These photographs are of the final train to leave Orbost railway Station on August 21 1987 signalling the closure of the line. 3105.12 shows Locomotive T408 and on the side is written "LAST TRAIN EX ORBOST 24.8.87". These photographs are 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. The closure of the line was a significant event in Orbost's history.Fifteen black / white photographs of the last train to leave Orbost Railway station.3105.1 - on back - "Last Train leaving Orbost Railway Station on Friday August 21. 1987. SRM August 26 1987 Last train from Orbost, Friday last saw the end of an era when the last freight train to pull out of Orbost Station at about 4.co pm. A symbolic wave from engineer, Bill Buckley, was the only ceremony to mark the passing of rail transport for East Gippsland." 3105.2 - on back - " Last train prepares to leave from Orbost on August 21, 1987." 3105.3 - on back - " The Orbost railhead following the departure of the last train on Friday August 21, 1987. Shows spectators who farewelled the last train." 3105.4 - on back - "From Grandview, Newmerella, shows the last train from Orbost crossing the timber Trestle (sic) viaduct across the Snowy River flats on Friday August 21, 1987" 3105.5 - on back - " A pair of Series 3 "T" Class Diesel Electric locomotives which were used to haul the final train from the Orbost Rail Head on Friday, August 21, 1987. Goods shed on right" 3105.6 - on back - " VFTY Timber Wagons at the Orbost Railway Station. 30 of these large wagons were built for the timber traffic between Orbost and Melbourne. Part of last train to leave Orbost on August 1, 1987." 3105.7 - on back - "The Fordson powered Rail Tractor which was used during shunting at the Orbost railway station, hooked up behind the second locomotive for its final journal from Orbost on Friday August 21, 1987." 3105.8 - on back - "Two Series 3 "T" Class Locomotives (Diesel Electric) were used to haul the final train from Orbost - T408 and T347, T408 was the leading locomotive. Orbost Goods Shed is on the left. Last train left on Friday August 27, 1987." 3105.9 - on back - " 3 "T" Class Diesel Electric locomotives often used in pairs to haul the timber trains out of Orbost. This locomotive was used to lead (haul) the final train from Orbost on Friday August 21, 1987" 3105.10 - on back - "The Gantry at the Orbost Railway Yards - capacity 10 tons. The last wagons before being hooked up to the locos for their last trip out of Orbost on Friday August 21, 1987" 3105.11 - on back - " Station Masters Office and Goods Shed at Orbost Railway Station. The two Series 3 "T" Class Diesel Electric locomotives waiting to haul the final train from Orbost on Friday 21 1987" otrbost-bairnsdale-railway east-gippsland-railway orbosr-railway-closure

Coloured photo of the old Railway Station at East Ringwood taken from north side.

In May 1884, George Smart of Bulleen Road Kew, brickmaker, bought the 23 acres one rood and twenty nine and three tenths perches, or 9.4834 hctares from Arthur Bailey Clements of Ringwood for the sum of 600 pound sterling. (Extract from The Story of the Crown Jewel Estate in Ringwood East pdf)Double sided folded page with black and red print on both sides advertising auction sale of residential and business sites and highlighting local facilities, services and layout of the estate.Subdivision includes Mount Dandenong Road, Valda Avenue, Evon Avenue, Mirabel Avenue, and Velma Grove. (Agent) T. Burkitt, Box 12 Ringwood, Phone Ringwood 157. Vendor: A. Marshall Miller, McDonald Street, Mordialloc. Solicitors: Russell, Bona and Russell, 19 Queen Street Melbourne, and Ringwood - Phone Cent. 4308.

Tri-folded double sided advertisement for subdivisional auction sale on Saturday, 1st December, 1923, including location map and summary of local facilities and services.Subdivision includes Patterson Street, Bona Street, Miller Grove, Fairview Avenue and Eastfield Road. Auctioneer - Phillips & Nicholson, 281 Collins Street, Melbourne. Tel. Central 10907. Agent - C.E. Carter, Main Street, Ringwood. Tel. Ringwood 24.

Folded double-sided advertisement for Ringwood East Electric Station Estate subdivisional sale of retail and residential allotments by public auction on Saturday, 1 November, 1924, with local photographs, terms of sale, and summary of subdivision features and local facilities. Subdivision includes Railway Parade (later Patterson Street, Rosedale Crescent, Federal Road, Howship Avenue (later Howship Court and French Street), and Dublin Road. (Agents) Knight & Harwood, 315 Collins Street, Melbourne, Phone Central 10615, 10616, in conjunction with J.B. McAlpin, Opposite Railway Station, Ringwood, Phone Ringwood 7.

Bi-folded double sided sheet with yellow and blue print advertising auction of retail and residential allotments on Saturday, 29 March (1924), including details of subdivision features and local facilities. Subdivision includes Station Street, Wenwood Street, Lois Street, Victoria Street. Auctioneer - Tudehope & Coppard, 229 Collins Street, Melbourne, Tel. Central 2409, in conjunction with local agent, T.A. Burkeitt, Ringwood, Tel. Ringwood 157.

Bi-folded double sided land subdivision sale advertisement with location map and summary of local facilities and services. Includes two additional images of allotment plan with subsequent handwritten notations.Subdivision includes Mount Dandenong Road, Grey Street, and Eastfield Road. Agent - C.E. Carter, Bank Chambers, Main Street, Ringwood. Phone Ringwood 24.

See Victorian Collections reference 5125 for subsequent Central Estate East Ringwood subdivision flyer.Single sided land auction sale advertisement for residential allotments.Auction Sale on the property under instructions from Mr. F.A. Salter. Subdivision includes Dublin Road, Knaith Road, Talofa Avenue, Russet Road, and Shasta Avenue. Agent - C.E. Carter & Son, Main Street, Ringwood. WU 6024.

Flyer includes extract from "The Sun" 30/10/1924. "Ringwood has been created a Borough with capital value of £680,000. In 1908 there were 173 houses, 8 shops and 720 people. In 1918 the respective figures were 520, 45 and 2,080. For twelve months ended June, 1924, £51,000 worth of Home Sites were sold and £26,000 worth of new buildings were erected. Outward (train) passenger journeys have increased from 94,000 in 1919 to 182,000 in 1923. Train services have been almost doubled and time to Melbourne reduced from 60 to 37 minutes."Bi-fold double-sided land sale advertisement for Loma Loma Estate, Ringwood East, including area map, layout of the estate, and summary of local facilities and services.Subdivision includes Loma Street, Highton Street, Morinda Street, and Station Street (later Railway Avenue) Ringwood East. Agent: T.W. Burkitt, Ringwood, Phone Ringwood 157.

