Table of contents for Edition 12, 2020 in Traces

Magic lanterns were first invented in the 1600s, and their popularity continued into the early 20th century. These devices were used for a range of entertainment and education purposes. Th is edition’s thingamajig is an example of a toy magic lantern used to entertain children in the early 1900s. Th is children’s magic lantern projector was manufactured by Ernst Plank, a company that was founded in 1866 and sold tin toy trains and boats, as well as magic lanterns. Ernst Plank was located in Nuremberg, Germany, a major centre for manufacturing and distribution of metal toys up until World War I. Pictured is the ‘Brass Climax’ model for domestic use, which was produced for US and British markets, and is made of polished brass with a single-wick kerosene burner. The…

Smallpox was a devastating disease. Final figures showed that, on average, three out of every 10 people that had the disease died. Th ose who did survive were often left with severe scarring. The origin of smallpox is still unknown, but a smallpoxlike rash found on three ancient Egyptian mummies has led many to speculate that it can be traced back to the third century Before Common Era (BCE). From here, the earliest written description of any disease that remotely resembles smallpox appeared in China in the fourth century Common Era (CE), with it later documented in India in the seventh century and in Asia Minor during the 10th century. One of the earliest attempts at controlling the disease, which was pioneered in China, was the use of variolation. Th…

Celebrated for her successful battles in the Mediterranean and receiving a hero’s welcome upon returning to Australia in February 1941, the HMAS Sydney (II) was the pride of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Captained by Joseph Burnett, it was a ship that held the esteem of both its crew and the Australian public. Due back at Fremantle on 20 November 1941 from escorting the troop ship Zealandia, the HMAS Sydney (II) was reported overdue the next day. Initially, there was no immediate concern – minor engine problems could have occurred, and there could have been delays or unplanned diversions. Warships were also expected to maintain wireless silence unless it was crucial, so the Sydney’s silence made sense. When the boat failed to return by 23 November, however, the increasingly concerned…

Perth, 1899: a respectable public servant – tipsy after pre-Christmas drinks – mistakes a bottle of cyanide for his heart medicine, swallows it, and dies. The deceased accountant of the Geological Survey of Western Australia, known as ‘Major Patrick Francis Pelly’, is believed to be a nobleman from Portumna, Ireland. On the other side of the country, a prisoner inside Pentridge Prison reads of the inquest with alarm. He knows that he is the only Patrick Pelly of Portumna in Australia. He writes to the coroner with his suspicions: that the deceased was an impostor – his own former cellmate – who has stolen his identity. The claims sent the authorities into a spin; who really was the deceased? Was he the con man that Patrick Pelly knew as ‘Frank…

THEN The Melbourne Athenaeum has operated for more than 170 years, since its beginnings as a mechanics’ institute. Back then, ‘mechanic’ meant artisan or tradesperson. In the early 19th century, mechanics’ institutes were part of a British Empire–wide movement to educate and entertain ‘mechanics’ or tradespeople. These venues were an early model for community facilities and are considered the forerunners of both technical colleges and adult education opportunities. Melbourne’s earliest museum and art gallery was housed in the Athenaeum, drawing interested crowds. Legendary figures such as Mark Twain and Sir Redmond Barry delivered lectures here, while Dame Nellie Melba sang here. The gallery hosted the first exhibition of Frederick McCubbin’s The Pioneer in 1904, and other painters, such as Hans Heysen, Constance Stokes and Albert Namatjira, also exhibited their work…

What the children don’t realise is that their playground equipment also sits atop another remnant of the air war, recently rediscovered through historic aerial photographs. In a corner of the park squats a small cast-metal box, painted red with lettering picked out in flaking white: A TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORYOF OURDEARLY BELOVED SONFLIGHT SGT JACK DUDLEY WORMALDR.A.A.F. AND HIS CREWLOST OVER BERLIN FEB 15TH 1944.AGED 21 YEARS.‘GOD GAVE THY BRAVE SOUL WINGSMY SON MY SON.’ The second son of William and Hilda Wormald, Jack grew up at 32 Terrace Road, just a few doors from Allison Playground. The family probably shared happy memories of picnics and frolics in the park with Jack’s collie dog, Peter. Leaving school at 15, Jack worked as a messenger and a clerk until he applied…

