Trove Tuesday – Fido’s Feat

December 11, 2012December 11, 2012 / Merron Riddiford / 2 Comments

You may have noticed I do like a good animal story. Here’s another from the Camperdown Chronicle of September 14, 1954.

It is the story of Fido, a sheep dog belonging to electrical contractor Mr A.J Moon of Hamilton. Fido had been confined at a Port Fairy vet, but after a determined escape, he walked 54 miles home to Hamilton even though he was recovering from a leg operation. When he arrived at Mr Moon’s home in Garton Street, Hamilton, Fido demolished 3lbs of steak. His leg was cured too!

Amazing Story Of Canine Courage And Endurance. (1954, September 14). Camperdown Chronicle (Vic. : 1877 – 1954), p. 4. Retrieved December 10, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article24008716

Trove Tuesday – Four Simple Lessons

December 4, 2012December 4, 2012 / Merron Riddiford / 1 Comment

You just never know what you are going to stumble upon at Trove. Thanks to the Department of Air’s four simple lessons, I feel I am now ready if a plane happens to crash in my vicinity.

Crash Wisdom in Easy Lessons. (1942, April 13). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 4 Edition: EVENING. Retrieved December 2, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64379670

This article from The Portland Guardian of April 13, 1942 was in the column next to the obituary of John Finn Kirby, Western District owner of 1911 Melbourne cup winner, The Parisian. I was researching the horse and owner for a post around Melbourne Cup time and my eyes strayed to the left and there it was.

The constant theme through the article is to not be a fool and stop smoking when a plane crashes nearby. Of course this was during WW2 and there would have been more planes in the skies and flying skills may not have been up to scratch as many pilots would have been in training to go overseas.

I wanted to know if there were a prevalence of plane crashes during this period to prompt the article, so I searched “RAAF Plane Crash” in the decade 1940-1949 and there were 363 articles. Most of those were in 1941 with 116 reports and many were fatal crashes on Australian soil, although I didn’t notice any that caught fire as a result of a cigarette, the crash itself usually enough to cause a fire. Nor did I see any that involved souveniring.

The Portland Guardian was not the only paper to publish the article during 1942. Eight papers from Brisbane to Geraldton to Kalgoorlie ran the article in varying forms and Mt Gambier’s Border Watch including the message among the classifieds. Just three of the papers ran the full story, while the others published a reduced version:

CRASH WISDOM. (1942, May 1). The Charleville Times (Brisbane, Qld. : 1896 – 1954), p. 2. Retrieved December 3, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article7699277

The Portland Guardian dutifully ran this shorter article a week after publishing the full article.

Trove Tuesday – A Lady Motorist

November 27, 2012March 2, 2021 / Merron Riddiford / 2 Comments

I just love this story I found at Trove:

Driving a Beeston Humberette, Florence Thomson travelled from Adelaide to Melbourne in March 1904 earning her the title of the first female to drive the trip. Spurred on by her dentist husband Ben’s achievements in 1902 in completing the same trip, Florence was nothing short of a trailblazer.

The trip was not without its problems, but the thick sands of the Coorong, limited petrol availability, a puncture, and a leaky radiator did not stop Florence. Lucky she took a mechanic along with her.

A LADY MOTORIST. (1904, March 28). The Colac Herald (Vic. : 1875 – 1918), p. 1. Retrieved November 21, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article87353226

Her trip took her from Broadbeach, SA into Victoria’s Western District. Her car scared horses approaching Casterton and when she arrived in the town, she found there was “no room at the inn”. From Casterton she travelled on to Camperdown and then Geelong where she had a similar experience finding accommodation.

HOLIDAY ON MOTORS. (1904, April 2). Weekly Times, p. 19. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article222791657

MRS. B. THOMSON, OF ADELAIDE, (1905, February 22). Critic (Adelaide), p. 27. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article211406512

Florence did not stop there. In 1905, she competed in the Dunlop Reliability rally from Sydney to Melbourne.

FLORENCE IN HER RACING GARB AND HER EVERYDAY MOTORING ATTIRE – “A LADY MOTORIST.” The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 – 1946) 18 February 1905: <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140780231>.

Mechanical problems at Albury looked as though they would stop Florence, but she made it to Melbourne to great adulation.

