Join Fergus to hear about his new book on the history of Balmain’s sanitation system – from the backyard to the bedroom en suite.
Join Fergus to hear about his new book on the history of Balmain’s sanitation system – from the backyard to the bedroom en suite.
WEDNESDAY 13 MARCH WEDNESDAY 20 MARCH
Balmain Library Leichhardt Library
RSVP 9367 9211 RSVP 9367 9266
6:30pm – 8:00pm 6:30pm – 8:00pm
Free Event ~ All Welcome
Refreshments Served
In December 2012, I had the pleasure of meeting and conducting an oral history with an old true Local, Ted Tamsett the grandson of Patrick Cronin and Julia Cronin, the original owners and publicans of Leichhardt hotel, situated on the corner of Wetherill Street and Balmain Road.
This photo was taken the day before the hotel was demolished. L-R Mrs Robinson, Julia Cronin, Jack Ogilvir, Majorie Tamsett 3yrs, old, Florence Cronin and her husband Jack (Licensee of the hotel) Cora Robinson – daughter of Mrs Robinson, unknown child) Ellen Tamsett (Nell Cronin) and her husband Edgar Tamsett and Alfe Nugent.
Leichhardt Hotel was originally constructed in 1888 in the Victorian Filigree style, featuring decorative cast iron brackets and an Iron filigree verandah. The hotel was demolished and re-designed by architect Sidney Warden in 1924.
Ted Tamsett was born on 28th October 1923 in the old Leichhardt Hotel. He attended Leichhardt Public School then went to school at St Fiacres until 5th class. He worked with this family in the hotel until he was registered and called to service for World War 2 and entered the air-force. On discharge he returned to Leichhardt and took over the running of the Leichhardt hotel. Great changes to the hotel occurred. Hours were changed from 6pm to 10pm but with a closing hour between 6-7 pm to drive all the clients home for dinner. The original hotel was demolished and the new one was designed and built by the architect Sidney Warden built around 1924 hotel. Sidney Warden later designed the addition of the Lounge hotel to the rear of the pub.
Cnr of Wetherill Street and Balmain Road.
From the left: Alderman Bob Heffernan, Les McMahon MHR, Mayor Les Rodwell, Harrie S Hannaford, Deputy mayor Les Dan Casey. 1975.
Leichhardt Councillors and Council staff were saddened to hear of the passing of former Alderman and Councillor Bob Heffernan on Saturday morning.
Mr Heffernan, 93, passed away peacefully Salvation Army’s Woodport Nursing Home at Erina.
Mayor of Leichhardt Cr Darcy Byrne said that Mr Heffernan represented the working class people of Balmain all of his life.
“Bob lived by the old Balmain ethos of looking after their own,” said Cr Byrne. “He dedicated himself to community service.”
Bob Heffernan was born and raised in Balmain. The one-time dockworker and life-long Balmain Tigers supporter was a noted politician.
He made an enormous contribution to the Leichhardt community over many decades, spending a total of 27 years as an Alderman/Councillor on Leichhardt Council, both as a member of the Australian Labor Party and as an Independent Councillor. He served as Deputy Mayor in 1989-90.
Bob fought overdevelopment in the Inner West and looked out for the locals. He sought to look after everyone, in particular the elderly, and it was Bob’s efforts that led to the securing of the Hannaford Centre for the community. He also served as the last Chairman of the Balmain Hospital Board.
Bob Heffernan was first elected to Council in December 1968. His first term ended in September 1971.
He was re-elected Councillor again for the October 1974 – September 1980 terms of Council.
His final terms of Council were from April 1984 – September 1999.
Mr Heffernan was Deputy Mayor in the 1989/90 year
BOB HEFFERNAN:” A Tiger to the end. http://www.altmedia.net.au/69518/69518
Leichahrdt Library is happy to announce that around 5, 800 images from the library collection have been added to‘Trove’ the National Library of Australia Internet Catalogue – this is the biggest library database in Australia; as of 22 Jan 2013.
‘Trove’ currently has 324,406,154 Australian and online resources:
books, images, historic newspapers, maps, music, archives and more
Be the first to explore the local images of the Leichhardt Local Government Area dating back to the 1860s. (click on the Logo for a link to Trove)
February 2013
Preservation of Family History Documents & Treasures – Representatives from Preservation Australia Pty Ltd
Sat 2 Feb, 120 Kent St 10.30 am – 12.30 pm
$20 / $30
Learn practical tips and techniques for preserving your family history documents and family treasures from professional conservators.
Bring along a document or item for some practical one on one advice during the session.
Birth, Marriage & Death in Colonial India – Sylvia Murphy
Sat 2 Feb, 120 Kent St 1.30 pm – 3.30 pm
$20 / $30
Learn about the numerous sources for vital records of the European community in India, Burma etc, their reliability and how to interpret them. Understand why records are incomplete and why some ancestors may be missing from records. What is the impact of religious affiliation on record availability? What alternative sources may be available?
Family Tree Maker User Group – Larry Czarnik
Sat 9, 120 Kent Feb 10.30 am -12.30 pm
$8 / $12
Join other users of this popular software for a Q & A session.
Library Orientation Tour
Mon 11 Feb, 2/379 Kent St 10.00 am –11.00 am
Free
Members only
Join us for a tour of the SAG library – learn about its layout and the services offered.
8.00 pm – 9.00 pm
Webinar: Tracing your Irish Ancestors – Cora Num
Wed 13 Feb, location: Your Place 8.00pm-9.00pm
$10 Members only
Cora Num from www.coraweb.com.au will share her valuable knowledge about how to trace those
Irish ancestors using the latest Internet resources and techniques.
