This file contains eight items: 1/A one page typed summary of the history of the London Tavern by (noted in pencil) author J O'Donnell. Includes information on the licensees of the hotel from 1873-1927 (in duplicate) 2/Photocopy of black and white photo of London Tavern c. 1878. Shows sign 'J. Riordan, London Tavern and Store'. Shows Boot and Shoe Repair shop at end and two women outside and horse and buggy on road. 3/Photocopy of black and white photograph entitled 'London Tavern 1935' with handwritten note on reverse by unknown author identifying Mrs. A.C. Scott as Nominee 1929-1969 and identifying a man in the photograph as John Chas (Jack) Scott on left. Car parked at curb. Original print held in album 'Historical Caulfield to 1972'. 4/Half page written note listing the names of Nominees of the London Tavern from 1873-1895. Author unknown; undated. 5/'now&then' article on London Tavern showing three photos (from our files) and brief history. Melbourne Weekly Bayside 22/02/2012. 6/Black and white photograph of London Tavern, established 1886, currently 414 Hawthorn Road. Foreground includes a large crowd with bicycles noted by an unattributed source to be members of Camden Town Sports Club after a bicycle race c.1888. 7/Handwritten note showing John Guess as the proprietor of the London Tavern in 1867 and 1874. Noet is undated and author unknown. 8/Black and white photograph of the London Tavern with a 1970s style car parked in Sycamore Street. Date and photographer unknownhawthorn road, caulfield, london tavern, woods a.j., camden town sports club, gribble c., hotels, sporting clubs, scott a.c., guess john, guess louisa, evans rowland, riordan john, scott mrs., boot and shoe repair shop, vine beer house, balaclava road, hawthorn road, sycamore street, caulfield south, elsternwick, harley susan, mott h, nichols william h, o'donnell j, rosstown hotel, caulfield club hotel, grocer

View looking north along Main Road, Eltham from near present day Dudley Street. On the immediate left is the railway station. The large weatherboard building on the bend (opposite present-day Arthur Street) with signs for General Store, Refreshments and Summer Drinks painted on the side is Luther and Ada Haley’s General Store and Bakery, built 1902. This was the first building in what is now Eltham’s present shopping town centre. Haley previously ran the General Store and Bakery on the corner of Main Road and York Street until his lease expired and the premises were bought by Mrs Sarah Burgoyne in 1902. The store later was known as Staff's Store. Followed by the saleyards, entrance to station, slaughter yard and William J Capewell’s butcher shop. Contained within the saleyards facing the street, a small shelter with the name H.H. Clark upon it. Horace Harold Clark was the son of Eltham State School’s first Head Teacher, David George Clark. As well as being a farmer, he was an Estate Agent and conducted auction sales, presumably from this shelter. On the eastern (right) side of Main Street is Haley’s Paddock, which was used on occasions for community picnics. Capable of holding 10,000 people, with ample shade and hilly surroundings it was an ideal place for any community gathering such as the State Schools’ Picnic in 1904. A worker from the bakery store is standing in the gateway at the rear of the store observing the photographer. People in the ‘Sunday Best’ are milling in front of the bakery or strolling down the centre of Main Road. The picture was most likely taken on a Sunday. With the opening of the railway to Eltham in 1902, Melbourne residents would regularly enjoy a Sunday excursion journey on the train to Eltham for a day’s outing to the countryside or beyond to Hurstbridge from 1912 when the railway was extended. Picture dated as c.1910 based on similar picture published in the Weekly Times, Feb. 1912. Cross Ref: 609 (looking south), 612, 611 (later stage), 613.This photo forms part of a collection of photographs gathered by the Shire of Eltham for their centenary project book,"Pioneers and Painters: 100 years of the Shire of Eltham" by Alan Marshall (1971). The collection of over 500 images is held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library) and is now formally known as the 'The Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection.' It is significant in being the first community sourced collection representing the places and people of the Shire's first one hundred years.Digital image (4 x 5 inch negative missing - scanned from print) Printbaker, eltham, eltham railway station, general store, haley's paddock, luther haley, luther haley general store, main road, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, sign, summer drinks, butcher, railway station, w.j. capewell, eltham town centre, hot water, m.m. clark, eltham sale yards, eltham slaughter yard, staffs general store