Digital photograph

The objects are a sample of medium caliber lead shot raised by Flagstaff Hill divers from the Loch Ard shipwreck site in 1976. Included in the vessel’s cargo manifest were 22 tonnes of lead shot, packed into her holds in cloth bags and wooden casks. These 49 pieces of 7 mm diameter lead shot are identical in size and smoothness. Each one also bears the same slightly raised square of residual metal left behind by the process of pouring molten lead into individual but identical moulds through a small (square) opening. These pieces of shot can be compared with contrast pieces in the Maritime Village collection, which are examples of shot tower pellet production; an industrial technique more suited to the creation of uniformly spherical balls that do not need subsequent trimming. In conventional shot tower production, lead is heated in a cauldron at the top of a 150-160 feet tower, and poured through a copper lattice that divides the metal into falling droplets. As these droplets fall, they spin into small spheres and gradually cool, before finishing in a pool of water at the bottom of the tower. However the maximum size of lead shot, and the economic efficiency of shot tower production, is limited by the practical height of the drop. Larger diameter lead shot must fall further in order to cool evenly and sufficiently to avoid shape distortion on hitting the water at the base. This sample of larger 7 mm lead shot, although mass produced, appears to have been manufactured under the traditional and more labour intensive mould system. They are therefore distinct from the other samples of smaller gauged and shot tower produced lead shot that were being imported on the Loch Ard . In terms of metallurgical technology these 7 mm shot are more closely related to an artifact in our Collection (No. 5241) — a forged set of pincers or pliers with two facing cups at the end. When the pincers are closed, the cups join to form a single mould. Molten lead is poured through a small (circular) opening left at the top of the mould. When cooled the pincers are opened, breaking the mould and releasing the lead shot. The excess metal left over from the pouring operation at the top of the ball is then trimmed off using the scissor like cutting edges on the inner side of the pliers handles. In this manner, individual shooters were able to make their own ammunition for their shotguns. History of the Loch Ard: The Loch Ard got it’s name from ”Loch Ard” a loch which lies to the west of Aberfoyle, and to the east of Loch Lomond. It means "high lake" in Scottish Gaelic.The vessel belonged to the famous Loch Line which sailed many vessels from England to Australia. The Loch Ard was built in Glasgow by Barclay, Curdle and Co. in 1873, the vessel was a three-masted square-rigged iron sailing ship that measured 79.87 meters in length, 11.58 m in width, and 7 m in depth with a gross tonnage of 1693 tons with a mainmast that measured a massive 45.7 m in height. Loch Ard made three trips to Australia and one trip to Calcutta before its fateful voyage. Loch Ard left England on March 2, 1878, under the command of 29-year-old Captain Gibbs, who was newly married. The ship was bound for Melbourne with a crew of 37, plus 17 passengers. The general cargo reflected the affluence of Melbourne at the time. Onboard were straw hats, umbrella, perfumes, clay pipes, pianos, clocks, confectionery, linen and candles, as well as a heavier load of railway irons, cement, lead and copper. There were other items included that were intended for display in the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880. The voyage to Port Phillip was long but uneventful. Then at 3 am on June 1, 1878, Captain Gibbs was expecting to see land. But the Loch Ard was running into a fog which greatly reduced visibility. Captain Gibbs was becoming anxious as there was no sign of land or the Cape Otway lighthouse. At 4 am the fog lifted and a lookout aloft announced that he could see breakers. The sheer cliffs of Victoria's west coast came into view, and Captain Gibbs realised that the ship was much closer to them than expected. He ordered as much sail to be set as time would permit and then attempted to steer the vessel out to sea. On coming head-on into the wind, the ship lost momentum, the sails fell limp and Loch Ard's bow swung back towards land. Gibbs then ordered the anchors to be released in an attempt to hold its position. The anchors sank some 50 fathoms - but did not hold. By this time the ship was among the breakers and the tall cliffs of Mutton Bird Island rose behind. Just half a mile from the coast, the ship's bow was suddenly pulled around by the anchor. The captain tried to tack out to sea, but the ship struck a reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell. Waves subsequently broke over the ship and the top deck became loosened from the hull. The masts and rigging came crashing down knocking passengers and crew overboard. When a lifeboat was finally launched, it crashed into the side of Loch Ard and capsized. Tom Pearce, who had launched the boat, managed to cling to its overturned hull and shelter beneath it. He drifted out to sea and then on the flood tide came into what is now known as Loch Ard Gorge. He swam to shore, bruised and dazed, and found a cave in which to shelter. Some of the crew stayed below deck to shelter from the falling rigging but drowned when the ship slipped off the reef into deeper water. Eva Carmichael a passenger had raced onto the deck to find out what was happening only to be confronted by towering cliffs looming above the stricken ship. In all the chaos, Captain Gibbs grabbed Eva and said, "If you are saved Eva, let my dear wife know that I died like a sailor". That was the last Eva Carmichael saw of the captain. She was swept off the ship by a huge wave. Eva saw Tom Pearce on a small rocky beach and yelled to attract his attention. He dived in and swam to the exhausted woman and dragged her to shore. He took her to the cave and broke the open case of brandy which had washed up on the beach. He opened a bottle to revive the unconscious woman. A few hours later Tom scaled a cliff in search of help. He followed hoof prints and came by chance upon two men from nearby Glenample Station three and a half miles away. In a complete state of exhaustion, he told the men of the tragedy. Tom then returned to the gorge while the two men rode back to the station to get help. By the time they reached Loch Ard Gorge, it was cold and dark. The two shipwreck survivors were taken to Glenample Station to recover. Eva stayed at the station for six weeks before returning to Ireland by steamship. In Melbourne, Tom Pearce received a hero's welcome. He was presented with the first gold medal of the Royal Humane Society of Victoria and a £1000 cheque from the Victorian Government. Concerts were performed to honour the young man's bravery and to raise money for those who lost family in the disaster. Of the 54 crew members and passengers on board, only two survived: the apprentice, Tom Pearce and the young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael, who lost her family in the tragedy. Ten days after the Loch Ard tragedy, salvage rights to the wreck were sold at auction for £2,120. Cargo valued at £3,000 was salvaged and placed on the beach, but most washed back into the sea when another storm developed. The wreck of Loch Ard still lies at the base of Mutton Bird Island. Much of the cargo has now been salvaged and some items were washed up into Loch Ard Gorge. Cargo and artefacts have also been illegally salvaged over many years before protective legislation was introduced in March 1982. One of the most unlikely pieces of cargo to have survived the shipwreck was a Minton majolica peacock- one of only nine in the world. The peacock was destined for the Melbourne 1880 International Exhibition in. It had been well packed, which gave it adequate protection during the violent storm. Today the Minton peacock can be seen at the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum in Warrnambool. From Australia's most dramatic shipwreck it has now become Australia's most valuable shipwreck artifact and is one of very few 'objects' on the Victorian State Heritage Register. The shipwreck of the Loch Ard is of significance for Victoria and is registered on the Victorian Heritage Register Ref S 417. Flagstaff Hill has a varied collection of artefacts from Loch Ard and its collection is significant for being one of the largest accumulation of artefacts from this notable Victorian shipwreck. The collections object is to also give us a snapshot into history so we are able to interpret the story of this tragic event. The collection is also archaeologically significant as it represents aspects of Victoria's shipping history that allows us to interpret Victoria's social and historical themes of the time. The collections historically significance is that it is associated unfortunately with the worst and best-known shipwreck in Victoria's history. A quantity of forty-nine (49) loose round lead shot of 7 mm diameter retrieved from the wreck of the Loch Ard. All are smooth round spheres with the same small raised square of excess lead on one face.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, loch line, loch ard, captain gibbs, eva carmichael, tom pearce, glenample station, mutton bird island, loch ard gorge, shipwreck artefact, shot, lead shot, shot towers, shot mould, colonial imports, practical metallurgy

