Albury & District Historical Society in Albury, New South Wales, Australia | Community organisation

Albury & District Historical Society

Locality: Albury, New South Wales, Australia

Address: PO Box 822 2640 Albury, NSW, Australia

Website: https://www.alburyhistory.org.au/

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25.01.2022 Construction of Hume Dam, about 1927. NSW Public Works Department were responsible for spillway construction, the focus of which has shifted to behind the coffer dam on the southern side. The coffer dam blocks off the original water course of the Murray River. The tail tower is in position, it will form the link between the spillway and the earthen embankment. The flying fox tower has been shifted to the top of the tail tower. The conveyor belt, left, brings wet concrete to t...he construction site. In the foreground, needle valves are being installed while in the background, Victorian State Rivers and Water Resources are working on the earthen embankment with its concrete core wall. Just visible in the right far background is the township of Mitta Junction. View videos describing Hume Dam construction at A&DHS YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDzIPypinJegksrO-l2ssVg For more details of construction of Hume Dam, visit https://alburyhistory.org.au/hume-dam/ See more

24.01.2022 In December 1946, Albury was proclaimed and gazetted a city. Albury & District Historical Society are gearing-up to participate in celebrations to recognise 75 years since that important milestone. The official proclamation was made by the Governor of NSW on April 10, 1947, to start the local celebrations. Dr Bruce Pennay has written, produced and narrated three YouTube videos in the series ‘From the Ground Up’ as a prelude to the recognition of this important milestone. The three programs are titled ‘Becoming Albury,’ Becoming Albury City’ and Becoming Albury Wodonga.’ You will find links to these videos at https://alburyhistory.org.au/eventsactivities/ Or visit A&DHS YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDzIPypinJegksrO-l2ssVg

23.01.2022 Farmers and Graziers wool stores photographed from the top of New Albury Hotel in the early 1940s and again in August 2020. F&G wool stores was once the largest in Australia, built in 1929, extended in 1933 and four more times by 1960. In 1962 floor space totalled 2.75ha. After F&G moved out the Australian Taxation Office moved in and operated from the building before moving to the other side of Smollett St and a block to the east. Quest Apartments now occupy part of the building. In the foreground is the back of the Royal Palais which was the venue for all sorts of functions, from Formal Balls to boxing tournaments to ice skating.

23.01.2022 St Patrick’s Church was blessed and opened on November 24, 1872. St. Patrick’s was Albury’s second Catholic church. The first church, St. Brigid’s, was built in 1858 as a brick schoolroom. It continued as a school after St. Patrick’s was completed and was demolished in 1938.

22.01.2022 A colourised view of Albury in the late 1880s, taken from Western Hill and looking north-east. Facing east in Thurgoona Street is the Albury Gaol, built in 1861-62 where Cahill Place is now. Facing the gaol across the street is a cottage that still exists on Thurgoona Street. This side of the gaol is the site of Albury’s first showgrounds, but by the time this photo was taken, the showgrounds had moved to the corner of Young & Guinea Streets. The original meandering path of the Bungambrawatha Creek can be seen in the background.

21.01.2022 Looking east along Dean St early in the 20th century. The street is still unpaved, the avenue of elms in the Botanic Gardens is well advanced, beyond that Burrows’ Hume Flour Mill on the corner of Wodonga Place. On the northern side of Dean St the Albury Club Hotel is on the site now occupied by Atura and the Post Office clock can be seen and St Matthew’s Church along Kiewa St.

21.01.2022 Wine cellars on the corner of Swift & Young streets - opened by August Wilhelm Berberich in the late 19th century. Berberich was born 1835 in Baden, Germany, trained as a vigneron, came to Melbourne 1861, settled in Albury 1863. He worked for J T Fallon for 14 years before opening his own cellars on the corner of Swift & Young streets, passing 6000 gallons through the business annually. An advertisement in the ‘Albury Banner’ of December 1, 1899: TO LET, for a term of not le...ss than five years, the old-established and well-known WINE BUSINESS carried on by the undersigned, at the corner of Swift and Young streets, Albury, opposite the entrance to the railway goodsheds. The premises contain 12 rooms, including large bar (23ft x 19ft), cellar (45ft x16ft), also smaller cellar, large shed and yard, woodshed, vegetable garden, and trellised vines. This is a first-class opportunity for an energetic man. The tenant will have the option of taking at a valuation about 1500 gallons (more or less) old wine, 5000 gallon empty wine casks .... apply AUGUST W. BERBERICH, Albury. Berberich died in January 1911 and in February the cellar equipment was advertised for sale in the ‘Border Morning Mail.’ Other licensees included Freidrick Simpfendorfer, William Frieg and John Peter Frauenfelder. In 1959 Mr & Mrs James Evans, who had run the business for 12 years sold the business and the site became a petrol station. Today the site is a tyre business. See more

