Philip Shillinglaw and his wife Sarah came to Eltham in 1882. Their property "Wattle Brae" originally encompassed present-day Eltham Central Park and part of Eltham Library, extending north to include Andrew Park and the site of the railway station. An early photo shows that much of it was planted for crops. They also had cows; in 1913 Philip wrote to the local paper complaining about an earlier report that one of them had been killed on the railway line. "I give an emphatic denial to the report. It is not true." Their house Shillinglaw Cottage (built by George Stebbings) still exists, though it was moved with funding from local residents in 1963-64 when faced with demolition to make room for new Council Offices. Philip was actively involved with the Methodist Church as preacher, Church Steward and Sunday School teacher. A Sunday School picnic and a sports carnival were held on his paddock. Eight of his children attended Eltham Primary School. In 1908 he ploughed part of the schoolyard (possibly for use as a garden) free of charge. When Philip died in 1914, his funeral was described as one of the largest ever seen in Eltham. He and Sarah are buried in Eltham Cemetery. In Loving Memory of Sarah Ann Shillinglaw Died 10th Dec. 1891 Also Phillip Loved husband of above Died 18th Aug. 1914 Sweet BestBorn Digitaleltham cemetery, gravestones, phillip shillinglaw, sara ann shillinglaw

Full page newspaper clipping featuring the March 1965 Victorian bushfires. Items include: Photograph - TWO-WOMAN BUCKET BRIGADE, Mrs Henry Marsden (left) and Mrs Moureen Ellis, whose fire-fighting efforts yesterday were highly praised today by their Eltham neighbours, carry out mopping-up operations Photograph - DOGS MADE HOMELESS by the fire in North Eltham yesterday are being cared for at First-Constable Doug. Mummery's kennels at Eltham and here is kennel maid Helen Oliver, 17, with some of them today. The two basset hounds are owned by Mr Bill Guy who lost about 100 daschund and basset hound puppies and dogs in the fire. Photograph - He died at Eltham [Picture of John Lawrence Coleman] Builder Mr John Lawrence Coleman, 31, of Main Rd., Eltham, one of three men burnt to death yesterday in the fire at North Eltham. The other two were XXXXX, 33 who lives opposite the Colemans and Mr William Elwers, 64 of Batman Rd., Eltham. John Lawrence Coleman (1934-1965) born January 10, was the son of Raymond John Coleman and Hanna May (Gillet) Coleman. He married Margaret Frances Dare in 1955 and was the father of two children. He died whilst attempting to rescue an older man trapped in the bushfire at North Eltham on March 3, 1965 Other news stories of the day:  Bushfires rage in Victoria, Snowy: Three dead (1965, March 4). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 1. Retrieved May 19, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article131758981 Includes two photos of the fire in North Eltham “Firemen make for safety as fire rages in Upper Glen Park Road, North Eltham, Victoria. The smoke hides a house.” and “A house explodes into flames at North Eltham, Victoria. Firemen said bottled gas went up.” Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Thursday 4 March 1965, page 1 ________________________________________ Firemen make for safety as fire rages in Upper Glen Park Road. North Eltham. Victoria. The smoke hides a house. A house explodes into flames at North Eltham. Victoria. Firemen said bottled gas went up. Bushfires rage in Victoria, Snowy: Three dead MELBOURNE, Wednesday.—Three people died today in a bush» fire which raged through North Eltham, about 15 miles from Melbourne. The victims were three men. A fourth man is feared to be dead. Another bushfire. sparked off by the heatwave sizzling over south-eastern Australia, is burning out of control in the Kosciusko State Park, in the Snowy Mountains. Firefighters fear that if it reaches pine forests up the Yarrangobilly River, they will be powerless to stop it. The three victims of the North Eltbam fire were trapped by flames in a valley. Their bodies were found only a few yards apart. They were named by police tonight as Mr. George Crowe, 78, of North Eltham, William John Ewers, 64, and John Laurence Coleman, 31, both of Eltham. The other two have not been identified. They are believed to be a man aged about 40 and an 18-year-old youth. At least 12 homes were destroyed by the fire, the worst in Victoria since 1962, when eight lives were lost and hundreds of homes burnt down at Warrandyte. At one time the township of Eltham was threatened, but a cool change swept in from the south and held back the wall of flames. More than 100 dogs, worth about £4,000, died when the fire raced through two kennels in Short Street, Eltham. and Upper Glen Park Road, North Eltham. A trickle of water Residents ran into the streets as the blaze raced towards their houses. Others frantically dug firebreaks around their homes. Mrs. Sue Recourt wept when firemen arrived while she was vainly trying to stop the flames with a trickle of water from the garden hose. A stack of firewood was blazing, but the firemen managed to save the house and rescue four goats. Many homes in Eltham were saved after flames had crept to within feet of their fences. Students at North Eltham State School had to be evacuated when the blaze threatened the building. Fire fighters were severely hampered by lack of water and narrow roads. The blaze, which began in above century heat, turned toward Wattle Glen, where two houses were gutted. Then the flames raced towards Hurstbridge to the north. Firemen battling desperately, controlled the fire late this afternoon. Five forest fires were still burning in Victoria tonight.   IN VICTORIA THIS WEEK Tragic lack of central fire authority (1965, March 9). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 2. Retrieved May 19, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article131759928 Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Tuesday 9 March 1965, page 2 ________________________________________ IN VICTORIA THIS WEEK Tragic lack of central fire authority From Rohan Rivett It was the worst week for Victorian fire fighters since Black Friday 27 years ago. On that day one pilot up in a spotter plane said afterwards: "It seemed at times that half the State was on fire." This time, for three days on end, Gippsland men, women and children had moments of conviction that their towns would have blackened into anonymity before the weekend was out. The week began with horror at Eltham on the North-eastern edge of Melbourne. Eltham today is something of an artists' colony. Oil painters, water colourists, potters and sculptors proliferate. A number of University folk have emulated the example of Professor MacMahon Ball who pioneered the way by moving to Eltham and carving a home out of the bush in the thirties. Innermost Eltham is barely 14 miles from the G.P.O. Farthest Eltham stretches miles beyond. It served to illustrate the tragi-ludicrous truncation of Victoria's fire control. Part of Eltham is under the protection of the Melbourne Fire Brigade. But this responsibility ceases at some invisible and incomprehensible line — apparently determined by the meanderings of the water mains. At this point everybody's property throughout the rest of Eltham is dependent on the Country Fire Authority. Half an hour before midday on Wednesday, a fire suddenly started on the West side of Upper Glen road on the edge of Eltham. Before the fire brigade could arrive, it was burning on a widening front through timber and high grass north of Eltham. Two wind changes in rapid succession saw the fire leaping Diamond Creek. With a freshening wind it struck home after home in three streets. More than one of them exploded suddenly as if hit by an incendiary bomb. There is no piped gas in the Eltham area, hence many housewives use bottle gas. The flames outside caused the bottles to explode. Altogether twelve homes were completely incinerated and four more were badly damaged. Thirty prize dogs perished. About three hours after the fire started it raced suddenly down a gully hillside trapping an elderly man. Two other men apparently raced to the rescue. Flames caught the three men within yards of each other, not 200 yards off the Upper Glen Park Road where safety lay. They were burned to death. Next evening an angry and convincing secretary of the Fire Brigade Union, Mr. W. M. Webber, came on television and appealed to the people of Victoria to end the ridiculous and dangerous dualism in fire-fighting control. The Eltham fire, he said, had precisely illustrated the situation. The Metropolitan Fire Brigade area touched Eltham, but where the fire had gutted and killed, was just outside its area. Mr. Webber said his union had constantly urged one authority for the State with a complete reorganisation of fire protection. On Wednesday the union had repeated its call for an inquiry into fire protection in Victoria to the Chief Secretary, Mr Rylah. "No matter how close the liaison between the two organisations, there are always divided sections of thinking," Mr. Webber told viewers. "I don't know how much tragedy the com-munity can take before it demands that it is properly protected." Rumours that differences in gauge between taps and hose nozzles (as between the two authorities) accentuated the damage were denied by fire chiefs who said that all appliances were now carrying adaptors so that hoses could be linked to mains everywhere. But there is grave concern in the Metropolitan Fire Brigade's higher councils at the action of several Federal authorities with projects in and around Melbourne. They are installing non-standard equipment without reference to the State authorities or any dovetailing of appliances and equipment. Public alarm was not diminished by the publication on Friday and Saturday of a heart tearing letter from the young widow of John Lawrence Coleman, 31 year old father of two, who had died in the flames apparently trying to rescue the old man trapped in the gully. By that time, a Vast area of Gippsland was in flames and the troops had been sent in to back up the overworked and often helpless fire-fighters. By Saturday, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Stoneham, who has previously demanded a Royal Commission into fire-fighting arrangements, repeated his demand. To add to the Chief Secretary's worries he was publicly rebuked for allegedly implying on television that lives had been lost at Eltham because people went to the wrong place at the wrong time. In a letter to the Press, Professor MacMahon Ball pointed out that two of the men involved were experienced bushmen who had gone "to help an old man in great danger fully aware of the danger to themselves". As Victoria faced its sixth day of total State-wide fire ban, it looked likely that even official resistance was not going to silence the demand for one central authority to control the fire fiend. At the moment, the 400 square miles where two million Victorians live in Greater Melbourne are divorced from the rest of the State in planning, communications, equipment and control of personnel. No one doubts the whole-hearted co-operation and willingness to back each other up of the M.F.B. and the C.F.A., both at top-level and among the firemen themselves. However, when a city straggles so deeply into the country side, the absence of a single authority, to oversee and analyse the fire threat as a whole, suggests suicidal policy of divide and fuel. Emphasis of the tragic loss of a member of a pioneering family who died whilst helping others in his communitybushfire, cfa, country fire authority, fire brigrade, glen park road, heroes, john lawrence coleman, north eltham, victorian bushfires - 1965, volunteers, william john elwers, fire fighter, frank martin, george john crowe, ken gaston, orchard avenue, doug mummery, helen oliver, mrs henry marsden, mrs moureen ellis

