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Orbost & District Historical Society
black and white photograph, 1920s -1930s
... of Orbost in East Gippsland. The first white settler arrived... of Orbost in East Gippsland. The first white settler arrived ...The Cabbage Tree Creek township was originally established to support the booming timber industry of the mid 20th century. Five timber mills worked full time supporting the families that were drawn to the area's wealth of natural resources. The settlement of Cabbage Tree Creek is located on the Princes Highway, 27 km east of Orbost in East Gippsland. The first white settler arrived in the valley in 1887 cutting a dray track from Marlo to the south-west. Several families cleared the alluvial flats, growing maize, peas and beans and raising pigs, cattle and sheep. Later the farmers milked cows, sending cream to Orbost. In the late 1890s, small quantities of alluvial gold were found in the creek. A school commenced classes in 1913, but enrolment was small and at times the school operated part time with several other small schools in the area. The school building served as a hall for the district. From the 1920s the Cabbage Tree Hotel catered to drivers on the improved Princes Highway. (info. from Victorian Places)This is a pictorial record of Cabbage Tree, East Gippsland in the late 20th century. It shows a building that no longer exists.A small black / white photograph of a single storey timber building. On a sign below the roof is "Cabbage Tree Hotel". The hotel is surrounded by a wooden picket fence. A man and woman are standing on either side of a motor car parked on the roadway in front of the building.on back - on label - Cabbage Tree Hotelcabbage-tree-hotel -
Warrnambool and District Historical Society Inc.
Document, Letters & Minutes, 1960s
... as early as 1848, a few months after the first white settlers..., a few months after the first white settlers arrived ...These documents contain information about the Warrnambool Racing Club in the 1960s. Race meetings were held in Warrnambool as early as 1848, a few months after the first white settlers arrived. The Warrnambool Racing Club was formed in 1854 and the present day racecourse was first used in 1858. In 1872 the well-known Warrnambool Grand Annual Steeplechase was first held. These documents came from the office of Rolf Crawley, a surveyor, architect and engineer in private practice in Warrnambool and also the engineer for the Shire of Warrnambool from 1935 to 1968. His grandfather, father and uncle were also engineers, working in that capacity or as the Shire Secretary for the Shire of Warrnambool, with the Crawley family recording a total of 132 years of service to the Shire. The Shire of Warrnambool existed from 1863 to 1994. These documents came into the possession of Michael Hand who took over the private surveying practice in Warrnambool of Rolf Crawley. The Warrnambool and District Historical Society acquired these documents, along with several ledgers and other Crawley memorabilia, from the estate of Michael Hand. These documents are of interest as they contain much information on the Warrnambool Racing Club and will be of assistance to researchers.This is a collection of documents relating to the Warrnambool Racing Club. They are typewritten letters and Minutes summaries. Some are copies and there are two cards giving notice of meetings. rolf crawley, warrnambool, warrnambool racing club, shire of warrnambool -
Orbost & District Historical Society
black and white postcard, C1910
... . The original residence of the Roadknight family, the first white.... The original residence of the Roadknight family, the first white ...This an advertisement / souvenir for Merrangbaur House in Lakes Entrance. Merrangbaur was in , Lakes Entrance and stood on the on the Prince's Highway, about a kilometre from Lakes Entrance. It was destroyed by fire on the early morning of December 15, 1935. The original residence of the Roadknight family, the first white settlers in the Lakes Entrance district, Merrangbaur House had been conducted as a guest house for many years. Much of the furniture was lost, although a portion of the building, consisting of the ballroom and several bedrooms, was saved Mrs. Anne McInnes, aged more than 80 years, the mother of the proprietress, Miss McInnes, was the only guest sleeping in the house when the fire began and had to be assisted from her blazing bedroom on the ground floor. She was carried through a window by members of the fire brigade and spent the remainder of the night at the house of a friend. Miss McInnes was in Melbourne on a business visit arranging for Christmas bookings, when she was informed of her loss. (info. from The Argus Melbourne Monday December 16 1935)This item is associated with tourism in East Gippsland in the early 20th century.A black / white photograph / postcard.There is a photograph of a Lakes Entrance scene in each corner with a banner for "ROADKNIGHT'S MERRANGBAUR HOUSE' in the middle.In a circle is "FIRST CLASS ACCOMMODATION TARIFF 30/- WEEKLY". It has a note that "Coaches for Buchan Caves call at Merrangbaur daily".merrangbaur-lakes-entrance roadknight-lakes-entrance postcard-lakes-entrance -
Ballarat Heritage Services
Photograph - Photograph - Colour, Clare Gervasoni, Big Tree, Guildford, Victoria, 2017, 16/07/2017
... . The tree was already an ancient giant when white settlers first... when white settlers first arrived in the 1840s. On Saturday ...The Big Tree is listed a a tree of State significance on the National Trust's Register of Significant Trees of Victoria for its outstanding size, curious fusion of branches, as an outstanding example of the species and as an important landmark.A number of colour photographs of Guildford's Big Tree - a River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis). The tres is believed to be one of the largest examples of the species in Victoria, and has been recorded as having a height of 30 metre, a canopy spread of 34 metres, and a trunk circumference of 9.35 metres. The tree was already an ancient giant when white settlers first arrived in the 1840s. On Saturday evening, February 28th 2015, just as dusk was falling, Guildford was hit hard by tornado-like winds, felling the big cottonwood tree down by the river, and tearing limbs from the iconic Big Tree, reducing it by an estimated one third. The debris has been cleared since then and the tree seems to have survived its ordeal, though its size is certainly diminished.big tree, guidlford, river red gum -
Ballarat Heritage Services
Photograph - Photograph - Colour, Clare Gervasoni, Clare Gervasoni and Ann Gervasoni at the Guildford Big Tree, 2017, 16/07/2017
... an ancient giant when white settlers first arrived in the 1840s.... The tree was already an ancient giant when white settlers first ...The Big Tree is listed a a tree of State significance on the National Trust's Register of Significant Trees of Victoria for its outstanding size, curious fusion of branches, as an outstanding example of the species and as an important landmark.A photographs of Guildford's Big Tree - a River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis). The tre-es is believed to be one of the largest examples of the species in Victoria, and has been recorded as having a height of 30 metre, a canopy spread of 34 metres, and a trunk circumference of 9.35 metres. The tree was already an ancient giant when white settlers first arrived in the 1840s. On Saturday evening, February 28th 2015, just as dusk was falling, Guildford was hit hard by tornado-like winds, felling the big cottonwood tree down by the river, and tearing limbs from the iconic Big Tree, reducing it by an estimated one third. The debris has been cleared since then and the tree seems to have survived its ordeal, though its size is certainly diminished.big tree, guidlford, river red gum -
Ballarat Heritage Services
Photograph - Photograph - Colour, Clare Gervasoni, Ann Gervasoni at the Guildford Big Tree, 2017, 16/07/2017
... an ancient giant when white settlers first arrived in the 1840s.... The tree was already an ancient giant when white settlers first ...The Big Tree is listed a a tree of State significance on the National Trust's Register of Significant Trees of Victoria for its outstanding size, curious fusion of branches, as an outstanding example of the species and as an important landmark.A photographs of Guildford's Big Tree - a River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis). The tre-es is believed to be one of the largest examples of the species in Victoria, and has been recorded as having a height of 30 metre, a canopy spread of 34 metres, and a trunk circumference of 9.35 metres. The tree was already an ancient giant when white settlers first arrived in the 1840s. On Saturday evening, February 28th 2015, just as dusk was falling, Guildford was hit hard by tornado-like winds, felling the big cottonwood tree down by the river, and tearing limbs from the iconic Big Tree, reducing it by an estimated one third. The debris has been cleared since then and the tree seems to have survived its ordeal, though its size is certainly diminished.big tree, guidlford, river red gum -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Peter Pidgeon, Graves of Thomas Sweeney and family, Eltham Cemetery, Victoria, 5 April 2021
... Irish-born Thomas Sweeney is regarded as the first settler... melbourne Irish-born Thomas Sweeney is regarded as the first settler ...Irish-born Thomas Sweeney is regarded as the first settler in Eltham. He was transported to Sydney in 1823 after being convicted of arson. He was granted his freedom in 1838 and married Margaret Meehan in the same year. They moved to Melbourne and in 1842 Thomas purchased 110 acres beside the Yarra River in the vicinity of present-day Sweeneys Lane. He called the property ‘Culla Hill’ and built a small slab hut (reputedly with Wurundjeri help; Margaret is said to have run an informal hospital for them in return). This was followed in 1846 by more substantial buildings consisting of a three-roomed Irish-style ‘longhouse’ and a barn made of stone and handmade bricks, with doors large enough to accommodate a fully loaded wagon. When the gold rush came, Thomas prospered by selling meat and potatoes to the prospectors, enabling him to purchase a further 308 acres in 1856. He promoted the construction of a bridge over the Plenty River and the establishment of a school at Eltham. Roman Catholic Church services were held at Culla Hill in the early years. When he died in 1867, he was regarded as a respected member of the community. Thomas and Margaret are buried in Eltham Cemetery with many of their descendants. Their first son John continued to farm Culla Hill until his death in 1909. Culla Hill passed out of the Sweeneys' possession in 1939. The house and barn remain today, though lesser outbuildings have gone. The facade of the house is much the same as it was in the 1840s. Sacred To the memory of Thomas Sweeney Who died Sep 6th 1867 Aged 65 years May his soul res in peace Also his wife Margaret Died Oct 3rd 1884 aged 73 years And their daughters Annie Died Aug 22nd 1860 aged 21 years Johanna Died Aug 19th 1872 aged 22 years Margaret Died 7th Sep 1913 aged 72 years R.I.P. Also In Memory Of John Sweeney Died 24th May 1909 Aged 65 years Also of his wife Ellen Died 8th March 1910 Aged 64 years R.I.P Also In Memory Of Caroline Infant daughter of John & Ellen SweeneyBorn Digitalannie sweeney, eltham cemetery, gravestones, johanna sweeney, john murray, margaret sweeney, mary ellen drain, mary murray, thomas drain, thomas sweeney -
