Black and white "Murray Views" postcard - View from eastern bank of Ringwood Park Lake, railway line hidden by trees in background. Circa 1948."1948" handwritten on back.

Community information booklet issued by City of Ringwood for 1985 - covering the facilities and activities of the Ringwood Council and other local organisations and associations. Cover photograph: Lionsbrae - Frail Aged Hostel.CONTENTS: (page no.) By-Laws/Traffic Regs. 35 Chief Executive 10 Children's Service 12, 13 & 40 Churches 41 City Map 32 & 33 Committees of Council 7 Community Services 38 Community Services Officer 43 Council Finances 24 Councillors 4 & 5 Council Meeting Dates 6 Council Representatives 8 Cultural Centre 23 Disabled Persons Facilities 44 Eastern Corridor 18 East Ringwood Shopping Centre 22 Emergency Telephone Nos. 63 Garbage Collection 20 Golf Course 15 Health 26 Historical Research Croup 47 Home Help 30 Hospitals 48 Immunisations 27 Incinerators 21 Infant Welfare Centres49 J.P.'s and Commissioners 37 Library 28 & 29 Lionsbrae 17 Management Executive 11 Mayoral Message – Cr. R. Gardini, J.P. 3 Meals on Wheels 34 North Ringwood Senior Citizens 16 Opportunity Shops 53 Parks and Reserves 53 Parliamentary Representatives 9 Playgroups 55 Pre-schools 56 Public Toilets 56 Rates 25 Ringwood Croydon Advisory Service 37 Schools 58 Senior Citizens Centres 60 Swimming Pool 14 Unemployment 62 Victoria's 150th Anniversary 36 Works Programme 18 & 19 Youth Outreach Worker 62 rinx

This clock was over the door of the shop of Sambell’s pharmacy at 90 Fairy Street. John Sambell opened the Hall of Pharmacy in Fairy Street, Warrnambool about 1890. He was a chemist and dentist with previous experience in Great Britain and Victoria. His shop had been conducted by Edward Griffiths in the 1880s. By 1919 John Sambell’s son, Herbert, had joined the business, trading as Sambell and Son, though John Sambell had died in 1906. This shop was located at 151 Fairy Street. The Sambells then built new shops on the north eastern corner of Koroit and Fairy Streets and occupied the corner position. In the late 1930s the Sambell business moved to 90 Fairy Street and the business was known as Sambell, Son and Granddaughter. Herbert Sambell died in 1943. This Sambell clock had previously been at the shops of Brocks and Mainlands, both jewellers. This clock is of considerable importance as it was connected to the pharmacy business of the Sambell family, a business that was prominent in Warrnambool for many years. It is an example of the 19th and early 20th centuries practice of placing a large clock outside a business. This is a large oval clock with a gilded wooden frame and a metal face. The hour and second hands and the Roman figures are made of metal. The clock is designed to be placed on a wall or frame of some sort and to be used outside on a shop or other commercial building. The outside frame is somewhat dented.sambell pharmacy, warrnambool

This bottle was used in the pharmacy of Sambell and Son of Warrnambool. John Sambell opened the Hall of Pharmacy in Fairy Street, Warrnambool about 1890, taking over the business previously managed by Edward Griffiths. Sambell was a chemist and dentist with previous business experience in England and Victoria. By 1919 John Sambell’s son, Herbert had joined the business, trading as Sambell and Son (though John Sambell had died in 1906) and the shop was located at 151 Fairy Street. The Sambells then built new shops on the north eastern corner of Koroit and Fairy Streets and occupied the corner position. In the late 1930s Sambells moved to 90 Fairy Street and the business became known as Sambell, Son and Granddaughter, with Herbert, the son, dying in 1943. This bottle is of considerable interest as one of the few items we have associated with the important Sambell family pharmacy business in Warrnambool. This is a glass bottle with a rectangular-shaped body with curved edges, a circular-shaped neck and a moulded circular top. The top is chipped and the inside of the bottle is a little discoloured. The name of the chemist is embossed on the front of the bottle. On base: ‘M’ On front of bottle: Sambell & Son, Dispensing Chemists, Warrnambool’ sambell,, warrnambool chemist, chemists in warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This "coffee" tin has by the "art deco" appearance its origins in the late 1950's to 1960's. This time period was one of accelerated growth both in the physical (housing) sense and the mental (new ideas and inventions) changes in "attitudes". These occurred more rapidly in cities but had its effects on the rural environment. The drinking of coffee was spurred on by easier distribution of imported food and drinks. Advertising by stronger radio links and then by television brought the variety of foods and drinks to semi isolated rural regions. The accessibility through greater information channels becoming available brought with it unbelievable ranges of goods and foodstuffs. Rural regions still relied on bulk supplies and relatively larger storage containers than those in cities. This "bulk" buying and storage "syndrome" was a lingering result of many years of "drought" periods when road transports met delays from flooded roadways in supplying population centres in the Kiewa Valley. The construction phases in building the SEC Vic Hydro electricity Scheme in the eastern sections of the Victorian Alps brought many changes to the quiet rural regions in the Kiewa Valley. Changes in population and social mores. The influx of a varied , mostly temporary, and "European flavoured cuisine" changes the "cuppa tea only" flavour to the have a "coffee break". The subliminal influence of the "American" films changed those children growing up in the post 1950s from the "English tea" to the "American coffee". This "Americanisation process has influenced not only rural Australia but also other areas throughout the world.This "insignificant" coffee tin is very significant as it demonstrates that the Kiewa Valley was becoming more accessible to reliable coffee supplies and general food items.The container was part of a "set" of containers that included tea, sugar,biscuits,flour, rice and other family condiments. This type of kitchen storage containers was brought about through changing patterns in tea and coffee useage and overall consumption. Household demands for faster "self help" cooking especially beveridges and the greater choice of kitchen "utensils" was brought on by easier access to products due to a lessening of the area's "isolation" by having a reliable (all weather) road system and an ever increasing population growth. The need for travelling goods/merchant supply caravans to service the area became a diminishing factor, as a result of the establishment of grocery stores in Tawonga and Mount Beauty in the supply of previously "hard to get" groceries. This transition was precipitated by the SEC Vic Hydro Scheme of the 1940's to 1960's which increased the valley's population level three fold.This cylindrical tin has a pull/push lid(for easy access to the contents). The container is labelled for "coffee" however it has no commercial manufacturer's label to establish that it was bought with coffee ingredients in it. The majority of the container's external surface has a "metallic" light blue colour with two sets of silver rings confining black (horizontal spotted) rectangles. "COFFEE" within an elongated spherical "art deco" four pointed banner of silver and black colouringkitchen containers, domestic food storage, bulk stocks of dried condiments

