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This is a summary of some of the articles taken from the newsletters sent to the Secretary from SEHA Groups and Societies. August 2020.

Bass Valley Historical Society   https://bassvalleyhistoricalsociety.com.au/
• The Bass Valley Historical Society is sad to share the news of Anwyn Martin, who passed away on July 23, 2020 at Banfields Aged Care in Cowes. Anwyn was a foundation member of the society and contributed in many ways from executive committee member, researcher and world class contributor to the knowledge of our area and the explorers and pioneers who made it. Her work on Matthew Flinders has been acknowledged worldwide. She will be farewelled in a private cremation service and a memorial service will be held at a later date.

Brighton Cemetorians     http://www.brightoncemetorians.org.au/
• The June The Cemetorian has interesting articles on the people buried at the Brighton Cemetery. This issue includes John Thomas Thynne (1889 -1945), Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture; Severino de Marco (1894 -1961), who operated De Marco Brothers terrazzo business in South Melbourne from 1936; Matthew Bennett (1862 -1951), M.L.A and Cranbourne Shire Councillor; Alice Lovell Clarke (1851 -1916), wife of the Archbishop of Melbourne; Torrington George Ellery (1872 -1923), Town Clerk of Melbourne.

Friends of Cheltenham & Regional Cemeteries   http://www.focrc.org/
• Raves from the Graves August 2020 reports on the update to the Cheltenham Railway Station which, for a time, prevented access to the Cemetery. There are memories of Fairlie Taylor of life in Cheltenham and Beaumaris from early times. Sue Beazley has written an article on Cr Edwin Thomas Penny J.P (1849 -1916) farmer and Moorabbin Shire Councillor. There is a push to have some of Cheltenham renamed Pennydale.
• Sue has also written an article on artist Clarice Marjoribanks Beckett (1887-1935). The City of Bayside have named one of their new Council Wards after her. You can see the others, here – https://www.bayside.vic.gov.au/news/new-wards-new-names The final article in the newsletter is on another artist, John Mather (1848 -1916), written by Travis M. Sellers and Sue Beazley. Mather was a contemporary of artists Fred McCubbin, Tom Roberts and Arthur Streeton.

Hastings Western Port Historical Society http://www.hwphs.org.au/
• The June 2020 newsletter has a story by Shirley Davies, Found Dead, about Peter Orsini, found shot dead in July 1868. Peter was a 24-year-old fisherman from Hastings. The inquest verdict was that it was an accidental death but was there more to the death – was he actually murdered and was the Mafia involved?
• The porch from the old Hastings Reorganised Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints (built in 1887) is being re-erected in the Museum gardens; after many months, the Council has finally approved the paperwork, so the work can commence.

Koo Wee Rup Swamp Historical Society
• The June 2020 newsletter has an article by Heather Arnold on Matthew Bennett, M.L.A. It’s the same article which was published in the Brighton Cemetorians newsletter. The July and August newsletters have parts one and two of Henry Boxshall’s three-part history of Yallock. It was written in 1957 and published in the Koo Wee Rup Sun in June 1968.

Mornington and District Historical Society www.morningtondistricthistory.org.au
• The May newsletter has an article on the Society’s trip to the Emerald Museum and Nobelius Heritage Park in February. You can read all about the Emerald Museum and Park here, https://www.emeraldmuseum.org.au/ There is also an interesting article by Malcolm Rosier on Roman Numerals and Clocks. The number four in Roman numerals is written as IV, but on clocks it is always IIII. Why? Two theories – Jupiter, the Roman supreme deity was spelt as IVPPITER in Latin and thus it was considered to be disrespectful to have part of his name on a clock. The other theory is that it looks more symmetrical to have IIII opposite the eight, VIII. Interestingly, Big Ben has the four as IV.

Mornington Peninsula Family History Society https://www.mpfhs.org/
• The Peninsula Past Times newsletter of August 2020 includes an article, by Leonie Marshall and Pam Norman, on Thomas Rennison – Carpenter, Hotelier, Huntsman and Horse Trainer. He operated the Schnapper Point Hotel in Mornington and later the Mordialloc Hotel. He was also a Shire of Mornington Councillor. He died in 1905, aged 81.
• There are articles on family history websites you can access from home and Irish Records. It is a myth, says the writer Mary Vanderfeen, that all Irish records were destroyed in the fire of 1922.

