Sculpture of Mercury by C. D. Richardson

Sculpture of Mercury, The Age building, Collins Street

Collins Street, Melbourne, c. 1910 State Library of Victoria Image H82.62/11

I was looking at photos of Collins Street on the State Library of Victoria website and found this one, shown above, and wondered what the sculpture was on the building on the left. The building is The Age newspaper building at 239 Collins Street. It was built in 1879, designed by Reed & Barnes, and then extensively remodelled and enlarged in 1898/1899 at a cost of £15,000. The frontage has been doubled by the acquisition of the premises formerly occupied by the Victoria Permanent Building Society (The Leader August 12, 1899). The Architects, Hyndman and Bates had to undertake the work whilst the business of producing The Age and The Leader was still being conducted. There is a very informative article in The Leader of August 12, 1899 about the new building, read it here.

The Age building in Collins Street, before the 1899 remodelling

The Age 1879 office building. Engraver: F.A. Sleap.

Illustrated Australian News February 21, 1879. State Library of Victoria Image IAN21/02/79/20

In 1931 a new 'modern' eight story building was erected adjoining this building, you can read about this in The Age, here. It is a very extensive article and tells us that the building was designed by Godfrey and Spowers, that all the material in the building was Australian made and it also has interesting information about how the newspapers are produced and distributed.

The Age building in Collins Street, showing the results of the 1899 remodelling, the Mercury statue and the 1931 addition.

The Age building, 239-241 Collins Street, south side, Melbourne, c. 1957. Photographer: Lyle Fowler. 

State Library of Victoria Image H92.20/6031

As part of the 1899 works the sculpture of Mercury was erected on the pediment. It was designed by Charles Douglas Richardson, known as Douglas Richardson. Richardson (1853 - 1932) was born in England and arrived in Victoria with his family in 1858. He was educated at Scotch College, studied at the National Gallery of Victoria's School of Design and then the Royal Academy of Arts Schools in London. He was a painter and a sculptor and in 1898 he established the Yarra Sculptors' Society with others including Margaret Baskerville, whom he married in 1914. Margaret Baskerville (1861 - 1930) is responsible for the statue of Victorian Premier, Thomas Bent, in Brighton and the Edith Cavell memorial in St Kilda Road. You can read more about Charles Douglas Richardson in the Australia Dictionary of Biography, here and Margaret Baskerville's entry, here. She's an interesting woman, I will write more about her one day. I have a photo of the Edith Cavell memorial, here.

Back to the Mercury sculpture - the Bendigo Adveriser had an informative article on the sculpture
David Syme is certainly to be congratulated on the magnificent statue of Mercury erected over the new imposing "Age" edifices. The work, from the designing of the erection, was entirely conducted in Melbourne, under the supervision of those well known architects, Messrs. Hyndman and Bates. The figure is formed of stout copper sheets, shaped by hammer and rivetted together. From the base of the globe on which it stands to the extremity of its extended arm, the height of the figure is 12ft. 9in.; the weight, in spite of its massive appearance, is but about 15cwt. A 2½in. steel rod is fastened to a steel blade stretched across the chest in the same manner, but slightly higher, than the human diaphragm. This rod passes down the interior of the left leg and extends downwards through the parapet for a distance of 8ft., thus insuring stability and safety. The sculptor and designer of this artistic creation was C. D. Richardson, Esq., Collins-street, Melbourne, who must be warmly commended on the graceful outlines and correct pose of the figure. The realisation of Mr. Richardson's model was entrusted to Messrs. Rocke and Co., Collins street, who successfully performed this onerous undertaking at their factory in Leicester-street, Carlton. The workmanship of this enterprising firm, the only one in Victoria that undertakes high-class work of this description, is equal, is not superior, to that of any European manufacture. We are indebted to the courtesy of Mr. Herbert Wood, of Messrs. Rocke and Co., for the particulars of this latest addition to Melbourne's sights. (Bendigo Advertiser, July 12 1899, see here)

The Mercury sculpture was a reproduction of the statue of Mercury by John of Bologna - Giovanni Bologna (1529 - 1608). Mr Richardson also sculpted three figures in relief in the tympanum, the inner portion of the pediment, representing Literature, Science and Art (The Leader August 12, 1899). They can be seen in this photograph, below.

The figures of Literature, Science and Art sculpted by Charles Douglas Richardson, 1899

The Age building in Collins Street.

State Library of Victoria Image H93.335/81

By 1967 the original building has been demolished and replaced with, in my opinion, an incredibly bland multi-story and the Mercury statue had been moved to the top of the 1931 building.

The Mercury statue on the 1931 The Age building, the original building has been demolished.

