The world’s most ecologically distinct bird lives in the native grasslands of Victoria - but only just. The plains-wanderer is a small bird that was once widespread across the grasslands of south-eastern Australia. Today there are fewer than 1000 mature birds in the wild. The plains-wanderer is under threat due to habitat loss caused by overgrazing, cropping and suburban sprawl. Unlike most other birds, female wanderers are larger and more colourful and the males take care of the chicks. They are only about 15cm tall and weigh between 40-80g for the male and 55-90g for the female. Their intricate plumage mirrors the colours of their grassland home so they blend in perfectly with their surroundings. The plains-wanderer’s origins date back to when Australia was part of the Gondwana supercontinent over 60 million years ago. They are so biologically distinct that their extinction would result in the loss of a branch of the tree of life. A fussy grass dweller, they like neither too much nor too little grass. That is where sheep grazing can help. After years of low numbers in Victoria, plains-wanderer populations have been increasing in Terrick Terrick National Park in north west Victoria, as sheep grazing maintains the grass in the park at a suitable level. With the right management, this ecologically important bird species is continuing to survive in the native grasslands of Victoria. Managing these habitats for the plains-wanderer can also support the conservation of many other threatened plant and animal species. Object: Nest of plains-wanderers by Mary-Jane Walker, 2020. Outer made from upcycled paper, internal structure steel. Nest of plains-wanderers by Mary-Jane Walker, 2020. Outer made from up cycled paper, internal structure steel. native grasslands, plains-wanderer, terrick terrick national park

Programme of entertainment held on the Rippon Lea property on Thursday 15th March 1900, to raise money for the "Empire Patriotic Fund". Presented by Mrs Cardwell.Programme of entertainment held on the Rippon Lea property, to raise money for the Empire Patriotic Fund. Cover of programme is made of satin weave fabric, coloured blue, with illustrations of widlife, mounted uniformed men and the Australia and British flag. Photograph of Rippon Lea is also featured. Back of cover features a bird sitting on the end of a cannon, holding a sign in it's beak, with the words "An Absent-Minded Beggar" written on it. Various text written below this image.

Shirt worn by Bob Gardiner; volunteer at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.Part of the uniform worn by Bob Gardiner, a volunteer at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Bob was a Silver Medalist at the 1970 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games and is also a member of this Historical SocietyMale shirt with collar and zip-up neck. Green panel on shoulder; pale blue panels down front and back. Embroidered on left front, 'Melbourne 2006' and bird logo. Red embroidered Toyota on right front. The back is stamped, 'Melbourne 2006'. Short sleeves are embroidered with 'Victoria the place to be' and 'Red hard yakka', and piped in green. Coat of arms and 'Australian Government' also stamped on sleeve.|See also NA3802 - hatToyotacostume, male

Bell Bird area which is under the protection of the National Trust and the Blackburn Lake area are both select and sought after and houses bring high prices.Bell Bird area which is under the protection of the National Trust and the Blackburn Lake areacity of nunawading, national trust of australia (victoria), waratah crescent, blackburn, linum street, boongarry avenue, hill street, acacia avenue, jeffery street, myrtle grove, blackburn road

Birds of the Blackburn Lake Sanctuary; compiled and edited by Geoff Deason [and others] for the Bird Observers Club, June 1980.blackburn lake sanctuary, bird observers club of australia, birds, deason, geoff, mcculloch, ellen, buckingham, rex, stephens, frank

Yarran Dheran Bird List as at May 1981 comp. by Ellen McCulloch, revised by F. & J. Worthy.yarran dheran, birds, bird observers club of australia, mcculloch, ellen, worthy, f, j

A landscape submission written for the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) for Blackburn Lake and the Bell Bird Streets. Definitions given of boundaries of the Lake area, ownership, housing and gardens. Photographs and map.A landscape submission written for the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) for Blackburn Lake and the Bell Bird Streets.blackburn lake sanctuary, waratah crescent, blackburn, jeffery street, hill street, boongarry avenue, linum street, laurel grove, acacia avenue, city of nunawading, melbourne and metropolitan board of works, furness park, camberwell grammar school

Mary Russell, relative of Mary McGowan (mother or aunt?) brought the box among other items to Australia from England in 1934Small, metal oblong box with embossed pattern of tree, branch, flowers and birds in relief on lid. Around side, branch of flowers and leaves in relief. Red satin lining at bottom inside of box.personal effects, containers

