ABOUT US
The Sebastopol Historical Society inc. is a not-for-profit community group. It was formed in 1973 to collect, record, preserve, share, and promote research into Sebastopol’s rich and fascinating history from pre-gold rush days, through to the present day. A small team of dedicated members volunteer their time and talents to support the society in this work. New members interested in learning more about Sebastopol’s history or wishing to use our archives and resources to undertake research, are most welcome. Sebastopol Historical Society is affiliated with the Royal Historical Society of Victoria.
MEETINGS
We meet on the 4th Thursday of each month (except December) 7.30pm
Sebastopol Community Centre,
(Historic former State School Building),
185 Yarrowee Street,
Sebastopol.
MUSEUM
The Sebastopol Historical Society operates a small museum in its rooms at the historic former Sebastopol State School building (now a Community Centre.) The museum contains a collection of artefacts and archival material dating from the gold rush period through to more recent times. Homewares, mining equipment, war memorabilia, school artefacts, honour boards and early photographs are just a few of the items on display.
DONATIONS TO OUR MUSEUM
Donations of historical items relating to Sebastopol and district (e.g. photographs, postcards, documents, memoirs, family histories, maps, artefacts) are appreciated and become a part of our archival collection and museum.
MUSEUM OPENING TIMES
The museum is open to the public on the 1st Sunday of the month (except January.)
1.00pm –4.00pm.
Other times may be arranged by appointment for groups, schools and others.
Herbert Leslie Hughes was born in Sebastopol in September
1891, to Thomas (T. Hughes & Sons, Grocers, Sebastopol) and
Mary Ann Hughes. He was educated at the Sebastopol State
School. Bert was a 24-year-old Grocer, who had been married
for twelve months and the father of one child, Josephine, when
he enlisted on 12 February 1916. Note: the government paid a
pension to two children. His Next of Kin was his wife, Mrs
Jessie Hughes of Albert Street, Sebastopol, Victoria (later 20
Faussett Street, Albert Park, Melbourne). Bert was listed as a
Methodist and had also no previous military experience. He was
a prominent member of the Sebastopol Fire Brigade and was a
familiar figure in all the fire brigade demonstrations. Bert was
also a member of the Sebastopol Tent I.O.R.
Originally Bert was allocated as a Reinforcement to the 60th Battalion and arrived in Egypt on 10
June. He eventually joined the 58th Battalion in France on 30 November. In early 1918 it was
becoming obvious that the Germans were planning an offensive and on 21 March 1918 it began.
Along a 54-mile front they attacked the British 3rd Army with more divisions than the British had on
the whole Western Front. (Some of those divisions had come from the Russian (Eastern) Front. On
26 March the 1st and 2nd Australian Divisions took over the 5th Division front allowing the 5th
Division to move to the 3rd Army Reserve Area in the Somme. On 27 March the 5th Division
Headquarters opened at Vauchelles but was then moved to Corbie from where the division would
later participate in the battle to retake Villers Bretonneux on 24/25 April 1918. Sadly, during the
move south on 27 March Bert Hughes and fifteen other men of the 58th Battalion died near St Pol
when an artillery shell hit their train carriage. Bert was buried at St Pol Cemetery, St Pol-surTernoise.
Loy and Bert Hughes had two other brothers that, along with their parents, survived them. David
Hughes (Junior) died in 1935, aged 47 years, while Thomas Hughes (Junior) died in 1956 aged 64.
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The very last tram service (Number 40) departing Sebastopol at 10:45 PM on the 19th of September 1971 from the Royal mail terminus, on it's way to the depot for the very last time. Mayor Neville F D Donald accompanied the driver of the lead tram to the borough boundary. .
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