Articles in the annual report include: death of General Manager Ian Burnet, expenditure exceeding income, need to sell Woolahra (Helen Keller hostel) property, goal of opening 20 new Day centres by the end of 1975, plans to establish Occupational Therapy Training unit, review of aging hostels and restructure workshop, growth of Mitchell Street Theatre, increase of children with more than sight loss at nursery, decision to establish reading competition in memorial to Barbara Rutherford, launching of a literary workshop by Max Nisbett, official opening of a blind bowling green at Enfield, and awarding of Churchill Fellowship to Joan Ledermann for a review of Braille production units overseas.1 volume of text and imagesroyal blind society of new south wales, corporation records, ian burnet, helen keller hostel, mitchell street theatre, alexis albert, a.e. stephen, h wakeham, roy kippax, sir roden cutler, sandy chapman, victor maxwell kindergarten, sandy robertson kindergarten, max martin, jack chamberlain, betty cuthbert, mary lidbury, mark spitz, suzy spitz, billy sinclair, john sinclair, max nisbett, balmain blind bowling combination

Charles Gordon Watts-Phillips was born in 1849 at Forest Hill, Surrey, England, the son of Dramatic Author, Watts Phillips, and Lily Mariner. He departed England for Australia around 1874. His sister Roland was a favourite Australian actress of the early 1900s. Gordon as he was known, whilst residing in Goolwa, South Australia and working as a clerk met and married a widow, Jane Luxon (nee Miller) on the 7th August, 1876 at the Wesleyan Church in Strathalbyn, South Australia. Jane, Gordon’s elder by some 11 years was born in Ireland in 1838, the daughter of Robert Joseph Miller, a carpenter and Jane Miller. She had previously married Captain William Luxon in 1861 at Encounter Bay, South Australia at age 22 and they had four children: William (1864), George Robert (1865), Miriam Louisa (1867) and Harriet Jane (1869), all born at Encounter Bay. Gordon and Jane had two further children together: Caroline Roland Watts-Phillips (1877 Islington S.A.) and Charles Gordon Watts-Phillips (1879 Yatala, S.A.). At some stage, Jane then deserted her husband. Gordon obtained a master's certificate and was a part owner of a small trader. He had also been captain of one of the passenger boats on the Darling River. He was reputedly a popular coastal skipper. By 1891 Gordon was the Captain of the S.S Omeo operating around Sale, Victoria. In August of that year some of the heaviest flooding of the Thomson River ever experienced in twenty years occurred over the 3rd and 4th of August. Gordon, and others, rescued the lives of many families over that period for which he was awarded a Bronze Medal by the Royal Humane Society. By 1892 the S.S. Omeo had passed to another Captain and Gordon subsequently retired from the sea and moved to Melbourne. Whilst residing in Coburg, Victoria, Gordon met Mary Hilda Harvey Huxley who was living in Brunswick. Mary was born in Horsham, the daughter of George Harry Huxley, a miner, and Emma Deane. Having not heard from Jane for some years and believing her dead, Gordon and Mary marry at Carlton on Christmas Eve, 1900. Interestingly, an announcement of the marriage was not placed in The Age newspaper until September 1903, nearly three years after the event by which time Gordon and Mary had a son, Victor Gordon Watts-Phillips, born 8 February 1903 in Carlton. Within months of the placement of this marriage announcement, his former wife, Jane, makes a reappearance but apparently does not interfere and Mary and Gordon continue to live together as husband and wife. Around the same time in late 1903, Gordon’s brother, Basil Watts Phillip wrote from London to the Victoria Police seeking assistance to locate his brother. He had last heard from him in a letter dated