Federation University Historical Collection
Image, John Helder Wedge, Melbourne in 1838, 1938
... organisation. The first settlers were those on board the Enterprize... organisation. The first settlers were those on board the Enterprize ...The following information is from http://melbourneday.com.au/about.html, accessed 30 August 2016 Melbourne was founded on 30 August 1835 by settlers who sailed from Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania) aboard the schooner Enterprize. They landed on the north bank of the Yarra River and established the first permanent settlement, close to where the Immigration Museum at the Old Customs House — on the corner of William and Flinders Streets — stands and the place today known as Enterprize Park. Melbourne Day Committee was established to help correct the record about the founding of Melbourne and celebrate its anniversaries. The settlers came from Launceston in search of sheep-grazing land. Land had become expensive and there had long been stories told by whalers and sealers working in Bass Strait of fertile land to the north. This was the southern part of the colony of New South Wales, which the Colonial Government did not want settled at that time. After the Henty family crossed Bass Strait and settled at Portland in 1834 others quickly followed. The north bank was chosen because a small waterfall, or rapids, stopped further progress up the river. The waterfall also separated the tidal movement, providing a vital supply of fresh water. The site had previously been noted by the colony of New South Wales' surveyor, Charles Grimes, in 1803. The north bank also offered more stable, suitable ground. The people of the Kulin nation are the traditional owners of the land that became Melbourne — including the Boonwurrung, Woiwurrung, Taungurung and Djadjawurrung people, who gathered in this place for ceremonies and cultural activities. The topsail schooner Enterprize you see today is a full-size replica of the one that brought the settlers and has become a symbol of Melbourne Day. Her keel was laid at Polly Woodside Maritime Museum in 1991, and the $2.5 million, 27m vessel was launched by Felicity Kennett on 30 August, 1997, at Hobsons Bay. The original ship was bought by John Pascoe Fawkner in April 1835 specifically to search for a suitable place for a settlement in the Port Phillip District. After helping establish Melbourne, the original Enterprize continued operating as a coastal trading vessel for a number of years. She eventually disappeared off the shipping register in 1847, having been wrecked on a sand bar in the Richmond River in northern NSW, with the loss of two lives. The replica is managed by the Enterprize Ship Trust, a not-for-profit organisation. The first settlers were those on board the Enterprize — her crew and passengers. They were John Lancey , master mariner and Fawkner’s representative; Enterprize's captain, Peter Hunter; George Evans, plasterer/builder; carpenters William Jackson and Robert Hay Marr; Evan Evans, George Evans’ servant; and Fawkner’s servants ploughman Charles Wise, general servant Thomas Morgan, blacksmith James Gilbert and his pregnant wife, Mary. And Mary's cat! Enterprize set sail on her historic voyage from Launceston on July 21, 1835, stopping at George Town in northern Tasmania where creditors detained Fawkner. He was therefore not part of the first trip to Melbourne. Enterprize then left on August 1 under the command of captain Hunter. The expedition was led by Lancey, Fawkner's delegate. The party first considered Western Port and the eastern side of Port Phillip for a place to settle, before deciding on the Yarra’s north bank — known today as Enterprize Park. On Sunday, August 30, they disembarked and began to erect shelter, build a store and clear land to grow food, thus starting the permanent European settlement of Melbourne.Image of the fledgling town of Melbourne on the banks of the Yarra River. melbourne, yarra river, john helder wedge -
Federation University Historical Collection
Newspaper, Ballarat 150 Years: Supplement to the Ballarat Courier, 1988, 17/03/1988
... begins; First White Settlers arrive (Anderson, Winter, Yuille.... Articles include: 1838-the pastoral period begins; First White ...A supplement to celebrate 150 since the establishment of the Port Phillip Colony (Victoria).40 page newspaper published to celebrate the Sesquicentenary of Ballarat. Articles include: 1838-the pastoral period begins; First White Settlers arrive (Anderson, Winter, Yuille, Kirkland, Learmonth); Learmonths - Pioneer Settlers; The Rush to Ballarat; Last of the Aborigines; Eureka Affair Gains New Importance; Mining-After the rush; SMB - First Technical School; Clubs Play their Part; Ballarat Yuilles had Wealthy Ancestors; Town, Country Share a Close Relationship; Many Sides to Metals Industry; True Victorian City; Five Severe Recessions; Financiers to the Fore; Ready for War; City Rich in Sport Facilities; Visitors to most exciting place; No Place for a Nervous Lady; Theatres Provide Welcome Diversion for Mines; Might Achievers Among famous Citizens; Life Seemed Different After the War; Ballarat School of Mines Eastern Station Hotel; Memorial (Her Majesty's) Last of Many Theatres; Art Gallery at its Best; Pilgrimage to Yuille Cairn at Sebastopol Images include: Jelbart tractor; Sunshine Harvester; Bailey's Mansion; Pennyweight Hotel; Bridge Mall; Blue Riband Mine, Black Hill, Burrumbeet Shooting party; A wendouree rowing club; Motor Cycle Racing; Women bowlers, Queen Elizabeth; Gong Gong Methodist Church; Arbour day at Waterloo Farm, Smythes Rd; Gold panners (1890s); Ballarat Cricket Team (1902); William Peart; D'Angri's store; Sturt St Advertisements include: Rehfisch and Co.; UFS Dispensaries; Deutscher Mower Sales and Service; Haymes Paint; Cincotta's; Abraham's Sportscene; McK's; McKay Macleod; St John of God Hospital; Benjamins Real Estate; Ballarat Water Board; Cornell's Pharmacy; Laminex Industries; Coltman Mitre 10; Lal Lal Iron Mine; Heinz Bros; Crockers; Frank ford travel; S.J. Weir; Ludbrook Plumbing Service; Mars; Robert Sim Building Supplies, Frank Day; Sectrol Systems; Thornton Richardsballarat, anniversary, sydney abraham, cincotta, eureka, ballarat school of mines, mining, ballarat club, lal lal iron mine, ballarat rangers, victorian rifles, 3rd battalion victorian rifles, ballarat militia, white flat, celia scott, adelphi theatre, victoria theatre, montezuma theatre, charlie napier, juliamatthews, royal theatre, dick richards, henry sutton, eleanor lucus, martin hosking, newington estate, saleyards, g. gay & co, ballarat books, old benev' alleviated distress on goldfields -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph - Digital Photograph, Alan King, Allwood House, Hurstbridge, 16 April 2008
... to nearby goldfields. It was then that Hurstbridge’s first settler... to nearby goldfields. It was then that Hurstbridge’s first settler ...Allwood - built in 1894 by Henry Hurst’s relatives, stands near the site of his house, which was demolisherd in the 1940s. Until 1924 Hurstbridge was known as Allwood. The building, one of the district's oldest is situated back from the corner of Arthurs Creek Road and Main Road. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme Published: Nillumbik Now and Then / Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p17 Hurst, who was a surveyor, came to Melbourne in 1852 by default, as on the way to Sydney he contracted typhoid and was off-loaded in Melbourne. Deciding to settle near Melbourne, he selected some land near the present Eltham railway station and was one of the first to grow crops there.2 But disaster struck again, when his shack was looted and burned, while he was carting goods for sale to nearby goldfields. It was then that Hurstbridge’s first settler, Cornelius Haley, asked Hurst to manage his 160 acres (65ha) grazing property and 9000 acres (3443ha) of leased land where the present Hurstbridge stands. Hurst proved equal to the tough conditions and he and his brother, Fred, cut a track with a bullock team from the property to Romsey, where Haley had selected some land. Hurst also put up a bridge across the creek near his house, after which Hurstbridge was named. He ran the property helped by two ticket-of-leave men and others, several of whom were sailors who had abandoned ship in search of gold, and were working there temporarily. In 1866, only 14 years after coming to Australia, Hurst met an early tragic death. One day a bushranger named Burke came to the house and demanded a horse. Hurst thought the bushranger might be an officer in search of runaway sailors3 and anyway, did not like the look of him, so he refused. A tussle followed and apparently Hurst shot first.4 He was shot and died five hours later from loss of blood. Later, troopers found Burke, who was subsequently hanged. The event is recorded in the Old Melbourne Gaol. The government offered the family £500 but the family refused it as ‘blood money’. Hurst’s father, Robert, even signed a petition against the bushranger’s death, claiming one life did not replace another. Hurst’s family continued to live in the district and saw a rise in their fortunes. They bought Haley’s cattle station and built the present Allwood House, using the original home as an orchard packing shed. The present Victorian style timber house had several outbuildings including a blacksmith’s shop. The property passed on to William Gray, an orchardist and nurseryman, who married Hurst’s grandniece, Frances. The business boomed from the early 1900s when it supplied most of the orchards in the area. Gray was Eltham Shire’s President for two terms and was asked to stand for parliament, but his wife’s illness and other family commitments prevented him from doing so. Then several calamities drove the family to bankruptcy. During World War One, Gray lost more than one million pounds on trees shipped overseas, which the Lloyd’s company had refused to insure. Other factors, including the Great Depression, ruined the family’s fortunes. The land was reduced from more than 640 acres (256ha) to 50 acres (20ha) and the older members married and left. After Mr Gray died, the house was leased, until his daughter Sheila Ferguson and her husband Gordon settled there in 1951, after buying it from other family members. However in 1975 the Shire designated the property as a passive recreation reserve. The Ferguson family sold most of the land, leaving the house on 0.6 hectares.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, hurstbridge, henry hurst, allwood house -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph - Digital Photograph, Alan King, Sweeney's Cottage, Sweeneys Lane, Eltham, 30 January 2008
