Showing 132 items
matching indigo shire
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The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph - Lantern Slide, c1900
... indigo shire... lantern indigo shire north-east victoria nineteenth century 1900s ...This image shows six older Chinese men standing in a row with two younger non-Chinese men outside a small wooden business or official building in the Beechworth region, circa 1900. The two non-Chinese men are wearing clothes of the period that indicate relative prosperity (such as three piece suits, top hats, and a pocket handkerchief), whereas most of the Chinese men are wearing Western-style working clothes of the era. One Chinese man at the far right of the image is wearing similar garments to the non-Chinese men, including a bowler hat and longer, more tailored suit jacket. Chinese miners were a significant cultural group in Beechworth's gold rush period. Carole Woods' history of Beechworth, 'A Titan's Field', details that there were approximately 60 Chinese people in the area in 1855, more than 1000 in 1856 and 4700 (a quarter of the population) in 1857, despite the introduction in 1855 of official policies such as additional taxes formulated by the Victorian Government to limit access by Chinese immigrants. Most Chinese miners in the region came from southern China and had formerly worked as merchants, mechanics, farmers and shop-keepers. Chinese people were subjected to a 'protectorate' system, ostensibly to minimise the potential for conflict with other groups; this system required Chinese people to live in designated 'hygienic' camps with paid Chinese headmen who supervised the village and enforced the protectorate's rules. Chinese people were required to purchase an annual protection ticket to fund this system. The protectorate system was abolished in 1861, before this image was taken in approximately 1900, but it may still provide insight into social stratification or relationships between and within cultural groups in Beechworth resulting from such practices. Lantern slides, sometimes called 'magic lantern' slides, are glass plates on which an image has been secured for the purpose of projection. Glass slides were etched or hand-painted for this purpose from the Eighteenth Century but the process became more popular and accessible to the public with the development of photographic-emulsion slides used with a 'Magic Lantern' device in the mid-Nineteenth Century. Photographic lantern slides comprise a double-negative emulsion layer (forming a positive image) between thin glass plates that are bound together. A number of processes existed to form and bind the emulsion layer to the base plate, including the albumen, wet plate collodion, gelatine dry plate and Woodburytype techniques. Lantern slides and magic lantern technologies are seen as foundational precursors to the development of modern photography and film-making techniques.This glass slide is significant because it provides insight into Beechworth's cultural and social relationships in the early Twentieth Century, in particular the experiences of Chinese miners. It is also an example of an early photographic and film-making technology in use in regional Victoria in the time period.Thin translucent sheet of glass with a circular image printed on the front and framed in a black backing. It is held together by metals strips to secure the edges of the slide.burke museum, beechworth, lantern slide, slide, glass slide, plate, burke museum collection, photograph, monochrome, magic lantern, indigo shire, north-east victoria, nineteenth century, 1900s, twentieth century, emulsion slides, chinese, chinese miners, protectorate system, protection licence, immigration, racism, classism, social groups, cultural groups, taxes, hygiene camps -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph - Lantern Slide, c1900
... indigo shire... lantern indigo shire north-east victoria nineteenth century 1900s ...This image appears to show nurses at what is now the Mayday Hills Mental Asylum in approximately 1900. These individuals are part of a long history of nursing in Beechworth. Three medical or social welfare facilities opened in the mid-1800s as part of a push by the township to become a regional centre for Government services. These were the Ovens District Hospital (opened in 1857), the Ovens Benevolent Asylum (opened in 1863), and the Beechworth Mental Hospital (opened in 1867 and renamed Mayday Hills Hospital at Centenary celebrations in 1967). It was recognised that the unsettled living conditions, poverty and relative isolation of the Goldfields environment could produce 'mental disturbances' which required local treatment facilities as services in Melbourne were too far away. Carole Woods' publication 'A Titan's Field' describes activities undertaken by patients at Beechworth Mental Hospital as including monthly balls and occasional concerts as well as work to make the facility self-supporting such as farm work and making clothes. She mentions a report in 1870 that the approximately 300 patients were clean and neat with 'no-one in restraint or seclusion' but that by 1905 the organisation had 623 patients which placed strain on building infrastructure such as heating and water supplies, leading to high turnover of nurses and other issues. A program of building works to extend and improve facilities followed over subsequent decades. Lantern slides, sometimes called 'magic lantern' slides, are glass plates on which an image has been secured for the purpose of projection. Glass slides were etched or hand-painted for this purpose from the Eighteenth Century but the process became more popular and accessible to the public with the development of photographic-emulsion slides used with a 'Magic Lantern' device in the mid-Nineteenth Century. Photographic lantern slides comprise a double-negative emulsion layer (forming a positive image) between thin glass plates that are bound together. A number of processes existed to form and bind the emulsion layer to the base plate, including the albumen, wet plate collodion, gelatine dry plate and Woodburytype techniques. Lantern slides and magic lantern technologies are seen as foundational precursors to the development of modern photography and film-making techniques.This glass slide is significant because it provides insight into Beechworth's social and medical amenities in the early Twentieth Century, around the time of Australia's Federation into one nation. It is also an example of an early photographic and film-making technology in use in regional Victoria in the time period.Thin translucent sheet of glass with a circular image printed on the front and framed in a black backing. It is held together by metals strips to secure the edges of the slide.burke museum, beechworth, lantern slide, slide, glass slide, plate, burke museum collection, photograph, monochrome, magic lantern, indigo shire, north-east victoria, nineteenth century, 1900s, twentieth century, emulsion slides, nursing, nurses, mental hospitals, lunatic asylums, asylums, social services, social welfare, insane asylums, mental health, infrastructure -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph - Lantern Slide, c1900