The Rotunda in the Warrnambool Botanic gardens was constructed in 1913 at a cost of 297 pounds. It is situated toward the central eastern side of the gardens and is visible from many viewpoints in the gardens. The building is octagonal in shape with a steeply pitched tiled roof with the bandstand open area elevated to approximately 3 metres. The gardens designed by William Guilfoyle, commenced in 1866 have been a popular meeting place as well as entertainment and social community events. This dish would have been a souvenir or memento. A common souvenir type object .Small white china dish with square baseand fluted sides and lined edge.Transfer print of the rotunda at the Warrnambool Botanic gardens in black. fine black line around edge of dish.Botanic Gardens Warrnambool in black text below print on front of dish, made in Cechoslov 12 below crown with RKG inside the crown.warrnambool, warrnambool gardens rotunda, warrnambool botanic gardens

This is set number 223 of two facsimile volumes of an historical work. The covers are green with gold printing and the dust covers are cream with black printing and two colour illustrations. The pages contain printed text and illustrations, both black and white and coloured. There are two inserts, one a map and the other showing a New South Wales natural feature. The two volumes are contained in a hardcover green folder.non-fictionMajor Thomas Mitchell historical writing.major mitchell, australia felix squatting period

This book contains the Minutes and financial details from the Allans Forest Red Cross Hospital Auxiliary from 1925 to 1930. Allans Forest is a small locality on the Great Ocean Road about three kilometres from the township of Allansford on the eastern fringe of Warrnambool. The Hospital Auxiliary was formed as an extension of the Allansford group in 1925 to provide support for the Warrnambool and District Hospital. The group raised funds with dances and jumble sales and donated to the hospital such items as groceries (especially home made jams and soaps), hospital linen and baby wear. The hospital would provide tins of fat for the ladies to make the soap. This exercise book is of interest as a memento of the activities of a small group in a small settlement in the Warrnambool area nearly a hundred years ago. It shows the reliance in the past of a town hospital on local groups to provide basic items such as food and linen.This is an exercise book with a dark red cardboard cover and black binding on the spine. The pages have ruled black lines and handwritten entries in ink. Some pages are blank.Allan's Forest Red Cross Hospital Auxiliaryallans forest, warrnambool and district hospital, allans forest red cross

This map was printed in 1925 and contains the Warrnambool Harbour alterations proposed by the Warrnambool Harbour Committee incorporating the original designs of Captain Menzies, the Warrnambool Harbour Master and the City Engineer, Mr A. Lavercombe. The main features of the proposal were the extension of the Eastern Wall to almost enclose the harbour and a basin in Lake Pertobe. The design was to be placed before the Victorian Royal Commission on the Outer Ports which was established partly to examine the allegations of unsatisfactory work carried out in Warrnambool when the Breakwater was extended 300 feet in 1914 and also to make recommendations regarding all regional ports. The Warrnambool Breakwater was completed in 1890 but failed to provide the shipping conditions needed to continue Warrnambool as a viable port. Many plans and proposals for port improvement such as this one were produced in the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century with the port officially closed in the 1940s. Still today the Breakwater and Warrnambool Harbour conditions remain a source of contention.This map is significant as it shows a 1925 design for Warrnambool Harbour hitherto little-known. It also has markings showing land sites of the time (BayView Hotel, Woollen Mill etc.)This is a map made of thick yellow paper pasted onto a cloth backing. It has two cloth tags at the top for tying up the map when folded. It appears to be a hand-drawn map copied with printed material added. The map is shaded green and red in some areas. Attached by nails to the map are wooden frames, rounded at the bottom and partly curved at the top. The map is torn and partly detached at the top. The top frame has a cord attached for hanging the map.warrnambool harbour, captain menzies, a.lavercombe city engineer, warrnambool breakwater, royal commission on outer ports

Diorama photographs at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra001810.1: Colour photograph of Uniforms diorama, Australian War Memorial 001810.2: Colour photograph of Lighthorse diorama, Australian War Memorial 001810.3: Colour photograph of Lone Pine diorama, Australian War Memorial001810.1: UNIFORMS WORN IN EASTERN CAMPAIGNS. 1914-1918 001810.2: LIGHT HORSE IN ACTION, ROMANI,PALESTINE,1916 001810.3: PICTURE MODEL OF ACTION AT LONE PINE, GALLIPOLI, 1915 Reserve: POST pictorial logo CARD Austraian War Memorial Series 1canberra, australia, lone pine, gallipoli, uniforms, light horse, romani, palestine, gladys holmes