Glasses used in Sergeants Mess for Celebratory occasions, that were collected from various messes.Set of 3 drinking glasses in the shape of a boot. 1. Small boat shape clear glass with heel with Australian Emblem on left side. 2. Medium boot shape drinking glass with heel with Australian Royal Artillery emblem on upper front. 3. Large boot shape clear glass with heel and Australian Royal Artillery emblem on front.1. Inscribed "Sergeants Mess" and "RAAF East Sale". 2. Inscribed "RAAF Sergeants Mess" above emblem and "Melbourne" below emblem. 3. Inscribed " Sergeants Mess" above emblem and "RAAF East Sale" below.raaf, glasses, sergeants mess

Items part of the collection of J.E. Wiles, refer Cat No. 5410P for his service details.Small Brown book. Leather bound with wooden front and back cover. Series of crosses engraved into the front and Jerusalem engraved into the back. Inside 841 pages of pictures, prayers, tablets and psalms split into 3 sections. 473 pages of the order of Morning Prayers and a second supplement.Written inside front cover: "To Mother with love from Jack 16/6/40". Engraved on back "Jerusalem". Inscribed on side " Common Prayer, Hymns AOM". bible, middle east, ww2

This is a coloured reproduction print of an original Plane Table compilation map sheet of Nagambie area 1inch to 1 Mile scale compiled by Sgt Jack Cullen Australian Survey Corps 30 September 1921. Jack was one of the foundation members of the Australian Survey Corps. Of particular interest is the fact that this is a heighted compilation with contouring (required for Military use) as many early maps were purely planimetric. A table on the right hand side details the number of days that it took to produce the compilation. The reverse side of this print is a copy of the Tallarook plane table South East field sheet.Reprinted coloured Image of Australian Topographical Survey NAGAMBIE SW Sheet,1 inch:1 Mile, NW portion hand drawn Plane Table Field sheet. Includes an itemized summary of work, signed by Sgt J Cullen Australian Survey Corps September1921.royal australian survey corps, rasvy, fortuna, army survey regiment, army svy regt, asr

Items in a collection relating to Edward Judd VX27958, enlisted 18.6.1940 age 40 years, embarked for the Middle East on 1.9.1941 and allotted to 2/7th Field Coy Engineers, disembarked Australia 27.2.1943, discharged from the 2nd AIF on 8.11.1945. His record shows he was classed has having 545 days overseas service, awarded the Africa Star but was classed as not eligible for the 1939 - 45 Star.This is basically a leather funnel tube. The large end has a curved circumference, with one side reinforced. It has a sewn leather hem. Half way down the "tube" is a leather band and strap assembly with two smaller straps riveted to the main tube. At the end of the strap assembly -is a rectangular hole and a small round hole. At the small end of the tube is an opening. It also has a sewn leather hem. The leather colour is dark tan. It is a rifle protector.rifle, bucket

This is a licence issued to Leslie Palmer in 1918. It gives him authority to operate a motor boat across the banks of the Hopkins River near the mouth and to carry passengers. As there is a bridge at the mouth of the river it is assumed that this motor boat was used to go across the river from a private house, making it more convenient than going by road to cross the bridge. It was, and still is, a common practice to use boats to cross the river from private homes built along the banks of the Hopkins River.This is a significant item as it is an original certificate and is interesting because the licence was a restricted one, for use only in crossing the Hopkins River. This is a paper licence issued by the Marine Board of Victoria in 1918. The certificate has printed material and entries written in black ink. It has the seal of the Marine Board and the signature of the SecretaryWritten material: ‘Leslie Alfred Palmer of Warrnambool, oil, on the Hopkins River within a line bearing east from Point Ritchie on the western side of the mouth of such river to the opposite shore, 6th December 1918’ motor boat licence 1918, warrnambool, leslie palmer, hopkins river

This bottle was used by the Warrnambool chemists, Dougall and Easton. Their pharmacy was at the corner of Liebig and Koroit Streets (102 Liebig Street) and it was established in 1913. In March 1923 they leased the business to Leonard Eason when Mr Easton opened a pharmacy business in East Camberwell in Melbourne. This bottle is of interest as it is one of the few items in our collection that is associated with the early 20th century Warrnambool chemists, Dougall & Easton. This is a glass bottle with a rectangular body with rounded sides, a circular-shaped neck and a moulded circular top with a glass stopper. The name of the chemist is embossed in an indent on the front of the bottle. The bottle is empty and the inside of the bottle is slightly discoloured. On base: ‘M’ On front: ‘3 V111’ ‘Chemists, Dougall & Easton, Warrnambool’ warrnambool chemists, history of warrnambool, dougall & easton,

