Ken and Doreen came to Beechworth on boxing day in 1959, when they were offered a business at a good price. This business was the Ovens and Murray advertiser, one of the oldest running newspapers in Australia. When they arrived Ken already had a background as a professional linotype operator, however both him and Doreen had no experience running a town newspaper. Ken and Doreen owned the paper till the 1980s, when they formed the Blake press. Throughout the years the Blakes kept up to date with Beechworth news, politics and events happening throughout the community, Ken was even permitted to sit in on the town committee meetings. They saw the town develop from a small mining town in rural Victoria, to a bustling, tourist hotspot.This oral history is significant because it shows how the town of Beechworth developed from a small outpost mining town to a popular tourist destination. It also showcases a different perspective of the towns development, that of the new owners (at the time) of the Ovens and Murrary Advertiser. The advertiser is an integral part of Beechworth's history and has been running since it was proclaimed a town (proclaimed a town in 1856, the advertiser first ran its paper in 1855). Without the advertiser the history of Beechworth would be buried, but with newspapers dating back all the way to 1855, Beechworth is provided with a rich and vibrant retelling of the history of their town and what life was like from 1855 to present day. Ken and Doreen's oral history provides an insight into what it was like revitalising a worn out part of history, of restoring it back to its former glory. They demonstrate the highs and lows of living and running a business in Beechworth through economic lows and the impact of both social and physical isolation.This is a digital copy of a recording that was originally captured on a cassette tape. The cassette tape is black with a horizontal white strip and is currently stored in a clear flat plastic rectangular container. It holds up 40 minutes of recordings on each side.newspaper, blakes, ken and doreen, ovens and murray advertiser, beechworth, development, o&m, 1960s, 1980s, 1970s

Two items about the Attwood Family: A seventeen page computer typed copy of the memories of John Attwood, compiled by Colin Smith in January 2002. Includes memories of his childhood, contact and impressions of local identities including Merric Boyd and others; the retailers and business owners in the Murrumbeena area, the trains and railway stations, picture theatres and other businesses. A photocopy of an article taken from the Herald Sun newspaper 06/11/2007. Myra Attwood, wife of John, local business person in Murrumbeena Newsagency; includes brief local history of family and Myra’s personal hobbies, till the time of her death. Also a newspaper clipping of her death notice, unknown source and date.emily street, murrumbeena, elsternwick, railway stations, signal boxes, beena avenue, murrumbeena state school, primary schools, attwood john, attwood myra, attwood rhonda, attwood colin, attwood warren, attwood murray, attwood janine, attwood susan, attwood michael, attwood greg, attwood gerard, black bridge, outer circle railway, murrumbeena newsagency, newsagents, murrumbeena railway station, railway stations, book binders, stevens alf, sykes harold, attwood motors, neerim road, boyd merric, boyd mrs., timber houses, outbuildings, artists, trains, car parks, christie’s woodyard, ferguson cam, railway accidents, ardyne street, north road, dalny road, brett street, barnes family, newspapers, roads and streets, soils, flower growing, market gardens, world war 1939-1945, land subdivisions, air raid precautions, bicycles, drawing, springthorpe park, mass media, murrumbeena shopping centre, butcher shops, grocer shops, green grocers, shoe shops, confectionary shops, barber shops, beck george, bowyer ralph, rennie bill, bookmakers, presbyterian church, methodist church, hanna’s milk bar, sunday school, woodland bill, ssw grocery chain, drays, woodland alec, lee ron, jewellers, bakeries, fish shops, dressmakers, delicatessens, east bentleigh, selkrigs family, pottery, heads’ garage, head lindsay, head doug, head clarry, head ron, murrumbeena road, car retailers, petrol pumps, motor vehicle repair shops, billy one motors, bird mr., real estate agents, w.b. tonks and company, sparrow mr., pidgeon mr., hardware stores, florist shops, murrumbeena post office, tile shops, gardens, murrumbeena chamber of commerce, kiosks, gardeners, carnegie citizens band, spurway nursing home, argosy theatre, cinemas, dance halls, the capri, theatre groups, caulfield council, the blowfly train service, billiard rooms, printers, hammond olsen and company, l.j. miles and company, moody’s real estate agency, paddocks, flats, es&a bank murrumbeena, esanda bank murrumbeena, state savings bank murrumbeena, commonwealth bank murrumbeena, fuel merchants, hobart road, golden fleece service station, quince’s buses, bus services, ardyne street, timber yard, gow mr., railway parade, shell service station, pharmecies, house miss, bicycle shops, barnhill les mr., fliner mr., boot makers, widdop peter, moran and cato’s, grocers, pizza shop, car yards, classic caravan, o’brien kevin, wrought iron work, williams mr., candle making factory, lights, power tom, gates, fences, whitelaw monier tiles, whitelaw bill, hanna rex, dandenong road, cumloden grammar school, independent schools, emmaus rest house, oakdene, house names, taranto bob, hanson cab service, billy one motors, grey mr., horse troughs, horse drawn vehicle, taxis, board roy, buick cars, charleston’s bakery, carnegie, rosstown hotel, corum’s dairy, kangaroo road, reids dairy, dalny road, reid shaver, racehorses, cove’s dairy, wilson street, police, murrumbeena police station, dunoon street, murrumbeena park, footballers, gangs, liberal party, labour party, united australian party, uap, woodland alec, liquor shops, johnson suzanne, singers, taylor squizzy, boyd family, artists, criminals, skase christopher, skase charles, sunaria competition, herald and weekly times, ralph j.w., j.h. ralph butchers, butcher shops, pennington gardens, home units, flats, schrape frank, builder, smith colin, mansions, death registers, hockley myra, esperanto, book keepers, accountants, solicitors