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Duldig Studio museum + sculpture garden
Ceramic, Karl Duldig, Gumnut Bowl by Karl Duldig c.1948, c. 1948
Karl Duldig’s ceramic bowl is a particularly interesting example of Karl’s ability to creatively respond to a new environment with a fresh visual repertoire, in this case, the flowering Eucalyptus in a design reminiscent of traditional European folk art. The bowl is an excellent example of the utilitarian and decorative studio pottery produced by Karl and his wife Slawa Horowitz-Duldig between 1944 and 1960. Clay was an important medium for Karl. When he was forced to flee Austria for Switzerland, working with clay became a convenient medium; and he continued to expand his use of clay in Singapore. In Australia his work in clay extended from domestic hand-made pottery to public sculptures and architectural reliefs. In 1944 Duldig purchased a kiln, which was installed in the garage of the family’s St. Kilda flat, soon after a pottery wheel was acquired. It was the beginning of a cottage industry that supplemented the family income during the war years and beyond. Duldig initially sold his decorative ceramic wares through a local florist in St. Kilda, and subsequently through shops such as the Chez Nous French Art Shop (Howey Place) and Light and Shade (Royal Arcade), and the Primrose Pottery shop in Collins Street. The Primrose Pottery shop was an extremely important commercial outlet, and hub, for emerging artists, potters and designers from 1929 until 1974. Its proprietors Edith and Betty MacMillan worked closely with their suppliers, commissioning and taking items on consignment. In the post war period important Melbourne studio potters such as Allan Lowe, Arthur Boyd, John Perceval and Neil Douglas exhibited and sold domestic wares in the Primrose Pottery shop. The Duldigs studio pottery provides a counterpoint to the ceramics produced at Arthur Merric Boyd Pottery in Murrumbeena, which was established in 1944 by Arthur Boyd, John Perceval and Peter Herbst. The emphasis on painterly decoration was important and the AMB potters also produced simple household wares decorated with Australian flora and wildlife, for example Neil Douglas also made small bowls decorated with the fairy wrens, lyrebirds, gumnuts and eucalypts. Ann Carew 2016The Duldig Studio’s collection of ceramics has national aesthetic and historic significance. It contains a representative sample of works of art in ceramics created by Karl Duldig during his lifetime, including small sculptures, as well as functional and novelty items for the tourist market during the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games. The artist’s working methods and the development of his practice are comprehensively demonstrated in the collection. This in-situ collection demonstrates the philosophy of the Vienna Secession and its inheritors that handcrafted, simple functional domestic wares might enrich both the lives of the maker and the user. This bowl is part of a collection of ceramics that has national historic significance in providing a rich illustration of an immigrant and artistic experience, and touching on the themes of settlement adaptation of artistic practice. The collection is also associated with places of cultural and historical significance in Melbourne such as the Primrose Pottery Shop, and the story of Australian studio ceramics in the post-war years. Ann Carew 2016Cream earthenware bowl with flowering gum motif and sponged green background.Duldig in script incised under. -
Whitehorse Historical Society Inc.
Article, Fine art to bricks & Brick maker put the roof on St Pauls, 1993
Daniel Robertson Australia Pty Ltd, manufacturers of clay bricks, pavers and paving tiles.Daniel Robertson Australia Pty Ltd, manufacturers of clay bricks, pavers and paving tiles. Company founded in 1853 and still family owned, exports paving tiles to Japan. Describes use of 'Hawthorn Bricks' and tuckpointing..Daniel Robertson Australia Pty Ltd, manufacturers of clay bricks, pavers and paving tiles. brickworks, daniel robertson australia pty ltd, robertson, peter, hawthorn bricks -
Whitehorse Historical Society Inc.
Article, Family heritage is set in clay, 1995
Nunawading Historical Society have Geoffrey Walker, grandson of Edgar walker, originator of Australian Brick and Tessellated Tile Co to speak at their meeting during the Heritage Festival.Nunawading Historical Society have Geoffrey Walker, grandson of Edgar walker, originator of Australian Brick and Tessellated Tile Co to speak at their meeting during the Heritage Festival. The article tells the interesting history of this family owned business.Nunawading Historical Society have Geoffrey Walker, grandson of Edgar walker, originator of Australian Brick and Tessellated Tile Co to speak at their meeting during the Heritage Festival.tile factories, australian brick and tessellated tile co., walker, edgar edwardes, geoffrey -
Whitehorse Historical Society Inc.
