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Melbourne Legacy
Document, History & purposes of residences
A paper which was delivered to the Legacy in Victoria Conference in 1980, detailing Melbourne Legacy's involvement in housing the children of Legacy widows since 1942. By 1950 Melbourne Legacy administered four houses - Holmbush, Stanhope, Blamey House and Harelands - and cared for approximately 100 children. The houses were designed to be as homely as possible, and each one was largely autonomous. Children, many of whom came from country Victoria, would go to their own homes during school holidays and the Christmas season. The stated objectives were to 'pass out into the world young men and women with high ideals of citizenship, who are self-reliant and self-supporting.' Also 'to provide affection, security and a future goal and essential discipline.' The country Clubs and Groups would send provisions such as preserved fruit, cheese, eggs, honey, citrus fruit, butter, and potatoes throughout the year to support the residences. Numbers of residents declined during the 70s, and in 1975 a Residences Committee recommended that Blamey House and Harelands should be closed, leaving only Stanhope in operation, the first Blamey House having closed in 1955 with Holmbush being renamed the second Blamey House. By 1980 the only remaining house was Stanhope with an average occupancy of 20. See Cat. No. 00785 for a first hand account of being a resident at Stanhope.Melbourne Legacy established residences to aid children of deceased servicemen complete their education, take further education and find employment. The document reveals details of the residences through the years. It shows the effort the Legatees invested in looking after Junior Legatees and how seriously they took this responsibility.White foolscap paper x 3 pages, with black type.Some pencilled ticks and bracketing, W.T. Lewis handwritten in blue biro on last page.residences, conference -
Wodonga & District Historical Society Inc
Financial record - Housing Commission Victoria House Purchaser's payment book, C. 1950's
... to affordable housing. It supported the development of Wodonga ...The Housing Commission of Victoria (HCV) was established by the Victorian Government in 1938 after a public campaign for housing reform. After 1942 the HCV was responsible for developing regional and outer suburban housing estates where low-income families were located in proximity to expanding population areas and post-war industries. With greater funding and a severe housing shortage, the Commission's activities greatly expanded through the late 1940s into the 1950s. They began to build larger and larger estates of housing in the suburban fringes, as well as country towns The Housing Commission was largely responsible for the development of Wodonga up to 1973 and in 1975 was said to have built one-third of all homes in Wodonga, though many of these were handed to the Army. Criticism of the bureaucratic and undemocratic nature of the Commission and scandals over corruption in relation to housing developments in Melbourne's fringe areas resulted in the disbandment of the HCV and the formation of a Ministry of Housing in 1984. The work of the Housing Commission of Victoria allowed many people in Wodonga to acquire affordable housing and pay it off over time through monthly instalments. This booklet is of local and state significance as it is evidence of the role of the Victorian Government is providing access to affordable housing. It supported the development of Wodonga and the realisation of the "Australian dream" of home ownership.A small receipt book issued by the Housing Commission of Victoria to record payments and receipts for tenants who were purchasing their home through the Housing Commission. Monthly installments allowed people to access and purchase, affordable housing. On the front cover "Housing Commission/VICTORIA/ HOUSE PURCHASER'S/ INSTALMENT/RECEIPTS"housing wodonga, housing commission of victoria, public housing wodonga -
Whitehorse Historical Society Inc.