Plenty Township Estate "The rapid growth of Greensborough and the great traffic development on the main road between Heidelberg and Eltham augurs well for Plenty Township Estate. Already a Store, Post Office and State School have been started, and the activities of the Local Progress Association will help the district forward considerably. Within walking distance of the Montmorency and Greensborough stations." Bryn Teg Hill's Estate "Better known as "The Old Sand Hill, "within walking distance of the Montmorency and Greensborough railways stations." "Some few years back Mrs Thomas subdivided portion of the Sand Hill Paddocks, and the areas sold have been settled and many converted into charming outer suburban garden homes with cultivation and orchard plots. The south-eastern slope gives the land a grand outlook over the Yarra Valley on to the Dandenoings, and the are is very picturesque and homely." "A number of the blocks contain large deposits of valuable building sand, which should prove good speculation in view of the forecast for further rapid home development along the Eltham Suburban Electric Service." Sand Hills Road (Old Eltham Road) Date estimated as c.1924 - Electricification of railway line to Eltham referenced on map occured April 1923 and Mrs Mary Thomas died August 1925. Her home Bryn Teg became part of the Heidelberg Golf Club in 1927.The establishment of Lower Plenty as a suburban growth area supported by easy commuting facilitated by the elctrification of the Eltham railway linebonds road, bridge, bryn teg hill's estate, coghill & haughton, eltham road, heidelberg golf club hotel, houses, lower plenty, lower plenty bridge, lower plenty road, main road, plenty hotel, plenty river, plenty township estate, real estate agent, sales brochure, sand hills road, the old sand hill, sand hill paddocks, woodfull road, old eltham road, bryn teg, mrs m thomas

In his early adult life, Richard Kaylock worked as a whaler (visiting California and New Zealand) and later as a drover on a large cattle station in New South Wales. In 1848 he came to Melbourne, working as a slaughterman, then settled in Eltham in 1854, his occupation thereafter being variously recorded as butcher or orchardist. He also had some experiences at Ballarat during the Eureka Rebellion. He died in 1910 at the age of 84. His obituary described him as a "striking personality" who was "brusque to a fault" and "strictly upright, expecting others to be the same". It seems from his will that he was illiterate. He is buried in Eltham Cemetery with his wife Emily. His property was in Wellington Street (now Brougham Street) and apparently extended across the Diamond Creek. The land on the western side of the creek was farmed, the house being on the eastern side. For many years the Brougham Street bridge was generally known as "Kaylock's Bridge". It formed part of the original coach road to Eltham and in 1922 was described as an "old rustic bridge". Its low level and insubstantial construction made it susceptible to flood damage, necessitating frequent closures until repairs could be carried out. The original bridge was demolished in 1923 and replaced by a "new up-to-date" one. When a lack of finances delayed repairs to the Bridge Street bridge in 1931, traffic had to detour via Brougham Street for some time. Local residents feared that the Bridge Street bridge might never reopen. In Loving Memory Of Our Dear Father & Mother R.G. and E.A. Kaylock Also E.J. Kaylock Died 21st Jan. 1927 The Eternal God Is My PledgeRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 6 stripsKodak GC 400-9eltham cemetery, gravestones, edith jane kaylock, emily ann kaylock (nee davis), richard george kaylock, brougham street bridge, kaylocks bridge

Irish-born John Murray and his wife Mary (daughter of Thomas Sweeney) married in 1849 and settled in Eltham North. John and Mary were amongst the earliest inhabitants of Eltham. John was a farmer and their block of about 80 acres, called ‘Laurel Hill’, was on the eastern side of the Diamond Creek, extending east to beyond Zig Zag Road. It was later extended southward by the purchase of a further 60 acres. He is recorded as a supporter on the petition for a school in Eltham and he served on the National School Board of the Eltham school. John died in 1867 and is buried in Eltham Cemetery with Mary and with two of their grandchildren. Their eldest son Johnnie inherited the property. Then in about 1902 his younger brother James purchased about 50 acres on the western side of the Diamond Creek immediately opposite Laurel Hill, extending west to slightly past Wattletree Road. Eltham North Reserve now lies just beyond the southern boundary. James built a family home on top of the hill on the northern boundary, together with a dairy and milking shed and a food cellar. It is thought that the barn with stables was already there. When Johnnie died in 1912, the two properties (though severed by both the creek and the railway line) effectively merged. The land was worked as an orchard with apples, pears, quinces, and possibly apricots and peaches. Later it became a dairy farm. By 1986, almost all the land had been sold off for residential subdivision and the house had been condemned as unfit for habitation. John's grandson Jim retained a small portion of the land and built a new house. He kept the old one as a storage shed, but it was demolished after he died in 1993. The very old barn is still standing. Located in the Roman Catholic section In Memory of John Murray Who died Dec. 1867 aged 50 years Also his wife Mary Murray Who died 7th Sep. 1909 aged 76 years And of their grandchildren Thomas and Mary Ellen DrainBorn Digitaleltham cemetery, gravestones, john murray, mary ellen drain, mary murray, thomas drain

George Bird was born in England in 1845 and arrived in Australia in 1856 as a child of assisted migrants. Soon afterwards he came out to Eltham to live with his uncle George Stebbings, working for him as bricklayer's assistant in building, amongst others, Shillinglaw Cottage and the Anglican and Methodist Churches in Eltham. He later purchased 72 acres at the eastern end of Pitt Street (bounded by Eucalyptus Road, Mount Pleasant Road and present-day Rockliffe Street) and established the property ‘View Hill’, which was worked as a mixed farm and orchard (including berries). In 1878 he married Janet Kilpatrick, who had emigrated from Scotland. They had ten children, three of whom died in infancy. The wedding in 1904 of their eldest surviving daughter Sarah (‘Sis’) to Edward Pepper appears to have been quite a society event. George was a staunch Methodist and was a Church Steward and a Sunday School Superintendent in about 1890. Janet died in 1915 and George died in 1920 (though his gravestone says 1921). George's will stated that his property was to be divided between all his children in equal shares. This necessitated subdivision of the View Hill property, which took place progressively between 1922 and 1926. One son, George Hugh Bird, operated a drapery store in Main Road (near Bridge Street) in around 1915. Later, in the 1920s, he ran a greengrocer's shop (also selling confectionery) in Main Road opposite Eltham Station. It was the first shop in Eltham to have plate glass windows. At the same time, his brother Reg had a grocery store on the station side of Main Road. George and Janet are buried together in a family plot in Eltham Cemetery. Several descendants are also buried in the cemetery. In Loving Memory Of George Bird Died 5 December 1921 aged 76 years And his beloved wife Janet Bird Died 5 Sept 1915 aged 57 years Also their children William James Bird Died 25 Feb 1888 aged 8 years Mary Jane Bird Died 8 Oct 1891 aged 7 years Pte Edwin John Bird Killed in action in the Great War 11 Aug 1918 aged 30 years Buried in France And on the base stone George Hugh Bird Died 26 Feb. 1965. Aged 79 years Arthur Andrew Bird Died 25 Mar. 1970 Aged 75 years To the left In Loving Memory of Dr. J. R. (Roger) Bird 1927 2001 Son of Arthur & Helen (nee Lyon) Bird Husband of Betty Father of Janet & Alison Grandpa of Evan & Helen Scientist & Gentleman To the right In Loving Memory of Harold Edwin Bird OAM 1922 - 2015 Son of Arthur & Helen (nee Lyon) Bird Husband of Yvonne Father of Estell & Russell In our hearts Forever moreBorn Digitaleltham cemetery, gravestones, arthur andrew bird, arthur bird, edwin john bird, george bird, george hugh bird, harold edwin bird, helen bird (nee lyon), j. r. (roger) bird, janet bird (nee kilpatrick), william james bird, yvonne bird