20.01.2022 The old Albury Courthouse was completed 1860. This courthouse was designed by the Colonial Architect Alexander Dawson in the palladian style. It was built out of local grey granite by Thomas Allen of Albury. In the press gallery there has been a tradition for journalists to carve their names. The first Clerk of Petty Sessions was John Roper, who had been a member of Leichhardt’s 1844 expedition.

19.01.2022 The ‘Then’ photo is from the early 1940s taken from the top of the New Albury Hotel (opened 1939), the 'Now' photo taken from almost the same position August 27, 2020. 'Then' photo: bottom left is the Court House Hotel, opened 1872, closed when purchased by Mates in 1964. Then three shops built in the nineteenth century by John McDonald, owned by Mates in 1899 and in 1900 the veranda and balcony were constructed over the footpath. Occupants included Hines’ Butchery at the so...uthern end, Riverina Motors and Motor Cycles and Riverina Office Service. The gap in verandas is Volt Lane then what was once the Rose Hotel which opened in 1852 and closed in 1904, part of it later becoming a private hotel (1936). The Riverina Steam Laundry opened in January 1923 in Volt Lane, the Albury Banner reporting On Tuesday the newly-organised works of the Riverina Steam Laundry Co, Ltd, commenced operations with a full staff. The washing and collecting operations will be in charge of Mr E Bockman. In October 1932 the Border Morning Mail advertised: For first-class dry cleaning and pressing at reduced prices. The Riverina Steam Laundry Co Ltd, Volt Lane, Albury, Phone 410 (collecting & delivery free). In the background is the Catholic Church precinct, left to right Christian Brothers College, St Patrick’s Church, St Joseph’s Ladies College and St Patrick’s Hall. The edge of St Patrick’s Hall, some of St Patrick’s School (formerly SJLC and Xavier HS) and the historic old Moreton Bay Fig are the only survivors visible in the ‘Now’ photo other buildings in the Catholic precinct obscured by the Tax Office and Mantra Hotel. See more

19.01.2022 Albury Pool, 1940s. Youngsters for decades ‘showed off’ as the dived (or ‘bombed’) from the board at Albury Pool - the pool was rebuilt to Olympic standard, tiled, chlorinated and re-opened by the Mayor (Alderman Padman) in February 1940.

18.01.2022 The eastern end of Dean Street. The Regent Theatre, now Cinema Centre, was built in 1926/7 by Louis Harrison assisted by Alan Bogle for Betro Abikhair. The building included eight shops. In the ‘Albury Banner’ of March4, 1927: REGENT THEATRE THE PRIDE OF ALBURY. Although opened only a fortnight, Hoyt’s Regent Theatre, Albury, has already secured a very large clientele. There has been a screening of remark-ably fine pictures every night, and, although the theatre is capable... of holding 1800 people, the greater part of this wonderfully fine building was fully occupied last Saturday night the theatre appeals for its restful, beautiful and commodious qualities. The management has made arrangements for a continuous supply of the best pictures on the market, besides musical and vaudeville programmes of good quality, so that every taste is being provided for. The high-grade orchestra is one of the features of the excellent management of the Regent." See more

17.01.2022 The ‘Then’ photo is from the 1930s, looking west on Dean Street from the Kiewa street corner. On the corner is the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney. The sign labelling the Richmond Hotel is on a pub better known since the late 1870s as the Albury Hotel. It became part of a chain owned by the Richmond brewery they operated from this site until completion in 1939 of the New Albury Hotel around the corner. Next to the hotel is Coles Albury Store (its sign just visible). Further down is Seymour’s Albion Hotel. The old Albion was demolished in 1940 and the new Art Deco style Albion opened in 1941 The Bank of Australasia is next to the Albion.

