Copy of article by Tony Dingle and Carolyn Rasmussen published in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 17, 2007 (2 pages), and copy of Certificate of Title Vol 4197 Fol 839286, 1919 (3 pages).Ringwood connection - Property Title transfer history 1969 and 1973, part of Crown Section 20, Parish of Warrandyte, County of Evelyn, Bemboka Road, Warranwood.

Booklet. 40 page unbound booklet on the life of Dr. John Hutchinson, the inventor of the spirometer. Reprinted from 'Medical History' October 1977. Written by E. A. Spriggs, Bryan Gandevia and P. J. Bishop. Hutchinson migrated to Australia in 1852 and in 1855 to 1861 he was in Sandhurst (see page nos. 368 to 374) Printed in Gr.Britain by Clunbury Cottrell Press.E. A. Spriggs, Bryan Gandevia, P.J. Bishopmedical, john hutchinson, doctor, spirometer, biography

index, ill, p.248.non-fiction A history of the Victorian Railways Chief Mechanical Engineers Alfred.E. Smith and Fred.J.Shea.locomotives - australia - drawings - biography, steam engines - australia - design - biography

index, ill, p.280.non-fiction A history of the New South Government Railways Chief Mechanical Engineer Ernest Edward Lucy.locomotives - australia - drawings - biography, steam engines - australia - design - biography

Bendigo and Vicinity: A comprehensive history of her past, and a resume of her resources: Together with the biographies of her representative pioneers, public, commercial, and professional men. (1895). Compiled by W. B. Kimberly. Publisher: F W Niven & Co Printers and Publishers, Melbourne and Ballarat. 273 pages. Illustrations: Photographs, illustrations, listing of dividends, copies of collages. Markings: Royal Historical Society of Victoria – Bendigo Branch In front and back. Inscription reads: Donated by Hilda Meurer. To the Historical Society, daughter of pioneers Mr. & Mrs. A Meurer. July 6th, 1954W B Kimberlybook, bendigo, bendigo history & its people, bendigo history, family tree, councilor, gold, biographies, travel to australia

Roden Culter's list of honours is long and impressive, but it is his sole decoration, The Victoria Cross, that marks him as a hero.victoria cross, australia - history, military, sir roden cutler vc

