This is a summary of the articles and events taken from the newsletters sent to the Secretary from SEHA Groups and Societies. February 2019. Compiled by Heather Arnold.
Bass Valley Historical Society
- The November newsletter reports on the new website www.bassvalleyhistoricalsociety.com.au The Grantville History Group produce a monthly newsletter The Western Port Times. Access it on the Grantville History website http://www.grantvillehistory.com.au/ The February newsletter reports on the need for new members at the Society – a not uncommon issue for many of us!
- Dinner meeting and AGM will be held on Friday, March 1. Guest speaker is John Hutchison, President of the Inverloch Historical Society, ‘Historical Societies refocusing’. More details https://seha.org.au/event/bass-valley-historical-society-dinner-meeting-2
Chelsea & District Historical Society
- The October/November newsletter has a report of their successful Fashion Parade and a copy of a report from the City of Chelsea News of December 12, 1963 about the formation of the Chelsea Historical Society – 55 years ago.
Dandenong & District Historical Society http://ddhs.com.au/
- The Gipps-Land Gate of October 2018 has some articles on the Gartside family of Dingley. The Gartsides had a connection to French Island and there are articles about this as well as Ken Gartside’s barges.
Frankston Historical Society http://www.frankstonhs.org.au/
- The November/December reports on the donation of a Top Hat belonging to James Fulton who had a farm at Mount Eliza. His spring cart is already on display at Ballam Park. Mrs Fulton’s wedding dress has also been donated. The former Elizabeth Collins married James in February 1871.
Hastings Western Port Historical Society http://www.hwphs.org.au/
- The December issue has an article on Lieutenant George Ingram, the last Australian awarded the Victoria Cross in the First World War. George lived at Hastings after the War.
Koo Wee Rup Swamp Historical Society
- The October newsletter had an article on Hedges and fences in the area including the 1882 hawthorn hedges at Caldermeade and the 1888 hedges at Catani. The November newsletter has an article on Frederick Bayles, the namesake of the town of Bayles. The December newsletter has an article about the 1948 concert at Koo Wee Rup State School and the February newsletter has an article looking back at Koo Wee Rup in 1919.
Lang Lang & District Historical Society http://www.langlang.net/historical.html
- The November newsletter has a report on the Lang Lang Cemetery tour that the Society undertook in conjunction with the Narre Warren & District Family History Group.
Mordialloc College Alumni Association https://mordialloccollegealumni.org
- Ventured December 2018 has memories of the school from Marjorie Kean (nee George) who was at the school for four years from 1939 to 1942. She later helped form the Ex-students Association.
Mornington and District Historical Society www.morningtondistricthistory.org.au
- The November newsletter had a short history of boat hire from Scout Beach at Mornington, a service that has been provided for 100 years.
Narre Warren and District Family History Group http://nwfhg.org.au/
- The November Spreading Branches has a report on the Great War themed Lang Lang Cemetery tour. The February newsletter has an article on Dr and Mrs Elliot Drake of Beaconsfield Upper. Both newsletters have photos from the Max Thomson collection, many of which were taken by Michael Drew. The State Library of Victoria also has a collection of photographs donated by Max Thomson.
Rye Historical Society http://ryehistoricalsociety.weebly.com/
- The Whitecliffs newsletter from October-December 2018 has an article on Early Surveyors of Rye and district by John Bertacco. The first recorded licence for grazing rights was granted in 1838. There is also an article on the Rye Ice Works, established around 1904 The January-March 2019 newsletter has a report on the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Rye Cemetery and an article called Early adoption of auxiliary engines in sailing vessels.
Somerville Tyabb & District Heritage Society http://home.vicnet.net.au/~stdhs/
- The December newsletter has an article on the opening of the Heritage Machinery shed on October 10, 2018. The shed houses machinery connected to the local orchards and features murals of orchard life by Simon White.
Wonthaggi and District Historical Society http://www.wonthaggihistoricalsociety.org.au/
- The essays in the October and November 2018 The Plod are part one and two of the Life of Frederick Thomas Webb. When he was 14 he got himself a job on a farm at Leongatha, milking cows, he later returned to Melbourne and did an engineering course at Melbourne Tech (RMIT) and in the early 1930s worked for the State Coal Mine at Wonthaggi, where he became responsible for all mine transport. Fred then started buying buses – school buses and also started transporting the miners to and from their shifts. Fred also built a long-distance high pressure steam pipe, a large factory, a stone crushing plant. The crushing plant used Wonthaggi redstone – a waste product of the coal mining process (mudstone, splint which has a high carboniferous content and coal – this would self-combust and after burning would be rock hard and red brick in colour) Fred sold the crushed rock to the local Council. It was also used on the running track at the MCG during the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.