Prue Sanderson, in her groundbreaking ‘City of Kew Urban Conservation Study : Volume 2 - Development History’ (1988), summarised the periods of urban development and subdivisions of land in Kew. The periods that she identified included 1845-1880, 1880-1893, 1893-1921, 1921-1933, 1933-1943, and Post-War Development. These periods were selected as they represented periods of rapid growth or decline in urban development. An obvious starting point for Sanderson’s groupings involved population growth and the associated economic cycles. These cycles also highlighted urban expansion onto land that was predominantly rural, although in other cases it represented the decline and breakup of large estates. A number of the plans in the Kew Historical Society’s collection can also be found in other collections, such as those of the State Library of Victoria and the Boroondara Library Service. A number are however unique to the collection.The Kew Historical Society collection includes almost 100 subdivision plans pertaining to suburbs of the City of Melbourne. Most of these are of Kew, Kew East or Studley Park, although a smaller number are plans of Camberwell, Deepdene, Balwyn and Hawthorn. It is believed that the majority of the plans were gifted to the Society by persons connected with the real estate firm - J. R. Mathers and McMillan, 136 Cotham Road, Kew. The Plans in the collection are rarely in pristine form, being working plans on which the agent would write notes and record lots sold and the prices of these. The subdivision plans are historically significant examples of the growth of urban Melbourne from the beginning of the 20th Century up until the 1980s. A number of the plans are double-sided and often include a photograph on the reverse. A number of the latter are by noted photographers such as J.E. Barnes.The Normanby Heights Estate not unusually used hyperbole to attract purchasers to the auction of 17 lots facing Argyle Street (sic), Pleasant Avenue and Normanby Road. Predictably factors appealed to included the proximity to schools etc, the availability of public utilities, friable soil, picturesque views and ‘advancing settlement’. If that were not enough, the sales pitch exhorted prospective purchasers to consider their backbone. ‘Thrift is unquestionably the Backbone of any Nation. No better form of Thrift can be encouraged in the young citizen than by investing his or her savings in a piece of land in a growing, healthy and beautiful locality. NORMANBY HEIGHTS ESTATE admirably fits the need.’ The experience of Australia at war undoubtedly contributed to the use of terms such as ‘Backbone of a Nation’ and the appeal to egalitarian principles in the choice of the term ‘young citizen’. The recognition that women had savings and might be the prospective purchaser also reflects a new sense of the rights and entitlements of women in the postwar period.subdivision plans - kew, normanby heights estate, pleasant avenue, normanby road, argyle street

Land along the Yarra River in Kew is now either designated open space, parkland or public golf links. By the 1930s much of this area remained open farmland, bought at auction for dairy farming in the 1840s.Original, black and white positive print of what is said to be the Yarra Flats near Burke Road Bridge. On the horizon, building can be seen, whereas in the middle ground, farm fencing and a windmill are the main features as well as remnant Eucalypts. Inscribed verso: "Yarra Flats near Burke Rd Bridge 1937" studley park -- kew (vic.)

