June Meeting (Newsletter No. 228, Jun. 2016) Shortly after the First World War Ivan Thompson, a pharmacist in Fairfield, expanded into the Diamond Valley by opening pharmacies at Eltham, Greensborough and Watsonia. A small item in the Hurstbridge Advertiser on 20th July 1928 states that ‘Mr. Ivan J Thompson, well known chemist, has opened a branch at Eltham where all prescriptions will be dispensed.’ In the early 1950’s Norm Williams considered he was fortunate to be able to serve an apprenticeship with Ivan Thompson at his Eltham pharmacy. He was with the business when it moved in 1952 to the present site at 964 Main Road, Eltham, which was the first brick shop built in the Eltham Town Centre. In 1958 Ivan Thompson decided to sell his pharmacies. Harry Brown and Norm Williams were able to purchase the Eltham business and they continued in partnership until Mr. Brown’s death in 1971. By that time they had expanded with pharmacies in Fairfield and Lower Plenty. At our June meeting Norm Williams will speak about how Thompsons Pharmacy developed, while continuing to supply a range of services for generations of Eltham families. His stories, supported by a collection of personal photographs, will entertain as well as give an insight into how the Eltham shopping centre has changed over the years.0:46:09 duration Digital MP3 File 65 MB audio recording, eltham district historical society, ivan thompson, norm williams, society meeting, thompson's pharmacy

Friendly Societies originated in the industrial areas of the United Kingdom. The first society in Victoria was formed in 1839 and by 1913 more than half of the Victorian population was insured by Friendly Societies in some fashion. The societies were financed by Members' subscriptions and offered health benefits and other welfare services, before these services were provided by the government. Doctors were paid by the societies to treat members free of charge, and Dispensaries were established to provide members with subsidised quality medicines. The Sunshine and District Friendly Societies Dispensary was established on the 1st of March 1930 with a membership of 896, and it was located in Sun Crescent Sunshine. The membership grew to 1052 within 4.5 years, and the number of prescriptions dispensed in the 6 months prior to November 30,1935 totalled 10,535. The Dispenser was Mr. C. H. Semmens. Most Friendly Societies operated democratically with office bearers changed regularly to prevent power cliques. The Sunshine Dispensary appears to have operated in the same way as the societies that owned it. The Advocate of 10 July 1936 reports that the seven newly elected office bearers or delagates were from the Friendly Societies; A.N.A., M.U.I.O.O.F., P.A.F.S., and G.U.O.O.F. The names of all the seven people can be found on the Honour Board, indicating that they each have served at least one term as President of the Sunshine Dispensary. The health professions and the Labour Governments of the 1940's wanted to see the involvement of Friendly Societies in health care broken. The Commonwealth Free Medicine Plan appears to have been drawing customers away from Friendly Societies Dispensaries in general. The Sunshine Dispensary placed several advertisements in the Sunshine Advocate during late 1950 urging members to remain loyal to it. By the 1980's the increase in entrepreneurial clinics and the availability of take away medicine helped to vastly diminish the involvement of Friendly Societies in health care provision. The 1936 Sunshine Advocate refers to the Sunshine and District United Friendly Societies Dispensary, with the same office bearers as the Presidents on the Honour Board but on which the 'United' is missing from the name of the Dispensary. The 1950 advertisements were placed by Sunshine U.F.S. Dispensary of 23 Sun Crescent. It is thought that all three names refer to the same business, but the writer stands to be corrected. The above is a compilation of information sourced from Sunshine Advocates published in January and July 1936, and in September, October and November 1950. It also draws on an article written by Elizabeth Willis and published online by the the Department of History (University of Melbourne), and on an article written by Mr. Bill Kelly of the Australian Friendly Societies Pharmacies Association, and also on an article by Museum Victoria Australia. Corrections to what has been written are welcome from interested readers.The Honour Board provides a historical record of the Presidents that served 61 terms on the Board of the Sunshine and District Friendly Societies Dispensary. It also provides a reminder that when a government does not adequately look after the welfare needs of its citizens, the people can band together to find ways of helping each other. The Sunshine Dispensary no longer exists, and a more recently established Community Pharmacy which operated in Hampshire Road could not compete against the discount pharmacies that have taken over. These new pharmacies sell a wide range of profitable product lines, as well as dispensing traditional prescription medications.Brown stained wood particle board with picture frame type edging. The board has six straight sides however it is not typical hexagon shaped. The top is composed of three straight short edges to give an almost rounded edge to an otherwise oblong shaped bottom section. On the board in gold coloured lettering are the names of 'brothers' and 'sisters' who served a total of 61 terms as PRESIDENTS of the SUNSHINE AND DISTRICT FRIENDLY SOCIETIES DISPENSARY, which was established on the 1st of March 1930. Eight of the men served more than one term with BRO. I. MILLER serving four terms, and BRO. F. RICHER serving three. The three women SISTER. I. REWELL, SISTER. C. JOHNSON, and SISTER. M.S. ARMSTRONG served one term each. There is no indication of when each person served, but it is believed that the term length was around six months and that the list is in chronological order. This conclusion results from seeing that BRO. W. ROONEY is the 11th listed President, and that the Sunshine Advocate of 10 July 1936 states that he was elected as the new President.sunshine and district friendly societies dispensary, honour board, 1st march 1930, 1/3/1930, sunshine u.f.s. dispensary, semmens, rooney, miller, richer, armstrong, rewell, johnson

