Geoffrey (Geoff) Brooke was newspaper columnist, radio commentator, magazine writer and television broadcaster. He wrote a regular column for The Argus titled 'Your night out'. He opened his own restaurant, Geoff Brookes Steak Cave, in 1965. Later in his life he was a resident of Wellington Street, Kew. He died in 2003, aged 86.The Vandersluys-Kelly Collection of photographs, costumes and musical performance memorabilia was donated to the Kew Historical Society by Robin Denise Kelly in 2018. The collection is an important record of stage and recorded performances in Australia in the second half of the 20th century. This new nationally-focused and artistically significant collection augments and contextualises the local performing arts materials in our collection. Sheet music for the song I Told Them All About You, featuring a cover photograph of the Australian 'radio star' Geoff Brooke. Brooke, a resident of Wellington Street (Kew), was a close friend of the singer Robin Vanser (aka Robin Kelly The item forms part of the Vandersluys-Kelly Collection of performance memorabilia donated by her to the Kew Historical Society in 2018.geoffrey (geoff) brooke, performing arts - 20th century

Geoffrey (Geoff) Brooke was newspaper columnist, radio commentator, magazine writer and television broadcaster. He wrote a regular column for The Argus titled 'Your night out'. He opened his own restaurant, Geoff Brookes Steak Cave, in 1965. Later in his life he was a resident of Wellington Street, Kew. He died in 2003, aged 86.The Vandersluys-Kelly Collection of photographs, costumes and musical performance memorabilia was donated to the Kew Historical Society by Robin Denise Kelly in 2018. The collection is an important record of stage and recorded performances in Australia in the second half of the 20th century. This new nationally-focused and artistically significant collection augments and contextualises the local performing arts materials in our collection. Sheet music for the song I Told Them All About You, featuring a cover photograph of the Australian 'radio star' Geoff Brooke. Brooke, a resident of Wellington Street (Kew), was a close friend of the singer Robin Vanser (aka Robin Kelly The item forms part of the Vandersluys-Kelly Collection of performance memorabilia donated by her to the Kew Historical Society in 2018.geoffrey (geoff) brooke, performing arts - 20th century

Geoffrey (Geoff) Brooke was newspaper columnist, radio commentator, magazine writer and television broadcaster. He wrote a regular column for The Argus titled 'Your night out'. He opened his own restaurant, Geoff Brookes Steak Cave, in 1965. Later in his life he was a resident of Wellington Street, Kew. He died in 2003, aged 86.The Vandersluys-Kelly Collection of photographs, costumes and musical performance memorabilia was donated to the Kew Historical Society by Robin Denise Kelly in 2018. The collection is an important record of stage and recorded performances in Australia in the second half of the 20th century. This new nationally-focused and artistically significant collection augments and contextualises the local performing arts materials in our collection. Sheet music for the song I Told Them All About You, featuring a cover photograph of the Australian 'radio star' Geoff Brooke. Brooke, a resident of Wellington Street (Kew), was a close friend of the singer Robin Vanser (aka Robin Kelly The item forms part of the Vandersluys-Kelly Collection of performance memorabilia donated by her to the Kew Historical Society in 2018.geoffrey (geoff) brooke, performing arts - 20th century

I thought the war in Vietnam would never end, and after it did I never wanted to hear or think of it again, until someone I trust told me to read this book. vietnam war, 1961 - 1975, personal narratives

I thought the war in Vietnam would never end, and after it did I never wanted to hear or think of it again, until someone I trust told me to read this book. vietnam war, 1961 - 1975, personal narratives

A File relating to Anna Cohn, Sculptor from New South Wales, it contains articles she's written and articles about her work from the 1960s to 1984. It is available for loan to members of Women's Art Register and visitors to richmond Library. This file is significant in that it is one of 3000 such files that are invaluable to Art ResearchersManila Folder with three booklets containing copies of letters, newspaper articles, invitations 57 pages all toldCohn, Anna (1921- ) on folder and on each bookletsculptor, art writer, sculptors society, , anna cohn

The Eltham Hotel is the oldest continually operating hotel in the Eltham district. Initially referred to as the Little Eltham Hotel, it has been known as the Eltham Hotel since the 1850s through to present time with a very brief period as the Eltham Tavern in the late 1980s. Benjamin Oliver Wallis was a prominent Eltham resident, publican and Councillor during the second half of the nineteenth century. He owned the house that is now the Nillumbik Living and Learning Centre at 739 Main Road Eltham and one stage the Eltham Hotel. Wallis migrated to Melbourne in 1853 but his wife and children remained in Cornwall for a further 10 years. Later in 1853 Richard Warren engaged Wallis to build the Eltham Hotel and it opened in 1854. The hotel was constructed of hard basaltic blue stone quarried in the Eltham district and cemented together with mud, and partly of bricks made at Eltham. The Fountain of Friendship Hotel on the opposite side of Maria Street (Main Road) opened shortly after. The hotel was a well-known resting place for gold diggers during the gold rush at Woods’ Point and Warren would buy the gold from the diggers. In 1858 Warren fell into financial difficulties and had to sell the hotel. Wallis bought the hotel and obtained a publican’s licence in 1861. In the 1850s the Fountain had been the more popular hotel but after that the Eltham Hotel became more popular. It is understood that in about 1857 Wallis probably built the “Living and Learning house” for tanner John Pearson. In 1868 Pearson became bankrupt and Wallis acquired the house and he lived there until his death in 1896. For some of this time the house was in the name of Benjamin’s son Richard but he died in 1888 and ownership reverted to his father. Wallis was a member of the Eltham Jockey Club and in 1867 his wife Anna rode her horse Charlotte in the Annual Races. Anna was also an angler and is reported to have caught a large perch in the Yarra River. She died in 1887. On 16th September 1886 Wallis sold the hotel to Christopher Watson (Snr). Watson died in 1887 and the hotel passed to his son Christopher Watson (Jr) who owned it until his death in 1909 at which time his wife Emily took over the license. Upon her death, their son Herbert applied for the license in January 1915. In July 1925, Herbert Watson demolished the original building and, in its place, erected a modern hotel which remains the foundation of the present Eltham Hotel. The contractors at the time commented on how well the original building had been constructed. A description of the new building was detailed in the Advertiser newspaper of January 8, 1926: “The new building consists of. two stories. designed in English tavern style, and contains-all told, 24 rooms. On the second floor, in front uninviting the two gables is a deep balcony, which will be much appreciated by visitors. The lower story is wholly of brick, and the upper one of wood and fibrous cement plaster. The rooms are spacious and lofty, and the windows are large and of latest style, and light the rooms splendidly. The entrance hall is 8 feet wide. The bar is a very commodious room and is furnished in the most up-to-date and convenient manner. The dining room, a very attractive apartment, is 30 feet by 15 feet 6 inches, and the bar parlor is also a large and well furnished room. A large cellar, an indispensable adjunct to an hotel, has been excavated beneath the bar. On the upper story are 12 bedrooms, and among other conveniences are two bath rooms in which hot and cold water can be used. All the rooms have been supplied with the necessary appliances for electric lighting, which will be one of the progressive evidences which Eltham will shortly enjoy.” “In the yard a brick garage to accommodate three cars at once, has been erected. This, as well as the hotel, is roofed with tiles.” “From the front of the hotel (especially the balcony) a lovely view of the country west and, north may be obtained.” “It may be added that it Is intended to have an ornamental garden, a tennis court. and a kiosk in connection with the hotel, and the property will have a rustic fence round it.” The hotel has since undergone several modifications and extensionsTomorrow's history documented todayeltham, jim connor collection, main road, eltham gateway, eltham hotel, pitt street

Olive Elsie May Reed was licensee of the Eltham Hotel from April 1948 to January 1950. The Eltham Hotel is the oldest continually operating hotel in the Eltham district. Initially referred to as the Little Eltham Hotel, it has been known as the Eltham Hotel since the 1850s through to present time with a very brief period as the Eltham Tavern in the late 1980s. Benjamin Oliver Wallis was a prominent Eltham resident, publican and Councillor during the second half of the nineteenth century. He owned the house that is now the Nillumbik Living and Learning Centre at 739 Main Road Eltham and one stage the Eltham Hotel. Wallis migrated to Melbourne in 1853 but his wife and children remained in Cornwall for a further 10 years. Later in 1853 Richard Warren engaged Wallis to build the Eltham Hotel and it opened in 1854. The hotel was constructed of hard basaltic blue stone quarried in the Eltham district and cemented together with mud, and partly of bricks made at Eltham. The Fountain of Friendship Hotel on the opposite side of Maria Street (Main Road) opened shortly after. The hotel was a well-known resting place for gold diggers during the gold rush at Woods’ Point and Warren would buy the gold from the diggers. In 1858 Warren fell into financial difficulties and had to sell the hotel. Wallis bought the hotel and obtained a publican’s licence in 1861. In the 1850s the Fountain had been the more popular hotel but after that the Eltham Hotel became more popular. It is understood that in about 1857 Wallis probably built the “Living and Learning house” for tanner John Pearson. In 1868 Pearson became bankrupt and Wallis acquired the house and he lived there until his death in 1896. For some of this time the house was in the name of Benjamin’s son Richard but he died in 1888 and ownership reverted to his father. Wallis was a member of the Eltham Jockey Club and in 1867 his wife Anna rode her horse Charlotte in the Annual Races. Anna was also an angler and is reported to have caught a large perch in the Yarra River. She died in 1887. On 16th September 1886 Wallis sold the hotel to Christopher Watson (Snr). Watson died in 1887 and the hotel passed to his son Christopher Watson (Jr) who owned it until his death in 1909 at which time his wife Emily took over the license. Upon her death, their son Herbert applied for the license in January 1915. In July 1925, Herbert Watson demolished the original building and, in its place, erected a modern hotel which remains the foundation of the present Eltham Hotel. The contractors at the time commented on how well the original building had been constructed. A description of the new building was detailed in the Advertiser newspaper of January 8, 1926: “The new building consists of. two stories. designed in English tavern style, and contains-all told, 24 rooms. On the second floor, in front uninviting the two gables is a deep balcony, which will be much appreciated by visitors. The lower story is wholly of brick, and the upper one of wood and fibrous cement plaster. The rooms are spacious and lofty, and the windows are large and of latest style, and light the rooms splendidly. The entrance hall is 8 feet wide. The bar is a very commodious room and is furnished in the most up-to-date and convenient manner. The dining room, a very attractive apartment, is 30 feet by 15 feet 6 inches, and the bar parlor is also a large and well furnished room. A large cellar, an indispensable adjunct to an hotel, has been excavated beneath the bar. On the upper story are 12 bedrooms, and among other conveniences are two bath rooms in which hot and cold water can be used. All the rooms have been supplied with the necessary appliances for electric lighting, which will be one of the progressive evidences which Eltham will shortly enjoy.” “In the yard a brick garage to accommodate three cars at once, has been erected. This, as well as the hotel, is roofed with tiles.” “From the front of the hotel (especially the balcony) a lovely view of the country west and, north may be obtained.” “It may be added that it Is intended to have an ornamental garden, a tennis court. and a kiosk in connection with the hotel, and the property will have a rustic fence round it.” The hotel has since undergone several modifications and extensions Pages from a scrapbook belonging to Heather Jenkins (nee Cone) who lived as a child in the Police Residence at 728 Main Road, Eltham in the 1920s.Heather Jenkins was the daughter of Constable John Thomas Cone, Badge #3935 served at Eltham Police Station 1 May 1911 to 9 July 1922.Glued on a brown paper scrapbook page (torn from scrapbook) with 8 black and white/sepia photos of varying sizes, 1 newspaper clipping and one greeting card with printed sketch and handwritten captions in ink. On back of page is 1 black and white photo and a large newspaper clipping.eltham, eltham hotel, jim jenkins, reed's eltham hotel, olive elsie may reed

Believed to be addressed to her cousin, Mary Ann Shillinglaw, from May ? - This could be Ethel May Bottle b. 1883, daughter of Edward Henry Bottle and step-daughter of Catherine Shillinglaw but this type of post-card photo only commenced in 1905 when she would have been 22. The girl looks more like 15. It is not known if Elizabeth Docherty (nee Shillinglaw) had any children. Born 1861 and married 1894 at 33 years of age, it is possible that she could have had a daughter who would have been 15 in 1910. "Dear Mary I hope this will find you all well. I hope Uncle Phillip is better. This is for the home it is among the lot. You must excuse me for sending one among the lot I haven’t enough to go all round. I will get more copied and send one to Carrie and Florrie. Well I think I have told you all this time I haven’t much room. So good bye from your loving cousin Mary 100 xxxxxxxxxxxxxx" Possibilities to investigate are the Kidd side families: Wilson Stewart Renolds Mills Mason Williams Post Card printed on back with photographer's details: W. Mason & Co., 144 Bridge Road, Richmond. W. Mason & Co. operated from this adress from 1903-c.1932 POSTCARD 1905-1940s Like the carte-de-visite, postcards enjoyed a collecting craze by large numbers of people, and were often kept in albums through which the interested visitor could browse. Postcards were posted or exchanged in huge numbers. Postal authorities in Australia only allowed the private printing of postcards from 1898. At this time the back of the card was reserved for the address and postage stamp, and the front was used for the message and a picture. In 1902 British authorities allowed a "divided back", so that the left side could be used for the message, the right side for the address and stamp, and the whole of the front was devoted to the picture. France followed suit in 1904, Germany and Australia in 1905, and the United States in 1907. - Frost, Lenore; Dating Family Photos 1850-1920; Valiant Press Pty. Ltd., Berwick, Victoria 1991marg ball collection, shillinglaw family photo album 3, postcard, 1903-1932, 1910, agnes mary shillinglaw 1881-1968, ethel may bottle, mary ann shillinglaw (1880-1963), w. mason & co. photographer 144 bridge rd melbourne

