Shop till you drop……

Did you know Mascot used to have two dress shops and that Botany had its own watchmaker? These are some of the memories our local residents shared at our latest Mornings @ the Museum. At the event, participants were given maps which they were asked to fill with the shops they remembered. Given that some people have spent their entire lives in the district, these maps were very interesting and provided a very different image of the are.

Be sure to look out for our exhibition in March. In the mean time if you have any stories, photographs or things you have purchased at local stores be sure to contact us.

Mornings @ The Museum - November 17

 Picture: F.J Sam’s on Botany Road, Mascot

Before the construction of Westfield’s Shopping Town, where did you go shopping? Did you go to a corner store where the shopkeeper knew your name? Perhaps you remember Quality Stores in Mascot which is now home to ‘Best and Less’. 

Come and share your memories and memorabilia over morning tea at the museum. Information collected may
be used in an upcoming exhibition on the history of shopping in the City of Botany Bay   
  
When: 10am Thursday 17th November 2011
Where: George Hanna Memorial Museum, Mascot Library
Bookings Essential. To book call 9366 3888

Dainty Dishes: The Story of Davis Gelatine

Long before ‘MasterChef’ and ‘My Kitchen Rules’, the Davis Gelatine Company was encouraging Australian Housewives to tackle adventurous dishes, improve food presentation and eat well!

With colourful cookbooks, exotic moulds and tantalising Royal Show demonstrations, Davis Gelatine changed the culinary scene of Australia forever.

Come and see some of the classic ‘Dainty Dishes’, and hear the story of the family company that became Australia’s largest exporter of manufactured goods.

When:                 
2:00pm Saturday, 17th September 2011

Where:                
George Hanna Memorial Museum, Mascot Library, Hatfield Street, Mascot

Cost:                     
Free. Bookings Essential. To book call 9366 3888

Contact:              
9366 3888, museum@botanybay.nsw.gov.au

Mornings at the Museum - Manufacturing Memories

Did you work in one of Botany’s old factories?  Can you recall the area’s past industrial nature?

Image: Floodvale works c.1938. Courtesy of Rob & Chris Hanna

You can help us record Botany’s manufacturing history by bringing your memories, photos and objects to our next Mornings @ the Museum. Botany & Mascot have a rich industrial past that includes everything from leather production to mouse traps and cornflakes.

Come share your stories in this discussion group. Only with your help can we fully tell the stories of the area.

When: 10am Thursday June 30th 2011
Where: George Hanna Memorial Museum, Mascot Library

Bookings Essential.  To book call 9366 3888

Daceyville Public School Visit

Recently Daceyville Public came to see Audaciousville and what a morning it was! Besides being fascinated by the pictures and objects on display, they also enjoyed a very interesting and amusing talk by Councillor Slattery, a long time resident of the suburb.

If you have not seen the exhibition yet, it’s a must see.
Just read these persuasive responses from the students who came.

Parents must take their children to the ‘Audaciousville’ exhibition because kids think that history is cool, kids want to learn new things and, best of all, it‘s absolutely free. My favourite object was a beer bottle from under Hayden McCullough’s house because after all those years there wasn’t even a crack in it.

Anson Year 3

Would you like to come to the ’Audaciouville’ exhibition? Then go and see it at Mascot Library. You better be quick because it ends in April. Look out for an old Milo tin, glass bottles, bottle caps and broken pieces from under Hayden McCullough’s house. It was an amazing day.

Julia Year 3

You should come to the ‘Audaciousville’ exhibition at Mascot Library to see and hear about Daceyville because it has lots of cool things, especially hearing funny stories from Councillor Anne Slattery. Firstly she lived in Daceyville in a house with two bedrooms and twelve people living in it. One room was for the piano and the other one was for someone else which was funny because the piano had a room by its self. Secondly we saw a tin can that look so old from under Hayden’s bedroom.  It was very old. Thirdly we got to see some old photos about Daceyville to understand why it’s here. By the way it’s free.

