Burial Sites

Family historians love a cemetery, but how do you find the cemeteries where your ancestors have been laid to rest?  If you are lucky enough to have Western District Families, there are two great sites available to help the search.

BYADUK CEMETERY

CEMETERIES OF S.W. VICTORIA

I have used this site, created by Ian Marr, for years and it has done much to help me track down my family members.  Ian has visited what seems like every cemetery in the Western District, from the big ones such as Warrnambool and Hamilton to little ones in paddocks.  He has recorded the details from the headstones and compiled them in an easy to use website.  Not only that, Ian describes each cemetery, gives directions, facilities available and contact details.

The small cemeteries are interesting.  There are Aberfoyle Station, Casterton Swamp and McNeil’s Paddock cemeteries, each with one or two burials on private property.  Some of the names are great such as Lemon Springs and Moonlight Head cemeteries.

The site allows searches by surname or cemetery name.  If you choose a surname search, click on the relevant letter then scroll the names to find your own.  All cemeteries where the name appears are listed beside each surname and you can click through to the cemetery from there.

The 16  largest cemeteries lists are not available online, but Ian has compiled  a range of DVDs and USBs of the entire collection or individual cemeteries  to buy.  These also have photos of headstones from many of the cemeteries.  The name search results on the website will still show a surname match for any of those 16 cemeteries.

If you prefer to browse by cemetery, simply click the cemetery name and a list of names will appear.  Click on your surname and it will go to all matching surnames at that cemetery.

Some of the headstones have researcher links too, so you could find someone else researching your name.  Or add your own contact details on a headstone as I have done for James Harman in the Byaduk Cemetery and William Hadden in the Cavendish Cemetery.

KIRKWOOD HEADSTONE-HAMILTON OLD CEMETERY

CAROL’S HEADSTONES

Carol’s Headstones offers photographs from cemeteries from mostly Victoria, but also N.S.W., South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia.  The main page lists the available cemeteries.  Click on a cemetery and a list of headstones will come up.  If you email Carol, she will kindly return a photo of your selected headstone.

I have made use of this fantastic service offered by Carol and received headstone photos of Julia Holmes (nee Harman) from Casterton Cemetery and Amelia Bell (nee Harman) from the Heywood Cemetery.

While there are common cemeteries to Cemeteries of  S.W. Victoria, what you can’t find on one you may find with Carol.  Also it is possible to see a headstone list for Camperdown and Casterton, for example, that are only available on the DVD/USB version of Cemeteries of  S.W. Victoria.

Carol’s Headstones has a War Memorial Index too.  Some of the Western District memorials include Branxholme and Hotspur and there plenty of new entries.

Carol has a blog, Carol’s Headstone Photographs so you can keep track of cemeteries or War Memorials as they become available.

What strikes me about both websites is the amount of work Ian and Carole put in to deliver us a fabulous free service.  Thank you to both of them.

OLD PORTLAND CEMETERY

Passing of the Pioneers

April Passing of the Pioneers includes members of some of Western Victoria’s well-known pioneering families including Bell, Learmonth, Trigger, Kittson and Coulson.  There is also the great character of Thomas Tattersall of Ararat, a train driving pioneer.

Edwin CUMMINGS:  Died April 2, 1892 at Portland.  Edwin Cummings, originally from Tasmania, had only been in Portland around 16 years but in that time he worked hard to improve his lot.  On his arrival in Portland he ran a successful saw-milling/cabinet making business.  Edwin then moved to farming pursuits.  Using modern farming methods, he was able to improve his holding.  Edwin also lost several adult children to consumption.

Thomas TATTERSALL:  Died April 24, 1894 at Ararat.  Lancashire born Thomas Tattersall died from fish poisoning on his birthday.  He was a pioneering engine driver and his death was recognised by the  Governor of Victoria who sent a telegram of condolence to the Ararat railway station.  Thomas drove the first train from Melbourne to Bendigo and was one of the first drivers to Portland.  He had also driven the train for many dignitaries including the Governor and the Premier of Victoria.

