In the 2000s Legacy released a range of Legacy Bears to expand the merchandise available for sale during Legacy Week and at other fundraising opportunities during the year. This special edition WW2 land army bear was released in 2019. The Women's Land Army (WLA) was a British civilian group created during World War II to replace the men called up for the military. Over 80,000 women served working on farms, in sawmills, and in forestry. They became know as Land Girls and Lumber Jills. Please note the archive does not have a copy of this bear but is recorded here to complete the series.An example of the type of products sold along with Legacy Badges for fundraising in the 2010-2020s.Legacy bear dressed in a female WW2 Land Army uniform with a printed cardboard tag.Printed tag gives the price as $20.legacy appeal, fundraising, legacy bear

Dorothy Kiely (nee James) DOB 31/1/1922 - DOD 7/9/2017 Aged 95 - late of Moyhu and Edi Upper In February 1943 joined the Australian Women's Land Army. In 1995 received the Civilian Service Medal in recognition of her contribution to her country during the war years. Black and gold coloured frame containing sepia photograph of female in uniformHandwritten on rear - Dorothy KIELY Land Army 1943-45dorothy kiely, australian women's land army

Manual contains restricted information covering the following; Part One - Conduct of Operations. Volume 6 - Operational Staff Work. Pamphlet No. 2 - AIDE-DIEMOIRE Part of the collection of KEVIN JOHN HERDMAN, No 397661. See Cat No. 5942P for details of his service recod.Khaki coloured plastic four ring folder. White coloured pages have cut edges. Eash has four holes punched for filing into folder. Title on front in black type. Army logo in black. Text on pages in black type. Black tabs to match chapter. Abbreviated title in black type on spine.australian army, land warfare, manual, kevin john herdman

chatham-holmes collection, uniform dress, rifles

Badge received by Dorothy Kiely in 2012 on the 70th anniversary of the Australian Women's Land Army. The Australian Women’s Land Army (AWLA) was formed during the Second World War to combat rising labour shortages in the farming sector. From December 1941, when Japan entered the war, the nation’s need to build up its armed forces was placed above the needs of other industries. Agricultural labour was steadily diverted to the armed services and war industry To meet the shortfall in rural labour, State and private women’s land organisations were organised, modelled on those established in Great Britain during the First and Second World Wars. A national body was formed on 27 July 1942 under the jurisdiction of the Director General of Manpower. While policy was devised by the Commonwealth Government, the organisation of the AWLA remained State-based. An extensive recruiting campaign was undertaken for new members. Most members of the existing land armies were later incorporated into the AWLA as well. Black box containing gold star shaped badge with red crown above Australian coat of arms Badge:-Australian Women's Land Army 70th Anniversary 2012 Box:- top in gold lettering 70th Anniversary of the Australian Women's Land Armyawla, ww2, dorothy kiely

Note by T.H. Kneen 26 February 1992, "?Pre WW2-note dress-jodhpurs-but could be a Land Army Girl during the War years." Further consideration by Eric Littlejohn suggests that the student at work is Jane Lorimer 1941 graduation. (Also see B91.141, B91.143-146)Black and white photograph. Female student using 3-pronged cultivator between rows of vegetables.On reverse, "Athol Shmith Studio Illustrative Photograhy 125 Collins Street, Melbourne, C.1. Cent. 27. No.10383 Position G."female students, 3-pronged cultivator, vegetables, athol shmith studio, jodhpurs, land army girl, jane lorimer, student working outside, orchard

Local ladies who worked at the Lake Bolac Flax Mill before the Land Army girls were sent in to take over. Back from left: Mrs Louis Park, Margaret Veale (Mortlake), Kath Bassett, Doris Barnes, Doris Brooks, Jean Murphy, Emily McInnes, Margaret Kinnersley. Front: Marion Witham, Myrtle Gale, Mrs Barnes, Mrs Amy Robertson, Marjorie Graham, Alice Veale (Mortlake).lake bolac, flax mill, land army

