[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

HistoricalThis publication is a good example of how staff in Victoria's mental institutions kept up to date with medical and psychiatric information from around the world. The publication contains a series of Papers produced as a result of a Conference regarding Reserpine in the Treatment of Neuropsychiatric, Neurological, and Related Clinical Problems. The Conference was conducted by the Section of Biology of the New York Academy of Sciences on February 3 and 4 1955. The cover is tan coloured. The material is similar to a manila folder. Two metal staples. The cover and pages are slightly worn from use. The print is crisp and easily readable. 280 pages.The cover has a plastic sticker reading 377. The inner front cover and front page has an ink stamp reading "Mental Hygiene Authority Central Library, Royal Park 28 Oct 1955". The number 974 is handwritten in ink inside the front cover. The number R1 is handwritten in ink on the front page. medical, psychiatry, medication

The LHLG newsletter of 1918 features this image and notes that they accompanied their shipmaster father Captain Aviss, of the Barque Inverneill who with his wife Catherine Florence Aviss, travelling through dangerous European waters, brought the family of three children to visit Melbourne. The two children featured are Margaret and Ronald, born at sea in 1915. Their young sister, Ruth Neil, was also born at sea on the 27 August 1918. The family re-united with a first meeting for the children and grandparents, Captain and Mrs Frampton, who "had lost two ships to enemy submarines and were now on their third". The family participated in "a happy Communion service in our chapel , in which the parents and grandparents joined this formed the keystone of their visit to Melbourne". Unfortunately the young Mrs Aviss contracted the Spanish influenza on their arrival in St John, New Brunswick, Canada, she succumbed in November 1918 after spending a week in the Parks Hospital. Herbert Aviss was left with 2 toddlers and a 3 month old baby. He went back to England with his children in March 1919 on passenger ship, accompanied by a nurse. Martin Frampton and his wife were in New York at the time, but they probably learnt about Catherine's death in the local newspaper. A memorial plaque in her name unveiled in the chapel at the Mission in April 1919. The parents and grandparents left their names and signatures in the visitor book (0149) on the 28 April 1918.One of the rare stories of seafarer visits illustrated with a photograph of the children of a family accustomed to life aboard ship. The impact of influenza also affected this family and others are recorded amongst the supporters of the Mission and reflects the widespread impact that the epidemic of the post WW1 period had on people, Mission activities and restrictions affecting public events. Both Framptons and Aviss are noted in the annals of the Cape Horne society.Small monochrome photograph of two small children, a girl and a boy posed in front of the ship's wheel of a sailing vesselshipboard life, seafarer families, martin frampton, elizabeth frampton, herbert aviss, children, catherine florence aviss nee frampton, wwi, world war one, great war, first world war, german, submarine, u boat, torpedo, spanish influenza, flu, pandemic, st john, new brunswick, sea mites, wheel, boy, girl, margaret aviss, ronald aviss, ruth aviss, ruth neill aviss, ruth neill paterson nee aviss (1918-2017), ronald aviss (1915-1996)

Typed account of the entertainment in Bendigo in the early days. People made their own entertainment and from 1853 theatres and concert halls became a part of life on the goldfield. Singers and musicians came to perform. There was also processions, race meetings and sporting events.bendigo, entertainment, gold fields, entertainment on the gold fields 1850 - 1890, m dixon, lola montez, amy castles, charles thatcher, bendigo advertiser, the theatre royal, yates, royal exchange restaurant, shamrock hotel, merchant of venice, othello, hamlet, lady of lyons, royal victoria theatre, bendigo histrionic club, the old curiosity shop, benevolent asylum, shakespearean society, criterion theatre, w howitt, land labour and gold, frank cusack, bendigo a history, the bendigo advertiser centenary edition, r ward, the australian legend, the shamrock concert hall, royal princess theatre, j c williamson, maggie moore, ilma de murska, easter fair, jim crilly, annals of bendigo, gilbert and sullivan, dick davey's pub, g mackay, mackay & co, sandhurst bee, m clark, a short history of australia, r lacour-gayet, a concise history of australia, jack hattam

