Open Day, Eltham Living and Learning Centre, part of the Eltham Community Festival activites, 7 Nov. 1987eltham, eltham festival, eltham living and learning centre, living and learning centre, open day

Open Day, Eltham Living and Learning Centre, part of the Eltham Community Festival activites, 7 Nov. 1987eltham, eltham festival, eltham living and learning centre, living and learning centre, open day

Open Day, Eltham Living and Learning Centre, part of the Eltham Community Festival activites, 7 Nov. 1987eltham, eltham festival, eltham living and learning centre, living and learning centre, open day

Open Day, Eltham Living and Learning Centre, part of the Eltham Community Festival activites, 7 Nov. 1987eltham, eltham festival, eltham living and learning centre, living and learning centre, open day

Open Day, Eltham Living and Learning Centre, part of the Eltham Community Festival activites, 7 Nov. 1987eltham, eltham festival, eltham living and learning centre, living and learning centre, open day

Open Day, Eltham Living and Learning Centre, part of the Eltham Community Festival activites, 7 Nov. 1987eltham, eltham festival, eltham living and learning centre, living and learning centre, open day

Open Day, Eltham Living and Learning Centre, part of the Eltham Community Festival activites, 7 Nov. 1987eltham, eltham festival, eltham living and learning centre, living and learning centre, open day

Open Day, Eltham Living and Learning Centre, part of the Eltham Community Festival activites, 7 Nov. 1987eltham, eltham festival, eltham living and learning centre, living and learning centre, open day

Open Day, Eltham Living and Learning Centre, part of the Eltham Community Festival activites, 7 Nov. 1987eltham, eltham festival, eltham living and learning centre, living and learning centre, open day

Open Day, Eltham Living and Learning Centre, part of the Eltham Community Festival activites, 7 Nov. 1987eltham, eltham festival, eltham living and learning centre, living and learning centre, open day

Shire President Cr Alan Baker with Gillian Barclay, Coodinator Living and Learning and Rodney Roscholler CEO Eltham Shire Council at the Open Day, Eltham Living and Learning Centre, part of the Eltham Community Festival activites, 7 Nov. 1987eltham, eltham festival, eltham living and learning centre, living and learning centre, open day, cr. alan baker, gillian barclay, rodney roscholler

Shire President Cr Alan Baker with Gillian Barclay, Coodinator Living and Learning and Rodney Roscholler CEO Eltham Shire Council at the Open Day, Eltham Living and Learning Centre, part of the Eltham Community Festival activites, 7 Nov. 1987eltham, eltham festival, eltham living and learning centre, living and learning centre, open day, cr. alan baker, gillian barclay, rodney roscholler

Shire President Cr Alan Baker with Gillian Barclay, Coodinator Living and Learning and Rodney Roscholler CEO Eltham Shire Council at the Open Day, Eltham Living and Learning Centre, part of the Eltham Community Festival activites, 7 Nov. 1987eltham, eltham festival, eltham living and learning centre, living and learning centre, open day, cr. alan baker, gillian barclay, rodney roscholler

Possibly Rodney Roscholler CEO Eltham Shire Council with unkown, Open Day, Eltham Living and Learning Centre, part of the Eltham Community Festival activites, 7 Nov. 1987eltham, eltham festival, eltham living and learning centre, living and learning centre, open day, rodney roscholler

Printed on textured paper which has suffered significant colour degradation towards orange/red. Margaret Ball (who took the photograph) has written "Auntie Millie's old house" on the back. Before becoming the Eltham Living and Learning Centre, the house was occupied by Claire Fitzpatrick, and before then by Mr and Mrs Matthews with their daughter Millicent and their two sons. "Auntie" Millie was not actually related to Margaret, but was her godmother. Colour photographeltham, community centres, living and learning centre, 1976, margaret ball

Contents: 1. Hand drawn schematic record of site buildings as of 1975 compiled by Harry Gilham, Shire of Eltham Historical Society 2. History compiled on the ocassion of the Eltham Living and Learning Centre's 21st birthday in 1996. Includes historical notes about the property, origins of the Living and Learning Centre at Eltham which started in 1975. List of associate groups, friends of the creek, friends of the centre, playhouse, list of co-ordinators 3. Enrolment Day Cake recipe 4. Poem - "Who'd be a co-ordinator" by unknown 5. Traditions and Memories by Margaret Johnson, Program Co-ordinator for 10 years 6. Reminiscences by Linda Kirkwright, Admin Assistant 7. In the beginning there was a small cottage ... by Joanne Osborne, Assistant Co-ordinator 1977-1980 8. Newsclippings - Living and Learning Centre in Council Centre, Diamond Valley New, 2 Apr 1975; 'Rub-A-Dub" unknown publication; and miscellaneous advertisements 9. Copy of certifcate of title when transferred to the Shire of Eltham in 1975 10. Copy of 1992 Shire of Eltham Heritage Study, pages 930-936 with notations 48 A4 pages photocopies HG Booklets 22 and 47, 64eltham living and learning centre, enrolment day cake, harry gilham collection, heritage study, history, joanne osborne, linda kirkwright, margaret johnson, poem, recipe, reminiscences, who'd be a co-ordinator

