The Diamond Creek in flood near the Main Road bridge at Eltham, Victoria. The Yarra also was in flood. In early December 1934 the "Greatest flood in the history of the Yarra" occured, according to The Argus newspaper. Bridges and houses were swept away with hundreds of people left homeless across the state. The historic 1934 flood of the Diamond Creek and Yarra River set the criteria for future planning with respect to flood water rise. Noted on reverse of print - Copied by Hugh Fisher, 82 Lygon St., BrunswickThis photo forms part of a collection of photographs gathered by the Shire of Eltham for their centenary project book,"Pioneers and Painters: 100 years of the Shire of Eltham" by Alan Marshall (1971). The collection of over 500 images is held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library) and is now formally known as the 'The Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection.' It is significant in being the first community sourced collection representing the places and people of the Shire's first one hundred years.Digital image 4 x 5 inch B&W Neg (2 frames on one neg) Print 9 x 15.5 cmOn reverse of print - "Copied by Hugh Fisher, 82 Lygon St., Brunswick" (for Shire of Eltham)sepp, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, eltham, floods, 1934 flood, diamond creek (creek), floodwater

Source: National Library, Canberra from Album of Victorian Views, photographed by C. Nettleton This photo forms part of a collection of photographs gathered by the Shire of Eltham for their centenary project book,"Pioneers and Painters: 100 years of the Shire of Eltham" by Alan Marshall (1971). The collection of over 500 images is held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library) and is now formally known as the 'The Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection.' It is significant in being the first community sourced collection representing the places and people of the Shire's first one hundred years.Digital imagefernshaw, other areas, sepp, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, watt's river

Material pertaining to the production of a history of the Shire of Eltham, "Pioneers & Painters: One Hundred Years of Eltham and its Shire" in recognition of the shire's centenary in 1971 Item Title Caption 04768-1 Newspaper clipping - The Eltham of 1905; Gellibrand our first white visitor? Diamond Valley News, 24 June 1969, p5 04768-2 Newspaper clipping - The Eltham of 1905; Gellibrand our first white visitor? Heidelberger, 25 June 1969 04768-3 Notes on Eltham District Road Board Members 1866-1871 04768-4 Notes on Eltham District Road Board Members 1866-1871 04768-5 Map showing Gellibrand's likely route through district 12-13 February 1836 and Hoddles's route of Febrary 1838 04768-6 Notes by Shire Secretary, M.B. Watson regarding meeting with Reverend Longfield regarding history of St Margaret's Church 04768-7 Alan Marshall's notes from discussion with Mr. F. Barrett regarding SEPP images 611, 635 and 636 SEPP_0611 SEPP_0635 SEPP_0636 04768-8 Transcripts of letter from local residents to Charles Joseph Latrobe requesting a bridge over the Plenty River dated 10 April 1849 and his reply dated 5 May 1849; from Latrobe Library Archives - Land Branch Records 04768-9 Notes on history of Eltham Shire, Centenary events and publication of Pioneers & Painters for release in conjunction of opening of new Library 04768-10 Newspaper clipping - Glossy record of shire's romantic past and the people who made it by Fab Calafuri, Diamond Valley News, Tuesday, December 16, 1986, p18 SEPP_0755-3 Letter: Acknowledgement from Colin J. Bock, Eltham Shire Secretary to A.R. Thomas of Bendigo for copy of 1913 photograph of Shire of Eltham Councilors, 21 May 1973 A.R. Thomas' father Mr. A.G. Thomas, C.E., was the Shire Secretary at the time in 1913. Cross Ref: SEPP_0755 The idea to develop a book on the history of the Shire of Eltham to be edited by noted author, Alan Marshall in celebration of the shire's centenary was initiated in 1969. The Shire of Eltham Historical Society undertook significant research in conjunction with Alan Marshall locating material at various institutions and other societies; interviewing longer term residents and a public campaign through the local press to acquire photographic material for duplication and use in the book. The public campaign received generous response and the material collected became the genesis for the Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph collection now held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library).Paper documents of various sizes and newspaper clippingsa.g. thomas, a.r. thomas, alan marshall, bridge road, charles joseph latrobe, council members, d.w. lachlan, eltham district road board, eltham shire council, ernie orford, f. barrett, francis rogerson, g. bransprone, james donaldson, james johnston, john bell, john thomson, joseph tice gellibrand, lower plenty bridge, m.b. watson, main road, map, patrick turnbull, peter morris, pioneers and painters, post office, rev. longfield, sepp, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, shire secretary, st margaret's church, thomas armstrong, thomas bell, thomas sweeney, william bell (1796-1870), centenary celebrations, christmas hills, clifton pugh, david newbury, dudley street, eltham, gareth jones roberts, hurstbridge, john perceval, joy peck, kangaroo ground, kinglake, lower plenty, luther haley general store, montmorency, neil douglas, panton hill, peter glass, research (vic.), sheila ferguson, shire of eltham, st andrews, yarra glen

