non-fictionBrisbane Deaths 1824 - 1856brisbane deaths, 1824 - 1856, queensland genealogy

John Christopher Ruschmeyer arrived in Melbourne aged 26 aboard the 'Essex' from Hanover, Germany via London in 1864. Shortly after his arrival in Australia he travelled to the Bendigo diggings. He became one of many thousands of German diggers on the Central Victorian Goldfields. He married Elizabeth Little Shepherd (Morrison) in 1874, a widow who had travelled down from Brisbane after the death of her first husband (John Shepherd). He became a naturalized citizen in 1893. Shortly after his marriage and having mined Golden Gully for some years he turned to hotel keeping and was the licensee of the Town and Country Hotel in Woodward Road, Golden Gully up until his death in 1911. The family of 4 daughters and 3 sons survived him. The family of Ernest, Maude, Christopher, Ethel and Edith (twins), Charles and Dolly Ruschmeyer all lived in the Bendigo area. His sons continued working in the mining tradition. He is buried with his wife in the Bendigo Cemetery. After his death Elizabeth moved to Thistle St until her death in 1922. Christopher Ruschmeyer and his family lived in a small house (now part of a poultry farm) in Woodwood road opposite the TOWN AND COUNTRY HOTEL. A brother Ernest Walter Ruschmeyer lived in a house next to the hotel. Ernest built the house. After Ernest's death in 1927 another brother Charles Hex Ruschmeyer married Ernest's wife Gertrude. The hotel was first licensed in 1898 and closed in 1916. John Ruschmeyer was the licensee until his death in 1911. Elizabeth took over the license until 1912 when it was sold to a Catherine E Hoffaer. This information is provided by Neil Graham of Strathfieldsaye whose Grandfather on his Mother's side was John Ruschmeyer and John Christopher Ruschmeyer was his Great Grandfather.Digital image: image shows Town and Country Hotel, Diamond Hill. Ruschmeyer's were the publicans. Standing outside hotel, were from left, Ethel, Dolly, Maude, Edith, Elizabeth.person, family, ruschmeyer, john christopher ruschmeyer, town and country hotel, ruschmeyer, diamond hill bendigo

Size of box is 6cm x 4cm In 1936, young Eric Child (1910-1995) met, and squired around London's jazz night-spots, Lucille Wilson a dancer in Lew Leslie's Blackbirds stage production at the Gaiety Theatre. Although Lucille knew a few famous bandleaders she, at that time, had never heard of Louis Armstrong, THE King of jazz, according to Eric. Later, in a letter to Eric in late 1942, Lucille wrote that she had met his King - and had become his fourth wife on 7th October 1942. She had finally worked with Louis at the new Cotton Club in Harlem in 1939 where she was in the chorus line using the stage name Brown Sugar. The long platonic friendship with Lucille remained and Eric and his wife Angela (1919-2001) welcomed her and the King in Brisbane on Louis' first visit to Australia in April 1956, and on all subsequent visits here. At a dinner at the Child's Sydney home Lucille presented Angela with one of Louis' famous stage handkerchiefs, signed by the All Stars, and a her own brooch and earrings, which Angela had quite innocently admired. Following Eric's death in 1995, Angela promised the Louis handkerchief to Bill Haesler and the brooch and earrings to Jess Haesler when she died. Rather than keeping these unique items private, the Haeslers donated them, in Angela's memory to the Victorian Jazz Archive. A unique momento of jazz great Louis his wife Lucille Armstrong,and his Australian friends Eric and Angela Child.Costume jewellery - Silver and cut glass brooch and ear ringslucille armstrong, angela child, ear rings, brooch

View looking southeast from Hungry Jacks carpark over present-day Brisbane Street (formerly Bolton Street) to Bridge Street Comparison photo: 05424 Part of a presentation by Peter Pidgeon to the Society, 13 August 2022 showcasing a series of photographs taken by John Henry Clark over the period 1895 to 1930. John Henry Clark was the youngest of three boys born to William Henry Clark (1823-1877) and Maria White (1843-1914). He and his brothers, William Charles Clark (1872-1945), Clement Kent Clark (1874-1912) operated a photography business (Clark Bros.) from 25 Thomas Street, Windsor near Prahran during the period c.1894 to 1914. Following death of Clement in September 1912 and their mother in 1914, the Clark Bros business appears to have dissolved, the premises demolished, and a new house was under construction in 1915. John set up business independently in 1914 operating out of 29 Moor Street, Fitzroy where he is registered in the 1914 and 1915 Electoral Rolls. By 1916 John had relocated to Eltham where he continued his practice as a photographer and took many of the early images around the district of Little Eltham. Around 1930 John changed professions and opened a small cobbler's shop in 1931 near the pond opposite Dalton Street adjacent to the Jarrold family cottage. He never married and continued his profession as a bootmaker from this little shop, maintaining a close relationship with Mrs Jarrold for the rest of their lives. His bootmaker shop remains today beside the Whitecloud cottage and is one of only three remaining shops in the area from the early 20th century.Comparative photo taken 2022 with one taken from same location over 100 years earlier by noted local photographer J.H. ClarkBorn Digitaleltham, j.h. clark photo (2022), bolton steet, industry, bridge street, brisbane street, bunnings warehouse, hungry jacks, sherbourne road, wattyl paint centre

