Desmond (Bill) Thomas moved to Beechworth when he was one year old. He was born in 1923 and his family moved to Beechworth in 1924. His father was offered a job in Beechworth as a leather tanner. His first job was in the Tannery in Beechworth. However, in 1938 he was involved in a accident at the Tannery that resulted in him losing his arm. The Zwar Brothers acquired the Tannery in 1877 and it operated until 1961. His interests included bushwalking and nature. When he was younger he would often go ferreting instead of going to school. His favorite place to visit was near Stanley. This included Zwar's paddock and Eldorado. One of his first memories was when he went to Sunday School at the Methodist Church. He remembered Miss Peach as the Methodist Superintendent. He eventually had to leave that Sunday School because of his behavior. This oral history recording was part of a project conducted by Jennifer Williams in the year 2000 to capture the everyday life and struggles in Beechworth during the twentieth century. This project involved recording seventy oral histories on cassette tapes of local Beechworth residents which were then published in a book titled: Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century Beechworth. These cassette tapes were digitised in July 2021 with funds made available by the Friends of the Burke.Desmond (Bill) Thomas' oral history has important historical significance for the local Beechworth region. The Zwar Brother's Tannery was a large part of Beechworth and had a long history. Both Mr Thomas and his father has contributed to this history because they both worked there. Mr Thomas' both of the bush and nature demonstrates the history of ferreting and bushwalking in this region. Desmond (Bill) Thomas has made many contributions to his community but also the history of Beechworth. This life tells us many things about the struggles and joys of living in and around Beechworth. This oral history account is socially and historically significant as it is a part of a broader collection of interviews conducted by Jennifer Williams which were published in the book 'Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth-century Beechworth.' While the township of Beechworth is known for its history as a gold rush town, these accounts provide a unique insight into the day-to-day life of the town's residents during the 20th century, many of which will have now been lost if they had not been preserved.This is a digital copy of a recording that was originally captured on a cassette tape. The cassette tape is black with a horizontal white strip and is currently stored in a clear flat plastic rectangular container. It holds up 40 minutes of recordings on each side.Desmond (Bill) Thomasleather tanner, leather, beechworth tannery, tannery, tannery accident, bushwalking, bushland, nature, ferreting, school, sunday school, beechworth methodist church, church, baptist church, beechworth, oral history, recording, 1924, listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century beechworth, listen to what they say, jennifer williams, burke museum, zwar brother's beechworth tannery, zwar bros. tannery

various Dec 1880 & 1908 business and personal correspondence addressed to J.H. Abbott 14 individual items of correspondence on a wide range of topics from 11 companies/organisations addressed to Mr Abbott: 2 Aug 1880 J.B. Hayman, tanner, currier & leather merchant, 178 Elizabeth Str Melbourne 1 Dec 1880 E.R. Priestley 4 Franklin Str Melbourne. invoice 1 Dec 1880 Gavin Gibson, boot, shoe & leather importer, 36 Elizabeth Str Melbourne - invoice 2 Dec 1880 Gavin Gibson, boot, shoe & leather importer, 36 Elizabeth Str Melbourne 7 Dec 1880 (company not defined) 178 Elizabeth Str Melbourne (J.B. Hayman, tanner, currier & leather merchant) 13 Dec 1880 Alderson & Sons, leather merchants and importers (also stamped Pierre Simonsens, commercial agents, Prahran) 16, 21 & undated - three letters from Ullathorne & Co., wholesale grindery warehousemen. Lonsdale Str, Melbourne 20 Dec 1880 Alfred Harris, leather & boot merchant, 16 Lonsdale Str Melbourne Dec 1880 Wm. Dean & Co., invoice Undated carbon copy of correspondence addressed business 10 & 11 Dec 1908 from Thomas Best, Premier's Office, Melbourne - birthday congratulations and good wishes to Mr Abbottcompany invoices and business correspondence

George Tibbits, University of Melbourne. Faculty of Architecture, Building and Town & Regional PlanningIndex system that support the research for Beechworth : historical reconstruction / [by] George Tibbits ... [et al]Arranged by street names of BeechworthEach index card includes: street name and number of property, image of property, allotment and section number, property owners and dates of ownership, description of the property according to rate records, property floor plan with dimensions.beechworth, george tibbitsbeechworth, george tibbits

