Typed correspondence, (3 pages), 1950/51, and newspaper clippings from The Mail dated June 12, 1958.

This book was awarded to Mary Elizabeth Pyers in 1886 for a prize for repetition of hymns. Mary entered Clarendon Ladies' College in 1886. In the original register Mary's married name became Mrs. Duncan, father's christian name is listed as George, his occupation as squatter and his residence as Lawler Station Donald. "Mrs. Duncan (M. Pyers).-Early in the year Mrs. Duncan was appointed a "Justice of the peace." In April, during the ceremony of unveiling a "Pioneer Memorial" at the Minyip Hospital, a sun-dial was erected on the front lawn inscribed thus: "Erected by Welfare League to Mary Duncan in appreciation of her life's work for the district, 1929." Mrs. Duncan was particularly pleased with a congratulatory message from Clarendon and declares that "so much of the 'better things' for which I have been chosen are on account of early influence and wise guidance, especially from dear Mrs. Kennedy." (The Touchstone, December, 1929, p. 5.)Presbyterian educators placed great value on a classical education matched with diligence in study. Book prizes were highly regarded and academic success admired. In the school’s early years prizes were ordered direct from London and had the school crest embossed in gold on the front or back cover. Many of the prizes given in early years were returned to the school to equip the Weatherly Library when it opened in 1936.Bound in brown cloth with black and gilt illustration on front cover and spine. Slight detached spine and pages, slight foxing on pages, black and white illustrations throughout, 379 pages.Book plate inside front cover: CLARENDON LADIES' COLLEGE./ BALLARAT./ Repetition of Hymns./ AWARDED TO/ Mary E. Pyers/ December, 1886.mary-elizabeth-pyers, 1886, book-prize, clarendon-ladies'-college, mrs-duncan, george, lawler-station-donald, the-touchstone-december-1929, mrs-kennedy.

The Returned Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen Imperial League of Australia was formed in 1916 as welfare group to assist military personnel returning from the overseas active service. In 1965 the organization was renamed the Returned Services League of Australia and assists military personnel, and their families, both past and present. The Women's Auxiliaries assisted in the past with the work of the R.S.S.A.I.L.A. and today assist with the work of the Returned Services League. (The K.G.Luke company was founded in 1925 and continued until the 1980s.)This badge is of interest as one issued by the Women's Auxiliary of the R.S.S.A.I.L.A. It is not known if it has any connection to a local branch of the Women's Auxiliary. Small circular metal badge with dark blue circle around the edge and an Australian flag surrounded by a cream section. Pin on the reverse. Women's Auxiliary RSSAILA. ( Returned soldiers and sailors Imperial league of Australia)women's auxiliaries, returned services league of australia, returned soldiers, warrnambool history

These Constitutions dated 14.11.1952 with the name's , "A.V. Palmer - President" (Bendigo RSL) "N.D. Wilson - President - Vic Branch R.S.S.A.I.L.A". The small booklets were headed "Rules of the Bendigo Returned Servicemen's Club - 1956" As far back as 1950 there was discussion within the Sub Branch re a Club in suitable premises. A property was purchased being 11 McKenzie Street Bendigo with the title dated 9.2.1951, the facility opened on 1.6.1951 but without a Liqueur Licence. Years followed with a failure to be granted one. Finally the facility was sold to Bendigo Legacy and they occupied the building on 7.6.1959 which became known as "Legacy House". This is a very brief version of the events from the Book by Murray Poustie, refer Cat No 8093, The history of the Bendigo RSL. .3) The Rules of the Welfare Committee were in .1) folded in half. There is 6 paragraphs with a total of 18 Clause's..1) Folder cardboard covers light brown colour with taped binding, cover has typed black heading underlined in red, hand written notes in black pen added, 15 typed pages in black stapled inside with a hand written note in black written on one page. Inside the front cover stapled in is a small grey booklet with 24 pages in black text. .2) Same as .1) but without any hand written notes. .3) Two pages stapled together typed in black re "Welfare Rules".1) .2) Typed text on covers underlined, " Constitution - Bendigo - Returned Sailors Soldiers and Airmen's Imperial League of Australia". Hand written on .1) "Do not take this out of Office - See change of Constitution paragraph 25 Clause 1". .3) Heading, Rules for the Conduct of Welfare Committee"brsl, legal, smirsl

The booklet contains details on the RSL’s operations in welfare, appeals, funerals and commemorative. Item in the collection of Lawrence Vernon Andrews VX114736. Refer Cat No 4228 for his service details.Soft cover light blue Booklet with 32 pages. Front cover, “Serving still 1975 Victorian Branch”rsl, victorian branch

