Lost to the Flood: The Unlikely Rise—and Disappearance—of Chief Constable Thomas Webber

---

Lost to the Flood: The Unlikely Rise—and Disappearance—of Chief Constable Thomas Webber

In 1853, the Chief Constable of Queanbeyan, Thomas Webber, died and was buried. Not long after, a devastating flood swept through the district. Today, the location of his grave is lost, likely erased by the river that once ran beside Queanbeyan’s early cemetery. But Webber’s story is too vivid to be buried with him.

From Death Sentence to Australia

Born in 1799 in Abbotskerswell, Devonshire, England, Webber’s life could have ended before it truly began. At 22, he was sentenced to death for stealing a tea chest containing two £1 notes. In a time when such crimes often led to the gallows, his sentence was commuted to transportation for life. In 1822, he arrived in Sydney aboard the convict ship Asia, listed as a ploughman from Devon with a ruddy complexion and hazel eyes.

Redemption and Duty

Webber’s new life in Australia began as a convict servant to a Mrs. Drummond in Liverpool, NSW. But he didn’t stay in chains for long. By 1831, he’d earned a Ticket of Leave for his help in apprehending runaway convicts. That same year, he married Mary Oxley, herself a convict, in Parramatta. Their troubled relationship ended tragically in 1834 when Mary drowned in the Georges River after a drunken argument with Thomas.

Despite this personal turmoil, Webber rebuilt. In 1835, he sought permission to marry again—this time to Elizabeth Smith, daughter of fellow convicts. He was granted a conditional pardon in 1839 and formally became a constable, a rare honor for a former convict.

The Chief of Queanbeyan

By 1851, Thomas Webber had risen to Chief Constable of Queanbeyan. It was a dramatic transformation—from a man nearly hanged in England to a lawman in colonial New South Wales. He witnessed his daughter’s marriage in May 1853, then died just weeks later at the age of 51. The cause of death, according to the inquest, was a “Visitation of God”—a term often used for sudden, unexplained natural deaths.

He was buried in the Queanbeyan Church of England cemetery on June 11, 1853.

A Grave Washed Away

But July 1853 brought a catastrophic flood to Queanbeyan. Newspaper accounts describe widespread destruction, including damage to the mill, houses, and the riverside cemetery. During a later court case, a constable testified that attempts to locate Webber’s grave were thwarted—the floods had washed away the earth. His grave, like much of early Queanbeyan, had vanished.

Legacy in the Mud

In 1859, Elizabeth Webber, his widow, received a small pension—a rare acknowledgment of her husband’s public service. Yet the man himself is now remembered mostly in fragments: a stolen tea chest in England, a drowned wife, a life rebuilt through law enforcement, and a grave lost to the river.

Thomas Webber’s story reminds us how precarious both redemption and memory can be. His grave is gone, but his improbable journey from convicted thief to Chief Constable deserves a place in the history of early Australia.

Bungendore & District, WW2 - 8 June 1943

 Bungendore & district, NSW

8 June 1943 

Presentation by CRHR Member - David McDonald 

on 3 April 2025

This is an edited version of Author unknown 1943, ‘Fruits of war organisation in small town’, Canberra Times, 8 June 1943, p. 2, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2636279. The images have been added by the author of the blog post.

 

Note that the term 'War Organisation' was a short-hand expression referring to the Commonwealth Government's Department of War Organisation and Industry. 

And see: ‘Decline in rural centres’, editorial, Canberra Times, 8 June 1943, p. 2, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2636197, regarding the WOI: Dept of War Organisation of Industry. 

And see response (mostly off-topic): 'Nulla Nulla' 1943, 'Bungendore still alive', Queanbeyan Age, 22 June 1943, p. 2, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article266174570. 

Note that 2025 is the 80^th anniversary of the end of WW2. We will commemorate VE Day 8 May 1945 and VP Day 15 August 1945.

A picture of what War Organisation has done in small rural centres is provided by the example of the town of Bungendore, about 25 miles from Canberra.

Source: https://hlrv.nswlrs.com.au/ Copyright expired - public domain

 

These images: Copyright expired - public domain 

The town marks the junction of the branch railway to Captain’s Flat and before the war the town served a population of 800. To-day, it is a centre of desolation, with empty houses and shops, stripped of business activity and denied elementary services.

A recent visit to the town established that for periods varying from a few days to almost a month, the residents had no supplies of lighting kerosene and had been compelled to sit in dark homes relieved only by candle light.

But the days and nights are not spent in brooding over their lot. Although Bungendore has been denuded of eligible manpower, those at home have contributed as much to the war in proportion [to their population] as any of the more fortunate centres in Australia.

