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Orbost & District Historical Society
black and white photographs, 1923; 1945
Information with photograph 3146.2 includes the following names : " Myself (Alan Richardson); Lewis; Morrison; Herman; Nixon; Cooney; Herbert; Perry; Wakefield; Reynolds; Waller; Herbert; Wait; Berry; Taylor; Rodwell; Gil; Nixon". "Gil; is possibly Gil Richardson. This appears to be a school football team.Sport is often regarded as an important part of life in rural Australia, contributing to community identity, sense of place, social interaction and good health. This photograph seems to be associated with Orbost High School.Two black / white photographs. 3146.1 is of three rows of boys wearing sports uniforms. The three boys at the front appear to be in school uniforms. The back row is standing, the middle seated on chairs and the front row is sitting on the ground. A boy in the midddle row is holding a football on which is written "1923". The photo has been taken outside. 3146.2 has three rows of boys in sports uniforms. The two back rows are standing and the front is seated on chairs. A boy in the middle of the front row is holding a ball on which is written "1945". The photograph has been taken outside in front of a building. In both photographs the boys have their arms folded.sport-football -
Orbost & District Historical Society
black and white photograph, 1954
The Orbost Football Club began in 1894. This photograph shows the 1954 team. The Orbost football club players were known as the Busters and wore green and gold guernseys. An Orbost football team has participated in the East Gippsland League since the early 20th century. The East Gippsland Football League in its present incarnation began in 1974 with the merger of the Gippsland Football League and the Bairnsdale District Football League .In 2003 in response to a dwindling population, the Snowy Rovers and Orbost Football Clubs were driven to merge into the Orbost Snowy Rovers Football clubs, through their many changes, have always been an important social fabric of the community. Sport is often regarded as an important part of life in rural Australia, contributing to community identity, sense of place, social interaction and good health.A black / white photograph of three rows of men wearing sports uniforms (players) and seven men in suits (officials). The fornt row is seated on the ground, the middle row on seats and the back row is standing with arms folded. a man in front row left has a case / box with the club emblem facing the camera. on back - a typed list of names and history of formation of League.sport-football orbost-football-club recreation clubs-orbost -
Orbost & District Historical Society
black and white photograph, 1921
The Orbost Football Club began in 1894. This photograph shows the premiership team of 1921.They defeated Buchan. The Orbost football club players were known as the Busters and wore green and gold guernseys. An Orbost football team has participated in the East Gippsland League since the early 20th century. In 2003 in response to a dwindling population, the Snowy Rovers and Orbost Football Clubs were driven to merge into the Orbost Snowy RoversFootball clubs, through their many changes, have always been an important social fabric of the community. Sport is often regarded as an important part of life in rural Australia, contributing to community identity, sense of place, social interaction and good health.A black / white photograph of three rows of men in sports clothes The back row is standing, the middle sitting on chairs and the front row sitting on the ground.. All men have their arms folded and the photograph has been taken outside. The photograph has been pasted onto a grey buff card.on front - "Orbost Football Club Premiers - 1921" on back - 'Mary Gilbert"orbost-football-club recreation sport -
Orbost & District Historical Society
framed photograph, Howard D. Bulmer, 1912
The Orbost Football Club was started in 1894. The Orbost football club players were known as the Busters and wore green and gold guernseys. An Orbost football team has participated in the East Gippsland League since the early 20th century. In 2003 in response to a dwindling population, the Snowy Rovers and Orbost Football Clubs were driven to merge into the Orbost Snowy RoversFootball clubs, through their many changes, have always been an important social fabric of the community. Sport is often regarded as an important part of life in rural Australia, contributing to community identity, sense of place, social interaction and good health.A large framed photograph of a football team - three rows, . The back row is standing, middle row seated on a bench and the front row sitting on the ground. The photograph is mounted on a dark grey buff card. The frame is an ornate brown and gold wooden one.on front below the photograph - "Presented to Orbost Football Club Premiers in 1912 by Howard D. Bulmer" -
Orbost & District Historical Society
book, Orbost Football Club Centenary 1894 - 1994, 1994
This book was made for celebration of the centenary of the Orbost Football Club in 1994. The Orbost football club players were known as the Busters and wore green and gold guernseys. An Orbost football team has participated in the East Gippsland League since the early 20th century. In 2003 in response to a dwindling population, the Snowy Rovers and Orbost Football Clubs were driven to merge into the Orbost Snowy Rovers.Orbost Football Club through its many changes has always been an important social fabric of the Orbost community. Sport is often regarded as an important part of life in rural Australia, contributing to community identity, sense of place, social interaction and good health.A soft covered book of white with large green and gold print on the cover. There is a photograph of a football ovel with a township behind it.orbost-football-club-centenary recreation sport football -
Orbost & District Historical Society
black and white photographs, second half 20th century - 1980's?
These photographs are of winners in the Orbost Agricultural Show's Show Boy and Show Girl competitions. The first photograph is of Peter? Joiner and Jarod Forrester in the Master Show Bow Competition. The second is of Pauline Bommer (Weston) and her daughter at the Nowa Nowa Gymkhana. The third has Chloe Kenny on the left. in the fourth photograph are Dianna Munn with Laura; Sharon Chambers with Jessica and Sharon Cook with Tayla. These photographs are pictorial records of a social event in Orbost. They are associated with the Orbost Agricultural Society 's Annual Show which has been a major event in Orbost for over a century. Agricultural shows are an important part of cultural life in small country towns and the Orbost Show is an integral part of Orbost 's agricultural history. Four black / white photographs related to the Orbost Show. 3086.1 is of three young boys wearing sashes. The middle boy is holding a trophy. 3086.2 shows a woman bending over a young girl wearing a sash. 3086.3 has three girls, one one right wearing a hat, one on left has a sash. 3086.4 is of three women holding babies. All babies have sashes and the one in the middle has a trophyOn the back of each photo are the details and names. -
Orbost & District Historical Society
black and white photograph, 1931 - 1932
This photograph was taken during the Country Week Cricket Team 1932-33 championships. This carnival was established in 1922. Back: L-R: Jack Ralston, Royce Andrews, Harry Perry, ? ? Middle:? Front: ? ? , Frank Meehan, Dr. Nettleton. Cricket has been played in Australia for over 210 years and is one of the most popular sports in Australia at international, domestic and local levels. Sport in small towns is an integral part of community life contributing to community identity, sense of place, social interaction and good health. This item is a pictorial record of cricketing in Orbost.A laminated black / white photograph of a cricket team. Five men are standing in the back row, one kneeling in the middle row and five seated on the grass at the front. All are dressed in cricket whites. The man in the middle front is wearing leg guards. In the background on the right is a score board.on back on a label - "Doc Nettleton"cricket-orbost sport-cricket country-week-cricket-team-1932-1933 ralston-jack andrews-royce perry-harry meehan-frank nettleton-dr -
Cheese World Museum
Cheese Box Stencil
This cheese box stencil is part of a large collection of items from the Uebergang family relating to early dairying in Allansford, Victoria. The Uebergang collection as a whole is of local significance according to the following criteria: .Potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Victoria's cultural history .Strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. .Special association with the life or works of a person, or group of persons, if importance in Allansford's history.(Lesley Alves December 2009)Rectangular copper cheese box stencil, P.W.Uebergang- Tooram Cheddar Factory, Western District. 6mm round hole in top left corner.Imprinted Makers name - Quirk & Morton, 411-415 Lt Bourke St, Melbourne. Catalogue number yellow sticker 015, Ink 015.1 Stencil - P.W.Uebergang, Tooram Cheddar Factory, Western District.tooram, cheese factory, dairying, stencil, uebergang, allansford, cheddar factory -