various 1893 company letterhead receipts2403.86 (A to G) Abbott Collection: Jan to Jun 1893: records and receipts for purchases by J.H. Abbott & Co. from a wide range of generally Melbourne based companies 2043.86A 40 records held by J.H. Abbott & Co. Jan to Jun 1893: for purchases (or sales) 2403.86B 10 receipts for purchases by J.H. Abbott & Co. from Thomas P. Power, Saddlers, Ironmongers & Manufacturers398-400 Little Bourke St Melbourne 2403.86C 10 receipts for purchases by J.H. Abbott from The India Rubber, Gutta Percha & Telegraph Works Co. 106 Cannon St London 2403.86D 4 receipts for purchases by J.H. Abbott & Co. from Cashel, Baxter & Co., 508 Collins Str Melbourne 2403.86E 7 receipts for purchases by J.H. Abbott from Ullathorne & Co., 269 Lonsdale St Melbourne 2403.86F 5 receipts for purchases by J.H. Abbott from Michaelis, Hallenstein & Co, Tanners, Curriers & Leather Merchants, Importers of Grindery, 382-384 Lonsdale St Melbourne 2403.86G 14 receipts for purchases by J.H. Abbott from a variety of companies: Nobel's Hamburg Dynamite Co. Ltd. - gelignite Thomas Mitchell, Paint & General Brush Manufacturers357 Lonsdale St Melbourne R.M. Watson & Co. 345 Flinders Lane Melbourne; Paper Makers, Agents, Stationers and Importers (two receipts) Wm Dodgshun & Sons, 258 &260 Flinders Lane, East Melbourne; Importers & Warehousemen (two receipts) The New Zealand Loan & Mercantile Agency Company Limited, Collins Street West, Melbourne; Melbourne Wool & Grain Warehouses Walter H. Carwardine, Bendigo Soap, Soda Crystal & candle Works, near the Municipal Cattle Yards J. Kitchen & Sons & Apollo Company; 326 Flinders Lane, Melbourne J. Kennon & Sons, Tanners, Curriers & Leather Merchants; Tannery, River St., near Hawthorn Bridge Innes - Noad V. Halfden (!!!), Tea Merchants & Importers; 201 1to 205 William Street, Melbourne The Indian Company, Lubricating Oil Merchants; Normanby Road, South Melbourne; 375 Flinders Lane, corner Queen Street, Melbourne A. Spooner Manufacturer of Improved Harness Composition, Improved Black Oil, Harness Liquid, Waterproof Harness Blacking, saddle Soap, Boot Top Powder (all colours), Polishing Cream, Breeches Paste, Universal Cream and Embrocations. Australian Asbestos Mfg Co. 266 Flinders St Easttrade company purchases 1893

8545a Docket from Tuck & Co. Limited, Asbestos & India Rubber Manufacturers, 4566 Collins Street, Melbourne; Sept. 4th, 1889; Head Office: 116 Cannon Street, London. Purchased 3 Bags of Asb. Boiler ?? at a cost of £3/- by Messrs. Abbitt & Co. 8545b Docket from G. Wood, General Founder, Kensington Iron Foundry, Macauley Road, dated Dec. 2nd, 1896; due from Mr. J. H. Abbott, For 1 doz. combination parts& 1/2 doz. stands for parts at £1/14/00. 8545c Memorandum James Oppy, Boot and Shoemaker, Fitzroy Street, Kerang, dated Aug. 23rd, 1893. Apology and advice the amount owing will be forwarded on 1st of next month (Sept.). 8545d Docket for six items purchased by Messrs. J.H. Abbott, Bendigo for £63/16/00 from The Australian Explosives & Chemical Coy. Ltd on Aug. 5, 1902. Manufacturers and Importers of High Explosives and Detonators, 356 Little Collins Street, Melbourne 8545e Docket / quote from J. Kennon & Sons, Tanners, Curriers & Leather Merchants, 206 Bridge Road, Richmond. October 19th, 1888, quotation sent to Mr. J H Abbott, Leather Merchant, Sandhurst.bendigo businesses, j. kennon and sons, tuck and co, g. wood, james oppy, the australian and chemical coy

