This brass rail holder fixture would have been used to hold the end of a rail in place. There is no information as to where the fitting or rail would have been placed on the ship; sailing ships had many brass fittings. It was recovered from the wreck of the La Bella, which lies at the bottom of the Warrnambool Harbour. Some 15 ships are believed to have been wrecked in Lady Bay, but only two have been discovered on the sea floor; the La Bella and the Edinburgh Castle. Both wrecks are popular diving sites and are preserved as significant historical marine and marine archaeological sites. The story of the final voyage of the La Bella is summarised as follows … The ship from which the sailors were rescued was the three-masted, iron and steel barquentine the La Bella, built in Norway in 1893. She was one of two iron and steel ships by Johan Smith, the company being one of the leading shipping families in Tvedestrand, Norway. She was significant to Norwegian shipping, being one of only 27 iron and steel ships ever built in Norway. She was registered in New Zealand and engaged from 1902 in inter-colonial trading of timber in the pacific, between New Zealand and Australia and was often in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria. On 5th October, 1905, the twelve year old La Bella left Lyttleton, New Zealand carrying a cargo of timber bound for Warrnambool, Australia . She was manned by a crew of twelve: the Master, (Captain Mylius, previously 1st Mate of La Bella, appointed Captain to La Bella on 6th February 1903) 2 Mates, Cook, six able seamen, one ordinary seaman and a boy. . Bad weather en route caused her to shelter at Burnie on Tasmania's North West coast. On November 10th, the 37th day of her journey, La Bella approached Warrnambool. Captain Mylius steered her towards Lady Bay Channel in heavy south-west seas and evening mist. He ordered the helmsman to steer for the light. As the ship came round, a tremendous sea struck her on the port quarter, causing her to breach broadside in a north-westerly direction into breakers. The helm was brought round twice more, but each time heavy seas broke over her, the third time throwing the La Bella on to a submerged reef in Lady Bay now known as La Bella Reef (about 100 yards from the Warrnambool breakwater). The sea was so rough that it even wrenched a one-and-a-half ton anchor from its fastenings and into the sea. As Captain Mylius headed to the steel wheelhouse, intending to send up a rocket flare, a huge sea slammed the steel door into him (resulting in massive bruising front and back) Despite his injuries he still managed to set off a blue light, which he held up in his hands. La Bella’s lifeboats were filled with sea water and broke up on their chocks. The blue light was the first indication to people on shore that there was a ship in distress. The Harbour Master, Captain Roe (who lived in the Harbour Master’s House opposite Flagstaff Hill), organised a group of volunteers to crew the lifeboat because the trained crew was unavailable; the crewmen were working on a steamer in Port Fairy at the time. He then poured oil onto the water to try and smooth the sea. At around 11pm three of the crew took shelter in the steel forecastle but the sea crashed into it and broke it up. While the rest of the crew and onlookers watched helplessly in the moonlight the bodies were washed away into the sea, never to be seen again. Some of the crew lashed themselves to the weather rail to keep from being washed away. Watson, the ordinary seaman, became tangled in the rigging lines and was too weak to move, so the 2nd Mate, Robertson, put a line onto him so that he wouldn’t wash off. Around 11pm three of the crew were unconscious from exhaustion. The situation on La Bella was becoming dangerous. The 2nd Mate moved to the ‘house’ and soon afterwards the ship slipped in the heavy sea. The lashings of the 1st Mate and the ‘boy’ Denham had kept them safe until about 2am when they were washed overboard; no one was able to help. One by one, the exhausted crew were being washed overboard, too weak to hold on any longer. During the night the La Bella had broken into two and the deckhouse ran out towards the sea. Two more men drowned when trying to reach the lifeboat. By sunrise the only survivors of the twelve were the Master, 2nd Mate and three seamen. Early in the morning Captain Roe used the rocket apparatus on shore to try and shoot a line to the ship for a safer rescue but each attempt fell short of the target. Several attempts were made by the lifeboat to rescue the stricken sailors, but the rough conditions made this difficult for the boat to get close enough to the ship and the lifeboat had to return to shore. During a final attempt to reach the ship Captain Mylius ordered his men to jump into the sea. Leonard Robertson, 2nd mate, jumped and swam towards the lifeboat, taking hold of the boat hook offered to him. Oscar Rosenholme managed to reach the boat floating on a piece of timber from the ship’s load and a third survivor, Noake, also made the boat. Along with the lifeboat rescue crew, 25 year old William Ferrier rowed his small dingy through the heavy seas and managed to rescue the Captain, whom he landed on the breakwater. Ferrier then returned to the ship to attempt a final rescue, losing his oars and rowlocks into the high sea. Using just a spare paddle he skulled towards the La Bella, reaching her stern in time to cut loose the lone surviving sailor, Payne, from the lashing that held him to the ship; the terrified sailor dropped from the ship and into the dingy. Shortly after the last man was rescued, the La Bella was lifted by a huge wave and crashed back down on the reef; she broke up and sank. The ordeal had lasted ten hours. The survivors were taken to the nearby Bay View Hotel