Pigeons, Pansies, and Putt-Putt Golf

The young couple in the first photograph are Jane Wilhelmina Esther (Esther) Arnold (1888–1992) and Albert John Batstone (1885–1965). They were married in a ‘quiet ceremony’ on 1st August 1911 at St Matthew’s Church in Albury.

This marriage brought together two old business families of Albury. Albert’s father, John George established a cabinet-making and furniture shop in Olive Street, and Esther’s father, Johann Gottlieb, a Fruit and Vegetable shop also in Olive Street after 1897. Esther and Albert may have known one another from school but if not, the proximity of and their work at their respective family businesses post-school would have provided ample opportunities for them to meet.

After their marriage Esther and Albert built their home ‘Naroh’ at 529 Guinea Street, Albury and established a prize-winning garden. Esther and Albert had one child Arnold (Arnie) (1912–1932) shown in the second photograph relaxing in Naroh’s back garden with his dog. Arnie’s middle name was Horan, his step-grandfather’s surname and interestingly in reverse the name given to their family home.

The garden at Naroh was where the assorted hobbies of the Batstones came to life and produced numerous entries in local shows. Albert raced and showed pigeons and Esther would win over 700 prizes across a range of categories. Arnie followed his parent’s prize-winning way, winning prizes for a pair of bantams, homing pigeons and a bunch of twelve pansies.

The Batstones were well known golfers and at the Albury Golf Club acquired the nicknames ‘Bat’ and ‘Batty.’ Their golfing passion was such that they installed a putt-putt course in their garden along with the pigeons and the pansies. It is little wonder then that in 1948 the Batstone’s garden was voted the best garden in the under sixty-foot category by the Albury Horticultural Society.