Maori's Crown (The Contender Imp P 1.54.0 - Maori Mara Vic Tr 2.9.2 (Bravado Hanover)) Bay Mare. Foaled 1995 (9th Foal). Breeder/Owner: R McD Healy & Co Pty Ltd. Trainer: R McD Healy. Maori's Crown raced from 1998 (2yo) through to 2001 (5yo). Career: 8 wins 1 second 5 thirds 32 starts $57,060 2.06.2 Winning Drivers: BR Gath (4) BR Healy (3) MN Wishart (1). Won on 4 Tracks: Moonee Valley (5) Bendigo (1) Maryborough (1) Ballarat (1)Maori's Crown won the 1998 Vicbred Super Series Final 2yo Trotters at Moonee Valley over 1940m at a mile rate of 2.10.7. Driven by BR Gath. Defeating Claes 2nd and Mad Azz 3rd.Gold and Silver Trophy on a Wooden BaseVicbred / Super Series / Final / 2yo Trotters / Moonee Valley / Saturday 11 July 1998 / Won bytrotting, maoris crown, moonee valley, vicbred super series, 1998, ric healy, r healy, br healy, bryan healy, br gath, brian gath, b gath, b healy, r mcd healy

Maori's Crown (The Contender Imp P 1.54.0 - Maori Mara Vic Tr 2.9.2 (Bravado Hanover)) Bay Mare. Foaled 1995 (9th Foal). Breeder/Owner: R McD Healy & Co Pty Ltd. Trainer R McD Healy. Maori's Crown raced from 1998 (2yo) through to 2001 (5yo). Career: 8 wins 1 second 5 thirds 32 starts $57,060 2.06.2 Winning Drivers: BR Gath (4) BR Healy (3) MN Wishart (1). Won on 4 Tracks: Moonee Valley (5) Bendigo (1) Maryborough (1) Ballarat (1)Maori's Crown won the 1998 Edgar Tatlow Memorial 2yo Trotters at Moonee Valley over 1940m at a mile rate of 2.06.3. Driven by BR Gath. Defeating Heza Joule 2nd and Kellybrooke 3rd.Glass plaqueVicbred /Edgar Tatlow Memorial / 2yo Trotters / Moonee Valley 23 May 1998 / Won by / Harness Racing Victoria Designed and Handcrafted / in Australia by / Renown Silverwaretrotting, edgar tatlow, moonee valley, 1998, ric healy, r healy, br gath, brian gath, br healy, bryan healy, b gath, b healy, r mcd healy

Brown marbled hardcover book of a French translation of the New Testament, Le Nouveau Testament De Notre Seigneur Jesus - Christ. No title on front cover or spine.non-fictionAn antique copy of the New Testament in French.religion, new testament

gold rush era historic building, social historyB/W photo, Crown Hotel, Buninyong, from Learmonth St. around 1905, shows some adjoining buildings inc. Caffrey's Shoeing Forge. Clearly shows original polychrome brickwork, full width iron lace veranda and tall flagpole.buninyong, crown hotel, learmonth st., warrenheip st, caffrey's shoeing forge

LANDATA Land Victoria plan printout dated 2010Part of Crown Allotments 1, 1A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 55, 56, 57. Section C Crown Allotments 3, 12 & part of 2. Section B Map includes Bedford Road, Government Road (later Bedford Park Road then Hill Street), Marwarra Street and Tooronga Road, Ringwood. (Sheet 1 of 2 - Sheet 2 not included with collection).

Subdivision Plan # 1044 - Parish of Nillumbik, County Bourke, Crown Allotment B Section 12, Eltham North. This subdivision plan includes Weidlich Road and St Clems Street. The developer for this subdivision is Taunton Developments and the Surveyors are Fisher Cleeland Turner & Dwyer Vic, Surveyors and Engineers.An example of hard copy subdivision plans from the Greensborough area. Mainly from the Shire of Diamond Valley era (1964-1994).Plan (single sided) mounted on heavy card. Stamped and handwritten Council permissions, dates and other details. subdivision plans, shire of diamond valley, taunton developments

In May 1884, George Smart of Bulleen Road Kew, brickmaker, bought the 23 acres one rood and twenty nine and three tenths perches, or 9.4834 hctares from Arthur Bailey Clements of Ringwood for the sum of 600 pound sterling. (Extract from The Story of the Crown Jewel Estate in Ringwood East pdf)Double sided folded page with black and red print on both sides advertising auction sale of residential and business sites and highlighting local facilities, services and layout of the estate.Subdivision includes Mount Dandenong Road, Valda Avenue, Evon Avenue, Mirabel Avenue, and Velma Grove. (Agent) T. Burkitt, Box 12 Ringwood, Phone Ringwood 157. Vendor: A. Marshall Miller, McDonald Street, Mordialloc. Solicitors: Russell, Bona and Russell, 19 Queen Street Melbourne, and Ringwood - Phone Cent. 4308.

