30. The Hasler's - Dublin, Galway and Melbourne Part 3

1869 + - The early Australian years

3rd GGF - Frederick John Hasler, left Liverpool on the 2nd of February 1869, bound for Melbourne, Australia, aboard the S.S Great Britain. He landed on either the 8th or 9th of April, in Melbourne.

His diary of the journey to Australia, depicts some boredom and to keep himself amused, he would be chatting with the Girls, playing the Piano/Accordion, in a "Sing-A-Long" type of thing, drank a bit of alcohol etc. He noted the weather, which was kind of rough from the first half of the trip.
There were a few events on the ship, that show a bit of reality, one man jumped overboard and was lost to the sea (something about a woman and a child involved with him) and a lot of people were sick.
One man died and was "committed to the deep". A child died as well. A horse also died and that was also thrown overboard, but Frederick wrote it like it was quite a fun thing to do. He wrote "It was quite jolly". There was some sort of procession with the ships crew, almost like paying homage to the Horse, whilst burying it at sea?
Frederick also noted a few fights that broke out or rowdy behavior was had, but mainly it involved too much alcohol. He also had a few kisses from some girls and one "fell out" with him, because he didn't "walk with her" upon the deck.
In his writings, he doesn't mention on what awaits him in Australia, either in a photographical sense or life wise. The diary only depicts what happened during the trip, not any thoughts of what was to come. I have found this quite odd, as if he's been to Australia before and knows what it's all about.
Either that or George gave him a heads up? But it is apparent that he speaks a bit "nonchalant" about the trip until the last week.
He does not disclose any family whatsoever, that is back home in Ireland or on the ship.
Not even his brother George.
We suspect George is currently in Melbourne awaiting for his Brother's arrival and that no other Hasler or relavtive, is traveling with Frederick.

His last few writings were :
7-4-1869 - "Fine and a head wind, screw down, a regular Australian day. Getting ready for landing, expect to see land tomorrow, bed at 8"
8-4-1869 - "Land in view at 5 o'clock, great excitement, very fine. Another child sick. Just come to "The Heads". Pilot. "
"The Heads" is known as the opening to Port Phillip Bay - a 3km wide opening"

25th Sep 1871 - Melbourne Argus

Not much is known on his early days of landing in Melbourne, but we do find him in the first instance, 2 years later in 1871. He was part of the Albert Club (Rowing) and he is seated in the boat with his "future" brother-in-law, Edward Persse Newenham. Since finding this record of Frederick, it paved the way to understanding that his Rowing life from the Galway days of rowing the River Corrib, had also reached the shores of Melbourne. Frederick was quite competitive and would race upon the Yarra River many times. The many reports of Frederick with Rowing, showed quite a sportsman and it was also seemed quite a passion.

6 months after this report, on the 6th of March 1872, Frederick John Hasler, married Eliza Persse Newenham (eldest child of Henry Hood Newenham and Annie Persse).

To put this union into a perspective, Frederick and his family lived in Galway City. Frederick's parents lived on Nun's Island.
Eliza's Parents were Persse family relatives (1st Cousins). Henry Hood Newenham and Annie Persse, were "nephew/niece" to Henry Stratford Persse, that ran the Nuns Island "Persse Distillery".
So in a sense, their Galway roots had replanted in Melbourne.

Frederick and Eliza, went on to have 7 children, their first child died as an infant, but the rest survived into adulthood.

During this time, Frederick's profession was a photographer. His brother George was also in Melbourne at this stage, as a professional photographer. We only see evidence of these boys in the photographic point of view, well after 1869. George first then many years later of Frederick.

(Back story dialogue) In late 1869, we can see George becoming a manager and a partner of the already established, "Johnstone O'Shannessy & Co." photographic firm. This was originally partnered by an Irish lady from Co. Galway - Emily O'Shannessy (E.F.K O'Shaughnessy) and British born Henry James Johnstone. These 2 people originally created the company located at "3 Bourke Street East", in the mid 1860's, when George became part of the company in late 1869. The brand name of the company did not change to reflect George's involvement, but it seems that from later documentation, that George took more of the business on, whereas Emily reduced her workload.
It is noted that Henry was the primary photographer, Emily took pictures mainly of the women.
And Henry was quite "flamboyant". George was a manager, but then became a photographer.
Part of me, had a thought that a previous photographic sitting of the Newenham's, in the Johnstone O'Shannessy studio, may have allowed the Hasler's to meet/greet them. As my 3rd GGM was photographed in the studio somewhere between 1868 and 1872. But this is a co-incidental thought, as it was plausible for them to meet, but it is not proven that this was the case.

9th Sep 1871 - The Australiasian

George married Emily in 1871.
They had 2 children, Ethel and Muriel.

Frederick & Eliza's Son - Edgar Claude Hasler c.1877

What has created quite a unknown story, is that Frederick technically wasn't part of this business as such. Frederick seems to have stabilised himself, at his own City store located at 96 Elizabeth Street (I am not sure if this address, was affected by the 1889 address changes, by the City of Melbourne).
He was at this address around 1875-1880.
By family records, Frederick's family lived in Gurner Street, St.Kilda, which co-incidentally happens to be the address of a Patrick Hasler, who also was a photographer around this time.
As far as I am aware, there was no-one known to the family, by the name of Patrick and no family records exist, to suggest that there was ever a Patrick. So it's quite suggestive that Frederick created a pseudonym or it was an unknown relative, as Patrick was only there at Gurner Street for about a year.

23rd Mar 1878 - The Australiasian

In the mid to late 1870s and a touch of the 1880's, Frederick was noted to have been a Rowing photographer. Many of his images were in the studio of people posing, or it was Rowing based.

