Contents: • Eltham Court House by Jim Connor • Fifty Years Ago In Eltham South; A historic tree planting by Michael Aitken • Heritage Excursion –Saturday 10th July • A Mud Brick Meander by Jim Connor • Eltham Watering Place Reserve (Shire of Eltham Heritage Study appendix 1-2) • Eltham Wurundjeri History by Jan Aitken • A Well Deserved Award of Merit by Jim Connor • Annual General Meeting - 2.00pm, Saturday 12th June 2021 • Eltham Cemetery Stories by Richard Pinn o Pauline Therese Toner o Bertram Barney Wainer • Contacts for the Eltham District Historical SocietyThe Shire of Eltham Historical Society was formed in October 1967. The first newsletter of the Society was issued May 1978 and has been published continuously ever since on a bi-monthly basis. With the cessation of the Shire of Eltham in late 1994, the Society's name was revised to Eltham District Historical Society and this name first appeared with issue No. 103, July 1995. The collection of the Society's newsletters provides a valuable resource on the history of the Society's activities, office bearers and committee members, guest speakers and subjects of historical interest pertinent to the former Shire of Eltham and the Eltham District.A4 newsletter distributed to members (Digital and A4 photocopy)newsletter, eltham district historical society, covid-19, coronavirus pandemic

Yields information about the history of Bendigo's trams, tramways and the trammies and their stories and a special tram prior to closure. Has a strong association with the businesses in Bendigo.Photocopies of Bendigo Advertiser newspaper. 277.1 - "Farewell Crawl" - report with photo of a group from the Court House Hotel who did a pub crawl by tram on Sat. April 8, 1972 - photo of group on board with tram No. 26. 277.2 - photocopy of the Bendigo Advertisers feature of 8 pages, called "Bendigo says Good-Bye to the trams". Features history of the Bendigo trams, the services, personal stories, photos and advertisements from local commerce - published Thursday April 13, 1972. Tram services closed the following Sunday. For original of the feature see item Reg. No. 1038. Pdf image of photocopies added 22/10/2013trams, tramways, bendigo, secv, closure

Henry Beater Christian (1886-1962) , was a descendant of one of the earliest settler families in Kew. Employed at the Kew Asylum as a 'public servant', he was a skilled amateur photographer, photographing numerous scenes in Kew and on his travels around Victoria. The majority of his photographs date from 1916 to 1929. His finest photographs are housed in two photograph albums. Digital copy of a photograph from page 23 of the 47-page photograph album containing 261 gelatinous silver images, loaned by Diane Washfold with permission given to digitise and hold a copy in our collection. In the 1920s, the photographer travelled throughout Victoria, including on the west coast from Port Campbell to Port Fairy. Trips were presumably made by train and by foot. Lynda Tieman and her team at the Port Fairy Historical Society have tentatively identified a number of Henry Christian's photographs of Port Fairy, of which this is one. The street pictured is Gipps Street, At the left is the Court House while the Belfast and Koroit Steam Navigation Company offices are on the righthenry beater christian (1886-1962), landscape photography, christian-washfold collection, photograph albums, port fairy (vic.), belfast and koroit steam navigation company, gipps street, court house -- port fairy (vic.)

St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and surrounding buildings 1880's. The church was opened in 1873. The construction is of Black Ranges faced with Grampians Freestone. The bell tower is 70 feet high, and the walls are 30 inches thick. The church was opened on 30th March 1873 by the Bishop of Melbourne, the Right Reverend Dr. Goold. The Historical Society have a programme for this opening - tickets for front seats were 10/- each. The sanctuary was added during 1927 as was a white marble altar which was the gift of a parishioner. Much earlier - In 1865 - a wooden Catholic Church was built on this street near the Court House site. The wooden building became too small for the congregation and this church was commenced before the end of 1869. Sepia photograph of St Patrick's Catholic Church and surrounding buildings. The photo also shows mining operations in Stawell with the Grampians in the background c 1880's. Two enlargements of the Catholic Church are taken from the sepia photograph and marked as 105a.C. Herbert. Photo. Copyright Registered Stawell. on the back is written "Stawell from Big Hill c 1880" stawell, panorama, mining

