April 1, 2023 • 21 mins
In this episode we take a deep dive into the hidden gem that is the Berrima District Museum, nestled in the picturesque Southern Highlands region of New South Wales.
We are joined by a passionate volunteer named Bud, who takes us on a journey through the museum's unique exhibits. The first stop is the Prisoners of Arcady exhibit, which tells the story of about 200 German merchant seamen who were interned in the Berrima district during World War 1. Bud shares fascinating insights into the lives of these men, including the hardships they faced and the ways they made the best of their situation.
Next, Bud takes us to the digital gardening display, which he helped create in collaboration with BDHS member Harlan Hall. The exhibit showcases the history of some notable gardens in the Southern Highlands region and how they have been influenced by the region’s unique climate and geography and evolved over time.
Whether you're a history buff, a gardening enthusiast, or simply curious about the hidden treasures of Australia, this episode is not to be missed!
Subscribe to the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/roadshow-and-tell/id1666756225
Follow us on Instagram to see photos of stuff mentioned in this episode: @roadshowandtellpodcast
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Bud (00:00):
There's a huge value in these museums, you don't measure
them in dollars.
an intrinsic value.
Kate (00:22):
Welcome to Roadshow and tell a podcast for people hoping
to improve their pub trivia teamscore.
I'm your host, Kate, and I'llvisit museums so you can learn
things you never knew you wantedto.
Today we're visiting the BerrimaDistrict Museum in the Southern
Highlands.
The Southern Highlands is abeautiful region, about one and
(00:45):
a half hours southwest ofSydney.
It's comprised of a handful ofhistoric towns and villages like
Mittagong, Bowral, Moss Vale,and Bundanoon.
The region is a popular weekenddestination and is especially
known for its beautifullandscapes and gardens, and is a
delight for leaf peepers yearround.
Berrima is a historic villagewithin the southern highlands,
(01:07):
with a population of 813according to recent census data.
Despite its small population,Berrima has a really interesting
history and I'm so thrilled thatit's well researched and
presented at the DistrictMuseum.
The Berrima District Museum isrun by volunteers from the
Berrima District HistorySociety.
(01:29):
It's actually one of my firstregional museums I fell in love
with, and I was so excited to goback and talk to them.
In this episode, we are touringthe museum with Bud Townsing,
who is actually the curator of agardening exhibit in the museum
called,
Bud (01:46):
it's Gardens and Landscapes of the Southern Highlands then
and now.
Kate (01:49):
but we'll mostly be exploring the Prisoners of
Arcady exhibit.
In this episode, you'll find outwhy a couple of hundred
unwelcome German men becamepopular residents of Berrima in
the early 20th century, thestory of Friedrich Machuka, a
guy that just couldn't catch abreak, and also get a sniff of
the horticultural history of theHighlands.
(02:14):
whose land are we on?
Bud (02:16):
We are Gundungarra land,, but we're also on the border of
the Tharawal and Dharug people.
Kate (02:23):
So, why is Berrima known as Historic Berrima?
Berrima as a township wasestablished in the early 1830s,
and the courthouse and jailbecame the principal
institutions as Berrima becamethe administrative center of the
region.
Locals hope that the launch of arailway line in the 1860s would
further catapult Berrima'sprominence in the region and
(02:43):
also in the colony.
But, the regional train linethat opened in 1867 bypassed
Berri ma by going through thenearby towns of Colo Vale,
Mittagong, Bowral and Mossvale.
This reduced the passing tradeand its income, and the small
village slipped into declineuntil....
(03:05):
In 1914, Australia declared warwith Germany.
The government decided allGermans in Australia were
considered enemy aliens andrequired to spend the duration
of the war in internment camps.
So these were German civilianseither living in or traveling
through Australia, who had donenothing wrong, but were interned
solely on their nationality.
(03:27):
A number of internment campswere set up across the country,
including a large camp atHolsworthy near Liverpool.
because of the infrastructure ofthe old jail, Berrima was chosen
as a location for a satelliteinternment camp of this larger
Holsworthy camp.
Internees started arriving fromMarch, 1915, and by the end of
(03:48):
the war there were 200 interneesliving there.
They were free to leave duringthe day and had to only report
to and sleep in the jailovernight.
The Berrima internees werepredominantly German merchants
seamen, with few civilians andprisoners of war.
So this meant that they wereskilled, disciplined, and
largely came with a rankingsystem, which contributed to the
(04:09):
smooth running of the interneesociety.
The arrival of the interneesdoubled berrima's population
overnight.
It was probably a bit of aCulture shock when newcomers
with foreign accents andcultures started appearing on
the main street.
However, the locals soon becameused to the strangers and
accepted them into thecommunity.
(04:31):
Because of their seafaringoccupation, most internees spoke
adequate English and the localssoon warmed to their presence.
