Gippsland Guardian to go on Trove

We are very excited, as Wellington Shire Heritage Network has received $4,000 in a Community Grant from the Wellington Shire. This will place the Guardian online for the period 1855 to 1868, which is during the main period of the establishment of Stratford.

You can follow progress on fund-raising for the balance on the Maffra Historical Society blog - and we will announce here when it will be online - it won't be tomorrow, but it will happen.

Thinking of Visiting Us?

We really enjoy the visits of most family historians to the Museum, but just sometimes there are those who make us wonder why we are helping them. There is a longer post HERE that gives some pointers how visitors can better enhance their chances of finding material when travelling a distance to access our collection.

Comments are welcome!

The Bulletin is out!

The latest Bulletin is out. You can see selected abstracts (descriptions of articles) HERE. Included is a short history of snake oil salesman Joseph Shires, who was married at Ramahyuck in in 1876, and more about the man in the portrait below, Samuel Swan.

This portrait is oil on photographic canvas, and it is unclear from our catalogue where it hung before it came to us. Sam is an ex-convict, licencee of the Shakespeare Hotel, and died a wealthy man.

You can read all about these two different men for just $3.00 for a Bulletin, plus 60c p&p. Can't work out how to send such a small amount? We will accept six sixty cent postage stamps! (Unused ones only, please). There cannot be many better bargains around than that.

Heritage Farm Day

 

Heritage Farm Day

Sunday 14 October 2012

10am to 3pm

Venue: Pine Lodge Recreation reserve, Stratford (Llowalong Road).

Admission $5.00. Children Free.

Highlights:

Working Farm Horses

Horse-Drawn Carriages

Vintage Trucks

Farm machinery

Photographic Display

Early Post Office and Mail Contractors (packhorses) in the former Avon Shire

Exhibition of Blade Shearing

And more!!! 

Morning and Afternoon Tea and Light Lunch will be available.

Watch this spot for further details closer to the time.

Patrick Galway, early Stratford to Dargo Mail Contractor