Elaine Mann was married to David Mann, a successful Wodonga businessman and community leader who passed away in Wodonga in June 2012. David was a member of the Mann family who began their business in Wodonga in 1920. Elaine was a teacher in Wodonga for many years and an active member of the community.This photo collection is of significance as it documents how the businesses and buildings in Wodonga have evolved and contributed to community throughout the late 20th century.Wodonga, High Street West Businesses including T. B. Erlandsen & Son. and the Terminus Hotel. Thorald Erlandsen purchased his premises in the 1950s. The building was previously owned by John Whan. It started out as a general store but was later extended to include a drapers. The building sold in 1966 to Manns. The Terminus Hotel was built in 1873. It was purchased by Annie and George Allen in 1879. In 1888 they added extensions including a billiard room, a dining room and 18 other rooms. After the death of her husband, Annie Allen continued to run the Terminus Hotel. She later married John Haldon and was licensee of the hotel until 1893 when the license was transferred to William Carkeek. Carkeeks owned the hotel from 1900 - 1903 and again from 1906 - 1909. It was destroyed by fire in 1998 and the building demolished in 1999. In 2021 it is the location of Tristar Medical Centre.wodonga businesses, high st wodonga, t. b. erlandsen & son, terminus hotel

Miss Olive Codling was a Foundation Member and a Life Member of the Wodonga Historical Society. Many of her prize-winning photos are held in the Society Collection. She also held a range of roles and committee positions in a wide range of Wodonga community organisations. These included the Horticultural Society, the Wodonga Arts Council, the Wodonga Camera Club and the Wodonga Lapidary Club. This photo collection is significant as it documents how the businesses and buildings in Wodonga have evolved and contributed to community throughout the 20th century.Wodonga, High Street West Businesses including Kwik Stitch Fabrics, T.A.B., Housing Advice and Referral Service, Nolans Sports Store, Pares House and the Terminus Hotel. The Terminus Hotel was built in 1873. It was purchased by Annie and George Allen in 1879. In 1888 they added extensions including a billiard room, a dining room and 18 other rooms. After the death of her husband, Annie Allen continued to run the Terminus Hotel. She later married John Haldon and was licensee of the hotel until 1893 when the license was transferred to William Carkeek. Carkeeks owned the hotel from 1900 - 1903 and again from 1906 - 1909. It was destroyed by fire in 1998 and the building demolished in 1999. In 2021 it is the location of Tristar Medical Centre. This T.A.B. store closed in 2006.wodonga businesses, high st wodonga, terminus hotel, nolans sports store

Miss Olive Codling was a Foundation Member and a Life Member of the Wodonga Historical Society. Many of her prize-winning photos are held in the Society Collection. She also held a range of roles and committee positions in a wide range of Wodonga community organisations. These included the Horticultural Society, the Wodonga Arts Council, the Wodonga Camera Club and the Wodonga Lapidary Club. This photo collection is significant as it documents how the businesses and buildings in Wodonga have evolved and contributed to community throughout the 20th century.Wodonga, High Street West Businesses including Terminus Hotel, Tandy Electronics Drummond Real Estate, Pet Shop and old National / CBA Bank on corner. The Terminus Hotel was built in 1873. It was purchased by Annie and George Allen in 1879. In 1888 they added extensions including a billiard room, a dining room and 18 other rooms. After the death of her husband, Annie Allen continued to run the Terminus Hotel. She later married John Haldon and was licensee of the hotel until 1893 when the license was transferred to William Carkeek. Carkeeks owned the hotel from 1900 - 1903 and again from 1906 - 1909. It was destroyed by fire in 1998 and the building demolished in 1999. Cliff & Peter Drummond opened their first office in Wodonga in 1977.wodonga businesses, high st wodonga, terminus hotel, drummond real estate