Kate Wilcox, mother - in law to Francis Warren. Kate Migrated to Australia from Dorset , England.Green cloth bound covers. Hardback with gilt embossed cover design: bird in nest. Photographic illustrations (110). Coloured frontspiece of tawny owl. 250 pages, Hand written inscription.Kate Willcox A... as prize for collecting wildflowers from: John Saunders Dec 1904.books, school/educational

Article by Wendy Woods on Ellen McCulloch, recipient of an O.A.M., long time member of the Bird Observers' Club of Australia.mcculloch, ellen, bird observers' club of australia

These type of cigarette silks were included in WD & HO Wills cigarette packets to induce women in particular to take up smoking.|The Word 'Cartophilic?|It is believed that this unusual word was coined in the 1920s by Col. Bagnall, an Englishman, who was the father of the hobby of cigarette card and trade card collecting. It is thought to be a combination of a Latin word, 'carto' meaning 'card and the Greek word 'philic', meaning 'love'.- lover of cards. The term originally related to the collection of the two types mentioned, however, our Society has included postcards in the range of items collected by our members.|The Cigarette Card|The cigarette card began its evolution in the United States of America, in the early 1880s as a plain piece of cardboard used by tobacconists to protect the cigarettes which were sold in that era, not in packets, but loosely. A purchaser would buy his cigarettes then wrap them in paper around the small piece of cardboard, which acted as a stiffener. In fact, for many decades, cigarette cards were known as 'stiffeners' in the USA.|The card depicting 'The Marquis of Lome' is reputed to be the first known cigarette card issued. This is thought to have been in 1879. It did not take long for an enterprising entrepreneur to recognise the advertising potential of the cigarette card, and, very soon, the cards began displaying popular images, often in sets. This had the effect of youngsters, wishing to complete their sets, harassing their fathers to buy a specific brand of cigarettes. The kids who collected cards in the days when they were being issued in the cigarette packets, would hang around outside the local tobacconist's shop, pestering the men who had just bought a packet of cigarette, with the cry: 'can I have the cig can mister?'|It is a proven fact that, here in Australia during the 1930s, at least one set had one card deliberately withheld and issued very sparingly. This card is No. 86 (Mrs Jack Crawford) in the Carreras 'Turf Personality Series'. Thus, in a set of reasonably easy cards to get, this one card is a constant source of frustration for the collector, and as such, commands a premium when it comes to price. It is not hard to imagine the young collector nagging his to Dad to keep buying 'Turf' cigarettes to enable him to finish the set.|From small beginnings the cigarette card soon gave rise to a booming industry in itself. Artists and writers were|employed to produce the cards, which were miniature works of art and served as little encyclopaedia's for the children of the day. By the 1930s cards were being issued in the countless millions. It has been stated, in one book on the history of cards; that 450 million sets of a series produced and issued by the prolific issuer of cards in the United Kingdom, WD & HO Wills. As each set contained 50 cards you would need a calculator with a very long result window to see the answer to how many cards of that series were in circulation.|Australia's involvement would appear to have its beginnings with the English and American firms who shipped their tobacco products here and the cards of American Tobacco Company (ATC) are found in great numbers in early Australian collections; many featuring Australian subjects, e.g. 'Australian Parliament a 1901 issue. Earlier U.S. sets depicting Australians included Goodwin & Co's, so called. 'Australian Series' with cricketers and Australian Rules footballers who were on the sporting scene during the 1880s. The caption of one of theses cards reads:|'W.Hannysee. Captain Port Melbourne Football Club' which enables us to pinpoint the year of issue to either 1889 or 1890.|On the Australian scene the first local manufacturer who issued cards seems to have been The National Cigarette Company of Australia Proprietary Limited, whose 'Tally Ho' packets contained cards from a series of thirteen featuring the touring 'English Cricket Team 1897-8' Of the few Australian manufacturers who issued cards, only two companies issued more the two sets.|Undoubtedly the cards issued by the Melbourne firm Sniders & Abrahams (later Sniders & Abrahams Pty Ltd) are the 'jewels in the crown' of Australian card issues. They issued some thirty-three series, with numerous sub-series and allied issues such as metal badges, metal football shields, celluloid flags etc., which ensured that the hobbyist had a vast range from which to collect. Sporting themes – football, cricket, horse racing – dominate, indicating the Australians' love of sport and the outdoors was as strong in those earlier times as it is today. Military, animals and birds themes were also to the fore, with a touch of culture being provided by 'Shakespeare', 'Dickens', actresses and even classical 'Statuary'. Humour was not forgotten with 'Cartoons and Caricatures', 'Naval and Cricket (double meaning) Terms' and the 'Jokes' series. Art and history were covered by the artist, S.T. Gill's 'Views of Victoria in 1857' while the stereoscopic 'Views of the World' expanded the collectors' knowledge of the world as a whole.|The Sniders & Abrahams series began in 1904 and by 1919 the company was in decline and was eventually taken over by G.G. Goode & Co. Ltd. This company produced one set only, the highly collectable 'Prominent Cricketer Series' issued in 1924. During the early to mid-1920s, J.J. Schuh Tobacco Pty Ltd issued eight series, again containing the popular subjects of sport and war. At least two provincial tobacconists, Lentens of Bendigo and Baillies of Warrnambool, issued private football series. The last series of cards issued by a truly Australian firm was Dudgeon & Arnell's '1934 Australian Cricket Team'.|The Australian market was not neglected by the English companies with WD & HO Wills, Godfrey Phillips and Ogdens all making their contributions. By far the most active issuer was the long-established company Wills, whose 'Cricketers' of 1901 heralded the flood of Australian series, which continued into the mid-thirties.|The onset of the 1939-45 World War sounded the death knell of the cigarette card and very few post-war issues were made, certainly not here in Australia.|The Trade Card|The Trade Card is a non-tobacco item used by manufacturers to promote and advertise their products, in the same way that cigarette cards were. It is uncertain exactly when they were first produced, but in the USA, non-collectable cards were issued by firms in the early 1800s. These were more akin to a latter day 'business card'. It was not until the 1850s, when coloured and pictorial cards were issued to advertise and promote products that the Trade Card|became a collectable item. Many beautiful lithographic cards were produced in this early era and they are very mu sought after by collectors. By the 1870s the issues of Trade Cards became more prolific and it is from this era that more cards are seen.