Clarke’s Marsh Newsletter THE BACCHUS MARSH & DISTRICT HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC Quarterly publication of the Bacchus Marsh & District Historical Society Inc., 215 Main St Bacchus Marsh 3340 th Established 4 October 1968 Autumn No 1/19 ISSN ONLINE: 2652-1210 ISSN PRINT: 2652-1202) Editors Katrina Lyle & Katrina Bradfield Inside this issue President’s Report Page 2 Congratulations In Search of Catherine Sloss Pages 3- 5 Gordon Crime and Punishment in Victoria’s Golden Age Page 6 - 9 Perspectives on a Migration Journey 1970 Page 9 Central Highlands Historical Association Report Page 10 A message from your newsletter editors Page 11 The 2019 Heritage Festival “Connecting people, places and the Past” Page 12 Long time BMDHS member Gordon Vearing celebrated his 85th birthday recently. He spoke to KATRINA BRADFIELD and shared The Archives his thoughts about community involvement Join our friendly crew at the and some of the changes that he has seen Archives around the district over the past 50 years. Address: 215 Main St, Bacchus Marsh GORDON came to Bacchus Marsh to take up employment as service manager at Tyler (ask the library staff if unsure which way Motors owned by brother in-law, Tom Tyler. to turn!) The district at the time was mainly dairying — Lifeguard Milk Factory was still 2019 Archives Opening Hours operating behind the workshop where Gordon was working in Gell Street, the area Monday, Wednesday & Friday 1-4pm now occupied by The Village car park. Broadlands was a large dairy farm at the time but has now broken up into holdings for individual fruit and vegetable growing. Also Sunday 1-4pm on the following Vallence’s farm along Lerderderg Park Road was another large dairying property. It dates: has now been broken into residential lots. February 17, March 10, April 28, Gordon and Wendy’s daughter used to attend ballet classes in the Buff’s Hall in Young St - May 19, June 16, July 14, now another car park. September 15, October 27, November 17 In 1968 Wendy became involved with the establishment of an Historical Society in Archives Phone Number: Bacchus Marsh while Gordon baby sat. In the same year, Gordon became involved in the 03 53 67 9336 establishment of Little Athletics in Bacchus Marsh. He was a club president and chairman of the Association’s Championship Committee for the first three years of its development. Enquiries: [email protected]. In 1972, after studying for two years in Melbourne, Gordon became a trade teacher. Website: http://bmdhs.org.au/ “Following on from this our children continued with Little Aths., Guides and Scouts while attending the local schools. Over the years as the children grew up, we were able to spend Facebook: Bacchus Marsh & District more time together at Historical Society outings of a weekend and later at meetings.” Historical Society Inc. With characteristic modesty, Gordon has omitted to mention that he has been a Mail: PO box 223, Bacchus Marsh 3340 tireless photographer of many BMDHS events and activities. The photographs have 2019 Members Meetings contributed to a wonderful visual record of the Society and provided members with James Young Room, Lerderderg Library, enhanced memories of significant occasions. 215 Main St, Bacchus Marsh March 28th, May 30th, 1 July 25th, September 26th President’s Report Greetings to all members and families of the Society, I do trust you are all well and have survived the warm summer. I also hope that we have finally received some badly needed rainfall by the time you are reading our first newsletter for 2019. The year has truly started for the Society and the new opening hours for the Archive appear to have hit the right balance between being available to the community and allowing ample time for our important ongoing projects. It was great to see the big turnout to our Special General Meeting in late February – we covered a number of important issues that required critical input and guidance from you all. Firstly, congratulations to Joyce Porter who was appointed to replace Heather Robson as the new Trustee on the Mona Denny (Bacchus) Memorial Trust Plan of Subdivision of Glen Pedder Estate 10/08/1884 until the 2020 AGM. This was followed by a comprehensive discussion regarding the revised All donations are important and significant, but I wanted Collection Policy, which after some minor amendments, to single these two specifically because in both cases the was endorsed by the members. This was a positive step donors were unknown to the Society. They both forward and the new policy has been restructured and proactively contacted us because they considered that the expanded to include sections on the registration and items that they were