and gratefully received warm food and clothing, medical attention and a place to sleep. In the following days an unidentified body of a young person was washed ashore; it was either Watson or Denham. The body was buried in the Warrnambool cemetery with an appropriate gravestone and inscription. William Ferrier became a national hero as news of the daring rescue spread. In recognition of his bravery in the two daring rescues he was awarded the Silver Medal for Bravery by the Royal Humane Society and was honoured in the letter from the Prime Minister and the Parliament of the Commonwealth, telegrams and a cheque for £20 from the Governor General, over £150 subscribed by the public, including Warrnambool and district and readers of The Argus, and a gold medal from the Glenelg Dinghy Club of South Australia. Ferrier’s rescue efforts are one of the most heroic in Victoria’s shipwreck history. (William Ferrier’s son, Frank, received a similar award almost fifty years later, when he helped rescue four members of the crew on the yacht Merlan, after it ran on to a reef near the Point Lonsdale Lighthouse. ) The wreck of La Bella now lies on her port side in 13 metres of sheltered water inside the reef she struck. The bow section is relatively intact and part of the stern has drifted north-easterly towards the mouth of the Hopkins River. The reef the La Bella struck now bears its name. Those five rescued from the La Bella were Captain George Mylius, Leonard Robertson (2nd Mate, 21 years old), R. Payne, Oscar Rosenholme and Jack Noake. Those seven who lost their lives were Mr Coulson (1st mate), Charles Jackman (cook) Gustave Johnson, Pierre Johann and Robert Gent (all able seamen), Harry Watson (ordinary seaman) and Jack Denham (ship’s boy), Captain Mylius was found guilty of careless navigation; he had sailed into the bay without the services of a pilot. His Master Certificate was suspended for twelve months. Later he was also charged with manslaughter of one of the crew who had died when the La Bella was wrecked, but found not guilty. The event’s adverse publicity and damage to his career took a toll on his health and he died of a heart attack six months after the wreck; he was only thirty-seven. His body was buried in the Melbourne General Cemetery. The La Bella was “the best documented of all sailing ships owned in New Zealand”. Her record books, ship logs, correspondence and supporting papers are still available. At the time of the tragedy, she was owned by Messers David C.Turnbull and Co. of Timaru, New Zealand timber merchants and shipping agents, who had purchased her on 13th December 1901. A detailed account of the last journey of La Bella can be read in “Leonard Robertson, the Whangaroa & La Bella” written by Jack Churchouse, published in 1982 by Millwood Press Ltd, Wellington, NZ. Some 15 – 17 ships are believed to have sunk in Lady Bay, but only two have been discovered on the seafloor; the “La Bella” and the “Edinburgh Castle”. Both wrecks are popular diving sites and are preserved as significant historical marine and marine archaeological sites. As well as this letter, Flagstaff Hill’s La Bella Collection includes a photograph of the wrecked La Bella, a brass rail holder and a postcard of William Ferrier with four of the survivors. This original congratulatory letter sent to William Ferrier by the Prime Minister and Government of Australia demonstrates the importance attached to his efforts for Victoria and to Australia. The letter is part of the La Bella Collection and is significant at both a local and state level. Its connection to the La Bella shipwreck and the rescue of five survivors highlights the dangers of Victoria’s Shipwreck Coast. The letter to William Ferrier from the Australian Government acknowledges the bravery of ordinary Australians who risked their lives to save victims of shipwrecks along the coast. The letter is significant to the history of Warrnambool as it honours William Ferrier, a local fisherman whose descendants continue to live in the area. It highlights the way of life of people who lived in coastal towns in 19th century Victoria and the effects of shipwrecks upon them. The letter connects to the postcard of William Ferrier with four of the five rescued crew, the photograph of the wreck of the La Bella and the artefact from the wreck, the rail holder. This item is significant because of its association with the sailing ship “La Bella” . the “La Bella” is of local and state and national significance. It is one of the only two shipwrecks discovered in Lady Bay, Warrnambool, out of the 15-17 shipwrecks in the bay. Brass rail holder from the wreck "La Bella". This rail holder would have been used as a fitting for the end of a rail. It is made up of two parts and looks a little like a goblet in shape. The top is a hollow spherical shape with a circular hole cut out on one side, into which the end of a round rail would fit. There are two gouge marks close to each other on one side of the hole, about one centimetre apart, at 1 and 2 o’clock position. The sphere has a hollow pipe-like stem with a screw thread turned into the outside of the lower section and the bottom of the stem has been flared out after having the base fitted. The base is round and has a mound in the centre. The edge has four evenly spaced fixture holes around its edge. The metal shows signs of pitting and has mild encrustation. The fitting of the base is loose, allowing it to swivel in a complete circle. The top of the sphere is rough and has a dent in it. Underneath the base there is verdigris; some has flaked off and reveals a bright golden colour underneath. rail holder, brass rail holder, la bella, lady bay, norway, 1893, new zealand, captain mylius, william ferrier, flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village

