Shepparton Heritage Centre Inc

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Newsletter No 28 May 2004

Shepparton Heritage Centre Inc

Some 150 years before young Harry Potter sat in the Office of Professor Dumbledore, gazing in wonderment at the portraits on the wall - the occupants of which, being social butterflies, flittered from frame to frame - the good citizens of colonial Australia were having a similar experience.

The object of their admiration was, however, the various representations of the unofficial pre-Federation Australian Coat -of-Arms, wherein the kangaroo and emu shield supporters would, in sportsmanlike fashion, change sides, perhaps allowing the sailing ship to travel from left to right within the shield, or the other portrayed items to have a wander around.

Since the Heritage Centre is currently using the unofficial coat of arms as a letterhead, readers might be interested in finding out a little more about it.

As mentioned, our letterhead is just one of many variations of this insignia, which was widely used throughout all the Australian colonies. The first known example of the coat of arms is found on an 1853 medallion struck to note the cessation of convict transportation and the foundation Jubilee of Tasmania, and from this it appears to have spread to other coin tokens, to use as a decoration on public buildings, to incorporation within advertising, to use as an embossing on book covers, to use as a brass ornamentation, and as a badge for helmet plates for the Western Australian Fire Department.

A beautiful sterling silver and enamel version is on the Sheffield Shield cricket trophy, while a variant is still used as a pocket patch by the current Australian Test Cricket team. Colours vary, my favourite being a dark blue cross on a white shield, although blue on a red background, or red cross on a yellow background, or coloured quarters to the shield exist.

The popularity of the insignia probably owes its origins to the coin tokens, made, I believe, by Stokes of Melbourne, and distributed through most of the colonies. There is, however, no firm information on the designer of the coat of arms, or when it was first placed before the public.

Readers might already know that it is, within heraldic practice, common for the crest of a coat of arms to be used as a separate insignia. This has lead to much debate, for the crest of the pre-Federation coat of arms is clearly a Rising Sun, but it fails to conform to the rules of heraldry. There are clear guidelines to how a rising sun, and setting sun, should be portrayed - the difference being in the depiction of the rays.

There is also a guideline for depicting 'Old Sol 'in all his glory, which requires the image of the sun to have a small face drawn upon it.

Regardless of correctness of presentation, the image of the Rising Sun had tremendous public appeal from the 1850's up to Federation, and was always regarded as representing Australia Felix. This popularity may be seen, for example, extending to Federation style housing, where the verandas or roofline have used the image as decoration.

Was the image also used by some pre-Federation Australian military units in their hat badges? Is the present famous Australian Army general service Rising Sun hat badge derived from the colonial crest?

These have been pressing questions for some, and it is a pity this article is ending before they can be discussed. Suffice that our Heritage Centre letterhead -represents -the pride our early pioneers had in their achievements. Hopefully you, too, find it suitable.

As mentioned in the last Newsletter, the administration of the Centre is covered in the Minutes of the monthly meetings, placed on our notice board. Perhaps all that can be added is that our difficulties with the change over of Office-bearers were not resolved by Mediation, and that therefore the matter still rests before the Shepparton Magistrates Court. Watch this space!

Apart from this, however, the Centre, and it's Museum, are still carrying out their role as a community resource with good effect. The school year has only just commenced, but already Bouchier Street Primary School has had a class of students, for whom English is a second language, tour the Museum. Our thanks to Eileen Torney for her assistance as Tour Guide.

We have a new friend in Fiona Davis, who has just taken over the 'Looking Back' feature page in our local “Shepparton News”. Fiona took History as a subject while at University, and has been kind enough to take an interest in our Association. We look toward to working with Fiona, and currently are preparing two articles to submit to her: a look at the Longstaff Family, a pioneer family of Shepparton from 1873, written with the assistance of Eileen Torney, and, a study of the origins of the Australian Army ”Rising Sun” hat badge, which, being approved in April 1904, turns 100 this year. We hope this last article will be ready for inclusion in the Anzac Day edition.

