Charles Bird, Medical Hall, Gulgong
The location of Charles Bird's original premises (near today's RSL club)
Medical Hall of Charles Bird Jnr at the corner of Belmore and Herbert Streets. See also Home & Away 39051 [below] where Bird is standing in the doorway of his Home Rule branch store. His father, also Charles Bird and a chemist, arrived in Gulgong in July 1873 and from then on they conducted another shop at the corner of Mayne and Herbert Streets until the original shop was sold and converted into a hotel in 1879.Source: Baldwin & Davis, Research Gulgong (Apr 2007)Charles Bird's Medical Hall, (incorporating Matthew Bellman's postal delivery service), Home Rule, 1872Chemist Charley Bird had two stores, one in Gulgong and the other in Home Rule, as depicted here in a particularly fine technical shot. It effectively records the content of his display window (trusses, cigars and sewing machines), the current supplement to the “Illustrated Sydney News,” and the noticeboard for the town crier “Matthew the Bellman”. Charley, “the man with the big ear,” is recorded as one of the town’s personalities “good company, clever amateur actor, and a champion at all kinds of card games.”
1879 - DEATHS
BIRD.—On the 15th inst., at his residence, Gulgong, Charles J. Bird, formerly of Worcester, England.
Source: The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) Sat 26 Apr 1879 Page 1
Window detail, Charles Bird's Medical Hall, Home Rule
The newspaper advertisement dates this photo above to 1872. It's a poster for the supplement available in the Illustrated Sydney News on 2 August 1872. Click here to see the image and an explanation of the supplement.
1877 - DIED OF POISONA woman named Bird, the wife of a chemist at Gulgong, has died of poison.1877 - Strange Case of Poisoning.At the inquest held on the body of Jane Henrietta Bird, wife of Charles Bird, a chemist at Gulgong, on Monday, the following evidence was given by Senior-sergeant Keenan :— About ten o'clock George Champion reported to me that Mrs. Bird was dead, and said, "Will you come over, I believe she has taken opium or laudanum?" I proceeded to her residence, and found the lady apparently dead. Dr. Vause was present, and called my attention to a bottle labelled "chlorodine." I took possession of it; it is nearly empty. While in the house Mr. Bird made the following statement to me :— About five o'clock on Sunday morning I was awoke by my youngest child, who was in a cot. I got out of bed, and took the child into our bed, I shook my wife in order for her to make room. She did not answer, and was breathing. I shook her several times to try and wake her. Finding I could not, I aroused the servant, and went downstairs to Mr, Champion, who came up with me at once, and we both tried to rouse her, but we were ineffectual. I sent for Dr. Vause, who came at once, but she never spoke. It was a little after midnight when we went to bed. I went to sleep, but a little while afterwards I heard her go down stairs. I got up and followed her. When I met her she was in the passage. I asked her what she was doing and she said "Nothing." I said "Come to bed," and we went upstairs to the bed room. I went to bed first, and she followed me. I fell dozing, and awaking suddenly, I again missed her. I at once went down stairs and found her in the shop, with a lighted candle in one hand. and in the act of replacing a bottle upon the shelf with the other hand. Mr. Bird showed witness the bottle. It is marked Tr Op 11 P.B. There is now about a gill in the bottle. It looks like laudanum. Mr. Bird, continued, said: I asked her what she was doing with it; and she replied. "I have taken some of it," when I replied, "What nonsense — come to bed." We both came out of the shop into the passage. I awoke Mr. Champion and requested him to lock the shop door, which I believe he did. This must have been between 1 and 2 in the morning. Mr. Champion kept possession of the keys. On coming down this morning I found the shop door open, Mr. Champion having the keys, Mrs Bird must have got in with some other instrument. My wife is in the habit of taking chlorodine. I found a measure behind the filter which smelt of laudanum. I have no recollection of having used the measure yesterday. Upon one occasion my wife took a dose, and I reproved her for doing do with out my permission. The key of the front door will open the shop door. I have tried them. Other evidence was given, and the jury returned that the deceased came by her death from an overdose of narcotic poison, but by whom or how administered, there was not sufficient evidence to show.1878 - Offences not otherwise described.Sometime between the 8th and 14th ultimo, some person or persons damaged a tomb-stone in the graveyard at Gulgong, the property of Charles Bird, chemist, Gulgong.Source: New South Wales Police Gazette and Weekly Record of Crime (Sydney : 1860 - 1930) Wed 7 Aug 1878 [Issue No.32] Page 2871878 - Offences not otherwise described.A warrant has been issued by the Gulgong Bench for the arrest a man, name unknown (to be identified), charged with being secreted in a room in the house of Charles Bird, chemist, Gulgong, for an unlawful purpose, on the 8th instant. He is about 38 or 40 years of age, 5 feet 9 or 10 inches high, medium build, fair complexion, fair hair, clean shaved, white moustache (if any); dressed in felt hat, black coat, slate-coloured trousers, and old Blucher boots; the boots were left on the premises. Supposed to have gone to Adam’s Lead, Gulgong. This offender is believed to be identical with Thomas Gregory alias Kelly. See Wife Deserters, Police Gazette, 1878, page 287.