Orbost & District Historical Society
cloth, first half 20th century
... in celebrating a new life for social and religious beliefs ...Was left over from material used for child's christening robe. was donated by Mrs Jo Hermann ( Elsie Winchester). Jo Hermann was an Orbost resident -blacksmith, painter and signwriter. Baptism through the ages has held great importance in celebrating a new life for social and religious beliefs and to announce another generation. Christening gowns, dresses or robes became special for these occasions and followed fashion as life changed. this cloth is an example of the needlework skills of women in the early 20th century.A cloth of handmade broderie anglaise on white fine linen with white thread.cloth handcraft needlework -
The Cyril Kett Optometry Museum
Book, Eyesight and how to take care of it, 1888 (estimated)
This book is a guide to eyecare for the intelligent lay-reader, not so different from books still published today. It appeared in a number of editions until about 1900. This one is edited by George Black MB(Edin) as part of the Long Life Series. As this book is a guide to eyecare for the lay-reader it is socially significant. It is not rare, but being somewhat ephemeral it would not be expected to see copies of this book surviving in the very good condition of our copy. No other copies are listed on WorlCat for Australia.Small hardback book in original printed green cloth covers, 139 pages and 21 figures with 20 pages of book advertisements. The decorative Art Nouveau cover is visually attractive. It is a late nineteenth century guide to eyecare for the intelligent lay-reader. It was priced at one shilling.Signature of J B Shattock on half title page.ophthalmology, eye, eyesight, eyecare -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, Walter William McLean Thwaites, c.1870
This photograph depicts a large group of men in their work clothing situated in front of a large bank of earth. They are identified as miners working in an unidentified location in Australia. This photograph was taken by photographer Walter Thwaites sometime during the period of 1865-1908, likely c.1870. It is unsure where this image was taken since Thwaites travelled a lot over his photography career and the photograph is not annotated with this information. In addition, the identities of the men in the photograph are also unknown. These men are photographed in front of a large bank of earth where they had presumably been mining for gold or other precious metals. The men, with the exception of four, are wearing wide brimmed hats to protect their faces from the sun. They are also wearing loose fitting white shirts which are often worn beneath a darker coloured vest. They wear pale coloured work pants and boots. The men are mostly clean shaven with the exception of the moustache and a couple of beards. Two of the men have pipes in their mouth. Their clothing is basic and much less dramatic than the outfits worn by the gold diggers of the 1852 gold rush. These men, by wearing similar outfits, are expressing a sense of comradery or equality between them. It is likely that they are from the same, or similar, social status. They have an air of independence and share social equality in their stance and clothing. Walter William McLean Thwaites (1840-1908) was a professional photographer born in Sydney, Australia. He learnt the craft in his father's Hobart studio, but later embarked on his own solo career and toured every existing Australian colony between 1860 to 1888. The Thwaites family were a long line of photographers and artists with Thwaites' father Walter WIlliam Thwaites Sr working as an artist and photographer in Australia after moving from England in 1834. Walter Thwaites Sr's father, also named Walter Thwaites, was a British miniature portrait artist.Images, like this one, of Australian gold rush history can reveal important information about the social and environmental impact of this period. This image depicts over 30 diggers standing in front of a bank of earth and therefore, this image has the capacity to reveal or support significant information for researchers studying the fashion and social status of diggers in Australia in approximately 1870. It can also provide information on the landscape of Australia in this period and the impact of mining for gold on both society and the Australian landscape. The Burke Museum is home to a substantial collection of Australian mining photographs which can be used to gain a deeper understanding into life on the gold fields, technology used in mining, the miners themselves and the impact of the gold digging on the environment.Sepia toned rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper and mounted on board.Reverse: 1997.208 / MINERS. / W. Thwaites / Photography /australia, australian photography, photography, miners, gold rush, australian landscape, diggers, walter thwaites, thwaites photography, w. thwaites photography, social history -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, J. Collins, c.1940-1950s
This photograph was captured sometime between an estimated 1940s-1950s. It depicts the Beechworth Benevolent Asylum (later the Ovens and Murray Hospital for the Aged) which was built in 1862. It is located on an elevated site in Beechworth, Victoria because it was believed the height was beneficial to the health of the patients at the Benevolent. Later wings were added to the original building between 1867 and 1890. The building was constructed in an unusual Flemish Gothic Revival style which contrasts with the classical style of the Mayday Hills Hospital in close proximity to the Benevolent. The Hospital was designed in Italianate Revival architecture. The appearance of buildings like the Mayday Hills Hospital and the Ovens Benevolent Asylum are representative of the importance of Beechworth as a town shortly after the goldrush. During the 1850s and 1860s, administration buildings were erected alongside churches, shops and structures of justice. This marks a movement away from the "chaotic" structure of life on the goldfields and towards a more civilised and cultural lifestyle. This social phenomenon is also witnessed in Melbourne with the creation of buildings like the State Library and the University of Melbourne. The Beechworth Benevolent Asylum was renamed the Ovens Benevolent Home in 1935. The Asylum had been set up to provide accommodation and care for permanently injured gold miners, and for women and children who were penniless, homeless, or whose parents were guests of the state. In 1954 it was renamed as The Ovens and Murray Home (as pictured in this photograph). The purpose of this building was to provide a refuge for the poor and destitute, homeless older men, deserted women and children along with providing care for the mentally ill. These buildings were built at the government's expense and are of great historical and architectural significance.This photograph depicts the Ovens and Murray Home (previously the Ovens Benevolent Home) during the 1940s or 1950s. Since this building is of great historic and architectural significance, photographs like this are especially valuable in reconstructing the use history and any changes/additions to the building over a period of time. This building is important for what it can reveal about society in Beechworth and also architectural styles. This building is made in the Flemish Gothic Revival style which is quite unusual for the 1860s. It is important as an early example of a building constructed for a specific purpose, in the case of this particular building: caring for the aged/destitute. This building is important for research into the civic development of Beechworth as an early Gold Rush town located in Victoria's North-East. During this period, Beechworth was developing as the main center of administration in this region which made it a very influential and quickly developed town. Photographs like this one which depict a building during one period in history can reveal important information for the use and alterations of a building and for preferences in architectural style. It can also be studied for what it reveals about society in Beechworth and compared and contrasted to similar institutions across Australia and with additional photographs in the Burke Museum collection.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on gloss photographic paperObverse: OVENS & MURRAY HOME / Reverse: KODAK PAPER / 727 / J. Collins BMM 8689.1 /mayday hills, beechworth benevolent asylum, ovens benevolent home, asylum, refuge, poor and destitute, goldrush, flemish gothic revival, architecture -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, J. Collins
