Murray's Bridge over the Diamond Creek on the Diamond Creek Trail just prior to demolition and replacement with a new steel bridge. Heritage advice obtained by Nillumbik Shire Council, following a suggestion by the Eltham District Historical Society (EDHS), is that the original bridge appears to have been a simplified version of the Country Roads Board’s (CRB) standard timber bridge design of the early-to-mid 1920s. In c1990 Murray’s bridge was renovated with three recycled steel girders as part of a bike/pedestrian path in the reserve. During these alterations many parts of the bridge were removed, and some were replaced. Heritage advice indicates the condition of Murray’s bridge is poor. The remaining original parts are all in poor condition, with severe weathering, splitting and rot, especially to the stringers retained on the bridge. Heritage advice is that Murray’s Bridge does not have sufficient significance in the cultural history of the Nillumbik area to warrant inclusion in the Nillumbik Shire Heritage Overlay and also does not have sufficient significance as a rare survivor to warrant inclusion in the Nillumbik Shire Heritage Overlay. There are no indications in the historical record that this site was individually important to the cultural history of this area. EDHS is comfortable with the heritage advice provided to Council and has worked closely on this project with Council. EDHS has suggested some of the removed timbers be used in the vicinity of the bridge for landscaping and possibly seating, so as to retain these remnants close to the site of the original bridge, which is the last old timber bridge along the lower reaches of the Diamond Creek. Mary (Sweeney) Murray and John Wright Murray selected 80 acres, Lot C Section 16 and Lot 5 Section 17 Parish of Nillumbik, under an occupation license in 1866. John died in 1867 and freehold was granted to his son John in 1873. The farm was known as ‘Laurel Hill’. John Junior was an Eltham Shire councillor and sometime president from 1887 up until 1897. He added Lot A Section 16 to the farm in ca1888. John and his younger brother James arranged to rent/purchase Lot B Section 17, across Diamond Creek to the west, in ca1900. It appears that John and James farmed separately for a few years, with a new homestead built for James ad family on the high point of Lot B Section 17 in ca1910. John sold off Lot 5 Section 17 in 1912. When John died in 1912 James took over the land on both sides of the Diamond Creek. The old homestead on the west side of the Creek disappeared. A farm bridge over Diamond Creek from this period may have been located close to the northern boundary of the farm. John Langlands, owner of the farm known as ‘Ihurst’ on the west side of Diamond Creek to the south of the Murray’s land, died in 1907. In 1909 his land was then subdivided into 100 lots to become the ‘Glen Park Estate’. Other similar subdivisions of nineteenth century farms around Eltham in this period included the ‘Franktonia (or Beard’s) Estate’ to the northeast and ‘Bonsack’s Estate’ between Eltham and Greensborough. Soon after the opening of the railway extension line from Eltham to Hurstbridge in 1912, Glen Park and nearby residents including James Murray agitated for a railway station or siding to be located half-way between Eltham and Hurstbridge, so that the Glen Park residents who used the railway daily did not have to walk into the Eltham or Hurstbridge stations. Some believed Coleman’s Corner (opposite Edendale Farm) was an appropriate spot for the platform. James Murray was among those who thought the railway should be located on his land, closer to half-way between Eltham and Hurstbridge stations. The Railways Commissioners warned that the locals would have to fund these works themselves. The Glen Park Estate residents initially had difficulty accessing Eltham by road, with only an old low-level bridge over Diamond Creek at the south end of their estate. A new timber trestle bridge across the creek, now on Wattletree Road, was opened in 1915. Road access to the north was gained in 1927 when the new Murray’s Road, which crossed the Murray’s land, was built. Residents continued to agitate for a Glen Park station. By 1926 the Railways Commissioners’ preferred site was on the Murray’s land. They arranged an estimate of cost of a full-length platform. The estimate was too much for the locals, who in 1928 argued unsuccessfully for a shorter and hence cheaper platform. By 1929 Murray had agreed to donate the land, but the locals would still have to fund the works. Murray decided, unilaterally it would appear, to commence work on a timber trestle road bridge over Diamond Creek to link the new Murray Road to the proposed station. Late in 1929 he stopped work on the bridge, for reasons unknown, but started work again and completed the bridge in 1931. There is no further newspaper evidence of the campaign for the Glen Park station until 1939, when Murray and another local, Mr Maxwell, met the Railways Commissioner. The Glen Park locale now included 45 homes on the west side of the creek and 20 on the Eltham side. Most of the residents used the train every day. The Commissioner remained adamant that only a full-length platform could be built for safety reasons. It appears the campaign dissolved at this point. The increasing move to cars may have had an impact. There is no evidence of Murray’s bridge ever being connected to Murray’s