Hurstville City Library, Museum & Gallery: May 2015

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Deborah O'Brien book launch/talk at Hurstville Library

Hurstville Library is excited to be hosting popular local author Deborah O'Brien when she launches her new book, The Trivia Man. Contemporary fiction fans and those interested in the writing process are welcomed to join us for light refreshments before hearing Deborah talk about the inspiration behind and the issues explored in her latest work.

"Dubbed ‘brainbox' and ‘weirdo' Kevin Dwyer is a middle-aged forensic accountant who has never had a real friend, other than his eight-year-old nephew. When Kevin joins the Clifton Heights Sports Club trivia competition as a one-man team, and convincingly wins the first round, he is headhunted by the other contestants. But Kevin would prefer to be on his own. That is, until he meets Maggie Taylor . . ."

More at Deborah's website here

Check out some early-bird reviews here

Those lucky enough to be at the 2014 launch of A Place of Her Own can vouch for Deborah's engaging speaking style and her fascinating insights into a writer's life.

Event details:
Hurstville Library
Cnr Queens Rd & Dora St, Hurstville
Friday 5 June 2015, 11.00am
Bookings essential: Whats On wwwhurstville.nsw.gov.au/lmg
Free event/Light refreshments
Book available for sale and signing.
Enquiries: 9330 6111

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Remembering them: People of St George and the First World War

Mateship & Mercy

As part of the National Trust Heritage Festival, Hurstville Museum & Gallery hosted a talk on Monday 11 May 2015 to complement this year’s theme conflict and compassion. The presentation, given by Local Studies officer David Clarke, highlighted the compassion and camaraderie shown by the people of the Hurstville district during the trying times of the Great War.
Through letters, diary extracts and correspondence the experiences of local service men and their loved ones came alive to paint a holistic picture of the impact of the conflict. Hearing such personal stories was an incredibly emotional and touching experience for the audience.

Two stories in particular stood out for the remarkable way in which they intersected.

The SS Barunga, a former German-Australian liner seized by Australia Government at the beginning of the war and repurposed as a transporter, was the common thread joining the experiences of Hurstville residents Mrs Margaret Edser and Hurstville servicemen William John Duffell. Following the death of her husband, Charles Edser, on the Western Front in 1917, Mrs Edser pursued a lengthy quest for the return of her late husband’s belongings, to be shipped home. It happened that the belongings met the same fate as the gunner William Jon Duffell when the SS Barunga sunk after being struck by a torpedo in July 1918. Fortunately, William John Duffell was among the survivors who were rescued. He later remembered:

"I managed to grab a pair of pants, a shirt and a pair of canvas shoes. I lost everything but my pocket book and the Bible I got from the church". (Hurstville Propeller, 4 October 1918, p.1).

Gunner William John Duffel was among the survivors who were rescued from the SS Barunga.
Image from Hurstville Honour Roll, No 1.
Hurstville City Library Museum & Gallery collection.

Mrs Edser was not so lucky, left back in Hurstville without the belongings of her beloved, which had been lost at sea.

Charles Edser, was killed in action in Belgium in October 1917.
Image from the Hurstville Honour Roll, No 1 .
Hurstville City Library Museum & Gallery collection.

Stories such as these put a face to the men and women whose lives were forever changed by the Great War. The audience joined together to pay their respects, concluding the talk with the words ‘Lest We Forget’.

Don't forget to visit our exhibition before it closes on Sunday 31 May 2015!

Remembering them: People of St George & the First World War

Watch this video of descendants of First World War soldiers presenting their family memorabilia.

Keepsakes: First World War Memorabilia

Friday, May 15, 2015

Monday, May 11, 2015

The Three Little Pigs!

I was travelling to Bundanoon with my hubby for the Easter break. While he was driving, I was thinking about how lucky I was to have a week off work, but somehow I found my mind was back at work organising the next Family Story time at Penshurst Library.

The theme is “Pigs” and the first thing that popped into my head was the famous fairy tale of “The Three Little Pigs”. I started to think about the mother of The Three Little Pigs. What was it like for her to have her 3 boys leave home all on the one day? Was she overjoyed, thinking about how much more food she will have in the house, or was she sad to see them all leave?

Over a year ago, 3 of my 4 children left home in 3 months! I thought that was hard. I don’t know how Mrs Piggy coped having her “babies” all leave on the one day! I cried every time one of my kids left home. Of course I was happy they were spreading their wings and making a new life of their own, but my heart had to let go of my kids. One of my kids moved into a wooden house and 2 into a brick house. At least one didn’t move into a house built of straw!!

I also wondered; did Mrs Piggy have any other little piglets at home? 1, 2, 3, or maybe none. I have one of my children left at home and I love her being at home, but I know it is hard for her to be the only one left. Oh, and what about Mr Piggy? How was he feeling about his 3 sons moving out?

On top of all these thoughts, my mind wandered back to a trip my family had a couple of years ago to Tanna, Vanuatu. Tanna was the island that recently copped a direct hit from a category 5 cyclone “Pam”. We spent 2 weeks at a school in Tanna. My job at the school was to help in the library. I decided to do a theme on fairy tales. I was telling them the story of The Three Little Pigs. They hadn’t heard it before. By the time I as half way through the story I was feeling that this probably wasn’t the best fairy tale to read to them. I was up to the part where the little pig made his house out of straw and the big bad wolf huffed and puffed and blew his house down. I realised while telling this story that pretty much all of the houses on Tanna are made out of straw or sticks!!

