Traces - May 2022

54 Pages·2022·36.1 MB·English

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FROM THE EDITOR
Traces
Welcome to the 19th edition of !
ello and welcome to edition 19 of Traces! Bounty mutineers. On page 14,
H
We are positively hurtling through the regular writer Roy Maloy explores
year yet again, and by the time you sit an astonishing account of a forgotten
down to read this edition, the results of Dja Dja Wurrung queen.
the 2022 Australian federal election will You’ll notice a new section on
have been announced. page 22 called Lost Jobs – over
Election time is always a good opportunity to the next few editions we will be
appreciate how far democracy has come in Australia, investigating some of the essential
from universal male suff rage in 1856, to the hard-won jobs of the past that no longer exist
granting of women’s suff rage between the 1890s and today, starting with the unenviable ‘nightman’ role.
1900s. By the 1960s, the racial restrictions on voting that Last, but defi nitely not least, we welcome back regular
had been introduced in some jurisdictions from 1885 were writer Jessica Barratt with her ever-popular Vintage
abolished. Regardless of the outcome of the election, I Vernacular feature on page 36. Jessica dives into the era
hope you all enjoyed exercising your right to participate of ‘talkies’ fi lms and how the arrival of American slang
in the democratic process, courtesy of many trailblazing scandalised audiences around Australia.
individuals in Australia’s past. Th ere’s plenty more, so until next time, happy reading.
To celebrate, there are plenty of inspiring and
thought-provoking stories within these pages. We open Eden Cox
with an article by Harrison Christian on page 8, in which Consulting Editor
he discusses uncovering his family’s connection with the Traces
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Uncovering Australia’s past 1
T
R A C E S
Uncovering Australia’s past
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NEWS
4
Heritage news
THEN AND NOW
6
Cascade Brewery
INSIGHT
8
Men without country
11 14
The drop of a brick The forgotten Dja Dja Wurrung queen
19
Gilding the Lily
LOST JOBS
What’s that
22
The nightman
thingamajig?
AUSTRALIA AT WAR
24
The homecoming hero
GENEALOGY
27
Victoria’s hidden histories revealed
Can you guess what this edition’s thingamajig is?
Find the answer on page 5. YOUR ANCESTORS
30
Threads of a life
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RACES
WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
readers are warned that this edition of Traces
contains the names and images of people who
are now deceased.
www.tracesmagazine.com.au
CHRACTER PROFILE
32
A short biography of Elizabeth Marsden
/tracesmag /tracesmag
VINTAGE VERNACULAR
Editor in Chief:
Giulia Heppell
36
Slang of the talkies
Consulting Editor:
Eden Cox
ONLINE RESOURCES
Subscription inquiries:
[email protected]
38 Phone: [phone]
What’s new online?
To purchase or renew a subscription go to
www.tracesmagazine.com.au
HISTORICAL HOMES
Advertising:
[email protected]
AND BUILDINGS
03 9274 4200
Designer:
40
Capturing the past Abby Schmidt
Editorial submissions:
[email protected]
Contributors (in order of first appearance):
Harrison Christian, Peter Baker, Roy Maloy, Dr Peter Hobbins,
Margaret Anderson, Michael Veitch, Tara Oldfield, Dr Amanda
McLeod, Natalie Lonsdale, Jessica Barratt, Shane Thoms.
All stock images provided by iStock.com.
Cover:
American actress and talkies film star Clara Bow.
Published by:
The editor, publisher, printer and their staff and agents are not responsible for the
accuracy or correctness of the text of contributions contained in this publication,
or for the consequences of any use made of the products and information referred
to in this publication. The editor, publisher, printer and their staff and agents
expressly disclaim all liability of whatsoever nature for any consequences arising
from any errors or omissions contained within this publication, whether caused to
a purchaser of this publication or otherwise. The views expressed in the articles and
other material published herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the editor and
publisher or their staff or agents. The responsibility for the accuracy of information
is that of the individual contributors, and neither the publisher nor editors can
accept responsibility for the accuracy of information that is supplied by others. It is
impossible for the publisher and editors to ensure that the advertisements and other
material herein comply with the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth). Readers
should make their own inquiries in making any decisions, and, where necessary,
seek professional advice. © 2022 Executive Media Pty Ltd. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is strictly prohibited. We
would like to acknowledge the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation who are
the traditional custodians of the land on which Traces magazine is published.
