Murray Comrie Collection. Copy of an 1866 photograph by Aimé Marchand. In June 1866, Aimé Marchand (1846-1910) made a series of fourteen photographs which were submitted to the 1866-67 Melbourne Intercolonial Exhibition, where they earned a 1st Class Honorable Mention. This is one of those fourteen images. Of French or Belgian origin and possibly formerly an assayer in California, Marchand appears to have begun his practice of photography in Tarnagulla around 1865 as an assistant to A.B. Clay. By the following year he had settled in Portland, where he opened the Royal Photographic Studio in Gawler Street. From his base in Portland he toured surrounding districts, offering portrait and view services. Little else is known about his life. He appears to have left Australia in 1878. A misprint of his name in a local directory as Annie Marchand created the misconception that he was one of only a few named women photographers in the colonies. Monochrome photograph looking north down Commercial Road, Tarnagulla from the roof of the Council Chambers. tarnagulla, views, burstall hall, council chambers, local government, commercial road, local people, residents, aimé marchand, photographers

Murray Comrie Collection. Copy of an 1866 photograph by Aimé Marchand. Thomas Comrie's Exchange Store was at south end of Commercial Road, it has since been destroyed. In June 1866, Aimé Marchand (1846-1910) made a series of fourteen photographs which were submitted to the 1866-67 Melbourne Intercolonial Exhibition, where they earned a 1st Class Honorable Mention. This is one of those fourteen images. Of French or Belgian origin and possibly formerly an assayer in California, Marchand appears to have begun his practice of photography in Tarnagulla around 1865 as an assistant to A.B. Clay. By the following year he had settled in Portland, where he opened the Royal Photographic Studio in Gawler Street. From his base in Portland he toured surrounding districts, offering portrait and view services. Little else is known about his life. He appears to have left Australia in 1878. A misprint of his name in a local directory as Annie Marchand created the misconception that he was one of only a few named women photographers in the colonies. Monochrome photograph looking north down Commercial Road, Tarnagulla from the Wayman Street corner, opposite Thomson and Comrie's Exchange Store (at south end of Commercial Road).tarnagulla, views, thomas comrie, comrie exchange store, commercial road, local people, residents, aimé marchand, photographers

Murray Comrie Collection. Copy of an 1866 photograph by Aimé Marchand. Victoria Hotel and Theatre is the stone building at centre right. On the immediate left is Pierce's Southern Cross Store, later to be incorporated into the flour mill complex. The gentleman in the white hat in the group on the left is George Thomson. In June 1866, Aimé Marchand (1846-1910) made a series of fourteen photographs which were submitted to the 1866-67 Melbourne Intercolonial Exhibition, where they earned a 1st Class Honorable Mention. This is one of those fourteen images. Of French or Belgian origin and possibly formerly an assayer in California, Marchand appears to have begun his practice of photography in Tarnagulla around 1865 as an assistant to A.B. Clay. By the following year he had settled in Portland, where he opened the Royal Photographic Studio in Gawler Street. From his base in Portland he toured surrounding districts, offering portrait and view services. Little else is known about his life. He appears to have left Australia in 1878. A misprint of his name in a local directory as Annie Marchand created the misconception that he was one of only a few named women photographers in the colonies. Monochrome photograph looking south down Commercial Road, Tarnagulla from near the Victoria Hotel and Theatre, at northern end of Commercial Road.tarnagulla, views, victoria hotel and theatre, commercial road, local people, residents, aimé marchand, photographers

The Wodonga Historical Society Haeusler Collection provides invaluable insight into life in late nineteenth and early twentieth century north east Victoria. The collection comprises manuscripts, personal artefacts used by the Haeusler family on their farm in Wodonga, and a set of glass negatives which offer a unique visual snapshot of the domestic and social lives of the Haeusler family and local Wodonga community. The Haeusler family migrated from Prussia (Germany) to South Australia in the 1840s and 1850s, before purchasing 100 acres of Crown Land made available under the Victorian Lands Act 1862 (also known as ‘Duffy’s Land Act’) in 1866 in what is now Wodonga West. The Haeusler family were one of several German families to migrate from South Australia to Wodonga in the 1860s. This bowl is one of several objects in the Haeusler Collection concerning early childhood that provide insight into family and home life in early twentieth century Wodonga. The Hauseler Collection bowl was manufactured by Empire Porcelain Co (Ltd) in Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, England. Empire Porcelain Co (Ltd) was established in 1896 and manufactured bone china and earthenware until the company's closure in 1967. It can be dated to the first half of the twentieth century, likely c.1910s-1920s. Staffordshire became a centre for ceramic production in the 17th century due to the local availability of pottery materials including clay, salt, lead and clay. This item has well documented provenance and a known owner. It forms part of a significant and representative historical collection which reflects the local history of Wodonga. It contributes to our understanding of domestic and family life in early twentieth century Wodonga, as well as providing interpretative capacity for themes including local history, social history, and women’s history.Child's ceramic bowl with black print. The print in the centre of the bowl features a child with a wind instrument and three dancing cats. The outer rim of the bowl features a black circular print of roosters, dogs, cats, geese, rabbits and squirrels. The bottom of the bowl is embossed with details of manufacture. "ENGLAND" is embossed on bottom of the bowl via ceramic mould/ "EP.Co Stoke on Trent" is embossed on the bottom of the bowl in black via print. tableware, haeusler collection, children, ceramic, social history, domestic, family

