Red hardboard cover with gold and black embossing detail 'What shall I be or a boy's aim in life' 191 pages ; 18 cmHandwritten inscription first page 'Kilmore Diggings S School, Prize awarded to Herbert Chapman Jan 1883' Stamp on multiple pages 'Kilmore Mechanics Institute'chapman, kilmore diggings state school, kilmore mechanics institute library.

Martha Watson was born on 17 October 1888 in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia as the first child of Robina (Ruby) WATSON. She died on 23 March 1976 in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. Memories of Martha by Valcia nee Twigg Lowrie, granddaughter of Arthur Watson. My memories and recollections as told to me my Grandmother ‘Mum’ Myers. As a child she had scarlet fever and did not attend school during the illness and missed a lot of school (Macarthur Street State School). When she was meant to return to school having fallen behind her classmates, confused and behind with the school work, she instead spent her time wandering around Lake Wendouree feeling too ashamed to attend school. Her uncle Arthur, born in 1874, whom she idealized, was a type of father/mentor figure who played and important part in her early life. He moved to Queensland in the early 1900’s and they did not meet again until he visited Melton in 1949, he died in 1954. He was a champion rower in Victoria and Queensland and a noted cyclist who rode in three Warrnambool to Melbourne races, and footballer. Her mother’s death certificate reveals her place of death as the Ballarat Hospital on 8th September 1903 aged 36. Martha was not told of the death of her mother, it was some time later when she found out her mother had died. She was greatly distressed when she eventually found out. The grief and the circumstance of her mothers death and her unfortunate life had a permanent effect on Martha’s life. Robina was buried in Open Ground at the New Cemetery Ballarat. Marjorie likened to this to the death of Mozart at the age of 35 who was also buried in a common grave. Martha also told me the stories about how as a child she played at the cemetery, taking the oranges placed as offerings on the Chinese graves and being chased away in fright when caught by a Chinese man. Her description left a vivid impression on my mind. The Burnbank street house was just across the road from the cemetery. The pieces of this story I had heard made sense when I visited the location in recent years. Martha’s described how Nanna would sing on the front verandah, and send her off to t get drink for her. This situation might help explain the reason for Martha’s strong aversion to alcohol. As a young girl it had been distressing to her. Nanna was a colourful and theatrical personality and danced with the Duke when he visited Ballarat. She was also known to have stated that she would marry a man who could give her a bucket of gold, possibly around the time after her first husband, Charles death, she had her young boy Edward to bring up. Martha was about 13 years old when Nanna Watson left Ballarat going to Queensland to visit her son Arthur. Martha slept that night afraid and alone in the empty house. The person who was meant to collect her did not come until the next day. She went to work for a family, a woman with children, they took most of the money that Nanna had left with Martha. There was a new baby in the house and the Scottish man in the house behaved suspiciously towards Martha. She was afraid of him and would hide from him under the bed. At this young age she managed to survive on her wits and sense of self preservation. It is not known how long she worked with this family. The place was from my impression, away from the town of Ballarat. Her very difficult formative years are testament to her strength of character and determination to succeed in life and ambition to provide the best opportunities for her own children. In 1905 Martha received a post card from Uncle Arthur in Brisbane addressed – c/o Mrs Styles 14 High Street Ballarat. Dolly Styles was a Ballarat friend and she kept in contact with her for many years. A letter reveals her living in Minyip in her older years. Martha is thought to have spent a few years working before she arrived in Melton. Miss Shebler hired Martha to help her in the care of her father and to assist with work in the Golden Fleece Hotel. Mr Shebler was a nice old man and mostly confined to his room and somewhat childlike as described by Martha. [The elderly Mr August Shebler died in February 1908]. Martha’s exact arrival in Melton is not known, but could be estimated as late 1906 to early 1907. In her room at the hotel she could hear the spring cart of Mr Minns going on the milk delivery rounds in the very early hours of the morning after coming across the creek from his house When she was 19, she married Frederick Thomas MYERS, son of Henri MIERS and Ann DOWLING, on 30 April 1908 ( Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia). Frederick Thomas MYERS and Martha Mary WATSON had the following children: 1. Frederick John Watson MYERS was born on 01 October 1908 in Melton, Victoria, Australia.He died on 07 February 2001.He married Mary June BATTYE on 18 September 1948 in Victoria, Australia. 2. Marjorie Gretchen MYERS was born on 21 February 1912 in Melton, Victoria, Australia.She died on 10 September 2004 in Frankston, Victoria, Australia.She married Herbert Vivian BUTLER on 07 January 1939 in Victoria, Australia. 3. Eva Edna MYERS was born on 15 October 1918 in Melton, Victoria, Australia.She died on 31 January 2008 in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, Australia.She married Ernest Wesley BARRIE on 25 October 1941 in Melton, Victoria, Australia. 4. Arthur Bruce MYERS was born on 29 April 1925 in Melton, Victoria, Australia.He died on 26 March 2015 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.He married Olive Irene NORTON in April 1953 in Balliang, Victoria, Australia (or Church of Christ Footscray? (WB)). 5. Maxwell Douglas MYERS was born on 10 August 1927 in Melton, Victoria, Australia.He died on 03 May 2005 in Geelong, Victoria, Australia.He married Rosemary Rebecca BARRIE on 31 August 1951 in Melton, Victoria, Australia. Valcia nee Twigg Lowrie granddaughter of Arthur Watson, daughter of Mercia and Val Twigg did extensive research on the Marshall family of Lerwick Shetland Isle obtaining birth information of the Scottish forebears. She also got the birth/marriage and death certificates of the Ballarat connection of Robina’s husbands and children. Copies were sent to Edna and Wendy during the early 1990’s. Bruce and Irene also obtained certificates and Myers family information. Wendy applied for certificates at this time.Photographs of Martha (Watson) Myers taken at different times of her life

