Two catalogues of goods to sell, from Ringwood Timber & TradingEditorial of 15201b includes a short history of the company. In 1937, Mr S Coopersmith and son, Frank (the present Managing Director) started a fruit case manufacturing business in North Melbourne under the name of The Cooper Case Co. The business flourished, and in 1940, recognising the possibilities in and around Ringwood, an old bush sawmill and an area of land on the Maroondah Highway, were secured. Subsequent purchases have since increased this area to approximately 15 acres. It was decided to widen the activities and scope of the business and two new firms were formed. Cooper Sawmilling Co., which operated a modern sawmill, and Ringwood Timber & Trading Co., which handled the output of the sawmill and introduced builders' and general hardware lines to meet the demands of this rapidly expanding area. As Ringwood grew, so too did the organisation which was created to serve it. The principals studied timber and hardware merchandising trends overseas, and after considerable investigation the new building on Maroondah Highway was completed in 1956. Today, acclaimed as one of the most modern mills and hardware stores in the Southern Hemisphere, combining up to date machinery and handling equipment together with unique drive-in facilities and a self-selection centre. Ringwood Timber & Trading Co. are proud to offer a service unparallelled to home builders. In conformity with modern commercial practice the various firms have since been incorporated under the Victorian Companies Act and the latest accounting methods and office equipment have been installed to provide an efficient and virile administration to control the entire manufacturing and trading activities. We have a staff of over 220 personnel, each trained in their particular field to provide you, our valued client, with expert advice, quality merchandise and second-to-none service to enable you to fulfil every need in and around your home.

Digitised video (1.82GB). Duration: 26minutes. Recorded April, 2024. (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Ringwood CWA was formed on 7th March in 1946 in the small town hall, with 65 Foundation members. Even in the first meeting, there was a competition for the best scones and tomatoes. The consensus was to meeting monthly on the first Thursday. In this presentation, Lorraine Zimmerman talks of the history and some of the activities of Ringwood's CWA branch.

2 photographs- 1 sepia, 1 black and white. 1 typed document detailing history of Frank Kenworthy written by Ron Jackson (nephew of Frank and Molly Kenworthy).Image shows the F. Kenworthy Garage & Motorbody Works premises in Maroondah Highway Ringwood about 1920. Also shows various old horse drawn vehicles at side and front of building.

(Source: The First One Hundred Years by R.S. Medew and I.M. Bowman - A History of The Medew Family in Victoria - page 11 extracts) - Charles Turner Medew (1829-1915 ) arrived in Victoria from England in 1857. He eventually settled in Ringwood as the original purchaser of Crown Allotment 32, Section C, where he built his own home in 1888 and became well known locally "for his fine building work and stone masonry." ... "In his retirement, Charles Medew experimented with model helicopters. About 1910, at the age of 80 years, he was able to raise these helicopters to such a point of efficiency that, just with an elastic wound propeller, when released they could fly upwards to the height of the large oak trees." ... "(Also) In 1910, Charles obtained plans and made a model of the Wright Brothers' biplane entirely of wood, with laminated wood propeller and driven by twisted elastic bands." This model remained in his workshop for many years after his death and with his family's permission was eventually placed in the Melbourne Science Museum.3 pencil drawings showing assembled parts and sectional views of a model helicopter.

Program Booklet for the Conferring of Freedom of Entry to the City of Ringwood upon Royal Australian Engineers 7th Field Regiment, Saturday July 14th 1990. The Program booklet includes: - Order of the Ceremony - List of Councillors and Serving Officers of the Regiment - Description of the Ceremony - Brief History of the Unit

Kindly scanned from Ringwood Branch archival collection

Kindly scanned from Ringwood Branch archival collection

Digitised video (2.84GB). Duration: 43 minutes. Recorded October, 2019 (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presenter: Don Garden, OAM FFAHS, FRHSV, historian and author, examins the history of climate in Australia as researched for his book "Droughts, Floods & Cyclones - El Ninos that Shaped our Colonial Past".

Digitised video (1.05GB). Duration: 20 minutes. Recorded October, 2019 (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)In this talk, Ringwood and District Historical Society President Russ Haines takes us through the history of the Warranwood area where he grew up, situated just north of Ringwood, Victoria.

Soft cover book of 31 pages with spiral wire spine.Cover depicts each residence number with corresponding owners name.

Digitised video (662MB). Duration: 12 minutes. Recorded March, 2019. (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presentation: Peter Fry has done quite a bit of tracing of properties in the Ringwood area where he grew up. In this talk, Peter presents an example of his research, covering the house and property now known as 64 Wonga Road, which has a long and interesting history dating back to the early days of orcharding in the district.

Digitised video (909MB). Duration: 11 minutes. Recorded March, 2020In this talk, Ringwood and District Historical Society President Russ Haines presents a brief history of student punishment throughout Australia, with a focus on local references.

Digitised video (1.11GB). Duration: 20 minutes. Recorded March, 2021. (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presenters: Gerry Robinson and Peter Le Get of Heathmont History Group (HHG) look back over developments in the area over the previous year. HEATHMONT HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2020 Summary - "Of course for 2020 the Covid 19 virus dominated. Other finalists included roadworks on Bedford Road corner, new Wards for MCC and their elections, 100th birthday and death of Rita James, opening of Milk & Wine Co. café replacing Barclays, election of Kylie Spears as Mayor, closure of Heathmont Medical Centre, demolition of Miller homestead in Coven Avenue, final edition of Maroondah Leader local newspaper, opening of HE Parker Sports pavilion, 50 more bollard arts, and the ugliness of the former Anglican Church and other local sites."

