This printers block was made for the Warrnambool and District Historical Society and used to print letterheads, envelopes and cards. The impression on the block is of the sketch map drawn by Thomas Price of Port Fairy of the Warrnambool Harbour site when he wrote to Superintendent Charles LaTrobe in 1844 regarding the suitability of the site for a new town. The letter is regarded as an important impetus for La Trobe to consider establishing the town of Warrnambool and so the sketch was used by the Historical Society as its logo on letterheads etc for many years. It was also used as the heading for the Society newsletters from the late 1980s to late 2007.This block of the Thomas Price sketch was used by the Historical Society for many years for its printed material and the sketch was used as its logo for about 20 years so it is an important part of the Society’s history and the block is kept as a reminder of this.This is a printing block with an impression made of metal and attached to a wooden block. The wood is in layers of dark and light coloured wood and has a piece cut out at the top left hand corner. The impression is a representation of the sketch map of Warrnambool Harbour made by Thomas Price in 1844.Sketch map of Warrnambool Harbour 1844warrnambool & district historical society, thomas price sketch

This cask bung came from the brewery of Sheldrick and Co. The New Brewery (Warrnambool), founded by Walter Sheldrick and Thomas Price as partners in a company, was situated at the corner of Timor and Fairy Streets. It was known as Sheldrick and Co. and operated from 1868 to 1922 with John McGee and Company running the business after 1894. In 1922 the business was sold to Ballarat, Melbourne Co-operative and Carlton and United Breweries. The casks, used for wine and spirits, were in 1892 cleaned by steam and a lifting device was used to transport the casks from the cellars to the delivery wagons. This is a most significant item as one with a clear provenance and used in the brewery business of Sheldrick and Co., a major industry in Warrnambool in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It is an example of the equipment use in the brewery business more than a 100 years ago. This is circular cask bung or stopper with the outer shell made of brass and the stopper insert made of cork. There is a screw thread on the metal. Both the brass and the cork are slightly worn.Inscribed on the metal:‘Sheldrick & Co. Warrnambool’sheldrick and co., sheldrick’s brewery

William and Ellen Goodall were pioneer settlers in Warrnambool, with one of the sons, Thomas (1852-1917), becoming a law clerk and accountant. It is not known for which legal firm Thomas Goodall worked but he handed in these Probate and Letters of Administration documents and the lists to George Sutherland Mackay at some unknown date (pre 1917). George Mackay (1850-1926) began a legal practice in Warrnambool in the 1890s and was established at 131 Kepler Street when he took J. McD. Taylor as a partner. George Mackay was a prominent Warrnambool resident, involved in civic affairs and the Presbyterian Church. The firm of Mackay, Taylor and Co. was a dominant one in Warrnambool until the 1990s. The list of Probate and Letters of Administration documents is of some minor importance as it provides an historical context for the location of the documents themselves, prior to acquisition by the Warrnambool and District Historical SocietyThese are two typed quarto-sized sheets of paper (typed on both sides) with lists of Probates and Letters of Administration from 1874 to 1909 handed to George S. Mackay, Warrnambool lawyer, from Thomas Goodall, Legal Clerk. Three on the lists are handwritten in red ink and one page is ruled with red lines. There are 65 items on the lists.william and ellen goodall, warrnambool

This is the probate and will of John Hannon of the Anakies. John Hannon died in March 1874. Anakie is a small town between Geelong and Bacchus Marsh and the Anakies are three small hills in the nearby Brisbane Ranges National Park. Nothing is known of John Bannon except for the details in the will and probate. He was unable to read and write, signing his will with a cross and he was a small handholder having property valued at under £300. He left his estate to his wife Johanna and her family. The probate document is signed by R.W. Pohlman, Acting Master in EquityThis document is only of interest in that it came from a local Warrnambool legal office in Kepler Street. It originally came from Thomas Goodall, a legal clerk in the office of lawyer Ernest Chambers who passed it on to George Mackay, the lawyer in the forerunner firm of the legal firm of Mackay Taylor. The document came the buildings that previously housed the firm of Mackay Taylor. This is a piece of parchment folded in two and joined at the fold by a piece of green ribbon to which is attached a government seal (Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria). The parchment is much discoloured and the seal is torn. The contents are handwritten in black ink. ‘Probate on the will of John Hannon, late of the Anakies, in the colony of Victoria, Farmer, deceased’john bannon, anakies, warrnambool

This is an 1877 document, the Letters of Administration in connection with the will and probate of William Ellis, a veterinary surgeon from Wimmera Street, Stawell. He died after an altercation with W. Richards, the landlord of the Post Office Hotel, where he was knocked against the wall of the verandah of the hotel. He left a small estate, with his property valued at under £107. This document is only of interest in that it came from the former legal offices of Mackay Taylor in Kepler Street, Warrnambool. It originally came from Thomas Goodall, a legal clerk in the office of lawyer Ernest Chambers who passed it on to George Mackay, the lawyer in the forerunner firm of Mackay Taylor where it remained until the firm of Mackay Taylor ceased to exist and the buildings were cleaned out. This is a piece of parchment folded and sealed at the bottom edge with a seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria. The material in the document is handwritten in black ink. The document is stained and part of it is torn and missing. ‘In the Estate of William Ellis, late of Stawell, deceased, Letters of Administration, 16/8/77, Matthew W. Taylor, Proctor, Stawell’. william ellis,, stawell, warrnambool