In his early adult life, Richard Kaylock worked as a whaler (visiting California and New Zealand) and later as a drover on a large cattle station in New South Wales. In 1848 he came to Melbourne, working as a slaughterman, then settled in Eltham in 1854, his occupation thereafter being variously recorded as butcher or orchardist. He also had some experiences at Ballarat during the Eureka Rebellion. He died in 1910 at the age of 84. His obituary described him as a "striking personality" who was "brusque to a fault" and "strictly upright, expecting others to be the same". It seems from his will that he was illiterate. He is buried in Eltham Cemetery with his wife Emily. His property was in Wellington Street (now Brougham Street) and apparently extended across the Diamond Creek. The land on the western side of the creek was farmed, the house being on the eastern side. For many years the Brougham Street bridge was generally known as "Kaylock's Bridge". It formed part of the original coach road to Eltham and in 1922 was described as an "old rustic bridge". Its low level and insubstantial construction made it susceptible to flood damage, necessitating frequent closures until repairs could be carried out. The original bridge was demolished in 1923 and replaced by a "new up-to-date" one. When a lack of finances delayed repairs to the Bridge Street bridge in 1931, traffic had to detour via Brougham Street for some time. Local residents feared that the Bridge Street bridge might never reopen. In Loving Memory Of Our Dear Father & Mother R.G. and E.A. Kaylock Also E.J. Kaylock Died 21st Jan. 1927 The Eternal God Is My PledgeBorn Digitaleltham cemetery, gravestones, brougham street bridge, edith jane kaylock, emily ann kaylock (nee davis), kaylocks bridge, richard george kaylock

George Bird was born in England in 1845 and arrived in Australia in 1856 as a child of assisted migrants. Soon afterwards he came out to Eltham to live with his uncle George Stebbings, working for him as bricklayer's assistant in building, amongst others, Shillinglaw Cottage and the Anglican and Methodist Churches in Eltham. He later purchased 72 acres at the eastern end of Pitt Street (bounded by Eucalyptus Road, Mount Pleasant Road and present-day Rockliffe Street) and established the property ‘View Hill’, which was worked as a mixed farm and orchard (including berries). In 1878 he married Janet Kilpatrick, who had emigrated from Scotland. They had ten children, three of whom died in infancy. The wedding in 1904 of their eldest surviving daughter Sarah (‘Sis’) to Edward Pepper appears to have been quite a society event. George was a staunch Methodist and was a Church Steward and a Sunday School Superintendent in about 1890. Janet died in 1915 and George died in 1920 (though his gravestone says 1921). George's will stated that his property was to be divided between all his children in equal shares. This necessitated subdivision of the View Hill property, which took place progressively between 1922 and 1926. One son, George Hugh Bird, operated a drapery store in Main Road (near Bridge Street) in around 1915. Later, in the 1920s, he ran a greengrocer's shop (also selling confectionery) in Main Road opposite Eltham Station. It was the first shop in Eltham to have plate glass windows. At the same time, his brother Reg had a grocery store on the station side of Main Road. George and Janet are buried together in a family plot in Eltham Cemetery. Several descendants are also buried in the cemetery. In Loving Memory Of George Bird Died 5 December 1921 aged 76 years And his beloved wife Janet Bird Died 5 Sept 1915 aged 57 years Also their children William James Bird Died 25 Feb 1888 aged 8 years Mary Jane Bird Died 8 Oct 1891 aged 7 years Pte Edwin John Bird Killed in action in the Great War 11 Aug 1918 aged 30 years Buried in France And on the base stone George Hugh Bird Died 26 Feb. 1965. Aged 79 years Arthur Andrew Bird Died 25 Mar. 1970 Aged 75 years To the left In Loving Memory of Dr. J. R. (Roger) Bird 1927 2001 Son of Arthur & Helen (nee Lyon) Bird Husband of Betty Father of Janet & Alison Grandpa of Evan & Helen Scientist & Gentleman To the right In Loving Memory of Harold Edwin Bird OAM 1922 - 2015 Son of Arthur & Helen (nee Lyon) Bird Husband of Yvonne Father of Estell & Russell In our hearts Forever moreeltham cemetery, gravestones, memorials, arthur andrew bird, arthur bird, edwin john bird, george bird, george hugh bird, harold edwin bird, helen bird (nee lyon), j. r. (roger) bird, j.r. (roger) bird, janet bird, janet bird (nee kilpatrick), william james bird, yvonne bird

