Showing 110 items
matching early 20th century cottage
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City of Moorabbin Historical Society (Operating the Box Cottage Museum)
Books, birthday diary, red, leather, c1945
Birthday Diaries were a popular gift in 20th century and usually contained verse suitable for the date They were used to remind the owner of upcoming birthdays of relatives and friendsA red leather covered diary for recording Birthday dates with inspirational verses for each day. c1945 Cover BIRTHDAYS Inside cover a signature ‘W M Biche’ / ‘ Rosemary that’s / for remembrance / 1915 – 1945 / ‘ Dad died 1946 / 21st Nov / ‘Vale beloved’ BIRTHDAY / BOOK / CONTAINING / A CHOICE / SELECTION OF / QUOTATIONS / FOR EVERY / DAY OF THE / YEAR / CROMWELL / SERIES moorabbin, brighton, cromwell printers pty ltd, early settlers, cheltenham, diaries -
City of Moorabbin Historical Society (Operating the Box Cottage Museum)
Jewellery, small plastic brooch, 20thC
A plastic, costume jewellery, fashion accessory for early 20th Century ladies Plastic is a material consisting of any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organics that are malleable and can be moulded into solid objects of diverse shapes. Due to their relatively low cost, ease of manufacture, versatility, and imperviousness to water, plastics are used in an enormous and expanding range of products. They displaced many traditional materials, such as wood, stone, horn and bone, leather, paper, metal, glass, and ceramic, in most of their former uses including jewellery. Parkesine is considered the first man-made plastic. The plastic material was patented by Alexander Parkes, In Birmingham, UK in 1856.The world's first fully synthetic plastic was bakelite, invented in New York in 1907 by Leo Baekeland who coined the term 'plastics'. After World War I, improvements in chemical technology led to an explosion in new forms of plastics, with mass production beginning in the 1940s during World War 11 due to shortages of silk and ivory. A small, black plastic brooch with a verticle pin at back and diamante decoration .fashion, costume jewellery, personal effects, moorabbin, bentleigh, cheltenham, early settlers, jewellery, plastic -
City of Moorabbin Historical Society (Operating the Box Cottage Museum)
Clothing - Clothing, lady's fox fur stole, c1920
Fox fur stoles were a fashionable item of clothing at important occasions for women in the 20th century As the prosperity of the early settler market gardeners of Moorabbin Shire improved the women were able to afford fashionable clothing.A complete, lined, lady's red-fox fur stole with clasp. Glass eyes. Missing one front paw and one ear.melbourne, clothing, brighton, moorabbin, pioneers, markets, market gardneners, furrier, fox, fox hunting, vermin -
City of Moorabbin Historical Society (Operating the Box Cottage Museum)
Clothing - Clothing, girl's dress, c1920
Early settlers families in Moorabbin Shire continued to make their own clothing throughout the 20th Century exhibiting their skills and craft work.A young girl's white dress with red trim and a drop-waist c 1920clothing, moorabbin, ormond, bentleigh, dressmaking, mckinnon, craft work, early settlers -
City of Moorabbin Historical Society (Operating the Box Cottage Museum)
Clothing - Clothing, lady’s aprons, early 20thC
These 3 hand-embroidered cotton aprons are an example of the dressmaking and craftwork skills of the women of the pioneer settlers families in Moorabbin Shire early 20th centuryEarly settlers and market gardeners established their families in Moorabbin Shire and this item shows the skill and craftsmanship of the women of these families. The Curtis family were early settlers in Moorabbin ShireThese 3 lady’s cotton aprons are hand –embroidered, with bibs and waist ties.clothing, brighton, moorabbin, linen, pioneers, haberdashery, market gardeners, dressmakers, craft work, curtis may -
City of Moorabbin Historical Society (Operating the Box Cottage Museum)
Domestic object - Haberdashery, tea-towels embroidered, early 20thC
These 3 hand-embroidered linen tea-towels are an example of the dressmaking and craftwork skills of the women of the pioneer settlers families in Moorabbin Shire early 20th century. Early settlers and market gardeners established their families in Moorabbin Shire and this item shows the skill and craftsmanship of the women of these families.The Danish heritage is an example of the many nationalities that lived and worked in Moorabbin Shire3 hand-embroidered linen tea-towelsbrighton, moorabbin, linen, pioneers, haberdashery, market gardeners, dressmakers, craft work, pedersen-green carole, green carole, denmark, scandinavia -
City of Moorabbin Historical Society (Operating the Box Cottage Museum)
Furniture - Furniture, large, wood, dining table 20thC, 20thC
