ELTHAM HERITAGE TOUR The Society excursion on 24th May 1992 was arranged by David Bick, leader of the team carrying out the Shire's heritage study. David selected a number of sites or buildings identified in the study, some of them lesser known components of the Shire's heritage. The tour commenced at the Eltham Shire Office at 10.00 am. Travel was by private car and mini-bus with stops at about twelve locations for commentary by David.It included a short walk in Hurstbridge and lunch at Kinglake. Highlights of the tour included: - 10 am Leave from Shire Offices - 3 Important Trees - A Physical Link to Eltham's First Settlers - Toorak Mansion Gates - A Surviving Farm House - An Intact Circa 1900 Main Street - First Settlers - Gold Miners, and Timber-getters - An Early Hotel - A Pioneering Homestead - Changing Eltham Shire - 20th Century - 4 pm Afternoon Tea and Finish Tour Extract from ELTHAM CULTURAL HERITAGE TOUR (Newsletter No. 85, July 1992, by Bettina Woodburn) "At St Andrews we noted the old and new schools, the Anglican Church, the Hall, the Bakery and the pub – still a popular watering and eating place. Climbing towards Panton Hill the soil was not rich and supported only scarce growth. Perfunctory prospecting and mining had taken place in this area, though not with the diligence applied at Research. Again we saw the ingredients of a settlement, this one organised by Government, the Hotel, the Store, the School. Down from Memorial Park the School grounds had original tree planting and the School Bell dedicated to Maud Rattray who died in 1922. There is a new Hall and opposite in the grounds of the Church and Sunday School a modest Memorial Cross of granite with inscriptions and in memory of four 'fallen comrades'. This small section of the main road retained the small village atmosphere; although the population had increased there had been little alteration."Record of the Society's history and activities and highlighting various aspects of the Heritage Study undertaken by David Bick used to create the future heritage overlay for the Shire of Eltham and later Nillumbik Shire.Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 4 stripsKodak Gold 100 5095shire of eltham historical society, activities, heritage tour, st andrews

ELTHAM HERITAGE TOUR The Society excursion on 24th May 1992 was arranged by David Bick, leader of the team carrying out the Shire's heritage study. David selected a number of sites or buildings identified in the study, some of them lesser known components of the Shire's heritage. The tour commenced at the Eltham Shire Office at 10.00 am. Travel was by private car and mini-bus with stops at about twelve locations for commentary by David.It included a short walk in Hurstbridge and lunch at Kinglake. Highlights of the tour included: - 10 am Leave from Shire Offices - 3 Important Trees - A Physical Link to Eltham's First Settlers - Toorak Mansion Gates - A Surviving Farm House - An Intact Circa 1900 Main Street - First Settlers - Gold Miners, and Timber-getters - An Early Hotel - A Pioneering Homestead - Changing Eltham Shire - 20th Century - 4 pm Afternoon Tea and Finish Tour Extract from ELTHAM CULTURAL HERITAGE TOUR (Newsletter No. 85, July 1992, by Bettina Woodburn) "Now we drove through stands of pines to the Kangaroo Ground Lookout Tower, a most unusual War Memorial, World War I. The tower and a shed/residence (it had a chimney) were built from local sandstone. Below to the south and east of Melbourne spread 'suburbia'. Close by the landscape seemed so contrived - English fields and hedgerows! Although only about twenty inches deep, the soil of this ancient volcano, its crater lost under subsequent weathering, was rich, deserving the name of "Garden Hill". Now native trees are taking over again. In Kangaroo Ground itself stand the inevitable Store, School and Church - and two Norfolk pines and a monkey puzzle tree."Record of the Society's history and activities and highlighting various aspects of the Heritage Study undertaken by David Bick used to create the future heritage overlay for the Shire of Eltham and later Nillumbik Shire.Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 4 stripsKodak Gold 100 5095shire of eltham historical society, activities, heritage tour, kangaroo ground, kangaroo ground tower, war memorials, kangaroo ground memorial

ELTHAM HERITAGE TOUR The Society excursion on 24th May 1992 was arranged by David Bick, leader of the team carrying out the Shire's heritage study. David selected a number of sites or buildings identified in the study, some of them lesser known components of the Shire's heritage. The tour commenced at the Eltham Shire Office at 10.00 am. Travel was by private car and mini-bus with stops at about twelve locations for commentary by David.It included a short walk in Hurstbridge and lunch at Kinglake. Highlights of the tour included: - 10 am Leave from Shire Offices - 3 Important Trees - A Physical Link to Eltham's First Settlers - Toorak Mansion Gates - A Surviving Farm House - An Intact Circa 1900 Main Street - First Settlers - Gold Miners, and Timber-getters - An Early Hotel - A Pioneering Homestead - Changing Eltham Shire - 20th Century - 4 pm Afternoon Tea and Finish Tour Extract from ELTHAM CULTURAL HERITAGE TOUR (Newsletter No. 85, July 1992, by Bettina Woodburn) "On a right-angle turning of the Eltham Road is Wellers Pub, a Cobb & Co. coaching stop on the way to distant gold-fields and places north of the Yarra River. The Hotel dates from the 1870's. Daily distances for a bullock team was eight miles, horses could do double that distance. We turned into Cassells Road and on the corner of Ingrams Road we admired an elaborate Edwardian villa, 1900 style. The Aqueduct conveying Melbourne's water supply was a communication line and a technological advance in 1891. It has been enlarged and re-faced and no longer used here but piped underground. Proclaimed a linear park it has reverted to crown land, controlled by local Council. Maroondah Dam was constructed in. 1920 to replace the original weir and at that time: the Aqueduct - as established into the landscape - with bridges and tunnels and pine trees were used to stop rubbish polluting the water."Record of the Society's history and activities and highlighting various aspects of the Heritage Study undertaken by David Bick used to create the future heritage overlay for the Shire of Eltham and later Nillumbik Shire.Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 4 stripsKodak Gold 100 5095shire of eltham historical society, activities, heritage tour, ingrams road, research (vic.)

