Pageant of Loyalty, Frankston, September 1917

This photograph  comes from Museums Victoria, and is labelled Armoured Car in a Street, Victoria, 1914-1918. Part of the description offers the suggestion that it may have been taken in Playne Street, Frankston. I assumed it was connected to a procession or fundraiser in World War One, and with some research on Trove I found it was an exhibit in the Pageant of Loyalty held in Frankston on September 1, 1917. 

Imitation tank from the Pageant of Loyalty, Frankston, September 1 1917

Museums Victoria https://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/items/2098766

The Pageant of Loyalty was a fundraiser for the Red Cross effort, to augment the fund for the erection of an honor roll in the town bearing the names of locally enlisted soldiers, and to help the Wattle Club and Australian Club of Frankston, each of which entertains men going to and returning from the war (1). One of the ways that money was raised was through the sale of  a beautiful souvenir [which had] been prepared and will be on sale for 1s. It is entirely original, and contains, besides other treasures, a list of the names of the boys who have gone from the district to fight for us. Everyone should make a point of  obtaining one at least of these books (2). 

The main attraction was a spectacular procession (3) which started at the Frankston State School, wound it's way around the main streets of Frankston and ended up at Frankston Park. There were some special guests, of which the most distinguished were their Excellencies, Sir Arthur and Lady Stanley - Sir Arthur being the Governor of Victoria (4). The Prime Minister, Mr Hughes (5) was also scheduled to attend, but was unexplained absence, however the local M.L.A., Mr Downward (6) was in attendance. The Shire of Frankston and Hastings was represented by Cr Oates, in the absence of the Shire President, Cr Watts (7).

That's a brief overview of the day and we will have a look in more detail how the day unfolded. The picturesque little town (8) of Frankston was en fete for the pageant - The display of bunting in Frankston had never before been equalled, flags of every color and design being suspended on ropes hung at short, intervals across the street, while the front of the business places were also decked with flags and colored ribbons (9). 

Troops from Langwarrin leading the procession.

Table Talk September 16, 1917 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/146477220?#

The procession, which was reported to be a mile and a half long (10) started as we said at the Frankston State School, hence to Davey Street, Bay Street, Playne Street (where the photo of the tank was taken) to the Railway Station, Wells Street, back to Bay Street and onto Frankston Park (11).  It was lead by exhibits organised by the Langwarrin Military Camp -  a Band, headed by pony mascotte; Infantry guard, 2 platoons, under Sgt Tarrant; Army Medical Corps, 3 stretcher squads, cyclist orderly, ambulance waggon and field dressing station, under Staff Sgts Cox and M'Henry. Army Service waggon, 8 horse team, and display of stores, arranged by Supply Officer Nedwell and Transport Sgt Fishwick. Home Service Kitchen, in charge of Sgt Beer. Blacksmith's Forge, Farrier Sgt Blackway. Y.M.C.A. in charge of Mr M. J. Blok (12). 

Following these were the community groups and floats - Mornington Red Cross, Britannia (Soldiers and Sailors), Britannia (The Allies) - The United States and Britannia were both represented allegorically by classically garbed ladies wearing helmets and draped with the national flags (13);  Frankston Red Cross, Frankston Tent of the Independent Order of Rechabites. Next to come were various tableaux showcasing aspects of Australia's history which included Australian Home, Wounded Soldiers, Young Australia, Bourke and Wills and Captain Cook. This was followed by other exhibits such as the Fire Brigade, Company Red Cross Nurses, Company of Boy Scouts, Bugle Band, School children and about 50 cars of the Volunteer Motor Corps with wounded and returned soldiers (14). Another highlight was Loads of pretty girls in fancy costumes, embowered in greenery, wattle bloom and heath (15). 

Some of the pretty girls in fancy costumes in the pageant.

Table Talk September 16, 1917 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/146477220?#

The procession ended with the whole winding up with a veritable "Tank," with swivel turret and guns, which were fired at intervals along the route, and created no end of wonderment to the youngsters (16). The tank was built at the Langwarrin Miltary Camp. When the  procession arrived at Frankston Park a number of speeches were made, prayers were offered for the troops serving their Country and the National Anthem and the  hymn, O God, our help in ages past, were sung. The Governor, Sir Arthur Stanley's speech focused on our connection to and love of the Empire, the need to unite in the cause of liberty, equality and fraternity and the fight for freedom.  You can see a report of the speeches, here.

Of course there were many school children present and they had a special treat as during the speeches, the children were marched off to the Anglican Sunday School ground, where Mrs. Deane and Staff Sgt Cox, assisted by a detachment of the Army Medical corps, provided them with the good things so liberally contributed, and which had previously been prepared in bags by a body of workers. 500 bags of cakes, fruit and lollies vanished in the onslaught (17).  The newspapers reported that the pageant was a brilliant display (18) and the afternoon's display was very entertaining, creditable to the organisers, and financially successful, much money being collected by ladies and secured by sales of souvenirs (19). 

I wonder if this tank inspired the Tank Tour around Victoria and New South Wales in 1918?  In that year,  the Commonwealth Government sought to raise 40 million pounds through the  Seventh War Loan. Each state was allocated an amount they needed to raise - Victoria's share was  £13,500,000 and each Victorian Municipality was given a quota to raise money, based on valuations and population etc. One of the ideas to encourage members of the public to subscribe to the War Loan was to have a imitation Tank tour the countryside where at each stop people would hopefully be inspired to subscribe. This idea had also been used in England and the United States the previous year, but were they inspired by the Pageant of Loyalty tank? I have written about this tank tour, and there are photographs of the tanks, in another of my blogs, Casey Cardinia Commemorates: Our War Years, read it here. 