Handwritten and typed report on the Opening of Matthew Flinders Bi-Centenial giving details of the ceremony. Also mentioned is Charcoal Burning, the Tanning Industry, Hitching Posts, Miners' Phthisis and the Wesley Boys.document, to newsletter from ian hendry, matthew flinders bi-centennial celebrations, rhsv, r a n, h m a s cerberus, sir rohan delecombe, premier hamer, dr phillip law, mrs m tipping, miss katrina rumley, brian dixon, don shiel, deehan brothers, messrs goudge and sibley, j h abbott & company, tan bark, bendigo cemetery, mrs lucy hill, joch, annals of bendigo, councillor marks, dr j m eadie, watson sustentation fund, mr p phillips, bendigo branch of the miners' association, dr lanza, bendigo amalgamated goldfields, bendigo benevolent asylum, commonwealth department of health, wesley boy's dramatic society, royal princess theatre, john busst, h s v busst, the monkey's paw, the bishop's candlesticks, dr adamson, mrs t lunn

Seven typed pages and one page of additions titled 'Anecdotes' read at the RHS Convention held in Bendigo at 'Dudley House' on 9/10/1076. Notes mention what it was like in the early days, things that had happened, buildings in View Street, open-air theatres, musicians, and characters that roamed the streetsdocument, names of bendigo pioneers, bendigo & eaglehawk anecdotes, arblaster's powder factory, annals of bendigo, latham and watson's mine, gray, bendigo advertiser 1858, dr harry leigh atkinson, ravenswood property, a. n. a. hall, sir john quick, princess theatre, the tiv, mr frank cusack, pederewski, lyric photo plays, oscar flight, tiny coupe, fedder duster, overcoat charlie, bayonet, benevolent home, sydney myer, myer stores, robert harkness, nubby bux, j bruce, henry john king, louis williams

Typed notes mentioning Gordon Carter who tried to pull a robber off his horse. The robbery took place on Garden Gully hill on March 14th 1902. Also mentioned are other Carter family members, the houses where they lived, and business interests.document, names of bendigo pioneers, gordon carter a brave youth, edith lunn, annals of bendigo, jack carter, spastic center, miss jean sauerbury, harold curnow, max carter, dudley carter, kenneth carter, mr whitelock, whitelock and carter, stoneman's supermarket, j w carter, bendigo building society, murray carter

One hand written and four typed copies of notes on the Garden Gully United Mine and a spare last typed page. Notes include depth of shafts, locality, early history,plant, leading mine, gold production, references on typed copies. One typed copy, with Typed at Mines Dep't written at the top has a number of corrections/inclusions and a hand drawn locality map attached to the back.mine, gold, garden gully united mine, garden gully united mine, garden gully line of reef, paddy's gully line, economic now crestknit knitting mills, roberts & sons, ladam's reef, tribute companies, possum shaft, rainbow shaft, gold production, leading mine, pandora reef, rosalind park, dr h l atkinson, i e dyason, w hunter, g lansell, e mueller, bendigo amalgamated company, bendigo city council, w h taylor, mines dept booklet 'bendigo goldfields' geo brown 1936, annals of bendigo 1873 & 1874, annals of bendigo dividend records from 1873 to 1935, a richardson, bendigo minicipal library booklet 'healthy golden bendigo'

Hand written notes on the Extended South Devonshire, South Devonshire, Duchess of Edinborough, United Devonshire and the Princess Alexandra. N. Deb also mentioned. Notes give area, dividends, calls and size of some of the batteries.mine, gold, devonshire mines, devonshire mines, extended south devonshire, south devonshire, duchess of edinborough, united devonshire, freeman & coy, 'the danes', annals of bendigo, princess alexandra, n deborah

Three typed copies of notes on the Central Red, White and Blue Mine. Notes give locality, plant, gold produced and where the gold was obtained from. One copy has 'Typed at Mines Dept' written at the top and has a correction in the locality area. It is signed by A Richardson.mine, gold, central red, white and blue mine, central red, white and blue mine, locality and plant of the central red, white and blue mine, sheepshead line of reef, flying fox, delbridge or mannings shaft, mines dept. booklet 'bendigo goldfield' 1936, annals of bendigo mining sections 1910 - 1936, a richardson