William Edwin Pidgeon (WEP)

was a 3 times Archibald Prize winner, Australia’s premier prize for portrait painting. WEP was also famous for his cartoons and illustrations for the The Daily Telegraph in Sydney and for the Australian Women’s Weekly. In fact WEP helped create the original dummy for the Weekly back in 1933 and became a household name for his covers which were featured on many issues through to the 50’s.  more

Journal of Nathaniel Pidgeon

I was born at Bellevue, the seat of the Right Honorable George Ogle, in the County of Wexford, Ireland. My father, Richard Pidgeon, removed there with his brother Henry, from the County of Wicklow, a short time previous to the rebellion of '98. They were members of the Church of England, and had been enrolled as yeomen in Ogle's Loyal Blues. As soon as the peace of the country became disturbed, the yeoman assembled at Duncannon garrison, as a place of retreat and security, until they were reinforced by an army from England sufficient to quell the insurrection. My father then returned to Bellevue, and a few years after married my mother, Elizabeth Foley, of Ballydicken, of whose issue I was the only son. At my christening there was a large party, and abundance of Irish whiskey drunk; for, although my parents were in general rather moral people, and exceedingly strict in the bringing up of their children, yet they were strangers to real religion, and manifested no objection to occasional festivities of this kind.  more

Letter from Ireland

Dearest Eliza,

We received your letter with the power of attorney on the 31st of January at which we were all pretty delighted. I should have answered it sooner but I have been very ill the last three weeks and had to keep my bed for six days but thank God I am now well. I wrote to you last August which letter I hope you received. I promised then to write soon again but in September your dear father got a very bad finger which at one time was so bad that we were apprehensive of mortification.  more

Missing Soldier

Advice has been received that Capt. R. A. Camm who went abroad, with a Victorian Pioneer Battalion, is reported missing. Capt. Camm had also been a member of the 1^st A.I.F., and since residing in Kilmore had been a very active President of the local Branch of the Returned Soldiers’ Association. His son, Richard, and his brother Aubrey, are also serving overseas.

- Kilmore Free Press 24 July 1941   more

Tom Lees - heavyweight champion of Australia

The fact that Foley's extensive gymnasium was crowded on Saturday night with an audience who paid a guinea each to witness a glove encounter between Professor Jackson and J. T. Lees will show how great was the desire on the part of the public to witness the encounter.   more