May Meeting – “The life and times of James Maher”

Many of us familiar with Kilmore’s first published history – The Tale Of The Century – but what do we know about its author, James Maher?

Dr Jim Butler, local farmer, Melbourne medico and a grandson of Maher, will be speaking about the life and times of Maher at the Kilmore Historical Society’s next general meeting, Tuesday , May 3, 7.30pm, at the Old Post Office.

Maher, who was born at Lancefield and spent time at Pyalong before retiring to Kilmore (The Rocks homestead), wrote his book in the 1930s in the lead-up to Kilmore’s century celebrations in 1938.

As Dr Butler will point out, while Maher  was unable to access the internet-sourced research of today, much of his investigations had the advantage and authenticity of first hand discussions with many of Kilmore’s early pioneers, or at least  their offspring.

Works Continue on Whitburgh Cottage

Our members will be pleased to know that the restoration of Whitburgh Cottage continues to progress rapidly. These works are jointly funded by a Government grant and the Council itself.

Three members of Kilmore Historical society – Brian Clancy, Liz Dillon-Hensby, and Rose King – were invited to visit the site and were impressed by the amount of work that has been achieved.

Brian, Rose and Liz in the kitchen

The unstable buckling West Wall has been dismantled and rebuilt in situ.

The rebuilt West Wall

The whole interior has been stabilised and parts of the interior walls reconstructed.

Example of reconstruction work

The council is still looking at suggestions for the use of the Cottage once the works are complete. An arts centre has been proposed. Another possible use would be as an office for a company that would not require the installation of equipment.

If you have any ideas for the use of the Cottage, feel free to contact the Council.

‘Hatched and Matched’

The Historical Society will be holding a clothing display of Victorian clothing items. ‘Hatched and Matched’ reflects the nature of the items – christening gowns and wedding dress, both male and female. The display will open from Thursday 21st . We have a wide range of items in our own collection, and other items have been lent by private individuals for display. We thank all those who have entrusted their heirlooms to us.

The display will be held at the Old Kilmore Post Office, 2 Powlett St. We would appreciate a gold coin donation from visitors.

An elaborate christening gown of embroidered silk with mother of pearl buttons

Thomas Hunt’s dress shirt and an elaborately embroidered waistcoat belonging to the Osborne collection.

Nineteenth century mens’ grooming kit which belonged to Captain James MacNamara, a travelling companion of Horatio Nelson.

The display will be open on KHS’s usual opening days, being 10-3 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 10-1 on Saturday.

Reflections on Kilmore in 1856

The Kilmore Free Press of Thursday June 8 1911 reprinted an article from February of 1856 under the heading “Kilmore Fifty-Five Years Ago.” The article itself contrasts the Kilmore of 1853 with the same town three years later, showing what remarkable changes had occurred in a relatively short period of time. This excerpt should be of interest to historians.

“When we at the Examiner set foot in Kilmore three years ago, the place was very difficult of access, there being no roads, bridges, or other like conveniences from here to Melbourne, and even horse-drays frequently required fourteen days to perform the journey. The only public institutions then in the place were three churches of different religious denominations, with scanty congregations, and three denominational schools, with a very few children at each. A cabbage, a potato, an onion or cauliflower could rarely be procured, and then only by the lucky digger, and to many were known only by traditional description.

Water was nearly as difficult of procuration, and when procured held so large a quantity of mud and other ingredients in suspension that it more resembled thick gruel than the limpid life-giving element. In many instances it was necessary to procure a strong horse to pass from one side of the street to the other and as to a pedestrian excursion from Morris’ Inn to the Dunrobin Castle it generally required almost as much preparation and arrangement as an expedition to the Crimea would now require, and then was performed in something like the same style of locomotion as monkeys pass from tree to tree, or as cockatoos climb up the area railings, that is by holding on by teeth and feet.

As, however, after the waters of the deluge had settled and the dry land appeared, so, in Kilmore, as new blood came to be infused, bringing with it those rich elements of which it is composed, a new order of things began to be manifest, and although we can only be yet said to be in a transition state still we are able to exhibit the exact opposite to that which belonged to the past. The town is now, comparatively speaking, easy of access, the road, with the exception of about fourteen miles of intervening space between here and Melbourne, having been completed, and the exception alluded to has some chance of being connected during the ensuing two months. A daily mail, as well as two daily coaches, up and down, regularly pass through here, by which passengers can arrive in Melbourne in five hours. Four numerously attended churches now exist, with three denominational and one national school.

There is a Mechanics’ Institution, with large and airy reading room, in which lectures and readings are weekly delivered. A Total Abstinence Society holds weekly meetings in its own buildings, and there is a Society for the establishment of a Benevolent Asylum and Hospital; who are energetically going to work in the furtherance of their office. Vegetables are now so abundant that they encumber the ground and are going to waste. Artesian wells have been sunk to nearly every house, And beautiful clear and cool water is abundant. The streets have been mcadamised and the footpaths are now in course of alignment, preparatory to kerbing them.”

Heather’s Talk Well Received

Heather Knight entertained us on Tuesday with an account of a gentleman names ‘The Black Douglas’, an early bushranger active in Victoria during the nineteenth century. He was of American origin and reputedly had one black parent.

Many of the details of his life remain elusive, but he did seem to have appeared in court on relatively trivial charges a surprising number of times.

Here the President, Brian Clancy, thanks Heather after her talk.