This model of St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Warrnambool was made by Johan Carl August Landmann (1826-1920). August Landmann and his wife, Christina came from Silesia to Australia in 1854. They settled in Warrnambool where August made a living as a carpenter and joiner. At first he rented shops in Timor Street and then built a two-storeyed shop and residence in Henna Street. Landmann built many of the early commercial buildings and residences in Warrnambool and he and his family were associated with the management of the Warrnambool Western Brewery. When he retired in 1900 he built another residence in Mickle Street and it was at that time that it is believed he made the model of the Presbyterian Church and the model of the Ozone Hotel (which is in the Warrnambool Art Gallery today). St. John’s Presbyterian Church, designed by Andrew Kerr, was built in the English Gothic style and opened in 1875. It was destroyed by fire in 1920 but was rebuilt to a similar style. This model is of great significance for two reasons: 1. It was made by a prominent early Warrnambool carpenter and joiner, Johan Carl August Landmann. 2. It is the only known model of the Warrnambool St. John’s Presbyterian Church which was destroyed by fire in 1920.This model is on a wooden stand or base which is painted black with metal screws. The edging of the stand contains straw which is now brown but was originally green to resemble grass or lawn. The church is a wooden structure (hollow inside) with some sections painted to resemble sandstone. The roof is slanted and painted grey and has six dormer windows or ventilation pieces on each side. The main body of the church has a nave with dual arched windows, the west end has dual arched windows and a door with louvre ventilation and the east end has a door and dual arched windows and two conical-shaped finials. The windows, some of which are triangular, have frosted decorated glass. Some of the glass in the windows is missing. The main tower is square-shaped with four conical-shaped finials. The upper part has four sets of louvres and two arched windows. The centre and lower sections have rosette patterns and several sets of dual arched windows with frosted decorated glass panels. The north east corner has a smaller tower.johan carl august landmann, st. john’s presbyterian church, warrnambool, warrnambool history

Although the Kiewa Hydro-Electric Scheme was first proposed in 1911, construction did not commence until 1938. As part of the push to cut electricity costs and diversify supply, the Victorian Government (circa 1930) initiated the conversion from primarily brown coal supply to hydro – electricity. Field investigations during the 1940’s resulted in a new proposal for a scheme that had more than double the capacity of the 1938 scheme. The Kiewa Hydroelectric Scheme became the largest scheme of its kind in the State Of Victoria and the second largest scheme in Australia. The number of personnel involved in the planning and construction of the scheme increased dramatically. During the late 1940’s, most activity centred around the construction of the West Kiewa Power Station, Rocky Valley Reservoir, McKay Creek Power Station and the Bogong Creek Aqueduct.A common thread across all the larger hydro scheme constructions was the need for workers, both qualified and unqualified who came from around the world seeking a new life for themselves and their families. New accommodation and facilities were required for the army of workers engaged in construction in often remote and wild areas. The SEC had a high demand for timber, and set up the first of a number of sawmills at Bogong Creek in 1939 and set up the first hardwood logging in the headwaters of the Kiewa River. These new ‘towns’ such as Mt Beauty and Bogong, survived, serving the needs of operational personnel and their families, and expanding with growth of new industries. Mount Beauty, and to a lesser extent Bogong, are among these places. Large A3 size spiral bound display folder containing 21 of 58 pages of photocopied black and white photographs of various aspects of the early days of the Kiewa Valley Hydro-electric scheme including equipment, various work sites and photographs of workers and their families. 1-Front page; 2-Security gate at Mt Beauty Camp; 3-Channel 1 on East Kiewa River; 4-Junction Dam – Diversion Tunnel Inlet; 5-Sawmill; 6- Homan’s Gap Sawmill; 7 Junction Dam: 8-Homan Dam Site-Diamond Drilling on River Buttress; 9- Homan Dam Site View Upstream 10-Homan Dam Investigation Camp 1-Windsor & Newton Visual Diary 60 sheet (120 pages) 11’ x 14’ 280 x 356mm 110 GSM Acid Free Drawing Paper 2-1940-Security Gate on Mt Beauty side of Kiewa River bridge. Part of old Mt Beauty camp and mess in background 3- STATE ELECTRICITY COMMISSION OF VICTORIA Date; 11.3.40 Time: 10.30am No K35 Kiewa Hydro Electric Works. Diverting East Kiewa River into Channel Page number 1 4-STATE ELECTRICITY COMMISSION OF VICTORIA Date: 5.4.40 Time: Noon No K58 Kiewa Hydro Electric Works. Junction Dam – Diversion Tunnel Inlet – Normal Flow Page number 2 5- STATE ELECTRICITY COMMISSION OF VICTORIA Date: 19.8.42 Time: 2.30pm No K883 Kiewa Hydro Electric Works. Sawmill – General View Page number 3 6- STATE ELECTRICITY COMMISSION OF VICTORIA Date: 12.1.42 Time: 2.00pm No K540 Kiewa Hydro Electric Works. Homan’s Gap Sawmill – General View Page number 4 7- STATE ELECTRICITY COMMISSION OF VICTORIA Date: 12.1.42 Time: 2.00pm No K540 Kiewa Hydro Electric Works. Junction Dam – General View looking upstream Page number 5 8- STATE ELECTRICITY COMMISSION OF VICTORIA Date: 16.11.45 Time: 10.32amm No K52153 Kiewa Hydro Electric Works Homan Dam Site – Diamond Drilling on River Buttress Page number 6 9-STATE ELECTRICITY COMMISSION OF VICTORIA Date: 15.1.45 Time: 4.10pm No K1781 Kiewa Hydro Electric Works Homan Dam Site – View Upstream Page number 7 10- STATE ELECTRICITY COMMISSION OF VICTORIA Date: 15.1.45 Time: 4.10pm No K1781 Kiewa Hydro Electric Works Homan Dam Investigation Camp 1944 – 1945 Page number 8 secv; kiewa hydro electric scheme; mt beauty; bogong; construction work;

Clare Roper collected and maintained newspaper clippings of historical interest to the Kiewa Valley Historical Society.Clare Roper grew up and lived in the Kiewa Valley at Tawonga. She was a member of the Kiewa Valley Historical Society for many years.A vanilla, green with sunset picture 'Photo Album' used to save newspaper clippings dated 1949 to late 1980s mostly covering the North East of Victoria. The Photo Album has 3 steel rings that snap open and shut. The pages have a clear plastic sheet that lifts off to place the newspaper cuttings which then 'stick' to the page. The clear cover is then replaced on top.There are 60 pages used both sides.Front cover "Photo Album". Spine 'Photos'.newspapers, historical articles, clare roper, kiewa valley, north east victoria, local press, photos

This brochure has been produced to advertise a commercial business in Warrnambool, the Flying Horse Bar and Brewery located in Raglan Parade east of the city centre.This is a file item and is used as such . It has little significance. This is a sheet of paper with printed material on both sides, including five coloured photographs and a logo.FLYING HORSE BAR & BREWERYflying horse bar and brewery

This badge was issued to supporters of the 1980s campaign called ‘Citizens Against Ferguson Street Extension’. Ferguson Street is in East Warrnambool and at the time the road was formed but there were no houses on the north side. The proposal was to extend the street at the north east end so that access could be made to east Warrnambool and Deakin University. The local residents opposed the proposal because it would increase traffic in the quiet suburban areas. The scheme did not go ahead. This badge is of minor interest as an example of a local campaign against an unpopular City Council proposal. This is a green circular-shaped badge made of plastic. It has black printing with a sketch of three Norfolk Island pine trees on the front and a metal clip at the back for attachment to a person’s clothing. The back has an image of a map of Australia.‘C.A.F.E. Citizens Against Ferguson St. Extension’ ferguson street, history of warrnambool