business records/receiptsAbbotts collection: Receipts for purchases made by J. H. Abbott & Co. in 1881; both for a wide range of goods and from a wide range of, both local and international, companies: 2403.91a 16 Nov 1881bought from James Dodgshun & Co. of one saddle from their Melbourne office; 2403.97b 2 Nov 1881 return of one 64 lbs belt from J. B. Hayman, Melbourne; 2403.97c 27 Jun 1899 five letters of correspondence regarding the purchase of100 cases of "British" gelignite from Reid Bros. & Russell Prop. Ltd., Melbourne; 2403.97d 5 Nov 1881 purchase of tallow oil from Apollo Stearine Candle Company, Melbourne 2403.97e 13 Dec 1881 eight itemised (whips, snaffles and saddle soap, etc)purchases from Guthridge Power & Co Saddlers, Ironmongers and Importers, Sandhurst 2403.97f 8 Dec 1881 purchase of hessians from James Dodgshun & Co., Melbourne; 2403.97g 1 Nov 1881 purchase of 3 Bago Curled Hair nets from E. R. Priestly, Melbourne; 2403.97h 15 Aug 1881 purchase of 3 No. foolscap books from Andrew Jack & Co., wholesale stationers, Melbourne; 2403.97i 13 Oct 1881 purchase of 10 itemised skins from The New Zealand Loan & Mercantile Agency Company Limited, Melbourne; 2403.97j 6 Nov 1881 purchase of one "Bale Heavy Crop" from Gill & Boston, Melbourne; 2403.97k 17 Dec 1881 ten (blue) receipts of a wide range of products from Ullathorne & Co. Importers & Manufacturers of all articles used by Tanners, Curriers, Leather & Grindery Dealers & Boot Manufacturers, Melbourne; 2403.97l 18 Nov 1881three receipts (harnesses, hobbles, etc.) from Monchton D. Synnot Bros. Melbourne 2403.97m 7 Dec 1881 purchase of 2 leather hides from Briscoe & CO. Melbourne; 2403.97n 18 Aug 1881, 3 receipts for purchases of Olive Oil from Dean & Co. Oil & Color Merchants, Melbourne; 2403.97o 30 Dec 1881 of 4 itemised (copper rings) blue receipts from Thomas McPherson, Machinery & Iron Merchants, Melbourne; 2403.97p 10 Aug 1881 6 No. receipts for purchases from Gavin Gibson, Boot Shoe & Leather Importers. Melbourne; 2403.97q 18 Oct 1881 receipt for purchase of leather goods from J. B. Hayman, Melbourne; 2403.97r multiple 1881 receipts for the purchase/transfer of leather goods from his J. H. Abbott Edinburgh Tannery, Sheepwash, to his other businesses 2403.91s 14 Oct 1881 receipt from The Australasian Wool Stores, bought from The Australasian Mortgage & Agency Company Limited and correspondence from multiple Government Departments receipts ordered by abbotts 1881

A wide range of invoices and business letters from 1913 from 66 companies (predominantly Melbourne based companies) addressed to J.H. Abbott 1913 Company correspondence from 61 companies/organisations addressed to Mr. J.H. Abbott: A John Perry, Timber Bender, Spoke & Nave manufacturers - 6 letters and invoices B James Miller & Co, Rope, Twine & Mat Manufacturers - 2 invoices C Dalgety Company Limited, general merchandise - 6 invoices D Gibbs, Bright & Co., Melbourne - 2 letters E Thomas McPherson & Son (McPhersons Pty. Ltd.), Iron & Machinery Merchants - 2 correspondence & 1 invoice F Bickford, Smith & Co., manufacturers of Safety Fuse, Melbourne - 3 letters G Hopkins Bros & Odlum, Machine Belting Manufacturers, Melbourne, H Stewart & Lloyds (Australia) Limited, Glaasgow - 6 letters I The Federal Manure Co., The Australian Explosives and Chemical Coy. Ltd., Melbourne - 8 letters J Ullathorne, Hartridge Co. Ltd., Melbourne - 2 letters & 2 invoices K Richard Linton, Melbourne - 1 letter & 1 invoice L George Russell Prop. Ltd., Iron & Steel Merchants, General Hardware Importers, Melbourne - 1 invoice & 8 letters M J. Kitchen & Sons Ltd., Candle & Soap Manufacturers Glycerine Refiners & Tallow Brokers, Melbourne - 10 letters N G. G. Crespin & Son, Melbourne - 4 letters O Noyes Bros. (Melbourne) Propy. Ltd. - 3 letters P The Eagle & Globe Steel Co., Melbourne - 4 letters & 1 memorandum Q C.S. Green & Son, 368 & 370 Post Office Place, Melbourne - 1 invoice & 1 memorandum R Michaelis, Hallenstein & Co. Proprietary Limited., 382-384 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne - 4 business letters S R.W. Cameron & Co.,34 Queen Street, Melbourne (agent for The Texas Co.) - 2 business letters T Joyce Bros. Ltd., 475 - 481 Flinders Lane (West), Melbourne - 2 business letters U Keep Bros. & Wood, importers of Carriage Materials, 100 Franklin Street, Melbourne - 2 business letters V Lycett Agency Manufacturing Co., P.O. Box 643 G.P.O., Melbourne - 3 business letters W Currie and Richards, Galvanised Iron Merchants, Importers and Spouting Manufacturers, 3 locations Melbourne - 2 business letters X James Outen, Saddlery Goods and Patent Horse and Cow Rugs, 184-186 Queen Street, Melbourne - 2 business letters Y Standard Oil Company of New York, Branch office Australasia, Melbourne - 5 business letters Z Jas. Henty & Co., Manufacturers of Soap, Starch, Candles, Soda Crystals, etc., 95 & 97 William Street, Melbourne - 7 business letters AA John Sanderson & Co., Mercghandise Department 111 William Street, Melbourne - 9 business letters AB Gargoyle Oil Company Pty. Ltd., 90 & 92 William Street, Melbourne - 3 business letters AC Dunlop Rubber Co. of Australasia Ltd.,108 Flinders Street, Melbourne - 3 business letters AD Perry's Australian Fuse manufacturing Company, manufacturers of Safety Fuses for Mining and Other Purposes, Ballarat Road, Footscray - 6 business letters AE Morris & Meeks, Little Collins Street, Melbourne - 4 business letters AF Brown & Dureau Ltd., Mercantile Brokers, Commission and Manufacturers'' Agents, Import and Export, 9 Queen Street, Melbourne - 6 business letters AG Michaelis, Hallenstein & Co. Proprietary Limited, Tanners, Curriers, Leather & Grindery Merchants, Saddlers' Ironmongers, Manufacturers of Glue, Doe Hair & Neatsfoot Oil, 385-384 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne - 2 letters AH Marwald, Son & Lemon, Indenting Agents and Importers, 201-3 William Street Melbourne (Sydney Brisbane, London, Wellington NZ, Fremantle) - 2 business letters AI 32 individual suppliers' invoices and business letters from companies in Bendigo, Melbourne and London (covering a wide range of supplies - glass, rubber, oils, hides, accountants, harvesters, etc.)company invoices and business correspondence