ELTHAM HERITAGE TOUR The Society excursion on 24th May 1992 was arranged by David Bick, leader of the team carrying out the Shire's heritage study. David selected a number of sites or buildings identified in the study, some of them lesser known components of the Shire's heritage. The tour commenced at the Eltham Shire Office at 10.00 am. Travel was by private car and mini-bus with stops at about twelve locations for commentary by David.It included a short walk in Hurstbridge and lunch at Kinglake. Highlights of the tour included: - 10 am Leave from Shire Offices - 3 Important Trees - A Physical Link to Eltham's First Settlers - Toorak Mansion Gates - A Surviving Farm House - An Intact Circa 1900 Main Street - First Settlers - Gold Miners, and Timber-getters - An Early Hotel - A Pioneering Homestead - Changing Eltham Shire - 20th Century - 4 pm Afternoon Tea and Finish Tour Extract from ELTHAM CULTURAL HERITAGE TOUR (Newsletter No. 85, July 1992, by Bettina Woodburn) "In some respects Eltham is a 'back-water' and it has its own distinctive flavour. On the outskirts the homes date from the 1960's, 70's and 80s with a sprinkling of 'earth homes', mud-brick or pise, rammed dirt. Crossing Main Road into Beddoe Street and Thompson Crescent a very pleasant drive past pines and old fence lines, front lawns unfenced, the occasional ·old farm building, we eventually looked down on a huge circular roof of a 1992 adobe home. Other distinctive places included the Pauline Toner Butterfly Reserve, Gordon Ford's splendid garden at Fulling in Pitt Street, cypress hedges and old houses in Bridge Street and in every direction Eltham's special feature - a totally treed horizon. We were now in the part of the Shire closest to Melbourne - Montmorency - not on the way to anywhere, with no through road going across it, developed in the 1950's and 1960's with conventional gardens, now converted to native plants. The rail looped between Greensborough and Eltham and a shopping street (Were Street) served the area, growing up the hill from the station. It was a typical outer Melbourne suburb with lawns and roses with patches of originality. The shopping precinct still has 1950 characteristics - walls which sloped back, projecting roofs, the original shop fronts are nearly all tiled below the old windows. There's an air of past times about the School, the Dairy, the Butcher's (now a milk bar) and the Castlemaine stone face of the Commonwealth Bank. The final stop for the tour was at the mud-brick Woodburn residence, adobe of 1949 with additions. After War Service, Bill Woodburn had commenced an Architecture course at Melbourne University and after second year in the Christmas vacation, with his wife, Betti, built the two bedroom house - with amazing saving of costs. In the three and a half months they made over 3000 bricks (external walls 18" x 12" x 4", internal walls 12" x 9" x 4"), sifted top soil for mortar and laid them, on concrete foundations and slab floor, made all the structural window frames, door frames and roof members to carry 'super six' asbestos sheets, laboured for the electrician and plumber, did all the glazing and, still without electricity, moved in in March 1949. Rooms have been added, at first with glass walls, later using concrete blocks, to accommodate three daughters and a son. The house not only grew from the earth, but also with the family."Record of the Society's history and activities and highlighting various aspects of the Heritage Study undertaken by David Bick used to create the future heritage overlay for the Shire of Eltham and later Nillumbik Shire.Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 4 stripsKodak Gold 100 5095shire of eltham historical society, activities, heritage tour, woodburn house

Whroo Historic Reserve contains a number of interesting features relating to the former township and gold workings.Record of the Society's history of activities - Spring 1994 excursionRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 4 stripsKodak Gold 100-4shire of eltham historical society, activities, whroo, balaclava hill, balaclava mine, gold mining, whroo historic reserve

Whroo Historic Reserve contains a number of interesting features relating to the former township and gold workings.Record of the Society's history of activities - Spring 1994 excursionRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 4 stripsKodak Gold 100-4shire of eltham historical society, activities, whroo, balaclava hill, balaclava mine, gold mining, whroo historic reserve

Brief visit of the Major Mitchell Trail. This car based trail follows the route of the famous explorer right across Victoria. It crosses the Goulbum River near Chateau Tahbilk and Mitchelton Wineries and passes through Nagambie.Record of the Society's history of activities - Spring 1994 excursionRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 4 stripsKodak Gold 100-4shire of eltham historical society, activities, chateau tahbilk winery, major mitchell trail

EXPLORING THE UPPER YARRA (Newsletter No. 105, November 1995, by Bettina Woodburn) We enjoyed the Spring Excursion, this year "Exploring the Upper Yarra" - in spite of the constant rain and the countryside under the cloud cover, especially in the valleys, being mainly shiny shades of green. The occasional fields of buttercups, clumps of arum lilies and splendid rhododendron and other flowering bushes became very special. The Cobb and Co coach was warm and a cosy retreat as we zig-zagged on the highways and byways to glimpse the Yarra River, upstream and down, its secret places, and particularly the many bridges. Russell excelled as 'Poet Laureate', reading from Dacre Smyth's book. This 1979 publication includes paintings of all the bridges along the river with poems and brief descriptions of each one. Some of the bridges are in out of the way places and are not very well known. We looked forward to hearing the poetry as much as seeing the ' constructions'…Big Pat (was he short or tall, lean or fat? He did win the two hundred pound reward for discovering gold and had the creek named after him), about the 'Eddies'?, and the disliked 'meccano' bridge in Warburton, etc. etc. The hot roast lunch in the old Reefton Hotel was also most welcome. It was easy to imagine it peopled by miners and early settlers. Starting by crossing the new (1974) concrete bridge at Warrandyte we headed through Wonga Park with views to the Christmas Hills and to the escarpment of the Yering Gorge, which causes flood waters to back up through the Yarra Glen plain, so avoiding disasters downstream. At the end of a long driveway we found the wooden, privately owned Henley Bridge (1935 after the 1934 floods). This facilitates access to different parts of Henley Farm and to Lilydale. Everard Park, named after Blanche Shallard's father, a State Member for 17 years, below the Highway Yarra crossing was in need of care. It is 10 miles from Yarra Glen by road but, as "Yarra Marra” canoeists well know, 32 winding miles down by water. After more delightful countryside scenes we joined the Warburton Highway at Woori Yallock. From the old Railway Station at Launching Place the Centennial Trail for walkers, cyclists and ' horse riders has replaced the rails. The line from Lilydale was opened in 1901, and the last diesel freight train ran to Warburton in 1965. It continued to rain as we had morning tea in Warburton in a shelter between footbridges. From here we continued upstream past the Bridge to O'Shannasy Lodge and Reservoir, Starvation Creek, and the Peninsular tunnel (miners dug it as at Pound Bend) which we visited (scrambling down those steps!) on our return after lunch. Our furthermost point was the Upper Yarra Dam Reserve (and vast catchment area). Finished in 1957 after ten years work and 100 years after Yan Yean, it supplies much of Melbourne's water. After crossing the 30m Launching Place Bridge to the Eltham side of the Yarra and Healesville, we saw in the distance the Yarra Glen Timber Trestle Bridge over the river flats "the longest for years in the land it was said!" Harry's dream of "better weather over the Divide" unfortunately didn't come true, but I'm sure we 36 members will retain happy memories of a day that was wet and green and filled with Bridges. Bettina Woodburn - October 1995 Record of the Society's history of activities - Spring 1995 excursionRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 3 stripsKodak Gold 200-4shire of eltham historical society, activities, upper yarra dam, henley bridge