The Tank

Table Talk September 16, 1917 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/146477220?#

This is the photograph that confirmed that the Museums Victoria photograph at the top of this post, was the veritable tank of the Pageant of Loyalty, which caused no end of wonderment to the youngsters who saw it. 

Trove list I have created a list of articles on the Pageant of Loyalty on Trove. You can access it here. All the articles referred to in this post are on the list. 

Sources

(1) The Age September 3, 1917, see here.

(2) Mornington Standard September 1, 1917, see here.

(3) Punch August 30, 1917, see here.

(4) Sir Arthur Stanley (1875-1931) and Lady Stanley (nee Margaret Evelyn Evans Gordon). he was Governor of Victoria from 1914 until January 1920. Read his Australian Dictionary of Biography entry, here. Lady Stanley was the first President of the Australian Red Cross, Victorian division. Read about the formation of this branch, here, in The Age of August 22, 1914. 

(5) Prime Minister, William Morris Hughes (1862-1952) read his Australian Dictionary of Biography entry, here.

(6) Alfred Downward (1847 - 1930). Member for the seat of Mornington in the Legislative Assembly from 1894 to 1929. https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/about/people-in-parliament/re-member

(7)  Shire of Frankston and Hastings - William James Oates, Shire President  1915, 1918, 1931 and 1944. He was defeated after 34 years on the council in August 1944, at the end of term as Shire President. He died in 1958, aged 82 and is buried in the Frankston Cemetery. Cr Watt - I believe this is James Morice Watt, who was an orchardist, from Hastings. He was Shire President in 1917. He died in 1932, aged 67, you can read his interesting obituary here, in the Frankston and Somerville Standard of February 13, 1932. 

(8) The Argus September 3, 1917, see here.

(9) Mornington Standard September 8,  1917, see here.

(10) Mornington Standard September 8, 1917, see here.

(11) The Age September 3, 1917, see here.

(12) Mornington Standard September 8, 1917, see here.

(13) The Age September 3, 1917, see here.

(14) Mornington Standard September 8, 1917, see here.

(15) The Age September 3, 1917, see here.

(16) Mornington Standard September 8, 1917, see here.

(17) Mornington Standard September 8, 1917, see here.

(18) Mornington Standard September 8, 1917, see here.

(19) The Age September 3, 1917, see here.

Alden family of 'Little London', Tyabb

This delightful postcard of the Queen Victoria Memorial Gardens in Melbourne was sent to Mrs Alden, of 'Little London', Tyabb on August 5, 1913 from Mary Buckley.

Mary wrote - Dear Mrs Alden,

We arrived safe here. Uncle Jack met us at the station. We got here at ten past seven. We are just going out to look for work. I wonder how we shall get on? I don't think work and I will agree, somehow, after the pleasant time at Little London. I give my love to all, 

Yours affectionately, 

Mary Buckley

The Alden family settled in Tyabb in 1901. The family consisted of Albert, his wife Mary (nee Newcombe) and children Albert Allen, known as Bert and Ivy Mary. We are fortunate that Albert Alden was interviewed in the Weekly Times in 1913 (1), 1918 (2)  and 1933 (3) , so we have some interesting sources of information about the family.   Mr Alden had been on a family farm with his father and brothers at Surrey, 7½ miles from London Bridge. The farm grew both fruit and vegetables and twice  a week Albert took the produce into Covent Garden market.  However, due to the ill health of family members Albert and Mary decided to sell their interest in the family farm and move to Australia.

They purchased 150 acres at Tyabb, and called their property, Little London. The land was situated on a nice elevation within a mile of the Tyabb railway station.  The soil consisted of from 12 to 18 inches of friable loam on a substrata of congenial clay (4).  They paid just over £6 and acre for the land which had nine acres of apricot trees planted and the rest was was covered in tree and scrub.  The Aldens spent another £5 per acre to clear 60 acres to establish the orchard (5). It is hard to imagine Tyabb now in a state of natural bush with the original wildlife, but there was an account in the Mornington Standard in May 1902 of Mr Alden's encounter with this wildlife - Some little time ago Mr Alden secured a splendid specimen of iguana, which measured 6ft 3½ in length and 18in in girth. Having captured it in his own paddock he is justly proud of it, and it is now stuffed and preserved in all its naturalness (6).  I wonder what became of this example of the taxidermist's art?

Orchards, of course, take  a long time to establish themselves, thus in the early years the family grew vegetables for an income.  By 1913, the first interview in the Weekly Times, the Aldens were exporting 2,500 cases of fruit, mainly apples and sending another 500 cases to the Melbourne and interstate markets. Twenty years later, in 1933, it was reported that the Aldens during the past season, 3760 cases having been sent abroad, of which more than 3000 cases were apples of the Jonathan, Five Crown, Dunn's (or Munroe's Favorite) and Sturmer varieties, and the remainder Josephine, Packham's Triumph and Broompark pears (7). The Aldens were not the only orchardists who exported their fruit. Fresh produce was a large export earner for Australia at this time, the 1934 Commonwealth Year book reported that in 1932/33 the value of the fresh apples Australia exported to the United Kingdom was £1,676,525; to Germany it was £169, 631 and to Sweden £28,540 (8).

The Tyabb and Somerville area was well known fruit growing area and in the Weekly Times article from 1933 they reported There are about 125 growers within a three-miles radius of that centre [Tyabb], and the latest crop is estimated at 140,000 cases, of which approximately 85 per cent, was apples. Deliveries at the Tyabb co-operative trading and cool stores totalled 56,000 cases (9).