This is a trophy awarded at a camp of the 4/19 Light Horse Regiment. This regiment appeared to have been based in the Corangamite region of the Western District and included regiment members from Warrnambool. It is not known exactly what type of competition was an ‘Officers Flutter’. Light Horse regiments were cavalry regiments that were established at the time of the Crimean War in the 1860s. During the First World War the 4th Light Horse served with distinction in France, Gallipoli and Palestine. In 1948 the 17th Prince of Wales Light Horse, the 19th Yarrowee Light Horse and the 4th (ex 20th ) Corangamite Light Horse amalgamated to form a revived 4/19 Light Horse. This regiment kept alive the tradition of the original Light Horse units, becoming part of the Australian Army Reserve and members served in Vietnam and East Timor. This cup is of interest as an example of the trophies awarded for competition at a Light Horse regiment camp in the 1930s. This is a metal cup (silver amalgam)) with two side handles and a narrow stem attached to a silver base. The cup is attached to a brown Bakelite stand. The inside of the cup has some white paint streaks and the cup itself is much stained and pock-marked. ‘Westminster’ 4/19 L.H. Camp 1938 Officers Flutter light horse regiments. warrnambool district, history of warrnambool

This notebook has been used in the Nullawarre Post Office in the mid 1900s. It lists the telephone exchange codes of places in Victoria and also the code for the telephone charges to those places. Charles and Vida Williams were the Post Master and Post Mistress at Nullawarre Post Office during the mid 20th century years. Nullawarre is a small settlement 25 kilometres south east of Warrnambool and is mainly an agricultural area. European settlement first occurred in the late 1860s. This notebook is of some interest as one used in the day-to-day business of the Nullawarre Post Office in the mid 20th century.This is a notebook which was originally set up as a Postman’s Redirection Book but has been used to list alphabetically telephone exchange areas and their codes. The book has an alphabetical index on the side of the pages and printed black lines and hand-ruled lines on the pages. The cover is light brown with blue binding on the spine and the binding is partly giving way. There is black printing and handwritten writing on the front cover. The material on the pages is handwritten in blue ink and pencil. There is a blue stamp and some pieces of paper pasted into some pages. ‘Postman’s Redirection Book’ ‘Telephone Code Dialling & Charge Book’ ‘Nullawarre’

This monument was originally situated on the median strip in High Street, outside the original Town Hall building, which subsequently became the town's Library, and is now the Shire Offices I.T Department. The memorial was moved some time in the 1960's to it's present site, which is now immediately surrounded by the Shire of Campaspe Echuca Library which was built in the early 2000's . The memorial now also mentions other wars of the 20th Century.The memorial now represents all people from the surrounding districts who have been lost to all Wars. The memorial is the focus of the Anzac Day ceremonies. In this photograph of 1979, both World War 1 & World War 2 would have been mentioned on the plaques.A coloured photograph of the World War 1 memorial in Echuca. The monument consists of a column with a statue of a soldier on the top. There are two plaque walls on both sides. There is a flag pole at centre front. . The monument is situated at the northern end of Hare Street, near the intersection with Radcliffe St, and just east of the Shire of Campaspe offices.Printed on the back are the words, "This paper manufactured by Kodak.world war 1., soldiers, civic centre, war memorial, world war 2

Irish-born John Murray and his wife Mary (daughter of Thomas Sweeney) married in 1849 and settled in Eltham North. John and Mary were amongst the earliest inhabitants of Eltham. John was a farmer and their block of about 80 acres, called ‘Laurel Hill’, was on the eastern side of the Diamond Creek, extending east to beyond Zig Zag Road. It was later extended southward by the purchase of a further 60 acres. He is recorded as a supporter on the petition for a school in Eltham and he served on the National School Board of the Eltham school. John died in 1867 and is buried in Eltham Cemetery with Mary and with two of their grandchildren. Their eldest son Johnnie inherited the property. Then in about 1902 his younger brother James purchased about 50 acres on the western side of the Diamond Creek immediately opposite Laurel Hill, extending west to slightly past Wattletree Road. Eltham North Reserve now lies just beyond the southern boundary. James built a family home on top of the hill on the northern boundary, together with a dairy and milking shed and a food cellar. It is thought that the barn with stables was already there. When Johnnie died in 1912, the two properties (though severed by both the creek and the railway line) effectively merged. The land was worked as an orchard with apples, pears, quinces, and possibly apricots and peaches. Later it became a dairy farm. By 1986, almost all the land had been sold off for residential subdivision and the house had been condemned as unfit for habitation. John's grandson Jim retained a small portion of the land and built a new house. He kept the old one as a storage shed, but it was demolished after he died in 1993. The very old barn is still standing. Located in the Roman Catholic section In Memory of John Murray Who died Dec. 1867 aged 50 years Also his wife Mary Murray Who died 7th Sep. 1909 aged 76 years And of their grandchildren Thomas and Mary Ellen DrainBorn Digitaleltham cemetery, gravestones, john murray, mary ellen drain, mary murray, thomas drain

Remains of the timber foundation of the State Battery, built here in 1897 can be seen on the banks of the Yarra River just east of the Warrandyte Bridge on the Warrandyte side of the river. The Battery was driven by waterwheel and was used to crush ore from the Warrandyte Goldfields.fay bridge collection, 2016-11-07, warrandyte battery, ruins

Street and location unidentified, possibly not Eltham though next immediate frame is Pryor Street and sun position appears to be similar indicating street (ealrly to mid afternoon) indicating street runs east west direction and camera view is to the south. Streets in Eltham are all even numbered on the south sideRecord of various Shire of Eltham infrastructure works undertaken during the period of 1952-1962 involving bridge and road reconstruction projects, sometimes with Eltham Shire Council Project Reference numbers quoted. It was during this period that a number of significant improvements were made to roads and new bridges constructed within the shire that remain in place as of present day (2022). In many situations, the photos provide a tangible visible record of infrastructure that existed throughout the early days of the Shire. The album was put together by or under the direction of the Shire Engineer, J.A. McDonald.1955-09, houses, shire of eltham

