Birthday Books are personal record books for names and birth dates of friends and relatives. This book includes a quote from Charles Dickens for each day of the year. The books were published in many editions, with different publishers, illustrators, covers and designs. This Dickens Birthday book was presented as a gift to fifteen-year-old Clara Skirrow on January 19th 1911, by Mr and Mrs B Watson, perhaps the 'Benji Watson' in the book, whose birthday was July 1st, 1887. The entries in the book include several with the surnames Watson and Skirrow. Interestingly, names are entered in various writing styles, perhaps because each entry was written by the person of that name, similar to an autograph book. Curiously, there are two entries for Connie Watson, one in brackets on March 16th, the other on March 23rd, without brackets. The artist, Pilford Fletcher Watson (1892-1907), was born in London. He moved to Sydney, where he became a prominent and well-established artist and a founding member of the Academy of Arts, Australia, established in 1891. His works included local scenery, architecture, and the interiors of historic buildings. Many of his pieces were bequeathed to the State Library of New South Wales. The firm, Raphael Tuck & Sons Ltd, was a printer and publisher that operated in London from 1866 to 1960. Its logo was the artist's easel, palette and brush. The firm that specialised in greeting cards and produced puzzles. It also became the world’s largest postcard publisher. In 1960, the firm amalgamated with others to become the British Printing Corporation. The fly page states that Ralph Tuck & Sons, Ltd. was the publisher to Their Majesties, the King and Queen, and Their Royal Highnesses, the Prince and Princess of Wales. This would suggest that this book was published from 1901 to 1910, when King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, and Prince George and his wife Princess Mary were permitted to use these titles. NAMES LISTED IN THE BIRTHDAY BOOK (the museum has photographs of every entry in the book, which are available on enquiry): - January 1 Mrs J (or S) Watson January 11 Wilfred Skirrow, 1904 January 16 Elsie Watson, 1897 January 17 Elsie Hartley, 23/06/2012 [error?] January 21 Frances Victoria Haieck January 29 Annie Skirrow, 1884 February 14 Willie Illingworth February 17 Bessie Watson February 19 Mrs Butterfield, 22 Apperley Rd, Idle [UK] February 27 William Ernest Futter ? March 13 Carrie Barker March 16 Connie Watson March 19 Hilda Graham March 20 Mrs W. Illingworth March 23 Connie Watson April 5 Mrs Ruth Ann Skirrow April 6 William Dickinson Goldsbrough April 11 Norman Goldsbrough April 16 May Jessen April 19 Mrs A Dixon April 20 Mrs S Watson April 23 John Fred Stansfield, 1912 April 24 Reginald Goldsbrough May 12 Bertha Ellis May 18 Gladys McInnes May 28 Mrs Arthur Watson June 3 Jack Watson, 1910 June 10 Mr James Watmough June 18 Miss Hilda Hodgson, 1895 June 26 Sarah Atkinson, 1894 June 30 Mary A Bannister, 1896 July 1 Benji Watson, 1887 July 1 Ester Watmough, 1896 July 2 Clara Skirrow, 1896 July 2 Aunt Jinni July 2 Aunt Hannah July 10 Ellen Gertrude Connolly July 11 Violet Mathieson July 23 Hady Rogers July 26 Sarah Atkinson August 2 Allan Watson August 3 George Skirrow August 6 Thomas Skirrow August 6 Gladys Patten August 8 John Waite, 1909 August 21 Lilian Pattison, 1909 August 25 Ethel Watson, 1889 August 25 Evellyn Goldsbrough September 4 Miss Frances Barker September 12 Ernest Hartley, 1888 September 14 Harry Stansfield, 1895 September 20 Harry Padgett September 25 Leslie Watson September 26 Florrie Wise, 1896 September 27 Dorothy Watson, 1909 October 1 Madge Ferrier October 3 Elizabeth Padgett, 1896 October 5 Violet Altridge, 1895 October 13 Elsie Hodgson, 1893 October 18 Arthur Watson October 21 Emily Bradshaw November 14 Mr A Dixon December 27 Laura Hartley, 1890 December 29 Arther Skirrow, 1894 December 29 Dolly GrahamThis early 20th-century Birthday Book is significant for containing quotes by the famous writer Charles Dickens. It is also connected to the popular and prolific publisher and printer, Raphael Tuck & Sons Ltd, and the renowned illustrator and artist, Pilford Fletcher Watson. Ownership of a rare and beautifully presented book like this indicates the value placed on keeping records of family and friends, and remembering their birthdays, in the early 1900s. The book is highly significant for the entries of local family names, some with birth dates. Book: small book with padded maroon leather hard cover and embossed with gold text on cover and spine; cover also has a gold motif. The pages include coloured illustrations, sketches, and lines for personal entries. The first pages are about Charles Dickens. Title: The Dickens Birthday Book, with six illustrations in Colour by P. Fletcher-Watson Publisher: Raphael Tuck & Sons Ltd, Britain Printed in England 1901-1910 Artist: P. Fletcher-Watson This padded red leather hardcover book has embossed gold text on the front cover and spine. The six colour illustrations throughout the book were by artist P. Fletcher-Watson; one is a portrait of Dickens. Each day has a quote from Charles Dickens' works and blank