Silver Mushrooms

 Sure, being immersed into MUSHROOMS there has to be a SILVER ONE!

This is my personal collection on a Le Jacquard Français placemat...

Gold plated silver earrings in the shape of a mushroom; a silver charm with its lamellae beautifully worked in and a silver plated salt & pepper set.

Uploaded by the ISMS from the Mushroom Journal September 1978 ←(click link) is this on page 292

A solid silver mushroom charm, specially designed for the MGA (Mushroom Growers' Association) in connection with the Woman's Own competition. 

Silver-plated salt and pepper pots are also included.

The charm weighs a quarter of an ounce.

Placed these silver mushroom treasures on top of two lovely Mushroom Cookbooks

To the left you find The Mushroom Cookbook ←click link

To the right MUSHROOMS A Book of Recipes (Cooking with)  ←click link

A bit closer for showing these treasures...

Again a different angle

Showing the top of the silver charm, with its ring for allowing the necklace to go through

Detail of the made in Italy Salt & Pepper set

And once more now with the silver charm being turned around...

Do any of you have Silver Mushrooms?

John Miller, OAM was a Longtime Mushroom Friend of husband Pieter

 Photo below shows a happy John Miller, OAM on his 90th Birthday!

Heavy hearts in Hawkesbury after passing of John Miller ←click link

There is a mention also of him starting in 1955 to farm orchard fruit and vegetables. But the following years, seven floods devastated the farm "with all our crops washed away: and he moved to higher ground in the Hills to begin growing mushrooms.

Active in the Australian Mushroom Growers Association (AMGA), Mr Miller promoted the use of locally grown mushrooms and worked to unite farmers across the country. He was also instrumental in establishing a research facility at Rydalmere to improve productivity of local farms as chief executive of the association in the 1970s, and travelled to France in 1978 as part of Australia's successful bid to host the 1981 international (mushroom) farmer's conference. (ISMS = International Society for Mushroom Science)

"Five hundred leading mushroom growers and research scientists from all over the world came to Australia to teach us the latest technology," he said.

~

The ISMS uploaded the AMGA issue 1 of 2021

Below is page 29...

Vale (Farewell): John Miller

The mushroom industry has lost one of its most significant and distinguished leaders, with the passing of John Miller, OAM, at the age of 91. 

John was an Icon of the industry and was often referred to as "Mr Mushroom". He first took on the honorary position of Public Relations and Promotions Officer at the AMGA in 1969, and in 1973 was appointed to the permanent position of General Manager.

In his final General Manager's report in 1991/92, his commitment to the industry is more than evident. 

The AMGA office was run from our own home to keep overheads down. Beryl handled all phone enquiries besides is running around promoting"fresh mushrooms"and fighting the many mushroom industry problems that kept arising. Making sure mushrooms were ordered from farms for me to deliver to home economists, cookery editors and photographers.

Checked recipes for our leaflets to go into shops, monitored the press clipping service and consumer requests. Beryl's behind-the-scenes support has been a major contributing factor, for which I'm most grateful, in maintaining the service required by this industry.

John promoted the use of locally grown mushrooms and worked to unite farmers across the country. He was instrumental in establishing a research facility at Rydalmere to improve productivity of local farms, and commanded support and loyalty from the AMGA membership – which reflected not only in the growth of the Industry but also the ability of the Industry to manage that growth.

John was a life honorary member of the AMGA, and he will be remembered not only for his intellectual contributions, but also for his kindness and the welcoming personality that the extended to everyone.

In addition to his mushroom industry activities, John was a proud regional ambassador for the Hawkesbury area. He served as the chief warden for the Hawkesbury State Emergency Service, establishing an early flood warning system for the region. He also served as the social secretary of the Hawkesbury Historical Society and was declared an Ambassador for the Hawkesbury for his passion in promoting the rich heritage of the area.

A report in the local Hawkesbury Gazette also credits him as a driving force behind a third river crossing from Richmond to North Richmond, as well as being an advocate for the construction of a Centre for Excellence in aged in dementia care for Hawkesbury's aging population.

In 2018 he received an Order of Australia medal for his services to the community.

A loving family man, and valued colleague—we will miss him.

On the side is being mentioned his book, shown below:

Miller, John: Reminiscences of a Fun'gi: The Story of a Community that Mushroomed [Fungi] ←click link

What a wonderful job, here the true John Miller as a historian shines through...

A great writer and heritage preserver!

This picture shows also the open-air mushroom growing like in my previous post: Open-Air Mushroom Growing in South Sweden ←click link

~

So happy that we reconnected in time again and hearing from John & Beryl.

A very warm email letter we received on March 26, 2018

John even writes a kind of mushroom editorial review for Pieter: We have fond memories of your visits to Australia, and the great breath of fresh air you brought with you, to improve our out of date mushroom cultural techniques in this country. It was the start of a revolution in making us more efficient and competitive.

Our Australian mushroom growers will be eternally grateful for the great contribution you made in initially opening many new doors for us in the World of Mushroom Culture, and your leadership at the Dutch school in Horst, Holland, which many Australians have attended.