Office buildings, 227-247 Collins Street, Melbourne, 1968. Photographer: Wolfgang Sievers.

State Library of Victoria (SLV) Image H99.50/188.

There is also a 1967 photo by Wolfgang Siever that shows the 1931 building with the Mercury statue, see it here on the SLV website.

The State Library of Victoria has a 1970 photograph of The Age building and this time not only has Mercury disappeared but seven stories of the 1931 building have also gone! What an ignoble end to a grand building.

1970 - all that remains of  The Age building is the ground floor.

Hothlyn House, 233-241 Collins Street, Melbourne, 1970. Photographer: Wolfgang Sievers. 

State Library of Victoria Image H99.50/150

What happened to the Mercury statute?  It is now at the Museum of Victoria. The is from their website -  In 1969 it was moved to the Age building on Spencer Street first standing on a platform on the corner of Spencer and Lonsdale Streets and then on the Spencer Street verandah. The statue did not appear to best advantage in either location, and was placed in storage. In 1985 it was lent to the Museum of Victoria for the Story of Victoria exhibition, and was then donated to the Museum in 1997. Read more and see photographs of it, here on the Museums Victoria website. One of the photos is shown below.

Statue of  Mercury by Charles Douglas Richardson. 

This photo is from the Museums Victoria website, taken by John Broomfield.

https://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/items/247862

I have created a list of newspaper articles, on Trove, on The Age building in Collins Street, Charles Douglas Richardson and the Mercury statue - you can access it here. All the articles referred to in this post are listed.

Tubbs Hill and the Victoria Cross connection

I have an interest in War Memorials and also an interest in trucks, as my husband John was involved in the transport industry for over 50 years. Amongst our collection of truck photos is this one, it was a  slide that I scanned.

Tubbs Hill, near Euroa, early 1970s. 

Photo: John Arnold

It's a Kenworth John drove for Cameron's Transport and it was taken at Tubb's Hill, on the old Hume Highway near Euroa, in the early 1970s. If you are interested this is a S-model Kenworth, with a GM 6V71 engine and a 12 speed Spicer gear box (and see more here)

Anyway, I wondered why Tubb's Hill was named that and discovered that it was named after World War One, Victoria Cross recipient, Frederick Harold Tubb. In the same area is a Maygar Hill, named after Boer War Victoria Cross recipient, Leslie Cecil Maygar.  It's an interesting way to recognise war veterans and a bit different from an Honor Board or Avenue of Honor. It's probably peaceful now, but Tubb's Hill and Maygar's Hill wouldn't have been very peaceful until they were by-passed in the 1980s or 1990s - there would have been a continuous stream of trucks going through the gears night and day in the early days.

North Eastern Ensign, May 4 1934

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article70789802

The hills were named in 1934, according  to this article, above. Balmattum Hill was not, in the end , named after Corporal Burton, but there is a bridge in Euroa, on the old Hume Highway, named Burton Bridge, after Corporal Alexander Burton.

Captain Frederick Harold Tubb - the namesake of Tubb's Hill

Image: Australian War Memorial   https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P11013425

Frederick Harold Tubb (1881-1917), was born at Longwood, near Euroa, the son of Harry and Emma (nee Abbott) Tubb, of St Helena, Longwood.  He enlisted on August 12, 1914 at the age of 34. He was a grazier. His brothers, Alfred, Arthur and Frank also enlisted.  Frederick was awarded his Victoria Cross for his gallantry at Lone Pine. Captain Tubb Died of Wounds September 20, 1917.  

This is Captain Tubb's citation from the London Gazette of October 15, 1915. 

Was awarded the Victoria Cross for most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty at Lone Pine trenches, in the Gallipoli Peninsula on 9th August 1915. In the early morning the enemy made a determined counter-attack on the centre of the newly captured trench held by Lieut. Tubb. They advanced up a sap and blew up a sandbag barricade, leaving only one foot of it standing but Lieut. Tubb led his men back repulsed the enemy and rebuilt the barricade. Supported by strong bombing parties, the enemy succeeded in twice again blowing in the barricade, but on each occasion, Lieut. Tubb, although wounded in the head and arm, held his ground with the greatest coolness and rebuilt it and finally succeeded in maintaining his position under heavy bomb fire. Corporal Burton, see below, was also awarded a Victoria Cross for the same incident.

Captain Tubb has an entry in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, you can read it here. You can read his full military history in file at the National Archives of Australia, here.

