The first Bendigo Easter Fair was held on April 10th and 11th 1871 and remains one of Australia’s longest running annual community events. Its purpose was to raise funds in aid of two local charities; The Bendigo Hospital, and The Bendigo Benevolent Asylum. In the first year the event raised 2,560 pounds which was split between the two charities, each receiving f 1,280. A fundraising event called the Popular Girl was held from 1930 to 1996 in which well-known local young ladies raised money for charity. The woman who raised the largest amount of money was crowned as Miss Popular Girl. The competition is no longer held. The 2010 parade contained a section in which a number of past Popular Girls paraded once again. The Popular Girl contest was preceded by the Queens' competition from about 1916 to 1929. The winner was selected by receiving the most votes which translated to funds raised for their respective charities. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bendigo_Easter_Festival Lorna Dorothy Stevens (Jamieson) born in Eaglehawk in 1910 d 2000 in South Australia, daughter of William Eccles Jamieson and Emma Jane Jamieson.Printed certificate featuring gold on cream coloured paper. Text is printed inside pattered boarder. In 1939 is was presented to Lorna Jamieson for fund raising one thousand and one pounds for the Bendigo Easter Fair. 1939 / Bendigo Easter Fair / Charity Carnival / Mitchell St. / Popular Girl / Miss Mena Bailie / Presented to / Lorna Jamieson / in appreciation of services / rendered and to commemorate / the citory of the Mitchell St. / Popular Girl (Miss Mena / Bailie) with the record sum of / One Thousand and One / Pounds / For and on behalf of the / Mitchell St. Popular Girl Committee / H. Muller, Pres / Geo. A. Wright, Treas. / M Hammill, Sec.city of greater bendigo easter fair, city of greater bendigo tourism, making a nation exhibiton, city of greater bendigo community groups, city of greater bendigo events

Wages book showing record of wages paid by Gembrook Nurseries (20/1/1939 - 31/8/1945). Found in shed (Packing shed) on former nursery site by Clem Worrel. Provides a record of names of residents who worked at the nursery, rates of pay and tasks performed.Of high significence in the Emerald area as the Nobelius Nurseries was the largest employer in the district and the largest Nursery in the Southern Hemisphere at the time.Green foolscap size hard cover with canvas binding.List of employees commencing 9th June 1939 to 31st August 1945nobelius nursery emerald wages book

Hilda Hill Collection. The Australian Catholic Truth Society Record. June 30, 1939. (No. 175) The Centenary of the Little Sisters of the Poor 1839 - 1939. Booklet No. 819 Price 2d.The Advocate Press, 143-151 A'Beckett Street, Melbourne.church, centenary, little sister of the poor 1939, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/jeanne_jugan

WW11 MedalsAustralian Service Medal 1939 - 1945, Defence Medal 1939 - 1945, War Medal 1939 - 1945.50054 R.S. Wright

This object relates to Edward LE MARSHALL. He was born on 16/09/1914 in Steiglitz, VIC. Edward served in the Army (VX28243) enlisting on, 18/06/1940 in Mount Egerton, VIC before being discharged from duties with the 3 LIGHT ANTI AIRCRAFT REG RAA as a Army Non-Commissioned Gunner (GNR) on 29/05/1941. Edward LE MARSHALL was not a prisoner of war. His next of kin is Ernest LE MARSHALL. Edward LE MARSHALL was awarded the 1939-1945 Star, Africa Star, Australia Service Medal 1939-1946, War Medal 1939-1945.Circular medallion attached via a soldered bar to a ribbon of red, white and blue stripes of varying thickenesses. Front of medallion features a year and image of a lion pinning an eagle underfoot in relief. Reverse features image of King George VI.On front: “1939/1945” “ECBP” On reverse: “REX ET INDIAE IMP GEORGIVS VI D G BROMN”second world war (ww2), 1939 - 1945, medals, ballarat rsl, ballarat