Subdivision Plan # 1026 - Parish of Nillumbik, County Bourke, Crown Allotment B Section 12, Eltham North. This subdivision plan includes Ryans Road (also known as Government Road) and St Clems Street. The developer for this subdivision is Taunton Developments and the Surveyors are Fisher Cleeland Turner & Dwyer Vic, Surveyors and Engineers.An example of hard copy subdivision plans from the Greensborough area. Mainly from the Shire of Diamond Valley era (1964-1994).Plan (single sided) mounted on heavy card. Stamped and handwritten Council permissions, dates and other details. subdivision plans, shire of diamond valley, taunton developments

This map documents a transfer of an allotment of land in Clarke Street Bacchus Marsh in 1890. Clarke Street is located on the eastern side of Bacchus Marsh not far from Main Street and Crook Street. It is now known as Candeloro Street. The map indicates J. Booth as the owner of the land and H. Simpson as the occupier. Next to this allotment is a an allotment of land owned by J. Elmore,Single page map showing Crown allotment 9, Parish of Korkuperrimul, County of Bourke. Scale 100 feet to inch. Part of a set of maps which are pasted into a bound volume containing 76 maps or plans in total. High resolution digital image stored on BMDHS computer network. At bottom of map: I hereby certify that I have made this survey expressly for the purpose of an application under the Transfer of Land Statute that this plan is correct. Barry B???, Lic. Surveyor, 16.10.90bacchus marsh victoria maps, clarke street bacchus marsh maps

Subdivision Plan # 35 Parish of Keelbundoora, Crown Portion 16: 3 plans on one sheet. Plan 1: Lambourn Road, Boger Street, Kenmare Street, Greensborough Road, Devonshire Road, Watsonia (stamped "Superseded"). Plan 2: an update of plan 1. Plan 3: Also Lambourn Road, Boger Street, Kenmare Street, dated 1918, Shire of Heidelberg.An example of hard copy subdivision plans from the Greensborough area. Mainly from the Shire of Diamond Valley era (1964-1994).3 Plans (single sided) mounted on heavy card. Stamped and handwritten Council permissions, dates and other details. Plan 1 has been stamped in red "SUPERCEDED" and overwritten by hand "Cancelled".subdivision plans, city of heidelberg, greensborough, main street greensborough, shire of heidelberg, watsonia

This map was produced for the State Regional Boundaries Committee Two colour map of Victoria showing the regions for planning and development. The regions are Central Highlands, Mallee, Wimmera, Glenelg, Corangamite, Barwon, Loddon, Goulburn, Upper Goulburn, Upper Murray, East Gippsland, West Gippsland, Port Phillip.central highlands, mallee, wimmera, glenelg, corangamite, barwon, loddon, goulburn, upper goulburn, upper murray, east gippsland, west gippsland, port phillip, victoria, m4486

Ferdinand Krause taught at the Ballarat School of MinesGeological Map of Haddon in the County of Grenville surveyed by Ferdinand Krause. haddon, grenville, krause, ferdinand krause, cgt, lake burrumbeet, windermere, chepstowe, bailies creek, snake valley lead, nentingbool preemptice right, cardigan state forest, haddon state forest

Subdivision Plan # 19 - Parish of Keelbundoora, Crown Portion 16, Watsonia "Black's subdivision". This subdivision plan includes proposed street names which were later changed (e.g. Morwell Street (not Morwell Avenue) now called Greenwood Drive). Includes Lambourn Road, Black Street, Grace Street, Eden Avenue, High Street, Kenmare Street, Morwell Avenue, Greensborough Road, Mundy Street, Ladd Street.An example of hard copy subdivision plans from the Greensborough area. Mainly from the Shire of Diamond Valley era (1964-1994).Plan (single sided) mounted on heavy card. Stamped and handwritten Council permissions, dates and other details. subdivision plans, city of heidelberg, greensborough, main street greensborough, shire of heidelberg, watsonia, black family

