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Disability Sport & Recreation Victoria
Plastic souvenir, The International Stoke-Mandeville Games for the Paralysed - Israel '68, 1968
The International Stoke-Mandevile Games, held in Tel-Aviv in 1968, were later classified as the third edition of the Paralympics. The International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports (IWAS) World Games (or IWAS World Games) are a multi-sport competition for athletes with a disability, which under the former name of the International Stoke Mandeville Games were the forerunner of the Paralympic Games. The competition has been formerly known as the World Wheelchair and Amputee Games, the Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Games, the Stoke Mandeville Games, the World Wheelchair Games, and in the 1960s and 1970s was often referred to as the Wheelchair Olympics. The Games were originally held in 1948 by neurologist Sir Ludwig Guttmann, who organized a sporting competition involving World War II veterans with spinal cord injuries at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital rehabilitation facility in Aylesbury, England, taking place concurrently with the first post-war Summer Olympics in London. In 1952, the Netherlands joined in the event, creating the first international sports competition for the disabled. In 1960, the Ninth Stoke Mandeville Games were held in Rome, Italy, following that year's Olympic Games. These are considered to be the first Paralympic Games.[1] The 2012 Paralympic mascot Mandeville was named after Stoke Mandeville Hospital. While the Paralympic Games evolved to include athletes from all disability groups, the Stoke Mandeville games continued to be organized as a multi-sport event for wheelchair athletes. Games were held annually in Aylesbury under the direction of the International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation (ISMGF), which became the International Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Sports Federation (ISMWSF)..Plastic medallion encasing a paper disc commemorating the 1968 Stoke-Mandeville Games for the Paralysed. Inscriptions (English): Front: Municipalities - Nazareth Elite - Nazareth. Reverse: The International Stoke-Mandeville Games for the Paralysed - Israel '68. Friendship - Unity - Sportsmanship. On both sides of the medallions there are what are likely to be the equivalent Hebrew and Arabic translations. Images induces Front: Logos of unknown organisations. Reverse: Logo for the 1968 Paralympics, showing three interlocking wheels to represent their values: friendship, unity and sportsmanship 1968 paralympics, 1968 stoke-mandeville-games, 1968 tel-aviv paralympics -
Rutherglen Historical Society
Photograph - Image, 1970s
All Saints Estate is a family owned winery established in 1864 and located on the banks of the Murray River in Wahgunyah, North East Victoria. Original owners George Sutherland Smith, and John Banks, arrived from Caithness, Scotland in 1852. They were just 23 and 20 years of age. Choosing to settle in the Wahgunyah area, they used their training as engineers from the Edinburgh Railway Institute to build a bridge over the Edwards River at Deniliquin. They were also involved in the construction of several buildings in Beechworth including the Presbyterian Church, part of the Gaol and the original hospital of which the granite facade still remains today. Smith and Banks began growing vines at ‘Sunday Creek’ closer to Wahgunyah than the present All Saints Estate winery, before relocating to build the 'All Saints castle' just three miles north of Wahgunyah, in 1864. The partners took up 100 acres and proceeded with planting vines in earnest whilst also constructing pise cellars made from the estate soil. The All Saints Estate castle was based on the design of ‘The Castle of Mey’, including turrets and a tower. The castle was constructed mainly of handmade bricks that were fired in the All Saints Estate Brick Kiln (classified on the Victorian Heritage Register) on the property. However, only the battement parapets of the lower wall and a turrets were copied, not the main castle style. The Castle of Mey, most recently owned by the late Queen Mother, was where George Sutherland-Smiths’ father was a carpenter and joiner.Black and white photograph showing a view, up a road between the Elm Tree entry drive of All Saints Winery wineries, north east victoria, wine industry, all saints winery, rutherglen, wahgunyah, winemaking, castle, winery -
Rutherglen Historical Society
Image, 1970s
All Saints Estate is a family owned winery established in 1864 and located on the banks of the Murray River in Wahgunyah, North East Victoria. Original owners George Sutherland Smith, and John Banks, arrived from Caithness, Scotland in 1852. They were just 23 and 20 years of age. Choosing to settle in the Wahgunyah area, they used their training as engineers from the Edinburgh Railway Institute to build a bridge over the Edwards River at Deniliquin. They were also involved in the construction of several buildings in Beechworth including the Presbyterian Church, part of the Gaol and the original hospital of which the granite facade still remains today. Smith and Banks began growing vines at ‘Sunday Creek’ closer to Wahgunyah than the present All Saints Estate winery, before relocating to build the 'All Saints castle' just three miles north of Wahgunyah, in 1864. The partners took up 100 acres and proceeded with planting vines in earnest whilst also constructing pise cellars made from the estate soil. The All Saints Estate castle was based on the design of ‘The Castle of Mey’, including turrets and a tower. The castle was constructed mainly of handmade bricks that were fired in the All Saints Estate Brick Kiln (classified on the Victorian Heritage Register) on the property. However, only the battement parapets of the lower wall and a turrets were copied, not the main castle style. The Castle of Mey, most recently owned by the late Queen Mother, was where George Sutherland-Smiths’ father was a carpenter and joiner.Black and white photograph showing a view, up a road between the Elm Tree entry drive of All Saints Winery On back of photo: "250% [upper case D in small circle] All Saints"wineries, north east victoria, wine industry, all saints winery, rutherglen, wahgunyah, winemaking, castle, winery -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Geological specimen - Olivine Crystals, Unknown
Olivine is mostly found on the Earth's surface in igneous rocks that are dark-coloured. It is common at divergent plate boundaries and at warm spots, such as volcanic areas. It crystalises and forms during the cooling of magma. Olivine is used in refractory sand, bricks, and gemstones. Olivine has been found on a number of meteorites, which might have originated from large asteroids or the mantle of a now-destroyed planet. This olivine crystal is thought to originate from Mount Noorat, with speculation that it could have originated from Mount Shadwell. Mount Noorat is a dormant volcano cone located in the Newer Volcanics Province of Victoria. Mount Noorat belongs to the Kirrae Wuurong people, who used the Mount as a place for meetings and gatherings prior to European settlement. Contact was first made between European settlers and the Indigenous people in 1841. The Mount has mostly been used for cattle and sheep grazing. Mount Shadwell is a well-known source of olivine and is the highest of a gathering of volcanic cones. The New Volcanic Province is located in South East Australia and covers 15000 square kilometres. It contains 400 explosive vents and small shield volcanoes. The last eruption is thought to have occurred 5000 years ago at Mount Gambier and Mount Schank. This olivine crystal has been identified as a volcanic bomb, which is a molten rock which was pushed out and ejected into the air when a volcano reupts. A rock needs to be larger than 65 mm in diameter to be classified as a volcanic bomb. This olivine volcanic bomb and its locality is historically and socially significant. The olivine was found in the Newer Volcanic Province, an area which contains over 400 dormant volcanoes. This olivine is one part of a volcanic bomb, which would have ejected when magma erupted out of a volcano. This specimen is part of a larger collection of geological and mineral specimens collected from around Australia (and some parts of the world) and donated to the Burke Museum between 1868-1880. A large percentage of these specimens were collected in Victoria as part of the Geological Survey of Victoria that begun in 1852 (in response to the Gold Rush) to study and map the geology of Victoria. Collecting geological specimens was an important part of mapping and understanding the scientific makeup of the earth. Many of these specimens were sent to research and collecting organisations across Australia, including the Burke Museum, to educate and encourage further study.A solid iron-magnesium silicate mineral with shades of green and brownburke museum, beechworth, geological, geological specimen, olivine, igneous rock, volcanic, gemstones, volcanic bomb, meteorites, asteroids, plantes, mount noorat, mount shadwell, indigenous, kirrae wuurong people, newer volcanics province, victoria, european settlement, eruption -
Falls Creek Historical Society
Photograph - At Wallace' s Hut
Wallace's Hut is the oldest surviving cattlemen's hut on the High Plains, built in 1889 by the three Wallace brothers - Arthur, William and Stewart. Their father David bought land at Kergunyah as well as grazing land on the banks of the Kiewa River, North East Victoria. Once the boys were old enough, the family followed the local squatters’ custom of taking their cattle up to the mountains for the spring and summer to fatten the mob, at the same time resting their home pastures. They decided to build a hut where they could shelter from the extreme mountain weather. The timber was cut from the forest about four hundred metres east of the hut, and the hearth stone was dragged in from Pretty Valley. The chimney had a base of rubble and above this iron sheeting on a timber frame. The slab walls were lined with hessian and later with tar-paper, and inside there was a bush table, sleeping platform and a rustic fire-side settle. The hut nestled among snow gums sheltered by a rocky outcrop. The names of the Wallace brothers were burnt into the tie-beams of the roof and at the back of the mantelpiece. The Wallace family’s lease expired in the late 1930s and the hut was bought by the State Electricity Commission to house staff on the High Plains and it became the first home of Toni and Skippy St. Elmo. The SEC covered the old shingles with iron, and later on the walls and chimney as well, and they added a lean-to. Wallace’s Hut is now owned by the Crown and maintained by Parks Victoria. It is on the Historic Buildings Register and is classified by the National Trust.This image is significant because it depicts an important heritage-listed structure and refuge for cattlemen and other travellers in Victoria's High Country.A black and white photograph of a skier outside of Wallace's Hut. Several sets of skis and poles are standing around and other skiers are in the background.wallace's hut, toni and skippy st. elmo, high country huts -
Kew Historical Society Inc
Album, Alick Kirkland Goulburn Gipps' Scrapbook, 1930s