This photo is part of a collection of Wodonga Town Photos donated by Elaine Mann. Elaine was married to David Mann, a successful Wodonga businessman and community leader who passed away in Wodonga in June 2012. David was a member of the Mann family who began their business in Wodonga in 1920. Elaine was a teacher in Wodonga for many years and an active member of the community. The Terminus Hotel In 1873, James Thompson Hatch built the two-storeyed Terminus Hotel at 79 Sydney Road (later known as High Street), then sold it to George Day and Kenneth McLennan for £1,230. It was first licensed to J. G. Morton in January 1874. In 1879, Annie Allen, from Ireland, took over as licensee of the hotel containing 14 rooms, after she and her husband, George James Allen, purchased it. He became licensee in 1883. Under the Allens, the Terminus became, ‘a principal rendezvous for visitors to the town.’ September 1888 saw additions to the building that included a billiard room, a dining room, and 18 other rooms. Following the death of her husband in 1889, Annie Allen continued to run the Terminus Hotel. She later married John Haldon and was licensee of the hotel until 1893 when the licence was transferred to William Carkeek. In the early 1900s the Hotel was thoroughly renovated. The Terminus Hotel was for sale by auction on 5th March 1909. It comprised about 50 rooms, a two-storey building built of brick and iron with hot and cold water service and acetylene gas throughout. The principal hotel in Wodonga, was let from 1st January 1909 on a seven years’ lease at a rental of £9 per week. 1935 saw extensive improvements by proprietor W. P. Kinney, while in 1941 further extensive improvements were carried out to make a good hotel better. A pall of shock and disbelief descended over Wodonga’s historic Terminus Hotel on 1st June 1998 when it was destroyed by fire then demolished in 1999. The site was sold for almost $1 million and redeveloped for a medical clinic.This photo collection is of significance as it documents how the businesses and buildings in Wodonga have evolved and contributed to community throughout the late 20th century.Terminus Hotel; Gippsland & Northern Co-operative Pty. Ltd.; Graham Bradbury Men's Hairdresser; Patricia Anne Fashions; Australian Mercantile Land and Finance Company (A.M.L. & F). on the west side of High Street. The Terminus Hotel was built C. 1873. and was destroyed by fire in 1998, The Gippsland and Northern Co-operative Co. Ltd was formed in 1905, but the date of its establishment in Wodonga is not confirmed, but they were holding fortnightly sales at the Wodonga sale yards by early 1919.wodonga businesses, high st wodonga, terminus hotel, gippsland & northern

The Terminus Hotel, Wodonga was built by James Thompson Hatch in 1873, the same year the railway reached Wodonga from Melbourne. It was named due to its close proximity to the railway terminus. It was sold to Messrs George Day and Kenneth McLennan of Albury. It was first licenced to J.G. Morton in January 1874. Annie Allen, from Ireland, took over as licensee of the hotel containing 14 rooms in 1879, after she and her husband, George James Allen, purchased it. In 1887 they added a new wing on the south boundary of the property next to Peter McLean’s store at 81 Sydney Road. The architects for the new wing were Gordon and Gordon. A billiard room, a dining room, and 18 other rooms were added on the vacant block of land between the Hotel and the Bank of Victoria. A balcony 6 feet wide was added on the north side. Included in the plans was the latest patent elevator, later known as a dumb waiter. Allen died in 1889 aged 52, and Annie Allen continued to run the Terminus. She later married John G. Haldon and was licensee of the hotel until December 1898 when the licence was transferred to William Carkeek. Carkeek, from Cornwall, arrived in the colony around 1860 and is considered one of the founders of Tallangatta. In November 1903, the license was transferred to Daniel Crawford, then in 1906 it was transferred to Mr Stephen Carkeek. In 1916 it passed into the hands of Mr H. W. Allen of Rutherglen, son of Mr George James Allen. Between 1916 and 1933 there were a variety of licensees. In October 1933, the stables and garage at the rear of the Terminus Hotel were totally destroyed by fire. In 1935, the Terminus again underwent a series of improvements and extensions at the cost of £3,000. The front of the premises was extended in the fashionable Spanish mission style. The balcony of brick and concrete was extended to be 18 feet wide, wire gauged and fitted with glass slides and a tile roof. In addition to 15 new bedrooms, four more bathrooms, making seven in all, were available for patrons. These were on the second floor, while beneath them provision was made for four shops and a new kitchen and a laundry. Throughout the 1930s and 1990s the licensee and owners changed several times. On 1st June 1998 the Terminus Hotel was destroyed by fire. Estimates of damage range from between a conservative $750,000 to as high as $2 million. The remains of the building were demolished in 1999.The Terminus Hotel was one of the earliest hotels in Wodonga with clear links to the establishment of the railway line. It was an important business and meeting place for social gatherings.Oldest available photo of the Terminus Hotel beside Peter McLean's Wholesale and Family Drapers General Store. These buildings were on the west side of Sydney Road, later renamed to High Street.hotels wodonga, businesses wodonga, terminus hotel wodonga