Bendigo Advertiser '' The way we were'' from 2002. Gee-up, horsey: Marian (standing), Agnes Perret, Bill, Arthur Packham and Albert Wicker in a gig harnessed up to 'Fairy'. Date unknown. The clip is in a folder.newspaper, bendigo advertiser, the way we were

Stereoscopic views. Kilburn Brothers Lilleton N H. 1. Jack Frost at Work. 2. The Hunter's Chorus- Loose the hounds. 3. Jack Frost at Work. 4. Fairy Frost Work.Kilburn Brothers Littleton N H.photography, viewers

Black and white photo ' The Sculptor at Work on her Gift to the Children of Melbourne' - The Fairies' Tree in the Fitzroy Gardens Melbourne , Sculptor Miss Ola Cohn, A.R.C.A. (London ) Photographed by The Argus -Melbourne // rear of postcard shows a message from Miss Ola Cohn / card was published by the Rose Stereograph Co. Armadale , Victoria.photograph, person, female, the fairies' tree in the fitzroy gardens melbourne , sculptor miss ola cohn a.r.c.a london , the argus -melbourne / published by the rose stereograph co. armadale , victoria.

A box covered in Christmas paper containing items related to the Cohn family. (i) A yellow folder titled 'Press cuttings and articles of Ola Cohn.' Items of interest include articles relating to Ola Cohn, her work and her home and the Cohn family and their drink company Cohns Pty. Ltd. Sources are 'The Age,' 'The Sun,' 'The Australian Home Beautiful,' 'The Herald' and 'The Bendigo Advertiser.' Dated between 1932 and 1968. (ii) A book written by Ola Cohn titled ''Mostly Cats,'' written in 1964.Ola Cohnperson, family, ola cohn, lydia chancellor, collection, cohn family, cohn bros. pty. ltd., manufacturing, ola cohn, women, pottery, ceramics, art, art work, book, literature, female, person, sculpture, famous people, fairy tree, mostly cats, animals, pets, cats

Invitation to a Cocert by the Pupils of Miss J Dais, Temperance Hall, Friday December 14 1894 Issued to Mts and Misses Kane. THE GOVERNORSHIP. Article - The Bendigo Independent (Vic. : 1891 - 1918)Saturday 15 December 1894 - Page 2 Last evening the pupils of Miss J. Dias gave a concert in the Temperance Hall. The hall, which was tastefully decorated, the platform being draped and set off with fairy lamps, was well filled. Mr D. B. Lazarus who was to have presided telegraphed from Melbourne an apology for unavoidable absence. The following pupils contributed:— Piano solos, Misses L. Job, Annie Hunter, Annie Taylor, Maggie McKnowne, M. Pound and Birdie Rickards ; piano duets, Misses M. Heine and M, McKnowne, A. and E. Taylor, Roeder and McCann ; vocal solos, Misses Taylor, Nicholls and Rickards; vocal duet, Misses Rickards and Dias. During the interval Miss Dias gave a pleasing piano solo. The manner in which the pupils performed showed the careful training which they have undergone at the hands of their instructress.

