Tour historic Bolwarra, the gentleman's suburb

From the Maitland Mercury report:
small but integral chapter in the evolving Maitland story will be revealed next week during a walking tour of ­historic Bolwarra.

Titled The 19th Century Gentlemen’s Suburb, the Friends of Grossmann House walk will explore Bolwarra’s rich history and diverse architecture.

“This is a fascinating little area because it’s so self-contained and it has a really unique ambience to it and it’s been really well looked after,” Friends of Grossmann House member Holly McNamee said.

Bolwarra’s European history began in 1822 as an agricultural estate (Bolwarra Estate) when John Brown, a timber ­merchant, settled in the area.

Ensuing years saw devastating floods and droughts and, in 1847, Bolwarra Estate changed from convict-laboured farms to an estate of 60 farmers.

Bolwarra eventually became known as a gentlemen’s suburb with the building of many fine estates and villas between 1885 and 1926.

 

Full article available at Maitland Mercury, July 27, 2014.

Maitland laneway transformation plan

From the Maitland Mercury report:

Imagine stepping off High Street and into a lush forest.

What would it feel like to see water teeming into Maitland’s main street but not be in the midst of a flood?

These are some ideas that Maitland City Council has proposed to activate the city’s laneways as part of plans to revitalise central Maitland.

Artists impressions have been prepared for three possible attractions for laneways in Maitland.

The idea has been included in council’s Heritage Interpretation Master Plan, a collection of innovative ideas to use the city’s past to shape its future.

 

Full article available at Maitland Mercury, July 24, 2014.

Society of Australian Genealogists - August events

Thursday 14 August (8.00pm - 9.00pm AEST) - Webinar - Evernote
Evernote keeps and makes sense of all your research. Order your notes, audio, video and more and sync it with all your devices. Learn the ins and outs of this invaluabvle tool from Cyndi Ingle (of Cyndi's List fame). Bookings essential and limited to SAG members only. Price $10.00.

Saturday 16 August (10.30am - 12.30pm) - Manorial Records - Jeremy Palmer
Manorial records are an often untapped source for ancestry in England and Wales, yet they can offer a surprising amount of information about our ancestors. The seminar will discuss the history of the manorial system, local manorial officials, records that were generated by the manor and how these can be accessed and utilised by family historians. Bookings Essential. $20 ($30 non-members).

Saturday 16 August (1.30pm - 3.30pm) - TMG Software Group - Adding Ships
Gail Bryant will explain the reasons for using ‘non-people’ in TMG and demonstrate how to do so. Then, a Q&A session will be held for all user levels: beginners, intermediate and advanced. Bookings essential. $8 ($12 non-members).

Thursday 21 August (9.00am - 10.00am) - Orientation Tour
Held in the Library at 2/379 Kent Street from 9.00am-10.00am. Members only. Bookings essential. Join us for a tour of the SAG library - learn about its layout and the services offered. The Library opens at 10am so you can stay on and do research. Free.

Saturday 23 August (10.30am - 12.30pm) - English Research Group - Blacksmiths
Blacksmiths were vital to communities in towns and cities as well as industry. This talk will cover the life and skills of the Blacksmith and where records may be found. Presenter - Pauline Kettle. Bookings essential. $8 ($12 non-members).

Wednesday 27 August (8.00pm - 9.00pm AEST) - Webinar - The Dictionary of Sydney
Presenter: Dr Lisa Murray. Dr Murray will take us through The Dictionary of Sydney website, highlighting new areas of content that will aid in your understanding of the wider context in which your ancestors lived and worked, from pre-history right up to today. Bookings essential and limited to SAG members only. Price $10.00.

Saturday 30 August (10.30am - 12.30pm) - Your Mining Ancestors
If you have mining as an occupation in your family tree, you will benefit from this seminar on how to tackle general mining research. Margaret will also focus on the health issues connected with mining. Bookings essential. $20 ($30 non-members).

 

Society of Australian Genealogists

Maitland master plan to go on display

From the Maitland Mercury report:

Central Maitland’s heritage could be used to revitalise the city centre in dramatic and unusual ways.Maitland City Council will put its Heritage Interpretation Master Plan on public exhibition after councillors last night approved the draft document. 

The revitalisation of central Maitland was sparked after figures showed the number of residents in the city centre had dropped by two thirds between 1954 and 2009.

The master plan is designed to interpret the city’s heritage to create themes and attractions to draw businesses, visitors and residents back to the heart of Maitland.