A large wooden dining table used by Carol Green CMHS memberA typical wooden Dining table of mid 20th century as used by residents in the City of MoorabbinA large wooden dining table.furniture, woodwork, craftsmen, moorabbin, melbourne, bentleigh early settlers -
City of Moorabbin Historical Society (Operating the Box Cottage Museum)
Functional object - Australia Post Bag x 2, Australia Post, mid 20th Century
2 blue canvas Australia Post bags with brass eyelets used mid 20th Century to deliver mail to householders in the City of Moorabbin . Small bag has Australia Post Stamped on it and the large bag has no markings but has white rope threaded through the brass eyeletsAustralia Post Canvas Bags donated by Judy Clark the daughter of George Reed who lived and worked in the City of Moorabbin in 20th century 2 Blue canvas bags with brass eyeletsa) AUSTRALIA POST OFFICE 869 No 5 b) no marking ; white rope australia post, post offices, mail, bentleigh, moorabbin, mckinnon, ormond, cheltenham, highett, early settlers, reed george -
City of Moorabbin Historical Society (Operating the Box Cottage Museum)
Tool - Tools 'Atlas' spray gun
A mid 20th Century Atlas PTY Ltd Spray Painting kit This tool is typical of the type used by early settlers in Moorabbin mid 20th century Tools atlas spray painting gun Atlas Pty Ltd early settlers, market gardeners, blacksmiths, tools, building equipment, hammers, moorabbin shire, bentleigh, mckinnon, highett, cheltenham, mcewan james pty ltd, melbourne, bunnings pty ltd -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Container - Ink Bottles, Caldwell’s Ink Factory, Early 20th century
This crate of bottles may have come from a wholesaler, business, stationer or school. The design of the bottles is sometimes called a ‘cottage’ or ‘boat’ shape. Each of the 70 Caldwell’s handmade glass ink bottles was mouth-blown into a two-piece mould, a method often used in the mid-to-late 19th century. The glass blower burst the bottle off the end of his blowpipe with a tool, leaving an uneven mouth and sharp edge on the bottle, which was usually filed. The bottle was then filled with ink and sealed with a cork. More expensive bottles would have a lip added, which was more time-consuming and costly to produce. The capacity for a bottle such as this was about 3 ½ oz (ounces) equal to about 100 ml. Pen and ink have been in use for handwriting since about the seventh century. A quill pen made from a bird’s feather was used up until around the mid-19th century. In the 1850s a steel point nib for the dip pen was invented and could be manufactured on machines in large quantities. The nis only held a small amount of ink so users had to frequently dip the nib into an ink well for more ink. Handwriting left wet ink on the paper, so the blotting paper was carefully used to absorb the excess ink and prevent smudging. Ink could be purchased as a ready-to-use liquid or in powdered form, which needed to be mixed with water. In the 1880s a successful, portable fountain pen gave smooth-flowing ink and was easy to use. In the mid-20th century, the modern ballpoint pen was readily available and inexpensive, so the fountain pen lost its popularity. However, artisans continue to use nib pens to create beautiful calligraphy. Caldwell’s Ink Co. – F.R. Caldwell established Caldwell’s Ink Company in Australia around 1902. In Victoria, he operated from a factory at Victoria Avenue, Albert Park, until about 1911, then from Yarra Bank Road in South Melbourne. Newspaper offices were appointed as agencies to sell his inks, for example, in 1904 the New Zealand Evening Star sold Caldwell’s Flo-Eesi blue black ink in various bottle sizes, and Murchison Advocate (Victoria) stocked Caldwell’s ink in crimson, green, blue black, violet, and blue. Caldwell’s ink was stated to be “non-corrosive and unaffected by steel pens”. A motto used in advertising in 1904-1908 reads ‘Makes Writing a Pleasure’. Stationers stocked Caldwell’s products and hawkers sold Caldwell’s ink stands from door to door in Sydney in the 1910s and 1920s. In 1911 Caldwell promised cash for returned ink bottles and warned of prosecution for anyone found refilling his bottles. Caldwell’s Ink Stands were given as gifts. The company encouraged all forms of writing with their Australian-made Flo-Eesi writing inks and bottles at their impressive booth in the ‘All Australian Exhibition’ in 1913. It advertised its other products, which included Caldwell’s Gum, Caldwell’s Stencil Ink (copy ink) and Caldwell’s Quicksticker as well as Caldwell’s ‘Zac’ Cough Mixture. Caldwell stated in a 1920 article that his inks were made from a formula that was over a century old, and were scientifically tested and quality controlled. The formula included gallic and tannic acids and high-quality dyes to ensure that they did not fade. They were “free from all injurious chemicals”. The permanent quality of the ink was important for legal reasons, particularly to