Showing 3872 items matching "street trees"
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Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Slide, Construction of Eltham Town Park, 22 Feb 1974
Construction of Eltham Town Park, later renamed Alistair Knox Park. View looking towards the intersection of Main Road and Bridge Street. The lake body has been formed and young trees planted.35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfacolor Service (Blue)alistair knox park, eltham town park, bridge street, main road -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Slide - Photograph, Main Yarra Trail, Lower Plenty, c.Aug. 1990
Part of a presentation, "Roads and Byways of the Shire of Eltham", by Russell Yeoman to the 12 September 1990 Society meeting. Slides shown included copies of old photos and recent images ranging from the suburban streets of Eltham and Montmorency to the mountain roads of Kinglake. In the byways category are views of some iof the Shire's bicycle paths including then recently completed sections of the Main Yarra Trail at Lower Plenty.35mm colour positive transparency (1 of 37) Mount - Agfachrome Agfa CS System black 8 dotsinfrastructure, bonds road, lower plenty, main yarra trail, roads, significant trees -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Slide - Photograph, Possibly Wingrove Park Trail, Dalton Street, Eltham, c.1992
... melbourne significant tree eltham Dalton Street Wingrove Park Trail ...35mm colour positive transparency Mount - Black and Whitesignificant tree, eltham, dalton street, wingrove park trail -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Slide - Photograph, Arthur Street, Eltham, c.1992
... melbourne eltham roads infrastructure Arthur Street Candlebark tree ...35mm colour positive transparency Mount - Black and Whiteeltham, roads, infrastructure, arthur street, candlebark tree, significant tree -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Slide - Photograph, Gordon Ford garden, "Fulling", Pitt Street, Eltham, 23 May 1993
"Fulling", pronounced Fu-elling, the 'display home' of Gordon Ford landscape designer and consultant. From 1945 he transformed one and a half acres of treeless grassland into a splendid bush garden complete with a waterfall and ponds. He used sawdust and wood shavings as a base for the bush floor. The 1993 Eltham Heritage Tour was enjoyed by a busload of members of the Historical Society on a fine, calm day, Sunday May 23rd. Between 10.00 am and 4.30 pm, except for a brief lunch stop at the Eltham Living and Learning Centre, members passed about thirty places of local interest and others recommended for the Historic Buildings Register and the Register of the National Estate. A number of significant trees and buildings were also highlighted along with the opportunity to explored some of the properties.35mm colour positive transparency (1 of 24) Mount - Kodak Kodachromeactivities, shire of eltham historical society, heritage excursion, eltham, fulling, gordon ford garden, pitt street -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Slide - Photograph, Gordon Ford garden, "Fulling", Pitt Street, Eltham, 23 May 1993
"Fulling", pronounced Fu-elling, the 'display home' of Gordon Ford landscape designer and consultant. From 1945 he transformed one and a half acres of treeless grassland into a splendid bush garden complete with a waterfall and ponds. He used sawdust and wood shavings as a base for the bush floor. The 1993 Eltham Heritage Tour was enjoyed by a busload of members of the Historical Society on a fine, calm day, Sunday May 23rd. Between 10.00 am and 4.30 pm, except for a brief lunch stop at the Eltham Living and Learning Centre, members passed about thirty places of local interest and others recommended for the Historic Buildings Register and the Register of the National Estate. A number of significant trees and buildings were also highlighted along with the opportunity to explored some of the properties.35mm colour positive transparency (1 of 24) Mount - Kodak Kodachromeactivities, shire of eltham historical society, heritage excursion, eltham, fulling, gordon ford garden, pitt street -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Slide - Photograph, Gordon Ford garden, "Fulling", Pitt Street, Eltham, 23 May 1993