The Terminus Hotel, Wodonga was built by James Thompson Hatch in 1873, the same year the railway reached Wodonga from Melbourne. It was named due to its close proximity to the railway terminus. It was sold to Messrs George Day and Kenneth McLennan of Albury. It was first licenced to J.G. Morton in January 1874. Annie Allen, from Ireland, took over as licensee of the hotel containing 14 rooms in 1879, after she and her husband, George James Allen, purchased it. In 1887 they added a new wing on the south boundary of the property next to Peter McLean’s store at 81 Sydney Road. The architects for the new wing were Gordon and Gordon. A billiard room, a dining room, and 18 other rooms were added on the vacant block of land between the Hotel and the Bank of Victoria. A balcony 6 feet wide was added on the north side. Included in the plans was the latest patent elevator, later known as a dumb waiter. Allen died in 1889 aged 52, and Annie Allen continued to run the Terminus. She later married John G. Haldon and was licensee of the hotel until December 1898 when the licence was transferred to William Carkeek. Carkeek, from Cornwall, arrived in the colony around 1860 and is considered one of the founders of Tallangatta. In November 1903, the license was transferred to Daniel Crawford, then in 1906 it was transferred to Mr Stephen Carkeek. In 1916 it passed into the hands of Mr H. W. Allen of Rutherglen, son of Mr George James Allen. Between 1916 and 1933 there were a variety of licensees. In October 1933, the stables and garage at the rear of the Terminus Hotel were totally destroyed by fire. In 1935, the Terminus again underwent a series of improvements and extensions at the cost of £3,000. The front of the premises was extended in the fashionable Spanish mission style. The balcony of brick and concrete was extended to be 18 feet wide, wire gauged and fitted with glass slides and a tile roof. In addition to 15 new bedrooms, four more bathrooms, making seven in all, were available for patrons. These were on the second floor, while beneath them provision was made for four shops and a new kitchen and a laundry. Throughout the 1930s and 1990s the licensee and owners changed several times. On 1st June 1998 the Terminus Hotel was destroyed by fire. Estimates of damage range from between a conservative $750,000 to as high as $2 million. The remains of the building were demolished in 1999.The Terminus Hotel was one of the earliest hotels in Wodonga with clear links to the establishment of the railway line. It was an important business and meeting place for social gatherings.Allen's Terminus Hotel in Main Street (known as Sydney Road and later High Street, Wodonga). This image is dated as November 1906, however research suggests the hotel was operated by the Carkeek family and then and also Mr. Daniel Crawford prior to this date. The Terminus was sold by auction on 5th March 1909 as part the estate of Annie Haldon. Annie Allen had married John George Haldon in 1890.Across front of building "ALLENS TERMINUS HOTEL"hotels wodonga, businesses wodonga, terminus hotel wodonga

The Terminus Hotel, Wodonga was built by James Thompson Hatch in 1873, the same year the railway reached Wodonga from Melbourne. It was named due to its close proximity to the railway terminus. It was sold to Messrs George Day and Kenneth McLennan of Albury. It was first licenced to J.G. Morton in January 1874. Annie Allen, from Ireland, took over as licensee of the hotel containing 14 rooms in 1879, after she and her husband, George James Allen, purchased it. In 1887 they added a new wing on the south boundary of the property next to Peter McLean’s store at 81 Sydney Road. The architects for the new wing were Gordon and Gordon. A billiard room, a dining room, and 18 other rooms were added on the vacant block of land between the Hotel and the Bank of Victoria. A balcony 6 feet wide was added on the north side. Included in the plans was the latest patent elevator, later known as a dumb waiter. Allen died in 1889 aged 52, and Annie Allen continued to run the Terminus. She later married John G. Haldon and was licensee of the hotel until December 1898 when the licence was transferred to William Carkeek. Carkeek, from Cornwall, arrived in the colony around 