Alick Gipps (1928-2014) was the son of Richard Brook Woodthorpe Gipps (1872-1946) and Mary Alys Kirkland (1889-1981), and the older brother of Christopher David Gipps (1930-52) and Rosemary Alison Gipps (1930-2013). While many scrapbooks of the period were created by, and or added to by their child owners, it is believed that "scrapbooks were considered by later Victorian parents to be an educational tool to teach children how to organise and classify information and to develop their ‘artistic’ senses" (Margaret Simpson, MAAS, 2008), and that the scrapbooks may have been compiled by the parent, rather than the child.The scrapbook is part of a large and significant collection of items donated by Rosemary Vaughan-Smith, past member and office-bearer of the Kew Historical Society. between 2005-12. The collection includes costumes, scrapbooks, autograph books, artworks and objects.Hard cover, 50-page album covered in red cloth and red leather corners and spine, the latter embossed with the words 'SCRAP BOOK' in gilt lettering. On the inside front cover, top left is an oval green label with retailer information - "WEDDING CHRISTENING / R. E. PENN. / Bible Warehouse / 213 REGENT St / BIRTHDAY PRESENTS". The paper used for the pages are in alternating blue, cream and green-coloured sections. The front pages of the scrapbook include the signature of the owner as Alick Kirkland [Goulburn] Gipps (1928-2014). Items pasted into the scrapbook include black and white and coloured illustrations, photographs, and extracts from books. Items selected for the scrapbook fill a single page or are arranged in groups. The oldest items in the scrapbook appear to date from 1859 and include a colour cover of the Illustrated London Almanack and pictorial handbills of electoral results for the seat of Holmesdale and Filmer in Kent, England. While other items in the book are of later periods, most can be classified as sentimental Victorian-era illustrations. The biblical scenes in the scrapbook reflect one aspect of the values of the Gipps family. The focus in the album on material about or published in Great Britain also suggests a preoccupation with, and a valuing of, traditional British culture. This is confirmed by the memberships of Alick and his sister Rosemary (Gipps) Vaughan-Smith in the English-Speaking Union Club, for which they welcomed guests at an 'Elizabethan party and barbecue' during the Coronation festivities of June 1953. (The Age, 3 June 1953, page 5). The album entered the collection of the Kew Historical Society as part of the Raymond and Rosemary (Gipps) Vaughan-Smith donation.manuscripts - kew historical society, rosemary vaughan-smith, vaughan-smith collection, alick kirkland goulburn gipps, scrapbooks - 20th century -
Australian Gliding Museum
Machine - Glider – Sailplane, 2015
The Salamandra is a Polish glider designed by Waclaw Czerwinski at the Military Glider Workshops in Krakow in 1936. This glider, designated “W.W.S.1”, was produced in substantial numbers prior to the second world war and used in Poland and some other eastern European countries for training pilots. Only one example survived the war, hidden away in the village of Goleszow in Silesia. In addition, no technical drawings could be found, so when the glider was discovered, the Gliding Institute being keen to re-establish gliding in Poland, used the glider to draw up new plans for construction. Five were built for the Institute in 1947 before production was resumed of the “Salamandra 48” at the SZD Jezow Workshops. Improvement were made by adding airbrakes and structural changes for the “Salamandra 49” and a windscreen and larger tailplane were changes adopted for the “Salamandra 53”. An export version designated “53A” was sold to and built under licence in China. Production of the Salamandra ceased in the early 1960s. Total production may have been in excess of 500. The glider was well regarded as a light weight trainer capable of soaring performance. The Museum’s replica was built by Ray Ash and may be may be classified as a “Salamandra 53”. However, he has added something of his own to the design by replacing the cable runs in the wings with control rods. The glider is substantially complete. The wings and tail / rudder surfaces have been covered with poly-fibre fabric. The fuselage woodwork is sealed with varnish. In addition to the finishing work (including painting) and rigging of the main components, the linkages for Ray’s control rod modification may need further engineering to make them operational. The Ray Ash Salamandra is the first of the type to appear in Australia. The Salamandra did not play any role in the development of gliding in Australia in the early years. However, it is an important exhibit in that it shows in tangible form a nacelle fuselage training glider in configuration and construction detail. As such it revisits the pioneering era of the 1930s and 1940s in Australia when wood, wire and fabric were the rule and the nacelle primary glider was generally the first step up for pilots who had mastered the basics in an open primary.Nacelled solo training glider of traditional wood and fabric construction. Construction incomplete.Noneaustralian gliding, sailplane, glider, salamandra, czerwinshi, poland, ash -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph - Lantern Slide, c1900
Beechworth's Anglican Church, Christ Church St Peter and St Paul, has served the Beechworth community since 1858 in its present form, following its beginnings in a tent in 1855. The Victorian branch of the National Trust classified the building as regionally significant in 1959 and the organ as of significance to the nation in 1992. Building a place for Anglican worship was a priority in the early days of Beechworth's settlement as the town was a site of regional administration due to its association with the economic and social expansion of Victoria during the Gold Rush period. The Church garden features several significant trees monitored by the Beechworth Treescape Group, including a cork oak growing near the Ford Street entrance, an Atlantic cedar, a bunya or bunya-bunya pine and two kurrajongs. Some of these long-established trees may be visible in this lantern-slide image. Lantern slides, sometimes called 'magic lantern' slides, are glass plates on which an image has been secured for the purpose of projection. Glass slides were etched or hand-painted for this purpose from the Eighteenth Century but the process became more popular and accessible to the public with the development of photographic-emulsion slides used with a 'Magic Lantern' device in the mid-Nineteenth Century. Photographic lantern slides comprise a double-negative emulsion layer (forming a positive image) between thin glass plates that are bound together. A number of processes existed to form and bind the emulsion layer to the base plate, including the albumen, wet plate collodion, gelatine dry plate and woodburytype techniques. Lantern slides and magic lantern technologies are seen as foundational precursors to the development of modern photography and film-making techniques.This glass slide is significant because it provides insight into Beechworth's social amenities and religious infrastructure in the late Nineteenth Century. It is also an example of an early photographic and film-making technology in use in regional Victoria in the time period.Thin translucent sheet of glass with a square image printed on the front and framed in a black backing. It is held together by metals strips to secure the edges of the slide.Obverse: 1 /beechworth, lantern slide, slide, glass slide, plate, burke museum collection, photograph, monochrome, christ church, indigo shire, north-east victoria, churches, architecture, anglican, religion, atlantic cedar, organ, magic lantern, christ church st peter and st paul, beechworth treescape group, cork oak, bunya pine, bunya bunya, kurrajong, quercus suber, cedrus atlantica f. glauca, araucaria bidwillii, brachychiton populneus -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Map - Three Road Maps of Bendigo, 1962
George Robert Broadbent (1863-1947), cyclist and map publisher, was born on 3 November 1863 at Ashby near Geelong, Victoria, son of George Adam Broadbent, Lancashire-born draper, and his wife Elizabeth, née Ruffhead. When the family moved to North Melbourne Broadbent attended the Errol Street school, followed his father's trade, and became an early cycling and cycle-racing enthusiast. At various times Broadbent held most Victorian and Australian road records, and two of his performances on solid tyres—203 miles (327 km) in 24 hours on a penny farthing, and 100 miles (161 km) in 6 hours 20 minutes on a 'safety' bicycle—were never bettered. He established records for all distances between 130 and 220 miles (209 and 354 km), and for all times between 8 and 12 hours, at the Exhibition Grounds track in May 1894, and road records for 50 and 100 miles (80 and 161 km) in October 1896. The Australian Cyclist acknowledged him 'the finest road rider that Australia has ever produced'. A foundation councillor of the League of Victorian Wheelmen in October 1893, Broadbent contested the first Warrnambool-Melbourne race in 1895, and was active in the Good Roads Movement. Next year he issued a road map of Victoria, 'prepared … after some sixteen years riding and touring in all parts of the Colony', which indicated general topography, distances, and roads classified as 'good', 'fair' or 'ridden with difficulty'. It was to become Victoria's standard map, and the basis of a continuous publishing programme by Broadbent's Official Road Guides Co.Three Road Maps of Bendigo, Bendigo and Suburbs, Bendigo and Eaglehawk. Two fold out maps printed in colour and produced by Broadbent's Road Maps Pty. Ltd. 475 Collins Street Melbourne. One map printed by Bolton's Bendigo.history, bolton's, bendio broadbent maps -
Puffing Billy Railway
Equipment - Railway carriage (pbr Rinadeena No.2nal) ( Mt. Lyell Mining & Railway Company No.02), 1901–1902
2 NAL - Rinadeena - (Mt. Lyell) O 2; 2 NBL - 1st. class saloon car (20) NAL FIRST-CLASS SALOON CAR. Four saloon end-platform cars originally built during 1901–1902 by the Lancaster Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Ltd. for the 3'6" gauge Mt. Lyell Mining & Railway Company in Tasmania and classed O. Converted for use as second-class cars on the 2'6" gauge Puffing Billy Railway during 1965–1966, these cars were reclassified NBL and numbered 1–4. The L recognises their Mt. Lyell origin, No. 1 was kept for use as the Railway's VIP car and was reconditioned to a higher standard. No. 2 was similarly upgraded in 1985 for use on special occasions. In 1989 No. 3 was similarly reconditioned with No. 4 receiving similar treatment in 1995. These cars were re-classified NAL in recognition of their new first-class nature. The Mt Lyell Railway was closed in 1963 and subsequently dismantled, but fortunately several of the locomotives and carriages passed into preservation. Purchased by the Puffing Billy Preservation Society from the Mount Lyell Mining & Railway Company in the 1960's and converted to 2' 6" gauge. It has since given many years of service on the Puffing Billy Railway. TASMANIAN CARRIAGES & GUARDS VANS No. Builder Type Year built Ex. Location Note NAL 1 Lancaster Railway Carriage and Wagon Co Saloon 1901 Mt Lyell Railway Named Mt Lyell NAL 2 Lancaster Railway Carriage and Wagon Co Saloon 1901 Mt Lyell Railway Named Rinadeena NAL 3 Lancaster Railway Carriage and Wagon Co Saloon 1901 Mt Lyell Railway Named Teepookana NAL 4 Lancaster Railway Carriage and Wagon Co Saloon 1901 Mt Lyell Railway Named Dubbil BarrilThe Rinadeena is a stunning example of a classic narrow gauge 1st Class Saloon Carriage, used as a luxury edition to train travel in the late 1800s and the 2NAL within Puffing Billy's collection was purchased by the Puffing Billy Preservation Society in the 1960s, where it underwent restoration to become part of the railway's historic transport collection.A timber and iron saloon car - painted in crimson with a name plate 'Rinadeena' attached to the centre of the carriage and the words '2 NAL' painted in white directly below. The word 'FIRST' is painted in gold at both ends of the carriage. The car has nine windows on either side of the carriage and a wrought iron ballastrade upon entry at eiether end of the carriage as well as iron steps to ascend. Inside the carriage are 10 bench seats made of wood and leather and ten tables for dining. The windows are adorned with cream cloth fabric and above each bench are wrought iron luggae racks. The ceiling is covered in cloth and features two suspended ornate glass and metal light fixtures. A wooden door with two glass panels can be found at both ends of the carriage.2 NAL - Rinadeenarailway carriages, first class saloon, narrow gauge, rinadeena, mt lyell, transport, travel, leisure, luxury -
Wodonga & District Historical Society Inc
Certificate - Recognition of Service World War II - Ian Darnton Watson, 1946
