t-IOBB\:''S 0 lATR6ACt-I

Newsletter of: BLUE MOUNTAINS HISTORICAL SOCIETY Inc.

P 0 Box 17, WEN1WORTH FALLS NSW 2782

Website: http: //www.mfobluemountains.net.au/bmhs

I Volume 19 Number 4

Hobby's Reach, 99 Blaxland Road, Wentworth Falls

Telephone: (02) 4757 3824 Fax: (02) 4757 3974

October-November 20071

GEOFFREY CGEOFFJ SADLER 5.1.1939 - 19.9.2007

Blue Mountains Historical Society Treasurer, Membership Secretary and Public Officer, member since 1981.

It is with great sadness we report that Geoff died at N epean Hospital on Wednesday 19 September.

The Society has lost a truly valuable member, and, those who worked with him in his many community activities, a very dear friend.

Geoff arrived in the Blue Mountains aged two, and never really left. His father was killed in WWII and Geoff grew up in the care of his mother and aunts. He attended school and technical college in Katoomba. Then joined the Blue Mountains City Council as an engineering draughtsman, later joining the Land Information Section which maintained computer-based property and mapping systems.

As Treasurer of this society from 1983-1992, Geoff also organised weekend excursions for members. On retiring from the council after 4 7 years, his involvement with the Society increased to the extent that he again took ori the duties of Treasurer as well as giving talks, organising excursions and writing reports for Hobry} Outreach

Hob/ry} Outreach 1

Newsletter. Geoff was a most willing and cheerful helper with any task he undertook and those of us who worked with him are feeling the loss.

From 1964 to 2005 Geoff was in charge of the Katoomba Boys' Squadron of the Australian Air League, was involved in district, state and federal levels of the League, lectured at state training camps and helped in re-drafting The League Federal Constitution. The League honoured him with the League's Meritorious Service Award andmade him a Life Member. Geoff also held the Advance Australia Award of Merit (1985) as well as numerous Certificates of Appreciation for involvement in community affairs.

As this Society's longest serving member his passion for Blue Mountains history, his cheerfulness, thoughtfulness, expertise in research has made him a role model for all Society members. We are deeply grateful.

Contributed fry Roberta Johnstone

October- November 2007

' I

WALKS & TALKS SATURDAY MEETINGS with guest speaker commence promptly at 10.30 am. ~-

Tea/coffee and biscuits available from 10 am. ~ Tarella Cottage shop open from 10 am. Lunch served after meeting when volunteers are available. Research Room open with a researcher in attendance. Library open for members to select and return books.

Saturday MEETING 10 am for 10.30 am - Speaker: Jack Austin, Society member on the subject of 6 'Sunny Corner: A silver mining town of the 1880s'

October

Monday 8

October

EXCURSION - Tour of Rydal and Sunny Corner to see the site of the silver mines and refinery. Then we will continue on to Bathurst to the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum, home of the Somerville Collection. The museum also includes a section on dinosaurs. Meet 9.30 am at Hartley Courthouse. BYO morning tea and lunch. Cost $5.00. Names taken at October meeting or phone organiser Jack Austin, phone 6352 4749 Entry fee to museum - pay at door.

Saturday MEETING 10 am for 10.30 am - Speaker: Ron Powell on the subject of 'Sydney's goldrush: 3 the search for Yellowblock.' The major topic of Ron's talk is Sydney's unique sandstone,

November known as Yellowblock, from which Sydney's most prestigious nineteenth and twentieth century buildings were fashioned, and the search a century later for similar stone to carry out conservation work to those buildings. Ron Powell is the Manager, Centenary Stonework and Public Buildings Programmes in the Office of Public Works.

Hob~s Outreach

NOVEMBER EXCURSION - We are hoping to organise what promises to be a very interesting excursion for November. Details announced at November meeting.

Christmas Party commences 12 noon. Don the gladrags. Bring a plate and a beverage of your choice, (tea/ coffee, soft drinks, juices supplied) and enjoy our last function for the year.

PLEASE NOTE: There are NO talks or excursions in December and January.

WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS

Kenneth & Christine Jennings - Bullaburra

2 October-November 2007

• _ ....