... indigo shire... lantern indigo shire north-east victoria nineteenth century 1900s ...This image of a man on horseback is thought to have been taken in Beechworth in approximately 1900. The man pictured may be Chinese. Chinese miners were a significant cultural group in Beechworth's gold rush period. Carole Woods' history of Beechworth, 'A Titan's Field', details a rapid increase in the Chinese population beginning in 1856 that led to Government discrimination and hostility from other miners. Many Chinese people who came to the Victorian goldfields had formerly worked as merchants, mechanics, farmers and shop-keepers. The pictured individual is wearing Western-style clothes indicating prosperity, such as a top hat, so may have held an official position or provided services to the community rather than working as a miner. Lantern slides, sometimes called 'magic lantern' slides, are glass plates on which an image has been secured for the purpose of projection. Glass slides were etched or hand-painted for this purpose from the Eighteenth Century but the process became more popular and accessible to the public with the development of photographic-emulsion slides used with a 'Magic Lantern' device in the mid-Nineteenth Century. Photographic lantern slides comprise a double-negative emulsion layer (forming a positive image) between thin glass plates that are bound together. A number of processes existed to form and bind the emulsion layer to the base plate, including the albumen, wet plate collodion, gelatine dry plate and Woodburytype techniques. Lantern slides and magic lantern technologies are seen as foundational precursors to the development of modern photography and film-making techniques.This glass slide is significant because it provides insight into Beechworth's cultural and social relationships in the early Twentieth Century, in particular the experiences of Chinese people. It is also an example of an early photographic and film-making technology in use in regional Victoria in the time period.Thin translucent sheet of glass with a circular image printed on the front and framed in a black backing. It is held together by metals strips to secure the edges of the slide.burke museum, beechworth, lantern slide, slide, glass slide, plate, burke museum collection, photograph, monochrome, magic lantern, indigo shire, north-east victoria, nineteenth century, 1900s, twentieth century, emulsion slides, chinese, chinese miners, immigration, racism, classism, social groups, cultural groups, horse riding, horses, equestrian, horseback -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, Unknown c.1900s
... Indigo Shire... Shire could otherwise be lost to time. Beechworth Council Indigo ...This image depicts a group of local counsellors from the Shire of Beechworth (est. mid to late 1900s). The identities of those within the photo remain unknown. The table and chairs featured in the image were produced in the late 19th century and have been in continual use for more than 100 years. The councellors would likely have convened in the Beechworth Town Hall. A History of Beechworth: Gold was discovered in the May Day Hills district in 1852. A canvas and timber settlement soon developed as prospectors rushed to the area. Over four million ounces of gold was recovered in the first 14 years. Between 1852 and 1857, Beechworth was a gold-producing region and centre of government, boasting many industries and a multicultural population. Beechworth was proclaimed a borough on the 11th of September 1863, a formalisation of the municipal incorporation of the town seven years before. This image is associated with the history of Beechworth; it reveals the identities of local counsellors, persons whose contribution to the Beechworth Shire could otherwise be lost to time. Black and white rectangular photograph, unmounted.beechworth council, indigo shire, local victorian government -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, c1990
... Indigo Shire gold rush.... Beechworth Burke Museum Street of Shops Gold Rush Indigo Shire gold ...Taken in the 1990's, this photograph depicts a row of shop fronts in the 'Street of Shops' exhibition in the Burke Museum in Beechworth. This exhibition was created and opened in 1979 and was intended to reflect and imitate a historic peirod in the town's past. The time period decpicted is that of the Gold Rush which swept through many Victorian towns from the 1850's onwards. For the town of Beechworth, the gold rush began in 1852, when gold was discovered in Spring Creek, drawing in many new residents seeking to make a fortune and transforming a once remote town into a bustling centre brimming with hope and opportunity. By 1857, the town contained over 200,000 residents and with this, the need for more amenities and intsitutions arose. Multiple churches, banks, schools, shops, hospitals and other essential buildings appearing over the years. The wealth acquired through the gold rush is largely responsible for the vast development of the town and many of its significant buildings which still remain to this day. This photograph also highlights the significance of this type of exhibition, providing a new mode of experiencing and learning about the past. The street depicts the many supporting trades and industries that arose from the mass migration during the gold rush. The creation of the Street of Shops in 1979 was envisioned by Roy Harvey who was the curator at the time, with the intention of recreating an authentic feel to the environment while collecting from the community to accurately portray the multiculturalism that is ingrainded in many towns and communities of Victoria. This photograph contains historical significance as it relates to and portrays an especially important period of time within Beechworth and Victoria's history. The gold rush phenomena ushered in a wave of hope and prosperity for citizens and immigrants alike. It provided many with the opportunity to strike it rich, while the town prospered and grew in many ways. This widespread development that accompanied the gold rush occured throughout Victoria and holds great historical importance when recording the social, economic and communal developments that occured throughout the time period which gave way to the beloved towns and communities we know today. Beechworth itself is acknowledged as Victoria's best-preserved gold mining town and deserves recognition of its significance. it also showcases the great significance of social develpment and globalization that occured throughout the state during this period. Coloured rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper and unmounted. Obverse: Dancing every night 8pm-6am [mirror] / Gold Diggers Arms Hotel façade / Star / Beechworth Gold / J. Davidson / Saloon Reverse: 3306 beechworth, burke museum, street of shops, gold rush, indigo shire gold rush, 1850s beechworth, burke museum exhibitions, saloon, gold buyer, hotel, historical streetscape, gold rush immigration -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Geological specimen - Malachite, Unknown
... indigo shire... further study. burke museum beechworth indigo shire beechworth ...Malachite is typically found as crystalline aggregates or crusts, often banded in appearance, like agates. It is also often found as botryoidal clusters of radiating crystals, and as mammillary aggregates as well. Single crystals and clusters of distinguishable crystals are uncommon, but when found they are typically acicular to prismatic. It is also frequently found as a pseudomorph after Azurite crystals, which are generally more tabular in shape. This particular specimen was recovered from the Burra Burra Copper Mine in Burra, South Australia. Otherwise known as the 'Monster Mine', the Burra Burra Copper Mine was first established in 1848 upon the discovery of copper deposits in 1845. Within a few short years, people from around the world migrated to Burra to lay their claim in the copper economy. By April 1848 the mine was employing over 567 people and supporting a population of 1,500 in the local township. Up until 1860, the mine was the largest metals mine in Australia, producing approximately 50,000 tonnes of copper between 1845 to its closure in 1877. The Burra Burra Mine was also famous for a number of other specimens, including; crystalline azurite, cuprite, and botryoidal and malachite. Malachite is considered a rare gemstone in that the original deposits for the stones have been depleted leaving behind very few sources. In addition, the use of Malachite as gemstones and sculptural materials remains just as popular today as they were throughout history. It is quite common to cut the stone into beads for jewellery. The fact that Malachite has such a rich colour and one that does not fade with time or when exposed to light makes it particularly rare. This specimen is part of a larger collection of geological and mineral specimens collected from around Australia (and some parts of the world) and donated to the Burke Museum between 1868-1880. A large percentage of these specimens were collected in Victoria as part of the Geological Survey of Victoria that begun in 1852 (in response to the Gold Rush) to study and map the geology of Victoria. Collecting geological specimens was an important part of mapping and understanding the scientific makeup of the earth. Many of these specimens were sent to research and collecting organisations across Australia, including the Burke Museum, to educate and encourage further study. A solid hand-sized copper carbonate hydroxide mineral with shades of blue and light green throughout. burke museum, beechworth, indigo shire, beechworth museum, geological, geological specimen, mineralogy, burra, burra burra mine, south australia, malachite, malachite specimen -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph - Lantern Slide, c1900