Narre Warren & District Family History Group http://nwfhg.org.au/
• The August 2020 Spreading Branches has an article on Officer by Ray Welsford, whose mother was a Tivendale, an early family in the area. There is the second part of the story on Lieutenant Charles George de Beauvoir Tupper, by Lynne Bradley. There are also two articles connected to Harkaway, written by Barbara Sharp – one is on her father, Ron Wanke and the other on her great, great grandmother Caroline Charlotte Aurisch, nee Tschirner.

Rye Historical Society http://ryehistoricalsociety.weebly.com/
• The Whitecliffs newsletter July – September 2020 has a history of the Tyrone Homestead at Rye. It was built in the 1850s by Owen and Sarah Cain. One hundred years later it was the club house at a golf course, which was later sub-divided. Fortunately, the homestead still remains and is now a private home. Owen and Sarah Cain’s son, John, was a councillor for 34 years with the Flinders & Kangerong Shire. John Hazledine has written an article on Early mail services to Rye and John Bertacco on the use of drones in historical research.

Wonthaggi and District Historical Society http://www.wonthaggihistoricalsociety.org.au/
• The essay in the June 2020 Plod is called Wild Times in a Mining town, based on interviews conducted by Joe Chambers in 1983 with ‘old timers’ Alan Bremner and Harry Haddow. They covered the 1934 strike, weekend entertainment, the two-up school, street fighting and fights down the mine.

Australia: land of milk and politics by Bill Pyle, with Kevin Carmody
• This book was sent to the SEHA from Russell Broadbent, M.H.R for Monash. Bill Pyle was the President of the United Dairyfarmers of Victoria, after it was established in 1976. Bill, born in 1934, grew up on a dairy farm at Cranbourne. The family later moved to Gainsborough (south of Warragul). Bill and his wife Bev bought a farm in the same area where they raised their family of seven children. The book is about both his farming life and his political life with his involvement with the UDV.

This is a summary of the articles and events taken from the newsletters sent to the Secretary from SEHA Groups and Societies. May 2020. Compiled by Heather Arnold.

Balnarring & District Historical Society

• The February Snippets has an article by Mary Karney based on some entries from Georgina Oswin’s diary. Georgina was her grandmother and she lived in Merricks. She also has an article on the Fritsch family of Balnarring.  Mary Ross (nee Nobelius) writes about her childhood days at Balnarring. The May Snippets has an article about some of the servant girls who worked at Tom & Elsie Cole’s house, Larnoo, at Merricks in the 1920s and 1930s. These girls were wards of the State and they were given board and wages and the Coles were responsible for their medical and religious welfare. Terry Mulcahy has an article about the building of a family home at 2 York Avenue in Balnarring in 1954/1955.

 Brighton Cemetorians    http://www.brightoncemetorians.org.au/

• The March The Cemetorian has interesting articles on the people buried at the Brighton Cemetery. This issue includes Philip Ack Hing (1864-1939) a herbalist and leader of the Chinese Masonic Society; Maureen White (1924-2016) who grew up on Ocean Island, was taken captive by the Germans in World War two and then worked for the Red Cross; Elizabeth Nissen (1918-2016) the first registered dietitian in Victoria; Henry Buck (1860-1933)  the clothing retailer. There is also an article on members of the Beadle family who arrived in Australia in 1852.

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

• The February 2020 newsletter has an article on Frankston’s Aerated Spring Water & Cordial making factory, established in 1889 on the corner of Clarendon Street and Frankston-Flinders road. The natural spring water came from a spring on Hastings Road.

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

• Raves from the Graves April 2020 reports that the old Cheltenham Railway Station has been dismantled due the Sky Rail project. It is hoped that the building will eventually be able to be used for community purposes. There are a number of articles about people buried at the Cemeteries. George (Roy) Beardsworth (1888 -1939), was a tireless worker for the City of Chelsea. He was a committed Trades Unionist, local councillor and instrumental in establishing the Mordialloc Chelsea High School in 1924. There is also an article on William Stanley Caulfield, who was awarded the Military Medal  in World War One. He died at the Caulfield Military Hospital in September 1919. A headstone was unveiled in January for Private John Ernest Dunbar, who was buried in an unmarked grave in 1925. He had served in the 13^th and 34^th Battalions. Sue Beazley, who also wrote the article on George Beardsworth, has written an article on the life of Eliza of the Bunurong Tribe, who died on the bank of the Mordialloc Creek in 1877, aged 55.

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

• The March 2020 newsletter has a story by Lynda Tredwell on the Great Air race of 1919 from England to Australia. The prize of £10,000 was won by South Australians – Captain Ross Smith, Lieutenant Keith Smith, Sergeant Wally Shiers and Sergeant James Bennett. To win the prize they had to complete the journey in 30 days and they touched down in Darwin in 27 days and 20 hours.

