The mud-brick cottage and the adjacent shed at 62 Brougham Street, Eltham were built in 1969 by Peter Garner, who was in his mid-teenage years at the time. PETER GARNER MUD BRICK STUDIO AND ADJACENT SHED 62 BROUGHAM STREET ELTHAM, NILLUMBIK SHIRE https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/55317jim connor collection, mudbrick construction, brougham steet, eltham, peter garner

I) 22 colour photographs taken in the latter stages of construction of the new Eltham Library, illustrating the development of the exhibition area. This area required a special hanging system due to the mud brick walls of the library. 2) 18 colour photographs of exhibits on display at the first exhibition in the Eltham Library Community Gallery.shire of eltham archives, series listing

I) 22 colour photographs taken in the latter stages of construction of the new Eltham Library, illustrating the development of the exhibition area. This area required a special hanging system due to the mud brick walls of the library. 2) 18 colour photographs of exhibits on display at the first exhibition in the Eltham Library Community Gallery.shire of eltham archives, series listing

Owned at the time by architect, Ian Jelbart, the property had been in the Jelbart family since the 1940s; a 5560sqm secluded hilltop parcel in Eltham. When the manor house and its barn were built, Eltham was a rural community; Jelbart’s grandfather Ronald was a businessman whose poultry farm formed part of the family’s original 100ha holding. A portion would later be subdivided into residential lots to make way for new homes that would form the basis of the Woodridge Estate in the early 1970s. The Barn was developed as a residence by Ian Jelbart in the late 1960;'s. Handmade mud bricks were used in its construction. This is a view from The Barn looking towards the Manor HouseDigital file only; created from scan undertaken by EDHSarthur street, eltham, houses, jelbart barn, jelbart property, kinloch gardens, verandah, mud bricks, enclosure

These guidelines are an updated version of the 1988 Adobe Guidelines and have been prepared to aid builders and building professionals, in understanding the requirements for projects using mudbrick construction. This book includes sections on making bricks, plans and approvals, design and detailing requirements, construction requirements and maintenance.A substantial amount of mudbrick construction has taken place throughout the The Shire of Nillumbik which has formed a significant part of its unique heritage. Softcover. nillumbik mudbrick association inc., brickmaking, mudbricks, adobe, mudbrick construction, mud bricks

[article in EDHS Newsletter No. 123, November 1998:] MUD BRICK HERITAGE EXCURSION AND THE FUTURE. A small group of members attended the excursion on 4th October. We visited a number of earth houses listed by the Eltham Heritage Study in a very pleasant day's outing. The first visit was to the home of Jenny and Brian Ellis in York Street, formerly the home of Jenny's father Professor William McMahon Ball. We were made very welcome with inspection of the inside and outside showing the various stages of construction. We then walked through the grounds of "Kinloch", the Jelbart property in Arthur Street where we saw their large mud brick house and barn. Lunch was at Marion and Russell Yeoman's house in Peter Street. This pise house was built by the Moore family in the early 1950's. In the afternoon we visited the home of artist Jenni Mitchell in Fordhams Road, one of the last examples of the work of Alistair Knox. Then we travelled to Laughing Waters Road where we saw two interesting houses owned and built by well known landscape gardener Gordon Ford. Along the way we stopped to view a number of other properties from the street.Colour photographactivities, eltham, heritage excursion, mud brick