Various news articles pertaining to the January 1965 Victorian bushfires specifically with a focus on fires at Eltham North. Specific Eltham Shire districts mentioned include Eltham North on page 1, 2, 3, 28-29 • Fire Kills 3, p1 (Illust.) • Fire on their heel, p2 (Illust.) • Flames catch, kill 3 as they run: 12 house go, p3 (Illust.) • It doubled back, p3 • Helpers highly praised, p3 • Blaze kills 100 puppies, p3 (Illust.) • Scenes from Eltham’s Black Wednesday, pp28-29 (Illust.) tom fielding collection, victorian bushfires - 1965, victorian bushfires – 1965, glen park road, eltham north, sunny pine, bushfire damage – buildings, back gully, gippsland, glenmaggie, briagolong, george john crowe, john lawrence coleman, william john elwers, creek road, wattle glen, bill guy

Certificate of appreciation presented to Private George Melville Balfour, VX6104, for voluntary enlistment for active service overseas. Prior to the war, George Balfour lived at Wangakeirra(?), Kangaroo Ground. Post war, he lived at Lavender Park, Eltham. He served in the 2/8 Batallion, AIF, in North Africa and taken prisoner of war in Greece. In the UK post May 1945 and in Australia December 1949. Never married.Colour photocopy 33 x 24 cm of a certificate 2/8 battallion, aif, certiificate, cr. a. brinkkotter, cr. price, eltham, george melville balfour, lavender park, prisoner of war, second word war, shire of eltham, vx6104