EXPLORING THE UPPER YARRA (Newsletter No. 105, November 1995, by Bettina Woodburn) We enjoyed the Spring Excursion, this year "Exploring the Upper Yarra" - in spite of the constant rain and the countryside under the cloud cover, especially in the valleys, being mainly shiny shades of green. The occasional fields of buttercups, clumps of arum lilies and splendid rhododendron and other flowering bushes became very special. The Cobb and Co coach was warm and a cosy retreat as we zig-zagged on the highways and byways to glimpse the Yarra River, upstream and down, its secret places, and particularly the many bridges. Russell excelled as 'Poet Laureate', reading from Dacre Smyth's book. This 1979 publication includes paintings of all the bridges along the river with poems and brief descriptions of each one. Some of the bridges are in out of the way places and are not very well known. We looked forward to hearing the poetry as much as seeing the ' constructions'…Big Pat (was he short or tall, lean or fat? He did win the two hundred pound reward for discovering gold and had the creek named after him), about the 'Eddies'?, and the disliked 'meccano' bridge in Warburton, etc. etc. The hot roast lunch in the old Reefton Hotel was also most welcome. It was easy to imagine it peopled by miners and early settlers. Starting by crossing the new (1974) concrete bridge at Warrandyte we headed through Wonga Park with views to the Christmas Hills and to the escarpment of the Yering Gorge, which causes flood waters to back up through the Yarra Glen plain, so avoiding disasters downstream. At the end of a long driveway we found the wooden, privately owned Henley Bridge (1935 after the 1934 floods). This facilitates access to different parts of Henley Farm and to Lilydale. Everard Park, named after Blanche Shallard's father, a State Member for 17 years, below the Highway Yarra crossing was in need of care. It is 10 miles from Yarra Glen by road but, as "Yarra Marra” canoeists well know, 32 winding miles down by water. After more delightful countryside scenes we joined the Warburton Highway at Woori Yallock. From the old Railway Station at Launching Place the Centennial Trail for walkers, cyclists and ' horse riders has replaced the rails. The line from Lilydale was opened in 1901, and the last diesel freight train ran to Warburton in 1965. It continued to rain as we had morning tea in Warburton in a shelter between footbridges. From here we continued upstream past the Bridge to O'Shannasy Lodge and Reservoir, Starvation Creek, and the Peninsular tunnel (miners dug it as at Pound Bend) which we visited (scrambling down those steps!) on our return after lunch. Our furthermost point was the Upper Yarra Dam Reserve (and vast catchment area). Finished in 1957 after ten years work and 100 years after Yan Yean, it supplies much of Melbourne's water. After crossing the 30m Launching Place Bridge to the Eltham side of the Yarra and Healesville, we saw in the distance the Yarra Glen Timber Trestle Bridge over the river flats "the longest for years in the land it was said!" Harry's dream of "better weather over the Divide" unfortunately didn't come true, but I'm sure we 36 members will retain happy memories of a day that was wet and green and filled with Bridges. Bettina Woodburn - October 1995 Record of the Society's history of activities - Spring 1995 excursionRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 2 stripsKodak Gold 100-4shire of eltham historical society, activities, upper yarra dam, henley bridge

EXPLORING THE UPPER YARRA (Newsletter No. 105, November 1995, by Bettina Woodburn) We enjoyed the Spring Excursion, this year "Exploring the Upper Yarra" - in spite of the constant rain and the countryside under the cloud cover, especially in the valleys, being mainly shiny shades of green. The occasional fields of buttercups, clumps of arum lilies and splendid rhododendron and other flowering bushes became very special. The Cobb and Co coach was warm and a cosy retreat as we zig-zagged on the highways and byways to glimpse the Yarra River, upstream and down, its secret places, and particularly the many bridges. Russell excelled as 'Poet Laureate', reading from Dacre Smyth's book. This 1979 publication includes paintings of all the bridges along the river with poems and brief descriptions of each one. Some of the bridges are in out of the way places and are not very well known. We looked forward to hearing the poetry as much as seeing the ' constructions'…Big Pat (was he short or tall, lean or fat? He did win the two hundred pound reward for discovering gold and had the creek named after him), about the 'Eddies'?, and the disliked 'meccano' bridge in Warburton, etc. etc. The hot roast lunch in the old Reefton Hotel was also most welcome. It was easy to imagine it peopled by miners and early settlers. Starting by crossing the new (1974) concrete bridge at Warrandyte we headed through Wonga Park with views to the Christmas Hills and to the escarpment of the Yering Gorge, which causes flood waters to back up through the Yarra Glen plain, so avoiding disasters downstream. At the end of a long driveway we found the wooden, privately owned Henley Bridge (1935 after the 1934 floods). This facilitates access to different parts of Henley Farm and to Lilydale. Everard Park, named after Blanche Shallard's father, a State Member for 17 years, below the Highway Yarra crossing was in need of care. It is 10 miles from Yarra Glen by road but, as "Yarra Marra” canoeists well know, 32 winding miles down by water. After more delightful countryside scenes we joined the Warburton Highway at Woori Yallock. From the old Railway Station at Launching Place the Centennial Trail for walkers, cyclists and ' horse riders has replaced the rails. The line from Lilydale was opened in 1901, and the last diesel freight train ran to Warburton in 1965. It continued to rain as we had morning tea in Warburton in a shelter between footbridges. From here we continued upstream past the Bridge to O'Shannasy Lodge and Reservoir, Starvation Creek, and the Peninsular tunnel (miners dug it as at Pound Bend) which we visited (scrambling down those steps!) on our return after lunch. Our furthermost point was the Upper Yarra Dam Reserve (and vast catchment area). Finished in 1957 after ten years work and 100 years after Yan Yean, it supplies much of Melbourne's water. After crossing the 30m Launching Place Bridge to the Eltham side of the Yarra and Healesville, we saw in the distance the Yarra Glen Timber Trestle Bridge over the river flats "the longest for years in the land it was said!" Harry's dream of "better weather over the Divide" unfortunately didn't come true, but I'm sure we 36 members will retain happy memories of a day that was wet and green and filled with Bridges. Bettina Woodburn - October 1995 Record of the Society's history of activities - Spring 1995 excursionRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 4 of 5 stripsKodak Gold 400-5shire of eltham historical society, activities, upper yarra dam, henley bridge

MONUMENT HUNTING THE HUME AND HOVELL WAY (Newsletter No. 117, November 1997, by Diana Bassett-Smith) Sunday October 26 1997 dawned bright and very warm. Some twenty-five members, complete with picnic baskets, met outside the Eltham Library awaiting the Cobb and Co. large coach which would be taking us on the second leg of our travels along the route of the early explorers Hume and Hovell. Stephen West was our very good driver for the day. He would be guided around the circuitous route by Russell Yeoman wh9 had made a detailed study, not only of the intended route, but of the story of these two explorers. During the trip Russell regaled us with poetry, quotations from the Journals and the History of the Shire of Seymour, "The New Crossing Place: by Martindale, 1982, (now Mitchell Shire due to the recent amalgamations). We headed towards the Hume Highway via Greensborough and Cooper Street and proceeded north to our first stop, noting on the way Monument Hill in the distance which is near Kilmore and, according to Russell, well worth the effort to visit as the view across the valley is magnificent. Past Sunday Creek Valley, Mt Piper and Mt Disappointment, all traversed and noted and named by them. We passed through Tallarook, then onto Seymour where we took photos of the monument telling us that Hume and Hovell had passed through on the 28th of October 1824. We also deviated down Hume and Hovell Road viewing deer and emu farming and the Bellbourie property now a sanctuary. Leaving Seymour behind we travelled up the Avenel Road to the Avenel monument, pyramidal in design of four reducing square blocks with a sharply pointed peak, erected in 1924 in memory of the 1824 exploration. The day was warming up and the countryside showing the dryness of the current drought. A parallel note had been made in their journal too of 1824 of the drought appearance of the country they were traversing. At Seven Creeks, Euroa we stopped for some minutes to check the monument placed 20th November 1924 to commemorate their passage on the 29th December 1824. More photos. Russell had pointed out the abrupt termination of the distant ranges which is noted in their journal. The next monument is beside the road at the entrance to Honey Suckle Creek Caravan Park, Violet Town. The squarish shaped monument some eight feet high is topped with a simple steel cross, and was to mark the date of 28th December 1824 and built for the 20th November 1924. By now it was 12.20 and nearly lunchtime as we drove along the Warranbayne Road to Roach's Road, monument hunting without success. Though there is a large, what appears to be an old timber sign which was hard to read, maybe this was the lost monument. In many of the paddocks hay had been cut and baled or was being cut, what a contrast to the rugged country they had passed through which was smoky from the fires of the natives burning off By 1.00 pm we were at Benalla and pulled up beside the park where abundant beds of roses filled the air with their scent and the smell of barbecued food twitched the nostrils whilst the cheerful sounds of other picnickers could be heard throughout the park. We left the bus and collected up our picnics, dispersed to the various tables and enjoyed the shade from the various European trees. 2.00 pm and we were on the road again driving along the Benalla, Mansfield, Yea road. The Swanpool monument states that they passed four miles south and returned three miles north. Then we stopped at the Barjarg monument which notes that they camped near this spot. It is again a pyramidal monument and this time topped with a steel arrow indicating their route of the 29th November 1824. Half an hour later we came to another monument, again with a steel arrow marker on top and the plaque dated the 2nd of 12th 1824. Erected on the 12th of 12th 1924. "They blazed the way that we might inherit the land." Another square based and needle topped monument appeared at Yarck near Yea and this plaque records the date of 3 December 1824. Near McGuigans Road Russell related that the expedition had lost a dog but it had found them next day, the dog was apparently torn by a kangaroo. A short while later Russell reminded us here of the problems they encountered in crossing the Goulburn River near Molesworth where banks were high, water deep and wide. "Good coat of grass but quite dry due to drought". At Yea we stopped for afternoon tea and raided the last of our picnics and looked at the monument to their journey of 1824, situated at a corner of the gardens near the bowling green. No photo – we were out of film. We returned home via Kinglake West and Whittlesea past the Yan Yean Reservoir, not full. 5.00 pm back at Eltham we emptied out of the bus and everyone, including Joan Cole, collected their things, Joan also had the major souvenir of the day, a large carp she had picked up from the river bank, her cat was in for a great feast. The day was made so interesting by the informed commentary which Russell provided. His background knowledge of the route and nature of the journey could only have come from many hours of reading and driving the area. Thank you to Russell and to everyone who made the day so informative and pleasurable. Diana Bassett-Smith. Record of the Society's history of activities - Spring 1997 excursionRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 6 stripsFuji 200shire of eltham historical society, activities, pretty hill, seymour, benalla, hume and hovell, monuments

