Various family scenes taken from outside the family home on the southeast corner of the intersection of Nyora Road and Pitt Street with Eucalyptus Road. Also, scenes of the Stokes Orchard and equipment used, construction of water reservoir at the end of Nyora Road near Reynolds Road and Diosma Road as well as early stages of the Stokes Orchard housing development. Frank Stokes worked as a qualified accountant at Kennons leather factory in Burnley, while living at 1 Thomas Street, Mitcham. He suffered from migraines and wanted to go back to the land (he had previously worked on farms and orchards since coming to Australia in 1926 both in WA and Vic.). He first travelled to the district by train in July 1942 to find land with the intention to establish an orchard. By chance he met Arthur Bird of Bird Orchard (bounded by Pitt Street, Eucalyptus Road and Wattle Grove) and they got talking over their common interest. Arthur put Frank up for the night and pointed out the land, 158 acres- Taylor Estate- £900, part of Crown Allotment 15, Section 5, Parish of Nillumbik (CA15) somewhat diagonally opposite Bird Orchard. He applied through the Riverina Agency to purchase the land who in turn had to get permission from Canberra to sell as there was a new government regulation banning land sales except for immediate production. He obtained a loan on his Mitcham house of £600 @ 5% and paid £450 deposit with quarterly payments of £15 over 5 years. The title to the property was issued May 15, 1946. He was helped and advised by Arthur Bird who farmed the neighbouring orchard. Early 1943 he took possession and would catch the train out to Eltham on Fridays after work and began building a hut for shelter and to lock up tools. He was able to pay a neighbour (Hawkins) to help with clearing and fencing 25 acres and with a horse and single furrowed plow, planted approximately 2,500 fruit trees - cherries, peaches, plums, almonds, pears, apricots and lemons as well as a few apples and oranges; a massive job. A huge problem was hares and rabbits eating all the new buds off the tiny trees. As well as laying poison he painted the trees with a mixture of cow manure and lime. Often working by moonlight. It was extremely difficult to get wire and wire netting because of the war but after much effort he obtained a permit from the Agricultural Department for supplies in March 1944. In February 1945 he applied for a permit to build a “packing shed” as no house building allowed. It was to be 33 feet x 21 feet and cost £312. Constructed mostly from second-hand materials, which was hard to obtain, especially iron for roofing. Frank finished work at Kennons October 31, 1945, and in March 1946 he sold the Mitcham house for £1230 plus £170 for furniture. The family of five then moved into a very unfinished at Eltham, which was a struggle to weatherproof. Eventually rooms were divided off and lined with hessian bags and whitewashed. Their income was firewood (cut and sold), selling rockery stones and cut sweet bursaria. (It was discovered during the 1940s that Bursaria contained the sunscreen compound Aesculin. The RAAF utilised this compound from Bursaria during WW2 for pilots and gunners.) The orchard’s first fruit sale was a 1/2 case of Le Vanq peaches in December 1947 - 8 shillings. In 1956 plans for house were drawn and Glen Iris bricks purchased (1956 Olympic Rings variant). The building of the house commenced in 1957 - 12 feet of original packing shed removed – and was completed in 1959. Water was connected from newly built pressure storage on the property at the end of 1959 and the electricity connection for the first time at 3pm on April 29, 1960. In the mid-1970s the Shire of Eltham divided the orchard up into numerous rate-able parcel lots, which became unaffordable for Frank. Consequently, Stokes Orchard was turned into a housing development by Macquarie Builders and marketed as the Stokes Orchard Estate in two stages; Stage 1 encompassing Scarlet Ash Court, Ironbark Close and Peppermint Grove bounded by Nyora and Eucalyptus roads c.1976 and Stage 2 encompassing Stokes Place, Orchard Way, The Crest and The Lookout bound by Nyora and Diosma roads c.1979. The development of Orchard Way, The Crest and The Lookout did not proceed as planned due to the lack of the sewer along Diosma Road and so many of the proposed lots were incorporated into five-acre parcels instead. With the arrival of the sewer along Diosma Road many years later, most of these five-acre parcels have since been subdivided many times.Representative of the orchard growing areas of ElthamMP4 00:24:39; 426MB Digital file only - Digitised by EDHS from a DVD copy on loan from Beryl Bradbury (nee Stokes), daughter of Frank Stokes. 24 min duration compilation of home movie Super 8mm film shot by Frank Stokes brother-in-law.beryl bradbury (nee stokes) collection, frank stokes, nyora road, stokes orchard, stokes orchard estate, stokes place, video recording

Written on back of photograph, "21/4/82. No.14 Glenvale Road towards Mitcham. Deep Creek Road in background left."

