Project blog

As mentioned in an article below Dr Miller wrote papers looking at the death of the Red Baron, Trench Fever and this one on the fate of the crew of SMS Emden. As another anniversary is coming up it seemed fitting to revisit the HMAS Sydney story. His paper is provided in full with links to other related stories.

New photos have been added of Mayor P.T. Taylor to the Trace image archive and linked to Trove online database.

125 years ago founding Alderman Patrick Thomson Taylor was elected Mayor. In that year his third son, and future aviator Bill Taylor was born. Mosman in the 1890’s was transforming. From a weekend retreat to a bustling suburb. Mr P.T. Taylor was one of the civic, business-minded Councillors making it happen.

P.T.Taylor and original crest designed by Livingston Hopkins.

‘Who shot Baron Manfred von Richthofen? There can only be four possible answers…’ Dr Geoffrey M. Miller dropped into Barry O’Keefe Library on occasion. I enjoyed our chats. Dr Miller’s online medical findings about the death of the Red Baron are my go to for an authoritative resource.

‘The death of Baron von Richthofen’ by A Henry Fullwood,

Everything old is new again:

Did you know May Gibbs of Nutcote published Snugglepot and Cuddlepie: Their Adventures Wonderful in January, 1918? Did you also know she made postcards to be sent to cheer up homesick volunteers? Maybe in these times, we can appreciate them just as much…

This is an excerpt from a public health poster about the Spanish influenza (flu) pandemic, drawn by children’s illustrator and author May Gibbs in 1919. The detail features a gumnut baby and a kookaburra sitting on a branch, with eucalyptus leaves wrapped around their mouths in the manner of surgical masks. Apart from the leaf, the gumnut baby wears only a gumnut on her head. The illustration is captioned ‘Hullo! How are you?’ Source SLNSW Online learning resource

Emden’s survivors were sent, with other German ‘enemy aliens’, to internment camps during the war. The camp Commandant from Mosman oversaw it’s operation.

Holsworthy Internment Camp, c.1915. Photograph Heinrich Jacobsen, Dubotzki Collection, Germany. Source: NSW Migration Centre ‘The enemy at home.’