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Glen Eira Historical Society
Newspaper - Adamson Family
This file contains one item: 1/A cutting of an article from the ‘Caulfield Glen Eira Leader’ dated 25/02/2014, pertaining to the murder of Murrumbeena residents Robert and Cheryl Adamson. The two were discovered dead in their home on Omama Road on the 19/07/2014 after Mrs Adamson failed to show up at work. Included is some brief biographical information about Mrs Adamson, a description of the police investigation, and the response of the school Mrs Adamson worked at, but there is no word about the resolution of the case.murders, police, murrumbeena, omama road, adamson robert, adamson cheryl, grimwade house, melbourne grammar, balaclava road, caulfield north, kelley roy -
Glen Eira Historical Society
Newspaper - MAYSBURY AVENUE, 5, ELSTERNWICK
This file contains one item: 1/A sheet of A4 paper to which is attached a clipping from the Melbourne Weekly Bayside, dated 01/09/2010, advertising a property located at 5 Maysbury Avenue, Elsternwick. Listed are the property’s size, number of rooms, orientation and nearby amenities, as well as the viewing dates, auction date, and contact details for Biggin Scott real estate agents. Included are two colour photographs of the property’s living room and backyard. On the other side of the sheet of paper is a larger colour photograph of the property’s front yard.houses, brick houses, maysbury avenue, elsternwick, lounges, fireplaces, clothes lines, front yards, biggin scott, real estate agents -
Glen Eira Historical Society
Newspaper - CAULFIELD RSL
This file contains two items pertaining to the history of the Caulfield RSL: 1/A newspaper clipping (source unknown, undated) announcing the RSL’s intention to release a history on its 90th anniversary, and its request for residents of Caulfield to provide any information they might possess about former servicemen for purposes of compiling it. Included is a black-and-white photograph of five men and a young boy (unidentified, but referred to as ‘veterans and their families at a 1920s social afternoon’). 2/A pamphlet published by the Caulfield RSL (undated, although presumably published in 1979) announcing a toast, and containing a precis of the Club’s history from its foundation in 1919 to 1979caulfield, caulfield returned servicemen league (rsl), ex-service organisations, clubs and associations, returned service people, armed forces, caulfield returned sailors’ soldiers’ and airmen’s imperial league of australia (rssaila), elsternwick bowling club, caulfield city council, victorian amateur turf club, depression 1929-1939, world war 1939-1945, london bombing appeal, fags for fighters, parcels for britain, comfort funds, caulfield central returned servicemen league (rsl), hawthorn road, soldiers, aged people, senior citizens centres, st. george’s road, elsternwick, military history, hughes w. w. ‘billie’, world war 1914-1918, volunteer defence corps, rsl war comforts fund, hostels, holland george sir, home help, hall william brigadier sir -
Glen Eira Historical Society
Newspaper - CAULFIELD RSL
This file contains five items of newspaper articles pertaining to the Caulfield RSL: 1/A pamphlet titled ‘A Chance to Honour – The Men Who Saved Australia’, date and parent organisation unspecified, advertising a presentation ceremony and film screening of Chris Masters’ documentary The Men Who Saved Australia to take place on 21/10/2005, to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of WWII. Included are two sepia photographs of the 39th Victorian Battalion – the first of them travelling up the Kokoda Track and the second of them parading after being relieved by the 7th Division – and one colour photograph of Michael Danby MHR, Federal Member for Melbourne Ports, attending the 2005 Anzac Day service in Port Melbourne. 2/A clipping from the Caulfield/Glen Eira Leader (Titled ‘Conflict of war continues’, dated 09/11/2010, and authored by Jenny Ling) advertising the year’s Remembrance Day service to be held by the Caulfield RSL on 07/11/2010/ Special tribute is to be paid to service persons killed in Afghanistan. (There exists a discrepancy between the date offered for the article, which is written on the page to which the clipping is attached, rather than the clipping itself, and the date offered for the event, which is written in the clipping itself. The event is described as taking place before the publication of the publication of the article advertising it. Presumably, the date offered for the article, written on the page to which the clipping is attached, is erroneous). 3/A clipping from the Caulfield Leader (titled ‘Our True Anzac Spirit’, dated 19/04/2011, and authored by Jenny Ling) noting that the New Zealand national anthem is to be played alongside Advance Australia Fair at all RSLs across Victoria on Anzac Day following lobbying by the Caulfield branch. Included is a colour photograph of New Zealand sub-branch vice-president Danny Allen and president Sam Smith standing in front of the New Zealand flag. 4/A clipping from the Caulfield Leader (titled ‘Veteran’s Vivid Memory’, dated 08/11/2011, and authored by Jenny Ling, consisting of a short biography of WWII veteran Eric Sparks. Included is a colour photograph of Sparks. 