This photograph was captured sometime between an estimated 1940s-1950s. It depicts the Beechworth Benevolent Asylum (later the Ovens and Murray Hospital for the Aged) which was built in 1862. It is located on an elevated site in Beechworth, Victoria because it was believed the height was beneficial to the health of the patients at the Benevolent. Later wings were added to the original building between 1867 and 1890. The building was constructed in an unusual Flemish Gothic Revival style which contrasts with the classical style of the Mayday Hills Hospital in close proximity to the Benevolent. The Hospital was designed in Italianate Revival architecture. The appearance of buildings like the Mayday Hills Hospital and the Ovens Benevolent Asylum are representative of the importance of Beechworth as a town shortly after the goldrush. During the 1850s and 1860s, administration buildings were erected alongside churches, shops and structures of justice. This marks a movement away from the "chaotic" structure of life on the goldfields and towards a more civilised and cultural lifestyle. This social phenomenon is also witnessed in Melbourne with the creation of buildings like the State Library and the University of Melbourne. The Beechworth Benevolent Asylum was renamed the Ovens Benevolent Home in 1935. The Asylum had been set up to provide accommodation and care for permanently injured gold miners, and for women and children who were penniless, homeless, or whose parents were guests of the state. In 1954 it was renamed as The Ovens and Murray Home (as pictured in this photograph). The purpose of this building was to provide a refuge for the poor and destitute, homeless older men, deserted women and children along with providing care for the mentally ill. These buildings were built at the government's expense and are of great historical and architectural significance.This photograph depicts the Ovens and Murray Home (previously the Ovens Benevolent Home) during the 1940s or 1950s. Since this building is of great historic and architectural significance, photographs like this are especially valuable in reconstructing the use history and any changes/additions to the building over a period of time. This building is important for what it can reveal about society in Beechworth and also architectural styles. This building is made in the Flemish Gothic Revival style which is quite unusual for the 1860s. It is important as an early example of a building constructed for a specific purpose, in the case of this particular building: caring for the aged/destitute. This building is important for research into the civic development of Beechworth as an early Gold Rush town located in Victoria's North-East. During this period, Beechworth was developing as the main center of administration in this region which made it a very influential and quickly developed town. Photographs like this one which depict a building during one period in history can reveal important information for the use and alterations of a building and for preferences in architectural style. It can also be studied for what it reveals about society in Beechworth and compared and contrasted to similar institutions across Australia and with additional photographs in the Burke Museum collection.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on gloss photographic paperBack of photograph. Handwriting: "For John Beckingsale"mayday hills, beechworth benevolent asylum, ovens benevolent home, destitute, gold town, beechworth, victoria, north-east vic -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, c. 1870
This photograph was captured at an undisclosed location and at an unidentified time but likely dates to approximately 1870. The photographer's details are not recorded and the identities of the men in the image are also not known. This image depicts a group of 10 men in typical miners fashion. Four of them are sat on a large log with one holding a small dog. Six miners stand behind those sitting. All these men are wearing a white button-up shirt and tan coloured work trousers. They wear heavy boots and seven have included a dark vest over their shirt. The man holding the dog has a pipe in his mouth. Two of these men are clean shaven with the remainder sporting a moustache and two with a beard. The ages of these men vary from late 20s to middle age. This group of men are located in a mining location with what appears to be an open cut mine in the background of the image. The ground is muddy and has elements which can help identify it as a mining location based on the condition of the landscape. The bottom of the men's trousers are muddy which provides the assurance that these men were working in this location when their photograph was captured. In the background there is one structure, possibly a dwelling, and bush which identifies the location as Australia. Open cut sluicing is a method used to extract gold and other precious metals from beneath the surface of the earth. This technique involved the use of high-powered hoses which broke down the soil enabling miners to come along and search this soil for gold. After the gold rush of the early 1850s, diggers had to enlist the assistance of heavy machinery and techniques like hydraulic sluicing in order to reach gold because the surface alluvial gold had already been discovered and removed. This heavy machinery was not used until after 1853. The search for gold is ingrained into the history of Victoria and therefore, images like this one which portray an open cut sluicing site can reveal important information for society and technology for the date when the photograph was taken. This image is of important historical significance for its ability to convey information about sluicing and the methods used to find gold in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It also shows a location where sluicing was undertook which provides insight into the impact of sluicing on the environment at a time when it was done. Images, like this one, of Australian gold rush history can reveal important information about the social and environmental impact of this period. This image depicts diggers standing in a mining location and therefore, this image has the capacity to reveal or support significant information for researchers studying the fashion and social status of diggers in Australia in approximately 1870. It can also provide information on the landscape of Australia in this period and the impact of mining for gold on both society and the Australian landscape. The Burke Museum is home to a substantial collection of Australian mining photographs which can be used to gain a deeper understanding into life on the gold fields, technology used in mining, the miners themselves and the impact of the gold digging on the environment.Sepia toned rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper mounted on board.Reverse: 1997.2518mining, goldfields, beechworth, 1870, australia, australian goldfields, diggers, victoria, sluicing, gold mining, miners, diggers victoria -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, c.1870
This photograph was taken in approximately 1870 and depicts four male miners standing in mining sluice at the Three Mile Goldfields. These men are wearing typical attire for 1870s gold miners. They wear white shirts, tan coloured pants with water proof shoes and most of the men are wearing an apron to prevent their clothing from becoming too dirty from the mud. Each man is wearing a wide brim hat and hold large wooden tools used for sorting through the sluice. Three of the four men have full beards. The photograph was donated to the Burke Museum by R. Ziegenbein before 2001 but the photographer and the individuals captured in the photo are unknown. The image depicts the landscape of the Three Mile Goldfields during a period when open cut sluicing was undertaken to reach gold. Open cut sluicing is a method used to extract gold and other precious metals from beneath the surface of the earth. This technique involved the use of high-powered hoses which broke down the soil enabling miners to come along and search this soil for gold. After the gold rush of the early 1850s, diggers had to enlist the assistance of heavy machinery and techniques like hydraulic sluicing in order to reach gold because the surface alluvial gold had already been discovered and removed. This heavy machinery was not used until after 1853. The Three Mile Goldfields was a site of rich alluvial gold deposits located about 5 km south of Beechworth in Victoria. Today, the location of this gold deposit is called Baarmutha. It was a popular area for gold mining in the 1850s but became largely abandoned by the following decade. In 1865, a man named John Pund recognized that the area could be potentially rich if a better water supply could be obtained. He secured a 15 year license with three other miners. Within the next five years, these men had constructed 19 km of water race going from Upper Nine Mile Creek to Three Mile Creek. By 1881, these four men had delivered 950,000 gallons to the Three Mile Sluicing area which is depicted in this photograph. Pund was later go into partnership with John Alston Wallace who would become owner of the