Lane, or the current location (then known as Scrubby Point). This pleasantly-sited bush school was opened in 1880, having been built by Jospeh Stevenson (Jr.) after his successful tender of £390. - Christmas Hills Past & Present (Yarra Glen & District Historical Society), 2004Early students / school early 20th century This photo forms part of a collection of photographs gathered by the Shire of Eltham for their centenary project book,"Pioneers and Painters: 100 years of the Shire of Eltham" by Alan Marshall (1971). The collection of over 500 images is held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library) and is now formally known as the 'The Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection.' It is significant in being the first community sourced collection representing the places and people of the Shire's first one hundred years.Digital image 4 x 5 inch B&W Negsepp, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, christmas hills, school, state school no. 1362 -
Melbourne Tram Museum
Document - Historical notes - Box Hill Tramway and other Victorian Tramways
... Hill Post Office today marks the terminus" Provides notes... - typed notes with the heading "a tablet beside the Box Hill Post ....1 - typed notes with the heading "a tablet beside the Box Hill Post Office today marks the terminus" Provides notes on the Box Hill - Doncaster electric tramway of 1888, some historical notes about its operation and closure. Includes notes on Bendigo's battery trams, steam trams, SA's Goolwa to Port Elliot tramway, Fairfield horse tramways and other horse trams. No information as to who prepared the original document - possibly Bob Prentice. .2 - an extract from a publication showing the commemorative cairn at the Box Hill terminus and providing some notes on the tramway.Yields information about the first Australian electric tramway and other tramways in Victoria..1 - Foolscap sheet - blue paper, typed notes on the Box Hill - Doncaster Tramway and other Victorian Tramways. .2 - digital scan of a publication showing the commemorative cairn at Box Hilltramways, trams, box hill, electric trams, victorian tramways, commemorative, monuments, steam trams, bendigo, doncaster -
Surrey Hills Historical Society Collection
Photograph - Don Brown
... as a messenger at the Surrey Hills post office on 12 July 1938. The photo... commenced work as a messenger at the Surrey Hills post office on 12 ...Don Brown was born in 1924. He commenced work as a messenger at the Surrey Hills post office on 12 July 1938. The photo was taken in early 1939 in the yard beside the post office. He became the postal assistant in 1940. This work involved some counter duties, but mainly despatching the mail. In January 1940 he enlisted in the RAAF. In November 1987, Don visited Surrey Hills on a trip 'down memory lane' from his then home in Canberra. He sent this photo to the historical collection following this trip and recorded the following memories of staff at the Surrey hills post office during the period 1938-1941. The post master was HS (Stan) Shaw; the postal clerk was AH (Bert) Mitchell; the postal assistant was Alec Walsh, then Terry Gawne, the Don Brown. There were 9 postmen at any one time. Postmen Don remembered were Len Collins, Bert Binns, Frank Johnson, Ern Harding, Len Warmbrunn, Merv Daley, Chris Larsen, Charlie Woodford, Pat Ginnane, Bill Carlson, Jim Payne and Bill Devlin. There were 2 telegraph messengers at any one time; apart from Don himself there were George Smith, Ron Paez and Bob Nelson. Terry Gawne and George Smith also joined the RAAF. Terry was shot down and killed in the Pacific in 1943. Ern Harding, Bill Carson and Bill Devlin joined the army. At the time of his employment George Smith, Bill Devlin, Jim Payne and Don himself were under 40; the others were in their forties or older. Don remained in contact with George Smith, who in 1987 was living in Box Hill.Black and white photo of a young man wearing a uniform astride a bicycle. In the background is a corrugated iron fence. don brown, surrey hills post office -
Surrey Hills Historical Society Collection
Photograph, Alfred Henry Crump's grocery and produce store in Canterbury Road, Surrey Hills, 1913, 1913
... in 1885 and in 1889 he set up the 1st Surrey Hills Post Office... Hills Post Office here. The business was bought by Alfred Claude ...This building was adjacent to Surrey Lodge, on the corner of Canterbury and Union Roads. The store was established by George Sim in 1885 and in 1889 he set up the 1st Surrey Hills Post Office here. The business was bought by Alfred Claude Geer in 1909; the Camberwell Rate books show that from 1913 Geer remained owner but the business was occupied by Alfred Henry Crump; confirmed by electoral rolls for 1913-1918. Prior to moving to Surrey Hills, Alfred was a grocer in Dandenong. Otto Kuhn was Alfred Crump's store manager and may have taken this photo. Alfred married Hazel May Ordish in 1913 in Dandenong. The marriage notice in the Argus on 5 July indicates that the couple resided at 'Hazeldene' in Leopold Crescent. Moran and Cato had already established a business across Union Road from McNeill's Hotel and in time this business and one other grocery store opposite closed as a result.Black and white photo of A H Crump's grocery and produce store in Canterbury Road, Surrey Hills in 1913. There are 4 men and 2 horse-drawn carts in front of a timber single-storey building with a verandah with a corrugated-iron roof. At least one of the carts has "A H CRUMP" painted on the side. Three of the men are wearing long white aprons; the other, AH Crump, is in a suit. Advertising signs on the hoardings are for Huttons hams and bacon and Empire flour. Cadbury's cocoa is advertised on the shop window. The hoarding above the verandah also indicates that the business was established in 1884. There is a block-fronted single storey house with a picket fence adjacent to the shop, to the east along Canterbury Road."SURREY HILLS.13.6.2" diagonally across the bottom LH side of the photo.post offices, grocers, shops, businesses, horse drawn vehicles, alfred henry crump, alfred crump, alfred claude geer, alfred geer, otto kuhn, george sim, hazel may ordish, hazel may crump -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Book - VISION SPLENDID BENDIGO, 1986
... , Temperance Hall, Old Post Office, Wesley Church, St. John’s Church..., Town Hall, Post Office, Shamrock Hotel, Camp Hill State School ...Vision Splendid Bendigo. Cream coloured paper 56 pages, with line drawings of landmark buildings of Bendigo. Drawings by Jan Neil. Vision Splendid Introduction, Wesleyan Church Golden Square, Sacred Heart Cathedral, Central Deborah Mine, Marlborough House, Fuse factory, Goldmines Hotel, Fortuna Villa, Bon Accord, Heinz Butcher Shop, Long Gully State School, California Gully State School, Stone cottage Harvey Town, Eaglehawk Town Hall, Caradon, Eaglehawk State School, Victoria Hotel, Bendigo Pottery, Eucalyptus Distillery, St Luke’s, Lake Weeroona, Joss House, Benevolent Home, Lansellstowe, Kaithness, Malmo Valentine Street, Dudley House, Rifle Brigade Hotel, Fire Station, Masonic Hall, Temperance Hall, Old Post Office, Wesley Church, St. John’s Church, Alexandra Fountain, Commercial Bank View Point, State Bank, St Paul’s Cathedral Railway Station, National Bank, Town Hall, Post Office, Shamrock Hotel, Camp Hill State School, Police Barracks, Law Courts, Specimen Cottage, Technical College, St. Kilian’s Church, Tram Depot, St. Aidan’s OrphanageJan Neilbendigo, buildings, heritage buildings, heritage, heritage buildings, bendigo. -
Bendigo Military Museum
Honour Board - EAST BENDIGO PRIMARY SCHOOL HONOUR BOARD WW1, original plaques, post WW1
... Hills Post Office). 3. 3513 PTE. C.A. FOLEY 57th BATT... Hills Post Office). 3. 3513 PTE. C.A. FOLEY 57th BATT ...The Bendigo East Primary School was opened in 1915. In 1916 it was decided to plant an ANZAC Avenue of trees and this was completed on 16 June 1916. The plaques were placed after WW1. The school was closed in 1998 and the plaques were relocated to the nearby White Hills Secondary College in Napier Street on this board. In the early 2000's the Honour Board was donated to what is now called the Bendigo Military Museum. One hundred years after planting, later in 2016 the trees were removed in controversial circumstances. On the board 8 never returned, there is 1 x "DCM" winner, 1 x "MC" winner and 1 x "MM" winner. There are 3 x Wright Brothers of which 2 never returned. The plaque states that the soldiers attended the school which is obvious they could not have due to the opening date. The following Heritage report suggests that the names were of individual soldiers who lived in the area. EXTRACT FROM HERITAGE COUNCIL VICTORIA 2016 SUBMISSIONS HEARING “The Bendigo East School (‘the school’) was officially opened by Mr Frank Tate, Director of Education, on 7 April 1916. Approximately two months later, on 16 June 1916, Arbor Day was celebrated at the school with the planting of an ‘Anzac Avenue’ along a path from the front gate on Strickland Road (‘the pathway’) to commemorate the landing of soldiers at Gallipoli. The school’s ‘Anzac Avenue’ was one of an estimated 37 known to have been planted by school children throughout Victoria during mid-1916 as part of a program led by the Education Department, which included a recommendation to schools on 18 May 1916 that commemorative avenues be planted (‘the 1916 plantings recommendation’). At around this time, avenues of honour were also planted across Victoria to commemorate fallen WWI soldiers (‘the wider commemorative plantings phenomenon’). There were other commemorative plantings at the Place away from the pathway (‘the other commemorative plantings’). Anzac Day was celebrated at the Place in the years subsequent to 1916 and on 11 December 1920 the school’s ‘Anzac Avenue’ was officially opened. Embossed copper plates, mounted on wood, were fixed in front of the trees in memory of individual soldiers from the district who had seen active service in WWI. There is evidence that as many as 32 plaques may have been made and affixed (‘the name plaques’). Plaques were removed from their locations at some stage before 1964, mounted on a board and displayed in the school building. These are now located and displayed at Bendigo Sub - Branch of the Returned Services League.” EAST BENDIGO HONOUR BOARD – COPPER PLAQUES (27 PLAQUES in total). 1. 2441 CPL G.V. LE KIM 60th BATT. M.M. (George Vincent LEE-KIM, born in Bendigo, Awarded Military Medal. RTA. NOK Father’s Address: C/- Strickland Rd, Bendigo). 2. 3821 PTE. E.B. HEM 20TH BATT. (Edward Bert Hem born in Bendigo. RTA. NOK Mother’s address: White Hills Post Office). 3. 