August 2024

Contents

• President’s column and meeting notices - page 1Museum collecting, accessioning and exhibitions, and forthcoming talks including Italian prisoners of war.
• Kevin Herring and Society news - page 2A tribute to local land and family historian Kevin Herring and his research collection, with membership and meeting notices.
• Italian prisoners of war and Marie Chalker - page 3Peter Rodney introduces research on Italian POWs employed by local farmers in 1944-45; a tribute recognises Mittagong historian Marie Chalker’s life membership and publications.
• History of the local credit union - page 4Ian Mackey traces the cooperative movement and the 1963 meetings that founded the Southern Portland Cement Employees Credit Union.
• Credit union: early years - page 5Membership, volunteer management, lending and staff appointments, culminating in the move to 405 Argyle Street, Moss Vale, in 1971.
• Credit union records and early cement works - page 6The Society’s Southern Portland Cement employee newsletters and their digitisation; the Medway and Berrima collieries, railway and pit horses.
• New Berrima cement works - page 7Philip Morton traces Arnold Stanley Taylor’s enterprise, construction, the 1929 opening, New Berrima township and the works through the postwar years.
• Society information and office bearers - page 8Contact, opening and committee details as printed in August 2024; they may have changed.

Issue highlights

• Peter Rodney introduces research on Italian prisoners of war working in the Southern Highlands in 1944-45; Marie Chalker is recognised for her local history work (p.3).
• Ian Mackey traces the credit union founded by Southern Portland Cement employees and its early growth and move to Moss Vale (pp.4-6).
• Philip Morton follows Medway coal mining, the railway, construction of the New Berrima cement works and development of the township (pp.6-7).

Original Society source