Digitised video (2.61GB). Duration: 61minutes. Recorded March, 2021 (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)In this talk, Ringwood and District Historical Society President Russ Haines takes us through the early history of the Birt's Hill / Croydon Road area, the former locations of the Bilcock and Hardidge families. The Bilcock family had one of the early general stores in Kent Avenue and later moved to Toorak Avenue, Croydon. The father, David Bilcock was a talented film maker. His daughter, Joan Bilceaux, was a renown singer, model and actor, having varied the spelling of her surname as her chosen professional name.

Digitised video (3.20GB) Duration: 63 minutes. Recorded May, 2021 (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presenter: Dr Jeff Kildea is an Honorary Professor in Irish Studies at the University of New South Wales. In 2014 he held the Keith Cameron Chair of Australian History at University College Dublin. He is the author of numerous books and articles on the Irish in Australia including Hugh Mahon: Patriot, Pressman, Politician, Anchor Books Australia, Melbourne, 2017 (Vol 1) and 2020 (Vol 2). This talk examines the background to Mahon’s expulsion from parliament and how it led to his being ostracised by his fellow Australians including his neighbours at Ringwood.

Digitised video (3.79GB). Duration: 67 minutes. Recorded March, 2022. (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Gerry Robinson and Margaret (Maggie) McKern of Heathmont History Group (HHG) combine to present an overview of Heathmont's pioneering orchardists, with Maggie providing a history of her Clark family property, "Roslyn", purchased in the 1930s and operating as a poultry farm and lemon orchard on the corner of Canterbury Road and Armstrong Road in Heathmont.

Digitised video (3.23GB). Duration: 60 minutes. Recorded October, 2022. (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presenter: Gerry Robinson is the convenor of the Heathmont History Group (HHG). Gerry presents this talk on the the many facets of what makes up local history - the natural history of fauna, flora and geology; the social history; the histories of families; the changes in history and how we adapt to new technologies.

Digitised video (894MB). Duration: 20 minutes. Recorded February, 2023 (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)As a follow up to the recent centenary celebrations of the 1921 Ringwood State School building in Greenwood Avenue, Ringwood and District Historical Society President Russ Haines presents this look back at the often overlooked earlier history of the village of Ringwood, including the establishment of Cass' School in 1874 on five acres of land between Dublin Road and Everard Road, becoming Ringwood's first school.

Newspaper Clipping from "The Post", 24-1-1996. P9. Shopping centre history growsProgress continues on the North Ringwood shopping centre redevelopment, adding shops and extra parkinbg spaces. The Milne and Dickson families are still involved in the shopping centre, since the land had its beginning as an orchard

Digitised video (2.26GB). Duration: 54 minutes. Recorded September, 2023 (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presenter: Judith Vimpani, Vice President of Marysville Historical Society, talks about her experiences, interviews and extensive research in re-gathering Marysville's history lost in the catastrophic 2009 Black Saturday fires.

Digitised video (3.80GB) Duration: 51 minutes. Recorded October, 2018 (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presenter: Croydon Historical Society Vice President Geoff Arnott is an active writer and researcher of heritage, having written the history of Wedderburn and many Croydon-related books. In this talk, Geoff provides a background of his family, why he decided to look into it, and the dark secrets revealed. His story is typical of many Australian family that began with migration from the “old country” during the 1850s, trying to seek their fortune and a new life in a new country.

Digitised video (4.78GB). Duration: 54 minutes. Recorded November, 2018. (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)The Rogers family have been involved with the Ringwood Field Naturalists Club since its inception back in 1961. The Club has promoted natural history in the local area, through excursions, meetings and presentations to local schools. Without them, our sense of appreciation of local flora and fauna would be much poorer. Past-President Peter Rogers takes us through its wonderful history.

Digitised video (4.06GB). Duration: 48 minutes. Recorded February, 2019. (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presenter: Gerry Robinson is the convenor of the Heathmont History Group (HHG). Heathmont has changed over the years and this has been detailed in HHG’s award-winning books, The 48 Courts of Heathmont, From apples to Coffee, Heathmont Street Names, and many more. This talk draws a line in the sand, looking back where we’ve been and where Heathmont is today.

This is the parent record for the RDHS collection of Heathmont material.

Digitised video (339MB). Duration: 6 minutes. Recorded May, 2019 (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)In this talk, Ringwood and District Historical Society President Russ Haines takes us through a brief history of George and Annis Bills horse troughs, manufactured in Australia and installed to provide relief for working horses in the first half of the 20th century. Around 700 troughs were originally distributed throughout Australia and overseas, some still existing locally today.

Digitised video (4.05GB). Duration: 40 minutes. Recorded June, 2019. (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presentation: Members of Heathmont History Group address a meeting of RDHS with a reading of a play telling of destruction of orchards in the 1950s/60s and the resistance of change to the landscape and family lifestyles with the onset of residential developments.

Digitised video (1.97GB). Duration: 46 minutes. Recorded August, 2019 (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Helen Doxford Harris is a professional genealogist and historian of more than thirty years standing. Her interest in history was first developed when she commenced researching her family history. She has written many texts on various subjects relating to Victoria Police, the Indigenous and women’s fields of study. Helen is also current Secretary of Box Hill Historical Society. In this presentation, Helen presents a great talk on Women in Politics, highlighting the difficulty in achieving equality in representation on the political stage.

Digitised video (1.89GB). Duration: 25 minutes. Recorded October, 2019 (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)In this presentation to Russ Haines in recognition of distinguished service to history in Victoria, David Harper - RDHS Vice President, Don Garden - immediate past President of the Royal Historical Society, Jim Connor - Eltham District Historical Society, and Richard Carter - former RDHS President, speak of Russ’ untiring efforts for RDHS and other history groups during his twelve years as RDHS President.