About 1912 work began at Newmerella on clearing the track for the railway line from Bairnsdale to Orbost. A canvas town sprang up on the higher land adjacent to the river flats. Local farmers supplied meat, milk and fresh produce to the camp, as well as gaining employment carting and labouring. The line opened in 1916, the Orbost railway station being built on the Newmerella side of the river. This item is associated with the history of the Orbost-Bairnsdale railway line and therefore reflects the role that the rail line played in the social and economic history of Orbost. On April 10 1916, the first scheduled train service left Orbost for Bairnsdale. The Bairnsdale-Orbost railway was opened to serve the agricultural and timber industry. Because of the decline in traffic and heavy operating costs, the line was finally closed in August, 1987.A black / white photograph of a group of people standing next to a train carriage.orbost-railway east-gippsland-railway celebration-opening-of railway

Edward James Pardew died in 26/9/1927 aged 92. He came to Orbost from New Zealand in 1886 and selected 720 acres of hill land in the Brodribb area. He was a member of the first Orbost Shire Council. His daughter had a fruit & meat shop in McLeod Street. He was an inaugural vestryman of St James Church of England. Edward Pardew was a prominent Orbost citizen in the late 19th / early 20th century.A black / white photograph of a bearded man wearing a hat sitting on a horse. He is holding a horse whip. a riding crop. Behind him is a fenced house.pardew-edward

Women's magazines developed rapidly through the 1800's reflecting marketing and social changes. Publications evolved from being journals aimed at the middle class to cheaper, chattier more domestic magazines more widely available. Alice Letitia Swan was the daughter of Edward Swan (tinsmith and plumber at Orbost) and Emma Dinah Jefferson. Alice married Herman Oswald (Ossie) Wehner (blacksmith, Orbost) on 4-4-1923. She was born in 1899 in Omeo and died 14-6-1979, aged 80 in Orbost.(info. from John Phillips)These are early 20th century examples of English women's magazines. They give practical advice on needlework and they evidence the widespread interest in contemporary fashion. In doing so they show what were the fashionable, but broadly affordable, women's and children's clothing styles of their day. These magazines also reflect women's interests in fiction at that time.Two magazines, titled The Lady's Companion. 2424.1 was printed on 21.1.1911 and cost one penny. 2424.2 is dated 25.11.1916 and is titled Leach's Lady's Companion and has a pink cover. Both contain illustrations of the current fashions, interesting facts and selected fiction. 2424.2 : on back in red pen - Miss Alice Swan Nicholson St Orbostwomen's-magazines lady's-companion swan-alice

Orbost Aero Club began in 1969 with Basil Dowie as Chair, David Nixon as Secretary/Treasurer. The group went into recess from 1977-1991 closing in 1997. The mid 1960s were boom years in flying training in Australia and the number of Aero Clubs grew rapidly. The Club played a significant role in the establishment of the small airport at Marlo and in the ongoing operation and development of the airport over the years particularly for patient transfer by aerial ambulance. The Orbost Aero Club Club played a significant role in the establishment of the small airport at Marlo and in the ongoing operation and development of the airport over the years. Four unused letter heads for the Orbost Aero Club to be used before its incorporation. They have 4 holes punched on the left hand side. Five unused letter heads to be used by the Orbost Aero Club after incorporation. Four labelled envelopes. All are white with dark blue print and have the Orbost Aero Club logo.orbost-aero-club stationery

This photograph is of Orbost Shire Councillor, F. A. Nixon who represented East Riding in 1908 to 1916. He was president in 1916.This item is associated with the Orbost Shire Council. The shire covered an area of 9,347 square kilometres and existed from 1892 until 1994 when it became part of the East Gippsland Shire Council.A black / white photograph portrait of a young man in a suit.on back - "Cr F.A. Nixon"nixon-f.a. orbost-shire-council

This photograph was taken inside the Orbost Butter Factory. The person standing near the large piece of equipment might be Ray Holmes. The Orbost Butter and Produce Co. Ltd was registered on June 1st 1893 and was an important source of income to the Orbost district for many years.A b/w photograph of a man in white overalls and black boots with white soles. He is standing to the right of a large butter churn.

