Gunning & District Historical Society

MYEFO sees funding channelled to National Library https://t.co/rn5uBxfudf via @ABCNews — Michael de Percy (@madepercy) December 21, 2016

L-R: Annie, Nerida, Janet and Ray with vintage photos and negatives at the Tony Foley Centre On Saturday, 3rd December 2016, Ray McJannett conducted a seminar on the works of the Gunning photographer Augustus Jones. At the end of the seminar, participants had the opportunity to ask Ray about their own family photographs, including two early daguerreotype plates dating from at least the 1880s. Augustus "Gus" Jones lived near Lade Vale and worked as a photographer in the Gunning, Lade Vale, Greenvale, Dalton and Jerrawa areas. Gus spent some twenty years as a photographer, beginning around 1890 until his early death at the age of forty, in about 1912. Gus focused exclusively on portraiture, and unlike many Victorian photographers, his photos were taken exclusively outdoors. Ray presented digitised versions of Gus' work on a large screen television, and spent some time explaining the techniques of vintage photography. Augustus Jones, Self Portrait. Image ...

Some of the Participants at the Inaugural Meeting of the Breadalbane History Group About twenty people from the Breadalbane community met at the Breadalbane Hall on Sunday 27th November to share photographs and stories of the history of the region. I was invited to give a talk on the importance of local history. My talk was rather personal, but I thought this was important because the group hope to interview some of the residents of the area, and, having an interest in local and family history, I thought it important to outline some of the issues that one usually encounters when delving into the past. I have added the transcript from my talk here. It is rather personal at times, but so be it! The Importance of Local History in Australia Dr Michael de Percy Good afternoon. I am pleased to have this opportunity to address you here today and I thank you for the invitation. I would like to acknowledge that, according to the traditional owner’s map from the Australian Insti...

Raeburn Shearing Shed, via Breadalbane, NSW.  People and year unknown. Do you know any of the people in this photograph, or the year in which it was taken? If you do, please let us know by commenting below. This photo was unearthed at the inaugural Breadalbane history meeting, held at the Breadalbane Hall on Sunday 27th November 2016. The event was hosted by Christine and Sally McLean.

Raeburn Shearing Shed, via Breadalbane, NSW. People and year unknown. Do you know any of the people in this photograph, or the year in which it was taken? If you do, please let us know by commenting below. This photo was unearthed at the inaugural Breadalbane history meeting, held at the Breadalbane Hall on Sunday 27th November 2016. The event was hosted by Christine and Sally McLean.

Old School House, Breadalbane, NSW. People and year unknown. Do you know any of the people in this photograph, or the year in which it was taken? If you do, please let us know by commenting below. This photo was unearthed at the inaugural Breadalbane history meeting, held at the Breadalbane Hall on Sunday 27th November 2016. The event was hosted by Christine and Sally McLean.

THE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD, appointed under the " Civil Service Act, 1884," hereby declare the following to be the "CIVIL SERVICE LIST" for the year 1885, containing the names of all the Officers of each Division and Class, and of all other persons employed in the Civil Service of New South Wales, prepared under the 16th section of the said Act. Dated at Sydney, this 31st day of March, 1885. The NSW Government Gazette (1832-2001) has been digitised and is available online on Trove .  The Civil Service List 1885  includes nearly 12000 names of Government employees in three divisions - General, Professional and Educational. This could be a valuable source of information for anyone researching family history in the late 19th century. The list has a 65 page index of all names.  

Photo provided by Ray McJannett On Saturday 3 December 2016, the Gunning & District Historical Society will hold its end of year meeting at the Foley Centre at 2.30 pm. Bring along your glass negativess, ferrotypes, Daguerreotypes and old photos, especially those with "Gus Jones Photographer" to show the guest speaker Ray McJannett.  Ray will talk about Augustus Jones, who recorded local people in the 1890s and 1900s, and how to care for your old photos.  For further information, please contact the Secretary on (02) 4845 8217.

