Beryl Knox speaking about early life in Melton. Page 1 1949 – 64 years ago. We began our married life at Melton Sth. The house on the corner of the Exford Rd and Staughton St-- dusty gravel roads, box thorns and noxious weeds everywhere and a sprinkling of houses and vacant land. It was a friendly community consisting of old family names. McDonalds, Blacks, Dodemaide, Cahill, Coopers, Minns, Tinklers, Nesbitts, Cochranes, Wickhams, Exells. Mavis Butler. The home owned by Mr. Robinson and Miss Robinson had been shifted in two parts transported from Diggers Rest and it is still standing 2013. Bruce’s father purchased the house and two adjoining blocks, the Conways built on one and the Rawlinson family on the other block. Eileen still resides there, she was only a baby in a pram and the family had not long arrived from England. The railway line was close to the house and the contents would rattle when heavy steams trains went through, and on a clear frosty night the 1am paper train would echo roar through very loudly when labouring towards the Exford Bridge. Then the two carriage motor train was introduced, this was great for the workers and schoolies who travelled to Melbourne. The train pulled up at the crossing or riding to pick up or drop off. Melva Gillespie (nee Hirt) Bill Cahill delivered the milk by the billy and then in bottles. Len Kennedy (Paul Kennedy’s father, Norma Murrays son) delivered Jongebloeds bread, he always had a sweep going for the Melbourne Cup and raffles for the footy club. Mr. Woodgate owned an old bus and pick up point was the Post Office when there was a Saturday film on a Melton. There were no doctors or dentists in the district. If we need a Doctor we had to travel to Bacchus Marsh or discuss problems over the phone. In later years a Bacchus Marsh Doctor rented the Bluestone building in McKenzie St a couple of days a week. If we needed the Dentist we had to travel to West Footscray or Footscray. We did our banking at “State Savings” then the Miss Minns had the agency and then Bardsleys Store. We travelled to Bacchus Marsh to the National and Commercial banks. Station Rd to Western Highway, now (High Street) was a narrow stretch of bitumen and gravel farmland either side and a couple of farm houses and large gum trees on the properties. Page 2 North of the Railway line Mrs Bessie Jones, mother of Chas and Betty Jones managed the Post Office, next door to her Chas and Betty had the Shell Centre, and later moved the business to Melton. Hughie Nesbitt and mother owned the grocery and hardware store, and I bought my first set of saucepans there. On the opposite side of Station road Mr Coombe owned the fruit shop, and also provided soft drinks and lollies for children. The Chaff Mill was on the corner of Station Rd and Brooklyn Rd. Mr Lumsden was manager and later years Bernie Trethowan and Jack Butler were partners. It finally burnt down and is a Service Station now. Along Brooklyn Rd there were a few houses and Victoria Hall, not a very big hall, but catered for lots of functions, Balls, Fancy Dress, Bazaars, Square Dancing and meetings. The Bacchus Marsh Baptists held Sunday School in the hall. A group of shops were built south of the railway line Molly and Len Skinner managed the Post Office and handled a few essential groceries. Tom McDonald and Ron Lunsberg were the butchers. Mary and Syd Cooper lived next door to us and often in turn would run out of something when we had a baking spree we would borrow or exchange, sugar flour etc over the fence. Mavis and Jack Butler lived there before the Coopers. Bernie and Iris Trethowan lived two doors up. Neighbours were invited into their home to view the first black and white television in Melton Sth. Bill Exell was one of the first Melton Sth farmers to sell his land to developers, the land was idle for years before housing developed. I joined the Melton Valley Golf Club in 1960. The Gun Club as our Club House, an old tin shed consisting a water tank, trestle table and forms and dirt floor. It was a 9 hole course with sand scraps and landscape putting before greens. The Common or parkland was part of the Golf Course. It was open for every ones recreation. Roy Norton an old identity trained his trotters on the Common and wouldn’t clear the track for the golfers. The golfers had to avoid him to continue to play. We had to keep clear when the young youths came in their paddock cars and motorbikes. Over the years the Toolern Creek flooded its banks, water and debri covered the course on one year our first Club house was flooded out. It took several working bees to clean it up. We lived at Melton Sth for 15 years and moved to Melton on the farm “Croxton Park.” The Nixon family farm “Mowbray” adjoined the farm. Bruce worked the land cropping the farm when Mrs Nixon died. Page 3 (page 4 on the handwritten script) Bruce had the first offer to buy, in those days it wasn’t easy to get good bank loans. Part of the land is the Golf Course now and Mr O’Shea purchased the bulk. Moving to Melton was totally different – I became involved with Committees, Scouts, Guides, Mothers Clubs, CWA, Church Op shop (8 years). Melton Amateurs players produced and tutored by Mabel Rogers exerts from Pyjama Game, South Pacific, Carousel - later years a group of ladies did gentle water exercise at Essendon and Station Road swimming pool. I was 20 or so years in Probus. The local followed the football, there was always a Gymkhana on the long weekend in June. The tennis always created a lot of interest during the finals. It didn’t matter which team played the supporters were treated to a cup of tea and leftovers from their afternoon tea. In 1978 were the first residents to move into the Jennings Estate Kurunjang and lived there 31 years and retired 4 years ago into Unit. The amazing changes I have experienced. Merrimu supplied our water, after depending on tanks. The landscape changed completely when developers came in, no more dusty plains \ typed web Sept 2013 McFarlane, Mrs Knox and Beryl Gillespie at the First Hundred Years Celebration of Melton State School 430. The event was held at Mechanics Hall, Melton.local identities, local significant events, education