This volume of maps is believed to have been compiled by staff at the Shire of Bacchus Marsh and was presumably used to inform and assist Shire staff and Councillors in the carriage of their duties.This collection of maps are significant due to their rarity as many of them are unique maps made for local purposes in the Bacchus Marsh region. They are also of strong research value containing a wide variety of information including landholders, land sales, infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, public, commercial and private buildings, houses, land use, and geographic features over multiple decades from the late nineteen century into the middle part of the twentieth century.One bound volume of maps comprising cadastral maps, (indicating property owners and land boundaries), land plans and real estate auction plans and advertising material, and other maps indicating major infrastructure like proposed roads and irrigation areas. Most of the maps and plans are of Bacchus Marsh and nearby areas but some maps are of nearby towns such as Melton, Ballan and Blackwood. The volume comprises 52 pages. Most pages have a single map or plan pasted onto it but some contain 2 or 3 different maps. There are 81 maps in total. Map 1 Liquidators Sale 1896. Map 2. Woodside Estate Sale 1913. maps, maps bacchus marsh, maps bacchus marsh region

Three documents relating to the redevelopment of Legacy House that was completed in 2006. In a message from the President published in the Bulletin, Legatee Bill Rogers mentions the official opening of Legacy House by the Governor of Victoria Professor David DeKretser AC on 25th August 2006. Also that two new tenants had been secured, IGA and Starbucks. The refurbishment had been necessary to upgrade the lift, provide better wheelchair access and comply with regulations. The notice also mentions an increased use of Direct Mail and the launch of the Torch Society in April. Second document was a reprint from a Press Release in 1957 when Sir Dallas Brooks officially opened Legacy House after purchase and refurbishment. The refurbishment was the first time Legacy approached the general public for funds as 90,000 pounds had been required. It also tells of the history of how Legacy acquired the David H Dureau Memorial Building through funds donated by a donor in 1944, a different property was purchased then sold and funds used to buy 293 Swanston St in 1956. The third document was the address that Bill Rogers spoke at the official opening on 25th August 2006. It mentions Bert Dennis, a former Junior Legatee, was donating the proceeds from an auction of a Dennis Family Homes project the following day. Document was from a folder of documents donated to the archive by Legatee Bill Rogers that related to his time as President (March 2006 - March 2008).A record of the history of Legacy House and its refurbishment over time.Print out x 4 pages about Legacy House, its redevelopment, reopening and history.dureau house, properties

The Minimax conical fire extinguishers were manufactured until 1960 and then removed from the company’s product range. The earliest model had been produced with a simple handle made of folded pressed metal that is similar if not the same as that on the Point Hicks extinguisher. Later handles were moulded and had more substance to the way they were cut and then folded to form a solid grip. The Point Hicks Minimax extinguisher is an early model that probably dates from the years when these devices were demonstrated across parts of Australia. While numerous examples of the extinguishers survive in public and private collections in northern hemisphere countries, few appear to exist in Australian museum collections. However, the auction house records confirm that some do survive in private collections. The Point Hicks extinguisher was found by lighthouse keepers in 1974 buried in the sand in a flattened but surprisingly intact condition. It was beaten back into its original shape but the body still retains various dents. In 2010, AMSA located the extinguisher at the National Trust’s Polly Woodside historic ship museum and it is now at the Point Hicks Lightstation. The Minimax conical extinguisher has first level contributory significance as a historic item of early fire-fighting equipment from the lightstation that dates from the early twentieth century.Conical shaped brass fire extinguisher painted red with small nozzle at one end and a pump section at the other end. There is a handle on one side with closely spaced rivets down one side. Brass plaque with instructions attached to the body. There ia a square hook to hang the object form a wall or similar." ...ANKS ... / QUENCH.../ FOR FIRE / DRIVE IN PLUNGER / AT BIG END / ...ON GROUND /..../..../..."

This seal was used for official police and court documents by the Belvoir Police Office.The initial land survey for the city now known as Wodonga was first undertaken in 1852 by Thomas Wedge - Assistant Surveyor. The new township was called "Belvoir" and was proclaimed by that name in 1852 and again in 1861. The first sale of land in Belvoir was held at Wangaratta on April 28, 1854, when all the allotments surveyed by Thomas Wedge (excepting those set apart for reserves, government and public areas) were offered at auction. Following representations by the Postmaster General on June 23, 1869, the Governor in Council, on July 12, 1869, approved of its Aboriginal name "Wodonga" being restored. The seal was found at the Yackandandah Courthouse by the Circuit Judge, the late Mr. Jim Humphrey. As the Wodonga Historical Society was in recess at that time, the seal was held in trust by the North-East Historical Society in Wangaratta. It was donated to the Wodonga Historical Society in 1987.This item was the official seal of the Belvoir Police office from the beginning of the European settlement of the modern day city of Wodonga, then know as Belvoir. It is one of the earliest relics of that period of history, until its name was changed in 1869.Wood and metal seal bearing the official emblem of the Police Office Belvoir. It would have been used to apply a wax seal to official documents. The seal is mounted in a timber and glass case so that the imprint of the seal can be seen reflected in a mirror mounted in the base of the box.Around the edges of the seal "POLICE OFFICE / BELVOIR"belvoir police, official seal, history wodonga

The availability of reliable regular and frequent public transport was very important to the land speculators of the 1880s. Charles H James, an early land speculator, had large holdings in the Shire of Moorabbin at Black Rock, Sandringham and Mentone. In 1884 he was advertising the auction of 109 blocks of land at ‘Picnic Point’ in the Brighton Southern Cross.[1] He provided free railway passes and conveyance to the grounds to prospective buyers. A proposal to extend the Brighton Railway to Sandringham and Black Rock seemed remote in 1884 so James acted to resolve the lack of public transport by forming his own tramway company. From the discussion between the Council and James it was agreed that the Council would apply for permission to construct a tramway on Beach Road. By February 8, 1889 the horse drawn trams were running from Cheltenham Station to Rickett’s Point and from Sandringham Station to ‘Blackrock Corner’. Although stricken with financial problems for its entire existence, Beaumaris Tramway Company continued until 1915.Black and white image of two horses. harnessed to a double decker tram, being pulled along the tram tracks laid in the street. There are men sitting on the top level of the tram, in the open air. Other trams are lined up behind this one, although with no people in them. The tram belongs to the Beaumaris Tramway Company.

