Launceston Historical Society, Tasmania in Launceston, Tasmania | Community organisation

Launceston Historical Society, Tasmania

Locality: Launceston, Tasmania

Phone: +61 3 6331 4890

Address: PO Box 1296 7250 Launceston, TAS, Australia

Website: http://www.launcestonhistory.org.au

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25.01.2022 OUR HISTORY NO. 152 Helen Reddy’s Tasmanian Connections Marion Sargent, Launceston Historical Society...Continue reading

25.01.2022 Northern Exposure history article Ballrooms of Romance, Glitz and Glamour MARION SARGENT, LAUNCESTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY...Continue reading

24.01.2022 Fairey Seaplanes at Beauty Point Australia’s aviation future made a real splash in Tasmania NIGEL BURCH, LAUNCESTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY...Continue reading

24.01.2022 OUR HISTORY NO. 153 Furore at Frankford divided the town Nigel Burch, Launceston Historical Society.... Frankford, west of Exeter, was a late bloomer. It was hilly, densely forested country, without the benefit of a road, and only the hardiest settlers could survive; people who had strong personal reasons for getting away from civilisation. The earliest were perhaps John Wade and Tommy Jubb, arriving in the 1850s. Wade was a former pirate, while the Jubbs were ex-convicts. Tommy’s back was a mass of scars from floggings at Port Arthur yet he and his wife Ann were the most decent, generous and honest people you’d ever meet. As the 1880s began, land near town became scarce and British immigrants were directed to newly-released forest country along the often impassable track inland from Glengarry. The area became known as Green’s Creek Road, because it was on the track going to the settlement of Green’s Creek at Port Sorell. The new chums weren’t farmers. They were city men. Retired army officers from India, drapers, a bootmaker and even a former member of the London Stock Exchange! The first wave included John Durand. He arrived from England in 1881, setting up the People’s Store in Elizabeth Street, Launceston and a branch shop and residence in Frankford the first store in the district. About the same time Sergeant-Major Edwin Kern came via Burma. With the lack of roads, the settlement hugged the track and strung out over miles. It was inevitable that the interests of the easterners would not be the same as the westerners. As more people arrived, Kern took up a petition for a post office. This was successful and Mr Durand was appointed postmaster from July 1, 1883. Kern was furious. It was his petition and he expected to be appointed postmaster. A furore erupted in the newspapers, dragging in the Postmaster-General. Residents split, with those in the east supporting Kern and those in the centre and west supporting Durand. Mr Durand was bewildered. He’d offered to do the job for free, and had the only commercial premises! Seeking to avoid controversy, he resigned. A petition was then taken up beseeching the PMG not to accept the resignation. The PMG agreed, backing Mr Durand. Strong words and veiled threats were flying. Eventually the Editor of The Launceston Examiner put his foot down and refused to take any more letters or reports on the subject. It was unfair, he said, as Mr Durand was a public appointee and couldn’t defend himself. You are alienating friends and injuring the district, he told correspondents sternly. Mr Kern then retaliated by opening a second store for Frankford, in opposition to Durand. It wasn’t well patronised though, and soon closed. Frankford grew despite the fuss and gained a government school from the start of 1885. But the feuding continued. Two churches and two public halls were built, for example, where they only needed one. Published in The Sunday Examiner, November 1, 2020, page 51.

23.01.2022 OUR HISTORY NO. 146 Northern Tasmanian Camera Club The Early Days Behind the lens the adventures of a city’s intrepid shutterbugs...Continue reading

22.01.2022 Have a look at the new mural on the side of the IGA in Perth. Governor Macquarie is passing through! Photos by Jai Paterson.

