Inspired by a visit to the USA in the early 1950s, Hoyts' Southern Division manager George Griffith Jnr, formed a syndicate to build Australia’s first Drive-in located in Burwood. Drive-ins soon spread throughout the country. One of the earliest Skyline Drive-ins in rural Victoria was built in Wodonga, opening in 1956. It was located on the southwest corner of Melrose Drive and Melbourne Road and had a capacity of 643 vehicles. Its first screening was "The Broken Lance" with Richard Widmark, Spencer and Robert Wagner. The first manager of Skyline was Jim Robinson. The original screen was made from timber but had to be replaced only 20 years later with an all steel structure. The Wodonga Skyline became part of the Hoyts Country Theatres circuit and was later joined by the Stargazer drive-in located in Albury. Unlike most drive-in theatres, the snack bar was located under the screen. This allowed it to operate during the day to cater to travellers passing on the Hume Highway. When Hoyts decided to sell most of the regional circuit, the Skyline was purchased by the operator of the Albury Cinema, Mr A. Smith in conjunction with Village Roadshow. The Skyline closed in 1984 and was demolished in 1987. Its former location in Wodonga is now a housing estate whose street names, such as Roadshow Drive, Universal Court and Paramount Court, reflect the area’s history.These photos are significant because they document a popular venue in Wodonga's past.A series of photographs depicting the Skyline Drive-in at Wodonga.skyline drive-in, entertainment wodonga, businesses wodonga

A photo of Professor Geoffrey Blainey speaking at a the public launch of Legacy Week at the ANZ Pavilion at the Victorian Arts Centre. The date is 23 August 1988. Also a photo of John Lady and Terry Hawksley. The attached label says: " Melbourne Legacy held its first official public launch - a luncheon for Melbourne's leading business community at the ANZ Pavilion at the Victorian Arts Centre to highlight 'Legacy Week'. Professor Geoffrey Blainey, AO, addressed the guests and was joined by Legacy's 1988 personality, Australia's first under 4 minute miler, John Lady." They were in a folio of photos from 1988. (see also 001042 to 01049) From Wikipedia: "Geoffrey Norman Blainey AC, FAHA, FASSA (born 11 March 1930) is an Australian historian, academic, philanthropist and commentator with a wide international audience. Biographer Geoffrey Bolton argues that he has played multiple roles as an Australian historian: He first came to prominence in the 1950s as a pioneer in the neglected field of Australian business history....He produced during the 1960s and 1970s a number of surveys of Australian history in which explanation was organized around the exploration of the impact of the single factor (distance, mining, pre-settlement Aboriginal society).... Blainey next turned to the rhythms of global history in the industrial period.... Because of his authority as a historian, he was increasingly in demand as a commentator on Australian public affairs." From the name badges the attendees included: 1. Geoffrey Blainey. 2. John Landy and Terry Hawksley. 3. A girl and L/ Geoff Swan. 4. L/ David Millie and Jim Madden. 5. John ? and L/ Colin Bannister. 6. Patsy Adam-Smith (?) and artist Geoffrey Mallett. 7. ? and Jim Dickson. 8. Peter Prior and Abe Birmingham. 9. President Chas Wilks speaking. 10. President Chas Wilks and Rupe Thomas.A record of celebrities being involved in promoting Legacy Week in 1988 and an official launch at Victorian Arts Centre.Colour photo x 10 of public launch of Legacy Week in 1988.Yellow paper label explaining the event in black type.legacy week, legacy promotion, speakers

ill, maps, p.448.non-fictionPersonal recollections from railwayman Denny Ellis of his time on the New South Railways government railways in the 1950s and 1960s.railroad operations - new south wales - history, railways - new south wales - personal reminiscence

ill. p.104.non-fictionHistoric photographs of the Victorian Railways from the 1950s to 1983.railroads -- australia -- victoria -- history., railroads -- victoria -- history.

ill, p.222.non-fictionA History of Victoria railway's Diesel and Electric Locomotives from the 1950s to the 2010s.locomotives - australia - history, locomotives - victoria - history

ill, p.108.non-fictionA pictorial history of streamlined diesels in Australia with the 'Dilworth' profile nose, from the 1950s to 2004.locomotives -- australia -- history, diesel locomotives - australia - history

The celebration of Queen Victoria's birthday on May 24 was renamed Empire Day in 1903 after her death in 1901. It was celebrated throughout the British Empire, including in Australia. Ballarat schools marched in procession with a salute at the Town Hall before attending church services at their respective churches. By the late 1950s the celebration became Commonwealth Empire Day the reference to Empire being dropped by the 1960s.These form part of a large family collection of bookmarks and local & family history items at Hymettus Cottage, home to the same family for the past 125 years in 2024. They have a well documented provenance and a known owner forming part of a significant and representative historical collection that reflects Ballarat's local history from a family perspective. They contribute to our understanding of social and family life in twentieth century Ballarat and providing interpretative capacity for family, local, and social history themes.Three Empire Day cardboard bookmarks each featuring an illustrated crown, with crossed Australian and British flags, each bookmark trimmed in gold. The first is simply for Empire Day and two commemorate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and the 1953 Royal Visit respectively.nil,empire day, royal visit, bookmarks, empire day movement, melbourne, coronation year 1953

The tintype (or ferrotype or Melainotype) was produced on metallic sheet (not, actually, tin) instead of glass. The plate was coated with collodion and sensitized just before use. It was introduced by Adolphe Alexandre Martin in 1853. The most common size was about the same as the carte-de-visite, 5.5cm x 9.0cm, but both larger and smaller ferrotypes were made. The smallest were "Little Gem" tintypes, about the size of a postage-stamp, made simultaneously on a single plate in a camera with 12 or 16 lenses. They were often produced by travelling photographers, and were cheaper than Ambrotypes so made photography available to working classes, not just to the more well-to-do. The print would come out laterally reversed (as one sees oneself in a mirror). Being quite rugged, tintypes could be sent by post. Tintypes were eventually superseded by gelatin emulsion dry plates in the 1880s, though street photographers in various parts of the world continued with this process until the 1950s. (Above information abridged from http://www.rleggat.com/photohistory/history/tintype.htm) The firm of Gove and Allen opened in Sydney in 1880 and were responsible for the belated popularizing of the gem tintype in Australia. The firm traded as both The American Gem Studio and The American Studio. Others franchises were opened in Melbourne, Ballarat and Sandhurst (Bendigo). The Sandhurst branch closed in 1882 and Adelaide in 1884. All Gove and Allen studios had ceased trading by 1885. The studio addresses were: 23 King William St, Adelaide; 324 George St, Sydney; 95 Swanston St, Melbourne; Howard Place, Sandhurst; 7 Queen St, Brisbane; The card mounts used in Gove and Allen studios in Australia are identical to those used in America. They were initially made of plain white card with embossing around the oval image opening in the mount while some also had simple geometric and floral printed designs as well. Although Gove and Allen studios produced the majority of gem tintypes in Australia, other studios offered them including: - London, American & Sydney Photo Company, 328 George St, Sydney; - David Edelsten, 55 & 57 Bourke St, Melbourne; - Burman's Portrait Rooms, St. George's Hall, 209 Bourke St, Melbourne; - Bell's Gem Portrait Studio, 57 Bourke St East, Melbourne; - R. H. Kenny, Bridge St, Ballarat; - Marinus W. Bent, Sandhurst (Bendigo); - George Fisher, Victoria; - Anson Brothers, Hobart Town. (Abridged information from http://members.ozemail.com.au/~msafier/photos/tintypes.html) .5) A tintype portrait of a child, attached to a card. little gem, photography, child, portrait