This collection of approximately 20 letters between Melbourne men Ben Morris and Harry Bruin, covering a period of several months in 1919, consists of original letters handwritten by Morris and carbon copies of Bruin’s replies. Love letters between men from this period are extremely rare in an Australian context, and globally. They were seized by police from Bruin’s home in Harcourt Street, Auburn in October 1919. The police were investigating a report that Bruin and Morris were conducting an intimate affair. The relationship came to light when the mother of one of Morris’ friends, having failed in her attempt to blackmail Bruin, went to the police. Blackmail was an ever-present danger to homosexual men at that time. Homosexual sex was against the law and even gossip alone could ruin reputations, careers and social standing. In refusing the demands of his attempted blackmailer, Bruin took an enormous risk. However, Morris and Bruin were lucky that their letters contained no descriptions of sex acts. It was not illegal to express love for a person of the same sex and when the matter came before the court, the police had no choice but to let the matter drop without laying charges. Letters like these are rare as potentially incriminating correspondence between men was usually destroyed by the writers or the recipients, to prevent it falling into the hands of the authorities, blackmailers, or disapproving third parties. These letters survived only because they were seized by the authorities for the purpose of prosecution. Morris and Bruin’s letters are also important because, together with the statements taken from the two men and others involved in the case by police prosecutors, they provide insight into the development of the liaison over an extended period. The emotional letters provide rare evidence of a deep romantic affection between two men in their own words. Quoted from "A History of LGBTIQ+ Victoria in 100 Places and Objects" by Graham Willett, Angela Bailey, Timothy W. Jones and Sarah Rood.

An account of the life of George Ernest Locke who was a gold miner on the Yarra Track near Marysville in Victoria.An account of the life of George Ernest Locke who was a gold miner on the Yarra Track near Marysville in Victoria. George was a well-educated young man and had some success prospecting in the Cumberland area before partnering with William Chester with whom he opened the Golden Bower gold mine in 1896. George and William then discovered a second reef which they named the Silver Bower mine. George lived in a log cabin in the Cumberland reserve and was known to be a loner. He was clever with his money and chose not to have a bank account in Marysville, where everyone would learn about his financial status. He banked at the ES&A in Fitzroy and at the time of his death in 1941 he had accumulated the princely sum of three hundred and sixty pounds. George Locke was known as "the Hermit of Cumberland Valley" and lived in his humpy until his last few days during which he moved into a Forest Commission's patrol hut because his old humpy had started to fall to pieces. When George passed away at the age of 81 years he had not visited Marysville for over 14 years. george ernest locke, gold miner, gold mining, yarra track, william chester, golden bower mine, cumberland goldfield, silver bower mine, chesterville, marysville, victoria, jackie lewis, baron somers, big tree, picea sitchensis exotic, box hill cemetery, john edward locke, annie caroline locke, hermit of the cumberland valley