Twelve months ago, when evacuees were seeking homes inland to avoid coastal and air attacks, every house in Bungendore was occupied. This relieved the depressing effects of war for a month or two, but the lack of essential services drove the new arrivals away and now none remains. War organisation has reduced Bungendore to dependence on one general store, one butcher, one baker and one bank. But the town has no doctor, dentist, chemist or hairdresser. Because the town is within a certain radius of Queanbeyan, general store, which is conducted by Mr. W. Ryan, is unable to stock medicinal preparations and other lines in common demand, including tooth paste.

Source: Google Maps

 

The inability to secure suitable supplies forced the local comforts fund to suspend sending

parcels to the more than 140 men from Bungendore who are on service with the forces. In a corner of the general store stood a pathetic group of bottles and cans, each with a tag awaiting the arrival of kerosene supplies, and this tag as well as a list of some 60 names indicated a home that had no lamp fuel.

 

Copyright expired - public domain  

Recent loss to the town was when the town blacksmith, who also conducted the air observation post, was removed from the town.

 

Copyright expired - public domain 

The town had at one stage a well-organised A.R.P. service [Air Raid Precautions] under Senior Warden E. Gardner, but the first-aid teacher has been transferred from the town and only two stretcher-bearers now remain to carry on with a depleted warden’s service.

There is no picture show and since the war no visiting show has passed through the town. In the main street there is a row of seven empty shops, which by no means completes the list, bearing mute testimony to the blight that has come on the centre.

But an active Red Cross branch, a local Patriotic and Comforts Fund, a tireless branch of the Country Women’s Association by their records show that Bungendore people are holding their chins up. Every call that has come to large cities and towns has been answered from Bungendore. 

The town’s contribution to the Australian Comforts Fund, for 12 months was £300, and to the Australian Red Cross £334. This came from little more than 200 homes.

 

Copyright expired - public domain  

Clothing was sent to the bomb victims of Britain, sheep-skin vests to men overseas, funds are subscribed for the Prisoner-of-War Fund, and the camp libraries receive a quota of books and papers. Camouflage net making, in this district [the Canberra district] received its start from Bungendore, for it was the secretary of the Bungendore C.W.A. that gave instruction to the first net workers at Queanbeyan and thus to Canberra. Bungendore has contributed more than 250 nets from its own netters. More than ten tons of paper waste has been sent to the Salvage Collector.

https://amp.abc.net.au/article/100933778 Copyright expired - public domain 

Sheepskin vest: Flight Sergeant R J Eaton, RAAF, Australian War Memorial, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/REL33288 Copyright expired - public domain 

Copyright expired - public domain 

 

Recommended citation: McDonald, D 2025, Bungendore & District, WW2 - 8 June 1943. Presentation by CRHR member, David McDonald, on 3 April 2025, Canberra & Region Heritage Researchers, blog post, https://crhr-cbr.blogspot.com/2025/07/bungendore-district-ww2-8-june-1943.html.

Analysis of a Location of a Historical Photo of a Woolshed

Analysis of the Location of a Historical Photo of a Woolshed

by 

Tony Maple

Context

A Canberra historian proposed a hypothesis that the location of a historical woolshed photo was at the Glenburn woolshed.   Would terrain profiles analysis falsify or support that hypothesis?

The historical photo was sourced from Sylvia Curley who stated it was of the Duntroon woolshed.  Earlier analysis suggested Duntroon was unlikely location and that it may have been of the first Cuppacumbalong woolshed. The slope at the top right of the historical photo was a diagnostic feature -- what location would produce such a gradient?

Technique

I first compared the slope in the right upper corner of the historical photo with those on the horizon visible from Glenburn Woolshed and then from Cuppacumbalong Woolshed.  To do that, I used both Peak Visor's Panorama 3D tool and Google Earth Pro to generate terrain profiles from locations close to the two woodsheds.

Panorama 3D Analysis

I first used Panorama 3D to generate two views of the horizon from Glenburn woolshed: 1) North towards Amungula trig, and 2) North East towards Mt Cohen.   Neither view produced slopes that aligned to that in the historical photo.  See both below.  

I then used Panorama 3D to generate a single view of the horizon from Cuppacumbalong woolshed.  The slope matches very closely, if not exactly.

Result.  The Panorama 3D terrain profile comparisons falsify Glenburn woolshed as being the location.  Rather, the comparison strongly suggests the historical photo was taken at the site of the Cuppacumbalong woolshed.