~

What a treasure for having received this in a timely manner...

Also, John & Beryl got all my Australia posts sent to them to read; feels so good.

R.I.P. dear friend and we keep forever fond memories of you both!

Beryl, no doubt is one half of another Blissful Relationship, may she find the strength for going on without her loving husband/partner...

Related links:

Trips to Australia | invitation from John Miller to have Pieter as guest lecturer in 1976 Short Course

Husband Pieter's 2nd and 3rd Trip to Australia | previous post about above mentioned 1981 ISMS Congress

Darling Harbour Cruise in Sydney for Surprise Birthday Party | photos and card from John & Beryl Miller

Our Australia Adventure of Escaping the Flooded Hawkesbury River via ONLY Bridge NOT UNDER WATER... | previous post

Our Australia Adventure of Escaping Flooded Hawkesbury River area via ONLY Bridge NOT UNDER WATER...

After finishing our work for Campbell Soup's mushroom farm in Australia, we flew from Melbourne to Sydney, where our mushroom friends picked us up. 

We stayed with our Mushroom related Australian friends in their newly built home on the rocks, overlooking the Hawkesbury River...

The dark rooftop in the form of a cross more or less, is where we were staying...

We had previously spent the day in Sydney and they took us to Centre Point, Captain Cook Luncheon Cruise & Opera House, see post about it below.

Next day on July 3, 1988 we went to the BLUE MOUNTAINS with Hawkesbury Valley Heritage Tours.

Visited the Katoomba & Jenolan Caves, all arranged and carried out by our great Mushroom friends! Again you find those two previous posts below...

July 4: We enjoyed a dinner together with 58 mushroom farmers + spouses. John Miller had organized that.

It was almost overwhelming... 

July 5, on Tuesday I devoted my time to giving harvesting training while Pieter met with 3 compost makers. A relaxed evening at home with our friends, watching the movie of The Man From Snowy River.

July 6, Wednesday we got an urgent wakeup call with the mention: HURRY! We must leave NOW—look out of the window and you know WHY!!! We heard and saw a foaming and roaring river; already 3 m (9.84 ft) above bridgelevel! 

A large flood of the Hawkesbury River.

We hurried packing up and grabbed a bite and started our journey north through the mountains, for reaching the ONLY high enough bridge to cross this Hawkesbury River Monster, then going South to the Sydney airport for our flight back to San Francisco, USA on Qantas Airlines...

Our friends still had to drive home and IF LUCKY, could cross back over the river!

We all were fortunate that no fallen trees were blocking the road...

The place our mushroom friends lived was Ebenezer and you can see the Hawkesbury River winding like a snake through the mountains...

We arrived at Sydney airport around noon for our 14:00 o'clock flight. 

What an adventure, I was so car sick from the windy road through the mountains at a rather high speed, since our friends had to make it back again for reaching home themselves!

After vomiting and not much eating, we arrived in 13 hours + 25 minutes non-stop in San Francisco with tailwind.

Our suitcases did not arrive... and we drove home and got there around 22:00 o'clock with 14 hours time difference!

On July 7, our suitcases got delivered by 18:00 o'clock...

A most memorable trip home!

~ 

It will flood again ← short 5.59 min. video

Five of the 10 largest floods since the record flood of 1867 have occurred since Warragamba Dam was completed in 1960. The last major flood was in 1990.

One of those 10 was the one we dealt with in 1988...

The Monster Hawkesbury River got 12.2 m (40 feet) above normal...

It can be so devastating...!

February 17, 2013 in the Sydney Morning Herald

Pushing for Warragamba solution, flood protection campaigner John Miller in Windsor. Photo: Jacky Ghossein ←click link

Our mushroom friend John Miller has always been so active in fighting the flooding!

February 16, 2018 in the Hawkesbury Gazette

New proposal for river crossing ←click link

Second crossing: John Miller and floodplain committee member Maurie Smith on the corner of Kurrajong and Chapel Roads, Richmond, where there has been a proposal for a second bridge. Picture: Geoff Jones.

John Miller received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his exceptional contributions!

Hawkesbury Ambassador now an OAM: John Miller named in Queen's Birthday Honours ←click link

In 1986 John Miller had become the Hawkesbury State Emergency Service chief warden, enlisting 250 others with local knowledge to establish an early flood warning network.

Of course, Mr Miller was also well known as a driving force behind a third river crossing from Richmond to North Richmond...

John Miller was very active in this and surely deserved receiving this OAM!

Both of us owe John Miller the idea of also installing a quiet bathroom heater fan with lights! We got 3 installed and LOVE this 'warming' luxury during the cold season.

Having to travel all the way down under for learning about that! 

Related links:

Sydney Centre Point Tower, Captain Cook Luncheon Cruise & Opera House | previous post about great time spent with friends

With Hawkesbury Valley Heritage Tours to the BLUE MOUNTAINS Australia | previous post about great time spent with friends 

Katoomba & Jenolan Caves, Blue Mountains Australia | previous post about great time spent with friends