charlesconder

From The Powerhouse Museum's "Photo Of The Day" blog: "If you look at the larger version of this image on Flickr you can see several signs have been placed on the building that reads ‘Many happy returns of the day’. You can clearly see a large group of people gathering out the front of the building and some of the ferries are full of passengers. What was so special about this day?"

Looks like it might be something about Mort & Co.? www.mortco.com.au/history.html "The name Mort & Co has been associated with Australia’s agricultural industries for decades. This link was first established in 1843 when Thomas Sutcliff Mort established Mort & Co as an auctioneering and brokering business specifically focusing on selling wool. This business developed and became a leading pastoral house before merging with R Goldsbrough & Co in 1888 to form Goldsbrough Mort & Co. Goldsbrough Mort & Co continued to grow, and in 1962 merged with Elder Smith & Co to form Elder Smith Goldsbrough Mort & Co Ltd. Consolidation continued, and in 1981 Elder Smith Goldsbrough Mort & Co Ltd merged with Henry Jones IXL to form Elders IXL which today trades as Elders. Charlie Mort, the proprietor of Mort & Co is a great-great-great nephew of Thomas and is proud of the mark that his ancestors have had on the Australian agricultural industry."

Info about the founder, Thomas Mort: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Sutcliffe_Mort ... which says he apparently died in 1878, so it wasn't his birthday, if indeed this pic is from 1900 :)

I was wondering if it might have something to do with the ferries... and they just hung the note on the Mort & Co. building because it was right there ;) Not sure if a merger would be classified as a birthday, as such...

@ Powerhouse Museum Collection - the Justice and Police Museum is one corner south. Tweddle's Belmore Hotel "First & Last" as seen from the other direction: www.flickr.com/photos/powerhouse_museum/2362703683/

From an upstairs room in the building on the right, the First & Last Hotel (an earlier building to the Tooths collection one), Charles Conder painted this same view in 1888.



Charles Condor 'Departure of the 'Orient' - Circular Quay' (1888) AGNSW


See also from the other direction: www.flickr.com/photos/powerhouse_museum/2495797591/

[source: www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/heidelbergschool...]

O M G ! - the more you look the more you find - I have a strong suspicion that the black ship at an angle on the left IS the SS Orient. Comparison photo (not easy with all those masts, spars, and cranes): nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn4404564 That particular wharf is called the "Orient Wharf" on the 1890 Sydney map (zoomable) - www.nla.gov.au/apps/cdview?pi=nla.map-rm1280-s1-sd&rg...

There is also a bit of useful history of SS Orient here, including two good views: www.laird-bogstown.com/orient 1.php I think beachcomberaustralia has a good chance of being correct and that the ship at left could be SS Orient. On the topic of the Orient Line Wharf, you can see another reverse view of the wharf here: www.flickr.com/photos/powerhouse_museum/2362647029/

Good stuff, lifeasdaddy. I see that first site you mention also has a ticket from 1888 - it cost 16 pounds and 16 shillings Third Class, London to Australia - www.laird-bogstown.com/orient 2.php Great ship, great painting, and now this great photograph. Trifecta!

Another later (?) photo of the SS Orient (if I am not mistaken) without spars for some reason, at the same wharf but turned around. www.flickr.com/photos/powerhouse_museum/3041761855/