February 2022

Contents

• President’s column and Society news - page 1The 2022 opening arrangements, gardens exhibition and research into the Bowral station gardens.
• Bowral station gardens and recollections - page 2A circa 1939 photograph of the station’s terraced camellia beds and Bruce Moore’s recollections of cicadas.
• Camellias and Berrima histories - page 3Research into the station terrace and plantings, alongside notices of books about Berrima’s early township and gaol.
• Mittagong School of Arts - page 4The 1899 building and 1911 hall, their construction and community activities reported in local newspapers.
• From School of Arts to council chambers - page 5The decline of the institute and the 1954 conversion and opening of Mittagong’s new civic offices.
• Victor Charles Bradman - page 6The first part of a biography covering his family, Bowral business and sporting connections; the next issue corrects family-order and cricket details.
• Victor Bradman and local government - page 7Bradman’s accident, civic work and later life, with an outline of local council formations and amalgamations.
• Society information and office bearers - page 8Contact, opening and committee details as printed in February 2022; they may have changed.

Issue highlights

• A historic photograph helps research Bowral station’s 1935 terraced camellia plantings (p.3).
• Chris Thompson’s Mitchell’s County Town covers Berrima’s first decade (p.3).
• The history of Mittagong’s School of Arts and later council chambers continues (p.4).
• The School of Arts account follows the building’s conversion to Mittagong Shire offices; a biography profiles Victor Bradman and his local activities (pp.4-7).

Original Society source