Casey Cardinia Heritage Festival 2016

The Casey Cardinia region has a rich heritage with many treasures waiting to be discovered. Visit our Heritage Festival and delve into the history of the area through the photographic displays  provided by local heritage and historical groups and find answers to your local history questions. 

Local history books will also be available for purchase.

The Australian Great War Association will be there with a Great War display and  the Narre Warren and District Family History Group can help with genealogy queries.  If the weather is fine, Lord Casey’s Bentley will be on show.

Devonshire Teas available from the Officer Owls CWA (fee applies)

Venue: Officer Public Hall, Tivendale Road, Officer.

Free entry.

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Yakkerboo Festival turns 40!

The Yakkerboo Festival in Pakenham  is turning 40 - the Festival will be held on Sunday, April 17 and the theme is not suprisingly  - 'Living in the 70s'.  Thanks to Andrew Trotter, who has always been  a big supporter of this blog - we can trace the early days of the Festival. Andrew has spent a lot of time at the State Library of Victoria looking through the Pakenham Gazette newspapers and has supplied the following images connected to the early days of Yakkerboo. You can see  more pictures of other Yakkerboo Festivals here.

Image: Andrew Trotter from the Pakenham Gazette September 3, 1975

In the Pakenham Gazette of September 3, 1975 on page 9 there was this advertisement (above)   from the Shire of Pakenham for  a public meeting to be held on September 17 to elect a Committee to plan a 'Festival of Culture and Art'. 

Image:  Andrew Trotter  from Pakenham Gazette September 24, 1975 page 1

The Festival meeting was well attended by around 40 people representing more than 20 different organisations  including Rotary, Jaycees, Fire Brigade, Western Port Light Opera Society and the  Historical Society. 

Image:  Andrew Trotter  from the Pakenham Gazette October 15, 1975 

The next meeting  elected an executive of nine people - Deputy Shire Secretary, Ray Canobie, was elected Secretary - other committee members were Miss L. Cornwall, Cr Michael Bishop, Cr Keith Ewenson, and P.B Ronald. D.J Bourke, R. Utber., R. Walden and W. Grubb. Five sub-committees were established. According to the Pakenham Gazette report on October 15 the meeting failed to come up with a suitable name for the Festival. However there was general agreement that basically the theme of the activities should be district community involvement encompassing all ages, all towns and all walks of life . District residents were invited to submit  names for the competition and to devise an appropriate symbol.

Image:  Andrew Trotter from the Pakenham Gazette October 29, 1975 page 1

A further meeting was held and Mr Roy Walden was elected as the Chairman and other sub-committees were established. The competition for the name and the logo of the Festival attracted some good entries and the judging was to take place on November 7 1975. A report in the Pakenham Gazette of November 12 said the name Yakkerboo was selected and it was an Aboriginal word meaning 'Where the grass is green' The article did not say who suggested the name and no finality was reached in regard to an emblem.  Planning for the event took place over the next few months

Image: Andrew Trotter from the Pakeham Gazette March 27, 1976.

The emblem which was eventually selected was Mr Yakkerboo, shown above in this promotion for the Festival from the Pakenham Gazette of March 24, 1976.

Image: Andrew Trotter from the Pakeham Gazette March 27, 1976.

This article (above) from the  Pakenham Gazette of March 24, 1976 tells us some of the events that woulfd take place during the Yakkerboo Festival with the Street Parade to take place on Saturday, March 27 1976 at 11.00am. The floats started at the Recreation Reserve in Henry Street, went down John Street to Main Street and then ended up at the Pakenham Racecourse (this was before the Racecourse moved out of town to Tynong)

Image: Andrew Trotter from the  Pakenham Gazette January 21, 1976

This Festival Programme mentions the all important Queen of the Yakkerboo Festival. All the towns in the Pakenham Shire selected a 'Princess' to represent them and she would then be crowned at the Festival Ball held on Friday, March 5. Around 350 people attended the Ball held at the Pakenham High School. There were thirteen 'Princesses' but the winner was sixteen year old Sandra Burns from Officer. She was a Form Six (Year 12) student at Pakenham High and she won a trip to Tasmania and accommodation at the Wrest Point Casino. 