[article in EDHS Newsletter No. 123, November 1998:] MUD BRICK HERITAGE EXCURSION AND THE FUTURE. A small group of members attended the excursion on 4th October. We visited a number of earth houses listed by the Eltham Heritage Study in a very pleasant day's outing. The first visit was to the home of Jenny and Brian Ellis in York Street, formerly the home of Jenny's father Professor William McMahon Ball. We were made very welcome with inspection of the inside and outside showing the various stages of construction. We then walked through the grounds of "Kinloch", the Jelbart property in Arthur Street where we saw their large mud brick house and barn. Lunch was at Marion and Russell Yeoman's house in Peter Street. This pise house was built by the Moore family in the early 1950's. In the afternoon we visited the home of artist Jenni Mitchell in Fordhams Road, one of the last examples of the work of Alistair Knox. Then we travelled to Laughing Waters Road where we saw two interesting houses owned and built by well known landscape gardener Gordon Ford. Along the way we stopped to view a number of other properties from the street.Colour photographactivities, eltham, heritage excursion, mud brick, boomerang house, laughing waters road

[article in EDHS Newsletter No. 123, November 1998:] MUD BRICK HERITAGE EXCURSION AND THE FUTURE. A small group of members attended the excursion on 4th October. We visited a number of earth houses listed by the Eltham Heritage Study in a very pleasant day's outing. The first visit was to the home of Jenny and Brian Ellis in York Street, formerly the home of Jenny's father Professor William McMahon Ball. We were made very welcome with inspection of the inside and outside showing the various stages of construction. We then walked through the grounds of "Kinloch", the Jelbart property in Arthur Street where we saw their large mud brick house and barn. Lunch was at Marion and Russell Yeoman's house in Peter Street. This pise house was built by the Moore family in the early 1950's. In the afternoon we visited the home of artist Jenni Mitchell in Fordhams Road, one of the last examples of the work of Alistair Knox. Then we travelled to Laughing Waters Road where we saw two interesting houses owned and built by well known landscape gardener Gordon Ford. Along the way we stopped to view a number of other properties from the street.Colour photographactivities, eltham, heritage excursion, mud brick, boomerang house, laughing waters road

[article in EDHS Newsletter No. 123, November 1998:] MUD BRICK HERITAGE EXCURSION AND THE FUTURE. A small group of members attended the excursion on 4th October. We visited a number of earth houses listed by the Eltham Heritage Study in a very pleasant day's outing. The first visit was to the home of Jenny and Brian Ellis in York Street, formerly the home of Jenny's father Professor William McMahon Ball. We were made very welcome with inspection of the inside and outside showing the various stages of construction. We then walked through the grounds of "Kinloch", the Jelbart property in Arthur Street where we saw their large mud brick house and barn. Lunch was at Marion and Russell Yeoman's house in Peter Street. This pise house was built by the Moore family in the early 1950's. In the afternoon we visited the home of artist Jenni Mitchell in Fordhams Road, one of the last examples of the work of Alistair Knox. Then we travelled to Laughing Waters Road where we saw two interesting houses owned and built by well known landscape gardener Gordon Ford. Along the way we stopped to view a number of other properties from the street.Colour photographactivities, eltham, heritage excursion, mud brick, boomerang house, laughing waters road

[article in EDHS Newsletter No. 123, November 1998:] MUD BRICK HERITAGE EXCURSION AND THE FUTURE. A small group of members attended the excursion on 4th October. We visited a number of earth houses listed by the Eltham Heritage Study in a very pleasant day's outing. The first visit was to the home of Jenny and Brian Ellis in York Street, formerly the home of Jenny's father Professor William McMahon Ball. We were made very welcome with inspection of the inside and outside showing the various stages of construction. We then walked through the grounds of "Kinloch", the Jelbart property in Arthur Street where we saw their large mud brick house and barn. Lunch was at Marion and Russell Yeoman's house in Peter Street. This pise house was built by the Moore family in the early 1950's. In the afternoon we visited the home of artist Jenni Mitchell in Fordhams Road, one of the last examples of the work of Alistair Knox. Then we travelled to Laughing Waters Road where we saw two interesting houses owned and built by well known landscape gardener Gordon Ford. Along the way we stopped to view a number of other properties from the street.Colour photographactivities, eltham, heritage excursion, mud brick, diamond street, rocknall