Manual consists of fiteen chapters related to drill movements. 1. Information for the Instructor. 2. Squad drill without arms - at the halt. 3. Marching. 4. Marching in line and changing direction and formation. 5. Rifle exercises at the halt and on the march. 6. Rifle drill for funerals. 7. Pistol drill - 9mm Browning. 8. Sentry Drill. 9. Quarter guards and sentries. 10. Sword Drill. 11. Drill with the cane. 12. Drill with the pace stick. 12. Unit drill - platoon drill. 14. Unit Drill - Company drill. 15. Unit drill - non-ceremonial. Plus list of illustrations, figures and tables. Part of the collection of KEVIN JOHN HERDMAN, No. 397661. See Cat. No. 5942P for details of his service record.Khaki coloured, textured soft covered manual with two punched holes for attaching to a ring binder. Title on front, cover in black type. Army logo in black. Pages are white in colour with black type. Black and white photographs and diagrams. Fifteen chapters. Pages glued to spine.drill movements, australian army, training manual, kevin john herdman

A blue coloured cardboard cver with black information on the front. Top of the cover reads Land Warfare Centre and under this an insignia which looks like several dragons. Under this is the title of the booklet. This booklet was issued by te direction of the Commandant, Land Warfare Centre, Canungra. There are two metal staples down the left hand side.land warfare centre, canungra, service etiquette, officer's guide, commandant

00512. 1. Women's Army Auxiliary Corps .2. Auxiliary Territorial Service .3. Women's Land Army .4. Royal Army Serve Corps

world war 2, japanese, jungle war, bismark sea battle, us fleet, phillipines, burma, munition workers, land army, ration books

The book was written by Len Kenna as a fund raising item for the Lions Club of Bundoora.It details the history of Bundoora from before white settlement until the modern era.A black and white printed book of 227 pages plus bibliography and appendices. It has a multi coloured outer cover depicting the Bundoora local shop and first unofficial post office. Copy 2 is Lions International edition with brown hard cover and Lions stamp on front. 4 copies.A number of oval library stamps and its dewey number written in pencil on the inner flyleaf.bundoora, janefield, land army, larundel, len kenna, bundoora lions club, mont park, yan yean reservoir

History of Phillip Island RSL and life on the Island during the War. Veterans stories World War 1HistoricalA5 soft covered, beige colour book with black & white & coloured photographsPart 1 - The Story of Phillip Island RSL Part 2 - The Stories of our Veteransreturned services league of australia, phillip island sub branch, history, victoria, mary bourke, military, vietnam, afghanistan, women's land army, gambling, veterans' stories

A grey coloured booklet with Restricted at the top and bottom of the cover. Code 7610-66-107-1143 is written top right hand of cover, australia - armed forces - service manuals, land warfare, australian army

A grey coloured cardboard cover with black informaiuon on the front. Top right hand corner handwritten is 3-9 and under this is DSN 7610-66-093-7742. Under the Australian Army insignia are the details of the booklet. Down the left hand side hand written in green texta is 1 FD Hosp, also two punch holes and two rusty metal staples.booklet, australian army, land warfare, administration, operations, 1 fd hosp

A grey cardboard cover with black information on the cover. Top right hand corner reads 7610-66-097-7299. Under the Australian Army insignia are the details of the booklet. There are two punch holes down the left hand side. The booklet is covered with a plastic cover and there is a white label on this with 355.540 M2941:C Aus typed on the label.australian army, land warfare, counter-insurgency operations

An olive green cardboard cover with black information on the cover which is hard to read. Top right hand corner reads 7610-66-120-5877. Under the Australian Army insignia is the description of the handbook. There are two punch holes down the left hand side.australian army, land warfare, training, instructions handbook