Image: Andrew Trotter from the Pakenham Gazette March 10, 1976

This is Sandra Burns the inaugural Queen of Yakkerboo, with local State politician, Robert Maclellan, M.L.A

Image: Andrew Trotter from the  Pakenham Gazette March 10, 1976

There were thirteen Princesses - and this photo shows (left to tight) Christine Brown (Pakenham Upper)  Julie Gow (Cora Lynn) Mary Hermans (Nar Nar Goon), Sandra, Helen Hermans (Garfield) and Kim Jones (Bunyip)  the other Princesses were Karen Davey, Mary Nicholas, Brigitte Swagemakers, Kerry Sinclair, Jan Crowley, Sandra Tomlins and Marty Smith.

Image: Andrew Trotter  from the Pakenham Gazette March 31, 1976.

The Street Parade held on March 27 1976 was a huge success with 60 floats and an estimated 3000 people in attendance. This is the Pakenham Jaycees exhibit - a five man bicycle team - with Ian Davie, Ted Sloan, Robert Noack, Russell Broadbent and Rick Annul. Russell Broadbent is now the Federal member for McMillan.

Image: Andrew Trotter  from the Pakenham Gazette March 31, 1976.

This is the Guides and Brownies float - 'Eight points of Guiding' which won the Best Community Organisation float'

Image: Andrew Trotter  from the Pakenham Gazette March 31, 1976.

Cockatoo Kindergarten float.

Congratulations to the Yakkerboo Festival for 40 successful years and hopefully 40 more to come!

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The Dandenong Journal and local Progress Associations

Trove, the National Library of Australia digitised newspaper website, are in the process of adding the Dandenong Journal from 1927 until 1954. You can access Trove at http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/

The Dandenong Journal has coverage of the old Shire of Cranbourne and Shire of Berwick so you can find lots of local content, it’s not all just about Dandenong. This post looks at the activities of local Progress Associations mainly through the correspondence they wrote to the local Councils. Many towns had Progress Associations from the late 1920s to the 1950s - Bayles, Clyde, Dalmore, Garfield, Hallam, Hampton Park, Koo-Wee-Rup, Lang Lang, Lyndhurst South, Pakenham, Pakenham South, Tooradin and Warneet to name some. Like many community organisations which rely on volunteers some formed, then were disbanded and then reformed years later. There was naturally less reporting on the Associations during the Second World War – I guess complaints about road conditions and drainage issues seemed trivial at the time, plus the community was involved with supporting the War effort.

Warneet Progress Association formed in December 1945 and one of their  activities in December 1947 was to fill the vacancies on the Warneet Foreshore Committee and to have  a site set aside for  a Public Hall (the hall still hasn’t been built). In 1953 the Progress Association asked for the construction of two ‘public conveniences’ (one at each jetty)  as even though the town had only five permanent resident families there was a big weekend population, with 40 to 50 car loads of visitors. The town had already received a grant of £1280 from the Tourist Resorts Fund but wanted the Cranbourne Shire Council to put in the remaining 25 per cent and to take responsibility for the buildings. The Council was happy to subsidise one building but felt that the Warneet Foreshore Committee should be responsible for the upkeep.

In another coastal town, the Tooradin Progress Association asked for assistance in 1928 to carry out works on the Tooradin picnic grounds but the Cranbourne Shire said no funds were available. In the same year, they complained about the state of the ‘main coast road’ – the South Gippsland Highway and also complained about the action of the Koo-Wee-Rup Progress Association in diverting traffic from Koo-Wee-Rup along to Pakenham (so thus avoiding Tooradin).

Tooradin Camping Ground, 1940s.

Dalmore Progress Association was established before the War and it re-formed in 1953 with 60 members attending the first meeting. Some of their first activities included holding a Ball, entering a float in the Coronation day procession at Koo-Wee-Rup, forming a badminton Club and notifying Council about the state of local roads and drains. In 1953 the Pakenham South Progress Association complained to the Council about Ballarto Road; they wanted it graded and the drains cleared out.