The Pony Club was a dream of Diana Bassett-Smith, which came true, based on the British Horse Society Pony Club formed in 1929; a worldwide organisation. A meeting was called at ‘Lavender Park’, the home of Mrs Mary Grant and her brother George ‘Mel’ Balfour. Invited to the meeting were Baye Skues, Eric Rundle, Ben Taylor, the Barringtons, Smiths, Lou Lewis and Gwen Cascaden. They all supported Diana Bassett-Smith for forming a Pony Club. The first formal meeting was held at ‘Landscape’, which was the home of the Barringtons and the former home of artist Percy Leason. Negotiations with the Lands Department resulted in the club being granted use of the grounds in Eltham Lower Park for a peppercorn rent. Eltham was the 4th Pony Club in Victoria; the other three being Frankston, Templestowe and Western District. Together they formed the Pony Club Association of Victoria at Diana Bassett-Smith’s instigation. This image shows club members attending their first rally held in the summer school holidays, December 1953 L-R: Andrew Donald, Alex Smith, Jenny McMahon, David Bell, Fay Hardess, Chrissy Mclean, Jane Kimber, Barry Hardess, Sue Heseltine, Sue Donald, Helen Rank, Elizabeth Thomas, Margot Donald, Christine Cuscaden, Diana Lewis, Erif Reseigh, Stephen Harris, Diana Bassett-Smith Black and white photographic reprint with names printed on frontalex smith, andrew donald, barry hardess, chrissy mclean, christine cuscaden, david bell, diana bassett-smith, diana lewis, elizabeth thomas, eltham district horse and pony club, erif reseigh, fay hardess, helen rank, jane kimber, jenny mcmahon, margot donald, stephen harris, sue donald, sue heseltine

Believed to have been taken bewteen Croydon Railway Station and the Dorset Road bridge. Taken late afternnon by George Coop's father. There is a Landrover parked on the grass with a person standing on it - believed to be Security. George recalls originally being located closer to the fence and being ushered up the hill where it was 'safer' to stand. In 1954 at age 27, Queen Elizabeth II was the first reigning British monarch to visit Australia.. She visited Victoria between March 1-10. Where to see the Queen (1954, January 21). Fern Tree Gully and District Times (Boronia, Vic. : 1953-1954), p. 5. Retrieved October 25, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article264220429 “The Lilydale Shire President, Cr. Burgi, stated that the Royal train en route for Warburton on Saturday, March 6th, would slow down at Croydon and Lilydale. There was little possibility that it would stop at either of these towns. The train would pass through Lilydale at 5.52 p.m. Council had appointed a sub-committee to arrange matters, and had allocated £400 towards expenses. It was suggested that the train slow down between the railway station and Dorset Rd. bridge at Croydon, and between the Cave Hill Quarry and railway station at Lilydale.” An album of images of the Queen's visit to Victoria is available on the PROV Flickr account at https://www.flickr.com/photos/public-record-office-victoria/7252885616Digital TIFF file Scan of Kopdak 620 black and white negative transparencygeorge coop collection, croydon, royal train

Believed to have been taken bewteen Croydon Railway Station and the Dorset Road bridge. Taken late afternnon by George Coop's father. There is a Landrover parked on the grass with a person standing on it - believed to be Security. George recalls originally being located closer to the fence and being ushered up the hill where it was 'safer' to stand. In 1954 at age 27, Queen Elizabeth II was the first reigning British monarch to visit Australia.. She visited Victoria between March 1-10. Where to see the Queen (1954, January 21). Fern Tree Gully and District Times (Boronia, Vic. : 1953-1954), p. 5. Retrieved October 25, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article264220429 “The Lilydale Shire President, Cr. Burgi, stated that the Royal train en route for Warburton on Saturday, March 6th, would slow down at Croydon and Lilydale. There was little possibility that it would stop at either of these towns. The train would pass through Lilydale at 5.52 p.m. Council had appointed a sub-committee to arrange matters, and had allocated £400 towards expenses. It was suggested that the train slow down between the railway station and Dorset Rd. bridge at Croydon, and between the Cave Hill Quarry and railway station at Lilydale.” An album of images of the Queen's visit to Victoria is available on the PROV Flickr account at https://www.flickr.com/photos/public-record-office-victoria/7252885616Digital TIFF file Scan of Kopdak 620 black and white negative transparencygeorge coop collection, croydon, royal train

Believed to have been taken bewteen Croydon Railway Station and the Dorset Road bridge. Taken late afternnon by George Coop's father. There is a Landrover parked on the grass with a person standing on it - believed to be Security. George recalls originally being located closer to the fence and being ushered up the hill where it was 'safer' to stand. In 1954 at age 27, Queen Elizabeth II was the first reigning British monarch to visit Australia.. She visited Victoria between March 1-10. Where to see the Queen (1954, January 21). Fern Tree Gully and District Times (Boronia, Vic. : 1953-1954), p. 5. Retrieved October 25, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article264220429 “The Lilydale Shire President, Cr. Burgi, stated that the Royal train en route for Warburton on Saturday, March 6th, would slow down at Croydon and Lilydale. There was little possibility that it would stop at either of these towns. The train would pass through Lilydale at 5.52 p.m. Council had appointed a sub-committee to arrange matters, and had allocated £400 towards expenses. It was suggested that the train slow down between the railway station and Dorset Rd. bridge at Croydon, and between the Cave Hill Quarry and railway station at Lilydale.” An album of images of the Queen's visit to Victoria is available on the PROV Flickr account at https://www.flickr.com/photos/public-record-office-victoria/7252885616Digital TIFF file Scan of Kopdak 620 black and white negative transparencygeorge coop collection, croydon, royal train

PS 'Adelaide' was later turned into a display in the park surrounded by rose bushes for around 20 years before being restored and returned to the Murray River.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white negative transparencygeorge coop collection, echuca, paddle steamer, ps adelaide, steam engine

PS 'Adelaide' was later turned into a display in the park surrounded by rose bushes for around 20 years before being restored and returned to the Murray River.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white negative transparencygeorge coop collection, echuca, paddle steamer, ps adelaide, steam engine

PS 'Adelaide' was later turned into a display in the park surrounded by rose bushes for around 20 years before being restored and returned to the Murray River.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white negative transparencygeorge coop collection, echuca, paddle steamer, ps adelaide, steam engine

