PAST MEETINGS
Published here is a short summary of A&DHS meetings over the past twelve months.
More detail of our past meetings can be found by going to Our Bulletin.
April 2024 Meeting
The main focus of our April meeting was to commemorate Anzac. Last June, Simon Burgess completed the Kokoda Trek. Simon’s grandfather was a soldier with the AIF on Kokoda fighting the Japanese in World War II. Simon gave an excellent description of the trek and compared his trek with that of Australian (and Japanese) soldiers and in particular the experience of his grandfather.
We also watched a 15-minute film describing the experience of Malcolm Chisholm. He is acknowledged as the first Australian killed in World War I, months before the Gallipoli campaign. Malcolm’s great grandmother was Albury pioneer Elizabeth Mitchell (née Huon), and he was the first cousin once removed of Society member Honor Auchinleck.
March 2024 Meeting
Over 250 years ago, Aboriginals marked each distinct group’s Country boundaries, directions and important landmarks by manipulating young and flexible Gum Trees into Aboriginal Ring Trees.
Dr Pieter Mourik has an interest in Aboriginal Ring Trees. With assistance from Peter Harper and others, he has collected photos and locations of over 100 trees in this region. Pieter shared his knowledge of this important aspects of Aboriginal heritage and culture.
February 2024 Meeting
Murray River Police District Commander, Superintendent Paul Smith, invited members to the Police Training Centre for our February meeting. Members had the opportunity to inspect displays of items relating to local policing followed by a presentation on local policing with a focus on dealing with closed borders during the Covid pandemic.
November 2023 Meeting
There was a lot of energy in the room when well respected Albury builder Garry Zauner addressed us at the November meeting. The early life of Rudy Zauner, also well known to many of us, revealed the story of a hard working Austrian migrant who made the most of his chance to start a new life in Albury. Rudy, in partnership with his wife Greta, went on to establish a successful construction company and to raise a family of children who became their pride and joy. Garry was peppered with questions from the floor all of which were handled with modesty and skill.
October 2023 Meeting
Sandy the War Horse. Sandy, from Tallangatta, was one of over 130,000 Australian horses sent to World War I from farms and stations across the nation.. He was the horse of General Bridges and the only Australian horse to return home from WWI. Bryan Smith was active in the committee which raised funds for a statue of Sandy to be installed at Tallangatta. Bryan will tell the story of the committee’s success.
September 2023 Meeting
While researching her family history, journalist and screenwriter, Sheridan Jobbins discovered she was related to a man who led a massacre against the Wiradjuri people at Dora Dora near Albury. What had been secret for 200 years was only revealed because, in 1839, the Wiradjuri elders sent a message down the generations in the form of a corroboree song – taught to a neighbour and now kept in the State Library of Victoria.
Sheridan told the story of her ancestor, John Jobbins, well-established in the area by 1835. He had a foothold on both sides of the Murray at Cumberoona and Talgarno. He held the first licence to depasture in the newly formed state of Victoria. We heard that he had connections to Hamilton Hume, Charles Barbour, and the Redhall and Guise families.
August 2023 Meeting
The road from Sydney to Albury started as a bush track and over time became the four-laned highway of today. Greg Ryan told the story of the development of the road from when, on surveyor Townsend’s 1838 map of Albury, it was noted as nothing more than a thin line heading roughly north-east and labelled “To Sydney.” From the ‘Overlanders,’ to coaching days, to the arrival of the motor car, to the modern highway of today. Safety aspects and the changing routes over time of the highway through Albury were also covered.
July 2023 Meeting
The Annual General Meeting of the Society, chaired by president Geoff Romero, was held in The Elizabeth Room of the Commercial Club. Forty four members and guests were in attendance and there were eight apologies.
Minutes of the previous AGM were read and confirmed and the President’s Annual Report received together with the Treasurer’s end of year report.
Members were assured that Society membership fees remain unchanged but there was a $2 increase in postage for members requiring a posted Bulletin.
After outlining his many contributions to the Society, Geoff Romero called on Bruce Pennay to accept his much deserved Honorary Life Membership.
Geoff then declared all committee positions vacant before calling Society Patron Greg Aplin to the chair to conduct the election of our Society’s committee for 2023/24. Duly elected were:
President: Geoff Romero;
Vice President: Greg Ryan;
Secretary: Helen Livsey;
Treasurer: Simon Burgess;
Committee: Jenny Romero, Yelly Evenhuis, Peter Harper, Steve Judd and Victor Selway.
Geoff then took the chair and after thanking Greg Aplin and retiring committee member Col McAulay, he closed the AGM and opened the July General Meeting.
General Meeting guest speaker Jill Aplin then told the story of ‘Life in a Box’, the tale of a young man who worked as a chef in Soden’s Hotel and left his precious family documents, memorabilia and historic letters dating from the early 1820s in the care of an acquaintance who lived in Albury. He told the man he would be back in a few months but the box remained unclaimed in a cupboard for over 25 years. Jill told us of her research which led to reuniting the documents with a distinguished pioneering family in the western districts of Victoria, and the renewal of contact with the missing person.
June 2023 Meeting
What are the objects in the photos? Where were they and other objects found? What do they reveal about our local past? Connor Fedorowytsch and fellow detectorist Neil Coulston focused on two locations, the site of Chinese market gardens and of a WWII internment camp, describing where the sites are and a short outline of their significance while showing us examples of some of the artefacts found at the sites.
May 2023 Meeting
Colbey Baines illustrated how the Minecraft app can be used in the education of school children. In particular he focused on how the program can be used in History lessons to illustrate how building form and use has changed over time in Albury’s CBD.
April 2023 Meeting
Our April meeting was treated to a very thought-provoking talk by Mitchell Judd, an experienced engineer with Transport for NSW. Mitch talked about the many competing factors which need to be considered when decisions are made about the restoration, repair and maintenance of heritage bridges. Mitch especially concentrated on bridges along the Murray River. Pictured is the historic bridge at Barham.
We also heard from Victor Selway who provided us with a fascinating “teaser” of the 8mm films which will form part of an exhibition at Albury LibraryMuseum later in the year. The films, produced by Dr Sam Woods in 1937/38, show Albury and its citizens engaged in various recreational pursuits.