Thomas BROWN:  Died April 1903 at Hamilton.  Thomas Brown went to Hamilton with his parents, after their arrival in Victoria from Scotland in 1852.   Thomas was an elder of the Hamilton Presbyterian Church and a long time member of the Sons of Temperance and was also involved with other temperance movements.  Active in many charities, his obituary noted that the poor of Hamilton had lost a friend in Thomas Brown.

Alfred COWLAND:  Died April 27, 1908 at Casterton.  Alfred Cowland was born in Kent, England and arrived in Victoria around 1858 aged 22.  He travelled with his parents, and Alfred and his father began farming at Greenwalde.  Alfred married the widow of Fred Spencer, but they did not have any children.

Mrs W.H. OSMOND:  Died April 8, 1915 at Port Fairy.  Mrs Osmond’s husband Harry was a partner in Osmond Bros., hotel keepers and butchers.  Mrs Osmond was hostess at the Market Hotel, Port Fairy, and considered  a most popular landlady in the Western District and if the races where on, she was there.

Thomas Ferry PEARSON:  Died April 24, 1915 at Port Fairy.  Thomas Pearson was born at Newcastle-on-Tyne, England and arrived in Portland in 1852.  He married Jane Strachan there before moving to Port Fairy in 1855.  He went to work on the pilot boats under Captain Mills and then for 13 years was keeper of the Griffiths Island lighthouse.

Francis Stubbs COULSON:  Died April 10, 1916 at Hamilton.  Francis Coulson was the husband of my gg aunt Harriet Martha Diwell.  He was the son of Christopher Coulson and Mary Frances Stubbs and was born in Yorkshire, England in 1842.  He married Harriet in 1873 and they had 13 children.  Francis ran a carrying business between Portland and the inland towns.  He also farmed at “Rosebank” Dwyers Creek and hard work saw him turn it into a “nice property”.

Mrs DIGBY:  Died April 23, 1918 at Port Fairy.  Mrs Digby was born in Somersetshire, England and arrived in Victoria in 1852.  Soon after she married Joseph Digby.  They had a large family of nine sons and daughters.  She was 88 at the time of her death.

Kate CUE:  Died April 23, 1917 at Port Fairy.  Kate Cue was from the Casterton district.  Her brother  Tom Cue, a miner, had the town Cue, Western Australia named after him.  She married William Sutherland McPherson of “Nangeela” station, Casterton.  They took up residence in Port Fairy and had seven children.

James MAHONEY:  Died April 27, 1918 at Port Fairy.  James Mahoney of Killarny was a member of one of the oldest families in the district.  He was the son of Mrs Quirk and had three brothers and a sister living at the time of his death aged 69.  James had travelled extensively throughout Australia and never married.

James BELL:  Died April 1923 at Mt. Eckersley.   James Bell was a member of the well known Bell family of Mt Eckersley near Heywood.  James, his parents and siblings arrived in Victoria in 1841 and they settled at Mt Eckersley.  James was the last surviving member of the original family known for their longevity.  James was 97 at the time of his death and his father John Bell lived to 101.

Jonathan HARMAN:  Died April 1930 at Heywood.  Jonathan Harman, my ggg uncle was also from a family known for longevity. He died at the home of his daughter, Amelia, wife of the nephew of James Bell (above).  Jonathan was 92 years old and a colonist of 76 years.

Kate Isabella HILL:  Died April 1934 at Wodonga.  Kate Hill was the daughter of John and Isabella Hill of West Portland.  She was better known as “Kitty Hill” and her and sister Lizzie were household names in their early days.  John Hill was a local school teacher.  Kitty married William Smith of Wodonga and was 75 years old when she died.

Alexander MOTT:  Died April 12, 1934 at Casterton.  Alexander was born in Millicent, South Australia and went to the Casterton district in the early 1900s.  He farmed at Carapook and Bahgallah before settling in the Casterton township.  His wife predeceased him and he left seven sons and daughters.