[article in EDHS Newsletter No. 123, November 1998:] MUD BRICK HERITAGE EXCURSION AND THE FUTURE. A small group of members attended the excursion on 4th October. We visited a number of earth houses listed by the Eltham Heritage Study in a very pleasant day's outing. The first visit was to the home of Jenny and Brian Ellis in York Street, formerly the home of Jenny's father Professor William McMahon Ball. We were made very welcome with inspection of the inside and outside showing the various stages of construction. We then walked through the grounds of "Kinloch", the Jelbart property in Arthur Street where we saw their large mud brick house and barn. Lunch was at Marion and Russell Yeoman's house in Peter Street. This pise house was built by the Moore family in the early 1950's. In the afternoon we visited the home of artist Jenni Mitchell in Fordhams Road, one of the last examples of the work of Alistair Knox. Then we travelled to Laughing Waters Road where we saw two interesting houses owned and built by well known landscape gardener Gordon Ford. Along the way we stopped to view a number of other properties from the street.Colour photographactivities, eltham, heritage excursion, mud brick, arthur street, jelbart property

[article in EDHS Newsletter No. 123, November 1998:] MUD BRICK HERITAGE EXCURSION AND THE FUTURE. A small group of members attended the excursion on 4th October. We visited a number of earth houses listed by the Eltham Heritage Study in a very pleasant day's outing. The first visit was to the home of Jenny and Brian Ellis in York Street, formerly the home of Jenny's father Professor William McMahon Ball. We were made very welcome with inspection of the inside and outside showing the various stages of construction. We then walked through the grounds of "Kinloch", the Jelbart property in Arthur Street where we saw their large mud brick house and barn. Lunch was at Marion and Russell Yeoman's house in Peter Street. This pise house was built by the Moore family in the early 1950's. In the afternoon we visited the home of artist Jenni Mitchell in Fordhams Road, one of the last examples of the work of Alistair Knox. Then we travelled to Laughing Waters Road where we saw two interesting houses owned and built by well known landscape gardener Gordon Ford. Along the way we stopped to view a number of other properties from the street.Colour photographactivities, eltham, heritage excursion, mud brick, arthur street, jelbart property

[article in EDHS Newsletter No. 123, November 1998:] MUD BRICK HERITAGE EXCURSION AND THE FUTURE. A small group of members attended the excursion on 4th October. We visited a number of earth houses listed by the Eltham Heritage Study in a very pleasant day's outing. The first visit was to the home of Jenny and Brian Ellis in York Street, formerly the home of Jenny's father Professor William McMahon Ball. We were made very welcome with inspection of the inside and outside showing the various stages of construction. We then walked through the grounds of "Kinloch", the Jelbart property in Arthur Street where we saw their large mud brick house and barn. Lunch was at Marion and Russell Yeoman's house in Peter Street. This pise house was built by the Moore family in the early 1950's. In the afternoon we visited the home of artist Jenni Mitchell in Fordhams Road, one of the last examples of the work of Alistair Knox. Then we travelled to Laughing Waters Road where we saw two interesting houses owned and built by well known landscape gardener Gordon Ford. Along the way we stopped to view a number of other properties from the street.Colour photographactivities, eltham, heritage excursion, mud brick, arthur street, jelbart property

[article in EDHS Newsletter No. 123, November 1998:] MUD BRICK HERITAGE EXCURSION AND THE FUTURE. A small group of members attended the excursion on 4th October. We visited a number of earth houses listed by the Eltham Heritage Study in a very pleasant day's outing. The first visit was to the home of Jenny and Brian Ellis in York Street, formerly the home of Jenny's father Professor William McMahon Ball. We were made very welcome with inspection of the inside and outside showing the various stages of construction. We then walked through the grounds of "Kinloch", the Jelbart property in Arthur Street where we saw their large mud brick house and barn. Lunch was at Marion and Russell Yeoman's house in Peter Street. This pise house was built by the Moore family in the early 1950's. In the afternoon we visited the home of artist Jenni Mitchell in Fordhams Road, one of the last examples of the work of Alistair Knox. Then we travelled to Laughing Waters Road where we saw two interesting houses owned and built by well known landscape gardener Gordon Ford. Along the way we stopped to view a number of other properties from the street.Colour photographactivities, eltham, heritage excursion, mud brick, main road

