Archbishop speaks out against ‘domestic decadence’ and ‘useless dolls’.

Shire-wide news extracts from the Moruya Examiner of this time in 1915, provided by the Moruya & District Historical Society:

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS – LONDON – A Zeppelin that dropped bombs in England travelled at a height of 2000 feet. A few houses were destroyed. No lives were lost but some were injured. Four fires were caused in dwelling houses at Wallsend. One bomb fell into a room where a woman was bathing a baby. The woman was injured. No damage was done at Blyth. Many people took refuge in cellars. There was no panic. The raid lasted 40 minutes. The night was very dark.   17/4/1915

LAGER LAPPERS – The San Francisco liner Ventura has landed a thousand barrels of beer and four thousand cases ditto for the Sydney swankers. Ye ken, Australian beer is not good enough for the people who make their money here to guzzle, though it might be ten times better in quality than the imported stuff. These gluttons, perhaps, could afford to pay a much-increased tariff on their favorite beverage, and should be required to do so. Some of these lager lappers reckon it denotes kultur to mop up that insipid beverage, and very few of the general public would growl if a high tariff was placed on it. – “Exchange”   17/4/1915

SUNDAY SCHOOL PICNIC – For their annual celebration this year the pupils attending St. John’s Sunday School were treated to a river picnic at Malabar, being taken to the trysting ground in Mr. Weatherby’s launch. The children were regaled with abundance of good things dear to the youngsters’ hearts. During the afternoon prizes, donated by the parents and friends, were competed for. Much praise is due to Misses Ilma and Doris Walter, Bond, Rev. Rix and Mr. Debenham, assisted by a number of the parents for the excellent management and delightful time they gave their pupils.   17/4/1915

HUGE SCHEME – The “Daily Express” says the Government has decided to purchase all breweries and licensed houses in the United Kingdom, and to establish a State monopoly of beer. Only light varieties of beer will be brewed and sold. A committee is working out the details of the scheme. The purchase price is estimated at over £200,000,000, payable in 4 per cent. licence bonds.   17/4/1915

ARCHBISHOP KELLY says: “If the domestic decadence so marked in some modern circles is increased in the next generation to the same extent as it has been in the last, one wonders what sort of useless dolls will have the effrontery to call themselves women and seek for masculine admiration.   17/4/1915

MECHANICS’ MEETING – The monthly committee meeting was held on the 8^th inst., Messrs. R. Dawson (chair), E.J. Egan, R. Knight, T. Flood, R.N. Carden, A.F. Emmott and R. Somerset being present. Among the correspondence received was a letter from the Fisk Jubilee Singers asking for vacant date for use of hall …A letter from the Literary Institutes’ Association asking the committee to write to the Member for the district to give his most cordial support towards securing an amendment in the Local Government Amending Bill exempting all Schools of Art and Literary Institutes from the payment of rates. The secretary was instructed to write the Association saying that this committee would co-operate; also write to Captain Millard asking him to do his utmost to bring about the desired effect….  17/4/1915

Seventeen 100 years ago booklets containing articles for the years 1899 to 1914 are available ($5 ea) from the Society’s rooms.

Copies of local newspapers from the 1860s to date can be viewed at the Society’s Family History Research Centre (Ph 4474 3224) situated at the rear of the Pioneer Museum in Campbell St. Moruya (mdhs.org.au).

Our latest publication  entitled Kiora Kith and Kin, by Shirley Jurmann is also now available from the Societyfor $20.