Dunedoo Historical Society and Museum

Dunedoo Historical Society and Museum The Museum is open on Thursday mornings or by appointment.

Dunedoo's first Lady Dentist who came here in 1914 and would have treated many of our returning soldiers from WW1.‘Edith...
21/08/2026

Dunedoo's first Lady Dentist who came here in 1914 and would have treated many of our returning soldiers from WW1.
‘Edith’ Stewart - Died 8 Dec 1940 aged 53. Elsie Edith Leslie Stewart (nee Clark) was born on the 9 July 1887 at Double Bay in Sydney. She was the Dental Surgeon in Dunedoo from 1914-1940 (26yrs) and her husband Alexander was the dental assistant. She was a trail blazer at the time in a man dominated profession in the early 1900s. They practiced from their home- at 6 Bolaro St- called ‘Narbethong’ (back in the early days houses didn’t have numbers- they were known by house name- the name could have come from the Victorian Aboriginal Language meaning ‘happy/cheerful place’). It appears that Edith became a Dentist through an apprenticeship scheme- she received her certificate on the 16th March 1917. We could find no records of her going through Sydney University. She was the first President of the CWA when it open in Dunedoo in 1927, she was also the President of the Dunedoo Lady Golfers. She suffered a stroke in 1932. As above, her three children were Gordon, Margaret and Keith. Mudgee Guardian Feb 1918 Dental Notice - Mrs Edith Stewart has arranged to visit Leadville the 4th Wednesday of every month from 2pm-6pm at Milletts Hotel. She died in the private ‘Dawn’ Hospital in Dunedoo on the 8 December 1940. Her husband Alex left Dunedoo in April 1941. Presbyterian R3 #10
Extract from the book – ‘A History of Dentistry in New South Wales 1788-1945’ Published 1977 and available in our Dunedoo Museum - Edith Stewart conducted the sole practice in Dunedoo, NSW., employing four women graduates at different periods; Norah Bernal Honey in 1932, Beatrice Church in 1933-6, Doreen Musgrave (Mrs G. Rouse)1938 and Joan Groundwater 1939. This Dunedoo practice was unique in its training. On alternate Saturdays a suitcase was packed with instruments and loaded into a car along with a foot pedal drill and folding chair. A room was taken either in the Hotel at Mendooran or the School of Arts in Coolah. Dental treatment was thus available to people in those outlying districts one day per fortnight. Editors not e- Edith also operated from Millets Hotel in Leadville.
Further information can be found on trove.

We believe Edith is the lady sitting on the veranda of the new Dunedoo CWA building 1930.

To find the most remarkable story in the Dunedoo Cemetery, we have to walk all the way down the back, to the very back a...
08/07/2026

To find the most remarkable story in the Dunedoo Cemetery, we have to walk all the way down the back, to the very back and away from everyone else.
This is the final resting place of William 'Bill' Owen Robert Hammer. And as you can see by his position, the town of Dunedoo didn't quite know what to do with him in death.

William “Bill” Owen Robert HAMMER
Born 1903 at Southern Cross Western Australia. The Southern Cross town was established in 1888 and was a booming outback gold rush epicentre in Western Australia in 1903. The town it served as the crucial mother town for prospectors before the gold rush pushed further to the Eastern Goldfields. His father William (also called Bill), was a miner and his mother, Ada was a seamstress. Bill’s brother Heathcote Howard HAMMER was born in 1905.

His parents moved back to Ballarat where their mother Ada May (Williams) was born and the boys attended the School of Mines. Heath worked as a travelling salesman and Bill travelled around seeking work through South Australia, Victoria and until reaching Dunedoo. Bill was estranged from his loving family at the time of death. Bill had been working on farms for a year before he died.
At the time of his death, Bill worked on Trev Falconer’s property “Carinya” as a stockman. This property is known as the “Police Horse Paddock”. This is where Bill had his camp set up. Falconer’s sold the property to Healey’s who still own it today. Bill had also worked for the Healey’s and they were aware of his illness. Unfortunately, the Healey’s were out of town at the time of Bill’s death and there was talk around Dunedoo “how can someone die in 2ft of water”. The local police and coroner agreed that Bill had taken his own life. This is why Bill was buried right down the back of the cemetery away from the other graves. Bill was buried as pauper during the night by candlelight. He was unusually tall and his coffin was larger than the normal sized coffins. When the grave diggers dug Bill’s hole, they hadn’t made allowances for his size and Bill was buried in a semi standing position.
After Bill’s death, it took a couple of days for the family to find out and they all came up to Dunedoo and stayed with the Hayes family. Russell and Tom Hayes would go to Bills’ camp and talk with him.
Bill’s father had erected his son’s headstone and when his father died just 2 years later, his father’s headstone mentions his son who is buried in Dunedoo.
Heath had a wonderful career in the Army. He became famous leading his troops in multiple campaigns including Greece, North Africa, New Guinea and Bougainville. He remained in the military and in 1956 he was promoted to Major General. Heath retired in 1959 and died in 1961.
Ada remarried a Mr Cooper and lived until 1943. She is a remarkable woman who has travelled across Australia, buried her son, mother, father and a husband. She is buried in the Ballarat Cemetery next to her first husband Bill.

🌕 Thank You for Joining Us on the Blue Moon Cemetery Tour 🌕A huge thank you to everyone who joined us today for our Ceme...
31/05/2026

🌕 Thank You for Joining Us on the Blue Moon Cemetery Tour 🌕
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us today for our Cemetery Tour. Despite the threatening skies, the rain clouds held off and we were treated to the sight of a beautiful full moon shining over the cemetery.

It was wonderful to see so many people come along to explore our local history and hear the tragic story of William Hammer, the man laid to rest at the far end of the cemetery. Visitors also learned about several other notable community members whose stories have helped shape our district and whose memories continue to live on through the cemetery.

The afternoon was filled with fascinating stories, great company, and a shared appreciation for our local heritage. We hope everyone enjoyed the experience as much as we enjoyed bringing these stories to life.

Thank you for your support of the Museum and helping us keep the stories of our past alive for future generations.

Thank you to everyone who has booked for the Cemetery Tour. Bookings have now closed as our volunteers prepare for this ...
31/05/2026

Thank you to everyone who has booked for the Cemetery Tour. Bookings have now closed as our volunteers prepare for this afternoons tour.
If you have booked, don't forget your comfortable waking shoes, a mug to enjoy a hot cuppa with us and if possible a camp chair so you can relax with our Dunedoo Pioneers at their final resting place.
Let's hope the clouds wander away so we can enjoy tonight's Blue Moon Cemetery Tour.

🌕 ONCE IN A BLUE MOON 🌕The Tragic Tale of Hammer, “How does a young man lose his life in just two feet of water?” Discov...
08/05/2026

🌕 ONCE IN A BLUE MOON 🌕
The Tragic Tale of Hammer, “How does a young man lose his life in just two feet of water?” Discover the truth under the light of a rare Blue Moon.
Please contact Mel at the library 0263751468, as bookings are essential.
Meet the grieving mother of Hammer and Mr Womersley the coffin maker as they guide you on the tour.

Address

42 Bolaro Street
Dunedoo, NSW
2844

Telephone

+61263751468

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