lines below. The drawing on the fly page depicts a stone building with side pillars and a logo in the centre of the horizontal beam. It has a gift inscription for Clara Skirrow on January 19th, 1911. There are handwritten entries under many of the dates, some include years that range from 1884 to 1912, and one includes an address in the U.K.. Embossed on cover and spine: “The DICKENS Birthday Book” Handwritten in black ink: "From Mr & Mrs B. Watson / To Clara Skirrow / With Best wishes / January 19th 1911" Illustration on fly page: Logo [artist's palette, brush and easel] Publisher information: “Raphael Tuck & Sons Ltd, London, Paris, Berlin, New York, Montreal,” “Publishers to their Majesties the King and Queen, and T.R.H. the Prince and Princess of Wales” “Printed in England” Handwritten entries with names, some dates, and one address. flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, birthday book, p. fletcher-watson, raphael tuck & sons ltd, 1901-1910, illustrated, 19-01-1911, mr & mrs b. watson, clara skirrow, red cover, british printing corporation, king and queen and trh prince and princess, king edward vii and queen alexandra, antique book, rare book, atkinson, bannister, barker, bradshaw, butterfield, connolly, dixon, ellis, ferrier, futter, goldsbrough, graham, hartley, hodgson, illingworth, jessen, mathieson, mcinnes, padgett, patten, pattison, rogers, stansfield, waite, watmough, watson, wise, dickens birthday book, charles dickens, dickens quotes, skirrow

On 11th December 2001 an event was held in Wodonga to celebrate 100 years of the Australian Customs Service. It was held at the former Customs House building in Wodonga. The ceremony was attended by several dignitaries including the sitting Members of Parliament Mr Tony Plowman and Mr Bill Baxter. Speeches were made by Cr John Watson and Mr Bob Morgan, Supervisor of Australian Customs. A commemorative plaque was also unveiled. The Australian Customs Service played an important role in the history of Wodonga and a major part in the federation of the colonies of Australia. In 1852 the colonies were given the right to collect import duties on items such as coffee, tea, tobacco, chocolate and spirits. NSW was first to impose collection of duties in 1853. At that time Wodonga was not an official port of entry and was not allowed to collect duties. This regulation made it illegal for people to transport dutiable goods across the Murray River from NSW which provided an incentive for smuggling, while at the same time strangling the legitimate trade. Merchants and settlers along the Murray River complained and petitioners approached Melbourne to establish a Customs House on the Murray River so that trade could resume. Belvoir (later to become Wodonga) was a made a port of entry with its own Customs House gazetted on 22nd December 1854. The Government set aside 500 Pounds in 1859 to build Belvoir's own Customs House J P Hanify was appointed as sub-collector at Belvoir. The Customs House was built near the end of Union Bridge over the Murray River in 1859. Tariffs or customs duties greatly angered residents and it was little wonder the customs officer of the day was always an unpopular man. Tariffs had to be paid on articles such as tobacco, many food items and new clothing that were carried across the Border. The range of items was extended over time, leading to some farmers even swimming their livestock across the river to avoid duties at the Customs House. The levying of duties ended with Federation in 1901. Francis Cobham depicted in this photograph, took up the position of Customs Officer in 1867 and remained there until his retirement in 1890. The building was originally a 2-roomed Customs House in 1856 but was extended to provide living quarters for the Cobham family while a nearby cottage became the Customs House. The building was moved to a position south of the lagoon in the mid-1980s and is now a restaurant.This item is significant because it documents the commemoration ceremony for the Australian Custom Service held in Wodonga on 11th December 2001.An A4 size certificate created to acknowledge the centenary of the Australian Customs Service officially established at the time of Federation in 1901. The certificate accompanied the donation of a photo of the Wodonga Customs House including the Customs Officer and his family. It has been mounted in a clear frame.This photograph was presented to the Wodonga Historical Society on the occasion of the unveiling of the Plaque to commemorate 100 years of Federation and 100 years of the Australian Customs Service. The building in the photograph is the Customs House at Wodonga on the Victorian side of the New South Wales border. It was taken in 1883 when collection of Customs wàs a state responsibility. People in the photograph are; second from left- Mr Francis McCrea Cobham (Customs Officer from 1877 to 1890), his daughters Connie (extreme, left), Katie and son Willie. Nothing is known of the person on the extreme right. 11 December 2001 Cr John K.D. Watson Mayor City of Wodonga Insignias of the City of Wodonga and Australian Customs Serviceaustralian customs service, customs house wodonga