1860 and is considered one of the founders of Tallangatta. In November 1903, the license was transferred to Daniel Crawford, then in 1906 it was transferred to Mr Stephen Carkeek. In 1916 it passed into the hands of Mr H. W. Allen of Rutherglen, son of Mr George James Allen. On 1st June 1998 the Terminus Hotel was destroyed by fire. Estimates of damage range from between a conservative $750,000 to as high as $2 million. The remains of the building were demolished in 1999.The Terminus Hotel was one of the earliest hotels in Wodonga with clear links to the establishment of the railway line. It was an important business and meeting place for social gatherings.On 21 December 1898 an application to transfer the license of the Terminus Hotel from Mrs Annie Haldon to Mr William Carkeek was lodged This was granted by the Wodonga Licensing Court on 12 January 1899. In February of that year, it was transferred to Mrs. Rebecca Carkeek. William Carkeek died on 17 March 1900, aged 57 years. In November 1900 Mr. Daniel Crawford took over the license. In March 1906, the Carkeek family returned to the Terminus Hotel when their son Stephen purchased the business. In January 1909, tenders were invited for Freehold Purchase of the property. It was available on a 7 year lease at a rental of £9 per week In 1913 Stephen Carkeek disposed of the goodwill of the business to Mr Wilson of Grenfell, New South Wales, thus ending the Carkeek family’s long association with the Terminus Hotel. He died in Beechworth on 16 May 1928.Across side of building "CARKEEK'S TERMINUS FAMILY HOTEL"hotels wodonga, businesses wodonga, terminus hotel wodonga, william carkeek

Located in High Street, Wodonga, this hotel underwent many modifications and name changes. It was built c1859 by James Bambrick close to the intended rail terminal in Huon Street. The site of the rail terminal actually changed but the name remained. James Bambrick served three terms as Wodonga Council president and was it was commonly referred to as “Bambrick’s Hotel”. It included 30 rooms as well as dining facilities. James Bambrick ran the hotel until 1902 when it was sold to J. Donnelly for £3,000. In 1912, whilst operated by T. J. Weller, the residential section of the hotel was almost completely destroyed by fire but only the ceiling of the bar was damaged and it continued to operate. Over the ensuing years the licensee changed hands frequently. By 1952, John Perry, owner of the “Stump” Junction Hotel also had the freehold of the Railway Hotel At some stage in the mid 1980’s the hotel was renamed as the “Murray River Hotel”, but still displayed the sign of the Railway Hotel. In 2009, it was closed for a short time whilst renovations took place to convert it into O’Maille’s Irish Hotel. It was demolished in 2020. These images document changes to an important local building first established c1868. It was an important meeting place and also the location of the earliest Council meetings in Wodonga.A set of photos both black and white and colour depicting changes to the Railway Hotel, Wodonga over timeA variety of names and advertising signsjames bambrick wodonga, bambrick's hotel, railway hotel wodonga, murray river hotel wodonga, o'maille's hotel,

BHS CollectionBlack and white photograph mounted on rectangular grey board. House, brick, porch, brick fence, small pane and lead light windows. 1 chimney. Decorative brickwork on verandah lintel and on brick fence. Stained glass windows. Written on back ' tapestry brick fireplace, dining room and kitchen, 117 Queen Street. Brick bungalow, built 1923, 5 rooms, vest, both 2 weatherboard sleep outs, toolshed, woodshed, workshop, garage, sewered. Through to King Street, 33'11 1/4' by 165'. Hot water service, electric copper, 22 points electricity, 8 power points, new gas , stainless ink, crockery cupboards, pedestal basin.t.c. watts & son, 117 queen street bendigo

This simple rear cottage door at Hymettus built 1900-1901 has been the back door since the early 1900s. Photos in the family collection however, reveal that it was originally the return front verandah door to the dining-room and the transition seems to have occurred about 1910 when a new door was installed for the front verandah to complement the art-nouveau lead light transom and surrounds to the main front entrance. A similar simple glass and two panel cottage door closes off the passage from main passageway to the kitchen and service end of the home so that the home presents as more simple in the service area fittings with more decorative features to the more important front rooms of the home reflecting the progression of style as the family had more money to spend on the home.