On the crest of Stanhope Hill at Peter Street, Eltham, stands the former home of a couple, Clem and Nina Christensen who had a major influence on the literary development of post World War 2 Australia. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p109 On the crest of Stanhope Hill at Peter Street, Eltham, stands the former home of a couple, who had a major influence on the literary development of post World War Two Australia. In 1946, Clem and Nina Christensen bought the house, which had been designed by Harold Desbrowe Annear, considered to be one of Australia’s most innovative architects in the first quarter of the 20th century.1 That year the stucco building with a metal roof, built in 1910, was extended to the north and south. The main residence was built of jarrah, with stucco walls, floors of Tasmanian hardwood and rooms panelled with Californian redwood (sequoia). The property included a cottage, former stables, a dairy and meat-house. From its beginnings the property has attracted artists and intellectuals. Official World War One artist, Will Longstaff, bought the property – then 15½ acres (6ha) around 1900. Famous for his painting The Ghosts of Menin Gate, now in the Australian War Memorial Canberra, Longstaff was the cousin of another well-known painter, Sir John Longstaff. Several leading artists visited Longstaff at Stanhope including Walter Withers of the Heidelberg School, who lived in Brougham Street, Eltham. In 1919, Theo Handfield, father of author and journalist John Handfield, bought the property from Mrs Longstaff. Then in 1924 the land was subdivided and most of the estate (80 blocks) was auctioned. The next owner was related to novelist Virginia Woolf. Bishop Reginald Stephen, Warden of Trinity College, bought the house and five acres (2 ha) in 1928. He was related to Sir Leslie Stephen, the first editor of the Dictionary of National Biography and Woolf’s father. Novelist and music critic John Harcourt, was the next tenant, while he and his wife Fay, built their mud-brick house Clay Nuneham, at the foot of Stanhope Hill. Dr Clem and Mrs Nina Christensen, lived in the house until their deaths. Clem Christensen – who died aged 91 in 2003 – was a poet, short story writer and painter. However, he is most noted for founding Australia’s foremost literary journal2 Meanjin (originally Meanjin Papers), which he described as ‘democratic left of centre’, in Brisbane in 1940. Clem brought Meanjin to Melbourne in 1945 and remained editor until 1975. Enormously influential, Meanjin spawned and encouraged many of Australia’s best literary talents and it had an international reputation. Meanjin was the first to publish such writers as Judith Wright and David Malouf and it encouraged writers like Patrick White and Peter Carey. Nina Christensen – who died aged 89 in 2001 – was founding Editor of the Melbourne Slavonic Studies Journal and pioneered the study of Russian in Australia. In 1946 she established the Department of Russian Language and Literature at The University of Melbourne, which she led until 1977. Nina’s graduates largely staffed subsequent departments, in other Australian universities.3 However Nina’s Russian heritage and Clem’s outspoken views caused problems. They were forced to defend themselves in the Petrov inspired Royal Commission on Espionage in the 1950s, but were exonerated. The Christensens attracted and hosted many distinguished Australian and foreign writers, artists and academics, including Nobel prize-winning novelist, Patrick White and the world’s then leading cellist, Mstislav Rostropovich.4 Other writers and intellectuals who visited Stanhope were: Vance Palmer, Alan Marshall, A D Hope, Xavier Herbert, Nevil Shute, Geoffrey Dutton, Martin Boyd, Judah Waten, Bruce Grant, Dorothy Hewett and Sir Herbert Read. Painters included: Danila Vassilieff, Arthur Boyd, Albert Tucker, Justus Jörgensen, Robert Hughes and Clifton Pugh. Academics included: Manning Clark, Geoffrey Blainey, W Macmahon Ball, Richard Downing, Geoffrey Serle and scientist Tim Marshall. Politicians included: Jim Cairns, Pauline Toner, Lance Barnard, Sir Paul Hasluck, Sheryl Garbutt and performance artists included: film star Olivia Newton-John, members of the Bolshoi ballet and the Russian State Ballet of Siberia.5 Nina Christensen was honoured in 2006 at the Eltham Living and Learning Centre with the building of an amphitheatre designed by V Sverdlin.This collection of almost 130 photos about places and people within the Shire of Nillumbik, an urban and rural municipality in Melbourne's north, contributes to an understanding of the history of the Shire. Published in 2008 immediately prior to the Black Saturday bushfires of February 7, 2009, it documents sites that were impacted, and in some cases destroyed by the fires. It includes photographs taken especially for the publication, creating a unique time capsule representing the Shire in the early 21st century. It remains the most recent comprehenesive publication devoted to the Shire's history connecting local residents to the past. nillumbik now and then (marshall-king) collection, clem christesen, eltham, nina christesen, peter street, stanhope