A photo of 28 Legatees assembled in Canberra in 1930 for a Conference. The names are written on a paper label attached to the base of the photo. In brackets after the name is an initial, believed to be an indication of where the Legatee came from. (S) for Sydney, (Ad) for Adelaide, (M) for Melbourne, (C) for Canberra, (G) and (Br__) not known. Names include: Carr, Turnbull, Hillman, S Walker, J Freeman, W W Berry, McDonald, C R Carleton, Behan, H W Marshall, Hilmer Smith, E Harding, Seaborn, E J Fairnie, Penfold, Souter, S Rohu, Bastin, J Stewart, Perry, Gargett, E Terry, J Rex Hall, L Backwell, Paul Simonson, Frank Meldrum, Harrison.A record of a conference early in the establishment of Legacy. Black and white photo of the 1930 Canberra Conference delegates.The names of the men are written on a paper label attached to the base of the photo.conference, founding legatee

A photo of a group of young legatees at a swimming pool in 1953. There are 8 boys, of various ages, in swim gear and 2 men who could be the instructor and a Legacy member. Legacy clubs ran classes for junior legatees for many years, such as gymnastics and swimming classes. It was part of providing for the children of their deceased comrades. The skills they learned were show cased in an annual demonstration usually at the Melbourne Town Hall. It appears to be photo taken professionally, as there are several photos of different classes (see 00862 - 00867), a note of thanks was included in the Newsletter to Mr John Beckett of 22 Kirkwood Ave Sandringham for taking the photos and donating them to Legacy. This photo was published in the Legacy Newsletter Vol. 6 No 2 in September 1953. The names are, at rear: R. O'Farrell. Back row: T. McGowan, Bill Spendlove, G Spong, Charlie Maynard. Front row: Sammy Wheeler, J Alford, Arthur Spendlove In front: M Hoffmann Instructor: Junior Legatee Ian McDonaldA record of a way Legacy provided classes for junior legatees.Black and white photo of Legacy boys beside a pool.Stamped '531' in blue ink. Handwritten 'P4 Legacy' in blue pen and 'Same size' in pencil. Pencil notes detail the boys' names.junior legatee, boys' classes, swimming