“Fall-Line” was one of a series of magazines published by the Victorian Ski Association. It was produced from 1979 until 1985. It superseded their previous publication, “Ski” magazine and was followed by the “Australian Skiing” magazine. The Victorian Ski Association was formed in 1955.This magazine is significant because it documents developments in the ski industry in Australia.A magazine featuring a coloured image on the cover and containing articles and advertising related to developments in skiing in Australia. This issue included an extensive article discussing the possible of the development of Lakeside Resort on the shores of Rocky Valley Dam as well as an update on recent changes at Falls Creek. FALLS CREEK The ski patrol has been increased from seven to eight, under the leadership of Senior Patroller John McDonald, and two new radios have been purchased. A four wheel drive ambulance has been purchased to replace the old conventional drive model. It will provide free ambulance transport between Falls Creek and Mt. Beauty, and will be driven by trained volunteer personnel. A new 165 vehicle day visitor car park has been completed at Windy Corner, adjacent to the approved toboggan slope. The closest car park to Falls Creek's Nordic Preferred Area, its capacity will be doubled next summer. A planning permit has been issued to Treglor Pty. Ltd. for its proposed hotel/convention centre. Construction is expected to begin after the season. A new Mercedes 800 tractor with Schmidt Snowcutter recently arrived on the mountain and will be used to clear the car parking areas Falls Creek continues to be among Australia's most expensive resorts, with a high season day ticket price of $13.50. Falls Creek's newest commercial lodge, Lakeside Lodge, has opened with accommodation for more than 50 people and luxury facilities including private rooms with full ensuite, sauna, spa pool, and a dining room for guests. It is located at the top of Schuss St. just behind Imaj flats and very close to the village bowl.australian ski magazines, skiing australia, victorian ski association

Originally Wellers Hotel, it was constructed by Edward Weller in 1872. Following his death in 1883 it was taken over by his widow, Mary Weller. The hotel was delicensed in 1909 and converted to a private residence. Around 1920 William Pitman bought the property, succeeded by his son Vernon who coined the term Pittman's Corner. Vernon and Isabel Pitman owned the house form 1945-1973. Following Vernon's death, Isabel remained there till her death in 1983. The property was converted to a restaurant in 1984 by owners Robert and Kath Hendry who undertook extensive renovations in 1988. Shawn and Stephanie Wolfe purchased the property from the Hendrys in 2003 and introduced live entertainment with many famous bands and entertainers from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s performing there, including James Reyne, Daryl Barithwaite, Brian Cadd and Billy Thorpe. In 2014 the Wolfe's sold the property and the entire contents were sold at auction. New (local ) owners Gregory Anderson, Craig Jones and Steve Gist refurbished the property and relaunched it as Fondata 1872 in 2017. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p87 A low-lying brick building at a turn on the main road, on the way to Kangaroo Ground, was once a welcome resting place for travellers. In the late 19th century Weller’s Pub, as it was called then, provided a store and an overnight stopping place and changing post for Cobb & Co coaches. The coaches were bound for the Caledonia Goldfields, near Queenstown (now St Andrews) and the Woods Point gold mines.1 Builder Edward Weller constructed the hotel and store on three acres (1.2 ha) in 1872 and after he died in 1883, his widow, Mary, continued to run the hotel, which was delicensed in 1909. This was not the first enterprise Weller ran in the district. In about 1866, he came to Kangaroo Ground and rented a general store and nine acres (3.6 ha) of land. The store, opposite the present school, was on the site of the present store and Weller also acted as the postmaster there. Mrs Weller was born in Scotland in 1841 and came to Victoria with her parents in about 1852. After two years in Melbourne the family moved to the Caledonia Goldfields where they remained for several years during which time she married Weller. The couple subsequently had five sons and five daughters. Weller’s Pub was made of handmade bricks fired from clay dug on the property. The pub must have been a haven on hot days with its 40cm thick walls throughout. One quaint reminder of its early use is that every room except the dining room has an outside door. Inside, the pub was converted to a home with extra doors connecting the inside rooms. There is no trace of the original bar room in the present dining room, where the steps leading to the cellar were bricked in. An unusual feature is the pressed metal which lines the ceilings, yet with moulding and white paint, looks like plaster. The main road once passed the back of the building and wound up to the top of the hill through a cutting. This steep hill was known to the bullock drivers in the early days, as Salvation Hill, because they were always very glad to reach its peak. After the hotel was delicensed it was converted to a private residence