Digital scan of photograph - Original Source Copy: St Margaret's Parish Archives. church of england, churches, eltham, st margarets church, mud bricks, robert marshall

Includes references to local sites Bear's Castle, Yan Yean (City of Whitlesea), mud brick houses in Eltham, including at Montsalvat and Eltham Community Centre, Smith's Gully, Plenty Baptist Church and Warrandyte. Includes chapter on Alistair Knox. The author's own home appears in the book on page 100. It was situated at Batman Road, Eltham next to the manse and church opposite Stanley Avenue. It was demolished for unit development June 2004 after the author's death in 2003. A significant and oft cited history of the mud brick earth construction style of architecture which includes a number of examples within the Shire of Nillumbik, known to be a site of the environmental earth building movement following WW2.198 p. : ill. (some col.), maps ISBN 0646069624earth construction, mud bricks, pise, domestic architecture

Statement of Significance Last updated on - January 5, 2010 REVISED STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE, CONTEXT, 2010 What is significant? The c1950s Jelbart residence and the c1945 barn, the garden and the gate posts and the surrounding site to the extent of the title boundaries. How is it significant? The Jelbart house and barn are historically and architecturally significant to the Shire of Nillumbik. The garden and the gate posts are historically and aesthetically significant to the Shire of Nillumbik. Why is it significant? The Jelbart house and barn are historically significant because they are unusually large and because together they comprise one of the oldest groups of substantial mud brick buildings erected during the 20th century in the Shire of Eltham and foreshadow the large mud brick residences of the 1960s and 1970s for which the area is well known (Criteria A & B). The buildings are architecturally significant because their construction (using timber post framing and mud brick walling) is a characteristic feature of what became known as the 'Eltham style'- which was prevalent in the area during the mid and latter parts of the 20th century (Criteria D & A). The garden and the gate posts - The garden is historically significant because it is a remainder of a large holding of 200 acres associated with the house (Criterion A).The gate posts are historically and aesthetically significant because they were taken from a 19th-century Toorak mansion and because their removal and re-use illustrates the practice of recycling material from demolished buildings that was one of the characteristic features of 'Eltham-style' architecture (Criteria A, D & E).Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 8 strips and associated 10 x 15 cm colour printKodak Gold 100-5arthur street, eltham, jelbart barn

EIG School - Ralph Birrell Collection. - Construction of Latrobe Uni. C1966. Bendigo Institute of Technology, Engineering School, Applied Science. Mud ready to lay the foundation stone in place and do the brick work around it.Kodakeducation, tertiary, latrobe university bendigo, eig school - ralph birrell collection. - construction of latrobe uni. c1966. bendigo institute of technology, engineering school, applied science. mud lay foundation stone place the brick work

Kathy Deery Native Garden construction Mar 87, Magnolia grandiflora against Administration Building, Quad. 9 unidentified palms mostly without fronds Aug 87.kathy deery, native garden, 1987, palms, construction native garden, magnolia grandiflora, administration building, mud brick hut

Wall display of photographs and cabinets of books as part of the Bicentennial/Heritage Week Display, "The Eltham Tradition", held in the Eltham Shire Office, 17-22 April 1988 by EDHS. The Alistair Knox Collection is a series of mounted enlarged photos of about forty images mud brick houses and related subjects. The collection is understood to have been put together by Alistair Knox although it is the work of several unacknowledged photographers. For some years it was held by the Building Department of the former Eltham Shire Council and was then passed to EDHS. Some of the photos have been used in Knox's books. Alistair Knox (1912 - 1986) is acknowledged as the founder of Eltham's mud brick building movement. Many of the buildings shown in the collection are of his design and he was also involved with the construction of several of them. Others are the work of his contemporaries and associates such as Peter Glass, Gordon Ford, and John Harcourt. (EDHS Newsletter No. 145 July 2002) Two colour photographsactivities, eltham shire office, heritage display, heritage week, alistair knox