Map of Main Road with listings of all properties (shops/homes) from Mount Pleasant Road through to Pryor Street from the 1930s on to about the 1970sandrew store, andrews newsagency, arthur street, babe taylor house, bakery, barbers blue gum store, blue gum, boarding house, bootmakers cottage, bottle shop, bradford butcher shop, bradford house, bradley house, brdbury house, bridge street, brooker, brougham steet, brown blacksmith, browne's grocer, bryant, burgoyne post office, burgoyne's shop, capewell butcher shop, catholic church, catholic school, chandlers lolly shop, cheddar black, chiropractor, cockcroft, commercial bank of australia, copelands chemist, copelands dairy, d. hall house, dave lyon house, david lyon house, dr cordner, dr loosli, dr r. bradbury, dudley street, eltham, eltham bakehouse, eltham courthouse, eltham fire brigade, eltham living and learning centre, eltham pre-school, eltham railway station, eltham shire office, eltham station masters house, eltham war memorial, f. collis store, feed store, fountain hotel, franklin street, gadd's blacksmith, gahan house, garnet burges, george bird grocer, gollings, grant house, harry hawker, headmaster's resience, henry street, hepburn house, hills house, isherwood house and shop, jack ryan, jack shallard, james house, jarrold cottage, jim ryan, john lyon house, kilpatrick, le brocq, leather and harness, len parsons, lock-up, lyon bros garage, main road, map, mathews house, mclean's produce store, mechanics institute, methodist church, methodist hall, milkbar, mills bootmaker, miss george, monteith house, mount pleasant road, mrs bradbury, mrs davis house, mrs jewell, mrs mbremner store, mrs morris shop, napoleon street, obelisk, panther place, peter gahan, pitt street, plumber, police residence, poultry and market garden, pryor street, railway house, rains newsagency, real estate agent, reeves general store, s. bradbury, shillinglaw cottage, staffs general store, stones mixed shop, tennis court, timber yard, w. walker, w.b. andrew corn store, warren's general store, water trough, watsons hotel, websters house, whitecloud cottage, whites general store, williams bootmaker, wingrove cottage, wingrove park, woodyard, york street, franco and co