Sir Charles Edward Kingsford Smith is a famous Australian, well known in civil aviation history for his courageous endeavours in flight. He broken many flight records for long distance and time travelled and he was also a war hero in World War 1. He has been referred to as being “known to millions of Australians as “Smithy” … he was one of Australia’s true twentieth-century legends”. In honour of his place amongst the world’s famous pioneers his image is featured on Australia’s $20 note, Sydney airport is named after him, there is a memorial to Kingsford Smith, Taylor and Ulm at the Anderson Park, also in Sydney and his plane “Southern Cross” is on view at Brisbane Airport. Kingsford Smith wrote ‘The Old Bus’ (1932) and he and Ulm were co-authors of ‘Story of 'Southern Cross' Trans-Pacific Flight’ (1928). His also wrote a book about his own life ‘My Flying Life’ which was published after his death in 1937. and the story of his life was filmed in Australia in 1946. A BRIEF HISTORY OF SIR CHARLES EDWARD KINGSFORD SMITH (1897 – 1935) … Kingsford Smith was born 9th February 1897 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. His parents were William Charles Smith and Catherine Mary, nee Kingsford. His mother’s maiden name of “Kingsford” was added to the family name when they spent time in Canada from around 1903 to 1907, after which they returned to Sydney, Australia. In 1915 Kingsford Smith enlisted in Australian Imperial Force. He served in 4th Signal Troop, 2nd Division Signal Company at Gallipoli Peninsular as a ‘sapper’ or combat engineer and later in Egypt and in France as a dispatch rider. In 1916 Kingsford Smith was transferred to the Australian Flying Corps as a sergeant. He was discharged after training in England and commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps. He was appointed fling officer and soon joined the 23rd Squadron in France. He brought down four machines in his first month there and also did invaluable work attacking enemy targets. He was wounded and shot down and later awarded the Military Cross ‘for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty’. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1918 and served as a Flying Instructor with the R.F.C. Kingsford Smith was not allowed to participate in the 1919 England to Australia air race because of assumed lack of navigational experience. He and his pilot friend Cyril Maddocks formed a business and flew joy-flights in both England and America. In America he did some stunt flying with a Flying Circus. Kingsford Smith returned to Australia in 1921 and found employment as a pilot. He soon realised the value of air transport in such a vast country. He formed a partnership with pilot Keith Anderson in 1924 and they purchased two Bristol Tourer biplanes. Their business broadened to include Charles Ulm and became the Interstate Flying services in Sydney. Together they performed important ‘demonstration’ flights including a flight around Australia in 10 days and 5 hours using very limited navigational equipment. Kingsford Smith immediately started to search for support to do a trans-Pacific flight. This support came from the New South Wales government, Sidney Myer and G. Allan Hancock, an American oil magnate. On 31st May 1928 Kingsford Smith, Charles Ulm and two American crewmen, Harry Lyan and Jim Warner, took off from Oakland, California and flew to Brisbane via Hawaii and Suva. This historic flight took 83 hours and 38 minutes. Their Fokker plane had three engines and was named the “Southern Cross”. This amazing achievement resulted in huge financial subscriptions. Kingsford Smith was awarded the Air Force Cross and appointed as honorary squadron leader, Royal Australian Air Force. Kingsford Smith flew his Southern Cross plane from Point Cook in Victoria to Perth nonstop. Then in September – October 1928, with Charles Ulm and an Australian crew, he piloted the Southern Cross from Sidney to Christchurch New Zealand. This flight showed that was possible for regular passenger and mail services across the Tasman Sea. Kingsford Smith flew his plane to England to an order for four aircraft, planning to use them for an inter-capital air service in Australia. Sadly on 1st April 1929 he was forced to land, having lost radio contact with the ground and having run into bad weather over north – west Australia. Keith Anderson and Robert Hitchcock both perished before the search party reached them. Once official enquiries were completed the flight to England continued in June and was completed in record time of 12 days and 18 hours. In January 1930 Kingsford Smith piloted the “Southern Cloud”, one of the new Avro Ten planes, on the first flight of his airline, the Australian National Airways, from Sydney to Melbourne. The “Southern Cross” was overhauled in Holland by the Fokker Aircraft Co. and in June 1930 Kingsford Smith achieved an east-west crossing of the Atlantic from Ireland to Newfoundland in 31.5 hours. Kingsford Smith returned to England and took delivery of an Avro Avian biplane that he named the “Southern Cross Junior” and flew solo from England to Darwin, Australia. This record breaking flight took less than 10 days. He beat four other planes that had left England before him and he was 5.5 days faster than Hinkler. Sadly Kingsford Smith’s “Southern Cloud” was lost during a flight from Sydney to Melbourne in 1931 with no surviving crew or passengers; in 1958 the wreckage was discovered in the Snowy Mountains. Later that year Kingsford Smith flew his “Southern Cloud” from Australia to Timor, collecting mail from a damaged Imperial Airways plane in Timor. Other flights followed. Kingsford Smith was knighted in 1932 for his services in Aviation. He returned to selling joy flights then established the Kingsford Smith Air Service, a flying training school in Sydney. In 1933 Kingsford Smith flew the amazing record flight in “Miss Southern Cross” – a Percival Gull - from London to Wyndham in Western Australia in just over ten days. The Australian Commonwealth then gave Kingsford Smith a large grant and he was also appointed as aviation consultant to Vacuum Oil Co. Another flying record was made when Kingsford Smith and Sir P.G. Taylor flow “Lady Southern Cross” from Brisbane to San Francisco in order to sell her there; the west-east-trans-Pacific flight made aviation history. They returned to Australia to make an attempt at the trans-Tasman flight but their attempt failed due to engine failure; they managed to get back to Sydney safely, minus most of their cargo. Kingsford Smith had his unsold “Lady Southern Cross” shipped back to England, from where he and J. T. Pethybridge in the “Lady Southern Cross” attempted another record breaking flight from England The Old Bus Author: Charles Kingsford Smith Publisher: Distibuted by Herald Feature Service Date; 1932Label on spine cover with typed text RA 629.1309 KIN flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, the old bus, charles kingsford smith

The Percy Uebergang family lived at Tooram Park, Allansford from 1912 until 1992. Percy and Myrtle Uebergang's children were twins, Ray and Joyce born in 1926 who lived at Tooram Park until their deaths, Ray in 1986 and Joyce in 1992. Neither Ray nor Joyce married and following the death of her brother Joyce set up the Ray and Joyce Uebergang Foundation which supports the local community. This tea tin is part of the collection of items given into the care of the Cheese World Museum. Uebergang catalogue No.A16.1 Squat square base Griffith's tea tin. The front has a label printed with a dark blue background and silver writing. A small label is affixed at the bottom. Remnants of a white stick-on label at the bottom. A round push-on lid with lip is on top. Full of pink dairy rubbers.CHOICE TEA 7LB net/GRIFFITH'S BROS LTD/Tea, coffee, cocoa & General Merchants/MELBOURNE, SYDNEY, ADELAIDE & BRISBANE/ Trade mark 'SIGNAL' [includes sketch of signal tower]; EXTRA PEKOE FLAVOURD [label on base] Uebergang No.A16.1