3513 PTE. C.A. FOLEY 57th BATT. (Charles Albert Foley born in Bendigo. RTA. NOK Father’s address: Wilkie Street, Bendigo). 4. 5241 PTE. G. E. WRIGHT 6th BATT. † (George Edwin Wright born in Bendigo. KIA 8/12/1916. NOK Father’s address: 55 Charleston Rd. Bendigo). 5. 2663 L.CPL. N. E. DAVIS 60th BATT. (Norman Edward Davis born in Footscray. RTA. NOK Mother’s address: 193 Strickland Rd. Bendigo). 6. PTE. A. MOOG 16-6th BATT. † (5143 Adolph Moog born in Bendigo. Died of wounds received in action 8/12/1916, NOK Father’s address: Municipal Yards, Bendigo.) 7. 6515 SGT. W.A. BIRCHMORE DCM 11TH BATT. FIELD ARTILLERY (William Albert Birchmore born in Bendigo. Awarded DCM. RTA. NOK Mother’s address: Butler Street, California Gully) 8. 3924 PTE. J.P. NEWMAN 5TH BATT. † (392 (NAA) James Pausey Newman. Born in Bendigo. KIA 25/7/1916. NOK Father’s address Strickland Road, Bendigo) 9. 4865 PTE. H. T. NUGENT 5TH PIONEER BATT. † (also 4765 Hector Thomas Nugent born in Bendigo. KIA 26/11/1916. NOK Mother’s address: 55 Charleston Rd Bendigo). 10. 835 PTE. C.J. WRIGHT 7TH BATT. † (825(NAA) Charles Julian Wright. Born in Bendigo. KIA at Gallipoli 25/4/1915 NOK Father’s address 55 Charleston Rd Bendigo) 11. 5242 PTE. T.S. WRIGHT M.M. 6TH BATT. (Thomas Stanley Wright born in Bendigo. RTA. NOK Father’s address: 55 Charleston Road, Bendigo). 12. 13111 PTE. R.I. LEE 5TH FIELD AMBCE (19111 Robert Irwin Lee. Born in Kilcunda, Vic. RTA. NOK Wife’s address C/- Barnard Street, Bendigo) 13. 3731 DRIVER T.S. BROWN 5TH BATT.† (Thomas Sheridan Brown born in Bendigo. Died in the Field in France of Heart Failure. NOK Father’s address: Mundy Street, Bendigo). 14. 60999 PTE. J. SPENCE 5th BATT. (John Spence born in Bendigo. RTA. NOK Father’s address: 99 Talbot St, Brunswick) 15. 5127 PTE. S.A. LOY 7TH BATT. (Samuel Arthur John Loy. Born in White Hills, Bendigo. RTA Medical discharge. NOK Wife’s address C/- Hargreaves St Bendigo.) 16. 1649 PTE. A.M. HUTCHINSON 60TH BATT. (Alexander Morton Hutchison. (Note different spelling) born in Bendigo. RTA. NOK Mother’s address Wilkie Street, Bendigo). 17. 3035 PTE. R.J. FLACK 10TH – 7TH BATTs. † (Robert John Flack born in Bendigo. KIA France 17/8/1916. NOK Father’s address: Strickland Road, Bendigo). 18. 4558 PTE. J.J. O’BRIEN 60TH BATT.† (John James O’Brien born in Glenalbyn, Vic. KIA 28/9/1917. NOK Father’s address 68 Strickland Rd. Bendigo). 19. 5233 CPL. G. WHITTING MOTOR TRANSPT. COY. (George Whitting born in White Hills, Bendigo. RTA. NOK Mother’s address: 46 Baxter Street, Bendigo). 20. 5203 PTE. A.J. TATTERSALL 6TH BATTALION (Arthur James Tattersall born in Mandurang, Vic. RTA. NOK Wife’s address “Thornwell”, Bendigo East PO.) 21. 2ND LIEUT. K.G. EMONSON M.C. 38th BATT. (Keith Glanfield Emonson born in Sydney NSW. RTA – Medical discharge/ GSW head. NOK Father’s address: Strickland Road, Bendigo). 22. LIEUT. A.J. HAMPSON RAILWAY UNIT (Alfred John Hampson R/N 2300. Born in Bendigo. RTA. NOK wife’s address: 76 Addison St. Elwood, Vic). 23. 216 SIGNLR R.P. BROWN 38TH BATT † (Raymond Patrick Brown, born in Bendigo. KIA 28 May 1917. NOK. Mother’s address: 138 Mundy Street, Bendigo). 24. 15118 STAFF SGT. A. EMONSON 3RD L. H. F. AMBULANCE (Harry Allen Phipps Emonson born in Sydney NSW. RTA. NOK Father’s address Strickland Road, Bendigo, Vic). 25. 1724 CPL. L.J. CHAPPLE 5TH BATT. (Leslie John Chapple born in Bendigo. RTA. NOK Father’s address: Nolan Street, Bendigo) 26. 4557 PTE. E. O’BRIEN 60TH BATT. (Edward Charles O’ Brien, RTA. (NOK Father’s address: Strickland Rd, Bendigo). 27. 3557 SIGNLER F. H. LYALL 5TH BATT. (Francis Hubert Lyall born in Bendigo. RTA. NOK Father’s address: Strickland Rd, Bendigo). Honour Board, Bendigo East Primary School, timber backing with a white timber edging. At the top is a silver Rising Sun Badge with the dates in white "1914 & 1919". There are 27 bronze plaques, each has the Soldiers Regt Number, Name, Rank and Unit, for those that did not return there is a Cross added, if the Soldier won an award it is also added. At the bottom left hand corner is a brass plaque with details. Refer Aquisition for details. On the brass plaque, “These plaques were placed on the Avenue of trees at the school entrance on 20 December 1920. They were a memorial to those who enlisted from the Bendigo East School in the 1914 - 18 War. Mr R. J. Lee a Returned Soldier was Principal at this time”memorials-honour boards, military history-service records, metalcraft-bronze, east bendigo -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Audio - Oral History, Jennifer Williams, Mrs Elva Hill & Mrs Mary Martina, 22nd August 2000
This oral history interview was conducted with two sisters, Mrs Elva Hill and Mrs Mary Martina. They describe growing up in Beechworth, living a fairly well-off life compared to others around them. Mrs Martina in particular talks about going to school, becoming a teacher, and helping to set up Beechworth Secondary School. She talks briefly about gender roles for girls in the classroom and how teaching has changed over time. Mrs Hill and Mrs Martina describe the Beechworth community as friendly, including towards migrants, and suggest they were not particularly involved in political movements except for protesting after the dismissal of the Whitlam Government. They discuss visiting the Albury Show. The sisters briefly discuss 'them pushing the wheelbarrow to Mt Buffalo'. This refers to a publicised wager between garage proprietor Tom Parkinson and Post Office Hotel licensee Tony Evans in 1935. Evans challenged Parkinson to push him in a wheelbarrow for over 80km (with an elevation of 1000m) from the Beechworth Post Office to Mt Buffalo in just eight days, with the winner awarded twenty pounds. A brochure was published with official rules, and the incident made international news in the New York Times. They briefly discussed that their parents worked at the 'Mental Hospital', the full name of which was the Mayday Hills Mental Hospital, known at other points as the Beechworth Asylum and the Beechworth Hospital for the Insane. This oral history recording was part of a project conducted by Jennifer Williams in the year 2000 to capture the everyday life and struggles in Beechworth during the twentieth century. This project involved recording seventy oral histories on cassette tapes of local Beechworth residents which were then published in a book titled: Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century Beechworth. These cassette tapes were digitised in July 2021 with funds made available by the Friends of the Burke.The statement captures a personal perspective on the teaching profession and education at rural schools during the mid-twentieth century, with a focus on the experience of young girls and women going to school. It specifically discusses the establishment of Beechworth Secondary School. Mrs Hill and Mrs Martina also provide insights into the social dynamics of the town, as two girls from a well-off family discuss how they believed people from different backgrounds interacted with one another. The interview also puts Beechworth into a wider social context, as the women discuss how they were perceived when they went to College and how they interacted with wider politics. This oral history account is socially and historically significant as it is a part of a broader collection of interviews conducted by Jennifer Williams which were published in the book 'Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth-century Beechworth.' While the township of Beechworth is known for its history as a gold rush town, these accounts provide a unique insight into the day-to-day life of the town's residents during the 20th century, many of which will have now been lost if they had not been preserved.This is a digital copy of a recording that was originally captured on a cassette tape. The cassette tape is black with a horizontal white strip and is currently stored in a clear flat plastic rectangular container. It holds up 40 minutes of recordings on each side.Mrs Elva & Mrs Mary Martina /listen to what they say, beechworth, oral history, burke museum, hill, martina, sisters, boarding school, rural school, primary school, beechworth secondary school, mayday hills mental hospital, gender, gender at school, entertainment, albury show, dress codes, wealth gap, whitlam dismissal -
Orbost & District Historical Society
black and white photograph, C1900
The first settler to occupy the Marlo township area was James Stirling around the year 1875. He built a bark hut on the bluff that had two rooms, bark walls, earthen floors and a shingle roof. By 1884, this structure had expanded to a 9 roomed accommodation house and in 1886 became the Marlo Hotel when a liquor license was granted. The Governor-in-Council declared Marlo to be a township on 18 February 1889. During May 1889, the government surveyor, E.L. Bruce set out 19 sections of the new township, with the first sales of subdivided land occurring the following May. At this time, Stirling's Marlo Hotel was the unofficial hub for the community. It was a general store, accommodation house and the unofficial post office, with settlers taking turns in bringing the mail from Orbost or Cunningham. This continued until Aug 1942, and in 1969 was located in a house adjacent to the Marlo Hotel, before being transferred to the Marlo General Store in this year. The official Post Office List states the Marlo Post Office opened around 1902. in 1925, the "Marlo House" (a nine room accommodation guest house) was granted a liquor licence. The "Marlo House" became "The Marlo Hotel". The Marlo Hotel was popular with many Orbost and district settlers, who travelled to Marlo by horseback or buggy. The Marlo Hotel, perched on the hill overlooking the estuaries and the entrance is a significat building in Marlo. Established in 1886, it has been operating for over 120 yearsA black / white photograph of the Marlo Hotel. Patrons are standing on the verandah and lawns. A horse-drawn carriage is on the left. The photograph is on a green buff card with a rough edge on R H side.on back - " Old Marlo Hotel"marlo-house marlo-hotel stirling-james -
Orbost & District Historical Society
black and white photograph, C 1900