Sentenced beyond the Seas: Australia’s early convict records – Janette Pelosi
Sat 16 Feb, 120 Kent St 10.30pm-12.30pm
$20 / $30
The 225th anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet occurs in 2013. Janette will speak about Australia’s earliest convict records held at SRNSW.
These documents reveal much about the early record keeping of the colony and those who became founders of our nation.
Australia’s First Industrial Strike – Ralph Hawkins
Sat 16 Feb, 120 Kent St , 1.30pm-3.30pm
$20 / $30,
The first industrial strike in Australia occurred in 1819 when sawyers at Epping withdrew their labour for three weeks. Hear our archivist Ralph Hawkins describe this important event.
Sat 23 Feb, 120 Kent St, 10.30 am -12.30 pm
English Research Group –The British Railways (including Scotland) – Alan Day
Sat 23 Feb, 120 Kent St 10.30pm-12.30pm
$8 / $12
The development of railways throughout Britain in the 19th and early 20th centuries created a huge range of employment opportunities for both men and women.
Learn about some of the jobs people did, where they worked, and what records have survived from which individuals’ lives may be traced.
Getting Started on your Family History – Vicki Eldridge
Sat 23 Feb, 120 Kent St, 1.30 pm – 3.30 pm
$10
Members only
Limit 10
For new members with no family history research experience. Learn the basics of how to start researching and what to do.
Webinar: Tracing NSW Convict Ancestors – Part 2 – Christine Yeats
Wed 27 Feb, location: Your Place 8.00pm-9.00pm
$10
Members only
This webinar follows on from the one in January which introduced us to NSW convict research. Christine will
now explore how other types of records such as Musters, Census records, convict marriages & deaths, Colonial Secretary’s
In Letters and BDM records can further your research.
Link to Programme for January to April 2013: Publicity_ EventsJan-April2013-SAG
Exciting News !!!!!
Just select “Anywhere” and type in “Subdivision Plans” or “Sale Plans”
You can now search our library Webopac for Subdivision Plans just type in “Subdivision plans” or your street name and look to the right hand column for Subdivision plans.
Image courtesy of National Library of Australia.
Beale’s Piano Factory was historically renowned as the Largest Piano Factory in the British Empire.
Beale and Company were the largest producer of pianos in Australia from the 1890’s through to the early 1960s. Being a Sydney based firm they are of particular significance to the museum’s musical instrument collection which has a strong emphasis on Australian made keyboards including the earliest surviving Australian made piano by John Benham of Sydney dating from about 1835 through to the state of the art Stuart and Sons concert grand piano made in 1998-1999. The Beale company was established by Octavius Charles Beale in 1879 and did not begin manufacturing pianos in Australia until 1893. They later opened a large factory in the Sydney suburb of Annandale in 1902 which was heralded in the Sydney Mail as “a notable step in the march of industrial progress” (18/1/1902 p.166) and was opened by the then Prime Minister, Sir Edmund Barton. OC Beale was a strong advocate of protection of Australian industry and this in part contributed to Beale being able to manufacture pianos successfully, unhindered by foreign competition especially from Germany and the USA. Beale was a vigorous member and President of the Federated Chamber of Manufactures of Australia, the NSW Chamber of Manufactures and the Chambers of Commerce of the Commonwealth of Australia. The Beale Company prided itself on making Australian made pianos for Australian conditions, and to this end took out a patent in 1902 for a tuning pin locking system with a metal wrest plank that aimed to prevent the strings from going out of tune given the humidity and temperature fluctuations of the Australian climate. The company existed until the early 1960s when they were taken over and their local production ceased.
Michael Lea Curator, music & musical instruments.
Piano Making (c.1924) – Film clip of Piano making from Australian Screen.
Why not come into your Local Library and check out the Ancestry.com Database. New databases are being added weekly that may assist your family research. The following is a list of some already released databases which can be easily searched.
Australian Death Index 1875-1985
Births, Deaths and Marriages,
Australian Census data,
Immigration and Travel
Convict ship register
UK Incoming Passenger lists 1878 -1960
Australian Marriage Index Register
Australian Birth Index 1788 -1922
Australian Electoral Roles: 1903-1980
New South Wales, Australia, Unassisted Immigrant Passenger Lists, 1826-1922
Australian Convict Transportation Registers – Other Fleets & Ships, 1791-1868
Australia and New Zealand Obituary Collection.
New South Wales, Australia, Settler and Convict Lists, 1787-1834
Queensland, Australia, Passenger Lists, 1848-1912
New South Wales, Australia, Immigration Deposit Journals, 1853-1900
1891 New South Wales, Australia Census
New South Wales, Australia, Gaol Description and Entrance Books, 1818-1930
New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents, 1788-1842
New South Wales and Tasmania, Australia, Convict Pardons and Tickets of Leave, 1834-1859
New South Wales, Australia Historical Electoral Rolls, 1842-1864
New South Wales, Australia, Departing Crew and Passenger Lists, 1816-1825, 1898-1911
New South Wales, Australia, Immigration Deposit Journals, 1853-1900
Come and see the bold, beautiful and vibrant photographs
featuring people in Aboriginal Communities all over Australia.
The Exhibition is held in the Reading Room until November 14th
boy prepared for initiation in Arnhemland, 2011
Tiwi artist smoking through a crab claw
Children at an art centre, Christmas 2010, in central Australia
An Exhibition brought to you by Tali Gallery and Amnesty International
Exhibition in the Reading Room until November 14th in the Reading Room of Balmain Library.