Laughing Waters Walk, 7 Sep 2013 This Society excursion was a follow up to the Laughing Waters Story told to us by Jane Woollard at our Annual General Meeting in March 2013. It involved a walk commencing from the corner of Laughing Waters and Overbank Roads along Laughing Waters Road to its eastern end and returning partly over the same route - a total distance of about 2.5km. On the way we visited the two artist in residence properties, River Bend and Birrarung, to view the houses on them that are associated with Alistair Knox, Gordon Ford and others in the local mud brick and artistic community. We also able to walk around the derelict ruin which was once home to Gordon and Sue Ford, Boomerang House. An unexpected afternoon tea was offered to us by the artists in residence at Birrarung House and we had a brief opportunity to view inside the house. River Bend was designed and built by Alistair Knox for Rosemary and Bill Cuming in 1968. It sits in a deep cutting on a steep slope above the Yarra River and features floor to ceiling windows and glass doors set into mission brown timber frames and walls of reclaimed bricks in pinkish hue. Rosemary laid the brick paving around the house, a copy of the shell paving found in the ancient French town of Colmar, where the family had lived for a period. The kitchen was equipped with a 1960s stove as well as a cast iron wood stove reclaimed from Rosemary's sister's home in Armadale. Max and Tini Huygens, migrants from Holland, purchased the property in 1975 and named it Tilwinda from an Aboriginal word meaning 'hole in a rock'. In late 1981 Tini died after a short illness, but Max continued to live at Tilwinda until he moved to a retirement village in 2000 and the property was sold to Parks Victoria. Renamed River Bend, the property became part of the Laughing Waters Artist in Residency Program in 2008. Nillumbik Shire Council upgraded the property in 2012 with solar panels, a heat pump for hot water and double glazing to improve the comfort of the artists in residence and make the house more energy efficient. For a more in-depth description of the property and biographies of the various artists in residence commencing from 2008 to 2015, see Jane Woollard's book, "Laughing Waters Road; Art, Landscape & Memory in Eltham" published 2016.2013-09-07, activities, artists in residence, eltham district historical society, heritage excursion, jim connor collection, laughing waters road, river bend house

Laughing Waters Walk, 7 Sep 2013 This Society excursion was a follow up to the Laughing Waters Story told to us by Jane Woollard at our Annual General Meeting in March 2013. It involved a walk commencing from the corner of Laughing Waters and Overbank Roads along Laughing Waters Road to its eastern end and returning partly over the same route - a total distance of about 2.5km. On the way we visited the two artist in residence properties, River Bend and Birrarung, to view the houses on them that are associated with Alistair Knox, Gordon Ford and others in the local mud brick and artistic community. We also able to walk around the derelict ruin which was once home to Gordon and Sue Ford, Boomerang House. An unexpected afternoon tea was offered to us by the artists in residence at Birrarung House and we had a brief opportunity to view inside the house. Birrarung is situated near the end of Laughing Waters Road. It was built in 1974 by Graeme Rose for Gordon Ford who he had asked to build him a small ‘bach’. Builder Peter Jarvis who did his apprenticeship with Alistair Knox for a couple of years recalled there were no drawings. It evolved as more funds became available. Graeme would source second-hand building materials around which he would shape the house. The fireplace was built with chicken wire over which it was rendered with faro cement. A brick floored glass studio, added later, faces a wall of boulders pressed into a manmade cliff, a large pond the link between the rock wall and glass studio. A waterfall, fed by river water, no longer functions. The property became part of the Laughing Waters Artist in Residency Program with the first artist taking up residency in 2001. For a more in-depth description of the property and biographies of the various artists in residence commencing from 2001 through to 2015, see Jane Woollard's book, "Laughing Waters Road; Art, Landscape & Memory in Eltham" published 2016.2013-09-07, activities, artists in residence, eltham district historical society, heritage excursion, jim connor collection, laughing waters road, birrarung house

Laughing Waters Walk, 7 Sep 2013 This Society excursion was a follow up to the Laughing Waters Story told to us by Jane Woollard at our Annual General Meeting in March 2013. It involved a walk commencing from the corner of Laughing Waters and Overbank Roads along Laughing Waters Road to its eastern end and returning partly over the same route - a total distance of about 2.5km. On the way we visited the two artist in residence properties, River Bend and Birrarung, to view the houses on them that are associated with Alistair Knox, Gordon Ford and others in the local mud brick and artistic community. We also able to walk around the derelict ruin which was once home to Gordon and Sue Ford, Boomerang House. An unexpected afternoon tea was offered to us by the artists in residence at Birrarung House and we had a brief opportunity to view inside the house. Gordon Ford and photographer Sue Winslow were married in 1965. They set up home in an old log cabin on the property Gordon had purchased in 1954 on Laughing Waters Road. Situated between the Yarra River and Overbank Road, Gordon had built a small mud-brick shack on the river and a pontoon. Over the decades the shack has been locally referred to as “the love shack”, the “rooting shack” or simply “Gordon’s shack”. Gordon and Sue commissioned local builder Graeme Rose to do a wattle and daub renovation and extension to the old log cabin on the north side of Laughing Waters Road. The work had only just been completed in 1965 when a bushfire swept through the area and destroyed the cabin. Gordon and Sue relocated to his property, Fulling, in Pitt Street, Eltham. In 1970 work started on a new house at the Laughing Waters property. Originally known as the Banana House, it is now known as Boomerang. Designed by Alistair Knox, the mud-brick house includes iron window grilles made by Matcham Skipper that puncture the curved mud walls. The grilles were made from ‘off-pressings’ from the Sidchrome tool works in Heidelberg. Gordon, Sue and family moved into the house in 1972. Their marriage fell apart and Sue moved to Sydney with the children around the same time Gordon commenced building Birrarung just below Boomerang on the Laughing Waters Road block. After the Fords moved out, Boomerang it was rented out to various share households of students, musicians, artists and environmentalists for twenty-four years. Gordon Ford sold Birrarung and Boomerang to Melbourne Water in 1999. The Laughing Waters Artist in Residence Program was developed as a partnership between Parks Victoria and Nillumbik Shire Council. Boomerang was deemed unfit for habitation so was used as a day studio only. By 2001 Boomerang was in a poor state of repair and by 2002 the last artist in residence was to use the house as a studio. Nillumbik Shire Council had been granted funds from the Melbourne Community Fund to restore both Boomerang and Birrarung but it was apparent in early 2003 that the funds would be insufficient to restore both houses. Boomerang was infested with termites which presented a risk to any occupants and so the decision was made to close Boomerang and concentrate funding on Birrarung. Boomerang was fenced off for safety and to prevent intrusion and remains ‘caged’ today (2023). However, it is readily apparent the property has been occupied by squatters over the years. By 2023 it was clear that the squatters had abandoned the property and sections of the roof structure have given away in some areas and collapsed internally. For a more in-depth description and history of the property and that of Gordon and Sue Ford, see Jane Woollard's book, "Laughing Waters Road; Art, Landscape & Memory in Eltham" published 2016.2013-09-07, activities, eltham district historical society, heritage excursion, jim connor collection, laughing waters road, boomerang house, gordon ford

