Mount William Station
Heneker - a Pioneering family from Kent to South Australia | A family and local history research blog
Mount William Station
Description: Family history from the Western District of Victoria, Australia
A photo from a place and time your ancestors lived is always interesting. You get a feel for their daily life, the transport of the time, and the fashion. You can see a place as it would have looked through their eyes. If it’s a streetscape, the photo is useful from a local history perspective. This photo, a Rose Postcard held by the State Library of Victoria (SLV) depicting the main street of Hamilton, ticks all those boxes.
The Hamilton streetscape has changed somewhat, but it’s instantly recognizable by the twin steeples on Church Hill toward the end of Gray Street. There are various postcard shots of Gray Street, but I particularly like this one for the stripy verandah of the Canterbury Cafe owned by the Roberts brothers, and the Fairleys sign. The photo tells several tales, ranging from a global story to a personal family story.
Rose postcards come undated, but you can narrow down the period. Car makes and models and even the format of the registration plate can help. Shops are useful too. If a digitised version of the local newspaper is available at Trove , search the business names and narrow down the period they operated. Sometimes ladies’ fashion, particularly hats and dress lengths, point to a period in time, but this photo comprises mostly men. Their fashion is harder to date.
Mount William Station
Heneker - a Pioneering family from Kent to South Australia | A family and local history research blog
Mount William Station