Nothing is known of the deceased, Jane Murray except that she died at the age of 49 and her husband was William Murray, a Stawell saddler. She left an estate to the value of £400. Tait collection: item 4 of 62This document is only of interest in that it came from the former legal offices of Mackay Taylor in Kepler Street, Warrnambool. It originally came from Thomas Goodall, a legal clerk in the office of Ernest Chambers who passed it on to George Mackay, the lawyer in a forerunner firm to Mackay Taylor where it remained until the firm of Mackay Taylor ceased to exist and the buildings were cleaned out.This is a piece of parchment folded and sealed at the bottom edge with a seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria attached by a blue ribbon. The document has ruled black lines and handwritten material in black ink. There is a hole on the document at one of the folds and one edge is torn.‘In the Estate of Jane Murray late of Stawell in the Colony of Victoria, deceased intestate, Letters of Administration, I certify that the sum of £4-0-0 for Duty on the within estate has been paid, Registrar of Estates, Geo. L. Skinner, Proctor, 99 Collins St. W. Melbourne’. jane murray, stawell, warrnambool

No information has been found on the Commission Agent John Fitts except that he died at the Yarra Bend Asylum at the age of 51 and was formerly a resident of Ascot Vale, a suburb of Melbourne. His estate was valued at £600. Yarra Bend Asylum, near the junction of the Yarra River and the Merri Creek was the first institution for the mentally ill in Victoria and operated from 1848 to 1925. Tait collection: item 5 of 62This document is only of interest in that it came from the former legal offices of Mackay Taylor in Kepler Street, Warrnambool. It originally came from Thomas Goodall, a legal clerk in the office of the lawyer Ernest Chambers who passed it on to George Mackay, the lawyer in the forerunner firm of Mackay Taylor where it remained until the firm of Mackay Taylor ceased to exist and the buildings were cleaned out. This is a piece of parchment paper with printed black lines and handwritten material in black ink. There is a fold at the bottom of the document with a seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria attached by a green ribbon. The document is slightly discoloured but is otherwise in good condition. ‘In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria, Probate jurisdiction, In the Estate of John Fitts, late of the Yarra Bend Asylum, formerly of Ascot Vale in the Colony of Victoria, commission agent, deceased intestate, Administration, Edwards and Perry, Proctors’yarra bend asylum, john fitts, warrnambool

No information is available on George Murray except that he was a Melbourne accountant and died intestate in 1885. He left property to the value of £91 and the lawyer, Ernest Chambers, who was at that time at 12 Chancery Lane, Melbourne, was directed to list the creditors of George Murray and distribute the estate accordingly. Mr Chambers was one of George Murray’s creditors. Ernest Chambers later had a legal practice with offices at Warrnambool, Koroit and Port Fairy with the known dates 1897 to 1910. Thomas Goodall was the manager of the Warrnambool office and he was the one who had this document in his possession at that time and it was passed down to succeeding lawyers in the Kepler Street building. Tait collection: item 7 of 62This document is of interest in that it was originally issued by the lawyer Ernest Chambers who later had an office in Warrnambool. This is a piece of parchment containing the 1885 Letters of Administration in the estate of George Murray, a Melbourne accountant. The document is white with black ruled lines and has handwritten material in black ink. The document is folded at the lower edge with a seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria. The seal is attached to the document by a green ribbon. There is also a blue stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The document is in good condition apart from some minor staining. ‘In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria in its probate jurisdiction, in the Estate of George Murray, late of Melbourne in the Colony of Victoria, accountant, deceased intestate, Letters of Administration, I certify that no duty is payable on the within Letters of Administration, John W. … (office under section 6), 15/6/85’. george murray, ernest chambers, warrnambool

This document shows that Mary Irwin of Peterborough, Victoria, died in April 1892 without making a will and the Letters of Administration were granted to her husband, William Irwin. However he died in 1901 without having fully administered Mary Irwin’s estate. In turn the estate administration was passed over to Charles McGillivray of Peterborough and one of Mary Irwin’s sons, William Irwin, residing in New Zealand. This document was drawn up in 1907, fifteen years after Mary Irwin’s death. She left property to the value of £100. No other details on Mary Irwin are available. Tait collection: item 11 of 62This document is of interest because it was drawn up by a local Warrnambool solicitor, Ernest Chamber. He had a practice in Kepler Street, Warrnambool with the known dates, 1897 to 1910, with other offices in Koroit and Port Fairy during the same time. His manager in Warrnambool was Thomas Goodall who appears to have passed this document on to lawyers continuing on in the Kepler Street premises until it was found in the building once used by the legal business of Mackay Taylor.This is a piece of parchment paper folded in two and written on the back and front in brown-coloured ink (perhaps originally black). There is a seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria attached with a green ribbon and three red stamps of the Master in Equity in the Supreme Court. Apart from some yellow staining the document is in good condition.‘In the Supreme Court of Victoria in the Probate Jurisdiction in the unadministered Estate of Mary Jane Irwin, late of Peterborough in the County of Heytesbury in the State of Victoria, married woman, deceased intestate, Letters of Administration, de bonis non. I certify there is no duty or fee payable on these Letters of Administration, Dated 8th day of November 1907, Officer under Sec. 96 Act.1060, Extracted by E.J.W.Chambers, Proctor, Warrnambool’mary irwin, solicitor, warrnambool, peterborough, ernest chambers

