HISTORY-NEWS-june-july-20151

AROUND THE SOCIETIES
MALMSBURY: A recent talk on searching
out the history of land holdings highlighted
what information can be found in Parish
Maps which show the original purchaser.
Subsequent owners we follow the clues from
Shire Rate records, along with newspaper
reports of subsequent land and Clearing
Sales. Alternatively researchers can search
Government records of Grants and transfers.
MILITARY: This year as we remember the
sacrifices of Australians in World War 1 we also
recall the countries who suffered alongside us.
The New Zealanders and the British, the Zion
Mule Corp and the Gurkhas, along with the
French, the Foreign Legion, the Lancashire
Fusiliers and the Royal Navy Division. www.
mhsavic.com.
NILLUMBIK: Each month a mystery photo
is published in the hope of identification and
enhancement of our knowledge of the photo’s
location and the people, this has brought some
success. There are also a number of photos
on our website that can be ordered: http://
nillumbikhistoricalsociety.blogspot.com.
au/p/blog-page.html with prices starting at
$10 each.
PAYNESVILLE: If you have any maritime,
nautical or local history books to be re-homed
please donate them to our Library. Our wish list
includes “Bairnsdale – Portrait of an Australian
Country Town”. Keeping up with technology
we are barcoding, photographing and recording
each display item in the museum. Contact:
recook@ozemail.com.au .
PORT PHILLIP PIONEERS: In the
1860’s a proposal was put to Queen Victoria
to combine the western part of Victoria and
the south-eastern part of South Australia in a
colony to be named Princetown. The proposed
capital was Mount Gambier and its main port
Portland. The league collected 1500 signatures
but as permission was not given by either state
it was rejected.
SANDRINGHAM: After a successful
submission for a grant from the Public Records
Office Victoria Local History Grants Program
the digitisation of the Brighton Southern
Cross newspapers from 1896 – 1913 has
been completed and is now available on the
National Library of Australia website “Trove”.
A valuable addition for researchers.
SNAKE VALLEY: The history of Mt Emu
station began in 1854 when it was the first
“holding” to be surveyed in our district.
Boundary lines were a ploughed line between
two properties. Rabbits were plentiful in the
area and station owners were told by the Rabbit
Inspector to rid their property of the pests as
soon as possible!
ST JOHN AMBULANCE: Recent work by
our members has resulted in the following
achievements: a stocktake and recording of
our collection of old uniforms and books,
biographies for each member on our Roll
of Honour, maintenance of the garden and
networking of the computers for membership
records to be entered in the data base more
efficiently.
SUNBURY: This year Sunbury held its first
Dawn Service for the Anzac 100 th Anniversary
1915-2105. The crowd who attended were
estimated to be over 5,000. Following the
Dawn Service and breakfast the Anzac Day
March commenced at 10.00 am from near the
Railway Station and people marched up to the
War Memorial.
SUNSHINE: We would like to hear from
anyone with information on the storage
location of the metal Name Plates removed
from the Sunshine Avenue of Honour. The
original trees lined both sides of Sun Crescent
but were removed circa 1960s for road
widening. Please contact John on 9744 7435
or email: jnwillo@bigpond.com .
TRAFALGAR: “Pleasant Sunday Afternoons”
were once a part of cultural life in small
towns in the late 1800’s. They were a form of
religious worship associated with an evangelical
movement and aimed to engage and educate
its audience. The format was sacred songs,
recitations and addresses and came about as
church services were described as being “so
blessed dull”.
WANDIN: Captain George Ingram VC, MM,
was the Yarra Valley’s only recipient of the
Victoria Cross. A book has been written on
his life from a boyhood in Seville, to serving
with the artillery in the 24 th Battalion AIF,
working as a soldier settler and then serving
as a Shrine Guard and in the Royal Australian
Engineers in WW2.
WARRANDYTE: A reminder of the many
tasks undertaken by societies and the need
for members to volunteer. Choose one of
the enjoyable and informative activities from
staffing the museum, helping on a working
bee, assisting with archives, helping with the
newsletter, scanning and photocopying or
assisting at open days or events. Contact: whs.
secretary@hotkey.net.au
WAVERLEY: At our meeting on Wednesday
June 24 at 2.00 pm Duncan Burrows will
outline the history of flour millers in Victoria.
Visitors are welcome. Our meetings are located
on the 1 st Floor above Mt Waverley Library
at 41 Miller Crescent. The rooms open from
1pm to 4.30 pm. Enquiries: normaschultz@
bigpond.com .
WESTERN VICTORIAN ASSOCIATION:
We have been working on becoming a
Deductable Gift Recipient or DGR. If this
is successful then all of our member societies
will be able to seek funds from philanthropic
organisations and others who can then claim
tax concessions for their donation.
WOADY YALOAK: Thirty years ago the 1860
Smythesdale Court House building was in
danger of being sold and possibly demolished.
This was the catalyst for the calling of a public
meeting where our local History Society was
formed. Sixty- three members joined in the
first month and eventually the Court House
was saved and restored.
WOODEND: A design for a Wall of
Remembrance at the southern entrance to the
Avenue has been developed in conjunction with
Woodend RSL, Macedon Ranges Council and
local sculptors Ashika and Padma Ostapkowicz.
There will be an inscription of gratitude to
our servicemen and women. The project is
expected to be ready for the Avenue’s 97 th
anniversary in September.
www.historyvictoria.org.au
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