The first settler to occupy the Marlo township area was James Stirling around the year 1875. He built a bark hut on the bluff that had two rooms, bark walls, earthen floors and a shingle roof. By 1884, this structure had expanded to a 9 roomed accommodation house and in 1886 became the Marlo Hotel when a liquor license was granted. The Governor-in-Council declared Marlo to be a township on 18 February 1889] During May 1889, the government surveyor, E.L. Bruce set out 19 sections of the new township, with the first sales of subdivided land occurring the following May. At this time, Stirling's Marlo Hotel was the unofficial hub for the community. It was a general store, accommodation house and the unofficial post office, with settlers taking turns in bringing the mail from Orbost or Cunningham. This continued until Aug 1942, and in 1969 was located in a house adjacent to the Marlo Hotel, before being transferred to the Marlo General Store in this year. The official Post Office List states the Marlo Post Office opened around 1902. in 1925, the "Marlo House" (a nine room accommodation guest house) was granted a liquor licence. The "Marlo House" became "The Marlo Hotel". The Marlo Hotel was popular with many Orbost and district settlers, who travelled to Marlo by horseback Perched on the hill overlooking the estuaries and the entrance, the Marlo Hotel is a significant building in Marlo. It was established in 1886 and has been operating for over 120 years,A black / white photograph of Marlo House with staff and patrons standing and sitting on the verandah.on front - "H.S. Marlo House"marlo-house marlo-hotel -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Postcard, George Rose, c.1945
The Rose Stereograph Company first began producing postcards, identified as the 'P' series (like this particular example) in 1913 and continued in this business until 1967 after which they switched to machine manufactured colour postcards printed by an external company. These were produced by Victorian-era photographer George Rose (1861-1942) often reputed as one of the best photographers in Australia during the later 19th Century and early 20th Century. Rose was born in 1861 in Clunes and began his photography business in 1880 when he founded the Rose Stereograph Company. He later switched to producing postcards after stereographs lost popularity in the early 1920s. The Mayday Hills Hospital was one of these locations photographed by George Rose and published as a postcard. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. The hilltop atmosphere and the native fauna, it was argued, would assist in the cure of the patients kept at the hospital (Wood 1985, 122). The positioning of the hospital had a beneficial effect on the rural town. A pamphlet published by James Ingram and Son (1849) reveal that famous landmarks in Beechworth which included the Post Office, Gaol, Courthouse and Asylum "demonstrate the appreciation of Beechworth by the Government not only as as important district center, but also as a site unrivaled as a sanitarium". There were other locations in contention at the time, but ultimately Beechworth was chosen (Craig 2000,33). Prior to the creation of the Asylum in Beechworth, those charged with having mental illnesses or, as it was termed, "insanity" were unable to be properly cared for in the Gaol (which is where they were often sent). John Buckley Castieau wrote, in 1861 for the Ovens and Murray Advertiser, that the Gaol was unable to properly care for those classified then as "insane" but that they would endeavor to treat them above the other inmates (which he notes is not always the case in other establishments). Castieau wrote this in favour of supporting the building of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth. It was stated that at the time the Mayday Hills Hospital was built, there were 83 prisoners kept in the Gaol who were to be rehoused to the Hospital on the grounds of "insanity". The classification as someone as "insane", in this period of time is a reflection on the inability to cure and understand illnesses of the mind during the mid to late 1800s. Opening on the 24th of October 1867, the Mayday Hills Hospital was originally named the "Ovens Lunatic Asylum", a title which is very much a product of its time. Whilst controversial, changes to the name is part of the history of the Hospital and can provide much insight into the understanding of mental illness throughout history and the use/disuse of this term provides information into the reception/changing opinions of mental illness in society. The Hospital would later become known as the "Mayday Hills Asylum" and/or "Mayday Hills Hospital" with the latter being the most commonly used title. An article in the Ovens and Murray Advertiser notes that on the 7th of March 1865, the foundation stone of the Hospital was laid (it would officially open in 1867) and that it was such a moment of accomplishment and joy for Beechworth that a letter to the editor even suggested that there should be a holiday dedicated to the day the foundation stone as laid. This reveals an extent to which the townspeople of early Beechworth valued the construction of the Hospital in their town. It provided the town with a sense of prestige and honour. At first glance, the remains of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria, inspire tragedy, trauma and beauty. The buildings themselves, with their Italianate style Renaissance architecture designed by J.J. Clark (Craig 2000, 49 & Smith 2016, 203) reflect a bygone period of European and Australian history. The gardens provide a sense of tranquility and beauty. The experience of those within these walls remains a valuable area of study to provide a more complete understanding. This particular hospital is considered the fourth of its like and one of three identified as the largest of their kind. The Mayday Hills Hospital is a sister to the Kew and Ararat Asylums in Melbourne which are both located in relative proximity. Understanding the role of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth history is integral to understanding the development of the goldfields town, but also for providing important information as to the history of caring for, and the reception of, mental illnesses in Australian and wider European history. Mayday Hills provides a case study which can be researched through oral history, an analysis of the grounds/buildings and through images like this postcard which portray the structure in a highly deliberate manner. Images like this depict the strong façade of the Hospital and provide a glimpse into the tranquility of the gardens. This has been done deliberately to provide a sense of comfort and healing about the building to those looking from the outside. Further research into the importance of the Hospital in Beechworth and it's connection to the town will be supported through images like these kept in the Mayday Hills photo album in the collection of the Burke Museum.Pale sepia toned rectangular postcard printed on matte card.Obverse: THE ROSE SERIES P. 4689 / COPYRIGHT / ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES, MENTAL HOSPITAL, BEECHWORTH, VIC / Reverse: Published by the Rose Stereograph Co. / Armadale, Victoria / POST CARD / THE "ROSE" SERIES / DE LUXE / A REAL PHOTOGRAPH / PRODUCED IN AUSTRALIA /mayday hills, asylum, mental hospital, hospital, beechworth -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, c.2000
This photograph was captured on an undisclosed date and by an unidentified photographer. It was printed in colour through the company AGFA which is a Belgian-German Multinational Corporation. This business prints, develops, manufactures and distributes digital imaging products, software and systems. It was founded in 1967 and continues to operate today. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. The hilltop atmosphere and the native fauna, it was argued, would assist in the cure of the patients kept at the hospital (Wood 1985, 122). The positioning of the hospital had a beneficial effect on the rural town. A pamphlet published by James Ingram and Son (1849) reveal that famous landmarks in Beechworth which included the Post Office, Gaol, Courthouse and Asylum "demonstrate the appreciation of Beechworth by the Government not only as as important district center, but also as a site unrivaled as a sanitarium". There were other locations in contention at the time, but ultimately Beechworth was chosen (Craig 2000, 33). Prior to the creation of the Asylum in Beechworth, those charged with having mental illnesses or, as it was termed, "insanity" were unable to be properly cared for in the Gaol (which is where they were often sent). John Buckley Castieau wrote, in 1861 for the Ovens and Murray Advertiser, that the Gaol was unable to properly care for those classified then as "insane" but that they would endeavor to treat them above the other inmates (which he notes is not always the case in other establishments). Castieau wrote this in favour of supporting the building of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth. It was stated that at the time the Mayday Hills Hospital was built, there were 83 prisoners kept in the Gaol who were to be rehoused to the Hospital on the grounds of "insanity". The classification as someone as "insane", in this period of time is a reflection on the inability to cure and understand illnesses of the mind during the mid to late 1800s. Opening on the 24th of October 1867, the Mayday Hills Hospital was originally named the "Ovens Lunatic Asylum", a title which is very much a product of its time. Whilst controversial, changes to the name is part of the history of the Hospital and can provide much insight into the understanding of mental illness throughout history and the use/disuse of this term provides information into the reception/changing opinions of mental illness in society. The Hospital would later become known as the "Mayday Hills Asylum" and/or "Mayday Hills Hospital" with the latter being the most commonly used title. An article in the Ovens and Murray Advertiser notes that on the 7th of March 1865, the foundation stone of the Hospital was laid (it would officially open in 1867) and that it was such a moment of accomplishment and joy for Beechworth that a letter to the editor even suggested that there should be a holiday dedicated to the day the foundation stone as laid. This reveals an extent to which the townspeople of early Beechworth valued the construction of the Hospital in their town. It provided the town with a sense of prestige and honour.At first glance, the remains of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria, inspire tragedy, trauma and beauty. The buildings themselves, with their Italianate style Renaissance architecture designed by J.J. Clark (Craig 2000, 49 & Smith 2016, 203) reflect a bygone period of European and Australian history. The gardens provide a sense of tranquility and beauty. The experience of those within these walls remains a valuable area of study to provide a more complete understanding. This particular hospital is considered the fourth of its like and one of three identified as the largest of their kind. The Mayday Hills Hospital is a sister to the Kew and Ararat Asylums in Melbourne which are both located in relative proximity. Understanding the role of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth history is integral to understanding the development of the goldfields town, but also for providing important information as to the history of caring for, and the reception of, mental illnesses in Australian and wider European history. Mayday Hills provides a case study which can be researched through oral history, an analysis of the grounds/buildings and through images like this postcard which portray the structure in a highly deliberate manner. Images like this depict the strong façade of the Hospital and provide a glimpse into the tranquility of the gardens. This has been done deliberately to provide a sense of comfort and healing about the building to those looking from the outside. Further research into the importance of the Hospital in Beechworth and it's connection to the town will be supported through images like these kept in the Mayday Hills photo album in the collection of the Burke Museum.Coloured rectangular photograph printed on gloss photographic paper.Reverse: AGFAbeechworth, mayday hills, mayday hills asylum, mental health, history of mental health, asylum, 1860s, gold town, north-east victoria, kew asylum, ararat asylum -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Postcard, C. F. Falk, c.1930
