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Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Entrance to Shire of Eltham Memorial Park, Garden Hill, Eltham-Yarra Glen Road, Kangaroo Ground, c.1923
View to south-east from Shire of Eltham Soldiers' Memorial Park showing the carriageway from the road to top of Memorial Park. Accompanying notes state that the entry gate was put in place in May 1921. Eltham and Whittlesea Shire Advertiser and Diamond Creek Valley Advocate Fri 21 May 1920 p 2 reported: Kangaroo Ground Memorial Park "It was decided to arrange for a working bee on Saturday, 29th inst., for the purpose of forming and gravelling the track leading to the Park, and of carrying out other necessary works." A history summary of the Shire of Eltham Soldiers’ Memorial Park • The summit at Garden Hill was a popular tourist lookout and picnic spot from the 1880s. Virtually the entire Shire of Eltham and beyond could be viewed from this location. • A local farmer, Mr Walter A. D. Wippell is credited as being the first to propose the idea of a war memorial park and offered £50 towards the purchase of the land. • The earliest public reference to this project is to be found in the local Advertiser newspaper edition of August 9th, 1918. A report of the August Council meeting records the Eltham Shire President, Cr. Robert White, saying: "some time back it was proposed that the Council obtain and place on an Honour Board in the Council Chamber [at Kangaroo Ground] containing names of the lads who had enlisted. Just recently however, it had been suggested that a more fitting memorial would be the obtaining of a piece of land on the summit of Garden Hill, Kangaroo Ground, and the formation of a memorial park in which a monument could be erected to represent the whole of Shire. If a couple of acres could be obtained a gentleman had promised to donate 50 pounds, and another one would fence it, and other contributions, he was sure, could be obtained." • Councillors were favourable of the proposal and the President, Shire Secretary and Shire Engineer were deputised to wait on Messrs Mess Bros. (the owners of the Garden Hill farm) and ascertain if they would gratuitously give the land. The Mess Bros. land adjoined the farm/stud of Mrs Fanny White (Cr Robert White’s mother), daughter of Andrew Harkness who established their property on Garden Hill around 1846. • Access to the land came in February 1919 when several Councillors and the Shire Engineer surveyed the actual two acres of '5 chains along the road and 4 chains deep'. The Engineer volunteered his services free to do this task. The Mess brothers however demanded £100 per acre but eventually agreed to take £50 per acre. • Entry from the Kangaroo Ground-Yarra Glen road was seen to be a problem and Mrs. White, who owned the land beside the park, was asked to donated a triangle of her property to allow this access. • By September 1919 returned soldiers were employed by the Shire and volunteers were called to clear the hilltop by ploughing up the rocks and clearing the area, the fencing was put into place and in May 1921 the Council erected three gates, within an archway, at the entrance to the drive and pathway to the summit. • Public subscriptions were sought through the Advertiser newspaper to beautify the site. The views of the Curator of the Melbourne Botanical Gardens were sought as to the ‘class of ornamental trees most suitable for planting in the Park area”. • The Memorial Park or Shire of Eltham Soldiers’ Memorial Park was officially opened by Mr. W.H. Everard, M.L.A., 3 September 1921. • In 1922 plans were made to place a War Memorial in the Park. Funds were donated by the Council of £250 and a challenge to the community, to match this money with contributions was met. • On Anzac Day 1923, 1,000 people gathered on the summit in the park for a memorial service. A much smaller group of about 50 people gathered around a newly constructed cairn and flagstaff in the afternoon of Anzac Day 1924 amidst rain and a squally southerly wind, the morning service being cancelled. • A meeting for those interested in establishing a War Memorial monument within the park was held in January 1924 and the Eltham Shire War Memorial League was formed and a design competition decided upon. • The Shire of Eltham War Memorial tower was built in 1926 at a cost of £1,023 and 5 shillings with locally quarried stone donated by Dr Ethel and Professor William Osborne. It was formally known as the ‘Shire of Eltham War Memorial’ and was unveiled on 11 November 1926. The large bronze inscription above the entrance to the tower states: SHIRE OF ELTHAM WAR MEMORIAL THESE MEN DIED FOR THEIR COUNTRY 1914 IN REMEMBRANCE THIS TOWER WAS BUILT 1918 • The Caretaker’s hut was built in 1927 with left over from the tower construction. • A returned soldier was appointed to act as caretaker for the memorials. Tiny Carrol, a huge man, was the first caretaker and lived in the stone hut. There was a push to have alterations made at one stage to provide additional rooms for a married caretaker but was rejected. • A new Caretaker Cottage was built in 1951 at a cost £2,500. The cottage had been subjected to raids by thieves three times during construction until a guard from the Returned Servicemen’s League was posted until its opening. • The War Memorial tower was re-dedicated by Sir Dallas Brooks on 8 November 1951, unveiling new bronze plaques containing the names of those who fell during the Second World War. Sir Dallas also officiated the opening of the new Caretaker’s Cottage. • A toilet block was built in 1965. • A further dedication of the Shire of Eltham War Memorial tower took place 11 November 2001 to recognise the men who fell in subsequent campaigns up to and including Vietnam. • Four land titles are involved: o The purchase of the two acres from owners Ruth Gosling, Alexander Mess, James Johnson Mess and Joseph Mess is recorded in two actions, the first being the payment of £100 for the two acres, the second showing that the Shire of Eltham did not get a transfer of title until 14th January 1952. o The access land donated by Mrs. Fanny White is dated 26 February 1924. A further need to widen the entry came after the deepening of the road cutting and another land donation was given by Sir Herbert Gepp, title dated 15th May 1952. This would have been about the time he sold off the former White ‘Garden Hill’ property. o The land reserve to increase the area and possibly allow a circuit road to be put in place on the western side of the park was purchased by the Shire of Eltham, title dated 16th February 1973. Rare photograph of the entrance to the Shire's Memorial Park during early stages of development prior to the erection of the Shire of Eltham War MemorialSepia photograph printed with white border with slight crack lower left hand corner and three significant vertical cracks fanning from lower centre edge to upper edge Digitally enhanced version to minimise impact of crackseltham-yarra glen road, entrance gate, garden hill, kangaroo ground, shire of eltham memorial park, shire of eltham war memorial, kangaroo ground war memorial park -
Melton City Libraries
Photograph, Mrs Knox and Beryl Gillespie at the First Hundred Years Celebration of Melton State School 430, 1970
Beryl Knox speaking about early life in Melton. Page 1 1949 – 64 years ago. We began our married life at Melton Sth. The house on the corner of the Exford Rd and Staughton St-- dusty gravel roads, box thorns and noxious weeds everywhere and a sprinkling of houses and vacant land. It was a friendly community consisting of old family names. McDonalds, Blacks, Dodemaide, Cahill, Coopers, Minns, Tinklers, Nesbitts, Cochranes, Wickhams, Exells. Mavis Butler. The home owned by Mr. Robinson and Miss Robinson had been shifted in two parts transported from Diggers Rest and it is still standing 2013. Bruce’s father purchased the house and two adjoining blocks, the Conways built on one and the Rawlinson family on the other block. Eileen still resides there, she was only a baby in a pram and the family had not long arrived from England. The railway line was close to the house and the contents would rattle when heavy steams trains went through, and on a clear frosty night the 1am paper train would echo roar through very loudly when labouring towards the Exford Bridge. Then the two carriage motor train was introduced, this was great for the workers and schoolies who travelled to Melbourne. The train pulled up at the crossing or riding to pick up or drop off. Melva Gillespie (nee Hirt) Bill Cahill delivered the milk by the billy and then in bottles. Len Kennedy (Paul Kennedy’s father, Norma Murrays son) delivered Jongebloeds bread, he always had a sweep going for the Melbourne Cup and raffles for the footy club. Mr. Woodgate owned an old bus and pick up point was the Post Office when there was a Saturday film on a Melton. There were no doctors or dentists in the district. If we need a Doctor we had to travel to Bacchus Marsh or discuss problems over the phone. In later years a Bacchus Marsh Doctor rented the Bluestone building in McKenzie St a couple of days a week. If we needed the Dentist we had to travel to West Footscray or Footscray. We did our banking at “State Savings” then the Miss Minns had the agency and then Bardsleys Store. We travelled to Bacchus Marsh to the National and Commercial banks. Station Rd to Western Highway, now (High Street) was a narrow stretch of bitumen and gravel farmland either side and a couple of farm houses and large gum trees on the properties. Page 2 North of the Railway line Mrs Bessie Jones, mother of Chas and Betty Jones managed the Post Office, next door to her Chas and Betty had the Shell Centre, and later moved the business to Melton. Hughie Nesbitt and mother owned the grocery and hardware store, and I bought my first set of saucepans there. On the opposite side of Station road Mr Coombe owned the fruit shop, and also provided soft drinks and lollies for children. The Chaff Mill was on the corner of Station Rd and Brooklyn Rd. Mr Lumsden was manager and later years Bernie Trethowan and Jack Butler were partners. It finally burnt down and is a Service Station now. Along Brooklyn Rd there were a few houses and Victoria Hall, not a very big hall, but catered for lots of functions, Balls, Fancy Dress, Bazaars, Square Dancing and meetings. The Bacchus Marsh Baptists held Sunday School in the hall. A group of shops were built south of the railway line Molly and Len Skinner managed the Post Office and handled a few essential groceries. Tom McDonald and Ron Lunsberg were the butchers. Mary and Syd Cooper lived next door to us and often in turn would run out of something when we had a baking spree we would borrow or exchange, sugar flour etc over the fence. Mavis and Jack Butler lived there before the Coopers. Bernie and Iris Trethowan lived two doors up. Neighbours were invited into their home to view the first black and white television in Melton Sth. Bill Exell was one of the first Melton Sth farmers to sell his land to developers, the land was idle for years before housing developed. I joined the Melton Valley Golf Club in 1960. The Gun Club as our Club House, an old tin shed consisting a water tank, trestle table and forms and dirt floor. It was a 9 hole course with sand scraps and landscape putting before greens. The Common or parkland was part of the Golf Course. It was open for every ones recreation. Roy Norton an old identity trained his trotters on the Common and wouldn’t clear the track for the golfers. The golfers had to avoid him to continue to play. We had to keep clear when the young youths came in their paddock cars and motorbikes. Over the years the Toolern Creek flooded its banks, water and debri covered the course on one year our first Club house was flooded out. It took several working bees to clean it up. We lived at Melton Sth for 15 years and moved to Melton on the farm “Croxton Park.” The Nixon family farm “Mowbray” adjoined the farm. Bruce worked the land cropping the farm when Mrs Nixon died. Page 3 (page 4 on the handwritten script) Bruce had the first offer to buy, in those days it wasn’t easy to get good bank loans. Part of the land is the Golf Course now and Mr O’Shea purchased the bulk. Moving to Melton was totally different – I became involved with Committees, Scouts, Guides, Mothers Clubs, CWA, Church Op shop (8 years). Melton Amateurs players produced and tutored by Mabel Rogers exerts from Pyjama Game, South Pacific, Carousel - later years a group of ladies did gentle water exercise at Essendon and Station Road swimming pool. I was 20 or so years in Probus. The local followed the football, there was always a Gymkhana on the long weekend in June. The tennis always created a lot of interest during the finals. It didn’t matter which team played the supporters were treated to a cup of tea and leftovers from their afternoon tea. In 1978 were the first residents to move into the Jennings Estate Kurunjang and lived there 31 years and retired 4 years ago into Unit. The amazing changes I have experienced. Merrimu supplied our water, after depending on tanks. The landscape changed completely when developers came in, no more dusty plains \ typed web Sept 2013 McFarlane, Mrs Knox and Beryl Gillespie at the First Hundred Years Celebration of Melton State School 430. The event was held at Mechanics Hall, Melton.local identities, local significant events, education -
Melton City Libraries
Photograph, Country Women's Association Choir Victoria, Unknown
Information from research by Mabel Rogers from the first meeting in August 1939 – 1969 Notable Events of the CWA The document contains information about meetings and events and numbers of members who attended. December 2013 – a selection of some of the items of interest have been extracted by Wendy Barrie NOTABLE EVENTS Page 1 1938 August 10th 1938 Minutes of inaugural meeting of Melton Branch Country Women’s Association. Cr Coburn introduced Mrs Toose, Ballarat G.P. [Group President] 42 ladies were present, including visitors from Bacchus Marsh and Smeaton Branches. September – Miss A Raleigh was elected Magazine Secretary October- 26 members present. Penny Collection for Million Members Fund November December – Mrs Swan gave demonstration of basketry, using stringy bark, Eucalyptus bark and reeds 1939 February 1939 – 18 members present. Branch total 50. Donation towards Pedal Transmitting Set. Inquiries made of Shire Council re permission to fence War Memorial March April – cost of fence material beyond Branch Funds May- 24 members present June, July, August – birthday celebrations. September 25 members present October – Meeting hled at Toolern Vale Bird Sanctuary 36 members present November – 1st Annual Meeting December – Owing to harvest operations, only 11 members present. 1940 February electric kettle and urn to be purchased for Mechanics Institute. Also to install a power point. [Electricity was connected to Melton in December 1939] April end of page 1 Page 2 May – Council Permission to be sought, to plant trees on oval below Shire Hall P.M.G. to be asked to supply a seat outside telephone booth for convenience of callers after P.O. was closed. June- Wives of A.I.F. soldiers be made honorary members. “1d per week drive” for gift for the Empire. July, September, October November – Group President stressed the importance of keeping Branches together during time of war. Collection of sheep skins to be made into vests for fighting forces worthy of consideration. Group President, Mrs Morgan-Paylor. December 1941 February 30 members present March – Eight members attend Ballarat Group Conference. Approach Council re fencing and preparation of land for tree plantation May – Mrs Swan demonstrated making of slippers from pieces of sheepskin June – Empire Gift Scheme of 1d per week to be continued for another year or duration of the war. July – Demonstration on making camouflage nets August, September Group Conference at Smeaton, October, November meetings held 1942 February- Enquiries to be made as how to help with A.R.P. work March, April, May, June,- Headquarters busy on war work. July end of page 2 Page 3 August, September. October – 15 Camouflage Nets forwarded to Headquarters November- Mrs Glasson Group President presided at Annual Meeting. Meetings to be held at 3 monthly intervals. Overseas link, enquiries be made of Melton Mowbray had a C.W.A. Branch 1943 February- Overseas link to be Lampeter, Cardiganshire, Wales May- 7 Camouflage Nets to Headquarters. American overseas link Nov 5th Annual Meeting, letters received from Wales and America 1944 May – Approach to be made to Council re formation of Baby Health Centre July – Ball held for Baby Health Centre effort. Admission 3/- 1945 February- Mrs Lemke present at meeting May August- Miss Strahan of Womens Hospital gave a talk on “Work of Almoner Departments in Public Hospitals” November Annual meeting. eight food parcels sent to Britain, 2 to Lampeter 1946 meetings held every two months May- Congratulations to Mrs Swan, Group President Elect June – 20 members present. August- 8th Birthday celebrated with a Social Evening Music was supplied by Mrs E.W. Barrie September - Scone competition 1. Mrs Beaty, 2. Miss Robinson 3. Mrs Exell November- Eggs sent to Somers House 1947 February – Demonstration of Glove-making March – revert to monthly meetings April - decided to have an auto tray made for the Branch May – Branch decided to plant a tree for Princess Elizabeth’s 21st Birthday.. Council to be asked if agreeable to continue arrangements in 1940, to fence C.W.A. Plantation end of page 3 Page 4 June - Food parcels sent to Overseas Link July – Invitations to birthday celebrations sent to Bacchus Marsh, Ballan, Sunbury, Mt Egerton August September - Collection of silver coin taken a donation from Branch towards wedding gift to Princess Elizabeth … forwarded to H.Q. November – C.W.A. together with Red Cross and Bacchus Marsh C.W.A. to provide afternoon tea and luncheon at Eynesbury sale. 1948 February – Food parcels sent to ex-Prisoner-of-war. Publicity agent appointed April – Decided to apply for trees to be planted in area already chosen a beauty spot May – Additional listeners to Broadcast Session were appointed June July – Gift of books received from Overseas Link. I was decided to stat a Library . Miss Raleigh to at a Librarian. August – 5 pound donation from Branch funds to “Save the Children” Appeal. September, October, November 1949 January – At Group Conference, delegates to vote in favour of resolution that State School children be allowed to sit for exams in own school March – Decided to contact Council for permission to fence off Water Reserve April, May – Another parcel to be sent to Ret. British P.O.W. Association June July – Fancy Dress Children’s Ball to be held for Annual Effort August – 11th Birthday September – Bank Balance November – 11th annual Meeting. Members agree to supply small gifts to Ballarat Mental Hospital 1950 February – Five books were received from Lampeter March – Branch to support idea of holding a Music Drama Festival in Group April – Miss Smith elected Group President May – C.W.A. Science Van visited Melton June – Demonstration of Macrame work - July August – 12th Birthday Celebration end page 4 Page 5 September, October November 12th Annual Meeting, Miss Smith Group President. Melton's Country Women's Association Choirlocal special interest groups, local identities -
Old Colonists' Association of Ballarat Inc.
