J Hemley - Cash Grocer

[Gwendoline999]

The photo is definately not of any place at Callawadda or the vicinity. I can't help with that at all. The Victorian Heritage Register may be able to. They have a correct photo of the general store started by my grandmother Ada Hemley (who married George Hemley, but he had no part in the store) and carried on by my father Albert Edward Hemley as A Hemley and Son. The current Victorian Heritage photo shows the new store but I have photos of the old store...nothing like the mystery photo in question,  and  that store run by J. Hemley was not in the Callawadda area, that's for sure.
There was no Arthur Hemley in Callawadda to my knowledge. All the speculation in the original posts were totally incorrect and without foundation. I just felt obliged to correct it. Regards. I will also try to reply to Mr 'Cando'.
This is a very intersting website but I cannot find anyway to comment on or reply to the posts except through the 'quote' button at the top.

So it seems that Ada JOHNSTON married to George HEMLEY in 1889. 
(Online index ref #1315 for marriage 1889, Victoria)

From an online tree, it seems George’s parents were George HEMLEY and Elizabeth CHANDLER who migrated,  prior to the birth of Hannah in 1855… Among their other children were James (1863 – 1927) and John (1867-1945)   

Remembering that the photo shows "J" as the initial for the Cash Grocer....

James seems to have married 6 June 1893 to Annie Whitworth WALLACE, C of E, Stawell (as per a submitted treee) 
John married 1901 to Sarah COLQUHOUN, and he died at Stawell in 1945.  (John’s birth registered Majorca, #22765, and his death at Stawell 1945 #21331)
(
So, if the photo is of any of the Caldawalla HEMLEY families, then it seems likely the “J” would be for either James or John, and not for George

  Gwendoline, are you able to confirm the location of that photo, and if so, perhaps date it? and perhaps delight Jean with info when she is next online at RChat 

Cheers,  JM…

[Gwendoline999]

Cando, this is the only way that I can work out, to comment on or reply to your reply.
In my opinion speculation without foundation has limited value but maybe I have not understood the purpose of this website. I was lead to it by Google in response to searching 'A Hemley and Son' and felt compelled to correct the stuff I read. You replied to me with an extract from The Argus which was very interesting.You also added 'I see that your great grandfather George HEMLEY was a convict.  Popular to have Australian Royalty in the family
JM I also wondered who was the J HEMLEY noted on the store in the photo.   Perhaps Gwen could help with that.
Gwen perhaps you worked in the store built by your father  ' plus a couple of smiley faces with grimaces.
We have known for ages that George Hemley was deported to Australia for stealing half a sheep, caught in the act. George returned to England after his ten year term, married, and came back to Australia with a shipload of boots.He raised a large family of farmers. Your comment about Royalty together with the grimacing face might actually be upsetting to a person if they did not previously know that their ancestor was a convict. That's just my opinion.

I have just joined roots expressly to be able to reply to this item (below).

[dawnsh]

Gwendoline

There is a blue reply button under the last post of every topic, it looks like this

[jeanlit]

Hi Gwendoline999

Thanks for all the input to this subject.  It was very interesting to read about your father and setting up the telephone lines - can't see that happening these days - too much red tape and insurance and work practices.....   In those days, people had to help themselves.  Good on your father.

However, I'm a little confused about the photo - do you think it was in Callawadda or not?  I understand your grandmother was Ada (Mrs George) Hemley who had the shop, so it's unlikely that this is it, is that correct?

I still have no idea when or where this photo was taken, despite all the help given previously on this forum.   And I have no idea what the connection is with Forbes.  Did your people have any relations in NSW to whom they may have sent this photo?

Jean

[Gwendoline999]

To jeanlit
NO. Absolutely not. That photo of J Hemley shop is NOT the shop at Callawadda.
Ada Hemley and later the business known as Ada Hemley and Son were never simply grocers either. They stocked an incredible variety of goods for farmers, spare parts for machinery, home lighting plants, crockery, electrical goods, paint etc etc etc a huge variety. They could never be described as just grocers. They didnt operate only on cash either. Most clients ran an account and paid monthly or whenever.
I have no knowledge of anyone in Forbes, sorry.

