Diggers & mining. The gold era. This table show how the increased demand affected prices. Slide show the change in price between 1850 to 1854 for the following; Bread, Meat, Butter, Potatoes, Milk, Water, Weekly rental of average 2 room cottage. Some typical price rises - Melbourne 1850 -4. Markings 30 994.031 GOL:5. Used as a teaching aid.hanimounteducation, tertiary, goldfields

Photo of the Madigan potato crop in a paddock below their home. The photo is taken from School Rd, looking east across the valley in the direction of Menzies Creek station. On the left is the ridge where Black Hill Rd is and on the right the ground slopes up towards the school after School Rd makes a right-angled turn. Beyond the peas are a cluster of trees, the lowest of which are blue gums.

Hinged food mixer with egg beater blades of chrome plated steel. Brass handle, chromed. Base worked steel painted with hammertone paint. White plastic base to hold missing lemon squeezer. Bowl to mix in missing. Has five small rubber legs.Has a planetary action and is hand driven. Beats eggs, cream and potatoes. The juice can run down into the basin when lemon is squeezed.domestic items, food preparation

Aged 17, Edwin Thomas Penny took over the 10 acres of freehold land held by his deceased father, Thomas Penny. Edwin Penny developed a reputation as an innovative orchardist and market gardener who grew apples, plums, passion fruit, peaches, pears, and lemons, and between the trees he planted potatoes, rhubarb and other vegetables.Sepia toned digital image of the Penny family. Back row left to right: Clifford Penny, Reubin Penny, Edwin Penny. Front row left to right: Albert Penny, Edwin Thomas Penny, Hilda Penny and Lytton Pennymarket garden, orchards, fruit, vegetables, moorabbin, cheltenham

The Poynton family arrived in Buninyong in 1896 and established a property in Warrenheip Street followed by the purchase of "The Hermitage" on the slopes Mount Buninyong for the succeeding generations to supply cream, potatoes, pigs, peas and gooseberries to the local community. Silas Poynton was appointed a Trustee of the Buninyong Methodist Church in 1914 and family life revolved around the Church and its activities for many years.This home represents the life of the early families in the district, their agricultural activities and their community links. Various views of "The Hermitage" circa 1920s and a copy of the contract for the purchase"The Hermitage" Mt. Buninyong c. 1920poynton family, "the hermitage", mount buninyong, methodist church

Allwood Nurseries in Hurstbridge was operated by W.G (William George) Gray. By 1922 he operated a well cultivated property of 64 cleared acres, 56 of which were under nursery healthy stock, principally apples, peaches, plums and cherries. In addition to 4 acres of potatoes. He grew seedling stock which he supplied to other local orchardists and the overseas market. This photo forms part of a collection of photographs gathered by the Shire of Eltham for their centenary project book, "Pioneers and Painters: 100 years of the Shire of Eltham" by Alan Marshall (1971). The collection of over 500 images is held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library) and is now formally known as 'The Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection.' It is significant in being the first community sourced collection representing the places and people of the Shire's first one hundred years.Digital imagesepp, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, hurstbridge, allwood nurseries, export, nursery

The tenant lived at the mercy of the resident landlord. Home was a one-roomed house, a chimney of wicker work plastered over with mud or just a hole in the roof. The walls might consist of mud too, or sods of grass. Any windows, were rarely glazed and would be open to the elements all year round. The Pig, if any, was kept in the house, the most valuable possession. Sold for cash at local market. The main items in the house were a potato pot and water bucket. As well as mother, father and children, there could well be grandparents all living in the same cramped conditions. The family would sleep on rushes or straw lain on the floor. Most tenants were tenants 'at will ', which meant they could be evicted at the 'will' of the landlord. Some had a lease for the life of the father and the eldest son, and this meant they were relatively safe from eviction as long as they could pay their rent. There was a tradition of passing on a portion of your land from father to each of the sons, who would build a small dwelling, and in turn pass a portion onto their own sons. This cycle of subdivision meant that many families were surviving on a tiny plot of land from which to derive a crop of potatoes for the year. Women worked hard in this environment, rearing children, cooking, cleaning, tending to any animals such a pigs or chicken and when needed, helping in the potato field. Life was dictated by the annual rent due to the landlord. Other typical expenses could be the Hearth Tax (actually charged by the number of fire places in a house) Turf, Hay (for any farm animals) and tithes. A tax known as the tithes were calculated at one tenth the value of everything saleable. Tithes were a bitter issue. They were for the support of the Church of Ireland, Protestant Bishops and Ministers, and a cess tax for the construction and maintenance of Protestant Church buildings. The problem being that the vast majority of those paying the Tax were Catholic and paying to support something that was contrary to their beliefs. Potatoes were the staple diet from September through to the end of Spring of the following year. But the summer months were months of hunger and hardship as they waited for the following harvest to come in Autumn. During these months people had to resort to eating anything they could find; turnips, cabbage, even wild grass, nettles, wild berries and dandelions. Those who lived close to the sea would collect seaweed and use it spread on their land as a form of manure. The dependency of so much of the population on the Potato as their sole source of food was to prove disastrous during the Famine years. [http://www.youririshroots.com/irishhistory/tenant.php, accessed 14 December 2013]A woman spins wools, while another cards fleece in preparation for spinning. I man smokes a pipe by an open fireplace, while a cow takes shelter in the cabin for warmth. ballarat irish, cabin, spinning, wool, cow