Genevieve Scott, the originator of the 'Looking Back' page, is on twelve months maternity leave from the Shepparton News - prior to her leaving. Committee member Peter Ford was able to thank her for the great job done in bringing local history to the people, and also pass on the best wishes of our members to her.

We are also assisting the “ Shepparton Adviser” by supplying a selection of photos from our Archives for their “pic from the past” segment. Both these newspapers are kind enough to acknowledge our assistance, and it is an excellent way of keeping our name before the public.

Other assistance is being given. Only recently the Museum received a visit from descendants of the Clydesdale family, who used to have a coach building business in Shepparton around the turn of last century. It was a pleasure to show not only the large mural we have of the premises, but also a restored example of one of the firm’s products. Currently, we assisted former pupils of the (North) Shepparton Technical School, Form Two of 1954, as they prepared for a 50 years re-union on Saturday 6th. March, at the Terminus Hotel. (Form Two of 1954 being, of course, the original Form One of 1953 when the Technical School first started.)

And we continue to receive donations from members of the public. The most impressive of these has been a “Crescent” brand domestic gas producer, made in Ballarat, and with a patent date of 1911. The exact workings of this device are a mystery at present (help!) but it is like a small oven, having a water tank underneath, and a reaction chamber on top, where a stone is immersed in water to produce gas as a by-product. This is vented off for cooking/heating. There is a gearing arrangement to one side, and this may well be a way of placing the gas under pressure. We thank Bill Owens of Shepparton for this item, which was part of the Leo Colledetti collection.

THE MUSEUM ANOTHER ITEM FROM SHEPPERTON !

Recently Heritage Centre member Peter Ford accepted a donation from the estate of the late

Vince Vibert, a well known Shepparton resident, and one of those to first take an interest in the

formation of our Historic Society. The items were all business ledgers from Vibert’s Hardware, all hand compiled, and covering transactions around the 1940's.

But there was one other:- a small (14 cm high), lidded, wooded barrel, with ceramic insert. Our American cousins would probably call it a Cookie Jar - perhaps it really might be a biscuit

barrel. Whatever the case, the interest lies in the engraving on this piece.

The lid, which appears nickel plated, has the words 'Sunbury and Walton Sea Cadets' neatly

placed about the central knob that allows removal. There is a nickel-plated carry handle, which swings to the rear. At the front is a small plated shield, approx 4 cm high by 3 cm at the narrowest point. This bears the Inscription T.S.Blackswan/Shepperton/England/1962. 'T.S.' obviously stands for Training Ship, although I imagine, in naval parlance, it would be a shore-based vessel.

So, how did the barrel get to the colonies? The passage of time leaves me unable to answer this

just at the moment. Vince was, of course, a Mayor of Shepparton, but it seems unlikely he came

by this in his official capacity. Our Shepparton Historical Society was formed in 1962. Was the

barrel sent out to mark the event?

Perhaps our good friends In Shepperton can supply the answer? They might be interested to

learn that we have both Army and Air Force Cadet units training at Somme Barracks, together

with an Infantry Company of the Army Reserve. No Sea Cadets, though!

The barrel will join those other Shepperton Items - the 16th century baronial chair, and 1938

illuminated manuscript - which we hold within our Museum. Who knows: it may even become the

repository for The Ashes that a regional cricket team regularly visits Shepperton to contest for, in

the happy event that they are victorious for once. The barrel will remain empty in anticipation!

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COMING EVENTS

Shepparton Heritage Centre Meeting Night Activities.

2 June Guest Speaker – John Sigley, Numurkah Historical Society and Royal Historical Society of Victoria.

7 JulyAGM

4 Aug“Show and Tell” – bring along an interesting history book to show and talk about.

1 SepMuseum Collection – Workshop on storage of artefacts in the archives.

6 Oct“Show and Tell”– bring along something from collections.

3 NovMuseum Collection – Workshop on labelling items on display.

1 DecGuest Speaker – Dick Clayton, Darwin Defenders. Christmas Supper.

Advance notice of Guest Speaker in October.