.1) Book. Hard cover. Printed images of WWII women in armed forces, nursing & land army. Bottom image is photo of modern females in RAN. Red & blue printing. 108 pages, illustrated photos & maps. .2) DVD - Australian Government Department Veterans Affairs. Changing roles of women, 1899 - today. Images identical to front cover. .3) CD Rom identical cover to .2) above.books reference/military, audio-visual technology - audio/visual accessories, illustrations-prints, military history

Photograph of Lake Bolac Flax Mill boiler house and pits in full production. The mill operated between 1942 and 1959 and was located on the shores of Lake Bolac. Local farmers grew flax which was transported into the factory to be processed. The mill employed Land Army girls, locals and migrant workers.Photograph of Lake Bolac Flax Mill boiler house and pits in full production.

These are copies of original posters reproduced on Photograph paper.Set of photos of women's service posters WW2. .1) WAAAF Recruiting poster coloured photo .2) AWAS recruiting poser photo for AA defence in colour .3) Recruiting poster for AIF showing mother and child. .4) Recruiting poster photo for womens land army .5) Recruiting poster photo women to join red cross. 2 shillings membership in colour. .6) Recruiting poster for women to be a victory job. in colour. .7) Welcome back poster photo displaying woman with red cross badge in colour. posters, photographs, recruiting

Part of the Cooper Collection.1. Gold coloured metal medallion. The obverse features the Australian Coat of Arms with text "WORLD WAR II, SERVICE TO AUSTRALIA. The reverse symbolises land (Army) Sea (Navy) and Air (RAAF) on a stylized map of Australia. Text "WORLD WAR II, 60 YEARS, 1945-2005". 2. Black coloured cardboard box with hinged lid and magnetic catch. Navy blue felt covered insert to fit medallion. Gold coloured text on top of and inside of box. 3. Four page insert with text. 4. Commemorative certificate with text.2. Printed in gold on cover: 'Australian Government, Department of Veterans Affairs.' Australian Coat of Arms above text. Printed on inside of bar in gold text: "60th Anniversary of the end of World War II, for Services to Australia." 3. cooper collection, ww2, memorabilia, commemorative medallion

Carl Herman Jess (Sir) CB, CMG, CBE, OBE, DSO had a long distinguished career. This is a very brief summary. Joined the Victorian Volunteer Cadets 1899 to 1906, joined the permanent Military Forces 1906 No 86 age 23 years 4 months and rose through the ranks to Captain when he enlisted in the AIF as a Capt in 4th INF Brigade HQ age 30 years on 23.9.1914, embark for Egypt 22.12.1914, embark for Gallipoli 22.12.1914, promoted to Major 23.5.1915 and transfers to 2nd INF Brigade, awarded MID 12.6.1915, promoted Lt Col and to Command 7th Batt, embark for France 13.4.1916, awarded MID 13.11.1916, awarded Order of the White Eagle (Serbian), he was Gassed but remained on duty at Pozieres, awarded DSO 1.1.1917, appointed Staff Officer HQ 1st Anzac Corps 12.3.1917 then T/Col, T/Brig General through to 7.10.1918, awarded MID and CMG, 1.10.1919 appointed Director General repatriation and demobilisation AIF, resigned appointed in England 21.3.1920. Post WW1 on return to Australia he served in many Military appointments including Honorary Colonel 7th and 38th Battalions.He was made a Knight Batchelor in 1935. On 3.9.1939 to 31.3.1946 No VP16098 during WW2 he served on the Australian Staff Corps, two of his main appointments being man power Dept Labour and national Service and the Women’s land Army, Awarded CB, he retired due to health reasons with the Rank of Lieut General.Framed Photograph. Black & White full length Portrait of Carl Herman Jess, 1884 - 1948. Commander 10th Infantry Brigade, Bendigo born. Frame - Moulded Timber, Painted Silver, glass front. Mount - dark grey cardboard with white inner mount.White print, left bottom corner of photograph "Carl Herman JESS/ 16 Feb 1884 - 16 June 1948" with brief synopsis of career. White print, right bottom corner of photograph, signature "Austin ???"history, photography, army, ww1