Article, Knowles favours unit proposal, 14/03/1994 12:00:00 AM
Knowles favours unit proposalArticle in the Nunawading Gazette 14 - 3 - 1994 about the support of Rob Knowles, Aged Care and Housing Minister for the proposal to develop up to 25 units on the old Vermont Primary School site for the Vermont Elderly Peoples Homes.Knowles favours unit proposalhome units, knowles, bob, vermont primary school, no. 1022, mitcham road, vermont, canterbury road -
Royal District Nursing Service (now known as Bolton Clarke)
Photograph - Digital Image, c.1935
This digital image shows the sun roof on the Melbourne District Nursing Society After-Care Hospital, 45 Victoria Parade, Collingwood. It shows some of the children nursed at the home. Many children were nursed there long term during the Poliomyelitis epidemic in the 1930s. It also shows uniforms worn by nurses and Sisters in the 1930s. The Melbourne District Nursing Society After-Care Home was originally established to provide nurse-managed convalescent care to poor and underprivileged patients who could not look after themselves at home due to illness, or on release from hospital. Opening in 1926 following a public appeal for funds, at a cost of £27,000, the Home included maternity, children’s and adult wards as well as accommodation for Matron, twelve Sisters and four domestic staff. Many children were nursed there, some long term, during the Polio epidemic and the Society employed two School Teachers. The Society now ran two divisions, the After-Care with its own Sisters and nurses and the District division. The Society were the first in Melbourne, in early 1928, to recognize some patients leaving the After-Care, and many at home, needed further social care and they set up ‘Almoners’ from their committee to visit these patients and be intermediaries in getting them social assistance. It was late the following year before the first training of Almoners took place in Melbourne. In 1930 the Society employed a full time kindergarten teacher to visit poor children in their homes. That year the Society were pioneers in opening an Ante-Natal Clinic at the After-Care, setting a high standard with equipment, keeping records and providing leaflets with instructions in how to keep healthy during pregnancy, what complications to look for and what to do when labour commenced. In 1934 the Society were pioneers again when they opened the first Women’s Welfare Clinic, including at the time a very controversial Family Planning Clinic, the first of its kind in Australia which was opened to support women at risk following multiple and difficult pregnancies, giving advice on birth-control. At first the clinic was attended by their own patients, but then accepting patients from public hospitals until their own clinics were opened. . Major extensions in 1934 led to the After-Care 'Home' having a name change to 'Hospital'. A trained Almoner was employed in 1934 but she resigned after twelve months due to the work load. Unable to procure another due to a shortage of trained Almoners, a Social Service Officer was employed at the After-Care who successfully gained better housing from the Housing Commission for families living under unsuitable conditions. Following Government intervention, the After-Care Hospital was separated from the Melbourne District Nursing Society in 1957. The After-care Hospital continued to operate at the same address until 1985 when it became the Melbourne Geriatric Centre. This digital Image shows two nurses and two Trained nurses (Sisters) supervising convalescing children in the roof garden of the Melbourne District Nursing Society After-Care Hospital . The two nurses are with the rear children, one on the left and one on the right. Both are wearing long white aprons over their long sleeved dark grey uniforms, and both are wearing white caps over their dark hair. On the right rear, in front of a row of glass windows, the upper portion of a Sister can be seen wearing a white uniform and white veil. In the right front is another Sister who is wearing glasses and is wearing a white uniform and dark coloured cape. She is wearing a white veil over her short dark hair. There are three boys and four girls resting on cane lounges; some are reading books and one girl is holding a doll. Another boy, who is wearing a dressing gown, is sitting on a cane chair. There is a trellis and a wall of windows on the left of the image and some brick work and a wall of windows on the right hand side behind the Sisters.. Some pots with low and tall plants can be seen.A tiled hip roof of a building can be seen in the rear of the image.mdns, melbourne district nursing society, after- care hospital, nurses uniforms -
City of Kingston
Photograph - Colour, 29 January 1993
