Used at Orbost Railway Station, possibly by the Station Master, between 1944 and 1984. The Bairnsdale-Orbost railway was opened in 1916 to serve the agricultural and timber industry. Because of the decline in traffic and heavy operating costs, the line was finally closed in August, 1987. Orbost Railway Station was opened on Monday 10 April 1916 as the terminus of the Orbost railway line, and closed in 1987. The station was located on the west side of the Snowy River despite the town of Orbost being on the east side of the river, in order to save on the costs of a bridge over the river, which at the time had highly variable levels. This item is associated with the history of the Orbost-Bairnsdale railway line and therefore reflects the role that the rail line played in the social and economic history of Orbost.Book with a red cover. On the front cover VICTORIAN RAILWAYS Audit Inspectors Remarks Book, Orbost. Inside are numbered and lined pages with hand written information dating from 28/3/1944-13/8/1984, dated and signed by various station masters. Cover has a section missing from the bottom left.VICTORIAN RAILWAYS Audit Inspectors Remarks Book, Orbost.railway-history orbost-bairnsdale-railway

This cape comes from the estate of James Cameron who was one of the first Snowy River councillors for the Tambo Shire. He selected land at Lochiel in 1892. From 1902-1920 he was the Assembly member for East Gippsland.A black shoulder cape made of crepe silk. It has scalloped edges and is probably hand-made. It fastens with press studs and the hems have been machined.cape silk clothing

This dress and petticoat come from the estate of James Cameron who was one of the first Snowy River councillors for the Tambo Shire. He selected land at Lochiel in 1892. From 1902-1920 he was the Assembly member for East Gippsland.A white voile dress with a white cotton petticoat underneath. It is not attached. The dress has a lace frill at the hem. It has lace inserts - two at the bodice and along the three-quarter length sleeves. There are several lace inserts on the skirt. It has been machine embroidered.dress costume cameron-james

This dress is from the estate of James Cameron who was one of the first Snowy River councillors for the Tambo Shire. He selected land at Lochiel in 1892. From 1902-1920 he was the Assembly member for East Gippsland.Long black silk dress with long sleeves. It is hand-made - machine stitched. There is black beading around the neck and collar. The belt is also beaded. There are small black buttons on the belt and sleeves. It has a black underskirt.costum -female cameron

This is a photograph of students at Bete Bolong School in 1941. Back Row - John McKeown; Dawn McCole; Anne Richardson; Mavis Coverdale; Joan Richardson; Leslie (Ginger) Johnstone Middle Row - Jan McKeown; Mary Coverdale; Dorothy Healey; Mary Russell; Elvie Purcell; Leslie McKeown; Barbara Johnstone Front Row - Frank Rodwell; Pat Purcell; ? Coverdale; Clem Healey; Gil Richardson; Ray Wait In 1912 the school at Pumpkin Point opened to serve the children of farmers living in the Bete Bolong district. This meant a big change in their way of life because in the past the children had been rowed across the Snowy River each day to attend school at Jarrahmond. Myrtle Bunting was the first HT of the school which had been erected on a block of land purchased from H. Richardson. The school functioned until 1952 when a shortage of pupils caused its closure. As a bus service to Orbost now operated, the school at Pumpkin Point faced permanent closure. J. McKeown bought the building. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a pictorial record associated with education in the Orbost district,A black and photograph on a light grey card. It has three rows of school children in front of a wooden building. Some are in uniform. attacched is a list of children in the photograph.at bottom - handwritten list of names

This item is part of the Mary Gilbert Collection. Noorinbee School, situated on the Bombala Rd approximately 6.5 km north of Cann River, was opened on 26th of July 1900, with Albert Le Page as head teacher until 30th of September 1904. The school no longer functions. A school bus would daily to take the older children to the central classes at Cann River. "Noorinbee" is an Aboriginal word of unknown origin, The historical school is still at the front of the school yard. The Old Noorinbee School was been shifted twice. The first time they used a bullock team in 1924. The second time they used trucks and tractors in 1991. It was the first public building for the Cann Valleyand was first used as a hall and a church until it became the Noorinbee school in 1900. It was built in 1898.This item is associated with education in East Gippsland. It is also associated with the Gilbert family.A black / white photograph / postcard which has a letter written on the back. On the front is a small wooden building, a shed on the right, a wooden fence at the front with children scattered in the yard.on front - "State School No 3372" on back - " Mrs J. Gilbert Talangoota, Orbost"gilbert-annie noorinbee-state-school education-east-gippsland

