In 1857, tanner John Pearson purchased three and a half acres of land in Little Eltham, at the western end of Pitt Street, with a 70-foot frontage to Maria Street (Main Road) and stretching down to the Diamond Creek for £100. He contracted Benjamin Oliver Wallis to build house for him. Wallis, a mason by trade who originated from the Cornish village of Newlyn, migrated to Melbourne in 1853 and was shortly engaged by Richard Warren to build the Eltham Hotel, which opened in 1854. When Warren fell into financial difficulty in 1858, Wallis purchased the hotel. That same year, Pearson constructed a tannery below the house with access to the water in the Diamond Creek. When Pearson became bankrupt in 1867, Wallis similarly acquired the house from Pearson’s creditors in 1868 and lived there until his death in 1896. For some of this time the house was in the name of Wallis’s son Richard but following his death in 1888, ownership reverted to his father. It was purchased by retired teacher Richard Gilsenen in 1899. Gilsenen was made acting head teacher at the Eltham State School in 1906 following the sudden death of head teacher John Brown. In the 1950s the house was bought by retired engineer Dr Alfred Fitzpatrick and his wife Claire who made various modifications to house goats and poultry as well as structural modifications to the house. In the early 1970s, Eltham Shire Councillors Frank Maas and Don Maling proposed an extended communities’ activities program be set up and the Commonwealth Grants Commission was approached for financial assistance. In 1974 a $50,000 Commonwealth Grant was received by the Shire Council to acquire the Fitzpatrick property as part of the planning to establish an extended communities’ activities program. The Fitzpatricks moved next door and Claire taught at the new Living and Learning Centre, which began in 1975, one of the first community education centres in Victoria. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p59 It’s a centre for sharing knowledge and friendship and it stands on the former hub of Eltham’s original township near Pitt Street. The Eltham Living and Learning Centre, with around 2000 participants a year, began in 1975 as one of the first Community Education Centres in Victoria. Classes ranging from macramé to wine making to environmental living have enriched the lives of thousands of people through the generosity of tutors sharing their skills free of charge. The centre’s heart is the brick cottage, built in 1858 by tanner John Pearson. He bought the three and a half acre (1.4ha) allotment fronting Maria Street (now Main Road) and stretching down to the Diamond Creek. The allotment formed part of a 316 acre (127.8ha) subdivision, owned by Josiah Holloway, called Little Eltham, north of the original Eltham Reserve.1 The allotment then passed through the hands of several speculators before it was sold to Pearson for £100 in 1857. Mr Pearson’s children attended the Eltham Primary School from 1864 to 1867. But creditors took possession of the property when his tannery folded in 1867. It was then sold to publican Benjamin Wallis, who owned the Eltham Hotel at the corner of Pitt Street and Main Road. In 1899 the property was bought by Richard Gilsenan, who became acting head teacher of the Eltham Primary State School in 1906. In the 1950s, retired engineer Dr Alfred Fitzpatrick and his wife Claire bought the property, and made structural changes. Claire, a journalist and community campaigner, modified and built pens for goats and poultry, a stable, a garage and planted fruit trees and a vegetable garden. In the early 1970s a young woman called Carina Hack approached Gwen Wesson at the Diamond Valley Learning Centre (Victoria’s first Community Education Centre) about starting a community centre. Following Wesson’s suggestion, Hack spoke to Shire President Alistair Knox ‘one bleak rainy afternoon, sipping hot drinks and discussing life’.2 Eltham Shire Councillors Frank Maas and Don Maling proposed a community activities program and the council received a $50,000 Commonwealth Government Grant for this venture.3 The Fitzpatricks sold their property to the council and moved next door and Claire taught at the new centre, which Hack named. Eltham obviously wanted such a centre as Hack recalls. ‘During the next two months we had about 50 volunteers working day, night and weekends, scrubbing down, plastering and painting walls, replacing floors, repairing fences, recycling furniture, sewing curtains and cushions, donating furniture, toys, equipment, clean-ing and gardening…’4 The first enrolment day saw a queue stretching up the driveway nearly to the gate and the first sessions attracted 270 people a week. Soon the outbuildings were converted into pottery studios and a large workshop. From 1979 the Eltham Art and Craft Market was held in the centre’s grounds and the Friends of the Centre ran it from 1980. A former program coordinator, Margaret Johnson, remembers enrolment day in the late 1970s and 1980s, when hundreds of people would queue – and some even camped overnight! Overnighters were greeted in the morning with fresh tea and toast. Another tradition was The Enrolment Day Cake with Recipe, given to volunteers. ‘One happy Enrolment Day fell on February 14 and let’s just say that St Valentine found some willing participants, paying $2 for a kiss.’5 Meanwhile the participants’ children could play at the Council Eltham Lower Park house in Hohnes Road, later in Susan Street. But the centre has had difficulties too. In 1990 a fire destroyed the stable and the police suspected arson. However the pavilion was built in its place.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, benjamin oliver wallis, claire fitzpatrick, don maling, dr alfred fitzpatrick, eltham living and learning centre, frank maas, john pearson, richard gilsenen, tannery