Booklet, 6 pages, detailing price lists of J.H. Abbott & Co., stock held in their stores in Pall Mall, Market Square Bendigo and High Street, Echuca. On front of booklet: J.H. Abbott & Co., Tanners and Curriers. Tannery - Sheepwash Creek, Strathfieldsaye. Items priced include leather, oils, boot uppers, belting, horse equipment, collars, dray harness, buggy harness, spring cart harness, leggings.j. h. abbott & co, bendigo businesses

Established in London in 1760 as flax dressers and producers of thread for shoemakers, the business was founded by Francis Ullathorne and continued by four of his sons. Eventually they had agencies in Paris, London and Melbourne. They imported all manner of leather goods and tannery supplies by 1866. By 1901 the Melbourne company was named Ullathorne and Hartridge.48 Paper pages with cover missing. Revised List of Prices of goods in Ullathorne & Co's Illustrated Catalogue of Shoemakers' Curriers', Tanners' and Sadlers' Tools and Materials. London 1888 Printed by McCorquodale and Co. 'Armoury' Southwark.abbott, ullathorne & co.

Book. ALEC H CHISHOLM COLLECTION. Small 95 page leather covered booklet of the 75 verse epic poem 'Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam', the astronomer poet of Persia. Translated into English verse by Edward Fitzgerald. Published in 1910 by Ward, Lock & Co. Ltd., London. Printed by Butler & Tanner, Frome and London. Catalogue sticker ''2136 FIT'' on spine. Newspaper cutting pasted on flyleaf entitled 'Vicissitudes of a Great Book'Edward Fitzgeraldbooks, collections, poetry, alec h chisholm collection, edward fitzgerald, omar khayyam, poetry

Donated by donor, sister of Rosemary Tanner who probably inherited the book from her grandmother Dorothea Kruse who lived in Schwerkolt Cottage but never spoke English.Small book with leather on covers and spine. Linen covered. On spine 'osiph' originally 'Joseph im Schnee' in gold print. Dark grey colour. Book written in German by Berthold Auerbach Joseph im Schnee (Joseph in the Snow)"As above"book, german, berthold auerbach, joseph im schnee

A Le Coq Sportif Roscoe Tanner-endorsed 'Concept 3 midsize' tennis racquet with triple pillar throat and handle wrapped with leather. Plastic butt cap with adhesive label with manuacturer's name & logo. Manufacturer name printed along right shoulder. Model name printed across base of head. Manufacturer's logo on lower shaft. Materials: Graphite, Leather, Vinyl, Ink, Adhesive tape, Adhesive labeltennis

A Le Coq Sportif Roscoe Tanner-endorsed 'Concept 3 midsize' tennis racquet with triple pillar throat and handle wrapped with leather. Plastic butt cap with adhesive label with manuacturer's name & logo. Manufacturer name printed along right shoulder. Model name printed across base of head. Manufacturer's logo on lower shaft. Materials: Graphite, Leather, Vinyl, Ink, Adhesive tape, Adhesive labeltennis

322 p. : dark greycover with red leather trim. Book appears to have been re-bound, bookbinder's label, "James Curtis Printer and Bookbinder, 39 Armstrong Street, Ballarat", affixed lower right, inside front cover.fictionSix stories of mystery and intrigue.fiction, crime fiction, mysteries, arthur morrison

