Tait collection: item 35 of 62 This is a document giving details of the Letters of Administration following the death of Alexander Gibson McPherson, a farmer of Rochester, Victoria, in December 1883. He died intestate and left an estate worth £215. The beneficiary was his sister, Mary Wright of Somerton. No other details are available on Alexander McPherson. The lawyer in the case was Ernest Chambers who had legal offices in Port Fairy, Warrnambool and Koroit at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. This document was in his possession at his Warrnambool office and passed down to successive lawyers occupying legal premises in Kepler Street. The document was found in the same building, the former premises of the legal firm, Mackay Taylor, where it was located in 2014 and handed over to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society.This document is only of interest as being originally in the possession of Ernest Chambers, a lawyer who was in Warrnambool for several years at the end of the 19th century. No connection between Warrnambool and Alexander McPherson has been found. This is a cream-coloured sheet of parchment paper, folded twice. It contains hand written material in brown ink giving details of the Letters of Administration following the death of Alexander McPherson of Rochester in 1883. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with a green ribbon and it has ,a black stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court of Victoria. One page has been ruled at the edges with brown lines. The writing is somewhat faded but the document is legible. In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria in its probate jurisdiction in the Estate of Alexander Gibson McPherson late of Rochester in the Colony of Victoria Farmer a bachelor deceasedalexander mcpherson, ernest chambers, warrnambool, tait collection

Tait collection: item 41 of 62 This document gives the details of the Will and Probate of Henry Phillips who died in Warrnambool in 1895 at the age of 55. He came to Australia from England in 1861 and established a hay and corn store in Liebig Street, Warrnambool. He was a prominent member of the Congregational Church and lived at ‘Ilfracombe’ in Lava Street. He and his wife Emma had eight children, two of whom had businesses in Warrnambool. Henry Phillips left personal estate to the value of £521 and the beneficiaries were his wife, Emma and their children. This document came into the possession of a Warrnambool lawyer, Ernest Chambers and passed down to successive lawyers occupying legal premises in Kepler Street. The document was located in this building in 2014 in the former premises of the law firm of Mackay Taylor. This document is of considerable importance as it contains details of the Will and Probate of Henry Phillips. He was a prominent businessman in Warrnambool in the 19th century. The document will be useful to researchers. This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper folded in two and containing the Will and Probate details of Henry Phillips, a Warrnambool hay and corn merchant who died in 1895. The document has handwritten material (black ink) on three sides of the paper. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with a green ribbon and there is one red stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court on the second page. The handwriting is fading in some places but is still legible. In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria In the Probate Jurisdiction In the Will of Henry Phillips late of Warrnambool in the Colony of Victoria Hay and Corn Merchant deceasedhenry phillips, walter briggs and son, tait collection, ernest chambers

These are three volumes of Peloubet’s Select Notes. The book contents are described as ‘Inductive, Suggestive, Explanatory, Illustrative, Doctrinal and Practical’. The books were issued as curriculum material for Sunday Schools and were first published in the mid 1870s and continued to be published for the next 100 years. These three volumes belonged to M. P. McMeekin and this is presumed to be Margaret Parker McMeekin (1868-1948), the daughter of John McMeekin and Isabella Parker of Warrnambool. John McMeekin was the Rate Collector and Inspector and then the Valuer for the Warrnambool Shire in the 1860s, 70s and 80s. Two sons, William and James, operated a produce export business in Kepler Street under the name of McMeekin Brothers and another son, Charles was an auctioneer in Warrnambool. It is surmised that Margaret McMeekin was a Sunday School teacher either in Warrnambool or Port Fairy. These books are of interest as examples of what was taught in Sunday Schools in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They are also of interest because they belonged to Margaret McMeekin, a member of a prominent family in Warrnambool at that time. These are three books of a religious nature written by F. and M. Peloubet and published in 1895, 1898 and 1904. .1 A hard cover book of 346 pages with a greenish brown cover and gold lettering on the spine. Two blue stamps of the Warrnmbool & District Historical Society and a handwritten name are on the first page .2 A hard cover book of 344 pages with a brown cover and gold lettering on the spine. Two blue stamps of the Warrnambool & District Historical Society are on the first and last page. The cover has worn edges. .3 A hard cover book of 358 pages with a greenish brown cover and gold lettering on the spine. There are two blue stamps of the Warrnambool & District Historical Society on the first and last page. There is a black and white full page plate at the beginning of the book and this is protected by a piece of tissue. ‘M.P. McMeekin, Port Fairy’ (1895 volume) sunday schools, margaret mcmeekin, warrnambool history

This ledger contains an Index to Drafts for Mortgages, Conveyances and Deed of Covenants etc (1896 to 1913) which was in use by the Warrnambool solicitor, Ernest Chambers. He had offices in Warrnambool, Koroit and Port Fairy in the late 19th century and early 20th century and Thomas Goodall was his manager in Warrnambool until 1899 when Chambers took up permanent residence in Warrnambool. The ledger was found in the old Mackay Taylor offices in Kepler Street and presumably came into the possession of this law firm at a later stage when Ernest Chambers was no longer operating in Warrnambool. The firm of Mackay Taylor was originally established in 1898 from the amalgamation of the law firms of George Mackay and James Fletcher. In the 1920s the firm became Mackay and Taylor when J. Taylor joined as a partner and this business was prominent in Warrnambool until the 1990s.This ledger has some significance as it contains the names of many Warrnambool and district residents of the late 19th and early 20th centuries and gives some indication of what type of legal transaction they were involved with. It therefore has some historical and social connotations useful for researchersThis is a ledger with a black cover and red bindings on the spine and corner reinforcements. There are 273 pages with printed red lines for accounting purposes. The entries are written in black ink. The inside front and back covers of card paper material have a red and blue mottled pattern. Front cover: ‘Index to Drafts, E.T.H.Chambers’ Spine: ‘8-4-96 to 14-9-15 Index to Drafts’ ernest chambers, solicitor mackay taylor legal firm