PS 'Adelaide' was later turned into a display in the park surrounded by rose bushes for around 20 years before being restored and returned to the Murray River.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white negative transparencygeorge coop collection, echuca, paddle steamer, ps adelaide, steam engine

Very close to entrance of Victoria Park this view is looking southwest along Crofton Street to intersection with Dickson.. The buildings are all attached and the immediate two in the foreground have since been demolished or significantly altered however the old shop building and attached house on the corner (32 Dickson St) remain recognisable today.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white negative transparencygeorge coop collection, echuca, crofton street, dickson street, houses, shops

Shunting at Barnes Railway Station (second stop from Echuca) on the Victorian Railways line to Deniliquin, NSW. Once a private line owned by the Deniliquin-Moama Railway Company. Barnes is the junction for a similar line to Balranald, NSW. George Coop's Holden Station Sedan can be seen parked in the railway station driveway.Digital TIFF file Scan of black and white print Enlargement prints on textured paper (15.5 x 20.5 cm)george coop collection, j-507, j-class steam locomotive (vulcan foundry), barnes railway station

George Coop's Holden Station Sedan can be seen parked in Leslie Street on the right of image. Murray Esplanade running parallel to the train. The two-storey brick building is the Steam Packet Inn. Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodachrome positive transparencygeorge coop collection, echuca, echuca wharf railway station, murray esplanade, steam packet inn, k-172, k-class steam locomotive (vr newport workshops), leslie street