Made in Nottingham, England by K. Evans. K. Evans Potteries in Nottingham has an intriguing history. During the construction of the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway Company’s new London line (now known as the Great Central) through Nottingham, several objects of antiquarian interest were discovered. Among these treasures was an ancient pottery kiln, buried for centuries beneath the soft yellow Bunter sandstone rock that forms a significant part of the city’s foundation. The excavation took place near the point where Parliament Street intersects the railway, at a depth of ten to twelve feet below the original surface. The credit for rescuing many of these pottery fragments from destruction goes to Mr. C. B. Wright, of the late firm I. & I. C. Wright & Co., Bankers. His dedication and ingenuity allowed him to piece together broken parts, sometimes assembling as many as thirty or forty fragments to form a single complete specimen. These pottery pieces provide a fascinating glimpse into the past. Here are some details about the pottery found at K. Evans Potteries: Material: The pottery is made of coarse, reddish-brown clay. Construction: Evidence suggests that the potter’s wheel was used in their creation. Ornamentation: The vessels lack decorative patterns, except for indented or grooved handles. These handles exhibit a crude attempt at foliation, with the potter’s thumb leaving its mark. Function: The pottery likely served practical purposes, such as carrying water, ale, mead, or wine. Stew jars and drinking vessels were also part of this collection. This discovery remains almost unique, and its age continues to intrigue local antiquaries. While theories about its origin are scarce, the K. Evans Potteries offer a fascinating glimpse into Nottingham’s ancient craftsmanship. Cylindrical brown pottery jar (Bottle) with broken neck section. Uneven and work appearance of glazed surface.'... Stone bottles. K. Evans. ...Potteries of Nottingham'ceramics, pottery, bottles

When I visit Merri-bek I wonder, when I step on the tarmac of the Barkly Square carpark, what was here before? In fact, at this spot and across Brunswick there were clay pits, which would feed the pottery workshops in Brunswick that produced the pottery, gargoyles and decorative items for Marvellous Melbourne homes and suburbs. Marvellous for those who had profited from gold, property and finance, not so for those working in the clay pits. My print is a contemplation on what is beneath our feet and our relationship to the ground. I am a design academic working at RMIT University and began my print and design practice on a Golding foot-treadle Letterpress machine.10Press brings together a diverse group of creatives who were invited to make a new artwork inspired by the theme of ‘Moreland: its creative future, its past or other hidden stories’. Artists were invited to respond to the prompt ‘Moreland’, using only one or two colours. This body of work was created in 2022 during a significant time in local history, which saw Council’s name change from ‘Moreland’ to ‘Merri-bek’. The printed bellyband of the folio highlights this transition, with the word ‘Moreland’ crossed out and replaced with Woiwurrung language name ‘Merri-bek’. Commoners Press is a Coburg-based print studio that works with artists and designers in Australia and abroad on short run projects. Established by Jan Brueggemeier, Rob Eales and Neal Haslem in 2017, Commoners Press focus on projects that are community-centred, experimental and sustainable. Donated by Commoners Press Letterpress print

Author Clay Lucas interviews many locals about life in Eltham throughout the years.5 page print copy of digital Newspaper article, text and black and white photographseltham history, eltham social conditions