The Bayles Progress Association in 1928 asked the Cranbourne Shire Council for four lamps that they had promised them for street lighting. The same year they said that ‘approximately 20 services would be required in the sanitary area at Bayles’  -  as this would require the Council  ‘night man’ to empty the toilet pans at these properties, the Council decided that the service would be too costly. A year later they wanted a bridge built to give access to the Recreation Reserve; I am not sure where this Recreation Reserve actually was.  In 1947, they asked the Council to fence off the local bridges to assist farmers and drovers with cattle. They also asked the Council if they could take over some adjoining railway land to extend the park at Bayles, described by one Councillor as ‘a nice little park’ which had been established by the Association.

Looking west towards Harmer Road, Hallam, mid 1950s.

In August 1926 the Hallam Progress Association complained about the destruction of the red gum trees on the Princes Highway due to the construction of a telephone line by the Post Master General’s Department. They also advocated for the establishment of a branch of the Commonwealth Bank at Hallam. In July 1930, the Association was once again concerned about trees, this time, they complained about the type of trees being planted by the Country Roads Board and they felt ‘a more suitable tree should be used as the ones already planted seemed to make very little headway’. In February 1942 the Hallam Progress Association asked the Berwick Shire Council to apply to the Bill’s Trust for a water trough at Hallam. An interesting request as obviously there was still a large number of locals travelling by horse and cart, not motor vehicles, if they required a horse trough. In June 1953, the Progress Association, in conjunction with the Hallam State School ‘screened a colour film’ to mark the Coronation. In November 1954, the Association complained to the Berwick Shire Council about the lack of  a Recreation Reserve at Hallam. This was in response to the Shire purchasing land at Pakenham for a Reserve – the Hallam Progress Association ‘cannot see what development there is in Pakenham compared to Hallam in the future’ and they accused the Council of ‘lacking in foresight’ At the same Council meeting the Progress Association asked 'waht area constituted Hallam proper' -  Kays Avenue to Tinks Road, Heatherton Road to the Shire Boundary with Cranbourne Shire - the eastern section is now called Narre Warren and  the northern section is now called Endeavour Hills

Dandenong Journal November 17, 1954

In January 1944, the Pakenham Progress Association requested that the Berwick Shire widen the Main Street by reducing the size of the footpaths. The spokesperson said ‘that five feet of each footpath served no other useful purpose than to grow grass and there could be some serious accidents as some motorists parked four feet out from the kerb’

The Koo-Wee-Rup Progress Association in 1928 wanted permission from the Cranbourne Shire Council to plant trees in Rossiter Road from Denham’s Road to Henry Street. A year later they were complaining about the state of Moody Street. In June 1944, the Association put in ‘numerous requests’ to the Council - the Dandenong Journal uses this head line on more than one occasion.  ‘No less than seven requests’ were before the Council - amongst the requests they wanted a foot bridge over the Station Street drain for use of the flax mill employees; they wanted a section of Sybella Avenue sealed and they wanted Boundary Road put into a ‘serviceable condition’ The next month they put another long list of requests in including some repeat numbers from the last time, because they regarded the replies to the original list as not being satisfactory. In 1947, the Progress Association agitated for the re-location of the Shire Offices from Cranbourne to Koo-Wee-Rup which was ‘a more central situation’. There was bit of discussion about this issue and a Councillor complained that the Progress Association was always late with their correspondence (thus presumably this could not be read before the meeting) and had to be put into extra correspondence and that the ‘Association was very critical of the Council and what the Council doesn’t do’ and ‘it’s time they woke up to themselves’

Because the Dandenong Journal gave full reports on the Cranbourne Shire and Berwick Shire Council meetings including the names of people who wrote letters to the Council about various issues, and  there is also news about various local families including obituaries so if you have a long time connection to what is now the Casey Cardinia area then you might find some mention of one of your family members.  You can access the Dandenong Journal on Trove at http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/.

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Cranbourne Railway Station - electric rail service opening March 25 1995.