JONES WAYSIDE HOTEL Contributed fry Brian Fox

John Britty North has been referred to as 'The Father of Katoomba', and in describing his earliest recollections of Katoomba, (before it was known by this name) records the area was known as Jones Wayside Hotel, the area between Weatherboard (Wentworth Falls) and Black.heath. The year was 1870.1

In fact David Jones and his wife Sarah had operated a store and inn at this location between the years 1858 and the early 1870s.

Horace Charlton, a Licensed Surveyor with the Lands Department, had been instructed to measure out 30 acres of land on the Bathurst Road as applied for by David Jones in 1854. He transmitted his plan to the Surveyor General on 25 February 1855. This in essence became the first surveyed parcel of land within the Township of Katoomba.2 The parcel of land was recorded as No. 1 County Lot, Police District Hartley.

Notations on this plan record that on 15 June 1855 the deposit was forfeited. The land was again put up for sale the following year and David Jones reapplied and was successful on 28 October 1856. 3

Hobby} Outreach 3

Jones Wayside Inn was located near the intersection of Camp Street and the Great Western Highway, Katoomba. This would have been the first store and inn to operate within what is now the Township of Katoomba.

BUT WHO IS THIS DAVID JONES?

David Jones was born in Hastings, Sussex, England, in 1815, and when old enough enlisted in H. M. 28th

- Regiment of Foot, which was also known as The North Gloucester's. On 8 June 1835 a part of his Regiment left Portsmouth, London on the ship, England, carrying 230 male convicts, 9 women, 7 children, and 29 rank and file of the 28th Regiment, with their officer Captain Cranner. Their ship arrived in Sydney on 1 October 1835. 4

Until David was discharged from the army on 31 August 1841 he served in Parramatta, Has sans Walls, and 20 Mile Hollow (Woodford).

Governor Bourke in 1835, had changed the supervision of the iron gangs from convict overseers to being brought back under military control. David Jones, holding the rank of 'private,' would have had the responsibility of maintaining security for the iron gangs.5

For a few years after retiring from the army, when he bought his discharge, he held positions of trust under John Jamison at Regentville, Penrith.6

In 1847, David married his long-time sweetheart, Sarah O'Neill, at the Roman Catholic Church in Hartley.7

Sarah's father and her brother, Sergeant Major O'Neill were also in the same regiment as David.

David and Sarah were employed in the Rose Inn at Penrith for a short period after their marriage. For

Continued on page 4

October-November 2007

/

Continued from page 3 - JONES WAYSIDE HOTEL

whatever reason, Sarah not liking the township, they moved up the mountains where David held the publican's licence at the Weatherboard Inn (Wentworth Falls) between 1848-1850.8

Their next move was to the Mount Victoria Inn at the base of Victoria Pass, where again David held the publican's licence from 1853-1858. 9

As mentioned above, the Jones' had purchased their 30 acres at Katoomba in 1856, so some time after 1858 they had opened their own store and inn, in what later became known as The Crushers, and later still, as Katoomba.

In one way this location may have appeared in an isolated place between Wentworth Falls and Blackheath. It may be noted that at Pulpit Hill another inn called, The Shepherd and his Flock Inn was established by Andrew Murray in 1832. But when you consider the thousands of people travelling over the mountains to the goldfields around Bathurst and beyond in the 1850s and in the mid 1860s and the hundreds of men

References:

Scenic Railwqy Katoomba Colliery 1933, Historic Katoomba 1870.

employed in the construction of the railway, their decision would have been very astute.

While located at Jones Wayside Hotel, David and Sarah had four of their seven children, their births being registered in the district of Hartley.

Around the early 1870s the Jones family moved again, their final move. They resided at Mount Victoria, having a dwelling on the highway between the Mount Victoria Township and the top of Victoria Pass.10

It was here that David Jones died after a long illness in December 1899, in his 84th year, and was buried at Blackheath Cemetery. He was survived by his wife, Sarah, seven children, nineteen grandchildren and three great grandchildren.11

Sarah died in 1907, and was also buried at Blackheath Cemetery. 12

So ended a long lasting partnership with the Blue Mountains, a colourful history of our convict past, Blue Mountain inns and the construction of the railways which changed the face of travel for ever.

