The certificates related to hangings at the Former Ballarat GaolDeath Sentence Certificate for: * James Ash (Rape), 1876 (George Ferguson - signed S Bowen) * Denis Murphy (murder), 1867 (Robert Wallace-Ballarat Sherriff, Sutton, Maurice Sutton, Moore) * Charles Bushbee alias Charles Baker (intent to murder) (Henry Brougham Loch, H. Moore * John Wilson (carnal knowledge - girl under 10) (John Adrian Loius, H. Moore) * James Jones (murder) - (Robert Wallace Ballarat Sherriff - Charles Darling) * Charles Henry Deutschmann ( Murder 1908) - (Reginald Arthur James Talbot, W.A. Callaway) * Cornelius Bourke (Murder 1891) John Adrian Louis, H. Moore) * John Wilson, 1891 (carnal knowledge - girl under 10) *James Johnston, 1891 (murder) * James Jones, 1866 (murder) * Joseph Ballan and George Searle, 1868 (murder) James Ash, 1876 (rape) Robert Wallace, 1866 (murder) hangings, ballarat gaol, death penalty, james ash, death sentence, george ferguson, ferguson, bowen, henry loch, loch, charles baker, h. moore, moore, bushbee, charles bushbee, james jones, charles darling, robert wallace, arthur talbot, w.a. callaway, callaway, james johnson, joseph ballan, george searle

Ah Tune, kicked William Brasslin to death in a drunken brawl following an altercation, Beechworth, November 1914. Death sentence was commuted to 10 years imprisonmentPrison record for Ah Tune, prisoner registered number 33926, giving details of the prisoner, his crimes and the dates and places of his trials.ah tune, foreign prisoner, beechworth, murder, william brasslin

James Rouhan, 19 years of age, was accused of murdering his sweetheart, Kate Beachley, with an axe, in Lydiard St., Ballarat in October 1904. Sentenced to death, commuted to life imprisonmentPrison record for James Rouhan, prisoner registered number 30737, giving details of the prisoner, his crimes and the dates and places of his trials.james rouhan, english speaking prisoner, murder, kate beachley

Thomas Francis Meagher was an Irish nationalist and leader of the Young Irelanders in the Rebellion of 1848. After being convicted of sedition, he was first sentenced to death, but received transportation for life to Van Diemen's Land in Australia. (Wikipedia)Portrait of Thomas F. Meagher who was associated with the Young Ireland movement.young ireland, thomas f. meagher, convict, tasmania, van dieman's land

John Ferrier was employed on the farm of the Sundermans. In July 1900 he shot Alice Aubrey, sister of Mrs Sunderman, at Dawson near Heyfield. She was shot in the back whilst hanging out the washing. Defence was temporary insanity which was hereditary in his family. He was found guilty and sentenced to death which was commuted to life imprisonmentPrison record for John Ferrier, prisoner registered number 39234, giving details of the prisoner, his crimes and the dates and places of his trials.english speaking prisoner, john ferrier, murder, alice aubrey

Edith Cavell trained in London and became head of nursing in Brussels. When WW1 broke out she tended wounded soldiers of both sides with equal devotion but she was charged by the germans with helping allied soldiers escape to neutral territory. She was sentenced to death by German Court martial she faced the firing squad with calmness and dignity. 30cm Miniature Doll Name Tage Edith Cavellnursing history, northern district school of nursing, nursing uniforms, miniature dolls

Stained glass window, south wall, main nave (adjacent to the pulpit). The window is a pictorial representation of St Andrew who live to old age. There is a tradition that on being sentenced to death, he requested that he be crucified on a saltire (diagonal cross, see base of window) as he felt unworthy to be crucified on the vertical cross of Christ. Another symbol of association with St Andrew is the fishing net.The Rev. Andrew Peacock, Archdeacon of the Otways, was the fourth Vicar (1906-1912) of the Parish of Warrnambool. He was highly regarded throughout the community and died following a very short illness. His brother, Sir Alexander Peacock, three times premier of Victoria, officially unveiled a tablet on the north-west corner of the Parish Hall complex on Saturday 25th April and attended the dedication of the memorial window on Sunday 26th April 1913. Rev AE Peacock is buried at Creswick cemetery, Victoria.

The portrait of Chief Justice Sir Edmund Herring is significant because of whom it portrays and who painted it. Sir Edmund Herring (1892-1982), had a military career before becoming the Chief Justice of Victoria in 1944. Sir Edmund served as an artillery officer with the British Army in World War One and was awarded the Military Cross. While he returned to the Law between the wars, becoming Kings Counsel in 1936, he continued his military associations through the Australian Militia forces rising to colonel by the start of the Second World War. At the outset of World War Two Herring was appointed as Commander of the Royal Artillery for the Australian Sixth Division. Herring saw service in North Africa and Greece and was in charge of Australian Northern forces in 1942, afterwards working with General Blamey in Papua New Guinea. It was at this time that Herring confirmed the death sentences of 22 Papuans who had been found guilty of murder and treason. Sir Edmund was appointed Chief Justice, straight from his army command in 1944. As Chief Justice he quickly established the Law Reform Committee and after the war oversaw the extension of the Supreme Court buildings, with the creation of new Courts. He was considered an able administrator, but his refusal to appoint Joan Rosanove a Queen’s Counsel throughout the 1950s, did not sit well with many legal practitioners. After his retirement from the Bench, he continued in his many public activities, including trustee of the Shrine of Remembrance and the Australian War Memorial and a member of the Melbourne Grammar School Council, as well as Lieutenant Governor of the State of Victoria a position he held from 1945 to 1972. Herring was also an outspoken social critic, between the wars he had been a member of the White Guard, who were a far right group acting against communism. During the Cold War period of the 1950s, Herring spoke out in favour of the British Empire and the American alliance. The portrait of Chief Justice Sir Edmund Herring is significant because of whom it portrays and who painted it. The portrait of Sir Edmund Herring is the second one that Sir William Dargie (1912-2003), completed of Sir Edmund, his first effort in 1944/45 won the Archibald prize. Dargie won the Archibald prize a record eight times.Portrait in oils of Sir Edmund Herring, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria (1944-1964). Sir Edmund is seated, this is a half portrait, dressed in his red judicial robes. The sitter takes up most of the frame and there is very little extra information in the picture. signed lower left "Dargie'. Plaque with the following details : Sir Edmund Francis Herring, KCMG, KBE, DSO, MC, ED. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, 1944-1964.judges, herring

Instrument of Surrender marking the surrender of Japanese Forces by Vice Admiral Kamada to Australian Major General Edward James Milford on 8 September 1945. After the surrender of Japan, a Dutch military court convicted Kamada of war crimes for the executions of 1,500 west Borneo natives in 1944 and the ill treatment of 2,000 Dutch POWs held on Flores Island. Kamada was sentenced to death and was executed on 18 October 1947.Black and white photograph of documentinstrument of surrender, ww2

Cecilia Anderson was accused of shooting John Fraser at the Souther Cross Hotel in Melbourne in June 1894 and then attempting to kill herself. Fraser had been a long term resident in a boarding house run by Mrs Anderson and had borrowed money from her. He subsequently moved to Melbourne and married a widow, Mrs Leahy. Mrs Anderson followed him to Melbourne and kept demanding that he repay the money owing. She was sentenced to death which was commuted to life imprisonment, but she was released in June 1903Prison record for Cecilia Anderson, prisoner registered number 6319, giving details of the prisoner, her crimes and the dates and places of her trials.foreign prisoner, danish, female prisoner, cecilia anderson, murder

Edith Louisa Cavell (4 December 1865 – 12 October 1915) was a British nurse and patriot. She is celebrated for saving the lives of soldiers from all sides without distinction and in helping some 200 Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium during World War I, for which she was arrested. She was subsequently court-martialled, found guilty of treason and sentenced to death. Despite international pressure for mercy, she was shot by a German firing squad. Her execution received worldwide condemnation and extensive press coverage. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Cavell)Black and White postcard showing the memorial erected in Brussels to Edith Cavell. A portrait of Edith Cavell in nurses uniform is inset. This card was purchased by an Australian soldier, probably Henry Smerdon Holmes, during World War One. edith cavell, chatham-holmes family collection, nurse, world war one, world war, sculpture

Anthropodermic Bibliopegy is the name given to the use of human leather to bind books. The name stems from the combination of the Greek root words, human (Anthropos), skin (derma), book (biblion), and fasten (pegia). The practice of creating anthropodermic books was popular throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. Most commonly, anthropodermic books are medical tomes, with the human leather taken from medical cadavers. Others were produced after criminal trials, with the criminal’s skin used to enclose the record of their own death sentences, creating a form of punishment that would surpass death. Other anthropodermic books contain poems or are religious texts. This book was written and printed in 1599 but most probably was rebound later when creation of anthropodermic books became more predominant. The book is a small tome of a religious nature containing the work of Bishop Thomas Bilson, who in a puritanical voice states that the primary argument articulated in this book is that “the metaphorical Calvinist interpretation of Hell as an exclusion from God was accurate then Christ's descent into hell after his crucifixion must refer to an actual existent hell as Christ was neither subject to sin nor able to be separated from the Divine.” The unusual cover of the book has led to many questions, the main being whether the book is covered with human skin. It was confirmed as such in 2014 with DNA testing undertaken by honours student Talanna Buckley at Federation University finding an 100% match to human DNA on the outside cover of the book. This is one of only two confirmed anthropodermic books in Australia, the other is housed at the National Library of Australia. Other forms of testing the leather of books have been found to be more accurate than DNA testing. For example, before DNA testing or PMF (Peptide Mass Fingerprinting) are undertaken many books have been identified as made from human skin through the close examination of the skins patterning. Hair follicles are the focus of the examination as certain patterns and sizes lend themselves to being human. However, many of these books have been proven to not be bound in human skin, the same can be said of books with inscriptions claiming them as anthropodermic. Peptide Mass Fingerprinting (PMF) testing has been found to be the most reliable way of confirming a leather bindings origin. This process involves the sampling of collagen-based materials, cutting the protein to gain specific amino acid combinations which form individual peptide sequences. Each mammal has an individual amino acid sequence in its collagen therefore its peptide mass combination is unique. This form of test can provide a more accurate outcome as collagen will be preserved for longer after the tanning process and will not be damaged in the same way DNA can be by the tanning process. DNA testing can also provide false positives as trace DNA from someone touching the book could be amplified and provide the reading instead of that of the leather itself. However, this book was tested with many controls as well as specific decontamination procedures in order to ensure that it was not trace DNA being tested. This book is historically and spiritually significant because it is a rare example of an early printed English Christian religious tract produced in Old English and Latin.. Its association with Thomas Bilson, who oversaw the final printing and publication of the King James Bible, is important. The covering of this book has been tested for human dna. Findings prove the book is covered with human skin, increasing the rarity of the object.420 page book with unusual leather cover. The book is written in Old English with passages in latin. There is a pressed petal between p.68 and 69. The covering of this book is made of human skin. The practice of binding books in human skin, also known as anthropodermic bibliopegy.Inside cover - James Hendy No 17 (Fu)gends Road Palmers Village Westminster. The gift of his mother Mrs Thomas Hendy. Some notes made through text eg p.112, and a passage written on the last page.religion, bible, edward lowe, edward lotos, thomas bilson, anthropodermic bibliopegy, james hendy, full redemption, religious, leather, wilson, winchester, jesus, puritanical, puritans, bungey, bilson, human skin, skin, human skin cover, human skin binding