Bud (04:39):
So they were, they were allowed out during the day and
established this village on theriver here.
And built a range of huts andgenerally entertained
themselves.
They were important members ofthe local community.
Kate (04:55):
At first, there wasn't adequate bedding supplied in the
jail cells.
The internees then got creativeby installing small stoves with
chimneys fashioned from emptyjam or kerosene tins, and
covering the cold stone floorswith layers of potato sacks.
After a year and a half, whenthe internees realized that the
war wasn't ending anytime soon,they started to build bush huts
(05:18):
along the river.
They used what was at hand likekerosene tins, eucalypt logs, or
bark walls.
They gave them idealistic namessuch as Villa Marcella,
Aslterberg, and Schloss am Meer.
There's a photo of about 15internees picking up a hut
called Castle by the Sea via itslog foundations, and walking it
(05:41):
to relocate it.
The move of the castle aimed toappease a few disgruntled locals
after some rather rowdycelebrations marking the German
Kaiser's birthday in 1918.
While the internees were notforced to work, they could hire
themselves out for employment inthe district.
Bud (05:59):
Many of them were on half pay cuz they were, they were
merchant seamen presumably theGerman steamship companies had
the ability to keep on payingthem.
So they're on about half pay.
Which would've, that would'vebeen nice.
Kate (06:11):
The Commonwealth of Australia also paid each
internee an allowance of fourshillings per week.
In the difficult war years, theybecame comparatively well off,
and in turn, boosted the economyof Berrima.
The most extraordinary thingabout the intern is how they
lived a relatively normal lifewith ease while being interned.
(06:31):
They could live their livesfreely during the day and report
to the jail overnight.
They organized leisureactivities such as gymnastics,
wrestling, football, swimmingmeets, and athletics teams to
keep themselves active.
There was a camp choir, a band,an orchestra and theater.
The internees created a pleasuregarden and a flotilla of canoes
(06:53):
on the Wingecarribee River.
Word of this spread to townsfurther away than the southern
highlands, and introducedvisitors to the town to
sightsee, Thus rekindlingBerrima's dwindling tourism
industry.
Most visitors were there tosightsee, but some did just want
to fight.
For a while there was even aGerman school started by some of
(07:14):
the families called die DeutscheTochterschule Berrima.
the German daughter's school.
The museum even shows a photo of internees rescuing a
valuable horse called Prince,who had fallen into a large
underground cistern.
They used a system of ropes andplanks to lift the horse out.
(07:35):
Die deutsches Theatre was atheater group formed by around
40 internees.
They produced a new main itemeach fortnight, writing
revue-sketch-type material thatdrew on latest happenings within
the camp.
Most plays they produced were ofthe popular German and Austrian
playwrights of the day, and thetheater company custom made all
(07:55):
of the costumes, sets and propsfor each production.
It was reported that"there wasmany a frantic battle with
stubborn corset laces to force amuscular Germanic figure to
assume ladylike curves.
The plays were publicized in thecommunity through expertly
produced playbills and posterswith the help of Otto
(08:17):
Monkedieck, an intern who wasalso a trained lithographer.
These are on display in theexhibit, as well as a nine
minute film that includes rarefootage of the internees
activities along theWingecarribee River.
In the most extreme case ofbeing in the wrong place at the
wrong time, let me tell you thestory of
Bud (08:37):
a guy called Frederick Machotka
Kate (08:40):
Friedrich Machotka was not a Mariner.
He wasn't even German, but endedup in internment camps for the
duration of the war.
Machotka was a Czech farmer whoemigrated to Australia with his
American born wife and their twochildren in 1913.
Bud (08:56):
So they came here for whatever he wandered into some
place in Sydney and was deemedto be German.
He was wearing the wrong hat atthe wrong time.
And he probably had an accent aswell.
Yeah.
And being Czech, people weren't,didn't discriminate too closely.
If you're a German, you'refairly unpopular.
Machotka was wearing this andtook him from a member of an
enemy merchant Navy and directedhim to return in three days
(09:19):
time:"you chaps are to be sentto a camp up country".
So he had to, fall in, and hewas interned.
Kate (09:25):
Machotka's wife and children were granted permission
to live at Berrima to be closeto Friedrich.
They rented a house on OxleyStreet, which had a large
grassed backyard full of weeds,rocks, and rubbish.
With his agricultural knowledgeand the help of his children,
Machotka transformed thewasteland into a showplace of
flower and vegetable gardens.
(09:46):
Crops such as asparagus appearedfor the first time in Berrima,
as well as corn, peas,and beans.
This inspired a gardening frenzywithin the Internee community
-similar to the fiddle leaf figfrenzy of 2018.