MONUMENT HUNTING THE HUME AND HOVELL WAY (Newsletter No. 117, November 1997, by Diana Bassett-Smith) Sunday October 26 1997 dawned bright and very warm. Some twenty-five members, complete with picnic baskets, met outside the Eltham Library awaiting the Cobb and Co. large coach which would be taking us on the second leg of our travels along the route of the early explorers Hume and Hovell. Stephen West was our very good driver for the day. He would be guided around the circuitous route by Russell Yeoman wh9 had made a detailed study, not only of the intended route, but of the story of these two explorers. During the trip Russell regaled us with poetry, quotations from the Journals and the History of the Shire of Seymour, "The New Crossing Place: by Martindale, 1982, (now Mitchell Shire due to the recent amalgamations). We headed towards the Hume Highway via Greensborough and Cooper Street and proceeded north to our first stop, noting on the way Monument Hill in the distance which is near Kilmore and, according to Russell, well worth the effort to visit as the view across the valley is magnificent. Past Sunday Creek Valley, Mt Piper and Mt Disappointment, all traversed and noted and named by them. We passed through Tallarook, then onto Seymour where we took photos of the monument telling us that Hume and Hovell had passed through on the 28th of October 1824. We also deviated down Hume and Hovell Road viewing deer and emu farming and the Bellbourie property now a sanctuary. Leaving Seymour behind we travelled up the Avenel Road to the Avenel monument, pyramidal in design of four reducing square blocks with a sharply pointed peak, erected in 1924 in memory of the 1824 exploration. The day was warming up and the countryside showing the dryness of the current drought. A parallel note had been made in their journal too of 1824 of the drought appearance of the country they were traversing. At Seven Creeks, Euroa we stopped for some minutes to check the monument placed 20th November 1924 to commemorate their passage on the 29th December 1824. More photos. Russell had pointed out the abrupt termination of the distant ranges which is noted in their journal. The next monument is beside the road at the entrance to Honey Suckle Creek Caravan Park, Violet Town. The squarish shaped monument some eight feet high is topped with a simple steel cross, and was to mark the date of 28th December 1824 and built for the 20th November 1924. By now it was 12.20 and nearly lunchtime as we drove along the Warranbayne Road to Roach's Road, monument hunting without success. Though there is a large, what appears to be an old timber sign which was hard to read, maybe this was the lost monument. In many of the paddocks hay had been cut and baled or was being cut, what a contrast to the rugged country they had passed through which was smoky from the fires of the natives burning off By 1.00 pm we were at Benalla and pulled up beside the park where abundant beds of roses filled the air with their scent and the smell of barbecued food twitched the nostrils whilst the cheerful sounds of other picnickers could be heard throughout the park. We left the bus and collected up our picnics, dispersed to the various tables and enjoyed the shade from the various European trees. 2.00 pm and we were on the road again driving along the Benalla, Mansfield, Yea road. The Swanpool monument states that they passed four miles south and returned three miles north. Then we stopped at the Barjarg monument which notes that they camped near this spot. It is again a pyramidal monument and this time topped with a steel arrow indicating their route of the 29th November 1824. Half an hour later we came to another monument, again with a steel arrow marker on top and the plaque dated the 2nd of 12th 1824. Erected on the 12th of 12th 1924. "They blazed the way that we might inherit the land." Another square based and needle topped monument appeared at Yarck near Yea and this plaque records the date of 3 December 1824. Near McGuigans Road Russell related that the expedition had lost a dog but it had found them next day, the dog was apparently torn by a kangaroo. A short while later Russell reminded us here of the problems they encountered in crossing the Goulburn River near Molesworth where banks were high, water deep and wide. "Good coat of grass but quite dry due to drought". At Yea we stopped for afternoon tea and raided the last of our picnics and looked at the monument to their journey of 1824, situated at a corner of the gardens near the bowling green. No photo – we were out of film. We returned home via Kinglake West and Whittlesea past the Yan Yean Reservoir, not full. 5.00 pm back at Eltham we emptied out of the bus and everyone, including Joan Cole, collected their things, Joan also had the major souvenir of the day, a large carp she had picked up from the river bank, her cat was in for a great feast. The day was made so interesting by the informed commentary which Russell provided. His background knowledge of the route and nature of the journey could only have come from many hours of reading and driving the area. Thank you to Russell and to everyone who made the day so informative and pleasurable. Diana Bassett-Smith. Record of the Society's history of activities - Spring 1997 excursionRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 2 stripsKodak Gold 400-5shire of eltham historical society, activities, pretty hill, seymour, benalla, hume and hovell, monuments

Record of the Society's activities and involvement with the Eltham FestivalNewsprintactivities, shire of eltham historical society, eltham festival, bruce ness, peter bassett smith, bassett-smith collection

Contents: • Next meeting, Panel Presentation: Stories from Our Files • February Meeting • 2010 Program • An 1856 Story from Our Records • More News • Annual General Meeting The Shire of Eltham Historical Society was formed in October 1967. The first newsletter of the Society was issued May 1978 and has been published continuously ever since on a bi-monthly basis. With the cessation of the Shire of Eltham in late 1994, the Society's name was revised to Eltham District Historical Society and this name first appeared with issue No. 103, July 1995. The collection of the Society's newsletters provides a valuable resource on the history of the Society's activities, office bearers and committee members, guest speakers and subjects of historical interest pertinent to the former Shire of Eltham and the Eltham District.A4 photocopied newsletter distributed to membersnewsletter, eltham district historical society, shire of eltham historical society

