Trove 7 is nigh

After consultation, testing and much collaborative effort with Trove’s partners, the all new “Trove 7” will be launched on 25th February 2016.

This will be one of the largest updates in Trove history, and in order to apply the update, the Trove service will be unavailable from 5pm, 22nd February until it is relaunched. 

The new version of Trove will be sporting a range of features.Over the years the Trove community has provided feedback and suggestions for improvements, and the National Library of Australia has been listening and has tried to incorporate as many suggestions as possible. 

The nuts and bolts of the Trove engine have been upgraded for faster, more responsive searching and an improved experience on your mobile device.
 
Some of the highlights include:

Historic Newspapers

•     Simplified interface 
•     Customisable viewer displays 
•      New browse features 

 NSW Government Gazettes
The State Library of NSW and the National Library of Australia have been working collaboratively to digitise and make available the New South Wales Government Gazette (1832 to 2001). Initially with only a small sample when the Trove 7 is released. Nearly one million pages will be added by the end of the project. This collection of digitised and full-text searchable Gazettes is a much anticipated addition to Trove, one which will benefit local, family and social historians, legal researchers and others throughout Australia.

What’s staying the same? Many things you are familiar with about Trove will stay the same, including the look and feel of most zones, tagging, commenting and lists, the forum and fantastic content from organisations around Australia.

And remember you can search for the 'Wimmera in Photographs' Collection on the Trove site  - narrow your search to the Pictures, photos, objects tab and type in "Wimmera Regional Library Corporation" in the search box then click on the Search button.

Motoring on the rails

This Post is in reply to Steve Henderson's Comment on Brimming with memories, concerning a photo of a railmotor at Brim. 
So here is the photograph from the book "Victorian railway railmotors : a photographic profile 1950's-1980's" edited by Neville W. Gee and John Sargent.

The railmotor 57 at the now demolished Brim station

 Possible identities in the photograph are - (man leaning on the post), woman with handbag, woman in check skirt, Station Master Don Newick (man in VR uniform), Ralph Crisp (man with case), man with cases.
The Diesel-Electric Rail Motors (D.E.R.M.) first entered service in 1928 and the last was withdrawn from service in 1991. They had a maximum speed of 100km per hour, and a maximum of 54 passengers.

Between 1928 and 1931 the Victorian Railways purchased 10 Petrol Electric Rail Motors produced by the Electro-Motive Corporation of the US. Known as the E.M.C. Model M-300, these units were supplied for assembly by VR at the Newport Railway Workshops and were converted to diesel-electric between 1951 and 1953. These units carried the numbers 55 to 64.
 

In the book, there were a couple of other railmotors in the region:

  

DERM 64 in Hopetoun, taken looking north , the station building & platform have since been removed. The Goods Shed on the left is still on site.

DERM 57 was modified to diesel in December 1952. Retired in March 1982. Sold for scrap in November 1982.

DERM 63 was restored to 1930s livery and is now on the Daylesford Spa Country Railway.  

DERM 64 is apparently being restored.

(Below) DERM 63 at the dock platform in Murtoa, with the now demolished Signal Box behind, looking south.

Can never find a toilet when you need it

Amusing item in the Education Departmental file on Dalcross School.

Dalcross School site at the group of sugar gums

 Dalcross School No. 4381 (named after Dalcross pastoral station, part of which was taken over for the Dyers Estate soldier settlement) opened temporarily in a room in the residence of Miss Helen D’Alton on 27.4.1928 till 13.7.1928, then in new premises on 16.7.1928 on 5 acres Allotment 34C Lallat Parish.

Section of the Lallat Parish map showing the school site

In 1927 the Education Department had purchased the site with house, from the Closer Settlement Board. The school operated in a weatherboard soldier settler’s home altered for the purpose. A shelter shed was erected in 1934. The school closed in April 1946.
The books were sent to Rupanyup State School. The 29’x14’ building was considered unsuitable for removal, and was sold by tender to Mr R. McRae of Rupanyup in August 1965, to become a plumber’s shop. 
The site is now landlocked and only a row of sugar gums mark its position.

The Argus article

The file item concerns the school's toilet/outhouse/out-office/loo/lavatory. There is an article from the Argus newspaper 7.7.1955 by Michael Fitzgerald.
One night in March some locals in a truck drove to the Dalcross school site and removed one of the toilets (there was a boys & a girls toilet. The school had been closed for nine years and the buildings were still there). In the morning the landowner rang the Rupanyup police (he was on Leave), so he then rings Constable Megee at Marnoo. Megee investigates and when driving through Rup, spies the loo in the backyard of a house owned by the Rupanyup Football Club (for the new team coach), then in the Wimmera League (Megee was the president & coach of the Marnoo Club, then in the Southern Wimmera League).
A week passes and low & behold the missing loo turns up back at Dalcross.

The Chief Commissioner's letter

The Chief Commissioner of Police & the Education Department are notified.
Megee presses charges, a summons is issued, and the case scheduled for the next court sitting at Rupanyup. The Police Divisional Inspector was to attend the Hearing in August, to ask that the case be struck out. No further Police action was contemplated.

The final fate of the toilets is unknown. 

But in light of the above, is the screen shot below related to the Dalcross incident? (taken from Malcom McKinnon's "Chronicle of a country life" the photographic work of John Teasdale of Rupanyup who filmed social life in the town in the 50s & 60s).