With his advice, the internees'Gardens were developed to supply
the camps kitchens continuouslywith a wide variety of fruit and
(10:08):
vegetables.
And the villagers gladly boughtany surplus.
One of the problems during thiscraze was the lack of fresh
manure for the gardens, whichprompted the internees to race
to find manure each day.
The diaries of internee CaptainBahl reports the bush and
paddocks were searchedthoroughly for the products of
(10:28):
the cows hinder end, never werethe streets of the village
cleaner than during the time ofthe intern ees." Also, never
again will I use the word bumnow that I've heard the term
hinder end.
After the war, Machotka and hiswife and children were finally
reunited to live together underone roof.
When the other internees weredeported back to Europe,
(10:50):
Machotka applied for specialpermission to remain in
Australia, and it was granted.
He started working at a localfarm called Hopewood, owned by a
wealthy local called LebbeusHordon.
Bud (11:02):
When he was working at Hopewood, there was a strong
anti-German sentiment post WorldWar I, and Machotka he was never
the right guy in the right placeat the right time, he was deemed
to be German.
And so people really got up intheir arms about him being
employed by Lebbeus at Hopewood.
So Lebbeus helped him to financea farm there.
But unfortunately, Machotkapassed away, got a chill after
(11:25):
going out in a severe winterstorm, and he died and the
family returned there.
Kate (11:30):
He is buried in Berrima cemetery.
when the Armistice was signedthere was no need for the
internment camp anymore.
On the 12th of August, 1919, theBerrima Guard marched the men to
the Moss Vale Railway station.
On the way, punters at theSurveyor General Hotel gave the
(11:50):
men three big cheers.
The men boarded the SS Ypirangafrom Pyrmont wharf.
It would take 950 internees fromBerrima and Holsworthy back to
Germany.
Over the next months, thegovernment deported most of the
remaining internees ofHolsworthy to Germany.
There were very few interneesgranted permission to stay in
(12:11):
Australia after the war, andthey were mostly naturalized or
native born Australians.
So that's the Prisoners ofArcady exhibition.
Now we move into another displayof the Museum of historic items
from older times.
Immediately what catches my eyeis the old fashioned pantry.
(12:33):
The pantry is a big metalcylindrical drum with four
levels of drawers in it.
The drawers pull out in atriangle shape from the drum,
and are quite deep.
Each drawer has a label likecocoa oatmeal, cake, flour, tea,
and coffee.
And the whole cabinet isrotatable as well.
this this, um, what's hunkydory?
(12:55):
The hurdy.
gurdy.
hurdy
Bud (12:57):
well, it's pretty simple.
This was in your kitchen.
This is the exact setup in herkitchen.
So this is a traditionalkitchen.
This is where you kept yourstuff.
So your cocoa went in there andyou just and you just spin it
around and uh, there you go.
There you go.
Kate (13:13):
We also see what looks like a small wooden chest of
drawers with two sections eachfastened closed with silver
latches.
This is, in fact an early nonmechanical refrigeration device.
On opening the doors, thecompartments look similar to a
mini fridge with wire shelvesand insulating materials on the
side.
(13:33):
There is one compartment wherethe ice went in at the top and
the ice would melt around themain compartment and then drain
out of the bottom into acatching pan.
So this used to be an earlyrefrigerator.
Bud (13:45):
Well, I would call it an ice box.
An ice box.
Right.
So ice chest, your ice went inthe in the top.
And I can still remember wewould've had, yeah, the iceman
used to come wa when I wasbrought up.
Yeah.
We still would've had the icemanin the late, late forties, early
fifties.
So the block of ice went inthere and that's what kept
everything cool and it melteddown there and you emptied.
(14:08):
So it would come out the watertray down the bottom.
So that was what, how you keptkept things cool.
Yeah.
Every town had its own ice worksback, back then.
Kate (14:16):
What about the history of the museum?
Bud (14:18):
Yeah, the museum came here in the 1970s and was a relocated
house from Mossvale and therewas a group of volunteers.
The land here was owned by thecouncil, but the development of
the museum is part of theBerrima History group.
And everything here is beingdone by volunteers including all
of the buildings here.
Council has, been a good landthat owns the land.
(14:42):
But you know, the development ofthe museum has been totally done
by local volunteers for 45, 50years.
Kate (14:48):
Where do most of the things come from?
Is it donations?
Or do you buy them from todeceased estates or just a mix?
Bud (14:55):
A lot just come through the door here, basically.
There's a couple of suitcasesunder a desk there, which is
somebody's contributed, I mean,the difficulty with museum like
this is that you keep on gettingwhat we'll call more stuff, and
it's how you handle that stuff.
And if people give something toyou, they then want to see it on
exhibition.
Kate (15:13):
And why do you volunteer here?
Bud (15:16):
Oh, it's a good question, isn't it?