Gwendoline (Gwenda) Grace Watson Davies, only daughter of Mr. William Watson Davies and Mrs. Grace Davies (nee Hayes) of Arthur Street, Eltham was born in Newport, 18 February 1908. Gwenda grew up in Arthur Street and when she left school she was employed as an officer at the State Bank of Victoria, Chief Accountants Department, Head Office, Elizabeth Street, Melbourne. During 1933-1934 in her early to mid-twenties, Gwenda wrote a series of poems which were captured in three books: one a leather bound three-ring binder with personalised gold embossing on the cover and two paper booklets held together by pink ribbon. These poems are a reflection of her childhood days, home, her mother, her environment, pioneering days and other miscellaneous subjects including one example titled “EIGHTEEN YEARS TO-DAY”, an homage to the brave men of Gallipoli. On October 20, 1937 after ten years of service, Gwenda submitted her letter of resignation effective November 26th as she was to be married in the near future to Fred Jones. Frederick Geoffrey Jones, born 7 January 1911, third son of Mr. and Mrs. W. Jones of Napoleon Street, Eltham, married Gwenda at the Eltham Methodist Church on 27 November 1937. They made their home at ‘Llangollen’, Arthur Street, Eltham, a new house Fred had constructed earlier that year opposite the Shire Offices. Their residence was recorded in the Electoral Rolls from 1963-1980 as 6 Arthur Street, Eltham which was situated on the corner of Arthur Street and present-day Commercial Place. In the 1970s their home was sold and demolished to make way for the new shops. They built a new home at the top of the hill in Bible Street. In the Electoral Rolls for 1943-1980, Frederick’s occupation was recorded as a Plumber’s Assistant. Fred was also a long-standing member of the Eltham Cemetery Trust. He was first appointed 26 April 1944 and resigned 17 July 1957 to be appointed to the Warringal and Eltham Joint Trust where he served till February 1980. He then re-joined the Eltham Cemetery Trust and served a further 14 years till his resignation on 24 August 1994. In total, Fred represented the interests of Eltham Cemetery for 50 years (1944-1994). Gwenda and Fred were blessed with a son, Frederick William Jones in March 1942. Sadly, Frederick only lived two days and was buried at Eltham Cemetery on March 11. It is not known whether his grave is marked. A second son, Geoffrey Morris Jones arrived 25 November 1944 but he sadly contracted polio as a child. A fall down the front steps of Fred and Gwenda’s new home in Bible Street culminated in Geoff’s death from a heart attack whilst in transit to the Austin Hospital on February 6, 1979, at age 34. He was also interred in the Eltham Cemetery. Geoff was posthumously awarded the British Empire Medal for his services to fire safety at the CFA. A small man, handicapped from his childhood polio, he had figured prominently in the area as an active Apex member and as group officer for the 13 local brigades in the CFA Lower Yarra Group. His work for the CFA, all voluntary, included writing a fire-fighting manual and the innovation of aerial fire spotting and weekly fire reports. Gwendoline and Fred were presented with Geoff’s B.EM. award at Government House. Four years later on the anniversary of Geoff’s death, Gwenda could not sleep and collapsed in the hallway at home from a heart attack, 6 February 1983 at age 74. She was interred with her son Geoff, at Eltham Cemetery on February 9th. Fred died 31 July 1997 at age 86 and was also interred at Eltham Cemetery. A memorial plaque to Gwenda, Fred and Geoff lies within the lawn cemetery at Eltham Cemetery. In February 2022 Gwenda’s book of Poems along with a copy of her letter of resignation from the State Bank of Victoria and a news clipping about the Autumn Show held in the Public Hall at Eltham (opposite her home with Fred) in which Gwenda is listed as having entered Cream Puffs and a Swiss Roll into the Cooking section, were donated to the St Vincent’s de Paul Society in Bega, N.S.W.. A dedicated volunteer there researched their origins and desirous for these items to return ‘home’, posted them to the Eltham District Historical Society for which we are most appreciative. EIGHTEEN YEARS TO-DAY “Tell me why you’re dreaming, Daddy” Said my little son to me, So, I told him all about it, As he sat upon my knee. I told him of that Sunday morn, ‘Twas eighteen years to-day, When the men of Australasia, Joined the mighty fray. How they landed on that foreign shore, And fought the gallant fight, Of how they nobly won the day, And put the Turks to flight. We saw the cliffs before us, To be scaled ‘mid shot and shell, And our comrades fell around us - - - - I remember it - - - so well. There are some who’ll sleep forever, On a hill that’s called Lone Pine, And the twenty-fifth of April, Is famous for all time. And so to keep their memory green, We march each Anzac Day, To pay tribute to those Heroes, Who gave their lives that day. - Anzac Day 1933 And in reflections to Gwenda’s childhood home in Arthur Street: HOME Where do my thoughts ever wander? Where do my thoughts always roam? To a little old house, on the top of a hill, To the place, that I call “Home Sweet Home.” No matter where-ever I travel, On land, or away on the foam. My thoughts will return, and my heart ever yearn, To the place, that I call “Home Sweet Home”. - 2/7/1933 Sources: Book of Poems, G. Davies Letter of Resignation, 1937, Oct. 20, G.G.W. Davies Births Deaths and Marriages Victoria New House at Eltham (1937, September 10). Advertiser (Hurstbridge, Vic. : 1922 – 1939), p. 6. Retrieved May 12, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article56845735 Family Notices (1937, December 17). Advertiser (Hurstbridge, Vic. : 1922 – 1939), p. 3. Retrieved May 12, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article56846386 Geoff Jones, Proud Memory, unknown newspaper clipping, 1979 1979 Birthday Honours, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1979_Birthday_Honours Australian Electoral Rolls, Ancestry.com Family Trees, Ancestry.com Eltham Cemetery, Deceased Search findagrave.com Personal recollections, Joan Castledine The poetry by Gwendoline Davies provides an insight into life growing up in Eltham and the early 1930s. A long time resident, Gwendoline, her husband Fred Jones and son Geoff Jones were fully dedicated to the Eltham community for over 50 years.1. Brown leather bound three-ring binder with personalised gold embossing on the cover 20.5 x 14.5 cm, Walkers Loose Leaf Book, pages typed with some pasted in colour illustrations, alphabeticised dividers (some tabs missing), 21 leafs (some blank) 2. Two paper booklets held together by pink ribbon 15.5 x 12 cm, typed, some with colour illustrations, pages numbered (rh only) 12 pages and 25 pages and paper cover 3. Newspaper clipping 4. Letter sized hand written page in ink folded in three and damaged by foxing and insectsanzac day, arthur street, napoleon street, cfa, eltham cemetery, eltham cemetery trust, frederick geoffrey jones, geoffrey morris jones b.e.m., grace davies (nee hayes), gwendoline grace watson jones (nee davies), llangollen, lower yarra group, poems, william watson davies