16 issues of the, "Tramway Topics" - "The Official Bulletin of The Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board", issues 50, 51, 53 to 61, issued between August 1947 and October 1948. All printed on cream coloured paper. Headings of significance are listed below. Common items were; Retiring and Death Gratuities, Appointments and Promotions, long service records. 918.1 - 50 - August 1947 - 4 pages - Comment from London, Scalers in Sydney, Brisbane Services, PAYE to go, Newcastle wants to own the trams, Diesels in favour, Fares in London and Melbourne, Something like a deficit, a remarkable record (substations), Work of Testing Department, Accidents are Expensive, and Transport Operations Indicted (National City Lines - USA) 918.2 - 51 - Sept. 1947 - 4 pages - Our SW6 tram, Transport in the US, Conductresses again, How bus costs have risen, Footscray Extensions, Of Course you are good (drivers and driving), How Fares Go, 40-Hour week. 918.3 - 53 - November 1947 - 4 pages - No increase in fares, an unusually interesting tram (Glasgow), alcohol and driving do not mix, pedestrian crossing case, how wages have increased, Russia prefers trams, Sydney's "Honesty" joke, Higher Fares wanted, Tramcars as hearses, an editor on Trolley buses, buses lead - but at a cost (Leicester), the Non paying passenger (Sydney) 918.4 - 54 - December 1947 - 4 pages - Christmas 1947 (Chairman's notes on the future), New Stockholm tram, according to use and wont - Birmingham, Trams in the USA, Board re-appointed, Buses few, so coaches are hired (London), transport from Footscray, "Philadelphians must have the best" - so they are given trams!, The Merri Creek Bridge and appreciations. 918.5 - 55 - March 1948 - 4 pages - That 4/- doubts arising over the 5-day week, Buses carried pick-a-back, Sydney to lose L500,000 this year, Trolleybuses, Rapid transit with PCC trams, another compliment (rosters in Perth), the bill for it all (Melbourne tram strike), an Extraordinary award (Washington DC), Prison tram's last load (Sydney), Douglas horse trams, Lord Ashfield, Glasgow's all night buses. 918.6 -56 - April 1948 - 4 pages - The Board's ambassadors (MMTB Conductors), Brisbane's bus routes, Another deficit in sight (Liverpool UK), Poor Paris, The resilient wheel, the 5-day week rosters, a subway and its costs (Detroit), PCC's in Belgium, South London Trams. 918.7 -57 -May 1948 - 4 pages - Spread of Hours Payment - 5 day week, weak breaks, Buses multiply - losses expand (Manchester UK), Static Electricity, L750,000 deficit in Sydney, praise for conductresses, no purchase by Newcastle, a loss at Adelaide, Transport in Switzerland, Denmark's giant bus, new trams for Glasgow, Grants for sports, single deckers out of favour (UK buses), Transport by Water (London). 918.8 - 58 - June 1948 - 8 pages - Stirring up strife (Melb.) No profit - no sharing (Kansas City), Just why - prices and fares in the US, MMTB staff needs from 5 day week, Section fares in the US, trams at L5,500 each (Sheffield), The unfinished dance (Perth and Hay St.), Thanks from Bristol, Interest in Melbourne trams (letters to the Board), Adelaide's Deficit, Fares up in Sydney and Adelaide, Moscow transport, No trolleybuses thankyou in Belgium, thanks to the Traffic staff, the Late Inspector Boardman, 24,000 irregularities (passengers), Sth London trams, Melbourne's trams amazing, Winnipeg's transport Growth and Standing passengers - London. 918.9 - 59 - July 1948 - 4 pages - The Red Light - RACV and red lights on trams, A request from Argentina,, where our SW6's are, the last 5c fare (New York), Work in the Fog, Traffic headaches in the US, Brisbane's Streamlined tram, Safety glass, Now for La Trobe St. The Tramways Band (South St.), Transport Losses in Sydney. 918.10 - 60 - August 1948 - 4 pages - from Pretoria (Comments on Melbourne), Buses with sliding Doors (OPS1), PCC trams, trams of the future (Glasgow), new trams in Rome, Clearing up the Parking Problem (Sacramento), Fantastic figures - world tram car figures - anti tram, Trainer Drivers, the railway trams and disaster to Liverpool trams, Monte Video trams purchased. 918.11 - 61 - September 1948 - 4 pages - The Year's Work (Melbourne), How Absurd (transport management), items from Britain, Tramway Band News, Food from Melbourne (to Scotland floods), London's Extraordinary traffic, New trams for The Hague, who are the road hogs, the La Trobe St. extension, out clothing factory, Preston Workshops, Toil on the tracks, how the money comes in (fares distribution). 918.12 - 62 - October 1948 - 4 pages - Melbourne's tram fares, Bourke St., Sydney's Street Transport, Scientist or Baker (London), Trolleybuses out of favour, London's poor bus fleet, tram and bus fares, The band at Wattle Park, Madras tramway deal, 121 decide for 6000 (Sydney Sunday trams), Preston workshops, A Engineer's tribute, Was the Street Quiz on trams faked? (The Sun). 918.3 - No. 31 - September 1945 - Year in review - trams more reliable than buses, loss on buses to munitions and Fisherman's bend, ticket checking, Hawthorn clothing factory SW6 trams construction, news from cities in Europe, sub-stations. 918.14 - 64 - September 1949 - higher operating expenses and revenue, school children behaviour, headway recording system - communication issues, golf at Wattle Park, Mr Bell lives in Riversdale Rd. 918.15 - 67 - December 1949 - Record Payment to Consolidated Revenue, payment to MFB etc, flat fares, Latrobe St extension - delayed, fare concessions - who pays, 918.16 - 68 - January 1950 - Bourke St conversion - Risson looking for an early start, fitting of radios to MMTB vehicles, Resilient wheels 918.4 - on top edge in pencil is "Mr Russell", and 918.10 ditto.trams, tramways, mmtb, melbourne, tramways