A black and white photograph of Gnr Dave Thomas & Gnr Owen Herbert tense themselves and cover their ears against the concussion of the artillery gun. photograph, gibbons collection catalogue, artillery, gnr dave thomas, gnr owen herbert

BHS CollectionPages 7 to 15 of the Bendigo Circuit which includes some history of California Gully and Long Gully. Written at the top of the page is 'The Spectator' Methodist History Vol. 11, about 1900.Photos for California Gully include: Mrs Christian, Wesleyan Church and Sunday-school California Hill, Pulpit of Wesleyan Church California Hill, Lat Mrs Wood, Choir and Organist California Hill, Sunday School Teachers and Officers California Hill, Senior Sunday School California Hill, Trustees California Hill, Mrs M Fawcett, Executive Christian Endeavour California Gully, Some of the Best Workers, Long Gully Wesleyan Church, Sunday School teachers and Officers Long Gully, Executive and Officers Christian Endeavour Long Gully, Mr W Gard, Mr P H Ebbott, Choir and Organist Long Gully, Sir John Quick Kt LL D, MP, Late Mr M Fawcett, Trustees and Church Officers Long Gully, Mr J F Stephenson,bendigo, history, long gully history group, the long gully history group - the bendigo circuit, the spectator methodist history vol 11, mrs christian, mr f clark, d padwick, john dawborn, w b batkin, john falder, wesleyan church, thos benson, william batkin, miss fawcett, mr and mrs matthew fawcett, mrs wood, rev a r edgar, miss batkin, andrew dowding, john dowding, jas thomas, jas snell, j brewer, j green, w jeffrey, w batkin, m thomas, jas cox, h jeffrey, l perry, a mccoy, e moyle, k harvey, l roberts, h hambley, j matcott, i jeffrey, f martin, j stirton, m trewartha, n moyle, mr penaluna, a thomas, rule, a chirgwin, m thomas, f thomas, mrs shum, mrs wood, joseph williams, e mattcott, w mattcock, r martin, mrs g owen, ellis, crossman, r williams, inch, w kidd, mattcott, hicks, miller, gilbert, roberts, thomas, arthur, green, r williams, m thomas, j h miller, r crossman, g owen, miss rule, dermer smith, j roberts, j perry, mr w c kidd, a roberts, mr w c kidd, g williams, j thomas, mr w jeffrey, miss chirgwin, mr w stephens, mr m williams, miss dennis, miss batkin, mr j johns, mr r williams, mr richard williams, mr clark, m thomas, m fawcett, w batkin, t t roper, rev joseph dare, rev john mewton, j h miller, r c crossman, w owen, m thomas, robert martin, john chirgwin, mrs martin, mr bickford, mr powell, mr tregear, mr scholes, john thompson, robert crossman, daniel reeves, j miller, mrs richard williams, tobias stephens, joseph williams, rev herbert williams, james williams, mrs m thomas, john thomas, rev thomas james, mrs m fawcett, jacob perry, rev charles tregear, j hopkins, walter jeffrey, w j