This photograph was taken at the "old station" at Corringle near Orbost. It was a popular picnic spot. Late in 1857 Mr Thomas T. Stirling took over Corringle Run ("Corringle" means "shallow water"). Mr Stirling and his family came from the wester district - Winchelsea. He settled at the Old Station. A few people were employed at the Orbost Stationb and there was settlement on the Orbost flats, Mr T. T. Stirling held the land from Lake Tyrers to Bemm River as a cattle run. About 1888 he became Secretary of the new Tambo Shire.This is a contemporary pictorial record of rural family life in Orbost in the early 20th century.A black / white photograph showing people on a beach with some in the water. those on the sand are dressed formally - men wearing suits and hats, the ladies in long dresses and hats.on back - "Picnic at OLD STATION Jan 1901"orbost-station orbost-family-life recreation

These are photographs of students at the Orbost Higher Elementary School in 1923. They were taken at the Snaggers Lane end of the Snowy River. with the students is teacher, Miss Wyatt. In the photograph, bottom right, from L-R are Miss Gwen Hobson from the Orbost state School who started hockey in Orbost; Miss Bessie Goudie from the Higher Elementary School, Pen Gilbert, school captain, Miss Jean Wyatt an exchange teacher from England. the swimmers include Muriel Grose; Vera Swan; Annie and Myra Malcolm, Alice and Florrie Boucher and Mollie and Alice Hammil. During 1910-11 the first approaches were made to the Department for the establishment of a HES in Orbost and this became a reality in 1912. Orbost HES supplied post-primary education in the district until a high school was built in 1948.Orbost High School / Orbost Secondary College has played a significant part in the education of senior students in the Orbost district . It is the sole senior educational institution. This item is representative of its history. Four black / white photographs pasted onto grey cardboard. each is labelled - had-written in black print. A label is attached to the bottom of the card. Two of the photographs are of groups of students wearing swimming costumes sitting on a river bank A teacher is with them holding an open umbrella. Another photograph is of a group of students in swimming costumed standing in water. The other is of four women sitting on a large tree log in front of a wooden building.at top - "SCHOOL SWIMMING SNOWY RIVER" There are hand-written labels under the photographs and a list of names attached to the bottom with metal paper clips.education-orbost orbost-higher-elementary-school swimming-carnival

This photograph was taken at the "old station" at Corringle near Orbost. It was a popular picnic spot. Late in 1857 Mr Thomas T. Stirling took over Corringle Run ("Corringle" means "shallow water"). Mr Stirling and his family came from the wester district - Winchelsea. He settled at the Old Station. A few people were employed at the Orbost Stationb and there was settlement on the Orbost flats, Mr T. T. Stirling held the land from Lake Tyrers to Bemm River as a cattle run. About 1888 he became Secretary of the new Tambo Shire. In the photograph L-R are; Hilda Kerr; Myra Malcolm; Marion Nixon; Bess Goudie (teacher); Mary Gilbert; Gwen Hobson (teacher); Pen GilbertOrbost High School / Orbost Secondary College has played a significant part in the education of senior students in the Orbost district . It is the sole senior educational institution. This item is representative of its history. It is a useful reference tool.A black / white photograph of a group of young women sitting on a log in a clearing in a bush setting. Five are in school uniform. On the left is a horseeducation-orbost orbost-higher-elementary-school recreation old-station-corringle