Google Earth Pro Analysis

I then applied Google Earth Pro to the same question.  The terrain profile it generated suggests there is no slope on Amungula trig - Mt Cohen horizon that comes close to that in the historical photo.

In contrast, the terrain profile generated by Google Earth Pro closely—if not exactly—matches the slope evident in the historical photo.

Conclusion

The terrain profile analyses using both Panorama 3D and Google Earth Pro falsify the hypothesis that the historical photo was taken at or near the Glenburn woolshed. 

 
Rather, the analyses indicate the location of the historical photo was much more likely to be at Cuppacumbalong woolshed.

Portrait of Charles Studdy Daley (1887-1966) held by Canberra & District Historical Society

Music in Canberra during World War II

Presentation by CRHR member Val Thomson on 3 April 2025

Part of a series about World War II in Canberra and Region

Notes (transcription)

C. S. Daley was amazingly active, not just in planning but also in musical and generally artistic circles. President of the Canberra Musical Society, which served Canberra from the earliest days until the 1950s. He encouraged the formation of a city band and the national Eisteddfod.

"Alongside his official duties, Daley contributed to the human heart of Canberra, believing in a community built by community. A talented musician, he created the Canberra Society of Arts and Literature, was integral to the Canberra Musical Society and played in the Stromberra Quartette. He managed local concerts produced by the Australian Broadcasting Commission and often hosted international artists in his home.

"...a regular attendee at St John the Baptist Church in Reid. Well-regarded for his music skills, in 1934 he was asked by the newly established St Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Forrest if he could fill in for a few weeks until the parish could find a permanent organist. This arrangement with St Andrew's continued for the next 18 years, all without payment."¹

(Jessie Daley was also a member of the Canberra Musical Society, and president of the Canberra Ladies' Choir, among many other contributions to Canberra.)¹

Topics

(Transcription)

1. Introduction; 2. Wartime context; 3. Musical Organisations; 4. People & Places; 5. Conclusion

Introduction

(Transcription)

"Since the last annual meeting, there had been a significant deterioration in the international situation, and with graver risks nearer home, Australian activities must be concentrated upon those things vital to the war effort. Various suggestions had been made, ranging from proposals for a complete recess to a revision of the type of activity upon more modest and locally centred efforts. Although many citizens were devoting themselves to war work, there was still widespread interest in music, as something fundamental, and as affording much needed relief and recreation to sustain other vital activities."

– CMS Annual Report

"Any suggestions that music should be abandoned until after the war was ridiculous. In England they had found that without music, the bottom fell out of everything."

– Mr Horace Fuller, at the CMS AGM

"Music is a component part of our lives. Canberra should be the home of music."

– C. S. Daley at the CMS AGM

Notes

All quotes are from the 1941 Annual Report of the Canberra Musical Society.²

[Aside: My child] Quin commented that it was wonderful how it took a national emergency to make people appreciate the arts, and how they then promptly forgot. The WWII situation was mirrored during the COVID outbreak. So many people were saying that music got them through the tough times – and now we're supposedly back to normal, with precious little support or appreciation for musicians.

Stock image used in slide

Photo: Canberra, ACT. 1942-03. A member of the staff fitting blackout curtains to a window in one of the rooms of Parliament House. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C257210

Wartime context

(Transcription)

1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945³

Canberra remained a small country town prior to World War II, far more rural than urban in its nature and size, with little to mark it as Australia's capital other than Parliament House and the developing War Memorial.³

"Washington is one of the few national capitals - actually, I believe Canberra is the only other one - from which a world-wide war effort is being directed, but which in itself has not suffered any physical war damage. Nevertheless, it must be regarded as a war-shocked city."⁴

"The bush capital ... was wonderfully silent and peaceful. War in Europe and China was so far away. The only threat from the air in Canberra was the occasional swooping magpie."⁵

Picture from Rex Beamish of a clothing ration card passed on to him by his Aunty Thel

Wartime context continued

Transcription

• Japan entered the war in 1941
• Fear of invasion
• Blackout imposed 1942
• Windows blacked out
• Cars: one hooded headlight
• Torches not allowed
• Evacuation & air raid trenches were built
• Rationing of essential commodities – 1942
• Shortages & general austerity

Notes

Fears of invasion grew after Japan's entry into the war in 1941. A blackout was imposed on the city in 1942. Windows had to be blacked out, cars could only use one heavily hooded headlight and even torches were not allowed. Evacuation trenches and air raid shelters were built although fortunately proved to be unnecessary. Other than for practice, air raid sirens only sounded twice in February 1942 and March 1943.⁶

