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Mrs Aeneas Gunn Memorial Library
Book, George H. Doran Company, Revolt in the desert, 1927
The Arab Revolt of 1916-1918, when the disparate tribes of Arabia rose up as one great force to defeat an empire, was one of the most turbulent periods in the history of the Middle East and a pivotal element of the Middle Eastern arena of World War I. It sounded the death knell for the Ottoman Empire and paved the way for a new colonial power in the region - the British. It was T.E. Lawrence, a young army officer with a brilliant military mind and unmatched knowledge of the region and the Arab people, who - alongside the charismatic Faisal I - led the Revolt. These were epic events that changed the shape of the Middle East and affected Lawrence for the rest of his life. His magnificent first-hand account of the period is now a classic of 20th century literature.Index, ill, map, p.335.non-fictionThe Arab Revolt of 1916-1918, when the disparate tribes of Arabia rose up as one great force to defeat an empire, was one of the most turbulent periods in the history of the Middle East and a pivotal element of the Middle Eastern arena of World War I. It sounded the death knell for the Ottoman Empire and paved the way for a new colonial power in the region - the British. It was T.E. Lawrence, a young army officer with a brilliant military mind and unmatched knowledge of the region and the Arab people, who - alongside the charismatic Faisal I - led the Revolt. These were epic events that changed the shape of the Middle East and affected Lawrence for the rest of his life. His magnificent first-hand account of the period is now a classic of 20th century literature. world war 1914-1918 - campaigns - middle east, lawrence of arabia -
Truganina Explosives Reserve Preservation Society Inc (TERPS)
Digitised Oral History – Truganina Explosives Reserve - Tape 1 Doug and Noel Grant, 2018
The interviews were recorded in 2000 by Bronwen Gray and Alan Young for the production of Unreserved, Stories from Truganina Explosives Reserve, animated stories from past residents, workers and interested people of the Reserve (subject to copyright 2004). Doug and Noel Grant’s Grandfather, Don Grant, was officer in charge of Truganina Explosives Reserve from 1910-1930. On his retirement, his son, William (known as Bill) took over the position until 1956. Along with their two older brothers and younger sister, Doug and Noel Grant grew up, first in the assistant manager’s weatherboard cottage and then in the brick house which was set aside for the officer in charge, until they married and moved into their own homes in their early 1920s. On returning from the second world war, Noel Grant worked as a magazine assistant of explosives on the site from 1946, When the site had closed down in 1962 he worked as an inspector of explosives at the Explosives Branch in Melbourne until he retired in 1985. During that time Noel was asked to move back on site, meaning that three generations of Grants have lived on the site during the twentieth century. Doug Grant worked for ICI/Nobel in head office in 1940 and their older brother Alan worked at the Nobel Explosive Company in Deer Park from 1937. After returning from the Second World War, Alan bought a transport business that had once had the licence to cart explosives in and around the state. They discuss their memories of the living at Truganina Explosives Reserve and the workings of the Reserve, including the names of men who worked there, ships which carried the explosives and life in and around Altona. A primary source of information on memories of the Truganina Explosives Reserve and Altona,VictoriaDigital copy of original cassette recorded in 2000 and digitised in 2018hobsons bay, altona, galvanised iron fence, picket fence, golf course, altona school, margaret grant, bill grant, explosives magazine, lighters, joe hyde, alex grant, pines scout camp, maribynong river, 1896, inspector of explosives, pier, point wilson, werribee sewerage farm, george grant, lighterman, huia, argonaut, pirie, alma doepel, merton street altona, horse, jessie grant, jean grant, sandal, kilmartin, lewis, currie, todd, robinson, balwyn -
The 5th/6th Battalion Royal Victoria Regiment Historical Collection
Print - Reproduction, framed, Bardia (action leading to the fall of Post 11)