These photographs were taken at the official opening of the Orbost - Bairnsdale Railway Line. In 3150.3 which is of a group of children and two adults those identified in the photograph are ; L - R front row Mary Gilbert; Warren; Betty Gilbert; Marion Gilbert; Mrs Shaw and son; ? Gay; and Pen Gilbert. In 3150.4 L-R front " Mary Gilbert; Bet Gilbert (sitting with glasses); Pen Gilbert(Richardson); Marion Gilbert ( middle front little girl) About 1912 work began at Newmerella on clearing the track for the railway line from Bairnsdale to Orbost. A canvas town sprang up on the higher land adjacent to the river flats. Local farmers supplied meat, milk and fresh produce to the camp, as well as gaining employment carting and labouring. The line opened in 1916, the Orbost railway station being built on the Newmerella side of the river.This item is associated with the history of the Orbost-Bairnsdale railway line and therefore reflects the role that the rail line played in the social and economic history of Orbost. It is a pictorial record of a significant event in Orbost's history. On April 10 1916, the first scheduled train service left Orbost for Bairnsdale. The Bairnsdale-Orbost railway was opened to serve the agricultural and timber ndustry. Because of the decline in traffic and heavy operating costs, the line was finally closed in August, 1987. Four black / white postcards of people at the opening of The Orbost - Bairnsdale Railway. 3150.1 - on front - "The Ministerial Party" 3150.2 - on front - hand-written - " The Hon James Cameron" with arrow pointing to a man standing in the back row. at bottom - "The Ministerial Party X Florie Cameron" on back- "Opening the Orbost Railway" 3150.3 and 3150.4 - on back - hand-written "First train to Orbost with a list of names.orbost-bairnsdale-railway celebration-opening-of-railway east-gippsland-railway

This photograph was taken near the Nicholson River Bridge. The gang re-laying the rail tracks on the Bairnsdale - Orbost line were working in the Bruthen area. In this photograph the men had just finished work near the Nicholson River Bridge.This photograph is associated with the Easy Gippsland Railway.A black / white photograph of a group of men working on a railway line. There is another group behind them.on back - typed information as beloweast-gippsland-railway nicholson-railway railway-construction

3154.1 is a postcard of the Orbost viaduct over the flooded Snowy River flats. 4153.2 is of a goods train on the viaduct. 3154.3 is of a loaded goods train with the driver at the window. Two men are standing on the plate and there are two workers below where there is some water and flood debris. 3154.4 is of amachine moving flood debris on the rail line. 3154.5 shows flood damage to the viaduct across the Snowy River flats. Two men are driving a dozer.This item is associated with the history of the Orbost-Bairnsdale railway line and therefore reflects the role that the rail line played in the social and economic history of Orbost.Five black / white photographs associated with the Orbost railway line during a flood.orbost-railway east-gippsland -railway orbost-floods

Jean Stirling , born 1901 in Orbost, married Charles Frances Reginald Joyes on 15th July 1922 in Orbost. Jean's father was John Stirling, son of James Stirling and Ann Gray. Her mother was Robina Harvey McNair, Aged 19 James Stirling arrived in Melbourne on January 26, 1842 with his family - parents, three sisters and two brothers. James Stirling moved around a lot to Whittlesea, Ballarat goldfields, Cunninghame, (now Lakes Entrance), then to the Old Station about 36 miles to the east along the coast near the mouth of the Snowy River and for a time settled there with his wife also from Wigton, Scotland, and their family four sons two daughters (James, John, William, George, Margaret and Polly). The first settler to occupy the Marlo township area was James Stirling around the year 1875. He built a bark hut on the bluff that had two rooms, bark walls, earthen floors and a shingle roof. By 1884, this structure had expanded to a 9 roomed accommodation house and in 1886 became the Marlo Hotel when a liquor license was granted. (more information from “Snowy River Mail”, Wednesday, April 13th 1977: MEMORIES OF MARLO by Mrs Elsbeth Conlon (nee Stirling )This photograph is associated with the Stirling family early settlers of Marlo. It is also a pictorial record of styles of wedding dress popular in the 1920s.A black / white studio portrait / photograph of a bridal couple. The bride on the left is wearing a typical 1920s wedding dress. tTe front is short with a hem that is in different length in front than behind. She is wearing a hat in the cloche-style. She is holding a bouquet of flowers and her train is draped to the left. The groom is wearing a three piece morning suit. he has a with a wingtip collar white dress shirt and a cravat tie.on front - hand - written "Jean Stirling's wedding (Marlo) ? Joyce"stirling-jean-wedding melba-&co wedding-clothing-1920s joyes-charles-francis-reginald