Contents: • Next meeting, guest speaker; Ken Eckersall: Tales from the 1930s • May Meeting • The Shillinglaw Farm Walk • Eltham RSL and War Memorial • Edendale Farm • Subscriptions • Records Workshops • Office Bearers 2010-2011 The Shire of Eltham Historical Society was formed in October 1967. The first newsletter of the Society was issued May 1978 and has been published continuously ever since on a bi-monthly basis. With the cessation of the Shire of Eltham in late 1994, the Society's name was revised to Eltham District Historical Society and this name first appeared with issue No. 103, July 1995. The collection of the Society's newsletters provides a valuable resource on the history of the Society's activities, office bearers and committee members, guest speakers and subjects of historical interest pertinent to the former Shire of Eltham and the Eltham District.A4 photocopied newsletter distributed to membersnewsletter, eltham district historical society, shire of eltham historical society

Contents: • Next meeting, Speaker Panel: Memories of Eltham • July Meeting • July Excursion • Montmorency Railway Station • Harry’s Research o Heidelberg Baptism Records o Eltham, The Victorian Gazetteer - 1865 • The Famous Draper Apple Cake • And Also The Shire of Eltham Historical Society was formed in October 1967. The first newsletter of the Society was issued May 1978 and has been published continuously ever since on a bi-monthly basis. With the cessation of the Shire of Eltham in late 1994, the Society's name was revised to Eltham District Historical Society and this name first appeared with issue No. 103, July 1995. The collection of the Society's newsletters provides a valuable resource on the history of the Society's activities, office bearers and committee members, guest speakers and subjects of historical interest pertinent to the former Shire of Eltham and the Eltham District.A4 photocopied newsletter distributed to membersnewsletter, eltham district historical society, shire of eltham historical society

"A piece of Scotland in the Australian bush is how author Mick Woiwod describes the "Village" of Kangaroo Ground. Settled in 1841 by a Scottish family, the Donaldsons, the town is the feature of Mrs Woiwod's latest book, "Kangaroo Ground - The Highland Taken" The book follows the history of Kangaroo Ground, from its beginnings as an exclusively Scottish farming community in the middle of nowhere to a town that became the centre of the Yarra Valley region... It took Mr Woiwod six months of intensive research and nine months to write the book on Kangaroo Ground. He spent much of his time searching archives, public records and newspaper files for detailed information on the characters who colour his book." -- Diamond Valley News November 16, 1994 This major history of Kangaroo Ground details the district’s story between 1841 and 1994, describing it as having been unique in the Yarra Valley in that its early settlers were all Scottish and its soils were more fertile than those of surrounding districts. Their soil gave them the sort of power that saw the then extensive Shire of Eltham governed from little Kangaroo Ground for a remarkable 69 years. The author describes the Kangaroo Ground landscape that these farmers worked in the early period as having been already significantly modified by Aboriginal fire-stick farming before their arrival. This publication is a significant title in the recording of the early history of the pioneers of the small area of Kangaroo Ground, VictoriaHardback Book, 312 pagesISBN 0646209000kangaroo ground, mick woiwod, pioneers, donaldson family, thomson family

The Eltham Roads Board was established in 1856. This is a unique significant record of early settlers in the Shire of Eltham. One of 6 early rate books. This is among the oldest items in the EDHS collection. An article in the Eltham and Whittlesea Shires Advertiser Friday 21 Nov 1941 Page 5 titled: District's Early History states: "The first rate book which is still in existence at the Shire Office is for the year ending October 14, 1858 and is probably the best record possible to indicate the development of the district. At the time properties were rated as follows: Cultivated land. 6d. per acre; pasture land, 1d. per acre: estimated annual value of buildings, etc., 6d in the (pound). The total amount of rate recorded for the year was (pounds)153/14/8. Properties were described as being situated at Lower Plenty, Yarra Yarra, Eltham, Lower Eltham, Kangaroo Ground, Yarra Flats, Diamond Creek and the Yarra."Ledger with printed columns: Number, Name of Occupier, Description, Where situated, Cultivated land, Pasture land, Estimated annual value of buildings, Rate, Remarks. Ledger filled out by hand with 152 entries (not alphabetically arranged). A number of blank pages are included. Copy re-bound in green hard leather look card by Arnall & Jackson Pty Ltd Brunswick, 1968 Inside cover includes a compliments slip taped to the cover from Arnall & Jackson Pty Ltd. with handwritten inscription: "Ian, I hope the hysterical society doesn't get historical about this". Organised 1968 I. Maynard Inside cover includes pasted printed note: RATE OF ASSESSMENT AS FOLLOWS: Cultivated land 6d per acre Pasture land 1 per acre Estimated Annual Value of Buildings, &c., 6d. in the Pound eltham roads board, rate book, rate payers, transaction, pioneers, settlers, 1858, assessment ledger, eltham road district, public records office victoria (prov), rate books, shire of eltham archives

The Eltham Roads Board was established in 1856. This ledger includes the signature of Road Board Secretary and Collector Wingrove, a significant person in Eltham's early history. This is a unique significant record of early settlers in the Shire of Eltham. One of 6 early rate books. This is among the oldest items in the EDHS collection. An article in the Eltham and Whittlesea Shires Advertiser Friday 21 Nov 1941 Page 5 titled: District's Early History states: "The first rate book which is still in existence at the Shire Office is for the year ending October 14, 1858 and is probably the best record possible to indicate the development of the district. At the time properties were rated as follows: Cultivated land. 6d. per acre; pasture land, 1d. per acre: estimated annual value of buildings, etc., 6d in the (pound). The total amount of rate recorded for the year was (pounds)153/14/8. Properties were described as being situated at Lower Plenty, Yarra Yarra, Eltham, Lower Eltham, Kangaroo Ground, Yarra Flats, Diamond Creek and the Yarra."Ledger with printed columns: Number, Name of Occupier, Description, Where situated, Cultivated land, Pasture land, Estimated annual value of buildings, Rate, Remarks, Arrears collected, excused, unoccupied, uncollected and amount actually collected. Ledger filled out by hand with 173 entries (not alphabetically arranged). A number of blank pages are included. Inside cover includes pasted printed note: RATE OF ASSESSMENT AS FOLLOWS: Cultivated land 6d per acre Pasture land 2d per acre Unalienated Pasture Land 8d per Acre Estimated Annual Value of Buildings, &c., 6d. in the Pound eltham roads board, rate book, rate payers, transaction, pioneers, settlers, wingrove, 1859, assessment ledger, eltham road district, public records office victoria (prov), rate books, shire of eltham archives

The Eltham Roads Board was established in 1856. This is a unique significant record of early settlers in the Shire of Eltham. One of 6 early rate books. This is among the oldest items in the EDHS collection. An article in the Eltham and Whittlesea Shires Advertiser Friday 21 Nov 1941 Page 5 titled: District's Early History states: "The first rate book which is still in existence at the Shire Office is for the year ending October 14, 1858 and is probably the best record possible to indicate the development of the district. At the time properties were rated as follows: Cultivated land. 6d. per acre; pasture land, 1d. per acre: estimated annual value of buildings, etc., 6d in the (pound). The total amount of rate recorded for the year was (pounds)153/14/8. Properties were described as being situated at Lower Plenty, Yarra Yarra, Eltham, Lower Eltham, Kangaroo Ground, Yarra Flats, Diamond Creek and the Yarra."Ledger with printed columns: Number, Name of Occupier, Description, Where situated, Cultivated land, Pasture land, Estimated annual value of buildings, Rate, Remarks, Arrears collected, excused, unoccupied, uncollected and amount actually collected. Ledger filled out by hand with 177 entries (not alphabetically arranged). A number of blank pages are included. Inside cover includes pasted printed note: RATE OF ASSESSMENT AS FOLLOWS: Cultivated land 6d per acre Pasture land 2d per acre Unalienated Pasture Land 8d per Acre Estimated Annual Value of Buildings, &c., 6d. in the Pound eltham roads board, rate book, rate payers, transaction, pioneers, settlers, wingrove, 1860, assessment ledger, eltham road district, public records office victoria (prov), rate books, shire of eltham archives