Road, or of it having wide use for any purpose by locals. James Murray died in 1947 and the farm was taken over by his son James (Jim). Jim started to sell off parts of the farm in the 1980s, retaining a few acres around the ca1910 homestead and building a new house there. Recreation reserves were established along the creek. In ca1990 Murray’s bridge was renovated with steel girders as part of a bike/pedestrian path in the reserve. The old farmhouse was demolished in ca2014. * * * A theory posted on local community Facebook groups was that the bridge was built in the 1860s and was built to be more robust than was necessary for the movement of cows from one side of the creek to the other. It was suggested the robustness was necessary to support the weight of gold ore being transferred from a mine on Murray’s land to a railway siding near Murrays Bridge (presumably for transfer and processing at Diamond Creek). Perhaps this may have been one of the motivators for Murray, who really knows? Knowing when mining operations ceased on his land and how that fits the overall timeline would be useful but at the time the bridge was built, local gold production was minimal at best. The known facts are: • The railway line came to Eltham in 1902. • The extension of the railway from Eltham to Hurstbridge was constructed in 1912 so no railway line even existed through Murray's property until 1912 and the Victorian Railways maps at the time show no such siding on Murray’s property. • In 1923 a new company was formed in anticipation of the old Diamond Creek Gold Mine being re-opened. The mine had been previously closed and flooded. It was noted in the press at the time that the mine was within a mile of the railway. Nothing really came of this. • Construction of Murrays Bridge was commenced by James Murray in early 1929 in anticipation of a proposed flag station being nominated on his land, but work ceased shortly afterwards. The proposed flag station was commonly referred to as Glen Park as the residents of the Glen Park Estate wanted Option 1, located near them with the platform adjacent to Colemans corner. This was probably never going to fly as it was virtually in eyesight of Eltham station. Allandale Road was the third option, but the Commissioners' preferred option was No. 2 - on Murray's property. • The Railway Commissioners were not going to finance any such station and the works had to be funded by private landowners and residents, hence Murray investing in this himself. • Murray recommenced work two years later and finished his bridge in 1931 but unfortunately for him, the proposed flag station never eventuated. The bluestone siding you reference may well have been built by Murray as part of the proposed station platform. • Up until then, apart from the Main Road bridge, which was washed away in 1924, virtually all local crossings over the Diamond Creek were low lying bridges – Kaylocks Bridge at Brougham Street, Diamond Street bridge, Glen Park Road bridge. It is expected that Murray also had a low-lying bridge to connect his land either side of the creek. These were all washed away or severely damaged multiple times in the 1920s. Lessons were learnt, and Murrays Bridge appears to have been built in accordance with Country Road Board standards of the time. Flood damage was ongoing, and even more recently constructed raised bridges kept getting washed away, e.g., the new Wattle Tree Road bridge in 1958 just months after completion. Murray’s bridge was reinforced with steel some 30 years ago presumably to provide additional floodwater resistance, given the history of bridges disappearing in floodwaters. • In March 1932 it was reported in the Advertiser that there were still some prospectors operating around Eltham North who apart from further scarring the face of the earth over the previous two years had gained significant experience but little gold - hardly a driving factor for constructing a dedicated railway siding and bridge to transfer gold ore. It is far more probable that James Murray was hoping to have the railway station located on his property and invested his money by building the bridge to lead to it as well as a station platform. Had the station eventuated, it may well have driven up the value of his land for subdivision and new housing estates like the Glen Park Estate. That did not eventuate. Whilst the bridge was indeed old (90 years), the core structure being completed in 1931, it had been modified substantially from original and hence had no significant historic value – i.e., it was not a representative example of its type, construction, and age. Given that the bridge was not worthy of saving, the Eltham District Historical Society with Council’s support, and the Eltham Woodworkers group endeavoured to see what suitable sized timbers were salvageable to fabricate a commemorative seat. Unfortunately, the experts at the Woodworkers group were unable to salvage any suitable length/width timbers to fabricate the seat due to the presence of rot. Last remaining wooden trestle bridge on the Diamond Creek Trail just prior to demolition and replacementBorn digital image (27)diamond creek (creek), diamond creek trail, murrays bridge, ‘laurel hill’, john wright murray, mary (sweeney) murra, john murray jnr, james murray, john langlands, ‘ihurst’, ‘glen park estate’, beard's estate, franktonia, bonsack's estate, glen park estate, glen park railway station