This tie pin has as its centerpiece a souvenir medal from the Warrnambool Industrial and Art Exhibition of 1896-7. This exhibition was held in the Town Hall and Council Buildings and the Mechanics’ Institute and temporary buildings at the corner of Liebig and Timor Streets, Warrnambool. It was held over three months and attracted many visitors and featured concerts, sports events, industrial exhibits and a variety of competitions. This is an interesting and important item. It is one of the more unusual mementoes from the Warrnambool Industrial and Art Exhibition and shows the use made of souvenirs from exhibitions around the world. This tiepin was purchased in an antique shop in England in the 20th century. This is a metal tie pin with three circular coins, soldered together at the edges. In the middle is a souvenir medal of the Warrnambool Industrial and Art Exhibition of 1896-7 showing an image of the Exhibition buildings at the corner of Timor and Liebig Streets on one side and a Coat of Arms on the other side. The two smaller coins on each side are imitation British half crowns. The clip at the back is soldered on to the two smaller coins Medal: Industrial Exhibition, Warrnambool 1896 Coins: 1889-90 warrnambool industrial and art exhibition 1896-7, warrnambool, tie pin

Drawing, coloured with water based drawing wash, titled "Plan of Survey of Part of Crown Allotments 15 and 16 at Hawthorn, Parish of Boroondara, County of Bourke". Shows the tram track, Wallen Road, changes around the intersection with Power St, buildings. A note at the bottom notes who owns what - MMTB and City of Hawthorn. Prepared by H. S. McComb, licensed Surveyor 6-9-1922. Stored folded.Stamped "Drawing Office" "Office Copy" and in red pencil "Hawthorn" in the bottom right hand corner, and on the rear "Drawing Office" "Office Copy" and "Hawthorn Depot" in pencil.trams, tramways, htt, mmtb, hawthorn depot, plans

The pins in this collection vary in the timber used and the design. They were found in a warehouse beside Crown Casino in Melbourne, located along the Yarra River, close to the sailing ship "Polly Woodside" and not far from the docks of Port Melbourne. Some of the pins have the mark of a 'Broad Arrow' with 'D ↑ D, which signifies that they were the property of the Australian Government's Department of Defence. Belaying pins are essential equipment on a traditional sailing ship of the 19th and early 20th centuries. They are usually made of wood but some are metal. A belaying pin is used to secure the running ropes of the rigging to the ship's rails using holes drilled onto the rails for that purpose. The belaying pins are inserted into holes in the ship’s rail, drilled for that purpose. When the sail has been raised, the ropes are wrapped around the upper and lower sections of the pins in a figure-eight pattern. The shapes of these belaying pins taper from the rounded end of the handle inwards towards the bottom, which allows them to have a firm fit into the holes in the rails. The rigging rope is wound around the pins in such a way that a tug on the pin's handle pulls it out of the hole and quickly frees the rope and the sail.These belaying pins are significant for their association with sailing vessels, particularly vessels of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They are also significant for their association with the Port of Melbourne where sailing ships docked to and from the Port of Melbourne. Some of the pins have additional significance for being connected with the Australian Government's Department of Defence.Belaying pin, wooden, simple design, wooden shaft with a wider rounded end on top third, tapering to the centre third, which is wider than a lower third. The bottom has a blunt base. Some of the pins have the three sections divided by a line around their circumferences. This collection of fifty-seven pins of varying shapes, colours and timber. Some of the pins are stained with colour, and some have been left natural Stored in a wooden crate. Some have inscriptions.Marks: (Government Defence Department Broad Arrow) "D ↑ D"sailiing equipment, nautical equipment, rigging, yards, flagstaff hill, maritime museum, maritime village, belaying pin, broad arrow, australian government, australian department of defence, sailing ship, sail