"Fulling", pronounced Fu-elling, the 'display home' of Gordon Ford landscape designer and consultant. From 1945 he transformed one and a half acres of treeless grassland into a splendid bush garden complete with a waterfall and ponds. He used sawdust and wood shavings as a base for the bush floor. The 1993 Eltham Heritage Tour was enjoyed by a busload of members of the Historical Society on a fine, calm day, Sunday May 23rd. Between 10.00 am and 4.30 pm, except for a brief lunch stop at the Eltham Living and Learning Centre, members passed about thirty places of local interest and others recommended for the Historic Buildings Register and the Register of the National Estate. A number of significant trees and buildings were also highlighted along with the opportunity to explored some of the properties.35mm colour positive transparency (1 of 24) Mount - Kodak Kodachromeactivities, shire of eltham historical society, heritage excursion, eltham, fulling, gordon ford garden, pitt street -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Slide - Photograph, Gordon Ford garden, "Fulling", Pitt Street, Eltham, 23 May 1993
"Fulling", pronounced Fu-elling, the 'display home' of Gordon Ford landscape designer and consultant. From 1945 he transformed one and a half acres of treeless grassland into a splendid bush garden complete with a waterfall and ponds. He used sawdust and wood shavings as a base for the bush floor. The 1993 Eltham Heritage Tour was enjoyed by a busload of members of the Historical Society on a fine, calm day, Sunday May 23rd. Between 10.00 am and 4.30 pm, except for a brief lunch stop at the Eltham Living and Learning Centre, members passed about thirty places of local interest and others recommended for the Historic Buildings Register and the Register of the National Estate. A number of significant trees and buildings were also highlighted along with the opportunity to explored some of the properties.35mm colour positive transparency (1 of 24) Mount - Kodak Kodachromeactivities, shire of eltham historical society, heritage excursion, eltham, fulling, gordon ford garden, pitt street -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Slide - Photograph, Macgregor Knox House, John Street, Eltham, 23 May 1993
Macgregor Knox house (1976) - a small building of note on the Knox property. It is an attic bedroom that Alistair's son, Macgregor, built for himself when he was fifteen. The 1993 Eltham Heritage Tour was enjoyed by a busload of members of the Historical Society on a fine, calm day, Sunday May 23rd. Between 10.00 am and 4.30 pm, except for a brief lunch stop at the Eltham Living and Learning Centre, members passed about thirty places of local interest and others recommended for the Historic Buildings Register and the Register of the National Estate. A number of significant trees and buildings were also highlighted along with the opportunity to explored some of the properties.35mm colour positive transparency (1 of 24) Mount - Kodak Kodachromeactivities, shire of eltham historical society, heritage excursion, eltham, houses, macgregor knox house, mudbrick -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Slide - Photograph, Busst house, cnr of Kerrie Crescent and Silver Street, Eltham, 23 May 1993
Opposite No. 11 Kerrie Crescent, (actually 71 Silver street), a 1948 Knox designed mudbrick, with a delightful inglenook fireplace. Additional bedrooms have been added on the top verandah; up the narrow stairs a concrete bath The 1993 Eltham Heritage Tour was enjoyed by a busload of members of the Historical Society on a fine, calm day, Sunday May 23rd. Between 10.00 am and 4.30 pm, except for a brief lunch stop at the Eltham Living and Learning Centre, members passed about thirty places of local interest and others recommended for the Historic Buildings Register and the Register of the National Estate. A number of significant trees and buildings were also highlighted along with the opportunity to explored some of the properties.35mm colour positive transparency (1 of 24) Mount - Kodak Kodachromeactivities, shire of eltham historical society, heritage excursion, eltham, houses, mudbrick, busst house, kerrie crescent, silver street -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Slide - Photograph, Busst house, cnr of Kerrie Crescent and Silver Street, Eltham, 23 May 1993
Opposite No. 11 Kerrie Crescent, (actually 71 Silver street), a 1948 Knox designed mudbrick, with a delightful inglenook fireplace. Additional bedrooms have been added on the top verandah; up the narrow stairs a concrete bath The 1993 Eltham Heritage Tour was enjoyed by a busload of members of the Historical Society on a fine, calm day, Sunday May 23rd. Between 10.00 am and 4.30 pm, except for a brief lunch stop at the Eltham Living and Learning Centre, members passed about thirty places of local interest and others recommended for the Historic Buildings Register and the Register of the National Estate. A number of significant trees and buildings were also highlighted along with the opportunity to explored some of the properties.35mm colour positive transparency (1 of 24) Mount - Kodak Kodachromeactivities, shire of eltham historical society, heritage excursion, eltham, houses, mudbrick, busst house, kerrie crescent, silver street -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Slide - Photograph, Busst house, cnr of Kerrie Crescent and Silver Street, Eltham, 23 May 1993
