An interesting piece for Trove Tuesday this week. From February 4, 1882, The Portland Guardian reported on some hush-hush weddings in the district with the information provided by an “esteemed occasional contributor”. The weddings were happening but the wedding bells were not ringing. Not only that, one groom baked his own wedding cake.
An article such as this is most useful to the researcher. It has names, place names, marriages and religious denomination
The Guardian. (1882, February 4). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 2 Edition: MORNING.. Retrieved March 11, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63403448
I think Father O’Donoghue might have been ready for a lie down. All those weddings and he was doing his own housework after his housekeeper, Miss Lavery was also “united in the holy bond”. In case you were wondering, Miss Lavery’s new husband, John Quinlivan, did not bake the wedding cake just because he fancied himself as a cook… he was a baker.
PORTLAND PROFESSIONAL AND BUSINESS DIRECTORY. (1890, January 17). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 4 Edition: EVENING. Retrieved March 11, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63626245
I was enjoying this story until I reached the last sentence…
FIGHT WITH A KANGAROO. (1922, November 13). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 2 Edition: EVENING.. Retrieved February 25, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64026993
The 1950s began and Australian troops were overseas once again, in the Middle East, Malaya, Japan and Korea. Those efforts, however did not have the same impact on the Australian way of life as WW2 and to a slightly lesser extent, WW1. Other happenings of the 1950s were the Melbourne Olympics, television arrived and there was a greater awareness of the U.S. culture.
The 1950s is the last decade that digitised newspapers are available at Trove so the articles do fade away toward the end of the decade, however I have supplemented Christmas 1958 and 1959 with another form of media.
Naval personnel were off Korea for Christmas 1950. Families could send Christmas greetings by telegram.
Lodge telegrams early for Korea. (1950, December 13). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1956), p. 3. Retrieved December 21, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23020826
The Portland Guardian looked back at the origins of Christmas in 1950.
CHRISTMAS IS WITH US ONCE MORE. (1950, December 21). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 3 Edition: MIDDAY.. Retrieved December 21, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64423565
At Brimpaen, Father Christmas paid a visit to the local children. There were toys, sweets, ice-creams and soft drinks. Other celebrations were held in the area.
Christmas Toys For Children. (1950, December 22). The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 – 1954), p. 7. Retrieved December 21, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article72763523
The Australian Women’s Weekly was a great source of inspiration when preparing Christmas dinner.
The Weekly also promoted “Buy Australian” in 1951 with some Australian made gift ideas.
AUSTRALIAN-MADE Christmas gifts. (1951, December 5). The Australian Women’s Weekly (1933 – 1982), p. 38. Retrieved December 21, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article47808540
The charitable Miss Elsie Davis of Horsham ran a penny drive in Fibrace Street to raise money for the patients of the Wimmera Base Hospital.
CHRISTMAS TREAT PENNY DRIVE TODAY. (1951, December 21). The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 – 1954), p. 5. Retrieved December 21, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article72798806
Langlands of Horsham had a range of toys in stock for Christmas 1951.
Spending Christmas on the road over Christmas was a costly experience.
CHRISTMAS DINNER WAS A REAL LUXURY. (1952, January 17). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 3 Edition: MIDDAY. Retrieved December 21, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64430580
Christmas Mail For Service Personnel Abroad. (1952, November 14). Camperdown Chronicle (Vic. : 1877 – 1954), p. 7. Retrieved December 21, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article24005182
The Horsham Fire Brigade ran a Christmas tree and Santa arrived on the back of a truck.
FATHER CHRISTMAS ON FIRE BRIGADE. (1952, December 23). The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 – 1954), p. 4. Retrieved December 21, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article72788126
Horsham shoppers planned ahead for Christmas 1952 and avoided the rush. Sporting goods were popular gifts and one florist expected to sell 50 dozen bunches of gladioli in the two days leading up to Christmas. More toys were mechanised, leading to higher prices.
