Update of 1st editon by Jock Ryan published in March 2003. 2nd edition (Revised) Nillumbik Historical Society December 2017 Brief history of the agitation and eventual extension and opening of the Hurstbridge Railway line from Eltham to Diamond Creek, Wattle Glen to Hurstbridge, which was opened in June 1912. Includes details of events thereafter including Wattle Day and Railway accidents. Profusely illustrated with black and white photographs from the collection of the Nillumbik Historical Society (Diamond Creek). Agitation for a railway extension began in 1888 when a meeting was held at Arthurs Creek to press for the construction of a railway line from Heidelberg to Kinglake. The Chairman Mr Charles Draper said this was necessary because this was the best fruit growing district in Victoria. Mr Cameron M.P. pointed out that whatever route the line took it would have to follow the Diamond Valley from Eltham. At the same time another meeting was pressing for the line to be extended to Queenstown (St Andrews). However when detailed surveys were made it was discovered that the only possible route was to Hurstbridge because of the hills. In 1912 the railway was opened terminating at Hurstbridge. Bound with orange covers. Text with black and white illustrations. 30 pages.hurstbridge railway line,diamond creek,wattle glen,hurstbridge, nillumbik historical society

"Dear Kevin, Everybody home here is well, hope you and Bobby are well. Sid, Laurie home, hear regular from Eddie. Lots love Polly DAD" Post Card sent to Private K.J. Arrowsmith, VX54102, 6th Line Section, 8 Div, Malaya via Prisoner of War Post, Australian Prisoners of War, C/o Prisoners of War Information Bureau Tokyo, Japan from his sister Polly (Mercia Castledine). “After the cholera had been evidence for a few days, the Nips decided that the works on the railway had to be carried on and so isolated all the cases (a number more had developed since we were first quarantined) and sent all other men back to work. By this time, the number of men unfit for work had increased tremendously and the medical officer and medical orderlies were hopelessly overworked. Volunteers were called for to assist in this cholera ward; a disease highly contagious and with a terrific death rate. This meant isolation, but did not deter many men from offering their services, Bob and Kevin Arrowsmith being selected.” - Through the Burma-Thailand Railway, pp234-5, author unknown This post card is significant for its rarity as very few ever made it through and were saved. In these instances the information provided by Polly was cryptic informing Kevin and Bob Arrowsmith that brother Eddie and brothers-in-law, Laurie Mears and Sid Castledine were all still alive.Digital image of original held in private collection of Joan Castledine, daughter of Sid and Polly (nee Arrowsmith) Castledine.bob arrowsmith, burma-thailand railway, eddie arrowsmith, joan castlemaine, kevin j. arrowsmith, laurie mears, lucy mears (nee arrowsmith), mercia (polly) castledine (nee arrowsmith), postcards, prisoner of war post, sid castledine

"Dear Kevin, Hope you are both well, everybody well home here, constantly thinking of you, hear regular, Eddie, Laurie, Sid. Lots love Polly Dad" Post Card sent to Private K.J. Arrowsmith, VX54102, 6th Line Section, 8 Div, Malaya via Prisoner of War Post, Australian Prisoners of War, C/o Prisoners of War Information Bureau Tokyo, Japan from his sister Polly (Mercia Castledine). “After the cholera had been evidence for a few days, the Nips decided that the works on the railway had to be carried on and so isolated all the cases (a number more had developed since we were first quarantined) and sent all other men back to work. By this time, the number of men unfit for work had increased tremendously and the medical officer and medical orderlies were hopelessly overworked. Volunteers were called for to assist in this cholera ward; a disease highly contagious and with a terrific death rate. This meant isolation, but did not deter many men from offering their services, Bob and Kevin Arrowsmith being selected.” - Through the Burma-Thailand Railway, pp234-5, author unknown This post card is significant for its rarity as very few ever made it through and were saved. In these instances the information provided by Polly was cryptic informing Kevin and Bob Arrowsmith that brother Eddie and brothers-in-law, Laurie Mears and Sid Castledine were all still alive.Digital image of original held in private collection of Joan Castledine, daughter of Sid and Polly (nee Arrowsmith) Castledine.bob arrowsmith, burma-thailand railway, eddie arrowsmith, joan castlemaine, kevin j. arrowsmith, laurie mears, lucy mears (nee arrowsmith), mercia (polly) castledine (nee arrowsmith), postcards, prisoner of war post, sid castledine