There is a simple reason.
My wife passed away two and ahalf years ago, so I was looking
something to do on Sundays,which was my tough day.
So I said, I'll volunteer at themuseum here.
Which I did.
And then I joined the AustralianGarden History Society and and I
said, I don't wanna betreasurer, I don't wanna do
(15:37):
this.
I don't wanna be that, but I'mhappy to do a thing like doing
an exhibition.
So that, led to me beinginvolved in pulling the
exhibition.
Kate (15:46):
Let's visit this exhibit that Bud has put together.
Remember, it's called,
Bud (15:50):
It's Gardens and Landscapes of the Southern Highlands then
and now.
Kate (15:54):
It's 10 screens with a rotating slideshow, each
featuring a different pictorialjourney of the last 200 years of
horticulture in this region.
One display I loved was on theAtkinson ladies: Charlotte
Waring Atkinson, her daughterLouisa Atkinson, and her
daughter Jeanette Kosh.
You might recognize the nameCharlotte Waring Atkinson.
(16:16):
She was the first publishedchildren's novelist in Australia
in 1841.
All three were talented writers,naturalists, and artists, and
some of their books andillustrations are on display in
this exhibit.
There's also a display about aproperty at Bowral known as
Bengal a.
Frank and Ethel Davenport hadrecently lost their son, Frank,
(16:38):
in the first World War when theystarted these gardens in 1920.
They initially called itShangrila, and it later became
known as Ben gala.
Throughout the next 100 years,the gardens thrived and then
eventually fell into neglect.
New owners bought the propertyin 2007 and set about restoring
the house and gardens in a waythat honors its original
(17:00):
character.
The then are now photos ofBengala are quite impressive and
really reflect the distinctivecharacter of the gardens of this
region.
Yeah.
What was the effect of covid onthe museum?
Bud (17:11):
Oh.
We just closed, which was prettysimple, but it, it meant I was
able to do that exhibition in aconstrained way.
I simply used material that Ihad at hand, or we had within
the archives at hand, and awhole lot of people like Linda
Emery from friends in Bundanoon.
All contributed segments, highlife and just were able to put
that together under lockdownconditions.
(17:33):
It was actually, it was actuallya, that was a benefit because
meant I couldn't go elsewhere.
Kate (17:39):
What are the other challenges facing the museum?
The running of the museum?
Bud (17:44):
Biggest challenge is, Is to get people through the door.
This exhibition has been quitesuccessful because it's
projected at a market if youlike, which are, which are
gardening people.
And also it's benefited fromhaving a wet winter cuz we had
gardening groups come through,the garden's been washed out.
We say, well come here We're anall weather venue.
So on this example of how youcan use technology like in the
(18:08):
screens, and do an exhibition atlow cost.
Kate (18:11):
And why should people visit the Berrima Historical
Museum?
Bud (18:15):
Cause it's one of the best, it's, it's a good local museum.
It's extremely well andprofessionally organized by Lynn
Hall.
And yeah, so it, it's, it's gotthis, this gallery, which does a
good job.
You've got well calledtraditional museum artifacts,
which are here and extremelywell organized and laid out.
(18:36):
And then you've got the gallery,which gives us the opportunity
to, to do bigger displays.
And I think our displays arequite professional and We
compare favorably with othermuseum.
Every museum, every regionalmuseum is different.
They've all got their owncharacter, which reflects the
people who develop them.
(18:57):
They're in a real asset to thetown.
There's a huge value in thesemuseums, which you can't, you
don't measure them in dollars.
It, it's, it's an intrinsicvalue.
Kate (19:11):
The Berrima District museum is open from 10:00 AM to
4:00 PM Friday to Sunday, exceptfor public holidays.
The cost of admission is$10 foradults,$8 for seniors and
concessions, and children canenter for free, but must be
accompanied by an adult.
The museum is on one level andaccessible to wheelchairs and
walking frames.
(19:31):
There are also visitor chairsplaced throughout the museum for
comfort.
So there you have it.
There is way more than meets theeye in the town of Historic
Berrima.
Again, this is one of myfavorite small town museums, and
it's only a day trip away fromSydney, so I would highly
recommend getting down there ifyou can.
Plus, there's an excellentbakery to population ratio in
(19:53):
Berrima and many delicious cafesand fancy restaurants too.
You can check out any of theitems described in this podcast
on our Instagram at Roadshow andTell.
Thanks for listening to Roadshowand Tell.
If you enjoyed this deep diveinto a specialty museum, make
sure you subscribe so you don'tmiss an episode.
(20:16):
We're a new podcast.
So if you wanna help support us,please share it with a friend
and leave a rating and review.
If you are involved with or knowof a regional or specialty
museum that should be featured,please get in touch at
roadshowandtell@gmail.com.