... was one of the district’s first settlers, the property... was one of the district’s first settlers, the property ...Part of the original cottage named Culla Hill built by Thomas Sweeney (a former convict) remains as a small section of today’s house. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme National Estate National Trust of Australia (Victoria) Local Sifgnificance Published: Nillumbik Now and Then / Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p19 Thomas Sweeney, a former convict who became a respected citizen, once lived on a property at what is now the corner of Sweeneys Lane and Culla Hill, Eltham. As Sweeney was one of the district’s first settlers, the property is registered by the National Trust. Thomas Sweeney was born in 1802, son of impoverished tenant farmers in Tipperary County, Ireland. He became a ploughman, then at 21 he was sentenced to hang for setting on fire the house of Patrick Guyder at Gullshill. It is said the arson was due to a dispute over undelivered guns to a social justice guerilla group, the White Boys, of which Sweeney was a member. But the sentence was commuted to life transportation to Australia in 1823.1 Apparently in Sydney he became a servant to James Chandler at Botany. Soon James Chandler leased his farm and became a catechist on the Hawkesbury River, so Sweeney was reassigned to a former convict, John Brown, at Liverpool. Later Sweeney was assigned to George Brown of Lake Illawarra. In 1831, Sweeney was granted a ticket-of-leave and bought a boat to carry goods between Illawarra district and Sydney Town. He married his first wife who had come to Australia as a free woman. However she drowned after bearing him a daughter. In 1838, one month after he had received a conditional pardon, Sweeney married a blacksmith’s daughter, Margaret Meehan, newly arrived from Ireland. They then moved to Port Phillip and squatted on the south side of the Yarra River, about seven miles (11km) from Melbourne. Around 1842, Sweeney bought 110 acres (44.5ha) in the parish of Nillumbik for £110. He built a slab hut 12 x 10 feet (3.6m x 3m) and then his homestead, Culla Hill, a typical Tipperary style cottage, now known as Sweeney’s Cottage. It was here that many generations of Sweeneys lived for almost 100 years. Culla Hill became a social centre for the district and the Catholic community used it as a church. Sweeney was apparently on good terms with a tribe of Aborigines living on the river nearby, who helped him build his house.2 Sweeney proved himself a civic-minded leader. In 1844, he led a call for a bridge over the Plenty River. He was on the first school board and supplied the first grain for Eltham’s mill. Sweeney profited during the gold rush, not by gold digging, but by providing supplies for nearby fields and others as far away as Beechworth.3 Thomas Sweeney died in 1867 and was buried at the Eltham Cemetery, leaving two sons, five daughters, and 300 acres (121.4ha), as well as Culla Hill. Culla Hill – by then reduced to 75 acres (30ha) – was sold out of the family in 1939, then renamed Sweeneys. The present Sweeneys Lane, running diagonally through the original holding, was the track to the house. Part of the original cottage remains as a small section of today’s house. The dining-family room fronted by a veranda is original, and although there have been some changes, the cedar door and most of the small 12-paned wooden-framed windows are original. The walls are made of the original hand-made brick. After buying the property in 1952 Mr and Mrs Burston demolished a dilapidated slab hut, a three-roomed detached kitchen and cellar, as materials needed to restore them were very difficult to obtain so soon after the war.4 However the barn remains almost in its original condition. It is believed to have been built from stone quarried on the property. Now roofed with iron sheets it was probably originally thatched. The sandstone barn has a peaked roof supported by the original saplings and a doorway large enough to accommodate a fully loaded wagon.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, culla hill, eltham, sweeney's cottage, sweeneys lane, thomas sweeney -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph - Digital Photograph, Alan King, Panton Hill Hotel, 27 March 2008
... farming on 19 to 20 acre (8ha) allotments. The first settlers... farming on 19 to 20 acre (8ha) allotments. The first settlers ...Today’s Panton Hill Hotel was built around 1920. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then / Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p61 Panton Hill was originally known as Kingstown, and consisted of only one hotel when the Orams Reef was discovered in 1859. Kingstown was a quartz mining centre and many old mine shafts remain in the area.1 Orams Reef was one of the first reefs with a rich find of gold in the area. The Hotel Francais, which had been operating in 1861, was well situated on the way to Queenstown (later St Andrews). So was Herr Hirt’s Hotel and store at Smiths Gully. The Kingstown hotel, known as the Frenchman’s and in 1864 as the Hotel de France, was run by a Monsieur Emile Hude and his wife Jeanne, and known for its good food. They hosted social events, business conventions and debates, attracting patrons from as far as Melbourne. The hotel’s name was changed to Panton Hill Hotel in 1905.2 In 1883 Charles Caudwell built another hotel nearby, possibly in Long Gully Road,3 which it is thought, was burnt down early last century. Today’s Panton Hill Hotel, built around 1920, is the only one of the cluster of buildings in the main road, not to date from around the turn of last century. It was severely damaged by fire in 2003, then underwent extensive alterations. It is the township’s only hotel and is an example of a modest hotel building exterior, constructed early last century. In its early days the hotel also housed the first post office, newsagency and store. Orams Reef yielded a total of £100,000, and fossikers also found alluvial gold in the creeks and gullies, but there is no record of the total value of their finds.4 Gold greatly increased the Panton Hill population, which peaked between 1865 and 1885. On holidays large sports meetings were held with wood chopping contests and foot races and the day would end with a ball. Miners came from various countries to seek their fortune, including many from China. The Chinese became unpopular however, and gradually left the district, although some stayed and grew and sold vegetables.5 Panton Hill was named after Joseph Panton, who in 1862 was appointed Police Magistrate for the Woods Point, Heidelberg and Yarra districts. Panton was an outstanding man, who in 1852, was Commissioner of Crown Lands and Assistant Commissioner of Goldfields at Bendigo. In 1874 he was promoted to Chief Magistrate for the Melbourne Police. Panton was also an artist, becoming president of the Victorian Arts Society in 1888, and in 1913, president of the Royal Geographical Society. Despite Panton Hill’s prosperity, it still lacked many services as poor roads made access to Melbourne difficult. A horse-drawn mail coach travelled to Melbourne until 1890, when the railway came to Heidelberg. The nearest doctor was at Yarra Glen or Heidelberg, and the Indian hawker Singh’s annual visit was very welcome. A miner’s shack opposite the school was used as a post office. Today’s general store and post office in the main road dates from early last century, and has changed considerably. While most people searched for gold, the more enterprising ones established farms to feed the diggers. Farmers grew wheat, barley and oats, and sent animal skins to the Eltham tannery, to make furs in Melbourne.6 As gold became scarce from around 1880, miners took up farming on 19 to 20 acre (8ha) allotments. The first settlers in Cherry Tree Road included Purcell, Smith, Owens, Hughes and Shillinglaw. By 1900 all the land had been taken up around Panton Hill and Hurstbridge. The orchards in Panton Hill and the wider district, particularly of apple and pear, were very successful, and made Panton Hill a cohesive and successful community. About 1914 the Moores built the first cool-store and refrigeration plant at their orchard in Cherry Tree Road. Many settlers planted vineyards and made high quality wine, but in 1922 the blight destroyed them.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, panton hill hotel -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph - Digital Photograph, Alan King, Kinglake National Park, 27 March 2008