Ian Darnton Watson was a member of a prominent family of civic leaders in Wodonga. He was born on 6th July 1925 in Albury, the first son of Kenneth Darnton Watson and Phyllis Lenore Emily Austin. He completed his primary education at Albury Grammar School, and later became a boarder at Melbourne Church of England Grammar School. He enlisted for service at Albury on 25th January 1944 and commenced full time service on 8th February 1944 at Royal Park in Melbourne, Victoria and was allocated to the 2nd Medium Regiment. He embarked for overseas service in Borneo on 30th July 1945 and disembarked in Australia on 15 April 1947 after serving with the Australian occupation forces in Japan. Mr Watson was discharged on 22 April 1947 at which time he was a member of the Australian 2nd Medical Regiment. On discharge he returned home to help his father farm his property, De Kerilleau in Wodonga. De Kerilleau was classified by the National Trust in 1974. Ian described his father, Kenneth as a hardworking, practical man, who for two years from 1929 - 1931, had been the Wodonga Shire President. Cr K. D. Watson was again elected to the Council in 1943 and served until he died in October 1951. In March 1957, he married Miss Lesley Buttfield, of Sydney, NSW. They had three children, Fiona, John and Rowena. John was later to become a member of Wodonga Council and served as mayor. Ian was past President of the RSL branch at Wodonga, Captain of the Wodonga Rural Fire Brigade, and President of the West Wodonga Primary School Committee. He also served on Wodonga Council from 1974 until his death on 14 December 1981, aged 56.This certificate is significant because it acknowledges the War Service of a prominent member of the Wodonga communityA colour printed certificate presented to Ian Darnton Watson in appreciation for his service for "King and Empire" during World War II. The text is surrounded by columns and an arch. The Australian and British flags are at the top as well as representations of the Navy, Army and Air Force. It also features the logo of the Shire of Wodonga above the text. The badge of the Commonwealth Armed Forces is at the centre bottom of the certificate. This small collection also includes black and white photographs of Ian Watson from his Service Records and another photo in uniformOn Certificate: PRESENTED TO Ian Darnton Watson BY THE PRESIDENT, COUNCILLORS AND CITIZENS OF THE SHIRE OF WODONGA as a record and an appreciation of Your Services to King and Country during the Great War which commenced 3rd September, 1939. Given under the Common Seal of the Shire of Wodonga by the President, Citizens this Councillors and Citizens this 26th day of February 1947watson family wodonga, ian darnton watson, de kerilleau -
Wodonga & District Historical Society Inc
Certificate - Recognition of Service to RSSAILA Wodonga - Ian D. Watson
Ian Darnton Watson was a member of a prominent family of civic leaders in Wodonga. He was born on 6th July 1925 in Albury, the first son of Kenneth Darnton Watson and Phyllis Lenore Emily Austin. He completed his primary education at Albury Grammar School, and later became a boarder at Melbourne Church of England Grammar School. He enlisted for military service at Albury on 25th January 1944 and commenced full time service on 8th February 1944 at Royal Park in Melbourne, Victoria and was allocated to the 2nd Medium Artillery Regiment. He embarked on overseas service in Borneo on 30th July 1945 and disembarked in Australia on 15th April 1947 after serving with the Australian occupation forces in Japan. Mr Watson was discharged on 22nd April 1947 at which time he was a member of the Australian 2nd Medical Regiment. On discharge he returned home to help his father farm his property, de Kerilleau in Wodonga which was classified by the National Trust in 1974. Ian described his father, Kenneth as a hardworking, practical man, who for two years from 1929 - 1931, had been the Wodonga Shire President. Cr K. D. Watson was again elected to the Council in 1943 and served until he died in October 1951. In March 1957, he married Miss Lesley Buttfield, of Sydney, NSW. They had three children, Fiona, John and Rowena. John was later to become a member of Wodonga Council and served as Mayor. Ian was President of the RSSAILA (Returned Sailor's, Soldier's and Airmen's Imperial League of Australia) branch at Wodonga from 1953 to 1955 and remained as a member after that time. The League was renamed to the Returned Services League in 1965. Mr Ian Watson died on 14 December 1981, aged 56.This certificate is significant because it recognises the service of Ian Darnton Watson in support of Returned Servicemen in Wodonga.A framed certificate mounted on card. The frame is plastic with a wood grain finish.On Certificate:- R.S.S.A.I.L.A. VICTORIAN BRANCH Presented to Ian D. Watson, As a token of esteem and in grateful recognition of valuable services rendered as President of the Wodonga Sub Branch Years 1953 to 1955.wodonga rssaila, ian darnton watson, watson family wodonga, rsl wodonga -
Puffing Billy Railway
5NC - Brake Van (4 ton capacity), 31/ 7/1914
NC Van The NC guard's vans were originally classed NDD. In the 1910 reclassification they were classified NC. Apart from the windows and height they were externally the same as the NBC vans. Inside there were benches along both side walls. One end was equipped with a small guard's compartment. This had two corner seats, two desks with ticket selling windows and a letter rack. A novel feature was a folding dog cage under one of the benches. Six NC Brake Van / Guards Vans were built by Victorian Railways 1 NC was built in 1909 as NDD and reclassed 1NC in 1910. 2 NC was built and placed into service Nov 1912 3 NC , 4 NC and 5 NC were built and placed into service June / July 1914 6 NC was Built and placed into service in 1919 1 NC, 4 NC and 6 NC were all scrapped by Victorian Railways between 1954 and 1957 Van 5NC - Brake Van (4 ton capacity) In Active Service - Belgrave Station Yard VR Service History: 5 NC *NC 5.VA - 31/ 7/1914 NWS Built new - / 6/1926 - Modified AC Malco 16/11/1932 NWS Into Workshops - 9/12/1932 NWS Out of Workshops (24 days) 23/10/1935 NWS Into Workshops - 19/11/1935 NWS Out of Workshops (28 days) 10/ 8/1939 NWS Into Workshops - 8/ 9/1939 NWS Out of Workshops (30 days) 2/ 6/1944 NWS Into Workshops - 25/ 8/1944 NWS Out of Workshops (85 days) 21/ 4/1949 NWS Into Workshops - 14/10/1949 NWS Out of Workshops (178 days) Dec 2016 - Puffing Billy Register of Rolling Stock NC 5 Brake Van (4 ton capacity) - In traffic Historic - Victorian Railways - Narrow Gauge Rolling Stock - NC Brake Van Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) Number H2187 The Puffing Billy Rolling Stock CollectionBrake Van (4 ton capacity) made of Timber and wrought iron5NCpuffing billy, 5nc, 2'6" gauge, victorian railways, 5nc brake van -
Puffing Billy Railway
1 NAL (Mount Lyell), 1st. class saloon car, 1901–1902
1 NAL - Mt. Lyell - (Mt. Lyell) O 5; 1 NBL - 1st. class saloon car (20) In Active Service Puffing billy railway NAL FIRST-CLASS SALOON CAR. Four saloon end-platform cars originally built during 1901–1902 by the Lancaster Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Ltd. for the 3'6" gauge Mt. Lyell Mining & Railway Company in Tasmania and classed O. Converted for use as second-class cars on the 2'6" gauge Puffing Billy Railway during 1965–1966, these cars were reclassified NBL and numbered 1–4. The L recognises their Mt. Lyell origin, No. 1 was kept for use as the Railway's VIP car and was reconditioned to a higher standard. No. 2 was similarly upgraded in 1985 for use on special occasions. In 1989 No. 3 was similarly reconditioned with No. 4 receiving similar treatment in 1995. These cars were re-classified NAL in recognition of their new first-class nature. The Mt Lyell Railway was closed in 1963 and subsequently dismantled, but fortunately several of the locomotives and carriages passed into preservation. This original Mt Lyell Railway passenger carriage was donated to the Puffing Billy Preservation Society by the Mount Lyell Mining & Railway Company in the 1960s and was converted to 2' 6" gauge. It has since given many years of service on the Puffing Billy Railway. TASMANIAN CARRIAGES & GUARDS VANS No. Builder Type Year built Ex. Location Note NAL 1 Lancaster Railway Carriage and Wagon Co Saloon 1901 Mt Lyell Railway Named Mt Lyell NAL 2 Lancaster Railway Carriage and Wagon Co Saloon 1901 Mt Lyell Railway Named Rinadeena NAL 3 Lancaster Railway Carriage and Wagon Co Saloon 1901 Mt Lyell Railway Named Teepookana NAL 4 Lancaster Railway Carriage and Wagon Co Saloon 1901 Mt Lyell Railway Named Dubbil BarrilHistoric - Industrial Narrow Gauge railway - Mt. Lyell Mining & Railway Company in Tasmania - 1st Class Saloon Carriage 1st. class saloon car made of Timber and Steel1 NAL - Mt. Lyell -
Puffing Billy Railway
2 NC - Brake Van (4 ton capacity), 26/11/1912
NC Van The NC guard's vans were originally classed NDD. In the 1910 reclassification they were classified NC. Apart from the windows and height they were externally the same as the NBC vans. Inside there were benches along both side walls. One end was equipped with a small guard's compartment. This had two corner seats, two desks with ticket selling windows and a letter rack. A novel feature was a folding dog cage under one of the benches. Six NC Brake Van / Guards Vans were built by Victorian Railways 1 NC was built in 1909 as NDD and reclassed 1NC in 1910. 2 NC was built and placed into service Nov 1912 3 NC , 4 NC and 5 NC were built and placed into service June / July 1914 6 NC was Built and placed into service in 1919 1 NC, 4 NC and 6 NC were all scrapped by Victorian Railways between 1954 and 1957 2NC - Brake Van (4 ton capacity) VR Service History 26/11/1912 NWS Built new 2 NC *NC 2.VA - 26/11/1912 NWS Built new - circa 1926 - Modified AC Malco BO 6/ 7/1932 NWS Into Workshops - 5/ 8/1932 NWS Out of Workshops (31 days) 2/10/1937 NWS Into Workshops - 3/12/1937 NWS Out of Workshops (63 days) 25/ 1/1945 NWS Into Workshops - 23/ 2/1945 NWS Out of Workshops (30 days) Dec 2016 - Puffing Billy Rollling Stock register Puffing Billy Service History or Notes 21 Oct 1995 - Loco 7A and 2 NC collides with trolleys NK 3, Jenny, & NG 1 on the SELBY side of the MONBULK CREEK trestle bridge. Historic - Victorian Railways - Narrow Gauge Rolling Stock - NC Brake VanBrake Van (4 ton capacity) made of Timber and wrought iron2NCpuffing billy, 2nc, 2'6" gauge, victorian railways, 2 nc brake van -
City of Ballarat
Public Artwork, Ruth by Charles F. Summers, Circa 1885
Ruth was designed and carved by Charles Francis Summers, one of five white marble statues housed in the Statuary Pavilion, Ballarat Botanical Gardens. The Pavilion and its statues were unveiled in 1888 by Premier Duncan Gillies, a former colleague of James Russell Thompson whose bequest to the City enabled the purchase, in Italy, of the statues. The Flight from Pompeii and the four accompanying statues are housed in the Statuary Pavilion in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens. The Flight from Pompeii, in the centre, was designed by Professor Carlo Benzoni and carved by Charles Francis Summers while the four accompanying statues were all designed and carved by Charles Francis Summers. The octagonal Pavilion was specially designed by T.E. Molloy in 1887 to house the statuary. The five statues and Pavilion are believed to be unique in Australia. The Flight from Pompeii, Modesty, Rebekah, Ruth and Susannah are aesthetically significant as they are a group of statues, which are a fine example of the design of Professor G.M. Benzoni [Flight from Pompeii] and the design and carving of Charles Francis Summers. The carving of the Flight from Pompeii is both sensitive and finely done and both the design and carving of Modesty, Rebekah, Ruth and Susannah is sensitive and delicate with great attention to detail. The group is historically important as it epitomises the 'beautification' of the city in the 1880s by men who made their money from gold and who wished to give to the city money for projects such the statuary Pavilion and its contents. The Flight from Pompeii group is located in the Botanical Gardens, which were then also being developed in the Victorian style. This also illustrates the social feeling of the time in which the wealthy had made their money and were wanting to develop in a most substantial way, as well as to 'beautify' the city in which they lived. The Pavilion, designed by the major Ballarat architect T.E. Molloy, is unusual for its top-lit central lantern and curved roofs. The statues are seen to their best advantage because of the provision of all-round and top natural lighting. Classified: 03/03/2003 Victorian Heritage Database. the artwork is of historic and aesthetic significance to the people of BallaratWhite marble statue, Ruth is in a seated position with a loosely draped dress.Ruthruth -
City of Ballarat
Artwork, other - Public Artwork, Modesty by Charles Francis Summers, Circa 1885
