Sawers family photographs

PXD 1647

fonds

1850-1965

Graphic Materials, Photographs

9680868

60 photographic prints - gelatin silver - 43 x 30 cm or smaller

William Bowie Stewart Campbell Sawers was born in 1844 in Stirling, Scotland. At the age of twenty-one, he emigrated to Australia and co-purchased Bundabulla, a sheep station in the Brewarrina district of New South Wales, with H. C. White. In 1909, Sawers sold his share of the property but retained two adjoining stations, Lindsay and May Vale in the Barraba district. He married twice, first to Constance Beatrice Wright (1860-1900) on 24 September 1879 in Murrurundi, and then to Mary Bournefield Ilbery (nee Horsfall) (1857-1942) on 26 May 1908. He had no children with either woman, however Mary's five surviving children by her previous marriage to Thomas Ilbery (1843-1907) each took the Sawers surname: Thomas Ilbery (1880-1949); Mabel Adelaide Ilbery (1884-1968); Richard Milner Horsfall (1855-1886); William Sawers Ilbery (1887-1936); Elinor Mary Ilbery (1893-1987) and Josiah Edward Ilbery (1905-1963). By 1937, Mary was living at Rahnie, a house in Neutral Bay, Sydney. She died there on 14 September 1942.

Mabel Ilbery/Sawers, known as Mab, lived with her brother Josiah at Rahnie. Both remained unmarried until their deaths on 24 September 1963 and 3 May 1968. Elinor Ilbery/Sawers, known as Ellie and later as Sam/Sammy, married Cuthbert Gordon Thomson (1889-1937) on 31 January 1918. She died in 1987.

In addition to being a prominent pastoralist, William Sawers was also active in politics, elected to the Legislative Assembly as member for Bourke in 1855 and retaining this position until December 1886. He was also elected for Tamworth in 1898, and in June 1901, he entered Federal Parliament for the House of Representatives as member for New England, retiring three years later. He died on 19 May 1916 in Neutral Bay.

References:
Library acquisition file and vendor catalogue.

The Tamworth Daily Observer. 24 May 1916. Accessed 12 July 2024. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/116822535

Find A Grave. "William Bowie Stewart Sawers". Accessed 12 July 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/152027654/william-bowie_stewart-sawers

Sydney, Australia, Anglican Parish Registers, 1814-2011. "Cuthbert Gordon Thomson". Accessed 12 July 2024. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com.au/imageviewer/collections/61177/images/45578_neu%5Ema19141918-00025

60 photographs of the Sawers family of the sheep stations Bundabulla, near Talawanta, and Lindsay (presently spelled Lindesay) and May Vale (presently spelled Mayvale), west of Barraba in northern New South Wales. Images include many portraits of the family members, as well as some of their properties and travels in Sydney.

1. “Mary Horsfall” (probably Mary Anne Harrisson, mother of Mary Bournefield Ilbery), albumen photograph in carte de visite format, taken by “Spike & Kerton Artist Photos”, probably around 1850-1855

2. Portrait of Thomas or William Ilbery, annotated on verso “May 1909”

3-4. Duplicate portraits in different coloured mounts of Elinor Mary Ilbery/Sawers with her brother, Thomas or William. One is annotated on verso “May” and the year 1909 inked over (the same handwriting as the individual portrait of the brother, dated May 1909) and the other “With love from Ellie”

5. Portrait of a woman in a black evening gown, holding a book, possibly Mary Sawers, probably taken in 1890s

6. “Marjorie Wilson’s [&] Norman Burdekin’s wedding at ‘Rosedale’ Murrundie” [sic; i.e. Murrurundi], taken in 1908

7. “Mayvale Shearing Shed”, stamped photographer “Alfred Reiner” on verso, probably taken between 1908 and 1914

8. “Shearing Shed Mayvale ; Mr. Markwell, Manager ; Uncle Billy” [William Sawers], stamped photographer “Alfred Reiner” on verso, probably taken between 1908 and 1914

9. Portrait of William B. S. Campbell Sawers, probably taken around 1910. Photographer’s seal “Kerry, 310 George St., Sydney” on lower right on recto.

10. “E. M. Thomson aged seventeen”, portrait of Elinor (Sammy) in boys’ costume, with photographer’s stamp “Hy. M. Ashby Co, 183 Pitt St, Sydney” on mount, taken around 1910

11. Portrait of Mab (Mabel Ilbery/Sawers) in costume, holding an open book, probably taken in 1910s. Stamped on verso “Albert Buildings, 110 Bathurst Street, Sydney.”