Furthermore the building in that photo of J Hemley is a strange sort of construction to my mind, so I doubt if it was anywhere near Callawadda or even in the area.
I'll search the Victorian Heriatge base later maybe. What perserverance over a photo! So often they are simply thrown away if they can't be identified. Kind regards.

[Gwendoline999]

Heritage Study Northern Grampians
from Heritage Victoria. I couldnt download their photo of the shop at Callawadda.
I could not find any J Hemley grocer shop in Victoria on their site.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

General Store and Soft Drink Manufacturers (Hemleys), 6001 Donald-Stawell Road, CALLAWADDA
Location
6001 Donald-Stawell Road CALLAWADDA, NORTHERN GRAMPIANS SHIRE

Google Maps and Google Streetview
For further details, contact the local council or go to Planning Schemes Online.
Level of Significance
Recommended for Heritage Overlay
   
[1/1]
 CA 02 - Shire of Northern
  Statement of Significance
The former General Store, Hemley's Cordial Factory and residence, 6001 Donald-Stawell Road, Callawadda, have significance as a legacy of Hemley's general storey operations from c.1913 and the renowned Cordial industry established by A.E. Hemley in 1934. The buildings are of architectural interest in depicting the cordial factory process and family business. The former General Store, Hemley's Cordial Factory and residence at Callawadda are historically ... more

History
Around 1890 Ada Hemley (nee Johnston) and her husband George lived in Callawadda on about 2 acres, which was later to become part of the property known as "Yelmeh" and latter called Forest Lodge. The family was dependent on the sale of eggs and butter which Ada used to sell in the streets of Stawell, harnessing the horses at 2 a.m. to get to Stawell by dawn. About 1904, Ada bought an old weatherboard house and had it moved to near where the store now stands and took in ... more

Description
The former General Store and Hemley's Cordial Factory, 6001 Donald-Stawell Road, Callawadda, consists of at least five single storey, gabled buildings with galvanised corrugated iron roofs, together with an adjacent residence. The former General Store has a cream brick main facade with a stepped parapet. This facade appears to have been introduced in the c.1940s-1950s. The side walls have strapped sheet cladding and high small timber framed windows. The neighbouring factory ... more

Heritage Study Northern Grampians - Shire of Northern Grampians - Stage 2 Heritage Study, Wendy Jacobs, Vicki Johnson, David Rowe, Phil Taylor, 2004 
Municipality NORTHERN GRAMPIANS SHIRE 
 

[majm]

Hello Gwendoline

You have commented about the smiley faces, and I am a tad concerned.  I am quite sure that these are not grimacing.    I can see that both Dawn and Cando have used the same smiley. I too have used that smiley.   Long before there was any internet, back in the 1960s, I learnt to type.   One of the many exercises included using the semi colon and the colon buttons together with various keys to then make “pictures” of those characters.

Welcome to Rootschat   

and

You seem to have found the reply button for this reply and passed the test with flying colours.

and

Gwendoline, are you able to confirm the location of that photo, 

and

Apologies for assuming that Mrs A HEMLEY was Arthur's wife.  It was the usual practice to in that era to refer to married woman using her husband's initials ie she was actually Mrs G HEMLEY.

I see that your great grandfather George HEMLEY was a convict.  Popular to have Australian Royalty in the family

Your comment about Royalty together with the grimacing face might actually be upsetting to a person if they did not previously know that their ancestor was a convict.

To make that smiley face  back in the 1960s we simply typed the colon the dash and the capital D .... The D being the big wide smile.    I have not ever thought of it as a grimace, and I am somewhat surprised that anyone would view it as such.   

I have been interested in family history studies long before the internet came along, and thus long long before commercial websites developed online images of various records.   But please accept my word that the commercial website, Ancestry, has at the current time, uploaded various historic electoral rolls for most of the Australian States, including of course Victoria. 

You will find that while some  may toss out old photos that are not easily identifable, that many others may retain them, and this is often so when there are clues within the photo itself.   In this instance the clues include the words J Hemley and Cash Grocers.   