... of Kinglake’s first settlers, who hoped to strike it rich at the gold... of Kinglake’s first settlers, who hoped to strike it rich at the gold ...Fern gullies around Jehosaphat Gully Covered under National Estate. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then / Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p125 The magnificent Kinglake National Park, fringing Nillumbik’s north, is the largest national park close to Melbourne. Thanks to the vision and hard work of a band of local people, the park was created from what was rapidly becoming degraded land. Seeing a threat to Kinglake’s indigenous flora and fauna, several prominent local people campaigned for a national park, which was established in 1928.1 Since then, the park has grown through donations and acquisitions of land, from around 13,800 acres of land (5585ha) to 22,360 hectares. The Sugarloaf and Everard Blocks – of almost 8000 hectares – stand in Nillumbik and the park extends into Mitchell and Murrundindi Shires and the City of Whittlesea. Mt Everard commemorates William Hugh Everard, State member for Evelyn when the park was established. Before 1928, European settlers had degraded the Kinglake area, which was named after the celebrated English author and lawyer, Alexander William Kinglake. Remains of gold shafts and diggings in the park are reminders of Kinglake’s first settlers, who hoped to strike it rich at the gold diggings. But like other gold fields in this shire, they proved not very lucrative and soon timber cutting replaced mining in importance. However, before long, the accessible timber supply ran out, so in the 1920s agriculture took over – particularly potatoes and berry fruits – which involved large-scale clearing.2 The park’s instigator was retired Melbourne University Professor of Music, William Laver.3 As chair of the Kinglake Progress Association he began negotiations to have crown lands on the southern scarp of the Great Dividing Range reserved as a national park. Even before the park was proclaimed, from 1927, KPA members cut tracks to the major scenic points. Professor Laver was one of several people who gave land for the park, donating around 50 acres (20ha), including the Jehosaphat Gully.4 Laver chaired the park’s first Committee of Management, which raised money to employ a ranger and provide facilities, including tracks and roads for fire protection vehicles, toilets and shelters. The committee charged fees for firewood collection, some grazing of livestock, and visitor entrance, and obtained small State Government and Eltham Shire grants. In 1957 the State Government provided revenue for national parks. Then, in 1975, the State Government took over the management and the Committee of Management became an advisory committee, which disbanded in 1978. Originally, the park covered crown land in the Shires of Eltham and Whittlesea; then Wombelano Falls in Yea and other areas were added. In 1970 the park extended into the Shires of Eltham, Healesville, Whittlesea and Yea.5 Bush fires have been an ongoing problem. In 1939 hundreds of eucalypts and acacias had to be sown around the Jehosaphat Gully to rejuvenate the forest. To manage bushfires, the Committee of Management, then the State Government, worked closely with the Forestry Commission, shire councils and local fire brigades. Early national parks focussed on recreation. But by the 1980s, conservation, education and scientific research became more important, playing a vital role in preserving representative samples of the natural environment. Each year many thousands of people use the park’s extensive network of walking tracks amongst the protected plant and animal life as well as camping, cycling and horse riding. The park, along the slopes of the Great Dividing Range, has lookouts revealing magnificent views of the Melbourne skyline, Port Phillip Bay, the Yarra Valley and the You Yangs. Vegetation in the Masons Falls area includes messmate forest, Austral grass-trees, ferns and Hazel Pomaderris. In spring, orchids, lilies, everlasting daisies, correas, grevillea and heath appear. Around Jehosaphat Gully are wet and dry forest, fern gullies and banksia. Animal life includes wallabies, kangaroos, koalas, echidnas, possums, gliders and bandicoots. Male lyrebirds can be heard mimicking in the Jehosaphat Gully, particularly in the Everard Block in winter.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, kinglake national park, jehosaphat gully -
Kiewa Valley Historical Society
Book - A History of the Kiewa Valley, Kiewa Valley Historical Society, A History of the Kiewa Valley by Esther Temple and David Lloyd, Circa 1991
... before English settlers arrived. first white settlement (graziers... settlers arrived. first white settlement (graziers, miners ...This book was compiled by Esther Temple and David Lloyd with illustrations by Betty Barberis and additional material provided by Clare Roper, Joan Macdonald, Wilma Davies and Nell Bateman. The book was first penned in 1971. It briefly covers the period from the indigenous tribes(broken down into family groupings) known as the "first Australians" who lived in the valley well before English settlers arrived. first white settlement (graziers, miners, stockmen) to smaller settlements.The development or transformation from a pristine(hunter/gatherer) valley environment to one that has been gradually changing to a more commercial rural/industrial landscaped valley. This transformation was made within a time span of two hundred years. The book details the first pioneers and their descendants, along with the changes to their environments both domestic and commercial. The book highlights dates and events that shaped the "feel" of the valley. The extreme hardships faced by pioneer families during the extremely isolated times away from "civilisation".This publication provides an insight to the struggles and victories against the harsh Australian bushland by people who had not been raised in such a sometimes inhospitable environment. It was this transformation which instilled into the Australian psyche of self sufficiency and the ability to grasp onto ideas or "bush" remedies to overcome enormous difficulties. It is is ability that has produced the many inventions useful in the 20th and 21st centuries.This book has a 250 g/m cream coloured cover with print and drawings of rural aspects of historical significance ( Aboriginal and early white settlers). The book contains 124 pages of black and white photographs(139), black and white sketches(75), two pages of sketches and freehand drawings, two freehand maps one county lease /subdivision plan and black and white printing. See KVHS 0237 (B) for the official invitation to the launch of the book.The front top cover heading(in shaded print and enclosed in a banner form) "A HISTORY OF THE KIEWA VALLEY" The bottom printing "BY ESTHER TEMPLE & DAVID LLOYD ILLUSTRATIONS BY BETTY BARBERIS" and at the very bottom "KIEWA VALLEY HISTORICAL SOCIETY" oN THE BOOK SPINE "A HISTORY OF THE KIEWA VALLEY.....BY ESTHER TEMPLE & DAVID LLOYD"early settlers, dederang, tawonga, mount beauty, sec vic hydro electricity, falls creek early settlers, bonegilla -
City of Moorabbin Historical Society (Operating the Box Cottage Museum)
Document, Photocopy Letter Stephen Charman to Michael Charman UK 1857, 1857
... and then for the early settlers. Charman's first wife Harriet and their infant... and then for the early settlers. Charman's first wife Harriet and their infant ...Stephen Charman, aged 21years, arrived in Melbourne in 1842 as one of Henry Dendy's Emigrants. 1852 he purchased 160 acres for £328 bounded by Charman Rd and Balcome Rd. 'The Spring' was an important water source for the local Aboriginal people and then for the early settlers. Charman's first wife Harriet and their infant child died and in 1850 he married a widow with 5 children, Mary Gettens. Their first home was made of wattle and daub and they had 7 more children. Later a weatherboard cottage was built c 1855 Together they developed a market garden and specialized in marigolds which were sold for medicinal purposes to the Melbourne Chemists - Martin & Pleasance . The first Methodist Church Services were held at Spring Grove and the Charmans donated land in 1857 for the first Chapel, Cemetery and Primary School . Mary died 1870 and Stephen married again and moved to Gippsland where he died aged 85 in 1906 Stephen and Mary Charman were pioneer market gardeners in Moorabbin Shire 1842 and were involved in the development of Church, school and community in the area now called Cheltenham. Charman Road Cheltenham was a boundary of their land. Letter, handwritten from Stephen Charman to his brother Michael in UK 1857 x 3 pageshandwrittenmoorabbin, cheltenham, dendy henry, dendy's special survey 1841, assisted emigrants, early settlers, pioneers, market gardeners, marigold flowers, pharmacy, charman stephen, gettens mary, charman harriet, methodist church, primitive methodists, box william, box elizabeth, state schools, education, moorabbin shire, moorabbin roads board, city of moorabbin, kingston city council, charman michael, cancel -
City of Moorabbin Historical Society (Operating the Box Cottage Museum)
Document, Photocopy Letter Thomas Charman to Michael Charman UK 1878, 1878
... settlers. Charman's first wife Harriet and their infant child died... for the local Aboriginal people and then for the early settlers ...Thomas Charman came to Australia with his brother Stephen and went to Sydney. Thomas came to Melbourne c 1853 with a large dray and bullock team and with his son took supplies to the Victorian Gold digging sites. Quite profitably. Stephen Charman, aged 21years, arrived in Melbourne in 1842 as one of Henry Dendy's Emigrants. 1852 he purchased 160 acres for £328 bounded by Charman Rd and Balcome Rd. 'The Spring' was an important water source for the local Aboriginal people and then for the early settlers. Charman's first wife Harriet and their infant child died and in 1850 he married a widow with 5 children, Mary Gettens. Their first home was made of wattle and daub and they had 7 more children. Later a weatherboard cottage was built c 1855 Together they developed a market garden and specialized in marigolds which were sold for medicinal purposes to the Melbourne Chemists - Martin & Pleasance Thomas Charman arrived in Australia 1842 with his brother Stephen and moved to Sydney where he obtained a large dray and bullock team. He delivered supplies to the Goldfields and realized this was more secure than chancing to find gold by digging. Thomas returned to Melbourne when the Victorian Mines became more numerous than NSW and profitably delivered to the Victorian gold fields .Letter, handwritten from Thomas Charman to his brother Michael in UK 1878 x 3 pagesHandwritten -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Book, Dianne H. Edwards, The Diamond Valley Story / Dianne H. Edwards, 1994