Laughing Waters Walk, 7 Sep 2013 This Society excursion was a follow up to the Laughing Waters Story told to us by Jane Woollard at our Annual General Meeting in March 2013. It involved a walk commencing from the corner of Laughing Waters and Overbank Roads along Laughing Waters Road to its eastern end and returning partly over the same route - a total distance of about 2.5km. On the way we visited the two artist in residence properties, River Bend and Birrarung, to view the houses on them that are associated with Alistair Knox, Gordon Ford and others in the local mud brick and artistic community. We also able to walk around the derelict ruin which was once home to Gordon and Sue Ford, Boomerang House. An unexpected afternoon tea was offered to us by the artists in residence at Birrarung House and we had a brief opportunity to view inside the house. Gordon Ford and photographer Sue Winslow were married in 1965. They set up home in an old log cabin on the property Gordon had purchased in 1954 on Laughing Waters Road. Situated between the Yarra River and Overbank Road, Gordon had built a small mud-brick shack on the river and a pontoon. Over the decades the shack has been locally referred to as “the love shack”, the “rooting shack” or simply “Gordon’s shack”. Gordon and Sue commissioned local builder Graeme Rose to do a wattle and daub renovation and extension to the old log cabin on the north side of Laughing Waters Road. The work had only just been completed in 1965 when a bushfire swept through the area and destroyed the cabin. Gordon and Sue relocated to his property, Fulling, in Pitt Street, Eltham. In 1970 work started on a new house at the Laughing Waters property. Originally known as the Banana House, it is now known as Boomerang. Designed by Alistair Knox, the mud-brick house includes iron window grilles made by Matcham Skipper that puncture the curved mud walls. The grilles were made from ‘off-pressings’ from the Sidchrome tool works in Heidelberg. Gordon, Sue and family moved into the house in 1972. Their marriage fell apart and Sue moved to Sydney with the children around the same time Gordon commenced building Birrarung just below Boomerang on the Laughing Waters Road block. After the Fords moved out, Boomerang it was rented out to various share households of students, musicians, artists and environmentalists for twenty-four years. Gordon Ford sold Birrarung and Boomerang to Melbourne Water in 1999. The Laughing Waters Artist in Residence Program was developed as a partnership between Parks Victoria and Nillumbik Shire Council. Boomerang was deemed unfit for habitation so was used as a day studio only. By 2001 Boomerang was in a poor state of repair and by 2002 the last artist in residence was to use the house as a studio. Nillumbik Shire Council had been granted funds from the Melbourne Community Fund to restore both Boomerang and Birrarung but it was apparent in early 2003 that the funds would be insufficient to restore both houses. Boomerang was infested with termites which presented a risk to any occupants and so the decision was made to close Boomerang and concentrate funding on Birrarung. Boomerang was fenced off for safety and to prevent intrusion and remains ‘caged’ today (2023). However, it is readily apparent the property has been occupied by squatters over the years. By 2023 it was clear that the squatters had abandoned the property and sections of the roof structure have given away in some areas and collapsed internally. For a more in-depth description and history of the property and that of Gordon and Sue Ford, see Jane Woollard's book, "Laughing Waters Road; Art, Landscape & Memory in Eltham" published 2016.2013-09-07, activities, eltham district historical society, heritage excursion, jim connor collection, laughing waters road, boomerang house, gordon ford, gordon's shack, love shack

Laughing Waters Walk, 7 Sep 2013 This Society excursion was a follow up to the Laughing Waters Story told to us by Jane Woollard at our Annual General Meeting in March 2013. It involved a walk commencing from the corner of Laughing Waters and Overbank Roads along Laughing Waters Road to its eastern end and returning partly over the same route - a total distance of about 2.5km. On the way we visited the two artist in residence properties, River Bend and Birrarung, to view the houses on them that are associated with Alistair Knox, Gordon Ford and others in the local mud brick and artistic community. We also able to walk around the derelict ruin which was once home to Gordon and Sue Ford, Boomerang House. An unexpected afternoon tea was offered to us by the artists in residence at Birrarung House and we had a brief opportunity to view inside the house. Birrarung is situated near the end of Laughing Waters Road. It was built in 1974 by Graeme Rose for Gordon Ford who he had asked to build him a small ‘bach’. Builder Peter Jarvis who did his apprenticeship with Alistair Knox for a couple of years recalled there were no drawings. It evolved as more funds became available. Graeme would source second-hand building materials around which he would shape the house. The fireplace was built with chicken wire over which it was rendered with faro cement. A brick floored glass studio, added later, faces a wall of boulders pressed into a manmade cliff, a large pond the link between the rock wall and glass studio. A waterfall, fed by river water, no longer functions. The property became part of the Laughing Waters Artist in Residency Program with the first artist taking up residency in 2001. For a more in-depth description of the property and biographies of the various artists in residence commencing from 2001 through to 2015, see Jane Woollard's book, "Laughing Waters Road; Art, Landscape & Memory in Eltham" published 2016.2013-09-07, activities, artists in residence, eltham district historical society, heritage excursion, laughing waters road, birrarung house, fay bridge collection