This postcard contains a depiction of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria from the direction of Farm Hill, circa 1930. It was designed by C.F.Falk in Beechworth and printed in Saxony which is a landlocked state of Germany which borders the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria and the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. The depiction is a painting of the Mayday Hill Hospital which portrays the extensive buildings an HaHa wall (many of which have not survived to the present day). It provides a unique opportunity to reconstruct this historical site as it may have looked in approximately 1930. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. The hilltop atmosphere and the native fauna, it was argued, would assist in the cure of the patients kept at the hospital (Wood 1985, 122). The positioning of the hospital had a beneficial effect on the rural town. A pamphlet published by James Ingram and Son (1849) reveal that famous landmarks in Beechworth which included the Post Office, Gaol, Courthouse and Asylum "demonstrate the appreciation of Beechworth by the Government not only as as important district center, but also as a site unrivaled as a sanitarium". There were other locations in contention at the time, but ultimately Beechworth was chosen (Craig 2000, 33). The extent of buildings displayed in this postcard helps convey the imposing and enormity of the structure before decommission. Prior to the creation of the Asylum in Beechworth, those charged with having mental illnesses or, as it was termed, "insanity" were unable to be properly cared for in the Gaol (which is where they were often sent). John Buckley Castieau wrote, in 1861 for the Ovens and Murray Advertiser, that the Gaol was unable to properly care for those classified then as "insane" but that they would endeavor to treat them above the other inmates (which he notes is not always the case in other establishments). Castieau wrote this in favour of supporting the building of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth. It was stated that at the time the Mayday Hills Hospital was built, there were 83 prisoners kept in the Gaol who were to be rehoused to the Hospital on the grounds of "insanity". The classification as someone as "insane", in this period of time is a reflection on the inability to cure and understand illnesses of the mind during the mid to late 1800s. The title on the obverse of this photograph as "Asylum for Insane, Beechworth" reflects a bygone era and attitude to mental health. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. Opening on the 24th of October 1867, the Mayday Hills Hospital was originally named the "Ovens Lunatic Asylum", a title which is very much a product of its time. Whilst controversial, changes to the name is part of the history of the Hospital and can provide much insight into the understanding of mental illness throughout history and the use/disuse of this term provides information into the reception/changing opinions of mental illness in society. The Hospital would later become known as the "Mayday Hills Asylum" and/or "Mayday Hills Hospital" with the latter being the most commonly used title. An article in the Ovens and Murray Advertiser notes that on the 7th of March 1865, the foundation stone of the Hospital was laid (it would officially open in 1867) and that it was such a moment of accomplishment and joy for Beechworth that a letter to the editor even suggested that there should be a holiday dedicated to the day the foundation stone as laid. This reveals an extent to which the townspeople of early Beechworth valued the construction of the Hospital in their town. It provided the town with a sense of prestige and honour.At first glance, the remains of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria, inspire tragedy, trauma and beauty. The buildings themselves, with their Italianate style Renaissance architecture designed by J.J. Clark (Craig 2000, 49 & Smith 2016, 203) reflect a bygone period of European and Australian history. The gardens provide a sense of tranquility and beauty. The experience of those within these walls remains a valuable area of study to provide a more complete understanding. This particular hospital is considered the fourth of its like and one of three identified as the largest of their kind. The Mayday Hills Hospital is a sister to the Kew and Ararat Asylums in Melbourne which are both located in relative proximity. Understanding the role of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth history is integral to understanding the development of the goldfields town, but also for providing important information as to the history of caring for, and the reception of, mental illnesses in Australian and wider European history. Mayday Hills provides a case study which can be researched through oral history, an analysis of the grounds/buildings and through images like this postcard which portray the structure in a highly deliberate manner. Images like this depict the strong façade of the Hospital and provide a glimpse into the tranquility of the gardens. This has been done deliberately to provide a sense of comfort and healing about the building to those looking from the outside. Further research into the importance of the Hospital in Beechworth and it's connection to the town will be supported through images like these kept in the Mayday Hills photo album in the collection of the Burke Museum.Colour rectangular postcard printed on cardObverse: Asylum for Insane, Beechworth. / Reverse: C.F. Faulk, Beechworth. Printed in Saxony. POST CARD / ADDRESS ONLY / AFFIX / STAMP / B 2298 / 1997.2457 /mental hospital, insane asylum, mayday hills mental hospital, beechworth, mayday hills, asylum, gold town, north-east victoria, ararat asylum, kew asylum -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Postcard, R & B Hall, c.1930
This postcard was published by R. & B. Hall in Beechworth and printed in Saxony, circa 1930. Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany which borders the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria and the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. This particular postcard is embossed with a pattern which surrounds the middle image in the center of the card. This image depicts Asylum Avenue which leads to the Mayday Hills Asylum in Beechworth, Victoria. What makes this scene particularly interesting is the appearance of snow which is rare in Beechworth. The road depicted on the postcard has track marks made by a car with thin wheels. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. The hilltop atmosphere and the native fauna, it was argued, would assist in the cure of the patients kept at the hospital (Wood 1985, 122). The positioning of the hospital had a beneficial effect on the rural town. A pamphlet published by James Ingram and Son (1849) reveal that famous landmarks in Beechworth which included the Post Office, Gaol, Courthouse and Asylum "demonstrate the appreciation of Beechworth by the Government not only as as important district center, but also as a site unrivaled as a sanitarium". There were other locations in contention at the time, but ultimately Beechworth was chosen (Craig 2000, 33). Prior to the creation of the Asylum in Beechworth, those charged with having mental illnesses or, as it was termed, "insanity" were unable to be properly cared for in the Gaol (which is where they were often sent). John Buckley Castieau wrote, in 1861 for the Ovens and Murray Advertiser, that the Gaol was unable to properly care for those classified then as "insane" but that they would endeavor to treat them above the other inmates (which he notes is not always the case in other establishments). Castieau wrote this in favour of supporting the building of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth. It was stated that at the time the Mayday Hills Hospital was built, there were 83 prisoners kept in the Gaol who were to be rehoused to the Hospital on the grounds of "insanity". The classification as someone as "insane", in this period of time is a reflection on the inability to cure and understand illnesses of the mind during the mid to late 1800s. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. Opening on the 24th of October 1867, the Mayday Hills Hospital was originally named the "Ovens Lunatic Asylum", a title which is very much a product of its time. Whilst controversial, changes to the name is part of the history of the Hospital and can provide much insight into the understanding of mental illness throughout history and the use/disuse of this term provides information into the reception/changing opinions of mental illness in society. The Hospital would later become known as the "Mayday Hills Asylum" and/or "Mayday Hills Hospital" with the latter being the most commonly used title. An article in the Ovens and Murray Advertiser notes that on the 7th of March 1865, the foundation stone of the Hospital was laid (it would officially open in 1867) and that it was such a moment of accomplishment and joy for Beechworth that a letter to the editor even suggested that there should be a holiday dedicated to the day the foundation stone as laid. This reveals an extent to which the townspeople of early Beechworth valued the construction of the Hospital in their town. It provided the town with a sense of prestige and honour.At first glance, the remains of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria, inspire tragedy, trauma and beauty. The buildings themselves, with their Italianate style Renaissance architecture designed by J.J. Clark (Craig 2000, 49 & Smith 2016, 203) reflect a bygone period of European and Australian history. The gardens provide a sense of tranquility and beauty. The experience of those within these walls remains a valuable area of study to provide a more complete understanding. This particular hospital is considered the fourth of its like and one of three identified as the largest of their kind. The Mayday Hills Hospital is a sister to the Kew and Ararat Asylums in Melbourne which are both located in relative proximity. Understanding the role of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth history is integral to understanding the development of the goldfields town, but also for providing important information as to the history of caring for, and the reception of, mental illnesses in Australian and wider European history. Mayday Hills provides a case study which can be researched through oral history, an analysis of the grounds/buildings and through images like this postcard which portray the structure in a highly deliberate manner. Images like this depict the strong façade of the Hospital and provide a glimpse into the tranquility of the gardens. This has been done deliberately to provide a sense of comfort and healing about the building to those looking from the outside. Further research into the importance of the Hospital in Beechworth and it's connection to the town will be supported through images like these kept in the Mayday Hills photo album in the collection of the Burke Museum.Pale coloured rectangular postcard printed on matte embossed card.Obverse: Snow Scene; Asylum Avenue, Beechworth. / Reverse: POST CARD / ADDRESS ONLY / Published by R. & B. Hall, Beechworth. / Printed in Saxony. / 3447 [crossed out] / 1997.2492 / AFFIX STAMP /asylum, asylum avenue, beechworth, snow north-east vic, victoria, snow scene, mayday hills, mayday hills hospital, mental hospital, colonial attitudes, mental health, history, town development, postcard -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph
This image is a copy of a photograph depicting the front façade of the Mayday Hills Hospital by an unknown photographer. The date this photograph was captured has not been recorded but due to the appearance of the water fountain in the front garden, it can be estimated to be during the 1930s. The fountain does not remain on the site today but stood in the same location, alongside other physical markers, to that in photographs dating to the 1930s. This allows an estimated date of 1930s for this photograph. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. The hilltop atmosphere and the native fauna, it was argued, would assist in the cure of the patients kept at the hospital (Wood 1985, 122). The positioning of the hospital had a beneficial effect on the rural town. A pamphlet published by James Ingram and Son (1849) reveal that famous landmarks in Beechworth which included the Post Office, Gaol, Courthouse and Asylum "demonstrate the appreciation of Beechworth by the Government not only as as important district center, but also as a site unrivaled as a sanitarium". There were other locations in contention at the time, but ultimately Beechworth was chosen (Craig 2000, 33). Prior to the creation of the Asylum in Beechworth, those charged with having mental illnesses or, as it was termed, "insanity" were unable to be properly cared for in the Gaol (which is where they were often sent). John Buckley Castieau wrote, in 1861 for the Ovens and Murray Advertiser, that the Gaol was unable to properly care for those classified then as "insane" but that they would endeavor to treat them above the other inmates (which he notes is not always the case in other establishments). Castieau wrote this in favour of supporting the building of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth. It was stated that at the time the Mayday Hills Hospital was built, there were 83 prisoners kept in the Gaol who were to be rehoused to the Hospital on the grounds of "insanity". The classification as someone as "insane", in this period of time is a reflection on the inability to cure and understand illnesses of the mind during the mid to late 1800s. Opening on the 24th of October 1867, the Mayday Hills Hospital was originally named the "Ovens Lunatic Asylum", a title which is very much a product of its time. Whilst controversial, changes to the name is part of the history of the Hospital and can provide much insight into the understanding of mental illness throughout history and the use/disuse of this term provides information into the reception/changing opinions of mental illness in society. The Hospital would later become known as the "Mayday Hills Asylum" and/or "Mayday Hills Hospital" with the latter being the most commonly used title. An article in the Ovens and Murray Advertiser notes that on the 7th of March 1865, the foundation stone of the Hospital was laid (it would officially open in 1867) and that it was such a moment of accomplishment and joy for Beechworth that a letter to the editor even suggested that there should be a holiday dedicated to the day the foundation stone as laid. This reveals an extent to which the townspeople of early Beechworth valued the construction of the Hospital in their town. It provided the town with a sense of prestige and honour.At first glance, the remains of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria, inspire tragedy, trauma and beauty. The buildings themselves, with their Italianate style Renaissance architecture designed by J.J. Clark (Craig 2000, 49 & Smith 2016, 203) reflect a bygone period of European and Australian history. The gardens provide a sense of tranquility and beauty. The experience of those within these walls remains a valuable area of study to provide a more complete understanding. This particular hospital is considered the fourth of its like and one of three identified as the largest of their kind. The Mayday Hills Hospital is a sister to the Kew and Ararat Asylums in Melbourne which are both located in relative proximity. Understanding the role of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth history is integral to understanding the development of the goldfields town, but also for providing important information as to the history of caring for, and the reception of, mental illnesses in Australian and wider European history. Mayday Hills provides a case study which can be researched through oral history, an analysis of the grounds/buildings and through images like this postcard which portray the structure in a highly deliberate manner. Images like this depict the strong façade of the Hospital and provide a glimpse into the tranquility of the gardens. This has been done deliberately to provide a sense of comfort and healing about the building to those looking from the outside. Further research into the importance of the Hospital in Beechworth and it's connection to the town will be supported through images like these kept in the Mayday Hills photo album in the collection of the Burke Museum.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on gloss photographic papermental hospital, insane asylum, mayday hills mental hospital -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph
Photographed in the early 1900s, this black and white photograph depicts 25 members of the Mayday Hills Hospital Staff. Six men sit in front of the group (Mr Imhose stands fourth from the left in front row), upon the ground and behind them, in bright white clothing, sit eight female nurses upon a long bench (one of these nurses is identified on the rear as Miss A.J. Ross). Behind these women stand 10 men. The men are all wearing dark clothing and several have 'Kepi' style hats. The staff photograph was captured by Frazer and Vallance Photographers Melbourne. This image was originally combined with 1997.2491 but these images have since been torn apart and catalogued separately. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. The hilltop atmosphere and the native fauna, it was argued, would assist in the cure of the patients kept at the hospital (Wood 1985, 122). The positioning of the hospital had a beneficial effect on the rural town. A pamphlet published by James Ingram and Son (1849) reveal that famous landmarks in Beechworth which included the Post Office, Gaol, Courthouse and Asylum "demonstrate the appreciation of Beechworth by the Government not only as as important district center, but also as a site unrivaled as a sanitarium". There were other locations in contention at the time, but ultimately Beechworth was chosen (Craig 2000, 33). Prior to the creation of the Asylum in Beechworth, those charged with having mental illnesses or, as it was termed, "insanity" were unable to be properly cared for in the Gaol (which is where they were often sent). John Buckley Castieau wrote, in 1861 for the Ovens and Murray Advertiser, that the Gaol was unable to properly care for those classified then as "insane" but that they would endeavor to treat them above the other inmates (which he notes is not always the case in other establishments). Castieau wrote this in favour of supporting the building of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth. It was stated that at the time the Mayday Hills Hospital was built, there were 83 prisoners kept in the Gaol who were to be rehoused to the Hospital on the grounds of "insanity". The classification as someone as "insane", in this period of time is a reflection on the inability to cure and understand illnesses of the mind during the mid to late 1800s. Opening on the 24th of October 1867, the Mayday Hills Hospital was originally named the "Ovens Lunatic Asylum", a title which is very much a product of its time. Whilst controversial, changes to the name is part of the history of the Hospital and can provide much insight into the understanding of mental illness throughout history and the use/disuse of this term provides information into the reception/changing opinions of mental illness in society. The Hospital would later become known as the "Mayday Hills Asylum" and/or "Mayday Hills Hospital" with the latter being the most commonly used title. An article in the Ovens and Murray Advertiser notes that on the 7th of March 1865, the foundation stone of the Hospital was laid (it would officially open in 1867) and that it was such a moment of accomplishment and joy for Beechworth that a letter to the editor even suggested that there should be a holiday dedicated to the day the foundation stone as laid. This reveals an extent to which the