banks, accountants, commerce, municipal councils and lawyers. The Caldwell’s Ink Company also exported crates of its ink bottles and ink stands overseas. Newspaper advertisements can be found for Caldwell’s Ink Company up until 1934 when the company said they were the Best in the business for 40 years.This large collection of similar ink bottles is of particular significance as the bottles have come from the same source, most have their original corks and some retain their original labels, which is rare. The method of manufacture of these bottles is also representative of a 19th-century handcraft industry that is now been largely replaced by mass production. The bottles and their contents are of state significance for being produced by an early Melbourne industry and exported overseas. This case of ink bottles is historically significant as it represents methods of handwritten communication that were still common up until the mid-20th century when fountain pens and modern ballpoint pens became popular and convenient and typewriters were becoming part of standard office equipment.Ink bottles in a wooden crate; 70 rectangular, hand-blown clear glass ink bottles. They have side seams, uneven thickness, especially at the bases, and rough, burst-off mouths. The shoulders on the long sides have horizontal grooves used for pen rests. The bottles vary; some have labels, some contain remnants of blue-black ink, and many have their original corks. The glass has bubbles and imperfections. The remnants of printed labels are on white paper with a swirly border and black text. The bottles contained Caldwell’s blend of blue black ‘Flo-Eesi’ ink.Printed on label; “CALDWELL FLO-EESI BLUE BLACK INK” “ - - - - “ Printed script signature “F.R. Caldwell”flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime village, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, ink, nib pen, writing ink, writing, copying, banks, lawyers, commerce, student, permanent ink, flo-eesi, blue black ink, stationery, record keeping, handwriting, writing equipment, writing accessory, office supply, cottage bottle, boat bottle, mouth-blown bottle, two-part mould, sheer-lip bottle, burst-lip, cork seal, f r caldwell, caldwell’s ink company, albert park, south melbourne, inkstands, stencil ink, copy ink, quicksticker, zac cough mixture -
Lakes Entrance Regional Historical Society (operating as Lakes Entrance History Centre & Museum)
Photograph, 1999
... House typical of four roomed fisherman's cottage of early... of early 20th Century , was home of Harry Jemmeson, fisherman, wife ...House typical of four roomed fisherman's cottage of early 20th Century , was home of Harry Jemmeson, fisherman, wife Lulu and family. Daughter Edith was music teacher and amateur photographer. Later resident Reynold Redenbach. House demolished, site became yard of East End Hardware / Mitre 10.Colour photograph of a four roomed timber cottage with roof of corrugated iron. Part of front veranda enclosed as extra room. Brick external chimney. Situated at 9 Stock Street, Lakes Entrance, Victoria.houses, construction -
Kew Historical Society Inc
Album, Eva Grant, Historic Buildings in Victoria & New South Wales, 1919-c.1962
One of three scrapbooks created by Eva Grant, a past member of the Kew Historical Society which were donated by her niece, Julie Thomson, in 2013. The scrapbook includes photographs and descriptions of the following sites. (Many of these are now demolished and so the photographs and descriptions may be rare records of a site.) Sites include: Abbotsford (Vic) - Abbotsford Convent, Mayfield (c.1962), prefabricated house - Church street Armadale (Vic) - church (c.1959) - Thomson & Wattletree Roads Arthur’s Seat (Vic) - McCrae homestead Ballarat (Vic) - Memorial plaque on site of Bentley’s Hotel, Memorial on site of Eureka Stockade, Early municipal buildings - East Ballarat, Adam Lindsay Gordon’s cottage - Botanical Gardens, View from Sovereign Hill, Shell house Broken Hill (NSW) - panorama (1963), Flying Doctor’s base (?1963) Eltham (Vic) - Hassell’s outdoor art gallery Essendon (Vic) - Niddrie Homestead and stables (1963) Geelong (Vic) - first Bishopscourt Hawthorn (Vic) - Convent (1930), The Hawthorns, Keilor plains (Vic) - pioneer homes, pioneer cemetery Kew (Vic) - Roseneath (1951), Tarring - Ruyton, Turinville, house - Foley street (c.1960). Malvern (Vic) - church Mount Ridley (Vic) - Summerhill Melbourne (Vic) - Old Brewery - Custom’s House Lane (1960), Customs House, Scott’s Hotel (1962), Western market (c.1960) Phillip Island (Vic) - Grave Toorak (Vic) - Mandeville Hall, Merna (sic) - Arthur Streeton’s house, Toorak House Wentworth (NSW) - Harvey’s Hotel, Sturt Memorial, Sturt’s Tree, Wentworth Gaol Williamstown (Vic) - Williamstown Dairy Yan Yean (Vic) - Bear’s Castle (c.1947) Beveridge/Big Hill (Vic) - Kelly’s cottageImportant photograph record (and notes) about historic buildings in Victoria.38-page scrapbook with additional text created by Eva Grant, a past member of the Kew Historical Society. In addition to the 68 photographs, there are two postcards and a number of publications/handouts.collected by Eva on her trips to heritage sites in Victoria and New South Wales. The pages of the album can be viewed in the image carousel above. Most of the photographs of heritage buildings were taken in the early 1960s.See imagesheritage sites - victoria - australia, eva grant, scrapbooks - 20th century -
