Wangaratta Fire Brigade’s First Home
I have long been searching for the first home of the Wangaratta Fire Brigade. There was much fanfare over the opening of the purpose-built building in Ford Street in January 1896 (see my post here), but no clues were given as to where the brigade was located before...
An Early Post Office
When Alexander Cameron MacDonald passed away in 1917, local newspapers heralded him as Wangaratta’s first Postmaster. This was not true, as at least two other men acted in the capacity of Postmaster before MacDonald arrived in the infant town and he was never...
Sepia Saturday – 8th April 2017 – Choir Boys
Today’s inspirational Sepia Saturday image is of three fresh faced choir boys. I know I have similar images of real choir or altar boys in my collection but I couldn’t get past these alternative and far less attractive ‘choir boys’. They are...
Sir Charles Hotham and the good citizens of Wangaratta
Sir Charles Hotham was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of the colony of Victoria on 6 December 1853. This posting was considered a difficult one due to the huge social and economic changes that were sweeping the colony after the discovery of gold. After the resignation...
My Family Surnames
Below are my family surnames. If you think you may be connected, I would love to hear from you! ABERLINE – Germany & Oswestry, Shropshire, England – Victoria, Australia ALLARD – Tenterden, Kent, England – 1700s ALLEN – Denver & East Dereham,...
Hickey’s Garage
The lovely image below is of Hickey’s Garage in Murphy Street and was taken in 1923. The photo was taken from a negative donated to Museum Victoria in 1988 by M. B. Porter as part of The Biggest Family Album in Australia project to preserve the images that...
Wangaratta Fire Brigade Origins
Wangaratta Fire Brigade had it’s origins in a “Hook and Ladder Brigade” formed in 1872. This was rather late for the organisation of a co-ordinated fire fighting effort, considering that the settlement was over 30 years old. It wasn’t that fire...
Sepia Saturday 352 – Two Hats and a Funeral
This post is inspired by an image of Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie held by the Library of Congress and shared on Sepia Saturday. While there were many musicians in my family none were as accomplished or well known as these two. What did strike me in this image...
On This Day in Wangaratta – 24th January 1896
On this day in Wangaratta celebrations were held for the official opening of the new Wangaratta Fire Station in Ford Street. The Captain Alfred Pinkerton and Hiram A Crawford represented the Fire Brigades Board. Reputed to have cost £300, most of the cost of the...
This blog has been selected to be archived in Pandora, Australia’s Web Archive, conducted by the National Library of Australia
