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The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848-1954) (about)
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Cite: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1606044
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BACK TO BENDIGO.
OLD NAMES RECALLED.
Every Bendigonian, no matter how dis- tant he may be from his birthplace, always turns his thoughts to Bendigo at Easter, for the Easter carnival has so many plea- sant associations for young and old. Easter in Bendigo takes the place of Christmas as a period of reunion, and this Easter it is expected that more Bendigonians will revisit the city than ever before, for there is a special call to all who have wandered to return if but for a few days. "Come back to Bendigo" is the appeal from the old city to the wanderers. When Ben- digonians are revisiting the scenes of their youth it is not inopportune to revive the memories of the pioneers and the public men who did so much for the district, for Victoria, and for Australia. Only a glimpse of them can be given as they flitted across the screen of life, but it is hoped that even so brief a reminder of them will be the means of awakening the interest not only of the "grown-ups," but the rising genera- tion, in the picturesque past.
Sir John McIntyre was actively identified with nearly every movement in the district from the early fifties to the seventies. He was Minister for Lands in the Patterson Ministry in 1893, and is en- titled to much credit for the share he took
A.N.A. CONFERENCE AT KERANG: VIEW OF GENERAL BODY OF DELEGATES
R. F. Brown W. F. McNamara M. M. Phillips Sir A. Peacock G. Fitzsimmons (Sec. Metropolitan Committee) (ex-President) (ex-President) (ex-President) (ex-President)
in unlocking the lands. The following Par-
liamentary representatives of the district
became Ministers for Mines:—James For- rester Sullivan, Angus Mackay, Robert Clark, and James Hiers McColl. Mr. E. N. Emmett, the first chairman of the munici- pality, was also the first strong advocate of the Coliban water scheme. The name of Mr. Angus Mackay, father of Messrs. Robert, George, and Angus Mackay, of the Bendigo "Advertiser," will be remembered longest for his connection with the Educa- tion Act. Mr. Hugh McColl, who once represented Mandurang, was one of the pioneers of irrigation. He was the father of Mr. J. H. McColl, a former senator for Victoria, and an expert in mining, irriga-
tion, and agriculture, and Lieut.-Colonel
G. G. McColl, deputy chief censor. Mr. Robert Strickland, who for several years represented Sandhurst in the Legislative Assembly, afterwards became a police magistrate. Other members of Parliament in more recent times were Mr. Winter
Irving, M.L.C.; Mr. J. H. Abbott, M.L.C.,
the founder of the Hospital Sunday move- ment in Australia; Mr. H. R. Wil-
liams, M.L.A., a former Minister for Railways; Mr. Thompson Moore, Mr. D. B. Lazarus, Mr. A. S. Bailes, and Mr. Hay Kirkwood, M.L.A.'s. Sir John Quick's name will always be more closely associated with Federal than with State politics, because of the services he rendered to Australia in the cause of Federation. The late Mr. A. W. Craven, member for Benambra,
and chairman of committees in the As-
sembly, was a Bendigo boy, and Mr. J. Scaddan, formerly Premier, now leader of the Opposition in the West Australian Parliament, is a native of Eaglehawk.
Mr. Lachlan McLachlan or "Bendigo Mac," as he was more familiarly spoken of
in the past was the first police magistrate, and a notable character he was, too. Asso- ciated with him was Mr. J. A. Panton, commissioner of the goldfields, who for many years afterwards was police magis- trate at the Melbourne City Court. Mr. George Avery Fletcher was an officer of the municipality at its inception, and it was he who first conceived the idea, in 1864, of planting the streets with trees. Mr.
W. D. C. Denovan in his young days was a champion of the diggers. He had some ex- perience in Parliament, but is remembered most for his services to the city as town clerk. He was succeeded by Mr. W. Honey- bone, the present town clerk.