One A4 sheetTELEPHONE DIRECTORY 1913 RINGWOOD 16 Anderson, Walter J, Public Accountant, Belford Pk. 17 Armstrong, H.E.B., 'Korumbeen'' 3 Bamford Bros. 8 Blood Bros. 1 Boys' Industrial Home, Bayswater. 20 Chung, Andrew, Orchardist, Lilydale and Eastfield Rds, 21 Dickson Alfred, Heatherdale Rd. 5 Edgar, Rev. A.R. 18 English. Scottish, & Aust. Bank Ld. 6 Falconer, T. S. 14 Harnwell, W.J., Wonga Rd. 22 Hill, Wm.Hy, Nurseryman, Florist, Main Rd. 2 Langley, Or A.T. Station St. 15 Lothian, John I, "St Abbs" Canterbury Rd. 9 Madden, C. L., Coach and Horses Hotel. 7 McAlpin, J. B., Govt. Assessor, Valuator, opp. Station. 13 Mackinlay, Wm., Wonga Rd. 12 Miles, Capt. E. 12 Miles, A.T. 10 Police Station. 19 Police Station. Mitcham. 4 Walker, A.E., General Store. 11 Williams, W.S., 'Berringa Park,' Andersons Creek Rd.

Belonged to the donor's aunt or grandmother, she was born in 1888Black crepe evening dress, rouched bodice over bust. Tie rouched belt fastened with eight covered buttons. Back of bodice rouched and fastened with 21 covered buttons.costume, female

Photocopy of a school assignment. It describes a number of local War Memorials and gives information about Frederick Henry Stockfield who is listed on the Mitcham War Memorials. His family lived in Blackburn Road Blackburn and he had worked picking fruit. He was an artillery man who trained in England and fought in the Third Battle of Ypres. He died of wounds on 21/9/1917 and is buried in the Military Huts Cemetery in Dickenbuscg, Belgium. Photographs of his grave and the cemetery are included. There is information about the life of a Gunner and some about his family. Photographs. Maps. Approx 38 pagesstockfield, frederick harry;, world war 1914-1918. battle of ypres, war memorials

A History of Nunawading Arts Council 1964-1985,as told by Max Grant. A year by year account is given of the Nunawading Festival and the various orginations involved. Planning and development of the Nunawading Arts and Entertainment Centre is included. There is a list of Office Bearers for the period.A History of Nunawading Arts Council art exhibitions, art festivals, nunawading festival, nunawading arts council, nunawading arts & exhibition centre

Booklet issued by the Victorian Archaelogical Survey describing an abouiginal axe quarry at Mt William near Lancefield. The history of the site is described as is the archaelogical evidence. A section describes the importance of axes in aboriginal culture. Map, illustrations.Booklet issued by the Victorian Archaelogical Survey describing an abouiginal axe quarry at Mt William near Lancefield. The history of the site is described as is the archaelogical evidence. aborigines, stone axes, mount william

Photocopy of Luther College Year 10 History assignment telling the story of Alwyn Terrance Till who died on 21 August 1944 in Germany and is buried at Hotton War Cemetery, Belgium.Luther College Year 10 History assignmenttill, alwyn, war memorial lilydale, war memorial mitcham, war memorial box hill, war memorial blackburn, royal australian air force, hotton war cemetery, belgium, world war, 1939 - 1945

Brochure of Scott's Garden Estate consisting of 21 large allotments owned by Mrs. E.E. Scott, corner Victoria Street and Scott Street, Mitcham. Also includes New Street, Mitcham. Brochure of Scott's Garden Estate scott, emma elizabeth, coghill & haughton, daly, hall & davey, scott's garden estate, scott street mitcham, victoria street mitcham, new street, mitcham