Modesty was designed and carved by Charles Francis Summers, one of five white marble statues housed in the Statuary Pavilion, Ballarat Botanical Gardens. The Pavilion and its statues were unveiled in 1888 by Premier Duncan Gillies, a former colleague of James Russell Thompson whose bequest to the City enabled the purchase, in Italy, of the statues. The Flight from Pompeii and the four accompanying statues are housed in the Statuary Pavilion in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens. The Flight from Pompeii, in the centre, was designed by Professor Carlo Benzoni and carved by Charles Francis Summers while the four accompanying statues were all designed and carved by Charles Francis Summers. The octagonal Pavilion was specially designed by T.E. Molloy in 1887 to house the statuary. The five statues and Pavilion are believed to be unique in Australia. The Flight from Pompeii, Modesty, Rebekah, Ruth and Susannah are aesthetically significant as they are a group of statues, which are a fine example of the design of Professor G.M. Benzoni [Flight from Pompeii] and the design and carving of Charles Francis Summers. The carving of the Flight from Pompeii is both sensitive and finely done and both the design and carving of Modesty, Rebekah, Ruth and Susannah is sensitive and delicate with great attention to detail. The group is historically important as it epitomises the 'beautification' of the city in the 1880s by men who made their money from gold and who wished to give to the city money for projects such the statuary Pavilion and its contents. The Flight from Pompeii group is located in the Botanical Gardens, which were then also being developed in the Victorian style. This also illustrates the social feeling of the time in which the wealthy had made their money and were wanting to develop in a most substantial way, as well as to 'beautify' the city in which they lived. The Pavilion, designed by the major Ballarat architect T.E. Molloy, is unusual for its top-lit central lantern and curved roofs. The statues are seen to their best advantage because of the provision of all-round and top natural lighting. Classified: 03/03/2003 Victorian Heritage Database. The artwork is of historic and aesthetic significance to the people of BallaratWhite marble statue, Modesty standing with right arm folded over chest, robed and with veil over face.Modestymodesty -
City of Ballarat
Artwork, other - Public Artwork, Charles F. Summers, Susannah, Circa 1885
Susannah designed and carved by Charles Francis Summers and accompanies four statues in the Statuary Pavilion in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens. The Pavilion and its statues were unveiled in 1888 by Premier Duncan Gillies, a former colleague of James Russell Thompson whose bequest to the City enabled the purchase, in Italy, of the statues. The Flight from Pompeii and the four accompanying statues are housed in the Statuary Pavilion in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens. The Flight from Pompeii, in the centre, was designed by Professor Carlo Benzoni and carved by Charles Francis Summers while the four accompanying statues were all designed and carved by Charles Francis Summers. The octagonal Pavilion was specially designed by T.E. Molloy in 1887 to house the statuary. The five statues and Pavilion are believed to be unique in Australia. The Flight from Pompeii, Modesty, Rebekah, Ruth and Susannah are aesthetically significant as they are a group of statues, which are a fine example of the design of Professor G.M. Benzoni [Flight from Pompeii] and the design and carving of Charles Francis Summers. The carving of the Flight from Pompeii is both sensitive and finely done and both the design and carving of Modesty, Rebekah, Ruth and Susannah is sensitive and delicate with great attention to detail. The group is historically important as it epitomises the 'beautification' of the city in the 1880s by men who made their money from gold and who wished to give to the city money for projects such the statuary Pavilion and its contents. The Flight from Pompeii group is located in the Botanical Gardens, which were then also being developed in the Victorian style. This also illustrates the social feeling of the time in which the wealthy had made their money and were wanting to develop in a most substantial way, as well as to 'beautify' the city in which they lived. The Pavilion, designed by the major Ballarat architect T.E. Molloy, is unusual for its top-lit central lantern and curved roofs. The statues are seen to their best advantage because of the provision of all-round and top natural lighting. Classified: 03/03/2003 Victorian Heritage Database.The artwork is of historic and aesthetic significance to the people of Ballarat White marble statue, female seated with cloth draped over lower body.Susannahsusannah, summers -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Animal specimen - Common Buzzard, Trustees of the Australian Museum, 1860-1880
The Common Buzzard is part of the buteo genus (Latin for buzzard or hawk) which indicates it is part of the raptor group whose features include a medium to large build, a strong body and larger wings. The family includes birds of prey such as hawks and buzzards. Like their name suggests, Common Buzzards are very ‘common’ in the UK but can also be found in other parts of Europe, Africa and Asia. The birds’ habitat consists of woodland, shrubland, forest, wetlands and countryside, and they can live in cold, tropical and temperate climate zones. Similar to other raptor species, Common Buzzards make their nests in tree branches or tree forks. With finely tuned hearing, they are able to detect small marsupials, and their diet consists of small amphibians, birds and mammals. Normally solitary, these raptors can occasionally be seen with others. Common Buzzards are classified as of ‘Least Concern’ on the IUCN Red List. While there is some noticeable fading of this particular taxidermy specimen’s plumage, it is relatively well presented. The completely black eyes and string through the nose of the specimen seem to be taxidermy/curatorial choices, as this is not something that is normally found on living versions today, and the eyes of Common Buzzards are normally golden eyes with black pupils. It is interesting to note, when considering the selected artificial eyes, that the original swing tag labeled this specimen as Saleo tinnunculus Lina, a form of kestrel (known to have complete black eyes), which perhaps explains this taxidermist choice. As a Common Buzzard, this particular specimen could have had its frame and breast area bulked out a little more, as birds within the buteo genus are generally recognised to be of medium to large build. Overall however, this is a fairly reasonable and accurate representation of the species. This specimen is part of a collection of almost 200 animal specimens that were originally acquired as skins from various institutions across Australia, including the Australian Museum in Sydney and the National Museum of Victoria (known as Museums Victoria since 1983), as well as individuals such as amateur anthropologist Reynell Eveleigh Johns between 1860-1880. These skins were then mounted by members of the Burke Museum Committee and put-on display in the formal space of the Museum’s original exhibition hall where they continue to be on display. This display of taxidermy mounts initially served to instruct visitors to the Burke Museum of the natural world around them, today it serves as an insight into the collecting habits of the 19th century.This specimen is part of a significant and rare taxidermy mount collection in the Burke Museum. This collection is scientifically and culturally important for reminding us of how science continues to shape our understanding of the modern world. They demonstrate a capacity to hold evidence of how Australia’s fauna history existed in the past and are potentially important for future environmental research. This collection continues to be on display in the Museum and has become a key part to interpreting the collecting habits of the 19th century.With similar colourings and features to a range of raptor species, the Common Buzzard can often be mistaken for other varieties of buteo and raptor. The bird’s plumage generally varies by location, but normally includes a variety of shades of brown, commonly with darker brown on its back and lighter coloured feathers on its breast, underbelly areas and face. These birds normally have fine bands on their tail and darker tipped wings. Common Buzzards have smaller heads with a band of yellow around the base of their small curved beaks and golden yellow eyes. This particular specimen’s feathers have faded and he stands upon a wooden perch with an identifying tag hanging from its right leg.Swing Tag: Swing tag obverse seems to read: ‘…io [? First few symbols aren’t clear]/ Saleo /tinnunculus/ Lina [there is also another illegible symbol on the tag in the centre on the second line] Swing tag reverse: illegible sections of text and the beginning of a number ‘403…[?]. Metal tag: 1032[?]taxidermy mount, taxidermy, animalia, burke museum, beechworth, australian museum, skin, reynell eveleigh johns, bird, common buzzard, buteo, hawks, raptors, birds of prey, buzzards -
Puffing Billy Railway
4 NAL (Dubbil Barril), 1st. class saloon car, 1901–1902
4 NAL - Dubbil Barril - (Mt. Lyell) O 6; 4 NBL - 1st. class saloon car (28) NAL FIRST-CLASS SALOON CAR. Four saloon end-platform cars originally built during 1901–1902 by the Lancaster Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Ltd. for the 3'6" gauge Mt. Lyell Mining & Railway Company in Tasmania and classed O. Converted for use as second-class cars on the 2'6" gauge Puffing Billy Railway during 1965–1966, these cars were reclassified NBL and numbered 1–4. The L recognises their Mt. Lyell origin, No. 1 was kept for use as the Railway's VIP car and was reconditioned to a higher standard. No. 2 was similarly upgraded in 1985 for use on special occasions. In 1989 No. 3 was similarly reconditioned with No. 4 receiving similar treatment in 1995. These cars were re-classified NAL in recognition of their new first-class nature. The Mt Lyell Railway was closed in 1963 and subsequently dismantled, but fortunately several of the locomotives and carriages passed into preservation. Purchased by the Puffing Billy Presevation Society from the Mount Lyell Mining & Railway Company in the 1960s and converted to 2' 6" gauge. It has since given many years of service on the Puffing Billy Railway. TASMANIAN CARRIAGES & GUARDS VANS No. Builder Type Year built Ex. Location Note NAL 1 Lancaster Railway Carriage and Wagon Co Saloon 1901 Mt Lyell Railway Named Mt Lyell NAL 2 Lancaster Railway Carriage and Wagon Co Saloon 1901 Mt Lyell Railway Named Rinadeena NAL 3 Lancaster Railway Carriage and Wagon Co Saloon 1901 Mt Lyell Railway Named Teepookana NAL 4 Lancaster Railway Carriage and Wagon Co Saloon 1901 Mt Lyell Railway Named Dubbil Barril Lancaster Railway Carriage and Wagon Co The Lancaster Company was formed in 1863 and owned extensive works on the outskirts of Lancaster where it produced railway rolling stock of all descriptions, tram cars, wheels and axles, etc and had a reputation for work of a very high-class character. In 1902 Metropolitan Amalgamated Railway Carriage and Wagon Co was registered on 18 April and incorporated as a limited company to amalgamate 6 companies including Lancaster Railway Carriage and Wagon Co These works were closed in 1908 when the business was transferred to Ashbury.Historic - Industrial Narrow Gauge railway - Mt. Lyell Mining & Railway Company in Tasmania - 1st Class Saloon Carriage1st. class saloon car made of Timber and steel4 NAL - Dubbil Barrilpuffing billy railway, narrow gauge -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, c.2000