Black and white photographic printOriginally located in a Filmpro King Size Prints processing envelope $3.01 Shire of Eltham 9/9/66 and noted as Calrossie Ave area and crossed out Eltham-Yarra Glen Road, Bridge Street to Elsa Court existing conditions mid 1967montmorency, palara court, plenty river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Digital file only - Black and white photo print on loan for scanning by EDHSalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Digital file only - Black and white photo print on loan for scanning by EDHSalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Digital file only - Black and white photo print on loan for scanning by EDHSalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Born digitalalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Digital file only - Black and white photo print on loan for scanning by EDHSalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Digital file only - Black and white photo print on loan for scanning by EDHSalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Digital file only - Black and white photo print on loan for scanning by EDHSalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Digital file only - Black and white photo print on loan for scanning by EDHSalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

"As the train on its journey from Melbourne to Healesville crosses the Yarra-flats, many glimpses are caught of the Yarra, sometimes between large belts of gumtrees, and splashing over boulders with is bosum covered with bubbles, dancing with sunlight, and racing each other until lost in the dark shadows of the wattles. Another turn catches it in a sombre mood, stealing slowly beneath some rustic bridge, whereon stands a patient fisherman waiting for a fish, which if the bait be correct, comes pretty frequently. Our illustration depicts one of these pretty nooks, and a very good idea is given of our picturesque river before it is polluted and turned into a sewer at Prince's Bridge."This photo forms part of a collection of photographs gathered by the Shire of Eltham for their centenary project book,"Pioneers and Painters: 100 years of the Shire of Eltham" by Alan Marshall (1971). The collection of over 500 images is held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library) and is now formally known as the 'The Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection.' It is significant in being the first community sourced collection representing the places and people of the Shire's first one hundred years.Digital image 35mm Negativesepp, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, yarra glen, steels creek, cave hill

Steam locomotive J-507 hauling a goods train from Echuca (Vic.) crosses the Iron Bridge over the Murray River bound for Moama (NSW), August 1963Digital TIFF file Scan of black and white print Enlargement prints on textured paper (15.5 x 20.5 cm)george coop collection, echuca, echuca-moama road rail bridge, j-507, j-class steam locomotive (vulcan foundry)

Negative copy and associated print of detail from original Sales Brochure: Plenty Township Estate and Bryn Teg Hill's Estate, Coghill & Haughton, Melbourne (c.1924)Roll of 35mm Black and White negative film, 3 strips, (1 of 14 frames) Print 10 x 15 cmFilm - Agfa Ortho 25bridge, bryn teg, bryn teg hill's estate, coghill & haughton, heidelberg golf club hotel, houses, lower plenty, lower plenty bridge, lower plenty road, main road, mrs m thomas, plenty river, plenty township estate, real estate agent, sales brochure

Negative copy and associated print of detail from original Sales Brochure: Plenty Township Estate and Bryn Teg Hill's Estate, Coghill & Haughton, Melbourne (c.1924)Roll of 35mm Black and White negative film, 3 strips, (1 of 14 frames) Print 10 x 15 cmFilm - Agfa Ortho 25bryn teg hill's estate, coghill & haughton, sales brochure, lower plenty, bridge, hotels, lower-plenty-road, plenty-hotel, plenty-river

