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Otway Districts Historical SocietyPhotograph, Beech Forest township, c.1903, c.1903
J.W. Gardner erected premises in Beech Forest which formed the core of a village. No further progress was made until access was facilitated though the development of a narrow gauge railway approved by the Victorian Parliament in 1898. Construction commenced in 1900. From this time Colac and Geelong business interests began investment in Beech Forest and established various retail and service establishments over the next few years. In 1902 three early settlers, Gardner, Charles Buchanan and John Cockerill, divided part of their land or bought land which was sold to businesses. On these subdivisions were created saleyards, general stores, a post office, bakery, blacksmithing, banks, a police station and lock-up, a public hall, churches, a state school, bootmaker, butcher, solicitor's office, hairdresser, billiard's saloon and newsagency.B/W. 188mm x 266mm. A general view of Beech Forest township in c.1903.beech forest; township; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyPhotograph, Train between Dinmont and Beech Forest, c.1915, c.1915
B/W. A train for Beech Forest between Dinmont and Beech Forest in c.1915.beech forest; dinmont; railways; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyPhotograph, Gellibrand station, 1922, 1922
Gellibrand station became the railhead for traffic to the Carlisle River and Lardners, as well as the centre of timber and fruit trade. Outward loading was substantial at the time the photograph was taken. Sawn and split timber, firewood, sleepers and piles were loaded in large quantities. The general expansion in traffic led in October 1923 to the laying of an additional loop siding and provision for a goods shed., B/W. In 1922, Gellibrand station with passengers and workmen on the station concourse, and NQR wagons aligned ready to move. Note the water tank on the left and the start of the Refreshment Room on the right.gellibrand; railways; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyPhotograph, Kawarren: an UP goods train, 1958, 14 December 1958
Kawarren was an early timber and limestone loading point. Timber was shipped in by Watson and Facey, Condon Brothers, and Coppock, amongst others, some of which had tramways up to 6.5 km long to the station. Bushfires roared through the area in 1939 and made the area unworkable. An outcrop of limestone existed near Kawarren but it was not until the railway was built that it became workable. 360 metres north of Kawarren station two then three kilns were erected, and later a shed and covered area over a short length of the rail siding in order to prevent rain damage to the lime while it was being loaded. Sluicing was introduced, and the tramway was extended further when the quarry ate deeper into the hillside. Limestone traffic of around 2,000 tonnes each year kept the station busy until the trade ceased in 1957.B/W. On the 14 December 1958 at Kawarren an UP goods train shunts on the siding. A man is talking to the engine driver while another man approaches the engine.kawarren; railways; timber; lime; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyPhotograph, Taking water at Wimba tank, 8 January 1958
Wimba station is 37.3 km south of Colac. This station, originally called "Bunding", opened with the line in in March, 1902, as an unnamed stopping place. It was renamed "Wimba" on 17 November, 1902. A water tank for locomotive requirements was placed on the side of a hill about 100 metres south of the station. Wimba was not provided with a loop siding but had a passenger shelter until 1936 when the roads took over. A sheep race was provided near the passenger shelter. The station closed with the line.B/W. An UP goods train loaded with pulp wood on NQR wagons and two NC guard's vans taking water at Wimba tank on 8 January 1958. wimba; railways; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyPhotograph, Train climbing between Gellibrand and Beech Forest
B/W. An NA class engine, a number of NQR open wagons, two NUU louvre vans and a NC guard's van climb between Gellibrand and Beech Forest. A man stands near the engine.beech forest; gellibrand; railways; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyPhotograph, Beech Forest: Locomotive 5A during construction, c.1902, c.1902
In 1898 a recommendation for a railway of 2 ft 6 in gauge was handed down by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways, to cost $138,000. Construction began in 1900. About 100 men were engaged in laying and ballasting the track while others, not included in the 100, formed the earthworks, culverts and bridges. Locomotive operations initially were two 2-6-2 Tank engines of the narrow gauge A class, dubbed "Coffee Pots", and these were used on the work trains between 1900 and 1902. Because of the lengthy periods of waiting time required to unload sleepers and rails or to load ballast meant that a handy replenishment of coal and water supply was necessary. With earthworks specified to the bare minimum landslips in the narrow cuttings were frequent so a repairer was stationed in each length to deal quickly with minor slips until 1904 when the cuttings were widened.B/W. The driver and seven other men on locomotive 5A and its flat cars at Beech Forest during construction of the line in c.1902. beech forest; railways; loco 5a; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyPhotograph, Narrow gauge construction camp near Colac, c.1900