Photographer notations on slide: Steel Manuf’rs at McPherson’s Ltd 1933 Published: The Age, 30 August 1933 BUREAU OF STEEL MANUFACTURERS OF AUSTRALIA. (1933, August 30). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 11. Retrieved January 25, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204372874 Published title: Bureau of Steel Manufacturers of Australia Published caption: A group of Inter-State Visitors, from the Bureau of Steel Manufacturers of Australia, on a tour of inspection at the Bolt Works of McPhersons Pty. Ltd., Burnley-Richmond, yesterday. Research by Project Volunteer, Louise McKenzie: The photo shows a line up of 36 men, in three rows, in front of a building. They are mostly dressed in dark 3-piece suits, or camel coats. But one gentleman stands out in his full length leather coat! Striped ties are popular, and they are all holding hats. One man, at the rear towards the right, looks a bit younger with his thick, black, brylcreamed hair.. These interstate gentlemen are described in the newspaper caption as representatives of the Bureau of Steel Manufacturers "...on a tour of inspection at the Bolt Works of McPhersons Pty Ltd, Burnley, Richmond." Interestingly, the Bureau of Steel Manufacturers of Australia (BOSMA) still exists, and is the industry body for major Australian steel producers like BlueScope, Liberty, and InfraBuild, representing their interests, engaging with government, and participating in standards setting for the domestic steel market, with a history dating back to 1923. While BOSMA focuses on primary manufacturing, the Australian Steel Institute (ASI) serves as the broader peak body for the entire steel supply chain, from mills to end-users, promoting and supporting the industry. But at the time of this photo, the Australian steel industry was just starting to make headway. As the AST website explains, "Steelmaking in Australia began just a decade prior to the start of the 1851 Gold Rush whilst Australia was still divided into colonies. Iron ore deposits were discovered in 1840 at Iron Knob, South Australia but a lack of equipment meant that the process of producing steel was impossible. Even attempts at smelting the iron ore in a blast furnace to create pig iron were unsuccessful due to the poor quality of iron ore and coke available to the budding industry. In the other colonies at the time, such as Victoria, Tasmania, and New South Wales, there were minor discoveries of iron ore but poor technical expertise and limited quantity meant that the quality of steel was poor. Compared to the far superior steel being imported from Britain at the time, the steel manufacturing industry simply couldn’t compete and was unviable. By the 1870s, almost all steel production in Australia had been abandoned. The situation began to change at the turn of the century. Rapid growth sparked higher demand for industrial machinery made from steel and infrastructure such as rail. It became apparent that there was a need for locally manufactured steel and soon there would be an answer. In 1901, the year Australia united into a federation, the nation’s first blast furnace went into production at Eskbank near Lithgow in New South Wales. The development was spearheaded by William Stafford and his son Esk, and Stafford is known as the father of Australian steel production. In 1915, production expanded with another steel mill in Newcastle that was opened by BHP. It sourced coke from local mines and iron ore from South Australia, creating a domestic loop for steel manufacturing. In the following years, more steelworks opened in Whyalla, South Australia and Port Kembla in NSW. Steel manufacturing in Australia was now underway." The company mentioned in the photo’s notation and in the newspaper caption, was McPhersons, "...an Australian hardware firm, for many years a leading merchant of woodworking and metal-working machinery... [and founded by] Thomas McPherson (c.1823–1888) who had a home "Dudley House" at 142 Dudley Street, West Melbourne. [The] ironmongery business [was located] in 1860 at 149 Spencer Street, Melbourne. Merchandise carried included bells, lathes, horseshoes and steam engines." (Wikipedia - McPherson's Pty Ltd) Anyone who has read Robyn Annear’s excellent award-winning 2014 book Bearbrass – the name for early Melbourne - will remember only too well her description of West Melbourne, from where the city of Melbourne as we know it, emerged. Her book resurrects the village that was early Melbourne – from the arrival of white settlers in 1835 until the first gold rushes shook the town – and brings it to life in vivid colour. The McPherson family, whose arrival in Bearbrass coincides with this period (Thomas arrived in 1852), became intimately involved in the growth and development of Melbourne. Thomas was Mayor of Melbourne (1870-1871); his eldest son Hunter became a successful Sydney businessman; second son Edward and third son William inherited the company, and ran it together until 1896 when Edward killed himself. William had a notable career in politics as treasurer of Victoria 1917-1923, in which year he was knighted. 1928-1929 he was Premier of Victoria, and a noted philanthropist. The family were significant property owners in the city of Melbourne: 149 Spencer Street, 582-588 Collins Street, 554-566 Collins Street, together with a property on Jeffcott Street, West Melbourne, and factories in Sunshine, Tottenham, Kensington and Richmond – all by the mid 1940s. By that time they also had controlling interests in several Australasian industries, including Ajax Bolt and Rivet Pty Ltd of NZ, F W Hercus Manufacturing Co Ltd, manufacturers in South Australia of lathes, guillotines and other heavy machinery, also of Patience and Nicholson (P & N), manufacturers in Maryborough, Victoria, of twist drills and thread-forming tools; also Wiltshire Files on Sunshine Road, Tottenham, manufacturing files and rasps. The Acme Machine Tool Company became a branch of McPhersons, and the company claimed to have supplied, from their own manufacture, all five million rivets (some 3,600 tonnes) used in the building of the Sydney Harbour Bridge – described as a steel through arch bridge, which opened in 1932; the tallest of its kind in the world (Wikipedia – Sydney Harbour Bridge) McPherson’s was also innovative in other ways. It published a comprehensive catalogue, extensively detailed with prices, available free of charge to farmers and other businesses. In 1908 it had 148 pages. By 1937 it had grown to 372 pages. The University of Melbourne’s Archives entry on McPherson’s Limited notes: "After the outbreak of the Second World War, McPherson’s factories worked at full capacity and were crucial to Australia’s war efforts. On 5 December 1944 McPherson's converted to a public company named McPherson's Ltd, with William Edward as Chairman of Directors. By the start of the 1950s the company had a very different Board of Directors; in 1947 the Managing Director Oliver Addison died, and his replacement Marshall Eady died only six months later. Both had been Directors since McPherson’s became a proprietary company in 1913. Another Director, Philip Bevan, died in 1948 and this was followed by the death of William Edward in 1950. S.B Holder, F.G. Thorpe, H.L. Hastie, F. Grassick and D.G. Syme all joined the Board before 1950. The company continued to prosper for many years after the death of William Edward. His son, William David, was invited to join the McPherson’s Ltd Board in 1951. He married Angela Cumming in 1955 and soon after was sent to Brisbane as Director in Charge to oversee the building of a new warehouse. The opening of this warehouse in Queensland meant that the company now had major outlets in five states. As time went on, manufacturing in Australia began to decline and imports of everyday tools began arriving from Asia. These tools were being produced with much lower labour costs and could be sold at cheaper prices. William David retired in 1984 and eventually parts of the company were divested, such as the Richmond Bolt Works which closed in the early 1990s. Since the 1980s, McPherson's has diversified into housewares, printing, and health and beauty care products." This article also contains photos, one of which is a photograph of 'Bolt works picnic' 1920, showing workers in their shirt sleeves participating in a tug of war in a rural "picnic" setting. McPherson’s premises at 554-566 Collins Street more than lasted the test of time and is listed as historically significant. The magnificent art deco building from the 1930s in the heart of Melbourne was first commissioned in 1934 and completed in 1937. It is an imposing building fronting almost a quarter of the city block between Spencer Street and King Street, and was designed to be a warehouse, office and showroom for the hardware empire. International architects Stuart P Calder, and Reid and Pearson designed the four-storey building with a basement level and a stair tower at the centre that provides access to what was a tennis court on the roof. It is considered an example of the streamlined modern style in Melbourne and shows how the McPherson company, protected from taxes after World War I, was able to manufacture goods without being affected by the competition. The building has survived, and its current iteration is as the home to il Mercato Centrale – an Italian style artisan market concept. The University of Melbourne Archives hold a particularly good image of the building from its heyday, complete with Collins Street lamps on the pavement outside the store. And to return to our image, sited at "Bolt Works of McPhersons". Today this segment of McPhersons is still very well known - Ajax. A good summary of the company’s history, and the development of the name and business, can be found on the Mine Suppliers Online website: "AJAX Fasteners can trace its heritage back to 1900, when the Acme Bolt Company was established in West Melbourne, Victoria. In 1909, William McPherson used the company as the basis for establishing McPherson’s Bolt Works – adopting the brand ‘Ajax’ – and moved it to Richmond. Over the years, the company changed many times in response to industry needs to ensure that it remained the premier manufacturer of high quality fasteners in Australia. Many other names in the industry, such as Firth Cleveland, Spurway Cooke and Nettlefolds were merged or acquired into the company. McPhersons ended their 80-year ownership of Ajax in the early 90s when they sold their shares to National Consolidated, which was also a major shareholder at the time. In 1997, Ajax Fasteners moved to new purpose-built premises in Braeside, Victoria. Soon after, National Consolidated was taken over by the diversified manufacturer Austrim. The group soon acquired the iconic Nylex, and adopted the name Nylex Corporation. In January 2007, ACME Operations Pty Ltd acquired Ajax Fasteners and continues to operate the business today from the Braeside plant. The name ACME provides a nostalgic return by the new owners to the company’s heritage, when the Acme Bolt Company was founded in July 1900." REFERENCES: BUREAU OF STEEL MANUFACTURERS OF AUSTRALIA. (1933, August 30). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 11. Retrieved January 25, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204372874 Wikipedia, McPherson’s Pty Ltd, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McPherson%27s_Pty_Ltd Wikipedia, Richmond, Victoria, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richmond,_Victoria Industry: From the mid-19th century, Richmond was a centre of manufacturing industry, including many large complexes such as the Bryant & May match factory, Jaques Limited engineering works, the Wertheim Piano factory and Pelaco. Wikipedia, Sydney Harbour Bridge, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Harbour_Bridge eMelbourne, Manufacturing, https://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM00896b.htm 'New life for Melbourne's McPherson Building', The Urban Developer, https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/mcphersons-building-melbourne-il-mercato-centrale-food-retail-destination Bureau Of Steel Manufacturers Of Australia Limited, http://www.bosma.org.au/ 'A Brief History of Steel Manufacturing in Australia', AST, https://astraders.com.au/a-brief-history-of-steel-manufacturing-in-australia/ 'Steel manufacturing in Australia: a brief history', Hard Bakka Steel Fabrication, https://www.hardbakka.com.au/component/virtuemart/steel-manufacturing-in-australia-a-brief-history?Itemid=494 McPherson's Limited, University of Melbourne Archives, https://archives.library.unimelb.edu.au/nodes/view/58364 Source of Description: 'Nuts and Bolts: A story of a family and a firm', Barbara Hamer (2006), McPherson’s Printing Group 'Photograph of 'Bolt works picnic' 1920', University of Melbourne Archives, https://archives.library.unimelb.edu.au/assets/display/1287217-max?u=dea2e4d2fd07ac822e624f1e7d39adb3 'Photograph of the exterior of the McPhersons Department store at 546 Collins Street, Melbourne.', University of Melbourne Archives, https://archives.library.unimelb.edu.au/assets/display/1287215-max?u=12430d30453a77059b7d10d49006a521 Robyn Annear, Bearbrass: imagining early Melbourne, Black Inc., 2014 (originally published 1995 by Mandarin) 'Company details', Ajax Fasteners, http://www.minesuppliersonline.com.au/australia/braeside/hardware/ajax-fasteners 'Former McPherson's Building', Victorian Heritage Database, https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/741Photographer notations on slide: "Steel manuf'rs at McPherson's Ltd 1933 B5".1930-1939, industrial workers, clothing and dress, 1930, iron and steel industry, businesses, bridges, industry, melbourne, gold rush, moderne style architecture