In February 1965, Staffs Railway Store, the oldest business premises in the Eltham shopping district was demolished. Formerly a self-service grocery, restaurant and electrical repair shop, the building for many years housed Eltham’s only ‘family’ grocer and feed store. Earlier it had appeared to have been the town’s bakery. The building had been purchased in late March 1939 by Mr Eric N. Staff. At the time of E.N. Staff’s purchase there were huge bakers’ ovens located at the rear and the building also had a well and four toilets for employees. When the ‘pictures’ came to Eltham with the opening of the Eltham Public Hall across the road in 1941, Mr E.N. Staff extended the business and opened a milk bar and sweet shop. Further extensions re-established the tea rooms of days gone by. Mr E.N. Staff conducted business for about 15 years before handing over the reins to his son, Ray Staff. When his son Ray took over, the milk bar and tea rooms were closed for several years but the milk bar and was later re-opened and subsequently became a greengrocers and later again, a restaurant. The tea rooms section was converted to an electrical repair shop about 1955. Electoral Roll records for 1967 record Raymond Charles Staff at 929 Main Road, Eltham, grocer, and in 1968 at Lot 4, Hillcrest Avenue, Eltham, taxi truck operator. So it would appear that Ray continued to run the business for approximately two years after the original store was demolished and a new supermarket was built. Today, 929 Main Road is the Nongkhai Thai Restaurant and is precisely where the original Staffs store stood. Even though the facade has been modified at eye level with new larger windows, the upper facade is identical to that of the new Eltham Big Star Food Centre of 1965/66. But how did the original building, the oldest premises in the 1965 era shopping centre come about? On August 12th, 1902 at the Eltham Courthouse, appearing before T. Smallman, Esq,. Police Magistrate, and Messrs. W. Duncan and W.J. Taylor, Justices of the Peace is Luther Haley, baker. Wilfred Henry Johnston, by his agent Stanley Ernest Elder had applied for a warrant of ejectment under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1890 against Luther Haley from the bakery premises at the corner of Main Road and York Street. From the evidence presented we learn that Mrs Burgoyne of Eltham had purchased the property some months earlier from Mr Johnston, which consisted of a store and bakery establishment at Eltham occupied by Mr. Luther Haley, and whose lease expired some little time back, and up to the present time, Mr. Haley was not prepared to leave. He informed the court that he is unable to secure at Eltham a suitable house in which to carry on his business, but was building a place near the railway station which he expected to be done in about three weeks time, and he is then prepared to give up possession of the premises he now occupies. Mr Smallman informed the defendant, Luther Haley, that he will have to quit the premises in three weeks from the present date, and that a warrant of ejectment would be issued. However he also informed Mr Haley that he would order the warrant to lie in the office for three weeks from that date. The premises under construction referred to by Luther Haley in court were situated on the western side of Main Road, near the railway station slightly opposite present-day Arthur Street. It was opened around September 1902 as a General Store, Bakery and Tea Rooms. This was the original building in the present-day shopping precinct. At the time the only thing nearby was the railway station. Luther Haley’s business appeared to prosper and he would have catered to not only the locals abut also day visitors by train on Sundays coming up from Melbourne, offering fresh baked produce, tea rooms and summer drinks. The fields across Main Road running between present day Arthur Street and Luck Street were known as Haley’s Paddock and at times were used for community festivities and picnics. A newspaper report on the annual State schools picnic held at Haley’s Paddock on March 11, 1904 described it as “quite close to the railway station, and is quite capable of holding comfortably 10,000 people. With its ample shade and hilly surroundings, it is an ideal place for any gathering.” Luther Haley successfully ran his general store, bakery and tea rooms until 1917 when he and his family departed the district and moved to Westgarth Street in Northcote where he changed careers and became a publisher. It was then taken over by Hannah Lloyd and became known as Lloyd’s Railway General Store from 1917 to 1920. From then it had a succession of owners, one as short as two months until March 31, 1939 when the Grocery Business formerly carried on by Mr. T.K. White of Eltham for the previous eight years was purchased by Mr Eric N. Staff of Research and became known as E.N. Staff’s Railway Store. The ownership timeline for the store is as follows: Luther Haley Sep 1902-1917 Hannah Lloyd 1917-c.Feb 1920 Messrs J.R. & N.E. Lee 1920-Sep 1922 A. & E. Copeland Sep 1922-Sep 1925 Mr Price Sep 1925-Nov 1925 Mr Warren Nov 1925?-Nov 1926 A.W.J. Edwards Nov 1926-1931 T.K. White 1931-Mar 1939 Eric Staff Apr 1939-c.1954 Ray Staff c.1954-Feb 1965 then demolished Ray Staff Eltham Big Star Food Centre c.1965-1967 Digital file only from scan of copy on loan to EDHSa. copeland, a.w.j. edwards, big star food centre, e. copeland, eltham, eric staff, general store, hannah lloyd, j.r. lee, lloyd's general store, luther haley, main road, n.e. lee, price, ray staff, staffs general store, supermarket, t.k. white