 Cranbourne was on the Great Southern Railway line which commenced construction in 1887 and was completed to Korumburra in 1891 and later extended to Port Albert. Passenger services beyond Dandenong ceased in June 1981 but goods services continued to operate. In 1992, the goods trains ceased and this is when the line beyond Leongatha was taken up. The passenger service was reinstated on December 9 1984 and continued to run until July 23 1993. After that every town beyond Dandenong was without  a train service, however trains returned between Dandenong and Cranbourne when the electric train line was established (there are still no trains beyond Cranbourne but that's another story) and these photographs were taken at the official opening of this electric train service to Cranbourne on March 25, 1995.

Two other stations have since been established between Dandenong and Cranbourne - Merinda Park Station opened  in conjunction with the new electrified line and Lynbrook Station opened April 2012.

Naturally at any official event there are a raft of politicians - this is Senator Gareth Evans at the podium, on the right is Robert Macellan who was then the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Pakenham. On the left is Alan Brown, Member for Gippsland West in the Legislative Assembly and Minister for Public Transport.

View of the Railway Station

Waiting for the train

A local band provided some entertainment for the occasion.

I presume this is the first train to arrive - it's nearly there!

It's getting closer!  I put this photo on our Casey Cardinia Heritage Facebook page and some-one commented that 'it was good to see that good to see that they sent down a a nice shiny train for the opening. You can still see where they washed the graffiti off it!'

 It's here!

Interestingly, the line to Pakenham was electrified from Pakenham to Warragul in 1954 and this was extended to Traralgon in 1956, due I believe to the traffic generated by the Yallourn open cut coal mines and power stations. This was  a full 40 years before Cranbourne, even though the line beyond Pakenham has now been de-electrified.

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Decimal Currency - 14th of February, 1966.

For those of us who are old enough to remember, it's been 50 years since Decimal Currency was introduced, which was on the 14th of February 1966. You may remember the catchy little jingle to the tune of 'Click goes the shears' that they used to promote the change - you can re-live it on You Tube - click on this link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZTeWLA1LAs

This is the first time I've seen it in colour - as it was before the days of colour TV. You can see another advertisement here  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6JawKH2yaQ

The Decimal Currency Board also advertised widely in local papers - these advertisements are from the Pakenham Gazette and were sent to me by Andrew Trotter.

Pakenham Gazette February 18, 1966

(Courtesy of Andrew Trotter) 

The $1.00 note was replaced by  a coin in 1984; the $2.00 note was replaced by  a coin in 1988. If you happen to have a cache of these notes they are still legal tender and can be redeemed for their face value, but some are worth more, so check with a  member of the Australasian Numismatic Dealers Association. The $5.00 note was introduced in 1967. There is interesting information about our banknotes on the Reserve Bank website. 

Pakenham Gazette February 11, 1966

(Courtesy of Andrew Trotter)

The one cent coin was  last produced in 1990 and the two cent coin in 1989. They were both withdrawn from circulation beginning February 1992. The round 50c coin was replaced by the 12 sided (or dodecagon) coin in September 1969 as some people confused it with the 20 cent coin. The Royal Mint website has some interesting information about our coins. 

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'Endeavour' streets in Endeavour Hills

Endeavour Hills was officially gazetted as a suburb on July 14 1971, and the first land sales took place on November 24, 1973. The project was first conceived in 1970 when Lewis Land Corporation purchased the 1,032 acre site (about 420 hectares). As the suburb was being developed at the same time as the 200th anniversary of the arrival of Captain Cook in the Endeavour, it was considered fitting to name the suburb after the Endeavour. The Endeavour carried members of the Royal Society, who were on board to observe the Transit of Venus in Tahiti as well as sailing crew and military personnel,  as after leaving Tahiti, Cook was instructed to 'find' the southern continent.  Around 80 Endeavour Hills streets are named after the Endeavour crew and passengers and what follows is a list of these 'Endeavour' streets, the person they were named for and their position or role  on the ship.