Denis Gibbons (1937 – 2011) Trained with the Australian Army, before travelling to Vietnam in January 1966, Denis stayed with the 1st Australian Task Force in Nui Dat working as a photographer. For almost five years Gibbons toured with nine Australian infantry battalions, posting compelling war images from within many combat zones before being flown out in late November 1970 after sustaining injuries. The images held within the National Vietnam Veterans Museum make up the Gibbons Collection. A black and white photograph of National Route 23, Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam, Trooper Jack Thurgar 1st Special Air Service Sqnuadron, in 1st place leads Capt Craig Leggett the second runner up, also from 1st Special Air Service Squadron, to the finish line in the Great Hung Vuong Day Roadrace, 15 April1970. The third runner up, also from SAS, can just be seen behind the Army Land Rover. No Vietnamese runner is evident in the photophotograph, national route 23, phuoc tuy province, trooper jack thurgar, 1st sas sqn, capt craig leggett, gibbons collection catalogue, great hung vuong day road race, 1st special air service sqnuadron, land rover, denis gibbons

These documents 9018.1 and .2 discuss the significant Cultural Heritage value of Fortuna Villa and is a report regarding the acceptance of the Heritage Values by the Heritage Council of Victoria. 9018.2 while almost identical to 9018.1 in content does have additional information in red. Fortuna Villa was the family home of George Lansell the "Gold King" of Bendigo prior to being occupied by the Australian Army's Land Headquarters Cartographic Coy in WWII from 1942. The Army Survey Regiment was disbanded in 1996 and Defence left the site in 2004..1 A A4 Paper Heritage Report of Fortuna Villa. 26 x Pages of the Assessment part of the document, further 24 x Pages are the City of Greater Bendigo discussions of Heritage permit Exemptions. The document is two hole punched and held together with a metal Arnos fastener. .2 A second copy of the document containing 32 x unnumbered loose Pages held together with a small "bulldog" clip. Name Fortuna, VHR Number : PROV H2211, Hermes Number 1775royal australian survey corps, rasvy, fortuna, army survey regiment, army svy regt, asr, heritage victoria

The Kew RSL is located in "Wilton" House, 63 Cotham Road. The RSL was established on January 1st 1920, later joining with the Hawthorn RSL. In November 1931, Cr. C.R. Parry organised the reformation of the Kew Sub Branch and its first president was Brig-Gen Pat McGlin, a veteran of the Boer War and the First World War. On July 17th 1932, the club rooms first opened on Army land at the corner of High Street and Highbury Grove. In late November 1948, the Kew RSL bought the "Wilton" house from the Kew City Council for £10,067, opening seven years later in July 1955. [Source: Victorian Heritage Database]This work forms part of the collection assembled by the historian Dorothy Rogers, that was donated to the Kew Historical Society by her son John Rogers in 2015. The manuscripts, photographs, maps, and documents were sourced by her from both family and local collections or produced as references for her print publications. Many were directly used by Rogers in writing ‘Lovely Old Homes of Kew’ (1961) and 'A History of Kew' (1973), or the numerous articles on local history that she produced for suburban newspapers. Most of the photographs in the collection include detailed annotations in her hand. The Rogers Collection provides a comprehensive insight into the working habits of a historian in the 1960s and 1970s. Together it forms the largest privately-donated collection within the archives of the Kew Historical Society.The exterior of the Kew RSL on the corner of Cotham Road and Charles Street, Kew. Designed by Guyon Purchase for Dr. William Walsh in 1886, the building was originally called Wilton."Chap 59. Cotham Rd. Built/Commences about 1885-6. Present day Wilton . Kew RSSUILA rooms. (Rumour of sale 1972?)"wilton, dr william walsh, guyon purchas, dorothy rogers, cotham road (kew)

