[article in EDHS Newsletter No. 123, November 1998:] MUD BRICK HERITAGE EXCURSION AND THE FUTURE. A small group of members attended the excursion on 4th October. We visited a number of earth houses listed by the Eltham Heritage Study in a very pleasant day's outing. The first visit was to the home of Jenny and Brian Ellis in York Street, formerly the home of Jenny's father Professor William McMahon Ball. We were made very welcome with inspection of the inside and outside showing the various stages of construction. We then walked through the grounds of "Kinloch", the Jelbart property in Arthur Street where we saw their large mud brick house and barn. Lunch was at Marion and Russell Yeoman's house in Peter Street. This pise house was built by the Moore family in the early 1950's. In the afternoon we visited the home of artist Jenni Mitchell in Fordhams Road, one of the last examples of the work of Alistair Knox. Then we travelled to Laughing Waters Road where we saw two interesting houses owned and built by well known landscape gardener Gordon Ford. Along the way we stopped to view a number of other properties from the street.Colour photographactivities, eltham, heritage excursion, mud brick, main road

This type of kit was used by the Regiment for vehicular cross country navigation. The crew commander would stand in front of the vehicle with a prismatic compass and guide the driver to align the vehicle on the back bearing of the required direction of travel. The discs were set for time of day and the required bearing and the driver would watch the compass and steer so that the shadow of the gnome was on the arrow. The compass would be re-set about every half hour to adjust for rotation of the Earth. In featureless country navigation was by dead reckoning by direction travelled by compass and distance travelled from the vehicle odometer. Armoured vehicles are now equipped with GPS navigation aids rendering the sun compass obsolete Type of equipment used by the Regiment on exercisesMetal construction. One fixed and one rotatable aluminium disc with a vertical steel gnome at the centre. The lower disc is marked with bearings in mils, the upper with time of day. There is a rotatable aluminium arrow under the 2 discs. A 33 mm dia spirit level is fixed to the top disc.On spirit level "GENERAL #847"daytime use only, navigation aid

Background on Bridle Path up Stony Creek Gorge Pre 1840 C. B. Hall, squatter on Mokepilly Run 1841-1842, first European to discover the Fyans Creek valley, the entrance of which became known as Hall's Gap. He later recorded that he followed a number of tracks which he assumed had been made by the Aboriginies and described one as "leading up a wild romantic glen and over on to the source of the Glenelg River". This could well have been the route taken up Stony Creek gorge by the first timber-cutters in this part of the Grampians to the saddle between the Wonderland and Mt. Difficult ranges known as Valley Gap 1850s/60s Timber cutters and shingle splitters were reported to be moving into the eastern side of the Grampians and by the mid 1860s there were a number of families connected to the supplying of timber to Pleasant Creek living in the "Hall's Gap ranges". John Wakeham, the first store owner in Pleasant Creek in 1854, established a timer-mill in upper Stony Creek Gorge in the late 1850s. Wakeham is credited for the clearing and levelling of the first bridle-path up the gorge. 1870s By the mid 1870s the track had been extended over Valley Gap to the Victoria Forest (the upper region of the Victoria Valley). McKeon's bullock team was known to have hauled red gum from the Valley to Stawell in the late 1870s and the 1880s. 1880s In 1887 an article in the Pleasant Creek news describes the Stony Creek Gorge track as "being a ledge alongside the mountain range, formed in the early days with the aid of earth and timber, along which the bullock teams used to travel to Horsham and plains of the Wimmera beyond." 1890s Gold was discovered in the catchment area of Stony Creek and by the end of the 1890s a new track was built from "near the junction of Fyan's and Stony Creeks, up the gorge to the diggings settlement. The mining Department had paid L300 for its construction and, when completed, the track was "three miles and 30 chains in length, the side cuttings at the narrowest part being 10 feet between" and "the watercourses which cross the track at various points" having been "filled up with rocks rolled down the sides of the hills, and consequently there can be no damage caused by bushfires which destroyed the former wooden bridges erected on the old track to Wakeham's saw-mill, the remains of which are still to be seen at the side of the diggings" The article goes on to further describe the track as one which "can with ease travel with a two horse conveyance either up or down" and that the workmen engaged in the construction of the track would be attending "a ball that night at McKeon's farm near the mouth of the gap to celebrate the successful completion of the undertaking". 1900s At what time the bridle path was extended beyond Valley Gap to the Wartook basin on the Mt. Difficult Range has not yet been determined. However, it is known that, by the turn of the century, people were travelling between Halls Gap and the caretakers' residence at Wartook Reservoir along what was now known as the "Bluff Road. Wartook's embankment had been constructed in 1887 and at that time there was already a track from Rosebrook Station homestead (near the present day Wartook Pottery) to the reservoir. Philip Rose owned both Rosebrook and Wartook Stations from the mid 1840s to the late 1850s and had regularly leased the Wartook basin to Cobb & Co. to rest horses there. 1920s Following the war of 1914-1918, tourism really took off in the Grampians, and Halls Gap rapidly grew. People would travel as far as they could on the many tracks then hike to the many lookouts being discovered by local tour guides. This led to the need for access across the range so that horse riders and the increasing number of vehicles could travel between Horsham and Halls Gap. To this end, the Bluff Road was improved and extended on 1929 and at its opening in March, 1930, by Lady Somers it was renamed the Mt. Victory Road.Map of Mt Victory Road and othersaccess routes, mt victory rd, bridle path, roads