Centred on present day Diosma Rd, Stokes Pl, Nyora Rd and Eucalyptus Rd Historic Aerial Imagery Source: Landata.vic.gov.au Aerial Photo Details: Project No :5 Project : MELBOURNE AND METROPOLITAN AREA PROJECT Run : 36 Frame : 60546 Date : 12/1945 Film Type : B/W Camera : EAG4 Flying Height : 10200 Scale : 6000 Film Number : 195 GDA2020 : 37°42'47"S, 145°09'56"E MGA2020 : 338306, 5824438 (55) Melways : 22 C4 (ed. 42) A History of the Development of Crown Allotment 15, Section 5, Parish of Nillumbik – Stokes Orchard Crown Allotment 15, Section 5, Parish of Nillumbik (CA15) is a square allotment of 158 acres or approximately a quarter of a square mile. It lies just beyond the eastern end of Pitt Street, south of Nyora Road to the northern end of Eucalyptus Road and extends east from Eucalyptus Road to Reynolds Road. The topography of CA15 is generally steep, sloping up to a hill near the centre of the land, the ridgeline passing through the properties along the southern side of Diosma Road. Eucalyptus Road is a straight north-south road with its northern end at the north west corner of CA15. Until the end of the 1970s this road was an un-named Government Road and was largely not open to traffic. With residential development in the 1970s the road was constructed, and the council allocated the name obviously in recognition of the predominant species of the local bushland. CA15 was purchased from the Crown by George D’Arley Boursiquot, a prominent Melbourne printer, on 28th October 1852. On November 23, 1922, former Member for Gippsland and Melbourne Real Estate Agent, Hubert Patrick Keogh purchased the allotment then sold it March 13, 1925, to local farmer, Robert David Taylor, a former Shire of Eltham Councillor (1911-1920) and Shire President (1919). Taylor had extensive land holdings stretching west towards Bible Street and Main Road. The Taylor home was situated at the top of the hill in Bible Street at present day 82 Bible Street. At the time of Taylor’s purchase in 1925, CA15 was subdivided into 48 lots that could be described as small rural properties or large residential lots. A typical lot size was one hectare or 2.5 acres. The subdivision created two roads, Nyora Road, and Diosma Road, each following an irregular alignment between Eucalyptus and Reynolds Roads. However, the lots were not sold off separately nor were the roads constructed. The land effectively remained as one parcel for many further years. Robert David Taylor died November 30, 1934, and probate was granted to his son of the same name, Robert David Taylor of Bible Street, Salesman and William McLelland Vance Taylor of 73 Emmeline Street, Northcote, Clerk, with the transfer of the land into their names on July 8, 1935. 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 return to working the land (he had previously worked on farms and orchards since coming to Australia from England 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- part of the Taylor Estate- £900, Crown Allotment 15, Section 5, Parish of Nillumbik (CA15) somewhat diagonally opposite Bird Orchard. Stokes applied through the Riverina Agency to purchase the land who in turn applied for permission from Canberra to sell as there was a new government regulation introduced during the Second World War banning land sales except for immediate production. Stokes obtained a loan on his Mitcham house of £600 @ 5% and paid £450 deposit with quarterly payments of £15 spread over 5 years. Stokes was assisted and advised by Arthur Bird who farmed the neighbouring orchard. In early 1943 Stokes took possession and would catch the train out to Eltham on Fridays after work and began building a hut on the corner of Nyora Road and the Government Road (Eucalyptus Road) for shelter and to lock up tools. He established an orchard on the central western part of the land through the centre of which ran a natural waterway (part of the present-day linear park) and was able to pay a neighbour (Hawkins) to help with clearing and fencing 25 acres, and with a horse and single furrowed plough, planted approximately 2,500 fruit trees - cherries, peaches, plums, almonds, pears, apricots and lemons as well as a few apples and oranges; a massive task. Aerial photographs from the 1940s through to the 1990s clearly show the orchard with most of the larger CA15 site remaining as natural bushland. 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. Procurement of wire and wire netting was difficult because of the war but after much effort he obtained a permit from the Agricultural Department for supplies in March 1944. In February 1945 Stokes applied for a permit to build a “packing shed” as no house building was allowed. It was to be 33 feet x 21 feet and cost £312. It was constructed mostly from second-hand materials, which were hard to obtain, especially iron for roofing. Stokes finished work at Kennons on October 31, 1945, and in March 1946 he sold the family home at Mitcham for £1,230 plus £170 for furniture. On May 15, 1946, title to the CA15 property was issued to Frank Howard Alfred Stokes, Orchardist and Gladys Ethel Stokes, Married Woman, both of Pitt Street, Eltham. The family of five then moved into the very unfinished “packing shed” 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 Sweet Bursaria contained the sunscreen compound Aesculin. The RAAF utilised this compound from Sweet Bursaria during WW2 for pilots and gunners.) The orchard’s first fruit sale was a half-case of Le Vanq peaches in December 1947 for the price of 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 was 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. The house remains to present day (somewhat modified) at 1 Nyora Road, home to Nyora Studio Gallery. On occasions, spare remnants of the 1956 bricks have been known to be unearthed in gardens on the estate as they were utilised by Frank Stokes to fill in rabbit holes. On May 26, 1950, a parcel of land was compulsorily acquired by the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works on the hilltop to establish an easement for a high-level service reservoir to augment Eltham’s water supply. The project also included pipe tracks for the necessary water mains. The reservoir has now been superseded by higher level water tanks east of Reynolds Road and its former site is now a public reserve. On November 27, 1964, the State Electricity Commission served notice to compulsorily acquire a further parcel through the eastern part of the land for a major electricity transmission line that augmented supply from the La Trobe Valley to Melbourne. The easement was registered February 11, 1966. The easement was widened July 18, 1969 for a second transmission line to be constructed. In 1971 Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Scheme amendments adopted Nyora Road as the boundary between a residential zone to the north and a rural zone to the south. This determined the future development of the land. In the mid-1970s the Shire of Eltham divided the orchard into numerous rate-able parcel lots, the 48 lots having been established in 1925 and the subsequent rates assessment proved unsustainable for Stokes. He commenced selling lots outside the boundary of the orchard, north of Diosma and South of Nyora. However shortly later the land between Nyora and Diosma Roads and west of the electricity easement was sold and subdivided into residential lots, a housing development by Macquarie Builders and marketed as the Stokes Orchard Estate. New streets were created, and most were named after trees, although one, Stokes Place, commemorates the former owners. The development was undertaken in two stages; Stage 1 (1975) encompassing Scarlet Ash Court, Ironbark Close and Peppermint Grove bounded by Nyora and Eucalyptus roads and Stage 2 (1978) encompassing Stokes Place, Orchard Way, The Crest and The Lookout bound by Nyora and Diosma roads. The developer, Macquarie Builders went bankrupt shortly after the release of Stage 2 leaving many purchasers to fend for themselves and arrange for their own independent builders. There were also difficulties with sewerage for the land immediately south of Diosma Road and so the conventional residential lots were abandoned in favour of larger lots. The development of Orchard Way, The Crest and The Lookout did not proceed as planned and the proposed lots were incorporated into five-acre parcels instead. These included a low-density group housing development by the Graves family and the award winning Choong House (1983) with Gordon Ford developed garden immediately next door situated on the ridge of the hill nestled amongst the original bush, Eucalypt trees and Sweet Bursaria. In 1994, Nillumbik Shire Council applied Significant Environment and Significant Landscape overlays upon the properties on the south side of Diosma Road to ensure protection of this natural bush garden environment. With the arrival of the sewer along Diosma Road in the 1990s, most of these five-acre parcels have since been subdivided multiple times. The Choong house presently sits on a 2.7-acre property, which in 2022 Nillumbik Council nominated for Cultural Significance Heritage protection and is considered potentially significant at State level. The Stokes family were also associated with the Eltham Christian Church. In the 1970s this church had met in temporary premises in Eltham. Lots of the original 1925 subdivision remained south of Nyora Road and a number of these lots were utilized for the Eltham Christian School, which was established by the Eltham Christian Church in 1981. The school operated on this site until 2000. The premises are now used by The Vine Baptist Church. By the mid-1980s the whole of CA15 had been developed for residential and school purposes, except for the sections north of Diosma Road and between the transmission lines and Reynolds Road. Sewerage issues had been resolved for the section north of Diosma Road and in 1987 it was in the process of being subdivided into residential lots. The development coincided with the discovery of colonies of the rare and endangered Eltham Copper Butterfly on the site. This resulted in a community and political campaign to save the butterfly habitat. With the co-operation of the land developer the subdivision was altered to create two bushland reserves in the critical butterfly habitat areas. In the late 1980s the State Government was investigating options for establishing a metropolitan ring road link between Diamond Creek and Ringwood. The chosen route was adjacent to Reynolds Road and so this created a freeze on development of CA15 between Reynolds Road and the electricity easement. The ring road proposal was eventually abandoned, and this part of the land was subdivided into low density residential lots. Diosma Road has been discontinued at the electricity easement and the eastern part incorporated into View Mount Court with access from Reynolds Road. The whole of CA15 has now been developed for residential or associated purposes, ranging from conventional density to quite low density south of Nyora Road. Some remnants of the orchard remain, a few cherry trees on the Graves property and a lone apple tree in Stokes Place. The butterfly reserves comprise significant areas of remnant bushland. Linear reserves through the estate link with central Eltham via the Woodridge linear reserve and with Research along the electricity easement. CA15 as it exists today has a complicated history of rural use, Government acquisition, urban development, and community action. References: • “Stokes Orchard, an incomplete history”; Russell Yeoman with Doug Orford • Correspondence, Beryl Bradbury (nee Stokes) • Aerial Photographs, 1931-1991, Landata (landata.vic.gov.au) • Certificate of Title, Vol. 4930 Fol. 985900 • Plan Number LP 10859 aerial photo, diosma road, eltham copper butterfly, eucalyptus road, ironbark close, nyora road, peppermint grove, peter & elizabeth pidgeon collection, power transmission lines, reynolds road, scarlet ash court, stokes orchard estate, stokes place, woodridge estate, frank stokes