In February 1965, Staffs Railway Store, the oldest business premises in the Eltham shopping district was demolished. Formerly a self-service grocery, restaurant and electrical repair shop, the building for many years housed Eltham’s only ‘family’ grocer and feed store. Earlier it had appeared to have been the town’s bakery. The building had been purchased in late March 1939 by Mr Eric N. Staff. At the time of E.N. Staff’s purchase there were huge bakers’ ovens located at the rear and the building also had a well and four toilets for employees. When the ‘pictures’ came to Eltham with the opening of the Eltham Public Hall across the road in 1941, Mr E.N. Staff extended the business and opened a milk bar and sweet shop. Further extensions re-established the tea rooms of days gone by. Mr E.N. Staff conducted business for about 15 years before handing over the reins to his son, Ray Staff. When his son Ray took over, the milk bar and tea rooms were closed for several years but the milk bar and was later re-opened and subsequently became a greengrocers and later again, a restaurant. The tea rooms section was converted to an electrical repair shop about 1955. Electoral Roll records for 1967 record Raymond Charles Staff at 929 Main Road, Eltham, grocer, and in 1968 at Lot 4, Hillcrest Avenue, Eltham, taxi truck operator. So it would appear that Ray continued to run the business for approximately two years after the original store was demolished and a new supermarket was built. Today, 929 Main Road is the Nongkhai Thai Restaurant and is precisely where the original Staffs store stood. Even though the facade has been modified at eye level with new larger windows, the upper facade is identical to that of the new Eltham Big Star Food Centre of 1965/66. But how did the original building, the oldest premises in the 1965 era shopping centre come about? On August 12th, 1902 at the Eltham Courthouse, appearing before T. Smallman, Esq,. Police Magistrate, and Messrs. W. Duncan and W.J. Taylor, Justices of the Peace is Luther Haley, baker. Wilfred Henry Johnston, by his agent Stanley Ernest Elder had applied for a warrant of ejectment under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1890 against Luther Haley from the bakery premises at the corner of Main Road and York Street. From the evidence presented we learn that Mrs Burgoyne of Eltham had purchased the property some months earlier from Mr Johnston, which consisted of a store and bakery establishment at Eltham occupied by Mr. Luther Haley, and whose lease expired some little time back, and up to the present time, Mr. Haley was not prepared to leave. He informed the court that he is unable to secure at Eltham a suitable house in which to carry on his business, but was building a place near the railway station which he expected to be done in about three weeks time, and he is then prepared to give up possession of the premises he now occupies. Mr Smallman informed the defendant, Luther Haley, that he will have to quit the premises in three weeks from the present date, and that a warrant of ejectment would be issued. However he also informed Mr Haley that he would order the warrant to lie in the office for three weeks from that date. The premises under construction referred to by Luther Haley in court were situated on the western side of Main Road, near the railway station slightly opposite present-day Arthur Street. It was opened around September 1902 as a General Store, Bakery and Tea Rooms. This was the original building in the present-day shopping precinct. At the time the only thing nearby was the railway station. Luther Haley’s business appeared to prosper and he would have catered to not only the locals abut also day visitors by train on Sundays coming up from Melbourne, offering fresh baked produce, tea rooms and summer drinks. The fields across Main Road running between present day Arthur Street and Luck Street were known as Haley’s Paddock and at times were used for community festivities and picnics. A newspaper report on the annual State schools picnic held at Haley’s Paddock on March 11, 1904 described it as “quite close to the railway station, and is quite capable of holding comfortably 10,000 people. With its ample shade and hilly surroundings, it is an ideal place for any gathering.” Luther Haley successfully ran his general store, bakery and tea rooms until 1917 when he and his family departed the district and moved to Westgarth Street in Northcote where he changed careers and became a publisher. It was then taken over by Hannah Lloyd and became known as Lloyd’s Railway General Store from 1917 to 1920. From then it had a succession of owners, one as short as two months until March 31, 1939 when the Grocery Business formerly carried on by Mr. T.K. White of Eltham for the previous eight years was purchased by Mr Eric N. Staff of Research and became known as E.N. Staff’s Railway Store. The ownership timeline for the store is as follows: Luther Haley Sep 1902-1917 Hannah Lloyd 1917-c.Feb 1920 Messrs J.R. & N.E. Lee 1920-Sep 1922 A. & E. Copeland Sep 1922-Sep 1925 Mr Price Sep 1925-Nov 1925 Mr Warren Nov 1925?-Nov 1926 A.W.J. Edwards Nov 1926-1931 T.K. White 1931-Mar 1939 Eric Staff Apr 1939-c.1954 Ray Staff c.1954-Feb 1965 then demolished Ray Staff Eltham Big Star Food Centre c.1965-1967 Research and copy: Peter Pidgeon (EDHS) Digital file only from scan of copy on loan to EDHSa. copeland, a.w.j. edwards, big star food centre, e. copeland, eltham, eric staff, general store, hannah lloyd, j.r. lee, lloyd's general store, luther haley, main road, n.e. lee, price, ray staff, staffs general store, supermarket, t.k. white

Oregon timber beams and Jarrah flooring were salvalged by George Coop and incorporated into extensions undertaken to 68 Mount Pleasant Road, Eltham. Timber collection/storage for the house extension took years and much was stored on the front lawn for nearly ten years. The renovations were undertaken c.1983. Notice George's Rover P6 2000 (JXS507 (1968 registration)) which was sold in 1986.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodak Plus-X black and white negative transparency. Also 5 x 13 cm black and white print68 mount pleasant road, george coop collection, victoria docks, wool shed, eltham, houses, rover p6 2000

