PP 302 June 2024
Report on 40th Birthday Celebrations ~ Sunday 26th May
By Jillian HUNTER , Secretary
Our 40th birthday celebrations began with a delicious light finger food luncheon at Wesley Hall, which is situated directly behind the Avoca Uniting Church in Russell Street, for between thirty and forty guests, who enjoyed a large variety of tasty dishes.
From there most of us adjourned to the former Avoca Courthouse, situated at 85 High St. and President Marg Pilgrim welcomed guests and introduced our Guest Speaker Mrs. Judy MARTIN [nee HART] from LEXTON, and who originally hailed from BARKLY. After first giving a brief description of her early life, and commencing work as a teacher where she met her life-long friends Marg. PILGRIM, and Sue HICKS [now SLATER] she then spoke at length on her latest book “A Life Lived in Love” – 23 chapters, the story of her maternal grand-parents ‘Catherine (known as ‘Kitty’) & George ASTON, who lived near LANDSBOROUGH. It was essentially a family history turned into a wonderful book! This book contains dozens of old photos including several of George in his World War Two army uniform. George wrote to his mother during his army service in the war zones, and excerpts of some are included in this book. Judy’s interest in history and recording it also included the writing of several other books. After the recent 2019 fires in and around Lexton, Judy worked on gathering photos and stories to record the happenings for “Heat, Help and Healing”. Judy is now working with members of the Lexton community to establish a group of interested residents who would like to record sites and stories of Lexton’s past. Our committee wishes Judy and the Lexton community well and are here to help if we can.
Marg then invited Helen to recount happenings of the society’s 40 Years
Helen DOXFORD HARRIS O.A.M. , who founded the Society back in May 1984, also spoke on just how and why she came to the conclusion of starting up an historical society.
AVOCA TALK by Helen Harris OAM
Thank you for the opportunity to say a few words. I thought I would start by giving some background to the starting of the Society, then some brief history of the first few years.
In 1966 I met an Avoca local, Terry Harris, who had been living, working and studying for some years in Melbourne, and in 1968 we were married. Two daughters were born in 1974 and 1976 and in 1978 Terry was accidentally killed in a blizzard at Mount Hotham, leaving me a widow at 32 with 2 very small children. Losing their father was bad enough, but I felt it was important for them to maintain a connection with their paternal grandparents, so once a month almost until their deaths, we visited Peg and Bill Harris at their home in Templeton St.
In the 1980s I became concerned at the potential loss of historic buildings in the township, particularly after the gold sub treasury was demolished. At the time I was heavily involved in family history research, particularly cemetery transcriptions and lamented the sharp differences between some existing historical societies and family history organisations. While the former tended to only be interested in having a museum and recording respectable and well connected residents, the latter concentrated on indexing and recording any and all residents, no matter what they had done, and to whom.
I decided therefore to try and start a local historical society that would be different, a combination of both local and family history, that would index all available records and not make a judgement on who was worth recording and who was not.
An initial meeting was held in the Fire Brigades Hall, which I think we obtained free of charge, on Sunday 20 May 1984. Joan Hunt, whom I had known for some time, was kind enough to conduct the meeting, which saw Helen Hellsten elected as President, myself as secretary, and Jan Burnett as treasurer while Noel Tunks became publicity officer shortly afterwards.
Membership was set at $5 per person, $8 per family and $1 per student, and we agreed to meet on the 3rd Sunday of every month at 2pm.
The aim of the Society was:
‘To bring together not only those residents currently in the area, but former residents, those researching ancestors who were once here, and those who have a love of the area and the wealth of history it contains.’
The society had no premises, so Jan volunteered her front bedroom for local storage purposes, while my garage and bedroom became the Melbourne storage site. We also had no money, but we did have a lot of enthusiasm, and we were good scroungers. A constitution was duly devised and typed by me, and later we incorporated.
Our first speaker the following month was Maureen Maguire, who spoke on her Ross ancestors, and bought along a friend, Ralph Stavely, who found a photo of his ancestor displayed on the hall wall. Needless to say both joined, but at the family rate, as they were married shortly afterwards. They are an apology for today, as they are on a train somewhere on the Nullabor.