White Enamelled Stawell Gun Club Members Badge 1939stawell

This site was used as a burial ground from 1855 (about) to 1859. European and Chinese pioneers rest here. The Bendigo Chinese Society Honouring the memory of their Countrymen, fenced the site, 1928. Population of Vaughan 1859, 13000vaughan, vaughan springs, vaughan chinese cemetery, chinese

This site was used as a burial ground from 1855 (about) to 1859. European and Chinese pioneers rest here. The Bendigo Chinese Society Honouring the memory of their Countrymen, fenced the site, 1928 Population of Vaughan 1859, 13000vaughan, vaughan springs, vaughan chinese cemetery, chinese

This site was used as a burial ground from 1855 (about) to 1859. European and Chinese pioneers rest here. The Bendigo Chinese Society Honouring the memory of their Countrymen, fenced the site, 1928 Population of Vaughan 1859, 13000vaughan, vaughan springs, vaughan chinese cemetery, chinese

Pattison Collection This item is from the ‘Pattison Collection’, a collection of books and records that was originally owned by the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute, which was founded in Warrnambool in 1853. By 1886 the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute (WMI) had grown to have a Library, Museum and Fine Arts Gallery, with a collection of “… choice productions of art, and valuable specimens in almost every branch and many wonderful national curiosities are now to be seen there, including historic relics of the town and district.” It later included a School of Design. Although it was very well patronised, the lack of financial support led the WMI in 1911 to ask the City Council to take it over. In 1935 Ralph Pattison was appointed as City Librarian to establish and organise the Warrnambool Library as it was then called. When the WMI building was pulled down in 1963 a new civic building was erected on the site and the new Warrnambool Library, on behalf of the City Council, took over all the holdings of the WMI. At this time some of the items were separated and identified as the ‘Pattison Collection’, named after Ralph Pattison. Eventually the components of the WMI were distributed from the Warrnambool Library to various places, including the Art Gallery, Historical Society and Flagstaff Hill. Later some were even distributed to other regional branches of Corangamite Regional Library and passed to and fro. It is difficult now to trace just where all of the items have ended up. The books at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village generally display stamps and markings from Pattison as well as a variety of other institutions including the Mechanics’ Institute itself. RALPH ERIC PATTISON Ralph Eric Pattison was born in Rockhampton, Queensland, in 1891. He married Maude Swan from Warrnambool in 1920 and they set up home in Warrnambool. In 1935 Pattison accepted a position as City Librarian for the Warrnambool City Council. His huge challenge was to make a functional library within two rooms of the Mechanics’ Institute. He tirelessly cleaned, cleared and sorted a disarrayed collection of old books, jars of preserved specimens and other items reserved for exhibition in the city’s museum. He developed and updated the library with a wide variety of books for all tastes, including reference books for students; a difficult task to fulfil during the years following the Depression. He converted all of the lower area of the building into a library, reference room and reading room for members and the public. The books were sorted and stored using a cataloguing and card index system that he had developed himself. He also prepared the upper floor of the building and established the Art Gallery and later the Museum, a place to exhibit the many old relics that had been stored for years for this purpose. One of the treasures he found was a beautiful ancient clock, which he repaired, restored and enjoyed using in his office during the years of his service there. Ralph Pattison was described as “a meticulous gentleman whose punctuality, floorless courtesy and distinctive neat dress were hallmarks of his character, and ‘his’ clock controlled his daily routine, and his opening and closing of the library’s large heavy doors to the minute.” Pattison took leave during 1942 to 1942 to serve in the Royal Australian Navy, Volunteer Reserve as Lieutenant. A few years later he converted one of the Museum’s rooms into a Children’s Library, stocking it with suitable books for the younger generation. This was an instant success. In the 1950’s he had the honour of being appointed to the Victorian Library Board and received more inspiration from the monthly conferences in Melbourne. He was sadly retired in 1959 after over 23 years of service, due to the fact that he had gone over the working age of council officers. However he continued to take a very keen interest in the continual development of the Library until his death in 1969. WARRNAMBOOL PUBLIC LIBRARY The Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute (WMI) was formed by a voluntary community group in 1863, within six years of Warrnambool’s beginnings, and its Reading Room opened in 1854. The WMI operated until 1963, at which time it was one of the oldest Mechanics’ Institutes in Victoria. Mechanics’ Institutes offered important services to the public including libraries, reading rooms and places to display and store collections of all sorts such as curiosities and local historical relics. In 1886 a Museum and Fine Arts Gallery were added to the WMI and by the beginning of the 20th century, there was also a billiards room and a School of Art. By this time all Mechanics’ Institutes in country Victoria had museums attached. Over the years the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute Library was also known as the Warrnambool Public Library the Warrnambool Library and the Free Library. Early funding from the government was for the “Free Library”. The inscription in a book “Science of Man” was for the “Warrnambool Public Library”, donated by Joseph Archibald in 1899. Another inscription in the book “Catalogue of Plants Under Cultivation in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens 1 & 2, 1883” was presented to the “Warrnambool Library” and signed by the author W.R. Guilfoyle. In 1903 the Warrnambool Public Library decided to add a Juvenile Department to library and stock it with hundreds of books suitable for youth. In 1905 the Public Library committee decided to update the collection of books and added 100 new novels plus arrangements for the latest novels to be included as soon as they were available in Victoria. In July 1911 the Warrnambool Council took over the management of the Public Library, Art Gallery, Museum and Mechanics’ Institute and planned to double the size of the then-current building. In 1953, when Mr R. Pattison was Public Librarian, the Warrnambool Public Library’s senior section 10,000 of the 13,000 books were fiction. The