Ivor Hele was the Australian official war artist of World War II. This painting depicts the members of 17 platoon 2nd/6th Battalions in their first action of the war. their mission was to "attack and capture Post 11" in order to provide a faint or diversionary attack for the brigades main penetration. The attack was pressed home with the characteristic vigour of Australian soldiers Prior to the attack the commanding officer demanded that " No matter what happens to us, when we go forward we shall give the enemy such a thrashing that they will never willingly stand up to an assault by Australian Infantry again." The Battalion succeeded in its mission and went on to play a vital role in many of the most arduous battles of the war. This painting depicts the actions of one of the predecessor units to 5/6 RVR. Large framed print of painting by Ivor Hele shows 17 Platoon 2/6th Infantry Battalion in an Italian trench during the attack on Bardia. The painting depicts the scene after the capture of one of the Italian dugouts by Corporal Brian Latham's Section. The print is in a large mahogany coloured frame and has a matt finish to the picture. A smaller, separate frame sits below the print and contains the history of the painting. it is in a matching frame and has an olive card backing and the story is printed on an off white sheet. A manufacturers label is located on the obverse " GRAPHIC IMPRESSIONS 239 Burwood Road Hawthorn Vic. 3122 Telephone 9819 5800 76 Harold Street Camberwell Vic 3123 Telephone bardia, 2/6th australian infantry battalion, ww2, ivor hele, wark vc club -
The 5th/6th Battalion Royal Victoria Regiment Historical Collection
Photograph - Panoramic, Framed
Large black and white panoramic photograph showing 124 French and 213 Australian Soldiers and officers formed up in front of a large house, presumably in France during the later part of the First World War. Centrally there are 2 Australian flags and a French Guidon to each flank there are two French guidons. There is a fold in the left side of the photo. The photograph is mounted behind white mounting board and is in a dark wooden frame.nilsoldiers, wwi, first world war, great war, french, france -
Melbourne Legacy
Article, Bulletin article: Unveiling Stan Savige Memorial, 2006
A bronze bust was erected in Morwell to honour Legacy Founder Sir Stanley Savige. It was unveiled on 31 August 2006 and Legatee Bill Rogers was invited to perform the unveiling. Legatee Rogers says: Savige "was a great humanitarian; he dedicated his life to those who were less fortunate than himself and from a military point of view, was an officer and leader who always cared for the men he commanded". He went on to say that at the event he heard more about Stan Savige and his bravery in saving about 50,000 Assyrian refugees in the first world war. In the event where he protected refugees with only 12 men for six weeks and he was awarded the DSO for delivering these refugees to British lines just north of Baghdad. 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 an memorial to Legacy founder Stanley Savige in Morwell.Print out of an article by Legatee Bill Rogers about the unveiling of the Stan Savige memorial in Morwell in 2006.stan savige, statue, memorial, assyrians, dunsterforce -
Wodonga & District Historical Society Inc
Functional object - RAAF Cloth Badge and Pass Out Dinner Card, 1941
Leslie William Cole was born in January 1920 in Albury, the first child of William James Cole and Gwendoline Fair. Les spent most of his childhood living with his grandparents in Bethanga, Victoria. In 1934 when he finished school, Les moved into Wodonga. His first job was at Mates Timber Yard. He later worked for Mylons of Wodonga driving taxis and buses. In 1939 after completing militia training, Les applied to enlist with the RAAF and eventually trained as an aircraft mechanic. He was posted to the 6th Squadron, serving in Port Moresby, Milne Bay and Goodenough Island before returning to the RAAF base in Sale, Victoria. On discharge. Les returned to Wodonga and resumed working with Mylons. After a range of jobs, Les and his wife Lorna operated a shop in Ariel Street, Wodonga. In the community, Les was a founding member of Wodonga Lions Club. He also joined the Civil Defence which was a predecessor off the SES. He became the Communications Officer and trained other members. Les became the first controller of the Wodonga Branch of the State Emergency Service, a position he held for 17 years. The new SES headquarters