... construction of the waterways, residential housing, and supporting ...Bonbeach, Carrum and Patterson Lakes are suburbs in the City of Kingston. Bonbeach and Carrum were holiday destinations in early 20th century and over time the housing has converted to permanent residential structures. In Patterson Lakes, the area consists predominantly of newer housing developments and the tidal canal system which is accessible to many dwellings joins Port Phillip Bay.Bonbeach, Carrum and Patterson Lakes were previously part of the extensive Carrum Carrum Swamp. The area was once a source of fish and eels for the Mayone-Bulluk clan of the Bunurong people. Over time the area was drained and this allowed farming at Carrum and Bonbeach, although the area was prone to flooding. In the early 1920s and 30s the land was converted to residential dwellings. In 1973 investigations commenced nearby to Bonbeach and Carrum into the development of a unique residential area comprising canals and waterways. It was originally proposed to be known as "Gladesville". Circa 1974, the area was rezoned from rural to residential and named Patterson Lakes. Development has been continuous since the 1970s with staged construction of the waterways, residential housing, and supporting infrastructure and facilities.Laminated colour aerial photograph of the Bonbeach, Carrum and Patterson Lakes region within City of Kingston. This 1993 image includes Bonbeach High School prior to demolition, Bonbeach Primary School and Patterson River Golf Club. Sections of Patterson Lakes are not yet developed, including Rhode and Staten Islands. Long Island Point appears to be a recent development with many spare blocks and new houses under construction. The Patterson River marina is prominent and the river mouth as it meets Port Phillip Bay. The Carrum railway station is visible.Black type on white adhesive sticker: No. 6661 Black type on white adhesive sticker: 26E/6661, 29/1/93, 4.25 pm Black type on white adhesive sticker 29-1-93 Yellow circular adhesive stickerbonbeach, carrum, patterson lakes, patterson river, carrum carrum swamp, canals and waterways -
City of Kingston
Photograph - Black and white, c. 1958
... . Utilities and infrastructure to support the growth of housing ...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 -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Print - Portrait of Queen Victoria, Hoy Art Picture Framing, Original probably painted in 1887 or 1897 to commemorate 50 or 60 years on the throne
... of the poor, such as the Royal Commission on housing. She also... of the poor, such as the Royal Commission on housing. She also ...Queen Victoria was born at Kensington Palace, London, on 24 May 1819. She was the only daughter of Edward, Duke of Kent, the fourth son of George III. Her father died shortly after her birth and she became heir to the throne because the three uncles who were ahead of her in the succession - George IV, Frederick Duke of York, and William IV - had no legitimate children who survived. Warmhearted and lively, Victoria had a gift for drawing and painting; educated by a governess at home, she was a natural diarist and kept a regular journal throughout her life. On William IV's death in 1837, she became Queen at the age of 18. Queen Victoria is associated with Britain's great age of industrial expansion, economic progress and, especially, empire. At her death, it was said, Britain had a worldwide empire on which the sun never set. In the early part of her reign, she was influenced by two men: her first Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, and then her husband, Prince Albert, whom she married in 1840. Both men taught her much about how to be a ruler in a 'constitutional monarchy, in which the monarch had very few powers but could use much influence. Albert took an active interest in the arts, science, trade and industry; the project for which he is best remembered was the Great Exhibition of 1851, the profits from which helped to establish the South Kensington museums complex in London. Her marriage to Prince Albert produced nine children between 1840 and 1857. Most of her children married into other Royal families in Europe. Edward VII (born 1841), married Alexandra, daughter of Christian IX of Denmark. Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (born 1844) married Marie of Russia. Arthur, Duke of Connaught (born 1850) married Louise Margaret of Prussia. Leopold, Duke of Albany (born 1853) married Helen of Waldeck-Pyrmont. Victoria, Princess Royal (born 1840) married Friedrich III, German Emperor. Alice (born 1843) married Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. Helena (born 1846) married Christian of Schleswig-Holstein. Louise (born 1848) married John Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll. Beatrice (born 1857) married Henry of Battenberg. Victoria bought Osborne House (later presented to the nation by Edward VII) on the Isle of Wight as a family home in 1845, and Albert bought Balmoral in 1852. Victoria was deeply attached to her husband and she sank into depression after he died, aged 42, in 1861. She had lost a devoted husband and her principal trusted adviser in affairs of state. For the rest of her reign she wore black. Until the late 1860s she rarely appeared in public; although she never neglected her official Correspondence, and continued to give audiences to her ministers and official visitors, she was reluctant to resume a full public life. She was persuaded to open Parliament in person in 1866 and 1867, but she was widely criticised for living in seclusion and quite a strong republican movement developed. Seven attempts were made on Victoria's life, between 1840 and 1882 - her courageous attitude towards these attacks greatly strengthened her popularity. With time, the