These are the Probate papers for Patrick Mahony, a farmer from Wangoom who died in 1894. He left an estate of £995 and personal effects worth £138. The estate was to be administered by the two sons, William and Timothy in trust for another son, Michael Mahony. The wife Margaret was granted three acres of land, £25 a year and ‘the choice of two cows out of my stock’. The daughter Johanna was to receive the same benefits after the death of her mother. Patrick Mahony, being illiterate, signed his will with a cross. Tait collection: item 12 of 62This document is of interest as it concerns a local farmer, Patrick Mahony and a local lawyer, William Ardlie. The latter had a practice in Warrnambool for the best part of seventy years, firstly in Timor Street and then in Kepler Street. He was a prominent resident in Warrnambool. The document was originally in the hands of the law clerk, Thomas Goodall and it was passed on to lawyers occupying the Kepler Street premises until it was found in the buildings once used by the law firm of Mackay Taylor. This is a piece of parchment paper, folded in two with writing in black ink on all four pages. There is a seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria attached with a green ribbon and three red stamps of the Master in Equity in the Supreme Court. The document has ruled lines and some annotations in the margins. ‘280, In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria, in the Probate Jurisdiction in the Will of Patrick Mahony, late of Wangoom, in the Colony of Victoria, Farmer deceased, Probate. I certify that there is no duty payable on the within Probate, J. Poole, Officer under Section 96 of Act 1060, 24/October/1894, William Ardlie, Proctor for Executors, Warrnambool’patrick mahony, william ardlie, warrnambool

This is an 1896 document containing the Letters of Administration following the death of Margaret Lord, a widow from Warrnambool. She died intestate in April 1896 and left real estate to the value of £15 and personal estate to the value of £250. The estate was to be administered by her son, John Lord, a draper from Warrnambool. Tait collection: item 13 of 62This document is of interest because it concerns a local Warrnambool woman, Margaret Lord and a local lawyer, Ernest Chambers The latter had offices in Warrnambool with the known dates 1896 to 1910, with other offices in Koroit and Port Fairy during the same period. His manager in Warrnambool was Thomas Goodall and this document with others was passed to lawyers occupying the same premises in Kepler Street and it was found in the buildings previously occupied by the legal firm Mackay Taylor.This is a piece of parchment paper folded in two with writing in brown-coloured ink on the back and front of the document. It has a seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria and one red stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The writing is somewhat faded but still legible.‘In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria, In the Probate Jurisdiction in the Estate of Margaret Lord, Late of Warrnambool in the Colony of Victoria, Widow, deceased, intestate, Letters of Administration. I certify that there is no duty payable on the within Letters of Administration, J. Poole, Officer Under Section 96 Act 1060, Dated the 22nd day of July 1896. E.J.W. Chambers, Proctor, Warrnambool’ margaret lord, ernest chambers, warrnambool

This document contains the Probate Papers following the death of Richard Bright, a Warrnambool stonemason who died in August 1897. No other information has been found on Richard Bright but he must have been a successful tradesman as he left real estate to the value of £680 and personal estate to the value of £94. His executors were his son, Daniel Bright of Terang and the law clerk, Thomas Goodall. Richard Bright left a number of properties to his wife, Elizabeth, his sons, Daniel and John and his daughters, Adelaide Scown and Martha Head. This document was in the possession of Thomas Goodall , a law clerk managing the Ernest Chambers legal offices in Warrnambool and it was eventually passed on to the law firms operating from the same premises in Kepler Street. It was handed to the Historical Society when it was found in the premises once occupied by the law firm of Mackay Taylor. Tait collection: item 14 of 62This document is of interest as it originally was drawn up by a local lawyer. Ernest Chambers, and the probate papers are for a local Warrnambool resident, Richard Bright. This is a piece of parchment paper, folded in two, with handwriting on all pages. There is a seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria attached with a green ribbon and a red stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. There are ruled black lines on three pages and pencilled writing in the margin of the first page. Some of the writing is a little faded. ‘In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria, In the Probate Jurisdiction In the Will of Richard Bright, late of Warrnambool in the Colony of Victoria, Mason, deceased. Probate. I certify that no duty is payable herewith. J. Poole, Officer under Sec. 96, Act 1060, 16/11/97. E.J.W. Chambers, Proctor, Warrnambool’ernest chambers, thomas goodall richard bright, richard bright, tait collection

Tait collection: item 17 of 62 These are the Letters of Administration for Thomas Coffey who died intestate in February 1898. He was formerly a settler from Corowa, New South Wales and latterly from Warrnambool and Colac. His real estate valued at £20 and his personal estate valued at £746 was granted to his widow, Margaret Coffey of Kirkstall. Thomas Coffey died in Colac at the age of 64 but no other information on him has been found.This document is of minor interest, being the Letters of Administration following the death of Thomas Coffey. He may have lived in Warrnambool for some time in the latter part of the 19th century. The document has been in the possession of Ernest Chambers, a lawyer with offices in Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Koroit at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. The document has then been stored in the Kepler Street offices of successive law firms until it was located in the premises previously occupied by the firm of Mackay Taylor.This 1898-1899 document consists of three pages of parchment paper tied together with thin green cord and cropped at the top and bottom left hand corners of the document. There are two seals attached, one with red sealing wax from the Supreme Court of New South Wales and the other attached with green ribbon from the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria. The document material is handwritten in black ink. There are six stamps – three from New South Wales, one from Geelong and two are indecipherable. The document also has a blue stamp duty label attached (New South Wales, one per cent stamp duty). The document is in fair condition with one page with the writing fading and difficult to read. letters of administration, thomas coffey, tait collection