Bottom seated row, right side end, Alex and Alfred (Tommy) Smart. Donated by May Smart, (c/o Pine Tree Village, 330 Springfield Road), student at Eltham State School 1915-1923, daughter of Alex Smart Alexander Wilson Smart, father of Edward Alexander and Alfred Francis abandoned his family and moved to Perth in Western Australia where he was convicted of bigamy and murder and sentenced to death by hanging. Photo used on the cover of "We did open a school in Little Eltham", Eltham Primary School (2006) David Clark Head Teacher 1855-1888 and Assistant, Catherine Clark, his sister. Note: Photo is a Class not Grade (examination level). Photo taken c. 1886. Edward Alexander Smart was May Smart's father and Alfred Francis Smart her Uncle - Tommy the MilkmanSepia photographic print mounted on card Details on reverse re donor and Smart children identifiedeltham, state school no. 209, dalton street, alex smart, alfred (tommy) smart, alfred francis (tommmy) smart, david clark, edward alexander (alex) smart, eltham primary school, may smart, victoria may kamm (nee smart), alfred francis (tommy) smart, catherine clark, david george clark, eltham state school, eltham state school no. 209

Edith Cavell was born in England in 1865 and trained as a nurse in the late 1890s. She was also an accomplished linguist, musician and artist. In 1907 she was assisted in establishing a modern nursing system at the Berkendael Medical Institute in Brussels. At the outbreak of World War One she was left in charge of the hospital and what is now known as the Red Cross. During that time she assisted more than 200 Belgian, British and French soldiers who had been separated from their armies, or who had escaped German detention. In 1915, she was accused of conspiring to help prisoners escape, and was tried by a military court in Brussels. She was convicted and sentenced to death, along with four others. Cavell was executed by firing squad on 12 October 1915; she was still wearing her nurse’s uniform. Her body was returned to England in 1919, where a full military service was conducted at Westminster Abbey.colour photograph unmountedBase of the bust: Edith Cavell 1865-1915 Plaque on the plinth: Restored and located in the St Kilda Botanical Gardens in recognition of his mayoral year 1985-86. John Callanan, JP, Mayor. St Kilda Garden Festival 26th October 1986st kilda, st kilda botanical gardens, plaques, edith cavell, world war i

Cecil Rhodes was a British businessman, mining magnate and politician in South Africa. He was Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896. He believed in British Imperialism and he and his British South Africa Company formed the territory of Rhodesia in the early 1890s. He was forced to resign as Prime Minister in 1896 after the disastrous Jameson Raid, an unauthorised attack on Paul Kruger's South African Republic (Transvaal), which sent his brother to prison convicted of high treason and nearly sentenced to death. This event contributed to the outbreak of the Second Boer War. Rhodes went to Kimberley in a political move. During the war the military felt he was more of a liability than an asset and found him intolerable. The officer commanding the garrison of Kimberley, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Kekewich, experienced serious personal difficulties with Rhodes because of the latter's inability to co-operate. However, he still remained a leading figure in the politics of southern Africa. Rhodes was dogged by ill health his whole life. He died in 1902, aged 48, at his seaside cottage in Muizenberg. He was cared for by Leander Starr Jameson during his illness, becoming a trustee of his estate and residuary beneficiary of his will, which allowed him to continue living in Rhode's mansion after his death. His final will left a large area of land on the slopes of Table Mountain. Part of the estate became the upper campus of the University of Cape Town, another part became the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. The rest was spared development and is now an important conservation area. His will also provided for the establishment of the Rhodes Scholarship. Individual image from photographed poster of tobacco and cigarette cards.cecil rhodes, mining magnate south africa, politician south africa, prime minister cape colony, british south africa company, rhodesia, jameson raid, paul kruger, south africa republic, transvaal, second boer war, kimberley, robert kekewich, leander starr jameson, muizenberg, table mountain, university of cape town, kirstenbosch national garden

Established by George Guthrie in 1857 (about 5km north of its current site) and then again seven years later in 1864 after it initially closed, Bendigo Pottery remains one of the most influential and longest running Pottery’s in Australia. Over the years the Pottery has contributed to the growth and development of the district through both its products including building products, table ware and decorative and commemorative war as well as artistically, being responsible for training and supporting many potters locally. The City of Greater Bendigo has had a long history of partnering with Bendigo Pottery and the Civic Collection holds a number of important items within its collection. Ned Kelly is one of Australia's most iconic outlaws. Kelly was born and raised in rural Victoria, the third of eight children to Irish parents. His father, a transported convict, died in 1866, leaving Kelly, then aged 12, as the eldest male of the household. The Kelly's were a poor selector family who saw themselves as downtrodden by the squattocracy and as victims of persecution by the Victoria Police. While a teenager, Kelly was arrested for associating with bushranger Harry Power and served two prison terms for a variety of offences, the longest stretch being from 1871 to 1874. He later joined the "Greta Mob", a group of bush larrikins known for stock theft. A violent confrontation with a policeman occurred at the Kelly family's home in 1878, and Kelly was indicted for his attempted murder. Fleeing to the bush, Kelly vowed to avenge his mother, who was imprisoned for her role in the incident. After he, his brother Dan, and associates Joe Byrne and Steve Hart shot dead three policemen, the government of Victoria proclaimed them outlaws. Kelly died aged 25 at Melbourne Goal after being captured by Police in Glenrowan and sentenced to death. (Source Wikipedia).Brown glazed slip cast jug. Includes details which are iconic to the image of Ned Kelly including face and body armour pistol and gloves. Ned's left arm forms the handle.Verso; NED KELLY / Bendigo Pottery Epsom (stamp) Underside; Bendigo Pottery / Limited / Edition Series / 879 / 3000 / Australiacity of greater bendigo tourism, bendigo pottery

Catherine Waite married Hugh Hyndman in Albury in 1929 at the age of 23 years. She was a great granddaughter of John Waite and Mary Ann Robinson who settled in “Bungil” and became pioneers of the Upper Murray region of Victoria. John Waite was born in 1771 at Gravesend, Kent, England. He arrived in Sydney on 7th May 1804 from Sevenoaks, Kent, England on the convict ship "Coromandel" having been convicted of stealing two sheep. He was assigned to Dr Charles Throsby, surgeon, land holder and inland explorer. John Waite was granted an absolute pardon in 1818. John married Mary Robinson on 14th April 1812 at Windsor, NSW. Mary was the daughter of a member of the NSW Corps and an emancipated convict. John and Mary went on to have 14 children. The family of John Waite formed strong connections with the Hore family which also became prominent in the Upper Murray, Albury and Wodonga. John Hore (Hoare) Snr. of Wexford County, Ireland, was a volunteer in the English Navy for four years before being sentenced to death for mutiny. On appeal this was commuted to seven years’ transportation to Australia. In Australia several marriages occurred between the two families. After the journey of Hume and Hovell to Victoria, John Waite and the Hore family sought pastoral land further south. John Hore Jnr and his brothers Andrew, William, Thomas and Charles all settled in the Upper Murray. John and Elizabeth's son John Hore Jnr married Elizabeth Waite, a daughter of John and Mary Waite. This forged a family connection that would have an influence on the Upper Murray for generations to come. John Waite formed the Bungil run for his son-in-law John Hore, acquiring land through the Robertson Land Act of 1861 which enabled land owners to use relatives as "dummies" to help acquire land. When the “dummy” defaulted on the rent John Hore and other landowners were able to buy the land at reduced prices at auction. In this way the Hore family and their relatives established a large pastoral empire in the Upper Murray, including Bungil, Wagra and Cumberoona. Catherine Waite was born in Albury, NSW in 1905, great granddaughter of John Waite Snr and Mary Robinson. In 1929 she married Hugh Hyndman who before migrating to Australia from Northern Ireland had worked on the construction of the Titanic at the dockyards in Belfast. This dress is significant because it was worn by a descendant of two important pioneer families of the Upper Murray Region of Victoria.A wedding dress from the late 1920s made from peach coloured silk and lace. The bodice and sleeves feature a lace overlay which is repeated from hip length. It is matched with cloche style hat made from matching lace and decorated with ribbon, flowers and a bow.1920s wedding dress, waite family, hore family

This letter was written by Aida Duncan, to her daughters Lillie and Olive Duncan following the death of a family member - possibly an Uncle. This letter is of social and historic significance, being part of a sub-collection of material that provides a snapshot of the type of individuals involved in the Ladies Harbour Lights Guild and the activities carried out by that organisation.A letter hand written in black ink from Colaris Eglinton Street, Moonee Ponds addressed to "My Dearest Girls" and signed "Your loving Mother, A.D."The reverse of the letter has something barely legible written in pencil, believed to be a name. Below this inscription is also a sentence that reads "Lillie's Mother married to David Hood Duncan".lillie duncan, olive duncan, 20th century, letter, ada blanche duncan (nee thomson)

Hardback book with dustjacket. The dustjacket is cream in colour. Along the spine the title is printed in large black letters, followed by the author's name, and at the bottom is a white sticker with 'B45' handwritten in red texta. The front of the dustjacket shows a black and white photograph of a well-dressed lady sitting on a bench with a dog either side of her. Down the left side of the image is a vertical panel with seven red poppies. The title and author are printed across the bottom of the cover.non-fictionEdith Louisa Cavell (1865-1915) was a British nurse and patriot. She is celebrated for saving the lives of soldiers from all sides without distinction and in helping some 200 Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium during World War I, for which she was arrested. She was subsequently court-martialled, found guilty of treason and sentenced to death. Despite international pressure for mercy, she was shot by a German firing squad. Her execution received worldwide condemnation and extensive press coverage. - from Trove record. edith cavell, history of nursing, world war one 1914-1918, ww1, wwi

