" Designed by architect Norman Day, the school was built in an innovative postmodern style. Day’s vision was for the school’s students to feel as comfortable and familiar at school as in their own homes. He based the design on the local suburban typology. The buildings consisted of individual self-contained classrooms, each with a front door, back door and garden. Each class retained the same homeroom for the duration of their schooling. Norman Day won the inaugural Lustig & Moar Architectural Prize in 1988 for his Mowbray College design, and the Australian Library Promotion Council/RAIA Library Design Award for the school’s library building. The school officially opened on 7 February 1983 with an enrolment of 93 students from Prep to Year 7. Mark Fergus was a Prep student in the school’s inaugural year. He later remembered: It was good then because everyone knew each other. Our first few weeks at school we had classes in the Guide Hall because the Mill wasn’t finished. The rest of the school where the Labs and Coppin Court are now was only a big paddock. Another Prep student, Brooke Harrison, recalled: The only recreation we had was the rough playground which consisted of monkey bars, old tractor tyres and a sandpit and high bars. Accidents were a frequent occurrence in those days! It was a friendly atmosphere, you know everyone and their business ... During some classes we used to do horticultural work and planted trees out the front of the school. In 2003, Mowbray College celebrated two decades of educating students in Melton. By that stage, the school had expanded to two campuses with over 1,450 students and 120 staff. It was estimated that over the twenty years since its establishment, 13,000 students passed through the gates. By the mid-2000s, the school offered an International Baccalaureate program and operated across three campuses: the original campus, named Patterson after the first principal, and the Brookside and Town Centre campuses, both located in Caroline Springs. Unfortunately, in 2012 Mowbray College found itself in an unmanageable situation. The community had lost faith in the school’s financial security and as a result some parents withheld their school fees, fearing the school would collapse. It had been in financial difficulty since the mid-2000s and by 2012 was $28 million in debt. 84 In June 2012, all three campuses closed and within four months, each of the campuses of the former Mowbray College had been purchased by other education institutes. Heathdale Christian College bought the original Mowbray campus and established its own campus there and Grace Children’s Services bought the Brookside campus. The Town Centre campus was purchased by Intaj Khan from the Western Institute of Technology but remained vacant after some failed attempts at re-establishing a school. In 2017 the Australian International Academy established an Islamic school on the site".The Express article about a grant for Mowbray Collegeeducation

