Historical information

The photograph depicts Mrs Elizabeth Holland, nee Brewer, who was born in Durham, England, in 1846, and died in Australia in 1923. Elizabeth had married Thomas Holland in Australia in 1864; his first wife died at sea, along with his eldest son, on their way to Australia. At the time, he had two other living children. Thomas and Elizabeth had thirteen children, all born in the Warrnambool district. Their seventh child, Mary Ann, married Frank Wicking; one of their children was Tom Wicking, who donated this photograph.

Tom Wicking (1907-1995):
Tom was the son of Frank Wicking and the grandson of Elizabeth Holland. He was one of the founders of Flagstaff Hill and became a life member in 1987. He donated many items of memorabilia and all of his historical papers to Flagstaff Hill after his death. A local historian, he published four books on Warrnambool History. He was given a Citizenship Award in 1981 and had a Street named “Wicking Place” in his honour in 1992 by the Warrnambool City Council. Tom was a Tour Guide for Flagstaff Hill for many years.

Significance

The photograph is a record of Elizabeth Hiolland and connects her with Warrnambool's Wicking family. One of her grandsons, Tom Wicking, was a well-known local historian. He was also instrumental in the formation of Warrnambool's Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village, where his historical research records are held.

Physical description

Photograph of a female adult wearing a decorative hat and shawl. The black and white portrait is mounted behind glass, in a gilt wooden frame. It depicts Mrs Elizabeth Holland, mother of Frank Wicking, and grandmother of local historian, Tom Wicking.