private urgings of her family and the flattering attention of Benjamin Disraeli, Prime Minister in 1868 and from 1874 to 1880, the Queen gradually resumed her public duties. In foreign policy, the Queen's influence during the middle years of her reign was generally used to support peace and reconciliation. In 1864, Victoria pressed her ministers not to intervene in the Prussia-Denmark war, and her letter to the German Emperor (whose son had married her daughter) in 1875 helped to avert a second Franco-German war. On the Eastern Question in the 1870s - the issue of Britain's policy towards the declining Turkish Empire in Europe - Victoria (unlike Gladstone) believed that Britain, while pressing for necessary reforms, ought to uphold Turkish hegemony as a bulwark of stability against Russia, and maintain bi-partisanship at a time when Britain could be involved in war. Victoria's popularity grew with the increasing imperial sentiment from the 1870s onwards. After the Indian Mutiny of 1857, the government of India was transferred from the East India Company to the Crown, with the position of Governor-General upgraded to Viceroy, and in 1877 Victoria became Empress of India under the Royal Titles Act passed by Disraeli's government. During Victoria's long reign, direct political power moved away from the sovereign. A series of Acts broadened the social and economic base of the electorate. These acts included the Second Reform Act of 1867; the introduction of the secret ballot in 1872, which made it impossible to pressurise voters by bribery or intimidation; and the Representation of the Peoples Act of 1884 - all householders and lodgers in accommodation worth at least £10 a year, and occupiers of land worth £10 a year, were entitled to vote. Despite this decline in the Sovereign's power, Victoria showed that a monarch who had a high level of prestige and who was prepared to master the details of political life could exert an important influence. This was demonstrated by her mediation between the Commons and the Lords, during the acrimonious passing of the Irish Church Disestablishment Act of 1869 and the 1884 Reform Act. It was during Victoria's reign that the modern idea of the constitutional monarch, whose role was to remain above political parties, began to evolve. But Victoria herself was not always non-partisan and she took the opportunity to give her opinions, sometimes very forcefully, in private. After the Second Reform Act of 1867, and the growth of the two-party (Liberal and Conservative) system, the Queen's room for manoeuvre decreased. Her freedom to choose which individual should occupy the premiership was increasingly restricted. In 1880, she tried, unsuccessfully, to stop William Gladstone - whom she disliked as much as she admired Disraeli and whose policies she distrusted - from becoming Prime Minister. She much preferred the Marquess of Hartington, another statesman from the Liberal party which had just won the general election. She did not get her way. She was a very strong supporter of the Empire, which brought her closer both to Disraeli and to the Marquess of Salisbury, her last Prime Minister. Although conservative in some respects - like many at the time she opposed giving women the vote - on social issues, she tended to favour measures to improve the lot of the poor, such as the Royal Commission on housing. She also supported many charities involved in education, hospitals and other areas. Victoria and her family travelled and were seen on an unprecedented scale, thanks to transport improvements and other technical changes such as the spread of newspapers and the invention of photography. Victoria was the first reigning monarch to use trains - she made her first train journey in 1842. In her later years, she became the symbol of the British Empire. Both the Golden (1887) and the Diamond (1897) Jubilees, held to celebrate the 50th and 60th anniversaries of the Queen's accession, were marked with great displays and public ceremonies. On both occasions, Colonial Conferences attended by the Prime Ministers of the self-governing colonies were held. Despite her advanced age, Victoria continued her duties to the end - including an official visit to Dublin in 1900. The Boer War in South Africa overshadowed the end of her reign. As in the Crimean War nearly half a century earlier, Victoria reviewed her troops and visited hospitals; she remained undaunted by British reverses during the campaign: 'We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat; they do not exist.' Victoria died at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, on 22 January 1901 after a reign which lasted almost 64 years, then the longest in British history. Her son, Edward VII succeeded her. She was buried at Windsor beside Prince Albert, in the Frogmore Royal Mausoleum, which she had built for their final resting place. Above the Mausoleum door are inscribed Victoria's words: "Farewell best beloved, here, at last, I shall rest with thee, with thee in Christ I shall rise again." Source: https://www.royal.uk/queen-victoria This picture captures Queen Victoria in her later years. It may well have been painted to commemorate her Golden Anniversary in 1887, or her Diamond Anniversary in 1897.Picture, print, reproduction