Members Meetings held from February to June 2024
FEBRUARY: MEMBERS “SHOW AND TELL” and TOYS DISPLAY LAUNCH
Darryn Hartnett
Family History: Darryn discussed the Port Phillip Heritage Centre, his ancestors move to Australia and to Moonee Ponds to farm, and the buildings and cellars that exist today.
Julie Scott
Court House Fire: Julie presented a folder of the media coverage of the 2016 fire. Folder donated to EHS.
Bob Chalmers
Korumburra School: Bob discussed the history of the school and experience there.
Jenny Macaffer
Family History and a spinning top.
Launch of Children’s Toys across the Years
Lyndall Byrne discussed the display highlights and thanked the members and friends who have loaned the toys.
MARCH 2024 SPEAKER: CHRIS HAWKER “HARRY GEORGE HAWKER, AUSTRALIAN PIONEER AVIATOR”
Chris Hawker (left) addressed the career of his Great Uncle, Harry George Hawker.
Harry Hawker began his employment as a mechanic and driver. When Victoria first issued drivers licence, Harry and his brother, Herbert, were amongst the first to obtain them.
While running his own workshop at Caramut in western Victoria for the de Little family, he heard of the famous escapologist, Erich Weisz – more famously known as Harry Houdini – and so Harry witnessed the first powered flight in Australia at Diggers Rest in 1909. This inspired him to save and migrate to England to pursue a career in aviation with three friends – Harry Kauper, Harry Busteed & Eric Harrison.
After struggling to find employment in England, he was recommended to T. O. M. Sopwith and joined his newly-formed flying school. On October 20, 1912, just four days after his first flying lesson and with less than 24 hours of logged flight time, Harry created an endurance record of 8 hours and 23 minutes which stood for years.
In June 1913, Harry set two new height records – one for a solo flight at 11,450 feet and another with one passenger at 13,400 feet. In August, Harry, with his Australian friend Harry Kauper as his mechanic, made two attempts for the Daily Mail Round Great Britain prize. Due to the volume of the plane, the two communicated by writing on the back of their maps with messages like ‘Where is north?’.
In 1914, Harry developed the Sopwith Tabloid, a revolutionarily fast and manoeuvrable short-winged biplane which contributed to the preference for as combat aircraft in WWI. With it, he returned to Australia where he provided the first practical flying exhibitions. With no aerodromes, he used golf links, the polo greens at Government House and Caulfield Racecourse as his runway. Footage of this final take-off survives today. His exhibitions spurred the Australian government’s development of its first planes.
Upon returning to England, Harry soon found the world at war. He enlisted with the Royal Naval Air Service but was withheld from active service to continue his design work, to serve as a general test pilot, to advise aircraft manufacturers and to inspect aerodromes in England and France. For this service, he was awarded an MBE.
At the conclusion of the war, Harry attempted to fly the Atlantic Ocean from Newfoundland to England. Ten hours into the flight, the engine started overheating. Passed the half-way point, they had to ditch in the icy mid-Atlantic where they were miraculously picked up by a steamer which did not carry wireless. With Harry missing, presumed dead, King George V sent a telegram of condolences to Harry’s wife. Consequently, when the pair were safely returned to London, both men were greeted with crowds at Kings Cross and presented with the first Air Force Crosses ever to be awarded.
In 1921, Harry died while flying a French Goshawk.
APRIL 2024 SPEAKER: DAMIEN LEWIS AND “NOSTALGIQUE: THE WONDERFUL THINGS WE NO LONGER USE”
Damien Lewis shared stories from his research into his latest publication. He highlighted the Edison Phonograph, the Astor Console Radio, the Mystery Rotary Clock, the Magic Lantern, the Jukebox Wallbox, the Hurricane Lantern, the Crown Graphic Camera, the Mutoscope, the Snow White Radio, the Vending Machine, servants’ call bells, wax seals, the printing press, the Lawson Clock and calling card cases.
MAY 2024 SPEAKER: GUS BERGER AND “THE LOST CITY OF MELBOURNE”
Gus Berger is a filmmaker, writer and the owner and operator of the independent cinema, Thornbury Picture House, a single screen cinema adapted from a 1919 garage.
Gus provided the background to his self-funded film The Lost City of Melbourne. A previous short film,Junked, looked at the junking of 35mm film prints. During Covid lockdowns, he looked at the demise of City theatres, then lost hotels and markets, and the project developed into the destruction of Marvellous Melbourne during the 1950s to 1970s.
The Lost City of Melbourne has won awards including the History Interpretation Award at the 2024 Community History Awards presented by PROV and RHSV.
Gus also gave a rundown on Brunswick’s many cinemas and what became of them.
The film was screened following Gus’s talk.
JUNE 2024 SPEAKER: John Kavanagh OAM and Moonee Ponds Creek
JULY 2024 SPEAKER: John Birt and the Launch of Sports Exhibition
AUGUST 2024: Annual General Meeting