James Young was a prominent businessman, land owner and public figure in the early colonial period of Bacchus Marsh. After his death in 1871 land remaining from his estate in Bacchus Marsh was sold at auction in 1873. The sale of his estate included the substantial stone residence in Bennett Street which later became known as 'Stone Villa'. The sale of his land in 1873 was conducted by local auctioneer James Crook. 29 allotments were advertised for sale, although the plan for the sale indicated 30 allotments. The sale notice in the Bacchus Marsh Express of 11 October 1873 noted that the allotments were " in the very centre and heart of the most populous and business portion of the township, at the same time being the only remaining portion of the business block available for purchase by public sale, which fact intending purchasers should not lose sight of, as the opportunity cannot occur again". The designation of a new street, 'Bennett Street', shown on the plan, is also indicated in the advertising, "In reference to the main street frontages, opposite the Border Flour Mills. The Auctioneer would also direct attention to the plan, showing the formation of a new thorough fare (Bennett street) leading from Young street into Gell street, thus opening up the township on the high, more healthy, and commanding position so much to be desired for private dwellings".An important cartographic document which indicates an early major subdivision of land in the inner urban area of the Bacchus Marsh township. This subdivision lead to the continuing residential and commercial development of the township of Bacchus Marsh in the later part of the 19th century. The location of two well known demolished public structures, the Free Gardeners Hall in Gell Street, and the Old Mechanics Institute Hall (aka the Buffs Hall), on the corner of Young and Bennett Streets, are also shown on this map.A single page paper map showing 30 blocks of land for sale around 1873 in the vicinity of Bennett Street and Lerderderg Street. Described in contemorary sources as a 'lithographed copy'. No scale is indicated. The map is pasted into a bound volume containing 76 maps or plans in total. High resolution digital image stored on BMDHS computer network. land sales bacchus marsh, bacchus marsh victoria maps, james young 1816-1871, bacchus marsh roads and streets, bennett street bacchus marsh

In October 1874, Thomas Reidy and Andrew McCormack opened the Carriers’ Arms on the corner of South and Church Streets. They also established a general store next door, which they soon extended. The Carriers’ Arms was a coach stop for the Bethanga Express Coach. On 8 December 1882 the licence for the Carriers’ Arms was granted to Ann Reidy. In 1883, Edmund T. Powell, and his Irish-born wife, Mary Ann, purchased the Carriers’ Arms. By 1898 the Licence was in the name of M. A. Powell. She was still the licensee at the time of her death in August 1906. For a short time, the property was in the hands of Miss Maud Powell but in February 1907, the licence for The Carriers’ Arms Hotel was transferred to Mr George L. Leighton. On Monday 5th February 1917 a clearing sale of all furniture and effects of the Carriers’ Arms Hotel was held. The new proprietor and licensee was Henry R. Baker. In April 1920, the Carriers’ Arms had another new proprietor, Mrs A. E. Frauenfelder but by October 1921 it was transferred to Kathleen Hickey. Mrs. Hickey was at the Carriers’ Arms until she died in January 1926. In 1927, Mr H.W. Allen, formerly proprietor of the Terminus Hotel took over the Carriers’ Arms but in August 1928 the balance of the lease was transferred to Mrs Mulrooney. In 1932 it again changed hands, with the licence being transferred to Mrs Eileen Dorothy Hemphill, of Wodonga. In 1933 the Carriers’ Arms was licensed to Mrs. M.G. O’Brien, a sister of Mrs Hemphill. In 1935 Leo Houlihan took over the business but 6 months later it was transferred to A C Ferguson. The next year the licence was transferred yet again to Zelda Allen. By 1937 it was in the hands of Percy Cumberland then to Lila Maud MacPherson and soon followed by Ronald Dobson. By 1940 Herbert V.A. Callender had taken over the Carriers’ Arms and in 1942 the licence was transferred again to Sarah Jane Callander. In July 1943 Mr G. A. Adams disposed