Star Hotel in Beechworth. The Three Mile sluicing location continued to be operational until 1950. Sluice box workers were a vital part of gold mining regardless of how inefficient they were in the recovery of gold. After using hydraulic sluicing to cut away the earth, miners would use the big wooden boxes depicted in the image to catch the earth which would then be sifted for gold. However, accidents would occur often which would result in the gold washing away and unable to be recovered. It was not a very efficient system because the gold, which was alluvial and thus very fine, would often pass through the sluice box undetected.The search for gold is ingrained into the history of Victoria and therefore, images like this one which portray an open cut sluicing site can reveal important information for society and technology for the date when the photograph was taken. This image is of important historical significance for its ability to convey information about sluicing and the methods used to find gold in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It also shows a location where sluicing was undertook which provides insight into the impact of sluicing on the environment at a time when it was done. Images, like this one, of Australian gold rush history can reveal important information about the social and environmental impact of this period. This image depicts diggers standing in a mining location and therefore, this image has the capacity to reveal or support significant information for researchers studying the fashion and social status of diggers in Australia in approximately 1870. It can also provide information on the landscape of Australia in this period and the impact of mining for gold on both society and the Australian landscape. The Burke Museum is home to a substantial collection of Australian mining photographs which can be used to gain a deeper understanding into life on the gold fields, technology used in mining, the miners themselves and the impact of the gold digging on the environment.Sepia toned rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper and mounted on board.[illegible] about 1870 / 97 2514.1 / 2594 30three mile goldfields, goldfields, 1870, 1870 gold, australia, australian landscape, miners, gold miners, diggers, gold diggers, beechworth, victoria, sluice box workers, sluicing, sluice, mining -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph - Photograph - Reproduction, W. D. Gibbon, Early 1900s
This photograph was taken in 1911 at Three Mile Creek, about five kilometers south of Beechworth town. Significant digging took place at this location from late 1855, which led to a flood of workers and stores to follow, though daily earnings were slim compared to the nearby Woolshed site. This remained the case even after workers at Three Mile Creek attempted to protest around Beechworth during an election in November 1855. Three Mile Creek was one of seven significant divisions of the Beechworth Mining District formalised by the Governor-in-Council in 1858, though by the time this photograph was taken, the boundaries of the original seven districts had shifted to create seventeen divisions. The Three Mile Goldfields was a site of rich alluvial gold deposits located about 5km south of Beechworth in Victoria. Today, the location of this gold deposit is called Baarmutha. It was a popular area for gold mining in the 1850s but became largely abandoned by the following decade. In 1865, a man named John Pund (a man second from the left in the back row of this photograph shares this surname) recognized that the area could be potentially rich if a better water supply could be obtained. He secured a 15 year license with three other miners. Within the next five years, these men had constructed 19 km of water race going from Upper Nine Mile Creek to Three Mile Creek. By 1881, these four men had delivered 950,000 gallons to the Three Mile Sluicing area which is depicted in this photograph. Pund would later go into partnership with John Alston Wallace who would become owner of the Star Hotel in Beechworth. The Three Mile sluicing location continued to be operational until 1950. The eleven miners in this photograph are: Back row: Led Guthrie, P. Pund, F. Beel, [Unknown] Miller Front row: Paddy McNamara, J. King, W. Beel, [Unknown] Garland, J. Clarke, J. Ryan, H. Bartsh In the background of the photograph is a huge dirt wall that appears to suffer damage caused by hydraulic sluicing. Hydraulic sluicing is a specialised mining technique that involves directing high pressure water flows at dirt to uncover gold. The technique played a significant role in shaping Beechworth's landscape during the gold rush to create the topography seen today.The search for gold is ingrained into the history of Victoria and therefore, images like this one which portray an open cut sluicing site can reveal important information for society and technology for the date when the photograph was taken. This image is of important historical significance for its ability to convey information about sluicing and the methods used to find gold in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It also shows a location where sluicing was undertook which provides insight into the impact of sluicing on the environment at a time when it was done. Images, like this one, of Australian gold rush history can reveal important information about the social and environmental impact of this period. This image depicts diggers standing in a mining location and therefore, this image has the capacity to reveal or support significant information for researchers studying the fashion and social status of diggers in Australia in approximately 1911. It can also provide information on the landscape of Australia in this period and the impact of mining for gold on both society and the Australian landscape. The Burke Museum is home to a substantial collection of Australian mining photographs which can be used to gain a deeper understanding into life on the gold fields, technology used in mining, the miners themselves and the impact of the gold digging on the environment.Black and white / sepia rectangular reproduced photograph printed on glossy photographic paper mounted on board.beechworth, beechworth museum, mining, mining team, three mile creek, sluicing, hydraulic sluicing, photography, gold sluicing, gold mining, pund mining -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, 1916-17
Portrait of William Edward Peach in First World War military uniform, holding a crop in front of his thighs with military kit on the ground behind him. A Beechworth postal employee who enlisted in 1915, this photograph is probably taken in 1917, as he is a corporal in the photo and was promoted to this rank in May 1917. This photograph is of historic significance as it depicts William Edward Peach, a Beechworth postal assistant who enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on his nineteenth birthday, 5 August 1915, which required his parents' permission. He was decorated with the military medal for his courage in battle 4/5 October 1917 at the Battle of Broodseinde Ridge near Ypres, the most successful allied attack of the Third Battle of Ypres (31 July to 10 November 1917), also known as the Battle of Paschendale, which saw the greatest loss of human life during World War One, with almost half a million lives were lost on all sides. According to the recommendation for his military medal, Peach 'displayed conspicuous courage and initiative', taking charge after his platoon commander became a casualty, handling the men 'under heavy fire with great skill'. He also assisted the Company Commander in reorganising their military objectives. The photograph is of social as well as historic significance for the Beechworth community, because it provides a direct link between local, national and international histories in relation to Australia' s participation in one of WWI's best-known battles. The record has strong research potential given the ongoing public and scholarly interest in war, history, and especially the ANZAC legend, which is commemorated annually on 25 April, known as ANZAC Day. Peach is also one of the diarists of WWI, including of this significant period of Australian military history, from 1916 to 18, which can be accessed via the Australian War Memorial. Sepia rectangular photograph printed on gloss Kodak photographic paper mounted on board. Reverse: BMM 8779 item catalogue number pencilled in right-hand bottom corner.military medal, defending australia and victoria, military service, hmat a64 demosthenes, wipers, anzac, burke museum, beechworth, ypres, australian military services, beechworth post office, first world war, wartime, our boys, belgium, flanders fields, ww1, british war medal, victory medal, broodseinde, third battle of ypres -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph
... is significant because of its insight into the social aspect of life ...Taken in the early 2000s, this photograph depicts two men and two women, all holding wine glasses. Everyone is casually dressed and seem to be attending a dinner party at the Burke Museum. The group of four have been identified as A. Robbins, J. Indian, S. Routledge and A. Box.This photograph is significant because of its insight into the social aspect of life at the Burke Memorial Museum during the 2000s. The photograph is part of a large collection of photos from this time period and shows fashion trends, social events and interior design trends of the time. The photograph in an interpretive capacity could also assist in further research into the life and development of the Burke Museum, providing a different perspective on early 2000s social events and their development into the social events of today.Coloured rectangular photograph printed on photographic paper.Obverse: No Exit / Reverse: AGFA Watermark / 6511burke museum, beechworth, 2000s, dinner party, function, recreation, fashion, party, 2000s clothing, community -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, 1999
This photograph depicts members of the Beechworth Band at a 'Liedertafel' concert in the main hall at the Burke Museum in 1999. The concert was associated with an exhibition titled, 'From the Liedertafel to the Skating Rink: Entertainment in Beechworth 1852 - early 1900s', which celebrated the rich and diverse entertainments that were a part of Beechworth life in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Marching bands, choirs, circus acts, theatrical performances, races, and seasonal activities, such as Mr. Spiller's roller skating rink, founded in the late 1860s, were among the attractions on offer. 'Liedertafel' is a tradition that accompanied German settlers to Australia. It refers to a friendly society of men united by an enthusiasm for singing. The Beechworth Brass Band was formed by Mr. H. Vandenberg in 1887. The Beechworth Liedertafel was established 14 March 1894 at the London Tavern, Camp Street, Beechworth, by Mr. A.A. Billson, and a visiting conductor, Mr. H. Fielder. German clubs, complete with marching bands, athletics associations and Liedertafel choirs, were centres of social activity attracting wide audiences not limited to members of their own ethnicity. Alfred Arthur Billson was the youngest son of Mr. George Billson, who served as Beechworth’s mayor between 1869-1871. In 1872, George purchased the Oven’s Brewery in Last Street, which became Billson’s Brewery, one of the oldest continuing beverage manufacturers in Australia. An active member of Beechworth’s cultural, business and political life around the turn of the century, A.A. Billson served on Beechworth Shire Council from 1884 to 1893, and from 1895 to 1910, with three terms as president (1888–89, 1899–1901, 1908–09). He founded the Beechworth Progress Association in 1891 and produced an ‘Illustrated Guide to Beechworth and Vicinity’ to develop tourism potential. This photograph of the Beechworth Band playing at the Burke Museum is historically significant for the information it conveys about an exhibition at the Burke Museum between September and November 1999. The use of the contemporary Beechworth Band in a 'Liedertafel' performance provides insight into curatorial approaches at the turn of the twenty-first century and improves our understanding of how exhibitions use objects in the Burke Museum's Collection to tell stories about the past in the present. The image is historically and socially significant for attesting to the enduring appeal of local musical associations, which were a popular means of entertainment that fostered social connections among settlers from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Rectangular colour photograph printed on matte photographic paper. Reverse: 7029 / Label: 7029 / Source / Burke Museum / Beechworth / Band / 1999/2000 /liedertafel, beechworth band, burke museum, from the liedertafel to the skating rink, entertainment in beechworth 1852 - early 1900s, gold rush, immigration, beechworth's german heritage, london tavern beechworth, beechworth's first brick tavern, spiller's skating rink, vandenberg's beechworth brass band, protestantism, teetotallism, skating carnivals, beechworth german association, yma's, beechworth skating rink, progress societies, billson's brewery, german-australians, beechworth progess association, lodges, freemasonry, colonial australia -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph
This rectangle black and white photograph shows a bush scene with part of a suspension rope and wooden plank bridge visible in the middle of the image. It is likely this suspension bridge was used by the Tannery workers to move between the town and the Ovens Tannery located South-West of Beechworth due to its secluded bush location, the bridge likely spanned the gorge across Spring creek. The tannery itself was located alongside Gimlet Creek, about three kilometres from town, down what is now known as Malakoff and Old Tannery Road but which at the time was remote and accessed through bushland. The Ovens tannery was stablished in 1858 by Matthew Dodd and Hallahan and later Matthew and his brother Thomas Dodd in 1866 who developed it over the years. According to Doyle, 'we have little information about its early operations except the tannery itself comprised four small buildings' by 1870 ‘a small village with gardens of vines and fruit trees surrounded the tannery’ (Woods, 121), and by 1887 the Tannery employed fifteen men. The Ovens tannery was among several new businesses establishing themselves such as a foundry that brought industrial manufacturing alongside the developing township and which strengthened the economic stability of Beechworth after the receding mining surge. According to Woods (p. 121) in the 1860’s the government spent considerable sums to establish several public buildings such as the Benevolent Asylum, the Hospital and Insane Asylum to support those in need of care in the area directly after the Indigo gold rush which had left Beechworth, a fairly remote regional and newly formed township (Gold was first discovered in Beechworth in 1852) with a number of infirm and destitute people in its wake and which due to the support and establishment of these facilities ‘made Beechworth a significant social welfare centre in Victoria’ (Woods, p. 121). The tannery provided employment and connected the regional centre with other parts of Victoria and the wider colonial outposts and would have been a welcome opportunity for those seeking work after gold was no longer a source of income.A good example of the ingenuity of regional settlers to achieve what would have been a difficult and remote construction of a bridge as a means of access. This bridge is evidence of planning and forethought and shows dedication to establishing a life in a remote landscape.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on paperreverse: / 2983 / / BMM2983 /black and white photograph, bush, suspension bridge, rope bridge, tannery, spring creek, ovens tannery, bushland, gimlet creek, matthew dodd, beechworth -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Audio - Oral History, Jennifer Williams, Mr Braz Borschman, 3-1-2000
Mr. Braz Borschman was born in Beechworth on the 1st of July 1914 at his parents home. He played for many years in the Towns volunteer Brass Band, a popular local band of about 30 members. Braz played the coronet and later the trombone. His first job was for the post office, but he spend most of his working life at the Beechworth Tannery. His interview contains lots of information about the tanning processes, including the story of 'Young Thomas', who lost his arm in a tannery accident. Braz recalls the open-air picture theatres of Beechworth, the many dances and balls, and distinct lack of cars. His testimony is rich with detail and filled with many other side-stories, including 'Blind Tommy', a self-sufficient, opium-smoking blind man of Chinese descent. This oral history recording was part of a project conducted by Jennifer Williams in the year 2000 to capture the everyday life and struggles in Beechworth during the twentieth century. This project involved recording seventy oral histories on cassette tapes of local Beechworth residents which were then published in a book titled: Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century Beechworth. These cassette tapes were digitised in July 2021 with funds made available by the Friends of the Burke.Braz' interview is significant for the many historical details it provides about life, work, and leisure in Beechworth, particularly in relation to the period of the depression and after, which is the context which Braz' interview focuses on. His detail about the Beechworth tannery and the many open-air picture gardens is particularly rare and insightful to any social history of Beechworth. The oral history project more broadly is significant for its capture of the lives of ordinary Beechworth residents from incredibly divergent backgrounds, which has led to a rich, nuanced and diverse range of accounts of Beechworth.This is a digital copy of a recording that was originally captured on a cassette tape. The cassette tape is black with a horizontal white strip and is currently stored in a clear flat plastic rectangular container. It holds up 40 minutes of recordings on each side.listen to what they say, beechworth, oral history, braz borschman, brass band -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Audio - Oral History, Jennifer Williams, Sister Elizabeth McGovern, Sister Mary Lacey, Sister Mary Griffiths, Sister Gerardus Thistlewaite, 18th March 2000