Karl Duldig

Eldest daughter of Edna and Bon Barrie, born on 03 November 1943 in Melbourne, Victoria, Memoirs of Wendy Barrie, recalling the early formative years of life in Melton: In 1949 I started school at Melton State School no 430 and was driven the 2½ miles to there by my parents at first. Later we walked home in the afternoons or were picked up by car as we made our way home along the Western Highway. In 1956 I went to Bacchus Marsh High School. There were 4 students in grade 6 and 3 of us went to the High School. The students from Melton, Melton South and Toolern Vale State Schools went by bus to Bacchus Marsh High School as far a fifth form. My parents drove me to the pick up point and during the five years of travel to High School. The bus travelled via Toolern Vale and later went through Exford and through Parwan. On the return journey in the afternoon the bus went in the reverse direction. The bridge at Exford was an old narrow wooden one, and the students had to get off the bus and walk across, with the driver crossing in the empty bus for safety reasons. There was a travelling allowance paid to parents and it was estimated from the distance the crow flies, a straight line. We lived a Ferris Lane, just where the Harness Racing entrance is now situated about 2 ½ miles by road to school too close to qualify for the subsidy. While at State School Melton we would walk home in a group with the Nixon and Gillespie children, along the main road over the bridge near the Shire Offices and down a hill. I was being dinked on Joyce Gillespie’s bike while holding onto the seat, toppled off the bike striking my chin and teeth on the bitumen and cracking my jaw. I was about 9 years old and stayed a couple of days in the Quamby Hospital in Bacchus Marsh, it seemed like and eternity at the time and quite traumatic being separated from my family. I can remember contemplating how I could get out of the window and run away but realised it was too far to walk home. Often we would cut across the Common on our way home from school picking up stray golf balls and collecting them from the creek when it dried out. We were warned about not accepting lifts from strangers passing along the Melbourne/ Ballarat Road. The only danger we faced was being swooped by the magpies particularly on the open ground on the Common. We were also fairly cautious when the Gypsies camped on the Common in the area just about opposite the small reservoir. “Mum” grandma Myers loved to have us call in on our way home, and usually would cut a slice of Jongebloed’s bread and spread it with home made butter. Sometimes we waited there until we were collected by car, usually driven by our mother. Margaret Nixon and Joyce Gillespie were a few grades ahead of me and Barbara Nixon was born just two months earlier than me. Our mothers were great friends for over 6o years, born in the same month three years apart. They lived within a few days of the same age as each other at the time their deaths. Dad and George Nixon attended Melton school at the same time. Sarah nee Hornbuckle Nixon and my grandfather Frederick Myers Snr were at school together at the same in the 1880s. The Nixon family lived in Keilor Road just past the Toolern Creek near the turnoff. Tom and Ann Collins lived on the southern side of the Western highway and Keilor road intersection. Jim and Ruby Gillespie’s house was further long Keilor road on the right. They backed onto the Myers who lived on the north side of Western Highway east of Myers Gully (Ryans Creek). The Bridge over the Toolern Creek as very narrow and as truck traffic increased there were accidents. One truck took out the side railing and plunged upside down into the bank and into the shallow water. Another fatal accident happened between a car and a truck right in front of the Myers house. Grandfather Fred had been a bike rider all his life, as far as the Riverina in his younger years, wryly made the comment about the drivers the speeding along the Ballarat Road were setting out to kill themselves. The road was busy particularly after the Races at Ballarat when the crowds were hurrying home to Melbourne. Train travel had changed very little from the time my mothers generation to mine. The timetable meant the usual rush to Melton South by bike in her case and if she was running late the train pulled up on the crossing. I was driven to the Station from home past Keith and Mary Gillespie’s house near the Ferris Road rail crossing to Bridge road to Melton South for the 7.32 train. While attending Sunshine High School in 1961 I would meet up with three other students, two of whom I knew from Bacchus Marsh High School days. We usually got into the same compartment on the train, it was a typical country train with a corridor along the side and compartments with a door, roof racks and sometimes heated metal containers for the feet in the winter. Some of the trains came through from Horsham and Ballarat, and the Overland from Adelaide passed through in the evening, we could hear it in the distance from the Ferris Lane home. The carriages had 1st and economy class compartments showing photographs of county scenes and holiday destinations. The engine was the large A class diesel. They are still running to Bacchus Marsh 50 years later, due to the need for the greatly increased number of commuters travelling to work in the city. Sometimes the carriages were pull by a Steam engine, these were a problem in the summer time because the sparks caused fires along the train lines and then quickly spread into the dry grass, crops and stubble. The Motor Train left Spencer Street at 4.23 pm and was the best train for me to catch. Ferris Road was a designated stop and train pulled up on the road crossing. It had steps at the