In 1858 Hugh Wallace , undertaker and cabinet maker, moved from the Assembly Rooms at the corner of Gipps street, and opened his new Bank Hotel in Sackville street, next door to the grand Bank of Australasia. The hotel seems to have been the favourite meeting place for many of the sporting organisations of the time , including the Football, Rowing, Athletic and Gymnastics clubs . The second licensee was Thomas Pearson, who came to Belfast in 1855, working first for the Harbour master Capt. John Mills , then as the first Assistant Lighthouse keeper when it was built in 1859 . He was promoted to Lighthouse keeper 2 years later. The hotel continued in business with a further 8 licensees until it closed in 1918. Since which it has housed a diverse number of businesses, collecting a veranda along the way. It is still in use in Sackville street today. Quite a few of the Licensees of Belfast seem to have also had an interest in the Funeral business. Possibly, it was a good commercial undertaking, the same people providing them with a living selling spirituous liquor, and when they died of the effects , paid again for their burial. Image of a hotel that no longer exists in this formBlack and white photograph of Two story hotel with multi panel window two men and a boy posing on footpathhotel, building, hugh wallace, bank of australasia, thomas pearson, sackville street

"A perpetual spring in the adjacent creek provided a steady supply of fresh water to the site on which the homestead is built. Although we can not be certain of the identity of the builder, the first stage of ‘The Willows’ homestead appears to have been constructed in the mid 1850s. The house is situated on Crown Allotment No.1 (No Section), Parish of Kororoit, an allotment of 5 acres 3 roods 4 perches. Although it had surveyed the land, the Crown did not offer it for sale until 22nd November 1861, at which time it was purchased by Charles March Williams. (Although the property is directly opposite and immediately adjacent to the Township of Melton, and was sold as ‘Suburban Allotment 33’, it was situated within the Shire of Braybrook rather than the Shire of Melton until 1917.) Considerable improvements had taken place on the land prior to the Crown sale. When CM Williams purchased the allotment in November 1861 he paid £23.5.0 for the land itself, and valued the improvements at £400. Even allowing for some exaggeration by Williams, this is an extremely high valuation for improvements, and must have included a house. Some local research has claimed that in 1858 Williams had taken over the interest of a Mr Parkinson in the property, and that Parkinson built the house upon taking possession of the land c.1855. It was definitely built by 1861, when a map shows a square building on the site marked as ‘House’. The property is important in the district for its association with the establishment of the pound. The district pound had been established in 1854, when George Scarborough of Mount Cottrell (Mt Cottrell Road, south of Greigs Road) was appointed pound-keeper. Scarborough resigned in 1857. The pound was moved to Melton following agitation from local farmers and Charles March Williams appointed pound-keeper on 26th April 1858. Williams, the son of a doctor, had been born in London. Reminiscences of local residents of the time, as recorded in the Express newspaper, note Williams’ success in breeding horses on the property. Sales of up to 60 guineas were noted. Whether this was from Williams’s own stock or from unclaimed pound stock is not made clear. Williams appeared before a government inquiry in 1860 and advocated registration of all stock brands in the State. Williams died in 1862 leaving a widow, Catherine, and five living children aged 15 years to five months. At the time of his death Williams had entered negotiations with one Matthew Devenish and had a mortgage of £100 on allotments 1 and 2, Parish of Kororoit. Catherine Williams was appointed pound-keeper on 2 September 1863, with her eldest son Charles as her assistant. Her tenure was short for on 22nd March 1864 George Minns senior paid Matthew Devenish £135 for allotments 1 and 2 Parish of Kororoit (considerably less than Williams had claimed the property was worth in 1861) and on the same day paid William Tullidge £45 for the adjoining allotments 3 and 4. In April 1867, James Ebden Minns, the newly married son of George senior became the owner of The Willows property having entered into a mortgage arrangement with his father to the extent of £200. At the time George Minns was residing in Kaarimba having left Melton in 1867 for a short trip to England and upon his return having taken up a selection in the Kaarimba district with his son Frederick who had a hotel licence there. James paid out the mortgage on 2-1-1873. James Minns was appointed pound-keeper in 1872; in 1885 the pound was moved elsewhere and Minns purchased the old pound site and added it to his farm. The Willows residence underwent a major change about this time. A two room extension, similar in style but with a lower elevation was added to the original rear of the house with a chimney matching the distinctive originals. Window arrangements did not match the original but became a feature of the façade when the new addition became the front of the building. Six buttresses were