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‘The Breville’ manual washing machine was made in Australia by Breville Pty Ltd in the Sydney suburb of Camperdown between 1935 and 1940. Sold as the Breville ‘ 5-minute washer’, this machine is simply a tub with a posser attached to a handle. Its selling point was that, being hand-operated, it was free of mechanical…

As many of the readers of The Past Present will be aware, most postcards in their extensive collection focus on a place, be it a building, a beach or a park.  Yet there have, over time, been many postcards created which focus instead on monuments, just as this postcard does. The intriguing thing about this…

A HAUNTED mirror once owned by the doomed captain of the Titanic is set to go under the hammer for £10kUK ($12,775AU) This antique is believed to be possessed by the ghost of Edward John Smith – who left it on his dressing table before setting sail on the ill-fated ocean liner’s maiden voyage. His…

A great start for the Christmas festivities is a visit to the Yaralla Estate, Nullawarra Avenue, Concord West on Friday, 6th December for Carols at Yaralla.  Gates open at 5:00 p.m.  Parking in the grounds. Bring your children.  Bring your grandchildren.  Just come along.  It’s a relaxing and fun evening for young and old.  Musical…

An ornate pavilion was erected in Centennial Park for the swearing in of the first Governor General of Australia, Lord Hopetoun, the first Prime Minister, Edmund Barton, and the first Cabinet at the official inauguration of the federation of the colonies in Centennial Park, Sydney, on 1 January 1901. The Sydney Morning Herald of 2nd…

Can anyone explain to me why we are so obsessed in knowing a person’s age? The media, in particular (and I assume they are influenced by their audience’s fascination with the matter) rarely fail to state the ages of the people they feature. Inevitably you will read or hear about:-  “A 23 year old man…