Image 2B Montsalvat Early Pise cottage built 1935-36 designed by Justus Jorgensen The Alistair Knox Collection The Alistair Knox Collection is a series of mounted enlarged photos of mud brick houses and related subjects. The collection is understood to have been put together by Alistair Knox although it is the work of several unacknowledged photographers. For some years it was held by the Building Department of the former Eltham Shire Council and was then passed to our Society for safekeeping. Some of the photos have been used in Knox's books and from time to time some of them have been part of various historical displays. As far as we know there has not been a public display of the whole collection which numbers about forty photographs. The collection has been copied on to slides for the purpose of this meeting and to be retained as part of the Society's pictorial collection. Alistair Knox 1912 - 1986 is acknowledged as the founder of Eltham's mud brick building movement. Many of the buildings shown in the collection are of his design and he was also involved with the construction of several of them. Others are the work of his contemporaries and associates such as Peter Glass, Gordon Ford, and John Harcourt. (EDHS Newsletter No. 145 July 2002)Handwritten notes in pencil re details of building, year of construction, owner, designer, builder, etchouses, justus jorgensen, montsalvat, pise construction, alistair knox collection

First Montsalvat pise building, Built 1934-35, Designed by Justus Jorgensen, Founder of Montsalvat. This building was used for many years as a dining room and kitchen. The Alistair Knox Collection (Image 2A) The Alistair Knox Collection is a series of mounted enlarged photos of mud brick houses and related subjects. The collection is understood to have been put together by Alistair Knox although it is the work of several unacknowledged photographers. For some years it was held by the Building Department of the former Eltham Shire Council and was then passed to our Society for safekeeping. Some of the photos have been used in Knox's books and from time to time some of them have been part of various historical displays. As far as we know there has not been a public display of the whole collection which numbers about forty photographs. The collection has been copied on to slides for the purpose of this meeting and to be retained as part of the Society's pictorial collection. Alistair Knox 1912 - 1986 is acknowledged as the founder of Eltham's mud brick building movement. Many of the buildings shown in the collection are of his design and he was also involved with the construction of several of them. Others are the work of his contemporaries and associates such as Peter Glass, Gordon Ford, and John Harcourt. (EDHS Newsletter No. 145 July 2002)Handwritten notes in pencil re details of building, year of construction, owner, designer, builder, etcmontsalvat, houses, justus jorgensen, pise construction, alistair knox collection

