account

account - W. Cumming to R.P. Cameron

account - W. Cumming to R.P. Cameron

account - W. Cumming to R.P. Cameron

From the Collection of Orbost & District Historical Society Ruskin Street Orbost Victoria

Description: A white paper account with blue lines and black ink . It has a pink receipt attached as well as a yellow duty stamp. It is from W. Cumming, butcher, to R.P. Cameron.
Size: H-245mm W-170mm
Object Registration: 573
Keywords: cameron-robert-pullar cumming-william-butcher
Historical information: Robert Pullar Cameron was a Shire Councillor for many years. He married Penuel Hossack and had a family of James, Flora, Penuel and Alex.
William Cumming was a prominent Orbost identity. He was born in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, in 1866 the son of William Cumming and Mary Ann Montgomery. He came to Australia, aged 28, and to Orbost in 1890. He farmed at Bete Bolong and during WW1 ran a butcher's shop on his farm. He was a shire councillor and served as a South Riding representative for 38 years. He was a keen Newmerella football supporter, a member of the Orbost Bowling Club as well as a director of the Orbost Butter Factory.
Cumming was married to Ellen Louise Mundy and had four children ( Harold, Mary, William and Gordon).
When Made: February 1st 1921
Made By: Cumming, W. (butcher)
Significance: This item is an example of a hand-written account for a local early 20th century business in Orbost. It is a useful research tool.
Last updated: 2 Mar 2018 at 10:18AM

black and white photograph

Orbost & District Historical Society , Orbost

A black / white photograph / postcard of a group of men at a campsite. In the background is a row of tents. on the right side is a clothes line with several sheets hung over it. Two men are studying a map or chart; one man is sitting with a cloth around his shoulders while another is standing behind him cutting his hair; one man is washing cloth in a tin tub; another appears to be stirring a pot; others are sitting reading or just observing.

Historical information

This is a camp of survey workers surveying the railway line . They were camped at Mossiface in 1907. There had been men surveying in East Gippsland from the late 19th century. Railway surveyors advocated two lines beyond Bairnsdale – one via Bruthen and the Tambo Valley to Omeo, the other via Swan Reach and Colquhoun to Orbost, then on to Bendoc and the border. With all the argument and feuding between the warring factions, by the end of 1891, the Parliamentary Railways Standing Committee gave up in despair of trying to reach any agreement and abandoned the idea altogether. Finally, with all problems solved, the first sod was turned at Mossiface on 9.1.1912, the government sticking to the original route in the 1890 survey .

Significance

This is a pictorial record of a surveyors' camp in the early 20th century. The Bairnsdale to Orbost Railway was a significant contributor to the economy of Orbost until it closed.

Inscriptions & Markings

on front - handwritten is " R.L.Y.S. SURVEY CAMP MOSSIFACE 27.7.07" on back is a letter - "Dear Miss Ross.............yours sincerely ????? Gordon"

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black and white photograph

Orbost & District Historical Society , Orbost

A black / white photograph of a group of men standing at a campsite in the bush. Two tents are in the background.

Historical information

This is a surveyors' camp in the McCulloch Ranges April, 1897. Surveyors were among the first European settlers to arrive in Australia. A Surveyor-General was present on the First Fleet, as well as the first two ships which landed in South Australia. These men were issued with instructions to record observations in a journal that included the country’s general appearance, its soil, flora and fauna and the customs and language of local inhabitants. The conditions they worked in were harsh and they embarked on journeys with drays carrying cumbersome surveying and camping equipment, spending months camping out in the bush and mapping the land. It was not until well into the second half of the nineteenth century that the professional training of surveyors became mandatory in Australia.

Significance

This is a pictorial record of a surveyors' camp in the late 19th century.

Inscriptions & Markings

on the front - "Surveyors Camp, McCulloch Ranges" Some names have been added for identification - Bates, Thorn and others which cannot be read.

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black and white photograph

Orbost & District Historical Society , Orbost

A black / white photograph of a mine site with timber mine constructions spread around. there is a river in the foreground. Some wooden buildings can be seen in the background.

Historical information

This photograph shows the Battery Goldmine at Club Terrace from 1896 - 1905. Gold was found at Club Terrace in 1896. One of the best finds at Club Terrace was the 'Ace of Clubs' mine which was later sold to the Mallina Gold Mining Company. Syd Cadwallader was appointed manager of the company. The gold was smelted and brought to Orbost on horseback. The only protection against thieves was a revolver and riding crop, which the manager always carried. The 'Ace of Clubs' was eventually closed as the company was unable to cope with the rising water problem. (information Newsletter February 2011 - John Phillips)

Significance

This is a pictorial record of gold mining in East Gippsland during the late 19th - early 20th century.