Oregon timber beams and Jarrah flooring were salvalged by George Coop and incorporated into extensions undertaken to 68 Mount Pleasant Road, Eltham. Timber collection/storage for the house extension took years and much was stored on the front lawn for nearly ten years. The renovations were undertaken c.1983.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodak Plus-X black and white negative transparency. Also 5 x 13 cm black and white print68 mount pleasant road, george coop collection, victoria docks, wool shed, eltham, houses

Oregon timber beams and Jarrah flooring were salvalged by George Coop and incorporated into extensions undertaken to 68 Mount Pleasant Road, Eltham. Timber collection/storage for the house extension took years and much was stored on the front lawn for nearly ten years. The renovations were undertaken c.1983.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodak Plus-X black and white negative transparency. Also 5 x 13 cm black and white print68 mount pleasant road, george coop collection, victoria docks, wool shed, eltham, houses

Oregon timber beams and Jarrah flooring were salvalged by George Coop and incorporated into extensions undertaken to 68 Mount Pleasant Road, Eltham. Timber collection/storage for the house extension took years and much was stored on the front lawn for nearly ten years. The renovations were undertaken c.1983.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodak Plus-X black and white negative transparency. Also 5 x 13 cm black and white print68 mount pleasant road, george coop collection, victoria docks, wool shed, eltham, houses

Oregon timber beams and Jarrah flooring were salvalged by George Coop and incorporated into extensions undertaken to 68 Mount Pleasant Road, Eltham. Timber collection/storage for the house extension took years and much was stored on the front lawn for nearly ten years. The renovations were undertaken c.1983.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodak Plus-X black and white negative transparency. Also 5 x 13 cm black and white print68 mount pleasant road, george coop collection, victoria docks, wool shed, eltham, houses

Oregon timber beams and Jarrah flooring were salvalged by George Coop and incorporated into extensions undertaken to 68 Mount Pleasant Road, Eltham. Timber collection/storage for the house extension took years and much was stored on the front lawn for nearly ten years. The renovations were undertaken c.1983.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodak Plus-X black and white negative transparency. Also 5 x 13 cm black and white print68 mount pleasant road, george coop collection, victoria docks, wool shed, eltham, houses

Oregon timber beams and Jarrah flooring were salvalged by George Coop and incorporated into extensions undertaken to 68 Mount Pleasant Road, Eltham. Timber collection/storage for the house extension took years and much was stored on the front lawn for nearly ten years. The renovations were undertaken c.1983.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodak Plus-X black and white negative transparency. Also 5 x 13 cm black and white print68 mount pleasant road, george coop collection, victoria docks, wool shed, eltham, houses

Oregon timber beams and Jarrah flooring were salvalged by George Coop and incorporated into extensions undertaken to 68 Mount Pleasant Road, Eltham. Timber collection/storage for the house extension took years and much was stored on the front lawn for nearly ten years. The renovations were undertaken c.1983.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodak Plus-X black and white negative transparency. Also 5 x 13 cm black and white print68 mount pleasant road, george coop collection, victoria docks, wool shed, eltham, houses

Timber beams were salvalged by George Coop and incorporated into extensions undertaken to 68 Mount Pleasant Road, Eltham. Timber collection/storage for the house extension took years and much was stored on the front lawn for nearly ten years. The renovations were undertaken c.1983.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodak Plus-X black and white negative transparency68 mount pleasant road, george coop collection, templestowe cool store, eltham, houses

Timber beams were salvalged by George Coop and incorporated into extensions undertaken to 68 Mount Pleasant Road, Eltham. Timber collection/storage for the house extension took years and much was stored on the front lawn for nearly ten years. The renovations were undertaken c.1983.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodak Plus-X black and white negative transparency68 mount pleasant road, george coop collection, templestowe cool store, eltham, houses

Timber beams were salvalged by George Coop and incorporated into extensions undertaken to 68 Mount Pleasant Road, Eltham. Timber collection/storage for the house extension took years and much was stored on the front lawn for nearly ten years. The renovations were undertaken c.1983.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodak Plus-X black and white negative transparency68 mount pleasant road, george coop collection, templestowe cool store, eltham, houses

Timber beams were salvalged by George Coop and incorporated into extensions undertaken to 68 Mount Pleasant Road, Eltham. Timber collection/storage for the house extension took years and much was stored on the front lawn for nearly ten years. The renovations were undertaken c.1983.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodak Plus-X black and white negative transparency68 mount pleasant road, george coop collection, templestowe cool store, eltham, houses