Photograph - Image, John Robson
John Robson was born at Newcastle, Northumberland, England, the son of Mathew Robson and Hannah Sproat. Hesailed to Australia on the "Arabian", landing at Port Phillip in 1854. Obituary DEATH OF MR. JOHN ROBSON ANOTHER PIONEER GONE. AN EXTREMELY VERSATILE MAN. General regret was expressed at the death yesterday morning at Miss Garnett's private hospital, of Mr John Robson, musician and and elocutonist and one of Ballarat's oldest, best known and most respected citizens. Mr Robson had been sitting for a few weeks, and his medical adviser, diagnosed his complaint as appendicitis, which afflicted, him in such a severe form that an operation was deemed to be absolutely necessary. He was removed to Miss Garnett's private hospital, and about a week ago he was operated upon. Mr Robson, being a man of robust constitution, stood the shock of the operation well, and he was making good headway towards recovery when the spell of hot weather set in, and caused exhaustion. Heart failure followed, and exhaustion the attention of his medical adviser, and the careful nursing he received, the end came peacefully at the time stated above. Mr John Robson was born at Newcastle, Northumberland, England, in , and he was therefore 72 years of age. Mr Robson's father, who was a contractor, had much to do with the building of the City of Newcastle. After passing through minor schools, Mr John Robson entered the academy of Professor Ross, and soon rose to a foremost position in the classes. When his studies were completed he was apprenticed to an architect and for a time studied the technique of this important branch of his father's calling. His adaptability for the work was great, and hopes were entertained that he would rise to a high position in the profession. Then came glowing reports of the wonderful Australian gold discoveries. Mr Robson’s father decided to migrate to these parts, and he sent a son to prepare the way. Believing that tools and timber might not be procured in Australia. Mr Robson, senr, constructed a portable wooden residence, which was shipped in pieces on the White Star liner Arabian which brought the family over. In 1854 Mr John Robson, who was then nearly 17 years of age, landed at Port Phillip, and with the other members of the family came on to Ballarat, which place he made his home to the end. When he first reached Ballarat, Mr Robson joined in the search for gold, but not being strong enough for this rough work, he turned his attention to carpentering. This he did not care much about, and in 1858 he was appointed a teacher in St. Paul's Day School, Ballarat, but in the following year he relinquished this position and became exchange clerk in the local branch of the National Bank. Being adapted to this quickly made himself acquainted with the details of a banker’s profession, and his rise was rapid. In the year 1871, about 12 years after he joined the bank, he was appointed manager, and for four years occupied that position with conspicuous success. He was connected with the National Bank for eighteen years, and in 1875 he entered business on his own account. With his brother, Mr Wm. Robson, he erected red-gum sawmills at Gunbower, on the River Murray. Subsequently he was offered the management of the Australian and European Bank in mills. In 1886, he accepted the position and held it until the bank was absorbed by the Commercial Bank of Australia. For a time he lived privately, still, how ever, holding his interest in the saw mills. In 1886, he accepted, the position of manager of the Ballarat branch of the Mercantile Bank of Australia. This bank was closed in 1892, and Mr Robson retired, altogether from commercial circles. In the meantime his brother died, and the saw-mills were sold. Mr Robson held a very important position in music, in fact he for many years was looked upon as the leading musician in Ballarat, he being master of quite a variety of instruments. In 1864. he was appointed conductor of the old Harmonic Society in this city, and subsequently conductor of the Ballarat Liedertafel. Under his leadership this society attained a high state of efficiency, which has since been well-maintained. Many years ago Mr Robson formed an operatic company from amongst Ballarat residents, and such beautiful operas as “Lucrezia Borgia' "Lucia di Lammermoor," “Ernani,' La Sonnambula,” and others were successfully rendered. As an elocutionist, Mr Robson attained much prominence, he being recognised as one of the most capable teachers in Ballarat. He was president of the one-time Ballarat Shakespearian Dramatic Club, which under his direction, from time to time produced Shakespeare’s masterpieces. In this, too, he took the chief characters, the roles of Macbeth, Othello, Hamlet, and Shylock, all being powerfully represented by him. For some years prior to his demise Mr Robson, acted as a teacher of music, and elocution, and many of his pupils, competed with great success at the Ballarat and other competitions. Some years ago he acted as adjudicator at the South street competitions, when he gave every satisfaction, and his services were frequently secured to judge at competitions in other parts of the State and in other states of the Commonwealth. At the Ballarat band contests every year, he was a conspicuous figure, and he always acted as leader of the massed bands, by whom his appearance was always enthusiastically greeted. In his younger days he took a keen interest in several forms of sport, was a successful oarsman, one of the best amateur boxers of his weight and as a billiard player was able to hold his own with professionals. 'Mr Robson was an earnest adherent of the Church of England, and in social and other organisations he from time to time held important positions. As a Anglican churchman, he was widely respected, being the official principal and lay Canon of the Cathedral, a member of the Bishops Council, and a prominent member of St. Paul's Church, Ballarat East. He was also a prominent member of the Masonic order. and was a Past Grand Junior Warden of the Grand Lodge of Freemasons of Victoria, an office which he filled with the greatest credit. He was also a member of the Old Colonists' Association and the Mechanics' Institute, was at one time vice-president of the Art Gallery was once a member of the School of Mines Council, and was many years ago made a Justice of the Pence. On many occasions he was asked to stand for Parliament, as a representative of Ballarat and on one occasion he consented to do so, but subsequently retired without going to the poll in favor of the late Mr Daniel Brophy. He was also often pressed to stand for both the Ballarat East and City Councils, but he declined to allow himself to be nominated. Mr Robson was an active gentleman, and a brilliant conversationalist. His courtesy, high mental and moral endowments, and warm open-heartedness, made him a most interesting and congenial companion. During his long residence in Ballarat, which city he declined to sever his connected with, he was well known and much courted, and was looked up on as one of the most prominent citizens, and his loss will be very severely felt. Some years ago a portrait of Mr Robson, in full Masonic regalia, was painted by he late Mr Stanton Bowman, and was presented by Mr Robson to the citizens, and it was hung in the City Hall, where it is always admired by visitors. The late Mr John Robson never married, and with his brother, James, lived for many years in Eureka street, Ballarat. The two brothers were nearly always together, and as they walked the streets with arms linked, they were frequently referred to as the Siamese twins. The only Australian relative of the late Mr John Robson is his brother. Mr James Robson, who hardly left the bedside during John's illness, and to him the blow has been a very severe one. In his bereavement he will have the heartfelt sympathy not only of the whole of the residents of Ballarat, but of people in all parts of the State. When the news of Mr Robson’s death became known the flags were flown at half-mast at the City and Town Halls, and the Old Colonists’ Hall, out of respect to the memory of the deceased. The interment will take place at the Old Cemetery this afternoon. The cortege will leave “Rothbury," Eureka street, Mr Robson’s late residence, at 3 o'clock, for St. Paul’s Church, where there will be a short service conducted by the vicar, the Rev T. A. Colebrook. (Ballarat Star, January 1910)Photographic portrait of John Robson, member of the Old Colonists' Association of Ballarat.john robson, old colonists' association of ballarat, old colonists' club -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Mary Owen, granddaughter of Walter Withers, unveiling the commemorative plaque on Walter Withers Rock at the corner of Bible and Arthur Streets, Eltham, 13 Oct 1990, 13/10/1990
[from EDHS Newsletter No. 75, November 1990:] WALTER WITHERS PLAQUE At long last we have unveiled our plaque in the Walter Withers Reserve. The function was attended by a number of members and friends of the Society and descendants of the Withers family. Following the unveiling, the group proceeded to the Eltham Shire Office for afternoon tea and a small exhibition of Withers' paintings arranged by Andrew Mackenzie. The unveiling was performed by Mary Owen, a grand-daughter of Walter Withers. Her speech provided an interesting personal perspective on Withers and is repeated in full here: I feel somewhat overwhelmed by the responsibility of paying tribute to the man you have all come to honour today. I have the feeling that most of you probably know more about him and his work than I do. Walter Withers died nearly seven years before I was born and so I never knew him. Sadly, although other members of his family inherited some of his talent, I was not among them and I know very little about art. This is doubly hard to bear because my husband had some ability to draw and my second daughter also has some talent in this direction. My children are all artistic - mostly in the field of music inherited partly from their father - a Welshman who sang like a Welshman - and partly from my grandmother, Fanny Withers who, I believe was no mean pianist. However all this talent gave me a miss and for many years I felt a complete ignoramus in the fields of the arts. It was not until I was nearly fifty years old that I walked into a gallery in Brisbane and, as I wandered around the room, suddenly one picture leapt at me and I knew instantly that it had been painted by my grandfather. I had never seen the picture before and it gave me quite a shock to find that I had recognized the style of painting. I realized then that I had absorbed more than I realized simply by living with pictures and with people who painted them and talked about their painting and the painting of others. When I was a child I sometimes spent school holidays with my Aunt Margery Withers and her husband, Richard McCann. Aunt Marge painted me several times but I'm afraid I was a restless subject and used to sit reading a book and look up grudgingly when she wanted to paint my eyes. During the September holidays my aunt and uncle were busy preparing paintings far the annual exhibition of the Melbourne Twenty Painters, to which they both belonged. I remember how important I used to feel when they took me along to the Athenaeum Gallery on the Friday night before the opening to help hang their pictures. There were many artists there but the two I remember are perhaps surprisingly both women: Miss Bale and Miss Tweddle. I remember how cold it used to be up in that gallery at night. They used to heat water on a gas ring to make tea and Aunt Marge used to bring sandwiches and fruit for our evening meal. Everyone seemed to be poor in those days and no-one dreamed of going out for a meal. It was a case of make-do - even to cutting down frames to fit pictures or cutting pictures to fit the frames. They had to use the same frames from year to year if the pictures didn't sell. The opening was an exciting event for me. I felt I was privileged to meet important people - people who knew a lot more than I - and Uncle Dick would get quite merry after a couple of the tiny sweet sherries which were always distributed. I realise now that quite a lot of "art talk" rubbed off on me during my visits to the Athenaeum and during my stays with my aunt and uncle. I suspect that much of our most useful learning comes this way and those of us who have had the privilege of associating with artists, writers, philosophers and other thinkers have a richness in our lives of which we may be unaware. Walter Withers was a prolific painter and, although he painted for love of it, I suspect that the need to provide for his family drove him, like Mozart, to greater efforts than he might otherwise have achieved. Reading old letters and articles about the Heidelberg artists, I have come to realize something of the constant strain placed on many of them - particularly Withers and McCubbin - by poverty and the need to make ends meet. Withers was ever conscious of the need to provide for his wife and his five children and there are touching letters to his wife, regretting that he was not able to earn more for them. In addition to his painting, he worked hard at teaching and illustrating and, as he grew older, the strain began to tell and his health deteriorated. He seems never to have had a very strong constitution and suffered from rheumatism, which must have made painting quite painful at times. His eldest daughter, Gladys, was eventually confined to a wheelchair with rheumatoid arthritis and I have a tendency to arthritis myself, so I am particularly aware of what this could have meant to him. Recently I found a short letter written by my mother to her mother, Fanny Withers on the anniversary of her father's birthday in 1919, in which she said: "Poor old Dad, I often think now what a lot he must have suffered. His life was too hard and too strenuous for him. He had too many chick-a-biddies, I think. He wasn't equal to so much town life and train journeys with so many delicacies as he had. Since I have been ill, I have realised what he must have felt like.” He certainly drove himself to produce. He travelled all over Victoria by train, buggy, bicycle and on foot and for a time he travelled from Eltham to Melbourne every day by train, although later he lived in Melbourne during the week and only returned to Eltham for the weekends. My mother died seven years after her father's death, when my twin sisters were 10 days old and I was 16 months. So I never knew my mother or my grandfather. But my two aunts, Gladys and Margery, sometimes took me to stay with Gan Withers at Southernwood in Bolton Street . No cars in those days and it seemed a very long hot and dusty walk from the Station. Three memories remain with me of Southernwood. One is the well at the back which I found quite terrifying; the second is Gan killing a snake - even more terrifying. She was a formidable woman, my grandmother and a great ally and support to her husband. I think she was the business end of the partnership. The third memory of Southernwood is my grandfather's studio – down what seemed like a toy staircase inside the room. This and the big walk-in fireplace stayed in my mind from the age of about six until I saw them again about forty years later when the house was being used as a Sunday School. I just wish that money could be found to purchase this old house for the City of Eltham so that a permanent museum could be established in memory of a man who did so much to put Eltham on the map of art history. Recently I have become interested in family history and spent some time in England, Ireland and Wales looking for traces of my ancestors. I realized then how important it is to have records of people who have contributed to our society. We forget so soon and it is amazing how often, within two generations, names, dates and many details are forgotten. We are fortunate that so many of Walter Withers' works have been bought by galleries and that people like Andrew Mackenzie have taken the trouble to search out people who knew him and to write about him and his work. And I am very grateful to the Historical Society of Eltham for recognizing the importance of having a permanent tribute in Eltham to the contribution made by Walter Withers, who loved Eltham so much and who has assured this lovely district a place in the annals of history. I am indebted to Kathleen Mangan; the daughter of another famous Australian painter , Fred McCubbin, - featured in The Age this morning (thanks again to Andrew Mackenzie) for the most apt tribute to Walter Withers. Kathleen is not well and she rang me a couple of days ago, regretting that she could not be present today “to pay tribute” as she said, “to Walter Withers for I always think Walter Withers is the spirit of Eltham.” Thank you, Kathleen. And now I have much pleasure in unveiling the plaque commissioned by the Eltham Historical Society from Bob McLellan of Charmac Industries to commemorate the life and work of Walter Withers, the spirit of Eltham. Mary Owen, 13 October 1990.Three colour photographswalter withers rock, walter withers reserve, mary owen -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Mary Owen, granddaughter of Walter Withers, unveiling the commemorative plaque on Walter Withers Rock at the corner of Bible and Arthur Streets, Eltham, 13 Oct 1990, 13/10/1990