Self guided heritage tour information produced by the Shire of Eltham Historical Society for 1978 Eltham Community Festival of 36 locations each numbered on accompanying map. Locations and detail provided current to 1978: 1. ELTHAM SHOPPING CENTRE Whilst very little remains in the centre of historical importance, this area has interest as the "village" which developed over many years following the opening of the railway from Melbourne in 1902. Previously the shopping centre had been spread out over a long length of Main Road to the south. Shops have been continuously demolished or remodelled and the majority of buildings date from the 1950's or later. The recently erected Post Office replaced the "old" Post Office opened on the same site only in 1958. 2. WOOLWORTHS ELTHAM VILLAGE Part of the site of this modern shopping development was occupied by the former Eltham Shire Offices and Hall. The hall was paid for by public subscription whilst the Council raised a loan for the offices. The combined building was opened in 1941. It served as office and Council meeting place until 1965 and as the hall until its demolition in 1970. 3. ELTHAM WAR MEMORIAL The complex of buildings adjoining the present Shire Offices were financed by public subscription as a Memorial following World War II. Their construction and for many years their operation was organised by the now disbanded Eltham War Memorial Committee. The original buildings were the; Infant Welfare Centre, Children’s Library (now War Memorial Hall and Dental Clinic) and Kindergarten. In later years the Elderly Citizens Club was built at the rear. 4. ELTHAM SHIRE OFFICES These offices were opened in 1965 and extended in 1971 to provide additional office accommodation and the Eltham Library. They represent the last of a long line of offices and meeting places of the Eltham Shire Council and its predecessor the Eltham District Road Board. The building occupies the former site of Shillinglaw Cottage. The three tall cypress trees which stood in front of the Cottage have been retained as a feature of the office surrounds. 5. OUR LADY'S CHURCH AND SCHOOL The Catholic Church and School complex opposite the Shires Offices shows a number of stages in the development of Eltham township. The recently constructed church adjoins its predecessor (now the parish centre). Many years ago the Catholic Church was located opposite Wingrove Park and the present central site follows the northerly drift of the township. 6. SHILLINGLAW COTTAGE The Cottage was built in 1859 by George Stebbing, a local builder who was responsible for a number of other prominent buildings in the area. Its removal from the site of the Shire Offices and re-erection on the present site was financed by public subscription. It is built of handmade bricks laid in Flemish Bond with an unusual design featuring burnt "leader" bricks over the whole facade. The Cottage is occupied by Eltham Fleececrafts and will be open during the Festival and at other times during weekends. It is classified by the National Trust. 7. RAILWAY BRIDGE The timber trestle bridge over the Diamond Creek was built in 1901. Whilst all of its timbers have been replaced at various times over the years the only change to its character has been the addition of pylons and wiring for electric trains in 1923. It is one of very few similar bridges remaining in the metropolitan area. In 1976 a proposal to replace the bridge with an earth embankment and large culvert pipes was abandoned following community protests. The bridge, however, remains under threat because of the necessity for future deuplication of the railway line. 8. ELTHAM CENTPAL PARK The area between the railway and the creek has for many years been used as a park which included Eltham' s main football oval. The access road, Panther Place is named after Eltham's team playing in the Diamond Valley League. In recent years a large area extending to Bridge Street and locally known as the Town Park has been landscaped and added to the area. The excellent blending of the park with the natural landscape of the creek valley has earned a National Trust Landscape Classification. 9. OLD BAKERY On the southern corner of York Street and Main Road is an old house with a shop front which was for many years the local baker's shop. The brick bakery at the rear is of somewhat later vintage than the house. 