Timber beams were salvalged by George Coop and incorporated into extensions undertaken to 68 Mount Pleasant Road, Eltham. Timber collection/storage for the house extension took years and much was stored on the front lawn for nearly ten years. The renovations were undertaken c.1983.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodak Plus-X black and white negative transparency68 mount pleasant road, george coop collection, templestowe cool store, eltham, houses

Timber beams were salvalged by George Coop and incorporated into extensions undertaken to 68 Mount Pleasant Road, Eltham. Timber collection/storage for the house extension took years and much was stored on the front lawn for nearly ten years. The renovations were undertaken c.1983.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodak Plus-X black and white negative transparency68 mount pleasant road, george coop collection, templestowe cool store, eltham, houses

Timber beams were salvalged by George Coop and incorporated into extensions undertaken to 68 Mount Pleasant Road, Eltham. Timber collection/storage for the house extension took years and much was stored on the front lawn for nearly ten years. The renovations were undertaken c.1983.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodak Plus-X black and white negative transparency68 mount pleasant road, george coop collection, templestowe cool store, eltham, houses

Timber beams were salvalged by George Coop and incorporated into extensions undertaken to 68 Mount Pleasant Road, Eltham. Timber collection/storage for the house extension took years and much was stored on the front lawn for nearly ten years. The renovations were undertaken c.1983.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodak Plus-X black and white negative transparency68 mount pleasant road, george coop collection, templestowe cool store, eltham, houses

Timber beams were salvalged by George Coop and incorporated into extensions undertaken to 68 Mount Pleasant Road, Eltham. Timber collection/storage for the house extension took years and much was stored on the front lawn for nearly ten years. The renovations were undertaken c.1983.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodak Plus-X black and white negative transparency68 mount pleasant road, george coop collection, templestowe cool store, eltham, houses

Timber beams were salvalged by George Coop and incorporated into extensions undertaken to 68 Mount Pleasant Road, Eltham. Timber collection/storage for the house extension took years and much was stored on the front lawn for nearly ten years. The renovations were undertaken c.1983.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodak Plus-X black and white negative transparency68 mount pleasant road, george coop collection, templestowe cool store, eltham, houses

Timber beams were salvalged by George Coop and incorporated into extensions undertaken to 68 Mount Pleasant Road, Eltham. Timber collection/storage for the house extension took years and much was stored on the front lawn for nearly ten years. The renovations were undertaken c.1983.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodak Plus-X black and white negative transparency68 mount pleasant road, george coop collection, templestowe cool store, eltham, houses

Timber beams were salvalged by George Coop and incorporated into extensions undertaken to 68 Mount Pleasant Road, Eltham. Timber collection/storage for the house extension took years and much was stored on the front lawn for nearly ten years. The renovations were undertaken c.1983.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodak Plus-X black and white negative transparency68 mount pleasant road, george coop collection, templestowe cool store, eltham, houses

Timber beams were salvalged by George Coop and incorporated into extensions undertaken to 68 Mount Pleasant Road, Eltham. Timber collection/storage for the house extension took years and much was stored on the front lawn for nearly ten years. The renovations were undertaken c.1983.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodak Plus-X black and white negative transparency68 mount pleasant road, george coop collection, templestowe cool store, eltham, houses

Timber beams were salvalged by George Coop and incorporated into extensions undertaken to 68 Mount Pleasant Road, Eltham. Timber collection/storage for the house extension took years and much was stored on the front lawn for nearly ten years. The renovations were undertaken c.1983.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodak Plus-X black and white negative transparency68 mount pleasant road, george coop collection, templestowe cool store, eltham, houses

Timber beams were salvalged by George Coop and incorporated into extensions undertaken to 68 Mount Pleasant Road, Eltham. Timber collection/storage for the house extension took years and much was stored on the front lawn for nearly ten years. The renovations were undertaken c.1983.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodak Plus-X black and white negative transparency68 mount pleasant road, george coop collection, templestowe cool store, eltham, houses

