Photograph taken by Michael Taffe of Hymettus, family property at Ballarat since 1899 on the centenary of it being awarded "Champion Cottage Garden" for the City of Ballarat in 1918.

The decorative art-nouveau style leadlight side and transom lights were a popular form of entrance lighting set into recessed panels in late Victorian homes at Ballarat. This home built by local architect/builder Thomas Turton features these popular glass lights.The side and transom lights at Hymettus form part of a significant and representative historical collection that reflects Ballarat's local history from a family perspective and popular art and architecture movements at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. They contribute to our understanding of social and family life in twentieth century Ballarat and providing interpretative capacity for family, local, art, architecture and social history themes.ballarat architects and architecture,, hymettus, taffe, art nouveau, leadlight

Hecla electric kettle manufactured in Australia.

Silk ceremonial collar of Mr A. Burke St Arnaud who was a member of the Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society (HACBS).hibernian, australasian, hacbs, st arnaud, victoria, burke, ceremonial, collar.

Nineteenth century brass bookstand or table lectern used to hold book for reading or display purpose often deemed an essential item for the nineteenth and early twentieth century library. Also used as altar lectern in church items. This example was purchased to enhance reading in a household private library and also used to display books when on loan in the public domain in libraries and other repositories.brass, bookstand, book-rest, altar lectern, reading, library, display, 19th century. church.

After a quiet period, interest in bookplates in Australia began to increase in the early 1970s, This example was commissioned from Andrew Thomas a Ballarat photographer and designer by Michael Taffe owner of Hymettus at Ballarat in the 1990s and is a computer assisted design. It incorporates the generational family home, Hymettus and the family coat of arms with the owner's signature.Bookplate depicts "Hymettus", a weatherboard cottage behind a paling fence.Signature of M. J. Taffe.ballarat, bookplate, hymettus, taaffe, taffe, andrew thomas

Pokerwork was a popular home craft in the 1930s. This small domestic piece using plywood is typical of objects made at home or school in that period.One of two matching circular pieces of ply, Incised, painted and lacquered with holes top and bottom for ties with image of Kookaburra and leaves. Incised to lower centre of cover 'd'oyleys'.painted and lacquered with image of Kookaburra and leaves and Incised to lower centre of cover 'd'oyleys'.mary burke, donald, taffe, ballarat, pokerwork, craft

This is volume 1 of 45 held in the library at Hymettus cottage and bound in covers as a book, one of three volumes incorporating every edition in the series.. Life Australia was produced at Melbourne Victoria in 1967 and ran to 45 volumes when closed by the parent company in the USA in 1968. Although very American in the views espoused it was a significant step in attempting to produce a magazine of international focus in Australia. The brief period was also significant in Australia and the magazine covered events such as the Beatles visit to Australia, the seven day war in Israel, the conflict in Vietnam and the drowning of Prime Minister Harold Holt.The magazine, Life, was cosmopolitan and sophisticated in the USA and the Australian edition was identical in format, although fussing on local perspectives. it concentrated on serious current affairs and more profound cultural and political analysis, as well as a strong focus on fashion, lifestyle and nature. It was known for its striking front covers and high quality, stylized photography. and the local product lasted through 1967-68 producing 45 editions before ceasing and reverting to the International product.harold holt, vietnam war, australia, life australia magazine, melbourne, the beatles

The Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society was formed at Ballarat in 18 and William Taffe was Ballarat President in 1940 when presented with this mounted and framed photograph and photo-lithographic certificate.Thornton Richards & Co Ballarat inscribed on mounting board. Details of the subject, W.J.Taffe written in on the certificate.

Bookmark from the period of the Great War possibly sent to someone serving overseas with inscribed message from Australia.Inset watercolour of gum tree with inscription "Greetings from Australia" and on the reverse of image "1915-1916 from Marjorie".

A romance novel set in colonial Victoria and written by Matilda Dixie (Goldstraw) prominent early Ballarat personality who established Queens College Ballarat in 1877. Written and published in 1894 under the pseudonym of Noel Hope.matilda dixie, goldstraw, queens college, ballarat, noel hope.

Example of wood work and woodgraining popular in 1901 when the room was decorated. Mantel and mantel surround of pine turned and carved with this central panel beneath the mantel shelf all woodgrained in an oak finish.Fireplace surround featuring under-mantel panel with decorative carved acanthus leaves in urn with a rose at each extremity all in a woodgrain finish.woodgrain, decoration, mantel, oak finish, pine

An ephemeral example of a lady's dance program from the 1930s without punch holes for ribbon. These cards were used to book dances up until the 1940s."Programme" Printed on front.

One of the many self-drafting sewing pattern books which were very popular in the 1950s to 1970 produced by Enid Gilchrist, an Australian fashion designer, who became well known for her books.

