Now 100 years old, this quilt belonged to the donor’s grandfather John William Huffstutter. John was Born in 1898 in a log cabin in the Ozark mountains of Missouri, USA. Tragically, John’s mother died when he was four years old. John said that he could always remember her voice calling his name as he hid under the porch in one of the many thunderstorms that frequent the area with his dog. John was raised by his grandmother and was treated as the youngest to her other children, growing up with his aunties and uncles rather than brothers and sisters. John began to study engineering at the State University of Iowa before serving in the US Army Engineer Corps in The Great War. He enlisted when he became eligible and served briefly before the Great War ended. He then returned to his engineering studies in Iowa, and shortly after finishing his studies got his first job with Westinghouse in Pittsburgh at age 23. It was when John was leaving for this job that he was given the quilts as a reminder of home from his grandmother Sarah Jane "Sallie" Tindall Coble, and her daughter (John's Aunt) Ottie Maude Coble Bittick. Widowed at age 78, John took to sleeping in his screen porch under one of these quilts. John remembered one winter in Missouri waking in his log cabin to find snow covering him and his quilt. When he died at age 94, the quilt he used was completely worn out and discarded. This remaining quilt was shipped to Australia, where Carol’s (the donor) immediate family had emigrated in 1970. Opening the box that contained the quilt released a wave of comforting smells, emotions, and a flood of childhood memories. Carol distinctly remembers sleeping under these quilts for afternoon naps at her grandparents' house. The quilt is 74 x 80 inches (1880 x 2030mm), matching the size of a modern-day king bed. It is made of various four-inch (100mm) squares. These squares are made of old men woollen suits in dark colours of browns and greys. The quilt is layered with a wool backing fabric and a batting lawyer of unknown material, possibly cotton or wool. The quilt is tied together with red wool yarn and the backing fabric is folded over the edge to be used as a binding. Embroidered across the front of the quilt in purple wool yarn is "John Huffstutter", "13 Oct 1921". A small, printed cloth label "HUFFSTUTTER" is pinned on the reverse of the quilt. The quilt is well-worn but in good condition considering its age. The care instructions passed down by word of mouth with the quilt were to "never wash, only air".Front embroidered. Purple handstitching: "John Huffstutter / 13 Oct 1921" Reverse. Printed cloth label: "HUFFSTUTTER"ozark, missouri, usa, textile history, quilt heritage

Mitcham residents and the Nunawading and District Historical Society have joined the growing list of objectors to a proposed 16 unit development at the corner of Mitcham Road and Meerut Street on the site of one of the few remaining historical homes in the area. The house was built in 1934 by Stanley and Helen Walker. Mr Walker's family was owner and operator of the Australian Tessellated Tile Company, an important industry for Mitcham and Victoria. The house was recognised in the 1994 City of Nunawading Heritage Survey Project and was classified as being of high local significance,Mitcham residents and the Nunawading and District Historical Societymitcham road, mitcham, meerut street, walker, stanley, helen, arrowsmith, valda, daly, peter, seamer

A Luther College Year 10 essay which researches the history of George Maxwell Walker (1924 - 1944). A pilot with the R.A.A.F. who spent much of his flying days with the British R.A.F. At the time of his death his squadron was carrying out anti-submarine patrols and internal security in and around the Middle East. He was the son of George Walker and grandson of Edgar and Myra Walker, owners of Australia Tesselated Tile Company. The George Walker family lived in Harrison St, Mitcham. The home is on the City of Whitehorse Heritage planning overlay.A Luther College Year 10 essay walker, george maxwell, royal australian air force, royal air force, world war, 1939 - 1945, war memorials

Information from donor: "Item 2 has a long history and came to me two years ago when younger brother Pat downsized from Mentone to East Brighton. ... when mother Annie passed away [he] took possession of a roll top writing desk from the premises in which we grew up. To fit the desk in his new unit, the roll top was removed and this original manuscript was found. Silver fish have attacked the paper that is now perished but I was able to carefully obtain a photocopy and preserve a copy of Thomas Drenen's handwriting."Thomas Drenen was born 1861 and died in 1932. He was the editor of the local paper, The Rutherglen Sun, from 1886 until his retirement. This makes him unique in the opportunity to gather information on the history of the Rutherglen district. This manuscript was written by him for broadcast on radio station 3AR (which became a part of ABC Radio National). While the donor was not certain of the date of the broadcast, evidence from the document leads to the conclusion that it was between July 1927 and September 1928, as he mentions the recently opened Soldiers Memorial Hall (officially opened in July 1927) and the new Convent that was under construction (Mt Carmel Convent was officially opened in September 1928). [information on dates from the Indigo Shire Heritage Study, 2002]Original is a hand written document of 12 pages that has been badly attacked by silverfish. Copy was photocopied before original continued to deteriorate.On sticker on plastic sleeve of copy: "Robert Drenen | Copy of Grandfather Thos Drenen - Broadcast on 3AR. Unknown Year. Thos D passed away July 1932"drenen family, rutherglen, rutherglen sun