ANDERSON - Anderson Court - Robert Anderson A.B (Able-bodied seaman - a seaman with four years experience - they start as a Boy, then two years as an ordinary seaman and  then a year as seaman and then you can become an AB)
BANKS - Joseph Banks Crescent - Joseph Banks (1743 to 1820) Natural Historian

Sir Joseph Banks painted by Thomas Phillips

(State Library of New South Wales image)

You can read more about Sir Joseph Banks in the Australian Dictionary of Biography 

BOOTIE  - Bootie Court - John Bootie Midshipman
BRISCOE  - Briscoe Court - Peter Briscoe Joseph Bank’s servant
CHARLTON  - Charlton Court - John Charlton  Captain’s servant
CHILDS  - Childs Rise - Joseph Childs  A.B
COLLETT - Collett Rise - William Collett  A.B
COOK  - James Cook Drive - James Cook (1728 to 1779)  Captain

Captain James Cook R. N., F. R. S., from an original engraving published in London, 1784 

State Library of Victoria Image  H96.160/298 

You can read more about James Cook in the Australian Dictionary of Biography 

COX  - Cox Court - Matthew Cox A.B
DAWSON  - Dawson Court - William Dawson A.B
DOZEY  - Dozey Place - John Dozey A.B
DUNSTER  - Dunster Court - Thomas Dunster  Private
EDGCUMBE  - John Edgcumbe Way - John Edgcumbe  Sergeant
ENDEAVOUR  - Endeavour Crescent - Name of ship
GATHREY  - Gathrey Court - John Gathrey Boatswain or Boson -  foreman of the seaman - they were the link between the Officers and the seaman.
GOLDSMITH  - Goldsmith Close - Thomas Goldsmith  A.B
GOODJOHN   - Goodjohn Court - John Goodjohn  A.B
GORE  - Gore Rise - John Gore 3rd Lieutenant
GRAY  - Gray Close - James Gray A.B
GREEN - Charles Green Avenue - Charles Green  Astronomer
HAITE  - Haite Court - Francis Haite  A.B
HARDMAN - Hardman Court - Thomas Hardman Boatswain’s mate
HARVEY  - Harvey Place - William Harvey  Zachery Hick’s Servant
HICKS - Zachary Hicks Crescent -  Zachary Hicks 2nd Lieutenant
HOWSON - Howson Close - William Howson Captain’s Servant
HUGHES  - Hughes Close - Richard Hughes A.B
HUTCHINS  - Hutchins Avenue - Richard Hutchins A.B
JEFFS  - Jeffs Court - Henry Jeffs A.B
JOHNSON  - Johnson Place - Isaac Johnson  A.B
JONES -  Jones Court - Thomas Jones W illiam Monkhouse’s servant  (1)
JORDAN  - Jordan Court - Benjamin Jordan A.B  (2)
JUDGE  - Judge Rise - William Judge Private
KNIGHT  - Knight Court - Thomas Knight A.B
LEGG  - Legg Court - John Legg A.B
LINDSAY  - Lindsay Close - Alexander Lindsay A.B
LITTLEBOY  - Littleboy  Rise - Michael Littleboy A.B  (3)
MAGRA  - Magra Place - James Magra A.B
MANLEY  - Manley Close - Isaac Manley Robert Molyneux’s servant
MARRA  - Marra Court - John Marra A.B
MOLYNEUX  - Robert Molyneux Avenue - Robert Molyneux Master
MONKHOUSE  - Monkhouse -  Drive William Monkhouse Surgeon  (4)
MOODY  - Moody Place - Samuel Moody  A.B
MOREY  - Morey Rise - Nathaniel Morey John Gore’s servant
MORGAN  - Morgan Court - Peter Morgan A.B
NICHOLSON  - Nicholson Close - James Nicholson A.B
NOWELL - Nowell Court  - George Nowell A.B
ORTON  - Orton Rise - Richard Orton  Clerk
PARKER  - Parker Court - Isaac Parker 27 A.B
PARKINSON -  Sydney Parkinson Avenue - Sydney Parkinson (1745 to 1771) Natural History Artist

Sydney Parkinson

(National Library of Australia image) 

You can read more about Sydney Parkinson in the Australian Dictionary of Biography 