children’s section offered an additional 3,400 books. The library had the equivalent of one book per head of population and served around 33 per cent of the reading population. The collection of books was made up of around 60 per cent reference and 40 per cent fiction. The library was lending 400 books per day. In 1963 the Warrnambool City Council allocated the site of the Mechanics’ Institute building, which included the Public Library, Museum and Art Gallery, for the new Municipal Offices and the Collections were dispersed until 1971. The Warrnambool Library took over the Mechanics’ Institute Library’s holdings on behalf of the Warrnambool City Council. Since the closure of the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute the exact location and composition of the original WMI books and items have become unclear. Other materials have been added to the collection, including items from Terang MI, Warrnambool Court House and Customs House. Many of the books have been identified as the Pattison Collection, named after the Librarian who catalogued and numbered the books during his time as Warrnambool Public Librarian in the time before the Mechanics’ Institute closed. It seems that when Warrnambool became part of the Corangamite Regional Library some of the books and materials went to its head office in Colac and then back to Warrnambool where they were stored at the Art Gallery for quite some time. Some then went to the Warrnambool Historical Society, some stayed at the Art Gallery and some were moved to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. The various stamps and labels on the books held at Flagstaff Hill show the variety of the collection’s distribution and origin. The books in the collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village date from the 1850s to the late 1950s and include rare and valuable volumes. Many of the books are part of the “Pattison Collection” after the Warrnambool’s Public Librarian, Mr R. Pattison. The Pattison Collection, along with other items at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, was originally part of the Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute’s collection. The Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute Collection is primarily significant in its totality, rather than for the individual objects it contains. Its contents are highly representative of the development of Mechanics' Institute libraries across Australia, particularly Victoria. A diversity of publications and themes has been amassed, and these provide clues to our understanding of the nature of and changes in the reading habits of Victorians from the 1850s to the middle of the 20th century. The collection also highlights the Warrnambool community’s commitment to the Mechanics’ Institute, reading, literacy and learning in the regions, and proves that access to knowledge was not impeded by distance. These items help to provide a more complete picture of our community’s ideals and aspirations. The Warrnambool Mechanics Institute book collection has historical and social significance for its strong association with the Mechanics Institute movement and the important role it played in the intellectual, cultural and social development of people throughout the latter part of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century. The collection of books is a rare example of an early lending library and its significance is enhanced by the survival of an original collection of many volumes. The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute’s publication collection is of both local and state significance. Warrnambool Public Library The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute Collection is primarily significant in its totality, rather than for the individual objects it contains. Its contents are highly representative of the development of Mechanics' Institute libraries across Australia, particularly Victoria. A diversity of publications and themes has been amassed, and these provide clues to our understanding of the nature of and changes in the reading habits of Victorians from the 1850s to the middle of the 20th century. The collection also highlights the Warrnambool community’s commitment to the Mechanics’ Institute, and to reading, literacy and learning in the regions, and proves that access to knowledge was not impeded by distance. These items help to provide a more complete picture of our community’s ideals and aspirations. As with many Mechanics' Institutes in Australia, the one which operated in Warrnambool was established and overseen for many years by key individuals associated with the development of the city itself. The WMI publication collection is historically significant because of its association with local people, places and the key historical themes in the development of Warrnambool of rural development, industry, farming, education, and community. The collection documents and illustrates the changing interests, focus and tastes of Victorians, especially those in regional cities. Generally, the individual items in the collection are not particularly rare, as examples of all probably exist in other public collections in Victoria. It is primarily because there are so very few surviving Mechanics' Institute collections in Victoria, which lends this overall collection its significance. Many items in the WMI Collection have the potential to support further research, both as individual objects and through the collection in its entirety. This material is significant for its ability to assist in the interpretation of the history of the area and adds to the general understanding of the development of the township. Many components of the WMI publication collection complement and reinforce the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum Collection, the Warrnambool Art Gallery Collection, and that in the Warrnambool Historical Society, and also contribute to a clearer understanding of the original Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute collections. This will greatly enhance the appreciation of the few surviving Mechanics' Institute collections across Victoria, and also in New South Wales. The similarities and differences between the small number of collections that have survived can provide further insights into how the people of Victoria in general, and Warrnambool in particular, constructed a civic culture of adult learning to foster an informed citizenry. The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute publication collection is of both local and state significance. A Tale of Two Cities Author: Charles Dickens Publisher: Collins Date: 1859 The label on the spine with the typed text PAT 823.8 DIC Pastedown front endpaper has a sticker from Warrnambool Public Library covered by a sticker from Corangamite Regional Library Service warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwrecked-artefact, book, a tale of two cities, charles dickens