Mary Tolhurst M&DHS - March 29th Dunvegan Willows Park Melton 1992 Ladies Oral History Day Graham Minns President Ray Radford MC Sound recording transfer to CD 2011 by Tom Wood Edited typescript by Wendy Barrie 2013 I was born in Rockbank, and when I was five years old moved to Toolern Vale and started and finished school there. Toolern Vale only consisted of the Store, Post Office and shop, where you could buy your fodder, and pollard supplies, the Hall, the little Church and the bluestone School. The School changed shape three times from the 1800s[1869] til the time I went there. There was four generations of my family that went there and it was destroyed by fire in 1965. Marjorie nee Myers Butler. Yes, I remember along with it your lovely Ronisch piano. Mary, quite true! Marj what you say about the Ronisch piano. When I came the age to learn music my mum and dad couldn’t really afford it, but still what parents do for their children. They had Marj go along with them and pick this lovely Ronisch piano. It was known round the district. Everyone commented about the loss that lovely piano. After leaving school it was war time, 1939, then it was work, When I was 7 year old I was put out into the cow yard. In 1940 when the soldiers were going away our milk was confiscated it had to go to Bacchus Marsh. It used to go the Sunbury to be brine cooled and then go to Melbourne. Then they took it then to the Lifeguard Milk Factory at Bacchus Marsh. It had to go as condensed milk to the soldiers. This year is 50 years of the Land Army. I was an unofficial Land Army but they still kept check on me. I went onto married life and I followed the cows right through [howls of laughter] and we went on until the 1965 fire. That’s when we got out of the cows. Marjorie asks, was Granny Watts your grandmother or great grandmother? Mary: She was my great grandmother, the midwife of Melton. The 1965 fire started ¾ of a mile above our place, Frank Ryan’s sheds were burnt and his house was saved, then it wiped the School out, the Hall, the Church the Post Office and Store and little house that was Charlie Charlton’s in the early days. Mrs Wilson’s place was saved by the Fire Brigade by pulling boards off the side, and from there it went over the hill and it was stopped at the Rockbank Railway Station. If it had of got over the railway they said it would have gone into Werribee. A lot was burnt out in that strip. Mary nee Nixon Collins: 18 houses burnt that day. Audience question, did Melton get burnt that day? Ray: No. It came down through the Toolern Vale road and cut across about a mile and a half from the cross roads at Toolern Vale from north westerly to the south east and cut through over the Keilor road. Mary: It came in across the creek at Funstons in Toolern, then through Jim Minns. Dorothy was it your place then [nee Knox Beaty] to Ken Beatty’s and from there it went through to Doug McIntosh’s and to Cockbills and the wind changed and it came across to the railway line, and that is where they stopped it. [the cause of the fire was controversial, they had been burning off the night before and there was some talk of someone starting it. It was very hot and very strong wind, it was a terrible day] Ray: When the fire went through McIntosh’s they had a haystack on the north side of their house and the haystack got caught and the fire burnt a hole through the side of the house and the boys pyjamas on the bed. The house was saved. It came through like and express train roaring at you, I was at McIntosh’s when it went roaring past. You couldn’t see, dust and ash and tremendous heat. The fire started about 12 o’clock Jack [husband] said to me, fire, I said where, where? Just up the road, what have I got to do? and he went out and he had gone to the fire and left me. I tried to get the animals and I put out buckets of water, putting the buckets of water out saved my life. Chas Jones and another friend of his came in and they picked up the buckets of water, I thought I had better get out because the fire was on the haystack up the paddock and when I went to go out through the north side of the house and couldn’t get out, I’ll go through the front gate so I went around the other side of the house. I got caught there and Chassy Jones and his friend came round carrying the bucket of water and I panicked. He threw the bucket of water over me. Well that is what saved my life because I was damp, whenever we tried to leave the ball of fire came over me and over my shoulder and my hair was scorched. Chassy Jones lost his truck and Keith Watt his big truck because he had the water tank on it and they couldn’t get out of the yard. Granny Watt’s house, the first private hospital had condemned and Jack and I pulled it down and had it moved up to Toolern and had it in the yard a fortnight and it was all burnt and we didn’t get the shed we wanted. Every 13 years right up until Ash Wednesday fires, there has always been fire close at hand. The 1952 fire went down the back of the house, the 1965 fire took the house, and the house that I live in now, it is the third house that has been on that spot. When the Hunters owned it, Mrs Hunter was nearly burnt in her bed. They had a 13 roomed house. In 1924 the house burnt down, and there was another house was built there and that was the one that burnt down. Edna: So Mary built a brick veneer house. Marjorie: like the three little pigs [laughter] Mary Tolhurst member of the Melton & District Historical Society in the Melton and Moorabool Leader local identities, local special interest groups