5/A clipping from the Melbourne Weekly Bayside – Your Community Voice (titled ‘Sun Up and Two-Up’, dated 18/04/2012, author unspecified) noting a visit to the Caulfield RSL by WWII veteran John Supple and army reservist Kon Kesoglidis, and advertising a service to be held by the RSL on 25/04/2012. Included is a colour photograph of Supple and Kesoglidis outside the RSL.caulfield, caulfield returned servicemen league (rsl), exservice organisations, clubs and associations, returned servicepeople, armed forces, soldiers, aged people, senior citizens centres, st. george’s road, elsternwick, anzac day, memorial services, moore alan ‘kanga’, danby michael mhr, masters chris, ling jenny, sammon jason, larkin bob, gutnick dovid, remembrance day, blore jeff, mcbean jon, allen danny, smith sam, stewart mark, spark eric, spark eric ‘ned’, elder vin, supple john, kesoglidis kon -
Glen Eira Historical Society
Article - MONASH, JOHN, SIR
This file contains three items concerning Sir John Monash. 1/A two-page letter distributed at a rare book week event on the 22/07/2014 to the Glen Eira Historical Society from Michael Headberry. The letter requests support for the John Monash Sculptural Commission by the Monash Pioneers, who are seeking to erect a bronze full figure portrait of Sir John Monash, Monash University’s namesake. Monash is connected to the city of Glen Eira, as Monash University has a campus in Caulfield and there are a number of streets named after him. The letter discusses the life of Monash and his many achievements. Details in another two pages are also given of the statue to be erected and there are two photos of a wax model of the proposed statue; plus a donation form. 2/An article by Dana McCauley dated 17/05/2015 entitled ‘Push to rename Ports’ about Caulfield lawyer and Liberal Kate Ashmor. The article discusses how she wants the electorate of Melbourne Ports to be named after Sir John Monash due to him being one of the most prominent Victorian Jews. There is a photo of Ashmor in fron of a statue of Monash. Newspaper not known. 3/An article from the Leader on the 30/06/2015 entitled ‘Exhibit’s unique view on Jews in WW1’. The author is unknown. The article discusses an exhibition at the Jewish Museum of Australia about the social history behind the Jewish support of the war effort. One item included in the exhibition is Isaac Cohen’s painting of Lieutenant General Sir John Monash and there is a photograph, by Andrew Henshaw, of this work above the article.monash university, monash john sir, caulfield, sir john monash, sculptural commission, clubs and associations, monash pioneers, correspondence, fundraising, universities, statues, armed forces, engineers, languages, art, pianos, diaries and journals, jewish community, world war 1914-1918, businesspeople, corlett peter, artists, sculptors, headberry michael, monash pioneers, project board, portraits, models, bridges, returned sailors and soldiers imperial league, ex-service organisations, st. kilda, leader, jewish museum of australia, rechter deborah, cohen isaac, ‘lieutenant general sir john monash’, portraits, national gallery of victoria, henshaw andrew, ‘true jews and patriots: australian jews and world war one’, shows and exhibitions, social history, ‘exhibit’s unique view of jews in wwi’, caulfield, ‘push to rename ports’, mccauley dana, political candidates, australian liberal party, ashmor kate, electoral boundaries, local government -
Glen Eira Historical Society
Newspaper - TREVORROW FAMILY
One item about Mark Trevorrow’s life: This newspaper cutting titled ‘All Trevorrow’s Parties’, from the Saturday Age, dated 14/04/2012, describes the career of comedian Mark Trevorrow, who grew up in Murrumbeena. When interviewed he was appearing under his comedian alias, Bob Downe at the Spiegeltent. The article describes his life as a gay person during a period of changing social attitudes in Melbourne and Sydney.entertainers, comedians, ‘the globos’, downe bob, trevorrow mark, sex discrimination, homosexual discrimination, festivals and celebrations, murrumbeena -
Glen Eira Historical Society
Article - PENHALLURIACK’S BUILDING SUPPLIES
This file contains one item: 1/A clipping from The Age newspaper (titled ‘Victims of sexual assalt to paint over Harris mural’, by Caroline Zielinski, dated 07/09/2014) about the pending removal of a mural, painted by former children’s entertainer and convicted sex offender Rolf Harris, from the wall of Penhalluriack’s Building Supplies, a hardware store in Caulfield, by victims of sexual abuse.penhalluriack’s building supplies, murals, hardware stores, zielinski caroline, the age, harris rolf, artists, entertainers, penhalluriack frank -