door and rungs to hold while alighting to the ground. The ballast along the tracks was rough and uneven and awkward to land on. The train was painted blue and yellow with the letters VR pained on the front. This saved may parents the afternoon trip to collect me from the Station. On the walk home on the gravel road I would pass Uncle Tom and Aunty May’s house before reaching home. Melva Gillespie was studying at Sunshine Technical School and we sometimes both got off the train at the same time. On other occasions the Motor Train was replaced with a diesel engine with carriages, it was also required to stop and the driver had to be notified in advance. This meant getting into the guards van a Rockbank. It was more difficult alighting from the carriage as the gap was greater and more precarious to swing out and land on the ground. A few times in my last year of study at Melbourne Teachers College in Grattan Street Carlton. I managed to catch the 2.30 pm train to Serviceton, it was express to Melton and was very quick trip. The last train, was the 5.25 pm diesel to Ballarat and I usually caught this train to Melton South Station. On one occasion after being held up on the tram in Bourke street I had to make a mad dash to the platform chasing the train as it was just moving off and yelling to the guard, fortunately I was noticed and the train ground to halt. I scrambled into the end door and took most of the journey home to recover. After the last year at High School I continued to travel on the train, 2 years to Prahran Technical School changing at North Melbourne. There were a lot school children travelling to private schools and some at the primary level and mainly from Bacchus Marsh. Rockbank children also travelled by train from the beginning of their high school years, quite a few went to Sunshine High School. During my third year of teacher training I travelled to Flinders Street to RMIT for ceramics classes and Grattan St Teachers College located in the grounds of Melbourne University. There were many teachers being trained at the Secondary Teachers College due to the baby bulge creating a great shortage of teachers. Sunshine High School was very well represented amongst the different courses in Primary, Secondary and Art and Crafts. I attended Melbourne University lectures, studying a Fine Art subject. Bernard Smith was the most notable of the lecturers. he replaced Professor Joseph Bourke who had taken leave for the years. In 1962 he published the art book “Australian Painting”. The secondary art and craft student teachers from the College were in the majority, taking this subject and were well regarded due to their practical art and craft methods and their teaching round experience. In December 1964 I graduated as a Trained Secondary Teacher – Art and Crafts. The graduating ceremony was held at Wilson Hall. I received my appointment to work at Maryborough High School. Uncle Max and Aunty Rosemary Myers arranged my accommodation. Uncle Max was a teacher at the Maryborough Technical School fat the time. The appointment was suddenly changed when just before the school year was about to start when I received notification that I was now required to move to Warracknabeal High School. I was subject to a bond for the three years of training and three years of teaching and was under an obligation to comply with the directive of the Education Department. My father stood as guarantor when I was accepted as student at the Melbourne Teachers’ College, thus enabling me to receive my teacher training, and a 5 pounds a week allowance for expenses. After teaching for two years at Warracknabeal High School I was fortunate enough the gain a transfer to Sunshine West High School, returning to live at home in Melton and travelling by car to work with a fellow colleague, Jock Smith who lived at Station road Melton. I completed bond obligation and resigned at the end of the year. The employment regulations at that time did not allow the option of leave of absence for, indefinite overseas travel. I returned to Australia in October 1969. Visiting Arthur Hart the Principal of Sunshine High School he arranged with the Education Department for my re-employment at Sunshine High School until the end of the year. In 1970 I was transferred, and returned to Sunshine West High School where I worked for the next three years. In January 1968 I sailed on the “Oriana” to South Hampton with two teaching friends from Warracknabeal High School on a travelling and working holiday. Doreen Kiely, a former Bacchus Marsh High student and fellow train traveller from Bacchus Marsh, was already working in London, had arranged our accommodation at the London Travellers Club Hotel, Braham Gardens, Earls Court SW5. We based our stay at this address in London and travelled around Scotland, Ireland and England. In the summer we took a four month trip around the Continent and the Mediterranean. I registered with The Royal Borough Of Kingston Upon Thames as a Supply teacher, and worked at Chessington School form autumn to spring the following year and living with Mrs Rose Gillies at Kinross Avenue, Worcester Park, Surrey. In the spring of 1969 visiting Norway, Sweden and Finland joining an organised camping group to the Artic Circle, entered Russia at Leningrad (St Petersburg) Moscow, Minsk, to Poland and Czechoslovakia. In August returning to Worcester Park for the flight to Montreal to stay with cousin Lynette and husband Jurgen. A side trip was taken to Toronto, Niagara Falls and New York. The flight home from Montreal to Melbourne took 52 hours. A ½ day break in Vancouver before boarding the Qantas boeing 707 via San Francisco, Honolulu, Fiji, Sydney to Melbourne. Around the world in 21 months. Photographs of Wendy local identities