Lieutenant-Colonel Leslie Cecil Maygar - the namesake of Maygar's Hill

Australian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P11013287

Leslie Cecil Maygar (1868 - 1917) was born at Kilmore to Edwin and Helen (nee Grimshaw) Maygar He served in the Boer War, in the 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles,  which was where he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He also served in the First World War, where he enlisted on August 18, 1914 at the age of 43. His occupation was grazier and his address was Strathearn, Longwood.  He Died of Wounds November 11, 1917.  

Lieutenant- Colonel Maygar's Victoria Cross was reported in The Leader - The action for which Lieutenant Maygar receives the cross "for valor" was performed in a fight at Grelhoutboom. One of his men was left dishorsed on an open plain, under heavy Boer fire, and Lieutenant Maygar, dismounting, placed the man  on his own horse, himself running the gantlet of the Boer fire of foot until he could reach cover. (The Leader February 15, 1902) During the Great War, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and was Mentioned in Dispatches, three times. 

Lieutenant-Colonel Maygar has an entry in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, which you can read, here. You can read his World War One service record at the National Archives of Australia, here.

Corporal Alexander Stewart Burton

Australian War Memorial  https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1498

Alexander Stewart Burton (1893 - 1915) Service Number 384. Alexander was born at Kyneton, the son of Alexander and Isabella (nee Briggs) Burton, and he enlisted at the age of 21 on August 18, 1914. His occupation was ironmonger and he was living at Binney street in Euroa.  Alexander was Killed in Action at Lone Pine on either August 8 or 9, 1915.

Corporal Burton's citation reads -

For most conspicuous bravery at Lone Pine Trenches in the Gallipoli Peninsula on the 9th August 1915.

In the early morning the enemy made a determined counter attack on the centre of the newly captured trench held by Lieutenant Tubb, Corporal Burton and Dunstan and a few men. They advanced up a sap and blew in a sandbag barricade, leaving only one foot of it standing, but Lieutenant Tubb with the two Corporals repulsed the enemy and rebuilt the barricade. Supported by strong bombing parties the enemy twice again succeeded in blowing in the barricade, but on each occasion they were repulsed and the barricade rebuilt, although Lieutenant Tubb was wounded in the head and arm and Corporal Burton was killed by a bomb while most gallantry building up the parapet under a hail of bombs.

Corporal Burton has an entry in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, which you can read, here. You can read his World War One service record at the National Archives of  Australia, here.

Corporal William Dunstan (Service Number 2130) of Ballarat was also awarded the Victoria Cross, I have written about him here https://victoriaspast.blogspot.com/2021/04/the-chalet-geneve-on-albert-park-lake.html

Trove list
I have created a sort list of articles on the three men on Trove, you can access it here.

There is a Victoria Cross Memorial Park in Kirkland Avenue, Euroa, which has statues of the three men. See more details here http://www.nevictoria.com/euroa.htm 

Australian Farmers' Harvester Works Ltd.

A friend of mine, Isaac, came across an album of photographs connected to various families including the Gilmour and Penhalluriack families. (1)  Amongst the family shots was this photo of man and a boy sitting on a piece of farm machinery, which was branded 'Australian Farmers'. On the back of the photo is written 'On the harvester at Craigieburn. The lad named Hall - from Burwood.' That is all I can tell you about the identity of the man and the 'the lad' but I can tell you more about the 'Australian Farmers' company - as it turns out it was a short-lived company with grand ideas.

The photo of the Australian Farmers machine, found in an album of photographs, connected to the Gilmour/Penhalluriack families. 

The Australian Farmers' Harvester Works (2) was incorporated in September 1926 (Herald November 28, 1928) but the first article I can find about the company is in The Age in September 1927. The Australian Farmers' Harvester Works was described as a Farmers Co-operative and the project began when Mr. J. G. Gilmour, a retired mallee former, prevailed upon Mr. F. D. Fogarty not to take certain inventions of his for improving agricultural machinery to America, but to let them be taken up in Australia by a farmers' co-operative concern. Mr. Gilmour undertook to help in the formation of such a company. (The Age, September 10, 1927) Thus the company was formed with the aim of farmers providing the capital, the company would then manufacture their own farm machinery by taking over the patent rights of harvesters and other farm implements from inventors such as Mr Gilmour. They would also later trade in other Agency lines. Part of the plan was also to sell land  for housing near the factory for the workers to live in, so the Company was involved in both manufacturing and land sub-division.