John Alfred Lyell "Alf" Haeusler was born on 3rd February 1922, and was the only child of Louis and Ilma Haeusler. He lost his mother Ilma at the age of six and was raised by his father and his Aunt Nellie. He was a quiet lad with a limp, possibly caused by an illness early in life, later diagnosed as polymyositis. As a young boy, Alf was fascinated by electricity and radios. Like his father Louis, Alf had the ability to engineer and fabricate almost anything using humble materials, from mending the broken handle of a teapot, to making a toy xylophone, a homemade crystal radio set or a homemade drill. Alf attended Wodonga West School No.1058 until the eighth grade. Due to his medical condition, in order to avoid the two-mile walk to school, Alf travelled by pony, which was hired from another student, Tom Ardern for sixpence a week. The two boys remained lifelong friends. Tom Ardern died in Wodonga, Victoria on 10th January 1996 and Alf Haeusler died on 5th October 1997. The Haeusler Collection consisting of manuscripts, personal artefacts used by the Haeusler family and a set of glass negatives was bequeathed to the Wodonga & District Historical Society. It offers a unique visual snapshot of the domestic and social lives of the Haeusler family and local Wodonga community in the early 20th century.This photo is significant because it depicts an important aspect of the early life of Alf Haeusler of Wodonga.Framed black and white image of two boys on horseback on their way to school.haeusler family of wodonga, thomas ardern, alf haeusler

Charlton Foundry building est 1885 corner of Learmonth and High Sts. Residence next door. Later Dabron's Foundry.Sepia photograph, mounted unframed of The Charlton Foundry Company, Late C.Munro, Engineers, Agricultural Implements Makers, Wheelwrights etc.. Ten people standing outside, seven men, a boy with a bicycle and two young girls. Long timber building with large chimney at the rear of the building, Machinery, wheels and horse drawn vehicles on display. Clark Bros Photographers 25 Thomas St Windsor. Charlton Foundry 1890munro's, charlton, industry, business, foundry

BHS CollectionHandwritten notes by Albert Richardson (also typed copy) from Bendigo Advertiser Report Monday June 2nd 1873. Notes mention Engineers and Engine-drivers Association meeting at Royal Hotel on 31/5/1873. Threat of strike if 8 hour day not granted. Names companies who had agreed to the 8 hours, wages and no reduction in wages.gold, mining reports, mining reports, enginedrivers & eight hours day, bendigo advertiser 2/6/1873, engineers and enginedrivers association, royal hotel, young chum co, comet co, robin hood co, fraser's crushing engine, rainbow tribute, garden gully united, new chum & belle vue ext'd, richard heales tribute, ellesmere coy, koch's & hildebrandt, south garden gully drainage coy, napoleon tribute, victoria gold mines coy, golden empire, lazarus mine

Handwritten notes, and typed copy of same, on the New Chum Railway Mine and other mines and connections between various mines underground. Descriptions of mines and their equipment. Mines mentioned are: New Chum Railway Mine, Eureka Extended, Shenandoah, Shamrock Mine, Young Chum, Old Chum, Little Chum, New Chum Tribute, Cravens, Garibaldi, New Chum Consolidated, Menzies, Ellesmere, Consolidated, Denis, Lansell's 222, New Chum United, Kochs & Hildebrandt Mine, Lazarus, Central Blue, Lazarus No 1 Coy, Hudson's, Burrows & Sterry, Victoria Tribute, North Old Chum, Lansell's Big 180, Sandhurst, Victoria Quartz, The Great Central Victoria (known as the 'Midway'), Victoria Consols, Advance, Adventure, Ironbark, Victoria Gold Mines Company, No 83 claim, The Hercules & Energetic, North Energetic, Victoria Pilot, Bendigo Amalgamated Goldfields Company, Pearl, Hercules No 1, Hercules New Chum, Great Extended Victoria, New Victoria Catherine, Mystery (later the Duke of Edinburgh), New St Mungo, Duchess Tribute, Extended South Devonshire, South Devonshirte, Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Alexandia (later United Devonshire), Danes, United Devonshire, South Devonshire, Hopewell, Phoenix, Unicorn, Lady Barkly, Sadowa, Eastwood Lease, Ellenborough, Belmont & Saxby, York & Durham, Acadia, Williams United, Ulster, North Red White & Blue, North Deborah, Catherine Reef United, Central Catherine, Princess Alice, Catherine Reef United, Murchison, North Catherine (or Franklin), Catherine Reef Extended,document, gold, gold mines of bendigo & eaglehawk, new chum railway mine, gold mines of bendigo & eaglehawk, eureka extended, shenandoah, shamrock mine, young chum, old chum, little chum, new chum tribute, cravens, garibaldi, new chum consolidated, menzies, ellesmere, consolidated, denis, lansell's 222, new chum united, kochs & hildebrandt mine, lazarus, central blue, lazarus no 1 coy, hudson's, burrows & sterry, victoria tribute, north old chum, lansell's big 180, sandhurst, victoria quartz, the great central victoria (known as the 'midway'), victoria consols, advance, adventure, ironbark, victoria gold mines company, no 83 claim, the hercules & energetic, north energetic, victoria pilot, bendigo amalgamated goldfields company, pearl, hercules no 1, hercules new chum, great extended victoria, new victoria catherine, mystery (later the duke of edinburgh), new st mungo, duchess tribute, extended south devonshire, south devonshirte, duchess of edinburgh, princess alexandia (later united devonshire), danes, united devonshire, south devonshire, hopewell, phoenix, unicorn, lady barkly, sadowa, eastwood lease, ellenborough, belmont & saxby, york & durham, acadia, williams united, ulster, north red white & blue, north deborah, catherine reef united, central catherine, princess alice, catherine reef united, murchison, north catherine (or franklin), catherine reef extended, mr clark magee, john delbridge - engineers, a harkness & sons, mr lansell, b c v 8 studios, mr gibbs, mr barnet lazarus, mt alvernia hospital, p m g repeater station, john brown knitwear, mr burrows, mr sterry, john wybrants, mr wittschiebe, theodore ballerstadt, mr wm rae, california hill state school, freeman & coy