Embedded Files
Of Tragedy and Valor
Gweneth Hilda Rumbelow (Hughes)
1911 - 1995
In 1928, Gweneth Hilda Hughes, the only daughter of Mrs. M. J. and the late Mr. H. Hughes, (late of Walkerville), was married to Mr. Stanley Malin Rumbelow, youngest son of Mrs. S. and the late Mr. D. M. Rumbelow, of Encounter Bay.
Gwen, who spent her childhood in the Riverland, met the Rumbelow family during regular holidays to Victor Harbor. At that time she was attending business college in Adelaide.
'And I saw that Rumbelow boy hanging about,' she laughed.
Gwen and Malin were married in 1928. The couple settled at Encounter Bay and Gwen learned about the Rumbelow family history.
Gwen recalls that during the Depression years, a Mr Davis used to come to the Bluff on pushbike and buy the fish to take into Victor Harbor. Gwen began to use her business skills when she took on the general store.
'It was during the war years, and a lot of Air Force boys were staying at Mount Breckan,' said Gwen.
'Victor Harbor was thriving, and I thought there was a possibility the shop would be a success.'
Gwen sold cool drinks, sweets, groceries and fish. There was no ice cream sold in those days, before refrigeration.
'I was determined if I was going to sell fish, I would do it properly,' said Gwen.
'So I got hold of some ice boxes instead of the drip safes which had been used up to then.
Gwen later sold the store and bought the little cottage next door, where Rumbelows Fish Shop and Gallery now stands.
WEDDING BELLS
WEDDING BELLS
HUGHES — RUMBELOW.
A wedding was celebrated at the Newland Memorial Church, Victor Harbour, on November 29, when Gweneth Hilda Hughes, only daughter of Mrs. M. J. and the late Mr. H. Hughes, of The Imperial, Victor Har-bour (late of Walkerville), was mar-ried to Mr. Stanley Malin Rumbelow, youngest son of Mrs. S. and the late Mr. D. M. Rumbelow, of Encounter Bay. The church was decorated by friends of the bride with bowls of beautiful pure white roses, with touches of pale pink. The Rev. J. D. Northey officiated. Miss Rita Wil-liams presided at the organ, and the choir rendered choral music. The bride, who was given away by her cousin (Mr. Harry Durkin, of Adelaide) looked very charming in a frock of ivory crepe satin; the bodice designed on crossover lines, and trim-med with pearls, and two-tiered skirt, draped at the left side, and finished with a bow lined with pale pink crepe de chene, falling below the hem. The veil (which formed a train) was of pale pink silk net and silver-pointed lace arranged on a coronet of pearls, diamante, and orange blossom, with a long silver tassel on the left side. She carried a shower bouquet of deep cream roses, gladioli, pale pink carna-tions, and maidenhair fern, from which hung pale pink streamers and silver horseshoes.
The bride was attended by two bridesmaids. Miss Mavis Not-tle, of Wyoming Station, Western Australia (cousin of the bride), who was frocked in azure blue crepe de chene, with bodice of pin tucks rucked into the waist; the skirt composed of panels of tiny frills and godets of silk petal lace, which hung below the hem; the head-dress was tulle of Egyptian style, and she carried a bouquet of autumn-tinted carnations, antirrhin-ums, deep cream roses, and fern, with autumn streamers and silver horse-shoes. The second bridesmaid. Miss Una Clisby, of Walkerville, was frock-ed in lemon crepe de chene of similar design; she carried a bouquet of deep cream roses, carnations, pale blue del-phiniums, autumn leaves, and fern. Mr. Lloyd Pearce was bestman, and Mr. Malcolm Grosvenor groomsman. Prior to leaving the church Miss Flor-ence Rumbelow and little Betty Stev-ens hung silver horseshoes on the arm of the bride. At The Imperial after the ceremony immediate relatives of the bride and bridegroom assembled to wish the happy couple bon voyage on their tour to Melbourne. The bride travelled in a frock of pale green crepe marocain trimmed with ecru guipure lace, and hat to match. The bride’s mother wore a frock of cinnamon crepe de chene with tucked bodice and two-tiered flared skirt, and carried a posy of blue delphiniums, antirrhinums and maidenhair fern. Her hat of cinnamon silk crinoline straw was trimmed to tone with the frock. Mrs. Rumbelow, mother of the bridegroom, was dressed in black crepe satin with small black hat; she carried a posy of mauve shades.
Sign reads: Ruby L Rumbelow Storekeeper. Cool Drinks Sweets.
Rumbelows Fish Shop and Gallery, June 1997
Karen Rumbelow waits besides Yeltanna to get back on Peanuts the horse as Gwen Rumbelow takes a ride at 78 years old.
Fish 'n Craft
Fish 'n Craft
By Michele Parsons
It is uncommon to find an art gallery that sells fish. Or a fish shop displaying paintings and crafts.
But this art and fish combination has been working extremely well for the Rumbelow family since they introduced it.