A group of five men dressed in hats and overcoats look at caged cockatoos. Research by project volunteer, Fiona Collyer: On 25 June 1934, new Victorian Governor, His Excellency Lord Huntingfield and his wife Lady Huntingfield made an official visit to the Melbourne Zoological Gardens in order to grant his patronage to the Royal Zoological and Acclimatisation Society. The zoo director, Mr. Andrew Wilkie, introduced them to the cockatoos in the flight aviary. The Argus newspaper reported the visit in the following morning’s issue: "Birds' Greeting To Governor. Visit to Zoological Gardens. "A Very Important Society." "Cheery shouts of "Hullo!" and requests for drinks greeted His Excellency the Governor (Lord Huntingfield) on one of his official visits yesterday morning. Lady Huntingfield, who accompanied him, was asked loudly for a kiss. They were inspecting the huge cockatoo aviary at the Zoological Gardens after Lord Huntingfield had granted his patronage to the Royal Zoological and Acclimatisation Society. Both obviously enjoyed the democratic experience. It was explained to them that most of the cockatoos had been presented by residents of flats, whose neighbours objected to the noise of the birds, while others were protected birds which had been surrendered. Lord Huntingfield recalled that he had taken two Australian cockatoos to England when he left Australia in his youth. One, a galah, had lived in England for many years." In 1929, the Zoo built a commodious new flight aviary at the cost of several thousand pounds and Zoo director, Mr Andrew Wilkie, sent out an appeal published in newspapers Australia-wide for donations of parrots from all states. Many of the parrot species he wanted were protected and a special permit needed for their capture, however Mr Wilkie guaranteed he would obtain authority from the Fisheries and Game Department and that the cost of transit would be borne by the Zoo. The wanted birds were "Parrots - Black-tailed, Rock Pebbler, King, Superb, Grass (all kinds), Swamp or Ground, Mallee or Ringneck" and "Cockatoo[s] - Black, Pink or Major Mitchell, Gang-Gang". The Zoo asked that the birds be sent in boxes large enough to prevent overcrowding, contain food and water and the Zoo notified on the type and number of birds in transit. All boxes were to be addressed to 'The Zoo, Melbourne'. A letter from a reader appeared in the Weekly Times newspaper's popular "Camp-fire Circle" page for "Young Australians", 11 May 1929: "Dear Pal, I am much interested in your page, especially the nature notes. I have a pet parrot, but I don’t like to see it shut up in a cage, so I am giving it to the Melbourne Zoo. It can whistle 'Pretty Joey' and 'What's the Matter with Father' and is just learning to whistle for the dog... Wishing you and the Camp-fire Circle success." - Murray Holmes (Gorae, Vic.) The fate of this talented parrot is unknown, however in 1932, this young naturist, T Murray Holmes, 1912-1947, collected for the first time a type specimen, blue star sun orchid from Gorae (near Portland, Victoria), and it was named in his honour, Thelymitra holmesii. Murray was described by orchid collector W H Nicholls as "a youthful and energetic orchidologist, who added much to our knowledge of the orchids of south-western Victoria." Murray Holmes enlisted in the army in 1941 and fought in the Middle East before being sent to Java. In 1942 he was captured by the Japanese and became a prisoner of war for three years, working on the notorious Thai-Burma railway. Murray's health was undermined though ill treatment and starvation and he returned to Australia after the war, broken and sick. He died aged 35 in 1947. He was intensely interested in the flora and fauna of the Gorae area to the end. Murray's parents received over 200 tributes of respect for their son - too many to answer personally so they put a notice in the Portland Guardian thanking "all kind friends and relatives for letters, cards, floral tributes and personal expressions of sympathy received in their recent sad bereavement - the lamented death of their loved son, Murray." Andrew Arthur Wellesley Wilkie, 1853-1948, was Director of the Melbourne Zoo from 1923 to 1936 and was associated with the zoo for 70 years. He first worked as a horticultural assistant to Government botanist Baron Ferdinand von Mueller at the Botanical Gardens at the age of 13, along with his older brother David. One of Andrew’s jobs was to capture moths for the National Herbarium. In 1857, a group of prominent Melburnians assembled at St. Patrick’s Hall to form the Zoological Society of Victoria, with the aim of introducing animals and plants from overseas. It was conceived, “For the purposes of science and for that of affording the public the advantages of studying the habits of the animal creation in properly arranged zoological gardens.” The Victorian Government granted 32 acres (13 hectares) of land to the Zoological Society at the southern end of Richmond Paddock on the opposite bank to the Botanical Gardens. (This is where AAMI Stadium and Collingwood Football Club now stand.) In 1861, the Zoological Society of Victoria was renamed The Acclimatisation Society of Victoria. Unfortunately the Yarra River frontage was damp, swampy and subject to flooding, so the animals were briefly housed at the Botanical Gardens until in 1862, the City of Melbourne donated 55 acres (22 hectares) of land at Royal Park for the fledgling zoo. Baron von Mueller secured employment at Royal Park for Andrew and David and they helped to lay out the gardens, plant trees and take care of a collection of deer, pheasants, hares and partridges. Initially the zoo was used for the acclimatisation of animals recovering from the long voyage to Australia and for breeding them for sport. In 1872, the zoo bought two lions, a leopard and a cheetah that had been seized from circus showmen Keith and Phillips when they were unable to pay the bill of butcher Mr T K Bennet of Bourke Street. The first zoo director, Mr. Albert Le Souef, negotiated with captains of ships to buy animals at overseas ports they visited and soon a multitude of exotic species arrived, including a ten-year-old Indian elephant in 1878. In 1923, after being head keeper for some years, Andrew was appointed director of the zoo. By 1933, the zoo had 110 different species of animals, 200 species of birds and 72 species of reptiles under Andrew’s care. He had personally planted all but six trees and laid out the garden beds. As director he lobbied authorities for funds to build more humane enclosures for the animals. In June 1928, Table Talk magazine wrote of Andrew Wilkie: “Up at the Zoo there is a humble gentleman who is a lion among the lions, who knows the proper specific to employ when the boa constrictor has chilblains, and who is a friend and confidant of Queenie the elephant. His fount of zoological lore has never been plumbed. It is bottomless, like his good fellowship and geniality. Every day he may be seen somewhere in the grounds of that growing sanctuary for the strange and arresting fauna and creeping things of the world, and I assure you as one who is privy to his passion that that area and its inhabitants are rarely out of his thoughts.” Andrew retired from the zoo in 1936 at the age of 83 and in 1948 died at his home in Brunswick aged 94. He and his wife Josephine had six children. The Victorian Acclimatisation Society was founded in 1861 by Edward Wilson, 1813-1878, then owner and editor of The Argus newspaper. He said that Australian indigenous animals were practically useless, providing only “a little sport and an occasional meal”. The Society believed that Australia’s plants and animals were vastly inferior to those in Europe. They wanted to introduce and acclimatise to Victoria “all innoxious animals, birds, fishes, insects and vegetables, whether useful or ornamental” for sport and for the table, and to spread indigenous animals and plants from the colony around the world. Their motto was “if it lives, we want it”. The Society was primarily responsible for introducing sparrows, starlings, sambar and hog deer, ostriches, brown trout, blackberries, and carp to the Murray River. They released the European songbirds, thrush and blackbird to quell the homesickness of British settlers. The Society also sent Australian animals like platypus, echidnas, kangaroos and koalas to Europe for scientific and novelty purposes. Thomas Austin, a wealthy sheep farmer of Barwon Park, Winchelsea (property now owned by the National Trust) was a member and in 1859 he introduced hares, blackbirds, thrushes and partridges onto his property. He is probably best known for introducing 24 breeding rabbits onto his estate as game for shooting parties. Thomas quipped, “The introduction of a few rabbits could do little harm and might provide a touch of home, in addition to a spot of hunting." In 2022, genomic data confirmed that Australia’s feral rabbit population is entirely descended from these rabbits. Biological control has brought the rabbit population down from an estimated high of 10 billion rabbits in the 1920s to approximately 200 million today, inhabiting 70% of Australian landmass (5.3 million square kilometres). In 1872, the Acclimatisation Society was renamed The Zoological and Acclimatisation Society of Victoria and they focused on importing exotic animals for display purposes to the zoo. In 1937, the Royal Acclimatisation Society of Victoria was recreated as the Zoological Board of Victoria with a focus on research of native animals threatened with extinction. In an editorial for The Argus newspaper, 16 March 1856, Edward Wilson lamented: "...this country has been shamelessly stolen from the blacks. Had they been like the New Zealanders or the North American Indians, we should have bought their land, and supplied them with the means of living when we took it... In less than twenty years we have nearly swept them off the face of the earth. We have shot them down like dogs. In the guise of friendship we have issued corrosion sublimate in their damper, and consigned whole tribes to the agonies of an excruciating death. We have made them drunkards, and infected them with disease which has rotted the bones of their adults, and made such few children as are born amongst them a sorrow and a torture from the very instant of their birth. We have made them outcasts on their own land, and are rapidly consigning them to entire annihilation. There are but a few of them left, comparatively. This is what we would do for that few. We would feed and clothe every one of them.” [Note: this last sentence is italicized in the original newspaper article text]. Lord Huntingfield, (William Charles Arcedeckne Vanneck) 1883-1969, Governor of Victoria 1934-1939, was a British Conservative Party politician and the first ever Australian-born Governor of an Australian state (although he was always considered British). He was patron of the Royal Zoological and Acclimatisation Society of Victoria and was acting Governor-General for six months during the absence of Lord Gowie in 1938. Lady Huntingfield (née Margaret Eleanor Crosby) 1884-1943, his American-born wife showed great interest in social welfare and the advancement of women and children. She was president of the City Newsboys Society and Patroness of the Girls Friendly Society. In 1937, rose breeder Alister Clark named a yellow hybrid tea rose for her. In 1940, the City of Melbourne opened the Lady Huntingfield Free Kindergarten in North Melbourne, now the Lady Huntingfield Early Learning and Family Services Centre. Lady Huntingfield died in London in 1943 after her house was bombed during a German airstrike. The Lady Huntingfield Memorial Scholarship was established after the City of Melbourne raised £1000 in a public appeal conducted in her memory for students undertaking a Social Work degree at the University of Melbourne. It is awarded annually to this day. The Queen Victoria Hospital named a bed in her honour. References: Prominent Personalities ANDREW WILKIE (1928, June 7). Table Talk (Melbourne, Vic. : 1885 - 1939), p. 15. Retrieved August 29, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article146562949 BIRDS' GREETING TO GOVERNOR (1934, June 26). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 6. Retrieved August 19, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10950051 Zoo Appealing For Parrots And Cockatoos To Fill Aviary For Children’s Instruction (1929, April 11). The Sun News-Pictorial (Melbourne, Vic. : 1922 - 1954; 1956), p. 31. Retrieved August 23, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article275757361 LETTERS FROM READERS (1929, May 11). Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954), p. 50. Retrieved October 6, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article223183144 Correspondence. (1929, April 18). Corryong Courier (Vic. : 1894 - 1945), p. 6. Retrieved August 30, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article269039262 'Edward Wilson (journalist)', Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Wilson_(journalist) 'Thomas Austin (pastoralist)', Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Austin_(pastoralist) 'The Acclimatisation Society was driven by misguided ideals about 'fixing nature' in Australia', ABC News, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-04/acclimatisation-society-introduced-species-history-listen/101588262? utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=safari Touching Canine Devotion. (1942, September 21). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 - 1953), p. 1 (EVENING). Retrieved October 6, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64381989 OBITUARY (1947, August 11). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 - 1953), p. 2 (EVENING). Retrieved August 26, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64412155 Family Notices (1947, September 11). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 - 1953), p. 2 (EVENING). Retrieved October 10, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64412476 'Thelymitra holmesii', Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelymitra_holmesii THE ABORIGINES. (1856, March 16). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 4. Retrieved September 28, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4833244Photographer notations on slide: "Vice Regal visit to zoo B42".zoos, governors, 1930-1939, cockatoos