The Shepparton Heritage Centre are organising a person to speak at the Shepparton Heritage Centre rooms on one Sunday in October. Watch “Billboard” in Tuesday’s Shepparton News late September - October for details.

Shepparton Heritage Centre Cleaning Bee

Members are invited to the Museum on Sunday August 29th from 1to 4pm to “spring clean” the Museum. Come along and help vacuum the floors, dust the artefacts and polish the glass of the display cases, plus various other odd jobs. Cleaning will be followed by afternoon tea and a friendly chat. Cleaning products, etc, will be on hand, but please bring along a small plate of afternoon tea.

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Shepparton Heritage Centre Inc : Meeting and Open Times

Meetings: First Wednesday of each month at 7.30 pm in the Heritage Cottage, Cnr Welsford & High st

Heritage Cottage: Open on even dated Sundays 1.00 pm to 4.00 pm or by appointment.

(Contact Margaret 58212305 or Peter 58217717)

Post: P.O.Box 137 Shepparton. Vic .3632

Museum Roster: Volunteers are needed for our Museum Sunday Afternoon Roster .

Please phone Peter on 58217717 if you can assist.

The Shepparton Family History Group Inc

Activity Report:

Over the years our group has been slowly but surely building a club, which I am sure the founders of “The Shepparton Family History Group” would be very pleased. This April marked 20 years since the birth of our club by a small but dedicated group, initially meeting in the South Shepparton Technical School, (now McGuire College) and later moving to the Mechanics Institute building then finally to our present site at the Heritage Centre. Over this time our resources have grown enormously to the present vast range of microfiche, CD Rom’s, reference books, local records (school, cemetery, rate books etc), biographies and many more resources to help a growing band of people, both members and visitors, to achieve their goal of a researching information on as many of their ancestors and descendants as possible. On Sunday the18th of April a 20th birthday celebration was held in the club rooms to celebrate our clubs achievements, former members joining in with our present members for afternoon tea and a chat. Television and newspaper coverage of the event was good publicity for our group.

Our club has been an active participant in two Expo’s during the past six months. We are an active member of GMAGS (The Goulburn and Murray Association of Local and Family History Groups) who held their annual Expo at Mulwala last November, our display table helping answer queries about family history as well as selling a number of books for both our club and the Shepparton Heritage Centre. We also manned a table at the Bendigo Expo in March with some success.

We have continued to field many enquiries over the internet and undoubtedly this will become a prominent means of future genealogy research. This extra research puts an ever increasing workload on a small band of workers and if it continues to grow, as we hope it will, then extra help will be needed for research, letter writing, photocopying etc.

Two guest speakers have been very well received at our clubrooms. David Evans from Ballarat spoke on The Victorian Mining Accidents index and Greg Kirk from Benalla gave us an insight into his research into returned service personnel in the Benalla area and to war memorabilia in general.

We were able to repay the hospitality previously given to us by the Maryborough Family History Group, by hosting them at our clubrooms on 1st May. Our catering possibly reached the standard set by Maryborough last year and all had a very pleasant day.

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Coming Events

Guest Speaker

Margaret Owen of the Cornish Association of Victoria will speak on Cornwall and The Cornish in Australia on Sunday August 15th at 1.30 pm in the Shepparton Library (Cnr Marungi and Nixon St Shepparton). Ladies a plate please.

GMAG’S 5th Annual EXPO

Coming up on Saturday the 20th November at the Mulwala Services Club,Mulwala, NSW.