Glen Eira Historical Society
Article - CLARA HOUSE
This file contains 1 item: 1/A clipping from the Leader newspaper (titled ‘House offers refuge for women’, by Lorna Swinstead, dated 10/08/1988) about Clara House, a facility in South Caulfield designed to accommodate women in the early stages of mental illness without separating them from their children, as conventional facilities tend to. The remainder of the clipping consists solely of unrelated advertisements, which nevertheless are retained due to revealing the provenance.clara house, south caulfield, geroe clara dr, women’s refuges, caulfield south, malvern-caulfield progress, welfare establishments, woods anne, swinstead lorna, office of psychiatric services -
Glen Eira Historical Society
Document - MORRIS FAMILY
This file has two items about the Morris Family: 1/Nine typed pages taken from Trove – includes social history on John Morris and his family from 1890 to 1937. Subjects range from the letting of ‘Maysbury’ family weddings, his will and resulting auction of ‘Maysbury’ after his wife died. Source documents are from newspapers, reports and magazines. 2/Eleven pages of typed and photocopied photographs sourced from Trove regarding the divorce of son, Maesmore Morries and wife Gertrude, her subsequent marriage and the grandchildren’s weddings and social achievements.‘maysbury’, orrong road, elsternwick, house names, mansions, morris john, iron merchants, ‘glenmayne’, murray william, eddington george, morris constance, eddington constance, willmot gertrude, morris gertrude maesmore, billiard rooms, coach houses, eddington leonore authors, stables, morris maesmore, maesmore actors, wilmott dr. julius, divorce, morris ethel, morris kate, stuckey kate soames, stockey mortimer, morries james jackson, sutor mcdonald robert, sutor gertrude mrs, auctions, mcdonald sutor betty, mcdonald suttor john allan, morris jackson mrs, smith jessie murray, smith alexander, poetry, morris ethel jackon, artists, authors, ‘the white butterfly’, morries colin maesmore captain, doyle miss maesmore, morris mrs, tea and coffee merchants, elliott madge, overton john captain, morris elizabeth alice margaret mrs, morris gertrude, actresses, maesmore morris mr, miners, accountants, morries thomas wiltshire, morris eliza k, st mary’s caulfield, greenaway kate, wedding dresses, weddings, wills, eddington leonora, ‘maysbury mansions’, flats, springfield avenue, morris jackson, morris steve -
Glen Eira Historical Society
Newspaper - BENTLEIGH FOOTBALL CLUB
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Glen Eira Historical Society
Newspaper - ELSTERNWICK CRICKET CLUB
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Glen Eira Historical Society
Newspaper - MCCAUGHAN, BETTINE
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Glen Eira Historical Society
Newspaper - ALTMAN, KITIA
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Glen Eira Historical Society
Newspaper - HANNAFORD, ROSS
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Glen Eira Historical Society
Newspaper - FLOWER, ROBERT
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Glen Eira Historical Society
Newspaper - SULLIVAN, ANNE
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Glen Eira Historical Society
Newspaper - HAMER, APRIL
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Glen Eira Historical Society
Newspaper - HANDS, FRANK
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Glen Eira Historical Society
Article - Caulfield Institute of Technology
... VIC 3162 melbourne Two items from newspaper cuttings relating ...Two items from newspaper cuttings relating to this Institute: 1/Article from Chadstone Progress 19/03/1980 on parking problems. The local council suggested public transport instead. Titled 'Parking Problem at CIT' in 2 columns. School of Community and Access Education at C.I.T. stated in an article from the Caulfield Contact 26/03/1981 that they were running classes for older adults on local history of Caulfield and seeking interested participants. Titled 'Reflections of Life in Caulfield' in one column.c.i.t., caulfield institute of technology, logan brian, benn anthony, booth laura, dandenong road, caulfield east, caulfield, students, education, parking, country roads board, education department, victorian amateur turf club, student union, school of community and access education, education program for older adults, history, technical colleges, caulfield council, tertiary education, road construction and maintenance, caulfield racetrack, caulfield racecourse -
Glen Eira Historical Society
Document - Regent Street, 3/1B, Elsternwick
... VIC 3162 melbourne A newspaper ad dated 22/08/2003 giving ...A newspaper ad dated 22/08/2003 giving brief details of apartment highlights.elsternwick, regent street, glenhuntly road, caulfield, german robert, malka eyal, brick, flats -
Glen Eira Historical Society
Document - Regent Street, 4/1B, Elsternwick