The seed bean industry was a major industry in the Orbost district for the first half of the 20th century. The total area sown with beans for seed at Orbost was estimated to be about 1000 acres. Fisher Bros, grew or supervised the growing of approximately one quarter of the bean seed produced at Orbost, and, in addition, prepared for market and sold a considerable quantity for other growers. From Newsletter February 2015 : "the Fishers took over the old Butter Factory in Lochiel Street. They had sorting tables there in the 1920s. In Orbost, the Fishers had a Shell fuel depot at the back of the bean factory. The Fishers were very enterprising people, very smart. One of their uncles is supposed to have invented the knot that was used to tie the sheaves of hay in the fields. At their Lochend Barn, they had a Blackstone engine which ran on oil. They used to light a fire under it and hot it up to start it. This engine drove all the bean machinery in the barn" The seed bean industry was a major industry in the Orbost district for the first half of the 20th century. the Fisher Brothers were a significant part of that industry.A black / white photograph tajen from a river bank. On the right behind some trees is a barn. On the left between tres is a small building. Reflections can be seen in the water.on back - "Snowy River, Fisher barn on right. Mary Gilbert"bean-industry fisher-beans snowy-river

Booklet - free with the English Woman's Weekly. Booklet describes different dress up ideas with instruction of some outfitsBooklet " The Woman's Weekly Fancy Dress book'. Booklet describes various dress ups with some instructions.children, dressup, fancy dress

Boutique Relove was a retailer of second-hand retail womens' fashion. Business closed c. 2012.Coloured business cardboutique relove, para road greensborough

All Things Safety Wear is a Briar Hill business selling work wear and safety equipment.Coloured business cardall things safety wear, sherbourne road

This is a booklet with a buff-coloured cover with black binding covering metal staples.The cover has images of the Warrnambool Exhibition buildings, local scenes, aboriginals and bush scenes surrounded by scroll patterns. The booklet contains many pages of advertising, black and white photographs of scenes of Warrnambool and district and printed text.non-fictionsouvenir booklet of 1896-7 Warrnambool Industrial and Art Exhibitionwarrnambool industrial and art exhibition, joseph jordan

This ledger was used bt the Shire of Orbost local government to record Country Roads Board accounts 1950's and 1960's. The item was donated to Orbost & District Historical society from P.R.O.V. as a Place of Deposit (POD) item for safe keeping by a local history group or museum. The shire covered an area of 9,347 square kilometres and existed from 1892 until 1994 when it became part of the East Gippsland Shire Council. Orbost was at first included in the Bairnsdale Shire from 1882 and was later part of the Tambo Shire. Because of travelling distances the Croajingalong Shire was created in 1892 (name changed to Orbost Shire 17.2.1893 with James Cameron as the first Shire President. In 1994 it amalgamated to become part of East Gippsland Shire Council. The Country Roads Board was the government authority for the construction and maintenance of main roads in Victoria between 1913 and 1983. It was succeeded by the Road Construction authority on 1 July 1983 and later merged with the Road Traffic Authority on July 1 1989 to form the Roads Corporation. James Cameron, an Orbost farming pioneer and Member of the Legislative Assembly, fathered the Country Roads Board. This ledger is a hand-written record of accounts for the Orbost Shire local council. It pre-dates computer records. The Orbost Shire Council no longer exists having been absorbed into the East Gippsland Shire Council.A heavy brown coloured ledger with covered wooden covers. it has steel metal binding. Inside are strips of paper marking pages. It contains blue ink hand-written records of monies in/out (?) to Shire of Orbost Council. On the front cover inside a black rectangle in gold print is " LEDGER COUNTRY ROADS BOARD ACCOUNT ORBOST". It is an "Emu Binder".ledger orbost-shire accounts country-roads-board