PAUL - Paul Court - Henry Paul Private
PECKOVER  - Peckover Court - William Peckover A.B
PERRY  - William Perry Close - William Perry Surgeon’s mate
PICKERSGILL  - Pickersgill Court - Richard Pickersgill  Master’s mate
PONTO -  Ponto Court - Antonio Ponto  A.B
PRESTON - Preston Avenue - Daniel Preston  Private
RAMSAY - Ramsay Court - John Ramsay  A.B
RAVENHILL  - Ravenhill Crescent - John Ravenhill  Sailmaker
REARDEN  - Rearden Close - Timothy Reardon  A.B
REYNOLDS - Reynolds Court - John Reynolds Charles Green’s servant
ROBERTS  - Roberts Court - James Roberts Joseph Bank’s servant  (5)
ROSSITER  - Rossiter Avenue - Thomas Rossiter Drummer (interesting occupation!)
SATTERLEY  - Satterley Close - John Satterley Carpenter
SIMMONDS  - Simmonds Place - Thomas Simmonds  A.B
SMITH  - Isaac Smith Street -  Isaac Smith Master’s mate
SOLANDER  - Daniel Solander Drive - Daniel Solander (1733 to 1782)  Naturalist

Daniel Solander by Harriet Gunn

(National Library of Australia image)

You can read more about Daniel Solander in the Australia Dictionary of Biography

SPORING - Sporing Court - Herman Sporing Assistant Naturalist
STAINSBY  - Stainsby Close - Robert Stainsby A.B
STEPHENS  - Stephens Close - Henry Stephens A.B
SUTHERLAND  - Sutherland Court - Forby Sutherland A.B
TAYLOR  - Taylor Court - Robert Taylor Armourer
TERRELL  - Terrell Close - Edward Terrell  John Satterley’s mate
THOMPSON  - Thompson Court - John Thompson  Cook
THURMOND  - Thurmond Court - John Thurmond  A.B
TRUSLOVE  - Truslove Court  - John Truslove  Corporal
TUNLEY  - Tunley Close - James Tunley  A.B
WILKINSON  - Wilkinson Way - Francis Wilkinson A.B
WILSHIRE  - Wilshire Court - William Wilshire Private
WOLF  - Wolf Court  - Archibald Wolf  A.B
WOODWORTH  - Woodworth Close - John Woodworth A.B

(1)  There were three Jones on the voyage. One was Samuel Jones, A.B. The third one was Thomas Jones, also an A.B.
(2)  There were two Jordans on the voyage. The other one was Thomas Jordan , a boatswain and Gathrey’s servant. I’m not sure which one the Court is named after.
(3)  There were two Littleboys on the voyage. The other was Richard Littleboy, A.B.    A copy of the “Endeavour Gazette”, the Endeavour Hills community newsletter lists Littleboy Rise as being named after Michael.
(4)  There were two Monkhouses on the voyage. The other was Jonathan, the brother of William. He was a  Midshipman.
(5) There were two Roberts on the voyage. The other was Daniel Roberts, a Gunner’s servant. I’m not sure which one the Court is named after.

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Jessie Traill - Harkaway Artist

Jessie was born on July 29,  1881 to  a well off family in Brighton. She was the youngest of four daughters  of George Hamilton Traill and Jessie Frances Montague Neilley. George was the Manager of the Oriental Bank in Melbourne. We have an account of Jessie's life written by her cousin, Bethia Foott (nee Anderson) in 1966. Bethia writes that when Jessie was young she was playing on the beach at Black Rock and met 'a younger friend of her father, Tom Roberts. The little girl admired him greatly. She loved to watch him painting those charming sketches he made of Port Phillip Bay, and when she grew up she formed a lasting friendship with him and his wife and little son, often meeting them when they lived in London'

Jessie Traill, c. 1920, proofing an etching by subdued light. 

State Library of Victoria Image H2000.63/6

The Traill family travelled overseas on a regular basis; when Jessie was about twelve her mother took the four girls to England and they all went to School in Switzerland. Her mother,  Jessie,  died on October 1, 1893. Bethia Foott records that when Jessie was nineteen (so about 1900) her father took Jessie and her sister Minna to Italy and sadly George died when he was overseas and the sisters had to organise his funeral. This doesn't actually tally with George's probate papers which states that he died on April 7, 1907, but this discrepancy doesn't diminish Bethia's account of Jessie's life. Thus by 1907 the four sisters were orphans  but had inherited enough to allow them to have a secure income and live independent lives. Interestingly, Bethia records,  after the death of their father, two of her sisters, Kathleen and Minna, then entered the Community of the Holy Name at Cheltenham in Victoria as Church of England nuns. Kathleen died in November 1952 and Minna in September 1964.

