Wellington Historical Society in Wellington, New South Wales | Community organisation

Wellington Historical Society

Locality: Wellington, New South Wales

Phone: +61 2 6845 2325

Address: Cnr Warne & Percy Sts 2820 Wellington, NSW, Australia

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

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25.01.2022 Wellington Hospital

23.01.2022 WINDOW ON WOMEN GERTRUDE PORTER Horsewoman and Pioneer of Wellington Gertrude Sarah Buller Hutchinson was thought to have been born in Parramatta, New South W...ales around 1842. Her mother was Louise Harriet Buller Brazier and her father, William Batley Hutchinson. Previously stationed in Hartley where he was the Chief Constable in 1851/52, William Hutchinson moved the family to Avisford near Hargraves where he was responsible for collecting fees for gold licences and escorting the gold to Sydney. Moving from place to place around the goldfields the family eventually settled at Apple Tree Flat near Mudgee. A young man named Robert Porter met William Hutchinson in Mudgee and together they went into business, establishing the ‘Mudgee Newspaper and Mining Register’ in 1857. Through this arrangement, Robert met William’s daughter Gertrude and in 1858 they married in Mudgee. Gertrude assisted her husband with the Mudgee newspaper by setting up the type by hand. As well, the couple maintained farms at Gulgong and Mudgee. By 1874 the Porters had moved to Wellington, NSW, along with their children and here Robert established the Wellington Gazette (later the Wellington Gazette and Western Districts Advertiser). The paper ran from 1874 until 1907. Gertrude, who could adapt herself to any kind of work, spent time raising the family, eleven children in all, although some did not live past infancy. Again, she assisted her husband with the newspaper when and where she could and this allowed him time to write the very first history of Wellington. She also found time to continue with her hobby of horse riding. A noted horsewoman, Gertrude competed in the western shows as a young woman with considerable success and along with her sister she became the first woman to ride a horse to the top of Mount Arthur. She was known to plait a stockwhip and use it with skill. The Porters eventually retired to Sydney where Robert died in 1913 and Gertrude in 1935 at the age of 94. Photograph of Gertrude Porter, courtesy of the Oxley Museum, Wellington and with thanks to Dorothy Blake, Curator.

23.01.2022 WINDOW ON WOMEN BETTY SHAW MUNRO Aviatrix and Centenarian Betty Dorothea Shaw was born around 1914/1915 at Happy Valley near Grenfell, NSW. She had always b...een interested in flight and in her teenage years took flying lessons at Mascot. At this time, Mascot was just green fields where there had once been a local abattoir and sheep and cattle grazed. Betty began flying a timber gypsy moth before later learning to fly a tiger moth. She flew the tiger moth at air shows around the State and did a lot of low flying practice over Sydney beaches. It was rumoured that she flew under the Sydney Harbour Bridge. With an open cockpit she could feel the rush of wind in her face and could put her plane into loops and spins with trails of coloured smoke coming from flares in the tail. These displays were very popular at the air shows of the time. Betty flew with Charles Kingsford Smith and Bert Hinkler before their early demise as well as other early pioneering aviators. She always felt that flying gave her a great sense of freedom, navigating with only a compass and using the fence lines in the paddocks below for guidance. There was an occasion in Sydney when Betty ran into the Governor General and he convinced her to attend a ball at Kirribilli House, to accompany and officer from a French warship docked at Cockatoo Island. Betty had nothing suitable to wear so quickly flew back home to Grenfell to pick up her ball gown. She landed her plane on the driveway, grabbed her gown, fuelled up and flew back to Sydney, just in time for the ball! During WWII Betty worked as an aircraft spotter for the RAAF. Many civilians were trained to scan the skies for allied or enemy aircraft, their vigilance in populated areas, industrial and coastal sites being important for home security. She was awarded a certificate for patriotic service to her country for her work in the Air Observation Corps. In December 1941 Betty married Allan Munro in Burwood, NSW and it was about this time that she gave up flying. They settled on a farm at Eurimbla near Cumnock and here they raised a family of three sons. Betty Munro died in 2016, aged 101. Her later years were spent in residence at Maranatha in Wellington. Not only was Betty an extremely good pilot, she was a talented artist and a very good golfer. Photos: Betty Munro c 1935. Oxley Museum, Wellington Betty Munro turns 100 Wellington Times 2015 With thanks to Dorothy Blake, Curator, Oxley Museum, Wellington

23.01.2022 Bodangora north east of Wellington- 1968. Gold was discovered here in 1848, four years before the official date of gold discovery in Australia. The Mitchells Cr...eek quartz reef mine was well under way with reasonable results by 1875. Some large heavy steam driven machinery was installed in the 1890s and methods of gold extraction were improved and there were several large buildings and a tall brick chimney and over 250 employees in the early 1900s. When I took these photos in 1968 the chimney and a few heavy duty quartz crushers were all that remained. See more

19.01.2022 Buy this book at the Oxley Museum, Wellington!

18.01.2022 Sunday June 18, 1815 the Battle of Waterloo was fought in what is today Belgium. This event had significant in the naming of our town, Wellington, and many landmarks in our district. As we celebrate 200 years since John Oxley came into the beautiful valley. He remembered the Duke of Wellington and Napoleon when submitting suggested European names for the district.