The Work “The Birds of Australia; containing over 300 full-page illustrations, with a descriptive account of the life and characteristic habits of over 700 species” by Gracius J. [Joseph] Broinowski – Australian author, artist and ornithologist - was created in 40 parts for subscribers and sold for 10s [shillings]., These parts were later published in six volumes, which were later published and bound in pairs to make three volumes, each of which contain two of the six original volumes, numbered volumes, “I”, “III” and “V” on their fly page, but numbered “Vols. I-II”, “Vols. III-IV” and “Vols. V-VI” on their respective spines. The volumes were all published by Charles Stuart & Co. (Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, New Zealand, and Tasmania). All of the beautifully drawn and coloured illustrations in The Birds of Australia were illustrated by Broinowski. They were printed using a new 19th century method called chromolithography. This is the art of making multi-coloured prints. The skilled lithographer would work from an original coloured painting and create a copy for every one of the many layers of colour used to build the painting. These layers were then printed carefully over each other to re-build the picture. Gracius J. Broinowski’s Work “The Birds of Australia” was described by Jean.Anker as “a semi-popular but comprehensive treatment of the subject” in the book “Bird Books and Bird Art: an outline of the Literary History and Iconology of Descriptive Ornithology” 1979. It may be that these books were donated to, or ordered specifically for, the Warrnambool Public Museum, due to the embossing on the spine “WARRNAMBOOL PUBLIC LIBRARY”. The acquisition of these books would most likely to have made 1891-1910, between the date the books were published and the date that the Museum amalgamated with the Mechanics Institute, which then became part of The Museum and Art Gallery. These three books were part of the collection of books belonging to the Warrnambool Public Museum, established 1873 by Joseph Archibald. The Museum moved into the back of the Mechanics’ Institute in 1885, along with the Art Gallery and School of Dancing. In 1886 it was officially opened as The Warrnambool Museum and Art Gallery, with Joseph Archibald as its curator. In 1887 the Museum section was moved to the former court house in Timor Street, with Joseph Archibald as Curator until 1897. In 1910 the Museum was transferred back to the original building and the management of the Mechanics' Institute was handed over to the Warrnambool City Council. In 1935 Ralph Pattison was appointed as City Librarian. He developed his own sorting and cataloguing system and organised the collection of books accordingly. In the 1960’s the Warrnambool City Council closed down the Museum and Art Gallery and the books and artefacts were redistributed to other organisations in Warrnambool. Each spine of this book set, The Birds of Australia by Gracius Broinowski, shows a space on which a previous cataloguing label may have been affixed. The volumes are amongst the many books at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village that display stamps and markings from Pattison as well as a variety of other institutions including the Mechanics’ Institute itself. Some other Australian Libraries also include these books in their collections; Australian National University, University of NSW, University of Western Australia, State Library of Western Australia, Deakin University, Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, University of Adelaide, University of Queensland, University of Tasmania. The Library of Congress and the University of British Columbia also have sets of these volumes. These books are considered as Rare Book; a set of Broinowski’s 3 volumes was advertised in Melbourne’s Rare Book Fair 2012, “for ornithological collectors”. (See the more detailed information below in “Warrnambool Public Museum and Mechanics Institute” and the “Pattison Collection”.) GRACIUS JOSEP BROINOWSKI Gracius Joseph Broinowski (7/3/1837 – 11/4/1913), artist and ornithologist, was born in Walichnowy, Poland, son of a landowner and military officer of the same name. He was educated privately then later, at the Munich University, he was a student of languages, classics and art. To avoid conscription into the Russian army, he migrated to Germany. At the age of about 20 years he migrated to Portland (Victoria, Australia), working his passage as part of the crew of a windjammer. Broinowski worked in the country for a few years then found employment working for a Melbourne publisher and later sold his own paintings. In about 1863, while on one of his many travels in eastern Australia painting landscapes and scenes, he married Jane Smith in Richmond, Victoria (her father was captain of a whaler). In 1880 he settled in Sydney where his work involved teaching painting, lecturing on art and exhibiting his own work at showings of the Royal Art Society. Also in the 1880s he began to publish illustrated works on Australian natural history, including; - illustrations of the birds and mammals of Australia, commissioned by the Department of Public Instruction, New South Wales, and mounted, varnished and hung on walls in many classrooms - "The Birds and Mammals of Australia"; a bound collection of illustrations with appropriated text - 1888 "The Cockatoos and Nestors of Australia and New Zealand" - 1890-1891, "The Birds of Australia" Broinowski died in 1913 at Mosman, Sydney, survived by his wife, six sons and a daughter. His son, Leopold, became a significant political journalist in Tasmania. WARRNAMBOOL PUBLIC MUSEUM & MECHANICS INSTITUTE Warrnambool's Mechanics' Institute (or Institution as it was sometimes called) was one of the earliest in Victoria. On 17th October 1853 a meeting was held where it was resolved to request the Lieutenant Governor of the Colony to grant land for the erection of a Mechanics' Institutes building. A committee was formed at the meeting and Richard Osburne chaired the first meeting of this committee. The land on the North West corner of Banyan and Merri Streets was granted but there were no funds to erect the building. The Formal Rights of the Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute's encompassed its aims and these were officially adopted in1859; "This Institution has for its object the diffusion of literary, scientific, and other useful knowledge amongst its members, excluding all controversial subjects, religious or political. These objects are sought to be obtained by means of a circulating library, a reading room, the establishment of classes, debates, and the occasional delivery of lectures on natural and experimental philosophy, mechanics, astronomy, chemistry, natural history, literature, and the useful and ornamental arts, particularly those which have a more immediate reference to the colony." The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute opened its first reading room in December 1854 in the National School building at the corner of Banyan and Timor Streets. The Institute was funded by member subscription, payable on a quarterly, half yearly or yearly basis. Samuel Hannaford, the Manager of the Warrnambool Bank of Australasia, was the first Honorary Secretary of the Mechanics' Institutes, and an early President and Vice-President. He also gave several of the early lectures in the Reading Room. Another early Secretary, Librarian and lecturer was Marmaduke Fisher, the teacher at the National School. Lecture topics included The Poets and Poetry of Ireland', 'The Birth and Development of the Earth', 'The Vertebrae - with Remarks on the pleasures resulting from the study of Natural History' and 'Architecture'. In 1856 the Reading Room was moved to James Hider's shop in Timor Street, and by 1864 it was located in the bookshop of Davies and Read. In the 1860's the Mechanics' Institute struggled as membership waned but in 1866, after a series of fund raising efforts, the committee was able to purchase land in Liebig Street, on a site then called Market Square, between the weighbridge and the fire station. A Mechanics' Institute building was opened at this site in August 1871. The following year four more rooms were added to the main Reading Room and in 1873 the Artisan School of Design was incorporated into the Institute. The same year, 1873, Joseph Archibald established the Warrnambool Public Museum [Warrnambool Museum], however it deteriorated when he was transferred to Bendigo in 1877. In 1880, with Archibald's return to Warrnambool, the Museum was re-established and he served as Curator 1882-1897. In 1885 a new building was added to the back of the Mechanics’ Institute to accommodate the re-created School of Design, the Art Gallery and the Museum. It was officially opened as the Warrnambool Museum and Art Gallery on 26th July 1886 with Mr Joseph Archibald as Curator. In 1887 the Museum section was moved to the former court house in Timor Street (for some time the walls of the building formed part of the TAFE cafeteria but all is now demolished). In 1910 the Museum was transferred back to the original building and the management of the Mechanics' Institute was handed over to the Warrnambool City Council. The Museum and Art Gallery became one and housed many fine works of art, and the Library continued to grow. The building was well patronised, with records showing that at the beginning of the 20th century there were between 500 and 800 visitors. During World War One the monthly figures were in the thousands, with 3,400 people visiting in January 1915. The Museum was a much loved Institution in Warrnambool until 1963 when the Museum and Art Gallery was closed and the contents removed to make room for the Warrnambool City Council Engineers' Department. The contents were stored but many of the items were scattered or lost. The Museum has never been re-opened. When the original building was demolished