Situated on Franklin Parade, overlooking the sea, this art gallery cum fish shop is a new twist in the 130-year sea-faring history of the Rumbelows. The venture started when Mrs. Gwen Rumbelow and her son Malin, decided to rebuild their fish processing and selling area to cope with the growing demand for fish caught by Malin Rumbelow senior.
A very large shop area was built and it was then that Mrs. Rumbelow decided to pursue her love of art and establish a gallery. A tray-load of bright red crayfish is not an unusual sight in the Rumbelows' art gallery.
'It's the funniest combination you could ever think of,' said Gwen Rumbelow.
'I had no idea that it would work so well. 'It has grown substantially in the past 12 months. Some people come into the gallery to buy a painting and leave with a crayfish and others come to buy fish and leave with a piece of pottery,' she said.
And a walk through the gallery shows a broad range of arts and crafts - enough to distract the most single-minded fish buyer.
'I think about 99 p.c. of what we have here would be made locally,' Gwen Rumbelow said.
Local potters, such as 'Flip' Hosking, Roly Ben nett and Joan Dyer, have a good cross-section of their work on display; anything from a candle holder to a piggy bank or fruit bowl.
Artists showing their work in the gallery include well-known South Coast names such as Peter Matthews, Alfred Engel, Maureen Woods, Tom Cross, Barbara Bartel and Prescott Sinclair.
Many local sea and landscapes are represented as well as pastels of Aborigine tribesmen, flower studies and several limited edition prints of Ainslie Roberts paintings.
Other crafts in the gallery range from macrame, copper enameling and leatherwork to hand made toys, candles and shell art. Malen junior makes most of the macrame with some pieces appearing both complicated and adventurous.
'With his background of sailing and sailors' knots he learnt macrame very quickly and now makes his own 'patterns and designs,' said Mrs.Rumbelow.
However, the family's talents do not stop there. Mrs. Rumbelow loves to paint and has several pieces of work in the gallery. As well as this she has a compact greenhouse in which she grows and propagates indoor plants to sell.
These include 25 varieties of ferns and a healthy looking batch of 120 African violets.
In all the Rumbelows are pleased with their twin venture. The combination of two of the South Coasts most well-known products - fish and crafts has proved an unlikely but winning duo.
The name 'Rumbelow' in Victor means 'fish'
The name 'Rumbelow' in Victor means 'fish'
Ask anyone in Victor Harbor to spell Rumbelow, and it's a wonder they dont say 'F-I-S-H'.
The Rumbelow family has been involved in fishing since coming to the area in the 1800's as one of the first pioneers of the district.
Malen Rumbelow (Ween), now 79 years old, spent over 60 years as a fisherman, following the path of his father and grandfather before him, before finally becoming a landlubber within the last couple of years. And his wife Gwen has built up a fresh fish shop business at Encounter Bay to one of the best crayfish outlets in South Australia today.
Rumbelow's Fish Shop moved into top gear on Monday for the opening of the crayfish season in the South East.
The operation, involving huge water tanks for keeping live crays, a massive refrigeration and filtering system, and a well organised kitchen for cooking, is probably the biggest in the State.
'It has come a long way from those first days when live crays were stored in crates offshore and when we cooked the crays in big copper pots,' said Gwen Rumbelow, who still looks after the shop and gallery on Franklin Parade.
35 years ago Gwen bought the shop which is now Yilki Store, and began selling a variety of goods. Her son Malen Rumbelow 5th now runs the business alongside his wife Merrie.
'And to sell fish was inevitable,' said Gwen.
Gwen, who spent her childhood in the Riverland, met the Rumbelow family during regular holidays to Victor Harbor. At that time she was attending business college in Adelaide.
'And I saw that Rumbelow boy hanging about,' she laughed.
Gwen and Malin were married in 1928. The couple settled at Encounter Bay and Gwen learned about the Rumbelow family history.
'I believe the Rumbelows were listed on the ship's log as being farmers,' she explained 'but as far as I can find out, they were fishermen in England and they certainly took up fishing when they came here.'
Gwen has a photograph of Malen's father on his three-masted sailing ship off the Bluff.
'It was taken for granted that Malen would take up fishing when he left school at 14,' said Gwen.
'But fishing was completely different in those days.'
Malen would rise at about 4am the same as all the other fishermen in the area, get in his boat and go to his nets at the Bluff.
'During the mullet season, they would sit on the Bluff watching for the fish coming in. But you dont get them coming in today in their hundreds as you did then,' Gwen pointed out.
'I personally feel the drop is something to do with interfering with the river flows at the barrages.'
Gwen recalls that during the Depression years, a Mr Davis used to come to the Bluff on pushbike and buy the fish to take into Victor Harbor. Gwen began to use her business skills when she took on the general store.
'It was during the war years, and a lot of Air Force boys were staying at Mount Breckan,' said Gwen.
'Victor Harbor was thriving, and I thought there was a possibility the shop would be a success.'