This medicine glass was previously owned by Sybilla Margaret Kucks (1904-1978), daughter of Henry and Julia Kucks, and granddaughter of William and Sibilia Kucks. Sibilla was born in Warrnambool and lived there until 1917 when she moved to Armadale, Victoria, with her family. The medicine glass was among her effects left to her nephew William when she passed away and has been looked after by his wife Eva and treasured as a memento of their Warrnambool heritage. Mrs Sibilla Kucks sold sweets and fancy cakes in her Liebig Street shop from 1873 until the 1880s. She operated one of Warrnambool’s earliest dedicated confectionery shops at a time when sweets were more commonly found in a fruiterer’s shop. Her window display would have been full of brightly coloured sweets in shiny glass jars tempting passers-by. Sibilla (née Leyendecker) married Johann Wilhelm Kucks in New York, USA in 1856. Both were originally from Prussia. They sailed to Australia on the Ocean Rover and arrived in Melbourne June 10th, 1858. Seventeen days later their second child, William Jnr., was born. Warrnambool’s population was around 2,000 in 1859 when Sibilla and Johann (known as “William”) settled here. William was employed as a tailor by Cramond & Dickson. In 1859 the couple bought George Fergusson’s bakery in Timor Street and opened it as “W. Kucks Baker”. Along with fancy breads and biscuits, he advertised baked dinners to order. William supplied bread to the Warrnambool Hospital until the 1880s. In 1873 William built a row of four shops at 140-146 Liebig Street, one of which became Sibilla’s confectionery shop, and another was the new home to W. Kucks Baker. In 1877 William constructed a building in Liebig Street for the Warrnambool Steam Packet Company, which has since been incorporated into the Warrnambool Art Gallery. Its western wall shows to older construction and design. William and Sibilla had five other children. By 1896 their sons William Jnr. and Henry operated the business as “Messrs Kucks Bros., Bakers & Confectioners”. They employed six staff and used three carts for deliveries over a thirty-mile radius. They catered for clubs and functions including the Exhibitors’ Picnic Luncheon for the Warrnambool Industrial and Arts Exhibition (1896-7). In 1907 Messrs Kucks Bros. baked a monster Pyramid Cake for a local bazaar. It contained coins of various sizes and weighed 84lbs (38kg). Everyone buying a slice hoped to be lucky enough to end up with a coin! William Kucks Jnr. also became licensee of Terang’s ”Wheatsheaf Hotel”, its name and logo connecting it to the family’s bakery in Warrnambool. William (1825-1911) and Sibilla (1833-1910) Kucks and three of their seven children are buried at the Warrnambool Cemetery in a family grave. John Sambell migrated from England and established his chemist and dentist business in Warrnambool around 1890 in his premises in Fairy Street. The business later included his son Herbert. The maker, Whitall Tatum & Co, is clearly marked on the base of the bottle. The company was a a well known maker of prescription bottles. He used the brand "W. T. & Co. from Mid-1870's until the late 1880's, moulded into his glassware. This medicine glass is significant as one of very few remaining items from the history of John Sambell, chemist and dentist, Warrnambool. It is also significant as an example of medical equipment that has a design still used today. It is also significant for its association with William and Sibilla Kucks, a colonial family in Warrnambool that was greatly involved in the community and commerce of early days in Warrnambool.Medicine glass, (measuring glass or dose cup), clear glass, round. The antique chemist measuring glass is wide at the top and tapers to a narrow base. The glass has side seams and an uneven base. The glass has imperfections ans bubbles. The base is uneven. The measuring scale lines have been scored into the glass and the measurements and other inscriptions have been moulded into the glass. Glass is from J. Sambell, chemist and dentist in Warrnambool. On the back there is a measuring scale in tablespoons and teaspoons. There is also an inscription of the maker on the base. The glass was made in the late 1880's by Whitall Tatum & Co., America.Embossed within a round border "J. SAMBELL / CHEMIST / AND / DENTIST / WARRNAMBOOL" The scale on the back has "TABLE" "1" and "2", and "TEA" "8", "4", "2" and "1" The base has "W.T. & CO." around the edge.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, medicine glass, measuring glass, dose cup, medicine dispensing, medicine measurement, sambell pharmacy warrnambool, sambell chemist and dentist, warrnambool chemist, history of warrnambool, early 20th century chemist, john sambell, medical equipment, warrnambool medical services, kucks family in warrnambool, william and sibilla kucks descendant, mrs kucks' confectionery, william kucks baker, warrnambool dentist, herbert sambell, whitall tatum & co, w. t. & co., warrnambool steam packet, warrnambool art gallery

Draft concept plan prepared. by Brett Cheatley, Malcolm Warren and Ian Womersley, Parks and Waterways Planning Division, Melbourne Water. Includes management areas and key strategies for the Lower Plenty River.Book, mainly black and white print, colour photographs and plans, 66 pages. 3 copiesplenty river, melbourne water, lower plenty river

w.h. malyon, chemist, robert squire, dr affleck scott, william henry squire