Tyabb Cool Store, c. 1915,  used by the Aldens and other local growers.
The cool store was officially opened April 21, 1914. It is now an Antiques centre.

Image: Somerville Tyabb and District Heritage Society

https://cv.vic.gov.au/stories/a-diverse-state/postcards-stories-from-the-mornington-peninsula/

The three Weekly Times articles go into great detail about the varieties planted and the farming methods adopted by the Aldens, but we wont go into that here, we will have a look at their personal and social life. From the start there are accounts in the local papers of the Alden family partaking in community activities. By 1904, Albert was the President of the Tyabb and Hastings Fruitgrowers Association (10) and in August 1911 he was elected to the Frankston and Hastings Shire Council, defeating the Shire President, Cr H.P. Woodhouse in a surprise result (11).  Arthur was Shire President in 1917 and 1929 (12) and he retired from the Council in 1938. This was the same year his wife Mary died on August 19, at the age of 80.  The local paper reported that Mrs. Alden was an old resident of the district, and was held in high esteem by a large circle of friends (13).  Arthur died June 1, 1951, aged 88.

Their daughter, Ivy Mary had married Arthur Edward Benton, of Clifton Park, Tyabb on September 23, 1915 at All Saints Church at Tyabb. It was a very pretty wedding and the church was beautifully decorated with white roses, double white stocks, lilies and marguerites, and, as the occasion was
favored with beautifully fine weather, a large assembly of relatives and friends turned out to witness the ceremony. The bride was given away by her father and was beautifully attired in white silk, orange blossom wreath, and veil, and carried a shower bouquet of white roses, double white stocks and asparagus fern (14). Arthur was also a farmer and an orchardist and the couple had five children, George, Irene, Len, Edna and Myrtle (15).  Ivy Mary died on June 25, 1962, aged 69.

Arthur and Mary's son, Bert, who was also an orchardist, became a local councillor when he was elected in September 1942. He had married Ruth Unthank (nee Foubister), a widow with one son, Eric, in 1937 (16).  Bert died December 7, 1966 aged 75.  Arthur, Mary, Bert and Ivy Mary are all buried at the Frankston Cemetery (17).

What do we know of Mary Buckley, who sent the original postcard to Mrs Alden after her pleasant time at Little London? Nothing, but I hope that she eventually found work which agreed with her.

Trove list: I have created a list of articles on Trove, connected to the Alden family, you can access it here.

Sources:
(1) Weekly Times April 19, 1913, see here.
(2) Weekly Times December 14, 1918, see here.
(3) Weekly Times September 16, 1933, see here.
(4) Weekly Times April 19, 1913, see here.
(5) Weekly Times April 19, 1913, see here.
(6) Mornington Standard March 10, 1902, see here.
(7) Weekly Times September 16, 1933, see here.
(8) Commonwealth Year Book, 1934.  Copies of the Year book have been digitised from 1908 to 2010 and are available on the Australian Bureau of Statistics website, here.
(9) Weekly Times September 16, 1933, see here.
(10) Mornington Standard, October 22, 1904, see here.
(11) Mornington Standard, August 26, 1911, see here.
(12) Frankston: Resort to City by Michael Jones (Allen & Unwin, 1989)
(13) Frankston & Somerville Standard, August 26, 1938, see here.
(14) Mornington Standard, October 9, 1915, see here.
(15) Children are listed in Arthur's death notice in The Argus of June 12, 1945, see here.
(16) Ruth's first husband Gordon Percy Unthank died July 22, 1932. His death notice was in The Argus July 23, 1932, see here.
(17) Frankston Cemetery has some on-line records  and there are also photos of Albert and Mary's grave; Bert and Ruth's grave and Ivy and Arthur Benton's grave    https://www.australiancemeteries.com.au/vic/frankston/frankston.htm

Discoverers of Port Phillip monument, Sims Street, Footscray

I came across the following in the 1957 book  Peeps into the Past: a book of  Melbourne  Curiosities by  Mary Maxwell (1) -  Remembered yesterday and forgotten today - that is the fate of an obelisk standing  a few yards off the Melbourne Road near the Footscray Swing bridge. Erected by  a patriotic group about  a quarter of  a century ago (the actual date of the unveiling and by whom are obscure) to mark the original junction of the Yarra and Maribyrnong Rivers, discovered by Charles Edward Grimes in 1803 and rediscovered by Batman in 1835, few people today are aware of its existence. The land was presented to the Old Pioneers' Memorial Fund by the Melbourne Harbour Trust as a site for an historic marking; the memorial was officially unveiled on Sunday, November 23, 1941. Details of a well-known ship which sailed Port Phillip Bay in those days may be found on the back of the monument.

The Discoverers of Port Phillip monument, Sims Street

Photo: Isaac Hermann February 2020

The memorial is in Sims Street, just where it passes under Footscray Road, and was erected in this location to mark the original junction of the Yarra and Maribyrnong Rivers. The route of the Yarra was altered by the construction of the Coode Canal (2) in 1886 and  you can see the original route of the Yarra in this map, taken from a 1938 Street Directory, below.

The memorial is just south of Sims Street and the 'new Melbourne and Footscray Road' intersection. You can see the old course of the Yarra - it says 'river practically abolished'

Morgan's Official Street Directory, 1938 21st edition

State Library of Victoria  http://digital.slv.vic.gov.au/R/?func=collections&collection_id=2982

The monument has two inscriptions    -

This monument has been erected to mark the original junction of the Yarra and the Maribyrnong Rivers which was near this spot. These rivers were originally discovered by Charles Howard Grimes in February 1803 and refound by John Batman in June 1835.