Uncovering Australia’s past 3
NEWS
Heritage News
Curtin Hotel, Carlton, Melbourne.
Image courtesy of Jimmy Jrg via
Wikimedia Commons
Green ban enforced on historical Melbourne pub Memorial held for SS Wollongbar II mariners
Known for its links to Victoria’s union movement A memorial service has been held for crew members of
and the Labor Party, Melbourne’s Curtin Hotel is a the SS WollongbarII, which was en route from Byron Bay
historically important building for the city. Th e hotel to Sydney in 1943 when it was torpedoed and sunk by a
famously hosted Bob Hawke’s second offi ce while he was Japanese submarine. Th e Wollongbar II had been on a mission
the Australian Council of Trade Unions President and, to search for survivors from another torpedoed vessel, the
later, prime minister. MV Limerick, when it came under attack, claiming the lives
In February this year, the hotel’s owners announced of 32 people on board, with only fi ve survivors.
that it was to be sold, sparking fears of redevelopment A Port Macquarie fi shing boat, the XLCR, rushed
and prompting unions to enforce a green ban on the out to rescue survivors, with its crew members all
building. Under the ban, union members will refuse to receiving bravery awards for their eff orts. Th e cargo
work on any project at the site that doesn’t respect the of the SS Wollongbar II – butter, sugar and bacon –
history and signifi cance of the building. eventually washed up on shore, sparking a boom in cake
Green bans occurred frequently in the 1970s, making at a time when wartime food rationing made
particularly in an eff ort to limit development in Sydney, such indulgences a rare occurrence.
and have been proven to be very eff ective at preserving Archaeologists discovered the wreck in 2019 off the
green space and historically signifi cant buildings. Th e coast of Crescent Head, New South Wales, enabling
unions have said it does not take the green ban lightly, an offi cial memorial service to take place this year, the
but felt it had no other choice. 79th anniversary of the event. Th e service at sea was
It is understood that the building has now been sold, attended by around 50 people, mostly relatives of the
but details of the purchaser have not been released. deceased, and a bell was rung for each of the lives lost.
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RACES
NEWS
Kowanyama shield returned after 60 years
A traditional stick-fighting shield used by Aboriginal
men in the Kowanyama region has been returned to
country, 60 years after a group of crocodile hunters
found it on the banks of the Mitchell River in
Queensland. The Brisbane men had kept the shield
as a curio since 1959 before gifting it, along with
a 1959 Queensland Times article clipping detailing
the croc hunters’ expedition to the region, to an
anonymous Brisbane resident who then donated it to
the Kowanyama Collection.
The shield – which is made from softwood,
signalling its ceremonial function – is now on display
in Kowanyama, and shield-making workshops in
the area aim to introduce younger generations to
traditional craftsmanship.
Brand new home for heritage plants
A brand new herbarium has opened in Sydney’s west, at
the Australian Botanic Garden at Mount Annan. The
facility houses every new plant found in Australia since
1853 – more than a million plant specimens. The aim
of the herbarium is to protect, collect, identify, discover
and document plant species, and is located next to the Botanical specimens held at Sydney’s new herbarium. Image courtesy of
the Sydney Botanical Gardens
PlantBank, which holds a collection of seeds as an
insurance policy against wild native plant extinction. new specimens added to the collection each year. Plants
The specimens include plants collected by Sir Joseph are now held in the high-tech facility in protective vaults
Banks and Dr Daniel Solander, with more than 8000 with controlled environmental conditions.
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What’s that thingamajig?
Answer: a glove stretcher
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his contraption, known as a glove history as a form of armour, or as general protection
stretcher, was used at Simpson’s Gloves for the hand and wrist.
T
Pty Ltd around 1930. Resembling a Simpson’s Gloves was a Melbourne-based leather
clothing peg, this glove stretcher is goods manufacturer and retailer operating from 1924 to
35 centimetres long, made of pale, 1988. It produced a range of products, including coats,
varnished wood, and features a metal spring hinge to handbags and helmets – alongside gloves, of course.
help clamp open and stretch out the gauntlets. This Originally operating from Smith Street, in Fitzroy, and
particular glove stretcher was used to widen the later Alexandra Parade, in Collingwood, Simpson’s Gloves
fingers in gauntlets – a type of glove constructed from relocated to Victoria Street in nearby Richmond in 1928.
