A Pioneer Christmas 1880s Style

December 23, 2011December 20, 2023 / Merron Riddiford / Leave a comment

Christmas news in Victoria during the 1880s featured cards, decorations, carols, and for something different, the weather. The shopkeepers of Portland in 1880, decorated their shops for the season. Mr. Harris, proprietor of the pastry shop went to great trouble adorning his shop with Chinese lanterns and a wreath of roses.

CHRISTMAS EVE. (1880, December 25). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 3 Edition: MORNINGS.. Retrieved December 22, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63402944

CHRISTMAS 1883. Image courtesy of the State Library of Victoria http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/253606

Cricket was a popular activity on Christmas day, a tradition that continues today for many who enjoy a game of backyard cricket after lunch.

1880, December 25). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 3 Edition: MORNINGS.. Retrieved December 22, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page6018426

Christmas Day 1885 started quietly before churchgoers began to attend their chosen service. Those not attending church stayed inside until the afternoon when many took advantage of Portland’s coastal position with some boating on the bay.

THE HOLIDAYS. (1885, December 29). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 2 Edition: MORNINGS. Retrieved December 22, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63405142

Christmas decorations on shops were still popular mid-1880s and there seems to have been some competition among the Portland shopkeepers. From spices and currents to fruits and pastries, all had their wares displayed. Mr. Osborne’s butcher shop window displayed 34 lambs, as many sheep and several bullocks and pigs. Amid all this, the window was “prettily decorated with flowers, ferns, etc”

CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS. (1886, December 24). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 2 Edition: EVENING. Retrieved December 22, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63407593

This is a great advertisement inviting the residents of Portland to visit the Christmas tree at the “Guardian” office. “Children, Don’t Forget to Persuade Father & Mother to Come” is followed by “Parents, Don’t Forget the Children”.

Advertising. (1886, December 24). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 2 Edition: EVENING. Retrieved December 23, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63407578The Portland Guardian

In 1886, St Stephen’s Church was holding the annual carols, but with “a completely new set of carols”.

CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS. (1886, December 24). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 2 Edition: EVENING. Retrieved December 22, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63407593

The Portland Guardian,. (1889, December 25). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 2 Edition: EVENING. Retrieved December 23, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63625996

Christmas 1886 in Melbourne saw many businesses closing their doors from Friday to Wednesday to take full advantage of the Christmas holiday. Even some hotels closed on Boxing Day! Residents used this extended holiday period to get out of the city and enjoy the countryside.

OUR MELBOURNE LETTER. (1886, December 31). The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 – 1954), p. 3. Retrieved December 22, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article72957501

The following extract comes from an article called “Christmas Cheer”. Along with instructions on how to boil a turkey, there were recipes for accompaniments such as celery sauce, oyster sauce, and German salad.

Christmas Cheer. (1888, December 25). The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 – 1954), p. 3 Supplement: CHRISTMAS SUPPLEMENT. Retrieved December 22, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article72875421

Christmas cards seemed to become more popular during the 1880s, and this article from 25 October 1889 describes some of the trends in cards. It appeared at the time of year cards were written to send to the “mother country”.

HERALDS OF CHRISTMAS. (1889, October 25). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 3 Edition: EVENING, Supplement: SUPPLEMENT TO THE PORTLAND GUARDIAN. Retrieved December 2, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63625196

Just when I thought I was not going to see anything of yuletide logs, the following articles from the late 1880s continue the now old arguments of why have a hot lunch during the Australian summer and why are people still persisting with the English traditions?

THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS. (1888, December 28). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 3 Edition: EVENING. Retrieved December 23, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63591436

The Horsham Times. (1889, December 24). The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 – 1954), p. 2. Retrieved December 22, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article72863411

The Portland Guardian,. (1889, December 25). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 2 Edition: EVENING. Retrieved December 23, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63625996

A Pioneer Christmas 1870s Style

December 20, 2011December 20, 2023 / Merron Riddiford / Leave a comment

Christmas in Victoria during the 1870s saw the mood change a little from the yearning for an English Christmas to acceptance of the Australian Christmas but the comparisons were still being made. Father Christmas was getting talked about more in the 1870s than in the previous two decades. He received a mention by way of a poem in the Portland Guardian and Normanby General Advertiser in 1875.

Poet’s Corner. (1875, January 1). Portland Guardian and Normanby General Advertiser (Vic. : 1842 – 1876), p. 4 Edition: EVENING.. Retrieved December 19, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64746107

The Australasian Sketcher with Pen and Pencil, a paper I enjoy reading, discussed the adjustments Father Christmas himself had to make to the Australian conditions.

