Historical information

This scrapbook belonged to the donor’s father, Geoffrey Lewis Hirst. It was started for him by his mother, Dorothy Hirst, and he later collaborated on it. Geoffrey initially collected memorabilia from his grandfather’s travels (Lewis Hirst).

Geoffrey and his siblings were placed at boarding school at Geelong College when Cedric (his father) and Dorothy went to Great Britain in 1947 to buy new machinery for the Godfrey Hirst mill, as the machines had been running solidly through the war making material for the uniforms and grey blankets.

The book begins with a dinner invitation for Lewis Hirst dated April 1929, and ends with newspaper clippings announcing the passing of Lewis Hirst in April 1951.

The book was a memento of family life at the time - of the mills, and Geelong life in general.

Physical description

Book containing news clippings, invitations, advertisements, photographs, letters, certificates and other documents, over 100 pages long.

Inscriptions & markings

Inscription: front [printed]: NEWS / CUTTINGS ; inside page [handwritten]: Geoffrey Lewis Hirst / 1939