The 1971 flood was the the worst flood on record. At Jarrahmond it was at least 11 metres and up to one and a half kilometres wide on the flats causing enormous damage to the flood plain. Records say that "The brown floodwater stain in Bass Strait could be seen from passing airliners." Considerable damage was done to railway infrastructure, roads and farms. More information from the APRIL, 2008 newsletter by John Phillips. (see orbosthistory.com.au) These newspapers are contemporary records of a significant local event.Four newspapers relating to the floods in 1971. They contain news articles and photographs of the floods in Orbost in early 1971. 2556.1 is the Weekly Times dated 3.3.1971 and has an orange cover. 2556.2 is a Snowy River Mail dated 17.2.1971. 2556.3 is a Snowy River Mail dated 10.2.1971. 2556.4 is a Snowy River Mail dated 3.3.1971.floods-orbost-1971 snowy-river-mail weekly-times newspapers

This is the twenty-second issue of the annual Orbost High School magazine. The name Croajingolong derives from the Australian Aboriginal Krauatungalung words galung, meaning "belonging to" and kraua, meaning "east". 2217.1 belonged to Mary Gilbert, a former teacher at the school. 2217.2 belonged to Brenda Murray, a former East Gippsland Shire mayor and prominent Orbost resident. 2217.3 belonged to Mr and Mrs Shelton. This magazine is a useful reference tool.Three copies of Croajingolong 1969. It has a white cardboard cover with black print. On the cover is a stylised "CROAJINGOLONG".2217.1 - has Mr & Mrs Shelton in blue pen on the front cover 2217.2 has Brenda Murray in pen on front covercroajingolong orbost-high-school

This photograph was taken while crowds are singing Auld Lang Syne at the end of the 1962 Golden Jubilee celebrations for the Orbost High School.Orbost High School / Orbost Secondary College has played a significant part in the education of senior students in the Orbost district . It is the sole senior educational institution. This item is representative of its history.A black / white photograph of a large group of people holding hands and singing. It is night time.on back - "Auld Lang Syne 1962"education-orbost orbost-high-school-golden-jubilee

These documents were written and prepared for Lindsay Thomson, Scott Street, Orbost. The correspondence is for costing of freight delivered for use by Lindsay as a builder.These documents are associated with the history of the Orbost-Bairnsdale railway line and therefore reflects the role that the rail line played in the social and economic history of Orbost.Seven documents relating rail freight. Two are cash deposit accounts to Lindsay Thomson from Victorian Railways. There is correspondence and receipts referring to the rail freight. Both typed and hand-written information.2609.1 on back handwritten in pen "L D Thom(p)sonthomson-lindsay railway-freight accounts

A small booklet witha bright orange cover, titled :Recipe Book For Thinkers" in black print.book-recipes andrews-robert-h.