This photograph was captured on an undisclosed date and by an unidentified photographer. It was printed in colour through the company AGFA which is a Belgian-German Multinational Corporation. This business prints, develops, manufactures and distributes digital imaging products, software and systems. It was founded in 1967 and continues to operate today. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. The hilltop atmosphere and the native fauna, it was argued, would assist in the cure of the patients kept at the hospital (Wood 1985, 122). The positioning of the hospital had a beneficial effect on the rural town. A pamphlet published by James Ingram and Son (1849) reveal that famous landmarks in Beechworth which included the Post Office, Gaol, Courthouse and Asylum "demonstrate the appreciation of Beechworth by the Government not only as as important district center, but also as a site unrivaled as a sanitarium". There were other locations in contention at the time, but ultimately Beechworth was chosen (Craig 2000, 33). Prior to the creation of the Asylum in Beechworth, those charged with having mental illnesses or, as it was termed, "insanity" were unable to be properly cared for in the Gaol (which is where they were often sent). John Buckley Castieau wrote, in 1861 for the Ovens and Murray Advertiser, that the Gaol was unable to properly care for those classified then as "insane" but that they would endeavor to treat them above the other inmates (which he notes is not always the case in other establishments). Castieau wrote this in favour of supporting the building of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth. It was stated that at the time the Mayday Hills Hospital was built, there were 83 prisoners kept in the Gaol who were to be rehoused to the Hospital on the grounds of "insanity". The classification as someone as "insane", in this period of time is a reflection on the inability to cure and understand illnesses of the mind during the mid to late 1800s. Opening on the 24th of October 1867, the Mayday Hills Hospital was originally named the "Ovens Lunatic Asylum", a title which is very much a product of its time. Whilst controversial, changes to the name is part of the history of the Hospital and can provide much insight into the understanding of mental illness throughout history and the use/disuse of this term provides information into the reception/changing opinions of mental illness in society. The Hospital would later become known as the "Mayday Hills Asylum" and/or "Mayday Hills Hospital" with the latter being the most commonly used title. An article in the Ovens and Murray Advertiser notes that on the 7th of March 1865, the foundation stone of the Hospital was laid (it would officially open in 1867) and that it was such a moment of accomplishment and joy for Beechworth that a letter to the editor even suggested that there should be a holiday dedicated to the day the foundation stone as laid. This reveals an extent to which the townspeople of early Beechworth valued the construction of the Hospital in their town. It provided the town with a sense of prestige and honour.At first glance, the remains of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria, inspire tragedy, trauma and beauty. The buildings themselves, with their Italianate style Renaissance architecture designed by J.J. Clark (Craig 2000, 49 & Smith 2016, 203) reflect a bygone period of European and Australian history. The gardens provide a sense of tranquility and beauty. The experience of those within these walls remains a valuable area of study to provide a more complete understanding. This particular hospital is considered the fourth of its like and one of three identified as the largest of their kind. The Mayday Hills Hospital is a sister to the Kew and Ararat Asylums in Melbourne which are both located in relative proximity. Understanding the role of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth history is integral to understanding the development of the goldfields town, but also for providing important information as to the history of caring for, and the reception of, mental illnesses in Australian and wider European history. Mayday Hills provides a case study which can be researched through oral history, an analysis of the grounds/buildings and through images like this postcard which portray the structure in a highly deliberate manner. Images like this depict the strong façade of the Hospital and provide a glimpse into the tranquility of the gardens. This has been done deliberately to provide a sense of comfort and healing about the building to those looking from the outside. Further research into the importance of the Hospital in Beechworth and it's connection to the town will be supported through images like these kept in the Mayday Hills photo album in the collection of the Burke Museum.Coloured rectangular photograph printed on gloss photographic paper.Reverse: AGFAbeechworth, mayday hills, mayday hills asylum, mental health, history of mental health, asylum, 1860s, gold town, north-east victoria, kew asylum, ararat asylum -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph
This photograph was captured in approximately 1900 and depicts the on site nurses homes. During the 1880s, these detached cottages were constructed and provided accommodation for the staff (in this case, the nurses) who lived within the hospital walls. Within the image are weatherboard buildings, a number of nurses and water tanks. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. The hilltop atmosphere and the native fauna, it was argued, would assist in the cure of the patients kept at the hospital (Wood 1985, 122). The positioning of the hospital had a beneficial effect on the rural town. A pamphlet published by James Ingram and Son (1849) reveal that famous landmarks in Beechworth which included the Post Office, Gaol, Courthouse and Asylum "demonstrate the appreciation of Beechworth by the Government not only as as important district center, but also as a site unrivaled as a sanitarium". There were other locations in contention at the time, but ultimately Beechworth was chosen (Craig 2000, 33). Prior to the creation of the Asylum in Beechworth, those charged with having mental illnesses or, as it was termed, "insanity" were unable to be properly cared for in the Gaol (which is where they were often sent). John Buckley Castieau wrote, in 1861 for the Ovens and Murray Advertiser, that the Gaol was unable to properly care for those classified then as "insane" but that they would endeavor to treat them above the other inmates (which he notes is not always the case in other establishments). Castieau wrote this in favour of supporting the building of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth. It was stated that at the time the Mayday Hills Hospital was built, there were 83 prisoners kept in the Gaol who were to be rehoused to the Hospital on the grounds of "insanity". The classification as someone as "insane", in this period of time is a reflection on the inability to cure and understand illnesses of the mind during the mid to late 1800s. Opening on the 24th of October 1867, the Mayday Hills Hospital was originally named the "Ovens Lunatic Asylum", a title which is very much a product of its time. Whilst controversial, changes to the name is part of the history of the Hospital and can provide much insight into the understanding of mental illness throughout history and the use/disuse of this term provides information into the reception/changing opinions of mental illness in society. The Hospital would later become known as the "Mayday Hills Asylum" and/or "Mayday Hills Hospital" with the latter being the most commonly used title. An article in the Ovens and Murray Advertiser notes that on the 7th of March 1865, the foundation stone of the Hospital was laid (it would officially open in 1867) and that it was such a moment of accomplishment and joy for Beechworth that a letter to the editor even suggested that there should be a holiday dedicated to the day the foundation stone as laid. This reveals an extent to which the townspeople of early Beechworth valued the construction of the Hospital in their town. It provided the town with a sense of prestige and honour.At first glance, the remains of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria, inspire tragedy, trauma and beauty. The buildings themselves, with their Italianate style Renaissance architecture designed by J.J. Clark (Craig 2000, 49 & Smith 2016, 203) reflect a bygone period of European and Australian history. The gardens provide a sense of tranquility and beauty. The experience of those within these walls remains a valuable area of study to provide a more complete understanding. This particular hospital is considered the fourth of its like and one of three identified as the largest of their kind. The Mayday Hills Hospital is a sister to the Kew and Ararat Asylums in Melbourne which are both located in relative proximity. Understanding the role of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth history is integral to understanding the development of the goldfields town, but also for providing important information as to the history of caring for, and the reception of, mental illnesses in Australian and wider European history. Mayday Hills provides a case study which can be researched through oral history, an analysis of the grounds/buildings and through images like these. Images like these depict the strong façade of the Hospital and provide a glimpse into the tranquility of the gardens. This has been done deliberately to provide a sense of comfort and healing about the building to those looking from the outside. Further research into the importance of the Hospital in Beechworth and it's connection to the town will be supported through images like these kept in the Mayday Hills photo album in the collection of the Burke Museum.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on photographic paper mounted on card"Early nurses quarters, Beechworth Mental Hospital, now May Day Hills Hospital."may day hills hospital, nurses quarters, beechworth, mayday hills, asylum -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph
These images are copies of a photograph (3448) captured in approximately 1900 and depicts the on site nurses homes. During the 1880s, these detached cottages were constructed and provided accommodation for the staff (in this case, the nurses) who lived within the hospital walls. Within the image are weatherboard buildings, a number of nurses and water tanks. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. The hilltop atmosphere and the native fauna, it was argued, would assist in the cure of the patients kept at the hospital (Wood 1985, 122). The positioning of the hospital had a beneficial effect on the rural town. A pamphlet published by James Ingram and Son (1849) reveal that famous landmarks in Beechworth which included the Post Office, Gaol, Courthouse and Asylum "demonstrate the appreciation of Beechworth by the Government not only as as important district center, but also as a site unrivaled as a sanitarium". There were other locations in contention at the time, but ultimately Beechworth was chosen (Craig 2000, 33). Prior to the creation of the Asylum in Beechworth, those charged with having mental illnesses or, as it was termed, "insanity" were unable to be properly cared for in the Gaol (which is where they were often sent). John Buckley Castieau wrote, in 1861 for the Ovens and Murray Advertiser, that the Gaol was unable to properly care for those classified then as "insane" but that they would endeavor to treat them above the other inmates (which he notes is not always the case in other establishments). Castieau wrote this in favour of supporting the building of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth. It was stated that at the time the Mayday Hills Hospital was built, there were 83 prisoners kept in the Gaol who were to be rehoused to the Hospital on the grounds of "insanity". The classification as someone as "insane", in this period of time is a reflection on the inability to cure and understand illnesses of the mind during the mid to late 1800s. Opening on the 24th of October 1867, the Mayday Hills Hospital was originally named the "Ovens Lunatic Asylum", a title which is very much a product of its time. Whilst controversial, changes to the name is part of the history of the Hospital and can provide much insight into the understanding of mental illness throughout history and the use/disuse of this term provides information into the reception/changing opinions of mental illness in society. The Hospital would later become known as the "Mayday Hills Asylum" and/or "Mayday Hills Hospital" with the latter being the most commonly used title. An article in the Ovens and Murray Advertiser notes that on the 7th of March 1865, the foundation stone of the Hospital was laid (it would officially open in 1867) and that it was such a moment of accomplishment and joy for Beechworth that a letter to the editor even suggested that there should be a holiday dedicated to the day the foundation stone as laid. This reveals an extent to which the townspeople of early Beechworth valued the construction of the Hospital in their town. It provided the town with a sense of prestige and honour.At first glance, the remains of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria, inspire tragedy, trauma and beauty. The buildings themselves, with their Italianate style Renaissance architecture designed by J.J. Clark (Craig 2000, 49 & Smith 2016, 203) reflect a bygone period of European and Australian history. The gardens provide a sense of tranquility and beauty. The experience of those within these walls remains a valuable area of study to provide a more complete understanding. This particular hospital is considered the fourth of its like and one of three identified as the largest of their kind. The Mayday Hills Hospital is a sister to the Kew and Ararat Asylums in Melbourne which are both located in relative proximity. Understanding the role of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth history is integral to understanding the development of the goldfields town, but also for providing important information as to the history of caring for, and the reception of, mental illnesses in Australian and wider European history. Mayday Hills provides a case study which can be researched through oral history, an analysis of the grounds/buildings and through images like these. Images like these depict the strong façade of the Hospital and provide a glimpse into the tranquility of the gardens. This has been done deliberately to provide a sense of comfort and healing about the building to those looking from the outside. Further research into the importance of the Hospital in Beechworth and it's connection to the town will be supported through images like these kept in the Mayday Hills photo album in the collection of the Burke Museum.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on gloss photographic papermental hospital, mayday hills, beechworth, copy, nurse, nurses quarters, on-site dwelling, 1900s, 1880, beechworth asylum -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph
This photograph is a copy of that captured in approximately 1900 and depicts the on site nurses homes. During the 1880s, these detached cottages were constructed and provided accommodation for the staff (in this case, the nurses) who lived within the hospital walls. Within the image are weatherboard buildings, a number of nurses and water tanks. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. The hilltop atmosphere and the native fauna, it was argued, would assist in the cure of the patients kept at the hospital (Wood 1985, 122). The positioning of the hospital had a beneficial effect on the rural town. A pamphlet published by James Ingram and Son (1849) reveal that famous landmarks in Beechworth which included the Post Office, Gaol, Courthouse and Asylum "demonstrate the appreciation of Beechworth by the Government not only as as important district center, but also as a site unrivaled as a sanitarium". There were other locations in contention at the time, but ultimately Beechworth was chosen (Craig 2000, 33). Prior to the creation of the Asylum in Beechworth, those charged with having mental illnesses or, as it was termed, "insanity" were unable to be properly cared for in the Gaol (which is where they were often sent). John Buckley Castieau wrote, in 1861 for the Ovens and Murray Advertiser, that the Gaol was unable to properly care for those classified then as "insane" but that they would endeavor to treat them above the other inmates (which he notes is not always the case in other establishments). Castieau wrote this in favour of supporting the building of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth. It was stated that at the time the Mayday Hills Hospital was built, there were 83 prisoners kept in the Gaol who were to be rehoused to the Hospital on the grounds of "insanity". The classification as someone as "insane", in this period of time is a reflection on the inability to cure and understand illnesses of the mind during the mid to late 1800s. Opening on the 24th of October 1867, the Mayday Hills Hospital was originally named the "Ovens Lunatic Asylum", a title which is very much a product of its time. Whilst controversial, changes to the name is part of the history of the Hospital and can provide much insight into the understanding of mental illness throughout history and the use/disuse of this term provides information into the reception/changing opinions of mental illness in society. The Hospital would later become known as the "Mayday Hills Asylum" and/or "Mayday Hills Hospital" with the latter being the most commonly used title. An article in the Ovens and Murray Advertiser notes that on the 7th of March 1865, the foundation stone of the Hospital was laid (it would officially open in 1867) and that it was such a moment of accomplishment and joy for Beechworth that a letter to the editor even suggested that there should be a holiday dedicated to the day the foundation stone as laid. This reveals an extent to which the townspeople of early Beechworth valued the construction of the Hospital in their town. It provided the town with a sense of prestige and honour.At first glance, the remains of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria, inspire tragedy, trauma and beauty. The buildings themselves, with their Italianate style Renaissance architecture designed by J.J. Clark (Craig 2000, 49 & Smith 2016, 203) reflect a bygone period of European and Australian history. The gardens provide a sense of tranquility and beauty. The experience of those within these walls remains a valuable area of study to provide a more complete understanding. This particular hospital is considered the fourth of its like and one of three identified as the largest of their kind. The Mayday Hills Hospital is a sister to the Kew and Ararat Asylums in Melbourne which are both located in relative proximity. Understanding the role of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth history is integral to understanding the development of the goldfields town, but also for providing important information as to the history of caring for, and the reception of, mental illnesses in Australian and wider European history. Mayday Hills provides a case study which can be researched through oral history, an analysis of the grounds/buildings and through images like these. Images like these depict the strong façade of the Hospital and provide a glimpse into the tranquility of the gardens. This has been done deliberately to provide a sense of comfort and healing about the building to those looking from the outside. Further research into the importance of the Hospital in Beechworth and it's connection to the town will be supported through images like these kept in the Mayday Hills photo album in the collection of the Burke Museum.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on photographic paper mounted on cardmayday hills, nurse, weatherboard, watertank, mayday hills hospital, asylum, mental health, kew, ararat, mental hospital, beechworth, gold town -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph - Digital Photograph, Alan King, Eltham Court House, 730 Main Road, Eltham, 28 December 2007
The Eltham Court House is Eltham's oldest public building. It was classified by the National Trust in 1977. In 1857 five Eltham residents petitioned the licensing magistrates of the Heidelberg district asking for better police protection, including from itinerant gold prospectors who turned to crime when their quest was unsuccessful. In response the Eltham Courthouse was constructed in 1860. Over the years it has also been used for other activities, including for electoral polling purposes, inquests, early meetings of the Eltham Roads Board and even as an overflow classroom. This type of localised solution is characteristic of the self-reliance preserved in Eltham today. The court house is an important symbol of the spirit which makes Eltham distinctive as a community. The Eltham Courthouse is historically significant because its construction was intended to emphasise the centralised control over law and order in the Colony of Victoria in the wake of the 1852 Snodgrass committee report on the Victorian police force and the resulting Police Regulation Act (1853). The nature of the Court House planning and use of architectural devices make the building's function easily interpreted. The arrangement of rooms, with public entry and clerical rooms to the rear, and the use of raised floor levels throughout these spaces to signify relative rank is easily perceived. The distinction in entries, public, magistrate and person-in-custody, and the existing court furniture enhances appreciation of this building. The Eltham Court House is one of only two intact examples in the state of this simple design with projecting entry. The building is of architectural significance because it retains intact early features. These include use of handmade bricks, simple decoration, roof trusses, timber ceiling boards, original windows, doors and associated hardware and a collection of court furniture. Additions to the court house have been done in a manner which did not interfere with the fabric of the original building. Typical cases heard before the Court of Petty Sessions included financial debt, straying livestock, theft, assault, drunkenness, public disorder, truancy, motor vehicle offences, unregistered animals and failing to have children attend school, or be vaccinated. The courthouse operated for over 120 years before it closed in 1985. In April 2021, Nillumbik Shire Council authorised restoration of the building and furnishings. The extensive works required for the total restoration of this highly valued heritage building was undertaken by Ducon Building Solutions and other specialist contractors. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Victorian Heritage National Trust of Australia (Victoria) State significance Published: Nillumbik Now and Then / Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p65This collection of almost 130 photos about places and people within the Shire of Nillumbik, an urban and rural municipality in Melbourne's north, contributes to an understanding of the history of the Shire. Published in 2008 immediately prior to the Black Saturday bushfires of February 7, 2009, it documents sites that were impacted, and in some cases destroyed by the fires. It includes photographs taken especially for the publication, creating a unique time capsule representing the Shire in the early 21st century. It remains the most recent comprehenesive publication devoted to the Shire's history connecting local residents to the past. nillumbik now and then (marshall-king) collection, eltham, eltham court house, main road -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph
This image is a copy of a photograph depicting the front façade of the Mayday Hills Hospital by an unknown photographer. The date this photograph was captured has not been recorded but due to the appearance of the water fountain in the front garden, it can be estimated to be during the 1930s. The fountain does not remain on the site today but stood in the same location, alongside other physical markers, to that in photographs dating to the 1930s. This allows an estimated date of 1930s for this photograph. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. The hilltop atmosphere and the native fauna, it was argued, would assist in the cure of the patients kept at the hospital (Wood 1985, 122). The positioning of the hospital had a beneficial effect on the rural town. A pamphlet published by James Ingram and Son (1849) reveal that famous landmarks in Beechworth which included the Post Office, Gaol, Courthouse and Asylum "demonstrate the appreciation of Beechworth by the Government not only as as important district center, but also as a site unrivaled as a sanitarium". There were other locations in contention at the time, but ultimately Beechworth was chosen (Craig 2000, 33). Prior to the creation of the Asylum in Beechworth, those charged with having mental illnesses or, as it was termed, "insanity" were unable to be properly cared for in the Gaol (which is where they were often sent). John Buckley Castieau wrote, in 1861 for the Ovens and Murray Advertiser, that the Gaol was unable to properly care for those classified then as "insane" but that they would endeavor to treat them above the other inmates (which he notes is not always the case in other establishments). Castieau wrote this in favour of supporting the building of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth. It was stated that at the time the Mayday Hills Hospital was built, there were 83 prisoners kept in the Gaol who were to be rehoused to the Hospital on the grounds of "insanity". The classification as someone as "insane", in this period of time is a reflection on the inability to cure and understand illnesses of the mind during the mid to late 1800s. Opening on the 24th of October 1867, the Mayday Hills Hospital was originally named the "Ovens Lunatic Asylum", a title which is very much a product of its time. Whilst controversial, changes to the name is part of the history of the Hospital and can provide much insight into the understanding of mental illness throughout history and the use/disuse of this term provides information into the reception/changing opinions of mental illness in society. The Hospital would later become known as the "Mayday Hills Asylum" and/or "Mayday Hills Hospital" with the latter being the most commonly used title. An article in the Ovens and Murray Advertiser notes that on the 7th of March 1865, the