Grampians Halls Gap (Wonderland Range). Part of a collection of Photographs by Mr. O.G. Armstrong as commissioned by the Shire of Stawell for the Inter-colonial and Paris Exhibition in Melbourne in 1866. Although little is known of the lifestyle of the Grampians, Aborigines. Evidence of their thousands of years occupation exists in the form of campsites and Ochre and Pipeclay drawings on the smooth surfaces of rock shelters. There are 40 or more aboriginal art galleries known to be in the Grampians, most of which have been discovered in the past 25 years. Some of these shelters are accessible to visitors. stawell

Grampians Halls Gap (Barney’s Castle). Part of a collection of Photographs by Mr. O.G. Armstrong as commissioned by the Shire of Stawell for the Inter-colonial and Paris Exhibition in Melbourne in 1866. In 1880 a branch line from Stawell Railway Yards was built to Heatherly Quarry, to carry stone for part of Parliament House Melbourne, the GPO in Elizabeth St, the Harbour Trust buildings, additions to the Melbourne Town Hall, the Stawell Courthouse Patrick Street and the Stawell Catholic Church in Patrick St. The line was taken over by the Railways Department in June 1905 and was closed in March 1949. It has since been removed but remnants of the machinery and buildings are visible at the quarry site. stawell

Grampians Halls Gap. Part of a collection of Photographs by Mr. O.G. Armstrong as commissioned by the Shire of Stawell for the Inter-colonial and Paris Exhibition in Melbourne in 1866. From about 1860 there was agitation for a water supply, not only for Stawell but for the Wimmer Mallee as well. In 1887 Wartook was adopted as the first reservoir for the Wimmer. Stawells water supply was designed by Mr. John D’Alton. The scheme came from Fyan’s Creek via Wooden Fluming and a Syphon and finally through the mountain in a tunnel, before being piped to a reservoir on Big Hill. The system was completed in December 1881 and although there have been modifications, basically it has not been changed to this day. The Wimmera Mallee stock and domestic system from the Grampians is the largest system of its kind in the world, the latest edition being like Belfield and piping of Wimmera channels. stawell

Until the closure 40 years ago, the Myrtlebank Guesthouse near Halls Gap in the Grampians was a thriving family - run business. In 1962, all that changed when the government of the day purchased the land on which the guesthouse stood and some neighbouring farms and houses. For almost 40 Years, the remains of the buildings have been submered under the man made reservoir known as Lake Bellfield. Due to drought, the eater levels have dropped steadily and, in the past month, the memories underneath Lake Bellfield have come to the surface. Local resident Don warren 70, has been to have a look. His grandmother Anne Flower Warren, was 56 when she opened the guesthouse in 1916. Widowed, the year before after a horse kicked her farmer husband, Mrs Flower needed to provide for their large family. "She had 13 children - seven daughters. I think she built it to look after the girls," Mr Warren says, "The whole think was built on a 500 acre farm." With the guesthouse sited in the centre of the farm, the land was divided between two of her sons- Mr Warren's uncle working one side and his father taking the other. For Mr Warren, the grounds of the two-storey guesthouse were an extension of a huge rural playground in what he remembers as an idyllic childhood. "I used to get taken over there and I'd sit there and watch her make all the toast for the guests. It was quite full all the time - maybe 40 or 50 people. It was a great big place - very grand. In the bedrooms I can remember the great big bowls full of water to wash your face in. There was a big dining room, too. My grandmother was a great cook." By the time of Mrs Warren's death in 1936, her eldest daughter also Anne, had officially taken over the running of the business. "It was in the family right until the last bit. The youngest daughter, Auntie Hilda, took it over right at the end. they got a notice to say that's it - it's over There was no way out of that one." Mrs Ida Stanton, 78, is the historian for the Halls Gap and Grampians Historical Society. Can she remember it when it all happened? "Of course" she says "It's only 40 years ago" Her memories of Myrtlebank are of a place popular with honeymooners, who would often return year after year, bringing their families with them. "There was a lovely ballroom where they used to invite the Gap people and the tourists in to have balls. During the war it was one means of making money to send stuff over to the soldiers." Seeing just the stumps of the guesthouse and what had been his family home, Mr Warren says the bitterness is still there. "The hardest part was poor old dad. He was 70 years old when he got turfed out. Dad had been a farmer all his life - 214 acres, he had, and he got 22,000 quid. Had to move into town" Also showing beneath the drying lake is the concrete slab of the new home Mr Warren planned after his marriage to wife Anne in 1955. Another lost dream. " I was the only child, I was going to take over the farm, but that all changed. You can't take it over when it's full of water.Newspaper clipping of history of Myrtlebank by Don Warren and photo of Don at old site of pooland guest House photo Article by Claire Halliday from newspaper 2002accommodation, guesthouses, myrtlebank

