- Speakers 2019 - |
Cornish Language Lessons
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DECEMBER 14TH MEETING The Annual Christmas Luncheon A most enjoyable lunch took place in December for our final meeting of the year. With a mixture of Carols and Quizzes plus a scrumptious two course lunch, it was a fun afternoon. A Complimentary Life Membership was presented to Gwen Phillips who celebrated her 90th Birthday in January and a Certificate of Appreciation to Max Procter was also presented. Both seen below looking elegant in their Christmas bon-bon hats. NOVEMBER 16th MEETING Cornish Language Group "Playlets" Interspersed with "Pub Quiz" Questions.
OCTOBER 19th MEETING - Separation, Gold and Prosperity - Victoria after the Gold Rush ??? 1851-1858 Dr Fay Woodhouse was the speaker at our October Meeting. Fay is the Victorian Researcher for the Australian Dictionary of Biography and is an Honorary Research Fellow in the School of History and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne. Her address was titled, ???Separation, Gold and Prosperity - Victoria after the Gold Rush ??? 1851-1858???. The year 1851, in the Port Phillip District, was very significant and the nature of the settlement changed forever. The District separated from New South Wales and gold was discovered. Victoria had already established a healthy pastoral industry of sheep and cattle. Within a few days of ???separation??? gold rushes began in September and October 1851; the Mount Alexander diggings and a further find at Chewton, saw thousands of men arriving to try their luck. Records show that individual miners amassed the highest returns for their endeavours. More gold was mined in 1852 than in any other year. The hopeful who swarmed to the various diggings stripped cities, farms, businesses and ships of men keen to become rich by their efforts. In late 1851, the news of gold discoveries reached Britain, resulting in 94000 men and women taking passage (three to four months at sea) for Victoria. Other Australian colonies accounted for 47000 hopefuls. Ballarat???s alluvial gold largely played out in 1854 and deep shaft mining began. Ballarat and Bendigo became the main gold producing areas. Meanwhile with crewless ships riding at anchor in Hobson???s Bay and incoming vessels disembarking passengers, shipping rates fell. Wool and gold were being exported to England; pastoralists were thriving and both sheep and cattle were providing a much needed market (at a price) for the local population. In 1852, just 12 years after the first railway networks had been established in England, a railway company was formed in Melbourne. The first railway line in Australia opened between Melbourne's Flinders Street Station and Port Melbourne, then called Sandridge, in September 1854. The first country line in Victoria was from Melbourne to Geelong opened in 1857 and by 1862 Victorian Railways lines had reached the great gold rush towns of Bendigo and Ballarat, and in 1864 railways were extended to the Murray River port of Echuca. With an increasing population, in Melbourne, housing, food and water supply were stretched. Planning for the Yan Yean Reservoir was commenced and Governor La Trobe, turned the ???first sod??? in December 1853; the official opening being in December 1857. The founding colonists of Victoria sought the establishment of social and cultural organisations along the lines of British institutions, clubs and societies. The Melbourne Cricket Club and the Melbourne Club were founded in November and December 1838. A trio of enlightened men - Governor La Trobe, High Court Judge Redmond Barry and politician Hugh Childers ??? was at the forefront of the creation of the Melbourne Library (opened 1856) and the University of Melbourne (opened 1855). Architect Joseph Reed, Cornish born, designed the first Library building. The existing Mechanics Institute, Botanic Gardens and Melbourne Philharmonic Society helped to civilise the new colony. SEPTEMBER 21st MEETING - The History of the Handkerchief Elizabeth Banham was the speaker at our September meeting. The title of the address was The History of the Handkerchief. Elizabeth???s chronicle of this commonplace article was anything but dull. Handkerchiefs have been around for a very long time. Elizabeth told us that in 400 BC its ownership was a sign of class. Roman lyric poet Catullus (c84BC to c54BC) mentioned the item in one of his playful verses. Early wood carvings of English gentlemen depict them with handkerchiefs and snuff handkerchiefs made their appearance. A woman living in the 17th century in the Ottoman Empire would realize that the sender of a handkerchief was inviting her to spend the night with him. Handkerchiefs were such valued assets that bills of sale and inventories mentioned them for centuries. In the 14th century, beautiful handmade laces appeared as borders on handkerchiefs. Lace makers various designs included Maltese, Irish and Honiton; the latter decorating Queen Victoria???s wedding gown and the christening robe created for her children. Irish needlewomen were part of a widespread cottage industry making their lace by candlelight. The handkerchief came into play as a ???courting??? manoeuvre when a woman used various signals ???to get the message across???. The words ???hanky panky??? described his activity. This is similar to the language of the fan employed for the same reasons. Pickpockets, famously appearing in Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist in the character of the Artful Dodger, targeted and stole handkerchiefs. This was a highly risky venture as convicted thieves were sentenced to transportation for seven years. In 1835, John Batman gave 200 handkerchiefs, amongst other items, as purchase for land on the banks of the Yarra River. Elizabeth owns a large collection of handkerchiefs ??? more than 1000 ??? and these tell a story of their use in so many ways e.g. children???s handkerchiefs were printed with alphabets, maths tables and nursery rhymes ??? learning tools. Mourning handkerchiefs were in shades of black, grey and mauve. Bridal handkerchiefs were used to wipe ???tears of joy???. Lily of the valley embroidery was popular. Historical events such as Olympic Games, Royal Events and other celebratory occasions were marked with specially designed handkerchiefs. Elizabeth had brought with her a number of handkerchiefs which were very interesting to view. One singular item was a silk handkerchief issued to crews of World War 2 Allied Bombers. This handkerchief accurately depicted reference points such as towns, roads and rivers etc., - escape routes hopefully for downed airmen. AUGUST 17th MEETING President Ken Peak, was the speaker at our August Meeting. Ken read from his journal and also engaged members with many images. Adventure is already part of the Peak family genes as Ken???s grandfather completed a round world trip in 1952 and his father embarked on a long trip in1984. Ken and his wife Lyn began their vacation in the UK (The Celtic Tour) by driving in Scotland with the doubtful ???assistance??? of a SAT NAV.