of the freehold of the Carriers’ Arms Hotel in Hume Street to Mr J.H. Perry. By September 1955 Edward Spencer held the Victualler’s licence for Carriers Arms Hotel and the licences was transferred to Kevin Patrick Howell. Mr Howell operated the hotel for many years. At some stage in the 1980s Geoff Milne operated the Carriers’ Arms. In 2007 he was killed in a light airplane crash. In 1991 David McLeish and Bob Craig, took over the Carriers’ Arms and were joined in 1993 by James Carroll. They continued to operate it until 2003. In 2010 Greg Evans held the Freehold with Licensees Cate Nightingale and Michael McNamara, After running into major financial difficulties it was run by Greg Evans. In 2010 the Carriers’ Arms was put up for auction but failed to sell. From 2013 - 2016, Ron Montgomery and his wife Michelle took over the lease of the Carriers’ Arms. In 2018, the Carriers’ Arms was purchased from Greg Evans by Leigh Esler. After opening to the public in 1874, The Carriers’ Arms was closed in 2019 and following extensive refurbishment opened as Church Street These items are significant as they document the history of a long-serving business in the Wodonga community.A collection of photos and advertisements documenting the life of the Carriers' Arms Hotel, Wodonga.early wodonga businesses, carriers' arms wodonga

Collection of Personal Papers regarding a house built using former PMTT tramcars. Comprises: 1 - Auction notice - folded A3 light card, "Moonta 18 School Road Ferny Creek" - giving details of the property, agents, floor plan and auction date of 19/11/1983. Agents R. Woodard and D&S Ham (2 copies held) 2 - Newspaper clipping from the Progress Press with a sketch and article - "Home built from trams" 3 -"Fares please for tram treat" - Herald Sun, 24/9/1983. 4 -Auction notice - 21/11/1983 - property passed in. 5 - hand written note, with plan of the trams and location map - not dated 6 - set of six hand written notes recording conversations with various people regarding a house in Ferny Creek with trams, including the Public Trustee 1976 and 1977. 7 - Auction notice for "Charrawalla" - School Road, Ferny Creek dated 7/5/1977 from The Age. Not all items numbered, See also Reg Item 1356, 1833 and 1518 for related items.trams, tramways, mmtb, pmtt, ferny creek, tramcars, melbourne, houses, sale of land

This majestic peacock embodies the technical achievement, skill and ingenuity of artisans during the 19th century. It is now known as the 'Loch Ard Peacock' and was designed and modelled in 1873 by Paul Comolera (1818-1897) and fired in one piece at the Minton factory at Stoke-on-Trent in the United Kingdom in 1875. The peacock has been portrayed in symbolic motifs and has figured heavily in folktales and fables since antiquity, and many cultures around the world see it as a symbol of beauty, rebirth and power. Wealthy Victorians loved majolica, and the large peacock would have been the ultimate home accessory as a conservatory ornament – combining their desire for nature, the exotic and vibrant colours. The peacock model was listed in catalogues by Minton & Co. for a retail price of 35 guineas or sold as a pair for 90 guineas. Minton & Co. was founded in 1793 by Thomas Minton (1765–1836) and became a famous pottery and porcelain manufacturer. Comolera was a French artist and sculptor, renowned for dramatic naturalistic forms and life-size renditions of birds and animals that won him admiration in public and artistic circles. He was employed by Minton & Co. from 1873 to 1880, and the life-sized peacock became his best-known work. Comolera kept a live peacock loaned from the nearby Duke of Sutherland's Trentham Hall Estate in his studio to create a life-size model of fine buff earthenware model, which was then hand painted in brilliantly coloured green and blue glazes to mimic the peafowl’s dazzling plumage. There are no surviving production records, but according to documents in the Minton Archive, nine peacocks were made by Comolera. However, today, some historians now believe that twelve were fired at the Minton factory; research is ongoing. These peacocks were so admired that Minton & Co. used them as exhibition showpieces at International Exhibitions in London, Paris, and the United States of America, ensuring the company had a worldwide