Bacchus Marsh celebrated 100 years of white settlement in 1936. The centenary celebrations committee comprised of L.M. Dugdale (President), A.W. Bond (Hon. Secretary), Charles Dickie, W. Grant Morton, W.R. Vigor, C.J. McFarlane, G.H. Anderson, T.J. Shea, F.C. McC Crisp, Dr E. McDonald, Robert Elliott (treasurer), R.H. Lambert (Decorations manager)Brown covered book of 28 pages. The book includes an historical essay, official centenary programme, Electric Light Plant, Patriotic Bacchus Marsh, milk industry, Pioneer Women's Memorial Avenue, Bacchus Marsh Gas Works . The book includes numerous advertisement, some illustrated. Images include: * Bacchus Marsh Flats from Anthony's Cutting; * Manor house; * Scene in Maddingley Park * Werribee Valley; * Werribee Gorge * Maddingley Park lake; * ANA Hall and Post Office * Shire Hall and Soldiers' Memorial Hall, * State School No 28 * At Werribee Gorge ** The Gas Supply Co, Bacchus Marsh * Bacchus Marsh Shire Council, 1935-6 (named) Images depicted in the book were supplied by H.J.M. Vallancebacchus marsh, merrimu guest house, anthony's cutting, captain bacchus, manor house, maddingley, maddingley park, werribee gorge, bacchus marsh shire, bacchus marsh shire council

Blue card, gold edging, dark blue writing. Invitation to Mr. J. McDonald to attend the Linton Football Club Ladies Committee banquet, held on 24th October 1959.Text: " LINTON FOOTBALL CLUB LADIES' COMMITTEE / request the pleasure of the company of Mr. J. McDonald / at a / Banquet / to be held in the Parish Hall, / Saturday, 24th October, 1959, at 6 p.m. "linton football club ladies' committee, mr j. mcdonald, mrs w. ringin, mrs g. mcdonald, events, invitations, tickets

Cream coloured card with gold embossed text. Invitation to Linton Bachelors' Club Ball held at Linton Parish Hall on June 12th, 1929.Text: ' Linton Bachelors' Club / The Committee of the above request the pleasure of / the company of / Mr. & Mrs. A McDonald / at a Bachelor's Ball to be held in the Parish Hall, Linton; on Wednesday, 12th June, 1929. 'linton bachelors' club, dances, entertainment

Blue hard covered book with hand written reports from the Art Principal, H.H. Principal. Two letters are pasted into the front, one from Frank Tate of the Victorian Education Department. 26 April 1918 - Proposed pottery industry in Ballarat 31 May 1919 - Erection of pottery kiln, with Selkirk bricks. 28 June 1918 - Daylesford Technical Art School. 30 August 1918 - Resignation of C. Campbell, instructor of Photography. 25 October 1918 - Returned Soldiers Classes in Art Metal and Signwriting. 25 October 1918 - Herald Shield Trophy 28 July 1922 - Ragged Boys Home, Tennis Court 22 August 1924 - Letterhead of the Attorney General Victoria concerning the transfer of the Ballarat Supreme Court to the Ballarat School of Mines. 15 October 1924 and 20 May 1925 - Carvings of 24 panels decorated with Australian birds, animals and flora to form part of the decoratve scheme for the Villers Bretonneux school. 21 April 1926 - White Flat is available for the use of the school. 29 February 1928 - Donation of a linotype machine by The Courier. 27 June 1928 - Internal Sewerage to the Ballarat Technical Art Schoolballarat school of mines, ballarat technical art school, h.h. smith, returned soldier teachers, harold herbert, ponsonby carew-smyth, f.h. hoskin, carpentry workshop, donald i. johnston, herald shield, kenneth moss, hilda wardle, miss bell, margaret bell, millinery, j.y. mcdonald soldiers memorial, john rowell, repatriation building, stained glass classes, dressmaking fees, ballarat supreme court, m. baird, carvings, villers bretonneux school carvings, ethel kift, m.c. young, macrobertson scholarship, elvie ford, edwin robinson, annie hauser, robina mackie, e. quick, tennis court, w.e. gower, colin hunt, white flat, frank hall, effie holmes, mavis beacham, henry harvey, plaster casts, pearl frickie, w.r. dean, marjery henderson, sewerage, laura crouch, ballarat teachers' college, gertie gough, gwen nagle, lynda clark, jack walker, cyril gibbs, repatriation, donald johnston, ceramics, kiln, c. campbell, photography, jean maude, sylvia copperwaite, olga dulfer, may pollock, margaret bailey, stella clarkson, may norrie, nellie nicholls, nancy govan, edith curnow, kathleen windsor, betty johnson, edna pearson, elvie thege, gwen neagle, effie george, gwen tunbridge