Cunninghame, Gippsland, 1891. He indicated that about 1893 Gordon and Jane and their two children were living at Beaconsfield Parade, Albert Park but the whereabouts of all was now unknown. He mentioned Gordon had also been awarded 21 guineas by Judge Boucaut on the 26th February 1884, also a silver medal, for arresting two ruffians who had brutally assaulted a jockey (in South Australia) and that he had been awarded the Royal Humane Society's medal, London, and in 1891, was presented with the Royal Humane Society's certificate of merit (Victoria). Basil also stated his brother had lost the sight of one eye through a stab he received in New York and had a scar on his temple, one on the wrist, two under the shoulder blade, and one on the thigh, and two bullet wounds in the leg. Basil’s quest was published in the Melbourne Herald and assistance was soon forthcoming to the Police. In June 1906 Gordon made his Will, leaving all his estate to his youngest son Victor. Mary was appointed Executrix and it was witnessed by Olive Huxley, married woman, and James Huxley, a pottery maker. James was subsequently killed in France in May 1918. Gordon and Mary have a second son, Basil Douglas born in Carlton in 1911 but he dies as toddler in 1913. At some point Gordon and Mary made their home at Eltham though official electoral roll records record them at Little Flinders Street Melbourne, employed as a caretaker and from 1906 in Brunswick as a decorator then painter. Eltham may have been a ‘holiday’ home but it seems Mary was actively engaged in the community as a newspaper report in the Advertiser in 1922 not long after Gordon’s death indicates Mary was one of the best known and best liked ladies of the Eltham district. She was actively engaged in all matters, tending towards the welfare of the district. At the time of Gordon’s death Mary was president of the Ladies' Public Hall Committee, responsible for the conduct of numerous, and successful entertainments. Gordon’s first and only legal wife, Jane Luxon Watts-Phillips nee Miller, died 6 November 1921 and was buried 8 November 1921 at Springvale Cemetery. Jane had lived 34 years in South Australia and 30 years in Victoria. With Jane now dead, Gordon was now officially a widower and just three weeks later, the retired master mariner of Eltham at age 55 remarried Mary, 42, of 174 Hickford Street, East Brunswick on the 29th November 1921 in the Parish of St Cuthbert, East Brunswick. Gordon died at their home, ‘The Rest’, at 174 Hickford Street, East Brunswick on February 9, 1922 and was buried at Eltham Cemetery on February 11. An interesting link is established with the heavy floods of August 1891 by the erection of a tombstone in the Eltham cemetery. The stone bears the inscription: - “In loving memory of (Captain) Gordon, dearly beloved husband of Mary Watts Phillips. Died 9th February 1922, aged 62 years." Beside the stone is a replica, carved in a marble scroll, of the Royal Humane Society of Australia's Certificate of merit. Part of the wording of this certificate is as follows:- “At a general court of directors holder at the offices of the society at Melbourne on the 6th day of September 1891, it was resolved that the courage and humanity displayed by Gordon Watts Phillips aged 30-years captain of S.S. Omeo, Sale, in rescuing many families from drowning during the heavy floods on Thomson River on 3rd and 4th of August 1891 call for the admiration of the court, and justly entitles him to the certificate of merit of this society, which is hereby awarded." Unbeknownst to Gordon, his second and subsequent legal marriage to Mary initiated a revocation of his Will of 1906, which had solely benefited his son Victor. Consequently, Mary had to apply for Letters of Administration and the only legal beneficiaries would be Mary and his two children by Jane. On June 18, 