Opposite No. 11 Kerrie Crescent, (actually 71 Silver street), a 1948 Knox designed mudbrick, with a delightful inglenook fireplace. Additional bedrooms have been added on the top verandah; up the narrow stairs a concrete bath The 1993 Eltham Heritage Tour was enjoyed by a busload of members of the Historical Society on a fine, calm day, Sunday May 23rd. Between 10.00 am and 4.30 pm, except for a brief lunch stop at the Eltham Living and Learning Centre, members passed about thirty places of local interest and others recommended for the Historic Buildings Register and the Register of the National Estate. A number of significant trees and buildings were also highlighted along with the opportunity to explored some of the properties.35mm colour positive transparency (1 of 24) Mount - Kodak Kodachromeactivities, shire of eltham historical society, heritage excursion, eltham, houses, mudbrick, busst house, kerrie crescent, silver street -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Slide - Photograph, Busst house, cnr of Kerrie Crescent and Silver Street, Eltham, 23 May 1993
Opposite No. 11 Kerrie Crescent, (actually 71 Silver street), a 1948 Knox designed mudbrick, with a delightful inglenook fireplace. Additional bedrooms have been added on the top verandah; up the narrow stairs a concrete bath The 1993 Eltham Heritage Tour was enjoyed by a busload of members of the Historical Society on a fine, calm day, Sunday May 23rd. Between 10.00 am and 4.30 pm, except for a brief lunch stop at the Eltham Living and Learning Centre, members passed about thirty places of local interest and others recommended for the Historic Buildings Register and the Register of the National Estate. A number of significant trees and buildings were also highlighted along with the opportunity to explored some of the properties.35mm colour positive transparency (1 of 24) Mount - Kodak Kodachromeactivities, shire of eltham historical society, heritage excursion, eltham, houses, mudbrick, busst house, kerrie crescent, silver street -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Slide - Photograph, Busst house, cnr of Kerrie Crescent and Silver Street, Eltham, 23 May 1993
Opposite No. 11 Kerrie Crescent, (actually 71 Silver street), a 1948 Knox designed mudbrick, with a delightful inglenook fireplace. Additional bedrooms have been added on the top verandah; up the narrow stairs a concrete bath The 1993 Eltham Heritage Tour was enjoyed by a busload of members of the Historical Society on a fine, calm day, Sunday May 23rd. Between 10.00 am and 4.30 pm, except for a brief lunch stop at the Eltham Living and Learning Centre, members passed about thirty places of local interest and others recommended for the Historic Buildings Register and the Register of the National Estate. A number of significant trees and buildings were also highlighted along with the opportunity to explored some of the properties.35mm colour positive transparency (1 of 24) Mount - Kodak Kodachromeactivities, shire of eltham historical society, heritage excursion, eltham, houses, mudbrick, busst house, kerrie crescent, silver street -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Slide - Photograph, Busst house, cnr of Kerrie Crescent and Silver Street, Eltham, 23 May 1993
Opposite No. 11 Kerrie Crescent, (actually 71 Silver street), a 1948 Knox designed mudbrick, with a delightful inglenook fireplace. Additional bedrooms have been added on the top verandah; up the narrow stairs a concrete bath The 1993 Eltham Heritage Tour was enjoyed by a busload of members of the Historical Society on a fine, calm day, Sunday May 23rd. Between 10.00 am and 4.30 pm, except for a brief lunch stop at the Eltham Living and Learning Centre, members passed about thirty places of local interest and others recommended for the Historic Buildings Register and the Register of the National Estate. A number of significant trees and buildings were also highlighted along with the opportunity to explored some of the properties.35mm colour positive transparency (1 of 24) Mount - Kodak Kodachromeactivities, shire of eltham historical society, heritage excursion, eltham, houses, mudbrick, busst house, kerrie crescent, silver street -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Slide - Photograph, Clay Nuneham, Stanhope Street, Eltham, 23 May 1993