Newspaper, Family heritage is set in clay, 1/03/1995 12:00:00 AM
Mr Geoffrey Walker to speak about the Walker Family and Australian Tesselated Tile company, Mitcham. Cutting from Nunawading gazette, 29/3/1995heritage festivals, australian tesselated tile co. pty ltd, nunawading, walker family, wiseman family -
Whitehorse Historical Society Inc.
Craft - Framed embroidered sampler, 04/03/1831
Came from Glen Waverley, family home of donor Melva Horne nee RichardsonFramed embroidered sampler dated 1831. Worked by Sarah Ann Gauntless, aged 6 Triumph over death And must this body die? This mortal frame decay? And must these active limbs of mine lie mouldering in the clay? March 4 1831As abovesampler, biblical motifs, sarah ann gauntless, children's needlework, embroidery -
Rutherglen Historical Society
Microfiche, Corporation of the President of the of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Family Register Index, 1987
Identity the families registered with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saintssmall sheet of film Alphabetical Index HOLT - HENRY CLAY Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saintsfamily, register, alphabetical -
Surrey Hills Historical Society Collection
Book, Papers read before the Box Hill City Historical Society and some research notes Vol. IV 1974 - 1975, 1975
... , the clay industry, memories of Surrey Hills, the Brewer family, Box ...A collection of papers presented to the Box Hill Historical Society as talks, covering medical care, the clay industry, memories of Surrey Hills, the Brewer family, Box Hill Post Office, the sim family, tennis clubs, Girl Guides, Shire of Nunawading, Iris Roderick and the Bovill's of Balwyn. Deepdene crescent outer circle railway A collection of papers presented to the Box Hill Historical Society as talks, covering medical care, the clay industry, memories of Surry Hills, the Brewer family, Box Hill Post Office, the sim family, tennis clubs, Girl Guides, Shire of Nunawading, Iris Roderick and the Bovill's of Balwyn.box hill city historical society, (ms) iris roderick, bovills of balwyn, box hill, girl guides, tennis clubs, sport, surrey hills rose society, (mr) james henry simpson, beatrice avenue, (mr) james allan, (mr) thomas hogg, box hill post office, brewer family, surrey hills, clay industry, health services, (mr) john k blogg, (miss) kitty mcewan, empire day, festivals and celebrations, albany crescent, fires, 1935, box hill medical centre, (dr) (mr)john de la roche bragge, vaughan, alfred purdue (dr) (mr), (dr) (mr) walter joseph craig, fairbank hospital, (dr) b.n. gandevia -
Surrey Hills Historical Society Collection
Book, Papers read before the Box Hill City Historical Society and some research notes Vol. IV 1974 - 1975, 1975
... , the clay industry, memories of Surry Hills, the Brewer family, Box ...A collection of papers presented to the Box Hill Historical Society as talks, covering medical care, the clay industry, memories of Surry Hills, the Brewer family, Box Hill Post Office, the Sim family, tennis clubs, Girl Guides, Shire of Nunawading, Iris Roderick and the Bovill's of Balwyn.A collection of papers presented to the Box Hill Historical Society as talks, covering medical care, the clay industry, memories of Surry Hills, the Brewer family, Box Hill Post Office, the Sim family, tennis clubs, Girl Guides, Shire of Nunawading, Iris Roderick and the Bovill's of Balwyn.Title page: Alan Holtbox hill city historical society, (ms) iris roderick, bovills of balwyn, box hill, girl guides, tennis clubs, sport, surrey hills rose society, (mr) james henry simpson, beatrice avenue, (mr) james allan, (mr) thomas hogg, box hill post office, brewer family, surrey hills, clay industry, health services, (mr) john k blogg, (miss)kitty mcewan, empire day, festivals and celebrations, albany crescent, fires, 1935, box hill medical centre, (dr) (mr) john de la roche bragge, (dr) (mr) alfred purdue vaughan, (dr) (mr) walter joseph craig, fairbank hospital, (dr) b n gandevia, windsor crescent, deepdene outer circle railway -
Federation University Art Collection
Artwork - Ceramics, Ceramic Containers by Ailsa Adern, c1950
