Colour photograph of a monument in in Vire, Francevire, france

The Old Gateway or the Saint-Sauveur Gateway (13th Century). After the old regime it had, for some time, served as a Town Hall. In august 1944, the US troops, eager to facilitate truck traffic provisioning the frontline, wanted to blow up this tower. It was saved by the energetic intervention of Mayor Andre Halbout. The town plan of 1946 rerouted Chaussee Street, which now passes to the north of the tower. The south tower, its twin, disappeared in 1788.Colour photograph of the Old Gateway, Vire, Franceold gateway, vire, france

Colour photograph of a World War Two memorial in Vire, Normandy, France.world war 2, war memorial, vire, normandy, france

Colour photograph inside the tower, Vire, France

Colour photographs of the Old Gateawy Tower, Vire, France

This is the sole remaining tower of the castle's curtain wall. The Coulonce's family had, in the Middle Ages, supplied several of the captains and governor's of Vire's fortified stronghold.A number of colour photographs of Colounces Tower, Vire, Francecolounces tower, vire, france, architecture

The town of Vire is on a rocky promontory above the Vire River, situated in the south-west of the Calvados department of Lower Normandy, about half way between Caen (north-east of Vire) and Mont-Saint-Michel (to the south-west). Since 2016 the town has been part of the commune called Vire-Normandie. The town suffered quite heavily during bombardments at the end of the Second World War, and much reconstruction and renovation took place in the decade that followed the end of the war. (https://www.francethisway.com/places/vire.php) Julien Hardy, a stonemason and first discoverer of gold at Happy Valley, near Ballarat, Victoria Australia, was born near Vire, France. This photograph was taken by a descendant of Julian Hardy.Two colour photographs of buildings in the town of Vire, Normandie, France.julien hardy, vire, normandy

1940-1945 En Hommage Aux Refractares et Maquisards du Bocoage virons oui ont dit non a la loi de L'occupant Yvonne Hardy on memorial

Julien Hardy married Elizabeth Sophia Francis (a widow) from Basle, Switzerland at St John's Anglican Church, Melbourne on 14 August 1858. According to the certificate, he was a stonemason, living at 27 Victoria Street, North Melbourne. His father was Julien Hardy, a carpenter, and his mother was Jean Marie Penton. He was born at Mon Joie, Normandy, France, near the town of Vire. Elizabeth Sophia Francis was the daughter of Nicholas Cage? Burchardt, a banker, and Elizabeth Leslin. The witnesses were Claude Pottee and Marie Petitjean.julien hardy,basle, switzerland, st john's anglican church, melbourne, 1858, stonemason, julien hardy, jean marie penton, mon joie, normandy, france, vire, elizabeth sophia francis, nicholas burchardt, elizabeth leslin, claude pottee, marie petitjean.

Julien Hardy was the first discoverer of gold at Happy Valley. A stonemason, he was born at Vire, Normandy, France. He established a stone quarry on the Melbourne Road, near Warrenheip (on the site now occupied by Shady Acres Caravan Park). From here, he quarried blocks that were used in the Ballarat Town Hall.Newsclippingjulien hardy, stonemason, gold, happy valley, shady acres, warrenheip, ballarat town hall