Evidence of Lara RSL Sub-Branch local community contributions being acknowledged by a Certificate of Appreciation for Aid to Mental Welfare dated 5/07/1989.Evidence of Lara RSL Sub-Branch local community contributions being acknowledged by a Certificate of Appreciation for Aid to Mental Welfare dated 5/07/1989.certificate of appreciation awarded by The Returned Services League of Australia - National Executive to Lara RSL Sub-branch for recognition for Aid to Medical Welfare dated 5th july 1989.Topped by an official RSL Badgeand on the bottom right is the official seal signed by National President and National Secretary.the returned services league of australa - national executive, cerficicte of appreciation, aid to medical welfare

The League evolved out of concern for the welfare of returned servicemen from the First World War. In 1916, a conference recommended the formation of The Returned Sailors and Soldiers Imperial League of Australia, which included representation from Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria. New South Wales was admitted to the League the following year, Western Australia in 1918. In 1927, the Australian Capital Territory formed a branch and was admitted. The Returned Sailors’ and Soldiers’ Imperial League of Australia (RSSILA) the forerunner of today’s Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL) was formed in June 1916.Returned Sailors and Soldiers Imperial League of Australia Badge. The centre of the badge shows a sailor and a soldier in raised detail. A blue enamel circle surrounds the central detail and has 'RETURNED SAILORS & SOLDIERS / IMPERIAL LEAGUE' in gilt lettering. The outer edges of the badge are white enamel with a floral spray to the top left and right of the blue circle. At the bottom of the badge is a red enamelled scroll with 'AUSTRALIA' written in gilt lettering. On the reverse of the badge are soldered two brass lugs with a split pin attached for securing the badge to clothing. Stamped at the top of the badge is 'COPYRIGHT' and at the bottom of the badge is impressed V40289 and the maker's details 'STOKES & SONS MELBOURNE'.Returned Sailors and Soldiers Imperial League Australia.Stamped on the reverse of the badge is 'COPYRIGHT' and at the bottom of the badge is impressedV40289and the maker's details 'STOKES & SONS MELBOURNE'.badges, world war one lapel badge,lara r.s.l.returned sailor's & soldier's imperial league (rssila) membership badge

The RSS&AILA was the name of the RSL in 1956, called Returned Sailors and Soldiers and Airmen Imperial League of Australia. The Australian Imperial Service of Women’s Auxiliary of the RSL was formed by mothers, wives, widows, sisters, daughters and aunts of men who served in the Australian Imperial Forces in the First World War (1914-1918). The auxiliaries grew from this beginning to raise money for the welfare of men and women who served and their widows and families. In Victoria, the RSL Women’s Council of Victoria is headquarters for Auxiliaries throughout Victoria. The aim of Women’s Council is to support the Auxiliaries, in assisting the Returned & Services League to give a helping hand to Service Members, their families and the wider community. RSL Sub-Branches and their Women’s Auxiliaries work together towards the same goals. As of August 2015 there are 64 Women’s Auxiliaries with approximately 1250 members. The Lara Ladies Auxiliary was disbanded in September 1952, due to not enough members to continue the auxiliary (the ladies from the beginning becoming too old – First World War). Those left promised to continue to support the RSL in all its future activities, which the ladies continue to do today as members and Associate members. Here is the last entry, dated 8th September, 1952: “Since our last meeting our President Mrs Marshall has passed away. It was decided that as there is not enough members to continue the Auxiliary the Lara Sub Branch was requested to have the Auxiliary disbanded. Assistance was promised the League by the ladies present in all its futher activities.” There were four present at this meeting. Signed by P. Walker, Hon Secretary and Treasurer.This badge is of historic significance as it represented a badge held by a member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the RSL in 1956.A metal circular badge with outer blue rim with words R.S.S.&.A.I.L.A. Women's Auxiliary. Inner gold circle has blue Australian flag. At top of badge is 56.On the reverse side of the badge is the stamped number 6965

Booklet produced for Victorian RSL as a yearly booklet for 1965 containing information on Pensions, Welfare, Membership, Procedures, Ceremonies, etc. The booklet belonged to J.P. McKelvey VX27173 Born 1904, Died 1970. Member of 1st Australian Signal Corps, 2nd AIF. Served in the middle East and South West Pacific. A member of the Lara RSL from 1964 till 1970.A booklet produced each year by the RSL Victoria for its members.Green covered booklet1965 logo of the RSL on front with words, "Serving Still" underneath. Then below '1965 50th Anniversary' and below that 'Victorian Branch'rsl, booklet, rsl victorian branch, 50th anniversary, returned serviceman's league, 1965, j.p. mckelvey, vx27173, lara rsl