1940, at age 61, Mary married 70-year-old Arthur Ernest Fenn in Melbourne. Unfortunately for her, Arthur died a year later in July 1941 and was buried in the Cohuna Cemetery near Echuca. Mary lived a further 8 years, passing away suddenly July 4, 1948 in Carlton, and was buried July 7 with her beloved husband Gordon, at Eltham Cemetery. In Loving Memory of (Captain) Gordon Dearly beloved husbandof Mary Watts-Phillips Died 9th Feb. 1922, aged 62 years Also Mary Hilda Loved wife of above Died 4th July 1948 "At rest"Born Digitaleltham cemetery, gravestones, (captain) gordon watts-phillips, mary hilda harvey watts-phillips (nee huxley)

Information regarding the circumstances of the eleven men of the Shire of Eltham who died serving their country in the Second World War and for whom the Eltham War Memorial was dedicated. Their names are listed on the Eltham Roll of Honour in order of rank. The image portrayed shows the eleven men (left to right, top to bottom) by date of fatality: CASTLEDINE, George Ernest, Spr., VX10044 (KIA 18 Apr 1941, Greece) GAHAN, Studley Manston, Capt., VX48379 (KIA 17 May 1941, Tobruk, Libya) RUTTER, David, Flying Off., 833 (400833) (KIA 9 Dec 1941, Bir El Gubbi, Libya) CLERKE, Alfred Charles, Cpl., VX23112 (KIA 2 Feb 1942, Laha, Ambon Island) DUNLOP, Cuthbert Douglas, Sgt., VX15252 (KIA 22 Nov 1942, Gona, New Guinea) INGRAM, Lester Neil, Flt. Sgt., 410236 (DOD 22 Apr 1943, Longworth, England) McLEAN, Stanley, Flt. Sgt., 419844 (KIA 7 Oct 1944, Emmerich, Germany) FELDBAUER, Theodore, Sgt., VX51733 (DOD 27 Mar 1945, Borneo) RUTTER, Donald Hemphill, Flt. Lt., 410262 (KIA 5 Apr 1945, Varrelbusch, Germany) FIELD, Kevin Francis, Pte., VX144763 (KIA 28 Jun 1945, Bougainville, PNG) BUTHERWAY, Jack Herbert, Pte, VX37645 (DOD 8 Jul 1945, Borneo)eltham war memorial, roll of honour, second world war, eltham, eltham roll of honour, shire of eltham, 2/4 field workshop, 22 independent brigade group ordnance workshop, a.i.f., australian army ordnance corps, australian corps of electrical and mechanical engineers, changi, falkiner street, florence mary butherway, jack herbert butherway, prisoner of war (pow), ranau number 1 jungle camp, sandakan death march, singapore, thomas james butherway, vx37645, 2/2 field company, 6th division, abington, annie castledine, arthur frederick castledine, george ernest castledine, greece, jean simonson, lower plenty, old eltham road, royal australian engineers, vx10044 sapper g. e. castledine, 2/23 bn, derril, gahan house, main road, rats of tobruk, studley manston gahan, tobruk, vx48379, 3 squadron r.a.a.f., aboukir, alamein memorial, beulah alice (simpson) rutter, bir el gubbi, broken hill aero club, david rutter, egypt, hubert rutter, libya, yarra braes, 2/21 bn, 23rd australian infrantry brigade, 8th division, alfred charles clerke, ambon island, battle of ambon, bidgeland park estate, inga caroline (nicholls) clerke, inga mary nicholls, laha airfield, nora ann clerke, rose matilda clerke, vx23112, william charles clerke, 2/14 bn, 2/16 bn, 21st brigade, 7th division, cuthbert douglas dunlop, gona, gona war cemetery, henry street, janet dunlop, kokoda track, new guinea, palestine, papua new guinea, port moresby (bomana) war cemetery, reuben cuthbert dunlop, syria, vx15252, 10 operational training unit, 410236, ada (key) ingram, berkshire, bomber command, england, group no. 91, john ingram, lester neil ingram, longworth, n.1374, r.a.a.f., r.a.f., r.a.f. abington, research (vic.), whitley v bomber, 419844, 514 bomber squadron, emmerich, germany, gordon stanley mclean, ji-g2, kleve, lancaster lm735, lucy mclean, mount pleasant road, r.a.f. waterbeach, reichswald forest war cemetery, stanley mclean, 2/10 ordnance workshops, albert feldbauer, eltham cricket association, eltham girls club, frank street, henry feldbauer, jessie margarette feldbauer, june