Photo: Isaac Hermann February 2020

Port Phillip was discovered by John Murray in the Lady Nelson in February 1802. The first vessel in Hobson's Bay was the Cumberland with Grimes the Surveyor. The first man o'war was the Calcutta at the end of the same year 1802. The first vessel to ascend the Yarra was John P. Fawkner's Enterprise.

Photo: Isaac Hermann February 2020

Miss Maxwell lists the date of the unveiling as November 23, 1941, in spite of the fact that she said the actual date of the unveiling and the by whom is obscure but never mind. I have found some newspaper reports of the unveiling and who attended the ceremony.

The memorial was unveiled by Mr A. D. MacKenzie, the Chairman of the Harbour Trust Commissioners, whilst the Hyde Street State School band sang Rule Britannia. The Argus reported on the unveiling - Mr Mackenzie said one of the first works carried out in Port Phillip was a wharf built by Capt. George Ward Cole. Mr Isaac Selby, secretary Old Pioneers' Memorial Fund, had wanted a site near the confluence of the Maribyrnong and Yarra rivers for the memorial, but port authorities had to visualise what the port was going to be 100 years hence. Eventually a new dock would be placed in that position, so the trust had found the present site for the memorial, where it was hoped it would be able to remain for ever. Mr Selby said the memorial was due to the generosity of Mr Allan Tye. Mr. Selby suggested that Mr. Mackenzie might make available an area of land round the memorial which might appropriately be named Rebecca Park, after Batman's little vessel. (3)

Mr Augustus Wolskel, President of the Victorian Historical Society; Mr John Gent; William Jacka, Mayor of the City of Footscray; Mr E. W. Mylrea and Miss Helen Baillie, Vice President of the Aboriginal Advancement League also are reported to have spoken (4).  The memorial was, as reported, donated by Allen Tye.

The memorial when it was first erected, you can see it is sitting on a base. I don't know when that was removed. 

The Age November 22, 1941 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/209807009?

We will have a look at the people listed above who were involved with the Memorial.
Helen Baillie   I was amazed that not only was a woman invited to speak but that she would have given a  speech with an Indigenous viewpoint (although Helen Baillie was not Indigenous). Helen Elizabeth Jacqueline Baillie was born February 17, 1893  to William and Mary (nee Fellows) Baillie. The birth was registered in Kettering, Northamptonshire. The family migrated to Australia and after finishing school in Melbourne, she undertook nurse training at the Essex County Hospital at Colchester from 1917 to 1920. From September 1921 Helen undertook a years training at the City of London Maternity Hospital (5).

Interesting insight into Helen Baillie's personality and work ethic from the UK & Ireland, Queen's Nursing Institute Roll of Nurses, 1891-1931 - Roll of Queen´s Nurses, Vol 29 (1922 - 1923) from Ancestry.

Helen returned to Australia in the 1930s and  it was during her sea journey that she became enthralled by the work of Mary Bennett, an internationally renowned activist on behalf of Australian Aboriginal people. In 1932, Baillie formed the Victorian Aboriginal Fellowship Group and became their Honorary Secretary. In 1933 she also became involved with the Victorian Aboriginal Group; a group with similar objectives to the Fellowship.  (The Australian Women's Register, see here) 

Helen Baillie became a member of other activist groups, including the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and the Council for Aboriginal Rights. In addition, Miss Baillie volunteered as a nurse for the Republican forces during the Spanish Civil War and also worked for the Spanish Relief Committee in Melbourne.  Miss Baillie died in 1970 at the age of 77. You can read more about Helen Baillie's life of Indigenous activism here on the City of Stonnington website.

John Gent  Town Clerk of the City of Footscray for 29 years. He was appointed in 1917 and retired in 1946. He died in 1966 at the age of 90 (6).

William Jacka  Mayor of the City of Footscray. Cr Jacka was the brother of Albert Jacka, V.C. Albert Jacka was also a Mayor of the City of St Kilda, and the first Australian to be awarded the Victoria Cross medal in the First World War (read about him, here). William Jacka died in 1979, aged 81. The Jacka brothers grew up in Wedderburn, you can read more of their life in that town here.

A.D (Aubrey Duncan) Mackenzie  (1895-1962).  Civil engineer and Chairman of the Melbourne Harbour Trust. Read his Australian Dictionary of Biography entry, here.

Ernest Wallace Mylrea  Primary School teacher who was at one time at the Hyde Street State School in Footscray. He formed the Hyde Street School band. Mr Mylrea died August 19, 1943 at the age of 71 (7).

Isaac Selby  Secretary of the Old Pioneers Memorial Fund which promoted the study of history. He also led a campaign to save the Old Melbourne Cemetery from destruction and in 1924 wrote the book The Old Pioneers' Memorial History of Melbourne. You can read more about Isaac Selby's colourful life in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, here.

Augustus Woskel   Founded and was the first General Manager of the Phosphate Co-operative Company of Australia. He was also a keen historian, involved with the Royal Historical Society of Victoria and President from 1938 until 1942.  He died December 20, 1949 at the age of 82 (8).

Allen Tye  The memorial was donated by Allen Tye. Allen and his brother George, came to Australia from Canada in 1886. They established a company called Messrs Tye and Coy, Proprietary Limited whose big emporiums for the distribution of furniture, vehicles, motorcars etc., are distributed over the city and the principal suburbs (9).  Allen married Cecelia Sullivan in 1894 and they had no children. Allen died on January 16, 1948 at the age of 85 (10).

