When Albert Wallbank (1887-1953) joined the Police Force in 1913, there was no state-wide police uniform in New South Wales. Prior to 1934, country police were issued a mixture of khaki and blue uniforms. This particular blue heavy serge fabric, shaped in a tunic style jacket, with a high celluloid or linen-lined collar and double-breast […]
Made in the famous J Hudson & Co Ltd factory in Birmingham, this whistle belonged to Senior Constable Albert Wallbank (1887-1953), a long-standing officer at Dudley Police Station, south of Newcastle. Like many aspects of standard police issue equipment in New South Wales, this whistle was inherited from the British ‘bobby’ (slang term for a […]
One Sunday shortly before Christmas in 1928, Frederick V. D’Arcy (1901-1996) sat down to write the following inscription on the first blank page of a small leather-bound bible: ‘16th December 1928, Presented to Mr. B. Wallbank, From the Dudley Presbyterian Sunday School, F.V. D’Arcy, Superintendent.’ D’Arcy was born in Walcha, New South Wales, on Anaiwan […]
The Gould League of Bird Lovers was one of Australia’s early organised societies for budding ornithologists and general bird nerds. The League was formed in 1909 with the view of protecting Australia’s avian species. It was named after John Gould (1804-1881), the English naturalist who researched Australian birds from 1838-1840, and his wife Elizabeth Gould […]
A clean, orderly, and peaceful facility with smokeless chimneys – it is so picturesque that even a family of ducks float happily nearby. The Pasminco Smelter, also known as Cockle Creek Smelter or ‘The Sulphide,’ was a zinc and lead smelter covering approximately 190 hectares at the northern end of Lake Macquarie in Boolaroo. Founded […]
After 24 years of service at Dudley Police Station, on the 20th July 1945, Constable Albert Edward Wallbank (1887-1953) was promoted to the rank of Senior Constable. Upon receiving his new rank and responsibilities, Wallbank also earned these Senior Constable stripes that were affixed to his uniform. As a policeman, Wallbank dealt with his fair […]
News of the success of the poliomyelitis (polio) immunisation program would have delighted Dr. Kenneth Starr, a former Medical Superintendent of Newcastle Hospital during the 1930s. Polio was one of the most terrifying diseases to sweep across Australia during the 20th century. Affecting mostly children, in many cases it could cause permanent paralysis and even death. […]
These scrapbooks were compiled by the Babaneek Ladies’ Choir (1950-1982) and are a reminder of their community work between 1950-1973 and 1979-1981. They trace the choir’s long performance history throughout the Lake Macquarie and Hunter Valley regions. The Babaneek Ladies’ Choir was motivated by the charitable intention of bringing joy and comfort through song, this […]
One thousand bricks. Each one is made from pulped newspaper, sourced from a recycling centre in Balmain. The accumulated bricks represent the average amount of newspapers that were delivered to a Sydney household per month at the time. Placed at the centre is a stool used by models in art classes – a historical and […]
This programme was kept by Ron Ekert (1930-2019) as a souvenir of the Maroon and White Ball held by the Caves Beach Surf Life Saving Club in August 1973. Ron was a member of the club. While the Caves Beach club had an intensely competitive focus it also had an important social dimension and offered various get-togethers […]