Erection of new butts by the members of the St Kilda Volunteer Army Corps in 1874, after the government took possession of the land that the Volunteer Army Corps had been using. The butts were banks constructed of sand and earth, kept together with saplings, to create areas for shooting practice. They were constructed on the beach at Hobson's Bay, half a mile from the St Kilda jetty. An article about this appeared in the Illustrated Australian News for Home Readers on 25 February 1874, available on the National Library of Australia Trove site https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/63105925. The lithograph appeared in the Illustrated Sydney News and New South Wales Agriculturalist and Grazier on 28 February 1874, available on the National Library of Australia Trove site https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/63105925Photograph of black and white lithograph Erection of New Butts by the Members of the St Kilda Battery R.V.V.A. 1874st kilda volunteer army corps

Mary Tolhurst M&DHS - March 29th Dunvegan Willows Park Melton 1992 Ladies Oral History Day Graham Minns President Ray Radford MC Sound recording transfer to CD 2011 by Tom Wood Edited typescript by Wendy Barrie 2013 I was born in Rockbank, and when I was five years old moved to Toolern Vale and started and finished school there. Toolern Vale only consisted of the Store, Post Office and shop, where you could buy your fodder, and pollard supplies, the Hall, the little Church and the bluestone School. The School changed shape three times from the 1800s[1869] til the time I went there. There was four generations of my family that went there and it was destroyed by fire in 1965. Marjorie nee Myers Butler. Yes, I remember along with it your lovely Ronisch piano. Mary, quite true! Marj what you say about the Ronisch piano. When I came the age to learn music my mum and dad couldn’t really afford it, but still what parents do for their children. They had Marj go along with them and pick this lovely Ronisch piano. It was known round the district. Everyone commented about the loss that lovely piano. After leaving school it was war time, 1939, then it was work, When I was 7 year old I was put out into the cow yard. In 1940 when the soldiers were going away our milk was confiscated it had to go to Bacchus Marsh. It used to go the Sunbury to be brine cooled and then go to Melbourne. Then they took it then to the Lifeguard Milk Factory at Bacchus Marsh. It had to go as condensed milk to the soldiers. This year is 50 years of the Land Army. I was an unofficial Land Army but they still kept check on me. I went onto married life and I followed the cows right through [howls of laughter] and we went on until the 1965 fire. That’s when we got out of the cows. Marjorie asks, was Granny Watts your grandmother or great grandmother? Mary: She was my great grandmother, the midwife of Melton. The 1965 fire started ¾ of a mile above our place, Frank Ryan’s sheds were burnt and his house was saved, then it wiped the School out, the Hall, the Church the Post Office and Store and little house that was Charlie Charlton’s in the early days. Mrs Wilson’s place was saved by the Fire Brigade by pulling boards off the side, and from there it went over the hill and it was stopped at the Rockbank Railway Station. If it had of got over the railway they said it would have gone into Werribee. A lot was burnt out in that strip. Mary nee Nixon Collins: 18 houses burnt that day. Audience question, did Melton get burnt that day? Ray: No. It came down through the Toolern Vale road and cut across about a mile and a half from the cross roads at Toolern Vale from north westerly to the south east and cut through over the Keilor road. Mary: It came in across the creek at Funstons in Toolern, then through Jim Minns. Dorothy was it your place then [nee Knox Beaty] to Ken Beatty’s and from there it went through to Doug McIntosh’s and to Cockbills and the wind changed and it came across to the railway line, and that is where they stopped it. [the cause of the fire was controversial, they had been burning off the night before and there was some talk