Construction of the Colac-Beech Forest railway line commenced in 1900 and the first activities were the work gangs and their camps. About 100 men were engaged in laying and ballasting the track while others formed the earthworks and the building of culverts and bridges. The first camp was established eight kilometres from Colac, the second 12 km south, and the remainder spaced at similar distances as the work progressed. The camps were served by butchers and bakers from Colac that visited them as many times each week to satisfy the mens' requirements. Many of the men had their families with them. They all lived in tents that consisted of a wooden floor around which the canvas cover was built. A calico partition divided the eating and sleeping quarters, and all cooking was done in camp ovens or at open fires.B/W. 158mm x 203mm. Near Colac, a narrow gauge construction camp comprising 21 workmen, a horse, and two tipping trays.construction camp; railways; colac; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyPhotograph, Surveying construction near Barongarook, 1900, 1900
In 1898 a recommendation for a railway of 2 ft 6 in gauge was handed down by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways, to cost $138,000. Construction of the Colac-Beech Forest railway line began in 1900. About 100 men were employed in laying and ballasting the track while others formed the earthworks and the building of culverts and bridges. The earthworks of gravel ballast 150 mm deep were formed by horse and scoop or by shovel. Once the bed had been laid surveyors went along to check the layout, particularly all check rail curves and all 100 metre curves which the surveyors in the picture are doing.B/W. Three men surveying the construction of a curved bed on which track will be laid, near Barongarook, Victoria.colac; beech forest; barongarook; railways; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyPhotograph, Survey camp for Colac-Beech Forest railway, 1901, 1901
Plans for a rail connection between Colac and Beech Forest had been drawn up in 1884 and 1889 but proofed inconclusive because of the enormous cost involved in building a railway in such difficult terrain. Because of the financial depression in the early 1890s such expenditure went of hold. Towards the end of the decade planners recognised that a narrow gauge could be a viable alternative and it was taken up by the community, Parliamentary representatives and the government, although Victorian Railways administration was against the idea. This was overridden. The 1898 Parliament approved a 2 foot 6 inch gauge from Colac to Beech Forest although strict financial limits were set. The route was to be the most direct and the infrastructure the most basic. Construction began in 1900 entailing very steep grades and myriad curves until it finished in 1902. Surveyors and their assistants came before and during the track laying for the whole distance.B/W. Survey camp for the Colac-Beech Forest railway in 1901, showing nine tents, ten men including a cook, survey instruments, and three bicycles. Note the cooking fire on the right.colac: beech forest; railways; survey; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyPhotograph, Opening banquet, Colac-Beech Forest railway line, 1902, 27 February 1902
While the first train arrived at Beech Forest on 17 February, 1902, as a special train for a race meeting at Beech Forest Turf Club, two special trains ran for the official opening of the railway by the State Governor, Sir George Sydenham Clarke, KCMG, R.E., F.R.S., that took place on 27 February, 1902. After seeing round the area the guests attended a celebration of the opening at a banquet at Beech Forest. The menu included four impressive courses, coffee and cognac, and included a number of toasts - The King, the Governor, the Minister and the Parliament of the State, Success to the Beech Forest Railway, the Colac Shire Council and the Railway Trust, and the Railway Department, a total of 19 people speaking. The official guests then returned to Colac.B/W. Opening banquet for the Colac-Beech Forest railway line in 1902. The State Governor, Sir George Sydenham Clarke, KCMG, the Premier of Victoria, Hon. A.J. Peacock, MLA, and a number of other important people seated at the top table, with other guests seated to the left and right.beech forest; railways; banquet; colac; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyPhotograph, A reverse or S curve, Colac-Beech Forest railway, 1901, 1901
B/W. A reverse or S curve on the Colac-Beech Forest railway line, taken in 1901.colac; beech forest; railways; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyPhotograph, Bend 21.5 miles looking south, 1901
Banool station is 34.1 km down the railway line from Colac: this photograph was taken 34.6 km down the line, half a kilometre onwards.B/W. A bend in the line 21.5 miles (34.6 km) looking south.banool; beech forest; railways; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyPhotograph, Gellibrand ballast pit siding, c.1902
In 1902 a ballast siding was opened 4 km south of Gellibrand to provide materials for track construction. A spur siding with a capacity for six trucks was cut into the side of a slope. Above this was erected a loading bin and chute. The stone proved to be of durable quality so the siding continued after 1902 for periodic track re-ballasting works. The points were set for the main line and spiked shut when the siding was not in use. By the mid-1920s the Victorian Railways found it more economic to use ballast from Penshurst, so the siding was closed by 1925 and the rails lifted.B/W. Gellibrand ballast pit siding at 19 miles (30.6 km) south of Colac. gellibrand; gellibrand siding; railways; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyBook, Here comes Puffing Billy!