stephens, w jones, miss b youlder, miss h hambly, miss alice perry, miss melita williams, miss annie chirgwin, miss e batkin, miss b arthur, miss e dennis, jacob perry, arthur lelean, joseph roberts, george willen, michael thomas, robert thomas, rev joseph dare, mrs matcott, mrs geo roberts, mrs joseph roberts, mrs a crosswell, mrs j m inch, mrs w c kidd, mrs r thomas, mrs a ellis, mrs g owen, mrs r williams, mrs j h miller, edward jeffrey, michael thomas, the argus, the age, judge higinbotham, mr clucas, mrs christian, queen victoria, mr and mrs michael thomas, richard williams, mrs thomas, william goyne, rev george daniel, dermer smith, j wearne, c thomas, j langdon, h thomas, e payne, jennings, j penberthy, martin, goldsworthy, white, jennings, campbell, pascoe, langdon, miss gard, mrs thomas, miss l berryman, miss e malcolm, mr peters, miss mason, miss l williams, miss a warren, miss s knuckey miss m bolitho, miss c allen, miss m jennings, miss s thomas, mrs may, miss j jenkins, miss a pickles, miss e woolcock, miss m knuckey, miss a hampton, miss f thomas, miss a thomas

Mother - Jane, nee Dunstan born Linton Vic 1862, Father - Thomas Allen, born 5.10.1860 at Kapunda SA. Names of family members inscribed on back of photocopy.Photograph shows family of mother, father and 9 children. Parents and 6 children seated, 3 boys standing, youngest child on mother's knee."Thomas and Jane Allen, nee Dunstan. Taken at-Moonta about 1900. Back row, Thomas Wesley, Herbert Stanley, Edward Uren,- second row, Joseph Nicholas, Emily Jane, next to Father,-Tresa Maud on Mother's lap, Albert Ernest-William Henry, with bow tie- seated in front Arthur John-Thomas Allen, born 5.10.1860 at Kapunda Sth Aus.-Wife Jane, nee Dunstan born Linton Vic 1862".thomas allen, jane allen, jane dunstan, allen family

North Bendigo Primary School operated from 1873 to 2010 when it amalgamated with Comet Hill Primary to become Lightening Reef Primary School, initially in Nolan Street before moving to a new building in Holmes Road.Digital Photograph of Honour Board from Bendigo North Primary School: Head Teachers and Principals. 1873 - 1879 Thomas Read 1879 - 1886 James Burston 1886 - 1893 Alexander Cook 1894 - 1905 James Robertson 1905 - 1908 Henry Barker 1908 - 1910 Darcy Lear 1911 - 1913 Charles McLean 1913 - 1926 James Houston 1927 George Ranson 1928 - 1938 Herbert Allen 1938 - 1944 Laurence Kennedy 1944 - 1947 Thomas Conroy 1947 - 1948 Laurence Kennedy 1949 - 1959 Donald Campbell 1960 - 1964 Noel Wearne 1965 Arthur Bryant 1966 Peter Ri\utherford 1967 - 1970 Earnest Harkin 1971 - 1977 Reginald Vogele 1978 - 1986 John Goodrich 1987 - 1989 Bryan Barras 1999 Graham Gordon Honour Board in Container 1. Decision to be made re keeping the Honour Board. Yellow Label