Built by journalist turned earth builder, John Harcourt as his own home. The 1993 Eltham Heritage Tour was enjoyed by a busload of members of the Historical Society on a fine, calm day, Sunday May 23rd. Between 10.00 am and 4.30 pm, except for a brief lunch stop at the Eltham Living and Learning Centre, members passed about thirty places of local interest and others recommended for the Historic Buildings Register and the Register of the National Estate. A number of significant trees and buildings were also highlighted along with the opportunity to explored some of the properties.35mm colour positive transparency (1 of 24) Mount - Kodak Kodachromeactivities, shire of eltham historical society, heritage excursion, eltham, houses, mudbrick, clay nuneham, mount - kodak kodachrome, scan - 35mm positive, stanhope street -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Slide - Photograph, Clay Nuneham, Stanhope Street, Eltham, 23 May 1993
Built by journalist turned earth builder, John Harcourt as his own home. The 1993 Eltham Heritage Tour was enjoyed by a busload of members of the Historical Society on a fine, calm day, Sunday May 23rd. Between 10.00 am and 4.30 pm, except for a brief lunch stop at the Eltham Living and Learning Centre, members passed about thirty places of local interest and others recommended for the Historic Buildings Register and the Register of the National Estate. A number of significant trees and buildings were also highlighted along with the opportunity to explored some of the properties.35mm colour positive transparency (1 of 24) Mount - Kodak Kodachromeactivities, shire of eltham historical society, heritage excursion, eltham, houses, mudbrick, clay nuneham, mount - kodak kodachrome, scan - 35mm positive, stanhope street -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Slide - Photograph, World Environment Day 1993, Grove Street, Eltham East Primary School, 5 June 1993
... School Grove Street Heritage tree Significant tree 35mm colour ...World Environment Day was established by in 1972 by the United Nations General Assembly on the first day of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. Two years later, in 1974 the first World Environment Day was held with the theme "Only One Earth" and is observed every year on June 5 to encourage awareness and environmental protection. According to United Nations, "The celebration of this day provides us with an opportunity to broaden the basis for an enlightened opinion and responsible conduct by individuals, enterprises, and communities in preserving and enhancing the environment." 35mm colour positive transparency (1 of 23) Mount - Black and Whiteworld environment day 1993, eltham, eltham east primary school, grove street, heritage tree, significant tree -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Slide - Photograph, Peter Street, Eltham, c.2004
Part of a presentation on "Significant Trees, Wildflowers and Local Gardens" by Russell Yeoman to the 10 November 2004 Eltham District Historical Society meeting35mm colour positive transparency Mount - white 7 dots (Technodia Italy)peter street, eltham, houses -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Slide - Photograph, Peter Street, Eltham, c.2004
Part of a presentation on "Significant Trees, Wildflowers and Local Gardens" by Russell Yeoman to the 10 November 2004 Eltham District Historical Society meeting35mm colour positive transparency Mount - white 7 dots (Technodia Italy)peter street, eltham, houses -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Slide - Photograph, Autumn tree, corner of Bible and Grove Streets, Eltham, c.2004
... Street Significant tree 35mm colour positive transparency Mount ...Part of a presentation on "Significant Trees, Wildflowers and Local Gardens" by Russell Yeoman to the 10 November 2004 Eltham District Historical Society meeting35mm colour positive transparency Mount - white 7 dots (Technodia Italy)eltham, bible street, grove street, significant tree -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Belle Vue, Livingstone Road, Eltham, c.1960, 1960c
Photo taken at time of ownership by Eric Staff. Originally purchased by pioneer Eltham farmer Henry Stooke, Belle Vue farm comprised about 56 ha (140 acres) extending northerly from the northern boundary of Holloway’s 1851 Little Eltham subdivision. On the present day map the southern boundary was just north of Elsa Court and Grove Street. The western boundary was the Diamond Creek and extended northerly to Main Road where it turns easterly towards Research. It was traversed by the main road to Kangaroo Ground and beyond and from 1912 by the railway to Hurstbridge. From 1895 the farm was owned by William Williams and his wife Mary Ann. In 1914-1915 they built a new house now known as “Belle Vue”. They sold the land in 1920 and residential subdivision began soon after that. “Belle Vue” remains today on a large residential lot in Livingstone Road. The house and many old trees on the site have been subject to a heritage overlay under the Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Despite that overlay, most of the heritage trees were removed during sub-division and development of the property.Digital file only from scan of copy on loan to EDHSbelle vue, eltham, eric staff, houses, livingstone road, staff family -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Work on paper (Sub-Item) - Photograph, Riparian vegetation along Diamond Creek. Looking upstream from Diamond Street Bridge, Eltham