The following month over 30 people travelled to the former Amphitheatre squatting Station, where Joan Ennis provided a history of the area, and produced some original station journals. By July we had over 40 members, and the next two meetings were devoted to starting to index various local records, including the C/E marriage registers, Wesleyan baptisms, and school and inquest files that I had photocopied at the Public Record Office.
The October meeting coincided with the Wool & Wine Festival, where we had a display of historical items, including over 200 photographs copied by Noel Tunks, and sold various items including newly printed copies of the first edition of the Avoca Mail. Membership had then grown to over 70.
The November meeting was at Glenmona Homestead, while the December one was a lunch at the Waterfalls, with sports day activities for the young and young at heart afterwards.
In February 1985 a reunion was held at Homebush, with between 400-500 people attending, and we mounted a small display there, and in April we mounted another display to celebrate Heritage Week.
By our AGM in May 1985 we had over 2,000 index cards prepared, and I appealed for donations of used library cards, as we were running out. Graeme Mills was elected president and a sub committee was set up to handle distribution of the newsletter. In that year we compiled and printed our first Members Interests listing. By 1987 we had 200 members and over 20,000 index cards.
In 1988 we were given a lease on the Courthouse, but what a double edged sword that was. There were broken windows and spouting, bird nests inside, plaster had fallen from the walls, there were holes in the floor, dry rot, the timber doors were rotting and the brickwork in places degraded. Serious fundraising was undertaken, with street walks, cemetery tours, raffles, garage sales and donations. A year later we had raised $4,000, and eventually, with the aid of grants, we finally opened in April 1993. The official ceremony was something to behold. I had discovered that the then Chief Commissioner of Police, Neil Comrie, was a descendant of a local family, so we had the police band escort us, all in period costume, through the township to the Courthouse. Some 400 people attended the event. Originally newsletters were typed by me – on a typewriter every month, then photocopied and sent out, but in June 1986 Lorna Purser took over temporarily as Newsletter Editor with Issue No. 26, as I was heading overseas for a few months. Lorna’s temporary arrangement was to last 17 years, until 2003!
Originally done on an electric typewriter, Lorna was eventually persuaded to buy one of those new fangled things, a computer, as it was supposed to make things easier. One day we got a phone call from her to say she’d bitten the bullet and bought a computer, and turned it on, but what did she do next? And Jack, her husband, piped up with a question on what to do with the sloppy disc they had been given. Fortunately my husband Gary came to their rescue, and before we knew it Lorna was just as proficient on a computer as she had been on a typewriter.
In 1991 Weston Bate, then president of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria, visited and declared that our collection of over 55,000 index cards was the best local history collection in the State. We had fulfilled my original aim of combining local, social and family history to create something interesting and worthwhile for the district, which would not only record its history, but promote it as a tourist attraction and thus generate income and employment for locals. Many people have had a long association with the society, and while some are here today, and I thank them for their service, many have sadly departed this world. An organization such as ours depends on volunteers, so I encourage anyone who isn’t already a member and/or volunteer, to take up the work and relieve the committee. 40 years from its beginning, the society continues the original aims, and long may it continue to do so, but the next big hurdle will be dealing with the effects of climate change. The recent fires highlighted the need to think about preservation, of both the buildings and the records themselves, and it is essential that thought be given to these things.
Before inviting Helen DOXFORD HARRIS O.A.M. to cut the birthday cake, Marg pointed out other important things that occurred in 1984: such as
The $100 note was released; also the $1 coin was printed and added to the circulation; Australia’s colours of Green & Gold was announced; “Advance Australia Fair” became our National Anthem….and Marg’s 3rd child Erin was born in October 1984. These few things all happened in 1984, which of course was Victoria’s 150th Anniversary. So this year was quite an eventful year! Helen joined Marg to do us the honour of cutting the birthday cake……..
So our fortieth birthday really was a lovely celebration with representatives from The MARYBOROUGH & Family History Group; Carisbrook Historical Society; LANDSBOROUGH History Group. We also welcomed old friends such as Margaret OULTON (who had just turned the grand age of 89.)
And it was lovely to see Helen Harris & her husband Gary PRESLAND. Helen’s daughter Penny had brought them up from Box Hill.
Jill had written up a brief history of the Society, which was given out at the luncheon.