Tait collection: item 19 of 62 This is an 1899 document giving Will and Probate details of William Cox who died in Warrnambool in March 1899. He was a farmer residing in Moore Street Warrnambool at the time of his death at the age of 83. He left real estate to the value of £425 and personal estate to the value of £412 to Gwenllian Williams who may have been his sister or niece. A Mr and Mrs Williams were also living in the Moore Street house at the time of Cox’s death. His executors were Thomas Goodall, a law clerk who managed the office of the lawyer Ernest Chambers in Warrnambool and John Ward, a pioneer settler in Warrnambool and a shopkeeper in Jamieson Street in 1899. No other details are available on William Cox. This is an interesting document as it gives details of the Will and Probate belonging to a local Warrnambool person, William Cox. The lawyer dealing with the document was Ernest Chambers who had legal offices in Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Koroit at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. This document has been passed on to successive lawyers occupying legal chambers in the Kepler Street building and that is where the document was held until passed on to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society in 2014.This is an 1899 piece of parchment paper folded in two with handwritten material on three sides of the paper. The seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria is attached with blue ribbon and there are two stamps, one blue one of the Colonial Bank in Warrnambool and the other a red one of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court in Melbourne. Two of the pages have ruled black lines. The writing is very clear but the pages are a little stained.In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria In its Probate Jurisdiction In the Will of William Cox late of Warrnambool in the Colony of Victoria farmer deceased; Probate; I certify there is no duty payable on this probate (signature) Officer under Section 96 of act No 106; E J W Chambers Warrnambool Proctors for the Executorswilliam cox, ernest chambers, john ward, thomas goodall, tait collection

Tait collection: item 20 of 62 This 1900 document gives details on the Will and Probate of William Bickle, described as a ‘Gentleman’, who died in April 1900. He left real estate to the value of £240 and personal estate to the value of £286. His wife Jane received the income from these assets during her lifetime and on her death the estate went to Bickle’s nephew and niece. The executors were John Warren, a painter of Jamieson Street, Warrnambool and Thomas Goodall, a law clerk of Warrnambool. No other details are available on William Bickle. Thomas Goodall was the manager of the law office of Ernest Chambers in Warrnambool. Chambers had offices in Port Fairy, Koroit and Warrnambool at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. This document is of interest because it contains information on the Will and Probate of William Bickle, a Warrnambool resident at the time of his death. The document was in the possession of the lawyer, Ernest Chambers and has been passed down to successive lawyers occupying the Kepler Street building. It was then passed on in 2014 to be part of the Warrnambool and District Historical Society collection.This is a 1900 piece of parchment paper folded in two with handwritten material on three sides. The seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria is attached with a green ribbon and there are two stamps, one a red one of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court, Melbourne and the other a blue one of the Savings Bank, Warrnambool. The handwriting is highly legible.william bickle, ernest chambers, tait collection, john warren

Tait collection: item 33 of 62 This probate document gives details of the will of Thomas Smith, a farmer in the Wangoom district who was a pioneer settler, having arrived in the area about 1848. He erected the Shamrock Hotel in Dennington in 1868 and it was opened for business in 1869 with David Duffy as the first licensee. Thomas Smith was the licensee in 1870 and members of his family (Cornelius, Robert and Mary Smith) held the licence of the hotel until 1880. A codicil to the will gave Mary Smith, Thomas’ daughter, the hotel land and building. This hotel closed in 2011. Thomas Smith signed the original will with a cross (his mark). Other names mentioned in the probate document are Frederick Wilkinson, Master-in-Equity, Ernest Chambers, Solicitor, John Drayton, Clerk to E. Chambers, William Ardlie, Senior, Solicitor, Thomas Goodall, Clerk to William Ardlie, Richard Sheldrick, Clerk to William Ardlie, Walter Davies, Stationer.This is a significant document as Thomas Smith was a prominent owner of land, especially in the Dennington area. The Shamrock Hotel in Dennington was built by Smith and still owned by him when he died in 1880. The will gives important details of the estate of Thomas Smith and adds to our knowledge of his life and work. Document – Probate, 1880/1907 - the Will and Codicil of Thomas Smith, Farmer of Dennington The will has six ruled paper pages of typewritten material. Each page has printed ruled red lines top, bottom and sides and all are tied with green corded string. There are handwritten corrections and signatures, including those of Ernest Chambers, Solicitor of Warrnambool and John Drayton, Clerk to E. Chambers.Thomas Smith Shamrock Hotel, Dennington Ernest Chambers, Solicitor thomas smith wangoom 1848, shamrock hotel dennington, warrnambool history, thomas smith 1880