Mary Simpson LEARMONTH:  Died April 2, 1939 at Hamilton.  Mary Learmonth was from one well-known Hamilton family and married into another when she wed David Laidlaw.  Mary was the daughter of Peter Learmonth of “Prestonholme” Hamilton.   David’s father was David Laidlaw, a saddler who arrived in Hamilton with no money and become one of the town’s most prominent citizens.

Mary was quite the sportswoman and was 17 times female champion of the Hamilton Golf Club.  This was according to her obituary in the Portland Guardian however her obituary in The Argus of April 4, 1939 states she was club champion 39 times.   She was also a talented tennis and croquet player.  Other than sport, Mary was president of the Australian  Women’s National League prior to her death and was a member of the Hamilton Horticulture Society.

Mary died at her home “Eildon” on the corner of Thompson and French Street Hamilton.  Everyone who has lived in Hamilton will know the Laidlaw’s former home, just on the edge of the CBD and overlooking the Hamilton Botanic Gardens.  The house, designed by Ussher and Kemp, was sold after Mary’s death to the Napier Club, a club formed by the female counterparts of the Hamilton Club.  The club, formed around 1931, still occupies “Eildon” today.

“Eildon”, Hamilton

Alice M. WYATT:  Died April 23, 1940 at Hamilton.  Alice Wyatt, the daughter of Mr and Mrs T.L. Wyatt, spent her childhood in Portland before moving to Hamilton around 1878 when she was 20.  She did spend some time in Melbourne working for Sir Edward Miller and his wife Lady Mary Miller.  Sir Edward was a politician who made his money in finance and pastoral pursuits.  Alice spent the last 25 years of her life in Hamilton.

Irwin BELL:  Died April 1940 at Hamilton.  Irwin Bell of Dartmoor was a son of James Bell (above).  Irwin was born in Portland around 1874 and lived at Mt Eckersley until the Bell family property was sold.  He married Ann Letts of Heywood and together they led a life dedicated to the Church of England.  They established the first Sunday School at Dartmoor and prepared parishioners for their first communion.  Irwin also worked for the Department of Forestry and in later years was a Justice of the Peace.  He died at KiaOra Hospital in Hamilton and was buried at Heywood cemetery.

James TRIGGER:  Died April 25, 1945 at Macarthur. James Trigger was the son of Samuel and Eliza Trigger of Warrabkook near Macarthur.  Born in 1859, James selected land at Mt Eccles at a young age and he farmed there for the duration of his life.

OBITUARY. (1945, May 24). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 3 Edition: EVENING. Retrieved April 27, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64404393

James was interested in horse racing and was an owner of a number of horses.  He left a widow and a son and daughter.

Mr R.S. KITTSON:  Died April 8, 1948 at Lower Cape Bridgewater.  Stephen Kittson was the son of James Kittson and Catherine Trotter and the last surviving member of the first family of Kittsons to arrive at Cape Bridgewater.  A deeply religious man, he was involved in many church activities.  Having had two sons serve in WW1, Stephen showed an interest in returned servicemen and with his passing “ex-servicemen have lost a loyal friend”

Mary Ann ALLSOP:  Died April 10, 1953 at Port Campbell.  Mary Ann was the daughter of Mr and Mrs Samuel Allsop, pioneers of the Port Campbell district.  She married Thomas Wiggens at Purrumbete.  After the death of Thomas, Mary Ann moved to Camperdown.  She left one son and three daughters and was buried at the Camperdown cemetery.

Trove Tuesday – Hometown Rivals

This Trove Tuesday, we are off to my hometown Hamilton.

Take two rival football clubs, the Hamilton Football Club and the Hamilton Imperials Football Club, merge them and what do you get?  The beginning of a new chapter in the town’s sporting history when the Hamilton Kangaroos make their debut in Round 1 of the 2013 season this Saturday April13  .  Also, the new club will be entering a different league, the Hampden League, after both were founding members of the Western Border Football League in 1964.