Published: The Age, Sat 14 October 1933 Published title: A Royal Portrait Published caption: "Seen at his studio, Alphington, Mr. W. B. Mclnnes's portrait of the Duke of York, which he painted recently on commission from the trustees of the Castlemaine Gallery, at St. John’s Wood, London, impresses as a vital record of one whose natural habitat is a palace, and whose place in life is one of near relationship to the throne of England. The Duke is painted in the uniform of the admiral of the fleet, a highly ornate vesture entailing much elaboration of gold and numerous medals, in dealing with which the artist has not failed to centre his attention on the head, and has succeeded in producing what is undoubtedly a soundly painted portrait and a good likeness. During the five fittings Mr. Mclnnes, apart from the ordinary social amenities, found his Royal sitter little inclined to talk, though he spoke feelingly of his trip to Australia and the pleasure it had given him: but with the Duchess the tendency to be sociable was much more clearly pronounced. She took, and expressed, a keen interest in the social and political matters of the day with a special concern for the supremacy of England and Australia in all questions relating to sport, such as cricket, tennis and golf. She spoke well of her portrait painted by Quinn, and regretted that she would not see the two hung side by side at the Castlemaine Gallery." Description: An unframed painting of a standing, middle-aged man dressed in the uniform of a Royal Navy admiral of the Fleet with medals, sash, ornate belt, cuffs and epaulettes. His left hand rests on the handle of a sword in its scabbard and his bicorn hat and white gloves are on a table beside him. To his right is a globe of the world showing Australia. Research by project volunteer, Fiona Collyer: In 1933, Castlemaine Art Gallery trustees commissioned artist W.B. McInnes (1889-1939) to paint a portrait of Prince Albert, Duke of York as a companion piece to the portrait of his wife, the Duchess of York, that the gallery had commissioned Australian official war artist James Quinn (1869-1951) to paint in 1930. During the First World War, the Duchess’s childhood home, Glamis Castle in Scotland was used as a makeshift military hospital and convalescence home for wounded soldiers. Many servicemen from the Castlemaine area recuperated there and had fond memories of the kindness of the teenage Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (1900-2002, later Duchess of York) who spent the war years running errands and aiding in the welfare and morale of the patients. In 1927, the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth) came to Australia to formally open the newly built Parliament House in Canberra and to tour the country. While visiting Victoria in April, they embarked on a whistle-stop train journey to Bendigo, stopping at Kyneton for ten minutes and Castlemaine for 15 minutes. At Kyneton, an excited crowd of 10,000 people welcomed the couple with “three cheers and three cheers for Baby Betty” before the Duchess was presented with a bouquet of locally grown roses and the Duke a bound album of photographs of noted beauty spots of the district. Next the Royal Couple stopped at Castlemaine to the cheers of 15,000 people. There the couple were presented with a basket of prime quality Harcourt apples and a pair of cot blankets, manufactured at Castlemaine Woollen Mills, a birthday gift for baby Princess Betty. The Duchess recognised Colonel W.E. James, of the Seventh Battalion, who had convalesced at Glamis Castle in 1917, and they chatted before the train departed, while the Duke shook hands with returned soldiers. Last stop was the town of Bendigo which was colourfully decorated with bunting and flags, arches and flowers. 3000 pigeons were released on their arrival and the liberated birds circled overhead for several minutes as if to welcome the Royal Couple. A crowd of 50,000 cheering people lined the streets in bright sunshine as the couple drove by. From an arch over Hargreaves Street, pretty girls showered the pair with rose petals. The Duke was presented with a gold nugget and an album, handsomely bound in morocco, of a history of the Bendigo mining industry, while the Duchess received a bouquet of prize winning white chrysanthemums. After 75 minutes in Bendigo they journeyed back to Melbourne for a State reception. While the couple were in Melbourne, the Duke often played lawn tennis at the Government House courts with three times Grand Slam champion Norman Brookes, who declared that while he considered the Duke a second class player whose serve lacked sting, he had a fine backhand and with time and practice he could become a first class player. The federal Parliament had previously been situated in Melbourne, but Canberra was chosen as the location for Australia’s capital as a compromise between fierce rival states, Victoria and NSW. It is written in the Constitution that the federal capital would be in “the State of NSW... distant not less than one hundred miles from Sydney.” The word Canberra is thought to derive from the local Ngunnawal word “Kanbarra” meaning “meeting place”. The Provisional Parliament House was a large, white, three storey building facetiously dubbed “The Wedding Cake”, plonked down in a bare, former sheep paddock. It was decorated for the event with Union Jacks and Australian red ensign flags. On 9 May, the day of the opening, the expectant crowd assembled in front of the building. Only two of the spectators were Aboriginal. One was Jimmy Clements (1847-1927, aka Nangar or Yangar, but popularly known as “King Billy”), accompanied by his three dogs. (The title “King” or “Queen” was often given by white settlers to Aborigines who were seen as allies and could maintain good relations between First Nations groups and the colonists. Some were given inscribed brass breastplates or gorgets to wear.) Jimmy was an excellent horse breaker and expert tracker for the police. He was also the nephew of “Queen” Nellie Hamilton (1842-1897) of the Canberra-Queanbeyan region, home of the Ngambri and Ngunnawal people. Nellie was the oldest surviving full-blooded Aboriginal woman in the district. The other was George John Noble (1840s-1928, aka Ooloogan, also “Marvellous” due to his regular use of the word). Both were initiated Wiradjuri walamira elders: “clever men” believed to have the ability to heal physical and spiritual ailments. They were also travelling showmen, skilled at boomerang and spear throwing and often performed at country agricultural shows and football matches. They had walked barefoot for three days from the Brungle Mission, near Gundagai. 11 May 1927, The Argus reported that “King Billy... claims sovereign rights to the Federal Territory” which the National Archives of Australia describes as “possibly the first recorded instance of Aboriginal protest at Parliament House in Canberra.” 10 May 1927, The Argus reported on Jimmy Clements: “During the wait great interest was taken in the appearance near the east stand of an aborigine, a member of the Gundagai tribe, and a well known character in the district. He was very old and grey and ruggedly picturesque. He was determined to go his own way in spite of the arguments of two inspectors and one sergeant of police. Immediately and instinctively the crowd in the stands rallied to his side. There were choruses of advice and encouragement for him to do as he pleased. A well-known clergyman stood up and called out that the aborigine had a better right than any man present to a place on the steps of the House of Parliament and in the Senate during the ceremony. The old man’s persistence and the sympathy of the crowd won him an excellent position and also a shower of small change that must have amounted to 30/ or 40/ [shillings].” At 10.30 am, Australia’s eighth Prime Minister, Mr Stanley Bruce (1923-1929) welcomed the Royal couple onto the crimson carpeted portico. Unfortunately, Dame Nellie Melba’s rendition of “God Save the King” and the greater part of the Duke’s reply was drowned out by the roar of squadrons of aeroplanes circling overhead. A brief religious service followed, conducted by leaders of the Methodist, Presbyterian and Anglican churches. Interestingly, there was no Roman Catholic representation at the ceremony even though around one quarter of Australians were Catholic at the time. The Duke unlocked the front doors with a golden key, then unveiled a statue of his father King George V by sculptor Sir Bertram Mackennal in the King’s Hall. Then the official party, Senators, members of the House of Representatives and invited guests entered the Senate chamber where the Duke read a message from the King, establishing Canberra as the seat of the Federal Government, watched on by Australia’s elite. The conclusion of the ceremony was announced by a gay fanfare of trumpets from the entrance of Parliament House and a 21 gun salute and answered by cheers from the crowd. The dignitaries then feasted on a luncheon of turtle soup, poached schnapper, fillets of beef, roast chicken and ham, straw potatoes, green peas, Canberra Pudding (a pudding made with dripping, dried fruit and jam), fruit, ices, coffee and cheese. They toasted the King with non-alcoholic fruit punch as the Federal Capital Territory (later ACT) was a “dry” area and no speeches were made. The diary entry that day of Ethel Baird, Lady Stonehaven, the wife of the Governor-General, is brief and to the point: “To P.H. & waited for Yorks. Ceremony went off without a hitch. Ghastly Banquet Lunch.” Later that day, the Duke mounted a coal black mare, police horse Number 303 which had been hastily re-named “Black Bess” for the occasion, to receive the final salute from the assembled troops and returned soldiers dressed in mufti. The RAAF squadron were flying overhead in “V” formations when suddenly, one of the planes, piloted by Flying Officer Francis Charles Ewen, left the formation, nose-diving 900 metres from Parliament House and landing behind the Y.W.C.A. refreshment marquee. Francis, aged only 28, tragically died of his wounds later that day. The Federal Capital Commission contracted Sargent’s Pies of Sydney to supply 5000 meals for the event. They supplied pies, sausage rolls, scones and sandwiches with the agreed price of 3 shillings a head. Only 1200 meals were served and the uneaten remainder dumped, with the Commission bearing the cost of the unsold food. An estimated crowd of 20,000 attended the opening, far fewer than the expected 100,000. Many visitors travelled long distances, bringing their own hampers of food and camping in tents as there was very limited accommodation available. Thousands of people around Australia listened to the ceremony broadcast on the wireless, with receiving sets installed in schools, public halls and workplaces and it was also filmed for posterity. The next morning, the Royal couple, along with Prime Minister Bruce and Mrs Bruce held an informal public reception on the steps of Parliament House where early settlers, residents and visitors to Canberra filed past them. The Press widely reported Jimmy Clements’ encounter with the Duke and Duchess. The Sun-Pictorial reported 11 May 1927: "MET THE DUKE. ABORIGINE KING HE APPROVED Sugarbag: Sports Suit. John Clements, otherwise King Billy, a full blooded aborigine king, aged 86, was among the 2000 who filed past the Duke and the Duchess at the public reception at Canberra to day. “How you likem Duke and Duchess Billy?” he was asked afterwards. “I think they are both very nice.” he replied in good English. King Billy was a very bedraggled figure, with tangled locks and a beard which almost hid his wrinkled and black face. He wore an old sports suit and carried a sugarbag. Passing the Duke and Duchess he turned full towards them. The crowd cheered, and the Duke and Duchess smiled. The Duke was particularly amused.” The Canberra Times reported 13 May 1927: "A REAL AUSTRALIAN. A quaint but pathetic figure stood in broad relief in the queue of ranks at the reception. Where his dusky forbears have gathered in native ceremonial for centuries past, a lone representative of a fast vanishing race saluted visiting Royalty. Despite the grotesque garb and untamed mane the aborigine comported himself not without dignity. With his three faithful dogs, he made an immediate target for a battery of cameras.” "The Argus reported 11 May 1927: "...an ancient aborigine who calls himself King Billy and who claims sovereign rights to the federal Territory walked slowly forward alone and saluted the Duke and Duchess. They cheerily acknowledged his greeting. The old aborigine, with his long, matted beard and nondescript clothing, is a popular identity of Canberra, and must be one of the most extraordinary figures who has received a Royal salute.” The Sun (Sydney) reported 10 May 1927: “Suddenly, in the midst of the forest of green and white colored hats of women, appeared a head with a shaggy leonine mane and a patriarchal beard. Jacky, the aboriginal, an identity of the district, who is also known as the King of Canberra, had arrived to testify to his loyalty. He saluted the Duke with an excellent dash, and shambled past with his faithful sheep dog aide-de-camp at his heels. The Duke and Duchess were highly amused at this quaint figure moving along with a sort of bodyguard of shrieking young boys and girls.” The Sydney Morning Herald 11 May 1927 mistook Jimmy for his friend “Marvellous”: “...the appearance of an aged aboriginal widely known in the district as “Marvellous, the uncrowned king of Queanbeyan." His beaming black countenance was almost hidden beneath a shock of hair and beard. Bare-footed and carrying a sugar bag in one hand and a tiny Australian flag in the other, he at first mistook a policeman at the foot of the steps for the Duke. To his great embarrassment and to the vast amusement of the onlookers, the policeman became the object of a hearty salutation. However, "Marvellous" was quickly shepherded back to a position in the procession and as he passed along brought his hand up to an approved military salute for the benefit of their Royal Highnesses. The Duke returned it with a special wave.” The Labor Daily 11 May 1927 irreverently reported on the scene: "People March Past. Some 400 people, old identities of Canberra marched past. They were mostly aged ladies with memories faithfully preserving the traditions of other days and curtsied reverently. The younger generations, who speedily joined the procession, behaved differently however. Surely it was the most motley collection that ever passed before Royalty. Men without collars jostled others well dressed. Fat women, young women, children of all heights and ages were there. The oldest inhabitants, in the persons of the abo, "Marbly", and his companion were present. The poor old fellows evidently were keen to get closer to the Duke than the procession dared go, but they were overawed by the stern glances of military men.” The Canberra Times reported 13 May 1927: "...and towards the end of the procession, a full-blooded aboriginal, bareheaded and barefooted, and carrying an old swag on his back, made a picturesque figure as he several times saluted the Royal couple, his old eyes beaming inexpressible delight.” The Register reported 11 May 1927: "PUBLIC MARCH PAST. Old “Jacky”, an aboriginal identity of the district, who has been following the proceedings of the various ceremonies with apparently great interest, appeared in the march past. He halted in front of the steps and raised his hand to his shaggy grey locks in an attempt at a salute. Smiling, the Duke returned the salute, and the Duchess bestowed a charming smile on the figure of mingled pathos and comedy.” Tweed Daily reported 12 May 1927: “King Billy” WAS THERE. Appropriately enough, the inevitable “King Billy” with his refreshing impression of possum and gum-leaves, was present at the dedication of the Federal capital at Canberra. Bare-footed, in a dingy old suit and battered felt hat, he wandered on to the empty stand after the illustrious assemblage had passed into Parliament House. A desolate figure in all that he stood for, he proved, an amiable representative of the dispossessed race. He cheerfully waved a Union Jack for the camera man, and grinned into the very eye of a movie man’s camera without flinching.” Footage of Jimmy filmed that day features in the film “The Birth Of White Australia” produced in 1928 and shows him enthusiastically waving a small Union Jack flag in front of Parliament House with his three dogs at his feet. The caption reads " "King Billy" calls for cheers for the son of the great white King across the seas. “Mine tinkit that pfellers father budgeree King liket me” supposedly says Jimmy." Jimmy told the Daily Telegraph, 13 May 1927 “I have opened your Parliament House on my own ground, now you can go and look at it." Jimmy died on 28 August 1927, aged 80. The Herald newspaper on 30 August 1927, published an illustration depicting Jimmy’s dog standing on his grave, his customary chimney pot hat leaning on his headstone. The caption reads: “The Dead King — His Only Mourner. Drawn by Will Dyson (King Billy, last of the Canberra aborigines, lived just long enough to see the Duke of York open Australia’s capital on the site where his tribe once roamed. He died in the Queanbeyan Hospital yesterday morning.)” A letter published in the Sydney Morning Herald, 19 September 1927 reported: "Old King Billy... Sir, ...I would like to mention... the passing away of one, if not the last remaining aboriginal chieftains. He may be called “Old King Billy,” and his death occurred here in Queanbeyan a few weeks ago. The removal of this well-known black has left another big gap in all that remains distinctively Australian in character. He was one of the last remaining tribe of the Monaro district, and one of the most predominant personalities throughout the Commonwealth. ...he had lived through 80 years all told. He was on many occasions sought by artists for his splendid physique and personality as a model, and many a journey he has had to make to Sydney on that account. A more striking and pronounced type could not be found. ...A very fine cast in lifelike form is to be seen in the Australian Museum, Sydney ...his last important appearance in public was at the Commonwealth celebrations at Canberra, to which territory he partly belonged. ...we have no aborigine statue chiselled to the memory of their race, a more fitting and lasting memorial could not be undertaken than to have one modelled from this fine figure and erected to the memory of his race at Canberra... It would be a fitting adornment if planted with the Australian gumtrees for any avenue or garden. [King Billy] ...a very intelligent fellow, responding readily to kindness and common sense. Hoping yet to see a befitting testimonial and a lasting memorial to a race that is rapidly and I may say, unfortunately, disappearing, I am etc., SYDNEY R.OAKLEY, Queanbeyan." The “lifelike form” referred to by the correspondent was a sculpture that Jimmy Clements had posed for: “The Wunderlich Aboriginal Group” for The Australian Museum in Sydney. In 1925, Mr Ernest Wunderlich, director of Wunderlich Limited, manufacturer of building materials and President of the Board of Trustees at The Australian Museum, commissioned renowned sculptor George Rayner Hoff (sculptor of the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park, Sydney, National War Memorial in Adelaide, and “Lion” the original Holden Motor Company car emblem) to sculpt a life sized Aboriginal family group diorama as a gift to the Museum. There was much concern at this time that the Aboriginal population and especially the “full blooded” were fading into oblivion so fast that they may soon become extinct. Three “full blooded” Aborigines were chosen for models. An article in The Australian Museum magazine, July/September 1926 about The Wunderlich Aboriginal Group explained “...it will not be many years before the aborigine, in New South Wales and Victoria at least, will be an entity of the past. Every year sees a shrinkage in their number, and the coastal tribes that once roamed the Sydney district are, unfortunately, no longer with us. ...the man, who is hurling a boomerang, is Yangar, or “Jimmy Clements,” son of Gayan-Bleuet-Galoom, the late “King of Orange,” western New South Wales. “Jimmy” is an old man, but well preserved. He has a very retentive memory and recollects the various tribal customs and initiation ceremonies, but regarding these he is extremely reticent and will not communicate his “honoured secrets.” The female figure is “Nellie Walker,” a daughter of Geri-Bungel, and a native of Bombala, Monaro district, southern New South Wales. The boy is Harold Marsh, aged nine years, who was born at Kinchela, Macleay River, northern New South Wales. He is now living at the Brewarrina settlement... In the selection of aborigines great care had to be taken to ensure that the individuals were pure bloods, and to the Aborigines’ Protection Board and the Police Department of this State thanks are due for the valuable assistance rendered by them.” Ngarigo woman, Nellie Bungil Walker (1867-1932) had five children, two died as babies and her remaining children were taken from her. She worked as a domestic and was living at La Perouse Aboriginal Community, Sydney at the time of her sculpture’s creation. In the years after the sculpture was made, Nellie and Rayner remained friends. Yaegl boy Harold “Harry” Marsh was from the Kinchela Aboriginal Training Home for boys near Kempsey, (1924-1970), an agricultural training institution under the jurisdiction of the Aboriginal Protection Board to house Aboriginal boys forcibly removed from their families “in the interest of the moral or physical welfare” of the boys. The boys at Kinchela were aged 5-15 years old and referred to as numbers, not names and any connection to Aboriginal culture or language was forbidden. Brutal and cruel physical punishment and sexual assaults were rampant. Survivors recall being flogged and chained naked to a huge Morton Bay fig tree overnight or “sent down the line” where every boy was ordered to punch the “wrong doer” as hard as possible for fear that they would be next. The Kinchela children are acknowledged as part of the Stolen Generation. In 1925, Rayner Hoff created a terracotta bust “Harry Marsh” which is in the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The figures of the trio were modelled in clay before being cast in plaster and hand-coloured by Museum artist Miss Ethel A. King. The finished figures were completed with wigs and fur pelts and with Jimmy hurling a boomerang and Nellie holding a dilly-bag. They were placed in a glass cabinet in the Australian Ethnology Gallery. The subjects were not named. The Sydney Morning Herald 1 July 1926 critiqued the sculptures. "A GROUP OF STATUARY. MUSEUM’S ACQUISITION. Artistically the group is very fine, for the sculptor has caught his subjects in attitudes that reveal all the stalwart athletic lines of their bodies... The man, who is depicted as about 60 years of age, is bearded, immense, and savagely primitive-is throwing a boomerang, and beside him a boy, aged about 11 years is following beneath a shading hand, the flight of birds at which the hunter aims. Behind them, patient, obedient, stand(s) the woman waiting with her dilly bag to gather the spoils.” In 1996, Nellie’s daughter, Victoria Kempsey née Walker, happened to visit The Australian Museum and saw the sculpture of her mother, displayed semi-naked in a glass cabinet, alongside glass cabinets of taxidermied animals. She had last seen her mother 62 years previously when Nellie was dying from tuberculosis. Greatly distressed, Victoria wrote to the Museum requesting that they remove the sculpture, which they did. In 2023, a documentary was produced called “Her Name Is Nanny Nellie” which follows the journey of Nellie Walker’s great-granddaughter Auntie Irene Ridgeway discovering Nellie’s story, honouring her life and restoring her sculpture. Irene told Refinery29 Australia that “It was about reclaiming her life, reclaiming her history and who she really was as a real person. She was not a naked and unnamed lady standing in a museum. It's giving them back their families, they weren't just there to be looked at as flora and fauna or as 'natives'." The documentary was written and directed by Irene’s son Daniel King and premiered at the 2023 Adelaide Film Festival and broadcast on NITV. The restored sculpture of Nellie, dressed in 1920s style clothing was displayed at The Australian Museum, Sydney in The Bayala Nura Gallery in 2023. Irene wanted Nellie to be depicted in the way she actually was when she posed for the sculpture in 1925. The other two sculptures were not displayed due to ongoing conversations with family members and the fragility of the sculptures. It is anticipated that they may be displayed in the future. Melbourne born William Beckwith (Bill) McInnes (1889-1939) studied drawing at National Gallery School in Melbourne from the age of 14 under the tuition of artist Frederick McCubbin before succeeding his former teacher as Master of Drawing at the School from 1916-1934. He was acting Director of the NGV and Head of the National Gallery School from 1934. In 1927, Bill and official war artist H. Septimus Power were commissioned to paint the opening of the new federal Parliament House in Canberra. Septimus painted the general scene of the arrival of the Royal entourage in front of Parliament House, while Bill depicted the ceremony inside the Senate chamber. Bill was widely acclaimed for his landscapes and lauded as the heir to great Australian landscape artist Arthur Streeton. He won the Archibald Prize seven times (including the inaugural, a portrait of architect Desbrowe Annear) which made him a highly sought after portrait painter and he earned kudos for his commission to paint the Duke of York. During the breaks in painting the portrait, the pair chatted and Bill was surprised by the Duke’s wide knowledge of Australian affairs. The Duke was particularly interested to hear how the rabbit crisis was being handled. Bill’s work is held in major Australian galleries including the NGV, which has 12 of his paintings in their collection. Bill was married to fellow artist Violet McInnes and they lived at “The Poplars” in Alphington with their six children. Violet painted still life of flowers and portraits. In 1941, she entered her portrait of fellow artist Sybil Craig into the Archibald Prize and in 1945 Violet was appointed an official war artist. Defending his traditional style Bill said “...we in Australia have not been bitten by Cubism or Futurism or other of the “isms”...and I am glad of it”. References: THE DUCHESS OF YORK. (1931, December 7). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 8. Retrieved April 3, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4427568 WAR NURSE (1930, March 11). The Sun (Sydney, NSW : 1910 - 1954), p. 1. Retrieved April 3, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article223714728 The Royal Visit. (1927, April 29). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 9. Retrieved April 4, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205813465 Canberra. (1927, April 30). Advocate (Burnie, Tas. : 1890 - 1954), p. 5. Retrieved January 10, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article68233606 Australian Dictionary of Biography, Nangar, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/nangar-33736 Australian Dictionary of Biography, Jimmy Clements, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Clements Wikipedia, George John Noble, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_John_Noble PARLIAMENT AT CANBERRA. (1927, May 14). The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 - 1946), p. 37 (METROPOLITAN EDITION). Retrieved December 25, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140733921 CANBERRA CEREMONY (1927, May 10). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 19. Retrieved November 3, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3853643 CANBERRA. (1927, May 11). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 20. Retrieved November 24, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3853897 THE FINAL SCENES (1927, May 11). The Labor Daily (Sydney, NSW : 1924 - 1938), p. 5. Retrieved January 10, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article236614453 TWIN SONS (1927, May 10). The Sun (Sydney, NSW : 1910 - 1954), p. 11. Retrieved April 4, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article223616143 National Archives of Australia, Aboriginal [Jimmy Clements, a Wiradjuri elder] on steps of Parliament House (King Billy), https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3050026 Sydney Morning Herald, The chant of Jimmy Clements: I’ll do the honours on my ground, thanks, https://www.smh.com.au/national/the-chant-of-jimmy-clements-i-ll-do-the-honours-on-my-ground-thanks-20241023-p5kkt5.html MET THE DUKE (1927, May 11). The Sun News-Pictorial (Melbourne, Vic. : 1922 - 1954; 1956), p. 14. Retrieved November 3, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article275177101 PUBLIC MARCH PAST. (1927, May 11). The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929), p. 11. Retrieved April 2, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article54271512 A REAL AUSTRALIAN (1927, May 13). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 12. Retrieved December 18, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1213124 THE PEOPLE'S DAY (1927, May 13). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 3. Retrieved April 3, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1213105 KING BILLY" WAS THERE. (1927, May 12). Tweed Daily (Murwillumbah, NSW : 1914 - 1949), p. 2. Retrieved November 27, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article190193273 A BUSY DAY. (1927, May 11). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 15. Retrieved November 3, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16374845 Nothing Wrong With Canberra Opening, Says "King Billy" (1927, May 13). The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW : 1883 - 1930), p. 2. Retrieved November 3, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article245750627 THIS IS MARVELLOUS! (1927, May 11). The Sun News-Pictorial (Melbourne, Vic. : 1922 - 1954; 1956), p. 16. Retrieved December 9, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article275177155 Mildenhall's Canberra, Royal Visit, May 1927. Canberra citizens passing the Royal Party on the front steps of Parliament House at the Civic Reception 1927 [photograph], https://mildenhall.moadoph.gov.au/rephoto/62 Australian Dictionary of Biography, 1927 - Jimmy Clements, John Noble, and the Opening of Parliament House, https://adb.anu.edu.au/the-quest-for-indigenous-recognition/jimmy-clements YouTube, The Birth of White Australia (1928), amateurish racism on the big screen [Jimmy Clements at 11.12 minutes in], https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OByX4iPsTgo YouTube, We Were Just Little Boys, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u4Hw9d91k2E WASTE AT CANBERRA. (1927, May 20). The South Eastern Times (Millicent, SA : 1906 - 1954), p. 1. Retrieved April 4, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article200058308 YouTube, Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, Whispers in the Corridors-An Aboriginal Presence, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwifXP61M5Y History Snoop, Air Fatality in Canberra Scars an Historic Day in Australia, https://www.historysnoop.com/air-fatality-in-canberra/ YouTube, NFSA Films, The Opening Of Canberra, Australia's Capital City, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOA8llA0iE0 Pauline Conolly, Pudding & Pies at Parliament House, https://paulineconolly.com/2022/pudding-and-pies-at-parliament-house/ THE MENU (1927, May 5). The Sun (Sydney, NSW : 1910 - 1954), p. 13 (FINAL EXTRA). Retrieved April 2, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article223623278 PROMISING (1927, May 7). The Sun (Sydney, NSW : 1910 - 1954), p. 2. Retrieved December 15, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article223616208 The Dead King -- His Only Mourner (1927, August 30). The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954), p. 6. Retrieved November 3, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article244196114 The VOICE of the CITY (1927, August 31). The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW : 1883 - 1930), p. 4. Retrieved December 26, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article246406061 THE LAST OF HIS TRIBE. (1927, September 2). Bairnsdale Advertiser and Tambo and Omeo Chronicle (Vic. : 1882 - 1946), p. 6. Retrieved December 24, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article269318935 GONE WEST. (1927, September 17). The Irwin Index (Mingenew, WA : 1926 - 1956), p. 1. Retrieved December 23, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article251554113 King Billy Dead. (1927, September 10). The Port Macquarie News and Hastings River Advocate (NSW : 1882 - 1950), p. 5. Retrieved December 1, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article112534982 DEATH OF KING BILLY OF CANBERRA. (1927, September 16). Huon Times (Franklin, Tas. : 1910 - 1933), p. 5. Retrieved December 23, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article136428435 OLD KING BILLY. (1927, September 19). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 5. Retrieved November 19, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16404722 "Marvellous" is Dead. (1928, March 30). The Gundagai Times and Tumut, Adelong and Murrumbidgee District Advertiser (NSW : 1868 - 1931), p. 2. Retrieved December 8, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122748136 LAST OF LACHLAN RIVER TRIBE (1926, May 3). Evening News (Sydney, NSW : 1869 - 1931), p. 7. Retrieved December 18, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article117289515 Coal Strike Effects (1926, June 11). The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW : 1883 - 1930), p. 14. Retrieved November 30, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article245759732 SBS On Demand, Her name is Nanny Nellie, https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/movie/her-name-is-nanny-nellie/2300137539512 The Australian Museum Magazine, Vol. 2, No. 11, July-Sept 1926, The Wunderlich Aboriginal Group, https://shorturl.at/uViTe ABC News, King Billy and Marvellous were not invited to the 1927 opening of Parliament House — but that didn't stop their fight for sovereignty, https://shorturl.at/HGpjC Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, The thieving diva: behind the scenes of the opening ceremony at Parliament House, https://www.moadoph.gov.au/explore/stories/heritage/the-thieving-diva-behind-the-scenes-of-the-opening-ceremony-at-parliament Refinery29, Beyond a museum glass case: one First Nations woman's quest to reclaim her ancestors' story, https://www.refinery29.com/en-au/my-name-is-nelly-documentary-irene-ridgeway-interview Sydney Morning Herald, Why it took 100 years to restore the dignity of Nanny Nellie, https://www.smh.com.au/national/why-it-took-100-years-to-restore-the-dignity-of-nanny-nellie-20230719-p5dpjo.html Australian Museum, Meeting Nanny Nellie, https://australian.museum/publications/explore_summer2024/nanny-nellie/ ABORIGINES. (1926, July 1). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 14. Retrieved November 29, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16302447 Wikipedia, Kinchela Aboriginal Boys Training Home, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinchela_Aboriginal_Boys%27_Training_Home Art Gallery NSW, Harry Marsh by Rayner Hoff, https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/59.2000/ Art Gallery of South Australia, Lion (produced for the Holden Motor Company) by Rayner Hoff, https://www.agsa.sa.gov.au/collection-publications/collection/works/lion-produced-for-the-holden-motor-company/27253/ Wikipedia, William Beckwith McInnes, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Beckwith_McInnes DUKE OF YORK PORTRAIT UNIVEILED IN CASTLEMAINE GALLERY (1933, December 4). The Sun News-Pictorial (Melbourne, Vic. : 1922 - 1954; 1956), p. 18. Retrieved April 4, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article276125581 Castlemaine Art Museum, Portrait of His Royal Majesty the Duke of York, https://collection.castlemaineartmuseum.org.au/objects/181/portrait-of-his-royal-majesty-the-duke-of-yorkPhotographer notations on slide: "Portrait of Duke of York by W.B. McInnes 1933 B4".1930-1939, aboriginal culture, royal visits, openings (events), sculpture, land rights, museums, museum displays