Koo Wee Rup Swamp Historical Society

• The March 2020 newsletter has a report of the Museum re-opening. It was closed for over 2 years due to maintenance issues. 75 people attended and Mayor of the Cardinia Shire, Cr Jeff Springfield did the official opening. The April newsletter has an article, by Heather Arnold, on Infectious Diseases in the past and the impact on local communities. The May newsletter has a comprehensive list of local place names and their meanings, written and researched by Heather Arnold. You can see her full list here https://seha.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Place-names-and-their-meanings-1-2.pdf

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

• The March 2020 newsletter has a report of the Australia Day display at the Memorial Hall. There are some articles from the newspapers looking at aspects of Lang Lang’s history.

Mordialloc College Alumni Association  (MCAA)    http://mordialloccollegealumni.org/

• The March 2020 Ventured reports that the MCAA were nominated for the City of Kingston Australia Day Community Group of the Year award. Even though they did not win it is wonderful that the Group are getting some recognition for the work they are doing to preserve the history and memories of the College.

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

• The February newsletter has an article on Lady Tallis (nee Amelia Young) of Beleura, Mornington. Lady Tallis established the first Opportunity Shop in Australia; it was to raise funds for St Vincent’s Hospital. Previous to this there had been one-off jumble sales, but Lady Tallis’ shop was the first that was an on-going concern. It was in the old Cyclorama building in Victoria Parade. The information about Lady Tallis’ work came from Robyn Annear’s book Nothing New: the history of second-hand shops (Text Publishing, 2019)

Mornington Peninsula Family History Society  https://www.mpfhs.org/

• The Peninsula Past Times newsletter of May 2020 has an article, by Pam Norman, on James and Mary (nee Tennant) Somers who arrived in Melbourne in 1874 on the Oakworth. They lived for a time in the Cranbourne area, then moved back to Melbourne. Mary Vandefeen has written an article on Melbourne and the Irish famine and Gerry Adams on Dr Sidney Plowman, a pioneering Frankston doctor.

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

• The May 2020 Spreading Branches looks at Lawson Poole, the namesake of Lawson Poole Reserve in Cranbourne; it has some photos from the Max Thomson collection of students at Harkaway State School performing the play Rose of Joy. The accompanying article is written by Eileen Durdin. Lorraine Taylor has written an article on her grandfather, Francis Sharp, who died in 1945 at the age of 66.

Phillip Island & District Genealogical Society

• The February Reflections has an article on St Patrick and his Saint’s day. The May Reflections has an article by Rose O’Meara on her great-uncle, Leslie Carter, who died of wounds in Belgium in 1917.There was an article by Sue Viney on the benefits of being  a member of the Find My past forum – even if some of her ‘brick walls’ were not solved she received useful information and help. The newsletter also has a regular column Philip Island in the News – a look at the history of the Island through newspaper articles.

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

• The Whitecliffs newsletter from April – June 2020 reported that the Rye Historical Society turns 20 in May 2020 and a timeline of significant events of the second decade of their history is included. There is an article on the HMS Renown. In May 1920, the Prince of Wales was on board, coming to Melbourne for a Royal tour. The Renown was stuck at the Heads due to thick fog and the Royal entourage had to be transferred to the HMAS Anzac, off Rye, to make the final part of the voyage to Melbourne. In another maritime story the newsletter has a story on the RMS Orsova, which run aground near Rye in July 1932.

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

• The essay in the February 2020 Plod has an article A Hive of Activity by Jack Moyle who worked in the family carrying business and carted goods to and from the Wonthaggi Railway Station from 1949 until 1977, it was indeed a ‘hive of activity’. The March Plod essay is a look at the first thirty years of the Society, which turned 50 in 2019. The April Plod is a story about the Wonthaggi connection to the Lone Pine on the Gallipoli Peninsula, written by C. Landon.  The last of the Allied soldiers retreated from Gallipoli in December 1915 and Sergeant Thomas Keith McDowell, a former miner from Wonthaggi, souvenired a pine cone from the destroyed tree and carried it with him during the rest of his service and after he arrived home he gave the cone to his aunt, Emma Gray, who lived near Warnambool. Mrs Gray produced some seedling from the pine cone seeds and gave one to the Warnambool Botanic Gardens and one was eventually planted at the Shrine of Remembrance. The May Plod has a story on the family and working life of Wonthaggi miner, Joe Soppitt (1902-1999) based on an interview he did with Joe and Lyn Chambers in 1982.