Category: Society News

This is a summary of the articles and events taken from the newsletters sent to the Secretary from SEHA Groups and Societies. May 2017. Compiled by Heather Arnold.

Bass Valley Historical Society

• The Dinner meeting, held on March 3 had Anne Bevis, President of the Wonthaggi Genealogy Society as the guest speaker.

 Brighton Cemetorians 

• The Cemetorian March 2017 has an article on some of the interesting burials at Brighton Cemetery including Victor Prince (1868 – 1947) an actor and comedian; Howard Vernon (1848 – 1921) an opera singer and comedian and the father of Victor Prince. Howard was born John Norman Lett and his son was born Richard Victor Prince Lett. Howard was known for his role in Gilbert and Sullivan operas produced by the J.C Williamson Company. William James Woodmason (1865 – 1940) was a market gardeners and dairy farmer and owned a farm on the corner of Glenferrie Road and Malvern Road. His son, also called William, had a jersey stud and started the Melrose Dairy on the farm.

Chelsea & District Historical Society

• The AGM is on April 23. The Society gave a local history talk to the Grade 3 students at Edithvale Primary. The April newsletter has a short article on and a photograph of the Bangalore Private Hospital at 15 York Street, Bonbeach; Bonbeach High School opened 60 years ago in February 1957.

Dandenong & District Historical Society   http://ddhs.com.au/

• The Gipps-Land Gate April 2017 has an article, by Laurie McCoy, on Norden Motor Body Works in Dandenong. Laurie has worked for the Company for over 40 years. It was started by Ron Anson and Dennis Lantsbury (hence Norden – Ron spelt backwards and Den from Dennis) in late 1959. They used to specialise in making any type of truck body including tippers, vans, stock crates, tippers but now 90% of their work is designing wheel chair access vehicles for the disabled. They have an interesting website norden.com.au. There was also an article by Chris Keys on the Ordish Family in Dandenong, with lots of photos, genealogical information and other information – they have connections to other local Dandenong families such as the Kirkhams and Keys. Ordish Road in Dandenong South is named after the family and they also had clay pits and made the Ordish firebrick.

Dromana & District Historical Society  http://home.vicnet.net.au/~dromana/

• The Society turned 30 in April and the guest speaker at the birthday function was Les Littlejohn on the Passiflora Plantation, a passionfruit plantation in Red Hill in the 1930s.

Friends of Cheltenham & Regional Cemeteries    http://www.focrc.org

• The Friends held a tour of the Cheltenham Pioneer Cemetery on March 26, the 152^nd birthday of the Cemetery.

Hastings Western Port Historical Society     http://www.hwphs.org.au/

• The March newsletter has an article, written by David Taylor, on visit to the Museum by members of the Warnambool Flagstaff Hill Battery members. There is an historic link between Hastings and Warnambool because when the Hastings Battery was disbanded the four Armstrong forty pounder guns were sent to Warnambool. On March 4, a mural, by artist Simon White, depicting the maritime history of Western Port was unveiled in a laneway off High Street, Hastings.

Koo-Wee-Rup Swamp Historical Society

• The March newsletter has a transcription of Koo-Wee-Rup Sun report on the the inaugural meeting of the Koo-Wee-Rup branch of the Country Women’s Association held October 25, 1944. Genealogical information on all the people mentioned in the article was researched by Heather Arnold. The April newsletter has a report of the ‘Back to Bayles’ held on February 25, 1967 from the Koo-Wee-Rup Sun. Around 700 people attended the event and 250lbs of chops and sausages were consumed at the ‘monster’ barbecue. The May newsletter has extracts of letters written from the 1910s and 1920s to ‘Aunt Connie’ at the Weekly Times from from Koo-Wee-Rup children.

Lang Lang & District Historical Society   http://www.langlang.net/historical.html

• The Society held a well attended Cemetery tour in March and are now working with the Cemetery Trust to place a plaque on the first grave in cemetery. The first recorded burial was 2 year old Louisa May Pickersgill in 1887. The guest speaker at the April meeting was Bob Taylor, the last Station Master at Lang Lang.