This is a set of 12 photographs of Army teams from the Army Survey Regiment, Bendigo and the Army School of Transport, Puckapunyal attempting a world record playing indoor cricket, at Seymour Victoria from the 31st of January to the 5th of February 1986. The following article appeared on the back page of the ARMY Newspaper on Thursday 6th of March 1986. 'INDOOR CRICKET RECORD SMASHED. ARMY TEAMS from Puckapunyal and Bendigo recently played indoor cricket for 124 hours to set a new world record. The two eight-man teams, from Army School of Transport and Army Survey Regiment, broke the 120 hour record set by Corrimal High School, NSW earlier this year. Organiser of the event, Capt Marty Alsford of AST told ARMY the teams had played 107 games, scoring 15,000 runs in their chase for the record. "The rules allowed a five-minute rest break every hour which could be accrued, so we played for 64 hours straight then had a five hour sleep. "When everybody got up and went straight back into the game with no grumbling, I knew we had the record," Capt Alsford said. The event was held at the Seymour Indoor Cricket Centre, an iron-roofed building with no air-conditioning, and all players had to battle the effect of the stifling heat in addition to fatigue. One player dropped out through exhaustion, but this did not prejudice the record attempt as the rules permitted each team to lose a player who cannot return to the game nor be replaced. The Army teams' effort are now awaiting recognition by the Guinness Book of Records. During the marathon event, the soldiers raised money for Legacy, through sponsorships and a raffle. At the time ARMY went to press, the final figure was not available.’ Army Survey Regiment Routine Orders Part 1 Issue No 16/86 Notices on Page 7 stated: ‘World Record Indoor Cricket. 1. Congratulations to the following members for their successful attempt on the Guinness Book of Records, Record for continuous playing of indoor cricket: John Whaling, Peter Ball, Brenton McDonald, Per Andersen, John Anderson, Brian Fauth, Brett McAllister and Daryl South. 2. Our team, playing a team from Army School of Transport at Seymour played continuous Indoor Cricket for 124 hours, beating the existing record by 4 hours. During that time the two teams amassed a total in excess of 16,000 runs. 3. Congratulations also to Peter Ball for picking up the Trophy for the most outstanding player during the record attempt.’This is a set of 12 photographs of Army teams from Bendigo and Puckapunyal attempting a world record playing indoor cricket, at Seymour Victoria in February 1986. The photographs were printed on photographic paper and are part of the Army Survey Regiment’s Collection. The colour photographs were scanned at 300 dpi. .1) - Photo, colour, 1986, L to R: John ‘Junior’ Whaling, Marty Alsford. Background L to R: Peter Ball, unidentified, John ‘Flash’ Anderson. .2) - Photo, colour, 1986, L to R: John ‘Junior’ Whaling, unidentified, Peter Ball. .3) to .7) - Photo, colour, 1986, unidentified participants. .8) - Photo, colour, 1986, L to R: unidentified, Peter Ball, Brett McAllister, John ‘Junior’ Whaling. .9) - Photo, colour, 1986, L to R: unidentified, John ‘Flash’ Anderson, Brian Fauth, unidentified, Peter Ball, unidentified (x2). .10) - Photo, colour, 1986, Army School of Transport (red & white uniform) - back row L to R: unidentified (x4), front row L to R: unidentified (x3), Marty Alsford. Army Survey Regiment (dark green uniform) - back row L to R: Brett McAllister, John ‘Flash’ Anderson, Brian Fauth, Per Andersen, front row L to R: John ‘Junior’ Whaling, Daryl South, Brenton McDonald, Peter Ball. .11) & .12) - Photo, colour, 1986, Army Survey Regiment (dark green uniform) - back row L to R: Peter Ball, Per Andersen, Brett McAllister, Brian Fauth, front row L to R: Brenton McDonald, John ‘Flash’ Anderson, Daryl South, John ‘Junior’ Whaling..1P to .12P –No personnel are identified. ‘Attempt at World Record for Indoor Cricket 31 Jan - 5 Feb 1986’ annotated on cover sleeve.royal australian survey corps, rasvy, army survey regiment, army svy regt, fortuna

This book is a sixth grade reader which all Victorian students would have read during the 1940's. The book is made up of poems and stories, some which are still known and told today. Some pages have drawings that relate to the story of poems. This is historically significant due to showing what children read during the 1940's in schools across Victoria. Also it is a good comparison to what grade six children read now. Therefore it has good interpretation value and would be good in local school exhibitions. The names on the book indicate that this book came from a local famil, the Johnson and was read to two children of that family which gives this good social history. Some of the pages have had their pictured colored in by the student and words that have been underlined. These could have been harder words for the students to learn and seem advanced for grade six children to read. Book has a blue coverVICTORIAN READERS SIXTH BOOK, second edition, Victorian education stamp on front cover, SIXTH BOOK and EDUCATION DEPARTMENT VICTORIA ON SPIN. Inside cover has the names, Lorraine Margaret Johnson, Allan Johnson and Alice Payork? but that name has been crossed out and John with the son crossed out. All these names hand written in ink pen. book, school, reader, grade 6, department of education. children, stories, poems.