I'm your host, Kate.
(20:36):
Roadshow and Tell was edited andproduced on the lands of the
Gadigal people.
I acknowledge the TraditionalCustodians of the various lands
on which you may be listeningfrom, and the lands that the
museums featured in this podcastreside on.
I also acknowledge anyAboriginal or Torres Strait
Islander people listening tothis podcast.
I pay my respects to elderspast, present, and emerging, and
(21:00):
celebrate the diversity ofAboriginal peoples and their
ongoing cultures and connectionsto the lands and waters of
Australia.
There's a huge value in these museums, you don't measure
them in dollars.
an intrinsic value.
Kate (00:22):
Welcome to Roadshow and tell a podcast for people hoping
to improve their pub trivia teamscore.
I'm your host, Kate, and I'llvisit museums so you can learn
things you never knew you wantedto.
Today we're visiting the BerrimaDistrict Museum in the Southern
Highlands.
The Southern Highlands is abeautiful region, about one and
(00:45):
a half hours southwest ofSydney.
It's comprised of a handful ofhistoric towns and villages like
Mittagong, Bowral, Moss Vale,and Bundanoon.
The region is a popular weekenddestination and is especially
known for its beautifullandscapes and gardens, and is a
delight for leaf peepers yearround.
Berrima is a historic villagewithin the southern highlands,
(01:07):
with a population of 813according to recent census data.
Despite its small population,Berrima has a really interesting
history and I'm so thrilled thatit's well researched and
presented at the DistrictMuseum.
The Berrima District Museum isrun by volunteers from the
Berrima District HistorySociety.
(01:29):
It's actually one of my firstregional museums I fell in love
with, and I was so excited to goback and talk to them.
In this episode, we are touringthe museum with Bud Townsing,
who is actually the curator of agardening exhibit in the museum
called,
Bud (01:46):
it's Gardens and Landscapes of the Southern Highlands then
and now.
Kate (01:49):
but we'll mostly be exploring the Prisoners of
Arcady exhibit.
In this episode, you'll find outwhy a couple of hundred
unwelcome German men becamepopular residents of Berrima in
the early 20th century, thestory of Friedrich Machuka, a
guy that just couldn't catch abreak, and also get a sniff of
the horticultural history of theHighlands.
(02:14):
whose land are we on?
Bud (02:16):
We are Gundungarra land,, but we're also on the border of
the Tharawal and Dharug people.
Kate (02:23):
So, why is Berrima known as Historic Berrima?
Berrima as a township wasestablished in the early 1830s,
and the courthouse and jailbecame the principal
institutions as Berrima becamethe administrative center of the
region.
Locals hope that the launch of arailway line in the 1860s would
further catapult Berrima'sprominence in the region and
(02:43):
also in the colony.
But, the regional train linethat opened in 1867 bypassed
Berri ma by going through thenearby towns of Colo Vale,
Mittagong, Bowral and Mossvale.
This reduced the passing tradeand its income, and the small
village slipped into declineuntil....
(03:05):
In 1914, Australia declared warwith Germany.
The government decided allGermans in Australia were
considered enemy aliens andrequired to spend the duration
of the war in internment camps.
So these were German civilianseither living in or traveling
through Australia, who had donenothing wrong, but were interned
solely on their nationality.
(03:27):
A number of internment campswere set up across the country,
including a large camp atHolsworthy near Liverpool.
because of the infrastructure ofthe old jail, Berrima was chosen
as a location for a satelliteinternment camp of this larger
Holsworthy camp.
Internees started arriving fromMarch, 1915, and by the end of
(03:48):
the war there were 200 interneesliving there.
They were free to leave duringthe day and had to only report
to and sleep in the jailovernight.
The Berrima internees werepredominantly German merchants
seamen, with few civilians andprisoners of war.
So this meant that they wereskilled, disciplined, and
largely came with a rankingsystem, which contributed to the
(04:09):
smooth running of the interneesociety.
The arrival of the interneesdoubled berrima's population
overnight.
It was probably a bit of aCulture shock when newcomers
with foreign accents andcultures started appearing on
the main street.
However, the locals soon becameused to the strangers and
accepted them into thecommunity.
(04:31):
Because of their seafaringoccupation, most internees spoke
adequate English and the localssoon warmed to their presence.
Bud (04:39):
So they were, they were allowed out during the day and
established this village on theriver here.
And built a range of huts andgenerally entertained
themselves.
They were important members ofthe local community.
Kate (04:55):
At first, there wasn't adequate bedding supplied in the
jail cells.
The internees then got creativeby installing small stoves with
chimneys fashioned from emptyjam or kerosene tins, and
covering the cold stone floorswith layers of potato sacks.
After a year and a half, whenthe internees realized that the
war wasn't ending anytime soon,they started to build bush huts
(05:18):
along the river.