The Halls Gap Swimming Pool. ' Caravaners who visit Halls Gap will find facilities for up to 200 caravans, shelter, water laid on, swimming pool, paddling pool for children, with swings &:firewood, kitchen comfort station with showers, lounge and sewered conveniences under the care of a reliable and courteous caretaker. Stores and bowsers are close handy. Milk and bread are delivered at the camp each day and meat four times a week. The fees are 7/0 for first week and 5/0 a week thereafter." article from Argus Mon.15/1/1940 article with photograph aboveThe photo shows a swimming pool (Halls Gap pool) with a building in the background. Women and children are in the pool, seated around the edge and on the surrounding grassy areas. There is sunlight reflecting on the water. Bush can be seen in the background.recreation, swimming pool

The Halls Gap Swimming Pool.The photo shows a swimming pool with adults and children swimming and around the edges. There is a building in the left background. Heavily wooded trees and bush can be seen in the background. There is a path around the pool visible in the foreground.recreation, swimming pool

This is a photo of a fancy dress party in the old Halls Gap Hall. The hall is lit by oil lamps.The photo shows a large group of people, some dressed in fancy dress, grouped in rows for the photo. In the background is a wooden slat wall of a building with the framework visible. There is a large light in the centre, top of the photo and thick cables/wires extend from it to the edges.buildings, halls, recreation, parties

This is a photo of the "Queen Competition", probably the best remembered entertainment of the 1930's. Four local lasses were chosen to represent the following: Bellfield Hotel, Grampians House, The Cricket Club and the Grampians Mountains. When the long awaited evening came each Queen and her attendants paraded through the hall, the results were announced and the winner (who this year was Valerie Evans) took her place on a throne erected in the middle of the stage. The other Queens made their way to thrones on either side of her. The audience were treated to a right royal display as the "Bishop" placed a crown on the winner's head. Much merriment followed including a play, with students dressed as Minnie and Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters. For the names of the people in the photo refer to "Bridging the Gap" by Ida Stanton, p.88. The photo shows a group of people arranged on and below a dais. There is a woman dressed as royalty sitting on a throne in the centre, flanked by a man dressed as a bishop on the left and a man dressed as a courtier on the right. There are two young girls in long white dresses wearing flowered bands in their hair standing in front of the men. There are more girls in white dresses and flower bands along both sided of the dais and two youths wearing ruffle fronted shirts and holding batons/walking sticks(?) at the front of each row of girls. Carpeted steps lead down from the dais and in front of the dais on either side are two boys dressed as pages. Flower arrangements flank the foot of the stairs.recreation, entertainment

It is believed that the three stone cottages in the area were built c.1930 by Italian stonemasons. This cottage is a single room with open fireplace at one end. A hole was dug in the floor inside which a small drum was sunk and covered by a wooden lid. It served as a cool box for the storage of perishable food. It is not known when the cottage was last occupied but during the 1970s the drum was removed and the pit filled in for safety reasons. Photo shows 6 men standing in front of stone cottage at Heatherlie (Mt Difficult) quarry. Cottage made from sawnand off-cuts of stone with stone window frames and door lintel. Rough bush-pole awning at right hand end of cottage.houses, mt difficult quarry

Heatherlie quarryHeatherlie Quarry - Photo shows machinery in quarry; man in bottom right corner Mr F.R. Fameco of 'Heatherlee' Ararat at the Heatherlie Quarries Halls Gap written on backmining, mt difficult quarry

Heatherlie quarryHeatherlie Quarry - Photo shows Stone-mason's cottage in a state of disrepair and before renovations. Building has no roofquarrying, mt difficult quarry

Heatherlie QuarryStone-mason's hut Heatherlie Quarry - Photo shows Stone-mason's cottage in a state of disrepair and before renovations. Building has no roofquarrying, mt difficult quarry

Heatherlie quarryStone-mason's hut Heatherlie Quarry - Photo shows Stone-mason's cottage in state of disrepair and before renovations. Building has no roof; gumtree stands in centre foreground quarrying, mt difficult quarry