Centred over present day Reynolds Road and Mount Pleasant Road, Eltham (including Diosma Rd, Stokes Pl, Nyora Rd and Eucalyptus Rd) Historic Aerial Imagery Source: Landata.vic.gov.au Aerial Photo Details: Project No :1931 Project : MALDON PRISON Run : 21 Frame : 3160 Date : 11/1931 Film Type : B/W Camera : F8 Flying Height : 11000 Scale : 18860 Film Number : 60 GDA2020 : 37°43'31"S, 145°10'20"E MGA2020 : 338912, 5823086 (55) Melways : 22 E8 (ed. 42) A History of the Development of Crown Allotment 15, Section 5, Parish of Nillumbik – Stokes Orchard Crown Allotment 15, Section 5, Parish of Nillumbik (CA15) is a square allotment of 158 acres or approximately a quarter of a square mile. It lies just beyond the eastern end of Pitt Street, south of Nyora Road to the northern end of Eucalyptus Road and extends east from Eucalyptus Road to Reynolds Road. The topography of CA15 is generally steep, sloping up to a hill near the centre of the land, the ridgeline passing through the properties along the southern side of Diosma Road. Eucalyptus Road is a straight north-south road with its northern end at the north west corner of CA15. Until the end of the 1970s this road was an un-named Government Road and was largely not open to traffic. With residential development in the 1970s the road was constructed, and the council allocated the name obviously in recognition of the predominant species of the local bushland. CA15 was purchased from the Crown by George D’Arley Boursiquot, a prominent Melbourne printer, on 28th October 1852. On November 23, 1922, former Member for Gippsland and Melbourne Real Estate Agent, Hubert Patrick Keogh purchased the allotment then sold it March 13, 1925, to local farmer, Robert David Taylor, a former Shire of Eltham Councillor (1911-1920) and Shire President (1919). Taylor had extensive land holdings stretching west towards Bible Street and Main Road. The Taylor home was situated at the top of the hill in Bible Street at present day 82 Bible Street. At the time of Taylor’s purchase in 1925, CA15 was subdivided into 48 lots that could be described as small rural properties or large residential lots. A typical lot size was one hectare or 2.5 acres. The subdivision created two roads, Nyora Road, and Diosma Road, each following an irregular alignment between Eucalyptus and Reynolds Roads. However, the lots were not sold off separately nor were the roads constructed. The land effectively remained as one parcel for many further years. Robert David Taylor died November 30, 1934, and probate was granted to his son of the same name, Robert David Taylor of Bible Street, Salesman and William McLelland Vance Taylor of 73 Emmeline Street, Northcote, Clerk, with the transfer of the land into their names on July 8, 1935. 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 return to working the land (he had previously worked on farms and orchards since coming to Australia from England 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- part of the Taylor Estate- £900, Crown Allotment 15, Section 5, Parish of Nillumbik (CA15) somewhat diagonally opposite Bird Orchard. Stokes applied through the Riverina Agency to purchase the land who in turn applied for permission from Canberra to sell as there was a new government regulation introduced during the Second World War banning land sales except for immediate production. Stokes obtained a loan on his Mitcham house of £600 @ 5% and paid £450 deposit with quarterly payments of £15 spread over 5 years. Stokes was assisted and advised by Arthur Bird who farmed the neighbouring orchard. In early 1943 Stokes took possession and would catch the train out to Eltham on Fridays after work and began building a hut on the corner of Nyora Road and the Government Road (Eucalyptus Road) for shelter and to lock up tools. He established an orchard on the central western part of the land through the centre of which ran a natural waterway (part of the present-day linear park) and was able to pay a neighbour (Hawkins) to help with clearing and fencing 25 acres, and with a horse and single furrowed plough, planted approximately 2,500 fruit trees - cherries, peaches, plums, almonds, pears, apricots and lemons as well as a few apples and oranges; a massive task. Aerial photographs from the 1940s through to the 1990s clearly show the orchard with most of the larger CA15 site remaining as natural bushland. 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. Procurement of wire and wire netting was difficult because of the war but after much effort he obtained a permit from the Agricultural Department for supplies in March 1944. In February 1945 Stokes applied for a permit to build a “packing shed” as no house building was allowed. It was to be 33 feet x 21 feet and cost £312. It was constructed mostly from second-hand materials, which were hard to obtain, especially iron for roofing. Stokes finished work at Kennons on October 31, 1945, and in March 1946 he sold the family home at Mitcham for £1,230 plus £170 for furniture. On May 15, 1946, title to the CA15 property was issued to Frank Howard Alfred Stokes, Orchardist and Gladys Ethel Stokes, Married Woman, both of Pitt Street, Eltham. The family of five then moved into the very unfinished “packing shed” 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 Sweet Bursaria contained the sunscreen compound Aesculin. The RAAF utilised this compound from Sweet Bursaria during WW2 for pilots and gunners.) The orchard’s first fruit sale was a half-case of Le Vanq peaches in December 1947 for the price of 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 was 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. The house remains to present day (somewhat modified) at 1 Nyora Road, home to Nyora Studio Gallery. On occasions, spare remnants of the 1956 bricks have been known to be unearthed in gardens on the estate as they were utilised by Frank Stokes to fill in rabbit holes. On May 26, 1950, a parcel of land was compulsorily acquired by the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works