"Donald Mackintosh was born in Rockbank on 21 September 1866. He quickly proved himself as an expert shot, joining the Bacchus Marsh Shooting Club at the age of ten and the Melbourne Gun Club at 23. In 1890 he won the Melbourne Gun Club £1000 Cup Handicap.Donald represented Australia at the 1900 Paris Olympic Games. However, due to confusion at the time over whether this competition was an official Olympic event, Donald was not recognised as an Olympic medallist during his lifetime. In 1987 the IOC issued Donald’s gold and bronze medals. Donald continued to travel around Europe and won many other competitions, including the London Gun Club Challenge Cup three times in a row and the Grand Prix at Monte Carlo twice. As well as being an expert shot, Donald was also well educated and wrote poetry. Most astonishingly, he was also completely blind in his left eye".Document with a list of achievements by Olympian Donald Mackintoshlocal identities

Letter sent from L Cameron 'Glenhope' to Ednalocal identities

Donation made by Mrs C.E Barrielocal identities, churches

Purchases made from Steele and Colocal identities, misc.

A letter sent from Mount Morgan townshiplocal identities

Good luck card sent from E.Daleylocal identities

Arthur Watson, was a noted cyclist. ( He rode in three Melbourne– Warrnambool races ), oars man, and footballer in his youth. He was for many years in the office of the Queensland Commissioner for Railways.Four paged letter local identities

Letters sent to Martha (Mattie) dated from 1907 to 1920. Each letter is an edited version of the original pertaining to aspects of Fred Myers life as a shearer. Cobran Stn via Deniliquin Thursday Sept 1st 1910 …I got a reply from Eynesbury and a favourable reply, it starts on the 13th Oct so I will have plenty of time to get there, in fact far to much as we will finish here in a month full time so that will leave a fortnight to spare. We got rain here at last and it has put us back considerably as we only worked Monday. I have been idle ever since. We will probably start again Saturday. The weather has taken up nice and fine again…. I hope it will keep up to the cut out now I have 800 sheep shorn up to date and am fifth among thirty men so I’m doing well I think. Did you get the pound I sent? I’m sending two more this time, which I drew on Saturday. I don’t like sending too much as there is a chance of it going astray. Postcard Cobran Sept 18 1910 Just a note to let you know I am all right. I was disappointed not getting a letter yesterday, Saturday…I won’t get it now till next Saturday. We have three weeks here yet. I am sending 2 and tell me if you got the other 1. Cobran Stn via Deniliquin NSW Sunday 21st August (1911) ..I’m having a good time here, a good cook and the best of everything, no fires to lights or kettles to boil just get up and wire in but plenty of hard work. The sheep here a pretty rough but much better than Wandook. I am well among them here we had a little rain on Friday but not enough to stop us so we have got one full week in and the weather is now lovely I have been basking in the sunshine all morning and feel strong and fit as a fiddle. They are all a grand lot of men here I only knew one out of the lot but now them all pretty well now. We have a bit of a concert here every night almost. There are a few good singers here and we also had a phonograph up from the station with all the latest records. We have has two dances amongst ourselves, very boisterous affairs indeed they do make the dust fly. I have not ventured to take part in them yet and don’ think I will either. I get enough dancing all day long and besides I have to furnish the music. You ought to see them going when I rattle up the concertina they do make the dust fly. Sample of letters written by Fred Myers to his wife Mattie Myerslocal identities

Andrina Marshall was born on the 25th of June 18193 (Lerwick, Shetland, Scotland, United Kingdom as the second child of Andrew MARSHALL and Barbara GROAT).She had one sibling, Robina. She passed away in 1866 in Shetland.Black and white copy of the documentlocal identities

The Willows homestead is "a scarce example of a reasonably intact building from the original era of farming in the Shire, and for its long association with the Minns family who were prominent in the local community and local government over several generations". History of the Willows by Edna Barrielocal architecture, local identities

Store opening at Bakery Squaremisc.