Of the two teams, the Hamilton Football Club had the longest history.  While the club may not of officially been formed at the time of this article from 1868,  it is the earliest article I can find at Trove of football played at Hamilton.

TABLE TALK. (1868, November 12). Portland Guardian and Normanby General Advertiser (Vic. : 1842 – 1876), p. 2 Edition: EVENINGS.. Retrieved April 8, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64691122

In 1948, a club formed by a breakaway group from the Hamilton Football Club, made its debut  in the Western District Football League.  The Hamilton Imperials Football Club was born.  In June of that year the Magpies (Hamilton) and the Bulldogs (Imperials) met for the first time beginning a rivalry that would endure for the next 64 years.  Hamilton were the easy victors.

 

HAMILTON ON TOP. (1948, June 10). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 4 Edition: EVENING. Retrieved April 8, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64415146

In the 1950s they used to say that the form guide could be thrown away when Hamilton and the Imperials met.  The following  headlines, all from The Argus during the 1950s, show how the rivalry had grown in just a short time.

 

Traditional clash in Western League HAMILTON HAS EDGE ON OLD RIVALS. (1953, July 3). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1956), p. 10. Retrieved April 8, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23253913

 

TRADITIONAL RIVALS FIGHT IT OUT. (1955, May 13). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1956), p. 22. Retrieved April 9, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71882081

 

Imperials may jain the lour tomorrow. (1956, May 11). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1956), p. 23. Retrieved April 9, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71802250

Here’s to a successful future for the Hamilton Kangaroos but may the history of the two clubs that came before be maintained so future generations know their role, not only in Hamilton’s sporting history but its social history.

Where did my heart lie?  With the mighty Imps of course!

Passing of the Pioneers

February Passing of the Pioneers has obituaries from some of the Western District’s early colonists.  They include Fanny Fisher and John Kelly, both born in Tasmania. They each lived in Victoria for 79 years by the time of their deaths.

Alexander LEARMONTH:  Died February 8, 1874 at Hamilton.  The Learmonths were one of Hamilton’s most noted families.  Alexander was the eldest of four brothers to immigrate to Australia and in time their paths led to  Hamilton.  Alexander arrived in 1857 and immediately took an interest in the town’s affairs.  He  founded the Hamilton municipality and was the first Mayor of the Borough, holding the office for six years.  The contribution Alex Learmonth made to Hamilton in those early days was immense.

OBITUARY. (1874, February 24). Portland Guardian and Normanby General Advertiser (Vic. : 1842 – 1876), p. 6 Edition: EVENING. Retrieved February 20, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64743791

Alexander was a trustee of the Hamilton Mechanics Institute.  After his death, funds raised built an extra room named the Learmonth Memorial Hall.  He also served as a territorial Magistrate, Coroner, Government Auditor and many other offices, too many to list, but all are in his full obituary.

HAMILTON MECHANICS INSTITUTE, Gray Street

 

John KELLY:  Died February 7, 1914 at St Helens.  John Kelly, born in Tasmania, was one of the oldest residents in the Port Fairy and Yambuk district when he died in 1914.  He had been in Victoria for 79 years, having arrived aged three.  He first resided at Casterton, then near Port Fairy and later he ran a general store at Yambuk.  His wife passed away 41 years before him and he left seven children.

John Wishart GIBSON:  Died February 10, 1914 at Colac.  John Gibson was a Geelong importer before purchasing a large amount of land in and around Colac.  He was a keen golfer and enjoyed playing the Port Fairy Golf Links on his summer holidays.  John’s wife Grace signed the 1891  Women’s Suffrage Petition at Highton.  They had five children.

Fanny Mercer FISHER:  Died February 25, 1914 at Dobie.  Fanny Richardson was the oldest resident in the Ararat district at the time of her death, aged 81.  She had been in Victoria for 79 years and that was also thought to qualify her as the oldest lady colonist in the state.  Apparently she shared the title with a Mrs Pearman and Mrs Creswick until they both passed away.  Fanny, born in Tasmania, was the daughter of David Fisher.  He took up the position of manager for the Derwent Company bringing him, and later his family, to Geelong in 1837.  A letter from David appears in Letters from Victorian Pioneers.  In 1850, Fanny married James Richardson.