Photographer notations on slide: "Vice Regal visit to zoo B42" Published: The Age, Tuesday 26 June 1934, page 11. Published title: VICE-ROYALTY GREETS THE KING OF THE BEASTS AT THE ZOO. Published caption: “Lord Huntingfield experienced a pleasant “induction ceremony” as Patron of the Royal Zoological and Acclimatisation Society yesterday, when he made a tour of the Zoological Gardens. The picture shows the Governor, accompanied by Lady Huntingfield, inspecting the King of the Beasts, who is submitting to a little playful treatment from the Director of the Gardens, Mr. Wilkie, while the Director whispers in his ear that a distinguished visitor has come to see him.” Trove article identifier: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204818472 Description: A man wearing a hat and suit strokes a caged lion, observed by a man in a hat, scarf and overcoat who is leaning on a walking stick, and a woman in a hat and coat, holding a handbag. They stand behind a protective rail. Research by project volunteer, Fiona Collyer: Andrew Arthur Wellesley Wilkie, 1853-1948, was Director of the Melbourne Zoo from 1923 to 1936 and was associated with the zoo for 70 years. He first worked as a horticultural assistant to Government botanist Baron Ferdinand von Mueller at the Botanical Gardens at the age of 13, along with his older brother David. One of Andrew’s jobs was to capture moths for the National Herbarium. In 1857, a group of prominent Melburnians assembled at St. Patrick’s Hall to form the Zoological Society of Victoria, with the aim of introducing animals and plants from overseas. It was conceived, “For the purposes of science and for that of affording the public the advantages of studying the habits of the animal creation in properly arranged zoological gardens.” The Victorian Government granted 32 acres (13 hectares) of land to the Zoological Society at the southern end of Richmond Paddock on the opposite bank to the Botanical Gardens. (This is where AAMI Stadium and Collingwood Football Club now stand.) In 1861, the Zoological Society of Victoria was renamed The Acclimatisation Society of Victoria. Unfortunately the Yarra River frontage was damp, swampy and subject to flooding, so the animals were briefly housed at the Botanical Gardens until in 1862, the City of Melbourne donated 55 acres (22 hectares) of land at Royal Park for the fledgling zoo. Baron von Mueller secured employment at Royal Park for Andrew and David and they helped to lay out the gardens, plant trees and take care of a collection of deer, pheasants, hares and partridges. Initially the zoo was used for the acclimatisation of animals recovering from the long voyage to Australia and for breeding them for sport. In 1872, the zoo bought two lions, a leopard and a cheetah that had been seized from circus showmen Keith and Phillips when they were unable to pay the bill of butcher Mr T K Bennet of Bourke Street. The first zoo director, Mr. Albert Le Souef, negotiated with captains of ships to buy animals at overseas ports they visited and soon a multitude of exotic species arrived, including a ten-year-old Indian elephant in 1878. In 1923, after being head keeper for some years, Andrew was appointed director of the zoo. By 1933, the zoo had 110 different species of animals, 200 species of birds and 72 species of reptiles under Andrew’s care. He had personally planted all but six trees and laid out the garden beds. As director he lobbied authorities for funds to build more humane enclosures for the animals. In June 1928, Table Talk magazine wrote of Andrew Wilkie: “Up at the Zoo there is a humble gentleman who is a lion among the lions, who knows the proper specific to employ when the boa constrictor has chilblains, and who is a friend and confidant of Queenie the elephant. His fount of zoological lore has never been plumbed. It is bottomless, like his good fellowship and geniality. Every day he may be seen somewhere in the grounds of that growing sanctuary for the strange and arresting fauna and creeping things of the world, and I assure you as one who is privy to his passion that that area and its inhabitants are rarely out of his thoughts.” Andrew retired from the zoo in 1936 at the age of 83 and in 1948 died at his home in Brunswick aged 94. He and his wife Josephine had six children. Roy, aged 28 in 1934, was a former Wirth’s circus lion who had been left at the zoo at 10 years of age. Andrew visited Roy every day on his rounds and the pair formed a close and affectionate bond. Wireless Weekly magazine in February 1933 reported, “Roy was delighted to see Mr Wilkie, and in a docile manner, approached the bars of his cage and had his head vigorously rubbed by the director, who daily carries out this act of kindness.” As reported in The Herald on 27 October 1936, “Mr Wilkie has also found the old lion docile. He has not shown the animal any particular favouritism, but the lion has shown him a faithfulness that none of the keepers can claim. When Mr Wilkie approaches the bars the lion rolls over and lets the director stroke him and pull his tail. He gets very excited if Mr Wilkie passes without climbing over the protecting rail for a little game.” A 1930 newsreel film shows Andrew stroking Roy’s mane through the bars and the blissed out big cat lying on his back while lifting his chin for a rub. Another newsreel film from the time shows Andrew stroking a lioness and playfully pulling her tail. The Victorian Acclimatisation Society was founded in 1861 by Edward Wilson, 1813-1878, then owner and editor of The Argus newspaper. He said that Australian indigenous animals were practically useless, providing only “a little sport and an occasional meal”. The Society believed that Australia’s plants and animals were vastly inferior to those in Europe. They wanted to introduce and acclimatise to Victoria “all innoxious animals, birds, fishes, insects and vegetables, whether useful or ornamental” for sport and for the table, and to spread indigenous animals and plants from the colony around the world. Their motto was “if it lives, we want it”. The Society was primarily responsible for introducing sparrows, starlings, sambar and hog deer, ostriches, brown trout, blackberries, and carp to the Murray River. They released the European songbirds, thrush and blackbird to quell the homesickness of British settlers. The Society also sent Australian animals like platypus, echidnas, kangaroos and koalas to Europe for scientific and novelty purposes. Thomas Austin, a wealthy sheep farmer of Barwon Park, Winchelsea (property now owned by the National Trust) was a member and in 1859 he introduced hares, blackbirds, thrushes and partridges onto his property. He is probably best known for introducing 24 breeding rabbits onto his estate as game for shooting parties. Thomas quipped, “The introduction of a few rabbits could do little harm and might provide a touch of home, in addition to a spot of hunting." In 2022, genomic data confirmed that Australia’s feral rabbit population is entirely descended from these rabbits. Biological control has brought the rabbit population down from an estimated high of 10 billion rabbits in the 1920s to approximately 200 million today, inhabiting 70% of Australian landmass (5.3 million square kilometres). In 1872, the Acclimatisation Society was renamed The Zoological and Acclimatisation Society of Victoria and they focused on importing exotic animals for display purposes to the zoo. In 1937, the Royal Acclimatisation Society of Victoria was recreated as the Zoological Board of Victoria with a focus on research of native animals threatened with extinction. In an editorial for The Argus newspaper, 16 March 1856, Edward Wilson lamented: "…this country has been shamelessly stolen from the blacks. Had they been like the New Zealanders or the North American Indians, we should have bought their land, and supplied them with the means of living when we took it... In less than twenty years we have nearly swept them off the face of the earth. We have shot them down like dogs. In the guise of friendship we have issued corrosion sublimate in their damper, and consigned whole tribes to the agonies of an excruciating death. We have made them drunkards, and infected them with disease which has rotted the bones of their adults, and made such few children as are born amongst them a sorrow and a torture from the very instant of their birth. We have made them outcasts on their own land, and are rapidly consigning them to entire annihilation. There are but a few of them left, comparatively. This is what we would do for that few. We would feed and clothe every one of them.” [Note: this last sentence is italicized in the original newspaper article text]. Lord Huntingfield, (William Charles Arcedeckne Vanneck) 1883-1969, Governor of Victoria 1934-1939, was a British Conservative Party politician and the first ever Australian-born Governor of an Australian state (although he was always considered British). He was patron of the Royal Zoological and Acclimatisation Society of Victoria and was acting Governor-General for six months during the absence of Lord Gowie in 1938. Lady Huntingfield (née Margaret Eleanor Crosby) 1884-1943, his American-born wife showed great interest in social welfare and the advancement of women and children. She was president of the City Newsboys Society and Patroness of the Girls Friendly Society. In 1937, rose breeder Alister Clark named a yellow hybrid tea rose for her. In 1940, the City of Melbourne opened the Lady Huntingfield Free Kindergarten in North Melbourne, now the Lady Huntingfield Early Learning and Family Services Centre. Lady Huntingfield died in London in 1943 after her house was bombed during a German airstrike. The Lady Huntingfield Memorial Scholarship was established after the City of Melbourne raised £1000 in a public appeal conducted in her memory for students undertaking a Social Work degree at the University of Melbourne. It is awarded annually to this day. The Queen Victoria Hospital named a bed in her honour. References: VICE-ROYALTY GREETS THE KING OF BEASTS AT THE ZOO. (1934, June 26). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 11. Retrieved August 18, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204818472 Prominent Personalities ANDREW WILKIE (1928, June 7). Table Talk (Melbourne, Vic. : 1885 - 1939), p. 15. Retrieved August 29, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article146562949 'Thomas Austin (pastoralist)', Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Austin_(pastoralist) 'Edward Wilson (journalist)', Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Wilson_(journalist) THE WOMAN'S WORLD (1934, June 26). The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954), p. 14. Retrieved August 19, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article243164806 MR. WILKIE CAN PULL THE OLD LION'S TAIL (1936, October 27). The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954), p. 4. Retrieved August 18, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article248551307 Director Of Zoo Will Retire Tomorrow--With White Kitten (1936, December 30). The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954), p. 8. Retrieved August 18, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article244655203 LIGHT CAR CLUB IN CARICATURE (1931, August 25). The Sun News-Pictorial (Melbourne, Vic. : 1922 - 1954; 1956), p. 24. Retrieved August 19, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article276250310 'The Acclimatisation Society was driven by misguided ideals about 'fixing nature' in Australia', ABC News, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-04/acclimatisation-society-introduced-species-history-listen/101588262?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=safari 'Dr Andrew Wilkie Director Of Melbourne Zoo, With Lion (1930) Video', Pond5 Inc., https://www.pond5.com/stock-footage/item/155691351-dr-andrew-wilkie-director-melbourne-zoo-lion-1930 'Kodak Cinegraph Compilation No 12', ACMI Collection, YouTube.com [Zoo footage at 8.33 minutes, Mr Wilkie at 11.04 minutes], https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZZqgSNsP0k THE ABORIGINES. (1856, March 16). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 4. Retrieved September 28, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4833244Photographer notations on slide: "Vice Regal visit to zoo B42".1930-1939, melbourne zoo, animals, hunting, wildlife, royal park, gardens