Photographer notations on slide: At the Leather Exhib. at T. Hall Melb 1933 Age Published: Age (Melbourne, Vic.: 1854- ), 1933 THE EXHIBITS. (1933, September 20). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 16. Retrieved January 25, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205109730 Published title: THE EXHIBITS. A COMPREHENSIVE RANGE. Curios, Novelties, Working Displays Published Caption: ONE OF THE NOVELTIES – AN OUTSIZE IN SHOES Research by Project Volunteer, Louise McKenzie: Our photo is dated 20 September 1933, and shows a happy, chubby-faced young girl sitting in a very over-sized girl’s shoe. It is labelled – “Shoe, An Out Size, loaned by Messrs Blackman & Rose”. (1) It is an effective way to capture the attention of the readership and alert them to the Melbourne Leather Show 1933. This show was designed to be a drawcard of extraordinary proportion, and there is no doubt that this leather exhibition was a really big deal for Melbourne. It completely took over the Melbourne Town Hall, and was open from 10.30 am until 10.30 pm. It seemed to contain something for everyone – the military, the man about town, the home handyman, the housewife, the child, the sporting types, the domestic workers, the outdoor enthusiasts, the horseracing fans, car enthusiasts, those wishing to show off the latest fashion – both men and women - and those just intrigued by a lot of fascinating and wide ranging exhibits. One of the most comprehensive descriptions of the Exhibition accompanies the photograph, and is worth quoting in full: “PROMINENT among exhibits which first attract attention in the foyer of the Town Hall is a comprehensive display of leather articles used by the defence forces. A conspicuous legend states that leather plays an important part in national defence, being used for saddlery, tool containers, holdalls, range-finding, surveying and signalling equipment, explosives factories, harness accoutrement, bandsmen's equipment and clothing. Three models of horses and several figures of soldiers wearing leather equipment illustrate the lesson, and a great range of leather goods used in military training and work variegate the display. Nearby are Texas cowboy, buckjumping and breaking-in saddles; whips, a walking stick, made of leather and numerous other curios. The general exhibition occupies the whole floor space of the main Town Hall, and is subdivided by partitions running most of the length of the hall. A bewildering variety, of leather goods presses for close and leisured inspection. Here and there operatives in charge of working machinery give practical demonstrations of factory processes in the production of footwear. Polishing materials are well represented. One attractive exhibit includes two bush huts constructed of leather, with wattle bark for roofing. Opossums, rosellas and a kookaburra add touches of bush realism. Adjacent exhibits include bags, fishing boots, leggings, leather covers in all colours. Factory Processes. One exhibitor has installed an automatic cinema apparatus and screen, which projects various factory processes in making a shoe, the operator being shown at work. Elsewhere an interesting exhibit depicts the five stages in the manufacture of sole leather, and the tanning materials employed. "Very handsome effects are achieved in the interior appointments of motor cars, which are attended by figures of smart chauffeurs in leather coats. Motor-trimming leather is said to be more durable and hygienic than fabric materials, and cheaper. The neat finish of the material, its excellent appearance, certainly make a very favourable impression. It takes the hides of three beasts to cover the cushions, squabs and door panels of a full-sized sedan, while to finish the entire interior, including quarter-panels and head linings would take four or even five. Special Exhibits. Amongst the special sections the display arranged by the handicrafts and home industries- committee of the Country Women's Association of Victoria is a notable one. In all there are about 130 entries which are in four classifications, viz., hand-tooled or embossed leathers, suede, hand-made gloves and undecorated leather. The glove section attracted the most numerous entries, a number being the work of members and craft subscribers of the Country Women's Association. In the leathercraft competition, organised by the Country Women's Association, the judges yesterday awarded the first prize for bookbinding (the only prize given in this division) to Miss M. Alston, of South Yarra. There is also a creditable display of exhibits submitted by boys of the orthopaedic section of the Children's Hospital at Frankston. Amongst the novelties on view in other portions of the exhibition were the following: — Leather coats worn by Sir C. Kingsford Smith on his Atlantic flight. Model Wellington boot, Phar Lap's saddle. Melbourne Cup winner's saddle. Longest whip in world, 108 feet long. (33 metres) [See our photo, to left of Girl in Shoe] Diminutive shoes. Pair of shoes 65 years old. Pair of men's working boots 75 years old. Larwood's, Tate’s and Pataudi’s cricket boots. [Three internationally revered cricketers of the day] (2) Picture frame made of leather bought 63 years ago. [See our photo, to right of Girl in Shoe] Leather frame, powder bowl, &c. Saddle used by world's champion buckjumper in U.S.A. Mexican cowboy outfit. Miniature saddle and bridle. A fireman's helmet made of sole leather. (3) Sample of the leather hat worn by porters at the Billingsgate Fish Market, London. (4) From South Australia there have been obtained sets of harness for donkeys, goats and camels, the equipment being displayed to good advantage on stuffed representations of the animals mentioned. Close to the platform is a glass case containing snow shoes and coats which have been used in Antarctic exploration work. Trade Display. Amongst the trade exhibits may be seen in operation a slipper turn shoe sewing machine, with heeling and channelling facilities, and the various stages in the production of ladies' sandals are shown. There is a wide contrast between sole leather of varying degrees of thickness on view in one stall and the choice samples of ladies' footwear in another — footwear, by the way, which could almost be used as ornaments, so dainty in colour and production are they. Again, there are displays of upholstering leathers of such soft texture that they could he readily mistaken for some of the finest cloth. Those who may be particularly interested in the production of chamois leather may gain an insight into the materials and chemicals used in the "working