In February 1928, the Australian Farmers' Harvester Works applied for a victualler licence for a hotel at Craigieburn. They would use an existing eight room building, but had plans to build a brick and cement hotel with fifteen bedrooms at a cost of £8750. The Licensing Court heard that Craigieburn had a population of one hundred and sixty people within a radius of three miles.....Mr. F. Fogarty, managing director of the company, said the site of the proposed hotel was 2½ acres in extent, which the company owned, as well as 400 acres adjoining. There would be a sports ground, children's play ground, tennis courts, bowling green and swimming pool. The works would cover 32 acres. Despite this glowing report from Mr Fogarty, the Court decided that the application was premature and thus it was withdrawn. (The Age, February 16, 1928)

At this time the company was still operating in Footscray, where they had made a prototype of the harvester as there were reports of trials taking place at Craigieburn and also in the Jung area. A report in The Australasian said this about the working of the machine Owing to the even distribution of the draught, which is obtained by chains working over a pulley attachment from three points on the main transverse pieces, all side draught is eliminated, the implement being drawn evenly through the crop. The disposition of the wheels is also a variation from the general structure of these implements, and is regarded as as added advantage in relieving any side strain and in lightening the draw weight of the machine. (The Australasian, February 18, 1928)

It wasn't until 1929 that the company commenced building their factory at Craigieburn - the Architects were H. V. Gillespie (3)  and Latimer of 443 Chancery Lane, Melbourne. There was a detailed description of the building in The Herald  the aim of the architects was to design a well-lit and airy building of attractive appearance at a minimum cost. The building is to be of brick and timber frame construction, designed to give an economical plant and assembly line lay-out with full advantage taken of the only necessities obtainable without cost - light and air.

Large areas of glass have been introduced into the roof of the saw-tooth type facing, to admit the cool, uniform light from the south, which has the advantage of soft brilliancy without glare, or the strong and disturbing shadows cast by sunlight. Thus there will be no dark or light areas, and no fatigue due to continual adjustment of the mechanism of the eye, it being an axiom that, if a work man must peer at his work, he is not working properly.

The Interior is one of large areas without an undue number of supports. which are of timber, but do not enter the ground, thus preventing another form of industrial waste, the placing of perishable material - which includes even jarrah - in aerated earth layers near the ground surface. Actually, the posts rest upon concrete footings in posts in the ground, but resistance to wind pressure has been obtained in an interesting manner - by introducing a calculated amount of wind bracing into the trusses. The whole of the interior will be finished in white. (The Herald, September 11, 1929, see here)

As you can see from the illustrations below, the building was large. Unfortunately, the images do no reproduce very well, but they give you an idea of the size of the project.

The Weekly Times of September 14, 1929

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article224402815

The Argus September 17, 1929

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4037780

As we said before, this project also involved houses for the workers. As The Argus said In the early stages the company realised the value of having its workmen living within easy distance of their work, and it obtained an area, which has been surveyed in collaboration with an officer of the Town-planning Commission, and negotiations are now pending, for the erection of workmen's houses and business premises. It is expected that by the middle of January [1930] more than 60 highly trained mechanics, with their assistants, will be employed at the works and by this time 12 months several hundred men, skilled in all branches, will be permanently employed. (The Argus, September 17, 1929)

The Company had gone so far as to actually name the streets in the new estate - It was decided to give streets on the new subdivision adjacent to the site for the factory the names of Dunhelen (after the original estate), Craigieburn, Station, Harvester, McCallum, Henderson, Carlisle, Gilmour, Crockett, Plumpton, Healey, Cliff and Harvey (The Herald, September 10, 1927)

Does it all sound too good be true? Indeed it was. Even in November 1929, the financial advice column, written by Harold Burston, in the The Herald was sounding a note of caution Very little has been known of the financing arrangements; but with building operations in progress, and active selling of home-blocks in the works estate to prospective employees and others, it has been generally believed that the company commanded all funds it required.  However, investigation reveals that Australian Farmers' C.D. Harvester Works Ltd. is proceeding with works construction and planning for production early next year with funds that must be quite inadequate to ensure that operations can be conducted on a sufficiently large scale to give opportunities for commercial success. In fact Mr Burston writes [there is a]  deficit of £10,032 in the profit and loss account. These intangibles and deficiencies exceed the paid-up capital by £2,124 and Mr Burston goes on to say  the directors have been developing the company's interests with a remarkable optimism in their capacity to secure the new capital when required.  Mr Burston also reported that 119 blocks had been sold, some to unemployed people who hoped that they would then get work at the factory.  The blocks cost £70 each and they also had to purchase a minimum of 25 shares in the Company. As Mr Burston pointed out Should the company fail to secure adequate capital and be compelled to cease operations, Craigieburn home sites would, no doubt, slump in value.