These are personal documents that belonged to Henry Roberts Parrington. They include statements regarding his preliminary and final examinations that qualified him as a lawyer in England (1867, 1873), annual certificates of registration as a lawyer in New Zealand (1876-1886), personal affidavits presented to the Supreme Court of Victoria and permission to practise as a lawyer in Victoria (1886). Henry Roberts Parrington qualified as a lawyer in England in 1873 and worked as a barrister and solicitor in New Zealand from 1876 to 1886. He then came to Australia and worked for the legal firm of Messrs Higgins in Geelong and Bayly and Higgins in Warrnambool. The business in Kepler Street, Warrnambool later became known as Higgins and Parrington and, in 1900, as Parrington and Tait (partner John Sym Tait). When John Tait retired in 1901 Henry Parrington was the sole proprietor of the practice. He died in Melbourne in 1926. These documents have some significance as they are original papers documenting Henry Parrington’s early years as a lawyer. He was a prominent lawyer in Warrnambool in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These sixteen paper documents relate to the lawyer, Henry Roberts Parrington. They are all original documents from England, New Zealand and Australia (Victoria). Most have printed material on them. All have statements and information handwritten in black ink and many have stamps relating to the country concerned. Some are foolscap size and are printed on blue paper. Others are quarto and envelope size. All have some staining and are crinkled where they have been folded. henry roberts parrington, history of warrnambool

This book belonged to the Warrnambool solicitor, Con O’Mahony (1863-1920). In 1883, he won the University of Melbourne Bowen Prize for his essay on the Federation of the Australian colonies. His prize, ten volumes of the ‘Lives of the Chancellors’, is today in the possession of the Warrnambool and District Historical Society. O’Mahony had a legal practice in Warrnambool in the Royal Chambers in Kepler Street at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. He was initially in a partnership with Messrs E.W. Klingender and Murray, then ,when this partnership was dissolved, he continued the business under the name of O’Mahony and later O’Mahony and Murray. He was actively involved in the management of the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute and was a member of the Warrnambool Hospital committee. The item here described shows O’Mahony’s interest in bridge-playing, a popular pastime at that time. This book is of some significance as it belonged to Con O’Mahony, a well-known lawyer in Warrnambool in the early 1900s. It also shows the interest in bridge-playing as a pastime during that period. This is a small hard cover book of 112 pages. It was published in 1901(eighth edition) and contains seven chapters on how to play bridge, a scoring table and an index. The last three pages are advertisements for other books on bridge. The cover is yellow with the title of the book, the author’s name and the publisher on the front cover contained within a scroll pattern with four coloured images of the four kings from a pack of cards. The back cover has a list of the British Chess Handbooks published by George Routledge & Sons Ltd. The pages have been annotated (presumably by Con O’Mahony, the Warrnambool solicitor) and some sentences and headings have been underlined.Four stamps – one of ‘May 24 1902’ and three of ‘C.O’Mahony, Solicitor, Warrnambool’.bridge-playing, con o’mahony, warrnambool

These glass slides were made to be used at interval time at the Capitol Theatre in Kepler Street, Warrnambool. The Capitol Theatre (originally the Warrnambool Theatre) was erected in 1930 on the site occupied by the Hotel Mansions which included a Palais de Danse and a Mansions Theatre. All were destroyed by fire in 1929. The Capitol Theatre was built in the Spanish Mission style and is one of the few surviving Spanish Mission style theatres in Victoria. However the interior was largely altered in 1994 when the Capitol was converted into a three-screen complex. But some decorative features of the old interior were kept and these included the original proscenium. Stan Stevens and his family were associated with the Capitol Theatre management for many years from 1972. The Capitol Theatre still operates today. These slides are of considerable importance as they are a wonderful example of picture theatre-going in the 1940s and 50s when slides were shown during the interval times and many of these were locally made. The reason for showing the words of songs is not known but it is presumed they had sing-a-longs during the intervals, possibly to boost morale during the days of World War Two. The advertising slides are of particular interest and feature such local businesses as the Woollen Mill, Sungold Dairies, E.A. Wright Motors and Alex Donaldson Timber and Hardware Supplies. These are small square glass slides (numbered1 to 92) which were shown in the 1940s at the Capitol Theatre in Warrnambool at interval time (advertisements, words of songs etc). Some of the slides have been professionally produced and some, especially the words of songs, have been hand-made and handwritten or typed. Some are in colour and some are blank. In others the contents have been obscured or obliterated. Most of the slides have been taped around the edges and some have more sturdy frames made of tape. capitol theatre, warrnambool, stan stevens