Colour photograph of a muddy creek (probably after a downpour) with plants growing on the water's edge along both banks of the creek, including trees, shrubs, grasses and vines. eltham, creek, vegetation, diamond street, bridge, diamond creek -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Work on paper (Sub-Item) - Photograph, Council drain and drop structure exposed on the west bank of Diamond Creek upstream of Bridge Street, Eltham
Colour photograph of a muddy creek (probably after a downpour) showing council drain and drop structure exposed on the west bank of Diamond Creek upstream of Bridge Street, Eltham. Mediun to high level water flows are directed on to the bank by the fallen tree.eltham, creek, diamond creek, bridge street, drainage, waterflow, vegetation -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Work on paper (Sub-Item) - Photograph, Parkland between Watkins Street and Diamond Creek, 1976
Colour photograph of Parkland between Watkins Street and Diamond Creek identifed as Watkins Street Reserve. Open green space surrounded by eucalyptus trees. Young plants are staked in the foreground of the imagediamond creek, watkins street reserve, parkland, park -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Work on paper - Newspaper article, Diamond Valley News, Safety first at village, 23 September 2009
Monterey Cypress Trees have been removed from along Diamond Street, Eltham at the site of the Eltham Retirement Centre (formerly known as Judge Book Village). In 2021, Judge Book is known as St Vincent's Care Services Eltham. judge book memorial village, aged care, melbourne city mission, seniors, nursing home, aged care facility, judgebook, monterey cypress trees, tree removal, robert weller, ken patterson -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Newspaper clipping, Romantic, charming . . . ''SUNNYBROOK', Diamond Valley Local, 31 March, 1954, p4, 1954
Romantic, charming . . . ''SUNNYBROOK'' ON the slope of a hill on the East side of Bolton street and overlooking willows that trail gracefully in a creeklet which shows no great haste to blend with Diamond Creek and so to the Yarra, there stands a great old-fashioned home. Outwardly it speaks of past opulence rather than beauty of design, but the velvet green lawns and the formal neatly weeded rose gardens, the well established trees, tennis courts, wisteria covered pergolas and the great curved fronds of old palms produce an atmosphere that cannot be built-up in less than decades. Here is irresistible old-world charm. The jangle of today cannot penetrate ... it is a place to remember ... a place where events to be remembered have a perfect setting ... it is "Sunnybrook." From the neighbouring ‘Beranto Lodge’ Mrs. Lenne can catch glimpses of ‘Sunnybrook,’ but the old home is well hidden from all quarters and only the faultlessly kept lawn can be seen by the curious. Like many other people, Mrs. Lenne was curious. Who can blame her. ‘Sunnybrook’ is a name to conjure with in Eltham. When the elderly men of the township were young bucks ‘Sunnybrook’ stood alone, a proud home that was known and established. Amongst the simple homes of the valley of the Diamond Creek, ‘Sunnybrook’ was Queen. In the roistering days of the Diamond Valley, when Kangaroo Ground was the seat of the Shire and when five pubs dotted the road from Lower Plenty to the civic centre, ‘Sunnybrook’ was off the track of the boisterous and tipsy. ‘Sunnybrook’ is still off the beaten track . . . but only slightly so; it no longer looks over cow pastures, but the neat, newly built houses which dot the length of the Main Road. They are still no closer than half a mile and while these houses have sprung up the fine trees and shrubs have quietly closed in around the boundaries of ‘Sunnybrook' as if to keep the old place to itself. That is how it has become something to whet the curiosity. When the course of events put the place on the market Mrs. Lenne bought it. When a modern house is bought it is pliable in the sense that the owner moulds it according to personality. It can remain severe, utilitarian and with a little neglect soon run to an ugly shabbiness. But with old 'Sunnybrook' it is different. There is in existence a character indelibly written into every line of the place . . . it is a LOVE OF ENGLAND. Upon ‘Sunnybrook’ has been lavished the devoted love of England to such a degree that it must be seen. The gardens and lawns are formal, and though lovely and speaking of the leisure of past years