21.01.2022 OUR HISTORY NO. 144 Mark Lewis Henn Town was victim of genuine gold digger... BY NIGEL BURCH, LAUNCESTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY Mining towns often attract crooks, and Beaconsfield wasn’t immune. One of the most colourful was Mark Lewis Henn. Mark was born in Hobart Town in 1845 to a very ordinary military family, but he wasn’t satisfied with ordinary. From an early age he called himself Louis and sometimes Marcus. As a young man he had a talent for graphic art, which would lead naturally to forgery later in life. He joined the Survey Dept as a lithographer and gained considerable respect for his skill, but this wasn’t enough. He wanted wealth and fame. While still in the public service he started up a rabid rag called the Tasmanian Tribune, which specialised in applauding corrupt politicians like Dr William Crowther and libelling statesmen such as former Premier Tom Chapman. There was a part of the Hobart electorate that loved to support scoundrels and slander statesmen. Henn’s ongoing attacks on his own Minister and frequent absences from work led to an ultimatum sell the newspaper or resign from the public service. He chose the latter, which proved a poor decision. He went spectacularly bankrupt in 1877, with nothing left even for secured creditors. Feeling a compelling urge to move north, he ended up in Adelaide where, in those pre-internet days, there was little chance people would know or find out about his past. There he operated a printing business quietly for a few years, before suddenly disappearing. He surfaced in Beaconsfield in 1897 and obtained work in the mine office. This wasn’t enough of course, and he looked around for other opportunities. Seeing a shortage of building materials, he contracted with the only local brickmaker, Jimmy Edwards, to take everything the latter could produce at 29 shillings a thousand. Then having a monopoly, he forced Beaconsfield homebuilders to pay him 45s 6d a thousand. But he wanted more. He stood unsuccessfully for Council in 1901, immediately after which a major fraud came to light at the mine and he was arrested. It turned out that, as paymaster, he’d inserted 25 dummy names on the mine payroll. Every fortnight he would sign for these fake workers and pocket their pay packets! His prosecution was handled personally by the Solicitor-General. The publicity spread to the mainland, and during the trial the Beaconsfield court was astonished by the appearance of a Mrs Annie Henn from Adelaide. Flourishing a marriage certificate and photo of Henn, she filed for desertion and maintenance of her and their children. Henn then pleaded guilty to forgery and uttering at the mine and was sentenced to two years gaol. Upon release from prison he became an accountant in NSW. There, using a false name, he lied about his age and married a lady 42 years his junior, before dying in 1926. A street is named after him in Beaconsfield today. Published in The Sunday Examiner, August 30, 2020, page 23.

21.01.2022 OUR HISTORY NO. 150 Indomitable Mary Cox took the reins Nigel Burch, Launceston Historical Society...Continue reading

20.01.2022 NEW LOCAL HISTORY BOOK "On the Town" Here is a new history book with the fascinating title of "On the Town: Prostitutes and Brothels of 19th Century Launceston", by Dianne Cassidy.... Get in early to secure your copy of this limited print run, 199 pages, and meticulously researched! The cost is only $25 collected from Launceston (postage extra). Drawing on the real experiences of women who lived ‘on the town’ in nineteenth century Launceston, this book reveals a dark underbelly of prostitution and crime. Taken together, these previously untold stories paint a vivid picture of the struggle for survival in society’s lowest ranks. Contact Dianne by email to arrange pick up or delivery: [email protected]

18.01.2022 OUR HISTORY NO. 148 A Man of Honour Green a man of unparalleled principles...Continue reading

18.01.2022 https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=722330028401829

18.01.2022 There is a Launceston connection with this fascinating story.

17.01.2022 OUR HISTORY NO. 157 The Women’s Christian Temperance Union and the vote for women Union at forefront in fight for political rights of women...Continue reading

17.01.2022 OUR HISTORY NO. 146 Northern Tasmanian Camera Club The Early Days Behind the lens the adventures of a city’s intrepid shutterbugs...Continue reading

17.01.2022 OUR HISTORY 142 Mary Fox & MLC Launceston students had their very own fantastic Miss Fox...Continue reading

15.01.2022 For those interested in Tasmanian churches have a look at this website, "Tasmanian Pictorial Church Index". Maureen Martin Ferris, from the East Coast Heritage Museum, presented a fascinating talk on the project today at the Tasmanian Family History Society's Launceston branch AGM. https://taschurches.org/home

15.01.2022 The Launceston Historical Society lecture advertised in the Seniors Week program for the 18th October is not going ahead. All our Sunday lectures have been postponed until next year. Sorry for any inconvenience.

