At the age of sixty-one Cliff Young, an unassuming potato farmer of Beech Forest, captured the imagination of the Australian people for his record-breaking five days, fifteen hours and four minutes it took him to run the 875 kilometres from Sydney to Melbourne. The previous record was one day, eighteen hours and forty-three minutes longer. Cliff runs with a shuffling gait, his arms hanging by his side, yet he waved to well-wishers throughout the journey. He's a country man with the dry humour of the bush. He trained by herding his brother's cattle on foot, wearing gumboots, and when he needs be he bamboozles experienced comperes with his succinct and witty answers.The Ballad of Cliff Young. Al Simmons. Judy Simmons Publishing; Cheltenham (Vic); 1983. 16 p.; illus. Soft cover.cliff young; athletics;

Cheltenham station was built in 1898 and serviced a primarily rural, market gardening community.The late 1870s saw the beginning of a massive program to construct railway lines throughout Victoria. One of these lines was from Caulfield to Frankston. A survey undertaken by J P Madden, an engineer employed by the railways, established the route, although this was later modified. At the time of the official opening of the line to Mordialloc no station buildings had been constructed despite the fact that tenders had been called in the Government Gazette of 26 May 1881 and subsequently in the Argus newspaper on 30 August 1881 for what became stations at Glenhuntly, Ormond, Bentleigh, Moorabbin, Highett, Cheltenham, Mentone and Mordialloc. However platforms and sidings were completed, ready to receive passengers. Cheltenham station opened in 1898.Black and white photograph of Cheltenham Railway Station with the two platforms separated by two sets of tracks. Each platform has a station house on it, and the one on the right hand side also has a garden and park bench.Handwritten in red ink on reverse: A7 / 75%cheltenham, trains, railway, railway station, railway crossing, suburbs

While the road is sealed, there is evidence of potholes that have been filled, and the wide, gravel shoulder has long grass running into the gutter of the nature strip. On the other side of the road, extremely long grass can be seen growing on the side of the road. There is a truck visible on the road, which indicates the rural nature of the Cheltenham community in the 1950s.This image is one of many in the collections that focuses on the railway or roads. The development of roads and the railway was crucial to the ongoing development of the area. Black and white photograph of the intersection of Warrigal and Centre Dandenong roads, Cheltenham. On the left hand side is a small sign warning of a cross roads intersection. Housing and shops line the road.Handwritten in blue ink on reverse: 219 Handwritten in red ink on reverse: 80%cheltenham, roads, suburbs

W.P. Fairlam Auction Rooms was located on Charman Road, Cheltenham, Victoria. The Fairlam family were a prominent family among early settlers in the Cheltenham area. While William Percy Fairlam ran the auction rooms, his son Richard William Percy Fairlam ran a photography business next door. Many of the photographs in our collection from the early 20th Century are the work of Richard William Percy Fairlam.Black and white image of a man with a moustache, dressed in a three piece suit and wearing a cap, standing outside the W.P. Fairlam Auction Rooms in Cheltenham, Victoria. Standing beside him is a girl and between them a dog is sitting on the ground. The man is William Percy Fairlam and the girl is his daughter Addie Fairlam.Handwritten in blue ink on reverse: 73 Handwritten in red ink on reverse: 51%fairlam, commerce, cheltenham, family

In 1880, the Melbourne Benevolent Asylum launched an appeal to raise funds to relocate away from the inner city. The location in North Melbourne was considered a great risk for the residents, particularly the 'old and feeble', in the event of an epidemic. In 1887, the secretary to the Premier of Victoria wrote to the Asylum, suggesting Frankston as a possible alternative to North Melbourne. The Asylum committee considered Frankston to be too far away. The Royal Commission into Charitable Organisations (1890) strongly recommended Cheltenham as the preferred location but the government failed to act on that recommendation. Former Asylum committee member, Mr James Hingston, bequeathed £25,000 to the Asylum on his death in 1902. After many more years of toing and froing, the foundation stone for the new asylum at Cheltenham was laid in 1909. It was almost two years later that the transfer of residents from North Melbourne to Cheltenham began. The move happened in stages over three days, with the first group of residents to move to Cheltenham being 125 women from the invalid wards. The Asylum continued to operate throughout the 20th Century and, in 1970, was renamed the Kingston Centre. The focus of services also changed. This photograph captures the laying of the foundation stone in 1909.Black and white image depicting a large group of citizens gathered to watch the laying of the foundation stone for the Benevolent Asylum in Cheltenham. There is a raised platform with a group of men dressed in suits standing on it. These appear to be the dignitaries for the day. There are flags flying in the background, others standing on poles at the corners of the raised platform. Handwritten in red ink on reverse: 50%cheltenham, charity, north melbourne, welfare

Photo album containing black and white photos

In the aftermath of World War I, calls for disarment rang out. Under the Treaty of Versailles, the 'peace treaty' signed in the Hall of Mirrors at Veresailles, Germany was declared the aggressor in WWI and restrictions were placed on the size of its military, the manufacture of armoured cars, tanks, submarines, planes and poisonous, and a demilitarised zone was put in place between Germany and France. The forced disarmament of Germany, it was hoped, would be accompanied by voluntary disarmament in other nations.It's difficult to know if this photograph was taken at the close of World War I, or later, when 'world disarment' was being investigated and promoted (c. 1920). Either way, a float bearing a banner in support of disarment made its way down Charman Road, Cheltenham to garner support. Black and white image of a wagon, drawn by four horses, with a group of men standing on the wagon.protest, war, disarmament