they are not English . . . they are just lovely, with the beauty that only the long established seem to possess. It is inside ‘Sunnybrook’ that the intense love of England is seen. Years ago the home was bought by a Mr. Martin, who was getting on in years, as a home for his much younger wife. The couple spent thousands of pounds as well as endless care and imagination in the complete redecorating of their home. Oak panelling imported from England was built in. Huge fireplaces shed their Colonial appearance to be become the fireplaces of England . . . and they were so in every sense because they were also imported from England. One lovely specimen whose gracious lines are remarked upon by all who see it, is a certified antique of finest English Oak. Care was taken to see what hand made wrought iron light fittings were in keeping. The old place has three lounge, dining or living rooms according to taste and requirements, and all are bigger than the biggest attempted in a “big” modern home. This does not include an outside living space of ample proportions, all fine flywired in and enclosing a fernery. A turn of a tap and spray as fine as mist is released over the rockery. On a scorching summer day when no relief short of a swim could help ordinary people, the resident of ‘Sunnybrook’ found the coolness of a dell in which to sit and enjoy their evening meal. What is more, the temperature of the whole house could be reduced by merely turning on this extensive spray water system. Yes, comfort to luxury standard is built in. And what happens to 'Sunnybrook' now? Mrs Lenne is famous to thousands for her quite fabulous catering. Her home and her "Wanda Inn" at Hepburn Springs have long been a Mecca for those who want the different in catering . . . different in the sense that every client is treated as a friend, not a customer and the hospitality and attention one would give to an honoured friend is accorded. And the food! – ask anyone who has enjoyed the privilege. Ask those who attended the reception given to Mr. Menzies by Eltham Shire Council; ask those members of the Diamond Valley Chamber of Commerce who enjoyed it! [See EDHS_04736-1/2 https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/5d4c2fb521ea6727d892df72] There is only one word anyone ever uses . . . “unbelievable!” it must be seen and eaten to be believed. And ‘Sunnybrook’ will ring to the laughter, and offer its spaciousness for the fun of all who join in the happiest occasion in the life of those just married, whose wedding reception is intended to be “remembered.” Mrs. Lenne is a dynamic ball of energy whose enthusiasm is not to be brooked. She has acquired the home of her dreams. 13 March 2020 Note: Historian Stella M. Barber via the GSV members Forum cites that Clair Samwell and Doris Good ran a nursing home in Balwyn called Penquite (1946-1952). Prior to that the women had run a rest home called Beranto in Eltham. Single newsprint page separated rest of paperberanto lodge, bolton street, houses, mrs. lenne, prime minister, properties, robert gordon menzies, sunnybrook -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Trees on nature strip, Mayona Road, Montmorency, 1 July 1972, 1972
Montmorency Railway station behind the trees35mm colour positive transparency blue Agfacolour Service plastic mountinfrastructure, mayona road, montmorency, montmorency railway station, streets -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Book, Percy Leason: an artist's life by Margot Tasca, 2016
"Who would have thought that a boy born in 1889 from the Victorian Mallee would become a successful artist on New York’s Staten Island? This finely illustrated, exhaustively researched and beautifully written biography on Leason features the artist’s entire career as a painter and cartoonist renowned for his depictions of Australian society in the 1920s and 1930s. Leason’s story is a poignant one tracing his beginnings as a cartoonist, to the bohemian Melbourne art scene in the early 20th century, to his involvement in the artists’ camps of Eltham, to his important series of portraits of Lake Tyers Indigenous Australians, and his eventual move to the US where he has been acknowledged as making an enormous contribution to the New York arts scene. This story, as yet untold, fills a gap in the history of art in Australia and offers a new perspective on Australian art in the first half of the 20th century." - Thames and Hudson website A NEW HOME IN ELTHAM Once they had settled back into Melbourne, Perry and Belle began to look for a place to make a permanent home. Having enjoyed the bush setting of Mosman, they decided to explore the rural fringes of Melbourne. Each weekend they packed a picnic and travelled to the towns in the nearby hills - such as Ferntree Gully, Sassafras, Lilydale and, of course, Cockatoo