This photograph is part of the Mary Gilbert Collection. This photo shows the first Orbost State School which is now known as Ruskin Street Primary School. "The 19th of March 1886 proved an important day in the lives of many early settlers in the Orbost area, because on this day the Orbost State School opened. The fact that the school had first operated tem­porarily in a leased building, and on a half-time basis with SS2745 Jarrahmond, did not dampen the enthusiasm of the local inhabitants as they saw their offspring commence their education under the guidance of HT Campbell Mackay. However he remained in charge only until 12th of May 1886. The second HT, John Rowe, served until 1908. On 30th of June 1887, a portable room was provided; it being brought to the area by schooner. The school now had accommodation for 30 pupils; the teacher's welfare was considered because quarters of two rooms were attached. As the population increased so did the needs of the school. This was reflected in the provision of a larger classroom in 1898. During 1910-11 the first approaches were made to the Department for the establishment of a HES in Orbost and this became a reality in 1912. Orbost HES supplied post-primary education in the district until a high school was built in 1948. When fire destroyed the school in 1941 local halls were used as classrooms until a new school was built. Work was quite rapid and a new brick structure was opened by the Hon. A. E. Lind, MLA, on 13th of February 1942. This new building was a fine type of school of which both the pupils and the HT Leslie Collins were indeed proud. But Orbost continued to develop and the new school was soon over­taxed. This resulted in the erection of two Bristol classrooms in 1947. By 1950, when the school population had reached 500 pupils the opening of the new school at Orbost North was welcomed by all concerned. In 1963 the Department purchased land diagonally opposite the school and developed it as a playing area. In 1965 two LTCs were opened in November, and in October 1968 the Brodribb School building was moved to SS2744 Orbost for use as a general purpose room." (re.f Schools East Gippsland")This item is associated with education in Orbost.A black / white photograph showing a group of children posed in front of a wooden school building. A sign on the building has "STATE SCHOOL No. 2744"3127.1 - "front row left is W.J. Cameron" 3127.2 - "Teachers, Mr Rowe, Miss Lucy Watt (sewing) back row Mrs Kerr (Hilda Temple) Miss Hofen back left W. Roadknight 4 from left back Annie Cameron 1 left centre row" 3127.3 - as per above education-orbost state-school-orbost

The first meeting to form an Agricultural society in Orbost was convened by the then Orbost Progress Association and held in the Mechanics Hall on Saturday, 10th October 1891. Its first show was held on 3rd March 1904...on a site alongside the Bonang Road where the present Golf Club stands. It is currently held at the Recreation Reserve at Newmerella. Ref: In Times Gone By-Deborah Hall This program is for the 46th annual show in 1939.This item is associated with the Orbost Agricultural Society 's Annual Show which has been a major event in Orbost for over a century. Agricultural shows are an important part of cultural life in small country towns and the Orbost Show is an integral part of Orbost 's agricultural history. A thin grey book with red stripes on the cover. In black print is " 46th Annual Show 1939 Saturday 11th March".orbost-agricultural-show events

This is the thirteenth issue of the Orbost High School magazine. The name Croajingolong derives from the Australian Aboriginal Krauatungalung words galung, meaning "belonging to" and kraua, meaning "east". It belonged to Mary Gilbert, a former teacher at the school.This is the thirteenth issue of the Orbost High School magazine and is a useful reference tool.A magazine with a pale blue cover. Dark blue printing : Croajingolong and the Orbost High School crest of a sheaf of corn inside a double oval with Orbost High School and its motto " acti labores iucundi". Vol. No 13 1960.This publication has been professionally printed and contains photographs.croajingolong orbost-high-school

This photograph shows an early Orbost Agricultural Show committee. Included in the photograph are: Phil Nixon; John Johnston; Percy Morris; Harry Richardson; Arthur Saunders; Archie Rodwell; Geo. Nixon; J. Warren; John Draffin; W. Fisher; D.R. Norris; Paul Hocking; Waller; JasHossack; Jim Cameron; John Cameron. The first meeting to form an Agricultural society in Orbost was convened by the then Orbost Progress Association and held in the Mechanics Hall on Saturday, 10th October 1891. Its first show was held on 3rd March 1904...on a site alongside the Bonang Road where the present Golf Club stands. It is currently held at the Recreation Reserve at Newmerella. (Ref: In Times Gone By-Deborah Hall) This item is associated with the Orbost Agricultural Society 's Annual Show which has been a major event in Orbost for over a century. Agricultural shows are an important part of cultural life in small country towns and the Orbost Show is an integral part of Orbost 's agricultural history. A large black / white photograph of a large group of men outside a wooden building. There is a tank on the left side. Some men are standing, some sitting and the man if front is lying , leaning on his elbow. There is a smaller copy of same photograph.on front - "show committee"orbost-agricultural-show-committee