Digital file only - Digitised by EDHS from a scrapbook on loan from Beryl Bradbury (nee Stokes), daughter of Frank Stokes.beryl bradbury (nee stokes) collection, charles symons wingrove, culla hill, eltham common, eltham shire office, fred squire, gold, jack (dog), josiah holloway, justus jorgensen, kangaroo ground, max-meldrum, montmorency, musselwhite, railway station, russell yeoman, thomas sweeney, walter withers

Memories of Mrs Irene "Rennie" HarrisonDigital file only - Digitised by EDHS from a scrapbook on loan from Beryl Bradbury (nee Stokes), daughter of Frank Stokes.1939 bushfire, alf isherwood, annie bremmer, arthur munday, beryl bradbury (nee stokes) collection, bible street, bremmer's flat, buses, butcher, cheddar black, clarrie white, collis, dalton street, eltham hotel, eltham kindergaten, eltham lower park, eltham primary school, eltham railway station, eltham south kindergarten, eltham tea rooms, farmer walsh, franklin street, freddie griffiths, greengrocer, grocers, eltham infant welfare centre, irene rennie harrison, jack carrucan, josie shannon, justus jorgensen, len harrison, main road, markets, matcham skipper, metery road, milk bar, montsalvalt, mount pleasant road, shirley harrison, st margaret's church hall, wingrove park, reminscences

Digital file only - Digitised by EDHS from a scrapbook on loan from Beryl Bradbury (nee Stokes), daughter of Frank Stokes.beryl bradbury (nee stokes) collection, eltham community centre, eltham library, little eltham, montsalvat, railway line, t.m. holloway, trestle bridge

Colour photographic print1984-03, eltham, panther place, trestle bridge

Tait Red Rattler approaching Mont Albert Railway Station from Box Hill, c. Feb. 1964 See also EDHS_05402-2 both taken from the same location. adjacent to the end of present day Trafalgar StreetDigital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white transparencygeorge coop collection, red rattler, tait train, mont albert railway station

Climbing the hill from Surrey Hills having just crossed Mont Albert Road.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white transparencygeorge coop collection, harris (blue) train, mont albert railway station

Behind the train on the rear walls of buildings are advertising for Haydn Real Estate, Victoria Insurance Co. Ltd and K&M Murray selling Toppa Ice Cream.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white transparencygeorge coop collection, harris (blue) train, advertising, haydn real estate, k&m murray, toppa ice cream., victoria insurance co ltd

A T-class diesel-electric locomotive can bee seen through the window hauling a Tait train. Also advertising on the buildings facing passing train passengers including 'Dialyn's Theatre Shoppe for Nightingale Tightlets & Leotards'. This is not a conventional suburban Tait ‘Red Rattler’ service. It may have come from Lilydale where trains from both Warburton and Healsville were combined to continue the run into Melbourne, a normal service for them at the time. It is unusual as the train is hauled by a diesel which also suggests it may have been a special excursion train from either of those two towns. Normally these combined trains would be hauled by two swing door ‘Red Rattlers’ motor coaches from Lilydale, the start/end of electric service. Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white transparencygeorge coop collection, box hill railway signal box, box hill railway station, signal box

Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white transparencygeorge coop collection, box hill railway signal box, box hill railway station, signal box

VR Commissioner's Special train, steam locomotive D3-639 filling up with water at the coal hopper, Echuca Railway Station, 1962. The tender has been all polished up. THE ECHUCA COALING STAGE. Locomotives would stop alongside to receive coal dropped into their tenders from small overhead rail mounted tipping trays. Water could be obtained from either the elevated tank at one end or the connected standpipe at the opposite end. Locomotive firebox contents could be dumped into pits between the rails from locomotives once they were carefully positioned above them. Such locomotives then could move onto the Engine Shed area for overnight parking. Firebox fires would be re-lit when the locomotive was next needed in a day or so.Digital TIFF file Scan of black and white print enlargement on textured paper (14.5 x 21 cm)coal hopper, d3-639, d3-class steam locomotive, echuca railway station, george coop collection, vr commissioner's special train

Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white negative transparencygeorge coop collection, j-516, j-class steam locomotive (vulcan foundry), railway turntable, railway workshop, seymour, seymour railway station, n-464, n-class steam locomotive

Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white negative transparencygeorge coop collection, railway workshop, seymour, seymour railway station, d3-629, d3-class steam locomotive, railway turntable

Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white negative transparencygeorge coop collection, railway workshop, seymour, seymour railway station, k-162, k-class steam locomotive (vr newport workshops), railway turntable

Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white negative transparencygeorge coop collection, railway workshop, seymour, seymour railway station, railway turntable, n-464, n-class steam locomotive

Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white negative transparencygeorge coop collection, railway workshop, seymour, seymour railway station, railway turntable, d3-629, d3-class steam locomotive

Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white negative transparencygeorge coop collection, railway workshop, seymour, seymour railway station, railway turntable, d3-629, d3-class steam locomotive

Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white negative transparencygeorge coop collection, railway workshop, seymour, seymour railway station, railway turntable, d3-676, d3-class steam locomotive, k-186, k-class steam locomotive (vr newport workshops)

Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white negative transparencygeorge coop collection, railway workshop, seymour, seymour railway station, railway turntable, n-464, n-class steam locomotive

Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white negative transparencygeorge coop collection, railway workshop, seymour, seymour railway station

Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white negative transparencygeorge coop collection, railway workshop, seymour, seymour railway station, b class diesel-electric locomotive, b85, scan - 35mm negative, t-class diesel electric locomotive., t-326

THE ECHUCA COALING STAGE. Locomotives would stop alongside to receive coal dropped into their tenders from small overhead rail mounted tipping trays. Water could be obtained from either the elevated tank at one end or the connected standpipe at the opposite end. Locomotive firebox contents could be dumped into pits between the rails from locomotives once they were carefully positioned above them. Such locomotives then could move onto the Engine Shed area for overnight parking. Firebox fires would be re-lit when the locomotive was next needed in a day or so.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white negative transparencygeorge coop collection, echuca railway station, k-185, k-class steam locomotive (vr newport workshops), railway workshop

Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white negative transparencygeorge coop collection, echuca railway station, railway workshop, j-508, j-class steam locomotive (vulcan foundry), k-185, k-class steam locomotive (vr newport workshops), r-727, r-class steam locomotive

Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white negative transparencygeorge coop collection, echuca railway station, railway workshop, k-185, k-class steam locomotive (vr newport workshops)

Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white negative transparencygeorge coop collection, echuca railway station, railway workshop, j-508, j-class steam locomotive (vulcan foundry), k-185, k-class steam locomotive (vr newport workshops)

Image dated as November 1963 based on similar image in Port of Echuca collection (frame 33 of film) (print 19.5 x 24.5cm) On reverse in blue pen:" Photo by: George L. Coop Nov 1963". In pencil : " R Class goods 1948" (circled). Crossed out, in black pen: "563a" https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/59debc6021ea6f12dcaa22adDigital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white negative transparencyechuca railway station, george coop collection, r-727, railway workshop, r-class steam locomotive

Image dated as November 1963 based on same image in Port of Echuca collection (frame 33 of film) (print 19.5 x 24.5cm) On reverse in blue pen:" Photo by: George L. Coop Nov 1963". In pencil : " R Class goods 1948" (circled). Crossed out, in black pen: "563a" https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/59debc6021ea6f12dcaa22adDigital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white negative transparencyechuca railway station, george coop collection, r-727, railway workshop, r-class steam locomotive

This is a road and rail connection to Yea, Mansfield and Alexandra from Tallarook, Vic. The railway was converted many years ago into a long and spectacular rail trail. Photograph by George Burton Coop (George Coop's father).Digital TIFF file Scan of Kopdak 620 black and white negative transparencygeorge coop collection, k-157, k-class steam locomotive (vr newport workshops), trawool gap