... indigo shire... Monochrome indigo shire north-east victoria spring creek falls ...This image shows the gorge adjacent to Beechworth in approximately 1900. Although the exact location of the photograph is yet to be determined, the present-day Beechworth Gorge Walk includes views of the Cascades at the point at which Spring Creek flows into the valley on the level below. Gold-sluicing techniques in use in the town during periods of active gold extraction may have altered the landscape since the photograph was taken, however. In the 1850s a mill was built at the top of the Spring Creek falls by Russian-born Louis Chevalier, brother of artist Nicholas Chevalier. The mill supplied the town with lumber that supported the town's initial construction boom. Lantern slides, sometimes called 'magic lantern' slides, are glass plates on which an image has been secured for the purpose of projection. Glass slides were etched or hand-painted for this purpose from the Eighteenth Century but the process became more popular and accessible to the public with the development of photographic-emulsion slides used with a 'Magic Lantern' device in the mid-Nineteenth Century. Photographic lantern slides comprise a double-negative emulsion layer (forming a positive image) between thin glass plates that are bound together. A number of processes existed to form and bind the emulsion layer to the base plate, including the albumen, wet plate collodion, gelatine dry plate and woodburytype techniques. Lantern slides and magic lantern technologies are seen as foundational precursors to the development of modern photography and film-making techniques.This glass slide is significant because it provides insight into Beechworth's built environment and natural landscape in the early Twentieth Century, around the time of Australia's Federation. It is also an example of an early photographic and film-making technology in use in regional Victoria in the time period.Thin translucent sheet of glass with a square image printed on the front and framed in a black backing. It is held together by metals strips to secure the edges of the slide.burke museum, beechworth, lantern slide, slide, glass slide, plate, burke museum collection, photograph, monochrome, indigo shire, north-east victoria, spring creek falls, beechworth gorge, louis chevalier, nicholas chevalier, lumber industry, timber industry, 1850s, construction, building, mill, mills, waterfall -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph - Lantern Slide, c1900
... indigo shire... Burke Museum Collection Photograph Monochrome indigo shire north ...This slide shows a train proceeding along the Beechworth rail trail in approximately 1900. The rail line to Beechworth was the subject of significant lobbying by local officials such as John Orr and G.B. Kerferd in the 1860s, as it was recognised that the poor quality of roads to Melbourne and Albury hindered trade and formed a barrier to the social development of the town. The subsequent positioning of Beechworth on a branch rather than a main line was not considered ideal to achieve these aims, but the Everton-to-Beechworth and Beechworth-to-Yackandandah components of the line cost an average of £7,277 per mile and State Government officials felt the need in the area did not justify the cost of a direct line. The Beechworth Railway Station was officially opened on the 29th of September 1876 and ran services twice daily to Melbourne, transporting nearly 12,000 passengers and around 6,500 tons of cargo in 1900. It closed in 1976 and is today used as a cycling trail used by locals and promoted as a feature of the area to tourists. Lantern slides, sometimes called 'magic lantern' slides, are glass plates on which an image has been secured for the purpose of projection. Glass slides were etched or hand-painted for this purpose from the Eighteenth Century but the process became more popular and accessible to the public with the development of photographic-emulsion slides used with a 'Magic Lantern' device in the mid-Nineteenth Century. Photographic lantern slides comprise a double-negative emulsion layer (forming a positive image) between thin glass plates that are bound together. A number of processes existed to form and bind the emulsion layer to the base plate, including the albumen, wet plate collodion, gelatine dry plate and Woodburytype techniques. Lantern slides and magic lantern technologies are seen as foundational precursors to the development of modern photography and film-making techniques.This glass slide is significant because it provides insight into Beechworth's social amenities and transport infrastructure in the late Nineteenth Century. It is also an example of an early photographic and film-making technology in use in regional Victoria in the time period.Thin translucent sheet of glass with a circular image printed on the front and framed in a black backing. It is held together by metal strips to secure the edges of the slide.burke museum, beechworth, lantern slide, slide, glass slide, plate, burke museum collection, photograph, monochrome, indigo shire, north-east victoria, rail trail, beechworth rail trail, beechworth station, everton, wangaratta, wodonga, albury, rail transport, cargo transport, g.b. kerferd, john orr, murray to mountains rail trail, cycling, biking, railway -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph - Lantern Slide, c1900
... indigo shire... chiltern pharmacy dow's pharmacy chiltern indigo shire north east ...Chiltern Pharmacy, now called Dow's Pharmacy, opened in 1859 at a time when the township of Chiltern was experiencing a second-wave gold rush that redistributed the balance of commercial and social activity in the region. David McEwan, father of Prime Minister John McEwan, was one of the first pharmacists practicing at the business. It was purchased in 1929 by pharmacist Hilda Dow who ran the business with her apprentice and husband, Roy Dow, until they closed the business in 1968. In 1988, after founding the North East branch of the National Trust, the Dows donated the premises with its entire fittings and stock. Some of the more than 4,000 items in stock at the time of closure in 1968 were present in the shop when the Dows took charge in 1929 and date to the late Nineteenth Century (around the time this image was taken). Hilda Dow (nee Grey) was born in 1897, the daughter of a police magistrate. She enrolled to study at the Victorian College of Pharmacy in 1919 and worked initially for Poynton's Pharmacy in Morwell before purchasing the Chiltern Pharmacy that was later named after her. She was a member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Victoria, a hospital committee and Board, the Red Cross and the Infant Welfare Association and held office for the Chiltern branch of the Country Women's Association. Her sister Helene Grey received an OBE for her work as Lady Superintendent of the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Although Hilda Dow was not Australia's first female pharmacist (this was Caroline Copp in 1880) the preservation of the pharmacy and the stories it presents sheds light on the general issue of recognition for female medical pioneers in Australia. Lantern slides, sometimes called 'magic lantern' slides, are glass plates on which an image has been secured for the purpose of projection. Glass slides were etched or hand-painted for this purpose from the Eighteenth Century but the process became more popular and accessible to the public with the development of photographic-emulsion slides used with a 'Magic Lantern' device in the mid-Nineteenth Century. Photographic lantern slides comprise a double-negative emulsion layer (forming a positive image) between thin glass plates that are bound together. A number of processes existed to form and bind the emulsion layer to the base plate, including the albumen, wet plate collodion, gelatine dry plate and woodburytype techniques. Lantern slides and magic lantern technologies are seen as foundational precursors to the development of modern photography and film-making techniques.This image is significant as it provides insight into social and commercial infrastructure available in the North-East region of Victoria in the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries. The business pictured is also associated with a Prime Minister of Victoria and some of Victoria's first female medical and pharmaceutical practitioners. Thin translucent sheet of glass with a circular image printed on the front and framed in a black backing. It is held together by metals strips to secure the edges of the slide.burke museum, beechworth, lantern slide, slide, glass slide, plate, burke museum collection, photograph, monochrome, hilda dow, roy dow, chiltern pharmacy, dow's pharmacy, chiltern, indigo shire, north east victoria, history of pharmacies, women in pharmacy, women in medicine, women in business, david mcewan, john mcewan, national trust, national trust victoria, north-east victoria national trust, heritage buildings, industrial heritage, helene grey, pharmaceutical society of victoria, victorian college of pharmacy, country women's association, caroline copp, royal melbourne hospital, red cross, infant welfare association -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph - Lantern Slide, c1900
