My Abatte runabout Cassata

[bootlegger]

I have owned my runabout Cassata since 1998 and in that time ive tried to find the history of my boat and any old pics out there.
After all this time I have come uo with a scant history of its past and not much more.
Thanks to facebook of all things I stumbled on the Tullio Abatte group.
I sent some pics and within a few days Mr Abatte himself contacted me. He confirmed the Nicholas family bought the boat new off him in 1960.
He said a total of 40 hulls were built to special order for their customers.
The 318 was the engine fitted and delivered.
Its nice to confirm the past of this boat. IT woukd be great to have a contact to this well known victorian family o try and fill in some more gaps.

[Greg]

Good news Dave. I can't believe you have had that boat so long. It seems only a few years ago you acquired it.

[bootlegger]

Yeah greg. Time flies. You had hair back then also.

[Greg]

And a memory

[bootlegger]

[piquet95971]

A bit of info on the Nicholas family

Alfred Nicholas and his brother (not sure of his name) were chemists in Malvern before WW1.
Before WW1 Bayer Pharmaceuticals were the only manufacturers of Aspirin.

Bayer are/were a German company, so when the war started the supply of Aspirin stopped. It was one of the early pain relievers. So the race was on to get the product for the Allied Forces.

It would seem that the ingredients were known but getting it stable was the secret. The Nicholas's' were the first to get the Aspirin stable. As a reward they were give exclusive rights to manufacture Aspirin for the entire British empire/ Commonwealth for something like 60 years. Now that is all the pink bits on the world map, think India, Canada, Australia, NZ, Sth Africa and lots off the African countries. Now that's a lot of aspirin. The British Government also set up a manufacturing plant in England during WW1.

They made a heck of a lot of money. So much money that the mansions they built in Melbourne are legendary. One was in St George's rd Toorak a country mansion in Mt Macedon, another called Burnam Beeches in the Dandenongs anda beach mansion in Point Lonsdale.

Burnam Beeches reputedly cost £250,000 to build, with another £350,000 for the grounds. When BB was put on the national trust register it was sited as being one of the best Art Deco privately owned properties in Australia. Many of the trees on the property are on the National Register as well. I have worked at the property when it was being restored and it is just magnificent.

There is a wing at Methodist Ladies College named after the Nicholas Family and the school still gets Scholarship funds from the family. There a lot of other buildings around Melbourne with endowments from the Nicholas family including Melbourne Uni.
In the words of one person "it's old money"

So that's a potted history, so no wonder they could afford the type of boat that Dave has in the shed. It all adds to the provenance of the boat, probably adds a bit to the value as well!
Cheers
Peter

[bootlegger]

So tell me this. They are one of the most well known families in victoria. How come I cant get in contact with any of them? Are they that secretive. Surely there must be somebody in the family that remembers their family boat.

[piquet95971]

I will see what I am able to do.
One of the board members at MLC where my daughter went to school is a family member of the Nicholas'. I may be able to contact her. I can only try.
Alfred Nicholas grandson was caught with sme drugs not aspirin at aone stage and went to the slammer for a while.

They always have been a fairly private family.

[bootlegger]

thanks. there must be some family pics out there. im sure they could afford a camera.

[bootlegger]

Any news on a contact for the family?