Historical information

The photograph depicts a large group (around 100) of merchant seamen, apprentices and officers at Malvern property, Orchard House, belonging to Mr George Higgins, in November 1019.

Significance

Mr Higgins was a civil engineer, MCE, engineer in chief for the Victorian Railway, he also managed the contractors for the Princes Bridge.His sister Ina Higgins was first woman to graduate in Horticulture at Burnley and may have known another graduate there, Frederica Godfrey who established the Mission garden circa 1917-18. This image adds to the record of significant supporters and hosts across Melbourne that the Mission could call on to entertain seafarers in the early 20th C.

Physical description

Small monchrome photograph, fading to upper righthand quarter