Eltham's original Wesleyan Methodist Church Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p97 The pretty Uniting Church building at the corner of John and Main Roads Eltham has served the community since 1881.1 Originally called the Eltham Wesleyan Church, the church became the Eltham Methodist Church in 1902, the year it united with the Primitive Methodists.2 As the church community developed, influencing and being influenced by the wider community, its buildings changed accordingly. Eltham Wesleyans first worshiped together in 1850 at the home of William and Mary Crozier on 24 acres (9.7ha) bounded by Mount Pleasant Road and Pitt Street. From 1855 the Wesleyans worshipped in a slab-and-bark hut; then in 1858 in a chapel on Henry Street close to Maria Street (now Main Road). Meanwhile, in 1860, the Primitive Methodists opened a brick chapel at the corner of Susan and Bridge Streets. The John Street building – in the Early English Gothic style with biochrome brick window frames, buttress heads and pinnacle – was designed by architects Crouch and Wilson. Church member George Stebbing built the church as he did Eltham’s St Margaret’s Anglican Church and Shillinglaw Cottage. The Church Honour Roll is a poignant reminder of how church members have served the wider community: 27 members enlisted and 11 died in World War One. Despite the Great Depression, 1931 was a time of expansion for the church. Its red-brick hall was opened by prominent Methodist and philanthropist F J Cato of the Moran and Cato Grocery chain. The hall enabled the church to attract people from outside through activities like its gymnasium – with 40 boys and youth participating – and the girls’ callisthenics club, which competed at the Ballarat South Street Competitions. The church also held concerts, bazaars, picnics and sports, with badminton and tennis played on the church court at 23 John Street. Two stained-glass windows commemorate tragic events. A dove representing the Holy Spirit and Comforter marked the death in 1936 of member Effie Lowerson from scarlet fever at 14 years. The other depicting the Biblical story A sower went forth to sow, commemorates Ross Gangell, who died in 1961 at 23 years of a rare blood condition. Eltham’s population expanson resulted in the growth of the church and an extension in 1971, designed by member and architect Colin Jones. The church was linked to the hall and additions included a foyer, vestry, meeting room and toilets. The design reflected the Eltham style of the time, with its simplicity, extensive clear glass, reused baked clay-bricks from the 1881 church, heavy ceiling beams and solomite (compressed straw) ceiling. On June 26, 1977 the church became part of the new Uniting Church in Australia consisting of the former Methodist and Congregational and most of the Presbyterian Churches. In 1981 membership peaked at 159 – about 20 years after most Protestant churches – and continued to reach out to the wider community.3 In 1987, 147 children attended Selihoo, the weekly after-school program organised with St Margaret’s Anglican Church. From 1993, the church with other local churches, participated in LINC (Love in the Name of Christ), helping the wider community in various ways including babysitting, transport, gardening and visiting. Despite such initiatives, church numbers declined, and on June 23, 1996, the church merged with the Montmorency Uniting Church.4 However, the church continued to proclaim its message of love in community service and strong social justice action, such as in Jubilee 2000, supporting debt relief to the world’s 45 poorest countries. Some of the many church members who have had an outstanding impact on the wider community include Philip Shillinglaw, farmer and poet, and Arthur Bird (after whom the Arthur Bird Reserve is named), a pioneer orchardist and the Sunday School Superintendent for 33 years. Others were: the Rev Dr Cliff Wright, who established the Methodist Youth Fellowship and was prominent in the World Council of Churches, the Rev Brian Howe, who became Deputy Prime Minister and Tim Marshall, awarded the Order of Australia in 2000 for his work on salinity.This collection of almost 130 photos 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. nillumbik now and then (marshall-king) collection, eltham uniting church, eltham methodist church