Considered the best of the early mud-brick houses built by Alistair Knox. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p143 The Busst house hidden by trees at the corner of Silver Street and Kerrie Crescent is considered the best of the early mud-brick houses built by Eltham architect, Alistair Knox. Knox himself said, that the Busst house was the most mature mud-brick house designed at that period. ‘It related with true understanding to its steep site and expressed the flexibility of earth building ………to develop a new sense of flowing form and shape’.1 Built in 1948 for artist Phyl Busst, a former art student at Montsalvat, the house helped usher in Eltham Shire’s distinctive mud-brick residential character. Knox was the pivotal figure of the style developed from the 1950s to the 1970s.2 Scarcity of building materials after World War Two encouraged mud-brick building because earth was a cheap and plentiful building medium. But when Knox began building in mud-brick in 1947, no council in Victoria knew anything of this ancient art and he needed a permit. Fortunately the Commonwealth Experimental Building Station at Ryde in NSW, had been experimenting with earth construction to help overcome the shortages of that time. They published a pamphlet that became available in Melbourne on the same day the Eltham Council was to consider whether the earth building should be allowed. Knox caught one of the three morning trains to the city in those days and bought several copies of the pamphlet to give to each councillor. On his return he found the councillors standing on the steps of the shire offices after lunch at the local hotel. He heard that earth building had been discussed before lunch and that they were not in favor of it. Knox gave each councillor a pamphlet. They passed that plan and by doing so, opened the door for all future earth building in Victoria and by default, in Australia.3 Mud-brick houses attracted artists to Eltham, for their aesthetic appeal and because they were cheap. Those who built their own houses, included film maker Tim Burstall, artists Peter Glass, Clifton Pugh, Matcham Skipper, Sonia Skipper and husband Jo Hannan. For Knox, mud-brick building was more than just a cheap building medium. He saw it as harmonising with the surrounding bush and as a way of counteracting the growing materialism of the age. He wrote of its impact on ‘ 20th century man. It should counteract the confusion that the perpetual flow of high technology products have upon him ..’.4 Building the Busst house on a steep site was difficult because most earth-moving equipment was then in its infancy. For instance drilling for explosives was done by hand, which was a slow and painful process. Knox, assisted by his foreman Horrie Judd and Gordon Ford (who was to become a famous landscape designer), built two large main rooms - a living room/ kitchen downstairs - and upstairs, a studio/bedroom. The studio/bedroom opens onto the balcony, which covers the living area. The bath made of solid concrete by stonemason Jack Fabro, is particularly deep. Sunshine pours through the three French windows of the north-east facing kitchen/living area, which is lined with timber. The large hearth can fit a family around the fire while the timber floors and solomite (compressed straw) ceilings add to the cosy atmosphere. The garden is thick with trees, and in the late 1990s, Ford put in a pool near the original dry wall he had built as a young man.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, alistair knox, alistair knox design, busst house, kerrie crescent, mudbrick construction, mudbrick houses, silver street

