This is a summary of the articles and events taken from the newsletters sent to the Secretary from SEHA Groups and Societies. May 2016. Compiled by Heather Arnold.
Friends of Cheltenham & Regional Cemeteries http://focrc.org/
- The newsletter has an article by Annette Guterres on her grandfather, Edward Leake, who is buried at Cheltenham Pioneer Cemetery. Edward served in the Great War and received a Military Medal from the French Government. He was part of the King Edward Horse regiment, which was an English Regiment and so he is not recognised in the rolls at the Australian War Memorial.
Hastings Western Port Historical Society http://home.vicnet.net.au/~dromana/hastings/aHastingsFrontPage.html
- The March newsletter has a history of the Hastings Yacht Club burgee. The Morning Coffee meeting on May 12 at 10.15am will have Wendy Morrison, antiques expert as the guest speaker. Wendy will appraise one item per person.
- The Society has stocks of two new books on the Hastings Football Club for sale at $15.00 each. They are both by Lance Hodgins and are The Birth of the Blues: a history of the Hastings Football Club Part 1: 1889 – 1904 and The Glory Years: a history of the Hastings Football Club Part 2: 1905 – 1915.
Koo-Wee-Rup Swamp Historical Society
- The March newsletter has an article, by Heather Arnold, on the activities of local Progress Associations as reported in the Dandenong Journal, available on Trove; the April newsletter has an article on the ANZ Bank, also by Heather Arnold. The ANZ Bank (and predecessors the E.S.& A Bank and the London Bank) has been in Koo-Wee-Rup since 1905 and is closing down in May 2016.
- The Annual Luncheon is on May 22 at 12 noon at the Koo-Wee-Rup Community Centre. Guest speaker is Geoff Pledge, former Principal of Koo-Wee-Rup Secondary College.
Lang Lang & District Historical Society http://www.langlang.net/historical.html
- The March 2016 newsletter reports that a split system air conditioner has been installed in the Society rooms. A Clay Bird Thrower, donated to the Society by the Lang Lang Gun Club, is on display and will soon have an interpretive sign. The guest speaker at the April meeting was the President of the Lang Lang R.S.L, Keith Brown.
Mordialloc & District Historical Society
- The newsletter has reports of the Societies many activities.
Mornington and District Historical Society www.morningtondistricthistory.org.au
- The February newsletter reported on building works at the Museum and the recipients of the Helen Broad History prize – which is a prize presented by the Historical Society to local students to encourage the study of history. Also, Mornington has an audio tour, part of the Main Street Walk. You can access the tour by using the QR code attached to the plaques or listen to the tour and view the images on the website of the Historical Society.
Nepean Historical Society http://nepeanhistoricalsociety.asn.au/
- The March 2016 Nepean has a regular Heritage Watch section – this one concentrates on developments at Point Nepean; there is a short history of the Sorrento Baths built in 1874, the building was most recently used as a restaurant and it was destroyed by fire in October 2015. There are reports on past guest speakers – David Pickering, Palaeontology Collection Manager at the Melbourne Museum and Lambis Englezos who spoke about the Missing soldiers of Fromelles.
Rye Historical Society http://ryehistoricalsociety.weebly.com/
- The Whitecliffs newsletter has part two of an article looking at road names in Postcode 3941 written by Noel Erbs and a history of the Coolgardie Safe written by John Bertacco and a list of Mornington Peninsula Pastoral runs.
Somerville Tyabb & District Heritage Society http://home.vicnet.net.au/~stdhs/
- The March newsletter reports that the Society is back in the Mechanics’ Institute, as the storm damage from January 2015 has now been repaired. The re-opening was attended by the descendents of many pioneer families – Murray, Brunning, Shepherd, Thornell, Unthank, Gomm, Scott, Heywood, Hawkin, Clarke, Webb, Simcock, White, Doherty, Moore, Mair, Slocombe, Sage, Cole and Grant. There is also a list of prices taken from the Western Port News of 1971 – you could buy a Mazda 1800 sedan for $2850.00 and a Simpson fully automatic washing machine for $99.00.
Wonthaggi and District Historical Society http://www.wonthaggihistoricalsociety.org.au/
- The February Plod newsletter has an article, by Kit Sleeman, about the annual miner’s picnic, held one year at Cowes where Ron Blaskett and Gerry Gee were the entertainment. The trip back home in the ferry (this was before the Phillip Island bridge was built) was rough and lots of people were sea sick – a memorable picnic all round. The March Plod essay, also written by Kit Sleeman is about mushrooming around Wonthaggi in the 1950s.. The April Plod reproduces a letter written by Private George Wyeth of Inverloch.