Opened in 1891, the bridge formed part of the Maroondah Aqueduct carrying water from Watts River near Healesville to the reservoir at Preston where it joined Melbourne's metropolitan water system. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p99 Built to supply thirsty Melbourne in the late 19th century, the siphon bridge spanning the Plenty River off Leischa Court, Greensborough, was part of an engineering masterpiece. Opened in 1891, the bridge formed part of the Maroondah Aqueduct carrying water from the Watts River near Healesville to the reservoir at Preston where it joined the metropolitan distribution system. A major link in Melbourne’s water supply, it also had a huge impact on communities, which mushroomed along its route. Named after the Aboriginal word for the area around the Maroondah Reservoir, the Maroondah Aqueduct was fully operational until the 1970s. Since the 1980s the land along parts of the aqueduct have been used for walking and bicycle riding, shaded in places by Monterey Pine trees planted to stabilise the surrounding ground. From 1857 the Yan Yean Reservoir supplied Melbourne’s water but the growing city needed additional catchments.1 In 1886 work began on a weir on the Watts River to enable the aqueduct to carry most of the river water 41 miles (66km) to Melbourne. The aqueduct, built by the Board of Works, is the oldest remaining aqueduct near Melbourne and was probably the first built with concrete.2 Although the aqueduct is now only used between the Maroondah and Sugarloaf Reservoirs, it can still be traced across the Shire. It extends from the Maroondah Reservoir through Christmas Hills, Kangaroo Ground, Research, Eltham, St Helena and then previously wound west through Greensborough to Reservoir.3 Built by horse and manpower the aqueduct gravity fed 25 million gallons (113.6ML) of water a day to Melbourne along a gradient of one foot to the mile. It included 25 miles (41km) of open concrete and brick channel, six miles (10km) of tunnels, and nine miles (15km) of 14 inverted siphons of riveted wrought-iron across creeks. Bricks for the aqueduct were made from clay found near the sites and remains of several kilns can still be found between Kangaroo Ground and Christmas Hills. Building the aqueduct transformed local communities. An abattoir was established at Christmas Hills. Grog shanties and labourers’ camps sprang up and local courts dealt with cases of ‘petty pilfering and boisterous behaviour’.4 The Kangaroo Ground school population jumped to 91, crammed into a room with one teacher. Miners who built the tunnels camped just north of Churinga in Greensborough – then called Tunnel Hill Camp – and adjacent to the Evelyn Arms Hotel. The miners’ high spirits were sometimes quenched in horse troughs or by a ‘welt under the ear and kick on the behind’ as the local constable calmed them down rather than lock them up.5 But the growing city of Melbourne needed more water, so the O’Shannassy catchment, east of Warburton, was added to the system in 1914. In 1920 work began on the present concrete Maroondah Dam one mile (1.6km) from the weir on the Watts River. The aqueduct capacity was thus doubled to 50 million gallons (227ML) a day.6 Intense land development threatened to pollute the open water supply, so channel sections were replaced with large pipes. In the late 1960s a large water main was built from the tunnel outlet at Research and extended through St Helena and Greensborough, so this section of the aqueduct was taken out of use. Long sections of the unused open channels in Greensborough and Bundoora were destroyed, but the old channel in Research and Eltham North remained largely intact. In the 1970s, the Sugarloaf Reservoir was constructed, inundating 445 hectares of land in Christmas Hills. Sugarloaf was officially opened in 1980 and serves as a water storage and treatment plant supplying Melbourne. In the early 1980s pipes replaced the section from Sugarloaf Reservoir to the tunnel entrance at Kangaroo Ground. The Research-Kangaroo Ground tunnel operates as part of the pipeline system.This collection of almost 130 photos 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. nillumbik now and then (marshall-king) collection, maroondah aqueduct, pipe bridge, siphon bridge