In the recent cyclone so many of the houses in the villages were flattened!! Thankfully the school buildings remained intact and sheltered the villagers from a storm none of them had experienced in their life time. The buildings are still sheltering the villagers until they rebuild their homes. So I guess The Three Little Pigs really does teach us some life lessons.

Anyway, if you have kids, come along to Penshurst Library’s family story time and we will retell the story of “The Three Little Pigs”, play piggy games, and have lots of piggy fun!

Date: Wednesday 13 May 2015
Time: 6.00pm - 7.00pm
Cost: Free
Venue: Penshurst Branch Library
630 Forest Road, Penshurst NSW 2222

Click here to book online to attend this storytime session.

- Jacqui.

Hurstville Family Recipes

Hurstville and its surrounding suburbs are a melting pot of vibrant food and culture.

We asked people from our community to send us recipes of some of their favourite foods that they love to make for family and friends.

Our second Hurstville Family Recipe is from Jacqui! Who is sharing with all of us a wonderful and Easy 1,2,3 recipe.

I love having recipes that remind me of family and friends. When I receive a recipe from someone, I always include their name in the recipe. The following recipe belonged to my Nan “Hilda”.

Nan Hilda's 1,2,3's

Difficulty: Easy Recipe type: Desserts

Serves: 6 Preparation time: 10 mins Cooking time: 20 - 30 mins

Ingredients

1 cup caster sugar

2 egg whites

3 cups cornflakes

Whipped cream to serve

Special Equipment

Mix master.

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 140*C.
Line a baking tray with baking paper.
In the mix master beat egg whites until stiff. Beat sugar in gradually.
Fold in cornflakes.
Place 1-2 tablespoon of the mixture onto baking tray, and put in the oven for 25- 30 minutes.
Do not leave out in air or they will go soft. Store in airtight container when they have cooled down.
Will keep 1-2 days.
Whip some cream and serve immediately.

Tip: Really yummy with strawberries and grated chocolate.

I used to love it when I went to her house and she had made 1,2,3’s. As a little girl I clearly remember her reciting the recipe when I asked her why they were called 1.2.3’s, as I thought that was such a funny name. Her reply was, 1 cup of sugar, 2 egg whites and 3 cups of cornflakes. It is now a family favourite with my own children and now and known as Nanna Lapham’s 1,2,3.s!!

Let us know how you go trying this recipe. #HurstvilleFamilyRecipes

Have a look for #HurstvilleFamilyRecipes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and join our Family Recipes Community and add a snap of your special food.

Do you live, work or play in Hurstville or surrounding suburbs? Are there dishes you make on special occasions?

Hurstville City Library Museum & Gallery would like you to share your family’s recipes with the community.

Whatever you cook, sweet or savory, we would love for you to share it with us!

If you would like to participate in this project, please follow the link to our What's On Page for more information.

Images courtesy of Jacqui.

Wednesday, May 06, 2015

H is for Hawk - Helen Macdonald

Completely overwhelmed by grief at the sudden death of her father, Helen McDonald tried to distance herself from her acute sorrow by undertaking the rearing and training of a goshawk. She struggled to maintain any semblance of a normal life during her chosen method of recovery from loss, and she found parallels in her own fractured existence and that of the writer T. H. White, who had also withdrawn from the world to find a strange solace in the training of a goshawk.

H is For Hawk is, at turns, a sometimes harrowing meditation on the unbalancing effects of her unforeseen bereavement, a frequently painful account of the taming of this most difficult of raptors and a haunting commentary on the tragic life of T. H. White.

Monday, May 04, 2015

Remembering them: People of St George & the First World War

Homefront support: Hurstville's carnivals and sport demonstrations

Soon after the war broke out in 1914, music and theatre events, carnivals and sport demonstrations were regularly held in the local area to raise funds to support the nation during the war.

The carnival programs, many of them held at Hurstville Oval, would include games such as egg and spoon races, handicap wood chopping and greased pig chasing.

In November 1914, a ‘sports demonstration’ involving athletic events, processions and displays by school children and military units was staged at Hurstville Oval for the benefit of the Patriotic
Fund. The fund had been founded by the Lord Mayor of Sydney, Alderman P.W. Richards, to support the families of the Australian military personnel.

The Hurstville Propeller reported on 4 December 1914, p. 2:

"Saturday last was a gala day in Hurstville, when the sports demonstration arranged by the combined lodges and the citizen committee took place."

Hurstville Propeller, 4.12.1914, p.2.
Hurstville City Library Museum & Gallery collection.

Patriotic sports, Hurstville Oval, November 1914.
Hurstville City Library Museum & Gallery collection.

School children's display, Hurstville Oval, November 1914.
Hurstville City Library Museum & Gallery collection.

Another carnival was held at Hurstville Oval on 20 April 1918, in aid of the local War Relief Fund, "to gather funds to disburse among local soldiers or their dependants who may be in need" (Hurstville Propeller, 12 April 1018, p. 2). Despite heavy rain, around 5000 to 6000 people enjoyed the event. Only the night program was cancelled due to the bad weather (St George Call, 27 April 1918, p. 6).