There is a later edition to the monument - a plaque erected in 1995. It reads - Historical  note 1995 -  When this monument was erected in 1941 it was believed that HMS Calcutta took on fresh water from the Yarra in November 1803. The Calcutta's log indicates that the ship only came as far north as Frankston, and took water from Kananook Creek.The first Man 'o War to enter Hobsons Bay was HMS Rattlesnake (Capt W. Hobson) on  29 September 1836.

1995 plaque, a later edition to the monument.

Photo: Isaac Hermann, February 2020

Acknowledgement - 
My fellow historian, Isaac Hermann, and I wanted to take some photographs of  the memorial. We drove down Sims Street, couldn't see it, drove back up and there it was in a small reserve, currently fenced off due to some infrastructure project. That was disappointing as I thought we would not get any good photos, however lucky for me Isaac decided to climb the fence, strictly in the interests of historical research, and the image (left) shows the difficulties he faced in taking the photos. Thanks, Isaac.

Trove list: 
I have created a list on Trove of articles and websites relating to the monument and people connected with it. You can access it here.

Sources:
(1) Peeps into the Past: a book of  Melbourne  Curiosities by  Mary Maxwell (Heinemann 1957, republished in 1960)
(2) Engineering Heritage Victoria history of the Coode Canal, see here.
(3) The Argus November 24, 1941, see here.
(4) Reports of who would be speaking or who did speak at the unveiling were in The Age, November 20, 1941, see here and The Argus November 24, 1941, see here.
(5) This information on Helen Baillie came from Ancestry - English Civil Registration Birth Index, UK and Ireland Nursing Registers and UK & Ireland, Queen's Nursing Institute Roll of Nurses, 1891-1931
(6) The Age April 2, 1946, see here.
(7) Williamstown Chronicle, August 27, 1943, see here.
(8) Encyclopedia of Australian Science, see here.
(9) The Herald, December 12, 1904, see here.
(10) Marriage and death notices published in various newspapers, they are in my Trove list, see here. Cecelia Tye died July 23, 1947.  I had originally thought that Allen Tye (1863-1948) was married to Carlotta Cadusch, but it was his nephew Allen Charles Tye (1891-1972) who was married to Carlotta. The Carlotta Tye Memorial Church in Selby was erected as a memorial to Carlotta by Allen. Allen was the son of Allen's brother George (1865-1934) who co-established Messrs Tye and Coy, Proprietary Limited. I am grateful to Lynne Bradley and Eileen Durdin of the Narre Warren & District Family History Group for clearing up the Tye family history. 

Mrs Julia Benjamin's Labor Office

This post, like others in this blog, started with a photo that I came across to put on the Lost Melbourne Facebook page - it's this great photo of  a row of horse and carts outside the Cobb & Co. coach office in Bourke Street in Melbourne. This area is now the Bourke Street Mall. The line-up of carts, the Cobb & Co coach lantern on the left and the Royal Mail Hotel which was established in the 1840s are all interesting. Then I noticed, at 62 Bourke Street,  Mrs Benjamin's Male and Female Labor Office - with the two signs - Employers  not charged until suited and Town & Country Orders supplied. I wondered who Mrs Benjamin was and this is what I found out.

 Bourke Street, Melbourne, south side between Swanston and Elizabeth Streets, looking east, 

Dec. 17 or 18, 1860.

State Library of Victoria Image H3044

We first meet Mrs Benjamim when she places advertisements in The Argus in January 1857. She has  a large and eligible selection of first-class Domestics, Housemaids, Cooks, Laundresses, Parlor and Nurse Maids, Needlewomen, Monthly women etc. She will also give satisfaction to employers and employed.

Mrs Benjamin's advertisement

The Argus  January 24, 1857 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article7143573

Mrs Benjamin was a regular advertiser in the papers and initially was located in Collins Street, but in 1860, the year the photo was taken, Mrs Benjamin moved to 62 Bourke Street.

Mrs Benjamin moves to Bourke Street

The Argus August 30, 1860 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5688901

It would appear that operating a Labor Office was  a very equal opportunity business as the paper has other advertisements from women operating the same type of business. In February 1860, The Argus had advertisements from not only Mrs Benjamin but Mrs Elderton, Mrs Main, Mrs Krom, Mrs Horn, Mrs McCormack, Mrs Byrne and Miss Currie (1).  Providing servants and other staff was a booming business in the Colony however at times employers railed against the type of person migrating to Victoria - loose London girls, or half-decayed male paupers were not suitable as servants, especially in rural areas (2).

One man wrote to the paper and said that he paid good wages  My wages are - man, £65; cook, £35; laundress £30; housemaid, £30; nurse, £25; under nurse £20. So you see I am not niggardly, every servant has a separate room, which is comfortably fitted up. The nurses, of course, sleep in the small children's rooms. However, he found that some servants were untrained, untidy, unsystematic and lazy (3).  In 1867, a letter to the paper said that - It is often said that a good servant is a treasure. This is quite true ; but, unfortunately, these treasures are, like angels visits, few and far between. The race seems to be rapidly dying out. In former times it used to be a master and a servant's boast that they had lived together for so many years ; and it was not unusual for generation after generation of servants to remain in the same families. But all this is changed now. The truth is that servants, especially female ones, fancy themselves above their position. In their own minds they think they are as good as their mistresses, if not better, and try to ape them in their dress and manners (4).