Thursday, December 15, 1949, the quiet little bank was embroiled in an infamous wild shoot-out between a daring thief and two bank officers. Today, the building still carries the scars ; a bullet hole remains visible in a cedar bench testifying to the events that played out that day. 3.30 a.m., Friday, December 9. The manager of the Commercial Bank branch at Greensborough, Mr Harry Wallace and his wife are asleep in their bedroom of the little house behind the branch. Harry is awakened by a noise and sees an intruder in a corner of the bedroom. He calls out but the intruder who has switched off the power in anticipation flees through a side door and scarpers down Main Street. Harry summons the police but a search by First Constable Thomas of the Greensborough Police assisted by a wireless patrol car is unsuccessful. A report is filed noting the theft of a .25 calibre pistol from the wardrobe. Thursday, December 15th. It is 1pm and the Commercial Bank has just opened. The branch is only open Mondays and Thursdays from 1-3pm. The morning started off a little cool with some scattered showers but it has fined up and the temperature is now around 61 degrees (16 C). A new grey Singer sports car with soft-top pulls up on the opposite side of the road and a young man, neatly dressed in a dark blue suit, wearing a grey hat and carrying a brief case exits the vehicle. He looks around then crosses the road and walks up the steps and through the door into the bank. There are three people inside; Mr. Jack Burgoyne whose grocery store is situated just 50 yards up the road, Mr. Lindsay A. Spears, the Eltham Agency Receiving Officer and by chance, Mr Harry Wallace, manager of the Greensborough branch. Jack Burgoyne takes note of the young stranger; thinking to himself he appears nervous. The man approaches the counter and introduces himself as John Henderson of Greensborough and explains that he wishes to open a new account. He places his hat and £3 on the counter. Mr Spears attends to the paperwork. He asks the young man to sign two forms, which he does but then he withdraws from the counter and starts walking towards the door. Suddenly he spins around pulling an automatic pistol from his right-hand pocket. He exclaims forcefully; “The game’s on! I’ll take the lot!” Spears appears to comply by pretending to open a drawer. The man shouts loudly, “Keep your hand away from that drawer.” Spears instead reaches for a pistol in his pocket and challenges the man, “Here it is. Come and get it!” At the same time, Harry Wallace pulls a pistol from his pocket as well. The bandit fires a shot but misses, the bullet striking the counter. Both Spears and Wallace open fire and Jack Burgoyne ducks for cover. As the bandit turns and runs for the door leaving his £3 behind, he fires another shot, which strikes the ceiling. Spears fires back, and thinks he may have hit him in the foot. The bandit flees the bank and heads for the grey Singer car, registration NO-106, parked opposite. Wallace and Spears pursue him to the door and open fire again, striking the car three times around the driver’s door. Spears lets off eight shots and Wallace, seven before his gun jams. The getaway car initially heads slowly down Main Road towards Bridge Street. About 100 yards down the road, Dave Adams, a PMG employee, who has heard the shots, throws a steel manhole step at the driver. It hits the roof of the car nine inches above the driver’s head and tears the hood. Another witness claims to have seen the door blow open and the driver raise his hand. The car gathers speed and swings left into Bridge Street racing along at about 60 miles an hour careering recklessly past council employee, Mr. Percy Williams, who is driving a dray along Smarts Road [believed to be Bridge Street]. At the end of the road the Singer fails to get round the sharp turn and crashes into an embankment skidding to a stop outside the home of Mr John Clifford. One side of the car is wrecked. Mr Clifford, an aircraft engineer hears the fast travelling car bump heavily into the road bank at about 1.25 p.m. Hearing the whine of an engine he goes outside to find the grey Singer parked at the side of the road. Jack George also lives at the corner and hears the car crash. “The bandit opened the car door, ran 50 yards, and suddenly turned back,” exclaims Jack. “He took something from the car. It might have been a gun.” In his haste, the bandit drops his grey felt hat, size 6 7/8, on the road and dashes up Sherbourne Road for about 200 yards then disappears into the scrub carrying a brief case and a bundle in which a sailor’s cap can be seen. About 3 p.m., Mr H.D. Pettie of Mountain View Road, Montmorency is looking through his field glasses and notices a young man walking through thick scrub on private property some distance from his house. The man is wearing a sailor’s cap and disappears along the railway track toward Montmorency. As the day progresses, ten police cars, one motor cycle, and about 40 police