17.01.2022 Steve Hyde commented: "Like many others, I along with my wife and brother, attended the Wellington High School Reunion weekend. We had a wonderful chance catching up with friends from 45 years ago. Part of the weekend was visiting the Wellington Oxley Museum. Sometime ago my mother donated her wedding dress to the Museum. It was a pleasure to see that the Museum had it on display under the title 'Wedding Dress in Bottle'. Mum kept the dress in a large bottle and for much of ...my childhood it was used as a door stop. Along side the display was a story about the dress and of my mum and my family. I found the attendant at the museum and spoke to a lovely lady, Dorothy Blake,. Dorothy kindly made a copy of the story of the dress and took great delight in explaining the method of restoring the dress. The Museum felt that the story was worth telling so they sent it to the magazine 'History Magazine, of the Royal Australian Historical Society' and they ran a one page story. A very proud and emotional visit to the Museum. Dorothy sent me a copy of the magazine. I can't thank her enough." See more

16.01.2022 We were pleased to welcome former students of Wellington High School during their reunion week-end. They had a wonderful time reminiscing enjoying items on display.

15.01.2022 The Oxley Museum will be closed from 3.30pm 15th December, 2017 until 1.30pm 22nd January. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful Happy New Year. Photo Fulton's Busy Corner 1920.

12.01.2022 I loved seeing the people, dogs and cattle in this wonderful photo. Do use the zoom feature.

11.01.2022 Unfortunately due to the present health issues, Wellington's Oxley Museum will be closed until further notice. We look to seeing you then.

11.01.2022 Another interesting personality who came from our town, Wellington.

10.01.2022 Report from ABC on the collapse of the Wellington NSW Bridge

10.01.2022 Hermitage Hill Resort, Restaurant not operating at present but accommodation available. So much history here. Notice the spire, which was removed during the War.

09.01.2022 A little update.

07.01.2022 Our big week-end is almost here and the town is looking pretty spiffy to welcome visitors. Most impressed with our two historic Letter Boxes being restored. They were designed by T.W. Levinge of the New South Wales Postmaster General's Department, based on the French type then in use, minus the elaborate scroll work. The design is commonly referred to as the Bell Type Letter Receiver. The boxes are circular with a Crown mounted upon the dome. The Crown is supported by "leaves...". The first New South Wales posting boxes were made by Bubb and Sons Victoria Foundry at 10 Victoria Place, Pyrmont in 1856. They were cast in bronze. Three apertures are placed near the top, positioned to enable persons on horseback to post a letter without dismounting. You will notice that the posting slots on "our" letter boxes are located differently. One has vertical slots and the other horizontal. The letter receivers began to be phased out in 1875. It would appear Wellington's receivers could have been installed between 1860 and 1875. The gold Crown indicates that the receiver is still in use. See more

06.01.2022 Today marks the closure of the Holden manufacturing plant in Adelaide. The first Holden came to Fulton Motors Wellington in 1950. Photo courtesy of the late Bill Irwin.

05.01.2022 A very important event in our history.

03.01.2022 John Joseph William Molesworth Oxley, born 1784 Kirkham Abbey, Yorkshire, Married Emma Norton in August 1822, died 1828 (age 44) Camden NSW. As Wellington prepares to celebrate 200 years since John Oxley and his party arrived in the now Wellington valley, we begin the story of his trip; "Oxley and party arrived in Bathurst (founded 1815) on 14th April 1817 to finalise stores and provision arrangements and then departed in a westerly direction on the 22nd April to reach a dep...ot previously set up at the Lachlan River. They proceeded downstream along the Lachlan River until they reached an extensive wetlands area, now known as The Lowbidgee, where further progress was impossible. Not knowing that these wetlands were the backup of waters from the confluence of the Murrumbidgee and Lachlan Rivers, Oxley sumised that they had reached an "inland sea"." From Bookcollectionsnews - John Oxley Journals. See more

02.01.2022 Wellington's Oxley Museum has reopened, please refer to Wellington's Oxley Museum's Face Book page for further details.

01.01.2022 A day to remember

01.01.2022 Great website for those interested in the Bodangora area. http://glennmci.brinkster.net/bodangora/homenew.html