17.01.2022 Visit our website at https://alburyhistory.org.au/ for photos and articles about our local past. And while there, why not consider becoming a member. Many of our members can't make it to meetings so it's ok to be a 'passive' member. For just $30 a year or $35 for families, you will help the Society to ‘collect, investigate, research, record, preserve, exhibit, facilitate, discuss and publish material relevant to our region’s rich heritage.’ For example, our work, with Wodonga Historical Society, will have contributed 80,000 pages to NLA’s Trove website before the end of this year, taking the ‘Albury Banner’ back to 1860 and the ‘Border Morning Mail’ forward into 1951.

16.01.2022 Albury High School celebrates 100 years. Prior to 1920, secondary education in Albury was provided by the Albury District School which was located in the now Albury Public School precinct. On February 2, 1920 Albury High School was founded in temporary accommodation in the old hospital buildings on the western side of Thurgoona Street on the corner with Pemberton Street. In 1916 the NSW Department of Education had purchased the land on which the Albury High School now stands. At a cost of 26,137 the building, which now symbolizes Albury High School, was completed. The building was opened on March 28, 1928 by the Minister for Education, Hon D H Drummond.

16.01.2022 75 YEARS SINCE VP-DAY, 1945. At 9 am an August 15, 1945, St Matthew’s Church bells pealed to announce to locals Japan’s surrender to end World War II. The photo was taken in September 1945 at Albury Railway Station when a train carrying the first prisoners of war released from a Japanese prison camp travelled by NSW Hospital Train to Albury, where they were transferred to the 6th Australian Ambulance Train for the trip to Melbourne. Red Cross worker Mrs M Coleman gives a small gift to Private B R Francis (an Australian War Memorial photo).

15.01.2022 Not as cold as this today (August 21) but felt like it - snow in Dean St, July 15, 1966. Taken looking west on the corner of Dean and David streets. A photo from the Dallinger Collection.

14.01.2022 On the corner of Dean and Olive streets is the Union Bank building (it became the ANZ Bank, then Angus & Robertson’s book store then WAW Credit Union) which opened on April 3, 1907. Beyond that is Oakley Photographics, now Foto Supplies Camera House. The following article appeared in the Albury Banner of February 5, 1904: Mr Oakley’s Photographic Establishment. Slowly but surely the business places in Dean street are extending eastwards. One of the latest instances is affor...ded by the opening of the commodious premises just erected by Mr Oakley, photographer, near the corner of Olive street. In connection with this subject it may not be out of place to mention a little incident showing that in photographic art as in some other lines, Albury is able to hold its own. A few years back a member of the Banner staff was in London, and had with him a number of portraits all from the studio of Mr Oakley. Some of these were seen by a member of a London firm of photographers, who spoke in high terms of the excellence of the work, and expressed much surprise when informed that they were taken in a provincial town in Australia. See more

14.01.2022 A re-post. James Walsh was issued with a license to open in 1874 the Builders Arms Hotel at 502 Guinea Street. When Mrs Jane Poole took over as licensee in 1879 she changed the name to the Star. A later licensee was Mrs Margaret Merkel, granted the license in February 1902. The Star is still on the same site today, on the corner of Olive and Guinea streets, but with bigger premises built around the old hotel.

13.01.2022 A 1925 photo featuring Dean St verandahs. Looking east between Kiewa and Olive streets and including the Town Hall Hotel and the George Hotel.

13.01.2022 A colourised pre-1907 photo. The closest building was built as Albury’s telegraph office (1870) but later became the Town Hall. It was demolished in 1907 to make way for a new Town Hall, which is now part of MAMA. Then the Lands Office (c1880, also now part of MAMA), the Court House (1860) and the Albury Post Office (first PO on the site opened 1861, replaced by the present PO in 1879).