Great Hall at Montsalvat built 1938-52, designed by Justus Jorgensen Covered under National Estate, National Trust of Australia (Victoria) State Significance, Victorian Heritage and Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p129 At first glance, Montsalvat, the artists’ community at Hillcrest Avenue, Eltham, could belong to another time and place. The French provincial Gothic-style buildings blend picturesquely with the introduced and native trees and farm animals on the five hectare property. But Montsalvat belongs very much to today’s Eltham, having inspired much of its creative activity and style. The use of mud-brick and recycled building materials, for which Eltham is so well-known, was largely popularised by Montsalvat. Montsalvat – unique in Victoria and probably in Australia – is registered by the National Trust and National Estate.1 Montsalvat, named after the castle of the Knights of the Holy Grail, has attracted artists and intellectuals since it was founded in 1934. For years at weekends, artists, lawyers, philosophers, politicians and others, who shared a love for what Montsalvat stood for, gathered for a meal and stimulating discussion. The focus for this gathering of talent was Justus Jörgensen, an eccentric man with vision and charisma. It was Jörgensen’s foresight that saw the creation of Montsalvat, which in 1975 was formed into a trust to benefit the Victorian people. The property was then valued at about three million dollars. It is now visited by thousands of people annually. Born in 1894 and brought up a Catholic, Jörgensen had trained as an architect. He later studied painting at the National Gallery School under artist, Frederick McCubbin, then joined the studio of artist Max Meldrum. In 1924, Jörgensen married medical student Lillian Smith, and with artist friends they travelled to Europe to study the great masters. In London Jörgensen exhibited in several major galleries. One of his still life paintings was included in the book The Art of Still Life by Herbert Furst, which featured 100 of the greatest ever still life paintings.2 In 1929, Jörgensen returned to Melbourne where Lil, now qualified, worked as an anaesthetist at St Vincent’s Hospital. They bought a small house in Brighton and Jörgensen rented a large building in Queen Street for his studio until the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria bought it in 1955. While designing and overseeing the building of a studio for his friend the famous cartoonist Percy Leason, in Lavender Park Road, Jörgensen decided to buy land for a country retreat in Eltham. So the building of Montsalvat began. Jörgensen gathered around a dozen of his friends and students from his Queen Street studio. They set to work, first at weekends then some decided to live permanently on the site. Jörgensen had seen mud-brick buildings in Spain and recognised that Eltham’s clay soil was ideal for mud-bricks and although labour intensive, it was a very cheap way of building. Jörgensen’s students and friends worked under his direction with the help of local tradesmen, including carpenter, Len Jarrold and later stone mason, Horrie Judd. In return Jörgensen would give the students a painting lesson or two. It was the Great Depression when many were out of work. Jörgensen also inspired people to give generously of money and materials. With their help Jörgensen found second-hand materials for building. Friends donated slate for roofing, discarded firebricks were used for flooring and windows and doors and a cast-iron circular staircase came from a wrecker. The students’ day started at 7am with building and domestic chores, shared equally between the sexes. The first building was used by his friends at weekends and then became a home for his wife Lil. It consisted of three rooms and an attic under a high-pitched roof. Jörgensen then built a similar structure with the same high-pitched roof as a more permanent home for his students. The two buildings were joined together with a tower and a studio for Jörgensen. While excavating for the studio a reef of yellow mud-stone was found and then used in construction. The next building was the Great Hall, to be used for dining, exhibitions and meetings and completed in 1958, after a halt during the war. Whelan the Wrecker donated the stone-framed windows from the building that housed the Victorian Insurance Co. in Collins Street, which had been demolished in the 1930s. The swimming pool was donated and cubicles were built for the students with their initials marked in tiles on each doorstep.1 One of Jörgensen’s great abilities was to recognise how to use material which harmonised. He would comb through wreckers’ yards for what he needed. Regarding his buildings as sculptural pieces, his first consideration was for the aesthetic quality of a building and only then for its functionality.2 At Montsalvat, Jörgensen found he was able to put his ideas into practice without compromise and those who worked with him had to conform to his ideas. With the Jörgensens, the colony’s original nucleus consisted of the Skipper family – Mervyn and wife Lena, daughters Helen and Sonia and son Matcham,who was to become an eminent jeweller and sculptor represented in National Gallery collections throughout Australia and in European museums.3 Other members were Arthur Munday, Lesley Sinclair, Helen Lempriere, Ian Robertson, John Smith, George Chalmers, John Busst and Sue Van der Kellan; also Jörgensen’s three sons – Max, Sebastian and Sigmund – and Saskia, Sonia Skipper and Arthur Munday’s daughter. Montsalvat went through some hard times when local gossips spread rumours of sexual shenanigans at Montsalvat. However Montsalvat also had many local supporters – especially amongst the local tradespeople. The colony was certainly unconventional – with Jörgensen’s wife Lil (and son Max) and life-time partner Helen Skipper, (mother of Sebastian and Sigmund) living at Montsalvat. Sonia Skipper says in her biography that the group were ‘very conscious of their responsibilities to each other and a desire to make their relationships work’.4 By World War Two many buildings around the Great Hall were completed. Jörgensen was a pacifist, as were most of his students. Some of the Montsalvat community enlisted while others engaged in essential services like dairy farming and market gardening for the war effort. It was then that Jörgensen constructed farm buildings. After the war many well-known personalities such as Clifton Pugh, landscape gardener Gordon Ford, and builder Alistair Knox, were drawn to Montsalvat. They learnt that building was not a ‘sacred cow’ only for professionals, but that anyone who was willing to get their hands dirty could do it. The post-war shortage of materials also encouraged builders to follow Montsalvat’s lead in reusing materials. When Jörgensen died in 1975, his influence did not – thanks largely to the vigilance of his son, Sigmund, who became its administrator. The weekend dinners have gone, but in 2008 about 14 artists still work at Montsalvat – some living there – including a couple who have been there since its early days. Under Sigmund’s direction Montsalvat further expanded its activities which included festivals, art exhibitions, concerts and weddings. Sigmund completed the Chapel, then the Long Gallery next to the pool, After the barn burnt down, he replaced it in 1999 (the builder was Hamish Knox, Alistair’s son) with a new gallery and entrance and added a restaurant. Sigmund has been careful that any new building blends in with the character of Montsalvat. In 2006 Montsalvat was restructured for its continued financial viability and with the help of Arts Victoria a new executive officer was appointed. A representative board from the wider community was established, which includes members from the former Montsalvat Trust including Sigmund Jörgensen – who is now the heritage and arts adviser to the new company Montsalvat Ltd.5 Today, visiting Montsalvat one still sees artists, students and visitors enjoying the unique and beautiful surroundings.This collection of almost 130 photos 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. nillumbik now and then (marshall-king) collection, eltham, great hall, montsalvat