Forget the Stairs

Are you wanting to visit the Pioneer Museum, but concerned about climbing up or down stairs? Well, now you can relax. We have recently placed in the Office a photograph album with views of the upstairs bedrooms, the cellar, and some of the objects contained in these rooms.

You can now sit in comfort and take a leisurely tour of the less accessible parts of this museum.

Conservation Work Continues

Over the previous four weeks the Geraldton-Greenough Historical Society has funded the restoration of an old stone building at the rear of the museum. The work was undertaken by a professional stonemason, and the restored stonework was white-washed using a traditional method.

West view of the "Old Garage" before and after.

South wall of the building before and after.

View of the cesspit adjacent to the "Double Dunnie" before and after.

Recent Donations

These 3 photo-ceramic portraits have been donated to the museum by members of the Willocks family. This method of portraiture was popular in the 1890s.

Portrait of a young man, believed to be Charles Ernest Willocks

Willocks was born in Victoria 1874 and moved to Western Australia to join in the Gold Rush. In November 1901 he married Mabel Wiley at Greenough. The couple lived at Mount Magnet. He died in 1936 and is buried in Cue.

Portrait of a man believed to be Thomas Wiley
Wiley was born in Ireland in 1846 and arrived in Western Australia in 1863. Much against her parent's wishes, he married Elizabeth Pearson in 1870. The couple had 10 children. Wiley was landlord of the Irwin Hotel, then the Hampton Hotel and later farmed on the Back Flats at Greenough. He died in Geraldton in 1924.

Portrait of a woman believed to be Elizabeth Wiley (nee Pearson)
Elizabeth was born in England on Christmas Day 1848, as an infant she came to Western Australia as her father Francis Watson Pearson had been employed to work at the Geraldine Mine.

Pearson later moved his family to Greenough and built and managed the Hampton Hotel.
Following her mother's death, Elizabeth purchased the Hampton Hotel (by then de-licensed) in 1898 and lived there for 16 years. Elizabeth died in 1925.

Can You Guess What This Was Used For?

This Cowry Shell is a recent donation, and at first glance not the sort of object you would associate with the pioneers of Greenough.
It is a however a lovely example of making-do, and originally came from the workbasket of Edith K. Clinch (nee Waldeck).
Arthur Clinch married Edith (or Topsy as she was more lovingly known) on 8 November 1892, and the couple went on to live at Mill Farm (the former Greenough Hotel). In those days, frugality prevailed, and as a farmer's wife, one of the skills Topsy would have learnt was how to mend clothes. This beautiful shell was used by Topsy as a darning mushroom for mending socks.
Unfortunately we do not know who gave Topsy the shell. There could be a lovely story there.
The shell has been donated to this museum by Topsy's grand-daughter, Joy.

Recent Donation

The latest donation to the collection is this very fine tapestry of Maley's Bridge at Greenough. The tapestry was made from coloured wool by Jan Weaver and purchased many years ago by Colin and Lorina Maley. At a morning tea held at the Pioneer Museum on Sunday 3 October for members of the Maley family who were attending the Waldeck 150 Reunion, Lorina presented the tapestry on behalf of her late husband who had been born in this house in 1912.

Music, Music, Music

As part of the Interpretation of the Nickelodeon, we have had this cutout figure made and on him are the words to the Nickolodeon song, or to give it its correct title, Music Music Music.

Who can remember the words?

"Put another nickel in, in the nickelodeon.
And all I want is loving you, and music, music, music.
I'd do anything for you; anything you'd want me to.
All I want is kissing you and music, music, music.
Closer, my dear come closer.
The nicest part of any melody is when you're dancing close to me.
...So put another nickel in, in the nickelodeon.
All I want is loving you and music, music, music."

Perhaps not so surprisingly, this is one tune you would not have heard on this nickelodeon. The song was written by Stephen Weiss and Bernie Baum in 1949 and made popular in Australia by Petula Clarke in 1950. Far too late for this "Fully Automated Mechanical Piano" to give it its correct title.

After playing for many years to wonderous visitors, our nickelodeon was badly damaged about 10 years ago when a former curator decided to install an electric motor to save having to wind up the machine manually.

It has been estimated it would cost around $25,000 to now get the machine back to working order! To date we have collected less than 1/10th of the quote! Any donations welcome.

Spring in the Vegie Garden

September is such a glorious month to be at Greenough. Sunny days, cool nights, the occasional shower of rain, and everything is blooming.

The Vegie Garden is also coming into full production. Salad days indeed.