... indigo shire... Monochrome beechworth gorge indigo shire landscapes mill sluicing ...This image shows the gorge adjacent to Beechworth in approximately 1900. Although the exact location of the photograph is yet to be determined, the present-day Beechworth Gorge Walk includes views of the Cascades at the point at which Spring Creek flows into the valley on the level below. Gold-sluicing techniques in use in the town during periods of active gold extraction may have altered the landscape since the photograph was taken, however. In the 1850s a mill was built at the top of the Spring Creek falls by Russian-born Louis Chevalier, brother of artist Nicholas Chevalier. The mill supplied the town with lumber that supported the town's initial construction boom. Lantern slides, sometimes called 'magic lantern' slides, are glass plates on which an image has been secured for the purpose of projection. Glass slides were etched or hand-painted for this purpose from the Eighteenth Century but the process became more popular and accessible to the public with the development of photographic-emulsion slides used with a 'Magic Lantern' device in the mid-Nineteenth Century. Photographic lantern slides comprise a double-negative emulsion layer (forming a positive image) between thin glass plates that are bound together. A number of processes existed to form and bind the emulsion layer to the base plate, including the albumen, wet plate collodion, gelatine dry plate and woodburytype techniques. Lantern slides and magic lantern technologies are seen as foundational precursors to the development of modern photography and film-making techniques.This glass slide is significant because it provides insight into Beechworth's built environment and natural landscape in the early Twentieth Century, around the time of Australia's Federation. It is also an example of an early photographic and film-making technology in use in regional Victoria in the time period.Thin translucent sheet of glass with a square image printed on the front and framed in a black backing. It is held together by metals strips to secure the edges of the slide.burke museum, beechworth, lantern slide, slide, glass slide, plate, burke museum collection, photograph, monochrome, beechworth gorge, indigo shire, landscapes, mill, sluicing, gold mining, north-east victoria, spring creek, louis chevalier, cascades -
Wooragee Landcare Group
Photograph, 28th April 2004
... indigo shire... by Wooragee Landcare Group in the 2000s in Indigo Shire. wooragee ...Wooragee Landcare was formed in 1989 to promote sustainable conservation and land-use practices in the North-East region of Victoria. The organisation's work has included public awareness and education campaigns to control invasive, introduced species and protect native wildlife, such as campaigns to bait or trap foxes and to identify and monitor quoll populations in the region. The organisation has drawn on the work of a variety of Government and academic experts to inform best practice approaches are utilised. In 2004 Andrew Murray, a leading quoll expert from Parks Victoria, conducted training for Wooragee Landcare members and the local community in how to identify potential quoll habitat and populations (through identifying scat and other methods). Spotted-tail or Tiger quolls were known to have lived in the Mt Pilot and Stanley Plateau region previously but habitat encroachment, competitor species such as foxes and natural disasters had reduced sightings in recent years. The Spotted-Tail quoll (formerly known as the Tiger Quoll) is the largest of four species of native marsupial carnivore on mainland Australia, and the second-largest carnivore (after the dingo). The species' scientific name, Dasyurus maculatus, references its' 'hairy tail'. Adults are approximately 125cm long, including their long tail, and weigh around 5 kilograms. The Spotted-tail quoll is currently considered to be a threatened species, but other species are currently listed as endangered.This photograph is significant as an example of wildlife protection awareness programs undertaken by Wooragee Landcare Group in the 2000s in Indigo Shire.Landscape coloured photograph printed on gloss paper.Reverse: WAN NA 0ANA2N0 NNN+ 1 8743 / [PRINTED] (No.23) / 269wooragee, wooragee landcare, indigo shire, north-east victoria, andrew murray, queries about quolls, wildlife, conservation, farming, predators, spotted tail quolls, quolls, marsupials, south-east forests, mt pilot, stanley plateau -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Weapon - Tranter Revolver, Robert O'Hara Burke's Revolver
... indigo shire... indigo shire north-east victoria revolver Presented to R. O’Hara ...This gun was presented to Robert O’Hara Burke Esq in 1858 by the Beechworth Police in recognition of his four years’ service as the Police Superintendent at Beechworth. It arrived back in Beechworth on Thursday 10th April, 2014.Presented to R. O’Hara Burke Esq / Supt. of Police by the Officers of the district on his transfer from Beechworth / November 1858 /burke, robert o'hara burke, burke museum, robert o'hara burke museum, firearm, burke and wills, burke & wills, burke and wills expedition, expedition, beechworth, indigo shire, north-east victoria, revolver -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph - Lantern Slide, c1900
... indigo shire... indigo shire north-east victoria hospital palladian architecture ...This lantern slide shows the Ovens District Hospital (also called the Ovens Goldfields Hospital) in Beechworth in approximately 1900. The Hospital was built as part of a community push to develop the infrastructure needed for a permanent town in the 1850s. At the time there was no hospital located between Melbourne and the NSW town of Goulburn and it was recognised that the nature of mining and agricultural work predisposed people to serious injury. The community voted in 1853 to raise funds for a hospital and a voluntary committee elected from people who contributed £2 or more annually determined the organisation's management policies, which aimed to provide care for poor people at rates levied according to the person's means. Ongoing operations of the hospital were primarily supported by Government grants, however. The foundation stone was laid at a site in Church Street at a ceremony held 1st September 1856 which was attended by 2000 people using a locally crafted trowel with a tin ore handle and pure gold blade. The hospital, which was designed by J.H. Dobbyn, cost £2347. The hospital had two wards, a dispensary, apartments for a resident surgeon and the matron, an operating theatre and a board room. Further medical facilities including services to meet the cultural and health needs of the local Chinese community were later added, in addition to a Palladian-style cut-granite face built in 1862-63. It functioned as the region's primary hospital until surpassed by the Wangaratta Hospital in 1910. In the 1940s much of the building materials were salvaged and repurposed, with the exception of the facade which was restored in 1963 by the Beechworth Lions Club and still stands today. The facade featured on the covers of local history volume 'Beechworth: a Titan's Field' by Carole Woods and heritage-focused travel guide the 'Readers Digest Book of Historic Australian Towns'. Lantern slides, sometimes called 'magic lantern' slides, are glass plates on which an image has been secured for the purpose of projection. Glass slides were etched or hand-painted for this purpose from