After being demobbed, Brickhill launched into a furious career as a foreign correspondent and bestselling author, combining two full-time occupations. He became a highly feted author in London after the publication of The Dam Busters (1951), which caused a sensation in the literary world. In 1952, he turned out Escape – Or Die, written at the request of the Royal Air Forces (RAF) Escaping Society. Brickhill then embarked on extensive research for his famous biography of Douglas Bader, the RAF legless ace pilot. Brickhill taped more than 100 interviews, from which he wrote Reach for the Sky, published in 1954. By this time, Brickhill was broken on the wheel of overwork from his five rapidly written bestsellers, innumerable newspaper dispatches for the Sydney Sun, and a high degree of post-traumatic stress…

With all of the hard work and countless hours that go into genealogical research, it’s no surprise that many family historians reach a point where they want to compile all of their information into something that can easily be shared with others. There are many ways to do this, from scrapbooks and cookbooks, to detailed family trees. A popular means of compiling all of this information into a neat package is by writing an ancestor’s biography. There is a lot to consider with such a project, and the process is time-consuming in itself (on top of all the research), but when you have the finished product in your hands, it’s definitely worth it! There are a few different ways that you can go about writing your family’s biography; it all…

State Library Victoria takes home trifecta at 2020 Victorian Architecture Awards State Library Victoria’s Vision 2020 redevelopment was recognised in this year’s Victorian Architecture Awards, taking out the esteemed Melbourne Prize, as well as awards in the Heritage–Conservation and Public Architecture categories. The redevelopment, led by Architectus and Schmidt Hammer Lassen, increased public spaces by 40 per cent and seating by 70 per cent, transforming the iconic heritage building into a library for the future while maintaining the building’s beloved architectural heritage. State Library Victoria CEO Kate Torney says the redevelopment could not have been in better hands. ‘Working with Architectus and Schmidt Hammer Lassen, our vision was to create a seamless link between the library’s rich history and its changing role in the 21st century. Looking at the building…

It’s 1925, and the world’s busiest passenger station is promoting raisins in a big way. If you think that might be a hard sell, you need to take a look at the beautiful kiosk that once greeted hungry commuters inside Melbourne’s Flinders Street Station. Like a grown-up version of the candy store in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, the tiny wooden stall was packed with jars of nuts, flowers and pretty parcels of dried fruits. Even the lettering on the meticulously handcrafted sign appears to be made entirely out of raisins. Far from being a public health campaign, the promotion of fruit across Victoria also extended to fruitcake and raisin bread. Th is was, in fact, part of a shrewd business move by a ‘think outside the box’ kind…

MyHeritage Greece • Greece, Electoral Rolls, 1863–1924: more than 1,000,000 indexed records added to a new collection• Corfu Vital Records, 1841–1932: more than 600,000 indexed records added to a new collection• Sparta Marriages Collection, 1835–1935: more than 170,000 indexed records added to a new collection Spain • Spain, Navarre, Index of Baptisms, 1559–1910: more than 4,000,000 indexed records added to a new collection• Spain, Navarre, Index of Marriages, 1577–1940: more than 800,000 indexed records added to a new collection• Spain, Navarre, Index of Deaths, 1592–1986: more than 94,000 indexed records added to a new collection• Spain, Vitoria Diocese, Index of Baptisms, 1535–1903: more than 2,400,000 indexed records added to a new collection United States • U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims, 1936–2007: more than 240,600,000 indexed records added to a…

Few old houses look exactly as they did when they were built; materials decay and are renewed, fittings are updated as tastes change, windows are replaced and chimneypots removed, and, one by one, original details are lost The homestead of Elizabeth Farm in Parramatta has seen dramatic changes since it was first built for John and Elizabeth Macarthur in 1793. The house’s original verandah, added in around 1800, had a simple row of posts. In the late 1820s, John Macarthur began extensive renovations, including enclosing the existing verandah’s eastern and western sides, and then adding a wholly new verandah on the east. The front verandah now featured stout timber Grecian Doric columns, which gave the houses’s entry the appearance and feel of a classical loggia. A later drawing shows the…