Ailsa ADERN (1918-2006) Born New Zealand Arrived Melbourne 1942 Elsa Ardern arrived in Melbourne in 1942 to earn money for a trip to the United Kingdon. After marrying she settled at Warrandyte. In 1954, after her two children started school, Adern studied Pottery at Melbourne Technical College under John Bernard Knight. In 1961 she joined the Potters' Cottage at Warrandyte with friends Sylvia Halpern and Kate Janeba. She worked from a studio under the family home, exhibiting at the cottage and also through the Victorian Ceramic Group when it was set up in 1969. In 1980 she established a workshop at Tathra on the far south coast of NSW, sharing her time between Tathra and Warrandyte for the next 25 years. Amongst the work made at Tathra were some very large pieces which she fired in the Stafford Brothers' wood-fired brick-kiln at Kalaru. Part of the clay for these came from the Staffords' clay-pits. With Sylvia Halpern and Gus McLaren Ailsa Asern celebrated her long association with the Potters' Cottage by exhibiting in its 45th anniversary exhibition in 2003. 2. Her works are signed with an incised 'Elsa Ardern' or 'EA'.Two thrown and handworked 'bottles' featuring verticle ridges on the edge of each form. Her pots are valued for their strong form , ed by her characteristically subtle wood-ash glazes. ceramics, ailsa adern, pottery -
Federation University Art Collection
Artwork - Ceramics, Ceramic Forms by Elsa Adern
Elsa ADERN (1918-2006) Born New Zealand Arrived Melbourne 1942 Elsa Ardern was living at Warrandyte in 1954 when she started studying pottery under John Bernard Knight at the Melbourne Technical College. In 1961 she was a founding member of Potters' Cottage at Warrandyte with friends Sylvia Halpern and Kate Janeba. She worked from a studio under the family home, exhibiting at the cottage and also through the Victorian Ceramic Group when it was set up in 1969. In 1980 she established a workshop at Tathra on the far south coast of NSW, sharing her time between Tathra and Warrandyte for the next 25 years. Amongst the work made at Tathra were some very large pieces which she fired in the Stafford Brothers' wood-fired brick-kiln at Kalaru. Part of the clay for these came from the Staffords' clay-pits. Elsa Adern is known for her strong form of her pots, enhanced by her characteristically subtle wood-ash glazes. Her works are signed with an incised 'Elsa Ardern' or 'EA'. (http://www.australianpotteryatbemboka.com.au/shop/index.php?manufacturers_id=32)available, elsa adern, available ceramics, ceramics -
Kilmore Historical Society
The Slum Cat, 1915
Children's book of short stories from the childhood collection of Monica Turner, nee Smith, descendant of early Kilmore business families, the Morrisseys and Hartnells.Brown cloth-covered hardcover book. Chequerboard design on central front cover. Spine frayed at top & bottom. Some foxing particularly front & rear pages. Previous internal hinge repair/reinforcing back & front. 135 pp. Good condition.Inside front cover, 'Elsie F. Morres'. Front flyleaf, '1/6'.children's literature, turner collection -
Wodonga & District Historical Society Inc
Domestic object - Haeusler Collection Child's Ceramic Bowl
The Wodonga Historical Society Haeusler Collection provides invaluable insight into life in late nineteenth and early twentieth century north east Victoria. The collection comprises manuscripts, personal artefacts used by the Haeusler family on their farm in Wodonga, and a set of glass negatives which offer a unique visual snapshot of the domestic and social lives of the Haeusler family and local Wodonga community. The Haeusler family migrated from Prussia (Germany) to South Australia in the 1840s and 1850s, before purchasing 100 acres of Crown Land made available under the Victorian Lands Act 1862 (also known as ‘Duffy’s Land Act’) in 1866 in what is now Wodonga West. The Haeusler family were one of several German families to migrate from South Australia to Wodonga in the 1860s. This bowl is one of several objects in the Haeusler Collection concerning early childhood that provide insight into family and home life in early twentieth century Wodonga. The Hauseler Collection bowl was manufactured by Empire Porcelain Co (Ltd) in Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, England. Empire Porcelain Co (Ltd) was established in 1896 and manufactured bone china and earthenware until the company's closure in 1967. It can be dated to the first half of the twentieth century, likely c.1910s-1920s. Staffordshire became a centre for ceramic production in the 17th century due to the local availability of pottery materials including clay, salt, lead and clay. This item has well documented provenance and a known owner. It forms part of a significant and representative historical collection which reflects the local history of Wodonga. It contributes to our understanding of domestic and family life in early twentieth century Wodonga, as well as providing interpretative capacity for themes including local history, social history, and women’s history.Child's ceramic bowl with black print. The print in the centre of the bowl features a child with a wind instrument and three dancing cats. The outer rim of the bowl features a black circular print of roosters, dogs, cats, geese, rabbits and squirrels. The bottom of the bowl is embossed with details of manufacture. "ENGLAND" is embossed on bottom of the bowl via ceramic mould/ "EP.Co Stoke on Trent" is embossed on the bottom of the bowl in black via print. tableware, haeusler collection, children, ceramic, social history, domestic, family -