This photograph was taken at the junction of the Snowy and Brodribb Rivers. The Snowy River starts in New South Wales on the slopes of Mt Kosciuszko, Australia’s highest mountain, in New South Wales. It flows into Bass Strait at Marlo in Victoria. The Brodribb River is a tributary of the Snowy which enters the estuary at Marlo. This is a pictorial record of a road in Marlo near Orbost in the late 19th-early 20th centuries. It also depicts the transport used at that time.A black / white photograph of four men in suits seated in a horse - drawn buggy on a dirt road alongside a creek or river. There appears to be another horse - drawn vehicle behind them.on back - "at the Brodribb - Snowy junction. this road was corduroy (packed logs of tea trees?)brodribb-river snowy-river marlo transport-horse-drawn

There is no information with this photograph. It could be a photograph of the first house that Henry James occupied.Henry James (1860-1932) was a well-known identity in the Orbost district.He was a stock agent and auctioneer who helped to establish the seed bean industry in Orbost. He was the second secretary of the Snowy River Shipping Co. as well as a shire councillor and prominent member of MUIOOF.A black / white photograph of a light coloured timber house with a neat picket fence in front. On the right is a trellis with trees behind it. On the left there is a barn and a shed in the backyard.on back - JAMES HOUSE - November 1896 (Henry James?)house-james

This is a photograph of the original Orbost / Snowy River Bridge , a suspension bridge which opened in 1893. It has been taken when the Snowy River was in flood. It is similar to other photographs held in The State Library, Victoria. The Snowy River Mail and Tambo and Croajingolong Gazette Sat 12 Aug 1893 records the opening of this bridge as "the most important public event that has yet been commemorated in Eastern ......The Messrs McLeod, with whom the first settlement of this district is generally associated, took up their residence on the eastern bank of the Snowy River about the year 1841 or 42. The late Mr W. Roadknight and Mr T. T. Stirling took possession of the territory on the western side of the Snowy about 35 years ago. During the occupation of the country by cattle owners, very little progress was made in the way of roads and bridges, and except to the hardy and lexperienced bushman, it might have been generally regarded as inaccessible. About the year 1877, however, the late Mr James Robertson eldest son of Mr James Robertson, of Lochend farm, selected land now occupied by his father, about four miles from Orbost on the west bank of the river, Mr John Cameron visited the. district shortly after a .tour of inspection and returned later with his brothers, James and Alick Gameron, but found that during their absence Mr Ernest Watt had found his way on the scene and pegged out a selection, thus anticipating the advent of the Camerons by about 12 hours. We understand that a Mr Kidd, who selected the property now occupied by Mr W. J. Ross, at Pumpkin Point, was one of the earliest batch of settlors.........."This is a pictorial record of an early bridge across the Snowy River at Orbost.A black / white photograph of a suspension bridge with flood waters below the bridge.orbost-bridge suspension-bridge snowy-river

This is a photograph of the second Snowy River Bridge at Orbost. The section in the central span could have been built after flood damage. This bridge over the Snowy River was opened on July 4 1922. It was constructed in 1922 alongside the previous suspension bridge. Its building was a combined effort of the Victorian Railways and the Country Roads Board at a cost of 35,000 pounds. It was replaced in 1976 by the present bridge after several major floods.This bridge was replaced in 1976 after several major floods.A black / white photograph / postcard of a bridge over a river. It has what looks like a bo girder in the central section. On the left is the river bank.on front bottom left - "SNOWY RIVER BRIDGE"orbost snowy-river-bridge transport-bridge

This is a photograph of the entrance of the Snowy River to Bass Strait. The entrance changes location but remains open for most of the year, although on occasions is closed by the prevailing weather and river water levels. In this photograph the entrance is quite wide and near the Marlo Hotel. This is a pictorial record of the Snowy River entrance at Marlo showing an open entrance.A black / white photograph / postcard of sandhills, river water on left and ocean on right. There is a group of buildings in the background - left. on front - "Snowy River Entrance Marlo"snowy-river-entrance marlo-snowy-river

