This photograph depicts female singers accompanied by members of the Beechworth Band at a 'Liedertafel' concert in the main hall at the Burke Museum in 1999. The concert related to an exhibition titled, 'From the Liedertafel to the Skating Rink: Entertainment in Beechworth 1852 - early 1900s', which celebrated the rich and diverse entertainments that were part of Beechworth life in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. 'Liedertafel' is a German tradition that accompanied European settlers to Australia. It refers to a friendly society of men united by an enthusiasm for singing. The Beechworth Liedertafel was established 14 March 1894 at the London Tavern, Camp Street, Beechworth, by president, Mr. A.A. Billson, and a visiting conductor, Mr. H. Fielder. The Beechworth Brass Band was formed by Mr. H. Vandenberg in 1887. Marching bands, choirs, circus acts, theatrical performances, races, and seasonal activities, such as Mr. Spiller's roller skating rink, which was founded in the late 1860s, were among the entertainments on offer in Beechworth.This photograph of the Beechworth Band playing at the Burke Museum is historically significant for the information it conveys about an exhibition at the Burke Museum between September and November 1999. The use of the contemporary Beechworth Band in a 'Liedertafel' performance provides insight into curatorial approaches at the turn of the twenty-first century and improves our understanding of how exhibitions use objects in the Burke Museum's Collection to tell stories about the past in the present. The image is historically and socially significant for attesting to the enduring appeal of local musical associations, which were a popular means of entertainment that fostered social connections among settlers from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Liedertafel choirs were originally male-only, therefore, the presence of female singers at the 1999 exhibition reflects progressive social and community values with regard to gender and inclusion.Rectangular colour photograph printed on matte photographic paper.Reverse: 7030 / Label: Burke Museum / Liedertafel Exh / Emily Messen, Luetta / Schier, Hannah / Routledge, Sarah / McKinley 2000 (?) / 2000 (?) / liedertafel, beechworth band, burke museum, exhibition 1999, from the liedertafel to the skating rink, entertainment in beechworth 1852 - early 1900s, past exhibitions, performances at the burke museum, european settlers, german community, german choral societies, brass bands, male choir, colonial passtimes, colonial entertainments, cultural traditions, gold rush, immigration, beechworth's german heritage, london tavern beechworth, camp st beechworth, beechworth historic district, beechworth's first brick tavern, spiller's skating rink, vandenberg's beechworth brass band, benevolent societies, intellectual societies, protestantism, billson brewery beechworth, teetotallism, fancy dress carnivals, skating carnivals, fundraising societies, german musicians, crimean war, beechworth german association, freemasonry, yma's, beechworth athenaeum, beechworth skating rink

This photograph taken c1999/2000, depicts the Burke Museum’s granite façade and vestibule entrance. The museum's large red door is closed and there is a white sign is attached to the door. The museum site dates to the 1857 founding of the Beechworth Public Library and Athenaeum by a newly formed Young Men's Association (YMA). In 1863 the museum was dedicated as a memorial to former Beechworth police superintendent (1854-1858) and explorer Robert O’Hara Burke, following Burke’s death from malnutrition on the Burke and Wills expedition in 1861. Funded by the Victorian Government and the Royal Society of Victoria, the officially titled 'Victorian Exploring Expedition' was tasked with being the first European party to traverse Australia from south to north. The Burke Museum holds objects from the famous expedition and explores the multi-layered history of Beechworth and surrounds from the gold rush era to the present.This photograph is historically significant for its depiction of the Burke Museum c1999/2000. The Burke Museum is Australia’s oldest regional museum and part of Beechworth's Historic and Cultural Precinct, one of Australia’s best preserved historic-town sites and a popular tourist destination. Once the government centre for a vast gold fields region, this collection of nationally significant buildings tells the story of how Australia grew and prospered. The frequent use of honey-coloured local granite as a building material, which can be seen in the museum's fabric, gives Beechworth’s historic buildings a distinct and cohesive local character. This photograph captures this distinctive character and may be compared and studied alongside other images of historic buildings in the Burke Museum Photographic Collection.Rectangular colour photograph printed on photographic paper.Reverse: 7031 / Label: Burke Museum / 1999/2000 /burke museum, indigo shire, beechworth athanaeum, beechworth library, beechworth historic building, historic precinct, burke museum exhibition, from the liedertafel to the skating rink, honey-coloured local granite, robert o'hara burke, victorian gold fields, historic towns in victoria, colonial australia, liedertafel, colonial entertainments, beechworth brass band, historic victorian architecture, australia's oldest regional museum, burke and wills expedition, first europeans to cross australia, yound mens associations, beechworth tourism, things to see in beechworth, beechworth historic trail, young men's associations