A. Part of thet G. Hadden colletion. B. Describes mining arithmitic and mining ventilation theory for mining students.A. Tate's Mining B. Hard Bound, Red Cover, Gold Lettering with 96 pages.Inside front cover: "G. Hadden Broome Cres Wonthaggi"

Four Mordialloc-Chelsea High School students outside the school Tuck Shop on the corner of Attenborough Road and Station Street Aspendale. The shop was located across from the school and run by Mr Gustav Fahnert and his family. Mrs Rubina Fahnert nee Brown was the daughter of Thomas Brown who was a son of Hugh Brown, the pioneer market gardener of the Aspendale/Mordialloc area. The Brown's house still remains on the second block from the corner of Station Street and Attenborough Road (as of February 2018). Students from left to right are Joan Collins, Barbara Fox, Joan Connor, Joan Rees. Photographer: Heather Donovan nee Padman. Photo courtesy Heather Donovan.Black and white photograph.

A photo of the Shrine, it shows the Melbourne skyline and the gardens from an elevated position. It was used on the cover of the programme for the annual "Anzac Commemoration Ceremony for Students" in 1973. It was used for several years afterwards as well. The student events were usually held just prior to ANZAC Day.The Shrine is an imposing building in the Melbourne skyline. Images like this were used by Legacy on the cover of their school students' Anzac service programmes.Black and white photo of an aerial view of the Shrine of Remembrance and a strip of negatives.shrine of remembrance, garden

Burnley College staff member Bill Nicholls showing college student Margaret Miller how to choose the best pears in the college's garden.staff, students, female students, bill nicholls, margaret miller, publicity, pears, orchard, students working outside

Newspaper cutting from the Argus, June 20, 1928. A photo of 4 female students and a staff member, with the caption: "Now is the time for Dahlia bulbs to be lifted, divided, and transplanted. Here is a group of girl students at the Burnley Horticultural Gardens being instructed in the art by Mr G. Russ, plant propagator."female students, dahlias, george russ, student outside class, dahlia bulbs

Newspaper cutting of an article and 2 photos from The Herald, October 16, 1930. The article describes the goldfish in the pond at Burnley, treated as pets and named after members of the Australian test team. goldfish, burnley gardens, students, luffmann ponds, lily ponds

Newspaper cutting from "Everylady's Journal", January 1, 1927, p 13-14. Discusses why women are good gardeners, the course content and accommmodation for students. The first female student, was Miss Olive Holltum (now Mellor), and at that time the principal was Mr Rae and the deputy principal Mr A. W. Jessop (Jessep). Other graduates mentioned include Miss Allender, Miss Dorothy Kraffe, Miss Edna Walling. There is a short interview with Edna Walling and a photo (1) with the caption: "Miss Edna Walling - Graduate from Burnley College - Melbourne's most famous gardener. The photo on p. 14 (2) shows a group of students and a staff member in the orchard with the caption: "In the fruit orchard. Students of the Burnley Horticultural College receiving practical instruction in pruning."female students, olive mellor (nee holtum), mr rae, principal, a.w. jessep, graduates, miss allender, dorothy kraffe, edna walling, student outside classes, pruning, orchard, courses

Newspaper cutting of an article by Peta Marshall from the Junior Age section of The Age, April 15, 1966. There is a photo of 2 students, with the caption: "Judith Bertram and Dale Moon working in the garden at Burnley Horticultural School." Discusses two students, their post-Burnley ambitions and course details.peta marshall, junior age, judith bertram, dale moon, students, students working outside, careers

(2) Newspaper page of a colour-touched-up photo of a student, pasted to one side of a sheet of paper, with the caption: "A student of the Burnley Horticultural School at Melbourne's Garden Week." (1) Pasted on the other side of the paper is a newspaper cutting from The Sun, 26 May, 1930. It is a photo of two men with a motor cultivator, with the caption: "Motor cultivator tests at Burnley were supervised yesterday by Mr H. Mullett (right), Superintendent of Agriculture. The other man appears to be the Principal, A. W. Jessep.This petrol novelty makes short work of small-scale farming."garden week 1930, dahlias, machinery, motor cultivator, h mullett, superintendent of agriculture, orchard

2 copies of Article from The Sun News-Pictorial, May 11, 1929, The Home Supplement, P. 1. Describes the activities and studies of students of the day. Refers to 1929 as the first year for the Cronin Memorial Scholarship and that the scholarship funds were raised from Garden Week, which was instituted for this purpose. The 3 hand-coloured illustrations are photos B91.82 Student examining dahlias, B91.83 Student potting and B91.86 Student cultivating, in the archival collection. Original article lent by Doris Baker (nee Barker, 1933).the sun news-pictorial, students, cronin memorial scholarship, garden week, doris baker (nee barker), dahlias, students working outside, potting, cultivating, draught horses

A clipping from "The Australian Women's Weekly," "What Women are Doing" section. A short article about Hilda Kirkhope, assistant at the Burnley Horticultural College, Melbourne. Includes a photo of Miss Kirkhope with 3 female students looking at an easel, with the caption: "Miss Hilda Kirkhope instructing senior pupils how to prepare a plan for a landscape garden. She teaches all aspects of garden design."the australian women's weekly, hilda kirkhope, burnley horticultural college, garden design, students in class