Mr John Henry JACKSON:  Died February 2, 1915 at Casterton.  John Jackson was born in Longford, Tasmania in 1829.  At 14 years, he travelled to Victoria to work for his uncles Samuel and William Jackson near Sunbury,  When his uncles purchased “Sandford Estate” from John Henty in 1847, John rode from Sunbury to Sandford by himself aged 18.  He remained there for the rest of his life.  John married Marianne Bowtell in 1855 and they had two sons and three daughters.  John was one of the earliest J.P.s in the area and was a Honourary Magistrate.

John HOWELL:  Died February 17, 1915 at Orford.  John Howell was born in the Port Fairy district around 1843 to Irish parents.  He selected land at Orford in 1867 and remained there until his death.  He never married, and thanks to his thrift was a donor to many worthy causes.  He left three brothers and five sisters.

Reverend Mother Josephine:  Died February, 1915 at Ireland.  The Reverend Mother Josephine was one of the founding members of the Brigidine Convent in Ararat, arriving around 1888 from Ireland. With  guidance from the much admired Mother Josephine, the convent school, was highly regarded.  Marian College still operates today. Sadly, after a trip home to Ireland, Mother Josephine passed away on the ship during the return voyage.

Jane O’MAY:  Died February 17, 1916 at Buckley Swamp.  Referring to my Family Tree Maker program, I found Jane O’May defined as the “Paternal grandmother of husband of 1st cousin 4 x removed” of me.  Jane was the wife of William Kirkwood.  Their grandson William married my 1st cousin 4 x removed, Sarah Ann Reed in 1903.  Sarah was a niece of James Harman and Susan Reed.

First Issue, August 20 1842. (1916, February 23). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 2 Edition: EVENING. Retrieved February 22, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64013668

 

Hugh CAMERON:  Died February 1934 at Drumborg.  Born in Portland around 1855, Hugh Cameron moved around the Western District for several years,  finally settling at Drumborg.  He lived at Condah, Willaura, Telangatuk and Branxholme.  He married Mary Cameron of Toorak and they had five boys and two girls.

Mrs Ellen HICKEY:  Died February 4, 1937 at Portland.  Ellen Hickey lived in Portland for most of her 76 years, but moved to Moonee Ponds for the last 13 years of her life.  During her time in Portland, where her husband Thomas Hickey ran a livery stable, Ellen attended All Saints Church.  After the move to Melbourne, Ellen enjoyed returning to Portland for her annual holiday.  She left Thomas, five sons and two daughters.  A son John, a veteran of the Boer War, predeceased her.

Samuel ARTIS:  Died February 1938 at Port Fairy.  Samuel Artis was born around 1858 and worked for the Belfast and Koroit Steam Navigation Company  for many years and was at one time, foreman of the wharf.  Samuel was also an expert on the history of Port Fairy.

Mr Frederick H. BEST:  Died February 29, 1940 at Winslow.  Frederick was born in England in 1849 and arrived in Portland with his parents, in 1852.  He began work as a tanner at 15 and work around Australia and New Zealand for the following 10 years.  He married Louise Cardinal at Woolsthorpe in 1875 and set up a tannery business at Winslow.  It became the biggest tannery outside the larger cities.

William McKENZIE:  Died February 2, 1949 at Newfields.  Born at Carranballac Station in 1868, William McKenzie was the youngest of 13 children.  He worked as a shearer through the Western District and N.S.W. before taking up dairy farming around the turn of the century.  William married Augusta Schmidt in 1896.

Trove Tuesday – The Hamilton Ghost

I have previously written about paranormal activities in Hamilton for Trove Tuesday, when residents thought War of the Worlds had come to town.  Now I bring you the story of the Hamilton ghost.  Well, actually four stories but not all of the same ghost and on one occasion the Hamilton apparition drifted out of town to Macarthur.