15.01.2022 OUR HISTORY NO. 156 Killiecrankie’s Day in Court Gems bedazzled London’s legal eagles...Continue reading

14.01.2022 An Infamous Business Sex scandal, claims of coercion sullied city’s reputation DIANNE CASSIDY, LAUNCESTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY...Continue reading

14.01.2022 OUR HISTORY NO. 143 Plaza Theatre An art deco delight was a luxurious hub of modern cinema...Continue reading

14.01.2022 A ROYAL SOCIETY OF TASMANIA EVENT You are invited to a Zoom webinar. When: Sunday 22 November 2020 at 1:30 PM Launceston, Tas.... Topic: Patriotism and Place in 19th Century Tasmania Register in advance for this webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us//register/WN_vZVV0CeMScWRq2ER3nDEtA After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. ---------- Webinar Speaker Professor Henry Reynolds, FAHA, FASSA (Honorary Research Professor, Aboriginal Studies, Global Cultures & Languages @ University of Tasmania) Henry Reynolds grew up and was educated in Tasmania at Hobart High School and the University of Tasmania with a B.A. (Hons.) and an M.A. With his wife Margaret he spent several years teaching in London, returning to Australia in 1965 to take up a lectureship in the new Townsville University College. He spent most of his career in North Queensland. Best known for his many books, articles and documentaries about the relations between Aborigines and settlers. Prof. Reynolds has published several articles about the Honourable Andrew Inglis Clark, including the entry on Clark in the Australian Dictionary of Biography.

13.01.2022 The president and committee members of the Launceston Historical Society wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We look forward to being more active in 2021, holding our monthly lectures as listed on our website.

13.01.2022 OUR HISTORY NO. 145 From Wilderness to World Heritage People power made cradle of wilderness true global treasure...Continue reading

12.01.2022 OUR HISTORY NO. 149 The Lure of Lilydale Lilydale’s rise a study in persistence and community spirit...Continue reading

12.01.2022 OUR HISTORY NO. 160 Gatty Campbell Town’s first high-flyer NIGEL BURCH, LAUNCESTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY... It is no surprise that Campbell Town claims famous aviator Harold Gatty as its own. There’s a Gatty Memorial Park on the highway and a Gatty room at the museum in the Town Hall. What is surprising is that Harold shared this sense of belonging. After all, he left the town when he’d just turned two years old and would have no memory of it. Harold was born in 1903, the fourth of six children belonging to James and Lucy Gatty. The Gattys were originally from Fingal, where Harold’s grandfather John owned the Talbot Arms Hotel, later renamed the Fingal Hotel. Harold’s father James was sent as a boy to Marist College in Sydney, where he excelled in geology, geometry and geography and won a scholarship to become a teacher. In 1900 Harold’s family were in Pontville, where his father was principal. James Gatty then swapped positions with the principal at the Campbell Town School in order to get closer to home. The family loved Campbell Town. Not only was there the school, but also a unit of army volunteers. James became a Captain in the Tasmanian Infantry Regiment and was a champion marksman. Disaster struck at the beginning of 1905, when the Education Department compulsorily transferred James to become head of the Zeehan School. There was no appeal and no compensation for all the costs they incurred in moving. As Harold grew up, it’s certain he often heard of the injustice and longing of his parents to return to their friends and familiar surrounds at Campbell Town. In 1909 James Gatty wreaked vengeance on the department, when a Royal Commission was held into the conduct of the Director of Education, Mr Neale. Neale had incurred the wrath of the Teachers’ Union for introducing major reforms. The reforms were undeniably needed, but the director lacked tact in introducing them and found himself friendless at the enquiry. James Gatty was a star witness and recounted at length about how imperiously the Director had acted and how badly he’d been treated. The Director had to resign, but it didn’t get the family back home. James took a job as Council Clerk at Zeehan, where Harold seemed to thrive, winning a scholarship to St Virgil’s in Hobart before becoming an officer cadet in the Navy in 1917. When Harold became world-famous in 1931 after his round-the-world flight with Wiley Post, he was decorated by US President Herbert Hoover and asked to become a US citizen. When he refused, saying he wanted to remain Tasmanian, President Hoover had to get a special law passed by Congress to be able to offer him a senior position in the US Air Force! Harold Gatty later wrote a survival manual issued to US aircraft in WW2, which included a map of the world. It showed no inland towns or cities except one. Campbell Town. Published in The Sunday Examiner, December 20, 2020, page 49.