Imprisioned and tortured by the South Vietnamese soldiers, sentenced to death by the Viet Cong, Le Ly Hayslip quickly learnt how to survive in wartorn Vietnam. Escaping to the United States, she thought whe was swapping hell for heaven.south vietnamese soldier, viet cong, le ly hayslip, tortured, rescued prisoners

Stapled booklet with grey cover and black print. Title, authors name, 'Norwich Cathedral' and price printed on front covernon-fictionEdith Cavell, birn 1865, trained at the London Hospital, in 1906 she asked to oversee a surgical and medical home in Brussles, Belgium. After the German occupation of Belgium, she became involved in an underground group formed to help British, French, and Belgian soldiers reach the Netherlands, a neutral country. The soldiers were sheltered at the Berkendael Institute, which had become a Red Cross hospital, and were provided with money and guides by Philippe Baucq, a Belgian. About 200 men had been aided when, in August 1915, Cavell and several others were arrested. The group was brought before a court-martial on October 7, 1915. On October 9, Cavell, after making a full confession, was sentenced to death. Three days later she and Baucq were shot, despite the efforts of the U.S. and Spanish ministers to secure a reprieve. The group was brought before a court-martial on October 7, 1915. On October 9, Cavell, after making a full confession, was sentenced to death. Three days later she and Baucq were shot, despite the efforts of the U.S. and Spanish ministers to secure a reprieve. Though legally justified, her execution on a charge that did not includeedith cavell, world war 1914-1918

Oblong shaped sampler with the alphabet embroidered (both upper and lower case). Also numbers 1-12 embroidered. 'Life is uncertain death is sure, sin is the wound and Christ the cure'. is embroidered under the numbers with a longer verse below. 'Mary Barton finished this in the year of our Lord 1817 'is at the bottom of sampler. A vase of flowers is embroidered on each side of final sentence.domestic items, sewing, handcrafts, embroidery