(1905, March 1). Australian Town and Country Journal (NSW : 1870 – 1907), p. 52. Retrieved November 26, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page571151

FLORENCE THOMSON ARRIVING AT THE FINISH LINE OF THE RELIABILITY TRIAL FROM SYDNEY TO MELBOURNE. Image courtesy of the State Library of Victoria. http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/43094

Mrs Florence Thomson was truly a motoring pioneer as was her husband Ben. Both had adventurous spirits. How many men in 1904 would have allowed their wife to do what she did, while accompanied by another man, and fully support her?

Born in India, Florence Alice Vardon married Scot Benjamin Thomson in Adelaide, South Australia in 1892. In 1929, twenty-five years after her epic drive from Adelaide to Melbourne, Florence was interviewed by The News (Adelaide). The interview was published on 17 August 1929. Florence told how she learnt to drive in 1902. During her childhood, she travelled around India and Burma with her father, a member of the British Indian Army and as an adult, travelled alone throughout Europe, China and Japan.

Cars were not her only means of transport, “I have used almost all means of locomotion,” she said, “horses, camels, palanquins, donkeys, ships, trains, elephants, bullock-drays, and push bicycles”. When asked if she had flown in an aeroplane, she revealed she was the first woman passenger to fly with Captain Harry Butler, one of South Australia’s early aviators.

In 1931, as a debate was raging as to the driving ability of women, Florence commented for The Mail (Adelaide), published on 25 April 1931,

“Woman’s View” The Mail (Adelaide, SA : 1912 – 1954) 25 April 1931: 11. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58845739>.

Florence died on the 28th January 1938 at her home at 200 North Terrace, Adelaide. Ben Thomson died in Adelaide on 27 June 1944.

“FIRST WOMAN MOTORIST” News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 – 1954) 17 August 1929: 3 (SPORTS EDITION). Web. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article128899444>.

Trove Tuesday – Time for a Song

November 20, 2012 / Merron Riddiford / Leave a comment

The Port Fairy Gazette has a lot of Byaduk news and I just love this treasure from May 31, 1915. Australia celebrated Empire Day on May 24 from 1905. School children participated in patriotic singing and speeches and flags adorned buildings. The children had a holiday from school in the afternoon. May 24 was also Cracker Night and in the evening people would gather around bonfires and let off fireworks.

Empire Day 1915 saw ggg grandfather James Harman visit the Byaduk State School and address the children. He then sang “Just Before the Battle, Mother” and I’m pleased to see he “delighted” the children. At age 85, he was only a year away from his passing.

BYADUK. (1915, May 31). Port Fairy Gazette (Vic. : 1914 – 1918), p. 2 Edition: EVENING. Retrieved November 14, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article94725183

“Just Before the Battle, Mother” was an American civil war song but given it was in the midst of WW1, it was apt. If you have not heard the song before, click on the play button below to hear a rendition courtesy of Soundcloud and P. Murray.

Trove Tuesday – UFO Alert!

November 13, 2012June 4, 2019 / Merron Riddiford / 2 Comments

Hamilton experienced the paranormal during January 1954, with two separate “flying saucer” sightings.

Four saw flying saucers speed over Hamilton. (1954, January 13). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1956), p. 5. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26584624

From a Trove search of “flying saucers” I found during the 1930s the only flying saucers were those thrown across a room accompanied by a cup, but by the 1940s the flying saucers we know today began to make the news. Many of the articles I saw were about experimental trials of flying saucers by earthlings. But by the 1950s, “sightings” of flying saucers, presumably crewed by aliens, were commonplace.

A search of “science fiction” produced similar results. There was no mention of the term during the 1930s, but by the 1950s it had reached meteoric heights.

The Science Fiction film genre changed during the 1950s. Science Fiction films of the 1940s were horrors like Frankenstein and Dracula or superheroes such as Batman and Robin. The Invisible Man and Flash Gordon were also popular. The 1950s Sci-Fi films took to the universe with life on other planets a major theme. The film Flying Saucer was released in 1950, War of th e Worlds and Invaders from Mars in 1953 and that year even Abbott and Costello went to Mars.

