Former Maitland mayor and artist John Martin remembered by colleagues

From the Maitland Mercury report:

Former Maitland mayor John Martin has been remembered as a man with a passion for art, education and his community. 

Mr Martin, an artist, died earlier this month after a brief battle with illness.

He served multiple terms as a councillor during the 1990s, with a three-year stint as mayor from 1994 to 1996.  

His 1990s council colleagues Henry Meskauskas and Ray Fairweather both recalled a man who loved art and his community. 

Retired councillor Mr Fairweather said he could still clearly remember the night Mr Martin was elected as mayor.

Full article available at Maitland Mercury, December 15 2017.

Trove Newspapers (August-November 2017 Update)

AUSTRALIA
Australian Government Gazette (National: 1973)
Australian Government Gazette. Public Service (National: 1974-1977)
Australian Government Gazette. General (National: 1974-1977)
Australian Government Gazette. Special (National: 1974-1977)
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. General (National: 1977-1987)
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. Government Notices (National: 1987-2012)
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. Special (National: 1977-2012)
NEW SOUTH WALES
The Auburn and Lidcombe Advance (NSW: 1925-1939)
Granville Independent and Parramatta Advertiser (NSW: 1900-1901)
The Weekly Advance (Granville, NSW: 1892-1893)

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/

Construction works finish at historic Maitland aged care facility Benhome

From the Maitland Mercury report:
The keys have been handed over for aged care facility Benhome, following the completion of a revamp worth $18m.
The expansion, which has added 45 additional residential aged care beds to the centre, comes after nearly 18 months of construction at the Regent Street premises.

Benhome chairman of the board Bob Geoghegan said the development had numerous benefits, including the addition of a registered nurse being on site at all times.
The project also included the refurbishment of an historical, 1800s era Rose Cottage, which will be used as a staff headquarters.

Full article available at Maitland Mercury, December 7 2017.

Mistress of her Profession: Colonial Midwives of Sydney 1788-1901

New book release: Mistress of her Profession: Colonial Midwives of Sydney 1788-1901
Media: BOOK - paperback, 192 pages
Author: L. Potter
Year: 2017
ISBN: 9780648061601
Other: colour photos, appendixes, bibliog, index
Publisher: Anchor Books Australia

Before any official midwifery training was instigated in New South Wales, numerous women worked as midwives. Many were untrained and practised independently but a few had overseas midwifery qualifications which gave them prestige in the practise of their craft.
In the days of secret abortions and baby farming, before modern medical procedures saved the lives of thousands of women and babies, midwives emerged from the ranks of convicts and free immigrants as entrepreneurs. Their business activities, attitudes, work ethic and experiences formed the foundations that helped to shape midwifery for future generations.
This book weaves the stories of nine midwives into an account of the development of midwifery training in New South Wales. The women's lives span the nineteenth century and provide a fascinating perspective of maternity care and life in colonial Sydney.

Inside History - Tracing house histories

Tracing your house history: Top research tips
Before I investigated my house history, I had no concept of where to begin and was amazed by my Local Studies Librarian’s wealth of knowledge as she steered me to uncovering Barwon’s past.

Here, Ryde Library’s Local Studies and Family History Librarian Angela Phippen shares her insights into tracing house histories.

How can a local studies librarian assist people in tracing their house history?
Each local government area has different surviving records, for example, rate books, and so this will impact the assistance a librarian can give. Some records, such as Land Titles and Sands Directories are digitised, whereas the Local Council may hold others, for example, building application registers. Also consider the records held in your state’s Archives.
My top tips for researching a house history are to examine the Land Title records, and make a chronology of the buying and selling of the land. Other sources to examine include:

• Rate books
• Land valuations
• Sewerage diagrams
• Sands Directories (for NSW) or their equivalent in other states
• Electoral rolls
• Probate packages and deceased estate files (for NSW)
• Birth, death and marriage notices in newspapers

When researching, you might find conflicting records, so then it’s important to consider the relative value of each one. Sometimes too, house numbers change so it’s crucial to have the correct Lot and Deposited Plan number.

What are the most common questions people ask?
People are mostly interested in the age of their house and whether it has a name. The ease of discovering the age of a house can vary. Dating a nineteenth-century sandstone cottage is harder than, for instance, a twentieth-century house because the architecture and records of a twentieth-century house provide more information.

Access full article here.

Maitland Gaol to host art exhibition showcasing hundreds of years of Australian prison life

From the Maitland Mercury report:
Walls may not be able to talk, but Brett Leigh Dicks reckons he has still heard plenty of colourful yarns by photographing them.
Over the last year the artist has walked the eerie halls of eight decommissioned gaols across Australia, with his images capturing hundreds of years worth of life on the inside.

According to the Santa Barbara based snapper, human nature draws us to want to know what happens on the other side of prison walls.

Full article available at Maitland Mercury, December 6 2017.

Morpeth heritage listing battle continues at Maitland Council

From the Maitland Mercury report:
Maitland Council will meet with the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) to clear up “misinformation” around the process to list significant parts of Morpeth on the State Heritage Register.
Councillors voted on Tuesday night to allow the meeting, which was requested by the OEH.

It follows council’s decision not to support community consultation on listing of the Morpeth Heritage Conservation area on the State Heritage Register.

In a letter to council, Katrina Stankowski from the OEH said information in media and social media reports was “troubling” as it contained misinformation about the process that could have affected some people’s perceptions.

Full article available at Maitland Mercury, November 30 2017.