The Puffing Billy Preservation Society came into existence by a popular desire to retain something of our narrow gauge railway past, leisurely in this age but a boon to the sparsely settled areas it served in the past. It served the Wangaratta-Whitefield line, the Upper Ferntree Gully-Gembrook line, the Colac-Beech Forest-Crowes line, and the Moe-Walhalla line, the last railway line served being the Colac-Beech Forest line. None of these railways were a paying proposition but they played an important part in the areas they served. Nowadays, the last bit of line is a portion of the Upper Ferntree Gully-Gembrook line, from Belgrave to Lakeside, run by the Society. The Engine Shed has several small NA-class locomotives with NBH excursion carriages, and at the moment the Garratt G class in pieces. Here comes Puffing Billy! Puffing Billy Preservation Society; Belgrave (Vic); nd (after Aug. 1962). 18 p.; illus., maps. Soft cover.puffing billy preservation society; railways; wangaratta; whitefield; upper frentree gully; gembrook; colac; beech forest; crowes; moe; walhalla; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyPhotograph, Beech Forest railway terminus, 1902, 1902
B/W. Beech Forest railway terminus showing two inspecting officers upon a railway trolley on No.2 track near a shed..beech forest; railways; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyPhotograph, Wimba: Inspecting officers, 1902, 1902
B/W. Two inspecting officers examining newly built lines near Wimba in 1902.wimba; railways; beech forest; colac; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyBooklet, The Ballad of Cliff Young. Al Simmons, May 1983
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; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyBook, Great Ocean Road. K.G. Stepnell, 1972
The Great Ocean Road may be the only road in the world which was built as a war memorial. In 1916, much of Australia was poorly served by roads, and it was suggested that returning servicemen could be given worthwhile employment by building roads in isolated areas. The plan was taken up for the Great Ocean Road, and work was dedicated to the memory of men who had fallen in World War 1. The road itself is a great feat of engineering. It wind around some of Australia's most rugged coastline. Now it is one of the world's most scenic routes, crossing gorges, along precipitous cliffs, through dense forests, and over steeply rolling coastline country.Great Ocean Road. K.G. Stepnell. 1st ed. Rigby Limited; Adelaide (S.A.); 1972. 36 p.; illus., maps. Hard cover. ISBN 0 85179 371 1great ocean road; roads; fishing; timber; twelve apostles; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyRecord, The Puffing Billy song / The local baby show
45 rpm stereo. Side 1: The Puffing Billy song: Victoria's famous narrow gauge train. Alan Rowe (pianist); Tom Mitchell (organist). Side 2: The local baby show. Alan Rowe (comedian, pianist). Fidelis Records; Vermont (Vic); nd. comedy; music; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyPhotograph, Potato planting worked by Ern Minchington, 1932, 1932
B/W. Early potato planting with two horses pulling a disc plough in front of a seed potato planter, worked by Ern Minchington. Note the boot of the following man.ern minchington; potatoes; horses; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyBook, Potato diseases in Australia, 1911
Potatoes are known for their great liability to disease, suffering more from the ravages of fungi than any other crop, and this is largely owing to the fact that they are propagated from tubers which are just swollen portions of underground branches of the stem. Portions of the parent plant in the form of tubers or cuttings are planted year after year, so that any inherent weakness in the original is transmitted to the offspring, and therefore, without a process of selection, deterioration is sure to occur sooner or later. When the tubers are raised from seed and a good selection made from them, they are less liable to disease at least for a number of years. Handbook of fungus diseases of the potato in Australia and their treatment. D. McAlpine. 1st ed. Department of Agriculture, Victoria; Melbourne (Vic); 1911. x, 314 p.; illus., map. Hard cover.potatoes; disease; fungus; agriculture; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyBook, Schedule of prizes, RASV, 1936, 1936
Schedule of prizes (including Champion prizes of Australia), Sixty-fifth Grand Agricultural Exhibition, 17th to 26th September, 1936. The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria; Melbourne (Vic); 1936. 336 p.; illus.; index to advertisers. Soft cover. agriculture; horses; cattle; sheep; pigs; poultry; birds; farm produce; machinery; dairy produce; wine; fruits; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyCertificate, Australian Natives Association, Certificate of Membership, 1906, November 1906