of a drawing or photograph of Queen Victoria. She is wearing a dark-coloured dress, white headdress and a diamond necklace and earrings. On her left shoulder is the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert, awarded to female members of the British Royal Family and female courtiers. There are four grades or classes of this Royal Order as well as the Sovereign's Badge, which is exclusive to her. Also across her left shoulder, is a blue riband representing the Order of the Garter. The picture is in a medium-coloured timber frame with a white string across the width at the rear. The label says it was framed by Hoy Art, Warrnambool. The signature of the Queen is on the picture but is not obvious since the picture has been re-framed."HOY ART / PICTURE FRAMING / 48 Kepler St, Warrnambool 3280 / Phone (055) 62 8022" Signature (hidden by new framing) "Victoria H.R.S."flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, picture of queen victoria, queen victoria, the royal order of victoria and albert, the order of the garter, hoy art -
Federation University Historical Collection
Book - Book - Scrapbook, Ballarat Institute of Advanced Education: Scrapbook of newspaper cutting, Book 5, August 1971 to December 1971
Newspaper cuttings relating to Ballarat Institute of Advanced Education. These are from various newspapers and include The Age, Ballarat Courier, The Australian, The Herald. The cuttings cover the period from 19 August 1971 to 1 December 1971. Book with orange cover, front. Spiral bound. Large tear back cover.ballarat institute of advanced education, biae, employment advertisements, application for enrolment, outline of courses, smb finances concern, mildura visitors, testing new wind tunnel, derek vine, zig placina, excellent year for association, jack barker, biae art show, woman on a bike, letters to the editor re art show, 1500 trees planted, biae students call strike, new courses approved, new physics equipment, apartheid history explained, derek viner talk, student protest backed, ballarat trades and labor council support, prahran college of technology seeks supporters, role of colleges threatened, teacher training, new regional office - education dept, clay pit plans, equipment for biae, art display by smb students, teachers to conduct assessment experiment, undermining our sold foundation, pioneer experiment at biae, national diploma controls needed, f r hornby, colleges and students - 1972, helping hand for overseas students, gordon smith, teachers' colleges, accommodation at technical schools, victorian teachers' union concerns, exceptions in an imperfect world, student housing, local degree courses on secondary studentships, problem for school leavers, $250000 for biae union building, death of harry arblaster - former smb principal, model of building project, engineers' seminar at ballarat -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Tess Justine (Nillumbik Shire Council), Murray's Bridge over the Diamond Creek, Eltham North, 19 Feb 2022
Murray's Bridge over the Diamond Creek on the Diamond Creek Trail just prior to demolition and replacement with a new steel bridge. Heritage advice obtained by Nillumbik Shire Council, following a suggestion by the Eltham District Historical Society (EDHS), is that the original bridge appears to have been a simplified version of the Country Roads Board’s (CRB) standard timber bridge design of the early-to-mid 1920s. In c1990 Murray’s bridge was renovated with three recycled steel girders as part of a bike/pedestrian path in the reserve. During these alterations many parts of the bridge were removed, and some were replaced. Heritage advice indicates the condition of Murray’s bridge is poor. The remaining original parts are all in poor condition, with severe weathering, splitting and rot, especially to the stringers retained on the bridge. Heritage advice is that Murray’s Bridge does not have sufficient significance in the cultural history of the Nillumbik area to warrant inclusion in the Nillumbik Shire Heritage Overlay and also does not have sufficient significance as a rare survivor to warrant inclusion in the Nillumbik Shire Heritage Overlay. There are no indications in the historical record that this site was individually important to the cultural history of this area. EDHS is comfortable with the heritage advice provided to Council and has worked closely on this project with Council. EDHS has suggested some of the removed timbers be used in the vicinity of the bridge for landscaping and possibly seating, so as to retain these remnants close to the site of the original bridge, which is the last old timber bridge along the lower reaches of the Diamond Creek. Mary (Sweeney) Murray and John Wright Murray selected 80 acres, Lot C Section 16 and Lot 5 Section 17 Parish of Nillumbik, under an occupation license in 1866. John died in 1867 and freehold was granted to his son John in 1873. The farm was known as ‘Laurel Hill’. John Junior was an Eltham Shire councillor and sometime president from 1887 up until 1897. He added Lot A Section 16 to the farm in ca1888. John and his younger brother James arranged to rent/purchase Lot B Section 17, across Diamond Creek to the west, in ca1900. It appears that John and James farmed separately for a few years, with