Mornington and District Historical Society      www.morningtondistricthistory.org.au

• The February newsletter has an article, written by Val Wilson, on the Victorian Acclimatisation Society. The Museum had over 100 visitors on Australia Day and over 60 people attended the historic town walks. It is 125 years since the Mornington Football Disaster where 15 members of the Club were returning home by boat from Mordialloc. The boat capsized and there were no survivors. There is a monument in the town for the footballers http://www.morningtoncemetery.com/Denominations/Misc/Football/Football-Disaster.shtml and a book Fifteen Young Men by Paul Kennedy was published in 2016.

Narre Warren and District Family History Group    http://nwfhg.org.au/

• Spreading Branches February 2017 has a report on the move later this year of the Society to the Cranbourne Library Complex. The Group are holding a series of family history seminars – check their website for details. The May Spreading Branches had a report on the recent World War One themed walk through the Harkaway Cemetery.

 Nepean Historical Society          http://nepeanhistoricalsociety.asn.au/

• The March 2017 The Nepean has an obituary of Dorothy Houghton, M.B.E., life member of the Society, heritage advocate who work helped keep some of the original Collins settlement in public ownership and the first woman elected to the Flinders Shire Council.

Rye Historical Society       http://ryehistoricalsociety.weebly.com/

• The Whitecliffs newsletter from April-June 2017 also has an obituary of Dorothy Houghton (1920-2017) indicating the important role Mrs Houghton played in advocating for and preserving the heritage of the area. There is also an article by John Bertacco on Corinella and the 1826 settlement.

Somerville Tyabb & District Heritage Society      http://home.vicnet.net.au/~stdhs/

• The March 2017 newsletter has an article by Joy Coleman on her ballroom dancing classes, just before World War Two ended, where her mother Eileen Webb, played the piano. The teachers were some of the young married women of the town and ‘local experienced male dancers’.

Wonthaggi and District Historical Society      http://www.wonthaggihistoricalsociety.org.au/

• The essay in the March 2017 Plod, written by Frank Coldabella, is about camping. Frank’s thesis is that ‘camping is the single defining experience of pioneering life that connected people to country’. The April 2017 Plod had an obituary of Dr Peter Brooks, made up of the many eulogies presented at his funeral held on April 3. Peter, who was born in Wales, and his wife Alison came to Wonthaggi in 1967 and they became and remained part of the community.

This is a summary of the articles and events taken from the newsletters sent to the Secretary from SEHA Groups and Societies. February 2017. Compiled by Heather Arnold.

Bass Valley Historical Society

• The December 2016 Dinner meeting had Doug Boston as the guest speaker. The Boston family has been in Korumburra since 1893.

Chelsea & District Historical Society

• The February 2017 newsletter has a list of meeting dates for the year. Whilst their Museum is closed for refurbishment they have been busy scanning and cataloguing all their documents and the Council has worked with them to scan their photograph collection. Work continues on indexing local newspapers. Forthcoming events: Chicken and champagne luncheon on April 6 and Annual Fashion Parade on September 28.

Dandenong & District Historical Society   http://ddhs.com.au/

• Forthcoming events: February 19 – first meeting for 2017; February 22 – official opening of Society’s rooms at 39 Clow Street, Dandenong; April 23 – General meeting. More details in the Events columns on this website.

Dromana & District Historical Society  http://home.vicnet.net.au/~dromana/

• The book W.H Blakeley: pioneer saw maker, farmer and trade unionist by Helen Blakeley was launched on February 8.

Frankston Historical Society   http://www.frankstonhs.org.au/

• The Historical Society operates Ballam Park Homestead Museum built in 1855 by Wilbraham Liardet, pioneer of Port Melbourne.

