From 12 Regent-street, Preston, McDonald was alternatively listed as an agricultural student and a cheese-maker on embarkation. Somewhat unique in our archives in that he served in Egypt and Palestine with the Camel Corps rather than a Light Horse unit, McDonald died in the 14 General Hospital, Cairo on 8 May, 1917 from a septic haemorrhage […]
World War 1 Casualty : Nurse Amy Vera O’Grady
Nurse Amy Vera O’Grady (Roman Catholic Presbytery, Clifton Grove, Preston) Nurse Amy O’Grady was one of around a dozen women from Darebin that served in the Medical Corps, and the first of just two that died, in her case of cholera in the Sisters Isolation Hospital, Calaba, Bombay There were around a dozen local nurses […]
George Alexander – Northcote’s First International Sportsman
The Preston Leader (and Melbourne newspapers) noted the death in a private hospital in Richmond on November 6, 1930 at 78 years of age of George Alexander, describing him as “a resident of Northcote for over 60 years” and living at ‘Terracedale’, 3 McLachlan Street at the time of his demise. (Preston Leader, 13 November, […]
Samuel Cracknell (1847 – 1933) World famous light weight jockey
“Sam Cracknell was an outstanding personality in Australian Racing; a shrewd witty little man who had a racing record extending for a quarter of a century dating from 1865 – a record which was never approached by any other lightweight jockey of his day”. Source: Unknown newspaper cutting Early Life Sam was the 7th of […]
Dan O’Brien – Australian’s forgotten turf legend
Born in pre-gold rush Melbourne to Irish immigrants Dennis and Ann O’Brien, Dan grew up among horses. From birth to seven years old, this renowned jockey, trainer, owner, breeder and publican, the son of a drover, lived less than 100 metres from Kirk’s Bazaar, Melbourne’s famous horse market. On his mother’s death in 1854, Dan […]
John Cain (1931 -)
John Cain (1931 – ) 1When John Cain was born in 1931 his father was the Labor Deputy Opposition Leader of Victoria. John Cain Senior went onto to lead Victoria as Premier on three separate occasions before his death in 1957. With such a strong political presence in his life it was no surprise when […]
Wise Family of Yan Yean
Our Wise Family, in all, now numbering over 2,500, had a huge gathering in Wangaratta on the 19th of July 2008 to celebrate my great great grandfather and great great grandmother’s arrival at Port Phillip, on the 19th of July 1848, some 160 years ago. Joseph Wise and his wife Matilda settled for 10 years […]
Early days of Thomastown and Lalor
A Sunday School picnic from Thornbury as a child, used to be to either the Presbyterian church at Epping or Whittlesea. Epping road was only bitumen barely wide enough for two cars, with gravel on the sides, and most of the side roads were unmade until 1964. The original (Thomastown) Doctors surgery was a tin […]
The impact of Black Saturday from a safe house in Diamond Creek
I arrived home from work, on Saturday February 7, at midday. On my way home I noticed that the temperature was already 40 degrees and that it was extremely windy. I once lived in St Andrews for eight years and I was a member of the local fire brigade. I learnt so much about bushfire behaviour […]
Shadows On The Screen
—Bullant 17:59, 22 September 2011 (EST) The author did not identify himself by name but is easily identifiable as William McIntosh, the son of Andrew McIntosh, a long serving councillor and prominent baker in High Street. As the article reveals, William and his great friend James Morris were stalwarts of the cricket club and although […]