12.01.2022 Albury’s first Post Office was gazetted in March 1843. The original building on the present site was a two-storey granite structure built for the Telegraph Office in 1861 and incorporated a section to be used as a Post Office. This did not occur as the Post Office was sited at various other locations. In 1870 when the Telegraph Office was relocated, the Post Office was established on this site. In 1877, plans drawn in the Victorian Free Classical style by Colonial Architect J...ames Barnet were issued for a revamped Post Office incorporating the old building. The principle business area was to be Dean Street and the arcaded Kiewa Street frontages. Built by Alexander Frew, a wing was devoted to private accommodation for the postmaster and at the northern end of the building was the stables and buggy house. The first floor was 6 rooms with a large dining room and incorporated the clock tower. The clock was supplied and installed by Mr Angelo Tomaghi. [In the late 1800s the Milan born immigrant won contracts with the New South Wales government. His turret clocks were installed in Post Offices at Albury, Orange, Forbes, Maitland, Lismore, Tamworth, Dubbo and Yass.] The Albury Post Office clock first struck in November 1879. In 2011, the building was placed on the Commonwealth Heritage List. See more

11.01.2022 Ralph Murdaca has sent this photo to all historical societies, asking for help in trying to identify the gentleman in the photo. If you have any clues you can contact Ralph at [email protected] He has the following message: I am trying to establish the origin, as I don't know if he is Australian or maybe American, and also the era the photo was taken. Some factors that could help, would be the gentleman's clothing, (especially the hat), the gun, the fact the negative wa...s taken on sheet film, and the type of camera that would have taken this photo. These, plus other factors that experts might use, could help me in my research. Maybe, someone might recognise him. All I have to go on, is that I picked up the negative at a jumble sale in Kiama, and that the negative is approx 6 x 9cm in size. I also know that the picture might not be local, as the negative was originally purchased at an auction and then on sold at the jumble sale. I've been trying since January this year to research it and have had no luck. So I'm reaching out to all historical societies, asking if they could post this image on their Facebook page with my request in identifying the gentleman. See more

10.01.2022 The Globe Hotel (Richard Rankin licensee) and Albury Post Office in about 1910. The ‘Border Morning Mail’ announced in June 1919 that Mr Richard Rankin and his wife were handing over the license of the Globe Hotel to Mr and Mrs Holland. The Rankins had been licensees of the Globe for twelve years.

09.01.2022 Albury Base Hospital, Wodonga Place. The first Albury Hospital opened in 1861 in Thurgoona street. The Wodonga Place hospital opposite the Botanic Gardens was officially opened on February 22, 1918 and said to have cost about 30,000. The Albury Hospital became the Albury Base Hospital in 1953. The Wodonga Place buildings were demolished after the new Albury Base Hospital in Borella Rd opened on October 4, 1994.

08.01.2022 Anzac Day march in Dean Street, just west of David Street in the 1940s. Not many viewing the march on that part of Dean St, but better than no march at all. On the David Street corner is the ‘Big Store’ of Betro Abikhair. Cox Brothers was a chain of department stores across Victoria, Albury having the only NSW store.

08.01.2022 A colourised photo [original, AlburyCity Collection] of the Albury Railway Station and Stationmaster’s residence, opened February 1882. In the early photo (c1882), the platform was quite a modest length, but extensions to the platform were made in 1902, 1907, 1914 and finally in 1920, when an extra 200 feet brought its total length to 1,542 feet or 460 metres. The Albury Railway Extension or Great Southern Railway was officially opened on February 3, 1881 by Mr John Lackey,... NSW Minister for Public Works. The event was a grand occasion attended by guests including NSW Premier Sir Henry Parkes and Victorian Premier Mr Graham Berry. The Albury Railway Station was not opened until February 26 the following year. It was designed and constructed under the supervision of John Whitton, engineer-in-charge for NSW Railways. Albury Railway Station is historically significant for its association with the development of the NSW railway network in the late nineteenth century. More particularly, it has historical importance for its strong association with Federation. The station demonstrates colonial rivalry in the pre-Federation period. The grand nature of the station was a statement by colonial NSW, affirming the perception at the time that NSW is superior to Victoria. A banquet to celebrate the linking of the colonies (albeit on different gauges) took place in the now removed engine house. The station later became a common site for the lobbying of politicians, transferring between trains, by Albury residents in support of Albury's claim to be the site for the national capital. See more

08.01.2022 Looking south from the corner of Dean and Kiewa streets in the 1950s. On the left is Mates Department store, it had occupied the site since October 1899 (their first store burnt down in December 1915). Then comes the Town Hall Hotel, first mentioned on the site in 1872. Further down was the Rose Hotel which opened in 1852 and demolished in 1967. On the right hand side is the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney - it had occupied the site since 1911 after opening in 1859 on the corner of Smollett & Townsend street (now Kmart). After CBC merged with National Bank in 1982 it is now occupied by NAB. Beyond that is the Albury Chambers and then the New Albury Hotel which opened in July 1939.