[from EDHS Newsletter No. 75, November 1990:] WALTER WITHERS PLAQUE At long last we have unveiled our plaque in the Walter Withers Reserve. The function was attended by a number of members and friends of the Society and descendants of the Withers family. Following the unveiling, the group proceeded to the Eltham Shire Office for afternoon tea and a small exhibition of Withers' paintings arranged by Andrew Mackenzie. The unveiling was performed by Mary Owen, a grand-daughter of Walter Withers. Her speech provided an interesting personal perspective on Withers and is repeated in full here: I feel somewhat overwhelmed by the responsibility of paying tribute to the man you have all come to honour today. I have the feeling that most of you probably know more about him and his work than I do. Walter Withers died nearly seven years before I was born and so I never knew him. Sadly, although other members of his family inherited some of his talent, I was not among them and I know very little about art. This is doubly hard to bear because my husband had some ability to draw and my second daughter also has some talent in this direction. My children are all artistic - mostly in the field of music inherited partly from their father - a Welshman who sang like a Welshman - and partly from my grandmother, Fanny Withers who, I believe was no mean pianist. However all this talent gave me a miss and for many years I felt a complete ignoramus in the fields of the arts. It was not until I was nearly fifty years old that I walked into a gallery in Brisbane and, as I wandered around the room, suddenly one picture leapt at me and I knew instantly that it had been painted by my grandfather. I had never seen the picture before and it gave me quite a shock to find that I had recognized the style of painting. I realized then that I had absorbed more than I realized simply by living with pictures and with people who painted them and talked about their painting and the painting of others. When I was a child I sometimes spent school holidays with my Aunt Margery Withers and her husband, Richard McCann. Aunt Marge painted me several times but I'm afraid I was a restless subject and used to sit reading a book and look up grudgingly when she wanted to paint my eyes. During the September holidays my aunt and uncle were busy preparing paintings far the annual exhibition of the Melbourne Twenty Painters, to which they both belonged. I remember how important I used to feel when they took me along to the Athenaeum Gallery on the Friday night before the opening to help hang their pictures. There were many artists there but the two I remember are perhaps surprisingly both women: Miss Bale and Miss Tweddle. I remember how cold it used to be up in that gallery at night. They used to heat water on a gas ring to make tea and Aunt Marge used to bring sandwiches and fruit for our evening meal. Everyone seemed to be poor in those days and no-one dreamed of going out for a meal. It was a case of make-do - even to cutting down frames to fit pictures or cutting pictures to fit the frames. They had to use the same frames from year to year if the pictures didn't sell. The opening was an exciting event for me. I felt I was privileged to meet important people - people who knew a lot more than I - and Uncle Dick would get quite merry after a couple of the tiny sweet sherries which were always distributed. I realise now that quite a lot of "art talk" rubbed off on me during my visits to the Athenaeum and during my stays with my aunt and uncle. I suspect that much of our most useful learning comes this way and those of us who have had the privilege of associating with artists, writers, philosophers and other thinkers have a richness in our lives of which we may be unaware. Walter Withers was a prolific painter and, although he painted for love of it, I suspect that the need to provide for his family drove him, like Mozart, to greater efforts than he might otherwise have achieved. Reading old letters and articles about the Heidelberg artists, I have come to realize something of the constant strain placed on many of them - particularly Withers and McCubbin - by poverty and the need to make ends meet. Withers was ever conscious of the need to provide for his wife and his five children and there are touching letters to his wife, regretting that he was not able to earn more for them. In addition to his painting, he worked hard at teaching and illustrating and, as he grew older, the strain began to tell and his health deteriorated. He seems never to have had a very strong constitution and suffered from rheumatism, which must have made painting quite painful at times. His eldest daughter, Gladys, was eventually confined to a wheelchair with rheumatoid arthritis and I have a tendency to arthritis myself, so I am particularly aware of what this could have meant to him. Recently I found a short letter written by my mother to her mother, Fanny Withers on the anniversary of her father's birthday in 1919, in which she said: "Poor old Dad, I often think now what a lot he must have suffered. His life was too hard and too strenuous for him. He had too many chick-a-biddies, I think. He wasn't equal to so much town life and train journeys with so many delicacies as he had. Since I have been ill, I have realised what he must have felt like.” He certainly drove himself to produce. He travelled all over Victoria by train, buggy, bicycle and on foot and for a time he travelled from Eltham to Melbourne every day by train, although later he lived in Melbourne during the week and only returned to Eltham for the weekends. My mother died seven years after her father's death, when my twin sisters were 10 days old and I was 16 months. So I never knew my mother or my grandfather. But my two aunts, Gladys and Margery, sometimes took me to stay with Gan Withers at Southernwood in Bolton Street . No cars in those days and it seemed a very long hot and dusty walk from the Station. Three memories remain with me of Southernwood. One is the well at the back which I found quite terrifying; the second is Gan killing a snake - even more terrifying. She was a formidable woman, my grandmother and a great ally and support to her husband. I think she was the business end of the partnership. The third memory of Southernwood is my grandfather's studio – down what seemed like a toy staircase inside the room. This and the big walk-in fireplace stayed in my mind from the age of about six until I saw them again about forty years later when the house was being used as a Sunday School. I just wish that money could be found to purchase this old house for the City of Eltham so that a permanent museum could be established in memory of a man who did so much to put Eltham on the map of art history. Recently I have become interested in family history and spent some time in England, Ireland and Wales looking for traces of my ancestors. I realized then how important it is to have records of people who have contributed to our society. We forget so soon and it is amazing how often, within two generations, names, dates and many details are forgotten. We are fortunate that so many of Walter Withers' works have been bought by galleries and that people like Andrew Mackenzie have taken the trouble to search out people who knew him and to write about him and his work. And I am very grateful to the Historical Society of Eltham for recognizing the importance of having a permanent tribute in Eltham to the contribution made by Walter Withers, who loved Eltham so much and who has assured this lovely district a place in the annals of history. I am indebted to Kathleen Mangan; the daughter of another famous Australian painter , Fred McCubbin, - featured in The Age this morning (thanks again to Andrew Mackenzie) for the most apt tribute to Walter Withers. Kathleen is not well and she rang me a couple of days ago, regretting that she could not be present today “to pay tribute” as she said, “to Walter Withers for I always think Walter Withers is the spirit of Eltham.” Thank you, Kathleen. And now I have much pleasure in unveiling the plaque commissioned by the Eltham Historical Society from Bob McLellan of Charmac Industries to commemorate the life and work of Walter Withers, the spirit of Eltham. Mary Owen, 13 October 1990.Two colour photographswalter withers rock, walter withers reserve, mary owen -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Document - Folder, Wellers of Kangaroo Ground, 1984-2017
Wellers of Kangaroo Ground Vertical File Contents: 1. Article: History of Wellers Restaurant by Sandra Cahir, revised 2017. 7 pages 2. Article: Weller’s Hotel of Kangaroo Ground (final draft) by Jim Allan, 1 June 2017, including feedback email from Sandra Cahir (7 May 2017). 3. Printout of online image - Kangaroo Ground landholders from 1841, Kangaroo Ground Presbyterian Church. (2022, June 29). Retrieved from https://kgpc.pcvic.org.au/images/history_images/Kangaroo-Ground-landholders.jpg 4. Folder of printouts of historical newspaper articles referencing the hotel 1866-1911 https://trove.nla.gov.au/list/163201 5. Printouts (various versions) from Victorian Heritage Database (National Trust and Nillumbik Shire) https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/ 6. Collection of research notes, copies of records from various publications including EDHS Chronology of Events and Kangaroo Ground: The Highland Taken by Mick Woiwod, pp90, 180-181 (EDHS_01618). 7. Report: Request for ministerial amendment to use the property as a restaurant, includes existing conditions and plan for development, 1 November 1984 8. Papers donated by Diana and Peter Bassett-Smith including: a. Photocopy of Weller’s Hotel, Licensee M. Weller b. Letter: Shire of Eltham to Office of the Secretary for Planning and Environment, 23 Feb 1984 - Information regarding inclusion of Wellers Hotel into the Historic Buildings Register c. Letter: Historic Buildings Council letter to Peter Bassett-Smith seeking historical information on Wellers Hotel, 10 Jan 1985 d. Memo: Peter Bassett-Smith to Robert N. Hendrey on history of Wellers Hotel, 28 Jan 1985 - Includes extract of information about Mary Weller, Dept. of Crown Lands and Survey Map NILLUMBIK showing properties of John Weller and E. Weller and a Diamond Valley News article from 10 April 1973, p11, "Eltham on old coach route" 9. Information about the Weller family including family trees from various sources a. Edward Weller, Pioneer Families in Victoria, http://mepnab.netau.net/w/w09.html, 1 Jan 2017 (link broken) b. The WELLER family tree. (2017, January 1), 2 pages. Retrieved from https://www.weller.org.uk/cgi-bin/FamilyTree/ShowFamily.pl? and 27 pages Retrieved from https://www.weller.org.uk/cgi-bin/FamilyTree/ShowFamily.pl?ListAllPeople=A c. Edward WELLER on the WELLER family tree. (2017, January 1), 1 page. Retrieved from https://www.weller.org.uk/cgi-bin/FamilyTree/ShowFamily.pl?PersonID=516 d. Photograph (print copy), believed to be Edward Weller, 1836-1883 e. Photograph (print copy), Gravestone of Weller family at Kangaroo Cemetery f. Wellers of Kangaroo Ground, 1 page, possibly from History, http://www.wellers.com.au (broken) c.2016 g. Edward and Mary Weller miscellaneous biographical research notes (by Jim Allen?) including from Ancestry.com, and extracts from Chappel file (EDHS_04448) with relevant names highlighted h. Information about the Vernon Pitman family from Ancestry.com 10. Newspaper articles: a. Cobb & Co called here by Marguerite Marshall; Diamond Valley News, May 4, 1982, p2 b. Rich is history, 30 August 1983 (very similar to previous article) c. Weller’s Pub - restaurant, craft store or art gallery? Diamond Valley News, October 22, 1985, p3 d. Despite years of neglect a magical charm lies waiting, Diamond Valley News, October 29, 1985 e. Old pub fate still in doubt, Diamond Valley News, (?) 29 October 1985 f. Renovated Weller’s Pub to begin its new stage of life, DVN 26 January 1988 g. Wellers Restaurant, Lynne Hillier, Network, October 1988, p14 h. Revolution at Wellers, Nillumbik Mail, December 20, 2000 i. Wellers brings on good times, Valley Weekly, June 22, 2005 j. Dine in with ideal outlook, Valley News, 10 August 2005 k. Advertisement: Wellers of Kangaroo Ground, Enjoy lunch, afternoon tea and dinner at Wellers from Tuesday to Sunday, Valley Weekly, Wednesday, August 31, 2005 l. Advertisement: Wellers of Kangaroo Ground, Appearing live; Normie Rowe Fri 24 Feb, Diamond Valley Leader February 22, 2006, p11 m. Advertisement: Wellers of Kangaroo Ground, Lunch Special, Diamond Valley Leader March 27, 2010 n. Braithwaite abounds to Kangaroo Ground, Gig Guide, The Age, Friday, October 8, 2010, p14 o. History up for grabs, Diamond Valley Leader, March 28, 2012 p. Advertisement: Wellers Restaurant, Freehold only for sale, Morrison Kleeman, Diamond Valley Leader, March 28, 2012 q. Restaurant’s crash course, Megan Bailey, Diamond Valley Leader, January 1, 2014, p3. Also accessible online - Staff praised after car crashes through Kangaroo Ground eatery. (2022, June 29). Retrieved from https://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/north/staff-praised-after-car-crashes-through-kangaroo-ground-eatery/news-story/021c896a1ab6d76bd6b73f2e57dc1854 r. Eatery set for revival, Brittany Shanahan, Diamond Valley Leader 15 February 2017; Also, online as Much-loved Wellers of Kangaroo Ground to be relaunched as Italian restaurant Fondata 1872. (2022, June 29). Retrieved from https://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/north/muchloved-wellers-in-kangaroo-ground-to-be-relaunched-as-italian-restaurant-fondata-1872/news-story/665777fb347584ef483867ae2b536a8f s. Fondata 1872 proves a big hit with food, Diamond Valley Leader 3 May 2017, p3 11. Wellers of Kangaroo Restaurant Bar Entertainment Functions, tri-fold brochure promotional brochure 12. Website Printout: Wellers Restaurant, Live Guide, (2017, January 5). Retrieved from http://www.liveguide.com.au/Restaurants_Bars/VIC/Kangaroo_Ground/Food_Styles/3... 13. Website Printout: Wellers of Kangaroo Ground, Only Melbourne (2017, January 30). Retrieved from http://www.onlymelbourne.com.au/wellers-of-kangaroo-ground 14. Printouts from Fondata 1872 website and Facebook page including colour photograph of sign in front and business card (2017). Related EDHS Collection items • Wellers Hotel of Kangaroo Ground by Jim Allen, Part 1, Newsletter No. 235, Eltham District Historical Society, August 2017. Retrieved from https://elthamhistory.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/edhs-nl-235-aug-2017.pdf • Wellers Hotel of Kangaroo Ground by Jim Allen, Part 2, Newsletter No. 236, Eltham District Historical Society, October 2017. Retrieved from https://elthamhistory.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/edhs-nl-236-oct-2017.pdf • EDHS_03997 - Slide, Wellers Hotel, Pitmans Corner, Eltham-Yarra Glen Road, Kangaroo Ground, c.1975 https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/5e59e36221ea671798ac40eb • EDHS_03998 - Slide, Wellers Hotel, Pitmans Corner, Eltham-Yarra Glen Road, Kangaroo Ground, c.1975 https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/5e59e39e21ea671798ac9c27 • EDHS_03999 - Slide, Wellers Hotel, Pitmans Corner, Eltham-Yarra Glen Road, Kangaroo Ground, c.1975 https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/5e59e3c721ea671798acd2ef • EDHS_04000 - Slide, Wellers Hotel, Pitmans Corner, Eltham-Yarra Glen Road, Kangaroo Ground, c.1975 https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/5e59e3e021ea671798acfd68 • EDHS_04066-18 - Photograph, Wellers Restaurant, Eltham-Yarra Glen Road, Kangaroo Ground, c.Mar. 1989 https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/610f4dafa346aadcee7ac79c • EDHS_04041-26 - Photograph, Wellers Restaurant, 150 Eltham-Yarra Glen Road, Kangaroo Ground, c.May 1988 https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/610e2f4a7d65e7c945a35e69 • EDHS_04437 – Newsclipping, Renovated Weller's Pub to begin its new stage of life by Linley Hartley, Diamond Valley News, 26 January 1988 https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/5de4913921ea6710a46a85c7 • EDHS_04438 - Newsclipping, Wellers Restaurant by Lynne Hillier, Network, October 1988, p14 https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/5de4916f21ea6710a46aea0f • ArtStreams magazine (from Volume 9, 2004) ‘partnered' with Wellers in promoting and supporting the arts and culture. Various advertisements throughout, particular with live performance acts. Numerous references throughout to art and music performances on site. • Stephen Cummings and Joe Camilleri at Wellers Kangaroo Ground, ArtStreams, Vol. 9, No. 4, Sep/Oct 2004, p17 EDHS_04406 - Journal, ArtStreams: Whittlesea, Banyule, Darebin, Manningham, Nillumbik, Yarra; Vol. 9, No. 4, Sep-Oct 2004 https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/5bcc086021ea6804a82a92a9 • Daryl Braithwaite rocks up at Wellers, Fiona Sievers, ArtStreams, Vol.10 No.2, 2005, pp6-7 EDHS_04409 - Journal, ArtStreams: Vol. 10, No. 2, 2005 https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/60f5416ab06f0c13a9419541 • Ephemeral Sculpture by Peter Dougherty, ArtStreams, Vol.10 No.3, 2005, pp7-9. About sculptures created in or on the grounds of culinary establishments throughout the Shire. - Denise Keele-Bedford constructed ‘Ou Well’ at Wellers Restaurant and Vicky Shukuroglou, also at Wellers set up cotton banners printed and painted with natural dyes from onion skins, spinach, radish beetroot, turmeric and charcoal. EDHS_04410 - Journal, ArtStreams: Vol. 10, No. 3, 2005 https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/60f5436db06f0c13a941ae19 • Music at Wellers Restaurant, ArtStreams, Vol.10 No.4, 2005, p23 EDHS_04411 - Journal, ArtStreams: Vol. 10, No. 4, 2005 https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/60f543e4b06f0c13a941b059 • Weller’s Pub, Diamond Valley sketchbook / text by Brian McKinlay ; drawings by Graham Hawley, 1973, pp42-43 EDHS_00856 - https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/590852edd0ce7b14e8177da3 • Gold Field Coaches Stopped Here, Nillumbik now and then / Marguerite Marshall; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall, 2008, pp86-87 EDHS_00977 - https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/5935f315d0cdd42c80f9cc52 External Links: • Historic Kangaroo Ground venue comes up for rare sale. (2022, June 29). Retrieved from https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/historic-kangaroo-ground-venue-comes-up-for-rare-sale-20120325-1vshw.html • Wellers, Kangaroo Ground property sold with leaseback. (2022, June 29). Retrieved from https://www.urban.com.au/expert-insights/investing/37735-wellers-kangaroo-ground-property-sold-with-leaseback • Wellers, Kangaroo Ground | With Mark Seymour, at one of his …. (2022, June 29). Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/robertmilesdesign/4564390893/ • 2016 Notice of proposed deregistration - WELLERS OF KANGAROO GROUND PTY LTD 124 435 409. (2022, June 29). Retrieved from https://publishednotices.asic.gov.au/browsesearch-notices/notice-details/WELLERS-OF-KANGAROO-GROUND-PTY-LTD-124435409/35d43b89-159a-4435-963f-daec688a61ca • Search results for: Websites (archived). (2022, June 29). Retrieved from https://trove.nla.gov.au/search/category/websites?keyword=%22wellers%20restaurant%22 29 June 2022 edward weller, wellers of kangaroo ground, wellers hotel, wellers restaurant, mary weller, pittmans corner, fondata 1812 at wellers, historic buildings register, hotels, john weller, kangaroo ground, pitman's corner, bassett-smith collection -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Newspaper - News Clipping, Herald, The big Eltham clean-up gets under way, Herald, 4 March, p3, 1965