This photograph has been taken looking up McLeod Street, Orbost from the present farmers' store towards the Club Hotel in 1897.This is a pictorial record of the Orbost township in the late 19th century.A black / white photograph of a street scene. The road is unsealed and there are several wooden buildings. A man can be seen on the left side.orbost-township mcleod-street-orbost

this book was used by Max Gall when a student at Orbost Higher Elementary School. he was in Form 111 and the book was his poetry book.This item is representative of students' work in the 1940's and is useful for comparison in the development of education in Victoria.An exercise with a mottled brown cover - a St George exercise book - with a knight on a horse at the top. It has hand - written details ," Max Gall Form 111 O.H.S.Poetry"on front : " Max Gall Form 111 O.H.S.Poetry"education-orbost exercise-book-poetry gall-max

These four photographs show the construction of the Princes Freeway on the eastern edge near the cemetery. of the Orbost township. The road is from the eastern entrance to the cemetery.These photographs are pictorial records of the construction of roads in Orbost.Four black / white photographs of road construction machinery.road-construction-orbost roadwork-orbost-cemetery

This model was inspired by the Morgan barn on the Marlo Road, Orbost. It was built by Chris Hodge for the launch of the book, "Barns of the Snowy River" ( Reg. No.2138)The slatted barns are unique to the Orbost district.A wooden model of a three-storeyed slatted barn. The scale is approximately 30:1.The roof is corrugated cardboard painted silver. The waater tank is a tin can covered with corrugated cardboard. The down pipes are made from drinking straws. It stands on ply board.model handcraft woodwork barn

This is a photograph of Councillor Charles Henry Grove who represented South Riding on the Orbost Shire Council. from 1893 - 1901. He was president in 1893-1894, 1895-1896 and 1900-1901. He also served on the Tambo Shire prior to the formation of the Croajingolong / Orbost Shire. Charles Henry [Carl] Grove died on 17/4/1938 at Box Hill at the age of 88 and was buried in Orbost. Prior to coming to the Snowy River district, Carl worked as overseer on Buchan Station. In 1880, he selected land at Newmerella after first coming here in 1874 with early selector James A Robertson. He married Annie Robertson in 1876. Carl was a farmer, hop and seed grower and nurseryman. He was an elected Councillor of the newly formed Tambo Shire in 1882, and then in 1892 to the Orbost Shire where he served for many years filling various public roles. In 1911, he shifted to Queensland, but later returned to Victoria and died at Box Hill. (info. Newsletter 113)This item is associated with the Orbost Shire Council. The shire covered an area of 9,347 square kilometres and existed from 1892 until 1994 when it became part of the East Gippsland Shire Council. It is associated with Carl Grove, a prominent early Orbost citizen.A black / white head and shoulders portrait photograph of a bearded man in a suit. There is also a framed copy.grove-charles-henry grove-carl orbost-shire-council

This is a photograph of Councillor Charles Henry Grove who represented South Riding on the Orbost Shire Council. from 1893 - 1901. He was president in 1893-1894, 1895-1896 and 1900-1901. He also served on the Tambo Shire prior to the formation of the Croajingolong / Orbost Shire. Charles Henry [Carl] Grove died on 17/4/1938 at Box Hill at the age of 88 and was buried in Orbost. Prior to coming to the Snowy River district, Carl worked as overseer on Buchan Station. In 1880, he selected land at Newmerella after first coming here in 1874 with early selector James A Robertson. He married Annie Robertson in 1876. Carl was a farmer, hop and seed grower and nurseryman. He was an elected Councillor of the newly formed Tambo Shire in 1882, and then in 1892 to the Orbost Shire where he served for many years filling various public roles. In 1911, he shifted to Queensland, but later returned to Victoria and died at Box Hill. (info. Newsletter 113Carl Grove was a prominent early Orbost citizen.A small square head and shoulders photograph of a man. It is attached to a white card with tape.on front - "Mr C. Grove"grove-charles