townspeople of early Beechworth valued the construction of the Hospital in their town. It provided the town with a sense of prestige and honour.At first glance, the remains of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria, inspire tragedy, trauma and beauty. The buildings themselves, with their Italianate style Renaissance architecture designed by J.J. Clark (Craig 2000, 49 & Smith 2016, 203) reflect a bygone period of European and Australian history. The gardens provide a sense of tranquility and beauty. The experience of those within these walls remains a valuable area of study to provide a more complete understanding. This particular hospital is considered the fourth of its like and one of three identified as the largest of their kind. The Mayday Hills Hospital is a sister to the Kew and Ararat Asylums in Melbourne which are both located in relative proximity. Understanding the role of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth history is integral to understanding the development of the goldfields town, but also for providing important information as to the history of caring for, and the reception of, mental illnesses in Australian and wider European history. Mayday Hills provides a case study which can be researched through oral history, an analysis of the grounds/buildings and through images like this postcard which portray the structure in a highly deliberate manner. Images like this depict the strong façade of the Hospital and provide a glimpse into the tranquility of the gardens. This has been done deliberately to provide a sense of comfort and healing about the building to those looking from the outside. Further research into the importance of the Hospital in Beechworth and it's connection to the town will be supported through images like these kept in the Mayday Hills photo album in the collection of the Burke Museum.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on photographic paper mounted on cardHandwriting reads: "Mental Hospital / Beechworth / Miss A. J. Ross / about 82 in 1944".mental asylum, beechworth, mayday hills, mayday hills hospital, victoria, mental health, history of mental illness, treatment of metal illness, asylum, hospital for mentally unwell, miss a.j. ross, nurse, staff, doctors -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph
Photographed in the early 1900s, this black and white photograph depicts 25 members of the Mayday Hills Hospital Staff. Five men sit in front of the group, upon the ground and behind them, in bright white clothing, sit eight female nurses upon a long bench (one of these nurses is identified on the rear as Miss A.J. Ross). Behind these women stand 12 men. The men are all wearing dark clothing and several have 'Kepi' style hats. The staff photograph was captured by Frazer and Vallance Photographers Melbourne. This image was originally combined with 1997.2490 but these images have since been torn apart and catalogued separately. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. The hilltop atmosphere and the native fauna, it was argued, would assist in the cure of the patients kept at the hospital (Wood 1985, 122). The positioning of the hospital had a beneficial effect on the rural town. A pamphlet published by James Ingram and Son (1849) reveal that famous landmarks in Beechworth which included the Post Office, Gaol, Courthouse and Asylum "demonstrate the appreciation of Beechworth by the Government not only as as important district center, but also as a site unrivaled as a sanitarium". There were other locations in contention at the time, but ultimately Beechworth was chosen (Craig 2000, 33). Prior to the creation of the Asylum in Beechworth, those charged with having mental illnesses or, as it was termed, "insanity" were unable to be properly cared for in the Gaol (which is where they were often sent). John Buckley Castieau wrote, in 1861 for the Ovens and Murray Advertiser, that the Gaol was unable to properly care for those classified then as "insane" but that they would endeavor to treat them above the other inmates (which he notes is not always the case in other establishments). Castieau wrote this in favour of supporting the building of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth. It was stated that at the time the Mayday Hills Hospital was built, there were 83 prisoners kept in the Gaol who were to be rehoused to the Hospital on the grounds of "insanity". The classification as someone as "insane", in this period of time is a reflection on the inability to cure and understand illnesses of the mind during the mid to late 1800s. Opening on the 24th of October 1867, the Mayday Hills Hospital was originally named the "Ovens Lunatic Asylum", a title which is very much a product of its time. Whilst controversial, changes to the name is part of the history of the Hospital and can provide much insight into the understanding of mental illness throughout history and the use/disuse of this term provides information into the reception/changing opinions of mental illness in society. The Hospital would later become known as the "Mayday Hills Asylum" and/or "Mayday Hills Hospital" with the latter being the most commonly used title. An article in the Ovens and Murray Advertiser notes that on the 7th of March 1865, the foundation stone of the Hospital was laid (it would officially open in 1867) and that it was such a moment of accomplishment and joy for Beechworth that a letter to the editor even suggested that there should be a holiday dedicated to the day the foundation stone as laid. This reveals an extent to which the townspeople of early Beechworth valued the construction of the Hospital in their town. It provided the town with a sense of prestige and honour.At first glance, the remains of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria, inspire tragedy, trauma and beauty. The buildings themselves, with their Italianate style Renaissance architecture designed by J.J. Clark (Craig 2000, 49 & Smith 2016, 203) reflect a bygone period of European and Australian history. The gardens provide a sense of tranquility and beauty. The experience of those within these walls remains a valuable area of study to provide a more complete understanding. This particular hospital is considered the fourth of its like and one of three identified as the largest of their kind. The Mayday Hills Hospital is a sister to the Kew and Ararat Asylums in Melbourne which are both located in relative proximity. Understanding the role of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth history is integral to understanding the development of the goldfields town, but also for providing important information as to the history of caring for, and the reception of, mental illnesses in Australian and wider European history. Mayday Hills provides a case study which can be researched through oral history, an analysis of the grounds/buildings and through images like this postcard which portray the structure in a highly deliberate manner. Images like this depict the strong façade of the Hospital and provide a glimpse into the tranquility of the gardens. This has been done deliberately to provide a sense of comfort and healing about the building to those looking from the outside. Further research into the importance of the Hospital in Beechworth and it's connection to the town will be supported through images like these kept in the Mayday Hills photo album in the collection of the Burke Museum.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on photographic paper mounted on cardFrazer & Vallance Photographers Melbournemental asylum, beechworth -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph
This photograph was captured in approximately 1900 and depicts the on site nurses homes. During the 1880s, these detached cottages were constructed and provided accommodation for the staff (in this case, the nurses) who lived within the hospital walls. Within the image are weatherboard buildings, a number of nurses and water tanks. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. The hilltop atmosphere and the native fauna, it was argued, would assist in the cure of the patients kept at the hospital (Wood 1985, 122). The positioning of the hospital had a beneficial effect on the rural town. A pamphlet published by James Ingram and Son (1849) reveal that famous landmarks in Beechworth which included the Post Office, Gaol, Courthouse and Asylum "demonstrate the appreciation of Beechworth by the Government not only as as important district center, but also as a site unrivaled as a sanitarium". There were other locations in contention at the time, but ultimately Beechworth was chosen (Craig 2000, 33). Prior to the creation of the Asylum in Beechworth, those charged with having mental illnesses or, as it was termed, "insanity" were unable to be properly cared for in the Gaol (which is where they were often sent). John Buckley Castieau wrote, in 1861 for the Ovens and Murray Advertiser, that the Gaol was unable to properly care for those classified then as "insane" but that they would endeavor to treat them above the other inmates (which he notes is not always the case in other establishments). Castieau wrote this in favour of supporting the building of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth. It was stated that at the time the Mayday Hills Hospital was built, there were 83 prisoners kept in the Gaol who were to be rehoused to the Hospital on the grounds of "insanity". The classification as someone as "insane", in this period of time is a reflection on the inability to cure and understand illnesses of the mind during the mid to late 1800s. Opening on the 24th of October 1867, the Mayday Hills Hospital was originally named the "Ovens Lunatic Asylum", a title which is very much a product of its time. Whilst controversial, changes to the name is part of the history of the Hospital and can provide much insight into the understanding of mental illness throughout history and the use/disuse of this term provides information into the reception/changing opinions of mental illness in society. The Hospital would later become known as the "Mayday Hills Asylum" and/or "Mayday Hills Hospital" with the latter being the most commonly used title. An article in the Ovens and Murray Advertiser notes that on the 7th of March 1865, the foundation stone of the Hospital was laid (it would officially open in 1867) and that it was such a moment of accomplishment and joy for Beechworth that a letter to the editor even suggested that there should be a holiday dedicated to the day the foundation stone as laid. This reveals an extent to which the townspeople of early Beechworth valued the construction of the Hospital in their town. It provided the town