This record features two songs about the city of Warrnambool, 'The Princes of the Highway' and 'Warrnambool Song'. The first-named is a reference to the fact that Warrnambool is on the Princes Highway and the 'princes' are those who grew and picked potatoes in times past. The lyrics are by a former Warrnambool resident, Camilla Fligelman and the singer is John Stevens. Warrnambool is a city in the western district of Victoria servicing an agricultural area, particularly the dairying industry. This record is of interest as one of several recordings made over the years celebrating the city of WarrnamboolThis is a 45 R.P.M. record with a red -coloured centre and black printing. It is enclosed in a thin cardboard envelope which has red and black lines and printing on the front and the lyrics of the two songs on the back.warrnambool songs

Cliff Young was a sixty-one-year-old potato farmer from Beech Forest in the Otway Ranges, a couple of hundred kilometres south-west of Melbourne. With his distinctive shuffle, friendly wave and innocent grin, he beat a field of professional runners to take out the inaugural Westfield Sydney to Melbourne Ultra-marathon starting on April 27 and finishing May 2 in 1983.Cliffy: the Cliff Young story. Julietta Jameson. 1st ed. Melbourne (Vic); The Text Publishing Company; 2013. vi, 218 p.; illus. ISBN 978 1922 0798 6 2 Soft covercliff young; beech forest; sydney; melbourne; ultra-marathon; otways;

36 p.; 21 cmnon-fictionAn account of the early history of Yannathan and the development of Yannathan School No. 2422. Lists original selectors, teachers, first committee members of the Yannathan Recreation Reserve and the Yannathan Hall. Also lists Yannathan's fallen war heroes.yannathan (vic.), yannathan primary school no. 2422, yannathan (vic.) -- history

In order to accommodate its key Otways staff of train crews, station masters and gangers the VR provided departmental housing. Laurie McCabe, a former porter at Wyelangta, a player in the local football team, and married to one of the potato-growing families, was the Station Master becoming the travelling station master and guard in 1930. He was based in Beech Forest and housed departmentally with his wife, Victoria Elizabeth (nee Tann) and their two children.Laurie McCabe, Travelling Station Master and goods Guard, his wife, Victoria, and their two children outside their railway house at Beech Forest. B/W.beech forest; railway; departmental housing;

Dairy farmers kept a journal to record their transactions and business on the farm. John Creamer's daughter Mary Cardwell has her father's journal covering the years 1916 to 1942.The journal was kept by local dairy farmer John Creamer who farmed at Gundowring in the Kiewa Valley. It consists of names of local people and is representative of the business (produce and life) on the dairy farm at the time.Photocopied A3 sized pages from John Creamer's dairy journal covering the years 1916-1942. The book has an alphabet index for people's names with details of their purchases (eg. mutton and potatoes) with the cost in pounds shillings and pence. Page 15 has the title "Sows When Due to Parrow" and lists the cows by name. Only pages 1 to 61 have been copied except for pages 39-41, 49, 54, 55. The rest has been digitised. See: KVHSs 1823 for digitised copydairy industry; creamer family; gundowring