Trove : The Courier-Mail, Brisbane, Queensland Friday 15 December 1938, page 7, Article : New Canning Company A company under the name of Tassell United Cannery Pty., Ltd., is being formed to operate a pineapple cannery in the new year. It proposes to acquire the business of Glassop and Son, proprietors of Tassell Products, and may engage in inter-State and export trade. It is stated by the promoter that growers and small canners of pineapples fear that the industry may become monopolised and that the new company is being formed to combat any such tendency. TROVE : The Courier-Mail, Brisbane, Queensland Friday 29 December 1950, page 3, Article : Mr. Glassop dies A well-known Brisbane citizen. Mr. S. J. Glassop, 74, has died. He was founder and managing director of Tassell United Cannery, Pty., Ltd. For many years Mr. Glassop was associated with Messrs. R. W. Thurlow and Co., Ltd., Brisbane, and later left this firm to open his own business on the Darling Downs. He later returned to Brisbane to enter the manufacturing business. He was actively connected with the business until his death. Round olive- amber coloured glass bottle with wide neck and shoulder tapering toward base then flaring out again at base. Embossed text on sides and number On side, 'THIS BOTTLE IS THE PROIPERTY OF TASSELL UNITED CANNERY PTY LTD BRISBANE'. On base 'B146', 'AGM'.fruit, cannery, glassop, tassell, pineapple