led by Det. Sgt. McMennemin of Malvern CIB are searching for him. They believe he is hiding in thick scrub along the bank of the creek about half-a-mile outside Eltham township. Wireless patrol cars, four mobile traffic cars and the CIB area cars from Malvern and Kew are taking part. Police check the thief’s car and discover it was stolen from Helen Baxter, of Doncaster Road, North Balwyn from outside Victoria Barracks. Harry Wallace informs the police that he believes he recognised the bandit as the man who took his pistol from his bedroom the previous Friday morning. As night falls, armed police are posted at strategic points in the Eltham-Greensborough district. Police in cars are watching the roads. Others are searching the bush and checking passengers on trains. Little do they realise the young man has already slipped out of the net. SEQUEL YOUTH OF 19 CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED ARMED ROBBERY OF BANK AT ELTHAM Weekly Times, Wednesday 15 February 1950, page 6 Detectives who raided a house in Bell St., Coburg, Melbourne, charged a 19-year-old youth, of South Yarra, with attempted armed robbery at the Commercial Bank’s Eltham (Vic.) receiving depot on Dec. 15. Police say they recovered a loaded automatic pistol, diamond and signet rings worth more than £200, a complete set of house-breaking instruments, a sailor’s uniform, and chloroform gauze in the raid. The youth was charged that while armed with an offensive weapon, he attempted to rob Lindsay George Spears of a sum of money. He was further charged on six counts of breaking, entering and stealing. Police allege that the person who tried to hold up Mr Spears in the Commercial Bank receiving depot at Eltham on December 15. escaped in a stolen car, after Mr Spears and Mr Henry Wallace, manager of the bank’s Greensborough branch, had fired at him. After the car crashed, he escaped into thick scrub and is alleged to have changed into a sailor’s uniform. On December 9 an automatic pistol was stolen from Mr Wallace’s bedroom at the Greensborough bank. The chloroform pad recovered is alleged to have been stolen from the Dental Supply Company, Plenty Road, Preston. The rings are alleged to have been taken in a £513 burglary from the shop of James Paton. Sydney Road, Coburg. Det. Sgt. H. McMennemin conducted the investigations with Senior Dets. R. Newton and M Downie, Detectives l. Dent, R. Rayner, P. Pedersen and M. Handley and First Constable A. Thomas. The youth will appear at Eltham Court on February 22. Manager’s Gun Used in Holdup at Bank The Age, Thursday 23 February 1950, page 4 It was stated in Eltham court yesterday that a youth who robbed a bank manager of his pistol, later used it in an attempt to hold-up the bank. Kay Arthur Morgan, 19, draftsman, of Castle-street, South Yarra, was committed for trial on charges of breaking and entering, and stealing a pistol and attempted robbery while armed with an offensive weapon. He pleaded guilty. The manager of Eltham branch of the Commercial Bank of Australia Ltd., Henry Clifton Cabot Wallace, said he disturbed someone in the bedroom, in which he and his wife were sleeping, at 3 a.m. on December. 9, 1949. Later he found that his automatic- pistol was missing. On December 15 a youth, who said his name was John Henderson, entered the bank and opened a new account. As the youth was leaving the bank he turned round with a pistol in his hand and said: — “I want the lot.” Spear indicated a drawer under the counter; and said.— “Here it is. Come and get it.” The youth said:— “Keep your hand away from that drawer.” Witness said Spear then drew his pistol from his hip pocket. The youth fired at them, and Spear returned the fire. “I pulled my pistol and fired, too” said witness. The youth fired again, ran out to a car and drove off. Witness and Spear fired several shots at the car. The youth was the accused Morgan, sitting in court, witness said. Evidence was given that one bullet was found in the celling and the other in the bank. Morgan was allowed £100 bail on each charge. Morgan ended up serving three years for the failed armed robbery and became a notorious criminal. He had twin sons, Peter and Doug and even though only ten years old, Morgan would get his sons to act as lookouts whilst he committed burglaries. The lads became building contractors but when the industry suffered a downturn in 1977 and they were short on cash, they returned to the family business. Over the following 23 months they undertook 24 raids on country and outer-suburban TABs and banks. Whilst robbing one country bank for the third time, just like their father, it all went wrong ending up with a police officer shot. They were nick-named the “After-dark” bandits and are considered to be Australia’s last bushrangers. They were convicted and served 17 years in prison.5 x A4 photocopied pagesbank hold-up, cba bank, det sgt mcmennemin, eltham, h.d. pettie, harry wallace, jack burgoyne, kay arthur morgan, lindsay a. spears, main road