Overland 2

Here is the beginning of William David Hamilton's narrative, I've left the spelling and grammar as is, and inserted corrections and explanations in square brackets [ ]. This post relates to the background and preparation of the journey.

“Overland from Portland to Darwin in 1872" by Ethel M. Tiegs

With our present day methods of transport a trip into Central Australia is fast becoming an everyday event.

In this article I have written an account of an early and little known attempt, apparently the first ever taken, to use the transcontinental route foe(r) economic purposes.

The journey was made in 1872. My father, William David Hamilton, a lad of fifteen at the time, accompanied it, and is I believe the only living member of that expedition.

The following is the story of the journey as far as his memory can recall it after 60 years. [written in 1932]

In 1872, on the eve of my departure to boarding school, I received a reluctant consent from my father [Francis ‘Frank’ Hamilton, 1838-1883] to join his brother, Thomas Gibson Hamilton, on a droving trip through Central Australia. The object of the journey was to search for suitable pastoral lands on which to establish further Cattle Stations.

Lake Bringalbert

Unknown to my mother I quickly linked up with the party which was ready to start from the family homestead Bringalbert station near Edenhope. This was 100 miles from my parents’ station at Sinclair, 21 miles north of Portland.

We had with us a station hand [William ‘Bill’ Kealy a long-term employee at Bringalbert], 120 horses and three dogs. As far as Alice Springs with us travelled another station owner, Mr Hassell [William Hassall of ‘Wootong Vale’] of Coleraine, who took with him two men. He also was seeking new grazing areas.

Last leaves at Linden

The east side of the house

One of Edenhope's historic homes fell prey to the demolishers this week. The grand old house "Linden" has stood on a large double block in Elizabeth Street, opposite the hospital for more than 100 years.
The house was built by Edward Cranage (1856-1948) in the late 1800s to early 1900s, he lived there with his wife Johannah Fitzpatrick. When Johannah died in 1936, he was looked after by his daughter Kathleen "Kit" (1895-1986) until he died at home in Linden in 1948. Kit and her husband Aubrey Osborne (1895-1977) then lived there till they too passed away.

View of the front of the building

The house became the doctor's residence, and Dr Phil Dover and his family lived there for many years, till they moved to Ballarat, and the house convenient to the hospital continued in its role. Recently the hospital sold the building for removal to St Helen's Plains and it is now in the first stages of demolition.

Overland 1

This is the first in a serial story of an overland crossing of Australia.
The story first appeared the The Age newspaper on 11th June 1932, but this version is from the original manuscript by Ethel M. Tiegs held by the Royal Historical Society of Victoria (our thanks to the Society for allowing this publication).

Ethel was the daughter of the main protagonist - William David Hamilton. And William...William was born in New Zealand in 1857, he came to Victoria in 1867, and at the age of 15 years, he accompanied his uncle Thomas Gibson Hamilton (1844-1875) from Bringalbert near Apsley to Darwin. 

William was a member of the well-known pioneer family, immoralised in his uncle James Charles Hamilton's book "Pioneering days in Western Victoria", this episode of their story is less well-known, but deserves a wider audience. 

More on this remarkable historic journey in the next post.

Historic images live again

Had a visit from a family who normally use the Mobile Library, and who had a couple of historic items they wished to have copied.

Firstly was a 70s vintage photo of Eddie Jaensch's original home, near Pepper's Plains. The structure was built primarily from kerosene tins. The ingenious building lined with flattened kero tins also has a row of tins to catch the rain from the galvanised iron roof where there was no spouting.
The ubiquitous re-use of readily available materials such as kerosene tins was a feature of many rustic structures on farms across the Wimmera.

Shed with rude timber poles and flattened kero tins

In addition to the photo, which the library scanned and printed for them, the family had a small strip of microfilm sent to them from the State Library of Victoria. The mircofilm was a page from an old edition of the Jeparit newspaper with an article on the history of the beautiful Edwardian Yurunga Homestead at Rainbow. Again the Library was able to copy them a full size print of the article complete with a picture of the building.

Yurunga homestead

Money for jam/preserves

The Community Heritage Grants (CHG) program provides grants of up to $15,000 to community organisations such as libraries, archives, museums, genealogical and historical societies, multicultural and Indigenous groups. The grants are provided to assist with the preservation of locally owned, but nationally significant collections of materials that are publicly accessible including artefacts, letters, diaries, maps, photographs, and audio visual material.

Digitising rare books

The program is funded by the Australian Government and managed by the National Library of Australia, with support provided by the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport; the National Archives of Australia; the National Film and Sound Archive and the National Museum of Australia. The NLA encouraged representatives from historical societies, museums, public libraries, archives and Indigenous and migrant community groups, particularly those from remote and regional areas of Australia, to apply.

Many groups around the country are playing their part to help preserve Australia’s history. Since 1994, $4.9 million has been awarded to community organisations throughout Australia.

Scanning old newspapers

The program aims to identify Australian cultural heritage collections which are publicly accessible, locally held and nationally significant. The types of projects supported include Significance Assessments of collections; Preservation Needs Assessments of collections; conservation activities and collection management; and training workshops.