attached to the east and west walls of the old building, two to the south wall and the whole rendered with mortar to give the appearance of dressed stonework around the windows. Galvanized iron was placed over the shingles and a verandah added on three sides. By 1876 The Willows was the homestead for a thriving mixed farm of 340 acres of which 156 was rented from a H. Ruck. In October of that year the Australasian travelling reporter visited and reported on the property. In common with the nearly every other property in the district the farm had ‘recently’ (generally within the last two years) abandoned cultivation of crops, and turned over completely to cattle pasture. Butter making was the principal occupation of the farm, which had about 50 head of cattle, a large proportion of which were milking cows. The reporter also noted that a ‘large number of pigs are kept upon this farm and are found to be very profitable stock’. Their manure was used in an orchard and garden in which ‘large quantities of lucerne and prairie grass are grown for the use of stock when ordinary feed is scarce’. Two bores attached to deep brick lined wells supplied water for the house in addition to the farm. A commodious timber barn and necessary sheds had also been constructed. Access to the property was improved following the construction of the bluestone ford across the creek c.1887, when the recreation ground came into use. Prior to this date it may have been that the crossing referred to as ‘Mr Minns bridge’ was used. This appears to have been a flimsy structure and has but two references in Council reports in the Melton Express in the 1880’s. It is believed that in the late 1890’s a timber building was added near the rear of the building to house a kitchen, ablutions and laundry rooms and rooms for seasonal workers. This was attached to the house by means of a trellised walkway using the original front entry to the house (long since the back door). A photograph of this building appears in a local history of Melton. This was demolished in recent decades during the period when the house was tenanted (after the Minns family had left). James Minns son, George, took over the property following his marriage to Alice Walsh in 1903. James and Caroline moved into a house on the former JH Games property at the eastern end of Henry Street. George held the position of Shire Secretary for Melton for 40 years. He was a most prominent member of the community being Secretary to, among others, the Melton Coursing Club, the Shooting Club and the Cemetery Trust. He also rode with the hunting parties who sported across the Plains and were entertained at Mount Kororoit. George and Alice had one son, Norman who followed his father into local government and became Secretary of the Shire of Werribee completing a record term in this position. George retired to Werribee in 1951, where he died in 1965. The National Trust records note that James Ebden Minns and his sons were ‘leading men of the district, Justices of the Peace, and Shire Councillors’. It claims that Sir Thomas Bent was a frequent visitor. The Willows passed into the hands of George’s grandson, Bruce Minns and the property was let for a number of years. In the 1960s it became vacant and was subject to vandalism. Major structural problems arose with the part demolition of the roof, the loss of windows and doors and holes dug into and under the floorboards. The outbuildings were particularly targeted. Following widespread public support, the Shire of Melton purchased the house, with 3.75 acres of land, in 1972. In 1975 the Shire of Melton and the Melton and District Historical Society were successful in nominating the building for National Trust classification, and then the Australian Heritage Commission’s Register of the National Estate. The AHC particularly noted its ‘townscape importance’. It was envisaged that the farmhouse would form ‘a picturesque centrepiece to Melton’s planned … historical park, along with Dunvegan bluestone cottage … and similar structures as they become available.’ In a time of great Melton’s ‘satellite city’ development the Council spelt out its broader vision in its submission to the AHC: ‘Melton is destined to become, by the end of the present century, a city of between 75,000 and 100,000 people. Significant relics of the past, such as ‘The Willows’, regrettably will be rare in that situation. It is essential that sufficient tangible links with Melton’s pioneering days remain to promote in the new community a sense of history and continuity’. Under the direction of ‘The Willows’ Restoration Committee and consultant architect John Hitch, all outbuildings, with the exception of the garage and toilet, were demolished and the dwelling house restored. Finances were provided by the Shire of Melton and the National Estate Grants Program, and considerable amount of voluntary labour was provided by the local community. The orchard was removed, and remaining wooden buildings were relocated to provide an open vista for visitors to the Park. The property was furnished with donations from district families keen to preserve this example of pioneer life in the area. The Willows became the headquarters of the Melton and District Historical Society". Invitation to the family reunion at the Willowslocal identities, pioneer families