10. BRIDGE STREET CUTTING Before reconstruction of Main Road this intersection had deep cutting embankments on all four corners, forming a distinctive feature of the entrance to Eltham. Roadworks and private development have levelled the land on the low side of the road. A memorial to the Eltham soldiers of World War I which was located at the north-western corner is now situated at the Eltham R.S.L.   11. HILLTOP MILK BAR For many years this was the site of the Eltham Post Office under the control of the Hunniford family and later their descendants the Burgoynes. It was transferred to this site in 1855, although at that time the building apparently fronted Bridge Str e et. The site contained Eltham's first telephone exchange. The post office was relocated in 1954 but the shop was operated until recently by the Burgoyne family who still own the surrounding land. 12. UNITING CHURCH and former C.B.A. BANK The former Methodist Church was built in 1880 by George Stebbing. The Sunday School extension was built in 1929 and there have been more recent extensions. The adjoining opportunity shop was built as a bank in 1874 and purchased by the Methodist Church in 1954. 13. R.S.L. HALL, TELEPHONE EXCHANGE These relatively recent buildings occupy the site of a row of shops forming part of the early ribbon of business development along Main Road. In front of the R.S.L. building is the World War I Memorial relocated from the corner of Bridge Street and Main Road. 14. ELTHAM COMMUNITY CENTRE Australia's first mudbrick "community building" was opened in April this year. Part of the site of the building was purchased in 1856 by Henry Dendy (of Brighton fame). At the rear of the land near the creek was a steam flour mill whilst Dendy's house was at the Main Road frontage of the land. His purchase totalled about 2 Ha (5 acres) and included land on the opposite side of Maria Street (Main Road). Dendy became a prominent member of the Eltham community and served one term as President of the Eltham District Road Board. In 1867 Dendy sold his land and business to William Ford of Malmsbury and shifted to Walhalla. The avenue of trees leading past the Community Centre to the creek may well have bordered the track to the mill. 15. ELTHAM HOTEL The original part of this hotel was built in 1927 following the burning of the former Watson's Eltham Hotel on the same site. The car park on the opposite side of Main Road was also the site of a hotel variously known over the years as; the Fountain of Friendship, the Fountain and the Evelyn Arms. As the Fountain of Friendship it was the first meeting place of the Eltham District Road Board in 1856. 16. ST. MARGARET'S CHURCH, PITT STREET In 1860 Henry Dendy was appointed Chairman of a committee to establish a church of England in Eltham. He donated part of his land in Pitt Street and in 1861 the church was opened. It was built by George Stebbing and remains in a well preserved state today. Th adjoining old vicarage is now named Dendy Hou se. A new mudbrick church hall is under construction on the site. The church and Dendy House are now listed on the Register of Historic Buildings. 17. NO. 86 PITT STREET Cottage built by George Stebbing and believed to be his home for some years in the 1850s. 18. LIVING AND LEARNING CENTRE The house was built in the 1850s with the kitchen at the front being added about 40 years later. By the creek below the house a number of early Eltham industries were located. These included a tannery and a brewery. 19. ELTHAM COURT HOUSE A Court of Petty Sessions was established in Eltham in 1858 and the present building dates from 1860. It 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 Court House has been classified by the National Trust. The citation states that it is an example of the simple form of early brick Court House with gabled roof and porch. 20. LANDS DEPARTMENT OFFICE This building is the former police station and is probably of about the same age as the Court House. The lockup at the rear has been demolished but the old stables remain as garages. A licence was first granted for a police station at Eltham in 1856. 21. JARROLD COTTAGE The old Cottage opposite Dalton Street was formerly owned by the Jarrold family. Early records indicate that this was the building leased from the Jarrolds as a temporary police station prior to construction of the building on the corner of Brougham Street. The small building on the corner of the property was used as a boot repairer's shop. The elevated studio at the rear is a more recent construction by the present owners. 22. STATE SCHOOL RESIDENCE Erected in 1891 23. WINGROVE COTTAGE This building fills an important place in the history of Eltham and is now used as a medical clinic. It was built in 1858 for Charles S. Wingrove who was Secretary to the Eltham District Road Board and Shire Council from 1858 to 1904. During part of this period he was also Shire Engineer and was Secretary to the Heidelberg Road Board. The house was used as the office of the Board and Council for many years. Wingrove is buried in the cemetery at St. Helena.   