eHive Object Details

Name/TitleThomson family : Old Melbourne Cemetery, c. 1920

About this objectPhotograph of the memorial placed over the remains of Peter Thomson, a farmer, his wife, Harriet Clark, their two children, and William Thomson. The tall monument with its enclosing rail is at the centre of the image, with tall trees to the left, right and behind. More modest memorials can be seen in the background.

In his "Memorial History of Melbourne" (p.390, ref.270), Selby describes this as "One of the finest monuments in the Cemetery... A broken granite column on a pedestal which stands on a platform. A passage of scripture encircles the column... A spiral wreath around the column. There are inscriptions on each of the four sides of the pedestal."

From Selby we learn that the inscription, seen on the left face of the pedestal in the photograph, names Harriet Clark, wife of Peter Thomson, farmer, mother of Peter and Anna, who died 10th April, 1911, in her 89th year, who was a colonist of 69 years. The inscription on the right face is for her husband, Peter Thomson, farmer, who died 19th May, 1845, aged 37 years. He was formerly of Horn, Carse of Gowrie, Scotland. The other inscriptions, not seen in this image are for sister and brother, Anna Thomson, an infant who died in November 1842, and Peter Thomson, who died in May 1866, aged 26 years. And William Thomson who died in January 1855, aged 42 years. Selby doesn't say but William could be a brother of Peter.

Harriet Clark married Peter Thomson on 23rd April, 1842, at Errol, Perthshire, Scotland. She died at her home at 129 Gipps Street, East Melbourne. (Source: Find A Grave; Trove)

This image is attributed to Everard Studley Miller who photographed many graves and tombstones in the Old Melbourne Cemetery (established in 1837) around 1920 as part of a project led by Isaac Selby to record and commemorate all aspects of Melbourne's second cemetery (the first being at Flagstaff Hill). The RHSV holds original glass negatives and albums of the photographs from this project.

One of the many glass slides purchased from retailers or specifically made for illustrated lectures given by Isaac Selby between c. 1930 and c. 1955 to raise money for the Old Pioneers Memorial Fund.

For more information about this image contact Royal Historical Society of Victoria.

MakerMiller, Everard Studley, 1886-1956.

Maker RolePhotographer

Measurements8.2 x 8.2 cm

Period1910-1920

Object TypePhotograph

Subject and Association KeywordsSelby, Isaac, 1859-1956

Subject and Association KeywordsMiller, Everard Studley, 1886-1956.

Subject and Association KeywordsOld Melbourne Cemetery (Melbourne)

Subject and Association KeywordsMonuments and memorials

Subject and Association KeywordsScottish community

Subject and Association KeywordsWomen

Subject and Association KeywordsChildren

Named CollectionImages collection

Object numberGS-TM-16

Copyright LicenceAll rights reserved