Jessie attended the National Gallery Schools in Melbourne from 1902 to 1906, where she was taught by Frederick McCubbin. She was one of the first women to practice etching in Australia and studied this further in London and Paris. In 1909 Jessie held her first one-woman show in Melbourne.

Review of Jessie Traill's show from Table Talk May 27, 1909

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article147570341

When the Great War broke out, Jessie went to England and joined the Voluntary Aid Detachment and nursed in a military hospital in Rouen, France from 1915 until 1919.  The State Library of Victoria has a photograph album, which belonged to Jessie, of images taken in Rouen of the hospital, the nursing staff, the soldiers and also various post cards of local towns. Click here to access the album. The State Library of Victoria has also digitised Jessie's autograph book, which is more of a sketch book rather than a traditional autograph book, you can access it here.

After the War, Jessie joined the Australian Painters-Etchers Society and had regular exhibitions. Her subjects included the Sydney Harbour Bridge, factories and mines and landscapes. Jessie and Elsie lived together at Sandringham and Elsie formed the first Red Cross shop in Melbourne where wounded war veterans could sell some of their work.  Elsie later donated money to have the E.M Traill Wing built at Janet Clarke Hall (the first Women's College)  at Melbourne University, from where she had graduated, with a Bachelor of Arts in 1898. You can read more about Elsie, here.

Shire of Berwick Rate Books entry from 1918 (click on image to enlarge) 

Jessie and Elsie  had  a local connection. According to the Shire of Berwick Rate Books (see above) Jessie and her sister Elsie purchased land at Harkaway in 1913/1914. The property consisted of  a house, and 5  acres and was part of Lot 3, Parish of Berwick ( the actual address is 238 Harkaway Road) The property was named Harfra.

Possum time: Harfra at Night etching by Jessie Traill. 

http://www.printsandprintmaking.gov.au/works/13841/images/1872/

Jessie spent time at Harkaway when she was not travelling overseas or in Australia and had a studio built on an adjacent block in 1924. Elsie died in December 1946. Harfra was sold in 1948 to her friend, Enid Joske, who was a teacher at Melbourne University and Principal of Janet Clarke Hall, but Jessie kept the the Studio on one acre of land.

Shire of Berwick Rate Books 1948 (click on image to enlarge) 

Jessie later sold the Sandringham house and lived in her Studio at Harkaway, until she died on May 15, 1967,  having lived an amazingly interesting and worthwhile life. Bethia wrote this lovely tribute to Jessie in 1966, the year before  she died.

Whether she is in England, France or Australia, Cousin Jessie, with her keen blue eyes and graceful flexible hands is loved by us all and I know of no-one elsewhere in the course  of so long a life  has done more good or helped more people,  than she has done. In all her many exhibitions she has always donated the proceeds to charity.  She has sponsored migrants, helped those in their distress; and as for us if some one needs to add a  room, replace an old car, paint  a house or buy a ram - who is that helps us? Cousin Jessie.

Deeply religious, selfless in her wants and ways, she is indeed the  truest Christian I have ever known.  And although she no longer works at her craft, those lovely hands, moving so expressively, so decisively and so surely are still as flexible and lissom as they were when she was a girl.

Jessie Traill, c. 1965  outside her house in the north of England, aged 84.

State Library of Victoria Image H2000.63/7

There is an exhibition of Jessie Traill prints on at the Geelong Gallery until February 14 2016. You can read about it here.

Jessie Traill Nature Reserve in Harkaway is on land partly donated by Jessie to the Council and is named in her honour. There is also a bell tower at the Christ Church Anglican Church in Berwick which was dedicated to the memory of Jessie on November1, 1970.

You can read more about Jessie Traill here in her entry, written by Mary Alice Lee,  in the Australian Dictionary of Biography. 

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