|Again, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact date of the first Australian Trade Card and it may be that the highly collectable and extremely rare 'American Candy Co's' - 'Pure Caramels' Australian Rules football card, issued i 1891, is the earliest series. This confectionery firm was located in Fitzroy, a Melbourne suburb. To date only two subjects have been seen.|Another early set was 'Flags', issued by F.H.Fauldings & Co. It featured testimonials of seven English cricketers who toured Australia with the 1894/5 Test team. Fauldings was an Adelaide based firm which manufactured medicinal toiletries, soaps and oils, using the distinctly Australian eucalyptus oil. During the 20th century a multitude of Australian businesses issued trade cards, with confectionery manufacturers such as Hoadleys, Allens, Sweetacres and Australian Licorice producing the majority of them. Again sporting themes dominated with the ever popular Aussie Rules football cards being the most numerous. Cricket issues ran a close second.|Apart from sporting cards, almost every subject imaginable was covered by the Trade Card, making it the most diverse and interesting branch of cartophilly. In contrast to the Cigarette Card, which had its demise prior to the Second World War, the Trade Card is still alive and well.|We all are aware of the long running 'Birds of Australasia' series put out by Tuck-fields Tea and 1 doubt if there is a kitchen drawer in Australia that has not got one or two of these informative and attractive cards floating about in it. These cards were first produced in the early 1960s and are still being inserted in that company's packets of tea. Such is also the case with Sanitarium Health Foods, manufacturers of the well known Weetbix, who began issuing cards, with a wide range of subjects, in the early 1940s and continue to do so.|The 1940s and 1950s saw the two breakfast food giants, Kornies and Weeties dominating the card scene. Kornies footballers were in production fora decade from 1948 to 1959. Four years later in 1963, we saw the start of four decades of Scanlens bubble-gum card issues, both football and cricket. In the mid 1990s, with the end of the Scanlens/Stimorol cards, the Trading Card came on the scene. These cards do not fit under the umbrella of the Trade Card, having been produced and marketed purely as a 'collectable' with no connection whatsoever to any product, which of course is necessary for an item to be classified as a Trade Card.|The earliest British postcard was issued in 1870 and was designed to send short messages; the stamp was printed on the card, therefore it did not require an envelope. It was considered by many to be lowering the postal standards because the texts were no longer private. However the cards were a great success as on the first day of issue in 1870, half a million passed through the London postal centre.|The first illustrated postcards are said to be those introduced by a French stationer in 1870. He realized that French troops fighting in the Franco-Prussian War needed to be able to send short messages to their families and designed a 'postcard' to suit the purpose. As many of the soldiers were illiterate they decorated their cards with sketches of their many activities at the front rather than writing; thus creating a picture postcard. Private enterprise soon saw the great financial possibilities of this new easy and attractive way of communication by post; also sending a postcard cost less than postage for letters. It was correctly assumed that postcards were likely to overtake letter writing in many instances.|Between 1875 and 1882 every state in Australia introduced official postcards, N.S.W. first and Tasmania last. Each state produced a simple type of postcard with a pre printed stamp allied to that state. The stamp side stated 'The Address Only To Be Written On This Side'; the reverse side sometimes carried a simple illustration or decoration with space fora short message, each state extolling their own state's virtues. In 1901, with the advent of Federation, the new Government became responsible for all postal services in Australia and produced postcards for sale in every state. With several mail deliveries each day in most towns, postcards were used for many purposes. One 1906 postcard, with an illustration of fruit, was sent from Mrs X in the morning to her greengrocer ordering her fruit and vegetables to be delivered that afternoon. Another lady asks her charlady to 'come this afternoon'.|Australian private enterprise also began selling pictorial postcards, most companies using the very experienced German printing works who were the worlds best in the field of lithography and fine detailed colour-printing. Many of these beautiful German cards still exist today, 100 years later. Australia did have a few fine printers but they were in the minority. Black and white postcards printed in Australia in the early 1900s were often of good quality e.g. postcards printed by 'The Bulletin', illustrating the works of 'The Bulletins' top artists.|Between c1903-09 The Melbourne company Osboldstone and Atkins etc. printed coloured reproductions of 46 J.A. Turner bush/rural life paintings, which were generally of good quality and became hugely popular and still sought after today. Like thousands of homes in Europe, Britain and U.S.A., many Australia homes had albums of cherished postcards, which were given pride of place for visitors to see and enjoy.|Postcard collecting remained popular but was changing with the times. About 1912 the Australian photographer George Rose of Melbourne began to produce topographical B/W real photographic postcards covering most of Australia and other photographers began to do likewise. These cards soon found their way into collections as well.|WWI and the horrors of war suddenly changed the world; postcards were still in great demand but the subject matter was far more serious. Thousands of postcards from the trenches in European war zones arrived in Australia to be included in family albums. Propaganda and recruitment messages were produced to encourage enlistment. Australian postcard producers began to create cards decorated with gum leaves, boomerangs, wattle etc., which were designed for sending to Australian troops serving overseas. Very few 'pretty' cards were available, as access to the Gentian printing works was no longer possible and exporting of postcards from Britain was very limited. By the end of WWI people had other more serious problems to contend with and the avid postcard collecting hobby declined, fold greetings took over and topographical photographic postcards became a small but steady income for the producers and newsagents etc. in every town.|Fortunately many of these old postcards still exist and are avidly collected by a new generation or postcard collectors. The Australian Cartophilic Society Inc. is one of four postcard/cigarette card organizations in Australia. They are, N.S.W. Post Card Collectors Society; Queensland Card Collectors' Society Inc. and West Australian Card Collectors|Society, and across the Tasman there is a New Zealand Postcard Society.|References:|Picture Postcards of the Golden Age A Collector's Guide by Toni & Valmai Holt. Picture Postcards in Australia 1898 - 1920 by David CookBox of Cigarette Silks ( 10 ) depicting animal motifs, which were placed in cigarette packets as an incentive for women in particular to smoke.|WD & HO Wills|Produced 1911 - 1917personal effects, smoking accessories, recreations, collections