Published: (1934, June 26). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 11. Published title: VICE-ROYALTY GREETS THE KING OF THE BEASTS AT THE ZOO. Published caption: Lord Huntingfield experienced a pleasant “induction ceremony” as Patron of the Royal Zoological and Acclimatisation Society yesterday, when he made a tour of the Zoological Gardens. The picture shows the Governor, accompanied by Lady Huntingfield, inspecting the King of Beasts, who is submitting to a little playful treatment from the Director of the Gardens, Mr. Wilkie, while the Director whispers in his ear that a distinguished visitor has come to see him. (Inset), is a picture of Lord Huntingfield greeting one of the Koalas. Trove article identifier: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204818472 Description: A man wearing a hat, scarf and overcoat reaches up to pat a koala in a tree watched by a man in a hat and suit. Research by project volunteer, Fiona Collyer: In 1932, the Zoo built an Australian native animal enclosure which visitors could enter and closely view koalas, wallabies, kookaburras and magpies all placed together. The branches of the trees in the enclosure were cut so that visitors could easily see and feed the koalas sitting in them. The cost to feed each koala fresh gum leaves was fifteen shillings per week. By 1924, Queensland was the last stronghold in Australia for the koala. They were functionally extinct in South Australia, only a few hundred in NSW, and an estimated population of 1000 animals remained in Victoria. There had been a six-month open season on koalas in Queensland in 1919 where over a million had been slaughtered, however with its vast, dense forests it was impossible to accurately know their numbers. Koala fur is tough, warm and waterproof and was in high demand from consumers in Canada, Britain and the US to make hats and gloves and for lining greatcoats. In 1927, with Queensland suffering a crippling drought and high unemployment, the cash-strapped McCormack Labor Government declared an “Open Season” on koalas and “opossums” for their skins, for the month of August. (Possums were often called “opossums” at this time but they are actually possums). There were widespread protests from many groups including the Nature Lovers League, Wild Life Preservation Society of Australia, Queensland Museum, C.W.A. Royal Australian Ornithologist Union, Boy Scouts, religious and women’s groups. There were letters to newspapers from ordinary people, editorials and pleas to women to refuse to wear or purchase koala fur. People questioned the masculinity of koala hunters as it was felt that no proper bushman or sportsman would kill such a defenceless creature. The Brisbane Courier newspaper led the campaign, devoting six columns a day to “Spare the Bear”. Author Vance Palmer sent an impassioned letter to the editor of the The Brisbane Courier, 19 July 1927: “Sir- It is be hoped that the disgust which all humane people have felt at the declaration of an open season for native bears in August will not be allowed to fade away until some protest... so overwhelming and effective that the question will never be raised again. For the shooting of our harmless and loveable native bear is nothing less than barbarous. His case is entirely different from that of other furred animals. No one has ever accused him of spoiling the farmers’ wheat, eating the squatters’ grass or even spreading the prickly pear. There is not a social vice that can be put down to his account. In addition, he is comparatively defenceless. He affords no sport to the gunman, and can be trusted to present a sitting target to the creature mean enough to aim at him. For this reason he has been almost blotted out already from some areas, in days when our fauna and flora were held in such little regard that the settlers’ first instinct was to shoot every strange animal and to sink his axe into every unfamiliar tree.” The Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane, Gerald Sharp, had his letter published in The Brisbane Courier on 16 July 1927: “Sir... The extermination of fauna so distinctive of our country, especially of such harmless and pretty creatures as our native bears, seems to me a shameful thing, and this is likely to mean their extermination.” But it was all to no avail. Known as “Black August”, the government was unmoved by the public’s outrage. 10,000 licences were issued to hunters and “the slaughter of the innocents” went ahead. The newspapers were full of stories of dreadful cruelty against the helpless, benign creatures by the heartless hunters who not only used guns and spotlights but wire snares and cyanide baits so that pelts wouldn’t be damaged. Infant koalas were left orphaned and unlikely to survive without their mothers. Top quality pelts were sold at an average price of 56 shillings and 9 pence per dozen, poor quality skins for as little as 2 1/2 pence each. In December 1927, the Minister for Agriculture and Stock, Mr W. Forgan Smith told the Parliament that during the August open season 597,985 koala pelts worth £139,595 had netted the state’s coffers £6000. 952,194 “opossum” pelts were sold and £9000 made for the State. The backlash that followed helped topple the Queensland Labor Government in 1929. The Wild Life Preservation Society of Australia lobbied the Prime Minister Mr Stanley Bruce to refuse to issue exportation permits for koala pelts and from 10 November 1927 the Commonwealth Government suspended the issuing of permits. In 1930, the Society made a direct appeal to USA President Herbert Hoover and he signed an order prohibiting the importation of koala and wombat fur to USA, eliminating a major market. Koala pelts were often deliberately mislabelled “wombat” to get around restrictions. The ban most likely saved the koala from probable extinction. Three years later the Australian Federal Government banned the export of koala products. This movement against koala killing was really the first conservation campaign in Australia. It raised awareness of the vulnerability of a beloved animal and eventually brought about national parks and national laws for their protection. By 1936, community opposition to possum open seasons was beginning. The koala was made a Protected Species in all states in 1937, meaning no one is allowed to harm a koala, however the laws protecting the gum trees they rely on for food and shelter are weak. The Australian Government estimates the wild koala population in Australia is between 225,000 and 500,000 in 2024. The Australian Koala Foundation estimates the national population at less than 60,000 in 2021 with a 30% decline in three years. Habitat loss from land clearing, dog attacks, road deaths, chlamydia, bushfires and drought exacerbated by climate change, continues to cause their decline. Over eight million koalas were killed for their pelts between 1888 and 1927. Any one of the annual harvests killed more koalas than are alive now. At this time, children were also being taught to appreciate Australian native animals. In 1933, “Blinky Bill: The Quaint Little Australian” book for children was published by Angus and Robertson. It was written and illustrated by New Zealand-born author Dorothy Wall and “Dedicated to my son Peter and all other Peters and Johns and Bobs and Toms and Marys and Bettys and Joans and Pats and all kind children.” The book tells the story of Blinky Bill - a mischievous, patched knickerbocker-wearing koala and his mother and father. The story has messages of conservation and instances of human unkindness and cruelty. Mr. and Mrs. Koala and young Blinky lead a mostly idyllic family life amongst a variety of other animals in the forest. However it all changes in chapter two, when Blinky Bill’s father is distressingly shot by a hunter. There is a harrowing description of Mr. Koala’s shooting and eventual death. “The Koala family lived so happily; never thinking of harm, or that anything could happen to disturb their little home, as all they asked for were plenty of fresh gum-leaves and the warm sun. They had no idea such things as guns were in the world or that a human being had a heart so cruel that he would take a pleasure in seeing a poor little body riddled with bullets hanging helplessly from the tree-top... That same being might just as well take his gun and shoot baby kookaburras, so helpless were they all and so trusting.” “Poor Mr. Koala one day was curled up asleep in his favourite corner, when the terrible thing happened. Bang! He opened his eyes in wonder. What was that? Did the limb of the tree snap where that young cub of his was skylarking? ... bang! again. This time he felt a stinging pain in his leg... Peering over the bough of the tree he saw a man on the ground with something long and black in his arms... Another bang and his ear began to hurt. Bang! again and now his little body was stinging all over. He grunted loudly and slowly climbed up the tree, calling Mrs. Koala and Blinky as he went. He managed to reach the topmost branch... Tears were pouring down his poor little face. He brushed them away with his front paws and cried just like a baby. Fortunately Mrs. Koala and Blinky Bill were hiding in the leaves quite motionless, and the shadows of the tree made them appear as part of it. The man with the gun stood and waited a long time, then walked away, whistling as he went - the only sound to be heard in the bush except the cries of the little bear far up in the tree.” Blinky and his mother quietly and fearfully wait for Mr. Koala to wake. In the morning, grunting and crying, they feel his lifeless body with their paws. Eventually Mrs. Koala realises that her husband is dead and that they need to move to a safe place. After travelling deeper into the forest, Mrs. Koala and Blinky meet koalas Mrs. Grunty and her son Snubby and she describes how she was captured as a baby by koala fur trappers to be a pet for a little girl. The trapper forgot to bring gum leaves for the koala so they try to feed her cake, milk and bananas, making her sick. The little girl’s father relays something he read in the paper: “During the year 1920 to 1921, two hundred and five thousand six hundred and seventy-nine koalas were killed and their skins sold to the fur market, under the name of wombat.” They place the koala in a box with a teddy bear for company. The baby koala’s health deteriorates and the alarmed trapper returns her to the bush. Mrs. Grunty tells Mrs. Koala that she and Blinky are the only bears that she has seen for ten years: “I remember well the little girl’s father telling her... that not so many years ago the bush was alive with us bears, from Queensland to the south of Victoria. Now, we are so rare that we have become a curiosity, something to put in zoos, for children to see; and actually in museums. I believe our grandparents sit there in glass cases, stuffed with something inside to make them appear alive, and, oh dear, glass eyes. In New South Wales, I think we could wander for miles from one corner to another and never meet a bear. I don’t know why we were all killed. As you know, we don’t eat the farmers’ crop or ruin their orchards. All we asked for were our own gum-trees.” At the end of the book, Dorothy tells her readers - “The kindest action of all would be to leave the koala baby in his own bushland, among his own playmates, with the sun, the sky, the birds, and the gum-trees, where he will grow to manhood and live for many years - happy as he should be.” In 1934, a “Wild Zoo”, the Sir Colin Mackenzie Sanctuary, opened on 32 hectares of land, formerly part of Coranderrk Aboriginal Reserve in the Yarra Valley, exclusively displaying Australian native animals, birds and reptiles. It was later renamed Healesville Sanctuary and is now managed by Melbourne Zoo and home to over 200 species of Australian native fauna. The Sanctuary is committed to rescuing, breeding, researching and raising awareness of the vulnerability of Australian animals. Andrew Arthur Wellesley Wilkie, 1853-1948, was Director of the Melbourne Zoo from 1923 to 1936 and was associated with the zoo for 70 years. He first worked as a horticultural assistant to Government botanist Baron Ferdinand von Mueller at the Botanical Gardens at the age of 13, along with his older brother David. One of Andrew’s jobs was to capture moths for the National Herbarium. In 1857, a group of prominent Melburnians assembled at St. Patrick’s Hall to form the Zoological Society of Victoria, with the aim of introducing animals and plants from overseas. It was conceived, “For the purposes of science and for that of affording the public the advantages of studying the habits of the animal creation in properly arranged zoological gardens.” The Victorian Government granted 32 acres (13 hectares) of land to the Zoological Society at the southern end of Richmond Paddock on the opposite bank to the Botanical Gardens. (This is where AAMI Stadium and Collingwood Football Club now stand.) In 1861, the Zoological Society of Victoria was renamed The Acclimatisation Society of Victoria. Unfortunately the Yarra River frontage was damp, swampy and subject to flooding, so the animals were briefly housed at the Botanical Gardens until in 1862, the City of Melbourne donated 55 acres (22 hectares) of land at Royal Park for the fledgling zoo. Baron von Mueller secured employment at Royal Park for Andrew and David and they helped to lay out the gardens, plant trees and take care of a collection of deer, pheasants, hares and partridges. Initially the zoo was used for the acclimatisation of animals recovering from the long voyage to Australia and for breeding them for sport. In 1872, the zoo bought two lions, a leopard and a cheetah that had been seized from circus showmen Keith and Phillips when they were unable to pay the bill of butcher Mr T K Bennet of Bourke Street. The first zoo director, Mr. Albert Le Souef, negotiated with captains of ships to buy animals at overseas ports they visited and soon a multitude of exotic species arrived, including a ten-year-old Indian elephant in 1878. In 1923, after being head keeper for some years, Andrew was appointed director of the zoo. By 1933, the zoo had 110 different species of animals, 200 species of birds and 72 species of reptiles under Andrew’s care. He had personally planted all but six trees and laid out the garden beds. As director he lobbied authorities for funds to build more humane enclosures for the animals. In June 1928, Table Talk magazine wrote of Andrew Wilkie: “Up at the Zoo there is a humble gentleman who is a lion among the lions, who knows the proper specific to employ when the boa constrictor has chilblains, and who is a friend and confidant of Queenie the elephant. His fount of zoological lore has never been plumbed. It is bottomless, like his good fellowship and geniality. Every day he may be seen somewhere in the grounds of that growing sanctuary for the strange and arresting fauna and creeping things of the world, and I assure you as one who is privy to his passion that that area and its inhabitants are rarely out of his thoughts.” Andrew retired from the zoo in 1936 at the age of 83 and in 1948 died at his home in Brunswick aged 94. He and his wife Josephine had six children. The Victorian Acclimatisation Society was founded in 1861 by Edward Wilson, 1813-1878, then owner and editor of The Argus newspaper. He said that Australian indigenous animals were practically useless, providing only “a little sport and an occasional meal”. The Society believed that Australia’s plants and animals were vastly inferior to those in Europe. They wanted to introduce and acclimatise to Victoria “all innoxious animals, birds, fishes, insects and vegetables, whether useful or ornamental” for sport and for the table, and to spread indigenous animals and plants from the colony around the world. Their motto was “if it lives, we want it”. The Society was primarily responsible for introducing sparrows, starlings, sambar and hog deer, ostriches, brown trout, blackberries, and carp to the Murray River. They released the European songbirds, thrush and blackbird to quell the homesickness of British settlers. The Society also sent Australian animals like platypus, echidnas, kangaroos and koalas to Europe for scientific and novelty purposes. Thomas Austin, a wealthy sheep farmer of Barwon Park, Winchelsea (property now owned by the National Trust) was a member and in 1859 he introduced hares, blackbirds, thrushes and partridges onto his property. He is probably best known for introducing 24 breeding rabbits onto his estate as game for shooting parties. Thomas quipped, “The introduction of a few rabbits could do little harm and might provide a touch of home, in addition to a spot of hunting." In 2022, genomic data confirmed that Australia’s feral rabbit population is entirely descended from these rabbits. Biological control has brought the rabbit population down from an estimated high of 10 billion rabbits in the 1920s to approximately 200 million today, inhabiting 70% of Australian landmass (5.3 million square kilometres). In 1872, the Acclimatisation Society was renamed The Zoological and Acclimatisation Society of Victoria and they focused on importing exotic animals for display purposes to the zoo. In 1937, the Royal Acclimatisation Society of Victoria was recreated as the Zoological Board of Victoria with a focus on research of native animals threatened with extinction. In an editorial for The Argus newspaper, 16 March 1856, Edward Wilson lamented: "...this country has been shamelessly stolen from the blacks. Had they been like the New Zealanders or the North American Indians, we should have bought their land, and supplied them with the means of living when we took it... In less than twenty years we have nearly swept them off the face of the earth. We have shot them down like dogs. In the guise of friendship we have issued corrosion sublimate in their damper, and consigned whole tribes to the agonies of an excruciating death. We have made them drunkards, and infected them with disease which has rotted the bones of their adults, and made such few children as are born amongst them a sorrow and a torture from the very instant of their birth. We have made them outcasts on their own land, and are rapidly consigning them to entire annihilation. There are but a few of them left, comparatively. This is what we would do for that few. We would feed and clothe every one of them.” [Note: this last sentence is italicized in the original newspaper article text]. Lord Huntingfield, (William Charles Arcedeckne Vanneck) 1883-1969, Governor of Victoria 1934-1939, was a British Conservative Party politician and the first ever Australian-born Governor of an Australian state (although he was always considered British). He was patron of the Royal Zoological and Acclimatisation Society of Victoria and was acting Governor-General for six months during the absence of Lord Gowie in 1938. Lady Huntingfield (née Margaret Eleanor Crosby) 1884-1943, his American-born wife showed great interest in social welfare and the advancement of women and children. She was president of the City Newsboys Society and Patroness of the Girls Friendly Society. In 1937, rose breeder Alister Clark named a yellow hybrid tea rose for her. In 1940, the City of Melbourne opened the Lady Huntingfield Free Kindergarten in North Melbourne, now the Lady Huntingfield Early Learning and Family Services Centre. Lady Huntingfield died in London in 1943 after her house was bombed during a German airstrike. The Lady Huntingfield Memorial Scholarship was established after the City of Melbourne raised £1000 in a public appeal conducted in her memory for students undertaking a Social Work degree at the University of Melbourne. It is awarded annually to this day. The Queen Victoria Hospital named a bed in her honour. References: VICE-ROYALTY GREETS THE KING OF BEASTS AT THE ZOO. (1934, June 26). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 11. Retrieved August 23, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204818472 Prominent Personalities ANDREW WILKIE (1928, June 7). Table Talk (Melbourne, Vic. : 1885 - 1939), p. 15. Retrieved August 29, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article146562949 'Edward Wilson (journalist)', Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Wilson_(journalist) 'Thomas Austin (pastoralist)', Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Austin_(pastoralist) 'The Acclimatisation Society was driven by misguided ideals about 'fixing nature' in Australia', ABC News, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-04/acclimatisation-society-introduced-species-history-listen/101588262?utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_news_web Blinky Bill: the quaint little Australian (eBook); by Dorothy Wall, 1933, 2023, Project Gutenberg Australia, https://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks04/0400571h.html "Black August": Queensland's Open Season on koalas in 1927 (thesis); Glenn Fowler, 1993, Australian National University, https://www.savethekoala.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Black-August.pdf Unfair game: Queensland's Open Season on koalas in 1927; Jacqui Donegan, 2000, University of Queensland, https://mesto-ku.narod.ru/koalas.pdf OPEN SEASON CONDEMNED. (1927, July 19). The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), p. 15. Retrieved September 5, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article21863465 COUNTRY WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION. (1927, July 30). The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), p. 25. Retrieved September 20, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article21866965 AUSTRALIA: Barnardo's children at Melbourne Park Zoo (1929), British Pathé, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Wcrbo_cHpI 'Kodak Cinegraph Compilation No 8', ACMI Collection, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCrBng5RwFI KOALA SKINS. EXPORT BAN SOUGHT. (1927, August 4). The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), p. 10. Retrieved September 15, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article21868746 THE ABORIGINES. (1856, March 16). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 5. Retrieved September 28, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4833244 Koala Bears (1937), British Pathé, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbqgMtyuzwE Australian Koala Bear (Earliest Archive Footage: 1929), Pond5, https://www.pond5.com/stock-footage/item/152767491-australian-koala-bear-earliest-archive-footage-1929Photographer notations on slide: "Vice Regal visit to zoo B42".1930-1939, zoos, governors, koalas, conservation, possums, botanic gardens