and extensive renovations were made, changing much of its design from a Victorian to an Edwardian style.2 Between 1912 and 1915, Gordon Cameron, a Cobb & Co coach driver and his wife rented the former hotel. Mr Cameron was related to the parliamentarian Ewen Cameron of Pigeon Bank, Kangaroo Ground, and his wife was related to Albert Pepper who owned Pigeon Bank from 1916 to 1919, when Gordon Cameron bought it. About 1920 William Pitman bought the property, which in turn was owned by his son, Vernon, who coined the name Pitman’s Corner. He and his wife Isabel owned the house from 1945 to 1973. Then as a widow Isabel Pitman lived there until her death in 1983.3 In 1984 the property was converted to a restaurant by owners P A Tribe, a barrister, his wife Sharon, and Robert and Kath Hendry. Extensive renovations maximised the splendid views of the Dandenong Ranges and the Yarra Valley.This collection of almost 130 photos about places and people within the Shire of Nillumbik, an urban and rural municipality in Melbourne's north, contributes to an understanding of the history of the Shire. Published in 2008 immediately prior to the Black Saturday bushfires of February 7, 2009, it documents sites that were impacted, and in some cases destroyed by the fires. It includes photographs taken especially for the publication, creating a unique time capsule representing the Shire in the early 21st century. It remains the most recent comprehenesive publication devoted to the Shire's history connecting local residents to the past. nillumbik now and then (marshall-king) collection, eltham-yarra glen road, fondata 1872, kangaroo ground, wellers restaurant, billy thorpe, brian cadd, craig jones, daryl barithwaite, edward weller, gregory anderson, hotels, james reyne, kath hendry, mary weller, restaurants, robert hendry, shawn wolfe, stephanie wolfe, steve gist

Great Hall at Montsalvat built 1938-52, designed by Justus Jorgensen Covered under National Estate, National Trust of Australia (Victoria) State Significance, Victorian Heritage and Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p129 At first glance, Montsalvat, the artists’ community at Hillcrest Avenue, Eltham, could belong to another time and place. The French provincial Gothic-style buildings blend picturesquely with the introduced and native trees and farm animals on the five hectare property. But Montsalvat belongs very much to today’s Eltham, having inspired much of its creative activity and style. The use of mud-brick and recycled building materials, for which Eltham is so well-known, was largely popularised by Montsalvat. Montsalvat – unique in Victoria and probably in Australia – is registered by the National Trust and National Estate.1 Montsalvat, named after the castle of the Knights of the Holy Grail, has attracted artists and intellectuals since it was founded in 1934. For years at weekends, artists, lawyers, philosophers, politicians and others, who shared a love for what Montsalvat stood for, gathered for a meal and stimulating discussion. The focus for this gathering of talent was Justus Jörgensen, an eccentric man with vision and charisma. It was Jörgensen’s foresight that saw the creation of Montsalvat, which in 1975 was formed into a trust to benefit the Victorian people. The property was then valued at about three million dollars. It is now visited by thousands of people annually. Born in 1894 and brought up a Catholic, Jörgensen had trained as an architect. He later studied painting at the National Gallery School under artist, Frederick McCubbin, then joined the studio of artist Max Meldrum. In 1924, Jörgensen married medical student Lillian Smith, and with artist friends they travelled to Europe to study the great masters. In London Jörgensen exhibited in several major galleries. One of his still life paintings was included in the book The Art of Still Life by Herbert Furst, which featured 100 of the greatest ever still life paintings.2 In 1929, Jörgensen returned to Melbourne where Lil, now qualified, worked as an anaesthetist at St Vincent’s Hospital. They bought a small house in Brighton and Jörgensen rented a large building in Queen Street for his studio until the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria bought it in 1955. While designing and overseeing the building of a studio for his friend the famous cartoonist Percy Leason, in Lavender Park Road, Jörgensen decided to buy land for a country retreat in Eltham. So the building of Montsalvat began. Jörgensen gathered around a dozen of his friends and students from his Queen Street studio. They set to work, first at weekends then some decided to live permanently on the site. Jörgensen had seen mud-brick buildings in Spain and recognised that Eltham’s clay soil was ideal for mud-bricks and although labour intensive, it was a very cheap way of building. Jörgensen’s students and friends worked under his direction with the help of local tradesmen, including carpenter, Len Jarrold and later stone mason, Horrie Judd. In return Jörgensen would give the students a painting lesson or two. It was the Great Depression when many were out of work. Jörgensen also inspired people to give generously of money and materials. With their help Jörgensen found second-hand materials for building. Friends donated slate for roofing, discarded