of someone starting it. It was very hot and very strong wind, it was a terrible day] Ray: When the fire went through McIntosh’s they had a haystack on the north side of their house and the haystack got caught and the fire burnt a hole through the side of the house and the boys pyjamas on the bed. The house was saved. It came through like and express train roaring at you, I was at McIntosh’s when it went roaring past. You couldn’t see, dust and ash and tremendous heat. The fire started about 12 o’clock Jack [husband] said to me, fire, I said where, where? Just up the road, what have I got to do? and he went out and he had gone to the fire and left me. I tried to get the animals and I put out buckets of water, putting the buckets of water out saved my life. Chas Jones and another friend of his came in and they picked up the buckets of water, I thought I had better get out because the fire was on the haystack up the paddock and when I went to go out through the north side of the house and couldn’t get out, I’ll go through the front gate so I went around the other side of the house. I got caught there and Chassy Jones and his friend came round carrying the bucket of water and I panicked. He threw the bucket of water over me. Well that is what saved my life because I was damp, whenever we tried to leave the ball of fire came over me and over my shoulder and my hair was scorched. Chassy Jones lost his truck and Keith Watt his big truck because he had the water tank on it and they couldn’t get out of the yard. Granny Watt’s house, the first private hospital had condemned and Jack and I pulled it down and had it moved up to Toolern and had it in the yard a fortnight and it was all burnt and we didn’t get the shed we wanted. Every 13 years right up until Ash Wednesday fires, there has always been fire close at hand. The 1952 fire went down the back of the house, the 1965 fire took the house, and the house that I live in now, it is the third house that has been on that spot. When the Hunters owned it, Mrs Hunter was nearly burnt in her bed. They had a 13 roomed house. In 1924 the house burnt down, and there was another house was built there and that was the one that burnt down. Edna: So Mary built a brick veneer house. Marjorie: like the three little pigs [laughter] Collins - Mary M &DHS - March 29th 1992 Ladies oral history day at Dunvegan, Willows Park Melton. Graham Minns President Ray Radford MC Sound recording transferred to CD 2011 Edited typescript by Wendy Barrie 2013 Mary Collins nee Nixon born in Terang 1907 down in the Western District and we shifted to Melton when I was 5 and a half then I started school here in Melton, and spent all my school life at Melton State School, next to the Church of England, it’s called the Primary School now. I got my Qualifying and Merit Certificate then I left School because there wasn’t a High School. When I was 16 I got and job in the Melton Post Office and I worked there, I was the first girl in Melton to deliver the mail, and worked on the telephone and the Bank business. Mrs Ross and myself behind the counter, there were about 500 – 600 people in the Shire at that time and now when I go into the new Post Office there is 36,000 here there’s still 2 people behind the counter [laughter from the audience] and wait in a queue right out to the door. Times haven’t changed much have they! There was a manual telephone and you had to ring the handle, and there were eight subscribers when I went there and when I left there were 46 I had coaxed that number to join the telephone, even the police station didn’t have the phone on. The two Hotels and the two Chaff mills and Mr Ernie Barrie, Parkers the butcher, the Shire Office was No 8, and the Police house was next to the Courthouse on the corner. They were number 9. I can remember a lot of the numbers still. The Post Office was the Agency for the Commonwealth Bank [comment from audience member] I used to do the Bank business too, I left after four years there, mother wasn’t very well. The Inspector who used to come up to the Post Office asked me if I would take up casual Post Mistress and to go around the different