Tait collection: item 39 of 62 This document gives the details of the Will and Probate of Thomas Oakley who died in Warrnambool at the age of 75 in 1893. He had come with his first wife to Australia in 1852 and was a Customs Officer in Warrnambool, in charge of the signals and premises, living in Merri Street. Later after the death of his wife (they had ten children) he married Eliza McKeeman in 1870 and they lived at ‘Oakbank’ near the Warrnambool Cemetery where Oakley pursued farming interests. They had a further eight children, many of them making their mark in the business and community life of Warrnambool and further afield. Thomas Oakley left real estate to the value of £900 and personal estate to the value of £1251, with the beneficiaries being his wife, his daughters, Elizabeth and Mary Anne from his first marriage and the eight children of his second marriage. The lawyers concerned with this document, O’Mahony and Murray, had offices in Warrnambool in Kepler Street at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. This document was in the possession of Ernest Chambers, a Warrnambool lawyer during the same period. It was then passed down to successive lawyers occupying the Kepler Street premises and located there in 2014.This document is of considerable importance as it gives details of the Will and Probate of Thomas Oakley, a prominent and successful landowner in Warrnambool in the 19th century. It will be of great use to researchers. This is a white piece of thick paper folded in two with handwritten material on four sides of the paper. The pages have printed red lines at the edges of three pages. The document contains details of the Will and Probate of Thomas Oakley who died in 1893 in Warrnambool. The pages are clean and readable.In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria in its Probate Jurisdiction in the Will of Thomas Oakley late of Warrnambool in the County of Villiers in the Colony of Victoria Landowner deceased.o’mahony & murray,, warrnambool lawyers, ernest chambers, warrnambool lawyer, thomas oakley, tait collection

Tait collection: item 40 of 62 This document gives the details of the Will and Probate of Edward Jones, an engine driver who died in Warrnambool in January 1895 at the age of 69. He had previously been a resident of Port Fairy. He left real estate to the value of £640 and personal estate to the value of £187. The beneficiaries of the will were his daughters, Margaret and Mary Jones. The lawyers connected with this document were Ernest Chambers and the legal firm of Fletcher and Mackay. Ernest Chambers had legal offices in Port Fairy, Koroit and Warrnambool at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century and the signatures of two of his law clerks, Thomas Goodall and John White are included in this document. James Fletcher had a legal office in Port Fairy and in Warrnambool in the 1870s and in Warrnambool in the 1880s (Koroit Street). In the late 1890s he commenced a partnership with George Mackay who had previously had his own practice in Warrnambool. In the 1920s the firm became known as Mackay and Taylor and later Mackay Taylor (Kepler Street). This document was in the possession of Ernest Chambers and was passed down to successive lawyers occupying the Kepler Street premises. It was located in 2014 with other documents in these premises last occupied by the firm of Mackay Taylor. This document is of some interest as it gives details of the Will and Probate of Edward Jones who had been a resident of Warrnambool in the late 19th century. It will be useful for researchers. This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper folded in two and containing handwritten material on three sides of the paper. It gives details of the Will and Probate of Edward Jones of Warrnambool who died in 1895. The pages have printed red lines on the edges of three pages. The written material is clean and readable.In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria In its Probate Jurisdiction in the Will of Edward Jones late of Warrnambool and formerly of Belfast in the County of Villiers in the Colony of Victoria Engine driver deceasedfletcher and mackay, lawyers,, warrnambool, ernest chambers,, edward jones, tait collection

This bat was awarded to Thomas William Southcombe in 1876 for the best batting average during the 1875-6 season at Warrnambool Cricket Club. Thomas William Southcombe was the son of Thomas and Mary Southcombe of Port Fairy. With his parents, Thomas and Mary, he arrived in Port Fairy in 1854. Thomas Senior was a carpenter who established several businesses in Port Fairy and served on the local Council for many years as a Councillor and Mayor. Thomas Junior appears to have migrated to U.S.A. and died there in 1904. The cricket bat was manufactured by the British firm of James Lillywhite, Frowd & Co. James Lillywhite was an English cricketer whose uncle had originally established the sports store and manufacturing business which lasted under various names until the 21st century. A cricketer named Lillywhite played in Warrnambool in 1874 with an All England Team under the captaincy of W.G.Grace. It is not known whether this was James Lillywhite or another member of the Liilywhite family as several of them played first class cricket.. The impression of the signature of W.H.Ponsford on the bat is an intriguing one. W.H. (Bill) Ponsford was a famous Australian cricketer who retired in the late 1930s. The Southcombe cricket bat was given by Mary Southcombe (Thomas’ sister) to the old Warrnambool Museum in 1923 and it is surmised that Bill Ponsford visited Warrnambool in 1957 (tthis appears to be the date under the signature imprint) and was shown the bat. It is then surmised that he rested a piece of paper or an album page on the bat while he signed his name and the impression of the signature has come through onto the bat. The old Museum closed in the 1960s and the bat was then passed on to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society from the Warrnambool City Council collection of items from the Museum. This bat is of considerable importance because of its provenance and its connection with the Warrnambool Cricket Club, the Southcombe family of Port Fairy, the Lillywhite manufacturers, the old Warrnambool Museum and Bill Ponsford. It is also a good example of the type of cricket bat used in Australia in the 1870s. This is a wooden cricket bat (light colour wood, presumably willow) with a handle covered in oiled thread. It has an etched inscription on one side of the bat and the names of the manufacturer and distributor on the other side. There is also a faint impression of another signature. The blade of the bat is slightly curved. ‘W.C.C. Season 1875-6 Presented to T.W. Southcombe, for Best Batting Average’ ‘James Lillywhite Frowd & Co., Manufacturers, Borough, England’ ‘Made for George Marsh, Melbourne’ ‘W.H.Ponsford, -/1/1957’ warrnambool cricket club, thomas william southcombe, w.h.ponsford, warrnambool’s old museum