the site became occupied by the Civic Centre, which included the new City Library. (The library was temporarily located in the old Palais building in Koroit Street.) In the process of reorganisation the Collection was distributed amongst the community groups: -The new City Library took some of the historic books and some important documents, historic photographs and newspapers. -The Art Gallery kept the 19th Century art collection and some of the artefacts from the museum. -The Historic Society has some items -The State Museum has some items -Some items were destroyed -Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village has old newspapers, Government Gazettes, most of the Mechanics' Institute Library (which included books from the Warrnambool Public Museum), ledgers and documents connected to the Mechanics' Institute Library, some framed and unframed art works and some photographs. THE PATTISON COLLECTION These books “The Birds of Australia” by Broinowsky, are also listed as part of the ‘Pattison Collection’, a collection of books and records that was originally owned by the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute, which was founded in Warrnambool in 1853. In 1935 Ralph Pattison was appointed as City Librarian to establish and organise the Warrnambool Library, as the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute was then called. When the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute building was pulled down in 1963 a new civic building was erected on the site and the new Warrnambool Library, on behalf of the City Council, took over all the holdings of the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute. At this time some of the items were separated and identified as the ‘Pattison Collection’, named after Ralph Pattison. Eventually the components of the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute were distributed from the Warrnambool Library to various places, including the Art Gallery, Historical Society and Flagstaff Hill. Later some were even distributed to other regional branches of Corangamite Regional Library and passed to and fro. It is difficult now to trace just where all of the items have ended up. The books at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village generally display stamps and markings from Pattison as well as a variety of other institutions including the Mechanics’ Institute itself. RALPH ERIC PATTISON Ralph Eric Pattison was born in Rockhampton, Queensland, in 1891. He married Maude Swan from Warrnambool in 1920 and they set up home in Warrnambool. In 1935 Pattison accepted a position as City Librarian for the Warrnambool City Council. His huge challenge was to make a functional library within two rooms of the Mechanics’ Institute. He tirelessly cleaned, cleared and sorted a disarrayed collection of old books, jars of preserved specimens and other items reserved for exhibition in the city’s museum. He developed and updated the library with a wide variety of books for all tastes, including reference books for students; a difficult task to fulfil during the years following the Depression. He converted all of the lower area of the building into a library, reference room and reading room for members and the public. The books were sorted and stored using a cataloguing and card index system that he had developed himself. He also prepared the upper floor of the building and established the Art Gallery and later the Museum, a place to exhibit the many old relics that had been stored for years for this purpose. One of the treasures he found was a beautiful ancient clock, which he repaired, restored and enjoyed using in his office during the years of his service there. Ralph Pattison was described as “a meticulous gentleman whose punctuality, floorless courtesy and distinctive neat dress were hallmarks of his character, and ‘his’ clock controlled his daily routine, and his opening and closing of the library’s large heavy doors to the minute.” Pattison took leave during 1942 to 1945 to serve in the Royal Australian Navy, Volunteer Reserve as Lieutenant. A few years later he converted one of the Museum’s rooms into a Children’s Library, stocking it with suitable books for the younger generation. This was an instant success. In the 1950’s he had the honour of being appointed to the Victorian Library Board and received more inspiration from the monthly conferences in Melbourne. He was sadly retired in 1959 after over 23 years of service, due to the fact that he had gone over the working age of council officers. However he continued to take a very keen interest in the continual development of the Library until his death in 1969. References: Archibald Street, Discover the History of Warrnambool Streets, https://www.warrnambool.vic.gov.au/sites/warrnambool.vic.gov.au/files/images/Property/roads/The%20story%20of%20Warrnambool's%20streets.pdf Broinowski, Bird Books and Bird Art etc, Jean Anker 1979, https://books.google.com.au/books?id=B5TpCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA66&lpg=PA66&dq=the+birds+of+australia,+broinowski,+bird+books+and+bird+art&source=bl&ots=nQroxqePdY&sig=a3lnn-_FqB-ZcFAwqRYVK6Y7ZeM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj5sL7-2JTSAhWIyLwKHaCHAJcQ6AEIUTAN#v=onepage&q=the%20birds%20of%20australia%2C%20broinowski%2C%20bird%20books%20and%20bird%20art&f=false Broinowski, Gracius Joseph, by A.H. Chisholm, Australian Dictionary of Biography http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/broinowski-gracius-joseph-3061 Chromolithography, Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromolithography Document, Flagstaff Hill, ‘Mechanics’ Institute Collection’: Books on Dean, Melbourne Rare Book Fare 2015, BookFare Newsletter #5, www.anzaab.com/newsletters/BookFare_1207.pdf Flagstaff Hill archives; document “Re: Ralph Eric Pattison”] Gracius Broinowski, Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gracius_Broinowski Gracius Joseph Broinowski, Design & Art Australia online, https://www.daao.org.au/bio/gracius-joseph-broinowski/biography/ Mechanics' Institutes of Victoria Pg ix, 283; Significance Assessment, Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute Books, FHMV, 2010 The Birds of Australia by Gracius J. Broinowski, Libraries of Australia, Trove http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/12425131?q&sort=holdings+desc&_=1487246530281&versionId=210683608 The Birds of Australia, Broinowski; www.Librarything.com The History of Warrnambool, R. Osburne, 1887, p.72, p. 283 The Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute – FHMV datasheet Warrnambool Art Gallery History, Warrnambool Art Gallery Foundation Information Booklet, http://www.wagf.com.au/cms/downloads/WAGF-Information-Booklet.pdf Warrnambool Museum and Art Gallery, The Argus, 29th July 1886 Web; The Birds of Australia (Broinowski), Wikipedia The Birds of Australia by Gracius J. Broinowski is a respected source of scientific information. It is also significant for its rarity and as an early Australian Work. The book is significant for its association with the Warrnambool Public Museum, which played an important educational and social role in the early settlement of Warrnambool and District. The book is also significant for its association with the Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute Library book collection, which is deemed to be of great importance because it is one of the few collections in an almost intact state, and many of the books are now very rare and of great value. The Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute Collection is primarily significant in its totality, rather than for the individual objects it contains. Its contents are highly representative of the development of Mechanics' Institute libraries across Australia, particularly Victoria. A diversity of publications and themes has been amassed, and these provide clues to our understanding of the nature of and changes in the reading habits of Victorians from the 1850s to the middle of the 20th century. The Warrnambool Mechanics Institute book collection has historical and social significance for its strong association with the Mechanics Institute movement and the important role it played in the intellectual, cultural and social development of people throughout the latter part of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century. The collection of books is a rare example of an early lending library and its significance is enhanced by the survival of an original collection of many volumes. The collection also highlights the Warrnambool community’s commitment to the Mechanics’ Institute, reading, literacy and learning in the regions, and proves that access to knowledge was not impeded by distance. These items help to provide a more complete picture of our community’s ideals and aspirations. The book is also significant for its inclusion in the Pattison Collection, a collection that as a whole shows a snapshot of the types of reading material offered to the local public at that point in time The Birds of Australia Vol 1-2 Author and Illustrator: Gracius J Broinowski Publisher: Charles Stuart & Co Date: 1890 - 1891Label on spine cover with typed text RA 598.2 BRO Embossing added to spine “WARRNAMBOOL PUBLIC MUSEUM" Pastedown front endpaper has sticker from Warrnambool Mechanics Institute and Free Librarythe birds of australia vol 1-2, flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, the birds of australia, gracius joseph broinowski, charles stuart & co, joseph archibald, warrnambool public museum, warrnambool museum, warrnambool library, warrnambool art gallery, warrnambool city librarian, pattison collection, ralph eric pattison, samuel hannaford, warrnambool mechanics’ institute and free library, mechanics’ institute library, victorian library board, warrnambool books and records, rare books, australian bird illustrations, australian bird text, australian natural history