Included are photographs of the Orbost township, the Snowy River at Marlo, Gypsy Point, Buchan Caves and Bairnsdale. In the 1960s Orbost had a population of 4000 and was a major tourist attraction in Eastern Victoria with sufficient accommodation and facilities. It was the major town close to several national parks with access to either the surf or the snow. These postcards are pictorial records of Orbost in the 1960s. Postcards are very interesting records of places. architecture and transport.A colour postcard series with photographs of Orbost and the district. The cover photograph is of the Snowy River Bridge. There is an information card.Each photograph is labelled. at the bottom.postcards-orbost postcards-east-gippsland

Snowy River Shipping Company formed in 1880. They were soon shipping produce (mainly vegetables) from the area to Melbourne. The Snowy River Shipping Company was formed by Mr Henry James during the 1880s, with Captain McNeil as master. Captain McNeil was an always cheerful Marlo identity and local children had many times sailing with him on the river. Captain McNeil with tug went out through the entrance and brought in the schooners.This photograph is associated with an early Marlo identity.A black / white photograph of five people, three men and two women, standing in front of a wooden cottage. The man on the left is wearing what appears to be a ship's captain's uniform.on back - "Capt. McNeil in front of house, Marlo, July 1897"

The construction of the outdoor swimming pool at Orbost was a community driven project.The opening of the Orbost Swimming Pool was a significant event in Orbost's development. The construction of the pool was community driven and the swimming club played a crucial role in helping young people learn about water safety away from rivers.Twenty-four black / white photographs, with white borders, showing construction work of an outdoor swimming pool in a town area.orbost-swimming-pool

Edward James Pardew died in 26/9/1927 aged 92. He came to Orbost from New Zealand in 1886 and selected 720 acres of hill land in the Brodribb area. He was a member of the first Orbost Shire Council. His daughter had a fruit & meat shop in McLeod Street. He was an inaugural vestryman of St James Church of England. One of the most prominent farmers on the Snowy was John Gilbert, a large landowner. His breeding establishment was at Tullagoota, about two and a half kilometres down the river from Orbost.Dairying in the Orbost district was once a mainstay of the farming community. Today the properties are fewer and smaller.Two black / white photographs of dairy herds. 3188.1 - on front - printed -"ORBOST EAST GIPPSLAND"; hand-written - :PARDEWS DAIRY & BARN" 3188.2 - on front - printed - " W. S. VOGT"; hand-written - "DAIRY HERD TALLAGOOTA< ORBOST"dairying-orbost agriculture-orbost pardew-dairy tallagoota-dairy

Peter Cameron, came to Orbost in 1885, at the age of 69, having sold his farm at Geelong. Peter bought the property ―Glen Avon from a Mr Street. The home was situated at the bottom of the paddock, near the corner of Morley and Livingstone streets. The farm stretched from Tennyson Street to the end of Snaggers Lane and along the river frontage to “Carinya” Cameron Home. In the Gippsland Times on Wednesday. 2 Jul 1890 on Page 3 is an article titled "THE SNOWY RIVER CALAMITY" which describes an ".unexpectedly sudden rush of water down the flats..... the terrified people commenced to remove their stock from the land and the work of saving property was continued all day ............ many head of cattle were washed away.......The river road, for its entire length, is obliterated, and the approaches to the bridge at Watt's Gulch are gone, with the enormous volume of flood water," These photographs are pictorial records of a significant event in the history of Orbost. There are few personal records of the very early floods.Three black / white photographs of wooden buildings with flood water in foreground. There are post and rail fences. 3193.2 has been taken from a distance.on back -" "Glenavon east of Lagoon 1897 Feb"floods-orbost-1890s glenavon-orbost