St Margaret’s Church of England was officially opened on December 12, 1861. It is the oldest intact church building in Eltham. At the time it was known as Christ Church until its consecration in 1871, when it was completely free of debt (£1,700 for the church and parsonage) despite the district’s poverty. This was largely due to the free labour and materials, including locally made bricks donated by local artisans and others. The church is historically significant because it is the oldest church in the former Shire of Eltham and has associations with the philanthropist and founder of Brighton, Henry Dendy (who donated the land on which the church is built), the architect Nathaniel Billing and the prominent local builder, George Stebbing. The church is architecturally and aesthetically significant because it is constructed in the Gothic Revival style with several stained-glass windows of various dates and is also a very early use of polychromatic brickwork in Victoria. Billing was one of the first Melbourne architects to employ polychromatic brickwork and an important early architect. The rear wall was intended to be temporary. A major feature of the design is the large buttresses with long, steeply graded upper faces. The overall design is well proportioned with the surface brick patterns relieving an otherwise austere design. The church is spiritually and socially significant because it has been an important place of worship for the people of Eltham for almost 150 years. The land on which the buildings stand was donated by Henry Dendy. Dendy arrived in Melbourne in 1841 after purchasing in England eight square miles at Brighton under the system of "special surveys". After this land passed out of his hands, Dendy moved about Victoria, visited England, then returned to settle in Eltham where he purchased a flour mill. Dendy chaired the meeting held in 1860 “for the purpose of devising such means as may be expedient for the establishment of a Church of England in the township of Eltham”. He became chairman and treasurer of the church committee. Unlike the establishment of many early churches in Victoria where a vicar was appointed to a parish and later a permanent church was constructed, the population at Eltham initiated action to build a church. The nearest church at that time was at Heidelberg and the Eltham settlement was part of the parish of St Johns Heidelberg. Isolation and the tedious, time consuming journey between Heidelberg and Eltham resulted in the Eltham community taking its own action. The original vicarage (Dendy House) at the rear of the church is also an important part of the cultural significance of this place because it is connected to the church and the development of the Eltham area. Together, the church and the vicarage are aesthetically significant because they form a significant streetscape feature. The mud-brick community hall designed by Robert Marshall was added in 1978. In 2014 the original temporary rear wall was removed as part of a modern extension designed by Architects Atelier Wagner and constructed by Conrad Construction and Management. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. National Trust of Australia (Victoria) State significance Victorian Heritage Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p67 St Margaret’s Anglican Church in Pitt Street, Eltham, which officially opened on December 12, 1861, is the oldest intact church building in Eltham.1 With the nearby courthouse and police station, it was one of the first permanent community buildings in the district. The church and vicarage are on the Register of the Heritage Council of Victoria and the National Trust of Australia – Victoria. The church is important as an early example of polychrome brickwork by the notable architect Nathaniel Billings. It is also notable for its historic associations with the early settlement of the Shire of Eltham and its connection with Henry Dendy, Brighton’s founder.2 Henry Dendy, who lived in Eltham much longer than at Brighton, chaired the original meeting which planned the church, and he donated the half-acre (0.2ha) site. Dendy had arrived in Melbourne in 1841 after buying eight square miles (20.7sq km) at Brighton while in England. After this land passed out of his hands, he eventually settled in Eltham where he bought a flour mill, west from the corner of Main Road and Pitt Street (then called Brewery Lane). The vicarage was named Dendy House after him. The Eltham settlers were unusual in initiating the establishment of a church. Usually in Victoria a vicar was appointed to a parish and then a permanent church was constructed. But then, the nearest church was at Heidelberg, which was a tedious and time-consuming journey. St Margaret’s builder was a local, George Stebbing, who also constructed the former Methodist, later Uniting, Church at John Street and the Shillinglaw Cottage near Eltham’s Central Park. It is believed the first Anglican Bishop of Melbourne, Bishop Perry, dedicated the church. After the ceremony he joined in the festivities at the nearby pub and a bill was sent to the parish for teas taken there by the bishop with other participants. The first vicar was the Reverend Robert Mackie from 1864 to1866. St Margaret’s Church was originally called Christ Church until its consecration in 1871, when it was completely free of debt (£1700 pounds for the church and parsonage) despite the district’s poverty. This was largely due to the free labour and materials, including local bricks, donated by local artisans and others. St Margaret’s Church is in the Gothic Revival tradition with a buttressed nave, paired lancet windows, porch and bell-cote. It was the first polychromatic brick church in Australia, using softly contrasting coloured brickwork.3 Billing was one of the first architects to introduce polychrome brickwork into Melbourne. His original drawings for St Margaret’s survive in a folio of his architectural work. However the church’s brickwork is more subdued than in his drawings. About half the windows – those in clear glass with gold borders – are original. The stained glass windows were made much later, but the one behind the altar is thought to be the oldest in the Diamond Valley. It was to be temporary until the congregation could afford to extend the church. In the early 1960s the original cedar pews were replaced by blonde timber pews and the originals were sold to restaurants and to private individuals. Eminent local sculptor Matcham Skipper created a crucifix for the church. A major addition was made in 1978, when the weatherboard hall was replaced by a mud-brick hall. Made of local material, it was designed by local architect and a former shire president Robert Marshall. The mud-brick hall reflects the style of building in Eltham of the late 1970s and for which Eltham is well-known. Perhaps because its earthy tones blend with the surrounding environment, the hall sits well with the church building. St Margaret’s membership has included economist and ABC chairman, Richard Downing; political commentator, diplomat and academic, William Macmahon Ball; Eltham civic leader, Charles Wingrove; artist, Peter Glass; and Eltham’s first postmaster, Frederick Falkiner.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, st margaret's anglican church, st margaret's church, st margarets church hall, christ church

