Councilor George Rennie was elected as a member of council in 1875 until1890.He was appointed for two terms as President ,1885-86 and 1886-87.He died in1898 aged 74 years.Original Historict Photo.Sepia photo of President George Rennie Esq.(Oval) is in the middle of collection of photos of all councilors for 1885-86.It is surrounded by a shaped gold border Presented by the President G.Rennie Esq. to the Ballarat Shire Council 1885-86.ballarat shire council, president 1885 1886, rennie george esq

This collection of photos is of President George Rennie and councilors W.H.Uren (M.L.A.),J.P.Spiers, J.Lester, James Baird,J.Dalgleish, J.King, J.Innes, C.Edmonston and Mr. H.Bregenzer (Secretary).and is for the council year 1885-86Original Historic Photo.Collection of photos Of President George Rennie and Councilors,1885-86.Sepia in colour and set in brown frame with decorative carving and inner edge light brown.Main mount is grey with secondary mount,lighter in shade, in shape of horse shoe which contains the photos.The central photo is surrounded by a shaped gold edging.In each of the four corners are painted heads of wheat.Presented by the President G.Rennie Esq. to the Ballarat Shire Council 1885-86ballarat shire council, president 1885 1886, rennie george esq

Councilor George Rennie was elected as a member of council in 1875 until 1890.He served two terms as President,1885-86 and 1886-87.He was a resident of Learmonth.This Original photo is a part of a collection of photos of all councilors for the year 1883-84. The photo of Councilor George Rennie is in sepia,and oval in shape.It is set in a "light tan" mount and has gold edging around the "cutout",A fine black line is drawn around the photo which links it to the next. It is at the top left of circle of photos of all councilors for 1883-84.PRESENTED by the President J.DALGLEISH ESQ.to the BALLARAT SHIRE COUNCIL.1883-84. learmonth, ballaarat shire council, george rennie 1883 84

Richard Hartley Smith Abbott, company director, was born, probably in Bendigo, Victoria, around 1859, the son of Richard Hartley Abbott, also a company director, and Ann, née Smith. The young Richard was educated at Bendigo High School and then at St Andrews, Scotland. Returning to Australia, he became proprietor of the Abbott Supply Company, a director of the Sandhurst Building Society, the Bendigo Gas Company, and several local mining enterprises. He owned farms at Lyell, Mandurang and Eppalock, and was a pioneer of lucerne cultivation and tanning. In 1887, Abbott became a councillor for Strathfieldsaye Shire, a position he held for fifteen years. He was shire president (1901–02) and a Bendigo City councillor (1904–09; 1913–19), serving as Mayor of Bendigo between 1917 and 1918. Richard died in 1940. https://biography.senate.gov.au/richard-hartley-smith-abbott/ 'Preston Vale' was a property in Sedgewick. A sepia photo taken at Preston Vale of the Abbott family in 1895 including Richard Hartley Smith Abbott (Snr.) Mary Hannah (Gibbs) Abbott and their five oldest children, Richard Hartley Abbott born 1885, Inez Marie Abbott born 1886, William Norman Abbott born 1888, Harold Athelstone Abbott born 1889, and Kenneth Cyril Abbott born 1890. Two of the boys are wearing long sleeved striped collared shirts, one a scouting style coat and the youngest a collared shirt and all boys are in short pants with socks or stockings. Inez, is in a long sleeved dress with white smock with white bonnet. She is wearing boots. All others are wearing hats, Mrs Abbott's hat has a scrunched/folded ribbon on the brim. She is wearing a long sleeved light coloured blouse fastened at the neck The group is seated on an outcrop of granite rocks with parts of a buggy and horse tackle showing behind them. A lidded billy and scattered cups are on the ground in front. Mr Abbott, in shirt and long pants, is carrying a shot gun as is one of the boys. Both photos have 'Preston Vale Dec 26/95' written in ink on the reverse.abbott family, preston vale

Councilor John Lester was elected as a member of council in 1886 until 1905.He was appointed as President for three terms 1888-89, 1895-96 and 1901-02.Original Historic Photo.Sepia photo of Councilor John Lester Esq.(oval). It is set third from bottom of left side of horse shoe shaped mount in light grey and has gold edging around photo.It forms part of collection of photos of all councilors for 1885-86.Presented by the President G.Rennie Esq. to the Ballarat Shire Council 1885-86.ballarat shire council, lester john 1886 1905