The 2014 Grant Round is now open, with applications closing on 2nd May.

More information, application form and guidelines are available online.

Golden history

The annual Bendigo Family History Expo is on Sunday 16th March from 10am to 4pm, at the YMCA Leisure Centre, Browning St, Kangaroo Flat in Bendigo.

Derelict building, Bendigo North

Topics to be covered include:

• Mining history from accidents to registers
• Regional archives & databases
• Sporting Clubs - records & memorabilia
• Pioneers & settlers
• Scrapbooking & photo restoration
• Maps & indexes

Something for everyone and only $10 entry, and while you're there check out the newly refurbished Goldfields Library in Hargraves Street, which re-opened at the end of January.

All clear for the Mallee

A postcript to my initial post on the fires north and south.
A message from the CFA yesterday, announced - "The final ALL CLEAR has been issued this week for the Mallee fires that started nearly a month ago. Lightning sparked 18 fires on the night of 14 January, and since then more than 110,000 hectares have been burnt". 
Fighting the fires has been hard work for all involved - the firefighters, the allied organisations, the shires, and the communities. While other fires came and captured the news headlines, these communities battled on.

CFA photo from the Mallee

To everyone, thanks for your efforts, and looking forward to All Clears for the other bushfires too.

In the beginning - G.J. Coles

As the Coles supermarket chain celebrates its 100 years of operation, it is fitting to mention the Wimmera's links to the foundation of the dynasty.

George Coles (1833-1866) and his brother James emigrated to Victoria in the gold-rush year of 1853. George married Jane Clipsham the following year in 1854. They had four sons - George (born in Daylesford), James, Frank and Fred all born in St Arnaud.
George lived in Daylesford, St Arnaud and Stuart Mill before moving to Jung and marrying Elizabeth Scouler. They had 10 children before Elizabeth died giving birth to Gracie the eleventh in 1900.

Sir George James Coles (1885-1977) of G.J. Coles of retail fame, was born on 28 March 1885 at Jung, the second of the children and eldest son. 
The Coles family had a store, blacksmith and hotel at Diapur, and later a store at Nhill.
In May 1888 Mr George Coles (Senior & father of G.J.) built a general store in Miram (Allotment 11 Section 5), and with the assistance of Mr Castles carried on the business until 1892. The building later became the Post Office, proprietors office, and No. 2 Bulk Store. Thomas & Adelaide Butcher succeeded Mr Coles, and he held a wine & spirits licence. When the Butchers left the district in 1899, the store closed, and concerts, dances, and school (rented by the Education Department) were all held in the building.
In April 1903 Mr Phillip Wheaton purchased the building from Cordner Brothers (who had purchased it earlier in the year) and commenced business, Mr W.A. Brown joined the staff in 1913. and was a partner from 1924/6 to 1937.
The current building was built on the old site by the Mills family in 1929, and opened on 18th September 1929.

Wheaton's Pioneer Store in Miram

Under the ownership of generations of Wheatons the store grew, becoming a cornucopia - extending beyond groceries to drapery, footwear,  millinery, glassware, menswear, timber, hardware, iron, motor oils, wireless receivers... It provided an electricity supply for the town, a permanent water supply, eggs from their poultry farm, a Freisian dairy herd for fresh milk, cream & butter, and a meat supply from their beef herd. Equipped as a Post Office the store had a postal service and van delivery of goods.

Meanwhile G.J., in partnership with his brothers Jim and Sir Arthur, he opened a store in Smith Street, Collingwood. in April 1914.
Sir George died on 4 December 1977 at his Toorak home and was cremated. His estate was sworn for probate at $986,486. The family business continued to expand, forming a partnership in 1968 with an American company in the establishment of K-Mart (Aust.) Ltd. With the takeover of the Myer operation in 1985, Coles Myer Ltd became the largest private employer in Australia.

History in flames

The bushfire known as the Grampians, Northern Complex which raced through the northern sections of the national park and surrounding communities has left a trail of heartache as families have lost their homes, a life has been lost, hundreds of animals - stock and native fauna died or had to be shot, and acres of farm and bushland has been left a scorched husk.

Amid the devastation are a number of historic items now lost forever, notably the historic Rosebrook homestead, the building had been home to seven generations of the Carter family since 1858.

Rosebrook ablaze, from the Wimmera Mail Times

At the Grampians Horse Riding Adventures and Grampians Motor Museum, situated on Schmidt's Road, a number of the historic vehicles caught fire.

Fire glazed ute cabin, from Lynton Brown

Near Brimpaen this old 1800s farmhouse was burnt to the ground, luckily Lynton Brown had captured it in July last year, here is his 'then & now' image.

Brimpaen farmhouse, from Lynton Brown

We are yet to see the level of damage to the Zumsteins cottages, but they along with some of Walter's trees have been damaged.

Signs at Old Dadswells Town

There were close calls and as the media is reporting, parts of the area are now open for business and in need of support.

The edge of the fire at the entrance to Orchid Lane Cottages