The Eltham Roads Board was established in 1856. This is a unique significant record of early settlers in the Shire of Eltham. One of 6 early rate books. This is among the oldest items in the EDHS collection. An article in the Eltham and Whittlesea Shires Advertiser Friday 21 Nov 1941 Page 5 titled: District's Early History states: "The first rate book which is still in existence at the Shire Office is for the year ending October 14, 1858 and is probably the best record possible to indicate the development of the district. At the time properties were rated as follows: Cultivated land. 6d. per acre; pasture land, 1d. per acre: estimated annual value of buildings, etc., 6d in the (pound). The total amount of rate recorded for the year was (pounds)153/14/8. Properties were described as being situated at Lower Plenty, Yarra Yarra, Eltham, Lower Eltham, Kangaroo Ground, Yarra Flats, Diamond Creek and the Yarra."Ledger with printed columns: Number, Name of Occupier, Description, Where situated, Cultivated land, Pasture land, Estimated annual value of buildings, Rate, Remarks, Arrears collected, excused, unoccupied, uncollected and amount actually collected. Ledger filled out by hand with 177 entries (not alphabetically arranged). A number of blank pages are included. This version was slight changes to version one. Inside cover includes pasted printed note: RATE OF ASSESSMENT AS FOLLOWS: Cultivated land 6d per acre Pasture land 2d per acre Unalienated Pasture Land 8d per Acre Estimated Annual Value of Buildings, &c., 6d. in the Pound eltham roads board, rate book, rate payers, transaction, pioneers, settlers, 1860, assessment ledger, eltham road district, public records office victoria (prov), rate books, shire of eltham archives

The Eltham Roads Board was established in 1856. This is a unique significant record of early settlers in the Shire of Eltham. One of 6 early rate books. This is among the oldest items in the EDHS collection. An article in the Eltham and Whittlesea Shires Advertiser Friday 21 Nov 1941 Page 5 titled: District's Early History states: "The first rate book which is still in existence at the Shire Office is for the year ending October 14, 1858 and is probably the best record possible to indicate the development of the district. At the time properties were rated as follows: Cultivated land. 6d. per acre; pasture land, 1d. per acre: estimated annual value of buildings, etc., 6d in the (pound). The total amount of rate recorded for the year was (pounds)153/14/8. Properties were described as being situated at Lower Plenty, Yarra Yarra, Eltham, Lower Eltham, Kangaroo Ground, Yarra Flats, Diamond Creek and the Yarra."Ledger with printed columns: Number, Name of Occupier, Description, Where situated, Cultivated land, Pasture land, Estimated annual value of buildings, Rate, Remarks, Arrears collected, excused, unoccupied, uncollected and amount actually collected. Ledger filled out by hand with 185 entries (not alphabetically arranged) and summary section. A number of blank pages are included. Inside cover includes pasted printed note: RATE OF ASSESSMENT AS FOLLOWS: Cultivated land 6d per acre Pasture land 2d per acre Unalienated Pasture Land 8d per Acre Estimated Annual Value of Buildings, &c., 6d. in the Pound eltham roads board, rate book, rate payers, transaction, pioneers, settlers, 1861, assessment ledger, eltham road district, public records office victoria (prov), rate books, shire of eltham archives

The Eltham Roads Board was established in 1856. This is a unique significant record of early settlers in the Shire of Eltham. One of 6 early rate books. This is among the oldest items in the EDHS collection. An article in the Eltham and Whittlesea Shires Advertiser Friday 21 Nov 1941 Page 5 titled: District's Early History states: "The first rate book which is still in existence at the Shire Office is for the year ending October 14, 1858 and is probably the best record possible to indicate the development of the district. At the time properties were rated as follows: Cultivated land. 6d. per acre; pasture land, 1d. per acre: estimated annual value of buildings, etc., 6d in the (pound). The total amount of rate recorded for the year was (pounds)153/14/8. Properties were described as being situated at Lower Plenty, Yarra Yarra, Eltham, Lower Eltham, Kangaroo Ground, Yarra Flats, Diamond Creek and the Yarra."Ledger with printed columns: Number, Name of Occupier, Description, Where situated, Cultivated land, Pasture land, Estimated annual value of buildings, Rate, Remarks, Arrears collected, excused, unoccupied, uncollected and amount actually collected. Ledger filled out by hand with 184 entries (not alphabetically arranged) and summary section. A number of blank pages are included. Inside cover includes pasted printed note: RATE OF ASSESSMENT AS FOLLOWS: Cultivated land 6d per acre Pasture land 1/2d per acre Unalienated Pasture Land 1/28 per Acre Estimated Annual Value of Buildings, &c., 6d. in the Pound eltham roads board, rate book, rate payers, transaction, pioneers, settlers, 1862, assessment ledger, eltham road district, public records office victoria (prov), rate books, shire of eltham archives

The Eltham Roads Board was established in 1856. This is a unique significant record of early settlers in the Shire of Eltham. One of 6 early rate books. This is among the oldest items in the EDHS collection. An article in the Eltham and Whittlesea Shires Advertiser Friday 21 Nov 1941 Page 5 titled: District's Early History states: "The first rate book which is still in existence at the Shire Office is for the year ending October 14, 1858 and is probably the best record possible to indicate the development of the district. At the time properties were rated as follows: Cultivated land. 6d. per acre; pasture land, 1d. per acre: estimated annual value of buildings, etc., 6d in the (pound). The total amount of rate recorded for the year was (pounds)153/14/8. Properties were described as being situated at Lower Plenty, Yarra Yarra, Eltham, Lower Eltham, Kangaroo Ground, Yarra Flats, Diamond Creek and the Yarra."Ledger with printed columns: Number, Name of Occupier, Description, Where situated, Cultivated land, Pasture land, Estimated annual value of buildings, Rate, Remarks, Arrears collected, excused, unoccupied, uncollected and amount actually collected. Ledger filled out by hand with 181 entries (not alphabetically arranged) and summary section. A number of blank pages are included. Inside cover includes pasted printed note: RATE OF ASSESSMENT AS FOLLOWS: Cultivated land 6d per acre Pasture land 1/2d per acre Unalienated Pasture Land 1/28 per Acre Estimated Annual Value of Buildings, &c., 6d. in the Pound eltham roads board, rate book, rate payers, transaction, pioneers, settlers, 1863, assessment ledger, eltham road district, public records office victoria (prov), rate books, shire of eltham archives