The Eltham Community and Reception Centre was Australia's first public mud-brick building. Commissioned in 1977 by Eltham Shire Council, led by Shire president (and architect) Robert Marshall, architects Whitford and Peck were asked to design a multipurpose facility in mud-brick and timber. The official opening was performed by the Hon. R.J. Hamer; E.D., M.P., Premier of Victorai on Saturday, April 22, 1978. Architects: Whitford & Peck Pty Ltd Quantity Surveyor: D.J. Cant & Associates Structural Civil Engineers: Charlett & Moore Pty Ltd Landscape: Peter Glass, Dennis Edwards Mech Elec: Lobley Treidel & Partners Pty Ltd Acoustics: Riley Barden & Kirkhope Builder: L.U. Simon Pty Ltd Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p177 The Wiggles performed there, so has the ABC’s Play School. New citizens have made their vows, volunteers have been honoured, school children have performed, weddings celebrated and people mourned at funerals. Since 1978 the Eltham Community and Reception Centre at the corner of Pitt Street and Main Road, has provided a beautiful and quintessential Eltham environment for people from all over Melbourne. Recognised as Australia’s first public mud-brick building, the centre was built partly on the site of the parsonage of the former Methodist Church (now the Uniting Church).1 Commissioned by the Eltham Council headed by President Robert Marshall, architects Whitford and Peck were asked to design a multipurpose facility in mud-brick and timber. Following public consultation, it was agreed to build a centre for dances, exhibitions, films, plays or concerts. The results – at a cost of around $620,000 – captured the Eltham rustic style. The building – in soft tones of mud-brick and timber and immense floor-to-ceiling windows – overlooks the Diamond Creek and sporting fields. Eltham’s strong artistic heritage is reflected in the centre. Although the lighting is not ideal for a gallery and labels cannot be placed on walls, the centre hosts the Nillumbik Art Awards and displays around ten to 20% of the Nillumbik Shire Art Collection, usually for around a year at a time.2 On permanent display, close to the entrance, is local artist Clifton Pugh’s White Choughs in the Landscape. Further to the right is the Walter Withers Gallery, named after a local member of the Heidelberg School of artists. As part of the Eltham Gateway opposite the Eltham Hotel, the centre stands on what was once part of the Eltham Town Centre along this section of Main Road, then known as Maria Street. On the same site once stood the house and flour mill owned by Henry Dendy, best known as the founder of Brighton, although he lived longer in Eltham. Beside the drive is a wheel-rim tool with accompanying plaque, illustrating a technology important during the horse-powered age and now almost completely gone, as has the blacksmith’s shop that had housed it nearby. The implement is a platform for fitting iron tyres to the wooden rims of cartwheels. Beneath it is a capsule placed in 1985 to commemorate Victoria’s 150 years, which is to be opened in 2035. Although the plants, forming part of the landscaping by Peter Glass and Denis Edwards, are largely indigenous and other native species, some exotic plants are protected as an important link with the site’s past. Planted at the front around 1920, is a large Peppercorn tree with two joined trunks growing from the base, and close by is a Bhutan Cypress (Cupressus torulosa). Three other Peppercorn trees fringe the drive. The building includes two halls – the larger seating 250 people – and a large foyer overlooking trees and ovals. Both halls have retractable rear walls providing varying spaces as required, and guests can use several external decks. A site for outdoor theatre has been carved out of the natural slope outside the entrance. The Bricklayers Union refused to use the traditional mud-bricks, which weigh more than 22kg. As a result the mud-bricks were redesigned to reduce their weight and were laid back-to-back to produce a wall of normal thickness.3 The centre’s massive timber frame is reminiscent of timber bridge construction, with infill panels of mud-brick.4 In accord with the rustic style are colossal rough-sawn posts, bolts and steel brackets. The combination of mud-brick, exposed feature timber framing and creative design in this centre, characterises Eltham’s innovative buildings and the social movement behind them from the 1940s to the 1970s.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 community and reception centre, mudbrick construction