In the photograph are the Rice family, Billy Nixon' family and Charlie Johnston. William Nixon, son of James Nixon and Alice (Roberts) Nixon was married to Ilma Muriel (Cadwallader) Nixon on 2 Apr 1902 in Orbost. They had six children - Llewella Adele (Nixon) King, Sydney William Columbo Nixon, Arthur Harry Nixon, Jack Warton Nixon, Claudine Frances (Nixon) Taylor and Daphne Joyce (Nixon) Menz Damage estimated at £500,000 was caused by the 1934 floods in the Orbost district. This 1934 flood was devastating, destroying a section of the 1922 Orbost bridge, wrecking fences, bridges and roads, dumping silt and debris on the rich river flats and drowning cattle. Note: although this card has the date 1934 written onto the rear, the flood incident depicted most likely dates from 1920 (ref. Weekly Times, Saturday 6 March 1920 p 41 when this photo was printed).This item is a pictorial record of a flood in 1920 (ref. Weekly Times, Saturday 6 March 1920 p41). Snowy River flood are a feature of the Orbost area. These floods cover the rich agricultural land. A black / white photograph / postcard of a group of people standing in floodwaters outside a timber building. Included are young children and babies being held by women. Two boys are holding dogs in front of them.on back - "Billy Nixon's house (now Downys 1991)"orbost - floods - nixon - 1920

There is no record of which family is in the photograph. The slips at Corringle was a popular picnic area for Orbost people. Corringle Slips is situated at the mouth of the Snowy River Estuary. The Corringle Slips were built by Samuel Richardson and sons during the time when the Orbost Shipping Company was operating. The Slips were washed away in the 1893 floods and reassembled by Martin Jorgensen who then became a part owner of the Slips. In the late 1890's, Corringle was a thriving rural community. (Information from Discovering Marlo brochure)This is a pictorial record of family life in Orbost in the first half of the 20th century. It portrays a typical Orbost family enjoying a leisure activity. The clothing can be seen as more formal than that worn at a family picnic in the present day,A black / white photograph of a group of people (adults and children) seated around a table set with a tablecloth on which are teacups, bottles of drink and cake. in the front is a bucket and two metal boxes. They are well-dressed with the men and boys wearing jackets and ties and some of the women wearing cloche style hats.on back - "Family at Slips"corringle-slips-marlo picnic-recreation

This photograph was taken during the flood of 1934 in Orbost. The people in the photograph are related to Billie and Ilma Nixon and Charlie Johnston. Damage estimated at £500,000 was caused by the 1934 floods in the Orbost district. This 1934 flood was devastating, destroying a section of the 1922 Orbost bridge, wrecking fences, bridges and roads, dumping silt and debris on the rich river flats and drowning cattle.This item is a pictorial record of a significant event in Orbost's history. It is associated with local families.A black / white photograph / postcard of floodwaters. On the right is a young man with four young boys sitting on a log. In the bckground is a rowing boat with one man rowing and three others sitting on the edges . A field of maize / corn is in the background and a large willow tree on the right.on back - "M. C. Rice Orbost 19 /1/20 M Gilbert. Mostly Billy Nixons & Charlie Johnstons 1934" [Note alteration: W C Rice rather than M C Rice].floods-orbost-1934 nixon-william johnston-charles

This photograph was taken near the Snowy River Bridge on the the old Princes Highway in Orbost, near the caravan park. The 1971 flood was the the worst flood on record. At Jarrahmond it was at least 11 metres and up to one and a half kilometres wide on the flats causing enormous damage to the flood plain. Records say that "The brown floodwater stain in Bass Strait could be seen from passing airliners." Considerable damage was done to railway infrastructure, roads and farms. More information from the APRIL, 2008 newsletter by John Phillips. (see orbosthistory.com.au)This is pictorial evidence of a significant local event. Floods have been an integral part of Orbost's history for hundreds of years.A black / white photograph of debris, fallen power lines, a tree across the highway and floodwaters across the road.on front at bottom - handwritten in upper case print - " 1971 FLOOD PRINCES HIGHWAY NEAR SNOWY BRIDGE"floods-orbost-1971