2 Letters from Surveyors to the Surveyor General NSW Microfilm Reel 3059.

3 Survey Plan C90.1507

4 Sydnry Morning Herald 1 October 1835, p. 2, col. 1.

5 http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/-garterl/england.htm compiled by Ron Ball.

6 'Death of a Mountain Identity,' The Mountaineer 29 December 1899.

7 NSW Birth, Deaths and Marriages Index No. V184794295/1847.

8 Wendy Thorp, Archaeological Investigation Weatherboard Inn Site, Wentworth Falls, Table 1:9. Owners and Licencees of the Weatherboard Inn Site 1826-1896, 1985.

9 Yvonne Tearle, Publicans Ucences, Hartley District c1820-1900.

10 Electoral District ef Hartlry 1903-04, Katoomba Division; Jones Sarah senior, Mount Victoria, domestic duties. "'-.../

11 Death of a Mountain Identity, The Mountaineer 29 December 1899.

12 NSW BDM Index No. 9465/1907. BMCC Cemetery records Sarah Jones, Roman Catholic, Section BRCl, Row A, Plot 14.

"-~or.;:•.========================»=-· :,,~'

~ FROM the Editor ... please feel free to contribute articles, photos etc. for this newsletter.

Hobf?y} 011treacb

Copy may be left with t4e Secretary for Margaret Edwards, or email to: marg8@aanet.com.au Please include BMHS as part of your subject heading.

CLOSING DATE for contributions for next issue 15 Nov. 2007.

Thanks for your co-operation.

4 October-November 2007

..

Open Weekend

flower f1s"/iv11! Sat. 13 & Sun. 14 October

Calling for flowers and for all flower arrangers to assist in making the cottage look wonderful for this open weekend. We are going to arrange the flowers ourselves this time, so search your gardens and dust off your skills and come to the cottage at 10 am on Friday 12 October with the flowers or ready-made up arrangements.

Please phone Susan Warmbath on 4757 3402 if you have flowers but cannot get to Tarella.

We will also need help for the roster so if you have missed the Saturday meeting please phone if you can help in any way or bake a slice. Thank you.

Susan Warmbath

History Week Open Weekend Sat 15 & Sun 16 September

The weather was wonderful, putting a smile on every face. The garden looked great. Thanks to the dedicated mowers and Colin Slade who spent two days (on his knees!) weeding.

The visitors came in steady numbers. On Sunday an influx of over 40 for lunch arrived from the Seniors Group of Surveyors after attendance at the unveiling ceremony of 'Footsteps in Time' project at Wentworth Falls Lake. The amazing crews in the kitchen coped admirably.

While the large group had their lunch on Sunday we were so lucky to have the Blue Mountains Tuba Quartet play some very catchy tunes. This was very much appreciated by the group. One of their party said that the band had made it a special celebration.

Grateful thanks to all who volunteered for the weekend duties, and the many cooks. It really was a pleasant weekend with such interested visitors and many kind remarks in the visitors book especially complimenting the 'wonderful guides'.

Joan was bombarded with interested queries in the research room which kept her busy too.

Don't miss this wonderful opportunity for friendship at the next opening in October at the flower festival. Get your name in early to avoid missirig out!

Contributed f?y Susan Warmbath

Hobtfs Outreach 5

'Timelines' Blue Mountains History Conference

on Saturday 17 November

at the Wentworth Falls School of Arts

Enquiries to John Merriman, Local Studies Librarian, Blue Mountains City Council,

Phone 4723 5044, Email ref@bmcc.nsw.gov.au

THE MOUNTAIN GAZETTE We are all very familiar with the 'give-away' newspaper

that lands on our nature strips about mid-week and currently is called The Blue Mountains Gazette, but it only got that name in August 1979. Issues from 20 February 1963 until 15 August 1979 were called The Mountain Gazette and in October 1965 that newspaper absorbed The Blue Mountains Times.