They used what was at hand likekerosene tins, eucalypt logs, or
bark walls.
They gave them idealistic namessuch as Villa Marcella,
Aslterberg, and Schloss am Meer.
There's a photo of about 15internees picking up a hut
called Castle by the Sea via itslog foundations, and walking it
(05:41):
to relocate it.
The move of the castle aimed toappease a few disgruntled locals
after some rather rowdycelebrations marking the German
Kaiser's birthday in 1918.
While the internees were notforced to work, they could hire
themselves out for employment inthe district.
Bud (05:59):
Many of them were on half pay cuz they were, they were
merchant seamen presumably theGerman steamship companies had
the ability to keep on payingthem.
So they're on about half pay.
Which would've, that would'vebeen nice.
Kate (06:11):
The Commonwealth of Australia also paid each
internee an allowance of fourshillings per week.
In the difficult war years, theybecame comparatively well off,
and in turn, boosted the economyof Berrima.
The most extraordinary thingabout the intern is how they
lived a relatively normal lifewith ease while being interned.
(06:31):
They could live their livesfreely during the day and report
to the jail overnight.
They organized leisureactivities such as gymnastics,
wrestling, football, swimmingmeets, and athletics teams to
keep themselves active.
There was a camp choir, a band,an orchestra and theater.
The internees created a pleasuregarden and a flotilla of canoes
(06:53):
on the Wingecarribee River.
Word of this spread to townsfurther away than the southern
highlands, and introducedvisitors to the town to
sightsee, Thus rekindlingBerrima's dwindling tourism
industry.
Most visitors were there tosightsee, but some did just want
to fight.
For a while there was even aGerman school started by some of
(07:14):
the families called die DeutscheTochterschule Berrima.
the German daughter's school.
The museum even shows a photo of internees rescuing a
valuable horse called Prince,who had fallen into a large
underground cistern.
They used a system of ropes andplanks to lift the horse out.
(07:35):
Die deutsches Theatre was atheater group formed by around
40 internees.
They produced a new main itemeach fortnight, writing
revue-sketch-type material thatdrew on latest happenings within
the camp.
Most plays they produced were ofthe popular German and Austrian
playwrights of the day, and thetheater company custom made all
(07:55):
of the costumes, sets and propsfor each production.
It was reported that"there wasmany a frantic battle with
stubborn corset laces to force amuscular Germanic figure to
assume ladylike curves.
The plays were publicized in thecommunity through expertly
produced playbills and posterswith the help of Otto
(08:17):
Monkedieck, an intern who wasalso a trained lithographer.
These are on display in theexhibit, as well as a nine
minute film that includes rarefootage of the internees
activities along theWingecarribee River.
In the most extreme case ofbeing in the wrong place at the
wrong time, let me tell you thestory of
Bud (08:37):
a guy called Frederick Machotka
Kate (08:40):
Friedrich Machotka was not a Mariner.
He wasn't even German, but endedup in internment camps for the
duration of the war.
Machotka was a Czech farmer whoemigrated to Australia with his
American born wife and their twochildren in 1913.
Bud (08:56):
So they came here for whatever he wandered into some
place in Sydney and was deemedto be German.
He was wearing the wrong hat atthe wrong time.
And he probably had an accent aswell.
Yeah.
And being Czech, people weren't,didn't discriminate too closely.
If you're a German, you'refairly unpopular.
Machotka was wearing this andtook him from a member of an
enemy merchant Navy and directedhim to return in three days
(09:19):
time:"you chaps are to be sentto a camp up country".
So he had to, fall in, and hewas interned.
Kate (09:25):
Machotka's wife and children were granted permission
to live at Berrima to be closeto Friedrich.
They rented a house on OxleyStreet, which had a large
grassed backyard full of weeds,rocks, and rubbish.
With his agricultural knowledgeand the help of his children,
Machotka transformed thewasteland into a showplace of
flower and vegetable gardens.
(09:46):
Crops such as asparagus appearedfor the first time in Berrima,
as well as corn, peas,and beans.
This inspired a gardening frenzywithin the Internee community
-similar to the fiddle leaf figfrenzy of 2018.
With his advice, the internees'Gardens were developed to supply
the camps kitchens continuouslywith a wide variety of fruit and
(10:08):
vegetables.
And the villagers gladly boughtany surplus.
One of the problems during thiscraze was the lack of fresh
manure for the gardens, whichprompted the internees to race
to find manure each day.
The diaries of internee CaptainBahl reports the bush and
paddocks were searchedthoroughly for the products of
(10:28):
the cows hinder end, never werethe streets of the village
cleaner than during the time ofthe intern ees." Also, never
again will I use the word bumnow that I've heard the term
hinder end.