08.01.2022 White Horse Hotel, Bowna - 12 miles north of Albury on the old Sydney Road, the White Horse opened for business on January 1, 1859, the first licensee being John Hunter Kirkpatrick. The site of the hotel is now under the water of the Hume Weir, but when the water level is low, the cellar of the hotel is visible, though full of silt (the green patch in the 'Now' photo). William Boundy became licensee in 1891 and he is the man with the white beard in the middle of this photogra...ph. When the hotel was offered for auction in 1912, the Albury Banner of July 26, 1912 advertised: The Hotel is situated at the junction of the main Sydney and Upper Murray roads, in the township of Bowna, 12 miles from Albury and 4 miles from Tabletop railway station, and comprises about 20 rooms, bathroom, dairy, stables (10 stalls, 5 looseboxes), large buggy shed, large hay shed, pig sties, sheep yards, and all necessary outbuildings ... The township of Bowna includes 2 stores, butcher’s shop, post and telegraph office, savings bank, public school, School of Arts, etc. For more details refer to the document 'Bowna Village' at https://alburyhistory.org.au/resources/history-topics/ See more

07.01.2022 Albury & District Historical Society receives generous support from local businesses, most of them have been part of Albury for many years supporting our community - please give them your support. The Commercial Club provides a venue for our monthly meetings, KwikKopy in Swift St look after our printing requirements, Coxtech Computers in Wagga Rd host our website, AlburyCity, Lester & Son in Mate St, Baker Motors Albury and Wodonga, ThinkPilates in Dean St, Hume Bank, Citi Cafe in Olive St, Manny Gonzales at Elders Real Estate and Rotary Clubs of Hume, Albury North and Albury. If you would like your business to be added to this list, details are at https://alburyhistory.org.au/about/membership/

07.01.2022 The firm, Edgar Passant and Co Pty Ltd, operated a car dealership at 535 Olive Street Albury. Edgar (and his son, Barrie) sold Hillman, Humber, Sunbeam Talbot cars and Commer trucks, from small utilities to large milk tankers. These premises were required (along with other buildings) for the new Court House (1987) and the new (but not current) Police Station was built in 1961. The business moved to the opposite side of the road and a block north, to new showrooms at 586 Olive Street. Edgar retired from business around 1967. The advert in the second image is from the 'Border Morning Mail' April 1947. Also having to make way for the new buildings was the old St Matthew's Hall seen on the left.

06.01.2022 Made in Lavington: Prized Produce from Black Range and Beyond - Albury LibraryMuseum are planning an exhibition at Lavington Library, which will showcase early produce and industry in the region A focus will be on the Lavington orchards, and they are putting out a call for any photographs or items that relate to orcharding in the area. If you are interested in the possibility of loaning any items that will help to tell this story, please email [email protected] o...r phone 02 60238333. Photo - Frauenfelder prunes sun drying. John Frauenfelder (1835-1918) was the founder of prune growing in NSW at 'Pioneer Orchard'. The first case of dried prunes was sent as a gift to King George V. Wendelin Valentine Frauenfelder (1867-1928) assisted his father developing the orchard in Lavington. Albert Wendelin Frauenfelder took over the business in 1932. See more

04.01.2022 LEST WE FORGET! Library & Museum@Home - with Albury LibraryMuseum being closed, they have created some "virtual exhibitions" including one worth connecting with on Anzac weekend, 'The Trumpet Calls: Albury’s World War One Battery'- it explores the unique link between the French town of Noreuil and Albury. Other online exhibitions include the recent Aussie-Dutch exhibition and a virtual tour of MAMA (Murray Art Museum Albury). For these and more, go to https://www.alburycity.nsw.gov.au//museum-and-libr/at-home Photo - a group of returned ANZACS working at Norueil Park (from the Albury Collection, Albury Library Museum).