At the beginning of February 1903 a few men covered the district to see whether the time was ripe to form a Beech Forest branch of the Australian Natives Association. They were surprised at the response from intending members so they contacted the Colac branch who sent up some members as a follow-up. 51 said they would become benefit members and 5 would become honorary members. As a result on the 26 February 1903 a branch of the Australian Natives Association was established in Beech Forest. At a meeting where 40 people were present, Mr. T.M. Burke, the Victorian President, spoke to the meeting, outlining the aims, objects and benefits of the ANA and saying that the Victorian membership was 22,000. He then installed the several officers of the newly constituted Beech Forest branch. By August 1906 the Beech Forest branch membership was moving ahead with sixteen new members being proposed. Mr Fred Cookson was one of them, and he and the other new members were given their Certificates of Membership on the 14 November, 1906.Australian Natives Association, Certificate of Membership, certifying that Mr Fred Cookson of Beech Forest was elected a member of the Beech Forest Branch No.211 on the 14th day of November 1906. Signed by Arthur D. Freeman, President of the Association, and F.C. Wainwright, General Secretary.australian natives association; ana; beech forest; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyPhotograph, Harrington's Hotel, Lavers Hill, 1921, 1921
The Lavers Hill Hotel was established in about 1906. The publicans were Messrs. Hedley, Tom McGrath, Pat Harrington and F. Betteridge. When Tom McGrath was publican the hotel boasted 20 rooms and first-class stabling. Pat Harrington when publican supported the local football club when it was formed, and soon after owned the General Store from 1924 until 1926. When a census officer collecting statistical information asked Mrs Harrington, "What does your husband do?" the answer quickly came, "Well now, what could you say Pat has ever done." The hotel burnt done in 1930.B/W. Harrington's Laver Hill Hotel, with one woman approaching the hotel from the left and three people on a very long, two-dimension veranda.lavers hill; hotel; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyDocument, Derryl Towers: Letter to the Editor (Draft), 1964, 12 January 1964
Derryl Towers wrote to the editor of the Colac Herald about his concerns about the proposal for a loan to create a new municipal workshop and Shire Engineer's office in the Apollo Bay riding. He made several points: a lack of attendance at the poll could bring the matter back to the Council table again; the representative of the Regional Committee is exploring some downward adjustment in Shire contributions; 2/3 of the Shire is reserved for water catchment or timber purposes, in effect a national asset; that the Council Sub-committee's report was sound; all Councillor's agree that new buildings are a necessity; and if we spend money on the loan to renovate old buildings what happens to the proposal for new buildings? Derryl Towers, Letter to the editor. Handwritten, 4 pages, draft, quarto. shire of otway; ratepayers; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyPrize, Romsey and West Bourke Agricultural Society, Potato Show, 1927, 1927
A particular triumph for Alfred Joseph Towers was his win at the Romsey and West Bourke Agricultural Society's Annual Potato Show in 1927, taking the trophy from the best potato growers in Victoria, and from the Romsey district in particular, which at that time was famed for its potato production and quality. His father, David Towers, came second in the cup competion. Romsey and West Bourke Agricultural Society, Annual Potato Show, 14 June 1927, Second Prize, for Cup Competition, exhibited by D. Towers (Beech Forest). A.R. Wilson, President: H.M. White, Secretary.romsey; west bourke; potatoes; prize; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyPrize, Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria, Prizes, 1927-1933, 1927-1933
Cards. The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria, Grand Annual Exhibition: (a) 1927; First Prize; D. Towers; Potatoes, Class 1289 No.5562, Henry Schwieger, Secretary. (b) 1927; Second Prize; D. Towers; Potatoes, Carman No 3, Class 1271 No.5437; Henry Schwieger, Secretary. (c) 1929; Third Prize; D. Towers; Potatoes, Carman No 1, Class 1329 No.6186; Henry Schwieger, Secretary. (d) 1930; Third Prize; D. Towers; Potatoes, Class 1349 No.61217; Henry Schwieger, Manager. (e) 1931; Third Prize; D. Towers; Potatoes, Class 1352 No.6456; Henry Schwieger, Manager. (f) 1932; First Prize; D. Towers; Potatoes (1 standard sack), Class 1367 No.7380; Louis Monod, Secretary. (g) 1933; Second Prize; Mrs L. Towers; Potatoes, Carman No 3, Class 1352 No.7434; Louis Monod, Secretary. (h) 1933; Second Prize; Mrs L. Towers; Potatoes, Class 1356 No.7445; Louis Monod, Secretary.the royal agricultural society of victoria; rasv; show; exhibition; potatoes; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyDocument, A bite on the Beechy. Norman Houghton, c.2011
A bite on the Beechy. Norman Houghton. Norman Houghton; Geelong (Vic); c.2011. 7 p.; refs. Paper.beech forest; colac; railways; gellibrand; wyelangta; lavers hill; crowes; -
Otway Districts Historical SocietyPhotograph, Timber from Beech Forest, c.1910
B/W. An NA-class engine pulling laden timber trucks around a curve with one man leaning out of the engine, two men standing outside at either end of the locomotive, and five men astride the trucks.beech forest; railways;