Date estimated to be circa 1912 based on the style of printing on the reverse of the card - Kodak Austral paper for real photo postcards, the paper was manufactured c.1908-1914 (See also POSTCARDS ON KODAK PAPER - IS IT POSSIBLE TO "DATE" THEM? http://tps.org.au/bb/viewtopic.php?t=115) Brougham Street was created in Josiah Holloway's 1851 subdivision of Little Eltham. It was one of several east-west streets shown on the subdivision plan as crossing the Diamond Creek. The western part was named Wellington Street on the subdivision plan but was later changed to conform with the name of the eastern part as acknowledgement of the continuity of the street. It is not known when the first bridge was constructed in Brougham Street however it was certainly mentioned at Council’s meeting of 2 June 1884 as being in a dangerous state of repair. This photo (c.1895) of an old bridge shows a very low-level simple log girder bridge crossing the creek at a right angle and so the approaches involved bends in the road alignment. This bridge was generally known as Kaylocks Bridge or Kaylock’s Crossing after the owner of the adjoining land. It was most likely built from around the mid-1850s, or a crossing of some fashion established as Richard George Kaylock, butcher of Little Eltham and his wife Emily Ann settled there in 1854. His property was in Wellington Street (now Brougham Street) and apparently extended across the Diamond Creek. The land on the western side of the creek was farmed, the house being on the eastern side. Kaylock's Bridge formed part of the original coach road to Eltham and in 1922 was described as an "old rustic bridge". Its low level and insubstantial construction made it susceptible to flood damage, necessitating frequent closures until repairs could be carried out. In September 1922, Council called for tenders for a new timber bridge to be constructed at Kaylock’s crossing. An engineering assessment carried out for the Council by Macleod Consulting at the time of the replacement suggested that the construction details indicate that it was in the 1900s, however this dating could possibly have been the result of numerous repairs undertaken over the years to flood damage. The tender was awarded to Mr Weller of Kangaroo Ground who commenced work in February 1923 on a higher-level timber trestle bridge. Work was slowed due to illness of the contractor and the accidental death of a man in March 1923 following the collapse of the bank after he had jumped into a hole that had just been blasted. The bridge was completed around July 1923 at which point the old structure was pulled up, marking what was described in the ‘Advertiser’ newspaper as the passing of an old and well-loved landmark in the district. In April 1924 the approach to Kaylocks bridge was washed away during the heavy flooding that destroyed the Main Road bridge. The western side was repaired, and an extra span was added to the eastern side using timber from the destroyed Main Road bridge. The bridge was again severely damaged four months later in August 1924 When a lack of finances delayed repairs to the Bridge Street bridge in 1931 (also referred to as Obelisk Bridge at the time), traffic had to detour via Brougham Street for some time. Local residents feared that the Bridge Street bridge might never reopen. Kaylocks Bridge was constantly subject to damage by floods. In the 1934 flood it was submerged by two feet of water. In more recent times the bridge was again severely damaged by flooding and repairs made. A new bridge and adjoining footbridge were constructed in 2009.Digital file only Postcards scanned from the collection of Michael Aitken on loan to EDHS, 2 Sep. 2022michael aitken collection, eltham, postcards, bridge, brougham street, diamond creek (creek), kaylocks bridge, wellington street

Comparison photo: SEPP_0610 - Main Road near Railway Station, c.1911 Shows Luther and Ada Haley’s General Store, Bakery and Tea Rooms opened September 1902 directly opposite present day Arthur Street. This was the first building in what is now Eltham’s present shopping town centre. Haley previously ran the General Store and Bakery on the corner of Main Road and York Street until his lease expired and the premises were bought by Mrs Sarah Burgoyne in 1902. Haley sold the store to Hannah Lloyd in 1917 who operated it until 1920. It then went through a succession of owners until Eric Staff purchased it in 1939. Ray Staff succeeded his father in 1954 and eventually demolished the store in 1965 opening up a new supermarket, the Eltham Big Star Food Centre. That building still stands at 929 Main Road and is the Nongkhai Thai Restaurant. On the eastern (right) side of Main Street is Haley’s Paddock, which was used on occasions for community picnics. Capable of holding 10,000 people, with ample shade and hilly surroundings it was an ideal place for any community gathering such as the State Schools’ Picnic in 1904. It was not until the early 1920s that stores started to appear between Luck and Dudley Streets. Part of a presentation by Peter Pidgeon to the Society, 13 August 2022 showcasing a series of photographs taken by John Henry Clark over the period 1895 to 1930. John Henry Clark was the youngest of three boys born to William Henry Clark (1823-1877) and Maria White (1843-1914). He and his brothers, William Charles Clark (1872-1945), Clement Kent Clark (1874-1912) operated a photography business (Clark Bros.) from 25 Thomas Street, Windsor near Prahran during the period c.1894 to 1914. Following death of Clement in September 1912 and their mother in 1914, the Clark Bros business appears to have dissolved, the premises demolished, and a new house was under construction in 1915. John set up business independently in 1914 operating out of 29 Moor Street, Fitzroy where he is registered in the 1914 and 1915 Electoral Rolls. By 1916 John had relocated to Eltham where he continued his practice as a photographer and took many of the early images around the district of Little Eltham. Around 1930 John changed professions and opened a small cobbler's shop in 1931 near the pond opposite Dalton Street adjacent to the Jarrold family cottage. He never married and continued his profession as a bootmaker from this little shop, maintaining a close relationship with Mrs Jarrold for the rest of their lives. His bootmaker shop remains today beside the Whitecloud cottage and is one of only three remaining shops in the area from the early 20th century.Comparative photo taken 2022 with one taken from same location over 100 years earlier by noted local photographer J.H. ClarkBorn Digitaleltham, j.h. clark photo (2022), main road