June 2012 represented 50 years since the Colac to Beech Forest to Weeaproinah narrow guage railway was closed. The last goods train ran on 27 June 1962, and the last passenger excursion train on 30 June 1962. The railway was the lifeblood of the West Otways for several decades, enabling farmers and saw millers to bring into economic production the natural wealth of the region. Timber, butter, wool, livestock, potatoes, fodder and minerals flowed out for the benefit of Victorian consumers.Closed 50 years ago. The Colac to Beech Forest narrow guage railway. Commemorative booklet - 30 June 2012. Norman Houghton. Norman Houghton; Geelong (Vic); 2012. iv, 52 p.; illus., maps. Soft cover.colac; beech forest; weeaproinah; railway;

W.G (William George) Gray, owner of Allwood Nurseries in Hurstbridge, with horses and cart laden with trees from Kinglake from where he also had a property raising stock. Shire of Eltham Councillor Gray donated English oak and oriental trees for the Anzac avenue at Hurstbridge planted in 1918. In 1922 he operated a well cultivated property of 64 cleared acres, 56 of which were under nursery healthy stock, principally apples, peaches, plums and cherries. In addition to 4 acres of potatoes. This photo forms part of a collection of photographs gathered by the Shire of Eltham for their centenary project book, "Pioneers and Painters: 100 years of the Shire of Eltham" by Alan Marshall (1971). The collection of over 500 images is held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library) and is now formally known as 'The Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection.' It is significant in being the first community sourced collection representing the places and people of the Shire's first one hundred years.Digital imagesepp, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, hurstbridge, william george gray, kinglake, horse-drawn vehicle, trees

Upper Main Street looking West from Mechanics Institute built in 1875. Mechanics Institute, Joseph Dawe Stawell Meat Market, D.B. O'Callaghan, Boot & Shoe Warehouse, Stawell Potato Depot, Ben S. Dawson Chemist, R.H. Wadsworth Jewler Watchmaker, English Scottish & Australian Bank, Bone Saddler, Hunter Bull & Mouth Hotel. On North side of street is J. Allingham Draper, Chadwick & Co Draper, D. Telford Farm Produce, Bank of Victoria. Photo taken 1878The "Top End" of Main Street. looking west. The Mechanics Insitute on the Left dates the photo about 1880. Some of the larger buildings have been restored.Victorian Views. C. Herbert, Photo. Stawell 1878stawell business streetscape

This notebook has handwritten notes commenced in 1887 by Duncan McColl. The notes include lessons on the first 12 chapters of the Acts of the Apostles for the Grasmere Bible Class, other religious passages that appear to be copied from outside sources and some personal notes regarding McColl's potato growing and the medicine he is taking. The Grasmere Bible Class was perhaps associated with St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Grasmere where a Sunday School had been established in 1887. Research needs to be undertaken regarding further information on Duncan McColl.This notebook is of interest as an example of the interest in religion by some of the residents of Warrnambool and district in the late 19th century. This is a small notebook with a black cover. There is a postage stamp on the inside front cover. The pages have printed blue and red lines originally intended for the keeping of accounts. The pages contain handwriting in black ink and have been bound with string.Duncan McColl Grasmere Feb.2nd 1887grasmere sunday school, duncan mccoll

Allwood Nurseries in Hurstbridge was operated by W.G (William George) Gray. He operated a well cultivated property under nursery healthy stock, principally apples, peaches, plums and cherries and sometimes potatoes. He grew seedling stock which he supplied to other local orchardists and the overseas market. This image is of railroad train wagons loaded with fruit trees at Hurstbridge Railway Station for export to New Zealand. Frederick George Hurst (bearded) sits on top of the load (aged 73 years). His son-in-law Willian Gray stands beside the wagon. This photo forms part of a collection of photographs gathered by the Shire of Eltham for their centenary project book, "Pioneers and Painters: 100 years of the Shire of Eltham" by Alan Marshall (1971). The collection of over 500 images is held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library) and is now formally known as 'The Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection.' It is significant in being the first community sourced collection representing the places and people of the Shire's first one hundred years.Digital imagesepp, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, hurstbridge, allwood nurseries, frederick george hurst, w.g. gray, hurstbrdge railway station, william george gray, railroad trains, nurseries (plants), export, despatch, transport

The Beech Forest railway carried very heavy loading, mostly consisting of timber, but also potatoes, lime, gravel, chaff and dairy produce. Livestock was carried and, while no dedicated passenger service operated "car-goods" ran on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday plus occasional passenger specials. However, despite the high tonnage heavy financial losses were experienced, due partly to the small amount of inbound goods and the high empty wagon mileage. Annual losses by 1915 were up to L8,000, and these were only exacerbated by increased traffic.B/W. Beech Forest Railway Station, guard's van, carriages and wagons on the right, and wagons loading with timber on the left. c.1915.beech forest; railways; station;

