Once again the Society members rose to the challenge with a Show and Tell, of their special interests, at the AGM in October.
Eighteen spoke on a wide variety of subjects, a New Guinea Coast Watcher, farm clothing made from fabrics at hand, bagpipes saved from the western desert, a shipwreck salvage, the collected art of a renowned botanist and the story of a spoon, to name but some. A most informative and enjoyable afternoon for the nearly fifty present.
It has been a remarkable year for the Society; with record numbers attending the monthly meetings. The guest speakers covered many topics relevant to the people and places of our community, while others spoke of individuals who had a marked influence on our society and architecture.
Next years speakers will deal with, inventors international and local, spices, local places, early land holders and World War1 soldiers.
The early families had to provide shelter on their selections and turned to whatever building materials were at hand. With huge trees and an easily worked sandstone; timber slabs, bark and sandstone huts were soon constructed.
A few of each can be seem by the observant eye. The next step up, often after a successful crop, was a small timber cottage, the Hudson Ready-Cut. It was designed for easy prefabricated modular construction by a company that was to become the great Clyde Engineering, started by the Hudson Brothers.
Some can still be seen throughout our district and they form part of the architectural heritage, of the small rural farming communities, that is so worth preserving.
At the 9th November meeting the story of The Hudsons and Clyde Engineering will be told by David Jehan BE (Hons), MIE, Railway Engineer and Author. Meeting starts at 2.00pm in the Galston Uniting Church, School Road Galston. Enquiries, Michael Bell 02 9653 1365