the Eighteenth Century but the process became more popular and accessible to the public with the development of photographic-emulsion slides used with a 'Magic Lantern' device in the mid-Nineteenth Century. Photographic lantern slides comprise a double-negative emulsion layer (forming a positive image) between thin glass plates that are bound together. A number of processes existed to form and bind the emulsion layer to the base plate, including the albumen, wet plate collodion, gelatine dry plate and woodburytype techniques. Lantern slides and magic lantern technologies are seen as foundational precursors to the development of modern photography and film-making techniques.This glass slide is significant because it provides insight into Beechworth's built environment and infrastructure in the early Twentieth Century, around the time of Australia's Federation. It is also an example of an early photographic and film-making technology in use in regional Victoria in the time period.Thin translucent sheet of glass with a round-edged square image printed on the front and framed in a black backing. It is held together by metal strips to secure the edges of the slide.Obverse: Y /burke museum, beechworth, lantern slide, slide, glass slide, plate, burke museum collection, photograph, monochrome, ovens district hospital, indigo shire, north-east victoria, hospital, palladian architecture, granite, community fundraising, community infrastructure, j.h. dobbyn, beechworth lions club, ovens goldfields hospital, chinese community -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph - Lantern Slide, c1900
... indigo shire... Burke Museum Collection Photograph Monochrome indigo shire north ...Miners from Snake Valley lobbied the Victorian Government in 1855 to make land available for sale for farming purposes as an alternative occupation and income for people who wished to stay in the region but move away from gold mining. A secondary motivation was to increase the supply of fresh produce and decrease prices of items that otherwise needed to be transported from Melbourne or other regions. Forty-three country lots were initially offered in the Three Mile area, ranging in size from two to ninety acres and costing from £1 to £3 per acre. An additional eighty-five country lots were auctioned later in the year, in addition to many smaller suburban lots. More lots were offered than sold, initially, but this represented conditions of sale requiring the total purchase cost up front which many people interested in purchasing could not afford, especially as land purchased for farming would accrue substantial additional costs for clearing and labour before becoming productive. Further lobbying activities and the election of parliamentary members sympathetic to the cause took place through the 1850s. Ovens Parliamentary Member, Daniel Cameron, was re-elected in 1856 on a platform of surveying the land for public selection with deferred payment options. Land reform remained an issue in the area through the 1850s and early 1860s, impacting broader decisions in the new State of Victoria relating to voting rights, use of Crown land and the farming of land that wasn't always suitable for the purpose. This photograph depicts Beechworth in approximately 1900, after several waves of land sales resulted in increasingly levels of development. Lantern slides, sometimes called 'magic lantern' slides, are glass plates on which an image has been secured for the purpose of projection. Glass slides were etched or hand-painted for this purpose from the Eighteenth Century but the process became more popular and accessible to the public with the development of photographic-emulsion slides used with a 'Magic Lantern' device in the mid-Nineteenth Century. Photographic lantern slides comprise a double-negative emulsion layer (forming a positive image) between thin glass plates that are bound together. A number of processes existed to form and bind the emulsion layer to the base plate, including the albumen, wet plate collodion, gelatine dry plate and woodburytype techniques. Lantern slides and magic lantern technologies are seen as foundational precursors to the development of modern photography and film-making techniques.This glass slide is significant because it provides insight into Beechworth's built environment and infrastructure in the early Twentieth Century, around the time of Australia's Federation. It is also an example of an early photographic and film-making technology in use in regional Victoria in the time period.Thin translucent sheet of glass with a square-edged image printed on the front and framed in a black backing. It is held together by metal strips to secure the edges of the slide.burke museum, beechworth, lantern slide, slide, glass slide, plate, burke museum collection, photograph, monochrome, indigo shire, north-east victoria, farming, squatters, miners, agriculture, land-clearing, land reform, daniel cameron, land sales, three mile, snake valley, tarrawingee -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Geological specimen - Sphalerite, Unknown
... indigo shire... indigo shire geological survey sphalerite sphaelerite zinc ore ...Sphalerite or sphaelerite is named from the Greek word for 'treacherous' or 'deceiver' as specimens can vary widely in appearance, making them hard to visually identify. It is a zinc sulfide with the chemical composition (Zn,Fe)S, the most important ore of zinc. Specimens of sphalerite can contain iron as a substitute for up to 25% of the usual zinc present, as well as trace elements of gallium, cadmium, geranium and indium. Small amounts of arsenic and manganese may also be detected. Sphalerite is found in igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. It forms when carbonate rock encounters acidic, zinc-bearing fluid. It often forms in veins or in fissures of the existing rock, with colours and crystal shapes dependent on the composition of the the combining elements. It forms isometric crystal shapes including cubes, tetrahedrons, octahedrons, dodecahedrons. This specimen was collected in approximately 1852, in Broken Hill, NSW, as an adjunct to the Geological Survey of Victoria. It was donated to the Museum in 1868. Victoria and other regions of Australia were surveyed for sites of potential mineral wealth throughout the 19th Century. The identification of sites containing valuable commodities such as gold, iron ore and gemstones in a locality had the potential to shape the development and history of communities and industries in the area. The discovery of gold in Victoria, for instance, had a significant influence on the development of the area now known as 'the goldfields', including Beechworth; the city of Melbourne and Victoria as a whole.The specimen is significant as an examples of surveying activity undertaken to assess and direct the development of the mineral resource industries in Victoria and Australia, as well as the movement to expand human knowledge of earth sciences such as mineralogy and geology in the nineteenth century.A pipe-shaped specimen of sulfide-mineral zinc ore displaying patches of black, brown, beige and gold colouring. The main item has associated broken pieces. geological specimen, geology, geology collection, burke museum, beechworth, mineralogy, indigo shire, geological survey, sphalerite, sphaelerite, zinc ore, broken hill, nsw, victoria, galena, fluorite, chalcopyrite, lead, cadmium, gallium, germanium, indium, iron -
Rutherglen Historical Society
Document, 13/02/1998
... before it could be handed over to Indigo Shire for public use... it required remediation before it could be handed over to Indigo Shire ...When operational, the Gold Battery used cyanide in its processing processes. The land surrounding it required remediation before it could be handed over to Indigo Shire for public use. The land has since been planted with pasture and native plants. The Gold Battery has been restored to working condition, and can be viewed by collecting a ticket from the Rutherglen Wine Experience and Visitor Information Centre.Photocopy of letter relating to remediation works on the Gold Battery site.gold battery, gold processing, land remediation -
Wooragee Landcare Group
Photograph, 20th June 2004
