On August 6th from 6pm join us to recount tales of old and get-together in a warm, welcoming atmosphere around The Hearth of Chudleigh General Store & Cafe fireplace. 

Howe family fifth-generational local identity, Kelvin Howe, is helping to organise the get-together, with the Hearth of Chudleigh owners, to gather and document important local history from the minds and households of those families that have lived here for generations. 

Kelvin, whose great-great-grandfather, James Howe, arrived in Chudleigh in 1835, after travelling to Tasmania on the Amelia Thompson, is an avid enthusiast of local history, as are the owners of The Hearth of Chudleigh General Store and Café.

 Kelvin will be bringing along family diaries that date back to the early 1900s, along with other memorabilia and stories that have been passed down through the generations. He is encouraging other local historical family members to do the same. As Chudleigh has a strong sporting history, it is also asked that anyone with photographs, or keepsakes, of some of the early sporting teams.

Owners of The Hearth have a huge range of trade dockets dating back to the late 1920s. They are interested in obtaining any photographs of the shop, particularly the internals as well as pictures of owners from 1886 to the 1980s. If anyone has such material please bring it with you as well.

Details from these documents will help to flesh out family connections and local historical events between families (living between Deloraine and Mole Creek) since early colonial times. This may even go beyond pioneer times, for those with Aboriginal ancestry.

The launch is part of a planned regular gathering of local history enthusiasts wanting to document important knowledge, in the lush Chudleigh basin and its surrounds, in what is often referred to as the ‘centre of the universe’.

The $10 evening, which includes homemade soup and crusty bread, will start from 6pm, with guests welcome to linger around the fire and chat into the late evening if desired.

Wine and beer are available for purchase along with coffee and cakes.

Don’t forget to come armed with your historical family photo albums and sporting club memorabilia; and any historical family information. We really want to kick start the project of gathering important information on the lives of people in and around Chudleigh as far back as possible.