Harry Gilham 1988 Entrant No. 134 Ref: Series 34, Items 31, 32, 103, 104 The images in this record were not selected for inclusion. SHIRE OF ELTHAM COMMUNITY PHOTOGRAPHIC SURVEY Photography is an artform which many of us practice, sometimes purely for artistic pursuit, sometimes to record the people and events in our lives. In 1988, as part of a local Bicentennial project, the Shire of Eltham conducted the Eltham Community Photographic Survey. Up to 100 entries were to be selected by a panel of photographers for entry into the Eltham Photographic Survey Exhibition. Entries had to be submitted by May 13, 1988. Entrants whose images were selected for the exhibition were contacted and requested to further submit an entry form providing entrant’s name, area of residence, age, and proposed captions. These details were then used to produce labels for the exhibition mounts. Where negatives had not been supplied, these were requested to support the display of printed enlargements mounted on 10” x 8” cardboard. The mounted prints were made available post exhibition for sale at $8.50 each for colour prints and $7.00 for B&W prints. Residents in the Shire were invited to collect a free roll of film and take a photograph of what they either liked or did not like about the area. A total of 160 entrants submitted multiple entries for the exhibition. Of those selected for exhibition, entrants ranged in age from 9 to 70 years. All custom colour and black and white printing for the exhibition was completed by Wattle Studios of Eltham. The Eltham Photographic Survey was jointly auspiced by the Shire of Eltham and Wattle Studios, of 953 Main Road, Eltham. The project was greatly assisted by: • David McRitchie, Media Studies Lecturer Victoria College, Rusden Campus. • Ian and Annette Toohill of Wattle Studios • Tracy Naughton, Eltham Community Arts Officer • Neville Emerson Pty. Ltd. • Superior Press, Eltham • Kodak Australasia Pty. Ltd. • Agfa Gevaert Ltd. • Townsend Colourtech Pty. Ltd. • The Australian Bicentennial Authority • Eleanor Bowers, Secretary, Eltham Arts Council The exhibition was placed on display in the Woolworths Arcade, Eltham between Monday June 6th and Saturday June 11, 1988. It was also intended to hold the exhibition at a venue in the Shire’s North Riding from Monday, June 20 to Friday June 24. It was then displayed at the Were Street Theatre, Montmorency from Friday, June 24 to Thursday, July 7. Series 34: Eltham Community Photographic Survey 1988 - Prints & Documentation Series consists of 117 photographs of Shire scenes taken by members of the community. Items I - 41 are larger photographs mounted on card, which were exhibited. Items 42 - 117 are unmounted copies, alternative takes and other entries. Corresponding negatives contained in Series 35: Eltham Community Photographic Survey 1988 – Negatives which consists of 267 colour and B&W negatives and one colour slide of Shire scenes taken by members of the community. The negatives are arranged by the entrant number of the photographer. The Eltham Community Photographic Survey collection is significant to the local community as it was curated by the local community - ordinary people of all ages - representing what they liked and did not like in the area where they lived. It represents an unfiltered representation of the Shire of Eltham as it was in 1988. It also represents one of many projects as part of the national programme of events and celebrations to commemorate the bicentenary. It is a time capsule of life in the 1980s of this urban and rural municipality in Melbourne's north. shire of eltham archives, bicentennial project, eltham community photographic survey, film - kodak ga 100 5095, harry gilham, road, scan - 35mm negative, series 35, eltham toy library, diamond valley railway, eltham lower park, road sign, speedhumps