... VIC 3162 melbourne A newspaper real estate ad dated 18/11/2005 ...A newspaper real estate ad dated 18/11/2005 on forthcoming sale of luxurious apartment. Gives details of interior fittings.elsternwick, regent street, cohen david, polimene reece, caulfield north, balaclava road, flats, brick -
Glen Eira Historical Society
Newspaper - JEwISH POPULATION IN THE CITY OF GLEN EIRA
This file has folders A-B awaiting checking -
Glen Eira Historical Society
Newspaper - KAMBROOK ROAD,196, CAUFIELD, ‘WOOLAMAI’
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Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Clothing - Child's dress, Eliza Towns, Late 19th century
This child's dress is one of several linen and clothing items that were made and belonged to Mrs. Eliza Towns and donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village. Eliza was born Eliza Gould in 1857 in South Melbourne (Emerald Hill) and in 1879 married Charles Towns. In the early 1880's they moved to Nhill in western Victoria and remained there for the rest of their married life. Charles was a jeweller and later became an accountant and for many years was involved with the Shire Council, the local show committee (A & P Society), the Hospital Committee and the Board of the local newspaper (the Nhill Free Press). They had three children and lived a life that would be regarded as comfortably "middle class". Eliza probably had a treadle sewing machine and would have made many of her own clothes as well as clothes for her children - adding her own handmade embroidered or crocheted decorative trim. A photograph of their youngest child, Alice, taken in circa 1903 depicts her wearing the dress. The dress would have been only worn on special occasions (such as a formal family photographic portrait) as most young girls in that era would have smocks or pinafores for everyday wear. The age of the dress is in question as it may have been made by Eliza for her eldest daughter, Dorcus, who was born in 1884. This dress has some machine sewing at the neck, waistband and pintucks but much of the dress is handsewn and richly embroidered with Broderie anglaise. Broderie anglaise (also known as eyelet lace) is a form of cutwork embroidery. The foundation fabric is cut to make decorative holes which are sewn with overcast or buttonhole stitches to create a lace like effect. Designs often involve floral motives that are enhanced with simple embroidery stitches such as stem stitch and satin stitch and scalloped edges finished with buttonhole stitches. It was commonly used to trim baby clothes, dresses, nightclothes, underclothes and household linens - particularly in the Victorian and Edwardian eras. This item is an example of the needlework skills of women in the late 19th century - combining machine stitching with hand embroidery to personalise and embellish a child's special dress.Child's white dress made of cotton and lawn, with a skirt of hand embroidered circular cutwork (broderie anglaise), a scalloped hem edged in buttonhole stitch and a gathered waist. The lined bodice has three panels of hand embroidered broderie anglaise (eyelet lace) inserted in a V shape with pintucks and bordered with a broderie anglaise lace frill. The short sleeves also have an inserted broderie anglaise lace strip, three pintucks and a broderie anglaise lace frill. The skirt is semi lined with fine lawn. The dress has a back opening with one button and two ties. The neckline is decorated with two rows of hand embroidered broderie anglaise lace.flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, warrnambool, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, nhill, wimmera, eliza towns, dorcus towns, child's dress, machine sewing, hand sewing, broderie anglaise, cutwork, embroidery, eyelet lace, clothing, handmade, charles towns, alice towns -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Clothing - Corset cover, Eliza Towns, Mid to late 19th century
This corset cover is one of several linen and clothing items that were made and belonged to Mrs. Eliza Towns and donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village. Eliza was born Eliza Gould in 1857 in South Melbourne (Emerald Hill) and in 1879 married Charles Towns. In the early 1880's they moved to Nhill in western Victoria and remained there for the rest of their married life. Charles was a jeweller and later became an accountant and for many years was involved with the Shire Council, the local show committee (A & P Society), the Hospital Committee and the Board of the local newspaper (the Nhill Free Press). They had three children and lived a life that would be regarded as comfortably "middle class". Eliza probably had a treadle sewing machine and would have made many of her own clothes as well as clothes for her children - adding her own handmade embroidered or crocheted decorative trim. This corset cover is an excellent example of an everyday clothing item with the decorative trim favoured by women in the late Victorian era. Eliza Towns has added