The statement reads as follows:- "The ornamental shield with a casket giving the History of all the pupils who offered for War service in the 1914 - 1918 War was made by the pupils of the Sloyd (woodwork) class and Mr Kidman headmaster. He also wrote the honour book in fine calligraphy. A framed collection of their photographs was donated by Mrs. J.B. Richardson. These were unveiled in a special ceremony at the school on the 17th October 1921. Also in 1921 an Avenue of Honour of gum trees was planted by schoolchildren and residents, along both sides of the Boorahaman road in front of the school. I do not know the exact date most of these trees remain. When the school was closed in 1949, local residents were invited to remove what ever they fancied, so Mr W.B. Richardson chose the two above mentioned items. After the death of both parents - last one in 1977 - Clarice Tobias and her Husband Jim took care of the shield and the photo`s. During 2002 the photo`s were presented to Wangaratta R.S.L. Sub/Branch, and the shield went to Brisbane where it was beautifully restored by Wallace Richardson and his son-in-law Reg Townsend shortly before he passed away. The shield returned to Wangaratta in July 2003 and is now in the care of Wangaratta R.S.L. Sub/ Branch Inc".Brown timber frame containing a statement of provenance with Australian Coat of Arms above black writing over RSL logo.Docker Plains State School Number 1962 Honour Rolldocker plains state school, ww1

Athol Gill was born in Wauchope, NSW, on 5th September 1937. On 25th April 1959 he married Judith Prior. In 1960 he enrolled to become a Baptist minister studying at the Baptist Theological College of NSW. A strong call to higher studies took him to London where he obtained his BD (Hons) and later to Zurich where he attained his Masters and a Doctorate of Theology. Athol lectured in Biblical Studies in both Baptist and Methodist Theological Colleges in Brisbane, moved to Melbourne in 1974 to become Dean of Whitley College, then in 1979 was appointed Professor of New Testament where he continued until his death. He was widely respected for his academic work but also for his remarkable commitment to living the faith he taught. Athol lived, with his family, in Christian Community for nearly all his adult life - in Brisbane at the House of Freedom, and for his last seventeen years as founding leader of the House of the Gentle Bunyip linked with the Clifton Hill Baptist Church, which later became known as the Community Church of St Mark. The House of the Gentle Bunyip came into being in 1975 during the Anzac Day weekend when Athol was teaching on "Discipleship" from the Gospel of St Mark. He announced he was commencing a Christian community to explore and expound the meaning of discipleship. 35 people, mainly young and single, agreed to join him. Athol was a provocative advocate for the poor and for social justice. He campaigned relentlessly for the Church to reflect the teachings of Jesus and for a peaceful and just society. This was evident in his simple lifestyle and through his practical engagement in mission with the poor and marginalised. Honoured in Australia and internationally as a brilliant theologian, teacher and author, Athol is also remembered for his love of sport, especially for the Carlton Football Club, his unique sense of humour and his warm humanity. He died suddenly on 9th March 1992. Head and shoulders of Athol Gill seated in front of bookcaseDr Athol Gill says that the Christians in Yugoslavia are not hoping for a change to Western democracy, but greater human rights under a Communist government. dr athol gill; house of the gentle bunyip

Armitstead's woodyard was on the site later occupied by the Chandler Room of the Surrey Hills Neighbourhood Centre. Stephen Godfrey Armitstead started the woodyard in 1921, taking over from Long's woodyard. Taken over by Stephen's son, Leo Godfrey, it closed in the 1970s. After Leo's death it was managed by Hec Whitworth. The Armitstead family lived at 79 Croydon Road. 1931 electoral roll: Catherine Isobella, Ellen Florence, Leo Godfrey (woodworker), Stephen Godfrey (wood merchant) and William Ginchrist (joiner) at this address. Leo later lived at 75 Croydon Road. Stephen Godfrey Armitstead birth - Father's Name: Stephen Armitstead; Mother's Name: Emily Benbow; Birth Place: Hotham, Victoria; Registration Year: 1879; Registration Place: Victoria; Registration number: 23856. Spouse Name: Isabella Jane Cath Miller; Marriage Place: Victoria; Registration Place: Victoria; Registration Year: 1904; Registration number: 4534. Stephen Godfrey Armitstead death - Surrey Hills, Victoria; Age: 90; Father's Name: Stephen; Mother's Name: Emily Benbow; Registration Year: 1969; Registration Place: Victoria; Registration number: 27747. Geoffrey Armitstead, grandson of Stephen, visited the site in 2002 whilst in Melbourne from Brisbane. He recalled that during his summer school holidays that he delivered ice to household icechests. His cousin Marcia Davis, daughter of Ellen Armitstead, accompanied him and provided the family photos for copying and related her knowledge of the family history. The weighbridge and scales were moved in 2023 from their original position when the forecourt of the Neighbourhood Centre was upgraded by Council. The carved poles were also moved; they were repositioned as a group adjacent to 151 Union Road.Colour photo of Geoffrey Armitstead standing next to the scales in the Armitstead Courtyard of Surrey Hills Neighbourhood Centre. In the foreground is the weighbridge that was also part of the woodyard operated by his grandfather, Stephen Armitstead. In the background is part of the Chandler Room of the Centre and two of the carved poles which illustrate elements of the history of Surrey Hills.union road, armitsteads woodyard, surrey hills neighbourhood centre, businesses, timber merchants, timber yards, stephen armitstead, geoffrey armitstead, weighbridge, long's woodyard, leo armitstead, hec whitworth

Milton Moon (1926-2019) Born Melbourne, Victoria Milton Moon attended the Central Technical College, Brisbane where he studied painting and drawing. In 1950 he undertook study in Ceramics with Harry Menmott and Mervyn Feeney at the Sandison Pottery, Brisbane. He lectured in Ceramics at Central Technical College, Brisbane, and he was awarded a Churchill a Fellowship in 1966. In 1974 he travelled and worked in Japan for a year, and established a workshop at Summertown in the Adelaide Hills. In 1984 Milton Moon was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for his services to ceramics. Milton Moon died in 2019. At the time of his death his website included the following:- "In this, my 'ninety second year,' over sixty of which I have been a potter, I remain concerned, if a little obsessed, with the challenge of making pots, which although belonging to a ceramic tradition of some eight thousand years or more, are undeniably and uniquely Australian. With all my changes of expression this has remained constant. The initial creative inspirations were drawn from the beauty of the coastal areas of Eastern Australia and from the mountain areas of the Great Dividing Range which stretch from North Queensland to the extreme South of Victoria. But the most lasting inspiration has come from the inland of Australia, more particularly from the Gammon and Flinders Ranges and from the Olary Uplands of South Australia, and more recently the Pilbara and Kimberley areas of Western Australia, where rock engravings place them as being amongst the oldest marks left by human-kind anywhere in the world. All parts of Australia are full of an ancient history stretching back through time and which today, despite white settlement, somehow still survives in legend and ritual. If it is the case that these legends do now only exist, in some muted half-life there is still the sense that they remain as a very powerful 'spirit-presence.' It is impossible to ignore the feeling that this country remains inhabited by the past. For me it is also impossible not to creatively respond to the echoes of the past, even if only through the somewhat vague process of inspiration and distillation. To understand this spirit, even a little, is a privilege but to try an express it is a compelling endeavour. This item is part of the Federation University Art Collection. The Art Collection features over 2000 works and was listed as a 'Ballarat Treasure' in 2007.Large ceramic platter, framed for display on wall.art, artwork, milton moon, ceramics