districts but I refused and when Mrs Ross’s holidays were due I was the replacement. I wasn’t 21. I loved my work meeting everybody and most people had horse and jinkers and when the elderly would come in there would be Mr Tom Morrow, he only had one arm and Mrs Dunn came from Bulman’s road in their horse and jinker. They were elderly I would see them pull up out the front and quickly get their mail and run out to them because they didn’t have to get out of the jinker to tie up their horse. If someone had a baby in arms I would tear out and hold the baby while they got down. Mrs Ross was very very strict. I had to sweep the Post Office, she had a couple of mats and there would be a threepence or a sixpence under the mats show she knew whether I lifted the mat, I was whether I was honest or not. Graham: How much were your wages? I got 27/7 pence a week for a 52 hour week. I had to work every holiday except Good Friday and Christmas Day and even when it was Monday holiday I always had to go to work from 9am - !0 am, the Post Office was always open. In the winter I had to wait until twenty past six in case there were any telegrams to deliver. I delivered them on a push bike. One time Tom Barrie told me this years afterwards. I used to go home for lunch. We lived on the Keilor road and I used to ride my bike home. On the hot days the boys used to go and swim in the swimming pool down near a turn in the creek there was a hole where the boys would swim in the nude, they didn’t have any bathers and they didn’t have any watches in those days. Tom Barrie said they always used to watched for me as I was always about 3 minutes past 1, my lunch hour was from 1-2. One particular day they missed seeing me and swam on, and of course they were all late for school when they got back and were all kept in a night. I did get a fortnight holiday. I loved my work and I knew everyone in the district right from Toolern Vale to the Marsh and everybody at Melton South. Did you listen into conversations on the Switchboard? Oh no. [laughter] Melton did not have electricity then. I had to fill the lamps everyday with kerosene. The Staughton Memorial was outside the Post Office. It had four posts with the chain looped around it, and that’s where the people used to tie up their horses. Marjorie nee Myers Butler comments about sitting and swinging on the chains. Mr Fred Coburn lit the acetylene gas light in the Memorial. It was the only streetlight in Melton. There was no electricity until 1939. Ray Radford comments about another gas street light which was on the corner of Station road. [later] Mary passes around her school photos. Mary mentions the names of those who have passed away, Maisie McDonald, ,Marian Wraith, Hilda McCreey, and Valda McDonald. I have written the names on the back. Marjorie comments about Marie Jongebloed and Greta are the only two girls left out of big family of ten I think there were [hesitates] 4 or 5 girls and the rest were boys. Mary. Flora Woodley, Dorrie Flynn and Margaret McDonald are still alive. They are my age we were all born about 1907. Marjorie points out herself in a later photo [1921 and 1922 School ] Mary mentions the name Walsh and identyfies following names, the Parker boys, Ken Beaty, Malc and Linda Cameron, Maisie Mc Donald, Ted Radford, George Nixon, Norman Minns, he was later the Shire Secretary of Werribee. One of the Woodley girls. [Maisie Arthur] Marjorie: Rosie Shearwood, June Whiting Mary. Lily Mc Donald, she has passed away. Isabel Harrison nee Tinkler, she lives at Werribee, Doreen Rogers, Marjorie Walker, Jess McIntosh, Mary Gillespie. Mr Malone was the Junior teacher Mr Roe and Miss Cooke. Fred Myers, my sister [Elizabeth] and the year was 1921. Myers (Barrie) School Photo Collection. Many of the names were identified at the 1970 Centenary of Melton State School No. 430. Edna Barrie organised, compiled and typed the lists to accompany these photos for the year 1921. The 1922 photo shows the higher grades. Ladies Oral History Day event held by Melton and District Historical Society, article featured in the Telegraphlocal identities, local special interest groups