This photograph depicts members of the Beechworth Band at a 'Liedertafel' concert in the main hall at the Burke Museum in 1999. The concert was associated with an exhibition titled, 'From the Liedertafel to the Skating Rink: Entertainment in Beechworth 1852 - early 1900s', which celebrated the rich and diverse entertainments that were a part of Beechworth life in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Marching bands, choirs, circus acts, theatrical performances, races, and seasonal activities, such as Mr. Spiller's roller skating rink, founded in the late 1860s, were among the attractions on offer. 'Liedertafel' is a tradition that accompanied German settlers to Australia. It refers to a friendly society of men united by an enthusiasm for singing. The Beechworth Brass Band was formed by Mr. H. Vandenberg in 1887. The Beechworth Liedertafel was established 14 March 1894 at the London Tavern, Camp Street, Beechworth, by Mr. A.A. Billson, and a visiting conductor, Mr. H. Fielder. German clubs, complete with marching bands, athletics associations and Liedertafel choirs, were centres of social activity attracting wide audiences not limited to members of their own ethnicity. Alfred Arthur Billson was the youngest son of Mr. George Billson, who served as Beechworth’s mayor between 1869-1871. In 1872, George purchased the Oven’s Brewery in Last Street, which became Billson’s Brewery, one of the oldest continuing beverage manufacturers in Australia. An active member of Beechworth’s cultural, business and political life around the turn of the century, A.A. Billson served on Beechworth Shire Council from 1884 to 1893, and from 1895 to 1910, with three terms as president (1888–89, 1899–1901, 1908–09). He founded the Beechworth Progress Association in 1891 and produced an ‘Illustrated Guide to Beechworth and Vicinity’ to develop tourism potential. This photograph of the Beechworth Band playing at the Burke Museum is historically significant for the information it conveys about an exhibition at the Burke Museum between September and November 1999. The use of the contemporary Beechworth Band in a 'Liedertafel' performance provides insight into curatorial approaches at the turn of the twenty-first century and improves our understanding of how exhibitions use objects in the Burke Museum's Collection to tell stories about the past in the present. The image is historically and socially significant for attesting to the enduring appeal of local musical associations, which were a popular means of entertainment that fostered social connections among settlers from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Rectangular colour photograph printed on matte photographic paper. Reverse: 7029 / Label: 7029 / Source / Burke Museum / Beechworth / Band / 1999/2000 /liedertafel, beechworth band, burke museum, from the liedertafel to the skating rink, entertainment in beechworth 1852 - early 1900s, gold rush, immigration, beechworth's german heritage, london tavern beechworth, beechworth's first brick tavern, spiller's skating rink, vandenberg's beechworth brass band, protestantism, teetotallism, skating carnivals, beechworth german association, yma's, beechworth skating rink, progress societies, billson's brewery, german-australians, beechworth progess association, lodges, freemasonry, colonial australia

A brown spiral bound book titled 'Collector's Choice of Music for Old Time, New Vogue and Modern Ballroom Dances in Australia. Vol. 3.' Compiled by Peter Ellis. Includes over 300 tunes for 40 dances, with a section for Special Occasions and Novelties.Companion to 'Take Your Partners' by Shirley Andrews. Published by The Victorian Folk Music Club of Victoria Incorporated. Box 2025S, G.P.O., Melbourne, 3001. Printed by Ajax Printing & Duplicating Pty. Ltd. 23 Nevin Drive, Thomastown, 3074. 202 pgs. Ill., music, ph. Presentedto the Royal Historical Society of Victoria, Bendigo Branch, with kind regards from Peter Ellis 3/12/1988.entertainment, dance, bush dance, peter ellis, collection, dance, dancing, dances, music, old time dancing, new vogue dancing, modern ballroom dances, australian history, colonial dancing, bush dancing, bush dances, shirley andrews, recreation, leisure, book

