1. William George Kett's birth certificate, No. 21727, shows his father's occupation as grazier. His father's death certificate, No. 2555, gives his occupation as optician. Sands and McDougall's Melbourne Directories list him as a photographic materials supplier at 263 Little Collins St Melbourne from 1898. Wise's Victorian Post Office Directory 1888–1894 show that WT Kett was also a post master, a commission agent and a gold broker in Warburton, Victoria, between 1888 and 1897.
I am grateful to Kaye Cole who kindly used her genealogical skills to research William Kett's family background.
2. Pioneer Index to NSW Births, Deaths and Marriages
1788–1888.
3. Alan Isaacs, a Victorian optometrist who later studied medicine and ophthalmology, tells the story of how his uncle John Langley studied optometry with van Heems.
Van Heems arranged for an American organisation to provide a certificate of Doctor of Optics on completion of his course. Langley was issued with a Doctor of Divinity certificate by mistake. Having studied optometry and being Jewish, this certificate did not have much value for him and he asked for the correct certificate. He was told this could be issued on a further payment and that he could keep the Doctorate of Divinity.
4. Francis Foy was probably the eldest son of Mark Foy, an Irishman who came to Australia about 1858 and who set up drapery stores in Castlemaine and Bendigo in Victoria.
He then established the Foy and Gibson emporium in Melbourne and in 1885 Mark Foy's emporium in Sydney. Francis Foy was a director of Mark Foy's.