THE MARTIaNS ARE HERE!. (1953, December 22). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1956), p. 1. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23303135

No wonder Hamilton residents were on high UFO alert. While the film version of War of the Worlds had not yet reached the town, to add to the hype, their holiday reading may have included instalments of the H.G. Wells’ 1898 novel which ran in The Argus from 24 December 1953 until 7 January 1954, the same day as the Hamilton flying saucer sightings.

***If anyone finds Dr Hopper’s cosmic ray research balloon he would appreciate its return to Melbourne University.

Trove Tuesday Goes to the Races!

November 6, 2012August 30, 2015 / Merron Riddiford / Leave a comment

Today’s Melbourne Cup marks twenty years since a horse my father was a part-owner of, ran in the Cup. London Bridge won the Duke of Norfolk Handicap (now known as the Andrew Ramsden Stakes) in 1992, a race over 3200 metres at Flemington just like the Melbourne Cup, and he won it in race record time. His trainer was the Cups master, Bart Cummings, so London Bridge went into Melbourne Cup day with some hope of a good run.

On Cup Day, the rains came and we knew from the Adelaide Cup in May 1992, that London Bridge was not partial to getting is feet wet. The winner of the Adelaide Cup was Subzero and when it rained at Flemington on the first Tuesday in November 1992, London Bridge’s chances decreased and Subzero’s chances increased dramatically. Subbie won and London Bridge ran a brave ninth.

Both London Bridge and Subzero went on to noble careers after their racing retirements. London Bridge served as a police horse with the Victorian Police Force and Subzero was a Clerk of Course horse for 15 years and then became an Ambassador for Racing Victoria. At twenty-four, he still visits schools as part of Racing Victoria’s Community Education Programs and other public appearances.

To mark the 20th anniversary of London Bridge’s Melbourne Cup run, this week’s Trove Tuesday has a Cup theme with newspaper articles about Bart Cummings. Both articles are from the Barrier Miner, a Broken Hill newspaper where, surprisingly enough, I find many treasures.

The first article is from 1947 and a young Bart Cummings, working for his father, had a fall from a flighty colt.

Lucky Escape For Racehorse Comedy Court. (1947, October 16). Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW : 1888 – 1954), p. 8. Retrieved November 6, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49572477

When I first read this story, I thought it was a different horse to that in the next article, 1950 Melbourne Cup winner, Comic Court. However after reading Racing Victoria’s bio of Comic Court I realised that Comedy Court and Comic Court were the same. Both horse and rider were lucky to win any Melbourne Cups!

The next treasure from the Barrier Miner is a photo of Bart Cummings, Comic Court and Deidre Gath, the daughter of Albert Gath, a harness racing trainer, who had stables near Flemington.

He made her cry. (1950, November 11). Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW : 1888 – 1954), p. 12. Retrieved November 4, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49585975

I like this photo as it brings together two racing dynasties, one thoroughbred racing, the other harness racing. I also love the way Comic Court is looking at Deidre. Three generations of the Cummings family became trainers, Jim, Bart and Anthony, while the Gath family had five brothers training during the 1950s. Like the Cummings name in thoroughbred racing, the Gaths are still a force in harness racing today. In August 2012, Andy Gath trained the winner of the Group 1 Breeders Crown Final with Caribbean Blaster and last Saturday, an Anthony Cummings trained horse, Fiveandahalfstar won the Group 1 Victoria Derby.

Trove Tuesday – Advertisements

October 30, 2012October 30, 2012 / Merron Riddiford / 4 Comments

Having been a media student, I do like to look at advertisements and some of the ads in the old newspapers at Trove are absolute treasures. I came across this group of advertisements recently in the The Mercury, Hobart from May 21, 1917. The were all found on Page 7, otherwise dominated by racing news. Only one, a Havelock tobacco advertisement, was directed at the person in the house most likely to read that section of the paper.

Just as they do today, the advertisement play on the insecurities of consumers. In these examples they include ‘Am I a good mother/housekeeper?” and “Am I as attractive/fashionable as I can possibly be?” Buying the featured products would miraculously take away those insecurities. Or so the advertisers wanted consumers to believe and still do.

Online shopping was not available in 1917, but the same excitement could be experienced when a mail order parcel arrived in the mail box. Aimed at the country lady (hence the necessity to ride to the mail box), this advertisement makes the reader feel they could be missing out on something if they did not buy from Andrew Mather & Co, with “thousands of satisfied customers. Are you one?”