Handwritten letter (copy) to Mr D. E. Hutchinson of Perth dated 10/7/1972 following on from a letter to The Age, 8/7/1972 about Mr Alfred Upton Alcock, billiard table manufacturer of Melbourne and his involvement with the Foundation Company of London in the cable tram conversion in Melbourne. Includes the cutting from The Age. D. E. Hutchinson was the Curator of History West Australian Museum Perth. Accessed 29-12-2016: http://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/items/1547273trams, tramways, mmtb, cable trams, conversion

This is a biography of Price Warung by Barry Andrews. Price Warung (1854-1911), whose real name was William Astley, has a place in Australia’s history as a journalist, writer and campaigner for Federation. He worked for a great number of newspapers throughout Australia and began an association with the Sydney ‘Bulletin’ in 1890. At this time he wrote the powerful works for which he is best remembered – ‘Convict Days’, four volumes of stories about Australia’s convict period. The major theme of these stories is the sordid nature of the convict system. Astley became heavily involved with the Federation campaign, firstly as the Secretary of the Bathurst Federal League and then as the organizing Secretary of the 1896 Bathurst Convention. This convention is considered by historians to have given the Federation campaign a new and vigorous vitality. In 1898 Astley wrote most of the official articles publicizing the ‘Yes’ vote in the Federation referendum. Astley lived and worked in Warrnambool in 1883/4 (for about twelve months) as a journalist for the Warrnambool ‘Standard’. This book is of great interest as it documents the life of Price Warung (William Astley) who features in the history of Warrnambool journalism as an Australian writer of note who also wrote for the Warrnambool Standard. Examples of Astley’s journalism can be found in the Warrnambool Standards of 1883/4. He wrote lengthy articles in a free-flowing and attractive but verbose style. His two articles on the well-known horse stud and hop farm called ‘Bryan O’Lynn’ appeared in the Standard in October 1884. This is a hard cover book of 197 pages. It has a dark green cover with an image of a world globe and a Pegasus on the front. The printed title, the author’s name and the images are in gold print. The cover has a plastic overlay and a library label had been mostly removed from the bottom section of the spine. The book has notes on the author, a photograph of Price Warung, a Preface, Acknowledgements, Chronology, eight chapters on Price Warung, Notes and References, a Bibliography and an Index. Inside front page: ‘Jane Carpenter’ Stamp: ‘Withdrawn from Library’ price warung (william astley), warrnambool and federation, federation movement in australia, history of warrnambool, warrnambool standard