Copies of The Blue Mountains Gazette are readily available in libraries, mostly on microfilm, as are issues of The Mountain Gazette from 7 January 1970. But sadly the microfilms do not contain copies of The Mountain Gazette that were issued in the first seven years of its life and although a few hard copies are known, none from the 1963-1965 period have been located. The State Reference Library does hold issues of The Blue Mountains Advertiser from that period, otherwise information on the local history of those years would have been lost.

So when next spring cleaning old cupboards, or lifting old carpet or linoleum, please keep your eyes out for copies of The Mountain Gazette for they may well be issues that are priceless to historians-AND WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THEM!

Contributed f?y Peter Rickwood

APOLOGIES

JAN BOWDITCH was made a Life Member in 1997. Her name was inadvertently left off the list of

Honorary Life Members published in the August­September Hobf?y} Outreach Newsletter.

October-November 2007

COMMUNICATION: THEN & Now

One hundred and seventy years ago, at 3.20 am1 on 20 June 1837, King William IV died when in his 72nd year.2

He had been ill for some considerable time3 so this event had been anticipated as had the inevitable ascension to the throne by the then Princess Victoria. The vessel Lord William Ben/nick, bound for Australia, departed Gravesend on 15 June4 and after experiencing poor winds it was off Plymouth on 21 June when the crew heard guns being fired every minute. They guessed that the guns signalled the death of the Kings and on 5 June that vessel met with the City of Kingston off Madeira and the crew had confirmation of the death.6 When the Lord William Bentnick arrived at Sydney on 8 October the Captain passed on this inference and it was published in the Sydney newspapers on 9 October7 and on 10 October.8 On Monday 9 October His Majesty's ship Conwqy fired minute guns9 in Sydney Harbour to alert the general public, 10 other ships in the harbour flew their colours at half mast and Dawes Battery flew the Royal Standard at half mast.

But it was not until the vessel James Pattison arrived on 25 October that confirmation of the change of Sovereign came.11 The delay between the death on 20 June and the receipt of the official confirmation by the Governor in Sydney on 25 October was 127 days-more than four calendar months! Then the sad news had to be conveyed to the general public-a difficult matter in those times. Firstly, to signal the news to the public of central Sydney, the Colonial Secretary, Deas Thomson 12 ordered all ships in Sydney Harbour to fly their colours at half mast and for Dawes Battery to fly both the Royal Standard and Union at half mast and to fire 72 minute guns at noon on the 26th. In addition he also ordered the bells of the churches of St Phillip

References:

Contributed fry Peter C. Rickwood

and of St James to be tolled at sunset on the 26th and sunrise on the 27th. But those signals would only have been seen or heard close to the centre of Sydney and it was not until 26 October13 and 27 October14 that the Sydney newspapers conveyed that message to the literate members of the general public in the suburbs. Those more distant residents in the country areas would not have learned the news for another day or two at the very least. In Sydney, ceremonies to mark the accession of Queen Victoria were held on the 27th.ts

Compare that to what would be the delay and method of providing the news today if a similar event were to occur. The Governor General is likely to receive a telephone call within minutes of a Royal death, and probably before the news went on broadcast services in England. Radio and Television channels in Australia constantly monitor the news services such as Reuters so there would be only a short pause before broadcasts would be interrupted to convey such tragic news to Australians. As the news outlets on the internet are constantly being updated so the delay for an individual anywhere in the world to get the news would be dependent only on when they happened to access one of those websites-it could be almost instantaneously with the news reaching some folk in England. If a friend or relative bothered to attempt to tell someone in Sydney by telephone then they might personally hear about it only a short time after it was on the broadcast media in England, and an e-mail message could be sent quicker although most potential recipients are unlikely to be on-line to get the message immediately. Such is the speed of communication in the twenty-first century that no matter what methods are used to transmit the information the delays we are talking about are minutes and not hours-<:ompare that to 127 days in 1837!

1 Anonymous, 'News by the James Pattison'. Sydnry Monitor, 27 October 1837, p.2, col.4.

2 Anonymous, 'Death of King William the Fourth'. The Australian, 10October1837, p.2, col.2.

3 Anonymous, 'Important News, from England'. Sydnry Herald, 9October1837, p.2, col.1.; Halford, H. & Chambers, W.F. 'The King's Death'. Court Circular. Sydnry Monitor, 9 October 1837, p.2, col.2.