The Pavillion was an extension to the Eltham Living and Learning Centre which was opened 8 October, 1994 In 1857, tanner John Pearson purchased three and a half acres of land in Little Eltham, at the western end of Pitt Street, with a 70-foot frontage to Maria Street (Main Road) and stretching down to the Diamond Creek for £100. He contracted Benjamin Oliver Wallis to build house for him. Wallis, a mason by trade who originated from the Cornish village of Newlyn, migrated to Melbourne in 1853 and was shortly engaged by Richard Warren to build the Eltham Hotel, which opened in 1854. When Warren fell into financial difficulty in 1858, Wallis purchased the hotel. That same year, Pearson constructed a tannery below the house with access to the water in the Diamond Creek. When Pearson became bankrupt in 1867, Wallis similarly acquired the house from Pearson’s creditors in 1868 and lived there until his death in 1896. For some of this time the house was in the name of Wallis’s son Richard but following his death in 1888, ownership reverted to his father. It was purchased by retired teacher Richard Gilsenen in 1899. Gilsenen was made acting head teacher at the Eltham State School in 1906 following the sudden death of head teacher John Brown. In the 1950s the house was bought by retired engineer Dr Alfred Fitzpatrick and his wife Claire who made various modifications to house goats and poultry as well as structural modifications to the house. In the early 1970s, Eltham Shire Councillors Frank Maas and Don Maling proposed an extended communities’ activities program be set up and the Commonwealth Grants Commission was approached for financial assistance. In 1974 a $50,000 Commonwealth Grant was received by the Shire Council to acquire the Fitzpatrick property as part of the planning to establish an extended communities’ activities program. The Fitzpatricks moved next door and Claire taught at the new Living and Learning Centre, which began in 1975, one of the first community education centres in Victoria.jim connor collection, eltham, eltham living and learning centre, living and learning centre, pavilion

In 1857, tanner John Pearson purchased three and a half acres of land in Little Eltham, at the western end of Pitt Street, with a 70-foot frontage to Maria Street (Main Road) and stretching down to the Diamond Creek for £100. He contracted Benjamin Oliver Wallis to build house for him. Wallis, a mason by trade who originated from the Cornish village of Newlyn, migrated to Melbourne in 1853 and was shortly engaged by Richard Warren to build the Eltham Hotel, which opened in 1854. When Warren fell into financial difficulty in 1858, Wallis purchased the hotel. That same year, Pearson constructed a tannery below the house with access to the water in the Diamond Creek. When Pearson became bankrupt in 1867, Wallis similarly acquired the house from Pearson’s creditors in 1868 and lived there until his death in 1896. For some of this time the house was in the name of Wallis’s son Richard but following his death in 1888, ownership reverted to his father. It was purchased by retired teacher Richard Gilsenen in 1899. Gilsenen was made acting head teacher at the Eltham State School in 1906 following the sudden death of head teacher John Brown. In the 1950s the house was bought by retired engineer Dr Alfred Fitzpatrick and his wife Claire who made various modifications to house goats and poultry as well as structural modifications to the house. In the early 1970s, Eltham Shire Councillors Frank Maas and Don Maling proposed an extended communities’ activities program be set up and the Commonwealth Grants Commission was approached for financial assistance. In 1974 a $50,000 Commonwealth Grant was received by the Shire Council to acquire the Fitzpatrick property as part of the planning to establish an extended communities’ activities program. The Fitzpatricks moved next door and Claire taught at the new Living and Learning Centre, which began in 1975, one of the first community education centres in Victoria. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p59 It’s a centre for sharing knowledge and friendship and it stands on the former hub of Eltham’s original township near Pitt Street. The Eltham Living and Learning Centre, with around 2000 participants a year, began in 1975 as one of the first Community Education Centres in Victoria. Classes ranging from macramé to wine making to environmental living have enriched the lives of thousands of people through the generosity of tutors sharing their skills free of charge. The centre’s heart is the brick cottage, built in 1858 by tanner John Pearson. He bought the three and a half acre (1.4ha) allotment fronting Maria Street (now Main Road) and stretching down to the Diamond Creek. The allotment formed part of a 316 acre (127.8ha) subdivision, owned by Josiah Holloway, called Little Eltham, north of the original Eltham Reserve.1 The allotment then passed through the hands of several speculators before it was sold to Pearson for £100 in 1857. Mr Pearson’s children attended the Eltham Primary School from 1864 to 1867. But creditors took possession of the property when his tannery folded in 1867. It was then sold to publican Benjamin Wallis, who owned the Eltham Hotel at the corner of Pitt Street and Main Road. In 1899 the property was bought by Richard Gilsenan, who became acting head teacher of the Eltham Primary State School in 1906. In the 1950s, retired engineer Dr Alfred Fitzpatrick and his wife Claire bought the property, and made structural changes. Claire, a journalist and community campaigner, modified and built pens for goats and poultry, a stable, a garage and planted fruit trees and a vegetable garden. In the early 1970s a young woman called Carina Hack approached Gwen Wesson at the Diamond Valley Learning Centre (Victoria’s first Community Education Centre) about starting a community centre. Following Wesson’s suggestion, Hack spoke to Shire President Alistair Knox ‘one bleak rainy afternoon, sipping hot drinks and discussing life’.2 Eltham Shire Councillors Frank Maas and Don Maling proposed a community activities program and the council received a $50,000 Commonwealth Government Grant for this venture.3 The Fitzpatricks sold their property to the council and moved next door and Claire taught at the new centre, which Hack named. Eltham obviously wanted such a centre as Hack recalls. ‘During the next two months we had about 50 volunteers working day, night and weekends, scrubbing down, plastering and painting walls, replacing floors, repairing fences, recycling furniture, sewing curtains and cushions, donating furniture, toys, equipment, clean-ing and gardening…’4 The first enrolment day saw a queue stretching up the driveway nearly to the gate and the first sessions attracted 270 people a week. Soon the outbuildings were converted into pottery studios and a large workshop. From 1979 the Eltham Art and Craft Market was held in the centre’s grounds and the Friends of the Centre ran it from 1980. A former program coordinator, Margaret Johnson, remembers enrolment day in the late 1970s and 1980s, when hundreds of people would queue – and some even camped overnight! Overnighters were greeted in the morning with fresh tea and toast. Another tradition was The Enrolment Day Cake with Recipe, given to volunteers. ‘One happy Enrolment Day fell on February 14 and let’s just say that St Valentine found some willing participants, paying $2 for a kiss.’5 Meanwhile the participants’ children could play at the Council Eltham Lower Park house in Hohnes Road, later in Susan Street. But the centre has had difficulties too. In 1990 a fire destroyed the stable and the police suspected arson. However the pavilion was built in its place.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, benjamin oliver wallis, claire fitzpatrick, don maling, dr alfred fitzpatrick, eltham living and learning centre, frank maas, john pearson, richard gilsenen, tannery