Self guided heritage tour information produced by the Shire of Eltham Historical Society for 1978 Eltham Community Festival of 36 locations each numbered on accompanying map. Locations and detail provided current to 1978: 1. ELTHAM SHOPPING CENTRE Whilst very little remains in the centre of historical importance, this area has interest as the "village" which developed over many years following the opening of the railway from Melbourne in 1902. Previously the shopping centre had been spread out over a long length of Main Road to the south. Shops have been continuously demolished or remodelled and the majority of buildings date from the 1950's or later. The recently erected Post Office replaced the "old" Post Office opened on the same site only in 1958. 2. WOOLWORTHS ELTHAM VILLAGE Part of the site of this modern shopping development was occupied by the former Eltham Shire Offices and Hall. The hall was paid for by public subscription whilst the Council raised a loan for the offices. The combined building was opened in 1941. It served as office and Council meeting place until 1965 and as the hall until its demolition in 1970. 3. ELTHAM WAR MEMORIAL The complex of buildings adjoining the present Shire Offices were financed by public subscription as a Memorial following World War II. Their construction and for many years their operation was organised by the now disbanded Eltham War Memorial Committee. The original buildings were the; Infant Welfare Centre, Children’s Library (now War Memorial Hall and Dental Clinic) and Kindergarten. In later years the Elderly Citizens Club was built at the rear. 4. ELTHAM SHIRE OFFICES These offices were opened in 1965 and extended in 1971 to provide additional office accommodation and the Eltham Library. They represent the last of a long line of offices and meeting places of the Eltham Shire Council and its predecessor the Eltham District Road Board. The building occupies the former site of Shillinglaw Cottage. The three tall cypress trees which stood in front of the Cottage have been retained as a feature of the office surrounds. 5. OUR LADY'S CHURCH AND SCHOOL The Catholic Church and School complex opposite the Shires Offices shows a number of stages in the development of Eltham township. The recently constructed church adjoins its predecessor (now the parish centre). Many years ago the Catholic Church was located opposite Wingrove Park and the present central site follows the northerly drift of the township. 6. SHILLINGLAW COTTAGE The Cottage was built in 1859 by George Stebbing, a local builder who was responsible for a number of other prominent buildings in the area. Its removal from the site of the Shire Offices and re-erection on the present site was financed by public subscription. It is built of handmade bricks laid in Flemish Bond with an unusual design featuring burnt "leader" bricks over the whole facade. The Cottage is occupied by Eltham Fleececrafts and will be open during the Festival and at other times during weekends. It is classified by the National Trust. 7. RAILWAY BRIDGE The timber trestle bridge over the Diamond Creek was built in 1901. Whilst all of its timbers have been replaced at various times over the years the only change to its character has been the addition of pylons and wiring for electric trains in 1923. It is one of very few similar bridges remaining in the metropolitan area. In 1976 a proposal to replace the bridge with an earth embankment and large culvert pipes was abandoned following community protests. The bridge, however, remains under threat because of the necessity for future deuplication of the railway line. 8. ELTHAM CENTPAL PARK The area between the railway and the creek has for many years been used as a park which included Eltham' s main football oval. The access road, Panther Place is named after Eltham's team playing in the Diamond Valley League. In recent years a large area extending to Bridge Street and locally known as the Town Park has been landscaped and added to the area. The excellent blending of the park with the natural landscape of the creek valley has earned a National Trust Landscape Classification. 9. OLD BAKERY On the southern corner of York Street and Main Road is an old house with a shop front which was for many years the local baker's shop. The brick bakery at the rear is of somewhat later vintage than the house. 10. BRIDGE STREET CUTTING Before reconstruction of Main Road this intersection had deep cutting embankments on all four corners, forming a distinctive feature of the entrance to Eltham. Roadworks and private development have levelled the land on the low side of the road. A memorial to the Eltham soldiers of World War I which was located at the north-western corner is now situated at the Eltham R.S.L.   11. HILLTOP MILK BAR For many years this was the site of the Eltham Post Office under the control of the Hunniford family and later their descendants the Burgoynes. It was transferred to this site in 1855, although at that time the building apparently fronted Bridge Str e et. The site contained Eltham's first telephone exchange. The post office was relocated in 1954 but the shop was operated until recently by the Burgoyne family who still own the surrounding land. 12. UNITING CHURCH and former C.B.A. BANK The former Methodist Church was built in 1880 by George Stebbing. The Sunday School extension was built in 1929 and there have been more recent extensions. The adjoining opportunity shop was built as a bank in 1874 and purchased by the Methodist Church in 1954. 13. R.S.L. HALL, TELEPHONE EXCHANGE These relatively recent buildings occupy the site of a row of shops forming part of the early ribbon of business development along Main Road. In front of the R.S.L. building is the World War I Memorial relocated from the corner of Bridge Street and Main Road. 14. ELTHAM COMMUNITY CENTRE Australia's first mudbrick "community building" was opened in April this year. Part of the site of the building was purchased in 1856 by Henry Dendy (of Brighton fame). At the rear of the land near the creek was a steam flour mill whilst Dendy's house was at the Main Road frontage of the land. His purchase totalled about 2 Ha (5 acres) and included land on the opposite side of Maria Street (Main Road). Dendy became a prominent member of the Eltham community and served one term as President of the Eltham District Road Board. In 1867 Dendy sold his land and business to William Ford of Malmsbury and shifted to Walhalla. The avenue of trees leading past the Community Centre to the creek may well have bordered the track to the mill. 15. ELTHAM HOTEL The original part of this hotel was built in 1927 following the burning of the former Watson's Eltham Hotel on the same site. The car park on the opposite side of Main Road was also the site of a hotel variously known over the years as; the Fountain of Friendship, the Fountain and the Evelyn Arms. As the Fountain of Friendship it was the first meeting place of the Eltham District Road Board in 1856. 16. ST. MARGARET'S CHURCH, PITT STREET In 1860 Henry Dendy was appointed Chairman of a committee to establish a church of England in Eltham. He donated part of his land in Pitt Street and in 1861 the church was opened. It was built by George Stebbing and remains in a well preserved state today. Th adjoining old vicarage is now named Dendy Hou se. A new mudbrick church hall is under construction on the site. The church and Dendy House are now listed on the Register of Historic Buildings. 17. NO. 86 PITT STREET Cottage built by George Stebbing and believed to be his home for some years in the 1850s. 18. LIVING AND LEARNING CENTRE The house was built in the 1850s with the kitchen at the front being added about 40 years later. By the creek below the house a number of early Eltham industries were located. These included a tannery and a brewery. 19. ELTHAM COURT HOUSE A Court of Petty Sessions was established in Eltham in 1858 and the present building dates from 1860. It is the oldest public building remaining in Eltham. In its early days the building was used as the meeting place and office of the Eltham District Road Board and as an overflow classroom for the local school. The Court House has been classified by the National Trust. The citation states that it is an example of the simple form of early brick Court House with gabled roof and porch. 20. LANDS DEPARTMENT OFFICE This building is the former police station and is probably of about the same age as the Court House. The lockup at the rear has been demolished but the old stables remain as garages. A licence was first granted for a police station at Eltham in 1856. 21. JARROLD COTTAGE The old Cottage opposite Dalton Street was formerly owned by the Jarrold family. Early records indicate that this was the building leased from the Jarrolds as a temporary police station prior to construction of the building on the corner of Brougham Street. The small building on the corner of the property was used as a boot repairer's shop. The elevated studio at the rear is a more recent construction by the present owners. 22. STATE SCHOOL RESIDENCE Erected in 1891 23. WINGROVE COTTAGE This building fills an important place in the history of Eltham and is now used as a medical clinic. It was built in 1858 for Charles S. Wingrove who was Secretary to the Eltham District Road Board and Shire Council from 1858 to 1904. During part of this period he was also Shire Engineer and was Secretary to the Heidelberg Road Board. The house was used as the office of the Board and Council for many years. Wingrove is buried in the cemetery at St. Helena.   24. WINGROVE PARK The parkland opposite Wingrove Cottage has been named after Charles Wingrove. The old Manna Gums are an outstanding feature of the park. 25. ELTHAM FRI.MARY SCHOOL NO. 209 The school first opened in the slab building in 1855 and operated from the present site since 1857. The oldest part of the present school is the stone building erected in 1876. The first school teacher, David Clark remained at the school until 1888. This school is the government township and has always been known as the Eltham School. An earlier school (no.371) known as Little Eltham School operated in Swan Street from 1853 to 1872. 26. "SHOESTRING" This house was built for school teacher David Clark. It has been extensively extended in recent years but the extensions do not detract from the character of the older part of the building. 27. ELTHAM CEMETERY The cemetery contains the graves of many of the district's pioneers . 28. MONTSALVAT This unique complex of buildings was commenced in 1935 by the late Justus Jorgensen and its development has extended over many years. Montsalvat has exerted a significant impact on Eltham The earth and stone construction of many of the buildings has influenced local architecture to a great extent and it has served as a "nerve centre" of the local artistic community. Montsalvat is open to the public for a small charge. 29. MAIN ROAD BRIDGE This location has been the main crossing of Diamond Creek since the earliest days of settlement. The present concrete bridge was erected in 1925 .and was preceded by a number of timber bridges. 30. ELTHAM LOWER PARK This park, being an unusually large flat area for Eltham, was originally the local racecourse. Horse races were held here from 1855 and the area was gazetted as a reserve for a racecourse and recreation reserve in 1857. The park is well known as a venue for school "bird days" and more recently as the site of the Diamond Valley Railway. This miniature railway features scale models of modern and old locomotives and rolling stock and has operated on this site since 1961 . Before that the railway operated at Chelsworth Park, Ivanhoe.   31. FALKINER HOUSE Frederick Falkiner was one of the earliest settlers in the Eltham township area and occupied a substantial leasehold prior to the first land sales. Early records show that Falkiner was the subject of a number of complaints from his neighbours but he has nevertheless been considered a prominent enough citizen to have a street named for him. This house was the home of Evelyn (Ely) Falkiner a member of Frederick's family. 32. WEST HOUSE Behind the large house on the hill is an early house built by the West family. This was relocated from a site near the front of the land by the present owner Mr. Fabbro. 33. FALKINER HOUSE This very old house is believed to have been the home of Frederick and may have been Eltham's first post office. Falkiner was the first post master for a short period. in 1854/55. 34. WITHERS HOUSE This house was the home of famous artist Walter Withers who shifted here from Heidelberg in 1903. 35. ELTHAM HIGH SCHOOL This school celebrated its jubilee this year, having commenced as the Eltham Higher Elementary School 50 years ago. 36. DIAMOND CREEK FOOTWAY If returning from the High School to the town centre the footpath by the bank of the Diamond Creek provides a pleasant route to finish your walk. The creek is a major tributary of the Yarra River. Together with its own major tributaries Arthurs Creek and Running Creek it commences on the southern slopes of the Dividing Range at Kinglake. It gives the name Diamond Valley to an area extending well beyond its actual drainage catchment.Recognition of the significance of various landmarks to the history of the Eltham community as of 1978‘shoestring’, 1978, bridge street cutting, burgoyne store, c.b.a. bank, diamond creek trail, eltham cemetery, eltham central park, eltham community centre, eltham community festival, eltham court house, eltham festival, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham primary school, eltham railway trestle bridge, eltham shire offices, eltham shopping centre, eltham state school no. 209, eltham village, eltham war memorial, falkiner house, heritage trail, hilltop milk bar, jarrold cottage, lands department office, living, living and learning centre, main road bridge, montsalvat, old bakery, our eltham artistic recollections, our lady help of christian’s church, our lady help of christian’s primary school, pitt street, post office, r.s.l. hall, shillinglaw cottage, st margaret’s church, state school residence, stebbing cottage, telephone exchange, uniting church, west house, wingrove cottage, wingrove park, withers house, woolworths