Jillian M. Hunter
Secretary
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VICTORIA POLICE GAZETTE Local extracts 1922-1930.
1. Brewster, Miss A. E., school teacher, Mount Lonarch, reports stolen from a vehicle, at Amphitheatre, a composition suit-case, 26 in. x 14 in. x 20 in., with steel-bound corners, containing an assam dustcoat, nearly new; a new brown serge skirt; 2 striped fugi silk blouses; a pink crepe-de-chine blouse; a white silk blouse; 2 embroidered night-gowns; a white underskirt; 2 cream woollen singlets; a pair of silk stockings; a pair of cashmere stockings; a bundle of slightly worn stockings; a pair of lady’s shoes, size 5; a pair of new slippers, grey check, with a dark stripe ; 2 camisoles ; 2 pairs of ladies’ knickers ; 2 Roman Catholic prayer-books, leather bound; and a State Savings Bank book. Value £28 10s. 0.5198. 27 April 1922, page 282.
2. McAvoy, Major C., insurance inspector, reports stolen from the Vicarage, Avoca, a 2 gallon tin of Shell benzine, with a screw top, may have “A.C.McA” scratched on the tin. Value 8s. O.12167. 14 September 1922, page 598.
3. Stuart, David M., storekeeper, Moonambel, reports stolen from his buggy, at the Victoria Hotel, Avoca, a woollen travelling rug, brown, black, and white check pattern on one side and plain brown on the other side with white check border, “Made by Albion Mills, Geelong,” written on one corner of rug. Value £3. 0.487. 11 January 1923, page 20
4. Leersen, Albert Henry, farmer, No. 2 Creek, Avoca, reports stolen from his tent, a Junior Pike grinder emery wheel, size 4-in, and 1-in.; 10 hack-saw blades; a pair of spectacles; and a pair of smoked glasses. Value £2 15s. 0.412. 11 January 1923, page 20
5. Aldridge, Louis, is charged, on warrant, with stealing 2 grey single blankets, with white stripes, and a white towel, branded “M. McKissock,” value £2, the property of Charles Lang, hotelkeeper, Albion Hotel, Avoca, at Avoca. Description: Sawmill hand, about 28 years, 5 ft. 5 or 6 in., fair complexion, red hair, blue eyes, medium build; dressed in a black suit, black hat and boots, dirty appearance. Addicted to drink, and rides a bicycle. 0.16154. 6 December 1923, page 720.
6. Arrested. 14 February 1924, page 144.
Young, Gertrude V., head teacher, State School Frenchmans, via Avoca, reports stolen from the State School Frenchmans, a black coat; an apron; 2 towels-one has ” G. Young” and the other has ” Gert,” thereon; a pair of lady’s shoes; a girl’s sewing bag, containing sewing; 7 fountain pens; a rake; a fork; a pouch of pens and pencils; and a key. Value £5. 0.18916. 4 November 1926, page 773.
7. Percydale Slate Quarrying Limited, 115 Lonsdale-street, Melbourne, report stolen from their quarry at Percydale, via Avoca, a large blacksmith’s vyce; a blacksmith’s bellows; a bearing from a slate cutter; and a tarpaulin, branded ” Ronaldson and Tippett, No.1” size 10 feet by 10 feet. Value £10. 0.8280. 19 May 1927, page 375.
8. James, William, is charged on warrant with larceny as a bailee of a gent’s black-enamelled bicycle, Red Bird make, Russell handles, red tire on front wheel, one pedal and saddle broken; and £4 in money, the property of Gertrude Emma Morris, Avoca, at Avoca. Value £7. Description: 23 years, 5 ft. 9 in., thin build, dark complexion and hair; wore a brown or grey pull-over, turned down hat, and black and white scarf. 0.20384. 11 October 1928, page 821.
9. Classen, Herman, farmer, Avoca, reports stolen from his paddock at Lamplough, 2 merino wethers, branded PL, tops of earns snipped. Value £2. 0.28450. 6 November 1930, page 1302.
10. Resuggan, William, farmer, Avoca, reports stolen or strayed from his paddock, a brown trotting mare, rising 6 years, broken, branded T on near shoulder, hobble marked. Value £25. 0.21060. 21 August 1930, page 1066.