Letter from George Minns to his aunty

Edna Barrie describes the Darlingsford property. C.E. Barrrie Land developers bought the property from my husband’s brother. It was one big farm and they were a big family. When the father died he left it to be cut up for the family. The youngest son had to reach age 21 before the property could be divided and portioned out to the mother and children, but it was deferred until Jim returned from the war. Eventually it was cut up into two parts, we were married by then and so was Edgar. Part of the land included the block on the other side of Ferris road, which became the quarry, Edgar’s section was on the Toolern Creek end, he was the last one married and lived in the old bluestone house until 1974. The developers bought this section but they could not get permits due to the state of the old bridge due to the cost. Barries had built the bridge across the creek [1926]. It took the big loads of hay and the family kept it maintained. Once the Barries had gone it did not get any upkeep. The developers found the cost of replacing the bridge and developing site with sewerage and drainage power before they sell. The rural land itself is not worth much as the developer has to complete the subdivision before any blocks can be sold. The developer from Sydney had a man living in the house, who let it go the rack and ruin. He managed to buy from the developer 25 acres with the bluestone house. Bernard Coburn had it for a while but is was well out of our hands by then. There were various people who have bought into and tried to develop and have given up. There was a project sometime ago to save the buildings from ruin but nothing has happened as yet, they are six or seven years to late. The buildings continue to deteriorate and were badly damaged vandals and fire. The Shire bought all the rest of it from the developer, where the tip is now, that was also part of Edgars land. Article about a fire at Darlingsford Estate featured in the Telegraphlocal architecture, local identities, emergency services

Fairfax community network article asking for assistance to identify people in a photolocal identities

Newspaper clippings of Toolern Fire Brigade emergency services, local identities, education

Change over of captains at Diggers Rest Fire Brigade newspaper articleemergency services

"A weatherboard cottage built in 1911 and known as Mac’s Cottage was also relocated to the park in 1977, and converted into a caretaker’s residence". Newspaper articles about the future of Mac Hotel and Cottagelocal architecture

Photograph and description of the Overland featured in the Regional Newspaper articletransport

Newspaper clippings of the homesteadlocal architecture, local special interest groups

Group of people standing in front of a church, photo featured in the Telegraph churches

Machinery Shed Establishment. Involved with Jeff Robinson in the construction and collection of machinery display Restoration of the Willows shed article featured in the Express/Telegraph local identities, local special interest groups, local architecture

Works being undertaken at the Willows Homestead article featured in the Express Telegraph local architecture, council, local special interest groups

Family reunion of Jongebloed descendants article featured in the The Mail Expresslocal identities, local significant events

Members of the Pinkerton family in November 2017 at the opening of the time capsule that was buried in 1992 to mark the rejuvenation of the land through the Surbiton Park and Pinkerton Forest projects. A time capsule was first buried in the memorial cairn marking the graves of members of the early settler family in 1931. A third time capsule was created in 2017, to be opened in 2042.Star Weekly article about the descendents of the Pinkerton familylocal identities, pioneer families

In 1974 Edna Barrie took part in the Australian Choir at the fourteenth Triennial conference of the ACWW Interfaith Service held at the Perth Concert Hall on the 13th of October.News clipping from the The West Australian about the Associated Country Women of the World Conference local special interest groups

Express Telegraph article about the Future Project for the Toolern Employment Nodelandscapes of significance

Lynette (nee Butler) Kutschewski, one of the attendees in the photograph was the daughter of Mr. Bert and Mrs Marjorie Butler (nee Myers). Photograph from the Long Island Junior Golfers' Dance in the Frankston Standard Newspaper. local identities

Shirley Wallace was one of the competitors, country and western singer. Father was Cr Jack Wallace of Rockbank​, served 5 terms as President, unopposed for 46 years. ​Married Mabel Dixon​.Photos of competitors from the Hill Billy Questlocal identities

Bon and Edna on honeymoon in Sydney and Jim was on his way to CanadaBlack and white photograph of Ernest Wesley (Bon / Bonnie), James Edward (Jim) Barrie and Edna Eva Myers [Barrie]local identities

Soft cover foolscap size book. 96 pages with b & w illustrations, images and maps (some folded). Part of Occasional reports series (Victoria Archaeological Survey) ; No. 27. Published by Department of Conservation and Environment, Melbourne, 1990. Author, Hilary Du Cros. BMDHS Loc. AR/SU5This study aimed to locate and document Aboriginal archaeological sites in the western region of Melbourne. This area was defined by the study as extending out from the western suburbs of Melbourne to the Brisbane Ranges and north beyond Bacchus Marsh. The specific aim of the study was to investigate the Aboriginal archaeology of the Western Plains area in the vicinity west of Melbourne. The Bacchus Marsh, Melton and Werribee shire boundaries of the time defined the areas of the study. The study contains extensive lists of the types of artifacts found the the locations where they were found. aboriginal australians victoria western plains, aboriginal artifacts, archaelogical sites victoria western plains, aboriginal artifacts bacchus marsh region