It appears that over the next 18 months, very little happened. According to the Craigieburn Historical Interest Group (CHIG) the brick facade of the building was erected and no machines were ever made.  The wall became part of Craigieburn's history - For years the front wall of the foundry stood untouched along the Melbourne to Sydney Rd and became such a prominent feature of Craigieburn that is was unofficially named ‘The Wall’. The remainder of the building was not completed until the mid 1970’s and is now incorporated into a modern factory. (CHIG)  So famous was this wall was that it was actually shown in the Melway Street Directory.

Just near the Railway Station is 'The Brick Wall' - all that remained of the Australian Farmers' Harvester Works Ltd. 

Melway Street Direstory, Editon 6, 1973

It is possible  then that the machine in the photo that was in the Gilmour/ Penhalluriack album was the prototype that was used in the trials at Craigieburn and Jung in 1928. The CHIG post said that the founder of the Australian Farmers' Harvester Works, Francis Desmond Fogarty, was later involved in other failed ventures, but that's a story for another time. You can  read the CHIG post, here, which includes a photograph of the only part of the Harvester Works built, 'The Brick Wall' which is now part of a factory in Potter Street, Craigieburn.

In the end the company was wound up on the petition of  George Gustave Weinberg, of Donald, farmer and grazier. In April 1931 Mr Weinberg took action in the Practice Court, saying the company owed him £250 and Mr. Justice Macfarlan ordered the winding up of the company. The CHIG post says that 386 investors were affected.  Looking back, it would seem that the fact that the company made a decision  to apply for a hotel licence, before they had even manufactured one item, and had they been successful, used up valuable company resources in a non-core area, might have been an indication that hotels and land sub-division may have been the main aim from the start rather than manufacturing. However, clearly one machine was made, as the newspapers reported on the trials at Craigieburn and Jung. What happened to this machine and was it the machine in our photo?  I cannot tell you that. I can tell you that Mr Gilmour never had a street named after him in Craigieburn.  I wonder if he lost money when the Company was wound up?

I have created a list of articles on Australian Farmers' Harvester Works Ltd. on Trove, you can access it here. All the articles referenced here are on the list.

Footnotes -
(1) The Company is variously called in newspaper reports - Australian Farmers' Harvester Works Ltd.; Australian Farmers' Centre Draft Harvester Works Ltd or Australian Farmers' Centre Draught Harvester Works Ltd or the Australian Farmers' C.D. Harvester Works Ltd. Unless I am quoting a newspaper article, I have called the company  Australian Farmers' Harvester Works

(2) Gilmour and Penhalluriack Family History information
William Gilmour married Mary Peters in 1891, they had
Flora Grayson (b. 1892, never married, died 1950)
Ruby May (b. 1895, married Victor Egerton in 1929)
Ida (b. 1898, married George Ernest Buncle in 1935)
Ernest Charles (b. 1900, married Violet Peters in 1932) 
William Neil (b. 1905, married Hazel Isabel Sleeman in 1933)

In 1882 in Ballarat, William John Penhalluriack married Emma Peters.  They had
Ernest William (b. 1883)
Lillian Grayson (b. 1888)
Charles Peter (b. 1897)

Mary (b. 1860) and Emma (b. 1855)  are sisters - the daughters of Charles Peters and Jane Grayson. The other children were Harriet (b. 1857, m. William John Brown in 1883) and Albert Grayson (b. 1874)

I am pretty sure that Mr J. G Gilmour, the 'retired Mallee farmer' who had invented the machine and prompted the formation of the Australian Farmers' Harvester Works' who came from Sea Lake according to  a report I found, and William Gilmour are  brothers. There is a John Gabriel Gilmour b.1876 to a Thomas Daniel Gilmour and Mary Daniel. They also had a William b. 1860. According to a law notice in the paper (March 28 1934) Probate of Mary Gilmour's will was granted to John Gabriel Gilmour of Waitchie (a town right next to Sea Lake) - so that confirms, in my mind that William and  J.G. Gilmour are bothers.   J.G. married Annie Tweedale in 1906.

(3) H. V. Gillespie  - George Harold Vernon Gillespie (1888 - 1946), Architect. I have created a list of articles on Trove and websites, about his professional and personal life, access it here. I don't have any information about his partner, Latimer.

The St Kilda Yacht Club WW1 memorial on the St Kilda pier

I heard of this memorial by chance when my friend, Isaac, came across a reference to it in Isaac Selby’s Old Pioneers’ Memorial History of Melbourne, published in 1924. Selby wrote  The St Kilda Yacht Club have erected a monument, in the form of a Conning tower at the end of the Pier, in memory of its members who fell in the war. The tower is a relic of the old British torpedo boat “Childers.” Selby, then has few more lines about the unveiling ceremony. This is an unusual type of war memorial, so I did some research to find out more about it.