Coloured photo of Bird Observers Club Display at Heritage Week Open Day, 1999.nunawading and district historical society, heritage week, 1999, bird observers club of australia

Article in Nunawading News, 8 September 1970 on Ellen McCulloch of Mitcham who with Tess Kloot has written a book: ' Some garden birds of South Eastern Australia'. Sketches by Melbourne artist Rex Davies.birds, mcculloch, ellen, kloot, jess, davies, rex

Leaflet distributed by the Bird Observer's Club expressing concern harvesting of wrack (beach cast seaweed) from Australian beaches will upset the ecology. A precis from a 3 page article in the 'Bird Observer', June 1996. Contains a record sheet.Leaflet distributed by the Bird Observer's Club expressing concern harvesting of wrack (beach cast seaweed)environment, bird observers club of australia, seaweed, birds

Interest in birds has always been a feature of Nunawading residents with many areas as habitats. The headquarters of the Bird Observers Club is in Nunawading.Interest in birds has always been a feature of Nunawading residents with many areas as habitats. parks and reserves, blackburn lake sanctuary, yarran dheran, campbells croft, bird observers club of australia, mcculloch, ellen, curtis, val, wandinong sanctuary, cootamundra walk, wurundjeri walk, birds, coto, tui, jones, laurie

non-fictionA photocopy of an article from a National Trust magazine pertaining to the landscape classification for Blackburn Lake and Bell Bird Streets.boongarry avenue blackburn, blackburn lake, national trust of australia victoria

