Fanny Swan (formerly Wood, nee Poole) came to Gippsland in the 1840s with her first husband, William Wood, where they became proprietors of the Shakespeare Hotel at Stratford. William Wood died in 1855, and in 1856 she married Samuel Swan. Together they acquired considerable property in and around Stratford. Samuel Swan died in 1880 at Stratford, and Fanny Swan died at Stratford in 1895.This illuminated address which documents the final payment for the Wesleyan Church building in 1892 has historic significance for Stratford Historical Society as it is located in the actual building. It also has social significance for the township as Mrs Fanny Swan was one of the earliest and best known business leaders in the area running the iconic Shakespeare hotel/boarding house for many years. It has aesthetic significance as an example of a illuminated address produced on a printing press with gold ink, rather than the usual handwritten form. White wooden frame containing an illuminated address to Mrs S. Swan from the Wesleyan Church at Stratford 2 January 1892. It is press-printed in gold ink on what appears to be a blank, pre-printed poster. It reads: Stratford, 2 January 1892 Mrs S. Swan, Stratford Dear Madam, We, the Minister and Trustees of the Stratford Wesleyan Methodist Church desire to tender you our most sincere thanks for your very generous donation of Fifty Pounds handed to us to-day by Mr George Poole in aid of clearing off the debt on our church. Thanks to your kindness the Ladies of our congregation have been induced to help, and they have raised a considerable sum by means of a Cake and Apron Sale, so that after our Annual Tea meeting to be held at Easter next at our Church. Debt will then be a "Thing of the Past". We trust God will keep you in health and strength, long to live amongst us. We are Yours Very Tuly Rev. H.E. MERRIMAN, Minister Trustees S.CAVANAGH W.LITTLE S.CHINN G.LITTLE Fred J. LITTLE, Secretaryswan, women, methodist church

Purchased with the assistance of the Gippsland Art Gallery Society, 1997Oil on linengippsland, artwork, permanent collection

Donated by the artist, 2014Monotype on papergippsland, artwork, permanent collection

Purchased, 1989Watercolour on cardgippsland, artwork, permanent collection

The Gordons were architects and were associated with many buildings still standing in Albury and Wodonga, St Patrick's Church and the de Kerilleau Homestead among them. They established Vermont Orchard on 74 acres to the south of the Wodonga settlement. Here they grew fruit and nuts for the domestic and export market. The enterprising family also set about transforming some of the land by clearing it, creating streets and making general improvements. It was the biggest subdivision in Wodonga at the time. The 234 allotments in the Wodonga Estate were put up for sale by auction in May 1890. A total of 200 people were said to have attended. Gordon, William, Charles and Vermont streets in Wodonga are named after the family. This bell was used at the Vermont orchard to signal the beginning and end of the working day, as well as lunch breaks.The Gordon Family orchard bell is made of cast iron. It includes the inscription "J. C. W../G./1858." This is thought to represent the initials of John Gordon and sons Walter Joseph and Charles Goodwin Sylvester Gordon. There is some conjecture about this due to the date "1858". John was born in London, England in 1823 and died in 1880. Walter is generally accepted to have been born in 1857 and died 1903. In one family tree Charles is recorded as being born on 28 January 1858 but his birth was registered in 1860. The mystery of the date is therefore not fully resolved.On one side of the bell "J. C. W../G./1858."gordon family wodonga, gordon and gordon architects, vermont wodonga