The original inscription in this Bible is interesting but no information has been found on Mary MacLeod or Hazel O’Moore-Skelly except to note that Eleanor Hazel Cameron, nee O’Moore-Skelly, (1914 -1989) is buried in the Allambie Park Cemetery, Albany. The Bible was given to Berenice Angus by Sister Ingpen of Warrnambool. The accompanying note that indicated that it came from Sister Ingpen is now missing. The later inscriptions indicate that Berenice Angus had this Bible in the early 1950s at her school in Geelong, ‘The Hermitage’. Sister Amy Ingpen (1878- 1965) was an important figure in Warrnambool’s history. She trained as a nurse and was said to be the first Victorian country nurse to qualify for the Midwifery Certificate. She initially assisted Dr Thomas Scott and later Doctor Gerald Baldwin at the ‘Alveston’ Private Hospital (corner Darling and Banyan Streets, Warrnambool). She then took sole control of the private hospital and ran this hospital for a great number of years, providing expert care for midwifery, surgical and medical cases. Berenice Angus (Berry McDade) is the daughter of Dr Roy and Gladys Angus. Dr Angus (1901-1970) came to Warrnambool in 1939 and practised at ‘Birchwood’ in Koroit Street and in later years as an ophthalmologist. This book is of interest because of its connection with Sister Ingpen, a prominent nurse in 20th century Warrnambool and the Angus family of Warrnambool. This is a black soft leather- covered Bible of 1208 pages. The cover extends over the edges of the pages. It has gold lettering on the spine and gold edging on the pages. The inside covers are black. The book has been silk bound but is now partly detached from inside the spine. Some pages are loose and have been mended with glue. Some of the pages have ink staining and the cover is worn with the top and bottom of the spine cover broken and torn. There is an inscription on the black inside cover and one of the first pages and a stamp from the Warrnambool & District Historical Society.‘Mary’ ‘Mary MacLeod with love from Hazel O’Moore-Skelly’ ‘When this you see, Remember me’ ‘Berenice Angus, 1952’ ‘Berenice Angus, The Hermitage, Geelong, 1952 (almost indecipherable) hazel o’moore-skelly, mary macleod, berenice mcdade (angus), dr angus, sister ingpen, history of warrnambool

This plate comes from the Congregational Church in Warrnambool. It was probably part of a set of crockery used by church members at social events. The Warrnambool Congregational Church was established in 1862 when Robert Winton and Thomas Nayler set up a meeting to discuss the possibility of establishing an Independent Church in Warrnambool. The first minister was William Pentland and the first church was opened in 1864 in Liebig Street. Samuel Nettleton was a notable early church member, being Superintendent of the Sunday School for 60 years. A new church was opened in Henna Street in 1940. In 1973 the Congregational Church merged with the Methodist Church to form the Uniting Church in 1977. In 1976 the former Congregational Church in Henna Street was sold to the Salvation Army. This plate is of interest as a memento of the former Congregational Church in Warrnambool. In the early to mid 20th century this church was a strong and influential force in the Warrnambool community. This is a cream-coloured dinner plate made of china. The gold bands around the edge of the plate are now almost obliterated. The lettering in the middle of the plate is black and white. The plate has several chips on the edge and is somewhat stainedWarrnambool Congregational Church’warrnambool congregational church

This book of hymns belonged either to the Warrnambool Chinese Church or to its catechist, Thomas Wong Cheong. The Chinese Church in Ryot Street, Warrnambool was established under the aegis of the Presbyterian Church in the 1890s and continued on until the late 1920s when the local Chinese community numbers had dwindled. Thomas Wong Cheong was appointed in 1892 as a catechist to the Chinese community in Warrnambool and district by the Foreign Missions Committee of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Victoria. He and his wife worked tirelessly on the district until his death in 1923. This book is of great interest as an example of the hymn books used in the Chinese Church in Warrnambool at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. The Chinese Church in Ryot Street and its catechist Thomas Wong Cheong are of considerable historical interest. This is a soft cover book with a black cover. The spine has become completely detached and has been re-stitched with thread. The pages have ruled black lines with the text printed in Chinese characters within these lines. What is probably the front page has a yellow-coloured page with large Chinese characters. The back page has two inserted pages containing the English index to the gospel hymns, Parts 1 to 4. The material on the cover is torn and frayed at the edges. The pages are dog-eared. chinese church warrnambool, thomas wong cheong, history of warrnambool