Planimetric maps are two-dimensional representations of the Earth's surface, showing the location and spatial arrangement of features such as roads, buildings, and bodies of water.A very clear map showing the Kiewa Hydro Electric Scheme in two dimensions to include the construction done by the SECV.Black and white Map of the Kiewa Area from Mt Beauty to the High Plains covering the Kiewa Hydro Electric Scheme and surrounds. Drawn on 11th May 1966kiewa hydro electric scheme 1966

The machinery in this photo shows a Tournapull C earth moving machine, one of many during this period Circa 1950 - 1960s when hydro electricity powered turbines were being constructed in both the Victoria and New South Wales Alps. This was Australia's answer to a non polluting supply of electricity for a fast growing city population. It was at this time that air pollution from coal powered furnaces was becoming more and more under attack by health authorities.This item is part of a visual account of the construction of dams and hydro electricity facilities during the early 1950s. It was the beginning of the environmental push not to allow the degrading of Australian Alpine regions. Air pollution of the major cities and the increase in power demands of both industries and population within them required an alternative pollution free alternative electricity supply. These for runners of Hydro electricity generators required both large supplies of machinery and human resources. This construction phase within the region brought not only tradesmen but also unskilled workers to an area which had mainly had farming and mining activities. It was the catalyst for the creation of the smaller towns/villages e.g. Bogong Village, Mount Beauty and Bright.Black and white photograph on Kodak Xtralite II paper.(gloss)paper marking on back Kodak Xtralite II papermining, hydro electricity, victorian alps, construction camps, earth moving machines, secv

This item shows the excavation of the side of a railway track using a pneumatic shovel and a rail mounted truck by two workmen. The period covered was well before State Health and Safety requirements, such as helmets, became law. It also details that the workmen were from European heritage as their head coverings were a handkerchief knotted at each corner. This was typical for workmen of this heritage, others used caps or hats or no head covering at all (the macho male look)The photograph of this item was one of many depicting great achievements and opening up the region. A visual link or time capsule of the 1950s rural/mining sectors clashing with the established rural industriesThis photo depicts the time (1950's) and place (Bogong and Mount Beauty) where construction workers had an immense impact, not only on the physical environment but also on the social and economic development of the Victorian Alps region. The fast expansion of smaller settlements brought about increased pressures on the welfare viability of certain subgroups within the region e.g. farming, droving and commerce (caravan hawkers versus static shops). These changes brought about a heightened awareness by both local and State Governments to upgrade not only facilities within the region but also access to the region. Black and white photo of two workmen on a rail mounted shovel truck. The photo is of good definition allowing a clear view of the subject matter. The paper is semi gloss.On the back of the photo, paper suppliers etchings are "Kodak XtraLife II paper"mining, hydro electricity, victorian alps, construction camps, earth moving machines