John Lawrence Coleman (1934-1965) born January 10, was the son of Raymond John Coleman and Hanna May (Gillet) Coleman. He married Margaret Frances Dare in 1955 and was the father of two children. He died whilst attempting to rescue an older man trapped in the bushfire at North Eltham on March 3, 1965 He died at Eltham (Herald, 4 March 1965, p3) [Picture of John Lawrence Coleman] Builder Mr John Lawrence Coleman, 31, of Main Rd., Eltham, one of three men burnt to death yesterday in the fire at North Eltham. The other two were XXXXX, 33 who lives opposite the Colemans and Mr William Elwers, 64 of Batman Rd., Eltham. * * * Frank Martin was a volunteer with the Eltham rural fire brigade at the time of the 1965 bushfires which burnt Eltham North and Research. Frank was asked to assist with the removal of three bodies from the back gully (now Orchard Avenue). They were badly burnt and one was found stuck under a fence as though trying to escape. Volunteers John Coleman Jnr, William Elwers and George Crowe were killed trying to protect Eltham from bushfire – they were local heroes. At the time, John Coleman Jnr was survived by his wife Margaret and two young children – John 11 and Vicky 2. Margaret Coleman lived in the family home until 1992 when she sold it and moved to Tasmania to be close to her son. She died in 1997 aged 65 years. 75 yr old Ken Gaston grew up on Edendale farm, which was originally a poultry farm but is now owned and run by the Shire of Nillumbik as an educational farm for schools and visitors. He was Captain of the Eltham rural fire brigade in 1965 when John Coleman Jnr was burnt to death in the Eltham North bushfires serving as an unofficial volunteer. He was able to draw where the original Wattletree Road was and at the time was verified with the location of some remaining bitumen and a post from the original bridge over the Diamond Creek located near the junction of the Diamond Creek and another small creek which is further down from Research or Christmas Creek as locals refer to it. The original Main Road ran behind Colemans before the railway line was built beyond Eltham in 1912. (Information recorded by Harry Gilham, President EDHS c.2011) * * * Bushfires rage in Victoria, Snowy: Three dead (1965, March 4). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 1. Retrieved May 19, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article131758981 Includes two photos of the fire in North Eltham “Firemen make for safety as fire rages in Upper Glen Park Road, North Eltham, Victoria. The smoke hides a house.” and “A house explodes into flames at North Eltham, Victoria. Firemen said bottled gas went up.” Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Thursday 4 March 1965, page 1 ________________________________________ Firemen make for safety as fire rages in Upper Glen Park Road. North Eltham. Victoria. The smoke hides a house. A house explodes into flames at North Eltham. Victoria. Firemen said bottled gas went up. Bushfires rage in Victoria, Snowy: Three dead MELBOURNE, Wednesday.—Three people died today in a bush» fire which raged through North Eltham, about 15 miles from Melbourne. The victims were three men. A fourth man is feared to be dead. Another bushfire. sparked off by the heatwave sizzling over south-eastern Australia, is burning out of control in the Kosciusko State Park, in the Snowy Mountains. Firefighters fear that if it reaches pine forests up the Yarrangobilly River, they will be powerless to stop it. The three victims of the North Eltbam fire were trapped by flames in a valley. Their bodies were found only a few yards apart. They were named by police tonight as Mr. George Crowe, 78, of North Eltham, William John Ewers, 64, and John Laurence Coleman, 31, both of Eltham. The other two have not been identified. They are believed to be a man aged about 40 and an 18-year-old youth. At least 12 homes were destroyed by the fire, the worst in Victoria since 1962, when eight lives were lost and hundreds of homes burnt down at Warrandyte. At one time the township of Eltham was threatened, but a cool change swept in from the south and held back the wall of flames. More than 100 dogs, worth about £4,000, died when the fire raced through two kennels in Short Street, Eltham. and Upper Glen Park Road, North Eltham. A trickle of water Residents ran into the streets as the blaze raced towards their houses. Others frantically dug firebreaks around their homes. Mrs. Sue Recourt wept when firemen arrived while she was vainly trying to stop the flames with a trickle of water from the garden hose. A stack of firewood was blazing, but the firemen managed to save the house and rescue four goats. Many homes in Eltham were saved after flames had crept to within feet of their fences. Students at North Eltham State School had to be evacuated when the blaze threatened the building. Fire fighters were severely hampered by lack of water and narrow roads. The blaze, which began in above century heat, turned toward Wattle Glen, where two houses were gutted. Then the flames raced towards Hurstbridge to the north. Firemen battling desperately, controlled the fire late this afternoon. Five forest fires were still burning in Victoria tonight.   IN VICTORIA THIS WEEK Tragic lack of central fire authority (1965, March 9). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 2. Retrieved May 19, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article131759928 Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Tuesday 9 March 1965, page 2 ________________________________________ IN VICTORIA THIS WEEK Tragic lack of central fire authority From Rohan Rivett It was the worst week for Victorian fire fighters since Black Friday 27 years ago. On that day one pilot up in a spotter plane said afterwards: "It seemed at times that half the State was on fire." This time, for three days on end, Gippsland men, women and children had moments of conviction that their towns would have blackened into anonymity before the weekend was out. The week began with horror at Eltham on the North-eastern edge of Melbourne. Eltham today is something of an artists' colony. Oil painters, water colourists, potters and sculptors proliferate. A number of University folk have emulated the example of Professor MacMahon Ball who pioneered the way by moving to Eltham and carving a home out of the bush in the thirties. Innermost Eltham is barely 14 miles from the G.P.O. Farthest Eltham stretches miles beyond. It served to illustrate the tragi-ludicrous truncation of Victoria's fire control. Part of Eltham is under the protection of the Melbourne Fire Brigade. But this responsibility ceases at some invisible and incomprehensible line — apparently determined by the meanderings of the water mains. At this point everybody's property throughout the rest of Eltham is dependent on the Country Fire Authority. Half an hour before midday on Wednesday, a fire suddenly started on the West side of Upper Glen road on the edge of Eltham. Before the fire brigade could arrive, it was burning on a widening front through timber and high grass north of Eltham. Two wind changes in rapid succession saw the fire leaping Diamond Creek. With a freshening wind it struck home after home in three streets. More than one of them exploded suddenly as if hit by an incendiary bomb. There is no piped gas in the Eltham area, hence many housewives use bottle gas. The flames outside caused the bottles to explode. Altogether twelve homes were completely incinerated and four more were badly damaged. Thirty prize dogs perished. About three hours after the fire started it raced suddenly down a gully hillside trapping an elderly man. Two other men apparently raced to the rescue. Flames caught the three men within yards of each other, not 200 yards off the Upper Glen Park Road where safety lay. They were burned to death. Next evening an angry and convincing secretary of the Fire Brigade Union, Mr. W. M. Webber, came on television and appealed to the people of Victoria to end the ridiculous and dangerous dualism in fire-fighting control. The Eltham fire, he said, had precisely illustrated the situation. The Metropolitan Fire Brigade area touched Eltham, but where the fire had gutted and killed, was just outside its area. Mr. Webber said his union had constantly urged one authority for the State with a complete reorganisation of fire protection. On Wednesday the union had repeated its call for an inquiry into fire protection in Victoria to the Chief Secretary, Mr Rylah. "No matter how close the liaison between the two organisations, there are always divided sections of thinking," Mr. Webber told viewers. "I don't know how much tragedy the com-munity can take before it demands that it is properly protected." Rumours that differences in gauge between taps and hose nozzles (as between the two authorities) accentuated the damage were denied by fire chiefs who said that all appliances were now carrying adaptors so that hoses could be linked to mains everywhere. But there is grave concern in the Metropolitan Fire Brigade's higher councils at the action of several Federal authorities with projects in and around Melbourne. They are installing non-standard equipment without reference to the State authorities or any dovetailing of appliances and equipment. Public alarm was not diminished by the publication on Friday and Saturday of a heart tearing letter from the young widow of John Lawrence Coleman, 31 year old father of two, who had died in the flames apparently trying to rescue the old man trapped in the gully. By that time, a Vast area of Gippsland was in flames and the troops had been sent in to back up the overworked and often helpless fire-fighters. By Saturday, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Stoneham, who has previously demanded a Royal Commission into fire-fighting arrangements, repeated his demand. To add to the Chief Secretary's worries he was publicly rebuked for allegedly implying on television that lives had been lost at Eltham because people went to the wrong place at the wrong time. In a letter to the Press, Professor MacMahon Ball pointed out that two of the men involved were experienced bushmen who had gone "to help an old man in great danger fully aware of the danger to themselves". As Victoria faced its sixth day of total State-wide fire ban, it looked likely that even official resistance was not going to silence the demand for one central authority to control the fire fiend. At the moment, the 400 square miles where two million Victorians live in Greater Melbourne are divorced from the rest of the State in planning, communications, equipment and control of personnel. No one doubts the whole-hearted co-operation and willingness to back each other up of the M.F.B. and the C.F.A., both at top-level and among the firemen themselves. However, when a city straggles so deeply into the country side, the absence of a single authority, to oversee and analyse the fire threat as a whole, suggests suicidal policy of divide and fuel. Emphasis of the tragic loss of a member of a pioneering family who died whilst helping others in his communitybushfire, cfa, country fire authority, fire brigrade, glen park road, heroes, john lawrence coleman, north eltham, victorian bushfires - 1965, volunteers, william john elwers, fire fighter, frank martin, george john crowe, ken gaston, orchard avenue