The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) plans were produced from the 1890s to the 1950s. They were crucial to the design and development of Melbourne's sewerage and drainage system. The plans, at a scale of 40 feet to 1 inch (1:480), provide a detailed historical record of Melbourne streetscapes and environmental features. Each plan covers one or two street blocks (roughly six streets), showing details of buildings, including garden layouts and ownership boundaries, and features such as laneways, drains, bridges, parks, municipal boundaries and other prominent landmarks as they existed at the time each plan was produced. (Source: State Library of Victoria)This plan forms part of a large group of MMBW plans and maps that was donated to the Society by the Mr Poulter, City Engineer of the City of Kew in 1989. Within this collection, thirty-five hand-coloured plans, backed with linen, are of statewide significance as they include annotations that provide details of construction materials used in buildings in the first decade of the 20th century as well as additional information about land ownership and usage. The copies in the Public Record Office Victoria and the State Library of Victoria are monochrome versions which do not denote building materials so that the maps in this collection are invaluable and unique tools for researchers and heritage consultants. A number of the plans are not held in the collection of the State Library of Victoria so they have the additional attribute of rarity.Original survey plan, issued by the MMBW to a contractor with responsibility for constructing sewers in the area identified on the plan within the Borough of Kew. The plan was at some stage hand-coloured, possibly by the contractor, but more likely by officers working in the Engineering Department of the Borough and later Town, then City of Kew. The hand-coloured sections of buildings on the plan were used to denote masonry or brick constructions (pink), weatherboard constructions (yellow), and public buildings (grey). This plan shows the original configuration of the Kew Post Office, Court House and Police Station, which had opened in 1888. This configuration was to essentially remain until the purchase of the Court House and Police Station by the City of Boroondara in 2007 and its subsequent renovation. Interestingly, the MMBW surveyors incorrectly labelled parts of the complex. In the triangle in front of the Post Office, before the erection of the Kew Cenotaph in 1925, was located a lawn and the Queen Victoria Jubilee Fountain. While many of the shops on the south side of High street had been constructed by 1903 a number of sites were still used as vegetable gardens. Further along High Street, on the corner of Charles Street, the Salvation Army Barracks can be seen on the plan. These Barracks predate the later Citadel and ‘Young People’s Hall’ that were opened in 1919. At 22 Charles Street can be seen the house of James Venn Morgan. Hailed as the ‘father of Kew’, Morgan arrived in Melbourne in 1840. He was first engaged as a bookmaker, but a fortunate venture on the goldfields enabled him to purchase land in Kew. He conducted a market garden and dairy in Kew for many years.melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, maps - borough of kew, mmbw 1588, cartography

White document with blue printing. Has a border with circles and squares 1.5 cm from the edge of the paper. Lists some of the principal houses of accommodation issued by the Bendigo Progress Association. A. Morrison, Arcade Chambers, Bendigo. Listed are the: Hotel Shamrock, City Family Hotel, Masonic Shades Hotel, City Club Hotel, Hopetoun Hotel, Harp and Shamrock Hotel, Duke of York Hotel, Heywood's Coffee Palace, Trengrove's Dining Rooms, Court House Hotel, Olympic Hotel, Metropolitan Hotel, European Hotel, Reed's Dining Rooms, Terminus Hotel, Beehive Exchange, Belfast Arms, Brady's Arcade Hotel, Mulcare's Royal Mail Hotel, Tregear's Olive Branch Hotel, Bryant's Union Hotel, Hutchens' Telegraph Hotel.document, bendigo, houses of accommodation bendigo, hotel shamrock, city family hotel, masonic shades hotel, city club hotel, hopetoun hotel, harp and shamrock hotel, duke of york hotel, heywood's coffee palace, trengrove's dining rooms, court house hotel, olympic hotel, metropolitan hotel, european hotel, reed's dining rooms, terminus hotel, beehive exchange, belfast arms, brady's arcade hotel, mulcare's royal mail hotel, tregear's olive branch hotel, bryant's union hotel, hutchens' telegraph hotel