pintucks, embroidered feather stitch and a highly decorative hand crocheted lace trim to the neckline, sleeves and front of the bodice. Corset covers (sometimes called camisoles) began to appear in women's fashion around 1840 and continued through the late Victorian decades into the Edwardian era. The long chemise was considered too bulky to cover the corset and so the corset cover was developed to be short and light and was worn over the corset and under the bodice of the outer garment. A woman would dress into her chemise and drawers first, followed by her corset and finally her corset cover as a final layer under her dress. Corset covers served several purposes. They provided protection against sweat (and the need to regularly wash the corset), helped smooth the lines of the corset and increased a woman's modesty.This item is an example of the needlework skills of women in the late 19th century - combining machine stitching with hand embroidery and crochet to embellish an item of personal underclothing. It is also significant as an example of a practical solution to the difficulty of hand washing a corset in the Victorian era.A short (waist length) corset cover of fine cotton. Short sleeves fall from a square neckline and are gathered into a wide crocheted lace trim with a band of embroidered feather stitch. The same crocheted lace design and feather stitching are also on the square neckline which is finished with a drawstring ribbon. The bodice has a front opening with five buttons and is bordered on each side with four pintucks. It has a drawstring ribbon at the waist and an extra layer of fine cotton lining has been added to strengthen the corset cover under the arms. The back has two bands of three pintucks running vertically from the neckline to the waist.flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, nhill, wimmera, eliza towns, underclothing, corset cover, camisole, machine sewing, hand sewing, crocheted lace, pintucks, feather stitch, embroidery, underwear, victorian era underclothing, victorian era corset cover -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Clothing - Chemise, Eliza Towns, Late Victorian era
This chemise is one of several linen and clothing items that were made and belonged to Mrs. Eliza Towns and donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village. Eliza was born Eliza Gould in 1857 in South Melbourne (Emerald Hill) and in 1879 married Charles Towns. In the early 1880's they moved to Nhill in western Victoria and remained there for the rest of their married life. Charles was a jeweller and later became an accountant and for many years was involved with the Shire Council, the local show committee (A & P Society), the Hospital Committee and the Board of the local newspaper (the Nhill Free Press). They had three children and lived a life that would be regarded as comfortably "middle class". Eliza probably had a treadle sewing machine and would have made many of her own clothes as well as clothes for her children - adding her own handmade embroidered or crocheted decorative trim. This chemise is machine sewn by Eliza Towns and she has added pintucks and broderie anglaise lace as a decorative element. A chemise was usually a sleeveless garment made of linen or cotton (so they could be easily washed) and its shape was much like a modern day nightgown. The name comes from the French word for "shirt" or "shift". Women wore chemises next to the skin (under the corset) to keep stains and odors away from the less washable corset and gown.This item is an example of the needlework skills of women in the mid to late 19th century - combining machine stitching with hand embroidery to personlise and embellish an item of clothing. It is also significant as an example of a practical solution to the difficulties of needing to regularly hand wash a bulky outer garment or gown in the Victorian era.A white cotton, short sleeved, knee length chemise. The fabric at the front is gathered on a yoke which is decorated with bands of five pintucks alternating with broderie anglaise lace and embroidered strips lined with pink ribbon. A different broderie anglaise design decorates the sleeve edges, neckline and center broderie anglaise strip. The back of the chemise is gathered on to the neckline. There are two bands of pintucks on each sleeve. The fabric around each armhole has been strengthened with another layer of cotton and a length of cotton has been added (from the left shoulder to the hem) to increase the width of chemise.flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, great ocean road, south west victoria, victorian era, victorian era undergarments, chemise, victorian era chemise, undergarments, pintucks, victorian chemise, eliza towns, nhill, wimmera, home sewing, machine sewn, hand made -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Clothing - Combination Undergarment, Eliza Towns, Late 19th century