was named in his honor. In retirement he also worked as a volunteer community driver. Les was also named Wodonga Citizen of the Year in 1984 Les continued living in Wodonga until the age of 103 in 2023, when he moved to Melbourne to be closer to his children. This item represents Mr. Cole's service during World War 11.This item is significant as it represents the service of a respected Wodonga resident during World War 11.This item includes a cloth patch of the crest of the 6th Squadron RAAF as well as a printed menu from the Passing out dinner for fitters held at the Federal Hotel Melbourne. It has been autographed by the attendees acknowledged at this function.On the Insignia 6 SQUADRON ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE / NOUS REVIENDRONS (WE WILL RETURN) 6th squadron raaf, military service ww11 -
Wodonga & District Historical Society Inc
Book - THE RATS REMAIN: The Seige of Tobruk 1941, J.S. Cumpston, 1966
The Siege of Tobruk has become one of the famous sagas of courage against the odds. Much has been written about it. This publication was the first visual record covering the Siege from all points of view. It includes more that 500 photographs, many taken by troops in the forward areas. The compiler of this publication was a Liaison Officer attached to Headquarters, 26 Australian Infantry Brigade and was mentioned in despatches for his part in the withdrawal from Benghai and the Battle of the Salient in Tobruk.non-fictionThe Siege of Tobruk has become one of the famous sagas of courage against the odds. Much has been written about it. This publication was the first visual record covering the Siege from all points of view. It includes more that 500 photographs, many taken by troops in the forward areas. The compiler of this publication was a Liaison Officer attached to Headquarters, 26 Australian Infantry Brigade and was mentioned in despatches for his part in the withdrawal from Benghai and the Battle of the Salient in Tobruk.world war 11, rats of tobruk, tobruk -
Melbourne Legacy
Newspaper - Document, newspaper, The Red and White Diamond, 1918
An issue of the Field Newspaper of the 24th Battalion by the 24th Battalion Press printed entirely in the field. This edition is Volume 1 No.5, the Xmas Number 1918. The articles summarise battles that the 24th had been involved in, greetings from the Commanders, and news of the battalion. This issue has photographs of the officers who have had long service with the Battalion including Lieut.-Col. W.E. James, Col W.W.R. Watson, Maj. W.H. Ellwood, Capt. F.P. Selleck, and Capt. A.A. Ball. Was with other World War 1 memorabilia that has come from Legatee Frank Doolan, he was on the archive committee and made attempts to collate the history of Legacy. The founding members of Legacy would have been familiar with items like this as they fought in the first World War.A copy of the Red and White Diamond field newspaper x 16 pages, published for the troops in World War I.From L/tee F. Doolan in black penworld war one, souvenir, 24th battalion, frank selleck -
Melbourne Legacy
Memorabilia - Medal, British War medal, 1921
A British War Medal from World War 1 awarded to Pte J B McLean for his war service in World War One. The British War Medal is a campaign medal of the United Kingdom which was awarded to officers and men of British and Imperial forces for service in the First World War. The ribbon that would have attached to the medal is missing (mostly orange with white, black and blue stripes either side) and the ribbon bar shows he would have also had a Victory medal. There is part of the ribbon for the Victory medal in the collection (rainbow colour). The ribbon for the miniatures is present but the two miniatures are missing. Included are stock photos to show what the medals and ribbons should look like. Was with other World War 1 memorabilia that has come from Private John Basil McLean, 2nd Reinforcements, 37th Battalion, A.I.F. J.B. McLean (Service No. 13824) was from near Maffra, Victoria and enlisted on 22 January 1916. He embarked on 16 December 1916 for Europe. He spent time with the Australian Field Artillery (Pack Section). At the end of the war he worked for a year at the A.I.F. Headquarters in London before returning to Australia on the 'Ceramic', arriving in Portsea in 1920. His full war record is available from the National Archives of Australia (B2455, MCLEAN JBM). In it is a record of this medal