With the Hamilton Spectator (1914-1918) now online at Trove, I am finding some good articles about my family members. One of those articles included ggg grandfather James Harman and the Byaduk Methodist Church Jubilee in May 1914.
I have outlined the history of the Byaduk Methodist Church and the part James played, in the post M is for….Methodist, and this new find further confirms what I knew. The Byaduk correspondent remarked that James, “who claims and justly so, to be the father of the movement” in the town was present at the celebration dinner. James spoke, reminiscing about the early days and his time as a lay preacher. I wish there had been video cameras in those days. What I would give for that information.
Some of the local pioneers to return for the Jubilee were Thomas Harper, Samuel Clark, John Poynton. Daniel Tyers, then 94, was also in attendance at the dinner, joining 200 others in the Byaduk Mechanics Institute. The evening had a jam-packed program of speeches, recitation and song.
METHODIST JUBILEE AT BYADUK. (1914, May 9). Hamilton Spectator (Vic. : 1914 – 1918), p. 8. Retrieved September 18, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article119828889
BYADUK METHODIST CHURCH
In 1907, some of the early Byaduk pioneers gathered for a photo outside the Byaduk Methodist Church. In the back row, 2nd left was Samuel Tyers, James and Jonathan Harman, 5th and 6th (both were listed as J. Harman, helpful) Thomas Harper, 9th from the left. Daniel Tyers was In the 2nd row, 5th from the left.
BYADUK PIONEERS 1907, Photographer G. Earney. Image courtesy of the Hamilton History Centre.
Western District Families 
yes MR, and what I would give for video of Miss Hancock singing ‘I’s A Little Curly-Headed Coon‘ – follow link to lyric to be properly horrified.
What a big night after weeks of organising and rehearsing, and with 200 people (where are the toilets?) and the carpark full of horses and jinks. Those celebrating their jubilee may have just been glad of surviving the hardship of relocating from an established society far away. They are our heritage.
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Your post resonated with me as the Nhill Free Press has recently come online too and I have done all the research and photographed memorabilia to do a blog on the Winiam Methodist Church and Sunday School. Great minds think alike? You are just quicker 🙂
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