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family story has it that Sam Millsom was at the Princess. Such is the reliability of
A born in a tent on the Ballarat goldfields family stories!
– probably at Buninyong, where his father
Thomas was recorded as a miner in the 1855 Official credits for the plaster decoration at
census. But the public record suggests he Jim returned to the business as the main the Capitol list another firm. But CATHS
was born in Geelong in 1854, a year after the modeler and was joined by the other Research Group Convenor Ian Smith also
family had arrived from Bristol. The family brothers. spoke with George Millsom of another branch
already had four sons and two daughters of the family who recalled a visit to the Capitol
when they arrived but both girls died at Later again their own sons joined the firm, as a child. His father pointed to the famous
Geelong in 1854. with the family either working in the factory ceiling and said, “Your uncle did that.”
or out “on-the-job”.
By 1858 the family had moved to Melbourne Ian has noted the similarity of the plaster
where Thomas and his older sons were decoration at the Princess Theatre and the
working in their trade of cabinet making. Thornbury Regent as at least supporting
the firm’s involvement at the Princess.
From about 1862 Thomas and family were Family lore also credits them with work at
living in Fitzroy. Also living in nearby the Melbourne Athenaeum, Manchester
Collingwood were Michael Waugh and his Unity Building, State (Forum) and Regent
brother-in-law William Hastie who together theatres in the city, the Palais Theatre at
carried on their trade of plastering and St.Kilda and a theatre at Northcote.
modelling from the basement of the Foresters
Hall, which still stands in Smith Street. Sam Jnr. returned to the firm after six years at The idea of building his own Regent can
the Gallery when his father, now in ill-health, probably be attributed to Sam Snr, but for most
Now, did Sam start working for the pair and began the hand-over to his sons. In 1910, the of the period of construction, he would have
then married Michael’s daughter Jessie, or firm became S. Millsom and Sons.A flair for been too ill to have much involvement. So
did he start courting Jessie and was then being artistic and inventive can also come with much of the credit must go to the whole band,
introduced to plastering? Whichever, Sam other traits. The sons often had differences of led by Sam Jnr and Jim as joint managers.
and Jessie married in 1874. In 1885 Sam and opinion at work, inflamed by practical jokes
Jessie had moved to North Fitzroy – Sam had and family tensions. On occasions the non- All of Sam and Jessie’s sons had their
probably started his own plaster business at family workers at the factory had to break-up father’s inventive streak, but none more so
that stage, and by 1891 Sam is recorded as fights and even call the police. than Willy. He tried his hand at making
running a much larger business there. cricket balls (unsuccessful due to uneven
With the boom in picture-theatres before bounce), Weeties (successful) and converting
The Millsoms were an inventive bunch and and after World War 1, the company became cars to run on coal gas in World War II – a
Sam’s brothers branched out from cabinet involved in the decoration of theatres and newspaper report said he was able to tour
making into new lines making mantle-pieces major buildings. Victoria on one bag of coal.
and furniture. At his premises at Scotchmer
Street, North Fitzroy, Sam had expanded the Family tradition is that they did the plaster Both Sam and Lionel built holiday homes at
plastering and modeling to pressed concrete decoration for Melbourne’s Capitol Theatre McCrae with second-hand materials and left-
work, advertising that he had the largest in Swanston Street and the Princess in over timber. Sam was known for adding-on
range of concrete ornaments in Victoria. Spring Street. to his house, never quite finishing it. Their
Later again, stained glass windows became brains were always well ahead of their hands.
a specialty, probably as an adjunct to plaster There is a story that whilst working high on the With these men on the job, it is not surprising
work in churches. scaffolding, one of the workers lost his dentures that some people had reservations about the
which shattered on the floor below. The worker Regent Thornbury. H
Sam and Jessie started their family with sons said “They were bloody awful teeth anyway”!
Sam Jnr. in 1875 and Jim in 1876. Another My mother said this happened at the Capitol,
three sons and four daughters followed. my aunt Gene (Sam’s daughter) says it happened Ren Millsom is a grandson of Sam Millsom Jnr.
Being inventive and with a growing family,
Sam set a family tradition of often using
second-hand materials.
To build a new home in Thornbury, the
family tradition is that they contracted to
dismantle one of the ornamental arches on
Princes Bridge, built to welcome the Duke
and Duchess of York in 1901, then recycled
the timber into their house.
Sam Jnr. and Jim attended the National
Gallery Art School in the 1890s to learn
figure modelling, at the time when it was led
by Frederick McCubbin.

The Millsom factory team c1923. Three brothers are in the photo. At the rear, Jim, the jointfactory manager stands beside Eric (in dustcoat).
Lionel stands between the men smoking pipes.Lionel would later become the company secretary. Image: Ren Millsom

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