Correspondence held by the library has John Denniston Wood (1829-1914), a barrister and politician, presenting the portrait to the Library Committee in 1867. Wood hopes that the painting will "hang there [in the Court] in like manner as the portraits of many of the sages of the law are held in the Courts at Guildhall". Wood also provides information about the painter, Mr Mosely "now deceased", but who was "selected by Sir WIlliam himself" to undertake the commission. Early accounts have the painting hanging in a prominent position in the 'old' Court house at La Trobe and Russell Streets; the portrait was moved down to the library in 1884, when the portraits of Barry, Stawell and Molesworth were also commissioned. Sir William a'Beckett was the first chief justice of the colony of Victoria, having previously had a busy career at the Sydney bar. The portrait is of historic signifcance because of its subject Sir William a'Beckett and its long association with the Court. A full length portrait of Sir William a'Beckett, seated and dressed in his judicial robes. With ornate gold frame with acorn motif.Plaque identifying subject : Sir William a'Beckett, Knight, resident judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales for the district of Port Phillip from 1846 to 1852, First Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria from Jan.1852 to Feb 1857.judges, william a beckett, supreme court

This exercise book contains details on the work carried out by A.Greed, a tradesman undertaking small carpentry and repair jobs in the Warrnambool region. The works completed date from 17 April 1945 to 11 October 1949. Mr Greed apparently worked mostly for the Public Works Department and had contracts for schools including Ecklin South, Panmure, Cudgee, Dennington, Mailors Flat, Grasmere, and Warrnambool Technical School and for other public buildings including the Warrnambool Court House, the Police Station and Housing Commission buildings. Other contracts included ones for the Framlingham Aboriginal Reserve, Callaghan’s Garage, the Caledonian Hotel, the Methodist Croquet Club and many private home owners. Details on the identity of ‘A. Greed’ are not known as there are several possibilities for the 1940s era. One clue is that an ‘E. Greed’ was also an employee.This exercise book is of some interest as an example of a tradesman’s handwritten details of his work as a carpenter and repair man in the 1940s in the Warrnambool area. There are many local names and businesses of interest mentioned in the exercise book. This is an exercise book with a grey cover with red binding. The dark blue printing on the front cover is enclosed in scroll patterns and the back cover has dark blue printing The cover is creased and has some ink splotches. The front cover has been stamped but the printing is now mostly illegible. The pages contain handwritten work and accounting information in black and blue ink. Some pages have been overwritten in red and black ink and pencil and there is one loose sheet.The Vana Exercise Booka.greed,, warrnambool tradesman, history of warrnambool

The Ballarat Gaol was one of the earliest gaols. Building commenced in 1856 and was completed in 1862. It provided accommodation for 74 prisoners - male and female. The materials use to build the gaol were locally quarried basalt combined with local bricks. At that time there were about 14 brick making plants in Ballarat. 1870 saw the opening of the School of Mines, Australia's third oldest tertiary institution. The purpose of the school was "to impart instruction in the various branches of science relating to mining engineering. It is proposed, as soon as practicable, to extend the operation of the school so as to impart instruction in those branches of technical science which may be considered most likely to exert a beneficial influence on the prosperity of Victoria." School was in a disused Circuit Court House in Lydiard Street South. Sir Redmond Barry was first President of the School of Mines Council.Seven black and white and sepia photographs of the Ballarat Gaol under demolition. Progressive demolition showing rubble and machinery used. Gift of photographer. ballarat gaol, ballarat school of mines, gaol, basalt, local bricks, prisoners, circuit court house, mining engineering, sir redmond barry, lydiard street, tertiary institution, geoff little

The Kew Historical Society, founded in 1958, is one of the oldest continuing historical societies in the Greater Melbourne region. For over 60 years, the Society has worked with local government and other community organisations to stimulate interest in Kew’s history and heritage. From its beginnings, the Society held local exhibitions, sometimes in shop windows, on other occasions in civic halls, and now at the Kew Court House and Kew Library. This and other photos taken in the same year are examples of an exhibition in the Phyllis Hore Room at the Kew Library. The modern kew Festival wa initiated in 1974. Initially held every two years, it soon became an annual festival. The Society was a founding participant in the festival, mounting regular displays and participating in marches. In 2001 they mounted a large display in the Phyllis Hore Room of the Kew Library.Photograph of historical items displayed by Kew Historical Society in the Phyllis Hore Room at the Kew Library during the 2001 Kew Festival.kew historical society - exhibitions, kew festival --2001