Mayors of Bendigo in the sixties and seventies included Councillor J. Holmes, Councillor G. Aspinall (father of Mr. G. H. Aspinall, inspector of the Savings Bank), Dr. James Boyd, Councillor D. Macdougall, Councillor J. A. Woodward, Councillor R. Clark, Councillor H. Hattam, Councillor Ebenezer Neill, Councillor Alexander Bayne, and Councillor D. C. Sterry. Other well-known Bendigonians include
Mr. R. F. Howard who was actu-
ary of the Bendigo Savings Bank from 1870 to 1902, and, in conjunction with Mr. V. Pike brought in a bill for the estab- lishment of the Mint in Victoria.; Dr. P. H. Macgillivray, whose contributions to scien- tific research were recognised by the Linnaean Society and the Aberdeen Univer- sity; and Mr. James Buick, who rebuilt the Beehive after the fire of 1871. Mr. G. A. Gibbs, the secretary of the Metropolitan Board of Works, is a native of Bendigo. The present mayor of the city is Councillor
W. Beebe.
Two striking figures of the Church in the early days were Dr. Nish and Dr. Backhaus, the one beloved by all Presby- terians, and the other by all Roman Catho- lics, and both respected by the whole com- munity. Dr. Nish's crowning work was the federation of the Presbyterian churches of Australia, and he was moderator of the first Presbyterian federal assembly, which met in Sydney in 1886. Dr. Backhaus ar- rived in Sydney in 1841, and in Bendigo in 1852, and was the first clergyman of any
denomination to set foot in the district. He left property to the value of upwards of £100,000 to St Kilian's Church. The Rev H. A. Langley was the first Anglican Bishop of Bendigo, and Dr. Crane the first Roman Catholic bishop. For many years
the venerable clergyman, Dean MacCullagh, has been held in high esteem and affection
by people of all denominations.
Mr. Justice Hodges spent portion of his boyhood in the district. He arrived at Bendigo with his father in 1854, when about 10 years of age. Mr. Hodges conducted a school at Long Gully. It was his intention that his son should become an engineer. Young Hodges was studying en- gineering at Horwood's foundry, where, by the way, he first made the acquaintance of Mr. J. H. McColl, when he met with an accident, as the result of which he gave up engineering and became a school teacher before he took up the law as a profession. The late Judge Casey was in Bendigo in
the early fifties long before he thought of entering the legal profession. He repre- sented Mandurang for many years, and was a successful administrator of the Lands de- partment. Judge Macoboy was the father of Mr. Frank Macoboy, the well-known solicitor; Mr. J. H. Macoboy, secretary of the National Trustees Co.; and the late Mr. M. Macoboy of the Lands department. Miss Anna Brennan, one of the first ladies in Victoria to be admitted to the bar; Mr. T. C. Brennan, barrister; and Mr. Frank Brennan, M. H. R., are members of the family of the late Mr. Michael Brennan,
who was associated with the Strathfield- saye shire council for many years. Mr. H. W. C. Simpson solicitor, of Melbourne, is a son of Mr. W. P. Simpson, formerly a member of the Legislative Council, who was one of the pioneers of Bendigo. Mr. W. P. Simpson, who is upwards of 90 years of age, has played a stirring part in the history of Victoria, and particularly of Bendigo. He lives in Melbourne, and enjoys a chat about old times better than anything else.
Foremost among the mining investors was Mr. George Lansell, and with his name may be associated those of Mr. E. Mueller, Dr. H. L. Atkinson, Mr. William Hunter, and Mr. I. E. Dyason. It is mainly due to the death of the leading investors in recent years that the mining industry has waned, and at the present moment a native of Bendigo. Mr. E. C. Dyason, son of the late Mr. I. E. Dyason—is embarking on an undertaking by which he hopes to revive the industry. Among the members of the Bendigo Stock Exchange who became mem- bers of the Stock Exchange of Melbourne in earlier years were Mr. W. E. Croxton, Mr. J. E. Gard, Mr. J. S. Vickery, Mr. J. Taylor and Mr. T. Luxton, M.L.C. Pre- sent Bendigonians who are members of the
Melbourne Stock Exchange include Mr. G. G. McColl, Mr. A. Vickery (son of Mr. J. S. Vickery), Mr. F. C. Luxton
(son of Mr. T. Luxton), Mr. B. H. Pascoe, Mr. W. F. Foster, Mr. R. Stevens, and Mr. R. T. Trembath. Bendigonians in the Mines department include Mr. W. Dickson, secretary for Mines, a former police magis- trate, and Mr. H. Herman, director of geo- logical survey. Bendigo mine managers who have achieved notable success outside their own field include Mr. R. Hamilton (Great Boulder) and Mr. M. T. Williams (Edna May), son of Mr. R. Williams, who was manager of the Johnson's Reef in its zenith. Mr. J. Sarvaas, formerly of the
Bendigo School of Mines, is now at the Working Men's College.