Lawson Methodist Sunday School Picnic, 26th January 1914. Photo from Blue Mountains Local Studies / CC BY-SA 2.0   The long anticipated picnic of the Chain of Ponds Public School came off last Saturday, and was very successful. The youngsters assembled at half-past nine, and marched a short distance from the school into a corner of Mr. Hinds' paddock. On entering the gate they received sufficient sweets to allay their expectant appetites. They then began their day's sport, which was kept up vigorously by the promoters until dinner-time. The prizes in all cases being strongly contested for, delighted the spectators, and there soon began to appear on the scene a vast crowd of people, who, coming from all parts round about, kept increasing in number as the day advanced. The spread which was prepared by the mothers - was laid in the old schoolroom, which was tastefully decorated for the occasion. The treat was all that could be desired; cakes of all descriptions,...

Gunning Court House 1885: Photo via Flikr, State Library of NSW, Public Domain CONCERT A concert was held according to advertisement at the court house last Friday evening in aid of the local cricket club. The audience was not as large as had been anticipated, but all the best class of people in the town were present, and the general deportment of the audience was by far better than at any other entertainment I have ever attended in Gunning. Either the larrikin element was absent or else our larrikins have reformed and learned to comport themselves as gentlemen. The entertainment passed off smoothly without a hitch, and those present were very enthusiastic in expressions of enjoyment. J. F. Kenyon Esq. J.P., president of the cricket club, presided. The entertainment was opened with a pianoforte solo by Miss James, which was very ably rendered. This young lady, who has been far from well for some time, was unable to sing, but notwithstanding severe indisposition, rod...

UC lecturer helps community dig out treasure Trove - University of Canberra https://t.co/6ff9dgNFAu via @UniCanberra #gunninghistory — Michael de Percy (@madepercy) October 27, 2016

Commercial Banking Company of Sydney, Gunning. Photo via CBC Officers Club Inc website GUNNING.  (From our Correspondent.) On Friday afternoon about twenty-five gentlemen met at the new premises of the Commercial Banking Company, invited by the manager, Mr. W. T. Busby. The gentlemen made a start to inspect the building, first viewing it from Yass-street, from where it presents a pleasing aspect, the private residence having a verandah running the full length of the building facing both Yass and Waratah streets. The whole is enclosed by a neat batten fence. On entering the building we first enter the hall, which is wide and lofty, being thirteen feet in height, as are also all the rooms. Six rooms in the private residence are gone through and are all found fitted with grates for coal-the three front ones fitted with handsome marble mantle-pieces. At the rear we find a kitchen fitted with a splendid cooking range, a pantry, two servants' rooms, a bath-room fitted...

Lade Vale Tennis Club circa 1900. Photo taken by Augustus Jones, restored by Ray McJannett (CC BY-NC-SA 2.5) From GDHS Secretary Rosemary Spiller: Augustus Jones, local photographer in the 1890s and 1900s.  Ray McJannett is recovering his photos from a collection of glass negatives, but they were jumbled in their boxes, so many are now not identified, such as the Golden Wedding from 1901. Families in Jerrawa and Lade Vale have photos of their relatives and their farms, with the words "Gus Jones Photographer" printed on the card frame. We know Gus shot large groups of people and Ray believes people in Gunning will also have such photos in their family albums. All are welcome to attend Ray's presentation on this important local photographer and on how to look after their old photos, at the History Society's end of year meeting on Saturday, 3 December 2016, at the Foley Centre, Gunning, at 2.30 pm. Guest Blogger Ray McJannett: The Photography of Augustus Jones ...

"Sadly I clamber down and, gladstone in hand, go to the station to make enquiries". Photo by davidd / CC BY 2.0 A DAY AT GUNNING: The railway people at Gunning are good citizens, and hospitable. Having once got the stranger within their gates, they are loth to let him depart, and so he gets misleading information regarding trains. At an hour when civilized beings still sleep-about 7 a.m. -I arise, dress, breakfast hurriedly, and hasten to catch a train which a too confident official had assured me would leave for Goulburn about 8 o'clock. A train is there, about to start, and I clamber hurriedly in. Alas for the vanity of human wishes! The guard tells me it goes to Wagga. To all my arguments he is deaf. I tell him that on the word of a railway official-and aught but truth is incompatible with such a man-a train leaves about eight for Goulburn. It is about eight ; here is a train ; so it must be leaving for Goulburn. This is logic ; but the guard knows nothing of the...

Trove champion Dr Michael de Percy teaches people to use Trove. Read all about his experiences. https://t.co/6MEDrzJtgR pic.twitter.com/tQUiPdT2yM — Trove (@TroveAustralia) October 13, 2016

Gunning Railway Station, 27 January 1941. Photo by John McMillan. Public Domain via Trove . Gunning Railway Station. A party writing from Gunning, directs attention to the inconvenience and hardships which arise at the railway station there through no fire being lit either in the gentlemen's or ladies' waiting room. Often persons have to remain a considerable time in waiting for trains, and these cold winter nights are very trying, more particularly so on ladies ; and what renders the state of things even worse still, is that the officials are well provided for in this respect, This gentleman was at Gunning two nights in succession, and no trace of a fire was there. He was informed that perhaps once a week, or some times less frequently, a fire is to be seen in either of the waiting rooms. He very justly says that something should be done for the comfort of passengers, and the officials should be instructed not to give all their time to providing for their own want...

Participants at the Gunning Library Workshop, Friday 30 September 2016. Photo courtesy of Maree Roche The Gunning and District Historical Society , in conjunction with the Gunning Library , held its second community workshop on Friday 30 September 2016. The topic was "Researching Australian Military Service Records" facilitated by Gunning resident Dr Michael de Percy from the University of Canberra . Information and paraphernalia provided by the National Library of Australia's Trove team and also the Research Centre at the Australian War Memorial were welcomed by the participants, many traveling from as far as Ulladulla, Canberra, Mt Pleasant and Breadalbane to visit the village. Two sessions were held from 10:30am to 12:30pm and from 1:30pm to 3:30pm. Participants enjoyed morning and afternoon tea during the sessions, allowing time for new connections to be made and to share stories and ideas about researching family histories. The workshop covered th...

NSW Railways Staff c1900  ( K iama Library, Flickr cc-by-2.0) The following article appeared on page 2 of the Goulburn Herald and Chronicle on 5 January 1880. The original article is available on Trove . A Canard.- About one o'clock on last Friday afternoon a small boy came rushing through the street, telling everybody he met that Mr. Morphy, the well-known and universally-liked porter at the railway-station, had been thrown from a cart and instantly killed.   The boy had been told to go for the police, and Constable Clifford started with all possible speed for the scene of the reported dire disaster, which was something over a mile from town, The constable called on his way for Mr. Collins to accompany him in case there might be still some hopes of saving the life of the unfortunate man.  The intelligence, like all bad news; spread like wild-fire and in a few minutes nearly the whole male population of the town was pouring across the flat in the rear ...

Do you teach Trove to others? @madepercy is running a Trove workshop at Gunning Library, 30 Sept. https://t.co/atNCV2Effp — Trove (@TroveAustralia) September 21, 2016

Yass Street, Gunning in 2005 (Photo by Peter Ellis CC-BY-SA-3.0) The following description of the town of Gunning appeared on page 2 of the Goulburn Herald and Chronicle  on 3 November 1875. This is one of the best primary sources indicating the locations and uses of the buildings in the main street and surrounds, many of which remain in existence today. The full article can be viewed on Trove . Town and District of Gunning The houses of Gunning were described not long since by a writer in the  Town and Country Journal  as the "pig-sty style of architecture;" but were he to visit the neighbourhood now such a charge would no longer be a fair one, such extensive alteration and improvements having been made by most of the leading townsmen that Gunning has become almost a new place. Nestling in a pretty valley surrounded by low hills, on a tributary creek of the river Lachlan, the traveller comes upon the town almost before he is aware of it -- a turn of the road...

Pictured left to right: Lance Cooke, Rosemary and Bob Spiller, and Greg Walmsley (Photo by Ann Darbyshire) A lovely mix of locals and visitors took the opportunity to have a look around Pye Cottage on Saturday 25 August 2016, including one person who is considering purchase of a residence in the village. Members of the Gunning and District Historical Society were on hand to further enhance the visitor's experience. Pye Cottage (Photo by Mattingbgn CC BY 3.0) There was also an opportunity to have a browse through the other material that is held by the Society but not on display. One young visitor was enthralled with all the "olden" day's way of carrying out activities ranging through the hand operated washing machine, to the fridges of yesteryear (the Coolgardie safe and ice box) to the typewriter. "Is this a keyboard for a computer?" she asked. The Pye Cottage Museum is open every fourth Sunday and at other times by appointment only. ...