St. Kilda Pier with conning tower, 1933.  Photographer: John Kinmont Moir.

State Library of Victoria Image H4869

The Unveiling of the memorial
On January 28, 1920 the memorial was unveiled to commemorate, as Selby told us, the six members of the St Kilda Yacht Club who had lost their lives in the War. The Argus of January 29, 1920 reported on this event An attractive and particularly appropriate memorial to members of the St Kilda Yacht Club who sacrificed their lives in the war has been presented by Mr C. Marshall, commodore of the club, and was opened yesterday afternoon. It consists of the conning tower of the old torpedo boat Childers, which, after having been on the Australian station for many years was scrapped four or five years ago. The tower has been placed on a pedestal at the extreme end of the St Kilda Pier. It is surrounded with seats for the public and surmounted by a flagstaff and weather-vane.  It will be used by judges and other yachting officials for club-racing events. A heavy bell is placed at the foot of the flagstaff and will be used for signal purposes instead of a gun.

The Memorial, date unknown.
Isaac Hermann provided this image which came from an unknown family album salvaged from a house renovation rubbish skip by a passer by and donated to the Port Phillip City Collection.

The Mayor of St Kilda, Cr T. G. Allen unveiled the memorial and mentioned that every eligible member of the club had enlisted for service, then Brigadier-General Lloyd responded on behalf of the families. The Malvern Standard of January 31, 1920 had the text of the plaque which was mounted on the memorial -

Erected by St Kilda Yacht Club

In memory of members who fell in

the Great War 1914-1919

Capt F.W. Appleton, Croix de Guerre

Pte. H.C. Craig

Lieut. W.T. Hogg

Pte. J.B. Hosking

Sergt A. Levy, M. M.

Sergt. C. Riley

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends"

Presented by C. Marshall, Commodore, 1920.

Victorian Torpedo Boat Childers.
Appeared in the Illustrated Australian News November 10, 1883. 
State Library of Victoria Image IAN10/11/83/173

The Childers was a torpedo ship and it was launched in 1883 in England. It formed part of the Victorian Navy, alongside the gunboats, Victoria and Albert. The three vessels sailed here together arriving in Port Phillip Bay in June 1884. The Childers was just over 118 feet long, had a beam of 12 feet 5 inches, a top speed of 19.5 knots and a crew of 12. Its purchase price was £10,500. The Childers was decommissioned in September 1916 and sold for scrap for £20 in August 1918.
There is an illustrated history of the Childers, here, http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-childers-hmvs

The men who were honoured
I have listed the Service Numbers (SN) of the men, if they have one, so you can look up their full record on the National Archives of Australia, website, www.naa.gov.au.

Appleton, Frederick William Lieutenant. Frederick enlisted at the age of 33, on July 5, 1915 his next of kin was his mother, Mary, of 308 Carlisle Street, Balaclava. Frederick was Mentioned in Despatches and he was Killed in Action in France on August 8, 1918. Lieutenant Appleton was posthumously awarded the French honour, the Croix de Guerre. His Roll of Honour circular at the Australian War Memorial, says he was a prominent member of the Royal Yacht Club, the St Kilda Yacht Club, the Brighton Yacht Club, being a successful skipper of the six-metre yacht, Rip, which defended the Northcote Cup on several occasions.

Craig, Harold Gordon (SN 416).  Harold was a 28-year-old clerk when he enlisted on August 17, 1914 and his next of kin was his mother, Mary, of Hawthorn. Harold was wounded at Gallipoli and died as a result on August 8, 1915. His Roll of Honor circular tells us that he had attended Scotch College and was a member of the Melbourne Cricket Club and the St Kilda Yacht Club. Harold’s brother Robert also enlisted and his sister, Essie, served in the Australian Army Nursing Service. You can read Harold's entry on the Scotch College World War One Commemorative website, here.

Hogg, William Thomas Lieutenant.  William enlisted on February 28, 1916, he was 29 years old and a Factory Manager. His next of kin was his father, Thomas, of Surrey Hills. He was Wounded in Action and died September 27, 1917. Lieutenant Hogg’s Roll of Honour circular said that he was a leading yachtsman, one of a crew (3) to sail the Rip in Sydney Harbour and also one of the crew when the Rip won the Northcote. His obituary in the Camberwell Advertiser of October 13, 1917 said that Yachtsmen speak of his prowess in this great sport with loving memory. Four of William’s brothers also enlisted - Charles, who was Killed in Action; John and Wallace who were both awarded the Military Cross; and Bruce who was a Lieutenant. William and his brother, Charles, have a memorial window at the St Stephen's Presbyterian Church at Surrey Hills (see here)

Hosking, John Bruce (SN 1959)   John was only 18 when he enlisted on January 6, 1915. He was a bank clerk and his father, John, of 115 Park Street, St Kilda was listed as his next of kin. John died of wounds on July 22, 1917. His Roll of Honour Circular said that he attended St Kilda Park State School and was the youngest of four brothers who all enlisted and saw service in France. His brothers were Bert, Les and Thornton.