Rationing of essential commodities was soon part of life. Ration books were issued in June 1942.⁷

[Typists & secretaries arriving in Canberra] shared the exigencies of wartime life particularly rationing, which involved handing over their food coupons to the hostel management; restrictions on interstate travel which made it difficult to visit families in other parts of the country; as well as shortages and general austerity.⁷

[I]n the winter of 1943 … heating was turned off in all government buildings to conserve coal for the war effort.⁷

Transcription

"Treasurer Ben Chifley appealed to Australians to intensify their efforts to conserve the nation's resources by limiting their spending to the barest necessities."
- The Argus, 20 February 1943⁸

Population of the Australian Capital Territory³

(Transcription)

1911: 1,714

1930: 9,000

1945:13,000

1957: 39,000

Wartime musical groups 1

Transcription

Canberra Musical Society
Stock image

Combined Church Choirs
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

Canberra Ladies' Choir
Stock image

Canberra Male Choir
Stock image

Notes

Canberra Musical Society

Formed in 1928 in merger of Canberra Orchestral Society and Canberra Philharmonic Society, but had an earlier incarnation in 1913 at Duntroon. Originally had a choir and an orchestra, but by the late 30s (after the Depression) had become an entrepreneurial organisation rather than a performing organisation. It ran celebrity concerts for the ABC throughout WWII. Their number halved, from 4 pa to 2 pa. [A]cted locally for the ABC until it established its own office in Canberra.⁹ There was pressure to run locally-based concerts.² CMS made a distinguished contribution to Canberra music until the early 50s, when it, the Canberra Ladies' Choir, and the Canberra Male Singers (descended from the Canberra Male Choir) merged with the Combined Church Choirs.⁹

Canberra Combined Church Choirs

First concert in 1942, with 76 voices.¹⁰ During the war, Church choirs were depleted by enlistments or the transfer of members from Canberra. At its peak it had more than 50 members, but at the end there were only 25, of which 18 were women. As well as concert platform and church performances, the choir has many times sung at official functions… Disbanded in 1953 following lack of public support and difficulty in securing sufficient male singers.¹¹

[Aside: I've been unable to establish when it reconvened as Canberra Combined Churches Choir, but I remember being beaten in the Eisteddfod by this group because they had uniforms and we (St Paul's Manuka, then the best Church choir in Canberra) didn't.]

Canberra Ladies' Choir

Formed at the start of 1939, and lasting till the mid-50s, the CLC gave annual concerts and eventually two major concerts a year. There were also social evenings with "numbers" by the choir and solo items from members. First annual concert: "Works by a wide variety of composers will be presented, and some of Canberra's leading talent will be represented in quartettes, duets and solos, also instrumental and elocutionary items."¹² [I remember concerts like this in the 50s. I also remember the extensive use of the word "render".] Moonlight concerts, musical evenings, Christmas carols, Sunday afternoon concerts of sacred music at the YWCA, fundraising for the war effort throughout.¹²

Canberra Male Choir

Formed in 1929, it had a membership of 60 before the war. In addition to its local performances the choir gave concerts in other towns and was a successful entrant from 1936 onwards at the Wagga, Grenfell and Wollongong Eisteddfods.⁹ "Membership of the Male Choir dropped dramatically due to enlistment for service, and it gave one of its last concerts on 21 June 1939…"¹³ Joined postwar by the Canberra Diggers' Choir, the CMC became the Canberra Male Singers.¹³

Wartime musical groups 2

Transcription & image sources

Canberra City Band
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

National Eisteddfod
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

Dance Bands
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

Canberra Amateur Operatic Society
Source of this photo

Notes

Canberra City Band

Est. 1920s. [S]erved Canberra for many years, sometimes under great difficulties. Unemployment [Great Depression] caused many bandsmen to leave Canberra. Succession of bandmasters. Mr. Les Pogson carried the flag for many years but finally the band dispersed during the war. PM Ben Chifley [1945] was responsible for a new set of instruments being purchased for the band. … the band in its blue and gold uniform is now [still] a familiar sight in Canberra festivities.⁹

Eisteddfod

The [Canberra] Male Choir set up the first Canberra Eisteddfod, held in 1939.¹⁴ Canberra Eisteddfod Society AGM "at the Albert Hall last night decided unanimously to recommend to the council the continuance of juvenile competitions".¹⁵ The Society [CMS] continued its affiliation with the local Eisteddfod Society and members gave personal assistance in the running of the 1941 Juvenile Eisteddfod.² "...it [CMS] had been very largely instrumental in promoting the eisteddfod in the past but the war had suspended these activities."¹⁶

Dance Bands

There were heaps of dances during the war, raising money for the war effort, and keeping the populace entertained. "I have many fond recollections of dances and balls held at the [Albert] Hall in the 1940's and early 1950's and of the music played by various orchestras."¹⁷ Harry O'Brien's orchestra "dispensed the music" at lots of dances - last mention November 1944. Johnny Jones and his orchestra - last mention September 1941. Pogson's Concert Orchestra - he moved to Albury in 1939 and returned to Canberra in 1948. Lawler's orchestra/Fred Lawler's Orchestra/Lawler's augmented orchestra/Pogson and Lawler's Orchestra - still going in the 1960s, according to Trove (CT ads).

