Call for historical snaps

By Lachlan Ellis

A Moorabool historical society is planning a book on local political figures, and is asking the community to help by supplying photos.

The Ballan Shire Historical Society is working on a book of past Presidents of the Ballan Shire, and has a list of Presidents it doesn’t have photos of that it hopes the community can help with.

Secretary of the Historical Society, Richard Biden, said the book doesn’t have a working title yet, but the plan is to have it published late next year.

“The Historical Society decided that for the 160th anniversary of the formation of the Ballan Shire, that we’d produce a book on all the Shire Presidents, seeing as the Ballan Shire doesn’t exist anymore. We’ve been gathered quite a lot of information, but we need photographs. There are a few we don’t have,” Mr Biden told the Moorabool News.

“There were 79 Presidents over the time the Ballan Shire operated. The book should be released in 2024, around about October.”

If you have any photos you can submit for the following Presidents of Ballan Shire, you can contact Richard Biden on 0413 512 293:

• Patrick Carney (1922 – 23) West Riding
• William Wilton Chapman (1941-42 & 45-46) West Riding
• Temple John Crowe (1902-03) West Riding
• George Hopwood (1918-19) West Riding
• Kenneth McLennan (1951-52) East Riding
• Roderick Robertson (1905-06) South Riding
• William Henry Roffey (1954-55) Central Riding
• Lionel H. Rosenow (1906-07) West Riding
• Denis Ryan (1871-72) East Riding
• Alexander Stewart (1915-16) Central Riding
• James Walters (1908-09) East Riding

The Ballan Shire Historical Society is also looking for group photos of the Ballan Shire Council from 1899 – 1975.