After the war, Machotka and hiswife and children were finally
reunited to live together underone roof.
When the other internees weredeported back to Europe,
(10:50):
Machotka applied for specialpermission to remain in
Australia, and it was granted.
He started working at a localfarm called Hopewood, owned by a
wealthy local called LebbeusHordon.
Bud (11:02):
When he was working at Hopewood, there was a strong
anti-German sentiment post WorldWar I, and Machotka he was never
the right guy in the right placeat the right time, he was deemed
to be German.
And so people really got up intheir arms about him being
employed by Lebbeus at Hopewood.
So Lebbeus helped him to financea farm there.
But unfortunately, Machotkapassed away, got a chill after
(11:25):
going out in a severe winterstorm, and he died and the
family returned there.
Kate (11:30):
He is buried in Berrima cemetery.
when the Armistice was signedthere was no need for the
internment camp anymore.
On the 12th of August, 1919, theBerrima Guard marched the men to
the Moss Vale Railway station.
On the way, punters at theSurveyor General Hotel gave the
(11:50):
men three big cheers.
The men boarded the SS Ypirangafrom Pyrmont wharf.
It would take 950 internees fromBerrima and Holsworthy back to
Germany.
Over the next months, thegovernment deported most of the
remaining internees ofHolsworthy to Germany.
There were very few interneesgranted permission to stay in
(12:11):
Australia after the war, andthey were mostly naturalized or
native born Australians.
So that's the Prisoners ofArcady exhibition.
Now we move into another displayof the Museum of historic items
from older times.
Immediately what catches my eyeis the old fashioned pantry.
(12:33):
The pantry is a big metalcylindrical drum with four
levels of drawers in it.
The drawers pull out in atriangle shape from the drum,
and are quite deep.
Each drawer has a label likecocoa oatmeal, cake, flour, tea,
and coffee.
And the whole cabinet isrotatable as well.
this this, um, what's hunkydory?
(12:55):
The hurdy.
gurdy.
hurdy
Bud (12:57):
well, it's pretty simple.
This was in your kitchen.
This is the exact setup in herkitchen.
So this is a traditionalkitchen.
This is where you kept yourstuff.
So your cocoa went in there andyou just and you just spin it
around and uh, there you go.
There you go.
Kate (13:13):
We also see what looks like a small wooden chest of
drawers with two sections eachfastened closed with silver
latches.
This is, in fact an early nonmechanical refrigeration device.
On opening the doors, thecompartments look similar to a
mini fridge with wire shelvesand insulating materials on the
side.
(13:33):
There is one compartment wherethe ice went in at the top and
the ice would melt around themain compartment and then drain
out of the bottom into acatching pan.
So this used to be an earlyrefrigerator.
Bud (13:45):
Well, I would call it an ice box.
An ice box.
Right.
So ice chest, your ice went inthe in the top.
And I can still remember wewould've had, yeah, the iceman
used to come wa when I wasbrought up.
Yeah.
We still would've had the icemanin the late, late forties, early
fifties.
So the block of ice went inthere and that's what kept
everything cool and it melteddown there and you emptied.
(14:08):
So it would come out the watertray down the bottom.
So that was what, how you keptkept things cool.
Yeah.
Every town had its own ice worksback, back then.
Kate (14:16):
What about the history of the museum?
Bud (14:18):
Yeah, the museum came here in the 1970s and was a relocated
house from Mossvale and therewas a group of volunteers.
The land here was owned by thecouncil, but the development of
the museum is part of theBerrima History group.
And everything here is beingdone by volunteers including all
of the buildings here.
Council has, been a good landthat owns the land.
(14:42):
But you know, the development ofthe museum has been totally done
by local volunteers for 45, 50years.
Kate (14:48):
Where do most of the things come from?
Is it donations?
Or do you buy them from todeceased estates or just a mix?
Bud (14:55):
A lot just come through the door here, basically.
There's a couple of suitcasesunder a desk there, which is
somebody's contributed, I mean,the difficulty with museum like
this is that you keep on gettingwhat we'll call more stuff, and
it's how you handle that stuff.
And if people give something toyou, they then want to see it on
exhibition.
Kate (15:13):
And why do you volunteer here?
Bud (15:16):
Oh, it's a good question, isn't it?
There is a simple reason.
My wife passed away two and ahalf years ago, so I was looking
something to do on Sundays,which was my tough day.
So I said, I'll volunteer at themuseum here.
Which I did.
And then I joined the AustralianGarden History Society and and I
said, I don't wanna betreasurer, I don't wanna do
(15:37):
this.
I don't wanna be that, but I'mhappy to do a thing like doing
an exhibition.
So that, led to me beinginvolved in pulling the
exhibition.
Kate (15:46):
Let's visit this exhibit that Bud has put together.