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metal plates or hardened leather. These firm, thick
materials have been used in gauntlets throughout Information and image courtesy of Museums Victoria Collections.
Uncovering Australia’s past 5
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THEN AND NOW
Cascade
&&&
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Brewery
Australia’s oldest brewery has been in operation since 1832, sitting at the foot of Mount
Wellington in South Hobart, Tasmania.
Then Now
First established in 1832 by Englishman and civil Cascade Brewery continued from strength to strength,
engineer Peter Degraves, Cascade Brewery was a leader returning profi ts amid world wars and a changing
among Tasmania’s breweries. Degraves began his Australian economy throughout the early 20th century.
career as an expert in drilling for water, and eventually Th e brewery even underwent renovations in 1927 in
migrated to Tasmania, then known as Van Diemen’s which an extension was added to allow for more modern
Land. After arriving with his wife and eight children technologies. Good times were not to last, however, as on
in 1824, Degraves and his brother-in-law, Major Hugh 7 February 1967, bushfi re spread across Hobart’s suburbs.
McIntosh, were granted 500 acres of land, and then Known as Black Tuesday, winds of up to 110 kilometres
another 2000 acres the following year – stretching out per hour were reported, spreading the deadly fi re at rapid
into Mount Wellington. Th e pair then started a sawmill speeds, and eventually killing 62 people and destroying
on the property. Unfortunately for Degraves, he had businesses. Included in the line of fi re was Cascade
accumulated a plethora of debts back in England many Brewery, whose dwelling was severely damaged. Despite
years prior, and was subsequently sent to prison in 1826. this, the brewery was back to bottling beers within three
When he was released in 1831, Degraves began work months thanks to quick restoration works.
on laying down a brewery – an idea he had allegedly After Cascade Brewery recovered from the devastating
engineered and planned while incarcerated. Cascade natural disaster, the company continued to push its
Brewery opened in 1932 and was a great success. products on an obliging Australian market. Since the
Alongside this, Degraves added a second sawmill, a 1980s, the brewery has undergone several signifi cant
fl our mill and multiple bakehouses, employing more ownership changes. In 2020, Cascade Brewery was
than 50 people. acquired by Asahi from previous owners Carlton &
After Major McIntosh died in 1834, Degraves inherited United Breweries.
his brother-in-law’s land, and became owner of over Today, Cascade Brewery isn’t just an amazing, gothic-
3200 acres across South Hobart and Mount Wellington. looking heritage building; it’s still a fully operational
Despite all the success, Degraves was still the subject brewery. A tour of the premises is available to those
of scandal and scrutiny as locals disliked how much of who wish to dive deeper into the brewery’s history of
Hobart’s water supply Degraves was using in the operation production and ownership.
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of his businesses, and this confl ict would continue up until
his death in 1852. With the business passed onto his sons,
who all died without a direct heir, the Degraves estate sold Did you know…
the brewery, and ownership fell into the hands of John
Syme in 1881 – a Scottish lawyer who had immigrated to Th e two dates on the building (1824 and 1927) refer
Melbourne. Although a change of hands was occurring, to the founding of Cascade (originally as a sawmill)
Cascade Brewery continued to thrive, exporting premium in 1824, and the extension and renovation in 1927.
beer to mainland Australia.
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RACES
THEN AND NOW
Cascade Brewery in 1930. Image courtesy of
the State Library of Victoria
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Cascade Brewery as it looks today
Uncovering Australia’s past 7
INSIGHT
Men without
country
Harrison Christian’s childhood was steeped in tales of his ancestors’ mutiny on the HMS Bounty. Here,
Christian tells us about his quest to research unanswered questions about his family and the most famous
mutiny in history.
O
n the morning of 28 April 1789, chaos broke a small boat. Now in control of the Bounty, the mutineers
out on the Royal Navy ship HMS Bounty made an about-turn and began searching the Pacific for a
as she sailed past the Tongan islands on hideout from the law.
her return voyage from Tahiti in search of Christian and his motley crew, a collection of European
breadfruit plants. Fletcher Christian, the sailors and Polynesians from various Pacific islands, could
master’s mate, and a group of followers citing unfair not have found a better hiding place. On Pitcairn Island,
treatment wielded muskets and swords in rebellion against their secret colony would evade detection for 20 years; the
Lieutenant William Bligh, ultimately casting him adrift in island’s exact location was unknown to Europeans. That
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RACES