Prior to the election of female Councillors and Mayors in the 1960’s, the Lady Mayoress role was one of the few ways women could officially undertake civic duties. Mayoresses made important contributions to their local communities through their charity work and as ambassadors for their region on a state and federal level. They also undertook some Mayoral duties on occasions when their husband was unavailable. Mayoress Vains was born Maud Anne Norris and she married Ernest Morton Vains in 1903. Ernest Vains entered council in November 1922 and was a member of the City council from 1922 - 1926 and was elected Mayor on August 29th, 1924.Maud Vains died in 1964 at the age of 80 and is buried with her husband in the Bendigo Cemetery. Ernest Morton Vains (1881 - 1951) was a local business man and Bendigo councillor who arrived in Bendigo in 1897 aged 16 from Kerang. In 1916 he founded the firm E M Vains and Co with his brother Sidney and they operated from Hargreaves Street in Bendigo with branches in Elmore, Mitiamo, Dingee, Knowsley, Heathcote and Prairie. E. M. Vains was a member of the City Council from 1922 - 1926 He played a prominent role in many of the City's community and industry groups and was a member of the Rotary Club which was founded in 1925 and a member of the Corona Lodge of Freemasons.Left opening card with inner page for a reception given by the Mayoress of Bendigo (Mrs E Morton Vains) at the Bendigo Town Hall on Tuesday October 21, 1924. Inner page includes a list of the vocal and orchestral works being performed as well as menu. Printed in mauve and gold with a photo engraving of the Town Hall in the inner page. Programme has a pale blue ribbon around spine. Catering by Favaloro's Caterers.mayor vains, mayoress vains

Two newspaper cuttings from the Bendigo Advertiser, no date. One cutting refers to the fourth annual meeting and mentions the officers re-elected. The second one mentions office bearers elected, and the success of their trading tables.Bendigo Advertiseressential services, red cross, ephemera, john jones collection - st paul's red cross circle, mrs e h pickford, mrs a l beischer, miss hobson, mrs f jones, mrs m webster, mrs w i jones, mrs a j secombe, mrs w webster, mrs e vains, mr w b murdock, mrs allot, mrs sanson, mrs smith, mrs b f pidgeon, mrs a w nankervis, mrs a e brown, mrs r wallace, mrs a m bush, miss wooltorton, miss w hobson, miss barbara marsh, mrs m jenkin, mrs wright, canon e h pickford, mr t hall, mrs k emonson, marea, bendigo advertiser

Ernest Morton Vains (1881 - 1951) was a local business man and Bendigo councillor who arrived in Bendigo in 1897 aged 16 from Kerang. In 1916 he founded the firm E M Vains and Co with his brother Sidney and they operated from Hargreaves Street in Bendigo with branches in Elmore, Mitiamo, Dingee, Knowsley, Heathcote and Prairie. E. M. Vains was a member of the City Council from 1922 - 1926 and was elected Mayor on August 29th, 1924. He played a prominent role in many of the City's community and industry groups and was a member of the Rotary Club which was founded in 1925 and a member of the Corona Lodge of Freemasons. Prior to the election of female Councillors and Mayors in the 1960’s, the Lady Mayoress role was one of the few ways women could officially undertake civic duties. Mayoresses made important contributions to their local communities through their charity work and as ambassadors for their region on a state and federal level. They also undertook some Mayoral duties on occasions when their husband was unavailable. Mayoress Vains was born Maud Anne Norris and she married Ernest Morton Vains in 1903. Ernest Vains entered council in November 1922 and was a member of the City council from 1922 - 1926. Maud Vains died in 1964 at the age of 80 and is buried with her husband in the Bendigo Cemetery.Left opening card with inner page. Illustrated combined invitation and Christmas and menu card for a dinner given by Mayor and Mayoress of Bendigo (Cr and Mrs E Morton Vains) at the shamrock Hotel, Thursday December 18th, 1924. Printed in brown, mauve, green and gold with illustrations on both the front cover and inner page. Christmas wishes verse by 'Manning'. Invitation addressed to Mr H C. Ingleton from E Morton Vains. Invitation has remnants of pink ribbon inside. mayor vains, mayoress vains