Newspaper cuttings of an article and accompanying photo in "The Herald" December 9, 1931. The photo is of four students carrying pitchforks of oats, with the caption: "Girl harvesters at Burnley Horticultural School see plenty of the practical side of farming. They are carrying the last sheaves of an oats crop stacked yesterday." The accompanying article, "Burnley's Long Career," describes the students activities and the history of the school. It discusses the changes in the girls' uniforms over the years and the types of girls who take the course: those wanting a career as gardeners, those wishing to make 'pin money' from part-time gardening and those who regard gardening as a domestic hobby. Research and writing are also mentioned as potential careers.the herald, students, burnley horticultural college, students working outside, oats, careers, uniforms

Newspaper cutting from The Sun News-Pictorial, July 23, 1929. Photo of 12 students pruning apple trees, with a close-up of secateur technique. The caption reads: "Daughters of Eve among the apple trees at Burnley School of Horticuture are still lending their support to the apple-a-day adage first advocated in the Garden of Eden. They are shown pruning the apple trees in the orchard, which is in the charge of Mr AW Jessep. Inset is the correct method of cutting to an external bud on the tree. There are 34 girl students being trained at the school for professional positions as agriculturists. Many former students have won good posts in Australian States. The agricultural course occupies two years and carries a special certificate."the sun news-pictorial, students, female students, a.w.jessep, burnley horticultural college, apple trees, pruning, orchard, students working outside, secateurs

Cutting from The Leader, March 29, 1941. Includes six photos of students working at Burnley. Captions are: (1) "Miss C. Allen working with a microscope in the classroom." (2)"A ride back to the college buildings in a dray is much more fun than walking." (3) "Miss Margaret Bowron with a pumpkin grown in the vegetable garden." (4) "The theoretical side of horticulture, is too, important - and interesting, to judge by the expression on the faces of these students." (5). "Miss Joan Hamborg disbudding begonias." (6)"Miss Joan Harrison is here seen among the rhubarb in the vegetable garden."the leader, c. allen, margaret bowron, microscope, cynthia allen, joan harrison, vegetables, rhubarb, orchard, students working outside, students in class, pumpkins, begonias

Newspaper clippings of 4 photos.Captions are: (1) "A dainty basket of dahlias arranged by a girl student at Burnley Horticultural School yesterday for the Royal Horticultural Society's display of autumn blooms in St. Kilda Town Hall." (2) "Miss Freda Lette arranging a basket of Madame Edouard Heriot roses for Mrs. J. S. Oliver at the National Rose Society's show in Melbourne Town Hall." (3) "Gardening girls (pupils at the Burley Horticultural School) taking in their dahlia exhibits at the Royal Horticultural Society Show at the St. Kilda Town Hall today." (4) " Floral Beauty and a fair admirer at the Royal Horticultural Show - Miss Jean Scott, of Burnley Horticultural School, with three choice specimens of gladioli, champions in their class. Left: Emile Aubrun variety, grown by Mr. G. Swensen, Ballarat. Also see B99.1046. (5, 6) Charlemagne and Sunnyside varieties, grown by Mr. R. Hayes, Ballarat."burnley horticultural college, students, female students, burnley horticultural gardens, freda lette, madame edouard heriot roses, mrs j.s. oliver, national rose society, flowers, dahlias, jean scott, royal horticultural society, royal horticultural show, g. swensen, r. hayes, national rose society show, gladioli

Three newspaper clippings from January, March and April, 1932. (1) From "The Herald", March 1932, a photo of seven students walking in the grounds at Burnley with the caption: "The gardening girls of Burnley - a sunshine study at the Burnley Horticultural College of a number of the girl students leaving their work at the luncheon interval." (2). An article from "The Leader", January 23, 1932, titled "Royal Horticultural Society, Fine Summer Display", an account of Burnley students' exhibit at the RHS show. (3). A partial clipping about a dahlia exhibit and description of a new decorative flower of the garden cactus type raised by Mr. George Russ, chief demonstrator at Burnley, named Dorothy Allender. the herald, the leader, george russ, royal horticultural society, rhsv, garden show, female students, dahlias, dorothy allender dahlia