Gwen sold cool drinks, sweets, groceries and fish. There was no ice cream sold in those days, before refrigeration.
'I was determined if I was going to sell fish, I would do it properly,' said Gwen.
'So I got hold of some ice boxes instead of the drip safes which had been used up to then.
Gwen later sold the store and bought the little cottage next door, where Rumbelows Fish Shop and Gallery now stands.
'I brought the fish business over here,' said Gwen, 'using the verandah on the front.'
"In those days, we used to keep the crayfish in crates anchored in the pools offshore.
"During the day, I would go down to the boat and go out to the crates to get crays to sell.
'Often the customers would come with me.'
Gwen commented "Imagine trying to do that today."
When Gwen started cooking crays, she used a big copper pot.
'I could see how popular the cooked crays were, especially with the Air Force boys and their wives,' said Gwen, once again using her astute business mind. This week there are no copper pots.
'We will go to the South East in refrigeration vans to collect crays," said Gwen.
'That is a great advancement to the old days.
'Malen's father used to store the fish in wet seaweed.
"And Malen used to store the fish in layers of ice.
"Now the refrigerated vans are here.'
The crayfish season begins in the Victor Harbor area in November.
Rumbelows supplies many local hotels, and cooked crays go to Adelaide, where the Rumbelow's have opened another shop. This is a move taken by Gwen's son Malen, who joined the family business about six years ago, after 21 year in banking. He has also bought back the Yilki Store next door.
Malen senior was never interested in the business aspect .
'He was a fisherman all his life,' said Gwen.
'Now he has sold his nets, his boat and his fishing licence.'
She commented : 'He and his brother Lionel used to supply me with some beautiful fish."
And Gwen still serves in the shop where she has installed a small gallery of the work of her 'painting cobbers'.
Victor artist attends international congress
Victor artist attends international congress
Victor Harbor: Well-known artist Nan Hodge has just returned to Victor Harbor after attending an international congress on arts and communications at Queens College, Cambridge.
She was among about 300 people — including 15 delegates from all Australian States — invited to attend the event, organised by the International Biographical Association. A total of 40 countries and six continents were represented at the week-long congress, which had as its theme, 'communicating with other countries.' Nan Hodge took with her a painting of Australian wildflowers, which was sold, and also a letter of address and other information from the Mayor of Victor Harbor, Mr. Allenby Parsons. The letter was read to the congress and along with the other imformation was handed to Dr. Ernest Kay, director general of the
congress and the International Biographical Centre. A former art teacher and artist painting still life and landscapes in water colors, acrylics, and oils but probably best known for her wildf lower paintings, Nan Hodge said the congress involved a broad aspect of the arts — everything to do with all facets of the art world. Her attendance at the congress followed an invitation from the International Biographical Centre to be included in the Who's Who of the Commonwealth, and also an International Register of Profiles and Who's Who of Women, both still to be published. Nan Hodge, who is now a member of the International Biographical Association, was accompanied on her overseas trip by Dorothy Tilbrook and Gwen Rumbelow, also of Victor Harbor. In all, they were overseas for about eight weeks.
The Rotary Victor Harbor Annual Art Show is a standout event that keeps growing stronger and more popular each year. In 2027, we’ll celebrate our 48th Art Show, an integral part of Victor Harbor’s cultural landscape that locals and visitors eagerly anticipate.
As Australia’s largest outdoor art exhibition, our show continues to set new benchmarks. Last year, we saw over 10,000 attendees across eight days, with artwork sales exceeding $300,000. Guests enjoyed an impressive collection of over 1,300 paintings and sculptures, making it a must-see event for art enthusiasts from near and far.
Given names STANLEY MALEN
Cemetery name Victor Harbor
Cemetery section GENERAL
Grave row ROW 29
Plot 3274
Date of death 26/01/1985
Date of burial 30/01/1985
Type of interment Burial
Permit number 462
Burial number 1486
Times (Victor Harbor, SA : 1987 - 1999), Tuesday 28 March 1995, page 21
Rumbelow, Gweneth Hilda (Gwen) Of Reynella Lodge Nursing Home, formerly of Encounter Bay. On March 26, 1995. Dearly loved wife of the late Stanley Malen (Ween), loved mother and mother-in-law of Malen and Meredith. Loved nanna of Elizabeth, Karen and Kym.
Aged 84 years At rest
THE RELATIVES AND FRIENDS of the late Mrs Gweneth Hilda (Gwen) Rumbelow are respectfully advised that her Funeral will leave from the Yilki Uniting Church, Giles Street, Victor Harbor on Wednesday March 29, 1995 after a Service commencing at 11am for the Victor Harbor Cemetery. If preferred, in lieu of floral tributes a dona-tion to the Anti Cancer Foundation, Box 929, Unley, 5061 or the Blind Welfare As-sociation of S.A. Inc, 592 North East Road, Holden Hill, would be appreciated. Pengelley & Knabe Est 1865 A.F.D.A. Adelaide, Stirling Victor Harbor (085) 52 1061
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