Castlemaine

Yarraville

Christopherson family

MS 019036 – MS 019122 (Box 033-3)

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1832 to 1872

Letters between various members of the Christopherson family that describes and contrasts life in Victoria, Russia and England. The correspondence is of historical and social significance, encompassing the economic, cultural and social conditions of the period (1832-1872).

The correspondence consists of:
A description of the voyages to Australia, on the ships ‘Windsor’ and ‘Lobelia’, in 1853 and 1856 respectively.
An account of the life of Irving Carlyle and his sons, at the Castlemaine goldfields in the 1850s, whilst his wife and daughters remained in St Petersburg, Russia.
A draft memorandum of agreement dated 1861 between Irving Carlyle Christopherson and and unnamed partner to cultivate rented land owned by Mr Sanders on Merri Creek near Northcote [MS 019044]
Details of Irving Carlyle Christopherson’s teaching career at Scotch College, his partnership with Henry Arthur Hough, life at Northcote and land purchases at Yarraville. There is also details of the lease of Wesley College, for the purposes of establishing a school in Fitzroy.
Some of the letters have been sent from 27 Little Collins Street east.
The correspondents include: Irving Carlyle, Emily, Henry, Oscar, John Arnold, Pauline, Polly, Harriet, Sophia and Marie Thilon (the sister and niece of Emily Christopherson respectively).
Miscellaneous letters and documents are signed by Adam Cairns, Emma Trovey, C. Tsenbeck and William a’Beckett Christopherson (?). A few letters are written in Russian and there are also some anonymous verse.
These papers provide the reader with an excellent insight into the Christopherson family’s relationships and attitudes to migration from the 1850s, (with references to the Crimean War) until Irving Carlyle’s death in 1868 and shortly afterwards.

A number of the letters have been transcribed.

Manuscripts

Letters

Typescripts