4 Halford, H. & Chambers, W.F. 'The King's Death'. Court Circular. Sydnry Monitor, 9 October 1837, p.2, col.2.

5 Anonymous, Sydnry Monitor, 9 October 1837, p.2, col.3.; Anonymous, 'Death of His Majesty William the Fourth'. Sydnry Gazette, 10 October 1837, p.2, col.2.; Anonymous 'Death of King William the Fourth'. The Australian, 10October1837, p.2, col.2.

6 As 5

7 Anonymous, 'Important News, from England'. Sydnry Herald, 9 October 1837, p.2, col.1.; Halford, H. & Chambers, W.F. 'The King's Death'. Court Circular. Sydnry Monitor, 9 October 1837, p.2, col.2.; Anonymous, Sydnry Monitor, 9 October 1837, p.2, col.3.

8 Anonymous, 'Death of His Majesty William the Fourth'. Sydnry Gazette, 10 October 1837, p.2, col.2.; Anonymous, 'Death of King William the Fourth'. The Australian, 10October1837, p.2, col.2.

9 Anonymous, 'Death of King William the Fourth'. The Australian, 10 October 1837, p.2, col.2.

10 As 9

11 Anonymous, 'English News'. Sydnry Gazette, 26 October 1837, p.2, col.5.; Anonymous, 'Latest English News'. Sydnry Herald, 26 October 1837, p.2, cols.1-2.

12 Deas Thomson, E . Government Gazette ~xtraordinary. The Australian, 27October1837, p.2, cols.1-2.

13 As 11

14 Anonymous, 'News by the James Pattison'. Sydnry Monitor, 27 October 1837, p.2, col.4.;Deas Thomson, E. Government Gazette Extraordinary. The Australian, 27October1837, p.2, cols.1-2.

15 As 12

Hobl?Ji Outreach 6 October-November 2007

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EXCURSION 13 AUGUST 2007 Contributed qy Graham Warmbath

A VISIT TO THE JUSTICE & POLICE MUSEUM We get to the Wentworth Falls station for the 8.34 am

train to Central. At Lawson, Walks 'n' Talks Co-ordinator, Jo Adam and tribe climb aboard, along with Hobqy'S Outreach editor Margaret Edwards all the way from Lithgow.

The journey agreeably chatters by and we go for a snack before regrouping outside the museum, just up Phillip Street from the quay.

Here it is easy to imagine the Cutty Sark moored a stone's throw away, the Jack tars, the blues. Presently, the tall courthouse doors swing open and a guide ushers us within. It is a large hall, a massive coat-of-arms high on the facing wall above where the magistrate would be, a solid timber table for lawyers' use in the centre of the floor and the iron­railinged dock opposite, which some of us pass as we come in (others can't resist a place in the dock and Margaret can't miss a photo opportunity!)

'Look wicked, you criminals' only makes matters worse-one reprobate sticks out his tongue and gestures in a manner foreign to gentlefolk.

The history of policing the bustling dockside and harbour precinct dates from the 1840s when the waters of Sydney Cove lapped the ground at the front of Cadman's Cottage, then housing the Water Police and the Watch House. But within a decade the cottage couldn't accommodate the workload and, in 1856, Colonial Architect Edmund Blacket designed a new building in the classical style of the basilica or grand public hall used as a law court in ancient Rome. It was built from sandstone quarried at Bennelong Point, the walls supporting the roof which, in Blacket's design, has a raised centre with glazed sides. This so-called lantern roof admits light to the dark interior-the walls are mission brown up to a dado rail and watery duck-egg blue above. On a side wall, an American regulator clock measures passing time.

A magistrate was a prominent person in the community, titled a Justice of the Peace. After 1881, the JP was appointed to the bench. The dock was sized to hold a cell's-full complement of 15 prisoners, mostly petty thieves or smugglers.