The Catholic Church held an International Congress at Sydney in 1928. This was the first such gathering in the Southern Hemisphere and special trains were run from other states to convey visitors to the event. A range of souvenir items were purchased by Catholic families and a collection of these souvenirs including Congress rail tickets were collected and remain in the Taffe family Hymettus collection.This, the 29th Congress was the first ever held outside Europe or the USA. It was first great public demonstration of faith celebrated by Catholics in Australia this event attracted a crowd of half a million, the largest religious spectacle ever seen in Australia to that time. catholic church, catholic families, souvenir, eucharistic congress, sydney

The third Michael Taffe to live at Hymettus cottage Ballarat was dux of his class at the local parish school, St Patrick's Drummond St in 1958 and 1959. These mass produced premium plates were a popular insertion for such awards from their inception in Europe in the eighteenth century until the late twentieth century. The library collection at Hymettus includes examples from several Catholic schools, Wesleyan Sabbath Schools, Ballarat's McBains' High School, Ballarat College, Fintona in Camberwell and this from the Christian Brothers school at Drummond St Ballarat.Printed Awarded to and infilled with Michael Taffe Dux Second Year 1959.bookplates, premium plates, ballarat, christian brothers, fintona, weslyan sabbath schools,

Won at Street carnival, the Travellers' Gala in 1948 at Ballarat these bears were a popular post-war prize at such carnivals of the period when Australian motifs were seen as patriotic representations..

Typical of the mass produced small items manufactured in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century for domestic use along with clothes irons, boot scrapers and griddle irons, these beetle-style boot jacks were usually located in the vestibule near the door to wedge the booted foot into and pull, removing the boot before stepping into the house with any detritus on the boot.

This small handcrafted bookmark was made by one of the Jones sisters, Gwen or Edna of The Union homestead at Woolsthorpe in Western Victoria. Two small pieces of blue felt cut into shape of lady's face and stitched together with features added with wool stitching. Wool thread as hair stitched to hang outside the pages.

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Pair of embroidered doyleys for cake or sandwich trays made by Mary Burke of Dooboobetic in the 1920s. After her marriage to Michael Taffe in 1940 Mary moved to Ballarat and many of her embroideries remain in the house. They range from duchess sets to doyleys such as these. simple embroidery was taught to young girls in schools up until post-World War II.

Michael Taffe created his exhibition garden at Ballarat in the the late first years of the twentieth century taking out many amateur awards at flower shows which were a popular form of hobby and entertainment of the era. These particular stands were used for flowers such as pansies and were designed variously for 12, 9 or six varieties. ballarat, exhibition garden, flower shows, entertainment, amateur awards, pansies.

Three piece set made of bakelite simulating tortoiseshell and comprising powder compact, nail buffer and small container for nail powder polish.

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Horticultural award certificate for Daylesford Show 1921. Such certificates from a range of towns across the region illustrate the mobility of families and garden show enthusiasts from the early twentieth century.

Flower shows or Horticultural exhibitions were a popular form of entertainment and scientific pastime in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and were widely reported on and followed. Ballarat was a major centre for nurseries and prided itself as a garden city promoting many shows at all levels including grand national exhibitions. Exhibitors ranged from professional hybridists, nurserymen and florists to amateur growers. This award represents the cottage or amateur class in flower shows and was awarded circa 1909.. ballarat horticultural society, j taffe, roses, bentley, fraser print ballarat

Originally published by Carboni in 1856 following the Eureka Stockade at Ballarat this second edition was not published until 1942 almost ninety years later. One of the major productions of the Australian private press movement of the 1920s this second edition was produced in 1942 by Ernest Shea's Sunnybrook Press Sydney, in a limited edition of 150 copies. The book is illustrated with lino-cuts by W.E.Pidgeon and introduced by H.V.Evatt. It has a dustjacket and slip case and is signed by Shea, Evatt and Pidgeon. Only 150 produced on a handpress, rare example of Australian fine printing especially in wartime and only the second edition of Carboni's "Eureka Stockade".Book made with rag paper, dust jacket and slipcase.Numbered 128 of 150, signed by printer and artist. eureka stockade, private press, ballarat, ernest shea, sunnybrook press, sydney, carboni, second edition., evatt, pidgeon.

This simple rear cottage door at Hymettus built 1900-1901 has been the back door since the early 1900s. Photos in the family collection however, reveal that it was originally the return front verandah door to the dining-room and the transition seems to have occurred about 1910 when a new door was installed for the front verandah to complement the art-nouveau lead light transom and surrounds to the main front entrance. A similar simple glass and two panel cottage door closes off the passage from main passageway to the kitchen and service end of the home so that the home presents as more simple in the service area fittings with more decorative features to the more important front rooms of the home reflecting the progression of style as the family had more money to spend on the home.

A footed copper fireguard round topped to compliment the Victorian fire surround. fireguard, copper, footed,