Councilor James Baird was elected to council in1863-65 and was the first President for the Ballarat Shire. He was re-elected in1868 to 1887. His Presidential terms were 1863-64, 1874-75,1875-76,1879-80,Part of Original Historic Photo of councilors for 1885-86.Photo of Councilor James Baird is in sepia and is at the top left of a horse shoe shaped mount,which is light grey. Around the oval photo is gold edging.It is part of a collection of photos of all councilors for the year 1885-86.The "horse shoe " is set on a deeper grey mount. Presented by the President,G.Rennie,Esq. to the Ballarat Shire Council, 1885-86.1885 1886, ballarat shire council, baird james

Councilor John Dalgliesh was elected as a member of council in 1866 until 1872 and again in 1880 until 1887.He was appointed Shire President for three terms, 1869-70,1883-84,1884-85.Origin Historic photo which is part of a composite photo of councilors for the year 1885-86.Photo of Councilor John Dalgleish in sepia.It is oval and set at top right of light grey horse shoe shaped mount which is on a deeper grey mount,it has a gold edging around mount." PRESENTED BY THE PRESIDENT,G. RENNIE ESQ. TO THE BALLARAT SHIRE COUNCIL. 1885-86."1885 1886, ballarat shire council, dalgleish john

In 1875-78 and 1883-89 Councilor John King was elected as a member of council. He was appointed Shire President in 1887-88.This photo forms part of Original Historic Photo of councilors for 1885-86. Sepia photo of Councilor John King is oval and set third from bottom of right side of " horse shoe" shaped light grey mount and on a deeper grey mount, it is edged with gold.It is part of composite photos of councilors for 1885-86." PRESENTED BY THE PRESIDENT G.RENNIE.ESQ. TO THE BALLARAT SHIRE COUNCIL 1885-86 ".1885 1886, ballarat shire council, king john

Councilor John Innes was elected as of member of council in 1878 - 1887.He did not become President during his term.Original Historic Photo of councilors for 1885-86,of which this photo is part of.Sepia photo of Councilor John Innes,is set on a light grey "horse shoe " shaped mount, second from bottom of right side of horse shoe,and is on deeper grey mount.It has gold edging around photo." PRESENTED BY THE PRESIDENT G. RENNIE ESQ. TO THE BALLARAT SHIRE COUNCIL. 1885-86."ballarat shire council, innes john 1885 1886

Mr H. Bregenzer was Secretary of the Ballarat Shire Council for the council year 1885-86Section of Original Historic Photo of councilors and staff for the year 1885-86Sepia photo of Mr. H. Bregenzer is in the middle at the bottom of collection of photos of all councilors for 1885-86. It is oval in dark grey mount edged in gold. " PRESENTED BY THE PRESIDENT G.RENNIE ESQ.TO THE BALLARAT SHIRE COUNCIL.1885-86."1885 1886, ballarat shire council, bregenzer h secretary