This antique bed pan, an object still in use in a more modern form in hospitals and other institutions, is from the collection of Dr Horace Iles Holmes (1877-1959). He was born and educated in Tasmania and completed a medical degree at the University of Melbourne. He commenced a medical practice in Warrnambool in 1906 and was the Honorary Medical Officer at the Warrnambool Hospital and Warrnambool’s Health Officer. His practice was at ‘Ierne’, at the corner of Spence and Kepler Streets. He was an early member of the Royal Australian College of Surgeons and he was prominent in community affairs in Warrnambool (foundation President of the Warrnambool Rotary Club, a member of the local Masonic Lodge for over 50 years, a long-term Trustee of the Warrnambool Methodist Church, a Warrnambool Hospital Committee member and president of the Lyndoch Hostel for the Aged committee). Dr Holmes enjoyed fishing, bowls and golf. This is an interesting medical item from the collection of Horace Iles Holmes, a doctor who was prominently associated with the professional and community life of Warrnambool for over 50 years. This is a white china bed pan in a circular shape with a smaller round spout attached. It has some staining. warrnambool, medical aids, dr horace holmes, history of warrnambool

This is a camera that belonged to Dr Horace Iles Holmes (1877-1959). Born and educated in Tasmania, Dr Holmes completed his medical degree at Melbourne University. He commenced a medical practice in Warrnambool in 1906 and was the Honorary Medical Officer at the Warrnambool Hospital and Warrnambool’s Health Officer. His practice was at ‘Ierne’, at the corner of Spence and Kepler Streets. He was an early member of the Royal Australian College of Surgeons and was prominent in community affairs in Warrnambool (foundation President of Warrnambool Rotary Club, a member of the local Masonic Lodge for over 50 years, the Warrnanbool Hospital Committee member, long-term Trustee of the Warrnambool Methodist Church and President of the Lyndoch Hostel for the Aged Committee. Dr Holmes also had agricultural interests and enjoyed bowls, golf and fishing. This is an interesting item as it comes from the Horace Holmes collection and he was a doctor who was prominently associated with the professional and community life of Warrnambool for well over 50 years. .1 This is a camera with an inside concertina mechanism and an outer covering of brown leather and silver-coloured metal. The camera has a leather handle and is scuffed and rusted in parts. .2 The cover is made of brown cloth and has leather tabs on the sides and on the tab fastener. The fastener has a metal buckle. There is a leather strap for carrying the camera and cover over the shoulder. The initials of the owner have been printed in ink on the front of the cover which is worn in places and torn at the bottom corner. H.I.H.dr horace iles holmes, warrnambool, history of warrnambool, cameras, photographic equipment

This item belonged to Dr Horace Iles Holmes (1877-1959). He was born and educated in Tasmania and completed a medical degree at Melbourne University. He commenced a medical practice in Warrnambool in 1906 and was the Honorary Medical Officer at the Warrnambool Hospital and Warrnambool’s Health Officer. His practice was at ‘Ierne’ at the corner of Spence and Kepler Streets. Dr Holmes was an early member of the Royal Australian College of Surgeons and was prominent in Warrnambool community affairs (foundation President of the Warrnambool Rotary Club, a member of the local Masonic Lodge for over 50 years, a Warrnambool Hospital Committee member, a long-term Trustee of the Warrnambool Methodist Church and President of the Lyndoch Hostel for the Aged Committee). Dr Holmes also had many recreational interests, including fishing, bowls and golf. This item is of considerable interest as one coming from the collection of Horace Iles Holmes, a doctor who was prominently associated with the professional and community life of Warrnambool for well over 50 years..1 This is a cylindrical-shaped brown leather case with white stitching along the sides and at the ends. The top end has a leather lid attached to the body of the case with a metal pin. The leather attachment here is broken away. On the side of the case is a leather handle. The case is much scuffed. .2 This is a metal tripod with three legs and pointed ends for embedding into the ground area. The three legs sit on a rounded metal top with a screw for attachment to a camera. The metal top has white printing. The top part of the tripod is slightly rusted. ‘Normal Marque Deposee’warrnambool, dr horace holmes, photographic accessories, history of warrnambool

This book, a de-luxe copy, was given to John Dwyer as the Chief President of the Australian Natives Association from 1938 to 1940. The Australian Natives Association (A.N.A.) was established in Melbourne in 1871 as a benefit society. Originally membership was restricted to white men born in Australia. The A.N.A. was influential in Australian politics, especially in the 1890s when it campaigned vigorously for Federation. In 1993 it merged with Manchester Unity I.O.O.F. to form Australia Unity, for many years the largest benefit society in Australia. The annual Victorian Conference of A.N.A was held in Warrnambool in 1931. John Beynon Dwyer (1904-1999) came to Warrnambool in 1937 and assumed control of the legal practice in Kepler Street of Desmond Dunne, retiring in 1984. J. B. Dwyer was a long-serving City Councillor (1937-1975) and was awarded an O.B.E. for municipal service in 1966. This book is of considerable importance as it was a presentation copy given to John B. Dwyer, a prominent Warrnambool lawyer, when he retired as Chief President of the Australian Natives Association in 1940. This is a soft-cover book of 92 pages. It is a de-luxe edition with a green leather cover with gold printing on the front. The inside of the covers has a green and yellow mottled pattern The leather on the spine is very worn and the book’s cover is scuffed. There are some insert title pages in yellow and blue thick card. There is one loose leaflet.‘Australian Natives Association’ ‘Reports of Proceedings Victorian Board of Directors March 1938 to March 1940’ ‘J.B.Dwyer Chief President’ john b. dwyer, warrnambool, australian natives association, history of warrnambool

