These are part of my postcard collection - a series of views of Melbourne with a pretty border of
native flowers. The views are a fairly standard, and seen on other postcards. I am sure the addition of the border was just a marketing exercise to encourage the purchase of more postcards to fuel the postcard collection craze of c.1904 to the start of the First World War. The marketing tactic clearly worked, because over 100 years later I bought these from Ebay. I have another pretty series of Melbourne postcards - ones with a forget-me-not flower decorated horseshoe, you can see these here.
Treasury Gardens, Melbourne
Treasury Gardens, Melbourne.
I have written about the Treasury Gardens, here on a post about Postcards
connected to Carlo Catani.
The postcard has not been used.
Princes Bridge Melbourne
Princes Bridge, Melbourne.
This bridge was opened October 1888. Carlo Catani was the assistant engineer on the project,
for the Public Works Department, read about this here.
Carlo also designed the Alexandra Gardens, read about them, here.
Postmark: North Melbourne, stamp removed.
Address: Miss Ella Baigent, East Takaka, Nelson New Zealand.
Text: Chapman Street 12.5.07. Thanks very much for your very pretty view. Can you send me any of your public buildings, churches etc. I am collecting a representative book of buildings and would
be so pleased if you could. Hope you are quite well. Fond love, Fanny M. Fidler.
Princes Bridge, Melbourne, verso.
Ella Baigent - An Ella Millicent Baigent was born in New Zealand in 1878 and an Ella May Baigent was born there in 1888. Either of them may the recipient of the postcard, but more likely the older one.
Fanny M. Fidler, Chapman Street, North Melbourne - Fanny Mary Fidler as born in Wangaratta in 1878 to Joseph and Elizabeth (nee Ramsay) Fidler. She was the fifth of their eight children, who were all born between 1869 and 1889; her siblings were all born in Melbourne, Carlton or North Melbourne. The family lived at 24 Chapman Street and her father, who was a miller, was accidently drowned at Cumberoona in New South Wales on March 30, 1898 at the age of 65. Elizabeth died two years later, aged 55. In the 1903 Electoral Roll, Fanny (occupation, home duties) was living at 24 Chapman Street with her brothers, John and Joseph.
Fanny married William George Iffland, an Accountant, in 1908. In the 1909 Electoral Roll they were at 21 Victoria Road, Auburn. Sadly, it turns out that William was already married and he pleaded guilty to bigamy in a trial at the Supreme Court in April 1911. His lawful wife, Rosa, whom he married in 1890 and had four children with, was still alive and living in Princes Hill. He was sentenced to eighteen months in gaol, the Judge noting that he had ruined the young woman with who he went through a second form of marriage, but he had also ruined the prospects of his own wife. In the 1914 to 1936 Electoral Rolls Fanny was listed at 83 Wright Street, Middle Park, still under the name of Iffland; her brother John Fidler was listed at the same address. Fanny died in 1943, aged 64. (1)
Melbourne from Fire Station Tower
Melbourne from Fire Station Tower.
The fire station, located on the corner of Victoria and Gisborne Streets,
was opened November 3, 1893.
Postmark: Wycheproof August 17, 1906
Address: Miss Dot Skinner, Training College Carlton Melbourne
Text: Dear Dot, you might relieve my most anxious mind as to the bruises. Have you heard from Roy? My boss man is leaving me in charge for a few days as his mother is dying so he's going to Maryboro. Farewell social to Rene Currie last night got home at 1.15 Monday and Euchre + dance (humiliation) and send off to the Kinahans who are going to Sale. Many kind regrets that you were absent last night. Love from ?
Melbourne from Fire Station Tower, verso.
Dot Skinner - I have no other information about Dorothy. I assume she was undertaking teacher training, as the Teacher's Training College was in Grattan Street, Carlton, and thought she may have been found in the Teacher Records (1863-1959, Series 13579) at the Public Records Office of Victoria but she is not listed.
Rene Currie - is likely to be Florence Irene Currie born in 1888 to John and Margaret (nee Quihampton). She was born in Moliagul, but her siblings Evelyn Mary (1889), Olive May (1891), John Gilbert (1894), and Wilfred Roy (1896) were born in Wycheproof. Rene died in Sydney on December 29, 1951.
The Kinahans - the 1906 Electoral Rolls have a Kate, Kathleen Frances and Walter Patrick at Wycheproof - Walter is a railway ganger; Kathleen is a dressmaker and Kate is listed as home duties. In the 1909 Electoral Rolls Kate and Walter are listed at Wurruk Wurruk, just west of Sale. Kathleen married Eustace Leonard Wheare in 1906, a Wycheproof local. (2).
Federal Government House - Melbourne
Federal Government House - Melbourne
Government House, was built between 1872 and 1876, for the use of the Governor of the Colony
of Victoria. After Federation, between1901 and 1926, it was the residence of Governor General
of Australia
Source: Victorian Heritage Database, see here.
Postmark: Rupanyup, June 5 1907
Address: Miss Wade 219 Cardigan Street Carlton
Text: 4.6.07 Dear Daph, I thought you know a style to suit the stuff. I shall be pleased with what ever way you make it. Love Aunt Pat (?)
Federal Government House - Melbourne, verso
The first reference to Daphne Wade in the Electoral Rolls was in 1909 at Rupanyup. Her occupation was home duties, but it appears she may have been a dressmaker, either by profession or a talented amateur, going by the postcard. Daphne Florence Wade married Louis Sylvester Crawford, a bootmaker, in 1913. They had three children - Leonard Lewis (1914), Winifred Lucy (1917) and Alfred Derrick (1918). The family lived at addresses in North Fitzroy and Preston and then at 20 Wales Street, Northcote. Daphne died in 1928, aged 45 - a tragic event as the children were only 14, 11 and ten years old; Louis died in 1937 aged 61.
Daphne was the daughter of Alfred and Martha (nee Derrick) Wade. Alfred and Martha are in the 1909 Electoral Roll at Lallat, just north east of Rupanyup and are later living in Rupanyup. Martha died January 26, 1951 at Rapunyup; Alfred had already passed on. Their children were listed in the death notice as - Daphne, Alfred, Lucy, Rupert, Dorothy, Ellen, Beatrice and Bertha (3).
Botanical Gardens, Melbourne. The building is Government House.
This postcard has not been used.
Footnotes
(1) Information about Ella Baigent and Fanny Mary Fidler from the New Zealand and Victorian
Indexes to Births, Deaths and Marriages; Joseph Fidler's death notice - The Age, April 2, 1898, see here ; Electoral Rolls on Ancestry. Reports of William Fidler's Bigamy case - The Age, May 13, 1911, see here; The Herald, April 20, 1911, see here; Ballarat Star, April 14, 1911, see here.
(2) Information about Dot Skinner, Rene Currie and the Kinahans from the Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages; Electoral Rolls on Ancestry. Rene Currie's sister's (Evelyn Young) obituary in the Dubbo Liberal of December 16, 1944, see here told me she was in Sydney and her
death notice was in the Sydney Morning Herald, January 3, 1952, see here.
(3) Information about Daphne Wade - Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages; Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.