This includes potentially revitalising the city’s laneway network, installing giant pieces of public art in the city centre and the University of Newcastle’s Collaborative Environments for Creative Arts Research (CeCAR) project. 

 

Full article available at Maitland Mercury, July 22, 2014.

Two Maitland buildings face demolition for Levee

From the Maitland Mercury report:

Bailey’s Jewellers may have to find a new place to set up shop after almost half a century at its High Street premises in Maitland.

The store, along with neighbour Newlook Eyewear, may have to move to make way for the window-box river link structure that Maitland City Council plans to build as part of The Levee ­project.

The river link will provide open pedestrian access between the business precinct and the river front at the Bulwer Street intersection.

Bailey’s Jewellers owner Doug Crich has run the store for more than 20 years of its 44-year-history at the site.

 

Full article available at Maitland Mercury, July 22, 2014.

Trevor chips in with a WWI military patch

From the Maitland Mercury report:

An elderly Digger who makes military patches for units has created some special ones for a young Queensland girl who has researched the history of a Maitland soldier killed in World War I.

Trevor Brooker, 90, from Dungog, began making the military patches after he returned from New Guinea fighting the Japanese in the last war.

When he read a story in The Maitland Mercury about student Charlotte Lambert researching the history of Maitland soldier Sergeant Arnold Lambert Worboys, Mr Brooker set to work.

He has now completed a patch of the 30th Battalion, Australian Infantry, in which Mr Worboys was serving when he was killed in France on March 23, 1917.

Full article available at Maitland Mercury, July 22, 2014.

Putting faces on Anzac legend

From the Maitland Mercury report:

It has been 14 years since Yvonne Fletcher started her deconstruction of the Anzac legend.

At the time the military historian had been given a box of letters written by World War I soldiers and her heart began to break. I remember sitting in my loungeroom one afternoon and crying my eyes out while reading these letters because they really broke down the legend,” Mrs Fletcher said.

Early next month Mrs Fletcher – along with military writer John Gillam – will release Their Story - Service, Sacrifice and Community Support Part 1 - 1914-1915, a book revealing the timeline of fallen soldiers both at war and in the community they left behind.

“Putting this book together has been very taxing because you actually start to see things through their (the soldiers) eyes and that can be very demanding emotionally,” Mr Gillam, of Bolwarra, said.

 

Full article available at Maitland Mercury, July 15, 2014.

Bolwarra Heritage Walk

Friends of Grossmann House

Come along and join us in our heritage walk in Bolwarra - The 19thCentury Gentleman’s Suburb. Learn about this suburb’s history and discover the diverse and beautiful architecture with our popular guide, Wayne Campbell. Take peak into the past and experience the gardens and vista of gentlemen’s residences Afternoon Tea is included.

2.00 PM SUNDAY 3^rd AUGUST 2014

 $25 or $20 National Trust Members

Bookings essential
Janece 49334450 or Grossmann House 49336452
or janece.mcdonald@newcastle.edu.au

2014 Royal Australian Historical Society Annual Conference

The 2014 Conference will be held at Mittagong RSL, 25 – 26 October 2014. The theme is Moving History and delegates will have the opportunity to discover how history is about change over time and is always moving as we respond to new information and ask questions about the past.
More information available at the RAHS website.

Now and then: Maitland Showground

From the Maitland Mercury report:

Maitland Showground is significant for its historical connection to the River Agricultural and Horticultural Association, the oldest continuing regional agricultural association on the Australian mainland, dating from August 18, 1859.

The long-standing interest in promoting better farming in the area dates from 1822, when the Agricultural Society of NSW made special provision for representation to be given to the Hunter Region.

 

Full article available at Maitland Mercury, July 12, 2014.

Elder pays homage to boxing legend David Sands

From the Maitland Mercury report:

Maitland Citizen of the Year and Aboriginal elder Lance Murray has compiled a display of Aboriginal items for NAIDOC Week which celebrates the history, culture and achievements of indigenous people.

The display includes stone tools, throwing sticks and books as well as a tribute to boxer David Sands.

 

Full article available at Maitland Mercury, July 8, 2014.

Tocal building wins architecture award

From the Maitland Mercury report:

Exactly 50 years since it was first ­awarded, the CB Alexander College building at Tocal has been celebrated again.

Designers of the building and Cox Architecture founders Philip Cox and Ian McKay received the Australian Institute of Architects’ Award for Enduring Architecture at the NSW Architecture Awards last week.

The award comes 50 years after the architecture duo and the college received the state’s top award for public architecture, the Sulman Medal.

 

Full article available at Maitland Mercury, July 3, 2014.