Emma Mercer was born in 1870 and lived at Spring Vale (now Pittong) at the Mercer property "The Pines". Emma worked as a teacher and head teacher at several schools, including Mortchup, Chepstowe, Kiata and Tarilta. In 1916, after she had retired from teaching, she married James Brown, a widower, one of a large farming family at Chepstowe. They had no children. James' brother David was married to Emma's sister Elizabeth (Bessie), and after James Brown died in 1931, Emma moved to live near her sister at Pittong. Emma Brown died in 1954. Emma and her sister Bessie were very involved with the war effort during World War I, and after the war they were presented with certificates of appreciation by the Linton "Diggers". (Copies of certificates in the LDHS collection.)Black and white copy of a studio portrait showing a lady standing behind a wooden gate. She is wearing a white high collared blouse with brooch and pendant, and a dark coloured jacket and long skirt. (nee Mercer)"Emma Brown nee Mercer"emma brown née emma mercer

Wendy McLellan is the daughter of Minnie Caroline Beckett (1907-1998). Minnie married Francis James Renkin on 13 March 1934. Peter Renkin (formerly of 59 Guildford Road, Surrey Hills, now Shoreham) is her brother.Black and white wedding photo taken of Minnie Beckett with her parents, Rev Walter and Mrs Clara Beckett, her brother Kenneth and her sister Maude, the bridesmaid. The family group is standing on a picnic rug in front of an Edwardian style timber home with simple verandah fretwork. The house is 'Deloraine', 268 Union Road, Balwyn.weddings, balwyn, union road, miss minnie beckett, rev walter beckett, mrs clara beckett, kenneth beckett, miss maude beckett, 'deloraine', 1930-1940

King James Bible published Aug. 1934 Family Bible of Robert William Whatmough and Mary Whatmough (nee Hill), married August 4, 1839 in Manchester, Lancashire, England and migrated to Australia with baby daughter Jemima, arriving Port Phillip Bay 19 February 1841. Inscribed in ink on inside front cover: Jemima Whatmough born January 18th 1840 on Saturday Hemmet Whatmough born March 26th 1842 on Saturday Job Whatmough born May 11th 1844 Saturday Died April 12th 1845 Sarah Whatmough born September 17th 1845 James Whatmough born June 28, 1847 Died February 1st 1848 Margaret Whatmough born June 15th 1848 Died March 24th 1850 Jessy Whatmough born January 26, 1851 Inscribed in ink on inside front cover facing page: William Jordison’s Thirty knoul (?) Bok (?) 25th – 1839 ROBERT WHATMOUGH BOOK Presented by Mr. Ferguson Robert Whatmough Presented By the Teacher Mary Ann Whatmough born September 4th 1853 Died November 11th Friday 1853 Benjamin Whatmough born 25 July 1854 Died January 2 1855 Inscribed in ink on inside rear cover facing page over: 1852 This Book Belongs to Mr. Robt. Whatmough On the River Plenty September 16th And in pencil: presented by mr sanger Jemima Whatmough married Robert Fielding on June 23, 1859 at Fitzroy, Victoria According Steve Whatmough (and sister Barbara, email 5/10/2024), Hemmet Whatmough was known as Robert Emmett Whatmough and was always refered to as Emmett within the family.benjamin whatmough, holy bible, james whatmough, jemima fielding (nee whatmough), jessy whatmough, job whatmough, margaret whatmough, mary ann whatmough, mary whatmough (nee hill), robert whatmough, robert william watmough, sarah whatmough, tom fielding collection, plenty river, pioneer family, hemmett whatmough, robert emmett whatmough

1. Patterned green cloth over cardboard cover. Titled The Irish Chieftan or the isles of Life and Death, by Edward Maturin, Esq. Inscribed inside book on flyleaf: Presented to James Adamson, by his youngest sister Sarah Adamson. June 9, 1862, Sunderland.book, rural, the irish chieftan., historical

This bat was awarded to Thomas William Southcombe in 1876 for the best batting average during the 1875-6 season at Warrnambool Cricket Club. Thomas William Southcombe was the son of Thomas and Mary Southcombe of Port Fairy. With his parents, Thomas and Mary, he arrived in Port Fairy in 1854. Thomas Senior was a carpenter who established several businesses in Port Fairy and served on the local Council for many years as a Councillor and Mayor. Thomas Junior appears to have migrated to U.S.A. and died there in 1904. The cricket bat was manufactured by the British firm of James Lillywhite, Frowd & Co. James Lillywhite was an English cricketer whose uncle had originally established the sports store and manufacturing business which lasted under various names until the 21st century. A cricketer named Lillywhite played in Warrnambool in 1874 with an All England Team under the captaincy of W.G.Grace. It is not known whether this was James Lillywhite or another member of the Liilywhite family as several of them played first class cricket.. The impression of the signature of W.H.Ponsford on the bat is an intriguing one. W.H. (Bill) Ponsford was a famous Australian cricketer who retired in the late 1930s. The Southcombe cricket bat was given by Mary Southcombe (Thomas’ sister) to the old Warrnambool Museum in 1923 and it is surmised that Bill Ponsford visited Warrnambool in 1957 (tthis appears to be the date under the signature imprint) and was shown the bat. It is then surmised that he rested a piece of paper or an album page on the bat while he signed his name and the impression of the signature has come through onto the bat. The old Museum closed in the 1960s and the bat was then passed on to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society from the Warrnambool City Council collection of items from the Museum. This bat is of considerable importance because of its provenance and its connection with the Warrnambool Cricket Club, the Southcombe family of Port Fairy, the Lillywhite manufacturers, the old Warrnambool Museum and Bill Ponsford. It is also a good example of the type of cricket bat used in Australia in the 1870s. This is a wooden cricket bat (light colour wood, presumably willow) with a handle covered in oiled thread. It has an etched inscription on one side of the bat and the names of the manufacturer and distributor on the other side. There is also a faint impression of another signature. The blade of the bat is slightly curved. ‘W.C.C. Season 1875-6 Presented to T.W. Southcombe, for Best Batting Average’ ‘James Lillywhite Frowd & Co., Manufacturers, Borough, England’ ‘Made for George Marsh, Melbourne’ ‘W.H.Ponsford, -/1/1957’ warrnambool cricket club, thomas william southcombe, w.h.ponsford, warrnambool’s old museum

This photograph was taken on the day of the school concert c.1908 and is a companion photograph to the one of the "Misses Barry's cantata group". (See registration nos. 1138, 1507, 1625 and 2018-17 - in this photograph, which mostly shows the girls' group, some of the boys can be seen in the background.) The boys are unidentified, although it is believed that the boy in the dark cap (front row) is Eric Nicholls, and other boys may include Horace Ball and Alec Thompson. The teachers are two of the Misses Barry (on RHS and LHS, in light-coloured clothing), and Miss Mary Rankin (in centre, dark dress). Note: An article in the Ballarat 'Courier', 24 August 2001 (copy of article kept with photograph), identifies the Barry sisters as Miss Lena (Helena) Barry on the left, and Miss Gertrude Barry (wearing glasses) on the right. This article also names B. Dawe, James O'Beirne, Arthur Angus, Fred Angus and Percy Wishart as members of the group of boys.Black and white copy of original photograph, which shows a group of boys in costume - mostly white hats and collars worn over dark clothing, although one boy is wearing a dark cap. The boys are posed for a photograph along with three adults outside a brick building.school concerts, cantata group, boys' group, music and drama class, misses barry, mary rankin