Geoff Evans was the third generation to run Evans Brothers Sawmills that operated from the northern end of the Echuca Wharf from 1923 to 1983. His grandfather Richard James Evans orig. of England, settled in Victoria at a young age. He first worked as a butcher and later cut firewood in the Heathcote and Bacchus Marsh area. ‘R.J.’, as he was known established a sawmill at Barmah in the 1890s, before relocating to this site in 1923. It became known officially as the Evans Bros. Echuca Red Gum Sawmill. This site proved more economical due to its position at the railhead. Paddlesteamers towed barges carrying the logs from the surrounding forests to this mill. The Steamers that were owned by the Evans family were the Edwards (built 1875) and the Melbourne (built 1912). The Edwards was the main towing vessel. Outrigger barges at this mill were the Impulse (1885), Alison (1907), Clyde (once a paddlesteamer, built in 1884). Insider barges at the mill were old wool barges with iron topsides, the J.L.Roberts (1894), ADA (1899) and the Whaler which was of wooden construction. The Evans Mill cut both red gum and Murray pine. There was a main mill for the red gum and a second one for the pine on this site. Two new Marshall steam engines had been purchased by the family, one was used in the P.S. Edwards and the other for the Barmah mill and later this site. The Evans Bros. Mill was very much a family concern with it being owned and operated firstly by R.J., then his son Frederick. R. Evans and later grandson Geoff Evans. The mill employed 18 workers and operated until the 1980s, only briefly was it in the hands of other owners before the construction on part of the site of a tourist-oriented building known as the Red Gum Works which eventually made way for the Port of Echuca Discovery Centre in 2014.Knowledge of the redgum timber milling industry and associated mechanisms such as log slips is scant with little photographic representations to be found. The industry created alongside the Murray River in various places was very unique given the nature of red gum not floating and ingenuity and making use of local resources was required. Geoff Evans had firsthand knowledge of much of this process and how the Echuca Wharf area used to be in past decades. Geoff was also a popular musician and mayor of Echuca so had much knowledge of the local history and community.Digital recording of oral history interview with Geoff Evans of Evans Brothers Sawmill Echuca. evans bros, evans bros saw mills, evans' sawmill, geoff evans, log slip, log skid, p.s. edwards, p.s. melbourne, impulse barge, allison barge, clyde barge, j.l. roberts barge, ada barge, whaler barge, murray pine, redgum, marshall engines, r.j evans, f.j. evans, discovery centre, p.s. marion

Hugh D.T. WIlliamson C.B.E. was born in Ballarat on 04 February 1901 and died on 20 December 1985. "He witnessed first-hand the difficulties of rural life exacerbated by a world war that had stripped whole towns of their young men, and the long, lean years of the Depression were to define the way he lived the rest of his life. Hard work, constancy, eschewing wastage of any kind along with a hunger to seize opportunities wherever they presented themselves were the principles that informed his life and career and which, in time, gave rise to a commitment to others and to organisations and communities in which he saw the same ideals. Hugh attained the rank of Honorary Colonel in the Salvation Army and attained its highest award in 1978 when he was presented with its Distinguished Service Medal. In his time with the Salvation Army, Hugh helped establish the Red Shield Appeal and established scholarships to support senior officers to obtain business management training at the Australian Administrative Staff College in Mt Eliza (operated from a property formerly owned by Sir Reginald Ansett). He began his working life at age 16 at the Ballarat Banking Company. He steadily worked his way up through the ranks of the banking industry to become General Manager of the ANZ Bank from which he retired in 1961. Hugh was also a founding Trustee of the William Buckland Foundation, an association which strongly influenced his decision to set up his own foundation."Yellow Order of Service booklet for the funeral of Hugh Williamson. hugh williamson, hugh d.t. williamson, memorial service, martin carlson, j. davis mccaughey, francis macnab, frank linsell, john norman, ian harrison

Inscribed 'Jno Evans, May 1889'. Labelled 'Phillip Island Historical Society, Cleeland Bequest'.

Dark green cloth-covered board. Gold lettering on spine. Indented self coloured writing on front cover 4 horizontal indented self coloured stripes on bottom. 440 pages.A novel about an unlikely young man who goes on to be a member of Parliament. Social commentary and criticism is weaved in. Blackmore was also the author of LORNA DOONE.social commentary, novel, politics

Sepia photograph

Black and white photograph of a man.thomas hart, professor, ballarat school of mines, forestry school, creswick forestry school