The Church Men's Society was a part of the Church of Christ in Peel Street, Ballarat. In 1958 the President was C. Thomas, and S.C. McBride was Secretary. The Aborigines Advancement League (also known as the Aboriginal Advancement League) claims to be the oldest Aboriginal organisation in Australia. It is primarily concerned with Aboriginal welfare issues and the preservation of Aboriginal culture and heritage, and is based in Melbourne. The League was established in 1957 as a response to an enquiry by retired magistrate, Charles McLean, into the circumstances of Aboriginal Victorians. McLean was critical of conditions in the Lake Tyers and Framlingham Aboriginal Reserves. McLean recommended that persons of mixed Aboriginal and European descent be removed from the reserves. The people of Lake Tyers objected to this, and the League was formed out of their campaign. The new League drew from two already existing organisations, the Australian Aborigines League, established 1934 and the Save the Aborigines Committee, which had been established in 1955 as a response to the Warburton Ranges crisis. Founding President of the League was Gordon Bryant, with Doris Blackburn as Deputy President, Stan Davey as Secretary and Douglas Nicholls as Field Officer. Early activities included lobbying for a referendum to change the Australian constitution to allow the Federal government to legislate on Aboriginal affairs, and an establishing a legal defence fund for Albert Namatjira, after he was charged with supplying liquor to an Aboriginal ward.[1] By 1967 it had moved to being fully controlled by Aboriginal people with Bill Onus as the first Aboriginal President.Typed letter on Church Men's Society (C.M.S.) letterhead. The letter concerns a film 'showing the tragic condition of aborigines in Central Western Australia ...' The C.M.S. (Ballarat) planned to hold a public meeting in Ballarat at which Pastor Doug Nicholls, M.B.E. will speak and screen the film. doug nicholls, c. thomas, aborigines, ballarat town hall, stan davey, s.c. mcbride, letterhead

Illustrated book with dustjacket. Book has a dark grey cover with abbreviated title and authors mark embossed in gilt on the spine. The dust jacket has a light brown background, on the front of which is an illustration of a bust of a woman wearing a cape and lace cap (from the bronze bust of Florence Nightingale by Sir Robert Steele, cast by Allesandro Parlanti). Under this are 4 small black and white oval photographs of men in Victorian attire (viceroys: (9th Earl Elgin, Lord Lawrence, Henry Petty Fitzmaurice and Richard Southwell Bourke, Lord Mayo). The abbreviated title and author's name are printed in white on the front. Abbreviated title and publisher's mark are printed in white on the spine. On the back cover is a black and white photograph of a woman in Victorian attire earing a lace cap (Florence Nightingale [ca.1870]) there is also a quote printed in white ink about Florence Nightingale from the book 'Eminent Victorians' by Lytton Strachey.non-fictionThis book reveals an aspect of Florence Nightingale's life that has been largely overlooked, namely her profound influence on the health and welfare of the Indian people during the latter half of the nineteenth century. It focuses on her collaborations with British statesmen, specifically the Viceroys of India.florence nightingale, india-viceroys, health care reform-india-19th century

Illustrated book with cream cover and black print. Title on front cover and spine. Also on front cover is a quote by Socrates ' In every work the beginning is the most important part, especially in dealing with anything young and tender'. There is also an illustration of a woman holding a baby [black ink on orange background, within a circular margin containing the words 'TO HELP THE MOTHERS AND SAVE THE BABIES' on the front cover. On the back cover is a list of other books by Truby Kingnon-fictionContempory [1917] advice on the care and feeding of babies, including a strict routineinfant nutrition, infant feeding, infant welfare

Historical document reflecting public health practices and advice for prenatal care, infant welfare and the care of preschool children in Vctoria in the mid 20th centuaryOf significance to the AHNL as many nurses completed infant welfare training after general and miwdifery certificationIllustrated stapled booklet with pale blue cover and black print. Front cover has a decorative margin at left. Title and publishers details are also printed here at top right 'THIS BOOK IS VALUABLE KEEP IT' is printedAt top right of front cover the name W Wortley is handwritten [black ink] Also on front cover is a printed black and white donation sticker: black Maltese cross in circle, "This book was donated to Alfred Archival Association Nursing Division by' Win Wortley [handwritten in black ink] along with the previous catalogue number. There is also a printed sticker with the previous catalogue number, and another with 'The Department of Health'. On the back cover ther is a name and adress [pencil]prenatal care, infant welfare, care of the preschool child, public health -victoria-history