The Curator’s lodge, designed by the Town Surveyor, HV Champion, was constructed in 1907 following the re-organisation of the north-east corner with the demolition of the old curator's cottage and erection of new gates. Lee Heap Furniture Warehouse of Williamstown used the postcards to advertise. The postcards are evidence of the interest the gardens held as a subject for postcard publishers. The text and images provide a snapshot into fashions, social interests and concerns of the time. The professionally produced images provide a pictorial history of Gardens including changing planting styles, various structures and features of the Gardens eg the aviary, cannons, the fountain, the second Curator’s Lodge and gates. The images offer an opportunity to compare garden vistas with the present day.A sepia image looking across a path bordered with rocks of a house (the Curators lodge) behind a fence. In front of the fence there is a young girl sitting on a rock with a young boy standing beside her. The house is timber with two brick chimneys, the right hand one half hidden by foliage. The house is federation style with timber battening above the front window. A timber frieze is above a verandah supported by three posts and light coloured brackets. Front: ‘Williamstown Gardens. Vic.’ ‘0457/1’ THE CROWN STUDIOS, SYDNEY’. Reverse: Centre top ‘POST CARD’ with a logo in the middle of the words. Left top corner a drawing of an artist’s board and brushes with a camera in the centre. Left side ‘MESSAGE ONLY.’ Right side ‘ADDRESS ONLY.’ Top right corner inside a dotted rectangle ‘STAMP HERE’. Bottom on card ‘BY THE CROWN STUDIOS, SYNDEY.’ Under the vertical line down the middle line ‘Neither the Address not the Message must cross this line’. In ink ‘With Compliments / from’. An oval stamp with scalloped rim ‘LEE HEAP FURNITURE MANUFACTURER’ inside inner oval ‘FURNITURE WAREHOUSE, / WILLIAMSTOWN’.postcard, gardens, post-card, williamstown-botanic-gardens, hobsons-bay-city-council, curator’s lodge, children, federation style, crown studios, lee heap furniture warehouse

The lake was built in 1904, during the curatorship of Mr Thake. Lee Heap Furniture Warehouse of Williamstown used the postcards to advertise. The postcards are evidence of the interest the gardens held as a subject for postcard publishers. The text and images provide a snapshot into fashions, social interests and concerns of the time. The professionally produced images provide a pictorial history of Gardens including changing planting styles, various structures and features of the Gardens eg the aviary, cannons, the fountain, the second Curator’s Lodge and gates. The images offer an opportunity to compare garden vistas with the present day.Sepia image of the ornamental lake and part of the Curator’s Lodge in the background on the left side of card. The small island with a succulent is in the centre of the image with a similar plant on the right side of it. The water is edged with rocks. Reflections of the plantings and lodge can be seen.Front: ‘The Artificial Lake, Williamstown Gardens. Vic.’ ‘0457/3’ ‘THE CROWN STUDIOS, SYDNEY’. Reverse: Centre top ‘POST CARD’ with a logo in the middle of the words. Left top corner a drawing of an artist’s board and brushes with a camera in the centre. Left side ‘MESSAGE ONLY.’ Right side ‘ADDRESS ONLY.’ Top right corner inside a dotted rectangle ‘STAMP HERE’. Bottom on card ‘BY THE CROWN STUDIOS, SYNDEY.’ Under the vertical line down the middle line ‘Neither the Address not the Message must cross this line’. In ink ‘With Compliments from’. An oval stamp with scalloped rim ‘LEE HEAP FURNITURE MANUFACTURER’ inside inner oval ‘FURNITURE WAREHOUSE, / WILLIAMSTOWN’.postcard, gardens, post-card, williamstown-botanic-gardens, hobsons-bay-city-council, ornamental lake, crown studios, lee heap furniture warehouse

The cast iron gates (manufactured in Glasgow) introduced at the North West entrance in 1907. The gates were purchased from ‘Fairlie” corner of Acland and Anderson Streets, South Yarra at the cost of 72 pounds and cost 60 pounds to install. They had originally cost the owners of ‘Fairlie’ 1200 pounds. Lee Heap Furniture Warehouse of Williamstown used the postcards to advertise. The postcards are evidence of the interest the gardens held as a subject for postcard publishers. The text and images provide a snapshot into fashions, social interests and concerns of the time. The professionally produced images provide a pictorial history of Gardens including changing planting styles, various structures and features of the Gardens eg the aviary, cannons, the fountain, the second Curator’s Lodge and gates. The images offer an opportunity to compare garden vistas with the present day. The image in this postcard shows the gates intact and as installed in 1907. The current layout of this area still reflects the change of design, which followed the 1907 removal of the first gardener's residence and the subsequent re-organisation of this quarter of the gardens. This postcard is evidence of the placement of one of the cannons relocated from Fort Gellibrand in 1906. They were removed from the Gardens in the 1960s. These same cannons remain a feature on the Williamstown waterfront in 2013. Black and white image of main entrance gates which are open. Through the gates can be seen a man in waistcoat standing in front of a cannon. The gates are cast iron, double carriage gates with single pedestrian gates on either side and supported by four cast iron posts with ornamental finials. Front: ‘The Entrance Gates, Williamstown Gardens. Vic.’ ‘0457/2’ ‘THE CROWN STUDIOS, SYDNEY’. Reverse: Centre top ‘POST CARD’ with a logo in the middle of the words. Left top corner a drawing of an artist’s board and brushes with a camera in the centre. Left side ‘MESSAGE ONLY.’ Right side ‘ADDRESS ONLY.’ Top right corner inside a dotted rectangle ‘STAMP HERE’. Bottom on card ‘BY THE CROWN STUDIOS, SYNDEY.’ Under the vertical line down the middle line ‘Neither the Address not the Message must cross this line’. In ink ‘With Compliments / from’. An oval stamp with scalloped rim ‘LEE HEAP FURNITURE MANUFACTURER’ inside inner oval ‘FURNITURE WAREHOUSE, / WILLIAMSTOWN’.postcard, gardens, post-card, williamstown-botanic-gardens, hobsons-bay-city-council, entrance gates, entrance-gates, cast iron, finials, cannon, crown studios, lee heap furniture warehouse