Bendigo is well represented in the medical profession. Dr. J. Boyd, who first appears
in Mr. George Mackay's "Annals of Bendigo" in 1854 was connected with every charitable movement in Bendigo. He and
his brother, Dr. Hugh Boyd, were plucky and persevering investors. Dr. J. Boyd's sons, Drs. J. D. Boyd (Bendigo), W. R. Boyd, and T. H. Boyd (Melbourne), are well-known practitioners. Dr. J. Eadie's three sons (Dr. James Eadie, Dr. McIntyre
Eadie, and Dr. George Eadie) are practising in Melbourne, Bendigo, and Beaufort respec-
tively. Mr. J. T. De Ravin, vigneron of Emu Creek, was the father of nine sons
and three daughters. Five sons entered
the medical profession—Hugh, Arthur, Ernest, Walter, and Garnet; and Norman is a doctor of dentistry. Drs. Arthur,
Ernest and Norman are at the front, and a sister is a nurse in England. The eldest
son, Mr. J. A. De Ravin, is well remem- bered by many Bendigonians scattered abroad as a teacher at the Corporate High School under Mr. J. Glen Oliphant. Mr.
De Ravin was afterwards a member of the
Bendigo Stock Exchange and is now in the censor's office. Dr. Harvey Sutton (Rhodes scholar) is also a Bendigonian.
Much might be said of the cricketers Bendigo has produced, but it is sufficient to mention H. F. Boyle, W. Midwinter, J.
D. Edwards, and J. Harry. In bowls, Bendigo players are always to the fore, and quite recently Mr. E. M. Pascoe became the champion of champions.
In the musical world Bendigo claims such notable artists as Miss Amy Castles, Miss Dolly Castles, Miss Bertha Rossow, Madame Benda (Miss Kate Samuels), Miss Pauline Bindley (now touring with Paul Dufault),
Miss Emily Dyason, the wife of Professor Scott; Mr. W. D. Murdoch (pianist), and Mr. Ernest Toy (violinist). Miss Alice Crawford, who has gained distinction as an actress in London, is the daughter of Mr.
G. H. Crawford, mining investor. Lady McEacharn, wife of the late Sir Malcolm McEacharn, is a daughter of the late Mr. J. B. Watson. Mr. Basil Watson, the avia- tor, who has been carrying mails by aero- plane in the Western district, is the son of
Maize Selection. See special article by "Hickory" in "The Australasian," Saturday, March 24.
Mr. J. I. Watson and grandson of Mr. J. B. Watson. Mr. Basil Watson's mother is a daughter of Mr. G.W. Knight.
Many of the young men of Bendigo will not be able to answer the call home. They have responded to a far greater call, the call of Empire. Some of them lie on Gallipoli,
and others in France, but far away from their native city as their graves may be they will not be forgotten at Easter. Among officers who have made the supreme sacrifice
are Lieut.-Colonel M. L. Williams, Major M. N. Mackay, Captain H. H. Hunter, Cap- tain Clive Connelly, and Lieutenant Noel Edwards. An Eaglehawk boy, Lieutenant Symons, won the Victoria Cross on Galli- poli. Brigadier-General C. H. Jess, the youngest brigadier in the Imperial forces, is a native of Bendigo. Both Lieut.-Colonel A. H. Sturdee, of the Army Medical Corps, brother of Admiral Sturdee, and his son,
Major V. A. H. Sturdee (Engineers), were mentioned in despatches a few days ago by
Sir Douglas Haig for gallant service and de- votion to duty. In the same list there also appeared the name of Major D. T. Rogers, D.S.O., son of Mr. D. Rogers, a former lib- rarian at the Bendigo Mechanic's Institute. Other Bendigo officers include Lieut.- Colonel C. H. Davis. Major J. Adams, Major S. M. Deravin, Major R. O. Hender- son, Captain H. E. Jackson, Captain R. L. S.
Murphy, Captain H. R. Catford, Captain R. Marks, Captain G. V. Lansell, Cap- tain D. B. Ross, Lieutenant G. J. C. Dyett, and Lieutenant Eric Connolly.
Captain G. V. Lansell is the eldest son of the late Mr. George Lansell, and
two of his three brothers are at the front.
Another page will be added to the his- tory of Bendigo shortly, when the Prime
Minister (Mr. Hughes) will contest the seat in the House of Representatives with the sitting member, Mr. Hampson.