... in Indigo Shire. The event started in 1996 and since then more than... are very important in Indigo Shire. The event started in 1996 ...The photograph was taken on the 20th of June 2004 at Bob Dunnett’s place in Wooragee. Bob Dunnett is more popularly known in Beechworth as the owner of Beechworth Berries who oversees around 30,000 strawberry plants on his farm in Wooragee. He comes from a long line of fruit growers, as the son of an orchardist, who was the son of a fruit grower. Bob Dunnett provides strawberries to his fellow townspeople opting to sell his fruit at local markets. National Tree Day is Australia’s largest tree-planting and nature care event as trees, shrubs and grasses are very important in Indigo Shire. The event started in 1996 and since then more than 3.8 million people have planted 24 million trees and plants. As Wooragee community and by extension Indigo Shire value nature such as trees, shrubs and grass, this photograph is significant as it demonstrates community commitment to ensuring the continuity of nature in the region. Coloured rectangular photograph printed on gloss photographic paper Reverse: WAN NA 0ANA2N0 NNA- 1 1636/ No.24 937 wooragee landcare's collection, wooragee, tree planting, wooragee landcare -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, c1900
... in Indigo Shire. ... links us to the 1850s-1860s story of rural development in Indigo ...This photograph shows a small timber house in Wooragee. In 1855, the Ovens district made a shift towards farming development that included the sales of land in the Wooragee Valley. This shift came because of miner's demands and concern about stabilising the area around the goldfield. Continual migration needed to be supported, unlucky diggers needed alternative employment, and there was a lack of affordable fresh produce available on the goldfields. Initially, the cost of land in areas like Wooragee was prohibitive, and miners chose to squat rather than overpay for poor land. Throughout the 1850s and 1860s, land reform was a key topic for miners and politicians, as they attempted to improve land access and protect financial interests. This photograph is an example of rural development in the Wooragee area, showing the cottage, tents, and garden beds. While the date is unknown, the image nevertheless links us to the 1850s-1860s story of rural development in Indigo Shire. Black and white rectangular photo, copy of original, printed on paper. wooragee, timber, timber cottage, corrugated iron, cottage, housing, tents, gardening, farming, farming and agriculture, construction, garden bed, flowers, verandah, squatting, tent, field -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, 1973
... the Indigo Shire Council in 1994. Little has been found about... and Chiltern Yackandandah to become the Indigo Shire Council in 1994 ...Taken in 1973, this photograph features 13 men in suits, most of whom are council members of the United Shire of Beechworth, as well as a secretary and engineer. The photo is taken in a formal setting, suggesting there may have been an occasion at this time (potentially surrounding or related to the August council meeting). Previously a district (1856), then a borough (1863) and separate shire (1866) at this time the Local Government Area (LGA) had been known by this name for approximately two years, after having amalgamated with the still-existing borough. Beechworth amalgamated with Rutherglen and Chiltern Yackandandah to become the Indigo Shire Council in 1994. Little has been found about the men in the photograph, however this was at also around the time that women were becoming more widely accepted into positions on Victorian council (such as Valerie Mason, who was elected the first President of the United Shire of Beechworth council 6 years after this photograph.) The photograph has been taken in front of the Beechworth Shire Hall. The Hall was designed by architects J.J. Coe and Thomas Dalziel and is dated to 1859. Originally the building was used as the Shire Offices but also doubled as a fire station and a courthouse, with still surviving cells underneath. The Town Hall is now home to the Visitor Information Centre, is the starting point for historical Precinct walking tours and is available for hire for events or community meetings.The Beechworth Town Hall is one of five distinctive granite buildings on Ford Street that comprise the Justice Precinct, and is listed on the Victorian Heritage register. This photograph captures the ongoing importance and use of the Beechworth Town Hall and its ties to Council operations in the 1970s.Black and white rectangular photograph print matt photographic paperReverse - written in pencil upper right corner: 1997.2602; stamped in black ink across centre margin: Beechworth shire council Aug.1973/ Crs.H.H.Warner, H.C.Lucas, L.W. Powell, L. Leentjes, R.C. Sewell, T.J. Carroll/ G.Gray (Secry), Crs.R.P. O'Connor, D. Nankervis, D. McKenzie-McHaig, J.J. Macaulay, H.R. Sinclair/ D.Pope (Engineer), Absent Cr.J.V.Diffey; written in pencil in cursive lower left margin: Absent J Diffey; written in pencil bottom right edge: BMMA02602beechworth shire council, crs.h.h.warner, h.c.lucas, l.w. powell, l. leentjes, r.c. sewell, t.j. carroll, g.gray (secry), crs.r.p. o'connor, d. nankervis, d. mckenzie-mchaig, j.j. macaulay, h.r. sinclair, d.pope (engineer), cr.j.v.diffey, beechworth town hall -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, c. 1910
... by their time working the Ovens goldfield during the Indigo Shire gold... by their time working the Ovens goldfield during the Indigo Shire gold ...Taken approximately 1910, this black and white photograph shows the interior of the surgery and consulting rooms at the Mayday Hills mental hospital known at that time as a lunatic asylum in Beechworth. Mayday Hills Hospital, then known as the Beechworth Lunatic Asylum was constructed between 1864-67 designed by The Public Works Department. The hospital is made up of a number of buildings, landscaping, ha-ha, workshops, laundry, administrative facilities and farmland, it was constructed in 'Italianate' style by a team of up to two hundred and fifty workers (Woods p. 122). The asylum was established in response to the need for the regional shire to locally care for those particularly affected by their time working the Ovens goldfield during the Indigo Shire gold rush era where poor living conditions and isolation were significantly affecting the welfare of a great many people through poverty and lack of resources. The gaol and orphan labour systems were not able to effectively support to give housing, rehabilitation and ongoing care for the mentally ill, and transporting to Melbourne by waggon was a time consuming and counter-productive solution when the metro facilities were already overcrowded. According to Woods (A Titan's Field p. 122), between 1901 and 1911 a large percentage (thirty five percent in 1901 and twenty four in 1911) of the Beechworth population were either patients or inmates of Beechworth institutions, Mayday Hills accounted for some six hundred and seventy four patients in 1901, Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. The hilltop atmosphere and the native fauna, it was argued, would assist in the cure of the patients kept at the hospital (Wood 1985, 122). The positioning of the hospital had a beneficial effect on the rural town and the large volume of people living at the hospital and contributing to this population growth is counted as reason for the survival of Beechworth as a regional township. Mayday Hills continued to function as a mental hospital up until 1995 when it was sold to LaTrobe university. The building and grounds are listed on the Victorian Heritage Register under criterion A, B, D, E and F. Although grainy, the image gives a good indication of a functioning interior space of a surgery and consulting room at Mayday Hills in the early 1900's, from which we might interpret (from the types of tools and furniture present), the medical practices being performed at the time.Black and white rectangular photographmedical, asylum, surgery, hospital, beechworth, mayday hills, mayday hills asylum, mayday hills hospital, mental hospital, beechworth lunatic asylum, beechworth institutions, social welfare, public works department, consulting room -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph - Postcard, Town Hall Beechworth, c1910