In 1937 in October the first Melton and District School Sports began. The schools in the area annually competed for a shield donated by the Express newspaper. MrGoodacre contributed an important part in the establishment of the sports. A handicap system operated enabling very small schools to compete fairly. My father E.W. Barrie was responsible for the public address system for many years. The events were Flat race (40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 100 yards) Long jump, High jump, Skipping race, Potato race and Flag relays making a total of 30 events. Programme of various sport events held at Melton Recreation Parkeducation, sport

Colour digital photograph of snow covering the paddocks around Newlyn and Dean. farm, farming, agriculture, horticulture, potatoes, paddock, snow, weather, climate, winter, dean, newlyn

This item was the property of Mr Robert Cornall of Kardella. He was one of the first selectors in the area and the name of his property "Fleetwood" which he took possession of in 1882. He grew potatoes as his main income and was the first farmer to use fertiliser to increase his crops quantity. He died in 1924 and is buried in the Korumburra cemetery. This item is engraved with his name and name of his property. The lancet was sold by Sears and Roebuck and is seen in the 1902 catalogue. Made of brass and steel and manufactured by Joseph Rodgers and sons. The item is called a lancet but is also known as Horse Flem and was used for bleeding horses to remove bad blood. This object is of historic and scientific importance as it was used by a local potato farmer, Robert Cornall of Kardella as a bleeding tool for his horses. When purchased this item would not have been engraved. This item is engraved with the name Robert Cornell 1886 and reverse Fleetwood Gippsland Korumburra. Fleetwood was the name of his property which he settled in 1882.Bleeding of horses during this period was a way of removing bad blood.lancet

This book is a replica of a booklet printed in the United Kingdom. In 1848, when it was published in London as a guide to prospective emigrants, 23,904 people left the United Kingdom for the Australian colonies and New Zealand. In 1847, with the failure of potato crops threatening famine in Ireland and growing political unrest at home, the British Government had once again encouraged emigration by offering free passage to candidates of 'good character'. Immigration, particularly by the labouring classes, was intended to relieve both the overburdened Mother Country and the colonies which had acute labour shortages. The booklet gives some history of each colony as well as the sale of lands, mines and mining, produce, the price of living, wages and, generally, the situation. The emigrant's friend, or authentic guide to South Australia including Sydney: Port Phillip, or Australia Felix: Western Australia, or Swan River Colony: New South Wales: Van Dieman's Land: and New Zealand. Reprint. Reader's Digest Services Pty Limited; Surrey Hills (NSW); 1974. 40 p. Soft cover. australia; colonies; settlement; nsw; port phillip; western australia; south australia; van dieman's land; new zealand; emigration; immigration;

Combined school athletic sports were held annually. This one was between 11 teams: Mt. Beauty Black, Tawonga Purple, Mt Beauty Gold, Dederang, Mt Beauty Blue, Tawonga South, Mt Beauty Green, Bogong, Kancoona and Kergunyah South. Events included High Jump, Long Jump for Boys and Girls and Triple Jump for Boys. Also, Potato Race, Zig Zag team of 6, and Bounce Ball. Flat Races boys and girls. Championship for Boys and Girls Under and Over 10 years.Relay Team Open, Skip Ball Open. Tunnel Ball Open,.Circle Gap Open and a Boys and Girls Circle Gap 220 yards.Primary Schools from the Kiewa Valley held athletic sports each year. The schools consisted of small and big schools in the Kiewa Valley. The events included running and jumping as well as team 'fun/novelty' events.Events were run according to age and differed between boys and girls.Orange cardboard athletic sports programme folded in half with 69 events listed with "Officials" named and children's names or teams listed. "Don't you Think It's True You Ought To Be in Blue" penned on the front. "Good Old Blue. Blue Forever. We stick to First Place." "Blue is the Best" "No Sweat to Blue" penned on the fold in the middle. "Good Old Blue" and "Blue" penned on the back.athletics., athletics sports day, school sports, kiewa valley sports