In 1859, Mrs Benjamin had some publicity in the papers when the talented Irish actress, Ellen Mortyn, died at her house. Miss Mortyn had been playing at the Theatre Royal in Melbourne and  three weeks before she died she had a rupture of  a blood vessel. Then on June 23 at five minutes to six o'clock she died in the house of Mrs Benjamin, the proprietress of a labor mart in Collins street. The cause of death was hemoptysis (coughing up of blood) and pthisis (pulmonary tuberculosis) (5).  Mrs Benjamin gave evidence that Miss Mortyn had lodged in my house in Collins Street. She had been with me for about ten months (6).

In 1861, the newspapers reported on a court case involving Mrs Benjamin and listed her first name as Julia, the first time I came across her given name. I later found she also listed herself as Julia in the 1865 Sands and McDougall Directory. The State Library of Victoria have digitised every fifth edition of these directories (1860, 1865, 1870 etc).

Mrs Benjamin's entry, 1860. 

Sands, Kenny & Co 's Commercial and General Melbourne Directory for 1860. 

State Library of Victoria https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/search-discover/popular-digitised-collections

Mrs Benjamin's entry, 1865.

Sands and McDougall Melbourne and Suburban Directory for 1865.

State Library of Victoria https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/search-discover/popular-digitised-collections

Mrs Benjamin was charged with obtaining money under false pretences and the case was heard at the City Police Court in September 1861.  Mary O'Callaghan had paid Mrs Benjamin five shillings to obtain a job as a barmaid. She then paid her another 30 shillings which would be used to send her to the job at Beechworth at a hotel owned by a Mr Marshall. When Mary asked for a written contract, Mrs Benjamin kept putting her off. When Mary made enquiries she was told that no such person had a hotel in Beechworth, so Mary decided not to go. Evidence was given that a Mr Marshall had a hotel in Rutherglen and he had apparently used Mrs Benjamin's services before  and he needed to as the place was a good one for young girls to get married...seven or eight [had] married from the place.  In the end the Court dismissed the case against Mrs Benjamin, but said that she should return the 30 shillings, which she hadn't done and that Mary O'Callaghan should sue for her money in the other court.  This appears to me to have been an unsatisfactory outcome for Mary O'Callaghan (7).

Whether it was this court case or the trouble with supplying the right type of servant, by 1870 Mrs  Benjamin had changed the focus of her business and according to the Sands and McDougall Directory, she became a  a stay and corset maker although she still had  a 'servants' registry.'

Mrs Benjamin has a new career as a stay and corset maker.

Sands and McDougall Melbourne and Suburban Directory for 1870.

State Library of Victoria https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/search-discover/popular-digitised-collections

However, by 1875 Mrs Benjamin's business concentrated solely on stay making. 

Sands and McDougall Melbourne and Suburban Directory for 1875.

State Library of Victoria https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/search-discover/popular-digitised-collections

 

Sands and McDougall Melbourne and Suburban Directory for 1880.

State Library of Victoria https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/search-discover/popular-digitised-collections

I wanted to find some information about Mrs Benjamin's family life. There are two women named Julia Benjamin who died in Victoria between 1850 and 1920 - one was from Dimboola and the other from St Kilda (8).  I felt the St Kilda Julia was the most likely one, so I concentrated my research on her. 

Julia Benjamin was married to Benjamin Benjamin (not the Benjamin Benjamin who was Lord Mayor of Melbourne, received a Knighthood and was a member of the Legislative Council,  read about him here) - it was another Benjamin Benjamin.  Our Benjamin died July 21, 1889 at his house 23 Dalgety Street in St Kilda at the age of 63 (born c. 1826). His death certificate said he had been in the Colony of Victoria for 37 years, which is from 1852, that he had been married in London to Julia Marks. Their marriage was registered in last quarter of 1847 (9). Julia's death certificate says she died May 13, 1897 at the age of 72, born c. 1825,  and she had been in Victoria about 40 years (it was more likely 45 years.)  They are both buried at the St Kilda cemetery. 

Benjamin and Julia Benjamin's headstone on their grave at the St Kilda Cemetery. 

The headstone has lovely tributes to Benjamin and Julia -

Benjamin - a kind husband, an affectionate father and esteemed by all who knew him

Julia - an affectionate wife, a good and loving mother.

Photo: Isaac Hermann.

There were six children listed on the certificates (ages are from Julia's 1897 death certificate) -  Henry (47 years old), Rachael (46), Mark (45), Lizzie (43, listed as Elizabeth on Benjamin's certificate), Sarah (41) and Nelly (38, listed as Helen on Benjamin's  certificate). There was also another daughter between Sarah and Nelly - Caroline born in 1857 - but for some reason she is not listed on either parent's certificate (10).

When Julia died her assets according to her will included a house in Bond Street in Collingwood - described for Probate purposes as a six roomed brick house, building very much out of repair and scarcely habitable. It was valued at £170. She also had around £550 in debentures and money. Julia also had a third interest in the estate of her late husband, who had died without a will, this was a block of land in Smith Street in Collingwood, valued at £66 (11).

I still wondered if I had the right Julia Benjamin until I came across this listing (below) in the 1885 Sands McDougall Directory for Misses L. & N. Benjamin - anatomical and surgical belt, brace and prize stay makers - Lizzie and Nelly - following their mother's career as a stay maker. When I looked for advertisements in the newspapers they had been advertising their business since 1881.

Mrs Benjamin's daughters, Lizzie and Nelly, continue the family business.

Sands and McDougall Melbourne and Suburban Directory for 1885.