being given to him on 16 September 1921.This is an example of a World War 1 medal. The first Legatees were ex-servicemen from World War 1 so would have been familiar with this medal.Silver medal World War 1 medal engraved around the side with Service number and name of JB McLean. Also a cut ribbon and bar of ribbons. Silver medal with King George V facing left, with the legend "GEORGIVS V BRITT: OMN: REX ET IND: IMP:" The reverse, shows Saint George naked on horseback and armed with a short sword, an allegory of the physical and mental strength which achieved victory over Prussianism. The horse tramples on the Prussian eagle shield and the emblems of death, a skull and cross-bones. In the background are ocean waves and just off-centre near the right upper rim is the risen sun of Victory. The years "1914" and "1918" appear on the perimeter in the left and right fields respectively.Engraving '13824 P.T.E J.B.M. MCLEAN A.S.C. A.I.F.'medals, world war one -
Melbourne Legacy
Photograph, Major-General Sir John Gellibrand K.C.B.,D.S.O. & Bar, 194
... ) was a senior Australian Army officer in the First World War, Chief... Australian Army officer in the First World War, Chief Commissioner ...Photograph of General Sir John Gellibrand and L/- Stan Savige (at far right) at an unknown event that appears to be also attended by a mayor. From Wikipedia: Major General Sir John Gellibrand, KCB, DSO & Bar (5 December 1872 – 3 June 1945) was a senior Australian Army officer in the First World War, Chief Commissioner of the Victoria Police from 1920 to 1922, and a member of the Australian House of Representatives, representing the Tasmanian Division of Denison for the Nationalist Party from 1925 to 1928. Concerned about the plight of fellow ex-servicemen, whose businesses were often failing, Gellibrand banded together with like-minded individuals to form the Hobart Remembrance Club. This organisation aimed to support ex-servicemen by providing employment and support for their businesses. The Hobart Club inspired the formation of Legacy Australia in Melbourne, which over time became a national movement, expanding its scope to the care of ex-servicemen's widows and their families. Sir John Gellibrand is considered to have influenced Stanley Savige to commence the process to form Legacy in September 1923. Melbourne was the first Legacy club to form.Black and white photo of General Sir John Gellibrand.Handwritten on the reverse: 'General Sir John Gellibrand. SGS at rear' in blue pen. Also '545' in pencil. Stamped with copyright of The Leader in red ink, and 'Property of Melbourne Legacy. Please return this correspondence to Executive Officer' in purple ink.sir john gellibrand, remembrance club -
Melbourne Legacy
Photograph, Three WWI soldiers
Three Australian soldiers in World War 1 uniforms. Two are holding rifles with bayonets, the officer in the centre holds a Union Jack flag. The solider on the left has a VC medal as well as first world war medals. The link with Legacy is unknown but Legacy was founded by men who had served in World War 1. The photo is an example of first World War uniforms and equipment.Black and white photo of three soldiers from World War 1 mounted on dark grey cardboard.A degraded label on the back says 'Picture / Framers / ? / Beaments(?) / Camberwell / Glenferrie ?'world war one, soldiers, uniforms -
Melbourne Legacy
Document, Diary of Priscilla Wardle, a nurse in France 1916, 1916
An incomplete diary of an Australian nurse serving in France in 1916. The author is unidentified in the document but after extensive research it is concluded that is by Priscilla Wardle, who left Melbourne on 14 April 1915 on RMS Orontes and served with Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMNS) in France. A larger portion of her diary is available from the Ballarat Base Hospital Trained Nurses League entries on Victorian Collections. The contents of the diary has been retyped and is in the Word document. The diary shows she was serving at a Casualty Clearing Station (CCS) in Bethune, France in March 1916. She goes on to serve at Wimereux, at the No 8 Stationary hospital. Also possibly at Boulogne. She had a period of rest at Hardelot, a convalescent home for nurses, and also a trip to England and Scotland. She tried to visit the graves of ancestors, such as relatives of 'Grandfather Allan', in the church yard at East Kilbride church. During her nursing experience she mentions being