Full page newspaper clipping featuring the March 1965 Victorian bushfires. Items include: Photograph - TWO-WOMAN BUCKET BRIGADE, Mrs Henry Marsden (left) and Mrs Moureen Ellis, whose fire-fighting efforts yesterday were highly praised today by their Eltham neighbours, carry out mopping-up operations Photograph - DOGS MADE HOMELESS by the fire in North Eltham yesterday are being cared for at First-Constable Doug. Mummery's kennels at Eltham and here is kennel maid Helen Oliver, 17, with some of them today. The two basset hounds are owned by Mr Bill Guy who lost about 100 daschund and basset hound puppies and dogs in the fire. Photograph - He died at Eltham [Picture of John Lawrence Coleman] Builder Mr John Lawrence Coleman, 31, of Main Rd., Eltham, one of three men burnt to death yesterday in the fire at North Eltham. The other two were XXXXX, 33 who lives opposite the Colemans and Mr William Elwers, 64 of Batman Rd., Eltham. John Lawrence Coleman (1934-1965) born January 10, was the son of Raymond John Coleman and Hanna May (Gillet) Coleman. He married Margaret Frances Dare in 1955 and was the father of two children. He died whilst attempting to rescue an older man trapped in the bushfire at North Eltham on March 3, 1965 Other news stories of the day: Bushfires rage in Victoria, Snowy: Three dead (1965, March 4). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 1. Retrieved May 19, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article131758981 Includes two photos of the fire in North Eltham “Firemen make for safety as fire rages in Upper Glen Park Road, North Eltham, Victoria. The smoke hides a house.” and “A house explodes into flames at North Eltham, Victoria. Firemen said bottled gas went up.” Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Thursday 4 March 1965, page 1 ________________________________________ Firemen make for safety as fire rages in Upper Glen Park Road. North Eltham. Victoria. The smoke hides a house. A house explodes into flames at North Eltham. Victoria. Firemen said bottled gas went up. Bushfires rage in Victoria, Snowy: Three dead MELBOURNE, Wednesday.—Three people died today in a bush» fire which raged through North Eltham, about 15 miles from Melbourne. The victims were three men. A fourth man is feared to be dead. Another bushfire. sparked off by the heatwave sizzling over south-eastern Australia, is burning out of control in the Kosciusko State Park, in the Snowy Mountains. Firefighters fear that if it reaches pine forests up the Yarrangobilly River, they will be powerless to stop it. The three victims of the North Eltbam fire were trapped by flames in a valley. Their bodies were found only a few yards apart. They were named by police tonight as Mr. George Crowe, 78, of North Eltham, William John Ewers, 64, and John Laurence Coleman, 31, both of Eltham. The other two have not been identified. They are believed to be a man aged about 40 and an 18-year-old youth. At least 12 homes were destroyed by the fire, the worst in Victoria since 1962, when eight lives were lost and hundreds of homes burnt down at Warrandyte. At one time the township of Eltham was threatened, but a cool change swept in from the south and held back the wall of flames. More than 100 dogs, worth about £4,000, died when the fire raced through two kennels in Short Street, Eltham. and Upper Glen Park Road, North Eltham. A trickle of water Residents ran into the streets as the blaze raced towards their houses. Others frantically dug firebreaks around their homes. Mrs. Sue Recourt wept when firemen arrived while she was vainly trying to stop the flames with a trickle of water from the garden hose. A stack of firewood was blazing, but the firemen managed to save the house and rescue four goats. Many homes in Eltham were saved after flames had crept to within feet of their fences. Students at North Eltham State School had to be evacuated when the blaze threatened the building. Fire fighters were severely hampered by lack of water and narrow roads. The blaze, which began in above century heat, turned toward Wattle Glen, where two houses were gutted. Then the flames raced towards Hurstbridge to the north. Firemen battling desperately, controlled the fire late this afternoon. Five forest fires were still burning in Victoria tonight. IN VICTORIA THIS WEEK Tragic lack of central fire authority (1965, March 9). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 2. Retrieved May 19, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article131759928 Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Tuesday 9 March 1965, page 2 ________________________________________ IN VICTORIA THIS WEEK Tragic lack of central fire authority From Rohan Rivett It was the worst week for Victorian fire fighters since Black Friday 27 years ago. On that day one pilot up in a spotter plane said afterwards: "It seemed at times that half the State was on fire." This time, for three days on end, Gippsland men, women and children had moments of conviction that their towns would have blackened into anonymity before the weekend was out. The week began with horror at Eltham on the North-eastern edge of Melbourne. Eltham today is something of an artists' colony. Oil painters, water colourists, potters and sculptors proliferate. A number of University folk have emulated the example of Professor MacMahon Ball who pioneered the way by moving to Eltham and carving a home out of the bush in the thirties. Innermost Eltham is barely 14 miles from the G.P.O. Farthest Eltham stretches miles beyond. It served to illustrate the tragi-ludicrous truncation of Victoria's fire control. Part of Eltham is under the protection of the Melbourne Fire Brigade. But this responsibility ceases at some invisible and incomprehensible line — apparently determined by the meanderings of the water mains. At this point everybody's property throughout the rest of Eltham is dependent on the Country Fire Authority. Half an hour before midday on Wednesday, a fire suddenly started on the West side of Upper Glen road on the edge of Eltham. Before the fire brigade could arrive, it was burning on a widening front through timber and high grass north of Eltham. Two wind changes in rapid succession saw the fire leaping Diamond Creek. With a freshening wind it struck home after home in three streets. More than one of them exploded suddenly as if hit by an incendiary bomb. There is no piped gas in the Eltham area, hence many housewives use bottle gas. The flames outside caused the bottles to explode. Altogether twelve homes were completely incinerated and four more were badly damaged. Thirty prize dogs perished. About three hours after the fire started it raced suddenly down a gully hillside trapping an elderly man. Two other men apparently raced to the rescue. Flames caught the three men within yards of each other, not 200 yards off the Upper Glen Park Road where safety lay. They were burned to death. Next evening an angry and convincing secretary of the Fire Brigade Union, Mr. W. M. Webber, came on television and appealed to the people of Victoria to end the ridiculous and dangerous dualism in fire-fighting control. The Eltham fire, he said, had precisely illustrated the situation. The Metropolitan Fire Brigade area touched Eltham, but where the fire had gutted and killed, was just outside its area. Mr. Webber said his union had constantly urged one authority for the State with a complete reorganisation of fire protection. On Wednesday the union had repeated its call for an inquiry into fire protection in Victoria to the Chief Secretary, Mr Rylah. "No matter how close the liaison between the two organisations, there are always divided sections of thinking," Mr. Webber told viewers. "I don't know how much tragedy the com-munity can take before it demands that it is properly protected." Rumours that differences in gauge between taps and hose nozzles (as between the two authorities) accentuated the damage were denied by fire chiefs who said that all appliances were now carrying adaptors so that hoses could be linked to mains everywhere. But there is grave concern in the Metropolitan Fire Brigade's higher councils at the action of several Federal authorities with projects in and around Melbourne. They are installing non-standard equipment without reference to the State authorities or any dovetailing of appliances and equipment. Public alarm was not diminished by the publication on Friday and Saturday of a heart tearing letter from the young widow of John Lawrence Coleman, 31 year old father of two, who had died in the flames apparently trying to rescue the old man trapped in the gully. By that time, a Vast area of Gippsland was in flames and the troops had been sent in to back up the overworked and often helpless fire-fighters. By Saturday, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Stoneham, who has previously demanded a Royal Commission into fire-fighting arrangements, repeated his demand. To add to the Chief Secretary's worries he was publicly rebuked for allegedly implying on television that lives had been lost at Eltham because people went to the wrong place at the wrong time. In a letter to the Press, Professor MacMahon Ball pointed out that two of the men involved were experienced bushmen who had gone "to help an old man in great danger fully aware of the danger to themselves". As Victoria faced its sixth day of total State-wide fire ban, it looked likely that even official resistance was not going to silence the demand for one central authority to control the fire fiend. At the moment, the 400 square miles where two million Victorians live in Greater Melbourne are divorced from the rest of the State in planning, communications, equipment and control of personnel. No one doubts the whole-hearted co-operation and willingness to back each other up of the M.F.B. and the C.F.A., both at top-level and among the firemen themselves. However, when a city straggles so deeply into the country side, the absence of a single authority, to oversee and analyse the fire threat as a whole, suggests suicidal policy of divide and fuel. Emphasis of the tragic loss of a member of a pioneering family who died whilst helping others in his communitybushfire, cfa, country fire authority, fire brigrade, glen park road, heroes, john lawrence coleman, north eltham, victorian bushfires - 1965, volunteers, william john elwers, fire fighter, frank martin, george john crowe, ken gaston, orchard avenue, doug mummery, helen oliver, mrs henry marsden, mrs moureen ellis -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Newspaper - News Clipping, Herald, He died at Eltham. Herald, March 4, p3, 4 Mar 1965
John Lawrence Coleman (1934-1965) born January 10, was the son of Raymond John Coleman and Hanna May (Gillet) Coleman. He married Margaret Frances Dare in 1955 and was the father of two children. He died whilst attempting to rescue an older man trapped in the bushfire at North Eltham on March 3, 1965 He died at Eltham (Herald, 4 March 1965, p3) [Picture of John Lawrence Coleman] Builder Mr John Lawrence Coleman, 31, of Main Rd., Eltham, one of three men burnt to death yesterday in the fire at North Eltham. The other two were XXXXX, 33 who lives opposite the Colemans and Mr William Elwers, 64 of Batman Rd., Eltham. * * * Frank Martin was a volunteer with the Eltham rural fire brigade at the time of the 1965 bushfires which burnt Eltham North and Research. Frank was asked to assist with the removal of three bodies from the back gully (now Orchard Avenue). They were badly burnt and one was found stuck under a fence as though trying to escape. Volunteers John Coleman Jnr, William Elwers and George Crowe were killed trying to protect Eltham from bushfire – they were local heroes. At the time, John Coleman Jnr was survived by his wife Margaret and two young children – John 11 and Vicky 2. Margaret Coleman lived in the family home until 1992 when she sold it and moved to Tasmania to be close to her son. She died in 1997 aged 65 years. 75 yr old Ken Gaston grew up on Edendale farm, which was originally a poultry farm but is now owned and run by the Shire of Nillumbik as an educational farm for schools and visitors. He was Captain of the Eltham rural fire brigade in 1965 when John Coleman Jnr was burnt to death in the Eltham North bushfires serving as an unofficial volunteer. He was able to draw where the original Wattletree Road was and at the time was verified with the location of some remaining bitumen and a post from the original bridge over the Diamond Creek located near the junction of the Diamond Creek and another small creek which is further down from Research or Christmas Creek as locals refer to it. The original Main Road ran behind Colemans before the railway line was built beyond Eltham in 1912. (Information recorded by Harry Gilham, President EDHS c.2011) * * * Bushfires rage in Victoria, Snowy: Three dead (1965, March 4). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 1. Retrieved May 19, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article131758981 Includes two photos of the fire in North Eltham “Firemen make for safety as fire rages in Upper Glen Park Road, North Eltham, Victoria. The smoke hides a house.” and “A house explodes into flames at North Eltham, Victoria. Firemen said bottled gas went up.” Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Thursday 4 March 1965, page 1 ________________________________________ Firemen make for safety as fire rages in Upper Glen Park Road. North Eltham. Victoria. The smoke hides a house. A house explodes into flames at North Eltham. Victoria. Firemen said bottled gas went up. Bushfires rage in Victoria, Snowy: Three dead MELBOURNE, Wednesday.—Three people died today in a bush» fire which raged through North Eltham, about 15 miles from Melbourne. The victims were three men. A fourth man is feared to be dead. Another bushfire. sparked off by the heatwave sizzling over south-eastern Australia, is burning out of control in the Kosciusko State Park, in the Snowy Mountains. Firefighters fear that if it reaches pine forests up the Yarrangobilly River, they will be powerless to stop it. The three victims of the North Eltbam fire were trapped by flames in a valley. Their bodies were found only a few yards apart. They were named by police tonight as Mr. George Crowe, 78, of North Eltham, William John Ewers, 64, and John Laurence Coleman, 31, both of Eltham. The other two have not been identified. They are believed to be a man aged about 40 and an 18-year-old youth. At least 12 homes were destroyed by the fire, the worst in Victoria since 1962, when eight lives were lost and hundreds of homes burnt down at Warrandyte. At one time the township of Eltham was threatened, but a cool change swept in from the south and held back the wall of flames. More than 100 dogs, worth about £4,000, died when the fire raced through two kennels in Short Street, Eltham. and Upper Glen Park Road, North Eltham. A trickle of water Residents ran into the streets as the blaze raced towards their houses. Others frantically dug firebreaks around their homes. Mrs. Sue Recourt wept when firemen arrived while she was vainly trying to stop the flames with a trickle of water from the garden hose. A stack of firewood was blazing, but the firemen managed to save the house and rescue four goats. Many homes in Eltham were saved after flames had crept to within feet of their fences. Students at North Eltham State School had to be evacuated when the blaze threatened the building. Fire fighters were severely hampered by lack of water and narrow roads. The blaze, which began in above century heat, turned toward Wattle Glen, where two houses were gutted. Then the flames raced towards Hurstbridge to the north. Firemen battling desperately, controlled the fire late this afternoon. Five forest fires were still burning in Victoria tonight. IN VICTORIA THIS WEEK Tragic lack of central fire authority (1965, March 9). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 2. Retrieved May 19, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article131759928 Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Tuesday 9 March 1965, page 2 ________________________________________ IN VICTORIA THIS WEEK Tragic lack of central fire authority From Rohan Rivett It was the worst week for Victorian fire fighters since Black Friday 27 years ago. On that day one pilot up in a spotter plane said afterwards: "It seemed at times that half the State was on fire." This time, for three days on end, Gippsland men, women and children had moments of conviction that their towns would have blackened into anonymity before the weekend was out. The week began with horror at Eltham on the North-eastern edge of Melbourne. Eltham today is something of an artists' colony. Oil painters, water colourists, potters and sculptors proliferate. A number of University folk have emulated the example of Professor MacMahon Ball who pioneered the way by moving to Eltham and carving a home out of the bush in the thirties. Innermost Eltham is barely 14 miles from the G.P.O. Farthest Eltham stretches miles beyond. It served to illustrate the tragi-ludicrous truncation of Victoria's fire control. Part of Eltham is under the protection of the Melbourne Fire Brigade. But this responsibility ceases at some invisible and incomprehensible line — apparently determined by the meanderings of the water mains. At this point everybody's property throughout the rest of Eltham is dependent on the Country Fire Authority. Half an hour before midday on Wednesday, a fire suddenly started on the West side of Upper Glen road on the edge of Eltham. Before the fire brigade could arrive, it was burning on a widening front through timber and high grass north of Eltham. Two wind changes in rapid succession saw the fire leaping Diamond Creek. With a freshening wind it struck home after home in three streets. More than one of them exploded suddenly as if hit by an incendiary bomb. There is no piped gas in the Eltham area, hence many housewives use bottle gas. The flames outside caused the bottles to explode. Altogether twelve homes were completely incinerated and four more were badly damaged. Thirty prize dogs perished. About three hours after the fire started it raced suddenly down a gully hillside trapping an elderly man. Two other men apparently raced to the rescue. Flames caught the three men within yards of each other, not 200 yards off the Upper Glen Park Road where safety lay. They were burned to death. Next evening an angry and convincing secretary of the Fire Brigade Union, Mr. W. M. Webber, came on television and appealed to the people of Victoria to end the ridiculous and dangerous dualism in fire-fighting control. The Eltham fire, he said, had precisely illustrated the