June. 2008 Vol. 8 No. 2 “MYSTERY PHOTOGRAPH” The above photo is known to have been taken in front of Higginbothom’s barber shop in Eighth INSIDE THIS EDITION Street, Mildura possibly during the 1920s. Conservation volunteers found 2 The barber shop was opposite the Wintersun Hotel, now known as the Hotel Mildura. Mildura’s own Danny Boy 3 Two men on the left are unknown with Alex Website research 4-5 Wagner and Harold Higginbothom right of photo. Meaning of Mildura 6-7 Harold Higginbothom was employed by the Mildura hospital as a barber to cater for the infectious Help with handwriting 8 diseases patients. Award for Raylee 9 Harold was also in great demand as a musician in the days of silent movies playing in tempo with the BDM with Anne Levens 10-11 story-line of the movie. Another love was as pianist in Walter Watson Hughes 12-13 local bands at the local dances and balls and also on Mary Reibey 14 the Showboat Avoca. Harold died in Mildura on May 11, 1959 aged 66 Pics from the society 15 years. Library Acquisitions 16-17 Mildura & District Genealogical Society Inc. P.O. Box 2895 Mildura, Victoria 3502 Email: [email protected] Heritagecare Conservation Volunteer Program by Raylee Schultz Early this year the Mildura & District Heather McNaught from Heritagecare came to Genealogical Society was successful in it’s applica- Mildura Thursday, May 1, 2008 to induct the four tion to be part of the Heritagecare Conservation Volunteers and they will now work under the guidance Volunteer Australia program. of Mildura Genealogical Society Librarian and Project The project is part of the Community Stewardship Officer, Lyn Grant. initiative managed by CVA in partnership with The Heritagecare Community Stewardship projects Heritage Victoria. go a long way towards ensuring the long – term future The project for the Society involves preserving the of Victoria’s important and diverse heritage. CVA very old Mildura Rate and Court records. The four Heritagecare Program Manager Ken Beasley in con- Heritagecare Volunteers, Jenny, Brian, Gloria and gratulating Jenny, Brian, Gloria and Margaret said that Margaret will spend two days a week over a period of they will be contributing to preserving Mildura and six months at the Genealogical Society Library work- District’s rich Heritage while making a difference to ing on this important project. heritage conservation. Their work will involve typing, proof reading and For more information on Heritagecare contact producing an index for the Rate and Court Records and Heather at [email protected] will ensure that the M & D G S can make available to Heather McNaught, Raylee Schultz researchers and the public the invaluable historical information contained in the old fragile rare books. See page 15 for pictures THE MILDURA & DISTRICT GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY Inc. A002391P Founded 1978 Carnegie Centre, 74 Deakin Ave. P.O. Box 2895, Mildura 3502 Telephone (03) 5022 0172 Email: [email protected] www.rootsweb.com/~ausmdgs/ President Graeme Butler (03) 5024 3986 Membership Benefits:- Vice Pres. Barry Adams (03) 5023 2751 Free use of library. Secretary Raylee Schultz (03) 5023 8778 Receive quarterly Newsletter. Asst. Sec. Kaylene Charles (03) 5021 4763 Free research queries published in Newsletter. Treasurer Malcolm Williams (03) 5027 4591 Librarian Lyn Grant (03) 5023 6753 Meetings:- Ist Monday of month except January and Research Thelma Bock (03) 5024 5330 December. June Greatz (03) 5023 2837 Editor Robin Parker (03) 5027 6307 Library Hours:- Asst. Editor Ron Oxley (03) 5023 1041 Monday 11.00am-4.00pm N’letter Tuesday 11.00am-4.00pm Reviewer Lynn Grant (03) 5023 6753 Wednesday 11.00am-4.00pm Public Officer Kaylene Charles (03) 5021 4763 Thursday Closed Webmaster Flo Carruthers (03) 5023 7544 Friday Closed Carnegie Saturday 11.00am-4.00pm Centre Rep. Graeme Butler (03) 5024 3986 Malcolm Williams (03) 5027 4591 Library Fees:- $5.00 for Non Members Barry Adams (03) 5023 2751 Photocopying 10c Computer printouts 20c Catering Nola Edwards (03) 5024 5198 Membership Joining Fee $10 Newsletter:- “The Grapeline” published Ordinary $22 March, June, September and December. Concession $16.50 Closing dates for newsletter submissions Joint $33 20th Feb, 20 May, 20th Aug. and 20th Nov. Badge Fee $10 Mildura’s own Danny Boy The Scottish piper who was instrumental in starting took the new band to the Maryborough competition, the Mildura Pipe Band, Donald “Danny” where it won the prize for best Novice Band. MacPherson, was said to be a fascinating character Among the young people he taught was Bill Brown, with a colourful history. who succeeded him as Pipe Major of the Mildura Band He was born at Portree, Skye, in Scotland around 1881, and later, as pipe tutor at Scotch College in Melbourne. the son of accomplished piper Donald MacPherson, Around 1926, Danny moved to Millicent, South