This copy b/w - other 2 copies catalogued separately (both coloured) Heatherlie quarry Heatherlie quarry - Photo shows 2 people standing in quarry. Machinery; in foreground; rock-face middle distancequarrying, mt difficult quarry

Heatherlie QuarryHeatherlie Quarry - Photo shows 2 people standing in quarry. Machinery in foreground; rock-face middle distancequarrying, mt difficult quarry

Heatherlie QuarryHeatherlie Quarry - Photo shows 2 people standing in quarry. Machinery in foreground. Rock-face middle distancequarrying, rocklyn

Heatherlie quarry - Photo shows a large piece of equipment front right. Three men & a woman standing in front of rock wall. Pool of water middle leftquarrying, mt difficult quarry

Occasional picnic trains took large groups of visitors to the base of the mountain range & sometimes as far as the quarry. Other journeys terminated at Fyans Creek station on the south side of Mt Dryden. Most trips were Sunday School & Church outings, some on the annual Good Friday picnic. Spring was also a popular timePhoto shows train at siding. Man standing on engine roof with bucket in hand; woman in right hand corner of photo looking on; passenger looking out of open doorway. R333 written on back of engine car. Engine turned back to fronttransport, trains

Heatherlie Quarry - Photo shows passenger train leaving Heatherlie (engine at front). Tents top-left corner. Stables(?) middle background. misc industries, bee-keeping

Heatherlie Quarry Picnic train - Photo shows passenger train leaving Heatherlie (engine at front). Tents top left corner. Stables(?) from John Payne - Willaura copied from a friend from ? ? (words indecipherable) - written on back of phototransport, trains

Heatherlie Quarry. . Shows equipment working rock-face with pool of water in foreground'From the Weekly Times, September 1902" written on backquarrying, mt difficult quarry

Picnic poster advertising Annual Picnic Mount Dryden Good Friday March 31st 1899media, flyers

Railway survey camp 1880 After choosing the route, the rail survey was undertaken followed by the construction of the line in less than a year. By Nov 1881 access by rail for Heatherlie to Melbourne was a reality Railway survey camp Heatherlie quarry; 11 men, some standing, some reclining in front of 6 army style tentsstructures, tents

Part of rockface at Heatherlie Quarryquarrying, mt difficult quarry

Watkins created his sculpture for an exhibition in Melbourne 1866: "I dressed the pillar about 2 foot 6 inches high and 16 inches square and proceeded to carve in each panel representation characteristic of Victoria 1st Panel a Kangaroo in a small scrub thicket, 2nd an Emu amongst a clump of little flowering correa; 3rd the Wimmera Down and on the 4th side my name and the date AD 1866 On the top of the pillar was an urn of globular form to represent the seed pod of the Eucalypti with spreading leaves underneath" Extract taken from 'Victoria's Wonderland' a Grampians history Monument now in private handsHeatherlie Quarry; Obelisk : Photo shows stone monument created by Francis Watkins using materials from quarry Photo shows two sided view of monument with large stone on topquarrying, mt difficult quarry

Photocopy of map of Heatherlie TownshipTownship of Heatherlie; Parish of Boroka; County of Borung; scale measurement; R.O. Robson Authorised Surveyormaps, heatherlie township

Map showing layout for township of HeatherlieTownship of Heatherlie; Parish of Boroka; County of Borung; scale measurement; R.O. Robson Authorised surveyormaps, heatherlie township

Photo shows old rail bridge, surrounded by bush & passing over what appears to be a creek. Bridge is supported by wooden trestles. structures, bridges

1880-1902 Land owned by Robert and Sarah Graham who owned a large portion of land best described as Upper Fyans Valley. At some time after 1880, they sold a parcel of the land under Sundial Peak to David Austin who built a slab hut. C1896, The land was sold to James and Amy Balmain which they named 'Bellfield' Amy was a daughter of John D/Alton who built the Stawell Water Supply System. Balmain purchased the vacant school cottage at Burnt Bridge and moved it to 'Bellfield' Over the next six years the house was enlarged to accommodate their growing family but sold in 1902 following the death of Amy Balmain.House with addition People leaving house by horse and carriage, people standing in groundsState Library Victoria, Rose's Australasian Views Victorian Series photographed and published by George Rose 123 Chapel St., Windsor, Victoriabuildings, houses, bellfield