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,

A small painting of the Taaffe family coat of arms painted on glass in reverse by Glen Taffe in 1992 as a Father's Day present for Michael Taffe.painting, glass, fathers' day.

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Cobb & Co coach preparing for Ballarat Centenary parade photographed in Armstrong Street Ballarat near Market St with the market and sales yards behind. Part of the Franklin/Martin collection donated in 2012.Small black and white photograph poorly focussed on page of photo album with several similar from the Ballarat Centennial celebrations of 1938.

One of a series of small photographs from the Ballarat Centenary celebrations on an old photo album page donated to the family from the Martin collection in 2012. This photo features the float from The City of Melbourne with that city's coat of arms on the side.This is one of a series of images from the Centenary of Ballarat 1938 collection. It demonstrates the involvement of municipalities across the state in the 1938 centenary celebrations and also fashions of the era being worn by subjects in the photographs.Small black and white photograph on page of photo album with several similar from the Ballarat Centennial celebrations of 1938. centenary of ballarat, 1938, city of melbourne, float, parades, fashion, apparel,

Photograph of the Nathalia WWI Avenue of Honour taken in 2006 by avenue researcher Michael Taffe. The Nathalia avenue consists of Australian native trees known as Kurrajongs. This photograph forms part of a large collection of images of Avenues of Honour at Hymettus, Ballarat from Michael Taffe's twenty-five years of research into the avenues leading to his PhD ' First World War Avenues of Honour: Social History through the Landscape.'. nathalia, avenue of honour, ballarat, phd, michael taffe, social history, landscape, kurrajongs,

Iron and steel fireplace fender for preventing (to fender off) potential embers or burning logs from falling from fire and landing on a floor. Removed from kitchen with the removal of the wood stove in the 1980s when a gas stove was introduced and placed in former bedroom now used as a study/library room.fender, fire, ballarat, ember, kitchen

This mounted and framed photograph of the South Ballarat Football Club was presented to Patrick Taffe who had served as Secretary and Treasurer in 1933.

This Book was presented for fancy work to Miss Annie Wilson in 1882 with A. Bain as School Principal. It has a premium plate with presentation details on the verso of the front cover. It together with an earlier book from the same school helps trace the history of the school from its origins as Alex Bain's Camp St School in the 1870s through to its renaming as the High School Ballarat pre-dating the later Education Department's Ballarat Agricutural High School re-named Ballarat High School in the early twentieth century.Identifies personalities and principles of excellence in education in nineteenth century Ballarat.

This image of the Ballarat Rowing Club in 1947 records the placings of threw crews in the Barwon regatta at Geelong in 1947 and the Ballarat Regatta in 1947. It also records the first time a new rowing style, "Leg and Body Drive" was used in rowing on Lake Wendouree at Ballarat.Photograph has light from lens across right side. Reverse has ink inscription: "Ballarat Rowing Club Lightweight Maiden Four Ballarat and Barwon Regattas, 1947. L Wallis Bow, J Nolan (2) E. McLenehan (3), J Trainor Stroke, W Hancock. Cox. Coach - Ken Baird. First crew to introduce "Leg and Body Drive" style on 14 starters at Ballarat defeated by Banks Rowing Club by three feet / Eliminated by Footscray at Barwon who won final. Stamp to centre Kodak Enlarged Print.

Studio portrait of Ballarat railway family in the 1920s with Michael Taffe Senior in his Head Porter uniform, and son John as Station Master beside him with Michael Jnr behind his father and Patrick rear right facing the latter two being Assistant Station Masters at that stage.On Mounting board: "Thornton" Studios Ballarat.