This plate was painted by J.J. Forrester in 1922. John James Forrester, the son of John Lamb Forrester and Maria Hexter, was an architect in Warrnambool in the early 20th century. He had an office in Kepler Street (1910) and in Koroit Street (1916). He lived in the house in Liebig Street that was formerly the first Savings Bank and was erected in 1860 (7A Liebig Street today). Forrester was a staunch member of the Presbyterian Church and was the co-architect for the re-building of the interior of St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Warrnambool after it was destroyed by fire in 1920. John Forrester was also a noted artist of his time and several of his works of art have survived. A landscape by him is in the possession of the Warrnambool and District Historical Society. This plate is one of two painted by Forrester that survive today.This plate, although damaged, is of interest because it was painted by John James Forrester, a Warrnambool artist from the early 20th century. This is a china plate showing a seascape painted by John James Forrester in 1922. It depicts a coastal scene of rocks, birds and sailing boats. The colours are in mauve/brown/ white tonings and are slightly opalescent. The plate has brown/grey handles with one broken and repaired. The plate is oval-shaped with a slight dip and a stand at the base. Front of plate: ‘J.J.F.’ On base: ‘J.J. Forrester 1922’ john james forrester, history of art in warrnamool, history of architecture in warrnambool, history of warrnambool, china painting

The building to which this tablet was attached was erected in 1890 as the Grand Ozone Coffee Palace. It was at the corner of Koroit and Kepler Streets in Warrnambool and was the most splendid edifice ever erected in Warrnambool. Initially it was a Temperance Hotel but in 1891 it gained a colonial wine licence. Thomas Randall was the lessee and proprietor of the building from 1894 to 1907 and from 1895 on it was called the Ozone Hotel. Mrs Lillias Euphemia Thom was the proprietor from 1907 to 1910. The tablet described herein has her name incised on the tablet ‘L.E.Thom’. The hotel was closed in 1915 and re-opened in 1920 with the new name of Hotel Mansions. The proprietor at that time was Howard Lawson. In 1923 Hotel Mansions gained a full hotel licence but in 1929 the building was destroyed by fire. The present day Hotel Warrnambool now occupies the site of the Hotel Mansions. This tablet is of great significance as it is an important memento of the Grand Ozone Coffee Palace/Ozone Hotel/Hotel Mansions. This building was the most elegant building ever to be erected in Warrnambool and, as such, a reminder of the type of luxury accommodation offered to visitors to Warrnambool in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This was a time when Warrnambool was promoted as a spa resort with hot and cold sea baths and bracing sea breezes. The marble tablet is an indication of the splendor of the hotel’s furnishings and accoutrements. This is a rectangular marble slab with incised gold lettering (now somewhat faded). The bottom lettering is contained in a slight groove in the marble. There are four holes at each corner and six smaller holes along the edges of the tablet for attachment by screws to a building. The slab has some staining and a little rust. ‘Ozone Hotel’ ‘L.E.Thom’ grand ozone coffee palace (warrnambool), ozone hotel (warrnambool), hotel mansions, history of warrnambool, lillias thom

Tait collection: item 27 of 62. This document contains details of the Will of William Stacey Spencer, formerly of Stanstead, Mount Fitchet but late of Birchanger, Essex, England. He was a corn merchant and malster and died in England in October 1897. He left an estate with a gross value of £4973, with the beneficiaries being his wife and children. Three codicils were added to the will, one being caused by the death of an executor, William Spencer’s brother. The English lawyers involved in drawing up this will were Richardson, Foxwell and Hart of Much Hadham, England. As this document is an Exemplification of the Will and was drawn up in the colony of Victoria it is presumed that one or more of the beneficiaries was a resident in Victoria and possibly in the Warrnambool district. The Warrnambool lawyers, Henry Parrington and Con O’Mahony have their names in the document. The document has been, with others, passed down to successive lawyers occupying legal premises in Kepler Street, Warrnambool and located in that building in 2014. Unless some local connection can be found to William Spencer, this document is of interest only in that it was drawn up by local Warrnambool lawyers in 1899.This is a cream-coloured document consisting of five double parchment pages bound together with green cord and including a folded-over inset piece of paper on the front page. Nine of the pages have ruled black lines on the edges and there is handwritten material in black ink on nine pages. The document gives details of the will and codicils of William Spencer of Essex, England who died in1897. The document has the seal of Her Majesty’s High Court of Justice, Probate Division, attached with white binding and a stamp for three pounds attached with a metal insert. The document is somewhat grubby but is legible.In Her Majesty's High Court of Justice (Probate Division), Principal Registry Exemplification of Will of Mr William Stacey Spencer deceased Dated 15 August 1899william spencer, con o'mahony, henry parrington, tait collection, william stacey spencer