Photographer notations on slide: "Vice Regal visit to Zoo B42" Not published. Description: A group of men and one woman all dressed in hats and overcoats stand by a wire fence while watching an emu. Research by project volunteer, Fiona Collyer: On 25 June 1934, new Victorian Governor, His Excellency Lord Huntingfield and his wife Lady Huntingfield made an official visit to the Melbourne Zoological Gardens in order to grant his patronage to the Royal Zoological and Acclimatisation Society. During the visit, zoo director Mr. Andrew Wilkie introduced them to some of the zoo’s inhabitants, including an emu. After the First World War, many returned soldiers took up the Government’s offer of land in the Soldier Settlement Scheme. Most of the veterans had little or no farming experience and much of the land offered was of poor quality, with blocks often too small to be viable. Many of the settlers had ongoing physical and mental injuries from the war. The Western Australian government allocated land to 5000 former soldiers but by 1929, one quarter of the men had already abandoned their land, unable to make a living. Not only was the world economy struggling with the Great Depression, but the settlers also had to contend with plummeting wheat and wool prices, crippling drought and rabbit infestation. The Scullin Government (Oct 1929-Jan 1932) had promised subsidies to the Western Australian farmers if they increased their wheat crops but were unable to pass the legislation in the Senate. The new Lyons Government (Jan 1932-April 1939) abandoned the legislation and the subsidies were never paid, bringing calls from Western Australia of secession from Australia. In October 1932, a deputation of soldier settlers from the Campion wheatbelt region in Western Australia, petitioned Commonwealth Minister for Defence, Western Australian Senator Sir George Pearce, for assistance. A mob of 20,000 emus were migrating to the coast after breeding and were gathering along the eastern side of the Number 1 Rabbit Proof Fence, attracted to the ripening crops and the dams the farmers had built. They were heading towards Campion, 303 kilometres east of Perth, eating and trampling the wheat, destroying the fences and letting the rabbits in. Having witnessed firsthand the effectiveness of machine guns in killing people in war, the former soldiers thought the guns would be ideal for killing emus. Sir George, wanting to demonstrate that his government was sympathetic to the settlers and hoping to quell Western Australian succession talk, agreed. However, he stipulated that no expense would be incurred by the Commonwealth Government and only active military personnel could use the machine guns. The farmers had to pay for the ammunition, food and accommodation for the military for the length of the operation. The cost for the ammunition was £50 for 10,000 rounds. Sir George also felt the operation would provide excellent target practice for the soldiers! The operation was headed by Major Gwynydd Purves Wynn-Aubrey Meredith, 1887-1975, of the Seventh Heavy Battery of the Royal Australian Artillery, and assisted by Sergeant S. McMurray and Gunner J. O'Halloran. They were equipped with two American-designed Lewis light machine guns and 10,000 rounds. Each magazine held 47 rounds of ammunition and the gun was capable of firing 500 to 600 rounds per minute with effective firing range of 800 metres. A cinematographer from British Movietone News accompanied the soldiers in order to record what was expected to be not only an easy victory but also useful propaganda for both the military and the Lyons Government. Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae, meaning New Holland Racer) is a species of long-necked flightless bird endemic to Australia. The Tasmanian and the dwarf King and Kangaroo Island subspecies were hunted to extinction after the European settlement of Australia. It is the second largest bird in the world after the ostrich, standing up to 1.9 metres tall and weighing up to 50 kilograms. The Emu has long, powerful legs with three forward facing toes and is the only bird with calf muscles. It is able to jump 2.1 metres into the air and run 50 kilometres per hour. It communicates by drumming and booming through an inflatable neck sac which can be heard up to two kilometres away. Along with its tough hide and a body more feathers than flesh, the emu can be a tricky target. Emus had been a protected native species until 1922, when the government changed their status to “vermin” in response to the emus breaking down fences and destroying crops. Major Meredith told the press that Colonel Oswald V. Hoad of the 1st Cavalry Division NSW had especially requested he send 100 emu skins to replenish the plumage on his Light Horsemen’s hat tops. On the first day of the Emu War, 2 November 1932, Major Meredith spotted a mob of emus out of range of the guns, so he asked the farmers to use their vehicles to drive the emus towards the fence and the guns. The panicked birds split into small groups, kicking up the dust and scattering every which way. Only six were killed, though some were wounded. After that, the emus became very wary of humans. On 4 November, Major Meredith staged a dawn ambush at a dam. As 1000 emus approached to drink, the soldiers opened fire, killing 12 emus. After reloading, the gun jammed and the emus dispersed in all directions, and were not sighted again that day. The West Australian newspaper reported on 4 November 1932 that, “The emus have proved that they are not so stupid as they are usually considered to be. Each mob has its leader, always an enormous black-plumed bird standing fully six-feet high, who keeps watch while his fellows busy themselves with the wheat. At the first suspicious sign, he gives the signal, and dozens of heads stretch up out of the crop. A few birds will take fright, starting a headlong stampede for the scrub, the leader always remaining until his followers have reached safety.” In a later attempt, they mounted a gun onto the bed of a truck in order to chase and mow down the birds. However the truck couldn’t drive fast enough over the rough terrain and it was too bumpy to fire the gun accurately. The birds easily outran the truck except for one hapless emu who faltered while being chased and fell under the truck, its body wedging in the steering gear, causing the driver to crash the truck, and bringing down half a chain of the rabbit proof fence. RSPCA inspector Mr. Arthur Austin arrived with a rifle and knife in order to finish the work of the Lewis guns and dispatch injured emus. He said that while his society was sympathetic to the stricken settlers, he was anxious that wounded birds should not be left to suffer. Major Meredith told the inspector, “What speed can you run? You have to be better than Peter Pan if you want to catch wounded emus that make for the scrub.” (Racehorse “Peter Pan” had won the 1932 Melbourne Cup a few weeks earlier.) The commentator of the British Movietime newsreel uses a jocular tone to optimistically proclaim, “The scouts [emus] of the advancing army have keen eyesight, and in order to get close to the main body, our lads have to do some real stalking, with the enemy watching events through their periscopes raised up over the heads of corn... Instead of the birds ruining the farmers, tables are turned, there will be no more damage down here for many a day to come once the enemy is eliminated.” Emus proved tougher adversaries than expected, barely breaking stride even when badly injured from machine gun bullets, and the suspicious emus soon learnt to stay out of range of the men and their guns. Meanwhile, in the eastern states concern was being expressed about the cruelty of machine-gunning the native birds. Senator James Guthrie UAP of Victoria suggested that there must be “more humane, if less spectacular methods” of coping with the pests. People wrote letters to the newspapers to express their dismay at the inhumane methods used. R.F. Bellchambers from Humbug Scrub, 25 November 1932, lamented that, “At the present rate of extinctions, it will shortly be necessary to go to the Museum to see the remains of our fauna.” The Murchison Times published a letter on 16 November 1932 from “Clay Pan Joe”: “War on Emus. Slaughter of innocent birds would be more appropriate... The birds may be a nuisance and it may be necessary to destroy them, but why cause so much suffering amongst these innocent birds.” E.S. Playford of Norton’s Summit wrote to The Advertiser, 22 November 1932, that “...habitation on the earth would be impossible without bird life. Therefore, it is unwise to say that any bird is useless. Is sentiment dying? Are we so keen on personal gain that our lovely and unique birds have to be ruthlessly slaughtered in thousands and their bodies left rotting in the sun?” In Sydney, picture palace patrons expressed “considerable concern” after viewing the Movietone News newsreel of emus fleeing from the barrage of machine-guns, and wounded emus in the fields in Campion. The press had a field day, dubbing it the “The Emu War” and joking that the “Chicago method” was being used against the feathered foe. The Daily News newspaper published a cartoon depicting the emus outrunning and outsmarting the soldiers. In Parliament NSW Senator James Dunn called Sir George the “Minister for the Emu War”. Labor member Mr. Rosevear, midst great laughter, asked if the minister would consider declaring an armistice and withdrawing his troops from the Western Front. Prime Minister Joe Lyons was asked if medals would be struck for those taking part in the war. Labor parliamentarian Mr. A.E. Green declared any medals should go to the emus who had “won every round so far”. With the embarrassing press coverage and poor results, Sir George ordered a stop to the project on 9 November, and Major Meredith and the soldiers departed for Perth. The WA Premier Sir James Mitchell and the Campion farmers demanded they return, citing the continued destruction of crops and fences by the emus. Major Meredith and his two gunners were allowed to return on 13 November and seemingly having learnt from their previous experiences, had slightly more success this time killing emus. The operation finally finished on 10 December with Major Meredith reporting “definite kills” of 986 emus for 9860 rounds of ammunition, coincidentally and conveniently exactly 10% of the number of rounds used. A further 2500 birds were said to have died from their injuries and although this is a disputed figure, even if accurate, the ratio of rounds expended to emu casualties was thought too high to justify continuing. The operation barely caused a dint in the marauding mob of 20,000 emus. “There’s only one way to kill an emu”, one of the party bitterly remarked: “Shoot him through the back of the head when his mouth is closed or through the front of his mouth when his mouth is open. That’s how hard it is.” Australian ornithologist Dominic L. Serventy noted that “The machine-gunners’ dreams of point blank fire into serried masses of Emus were soon dissipated. The Emu command had evidently ordered guerrilla tactics, and its unwieldy army soon split up into innumerable small units that made use of the military equipment uneconomic. A crestfallen field force therefore withdrew from the combat area after about a month.” Major Meredith expressed the greatest of respect for the enemy. He said, “If we had a military division with the bullet-carrying capacity of these birds, it would face any army in the world. They could face machine guns with the invulnerability of tanks. They are like Zulus, whom even dum dum bullets would not stop." The Major’s official report stated that there were no human casualties in “The Emu War.” Emus are considered the victors of “The Great Emu War.” Western Australian farmers requested military assistance in 1934, 1943 and 1948, including using bombs, but the government refused. The bounty system instigated in 1923 continued, with farmers using rifles against their fleet-footed foe, with 57,034 bounties for dead emus claimed in six months in 1934 in Western Australia alone. 