Canberra Amateur Operatic Society

In 1933 Dr. Rolland Fraser took the initiative in the formation of the Canberra Amateur Operatic Society, the first production by which "No No Nanette" was staged at the Capitol Theatre in June 1934.⁹ Didn't find much on them. CCCC produced light opera throughout the war. "In 1953 the Canberra Philharmonic Society was formed absorbing the Canberra male singers and the remainder of the Canberra Amateur Operatic Society."⁹

Performance Places

Transcription & image sources

Causeway Hall
Opened in 1926
Image: National Archives of Australia: A3560, 777

Institute of Anatomy Lecture Theatre
Institute founded 1931
Image: National Museum of Australia collection

2CA Theatrette
First 2CA building, Mort St
Canberra and District Historical Society, Resource ID 15761, Location Photograph 2058

[Autumn leaves, stock image] x 2

Albert Hall
Opened 1928
William James Mildenhall c.1928. National Library of Australia: Call Number: PIC P583 Album 827*nla.pic-an11030057-331

[Autumn leaves, stock image]

Blue Room, Hotel Canberra
Opened 1924
Canberra and District Historical Society, Resource ID 15459, Location Photograph 1756

Notes

The Capitol Cinema presented a mixed program of theatrical acts and films, not music.
–NFSA, https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/asset/87730-capitol-theatre-manuka

People

Transcription

Sir Robert Garran – Horace Fuller – Les Pogson – William J. Hunt – Mrs. Eric Mitchell

Notes

Sir Robert Garran

Commonwealth solicitor-general. 1st pres., Canberra Society of Arts & Literature (1926-1938); vice-pres., Canberra Musical Society (1928-), where he sang and played the clarinet; Federal Pres., Council of Encouragement of Music and the Arts (1945); published translations of Heinrich Heine's 1827 work Buch der Lieder ("Book of Songs") in 1924, and of the works of Franz Schubert and Robert Schumann in 1946. "There has hardly been a cultural movement in this city with which Sir Robert has not been identified in loyal and inspiring support, as his constant aim has been that Canberra should be not only a great political centre but also a shrine to foster those things that stimulate and enrich our national life..." – C. S. Daley¹⁸

Horace Fuller

Member of CMS, first conductor of CCCC, tenor soloist. Opposed CMS's focus on celebrity concerts. "Great national days should be celebrated in Canberra with musical festivals. Festivals should also be held on the anniversaries of composers such as Handel, Bach and Beethoven. Nothing in the way of musical fare was too good for the capital." Took over CLC in 1943.¹⁹

Les Pogson

Clarinettist, dance band leader, leader of the Canberra City Band, founder of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra⁹

William J. Hunt

Fine bass voice; first associated with the Canberra Male Choir in the early 1930s as both a soloist and as a choir member. A keen proponent of the need for an eisteddfod in Canberra to encourage young performers, and was actively involved in the Male Choir's initiative in setting up the first Canberra Eisteddfod, which was held in 1939. Proposed & was first president of the current Canberra Philharmonic Society.²⁰

Mrs Eric Mitchell

Soprano soloist in many concerts of the period, and conductor of the Canberra Ladies' Choir from its inception in 1939 till she moved to Brisbane in 1943.²¹

Conclusion

Transcription

"Christmas Eve 1945 was very special. World War Two had ended and families were together again after long and worrying separations, so it was a fitting occasion to present Canberra's first Carols By Candlelight.

…

"The singing was led by the Combined Churches Choir, and Children's Choir and orchestra…"²²

The Canberra City Band still plays at Canberra's Carols by Candlelight.