A grey spiral bound book titled 'Collector's Choice of traditional music for Country dances, Quadrilles and Cotillions in Australia.' Vol. 2. Companion to 'Take Your Partners' by Shirley Andrews. Published by the Victorian Folk Music Club Incorporated. Box 2025S, G.P.O., Melbourne, 3001. Presented to the Royal Historical Society of Victoria, Bendigo Branch, with kind regards from Peter Ellis 3/12/1988.entertainment, dance, bush dance, peter ellis, collection, dancing, folk dancing, dance, dances, music, country dances, quadrilles, cotillions, australian history, australian folk dancing, colonial dancing, bush dancing, barn dancing, shirley andrews

A soft covered book titled 'Two Hundred Dancing Years and how to celebrate them with a Colonial Ball.' by Shirley Andrews and Peter Ellis. Published by The Australian Bicentennial Authority Australia 1788 - 1988. Presented to the Royal Historical Society of Victoria, Bendigo Branch with kind regards from Peter Ellis 3/12/1988.Shirlely Andrews and Peter Ellisentertainment, dance, colonial ball, peter ellis, book, dance, dancing, music, colonial ball, australian history, history, australian bicentenary, dance styles, balls, entertainment, recreation, australian food, food, menus, colonial food, colonial fancy dress, costume, fashion, dance programmes

Colour polaroid photograph. Sheet music. Banjo. Colonial Musical Cabinet containing new and popular songs. Native dried flower.entertainment, music, sheet music

Colour polaroid photograph. Sheet music. Banjo. Colonial Musical Cabinet containing new and popular songs. Native dried flower.entertainment, music, sheet music

Colour polaroid photograph. Sheet music. Banjo. Colonial Musical Cabinet containing new and popular songs. Native dried flower.entertainment, music, sheet music

Colour polaroid photograph. Sheet music. Banjo. Colonial Musical Cabinet containing new and popular songs. Native dried flower.entertainment, music, sheet music

Colour polaroid photograph. Sheet music. Banjo. Colonial Musical Cabinet containing new and popular songs. Native dried flower.entertainment, music, sheet music

Light blue program for the Bendigo North Primary School ball held on Thursday, August 23rd, 1979 at the Eaglehawk Town Hall. Front page has a sketch of a boy and a girl dancing. The centre has a list of 18 dances, a mixture of Colonial, Ballroom and Folk Dances. The back page is the acknowledgements to: Esme Barker, Norman Powell, Jeanette Clancy, Elizabeth Lakey, Val Lee, Maurie Raynor, Peter Ellis, Sandhurst Dance Club. Written on the back is Maree Murrell.entertainment, dance, ball, peter ellis collection, eaglehawk town hall, bendigo north primary school, esme barker, norman powell, jeanette clancy, elizabeth lakey, val lee, maurie raynor, peter ellis, sandhurst dance club, maree murrell

Colonial Dancers Mid Winter Bush Ball held at the Northcote Town Hall on Saturday 26 June 1993. 21 dances named on the programme. Frame drawn around the printing with plants on it.entertainment, dance, bush dance, peter ellis collection, colonial dancers

Yellow dance card with black printing for the National Folk Festival, Easter Canberra, Traditional Colonial Ball, music by Wongacreek, Wongawilli, Emu Creek and friends, Mc, Anthony Simon.entertainment, dance, folk festival

Literature from the 26th National Folk Festival held in Canberra on the 16-20 April 1992. Program containing General Information, the Performers (including the Emu Creek Bush Band), Festival Map, the Programme and Dance Programme Information. Also leaflets: Visitors Guide, Program, Embassies in Canberra, University Halls of Residence Bruce Burton & Garran Halls Information for Visitors, Map of Australian National University, and an article titled 'Real Folk' with information about performers. Pioneer Performers Series Information Sheet April 1992 contains Introduction, Current Available Items, Current Projects, Forthcoming Events and Ramblings of a Modern Day Collector.entertainment, music, national folk festival, peter ellis collection, australian national university, 26th national folk festival canberra 1992, the monaro folk music society, emu creek bush band, wongawilli colonial dance club inc