24. WINGROVE PARK The parkland opposite Wingrove Cottage has been named after Charles Wingrove. The old Manna Gums are an outstanding feature of the park. 25. ELTHAM FRI.MARY SCHOOL NO. 209 The school first opened in the slab building in 1855 and operated from the present site since 1857. The oldest part of the present school is the stone building erected in 1876. The first school teacher, David Clark remained at the school until 1888. This school is the government township and has always been known as the Eltham School. An earlier school (no.371) known as Little Eltham School operated in Swan Street from 1853 to 1872. 26. "SHOESTRING" This house was built for school teacher David Clark. It has been extensively extended in recent years but the extensions do not detract from the character of the older part of the building. 27. ELTHAM CEMETERY The cemetery contains the graves of many of the district's pioneers . 28. MONTSALVAT This unique complex of buildings was commenced in 1935 by the late Justus Jorgensen and its development has extended over many years. Montsalvat has exerted a significant impact on Eltham The earth and stone construction of many of the buildings has influenced local architecture to a great extent and it has served as a "nerve centre" of the local artistic community. Montsalvat is open to the public for a small charge. 29. MAIN ROAD BRIDGE This location has been the main crossing of Diamond Creek since the earliest days of settlement. The present concrete bridge was erected in 1925 .and was preceded by a number of timber bridges. 30. ELTHAM LOWER PARK This park, being an unusually large flat area for Eltham, was originally the local racecourse. Horse races were held here from 1855 and the area was gazetted as a reserve for a racecourse and recreation reserve in 1857. The park is well known as a venue for school "bird days" and more recently as the site of the Diamond Valley Railway. This miniature railway features scale models of modern and old locomotives and rolling stock and has operated on this site since 1961 . Before that the railway operated at Chelsworth Park, Ivanhoe.   31. FALKINER HOUSE Frederick Falkiner was one of the earliest settlers in the Eltham township area and occupied a substantial leasehold prior to the first land sales. Early records show that Falkiner was the subject of a number of complaints from his neighbours but he has nevertheless been considered a prominent enough citizen to have a street named for him. This house was the home of Evelyn (Ely) Falkiner a member of Frederick's family. 32. WEST HOUSE Behind the large house on the hill is an early house built by the West family. This was relocated from a site near the front of the land by the present owner Mr. Fabbro. 33. FALKINER HOUSE This very old house is believed to have been the home of Frederick and may have been Eltham's first post office. Falkiner was the first post master for a short period. in 1854/55. 34. WITHERS HOUSE This house was the home of famous artist Walter Withers who shifted here from Heidelberg in 1903. 35. ELTHAM HIGH SCHOOL This school celebrated its jubilee this year, having commenced as the Eltham Higher Elementary School 50 years ago. 36. DIAMOND CREEK FOOTWAY If returning from the High School to the town centre the footpath by the bank of the Diamond Creek provides a pleasant route to finish your walk. The creek is a major tributary of the Yarra River. Together with its own major tributaries Arthurs Creek and Running Creek it commences on the southern slopes of the Dividing Range at Kinglake. It gives the name Diamond Valley to an area extending well beyond its actual drainage catchment.Recognition of the significance of various landmarks to the history of the Eltham community as of 1978‘shoestring’, 1978, bridge street cutting, burgoyne store, c.b.a. bank, diamond creek trail, eltham cemetery, eltham central park, eltham community centre, eltham community festival, eltham court house, eltham festival, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham primary school, eltham railway trestle bridge, eltham shire offices, eltham shopping centre, eltham state school no. 209, eltham village, eltham war memorial, falkiner house, heritage trail, hilltop milk bar, jarrold cottage, lands department office, living, living and learning centre, main road bridge, montsalvat, old bakery, our eltham artistic recollections, our lady help of christian’s church, our lady help of christian’s primary school, pitt street, post office, r.s.l. hall, shillinglaw cottage, st margaret’s church, state school residence, stebbing cottage, telephone exchange, uniting church, west house, wingrove cottage, wingrove park, withers house, woolworths