Wodonga & District Historical Society Inc
Functional object - 'Sessions' Cottage Clock c. early 20th century
... 'Sessions' Cottage Clock c. early 20th century ... 'Sessions' Cottage Clock c. early 20th century ...This clock was produced by the American Sessions Clock Company. The company was formed in 1903, after William E. Sessions and his nephew Albert L. Sessions bought out the failing clock company of E.N.Welch Manufacturing. The clock belonged to local Wodonga bootmaker Franz Gördes (b.1843) who immigrated to Australia from Germany in 1871. After docking in Melbourne Franz headed for the goldfields in Beechworth, but didn't strike gold. He returned to his trade and opened a boot shop in Wodonga, which burnt to the ground the day before the opening. Undeterred, he rebuilt and operated the business until his death in 1928.This item has a well documented provenance and connection to the local history of Wodonga.An ornate wooden clock with Roman numeral clock face and glass door with a decorative gold transfer. clock, clocks, session clock company, wodonga, gold rush, gold fields, beechworth -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Document - BASIL MILLER COLLECTION: REMEMBER THESE, c1970s?
Newspaper article. Remember These? Includes a rare picture of Bendigo's tram service in the early years of this century (20th) . B T Miller's hobby is collecting prints and information on old tram services. Picture includes Double Decker Tram, hauled by electric cars. Double Deckers were formally used in Ballarat with horses. In the photograph the trams are banked up on Mitchell Street hill to handle a peak loading on the occasion of the annual railway picnic from Melbourne to Bendigo. Article possibly post 1972.cottage, miners -
Warrnambool and District Historical Society Inc.
Photograph - Framed photograph of Warrnambool Salt Water Baths, c. 1920
This is a framed photograph of the men's pool at the Warrnambool Salt Water Baths. These Baths were originally built at the end of Gilles Street on the line of the present railway line in 1876 but were rebuilt in 1889 further north in Gilles Street when the railway line was opened. The water was pumped from the sea, initially by a windmill and later by a gas pump. The men's pool was 100 feet by 50 feet and the women's pool was 60 feet by 30 feet with bathing strictly segregated in the 19th century. A building nearby housed marble cubicles with hot spa baths with the water heated on the site and a caretaker's cottage completed the complex. Men's nude bathing was a feature of the early 20th century. Originally built by a local public company the Baths were taken over by the Warrnambool Council. These baths were superseded by the opening in 1961 of an Olympic Pool In Warrnambool. The site and the remaining buildings of the old sea water baths are now heritage-listed and today form part of the headquarters of the Warrnambool and District Historical Society.This photograph is of historical significance as a depiction of the Warrnambool Salt water Baths in the early 20th century. These Baths were the basis for promoting Warrnambool as a health and spa resort town in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.This is a framed black and white photograph of the men's pool at the Warrnambool Salt Water Baths. It depicts men and boys swimming in the circular pool and one male on the diving board. All these men are naked. There are other clothed males and clothed attendants wearing hats and waistcoats. The change rooms are on the right side of the photograph and there is a fence with trees behind. The photograph is mounted on cardboard with a gilt edge and is held in a wooden ridged frame behind glass. warrnambool sea water baths, sea baths, warrnambool pool, gilles street -
Hymettus Cottage & Garden Ballarat
Hallstand
... in the early 20th century following on from similar furniture... in the early 20th century following on from similar furniture ...A simple Edwardian mirrored hallstand made of Australian Blackwood a popular feature of Australian cottage hallways in the early 20th century following on from similar furniture of the 19th century.edwardian, hallstand, australian, cottage, hallways, blackwood, mirror. -
Hymettus Cottage & Garden Ballarat
Book - Patten Book, Album of Briggs' Transfer Papers