up” of this variety of leather. Supplies of glace kid (5) are tastefully arranged, and there may also be seen bags of all shapes and sizes, including satchels, suit cases and "sporting" cases, and bags for tennis players and golfers. Further variety is given to the exhibition by the display of antique hides, brightly coloured, with punching balls, boxing gloves and batsman's pads. There are crocodile skins and snake skins so cleverly "Worked up" that one could be almost pardoned for betraying an affection for such unpopular creatures.” “ Another wonderful article on this Exhibition, published the same day in one of the opposition daily newspapers, The Argus, is in the weekly article “Women to Women”, entitled “A Great Victorian Industry: Many Uses for Leather”. This weekly column was penned by Vesta, and she writes, with much purpose: “Yesterday afternoon I paid a hurried visit to the Leather Exhibition now being held in the Melbourne Town Hall and I was disappointed to find that the early visitors to the main exhibition were almost all men. Women, I think, should make a point of seeing every exhibition of our great industries, for women are the buyers of household requisites and goods for their own use and their tastes, and opinion influence also, to a large extent, the purchases of men. So, the welfare of industries is more or less in their hands and it becomes a duty for them to inform themselves fully of the extent and the quality of the manufacturing that is done here. The value of the output of the Australian boot and shoe factories alone was in 1930-31, the latest year for which the figures are given, Stg 3,750,000. Fully two thirds of that amount must have been spent by women on boots and shoes for themselves and their children. In a host of other directions, in the purchase of handbags, travelling bags, belts and straps, cushions, furniture coverings, purses, notebooks, spectacle cases, their annual expenditure must be very high. Their interest, therefore, in this industry is practical, and their support of it should be governed by knowledge of comparable values and qualities of the goods they buy. From the point of view of women, however, the exhibition itself is rather disappointing. There is an amazing collection of good stuff on show, but most of it is not displayed in a fashion that attracts attention. I was surprised, for example, at the range and quality of the leathers displayed, the suppleness of the finer qualities, and the varied range of colours and designs. But they are shown in such a fashion that if one set out deliberately to look for them it would be quite easy to miss most of them.” …It was surprising, too, that no one seemed to have taken advantage of the present fashion of wearing coloured gloves, or the cult of glove making, which the Country Women’s Association has fostered so successfully. Outside the collection of chamois leathers I saw no skins which were suitable to glove making. (6) However, it is perhaps a little unfair to be highly critical of the exhibition, inasmuch as it is the first of its kind. The material is there, undoubtedly, for a splendid show of every phase of this enterprising industry, and I am confident that experience will prove to those concerned that it will be worth while next time to devote a great deal of attention of the method of display.” With further research, it transpires that “Vera” is in fact NZ born Stella May Allen (nee Henderson) (1871-1962), a journalist, the first woman in NZ to begin a law course, in 1890-91). She later worked at a law firm while she completed her degree. Study of the law had always been open to women in NZ, but its practice was still barred to them. Her case “…led to amending legislation in 1896 allowing women to practise as barristers or solicitors. However, on gaining her LL.B. in November 1897 she did not apply for admission to the Bar. Instead, she became the Wellington-based correspondent and leader-writer for the Lyttelton Times. Her appointment, the first for a woman, was not welcomed by the all-male Press Gallery, and special permission had to be obtained from a subcommittee of the House before her presence was accepted. In 1900 she married Edwin Allen, a senior leader-writer for the Wellington Evening Post, and they moved to Australia in 1903 when Edwin Allen took up the post of foreign affairs leader-writer and parliamentary man for the Melbourne Argus. As Patricia Keep notes in her excellent entry of Stella Allan in the Australian Dictionary of Biography: “In 1907 The Argus commissioned her to write a series of articles on the first Australian Women's Work Exhibition held in October. They aroused much interest and next year The Argus invited her to join its full-time staff and begin a weekly section on the particular interests of women. She adopted the nom de plume 'Vesta' and called the column 'Women to Women'. Her work was unique in an Australian daily paper at that time. Her pages extended to cover every aspect of women's affairs, children's interests and community welfare, and 'Vesta' became a household word for authoritative information and advice on such matters. An excellent needlewoman and first-rate cook herself, she thoroughly tutored her staff in the work and needs of women in both country and city, as well as providing the usual training for cadet journalists. She conducted interviews and also visited the country to see at first hand the results of bushfires, mouse plagues, droughts and floods. In 1910 she was one of three women foundation members of the Australian Journalists' Association. “…she found time to become deeply involved in community affairs. She was an original committee-member of the Victorian Association of Crèches and of the Free Kindergarten Union of Victoria, and had much to do with the early days of the Victorian Bush Nursing Association, the Baby Health Centres Association and the Queen Victoria Hospital. She was a member of the National Council of Women, first in New Zealand and then in Melbourne, and of the Country Women's Association from its inception. … in 1924 she was appointed substitute delegate for Australia to the fifth assembly of the League of Nations at Geneva and was a delegate to the second Pan Pacific Women's Conference in Hawaii in 1930. A meeting held in the Melbourne Town Hall in 1938 by representatives of all the main Victorian women's organizations paid special tribute to her work and influence. She retired next year to England where she continued to write for the Argus, contributing articles on the experiences of women and children in wartime.” It is little wonder that “Vesta” was