Huntly & Districts' Historical Society Inc.

01/09/2026

23/08/2026

05/08/2026

This is the former Shire of Huntly before amalgamation with the City of Greater Bendigo in April 1994.

31/07/2026

A school was opened in 1898. In 1953 the school was closed.
The locality was originally named Ellesmere, where gold was discovered in 1852. Extensive mine workings began more than 40 years later in 1894, and the place was named Fosterville after it was visited by the Minister for Mines, Henry Foster MLA (1889-1902).
The Ellesmere State School No 2885 opened in 1888 (closed 1942) and the Fosterville State School No 3312 opened in 1898 (closed 1953). The schools catered for the children of families involved in gold mining at Fosterville from 1894 (Blake 1973:556).
The Fosterville school was relocated to White Hills state school around 1955 for an extra class room

27/07/2026

Posted on Lost Axedale last Wednesday. What a find !!
Thomas Victor Mayne was the inventor of Milo. He was born on 25 December 1901 in Fosterville (Just outside of Bendigo).
In 1934 Bro. Mayne developed Milo and launched it at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
He was Initiated into King Edward Lodge No. 189 in Victoria on 28 March 1944, passed on 24 October 1944 and raised on 22 May 1945.
Source Freemasons Victoria.
Thomas Mayne (25 December 1901 – 25 January 1995) was an Australian industrial chemist. He was also a food researcher and the inventor of Milo, the powdered chocolate-malt drink. In 1934, Mayne developed Milo and launched it at the Sydney Royal Easter Show. Milo began production at the plant located in Smithtown, New South Wales.
The name was derived from the famous ancient athlete Milo of Croton, after his legendary strength. Mayne himself enjoyed a hot cup of Milo every night till his death at age 93.
Wikipedia.
Read his interesting bio here -
https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/mayne-thomas-victor-tom-27743

24/07/2026

The naming pattern can be useful. The first son is usually named after the father’s father. If your person is Donald and his first born son is Charles - there is a chance Donald’s father was Charles. If the 2nd born daughter is Catherine there is a chance Donald’s mother was Catherine. If Donald was say 40 in the 1841 census - and his birthplace Rosskeen, a look for a birth of Donald between say 1795 and 1805 to a Charles and Catherine. With Donalds wife - the 2nd born son could be named after her father. The first born daughter named after the wife’s mother.

19/07/2026

The Blandford family...George was wounded and returned home but sadly Charles, Thomas and Ernest were all killed.

13/07/2026

A simply explained family tree....