Red covered pattern book of needlework designs from Briggs of Manchester. Over 130 pages with inserts and advertising specific products in the Briggs range.non-fiction -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph - Digital Photograph, Marguerite Marshall, Former Head Teacher's residence, Eltham Primary School, Dalton Street, Eltham, 7 September 2008
Built in 1891 for Head Teacher John Brown. His predecessor and the school's first Head Teacher, John Clark, lived in his own house 'Shoestring' in Metery Road, adjacent to the school. At the time of this photograph, the building was being used for before and after school care. Its present-day (2023) use is for school administration offices. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then / Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p49 The former head teacher’s residence on 690 Main Road, was built in 1891 for the head teacher, John Brown. His predecessor David Clark lived in his own house known as Shoestring at Metery Road, possibly built in the late 1850s. With the school, Wingrove and Jarrold Cottages, it makes up the original Eltham township south of Dalton Street’s only group of 19th century buildings. The two Monterey Pines were popular vegetation in the late 19th and early 20th centuriesThis 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, dalton street, eltham, eltham primary school, headmaster's residence, main road, state school no. 209 -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph - Digital Photograph, Alan King, Shillinglaw Cottage, 6 January 2008
Covered under National Estate, National Trust of Australia (Victoria) Local Significance and Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then / Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p95 Thanks to an Australia first effort by local residents, the historic Shillinglaw Cottage still survives. The cottage at Panther Place, Eltham, once stood about 100 metres away on Main Road. But in 1963 it faced demolition to make room for the Eltham Shire Offices (since demolished). However residents rallied to save Shillinglaw Cottage and became the first in Australia to remove and reconstruct an early settler’s brick building. A fundraiser was the residents’ compilation of loved recipes into the cookery book, Flavour of Eltham. The cottage, built in the late 1870s by noted pioneer builder George Stebbing, is one of Eltham’s earliest buildings and associated with significant early settlers. It is on the National Estate and National Trust Registers. The cottage was constructed with handmade bricks in the Flemish Bond style, typical of cottages and farmhouses in Flanders, Europe. It features burnt ‘header’ bricks over the façade, which gives a chequered effect. The roof is made of slate, while the windows are 12-paned sash with relieving arches. It is not clear who were the first owners of the cottage. The National Trust claims that Stebbing built it for farmer Thomas Cochrane.1 Others say Cochrane first owned the land but Stebbing was Shillinglaw’s first owner and remained so until 1887. The Shillinglaw family then bought it and lived there for around 80 years until 1963 when they sold it to the Eltham Council.2 Farmer Thomas Cochrane bought the Shillinglaw Cottage site from land developer Josiah Holloway. The site was the largest in what Holloway called Little Eltham, of some 30 acres (12 ha), extending along the creek from Henry Street to Luck Street. In 1874 Cochrane sold the land to George Stebbing. Meanwhile in 1861, Stebbing was the owner and occupier of a house at Pitt Street, Eltham, which he had built. Evelyn Observer journalist James Rossiter rented the Pitt Street house, then in 1881 Phillip Shillinglaw occupied it. Stebbing constructed several buildings of note in the area, including the Uniting Church at John Street, the building beside it – a former bank – and St Margaret’s Church of England in Pitt Street. Stebbing was also an Eltham Shire Councillor from 1871 to 1873 and a trustee and treasurer of the Eltham Wesleyan Church.3 In the 1870s he is recorded as the owner of up to five houses. Earlier he had been described as a bricklayer and later became a farmer. In 1882 Stebbing returned to the Pitt Street house and Shillinglaw occupied the new house in Main Road, which he owned from 1887. Shillinglaw was a prolific poet and preached at the Eltham Primitive Methodist Church, where he also served as Sunday School superintendent and led the Young People’s Society Christian Endeavour. The Shillinglaws saw many changes in their property’s boundaries – the major one occurring at the turn of the century when land for the railway and Eltham station was acquired from their holding. The northern part of the remaining land was then used for some of the first commercial developments in what was to become the Eltham Shopping Centre. Later still, the land immediately north of the cottage was bought by the Eltham War Memorial Trust for the War Memorial Buildings and the fire station. The Trust’s land eventually passed to the council. The council bought the remaining two acres (0.8 ha) with the house, and with the exception of the commercial development between the fire station and the post office, all of the former Shillinglaw land is owned by the council or government instrumentalities.4 Since the late 20th century, the cottage has had varied uses, such as a handcrafts store and as a restaurant.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, shillinglaw cottage -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph - Digital Photograph, Alan King, Eltham Railway Trestle Bridge, 28 December 2007