Leather belt with souvenir badges from L to R: AMF collar badge, brass plate with crown and bird badges attached, brass map of Australia enclosed by a serrated circle, Australian Red Cross Society button, silver boomerang with brass map of Australia, brass "Australia" shoulder badge with circular aluminium(?) disc above, US Army 147th Field Artillery Regiment Unit Crest, crossed cannons with 147 above, brass tab, musicians badge, AMF collar badge, Major's crown, laurel leaves with what appears to be TCB in script above, crossed rifles, star with what appears to be a lotus flower (Japanese?), AMF button, Major's crown, what appears to be a red S inside a white circle.Circular aluminium disc has Pte M Cain VX6341 AIF faintly engraved on it.

This group of men are considered fathers of Australian Federation. Sixteen men of the members of the Australasian Federation Convention, 1890. The bearded man standing in the centre is Henry Parkes. Hon. Andrew Inglis Clark (Tasmania), Hon. Sir Samuel Walker Griffith KCMG (Queensland), Hon. Thomas Playford (Sth. Aust.), Hon. Alfred Deakin (Victoria), Hon. Bolton Stafford Bird (Tas.), George H. Jenkins (Secretary to the Conference), Hon. Capt. William Russell Russell (New Zealand), Hon. Sir Henry Parkes (New South Wales), Hon. William McMillan (N.S.W.), Hon. Sir John Hall KCMG (N.Z.), Hon. John Murtagh Macrossan (Qld), Hon. Duncan Gillies (Vic.), Hon. John Alexander Cockburn M.D.(Sth.Aust.), Hon. Sir James George Lee Steere (Western Australia).national conventon, henry parkes, federation, duncan gillies

This memorial was erected by the residents of Apollo Bay and District in 1922.Colour photograph of the War Memorial at Apollo Bay, that features a scuplture of an Australian soldier with slouch hat and holding a rifle. It includes a list of those who served during World War One and World War Two. A characteristic figurative monument, the memorial comprises a single standing soldier, looking down the main street, a top a polished granite pedestal with honour roll set on a huge rock faced granite block.The memorial is fenced by heavy set square concrete bollards supporting heavy gauge chain between each. tBuilt by J. Wilson & Co. of Bendigo, the Apollo Bay Memorial depicts the lone soldier, a typical symbol of the sentiments of communities who had lost faith in heroism and had learnt to recognise the level of loss caused by war amongst ordinary volunteers. This recognition,which occurred throughout Australia, marked a turning point as the 'unknown soldier' was increasingly commemorated instead of military leaders as had previously been the traditional practice. apollo bay war memorial, australian soldier memorial, cawood, mitchell, finlayson, marriner, maguire, mclennan, stephens, vipont, lang, turner, thomson, h.f. smith, a.e. hunt, ormsby, elston, gooday, p. bird, costin, de vere, de forest, j. bowie, c. hughes, r. irving, mcminn, newman, riley, sculley, townsend, thornton, thurst, wright, j. wilson, stonemason

This memorial was erected by the residents of Apollo Bay and District in 1922.Colour photograph of the War Memorial at Apollo Bay, that features a scuplture of an Australian soldier with slouch hat and holding a rifle. It includes a list of those who served during World War One and World War Two. A characteristic figurative monument, the memorial comprises a single standing soldier, looking down the main street, a top a polished granite pedestal with honour roll set on a huge rock faced granite block.The memorial is fenced by heavy set square concrete bollards supporting heavy gauge chain between each. tBuilt by J. Wilson & Co. of Bendigo, the Apollo Bay Memorial depicts the lone soldier, a typical symbol of the sentiments of communities who had lost faith in heroism and had learnt to recognise the level of loss caused by war amongst ordinary volunteers. This recognition,which occurred throughout Australia, marked a turning point as the 'unknown soldier' was increasingly commemorated instead of military leaders as had previously been the traditional practice. apollo bay war memorial, australian soldier memorial, cawood, mitchell, finlayson, marriner, maguire, mclennan, stephens, vipont, lang, turner, thomson, h.f. smith, a.e. hunt, ormsby, elston, gooday, p. bird, costin, de vere, de forest, j. bowie, c. hughes, r. irving, mcminn, newman, riley, sculley, townsend, thornton, thurst, wright, j. wilson, stonemason