Both of these pieces were manufactured at the firm of Abraham Roberts and Sons, whose foundry once occupied a site at the corner of Mitchell and Wills streets. The poppet head has not always been at the Central Deborah site, having been at the Catherine Reef United Mine and at the New Red White and Blue Consolidated Mine.

I have recently been contacted by Mrs Diane Penberthy (nee Roberts) from Nedlands, Western Australia, and spoken to her daughter, Jane Penberthy, who kindly forwarded a family history on her great-great-grand-daughter, Abraham Roberts.

Mrs Penberthy broke her foot some two years ago, so to fill in her time, she started a history of Abraham Roberts. She is the last of the Roberts family in Western Australia and is keen for any family member from Bendigo or Victoria to complete the story.

Readers will be familiar with the role played by the Cornish miners to Bendigo history and the Roberts family is no exception to this. Mrs Penberthy has been to Cornwall and was pleased to see many of the sights mentioned in the family history.

According to the family records, the Roberts family came from Paul, Cornwall, arriving in Australia in 1853. Elizabeth Roberts, the wife of Abraham, came from a long line of famous Cornish families such as Pentreath and Godolphin. Very early on Abraham Roberts obtained a lease to manage the Admiral Hotel in Long Gully, which advertised free concerts and quadrille dancing, with free admission.

In 1861 he started a foundry in Wills Street, calling it at first the United Iron Works and later A. Roberts and Sons. He was very keen on advertising, with one advertisement reading, “Wanted every Man to stand by his Gun and order Wrought Iron Cannons off Roberts and Sons”. He must have been keen on dogs as he even made special drinking fountains for dogs in Mitchell Street, moulding into the base of cast iron fencing.

Abraham, his wife Elizabeth plus their large family lived in a house in Short Street called “Lynview”, where Abraham died in 1897.

During the time of the foundry, contracts were made in Broken Hill, Kalgoorlie, South Africa, New Zealand and the USA. Roberts visited Cornwall, as did his sons to visit his family and he brought back Cornish miners for his works, which employed over 200 men. He organised bicycle rides, picnics and parties. The image with this article shows the foundry and carriages heading to Cherry Tree for the annual picnic in April 1897.

Shamrock Hotel tours

Shamrock tours are conducted every Sunday at 2pm. Cost of $10 includes cake and coffee. Book at the Shamrock on 5443 0333.

Songs of the Anzacs CD

The double CD Cooee, Songs of the Anzacs featuring Peter Ellis and the Emu Creek Bush Band is available at the cost of $25 from the Visitor Information Centre, Pall Mall, RSL Havilah Road and Specimen Cottage, Hargreaves Street.