Levy, Albert (SN 505) Albert was the only son of Jacob and Eva Levy of 3 Park Street, St Kilda, they later moved to 51 Punt Road, Windsor.  He was 20 when he enlisted on January 10, 1916. Albert awarded was the Military Medal and his citation reads in part He was one of the first to enter the enemy trenches and his example of courage, determination and complete control of his men while under heavy fire helped largely in the success of the operation. Albert was Killed in Action on March 29, 1918. Albert’s obituary in the Herald of June 17, 1918 said that Sergeant Levy was a well-known member of the Melbourne Swimming Club, and the St. Kilda Yacht Club. Albert is also listed on the Victorian Jewish War Memorial in Ripponlea.

Riley, Charles (SN 4760) Charles enlisted on July 19, 1915. He was a 23-year-old clerk in the Victorian Railways and his mother, Ellen, of East Malvern was his next of kin. Acting Sergeant Riley was Killed in Action on May 3, 1917. Charles’ brother Thomas also enlisted and was awarded the Military Medal. I can’t find a connection between Charles and the Yacht Club and he does not have a Roll of Honour circular, but I am fairly certain that he is the man listed on the memorial.

What happened to the Memorial?
The memorial was removed in 1956 when the St Kilda Pier was severely damaged after a storm and it is more than possible that the conning tower structure was scrapped. There was a massive storm in Victoria on the night of April 14 and morning of April 15, 1956. According to newspaper reports, winds up to 60 miles per hour lashed Victoria, huge seas seriously damaged the retaining wall between St Kilda and Elwood and more than two feet of water covered Marine Parade in Elwood and, sadly, ten people lost their lives in car accidents caused by the storm.

After much searching and many enquiries we were pleased to discover that the Memorial plaque has been firmly and respectfully affixed to the wood panelled entrance foyer at the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron (RMYS),  in St Kilda.

The Memorial plaque, taken at the RMYS in October 2019
Photographer: Isaac Hermann

I have created a list of articles on this Memorial and the men who appear on it, on Trove, access the list here.

An abridged version of this article appeared in the St Kilda Historical Society newsletter, The St Kilda Times, No. 229, December 2019.

The RMYS also has an Honor Board, seen below. It is at the top of the stairs, so it wasn't that easy to get a good photo.

RMYS Great War Honor Board

Photo: Isaac Hermann

First column

Banks, W. J., Blair, J., Church, S., *Craig, H.G., Crick, A.T., Day, G.H., *Hosking J., Hughes, V., Kyd, A. G. Croix de Guerre, Leslie, S.D., Lewis, R.   D.C.M., Piper, T.H., White, J. G., Adamson, P., *Appleton, F.  Croix de Guerre. Taylor, W.H., Eilenberg, E.G., MacDonald, H., Terrell, V.E., Welshman, R., Fry, G., Jardine, R.E., *Riley, C., Carne, P., Thorpe, J. E., Kebby, E., Duke, E.

Second column

Waller, F.R., Hogg, T., Golding, A., Loud, W Jr., Morrow, T., Lempriere, Dr C.L., Cheel, A.J., Ainslie, B., Walker, E., *Hogg, W.T., May, F.A., Chalmers, J.E., Ross, G.R., Chapman, D., *Levy, A.A. M.M., Fitzgerald, B., Newton, L., James, A.W., Goold, W.C., McCutcheon, W.F., Dalton, R.M., Bishop, H.P., Hodges, W.C.H., Jago, C., Beauchamp, G., Giles, I.E., Smith, P.R.

Third column

Curtain, L., Kennedy, S., Dow, J., Padley, T., Liversidge, E., D’Elton, G., Gough, J.G., Morris, D.R., Atkinson, J., McNaughton, D., Turner, G., Gutteridge, N., Butler, J.J., Corke, A.E., Close, N., Nunan. S.A., Heath, A., Oxley, W.