unafraid to take to task both the women of Victoria, and those who created the exhibition! One item which appears to have gone unnoticed, or at least unreported, is a framed article in the background of the photo of the chubby girl in the shoe. The display frame is labelled “Leather from the Human Skin, Tanned and Dressed by French artists.” The exhibition was certainly a cabinet of curiosities! A charming article in The Argus is a nice note on which to end. It gives a quick history and overview of the Australian leather industry and its unprecedented, and possibly unexpected, development and success, and states with pride: “Though Victoria is the largest leather producer in the Commonwealth all tanners in the Commonwealth can look back with pride on the long march of progress.” Footnotes: (1) “Blackman and Rose”. Messrs Blackman and Rose were shoe manufacturers, from 1927 located at 200 Noone Street, Clifton Hill. The Melbourne Circle describes their building as a “fine-looking building in the Federation ‘blood and bandage’ style.” It was built around 1912 for Puttifoot and Bloom, boot manufacturers, and today the building is apartments. (2) These cricketers were household names in the day: Tate: Maurice Tate, “English cricketer of the 1920s and 1930s, and leader of England’s Test bowling attack for a long time during this period. The founder of modern seam bowling. “ Larwood: Harold Larwood, “English right-arm fast bowler and the main exponent of the bowling style known as “bodyline”. Used to considerable effect in the 1932-33 Test series in Australia. Pataudi: Iftikhar A K Pataudi, “an Indian prince who in the 1930s played Test cricket for England, and in the 1940s played Test cricket for India (as Captain) – the only test cricketer to have played for both India and England. (3) “sole” leather “… is the thickest and most resistant material existing in the tanning industry … made from vegetable tanned leathers, usually bovine butts, processed in a special way to make them the hardest type of leather in existence.” (4) The hats worn by porters at Billingsgate Fish Market were also known as a “Bobbin” and look quite squat and rather unsophisticated. They were made of wood and tarred leather, with a “flat, hardened top designed to support large rectangular boxes of fish. The upturned brim protected the porter’s head against fish juice draining from the boxes of fish which would be carried on top of the hat. Some hats featured a small drain hole at the rear to allow this collected juice to drain down the back of the carrier. The hats were made using the ‘cuir bouilli’ technique. The leather was immersed in water which was heated until the leather began to shrink. It was then removed and put on a wooden former. The leather was stitched together to make the hat while still wet, and then held in place until dry.” (See article and photo on the London Museum website) (5) Glace kid – described on the Boston Museum of Fine Arts’ Cameo database as “A smooth glossy leather originally prepared from goat or sheepskin. Early glace kid had a shiny surface that was originally prepared by tawing the skin in a mixture of alum, table salt, flour, and egg yolk. Today, glace kid is prepared from many types of vegetable or chrome tanned leathers. The smooth polished surface is obtained mechanically by shaving, glazing, ironing, and/or rolling the dry leather.” (6) In the 1930s, Melbourne’s glovemaking industry was characterised by local manufacturing, with key producers like Simpson’s Gloves Pty Ltd in Richmond and the Stagg Glove Company in Clifton Hill leading the market. These factories produced high-quality leather gloves, handbags, and specialty gear, often employing a clear gendered division of labour and training young, local women. Museum Victoria holds the Simpson’s Gloves Collection, comprising over 1200 items, and the University of Melbourne Archives holds the company’s business records. References: THE EXHIBITS. (1933, September 20). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 16. Retrieved January 25, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205109730 EXPORT LEATHER. (1929, September 17). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 17. Retrieved January 19, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4037647 LEATHER EXHIBITION (1933, September 18). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 10. Retrieved January 19, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11693362 (1933, September 23). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 21. Retrieved January 19, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page522766 WOMEN TO WOMEN (1933, September 20). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 13. Retrieved January 19, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11694034 Australian Dictionary of Biography, Stella May Allan (1871–1962) https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/allan-stella-may-4998 WOMEN TO WOMEN (1930, January 22). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 13. Retrieved January 19, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4063888 Museums Victoria, Simpson’s Gloves, 486-496 Victoria Street, North Richmond, VIC, Australia https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/articles/2702 The Argus. (1927, October 31). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 20. Retrieved February 7, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3888451 Melbourne Circle: stories from the suburbs: “Boots and all in Clifton Hill” https://melbournecircle.net/2015/11/20/bootmakers-of-clifton-hill/ Wikipedia, Maurice Tate, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Tate Wikipedia, Harold Larwood, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Larwood Wikipedia, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iftikhar_Ali_Khan_Pataudi Buy Leather Online Italy, Sole leather: https://buyleatheronline.com/en/blog/outsole-and-insole-leather-n7 London Museum, Porters hats, https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/collections/v/object-731122/hat-porters-hat/ Cameo Database, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Glace Kid, https://cameo.mfa.org/wiki/Glac%C3%A9_kid VICTORIAN LEATHER HAS WON RENOWN (1937, September 22). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 31 (March of Progress Supplement). Retrieved February 7, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1108704 Photographer notations on slide: "At the Leather Exhib. at T. Hall Melb 1933 Age B5".displays, melbourne town hall, leather, children, shoes, 1930-1939, industry, hats, gloves