City of Kingston
Photograph - Black and white, c. 1958
This photograph depicts flooding of Ozone Avenue in Beaumaris, located off Balcombe Road. Roads in the Beaumaris area lacked sufficient drains to clear surface water. In many cases streets were unsealed and without footpaths and some were dirt tracks. Gutters and road surfaces were made of clay and in the wetter months of winter, unsealed roads and tracks became impossible quagmires that were unnavigable for vehicles and pedestrians. In the first decade after World War II there was rapid expansion in construction of new houses in the suburb of Beaumaris. Utilities and infrastructure to support the growth of housing was inadequate and not provided for prior to the development of the area. Without rudimentary drainage, flooding was frequent. Storm water runoff, domestic sullage and septic tank overflow would form large pools and families were sometimes marooned within their homes. The frequent flooding caused isolation and hardship and residents endured difficulties with accessibility to facilities. These disadvantages had the potential to cause social issues for the new residents.Black and white photograph of flooding in Ozone Avenue, Beaumaris. The image shows floodwaters with boggy and rough terrain on an unsealed road with housing in the distance.Handwritten in blue ink: 2124 circled Handwritten in red ink: 80% Handwritten in blue ink on yellow Post-It note: Chap 6. underlined, 2194 Ozone Ave Beaumaris 1958beaumaris, ozone avenue, balcombe road, flooding, roads, infrastructure -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph - Digital Photograph, Alan King, Wellers Restaurant, 150 Eltham-Yarra Glen Road, Kangaroo Ground, 23 January 2008
Originally Wellers Hotel, it was constructed by Edward Weller in 1872. Following his death in 1883 it was taken over by his widow, Mary Weller. The hotel was delicensed in 1909 and converted to a private residence. Around 1920 William Pitman bought the property, succeeded by his son Vernon who coined the term Pittman's Corner. Vernon and Isabel Pitman owned the house form 1945-1973. Following Vernon's death, Isabel remained there till her death in 1983. The property was converted to a restaurant in 1984 by owners Robert and Kath Hendry who undertook extensive renovations in 1988. Shawn and Stephanie Wolfe purchased the property from the Hendrys in 2003 and introduced live entertainment with many famous bands and entertainers from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s performing there, including James Reyne, Daryl Barithwaite, Brian Cadd and Billy Thorpe. In 2014 the Wolfe's sold the property and the entire contents were sold at auction. New (local ) owners Gregory Anderson, Craig Jones and Steve Gist refurbished the property and relaunched it as Fondata 1872 in 2017. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then / Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p87 A low-lying brick building at a turn on the main road, on the way to Kangaroo Ground, was once a welcome resting place for travellers. In the late 19th century Weller’s Pub, as it was called then, provided a store and an overnight stopping place and changing post for Cobb & Co coaches. The coaches were bound for the Caledonia Goldfields, near Queenstown (now St Andrews) and the Woods Point gold mines.1 Builder Edward Weller constructed the hotel and store on three acres (1.2 ha) in 1872 and after he died in 1883, his widow, Mary, continued to run the hotel, which was delicensed in 1909. This was not the first enterprise Weller ran in the district. In about 1866, he came to Kangaroo Ground and rented a general store and nine acres (3.6 ha) of land. The store, opposite the present school, was on the site of the present store and Weller also acted as the postmaster there. Mrs Weller was born in Scotland in 1841 and came to Victoria with her parents in about 1852. After two years in Melbourne the family moved to the Caledonia Goldfields where they remained for several years during which time she married Weller. The couple subsequently had five sons and five daughters. Weller’s Pub was made of handmade bricks fired from clay dug on the property. The pub must have been a haven on hot days with its 40cm thick walls throughout. One quaint reminder of its early use is that every room except the dining room has an outside door. Inside, the