... Trust and protected by Indigo Shire Council’s Planning Scheme ...Beechworth Town Hall was designed by architects J.J. Coe and Thomas Dalziel and is dated to 1859. The building was made of granite and constructed to local builders Donald and William Fiddes. The original front to the building was replaced by a two story facade in 1889 designed by George Jobbins and built by Thomas Sandham according to a plaque on the front. The Town Hall is remarkable for its vaulted ceilings and columns. Originally the building was used as the Shire Offices but also doubled as a fire station and a courthouse, with still surviving cells underneath. Among the inmates was notorious bushranger Harry Power who was originally transported to Van Dieman’s Land for stealing a pair of shoes. He gained his freedom six years later but spent time in and out of gaol for the rest of his life for a variety of offences including a number of armed robberies. The Town Hall is now home to the Visitor Information Centre which helps visitors with amongst other things, accommodation, tours, event enquiries, and is the commencement point for Precinct walking tours. The Beechworth Town Hall is one of five distinctive granite buildings on Ford Street that comprise the Justice Precinct. It is of considerable historical significance as activity on the site dates from Australia’s gold rush period and was the administrative centre for north-eastern Victoria. The building has seen continual use from 1858 as an important public building and displays many aspects of the history of law enforcement in Victoria. The building is also of substantial architectural significance for its construction from local honey coloured granite, which also showcases early stone masonry techniques and craftsmanship. The Precinct is listed on the Victorian Heritage register and is protected by Heritage Victoria under the Victorian Heritage Act 2017. The buildings are also registered by the National Estate, the National Trust and protected by Indigo Shire Council’s Planning Scheme. Black and White rectangular postcard printed on cardReverse: 1906-1910?beechworth, beechworth town hall, town hall, jj coe, thomas dalziel, granite, beechworth historic building, courthouse, cells, geoge jobbins, thomas sandham, 1859, 1889, walking tours, beechworth historic precinct, historic precinct, harry power, bushranger, australian bushrangers, van dieman's land, transportation, armed robberies -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, c. 1902
... on the Indigo Shire’s Significant Tree Register. entertainment album ...Taken in c. 1902, depicted is a group of adults and children dressed in formal clothing, with some of the women in the crowd carrying parasols, standing and sitting around and upon the rock at Queen Victoria Park on the Ford Street side of the park. This group is celebrating the official opening of the park. On top of the rock is a gas lamp post.Originally known as the Beechworth Botanical Gardens, the Queen Victoria Park features a extensive collection of historic trees and plants, which have been listed on the Indigo Shire’s Significant Tree Register. Sepia rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paperReverse: 3716 (in black pen)/ 97.2273 (in pencil)/entertainment album, beechworth, queen victoria park, gardens & parks, opening, burke museum -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, c. 1905
... and plants, which have been listed on the Indigo Shire’s Significant ...Taken in c. 1905, depicted is a large group of children and adults dressed in formal attire sitting and standing upon a granite rock that is located in the centre of Queen Victoria Park. In front of the group is a wooden picket wire fence that sides the granite rock. On top of the rock is a gas lamp post.Originally known as the Beechworth Botanical Gardens, the Queen Victoria Park features a extensive collection of historic trees and plants, which have been listed on the Indigo Shire’s Significant Tree Register.Black and white rectangular reproduced photograph printed on matte photographic paperReverse: 6956 (in pencil)/ ©/ DONALD HAYES/ BEECHWORTH (stamped in orange ink)/entertainment album, burke museum, beechworth, queen victoria park, park -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Postcard, c. 1903
... have been listed on the Indigo Shire’s Significant Tree ...Taken in c. 1903, depicted is a large group of adults and children dressed in formal attire gathered around and upon the granite rock in the centre of Queen Victoria Park.Originally known as the Beechworth Botanical Gardens, Queen Victoria Park features a extensive collection of historic trees and plants, which have been listed on the Indigo Shire’s Significant Tree Register.Black and white rectangular postcard printed on cardObverse: QUEEN'S ROCK VICTORIA PARK BEECHWORTH Reverse: 3701/ 3641 (this has been crossed out)/ Parks & Gardens/ 1998.00059/ entertainment album, burke museum, beechworth, queen victoria park, gardens & parks -
Kiewa Valley Historical Society
Document - Community Accord
... and Indigo Shire. community accord north east victorian shires ...Demonstration of co-operation between Shires in the North East of Victoria including Rural City of Wangaratta, Benalla Rural City, Alpine Shire, Mansfield Shire and Indigo Shire.Laminated on the front cardboard - pale yellow with black 'italic' print. Signed by representatives of 5 shires in the north east of Victoriacommunity accord, north east victorian shires -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, 1990s--estimated
... . According to the Indigo Shire Council webpage for Burke Museum ...Taken in 1990, this photograph depicts a row of shops in Beechworth, with the shopfront of watchmaker and jewellers, William Turner and C.F. Falck, in the foreground, and newsagent and bookseller James Ingram's shop in the background.This photograph is of social significance to the Beechworth community in depicting the Street of Shops, the creation of curator, Roy Harvey, which opened in 1979 at Burke Museum. According to the Indigo Shire Council webpage for Burke Museum, this addition 'began a new period of collecting with Roy Harvey calling to the community for donations. The response resulted in an influx of material adding to the town history/ development and local identities collections. The Shops and their contents reflect another period in museology.' The historic shopfronts in this image portray those of local settlers, William Turner and CF Falck's Watchmaker and Jeweller store, and James Ingram's news agency and bookshop. William Turner was originally a goldfields official who became a commissioner on the Ovens goldfield, and later a resident warden, at times performing magisterial duties and chairing the Local Court. Charles Frederick Falck, born in Korlin, Germany, in 1833, a skilled watchmaker and jeweller, ran the jewellery business from 1862. Along with William Turner and Melbourne barrister, George Milner Stephen, he prepared a dazzling display of gems and jewellery from Beechworth for the Royal Society's Exhibition in Melbourne in 1865. This act signposted Beechworth's progress as a nineteenth-century gold rush town with a population of around 3000. In the mid-1850s, newsagent James Ingram established a newsagency and supplied papers and stationary to the goldfields. He and bookseller R.T. Vale stocked a wide range of literary, historical and religious works, textbooks, periodicals and newspapers, as well as hosting a reading and writing room on Camp Street{?}. James Ingram was a 'devoted instigator and supporter of the town's welfare institutions', who raised funds for to establish a hospital, primary school and benevolent asylum, and assisted people who'd fallen on hard times with his wife. He was also a mainstay of the early Baptist church, holding meetings in his house. He died in 1928, six weeks short of his 100th birthday. Ingram's Rock, north-west of Beechworth near where he lived in later life, was named after him. Colour rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper.Obverse: FALCK 1880 / maker & Jeweller/ WARDENS OFFICE/COACHING OFFICE/ EST. ??55/ ????ON HOUSE/ JAMES INGRAM/ NEWS?????? AND BOOKSELLER/ TOYS visible above shopfront in left foreground. Reverse: Catalogue item number 3305 pencilled in top right-hand corner.beechworth, beechworth historic shops, william turner, cf falck, james ingram, turner and falck watchmaker and jeweller, james ingram newsagent and bookseller, burke museum, promoting settlement, marketing and retailing, living in country towns, making regional centres, preserving traditions and commemorating, beechworth founders, victorian gold rush towns, beechworth pioneers, ingram's rock, 1860s beechworth, street of shops, roy harvey -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, 1990s -- estimated