situation. The Metropolitan Fire Brigade area touched Eltham, but where the fire had gutted and killed, was just outside its area. Mr. Webber said his union had constantly urged one authority for the State with a complete reorganisation of fire protection. On Wednesday the union had repeated its call for an inquiry into fire protection in Victoria to the Chief Secretary, Mr Rylah. "No matter how close the liaison between the two organisations, there are always divided sections of thinking," Mr. Webber told viewers. "I don't know how much tragedy the com-munity can take before it demands that it is properly protected." Rumours that differences in gauge between taps and hose nozzles (as between the two authorities) accentuated the damage were denied by fire chiefs who said that all appliances were now carrying adaptors so that hoses could be linked to mains everywhere. But there is grave concern in the Metropolitan Fire Brigade's higher councils at the action of several Federal authorities with projects in and around Melbourne. They are installing non-standard equipment without reference to the State authorities or any dovetailing of appliances and equipment. Public alarm was not diminished by the publication on Friday and Saturday of a heart tearing letter from the young widow of John Lawrence Coleman, 31 year old father of two, who had died in the flames apparently trying to rescue the old man trapped in the gully. By that time, a Vast area of Gippsland was in flames and the troops had been sent in to back up the overworked and often helpless fire-fighters. By Saturday, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Stoneham, who has previously demanded a Royal Commission into fire-fighting arrangements, repeated his demand. To add to the Chief Secretary's worries he was publicly rebuked for allegedly implying on television that lives had been lost at Eltham because people went to the wrong place at the wrong time. In a letter to the Press, Professor MacMahon Ball pointed out that two of the men involved were experienced bushmen who had gone "to help an old man in great danger fully aware of the danger to themselves". As Victoria faced its sixth day of total State-wide fire ban, it looked likely that even official resistance was not going to silence the demand for one central authority to control the fire fiend. At the moment, the 400 square miles where two million Victorians live in Greater Melbourne are divorced from the rest of the State in planning, communications, equipment and control of personnel. No one doubts the whole-hearted co-operation and willingness to back each other up of the M.F.B. and the C.F.A., both at top-level and among the firemen themselves. However, when a city straggles so deeply into the country side, the absence of a single authority, to oversee and analyse the fire threat as a whole, suggests suicidal policy of divide and fuel. Emphasis of the tragic loss of a member of a pioneering family who died whilst helping others in his communitybushfire, cfa, country fire authority, fire brigrade, glen park road, heroes, john lawrence coleman, north eltham, victorian bushfires - 1965, volunteers, william john elwers, fire fighter, frank martin, george john crowe, ken gaston, orchard avenue -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Negative - Glass Plate Negative - Afternoon Tea, Portland, 1890-1910
Glass plate negative. Three ladies seated at a table, 'taking tea'. Wall covered with creeper in background. Dress late 19th, early 20th Century.tea, recreation, ladies, women -
Ringwood and District Historical Society
Programme - Presentation Afternoon, 1963, Norwood High School, Ringwood, Victoria
Held at Ringwood Town Hall 11th December, 1963 -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Photograph - RAILWAYS COLLECTION: COLOUR PHOTO OF ELPHINSTONE TUNNEL
RAILWAYS COLLECTION 2 x -Colour Photos of Elphinstone Tunnel (this photo was used by Jim Evans in his booklet -Melbourne to Bendigo Railway 1862-2012 and quotes the Photographer as Geoffrey Russell). The photo is printed on quality paper showing an entrance to the tunnel which is in fair condition with bricks and stone on the face and has two train tracks running through.Geoffrey Russellphotograph, landscape, elphinstone tunnel long rail laid bendigo, wednesday.—one of the most unusual operations undertaken by the victorian railways took place on the bendigo-melbourne line at the elphinstone tunnel this afternoon, when two rails, each 1, 710ft. in length, were placed in posi- tion in the tunnel. these rails were the longest ever laid in victoria, the previous greatest length being 225ft. the tunnel, which is 1, 254ft. in length, is the longest in the state, and forms an historic link with the early railways of victoria, being constructed in 1862, three years after the first train ran in australia. the object of the work is to improve the track for the fast train services and to reduce the cost of maintenance. by putting in a welded rail right through the tunnel the use of "fish plates" will be eliminated. for the new undertaking 110lb. rails are being used to replace the 80lb. rails at present in use. the rails, each weighing 30 tons, were made from 38 sets of rails of 45ft. each, the welding taking place on the site of the work. hauled by an x35 locomotive the long rail was placed in position 3½ minutes after the first pull. the work was carried out without any in- terruption to traffic. -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Vintage, Appeasing Hitler : Chamberlain, Churchill and the road to war, 2020
On a wet afternoon in September 1938, Neville Chamberlain stepped off an aeroplane and announced that his visit to Hitler had averted the greatest crisis in recent memory. It was, he later assured the crowd in Downing Street, 'peace for our time'. Less than a year later, Germany invaded Poland and the Second World War began. This is a vital new history of the disastrous years of indecision, failed diplomacy and parliamentary infighting that enabled Nazi domination of Europe. Drawing on previously unseen sources, it sweeps from the advent of Hitler in 1933 to the beaches of Dunkirk, and presents an unforgettable portrait of the ministers, aristocrats and amateur diplomats whose actions and inaction had devastating consequences.Index, bibliography, notes, ill, maps, p.497.non-fictionOn a wet afternoon in September 1938, Neville Chamberlain stepped off an aeroplane and announced that his visit to Hitler had averted the greatest crisis in recent memory. It was, he later assured the crowd in Downing Street, 'peace for our time'. Less than a year later, Germany invaded Poland and the Second World War began. This is a vital new history of the disastrous years of indecision, failed diplomacy and parliamentary infighting that enabled Nazi domination of Europe. Drawing on previously unseen sources, it sweeps from the advent of Hitler in 1933 to the beaches of Dunkirk, and presents an unforgettable portrait of the ministers, aristocrats and amateur diplomats whose actions and inaction had devastating consequences.great britain - politics and government - 1936-1945, great britain - diplomatic history -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Big Sky Publishing et al, Long Tan : the start of a lifelong battle, 2016
On the afternoon of 18 August 1966, just five kilometres from the main Australian Task Force base at Nui Dat, a group of Viet Cong soldiers walked into the right flank of Delta Company, 6 RAR. Under a blanket of mist and heavy monsoon rain, amid the mud and shattered rubber trees, a dispersed Company of 108 men held its ground with courage and grim determination against a three-sided attack from a force of 2,500 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army troops. When the battle subsided, 18 Australian soldiers lay dead and 24 had been wounded. Battlefield clearance revealed 245 enemy bodies with captured documents later confirming the count at over 500 enemy killed and 800 wounded. These men were led by a gruff and gusty perfectionist, Major Harry Smith. Now, some 47 years after the battle, Harry tells his story for the first time. But Long Tan is more than just an account of a historic battle. Harry Smith takes his readers on an extraordinary journey - one that ultimately reveals a remarkable cover-up at the highest military and political echelons. Long Tan is also Harry's life story and portrays his many personal battles, from failed marriages to commando-style killing; from a horrific parachute accident through to his modern-day struggles with bureaucracy for recognition for his soldiers. Harry's battles are tempered by his love of sailing, where he has at last found some peace. Long Tan portrays the wrenching, visceral experience of a man who has fought lifelong battles, in a story that he is only now able to tell. Harry can still hear the gunfire and smell the blood spilt at Long Tan. For him, the fight continues. Collapse summaryIll, maps, p.336.non-fictionOn the afternoon of 18 August 1966, just five kilometres from the main Australian Task Force base at Nui Dat, a group of Viet Cong soldiers walked into the right flank of Delta Company, 6 RAR. Under a blanket of mist and heavy monsoon rain, amid the mud and shattered rubber trees, a dispersed Company of 108 men held its ground with courage and grim determination against a three-sided attack from a force of 2,500 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army troops. When the battle subsided, 18 Australian soldiers lay dead and 24 had been wounded. Battlefield clearance revealed 245 enemy bodies with captured documents later confirming the count at over 500 enemy killed and 800 wounded. These men were led by a gruff and gusty perfectionist, Major Harry Smith. Now, some 47 years after the battle, Harry tells his story for the first time. But Long Tan is more than just an account of a historic battle. Harry Smith takes his readers on an extraordinary journey - one that ultimately reveals a remarkable cover-up at the highest military and political echelons. Long Tan is also Harry's life story and portrays his many personal battles, from failed marriages to commando-style killing; from a horrific parachute accident through to his modern-day struggles with bureaucracy for recognition for his soldiers. Harry's battles are tempered by his love of sailing, where he has at last found some peace. Long Tan portrays the wrenching, visceral experience of a man who has fought lifelong battles, in a story that he is only now able to tell. Harry can still hear the gunfire and smell the blood spilt at Long Tan. For him, the fight continues. Collapse summary vietnam conflict - australian involvement, vietnam war 1961-1975 – battles – long tan -
National Vietnam Veterans Museum (NVVM)
Book, McAulay, Lex, The Battle of Long Tan (softcover) (Copy 3)
It was the late afternoon of August 18th, 1966. for three hours, in the pouring rain, amid the mud and shattered trees of the Long Tan rubber plantation in Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam, a dispersed company of 100 Australians had been fighting for their lives, holding off a force of some 2500 Vietnamese.It was the late afternoon of August 18th, 1966. for three hours, in the pouring rain, amid the mud and shattered trees of the Long Tan rubber plantation in Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam, a dispersed company of 100 Australians had been fighting for their lives, holding off a force of some 2500 Vietnamese. long tan rubber plantation, battle of long tan, phuoc tuy province -
National Vietnam Veterans Museum (NVVM)
Book, McAulay, Lex, The Battle of Long Tan : The Legend Of ANZAC Upheld
It was the late afternoon of August 18th, 1966. for three hours, in the pouring rain, amid the mud and shattered trees of the Long Tan rubber plantation in Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam, a dispersed company of 100 Australians had been fighting for their lives, holding off a force of some 2500 Vietnamese.It was the late afternoon of August 18th, 1966. for three hours, in the pouring rain, amid the mud and shattered trees of the Long Tan rubber plantation in Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam, a dispersed company of 100 Australians had been fighting for their lives, holding off a force of some 2500 Vietnamese. long tan, vietnam, 1966, battle of long tan -
National Vietnam Veterans Museum (NVVM)
Book, Cameron, David W, The Battle of Long Tan: Australia's Four Hours of Hell in Vietnam, 2016
On the afternoon of 18august 1966, in a rubber plantation in Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam, Australian troops fought one of their bloodiest mist significant battles of the Vietnam War.On the afternoon of 18august 1966, in a rubber plantation in Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam, Australian troops fought one of their bloodiest mist significant battles of the Vietnam War. 1966 - anniversaries etc., 1961-1975 - participation - australian, vietnam war, 1961-1975 - campaigns, battle of long tan, phuoc tuy province -
Ruyton Girls' School
Literary work - Ruyton Prize Book, Geoffrey Cumberlege Oxford University Press, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, No date
This book contains a collection of literary works written by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet, and actor, widely esteemed as the foremost writer in the English language and the world's premier dramatist. Often hailed as England's national poet, his surviving works comprise around 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three lengthy narrative poems, and a handful of other verses, some of which are of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are staged more frequently than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare remains arguably the most influential figure in English literature, with his works persistently reinterpreted and reimagined. Ruyton Girls' School has a long tradition of awarding prizes to students at annual "Speech Night" events. Speech Night at Ruyton is an extraordinary occasion. It is a time when we gather to celebrate both the year just lived and the contribution of our Year 12 girls to the life of our School. It is a night of stirring student speeches, acknowledgement of student endeavour and excellence and awe-inspiring performances by School choirs and ensembles. The record has strong historic significance as it was awarded to a former notable student, Helen Gordon (maiden name Cole). Helen started at Little Ruyton in Prep 1940 and finished Year 12 in 1952 as School Captain, Bromby Captain, Form Captain for Matric, Tennis Captain, Hockey Captain, Swimming Vice Captain, and an award for Best All-Round Girl. She also played baseball for Victoria. After finishing school, Helen went on to graduate from the University of Melbourne as a physiotherapist in 1956. Her first position at age 19 involved setting up clinics with the Victorian Health Department Poliomyelitis Rural division. Helen’s strong ties to Ruyton continued when she held the position of President of the Old Ruytonians’ Association from the start of 1966 to the end of 1967. In 2019, Helen received an Order of Australia Medal for service to community health as a physiotherapist. She was also the recipient of the 2022 Victorian Senior Achiever Award at Parliament House. This historic significance is further enhanced by Ruyton's bygone "Shakespeare Night" tradition. A celebration of ‘culture’, and a chance to enjoy some ‘fun and games, cakes and ale’, were the motivation behind Ruyton’s annual Shakespeare Night party, led by longstanding Principal Miss Hilda Daniell. In her book, "The History of Ruyton 1878-1956", she describes how the yearly tradition began in 1915, just two years after she took over the role of Principal. That first Shakespeare Night, the senior girls and other guests gathered in the School’s chrysanthemum-filled dining room for music, games and supper. Such fun was had that the festivities became an annual event and was one of the coveted privileges of being one of Ruyton’s older girls. The Night was always held as close and possible to April 23rd, which is the date of William Shakespeare’s death, and the approximate date of his birth. Senior girls and some staff and parents would be invited to a party in the School. There, Shakespearean songs were sung, his poetry recited, and scenes from his plays were acted. Sometimes a competition was held to see who could recognise the largest number of quotations. In other years all the attendees would dress as Shakespearean characters. In a nod to a minor character from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, Senior teacher Miss Dorothy Derham famously came disguised as a lion one time, and no one knew who it was until she dramatically removed her mask at the end of the evening. Whatever the programme, the Night always drew to a close with a delicious supper that included a spectacular birthday cake especially in honour of the Bard. (Accompanying it may have been the ‘ale’ of Miss Daniell’s description, though of course it was presumably of the ginger rather than the alcoholic variety.) The evening was complete when ‘God Save the King’ and ‘Auld Lang Syne’ were sung. Shakespeare Night was held almost without interruption from 1915 to at least the mid 1950s. Only in 1919, with the threat of Spanish Flu, did the Night get cancelled. Later, fear of Japanese invasion in the Second World War years, and the consequent black-out restrictions, turned the ‘Night’ into an afternoon event. Thankfully, Miss Daniell notes, "from 1944 the programmes could be given as usual", though as we now know, it was a School tradition that eventually faded away. The record's significance is also supported by its strong provenance, having been produced by Ruyton Girls' School and donated to the Archives by a familial connection.Navy leather hardcover bound book with gold detailing on front cover and spine. 1,164 pages.Front Cover: R / RECTE ET FIDE LITER / RUYTON / Spine: SHAKESPEARE'S / COMPLETE / WORKS / OXFORD / Inside Cover: R / RECTE ET FIDE LITER / RUYTON / PRIZE / AWARDED TO / Helen Cole / FOR / Latin / VB / H. Daniell. / 9th Dec. 1949 / Katie Alsop Memorial Prize /ruyton girls' school, school, students, prize, speech night, poetry, lord tennyson, queen victoria, senior school, high school, ruyton, old ruytonians' association -
Ballarat Base Hospital Trained Nurses League
1950s Afternoon tea, Matron Langham (far right), Mrs Chrishlom - Mayoress (3rd from left)
Photo1950s, afternoon tea, matron, langham, mrs, chrishlom, mayoress -
Whitehorse Historical Society Inc.
