Marysville & District Historical Society Inc in Marysville, Victoria | Landmark & historical place

Marysville & District Historical Society Inc

Locality: Marysville, Victoria

Phone: +61 417 551 091

Address: 39 Darwin Street 3779 Marysville, VIC, Australia

Website: http://www.marysvilletourism.com/things_to_do/marysville-and-district-historical-society

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24.01.2022 In Washington, DC there is a treasured letter sent by Maurice Keppel to his nephew in America. Maurice arrived in Melbourne in 1852 and it was around this time that his elder brother David, went to America. David settled in Washington DC where he had two sons - John Aloysius Keppel and Timothy Aloysius Keppel - and these are the two nephews mentioned in the letter. From the letter we are able to deduce that Maurice was aware that the brothers had a stepmother, their own mothe...r dying when they were small children. Likewise, he does not ask about their father because he knew David had died in 1878. Maurice is also well read as he comments on the trial of President James A Garfield's assassin. The letter is in the possession of Kirsten Keppel, 3rd great granddaughter of David through his son John, and it is most likely that the letter was sent to John Aloysius Keppel who was 29 at the time. Transcription of Maurice Keppel's letter written on Keppel's Australian Hotel paper. Marysville, Melbourne April 15th, 1882 My Dear Nephew, I received your letter of Dec, 10th. I am glad to hear yourself and your family are well also your Brother and the rest of his friends. I hope you will all continue long to remain so. I am also glad to learn there is a fair prospect of getting settled with the government grant. Mother is still keeping in pretty good health but is lately getting weak. Aunt Ellen is in good health and so far there is no reason to complain thank God. [Page 1] I am sorry to say John McCarthy has done no good since he came to this country he has been here with me for a few months at different times but thought the place too rough and left. I got him employment in another part of the Colony but he did not seem to keep it long. He is at present at grandmothers in Melbourne doing nothing. It were better for him to staid in America. Myself and family are in good health thank God. Business about as usual. No change of any consequence in our part of the world. I could never fall across any one. [page 2] Could find no any information about the "Gormers". You did not say anything about your stepmother. I hope she is in good health. I am glad the times are improving in America. I have seen by the papers the assassin of great President has been found guilty and condemned to death. It was a sad affair his murdering such a popular Man. The trial seems at a distance a farce. Jury ought not take 10 minutes to find him guilty. I am sending you a paper. I will be glad to hear from you and your Brother at any time and I trust [page 3] you will get on well and be true to your Religion and Country. With kind love from all to yourself, family and friends. I am yours affectionly "Uncle" M Keppel Address M Keppel Marysville Melbourne Victoria

24.01.2022 In 1870, 150 years ago, the families in the new village of Marysville established the Rural School with the aid of a Government grant. The first Local Committee consisted of George Smith, Thomas Barton, and Maurice Keppel. Thomas Barton organised a cottage with a schoolroom to be built, and forms and desks were obtained. Frederick Sparke was appointed teacher on 24th October 1870 and early attendance averaged 20 pupils with 27 on the roll. In 1873 the school became State Scho...ol No.1273 and a wooden school building, on the corner of Pack Road and Kings Road was completed in September 1874. Frederick Sparke was Head Teacher until 1892. Early in the 1900s as gold was well gone and the town fell on hard times, the one teacher was shared with Buxton and at times Narbethong. It was not until Miss Frances Black came in 1922 that the school was back to full-time. Frances was a good teacher and stayed for 9 years. With numbers increasing the original school building could no longer hold all of the students, so when Narbethong School closed in 1932 its building was transferred to Marysville. In 1948 the school was moved to the present Falls Road site and an additional classroom was added to the old Narbethong building which was renovated. The school prospered with 150 students in 1960, the highest number to that date. More buildings were added over the years, extra classrooms, a library, and a craft room. The 21st century arrived and disaster struck with the Black Saturday Fires in 2009. The school was completely destroyed along with all of its records and memorabilia. By April 2010 a contemporary education complex had been built and re-opened on the original site. See more

23.01.2022 This series of photos was recently donated by Helen Vine and show her parents trip to Marysville sometime in the 1920-30's. Clearly shown are St Ronan's Well, Mt Kitchener House, the Log Cabin at Mt Kitchener House and Steavenson Falls.