About the image

Walter and Doris Duffield carrying Walter's double bass circa 1925 at Hotel Canberra. Credit: ANU Archives. Walter was the first director of the Commonwealth Solar Observatory at Mt Stromlo. Walter and Doris played in the Stromberra Quintet along with C S Daley and others. It didn't play once war was declared. Full story: The Hotel's First Guest

Notes

The lawns in front of the old Parliament House were thought an ideal setting and the King George V memorial, then located opposite Parliament's front entrance, would provide a ready-made stage for the performances. Officials of the Department of the Interior were not keen. After some unofficial approaches by the YMCA President, Mr H.F.E. Whitlam (the former Prime Minister's father), the way was prepared to hold a community gathering to be known as 'Carols By Candlelight'.

A souvenir program costing 1/- was prepared, with proceeds to the Aid for Britain Appeal to send food parcels. There was a brief outline of the history of the capital, which then had a population of about 14,000 and the organisers hoped the event would be "the starting point for the development of a Canberra Christmas Festival".

The National Anthem, God Save The King, opened the evening which was compered by Albert Clark. The singing was led by the Combined Churches Choir, and Children's Choir and orchestra under the direction of Ralph Levy. The program included 11 well-known carols, four soloists, a film The Hymn of the Nations and a pageant of the nativity.

As there was no electricity at the site, other than a long lead for the film projector, committee member Bill Dunbar made up 24 flares using long poles with jam tins swinging at the top. These were filled with a flammable concoction which burnt brightly but gave off obnoxious black smoke. Boy Scouts carried these primitive illuminations among the crowd. A few spills from the tins didn't do much for the lawns and although some bearers received minor burns, they kept cheerfully balancing the flaming tins. The event was a success and the happy crowd of nearly 2000 people concluded the evening [with] Auld Lang Syne.²²

Sources

Transcription

1. Charles and Jessie Daley - Canberra movers and shakers, 4 September 2022 | Marg Wade, The Riotact https://the-riotact.com/charles-and-jessie-daley-canberra-movers-and-shakers/589548
2. MUSICAL SOCIETY (1942, April 8). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 3. Retrieved March 27, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2586594
3. History of Canberra. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Canberra
4. WASHINGTON IN WAR TIME (1942, October 31). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 7. Retrieved December 14, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17829315
5. Diary of Eilean Giblin, a prominent resident of Canberra during World War II. https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6134596/elections-werent-always-so-hectic/
6. 1307.8 - Australian Capital Territory in Focus, 2006. ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 12/09/2006. Australian Bureau of Statistics. https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/2f762f95845417aeca25706c00834efa/B43FFBFD93BFC572CA2571E600180BCF?opendocument
7. The Australian National Capital in World War II By Patricia Clarke. 2013, ISAA Proceedings 2013: Canberra: Capital and Creativity. Publisher: Independent Scholars Association of Australia Inc.
8. Economic value of war savings (1943, February 20). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 9. Retrieved December 14, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11337099
9. Culture Takes Root In National Capital (1963, March 12). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 38. Retrieved March 27, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article104590462
10. THE CRUCIFIXION (1942, April 4). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 3. Retrieved March 30, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2587038
11. COMBINED CHURCH CHOIR DISBANDS (1953, September 1). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 2. Retrieved March 31, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2889936
12. CANBERRA LADIES' CHOIR (1939, December 8). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 4. Retrieved March 20, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2518222
13. Campbell, Peter. Canberra Choral Society: A Capital Choir for a Capital City. PC Publishing, Canberra, 2002.
14. Obituary: WILLIAM J. HUNT Important role in musical history (1988, November 29). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 4. Retrieved March 31, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110617784
15. EISTEDDFOD (1941, September 9). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 2. Retrieved December 18, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2595512
16. MUSICAL SOCIETY SEES SCOPE FOR GREATER ACTIVITY (1945, March 17). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 3. Retrieved March 27, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2620255
17. Westlake Newsletter 2013, p15, MEMORIES OF THE ALBERT HALL & FRANK DUNSHEA'S STORY https://www.isccc.org.au/isccc/wp-content/uploads/11Dec2013_Westlake-Newsletter.pdf
18. Re Robert Garran:
    WHAT PEOPLE — ARE DOING (1945, July 11). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 4. Retrieved March 22, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2635337
    Francis, Noel (1983). The Gifted Knight: Sir Robert Garran (PDF). Canberra: Noel Francis (Australia); Australian National University Press (worldwide). ISBN 978-0-9592095-0-1. Quoted in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Garran
19. Re Horace Fuller:
    MUSIC IN CANBERRA (1942, May 13). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 3. Retrieved March 27, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2576057
    COMBINED CHURCH CHOIR DISBANDS (1953, September 1). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 2. Retrieved March 22, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2889936
    CANBERRA LADIES' CHOIR (1943, November 12). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 3. Retrieved April 2, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2656961
20. Obituary: WILLIAM J. HUNT Important role in musical history (1988, November 29). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 4. Retrieved March 31, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110617784
21. Mrs. Eric Mitchell: I could only find references to her on Trove as a vocalist, soprano, and conductor of the CLC 1939-1943. She moved to Brisbane in August 1943. CANBERRA LADIES' CHOIR (1943, November 12). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 3. Retrieved April 2, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2656961
22. CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT (1994, December 8). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 20. Retrieved March 31, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article127259157