This item of underclothing, called a "combination" is one of several linen and clothing items that were made and belonged to Mrs. Eliza Towns and donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village. Eliza was born Eliza Gould in 1857 in South Melbourne (Emerald Hill) and in 1879 married Charles Towns. In the early 1880's they moved to Nhill in western Victoria and remained there for the rest of their married life. Charles was a jeweller and later became an accountant and for many years was involved with the Shire Council, the local show committee (A & P Society), the Hospital Committee and the Board of the local newspaper (the Nhill Free Press). They had three children and lived a life that would be regarded as comfortably "middle class". Eliza probably had a treadle sewing machine and would have made many of her own clothes as well as clothes for her children - adding her own handmade embroidered or crocheted decorative trim. Combination undergarments combined the chemise and drawers into one garment. The combination is divided, or bifurcated, from the waist to the crutch for easier urinating. This one-piece type of underwear was worn by females from the 1860s and into the early 1900s. The 19th Century garments had front button closures like this one, and those made in the 1900s more often had back closures. Combination underwear was popular because the all-in-one design had far fewer gathers and bulk, making the other clothing look much smoother. Their primary use was to protect clothing from perspiration and because they were made with cotton or linen, were easy to wash. Although they were worn under the corset, next to the skin (and therefore not meant to be seen), they were often decorated with lace and embroidery. Although these combinations are made with a plain cotton fabric, Eliza Towns has incorporated pin tucks, hand embroidery and crocheted lace to embellish her garment. The collection of women’s late-19th-century undergarments is an example of clothing that women would include in their wardrobes. The garments add to the study of the evolution of women's fashions and practicality for the early Australian settlers. The careful needlework in these handmade garments and hand-worked lace trims reflect the maker’s dedication to making even serviceable garments beautiful to look at and wear.Women’s white cotton and lace all-In-one combination undergarment. The handmade underwear is a combined chemise and bloomers. It has three buttons in the front and a handmade drawstring cord around the square neckline. It is trimmed with crocheted lace (with a floral design) on the neckline, sleeves and pants. It had pintucks and feather stitching on the bodice and the left and right sides are divided from the waist to the crutch. The back of the garment is plain with a gathered section at the lower back.flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, maritime museum, maritime village, warrnambool, great ocean road, victorian era, combination undergarment, all-in-one underwear, combination, ‘combinations’, one-piece underwear, one-piece undergarment, chemise and bloomers, combination chemise and bloomers, divided, bifurcated, split, chemise and drawers, women’s underwear, ladies’ underwear, undergarment, women’s clothing, women’s fashion, lingerie, 19th-century undergarment, handmade clothing, handmade lace, crocheted lace, towns family, nhill, eliza towns -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Clothing - Nightgown, Eliza Towns, circa 1890's
This nightgown is one of several linen and clothing items that were made and belonged to Mrs. Eliza Towns and donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village. Eliza was born Eliza Gould in 1857 in South Melbourne (Emerald Hill) and in 1879 married Charles Towns. In the early 1880's they moved to Nhill in western Victoria and remained there for the rest of their married life. Charles was a jeweller and later became an accountant and for many years was involved with the Shire Council, the local show committee (A & P Society), the Hospital Committee and the Board of the local newspaper (the Nhill Free Press). They had three children and lived a life that would be regarded as comfortably "middle class". Eliza probably had a treadle sewing machine and would have made many of her own clothes as well as clothes for her children - adding her own handmade embroidered or crocheted decorative trim. This nightgown is machine sewn by Eliza Towns and she has added a detailed design of pintucks and broderie anglaise lace to the front yoke and cuffs as a decorative element. The 1800's bought a shift in attitude towards modesty as the Victorian era progressed and by the mid to late 1800's it had become more acceptable ladies to wear simple, modest nightgowns. They tended to have a very loose fit and were usually made of linen, cotton or flannel, which had the advantage of providing warmth and also being easy to wash - a necessity for a garment worn next to the skin. Although the basic design of the nightgown was fairly simple, the wearer