22.01.2022 Amongst Rev George Edwards' miscellaneous notes is a delightful description of the Big Culvert, part of an article he wrote in 1992 for the Historical Society of Wangaratta. "A CULVERT? One of those little drains under roads? And out here on a lonely old bush road? Is that what you brought us out here to see? Well, you can see the sign - THE BIG CULVERT. Down here. So you walk down a short pathway, and there it is. Well! I didn't expect anything like this. It towers over you...Continue reading

21.01.2022 With SPRING in the air, it seems appropriate to take a look back into the past at one of Marysville's best-kept gardens. Prior to Black Saturday, high on the hill on the old Melbourne Road, was Joy Gould's beautiful garden and thanks to her niece, Nancy Lesley, we have these photos of it to remember it by.

20.01.2022 From all of Us, to all of the lovely Mothers - we wish you love, health and happiness. Have a beautiful Mother’s Day knowing that you are some of the most treasured people. So, stay safe and happy, and we look forward to welcoming you at our History centre very soon

20.01.2022 Thanks to the efforts of our gardeners our History Centre gardens are once again becoming a picture of colour, but if that wasn't enough we also received a light dusting of late-season snow to make it even more picturesque. Even though the History Centre is still closed our gardens are open for everyone to enjoy. Photos by Alan Boyd.

18.01.2022 Tourists to Marysville in the 1880s & 1890s were able to buy these postcards as souvenirs and these are just a small selection of the Armstrong Collection of 28 postcards. Ian Armstrong OAM, one of the world's most prolific collectors, sent this facsimile set within months of Black Saturday 2009. Ian is a leader in the Antiques world and has an insatiable appetite for collecting from penny farthings, scrimshaw, postcards, tin soldiers through to Edwardian shoe buckles. You name it and he probably collects it. Some years ago he also provided 10,000 items for a display at Museums Victoria.

18.01.2022 75 years since Victory in the Pacific - 15th August 1945 At the start of World War II Australian service personnel fought with our British comrades in Europe against the Germans. Then Japan entered the war and Australia's efforts had to turn to defend the Pacific region, including in Singapore, Borneo, Malaya, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and New Britain. Nearly 1 million Australians - one-seventh of Australia's 1945 population - helped with the war effort, with about... 500,000 serving overseas. Some 40,000 Australians didn't return home to their families. Over 17,000 of them lost their lives while fighting in the war against Japan, some 8000 of whom died in Japanese captivity. We commemorate those who served and particularly those who died in the war every ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day and on significant anniversaries such as this year. The Japanese ceasefire took effect on 15 August 1945, following the threat of invasion and Allied bombings. The official surrender ceremony, however, took place on 2 September 1945 on the deck of the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. While Victory in Europe had been declared in May 1945. Jubilation erupted on the streets of the nation's cities on 15th August, when Prime Minister Ben Chifley announced over the radio at 9.30 am: "Fellow citizens, the war is over ... let us remember those whose lives were given that we may enjoy this glorious moment and may look forward to a peace which they have won for us." Two days' holiday was declared. People had been expecting the announcement Rejoicing broke out spontaneously when the surrender of Japan was announced. The war was over a week after the U.S. bombed Japan. The famous photograph of Betty Williams, Lois Anne Martin, and Carmel O'Connor was taken in Melbourne on 15 August 1945. They were identified in 1995 as workers from the Kodak factory. Lois knitted the red, white, and blue vest ready for VP Day and never wore it again. The vest is now on display in the Australian War Memorial's Second World War Gallery. See more

16.01.2022 During the closure, we've been busy repainting the interior, improving our displays, and making sure our gardens are looking their best. So the next time you're in Marysville, come pay us a visit, we look forward to seeing you.