gassed by 'weeping' gas and hearing the sounds of shelling. Also the numbers of operations per month, such as 311 in March 1916. And another day when there were 29 operations in one day. She talks of POWs coming to the hospital. They are treated after the Allied soldiers are looked after. So operations often continued into the night to take care of the Germans. She also mentions removing a piece of shrapnel herself in one operation. She appears to be of a senior rank as she is asked to meet with senior hospital officials and high ranking officers that visit. In particular she mentions a staff surgeon from Admiral Jellicoe's ship the 'Iron Duke'. He visited just after the Battle of Jutland, which was a naval battle fought between Britain's Royal Navy Grand Fleet, under Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet, under Vice-Admiral Reinhard Scheer, during the First World War (31 May – 1 June 1916). Also being visited by Stan Walker (also from Ballarat) and Lt Brough who was ADC to General Legge. It is possible Stan Walker is Lt (later Captain) Edward Stanley Walker. Lt Brough is believed to be Charles Anthony Brough. She also mentions meeting a Lady Gifford and Madam O'Gorman. She mentions travelling with Captain Newton to London in early December 1916 - she calls him Sauchiehall and Sauchie, both could be nicknames. Capt Newton later becomes Sir Wilberforce Newton, who was serving in the Royal Army Medical Corps on the Western Front between 1915 and 1917. His diaries are held in the University of Melbourne archive. He also left Melbourne on the RMS Orontes on 14 April 1915 (source Trove) and would have known the 14 Victorian nurses that went on to serve with QAIMNS. On 11 December 1915 he mentions trying to see a Sister Loughran at the No. 7 Stationary hospital - which was in Boulogne. Sister Loughran was also on the RMS Orontes. When he was ill he mentions receiving a parcel from two other nurses that were on the Orontes and served with QAIMNS (Madge Donnellan and Margaret Donaldson). Other things that indicate it might be Priscilla Wardle is that from Births Deaths and Marriages Victoria (BDM) she was born in Ballarat, her mother's maiden name was Allan, she had a sister Janet that went by the name of Jean who was married at the time mentioned in the diary (BDM and Trove), Priscilla's mother also died during the time of diary and coincides with the diary entry of the 'death of dear mother'. An article in Trove after Priscilla's return to Australia mentions she was in the areas mentioned in the diary. Also that Priscilla went on to be trained as an anaesthetist to help in the surgeries. It matches the comment in the diary that she was involved in many operations and even allowed to perform a bullet extraction. Finally on seeing the diary held by Ballarat Base Hospital Trained Nurses League - it was determined the handwriting matched and this diary is part of the larger diary held there, so is definitely Priscilla Wardle. After the war Priscilla Wardle married Cyril Terrence (Terry) Charles Kirby, an English soldier and they settled in Ballarat and later Melbourne. Terry Kirby became a Legatee in 1929 and transferred to Melbourne Legacy in 1935. He was a well liked, hard working Legatee and worked at Legacy House up to his death in 1967. That is probably how the diary ended up in the building. In May 2021 the pages were returned to descendants of Priscilla so now only electronic copies are in our archive.A valuable first hand account of life as a nurse in World War One. The founders of Legacy all served in World War One and may have known this nurse or been in situations similar to her.Handwritten diary of a nurse from 1916 on 10 pages of notepaper.memoir, world war one, nurse -
Melbourne Legacy
Book, There Goes A Man. The Biography of Sir Stanley G Savige, 1959
The detailed biography of Lieutenant-General Sir Stanley Savage.Red cloth bound copy of W B Russell's biography of Legatee Savige with a paper dust jacket with photosnon-fictionThe detailed biography of Lieutenant-General Sir Stanley Savage. history, w b russell, biography -
Melbourne Tram Museum
Document - Report, Prahran & Malvern Tramway Trust (PMTT), The Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust - Report and Statement of Accounts, Nov. 1916