ink and watercolor on watermarked laid paper dated 1928text and measurementsballaraat, ballarat, plan, plan of survey, armstrong street, skipton street

LANDATA Land Victoria 4-sheet plan printout dated 2009.Sheet 1 includes Canterbury Road, Heathmont Road, Dickasons Road and Bennett Avenue, Heathmont. Additional markings include PC353066. Sheet 2 includes Heathmont Road, Bennett Avenue and Orchid Street, Heathmont. Additional markings include PS326369 and SP24567. Sheet 3 includes Dickasons Road and Bennett Avenue, Heathmont. Additional markings include LP46776, SP28005 and PS335189. Sheet 4 includes Dickasons Road, Bennett Avenue and Orchid Street, Heathmont. Additional markings include SP25998, SP31080, SP31780, SP25968, SP25969 and LP46475.

Crown Portion 3 of Eltham, Parish of Nillumbik, County of Evelyn, Lots 26, 26A and 26B were part of the Greensborough Railway Station Estate. The land detailed is bounded by present-day Rattray Road, Reichelt Avenue, Wooded Way and Ryrie Court, Montmorency. Originally purchased in September 1913 by George William Miller, signwriter of Greensborough and Harry Frederick Miller, the land was sold to Mrs Margaret Barr Honeyman, 24 June 1918 on mortgage for £400, deposit paid £150. In February 1920, Mr Honeyman called for the title and paid off the loan early, settlement occuring 11 October 1920. Contents: 1. Handwritten payment plan (Sep 1913 to Mar 1923) for Lots 26, 26A and 26B being parts of Crown Portion 3, Parish of Nillumbik, County of Evelyn on the plan of subdivision making up the Greensborough Railway Station Estate situated on Rattray Road; purchased for £179.2.0 with a deposit of £18.0.0. 2. Receipt: From Messrs G.W. and H.F. Miller for £11.15.8 being instalment and interest, 9 Sep 1913 3. Invoice: To Messrs G.W. and H.F. Miller for £11.12.0 being instalment and interest due 15 Sep 1914 4. Contract of Sale: George William Miller and Harry Frederick Miller to Mrs. Margaret Barr Honeyman, in respect of sale of Lots 26, 26A and 26B for £400.0.0, 24 June 1918. Deposit of £150.0.0 balance to be paid half yearly instalments of £15 with interest at 5% per annum added. 5. Letter: Percy J. Russell, Solicitor to G.W. Miller, 5 Feb 1920 advising Mr Honeyman has called for the title and wishes to pay off mortgage. 6. Letter: Percy J. Russell, Solicitor to G.W. Miller, 11 Oct 1920 advising settlement and payment of Miller to Honeyman.contract of sale, george william miller, greensborough railway station estate, harry frederick miller, land sale, margaret barr honeyman, montmorency, rattray road, reichelt avenue, ryrie court, wooded way

colour photograph unmounted (2 identical photographs)This plaque marks the site of the first block of land sold in the first Crown Land Sales in St Kilda 7 Dec 1842. The buyer was Lieut. James Ross Lawrence, R N, Captain of the Schooner 'Lady of St Kilda'. He named Acland st after Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, owner of "The Lady of St Kilda". This plaque was unveiled by Commander RS Veale RAN (retd) CMG for St Kilda City Council. 24 March 1985.