This letter book (1910-1922) was found in the old Mackay Taylor building in Kepler Street. The Secretary of the Presbytery of Mortlake in the early 1900s was George Mackay who established his legal business in 1891 and merged with the business of James Fletcher in 1893 to form Fletcher and Mackay. In the 1920s J. Taylor joined the business which was known from then on as Mackay and Taylor and this firm existed until the 1990s. George Mackay was prominent in Warrnambool civic and community affairs and was Secretary of St. John’s Presbyterian Church for many years. The Presbytery of Mortlake was an administrative district committee established in 1862 and included the Presbyterian churches of Port Fairy, Tower Hill, Wangoom, Allansford, Warrnambool, Woodford, Hexham, Caramut, Mortlake and Terang. The committee consisted of the local ministers, some elders and other church representatives and met monthly or quarterly to discuss church business that affected the region.This letter book is of some significance as it indicates the type of business carried out by a district church council – properties, missions, individual church problems etc. It also shows the community work of George Mackay, a prominent Warrnambool resident at the time, and the book contains his signature many times over. The book will be of interest to researchers. This is a ledger with dark blue binding and binding reinforcements on the spine and corners. The inside covers are lined with thick paper in a mottled blue, black and white coloured pattern. There are 249 pages of copies of letters written, some typed, some handwritten. Front cover: Label with typed title ‘Presbytery of Mortlake’ Spine:’ Letter Book’, ‘Mortlake Presby’. presbytery of mortlake, george mackay, warrnambool

James Parker and William McMeekin arrived in 1881 in Victoria and commenced their business a large proportion of which was in Warrnambool. They opened up a butter, cheese and pork export trade with South Australia, which operated successfully for sometime before South Australia altered their tariff duties which badly affected trade. After a period dealing with Queensland, they set their sights further afield to London. The Warrnambool butter Factory was commenced around this time and William McMeekin was closely connected with its establishment. They traded in other farm produce and machinery as well as having interests in land, loans and insurance. William McMeekin was a member of the Town Council for some time and J.P. McMeekin was a member of the Villiers and Heytesbury Agricultural Society and was a director of the Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory. They operated their business from different sites in Kepler Street and Raglan Parade.An everyday item with a link to an individuals and a company which had a long association with Warrnambool.Aluminium cover with raised edge shaped to fit around top, bottom and one side. Designed to fit around match box leaving striking edge exposed. Embossed lettering on front and back. Contains matchbox with label depicting shell in green with green and yellow background. Box is faded blue. J.P. McMeekin Produce Merchant Warrnambool Phone 263 on front and back. Prov pat ** 367 on side. warrnambool, p.l. phillips, grocer, provision merchant, nestle warrnambool, nestle dennington, calendar 1919

Tait collection: item 27 of 62 This document contains details on the will and probate of Sarah Fry who died in Warrnambool in March 1905 at the age of 47. She was the daughter of Edmund and Jane Lord and came to Australia with her parents and some of her siblings aboard the Electric in 1869. In 1888 she married Francis Joseph Fry, a Warrnambool plasterer. Sarah Fry left real estate to the value of £450 and personal estate to the value of £202. The beneficiaries of her will were her husband, Francis and her three children, Sarah, James and Doris. The lawyer Ernest Chambers had offices in Warrnambool, Koroit and Port Fairy at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. He had this document in his possession and it was passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal premises in Kepler Street where it was located in 2014 and handed over to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society. This document is of interest as it contains information on the will and probate of Sarah Fry, a resident of Warnambool in the late 19th century and early 20th century. It will be useful for researchers.This is a 1906 cream-coloured parchment sheet folded in two with handwritten material on three sides. Three of the pages are ruled with black ink. There is a seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria attached with a blue ribbon and a red stamp of the Master-in-Equity of the Supreme Court. The document includes the will and probate details of Sarah Fry, a married woman from Warrnambool. All the pages are somewhat stained but one page is very grubby. In the Supreme Court of Victoria; In the Probate Jurisdiction; In the Will of Sarah Fry late of Warrnambool in the State of Victoria Married Woman deceased.ernest chambers, sarah fry, warrnambool, tait collection

Tait collection: item 25 of 62 This document contains details on the will and probate of Joseph Kelson, a farmer from Kirkstall who died in April 1906. He was a contractor who died at the age of 46 leaving a widow, Margaret (nee Flahavin) and eight children. The two oldest boys took over the contracting business and Joseph’s brother, David, supported the family during their time of need. Joseph Kelson left personal estate to the value of £460 with the chief beneficiary being his widow Margaret. Ernest Chambers, the lawyer who drew up this document had a legal practice in Warrnambool, Koroit and Port Fairy at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. He had possession of this document and it passed down to successive lawyers who occupied the Kepler Street legal premises and it was located in this building in 2014 and passed on to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society. This document is of interest as it gives details of the will and probate of Joseph Kelson who lived in the Warrnambool area during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It will be useful to researchers. This is 1906 cream-coloured piece of parchment folded in two with handwritten material on three sides. It contains the will and probate details of Joseph Kelson, a farmer from Kirkstall, Victoria. There is a seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria and four red stamps of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The material is written in black ink. In the Supreme Court of Victoria; In the Probate Jurisdiction; In the Will of John James Kelson late of Kirkstall in the State of Victoria Contractor deceasedernest chambers, joseph kelson, kirkstall, tait collection

