Produced as a family memorial card at Julia's death in 1927 and retained in the family ever since in her beloved home 'Hymettus'.Julia Taffe was born Julia Berkery at Bungaree in 1868 of pioneering Irish couple Patrick and Mary Berkery who arrived and settled in the district in1853. Proud of her pioneering family and close to her uncle, Daniel Brophy, Shire President of Bungaree, MLA and Mayor of Ballarat she requested the family home remain as such. Hymettus has been kept in accordance to her wishes.ballarat, bungaree, pioneer

Family tradition has it that Julia Taffe of Hymettus died at two years old after sampling fruit from the garden that had been sprayed with arsenate of lead. Using Arsenate of lead was a common practice of the time.Emblematic of Catholic mourning commemorative in the era of first generations of Irish Australians.Black memorial card with gilt lettering and decorative embellishments including border of shamrocks. Lower left corner torn and missing.Niljulia taffe, ballarat, mourning, prayer, faith, religion, christian,

Belleek was established following the Irish famine of the mid nineteenth century that brought so many Australian families, including the Taffe and Berkery families to immigrate to the Australian colonies. This Belleek porcelain tea set and tray in the Thorn pattern based on the hawthorn bush sprig in flower carries the impressed registration mark for 1878. Belleek was well represented at the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880-81 at Melbourne's Exhibition building and many examples were bought by key Ballarat Irish families including those connected to this family such as the Brophy, O'Malley and Fitzgerald families, Julia Taffe's (nee Berkery) aunts uncles and cousins. Many such examples remain in Ballarat collections although this is not one.Tea set consisting of a tray with teapot, creamer, sugar bowl two saucers and one remaining cup from the original pair. All pieces decorated in the thorn and spiderweb pattern.Impressed factory mark and registration mark on base of each piece.belleek, porcelain, ballarat, ireland, exhibition building, melbourne, exhibition, thorn pattern, irish famine, tea set, tray, brophy, fitzgerald, o'malley, julia taffe, berkery, australian colonies,

Remnant Staffordshire porcelain tea set consisting of milk jug, cup, saucers and plates from a tea set presented as a wedding present to Julia Berkery and Michael Taffe at Bungaree in 1893.Unmarked Staffordshire tea set typical of small wedding present for the working classes in the 1890s. This example although a remnant and damaged has a good provenance and remains in the family home with other family wedding presents.Gilder's mark on base of each piece.jug, floral decoration,, bungaree, cup saucer & plate, staffordshire, wedding gift, taffe, present, tea set

A small reliquary of St Dominic and St Catherine of Sienna mounted in a Victorian watch stand.A Catholic devotional object belonging to Julia Taffe and passed down through the family after her death.watch stand, reliquary, saints

non-fictionA history of Victoria from the time of the discovery of Australia through until 1888.melbourne, victoria, exploration, settlement, john batman, john pascoe fawkner, pioneers, colonisation, aboriginals, discovery of gold, democracy, burke and wills, agriculture, manufacturing, literature, art, music, drama, education, science, churches, history, ballarat, eureka