Prior to the election of female Councillors and Mayors in the 1960’s, the Lady Mayoress role was one of the few ways women could officially undertake civic duties. Mayoresses made important contributions to their local communities through their charity work and as ambassadors for their region on a state and federal level. They also undertook some Mayoral duties on occasions when their husband was unavailable. Gwenda Joan Cooper was born in Ballarat in 1924 and served as Mayoress from 1976 - 77.Colour photographic studio portrait sitting behind oval mount.Inside lr; Don Semmens / Bendigostudio photography, city of bendigo mayoress, city of greater bendigo portraits, city of bendigo mayor, mayor r cooper, mayoress joan cooper, lansell pendant

Correspondence re Closure of Capital Theatre 1977; following Health Department ordering repairs to building and electrical repairs. Two cuttings from Bendigo Advertiser (2/7/77 & 4/7/77); ''Comment by His Worship The Mayor - Cr. R R Cooper'' (p.8 of what appear to be Council Minutes 947/77) re Motion regarding alternative course of action in relation to Kangaroo Flat Technical School facility; handwritten comments on R Cooper's paper (on back of BCAE envelope); letter from Bendigo Operatic Society to Bendigo City Council re affects of closure; letter from Board of Management, Masonic Hall, re draft letter to Dept of Health in reply to matters to be complied with under current regulations; copy of Draft Letter.

Glenelg Shire Council RecordsColour photograph of Portland Town Council (10 men, 1 woman) in a meeting. Mounted under glass in brown matt and gold-painted wooden frame.Front: Portland Town Council/Meeting of Council on Tuesday, 3rd November 1981. Left to right: Cr. R. Halliday, Cr. K. Wilson, Cr. G. Dawson, Mr. J. Costello (Deputy Town Clerk), Mr. P. Shanahan (Town Clerk), Cr. L. Murrell (Mayor), Mr. P. Cooper (Town Engineer), Mr. N. Buckingham (Deputy Town Engineer), Cr. I. Foley, Cr. L.J. Davis, Cr. J. Patterson. Absent: Cr. M.E. Box and J.H. Templar. Presented at a Special Meeting of Council held on Monday, 16th November, 1981 to mark one hundred and twenty-six years of Local Government in Portland (label, lr centre).