Photocopy of Report - 35 foolscap pages - titled "The Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust - Report and Statement of Accounts for Twelve Months ending 30th September 1916". Gives listings of Trust Members and Officers, lines opened, Rollingstock, power supply problems, Finance, Operation and General matters, statistics, finance statements, balance sheet and Auditors Report. Appendices includes the Engineers and Manager's Report, Statistics, accounts, funding, auditor reports and maps. Also covers shelter houses, tourist tickets, union - Australian Tramway Employees Wage log of claims, the first world war impacts. Lists names of Employees who volunteered for active service, including those who volunteer but did not pass the medical test. Audited by Percy P Cook.Has the stamp of the Tramway Museum Society on the rear of the first page.trams, tramways, pmtt, reports, construction, finances, operations, horse trams, tourist tickets, world war 1, unions -
Melbourne Tram Museum
Document - Report, Prahran & Malvern Tramway Trust (PMTT), "The Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust - Report and Statement of Accounts, Nov. 1918
Photocopy of Report - 32 foolscap pages - titled "The Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust - Report and Statement of Accounts for Twelve Months ending 30th September 1918". Gives listings of Trust Members and Officers, lines opened, Rollingstock, power supply problems, Finance, Operation and General matters, statistics, finance statements, balance sheet and Auditors Report. Appendices includes the Engineers and Manager's Report, Statistics, accounts, funding, auditor reports and maps. Also covers concession fares for soldiers, purchase of tyre, battery maintenance, traffic at Victoria St bridge, Honor boards, arbitration and land for a storage site. Lists names of Employees who volunteered for active service, including those who volunteer but did not pass the medical test. Audited by Percy P Cook. See htd2389i2.pdf for the listing of those who served in WW1Has the stamp of the Tramway Museum Society on the rear of the first page.trams, tramways, pmtt, reports, construction, finances, operations, horse trams, tourist tickets, world war 1, unions -
Melbourne Tram Museum
Document - Report, Prahran & Malvern Tramway Trust (PMTT), "The Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust - Report and Statement of Accounts, Nov. 1919
Photocopy of Report - 33 foolscap pages - titled "The Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust - Report and Statement of Accounts for Twelve Months ending 30th September 1919". Report Shows Mr. Dix at Chairman. Gives listings of Trust Members and Officers, lines opened, Rollingstock, power supply problems, Finance, Operation and General matters, statistics, finance statements, balance sheet and Auditors Report. Appendices includes the Engineers and Manager's Report, Statistics, accounts, funding, auditor reports and maps. Also covers union action, land for a storage site and shelter houses, Lists names of Employees who volunteered for active service, including those who volunteer but did not pass the medical test. Audited by Percy P Cook. See htd2390i2.pdf for the listing of those who served in WW1Has the stamp of the Tramway Museum Society on the rear of the first page.trams, tramways, pmtt, reports, construction, finances, operations, horse trams, tourist tickets, world war 1, unions -
Melbourne Tram Museum
Document - Report, Commonwealth of Australia, Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board, "History of the Munitions War Effort 1939-45", 1950
Letter, response and report on quarto paper - 10 sheets .1 - Letter from Frank Clancy, Historical Records Officer of the Commonwealth of Australia, Department of Supply (with Munitions over typed), to the MMTB dated 28/4/1950 asking for a summary of the Board's wartime activities. Letter response by Lewis Russell, MMTB Publicity Officer. Response dated 4/5/1950 saying the original letter had not been received, attaching further information. .2 - A second document (7 sheets) that was with the first, a response dated 3/8/48, primarily concerned with the provision of bus services to Munitions and aircraft factories, purchase of chassis, for buses, issues with supply, bus and tram numbers, services, Fisherman's Bend, patronage, tramcar construction and a table giving passenger numbers over the war period.In pencil and ink on top of the first sheet of 3843.2 - "Supplied to Official Historian Canberra 3/8/48" and a note "Affixed? by Foreman? 2/8/48"trams, tramways, world war 2, buses, munitions factory, fisherman's bend, workshops, commonwealth government -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph - Digital Photograph, Alan King, Stonygrad, 34 Hamilton Road, North Warrandyte, 30 January 2008
