The decorative art-nouveau style leadlight side and transom lights were a popular form of entrance lighting set into recessed panels in late Victorian homes at Ballarat. This home built by local architect/builder Thomas Turton features these popular glass lights.The side and transom lights at Hymettus form part of a significant and representative historical collection that reflects Ballarat's local history from a family perspective and popular art and architecture movements at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. They contribute to our understanding of social and family life in twentieth century Ballarat and providing interpretative capacity for family, local, art, architecture and social history themes.ballarat architects and architecture,, hymettus, taffe, art nouveau, leadlight

A small domestic bookcase with adjustable shelves made by A. H. Harris of Ballarat. The firm was created at Ballarat in 1928 and became notable for making church furniture including the fitting out of St Therese' on Wendouree Pde Ballarat. This is an early small piece made for the home in an Arts and Crafts style.A.H.Harris & Sons.stamped into rear of shelf.

Hecla electric kettle manufactured in Australia.

Silk ceremonial collar of Mr A. Burke St Arnaud who was a member of the Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society (HACBS).hibernian, australasian, hacbs, st arnaud, victoria, burke, ceremonial, collar.

Photograph of Ballarat Rowing Club house on Lake Wendouree in 1901 with crowds celebrating the finish of an event at the annual rowing regatta..photograph, lake wendouree, rowing,lake wendouree, ballarat, regatta, 1901.

Rare event of eighteen rowing eights lined up for start of race at Ballarat's Lake Wendouree in March 1948.Ballarat Regatta March 1948 Start of eighteen maiden eights won by Wendouree, in ink on verso.

Nineteenth century brass bookstand or table lectern used to hold book for reading or display purpose often deemed an essential item for the nineteenth and early twentieth century library. Also used as altar lectern in church items. This example was purchased to enhance reading in a household private library and also used to display books when on loan in the public domain in libraries and other repositories.brass, bookstand, book-rest, altar lectern, reading, library, display, 19th century. church.

Pokerwork was a popular home craft in the 1930s. This small domestic piece using plywood is typical of objects made at home or school in that period.One of two matching circular pieces of ply, Incised, painted and lacquered with holes top and bottom for ties with image of Kookaburra and leaves. Incised to lower centre of cover 'd'oyleys'.painted and lacquered with image of Kookaburra and leaves and Incised to lower centre of cover 'd'oyleys'.mary burke, donald, taffe, ballarat, pokerwork, craft

The Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society was formed at Ballarat in 18 and William Taffe was Ballarat President in 1940 when presented with this mounted and framed photograph and photo-lithographic certificate.Thornton Richards & Co Ballarat inscribed on mounting board. Details of the subject, W.J.Taffe written in on the certificate.

Bookmark from the period of the Great War possibly sent to someone serving overseas with inscribed message from Australia.Inset watercolour of gum tree with inscription "Greetings from Australia" and on the reverse of image "1915-1916 from Marjorie".

A romance novel set in colonial Victoria and written by Matilda Dixie (Goldstraw) prominent early Ballarat personality who established Queens College Ballarat in 1877. Written and published in 1894 under the pseudonym of Noel Hope.matilda dixie, goldstraw, queens college, ballarat, noel hope.

Example of wood work and woodgraining popular in 1901 when the room was decorated. Mantel and mantel surround of pine turned and carved with this central panel beneath the mantel shelf all woodgrained in an oak finish.Fireplace surround featuring under-mantel panel with decorative carved acanthus leaves in urn with a rose at each extremity all in a woodgrain finish.woodgrain, decoration, mantel, oak finish, pine

An ephemeral example of a lady's dance program from the 1930s without punch holes for ribbon. These cards were used to book dances up until the 1940s."Programme" Printed on front.

One of the many self-drafting sewing pattern books which were very popular in the 1950s to 1970 produced by Enid Gilchrist, an Australian fashion designer, who became well known for her books.

The Catholic Church held an International Congress at Sydney in 1928. This was the first such gathering in the Southern Hemisphere and special trains were run from other states to convey visitors to the event. A range of souvenir items were purchased by Catholic families and a collection of these souvenirs including Congress rail tickets were collected and remain in the Taffe family Hymettus collection.This, the 29th Congress was the first ever held outside Europe or the USA. It was first great public demonstration of faith celebrated by Catholics in Australia this event attracted a crowd of half a million, the largest religious spectacle ever seen in Australia to that time. catholic church, catholic families, souvenir, eucharistic congress, sydney

Won at Street carnival, the Travellers' Gala in 1948 at Ballarat these bears were a popular post-war prize at such carnivals of the period when Australian motifs were seen as patriotic representations..

Typical of the mass produced small items manufactured in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century for domestic use along with clothes irons, boot scrapers and griddle irons, these beetle-style boot jacks were usually located in the vestibule near the door to wedge the booted foot into and pull, removing the boot before stepping into the house with any detritus on the boot.

This small handcrafted bookmark was made by one of the Jones sisters, Gwen or Edna of The Union homestead at Woolsthorpe in Western Victoria. Two small pieces of blue felt cut into shape of lady's face and stitched together with features added with wool stitching. Wool thread as hair stitched to hang outside the pages.

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Pair of embroidered doyleys for cake or sandwich trays made by Mary Burke of Dooboobetic in the 1920s. After her marriage to Michael Taffe in 1940 Mary moved to Ballarat and many of her embroideries remain in the house. They range from duchess sets to doyleys such as these. simple embroidery was taught to young girls in schools up until post-World War II.

Michael Taffe created his exhibition garden at Ballarat in the the late first years of the twentieth century taking out many amateur awards at flower shows which were a popular form of hobby and entertainment of the era. These particular stands were used for flowers such as pansies and were designed variously for 12, 9 or six varieties. ballarat, exhibition garden, flower shows, entertainment, amateur awards, pansies.

Three piece set made of bakelite simulating tortoiseshell and comprising powder compact, nail buffer and small container for nail powder polish.

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Horticultural award certificate for Daylesford Show 1921. Such certificates from a range of towns across the region illustrate the mobility of families and garden show enthusiasts from the early twentieth century.

Flower shows or Horticultural exhibitions were a popular form of entertainment and scientific pastime in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and were widely reported on and followed. Ballarat was a major centre for nurseries and prided itself as a garden city promoting many shows at all levels including grand national exhibitions. Exhibitors ranged from professional hybridists, nurserymen and florists to amateur growers. This award represents the cottage or amateur class in flower shows and was awarded circa 1909.. ballarat horticultural society, j taffe, roses, bentley, fraser print ballarat

Originally published by Carboni in 1856 following the Eureka Stockade at Ballarat this second edition was not published until 1942 almost ninety years later. One of the major productions of the Australian private press movement of the 1920s this second edition was produced in 1942 by Ernest Shea's Sunnybrook Press Sydney, in a limited edition of 150 copies. The book is illustrated with lino-cuts by W.E.Pidgeon and introduced by H.V.Evatt. It has a dustjacket and slip case and is signed by Shea, Evatt and Pidgeon. Only 150 produced on a handpress, rare example of Australian fine printing especially in wartime and only the second edition of Carboni's "Eureka Stockade".Book made with rag paper, dust jacket and slipcase.Numbered 128 of 150, signed by printer and artist. eureka stockade, private press, ballarat, ernest shea, sunnybrook press, sydney, carboni, second edition., evatt, pidgeon.

A footed copper fireguard round topped to compliment the Victorian fire surround. fireguard, copper, footed,

A small painting of the Taaffe family coat of arms painted on glass in reverse by Glen Taffe in 1992 as a Father's Day present for Michael Taffe.painting, glass, fathers' day.

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