This bag belonged to by Mrs Alice "May" Moss CBE (1869-1948), Australian suffragist, social welfare campaigner and longtime resident of 59 North Road, Brighton. Born Alice Frances Mabel Wilson in Ballarat, in 1887 May married Isidore Moss, the son of Norwood's builder Mark Moss. While her children were young, she began to campaign for the rights of women and served as vice-president of the Australian Women's National League in 1906-14, during which time she actively campaigned in Victoria for women's suffrage. She was an Australian delegate at the League of Nations Assembly at Geneva in 1927, where she was the first woman to sit on a finance committee. She attended the International Council of Women in Geneva in the same year and in 1928 was elected as vice president of the ICW, a position she held until her death. She was the first president of the National Council of Women of Australia, serving from 1931 to 1936. May was active in many other community organisations and causes, including the Royal Women's Hospital, the Collingwood Crèche and the Free Kindergarten movement. She served on the board of management of the City Newsboys' Society in 1906-48 and was the first woman lay-member of the National Health and Medical Research Council in 1936-45. She was also member of the International and Lyceum clubs, with an interest in the theatre, painting and woodcarving.French petit point tapestry bag featuring seven people in a bucolic scene, with trees and buildings in the background. Black border. Gold metal hinged opening with ornamental clasp and gold chain.may moss, petit point, 1930s

Two page document recording anecdotes about Melbourne Legacy Presidents, including Bill Cremor, Syd Birrell, Ray Hall and Cyril Smith, written by Ray Hall's successor in 1935, H.G. Brain. According to his account relationships were not always smooth; not only did Hall chair a fractious Board in 1934, but in 1931 insults were hurled during a meeting (by no less than Stan Savige) which resulted in the immediate resignation of the then President Smith, later retracted. Brain himself upset Mildura Legacy when he put forward his view to the Mildura Annual Dinner that 'the returned soldier section of the population was big enough ... to carry its own welfare activities, and that it ought not to pound the general populace too hard.' He had inadvertently broadcast his ideas over the national network, thinking that the microphone was only for local hearing assistance. More amusingly Brain also tells a story about Cremor when he ran against Harold Holt for the the House of Representatives seat of Fawkner 'in 1942 (?)', and one about Birrell showing a group of the Women's Nationalist League (a conservative women's organisation established in 1904 to support the monarchy and empire) members around the Flemington Saleyards. The handwritten notation at the end references the funeral of 1949 President Syd Birrell, who died in 1966.Eyewitness account of early Melbourne Legacy presidents, which is indicative of the times and attitudes.2 typed sheets, black on white'Birrell funeral' handwritten in blue ballpoint, tick beside the final paragraph on each sheet.past presidents, history

This portrait photograph of Dame Mary Herring is a visual record of her taken during the time she was offering advice to Melbourne District Nursing Society After-Care Home (later Hospital)' as a member of their Committee from 1931. She was a Vice-president from 1943-1957 and acted as President in 1953. As a Medical practitioner she was involved with the formation of the MDNS After-Care Ante-Natal clinic in 1930 and the establishment of the Women's Welfare Clinic at the MDNS After-Care in 1934. Dame Mary Herring was born in Carlton on the 31st of March 1895. She graduated as a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MB. BS) at the University of Melbourne in March 1921. During her training she went out with the Melbourne District Nursing Society (MDNS), where she visited many in poor circumstances and through this decided she wanted to improve the lives of women and children. She married Edmund Herring on the 6th of April 1922 and he supported her to continue her Medical career. She established an Ante-Natal Clinic at the Prahran Health Centre in 1926 and assisted MDNS After-Care Home in the establishment of its Ante-Natal clinic in September 1930. In 1931, as Dr. Mary Herring she became a member of the Committee of the now named ‘Melbourne District Nursing Society After-Care Home’ (later Hospital), and as Lady Herring became a Vice-president from 1943 until 1957 and acted as President in 1953. In 1934, along with Dr. George Simpson and Dr. Victor Wallace, she established the Women’s Welfare Clinic at the MDNS After-Care Hospital for patients of the Society; the first of its kind in Melbourne. After its opening in October 1934 she was the Hon Secretary of the Welfare Clinic, which operated from a room in the Ante-Natal Clinic of the After-Care. Dr. Herring pioneered family planning services. The clinic ran until 1940 when women could now obtain this advice from other establishments. In 1953, as Acting President, Lady Herring was involved with the discussions of the District Division of MDNS relocating to ‘Airlie’, 452 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne and the separation of Melbourne District Nursing Society and After Care Hospital, with the District Division now a separate entity, known as Melbourne District Nursing Service with its Headquarters at 452 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne. In 1966 with Royal patronage, this became the Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS). Though asked to be President of the Hospital division of the MDNS Society, she declined due to her many activities. In 1940 Dr. Mary Herring was a founder of the A.I.F Women’s Association and served on the Women’s Welfare Subcommittee to assist the families of soldiers and now as Lady Herring, she became President from 1943-1946. She was a a founding member and first president of the Victorian Council of Social Service 1946, chairman of the Vera Scantlebury Brown Memorial Trust 1946-1979, Deputy-president of Victorian division of the Australian Red Cross 1944-1963, and of the Victoria League 1945-1972 and the Australian council of the Save the Children Fund from 1962-1967. Lady Herring was a tireless worker for many charities particularly charities for children. On the 10th of July 1953 she was made Commander of the Order of St. John in recognition of her charity work and on the 11th of June 1960 was made Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for “services to nursing in Victoria” In 1949 the Argus Newspaper (https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/22776603) described her as “one of the finest examples of Australian women in our State, with a record of selfless devotion to the service of others. Calm, kindly, clear-minded, and intensely logical”,..... “she has taken all this in her stride without once stopping out of her aura of cool, unruffled efficiency, an efficiency which is tempered by her warmth and understanding, her approachability, and her human sympathy.” Dame Mary Ranken Herring died in Camberwell on the 26th of October 1981. This black and white photograph is a portrait view of Dame Mary Herring. She has curled light coloured hair. Only a portion of her scooped neck dark coloured frock which falls in soft folds can be seen. There is a light colour brooch attached on the left hand side of her frock near the shoulder. She is wearing a string of pearls around her neck. A curtain can be seen in the background of the photograph.Stuart Tompkin Studiomelbourne district nursing society, ante-natal clinic, women's welfare clinic, rdns, royal district nursing service, dame mary herring