foundation stone of the Hospital was laid (it would officially open in 1867) and that it was such a moment of accomplishment and joy for Beechworth that a letter to the editor even suggested that there should be a holiday dedicated to the day the foundation stone as laid. This reveals an extent to which the townspeople of early Beechworth valued the construction of the Hospital in their town. It provided the town with a sense of prestige and honour.At first glance, the remains of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria, inspire tragedy, trauma and beauty. The buildings themselves, with their Italianate style Renaissance architecture designed by J.J. Clark (Craig 2000, 49 & Smith 2016, 203) reflect a bygone period of European and Australian history. The gardens provide a sense of tranquility and beauty. The experience of those within these walls remains a valuable area of study to provide a more complete understanding. This particular hospital is considered the fourth of its like and one of three identified as the largest of their kind. The Mayday Hills Hospital is a sister to the Kew and Ararat Asylums in Melbourne which are both located in relative proximity. Understanding the role of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth history is integral to understanding the development of the goldfields town, but also for providing important information as to the history of caring for, and the reception of, mental illnesses in Australian and wider European history. Mayday Hills provides a case study which can be researched through oral history, an analysis of the grounds/buildings and through images like this postcard which portray the structure in a highly deliberate manner. Images like this depict the strong façade of the Hospital and provide a glimpse into the tranquility of the gardens. This has been done deliberately to provide a sense of comfort and healing about the building to those looking from the outside. Further research into the importance of the Hospital in Beechworth and it's connection to the town will be supported through images like these kept in the Mayday Hills photo album in the collection of the Burke Museum.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on gloss photographic papermental hospital, insane asylum, mayday hills mental hospital -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Postcard, George Rose, c.1945
The Rose Stereograph Company first began producing postcards, identified as the 'P' series (like this particular example) in 1913 and continued in this business until 1967 after which they switched to machine manufactured colour postcards printed by an external company. These were produced by Victorian-era photographer George Rose (1861-1942) often reputed as one of the best photographers in Australia during the later 19th Century and early 20th Century. Rose was born in 1861 in Clunes and began his photography business in 1880 when he founded the Rose Stereograph Company. He later switched to producing postcards after stereographs lost popularity in the early 1920s. The Mayday Hills Hospital was one of these locations photographed by George Rose and published as a postcard. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. The hilltop atmosphere and the native fauna, it was argued, would assist in the cure of the patients kept at the hospital (Wood 1985, 122). The positioning of the hospital had a beneficial effect on the rural town. A pamphlet published by James Ingram and Son (1849) reveal that famous landmarks in Beechworth which included the Post Office, Gaol, Courthouse and Asylum "demonstrate the appreciation of Beechworth by the Government not only as as important district center, but also as a site unrivaled as a sanitarium". There were other locations in contention at the time, but ultimately Beechworth was chosen (Craig 2000,33). Prior to the creation of the Asylum in Beechworth, those charged with having mental illnesses or, as it was termed, "insanity" were unable to be properly cared for in the Gaol (which is where they were often sent). John Buckley Castieau wrote, in 1861 for the Ovens and Murray Advertiser, that the Gaol was unable to properly care for those classified then as "insane" but that they would endeavor to treat them above the other inmates (which he notes is not always the case in other establishments). Castieau wrote this in favour of supporting the building of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth. It was stated that at the time the Mayday Hills Hospital was built, there were 83 prisoners kept in the Gaol who were to be rehoused to the Hospital on the grounds of "insanity". The classification as someone as "insane", in this period of time is a reflection on the inability to cure and understand illnesses of the mind during the mid to late 1800s. Opening on the 24th of October 1867, the Mayday Hills Hospital was originally named the "Ovens Lunatic Asylum", a title which is very much a product of its time. Whilst controversial, changes to the name is part of the history of the Hospital and can provide much insight into the understanding of mental illness throughout history and the use/disuse of this term provides information into the reception/changing opinions of mental illness in society. The Hospital would later become known as the "Mayday Hills Asylum" and/or "Mayday Hills Hospital" with the latter being the most commonly used title. An article in the Ovens and Murray Advertiser notes that on the 7th of March 1865, the foundation stone of the Hospital was laid (it would officially open in 1867) and that it was such a moment of accomplishment and joy for Beechworth that a letter to the editor even suggested that there should be a holiday dedicated to the day the foundation stone as laid. This reveals an extent to which the townspeople of early Beechworth valued the construction of the Hospital in their town. It provided the town with a sense of prestige and honour. At first glance, the remains of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria, inspire tragedy, trauma and beauty. The buildings themselves, with their Italianate style Renaissance architecture designed by J.J. Clark (Craig 2000, 49 & Smith 2016, 203) reflect a bygone period of European and Australian history. The gardens provide a sense of tranquility and beauty. The experience of those within these walls remains a valuable area of study to provide a more complete understanding. This particular hospital is considered the fourth of its like and one of three identified as the largest of their kind. The Mayday Hills Hospital is a sister to the Kew and Ararat Asylums in Melbourne which are both located in relative proximity. Understanding the role of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth history is integral to understanding the development of the goldfields town, but also for providing important information as to the history of caring for, and the reception of, mental illnesses in Australian and wider European history. Mayday Hills provides a case study which can be researched through oral history, an analysis of the grounds/buildings and through images like this postcard which portray the structure in a highly deliberate manner. Images like this depict the strong façade of the Hospital and provide a glimpse into the tranquility of the gardens. This has been done deliberately to provide a sense of comfort and healing about the building to those looking from the outside. Further research into the importance of the Hospital in Beechworth and it's connection to the town will be supported through images like these kept in the Mayday Hills photo album in the collection of the Burke Museum.Pale sepia toned rectangular postcard printed on matte card.Obverse: THE ROSE SERIES P. 4689 / COPYRIGHT / ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES, MENTAL HOSPITAL, BEECHWORTH, VIC / Reverse: Published by the Rose Stereograph Co. / Armadale, Victoria / POST CARD / THE "ROSE" SERIES / DE LUXE / A REAL PHOTOGRAPH / PRODUCED IN AUSTRALIA /mayday hills, asylum, mental hospital, hospital, beechworth -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Postcard, C. F. Falk, c.1930
This postcard contains a depiction of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria from the direction of Farm Hill, circa 1930. It was designed by C.F.Falk in Beechworth and printed in Saxony which is a landlocked state of Germany which borders the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria and the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. The depiction is a painting of the Mayday Hill Hospital which portrays the extensive buildings an HaHa wall (many of which have not survived to the present day). It provides a unique opportunity to reconstruct this historical site as it may have looked in approximately 1930. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. The hilltop atmosphere and the native fauna, it was argued, would assist in the cure of the patients kept at the hospital (Wood 1985, 122). The positioning of the hospital had a beneficial effect on the rural town. A pamphlet published by James Ingram and Son (1849) reveal that famous landmarks in Beechworth which included the Post Office, Gaol, Courthouse and Asylum "demonstrate the appreciation of Beechworth by the Government not only as as important district center, but also as a site unrivaled as a sanitarium". There were other locations in contention at the time, but ultimately Beechworth was chosen (Craig 2000, 33). The extent of buildings displayed in this postcard helps convey the imposing and enormity of the structure before decommission. Prior to the creation of the Asylum in Beechworth, those charged with having mental illnesses or, as it was termed, "insanity" were unable to be properly cared for in the Gaol (which is where they were often sent). John Buckley Castieau wrote, in 1861 for the Ovens and Murray Advertiser, that the Gaol was unable to properly care for those classified then as "insane" but that they would endeavor to treat them above the other inmates (which he notes is not always the case in other establishments). Castieau wrote this in favour of supporting the building of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth. It was stated that at the time the Mayday Hills Hospital was built, there were 83 prisoners kept in the Gaol who were to be rehoused to the Hospital on the grounds of "insanity". The classification as someone as "insane", in this period of time is a reflection on the inability to cure and understand illnesses of the mind during the mid to late 1800s. The title on the obverse of this photograph as "Asylum for Insane, Beechworth" reflects a bygone era and attitude to mental health. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. Opening on the 24th of October 1867, the Mayday Hills Hospital was originally named the "Ovens Lunatic Asylum", a title which is very much a product of its time. Whilst controversial, changes to the name is part of the history of the Hospital and can provide much insight into the understanding of mental illness throughout history and the use/disuse of this term provides information into the reception/changing opinions of mental illness in society. The Hospital would later become known as the "Mayday Hills Asylum" and/or "Mayday Hills Hospital" with the latter being the most commonly used title. An article in the Ovens and Murray Advertiser notes that on the 7th of March 1865, the foundation stone of the Hospital was laid (it would officially open in 1867) and that it was such a moment of accomplishment and joy for Beechworth that a letter to the editor even suggested that there should be a holiday dedicated to the day the foundation stone as laid. This reveals an extent to which the townspeople of early Beechworth valued the construction of the Hospital in their town. It provided the town with a sense of prestige and honour.At first glance, the remains of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria, inspire tragedy, trauma and beauty. The buildings themselves, with their Italianate style Renaissance architecture designed by J.J. Clark (Craig 2000, 49 & Smith 2016, 203) reflect a bygone period of European and Australian history. The gardens provide a sense of tranquility and beauty. The experience of those within these walls remains a valuable area of study to provide a more complete understanding. This particular hospital is considered the fourth of its like and one of three identified as the largest of their kind. The Mayday Hills Hospital is a sister to the Kew and Ararat Asylums in Melbourne which are both located in relative proximity. Understanding the role of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth history is integral to understanding the development of the goldfields town, but also for providing important information as to the history of caring for, and the reception of, mental illnesses in Australian and wider European history. Mayday Hills provides a case study which can be researched through oral history, an analysis of the grounds/buildings and through images like this postcard which portray the structure in a highly deliberate manner. Images like this depict the strong façade of the Hospital and provide a glimpse into the tranquility of the gardens. This has been done deliberately to provide a sense of comfort and healing about the building to those looking from the outside. Further research into the importance of the Hospital in Beechworth and it's connection to the town will be supported through images like these kept in the Mayday Hills photo album in the collection of the Burke Museum.Colour rectangular postcard printed on cardObverse: Asylum for Insane, Beechworth. / Reverse: C.F. Faulk, Beechworth. Printed in Saxony. POST CARD / ADDRESS ONLY / AFFIX / STAMP / B 2298 / 1997.2457 /mental hospital, insane asylum, mayday hills mental hospital, beechworth, mayday hills, asylum, gold town, north-east victoria, ararat asylum, kew asylum -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Postcard, R & B Hall, c.1930