business records/correspondenceAbbott Collection: 1885 correspondence between J. H. Abbott and suppliers (all handwritten correspondence, but difficult to decipher): 2403.100a 3 June 1885 - J. D. Atkinson, Flinders Lane Melbourne, leather factor - sheep and kangaroo hides 2403.100b 17 & 31 Jan 1885 - The Apollo Company Limited, Collins St Melbourne, Stearine Candles & Soap Manufacturers, Oil & Glycerine Refiners 2403.100c June-July 1885 - Briscoe & Co., Melbourne, Wholesale Ironmongers, Iron & Machinery Merchants; copper rivets & washers 2403.100d April-May 1885, 4 documents (1 invoice and 3 letters) - Birchard & Raspe, London & Hamburg 2403.100e Feb-June 1885, 7 invoices, William Dean & Co., Oil & Color Merchants, White Lead, Paperhangers and General Importers 2403.100g 5 invoices Feb-Oct 1885; Gavin Gibson, Melbourne, importers of Boots & Shoes, Leather & Grindery, Machinery, etc. 2403.100h 3 invoices Mar-Jun 1885; Guthridge Power & Co., East Melbourne, Wholesale Saddlers, Saddlers, Ironmongers & Importers. 2403.100i 2 invoices, Jan & Apr 1885, J. Hodges. Little Bourke Street West, Melbourne; American Hame & Saddle Tree Manufacturers. 2403.100j 1 invoice, Apr 1885, Alfred E. Hobbs, Elizabeth Street Melbourne, Rope Manufacturers 2403.100k 2 invoices, Mar & July 1885, Andrew Jack & Co., Flinders Lane West, Melbourne; Importers and Wholesale Stationers. 2403.100l 3 invoice, Apr-Jun 1885, J. Kitchen & Sons & Apollo Company, Flinders Lane West, Melbourne, Sterine Candle, Soap & Soda Crystal Manufacturers Glyuerine & Oil Refiners. 2403.100m 1 invoice, Feb 1885, Lister Henry, Flinders Lane West, Melbourne. 2403.100n 1 invoice, Jun 1885, Thomas Mitchell, Little Bourke Street West Melbourne, Paint & General Brush Manufacturer. 2403.100o 4 invoices, Feb-Jun 1885, New Zealand Loan & Mercantile Agency Company Limited; Colins Street West, Melbourne; Melbourne Wool & Grain Warehouses. 2403.100p 1 invoice & 2 letters, Jan-Apr 1885, T. J. & T. Powell, Lime Street London. 2403.100q 3 letters, Feb -Mar 1885, W. Shammon. Mosley Street, Birmingham, Whip Manufacturer, Cach & Saddler Ironmonger. 2403.100qq 1invoice, May 1885, James C. Steel, Kensington Tannery, Hotham. 2403.100 r 3 invoices, Jan-Mar 1885, G. V. Sydenham, Lonsdale Street West Melbourne, importers of Saddlers' Ironmongery, Hodskins, Patent Leather, etc. 2403.100s 1 invoice, May 1885, Frederick Tate, Market Street, Melbourne, Tate's Parcel Post Express. 2403.100t 2 invoices, Feb & Apr 1885, Taylor & Currie, Bourke Street West Melbourne. 2403.100u 1 invoice, Mar 1885, Eliza Tinsley, Iron Merchant & Manufacturer of Nail Chains, Patent Wrought Nails, Rivets etc. 2403.100v 1 invoice, Mar 1885, Reid & Marshall, Hawthorn Tannery, Melbourne, Tanners & Curriers, Kangaroo Leather Manufacturers. 2403.100w 17 invoices, 2 reports & 18 letters, Jan-Dec 1885, Ullathorne & Co. Lonsdale Street Melbourne and Lincolns Inn Fields, London; Leather Shoe Mersey, Grindery Merchants, etc. Importers of Tanners and Curriers Tools, oils, Dyes & Twines, Shoe and Saddlers Thread, Silks, etc. 2403.100x 62 invoices, Jan-Dec 1885, compiled by J. H. Abbott & Co., Edinburgh Tannery.sales of australian leather, shipments ofhides to england, shipments from melbourne & england