The Waistcoat’s Owners The first owner of the waistcoat was Alfred (Alf) Gilbert White, 1868 Stretton Park, Connewarre – 1946, Mt Duneed. He was the fourth child of Andrew White, 1828-1900, and Jane Roberts, 1827-1871. His father Andrew White was born at Stretton-on-Dunsmore, Warwickshire, England, the sixth child of William White and Sarah Elkington. Andrew had come to Victoria on the James L. Bogart in 1852 with his first wife, Emily Walker. From 1854, records show he was the owner of livery stables in central Geelong before he moved into land ownership. In 1862, Andrew became a landowner with 1,400 acres in Connewarre, the Salt Water Run, then re-named Stretton Park by Andrew. Thereafter he is usually noted as a Farmer or Sheep Farmer. Emily died in 1861 and Andrew remarried Jane Roberts in 1863. Jane was the daughter of Jane (Jenefer) Pearce and William Roberts in Crowan, Cornwell, England and it is thought arrived in Victoria on the British Trident in 1855. In 1878 Andrew moved to the newly purchased “Hillside” at Mt Duneed with his family including Alfred. By 1880 Andrew held 11,095 acres in South Barwon and Barrabool. As well as being a landowner, he had other business interests including Auctioneers, Stock and Station Agents Learmonth White from 1886. However farming at Hillside, particularly wool production, was an important part of his life. For example, in 1893 10,350 sheep were shorn although the highest number of bales of wool produced was in 1892 with 174 bales under AW’s wool mark and 8 under that of Stretton Park. This was the result of shearing 9,234 sheep. There were usually six or seven shearers, shearing over a two to three week period, beginning in early or mid October. Some of the shearers bore names familiar in the district such as Gogoll, Duffield, and Baensch. Andrew White held a number of local positions including: •1863-1874 Connewarre Road Board, Chairman 1871-73 •1875-1900 South Barwon Shire Council. When the Board amalgamated with South Barwon to form the Shire of South Barwon, he was an inaugural representative of Connewarre. He was a council member for 44 years and president for the following terms: 1878-1879; 1885-1887; 1889; 1894; 1895-1896; and 1898-1899. •1878-1886, Barrabool Shire Council, President 1882 •In 1885 he was appointed a Justice of the Peace in the Southern Bailiwick •Committee member of the Geelong Racing Club, 1890-96 •In 1892 he was appointed returning officer for the South-Western Province and the electoral district of Barwon •Foundation President of Torquay Racing Club, 1893 •Mount Duneed Cemetery Trustee, 1893 Alfred Gilbert White went to Connewarre School and then to Mt Duneed School after the family moved to Mt Duneed. He then went to Geelong Grammar School as a boarder from 31 July 1883. After leaving school, in 1886, he worked as a bookkeeper for the family business Learmonth-White stock and station agents and lived at home at Hillside. He and Bessie Orchard Mathews were married in 1894. Bessie was born in Geelong in 1869, the sixth child of William Matthews and Amelia Orchard. Her family lived at “Turley,” Malop Street, Geelong, named after the hamlet of Turleigh in West Wiltshire, England. Bessie’s father, William Mathews, a butcher from Winsley, Wiltshire, arrived on the Queen of the East in Sydney in 1854 and established a successful butcher’s business with his brother James in Geelong. Her mother, Amelia Orchard, also from Winsley, arrived on the Thames in Melbourne in 1857. Alfred, Bessie and their family lived at Stretton Park, Connewarre, leasing it from Andrew. They had six children including their fourth child Douglas Alfred White, the second owner of the waistcoat. His father Andrew supported Alfred’s sheep farming at Stretton Park. In 1896 “.... eight splendid 2-tooth Lincoln rams in the wool were purchased by Mr Andrew White for his son, Mr Alfred G. White….intended for Mr White’s sheep run at Connewarre.“ Alfred White bought ‘Hillside’, 640 acres, after his father’s death and moved there with his family from Stretton Park in Connewarre. (Stretton Park was bought by his half sister Emily and her family and renamed “Morangarell”.) A family partnership was formed to run the wider station. It was then Alfred who managed the new partnership, called Stretton Park. Alfred meticulously kept the financial records of the station, as might be expected from a former bookkeeper. The detail kept is exemplified in the annual shearing records, including the names of the paddocks, the number of lambs and ewes and the shearers’ tallies. In the spring of 1900, after Andrew White had died, shearing began on 7 October and was finished on 6 November. On some days well over 500 sheep were shorn. The highest tally was 616 on 11 October. That year the overall total of sheep shorn was 9,101. Alfred was an active community member including: •South Barwon Council member (46 years), president: 1903-04; 1906-07; 1921-22; and 1931-33 •Geelong Grammar School Council member, 1908-1946 (over 37 years) •Active member of St. Wilfred’s Church of England, Mt Duneed •Director of Dennys Lascelles, 1932-1946 •Mt Duneed Cemetery Trustee, 1900 •Honorary member of the Mt Duneed Rifle Club, 1900 •Mt Duneed Mutual Improvement Association •Mt Duneed Recreation Reserve Trustee •Torquay Improvement Association Trustee •Barwon Returning Officer Douglas Alfred White, 1900 Stretton Park, Connewarre-1976, Geelong. Initially Douglas and his sisters were taught at home by a governess. Then, like his father, Douglas attended Geelong Grammar. After finishing school, he studied Engineering at Melbourne University where he met Violet Fullerton, 1900-1992, who was studying Medicine. They married in 1926 and had two children including Douglas Robert Stretton (DRS) White Melbourne, 1928–Geelong, 1989, the final owner of the waistcoat. After a successful career as an engineer with the Department of Main Roads, NSW, and serving as a Major in the Royal Australian Engineers in NT, New Guinea and Borneo during the Second World War, Douglas purchased part of Stretton Park when it was sold in 1952. He farmed “South Beach Farm” until his death in 1975. (This area now includes The Sands and Stretton Estate subdivisions.) His son DRS White also attended Geelong Grammar before studying at Dookie Agricultural College. In 1955 DRS purchased land from Peter Fisher, John Fisher and Frank Walter, naming the property “Lambidgee”. (This was part of the land that had originally belonged to Andrew White that had been sold previously.) He farmed this land for the rest of his life, continuing the family tradition. After his father’s death in 1975, the waistcoat became his and so passed to a third generation of the family.Chartreuse green and red waistcoat featuring woven wool front with six buttons, silk back with metal clasp, and red lining. The buttons feature small green beads in the centre.Label [printed]: R. Collins Hocking / GEELONG Label [handwritten]: A. G. White Esqwaistcoat, vest, design, textiles, fashion, alfred white, sheep farming, mt duneed, rural life