The Kew Historical Society, founded in 1958, is one of the oldest continuing historical societies in the Greater Melbourne region. For over 60 years, the Society has worked with local government and other community organisations to stimulate interest in Kew’s history and heritage. From its beginnings, the Society held local exhibitions, sometimes in shop windows, on other occasions in civic halls, and now at the Kew Court House and Kew Library. This and other photos taken in the same year are examples of an exhibition in the Phyllis Hore Room at the Kew Library. The modern kew Festival wa initiated in 1974. Initially held every two years, it soon became an annual festival. The Society was a founding participant in the festival, mounting regular displays and participating in marches. In 2001 they mounted a large display in the Phyllis Hore Room of the Kew Library.Photograph of historical items displayed by Kew Historical Society in the Phyllis Hore Room at the Kew Library during the 2001 Kew Festival.kew historical society - exhibitions, phyllis hore room, kew library

7 Simmons Court Greensborough. 3 bedroom house. Sold December 2017 for $876,000. Real Estate advertising leaflet,1 sheet folded into 4 pages, printed in colour both sides.simmons court greensborough

8 Tarwarri Court Greensborough. Four bedroom house, sold for $720,000 in February 2017. Real estate advertising leaflet, 1 sheet, printed in colour both sides. tarwarri court greensborough

Clothing. Wedding Dress - Bodice.Cream coloured bodice of wedding dress. ''Japanese silk with transparent yolk of chiffon tucked Russian Body'' ( Quote from newspaper of the day).Long pintucked sleeves. Fine ribbon trim and bows at wrists. Two flounces of silk, trimmed with ribbon at elbows. Front panel fastened at side with metal hooks and hand made loops, to show a centre panel trimmed with chiffon frills. Pearl beaded motifs at front. Sash at waistline ties at the side - finished with pearl beading, and and a stand up chiffon collar. Worn by Mary Smith who was the daughter of Felix Smith. He built the Wycheproof Court House, Post Office and Royal Mail Hotel. Mary and John Keane lived in a mud brick house after they their marriage. See also 11400.75, & 11400.77.costume, female, wedding dress bodice

Letter written on cream paper and dated Sept 16th 1872. Letter acknowledges £1 post office order which has been credited to Bro James Marshals credit. He went bad on the books at one Court night, but by the next one he well be overpaid 3/10. Court Foresters House impression stamp on letter.societies, aof, correspondence, ancient order of foresters no. 3770 collection - correspondence, court foresters home, james marshall, geo jeffrey, court king of the forest

Built in 1860, the Eltham Courthouse is the oldest public building remaining in Eltham. In its early days the building was used as the meeting place and office of the Eltham District Road Board and as an overflow classroom for the local school. The Eltham Courthouse ceased operational duties in 1984 and is now used by various community groups including Eltham District Historical Society. It was listed on the Victorian Heritage Register (Number H0784) in 1982. The building is of architectural significance because it retains intact early features. These include use of handmade bricks, simple decoration, roof trusses, timber ceiling boards, original windows, doors and associated hardware and a collection of court furniture. Additions to the court house have been done in a manner which did not interfere with the fabric of the original building. It is a fundamental asset in the Eltham Justice Precinct and is being fully restored in 2021 thanks to Nillumbik Shire Council.35mm colour positive transparency (1 of 23) Mount - Kodak EktachromeProcess Date MAY 88Meltham, eltham courthouse, main road

1 October 2009 marks a defining moment in the constitutional history of the United Kingdom: transferring judicial authority away from the House of Lords, and creating a Supreme Court for the United Kingdom in the historic setting of the former Middlesex Guildhall on Parliament Square. In this location, The Supreme Court forms part of a pre-existing quadrangle made up of the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Treasury. As civil administration developed, it tended to be conducted by the Justices of the Peace and its offices were often co-located with the first tier of the courts. This close association reached a peak in the latter half of the nineteenth century, since when the two activities have tended to separate. In April 2005, all Magistrates’ Court houses were transferred from the care of County Councils to the Department of Constitutional Affairs (DCA). (https://www.supremecourt.uk/about/history.html, accessed 21 September 2016)london, supreme court, law, legal