Eltham Gateway, Front carpark at Eltham Lower Park looking at Diamond Valley RailwayTomorrow's history documented todayeltham, jim connor collection, main road, eltham gateway, diamond valley railway, eltham lower park

Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 8 strips and associated 10 x 15 cm colour printKodak Gold 100-5montmorency, mountainview road bridge, petrie park, railway line

Greenbat Battery Loco Built by Greenwood & Batley Ltd Builders No. 420363/2 This Greenbat Battery Loco has been loaned to the Museum by the Walhalla Goldfields Railway, who had acquired it in 2013 along with a large quantity of narrow gauge trollies and light rail from Orica’s now closed munitions factory in Melbourne’s western suburbs. The trolley on display was one of two in use from the 1970s. Orica - Deer Park Munitions factory Orica Deer Park in Melbourne’s west has been used since circa 1875 for various forms of manufacturing and storage of chemicals. Although the site is bounded by Ballarat Road, Station Street, Tilburn Road and the Western Ring Road, the current entry point for industrial operations is situated at Gate 6 off Tilburn Road. Operations include: • a specialty chemicals facility producing products for mining services operations • quarry services • other chemical manufacture activities. The Deer Park factory complex is of historical significance as the location of the first plant for the manufacture of high explosives in Australia and has been, for its entire history, the most important, if not only, commercial manufacturer of high explosives in Australia. It commenced operation under the importer Jones Scott and Co, and then the Australian Lithofracteur Company (Krebs Patent), a rival to Nobel's dynamite patent. The factory was producing nitro-glycerine based explosives in Australia only a couple of years after Nobel's Ardeer factory began operating in Scotland. The explosives factories complex is of historical significance for the association with the Australian Lithofracteur Company, Australian Explosives and Chemicals, the Nobel company and later ICIANZ, which grew to become one of the largest explosives, chemical and plastics manufacturers in Australia. It was the pioneer of the industry and retained its dominance through monopolistic practices, taking over most of its competitors in the Australasian region. Substantial parts of the pre-Second World War layout of the site remain which, with a number of significant buildings dating back to the 1920s and '30s, indicate past and present processes of manufacturing, the necessary safety measures required and the integrated nature of the explosives and chemical industry. The narrow gauge tramway, which ran through the explosives section, was a rare survivor of nineteenth century materials-handling methods into the 21st Century. Greenwood & Batley were a large engineering manufacturer with a wide range of products, including armaments, electrical engineering, and printing and milling machinery. They also produced a range of battery-electric railway locomotives under the brand name Greenbat. The works was in Armley, Leeds, UK. Greenbat was the trade name for the railway locomotives built by Greenwood & Batley. The company specialised in electric locomotives, particularly battery-powered types for use in mines and other hazardous environments. Historic - Industrial Narrow Gauge Railway - Battery Locomotive - Orica - Deer Park Munitions factory - Deep park, Victoria, Australia Battery Locomotive - made of iron puffing billy, greenbat battery loco, battery locomotive, industrial narrow gauge railway, orica - deer park munitions factory

This 2 foot 6 inch (762mm) gauge wagon was used for carrying explosives and was used with the Greenbat Battery loco. It was donated to the Walhalla Goldfields Railway on long term loan in 2013 along with a large quantity of narrow gauge trollies and light rail from Orica’s now closed munitions factory in Melbourne’s western suburbs. Orica - Deer Park Munitions factory Orica Deer Park in Melbourne’s west has been used since circa 1875 for various forms of manufacturing and storage of chemicals. Although the site is bounded by Ballarat Road, Station Street, Tilburn Road and the Western Ring Road, the current entry point for industrial operations is situated at Gate 6 of Tilburn Road. Operations include: • a specialty chemicals facility producing products for mining services operations • quarry services • other chemical manufacture activities. The Deer Park factory complex The factory complex is of historical significance for the major role it played in Australia's manufacturing and mining industries through the development of progressively more efficient and safer explosives. It also contributed to wartime production in ammunition, initiators and the development of synthetic ammonia production and construction of the Defence Explosives Annexe No 5 (later the Albion Explosives Factory) during World War Two. The factory complex is also of technical significance for the unusual and specialised design of many of the buildings and structures, both in the layout of the works and the individual design of buildings. Blast protection and safety measures such as mounds around the buildings, 'cleanways' and buffer zones between production areas were employed extensively. A characteristic of many production buildings was the elimination of cavities where explosive compounds could lodge. The combination of concrete barriers and light-weight construction was designed to direct explosion debris away from operators or other buildings. The narrow gauge tramway, which ran through the explosives section, is a rare survivor of nineteenth century materials-handling methods. Historic - Industrial Narrow Gauge Railway - Wagon for carrying Explosives at the Orica - Deer Park Munitions factory, Deer park, Victoria, Australia Wagon for carrying explosives made from Timber and steelwagon for carrying explosives, puffing billy, industrial narrow gauge railway, orica - deer park munitions factory, explosives wagon