12. Group portrait of troupe in costume, Mab in the middle, back row, in the same costume as in photograph 11, probably taken in 1910s

13-17. Photographs in postcard format of William Sawers and family in “Fiat-Car[s]”; one is annotated “Penrith”. One shows William posed with his second life, Mary, and probably their daughter, Mab, probably taken around 1910s

18-21. “May Vale Homestead”, two images in postcard format and one showing a young man on horseback, probably taken around 1910s

22-25. Hand-coloured photographs in postcard format, two of “Lindsay” and two of “Mayvale / Stud Sheep”, showing wide views of the estates with buildings and men on horseback, probably taken around 1910s

26. “A scene on Middle Harbour” ; “Picnic, Cuthbert next to Sam”, probably taken in 1910s

27. Portrait of a nurse photographed by “The Swiss Studios, Adelaide”, probably taken in 1910s

28-29. Portraits of “Cuthbert Thompson [sic]” in military uniform, probably around 1914

30. “May and Mina Moore”, portrait of Mab, annotated on backing verso “Dear Uncle Willie with love from Mab, 26th May 1914”.

31. Woman holding a baby, annotated on verso “Later copy photo, Poss. Mary Sawers (Ilbury [sic]/Horstall)” with accompanying loose mount frame, probably taken between 1910 and 1918

32. Eleanor “Sammy” Ilbery/Sawers (Mrs Cuthbert Thomson) in her wedding gown, 1918

33. Portrait of a young woman seated, probably taken between 1918 and 1920

34. “Rotorua, Mr & Mrs Shannon ; Sammy [Eleanor Thompson]; Self [Cuthbert Thompson] ; 2 Others ; Guide Susan, 4 March ‘20”

35. “R.I.P. Funeral of Holmanism/ Med IV” [Medicine, Year IV], seven people in a horse and cart, two dressed in nursing/patient clothing, holding various signs, at the University of Sydney, likely Joe Ilbery and classmates, probably taken in the 1920s

36. Posed wedding party on lawn, probably taken in the 1920s

37. “Dam & weeping willows near the station house”

38. “Picnic, Joe at one end & Mr Higgins at the other” possibly showing Dr Joseph Ilbery, probably taken in the 1920s

39-40. “The china” images of the china cabinet, probably at Lindsay or May Vale

41a-b. On deck of the ship Mooltan, travelling to London; one shows Mr and Mrs Hartley and Eric Ferguson, taken in 1925

42a. "Sam & Di" posed in front of a house, probably taken in the 1920s

42b. "To Laurieur[?] from Fabi", showing Fabienne Destombes posed getting out of a car, stamped "Printed by Harrisons" on verso, probably taken in the 1930s

43. Portrait of Fabienne Destombes (nee de Croizet), annotated in French on verso “A vous, pour vous, ce souvenir de votre amie lointaine, Fabienne, Australie, Sydney, Septembre 1937” (“To you, for you, this souvenir/memory of your distant friend, Fabienne, Australia, Sydney, September 1937”) with additional annotation in French on card from backing, “Pour vous ma chere Laurieur[?] avec les expressions de mon tres affecteur souvenir, Fabienne Destombes” (“For you my dear [name] with the expressions of my very affectionate memory, Fabienne Destombes”)

44. Portrait of “Fabienne de Croizet, travel writer (Madame Destombes of Edgecliffe) at the Astor”, probably 1930s, signed by the photographer “Rene Tardy” in lower left on recto

45-46. Portraits of Cuthbert Thomson, probably 1930s, both signed by the photographer “Monte Luke” in lower right on recto, housed in folder annotated “Thompson C” on verso

47. Mounted photograph of middle-aged woman seated in a dining room at a large set and decorated table, probably 1930s

48-53. Candid photographs taken on the street in Sydney, “Mab & Sam”; “Sam & Mab”; “Mab & Sam”; “Mumsie[,] Doreen & Sam”; “Sam & Tommy”, referring to Mabel and Sammy Ilbery/Sawers, Doreen Thomson and Thomas Ilbery/Sawers probably taken in 1930s. Four are stamped on verso “The Leicagraph Co ; Sydney”, one is stamped “G. McGrath P15 Her Majesty’s Arcade, Sydney” and one is stamped “Walking Pictures Bookstall, Imperial Arcade, Sydney”

53a. Postcard of a Batak house in "Brastagi" [sic, i.e. Berastagi] Indonesia, sent from Fabienne to Sammy and Tommy, 18 December 1934

54. “Boraindale[?]”, photograph of a large house

55. “Puss and I taken Cup Day on a trip to the Hills by Pioneer Tour”, photograph of Doreen Higgins probably taken April 1940

56. “To Sammy from Flam Fjord Norway, 2/6/62”, showing an older male family member posed at the Flåm railway station.

57. Sammy as an older woman seated beside an older man, possibly the same man posed at the Flåm railway station, probably 1960s

1 letter to Sammy from her friend, Geoffrey (probably Geoffrey Gifford from Orange, New South Wales), and a risqué postcard by Bamforth, both in a pictorial envelope from Surfers Paradise, Queensland, stamped 22 September 1965

1 invitation mounted on board “Commonwealth of Australia Inaugural Celebrations at Sydney commencing on the 1st January 1901, The Government of New South Wales requests the honour of Mr. W. B. S. C. and The Sawers’ presence at the Ceremonies to take place in connection with the inauguration of the Commonwealth of Australia”

Photographs arranged in approximate chronological order.

English, French

Copyright restrictions may apply:
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy copyright holder

Date range based on vendor information and clothing depicted in photographs