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black and white photograph

Orbost & District Historical Society , Orbost

A black / white photograph of a group of men and a horse standing around a campfire. The camp is in a clearing and tents are set up with some bark coverings.

Historical information

This photograph shows a group of surveyors at Treasury Camp - April 18 1897.

Significance

This is a pictorial record of a late 19th century bush camp set up by surveyors involved in determining land settlement in East Gippsland.

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black and white photograph

Orbost & District Historical Society , Orbost

A black / white photograph of the farming flats at Orbost during the construction of the East Gippsland railway.

Historical information

This photograph shows the pile drivers at work in the construction of the viaduct across the Snowy River flats. The Snowy River Floodplain Railway Bridges, two sequential and exceptionally long and low timber railway bridges on the Snowy River floodplain just west of Orbost, were built in 1916, and provided the original terminus point for the Bairnsdale-Orbost railway. The bridges are 770 metres and 183 metres long respectively. The shorter bridge is of uniformly 4.57 metre timber-beam construction, and has a sweeping curve in its deck. The longer bridge has a combination of 4.57 metre and 6.1 metrespans, and two 3.66 metre spans. The bridges are constructed from 'Southern Mahogany', Eucalyptus Botryoides, which grew along the coast east of Bairnsdale. The Snowy floodplain bridges were initially built in the context of an early twentieth-century interest in American-style 'Developmental Railways', designed to open remote areas to closer settlement, even if that meant running at a loss. The line was closed in August 1987. (information from Victorian Heritage Database)

Significance

This item is associated with the history of the Orbost-Bairnsdale railway line and therefore reflects the role that the rail line played in the social and economic history of Orbost.

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black and white photograph

Orbost & District Historical Society , Orbost

A black / white portrait photograph on a dark grey buff card. It is a head and shoulders posed photograph of a bearded man in a suit.

Historical information

Reverend Alexander Morton was the Presbyterian minister in Orbost between 1894 and 1904. Rev. Alexander Morton earned great respect from the Orbost community, during his ministry here between 1894-1904. He brought with him from the New Hebrides timber which was used for the pulpit. Affectionately known as “Sandy” Morton, he was very friendly and endeavoured to reach all his bush parishioners, often on horseback. He was known up the Gelantipy Valley as an itinerant Preacher with a difference, he often doubled as a dentist, who was quite adept at pulling teeth, often with a pair of pliers. ( information from Margaret Smith Newsletter August 2012)

Significance

Reverend Alexander Morton was a prominent Orbost citizen in the late 19th - early 20th centuries. He was associated with the Presbyterian Church in Orbost.

Inscriptions & Markings

on back - Rev. Ale Morton, Presbyterian Minister at Orbost"

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black and white photograph

Orbost & District Historical Society , Orbost

A black / white photograph of a large group of men playing bowls on a bowling green. Some are dressed in whites and others in suits.

Historical information

The Orbost Bowling Club was founded in 1929, by a group of farmers and businessmen. They set about providing a sporting icon for the town. Six rinks were constructed on the current site using horse drawn scoops and drags. The "Back to Orbost” 1937 book, describes the greens as "a bit rough for the first two seasons but now compare favourably with most country greens". Funds for the construction were raised by the issue of debentures at £5 each, and subscriptions were £1/1s/0d ($2.10). ( info. Margaret Smith) Included in the photograph are: Wm Kerr; D. Robinson; Lance Herbert; Fred McCoy; Jacob Perry; Ted Eaton; Jack McKeown; Wm Cumming; Harry Cameron; Dick Pardew; Wm Cowell; John Bird; Paul Spadaro; Carl Dreverman.

Significance

Lawn bowling” is an outdoor game that has been popular for centuries. Bowling clubs play a significant role in community recreation needs. This is a pictorial record of this recreational activity in the first half of the 20th century.

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black and white photograph

Orbost & District Historical Society , Orbost

A black / white photograph on a cream coloured buff card with red print at the bottom. It is of a small child sitting on a chair with a large dog sitting at the child's feet.

Historical information

This photograph could be related to the Rev, L. W. Hatton and Mrs. Hatton formerly of Healesville Presbyterian Church. They left there in January 1947 to take over Mr. Hatton's new charge at .Orbost..

Inscriptions & Markings

on back - "Donald John Hatton, mas 1899"\ on front - "Tesla Studios 464 Hay Street Perth"

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black and white photograph

Orbost & District Historical Society , Orbost

A black / white photograph of a man fishing fro rocks into the ocean.