Map of Main Road with listings of all properties (shops/homes) from Mount Pleasant Road through to Pryor Street from the 1930s on to about the 1970sandrew store, andrews newsagency, arthur street, babe taylor house, bakery, barbers blue gum store, blue gum, boarding house, bootmakers cottage, bottle shop, bradford butcher shop, bradford house, bradley house, brdbury house, bridge street, brooker, brougham steet, brown blacksmith, browne's grocer, bryant, burgoyne post office, burgoyne's shop, capewell butcher shop, catholic church, catholic school, chandlers lolly shop, cheddar black, chiropractor, cockcroft, commercial bank of australia, copelands chemist, copelands dairy, d. hall house, dave lyon house, david lyon house, dr cordner, dr loosli, dr r. bradbury, dudley street, eltham, eltham bakehouse, eltham courthouse, eltham fire brigade, eltham living and learning centre, eltham pre-school, eltham railway station, eltham shire office, eltham station masters house, eltham war memorial, f. collis store, feed store, fountain hotel, franklin street, gadd's blacksmith, gahan house, garnet burges, george bird grocer, gollings, grant house, harry hawker, headmaster's resience, henry street, hepburn house, hills house, isherwood house and shop, jack ryan, jack shallard, james house, jarrold cottage, jim ryan, john lyon house, kilpatrick, le brocq, leather and harness, len parsons, lock-up, lyon bros garage, main road, map, mathews house, mclean's produce store, mechanics institute, methodist church, methodist hall, milkbar, mills bootmaker, miss george, monteith house, mount pleasant road, mrs bradbury, mrs davis house, mrs jewell, mrs mbremner store, mrs morris shop, napoleon street, obelisk, panther place, peter gahan, pitt street, plumber, police residence, poultry and market garden, pryor street, railway house, rains newsagency, real estate agent, reeves general store, s. bradbury, shillinglaw cottage, staffs general store, stones mixed shop, tennis court, timber yard, w. walker, w.b. andrew corn store, warren's general store, water trough, watsons hotel, websters house, whitecloud cottage, whites general store, williams bootmaker, wingrove cottage, wingrove park, woodyard, york street, franco and co