En route to Dublin they passed through Killarney and Tipperary. They said farewell to Dublin and made their way to Wexford where they observed the famous Waterford Crystal being made. A short drive to Wexford followed while nearby Rosslare???s ferry took them to Fishguard in Wales. The Magic of Cornwall On 24th May a sign in Cornish welcomed the travellers ??? Kernow A???gas Dynergh ??? Welcome to Cornwall From 24th to 31st May, Lyn and Ken covered plenty of ground in Cornwall. A highlight was a ride on the Bodmin and Wexford Steam Railway. Lanhydrock House and Trelissick House impressed. Visiting the Eden Project was a ???must see???; the entire site derives its power from geo-thermal electricity. Further, the huge amount of water needed is sanitized rainwater collected on site. Near St Buryan, the Peaks encountered the Merry Maidens, an early Bronze Age Circle of nineteen stones, set around a central pillar, said to relate to the cycle of the moon. From this circa BC 2500 construct, the Lost Gardens of Heligan also charmed. Ken???s detailed journal is too vast to cover here. He left us with these words, ???Bro Goth Agan Tasow??? which translates, ???Old Land of our Fathers???. July 21st Meeting The Annual General Meeting was held in July. Annual reports from the President of the CAV and Chairpersons of both the Ballarat Branch and the Geelong Branch are included in the newsletter, following the President???s report. A financial statement for members is included on the last page.
Following the AGM, two Cornish born members, Penny McGuire-White and Brian Rollason, entertained us with memories of Cornwall. Penny titled her talk, Wartime Experiences in Penzance. Hers was an unusual speech as we???ve not previously seen World War 2 from a youngster???s perspective. Penny was born in Penzance in Cornwall where the principal industries of mining and fishing seemed unlikely to be the targets of enemy bombing. Never-the-less a German Bomber was shot down one night and landed in the Bay. Penny was frightened to swim over where the plane may have landed and has since a fear of swimming over things. The local air-raid siren was a scary experience and Doodlebugs were also heard overhead. Children had to take Mickey Mouse Ear gas masks everywhere and Penny admitted enjoying the thrill of wearing them to school. On her way home from school she recalled bombs were dropped - the children were told it was blasting at the quarry. There were many American servicemen in the area. The troops gave Life Savers to children which were very welcome as the weekly sweet allowance was meagre - jus a few ounces. Among Penny???s recollections: *A neighbour volunteering her motorcar to transport injured soldiers and others to hospital. *Land army girls working at local farms (the King and Queen visited) and living in Nissan huts *Penny???s mother, an art teacher, visiting the wounded in hospital and assisted with Occupational Therapy - she also vetted mail *her grandparent???s home losing roof tiles and windows due to bombing *double summer time meant clocks were advanced by two hours *visiting the station to see goods being loaded for London - including pigeons (Courier pigeons) and the mail was sorted on the mail train *farmers helping each other with manpower during harvesting *shire horses *sweet corn was grown for the US officers - she had never seen sweet corn before *Then VE day - adults dancing in the street and endless cheering; a plane writing ???peace??? in the sky; church bells pealing for the first time in years. Brian Rollason, our second speaker was born in Falmouth - his talk was titled, Falmouth and Heroism. Falmouth is located at the mouth of the Fal River - Aberfala in Cornish and an early Celtic name was Peny-cwm-cuic which translates to English as 'head of the creek'. Falmouth was originally settled by the Killigrew family and a few fishermen. There was continued expansion of the Killigrew family home, Arwenac House, over the next few centuries. During the Civil War, the area was a stronghold of the Royalists but was eventually overcome by the Parliamentarians. It is interesting that the Church of King Charles the Martyr stands in the town. The victory of Admiral Nelson???s fleet over the Spanish Armada, in October 1805, at Cape Trafalgar, led to a beacon being lit near Falmouth to let England know that everyman had done his duty. A succession of beacons was lit all the way to London. Falmouth was a Royal Mail Packet Station - The Packet Service made Falmouth the information hub of the Empire, second only to London for knowing the news of the day. In 1863 the railway arrived in Falmouth, opening the area to tourism. Falmouth greeted US troops from 1943 and preparations for the invasion of Europe were carried out. An old area of Falmouth was bombed during the war and 31 people were killed. At that time, post 1943, Brian and his friends were doing what young lads do - collecting spent cartridges from American firing ranges. Brian concluded his talk with a video showing Falmouth???s narrow streets and nearby countryside. In the 1950s, a