Bookplate featuring a couple wearing crownscrown, robert littlewood

Silver Coated Ladle. (Previously #94 from Mechanics Institute, Eaglehawk) Stamped with A1 hallmark 'M T R Crown Crown A1'M T R Crown Crowncottage, miners

Previous owners: T. H. Smith, T. W. Smith, W. F. L. Owen (Langer Owen) No. of volumes: 686 Volume range: Law Times & Law Reporter - Vol. I N.S. (November 1859) - Vol. CLXXVII (December 1947), Weekly Notes - Vol. 1925-26 - Vol. 1952, Weekly Law Reports - Vol. 1953 - Vol. 2014 Missing volumes: Vol. XLI N.S. (September 1879 - February 1880) Also known as: The law reporter : the law times : reports containing all the cases argued and determined in the House of Lords, the Privy Council, the Court of Appeal in Chancery, the Rolls Courts, V. C. Kindersley's Court, V. C. Stuart's Court, V. C. Wood's Court, the court of Queen's Bench, the court of Common Bench, the court of Exchequer, the Bail Court, the Exchequer Chamber, the court for Crown cases reserved, the Probate Court, the court for divorce and matrimonial cases, the Admiralty Court, the Bankruptcy Court, the Insolvency Court, at Nisi Prius, Maritime law cases, together with a selection of cases of universal application decide in the Superior Courts in Ireland and in Scotland Weekly notes Weekly law reports Most volumes, especially early contain a book plate and stamp for W. F. L. Owenlaw reports: digests: etc. -- great britain

