Summary

Digital image of an original black and white photograph of John Wilton Twycross (b.1916) looking through the dolland telescope from the verandah of the Burrell family property at Arthurs Seat, on the Mornington Peninsula, circa 1925.

His father, John William Twycross was a highly competant amateur photographer and this is one of numerous images taken at the Burrell property and around Port Phillip Bay during the 1920s. The telescope is still held by the Twycross family, and, in 2012, is on display in the Burrell Twycross Gallery at McCrae Homestead, the subsequent Burrell homestead, owned by the National Trust of Victoria.

John Wilton's grandmother, Charlotte Twycross nee Burrell, had grown up at the Arthurs Seat property, and the Burrell family retained the property until 1925 when it was eventually sold. For two generations of Twycross children, the Burrell homestead was regular holiday destination. In the 1890s, John William Twycross would ride his safety bike from the Twycross home, 'Emmarine', in Caulfield, down to Arthur Seat, filling 'his boots with whisky at a stop at the "Tanti" Hotel, Mornington, to east the pain!' In the 1920s, he would take his young son, John Wilton, across the Bay on one of the steamers, to Mornington, continuing on to Arthus Seat.

Description of Content

Boy on a wooden verandah looking through a telescope.

Significance

This is a particular interesting, and seemingly rare photograph of the Exhibition Buildings taken at the time of the 1880-1881 Melbourne International Exhibition. While others contemporary photos are often taken of the main Exhibition Buildings itself, from within Carlton Gardens, this image is taken from an elevated vantage point outside the gardens, and gives some indication of the vast scope of the exhibition buildings, including the temporary annexes that were erected for the Exhibition in the northern part of the gardens, extending off the main permanent building.

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