With the additions of a Water Police Station in 1858 and a year later, a Police Court, a complex of three buil~ emerged and by the 1890s this included charge rooms, holding cells, offices and living quarters. The magistrate and police courts were working till 1918, then closed, only to be re-opened six years later as the Sydney Traffic Courts which operated until 1980, while the police station became known as the Phillip Street Police Station until its closure in 1985. The complex has been refurbished in 1890s character by the Historic Houses Trust of NSW and this is the Justice and Police Museum which we see today.

Our guide leads us from the court room by a labyrinth of passages to a pictorial display titled 'Tough Men, Hard Times',

Hob~} Outreach 7

featuring the Rothbury Riots when the mine owners wanted to cut miner's wages by 12.5%. Of course the miners resisted, so the owners brought in scab labour. Superintendent McKay trucked 300 police to the confrontation ... and fired on the miners. We see Eviction Notices, destitute families on the street ... 'they don't look like desperadoes'.

In the Depression, communism looked very attractive to out-of-work Sydney-siders. Prime Minister Jack Lang defaulted on war reparation to the UK-'why, when Australia is starving?' He was accused of leading the country into communism. So out came the 40,000 ex-WWI officers of the New Guard with bulldog posters captioned 'Don't Touch.' There is a picture of Eric Campbell giving a fascist salute, as well as artefacts-masks for fascists, dark robes and De Groot's sword. A wistful query is overheard, 'how were

they going to keep the Ruskies away?'

We're now looking into display cases full of walking sticks concealing swords, all sorts of cosh and mugging weapons, including a medieval ball and chain, and a knife belonging to one of the 1882 Garden Palace fire suspects. On the wall, a hundred mug shots are displayed-9 women and 91 men-the faces of criminality.

In the charge room, there are details of a policeman's beat, a 'naughty boys' chair or holding

Photo: Graham Warmbath dock, a charge clock and the baton which in 1893 saved

Police Constable Bell's life. Here's what happened: Bell was out on his beat when he heard the cry 'robbers!' He ran in the direction of the cry and, turning a corner, he saw them. He called out 'stop thief!' only to see a pistol drawn and hear a shot. He went down with a thump but in the same moment saw that the shooter's hat had fallen off as the pistol fired. He was not dead ... the shot had ricocheted off his baton, leaving only a dent! He got up, brushed himself down, picked up the hat and looked inside ... 'What do you keep in your hat? Your name and home address!'

Well, here we are in the cells-12 feet high walls and one small barred skylight. 'No-one overweight would get out of that!' Ah, actually, one did. He must've got up to the window with assistance but once there, discovered that the bars were just pipes-soft metal he could get through! And, talking of 'assistance', our guide comments with a grin that it was ever the case that 'a blind eye turns for the right money': 'NSW police were called the best police money could buy!'

In the third cell, we see the tin trunk in which the 'Pajama Girl' was preserved in formalin. It is a dramatic reminder of a story recalled by most in our group.

And now our visit is over. To paraphrase the bard: 'If we shadows have offended, think that you have but slumbered here. So, goodnight unto you all'.

October-November 2007

EXCURSION 16 }ULY 2007

OPERA AUSTRALIA GUIDED TOUR

A meeting at Central Railway and a brisk walk along Elizabeth Street into the Strawberry Hills, past some very interesting shops (I will know where to go should I ever need a pair of high heeled black boots or a stripper's outfit!) brought us to the 'engine room' of Opera Australia. The building, which is set into a steep hill and consequently has three side entrance loading bays, was originally owned by Penfolds, famous for stationery. It later became a large hardware store for Hudsons (with a 'H') and was then sold to Opera Australia.

We were greeted at the 'TOURS' door by a volunteer guide and taken to the staff and performers' dining room, known as the 'Green Room', as is the one at the Opera House. The morning tea provided was most welcome after our cold journey, then to begin our tour we were split into two groups.