(Cancelled) Certificate of Title originally issued for Crown Portion 15, Section 5 to Robert David Taylor, of Eltham, County of Evelyn, Farmer, 13 March 1925. It is with this title that the land allotment was subdivided into 48 lots. The title shows the issuance to Robert David Taylor with encumbrance placed upon it by immediate former owner, Hugh Patrick Keogh, a former member for Gippsland and Melbourne Real Estate Agent. Following Taylor's death in 1934 the title passes to his Executors, sons Robert David Taylor of Bible Street, Eltham and William McLelland Vance Taylor of Northcote. The property is then sold to Frank Stokes who develops the Stokes Orchard. Compulsory acquisitions by the Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works and State Electricity Commission show provisions of easemenst for town water supply and high voltage power transmission lines. Subsequent lots are then sold off with the development of the Stokes Orchard Estate residential development in the mid to late 1970s. A History of the Development of Crown Allotment 15, Section 5, Parish of Nillumbik – Stokes Orchard Crown Allotment 15, Section 5, Parish of Nillumbik (CA15) is a square allotment of 158 acres or approximately a quarter of a square mile. It lies just beyond the eastern end of Pitt Street, south of Nyora Road to the northern end of Eucalyptus Road and extends east from Eucalyptus Road to Reynolds Road. The topography of CA15 is generally steep, sloping up to a hill near the centre of the land, the ridgeline passing through the properties along the southern side of Diosma Road. Eucalyptus Road is a straight north-south road with its northern end at the north west corner of CA15. Until the end of the 1970s this road was an un-named Government Road and was largely not open to traffic. With residential development in the 1970s the road was constructed, and the council allocated the name obviously in recognition of the predominant species of the local bushland. CA15 was purchased from the Crown by George D’Arley Boursiquot, a prominent Melbourne printer, on 28th October 1852. On November 23, 1922, former Member for Gippsland and Melbourne Real Estate Agent, Hubert Patrick Keogh purchased the allotment then sold it March 13, 1925, to local farmer, Robert David Taylor, a former Shire of Eltham Councillor (1911-1920) and Shire President (1919). Taylor had extensive land holdings stretching west towards Bible Street and Main Road. The Taylor home was situated at the top of the hill in Bible Street at present day 82 Bible Street. At the time of Taylor’s purchase in 1925, CA15 was subdivided into 48 lots that could be described as small rural properties or large residential lots. A typical lot size was one hectare or 2.5 acres. The subdivision created two roads, Nyora Road, and Diosma Road, each following an irregular alignment between Eucalyptus and Reynolds Roads. However, the lots were not sold off separately nor were the roads constructed. The land effectively remained as one parcel for many further years. Robert David Taylor died November 30, 1934, and probate was granted to his son of the same name, Robert David Taylor of Bible Street, Salesman and William McLelland Vance Taylor of 73 Emmeline Street, Northcote, Clerk, with the transfer of the land into their names on July 8, 1935. Frank Stokes worked as a qualified accountant at Kennons leather factory in Burnley, while living at 1 Thomas Street, Mitcham. He suffered from migraines and wanted to return to working the land (he had previously worked on farms and orchards since coming to Australia from England in 1926, both in WA and Vic.). He first travelled to the district by train in July 1942 to find land with the intention to establish an orchard. By chance he met Arthur Bird of Bird Orchard (bounded by Pitt Street, Eucalyptus Road, and Wattle Grove) and they got talking over their common interest. Arthur put Frank up for the night and pointed out the land, 158 acres- part of the Taylor Estate- £900, Crown Allotment 15, Section 5, Parish of Nillumbik (CA15) somewhat diagonally opposite Bird Orchard. Stokes applied through the Riverina Agency to purchase the land who in turn applied for permission from Canberra to sell as there was a new government regulation introduced during the Second World War banning land sales except for immediate production. Stokes obtained a loan on his Mitcham house of £600 @ 5% and paid £450 deposit with quarterly payments of £15 spread over 5 years. Stokes was assisted and advised by Arthur Bird who farmed the neighbouring orchard. In early 1943 Stokes took possession and would catch the train out to Eltham on Fridays after work and began building a hut on the corner of Nyora Road and the Government Road (Eucalyptus Road) for shelter and to lock up tools. He established an orchard on the central western part of the land through the centre of which ran a natural waterway (part of the present-day linear park) and was able to pay a neighbour (Hawkins) to help with clearing and fencing 25 acres, and with a horse and single furrowed plough, planted approximately 2,500 fruit trees - cherries, peaches, plums, almonds, pears, apricots and lemons as well as a few apples and oranges; a massive task. Aerial photographs from the 1940s through to the 1990s clearly show the orchard with most of the larger CA15 site remaining as natural bushland. A huge problem was hares and rabbits eating all the new buds off the tiny trees. As well as laying poison he painted the trees with a mixture of cow manure and lime, often working by moonlight. Procurement of wire and wire netting was difficult because of the war but after much effort he obtained a permit from the Agricultural Department for supplies in March 1944. In February 1945 Stokes applied for a permit to build a “packing shed” as no house building was allowed. It was to be 33 feet x 21 feet and cost £312. It was constructed mostly from second-hand materials, which were hard to obtain, especially iron for roofing. Stokes finished work at Kennons on October 31, 1945, and in March 1946 he sold the family home at Mitcham for £1,230 plus £170 for furniture. On May 15, 1946, title to the CA15 property was issued to Frank Howard Alfred Stokes, Orchardist and Gladys Ethel Stokes, Married Woman, both of Pitt Street, Eltham. The family of five then moved into the very unfinished “packing shed” at Eltham, which was a struggle to weatherproof. Eventually rooms were divided off and lined with hessian bags and whitewashed. Their income was firewood (cut and sold), selling rockery stones and cut Sweet Bursaria. (It was discovered during the 1940s that Sweet Bursaria contained the sunscreen compound Aesculin. The RAAF utilised this compound from Sweet Bursaria during WW2 for pilots and gunners.) The orchard’s first fruit sale was a half-case of Le Vanq peaches in