and learnt to play the pipes at an early age. Australia where he tutored the Millicent Pipe Band and There is anecdotal evidence that he showed great apti- married a young side-drummer called Clarice Waters. tude and commitment, practicing for three hours a day, McPherson worked for a time as an insurance agent even before his teen years, and that he became some- during the Depression, but made much of his income thing of a child celebrity, to the extent that people from teaching the pipes, and from winning prizes for would gather outside his house to listen to him practic- piping and dancing at the many local Caledonian ing. Society competitions which were held over Victoria At 14, he enlisted in the Seaforth Highlanders as a and South Australia. drummer boy, and furthered his studies in piping with When World War II broke out, McPherson tried to some of the greatest teachers in the British regimental enlist, this time with an Australian unit, but was reject- piping. He also became an expert wrestler (later claim- ed because of his age. ing to be “wrestling champion of South Africa”) as He wrote to a nephew in Scotland who happened to well as an accomplished highland dancer. have the same name, and had him send out a copy of McPherson served with the Seaforth Highlanders in the his birth certificate, which Danny passed off as his Matabele Wars of Southern Africa in 1896-97, and then own! It was several months before the deception was took up the offer to become the personal piper to a discovered, and he was discharged from the Army. Sultan in the then British colony of Malaya. In 1946 he was appointed Pipe Tutor of Scotch When the Boer War broke out in 1899, McPherson College, where he started the enduring tradition of pip- returned to Scotland, re-enlisted with the Seaforth ing at that school and in 1957, he began a second Highlanders and served in South Africa until the end of school pipe band at Haileybury College. the war in 1902. He was by now an old He then returned to Scotland where he learnt the trade man, severely crippled of making and repairing pipes from the legendary pipe- with arthritis, often ply- maker Peter Henderson of Glasgow. It was during this ing his pipes from the period that he met up with Colin Cameron, a famous wheel chair, but he still exponent of the classical (and most pipers say fiendish- managed to teach stu- ly difficult) bagpipe style known as piobaireachd. dents the pipes two Cameron agreed to teach Danny the technique as pay- afternoons a week at ment for having his pipes repaired and maintained. each school. At the outbreak of World War I, McPherson again In 1959, McPherson enlisted, and served with distinction as a piper. In 1920, collapsed while playing he migrated to Australia and when the Mildura Pipe his beloved pipes at a Band was formed in 1922, he was appointed Pipe wedding, and was Major. It was decided that, in his honour, the new band found to be suffering should wear the McPherson tartan, as it still does from advanced stomach today. cancer. He died a few He immediately organised learner classes in piping, days later at Heidelberg Donald McPHERSON drumming and highland dancing and six months later Repatriation Hospital. Society Items for Sale Sunraysia Daily Indexes $20.00 Merbein Cemetery Index $25.00 Red Cliffs Cemetery Index $25.00 Mildura Law Courts Index 1889-1910 $10.00 Society Coffee Mugs $10.00 Settler in the Sun Conference Book FREE Wall Charts — Seven Generations $1.50 *Disclaimer: The Editor does not accept any responsibility for the opinions or the accuracy in the information contained in this newsletter. Websites to visit by Leanne Watmuff ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES Online project from the British Library offers sounds www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/arkon and images from its collections, including recordings Information on some 2,500 record repositories in the of local accents and dialects, images of Caribbean British Isles. plantations, and many historical maps and views. www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/portal www.hiddenlives.org.uk Provides details of all completed and ongoing projects Subtitled Children in Care 1881-1918,this site gives relating to archives, including many that involve digi- details of the children’s homes run by the Waifs and tisation of records of interest to genealogists. Stray Society, with anonymous case files (searchable www.nationalarchives.gov. by keyword) plus many photographs. A simple to use database containing descriptions of cat- www.institutions.org.uk alogues held by 400 archives across England. The General information on most 19th century institutions, descriptions usually contain names of individuals or including prisons, hospitals, orphanages, almshouses properties mentioned in documents. and asylums, with details arranged by county.