was free to add various types of trim e.g. lace, crochet, pintucks, embroidery etc.This item is an example of the needlework skills of women in the late 19th century - combining machine stitching with hand embroidery to personalise and embellish a practical item of clothing. It is also significant as an example of a practical solution to the difficulties that women of this era faced with regard to the washing of clothes and household linens.Lady's long, white, cotton nightgown with a V shaped bodice decorated with bands of nine pintucks alternating with strips of broderie anglaise lined with pink ribbon. The opening front placket and neckline are bordered with a simpler broderie anglaise lace. The long sleeves are gathered into cuffs with a matching V shape, pintuck and broderie anglaise design. The front placket fastens with three cream buttons although one is missing. The back of the nightgown has gathered fabric on a plain, narrow V shape yoke. A narrow gusset has been added to the both sides at the bottom of the nightgown.Noneflagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, victorian era clothing, victorian era nightgown, nightgown, nightdress, eliza towns, nhill, wimmera, textiles, clothing, machine sewing, hand sewing, pintucks, broderie anglaise, sewing -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Book - Craft book, Norma Benporath, Tatting, circa 1940's
Tatting is a form of knotted lace making using thread and a small shuttle. Twisted threads are tied around or through small, pointed shuttles that can be made of bone, mother of pearl, tortoise shell, steel or plastic. This produces a stable, strong lace using simple knots of two half hitches to make rings and chains embellished with picots. The origins of tatting are not clear but early versions of decorative knotting were used by the Egyptians on their ceremonial dress. Tatting also has elements of fishermen's net making techniques and the decorative knotting that was practiced by aristocratic women from the 15th century. Tatting, as we know it today, emerged in the first half of the 19th century. The new availability of mercerised thread from 1835 encouraged a burgeoning of lace crafts of all sorts. It was known in Italy as "occhi" and in France as "la frivolite". Tatting looks fragile but is both strong and durable. An article in a column named "Wives and Daughters" published in the Star newspaper in May 1910 describes the durability of tatting lace - "there is edging and insertion still in existence that have outworn two sets of pillow slips." In the 19th century and well into the 20th century, tatting was used like crochet and knitted lace for decorative edgings, collars, doilies, tray cloths etc. At first, different tatting patterns were passed along by word of mouth from person to person, however in time, patterns regularly appeared in newspapers and magazines well into the 1950's. This book has photographs and detailed instructions for a wide range of tatted edgings and insertions suitable for household linens such as towels, doilies and tablecloths as well as patterns for whole mats. Stanley E. Mullen (a businessman) developed Semco Pty Ltd which began as a Melbourne based importation company in 1907. The first three letters of Semco's name were his initials. In 1915 it began manufacturing women's apparel, whitework and transfer patterns. In 1924 the company moved to Black Rock, Victoria and continued to produce an extensive range of needlework patterns and handcraft instruction booklets, threads etc. up until the late 1970's. Semco had a staff that included many young women. It was noted by E.J. Trait (editor of the local newspaper "Standard News") that the firm provided them with good working conditions and the correct rate of pay for women in a time of war - the starting rate for 15 year olds, mainly girls at Semco was 25 shillings per week. During World War 2, Manpower Regulations could be used to coerce workers to move into jobs that supported the war effort, but Trait argued that being employed at Semco could make this unlikely as the firm made some goods essential for the war effort. He even suggested that women be encouraged to produce needlework items (and play a part in the war effort) by sending them as presents, to the troops up north. He also heaped praise on the Semco workplace - noting that no Saturday work was the norm, allowing employees to shop and have "hair-do's" before enjoying a relaxing weekend! Semco also had a female cricket side in the women's Saturday association. After the war the firm stayed in production until the early 1990's when it was taken over by Coates-Paton Pty Ltd. Norma Benporath (1900 - 1998) was an expert in tatting techniques and taught and published extensively on the subject. She was born in New Zealand with impaired sight but cataract surgery restored 50% vision to one eye. She was inspired to learn tatting whilst watching her aunt tat and being told that tatting did not require as much sharp