In the 1960s the R.S.L. hall was used for plays, infant welfare, dancing classes for children and the like, also for use with parties and weddingsEarly black and white photograph of the Mitcham R.S.L.. Telegraph poles on left and right. Demolished in the 1980s.mitcham returned servicemens league, returned servicemens league

Sir Douglas Ralph Nicholls (1906-1988), footballer, pastor, activist and governor, was born on 9 December 1906 at Cummeragunja Aboriginal mission, New South Wales, fifth child of Herbert Nicholls, seasonal worker, and his wife Florence, née Atkinson. Doug grew up at Cummeragunja, on the Murray River near Barmah, in its golden years of Aboriginal autonomy. Thomas Shadrach James gave him and other Yorta Yorta children a sound primary education, reinforcing the pride and self-assurance gained from their parents. As Doug grew, so too did the powers of the State’s Aboriginal Protection Board. Doug’s elder sister Hilda was removed about 1915. When Doug reached 14, he was moved off under the Aborigines Protection Act (1909) to find work. He took a job with dredging teams constructing levees on the Murray. Like other youths in the region Nicholls played Australian rules football, emulating kinsmen who had won local premierships since the 1890s. Doug and his brother Herbert (‘Dowie’) played with Tongala in the mid-1920s. Melbourne football beckoned, Doug trying out unsuccessfully for Carlton in 1927. He signed with the Northcote Victorian Football Association team, despite his nervousness about his Aboriginality, and was given a job with Northcote City Council. ‘Dowie’ joined him for a season. Doug was short at 5 ft 2 ins (158 cm), but muscular and lightning fast. He competed regularly during a boom in professional running, winning many heat and place prizes. In 1929 he won the Nyah and Warracknabeal gifts, earning a sash and £100 in each, together with a case of cutlery in the latter. Using his speed on the wing for Northcote, he produced great spring and agility from his compact body. The Sporting Globe reported in 1929 that ‘he flashes through packs of big men, whisks around small men . . . and attempts marks at the back of any six-footer’. In front-on clashes he was flattened only to rise again. The sole Aborigine in the VFA, he was known affectionately as the ‘flying Abo’ but called worse by his opponents’ barrackers. He competed for five seasons, being named ‘best and fairest’ twice, appearing in three association grand finals and winning in 1929. Keen to earn more than a seasonal wage, in 1931 Nicholls accepted a three-year contract with Jimmy Sharman’s travelling boxing show. The bouts matched opposites, local against tent boxer, white against black, and sometimes men of different sizes. He faced stiff competition from those who wanted to best the noted Melbourne black footballer, the crowd adding racial abuse. A far better footballer than boxer, he copped some punishment. Fighting in the Melbourne Stadium in December 1931, he was described by Truth as ‘slow and awkward’, but packing a ‘good wallop’. In 1932 Sharman, who treated his boxers fairly, released Nicholls to join the Fitzroy Victorian Football League team, which agreed to employ him as its groundsman. He played fifty-four games for Fitzroy over six seasons until knee trouble forced him out in 1937. Winning cups in 1934 and 1935, he played alongside Haydn Bunton and Wilfred (‘Chicken’) Smallhorn. Grand finals eluded him but he represented Victoria twice. Following his mother’s death, Nicholls revisited the Church of Christ chapel in Northcote, where they had worshipped together. On 17 July 1932 he experienced a conversion. He was soon baptised and witnessed openly, leading his fellow footballers to occasional church parades. Nicholls exhibited leadership qualities. William Cooper, founder of the Australian Aborigines’ League and Nicholls’ Yorta Yorta kinsman and fellow Christian, encouraged the young footballer. In February 1935 Cooper, Nicholls and others lobbied Thomas Paterson, the Commonwealth minister for the interior, over the need for Federal control of Aboriginal affairs. Nicholls attended the Day of Mourning protest for Aborigines held in Sydney on 26 January 1938, declaring: ‘after 150 years our people are still influenced and bossed by white people. I know we can proudly hold our own with others if given the chance’. When Cooper retired in November 1940 Nicholls became secretary of the AAL. On 2 June 1941 Nicholls enlisted in the Citizen Military Forces. He trained at Seymour and Bonegilla before being posted to the 29th Battalion. As Major Frank Corr’s batman, he was popular with other soldiers who tolerated his preaching and Bible reading. His army service was brief, however, and he was discharged in Melbourne on compassionate grounds on 22 January 1942. His biographer claimed that the Fitzroy police requested his return to mediate in the racial tensions developing between servicemen and the mostly respectable Aboriginal families living in crowded and dilapidated Fitzroy housing; Aboriginal people maintain that they requested his release. Nicholls began welfare work and religious services from an Aboriginal home in Gertrude Street, Fitzroy. In April 1942, ‘Dowie’ died of road accident trauma, leaving his