[a] Plain white envelope with stamped corner removed addressed in printed black ink to 'Miss Mary Jolley' 632 Hargreaves Street , Bendigo, 3550, Victoria, Australia. Reverse features printed oval blue ink stamp approximately 2.5mm x 2mm showing rampart lion and unicorn with royal crown coat of arms, reading 'The Bailiff' , Guernsey. [b] Letter dated 28th October 1977 addressed to Mary Jolley above address, including printed letter-head reading 'The Bailiff's Chambers, Royal Court House, Guernsey and oval Bailiff Stamp. Letter reads, Dear Madam, thank you for letter of the 30th September. There are as far as I know no members of the Maingay family in Guernsey at present. Up to a few years ago there was a Mainguy living here but he is now dead leaving no descendants in Guernsey. Signed Arthur S Mahy, Secretary to the Bailiff.bendigo, history, aviation 1920s.

At the beginning of the 1890s, the Kew businessman and Town Councillor, Henry Kellett, commissioned J.F.C. Farquhar to photograph scenes of Kew. These scenes included panoramas as well as pastoral scenes. The resulting set of twelve photographs was assembled in an album, Kew Where We Live, from which customers could select images for purchase.The preamble to the album describes that the photographs used the ‘argentic bromide’ process, now more commonly known as the gelatine silver process. This form of dry plate photography allowed for the negatives to be kept for weeks before processing, hence its value in landscape photography. The resulting images were considered to be finely grained and everlasting. Evidence of the success of Henry Kellett’s venture can be seen today, in that some of the photographs are held in national collections.It is believed that the Kew Historical Society’s copy of the Kellett album is unique and that the photographs in the book were the first copies taken from the original plates. It is the first and most important series of images produced about Kew. The individual images have proved essential in identifying buildings and places of heritage value in the district.A panoramic photograph of the junction of High Street and Cotham Road. The photographer centres the point-of-view on the Kew Post Office and adjacent Court House. These were designed in the Queen Anne style by the Public Works Department's architect J Harvey and completed in 1888. The complex is important because it demonstrates a departure from the contemporaneously favoured High Victorian Classical to the Queen Anne style in the design of civic buildings. The earlier Jubilee Fountain in front of the Post Office was erected by the Kew Borough Council to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887. It was created to a design of the architects Reed, Henderson and Smart. The fountain was later relocated to the Alexandra Gardens to make way for the Kew War Memorial. The tram tracks in High Street were used by the horse tram, which ran from the Victoria Street Bridge to the Boroondara General Cemetery. The tram was replaced by an electrified service in 1915.The Post Officekew post office, kew illustrated, kew where we live, photographic books, henry kellett

Aerial photo looking down Armstrong St. Camp street on the left, Shire Hall on the right. High St runs across the photo. The Avoca River is visible in the top LH side. The swimming pool and bowling green is above the rive. On High St (from L-R) Dr Surgery, H Bath Chemist, Grocery, Roy Dobson, Hairdresser, Stowe's, Westpac Bank (two storey white building), Dillon's Building, Globe Hotel, Charlton Club, butcher shop, Arundell's shoe shop, Watson's Stock & Station Agency, Bullock's grocery, Williams St (Curtin Ave), Bannon's Butchers, East Charlton Hotel, MB Luth & Co, Lou's cafe. The old sale yards are at the end of Williams Street. Camp St lower side (from L-R) Court House, Police residence, Police Station, Telecom on corner. The photo is thought to be taken from Ossie Sanderson's airplane in 1974.Black & white aerial photo looking down a broad street that ends in a t-intersection. There is a street that comes off to the left about 1/3 of the way up the photo. There is a large building directly opposite this street. In the upper right there is a two storey building with arches on its verandah. In the upper LH side there is a swimming pool and bowling greens.

