George Thomas Bennett, diaries and photographs, 1854-1944

MLMSS 9844/Box 1X

fonds

1870-1920

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Photographs

1001298

0.44 meters of textual material (1 box) - manuscript

The Bennett family were well known in the St Mary’s (South Creek) area. They operated wheelwright and coach building businesses from the 1860s until the 1920s. George Thomas Bennett (G.T. Bennett) learned the trade from his father James Bennett Snr and went into business with his brother James in 1875. James went on to set up his own business leaving George to operate under the name G.T. Bennett. George T. Bennett exhibited and won prizes in many agricultural and trade shows throughout New South Wales including first prize at the Royal Agricultural Society’s Exhibition in Sydney. The business was well known throughout Australia and Bennett was also known for establishing the ‘Old Buffer Reunion’ movement which organised annual reunions for ex-residents of St Marys.

References:
Stacker, Lorraine 2002, Pictorial history Penrith & St Marys, Kingsclear Books, [Sydney] p. 115.

1944 'The late Mr. G. T. Bennett.', Nepean Times (Penrith, NSW), 18 May, p. 4. available at http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article117895602 (accessed on 20/01/2016)

1. Appointment diary, 1876 - patterned cover with drawings and indentifying statements on the inside front cover. Test is laid out in three columns, with the dates (day and number - year and month are only stated when there is a change) running down the page on the far left, 1-2 sentences summarising the key events of the day in the centre, and a one-word description of the weather in the right-hand column. Sunday entries often including the Bible passage preached at church and a couple of words-one sentence summary.

2. Appointment diary, 1880 - fading red cover. 16 pages printed text including a full church calendar, arrival times for mail from various reginal centres of Australia, saint's days and details of banks. Diary entries are hand-written with four entries to a page, at 1-3 sentences in length. On the right side of the entry the weather is included. The diary is structured Sunday-Saturday, with Sunday entries often including the Bible passage preached at church and a couple of words-one sentence summary.

3. Appointment diary, 1881 - faded cover which is tearing away from the rest of the book. 8 pages of printed text including a full church calendar, arrival times for mail from various reginal centres of Australia, saint's days, workmen's wages for a 54 hour week and details of banks. Majority of the diary contains handwritten entires summarising the events of the day, typically of 1-3 sentences in length. The weather is included on the right-hand side. Entry pages allow for four entries Thursday-Sunday, and three entries Monday-Wednesday. A teal separating page is used between Wednesday and Thursday pages. Some separating pages are torn.

4. Group portrait of the 'Old Buffers' cricket team taken outside. The majority are wearing their uniforms, and many are wearing hats. Two others are standing on a balcony above. Photograph taken in Victoria Park, St Marys.

5. Print photograph of a George Bennett wagon with three workers in a pit beneath the wagon. The wagon is tied by rope to a steel bar and is poised on a wooden platform. A picket fence is behind the wagon, and a dirt ramp in front of it. In side the top flap of the wagon reads "J. H. Hagga Hillston. George Bennett St Marys".

6. Group portrait of men standing outside Geo. T. Bennett's Coach and Wagon Works. Photograph captures the exterior of the building with signage, as well as some of the wagon wheels and wagons. A large open area of grass can also be seen in fornt of the building. Exterior of the building reads "GEO. T. BENNETT'S COACH & WAGON WORKS [roof,] G. T. BENETT. COACH & WAGONBUILDER BLACKSMI[TH] & WHEELWRIGHT" [front of building].

7. Print photograph of display wagons. George T. Bennett advertisment sign leans in front of the wagons, and another hangs down from one of the wagons. Two buildings stand in the background, and a third is in the foreground with the roof reading "No. 7 horse section". A picket fence separates this third building from the wagons, and something is drapped over it.

8. Print photograph of the Jersey wagon. Image is quite faded. Wagon is located at the workplace. The wagon has four wheels, two smaller ones at the front and two larger ones at the back.

9. Print photograph of a horse tied to the front of the Neapean wagon. The Nepean wagon has the same wheel design as the Jerrsey wagon.

Out of copyright: Applies to photographs - created before 1955
Copyright status:: In copyright - this collection has multiple copyright holders - applies to manuscripts
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Item 1: "George Bennett St Marys. South, Creek" - inside front cover diary 1.
Item 2: "Letts's No. 26 Diary 1880" engraved on cover.
Item 4: "Alleyne Street Willoughby" stamped on bottom right corner of backing board.
Item 5: "Alleyne Street Willoughby" stamped on bottom right corner of backing board.
Item 5: "M. O'Connor" stamped on bottom left corner of backing board.
Item 6: "The Sydney Photo Co.," stamped on bottom right corner of backing board.
Item 6: "4th from right (hat on, next to wheel) M[?] only - Dad's father" - handwritten on verso.