Sketches with Pencil. (1875, December 25). The Australasian Sketcher with Pen and Pencil (Melbourne, Vic. : 1873 – 1889), p. 150. Retrieved December 20, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60606552

Christmas 1871 Image courtesy of the State Library of Victoria http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/252252

The Kerang Times and Swan Hill Gazette, however, was more sentimental about Father Christmas and the season.

The Kerang Times AND SWAN HILL GAZETTE. (1879, December 25). Kerang Times and Swan Hill Gazette (Vic. : 1877 – 1889), p. 2 Edition: WEEKLY.. Retrieved December 20, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66494958

Food was again a focus. One exciting place to visit was the Christmas Eve market in Melbourne. That was unless you were one of the many country producers who brought their produce into the city, often having travelled long distances and then enduring uncomfortable conditions upon arrival. What a sight it would have been to see their 1200 or so carts lined up, some adorned in ferns and other greenery.

CHRISTMAS EVE MARKET. (1874, December 24). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1956), p. 6. Retrieved December 19, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11509641

Campbell & Sons of Julia Street Portland advertised an array of new products for Christmas of 1877. It seems that the Portland pioneers had no difficulty in sourcing the ingredients necessary for a plum pudding or tableware to complement the Christmas lunch.

Advertising. (1877, December 21). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 2 Edition: EVENINGS.. Retrieved December 19, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63340222

“THE SHILLING SHOP ON CHRISTMAS EVE.” The Australasian Sketcher with Pen and Pencil (Melbourne, Vic. : 1873 – 1889) 23 December 1876: 145

The editor of the Camperdown Chronicle in 1877, suggested the Australian Christmas celebration was now accepted, with the young knowing nothing else. Those who could still remember an English Christmas, held the memory dear, however. I think the editor may have been in that camp.

The Chronicle. (1877, December 25). Camperdown Chronicle (Vic. : 1877 – 1954), p. 2 Edition: BI-WEEKLY. Retrieved December 20, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64013025

The Australasian Sketcher was an illustrated newspaper, but its descriptive text also paints a picture. The first article from 1875, creates such an idyllic image of the day with picnics and boating. The second article from 1873, with its reference to John Milton’s Paradise Lost, describes the heat in such a way, one can almost envisage the “pavement of burning marl”.

Sketches with Pen. (1875, December 25). The Australasian Sketcher with Pen and Pencil (Melbourne, Vic. : 1873 – 1889), p. 150. Retrieved December 20, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60606554

“CHRISTMAS DAY AT BRIGHTON BEACH.” Illustrated Australian News for Home Readers (Melbourne, Vic. : 1867 – 1875) 30 December 1874: 7

Sketches with Pen. (1873, December 27). The Australasian Sketcher with Pen and Pencil (Melbourne, Vic. : 1873 – 1889), p. 166. Retrieved December 20, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60607026

A Pioneer Christmas 1860s Style

December 20, 2011December 20, 2023 / Merron Riddiford / Leave a comment

The 1860s arrived and once again the weather was the main point of focus at Christmas.

The Portland Guardian AND NORMANBY GENERAL ADVERTISER. (1864, December 26). Portland Guardian and Normanby General Advertiser (Vic. : 1842 – 1876), p. 2 Edition: EVENING. Retrieved December 13, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64632980

“CHRISTMAS IN AUSTRALIA.” The Australian News for Home Readers (Vic. : 1864 – 1867) 19 December 1864: 8

CHRISTMAS DAY. (1862, December 26). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1956), p. 5. Retrieved December 19, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article6482065

Most papers featured a Christmas supplement. This extract from the supplement in The Star gives some insight into what was on the menu for Christmas dinner. Geese, apple’s for sauce, mince pies, and plum pudding was all available at the Eastern market in Melbourne.

MELBOURNE. (1861, December 25). The Star (Ballarat, Vic. : 1855 – 1864), p. 1 Supplement: SUPPLEMENT TO THE STAR. Retrieved December 13, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66330382

Along Main Road, Ballarat shopkeepers filled their windows with temptations.

CHRISTMAS EVE AND CHRISTMAS MORROW. (1860, December 25). The Star (Ballarat, Vic. : 1855 – 1864), p. 2. Retrieved December 18, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66336481

Lewis Levy of Sturt Street Ballarat offered gifts for everyone, from field glasses to Parisian vases.