Black and white photograph of tennis court with large house at left rear. Gardens and trees at right rear. Inscriptions: on front - 'MP 90'. On back - 'Kingdon Myrtle St ',£2750, RHSV stamp. History: Previous Acc. No. 'MP 90'.place, sport

Provides information about the two-day enquiry held by the Victorian Transport Regulation board into the SEC operated Ballarat Tramway system. Enquiry held at the Ballarat Court House, by Messrs J Bolster, E V Field (Chairman) and J O Mactier of the TRB. Two photos show the Board and some of the attendees. Page 2 of the 3 April report; the acting assistant manager of the SEC advised that the tramway was unsafe, deaths due to collisions with trams, costs of refurbishing the tracks and tramcars and employment issues. Evidence was also given by the Mayor of Ballarat, Cr. Nicholson, Ballarat Town Clerk Mr Maddern, Barry Wilkins, H A Davis local bus operators. The Board considered whether the existing services could be replaced by private operators, or a publicly operated service, including the cost of operators. Also submissions from Mr O'Shea of the ATOMEA, Ballarat Trams and Labor Council, and Chamber of Manufacturers. At the time, the Government did not have the numbers in the upper house to close the system. Yields information about an 1968 enquiry into the closure of the Ballarat Tramway system. Set of two newspaper cuttings from The Courier, Ballarat 3 and 4 April 1968 about a Transport Regulation enquiry.trams, tramways, ballarat, closure, transport regulation board, trb, enquiry, atomea, sec, secv

Miss Olive Codling was a Foundation Member and a Life Member of the Wodonga Historical Society. Many of her prize-winning photos are held in the Society Collection. She also held a range of roles and committee positions in a wide range of Wodonga community organisations. WODONGA'S SECOND POLICE STATION - This building was located on the west side of High Street near the railway line at the corner of High Street and Bond Street. The building in the background was the Bond Store which was later repurposed to become the Court House. This Police Station, which began operation on this site c1905, had originally been the house of the customs officer. It had a front office and a Sergeant's and an Inspector's office as well as 2 barrack rooms and a laundry at the rear. In the backyard was a blue stone cell block and a night soil toilet, as well as a stable used previously for horse and carriage. Opposite the police station was a boarding house which supplied meals to prisoners. This police station was in use until its move to Elgin Street, Wodonga in December 1967.This photo collection is significant as it documents how the businesses and buildings in Wodonga have evolved and contributed to community throughout the 20th century.Two black and white photos of the 2nd Police Station built in Wodonga with the former Bond Store in the background.high st wodonga, police stations wodonga

7 Greenmeyer Court Greensborough, 4 bedroom house sold 20/05/2018 for $965,000. Previous sales: October 2015 for $550,000.Real Estate advertising leaflet,1 sheet folded into 4 pages, printed in colour both sides.greenmeyer court greensborough

