Stephens Bros. of Wodonga were established c1938, having taken over the aerated water and drinks business previously operated by Messrs. E. Bartel and E. Clark. Bartel and Clark had purchased S. Mason Cordial Company from Samuel Mason Jr. in 1920. Samuel Mason Sr. began a bakery and aerated water company c1857. Stephens Brothers was operated by Lindsay, Donald and William Stephens. In 1947 they manufactured their own cement bricks to build a new factory in High Street, Wodonga. Over time they operated under various names including the Wodonga Cordial Company and Belvoir Wodonga Cordial Company. In 1938 their output of aerated waters was 100 dozen bottles a day but by 1948 that had doubled. In 1949 they also established a wood yard at their High Street premises to provide additional income during the slower winter months. In 1966 the company was purchased by the Tarax Ale Brewing Co. with Lindsay Stephens staying on as Company Manager.These artefacts has local significance as they are representative of a well-known Wodonga manufacturing business.2 bottles for beverages produced by Stephens Bros., Wodonga. One is a taller brown bottle bearing the label of Stephen Bros Old Style Hop Beer. The second clear glass bottle is smaller and has the brand name embossed into the bottle.Label on brown bottle : "STEPHENS BROS/ WODONGA :: PHONE 39 /OLD STYLE / HOP BEER/ PRESERVATIVE ADDED" Embossed on clear glass bottle : On side: STEPHENS BROS WODONGA Around base of clear bottle: "THIS BOTTLE ALWAYS REMAINS THE PROPERTY OF STEPHENS BROS. WODONGA"stephens bros wodonga, wodonga cordial company, cordial companies wodonga, belvoir drinks wodonga, aerated drinks, hop beer

\When the railway reached Wodonga from Melbourne on 19th November 1873 the first station building, which included a refreshment room and dining room, was a temporary structure. It was 300 ft. long and was removed and taken to Beechworth when the new station was built in 1874 by contractor J. Richardson. The Goods shed was 100 feet long and was built by Frew & Hill in 1873. One year later it was extended an additional 150 feet by James Nation. The date of the construction of the Locomotive shed is not known but predates 1883. It was a galvanised iron clad building which housed 4 engines on 2 tracks; in 1910 it was extended to 250 feet in length to house six more engines. The location of the railway tracks and station were a constant cause of congestion in the centre of Wodonga as the tracks crossed over Sydney Road (later named High Street). Lines of traffic were frequently banked up as the gates were closed to allow trains to cross. The Wodonga Rail Bypass project moved Wodonga station from the original central location to a position on a new line on the northern edge of the town. Not only did this release land in the middle of the city for commercial and public use, but also eliminated 10 level crossings. The project actually commenced in 2008 with the last passenger train passing through Wodonga on 8 November 2008. On 23 July 2010, the new rail bypass was opened, the original line through Wodonga closed and the station fell quiet. The area has now been redeveloped as Junction Place and the old buildings now house a restaurant, cafe and the Goods Shed Craft Beer Cafe.These images are of local, state and national significance as the Wodonga Railway complex formed a vital link in the Victorian state, interstate and national railway system.A collection of colour photos of the buildings at the former Wodonga Railway Stationwodonga railways, railway station wodonga, junction place wodonga

Several German families arrived in Wodonga, usually via South Australia, in the late 1850 and 1860s. Some of the earliest settlers to arrive were the Haeusler, Schlink, Trudewind, Pfeiffer and Klinge families. Many of them had left from Prussia and Bavaria to escape religious persecution. They all became actively involved in the community and made outstanding and lasting contributions to the development of the town. In the years 1868-69 more settlers arrived from South Australia and other parts of Victoria. Among the names were Heckendorf, Mueller, Zeinert and Schubert. These families were instrumental in lobbying for the establishment of the St. John's Lutheran Church in Wodonga, the foundation stone being laid in 1874. By the 1890s to the early 1900s many other Germany names were added to the local community including Muller, Lange, Pumpa, Greschke, Lobbe, Posselt, Kreuger, Schuster, Pertzel, Star, Draper, Mueller, Semmler, Thiele, Terlich, Wegener, Schreiber and Draper. Germans continued to arrive in the area until 1914. In the great post-war migration that started through Bonegilla in December 1947, Germans were among the tens of thousands who arrived. Most of the migrants who settled in Wodonga at this time were born in Germany. According to the 2016 Census, Wodonga still has a larger percentage of people with German ancestry than most other rural communities in Victoria. The German Austrian Australian Club, Wodonga was originally formed in 1960 by immigrants to Australia, to provide a meeting place for refugees and immigrants from Europe. Oktoberfest has become a world-wide occasion for all people to share in the celebration of Bavarian traditions. The Wodonga Hospital approached the Club and asked for their involvement in holding an Oktoberfest to raise funds for the Hospital. These Fests took 11 months to organize and ended up raising over $27,000.00 for the Hospital. A large number of families of German origin have arrived in the Wodonga area from as early as the 1850s. They have made valuable and lasting contributions to the area in a range of fields including agriculture, local government, businesses, retail and medical services. Their contributions are recognised in several street names in Wodonga. A white china beer stein bearing the blue logo of the Wodonga 1979 Oktoberfest. Logo includes an image of a woman in German national costume.Above the image "WODONGA" Underneath the image "OKTOBERFEST 1979"wodonga, oktoberfest, german immigrants

Owners had to provide service of alcohol in order to retain their licence. Locals referred to site as 'The Porta Pub'Colour photograph of tables and umbrellas for beer garden, next to portable building on site of what was the Club Hotel, after the fire had destroyed the original building. Lakes Entrance Victoriarecreation, disasters, business

The making of cordials and aerated waters was an important industry in Warrnambool from the time of the first settlement up to the 1980s. John Fletcher succeeded John Davis in Koroit Street in 1885 and manufactured aerated waters, soda, lithia, tonic waters, lemonade, ginger ale, hop beer, hop bitters, sarsparilla and cordials. He sold to Ralph Reeves in 1930 and the business continued until the 1908s under the name of Reeves. Warrnambool cordial bottles are of considerable significance as examples of an important local industry now gone. The Fletcher business was a well-known business in Warrnambool for 45 years.This is a small size plain glass bottle manufactured for liquids sold commercially.On side of bottle ‘John Fletcher Warrnambool’ ‘Trade Mark’ with incision of symbol showing a crown with a Maltese Cross and three fleurs-de-lys. Near the base of the bottle is the wording ‘This bottle is the property of John Fletcher Warrnambool & cannot be legally used by others’. On base: ‘M 942, M, A.G.M.’wa, warrnambool,fletcher bottle, fletchers cordials warrnambool, fletcher's aerated water, marble bottle,