Gunning & District Historical Society

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...