vision as embroidery. She quickly learnt to design her own patterns and published over 1000 tatted lace patterns between 1929 and 1952. She became a regular contributor to magazines (such as Home Beautiful) and newspapers across Australia. Her designs were also published in New Zealand, South Africa as well as the U.K. and U.S.A. When Semco, a thread manufacturer, noticed a rise in the sale of fine crochet threads, they realized they had an untapped market to explore. Norma designed a collection of tatting patterns for Semco that were used to help promote their threads. Norma also worked with Semco to produce a line of threads and shuttles specifically suited to tatting. In 1997, Norma was inducted into the "Order of Australia" for "Service to the craft of tatting as a designer and through the international publication of her patterns".This item is an excellent example of the needle work being enjoyed by women in the 1940's in Australia and the skills of the Australian designer, Norma Benporath. It is also an example of the trend that emerged for craft companies such as Semco to publish pattern books in order to advertise their own materials.A 32 page soft cover instruction book with green front and back covers showing two tatted doily designs. The book includes black and white photographs and written patterns by Norma Benporath.Front cover - "TATTING" "For / EXPERTS/ and / BEGINNERS" "By/Semco" "SEMCO INSTRUCTION BOOK" "No. 16" "WITH ILLUSTRATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS" "9" Back cover - "FOR INSTRUCTIONS FOR WORKING SEE PAGE 22" "Published by Semco Pty. Ltd." "BLACK ROCK, 29, VIC"flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, great ocean road, tatting, tatting instruction book, tatting patterns, tatting shuttle, semco, semco pty ltd, norma benporath, needlework, handcrafts, household linen, craftwork -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Textile - Plain Sewing Sampler, 1897
A "Plain Sewing Sampler" or "Darning Sampler" was intended to showcase the wide range of sewing techniques and skills a girl or woman had. These skills might include hand sewing techniques such as darning, patching, hemming, mending, structural sewing (making pleats, inserting gussets, joining fabric with seams) making buttonholes and embroidery. Samplers could also be intended for practicing a particular technique. There were several articles printed in Australian newspapers around 1889 referring to the "Plain Sewing Movement". In 1889 a Melbourne branch of the "London Institute for the Advancement of Plain Needlework" was formed by a group of ladies led by Lady Loch and Lady Clarke with the purpose of teaching "plain needlework' to women and girls. "Plain Sewing" included fundamental stitches and techniques that were essential for practical clothing construction and maintenance. Several years later in 1891, another meeting was held at Clivedon (the residence of Lady Clarke) to look into the possibility of improving the teaching of sewing in the state schools. This meeting was attended by several school inspectors and the committee of "the Melbourne Institute for the Advancement of Plain Needlework". This "Plain Sewing Sampler" was donated from the estate of Susan Henry OAM nee Vedmore (1944 - 2021). Susan's family (Harold and Gladys Vedmore) immigrated to Australia from Wales in 1955 and settled in Warrnambool. Susan was well known in the Warrnambool community for her work supporting children and families across the district - particular those with disabilities, or those who were homeless, unemployed or isolated. Susan was the founding trustee of the "Vedmore Foundation" - a Warrnambool philanthropic trust set up to support a range of charitable and not-for-profit causes by providing grant assistance. In 2021, she was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for services to the community. It has not been possible to identify the lady (with the initials L. L.) who made this item in 1897 but it was thought to possibly be a female relation in her maternal (or possibly, paternal) grandmother's family. It has many of the same elements and techniques that were taught by the "Plain Sewing Movement" that originated in England at the end of the nineteenth century.This item is a rare example of the handcraft skills learnt by women and girls in the late 1890's to construct and maintain practical clothing for their families.A cream cotton sampler made from three smaller rectangular shapes, displaying a wide variety of plain sewing techniques including hand stitched seams (french, bound and herringboned), inserted patch, buttonhole, button, gathering, a gusset, frills, pintucks, a placket, cross stitch initials and date (L L and 1897) and decorative embroidery.L L/1897flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, shipwreck coast, needlework, textiles, plain sewing sampler, darning sampler, handwork, sewing, great ocean road, susan henry oam, vedmore trust, hand sewing, sewing techniques