He was the official photographer of the "Intercolonial 8's", that was set on a rivalry between New South Wales and Victoria. However, these images cannot be found and may be placed with a club or historical society (if the still survive).

There is some form of minor collaboration by Frederick, with Johnstone O'Shannessy, but nothing by any large proportion, or to note him by. So we can only go on information that shows Frederick and George, did lead separate lives in the photography world.
There is a reference as well, to Frederick running a photographic studio from Octavia Street, St.Kilda from 1885-1889, we can only assume that he closed up Elizabeth Street address and brought the studio to his home, which seems the case.
You could assume that his growing family needed attention through the "growing up" part of life, so we can assume that he did bring the studio home because of family needs.




In 1891, Frederick's wife - Eliza (Persse Newenham) Hasler, passed away from a "long illness".
Frederick was left with 6 kids under 17. Not much is known after this period until 1897.

1897 was to be a big year for the Hasler's and it would challenge them, like no other year.

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29. The Hasler's - Dublin, Galway and Melbourne Part 2

The Galway Years (before 1869) and travel to Melbourne - Australia 

Hasler Brother's - Melbourne - After April 1869

Images of people or places, say one thing "A picture tells a thousand words".
Well, this is much more than just the colloquial saying.

It not only depicts a Family of 2 Irish Brothers, it depicts a Photographic Empire that is about to happen and it depicts a future that will change Melbourne's history from the late 1860's till about 1905, then a reincarnation till about 1920 - but you see, not many people know about them or more so, about this photographic empire.
And when you dig further into these boys backgrounds, you get much more than what's portrayed here.

They are the Hasler Brother's, from Galway City.
Younger Brother - George Henry Massey Hasler, to the left and elder brother - Frederick John Hasler to the right.
Frederick is my 3rd GGF (b. circa 1838), George a 3rd GGUncle (b. 1841)
Frederick and George, were sons of William Benjamin Hasler and Hannah Scott.
They also had a Sister - Olivia Mary Hasler, who died in Ireland.

It is quite possible that William and Hannah moved from the East Coast (Dalkey, Dublin) or indeed Co. Wexford to meet their life's journey in the City of Galway.

But that is a suggestive comment, as it isn't fully known how their lives were shaped before the 1850's. What is known, that the relatives of William are based in Dalkey, Dublin.
William, being one of many Grandsons of Sir John Hasler (Chamberlain to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland - during the late 1700's), had lots of family relatives in Dalkey. But I don't know what made him move from the East and head to Galway.

We don't know what was going on in these boys lives from their infant years, or even much of the family's lives before 1859, only information or family stories, flowed after that point.
There is a suggestion that William was part of the family's plot in Co. Wexford, but I still don't have conclusive information why they may have been there. Whitehall House has some connection as well. But there is suggestions that William was a "Civil Servant" at one stage, whether it be in Wexford or Galway, I am not sure.
There is a William Hasler that's noted as a farmer, as I found an Irish "Reproductive Loan" in Williams name. But I am not sure if this is our William. Same time, same place, but I cannot depict a poor Civil Servant, unless he fell on hard times?

Frederick c.late 1850's / early 1860's
(His Hair seems to be setup up for a Top Hat)

Signature on the back of the Images

Knowing this Hasler Family is based in Galway City, we can identify what Frederick's life may have been like, from Historical events. We find him being based in 18 Dominick Street as a Photographer around the mid/late 1850's. He would take family photographs, within this studio and was possibly known to be a sub-contractor to take photo's of Galway Town (and various areas) during this time.
Chethams Library's Flickr Page :  suggests there may have been involvement, with one or both of the Hasler boys. I have a family photo, which is an "exact" image, of the one depicted in Chetham's Library Collection (Galway Album 64). Located here is my info on the Hasler's : Hasler Photography and Related

We know that Frederick also was a keen sportsman.
He became a Rower of the Corrib Rowing Club, may have been a Foundation member as well.

Frederick would have been very well accustomed to rowing up and down the Corrib, right past the Persse's Nun's Island Distillery buildings, in which he has at a later date, a surprising link back here.
What is also surprising with this Persse link, is that Frederick's Father - William, died in 1859 around Nuns Island. A death notice, placed in a paper, showed that he died in "Presentation Street", but his Death Certificate shows his abode as 57 New Road, Galway City. Which is basically the corner of New Road and Presentation Street - which is Nuns Island.

In a recent finding and we can only ascertain, that William must of came across the Persse's of the Distillery at some point in his life. Not only that, he may have met Francis Fitzgerald (Brewer), that was almost based directly beside the Distillery. Francis's Son (Nicholas Fitzgerald), will have a surprising link in later years, to George in Melbourne.

There were also depictions of hand drawn images that were based upon Boxing, Billiards and Rowing around the shores of Dublin (c. 1865). Most of these types of travels and or images, seemed to have stayed south of Dublin (nothing known of anything North of Dublin).

What is initially known about these boys movements, is that it is more probable that George came to Australia first, prior to September 1869, as that date shows he becomes a partner within a Photographic studio called "Johnstone O'Shannessy & Co". It was based at 3 Bourke Street East (Next GPO).
I can only suggest that he must of been here at least a few months, if not a year in order to get a position in this business, unless he had prior connections.

We know with assurety, that Frederick left Ireland very late in 1868, as he disembarked Liverpool in Feb 1869. He landed on the shores of Melbourne/Victoria in April 1869 aboard "SS Great Britain".
On a newspaper clipping, it mentioned that "Henry Hood Newenham" had a piece of luggage waiting for him (that came over from the UK). I can only speculate, that there may have been some sort of prior discussion within the Hasler/Newenham family. As Frederick, was to "court" Eliza (Henry's daughter) after this time.

9th Apr 1869 - The Argus

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