firebricks were used for flooring and windows and doors and a cast-iron circular staircase came from a wrecker. The students’ day started at 7am with building and domestic chores, shared equally between the sexes. The first building was used by his friends at weekends and then became a home for his wife Lil. It consisted of three rooms and an attic under a high-pitched roof. Jörgensen then built a similar structure with the same high-pitched roof as a more permanent home for his students. The two buildings were joined together with a tower and a studio for Jörgensen. While excavating for the studio a reef of yellow mud-stone was found and then used in construction. The next building was the Great Hall, to be used for dining, exhibitions and meetings and completed in 1958, after a halt during the war. Whelan the Wrecker donated the stone-framed windows from the building that housed the Victorian Insurance Co. in Collins Street, which had been demolished in the 1930s. The swimming pool was donated and cubicles were built for the students with their initials marked in tiles on each doorstep.1 One of Jörgensen’s great abilities was to recognise how to use material which harmonised. He would comb through wreckers’ yards for what he needed. Regarding his buildings as sculptural pieces, his first consideration was for the aesthetic quality of a building and only then for its functionality.2 At Montsalvat, Jörgensen found he was able to put his ideas into practice without compromise and those who worked with him had to conform to his ideas. With the Jörgensens, the colony’s original nucleus consisted of the Skipper family – Mervyn and wife Lena, daughters Helen and Sonia and son Matcham,who was to become an eminent jeweller and sculptor represented in National Gallery collections throughout Australia and in European museums.3 Other members were Arthur Munday, Lesley Sinclair, Helen Lempriere, Ian Robertson, John Smith, George Chalmers, John Busst and Sue Van der Kellan; also Jörgensen’s three sons – Max, Sebastian and Sigmund – and Saskia, Sonia Skipper and Arthur Munday’s daughter. Montsalvat went through some hard times when local gossips spread rumours of sexual shenanigans at Montsalvat. However Montsalvat also had many local supporters – especially amongst the local tradespeople. The colony was certainly unconventional – with Jörgensen’s wife Lil (and son Max) and life-time partner Helen Skipper, (mother of Sebastian and Sigmund) living at Montsalvat. Sonia Skipper says in her biography that the group were ‘very conscious of their responsibilities to each other and a desire to make their relationships work’.4 By World War Two many buildings around the Great Hall were completed. Jörgensen was a pacifist, as were most of his students. Some of the Montsalvat community enlisted while others engaged in essential services like dairy farming and market gardening for the war effort. It was then that Jörgensen constructed farm buildings. After the war many well-known personalities such as Clifton Pugh, landscape gardener Gordon Ford, and builder Alistair Knox, were drawn to Montsalvat. They learnt that building was not a ‘sacred cow’ only for professionals, but that anyone who was willing to get their hands dirty could do it. The post-war shortage of materials also encouraged builders to follow Montsalvat’s lead in reusing materials. When Jörgensen died in 1975, his influence did not – thanks largely to the vigilance of his son, Sigmund, who became its administrator. The weekend dinners have gone, but in 2008 about 14 artists still work at Montsalvat – some living there – including a couple who have been there since its early days. Under Sigmund’s direction Montsalvat further expanded its activities which included festivals, art exhibitions, concerts and weddings. Sigmund completed the Chapel, then the Long Gallery next to the pool, After the barn burnt down, he replaced it in 1999 (the builder was Hamish Knox, Alistair’s son) with a new gallery and entrance and added a restaurant. Sigmund has been careful that any new building blends in with the character of Montsalvat. In 2006 Montsalvat was restructured for its continued financial viability and with the help of Arts Victoria a new executive officer was appointed. A representative board from the wider community was established, which includes members from the former Montsalvat Trust including Sigmund Jörgensen – who is now the heritage and arts adviser to the new company Montsalvat Ltd.5 Today, visiting Montsalvat one still sees artists, students and visitors enjoying the unique and beautiful surroundings.This collection of almost 130 photos about places and people within the Shire of Nillumbik, an urban and rural municipality in Melbourne's north, contributes to an understanding of the history of the Shire. Published in 2008 immediately prior to the Black Saturday bushfires of February 7, 2009, it documents sites that were impacted, and in some cases destroyed by the fires. It includes photographs taken especially for the publication, creating a unique time capsule representing the Shire in the early 21st century. It remains the most recent comprehenesive publication devoted to the Shire's history connecting local residents to the past. nillumbik now and then (marshall-king) collection, eltham, great hall, montsalvat