wife, Gladys, née Bux, and three children. On 26 December 1942 at Moama Methodist Church, New South Wales, Nicholls married her, a caring gesture which developed into a loving partnership. In January 1943 he initiated ‘Aboriginal Sunday’, featuring a gum leaf orchestra and choir. By 1955 this service had moved to July and later evolved into National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) week. Ordained a Churches of Christ pastor in 1945, Nicholls conducted a vigorous ministry from a chapel in Gore Street, Fitzroy. His work survived on donations, a small honorarium, and his employment as team coach (1947) and curator at the Northcote Football Ground. In the 1950s Gladys established grocery and opportunity shops to earn income and provide services. Their house soon overflowed with people in need or visitors to Melbourne. Nicholls also hosted inspiring African American visitors such as the pianist Winifred Attwell and the singer Harry Belafonte. His ministry extended to Aboriginal country communities. Gladys taught Sunday school, undertook endless fund-raising and welfare work beside her husband, and became his greatest supporter and financial manager. They formed an Aboriginal Girls’ Hostel in 1956, for which they acted as house parents, and bought holiday units for Aborigines at Queenscliff. Persistently advocating Aboriginal rights, Nicholls protested about the impact of the Woomera rocket range on the people of the Warburton Ranges, co-ordinated the production of a concert, Out of the Dark, scripted by Jean Campbell, to rectify the omission of Aborigines from Victoria’s Commonwealth jubilee celebrations, and criticised the Victorian Aboriginal Protection Board. In 1957 when the board was transformed into the Aborigines’ Welfare Board, he and Harold Blair were appointed as Aboriginal representatives. Maintaining the stance of a political moderate, he did not bear grudges and sought to build bridges between black and white. He co-operated with any group that aided the cause, including the Council of Aboriginal Rights, whose executive were members of the Communist Party of Australia. This association attracted the attention of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, which in 1957 began to keep a file on Nicholls. In May 1957 Nicholls formed the Victorian Aborigines Advancement League with Doris Blackburn and Gordon Bryant, a Federal parliamentarian. As its paid field officer and spokesman, Nicholls contested assimilation policies and used film to raise awareness of issues. When the Welfare Board attempted to close Lake Tyers reserve, Gippsland, he resigned in disgust and led a protest march on parliament in May 1963. The AAL also petitioned the United Nations on land rights in June, perhaps the first indigenous body to do so. He argued for new premises at 58 Cunningham Street, Northcote, opened in 1966 as the ‘Doug Nicholls Centre’. In 1958 Nicholls was a foundation member of the Federal Council for Aboriginal Advancement (Federal Council for the Advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders after 1964), which he served as national field officer (1961) and Victorian secretary (1962-63). While an innovator in tactics, he was alarmed by the influence of confrontational ‘black power’ politics in the AAL and resigned as a director amid turmoil on this issue in 1969, claiming the concept was a ‘bitter word’, not needed in Australia. Similar tensions in FCAATSI led him to join with Kath Walker (Oodgeroo Noonuccal) in establishing the short-lived National Tribal Council as an alternative forum. As the AAL leadership moderated their stance, he returned as president (1969-74) of the new all-Aboriginal organisation. He was also a keen patron of the National Aboriginal Sports Foundation, founded in 1969. Many honours were conferred on Nicholls: he was appointed MBE (1957) and OBE (1968) and knighted (1972). In 1962 he was named Victorian ‘Father of the Year’ and the State’s second Aboriginal justice of the peace. Crowned Melbourne’s 1973 King of Moomba, he was declared Bapu Mamus (a Torres Strait term for ‘headman’) by the NTC. On 1 December 1976 Sir Douglas was appointed Governor of South Australia, but his health deteriorated within weeks, making it difficult for him to perform his official duties. In March 1977 he hosted Queen Elizabeth during her royal tour and was appointed KCVO. He relinquished his governorship on 30 April 1977 following a stroke. Ill health continued to dog him during retirement, but he played his Nelson Eddy records, enjoyed his expanding family, and when able, ministered to the Aboriginal Church at the League’s premises. Sir Douglas Nicholls died on 4 June 1988 at Mooroopna, predeceased (1981) by his wife and survived by his five children. He was given a state funeral and buried in tribal ground at Cummeragunja cemetery. Among the many tributes to him are an oval at Northcote, handed to the AAL in 1982, a Canberra suburb gazetted in 1991, and a fellowship for Indigenous leadership established in 2003, all in his name, and a statue of Sir Doug and Lady Nicholls by Louis Laumen, unveiled in 2007 in Parliament Gardens, Melbourne. Sir Douglas Nicholls is shown speaking at a microphone; head and shoulders; dressed in a suit.Pastor Douglas Nicholls