Work commenced at Rocky Valley Dam site in early 1947 and proceeded until May. Resumed work in October after the winter and a camp for the accommodation of workmen was commenced at this time. Work continued in 1948 with the establishment of work facilities, including the erection of two large excavators. At the dam site the river was diverted through a temporary pipeline. Work proceeded in the summer months with the placing of concrete in the foundations and earth and rock fill for the construction of the wall. Rocky Valley and associated spillway and outlet works were completed in March, 1959. A very good representation of the type of machinery available in the 1940's used for excavation of the dam and the construction of the dam wall.Black and white photograph of Rocky Valley Dam wall under construction. There are at least three cranes plus workmen in the photo. This is taken from the Heathey's Spur side of the dam wall looking back toward Sun Valley.Hand written on back of photograph "Rocky Valley Dam Wall Excavation" in blue ink.rocky valley, dam, wall, machinery

This photograph was taken during construction of the Rocky Valley Dam and wall. Work was commenced in early 1947 but had to be suspended during winter and then resumed in October. Work continued in 1948 with the establishment of work facilities and, at the dam site, the river was diverted through a temporary pipeline. Rocky Valley and associated spillway and outlet works were completed in 1959.A pictorial record of the construction of the rock and earth filled dam wall at Rocky Valley. Shows the extent of the project undertaken and the fact that a lot of the work was done manually by pick and shovel - note the workmen using picks and sledge hammers on the lower half of the photo.A black and white photograph showing the excavation of the dam at Rocky Valley looking towards Heathey's SpurHand written on the back of photograph in blue ink "Rocky Valley showing dam excavation" rocky valley, dam, wall, picks, sledge hammers

The road to Marlo was cut by flood waters from the Snowy River in two places. The road was closed when water flowed over Gilbert's Gulch (3243.1) The Snowy River broke its banks and flooded surrounding Orbost, Marlo, Lochend and Jarrahmond were isolated. The river bank at the bridge site was broken and filled with earth and rock fill. (3243.2) The new Snowy River Bridge was nearing completion when the river rose 7.2 metres causing erosion on the eastern bank. (3243.7) Contractors involved in the construction of the Princes Freeway and bridge were delayed by the flood waters. (3243.8) The 1976 flood at Orbost was a significant event which delayed the construction of the current Snowy River Road Bridge.These photographs record that event.Nine black / white photographs of flood waters across roads. orbost-flood-1976 snowy-river-bridge marlo-road-flood-1976 gilbert;s-gulch-flood

Port of Portland Authority archivesFront: (no inscriptions) Back: equ002 (pencil, upper left) CONSTRUCTION WORK/ 1960 (pencil, lower left)port of portland archives, construction, quarry, earth moving

Port of Portland Authority archivesFront: (no inscriptions) Back: equ007 (pencil, upper left) 18 (pencil, centre) [Pencil instructions for crop marks also on back.]port of portland archives, construction, quarry, earth moving

Port of Portland Authority archivesFront: (no inscriptions) Back: Australian News And Information Bureau. Please Acknowledge (purple stamp, upper left) equ021 (pencil, centre left)port of portland archives

Port of Portland Authority archivesFront: (no inscriptions) Back: equ009 (pencil, centre)port of portland archives, construction, quarry, earth moving

Port of Portland Authority archivesFront: (no inscriptions) Back: equ016 (pencil, lower right)port of portland archives, construction, lee breakwater, s l patterson