Sister Elizabeth McGovern, Sister Mary Lacey, Sister Mary Griffiths, and Sister Gerardus Thistlewaite were all nuns of the Brigidine Order in Beechworth in the second half of the twentieth century. They had backgrounds in teaching and office work. As nuns, their contributions to the community included teaching, running camps, being there for community members wishing to talk to them or pray, and visiting prisons and hospitals. During their time in the order, the role of the nuns in Beechworth shifted due to the closing down of the Priory School, and changes in where housing for nuns was provided. The oral history also includes stories of boarding at the convent in the 1950s, and reflections on how the experience of being a nun has changed due to increasing immersion in the modern world, and the move from convent to house. This oral history recording was part of a project conducted by Jennifer Williams in the year 2000 to capture the everyday life and struggles in Beechworth during the twentieth century. This project involved recording seventy oral histories on cassette tapes of local Beechworth residents which were then published in a book titled: Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century Beechworth. These cassette tapes were digitised in July 2021 with funds made available by the Friends of the Burke.Sister Elizabeth McGovern, Sister Mary Lacey, Sister Mary Griffiths, and Sister Gerardus Thistlewaite's interview with Jennifer Williams is revealing of the history of the Brigidine order in Beechworth, and the role religion and nuns played in the wellbeing, education, and life of the community in the latter half of the twentieth century. It is significant both for what it illustrates about the lives and motivation of the Sisters, and for what it tells us about how the role of religious education and figures shifted in Beecjhworth from 1950 onward. It is especially illuminating about the experience of women in education. This oral history account is socially and historically significant as it is a part of a broader collection of interviews conducted by Jennifer Williams which were published in the book 'Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth-century Beechworth.' While the township of Beechworth is known for its history as a gold rush town, these accounts provide a unique insight into the day-to-day life of the town's residents during the 20th century, many of which will have now been lost if they had not been preserved.This is a series of digital recordings that were originally recorded on multiple cassette tapes. The cassette tapes are black with a horizontal white strip and are currently stored in a clear flat plastic rectangular container. They up to 40 minutes of recordings on each side.Sister Elizabeth McGovern, Sister Mary Lacey, Sister Mary Griffiths, Sister Gerardus Thistlewaitelisten to what they say, listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century beechworth, nuns, brigidine sisters, brigidine convent, school, religion, prison, boarding school, modernization, food, women's history, teaching, teachers, education, hospitals, beechworth hospital, charity, old priory, father stockdale, easter, beechworth 1950s -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Audio - Oral History, Mr Doug Craig
Doug Craig was born in Beechworth but had lived in Stanley. His parents had been in Stanley since the 1850's. He went to secondary school in Beechworth. His family roots are from France and Scotland. Doug gave an account of his younger years as a student at Beechworth in the post war periods of 1959 to 1953, his employment and the culture within companies he worked for, the changes brought by the new drug era, working in the hospital, This oral history recording was part of a project conducted by Jennifer Williams in the year 2000 to capture the everyday life and struggles in Beechworth during the twentieth century. This project involved recording seventy oral histories on cassette tapes of local Beechworth residents which were then published in a book titled: Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century Beechworth. These cassette tapes were digitised in July 2021 with funds made available by the Friends of the Burke.This oral history account is socially and historically significant as it is a part of a broader collection of interviews conducted by Jennifer Williams which were published in the book 'Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth-century Beechworth.' While the township of Beechworth is known for its history as a gold rush town, these accounts provide a unique insight into the day-to-day life of the town's residents during the 20th century, many of which will have now been lost if they had not been preserved.This is a digital copy of a recording that was originally captured on a cassette tape. The cassette tape is black with a horizontal white strip and is currently stored in a clear flat plastic rectangular container. It holds up 40 minutes of recordings on each side.beechworth, mental hospital, drugs, burke museum, stanley state, hospitals, hospital patients, cocky's loft, may day hills, may day -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Audio - Oral History, Jennifer Williams, Mrs Margaret Galbriath, 24th May 2000
Mrs Margaret Galbraith was born in Beechworth in 1913 on the 5th February. Her parents immigrated to Australia in 1910 from England. Her father was killed after being thrown from a cart in 1912, and her mother eventually purchased the general store in which she worked from the Ladson family. Margaret has some insights into the local area during the Depression from the perspective of a store owner, as well as the presence of 'tramps' in the town, and Chinese immigrants in the community. She speaks a lot about her mother who was a very strong woman. She retired at 80. Margaret married a Ladson in Melbourne and had children. She lived at 47 Finch Street, Beechworth. This oral history recording was part of a project by Jennifer Williams in 2000 to capture the everyday life and struggles in Beechworth during the 20th century. This project involved recording 70 oral history stories on cassette tapes of local Beechworth residents, which were then published in a book called Listen to What they Say: Voices of 20th Century Beechworth. The cassettes were digitised in 2021 with funds made available by the Friends of Bourke.Mrs Margaret Galbraith's account of her life in Beechworth and the local area during the 20th century is historically and socially significant to the cultural heritage of the region. She details important historical events and hardships in the region's history that had a lasting local, regional and national impact, including Australia during war time, the Great Depression, immmigration, economic struggles, and women's societal roles in a rural area. This oral history account is socially and historically significant as it is a part of a broader collection of interviews conducted by Jennifer Williams which were published in the book 'Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth-century Beechworth.' While the township of Beechworth is known for its history as a gold rush town, these accounts provide a unique insight into the day-to-day life of the town's residents during the 20th century, many of which will have now been lost if they had not been preserved.This is a digital copy of a recording that was originally captured on a cassette tape. The cassette tape is black with a horizontal white strip and is stored in a clear, flat, plastic, rectangular container. It holds up to 40 minutes of recordings each sideMrs Margaret Galbraithlisten to what they say, ladson, oral history, bourke museum, beechworth, galbraith, margaret galbraith, general store -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Audio - Oral History, Jennifer Williams, Mr Albert (Bert) Nankervis, 15th March 2000