merri-bek public art collection

This book is of general as well as local interest as it gives short biographies of prominent 19th century Australian men. Included in the book are people of local importance to Warrnambool and district – Dr Fleetwood, Dr Singleton, Rev. George Tait, James Stewart Butters, Stephen Henty and Dr Thomas Scott. This book is important because it has interesting and informative biographies of prominent Australian men of the 19th century but it is of greater importance to Warrnambool’s historians because of its biographies of men who were influential in Warrnambool’s history. It is also of interest that the book has the signature of Henri Worland, the Town Clerk of Warrnambool from 1918 to 1949. Worland was also a great Warrnambool historian, preserving items of historical importance, writing on local history and talking about our history for a number of years in a series of broadcasts on Warrnambool’s 3YB. It is due to him that we have ‘Australian Representative Men’ in our collection today. This is a hard cover book with a black cover and gold-coloured lettering on the spine. The pages are unnumbered. The book contains 107 biographies of well-known 19th century men in Australia, together with their portraits fronted by a piece of tissue paper. The book also has articles on the Federal Council and the Soudan Expedition. The first couple of pages are missing. The cover is a little stained and some of the pages have blotches on them. There are several stamps of the Warrnambool & District Historical Society.‘H.J.Worland’ history of warrnambool, dr fleetwood, dr singleton, dr thomas scott, stephen henty, james stewart butters, rev. george tait