... opened in 1979 at Burke Museum. According to the Indigo Shire ...Taken in the 1990s, this photograph depicts a line of historically restored shopfronts on Ford Street, Beechworth, with Beechworth Bazaar in the foreground and George Gammon's Chemist and Druggist adjacent to it.This photograph is of social significance to the Beechworth community in depicting the Street of Shops, the creation of curator, Roy Harvey, which opened in 1979 at Burke Museum. According to the Indigo Shire Council webpage for Burke Museum, this addition 'began a new period of collecting with Roy Harvey calling to the community for donations. The response resulted in an influx of material adding to the town history/ development and local identities collections. The Shops and their contents reflect another period in museology.' This photograph evokes the historic shopfronts of Beechworth Bazaar and George Gammon's Chemist and Druggist from the Street of Shops, which were established during the mid-1850s on the back of gold mining wealth. The expansion of banks within Beechworth also stimulated the local economy.Colour rectangular photograph printed on gloss photographic paper.Obverse: BEECHWORTH BAZAAR est. 1855/ CHINA GLASSWARE SILVERPLATE EARTHENWARE/ ?ESTER HO?E/ R.?ALL. ? LT.LITTLEWOO?/ SINGLEMAN & RIEDLE GEORGE GAMMON/ MEDICAL GALVANISM/ CUPPING/ TEETH EXTRACTED/ CHEMIST & DRUGGIST Reverse: 3. 3055 burke museum, beechworth, beechworth bazaar, 19th-century victorian history, beechworth historic shops, burke museum, promoting settlement, marketing and retailing, living in country towns, making regional centres, preserving traditions and commemorating, victorian gold rush towns, beechworth pioneers, 1850s beechworth -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Audio - Oral History, Jennifer Williams, Mrs Val Mason, 5 January 2001
Mrs. Valerie (Val) Mason (1927-2019) was a local sheep farmer, business-woman, Beechworth shire councillor, and mother to five children. With her husband, Charles, Mrs. Mason developed and managed the Big Valley farm estate, at Everton, which is now part of a vineyard and farm stay. Mrs. Mason was instrumental in introducing a 'paddock to plate' philosophy and business model, opening a butcher shop on the farm in 1973. Concerned with improving infrastructure and developing economic opportunities in the region, Mrs. Mason successfully stood as a local council representative for South Riding in the United Shire of Beechworth, and later become the first woman Shire President in 1979. Mrs Mason was a member of the local Business and Professional Women's Club for 37 years. This oral history recording was part of a project conducted by Jennifer Williams in the year 2000 to capture the everyday life and struggles in Beechworth during the twentieth century. This project involved recording seventy oral histories on cassette tapes of local Beechworth residents which were then published in a book titled: 'Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century Beechworth. These cassette tapes were digitised in July 2021 with funds made available by the Friends of the Burke.Mrs. Mason's story is historically significant for understanding economic and social changes in the Beechworth region during the latter half of the twentieth century. As a council representative, issues such as road and infrastructure modernisation and the transition from traditional government employment sectors, like Beechworth's care institutions, were challenges for local government. As a farmer and local employer, Mrs. Mason's story is testimony to the region's economic diversification as businesses like Big Valley farm shop helped shape the region's contemporary character. Mrs. Mason was among the first women to broach the traditionally all-male Beechworth Council Chambers and her story is socially significant for understanding the changing role of women in rural and regional Australia. This oral history recording offers interpretive capacity for social history themes and may be compared with other oral histories in the Burke Museum's collection. This oral history account is socially and historically significant as it is a part of a broader collection of interviews conducted by Jennifer Williams which were published in the book 'Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth-century Beechworth.' While the township of Beechworth is known for its history as a gold rush town, these accounts provide a unique insight into the day-to-day life of the town's residents during the 20th century, many of which will have now been lost if they had not been preserved.This is a digital copy of a recording that was originally captured on a cassette tape. The cassette tape is black with a horizontal white strip and is currently stored in a clear flat plastic rectangular container. It holds up 40 minutes of recordings on each side.Mrs Val Mason /listen to what they say, beechworth, oral history, burke museum, working women, trail blazers, farm to plate, farm shop, paddock to plate, woman farmer, united shire of beechworth, rural and regional women, beechworth's first woman shire president, women in leadership positions, women leaders, australian settlement history, settler societies, victorian gold rush, heritage tourism, culinary tourism, regional land use, indigo winery, farm stay, social history -
Chiltern Athenaeum Trust
photograph, Benjamin Jackson Bartley, 1871
Benjamin Jackson Bartley was elected to the Indigo Road Board in 1871 and became the Chairman. Three years later when the Indigo Road Board became Chiltern Shire Mr Bartley became the first Shire President. This position he held for eight consecutive years and again in 1883-1884 and 1895. This is a recored time in office in Local Government. Mr Bartley commenced a cordial factory in Chiltern in 1859 and a Brewery in 1871. A gold framed rectangular photograph with paper backing. " Benjamin Jackson Bartley (1833 - 1899)". He was the "First President - Shire of Chiltern". benjamin jackson bartley, chiltern brewery, alfred bartley, cootamundra brewery, edwin bartley, maryborough brewery, william bartley, william bartley (his father) was of her majesty's ordnance department. -
Chiltern Athenaeum Trust
Document - Sympathy Card from W.C.Busse Collection
... in a cemetery in Indigo Shire. It is also important as it is a familial ...Wilfred Clarence Busse was born in Chiltern, Victoria in 1898. Busse attended secondary school at Wesley College before graduating and studying law at the University of Melbourne. After graduating from University, Busse went on to become a barrister, often in the chambers of Sir Leo Finn Bernard Cussen a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria. Busse was also a fictional writer seen by his novels "The Blue Beyond; A Romance of the Early Days in South Eastern Australia" was written in 1928 and published in 1930 and "The Golden Plague: A Romance of the Early Fifties" written in 1930. "The Golden Plague: A Romance of the Early Fifties" won the T.E.Role gold medal for the best historical novel published that year and went on to become a best seller. Busse wrote a series of articles for "The Federal Standard" newspaper in Chiltern, about the history of Chiltern. Wilfred Clarence Busse was a member of the Chiltern Athenaeum upon his death in 1960. Clara Jane Busse was born in 1870 and was married to William Friedrich Busse. She was the mother of Wilfred Clarence Busse. She survived her son Wilfred by 8 years and died on the 15th of September 1968This memorial card is important to Chiltern Athenaeum as it is of a resident who spent many years in the region before being buried in a cemetery in Indigo Shire. It is also important as it is a familial extension of Wilfred Clarence Busse who was born and raised in Chiltern and drew inspiration for his novels from his life in Chiltern.Off white rectangular card with black cursive writing printed Obverse: Clara Jane Busse/ Passed away at Chiltern/ September, 23rd 1968/ Aged 98 years/ At rest/ Miss Claire Busse and/ Mrs Doreen Martin/ Wish to thank you sincerely for/ Your kind expressions of sympathy/ In their recent sad bereavement/ Reverse: With sincere thanks/ “Roseville”/ Main Street/ Chiltern wilfred clarence busse, chiltern, chiltern athenaeum, busse, "the golden plague: a romance of the early fifties., "the blue beyond, a romance of the early days in south eastern australia", clara jane busse, claire busse, doreen martin