Mr Albert (Bert) Nankervis was born at Thougla, in the Upper Murray, in 1903. He had a large family and was one of eight children, four boys and four girls. He and his family moved to a farm in Wooragee named ‘Wattle Grove’ in 1918 after his father returned from serving as a soldier in World War One. The family established ‘Wattle Grove’ as a dairy farm as Beechworth has a high demand for milk and little supply. They had 25 milk cows that were hand milked every morning in order to provide milk for approximately 100 customers in the town, with any extra going to the butter factory at Springhurst. Albert married Floré Lilias Hardy in 1930 and they had two sons, Phillip and Barry. In this oral history, Albert discusses his life as a farmer in Wooragee, including his role in getting electricity to Beechworth, as well as his participation in the Young Farmer’s Association Immigration Scheme, which provided work experience to migrants in order for them to learn how to farm. This oral history recording was part of a project conducted by Jennifer Williams in the year 2000 to capture the everyday life and struggles in Beechworth during the twentieth century. This project involved recording seventy oral histories on cassette tapes of local Beechworth residents which were then published in a book titled: Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century Beechworth. These cassette tapes were digitised in July 2021 with funds made available by the Friends of the Burke. Mr Albert (Bert) Nankervis’s account of his life in Wooragee and the local area, including Beechworth, during the early 20th century is historically and socially significant to the cultural heritage of the region. He details his life as a farmer and milkman in the early 20th century, particularly the interwar period (1918-1939), but also discusses life after the Second World War, including employing young migrant men to train them as farmers through the Young Farmer’s Association. This oral history account is socially and historically significant as it is a part of a broader collection of interviews conducted by Jennifer Williams which were published in the book 'Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth-century Beechworth.' While the township of Beechworth is known for its history as a gold rush town, these accounts provide a unique insight into the day-to-day life of the town's residents during the 20th century, many of which will have now been lost if they had not been preserved. This is a digital copy of a recording that was originally captured on a cassette tape. The cassette tape is black with a horizontal white strip and is currently stored in a clear flat plastic rectangular container. It holds up 45 minutes of recordings on each side.Mr Albert (Bert) Nankervis / albert nankervis, bert nankervis, nankervis, wattle grove, wooragee, dairy farm beechworth, dairy farm, dairy factories beechworth, dairying, milkman, oral history, springhurst, butter factory, electricity, rural life, farming and agriculture, farm, farm work, cow, cattle, jersey cattle, interwar period, first world war, second world war, wwi, wwii, greatest generation, centenarian, nonagenarian, 1920s, 1930s beechworth, thougla, upper murray, murray, lucyvale, benalla -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Audio - Oral History, Jennifer Williams, Mr Alfred Spencer, 17th February 2000
Alfred 'Alf' Spencer grew up on a dairy farm run by his mother, west south west of Beechworth 'down Robertson Road', and was very well connected to the wider Beechworth area. In this oral history, he recalls his time driving the milk cart around Beechworth as well as the time he spent buying lollies and seeing the pictures. He talks extensively about working as a butcher at his brother's store, including how the butchers interacted with the rest of the town and the staff, as well as his time constructing roads and the pipe network of Beechworth. He discusses the dynamics of other workplaces around Beechworth, describing issues with how the local tannery treated its workers as well as how post-war migrants integrated across the town. He briefly discusses racial tensions between Chinese migrants and other miners on the goldfields. He also discusses the experience of health care in a rural area during his childhood. This oral history recording was part of a project conducted by Jennifer Williams in the year 2000 to capture the everyday life and struggles in Beechworth during the twentieth century. This project involved recording seventy oral histories on cassette tapes of local Beechworth residents which were then published in a book titled: Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century Beechworth. These cassette tapes were digitised in July 2021 with funds made available by the Friends of the Burke.Alfred Spencer's oral history of his life around Beechworth during the 20th century is historically and socially significant to the cultural history of the region and Victoria. There is a lot of detail about workplaces, their staff, and how the resources of the town interacted. He explores themes that are important to Victorian history, such as migration. This oral history account is socially and historically significant as it is a part of a broader collection of interviews conducted by Jennifer Williams which were published in the book 'Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth-century Beechworth.' While the township of Beechworth is known for its history as a gold rush town, these accounts provide a unique insight into the day-to-day life of the town's residents during the 20th century, many of which will have now been lost if they had not been preserved.This is a digital copy of a recording that was originally captured on a cassette tape. The cassette tape is black with a horizontal white strip and is currently stored in a clear flat plastic rectangular container. It holds up to 40 minutes of recordings on each side.Mr Alfred Spencer /listen to what they say, beechworth, oral history, burke museum, spencer, alfred spencer, migration, post-war migration, goldfields, health care, farm, farming, dairy farm, black springs, butchers, meat processing, butcher, road, road network, labour relations -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Audio - Oral History, Jennifer Williams, Mrs Margaret O'Loughlin, 26 September 2000
Margaret O’Loughlin was born in Beechworth at the old hospital in 1937. Her father was born in Greta West and Mother is from Timboon. Margaret spent her life in the Beechworth area where she was educated and worked at the post office in the telephone exchange. Working at the exchange gave Margaret a behind the scenes understanding of the community from working the switch board and connecting vital services such as the fire brigade, the doctor and mental hospital in Beechworth. This oral history recording was part of a project conducted by Jennifer Williams in the year 2000 to capture the everyday life and struggles in Beechworth during the twentieth century. This project involved recording seventy oral histories on cassette tapes of local Beechworth residents which were then published in a book titled: Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century Beechworth. These cassette tapes were digitised in July 2021 with funds made available by the Friends of the Burke.Margaret O’Loughlin’s life story is significant to the Burke Museum as she was born and raised educated and worked in the district her whole life. She married and had three children. She was community minded and worked in the Post Office while her husband worked in the local mental hospital. As a family they then lived next to the Fire Station in the fire house and their knowledge of the township spans the 1900s. Margaret saw changes in the town from a communications perspective, working in the telephone exchange sending messages via Wangaratta and until a time that the exchange became automated. After that she continued working in a face to face roll at the Post Office and had an intimate knowledge of the town. Her husband worked for 31 years at the mental hospital, Mayday and the couple saw changes to the town and community brought about be World War II. This oral history account is socially and historically significant as it is a part of a broader collection of interviews conducted by Jennifer Williams which were published in the book 'Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth-century Beechworth.' While the township of Beechworth is known for its history as a gold rush town, these accounts provide a unique insight into the day-to-day life of the town's residents during the 20th century, many of which will have now been lost if they had not been preserved.This is a digital copy of a recording that was originally captured on a cassette tape. The cassette tape is black with a horizontal white strip and is currently stored in a cleat flat plastic rectangular container. It holds up to 40 minutes of recordings on each side. Mrs Margaret O'Loughlin /listen to what they say, beechworth, oral history, burke museum, post office, margaret o'loughlin, mayday, mental hospital, communications, fire house, telephone exchange -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Audio - Oral History, Jennifer Williams, Mrs Sheila Parkinson, 3 January 2000