Corbould Hall was named after Ballarat School of Mines alumni WIlliam Corbould. William Corbould was the son of a Ballarat tailor. He attended Ballarat College, and obtained certificates in assaying and metallurgy at the Ballarat School of Mines (SMB) in 1883, studying under the revered Professor Mica Smith. Corbould was not a born student and remembered his first experience at SMB: 'From the Registrar's Office I was led to be introduced to the Professor of Chemistry, one Mica Smith. The initial encounter gave me little encouragement - his large laboratory was filled with hundreds of bottles bearing strange labels with queer symbols on them. My heart sank. At the first opportunity I grabbed my hat and made for the door, but the good professor called me back. I pointed out that I was never any good at school ... so it was no use pretending to be clever enough to understand all those weird symbols! The Professor told me not to worry about that and took me to one of the benches where he found a blowpipe and a charcoal block. Mixing together two powders from bottles on the shelf he transferred a sample to the charcoal and directed the bunsen flame onto it. Soon it began to melt and a white bead appeared in front of my eyes. He then took a test tube and added a little colourless liquid from each of two bottles. A beautiful dark blue colour appeared. My interest was won.' During Corbould's mining career he travelled to Europe twice, and visited most of Australia's main mining fields. Corbould started his career as an assayer at Pinnacle Silver Mine, Silverton, and was then a self-employed assayer at Broken Hill. Corbould became an assayer for the infant BHP mine, and later worked in Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie, including managing Hannan's Reward, the oldest gold mine on the Kalgoorlie gold field. He spent 13 years at the Mount Elliott copper fields as general manager. In 1923, at the age of 57, Corbould went to Mount Isa and reported on options, experimented with new metallurgical processes and floated a company. John Carden of CRA said: 'Corbould was the man who brought Urquhart to Mount Isa. He was the man who made it all possible. He is tremendously important in the Mount Isa story, because he was the first technical man, the first professional man on the scene. He was responsible as I said, for bringing finance to the place, but I think even more importantly he was the first man to recognise the need to put all the little claims in the Mount Isa discovery together. I think perhaps his major contribution to Mount Isa was this amalgamation on the various claims. He recognised that the ore bodies at Mount Isa were not as rich as Broken Hill and they would never have survived had it been fragmented, so he was terribly important.' After completing major financial negotiations for Mt Isa Mine from London in 1927 Corbould remained in Europe where he remained until his death. Corbould was awarded the Legion of Honour of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurigical Engineers for fifty years service. Corbould died at Monaco in 1949 at the age of 82. He bequested 6000 pounds to the Ballarat School of Mines, his will stating 'for the purpose of founding a scholarship to commemorate the memory of the late Alfred Mica Smith'. The accumulated income from this sum provides the Mica Smith travelling scholarship, enabling successful students in mining, metallurgy or chemistry to undertake a year's travelling abroad. The first award was made in 1957. In the same year a general purpose hall at SMB was named the Corbould Hall as a tribute to a distinguished former student and generous benefactor.ballarat school of mines corbould building, corbould hall, corbould building

There is a Union Jack brought back from South Africa by 1229 Trooper Fredrick James Smith. Between 1899 and 1902, around 16,500 Australians served in South Africa during the Boer War. This was the largest international deployment of troops from the Australian Colonies before Australian Federation. Of the 16,500 men who served in South Africa, 606 were killed in action or died of diseases. The Australian War Memorial records that the fighting conditions in South Africa extremely hard on men and horses. Australians fighting in South Africa were doing so as part of Colony based Regiments such as the Victorian Mounted Rifles, New South Wales Lancers, Queensland Mounted Infantry as well as units from the other states. Australians were awarded six Victoria Crosses during the campaign along with many other decorations. In May of 1902 the treaty of Vereeniging was signed officially ending the Boer War. The Boer War is commemorated in many Towns and Cities around Australia. The Lara RSL Sub Branch holds some memorabilia from the Boer War. There is a Union Jack brought back from South Africa by 1229 Trooper Fredrick James Smith. He was a resident of Lara and was a member of the 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles. It was reported that he carried this flag into battle. The Lara RSL also holds the flag staff of the China, South African and Old Veterans Association. Both these items are of national significance. Both the flag and flag staff were used in marches in Geelong each year until 1916 when Anzac Day commenced. The flag and flag staff were donated to the Lara RSL sub Branch when he joined in 1928. Fredrick James Smith was born at Lara in 1879, the son of Mr/Mrs Smith from Lara. He was a farm hand from Horton Vale, Anakie when he joined F Company of the 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles at the beginning of February 1901. Two weeks later, he left for South Africa on the 15th February. Before leaving, he purchased the flag from W. Libby & Son Geelong. Frederick Left for South Africa on the 15 February 1901 on the Orient. He saw service between March 1901 - March 1902 in east Transvaal and Natal frontier under the British Major General S. Beatson then Pulteney, including the defeat at Wilmansrust where 18 soldiers were killed and 42 wounded (12th June 1901 - heaviest casualties of any Australian contingent,); and the successful intervention at Onverwacht on the 4th January 1902. The 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles suffered: 36 killed or died of wounds, 13 died of disease of a contingent of 46 Officers, 971 Other Ranks and 1099 horses. They returned to Australia on the 26th April 1902 on the Custodian after sailing from Point Natal in South Africa on the 5th April. On his return, Tropper Smith (Saddler Private) joined the South African Soldiers Association of Victoria – Geelong Branch, and after 1928, he joined the Lara RSL. He was buried in Western Cemetery on the 19th June 1968 at the age of 89. Enrolled February 1901 Departed for South Africa on 15 February 1901 Establishment: 46 Officers, 971 Other Ranks with 1099 horses Mobilised at Pretoria: 24 March -- 4 April 1901 Typical company: 1 Captain, 4 Lieutenants, 1 company sergeant-major, 1 company quartermaster-sergeant, 1 sergeant-farrier, 1 sergeant-saddler, 5 sergeants, 6 corporals, 3 shoeing-smiths, 3 saddlers, 1 bugler, 99 privates. Total in company: 126 with 131 horses. Engagements: Rhenoster Kop, Klippan, Kornfontein, Drivelfontein, Wilmansrust, Kambuladraai, H'Lobane, Luchiel's Nek, Loch's Kraal, Vryheid, Onverwacht, Johnston Hoek Killed in action (or died): six Officers, 48 Other Ranks VC Winner: Lieut. L. C. Maygar News article Leader (Melbourne) Saturday 31st May 1902, page 42 - Dear Cinderella. — This is the second time I have written to you. I was very sorry at not seeing my first letter in "The Leader". But I hope to say, that this one will be in. The last time I wrote to you I told you that my brother (Fredrick Smith) went to the Boer War in South Africa, and that he was supposed to be killed in the Wilmansrust disaster. But this time I am going to tell you about his return, and the grand welcome he got from the residents of Lara. Mother, Father, and my Brother, went down to Melbourne, to meet the boat. You can just imagine how rejoiced we all were to see him back again. The railway station was decorated some thing beautiful with flags of all description all the colours you could think of. He has bought a lot of Boer curios home and some Kaffir bracelets. They are such funny looking things. The residents of Lara, also gave my brother a grand social and ball there were over four hundred people present, They presented him with a hand some gold chain, and locket suitably inscribed, and a pair of gold sleeve links, they were magnificent. The ball was very nice. . I had a few dances. I enjoyed myself grand. I think this is all I can tell you this time. I must conclude with love. I remain yours sincerely - BESSIE SMITH. Age 14-years. This flag is of national significance as it was used in the Boer War by Private Fredrick James Smith (SN:1229) of the 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles, F Company in their deployment to South Africa between 1901 and 1902. The flag was taken into the Wilmansrust engagement in which 19 soldiers died and 41 were wounded. On return to Australia, the flag was used in marches by the South Africa, China Old Veterans Association - Geelong. This flag represents a unique part of Australian history from which the movie, Breaker Morant was taken. It is of spiritual significance as the Boer War was where the first Australian received the Imperial Victoria Cross, and the spirit of Anzac was conceived, giving birth in World War 1. The Flag represents the spirit of Australians who fought and died in South Africa.Cotton Union Jack flag approx 221cm wide by 109cm tall with small repair patches and center section cotton deteriorated.Has the word "Lara" inscribed in black on bottom part of the flag heading. Has the flag makers name "W.Libby & Son" on the top part of the flag heading.boer war, union jack flag, south africa, wilmansrust, 5th victorian mounted rifles, f coy, private fredrick james smith, service number 1229, february 1901, april 1902, south africa china old veterans association

This belt belonged to a WW1 Australian Anzac who most probably, because of the buttons and badges, served on the Western Front. Records destroyed in 1969 bush fires at Lara means we are unable to determine who owned this in the RSL. The belts is called a 'stable belt' and the one you have acquired is an early example with a leather pocket. It became common in WW1 for both, leather belts (especially that from the 1903 bandolier equipment as worn by those in the Boer War), and stable belts to be used to hold badges collected from fellow soldiers and for that reason it was often known as a 'souvenir belt'. The evolution of the stable belt: It seems that stable belts began to become popular across the Army as a whole around the turn of the 20th century, although they probably originated with the cavalry a little earlier sometime in the 1880s/1890s. All units at that time had horses on their establishment and those soldiers told off to attend them reported for Stable Parade in Stable Dress which consisted of very high waisted and pocket less breeches, or trousers, held up by braces and collarless, woollen flannel shirts with sleeves rolled up. This was to facilitate the rigorous physical effort and flexibility of movement necessary for mucking out and grooming. Braces at that time had no elastic as rubber was expensive, they were made of cotton with no 'give' whatsoever and so soldiers commonly allowed the braces to flop down from the waist so that they could bend over freely. For trousers that fitted loosely (due to the high waist) this meant that they tended to slip down and at first soldiers cinched them in with leather belts. Later on the regimental saddlers began to make belts from the same, plain canvas or wool strapping used for the horses Surcingle and utilising the same double leather strap and buckle arrangement for security (if one strap broke the other would hold and prevent the saddle from coming unseated). One particular feature of these early stable belts was a sewn on (or in) pocket, secured by a stud or clip, within which loose change could be kept, or a pocket watch, as there were no pockets in the breeches. As you might imagine these became very popular as the pocket was useful and the extra breadth afforded by the canvas strapping made them very comfortable. Around about the turn of the 20th century it began to be popular for officers to wear neckties in regimental colours both for sport and less formal, country dress. This habit probably began with the Queens Household troops and Line Cavalry, but quickly spread throughout the Army and it appears as if this use of regimental colours spread to the canvas or wool strapping used to make stable belts. For this reason the stable belts invariably followed the same colour scheme (but not always the same pattern arrangement) of regimental neck ties. This belt is an example of what Australian troops collected when on the Western Front during WW1 and when on leave.Leather Belt with 31 Badges and Buttons from WW1 attachedSee Mediaww1, world war 1, australian army, badges, button, belt, stable belt

This belt belonged to a WW1 Australian Anzac who most probably, because of the buttons and badges, served on the Western Front. Records destroyed in 1969 bush fires at Lara means we are unable to determine who owned this in the RSL. The belts is called a 'stable belt' and the one you have acquired is an early example with a leather pocket. It became common in WW1 for both, leather belts (especially that from the 1903 bandolier equipment as worn by those in the Boer War), and stable belts to be used to hold badges collected from fellow soldiers and for that reason it was often known as a 'souvenir belt'. The evolution of the stable belt: It seems that stable belts began to become popular across the Army as a whole around the turn of the 20th century, although they probably originated with the cavalry a little earlier sometime in the 1880s/1890s. All units at that time had horses on their establishment and those soldiers told off to attend them reported for Stable Parade in Stable Dress which consisted of very high waisted and pocket less breeches, or trousers, held up by braces and collarless, woollen flannel shirts with sleeves rolled up. This was to facilitate the rigorous physical effort and flexibility of movement necessary for mucking out and grooming. Braces at that time had no elastic as rubber was expensive, they were made of cotton with no 'give' whatsoever and so soldiers commonly allowed the braces to flop down from the waist so that they could bend over freely. For trousers that fitted loosely (due to the high waist) this meant that they tended to slip down and at first soldiers cinched them in with leather belts. Later on the regimental saddlers began to make belts from the same, plain canvas or wool strapping used for the horses Surcingle and utilising the same double leather strap and buckle arrangement for security (if one strap broke the other would hold and prevent the saddle from coming unseated). One particular feature of these early stable belts was a sewn on (or in) pocket, secured by a stud or clip, within which loose change could be kept, or a pocket watch, as there were no pockets in the breeches. As you might imagine these became very popular as the pocket was useful and the extra breadth afforded by the canvas strapping made them very comfortable. Around about the turn of the 20th century it began to be popular for officers to wear neckties in regimental colours both for sport and less formal, country dress. This habit probably began with the Queens Household troops and Line Cavalry, but quickly spread throughout the Army and it appears as if this use of regimental colours spread to the canvas or wool strapping used to make stable belts. For this reason the stable belts invariably followed the same colour scheme (but not always the same pattern arrangement) of regimental neck ties.This belt is an example of what Australian troops collected when on the Western Front during WW1 and when on leave.Webbing Belt with Badges and Buttons WW1See Mediaarmy, australian army, western front, aif, s.w.ellis, service number 640, 2 m.g.c., buttons, badges, belt, stable belt

This work was reproduced from the original artefact, and remains as true to the original work as possible.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. Hardback with brown fabric which is torn and stained. Embossed border and small flower design in black ink. Title embossed in gold. Fraying around the edges and spine. 168 pages.fictionreligion, moral tale, social order