Remember, it's called,
Bud (15:50):
It's Gardens and Landscapes of the Southern Highlands then
and now.
Kate (15:54):
It's 10 screens with a rotating slideshow, each
featuring a different pictorialjourney of the last 200 years of
horticulture in this region.
One display I loved was on theAtkinson ladies: Charlotte
Waring Atkinson, her daughterLouisa Atkinson, and her
daughter Jeanette Kosh.
You might recognize the nameCharlotte Waring Atkinson.
(16:16):
She was the first publishedchildren's novelist in Australia
in 1841.
All three were talented writers,naturalists, and artists, and
some of their books andillustrations are on display in
this exhibit.
There's also a display about aproperty at Bowral known as
Bengal a.
Frank and Ethel Davenport hadrecently lost their son, Frank,
(16:38):
in the first World War when theystarted these gardens in 1920.
They initially called itShangrila, and it later became
known as Ben gala.
Throughout the next 100 years,the gardens thrived and then
eventually fell into neglect.
New owners bought the propertyin 2007 and set about restoring
the house and gardens in a waythat honors its original
(17:00):
character.
The then are now photos ofBengala are quite impressive and
really reflect the distinctivecharacter of the gardens of this
region.
Yeah.
What was the effect of covid onthe museum?
Bud (17:11):
Oh.
We just closed, which was prettysimple, but it, it meant I was
able to do that exhibition in aconstrained way.
I simply used material that Ihad at hand, or we had within
the archives at hand, and awhole lot of people like Linda
Emery from friends in Bundanoon.
All contributed segments, highlife and just were able to put
that together under lockdownconditions.
(17:33):
It was actually, it was actuallya, that was a benefit because
meant I couldn't go elsewhere.
Kate (17:39):
What are the other challenges facing the museum?
The running of the museum?
Bud (17:44):
Biggest challenge is, Is to get people through the door.
This exhibition has been quitesuccessful because it's
projected at a market if youlike, which are, which are
gardening people.
And also it's benefited fromhaving a wet winter cuz we had
gardening groups come through,the garden's been washed out.
We say, well come here We're anall weather venue.
So on this example of how youcan use technology like in the
(18:08):
screens, and do an exhibition atlow cost.
Kate (18:11):
And why should people visit the Berrima Historical
Museum?
Bud (18:15):
Cause it's one of the best, it's, it's a good local museum.
It's extremely well andprofessionally organized by Lynn
Hall.
And yeah, so it, it's, it's gotthis, this gallery, which does a
good job.
You've got well calledtraditional museum artifacts,
which are here and extremelywell organized and laid out.
(18:36):
And then you've got the gallery,which gives us the opportunity
to, to do bigger displays.
And I think our displays arequite professional and We
compare favorably with othermuseum.
Every museum, every regionalmuseum is different.
They've all got their owncharacter, which reflects the
people who develop them.
(18:57):
They're in a real asset to thetown.
There's a huge value in thesemuseums, which you can't, you
don't measure them in dollars.
It, it's, it's an intrinsicvalue.
Kate (19:11):
The Berrima District museum is open from 10:00 AM to
4:00 PM Friday to Sunday, exceptfor public holidays.
The cost of admission is$10 foradults,$8 for seniors and
concessions, and children canenter for free, but must be
accompanied by an adult.
The museum is on one level andaccessible to wheelchairs and
walking frames.
(19:31):
There are also visitor chairsplaced throughout the museum for
comfort.
So there you have it.
There is way more than meets theeye in the town of Historic
Berrima.
Again, this is one of myfavorite small town museums, and
it's only a day trip away fromSydney, so I would highly
recommend getting down there ifyou can.
Plus, there's an excellentbakery to population ratio in
(19:53):
Berrima and many delicious cafesand fancy restaurants too.
You can check out any of theitems described in this podcast
on our Instagram at Roadshow andTell.
Thanks for listening to Roadshowand Tell.
If you enjoyed this deep diveinto a specialty museum, make
sure you subscribe so you don'tmiss an episode.
(20:16):
We're a new podcast.
So if you wanna help support us,please share it with a friend
and leave a rating and review.
If you are involved with or knowof a regional or specialty
museum that should be featured,please get in touch at
roadshowandtell@gmail.com.
I'm your host, Kate.
(20:36):
Roadshow and Tell was edited andproduced on the lands of the
Gadigal people.
I acknowledge the TraditionalCustodians of the various lands
on which you may be listeningfrom, and the lands that the
museums featured in this podcastreside on.
I also acknowledge anyAboriginal or Torres Strait
Islander people listening tothis podcast.
I pay my respects to elderspast, present, and emerging, and
(21:00):
celebrate the diversity ofAboriginal peoples and their
ongoing cultures and connectionsto the lands and waters of
Australia.
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