a new homestead built for James ad family on the high point of Lot B Section 17 in ca1910. John sold off Lot 5 Section 17 in 1912. When John died in 1912 James took over the land on both sides of the Diamond Creek. The old homestead on the west side of the Creek disappeared. A farm bridge over Diamond Creek from this period may have been located close to the northern boundary of the farm. John Langlands, owner of the farm known as ‘Ihurst’ on the west side of Diamond Creek to the south of the Murray’s land, died in 1907. In 1909 his land was then subdivided into 100 lots to become the ‘Glen Park Estate’. Other similar subdivisions of nineteenth century farms around Eltham in this period included the ‘Franktonia (or Beard’s) Estate’ to the northeast and ‘Bonsack’s Estate’ between Eltham and Greensborough. Soon after the opening of the railway extension line from Eltham to Hurstbridge in 1912, Glen Park and nearby residents including James Murray agitated for a railway station or siding to be located half-way between Eltham and Hurstbridge, so that the Glen Park residents who used the railway daily did not have to walk into the Eltham or Hurstbridge stations. Some believed Coleman’s Corner (opposite Edendale Farm) was an appropriate spot for the platform. James Murray was among those who thought the railway should be located on his land, closer to half-way between Eltham and Hurstbridge stations. The Railways Commissioners warned that the locals would have to fund these works themselves. The Glen Park Estate residents initially had difficulty accessing Eltham by road, with only an old low-level bridge over Diamond Creek at the south end of their estate. A new timber trestle bridge across the creek, now on Wattletree Road, was opened in 1915. Road access to the north was gained in 1927 when the new Murray’s Road, which crossed the Murray’s land, was built. Residents continued to agitate for a Glen Park station. By 1926 the Railways Commissioners’ preferred site was on the Murray’s land. They arranged an estimate of cost of a full-length platform. The estimate was too much for the locals, who in 1928 argued unsuccessfully for a shorter and hence cheaper platform. By 1929 Murray had agreed to donate the land, but the locals would still have to fund the works. Murray decided, unilaterally it would appear, to commence work on a timber trestle road bridge over Diamond Creek to link the new Murray Road to the proposed station. Late in 1929 he stopped work on the bridge, for reasons unknown, but started work again and completed the bridge in 1931. There is no further newspaper evidence of the campaign for the Glen Park station until 1939, when Murray and another local, Mr Maxwell, met the Railways Commissioner. The Glen Park locale now included 45 homes on the west side of the creek and 20 on the Eltham side. Most of the residents used the train every day. The Commissioner remained adamant that only a full-length platform could be built for safety reasons. It appears the campaign dissolved at this point. The increasing move to cars may have had an impact. There is no evidence of Murray’s bridge ever being connected to Murray’s Road, or of it having wide use for any purpose by locals. James Murray died in 1947 and the farm was taken over by his son James (Jim). Jim started to sell off parts of the farm in the 1980s, retaining a few acres around the ca1910 homestead and building a new house there. Recreation reserves were established along the creek. In ca1990 Murray’s bridge was renovated with steel girders as part of a bike/pedestrian path in the reserve. The old farmhouse was demolished in ca2014. * * * A theory posted on local community Facebook groups was that the bridge was built in the 1860s and was built to be more robust than was necessary for the movement of cows from one side of the creek to the other. It was suggested the robustness was necessary to support the weight of gold ore being transferred from a mine on Murray’s land to a railway siding near Murrays Bridge (presumably for transfer and processing at Diamond Creek). Perhaps this may have been one of the motivators for Murray, who really knows? Knowing when mining operations ceased on his land and how that fits the overall timeline would be useful but at the time the bridge was built, local gold production was minimal at best. The known facts are: • The railway line came to Eltham in 1902. • The extension of the railway from Eltham to Hurstbridge was constructed in 1912 so no railway line even existed through Murray's property until 1912 and the Victorian Railways maps at the time show no such siding on Murray’s property. • In 1923 a new company was formed in anticipation of the old Diamond Creek Gold Mine being re-opened. The mine had been previously closed and flooded. It was noted in the press at the time that the mine was within a mile of the railway. Nothing really came of this. • Construction of Murrays Bridge was commenced by James Murray in early 1929 in anticipation of a proposed flag station being nominated on his land, but work ceased shortly afterwards. The proposed flag station was commonly referred to as Glen Park as the residents of the Glen Park Estate wanted Option 1, located near them with the platform adjacent to Colemans corner. This