Brown oval cardboard with a picture of fairies, rabbits and an elf. The 3 rabbits and the elf are holding hands and dancing. Two of the fairies are sitting on the grass and clapping hands. The third on is standing against a tree playing a flute. They are in the forest with a stream, white flowers and some toadstools. The picture is in greens, pinks, browns and white. At each side of the picture is a 16 point star worked in yellow/green crochet thread. At the top and bottom is a pink 16 point star worked in pink. Holes have been punched in the card for the thread to go through. At the top is a loop for hanging. Written on the back: Eileen Wilson.cottage, miners, wall-hanging, foster & wilson collection, wall-hanging

14cm X 9 cm Gorse Fairies postcard wishing Miss Bush of 25-1 View St Bendigo many happy returns. From Winifrid PalingMedici Society ,Ltd London.document, memo, bush

Children's Book Collection. "Favourite Fairy Tales". hard cover Children's Book. "Favourite Fairy Tales" Edited by Captain Edric Vredenburg. illustrated by R. C. Petherick, A. A. Dixon, A.L.Bowley and others. Published by Raphael Tuck & sons Ltd "Father Tucks' Golden Gift Series" Published to theirMajesties the King & Queen, London, Paris, New York. Designed and printed Great Britain. Inside front cover 1. jim Burns, 4r4 Old Violet Street Bendigo, 2. to Dear Jim from Oswald with best wishes 12th February 1927.books, children's, favourite fairy tales

Object. Childrens musical toy record player. Key wound in tin box with illustrations of fairy-tale characters around sides. Labelled Bing Pigmy Phone, Bavaria. With on off switch.D.R.P., D.R.G.M., BRIT PATENT APPLIED FOR.. USA PATENT APPLIED FOR REGtoys, general, bing pigmy phone

Small booklet: Some Australian Birds. On the front cover a Kookaburra. Published in April 1957 by the Bank of New South Wales. The booklet has 17 pages. Contents: Foreword - Bell miner - Black Swan - Boobook Owl - Bower Bird - Brolga - Dollar Bird - Fairy Penguin - Jabiru - Kookaburra (inside front cover) - Lyrebird - Pelican - Rifle Bird - Weebill - Whipbird - White Cockatoo - Willie Wagtail - Yellow Robin (inside back cover).books, natural history, birds

Group of seven postcards, three of them depict actresses and four are of various scenes around Victoria. (a) Miss Billie Bourke, (b) Carrie Moore, © Miss Carrie Moore as 'Honour in' Tom Jones ', (d) Bourke street on 8 hours day, Melbourne Victoria, (coloured) (e) Fairy Bend, River Yarra, Warburton (colour) (f) Werribee Gorge near Bacchus Marsh Victoria (colour) (g) Lawn Gardens, Flemington, Melbourne (colour).postcard, photograph, various themes, billie bourke, carrie moore, actresses, theatre, melbourne, flemington, werribee gorge, bacchus marsh, fairy bend, river yarra, warburton, bourke street, 8 hours day

Typed notes briefly telling of the life of Arthur T. Woodward and mentions some of his pupils. Also mentions his family.document, arthur t woodward - artist and poet, school of mines, agnes goodsir, madge freeman (mrs lanfear thompson), george h freeman, bendigo high school, tom bone, adelaide national gallery, miss ola cohn, women's pioneers' memorial, fairy tree in the fitzroy gardens melb, mrs dorothy carroll, royal historical society of victoria, bendigo art gallery, princess margaret rose, kurmala, 'songs from a studio', mccoll rankin & stanistreet, central nell gwynne mine, 'roselands', ida woodward, lt col claude robertson, isola woodward, mr richard harvey, bendigo art gallery, w a dargie, 'the miser', baron von mueller

From the staff and pupils of the Goodlet High School, Sholinghur,. Sholinghur is a municipality under Sholinghur taluk in Ranipet District of Tamil Nadu, India. Deaconess Hope Goldie attended Rolland House, Deaconess' Training Institute and the Missionary Training Institute. She left her home in Port Fairy for India in 1927. Fine cotton printed address in the form of a scroll. It is attached to stained brown wooden rods at tend end and is printed with indigo blue."AN ADDRESS PRESENTED TO MISS A. HOPE GOLDIE, ON THE OCCASION OF HER SILVER JUBILEE CELEBRATION"a hope goldie, annie hope goldie, presbyterian missionary, goodlet high school sholinghur india, presbyterian deaconess

