Strewth

As part of the National Trust of Victoria's "Conflict & Compassion' Heritage Festival, Horsham Library is hosting "Strewth : a book talk".

Men of the 8th Battalion on Bolton's Ridge

Locals John Francis and his wife Gillian have compiled a book which is a forensic look at Horsham’s involvement in World War I. During the war 2,400 district men and women served, with 450 killed in action, and 149 men and 1 women who were decorated. 
The book, covers the area within the Horsham Rural City Council boundary, and includes a profile of those killed and decorated, the soldier’s stories, their letters to home and the diaries they wrote.
The talk is on Wednesday 6th  May 2015  from 7-8:30pm, with a light supper afterwards.
Copies of 'Strewth' will be available for sale and signing by the authors.
For bookings call in to the library or phone 5382 5707.
 
(The well-known War Memorial's photo shows Private Ted 'Kid' Freeman of Dooen, Private George Clements of Dimboola, Private James B. 'Jim' Bryant of Stawell, Private Samuel 'Sam' Wilson of Dimboola, and Private Robert Hutchinson of Horsham)

Orphans in the family

The Ballarat Orphanage has been in the news recently, with concerns that some children may have been buried in unmarked graves on the former site. Authorities investigated, and reported there were no human remains.

 However the story brings the issue of orphans and wards of the state to the fore. If you are interested in learning more about the plight of children ‘put up for adoption’, then you can attend -

Adoption and Wardship: Using Ballarat's information resources to trace family

The session run by the Public Record Office Victoria is aimed at people interested in learning more about records and resources that are available to help you research adoption and wardship in Ballarat. Join Sebastian Gurciullo from PROV who is hosting a panel of speakers who will share their knowledge on how to research family and personal history, as well as resources, support programs and services that are available.

Information about a range of support organisations that can help you with your research will also be provided and their representatives will be available after the presentations for consultation.

Panel members include:

Charlie Farrugia, Public Record Office Victoria

Grace Baliviera, Koorie Records Unit, National Archives of Australia and Public Record Office Victoria

Sharon Guy, Child and Family Services Ballarat

Edith Fry,Central Highlands Library Ballarat

Kathleen Anderson, Forced Adoption History Project, National Archives of Australia

The session will be held at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka (M.A.D.E.), 102 Stawell St South in Ballarat, from 10am, to 2pm on Wednesday 22 April. The session is free, but you do need to book online via PROV

The Ballarat District Orphan Asylum was built in the mid-1860s it changed to the Ballarat Orphanage in 1909, then to the Ballarat Children’s Homes and was home to more than 4,000 children during its time. It closed in 1968 when the grand original orphanage building was demolished and replaced with smaller cottages. The land fronting Victoria Street was sold to a developer in 2013. There were petitions to save some of the former buildings as a heritage site.

Cemetery pines

A number of local Cemetery Trusts received Lone Pines this week, as part of the Anzac Centenary commemorations. They were propagated from the lone pine at the Australian War Memorial.

3 of the pines

The potted Pinus halepensis plants are a symbol of the battle which commenced on 6th August 1915, when the Australian Infantry Division launched a major offensive at Plateau 400 at Gallipoli. The ridges had been covered in the Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) which were cut down to cover and line trenches, leaving one solitary tree. It then became known as 'Lone Pine Ridge'. In the 3 days of fighting the A.N.Z.A.C.s lost 2,000 men and the Turkish losses were estimated at 7,000. 

Lance Corporal Benjamin Charles Smith of the 3rd Battalion sent several cones to his mother in Inverell N.S.W., Mrs McMullen sowed some of the seeds some 13 years later. Of these 2 seedlings were grown - one was presented to the town of Inverell, and the Duke of Gloucester planted the second tree at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. 

Sergeant Keith McDowell of the 24th Battalion brought back a pine cone to give to his aunt - Mrs Emma Gray of Warrnambool. 4 seedlings were grown and planted at several Shrines of Remembrance in Victoria.

The Melbourne Shrine framed by a lone pine

In 1990, two trees were taken back to Gallipoli by veterans who attended the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Lone Pine.