Historical information

See below for an article by Jim Evans of the Bendigo Historical Society:
From the Bendigo Miner Number 9 - 1 March 2007
Cock-eyed Curnow - James Henry Curnow Cornishman and famous Bendigonian
By Jim Evans
Five-time Mayor of Bendigo, James Henry Curnow of Eumana , was for fifty years associated with almost every progressive movement in the life of the city.
He was born in Ludgvan, Cornwall, in 1861, the son of Sampson Curnow, tin-miner and later mine-manager. His parents brought him to Bendigo when he was two years old and settled at Long Gully. He was educated at the state school and St Andrew s College. In 1883, he married Jane Corbel in the Congregational Church.
Curnow joined the Post-Master-General s Department in 1881. Taking leave in 1887, he acted as secretary of the Australian Natives Association (ANA) exhibition at Geelong. He became a clerk with Connelly and Tatchell's, Bendigo solicitors, leaving in 1894 to establish an accountancy and real estate business. Considered shrewd and hard-working, Curnow prospered; he
later added an auctioneering section and formed the company J.H. Curnow & Son (now Curnow & Dyett).
The ANA provided the grounding for Curnow s public life. He joined the Sandhurst branch in 1881 and was secretary in 1883-1891. He helped form new branches in northern Victoria. With (Sir) John Quick, he set up the first Federation League in the colony in 1893. Curnow was secretary of the League in that year and again in 1898-99.
He was elected to the Bendigo City Council in 1901 and, apart from 1906-09 remained a very energetic councillor. He was Mayor in 1902-03, 1903-04, 1912-13, 1919-20 and 1927-28. It was during his second term as Mayor in 1904, that he had William Beebe design a home - Eumana in Flora Hill.
(Local historian Betty Jackman informs me that Curnow s house at 75 Wills Street where he lived before moving to Flora Hill, was also called Eumana ). He took a leading role in the installation of sewerage and was later Chairman of the city s Sewerage authority when that body was being subjected to a great deal of criticism. He was an executive member of The Municipal Association of Victoria and president in 1919. Curnow was very
interested in politics, but his four attempts to enter parliament failed.
He was Justice of the Peace for the states of New South Wales and Victoria, deputy coroner for the city of Bendigo, a guardian of minors and registrar of marriages. Curnow was managing director of the Bendigo Pottery, director of the Bendigo Gas Co. and the Bendigo and Eaglehawk Star Building Society and chairman of directors of the Bendigo Boot and Shoe factory. He was a life member of both the Bendigo Base Hospital and
the Benevolent Asylum (Anne Caudle Centre).
Curnow s family affairs were marred by tragedy. His father was killed in a mining accident in 1881; his first wife and three of their five children died in the measles epidemic of 1893. His second wife Mary Jordan died in 1909 after spilling carbolic acid on her hip, leaving three young children. He married Amy McLean in 1911and they had one daughter.
When the Prince Edward visited Bendigo in 1920, Curnow made a speech, telling his audience: I will now merely ask you to drink his health as the Prince of Wales and also as the Duke of Cornwall. In this district there are a tremendous number of Cornishmen and I need not tell His Royal Highness that it was the Cousin Jacks who made Bendigo, who found the gold and developed the mines. They have added more to the riches of the
Commonwealth than any other class of people. When he visits the mines today, he will find that ninety per cent of the miners are Cornishmen and descendants of Cornishmen. His remarks were greeted by loud applause.
J.H. Curnow was known locally as Cock-eyed because of an eye defect. He died on Anzac Day 1932 at his then home, The Knoll in Wattle Street. He was 71. He was cremated at the new Fawkner Cemetery and his ashes were buried in the Bendigo Cemetery. His grave is close to that of another famous Cornishman and Bendigonian, Sir John Quick, who died in the same year.
The Curnow memorial drinking fountain in Rosalind Park was unveiled in 1938 by Mayor Taylor. The distinguished Bendigo born sculptress Ola Cohn designed the memorial and made the bust and other plaques of terracotta.
The plaques were damaged in the 1950s and a restoration program was undertaken, with bronze plaques replacing the original terracotta ones.

Physical description

10934.33a:
A small, aged sheet of yellow paper with two clean punch holes on the left side and a perforated edge. The paper is thin, but sturdy. Printed in black ink is the business name and details: Bought of J.H. Curnow & Son Wholesale Merchants. The address: Mitchell & Queen Sts. Bendigo and branches. Phones: Bendigo 103.
The receipt is handwritten in grey lead pencil. Dated 21 March 1938. Below the header is neat, ruled lines for listing items with prices listed in British Pounds, totaling 52 pounds 1 shillings. Receipt number 1881. There is also a Victorian 3 pence stamp duty stamp printed in green ink.

10934.33b:
A small, aged sheet of yellow paper with two clean punch holes on the left side and a perforated edge. The paper is thin, but sturdy. Printed in black ink is the business name and details: Bought of J.H. Curnow & Son Wholesale Merchants. The address: Mitchell & Queen Sts. Bendigo and branches. Phones: Bendigo 103.
The receipt is handwritten in grey lead pencil. Dated 25 May 1938. Below the header is neat, ruled lines for listing items. Receipt number 14291. The Receipt is crossed out in blye pencil. The top left corner is folded and slightly torn.

10934.33c:
A small, aged sheet of yellow paper with two clean punch holes on the left side and a perforated edge. The paper is thin, but sturdy. Printed in black ink is the business name and details: Bought of J.H. Curnow & Son Wholesale Merchants. The address: Mitchell & Queen Sts. Bendigo and branches. Phones: Bendigo 103.
The receipt is handwritten in grey lead pencil. Dated 27 June 1938. Below the header is neat, ruled lines for listing items with prices listed in British Pounds, totaling 2 pounds. Receipt number 1466. The receipt is crossed out in blue pencil and indicates and credit.

10934.33d:
A small, aged sheet of yellow paper with two clean punch holes on the left side and a perforated edge. The paper is thin, but sturdy. Printed in black ink is the business name and details: Bought of J.H. Curnow & Son Wholesale Merchants. The address: Mitchell & Queen Sts. Bendigo and branches. Phones: Bendigo 103.
The receipt is handwritten in grey lead pencil. Dated 7 March 1938. Below the header is neat, ruled lines for listing items with prices listed in British Pounds, totaling 34 pounds 14 shillings. Receipt number 1627. There is also a Victorian 3 pence stamp duty stamp printed in green ink.