pub was converted to a home with extra doors connecting the inside rooms. There is no trace of the original bar room in the present dining room, where the steps leading to the cellar were bricked in. An unusual feature is the pressed metal which lines the ceilings, yet with moulding and white paint, looks like plaster. The main road once passed the back of the building and wound up to the top of the hill through a cutting. This steep hill was known to the bullock drivers in the early days, as Salvation Hill, because they were always very glad to reach its peak. After the hotel was delicensed it was converted to a private residence and extensive renovations were made, changing much of its design from a Victorian to an Edwardian style.2 Between 1912 and 1915, Gordon Cameron, a Cobb & Co coach driver and his wife rented the former hotel. Mr Cameron was related to the parliamentarian Ewen Cameron of Pigeon Bank, Kangaroo Ground, and his wife was related to Albert Pepper who owned Pigeon Bank from 1916 to 1919, when Gordon Cameron bought it. About 1920 William Pitman bought the property, which in turn was owned by his son, Vernon, who coined the name Pitman’s Corner. He and his wife Isabel owned the house from 1945 to 1973. Then as a widow Isabel Pitman lived there until her death in 1983.3 In 1984 the property was converted to a restaurant by owners P A Tribe, a barrister, his wife Sharon, and Robert and Kath Hendry. Extensive renovations maximised the splendid views of the Dandenong Ranges and the Yarra Valley.This collection of almost 130 photos about places and people within the Shire of Nillumbik, an urban and rural municipality in Melbourne's north, contributes to an understanding of the history of the Shire. Published in 2008 immediately prior to the Black Saturday bushfires of February 7, 2009, it documents sites that were impacted, and in some cases destroyed by the fires. It includes photographs taken especially for the publication, creating a unique time capsule representing the Shire in the early 21st century. It remains the most recent comprehenesive publication devoted to the Shire's history connecting local residents to the past. nillumbik now and then (marshall-king) collection, eltham-yarra glen road, fondata 1872, kangaroo ground, wellers restaurant, billy thorpe, brian cadd, craig jones, daryl barithwaite, edward weller, gregory anderson, hotels, james reyne, kath hendry, mary weller, restaurants, robert hendry, shawn wolfe, stephanie wolfe, steve gist -
Melbourne Tram Museum
Newspaper, The Age, "Shake, rattle and roll, it'll be a fine tram party", 23/08/2000 12:00:00 AM
Newspaper clipping - titled "Shake, rattle and roll, it'll be a fine tram party", The Age 7/10/2006 about the family day to be celebrated by Yarra Trams the following day. Has a photo of a car painter painting the interior of NMETL 13. Written by Stephen Moynihan and Clay Lucas with photo cy Pat Scala. Notes the centenary of the VR Trams and NMETL.Handwritten note "Age 7 Oct. 2006 p8" and "Wed 11 Oct 2006, 100 yrs electric trams"trams, tramways, events, yarra trams, preston workshops, nmetl, centenary, 100 years of electric trams, essendon depot, vr trams -
Ballarat Heritage Services
Print - Printmaking
Shorty Jangala Robertson (c1930s-2014) Born Jila (Chilla Well). A large soakage clay pan near Yuendumu, approx 300kms north west of Alice Springs in Central Australia. He lived a nomadic with his family having virtually no contact with white people during his youth but remembers leaving Jila for Mt Theo 'to hide' from being shot. His father died at Mt Theo and then with his mother he moved to the new settlement of Yuendumu. His working life was full of adventure and he worked for different enterprises in the Alice Springs/Yuendumu area, finally settling at Yuendumu in 1967. In all of his travels and jobs over his whole working life, he escaped the growing Central Desert art movement. It was not until much later in his life that he began to paint. Shorty Jangala Robertson uses strong colour of colour to depict his Dreamings, which include Ngapa (Water), Watiyawarnu (Acacia), Yankirri (Emu) and Pamapardu (Flying Ant). He continued to live at Yuendumu with his family until his passing in 2014. Colour sugarlift acquatint of fruit bats, printed in colour inks, from multiple stencils. The work features cross hatching (rarrk).Signed with an Xaboriginal, shorty jangala robertson -
Surrey Hills Historical Society Collection
Book, The Orchards of Doncaster & Templestowe