Wooragee Landcare Group took a bus trip Sunday 5th September to Samaria, Tatong area (near Benalla) to look at land use on small farms. Around this time, Wooragee Landcare were looking into how small land holders could run some enterprises. This photo was taken at Tatong Tavern where the group had lunch. The Tatong Tavern is an old English style pub situated in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range the small community of Tatong 23km south-east of Benalla. The original weatherboard hotel was originally built in the 1880s by William Worrall who was listed as Hotel Keeper from 1886 to 1910. It was destroyed by fire in 1923 and replaced by the current building, which has undergone many changes over the past 100 years. The name has also changed from the Tatong Hotel or ‘Pub’ to the current name of Tatong Tavern.Tatong is a rural village in north-east Victoria, set in undulating country that rises southwards to the Tolmie ranges. The name is thought to derive from an Aboriginal expression, possibly referring to something unseen. The Tatong pastoral run was taken up in 1847 and farm selections began in the 1870s. A school opened in 1890 (closed in 2006). Dairy herds were grazed on the Tatong flats and a cooperative creamery operated from 1892 until 1918. In 1914 a branch railway line was opened from Benalla to Tatong that carried farm produce and timber to Tatong, which had two sawmills in the 1920s. There was also a general store, a police station, and a livestock trucking yard. St Albans Church of England was built in 1921. Most of those buildings have now disappeared. The Tatong Tavern along with the Hall built in 1904 are the only remaining buildings. The Tatong Tavern is a significant tangible and visual representation of the area’s cultural and social history over the past 100 years. Coloured rectangular photograph printed on paperReverse: WAN NA E0NA2N2. NNN- 14240/ (No. 20) 373/ tatong, tatong pub, tatong tavern, tolmie ranges, tatong flats, benalla, wooragee landcare, wooragee landcare group, bus trip, samaria, land use, william worrall, 1800s, 2004, mount samaria

At the time this match was listed as a 1st grade match but was later seen as the first Ashes match although Australia had toured England twice before. Despite a 1st innings collapse, Australia eventually won by 7 runs, largely due to the efforts of Australian fast bowler Spofforth who finished the match with 14 for 90. Players:- Harry Boyle (Bendigo local)- Medium pace bowler Murdoch - RH batsman Chalmers - Rh batsman & medium bowler Blackham - wicket keeper Bonner - RH batsman, big hitter Garrett - fast medium bowler Giffen - middle order all-rounder Horan - middle order batsman Jones - fast medium bowler and all-rounder Massie - opening batsman. 55 runs in 57 minutes off 60 balls. McDonnell - opening batsman Palmer - off-break bowler Spofforth - fast bowlerCopy of a drawing published in an English newspaper. Australian Ashes Team, 1882, image shows group of men attired in cricket clothing, standing in front of tent. Original drawing has thirteen cricketers. This copy is missing two people on the RHS. Cricketers listed in Image Title.clubs, cricket, australian cricket team 1882, australian ashes team

The Certificate Translation: "Praise the Lord in His Holy Kingdom. All (everyone, everything) praise the Lord." To Pastor F. Leypoldt, Highly esteemed Sir, "We the undersigned for the whole German Lutheran community of Bendigo wish you together with your loving family heartfelt congratulations on your 25 years anniversary. Most heartfelt wishes." Signed by 11 members of the (presumably) Board of management of the Lutheran Church. Some of the names: Wilhelm Scheuffele - farmer, winegrower from Epsom, george Junck - Master builder from Hamburg, Heinrich Holtorf - Hotel keeper, Holtorf's Hotel Hight st Sandhurst, Heinrich Germann - early drapery business of Balsille and Germann, one time organist of the church.Lutheran (German) Church Framed Certificate - Glass frame photo of the Bendigo Lutheran Church given by the board of management to Pastor F. Leypoldt. Certificate has, in the centre a photo of the church, a photo of the Pastor and 11 portraits of the Board of Management. bendigo history, sandhurst, lutheran german church, penny school

Tickets used by the Victorian Railways from the time of introduction of decimal currency (1966). At the time, 3c was the lowest fare in use. 1 and 2c were printed, but not issued. A 2c ticket was printed but a copy has not survived. Understood to be used until the introduction of time based tickets in the early 80s. Demonstrates tickets printed by the Victorian Railways for their bus or coach services.Victorian Railways - Motor Coach (buses) tickets - set of 15 ticket blocks - two hundred in each block, stapled onto a heavy cardboard sheet with a white "keeper" piece. 1 – 1c – 001000 to 001199 2 – 3c – 031400 to 031599 3 – 4c – 051400 to 051599 4 – 5c – 011000 to 011199 5 – 6c – 081400 to 081599 6 – 7c – 021400 to 021599 7 – 8c – 051800 to 051999 8 – 9c – 040000 to 040199 9 – 11c – 011000 to 011199 10 – 12c – 021600 to 021799 11 – 13c – 031200 to 031399 12 – 14c – 011400 to 011599 13 – 16c – 011800 to 011999 14 – 17c – 041600 to 041799 15 – 21c - 001400 to 001599 Tickets were received in an Addressograph cardboard box with a lable for the Association of Railway Enthusiasts. victorian railways, tickets, buses, motor coaches