Shangas
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 6,108
- Location
- Melbourne, Australia
Earlier this week, I returned from the Fryerstown Antiques Fair, which happens every year on the Australia Day Long Weekend (Australia Day is 26th January).
While there, I purchased a writing slope. Bland and unimpressive, it required restoration and such, and had missing parts. I bought it for a low sum, and decided to make it my next restoration-project.
I took it home and cleaned it. While doing so, I found some writing on the slope, masked by 130+ years of grime!
I found an address, and a date. But first, here's the slope:
As you can see, nothing too fancy...
https://scontent-b-hkg.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10414428_1554371114821369_1761155626823085105_n.jpg?oh=058e3e1763788879718abcde5c1360aa&oe=556CF9D3
https://scontent-a-hkg.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/10472088_1554371188154695_2727908912533423634_n.jpg?oh=6c2d67a801669a25cee01e254cd2b8db&oe=555323E0
You can see "R. Hill. NSW" (New South Wales) on one of the white panels. Written in ink. I suspect that might be the manufacturer or the retailer who sold the box.
However, on the other white panel (and if you turn it upside-down), there is more writing.
It read:
"Tyalla,
Toorak,
July 14th
1882"
Toorak is one of the most expensive residential suburbs here in Melbourne, Australia.
Whoever owned this box had to be RICH.
I researched Tyalla, and found out that it was a large private estate built on Heyington Place, in Toorak in the 1850s or 60s. I found this painting of the house, dated to 1882:
I researched the history of Tyalla and found that it belonged to a Mr. William Gibson, who lived there until the 1910s (he died in London on the 5th of November, 1918).
Gibson was one half of Foy & Gibson's, a chain of Australian department stores. I originally thought the box belonged to him. However, further research suggested that this was unlikely, as certain dates simply just didn't match up.
I decided to examine the box more closely, and that's when I found a *name* inside the box:
"Balfour"
I researched "Balfour Tyalla", and came up with James Balfour (1830-1913), a colonial Australian politician, who lived at Tyalla from 1865-1893.
I'm trying to find out more information (writing samples, etc), but I think this box may belong to Mr. Balfour. If it does, then it may be a valuable piece of Australian history. I'm going to the state library on Friday to see what I can find out.
The lines:
"Tyalla,
Toorak,
July 14th,
1882"
They might be his own way of inscribing his ownership on it (date he purchased the box, perhaps, and the residence where he used it). Or it may be the start of a letter he was writing. I dunno. But we'll see...
While there, I purchased a writing slope. Bland and unimpressive, it required restoration and such, and had missing parts. I bought it for a low sum, and decided to make it my next restoration-project.
I took it home and cleaned it. While doing so, I found some writing on the slope, masked by 130+ years of grime!
I found an address, and a date. But first, here's the slope:
As you can see, nothing too fancy...
https://scontent-b-hkg.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10414428_1554371114821369_1761155626823085105_n.jpg?oh=058e3e1763788879718abcde5c1360aa&oe=556CF9D3
https://scontent-a-hkg.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/10472088_1554371188154695_2727908912533423634_n.jpg?oh=6c2d67a801669a25cee01e254cd2b8db&oe=555323E0
You can see "R. Hill. NSW" (New South Wales) on one of the white panels. Written in ink. I suspect that might be the manufacturer or the retailer who sold the box.
However, on the other white panel (and if you turn it upside-down), there is more writing.
It read:
"Tyalla,
Toorak,
July 14th
1882"
Toorak is one of the most expensive residential suburbs here in Melbourne, Australia.
Whoever owned this box had to be RICH.
I researched Tyalla, and found out that it was a large private estate built on Heyington Place, in Toorak in the 1850s or 60s. I found this painting of the house, dated to 1882:
I researched the history of Tyalla and found that it belonged to a Mr. William Gibson, who lived there until the 1910s (he died in London on the 5th of November, 1918).
Gibson was one half of Foy & Gibson's, a chain of Australian department stores. I originally thought the box belonged to him. However, further research suggested that this was unlikely, as certain dates simply just didn't match up.
I decided to examine the box more closely, and that's when I found a *name* inside the box:
"Balfour"
I researched "Balfour Tyalla", and came up with James Balfour (1830-1913), a colonial Australian politician, who lived at Tyalla from 1865-1893.
I'm trying to find out more information (writing samples, etc), but I think this box may belong to Mr. Balfour. If it does, then it may be a valuable piece of Australian history. I'm going to the state library on Friday to see what I can find out.
The lines:
"Tyalla,
Toorak,
July 14th,
1882"
They might be his own way of inscribing his ownership on it (date he purchased the box, perhaps, and the residence where he used it). Or it may be the start of a letter he was writing. I dunno. But we'll see...
Last edited:
