Great work, State Library of NSW

As an opinionated old girl I enjoy having an opportunity to "put in my pennies worth".

A week or so ago I received from my State Library a link to a short online survey about its services and performance. I duly completed the form and felt pleased that I had been given a chance to have a say. I also said that I would be willing to take part in further discussions.


I am just in receipt of an email that has invited me to take part in a forum  to be held "over a week, starting this Thursday 30^th June.  Each day we’ll cover a different topic relating to the State Library, all with a view to improving the services it provides for all of its clients and visitors. All you need to do is log-in each day for a few minutes and give us your opinions."

I often bang on about feedback being an important of any evaluation process. Congratulations to The State Library of  NSW for looking beyond its walls to seek such feedback. I will try to be a responsible and  balanced as I take part in the forum.

28th June 1946

Sifting and sorting through a box of filing yesterday I was faced with a small booklet with that June date printed on the cover. As June 28 was only a day away I investigated further and found that it was one of my mother's mementos. A timely find for a blog post today.

Cover-  PO Victory Ball Program

During the Second World War and until she married Mum worked as a telephoniste at The GPO (General Post Office) in Martin Place in Sydney. It appears that she had a busy social life with her workmates and tribe of sisters. They attended many functions organsed by The Postal Institute.


The booklet I had found was the cover of the souvenir program for The Victory Ball organised by the Postal Institute to celebrate the end of World War II  that my mother had attended along with some of her friends. Checking out the autographs, written in pencil and now faded, on the back cover of the program I saw some familiar names.

Roma Bannon was a country girl who boarded with my mother's family in Sydney. Until her death she remained a close friend of my mother's and was a treasured member of our extended family. Arthur Johnson was another boarder from the country who lived in my grandmother's crowded house at Kensington. Arthur boarded with my grandmother for around 30 years until she  became too feeble to manage a home. Kath Tuohey a friend from my mother's hometown, Cobar, is still a friend of my mother's today. I would be surprised if some of Mum's sisters were not at this event but their names so not appear in her list of autographs.

Autographs - PO Victory Ball

The inside cover and first page of the program contain a message from the President of The New South Wales Postal Institute, J.M. Hotson and a list of committee members.

The venue, The Grace Brothers Auditorium, was part of the flagship  Broadway store of the Grace Brothers retail empire. It was a major venue on the Sydney social scene. I remember attending children's birthday parties and seeing Santa at the grand Christmas display there as a youngster and, as a young adult, I enjoyed a number of balls there. The store was closed in 1992 and reopened as a shopping and cinema complex in 1998.

Although my mother's dance program is empty I am sure that she did not miss a dance. She still enjoys a twirl round the dance floor whenever the occasion presents itself.

The remaining pages of the program tell of the "Telegraph Service" that had been set up in the ballroom and gives a list of  attendeeswith apologies to those not on the list. (Mum and her friends are missing.)

At the top and bottom of each page of the program are humourous quips that include:

• It is a poor heart that never rejoices
• The forward girl often looks backward
• Blondes are always lightheaded creatures
• The cost of living is a soar point with us
• Eve introduced the first loose leaf system
• Blessed are the innocent - for they have a lot to learn
• Tie mail matter securely - use a parson
• Lost patrners will be locked up in the Drunk Exchange until called for. Last clearance at 1 am.

Bradfield Park History

I've just been reading the latest newsletter from the Ku-ring-gai Historical Society and saw news of this new project. I am sure that Ann would be pleased to hear from anyone with memories of that institution. Details follow:

" The Society is currently working on a publication on the WWII RAAF base and subsequent Bradfield Housing
Settlement, and the adjacent Migrant Camp, at West Lindfield.

If you have any memories or memorabilia of the core period from the mid 1940s onward, please contact Ann Barry on a.barry@optusnet.com.au"Bradfield Park

Bartley of Kerry Lodge

I found a few books that interested me at The National Library of Australia earlier this week and decided that I needed to own copies of some. As they were older titles that were probably out of print I tried to chase up some secondhand copies through AbeBooks Australia and New Zealand. One of the books was not available and a couple were way too expensive but one was available for just $25.89 including postage so I placed an order for it on Tuesday evening.

The book from Time Booksellers, that was securely packaged, arrived in my letterbox on Friday. I was pleased  to find that the book was in mint condition; I had not expected this for a book published in 1987. "Bartley of Kerry Lodge: a portrait of a pioneer in Van Diemen's Land" tells the story of a young Englishman, Theodore Bryant Bartley, who made his way to Australia at the age of fifteen. The book by Yvonne Phillips, who is a Bartley descendant, recounts the story of his life from the time he sets foot on Australian shores and gets work as a tutor to Governor Lachlan Macquarie's son. Bartley eventually settles in Tasmania where he becomes a prominent member of the community there.

Theodore Bryant Bartley

The book that appears to be well researched contains many excerpts from official and family correspondence and is illustrated with photographs of people, places and documents. The 144 page book with references and an index is published on thick, shiny paper with a soft cover.

Bartley is not related to me so why did I want to purchase this book?

I want my children and grandchildren to know about their heritage; Theodore Bryant Bartley is the 4 x great grandfather of my youngest grandchild who is just 6 months old. I will be the custodian of this book for my grand-daughter and give it to her when she is ready to learn about her ancestors and family history.