with a sense of prestige and honour.At first glance, the remains of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria, inspire tragedy, trauma and beauty. The buildings themselves, with their Italianate style Renaissance architecture designed by J.J. Clark (Craig 2000, 49 & Smith 2016, 203) reflect a bygone period of European and Australian history. The gardens provide a sense of tranquility and beauty. The experience of those within these walls remains a valuable area of study to provide a more complete understanding. This particular hospital is considered the fourth of its like and one of three identified as the largest of their kind. The Mayday Hills Hospital is a sister to the Kew and Ararat Asylums in Melbourne which are both located in relative proximity. Understanding the role of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth history is integral to understanding the development of the goldfields town, but also for providing important information as to the history of caring for, and the reception of, mental illnesses in Australian and wider European history. Mayday Hills provides a case study which can be researched through oral history, an analysis of the grounds/buildings and through images like these. Images like these depict the strong façade of the Hospital and provide a glimpse into the tranquility of the gardens. This has been done deliberately to provide a sense of comfort and healing about the building to those looking from the outside. Further research into the importance of the Hospital in Beechworth and it's connection to the town will be supported through images like these kept in the Mayday Hills photo album in the collection of the Burke Museum.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on photographic paper mounted on card"Early nurses quarters, Beechworth Mental Hospital, now May Day Hills Hospital."may day hills hospital, nurses quarters, beechworth, mayday hills, asylum -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph
These images are copies of a photograph (3448) captured in approximately 1900 and depicts the on site nurses homes. During the 1880s, these detached cottages were constructed and provided accommodation for the staff (in this case, the nurses) who lived within the hospital walls. Within the image are weatherboard buildings, a number of nurses and water tanks. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. The hilltop atmosphere and the native fauna, it was argued, would assist in the cure of the patients kept at the hospital (Wood 1985, 122). The positioning of the hospital had a beneficial effect on the rural town. A pamphlet published by James Ingram and Son (1849) reveal that famous landmarks in Beechworth which included the Post Office, Gaol, Courthouse and Asylum "demonstrate the appreciation of Beechworth by the Government not only as as important district center, but also as a site unrivaled as a sanitarium". There were other locations in contention at the time, but ultimately Beechworth was chosen (Craig 2000, 33). Prior to the creation of the Asylum in Beechworth, those charged with having mental illnesses or, as it was termed, "insanity" were unable to be properly cared for in the Gaol (which is where they were often sent). John Buckley Castieau wrote, in 1861 for the Ovens and Murray Advertiser, that the Gaol was unable to properly care for those classified then as "insane" but that they would endeavor to treat them above the other inmates (which he notes is not always the case in other establishments). Castieau wrote this in favour of supporting the building of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth. It was stated that at the time the Mayday Hills Hospital was built, there were 83 prisoners kept in the Gaol who were to be rehoused to the Hospital on the grounds of "insanity". The classification as someone as "insane", in this period of time is a reflection on the inability to cure and understand illnesses of the mind during the mid to late 1800s. Opening on the 24th of October 1867, the Mayday Hills Hospital was originally named the "Ovens Lunatic Asylum", a title which is very much a product of its time. Whilst controversial, changes to the name is part of the history of the Hospital and can provide much insight into the understanding of mental illness throughout history and the use/disuse of this term provides information into the reception/changing opinions of mental illness in society. The Hospital would later become known as the "Mayday Hills Asylum" and/or "Mayday Hills Hospital" with the latter being the most commonly used title. An article in the Ovens and Murray Advertiser notes that on the 7th of March 1865, the foundation stone of the Hospital was laid (it would officially open in 1867) and that it was such a moment of accomplishment and joy for Beechworth that a letter to the editor even suggested that there should be a holiday dedicated to the day the foundation stone as laid. This reveals an extent to which the townspeople of early Beechworth valued the construction of the Hospital in their town. It provided the town with a sense of prestige and honour.At first glance, the remains of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria, inspire tragedy, trauma and beauty. The buildings themselves, with their Italianate style Renaissance architecture designed by J.J. Clark (Craig 2000, 49 & Smith 2016, 203) reflect a bygone period of European and Australian history. The gardens provide a sense of tranquility and beauty. The experience of those within these walls remains a valuable area of study to provide a more complete understanding. This particular hospital is considered the fourth of its like and one of three identified as the largest of their kind. The Mayday Hills Hospital is a sister to the Kew and Ararat Asylums in Melbourne which are both located in relative proximity. Understanding the role of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth history is integral to understanding the development of the goldfields town, but also for providing important information as to the history of caring for, and the reception of, mental illnesses in Australian and wider European history. Mayday Hills provides a case study which can be researched through oral history, an analysis of the grounds/buildings and through images like these. Images like these depict the strong façade of the Hospital and provide a glimpse into the tranquility of the gardens. This has been done deliberately to provide a sense of comfort and healing about the building to those looking from the outside. Further research into the importance of the Hospital in Beechworth and it's connection to the town will be supported through images like these kept in the Mayday Hills photo album in the collection of the Burke Museum.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on gloss photographic papermental hospital, mayday hills, beechworth, copy, nurse, nurses quarters, on-site dwelling, 1900s, 1880, beechworth asylum -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph
This photograph is a copy of that captured in approximately 1900 and depicts the on site nurses homes. During the 1880s, these detached cottages were constructed and provided accommodation for the staff (in this case, the nurses) who lived within the hospital walls. Within the image are weatherboard buildings, a number of nurses and water tanks. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. The hilltop atmosphere and the native fauna, it was argued, would assist in the cure of the patients kept at the hospital (Wood 1985, 122). The positioning of the hospital had a beneficial effect on the rural town. A pamphlet published by James Ingram and Son (1849) reveal that famous landmarks in Beechworth which included the Post Office, Gaol, Courthouse and Asylum "demonstrate the appreciation of Beechworth by the Government not only as as important district center, but also as a site unrivaled as a sanitarium". There were other locations in contention at the time, but ultimately Beechworth was chosen (Craig 2000, 33). Prior to the creation of the Asylum in Beechworth, those charged with having mental illnesses or, as it was termed, "insanity" were unable to be properly cared for in the Gaol (which is where they were often sent). John Buckley Castieau wrote, in 1861 for the Ovens and Murray Advertiser, that the Gaol was unable to properly care for those classified then as "insane" but that they would endeavor to treat them above the other inmates (which he notes is not always the case in other establishments). Castieau wrote this in favour of supporting the building of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth. It was stated that at the time the Mayday Hills Hospital was built, there were 83 prisoners kept in the Gaol who were to be rehoused to the Hospital on the grounds of "insanity". The classification as someone as "insane", in this period of time is a reflection on the inability to cure and understand illnesses of the mind during the mid to late 1800s. Opening on the 24th of October 1867, the Mayday Hills Hospital was originally named the "Ovens Lunatic Asylum", a title which is very much a product of its time. Whilst controversial, changes to the name is part of the history of the Hospital and can provide much insight into the understanding of mental illness throughout history and the use/disuse of this term provides information into the reception/changing opinions of mental illness in society. The Hospital would later become known as the "Mayday Hills Asylum" and/or "Mayday Hills Hospital" with the latter being the most commonly used title. An article in the Ovens and Murray Advertiser notes that on the 7th of March 1865, the foundation stone of the Hospital was laid (it would officially open in 1867) and that it was such a moment of accomplishment and joy for Beechworth that a letter to the editor even suggested that there should be a holiday dedicated to the day the foundation stone as laid. This reveals an extent to which the townspeople of early Beechworth valued the construction of the Hospital in their town. It provided the town with a sense of prestige and honour.At first glance, the remains of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria, inspire tragedy, trauma and beauty. The buildings themselves, with their Italianate style Renaissance architecture designed by J.J. Clark (Craig 2000, 49 & Smith 2016, 203) reflect a bygone period of European and Australian history. The gardens provide a sense of tranquility and beauty. The experience of those within these walls remains a valuable area of study to provide a more complete understanding. This particular hospital is considered the fourth of its like and one of three identified as the largest of their kind. The Mayday Hills Hospital is a sister to the Kew and Ararat Asylums in Melbourne which are both located in relative proximity. Understanding the role of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth history is integral to understanding the development of the goldfields town, but also for providing important information as to the history of caring for, and the reception of, mental illnesses in Australian and wider European history. Mayday Hills provides a case study which can be researched through oral history, an analysis of the grounds/buildings and through images like these. Images like these depict the strong façade of the Hospital and provide a glimpse into the tranquility of the gardens. This has been done deliberately to provide a sense of comfort and healing about the building to those looking from the outside. Further research into the importance of the Hospital in Beechworth and it's connection to the town will be supported through images like these kept in the Mayday Hills photo album in the collection of the Burke Museum.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on photographic paper mounted on cardmayday hills, nurse, weatherboard, watertank, mayday hills hospital, asylum, mental health, kew, ararat, mental hospital, beechworth, gold town -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, 1865
