Recently, a descendant of the Jackson family visited the Daylesford Museum in search of information about her ancestors.
Museum volunteer, Jan, was able to guide her to a display cabinet containing memorabilia from the Jacksons, a family who once lived in Kidds Gully. John (known as Jack) Jackson, born in 1887, became a well-known and respected member of the community.
As Gwen viewed the display, she gasped in recognition when she saw a family photo and pointed excitedly to a young girl in the front row. “That’s my mother,” she said. Although Gwen owns a copy of the photo, she was delighted to see it featured in the Museum.
Gwen explained that her mother, Alice, had been abandoned by her father at birth. After Alice’s mother died, her father left town with their son. Alice was raised by the Jackson family—most likely taken in by Nurse Elizabeth Jackson, who brought her home from her hospital at 14 Vincent Street North. In later years, Alice cared for Elizabeth until her death.
Gwen’s husband, Ken, shared a story about the day Hilda Jackson asked him to move her grand piano closer to the window in her Howe Street studio. As Ken lifted the piano, both he and the piano fell through the floorboards! That very grand piano is now on display at the Museum.
The Jacksons established an engineering works in Vincent Street, pictured in a 1903 photo. A model engine built by Jack is also part of the collection.
In 1915, Jack was running the Star Picture Theatre, which stood directly opposite the Museum on Vincent Street.
Jackson’s Lookout, located in the Hepburn Regional Park, was built in 1954 by the Hepburn Progress Association’s Entertainment Committee in honour of Jack Jackson’s many contributions to the community.
From the Daylesford & District Historical Society.