donating belonged to the Bacchus cataloguing of items of the Society’s Collection. It also Marsh and district. More importantly, they both believed provided a basic framework for some of the requirements that the Society was the appropriate organisation to be we will need regarding our computers and programs. the ongoing custodian of these important community Finally, the members had an open and honest discussion artifacts. In fact, when Barb McMillan and I drove to regarding the need to update our Information Technology Bendigo to receive the medal and personally thank Mr. (IT) network. This included details of our current position Len Sherriff – he stated that “the medal belonged to and possible options in the future. It was agreed to Bacchus Marsh”. Hopefully, one day we will have a establish an IT Working Group made up of two museum where such items can be displayed permanently committee members and two ordinary members to for all to see. explore what options are available. Big thanks to both John Spain and Margaret Scarff who agreed to be Please remember our Newsletter Clarke’s Marsh is our members of this important Working Group. Their past voice and it’s important to contribute. I’m sure the two work backgrounds will be invaluable to the Society and Katrina’s are happy to receive contributions – big or this task. It is important to note that the question was put small. to the members if this was a course of action in which Finally, we’re always looking for members to help out on they were happy for us to pursue and there was no dissent projects and/or assist when the Archive is open to the – only support. We will need all your input and assistance public. This is an open invitation to you all to get to make this work. involved. We’re looking for duty volunteers all the time, Unfortunately, we weren’t able to coax anyone to be the especially for some of our Sunday openings, so let us Society’s Treasurer. Thankfully, Chris Bronchinetti has know if you can help for any of the following dates and kindly agreed to continue in the acting position. times: The Society has been very fortunate with two noteworthy • 28 April (10:30AM-4PM) donations to our Collection since the last Newsletter. • 19 May, 16 June, 14 July, 11 August, 15 • A Bravery medal from the Royal Humane Society of September, 27 October & 17 November (1-4PM) Australasia – awarded to Thomas KENNEDY of Add your name to the roster in the Archive or phone 03 Bacchus Marsh in 1891. Donated by Mr. Len Sherriff 5367 9336 and ask for your name to be added or email of Bendigo, VIC. [email protected] • Three boxes of very early documents from the Hamilton family who lived at Glen Pedder I look forward to catching up with you all at the next homestead, situated north of the Pykes Reservoir. members meeting. Donated by Mr. Darrell J. Waight of Concord West, NSW. Bruce Carboon, President 2 In search of Catherine Sloss by Katrina Lyle Obituaries are a valuable source of information for genealogists and family historians and can also contribute to a greater understanding of the times in which the deceased person lived. BMDHS researcher FRANCES HANNAH identified this obituary of Mrs Edward Sloss (1837-1922) as being of both historical and biographical interest. It appeared in the Bacchus Marsh Express on the 4th of November 1922 under the title DEATH OF A PIONEER. Printed in full, it reads as follows: ‘Another old Marsh identity has just passed away, in the the late Mr and Mrs Slack. They then rented a property at person of Mrs Edward Sloss, who came out to Australia Mt Blackwood from Mr Lawson, who at that time with a brother and his wife, in the sailing vessel conducted the college at Landsberg Mains. To this college “Australia”, which left Liverpool in August 1853, arriving boys came from the different colonies, even from New at the end of the same year, thus making her a colonist of Zealand, as Mr Lawson was recognized as one of the best 69 years. Landing at Queenscliff, the passengers were teachers of the day, having come from Scotch College, brought up to Melbourne in a smaller boat. This trip of where he was first Principal. He was much helped by Mrs the Australia proved to be its last, as the ship was wrecked Lawson who was an accomplished linguist and able to shortly afterwards. speak nine languages. Mrs Sloss’s brother took residence in Collins Street, and Being anxious to own property, Mr and Mrs Sloss she went into service with a saddler’s wife at Coburg; she removed to Ironbark, where many hardships were often spoke of walking (of which she thought nothing) experienced through drought, disease in cattle and low into town along a bridle track, to see her brother, and, on prices for their produce.