Contents: 1. Who is this man? By Stanley Addison (M.B.E., B.A., B.Sc., J.P.) 2. Stanley Simpson Addison biography (b. 14/10/1880 d. 1/1/1972) 3. Eulogy: Stanley Simpson Addison (14 Oct 1880-1 Jan 1972) 4. Photograph: Stanley S. Addison, B.Sc., The Australasian Intercollegian, April 1, 1916 5. Letter, Eltham High School Advisory Committee re pending retirement of Cr. Addison from the Eltham Shire Council, 8 June 1956 6. Behind and Before by Stanley S. Addison, The Way, September 1956, pp 6-7 7. Newspaper clipping: Eltham Shire's President is Cr. S. Addison, Heidelberg News, Friday September 12, 1952 8. Newspaper clipping: Mr S. Addison Honored, Heidelberg News, Friday September 21st, 1956, p13 9. Opening of Lower Plenty Memorial Chapel, 30 November 1952 10. Letter from Brigadier H.H. Hammer, HQ 2 Armed Brigade to Cr. S. Addison, President, Shire of Eltham giving thanks for Coronation Celebrations parade support, June 1953 11. Newspaper clipping: Eltham President's Advance Programme 12. Newspaper clipping: Coronation Festivities; Eltham Shire President's Notes 13. Newspaper clipping: Hurstbridge: Coronation Day Ceremony 14. Draft of letter by Stanley S. Addison, President, Kangaroo Ground Advancement League regarding electricity connection for Kangaroo Ground - Panton Hill, 1954 including four small pages of notes 15. Note: Ian Potter & Co. (c.1955) regarding discount on funding for electricity supply connection 16. Copy of Memo for Electricity Supply Department (Greensborough), 5 May 1955 regarding area loan scrip – Panton Hill and Kangaroo Ground 17. Copy of Letter, State Electricity Commission of Victoria to Cr. S. Addison, 12 May 1955 regarding electricity supply for Panton Hill and Kangaroo Ground 18. Newspaper clipping: Light for Diamond Valley; Kangaroo Ground and Panton Hill, Friday 20th May, 1955 19. Letter: State Electricity Commission of Victoria to Cr. S. Addison, 26 May 1955 regarding Electricity supply to Kangaroo Ground and Panton Hill area 20. Letter: The National Mutual Life Association to S.S. Addison, 28 June 1955 regarding Electricity supply 21. Letter: The National Mutual Life Association to S.S. Addison, 1 July 1955 regarding Electricity connection, Kangaroo Ground and Panton Hill 22. Letter: Minister of Electrical Undertakings to Cr. Stanley S. Addison, 10 April 1956 regarding extension of supply to Panton Hill and Kangaroo Ground 23. Letter: State Electricity Commission of Victoria Stanley S. Addison, 13 September 1956 regarding proposed extension of supply to Panton Hill-and Kangaroo Ground 24. Letter: Minister of Electrical Undertakings to Cr. Stanley S. Addison, 1 July 1958 regarding extension of supply to 18 properties in the Panton Hill-Smiths Gully Road area 25. Letter: Acting Minister of Electrical Undertakings to Cr. Stanley S. Addison, 18 July 1958 regarding extension of supply to 18 properties in the Panton Hill-Smiths Gully Road area 26. 100th Anniversary Services, Kangaroo Ground Presbyterian Church, 17 March 1957 27. Speech by Stanley S. Addison on the history of the Kangaroo Ground Presbyterian Church (9 Feb. 1957) for the 100th Anniversary Services, Kangaroo Ground Presbyterian Church, 17 March 1957 28. Early History of Kangaroo Ground compiled by Neville Haughton in March, 1959 29. Newspaper clipping: Eltham Community Chest, Heidelberg News, 12 September 1958 30. Newspaper clipping: Proposed Eltham Community Chest by Stanley Addison, Heidelberg News, 29 January 1959 31. Newspaper clipping: Community Chest With Wider Objectives, Heidelberg News, 5 February 1959 32. Newspaper clipping: Community Chest for Eltham, 1959 33. Newspaper clipping: Council Protest on Community Chest, c.1959 34. Newspaper clipping: Community Chest Outlined at Small Meeting, c.1959 35. Newspaper clipping: Treasure in the Diamond Valley by Stanley Addison, Heidelberg News, 19 February 1959 36. Newspaper clipping: Diamond Valley Chamber of Commerce, c.1959 37. Additional information about Stanley Simpson Addison from Bill Glasson, 15 March 2014 38. Additional information about Stanley Simpson Addison's Naval Service record and MBE (National Archives)Approx. 68 pages of varying types; photocopies, newsclippings, hand written notes, invitations, lettersa.c. ring, a.s. davis, adult education, biography, brigadier h.h. hammer, centenary celebrations, coronation, d. dureau, d. scales, d.a. lyon, d.s. pepper, diamond creek, diamond valley chamber of commerce, diamond valley community hospital, electricity supply, eltham chamber of commerce, eltham community chest, eltham high school advisory committee, eltham high school, eltham infant welfare centre, eltham pre-school, eltham shire council, eltham war memorial trust, eulogy, f.f. durham, f.h. buckwell, f.v. squire, g.c. waring, g.w. smith, h. thompson, h.f. thorpe, j. north, j.l. ryan, j.r. stuber, j.w. burgoyne, j.w. middleton, k.w. smith, kangaroo ground advancement league, kangaroo ground presbyterian church, kangaroo ground, l.r. bassett, lower plenty memorial chapel, miss j. humphreys, montmorency girl guides, montmorency tennis club, montmorency, mrs. b. harrington, mrs. stanley addison, n.h. baxter, opening ceremony, panton hill, parade, r. t. harrap, r.s. leeson, s.a. hick, shire president, smiths gully, st faiths anglican church, stanley s addison collection, stanley simpson addison, stevenson family, vera addison (nee staley), vera addison, w. stephenson