MEMBERS OF THE FORD FAMILY, TAKEN IN FRONT OF TOTTY TREMBATH'S HOUSE IN 1910, FROM LEFT VIV, NELL, NELLIE, (MOTHER) DULCIE, FRONT ROW - ESME, HARRY, AND TOM WITH THOMAS (FATHER) SITTING IN CART, VIV IS HOLDING A WHALE'S BACK BONE, THEY HAD PICKED UP IN PORT FAIRY.1 FRAMED WITH GLASS PHOTOGRAPH OF THE FORD FAMILY IN 1910, WITH HORSE AND BUGGY. .2 HANDWRITTEN NOTE OF THE PEOPLE IDENTIFIED IN THIS PHOTOGRAPH, SEE BELOWTHIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN OF THE FORD FAMILY IN 1910. THEY CAME FROM DUNACH NEAR TALBOTlocal history, photography, photographs, trembath, perry

Jackie Kerin's (donor's) story. In 1973, I was in my late teens and while I’d moved to Sydney from Melbourne, to begin my first year of drama studies at the National Institute of Dramatic Art. My parents had moved to Lake Bunga, a few kilometers north of Lakes Entrance (Victoria). On my first holiday visit to Bunga, I called into the Jolly Jumbuck Country Craft Centre in Bairnsdale http://jumbukwool.com.au/history. I was entranced by the place and spent the following weeks learning to spin lumpy wool on an Ashford Wheel. By the end of the holidays, I had my own Ashford and it travelled with me back to Sydney. After graduation, I returned to Melbourne and the hippy “back to nature” movement was in full swing; there were many shops and galleries selling handmade woollen items and pottery etc. So I found an outlet for my pieces. Sometime in 1976-77, I met a spinner and weaver of Swiss origin (I think) – her name was Ingeborg Guber (not sure of the spelling). She had a small gallery/shop at Brighton Beach where she worked, with her pet duck for company. Ingeborg had an upright Philip Elford wheel; an Australian wheel crafted from Acacia melanoxylon (blackwood). I was smitten and ordered one. I have a memory of Philip driving to Hampton from Ballarat to make the delivery. I used this wheel for years but as time and enthusiasm for spinning waned, the wheel became a decorative item in the house. Then in the 90s, and with my drama training, I set myself up travelling to schools and festivals, museums and galleries as a storyteller. The spinning wheel had a new life accompanying me on my adventures. For many children, familiar with references to spinning in fairy tales, seeing the little Philip Elford upright was magical. The wheel was donated to the National Wool Museum in 2021.Vertical tripod leg spinning wheel. 6 spoke wheel with three bobbins. Inscription “Philip Elford Ballart” can be read in gold text stamped to the base of the wheel. Wording, stamped, gold. Philip / Elford / Ballartspinning wheel, textile production, hobby textiles, aciacia melanoxylon (blackwood)

In 2017 the building was used as the Port Fairy Youth Hostel.Photographs of a house in Port Fairy.Plaque "Emoli Original portion erected 1844 for merchant William Rutledge"william rutledge, port fairy, emoli, belfast, victoria

Colour photocopy of article from Bendigo Advertiser. Dated Saturday, May 23, 2015. FAREWELL, MA.. When Peter received his Order of Australia Medal it was one of his proudest moments. He couldn’t resist wearing it on every occasion. FROM - PREVIOUS PAGE The Emu Creek Bush Band has performed at National Folk Festivals in four states and numerous times at the National Folk Festival in Canberra. They have also been mainstays of the Maldon Folk Festival for most of its history as well as doing dance programs for the Port Fairy Folk Festival on two occasions. Peter wrote and published many books related to traditional music and dance. These include: Three volumes of 'Collector's Choice' which is musical notations for bush dances coupled with much dance history which would have been lost without Peter's efforts, are 'Two Hundred Dancing Years- How to run a Colonial Ball' (Co-authored with Shirley Andrews (AM), 'Music Makes Me Smile- The Music of the Nariel Valley' (Co-authored with Harry Gardner), and his last completed book is titled 'The Merry Country Dance' with over 300 pages.. .. .. Grant. The first edition sold out in only a few weeks. Peter taught old time musicianship, accomplished as he was on the concertina and button accordion, tin whistle, and harmonica, as well as the Swanee whistle, piano and ukulele. In demand for workshops in music and dance at National Folk Festivals in Perth, Alice Springs, Maleny, Melbourne, Adelaide, Kuranda and more recently at several Canberra National Folk Festivals, he was a hit at festivals across the country. As a trained ballroom dancer, with many gold medals to his name, Peter passed on his knowledge every time he trained debutante sets in the Bendigo region. As an early environmentalist, he was a life member of the Bendigo Field Naturalists Club, secretary in the 1970's and actively involved in campaigns to save Lake Pedder and establish the Whipstick and Kamarooka State Parks (now part of the Bendigo National Park). He has discovered and named new plant species in the Whipstick Forest and propagated many Australian plants. Peter took regular guided tours through the Whipstick each spring, on wildflower educational tours. He was a keen and gifted photographer of local plant species. When Peter received his Order of Australia Medal it was one of his proudest moments. He couldn’t resist wearing it on every occasion. Funeral details. Family, friends and his supporters will farewell Peter.. .. .. ..person, individual, peter ellis oam