This china jug has been made in England by Grindley Hotel Ware. The Grindley company that manufactured earthenware and ironstone items was founded in 1880 by William Grindley and was initially based in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, England. The jug has had a red stamp added so that it could be used at the Criterion Hotel in Warrnambool and identified as the hotel property. The jug was used during the licenseeship of Theresa Lynch. The Criterion Hotel was situated on the western side of Kepler Street near Lava Street, Warrnambool. It opened in 1872 with the first licensee, John Tate. In the 1920s there were extensive renovations to the hotel in the Art Deco style. Theresa Lynch was the licensee from 1919 to 1926. In 1922 she bought the hotel and sold it to Harry McGennan in 1926. In 2006 the Criterion Hotel was closed and it was partially destroyed by fire in 2010 and later completely demolished. This jug is of interest as a 1920s souvenir of the Criterion Hotel, Warrnambool that closed in 2006. This hotel was a prominent one in Warrnambool, known in the 1990s for its promotion of live rock music. This is a white china jug with a circular base slightly tapering to an open top with a spout and handle. On the side of the jug there is a red stamp in the shape of a belt with red lettering. The base has a crown image and the maker’s name.‘Lynch’s Criterion Hotel Warrnambool’ Grindley Hotel Ware, Made in England, Patent’. criterion hotel, warrnambool, theresa lynch

This plate has been produced by the English firm of W.H.Grindley for use at the Criterion Hotel in Warrnambool. The Criterion Hotel was on the western side of Kepler street near Lava Street and was established in 1872 with the first licensee being John Tate. The hotel closed in 2008, was partially destroyed by fire in 2010 and was demolished in 2013. The Humm family had a long association with the Criterion Hotel, with George Humm of Woodford taking over as the licensee in 1882 and buying the hotel in 1887 and remaining there until his death in 1894. George Humm’s widow, Elizabeth, was the licensee from 1894 to 1907, her son, John was the licensee from 1907 to 1916 and his widow, Bridget, was the licensee from 1916 to 1919. The plate could have been in use for all or part of these years but is most likely to have been bought early in the 20th century. This plate is of considerable interest because it came from the Criterion Hotel, a prominent hotel in Warrnambool for over 130 years.This is a white china plate which has a red embedded stamp in the shape of a belt (the maker’s trademark) on the front and on the back it has the blue markings of the maker with an image of a crown. The bowl has a shallow base and was perhaps a soup plate. The edges of the plate are somewhat worn and scuffed. ‘Humms Criterion Hotel Warrnambool’ ‘Grindley Hotel Ware England Vitrified’ criterion hotel, humm family of woodford, history of warrnambool

This plate has been produced by the English firm of W.H.Grindley for use at the Criterion Hotel in Warrnambool. The Criterion Hotel was on the western side of Kepler Street near Lava Street and was established in 1872 with the first licensee being John Tate. The hotel closed in 2008, was partially destroyed by fire in 2010 and was demolished in 2013. The Humm family had a long association with the Criterion Hotel with George Humm of Woodford taking over as licensee in 1882, buying the hotel in 1887 and remaining there until his death in 1894. George Humm’s widow, Elizabeth, was the licensee from 1894 to 1907, her son, John, was the licensee from 1907 to 1916 and his widow, Bridget, was the licensee from 1916 to 1919. The plate could have been in use for all or part of these years but is most likely to have been bought early in the 20th century. This plate is of considerable interest because it came from the Criterion Hotel, a prominent hotel in Warrnambool for over 130 years. This is a white china plate which has been broken into three pieces and inexpertly mended. The plate is much stained. It has a red embedded stamp in the shape of a belt (the maker’s trademark) on the front and on the back it has the blue markings of the maker with an image of a crown. The bowl has a shallow curved base and was perhaps used for soup. ‘Humms Criterion Hotel Warrnambool’ ‘Grindley Hotel Ware England Vitrified’ criterion hotel, humm family of woodford, history of warrnambool

This letter book (1922-6) was found in the old Mackay Taylor building in Kepler Street. The Secretary of the Presbytery of Mortlake in the early 1900s was George Mackay who established his legal business in 1891 and merged with the business of James Fletcher in 1893 to form Fletcher and Mackay. In the 1920s J. Taylor joined the business which was known from then on as Mackay and Taylor and this firm existed until the 1990s. George Mackay was prominent in Warrnambool civic and community affairs and was Secretary of St. John’s Presbyterian Church for many years. The Presbytery of Mortlake was an administrative district committee established in 1862 and included the Presbyterian churches of Port Fairy, Tower Hill, Wangoom, Allansford, Warrnambool, Woodford, Hexham, Caramut, Mortlake and Terang. The committee consisted of the local ministers, some elders and other church representatives and met monthly or quarterly to discuss church business that affected the region. This letter book is of some significance as it indicates the type of business carried out by a district church council – properties, missions, individual church problems etc. It also shows the community work of George Mackay, a prominent Warrnambool resident at the time, and the book contains his signature, many times over. The book will be of interest to researchers. This is a ledger with dark blue binding and binding reinforcements on the spine and corners. The inside covers are lined with thick paper in a mottled blue and black coloured pattern. There are 250 pages with entries up to page 54. The letter copies are typed with an alphabetical listing at the front.Front Cover: Label with typed title ‘Presbytery of Mortlake’ Spine: ‘Letter Book’ presbytery of mortlake, george mackay