... district from Hume & Hovell to the first explorers and settlers... district from Hume & Hovell to the first explorers and settlers ...Review in Heidelberg Historian (Newsletter of Heidelberg Historical Society) No 80 October 1980 "This substantial and significant history is one of the really essential books which all members interested in the history of Heidelberg and district should have, for, as indicated in this work, the Diamond Valley and Heidelberg were linked together in a municipal, economic and geographical sense throughout their history and still have strong links. This work of 191 pages, with numerous illustrations, covers the entire period of the history of the Shire area, from Greensborough to Hurstbridge (to 1979). Starting with a geographical setting, Miss Edwards traces the early development of the historic district from Hume & Hovell to the first explorers and settlers with some discussion on the meeting of John Batman with the aborigines here. Details of the early residents follow with numerous portraits, including the Beales of St Helena and the Ryries of Yering. In part 2, the account continues of the later settlers and squatters like Henry Foley and C. S. Haley. The gold discoveries on the Plenty and at the Diamond Creek and Queenstown area then follow with the development of the townships of Hurstbridge and Diamond Creek, with details of the mines and miners of the last century until its decline in the 1870's." "During the writing of the book, 40 tapes were made by the authoress Dianne Edwards of local residents reminiscences".. Diamond Valley News February 6, 1979This book was published by the former Shire of Diamond Valley in 1979. It remains one of the key local history titles particularly for the Diamond Creek and Greensborough areas.Paperback; xiv, 194 p. : ill., ports. ; 29 cm.ISBN 0959542205diamond valley, greensborough, hurstbridge, john batman, st helena, henry foley, queenstown, diamond creek, gold mining -
Federation University Historical Collection
Photograph - Photograph - Black and White, S. Fisher Johnson, Edith Pickford (Holmes)
... was a descendent of Donald Cameron, the first recorded European settler... Cameron, the first recorded European settler in the Clunes ...Edith Sarah Pickford was born and raised in Clunes, Victoria. She is the only daughter of John Pickford and Betsey (Robbins) Pickford and sister of Henry Pickford, John Pickford, William Harold Pickford, Horace Pickford DCM, Arthur Pickford and Charles Alexander Pickford. Edith's maternal grandmother was a descendent of Donald Cameron, the first recorded European settler in the Clunes area.The Pickford family's pioneer settler legacy in the Clunes- Glendaruel district is commemorated with a Pickford Road and displays in the Clunes Museum. A collection of Edith's song music was donated to the Clunes Museum by her great grand-daughter in 2023. Edith married a local farmer, Henry Smerdon Holmes from "Sauchieburn" Ascot, Victoria. Henry was a descendant of the family who had inherited their maternal ancestor's, Catherine Coghill (nee Holmes), Ascot - Coghills Creek property. This branch of the Coghill Family descended from the district's pioneer settler, Captain Coghill. Edith and Henry spent all their married life, and raised 4 children Jack [John], Bill [William], [Mary] Elizabeth and David, at Ascot. She was buried in the Coghills Creek Cemetery with her husband, Henry Smerdon Holmes, and their son, David, in 1967. Her children, Bill Holmes and Elizabeth Chatham, and their spouses are buried nearby.Social and historicalMounted black and white photo of a young girl wearing a white dress and ribbon.chatham holmes collection, holmes, pickford -
Ballarat Heritage Services
Photograph - Digital photograph, Dorothy Wickham, Winter's Swamp, Ballarat, January to April 2014
... by BHS. The swamp was named after one of the first European... and completed by BHS. The swamp was named after one of the first ...Study of Winter's Swamp commissioned by BEN and completed by BHS. The swamp was named after one of the first European settlers in the district. Winter Swamp LAT -37 32 LONG 143 47, Parish of Dowling Forest, County of Grenville Winter Swamp, on the southwest corner of Ballarat West Town Common, was not included in the original proclamation of the Common in 1861. However, being marshland, it was not considered suitable for grazing, so was added to the Common soon after 1861. Winter Swamp is a large wetland with native and exotic pasture significant for wildlife. John Winter (Jock) was born in Berwickshire, Scotland. He married Janet Margaret Irving the daughter of Robert Irving, advocate, Bonshaw, Dumfries, Scotland. Winter died in Ballarat in 1875 and was buried at the Ballaarat Old Cemetery. He took up the run Bonshaw from 1841; Leigh River Buninyong 1842-46; Junction, Delatite, March 1851 to September 1862; with sons: Carag Carag and Corop, April 1857 to September 1872; Colbinabbin and Stewart’s Plains, April 1857 to December 1872; St Germains February 1867 to March 1871. (The name became Winter-Irving in 1890). Mr John Winter, who died on August 22 at the age of 72, was a man of some note it the mining community of Ballarat. He was a self-made man, and one of our oldest colonists, it being over a quarter of a century age since he took up county about Ballarat and settled at Bonshaw. He died very rich. It is calculated that if he had retained an interest in all his runs, his income must have been not less than £10,000 or £50,000 a year. Some eight or ten years ago he sold his Bonshaw pre-emption to the Bonshaw Gold mining Company for £20,000, and a few years later the ground belonging now to Winter's Freehold Company brought him £50,000 more, the payment being made at the requisition of the deceased in sovereigns. In these relations Mr. Winter has been closely identified with the mining industry at Ballarat. The deceased was a native of Lauder, in Berwickshire, and landed in Victoria several years before the gold discovery.The principle task of this project was the delivery of a report outlining the history of European settlement in the Skipton and Cardigan/Ballarat districts as pertinent to the use of and impact on the natural environment of the two reserves Skipton Common and Winter Swamp. The report was delivered in digital form only. The report, upon completion, was presented to the Network’s Committee in order to discuss the project. The report identified and described the uses of Skipton Common and Winter Swamp, and their impacts. In particular, this report examined farming/grazing (official and informal), mining, vegetation removal (including the removal of woodlands for timber, grasslands for pasture improvement) & use of riparian areas for access to water and timber removal. Recording the more benign and environmentally friendly uses such as picnicking, community activities, nature walks and the roles of organisations such as Field Naturalists’ and Bird Observers’ clubs, school and scout/guide groups will be relevant in helping to depict overall community attitudes towards the reserves; e.g.: has the Common generally been viewed as little more than a grazing paddock and fire hazard; has Winter Swamp always been the unknown natural asset that seems to have been its lot for at least the past 40 years? In this regard, the more contemporary history of actions surrounding the use and management of the reserves is of particular interest, in view of the extant evidence at both reserves; e.g. the actions of the Shire of Ballarat in the 1980s in establishing Winter Swamp as something of a competitor to Lake Wendouree but with a more environmental bent (although almost none of the plants used are indigenous species, but that is part of the story); the trotting track constructed on Skipton Common in the 1960s following representations to Premier Henry Bolte and the cropping of the western section of the Common to raise funds for the town’s new swimming pool, the fertilizing of the land putting an end to the native grassland vegetation. There are obviously multiple sources of information to source in preparing the report, however sources that the contractor is specifically requested to consult are the Skipton Historical Society, the former Skipton Common managers (specifically Graeme Pett), the Cardigan Windermere Landcare Group and the Learmonth Historical Society (believed to hold many of the former Shire of Ballarat’s records pertaining to the Council’s role as the Committee of Management for both Winter Swamp and the Ballarat West Town Common – Winter Swamp was split between 2 separate Crown Land tenures). The contractor is also encouraged but not required to utilise community newsletters, such as the Skipton Community Newsletter, to publicise and seek information about the project. Skipton Historical Society (Mary Bradshaw) contacted on Thursday 12 June 2.30pm. Mary lived on a farm out of Skipton but is currently living in the township. She remembers walking along the creek of the Common especially in spring and autumn in bare feet and that it was a very pretty place. There were a few snakes around the waterway in summer. People put cows and a couple of horses on the commonage to graze. Graeme Pett has always lived close to the Common and would know a lot about it. Other possible contacts would be Nicole Petress, Secretary of the Progress Association, and the Corangamite Council, Camperdown. Digital images of Winter's Swampwinter's swamp, ballarat, john winter, ballarat environmental network, mullawullah -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph - Digital Photograph, Marguerite Marshall, Strathewen Public Hall, 20 August 2008
... . The first settlers east of Arthurs Creek were brothers John.... The first settlers east of Arthurs Creek were brothers John ...Strathewen Public Hall, social and spiritual centre was later lost in the Black Saturday fires 2009. The Strathewen Community decided a community hall was needed in 1901. In 1902 locals built the hall with messmate trees. It was located on the Cottlesbridge-Strathewen Road. The first function was a Grand concert and Balll attended by about 120 people. Several denominations held Church services and Sunday School services in the Hall. It survived several bushfires until after this photo was taken when it was destroyed in Black Saturday, 9 February 2009. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then / Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p89 Strathewen was settled late, largely because it was difficult to access.1 Early selectors found it a struggle to survive. They had to do everything themselves, from felling trees for buildings, to taking produce to market along bush tracks that they had helped cut. Small dairy farms were typical but fruit became the district’s prime produce. The first settlers east of Arthurs Creek were brothers John and Duncan Smith whose station Glen-Ard was probably operated as a sheep run. Other early settlers were the Mann family, who were to donate land for the hall, provide postal services and John Mann was an Eltham Shire councillor from 1916 to 1919.2 In 1873 James Mann, his wife Jane and their six children, settled on 207 acres (83.7) (Lang Fauld Farm) on both sides of Eagles Nest Road, from the foot of Mount Sugarloaf to the bank of the Arthurs Creek. In 1883 James took up another selection on Chads Creek. It was very hard work and at times he was well behind with his rent. However the family had a good social life, attending the Primitive Methodist Church at the Arthurs Creek Township and on New Year’s Eve throwing a party for all the locals. By 1874 James Mann’s younger brother, John, selected 311 acres (125.8ha) between Eagles Nest Road and upper Arthurs Creek. He called it Carseburn after his home parish in Scotland. Tragically in 1875 John drowned in the Yarra River, at Richmond.3 John Mann’s oldest son, also John, later purchased Duncan Smith’s land, which he named Violet Glen. He was to give one acre (0.4ha) of this land for the Strathewen Hall site. A Mann family diary written at Carseburn in 1897, tells how the district’s name was selected. Strathewen is derived from ‘strath’ meaning ‘broad mountain valley’ and from the name of Ewen H. Cameron, the local parliamentarian for almost 40 years. ‘George Brain came around to get a petition signed to get a post office up here and we had to vote for a name—Strathewen, Glen-Ard, or Headcorie’.4 It was at Carseburn that a public meeting in 1901, decided to build the Strathewen Hall on the Cottlesbridge-Strathewen Road. In 1902 the locals built the hall with messmate trees. The first function was a Grand Concert and Ball attended by around 120 people and several Protestant denominations took turns to hold church services and Sunday School there. Fortunately the hall has survived bushfires to be the town’s spiritual and social centre.5 The area continued to develop and in 1909 a post office operated somewhere at Strathewen and from around 1916 at Carseburn.6 It was not until 1914 that land was bought to establish the Strathewen State School on School Ridge Road. The residents paid £100 to build it on two acres (0.8 ha) while the Education Department contributed £30 and leased the building annually for £1. When teacher Miss Mary Golding opened the school in 1917, it had no equipment.7 But in 1921 the Education Department provided desks and a hexagonal shelter shed (now a rare style in Victoria) and took control in 1925.8 By 1917 Strathewen was booming.9 George Apted had built a coolstore in 1916, and local orchardists bought storage space until the 1950s. This allowed the area to supply the market in and out of season. Guesthouses catered for growing tourism. In the mid 1920s Mrs Eleanor Sparkes built the guest-house Singing Waters, which operated through the 1930s. Her daughter Mrs Vera McKimmie, ran it until the 1950s and the house remains in Chads Creek Road. In the Great Depression land was cleared for timber to be sold as firewood and there was small scale sawmilling. However the orchard industry diminished for several reasons including the 1939 bushfires and rapid changes in production methods. Today the Apteds still operate an orchard and farm at Glen-Ard, which straddles the border between Strathewen and Arthurs Creek. It includes the southern part of Duncan Smith’s original Glen-Ard selection.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, strathewan public hall -
City of Moorabbin Historical Society (Operating the Box Cottage Museum)
Photograph, B/W Watercolour,'Spring Grove' Charman Cottage built c1855 E Barlow c 1900, Elsie Barlow, c1900
... people and then for the early settlers. Charman's first wife... and then for the early settlers. Charman's first wife Harriet and their infant ...This is a B/W photograph of a Water colour by Elsie Barlow c 1900. The original water-colour is in the collection of the Beaumaris and District Historical Trust in the State Library of Victoria. 'Spring Grove' was the home of the Charman family in the Parish of Moorabbin. Stephen Charman, aged 21years, arrived in Melbourne in 1842 as one of Henry Dendy's Emigrants. 1852 he purchased 160 acres for £328 bounded by Charman Rd and Balcome Rd. 'The Spring' was an important water source for the local Aboriginal people and then for the early settlers. Charman's first wife Harriet and their infant child died and in 1850 he married a widow with 5 children, Mary Gettens. Their first home was made of wattle and daub and they had 7 more children. Later a weatherboard cottage was built c 1855 Together they developed a market garden and specialized in marigolds which were sold for medicinal purposes to the Melbourne Chemists - Martin & Pleasance . The first Methodist Church Services were held at Spring Grove and the Charmans donated land in 1857 for the first Chapel, Cemetery and Primary School . Mary died 1870 and Stephen married again and moved to Gippsland where he died aged 85 in 1906Stephen and Mary Charman were pioneer market gardeners in Moorabbin Shire 1842 and were involved in the development of Church, school and community in the area now called Cheltenham. Charman Road Cheltenham was a boundary of their land. Black & White photograph of a Watercolour of Charman family cottage built 1885 Cheltenham Signed E Barlow on back ; A Cottage in Charman Road - the Dandelion Season / by Elsie Barlow / In the Collection of the State Library Victoria / Reproduction requires the permission of the Library Moorabbin Standard Newspaper moorabbin, cheltenham, dendy henry, dendy's special survey 1841, assisted emigrants early settlers, pioneers, market gardeners, marigold flowers, pharmacy, charman stephen, gettens mary, charman harriet, methodist church, primitive methodists, box william, box elizabeth, state schools, education, moorabbin shire, moorabbin roads board, city of moorabbin, kingston city council -
City of Moorabbin Historical Society (Operating the Box Cottage Museum)
Photographs , Postcards x4 Charman Rd Cheltenham c 1910, c1910
... and then for the early settlers. Charman's first wife Harriet and their infant... settlers. Charman's first wife Harriet and their infant child died ...After the arrival of the Cheltenham Railyway Station Charman Road became the main shopping centre. From 1 small shop - Mrs Meeres who sold sweets, school requisites and drapery - it proceeded to develop throughout the 1890's with various traders until the 1910 Postcards show many shops on both sides of the road, Stephen Charman, aged 21years, arrived in Melbourne in 1842 as one of Henry Dendy's Emigrants. 1852 he purchased 160 acres for £328 bounded by Charman Rd and Balcome Rd. 'The Spring' was an important water source for the local Aboriginal people and then for the early settlers. Charman's first wife Harriet and their infant child died and in 1850 he married a widow with 5 children, Mary Gettens. Their first home was made of wattle and daub and they had 7 more children. Later a weatherboard cottage was built c 1855 Together they developed a market garden and specialized in marigolds which were sold for medicinal purposes to the Melbourne Chemists - Martin & Pleasance . The first Methodist Church Services were held at Spring Grove and the Charmans donated land in 1857 for the first Chapel, Cemetery and Primary School . Mary died 1870 and Stephen married again and moved to Gippsland where he died aged 85 in 1906 Stephen and Mary Charman were pioneer market gardeners in Moorabbin Shire 1842 and were involved in the development of Church, school and community in the area now called Cheltenham. Charman Road Cheltenham was a boundary of their land.4x Black & White Postcards c 1910 of Charman Road Cheltenham VictoriaFront; CHARMAN RD. CHELTENHAM P. FAIRLAM PHOTOfairlam p, cheltenham railway station, moorabbin, cheltenham, dendy henry, dendy's special survey 1841, assisted emigrants early settlers, pioneers, market gardeners, marigold flowers, pharmacy, charman stephen, gettens mary, charman harriet, methodist church, primitive methodists, box william, box elizabeth, state schools, education, moorabbin shire, moorabbin roads board, city of moorabbin, kingston city council, cancel, cheltenham primary school -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Murchison Gap, Autumn Excursion, Hume and Hovell's 1824 expedition, 26 May 1996, 26/05/1996
... of the Moonee Ponds Creek, we experienced the landscape the first... of the Moonee Ponds Creek, we experienced the landscape the first ...[article by Bettina Woodburn in EDHS Newsletter No. 109, July 1996:] ON THE TRAIL OF HUME AND HOVELL - REPORT ON THE AUTUMN EXCURSION - On a green and fresh morning (Sunday 26th May 1996) the Cobb and Co coach (driven by the most obliging Peter Tampion) set off in a north easterly direction from Eltham to connect with Hume and Hovell's route on their 1824 explorations of central Victoria. The Society would follow a series of monuments erected for the 1924 centenary of the expedition from King Parrot Creek (Tuesday 7th December 1824), through Strath Creek, over Sunday Creek (Sunday 12th December 1824) at Broadford, Tullamarine, St Albans, Deer Park, through Werribee, skirting east of the You Yangs to Lara and Avalon Beach. Because their distance-measuring wheel had broken and a one degree mistake was made in calculations, the two leaders of the original group of six convict-companions arrived at Corio Bay, instead of the expected Western Port, discovered earlier by Flinders. From below Mt. Disappointment (Hume and Hovell's difficulties in "scrambling over brush and rock", "leeches in forest, as well as no water", "cutting grass 4-5 ft. high", dreadful scrub", "devil flies") we took an easier route, saw the Strath Creek memorial in ground fog and a wonderful "field of dreams", the Hume-Hovell privately owned cricket ground with its white picket boundary fence. Now, after a steep climb, in sunshine under gums we stretched and viewed magnificent rolling hills and fog-filled valleys - not "smoke from Aborigines' bush fires". After morning tea at Broadford we followed the Sunday Creek valley beside the Hume Freeway, passed the Wallan Wallan Rest Area (more appropriately Hume and Hovell Rest Area) to tum right at Beveridge. In Gellibrand Hill Park, near the headwaters of the Moonee Ponds Creek, we experienced the landscape the first European settlers saw - huge river red gums and rolling pastures. The gardens and sheltered courtyard of the 1840s, timber, brought from .....[?] prefabricated Woodlands Homestead, provided a pleasant lunch stop. We enjoyed a private tour, panoramic views over Melbourne and surroundings and the excitement of arriving and departing aircraft. Our next river crossing was at Werribee, "in a vast treeless plain", then we drove on by-ways no coach had previously travelled, to find "an immense sheet of water" salty Corio Bay, off-course to the west. In late afternoon of a super, calm, late autumn day we headed homewards. Back at Eltham we were rather surprised to find that we had travelled a total of 347 km. Thanks again to Russell Yeoman for his research and organization. What a wonderful day! Three colour photographsactivities, murchison gap, murchison valley -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Hume and Hovell Monument, Broadford, Autumn Excursion, Hume and Hovell's 1824 expedition, 26 May 1996, 26/05/1996