For 100 years Doncaster-Templestowe was a major fruit producing area. The industry had a profound effect on the landscape and vegetation. Although orcharding families came from a variety of backgrounds, German families were an important sub-group.A comprehensive history of fruit growing in the Doncaster-Templestowe area between 1850s and 1950s when orchards began to be subdivided for housing. It includes B&W photos and line drawings and maps. It covers details of the varieties grown, the families involved, pests, machinery involved, markets, blacksmiths and reasons for the demise of the industry in the area.irvine green, eric collyer, doncaster-templestowe historical society, gottlieb thiele, ruffey creek, bismarck street, victoria street, thomas petty, george hislop, john whitten, john clay, august aumann, carl hanke, gottfried uebergang, waldau, max schramm, german lane, george street, john tully, henry crouch, george tortice, august zerbe, jane serpell, sidney williams, phylloxera, joseph bosisto, richard serpell, frederick thiele, w s williams, edwin lawford, james read, john finger, richard clay, ferdinand finger, leeds street, wetherby road, john russell, sarah uebergang, mary hislop, rudolph werner, john petty, archibald mclaren, john hicks, joe hicks, john smedley, william smedley, william hunter, sylvester mullens, laurie's forge, curtis hillman, anne hillman, dan harvey, calder's forge, hillman's blacksmith works, thomas serpell, gill smith, victorian fruit growers association, h g reynolds, alfred thiele, william webb, fred zerbe, mary anne clay, orchardist's coolstore, r h werner & co, j h land, orchardists and fruit cool stores association, a t petty, r read, r chivers, jack noonan, arthur ireland, jack robinson, george knee, donvale cool store, herb petty, frank petty, fred tolly, gordon white, blue moon fruit co-operative ltd, kathleen petty, peg chivers, jack russell, mathew adams, george mcgahy, edwin bullock, james hodson, edwin wilson, david corbett, edwin lowford, thomas beavis, william hanke, tom petty, edward crossman, andrew zander, carl aumann, heinrich fromhold, thomas chivers, william williams, reinhold denhert, henry finger, august furhmann, henry serpell, john ireland, frank smedley, william kent, william knee, thomas buck, henry white, gottlieb leber, alexander speers -
Port Melbourne Historical & Preservation Society
Photograph - Digital files relating to Thomas Joseph Fitzgerald & family, c.1950
Thomas Fitzgerald was a plumber and gasfitter who lived with his father (same name) at 12 Poolman St Port Melbourne. He married the donor's mother Dorothy Joyce Stone in 1952 (her family lived at 17 Poolman St) and they bought 77 Ross St Port Melbourne (corner Clay and Ross sts) The property was a former Police Station with stables at the rear. Thomas died in March 1967 leaving Dorothy (known as Joyce) with six young children. The family lived there until 1970 when the property was sold and they moved to Glen Waverley. The children all attended Graham St Primary SchoolA number of digital images; career details & copy of Plumber's Certificate.thomas josephs fitzgerald, business and traders - plumbers -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Document - Property Binder, 616 Main Road, Eltham; Plum Cottage
Plum Cottage is covered by Heritage Overelay HO256 in the Nillumbuk Planning Scheme This two-lot land holding was created as a subdivision and sold to Charles Stuart McNeil by May 1955. Sometime in the period 1955-1960, the builder-designer, John Harcourt had created a pise house on the site, straddling the two subdivision lots. The designer, John M. Harcourt was a pioneer builder in pise-de-terre and mudbrick in the Eltham Shire, Eltham being synonymous with alternative lifestyles and building practises until the onset of suburbia in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. This hipped-roof house is set high above Main Road on a V-shape plan characteristic of the Arts & Crafts style, with rammed earth or pise walls, timber joinery and a cement tiled roof. The V shape plan was used by important English and Eltham Arts & Crafts designers. The use of natural materials such as stone and timber construction is an essential part of the Arts & Crafts style and Harcourt’s work. So too is the application of the style on both the exterior and interior of the house as a holistic concept. The house adjoins the Lim Joon adobe house built and designed by Alistair Knox in the same era (HO119), thus forming a distinctive pair, both using an uncommon plan form. This house was identified in the Shire of Shire of Eltham Heritage 1992 as contributory to the Eltham Gateway Conservation Area, then proposed as an urban conservation area (now Heritage Overlay Area). Land Ownership Emily Jane Smith of 12 Woodside Street Fitzroy owned Crown Allotments 1 & 2 Sections 14, 27 by August 1918, selling to William Henry Smith of 12 Woodside