“The Squadron’s Most Prestigious Trophy” THE CACTUS STORY Years ago a story was told of a Donkey which lived in the desert. The standard of living was poor, and the main course on the menu when things were tough was cactus. The Donkey accepted the good with the bad, and in bad seasons it was always cactus. One day during his wanderings he came to a high fence. On the other side of the fence was lush grass and all sorts of vegetation and animals in prime condition. The Donkey said to a horse, “things look good in there, how does one get in”. The horse said “go down to the end of this fence, and you will come to a gate, there will be someone at the get, ask to get in”. The Donkey went to the end of the fence, found the gate and asked to get in. The horse at the gate said, “what do you want to come in for, all of us are geldings?”. The Donkey said “if that is the case, it is back to the cactus for me”. It was during the early stages of the great depression of 1929-1932, that this story was simulated to the conditions at the then Royal St. Kilda Yacht Club, when during the yachting season there were very few trophies due to the lack of money. A lot of members were out of work, and each Monday many would front up for the jobs that were offering or those who missed out went back to the dole or as many put it “Back to the Cactus”. The “Cactus Cup” race, to be free of entrance fees, was an idea conceived by H.A. (Toby) Armstrong, soon to be backed by Bert Bryant, Ivor Bowles and Jim Thorpe. It was First sailed March 25, 1922, when 9 yachts on sealed handicaps, raced over a 5 mile rectangular course for a small Trophy donated by Jim E. Thorpe and the winning crew of the yacht Helen, skippered by D.Dowse, entertained at a café after the race by the instigators of the race. The next contest was April 12, 1930, for another small trophy also donated by Jim Thorpe, and the crew of the winning yacht Petrel, skippered by Stan Gamble, later on having to arrange for a mussel supper to the extent of Trophy money at an informal musical evening held in the spar room. From then on races for the Cactus Cup became an annual event. In time the format was changed to result in the crew of the first winning yacht having to collect mussels from the pier on the first Saturday of July, cook and prepare them for a no charge informal supper and entertainment evening held in the spar room, towards which the Club provided a keg of Beer. Member Bob Ellis had a special song for the occasion, “Up at Tumba Bloody Rumba shooting Kanga Bloody Roos”. Jim Thorpe then agreed to purchase a Perpetual Cup to be named the Cactus Cup. As guest of honor at the Cactus Supper Evening, May 1940, a dinner suit function in the Spar room, he presented the Cup along with Replica to Barney Snider who won with Eun-Na-Mara. Soon entries became few, for reason nobody wanted to win because of the penalty of having to collect, cook and prepare the mussels. In the interest of the contest and its revival, it was decided that the crew of the last yacht to finish had to collect, cook and prepare the mussels. On the death of Jim E Thorpe in 1944, the trophy, along with its annual replicas, were then provided for by Ivor Bowles until his death in 1970. In time for reason of pollution, the collecting of mussels from the pier was discontinued, so Otto Meik the new provider decided that the format be changed and be replaced by a supper on the day of the race, consisting of bottle mussels, beer and frankfurts. Following the death of Otto Meik in 1979, with no provider for the trophy of replicas, the Squadron in the early 80’s broke tradition by introducing race entry fees. In 2006 the Cactus Cup Tradition was reinstituted by a donation from J.H. (Bert) Ferris – RMYS historian. The Cactus Cup is now free to enter once again for all. The race is run early and a late afternoon feast of mussels and frankfurts is eaten afterwards.Deep sectioned Silver Cup, 300mm high to lip, tapering to thick plain stem flaring out to stepped footing, has two shaped handles. Silver Lid with Donkey positioned on shaped dome. Overall height 110mm. Cup stands on 145mm high round black base with stepped footing, surrounded with Silver winner inscription band.ROYAL ST. KILDA YACHT CLUB PERPETUAL CACTUS CUP INAUGURATED 1922 INSTIGATED BY H.A. ARMSTRONG ESQ. ORIGINAL CUP PRESENTED BY J.E. THORPE ESQ.cactus cup, trophy

Full page newspaper clipping featuring the March 1965 Victorian bushfires. Items include: Photograph - TWO-WOMAN BUCKET BRIGADE, Mrs Henry Marsden (left) and Mrs Moureen Ellis, whose fire-fighting efforts yesterday were highly praised today by their Eltham neighbours, carry out mopping-up operations Photograph - DOGS MADE HOMELESS by the fire in North Eltham yesterday are being cared for at First-Constable Doug. Mummery's kennels at Eltham and here is kennel maid Helen Oliver, 17, with some of them today. The two basset hounds are owned by Mr Bill Guy who lost about 100 daschund and basset hound puppies and dogs in the fire. Photograph - He died at Eltham [Picture of John Lawrence Coleman] Builder Mr John Lawrence Coleman, 31, of Main Rd., Eltham, one of three men burnt to death yesterday in the fire at North Eltham. The other two were XXXXX, 33 who lives opposite the Colemans and Mr William Elwers, 64 of Batman Rd., Eltham. John Lawrence Coleman (1934-1965) born January 10, was the son of Raymond John Coleman and Hanna May (Gillet) Coleman. He married Margaret Frances Dare in 1955 and was the father of two children. He died whilst attempting to rescue an older man trapped in the bushfire at North Eltham on March 3, 1965 Other news stories of the day:  Bushfires rage in Victoria, Snowy: Three dead (1965, March 4). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 1. Retrieved May 19, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article131758981 Includes two photos of the fire in North Eltham “Firemen make for safety as fire rages in Upper Glen Park Road, North Eltham, Victoria. The smoke hides a house.” and “A house explodes into flames at North Eltham, Victoria. Firemen said bottled gas went up.” Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Thursday 4 March 1965, page 1 ________________________________________ Firemen make for safety as fire rages in Upper Glen Park Road. North Eltham. Victoria. The smoke hides a house. A house explodes into flames at North Eltham. Victoria. Firemen said bottled gas went up. Bushfires rage in Victoria, Snowy: Three dead MELBOURNE, Wednesday.—Three people died today in a bush» fire which raged through North Eltham, about 15 miles from Melbourne. The victims were three men. A fourth man is feared to be dead. Another bushfire. sparked off by the heatwave sizzling over south-eastern Australia, is burning out of control in the Kosciusko State Park, in the Snowy Mountains. Firefighters fear that if it reaches pine forests up the Yarrangobilly River, they will be powerless to stop it. The three victims of the North Eltbam fire were trapped by flames in a valley. Their bodies were found only a few yards apart. They were named by police tonight as Mr. George Crowe, 78, of North Eltham, William John Ewers, 64, and John Laurence Coleman, 31, both of Eltham. The other two have not been identified. They are believed to be a man aged about 40 and an 18-year-old youth. At least 12 homes were destroyed by the fire, the worst in Victoria since 1962, when eight lives were lost and hundreds of homes burnt down at Warrandyte. At one time the township of Eltham was threatened, but a cool change swept in from the south and held back the wall of flames. More than 100 dogs, worth about £4,000, died when the fire raced through two kennels in Short Street, Eltham. and Upper Glen Park Road, North Eltham. A trickle of water Residents ran into the streets as the blaze raced towards their houses. Others frantically dug firebreaks around their homes. Mrs. Sue Recourt wept when firemen arrived while she was vainly trying to stop the flames with a trickle of water from the garden hose. A stack of firewood was blazing, but the firemen managed to save the house and rescue four goats. Many homes in Eltham were saved after flames had crept to within feet of their fences. Students at North Eltham State School had to be evacuated when the blaze threatened the building. Fire fighters were severely hampered by lack of water and narrow roads. The blaze, which began in above century heat, turned toward Wattle Glen, where two houses were gutted. Then the flames raced towards Hurstbridge to the north. Firemen battling desperately, controlled the fire late this afternoon. Five forest fires were still burning in Victoria tonight.   IN VICTORIA THIS WEEK Tragic lack of central fire authority (1965, March 9). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 2. Retrieved May 19, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article131759928 Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Tuesday 9 March 1965, page 2 ________________________________________ IN VICTORIA THIS WEEK Tragic lack of central fire authority From Rohan Rivett It was the worst week for Victorian fire fighters since Black Friday 27 years ago. On that day one pilot up in a spotter plane said afterwards: "It seemed at times that half the State was on fire." This time, for three days on end, Gippsland men, women and children had moments of conviction that their towns would have blackened into anonymity before the weekend was out. The week began with horror at Eltham on the North-eastern edge of Melbourne. Eltham today is something of an artists' colony. Oil painters, water colourists, potters and sculptors proliferate. A number of University folk have emulated the example of Professor MacMahon Ball who pioneered the way by moving to Eltham and carving a home out of the bush in the thirties. Innermost Eltham is barely 14 miles from the G.P.O. Farthest Eltham stretches miles beyond. It served to illustrate the tragi-ludicrous truncation of Victoria's fire control. Part of Eltham is under the protection of the Melbourne Fire Brigade. But this responsibility ceases at some invisible and incomprehensible line — apparently determined by the meanderings of the water mains. At this point everybody's property throughout the rest of Eltham is dependent on the Country Fire Authority. Half an hour before midday on Wednesday, a fire suddenly started on the West side of Upper Glen road on the edge of Eltham. Before the fire brigade could arrive, it was burning on a widening front through timber and high grass north of Eltham. Two wind changes in rapid succession saw the fire leaping Diamond Creek. With a freshening wind it struck home after home in three streets. More than one of them exploded suddenly as if hit by an incendiary bomb. There is no piped gas in the Eltham area, hence many housewives use bottle gas. The flames outside caused the bottles to explode. Altogether twelve homes were completely incinerated and four more were badly damaged. Thirty prize dogs perished. About three hours after the fire started it raced suddenly down a gully hillside trapping an elderly man. Two other men apparently raced to the rescue. Flames caught the three men within yards of each other, not 200 yards off the Upper Glen Park Road where safety lay. They were burned to death. Next evening an angry and convincing secretary of the Fire Brigade Union, Mr. W. M. Webber, came on television and appealed to the people of Victoria to end the ridiculous and dangerous dualism in fire-fighting control. The Eltham fire, he said, had precisely illustrated the situation. The Metropolitan Fire Brigade area touched Eltham, but where the fire had gutted and killed, was just outside its area. Mr. Webber said his union had constantly urged one authority for the State with a complete reorganisation of fire protection. On Wednesday the union had repeated its call for an inquiry into fire protection in Victoria to the Chief Secretary, Mr Rylah. "No matter how close the liaison between the two organisations, there are always divided sections of thinking," Mr. Webber told viewers. "I don't know how much tragedy the com-munity can take before it demands that it is properly protected." Rumours that differences in gauge between taps and hose nozzles (as between the two authorities) accentuated the damage were denied by fire chiefs who said that all appliances were now carrying adaptors so that hoses could be linked to mains everywhere. But there is grave concern in the Metropolitan Fire Brigade's higher councils at the action of several Federal authorities with projects in and around Melbourne. They are installing non-standard equipment without reference to the State authorities or any dovetailing of appliances and equipment. Public alarm was not diminished by the publication on Friday and Saturday of a heart tearing letter from the young widow of John Lawrence Coleman, 31 year old father of two, who had died in the flames apparently trying to rescue the old man trapped in the gully. By that time, a Vast area of Gippsland was in flames and the troops had been sent in to back up the overworked and often helpless fire-fighters. By Saturday, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Stoneham, who has previously demanded a Royal Commission into fire-fighting arrangements, repeated his demand. To add to the Chief Secretary's worries he was publicly rebuked for allegedly implying on television that lives had been lost at Eltham because people went to the wrong place at the wrong time. In a letter to the Press, Professor MacMahon Ball pointed out that two of the men involved were experienced bushmen who had gone "to help an old man in great danger fully aware of the danger to themselves". As Victoria faced its sixth day of total State-wide fire ban, it looked likely that even official resistance was not going to silence the demand for one central authority to control the fire fiend. At the moment, the 400 square miles where two million Victorians live in Greater Melbourne are divorced from the rest of the State in planning, communications, equipment and control of personnel. No one doubts the whole-hearted co-operation and willingness to back each other up of the M.F.B. and the C.F.A., both at top-level and among the firemen themselves. However, when a city straggles so deeply into the country side, the absence of a single authority, to oversee and analyse the fire threat as a whole, suggests suicidal policy of divide and fuel. Emphasis of the tragic loss of a member of a pioneering family who died whilst helping others in his communitybushfire, cfa, country fire authority, fire brigrade, glen park road, heroes, john lawrence coleman, north eltham, victorian bushfires - 1965, volunteers, william john elwers, fire fighter, frank martin, george john crowe, ken gaston, orchard avenue, doug mummery, helen oliver, mrs henry marsden, mrs moureen ellis