on the hilltop to establish an easement for a high-level service reservoir to augment Eltham’s water supply. The project also included pipe tracks for the necessary water mains. The reservoir has now been superseded by higher level water tanks east of Reynolds Road and its former site is now a public reserve. On November 27, 1964, the State Electricity Commission served notice to compulsorily acquire a further parcel through the eastern part of the land for a major electricity transmission line that augmented supply from the La Trobe Valley to Melbourne. The easement was registered February 11, 1966. The easement was widened July 18, 1969 for a second transmission line to be constructed. In 1971 Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Scheme amendments adopted Nyora Road as the boundary between a residential zone to the north and a rural zone to the south. This determined the future development of the land. In the mid-1970s the Shire of Eltham divided the orchard into numerous rate-able parcel lots, the 48 lots having been established in 1925 and the subsequent rates assessment proved unsustainable for Stokes. He commenced selling lots outside the boundary of the orchard, north of Diosma and South of Nyora. However shortly later the land between Nyora and Diosma Roads and west of the electricity easement was sold and subdivided into residential lots, a housing development by Macquarie Builders and marketed as the Stokes Orchard Estate. New streets were created, and most were named after trees, although one, Stokes Place, commemorates the former owners. The development was undertaken in two stages; Stage 1 (1975) encompassing Scarlet Ash Court, Ironbark Close and Peppermint Grove bounded by Nyora and Eucalyptus roads and Stage 2 (1978) encompassing Stokes Place, Orchard Way, The Crest and The Lookout bound by Nyora and Diosma roads. The developer, Macquarie Builders went bankrupt shortly after the release of Stage 2 leaving many purchasers to fend for themselves and arrange for their own independent builders. There were also difficulties with sewerage for the land immediately south of Diosma Road and so the conventional residential lots were abandoned in favour of larger lots. The development of Orchard Way, The Crest and The Lookout did not proceed as planned and the proposed lots were incorporated into five-acre parcels instead. These included a low-density group housing development by the Graves family and the award winning Choong House (1983) with Gordon Ford developed garden immediately next door situated on the ridge of the hill nestled amongst the original bush, Eucalypt trees and Sweet Bursaria. In 1994, Nillumbik Shire Council applied Significant Environment and Significant Landscape overlays upon the properties on the south side of Diosma Road to ensure protection of this natural bush garden environment. With the arrival of the sewer along Diosma Road in the 1990s, most of these five-acre parcels have since been subdivided multiple times. The Choong house presently sits on a 2.7-acre property, which in 2022 Nillumbik Council nominated for Cultural Significance Heritage protection and is considered potentially significant at State level. The Stokes family were also associated with the Eltham Christian Church. In the 1970s this church had met in temporary premises in Eltham. Lots of the original 1925 subdivision remained south of Nyora Road and a number of these lots were utilized for the Eltham Christian School, which was established by the Eltham Christian Church in 1981. The school operated on this site until 2000. The premises are now used by The Vine Baptist Church. By the mid-1980s the whole of CA15 had been developed for residential and school purposes, except for the sections north of Diosma Road and between the transmission lines and Reynolds Road. Sewerage issues had been resolved for the section north of Diosma Road and in 1987 it was in the process of being subdivided into residential lots. The development coincided with the discovery of colonies of the rare and endangered Eltham Copper Butterfly on the site. This resulted in a community and political campaign to save the butterfly habitat. With the co-operation of the land developer the subdivision was altered to create two bushland reserves in the critical butterfly habitat areas. In the late 1980s the State Government was investigating options for establishing a metropolitan ring road link between Diamond Creek and Ringwood. The chosen route was adjacent to Reynolds Road and so this created a freeze on development of CA15 between Reynolds Road and the electricity easement. The ring road proposal was eventually abandoned, and this part of the land was subdivided into low density residential lots. Diosma Road has been discontinued at the electricity easement and the eastern part incorporated into View Mount Court with access from Reynolds Road. The whole of CA15 has now been developed for residential or associated purposes, ranging from conventional density to quite low density south of Nyora Road. Some remnants of the orchard remain, a few cherry trees on the Graves property and a lone apple tree in Stokes Place. The butterfly reserves comprise significant areas of remnant bushland. Linear reserves through the estate link with central Eltham via the Woodridge linear reserve and with Research along the electricity easement. CA15 as it exists today has a complicated history of rural use, Government acquisition, urban development, and community action. References: • “Stokes Orchard, an incomplete history”; Russell Yeoman with Doug Orford • Correspondence, Beryl Bradbury (nee Stokes) • Aerial Photographs, 1931-1991, Landata (landata.vic.gov.au) • Certificate of Title, Vol. 4930 Fol. 985900 • Plan Number LP 10859 aerial photo, diosma road, eltham copper butterfly, eucalyptus road, ironbark close, nyora road, peppermint grove, peter & elizabeth pidgeon collection, power transmission lines, reynolds road, scarlet ash court, stokes orchard estate, stokes place, woodridge estate, frank stokes