feldbauer, ken ingram, margaret (feldbauer) ingram, montmorency imperials, research cricket club, research state school, sandakan number 1 camp, sandakan number 2 camp, theodore albert feldbauer, valerie (feldbauer) waller, violet amelda (teagle) feldbauer, vx51733, 247 ‘china-british’ squadron, caithness, cloppenburg, donlad hemphill rutter, essen, gloucester, hanover war cemetery, hanover-limmer british military cemetery, holten-lochem, oldenburg, r.a.f. castletown, r.a.f. station lealing, stoppenburg, typhoon ib jp443, typhoon ib sw526, 15th australian infantry brigade, 1940 cup, 3rd division, 57th/60th bn, best and fairest, bougainville island, buin road, mary field, mayona road, mivo river, mobiai river, montmorency, vx144763, william field

Black and white photograph - Grade 3B, 1970."Attached to photograph" Back Row- L to R: Craig Lucas, Mark Brackhus, Colin Johus, David Taggart, David Beard, Warren Rawson, Gary Oxley, Stephen Graham. 2nd Row- L to R: Lyall Tann, Robert Beal, Michael Schelfhout, Mary Hurley, Diedre Taylor, Donna Tirney, Gaye Bacun. 3rd Row- L to R: Jeffrey James, Cal Harris, Rodney Foote, Warren Alexander, Ross Williams, Rodney Cuthbert, John O'Sullivan, Cameron Nichol. Front Row- L to R: Susan Halsall, Fluer Kellet, Lynne Smith, Rochelle Backhouse, Sharon Hales, Diane Simpfenderfer, Deborah Smilie, Diane Axford, Joanne Persons. Teacher: Mrs Isabel Marshall

This dress was made for and belonged to Mrs Elizabeth McLachlan (nee Duncan, 1820-1904), wife of Reverend John Hamilton McLachlan (1813-1908), who was the first Minister of St Cuthbert's Presbyterian Church in Brighton. Elizabeth and John were married at the Free Church of Ayr at Lindsaystonn in the Parish of Kirkmickach, Ayrshire, Scotland on 15 October 1849. At this time his occupation was listed as "Minister of Presbyterian Church" and hers as "Governess". They left for Australia on the 1 November 1849 and arrived in Australia 6 months later. Apparently John's hair turned snow white during the journey due to his seasickness! The McLachlans first went to Geelong upon their arrival in 1850, then to the Western District, then Brighton, then Talbot at the height of the gold mining era. The couple had seven children: John Campbell Duncan McLachlan (b. Geelong, October 1850), Mary McLachlan (b. Geelong, November 1851), Agnes McLachlan (b. Hopkins River near Wickliff, May 1853), twins Elizabeth and Walter McLachlan (b. June 1854), Elizabeth McLachlan (b. Hesham, June 1855), Margaret McLachlan (b. Brighton, 1857). Elizabeth died in 1904. She and John are both buried in Amherst Cemetery. The dress was donated by one of her granddaughters. This circa 1849 silk blue grey window pane check dress features a high round neck and pleats on either shoulder extending over the natural shoulder line. The dress shows evidence of nine ornamental buttons down the centre front with only four blue silk buttons currently still attached. The dress fastens with thirteen concealed hook and eye closures to the waist. The Pagoda sleeves inset into the bodice in a small high armhole flaring out and finishing just below the elbow. A pale blue silk ribbon with a diagonal drawn stitch design decorates the front of the sleeve in a simple geometric design. The Pagoda sleeve is lined in a matching pale blue silk. The full skirt is pleated into the waistband and finishes just above the floor at the front. At the back the bodice features a squared off design to the princess panels shaping the dress into the body. The skirt is heavily pleated at the centre back into the waistline and finishes slightly longer at the back than the front. The skirt features two very small pockets on either side of the dress, just inside the hips. reverend john hamilton mclachlan, st cuthberts presbyterian church brighton, elizabeth mclachlan, amherst cemetery, 1840s fashion, brighton