Dr Michele Matthews has been a local and social historian for nearly three decades since she first used correspondence held by the then Bendigo City Council for her Honours thesis. She is an ardent advocate for the use of local history records to tell Victorian and Australian history from a grassroots perspective. Michele’s MA thesis, ‘A forgotten “Father” of Federation: Sir John Quick 1852‑1911’ (2003), and her PhD thesis, ‘Survivors, schemes, Samaritans and shareholders: the impact of the Great Depression on Bendigo and District 1925‑1935’ (2007), both drew heavily on Bendigo and district records. Michele used this article as part of her research: Annie Irene Michelsen, a prominent Bendigo community figure. Annie Irene Michelsen (1870–1955) was born in White Hills, Bendigo, to Spero Tussup (from Dalmatia) and Mary Tracy (from Ireland). She became a nurse at Bendigo Hospital and later helped establish the Bendigo Nursing Auxiliary. In 1894, she married John Andrew Michelsen, a former Bendigo mayor after whom the Michelsen Medal (awarded annually in the Bendigo Football League) is named. Annie and John had three children, including Cyril Michelsen, who became Chief of Staff and later Editor of The Bendigo Advertiser. She was deeply involved in community service and social welfare, working with: The Baby Health Centre The Red Cross (which awarded her a long-service medallion) Church and sporting organizations, including rowing, croquet, and lawn bowls clubs. As mayoress, she was known for her kindness, energy, and dedication to the welfare and progress of Bendigo. In 1927, she and her husband helped host the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth) during their visit to Bendigo. Over more than three decades as the wife of a councillor and during three terms as mayoress, she contributed extensively to civic life in Bendigo. Annie died on 7 June 1955, aged 85, at her home, Stoneleigh, in Lucan Street, Bendigo. The article portrays Annie Michelsen as a pioneering community worker and respected civic figure whose contributions to Bendigo's social, charitable, and public life left a lasting legacy. Michele Matthews Collection: PHD Research - Newspaper Article History Lives, by Jim Evans - Annie was a true pioneer, newspaper article date unknown This item includes the following documents: 8672.27a Black and white photo in 1920 by the Bartlett Brothers of John Michelsen, Rene and Beryl (front), with Cyril and Annie Michelsen 8672.27b Annie Michelsen (right) with an unknown fried - Black and White Photo 8672.28c The Duchess of York black and white photo in 1927 8672.28d Black and white photo of the Former Bendigo Mayor, John Michelsen in his robes 8672.28e PDF File of the articlebendigo, michele matthews collection, annie irene michelsen, john andrew michelsen