Ten Best Citizens of Victoria 1905

I was given this post card by a friend, Isaac, who is a collector of postcards.  It shows one of the Ten Best Citizens of Victoria and I wanted to know who the other 'best' citizens were and so naturally I went to Trove to find out. It turns out that the competition in The Herald took place in 1905 with the voting closing on May 29, so this was two years before this postcard was sent (more about that at the end of this post)

The Weekly Times of June 3, 1905 had the results of the poll -

The results of the Ten Best Citizens poll

Weekly Times June 3, 1905 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/222767399#

Here's a summary of who these people are -
Sir John Madden  John Madden (1844-1918)  lawyer, member of the Legislative Assembly, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and Lieutenant Governor of Victoria. You can read more about him here, in the Australian Dictionary of Biography (ADB). I have recently acquired the John Madden postcard.

Sir John Madden postcard, sent to Miss MacMeikan, Newlands, Apsley. 

Postmarked Apsley September 1, 1905. 

Janet, Lady Clarke  Lady Clarke (1851 - 1909) was born Janet Snodgrass and married William Clarke (1831 - 1897) in 1873. They lived at Rupertswood in Sunbury and Clivenden in East Melbourne. Her entry (see here)  in the ADB said her enthusiasm and drive made her a vigorous supporter of philanthropic, cultural, educational and political movements. Janet Clarke Hall at Melbourne University, founded in 1889 to house female university students, is named after her.

Mr T. Bent, M.L.A  Sir Thomas Bent (1838 - 1909)  Premier of Victoria February 1904 to January 1909 - revered by some, reviled by others - read about him in the ADB here.

Sir George Turner, M.P  Sir George Turner (1851 - 1916) Premier of Victoria September 1894 to December 1899. He was later elected to the Federal Parliament and became the Federal Treasurer. His ADB entry is here.

Miss Sutherland  Selina Murray Sutherland (1839 - 1909)  worked with neglected children and established, amongst other organizations,  the Neglected Children's Aid Society and  the Society in Aid of Maternity Hospital Patients.  Her entry (see here) in the ADB, written by Ruth Hoban, rates her contribution to society with that of Caroline Chisholm.

Rev. A. R. Edgar  Alexander Robert Edgar (1850 - 1914)  The Reverend Edgar is the subject of our postcard - he was a Methodist Minister and social reformer. he was the superintendent of the Central Methodist Mission at Wesley Church and involved in the anti-sweating movement and fought against the exploitation  of workers. How glad I am that I have his postcard, the Reverend Edgar is, along with Miss Sutherland, my favourite people from this list. Read his ADB entry here.

Mr W. H Irvine, M.L.A  Sir William Hill Irvine (1858 - 1943)  Premier of Victoria  from June 1902  - February 1904. Read about him, here.

Sir Samuel Gillot,  M.L.A  Sir Samuel Gillott (1838 - 1913) Lord Mayor of Melbourne and member of the Legislative Assembly - read his ADB entry, here.

Mr A Deakin, M.P  Sir Alfred Deakin (1856 - 1919) Prime Minister on three occasions - 1903-1904, 1905-1908, 1909-1910. Read his ADB entry, here.

Mr George Coppin  George Selth Coppin (1819 - 1906)  Actor, theatre manager and owner, Richmond City Councillor, Member of the Legislative Council. Read more about him in the ADB here.

These photos of Ten Best Citizens of Victoria appeared in The Herald on June 1, 1905.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/242193605#

The postcard was sent on March 25, 1907 to Mrs R. Moore of Glenferrie Road in Malvern, by Charlie. This is what Charlie wrote - Another for your collection. I suppose by this time your new album will be getting a bit weighty. Trust you and Uncle Dick are well. I am just the glassy. My album is nearly full. I forgot to get Olive Ebbott's ad from you, if I get it I'll have  a lark. Love from Charlie.

So what can we discover from this card?  Charlie was the nephew of Dick or Richard Moore of Glenferrie Road and  both he and his aunt collected postcards. The Electoral Roll of 1905 has a Richard Inghley Moore and Sara Isabel Moore at 61 Glenferrie Road, Malvern - his occupation was a confectioner. According to the Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages Richard married Jane Lewis in 1876, she died in 1899 and he then remarried in 1903 to Sara Isabel Potts (born 1866).
Richard died in 1930, aged 76 and I can't work out when Sara died.

The Australasian  July 18, 1903

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article138688343

I do not have any other information about Charlie. He mentioned 'Olive Ebbott's ad'  Olive Ebbott  (born 1885) is in the 1908 Electoral Roll at 72 Union Street, Malvern with a Leslie and a Reginald Ebbott who, I believe, are her brothers. Next door at 82 Union Street are  Elizabeth (nee Temby) and Phillip Ebbott - her parents. Phillip Ebbott was a wood dealer, so did the ad concern a job or perhaps Olive took in boarders? I don't know. You can read about the Ebbott family in the Malvern Historical Society Newsletter from April 2007 - access it here. It also has some photographs of the family.