Thursday, December 15, 1949, the quiet little bank was embroiled in an infamous wild shoot-out between a daring thief and two bank officers. Today, the building still carries the scars ; a bullet hole remains visible in a cedar bench testifying to the events that played out that day. 3.30 a.m., Friday, December 9. The manager of the Commercial Bank branch at Greensborough, Mr Harry Wallace and his wife are asleep in their bedroom of the little house behind the branch. Harry is awakened by a noise and sees an intruder in a corner of the bedroom. He calls out but the intruder who has switched off the power in anticipation flees through a side door and scarpers down Main Street. Harry summons the police but a search by First Constable Thomas of the Greensborough Police assisted by a wireless patrol car is unsuccessful. A report is filed noting the theft of a .25 calibre pistol from the wardrobe. Thursday, December 15th. It is 1pm and the Commercial Bank has just opened. The branch is only open Mondays and Thursdays from 1-3pm. The morning started off a little cool with some scattered showers but it has fined up and the temperature is now around 61 degrees (16 C). A new grey Singer sports car with soft-top pulls up on the opposite side of the road and a young man, neatly dressed in a dark blue suit, wearing a grey hat and carrying a brief case exits the vehicle. He looks around then crosses the road and walks up the steps and through the door into the bank. There are three people inside; Mr. Jack Burgoyne whose grocery store is situated just 50 yards up the road, Mr. Lindsay A. Spears, the Eltham Agency Receiving Officer and by chance, Mr Harry Wallace, manager of the Greensborough branch. Jack Burgoyne takes note of the young stranger; thinking to himself he appears nervous. The man approaches the counter and introduces himself as John Henderson of Greensborough and explains that he wishes to open a new account. He places his hat and £3 on the counter. Mr Spears attends to the paperwork. He asks the young man to sign two forms, which he does but then he withdraws from the counter and starts walking towards the door. Suddenly he spins around pulling an automatic pistol from his right-hand pocket. He exclaims forcefully; “The game’s on! I’ll take the lot!” Spears appears to comply by pretending to open a drawer. The man shouts loudly, “Keep your hand away from that drawer.” Spears instead reaches for a pistol in his pocket and challenges the man, “Here it is. Come and get it!” At the same time, Harry Wallace pulls a pistol from his pocket as well. The bandit fires a shot but misses, the bullet striking the counter. Both Spears and Wallace open fire and Jack Burgoyne ducks for cover. As the bandit turns and runs for the door leaving his £3 behind, he fires another shot, which strikes the ceiling. Spears fires back, and thinks he may have hit him in the foot. The bandit flees the bank and heads for the grey Singer car, registration NO-106, parked opposite. Wallace and Spears pursue him to the door and open fire again, striking the car three times around the driver’s door. Spears lets off eight shots and Wallace, seven before his gun jams. The getaway car initially heads slowly down Main Road towards Bridge Street. About 100 yards down the road, Dave Adams, a PMG employee, who has heard the shots, throws a steel manhole step at the driver. It hits the roof of the car nine inches above the driver’s head and tears the hood. Another witness claims to have seen the door blow open and the driver raise his hand. The car gathers speed and swings left into Bridge Street racing along at about 60 miles an hour careering recklessly past council employee, Mr. Percy Williams, who is driving a dray along Smarts Road [believed to be Bridge Street]. At the end of the road the Singer fails to get round the sharp turn and crashes into an embankment skidding to a stop outside the home of Mr John Clifford. One side of the car is wrecked. Mr Clifford, an aircraft engineer hears the fast travelling car bump heavily into the road bank at about 1.25 p.m. Hearing the whine of an engine he goes outside to find the grey Singer parked at the side of the road. Jack George also lives at the corner and hears the car crash. “The bandit opened the car door, ran 50 yards, and suddenly turned back,” exclaims Jack. “He took something from the car. It might have been a gun.” In his haste, the bandit drops his grey felt hat, size 6 7/8, on the road and dashes up Sherbourne Road for about 200 yards then disappears into the scrub carrying a brief case and a bundle in which a sailor’s cap can be seen. About 3 p.m., Mr H.D. Pettie of Mountain View Road, Montmorency is looking through his field glasses and notices a young man walking through thick scrub on private property some distance from his house. The man is wearing a sailor’s cap and disappears along the railway track toward Montmorency. As the day progresses, ten police cars, one motor cycle, and about 40 police led by Det. Sgt. McMennemin of Malvern CIB are searching for him. They believe he is hiding in thick scrub along the bank of the creek about half-a-mile outside Eltham township. Wireless patrol cars, four mobile traffic cars and the CIB area cars from Malvern and Kew are taking part. Police check the thief’s car and discover it was stolen from Helen Baxter, of Doncaster Road, North Balwyn from outside Victoria Barracks. Harry Wallace informs the police that he believes he recognised the bandit as the man who took his pistol from his bedroom the previous Friday morning. As night falls, armed police are posted at strategic points in the Eltham-Greensborough district. Police in cars are watching the roads. Others are searching the bush and checking passengers on trains. Little do they realise the young man has already slipped out of the net. SEQUEL YOUTH OF 19 CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED ARMED ROBBERY OF BANK AT ELTHAM Weekly Times, Wednesday 15 February 1950, page 6 Detectives who raided a house in Bell St., Coburg, Melbourne, charged a 19-year-old youth, of South Yarra, with attempted armed robbery at the Commercial Bank’s Eltham (Vic.) receiving depot on Dec. 15. Police say they recovered a loaded automatic pistol, diamond and signet rings worth more than £200, a complete set of house-breaking instruments, a sailor’s uniform, and chloroform gauze in the raid. The youth was charged that while armed with an offensive weapon, he attempted to rob Lindsay George Spears of a sum of money. He was further charged on six counts of breaking, entering and stealing. Police allege that the person who tried to hold up Mr Spears in the Commercial Bank receiving depot at Eltham on December 15. escaped in a stolen car, after Mr Spears and Mr Henry Wallace, manager of the bank’s Greensborough branch, had fired at him. After the car crashed, he escaped into thick scrub and is alleged to have changed into a sailor’s uniform. On December 9 an automatic pistol was stolen from Mr Wallace’s bedroom at the Greensborough bank. The chloroform pad recovered is alleged to have been stolen from the Dental Supply Company, Plenty Road, Preston. The rings are alleged to have been taken in a £513 burglary from the shop of James Paton. Sydney Road, Coburg. Det. Sgt. H. McMennemin conducted the investigations with Senior Dets. R. Newton and M Downie, Detectives l. Dent, R. Rayner, P. Pedersen and M. Handley and First Constable A. Thomas. The youth will appear at Eltham Court on February 22. