Gunning & District Historical Society

John Alchin (1821-1901) This article, about a publican who was also an adherent of a religion which abhorred the demon drink, is by guest blogger and Alchin family chronicler, Garry Smith. In the early years of the Australian colonies alcohol consumption was heavy but is shown to be lower than in some other countries at that time. The decade of the 1830s saw the highest per capita consumption although the gold rush period of the 1850s was probably comparable. From 1860 to 1900 consumption fell strongly. John Alchin (originally John Waters Gaynes) arrived in the colony of New South Wales in 1838 with his “adoptive” family – Ambrose and Ann Alchin and their six children. Although Ann Alchin, John’s natural mother, and Ambrose Alchin were recorded as “Baptist” on the passenger list of the arrivals aboard the Palmyra, the family lived their lives as staunch Wesleyans. There are many uses of the word Wesleyan over time. When the Alchins arrived in the colony, Wesleyans were...

Gabriel Faure (1845-1924), celebrated French composer and musician, at the piano.  His music, believed to have been first performed locally at a concert in Dalton in 1932, is to get another run in July this year in Gunning.   Photo Wikipedia Commons In November 1932 the Gunning Literary Institute Dramatic Company toured a three act comedy, "It Looks Like Rain”, to the citizens of Dalton. Their performance attracted a very favourable review in the Goulburn Penny Post.  Music by the Gunning orchestra under the baton of Mr McNutt also added greatly to the audience's enjoyment. The numbers rendered included “Legion Americana" (Lavelle) "The Palms" (Faure), "Sanctuary of the Heart" (Ketelby) with a vocal solo by Miss Tully and "National Guard's March" (Ryder). The orchestra comprised Mr J Power and Misses F Southwell and J Rodrom (violins), Mr Gordon (cornet), Mr S A Beer (piano), Miss D Beer (triangle) and Mr J E. Caldwell (drums). ...

 On the site of Chain of Ponds School. (l-r) author Garry Smith, GDHS archivist Keith Brown, Harold Hazell & Lyn Polsen (nee Hazell) This article is by guest blogger and Alchin family chronicler Garry Smith When the Chain of Ponds School burned down in October 1916 only the stone chimney and the water tank were left standing. The children still in attendance in that year were transferred to Lade Vale School. Among the many local names in attendance at the school during its history were Alchin, Hinds, King, Robinson, Waters, Bayley, Hately and Hazell; I am related to some of these families. Among the recent visitors to the site of the long gone school was Harold Hazell and his daughter Lyn Polsen (nee Hazell). Although I was there to represent the Alchin family, it is noteworthy that Harold’s grandmother, Mary Jane Hazell (nee Alchin) (1875-1941) was my great aunt. She was the daughter of Charles Alchin (1837-1908) and Mary Alchin (nee Stear) (1843-1897) – my grea...

Bushrangers Hall, Dunn and Gilbert attack police guarding the Gundagai Mail 1865. Dunn and Gilbert may have splashed out a substantial sum for lunch in the Lade Vale/Mundoonen district not long before or after this event [Picture: State Library of Victoria via Wikimedia Commons]. New Discovery About Local Bushranging History – Or Mundoonen Myth? Over the last few months lifelong Gunning and Lade Vale resident, Mr Sid Hillier, has been generously and helpfully back grounding me on local history. Among other things, Sid has told me about a family story concerning his grandmother, Ellen (Granny) Hillier, and the notorious bushrangers Dunn and Gilbert. I bring Sid’s story to you despite it leaving some important questions unanswered. The Gunning District Historical Society would not normally publish mythical tales but I believe this to be an essentially true account of an historical event. Yes, there are a few significant gaps which you may feel places it more in the ...

  Lost in Gunning's Wild and Mountainous Murriongs Sir Charles Belcher OBE 1876-1970. Know nothing about him? He certainly knew Gunning as a youngster; and remembered it fondly despite being at risk of death from thirst and exposure when lost in our “wild and mountainous Murriongs” in 1888. Photo: Wikipedia  Over the last few months I have spent too much of my life in pursuit of Sir Charles Belcher. I blame it all on Trove where I chanced upon this January 1888 report by the Gunning correspondent of the Goulburn Evening and Penny Post: “On New Year’s Eve a boy named Belcher was reported to be missing. It would seem that the lad, in the company of two or three others, went for a bird’s nest ramble in the bush. By some means the boy got so far from his companions as to be out of sight and hearing. The lad wandered through the bush until he came upon the homestead of Mr T Mooney. A search party had been organised in the meantime who were pleased to learn that the...

A Young Albert Noah Alchin (1870-1913) at about the time he began teaching (From the collection of Debbie Longhurst). Article by Garry Norman Smith My great uncle, Albert Noah Alchin is, so far, the only teacher (my own profession) I have found in my direct family line. He was born in 1870 at Araluen near Braidwood, New South Wales, the eldest child of Charles Alchin (1837-1908) and Mary Alchin (nee Stear) (1843-1897). Charles and Mary were the great, great grandparents of the author. As an eight-year-old in 1878 Albert attended the Chain of Ponds Public School, along with his siblings Percy and Martha; his cousins John, Sidney, Alfred and Margaret also attended at that time. At the age of 21 years, Albert entered the teaching profession. In 1892, while living with his parents at Pine Range, Gunning, he was “instructed to take temporary charge” of the Khalangan School near Burrowa from Miss Jeannie Yabsley.  Teacher’s Roll for Albert Noah Alchin 1892-1908. State Ar...

Francis Lawless: Condemned Criminal, Colonial Architect, Pioneer Grazier A Government jail gang. Francis Lawless spent his first years in the colony on a gang such as this before rising to become a valued and respected citizen in Sydney and later Gunning.  Drawing by Augustus Earle: National Library of Australia. In this two part series by guest blogger Carmel Peek we meet two of Gunning’s earliest settlers, Francis and Catherine Lawless. As a young man Francis achieved the rare double of escaping a life prison sentence and later being condemned to death by hanging. He rose from this to become a self taught architect who designed and constructed some of Sydney’s Georgian era churches and public buildings. He is recognised as a foundation contributor to the architecture of Australia - one of only 35 historical figures including Sir Thomas Mitchell, Francis Greenway and Elizabeth Macquarie to be so named. His wife Catherine was an early “Currency Lass” – a white child...