Visit to Christ Church Cooma March 2025

CRHR Visit to Christ Church Cooma March 2025

The Monaro’s oldest church, Christ Church on Church Road, Cooma, has the distinction of being the oldest on the Monaro and is classified by the National Trust of Australia as a building of interest and architectural merit.

Christ Church Cemetery, Cooma, is the final resting place for many Monaro pioneers.

It was only in June 1823, at Billilingra, that Europeans first, formally, sighted this Monaro area. (Captain John Currie, Brigade Major John Ovens, Joseph Wild and at least one aboriginal.)

It lay outside the Limits of Location set by NSW Governor Darling beyond which the acquisition and occupation of land were prohibited.

Those who settled here did so in defiance of the government and became known as squatters.

Victoria did not become a separate state until 1851 so that, in 1845, it was still part of NSW and the Monaro area was regarded as taking in county extending from Michelago well into what became Victoria.

Not surprisingly, it took years for people to settle here in significant numbers and for decades there was no town of Cooma – rather, there existed a “locality”.

A burial ground developed on land along the road that led to Myalla. It is believed that there are several graves here for which there are no records or markers.

Of graves that are recorded, the oldest is that of Johanna O’Rourke, from Tipperary in Ireland, who died aged 21 in 1842.

Another of the early graves is that of Murray Mitchell, the son of the explorer and surveyor Sir Thomas Mitchell, who died aged 18 in 1846.

In 1843, the Reverend Edward Gifford Pryce was appointed by the Church of England as Missionary Chaplain to Monaro and the South Coast. He was the last of the Missionary Chaplains to be sent from England to Australia by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, and after months of homelessness, he took up residence at The Grange, a house near the burial ground.

This house remains. At that time, there was no church on the Monaro.

Early in 1845, Bishop William Grant Broughton (the first and only Church of England bishop of Australia) visited this area and while here, after consultation with Pryce, John Lambie (Commissioner for Crown Lands) and Government Surveyor McCabe, decided to build the Christ Church on land adjoining the burial ground, belonging to William Bradley.

Bishop Broughton also designed it, while staying at the Kirwan Inn, Cooma and on 17 February that year, he laid the foundation stone.

But financial and labouring problems beset the project and the building was not completed until 1850.

The site of the church was absorbed into what became a cemetery.

The cemetery, following Crown Land subdivisions, was broken up into sections along denominational lines – Roman Catholic, Church of England, Wesleyan, Presbyterian, Quaker, Jewish and ”other denominations” in accordance with the practice of the time. 

Early in the 20th century, the Church of England bought from the Crown that section of the cemetery on which the church stood.

From 1845-1850, the town of Cooma developed quickly and even by the time the construction of Christ Church was completed, it had become apparent that it had been built in the wrong place and was too small.

Services took place at Christ Church from January 1850 until 1872 when a new church, St Paul’s, in town was completed.

Since then, it has been used for Church of England services infrequently – some years not at all.

There have been a few periods when the church was used for services by other Christian groups. It has also been used for special services, most recently in 2011, for descendants of the early settlers of this district buried in the cemetery, and from time to time is visited by groups of people during historic church/building tours.

Following the development of the present cemetery off Mittagang Road in Cooma (~1876), the old one was closed to further burials except for a few people who had a close ancestor who was a worshipper at the church during the 22 years that it was the sole Church of England church in the district.

Records show that 243 people are buried in the cemetery, with all but 50 to 60 having died in the 1800s.

With the ravages of time and weather, the church has periodically fallen into disrepair and it underwent renovations in 1936, 1960 and 2001.

The building now stands as a memorial to the early settlers and pioneers of the area, and to Bishop Broughton.

Ref: aboutregional.com.au  4 Apr 2023 by Gail Eastaway 

On 20 Mar 2025 a small group of people from CRHR visited Christ Church with some of the local Trustees to see the church and graveyard.  Although many graves have deteriorated, with some memorials unreadable, it was good to see many that are in reasonable to good condition.  The theme of ‘Remembrance’ prompted much discussion in regards to how should we / society reflect and remember those buried so long ago. 