Mrs Sheila Parkinson was born in Wagga in 1916 and came to Beechworth as a young woman around 1938. Sheila trained as a psychiatric nurse at Mayday Hills hospital prior to the second World War. At that time, unmarried women were accommodated and received nursing training on-site. Shiela was obliged to cease professional training and employment when she married in 1941, which disrupted completion of her final nursing examinations. Following post-war changes to the law that allowed married women to work, Sheila returned to Mayday Hills. Sheila's husband, Don, returned to Beechworth after four years abroad as a serviceman in the Australian Air Force. Beechworth's institutions were a major source of local employment throughout the twentieth century. As well as providing limited employment opportunities to young women like Shiela, post-war European migrants from Bonegilla Migrant camp found at Mayday Hills, encouraging European migrant settlement in the district. Mayday Hills was renamed several times since its establishment in 1867. At the peak of operations, it comprised sixty-seven buildings housing over twelve hundred patients patients and five hundred staff. The hospital officially closed in 1998. Today, the decommissioned two-storey Italianate style main building stands on eleven hectares of botanical gardens under National Trust protection. The site remains a popular cultural heritage destination for visitors. This oral history recording was part of a project conducted by Jennifer Williams in the year 2000 to capture the everyday life and struggles in Beechworth during the twentieth century. This project involved recording seventy oral histories on cassette tapes of local Beechworth residents which were then published in a book titled: Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century Beechworth. The cassette tapes were digitised in July 2021 with funds made available by the Friends of the Burke.Employed as a psychiatric nurse at one of Beechworth's large welfare institutions, Mayday Hills, Mrs Sheila Parkinson recalls the conditions faced by staff and patients at the hospital, which cared for chronically ill people from the Ovens region and patients from the Yarra Bend Asylum, Melbourne, which closed in 1925. When Sheila first began her nurse training, Mayday Hills suffered from a lack of resources and rudimentary facilities and patients frequently suffered from the cold due to poor heating and inadequate clothing and bedding. However, as the twentieth century progressed, Sheila recalls how conditions and treatments improved as a result of increased government funding of services and advances in psychiatry and pharmaceutical medicine. Mrs Sheila Parkinson's oral history recording is historically and socially significant for its witness to life in Beechworth in the pre- and post-WWII period. Sheila's story enriches our understanding of processes of modernisation with regard to psychiatric and welfare services, while the course of Sheila's professional training and employment brings attention to systemic and socio-economic barriers faced by women, as well as the valuable contribution women and migrants make in the delivery of care and ancillary services. This oral history account is socially and historically significant as it is a part of a broader collection of interviews conducted by Jennifer Williams which were published in the book 'Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth-century Beechworth.' While the township of Beechworth is known for its history as a gold rush town, these accounts provide a unique insight into the day-to-day life of the town's residents during the twentieth century, many of which would have been lost if they had not been preserved.This is a digital copy of a recording that was originally captured on a cassette tape. The cassette tape is black with a horizontal white strip and is currently stored in a clear flat plastic rectangular container. It holds up 40 minutes of recordings on each side.Mrs Sheila Parkinson /twentieth century beechworth, mayday hills, psychiatric care, benevolent asylums, nursing, wwii, psychiatric treatment, country women, psychiatric hostpital, beechworth's institutions, local employment, government institutions, listen to what they say, oral history, burke museum, sheila parkinson, beechworth lunatic asylum, beechworth mental hospital, beechworth hospital for the insane, the kerferd clinic, bonegilla migrant camp, working women, white australia policy -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Audio - Oral History, Jennifer Williams, Miss Elaine Howell, 11th May 2000
Miss Elaine Howell was born in Beechworth. Her mother was born in Stanley and her father in Myrtleford. Her mother's father was born in England and her other grandparents in Australia. She is one of four daughters. Miss Howell completed school and went on to the Convent to do her leaving. She then learnt shorthand typing and got a job at the shire where she was the clerk to the Shire Secretary. This oral history recording was part of a project conducted by Jennifer Williams in the year 2000 to capture the everyday life and struggles in Beechworth during the twentieth century. This project involved recording seventy oral histories on cassette tapes of local Beechworth residents which were then published in a book titled: Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century Beechworth. These cassette tapes were digitised in July 2021 with funds made available by the Friends of the Burke.Miss Elaine Howell provides an insight into a life of an educated Beechworth woman in around the 1950's she also provides a perspective from the town shire (the complaints and plans that occurred throughout the year). She went to two schools to further her education and learnt how to shorthand type. This skill provided her with a job at shire as clerk to the shire secretary. This is the only job she ever had. Her story also offer significant insight into Beechworth life and the dances and job prospects at the time (which was not a lot in the 60's). This oral history account is socially and historically significant as it is a part of a broader collection of interviews conducted by Jennifer Williams which were published in the book 'Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth-century Beechworth.' While the township of Beechworth is known for its history as a gold rush town, these accounts provide a unique insight into the day-to-day life of the town's residents during the 20th century, many of which will have now been lost if they had not been preserved.This is a digital copy of a recording that was originally captured on a cassette tape. The cassette tape is black with a horizontal white strip and is currently stored in a clear flat plastic rectangular container. It holds up 40 minutes of recordings on each side.Miss Elaine Howell /listen to what they say, beechworth, oral history, burke museum, elaine howell, howell, stanley, myrtleford, school, convent, leaving, shorthand, typing, shire, clerk, shire secretary -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Audio - Oral History, Jennifer Williams, Mrs Grace Irvine, 20th April 2000
Mrs Grace Irvine was born in 1907 as one of eight children to the Shennan family in Silver Creek, a town three kilometres east of Beechworth that was considered a part of the town. Her father was a 'wood-carter', contracted to deliver wood to the mining dredges at Silver Creek and the Mayday Hills asylum. Wife to Dick, and mother to four children, Mrs Irvine spent her life in Beechworth, recalling many transformations in its history and living through wars and the Depression. This oral history recording was part of a project conducted by Jennifer Williams in the year 2000 to capture the everyday life and struggles in Beechworth during the twentieth century. This project involved recording seventy oral histories on cassette tapes of local Beechworth residents which were then published in a book titled: Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century Beechworth. These cassette tapes were digitised in July 2021 with funds made available by the Friends of the Burke.The oral history record of Mrs Grace Irvine is a rare and representative insight into life in Beechworth from the turn of the 20th century to the 21st century, specifically in the descriptions of the everyday, commerce, business, family, and leisure activities for residents of the town throughout war-time and the Depression. Mrs Irvine's recollections have a social value to the Irvine family who have a long enduring history with Beechworth, and so also provide significance to the social and cultural history of the town. This oral history account is socially and historically significant as it is a part of a broader collection of interviews conducted by Jennifer Williams which were published in the book 'Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth-century Beechworth.' While the township of Beechworth is known for its history as a gold rush town, these accounts provide a unique insight into the day-to-day life of the town's residents during the 20th century, many of which will have now been lost if they had not been preserved.This is a digital copy of a recording that was originally captured on a cassette tape. The cassette tape is black with a horizontal white strip and is currently stored in a clear flat plastic rectangular container. It holds up 40 minutes of recordings on each side.Mrs Grace Irvine /listen to what they say, beechworth, oral history, burke museum, irvine, grace irvine