Three Folk Festival handbooks containing names and a short summary of performers, programs, photos of some of the performers, History of the Folk Song & Dance Society of Victoria, advertisements and attractions. The three programs are the 20th National Folk Festival Melbourne 1986, 22nd National Folk Festival & Sutherland Bicentennial Crafts Fair 1988 (has Corry written on the front cover) and the Port Fairy Folk Festival 1989.entertainment, music, national folk festival, peter ellis collection, emu creek bush band, peter ellis, 20th national folk festival melbourne 1986, 22nd national folk festival & sutherland bicentennial crafts fair 1988, port fairy folk festival 1989

Hilda Hill Collection. A Combination of Sepia & Black & White Photos Total of 5. Jonah dressed in light coloured dress with geometric pattern holding a parasol in both hands, background right is a part of a large tent in striped material, to the left is a light post with a sign attached advertising fairy floss, there are a number of people to the left of the post on a sloped surface at Lake Weeroona Bendigo. Four young ladies leaning on a hand rail of a verandah, to the left is a verandah post with a large pot plant at its base, behind the girls at right is a window partly open with a lace curtain, a white piece of rope extends from the post at an angle to a rolled up blind, directly in front of the girls on the ground is a large plant in a garden, the old V.P.S. Girls Alma, Kitty, Lorna and Hilda Hill. Eileen and Claire standing on verandah with hands on the rail, Eileen is dressed in a pale coloured dress and Claire in a white dress with a line pattern longitudinal, Verandah post to their left and cord going to a rolled up blind, large pot plant at base of post, deck chair at far right, foreground shows shadow of the photographer and garden to the right. Oval photo of Nora on the rocks Feb 1921, dressed in white with material over her left shoulder, and small round topped hat. Elma and Jonah both dressed in light coloured dresses, Elma has sailor neck blouse and her dress has a horizontal line pattern, background right is an old car and behind the girls there are large trees,The Rock 1 January 1923.Hilda Hill Personal Collectionaustralia, history, victoria post war touring boom

Colour photograph. Large cream building. Crosses on peaks. Cars parked in front of building. Back of photo reads: Nunnery at Koroit. Emu Creek was billeted there for Port Fairy F.F. early 1990's. Peter snored so loudly that two members swapped rooms and one went to sleep in the bus!buildings, church, nunnery at koriot

The Beebe name was well-known in Bendigo in the last quarter of the 19th and the early part of the 20th centuries. From 1875, William Beebe senior, monumental mason, occupied a site in the centre on the city, in Mitchell Street opposite King Street. Death was more part of life in those days, and the Beebes were there to provide the burial monuments. Later, he took his sons into the business, which grew as Beebe and Son. Many examples of their work can be found in the local cemeteries. William Beebe senior (1830-1891) was born in Rutland, the smallest English county in 1830, to stonemason Chamberlain Beebe and Susannah Clements. William emigrated to Victoria in 1854 and after engaging on unknown works in Port Fairy, Dunkeld, and Melbourne arrived in Bendigo. His obituary records that he commenced work here on the site of the Bank of Australasia (opposite the Shamrock Hotel), which would have been no later than 1856. He took up a 13 acre selection on the site of Rocky Vale Villa in 1864 and continued to select or purchase further parcels of adjoining land until he owned some 150 acres, much of it unfit for cultivation. He was a keen gardener and had a garden and orchard around the house. William took over 20 years to build the two-story sandstone and granite house "Rocky Vale Villa". The house was constructed from sandstone sourced "from an adjacent ridge of rocks" (Bendigo Advertiser 28/9/1891). Granite from Harcourt was used for lintels and quoins. Not long before he died, William was still adding to the house. In the Codicil to his will, he states that "I have just built and completed two additional rooms to my Dwelling house situe at Inglewood Road aforesaid" (dated 19/9/1891). William died one week later on the 26th September 1891.Photographs of a field trip to Rocky Vale Villa, 7 Wicks Road, Maiden Gully, Bendigo by the Bendigo Historical Society.history, bendigo, rocky vale villa maiden gully, william beebe stonemason bendigo