16.01.2022 The garden at our History Centre is hinting that Spring is approaching

16.01.2022 Marysville has a great tradition of celebrating Anzac Day and when Easter was late the holidaymakers were in town to add to the numbers. In 1949 the March was led by the Marysville Girl Drummers with the leader playing a snare drum, then followed the big bass drum and finally a triangle and cymbals. Roy and Katie Liebig holidayed in Marysville in 1949 when Good Friday fell on the 14th April and their two week stay included Anzac Day. Roy Liebig was an avid photographer, who developed and enlarged his own photographs and these photographs were kindly donated by his family.

14.01.2022 What a beautiful day for a walk around the Historical Society’s garden today. Have a lovely weekend, wherever you are, and whatever you are doing. We are so excited to think that very soon we will be welcoming you back to visit inside. ... We will keep you informed

14.01.2022 The Marysville Memorial Heritage Rose Garden at the History Centre is looking superb this November and is well worth a visit. The old-fashioned bourbon climbers are covering the previous tennis court fence amidst stunning clematis. There is also a long bank of rugosa roses alongside the climbers underplanted with a mix of perennials. On the other side of the pathway is a collection of old tea roses - the precursors to modern hybrid teas. These are prolific repeat-flowering roses, which are ideally suited to the conditions in Marysville. Here are a few examples. Credit: Shirley Yates

11.01.2022 Marysville in the Early Days In May 1865 the Age correspondent, Mr H B Rycroft stayed at Keppel's Hotel. He considered it the best house on the whole line of the road. The town was not yet eleven months old and was growing rapidly in importance with two hotels, a third in course of erection, three stores, two restaurants, three butchers' shakers, a survey office, police office, post office and the headquarters of Mr Road Engineer Wilks. The images from the MDHS collection show Marysville from 1866 to 1890.

10.01.2022 LET IT SNOW - LOCAL LOVE We're sadly missing the snow season this year but our locals have got us covered! We thought we'd share some of their best sn...ow captures from the comfort of their own backyards around Marysville and Kinglake after some great snowfall yesterday! Wishing we all could have seen it with our own eyes this year. www.discoverdindi.com.au

09.01.2022 Whilst we await re-opening on Wednesday 25th, we can still have a walk around the beautiful gardens and enjoy the Heritage Roses. My goodness we are grateful for these beauties

09.01.2022 Wishing you all a very happy and safe Easter. A snap shot of beautiful and special flowers from Terry Sinclair’s ‘Birchmere’ property in Marysville. Stay safe at Home from all of us here.

07.01.2022 Emily Ada Barton nee Sparke, second wife of Thomas Barton was known as "Mummy Barton" to all. Emily was born in Templestowe in 1857, the first child of Clara Maria nee Johnstone and Frederick Henry Sparke, who became the Marysville school teacher. She was 13 when the family, including her siblings, Clara and Douglas, came to Marysville in 1870. Three brothers and two sisters had died as babies in Templestowe. When Thomas Barton's wife Selina died in childbirth in 1876 he need...Continue reading

05.01.2022 Happy Autumn to you all. We will be here awaiting your return. For now, stay home and safe and we look forward to seeing you soon Autumn tones for your pleasure

05.01.2022 ‘Autumn in Birchmere’ We have time to be still

03.01.2022 It's 75 years this month that this flag finished its duty flying every day over Kooringa Guesthouse, in summer heat and winter snows, to honour the local men away fighting in World War II. Victory in the Pacific occurred on 15th August 1945 ending the War. Wilbur and Joyce Anderson first flew the flag, then in 1944, the guesthouse was taken over by Aubrey and Flo Cuzens, and their son Bill remembers taking the flag out to lower it to half-mast on every Anzac Day, Remembrance ...Day, and also on the Anniversary of the deaths of both Laurence Sparke (KIA 1943) and Ralph Gould (KIA 1945), who were residents of Marysville. Bill Cuzens had the flag in safekeeping for many years until he generously donated it to the Marysville RSL after the 2009 fire, they in turn passed it onto the Society for permanent display. Alexandra RSL generously helped in the flag's preservation and mounting. See more

01.01.2022 Due to the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, our History Centre is closed to the public until further notice.