Street, Nth Fitzroy May 1921. (John) James Isherwood of Main Road, Eltham owned the property by 1928 (the year of his death) with the beneficiary of his estate and next owner of this site being his widow, Minnie Maria Isherwood of Cemetery Road, Eltham. His holding in Main Road included parts of what was described in rate records as allotments1 & 2 Section E6. In the late 1930s, early 1940s her son Alfred John Isherwood was also rated for the land around this site, with the rated nett annual value varying between £2 and £5. Alfred Isherwood also lived at Main Road, Eltham with his wife Ellen: her early death at the age of 24 was reported in the Argus of 1923. Part of the Isherwood land was divided off and sold to Charles Stuart McNeil by May1955. Sometime in the period 1955-1960, the builder-designer, John Harcourt had created a pise house on the site, straddling the two subdivision lots. The house is visible on an aerial photograph from 1960s. Reputedly the house was called Plum Cottage and erected for Harcourt’s mother-in-law. A garage was added in 1959. Charles McNeil died in1971 aged 87: he was the son of Don McNeil and Margaret Arkell. Available rate records from the construction era start in the of the 1970s (1972-3) and list Mr H.C. & M/S A.V. Charity at 616 Main Road Eltham of this property with a nett annual value of $740. More recent valuer's data describes the property as lots 1 & 2 LP25668, located in the Central Riding of Eltham Shire, owned by Ann Valerie Charity and later, in 1990, by the Chincarini family. Building Description This hipped roof 11 .5 square house is set high above Main Road on a characteristic-shape plan and has rammed earth or pise walls, timber joinery and a cement tiled roof. The V-shape plan was used by Important designers such as C.F.A. Voysey (UK) who interpreted medieval domestic architecture as part of the Arts & Crafts style of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The pise walls are covered with a textured render while the cement roofing tiles are also seen in the Harcourt Hill examples. Reputedly the ceiling joists are of a deep section and span long lengths with no need for hanging beams in the roof space. The ceilings are low and panelled in main rooms with apparently Caneite soft board infill panels between the exposed ceiling beams. These are painted white but may have been stained at one time. The focus of the house is the large living area with its vast random stone fireplace. Significance Plum Cottage is significant to the locality of Eltham because: Historically: • Plum Cottage is closely associated with the important historical theme of earth construction evident in Eltham and elsewhere in the Shire since theear1y Arts & Crafts inspired creations at Penleigh Boyd's The Robins (1912, HO101) and those at Montsalvat (1934-, HO82) but more prominent from the Second War period when earth building in Eltham was promoted in national periodicals as an alternative building method that avoided the building materials shortages of that era; • The choice of the earth building technique also expresses the theme of refuge or alternative living, synonymous with Eltham in the early to mid 20th century; • as a good example of domestic architecture from John Harcourt who was the first major post Second War figure in an important phase of Eltham’s earth building development, using his characteristic Old English or Arts& Crafts style that relies in this case on the pise wall construction, pitched roof forms, exposed ceiling joists, half timbering, random stonework, and panelled internal wall finishes. Architecturally: • Plum Cottage's pise wall construction is uncommon among the early earth-walled structures in the Shire, that are mainly of adobe or mud brick, and as a building material is uncommon among the Shire’s suburban dwellings generally which are clad typically with either fired clay bricks or timber boarding. Aesthetically: • Plum Cottage is a good and well preserved example of a modern Old English or Arts & Crafts style earth-walled building in the Shire • For the proximity of the significant Lim Joon adobe house designed by Alistair Knox adjoining to the north, providing a distinctive earth wall house pair, with uncommon plan forms. Reference Heritage Assessment of Plum Cottage, 616 Main Road, Eltham; Graeme Butler & Associates 2010main road, eltham, property, houses, (john) james isherwood, alfred john isherwood, ann valerie charity, arts and crafts style, charles stuart mcneil, chincarini family, eltham gateway zone, emily jane smith, h.c. charity, heritage assessment, john harcourt, john m. harcourt, lim joon house, main road eltham, minnie maria isherwood, pise construction, plum cottage