was probably never going to fly as it was virtually in eyesight of Eltham station. Allandale Road was the third option, but the Commissioners' preferred option was No. 2 - on Murray's property. • The Railway Commissioners were not going to finance any such station and the works had to be funded by private landowners and residents, hence Murray investing in this himself. • Murray recommenced work two years later and finished his bridge in 1931 but unfortunately for him, the proposed flag station never eventuated. The bluestone siding you reference may well have been built by Murray as part of the proposed station platform. • Up until then, apart from the Main Road bridge, which was washed away in 1924, virtually all local crossings over the Diamond Creek were low lying bridges – Kaylocks Bridge at Brougham Street, Diamond Street bridge, Glen Park Road bridge. It is expected that Murray also had a low-lying bridge to connect his land either side of the creek. These were all washed away or severely damaged multiple times in the 1920s. Lessons were learnt, and Murrays Bridge appears to have been built in accordance with Country Road Board standards of the time. Flood damage was ongoing, and even more recently constructed raised bridges kept getting washed away, e.g., the new Wattle Tree Road bridge in 1958 just months after completion. Murray’s bridge was reinforced with steel some 30 years ago presumably to provide additional floodwater resistance, given the history of bridges disappearing in floodwaters. • In March 1932 it was reported in the Advertiser that there were still some prospectors operating around Eltham North who apart from further scarring the face of the earth over the previous two years had gained significant experience but little gold - hardly a driving factor for constructing a dedicated railway siding and bridge to transfer gold ore. It is far more probable that James Murray was hoping to have the railway station located on his property and invested his money by building the bridge to lead to it as well as a station platform. Had the station eventuated, it may well have driven up the value of his land for subdivision and new housing estates like the Glen Park Estate. That did not eventuate. Whilst the bridge was indeed old (90 years), the core structure being completed in 1931, it had been modified substantially from original and hence had no significant historic value – i.e., it was not a representative example of its type, construction, and age. Given that the bridge was not worthy of saving, the Eltham District Historical Society with Council’s support, and the Eltham Woodworkers group endeavoured to see what suitable sized timbers were salvageable to fabricate a commemorative seat. Unfortunately, the experts at the Woodworkers group were unable to salvage any suitable length/width timbers to fabricate the seat due to the presence of rot. Last remaining wooden trestle bridge on the Diamond Creek Trail just prior to demolition and replacementBorn digital image (27)diamond creek (creek), diamond creek trail, murrays bridge, ‘laurel hill’, john wright murray, mary (sweeney) murra, john murray jnr, james murray, john langlands, ‘ihurst’, ‘glen park estate’, beard's estate, franktonia, bonsack's estate, glen park estate, glen park railway station -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Document - LONG GULLY HISTORY GROUP COLLECTION: WORK BEGINS ON SHOWPIECE
Copy of a newspaper article titled Work begins on showpiece. A new playground and recreation area will be built at the Chum Reserve. It is still seeking support from the Bendigo community and more funds. Funding is discussed. A highlight of the finished area will have a mosaic of tiles created by the children of Bendigo Violet Street Primary School and Comet Hill Primary School. These would be permanently laid into the paths. July 14th written at the top of the page. Page has a sketch of the tree house and a photo of David Boyce and Pamela Power at Chum Reserve.bendigo, history, long gully history group, the long gully history group - work begins on showpiece, chum reserve, north western province mlc ron best, long gully community house, shared action project, city of greater bendigo, government's office of housing, rotary club of bendigo sandhurst, paul kirkpatrick, international rotary foundation, children's opportunity grants, bendigo violet street primary school, comet hill primary school, carol rasmussen, david boyce, pamela power -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Document - LONG GULLY HISTORY GROUP COLLECTION: SUPPORT FOR LONG GULLY REDEVELOPMENT REPORT - HENDERSON
News Release from the Office of the Minister for Housing, dated August19, 1999 in reference to Support for Long Gully Redevelopment Report - Henderson. The key recommendations of the final report of the Bendigo's Long Gully Estate Redevelopment Advisory Committee have been endorsed by the Minister for Housing, Ann Henderson. There was to be construction of new public and private housing which reflected the current local community needs.bendigo, history, long gully history group, the long gully history group - support for long gully redevelopment report - henderson, office of the minister for housing, ann henderson, ron best mlc, anne stanford