View to south-east from Shire of Eltham Soldiers' Memorial Park showing the carriageway from the road to top of Memorial Park. Accompanying notes state that the entry gate was put in place in May 1921. Eltham and Whittlesea Shire Advertiser and Diamond Creek Valley Advocate Fri 21 May 1920 p 2 reported: Kangaroo Ground Memorial Park "It was decided to arrange for a working bee on Saturday, 29th inst., for the purpose of forming and gravelling the track leading to the Park, and of carrying out other necessary works." A history summary of the Shire of Eltham Soldiers’ Memorial Park • The summit at Garden Hill was a popular tourist lookout and picnic spot from the 1880s. Virtually the entire Shire of Eltham and beyond could be viewed from this location. • A local farmer, Mr Walter A. D. Wippell is credited as being the first to propose the idea of a war memorial park and offered £50 towards the purchase of the land. • The earliest public reference to this project is to be found in the local Advertiser newspaper edition of August 9th, 1918. A report of the August Council meeting records the Eltham Shire President, Cr. Robert White, saying: "some time back it was proposed that the Council obtain and place on an Honour Board in the Council Chamber [at Kangaroo Ground] containing names of the lads who had enlisted. Just recently however, it had been suggested that a more fitting memorial would be the obtaining of a piece of land on the summit of Garden Hill, Kangaroo Ground, and the formation of a memorial park in which a monument could be erected to represent the whole of Shire. If a couple of acres could be obtained a gentleman had promised to donate 50 pounds, and another one would fence it, and other contributions, he was sure, could be obtained." • Councillors were favourable of the proposal and the President, Shire Secretary and Shire Engineer were deputised to wait on Messrs Mess Bros. (the owners of the Garden Hill farm) and ascertain if they would gratuitously give the land. The Mess Bros. land adjoined the farm/stud of Mrs Fanny White (Cr Robert White’s mother), daughter of Andrew Harkness who established their property on Garden Hill around 1846. • Access to the land came in February 1919 when several Councillors and the Shire Engineer surveyed the actual two acres of '5 chains along the road and 4 chains deep'. The Engineer volunteered his services free to do this task. The Mess brothers however demanded £100 per acre but eventually agreed to take £50 per acre. • Entry from the Kangaroo Ground-Yarra Glen road was seen to be a problem and Mrs. White, who owned the land beside the park, was asked to donated a triangle of her property to allow this access. • By September 1919 returned soldiers were employed by the Shire and volunteers were called to clear the hilltop by ploughing up the rocks and clearing the area, the fencing was put into place and in May 1921 the Council erected three gates, within an archway, at the entrance to the drive and pathway to the summit. • Public subscriptions were sought through the Advertiser newspaper to beautify the site. The views of the Curator of the Melbourne Botanical Gardens were sought as to the ‘class of ornamental trees most suitable for planting in the Park area”. • The Memorial Park or Shire of Eltham Soldiers’ Memorial Park was officially opened by Mr. W.H. Everard, M.L.A., 3 September 1921. • In 1922 plans were made to place a War Memorial in the Park. Funds were donated by the Council of £250 and a challenge to the community, to match this money with contributions was met. • On Anzac Day 1923, 1,000 people gathered on the summit in the park for a memorial service. A much smaller group of about 50 people gathered around a newly constructed cairn and flagstaff in the afternoon of Anzac Day 1924 amidst rain and a squally southerly wind, the morning service being cancelled. • A meeting for those interested in establishing a War Memorial monument within the park was held in January 1924 and the Eltham Shire War Memorial League was formed and a design competition decided upon. • The Shire of Eltham War Memorial tower was built in 1926 at a cost of £1,023 and 5 shillings with locally quarried stone donated by Dr Ethel and Professor William Osborne. It was formally known as the ‘Shire of Eltham War Memorial’ and was unveiled on 11 November 1926. The large bronze inscription above the entrance to the tower states: SHIRE OF ELTHAM WAR MEMORIAL THESE MEN DIED FOR THEIR COUNTRY 1914 IN REMEMBRANCE THIS TOWER WAS BUILT 1918 • The Caretaker’s hut was built in 1927 with left over from the tower construction. • A returned soldier was appointed to act as caretaker for the memorials. Tiny Carrol, a huge man, was the first caretaker and lived in the stone hut. There was a push to have alterations made at one stage to provide additional rooms for a married caretaker but was rejected. • A new Caretaker Cottage was built in 1951 at a cost £2,500. The cottage had been subjected to raids by thieves three times during construction until a guard from the Returned Servicemen’s League was posted until its opening. • The War Memorial tower was re-dedicated by Sir Dallas Brooks on 8 November 1951, unveiling new bronze plaques containing the names of those who fell during the Second World War. Sir Dallas also officiated the opening of the new Caretaker’s Cottage. • A toilet block was built in 1965. • A further dedication of the Shire of Eltham War Memorial tower took place 11 November 2001 to recognise the men who fell in subsequent campaigns up to and including Vietnam. • Four land titles are involved: o The purchase of the two acres from owners Ruth Gosling, Alexander Mess, James Johnson Mess and Joseph Mess is recorded in two actions, the first being the payment of £100 for the two acres, the second showing that the Shire of Eltham did not get a transfer of title until 14th January 1952. o The access land donated by Mrs. Fanny White is dated 26 February 1924. A further need to widen the entry came after the deepening of the road cutting and another land donation was given by Sir Herbert Gepp, title dated 15th May 1952. This would have been about the time he sold off the former White ‘Garden Hill’ property. o The land reserve to increase the area and possibly allow a circuit road to be put in place on the western side of the park was purchased by the Shire of Eltham, title dated 16th February 1973. Rare photograph of the entrance to the Shire's Memorial Park during early stages of development prior to the erection of the Shire of Eltham War MemorialSepia photograph printed with white border with slight crack lower left hand corner and three significant vertical cracks fanning from lower centre edge to upper edge Digitally enhanced version to minimise impact of crackseltham-yarra glen road, entrance gate, garden hill, kangaroo ground, shire of eltham memorial park, shire of eltham war memorial, kangaroo ground war memorial park

Photocopy of damaged photograph of a large group of men and women posing for a photograph on the first Eltham tennis court. Group includes people identified with an 'X' as Maisie with Laura Williams and Pop. The photo is the same group of people taken at the same time as SEPP_0721 (Lady Premiers 1909-1910). This is not a typical formal sports group pose, with only two women identified as holding racquets. 33 individuals, including men and children and one dog pose for the camera, the majority of whom are not dressed to play tennis. The court shows clear markings for tennis and a flag is flying in the background. The photograph is taken from inside the wire enclosure. There are mature gum trees in the background. The tennis court was situated in Eltham South at Bremner’s Flats (near present day Wingrove Park). The information included with the photocopy suggested this was the opening of the first Eltham Tennis Court however this is inaccurate. The Eltham Lawn Tennis Club was formed on a Saturday evening, the 29th of October, 1898 at a meeting held at the Eltham State school. The meeting was large and representative. Twenty members were enrolled, and eight more have since been added. Officers and a committee were duly elected, and the Treasurer was instructed to purchase the necessary requisites without delay. By the end of the first week in November all the requisites were to hand, two courts were marked out, and practice begun. The formal opening of the Courts of this Club took place on Saturday, November 12, 1898, when 26 members and their friends assembled. After several sets had been contested an adjournment was made for tea provided by the members and nicely laid out under the shade of the trees. Afterwards, sets were again formed and the game was proceeded with in a lively spirit till nearly dark, when all dispersed having thoroughly enjoyed themselves during the afternoon. (Evelyn Observer, and South and East Bourke Record (Vic. : 1882 - 1902), Friday 18 November 1898, page 2)Photocopy of damaged photographwilliams, 1910, bremner's flat, eltham, eltham lawn tennis club, eltham tennis court, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, tennis court, wingrove park, laura williams