John Lawrence Coleman (1934-1965) born January 10, was the son of Raymond John Coleman and Hanna May (Gillet) Coleman. He married Margaret Frances Dare in 1955 and was the father of two children. He died whilst attempting to rescue an older man trapped in the bushfire at North Eltham on March 3, 1965 He died at Eltham (Herald, 4 March 1965, p3) [Picture of John Lawrence Coleman] Builder Mr John Lawrence Coleman, 31, of Main Rd., Eltham, one of three men burnt to death yesterday in the fire at North Eltham. The other two were XXXXX, 33 who lives opposite the Colemans and Mr William Elwers, 64 of Batman Rd., Eltham. * * * Frank Martin was a volunteer with the Eltham rural fire brigade at the time of the 1965 bushfires which burnt Eltham North and Research. Frank was asked to assist with the removal of three bodies from the back gully (now Orchard Avenue). They were badly burnt and one was found stuck under a fence as though trying to escape. Volunteers John Coleman Jnr, William Elwers and George Crowe were killed trying to protect Eltham from bushfire – they were local heroes. At the time, John Coleman Jnr was survived by his wife Margaret and two young children – John 11 and Vicky 2. Margaret Coleman lived in the family home until 1992 when she sold it and moved to Tasmania to be close to her son. She died in 1997 aged 65 years. 75 yr old Ken Gaston grew up on Edendale farm, which was originally a poultry farm but is now owned and run by the Shire of Nillumbik as an educational farm for schools and visitors. He was Captain of the Eltham rural fire brigade in 1965 when John Coleman Jnr was burnt to death in the Eltham North bushfires serving as an unofficial volunteer. He was able to draw where the original Wattletree Road was and at the time was verified with the location of some remaining bitumen and a post from the original bridge over the Diamond Creek located near the junction of the Diamond Creek and another small creek which is further down from Research or Christmas Creek as locals refer to it. The original Main Road ran behind Colemans before the railway line was built beyond Eltham in 1912. (Information recorded by Harry Gilham, President EDHS c.2011) * * * Bushfires rage in Victoria, Snowy: Three dead (1965, March 4). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 1. Retrieved May 19, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article131758981 Includes two photos of the fire in North Eltham “Firemen make for safety as fire rages in Upper Glen Park Road, North Eltham, Victoria. The smoke hides a house.” and “A house explodes into flames at North Eltham, Victoria. Firemen said bottled gas went up.” Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Thursday 4 March 1965, page 1 ________________________________________ Firemen make for safety as fire rages in Upper Glen Park Road. North Eltham. Victoria. The smoke hides a house. A house explodes into flames at North Eltham. Victoria. Firemen said bottled gas went up. Bushfires rage in Victoria, Snowy: Three dead MELBOURNE, Wednesday.—Three people died today in a bush» fire which raged through North Eltham, about 15 miles from Melbourne. The victims were three men. A fourth man is feared to be dead. Another bushfire. sparked off by the heatwave sizzling over south-eastern Australia, is burning out of control in the Kosciusko State Park, in the Snowy Mountains. Firefighters fear that if it reaches pine forests up the Yarrangobilly River, they will be powerless to stop it. The three victims of the North Eltbam fire were trapped by flames in a valley. Their bodies were found only a few yards apart. They were named by police tonight as Mr. George Crowe, 78, of North Eltham, William John Ewers, 64, and John Laurence Coleman, 31, both of Eltham. The other two have not been identified. They are believed to be a man aged about 40 and an 18-year-old youth. At least 12 homes were destroyed by the fire, the worst in Victoria since 1962, when eight lives were lost and hundreds of homes burnt down at Warrandyte. At one time the township of Eltham was threatened, but a cool change swept in from the south and held back the wall of flames. More than 100 dogs, worth about £4,000, died when the fire raced through two kennels in Short Street, Eltham. and Upper Glen Park Road, North Eltham. A trickle of water Residents ran into the streets as the blaze raced towards their houses. Others frantically dug firebreaks around their homes. Mrs. Sue Recourt wept when firemen arrived while she was vainly trying to stop the flames with a trickle of water from the garden hose. A stack of firewood was blazing, but the firemen managed to save the house and rescue four goats. Many homes in Eltham were saved after flames had crept to within feet of their fences. Students at North Eltham State School had to be evacuated when the blaze threatened the building. Fire fighters were severely hampered by lack of water and narrow roads. The blaze, which began in above century heat, turned toward Wattle Glen, where two houses were gutted. Then the flames raced towards Hurstbridge to the north. Firemen battling desperately, controlled the fire late this afternoon. Five forest fires were still burning in Victoria tonight.   IN VICTORIA THIS WEEK Tragic lack of central fire authority (1965, March 9). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 2. Retrieved May 19, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article131759928 Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Tuesday 9 March 1965, page 2 ________________________________________ IN VICTORIA THIS WEEK Tragic lack of central fire authority From Rohan Rivett It was the worst week for Victorian fire fighters since Black Friday 27 years ago. On that day one pilot up in a spotter plane said afterwards: "It seemed at times that half the State was on fire." This time, for three days on end, Gippsland men, women and children had moments of conviction that their towns would have blackened into anonymity before the weekend was out. The week began with horror at Eltham on the North-eastern edge of Melbourne. Eltham today is something of an artists' colony. Oil painters, water colourists, potters and sculptors proliferate. A number of University folk have emulated the example of Professor MacMahon Ball who pioneered the way by moving to Eltham and carving a home out of the bush in the thirties. Innermost Eltham is barely 14 miles from the G.P.O. Farthest Eltham stretches miles beyond. It served to illustrate the tragi-ludicrous truncation of Victoria's fire control. Part of Eltham is under the protection of the Melbourne Fire Brigade. But this responsibility ceases at some invisible and incomprehensible line — apparently determined by the meanderings of the water mains. At this point everybody's property throughout the rest of Eltham is dependent on the Country Fire Authority. Half an hour before midday on Wednesday, a fire suddenly started on the West side of Upper Glen road on the edge of Eltham. Before the fire brigade could arrive, it was burning on a widening front through timber and high grass north of Eltham. Two wind changes in rapid succession saw the fire leaping Diamond Creek. With a freshening wind it struck home after home in three streets. More than one of them exploded suddenly as if hit by an incendiary bomb. There is no piped gas in the Eltham area, hence many housewives use bottle gas. The flames outside caused the bottles to explode. Altogether twelve homes were completely incinerated and four more were badly damaged. Thirty prize dogs perished. About three hours after the fire started it raced suddenly down a gully hillside trapping an elderly man. Two other men apparently raced to the rescue. Flames caught the three men within yards of each other, not 200 yards off the Upper Glen Park Road where safety lay. They were burned to death. Next evening an angry and convincing secretary of the Fire Brigade Union, Mr. W. M. Webber, came on television and appealed to the people of Victoria to end the ridiculous and dangerous dualism in fire-fighting control. The Eltham fire, he said, had precisely illustrated the situation. The Metropolitan Fire Brigade area touched Eltham, but where the fire had gutted and killed, was just outside its area. Mr. Webber said his union had constantly urged one authority for the State with a complete reorganisation of fire protection. On Wednesday the union had repeated its call for an inquiry into fire protection in Victoria to the Chief Secretary, Mr Rylah. "No matter how close the liaison between the two organisations, there are always divided sections of thinking," Mr. Webber told viewers. "I don't know how much tragedy the com-munity can take before it demands that it is properly protected." Rumours that differences in gauge between taps and hose nozzles (as between the two authorities) accentuated the damage were denied by fire chiefs who said that all appliances were now carrying adaptors so that hoses could be linked to mains everywhere. But there is grave concern in the Metropolitan Fire Brigade's higher councils at the action of several Federal authorities with projects in and around Melbourne. They are installing non-standard equipment without reference to the State authorities or any dovetailing of appliances and equipment. Public alarm was not diminished by the publication on Friday and Saturday of a heart tearing letter from the young widow of John Lawrence Coleman, 31 year old father of two, who had died in the flames apparently trying to rescue the old man trapped in the gully. By that time, a Vast area of Gippsland was in flames and the troops had been sent in to back up the overworked and often helpless fire-fighters. By Saturday, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Stoneham, who has previously demanded a Royal Commission into fire-fighting arrangements, repeated his demand. To add to the Chief Secretary's worries he was publicly rebuked for allegedly implying on television that lives had been lost at Eltham because people went to the wrong place at the wrong time. In a letter to the Press, Professor MacMahon Ball pointed out that two of the men involved were experienced bushmen who had gone "to help an old man in great danger fully aware of the danger to themselves". As Victoria faced its sixth day of total State-wide fire ban, it looked likely that even official resistance was not going to silence the demand for one central authority to control the fire fiend. At the moment, the 400 square miles where two million Victorians live in Greater Melbourne are divorced from the rest of the State in planning, communications, equipment and control of personnel. No one doubts the whole-hearted co-operation and willingness to back each other up of the M.F.B. and the C.F.A., both at top-level and among the firemen themselves. However, when a city straggles so deeply into the country side, the absence of a single authority, to oversee and analyse the fire threat as a whole, suggests suicidal policy of divide and fuel. Emphasis of the tragic loss of a member of a pioneering family who died whilst helping others in his communitybushfire, cfa, country fire authority, fire brigrade, glen park road, heroes, john lawrence coleman, north eltham, victorian bushfires - 1965, volunteers, william john elwers, fire fighter, frank martin, george john crowe, ken gaston, orchard avenue

Taken in the mid 1930s, the image on the postcard depicts a group of young men with four horses and a carriage in the foreground. There are crowds in the background. The image was taken during the Gala Day on Ford Street, Beechworth.Black and white rectangular postcard printed on card.Obverse: Our. Bushrangers: / Gala day. / Ford. Street. / Reverse: Kind regards / to young nlaq. (?) / and all the rest. / of the family / POST / EMPIRE / CARD / STAMP. / FOR CORRESPONDENCE / FOR ADDRESS ONLY / Dear Vi / I received your P.C and was very. pleased / to hear from you. I was talking to Noll + Lucy on Saturday. / night I told them I got a card from you they are just the / same as ever dodging the old man. Hoeerysoofunny. / I was just thinking of droping you a card when yours / came along, some of these days when I've got time I / will drop you a note and tell you all the news of this way / will now ring off with best love / I remain yours truly. (See Ril.) / 2589 /entertainment album, carnival, 1930s, gala day, horses, carriage, leisure, postcard, photography, letter, bushrangers

Oral history Myrtle Barnett ( 1915- ); fostered daughter of Caroline & Ferdinand Barnett; Lower Plenty. Interviewed on 19 Feb 1996 by Peter Blackbourn. "We lived at Grace Park and could walk straight down the road and over the bridge to the Montmorency State School. The school was in Rattray Rd about half way up the hill. The King family lived next door to the school. One day the students were all taken on a walk to choose the site of the new school (which was built in 1924). In addition to the above story; Myrtle said at either the Lower Plenty School or the Montmorency School there was a teacher they didn’t like so they swapped schools. My Grandmother Jean Barnett; started at Greensborough Primary in 1919 and stayed 3 months. When I told her about this; she told me off and said she never went there! She must have then gone to Montmorency and when there was a call to start a school at Lower Plenty; took the opportunity to get away from the teacher they didn’t like. I’m not sure of the time line for the above events; or which school they swapped to but I thought it gave a little insight into the 1920’s and how Lower Plenty; Montmorency and Greensborough were connected."Transcript of Oral History. barnett family, myrtle barnett

The story of Watsonia Primary School No 4838 is told through interviews with John Eddy (Principal 1993-97), Claudia Crosling, Jan Cleeland, John Murphy and Christina Barclay (teachers), Lesley Hooper and Nancy Fyfe (parents) - all interviewed by Rosie Bray. A foreword was written by 2015 Principal Mrs Jeanette Martin and a brief history compiled by Sam Chesser (GHS member and current parent). Photographs of the school and scans of past student photographs by Marilyn Smith.A history of the Watsonia Primary School through the eyes of people associated with the school.Folder with black cover containing transcripts of oral histories, photographs and memorabilia. watsonia primary school

Captain Charles Ferguson was born in Scotland in 1813. He was the Master of the "Rajah" from 1838 to 1850 on voyages from England to Australia and vice versa. He became the First Chief Harbour Master for the port of Melbourne in 1852 after being the first Harbour Master and Water Police Officer in Geelong for 12 months. On the 5th of April 1841, the Rajah sailed with James Donovan M.D. as Surgeon Superintendent, and the Rajah sailed from Woolwich with 180 female convicts. The Rajah arrived on the 19th of July in Hobart, with 179 females (one died during the voyage) and 10 children. Miss Kezia Elizabeth Hayter was the matron on board. On page 28 of the "Sailing directions for Port Phillip, in the colony of Victoria including the ports of Melbourne and Geelong", a mention is made of the Mariner's Hospital and Floating Church soon to be established. There were discussions to built the hospital in Williamstown but instead the Government decided to build it in Melbourne. The Harbour Master and a commiittee decided to use the water police hulk, Emily, left unsold in 1856, to create a floating church: the Bethel was open in July 1857 with Reverend Kerr Johnston as Chaplain. Latrobe wrote a letter to Captain Cole in 1869, a few months after learning his death : "To Captain George Ward Cole † [from a draft in another’s hand] Clapham House, Lewes, Sussex, January 28th, 1869. My dear Captain Cole, Last mail will have taken out the sad intelligence of the death of our excellent old friend, Captain Ferguson. This will have been a terrible blow to his children and to his friends in the colony, who may have held reason to expect his early return to his home, with a not unreasonable prospect of ultimate restoration to health and activity. In the course of last October I went up to town with one of my children, mainly with the purpose of finding my way to Pinner, where he and Mrs. Ferguson were staying with an intimate friend. I found him in excellent health and spirits, and enjoying the prospect of a speeding resumption of the service to which he had devoted his best days, and upon the furtherance of which his entire energy was still directed. A week or two later Captain and Mrs. Ferguson went to Dover for change of air, and being still under the impression received from the advisers by whom they had been guided during their residence at a hydropathic establishment at Matlock, felt encouraged to plan almost immediate return to the colony by the Jerusalem early in December. However, certain misgivings in the mind of a medical gentleman, then in England, under whose care Captain Ferguson had at one time placed himself in Williamtown, led them to consider it judicious before departure to take the advice of some surgeon of eminence in London. Accordingly they came up to town at the close of November. The first London practitioners they consulted shook their heads, and advised consultation with Sir Wm. Ferguson. The result was that amputation, without loss of time, was pronounced necessary. The rest is soon told. He received the painful intelligence with calmness and full resignation to God's will, and underwent the operation at King's College Hospital with exemplary firmness and Courage on the 28th of November. Perfect success seemingly attended it, and there seemed, humanly speaking, to be every prospect of a prompt cure and early convalescence; everything seemed in his favour. A few days later, however, all was clouded by symptoms of hospital fever (pyoe æm ia). This resisted all control, and finally carried him off on the 27th of December, just one month after the operation. He had lived a Christian life, and his death was the peaceful and resigned death of a Christian. It was a melancholy satisfaction to me to be able to join a few friends in following his remains to their resting place in one of the outlying London cemeteries on the last day of the year. You know Mrs Ferguson well, and will be prepared to hear me say that her whole conduct and demeanour throughout this period of suspense and bitter trial has been worthy of her high character and steadfast principle. Come what will, and happen what may, I have the fullest conviction that neither the widow nor the children will be forsaken, however doubtful and clouded the future may appear, in consequence of the irreparable loss which, they have sustained. And now, dear Captain Cole, it is possible that you may already have heard all this from other sources, but I have dictated it to you under strong impulse, for I feel assured that there is no member of the community in which you live who will more sincerely deplore the loss of Captain Ferguson on private grounds; at the same time that there is no one who, from long acquaintance with his official character and services, will be in a better position to estimate their real value or the loss which the colony has sustained. The circumstances in which Captain Ferguson's family are left not only demands the utmost display of sympathy and interest on the part of friends, but may call for decided and prompt action; therefore I cannot rest satisfied without discharging what I consider my duty, and seeking to strengthen your hands as far as I may in bringing the character of his long services before the existing colonial authorities. Of his private career previous to his entering the service of the Colonial Government in 1851 nothing need be said. Captain Ferguson was appointed as the Harbour Master at Geelong in April, 1851 – a few months before the separation of the colony from New South Wales. He there did excellent service in a variety of ways calculated to advance the interests of the port, and to introduce www.latrobesociety.org.au 27 order, where, from circumstances, but little order had hitherto prevailed. His was the first appointment of this class in that locality. The separation of the colony from New South Wales took place in the month of July following. Shortly after, the late Captain Bunbury resigned the Harbour Mastership of Port Phillip. Captain Ferguson was at once (February, 1852) appointed to succeed him, and from that time performed all duties of Chief Harbour Master of the colony. The previous year (May 1851) the first gold discoveries in New South Wales had taken place, and in the month of August those of our colony followed. At the time of Captain Ferguson’s taking charge of the Port of Melbourne their influence had begun to be fully felt, and in no department more seriously than in that of the Harbour Master. This is no place for statistical details, but they must bear me out in reminding you of a few facts connected with our late friend’s career. At the time of separation that department comprised only 30 individuals of all ranks, and when he took charge the number was much reduced. There were at that time, according to the returns, no fewer than 54 vessels, registering 26,785 tons, in Hobson’s Bay alone. The crews on arrival numbered 1,235 men. Of this number only 463 remained on board, 500 having deserted, and the rest having been discharged by arrangement or pure necessity. For the first six months after Captain Ferguson’s assumption of office as Harbour Master the duties of Police Magistrate and Chief of the Water Police were superadded, and how much labour they involved may be surmised from the fact that from 1st of April to the 31st July, 1852, four months only, no less than 236 marine cases were brought before the bench at Williamstown - sometimes as many as 30 in a day. A year later (March 1853) the returns show that the number of vessels in the harbour in Hobson’s Bay alone were 91, tonnage 43,754; and passing on to the still later returns of May, 1853, two years after Captain Ferguson’s assumption of office, we find from the records that the number of ships in port had increased to 129; tonnage, 63,292; crew on board on arrival, 2872, and at the date of report, 1628; the amount of desertions at that time having, however, proportionally diminished, in consequence of the abatement of the gold fever, caused by the non-success attendant upon the labours of thousands at the goldfields. The above numbers take no account of the large number of vessels and amount of tonnage lying at the wharves at Melbourne or elsewhere. From these figures alone it may be judged what must have been a struggle in which the Chief Harbour Master was engaged from the very outset to secure order, and answer the innumerable calls on every branch of his department, at the same time that there was for many months an almost complete impossibility of securing subordinate agency, such as boatmen, pilots, and police, at any price. But I may bear witness to the untiring diligence, energy, and self-devotion with which Captain Ferguson grappled with the difficulties of his position, and the seemingly insurmountable obstacles which stood in his way. Ashore and afloat he was always ready, showing the same directness of purpose, intelligence, and forgetfulness of self. He shunned no responsibility, and turned his hand from no work, whether within or beyond the ordinary scope of his duty, which the hard necessity of the times forced the Government to bring under his notice. Already in 1852, when the overflowing of our gaol and stockade rendered the adoption of other methods of restraint absolutely necessary, and addition to the existing buildings could not be thought of, it was Captain Ferguson who first suggested the employment of hulks; and it was with his personal assistance and supervision, and under his unflagging energy, that the three first of these – the Success, the President, and the Sacramento – were purchased, fitted up, and made available for the purpose in view, and the rules and regulations for the employment and safety of the men afloat and ashore prescribed and carried out. He carried the same energy into every branch of his department, and his influence was soon apparent. His subordinates of every class became actuated by his spirit. As time moved on, the range of his duties, both ordinary and extraordinary, increased. In the formation of the quarantine station at the heads, in the management if not the erection of lighthouses, sailing directions, port and wharf regulations, buoys, signal stations, www.latrobesociety.org.au 28 steam dredging &c., he was the main and most active agent. The whole pilot establishment and regulations, men, and vessels, were under his charge; and when I left the colony in May, 1854, the entire range of ports outside Port Phillip Heads from Point Lonsdale to Portland, as well as that of Geelong had felt the influence of his intelligent supervision and care. The entire department of Chief Harbour Master, which I have numbered at the period of separation about thirty individuals, then numbered 230. The character of Captain Ferguson’s unbroken service during the fourteen years which have elapsed since I left the colony must be well known to the Government and the people he has served so long and so faithfully. I confine myself to recalling to mind those earlier, and what must have been the hardest and most difficult, period – none can know how difficult but those who were in that fierce struggle for the maintenance of order under so many disadvantages; and on this subject I have spoken advisedly and with reason, for I may truly say he worked under my own eye. I had sincere regard for the man, and just pride in the qualities of his heart, head, and hand. Whatever mistakes may have been made by the Government of the colony in those hard and difficult times (and I am quite ready to admit that there were many, especially if the past is to be judged by the light of the present), I never have hesitated in believing that, in appointing Captain Ferguson to the office he has so long filled, it was the right man in the right place. I shall be heartily rejoiced to find that the Government and inhabitants of the colony admit that this has been the case, and to learn that they have not forgotten the strong claims of one who has served them so long and so faithfully, and who, removed by God’s providence, so to say, in the maturity of his powers, has left a widow and young family behind him. I have done, I leave you to make use of this communication, or any portion of it, which you may think judicious and called for. There may be among Ferguson’s friends those who may not be sorry to be reminded of facts. By-the-bye, I may mention as a proof how completely Captain Ferguson’s mind was engrossed by devotion to his public duty, that while in Dover, only ten days before the operation, he took an opportunity to drag himself up into the lantern of the S. Foreland Lighthouse, and made a most careful scrutiny of the whole apparatus and arrangement, with a view of the adoption of any hint for the perfection of those under his charge in the colony. And now, goodbye. I trust this will find you in good health, and in comparative vigour. Believe me ever, dear Captain Cole, Yours very truly, C. J. La Trobe"The attempt for a floating church was made as early as 1853 following similar examples in London like the Seamen's Hospital. Captain Ferguson was instrumental in the foundation of the Bethel Church.Digital copies of the 37 pages ; 22 cm.1854, hobsons bay, geelong, melbourne, williamstown, sandridge, mariner's hospital, floating church, seamen's hospital, captain charles ferguson (1813-1868), kezia elizabeth hayter (1818-1885), rajah quilt, prison hulks, water police, harbour master, harbor master, gaols