... of the Moonee Ponds Creek, we experienced the landscape the first... of the Moonee Ponds Creek, we experienced the landscape the first ...[article by Bettina Woodburn in EDHS Newsletter No. 109, July 1996:] ON THE TRAIL OF HUME AND HOVELL - REPORT ON THE AUTUMN EXCURSION - On a green and fresh morning (Sunday 26th May 1996) the Cobb and Co coach (driven by the most obliging Peter Tampion) set off in a north easterly direction from Eltham to connect with Hume and Hovell's route on their 1824 explorations of central Victoria. The Society would follow a series of monuments erected for the 1924 centenary of the expedition from King Parrot Creek (Tuesday 7th December 1824), through Strath Creek, over Sunday Creek (Sunday 12th December 1824) at Broadford, Tullamarine, St Albans, Deer Park, through Werribee, skirting east of the You Yangs to Lara and Avalon Beach. Because their distance-measuring wheel had broken and a one degree mistake was made in calculations, the two leaders of the original group of six convict-companions arrived at Corio Bay, instead of the expected Western Port, discovered earlier by Flinders. From below Mt. Disappointment (Hume and Hovell's difficulties in "scrambling over brush and rock", "leeches in forest, as well as no water", "cutting grass 4-5 ft. high", dreadful scrub", "devil flies") we took an easier route, saw the Strath Creek memorial in ground fog and a wonderful "field of dreams", the Hume-Hovell privately owned cricket ground with its white picket boundary fence. Now, after a steep climb, in sunshine under gums we stretched and viewed magnificent rolling hills and fog-filled valleys - not "smoke from Aborigines' bush fires". After morning tea at Broadford we followed the Sunday Creek valley beside the Hume Freeway, passed the Wallan Wallan Rest Area (more appropriately Hume and Hovell Rest Area) to tum right at Beveridge. In Gellibrand Hill Park, near the headwaters of the Moonee Ponds Creek, we experienced the landscape the first European settlers saw - huge river red gums and rolling pastures. The gardens and sheltered courtyard of the 1840s, timber, brought from .....[?] prefabricated Woodlands Homestead, provided a pleasant lunch stop. We enjoyed a private tour, panoramic views over Melbourne and surroundings and the excitement of arriving and departing aircraft. Our next river crossing was at Werribee, "in a vast treeless plain", then we drove on by-ways no coach had previously travelled, to find "an immense sheet of water" salty Corio Bay, off-course to the west. In late afternoon of a super, calm, late autumn day we headed homewards. Back at Eltham we were rather surprised to find that we had travelled a total of 347 km. Thanks again to Russell Yeoman for his research and organization. What a wonderful day! Colour photographactivities, broadford, hume and hovell, monument -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Hume and Hovell Monument, Autumn Excursion, Hume and Hovell's 1824 expedition, 26 May 1996, 26/05/1996
... of the Moonee Ponds Creek, we experienced the landscape the first... of the Moonee Ponds Creek, we experienced the landscape the first ...[article by Bettina Woodburn in EDHS Newsletter No. 109, July 1996:] ON THE TRAIL OF HUME AND HOVELL - REPORT ON THE AUTUMN EXCURSION - On a green and fresh morning (Sunday 26th May 1996) the Cobb and Co coach (driven by the most obliging Peter Tampion) set off in a north easterly direction from Eltham to connect with Hume and Hovell's route on their 1824 explorations of central Victoria. The Society would follow a series of monuments erected for the 1924 centenary of the expedition from King Parrot Creek (Tuesday 7th December 1824), through Strath Creek, over Sunday Creek (Sunday 12th December 1824) at Broadford, Tullamarine, St Albans, Deer Park, through Werribee, skirting east of the You Yangs to Lara and Avalon Beach. Because their distance-measuring wheel had broken and a one degree mistake was made in calculations, the two leaders of the original group of six convict-companions arrived at Corio Bay, instead of the expected Western Port, discovered earlier by Flinders. From below Mt. Disappointment (Hume and Hovell's difficulties in "scrambling over brush and rock", "leeches in forest, as well as no water", "cutting grass 4-5 ft. high", dreadful scrub", "devil flies") we took an easier route, saw the Strath Creek memorial in ground fog and a wonderful "field of dreams", the Hume-Hovell privately owned cricket ground with its white picket boundary fence. Now, after a steep climb, in sunshine under gums we stretched and viewed magnificent rolling hills and fog-filled valleys - not "smoke from Aborigines' bush fires". After morning tea at Broadford we followed the Sunday Creek valley beside the Hume Freeway, passed the Wallan Wallan Rest Area (more appropriately Hume and Hovell Rest Area) to tum right at Beveridge. In Gellibrand Hill Park, near the headwaters of the Moonee Ponds Creek, we experienced the landscape the first European settlers saw - huge river red gums and rolling pastures. The gardens and sheltered courtyard of the 1840s, timber, brought from .....[?] prefabricated Woodlands Homestead, provided a pleasant lunch stop. We enjoyed a private tour, panoramic views over Melbourne and surroundings and the excitement of arriving and departing aircraft. Our next river crossing was at Werribee, "in a vast treeless plain", then we drove on by-ways no coach had previously travelled, to find "an immense sheet of water" salty Corio Bay, off-course to the west. In late afternoon of a super, calm, late autumn day we headed homewards. Back at Eltham we were rather surprised to find that we had travelled a total of 347 km. Thanks again to Russell Yeoman for his research and organization. What a wonderful day! Two colour photographsactivities, hume and hovell, monument -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Hume and Hovell Monument, Broadford, Autumn Excursion, Hume and Hovell's 1824 expedition, 26 May 1996, 26/05/1996
... of the Moonee Ponds Creek, we experienced the landscape the first... of the Moonee Ponds Creek, we experienced the landscape the first ...[article by Bettina Woodburn in EDHS Newsletter No. 109, July 1996:] ON THE TRAIL OF HUME AND HOVELL - REPORT ON THE AUTUMN EXCURSION - On a green and fresh morning (Sunday 26th May 1996) the Cobb and Co coach (driven by the most obliging Peter Tampion) set off in a north easterly direction from Eltham to connect with Hume and Hovell's route on their 1824 explorations of central Victoria. The Society would follow a series of monuments erected for the 1924 centenary of the expedition from King Parrot Creek (Tuesday 7th December 1824), through Strath Creek, over Sunday Creek (Sunday 12th December 1824) at Broadford, Tullamarine, St Albans, Deer Park, through Werribee, skirting east of the You Yangs to Lara and Avalon Beach. Because their distance-measuring wheel had broken and a one degree mistake was made in calculations, the two leaders of the original group of six convict-companions arrived at Corio Bay, instead of the expected Western Port, discovered earlier by Flinders. From below Mt. Disappointment (Hume and Hovell's difficulties in "scrambling over brush and rock", "leeches in forest, as well as no water", "cutting grass 4-5 ft. high", dreadful scrub", "devil flies") we took an easier route, saw the Strath Creek memorial in ground fog and a wonderful "field of dreams", the Hume-Hovell privately owned cricket ground with its white picket boundary fence. Now, after a steep climb, in sunshine under gums we stretched and viewed magnificent rolling hills and fog-filled valleys - not "smoke from Aborigines' bush fires". After morning tea at Broadford we followed the Sunday Creek valley beside the Hume Freeway, passed the Wallan Wallan Rest Area (more appropriately Hume and Hovell Rest Area) to tum right at Beveridge. In Gellibrand Hill Park, near the headwaters of the Moonee Ponds Creek, we experienced the landscape the first European settlers saw - huge river red gums and rolling pastures. The gardens and sheltered courtyard of the 1840s, timber, brought from .....[?] prefabricated Woodlands Homestead, provided a pleasant lunch stop. We enjoyed a private tour, panoramic views over Melbourne and surroundings and the excitement of arriving and departing aircraft. Our next river crossing was at Werribee, "in a vast treeless plain", then we drove on by-ways no coach had previously travelled, to find "an immense sheet of water" salty Corio Bay, off-course to the west. In late afternoon of a super, calm, late autumn day we headed homewards. Back at Eltham we were rather surprised to find that we had travelled a total of 347 km. Thanks again to Russell Yeoman for his research and organization. What a wonderful day! Colour photographactivities, broadford, hume and hovell, monument -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Strath Creek, Autumn Excursion, Hume and Hovell's 1824 expedition, 26 May 1996, 26/05/1996