Hastings Western Port Historical Society     http://home.vicnet.net.au/~dromana/hastings/aHastingsFrontPage.html

• The December 2016 newsletter has an article, written by Lynda Tredwell, on the Battle of Hastings, which took place 950 years ago on October 14, 1066. Shirley Davies has investigated the history of two historic houses in Salmon Street which have recently been sold. No. 95 Salmon Street was originally owned by Martha Robinson. Martha’s sister, Mary Reid, owned a shop on what is now Marine Parade. No 118 Salmon Street was lived in by Jimmy Mentiplay – the Mentiplays, who were a fishing family, came to Hastings in the 1860s. There is some concern about the fate of the houses as they do not have heritage protection.

Koo-Wee-Rup Swamp Historical Society

• The December 2016 newsletter has an acrostic history of Koo-Wee-Rup, connected to the letters Merry Christmas; the February 2017 newsletter takes a look at what happened in Koo-Wee-Rup, 100 years ago in 1917, both articles written by Heather Arnold.

Lang Lang & District Historical Society   http://www.langlang.net/historical.html

• The Society has nearly sold out of 2017 calendars containing historic views of Lang Lang. They have recently received a donation of the original certificate of title for the land where the Yannathan Union Church was built. The Church was built in 1890 on land owned by Joseph Carson and the land was transferred to Trustees on June 27, 1904, the date of the title.

Mornington and District Historical Society      www.morningtondistricthistory.org.au

• The November 2016 newsletter has an article, written by Val Wilson, on Charles Wright who owned the Mistletoe Hotel in McKenzie Street in Melbourne. His will left £50 for his headstone at the Moorooduc Cemetery and the bulk of his estate was left to charity. His property in Mornington was to be leased and the money given to the Mornington Shire Council for the relief of the poor in Mornington and Hastings. The payments continued until 1940.

Narre Warren and District Family History Group    http://nwfhg.org.au/

• Spreading Branches November 2016 has a report on a walk through the Harkaway Cemetery conducted by the Group on October 30. One of the graves highlighted in the tour was that of Emma Beer, who married Henry Scott in 1866, when she was 18. Unfortunately Henry already had a wife, Annie, in Sydney. In the October of that year Henry was charged with her murder and he was executed in March 1867. Emma then married Charles Box, had three daughters and then died at the young age of 27. The Group have planned a series of seminars for 2017 – more details in the Events columns on this website.

Nepean Historical Society          http://nepeanhistoricalsociety.asn.au/

• The December 2016 The Nepean has an article on a ships figurehead which is part of their collection. It has spent two years with conservator, Noel Turner. The figure head is thought to have come from a ’Peruvian barque’. They have received a tenor drum and a uniform from the Royal Caledonian Pipe band formed in 1925 and renamed the Flinders Shire Caledonian Pipe Band in 1975. The donation came from Malcolm Macaffer and his daughter, Jenny. The Macaffer family have a long term connection to the Band.

Rye Historical Society       http://ryehistoricalsociety.weebly.com/

• The Whitecliffs newsletter from January – March 2017 has photos of their revamped Museum and part five of an article looking at pre-1931 road names in Postcode 3941 written by Noel Erbs. There is also an article on the Charlotte Fenwick, a ferry that operated between Rye and Melbourne in 1914.

Somerville Tyabb & District Heritage Society      http://home.vicnet.net.au/~stdhs/

• The December 2016 newsletter has some advertisements from a 1911 cookbook published in Somerville, with over 300 recipes from local families. Somerville Scouts have just celebrated their 100

Wonthaggi and District Historical Society      http://www.wonthaggihistoricalsociety.org.au/

• The essay in the November 2016 Plod, written by Kit Sleeman, is about his memories of attending the Royal Melbourne Show in the 1940s and 1950s, amongst the highlights was seeing Big Chief Little Wolf,  the wrestler. The February 2017 Plod essay is on the February 1937 20-shaft mine explosion, in which sadly 13 men perished.