Bird family, c.1905 Back row, L-R: Janet Bird (nee Kilpatrick), George Bird, Ellen May (Nell) Bird Front row L-R: George Hugh Bird, Ernest Reginald Bird, Arthur Andrew Bird, Edwin John Bird Nicholes Photographer, Alphington According to the Sands McDougall Melbourne Directory, George. Nicholes, Photographer was first listed on the north side of Heidelberg Road, Alphington in 1904 and again in 1905. By 1906 he was still listed but with no profession. From 1907 on he was listed as a bicycle agent. On July 23, 1878, George Bird married Janet Kilpatrick (born Ayrshire) at Northcote by Presbyterian minister, Duncan Fraser. The witnesses were daughters of the minister. George gave his profession as farmer. Around 1880 or possibly earlier he acquired the property known as View Hill at the top of Pitt Street, Eltham between Pitt Street and Mount Pleasant Road and what is now Eucalyptus Road. George and Janet developed an orchard and farm around the View Hill home and had 10 children, three of whom died young. George Bird is listed in the 1977 history of the Eltham Methodist Church as Steward and trustee in the early years. In the 1950 history he is mentioned as Sunday School Superintendent. In the early 1900s, Janet regularly went to the church by horse and jinker. Janet died September 2, 1915, age 60 of endocarditis and bronchial pneumonia. At about this time, three children had married (Sarah, George and Ada) and four were living at home. However, Edwin joined the AIF in August 1915 and Ellen married in 1916 leaving two sons, Arthur and Reg, to look after their father and the property although some of the married children may have lived at View Hill for some time. From Edwin's letters, Hilda Pepper, a cousin on their mother's side) stayed with the family for some time to help. In later years, George developed glaucoma and became blind. He died December 6, 1920, aged 75 years, of diabetes mellites. Both Janet and George are buried at Eltham Cemetery, but the gravestone incorrectly gives 1921 for the death of George. The estate was divided into equal portions and distributed to the surviving members with Arthur and Ted Pepper being Executors. Ada Janet Lowe received a portion above what is now Rockliffe Street and Sis Pepper (Sarah Ann nee Bird) the portion below Rockliffe Street. Ernest Pepper built in the 1930s on the Pepper block at the Pitt Street end. George's share was along Wattle Grove and Arthur received the portion at the eastern end. Presumably the other two received portions including the top of the hill and slopes down to Pitt Street, Mount Pleasant Road and Wattle Grove. Read's (at the corner of Pitt Street and View Hill Crescent) was the first additional house brought in on wheels by a Mr Walkenden. The View Hill house was occupied by the Johanssons in the 1930s and was later damaged by fire. Source: Info provided to Marg Ball by Neil and Lyn Pepper (both deceased) abt. 2018. PANEL 1875-1920 Panels began to be produced around 1875, and were particularly suited, because of their larger size, for capturing family, or even larger, groups. They measured 8.5 by 6.5 inches (22 cm x 16.5 cm). - Frost, Lenore; Dating Family Photos 1850-1920; Valiant Press Pty. Ltd., Berwick, Victoria 1991marg ball collection, 1905, arthur andrew bird, bird family, edwin john bird, ellen may (nell) bird, ernest reginald bird, george bird (1845-1921), george hugh bird, janet bird (nee kilpatrick), nicholes photographer alphington, straw boater

Centred on present day Diosma Rd, Stokes Pl, Nyora Rd and Eucalyptus Rd Historic Aerial Imagery Source: Landata.vic.gov.au Aerial Photo Details: Project No :5 Project : MELBOURNE AND METROPOLITAN AREA PROJECT Run : 36 Frame : 60546 Date : 12/1945 Film Type : B/W Camera : EAG4 Flying Height : 10200 Scale : 6000 Film Number : 195 GDA2020 : 37°42'47"S, 145°09'56"E MGA2020 : 338306, 5824438 (55) Melways : 22 C4 (ed. 42) 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 aerial photo, diosma road, eltham copper butterfly, eucalyptus road, ironbark close, nyora road, peppermint grove, peter & elizabeth pidgeon collection, power transmission lines, reynolds road, scarlet ash court, stokes orchard estate, stokes place, woodridge estate, frank stokes

Centred over present day Reynolds Road and Mount Pleasant Road, Eltham (including Diosma Rd, Stokes Pl, Nyora Rd and Eucalyptus Rd) Historic Aerial Imagery Source: Landata.vic.gov.au Aerial Photo Details: Project No :1931 Project : MALDON PRISON Run : 21 Frame : 3160 Date : 11/1931 Film Type : B/W Camera : F8 Flying Height : 11000 Scale : 18860 Film Number : 60 GDA2020 : 37°43'31"S, 145°10'20"E MGA2020 : 338912, 5823086 (55) Melways : 22 E8 (ed. 42) 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 aerial photo, diosma road, eltham copper butterfly, eucalyptus road, ironbark close, nyora road, peppermint grove, peter & elizabeth pidgeon collection, power transmission lines, reynolds road, scarlet ash court, stokes orchard estate, stokes place, woodridge estate, frank stokes

Centred on present day Diosma Rd, Stokes Pl, Nyora Rd and Eucalyptus Rd Historic Aerial Imagery Source: Landata.vic.gov.au Aerial Photo Details: Project No :65 Project : MELBOURNE AND METROPOLITAN PROJECT NO. 2 Run : 8 Frame : 71 Date : 01/1951 Film Type : B/W Camera : EAG9 Flying Height : 12200 Scale : 12000 Film Number : 1419 GDA2020 : 37°43'14"S, 145°09'46"E MGA2020 : 338081, 5823608 (55) Melways : 22 C6 (ed. 42) 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 aerial photo, diosma road, eltham copper butterfly, eucalyptus road, ironbark close, nyora road, peppermint grove, peter & elizabeth pidgeon collection, power transmission lines, reynolds road, scarlet ash court, stokes orchard estate, stokes place, woodridge estate, frank stokes