Textile - Tea cosy
The cosy was part of a collection of hand made items made by Anne BarryThe cosy was an important item used in entertainment e.g. afternoon tea parties, and everyday serving tea at meals etc. The cosy was used when loose tea was made in teapotsSquare tea cosy made with blue and white cotton material and trimmed with navy blue bow. The blue and white material is smocked and has red, white, yellow and black squares embroidered on it. The cosy is lined with the same navy cotton as the bow on top.manchester, table linen, handcrafts, needlework -
Whitehorse Historical Society Inc.
Memorabilia - Box - Cigarette silks, 1911 - 1917
These type of cigarette silks were included in WD & HO Wills cigarette packets to induce women in particular to take up smoking.|The Word 'Cartophilic?|It is believed that this unusual word was coined in the 1920s by Col. Bagnall, an Englishman, who was the father of the hobby of cigarette card and trade card collecting. It is thought to be a combination of a Latin word, 'carto' meaning 'card and the Greek word 'philic', meaning 'love'.- lover of cards. The term originally related to the collection of the two types mentioned, however, our Society has included postcards in the range of items collected by our members.|The Cigarette Card|The cigarette card began its evolution in the United States of America, in the early 1880s as a plain piece of cardboard used by tobacconists to protect the cigarettes which were sold in that era, not in packets, but loosely. A purchaser would buy his cigarettes then wrap them in paper around the small piece of cardboard, which acted as a stiffener. In fact, for many decades, cigarette cards were known as 'stiffeners' in the USA.|The card depicting 'The Marquis of Lome' is reputed to be the first known cigarette card issued. This is thought to have been in 1879. It did not take long for an enterprising entrepreneur to recognise the advertising potential of the cigarette card, and, very soon, the cards began displaying popular images, often in sets. This had the effect of youngsters, wishing to complete their sets, harassing their fathers to buy a specific brand of cigarettes. The kids who collected cards in the days when they were being issued in the cigarette packets, would hang around outside the local tobacconist's shop, pestering the men who had just bought a packet of cigarette, with the cry: 'can I have the cig can mister?'|It is a proven fact that, here in Australia during the 1930s, at least one set had one card deliberately withheld and issued very sparingly. This card is No. 86 (Mrs Jack Crawford) in the Carreras 'Turf Personality Series'. Thus, in a set of reasonably easy cards to get, this one card is a constant source of frustration for the collector, and as such, commands a premium when it comes to price. It is not hard to imagine the young collector nagging his to Dad to keep buying 'Turf' cigarettes to enable him to finish the set.|From small beginnings the cigarette card soon gave rise to a booming industry in itself. Artists and writers were|employed to produce the cards, which were miniature works of art and served as little encyclopaedia's for the children of the day. By the 1930s cards were being issued in the countless millions. It has been stated, in one book on the history of cards; that 450 million sets of a series produced and issued by the prolific issuer of cards in the United Kingdom, WD & HO Wills. As each set contained 50 cards you would need a calculator with a very long result window to see the answer to how many cards of that series were in circulation.|Australia's involvement would appear to have its beginnings with the English and American firms who shipped their tobacco products here and the cards of American Tobacco Company (ATC) are found in great numbers in early Australian collections; many featuring Australian subjects, e.g. 'Australian Parliament a 1901 issue. Earlier U.S. sets depicting Australians included Goodwin & Co's, so called. 'Australian Series' with cricketers and Australian Rules footballers who were on the sporting scene during the 1880s. The caption of one of theses cards reads:|'W.Hannysee. Captain Port Melbourne Football Club' which enables us to pinpoint the year of issue to either 1889 or 1890.|On the Australian scene the first local manufacturer who issued cards seems to have been The National Cigarette Company of Australia Proprietary Limited, whose 'Tally Ho' packets contained cards from a series of thirteen featuring the touring 'English Cricket Team 1897-8' Of the few Australian manufacturers who issued cards, only two companies issued more the two sets.|Undoubtedly the cards issued by the Melbourne firm Sniders & Abrahams (later Sniders & Abrahams Pty Ltd) are the 'jewels in the crown' of Australian card issues. They issued some thirty-three series, with numerous sub-series and allied issues such as metal badges, metal football shields, celluloid flags etc., which ensured that the hobbyist had a vast range from which to collect. Sporting themes – football, cricket, horse racing – dominate, indicating the Australians' love of sport and the outdoors was as strong in those earlier times as it is today. Military, animals and birds themes were also to the fore, with a touch of culture being provided by 'Shakespeare', 'Dickens', actresses and even classical 'Statuary'. Humour was not forgotten with 'Cartoons and Caricatures', 'Naval and Cricket (double meaning) Terms' and the 'Jokes' series. Art and history were covered by the artist, S.T. Gill's 'Views of Victoria in 1857' while the stereoscopic 'Views of the World' expanded the collectors' knowledge of the world as a whole.|The Sniders & Abrahams series began in 1904 and by 1919 the company was in decline and was eventually taken over by G.G. Goode & Co. Ltd. This company produced one set only, the highly collectable 'Prominent Cricketer Series' issued in 1924. During the early to mid-1920s, J.J. Schuh Tobacco Pty Ltd issued eight series, again containing the popular subjects of sport and war. At least two provincial tobacconists, Lentens of Bendigo and Baillies of Warrnambool, issued private football series. The last series of cards issued by a truly Australian firm was Dudgeon & Arnell's '1934 Australian Cricket Team'.|The Australian market was not neglected by the English companies with WD & HO Wills, Godfrey Phillips and Ogdens all making their contributions. By far the most active issuer was the long-established company Wills, whose 'Cricketers' of 1901 heralded the flood of Australian series, which continued into the mid-thirties.|The onset of the 1939-45 World War sounded the death knell of the cigarette card and very few post-war issues were made, certainly not here in Australia.|The Trade Card|The Trade Card is a non-tobacco item used by manufacturers to promote and advertise their products, in the same way that cigarette cards were. It is uncertain exactly when they were first produced, but in the USA, non-collectable cards were issued by firms in the early 1800s. These were more akin to a latter day 'business card'. It was not until the 1850s, when coloured and pictorial cards were issued to advertise and promote products that the Trade Card|became a collectable item. Many beautiful lithographic cards were produced in this early era and they are very mu sought after by collectors. By the 1870s the issues of Trade Cards became more prolific and it is from this era that more cards are seen.|Again, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact date of the first Australian Trade Card and it may be that the highly collectable and extremely rare 'American Candy Co's' - 'Pure Caramels' Australian Rules football card, issued i 1891, is the earliest series. This confectionery firm was located in Fitzroy, a Melbourne suburb. To date only two subjects have been seen.|Another early set was 'Flags', issued by F.H.Fauldings & Co. It featured testimonials of seven English cricketers who toured Australia with the 1894/5 Test team. Fauldings was an Adelaide based firm which manufactured medicinal toiletries, soaps and oils, using the distinctly Australian eucalyptus oil. During the 20th century a multitude of Australian businesses issued trade cards, with confectionery manufacturers such as Hoadleys, Allens, Sweetacres and Australian Licorice producing the majority of them. Again sporting themes dominated with the ever popular Aussie Rules football cards being the most numerous. Cricket issues ran a close second.|Apart from sporting cards, almost every subject imaginable was covered by the Trade Card, making it the most diverse and interesting branch of cartophilly. In contrast to the Cigarette Card, which had its demise prior to the Second World War, the Trade Card is still alive and well.|We all are aware of the long running 'Birds of Australasia' series put out by Tuck-fields Tea and 1 doubt if there is a kitchen drawer in Australia that has not got one or two of these informative and attractive cards floating about in it. These cards were first produced in the early 1960s and are still being inserted in that company's packets of tea. Such is also the case with Sanitarium Health Foods, manufacturers of the well known Weetbix, who began issuing cards, with a wide range of subjects, in the early 1940s and continue to do so.|The 1940s and 1950s saw the two breakfast food giants, Kornies and Weeties dominating the card scene. Kornies footballers were in production fora decade from 1948 to 1959. Four years later in 1963, we saw the start of four decades of Scanlens bubble-gum card issues, both football and cricket. In the mid 1990s, with the end of the Scanlens/Stimorol cards, the Trading Card came on the scene. These cards do not fit under the umbrella of the Trade Card, having been produced and marketed purely as a 'collectable' with no connection whatsoever to any product, which of course is necessary for an item to be classified as a Trade Card.|The earliest British postcard was issued in 1870 and was designed to send short messages; the stamp was printed on the card, therefore it did not require an envelope. It was considered by many to be lowering the postal standards because the texts were no longer private. However the cards were a great success as on the first day of issue in 1870, half a million passed through the London postal centre.|The first illustrated postcards are said to be those introduced by a French stationer in 1870. He realized that French troops fighting in the Franco-Prussian War needed to be able to send short messages to their families and designed a 'postcard' to suit the purpose. As many of the soldiers were illiterate they decorated their cards with sketches of their many activities at the front rather than writing; thus creating a picture postcard. Private enterprise soon saw the great financial possibilities of this new easy and attractive way of communication by post; also sending a postcard cost less than postage for letters. It was correctly assumed that postcards were likely to overtake letter writing in many instances.|Between 1875 and 1882 every state in Australia introduced official postcards, N.S.W. first and Tasmania last. Each state produced a simple type of postcard with a pre printed stamp allied to that state. The stamp side stated 'The Address Only To Be Written On This Side'; the reverse side sometimes carried a simple illustration or decoration with space fora short message, each state extolling their own state's virtues. In 1901, with the advent of Federation, the new Government became responsible for all postal services in Australia and produced postcards for sale in every state. With several mail deliveries each day in most towns, postcards were used for many purposes. One 1906 postcard, with an illustration of fruit, was sent from Mrs X in the morning to her greengrocer ordering her fruit and vegetables to be delivered that afternoon. Another lady asks her charlady to 'come this afternoon'.|Australian private enterprise also began selling pictorial postcards, most companies using the very experienced German printing works who were the worlds best in the field of lithography and fine detailed colour-printing. Many of these beautiful German cards still exist today, 100 years later. Australia did have a few fine printers but they were in the minority. Black and white postcards printed in Australia in the early 1900s were often of good quality e.g. postcards printed by 'The Bulletin', illustrating the works of 'The Bulletins' top artists.|Between c1903-09 The Melbourne company Osboldstone and Atkins etc. printed coloured reproductions of 46 J.A. Turner bush/rural life paintings, which were generally of good quality and became hugely popular and still sought after today. Like thousands of homes in Europe, Britain and U.S.A., many Australia homes had albums of cherished postcards, which were given pride of place for visitors to see and enjoy.|Postcard collecting remained popular but was changing with the times. About 1912 the Australian photographer George Rose of Melbourne began to produce topographical B/W real photographic postcards covering most of Australia and other photographers began to do likewise. These cards soon found their way into collections as well.|WWI and the horrors of war suddenly changed the world; postcards were still in great demand but the subject matter was far more serious. Thousands of postcards from the trenches in European war zones arrived in Australia to be included in family albums. Propaganda and recruitment messages were produced to encourage enlistment. Australian postcard producers began to create cards decorated with gum leaves, boomerangs, wattle etc., which were designed for sending to Australian troops serving overseas. Very few 'pretty' cards were available, as access to the Gentian printing works was no longer possible and exporting of postcards from Britain was very limited. By the end of WWI people had other more serious problems to contend with and the avid postcard collecting hobby declined, fold greetings took over and topographical photographic postcards became a small but steady income for the producers and newsagents etc. in every town.|Fortunately many of these old postcards still exist and are avidly collected by a new generation or postcard collectors. The Australian Cartophilic Society Inc. is one of four postcard/cigarette card organizations in Australia. They are, N.S.W. Post Card Collectors Society; Queensland Card Collectors' Society Inc. and West Australian Card Collectors|Society, and across the Tasman there is a New Zealand Postcard Society.|References:|Picture Postcards of the Golden Age A Collector's Guide by Toni & Valmai Holt. Picture Postcards in Australia 1898 - 1920 by David CookBox of Cigarette Silks ( 10 ) depicting animal motifs, which were placed in cigarette packets as an incentive for women in particular to smoke.|WD & HO Wills|Produced 1911 - 1917personal effects, smoking accessories, recreations, collections -
Unions Ballarat
Afternoon light: Some memories of men and events (Don Woodward Collection), Menzies, Robert, 1967
Reflections by Sir Robert Menzies (former Australian Prime Minister) upon past USA and UK prime ministers, White Australia Policy, Suez Canal, the monarchy, cricket, governance and more.Politics and government - world. Sport.Book; 384 pages. Cover: green background; gold lettering; author's name and title on the spine.Inside pages: Don Woodward's name inscribed in blue ink.btlc, ballarat trades hall, ballarat trades and labour council, prime ministers - menzies, robert, liberal party australia, lpa, politics and government, politics and government - international, monarchy - united kingdom, white australia policy, suez canal, international relations -
Kew Historical Society Inc
Journal, Kewriosity : July 1984