What I like about these stories is that the ghosts were not the transparent style of apparition, but rather the classic white sheet type made popular by 19th century theatre.  There is a varying amount of tongue in cheek used in the reporting, but on each occasion there were a number of people scared out of their wits.

1941

Hamilton’s Ghost Walks. (1941, July 21). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 2 Edition: EVENING. Retrieved February 18, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64401002

1922

A “GHOST” SCARE. (1922, June 6). The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 – 1954), p. 4. Retrieved February 19, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article72732250

1898

Established August 1842. (1898, September 14). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 2 Edition: EVENING. Retrieved February 19, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63674221

1876

THE HAMILTON GHOST. (1876, May 13). Clarence and Richmond Examiner and New England Advertiser (Grafton, NSW : 1859 – 1889), p. 4. Retrieved February 19, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article61905173

Trove Tuesday – In the News

The newspaper articles I have shared each week for Trove Tuesday are similar to those I choose for the spasmodic “In the News” posts.  There are now 21 in total (TT is drawing close with 19 posts), so I thought I would share a few of my favourites for this week’s Trove Tuesday.

September 23, 1870 – Fire swept thorough Hamilton’s main street, Gray Street.

The Bushfire series – February 8-13 1901, January 13, 1905, January 19, 1944

December 8, 1909 – The Grampians Bunyip

November 16, 1929 – Less than 12 months after my gg uncle, Charles James Harman flew on the airship R101, it crashed over France.

June 16, 1881 - Ploughing matches from Byaduk and beyond.

Trove Tuesday – Fido’s Feat

You may have noticed I do like a good animal story.  Here’s another from the Camperdown Chronicle of September 14, 1954.

It is the story of Fido, a sheep dog belonging to electrical contractor Mr A.J Moon of Hamilton.  Fido had been confined at a Port Fairy vet, but after a determined escape, he walked 54 miles home to Hamilton even though he was recovering from a leg operation.  When he arrived at Mr Moon’s home in Garton Street, Hamilton, Fido demolished 3lbs of steak.  His leg was cured too!

Amazing Story Of Canine Courage And Endurance. (1954, September 14). Camperdown Chronicle (Vic. : 1877 – 1954), p. 4. Retrieved December 10, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article24008716

Trove Tuesday – UFO Alert!

Hamilton experienced the paranormal during January 1954, with two separate “flying saucer” sightings.

Four saw flying saucers speed over Hamilton. (1954, January 13). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1956), p. 5. Retrieved November 12, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26584624

From a  Trove search of “flying saucers” I found that during the 1930s the only flying saucers were those thrown across a room accompanied by a cup, but by the 1940s the flying saucers we know today, began to make news.  Many of the articles I saw were about experimental trials of flying saucers by earthlings.  But by the 1950s, “sightings” of flying saucers, presumably crewed by aliens, were common place.

A search of “science fiction” produced similar results.  There was no mention of the term during the 1930s, but by the 1950s it had reached meteoric heights.

The Science Fiction film genre changed during the 1950s.  Science Fiction films of the 1940s were horrors like Frankenstein and Dracula or superheros such as Batman and Robin.  The Invisible Man and Flash Gordon were also popular.  The 1950s Sci-Fi films took to the universe with life on other planets a major theme.  The film Flying Saucer was released in 1950. War of the Worlds and Invaders from Mars in 1953 and that year even Abbott and Costello went to Mars.

THE MARINS ARE HERE!. (1953, December 22). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1956), p. 1. Retrieved November 12, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23303135

No wonder Hamilton residents were on high UFO alert. While the film version of War of the Worlds had not yet reached the town, to add to the hype, their holiday reading may have including installments of the H.G. Wells novel which ran in The Argus from December 24, 1953 until January 7, 1954, the same day as the Hamilton flying saucer sightings.