The Eltham Court House is Eltham's oldest public building. It was classified by the National Trust in 1977. In 1857 five Eltham residents petitioned the licensing magistrates of the Heidelberg district asking for better police protection, including from itinerant gold prospectors who turned to crime when their quest was unsuccessful. In response the Eltham Courthouse was constructed in 1860. Over the years it has also been used for other activities, including for electoral polling purposes, inquests, early meetings of the Eltham Roads Board and even as an overflow classroom. This type of localised solution is characteristic of the self-reliance preserved in Eltham today. The court house is an important symbol of the spirit which makes Eltham distinctive as a community. The Eltham Courthouse is historically significant because its construction was intended to emphasise the centralised control over law and order in the Colony of Victoria in the wake of the 1852 Snodgrass committee report on the Victorian police force and the resulting Police Regulation Act (1853). The nature of the Court House planning and use of architectural devices make the building's function easily interpreted. The arrangement of rooms, with public entry and clerical rooms to the rear, and the use of raised floor levels throughout these spaces to signify relative rank is easily perceived. The distinction in entries, public, magistrate and person-in-custody, and the existing court furniture enhances appreciation of this building. The Eltham Court House is one of only two intact examples in the state of this simple design with projecting entry. The building is of architectural significance because it retains intact early features. These include use of handmade bricks, simple decoration, roof trusses, timber ceiling boards, original windows, doors and associated hardware and a collection of court furniture. Additions to the court house have been done in a manner which did not interfere with the fabric of the original building. Typical cases heard before the Court of Petty Sessions included financial debt, straying livestock, theft, assault, drunkenness, public disorder, truancy, motor vehicle offences, unregistered animals and failing to have children attend school, or be vaccinated. The courthouse operated for over 120 years before it closed in 1985. In April 2021, Nillumbik Shire Council authorised restoration of the building and furnishings. The extensive works required for the total restoration of this highly valued heritage building was undertaken by Ducon Building Solutions and other specialist contractors. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Victorian Heritage National Trust of Australia (Victoria) State significance Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p65 A demand for better police protection resulted in the building of the Eltham Courthouse and the police residence beside it. In 1857 five Eltham residents petitioned the Heidelberg district licensing magistrates. They pointed out that Eltham had two hotels, a population of about 1000, and many strangers employed on the public roads. Yet the nearest police were at Heidelberg eight miles (12.8km) away, or at the Caledonia Diggings 21 miles (33.7km) away.1 Subsequently the courthouse and then the police residence, near the corner of Main Road and Brougham Street, were built in 1859/60. The courthouse is Eltham’s oldest public building and the National Trust classified it in 1977. It ceased operation in 1984 and has since been used by local groups. There are only six other known examples of similar small brick country courthouses in Victoria . For £536, a Mr Duncan built the courthouse – a neat, narrow, oblong building with handmade orange bricks. Its gabled roof and porch are covered with brown slate tiles and it has 12-paned windows. Inside, the roof is peaked and the courthouse is still ventilated by oblong slits near the ceiling. Most of the fine carved timber and upholstered furniture is original. The original prisoners’ door, now permanently closed, led from the police station to the dock. Builders, Langridge Wright and Witney built a timber police station (since demolished) and a brick residence to its north,2 for £1150/7/-. Built around the same time were the lock-up behind the residence, also later demolished, and the two-storey orange brick stables. The former police residence also has a brown slate roof and handmade bricks. The front veranda roof is made of corrugated iron, as is the roof of the back weatherboard extension. The application for police protection was approved within a few months and police operated from a cottage rented at ten shillings a week and owned by William Jarrold. This was probably the one at the corner of Main Road and Dalton Street called Jarrold or White Cloud Cottage. In 1858 a second constable was appointed to Eltham following a fight at the hotel. The timber police office a replica of which was built in the early 1990s is at the building’s side. The lock-up was demolished following the relocation of the police to a new station in about 1952. The residence has been used as the Eltham District Historical Society centre since 1997. Records show court cases were held at Eltham before the courthouse was built, but the location is unknown. Some court cases were not very different from those today. In 1891 a man was charged with being drunk while in charge of a horse and was fined ten shillings. The courthouse was used for other purposes during its long history. It was probably used as a polling place as indicated by old photographs of election-day crowds outside. The Eltham Road Board met there from the early 1860s until 1868 when the Board transferred to Kangaroo Ground. During the same period the Road Board Secretary used the courthouse as an office until 1867 when it was transferred to his home at Wingrove Cottage. The courthouse was also used as an overflow classroom for the Dalton Street school in 1875. The two buildings can further link us with Eltham’s early days through Police Department correspondence. The first constable-in-charge was George Reid. In 1860 a letter to The Argus newspaper signed ‘A Sufferer’ declared the Eltham police were not active enough in their duties. The writer suggested that the ‘very snug’ police quarters were too comfortable, and he detailed various incidents including one of an alleged break-in to the Road Board Secretary’s home. But the Board Secretary, C S Wingrove, wrote to the Police Department refuting The Argus letter saying he had received full co-operation from Sen. Constable Peter Lawler.This collection of almost 130 photos about places and people within the Shire of Nillumbik, an urban and rural municipality in Melbourne's north, contributes to an understanding of the history of the Shire. Published in 2008 immediately prior to the Black Saturday bushfires of February 7, 2009, it documents sites that were impacted, and in some cases destroyed by the fires. It includes photographs taken especially for the publication, creating a unique time capsule representing the Shire in the early 21st century. It remains the most recent comprehenesive publication devoted to the Shire's history connecting local residents to the past. nillumbik now and then (marshall-king) collection, eltham, eltham court house, main road