Street trees in Kew [Carol Frank-Mas & Associates, Landscape Architects Report] / p1. Community [Gamblers Annymousl Action Programme; Save the Children Fund; Kew Garden Club; Native Plant Group; Kew Baptist Church; Hyde Park Fellowship; Film afternoon; Toy Library; Kew Junction Traders - advertising] / p2. Raoul Wallenberg Gardens / p3. Kew Recreation Centre / p3. Kew Historical Society / p3. Kew Community House / p4. Youth Pages [New Youth Centre for Kew; Unemployed? / p5. International Youth Year 1985 [What is it? So..., In Kew! Plans] / p6-7. [Youth] Talkback / p7. Things to do in Kew [&] A bit further afield [Kew Drop-in; After school activities; The Gap; Teen Club; Community House] / p8. Mayoral Comment - "Villa Alba" / Cr Jill O'Brien [Mayor of Kew] / p9. Community Directory updates / p9. Sahara Yoga [Centre] / p10. Community artists / p10. Highbury Grove Playgroup / p10. Kew Senior Citizens' Centre / p10. Powerlines and street trees / p11. Kindergarten enrolments / p11. Immunisation sessions / p11. Roadworks / p11. Drivers needed [Kew Community Bus] / p11. Domestic noise / p11. C.A.B. [Citizens' Advice Bureau] / p11. Kew (Daytime) Garden Club / p11. Kew people for nuclear disarmament / p11. H.K.C. Activities Centre / p11. Children's Services in Kew [Occasional Care Centre; Children's Services Officer; Full-Time Day Care Centre; Three Year Old Kindergarten; After School Programme; Extended Hours Kindergarten] / p12.Kewriosity was a local newsletter combining Kew Council and community news. It was published between November 1983 and June 1994, replacing an earlier Kewriosity [broad] Sheet (1979-84). In producing Kewriosity, Council aimed to provide a range of interesting and informative articles covering its deliberations and decision making, together with items of general interest and importance to the Kew community and information not generally available through daily media outlets.non-fictionStreet trees in Kew [Carol Frank-Mas & Associates, Landscape Architects Report] / p1. Community [Gamblers Annymousl Action Programme; Save the Children Fund; Kew Garden Club; Native Plant Group; Kew Baptist Church; Hyde Park Fellowship; Film afternoon; Toy Library; Kew Junction Traders - advertising] / p2. Raoul Wallenberg Gardens / p3. Kew Recreation Centre / p3. Kew Historical Society / p3. Kew Community House / p4. Youth Pages [New Youth Centre for Kew; Unemployed? / p5. International Youth Year 1985 [What is it? So..., In Kew! Plans] / p6-7. [Youth] Talkback / p7. Things to do in Kew [&] A bit further afield [Kew Drop-in; After school activities; The Gap; Teen Club; Community House] / p8. Mayoral Comment - "Villa Alba" / Cr Jill O'Brien [Mayor of Kew] / p9. Community Directory updates / p9. Sahara Yoga [Centre] / p10. Community artists / p10. Highbury Grove Playgroup / p10. Kew Senior Citizens' Centre / p10. Powerlines and street trees / p11. Kindergarten enrolments / p11. Immunisation sessions / p11. Roadworks / p11. Drivers needed [Kew Community Bus] / p11. Domestic noise / p11. C.A.B. [Citizens' Advice Bureau] / p11. Kew (Daytime) Garden Club / p11. Kew people for nuclear disarmament / p11. H.K.C. Activities Centre / p11. Children's Services in Kew [Occasional Care Centre; Children's Services Officer; Full-Time Day Care Centre; Three Year Old Kindergarten; After School Programme; Extended Hours Kindergarten] / p12. publications -- city of kew (vic.), kewriosity, council newsletters, community newsletters -
Kew Historical Society Inc
Journal, Kewriosity : June 1984
Mayoral Comment - Swedish hero honoured in Kew [Raoul Wallenberg] / Cr Jill O'Brien p1. The village without a name [Edgevale Road] / Barbara Giles p1. Billabong Club / p2. Wine bottling / p2. Sunday afternoon at Kew / p2. Kew Garden Club / p2. Native Plant Group / p2. Asian Evangelical Fellowship / p2. Early Planning for retirement / p2. The Rheumatism and Arthritis Association of Victoria / p2. Kew (Daytime) Garden Club / p2. Hyde Park Fellowship / p2. Penguin Club / p2. F.A.C.S. [Family and Community Services Programme / p3. New Residents Kits / p3. Parking permits for people with physical disabilities / p3. Occupational Therapist in Kew / p4. Physiotherapists / p4. Speech pathology / p4. Children's Services / p4. Area 10 Traffic Management / p5. Kew Historical Society happenings / p5. Community artists / p5. New Victoria building regulations / p6. Voting / p6. Safety [footpaths] / p6. Domestic noise / p6. Volunteers ["Gatehouse"]/ p7. Foster Care information [Inner East Foster Care] / p7. Kew Residents Group / p7. Black sheep and family crests [Kew Library, Genealogy] / p7. Infantile Paralysis [Poliomyelitis] / p7. Kew Community House News / Rhonda McCaw p8. Art Show / p8. Immunisation Sessions / p8. Parks and gardens / p8.Kewriosity was a local newsletter combining Kew Council and community news. It was published between November 1983 and June 1994, replacing an earlier Kewriosity [broad] Sheet (1979-84). In producing Kewriosity, Council aimed to provide a range of interesting and informative articles covering its deliberations and decision making, together with items of general interest and importance to the Kew community and information not generally available through daily media outlets.non-fictionMayoral Comment - Swedish hero honoured in Kew [Raoul Wallenberg] / Cr Jill O'Brien p1. The village without a name [Edgevale Road] / Barbara Giles p1. Billabong Club / p2. Wine bottling / p2. Sunday afternoon at Kew / p2. Kew Garden Club / p2. Native Plant Group / p2. Asian Evangelical Fellowship / p2. Early Planning for retirement / p2. The Rheumatism and Arthritis Association of Victoria / p2. Kew (Daytime) Garden Club / p2. Hyde Park Fellowship / p2. Penguin Club / p2. F.A.C.S. [Family and Community Services Programme / p3. New Residents Kits / p3. Parking permits for people with physical disabilities / p3. Occupational Therapist in Kew / p4. Physiotherapists / p4. Speech pathology / p4. Children's Services / p4. Area 10 Traffic Management / p5. Kew Historical Society happenings / p5. Community artists / p5. New Victoria building regulations / p6. Voting / p6. Safety [footpaths] / p6. Domestic noise / p6. Volunteers ["Gatehouse"]/ p7. Foster Care information [Inner East Foster Care] / p7. Kew Residents Group / p7. Black sheep and family crests [Kew Library, Genealogy] / p7. Infantile Paralysis [Poliomyelitis] / p7. Kew Community House News / Rhonda McCaw p8. Art Show / p8. Immunisation Sessions / p8. Parks and gardens / p8. publications -- city of kew (vic.), kewriosity, council newsletters, community newsletters -
Kew Historical Society Inc
Journal, The Kewriosity Sheet Vol.3 No.1 : July 1981
Fete [Kew Elder Citizens] / p1. Televising the service of worship [Uniting Church East Kew] / p1. Desperately needed [7th Kew Cub Pack] / p1. For sale ... The Artists of Kew [Elizabeth Mackie; Kew Historical Society] / p1. Art exhibition [Australian art] / p1. Afternoon movie [Missionary Sisters of St Peter Claver] / p1. Movement and dance in Special education [Caritas Centre] / p3. Day Care Centre [Caritas Centre] / p3. What is a blitz? [Yarra Bend Pakr; South African Boneweed]/ p3. The David Allen Memorial Scholarship [Concert; Old Presbyterian Church, Kew; Ian Frederick Lowe, Kaye Allen, Miriam Leuba] / p4. Kew Garden Club / p4. Child development and play - Eastern Region / p4. Caregivers needed [Family Day Care Centre] / p4.The Kewriosity Sheet (1979-83) was first published in the City of Kew (Victoria) in June 1979 as a two-sided 'community newssheet'. It aimed to: 'share news about Kew happenings and Kew people, and to exchange ideas about living in Kew'. Later issues gradually evolved into a 4-page, quarto sized publication. The Kewriosity Sheet was superseded by the Kew Council publication 'Kewriosity' (1983-1994).non-fictionFete [Kew Elder Citizens] / p1. Televising the service of worship [Uniting Church East Kew] / p1. Desperately needed [7th Kew Cub Pack] / p1. For sale ... The Artists of Kew [Elizabeth Mackie; Kew Historical Society] / p1. Art exhibition [Australian art] / p1. Afternoon movie [Missionary Sisters of St Peter Claver] / p1. Movement and dance in Special education [Caritas Centre] / p3. Day Care Centre [Caritas Centre] / p3. What is a blitz? [Yarra Bend Pakr; South African Boneweed]/ p3. The David Allen Memorial Scholarship [Concert; Old Presbyterian Church, Kew; Ian Frederick Lowe, Kaye Allen, Miriam Leuba] / p4. Kew Garden Club / p4. Child development and play - Eastern Region / p4. Caregivers needed [Family Day Care Centre] / p4. community publications --- kew (vic.), the kewriosity sheet, newsletters - kew (vic.) -
The Mrs Aeneas Gunn Memorial Library
Book, Henry Seton Merriman, The Isle of Unrest, 1901
The afternoon sun was lowering towards a heavy bank of clouds hanging still and sullen over the Medite-rranean. A mistral was blowing. The last yellow rays shone fiercely upon the towering coast of Corsica, and the windows of the village of Olmeta glittered like gold. There are two Olmetas in Corsica, both in the north, both on the west coast, both perched high like an eagle's nest, both looking down upon those lashed waters of the Mediterranean, which are not the waters that poets sing of, for they are as often white as they are blue; they are seldom glassy except in the height of summer and sailors tell that they are as treacherous as any waters of the earth. Neither aneroid nor weather-wisdom may, as a matter of fact, tell when a mistral will arise, how it will blow, how veer, how drop and rise, and drop again. For it will blow one day beneath a cloudless sky, lashing the whole sea white like milk, and blow harder to-morrow under racing clouds.Ill, p.344.fictionThe afternoon sun was lowering towards a heavy bank of clouds hanging still and sullen over the Medite-rranean. A mistral was blowing. The last yellow rays shone fiercely upon the towering coast of Corsica, and the windows of the village of Olmeta glittered like gold. There are two Olmetas in Corsica, both in the north, both on the west coast, both perched high like an eagle's nest, both looking down upon those lashed waters of the Mediterranean, which are not the waters that poets sing of, for they are as often white as they are blue; they are seldom glassy except in the height of summer and sailors tell that they are as treacherous as any waters of the earth. Neither aneroid nor weather-wisdom may, as a matter of fact, tell when a mistral will arise, how it will blow, how veer, how drop and rise, and drop again. For it will blow one day beneath a cloudless sky, lashing the whole sea white like milk, and blow harder to-morrow under racing clouds. england - fiction, fiction - corsica -
The Mrs Aeneas Gunn Memorial Library
Book, Paul Brickhill, Reach for the sky, 1954
In 1931, at the age of 21, Douglas Bader was the golden boy of the RAF. Excelling in everything he did he represented the Royal Air Force in aerobatics displays, played rugby for Harlequins, and was tipped to be the next England fly half. But one afternoon in December all his ambitions came to an abrupt end when he crashed his plane doing a particularly difficult and illegal aerobatic trick. His injuries were so bad that surgeons were forced to amputate both his legs to save his life. Douglas Bader did not fly again until the outbreak of the Second World War, where his undoubted skill in the air was enough to convince a desperate air force to give him his own squadron. The rest of his story is the stuff of legend. Flying Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain he led his squadron to kill after kill, keeping them all going with his unstoppable banter. Shot down in occupied France, his German captors had to confiscate his tin legs in order to stop him trying to escape. Bader faced it all, disability, leadership and capture, with the same charm, charisma and determination that was an inspiration to all around him.Index, ill, p.372.non-fictionIn 1931, at the age of 21, Douglas Bader was the golden boy of the RAF. Excelling in everything he did he represented the Royal Air Force in aerobatics displays, played rugby for Harlequins, and was tipped to be the next England fly half. But one afternoon in December all his ambitions came to an abrupt end when he crashed his plane doing a particularly difficult and illegal aerobatic trick. His injuries were so bad that surgeons were forced to amputate both his legs to save his life. Douglas Bader did not fly again until the outbreak of the Second World War, where his undoubted skill in the air was enough to convince a desperate air force to give him his own squadron. The rest of his story is the stuff of legend. Flying Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain he led his squadron to kill after kill, keeping them all going with his unstoppable banter. Shot down in occupied France, his German captors had to confiscate his tin legs in order to stop him trying to escape. Bader faced it all, disability, leadership and capture, with the same charm, charisma and determination that was an inspiration to all around him. world war 1939 - aerial operations - britain, douglas bader - biography -
Royal District Nursing Service (now known as Bolton Clarke)
Photograph - Digital image, c.1922
The MDNS Trained nurses (Sisters) are about to board two motor vehicles outside their Nurses home, at 39 Victoria Parade, Collingwood, to be driven to give nursing care to their patients who lived a distance away. The lady Chauffeur is probably Miss Sword who was employed by MDNS in 1922-23; she was also in charge of the garage. This enabled the Sisters to do more visits in a day than when using Public transport all the time. This image also shows the style of cars driven in that era. The Sisters uniforms are grey and their hats have a red Maltese cross attached to the centre front of the hatband. Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS) has had various modes of transport over the last 130 plus years. At first, from 1885 as Melbourne District Nursing Society (MDNS), their Trained nurses (Nurses) walked the streets and lane ways amid the slums of central Melbourne. As the Society expanded public transport was used, and bicycles were bought by the Society in 1903 and used in inner areas until 1945. During the Spanish flu epidemic, in 1919, MDNS appealed for assistance to procure Motor vehicles so the Nurses could visit an influx of cases. Through trusts, grants and donations four 'Ford T Model' cars were procured which enabled the Nurses to triple their visits. Through constant use the cars were in such a poor state two were sold in 1922 and the others later. In 1922-23 three Peugeot cars were purchased and a female Chauffeur, 'Miss Sword', was employed who lived in the Home and was also in charge of the garage. MDNS was expanding, and In 1929 Melbourne District Nursing Society (MDNS) formed a volunteer Motor Auxiliary to transport their Trained Nurses (Sisters) to make visits more patients who lived a distance away. At first wealthy people offered their car and chauffeur, but then the general public supplied their own vehicles. They operated on week days when able and could take up to three Sisters at a time, collecting them from the Nurses Home, 39 Victoria Parade, Collingwood, at 9 a.m; dropping each Sister at a patient then picking them up and taking them to the next patient before completing the morning round and returning to the Nurses Home at 1 p.m.. The Sisters were able to double the number of visits they did each morning and did their afternoon visits on public transport. At its peak there were 60 volunteers but this fell off during World War 11. In 1944 the Red Cross were assisting, and by 1953 were taking out 16 MDNS Sisters. Appeals for volunteers occurred over the years, particularly during the Tram and Tramway Bus strike in the 1950s, and when the Royal Women's Hospital had an influx of births and wanted to send the mothers and babies home on day four but could not do so if M.D.N.S. could not visit. During 1962 the Motor Auxiliary transported 34 Sisters who preferred not to drive themselves, but as the MDNS fleet of cars grew there was less need for their service and the Auxiliary was disbanded in 1971. Some Sisters used their own cars; even a motorcycle was used by one Sister in 1933. All these forms of transport were intermingled and in the early 1950s, and now as Melbourne District Nursing Service, seven Ford Prefect cars were bought followed by twelve Ford Anglia cars 1955. Having received Royal patronage; the now Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS) had its own fleet of Holden vehicles by the mid 1960s and the Motor Auxiliary ceased operating in 1971 as by then all staff employed were required to have a driving licence. Seat-belts had been introduced to Victoria in 1959 and District fitted them to their cars from 1962, even though they did not become compulsory until 1970. The Holden vehicles were replaced with grey Holden Torana vehicles. After several years the fleet was changed to white Toyota Corolla vehicles. The Melways Directory of maps was introduced in 1966, which was a boon to the Sisters, though it was a few years before it went beyond Seville, so a large paper map was used by the Sisters visiting patients in the areas passed Seville. By 2009 there were 598 cars in the fleet and the Sisters travelled 9 million 200,000 kilometres – this is equivalent to 12 trips to the moon and back. IA black and white digital image showing, in the left foreground, the frontal view of an early model, 1920s, soft hooded car parked on the road next to the gutter. Two front spoked wheels are seen, and headlights sit either side of the radiator at the front of the nose shaped bonnet.. '3758' is written in white on the black number plate below the radiator. The female Chauffeur is dressed in a dark coat and peaked hat and is standing by the partly open driver's door. The passenger door is open and a Melbourne District Nursing Society (MDNS) Sister is standing on the footpath behind the door. Another Sister stands behind her. There is another similar car parked behind the first one. It is partly obscured, its hood is down; it has spoked wheels and one of its headlights can be seen beside the partially obscured radiator. Part of the black number plate can be seen with two of its numbers, '69', written in white. A partly obscured Sister is standing by the driver's door and another behind the open passenger door. Another Sister is standing at the rear of this car..The five MDNS Sisters are wearing their uniform grey coats and felt brimmed grey hats with a Maltese cross applied to the centre hatband, Leafless trees and some buildings can be seen in the background.melbourne district nursing society, after-care home, rdns, royal district nursing service, mdns motor auxiliary, mdns uniforms, miss sword, female chauffeur -
