Former SMB mining student Alfred Johnston was the son of Charles Johnston of Cork, Ireland, and Elizabeth Jameson, the family owning a large furniture store in Fitzroy. Alfred joined the Fifth Victorian (Mounted Riffles) contingent at the Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn. The October 1901 Ballarat School of Mines (SMB) Students Magazine reported 'Alf. Johnston's gone. The news came as a shock to all of us at the school. He who was with us a few short months ago, in all strength of sturdy manhood, has met a soldier's death in South Africa, and we sincerely mourn his loss…. His heart was in the school, and he did his best to further its interests … His last act on leaving Australian shores was to send a telegram from Albany to Prof. Mica Smith, to whom he was warmly attached, wishing the School and all connected with it "Good-bye". In his short, all to short, life of 29 years, he had more adventure than falls the lot of most men, and possibly the spirit of adventure, and also, of duty, prompted him to throw in his lot with the "colors," and leave for the front. The news of his death comes to us with added weight of sadness when we remember that he was one of the organisers of the School entertainment last year to help swell the fund for the erection of a statue to fallen Victorian soldiers.' The SMB Annual Report of 1901 recognised the loss of one of their students: 'Mr Johnston was, until the date of his leaving for active military service in South Africa, one of our students. While here besides being regarded as a general favourite for his urbanity and manliness, he was noted as a faithful, diligent, and most successful student. The news of Lieutenant Johnston's death cast quite a gloom over the school and it was early decided that in addition to a letter of condolence sent to his parents a bronze tablet, suitably inscribed, be erected to his memory in some prominent part of the school. On the 4th November last the ceremony of unveiling the memorial tablet was performed by Professor A. Mica Smith in the presence of several members of the late Lieutenant A.G. Johnston's family, the President and Members of Council, the Staff and Students of the School, and a number of prominent citizens.Brass shield used to commemorate the death of former Ballarat School of Mines graduate Alfred G. Johnston who died during the Boer War. In memory of Alfred G. Johnston Lieut. Fifth Regt V.M.R., and student of this school who fell at Rhenoster Kop, South Africa May 7th 1901 aged 29 years. An esteemed student and a gallant soldier.boer war, victorian mounted rifles, alfred johnston, memorial, rhenoster kop, south africa, south african war

Printed line drawing of the Ballarat School of Mines and Ballarat Supreme Court House. ballarat school of mines, ballarat supreme court house, ballarat circuit court house

A black and white photograph of Phil Day and a woman at the Ballarat School of Mines Ball. ballarat school of mines, student activities, phil day

A black and white photograph of two Ballarat School of Mines Principal, Harry Arblaster. ballarat school of mines, harry arblaster, principal

Blue bookmark advertising School of Mines Ballarat library after hours space.federation university, federation university australia, library due date card, due date card

Two photographs of the Ballarat School of Mines Physics Laboratory scanned from a slide.ballarat school of mines, physics, laboratory

Formal photograph of 11 adolescent males Ballarat School of Mines softball uniform.ballarat school of mines, sporting, softball, n. black, l. cooper, v. overall, o. worthington, e. ditchfield, b. lancaster, m. horsey, l. saunders, l. kinnersley, n. hoffman, a. fry

Photograph of the Ballarat School of Mines looking toward the chimney on the former Ballarat Brewery.ballarat brewery, ballarat school of mines, ballarat school of mines administratin building, ballarat school of mines botanical gardens, buildings, a building, administration buildings

Five typed letters concerning the transfer of the Ballarat Gaol to the Ballarat School of Mines.Signed 'R.J. Hamer'ballarat gaol, ararat gaol, r.j. hamer, dick hamer, h.e. arblaster, harry arblaster, chief secretary's office, attorney general, rupert hamer, letterhead

Copy of plans showing elevations for additions to the Ballarat School of Mines Plumbing Shopballarat school of mines, plumbing, architectural plan

Four blue line plans relating to the Ballarat School of Mines Chemistry Laboratory.ballarat school of mines, chemistry, laboratory, percy everett, old chemistry building

Invoices to the Ballarat School of Mines .10) George H. Parker, Gunmaker and Locksmithballarat school of mines, invoices, george h. parker, gunsmith, locksmith, letterhead, armstrong street south, g. woodward, cabinet maker, upholsterer, sturt street, e. e. campbell

A number of Ballarat School of Mines staff stand in the courtyard of the former Ballarat Gaol.peter shiells, mal vallance, anne fennell, heather durant

White porcelain dinner plates with Ballarat School of Mines monogram and gold rim.GIBPAT fine china made expressly for Gibsons and Paterson Japancrockery, smb crockery, porcelain, ballarat school of mines crockery

Black and white photograph of a man stacking a large kiln at the Ballarat School of Mines.ceramics, pottery, ballarat school of mines

Metal plaque Commemorating the Re-opening of the Ballarat School of Mines Museum, 1982museum, ballarat school of mines museum, plaque

Coloured plan of the Ballarat and Sebastopol mines. Includes streets. Scale is 1:23,760robert allan, plans, cgt, ballarat, sebastopol, leviathan gold mining company, gold mines, gold companies, gold mining company

Throughout the Nerrina district numerous areas of public land were set aside as school endowment plantations as part of various schools’ educational resources. The plantations were initially established to instil through community involvement a love of forests and an appreciation of their value, and in fact many of them are well suited for regular use as a teaching resource of this nature. It was expected that this use will increase as courses embracing various aspects of environmental science are developed. Many school plantations have been planted to radiata pine, and revenue from the sale of produce used to provide amenities required by the schools. In some cases, however, these plantations have not been very successful in providing revenue, as the sites are unsuitable for economic growth or the plantations are too small or the location too far from processing centres to allow economic harvesting. In some instances, radiata pine plantations have failed due to poor management. In 1982 the Land Conservation Council believed that all the existing plantations should be assessed in order to establish their value as a teaching resource. Those not needed or that are unsuitable for teaching purposes for some reason, such as their location, should be terminated. Those planted to radiata pine that have limited value as a teaching resource although satisfactory for wood production may continue to be used for such production, but should be reviewed when the pines are harvested. (http://www.veac.vic.gov.au/reports/354-Ballarat-Study-Area.pdf, acccessed 30/03/2017) The School Endowment Plantation Scheme was established in 1922 as a joint venture between the Education Department and the FCV. It was administered by the Education Department with technical supervision by the Commission. While some plantations were established on private land donated or leased for the purpose, most were established on Crown Lands or Reserved Forest made available, without cost, by the State. (https://www.victoriasforestryheritage.org.au/community/schools.html, accessed 26 September 2020)Covenant in the matter of the School Endowment Plantation of the School of Mines Ballarat School Community.nerrina pine plantation, ballarat school of mines endowment plantation, nerrina, pine plantation, nerrina, john r. lyall, richard w. richards, dick richards, edgar j. tippett, charles h. clamp, alfred k. mcbain, endowment plantation