... of the Moonee Ponds Creek, we experienced the landscape the first... of the Moonee Ponds Creek, we experienced the landscape the first ...[article by Bettina Woodburn in EDHS Newsletter No. 109, July 1996:] ON THE TRAIL OF HUME AND HOVELL - REPORT ON THE AUTUMN EXCURSION - On a green and fresh morning (Sunday 26th May 1996) the Cobb and Co coach (driven by the most obliging Peter Tampion) set off in a north easterly direction from Eltham to connect with Hume and Hovell's route on their 1824 explorations of central Victoria. The Society would follow a series of monuments erected for the 1924 centenary of the expedition from King Parrot Creek (Tuesday 7th December 1824), through Strath Creek, over Sunday Creek (Sunday 12th December 1824) at Broadford, Tullamarine, St Albans, Deer Park, through Werribee, skirting east of the You Yangs to Lara and Avalon Beach. Because their distance-measuring wheel had broken and a one degree mistake was made in calculations, the two leaders of the original group of six convict-companions arrived at Corio Bay, instead of the expected Western Port, discovered earlier by Flinders. From below Mt. Disappointment (Hume and Hovell's difficulties in "scrambling over brush and rock", "leeches in forest, as well as no water", "cutting grass 4-5 ft. high", dreadful scrub", "devil flies") we took an easier route, saw the Strath Creek memorial in ground fog and a wonderful "field of dreams", the Hume-Hovell privately owned cricket ground with its white picket boundary fence. Now, after a steep climb, in sunshine under gums we stretched and viewed magnificent rolling hills and fog-filled valleys - not "smoke from Aborigines' bush fires". After morning tea at Broadford we followed the Sunday Creek valley beside the Hume Freeway, passed the Wallan Wallan Rest Area (more appropriately Hume and Hovell Rest Area) to tum right at Beveridge. In Gellibrand Hill Park, near the headwaters of the Moonee Ponds Creek, we experienced the landscape the first European settlers saw - huge river red gums and rolling pastures. The gardens and sheltered courtyard of the 1840s, timber, brought from .....[?] prefabricated Woodlands Homestead, provided a pleasant lunch stop. We enjoyed a private tour, panoramic views over Melbourne and surroundings and the excitement of arriving and departing aircraft. Our next river crossing was at Werribee, "in a vast treeless plain", then we drove on by-ways no coach had previously travelled, to find "an immense sheet of water" salty Corio Bay, off-course to the west. In late afternoon of a super, calm, late autumn day we headed homewards. Back at Eltham we were rather surprised to find that we had travelled a total of 347 km. Thanks again to Russell Yeoman for his research and organization. What a wonderful day! Colour photographactivities, monument, hume and hovell, murchison valley, strath creek -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Murchison Gap viewed from Strath Creek, Autumn Excursion, Hume and Hovell's 1824 expedition, 26 May 1996, 26/05/1996
... of the Moonee Ponds Creek, we experienced the landscape the first... of the Moonee Ponds Creek, we experienced the landscape the first ...[article by Bettina Woodburn in EDHS Newsletter No. 109, July 1996:] ON THE TRAIL OF HUME AND HOVELL - REPORT ON THE AUTUMN EXCURSION - On a green and fresh morning (Sunday 26th May 1996) the Cobb and Co coach (driven by the most obliging Peter Tampion) set off in a north easterly direction from Eltham to connect with Hume and Hovell's route on their 1824 explorations of central Victoria. The Society would follow a series of monuments erected for the 1924 centenary of the expedition from King Parrot Creek (Tuesday 7th December 1824), through Strath Creek, over Sunday Creek (Sunday 12th December 1824) at Broadford, Tullamarine, St Albans, Deer Park, through Werribee, skirting east of the You Yangs to Lara and Avalon Beach. Because their distance-measuring wheel had broken and a one degree mistake was made in calculations, the two leaders of the original group of six convict-companions arrived at Corio Bay, instead of the expected Western Port, discovered earlier by Flinders. From below Mt. Disappointment (Hume and Hovell's difficulties in "scrambling over brush and rock", "leeches in forest, as well as no water", "cutting grass 4-5 ft. high", dreadful scrub", "devil flies") we took an easier route, saw the Strath Creek memorial in ground fog and a wonderful "field of dreams", the Hume-Hovell privately owned cricket ground with its white picket boundary fence. Now, after a steep climb, in sunshine under gums we stretched and viewed magnificent rolling hills and fog-filled valleys - not "smoke from Aborigines' bush fires". After morning tea at Broadford we followed the Sunday Creek valley beside the Hume Freeway, passed the Wallan Wallan Rest Area (more appropriately Hume and Hovell Rest Area) to tum right at Beveridge. In Gellibrand Hill Park, near the headwaters of the Moonee Ponds Creek, we experienced the landscape the first European settlers saw - huge river red gums and rolling pastures. The gardens and sheltered courtyard of the 1840s, timber, brought from .....[?] prefabricated Woodlands Homestead, provided a pleasant lunch stop. We enjoyed a private tour, panoramic views over Melbourne and surroundings and the excitement of arriving and departing aircraft. Our next river crossing was at Werribee, "in a vast treeless plain", then we drove on by-ways no coach had previously travelled, to find "an immense sheet of water" salty Corio Bay, off-course to the west. In late afternoon of a super, calm, late autumn day we headed homewards. Back at Eltham we were rather surprised to find that we had travelled a total of 347 km. Thanks again to Russell Yeoman for his research and organization. What a wonderful day! Colour photographactivities, hume and hovell, murchison valley, murchison gap, strath creek -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Murchison Gap viewed from Strath Creek, Autumn Excursion, Hume and Hovell's 1824 expedition, 26 May 1996, 26/05/1996
... of the Moonee Ponds Creek, we experienced the landscape the first... of the Moonee Ponds Creek, we experienced the landscape the first ...[article by Bettina Woodburn in EDHS Newsletter No. 109, July 1996:] ON THE TRAIL OF HUME AND HOVELL - REPORT ON THE AUTUMN EXCURSION - On a green and fresh morning (Sunday 26th May 1996) the Cobb and Co coach (driven by the most obliging Peter Tampion) set off in a north easterly direction from Eltham to connect with Hume and Hovell's route on their 1824 explorations of central Victoria. The Society would follow a series of monuments erected for the 1924 centenary of the expedition from King Parrot Creek (Tuesday 7th December 1824), through Strath Creek, over Sunday Creek (Sunday 12th December 1824) at Broadford, Tullamarine, St Albans, Deer Park, through Werribee, skirting east of the You Yangs to Lara and Avalon Beach. Because their distance-measuring wheel had broken and a one degree mistake was made in calculations, the two leaders of the original group of six convict-companions arrived at Corio Bay, instead of the expected Western Port, discovered earlier by Flinders. From below Mt. Disappointment (Hume and Hovell's difficulties in "scrambling over brush and rock", "leeches in forest, as well as no water", "cutting grass 4-5 ft. high", dreadful scrub", "devil flies") we took an easier route, saw the Strath Creek memorial in ground fog and a wonderful "field of dreams", the Hume-Hovell privately owned cricket ground with its white picket boundary fence. Now, after a steep climb, in sunshine under gums we stretched and viewed magnificent rolling hills and fog-filled valleys - not "smoke from Aborigines' bush fires". After morning tea at Broadford we followed the Sunday Creek valley beside the Hume Freeway, passed the Wallan Wallan Rest Area (more appropriately Hume and Hovell Rest Area) to tum right at Beveridge. In Gellibrand Hill Park, near the headwaters of the Moonee Ponds Creek, we experienced the landscape the first European settlers saw - huge river red gums and rolling pastures. The gardens and sheltered courtyard of the 1840s, timber, brought from .....[?] prefabricated Woodlands Homestead, provided a pleasant lunch stop. We enjoyed a private tour, panoramic views over Melbourne and surroundings and the excitement of arriving and departing aircraft. Our next river crossing was at Werribee, "in a vast treeless plain", then we drove on by-ways no coach had previously travelled, to find "an immense sheet of water" salty Corio Bay, off-course to the west. In late afternoon of a super, calm, late autumn day we headed homewards. Back at Eltham we were rather surprised to find that we had travelled a total of 347 km. Thanks again to Russell Yeoman for his research and organization. What a wonderful day! Colour photographactivities, hume and hovell, murchison valley, murchison gap, strath creek -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Murchison Gap viewed from Strath Creek, Autumn Excursion, Hume and Hovell's 1824 expedition, 26 May 1996, 26/05/1996
... of the Moonee Ponds Creek, we experienced the landscape the first... of the Moonee Ponds Creek, we experienced the landscape the first ...[article by Bettina Woodburn in EDHS Newsletter No. 109, July 1996:] ON THE TRAIL OF HUME AND HOVELL - REPORT ON THE AUTUMN EXCURSION - On a green and fresh morning (Sunday 26th May 1996) the Cobb and Co coach (driven by the most obliging Peter Tampion) set off in a north easterly direction from Eltham to connect with Hume and Hovell's route on their 1824 explorations of central Victoria. The Society would follow a series of monuments erected for the 1924 centenary of the expedition from King Parrot Creek (Tuesday 7th December 1824), through Strath Creek, over Sunday Creek (Sunday 12th December 1824) at Broadford, Tullamarine, St Albans, Deer Park, through Werribee, skirting east of the You Yangs to Lara and Avalon Beach. Because their distance-measuring wheel had broken and a one degree mistake was made in calculations, the two leaders of the original group of six convict-companions arrived at Corio Bay, instead of the expected Western Port, discovered earlier by Flinders. From below Mt. Disappointment (Hume and Hovell's difficulties in "scrambling over brush and rock", "leeches in forest, as well as no water", "cutting grass 4-5 ft. high", dreadful scrub", "devil flies") we took an easier route, saw the Strath Creek memorial in ground fog and a wonderful "field of dreams", the Hume-Hovell privately owned cricket ground with its white picket boundary fence. Now, after a steep climb, in sunshine under gums we stretched and viewed magnificent rolling hills and fog-filled valleys - not "smoke from Aborigines' bush fires". After morning tea at Broadford we followed the Sunday Creek valley beside the Hume Freeway, passed the Wallan Wallan Rest Area (more appropriately Hume and Hovell Rest Area) to tum right at Beveridge. In Gellibrand Hill Park, near the headwaters of the Moonee Ponds Creek, we experienced the landscape the first European settlers saw - huge river red gums and rolling pastures. The gardens and sheltered courtyard of the 1840s, timber, brought from .....[?] prefabricated Woodlands Homestead, provided a pleasant lunch stop. We enjoyed a private tour, panoramic views over Melbourne and surroundings and the excitement of arriving and departing aircraft. Our next river crossing was at Werribee, "in a vast treeless plain", then we drove on by-ways no coach had previously travelled, to find "an immense sheet of water" salty Corio Bay, off-course to the west. In late afternoon of a super, calm, late autumn day we headed homewards. Back at Eltham we were rather surprised to find that we had travelled a total of 347 km. Thanks again to Russell Yeoman for his research and organization. What a wonderful day! Colour photographactivities, hume and hovell, murchison valley, murchison gap, strath creek