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

This Miner’s Right was issued post the rush of the 1850s-60s but is testament to the ongoing interest in gold although the great rush had dwindled. Local papers continued to report on findings and hopes of success, including syndicates and explorations across the south-west district of Victoria and Otways. The Warrnambool correspondent of the “Hamilton Spectator”, 31/1/1878, p4 attest to the price of a good season of potatoes comparing “favourably with the unsteady returns of any precarious gold-bearing quartz reefs in the colony.” A James Collins (1842-1918) is listed in the Pioneers’ Register, Warrnambool, Township and Shire 1839-1900, Volume One, A.I.G.S Warrnambool Branch, 2004, p137. As are numerous other Collins pioneer families of the district. This item is significant in that it illustrates that people associated with the region were interested in taking their chances in prospecting for gold similar to many others. A lure that is still present for some today. Although the southwest region found it's source of wealth in other industries from whaling and fishing, wool and other agricultural pursuits. This is a top to bottom upright image of a Miner’s Right. It is a buff coloured document printed in black ink. It was issued in “BALLARAT” and rubber stamped twice in red ink. The issue to “James Collins”, is dated “23rd August 1889” to “22nd August 1890”. The signature of the authority could be Bennet. All handwriting is script style in black ink. Looking from the front the lefthand side has a serrated edge. The back is printed in black ink and there are no “particulars of registration”. The Miner’s Right is from “Series J, Book No. 3, ticket “No. 15”. A “Colony of Victoria” coat of arms is displayed at the top of the document. An insignia runs along the lefthand side of the license featuring coat of arms with a kangaroo and emu, then a miner’s pick and shovel, two crossed Union Jack flags sit behind a monogram “VR” with a hanging set of scales supported by a sword. "By Authority Robt. S. Brain, Government Printer.""Series J. Book No. 3 Five Shillings. No. 15. Colony of Victoria. Miner's Right"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, james collins, australian goldfields, miner's rights, the history of ballarat, gold rush

This is a traffic report of the Warrnambool Tramway in 1880. The Warrnambool Tramway ran from the south end of Fairy Street near the present day railway sheds past the site of the old Woollen Mill, then extended towards the Warrnambool Bay on the easterly side of the site today of the Lady Bay Apartments and on to the Tramway Jetty. The Tramway was completed in 1858 and was horse-drawn. It was leased to private individuals until 1864 when the Warrnambool Council took over the management. The Tramway closed in 1890 when the Breakwater was opened and it had its own spurline from the railway station to the end of the Breakwater. The 1880 report shows that contractors were paid over £300 and that 26, 409 tons of potatoes and 9167 bales of wool were carried by the Tramway in that year. This report is of interest as it shows the operations of the Warrnambool Tramway in 1880. The Tramway was significant in the maritime history of Warrnambool.This is a single foolscap-size sheet with handwritten material concerning a report of the Warrnambool Tramway operations in 1880. The writing is in black ink. The page has a large red-lined margin on the left side. The sheet is a little stained where it has been folded.history of warrnambool, warrnambool tramway

The iron anchor is from the iron steamship, Easby built in England in 1873. It struck Skerries Reef at Gabo Island and sank in the harbour in April 1907 while carrying a cargo of potatoes. The iron anchor was recovered from the wreck at an unknown date and put on display between the two sets of keepers’ quarters. Parts of the ship, including the collapsed hull plating, engine and boilers as well as another anchor lie at a shallow depth at the wreck site 15m west of the jetty. This wreck became a shipping hazard and was eventually blown up. (1928) Another anchor of identical design lies underwater on the shoreline 15 metres west of the jetty.The wreck site and relics, including the anchor on display, are protected by the Victorian Heritage Register (VHDS S204).Large rusted metal anchor.

This small shoe (or boot) was found at Rosebrook, a small settlement between Warrnambool and Port Fairy, after the 1946 Western District floods. These floods are regarded as the worst in the history of European settlement in the Western District. At least five lives were lost, many small settlements and towns were isolated resulting in food shortages, onion and potato crops were ruined, 20 bridges were destroyed or damaged, roads were swept away, hundreds of farm animals perished and road and rail services were disrupted. The floods were the result of a very high rainfall in five successive days (658 points of rain in one 24 hours) and there was more flooding a week after the first major impact of the rains. A link to a major weather event in the South west.This is a small child’s brown shoe made of leather with a lace-up upper part (no laces) and a leather sole. The sides of the upper part of the shoe have broken away at the edges. As the shoe has been water-logged (it was found after the 1946 Western District floods) it has become hard and brittle. warrnambool, rosebrook western district floods, 1946, 1940's shoe