VOLUME 6 NO. 6 JUNE 2013 ISSN 1835-7628 FROM THE EDITOR claim was more pressing. However the importance of the Richards' grave needs to be proclaimed. There is no overarching theme this issue. A smorgas- bord for you to pick from, with hopefully something for It is viewed as an iconic grave in the Manly Cemetery every taste. along with 25 others. Of those graves, the Richards' grave was in the poorest condition and therefore Thanks again for your contributions - large and small. justified attention. Unfortunately the word “iconic “ Please keep them coming; I am getting closer to the has tended to be used fairly loosely these days and bottom of the pile! along with such descriptions as “living treasure“ has I find that almost wherever you turn in our early-ish suffered from hype. What is meant is that this group of colonial history you find fascinating stories, usually graves has a symbolic historical importance for Manly centred around fascinating people. I was aware of and the Australian community. William Bede Dally but only in a general way. I was To me, the Richards' grave has three important histori- inspired to do a tiny bit of reading on him by the sight, cal themes which it represents. Firstly, Tom Richards in Anne Spencer's talk last month, of the "witch's hat"" was a miner, like his father who originally came from on the original Bilgola Cottage (see p.3). The cottage Cornwall and left his homeland because of the exhaus- was built by Dalley and it reminded me of the similar tion of the tin and copper deposits there. Tom grew up hat on the bell tower of St. Andrews Presbyterian in Charters Towers, the second largest city in Queens- Church in Manly. Could Dalley have been inspired by land in the late 1800s and early 1900s and wealthy seeing the church from his Manly "castle". because of its gold mines. Born in 1887, Tom was The answer was no. Dalley's Bilgola cottage preceded going down the mines when he was picked to represent the church by quite a few years. But it made me read Australia in rugby in 1908 but had already been to about the man and what a fascinating read it was. I South Africa and worked in the mines on the high veldt have included some snippets in this issue. in Johannesburg. Mining has been an important part of Richard Michell Australian history since 1850 up to the present and the participation of Richards in it was common for a great number of young men and their fathers. FROM THE PRESIDENT The second theme is one of sport and Tom Richards The last month has finally seen a project come to was recognised by those in Australia and in the other fruition that I first became involved in some years ago major rugby playing countries as one of the greatest but kept striking administrative hurdles because nei- flankers of his day. He initially was selected for ther did I own the cemetery plot nor was I descendant Queensland from Charters Towers , which was no mean of any of the family that were buried there. I refer to feat, and then for Australia for the tour of the British the broken headstone of Tom Richards and his brother Isles in 1908 – 09. He was in the team that won the Bill which lay on its side despite being considered an gold medal at the London 1908 Olympic Games and on iconic grave in the Manly cemetery. The Manly Council has now funded the restoration, while our Society commissioned Ian Laurenco of Northern Memorials to Diary - Monthly Meeting do the work. Ian finished the work on Tuesday 11 June and the grave now looks terrific. The grave had been July damaged before and the previous stonemason had put Sat 13 2.00pm the base on backwards which necessitated a bit more Monthly talk work than a simple headstone restoration. There has Margaret Millar, Burma Now and the been some criticism of the cost being met by the Hellfire Pass Memorial Council, as unfortunately there are many damaged graves within the cemetery and some felt that their At the Tramshed Narrabeen Peninsula Historian Vol 6 #6 June 2013 page 1 his return, left for South Africa again and while there annum for the calendar year to 30 June 2014. There played for the British Lions Rugby team against South was unanimous agreement that this offer should be Africa. He subsequently played in England and France accepted. and had a hand in coaching the French team in playing Wales. He managed to squeeze in a walking trip from Spain to Switzerland in the summer of 1911, in Talk at the June meeting Australian fashion with a swag over his shoulder. He had started to play for Manly at the start of that year THE HISTORY OF BIGOLA AND BILGOLA HOUSE - before his travel to Europe via California and Canada. Anne Spencer Tom was an inveterate traveller, all in the age of There was a full house to hear Anne's talk and see her steamships. photographs and we were well-rewarded. The The third aspect of historical significance was his concentration was on Bilgola Cottage and the subse- involvement in the First World War, both at Gallipoli quent Bilgola House - now tragically demolished - and and on the Western Front. He was a stretcher bearer their builders and inhabitants down the years. There and landed at Anzac Cove on the first day and was were many questions from the floor and a great deal of evacuated ten days before the final withdrawal in discussion afterwards. Thanks to Anne for her diligent December 1915. He was then shipped to France and research and her willingness to share it. saw action from mid 1915 till the end of the war in 1918. Over those four years he incurred a number of wounds and suffered the effects of a gas attack. His That Royal coach grave carries the letters MC after his name. Due to his Ex. SMH 2 June 2013: It is the new royal state coach bravery at the battle of Arras in 1917 he was awarded in waiting - complete with bullet-proof glass. the Military Cross for rescuing a comrade who lay wounded in No Mans Land. The gold carriage Britannia was partly funded by the Howard government and intended to be part of the The word “iconic” hardly does justice to the these Queen's 80th birthday celebrations - in 2006. Then three aspects of Australian History which the life of there was talk that it might be used in last year's Tom Richards symbolises. It is important that his grave jubilee celebrations. But they came and went and the is capable of communicating the dignity of his life and carriage languished in a workshop in Manly. it merits a visit by every one of our members and we thank Manly Council for their assistance. But now the designer and builder Jim Frecklington, who worked for the royal household and built the Jim Boyce Australian State Coach used at Prince William and NEWS AND VIEWS Kate's wedding, has confirmed that the Britannia has finally been shipped to London. Next meeting It will be delivered before the arrival of the couple's baby, due next month. Mr Frecklington, OAM, is bound When: Saturday 13 July 2013, 2.00pm by a confidentiality agreement but said: "It is some- Where: Tramshed Narrabeen thing for the monarchy to travel in and for visiting heads of state when they arrive in Britain. I do feel Topic: Burma Now and the confident it will be used for many, many special Hellfire Pass Memorial occasions for many years to come. It offers more comfort, is very roomy, is heated and has hydraulic Speaker: Margaret Millar suspension.'' Two years ago Labor senator John Faulkner asked in Parliament about the whereabouts of the carriage Report on June meeting financed with a $245,000 donation from the Howard Jim Boyce informed the meeting that the storage area government. The sum is a small percentage of the final that was being offered by Warringah Council was no cost, believed to run into several millions. longer available to the Society despite assurances from the Mayor and General Manager. Instead, Warringah The coach contains timber from 100 historic palaces, Council had offered the Society the storage room at ships and buildings including the door from 10 Down- the Cromer Community Centre with an area of approxi- ing Street, Henry VIII's flagship the Mary Rose, the mately 40 square metres. The rental would be $110 Tower of London and St Paul's Cathedral. per annum for the year to 30 June 2013 and $120 per Peninsula Historian Vol 6 #6 June 2013 page 2 POT POURRI The role of patron in our Society George Champion sent me the following summary of past (and present) Patrons of our Society and also some comments on the evolving nature of the role. I plan to interview our current incumbent, Alan Ven- tress and we can perhaps tease out that matter a little more in a future issue. I have added something on our first Patron. Others may have more. "Since the establishment of our Historical Society we have had a number of patrons. Our first patron was Lieut. Governor Sir Philip Whistler Street. The names Whistler and Street have family connections with the founder of the village of Manly, Henry Gil- bert Smith. Following the death of Sir Philip in Septem- ber 1938, Mr Aubrey Halloran, a Life Mem- ber and Fellow of our Society, was ap- pointed patron in March 1939.