ship named Flying Entreprise (intended for salvage) was being towed by tug, near Falmouth. Due to extremely rough seas, the tow cable broke and the ship ran aground on The Manacles, a rocky outcrop near the Lizard. The crew was rescued but the Captain - Henrik Kurt Carlsen - remained on board in treacherous circumstances with the tug???s engineer as company - both were eventually rescued. The heroic behaviour of Captain Carlsen was rewarded by a Parade to the local Mayor???s Chambers; a ticker tape parade down Broadway; and a parade in his New England (USA) hometown. Captain Carlsen was Danish by birth and so was feted by both his fellow Danes and American citizens. Brian showed a black and white newsreel of the ship in peril and the fortunate rescue outcome. June 15th 2019 - Wendy Teuchler ??? ???The Dennis and Tregurtha Families of West Penwith??? The gathering began with a luncheon of Cornish Pasties. These were hand made by Keiran & Nicole King the owners of Aussie Oggie of Ballarat served via Marcus Curnow and his Curnow's Steamin' Ossie Engine Wendy is a Dennis on her maternal side and the author of ???Dennis Family Journey from West Penwith to Warncoort and Victoria???. Her ancestor Alexander Dennis was born on 29th September 1811 at Trembath, Penzance, in Cornwall. He was thoroughly trained in farm work. In December 1837 he married Emma Williams, sister of Edward Tregurtha. Heeding his brother-in-law's reports, Alexander Dennis sailed in the John Bull with his wife and daughter, his brothers John and William and four servants, arriving at Port Phillip in January 1840. Alexander settled his family at George Town, Van Diemen's Land, while he bought stock and implements, which he took to Geelong in April.
A life well lived; a man of faith, hard working and giving of himself in so many ways. CAV members at the June meeting Sarah???s talk commenced with her reminding us that our State Library, Australia???s oldest and busiest public library, was opened in 1856 when Melbourne was barely twenty years old. The Library was a world first where access was free and available to anyone over fourteen years of age. Clean hands were a ???must???!
April 27th 2019 - ???The How and Why the First Fleet was formed??? - Julian Lucas Julian Lucas, is a member of the ???Fellowship of First Fleeters??? an organisation which is comprised of descendants of those who arrived in Sydney Cove with the First Fleet in January 1788. Julian gave a wonderful insight to the living conditions in Britain in the 18th century and reminded us all of our Australian History. The exact number of people directly associated with the First Fleet will likely never be established, as accounts of the event vary slightly. A total of 1,420 people has been identified as embarking on the First Fleet in 1787, and 1,373 are believed to have landed at Sydney Cove in January 1788. There were 48 deaths and 28 births. The average age was 27 years. Many of the people were not English but included people from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Africa, America, Madagascar, West Indies, Holland, France, Germany, Norway, Portugal, Jamaica, Sweden, Bengal India, and Scandinavia.
March 16th 2019 - Lindsay Chapman, Spirit of Mystery - 10th Anniversary
Professor Davison gave a lengthy address on his background of Methodism and its place in his family of ancestors, Hewetts and Stephens and the Campbell???s Creek and Castlemaine areas where they lived. The Central Goldfields still abound with many former Methodist Churches and Chapels despite a gradual decline in membership. Graeme???s maternal Grandfather had Cornish ancestors with a little Welsh infusion; he himself has assessed that he is 100% Methodist and 6.25% Cornish. The spirituality of his Hewett and Stephens ancestors was shaped profoundly by fervent Methodism in Colonial Australia. Ancestor Samuel Stephens, born in St Agnes, was a miner who worked in St Agnes and Liskeard. In August 1846, Samuel and his family took advantage of a free passage to South Australia where they lived in Burra. By 1853, the family had arrived in Campbell???s Creek to seek their future in the goldfields; the Cornish Methodists were already much in evidence. By 1858, Samuel had set up a hay and corn dealership. Samuel was clearly a successful business man buying several blocks of land and possessing shares in local mines. Samuel was a bandsman (bands being part of the Cornish culture) and in 1861 was a member of the Campbell???s Creek Roads Board (usually a forerunner of a local Shire). In the 1860s, Campbell???s Creek was possibly the most Methodist town in Victoria. Samuel died from bronchitis in 1878.
Robert worked as a fitter in the Victorian Railways in Newport and they lived in Williamstown. Following Susan???s death, Robert returned to Wesley Hill and joined his local church. He was a dedicated family man welcoming his sisters and grandchildren. In the family circle, Campbell???s Creek and Wesley Hill were ???sacred places where the high voltage religion of our forebears still held a little of its once powerful charge.??? |