So Jean has simply posted the photo here at RChat and asked for help to learn more about it.  And others, including both Cando and myself have offered comment.   

I am sorry if any of my comments have caused you offence.  I am also sure that each RChatter who has offered comment is also sorry if any of our comments have caused you offence.   As far as I am aware, one of the tenets of family history is to avoid causing offence or embarassment to any reasonable and fairminded person.  I know that in the many decades up to around WWII that some families were embarassed if among their ancestors there was a founding Australian who had been transported as a convicted person.   On the other hand,  I am quite sure that it has been a badge of honour for several generations now to be able to say "I am Australian Royalty, I have found a Convict in my tree".

Many Cheers,

JM

ADD
http://www.ehow.com/how_8551613_do-type-smiley-face-characters.html   
 "A happy face smiley will look like this :-).
A sad smiley will be seen as this :-(.
A winking smiley is ;-).
A smiley with a big, happy smile will look like this :-D."
A grimacing smiley can be made by using the slash key on your keyboard

and

http://www.csh.rit.edu/~kenny/misc/smiley.html   "    :-d - said with a smile "


 

[majm]

Hi Jean,

Looking at the photo, I think it is showing a fairly new roof on the building.  Would you have a look at the original and comment as to the then apparent newness of the roof,  any obvious wear and tear on the external walls, fence etc and your thoughts as to the decade for that photo….   I think I have always considered it to be taken sometime in the 1800s rather than the 1900s.   I think perhaps that is prompted by the “Cash Grocer” sign as much as by the rest of the photo. 

Thinking about Cash Grocer

 I think somewhere in my memory is a mention that Cash Grocer indicates that there was a transient population in the area and thus it was not advisable for the locals to allow customers to “tick up” purchases.   So even in inner suburbs of Sydney in the 1870s and 1880s, there were two types of retail grocers…. Those who allowed credit and those who did not.      I have a fairly reputable collection of reference books about various Sydney Suburbs which I am happy to go back through to help with that aspect if you are interested.   But on the other hand, I am sure these would be in the various public libraries in the central western townships.   I know that Dubbo’s public library has in past years been considered to have a good collection of that type of book. 


Getting back onto the J HEMLEY

I have hardcopy of some early NSW Electoral Rolls  (pre Federation), and I am happy to spend some moments looking  through specific likely electorates.    I will of course make sure that each time I do look up these hardcopies for other RChatters that I also have a peak at the H surnames …. My apologies for not doing so in recent look ups. 

I have just checked the 1870 and the 1878  NSW ER for THE BOGAN, no sign of anyone with surname HEMLEY in any of the police districts that electorate covered at that time.


I wonder though if it could be for another of the various HEMLEY families in Victoria …. 

So,from a 1914 ER,  I can see there’s a James HEMLEY a farmer at Heath, Portland Victoria and also on same roll, Annie Whitworth HEMLEY, Cashmore Heath, Hortland, home duties.    In 1909 in the Wannon electorate these two were at Dadswell Bridge, same occupations;   and in 1903, same two names were at Glenorchy, in the Grampians electorate. 

I am not really much chop when it comes to Victoria’s records, as I am NSW centric.   I am sure other RChatters will be able to help with Victoria. 

Jean,  I recall having a long conversation with an elderly lady at the Forbes Museum,  perhaps three or maybe four years ago. She was quite knowledgeable on photos and on her local area.  Perhaps there's further records there too.

Cheers,  JM

[Gwendoline999]

Hi Cando and Jeanlit (from memory).
I admire the studious efforts that you make. I would not have the patience.
There is a John Hemley Road listed near Glenorchy, Vic which is about 9 miles from Callawadda.

Re the faces...if you send me a smile it comes up like the 4th icon from the left, on the heading lines above here for a Reply, and the character is showing 3 huge teeth, not a smile at all.

But technology can be tricky. I am using Word 7 and Windows XP. It's all unimportant anyway. I will add a conventional 'smile' here...a colon, a hyphen and a close bracket and see what happens :-)  keep up the good work.