At ‘Dalriada’, previously ‘Clifton’, 77 Union Road, corner Bona Vista Avenue (dem.) Home of Charles and Sarah Steele pictured with Bertrand Steele and wife Amy, daughter of John Woodhead of ‘Kirklands’. ‘Dalriada’ was built on Woodhead’s land. In 1892 Bertrand purchased the pharmacy on S.W. corner Canterbury/Union Road and moved it to the ‘new’ Surrey Hall. By 1894 he had returned it to its former site where he remained in business until 1900 when he married Amy and went overseas. In 1910 Bertrand Steele became Professor of Chemistry in Brisbane. As his son-in-law, Bertrand was executor of the estate of John Woodhead of ‘Kirklands’. Charles Henri Dillon Steele (1869-1935) - Parents: Samuel Madden Steele and Harriet Sarah Acock. He married Sarah Margaret Russell. They had 2 daughters Margaret Dillon Steele who married William Brayshay Woodhouse, dentist, and Harriet Vevers Steele. From Dentistry Museum site: “Charles Henry Dillon Steele was one of the pioneers of Dentistry in Victoria. He was born in England in 1869 and came to Melbourne in 1889. He was registered by the Dental Board in 1890 and practiced in Collins Street until his death in 1935. His daughter Margaret Dillon (Nancy) Steele graduated BDSc Melbourne in 1929 and obtained the degree of DDS in Toronto in 1931. She returned to Melbourne and rejoined her father in practice at 90 Collins Street and later at 147 Collins Street. In 1935 she married William Brayshaw Woodhouse (BDSc, DSc Melbourne) who bought the practice of Mr. Steele in that year and continued in practice there until 1980. Their son Anthony Dillon Woodhouse graduated BDSc (Melb) 1958 and DDS (Toronto) in1966 and continued in the old family practice established by Mr. Steele." (Dr. Tony Woodhouse, May 1984) Sarah Steele - Born Sarah Margaret Russell, after her marriage to Charles Henry Dillon Steele was very active in community work, notably as President of the local Patriotic League. It was she who persuaded John Kendrick Blogg to carve the Honour Roll for The Shrine in the Surrey Gardens. A black and white photograph of a family group seated on the grass. (mr) bertrand steele, (mr) john woodhead, house names, pharmacists, dentists, clothing and dress, union road, surrey hills, (mr) charles henri dillon steele, 'kirkland', 'clifton', 'dalriada', (miss) amy woodhead, (miss) sarah margaret russell, (mrs) sarah margaret steele

"Captain Simon Thomas Staughton was the son of Simon Thomas Staughton MLA who had built the mansion Eynesbury on his share of the Exford property inherited from his father Simon Staughton, the original 1840s Werribee River squatter. When the land was sold, Simon’s Exford station extended from Mt Cotterell to the Brisbane Ranges. ST Staughton (senior) was a reputedly the public spirited member of the family in his generation, being a member of the first Roads Board (and Melton Shire President in 1867), a JP, Magistrate and MLA for Bourke from 1883 until his death in 1901, whereupon his son became the MLA for Bourke. Captain ST Staughton had earlier been chosen as a member of a contingent of Victorian Mounted Riflemen sent to England for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee (1897), and was later a member of King Edward’s coronation escort. In October 1899 he had sailed for South Africa with other Mounted Riflemen from Victorian and NSW to take part in the Boer War. There he was awarded the DSO. He died of peritonitis in 1903, aged 27. He was buried in Boroondara Cemetery after a full military funeral, in which the coffin was borne on a gun carriage drawn by four black horses. All local newspapers reported eloquently on the funeral, and the late Captain’s virtues. The Staughton Memorial Lamp was given to the town by his young widow in 1903. In addition a window in the (former) Christ Church bore the inscription ‘This window is erected by his brother soldiers in loving memory of Captain S Tom Staughton, DSO, ADC, MLA’. The Staughton family had been prominent benefactors of the Church, whose altar rails were also inscribed to the much respected Captain, along with a memorial stone in the new chancel. In the 1970s the memorial was within one of four fenced tree plantations, probably erected and planted in the 1920s or 30s. When High Street and its service roads were redesigned in the 1970s the plantations were completely removed, and the Melton and District Historical Society was successful in having the memorial moved about 50 metres east to its present location". The Weekly Times article about a gift from Tom Staughtonlocal identities

Our war heroines have always received less attention than their male counterparts, but Dr Rupert Goodman is helping to set the record straight, with the first book to give a comprehensive history of Australia's war nurses. Among those commemorated in the book are the nurses killed or died in action in World War II. Dr Goodman says one of the most outstanding episodes was the sinking of the hospital ship, the Centaur, off Brisbane by a Japanese sub. Of 11 sisters, one survived, Sister Savage and she kept up the morale of the survivors in shark-infested waters for 24 hours. Another was Sister Anderson, who was tending wounded on deck aboard the Empire Star and threw herself over a Digger to protect him from strafing as they were escaping from the fall of Singapore. Or the Banka Island massacre. Twenty three nurses were ordered to march into the sea and were shot dead. Only one survived, Sister Vivian Bullwinkel, after feigning death, she returned to shore tended to a wounded solider, then was captured and became a POW.A newspaper clipping of three columns of text with a black and white photo above of three women, two obviously in nurse's uniformwwii, ww2, world war two, our war nurses - the history of the royal australian army nursing corps 1902-1988, george medal, banker island, edith cavell, world war 1, world war one, ww1, wwi, war memorial, canberra