04.01.2022 ALBURY CELEBRATES VE DAY 75 YEARS AGO VE Day is the day of the formal acceptance by the Allies of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on 8 May 1945. Albury celebrated on May 9, the ‘Border Morning Mail’ reporting that About 2000 people attended a memorable combined service in Dean Square yesterday morning to give thanks for the victory in Europe. The Mayor (Alderman D G Padman) presided, and an address on the implications of victory was given by Rev ...D M Harper a march of about 100 returned soldiers, led by a military band, took place in Dean St Earlier in the morning, returned soldiers made a pilgrimage to the war memorial, where a short service was held by the RSL. Special services were held at various churches during the day. The three photos are from the BMM of May 19, 1945. Celebrations were said to be subdued as war with Japan in the Pacific continued, not ending until August. See more

04.01.2022 A colourised view of Albury in the late 1880s, taken from Western Hill and looking along Dean Street (Thurgoona St heading north). The rows of young elm trees in the Botanic Gardens, still there today, can be seen. Along Dean St is the Hume Flour Mill (on the Wodonga Place corner), the Albury Club Hotel (the site of Atura in 2020). Just visible are buildings on Kiewa St include from right: Fallon Cellars (site of Quest), Temperance Hall (corner of Stanley St), Oddfellows Hall (building still exists as Belbridge Hague), behind is Methodist Church (now part of Albury police precinct), St Matthew’s Church, Albury Post Office. Albury railway sheds at the top of Dean St and Albury Railway Station (upper right corner, opened 1883) can be seen and beyond that the rows of vineyards on Eastern Hill.

03.01.2022 This corner has changed again with the Astor undergoing refurbishing. Ethelstan/Mugwee, corner of Young & Guinea St - known originally as Ethelstan, from 1880 it was the home of George Edward Mackay, a local grazier. Mackay became part of numerous local organisations including the Albury Agricultural Society where he was vice-president from 1882-1902 and secretary in 1899. He died in 1902 and in September 1907 the Show Society commemorated a drinking fountain to his memory. M...rs Jesse Hore, widow of Andrew Hore, lived in the house until she died in August 1914 - she renamed the house Mugwee House after the Hore family property at Bowna. The house was listed for auction and described in the ‘Albury Banner’ of October 16, 1914: This house is substantially built of brick, and contains 10 rooms, kitchen, laundry, cellar, also weatherboard stables with loft, buggy shed, detached brick room, fowlhouse and outbuildings, splendid vegetable and flower garden. In August 1916, the home was purchased by Richard Leahy of Howlong. He sold the house in October 1922 and Mugwee became a boarding house. The house was demolished in 1961 and the site is now occupied by the Astor Motel. See more

02.01.2022 A colourised photo of ‘Caerleon,’ this fine home was on the south-east corner of Hume St and Wodonga Place. The allotment was Lot 1, Section 1 of the Albury township (as surveyed by Thomas Townsend) and was the first sold as recorded in the 'Government Gazette' of December 24, 1839 sold to Daniel McLean for 8/13/4. 'Caerleon' was built by Thomas Mate for his daughter Sophia in the 1870s. In 1923 the house was sold to Dr Schlink and in 1937 it was bought by Joseph Breen, renamed ‘Ranelagh’ and became a guest house. It was demolished in 1958 to become a tyre service. The site is now occupied by a car dealership. Visit our website at https://alburyhistory.org.au/ for more photos and articles relating to Albury rich heritage.

02.01.2022 Dean Street looking west in about 1920. From the right, the tallish building in the distance next to Cannons is McLennan’s Department Store, then Cannon’s Albury Hotel which Henry Cannon took over in August 1917. On the south-west corner of Dean & Kiewa streets is the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney, they established there in 1911. Mates Ltd is on the south-east corner then the tall building is the ‘Albury Banner’ building and next to that the second AMP building to occu...py that site after the first burnt down in December 1885. Then AMP Lane, and on this side of the lane a building that started as Patrick Fallon’s wine & spirits store (cellar beneath) but later Friedman’s General Store, then Fred Vines florist and when the photo was taken George Malouf draper had the store. On the left-hand side is the Town Hall Hotel, established in 1881 and closed its doors in 1962, its licence being transferred to the Astor Hotel-Motel in Young Street. See more