284,704 emus were killed in Western Australia between 1945 and 1960. The other most effective defence against the emus was the construction of a robust, vermin proof fence spanning over a long distance. Emus were formally protected in 1999 by the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. It’s estimated there are between 625,000 to 725,000 wild emus in Australia in 2024. An emu and a kangaroo feature on Australia’s coat of arms, holding up a shield illustrated with symbols of the six states. The animals symbolise the nation moving forward as neither animal can walk backwards. Campion is now a ghost town. A book about the operation, “Letters from the Emu War” by J.A. Bryden was published in 2023 by Playtime Books. In 2024, an Australian film called “The Emu War” was released, starring Damian Callinan and Luke McGregor. Andrew Arthur Wellesley Wilkie, 1853-1948, was Director of the Melbourne Zoo from 1923 to 1936 and was associated with the zoo for 70 years. He first worked as a horticultural assistant to Government botanist Baron Ferdinand von Mueller at the Botanical Gardens at the age of 13, along with his older brother David. One of Andrew’s jobs was to capture moths for the National Herbarium. In 1857, a group of prominent Melburnians assembled at St. Patrick’s Hall to form the Zoological Society of Victoria, with the aim of introducing animals and plants from overseas. It was conceived, “For the purposes of science and for that of affording the public the advantages of studying the habits of the animal creation in properly arranged zoological gardens.” The Victorian Government granted 32 acres (13 hectares) of land to the Zoological Society at the southern end of Richmond Paddock on the opposite bank to the Botanical Gardens. (This is where AAMI Stadium and Collingwood Football Club now stand.) In 1861, the Zoological Society of Victoria was renamed The Acclimatisation Society of Victoria. Unfortunately the Yarra River frontage was damp, swampy and subject to flooding, so the animals were briefly housed at the Botanical Gardens until in 1862, the City of Melbourne donated 55 acres (22 hectares) of land at Royal Park for the fledgling zoo. Baron von Mueller secured employment at Royal Park for Andrew and David and they helped to lay out the gardens, plant trees and take care of a collection of deer, pheasants, hares and partridges. Initially the zoo was used for the acclimatisation of animals recovering from the long voyage to Australia and for breeding them for sport. In 1872, the zoo bought two lions, a leopard and a cheetah that had been seized from circus showmen Keith and Phillips when they were unable to pay the bill of butcher Mr T K Bennet of Bourke Street. The first zoo director, Mr. Albert Le Souef, negotiated with captains of ships to buy animals at overseas ports they visited and soon a multitude of exotic species arrived, including a ten-year-old Indian elephant in 1878. In 1923, after being head keeper for some years, Andrew was appointed director of the zoo. By 1933, the zoo had 110 different species of animals, 200 species of birds and 72 species of reptiles under Andrew’s care. He had personally planted all but six trees and laid out the garden beds. As director he lobbied authorities for funds to build more humane enclosures for the animals. In June 1928, Table Talk magazine wrote of Andrew Wilkie: “Up at the Zoo there is a humble gentleman who is a lion among the lions, who knows the proper specific to employ when the boa constrictor has chilblains, and who is a friend and confidant of Queenie the elephant. His fount of zoological lore has never been plumbed. It is bottomless, like his good fellowship and geniality. Every day he may be seen somewhere in the grounds of that growing sanctuary for the strange and arresting fauna and creeping things of the world, and I assure you as one who is privy to his passion that that area and its inhabitants are rarely out of his thoughts.” Andrew retired from the zoo in 1936 at the age of 83 and in 1948 died at his home in Brunswick aged 94. He and his wife Josephine had six children. The Victorian Acclimatisation Society was founded in 1861 by Edward Wilson, 1813-1878, then owner and editor of The Argus newspaper. He said that Australian indigenous animals were practically useless, providing only “a little sport and an occasional meal”. The Society believed that Australia’s plants and animals were vastly inferior to those in Europe. They wanted to introduce and acclimatise to Victoria “all innoxious animals, birds, fishes, insects and vegetables, whether useful or ornamental” for sport and for the table, and to spread indigenous animals and plants from the colony around the world. Their motto was “if it lives, we want it”. The Society was primarily responsible for introducing sparrows, starlings, sambar and hog deer, ostriches, brown trout, blackberries, and carp to the Murray River. They released the European songbirds, thrush and blackbird to quell the homesickness of British settlers. The Society also sent Australian animals like platypus, echidnas, kangaroos and koalas to Europe for scientific and novelty purposes. Thomas Austin, a wealthy sheep farmer of Barwon Park, Winchelsea (property now owned by the National Trust) was a member and in 1859 he introduced hares, blackbirds, thrushes and partridges onto his property. He is probably best known for introducing 24 breeding rabbits onto his estate as game for shooting parties. Thomas quipped, “The introduction of a few rabbits could do little harm and might provide a touch of home, in addition to a spot of hunting." In 2022, genomic data confirmed that Australia’s feral rabbit population is entirely descended from these rabbits. Biological control has brought the rabbit population down from an estimated high of 10 billion rabbits in the 1920s to approximately 200 million today, inhabiting 70% of Australian landmass (5.3 million square kilometres). In 1872, the Acclimatisation Society was renamed The Zoological and Acclimatisation Society of Victoria and they focused on importing exotic animals for display purposes to the zoo. In 1937, the Royal Acclimatisation Society of Victoria was recreated as the Zoological Board of Victoria with a focus on research of native animals threatened with extinction. In an editorial for The Argus newspaper, 16 March 1856, Edward Wilson lamented: "...this country has been shamelessly stolen from the blacks. Had they been like the New Zealanders or the North American Indians, we should have bought their land, and supplied them with the means of living when we took it... In less than twenty years we have nearly swept them off the face of the earth. We have shot them down like dogs. In the guise of friendship we have issued corrosion sublimate in their damper, and consigned whole tribes to the agonies of an excruciating death. We have made them drunkards, and infected them with disease which has rotted the bones of their adults, and made such few children as are born amongst them a sorrow and a torture from the very instant of their birth. We have made them outcasts on their own land, and are rapidly consigning them to entire annihilation. There are but a few of them left, comparatively. This is what we would do for that few. We would feed and clothe every one of them.” [Note: this last sentence is italicized in the original newspaper article text]. Lord Huntingfield, (William Charles Arcedeckne Vanneck) 1883-1969, Governor of Victoria 1934-1939, was a British Conservative Party politician and the first ever Australian-born Governor of an Australian state (although he was always considered British). He was patron of the Royal Zoological and Acclimatisation Society of Victoria and was acting Governor-General for six months during the absence of Lord Gowie in 1938. Lady Huntingfield (née Margaret Eleanor Crosby) 1884-1943, his American-born wife showed great interest in social welfare and the advancement of women and children. She was president of the City Newsboys Society and Patroness of the Girls Friendly Society. In 1937, rose breeder Alister Clark named a yellow hybrid tea rose for her. In 1940, the City of Melbourne opened the Lady Huntingfield Free Kindergarten in North Melbourne, now the Lady Huntingfield Early Learning and Family Services Centre. Lady Huntingfield died in London in 1943 after her house was bombed during a German airstrike. The Lady Huntingfield Memorial Scholarship was established after the City of Melbourne raised £1000 in a public appeal conducted in her memory for students undertaking a Social Work degree at the University of Melbourne. It is awarded annually to this day. The Queen Victoria Hospital named a bed in her honour. References: VICE-ROYALTY GREETS THE KING OF BEASTS AT THE ZOO. (1934, June 26). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 11. Retrieved August 23, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204818472 Prominent Personalities ANDREW WILKIE (1928, June 7). Table Talk (Melbourne, Vic. : 1885 - 1939), p. 15. Retrieved August 29, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article146562949 'Edward Wilson (journalist)', Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Wilson_(journalist) 'Thomas Austin (pastoralist)', Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Austin_(pastoralist) 'The Acclimatisation Society was driven by misguided ideals about 'fixing nature' in Australia', ABC News, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-04/acclimatisation-society-introduced-species-history-listen/101588262?utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_news_web THE ABORIGINES. (1856, March 16). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 5. Retrieved September 28, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4833244 WAR ON EMUS. (1932, November 4). The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), p. 12. Retrieved September 29, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32588972 'The Great Emu War: how it started and who won', ABC Australia, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1wA0PKeJqc Advertising (1932, November 25). The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), p. 2. Retrieved October 26, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32584578 Emu Chasers Must Outstrip Peter Pan (1932, November 9). The Labor Daily (Sydney, NSW : 1924 - 1938), p. 5. Retrieved October 10, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article237042749 WAR ON EMUS (1932, November 22). The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954), p. 18. Retrieved October 15, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article73997254 WAR ON EMUS. (1932, October 28). The Labor Daily (Sydney, NSW : 1924 - 1938), p. 6. Retrieved October 24, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article237046601 EMU WAR (1932, December 3). Mirror (Perth, WA : 1921 - 1956), p. 7. Retrieved October 24, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article75626301 Machine Gun Offensive Against Emus. (1932, November 10). Western Mail (Perth, WA : 1885 - 1954), p. 3 (PICTORIAL SECTION). Retrieved October 24, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37766670 A THOUSAND BIRDS IN LUCK. (1932, November 10). Western Mail (Perth, WA : 1885 - 1954), p. 28. Retrieved October 11, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37766849 New Strategy In A War On The Emu (1953, July 5). The Sunday Herald (Sydney, NSW : 1949 - 1953), p. 13. Retrieved October 11, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18516559 This is a nice emu-that was! (1932, November 5). The Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 - 1955), p. 9 (HOME EDITION). Retrieved September 30, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article82878309 LOCAL AND GENERAL (1932, November 16). The Murchison Times (Cue, WA : 1924 - 1937), p. 2. Retrieved October 14, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article257500260 Taking Him for a Ride! (1932, October 13). The Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 - 1955), p. 6 (HOME EDITION). Retrieved September 30, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article83717338 'The Emu War', History Nuggets, https://historynuggets.squarespace.com/nuggets/2018/4/21/the-emu-war New Strategy In A War On The Emu (1953, July 5). The Sunday Herald (Sydney, NSW : 1949 - 1953), p. 13. Retrieved October 23, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18516559 'This is the story of how Australia went to war with emus and lost', First Dog on the Moon, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jul/26/this-is-the-story-of-how-australia-went-to-war-with-emus-and-lost Photographer notations on slide: "Vice Regal visit to Zoo B42"emu wars, governors, melbourne zoo, city of melbourne, 1930-1939, hunting, lord huntingfield, lady huntingfield, royal park, animals, wildlife