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NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 1999 NOVEMBER MARKET DAY Well, it’s that time
again! Market Day – November 20 at the Rotunda Park from 8.00am. We have tried
a couple of new things for this occasion, hoping to create a different, bright,
attractive atmosphere. We have invited two bands to come to play, the Maldon
Band from 10.00-11.00am, and then the Thompson’s Foundry Band until 12 noon.
We have also made touch with the man with the inflated bouncer who visited us at
the March Market Day. We have decided to have the Christmas Hamper Raffle once
again - Giselle presents it so well - and we would be most grateful for
donations of suitable items for inclusion. We are hoping to have tickets on sale
well in advance of November 20 so that we reap the maximum benefit of our high
quality hamper. We will send tickets out with our October Newsletter. Please
come and join us on the day; it is always such fun and a great opportunity to
catch up with folk you haven’t seen for a while! THE MOVE Thanks to the men from
NAPE the furniture has been rearranged: the computers, filing cabinet, table,
map cabinet, reader and associated paraphernalia are now in the room on the
western side of the courthouse close to the security room and the room on the
eastern side contains the large table and long bench seats for meetings.
Presently, Steve Walter is in the process of adapting the two iron framed tables
for mobile computer use. ACQUISITIONS Carol Boag has given us
information on Welshmans Reef and a photo of her great grandfather Peter
Roberts. Nancy Frankling of Cohuna has sent us a photo of Jack Stewart, a
soldier from Newstead in WW1. Doug Martin has provided us with photos of his
grandfather Thomas Martin, his wife and five sons. We also have a plaque from
Heritage Victoria giving credit to the architect John James Clark and the
courthouse as being a fine example of early Victorian Public Works architecture
of the period. OUTING TO THE DEMO TRACK MINING SITES Again a band of seven
people set out along the demo track to investigate the Thornhill Reef mine area.
Armed with David Bannear’s book the 2 large roasting kilns were located and
with some difficulty, at least some of the partly buried kilns were found. As we
had the company of Jack Polinelli, his offer to show us more sites in the area
was taken up with enthusiasm. A stop at the deep shaft of the Blowmine was
chilling and then we followed further into the bush to an as yet unnamed site
with a deep shaft, an adit? (An entrance into the side of a hill), another
roasting kiln or water storage and a puddling site. Our next excursion, on
October 11th, will be to look at the sites of the Lord Byron mines and the
Captains Gully road area ending up at Knowles and Beverley Gray’s place, the
former Strathlea school. We will meet at Mingus Crossing at 1.30. NEWSTEAD HERITAGE WALK Just about a month ago we
received news of a Local History Grants Program. As with many of the Grants that
become available we didn’t get much notice, but the August meeting voted to
try to get funding for our new walk. You may remember the walk that is in
photographic form on the display board at the Courthouse! Well, the application
went in – we applied for professional Titles Office searches; a component for
audio tapes so that we can embark on some ”oral history” visits to some of
the older folks in the town; a little slice for a few births, deaths and
marriages searches, and a big slice to have the eventual product professionally
produced. Keep your fingers crossed! THE COURTHOUSE We have just had a visit
from Michael Taylor from Heritage Victoria, the Shire’s Heritage advisor.
Michael came specifically to look at plaster that is lifting off the wall in the
courtroom and was generous in his praise for our maintenance of the property. He
was particularly pleased that we have sub-let, making the building available to
the community, and in particular, increasing the number of people available to
continue to keep it trim. He suggests that we should move fairly quickly to
repair the present cracks, caused, he says, by the building at that point moving
in two different directions. NEXT YEAR ALREADY We have been invited by
Castlemaine Historical Society to a social evening on Monday February 7 at
6.00pm at the Former Court House in Goldsmith Crescent. Mary O’Toole, in her
letter of invitation, has said that Castlemaine will provide a barbecue and the
meat to go on it. She asks that each of us who attends take a salad and a sweet
to share, and our own drinks and glasses. Tea and coffee will be provided. They
have also asked Maldon Museum and Archives, Harcourt Valley Heritage and Chewton
Town Hall Sub Committee Domain Society. Would you please let Dawn Angliss know
by the November meeting if you would like to come and we will pass on the number
to Mary. It would be lovely to meet and socialise with others in the area with
similar interests. CHHA FAMILY HISTORY EXPO – November 6 & 7 Do you remember that the
theme for this Expo is Homes & Gardens? And do you remember that last month
we asked if you had any photos that would help with our display? We are taking
the computer with all our data files to help people with their research, and we
hope that we will have a really good display. Can you help us with photos, old
or new, and anything special that might add to our presentation? Please let us
know! RESEARCH Information has been
requested for the following – McEvoy/McAvoy family of
Yandoit Laurance children whose
parents died in 1853 George Annand soldier in
WWI Two small children,
Campbell family, buried in Franklinford cemetery c 1865. CALENDAR October 2 & 3
”Allunga” Muckleford forest – Bush Month October 8 & 9,
15 & 16 COURT IN THE ACT
8.00pm Bookings essential Bev Foreman - 5476 2211 October 11
Excursion to Lord Byron mine sites, Captains Gully and Strathlea school -
meet at Mingus Crossing at 1.30. Bring a cup. November 6 & 7
CHHA History Fair – House and Garden at Ballarat November 15
Meeting 8 pm. Guest speaker John Tully November 20
Market Day - Newstead Rotunda Park For any queries about the
Newsletter itself, or articles included, or if you would like to contribute
something of interest to others, please phone Dawn Angliss on 5476 2006.
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©2004 Newstead & District Historical Society Web Design: Brian Dieckmann Page last updated: 20 December 2008 |