Our inspection started with an interesting talk about the various activities undertaken in the vast building, then fortune smiled on us when we were able to use the goods lift instead of climbing three floors of stairs in order to start the tour at the top. Mrs Ann Judd, our guide, proved to be both knowledgeable and entertaining with an obvious love for opera and the behind-the-scenes mysteries. We learned about the work of the committees who choose the programmes and engage visiting singers and the work of the scenery and costume designers, all of which takes place years in advance of the eventual performances. A portfolio

Models for the day: Bruce andJosephine Adam

Contributed f?y Roberta Johnstone

of all these details and sketches of costumes and stage designs is prepared for each opera to be performed and filed away for future reference after the season-a truly valuable library!

At the top of the building are many rooms filled with costumes, racks and racks of beautiful garments made with exotic fabrics and trimmings. Accessories are just as important for the final effect and Opera Australia has its own 'in house' milliners and bootmakers. We were invited to handle some costumes and hats put out specially for inspection and Jo and Bruce Adam actually modelled some for us. Laughs all round of course!

The middle floor of the building contains a number , of muscular gentlemen building sets and painting 1

scenery flats. It is there that the accessible loading bays prove so useful as some of the scenery is really huge. There are also rehearsal and administration rooms along many of the corridors. I am sure there are accountants hiding there somewhere as this is a multi-million dollar business!

The ground floor is mainly administration but we wove our way between the offices to reach a mezzanine section where there are hundreds of wigs on stands-a hairdo for every occasion-what a luxury!

Opera buff or not, this tour is highly recommended as a delightful behind-the-scenes glimpse of the work and expertise which is required to produce a first class performance.

Josephine models a hat

Photot: Matgartt E"-rds

8 October-November 2007

-, •

BMHS Birthday Lunch What pleasanter way to celebrate the Society's 61 years

than together at Wentworth Falls Country Club on Thursday 23 August.

Mind you, we didn't know that that day the club would be fitting the glass doors to the new outside deck! It certainly worked up an appetite-nor were we slow to take second helpings of pork, lamb and vegetables, then sticky date pud and fruit trifle.

Appetite satisfied, chattering followed until hushed by John Law's poetry. John read three poems from his book Wild Ephemera. Delivered in quiet style, his words torchlight, there was not an ear but hung on every line. Thank you, John.

It's a hard act to follow. .. but, but-wait for it-we are mere mortals and there is always one larger than life.

Up jumped Colin Slade, 'spear' of rusty metal from a building site in hand and colander on head, as a spluttering Otto van Bismark. The comic verse now took us beneath the Rhine where Otto, transformed by a red wig, beguiled us as a fraulein mermaid.

Regaining composure and Vice President once more, Colin gave our best wishes for Geoff Sadler who was under the doc in Nepean Hospital.

A memorable lunch, good company, superb entertainment-here's to the future!

Contributed by Graham W armbath

Photo.r: Mmi:ant Ediwurir

Hobl?J':r 011treach

\

'

9

John Low

Colin Slade

Red-wig, fraulein mermaid

October-November 2007

· .. Blue Mountains Historical Society Inc.

The Society's objective is to promote community interest in history in general and in the Blue Mountains in particular. Meetings are held on the first Saturday of each month (except December and January) at the Society's headquarters at Hobby's Reach. At these meetings a talk by an invited speaker or by a member is followed by general business. An excursion to a place of historical interest is held on the second Monday of most months. Research Days are held each Tuesday at Hobby's Reach from 10 am to 2 pm and on Friday between 10am and noon under

the supervision of the Research Officer.

Patron: Mayor, City of the Blue Mountains, Cr Jim Angel Management Committee:

President Peter Rickwood 0427232115 Research Joan Smith Vice President Colin Slade 47822450 Curator Susan Warmbath

Secretary Joan Smith 4757 4009 Mem. Secretary Margaret Edwards

Treasurer Geoff Sadler 47821402 Editor Margaret Edwards

Members David Bradley 47586151 Book Shop Susan Warmbath

Josephine Adam 47591022 Pulblicity Officer

Margaret Edwards 63523925 Walks & Talks

Susan Warmbath 4757 3402 Catering Garden Convenor Colin Slade

Hobby's Reach Research Centre: 4757 3824

Return Address: Blue Mountains Historical Society P 0 Box17 WENTWORTH FALLS NSW 2782

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[~_]

4757 4009 4757 3402 63523925 63523925 4757 3402

47822450