reputation. So, when Melbourne hosted an International Exposition in 1880, Minton & Co. sent out ceramics and tiles, and in particular, this peacock was intended to be part of their exhibit in the British Court in the Exhibition Building, built in the Carlton Gardens. The early dispatch date (1878) indicates that the company may have intended to exhibit their wares, including the peacock, at the 1879 Sydney International Exhibition, but the company did not take up this option. The ship that Minton & Co. used to bring the peacock and their other wares to the Australian colonies was the ill-fated Loch Ard, which sunk after striking Mutton Bird Island near Port Campbell, Victoria, in calm foggy weather in June 1878 on the final leg of the ship's journey to Melbourne. The loss of 52 lives made it one of Victoria’s worst shipwrecks. Therefore, this peacock never made it to the grand exposition in Melbourne, as Minton & Co. had planned. Charles McGillivray dragged this peacock, still in its original packing case, onto the beach in the gorge just two days after the Loch Ard went down. The peacock was rescued unscathed apart from a chip on its beak (only repaired in 1988). After a disagreement with a Melbourne Customs Officer, Joseph Daish, McGillivray stopped his salvage operations, leaving the peacock on the beach. The second salvagers were James Miller and Thomas Keys. Miller was a member of the firm Howarth, Miller and Matthews, Geelong, who had brought the salvage rights to the Loch Ard wreck on 10 June. When Miller and Keys arrived at the wreck site, a storm had washed many of the salvaged goods, including this peacoc,k back into the sea. The two men found the peacock in its case ‘bobbing along in the water’ and pulled it back to the beach. To ensure the peacock wasn't washed out to sea again, Miller and Keys hauled the packing case containing the peacock up the gorge's cliff face to the top, ready to be transported. In an interview in 1928, Keys claimed that at the time of the rescue, the head had broken from the body. This account was proven to be true in 1988, following the birds' display in Brisbane. This peacock began its life in Australia, not in the grandeur of an International Exhibition as intended, but in the hallway of a simple domestic house in Geelong. It appears Minton & Co. did not attempt to buy this peacock back. Florence Miller, daughter of James Miller (Loch Ard salvage rights holder), later remarked that the only item of real value rescued from the wreck had been the peacock and that this had been kept by her father in the family home at Malvern for many years and became a treasured family possession. As such, this 'Loch Ard peacock' was almost forgotten and mistaken with other Minton peacocks around the world. Miss Florence Miller tried to sell the peacock due to financial difficulties in the 1930s but was unsuccessful. While attempting to sell her Loch Ard relic, it was displayed in the window of the old Argus newspaper office, which was at 76 Collins Street, Melbourne; the Argus had relocated to the corner of Elizabeth and La Trobe Streets in 1926. Between 1935 and 1939, the old Argus building was occupied by the Joshua N. McClelland Print Room, which sold not only paintings and prints but also antiques and authentic replicas, as well as hosting exhibitions. Miss Florence Miller loaned her peacock for display at the Victorian Historical Exhibition held in the National Gallery on 1st June 1935, the 57th anniversary of the Loch Ard wreck. As a result, the peacock attracted public attention in books, newspapers and magazine articles that told the story of its survival from a shipwreck. Miss Florence Miller was keen to sell the peacock, even writing overseas to Captain Blain on November 30th, 1938, about the possibility of a sale, but this became no longer possible due to the outbreak of war. Recent information points to the Loch Ard peacock being owned by John S R Heath before its sale to Frank Ridley-Lee in May 1941. Research is ongoing, but it seems likely that John Samuel Robert Heath, a leading Melbourne dentist with a practice in Collins Street, and his wife, a dental mechanic, had purchased Miss Miller’s Loch Ard peacock before its sale in 1941. They were lovers of fine arts, music, wine and food. The peacock in the window of