Creek. Eventually deciding these places might be a little too far from The Herald office, they searched closer to the city. The Heidelberg and Box Hill regions that had inspired his old teacher McCubbin, had become busy, urban areas but further east, towards Warrandyte and Templestowe, there were still large tracts of bush. Finally they settled on Eltham, an area Percy knew very well, having often painted there with Jock Frater. Perry's old friend Dick McCann and his wife Margery had also settled in Eltham. The township was fifteen miles from Melbourne and serviced by an electric train that went to the central Melbourne station of Flinders Street, near where The Herald offices were located. Eltham was a small village in 1925, separated from Melbourne by the Yarra River, and surrounded by orchards and large tracts of bush. Small farms dotted the landscape and the main businesses revolved around ironmongers, blacksmiths, and farming supplies. Of particular appeal to artists was Eltham Park, a large expanse of bushland bounded by the Yarra River on the south side and the Diamond Creek on the east. The park included a playing field that was busy on weekends with cricket or football matches, but for the rest of the week it was mostly empty and an ideal place to paint. The scenery there provided the inspiration for many paintings by Leason, Meldrum and other artists such as Colin Colahan and Peter (A.E.) Newburv. The Leasons found a rundown old farmhouse on four-and-a-half acres of land in New Street, now known as Lavender Park Road. The site was splendid, at the top of a gentle slope which gave panoramic views east to the Dandenong hills, south over the Templestowe orchards and north to Kinglake. The front lawn was taken over by onion grass (or wiregrass as Leason called it) and scattered about the property were many wattles and gum trees. Aloe cacti covered much to the front of the house, while old quince and lucerne hedges separated the house and out-buildings from a rundown apple orchard. Here they would build a new home. ·with financial assistance from The Herald, Leason bought the property and immediately commissioned an architectural firm to design a new house in the popular bungalow style of the time. The old farm house was demolished but Percy saved the siding boards, bricks and corrugated iron for the outbuildings of his new home. The new house was a two storey, triple brick with a large, gabled, terracotta tiled roof. It was situated at the very top of the slope. The paint and varnish were barely dry when the family moved in during the summer of 1925-26 and the fumes were overpowering in the heat. Despite the house being wired for electricity, power poles had not yet reached the area and initially the family had to rely on kerosene lamps and candles. When electricity did arrive, Leason reflected on the community's reception of electricity at the expense of the old growth gum tree corridors in his cartoon, Electricity comes to Wiregrass. The family had now grown to seven. Jack was nearly nine, Jean was seven, Marjory was four, Nancy was two and the baby Patricia was seven months old. Jack and Jean were enrolled in the local primary school down the hill. A retired farmer, Jock McMillan, came to live on the property and help out with the general maintenance. Jock built himself a shack and Belle provided him with meals. He was kept occupied building structures around the property·, such as the garage, the outside toilet, garden beds, trellis arbours and a number of ponds. The elderly, bearded Scotsman with his old hat and baggy pants also provided the inspiration for one of the characters Leason regularly included in his cartoons. Like Leason, Jock smoked a straight stemmed pipe. A neighbour was employed to help Belle with domestic chores, and so the family settled down to live comfortably in their new Eltham house. Two dogs, Maginary and Wodger, completed the large and vibrant household. “Percy Leason; an artist’s life” by Margot Tasca, Thames & Hudson Australia Pty Ltd, Port Melbourne 2016, pp 63-64 Hardback Bookpercy leason, margot tasca, biography, artist, landscape -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph, George Coop, A Tait (Red Rattler) train passes through the level crossing at Box Hill, c.Feb.1964
Under the shadow of the tree is a two-horse dray, typical of the time around Box Hill, used by Council for cleaning the streets. The dray had a tipping device so that when full, it could be tipped up like a dump truck to empty the load. Alongside the horse and dray is a Wolsley 24/80 manufactured by BMC Australia (1962-1965).Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white transparencybmc wolseley 24/80, box hill, box hill council, george coop collection, level crossing, street cleaning, tait train, two-horse dray