Black and white photographic printInscribed on rear 'Photography in the 'Stables' late 1970s to early 1980s'classes, eltham living and learning centre, photography class

This cottage-like dwelling has changed ownership several times since it was first built in the 1850s by local tanner John Pearson. The Living and Learning Centre as we know it today is the product of the energetic, reforming era of the Whitlam Government. Set up by the local council in 1974. Unedited amateur video (filmed by Vivienne?) with some voiceover and chatting with others. Significant VHS tape noise/flicker and colour pulsing. Opens with Living & Learning Centre sign on Main Road and “Open Day Here Today” attached to it. Views of entrance into carpark, dog obedience class demonstration near entrance, leadlight construction display in workshop, basket weaving, face painting, exterior garden landscape with herb garden, brick pottery shed, peppercorn tree, children’s activities, interior views showing artworks of life drawings, general engagement with other people (audio), candle room, pottery, children’s entertainer in garden, wool spinning, some attempts at engagement with Claire Fitzpatrick, Thai Chi demonstration, floral presentations, patchwork, needlepoint, knitting, some interior scenes very dark, weaving, cane basket weaving.VHS Video cassette (poor quality) Converted to MP4 file format 00:31:39; 746MBeltham living and learning centre, open day, dog obedience class, leadlight, basket weaving, face painting, artworks, life drawing, candle room, pottery, wool spinning, claire fitzpatrick, thai chi, patchwork, needlepoint, knitting, weaving, cane basket weaving, main road, eltham, video recording

Black and white photograph (from proof sheet of 35mm contact prints)eltham living and learning centre, activities

Black and white photograph (from proof sheet of 35mm contact prints)eltham living and learning centre, activities, music

Black and white photograph (from proof sheet of 35mm contact prints)eltham living and learning centre, activities

Black and white photograph (from proof sheet of 35mm contact prints)eltham living and learning centre, activities, spinning

Black and white photograph (from proof sheet of 35mm contact prints)eltham living and learning centre, activities, gardening

Black and white photograph (from proof sheet of 35mm contact prints)eltham living and learning centre, activities

Black and white photograph (from proof sheet of 35mm contact prints)eltham living and learning centre, activities, gardening

Black and white photograph (from proof sheet of 35mm contact prints)eltham living and learning centre, activities

Black and white photograph (from proof sheet of 35mm contact prints)eltham living and learning centre, activities

Black and white photograph (from proof sheet of 35mm contact prints)eltham living and learning centre, activities, music