the old Argus building could have attracted their attention as they had already purchased the old stone Presbyterian Church on Warrigal Road, Oakleigh, in 1933 and had converted its interior. The home, renamed The Studio, even included Melbourne’s first all-electric kitchen. The peacock was perfect for display in the Studio’s entrance. A magazine article published after the conversion was completed included photographs of the interior. The picture of the ‘portico’ had a caption below that stated, “Some of her [Mrs Heath’s] finest pottery was salvaged from the Loch Ard Wreck”. In 2025, Heath’s two remaining sons remember running around in the entrance with the peacock standing there, oblivious to its value. Heath was an accomplished artist, studying under Max Meldrum. He painted and exhibited his works at The Studio and in a public exhibition, and he was a finalist eight times in the coveted Archibald Prize portrait competition, including the submission of his self-portrait that is now part of his grandson’s collection. The next owner of the Loch Ard Peacock was Frank Ridley-Lee. He displayed it at his home in Ivanhoe after buying it at an auction in May 1941. The peacock remained in the hands of the Ridley-Lee family until it was offered for sale by auction in 1975 as part of an art collection belonging to Mrs Ridley-Lee's estate. The peacock was not sold at this time, as the reserve price of $4500 was not met. This news was passed on to the board of the newly created Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. Urgent efforts were made to collect the necessary money through fundraising by the Warrnambool City Council and public donations. The Fletcher Jones Company and the Victorian Government contributed half the cost. On 9 September 1975, the Loch Ard peacock was purchased by Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, and it found a new home at the maritime museum. Since then, it has only left Warrnambool twice. Firstly, in 1980, at the centenary celebrations of the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne, and secondly, in 1988, the peacock was given pride of place at the entrance to the Victorian Pavilion at the Brisbane World Expo, acknowledging that this Minton Majolica peacock is the most significant shipwreck object in Australia. The Minton majolica peacock is considered of historical social and aesthetic significance to Victoria and is one of only a few 'objects' registered on the Victorian Heritage Register (H 2132), as it is a most notable and rare object associated with the Minton factory of the 1870s and works by the celebrated sculptor Paul Comolera along with the wreck of the Loch Ard on the Victorian coastline. This Minton peacock is historically significant for its rarity; it was one of only 9-12 known to exist. The shipwreck of the Loch Ard is also of significance for Victoria and is registered on the Victorian Heritage Register Ref (S 417). Flagstaff Hill has a varied collection of artefacts from Loch Ard and its collection is significant for being one of the largest accumulation of artefacts from this notable Victorian shipwreck. The collections object is to also give us a snapshot into history so we can interpret the story of this tragic event. The collection is also archaeologically significant as it represents aspects of Victoria's shipping history that allows us to interpret Victoria's early social and historical themes. The collection is historically significant is that it is associated, unfortunately with the worst and best-known shipwreck in Victoria's history. The peacock, resplendent in polychrome glaze, stands perched on a rocky plinth decorated with vines, leaves, flowers, blackberries and wild mushrooms. The peacock’s breast is cobalt blue; the wings and legs are in naturalistic colours. The tail is a mass of feathers coloured in green, ochre blue and brown — a fantastic display of artistry and Minton expertise. Inscribed at the base :P Comolera, and a Minton & Co. design number: 2045.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, loch ard, loch ard gorge, peacock, paul comolera, victorian heritage register, minton peacock, minton & co., stoke upon trent, bird figures, mintons, ceramics, international expositions, majolica, naturalistic, staffordshire, john samuel robert heath