Information regarding the circumstances of the eleven men of the Shire of Eltham who died serving their country in the Second World War and for whom the Eltham War Memorial was dedicated. Their names are listed on the Eltham Roll of Honour in order of rank. The image portrayed shows the eleven men (left to right, top to bottom) by date of fatality: CASTLEDINE, George Ernest, Spr., VX10044 (KIA 18 Apr 1941, Greece) GAHAN, Studley Manston, Capt., VX48379 (KIA 17 May 1941, Tobruk, Libya) RUTTER, David, Flying Off., 833 (400833) (KIA 9 Dec 1941, Bir El Gubbi, Libya) CLERKE, Alfred Charles, Cpl., VX23112 (KIA 2 Feb 1942, Laha, Ambon Island) DUNLOP, Cuthbert Douglas, Sgt., VX15252 (KIA 22 Nov 1942, Gona, New Guinea) INGRAM, Lester Neil, Flt. Sgt., 410236 (DOD 22 Apr 1943, Longworth, England) McLEAN, Stanley, Flt. Sgt., 419844 (KIA 7 Oct 1944, Emmerich, Germany) FELDBAUER, Theodore, Sgt., VX51733 (DOD 27 Mar 1945, Borneo) RUTTER, Donald Hemphill, Flt. Lt., 410262 (KIA 5 Apr 1945, Varrelbusch, Germany) FIELD, Kevin Francis, Pte., VX144763 (KIA 28 Jun 1945, Bougainville, PNG) BUTHERWAY, Jack Herbert, Pte, VX37645 (DOD 8 Jul 1945, Borneo)eltham war memorial, roll of honour, second world war, eltham, eltham roll of honour, shire of eltham, 2/4 field workshop, 22 independent brigade group ordnance workshop, a.i.f., australian army ordnance corps, australian corps of electrical and mechanical engineers, changi, falkiner street, florence mary butherway, jack herbert butherway, prisoner of war (pow), ranau number 1 jungle camp, sandakan death march, singapore, thomas james butherway, vx37645, 2/2 field company, 6th division, abington, annie castledine, arthur frederick castledine, george ernest castledine, greece, jean simonson, lower plenty, old eltham road, royal australian engineers, vx10044 sapper g. e. castledine, 2/23 bn, derril, gahan house, main road, rats of tobruk, studley manston gahan, tobruk, vx48379, 3 squadron r.a.a.f., aboukir, alamein memorial, beulah alice (simpson) rutter, bir el gubbi, broken hill aero club, david rutter, egypt, hubert rutter, libya, yarra braes, 2/21 bn, 23rd australian infrantry brigade, 8th division, alfred charles clerke, ambon island, battle of ambon, bidgeland park estate, inga caroline (nicholls) clerke, inga mary nicholls, laha airfield, nora ann clerke, rose matilda clerke, vx23112, william charles clerke, 2/14 bn, 2/16 bn, 21st brigade, 7th division, cuthbert douglas dunlop, gona, gona war cemetery, henry street, janet dunlop, kokoda track, new guinea, palestine, papua new guinea, port moresby (bomana) war cemetery, reuben cuthbert dunlop, syria, vx15252, 10 operational training unit, 410236, ada (key) ingram, berkshire, bomber command, england, group no. 91, john ingram, lester neil ingram, longworth, n.1374, r.a.a.f., r.a.f., r.a.f. abington, research (vic.), whitley v bomber, 419844, 514 bomber squadron, emmerich, germany, gordon stanley mclean, ji-g2, kleve, lancaster lm735, lucy mclean, mount pleasant road, r.a.f. waterbeach, reichswald forest war cemetery, stanley mclean, 2/10 ordnance workshops, albert feldbauer, eltham cricket association, eltham girls club, frank street, henry feldbauer, jessie margarette feldbauer, june feldbauer, ken ingram, margaret (feldbauer) ingram, montmorency imperials, research cricket club, research state school, sandakan number 1 camp, sandakan number 2 camp, theodore albert feldbauer, valerie (feldbauer) waller, violet amelda (teagle) feldbauer, vx51733, 247 ‘china-british’ squadron, caithness, cloppenburg, donlad hemphill rutter, essen, gloucester, hanover war cemetery, hanover-limmer british military cemetery, holten-lochem, oldenburg, r.a.f. castletown, r.a.f. station lealing, stoppenburg, typhoon ib jp443, typhoon ib sw526, 15th australian infantry brigade, 1940 cup, 3rd division, 57th/60th bn, best and fairest, bougainville island, buin road, mary field, mayona road, mivo river, mobiai river, montmorency, vx144763, william field