Time Travellers in Essendon, Flemington and the Keilor Plains
Woman Haters 1912 Woman Haters 1920 Woman Haters' Roll of Honour, WW1
The Woman Haters' Club,
St John's Presbyterian Church, Essendon
Who were the Woman Haters? Well, let’s hope they named their club with a hint of irony. In modern times the name fails badly with overt misogyny, but in 1902, they were just a bunch of boys who went camping together on their Christmas holidays at Healesville, and later Dromana.
The well-laid out campsite of the Woman Haters at Dromana, 1909-1910. Courtesy of Jenny Ryssenbeek.
The Woman Haters were associated with St John’s Presbyterian Church in Essendon. There were other similar clubs – one was the Golliwoggs Club, associated with St Thomas’ Church of England in Moonee Ponds. Again the name is in questionable taste these days. Mention is also made of the Ascot Club, which bought land next to the Woman Haters’ block in Dromana, but traces of that club are hard to find.
The founding members of the Woman Haters were Harry Cumming, Jim Cumming, Eddie Dow, G (Clapper) Hill, Archie Hill, Wally Hill, Tom Jones, H (Bert) Kettle, Charles Rose, Walter Rose, George Thorne, Eddie Williams and Roley Vernon.
The photo main collection used in this photo essay are from the estate of Harry Cumming, and kindly provided by Jenny Ryssenbeek.
In 1902 and 1903 the group went to Healesville for their camping holiday, but from 1904 the annual Christmas camp was at Dromana. Members took a steamer down the bay to the camp, but the tents and equipment were transported on a two-horse drag which took two days to travel the distance, with an overnight camp at Frankston, and the same to return. In later years the equipment was assembled in the St John’s hall, and transported by steamer. The camp maintained military standards with string lines placed for the tents to be erected with precision.
Between 1909 and 1912 the membership of the club expanded considerably, which is shown in Harry Cummings’ photos of the annual camps.
The Woman Haters' camp in 1910. Right click on the photo and select 'View Image' to see a larger version. Please get in touch if you recognise anyone. Courtesy of Jenny Ryssenbeek.
This list was provided in the history of the club of members joining between 1904 and 1912, and who may be in the above photo:
C R Allan
E J (Jim) Binney
H Bond
J Bryce
R Bryce
H G Burley
H Cameron
E Cameron
E Cannon
George Charles
H Chellew
J Chew
A G Colclough
G Collie
W (Bill) Collie
A Craven
W (Bill) Craven
S Davies
J (Jim) Easton
F Fenton
|
J (Jim) Fenton
R Gay
W Griffith
R Gordon
W (Bill) Gordon
F (Frank) Haworth
F Hayes
V Hood
F Horner
W Hull
N Hutton
A Mackay
W (Bill) Magennis
D McClennan
F McNeil
- McPherson
H N (Norm) Mirams
W (Bill) Mirams
L Morrison
G Muir
|
- Mumford
J Munro
A Muntz
H Parker
A Paterson
G Paterson
J Paterson
N Piggin
J Proud
R Proud
W Ransom
V (Vic) Rawsthorne
H Richards
R Richards
E (Eddie) Rowe
G Stewart
N L Stewart
S L Stewart
A Taylor
H (Harold) Vernon
|
Sources:
Woman Haters' Club. Essendon - Dromana One Hundred Years, 1902-2002. Author unknown. The Club: [nd]
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