Christabel Year 4

Parents: You should go to the ‘Audaciousville’ exhibition because it is a good education for your children. They can have a chance to see black and white photographs of people who lived in Daceyville. You should visit there because you can learn about some people from the war. You can discover as much as you want, read as much as you want about Daceyville and you can stay as long as you want! Your children can see great things about the suburb Daceyville and who made it.

Kaelynne Year 4

Mornings @ The Museum - Sharing Stories

To celebrate this year’s National Trust Heritage Festival, Botany Bay Library and Museum is running a very special Mornings at the Museum event.

The theme of the 2011 Heritage Festival is Amazing Stories and as every moment is an amazing story we are inviting residents and those interested in the history of the area to come in and share a story, a photograph or an object at this morning event. Even the smallest story is often surprising to someone else.

People love stories and would love to hear yours so please come along. Some little known objects and stories from the Museum and Local History Collection will also be presented.

When: 10am Wednesday April 13th 2011

Where: George Hanna Memorial Museum, Mascot Library

Bookings Essential. Call 9366 3888 to book

Kiddyville

To coincide with the Daceyville exhibition, the museum is giving children from the ages 7-13 the chance to build their dream house out of hundreds of cardboard boxes and craft materials.

Come join us for this unique event

Friday April 15th 2011 - 10am –11.30am @ George Hanna Memorial Museum, Mascot Library

Cost : $5 per child. Payment must be made in person at the Central Library. (Entry fee is non-refundable)

Bookings essential as places are limited.  For more information, please call Sam on 9366 3888

The Emergence and Disappearance of Lauriston Park, A Forgotten Suburb

 

As part of Heritage Week, there will be a talk about the suburb Lauriston Park which existed on the site of the current Sydney Airport at Eastgardens Library on Saturday, April 9 at 2pm.

The talk will discuss the development of the suburb, resident life, local activities and anecdotes, and the eventual disappearance of the suburb to make way for the airport extension. Local history collection items  such as oral history, images and video will be used in the discussion.

Free admission

Bookings Essential:   Please call Eastgardens Library on 9366 3888

Mornings @ The Museum

Come join us for our first Mornings at the Museum. Every second month we will be presenting talks and discussions on the local area’s history.

This February we will be presenting a guided tour of the museum’s current exhibition, Audaciousville: The Story of Dacey Garden Suburb. As Australia’s first public housing scheme, the suburb has a fascinating and unique history. In this talk you’ll learn all about the suburb, including stories that didn’t make it into the exhibition.

When: 10am Thursday February 10th  2011

Where: George Hanna Memorial Museum, Mascot Library

Bookings Essential. Call 9366 3888 to book

Simeon Lord - From Chains to Riches

As part of the National Trust Heritage Festival 2010, the library will be presenting a talk on Simeon Lord named "From Chains to Riches".  Simeon Lord arrived in Sydney in 1791 as a convict but died in 1840 a wealthy man.  An astute business man, his interests ranged from banking to whaling.  He built a fulling mill and a flour mill in Botany, damming a local creek to generate the power.

Come and hear his rags to riches story!  Wheelchair access, parking available, close to public transport

The talk will be held at Eastgardens Library at 2pm on April 17.  Admission is free and bookings are essential.  Call 9366 3888 to book your place.

Unlock Your Family History - Ancestry.com Workshop

Interested in Genealogy?

Then join us for a guided workshop on the basics of Ancestry.com.

Saturday 27th March 2010
Eastgardens Library
1:30 – 3.30PM

Bookings Essential! Call 9366 3888

"Lovin' My House" - Library Lovers Day

Hi All
Just to let you know that I will be conducting a house history workshop on Saturday 13/2/2010 in conjunction with Library Lovers Day and the working title will be "Lovin' My House"

Maie and myself will conduct this workshop and we are looking at 1.30pm on the day.

Will keep you posted as I develop this further
Mark