St Kilda Park, now Albert Park Reserve, showing cows, eucalyptus trees, oval and a railway viaduct in background. The viaduct was part of the Windsor to St Kilda loop line which operated between 1857 and 1867. The loop line ran from the St Kilda railway station on a combination of wooden viaducts and earth embankments fifteen feet high, crossing over St Kilda and Punt Roads by way of bridges and then gradually decreasing to a level crossing at Union Street and then on to Windsor station. Black and white photograph of a lithograph published in a book (unidentified)ST KILDA PARK, SHOWING THE VIADUCT NOW IN COURSE OF REMOVAL - SEE PAGE 85st kilda railway station, albert park, windsor to st kilda rail loop

Thirty-nine glossy coloured photographs of locomotive R711 (Spirit of Bendigo ) removal from Bendigo Railway park in 1994 - the train is shown being craned onto an 18 wheel trailer and transported through Bendigo .Photos include shots of Engine R761 which appears to have been on a special excursion visit to Bendigo One photo is of a Second Class Red Rattler -type carriage .bendigo, parks and gardens, locomotive r711

The photograph was taken after Coles Supermarket and Sunbury Shopping Square were constructed on the railway land on the east side of the line in 1989, but before the Safeway-Woolworths complex was built in 2000 on the west side of the railway line. The open land on the west side of the line was used by rail communters as a car park.A coloured photograph showing part of the T intersection at Cornish and Horne Streets. A large pine tree is growing at the corner immediately in front of a pedestrian crossing. The railway car park, metal water tower and Coles Supermarket are in the background. A boy is walking along the footpath.cornish street, horne street, water towers, coles supermarket, sunbury railway station, george evans collection

Group photo of Australian Army Unit (unknown)Group photo taken in front of old drill hall which was located in the current Ringwood railway station car park

Morton Park is the home of the Blackburn Cricket Club. Located on Central Rd in Blackburn near the railway station Morton Park has two ovals and the scene of many a victory and celebration.

Construction of Entrance and Switch Back Railway, Luna Park, St Kilda, October 1912; onion dome on one side, not the other; two early motor vehicles with spoke wheels; construction crew on top level; sign 'Contractors The G.A. Lawsha Contruction Co. London, Engineer T.h. Eslick'black and white photograph, mounted, poor conditionLuna Park 5/1/0/12 Switch back Railway [trikethrough text 'afterwards called Big Dipper']; [stamp] George Wall & Co, Photo Experts, 131 Chapel St., Balaclava (near Melbourne) Photoas copied, resuscitated and enlarged.

Stawell Gift Runner at Central Park with Railway Station in Background. 440yds Heat Winner 1958.stawell sport

Fittings out of the Mitcham Station Master's house, the last block of land on the east side of Station Street, now a car park. Railway Department house number 1273 brass and ceramic light switches. 2 brass picture hooks. 1 brass and lead counterweight for lamp. 2 gas jets on wooden base. 1 door bell pull. 2 brass curtain holders. All on wooden base.metalcraft, brassware

Black and white "Murray Views" postcard - View from eastern bank of Ringwood Park Lake, railway line hidden by trees in background. Circa 1948."1948" handwritten on back.