The owner of this card case was Dr Horace Holmes who was a doctor in Warrnambool for over 40 years. Dr Holmes (1877-1959) was born in Tasmania and completed a medical course at Melbourne University. He came to Warrnambool in 1905, taking over the practice of Dr Fleetwood at ‘Ierne’, at the corner of Spence and Kepler Streets. In 1906 he built a new home at the corner of Liebig Street and Raglan Parade and moved his practice there in 1912 (today this building is the Warrnambool Medical Clinic). Dr Holmes was an honorary Medical Officer at the Warrnambool Hospital. He retired in 1939 selling his practice to Dr Berryman but came out of retirement and practised as a locum until 1944. His interests included rowing golf, bowls and fishing. In the 1950s he lived at ‘Leprena’ in Canterbury Road. He was a foundation member of the Warrnambool Rotary Club. This is a most significant item as it belonged to a prominent local doctor, Dr Horace Holmes. It also has considerable social significance as it is an example of the practice of past times of carrying calling cards and the silver case is a sign of the affluence of the owner. This is a silver card case, heavily embossed, with a slightly curved shape and a hinged lid. It has the initials ‘HIH’ engraved in a shield on the front of the case. It contains nine calling cards (Dr Horace Holmes, Warrnambool). These are made of light card with printing in black on a white background. The cards are somewhat marked and discoloured. Case: ‘HIH’ Cards: ‘Dr. Horace I. Holmes, Leprena, Warrnambool’card case, dr horace holmes, warrnambool

Tait collection: item 56 of 62. This is a document giving details of the Will and Probate of Hannah Wines of Warrnambool. She died in 1909 at the age of 77 years. She was the widow of Charles Wines who died in 1900 and they had migrated to Australia from England in the early 1850s. They settled first in the Woodford area and in the 1880s moved to Mailors Flat. Hannah and Charles Wines had a large family with eleven surviving children at the time of Charles’ death in 1900. Hannah Wines left no real estate but had personal estate to the value of £8. This she left to her daughter Sarah Lees. This document was in the possession of Ernest Chambers, the lawyer involved in drawing up the document. He had legal offices in Port Fairy, Koroit and Warrnambool at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. The document then passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal premises in Kepler Street, Warrnambool where it was located in 2014. This document is of some interest as it gives details of the Will and Probate of Hannah Wines who was a well-known resident in the Warrnambool area during the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. This is a cream-coloured piece of paper folded in two to make four pages. Two of the pages have ruled black lines around the edges and three of the pages have handwritten material in brown ink. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with a green ribbon and there is one red stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. There is also a blue stamp of the Warrnambool Savings Bank. The document is a little stained and the writing is somewhat faded but legible. This is a 1910 document giving details of the Will and Probate of Hannah Wines of WarrnamboolIn the Supreme Court of Victoria in the Probate Jurisdiction In the Will of Hannah Wines late of Warrnambool in the State of Victoria Widow deceased.warrnambool, hannah wines, charles wines, hannah wines will, tait collection, ernest chambers

Tait collection: item 59 of 62. This document gives details of the Will and Probate of Frederick Gazzard of Allansford who died in September 1901. Frederick Gazzard owned the ‘Tooram’ bacon and ham curing factory at the corner of Carrolls Road and Tooram Road in the Allansford area and employed six men. He was a founding member of the Allansford Church of England and lived with his family of seven children at ‘Como’, Allansford. He left real estate to the value of £1,440 and personal estate to the value of £1,664. The beneficiaries were his children, with his household effects and £200 going to his daughter, Ellen. She is believed to have taken an active role in the administration of the family factory. This document was drawn up in the office of William Ardlie, a prominent lawyer in Warrnambool for over sixty years. It has then been passed down to successive lawyers occupying legal premises in Kepler Street until it was located in these premises in 2014. This document is of considerable interest as it gives details of the Will and Probate of Frederick Gazzard. He and his family were prominent and influential in the community life of Allansford in the 19th century. This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper folded in two with blue lines ruled at the edges of three of the pages. There is handwritten material (brownish-black ink) on three of the pages. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with green ribbon and there are six red stamps of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court and one blue stamp of the Warrnambool Savings Bank. The writing is somewhat faded and the pages are stained but the text is legible. The document contains details of the Will and Probate of Frederick Gazzard of Allansford who died in 1901. In the Supreme Court of Victoria In the Probate Jurisdiction in the Will of Frederick William Gazzard late of Allansford in the State of Victoria Bacon curer deceasedfrederick gazzard, tooram bacon factory, carroll's lane allansford, como allansford, tait collection