This is a photograph of the settlement of Orbost on the banks of the Snowy River,. In the foreground in the paddock there is a water trough (Bills?) and the B Drain can be seen on the far left. D.S. Campbell had a stationery store in Nicholson Street Orbost and published several black and white postcards of Orbost.This is a pictorial record o The township of Orbost in the late 19th century.A black / white photograph / postcard. There is a river in the foreground with houses and shops in the background behind a cleared paddock.on front - Orbostorbost-19th-century snowy-river

This postcard was sent to Annie Gilbert (Mrs John Gilbert) of Tullagoota, Orbost. It was written by "Grace", probably her sister, Grace Cameron Annie Gilbert was the daughter of John Cameron who selected the first land on the Snowy River flats. This is a photograph of the original Orbost / Snowy River Bridge , a suspension bridge which opened in 1893. It has been taken when the Snowy River was in flood. It is similar to other photographs held in The State Library, Victoria. The Snowy River Mail and Tambo and Croajingolong Gazette Sat 12 Aug 1893 records the opening of this bridge as "the most important public event that has yet been commemorated in Eastern ......The Messrs McLeod, with whom the first settlement of this district is generally associated, took up their residence on the eastern bank of the Snowy River about the year 1841 or 42. The late Mr W. Roadknight and Mr T. T. Stirling took possession of the territory on the western side of the Snowy about 35 years ago. During the occupation of the country by cattle owners, very little progress was made in the way of roads and bridges, and except to the hardy and lexperienced bushman, it might have been generally regarded as inaccessible. About the year 1877, however, the late Mr James Robertson eldest son of Mr James Robertson, of Lochend farm, selected land now occupied by his father, about four miles from Orbost on the west bank of the river, Mr John Cameron visited the. district shortly after a .tour of inspection and returned later with his brothers, James and Alick Gameron, but found that during their absence Mr Ernest Watt had found his way on the scene and pegged out a selection, thus anticipating the advent of the Camerons by about 12 hours. We understand that a Mr Kidd, who selected the property now occupied by Mr W. J. Ross, at Pumpkin Point, was one of the earliest batch of settlers.........."This item is associated with Annie Gilbert (nee Cameron) reported to have been the first white girl to be born in Orbost. It is a pictorial record of the suspension bridge over the Snowy River which has since been replaced twice.A faded black / white postcard of a bridge across a river. There are cattle in the river and the banks are tree-covered.on back - a hand-written letter addressed to Mrs J. Gilbert Tullagoota Orbost.cameron-annie suspension-bridge-orbost snowy-river-orbost

Carrol Preston has used newspaper references from 1877 through to 1917, to document the history of the Orbost - Bairnsdael railway line.. It starts with the lobbying and jockeying, and moves through to the opening in 1916. The title is a reference to plans to further extend the railway beyond Orbost - but "The Iron Horse stopped at Orbost Railway Station". Most articles are from the Snowy River Mail and Bairnsdale Advertiser. All newspaper articles are dated and sourced. About 1912 work began at Newmerella on clearing the track for the railway line from Bairnsdale to Orbost. A canvas town sprang up on the higher land adjacent to the river flats. Local farmers supplied meat, milk and fresh produce to the camp, as well as gaining employment carting and labouring. The line opened in 1916, the Orbost railway station being built on the Newmerella side of the river.This item is associated with the history of the Orbost-Bairnsdale railway line and therefore reflects the role that the rail line played in the social and economic history of Orbost. On April 10 1916, the first scheduled train service left Orbost for Bairnsdale. The Bairnsdale-Orbost railway was opened to serve the agricultural and timber industries. This book has been compiled by a local historian. A spiral bound book titled, "The Iron Horse Stopped at Orbost Railway Station". The cover is blue / green with the title in black and red print. Underneath is a railway track leading to the bottom of the page. The book is 110 pages, A4 size and contains maps and photos. in black print on cover - "The Iron Horse Stopped at Orbost Railway Station ; The newspaper story of the eventual construction of the ORBOST RAILWAY LINE (in red print); Compiled and produced by CARROL PRESTON (in white print)railway-transport orbost-bairnsdale-railway east-gippsland-railway