This book was conceived by the Nillumbik Women's Network as a way of writing women into local history. When seeking nominations for the 2010 editon, the press release stated: Nillumbik Shire’s official histories don’t reflect the important but often unacknowledged contribution of local women to the development of the area. To redress this, the Nillumbik Women’s Network (NWN) initiated a small project, Celebrating Nillumbik women in late 2007.( For details of the Nillumbik Women’s Network refer to attachment) The NWN sought nominations of local women who had made, or continue to make, a significant contribution to the social and cultural life of our community. The brief profiles of the nominees were published in a booklet, which was launched at an International Women’s Day celebration in March 2008, and a second publication was produced in 2009. We continue to be inspired by the quality and activism of our local women. Many of the biographies tell of women’s contribution to the building of the ‘social’ infrastructure of the Shire. These stories complement the official historical accounts which primarily document men’s role in building the physical infrastructure of the Shire. One begins to develop a clearer picture of how women went about developing the services which we take for granted today, from the small kindergartens operating out of church halls to the wide ranging network of occasional and long day childcare care to the development of home based services for older frail and disabled residents of the area. They also tell of the bravery and resilience of women in their response to the devastating impact of the Black Saturday bushfires. This volume includes profiles of 23 women, 2013 Nominees in addition to those included since the project was launched in 2008. The 2008 nominations are: Wendy Alexander, Jane Ashton, Sharon Banner, Janet Boddy, Catherine Cervasio, Belinda Clarkson, Helen Coleman, Cathy Dean, Judy Duffy, Gwen Ford, Jenny Graves, Cath Giles, Meera Govil, Ona Henderson, Jill Jameson, Vicki Kaye, Mrs Kimber, Nerida Kirov, Jane Lauber, Pam Lawson, Anne Manne, Chris Marks, Elizabeth Marshall, Dawn McDonnell, Jenny Millar, Grace Mitchell, Jenni Mitchell, Michelle Molinaro, Joy Murphy, Rosie Murphy, Barbara Murray, Tracey Naughton, Josephine Norman, Pamela Pederson, Mary Robertson, Vicki Ruhr, Geraldine Sanderson, Dawn Shaw, Fiona Sievers, Myra Skipper, Selina Sutherland, Barbara Talbot, Marjorie Taylor, Julie Tipene-O’Toole, Susie Walker, Donna Zander. 2009: Jan Aitken, Rosemary Aitken – OAM, Edith Apted, Betty Anderson, Thelma Barkway, Diana Bassett-Smith, Jenneke Bateman-Korteweg, Amy Bryans, Sabi Buehler, Jenni Bundy, Audrey Cahn, Linda Cornelissen, Janice Crosswhite, Elean Dansey, Christine Durham Claire Fitzpatrick, Ailsa Fitzmaurice, Lucinda Flynn, Sheryl Garbutt MP, Fran Gronow, Ev Hales, Irene “Rennie” Harrison, Ena Jarvis, Heather Kaufmann. 1948-2007: Helen Kenney, Margot Knox – Pederson, Lois Loftus-Hills, Nina Mikhailovna Christesen AM (nee Maximov), Penny Mullinar, Gwayne Naug, Nanette Oates, Lisal O’Brien, Stella Reid, Laura Rohricht, Meg Russell, Sonia Skipper, Bronwyn South, Pauline Toner MP, Lisa Walton, Diana Warrell, Rachel Watt. The 2013 nominations are: Roslyn Addison, Sue Aldred, Lucy Anderson, Sue Arnold, Mary Avola, Anna Foletta, Morag Fraser, Danielle Green MP, Colleen Hackett, Pam Hayes, Barbara Joyce, Carol Leeson, Sandra and Bruce Poloni, Many Press, Carolyn Royse, Hannah Sky, Lorna Smith, Lynlee Tozer, Kilanthi Vassiliadis, Kerry Wailes, Gale Weiss, Irma Winton and Alexis Wright.This book is a significant in the recording of the contribution of local women to the development of the Shire of Nillumbik, especially for the time frame 2008 -- 2013. Historically women's stories generally have not been told at all, let alone their contributions acknowledged. This book profiles and documents women's stories that otherwise may not have been told.women, nillumbik women's network

Collage of a collection of black and white portraits of men in oval frames with names. They are past councillors and the late Officer C.S. Wingrove of the Shire of Eltham from its inception until 1914. Originally compiled as a farewell gift to Ewan H. Cameron on his retirement from Parliament and community affairs in 1914. The photos were encased in a very large and handsme frame. It was presented to Mr. Cameron as a "testimonial [and] a small token of [Eltham Shire Councillors and community] their heartfelt esteem, and felt Mr Cameron would often look upon the faces encased in the frame, and it would remind him of friendships made and good work performed.' Mr Cameron was a well-respected man described as “Father of all in the County of Evelyn”. There were many living monuments of the good work done by Mr Cameron – schools, churches, halls and railways. Mr Cameron’s retirement was partly due to deafness. On the occasion of the presentation he told his audience that he started his public career in 1858 when he was elected a member of the Castlemaine Mining Board-; he held the position till 1900-42 years. In 1862 he was elected to the Eltham Shire Council (then a Road Board), and retired in 1914-52 years. He entered Parliament in 1874 and retired in 1914 -40 years and 8 months. The Hon Ewan H. Cameron lived at Pigeon Bank, Kangaroo Ground and died 27 September 1915. Names on the photo include: A. Beale, C. H. Bath, W. Morris, S.W. Scott, A. L. White, J. Fitch, W. G. Gray, J Darly Mealy, W. J. Taylor, E.H. Cameron M.L.A., J. Bell, J. Sincadley, R.D. Taylor, R. White, J. Herbert, S. Wingrove, W.B. Thomas, J Cowrey, J. C. Beale. Mr. R. White, 360 Main Rd., Eltham presented this copy to Council. One of the originals of this photograph was destroyed in the fire which burnt the Shire Offices at Kangaroo Ground in February 1934.This unique photo documents early pioneers in the Shire of Eltham. The context of its origins further illustrates the esteem of which E.H. Cameron was held in the community. This photo forms part of a collection of photographs gathered by the Shire of Eltham for their centenary project book,"Pioneers and Painters: 100 years of the Shire of Eltham" by Alan Marshall (1971). The collection of over 500 images is held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library) and is now formally known as the 'The Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection.' It is significant in being the first community sourced collection representing the places and people of the Shire's first one hundred years.Digital imagesepp, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, eltham, councilors, a. beale, c.h.bath, w. morris, s.w. scott, a.l. white, j. fitch, w.g. gray, j.w.darly mealy, w.j. taylor, william john taylor, william j. taylor, e. h. cameron, ewan hugh cameron, j. bell, j. sincadeley, r.d. taylor, r. white, j. herbert, s. wingrove, w.b. thomas, j. cowrey, j.c. beale, collage, presentation, retirement

[article by Bettina Woodburn in EDHS Newsletter No. 97, July 1994:] THE WARRANDYTE MYSTERY TOUR MAY 29TH 1994 - Members of the Eltham Historical Society met at the Old Post Office, now converted into the Warrandyte Historical Museum, for a picnic lunch on the sunny back verandah overlooking the shimmering Yarra River. Interesting photographs and artefacts filled various rooms outlining the history of this area, and told tales of Aboriginal and more recent neighbours of the Eltham Shire. The weather was calm, cloudy mostly with only occasional sunny patches, but it wasn't cold, although the autumnal leaf colours had changed to wintry brown. "All Aboard" and we set off in the Warrandyte Community Bus (with the School Bus sign displayed at the rear) to learn about local places of "Pride and Joy” from Bruce our guide and Tom the driver. Almost directly opposite we entered Whipstick Gully to explore the first of the district's hidden treasures - the Victory, one of the largest of the six or so major mines, past the old quarry now used for abseiling practice. By torchlight we entered the rocky hillside and saw the seams of quartz the miners had followed in their search for gold. Stamping batteries, and there was one in this gully, converted discarded rock into 'road metal'. Warrandyte is proud to be the first declared Goldfield in 1851, and one of the longest surviving, into the 1920s. A pleasant drive across the Bridge and along Bradley's Lane to Norman's Reserve brought us to see another Tunnel at Pound Bend through which the Yarra was diverted to allow about three miles of river-bed to be used for prospecting for alluvial gold. Still on this side of the river we visited the Old Slab Hut in Castles Road. This remnant of miners' housing is preserved because it had been incorporated into a weatherboard house, and saved from the bulldozers - a last minute reprieve, for preservation, by the National Trust. Devastating bush fires have destroyed other old cottages built of wattle and daub, with bark roofs and stone fire-places. The Cairn commemorating the disclosure of Gold Discovery at Warrandyte on June 30th 1851 beside Anderson's Creek Road was our next point of historical interest. We drove on to South Warrandyte and circled back to above the ford on Anderson's Creek to the entrance of the 4th Hill Mine. Again we crept along with our torches, careful of the low roof-rock, and side shafts. At a junction in a large cavity we were able to stand, look up a long air-vent which some 'cavers' climb down, and marvel at, and experience an aspect of a miner's life. Outside we heard the same bird songs, the trills and bell-pealing, saw the same straggly eucalypts, and a silver leafed wattle in flower, native grasses and ferns, and the neat present day houses, often of Warrandyte stone, perhaps veneered only. The day ended pleasantly, seeing more of the Yarra from Everard Drive, and the water rushing out of the Tunnel at Pound Bend, before returning to afternoon tea or coffee at the Museum. A great day for all concerned - many thanks to the Organisers.Colour photographslab hut, warrandyte, "warrandyte miner's cottage"