***If anyone finds Dr Hopper’s cosmic ray research balloon he would appreciate its return to Melbourne University.

In The News – September 23, 1870

This is one of my favourite articles about Hamilton’s history.  The Argus of September 23, 1870 reported that on the Sunday morning past, September 18, at 3am “the residents of Hamilton were aroused from their beds by the cry of “Fire!” and  a large crowd soon collected in Gray street…”.  What follows is a story of a desperate battle by fireman to save not only the shops surrounding the grocery story of Nickless and Wells but beyond.

The article gives an interesting insight into how a fire of such intensity was managed  in the 19th century.  Many buildings were wooden and there was little or no water pressure.  An early decision to pull down the butcher shop of  Messrs. Brown Brothers to create a gap between the fire and the rest of the buildings in the block was to no avail as the fire was quickly spreading from the other side of Nickless and Wells.  Fire fighting attempts were also hindered by the large crowd that had gathered.

DISASTROUS FIRE AT HAMILTON. (1870, September 23). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1956), p. 7. Retrieved September 22, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5832754

Hamilton’s main street, Gray Street, is no stranger to fire.  Actually, there seems to have been an unusually large number of fires, causing significant damage often to several buildings in the town’s CBD.  I did a quick browse of Trove and found fires such at these  in the following years alone:  1874, 1885, 1888, 1900,  1912, 1914, 1920, 1930, 1932, 1938, 1944.

On August 1, 1962, one of Hamilton’s largest fires occurred when Strachans Department store, on the corner of Gray and Brown Street burnt out in a spectacular fire, talked about for years after.  During my time in Hamilton, 1970s and 80s, a large car showroom was destroyed on the opposite corner of Gray and Brown Street.  Since then, I can think of two other fires in Gray Street in the block between Brown and Thompson Streets.  The most recent saw the Target store  destroyed in October 2004 by a fire the Mayor of the time, Cr. Don Robertson considered large enough have burnt out the CBD.  What differed between the fire of 1870, with the same potential, and  the Target fire, was that in the case of  the latter,  a $1.2 million ladder platform truck was rushed from Ballarat and thermal imaging equipment came from Portland.  Huge advances from the times of horse-drawn fire-carts!

With the tendency for fires in the CBD, it was no surprise that after a fire in Gray Street in 1932,  Councillor Hughes thought smoke helmets could be of some use to the fire brigade.

SMOKE HELMETS NEEDED. (1932, March 4). The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 – 1954), p. 2. Retrieved September 23, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article72599000

In The News – July 29, 1929

Although many of the Western District newspapers are not digitised at Trove, it is possible to find articles from the likes of The Hamilton Spectator in the The Portland Guardian,  for example.  On this day 83 years ago,  an excerpt from the Albion newspaper of Coleraine appeared in The Portland Guardian of July 29, 1929.

Prompted by the deaths of many of the early pioneers, the article reflected on the history of the Western District  from the time Major Thomas Mitchell made his way across the land he called Australia Felix 93 years earlier.

 

 

Early History. (1929, July 29). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 3 Edition: EVENING. Retrieved July 23, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64270110

There is a clue in the article for those of you who having trouble finding your Western District family member’s arrival in Victoria.  The writer mentions many people from Van Diemen’s Land making their way to Victoria once news got back the Hentys had pushed up from Portland into the Merino district.  It could then be possible that family members travelled to Victoria via Tasmania where they had resided as convicts or otherwise.

Jenny Fawcett, on her great South-West Victoria genealogy and history site,  has indexed the names of those who travelled to Victoria as part of a Geelong and Portland Bay Immigration Society scheme in 1845 and 1846.  The idea behind that and similar schemes was to bring labour into the colony with those behind the society being squatters and merchants.  Jenny provides a great description of the scheme on her site.

Browsing through the names,there are many I instantly recognise as Western District family names.  Also, a lot of the pioneer obituaries I have read tell of the deceased having come to Victoria via Van Diemen’s Land.

So, if you are beginning to think your ancestors were good swimmers, follow-up the possibility they came to the Western District from Tasmania.  You just never know.