Taken in Beechworth 1865, this photograph depicts a number buildings looking down Ford Street. The left side of image shows the Bank of Australia, the Post Office, the Bank of Victoria, and Howard Bookseller. The right side depicts the Oriental Bank, Albion Hotel, the Bank of NSW, and the First church in Beechworth which was the Methodist Church on the hill.Black and white rectangular photograph. Image is printed on matt photographic paper with a cardboard backing. Obverse: ALBION HOTEL, HOWARD BOOKSELLER Reverse: STREETS / (in pencil) FORD ST, BEECHWORTH / VICTORIA 1865 19972743 A02743 beechworth, ford street, bank of victoria, burke museum, 1865 -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Barometer, 1858-1869
The barometer was either made or sold by T. Gaunt & Co. of Melbourne, a manufacturer, importer and retailer of a wide variety of goods including jewellery, clocks and watches, navigational and measuring instruments, dinnerware, glassware and ornaments. Thomas Gaunt photograph was included in an album of security identity portraits of members of the Victorian Court, Centennial International Exhibition, Melbourne, 1888. (See below for further details.) Admiral Fitzroy Pattern Barometer History: The stick mercury barometer was named after Admiral Robert Fitzroy of the Royal Navy (1805-1865) for his detailed instructions on how to interpret the weather, which were included with the instrument. Fitzroy was the captain of the HMS Beagle, also a weather forecaster to Charles Darwin and the second Governor of New Zealand. He developed many different types of barometers and was the first person to introduce the science of weather forecasting to the British Isles. A local manufacturer of scientific instruments, Thomas Gaunt, produced the barometer that was adapted for the southern hemisphere by Robert Ellery, the State Astronomer based at the Melbourne Observatory. In the original sale catalogue for Gaunt's, the item is described as "Gaunt's Fitzroy Barometers" and it was priced from 25/- to ₤9.9s. History of Thomas Gaunt: Thomas Gaunt established Melbourne's leading watchmaking, optical and jewellery business during the second half of the 19th century. Gaunt arrived in Melbourne in 1852, and by 1858 had established his own business at 14 Little Bourke Street. Around 1869 he moved to new premises in Bourke Street on the corner of Royal Arcade. Gaunt's shop quickly became a Melbourne institution. Gaunt proudly advertised that he was 'The only watch manufacturer in the Australian colonies'. While many watches and clocks may have had Gaunt's name on the dial, few would have been made locally. Gaunt did make some watches for exhibitions, and perhaps a few expensive watches for wealthy individuals. Gaunt's received a telegraph signal from Melbourne Observatory each day to correct his main clock and used this signal to rate and repair ship's chronometers and good quality watches. His main horological manufacturing was directed at turret clocks for town halls, churches and post offices. These tended to be specific commissions requiring individualised design and construction. He made the clock for the Melbourne Post Office lobby, to a design by Government Astronomer Robert Ellery, and won an award at the 1880-81 Melbourne International Exhibition for his turret clock for the Emerald Hill Town Hall. He became well known for his installation of a chronograph at Flemington Racecourse in 1876, which showed the time for the race, accurate to a quarter of a second. The firm also installed the clockwork and figures for Gog and Magog in the Royal Arcade. Thomas Gaunt also developed a department that focused on scientific instrumentation, making thermometers and barometers (from imported glass tubes), telescopes, surveying instruments and microscopes. Another department specialised in electroplating for trophies, awards and silverware, and the firm manufactured large amounts of ecclesiastical gold ware and silverware, for the church including St Patrick's Cathedral. There are no records that disclose the number of employees in the firm, but it was large enough for Gaunt to hold an annual picnic for the watchmakers and apprentices at Mordialloc from 1876; two years previously they had successfully lobbied Gaunt to win the eight hour day. Gaunt's workforce was reportedly very stable, with many workers remaining in the business for 15 to 30 years. Gaunt's wife Jane died on September 1894, aged 64. They had one son and six daughters, but only three daughters survived to adulthood. Two became nuns at the Abbotsford Convent and one daughter, Cecelia Mary Gaunt (died 28 July 1941), married William Stanislaus Spillane on 22 September 1886 and had a large family. Gaunt died at his home in Coburg, Victoria, leaving an estate valued at ₤41,453. The business continued as T. Gaunt & Co. after his death. The barometer is historically significant as an example of the work of Melbourne’s leading scientific instrument maker, Thomas Gaunt. The barometer has social significance as an example of the type of scientific equipment that Thomas Gaunt expanded his horology business into producing. Further social significance lies in the fact that Robert Ellery, the Government Astronomer who designed the local version of the barometer, had a direct connection with the Melbourne Athenaeum founded in 1839 as the Melbourne Mechanics' Institution. Its purpose was "the diffusion of literary, scientific and other useful information". There are also records of a T Gaunt as a subscription and committee member of this the Athenaeum organisation during the 1870s and 1880s which may be Thomas Gaunt, unfortunately still unverified.Stick mercury barometer known as the Admiral Fitzroy Barometer. It comprises an oblong wooden case with glass front panel, ornate pediment, barometer with bulb cistern (empty of fluid), cleaning brush with printed instructions for interpreting information given by the gauge affixed to left and right face of instrument. Includes a thermometer. The barometer appears to be intact. Adapted to the Southern Hemisphere. Special remarks by Admiral Fitzroy. Made by Thomas Gaunt, Melbourne. Manufacturer's details are on back of wooden casing. Rear has upper and lower brass screw plates for securing to vertical surface."Manufactured by Thomas Gaunt, 14 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne. "flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, barometer, admiral fitzroy, thomas gaunt, thomas gaunt of melbourne, clockmaker, admiral fitzroy barometer, barometer instructions, gaunt’s fitzroy barometer, gaunt’s of melbourne, gog and magog designer, horological manufacturer, meteorological instrument, melbourne athenaeum, melbourne mechanics' institution, melbourne observatory time signal, robert ellery government astronomer, scientific instrument, stick mercury barometer, thermometer, weather forecast, t gaunt & co -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Postcard, c. Nov 1908-1910
This postcard was written by a person referring to themselves as 'Malee Male', possibly living in the Malee area of South West Victoria. It was written after the wreck of the sailing ship Falls of Halladale, wrecked at Peterborough in November 1908, and before the reign of King George V in May 1910, at which time new postage stamps would have been issued to replace those of Queen Victoria. The writer refers to the excitement of the shipwreck and of having a sailor from the ship working for his/her mother (there was no loss of life from the shipwreck). The note is addressed to a single female family member and includes greetings to people they both know. The address of Oakleigh is approximately 20km south east of Melbourne. The writer talks of being tired and weary, inviting the receiver to visit and help with the 'office', also hinting at some matchmaking for his/her Aunt. It would be a long journey for a person to travel from Oakleigh to the South West Victoria areas. This postcard is an example of the style of writing in Victoria in the early 1900's and of social issues and concerns, including shipwrecks.Postcard, black and white photograph of the Falls of Halladale in full sail. Back of card has handwritten, black script. Top right has 2 x Half Penny stamps, green, Queen Victoria's profile. A short note addressed to a family member Miss M. (Maysie) MacLean c/o Mrs Waite, Warragul Rd, Oakleigh and signed of Mallee Male, refers to the photograph on the front and sailors from the ship.Note on card is addressed to Miss M. MacLean c/o Mrs Waite, Warragul Rd, Oakleigh and signed of Mallee Male. Message on card is ."Dear Maysee and all, too busy and tired to write but not to forget you all. This is a view of the ship Falls of Halladale, great excitement, one sailor boy came back to work for Mum and he and one crew ... When are you coming up Maysie, If you haven't any things else on hand. You can come and assist me with office. Aunt is feeling ... Do you know of any nice boys for Aunt anywhere? Dear old chicken, I am so weary so tata. Stacks of love to all and ... Mallee Male." flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, falls of halladale, peterborough, 14/11/1908 shipwreck, queen victoria half penny stamp, maysie maclean warragul rd oakleigh, mrs waite warragul rd oakleigh, post card, postcard, communication early 1900's, mallee male, sailor employment