Vassilieff dynamited rock from his own property to build his house. Stonygrad is reminiscent of a grotto and in parts, of a sculpture. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then / Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p135 Stonygrad, the home built by Expressionist painter and sculptor Danila Vassilieff, is reminiscent of a grotto and in parts, of a sculpture. Vassilieff, who amongst others influenced painter Sydney Nolan and Albert Tucker, was a member of the artists group the Angry Penguins.1 He was also a highly regarded art teacher at the nearby Koornong Experimental School and taught at Eltham High School. Art critic Robert Hughes described Vassilieff’s painting as ‘lyrical without social commentary’, and said Vassilieff was ‘the most oddly neglected artist in recent Australian History’.2 Vassilieff, who was born in 1897 in Russia, had an unusually adventurous life before he settled in Warrandyte. The 12th of 18 children, he lived on a farm in the Don Basin. Vassilieff trained with the Imperial Military Academy at St Petersburg and fought in World War One as an officer in the White Russian Army against the communists. In 1920 he was captured, then escaped from prison, stole a horse and rode bareback 150 miles to the Black Sea, helped at first by Tartar freebooters. He then travelled to India, Shanghai and arrived in Queensland as a refugee in 1923 where he began painting. He and his wife Anisia bought a sugar farm near Ingram,3 and later he constructed railway lines at Mataranka, in the Northern Territory.4 In 1929 Vassilieff went to Brazil for formal art training from former fellow-officer Dmitri Ismailovich, but he soon left to travel up the Amazon River. He then worked as a sidewalk artist in the West Indies and travelled for two years in England, France and Spain. In 1937 he arrived in Melbourne where he lived until his death in 1958. His first major Australian series was the Carlton streetscapes and from 1951 he sculpted in local hard limestone.5 Vassilieff rejected all dogma and regarded religious subjects as suitable only for decorative arts. In 1944 he helped defeat a communist attempt to take over the Contemporary Art Society. For a short time, from around 1955, Vassilieff taught at various Victorian schools.6 The Angry Penguins painted mainly between 1937 and 1947, and included Arthur Boyd, Albert Tucker, Sidney Nolan and Joy Hester. The group formed as they felt isolated from European thought and art (including Surrealism) from which their work was derived. They were also angry at what they considered to be the complacency and insularity of their society. They maintained Australians at first were scarcely aware of the threats of the Wall Street Crash and Hitler and were little interested in the Spanish Civil War. The Angry Penguins also objected to the White Australia Policy. Hughes said although most of the Melbourne Expressionists in the 1940s were unskilled and their work crude in style, they helped jolt Australian painting from its pastoral complacency. Their style influenced nearly every painting produced by significant figurative artists in Melbourne in the 1950s such as Charles Blackman. From 1939 Vassilieff built Stonygrad, mainly with local stone. The house stands at the end of a private road surrounded by trees with the quiet occasionally broken by the sounds of bellbirds. To build his house Vassilieff dynamited rock and cut trees from his own property. The original section of the three-level house is of irregular-shaped pieces of solid stone, exposed inside like the exterior. Vassilieff later built sections with timber and brick. Inside is rustic and cave-like, and several rooms are linked by arched openings with no doors. One undulating wall was carved out of rock from which two sculptured heads protrude. Several ceilings are of rough-hewn logs and the built-in table and bookcase are rough, as is a timber ladder leading to a bedroom. Not for the elderly or unsteady! Yet the general impression in the muted light is beautiful, with artistic originality.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, danila vassilieff, hamilton road, north warrandyte, stonygrad