Stawell Gift Runners at Central Park with Railway Station in Background. K.R.T. Trembath Port Melbourne 440yds Final 1958.stawell sport

Layout of Richmond Park showing railway line, Pic-Nic Station, Swan Street extension and Horticultural Society's Garden. 3 photocopies of plan surveyed and drawn by A.L. Martin, Authorised Surveyor. Photolithographed at Dept of Lands and Survey by J. Noone 6th Sept. 1872. Showing the entire park and the Horticultural Society's Garden.richmond, parks, a.l. martin

Station Sign - Yea Yea Station Opened 16 November 1883 Closed 8 November 1978 Yea is a former railway station in Yea, Victoria, Australia. The tracks have been removed and the reserve has been turned into The Yea Railway Park consisting of the historic railway station and eleven acres of parkland. It has a picnic shelter, barbecue, toilets, playground, skatepark, walking track, community reserve and includes Rotary Park. The station building houses Blackthorn Textiles (a privately run craft shop). Also on the site are the former goods sheds which are available for hire for varied functions. The Yea Country Market is held in the park on the first Saturday of each month and local artists hold an exhibition and sale in the goods sheds each Easter. The site is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yea_railway_station photo at http://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/vhd-images/places/000/078/092.jpg Historic - Victorian Railways Station sign used at Yea StationStation Sign - Yea Metal rectangle Station Name Sign with white enamel back ground and black lettersYeapuffing billy, station sign, yea station

Digital copy of auction leaflet for sale of land known as Grace Park Electric Station Estate, Saturday 21/06/1924. Auctioneer Knight & Harwood in conjunction with C. Jessop. This leaflet shows a photograph of the 'Grace Park Railway Station' nearing completion.Digital copy of auction leaflet 1 page. Black and red text on white paper.watsonia, grace park

Digital copy of auction leaflet for sale of land known as Grace Park Electric Station Estate, Saturday 21/06/1924. Auctioneer Knight & Harwood in conjunction with C. Jessop. This leaflet shows a home on the estate and a photograph of the proposed site of the 'Grace Park Railway Station'.Digital copy of auction leaflet 1 page. Black and red text on white paper.watsonia, grace park

Set of three photographs taken by George Bishop on April 1999 - All route 96 - East Brunswick to St Kilda Beach 1 - B2 2032 at the former Albert Park Railway Station 2 - B1 2001 at Albert Park 3 - B2 2057 Albert ParkYields information about the operation of Melbourne trams during early 1995.Set of three colour prints printed on Kodak paperDetails of the photograph and photographer on the rear in ink.trams, tramways, st kilda, b2 class, b1 class, tram 2032, tram 2001, tram 2057, albert park, st kilda light rail, light rail

Digital copy of auction leaflet for sale of land known as Grace Park Electric Station Estate, Saturday 21/06/1924. Auctioneer Knight & Harwood in conjunction with C. Jessop. This leaflet features block plans and a railway line illustration showing the site of 'Grace Park Railway Station'.Digital copy of auction leaflet 1 page. Black and red text on white paper.watsonia, grace park

A folder pamphlet inviting inspection and participation to South Pacific Electric Railway Museum at National Park - 4 photos, outlining future plans, etc. folds into 3 portions - gives list of trams held at the time - early 60's.trams, tramways, tramway museums, sydney, tramcars, preservation

BHS CollectionBlack and white copy of steam tram no 5 parked in Railway Place, in front of Goods sheds. Conductor (centre) and motorman (right) 2 other men in period attire. Signage on tram for Henderson and Goodison, Beehive. There are 4 copies of this photobasil miller, bendigo trams

Protest rally against Nillumbik Shire Councillors' proposal to sell off 17 community reserves. Held at the site of the former Shire of Eltham offices, at 895 Main Road, which were demolished in August 1996, followed by a march along Main Road finishing at the Eltham Railway Station car park at Luck Street. Estimated attendance was approximately 3,000.fay bridge collection, 895 main road, 2018-03-04, margaret jennings, nillumbik shire council, parks, save community reserves protest rally, save our reserves

Protest rally against Nillumbik Shire Councillors' proposal to sell off 17 community reserves. Held at the site of the former Shire of Eltham offices, at 895 Main Road, which were demolished in August 1996, followed by a march along Main Road finishing at the Eltham Railway Station car park at Luck Street. Estimated attendance was approximately 3,000.Born digital image (8)nillumbik shire council, parks, save community reserves, protest rally

Protest rally against Nillumbik Shire Councillors' proposal to sell off 17 community reserves. Held at the site of the former Shire of Eltham offices, at 895 Main Road, which were demolished in August 1996, followed by a march along Main Road finishing at the Eltham Railway Station car park at Luck Street. Estimated attendance was approximately 3,000.Born digital image (15)nillumbik shire council, parks, save community reserves, protest rally