State Library of Victoria https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/search-discover/popular-digitised-collections

Of the other children, Rachael married Albert Levi in 1869 and they lived  at Tranmere, 50 Dalgety Street in St Kilda. Their  family donated a summer house to the St Kilda Botanical Gardens in memory of their parents in 1928 (12)  and it was erected the next year. Their son, Joseph, was Mayor of St Kilda in 1924/1925. Rachael died in 1928.

Left: The summer house donated by the family of Rachael and Albert Levi at the St Kilda gardens. Photo: Isaac Hermann.

Sarah married Solomon Mirls, locomotive superintendent at the Victorian Railway who died in 1889 (13) and  she then married  Fredrick Blacker in 1894, and she died in 1930.

Lizzie married Albert Gordon in 1891 and died in 1926. Mark married Ellen Myers in 1904. He died November 12 1919, aged 65. There are no children listed in the death notice. A year later his wife Ellen and his sister Rachael placed In Memoriam notices in The Argus (14).  I have no other information about Henry and Nelly.


Left: The plaque from the Levi family summer house.
Photo: Isaac Hermann.

In the 1851 English Census (15) Benjamin's occupation is listed as a Clerk. When he died his occupation was listed as gentleman.  On Julia's death certificate she had no occupation listed even though she was an established entrepreneur and business woman, in a time when many women's lives focused entirely on domestic and family responsibilities. Even more remarkable was that when she established her Labor Office in 1857 she already had six children under seven years of age and then gave birth to her last child two years later.


Trove list -  I have created  a list of articles on Julia Benjamin. All articles I have referred to here, plus many more, are on the list, which you can access here.

References
(1) The Argus February 29, 1860, see here.
(2) Hamilton Spectator March 30, 1861, see here.
(3) The Argus January 19, 1863, see here.
(4) The Age February 19, 1867, see here.
(5) Geelong Advertiser June 24, 1859, see here.
(6) The Age June 25, 1859, see here.
(7)  The Argus September 10, 1861, see here and Leader September 14, 1861, see here.
(8) Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM) Index https://www.bdm.vic.gov.au/research-and-family-history/search-your-family-history
(9) England & Wales Civil Registration Marriage Index on Ancestry.
(10) I found Caroline's birth listed in the Victorian BDM Index, but cannot find her death listed. One source on Ancestry database said she died in 1886, but doesn't list a source.
(11) Wills and Probate records at the Public Records Office of Victoria www.prov.vic.gov.au
(12) Prahran Telegraph December 21, 1928, see here.
(13) Leader January 4, 1890, see here.
(14) The Argus November 12, 1920, see here.
(15) 1851 England Census on Ancestry.

White Horse Hotel at Box Hill and Patrick Trainor

The White Horse Hotel was established by Patrick Trainor (c.1822-1888) in 1853 in what was then known as Nunawading, and later called Box Hill. The Hotel gave its name to Whitehorse Road, and much later (1994) the City of Whitehorse. As I have an interest in place names, I thought we would have  a look at the history of the hotel and the Trainor family. It's an eclectic look, I was inspired by the fact that I found the two photos of the hotel at the State Library - it was really the statue of the horse that caught my eye.

White Horse Hotel, Box Hill, c. 1933. Photographer: John Kinmont Moir

State Library of Victoria Image H4841b

Ivan Southall in his book A Tale of Box Hill (1) says that Patrick Trainor arrived in Melbourne in 1852  with his family (2) and in late 1853 Patrick acquired 90 acres of land at Nunawading and built  a hotel on the south east corner of what is now Whitehorse Road and Elgar Road (3). The Hotel was originally going to be called the Corduroy but once, while out riding he caught  a flash of silver through the trees, and it was a handsome stallion coming down the long hill from Melbourne way and Patrick remembered it in his heart thus called his hotel the White Horse Hotel (4). 

The Hotel was a two storey building and  Andrew Lemon in his history of Box Hill (5) says it was the only brick building in Nunawading until the 1880s (6).  At the time the Parish of Nundawading had a population of 254 (7) but  Patrick's hopes of success must have been bouyed by the fact that at the time Whitehorse Road was a contender for the main access route into Gippsland (8). 

The area grew and the Nunadwading Road Board was established on August 7, 1857 and in common with other areas the first meetings of the Board were held in a hotel, in this case the White Horse Hotel. Patrick Trainor was an inaugural member of the Road Board and also the treasurer. On September 9, 1858 £600 belonging to the Road Board was stolen from the White Horse Hotel. In spite of advertisements in the newspapers offering a £100 reward for information,  it was never recovered. There were of course suspicions that Patrick had taken the money himself.  In 1859, Patrick faced the  the Insolvent Court  (9) and was declared bankrupt and thus ended up losing the White Horse Hotel.

Patrick Trainor offers a reward for information about the robbery of Road Board funds.

The Argus September 14, 1858 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article7300972

The Hotel had a series of licensees after that and in 1888, Andrew Lemon says the hotel was extensively remodelled, the second storey was removed and the statute of the white horse added (10). Sadly for the licensee, Mr Graham, who had taken over the Hotel in July 1888 (11) and had undertaken  the  renovations the hotel burnt to the ground on March 25, 1895. The hotel was rebuilt, and is shown in the photo, below. 

White Horse Hotel, Box Hill, c. 1933. Photographer: John Kinmont Moir
State Library of Victoria Image H4841a

On New Years Day in 1921 (12) the hotel and all others in the area, closed its doors as the voters in the Shire of Nunawading had voted in the Local Option Poll for  No-License (13). The closed hotels did get compensation, in the case of the White Horse Hotel £700 for the owner and £150 for the licensee (14).  The Hotel was demolished in 1933, the Council acquired the horse and the porch from the hotel and they were erected in Whitehorse Road. In the 1980s the monument was removed and the statue of the horse is now located in the Box Hill Town Hall. There is a replica on Whitehorse Road, erected in 1986 (15).