SHOPPING RUSH NOT SO BAD THIS YEAR Many Doing Christmas Shopping Earlier. (1952, December 23). The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 – 1954), p. 1. Retrieved December 21, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article72788030
Christmas Day, 1952 was hot in Horsham with a sweltering 97 degrees Fahrenheit (approx. 36 degrees Celsius)
Christmas Day Was 97 Degrees. (1952, December 30). The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 – 1954), p. 1. Retrieved December 21, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article72788160
Heywood held Carols by Candlelight on Christmas Eve, 1952 along with the screening of “two suitable moving films”.
CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT. (1953, January 5). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 3 Edition: MIDDAY. Retrieved December 21, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64433618
Could this have been the beginning of the Christmas Club? Which bank?
Corporal L.V. Eldridge of Horsham wrote a letter from Korea to the “Horsham Times” with Christmas Greetings for Horsham and district residents.
Soldier Sends Christmas Greetings From Korea. (1953, December 18). The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 – 1954), p. 1. Retrieved December 21, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article72776493
Fibrace Street, Horsham was decorated with bunting and tinsel for Christmas 1953. The toys were in abundance on the shop shelves and shoppers found they didn’t have to “pay exorbitant prices for fragile junk in the way of toys” Interesting, plastics were the “big thing of the day”. Given time and shoppers were bound to find that the fragile junk of the past was nothing compared to what plastic delivered.
The Horsham Apex club decorated a “dinkum” Christmas tree (a Norfolk pine) in the Botanic Garden for their Christmas treat for the children of Horsham.
Apex Has “Dinkum” Christmas Tree. (1954, December 17). The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 – 1954), p. 2. Retrieved December 21, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74796148
Christmas 1954 was profitable for Horsham traders.
Christmas Rush Was Profitable. (1954, December 31). The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 – 1954), p. 1. Retrieved December 21, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74796586
Variations on the Christmas tree were beginning to emerge. I think we can blame plastic for that.
CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS. (1955, December 14). The Australian Women’s Weekly (1933 – 1982), p. 57. Retrieved December 21, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48072072
The 1950s were the height of the baby boom and Melbourne maternity hospitals were expecting a Christmas rush of babies.
THERE’LL BE SCORES OF CHRISTMAS BABES JOY FOR SOME —AND TEARS. (1955, December 21). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1956), p. 3. Retrieved December 21, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71787632
Troops in Japan, Malaya and Korea were given a Christmas treat.
THERE’LL BE SCORES OF CHRISTMAS BABES JOY FOR SOME —AND TEARS. (1955, December 21). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1956), p. 3. Retrieved December 21, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71787632
Melbournians almost forgot Christmas 1956 due to the hype of the Olympic games in September that year.
We’re all too busy with the Games FATHER CHRISTMAS IS FORGOTTEN. (1956, November 27). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1956), p. 9. Retrieved December 21, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71768234
Signs of the American culture filtering into the Australian psyche were evident with this Dennis the Menace cartoon from 1956 an example.
The photo in the next article is difficult to see but it is from Penang with “burly” Company Sergent Major J. O’Sullivan, dressed as Santa, entertaining the children of Australian soldiers stationed there.
I am almost certain this is my first cousin 4 x removed, Amelia Harman, daughter of Jonathan Harman. Amelia married Christopher (Chris) Bell of Heywood in 1901. They had three children, Millicent Irene (born 1901), Clarence Jonathan (1902) and Christopher George (born 1903) all born at Heywood. Clarence died in 1905.
If it is Amelia, the three children in the photo would be descendants of Christopher George Bell. I believe that he may have married twice. Cheryl would be his daughter, Helen his granddaughter and Lynette his great-granddaughter. At the time of the photo, Christopher was working as a senior constable of police at Casterton. He would have been around 48 at that time. I’m still trying to do the maths!
Amelia would have been around 87 at the time of this photo. She passed away in 1957 aged 91.
MATTER OF RELATIVITY. (1951, December 14). The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 – 1954), p. 8. Retrieved October 9, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49005300
Another amazing thing is the three girls are all nine months old! Cheryl, Helen and Lynette would be 61 now. If they or any other Bell family members see this, I would love to confirm if this is Amelia Harman.