Ten letters mostly to the Secretary of the St. Paul's Red Cross. Some are apologies for non attendance at meetings, one is a list of members at a meeting. One refers to St Paul's Circle about to disband. One is an expression of sympathy from P R Smith. One mentions a meeting of St Paul's R C C held on 13/9/1939. One mentions inviting the members of the St Paul's Ladies Guild to the Annual Meeting of the Bendigo Branch.essential services, red cross, letter, john jones collection - letters to red cross, mrs jones, e m weeks, geetie wirth, r brooks, mrs chalmer, b marsh, i marsh, nellor, w malloy, c malloy, j malloy, e malloy, f henderson, t jones, w jones, j gall, cambridge, woolterton, a wallis, vains, willman, mrs pickford, anne harris, michell, g alexander, anthony, j rowe, muriel vains, s webster, gladys christie, edna pickford, vera c francis, p r smith, o williams, mrs secombe, e mallory, mrs maddern, mrs f jones

Four pages of Default Responsibility - Saleyards with the name and address. Date 22/3/90. Sheets are typed.bendigo, council, cattle markets, bendigo saleyards collection - default responsibility - saleyards, e t aldridge, arnbrook, associated agents, aus pork, austral meats, mr a bain, belcook, d bennett, t borthwick & sons, castlemaine bacon co, c childers, cobram abattoirs, i cooper, r crimmins, dalgety farmers, dandher meat company, daylesford abbattoirs, department of agriculture, p dinley, dorset meat pty ltd, m dowling, elders pastoral, ellis nuttall & co, p english, ferntree gully abattoirs, l fialli, foster abattoirs, g gathercole, gilbertson-greenham pty ltd, gilbertson group services, r grieve, hardwicks meat works p/l, heinz bros pty ltd, m herd, a j hill, hill & co, d hudson, r keech, n keogh, la franchi transports, r & lee, p llewellyn, r mcgregor & sons, w mckean & co, masons meats, meat exports sydney pty ltd, midfield meat co, miller-turner livestock, g mountjoy, f nevins & co, newman livestock service, oakey holdings, p o'connell. o'sullivans transport, overland meat export co, paynes transports, g pearce, penny & land, r plant, plants transports, plenty meat co, mrs pole, r & r meats, j ralph, g e rankin, riverland abattoirs, b rodwell & co, ross wholesale meat co, s rutland, t ryan, safeway supermarket (sy), i semmens, p siegel, e smith, smorgon consolidated industries, r stroud, talbot transports 244, talbot transports 1471, t tehan, traralgon meats p/l, trentham meats, j truscott, e vains & co, aus pork, victorian producers co-operative lt, n watkins, wagstaff cranbourne pty ltd, webster & company p/l, western district meat co 271, western district meat co 1473, wignalls transport co, r woodward, j wright

Town Hall, Return Ball. Tendered by the Citizens of Bendigo to His Worship the Mayor, (Cr. M G Giudice) and The Mayoress, (Mrs. Giudice.) Town Hall, Bendigo. Tuesday, July 17th, 1923. Menu, Dindon Roti. Jambon de York. Canard Roti. Salad a la Francaise. Haricot Verts. Pommes de Terre a L;Anglaise. Trifle a L'Espangnole. Charlotte Russe. Crème aux Fraisee. Salade aux Fruits. Gelee au Madere. Meringues a'la Crème. Patrisserie. Gateau Assorties. Olive Farcies aux Anchois. Pailles au Parmeson. Amande a la Diable. Gingembre. Raisins. Café. The Oyster Soup will be served in Basement after Second Supper. Favaloros, Caterers. Wine List. Irvine's Great Western Champagne (Special Reserve.) Seppelt's. Penfold's. Max Cohn's. Port. Sherry. Claret. Burgundy. Muscat. Hock. Chablis. Planet. Old Scotch Whisky. Ales and Stout-Bendigo United and Cohn Bros. Aerated Waters and Cordials. Cigars Cigarettes. Toasts. His Majesty the King. - By the Chairman, 'Our Guests,' (The Mayor & Mayoress Cr & Mrs. M G Giudice.) by the Chairman. Where're they met a stranger; there they left a friend. Response by The Mayor. 'The Chairman Citizens Return Ball Committee,' (Cr E M Vains) By the Mayor. Response by the Chairman. The Citizen's Return Ball, Executive Committee - Cr E M Vains (Chairman), Mr. J Denton (Treasurer), A M Poole, T Pritchard, A B Wood, W Jeffrey, W H Taylor, F Monaghan, H S Marks, H W Tilley, F Cambridge, H Newman, E A Sayer, H Whitelock, W Currie, W T Patten, J. J. Caldwell, G H Dare, J H Sievers, F Ferguson, G J C Maxwell. F T Amer & T R J Brown; Hon. Secs. City of Bendigo logo is at the top on the front cover and an oval picture of the Mayor and Mayoress below it.Cambridge Press, Bendigoevent, entertainment, return ball, town hall