Carlton Football Club
Football, Optus Farewell Game May 21 2005, 2005
Souvenir Football Optus Oval Farewell Game May 21 2005The Football was issued to commemorate Carlton Football Club's last game at Optus Oval/Princes Park in 2005. Farewell Princes Park Damn football! It’s just a game and it’s just an oval; dirt, grass and a few bumbling stands. Oh and there is the ghost of dad standing under the clock, smiling, dancing his jig, God love him, he loved his Bluebaggers. Oh and Pop's over there too, his scissors in his hand; he's rushed across from Lygon Street again to see the boys play. Both, like the ground now, gone for good - never to be seen again though their memories shine still. And then there's me as a lad, surrounded by men, the cans wobbling beneath my feet, my neck stretched up; I can see, I can see Ragsy!!!!!! and brave Gary Crane and Quirky on the wing and…. and it’s just a ground, just dirt and grass and the distant sound of trams. And there I am as a young man standing with my brothers, all of us singing wildly this GF evening as another flag is brought home! And there I am with Keith standing, always beer in hand, and watching Kouta and SOS and dear beloved Motley flying. But it’s only a ground just dirt and grass and late afternoon sun. There I am now, older, sitting beside me is my son, he holds the record and marks the goals, though these come far fewer nowadays. But it is only a ground and dirt and grass and memories that linger and the taste of shared drinks and the voices cheering in the outer. But it is only a ground, a ground whose moment has passed, who’s time in the sun is now time in shadow and no more balls to be bounced on that dirt nor football boots running across that grass, for there will be no more games played at Princes Park. Never again the tram down Royal Parade, never again a beer at The Rising Sun or the sound of the fans cheering madly in front of the Heatley Stand. But it is only a ground only dirt and grass and the memories, the sum total of all of us. I feel like a friend has passed...... Farewell Princes Park, time makes memories out all of us. Contributed by DannyboyNavy Blue & White Leather FootballOptus Farewell Game May 21 2005, Carlton Emblem, -
Carlton Football Club
Scrap Book, Dedicated to Carlton Player John Goold
John Goold double Premiership PlayerA scrap Book dedicated to twice Premiership Player 1968 - 1970 John Goold Career : 1963 - 1970 Debut : Round 7, 1963 vs Footscray, aged 21 years, 338 days Carlton Player No. 754 Games : 108 Goals : 3 Last Game : Grand Final, 1970 vs Collingwood, aged 29 years, 90 days Guernsey No. 11 Height : 184 cm (6 ft ½ in.) Weight : 76 kg (12 stone, 0 lbs.) DOB : June 27, 1941 Premiership Player 1968, 1970 Carlton Hall of Fame All Australian 1966 A brilliant, flamboyant, two-time Premiership player for Carlton during the Barassi years in the ‘swingin’ sixties,’ John William Crosbie Goold became almost as famous for his dapper appearance off the field, as for his exploits on it. At the height of his football career, he was also a prominent ladies fashion designer – which led to him being dubbed ‘Mr Elegance’ by leading football commentator Lou Richards. Supporters and team-mates however, called him ‘Rags’ or ‘Ragsy,’ because of his involvement in the clothing, or ‘rag’ trade. Goold first came under notice as an outstanding junior athlete at Melbourne Grammar School. A true all-round sportsman, he shone at tennis, athletics, football and cricket. He was also a keen horseman who loved the game of polo and the rough and tumble of fox hunting. While at school he was a fervent Melbourne supporter, but strangely, never had much confidence in his football ability. “If I thought I was good enough, I would certainly have gone to Melbourne,” he said many years later. “But I honestly didn’t think I would ever amount to anything in this game. Cricket and tennis were the games that really interested me.’ However, after graduating from MGS, Goold went home to Healesville to star in the Bloods’ 1962 Yarra Valley Football Association Premiership team – an achievement that brought tempting offers from more than one VFL club. “Incentives were offered elsewhere,” he recalled, “but I gravitated to Carlton – partly because the deep blue of their guernsey attracted me, but mostly because of the good advice I got from people who even then were longsighted enough to predict that big things were ahead for this club.” The Blues were confident enough in Goold’s potential to offer him the guernsey number 11 previously worn with distinction by the likes of Jack Hale, Jim Knight, Ron Hines and Laurie Kerr, and his first senior game came in round 7, 1963 against Footscray at the Western Oval. He played on a half-forward flank alongside Brownlow Medallists Gordon Collis and John James on that Saturday afternoon, and kicked his first career goal in an 8-point win. Little did he know though, that it would be another six seasons before he would again experience the thrill of sending a football spinning between the big posts, because his future lay in defence. By his own admission, Goold struggled to find his feet in VFL football during his first two seasons, until the shock appointment of Ron Barassi as captain-coach of Carlton in 1965 began steering his career back on track. “I think you could say that 1965 was my first year of League football,” he said, “That’s the way I felt - that’s the way I reacted to Barassi.” Under Barassi, Goold rapidly developed into a superb running half-back flanker. Tenacious, and an often freakish high mark, he was unmistakable on the field thanks to his mane of dark hair, his loping running style and somewhat awkward kicking action. Furthermore, he had boundless courage. There is no doubt that he would have played many more games had he not been regularly pole-axed under the high ball – a fact he later freely admitted. “I was always getting knocked out,” he said, “and spent half my bloody time in hospital.” In the second half of 1965, an injury to centre half-back Gordon Collis forced Barassi to use Goold in the key defensive post. While it curtailed his rebounding instincts somewhat, ‘Ragsy’ rose to the challenge and rarely lowered his colours. Testament to his improvement, he finished third behind John Nicholls and Sergio Silvagni in Carlton’s 1965 Best and Fairest award, and followed up by being selected in the Victorian team for the 1966 Hobart Carnival. There, he had a superb series in which he was runner-up to West Australian Barry Cable in voting for the Tassie Medal, and capped it off by being named on a half-back flank in the All Australian team. Barassi’s influence at Carlton bore fruit in his third year, when the Blues returned to finals football at last. Richmond, Carlton, Geelong and Collingwood fought out the 1967 Premiership, and Ragsy Goold won the hearts of the Carlton faithful with two lion-hearted performances. Although Carlton was knocked out of contention by successive losses to Richmond and Geelong, Goold was tireless throughout both games, and it was obvious that he thrived on the added pressure of finals football. Precisely twelve months later, the bitter taste of those defeats was washed away when Barassi’s Blues edged out Essendon by 3 points in the 1968 Grand Final, and ended 21 years of despair at Princes Park. To win Carlton’s ninth VFL flag, the Blues had had to defeat the minor premier Bombers twice during the finals – and did so, thanks to a watertight defence led by Goold, and a dominant ruck division headed by John Nicholls. In round 5, 1969, Carlton hosted South Melbourne at Princes Park in a match significant for a number of reasons. As he regularly did, Ron Barassi swung his team around prior to the opening bounce, and Goold found himself in the unaccustomed role of ruck-rover. While the Blues set about establishing a good break on the scoreboard, Ragsy relished the freedom to kick two first half goals - his first majors for 78 games. Just before half-time however, he was flattened in a pack, concussed again, and replaced during the long break by Barry Gill. Alex Jesaulenko was substituted at the same time – by a shy, ambitious youngster named Bruce Doull, making his senior debut for Carlton in guernsey number 4. In September, 1969 the Navy Blues began their third straight finals campaign with an impressive 6-goal Semi Final win over Collingwood in front of more than 108,000 fans at the MCG. A fortnight later, Richmond stunned the flag favourites with a withering last quarter in the Grand Final, and knocked Carlton out of the Premiership race again at the last hurdle. Half-way through the year, Carlton's club doctor discovered that Goold had been playing with shin splints in both of his lower legs. The pain they caused was considerable, but Ragsy soldiered on and held down centre half-back throughout the season. John Goold’s VFL career at Carlton culminated in the fabled 1970 Grand Final triumph over Collingwood. What is not so well known is that Ragsy was only cleared to play in that game on the morning of the match. After narrowly losing to Collingwood in the second Semi Final, the Navy Blues destroyed St Kilda by 62 points in the Preliminary Final, and earned another shot at the Magpies in the decider. But one of Carlton’s problems was that Goold had been kicked on a shin against St Kilda, causing a burst blood vessel and serious swelling. Despite the best efforts of the club medical staff, Ragsy had only a slim chance of playing in the Grand Final right up until game day, when his worried coach reluctantly allowed him to take his place in the side. Later, Barassi justified his decision by saying that in his opinion, a less than fully fit Goold was still worth his place in the team. By half time in the Grand Final however, he was probably questioning that judgement - because Carlton had been totally outplayed, and trailed an impressive, cohesive Collingwood by 44 points. Therefore, Carlton’s magnificent comeback – orchestrated by Barassi, and sparked by the fairytale exploits of 19th man Ted Hopkins – is one of the greatest of all football stories. Against enormous odds, the Navy Blues fought their way back into the contest, and eventually, rolled over the top of the frantic Magpies to snatch victory by 10 points in the last few minutes of the match. Hopkins ended up with four goals, Barassi was hailed a genius, and Ragsy Goold was carted off to hospital immediately after the game to have further urgent treatment. While there, he decided that there was no better time to end his VFL career – especially because his burgeoning business interests were demanding more and more of his time. In the years after his football career ended, John Goold created a remarkably successful business empire. In 1971 he sold his fashion label and took up farming at Mortlake in western Victoria, where he coached the local football team for three seasons. Later, he formed a diversified pastoral company, and purchased a magnificent complex called Ballangeich Run at nearby Ellerslie. While his passion for farming and livestock grew, he began breeding top quality polo ponies, and represented Australia in international competition. During the 1997 and 1998 seasons, John's son Ed Goold played reserve grade football for Carlton. MEMORIES.... Ragsy Goold; the name stirs memories form my long ago childhood. Ragsy, with his unique kicking style, where he'd hold the ball (always a drop punt - in a time when the drop kick and the torpedo punt still reigned supreme) at the point of the ball, elbows bent and he'd lavishly drop the ball, his right arm then flinging back and up dramatically. That was the thing about Ragsy (so named because he worked in the clothing, or 'rag' trade), he was always dramatic. He always ensured his ankle guards and wrist guard were glowing white to match the great white CFC monogram he wore proudly on his chest, and with his long flowing locks, cut a dynamic figure through a young boy's mind. Ragsy was my idol. I loved his dashes from half back, his long accurate drop punts, most of all I loved his flair for the game. Ragsy played the game as an entertainer as well as a sportsman - he leapt high to punch or mark, and always seemed to have a bit of the thoroughbred about him - which is probably why after he retired, he took up fox chasing, polo, and riding his beloved thoroughbreds across the paddocks and over the fences of his property, I think he may have even represented Australia at the sport – really, that’s sort of how he played as a footballer. All sinewy muscle, long legs and famous leaps for the saving punch. Ragsy was part of the great backline that helped revive Carlton's fortunes. Legendary players Wes Lofts, Ian Collins, Kevin 'Racehorse' Hall, Vinnie Waite among them. All great teams have a great defence and the defence that Ragsy was an integral part of was no different. Where others provided the biffo, the muscle or the defensive pressure, Ragsy provided the dash, the flair, the sense of adventure that all great backlines must have. AND MORE.... I have had many favourite players while following the Blues, but there will always be a special spot for Ragsy Goold - running the lines, all long hair and flashing white guards. As a young man I moved to Carlton and began acting in a place called one-c-one. One night after a play, I was walking home. It was winter, and I was wearing my favouritte overcoat, a genuine ankle length tweed affair I had picked up in an Op Shop in Oakleigh for three dollars. As I strutted across Lygon Street, a deep male voice behind me called, 'hey laddie, how much for the overcoat?' I turned, and there was my childhood idol, Ragsy Goold, two beautiful women in tow, smiling and waiting for my answer. I loved that coat too much to part with it, even to Ragsy, so I shook my head - and he smiled, then walked off. I stood for a moment in the middle of the street shaking my head in disbelief. Ragsy bloody Goold had just offered to buy my overcoat! I knew at that point, as a young man of about twenty three, that life was going to be full of surprises and very entertaining - a bit like John ‘Ragsy’ Goold. ONE MORE.... A cold, wet day in the mid 1960's at the MCG and Victoria were playing South Australia (?) The ball that day was like a piece of soap, with players finding it impossible to mark. Just before half time a long kick sailed toward the mud heap that was the centre of the ground, and the pack rose to meet it. From this group of players an arm shot straight up, and the ball instantly came to a dead stop. The footy stuck in the player's palm as if the hand was coated in Tarzan's Grip. After all these years, it's the only recollection I have of that match, and that player was 'Mr. Elegance' John Goold. HUMOROUS HUNGRY.... Former opponent Richmond's Kevin Bartlett on Radio SEN in 2012 received a phone call from John. After the call Kevin told his listeners how "Mr Elegance" would always be dressed in a nice suit, shirt-tie and highly polished shoes. He then cracked a joke saying something like; "You know, John was so 'posh' that he used to play football wearing a cravat!" Milestones 50 Games: Round 15, 1967 vs Melbourne 100 Games: Round 13, 1970 vs Geelong Career Highlights 1965 - Percy Bentley Trophy - 3rd Best & Fairest 1966 - 5th Best & Fairest 1967 - Maurie Sankey Memorial Trophy - 4th Best & Fairest (on count back) 1968 - Premiership Player 1970 - 7th Best & Fairest 1970 - Premiership PlayerFoolscap Scrap Book