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Recent Additions to SFHG library:-

Ballarat Base Hospital Admissions 1856-1913(microfiche)

Bendigo Independent. Inquests 1862-1865. Also includes birth, deaths , marriages, murders, suicides, funerals, obituaries, Annette O’Donohue

Echuca Cemetery Index 1860-1998. (microfiche)

In the Performance of his Duty: the Murder of Victoria Police 1837-1988, Brown, Gavin Gary Presland and Ralph Stavely

Symmetry of Souls – Blues Brothers, Cats Cousins. A Centenary and a Quarter of Mooroopna Football/Netball Club 1877 – 2002, Tom Carey

Heilys and Other Distractions - a Memoir on Rushworth and its People, Ralph Heily

Index to Pine Lodge Cemetery compiled by Faye Botheras

In Search of our Days, From Sevenoaks, Kent to Noorilim, Victoria, Australia and then on, Gillian Day

Inverloch and District Identities and Pioneers, Norman R Deakin for the Inverloch Historical Society

Grandma McMahon’s “Godkins”, Vol.1, Australia and New Zealand, Wally McMahon

Recent Additions to SFHG library (cont’d).

The Morris Family

Heart of the Valley Toolamba, Bill Morvell

Melbourne General Cemetery Monumental Inscriptions (Index and Transcriptions)(CD)

Northcote Cemetery 1855-2003. (CD)

Newspaper Cuttings of the Dookie Area 1906-1914, Book 1 and 2, collated by Ed Willmott

North East Victoria – Family Histories

Packenham Cemetery, Victoria 1863-1999 (microfiche)

Pupil’s Register State Primary School Currawa (Dookie College) School 3907, 1915-1995

Katamatite School 2069, 125th Anniversary 2003, Ada Rudd

St Colman’s College Magazine 1976 to 1981

Tickets of Leave and Certificates of Freedom 1840-51(microfiche)

Toolamba State School No.1455 1887-1892, 1910-1955

Toolamba West (South) Primary School No.2728 1923-1983 (School closed 1993) and index only “Heart of the Valley” by Stewart “Bill” Morvell

Victorian Marriages 1921-42(CD)

Vic Goldfields Hospital Admissions Index.(CD)

Vic Mining Accidents Index.(CD)

Victorian Parliamentary Papers 1853-1863, 1856-7, 2859-60, 1884-1886, indexed by A and J Esam

Searching for Mary Ann. Researching Women Ancestors in Australia. By Lenore Frost.

My Ancestors were in the Salvation Army byRay Wiggins.

On “this Bend” of the river, by Grace Willoughby. Nyah District History.

Early Pioneer Families of Victoria and Riverena by Alexander Henderson.

Henderson’s Australian Families. A Genealogical and Biographical Record.

Mooroopna North Primary School No 1612 Photo album.

Jane Mary Richardson our Matriarch, Dorothy Margaret Hutton

Pupil’s Register State Primary School Zeerust No.4359, 1928-2003

Our Heroes, Tatura’s World War 1, Roll of Honour, Tony Ford

Fallen, the Ultimate Heroes. Footballers who never returned from the war, Jim Main

Migrant Ships for South Australia, 1836-1866, Ronald Parsons

Colac and District Pioneer Register pre 1900, compiled by Sandra Downard, Lyn Hulm & Kevin Swanson

Rochester Cemetery, Vol 1, Lawn, Memorial, Rose Gardens, Children’s Garden, Ash Memorial Wall. Also Corop Cemetery.

Naringaningalook “Meeting of Many Waters”. by Naring Church Centenary and District “Back To” Committee

Cosgrove State School No. 2466 Pupil’s Register

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Postcards from the Past

Newspaper Clippings.

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Members Items

Following a previous newsletter article about the first white baby born in Shepparton, proposing that Agnes Wilson, born 1856, may have held this honour, we have received information about a Susannah Andrew, born on the 10th September 1855 at Shepparton, Victoria. Birth certificate No 57 in the district of Benalla and 11897 in Victoria. Signed by the registrar at Benalla on 22nd of November 1855, it shows the birthplace as Shepparton, Victoria and the Father as Edward Andrew, stock keeper, age 30, born in Lincolnshire, England .The Witnesses were Mrs Smith of Shepparton and Miss Wilson was the attending nurse.It would seem that Susannah Andrew may therefore have been the first white baby born in Shepparton.