Historical information

This is a photograph of a man fishing off the rocks at Cape Conran in Far East Gippsland.

Significance

Cape Conran has always been a popular fishing destination for Orbost people. This photograph is a pictorial record of that recreational activity in the early 20th century.

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black and white photograph

Orbost & District Historical Society , Orbost

A black / photograph of trees and a beach with rocks and the ocean in the background. It appears to be a copy of a postcard and has been hand trimmed.

Historical information

this photograph is of Cape Conran in Far East Gippsland. It appears to be a copy of a commercial postcard available to tourists or East Gippsland residents to send to friends or relatives.Cameras in the early 20th century were not a common family possession and a postcard was a common souvenir and way of sending a short message.

Significance

Postcards form a vital part of social and historical records for researchers.

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black and white photograph

Orbost & District Historical Society , Orbost

A black / white photograph of the ocean with rocks in the background. It appears to be a copy of a postcard and has been hand trimmed.

Historical information

This is a scene of Cape Conran, East Gippsland. It appears to be a copy of a postcard which was one of a collection of commercial post cards available to tourists or East Gippsland residents to send to friends or relatives.

Significance

Cameras in the early 20th century were not a common family possession and a postcard was a common souvenir and way of sending a short message. Postcards are a valuable research tool in the social and environmental history of a community.

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Untitled

Orbost & District Historical Society , Orbost

a black / white photograph of a rough ocean over rocks at Cape Conran in Far East Gippsland. It looks as if the photograph has been trimmed.

Historical information

This is a scene of Cape Conran, East Gippsland. It appears to have been a postcard which was trimmed. Cameras in the early 20th century were not a common family possession and a postcard was a common souvenir and way of sending a short message.

Significance

Early photographs are very interesting records of places gone, architecture gone and people gone, showing social history such as dress, or early automobiles. This scene is of a popular tourist destination in East Gippsland.

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black and white photograph

Orbost & District Historical Society , Orbost

A black / white postcard photograph of a scenic view of the beach and ocean at Cape Conran in Far East Victoria.

Historical information

This is a scene of Cape Conran, East Gippsland taken by Bairnsdale photographer, Stanley Vogt. It was probably one of a collection of commercial post cards available to tourists or East Gippsland residents to send to friends or relatives. Cameras in the early 20th century were not a common family possession and a postcard was a common souvenir and way of sending a short message.

Significance

Between 1901 and 1914 a wide range of subjects were recorded by often anonymous artists and photographers and published by everyone from major companies to enthusiastic individuals. As a result, postcards provide a comprehensive resource for anyone interested in how our forebears lived, laughed and loved one hundred years ago. They are very interesting records of places gone, architecture gone and people gone, showing social history such as dress, or early automobiles. Postcards form a vital part of social and historical records for researchers.

Inscriptions & Markings

on front - "Stanley Voigt - Bairnsdale - Cape Conran"

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black and white photograph

Orbost & District Historical Society , Orbost

A black / white photograph of two children, holding their hats , standing in front of a tree outside a school fence.

Historical information

Ian and Jean McDonald are the children of Mr and Mrs Norman McDonald of 42 Gladstone Street, Orbost. This photograph was taken in late January 1919 on the occasion of Jean's first day of school at the house of John Rowe, a former headmaster, who then lived opposite the school. Norman Alexander McDonald was a book-keeper at Macarthur‟s and was very musical. He was proprietor of the Capitol Cafe, Nicholson Street, Orbost, selling the business to Mr Coad on 4th December 1947.

Significance

This is a pictorial record of a significant event in the life of the McDonald family of early Orbost.

Inscriptions & Markings

on back - "Ian & Jean McDonald opposite the school"

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black and white photograph

Orbost & District Historical Society , Orbost

A black / white photograph of a man standing outside alone with his hands in his pocket. He has a moustache and has a pipe in his mouth. He is wearing a hat.

Historical information

Jack Bruton selected land at Murrungowar and held the licence for the Murrungowar Hotel. He later became a butcher in Orbost. He was on the first Orbost Golf Club committee in 1906. .The golf club was established in 1906 it was originally formed as the Snowy River Golf Club and played on private land near the banks of the Snowy River just to the south of town.

Significance

This is a pictorial record of Jack Bruton, one of the early settlers of Murrungowar, a former township east of Orbost.