December 1947 for the price of 8 shillings. In 1956 plans for house were drawn and Glen Iris bricks purchased (1956 Olympic Rings variant). The building of the house commenced in 1957 - 12 feet of original packing shed was removed – and was completed in 1959. Water was connected from newly built pressure storage on the property at the end of 1959 and the electricity connection for the first time at 3pm on April 29, 1960. The house remains to present day (somewhat modified) at 1 Nyora Road, home to Nyora Studio Gallery. On occasions, spare remnants of the 1956 bricks have been known to be unearthed in gardens on the estate as they were utilised by Frank Stokes to fill in rabbit holes. On May 26, 1950, a parcel of land was compulsorily acquired by the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works on the hilltop to establish an easement for a high-level service reservoir to augment Eltham’s water supply. The project also included pipe tracks for the necessary water mains. The reservoir has now been superseded by higher level water tanks east of Reynolds Road and its former site is now a public reserve. On November 27, 1964, the State Electricity Commission served notice to compulsorily acquire a further parcel through the eastern part of the land for a major electricity transmission line that augmented supply from the La Trobe Valley to Melbourne. The easement was registered February 11, 1966. The easement was widened July 18, 1969 for a second transmission line to be constructed. In 1971 Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Scheme amendments adopted Nyora Road as the boundary between a residential zone to the north and a rural zone to the south. This determined the future development of the land. In the mid-1970s the Shire of Eltham divided the orchard into numerous rate-able parcel lots, the 48 lots having been established in 1925 and the subsequent rates assessment proved unsustainable for Stokes. He commenced selling lots outside the boundary of the orchard, north of Diosma and South of Nyora. However shortly later the land between Nyora and Diosma Roads and west of the electricity easement was sold and subdivided into residential lots, a housing development by Macquarie Builders and marketed as the Stokes Orchard Estate. New streets were created, and most were named after trees, although one, Stokes Place, commemorates the former owners. The development was undertaken in two stages; Stage 1 (1975) encompassing Scarlet Ash Court, Ironbark Close and Peppermint Grove bounded by Nyora and Eucalyptus roads and Stage 2 (1978) encompassing Stokes Place, Orchard Way, The Crest and The Lookout bound by Nyora and Diosma roads. The developer, Macquarie Builders went bankrupt shortly after the release of Stage 2 leaving many purchasers to fend for themselves and arrange for their own independent builders. There were also difficulties with sewerage for the land immediately south of Diosma Road and so the conventional residential lots were abandoned in favour of larger lots. The development of Orchard Way, The Crest and The Lookout did not proceed as planned and the proposed lots were incorporated into five-acre parcels instead. These included a low-density group housing development by the Graves family and the award winning Choong House (1983) with Gordon Ford developed garden immediately next door situated on the ridge of the hill nestled amongst the original bush, Eucalypt trees and Sweet Bursaria. In 1994, Nillumbik Shire Council applied Significant Environment and Significant Landscape overlays upon the properties on the south side of Diosma Road to ensure protection of this natural bush garden environment. With the arrival of the sewer along Diosma Road in the 1990s, most of these five-acre parcels have since been subdivided multiple times. The Choong house presently sits on a 2.7-acre property, which in 2022 Nillumbik Council nominated for Cultural Significance Heritage protection and is considered potentially significant at State level. The Stokes family were also associated with the Eltham Christian Church. In the 1970s this church had met in temporary premises in Eltham. Lots of the original 1925 subdivision remained south of Nyora Road and a number of these lots were utilized for the Eltham Christian School, which was established by the Eltham Christian Church in 1981. The school operated on this site until 2000. The premises are now used by The Vine Baptist Church. By the mid-1980s the whole of CA15 had been developed for residential and school purposes, except for the sections north of Diosma Road and between the transmission lines and Reynolds Road. Sewerage issues had been resolved for the section north of Diosma Road and in 1987 it was in the process of being subdivided into residential lots. The development coincided with the discovery of colonies of the rare and endangered Eltham Copper Butterfly on the site. This resulted in a community and political campaign to save the butterfly habitat. With the co-operation of the land developer the subdivision was altered to create two bushland reserves in the critical butterfly habitat areas. In the late 1980s the State Government was investigating options for establishing a metropolitan ring road link between Diamond Creek and Ringwood. The chosen route was adjacent to Reynolds Road and so this created a freeze on development of CA15 between Reynolds Road and the electricity easement. The ring road proposal was eventually abandoned, and this part of the land was subdivided into low density residential lots. Diosma Road has been discontinued at the electricity easement and the eastern part incorporated into View Mount Court with access from Reynolds Road. The whole of CA15 has now been developed for residential or associated purposes, ranging from conventional density to quite low density south of Nyora Road. Some remnants of the orchard remain, a few cherry trees on the Graves property and a lone apple tree in Stokes Place. The butterfly reserves comprise significant areas of remnant bushland. Linear reserves through the estate link with central Eltham via the Woodridge linear reserve and with Research along the electricity easement. CA15 as it exists today has a complicated history of rural use, Government acquisition, urban development, and community action. References: • “Stokes Orchard, an incomplete history”; Russell Yeoman with Doug Orford • Correspondence, Beryl Bradbury (nee Stokes) • Aerial Photographs, 1931-1991, Landata (landata.vic.gov.au) • Certificate of Title, Vol. 4930 Fol. 985900 • Plan Number LP 10859 neil webster collection, diosma road, eltham copper butterfly, eucalyptus road, ironbark close, nyora road, peppermint grove, power transmission lines, reynolds road, scarlet ash court, stokes orchard estate, stokes place, woodridge estate, frank stokes, certificate of title