1939 - 1945 Star War Medal 1939 - 1945 Pacific Star Australian Service Medal 1939 - 1945HARDIE, Ronald Waiter Australian Army NX 173949 (N461719) DOB 28.5.1925 DOE 17.7.1943 19 Australian Infantry Battalion

Wesleyan Church, Sandhurst account book and documents 1859 - 1898. light brown/beige book.. On fifth page the title: Sandhurst General Chapel account 1859. copied from various small books by W. Bickford.church, history, uniting church forest street

Documents; Envelope contains - Sale Note for land & dwellings, Lease No. 9048 Bendigo, Lease No. 9034 Bendigo, 1859 purchase of town lot, 1869 conveyance, 1896 conveyance, 1904 conveyance, 1906 conveyance. Sheepshead Gully Documents.MCCOLL RANKIN & STANISTREETorganization, mining, mccoll, rankin & stanistreet, lacey to deborah reef, mining lease no. 9034 and 9048, sheepshead bully, cornelius fahey to mr augustus weseloh deed no. 490, mrs anne robertson to mrs charlotte m.e. meager deed no. 918.

WWII Historical significance1939-1945 Pacific Star, The 1939 -1945 Star, The Australian Service Medal 1939-1945 and 1939-1945 War Medal awarded to VX 69902 Horace William McDonald.VX69902 H.W. McDonald

Miniatures. 1939/45 Star, Pacific Star, War Medal 1939/45 Aust Defence Medal 1939/45.medals, ww2, general

Hobsons Investment Digest of Australia and New Zealand August, 15th 1939.book, magazine, investment

Hobsons Investment Digest of Australia and New Zealand August,1st 1939.book, magazine, investment

Hobsons Investment Digest of Australia and New Zealand June, 15th 1939.book, magazine, investment