Nillumbik Now and Then takes the reader on a journey from when the Aboriginal people were this area's sole inhabitnats, to the present day. Nillumbik's history - told in this collection of 96 stories, which are nearly all based on sites - mirrors those of the wider Australian community. It includes tales of the Wurundjeri people, a former convict, farmers, a bushranger, gold-mining, soldiers, artists, intellectuals, environmentalists and sportspeople. Each story is illustrated with a photograph. As a journalist with the former Diamond Valley News, Marguerite Marshall wrote a series of articles on local places of historic interest, later published as the small book "Eltham Shire - Historic Buildings and Places". Many years later an expanded version was published under the title "Nillumbik Now and Then". This is a much larger version of "Nillumbik Now and Then", including significant rewriting and many additional articles. The new publication was made possible by financial support from the Victorian Public Records Office, Bendigo Bank and Nillumbik Shire Council. EDHS and other historical societies in Nillumbik assisted with content for many of the stories. The book was launched at the Eltham Library on Wednesday 19th November 2008. Source: EDHS Newsletter No 183, November 2009 The front cover art depicts The former house of naturalist and artist Neil Douglas at Bend of Islands, photographer Marguerite Marshall. This collection of almost 130 photos and stories about places and people within the Shire of Nillumbik, an urban and rural municipality in Melbourne's north, contributes to an understanding of the history of the Shire. Published in 2008 immediately prior to the Black Saturday bushfires of February 7 2009, it documents sites that were impacted, and in some cases destroyed by the fires. It includes photographs taken especially for the publication, creating a unique time capsule representing the Shire in the early 21st century. It remains the most recent comprehenesive publication devoted to the Shire's history connecting local residents to the past. Paperback; x, 198 p. : ill., ports. ; 30 cm.Signed by the authornillumbik shire, houses, buildings, weller's hotel, landmarks, bend of islands

Originally catalogued around 1998 as John Cochrane in front of Shillinglaw Cottage, this is now believed to be Thomas Cochrane born 1817 in Ireland. The photograph is a reproduction of a low-resolution, poor-quality photograph. Shillinglaw Cottage is significant to Eltham’s local history. It is one of the earliest known buildings still in existence. Records suggest that the cottage was built circa 1859 by a man named Cochrane, believed to be Thomas Cochrane, in conjunction with George Stebbings though it is not known what Stebbings’s contribution was. It is believed Stebbings owned the cottage between 1874 and 1888. According to Margaret Ball’s (2017) book "Shillinglaw Family of Eltham 1660-2007", Thomas Cochrane and family lived there from 1867 to 1874 however this is contrary to the records of assessable rates levied by the Eltham District Road Board, established in 1858, which shows Cochrane was the owner occupier (in Little Eltham) of approximately 25 acres of cultivated land and 25 acres of pastureland upon which a hut was sited in 1860. It is suspected that George Stebbings may have acquired the property from Cochrane in 1874 as it is noted that he had a tenant for a period, James Rossiter, who was the editor for the Evelyn Observer in Kangaroo Ground in 1874 (LATE SHIRE OFFICE AT KANGAROO GROUND (1934, February 16). Advertiser (Hurstbridge, Vic. : 1922 - 1939), p. 5. Retrieved February 25, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article56743657). In 1881 Phillip Shillinglaw became the ratepayer for the cottage though Stebbings retained ownership until 1888 at which time it was transferred to Shillinglaw. Thomas Cochrane was born in Ireland in 1817 and died at Collingwood 1877. He married Sarah Jane Casey at St James, Melbourne in 1846. They had eight children: • Elizabeth Jane Cochrane born 1847, Keelbundoora • Sarah Cochrane born 1849, Keelbundoora • William John Cochrane born 1854, Eltham • Isabella Mary Cochrane (Cochren) born 1855, Eltham, my Great grandmother • Mary Cochrane born 1857, Eltham • Thomas Cochrane born 1859, Eltham • William James Cochrane born 1861, Eltham • Margaret Anne Cochrane (Cochran) born 1863, Eltham Information received from Richard Stone in 2019, a 2nd-great grandson of Thomas Cochrane suggests that during the early 1930s, one of Isabella’s daughters and her family attended cricket matches at Eltham. The mother and a daughter (Richard’s cousin) would wander around Eltham and a cottage in the main street backing onto the cricket ground. The cousin remembers well her mother telling her that her mother, Isabella Cochrane, lived in the cottage as a young girl. The family also had a similar or the same photo of a man standing in front of the cottage. When the Cochrane family left the cottage in 1874, Thomas Snr would have been 57 and Thomas Jnr 15 and William 13. The man in the photo has a dark and substantial beard. Therefore, it is unlikely to be Thomas Jnr or William and most likely Thomas Snr. The photo is of poor quality and low resolution however, there is little grey evident in his beard. It was possibly taken when Cochrane was a younger man shortly after the cottage was built, circa 1865. When the Eltham District Road Board was established in 1858, the forerunner to Eltham Shire Council, Thomas Cochrane was listed as the occupier/owner of two assessable parcels of farmland in Little Eltham: one of 21 acres of pastureland and another 22 acres of cultivation land. George Stebbings was not recorded as an occupier or landowner. In 1859 and 1860 a Joseph/Joshua Stebbings was recorded as the occupier of a hut owned by G. Atkinson. A hut was recorded on Cochrane’s pastureland parcel in 1860 and this parcel increased in size to 36 acres in 1861 and grew further in size by 1863. George Stebbings first appears as the owner/occupier of a hut in Eltham in 1861, also 1862 and 1863. This is most likely his cottage (still standing in present day) in Pitt Street adjoining the Eltham Hotel property owned by Benjamin Wallis where he was residing in 1867 when they both sued each other for trespass. (POLICE. (1867, August 9). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 7. Retrieved February 25, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5774640) Thomas Cochrane was appointed one of the original trustees of the ground set aside for Eltham Cemetery in Feb 1860 (GOVERNMENT GAZETTE. (1860, February 11). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 7. Retrieved February 25, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5676991)A very early photo of Shillinglaw Cottage with its original builder and owner/occupier, Thomas Cochrane. Cochrane was also a founding Trustee of the Eltham Cemetery Trust. Reproduction of sepia photographshillinglaw cottage, eltham, eltham cemetery trust, evelyn observer, george stebbings, james rossiter, little eltham, phillip shillinglaw, thomas cochrane

This black and white image appears on page 9 "Painters and Pioneers: One hundred years of Eltham and its Shire" by Alan Marshall (1971). (It is incorrectly acknowledged as S.T. Gill in the acknowledgements). It relates to Chapter 1 "The Beginning" and the description of explorer's Joseph Gellibrand journey through the area (and beyond) of the area now known as Eltham and wider Shire of Nillumbik. Gellibrand was accompanied by male aborigines. William Macleod (1850-1929) was a contributor to the "Picturesque Atlas of Australia" 1886. Described in "The Daily Telegraph" 21 June 1924 :"Macleod is a preserver of the scenic records of his own time, inasmuch as he has furnished posterity with many view of towns, rivers, and other localities, as they appeared in the years 1886-8. Among these, he has given us ...a blackfellow throwing a spear...' Image first published 1886. Image re-published in "Painters and Pioneers", 1971 pioneers and painters, aborigine, spear, drawing, william macleod, picturesque atlas of australia, aboriginal australian