‘Warrnambool Past and Present’ was written and published in 1907 by Edward Vidler. It is a seminal work on Warrnambool’s history. It is noted for its historical accuracy, its complementary value to Osburne’s History of Warrnambool published in 1887 and its presentation of historically important early photographs. Edward Vidler, born in England, was a writer, historian, journalist, editor and publisher. He was in the Geelong area in the 1880s where he produced a commemorative volume on that city. He was in Warrnambool in the early 1900s where he produced his book ‘Warrnambool Past and Present’ to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of Warrnambool. He also organized the establishment of the Warrnambool Pioneer Honour Board with the portraits of 204 pioneer men from the area. John Ward was a pioneer settler in the Warrnambool area. He was a Councillor (1880 to 1911) and Mayor and had a shop at the corner of Jamieson Street and Canterbury Road. He was an historian and wrote articles on aspects of early Warrnambool and a comprehensive history of Methodism in Warrnambool. Thomas Wicking was a noted Warrnambool historian in the second half of the 20th century. These two copies are most significant. Originals of this book are rare and the book is of key importance in the recording of Warrnambool’s history. Edward Vidler, John Ward and Thomas Wicking are all of importance in the telling of Warrnambool’s story.These are two copies of the book, ‘Warrnambool Past and Present’. .1 No cover, pages 1-82, (some pages missing at the back), bound with adhesive tape, inscriptions handwritten in black, stamp of Camperdown Historical Society, front and back pages slightly crumpled and torn. .2 Replacement hard cover in brown with gold lettering, pages 1-80, (some pages missing at the back), inscriptions handwritten in pencil and blue ink. Both books contain printed text, many advertisements and over a hundred photographs and illustrations of Warrnambool and district. .1 ‘M.Whitehead’ ‘Presented to the Camperdown Hist. Soc. by Hilda Whitehead, 1988’ .2 ‘Thos. Wicking’ ‘John Ward, 24 Hampton Rd. Armadale’ edward vidler, history of warrnambool, thomas wicking

This exercise book has been used by Winnifred (Winnie) Goodall in 1916 when she was a pupil at the Warrnambool Technical School. The material in the book mostly consists of letter-writing practice for business purposes. The Goodalls were pioneer settlers in the Warrnambool district with William and Ellen Goodall arriving in the area in the late 1840s. Eventually they had a property named Wanstead on the Allansford Road in East Warrnambool. One son, William, was an early manager of the Framlingham Aboriginal Settlement. Another son, Thomas, was a Warrnambool law clerk and Winnie, (born 1901 to mother Leah), was his granddaughter. The Warrnambool Technical School was established in 1913.This exercise book is of interest as an example of school work completed by a Warrnambool Technical School student in 1916. It is also of interest because it belonged to Winnie Goodall, a member of an important pioneering family in the Warrnambool district. This is a school exercise book with a cardboard cover and 17 double pages. The cover has a mottled pattern of brown and mauve and the pages have been attached by metal staples but the staples have been removed. The pages have blue ruled lines with handwritten material in blue and black ink. Some of the pages have red hand-drawn lines. The cover is slightly torn. On the first page two cartoon sketches from a newspaper have been pasted in. The front cover has a printed label in blue and white colouring pasted on, with handwritten information on the label. ‘Exercise Book Written by Winnie Goodall, Commenced 9th February 1916’. winnifred goodall goodall families, warrnambool warrnambool technical school.

This book has been written by Alan Mickle and tells of his impressions of England in 1908, 1923 and 1938. The proceeds of the sale of the book went to the ‘Food For Britain’ drive, an appeal that operated throughout Australia during World War Two. Alan Mickle, the son of David and Clara, was related to an early 20th century Shire Engineer in the Camperdown area and to Thomas Mickle, a prominent landowner, hotel keeper and photographer in early Warrnambool. Alan Mickle died in 1969. M.E. Clarke, whose signature appears in the book, was a descendant of a local Clarke family which included Angus Henry Clarke (b. 1866) who married Maggie Brown and Angus’ brother, John Sanders Clarke (b.1870) who married Bessie McMahon of Warrnambool. Bessie’s father, William was a prominent 19th century lawyer in Warrnambool. The book was donated to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society by Aileen Hassell who was the daughter of John and Bessie Clarke. This book is significant because of its links to the ‘Food For Britain’ appeal which was active in Warrnambool during World War Two. Also the book is significant because of its links to the Clarke and Mickle families, resident in the Warrnambool district in the late 19th and early 20th centuries This is a soft cover book of 93 pages. The cover is buff-coloured with a fold-in flap at the ends of the cover to make the cover more sturdy. The lettering on the cover is in red and black calligraphy. The book has a Foreword by the Rt. Hon. R.G. Casey and includes several black and white photographs. The cover is a little scuffed and worn. The inscription is handwritten in blue ink.‘M.E.Clarke’ alan mickle, food for britain appeal, world war two, world war two in warrnambool, john and bessie clarke, aileen hassell

This set was given by the Warrnambool City Council Councillors to Horace Lawson on the occasion of his marriage in 1898. Horace Edward Lawson was the son of Susan and Thomas Lawson. The latter at one time had a drapery business in Liebig Street. Horace Lawson was the Town Clerk of Warrnambool from 1893 to 1918. He was a keen cyclist and a member of the Warrnambool Volunteer Artillery Corps. In 1918 Lawson was appointed the Secretary of the Municipal Association of Victoria, a Melbourne appointment. This set is of considerable interest as it was presented to Horace Lawson, notable in Warrnambool’s history as a long-serving and successful Town Clerk. This silver-plated tea and coffee set has four items – coffee pot, tea pot, sugar basin and milk jug. All have the same etched decorative patterns on the sides and the lids and all have handles attached with a nut and a bolt. The tea pot and the coffee pot have the maker’s marks on the bases and there is an inscription on the side of the sugar basin. The lids of the coffee pot, tea pot and milk jug are hinged. ‘W. Mammatt & Sons Sheffield’ ‘Presented to H. E. Lawson Esq. Town Clerk by the Mayor & Councillors of Warrnambool on the Occasion of his Marriage Sept. 1898’horace lawson, history of warrnambool, silver tea set