Covered under National Trust of Australia (Victoria) State Significance and Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then / Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p103 The Eltham railway trestle bridge is the only one of its kind still regularly used in Melbourne’s metropolitan railway network. Opened in 1902, it is also one of Victoria’s very few timber rail bridges that still carries trains.1 The bridge is part of the railway line extension from Heidelberg - extended to Hurstbridge in 1912. This extension resulted in one of the greatest social changes experienced in Eltham Shire, as it considerably lessened its isolation attracting tourists, artists and suburban commuters particularly after World War Two.2 The bridge has been classified by the National Trust as historically, scientifically, aesthetically and socially significant at state level. But this has not always been recognised, and in 1977, locals fought to save it from destruction. The Victorian Railways proposed to replace the bridge with an earth embankment and large culverts to avoid maintenance problems and fire. This was rejected by the Eltham Council who protested that the bridge helped maintain the area’s rural character, historic link and beauty, as well as avoiding possible serious flooding on the flood plain if a culvert was blocked. The bridge stands as part of a National Trust classified landscape which includes the Alistair Knox Park, named after the local conservationist and architect who helped to make Eltham famous for its mud-brick houses. The landscape includes tall and spreading manna gums and candlebarks, and the historic Shillinglaw Cottage. Artist Walter Withers, one of the Heidelberg School of painters, painted the bridge early in the 20th century. The 38 span single-track railway bridge over creek and road has 34 timber-beam spans and four steel-joist spans, supported by four-pile timber piers and timber abutments. It has almost 200m of timber deck. All of the timbers have been replaced over the years, but the only change to the bridge’s character was the addition of pylons and wiring for electric trains in 1923. A petition for a railway to the shire was first made in 1883. A large deputation of local citizens to the Commissioner of Railways proposed a route passing through Alphington to midway between Greensborough and Eltham up the Diamond Creek valley towards Queenstown and Kinglake. As a result the Princes Bridge-Heidelberg Railway was opened in 1888. From 1888 locals demanded a railway extension. Kangaroo Ground farmers in particular, led by Shire Councillor and Member for Evelyn, Ewen Cameron, said it would assist local farmers and orchardists send their produce to the Melbourne market. In 1890, before the severe economic Depression, an extension of the line to Hurst’s Bridge (now Hurstbridge) was included in a new Railways Bill. The parliamentary delegations were regaled with a banquet at Hurst’s barn and entertained by the Diamond Creek Brass Band, but the extension was abandoned when the Depression struck in 1892-1893. The extension of the railway to Eltham, completed in 1902, was one of the few built in those hard times. That is why the Eltham timber-trestle railway bridge is a rare example of a broad-gauge rail bridge constructed between 1893 and 1910. At the opening, despite persistent drizzle, 300 children waving flags and banners were among the large crowd welcoming the first train, carrying official dignitaries, to Eltham. It had taken 24 years to bring the railway to Eltham. From then Eltham became a popular destination for outings. Mr Orford of Eltham recalled that after the railway came to Eltham ‘the craze for picnics on weekends and holidays began…. During the wattle season, wattle trains came to Eltham frequently. The visitors roamed the creek pulling great armfuls of wattle blossom to take back with them to Melbourne’.3 In 1926 the railway line was electrified as part of the metropolitan rail network. But the Victorian Railways decided not to complete the formerly planned Diamond Valley Railway to Queenstown (now St Andrews) and Kinglake.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 railway trestle bridge, eltham trestle bridge