10.01.2022 Bridges of the South Esk By Nigel Burch, Launceston Historical Society In Tasmania, fortunately, we still have much of our built heritage from the 19th Century....Continue reading

09.01.2022 The Reverend William Dry Dry answered the Tasmanian calling JENNY GILL, LAUNCESTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY... William Dry was born at Launceston on May 5, 1820 to Richard Dry senior and Ann Maugham and received his early education at Reverend John Mackersey’s school near Campbell Town along with his elder brother Richard. William was sent to England for further education, eventually graduating from Cambridge University. He married Beatrice Young in Edinburgh, Scotland in March 1842. She ultimately survived her husband, but there was no family. He was ordained deacon in 1843 by the Bishop of London, and for a time he was assistant curate of Camden Town, London. On his return to the colony in 1844 his first appointment was as locum tenens to the Rev. Philip Palmer, rural dean and chaplain of Trinity Church, Hobart, during the latter's absence in England. He was made a priest in 1845 by the Bishop of Tasmania, Francis Russell Nixon. His next appointment was as chaplain of Oatlands where he officiated for three years, from the end of 1846 until the end of 1849. While there he was responsible for finishing the building of St Peter’s Church. He returned to England in February 1850 and was appointed by the Archbishop as curate in charge of Minster-in-Sheppey and later Sutton-Valence, Kent, in the diocese of Canterbury. Back in Tasmania by 1857, William’s next appointment was at Longford from October 1858, where he remained until 1860 when he was compelled to resign the pastorate owing to ill-health. During this time Rev. and Mrs Dry’s new Gothic-style house, designed by architect William Henry Clayton, was constructed on the Elphin Estate which had been left to him by his father. However, in March 1862 he sold the stock and farming equipment, auctioned the furniture and effects, let the house and land, and once again sailed for England. Rev. Dry took occasional duty, and gave help where it was needed, and at the inception of the Edinburgh Diocesan Association for the promotion of foreign missions, became the first secretary and treasurer. When at last the Drys returned from England in 1883 they resided in Launceston for a couple of years, and then purchased Mount Esk at St Leonards, where they lived together for over 20 years. Dry was a scholar, a preacher and very entertaining in conversation among those with whom he was best known. Joseph Archer was one of his oldest personal friends, having been boys at school together. He became a member of the Royal Society in 1862. When William Dry died aged 88 on June 13, 1908, Mrs Dry, after 66 years of marriage was left practically alone, all her relatives being in England. However, she remained at Mount Esk and died in 1916 aged 92 and was buried with her husband, the Reverend William Dry in the family vault at the Church of England Cemetery, Cypress Street. Published in The Sunday Examiner, November 15, 2020, page 29.

07.01.2022 There has been much renewed interest in the 'Our History' story (No. 140) by Nigel Burch on Frank Lee Woodward, a Buddhist scholar, sportsman and teacher who retired to a quiet life at Rowella on the West Tamar in 1919. The 150th anniversary of his birth will be in April 2021, and current and former students of Mahinda College, Galle, Sri Lanka will be celebrating the man they revere "as a god, a phenomenon and a legend". Dr Michael Powell published a book on Woodward in 200...1, "Manual of a Mystic : FL Woodward : a Buddhist scholar in Ceylon and Tasmania". These are still available for purchase from the author. Dr Powell's PhD thesis can be read online: https://eprints.utas.edu.au/21262/ Portrait of Frank L Woodward (1871-1952) from Michael Powell.

07.01.2022 Here's an interesting story about Clara Dry, nee Meredith, the wife of Sir Richard Dry. Richard was knighted in 1858, four years after their marriage. I am not sure how accurate the reference to buying an Egyptian mummy in Marrakech is, as that is in Morocco!

07.01.2022 OUR HISTORY NO. 154 A Brawl at Beaconsfield Fraud and theft at heart of a sacred scandal in gold town...Continue reading

03.01.2022 Up for auction - the original plans for the Launceston Post Office. The tower was not built as shown on the plans. Update: these plans sold at Tulloch's online auction for $3,800.

03.01.2022 OUR HISTORY NO. 147 The 277 Colours of Launceston Colourful company painted the state red ... yellow ... green...Continue reading

03.01.2022 A bus load of Launceston Historical Society members thoroughly enjoyed our excursion to the Waddamana Power Station today. Chris Tassell told us some of the history and we could wander around looking at all the fascinating items in the museum. Steve Radford provided a commentry about the history of places along the way.

01.01.2022 OUR HISTORY NO. 151 Launceston hosts first Rotary Club meeting in Tasmania Club still committed to the community...Continue reading