Tait collection: item 62 of 62 This 1912 document is an agreement made between John Brennan, a farmer from Laang and Thomas Goodall, a law clerk from Warrnambool. The document shows that Thomas Goodall has given John Brennan £5 and Brennan has agreed to pass over to Goodall a 218 acre property in Laang. Brennan also agreed to pay a debt of £10-19-4 to Thomas Goodall by monthly instalments. Thomas Goodall was the law clerk for several lawyers in Warrnambool at the beginning of the 20th century and he was also the manager of the Warrnambool office of the lawyer, Ernest Chambers who had legal offices in Koroit and Port Fairy at the same time (end of 19th century and beginning of the 20th century). This document was in the possession of Ernest Chambers and it has been passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal premises in Kepler Street where it was located in 2014 (former premises of the law firm of Mackay Taylor). This document is of some interest as it gives details of a business transaction between Thomas Goodall and John Brennan, both residing in the Warrnambool area early in the 20th century. This is a piece of buff-coloured paper folded in two to make four pages. There is typed and handwritten material on two sides of the paper. This is a 1912 document called an Assignment of Interest Under Contract with John Brennan agreeing to pay his financial debts to Thomas Goodall. The document contains the signatures of John Brennan and Thomas Goodall. Part of one page of the writing is in pencil. There is also a separate receipt sheet which is a receipt for £5 paid by Thomas Goodall to John Brennan. A yellow duty stamp is attached to this receipt. Dated 16 Jany 1912 Mr J E Brennan with Mr Thomas Goodall Assignment of Interest under Contractjohn brennan, thomas goodall, ernest chambers, warrnambool

This document contains the Probate Papers following the death of Richard Bright, a Warrnambool stonemason who died in August 1897. No other information has been found on Richard Bright but he must have been a successful tradesman as he left real estate to the value of £680 and personal estate to the value of £94. His executors were his son, Daniel Bright of Terang and the law clerk, Thomas Goodall. Richard Bright left a number of properties to his wife, Elizabeth, his sons, Daniel and John and his daughters, Adelaide Scown and Martha Head. This document was in the possession of Thomas Goodall , a law clerk managing the Ernest Chambers legal offices in Warrnambool and it was eventually passed on to the law firms operating from the same premises in Kepler Street. It was handed to the Historical Society when it was found in the premises once occupied by the law firm of Mackay Taylor. Tait collection: item 14 of 62This document is of interest as it originally was drawn up by a local lawyer. Ernest Chambers, and the probate papers are for a local Warrnambool resident, Richard Bright. This is a piece of parchment paper, folded in two, with handwriting on all pages. There is a seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria attached with a green ribbon and a red stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. There are ruled black lines on three pages and pencilled writing in the margin of the first page. Some of the writing is a little faded. ‘In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria, In the Probate Jurisdiction In the Will of Richard Bright, late of Warrnambool in the Colony of Victoria, Mason, deceased. Probate. I certify that no duty is payable herewith. J. Poole, Officer under Sec. 96, Act 1060, 16/11/97. E.J.W. Chambers, Proctor, Warrnambool’ernest chambers, thomas goodall richard bright, richard bright, tait collection

Tait collection: item 24 of 62 This is a 1904 document giving information on the Will and Probate of Robert Cuppage. He was a labourer who lived at Woodford and he and his wife, Jane received much sympathy following the deaths from diphtheria of five of their children in 1866. Charlotte (3) and Elizabeth (14) died on 26th August, Robert (6) died on 27th August, Hanne (8) died on 30th August and George (15) died on 14th September. Jane Cuppage died in 1889 and Robert died in December 1903. He left real estate to the value of £240 and personal estate to the value of £5 to his daughter, Margaret Trigg. Ernest Chambers had legal offices in Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Koroit at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. This document was in his possession and it was passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal offices in Kepler Street and located in this building in 2014 and passed on the Warrnambool and District Historical Society. This is an interesting document as it gives the Will and Probate details of a well-known Woodford resident in the 19th century. It will be useful to researchersThis is a piece of cream-coloured parchment paper folded in two and containing handwritten material on four sides of the paper. It contains details on the Will and Probate of William Charlesworth, 1904. The seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with green ribbon and there are two purple stamps, one from the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court in Melbourne and the other from the Bank of Australasia in Warrnambool. The document is somewhat stained on one side but the writing is legible.In the Supreme Court of Victoria; In the Probate Jurisdiction; In the Will of Robert Cuppage late of Bushfield near Warrnambool in the State of Victoria Labourer deceasedrobert cuppage, ernest chambers, warrnambool, bushfield, tait collection

Tait collection: item 32 of 62 This document contains details of the Will and Probate of Ellen Hart, a married woman of Warrnambool who died in January 1905. Ellen Hart (nee Stocker) 1829-1905, came to Victoria in 1859 with her first husband, George Greening, and two of their children. George Greening died in 1863 and Ellen married a widower, George Hart, in 1881. Ellen and her second husband were involved in the activities of the Warrnambool Methodist Church. Ellen Hart left real estate to the value of £400 and personal estate to the value of £9. The beneficiary was her stepdaughter, Charlotte Hart. Ernest Chambers, who had legal offices in Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Koroit at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, was the lawyer concerned with this document. He had it in his possession and it was passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal premises in Kepler Street where it was located in 2014. It was then passed on to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society.This document is of interest as it contains details of the Will and Probate of Ellen Hart who lived in the Warrnambool area for many years in the 19th century. It will be useful for researchers. This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper folded in two and containing handwritten information on the Will and Probate of Ellen Hart of Warrnambool. She died in January 1905. Three of the pages have black ruled lines. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with a green ribbon and there are three red stamps of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The document is slightly discoloured. In the Supreme Court of Victoria in the Probate Jurisdiction in the Will of Ellen Hart late of Spring Gardens near Warrnambool in the State of Victoria Married Woman deceasedellen hart, ernest chambers, warrnambool, tait collection, spring gardens