Advertising. (1864, December 24). The Star (Ballarat, Vic. : 1855 – 1864), p. 3. Retrieved December 19, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66350716

Christmas day 1862 was thought to be the quietest in Geelong for many years. The weather, though, was perfect for picnics at Barwon Heads or Queenscliff.

CHRISTMAS DAY. (1862, December 26). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1956), p. 5. Retrieved December 19, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article6482065

Things weren’t much better in Penshurst that year but Boxing Day was busy and there was, of course, the Penshurst Boxing Day races, still a tradition today.

“District News.” Hamilton Spectator and Grange District Advertiser (Vic. : 1860 – 1870) 4 January 1862: 2

Of course, comparisons with England were never far away. In 1869, the Portland Guardian and Normanby General Advertiser times ran a synopsis of a lecture by the Reverend Mr Clark “Christmas in old England, its customs and its carols”.

CHRISTMAS IN OLD ENGLAND. (1869, December 13). Portland Guardian and Normanby General Advertiser (Vic. : 1842 – 1876), p. 4 Edition: EVENINGS.. Retrieved December 13, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64694207

The last word comes from the “Poets Corner” from the Portland Guardian and Normanby General Advertiser about Christmas 1869. While “Touchstone” spoke of the “Southern summers” he missed the “jovial Christmas coming through the bracing cold”

Poet’s Corner. (1870, January 10). Portland Guardian and Normanby General Advertiser (Vic. : 1842 – 1876), p. 4 Edition: EVENINGS.. Retrieved December 14, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64694411

A Pioneer Christmas 1850s Style

December 18, 2011December 20, 2023 / Merron Riddiford / 2 Comments

Imagine arriving on an immigrant ship to Melbourne or Portland in December. After enduring the arduous voyage for months, passengers would have set foot in their new country faced with an Australian summer and then reminded Christmas was just around the corner. My Mortimer family arrived in Melbourne from England on December 14, 1852, just 11 days before Christmas. Having known only a cold and maybe white Christmas and possibly losing track of the months, they may have felt a little confused.

Judging by the newspapers of the 1850s, however, it seems that the new arrivals embraced the “new” Christmas of clear skies and sun and a chance to get outside and enjoy the day.

ARRIVAL OF HIS EXCELLENCY SIR H. BARKLY. (1856, December 26). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1956), p. 4. Retrieved December 15, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article7142206

GEELONG. (1858, December 28). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1956), p. 6. Retrieved December 15, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article7307009

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS. (1859, December 27). The Star (Ballarat, Vic. : 1855 – 1864), p. 1 Supplement: SUPPLEMENT TO THE STAR.. Retrieved December 13, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article72463975

On Christmas Eve, 1859, Main Road Ballarat was abuzz with activity.

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS. (1859, December 27). The Star (Ballarat, Vic. : 1855 – 1864), p. 1 Supplement: SUPPLEMENT TO THE STAR.. Retrieved December 15, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article72463975

As well as shopping for ducks, geese, and turkey for Christmas lunch, some last-minute Christmas shopping could be done at Miss Kitchen’s Fancy Toy Warehouse or Rees and Benjamin Watchmakers and Jewellers.

Advertising. (1859, December 17). The Star (Ballarat, Vic. : 1855 – 1864), p. 3. Retrieved December 13, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article72463876

Advertising. (1859, December 20). The Star (Ballarat, Vic. : 1855 – 1864), p. 1. Retrieved December 13, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article72463910

In Portland, shoppers may have spent Christmas Eve with their fingers crossed for the draw of the Christmas cake lottery at Holmes Confectioners in Gawler Street.

Advertising. (1859, December 19). Portland Guardian and Normanby General Advertiser (Vic. : 1842 – 1876), p. 3 Edition: EVENINGS.. Retrieved December 15, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64512997

“No Title” Melbourne Punch (Vic. : 1855 – 1900) 2 August 1855: 173.

Not everyone was enjoying the new style of Christmas. This illustration was entitled “A New Chum’s Christmas…The Pleasures of Memory”.

“A NEW CHUM’S CHRISTMAS.” Melbourne Punch (Vic. : 1855 – 1900) 1 January 1857: 3.

In 1859, the editor of The Argus lamented that Christmas was not the same in Australia without the snow and mistletoe. I like his prediction that in one hundred years, Australians will have forgotten the “old” Christmas and have given Christmas a new feel with eucalyptus and acacia decking the halls. If only he could see Christmas now as he would see that many of the English traditions of Christmas still exist and we still grapple with the idea of a hot lunch on a hot day, but we just do it anyway. The tradition continues.