This postcard was published by R. & B. Hall in Beechworth and printed in Saxony, circa 1930. Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany which borders the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria and the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. This particular postcard is embossed with a pattern which surrounds the middle image in the center of the card. This image depicts Asylum Avenue which leads to the Mayday Hills Asylum in Beechworth, Victoria. What makes this scene particularly interesting is the appearance of snow which is rare in Beechworth. The road depicted on the postcard has track marks made by a car with thin wheels. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. The hilltop atmosphere and the native fauna, it was argued, would assist in the cure of the patients kept at the hospital (Wood 1985, 122). The positioning of the hospital had a beneficial effect on the rural town. A pamphlet published by James Ingram and Son (1849) reveal that famous landmarks in Beechworth which included the Post Office, Gaol, Courthouse and Asylum "demonstrate the appreciation of Beechworth by the Government not only as as important district center, but also as a site unrivaled as a sanitarium". There were other locations in contention at the time, but ultimately Beechworth was chosen (Craig 2000, 33). Prior to the creation of the Asylum in Beechworth, those charged with having mental illnesses or, as it was termed, "insanity" were unable to be properly cared for in the Gaol (which is where they were often sent). John Buckley Castieau wrote, in 1861 for the Ovens and Murray Advertiser, that the Gaol was unable to properly care for those classified then as "insane" but that they would endeavor to treat them above the other inmates (which he notes is not always the case in other establishments). Castieau wrote this in favour of supporting the building of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth. It was stated that at the time the Mayday Hills Hospital was built, there were 83 prisoners kept in the Gaol who were to be rehoused to the Hospital on the grounds of "insanity". The classification as someone as "insane", in this period of time is a reflection on the inability to cure and understand illnesses of the mind during the mid to late 1800s. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. Opening on the 24th of October 1867, the Mayday Hills Hospital was originally named the "Ovens Lunatic Asylum", a title which is very much a product of its time. Whilst controversial, changes to the name is part of the history of the Hospital and can provide much insight into the understanding of mental illness throughout history and the use/disuse of this term provides information into the reception/changing opinions of mental illness in society. The Hospital would later become known as the "Mayday Hills Asylum" and/or "Mayday Hills Hospital" with the latter being the most commonly used title. An article in the Ovens and Murray Advertiser notes that on the 7th of March 1865, the foundation stone of the Hospital was laid (it would officially open in 1867) and that it was such a moment of accomplishment and joy for Beechworth that a letter to the editor even suggested that there should be a holiday dedicated to the day the foundation stone as laid. This reveals an extent to which the townspeople of early Beechworth valued the construction of the Hospital in their town. It provided the town with a sense of prestige and honour.At first glance, the remains of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria, inspire tragedy, trauma and beauty. The buildings themselves, with their Italianate style Renaissance architecture designed by J.J. Clark (Craig 2000, 49 & Smith 2016, 203) reflect a bygone period of European and Australian history. The gardens provide a sense of tranquility and beauty. The experience of those within these walls remains a valuable area of study to provide a more complete understanding. This particular hospital is considered the fourth of its like and one of three identified as the largest of their kind. The Mayday Hills Hospital is a sister to the Kew and Ararat Asylums in Melbourne which are both located in relative proximity. Understanding the role of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth history is integral to understanding the development of the goldfields town, but also for providing important information as to the history of caring for, and the reception of, mental illnesses in Australian and wider European history. Mayday Hills provides a case study which can be researched through oral history, an analysis of the grounds/buildings and through images like this postcard which portray the structure in a highly deliberate manner. Images like this depict the strong façade of the Hospital and provide a glimpse into the tranquility of the gardens. This has been done deliberately to provide a sense of comfort and healing about the building to those looking from the outside. Further research into the importance of the Hospital in Beechworth and it's connection to the town will be supported through images like these kept in the Mayday Hills photo album in the collection of the Burke Museum.Pale coloured rectangular postcard printed on matte embossed card.Obverse: Snow Scene; Asylum Avenue, Beechworth. / Reverse: POST CARD / ADDRESS ONLY / Published by R. & B. Hall, Beechworth. / Printed in Saxony. / 3447 [crossed out] / 1997.2492 / AFFIX STAMP /asylum, asylum avenue, beechworth, snow north-east vic, victoria, snow scene, mayday hills, mayday hills hospital, mental hospital, colonial attitudes, mental health, history, town development, postcard -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph
Photographed in the early 1900s, this black and white photograph depicts 25 members of the Mayday Hills Hospital Staff. Six men sit in front of the group (Mr Imhose stands fourth from the left in front row), upon the ground and behind them, in bright white clothing, sit eight female nurses upon a long bench (one of these nurses is identified on the rear as Miss A.J. Ross). Behind these women stand 10 men. The men are all wearing dark clothing and several have 'Kepi' style hats. The staff photograph was captured by Frazer and Vallance Photographers Melbourne. This image was originally combined with 1997.2491 but these images have since been torn apart and catalogued separately. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. The hilltop atmosphere and the native fauna, it was argued, would assist in the cure of the patients kept at the hospital (Wood 1985, 122). The positioning of the hospital had a beneficial effect on the rural town. A pamphlet published by James Ingram and Son (1849) reveal that famous landmarks in Beechworth which included the Post Office, Gaol, Courthouse and Asylum "demonstrate the appreciation of Beechworth by the Government not only as as important district center, but also as a site unrivaled as a sanitarium". There were other locations in contention at the time, but ultimately Beechworth was chosen (Craig 2000, 33). Prior to the creation of the Asylum in Beechworth, those charged with having mental illnesses or, as it was termed, "insanity" were unable to be properly cared for in the Gaol (which is where they were often sent). John Buckley Castieau wrote, in 1861 for the Ovens and Murray Advertiser, that the Gaol was unable to properly care for those classified then as "insane" but that they would endeavor to treat them above the other inmates (which he notes is not always the case in other establishments). Castieau wrote this in favour of supporting the building of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth. It was stated that at the time the Mayday Hills Hospital was built, there were 83 prisoners kept in the Gaol who were to be rehoused to the Hospital on the grounds of "insanity". The classification as someone as "insane", in this period of time is a reflection on the inability to cure and understand illnesses of the mind during the mid to late 1800s. Opening on the 24th of October 1867, the Mayday Hills Hospital was originally named the "Ovens Lunatic Asylum", a title which is very much a product of its time. Whilst controversial, changes to the name is part of the history of the Hospital and can provide much insight into the understanding of mental illness throughout history and the use/disuse of this term provides information into the reception/changing opinions of mental illness in society. The Hospital would later become known as the "Mayday Hills Asylum" and/or "Mayday Hills Hospital" with the latter being the most commonly used title. An article in the Ovens and Murray Advertiser notes that on the 7th of March 1865, the foundation stone of the Hospital was laid (it would officially open in 1867) and that it was such a moment of accomplishment and joy for Beechworth that a letter to the editor even suggested that there should be a holiday dedicated to the day the foundation stone as laid. This reveals an extent to which the townspeople of early Beechworth valued the construction of the Hospital in their town. It provided the town with a sense of prestige and honour.At first glance, the remains of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria, inspire tragedy, trauma and beauty. The buildings themselves, with their Italianate style Renaissance architecture designed by J.J. Clark (Craig 2000, 49 & Smith 2016, 203) reflect a bygone period of European and Australian history. The gardens provide a sense of tranquility and beauty. The experience of those within these walls remains a valuable area of study to provide a more complete understanding. This particular hospital is considered the fourth of its like and one of three identified as the largest of their kind. The Mayday Hills Hospital is a sister to the Kew and Ararat Asylums in Melbourne which are both located in relative proximity. Understanding the role of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth history is integral to understanding the development of the goldfields town, but also for providing important information as to the history of caring for, and the reception of, mental illnesses in Australian and wider European history. Mayday Hills provides a case study which can be researched through oral history, an analysis of the grounds/buildings and through images like this postcard which portray the structure in a highly deliberate manner. Images like this depict the strong façade of the Hospital and provide a glimpse into the tranquility of the gardens. This has been done deliberately to provide a sense of comfort and healing about the building to those looking from the outside. Further research into the importance of the Hospital in Beechworth and it's connection to the town will be supported through images like these kept in the Mayday Hills photo album in the collection of the Burke Museum.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on photographic paper mounted on cardHandwriting reads: "Mental Hospital / Beechworth / Miss A. J. Ross / about 82 in 1944".mental asylum, beechworth, mayday hills, mayday hills hospital, victoria, mental health, history of mental illness, treatment of metal illness, asylum, hospital for mentally unwell, miss a.j. ross, nurse, staff, doctors