This book about the New South Wales goldfields was written by Rolf Boldrewood in 1890. It is retained because the author played a significant part in Warrnambool’s history. Rolf Boldrewood, the pen name of Thomas Browne, first came to the Warrnambool district in 1842, visiting the Bolden brothers’ property, Grasmere. He camped on the banks of the Merri River for about six months and described the area, including Warrnambool Bay, some years later in his book Old Melbourne Memories. In 1844 Thomas Browne established the property, Squattleseamere near Bessiebelle, north west of Portland. He remained there for ten years then moved to New South Wales. The last forty years of his life were spent writing and he became well-known for the classic Australian novel, Robbery Under Arms. This book is retained because it is a 19th century example of the writings of Rolf Boldrewood. He is important in Warrnambool’s early history as he was in the area in the early 1840s. His account of the area at that time is the most important one we have of the area that was later to be the site of the new settlement of Warrnambool.This is a soft cover book of 188 pages. The cover is brown with red edging and lettering and is partly detached from the binding. The spine is partly missing. The pages are dog-eared and there is some foxing. The text is printed in two columns to a page. Frank J. Donovanrolf boldrewood (thomas browne), bolden brothers in the warrnambool area, warrnambool history, the miners right

This book was published in 1952 by the Australian Poetry Lovers’ Society. This group was based in Melbourne and was founded in 1934 by George and Ethel Fielding. In 1973 a member, Harry Hastings Pearce, wrote a history of the society. This 1952 volume contains two poems by Thomas Terrington (born 1897) - ‘Henry Lawson’ and ‘Stella’. Tom Terrington was a well-known local poet and writer from Framlingham. He has been described as a ‘rhymster of flair and skill’. He was a self-taught person with little formal education and he worked at various jobs until he took over the general store at Framlingham in his middle age. He also recorded some of the history of Framlingham, a small settlement about 24 kilometres north east of Warrnambool. The identity of ‘Fred’ in the inscription is not known. This book is of interest because it contains two poems written by Tom Terrington, a local 20th century writer and poet. This is a soft cover book of 50 pages. The cover is green with black printing and an image of two kookaburras on the front cover. The book has poems by 18 writers and a black and white photograph on page 10 of the late George Fielding. The cover is somewhat soiled. The book has been stapled but the staples have been removed. The inscription is handwritten in black ink. ‘To Fred with best wishes from Tom Terrington Framlingham 21.11.52’ tom terrington, history of framlingham

This is a book prize given to Bessie Mackay some time in the 1890s. Unfortunately neither the book nor the book plate has any date. Bessie Mackay is probably Marie Elizabeth Mackay, born to Thomas and Marie Mackay in 1883. Thomas Mackay was an auctioneer and commission agent in Warrnambool in the later decades of the 19th century. Ellerslie College was an important private school in Warrnambool and the building still stands (Koroit Street). It was a purpose-built school, initially for girls and it was erected in 1889 for Bella Davidson. Miss Davidson conducted this school until 1891 when it was taken over by William Lawson. He had had a school for boys and girls in King Street and when he moved his school to Ellerslie College he was employing three lady teachers as well as his male staff. It is not known whether Bessie Mackay was a pupil at Miss Davidson’s school or Lawson’s school or both. This book is of great interest as a memento of Ellerslie College, a well-known private school in Warrnambool in the late 19th century and early 20th century. At that time, most pupils in Warrnambool wishing to go on to higher education attended private schools. This is a hard cover book of 128 pages. The cover is dark green with an image of a bunch of flowers in silver, red and black colouring on the front cover and on the spine. The printing is in black lettering on the front cover and in silver colouring on the spine. The book has eight chapters with a full page colour sketch at the front of the book. The cover is slightly frayed and a little stained. The book plate has black printing on a white background and handwriting in black ink. ‘Ellerslie College, Warrnambool, Non Scholae Sed Vitae Discimus, Name. Miss Bessie Mackay, Class V, For Geography’. ellerslie college, warrnambool, history of warrnambool, bella davidson, william lawson, bessie mackay

This ledger contains an Index to Drafts for Mortgages, Conveyances and Deed of Covenants etc (1896 to 1913) which was in use by the Warrnambool solicitor, Ernest Chambers. He had offices in Warrnambool, Koroit and Port Fairy in the late 19th century and early 20th century and Thomas Goodall was his manager in Warrnambool until 1899 when Chambers took up permanent residence in Warrnambool. The ledger was found in the old Mackay Taylor offices in Kepler Street and presumably came into the possession of this law firm at a later stage when Ernest Chambers was no longer operating in Warrnambool. The firm of Mackay Taylor was originally established in 1898 from the amalgamation of the law firms of George Mackay and James Fletcher. In the 1920s the firm became Mackay and Taylor when J. Taylor joined as a partner and this business was prominent in Warrnambool until the 1990s.This ledger has some significance as it contains the names of many Warrnambool and district residents of the late 19th and early 20th centuries and gives some indication of what type of legal transaction they were involved with. It therefore has some historical and social connotations useful for researchersThis is a ledger with a black cover and red bindings on the spine and corner reinforcements. There are 273 pages with printed red lines for accounting purposes. The entries are written in black ink. The inside front and back covers of card paper material have a red and blue mottled pattern. Front cover: ‘Index to Drafts, E.T.H.Chambers’ Spine: ‘8-4-96 to 14-9-15 Index to Drafts’ ernest chambers, solicitor mackay taylor legal firm