Inscriptions & Markings

on front - "Jack Bruton died 1921" on back - "Mr Jack Bruton, Murrungower Hotel"

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black and white photograph

Orbost & District Historical Society , Orbost

A small square head and shoulders photograph of a man. It is attached to a white card with tape.

Historical information

This is a photograph of Councillor Charles Henry Grove who represented South Riding on the Orbost Shire Council. from 1893 - 1901. He was president in 1893-1894, 1895-1896 and 1900-1901. He also served on the Tambo Shire prior to the formation of the Croajingolong / Orbost Shire. Charles Henry [Carl] Grove died on 17/4/1938 at Box Hill at the age of 88 and was buried in Orbost. Prior to coming to the Snowy River district, Carl worked as overseer on Buchan Station. In 1880, he selected land at Newmerella after first coming here in 1874 with early selector James A Robertson. He married Annie Robertson in 1876. Carl was a farmer, hop and seed grower and nurseryman. He was an elected Councillor of the newly formed Tambo Shire in 1882, and then in 1892 to the Orbost Shire where he served for many years filling various public roles. In 1911, he shifted to Queensland, but later returned to Victoria and died at Box Hill. (info. Newsletter 113

Significance

Carl Grove was a prominent early Orbost citizen.

Inscriptions & Markings

on front - "Mr C. Grove"

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black and white photograph

Orbost & District Historical Society , Orbost

Historical information

Ian and Jean McDonald were the children of Mr and Mrs Norman McDonald of 42 Gladstone Street, Orbost. This photograph was taken in late January, 1919 on Jean's first day at school.. It was taken at the home of John Rowe, the former headmaster of Orbost Primary School. He was then living opposite the school. Norman Alexander McDonald was a book-keeper at Macarthur‟s and was very musical. He was proprietor of the Capitol Cafe, Nicholson Street, Orbost, selling the business to Mr Coad on 4th December 1947.

Significance

This photograph record an important event in the life of an Orbost family in the early 20th century.

Inscriptions & Markings

A black / white photograph of two young children, a boy and a girl, sitting on the verandah of a house.

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black and white photograph

Orbost & District Historical Society , Orbost

A black / white photograph / postcard of a township in a valley. The photograph has been taken from a distance.

Significance

This is a pictorial record of Buchan in the first half of the 20th century.

Inscriptions & Markings

on front - A Distant View of Buchan

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black and white photograph

Orbost & District Historical Society , Orbost

A large black / white photograph of a man standing in front of a wooden cottage. there is a horse beside him, a woman standing on a verandah in the background and on the left is a clothes line with what seem to be nappies pegged out. There is also a copy of the original.

Historical information

There are records of members of the Helmers family attending Bendoc State School. George Helmers was a prospector who mined all the gold from the dry gullies that ran into Bendoc. George was born in 1866, in Bombala, New South Wales, Australia. He was married to Euphemia Lock, born on October 19 1870, in Bendoc Upper, Victoria, Australia.

Significance

This photograph is associated with early settlers of Bendoc, East Gippsland.

Inscriptions & Markings

on back - "George Helmers, Errinundra"

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black and white photograph

Orbost & District Historical Society , Orbost

A black / white photograph of a large maize crib full of maize in a paddock. There is a large framed copy of the original.

Historical information

Maize,has been grown on the Orbost flats for at least 70 years. When early settlers began to arrive on the Snowy River somewhere in the 1880s, the land was mostly swamps and heavily timbered jungle on the river frontages. The swamps were drained, bit by bit, by men with short handled shovels and working in mud and water. The frontages were cleared by axe and shovel and fire. Several kinds of crops were experimented with such as hops, hemp and maize, the latter grew particularly well and became the main crop of district. The problem then was to thresh and deliver the product to the market. A small single cob machine was brought here and one man turned the handle, while the boy or Mum fed the cobs singly into the machine. A good day’s work would thresh about 50 bushels or about 12 bags (4 bushels). The task then was to cart the maize to market. For a few years this was done by horses and dray carrying about 60 bushels to Mossiface, where it was loaded onto river boats to Lakes Entrance, and then by ocean boats to Melbourne. Later it was taken to Bairnsdale by foot and loaded onto the trains to Melbourne. (more information in Newletter October 2006) This crib, measuring seven chains, sixteen feet, contained 10,000 bags of maize cobs which were grown by Linc Timmons on Peter Irvine's farm (Fairlea?) in Orbost, East Gippsland.

Significance

The growing of maize in the Orbost district contributed significantly to the economy of the township for many years, The many maize cribs once seen on the surrounding farms have now disappeared and this photograph is a pictorial record of that significance.

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