It was great to see that The Snowy Monaro Regional Council only last week placed a QR code at the Church entrance sign. This, new work, provides access to the cemetery burial data base and a map of all known graves. https://www.snowymonaro.nsw.gov.au/Community/Cemeteries/Cemetery-Search-Tool  You have to look for and use the “Old Cooma Cemetery” not Christ Church on the site.  They have done a great job. Noelene Whiting is the Environmental Management Administration person leading this initiative. Here is an example:

On 23 Mar 2025 Rob and Margaret Quodling joined a number of local Cooma families at Christ Church for the 180th Anniversary Commemorative Service. Jim Litchfield provided a brief welcome and history. Reverend Martin Christensen (Canberra based) led the service. The Right Reverend Mark Short, Bishop of Canberra & Goulburn provided the Message of the day. Locals, Heather Little provided the Thanksgiving prayer and Sue Litchfield, the Bible reading.

ABOUT CRHR - Background, Aims, Membership, Activities, Contact

   

Background:

Canberra and Region Heritage Researchers was established in 2020 as an informal group to provide mutual support for people at every level who are interested in researching the history and heritage of Canberra and the Region. We currently have more than 30 members.  Most CRHR members are also members of other history and heritage groups, and we work collaboratively with these organisations to mutual benefit.

Aims:

The group has an outward focus.  It is committed to fostering new research and disseminating results widely to raise public awareness and understanding of local history and heritage issues through the collaborative sharing of new knowledge, skills and expertise.  We also support members who research for interest rather than for publication.

CRHR is founded on the key principle that cooperative working can bring together different skills and interests and lead to outcomes that are beyond the capacity of singular research efforts, particularly in a digital environment which offers exciting opportunities for collaboration. 

We have a particular interest in using digital heritage resources such as Trove, the National Archives, ACTmapi and the NSW Land Registry Services, and in the use of new analytical tools and techniques such as spatial and imagery searches, and the responsible use of AI.  Members at all levels of technology skills are valued.

We also aim to encourage the production of high quality and compelling history and heritage research in a variety of formats such as videos, blogs, walks, talks and articles that can be disseminated to a wide range of audiences through our combined knowledge of history and heritage groups, publications, web sites and other channels.

Membership:

Membership is open to anyone who shares this interest, from beginners through to experienced researchers.  The group has no formal officers, constitution or membership or other fees, and the group relies on members contributing their expertise and skills.  Members are encouraged to take on responsibilities for organising events, and to share administrative tasks.  Members are also encouraged to share their knowledge and provide mentoring and assistance to other members, and to publish their findings in innovative ways.  

The current membership has found that moving out of individual silos and being exposed to others’ interests provides a broader context for their individual research which enriches perspectives at every level of experience.   It has become a core value of the group -  members helping members to produce better history and heritage research. 

We have been very fortunate that the founding membership has a remarkably wide range of experience, interests and expertise.  And we are hopeful that CRHR will expand and new members will also bring their various expertise and experience to the network. 

Research Methods:

CRHR is evolving in a research environment which is constantly changing.  Digital technologies are transforming the ways in which history and heritage research is conducted, the way archival collections are stored and accessed, and the ways in which research outcomes can be shared.  Many new and exciting research discoveries are being made as a result.  CRHR assists members to share their knowledge and skills in these new processes, keep up to date and develop new skills.  CRHR received a 2023 Heritage Award from National Trust (ACT) for Digital Research: Collaborative Research and Promotion.

Activities:

CRHR currently links members in the following ways:

• A regular schedule of Zoom and face to face meetings, offering presentations by members and outside experts on topics of general relevance, and a forum for airing ideas and seeking support.
• Chinwag meetings – regular meetings where members can provide updates on their research, request information or assistance, and share information on useful sources they have found.
• Group visits to archives, heritage places etc.
• A digital forum (currently the CRHR Google Group platform) that provides a forum where members can post questions or share new information that they have found which might be relevant to others.  This has led to many useful collaborations and helped many to progress their research.
• Cooperative working – e.g. some members have worked in small groups to research and produce short heritage videos.  These bring history and heritage to new audiences.
• Many member projects draw on skills and information from other members. The group is increasingly contacted by other history and heritage organisations, researchers, authors, libraries and government and community bodies to assist with research queries, analytical tools etc.
• CRHR operates a stall at the annual National Trust Open Day during the ACT Heritage Festival. Some members contribute to this and other events, for example through presentations, publications etc.

Contacts:

If you would like to find out more or join CRHR contact the co-conveners Tony Maple and Rob Quodling at crhresearchers@gmail.com