A small faded red book titled: The True Story of the Kelly gang of Bushrangers by C.H. Chomley with publisher details at the bottom. 1/= price is listed at the top right hand corner of the front cover. The spine is bound on the left side with brown tape as the title page and last few back pages and cover are missing. Inside the front cover are two advertisements for books which may interest the reader.The frontispiece black and white illustration is of the five Kelly Gang members: Dan Kelly, Steve Hart, Joe Byrne, Aaron Sherritt and Ned Kelly.There is a Contents page with a Note on the reverse stating the writers carefully consulted official documents, newspapers and other sources of information. There are other full page illustrations. Pp.156 (some missing at the end).non-fiction"The True Story of the Kelly Gang of Bushrangers, published in 1900, was a highly researched biography of the notorious 19th-century Victorian family of bushrangers. Chomley wrote the biography using court documents, police records and court evidence.] It is recognised as being one of the most accurate depictions of the story of Ned Kelly, particularly regarding the police involvement. In his discussion of The True Story of the Kelly Gang of Bushrangers, Paul Eggert writes: "He often expresses scepticism about the extant accounts of events and of motives, but his attitude is always one of confident understanding and conservative judgement". As the nephew of Arthur Wolfe Chomley, the Assistant prosecutor at Ned Kelly’s trial in 1880, and the nephew of Hussey Malone Chomley, a police officer during the Kelly years, Chomley had a unique insight into the case."--Back cover.australian history, bushrangers, history victoria, history books, history ned kelly

index, ill, maps, p.153.non-fictionThe life and works of engineer J.J.C.Bradfield with works such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney railways.engineering - australia - history, civil engineers -- new south wales -- biography

Book with yellow cover, title and authors names printed in blue ink on front cover, title printed in blue ink on spine. Summary of book printed in blue ink on back cover. Book contains black and white photos of contributors.non-fictionThis book presents nursing history in narrative form from the career stories of mother and daughter/son nurses, spanning from 1908 - 1992. These descriptions of nursing work are exciting examples of reflective practitioners in story-telling mode.nurses-australia-biography, vocational interests, mother and child

index, ill, maps, p.239.non-fictionA history of the locomotive designer Eugene Victor Siepen & the Mornington Railway Preservation Societyrailroad engineers -- australia -- .biography, tourist railways and museums - victoria

Ill, p.200.non-fictionAnecdotal stories of life and action in the Royal Australian Air Force during World War Tworoyal australian air force - history, royal australian air force - airmen - biographies

Ill, p.200.non-fictionAnecdotal stories of life and action in the Royal Australian Air Force during World War Tworoyal australian air force - history, royal australian air force - airmen - biographies

Ill, p.200.non-fictionAnecdotal stories of life and action in the Royal Australian Air Force during World War Tworoyal australian air force - history, royal australian air force - airmen - biographies

non-fictionAlexandra Hasluck is well-known as one of a distinguished group of female historians who have done so much, by their perceptive biographies, to enlarge our knowledge of the characters of our history. In her autobiography she brings her discerning eye to bear on her own ancestors, and with vivid sketches of her English, Irish and Scottish forebears portrays what she regards as the typical experiences of British settlers. The same observing eye and mind follow her basically happy childhood and youth in Western Australia to becoming herself a 'Governor's Lady'. She married Paul Hasluck, then sub-editor on the West Australian newspaper. When he entered the diplomatic sphere she moved with him to Canberra and her descriptions of life in war-time Canberra and later in America, are enlivened by humorous sketches of people and events which few people have been fortunate enough to experience. These opportunities increased when, on their return to Australia, her husband became a member of Parliament and a Cabinet Minister in Sir Robert Menzies' Government, first as Minister for Territories and later as Foreign Minister. Both positions provided them with many new experiences: of journeys to the remoter parts of Australia and New Guinea in his responsibility for Territories and, later, as Foreign Minister, of visits to the capitals of the world, meeting most of the great men of our time. Even wider vistas opened when her husband became Governor General of Australia and the observing historian was able to record characteristically life at Government House with its constant stream of visitors colouring its own equally interesting inner life. Portrait in a Mirror is not only a fascinating story but also a remarkable self-portrait, told through letters diaries and speeches as well as her own commentaries ot a watching woman: a dispassionate observer of the famous people and great events of her time, who was unaffected by her varying environments and remained, as she had begun, a typical scion of that early colonial stock - intelligent, literate, strongly-opinioned - and staunchly Australian. (Cover)autobiography, alexandra hasluck, paul hasluck, governor-general