Page advertising the Colonial Bush Ball Woosang 14/3/1980. Compere was Ted Stephenson. Featured the Wedderburn Old Timers. The programme of dances is listed on the paper.entertainment, dance, colonial ball, peter ellis collection, colonial bush ball woosang, ted stephenson, wedderburn old timers

p.494.fictionA novel of colonial prison life in Van Diemens Landaustralia - fiction, australia - convict system

"The Mechanics Institute movement flourished in Victoria from 1839 to 1950. It was based on the development of Mechanics’ Institutes in Scotland and England from the 1820s, which were intended to educate and enlighten the working classes. The term ‘mechanic’ in those days meant an artisan, craftsman or working man, especially those who had moved from rural areas to work in new city factories during the Industrial Revolution. The early Institutes were usually equipped with a reading room, a library and a lecture room. Although enjoying mixed success in Britain, they contributed to the development of public education and library services. The movement was adopted more enthusiastically in the colonies. It began slowly in Victoria but its expansion after the gold rushes population influx was rapid, especially in rural areas. Every suburb and town wanted to have a Mechanics’ Institute. During the 1850s approximately forty Institutes were established, with even greater growth in the period 1860 to 1900. By 1900 there were 400 Institutes in Victoria. The establishment of a Mechanics’ Institute was often a great achievement for a local community, requiring organising committees to raise substantial funds for a building site (where this had not been granted by the Government), and the building. Once built, the committee then had to purchase books, provide a caretaker or librarian, and finance the ongoing use of and improvements to the building. ‘The history of many Institutes is a story of tremendous community effort, and often, financial difficulties’. In addition to being monuments to local enterprise and community life, the Mechanics’ Institutes played a vital role as an intellectual forum, and in contributing to an informed and participatory democracy in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They provided journals and other reading matter on local, state, national and international issues, and hosted of lectures and held debates about wider issues such as Federation, colonial nationalism, defence, female suffrage, the price of land and labour. With the development of the school and technical education in the latter part of the nineteenth century, the need for community technical and adult education declined. As a result of the introduction of government library grants in 1867, many Mechanics’ Institutes incorporated a free library in their buildings to finance collection of their books. By 1884-85, there were 257 free libraries in Victoria. However, government support and library grants dropped off in the 1890s depression. Entertainment took on a greater role in the 1890s, with the introduction of moving pictures, billiards rooms, games rooms (chess), concerts and dances. The First World War had a devastating impact on many rural communities, and some Mechanics’ Institutes were no longer viable. On the other hand the early twentieth century was also a time of agricultural development, and many country towns were growing in this period. The 1930s depression further limited growth of many libraries and reduced grants substantially. In response many Mechanics’ Institutes were renamed, for example as memorial halls, in order to retain and attract more patrons (eg at nearby Sunbury). The diminishing role for Mechanics’ Institutes and the preference for larger and better appointed halls (with supper rooms, cloak rooms etc) resulted in demolition of some small Institutes. The advent of cars, radios, and television also provided other opportunities for recreation, learning and entertainment. The greater role of municipalities in providing library services also eroded the need for free libraries. While over 500 Mechanics’ Institutes or halls are extant, very few of these retain their original role as ‘diffusers of useful knowledge’. Most are still available for community purposes, as venues for meetings, socials, civic occasions etc, while others are employed as museums, shops and theatres. Most buildings are on Crown land, and managed by a delegated committee of management, who are responsible for raising revenue to maintain aging buildings. Many of those which were originally established on private land, such as Melton, have since reverted back to the Crown, and municipal Councils. The most common Mechanics Institute building form is the simple weatherboard gable building with iron roofs, notable for their ‘honest simplicity’ rather than as ‘monuments of the ancients’. At the other extreme there are some magnificent two storeyed brick and stucco structures with elaborate ornamentation (as was apparently envisaged by some in Melton in 1905-10)". The future of Melton Mechanic Institute Gazette articlelocal architecture