The statue and the porch from the 1895 building

Image - A Tale of Box Hill: Day of the Forest by Ivan Southall ( Box Hill City Council, 1957)

The White Horse Hotel was immortalised in verse by C. J. Dennis - his poem was printed in The Herald in July 1933 (16) - Delicensed in 1921, the old White Horse Hotel, with its familiar carved sign, from 1853 the first changing place for Cobb & Co. coaches on the Lilydale run, is now to be torn down to make way for brick houses.   

In olden days the Old White Horse

Stood brave against the sky;

And ne'er a teamster shaped his course

To pass the good Inn by.

Far shone its lights o' winter nights

To beckon weary men;

By the long road where calm life flowed

It loomed a landmark then.

And many a right good yarn was spun

Mid pewter-pots agleam;

And many a friendship here begun

Grew riper as the team

Drew down the road its precious load

Of merchandise or mail,

And faced the ills of long, steep hills

To far-off Lilydale.

The tap-room rang to many a song,

While patient teams stood there;

And talk and laughter loud and long

Held nothing of despair;

For spoke they then, these bearded

men,

Of fortunes shining near —

Spoke with a grand faith in their land,

A faith that laughed at fear.

Gone are the days and gone the ways

Of easy, calm content;

Yet few supposed an epoch closed

The day the old inn went.

Now, past brick houses trim and cold,

The swift cars, speeding by,

Shall see no beacon as of old,

Shall see no brave White Horse stand

Patrick Trainor and his family

We will now have a look at the Trainor family. Mr Southall says that the family arrived, as assisted immigrants, in Victoria in 1852 with three children, including Emma Eugena who was born on the way out, on the Indian Ocean. He says they went out to 'Henty country' where Patrick's sponsor was, worked there for  a while, and then Patrick worked his way through the gold fields and then ended up at Nunawading (17). Dr Lemon says that after they left the Hotel the Trainors went to Colac and the Wimmera (18). 

I found a funeral notice for Mrs Trainor, who died in December 1854. I cannot find her death in the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriage Indexes so cannot apply for her death certificate , which would have told us her first  name.

The funeral notice of Mrs Trainor

The Argus December 18, 1854 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4801928

As Patrick was left with three children, I assumed he would have married again, and he did - on July 28, 1856 at Colac to Ellen Danaher. He was listed on the marriage certificate as a 36 year old hotel keeper of Nunawading and she was a 26 year old servant of Colac. The marriage certificate also says he had two living children and his parents were Hugh Trainor and Susannah Mullhearn and he was born in Monaghan in Ireland. 

I was hoping to find the names of his children, so went to the shipping records at the Public Records Office of Victoria and it lists the following arriving on the ship, Emma Eugenia in July 1852  - Patrick, 34 years old and Judith, 35 years old. Also listed are -  James 15 years; Mary 14 years; Matthew 7 years; Margaret 3 years; James no age listed; Mary no age listed and an unnamed infant.  Apart from the unnamed infant, who I presume is the baby born on the way to Victoria (who may or may not have been called Emma Eugenia after the ship) I do not know the relationship of the others to each other.

I bought Patrick's death certificate hoping that would list the names of the children. He died December 4, 1888 in St Arnaud at the age of 66. His occupation was listed as gatekeeper. The particulars of the first marriage are listed disappointingly as 'first marriage particulars unknown' and his children are listed as Susan 41 years old from his first marriage and then from his second marriage to Ellen - James, 30 years old; John 28; Catherine 25; Ellen 22 and Hugh 19 years of age. I then looked for information on his daughter Susan who was born about 1847 and found what is possibly her death in 1904 - her father is listed as Patrick and her mother as Catherine McKenzie - which doesn't fit with the Judith in the shipping record.

This is what we can confirm - Patrick was born in Monaghan in Ireland to Hugh Trainor and Susannah Mullhearn. We know his first wife died in December 1854, but cannot confirm her name. His marriage certificate confirms they had at least two children and his death certificate confirms one was called Susan. We know that he married Ellen Danaher on July 28, 1856 and they had five children together. We know he died in St Arnaud on December 4, 1888. We also know that he established the White Horse Hotel in 1853 and even though Patrick is long gone and his hotel is also long gone we are reminded of his life and hotel by the naming of Whitehorse Road and the City of Whitehorse.

Trove list - I have created  a list of articles connected to the White Horse Inn and Patrick Trainor, you can access it here.

Footnotes

(1) A Tale of Box Hill: Day of the Forest by Ivan Southall (Box Hill City Council, 1957)

(2) Southall, p. 20

(3) Southall, p. 21

(4) Southall, p. 21 & 23

(5) Box Hill by Andrew Lemon (Box Hill City Council & Lothian, 1978)

(6) Lemon, p. 16

(7) Lemon, p. 17

(8) Lemon, p.17

(9)  Lemon, p. 26 and various reports in the newspapers, see my Trove list, here.

(10) Lemon, p. 108

(11) The Argus, July 26 1888, see here. 

(12) Lemon, p. 148

(13) Lemon, p. 145-148

(14) The Argus, July 1, 1921, see here.

(15) http://www.picturevictoria.vic.gov.au/site/boxhill/BoxHill/9664.html

(16) The Herald, July 13, 1933, see here.

(17) Southall, p. 20 & 21

(18) Lemon, p. 26