The Freedom of Entry to the City was an honour conferred by the Bendigo City Council to the Army Survey Regiment in 1970. 1980 was the third time the unit exercised its freedom of marching into the city with swords drawn, bayonets fixed and drums beating. The honour is usually bestowed upon local regiments, in recognition of their dedicated service, and it is common for military units to periodically exercise their freedom by arranging a parade through the city. Led by the Regiment’s CO – LTCOL Bob Skitch, the unit marched down View St in the CBD, along Pall Mall and up Gaol Rd to the Queen Elizabeth II Oval. The ceremonial parade followed with a march past the guests of honour, Mayor of Bendigo Councillor Paul Tomkinson and military dignitaries. The parade concluded after formal inspections of the troops. The Regiment also exercised its Freedom of Entry with anniversary parades in 1977, 1980, 1985, 1990 and 1995. Some photos in this set were also printed on photo paper and catalogued under item 6021.25P. Photos of the parade are catalogued under item 6490.53P. Photos of the Freedom of Entry parade rehearsal are catalogued under item 6479.38P.This set of 21 black and white photographs of the Army Survey Regiment were taken on the occasion of the Freedom of Entry to the City of Bendigo March in 1980. The majority of photographs are on 35mm negative film and scanned at 96 dpi. Photos 6491.3P and 6491.18P were printed on photographic paper and scanned at 300 dpi. They are part of the Army Survey Regiment’s Collection. .1) - Photo, black & white, 1980. L to R: MAJ Don Swiney MBE, LTCOL Bob Skitch, WO1 Aub Harvey, ADJT CAPT John Harrison, photographer in foreground – SGT Garran Hill .2) to .5) - Photo, black & white, 1980. L to R: MAJ Don Swiney MBE, LTCOL Bob Skitch, WO1 Aub Harvey, ADJT CAPT John Harrison. .6) - Photo, black & white, 1980. Headquarters Squadron marches left wheels into Pall Mall followed by 3rd MD Band. L to R: WO2 Ted Burgess, WO1 Dave Thomson, WO2 George Graham, CPL Andy Wilson, unidentified (x2), SPR Jeff Ruiz, unidentified, SGT Rick Warren, remainder unidentified. .7) - Photo, black & white, 1980. Headquarters Squadron marches down Pall Mall followed by 3rd MD Band. Right file L to R: WO1 Alex Cairney, WO2 Ted Burgess, CPL Andy Wilson, unidentified, SGT Rick Warren, remainder unidentified. Centre file L to R: unidentified (x2), SGT Bruce Hammond, CPL Phil McGuire. .8) - Photo, black & white, 1980. 3rd MD Band marches down Pall Mall. .9) - Photo, black & white, 1980. Dignitaries on dais next to Soldiers Institute Memorial Hall. L to R: Colonel Commandant COL J.L. Stedman (Retd), Commander 3MD BRIG Geoffrey Cohen AM, unidentified aide de camp, Brigadier Lawrence Fitzgerald OBE (Retd), Mayor – Councillor Paul Tomkinson, CAPT Don Maskew. .10) - Photo, black & white, 1980. Lithographic Squadron marches down Pall Mall towards the dais. L to R: CPL Josh Degroot, CPL Rhys De Laine, unidentified, SPR Per Andersen – right marker, MAJ Sam Schwartz US Exchange, CAPT Stan Vote, OC MAJ Robin Blackburn. .11) - Photo, black & white, 1980. Headquarters Squadron salutes on the march past the dais. L to R: CPL Cliff Webb, unidentified officer, SGT Bob Croxton, unidentified, SGT Syd Davis, CAPT Bob Cooper. .12) - Photo, black & white, 1980. 3rd MD Band marches down Pall Mall towards the dais. .13) - Photo, black & white, 1980. 3rd MD Band marches past the dais. L to R: Colonel Commandant COL J.L. Stedman (Retd), Commander 3MD BRIG Geoffrey Cohen AM, unidentified aide de camp, Brigadier Lawrence Fitzgerald OBE (Retd), Mayor – Councillor Paul Tomkinson, CAPT Don Maskew, unidentified officer. .14) - Photo, black & white, 1980. 3rd MD Band salutes on the march past the dais. L to R: unidentified aide de camp, Colonel Commandant COL J.L. Stedman (Retd), Commander 3MD BRIG Geoffrey Cohen AM, CAPT Don Maskew, Brigadier Lawrence Fitzgerald OBE (Retd), Mayor – Councillor Paul Tomkinson, unidentified officer. .15) - Photo, black & white, 1980. 3rd MD Band salutes on the march past the dais. L to R: Colonel Commandant COL J.L. Stedman (Retd), Commander 3MD BRIG Geoffrey Cohen AM, Mayor – Councillor Paul Tomkinson, CAPT Don Maskew. .16) - Photo, black & white, 1980. Squadrons march past the dais. .17) - Photo, black & white, 1980. Female Contingent salutes on the march past the dais. L to R: Colonel Commandant COL J.L. Stedman (Retd), Commander 3MD BRIG Geoffrey Cohen AM, CAPT Don Maskew, Brigadier Lawrence Fitzgerald OBE (Retd), Mayor – Councillor Paul Tomkinson. .18) - Photo, black & white, 1980. Female Contingent salutes on the march past the dais. L to R: SPR Scheryl Delforce, SPR Ilen Isaac, SPR Ginny (Turner) Rowe, SPR Cathy Regan, CPL Marrianne (Van De Zee) De Groot, SPR Gae (Robinson) Amato, SPR Megan (McBurney) Reynolds, SPR Sue (Fryer) Bottomley, SPR Le-anne (Smallshaw) Shirley, SPR Janet (Chopping) Justin, SPR Zoe (Lisiewich) Ames, unidentified saluting officer, L to R: Colonel Commandant COL J.L. Stedman (Retd), Commander 3MD BRIG Geoffrey Cohen AM. .19) - Photo, black & white, 1980. Cartographic Squadron led by CAPT Bob Roche salutes on the march past the dais. L to R: Colonel Commandant COL J.L. Stedman (Retd), Commander 3MD BRIG Geoffrey Cohen AM, CAPT Don Maskew, Brigadier Lawrence Fitzgerald OBE (Retd), Mayor – Councillor Paul Tomkinson. .20) & .21) - Photo, black & white, 1980. Air Survey Squadron salutes on the march past the dais. L to R: Colonel Commandant COL J.L. Stedman (Retd), Commander 3MD BRIG Geoffrey Cohen AM, CAPT Don Maskew, Brigadier Lawrence Fitzgerald OBE (Retd), Mayor – Councillor Paul Tomkinson.There are no personnel identified. royal australian survey corps, rasvy, army survey regiment, army svy regt, fortuna, asr

Group of Borough and Shire Councilors and Visitors at a Back to Stawell 1922 Back Left to Right: T.D. O'Callaghan, C. Chamberlain (Town Clerk), A.E. Heal, J. Webster, J. Lysaght, W. Webster, R,. Tucker, D. Moore, J. Murray, J.G. McConachie, F.W. Bond, J. O'Connor, A. J. Wood. Middle: A.E. Tobin, W.F. Irvine, W.J. Foreshaw, G. Mitchell. A. Clarke, G. Barnes, W.A. Whitford, G.T. Holden, W.J. Nolan, G.A. Smith, E.P. Timmins, H. Henderson. Front: D.M. Mitchell, W. Simpson, J.C. Hutchings, D. Bell, Major Rough, J. Paton (Mayor), D. Williams (President) J. Williams, F.J. Derry. J. Hutchins, M. Cooper. Names in "Borough of Stawell" History. Magazine Box 1 (Mr. Sharpleys Book Page 17)Black and white photograph of a large group of men standing and seated in front of a building.1922 'Back to Stawell' Celebrations Borough & Shire Councilors & visitors (Names in "Borough of Stawell" History) Mag. Box 1. (Mr. Sharpley's Book) Page 17 Group of Borough and Shire Councilors at a luncheon given by CR. D. Williams Shire President, on the occasion of the "Back to Stawell", 1922. Back, Left to right - T.D. O'Callaghan, C. Chamberlain (Town Clark), A.E. Heal, J. Webster, J. Lysaght, W. Webster, R. Tucker, D. Moore, J. Murray, J.G. Maconachie, F.W. Bond, J. O'Connor, A.J. Wood. Middle - A.E. Tobin, W.F. Irvine, W.J. Foreshaw, G. Mitchell, A. Clarke, G. Barnes, W.A. Whitford, G.T. Holden, W.J. Nolan, G.A. Smith, E.P. Timmins, H. Henderson. Front - D. M. Mitchell, W. Simpson, J.C. Hutchings, D. Bell, D. McKay, Major Rough, J. Paton (Mayor) D. Williams, (President), J. Williams, F.J. Derry, J. Hutchins, M. Cooper. Original - Photo Chapman Stawell stawell government