The original bridge over the Plenty River was replaced by a single lane bridge each way fed by two lanes each way on either side. As traffic grew a second bridge was added to complete the divided road across the riverFilm - Kodak CM 400 5079 7 strips, 26 framesinfrastructure, roads, bridge construction, greensborough, main street bridge, road construction

The original bridge over the Plenty River was replaced by a single lane bridge each way fed by two lanes each way on either side. As traffic grew a second bridge was added to complete the divided road across the riverFilm - Kodak CM 400 5079 7 strips, 26 framesinfrastructure, roads, bridge construction, greensborough, main street bridge, road construction

The original bridge over the Plenty River was replaced by a single lane bridge each way fed by two lanes each way on either side. As traffic grew a second bridge was added to complete the divided road across the riverFilm - Kodak CM 400 5079 7 strips, 26 framesinfrastructure, roads, bridge construction, greensborough, main street bridge, road construction

The original bridge over the Plenty River was replaced by a single lane bridge each way fed by two lanes each way on either side. As traffic grew a second bridge was added to complete the divided road across the riverFilm - Kodak CM 400 5079 7 strips, 26 framesinfrastructure, roads, bridge construction, greensborough, main street bridge, road construction

The original bridge over the Plenty River was replaced by a single lane bridge each way fed by two lanes each way on either side. As traffic grew a second bridge was added to complete the divided road across the riverFilm - Kodak CM 400 5079 7 strips, 26 framesinfrastructure, roads, bridge construction, greensborough, main street bridge, road construction

The original bridge over the Plenty River was replaced by a single lane bridge each way fed by two lanes each way on either side. As traffic grew a second bridge was added to complete the divided road across the riverFilm - Kodak CM 400 5079 7 strips, 26 framesinfrastructure, roads, bridge construction, greensborough, main street bridge, road construction

The original bridge over the Plenty River was replaced by a single lane bridge each way fed by two lanes each way on either side. As traffic grew a second bridge was added to complete the divided road across the riverFilm - Kodak CM 400 5079 7 strips, 26 framesinfrastructure, roads, bridge construction, greensborough, main street bridge, road construction

The original bridge over the Plenty River was replaced by a single lane bridge each way fed by two lanes each way on either side. As traffic grew a second bridge was added to complete the divided road across the riverFilm - Kodak CM 400 5079 7 strips, 26 framesinfrastructure, roads, bridge construction, greensborough, main street bridge, road construction

The original bridge over the Plenty River was replaced by a single lane bridge each way fed by two lanes each way on either side. As traffic grew a second bridge was added to complete the divided road across the riverFilm - Kodak CM 400 5079 7 strips, 26 framesinfrastructure, roads, bridge construction, greensborough, main street bridge, road construction

The original bridge over the Plenty River was replaced by a single lane bridge each way fed by two lanes each way on either side. As traffic grew a second bridge was added to complete the divided road across the riverFilm - Kodak CM 400 5079 7 strips, 26 framesinfrastructure, roads, bridge construction, greensborough, main street bridge, road construction

The original bridge over the Plenty River was replaced by a single lane bridge each way fed by two lanes each way on either side. As traffic grew a second bridge was added to complete the divided road across the riverFilm - Kodak CM 400 5079 7 strips, 26 framesinfrastructure, roads, bridge construction, greensborough, main street bridge, road construction

The original bridge over the Plenty River was replaced by a single lane bridge each way fed by two lanes each way on either side. As traffic grew a second bridge was added to complete the divided road across the riverFilm - Kodak CM 400 5079 7 strips, 26 framesinfrastructure, roads, bridge construction, greensborough, main street bridge, road construction

The original bridge over the Plenty River was replaced by a single lane bridge each way fed by two lanes each way on either side. As traffic grew a second bridge was added to complete the divided road across the riverFilm - Kodak CM 400 5079 7 strips, 26 framesinfrastructure, roads, bridge construction, greensborough, main street bridge, road construction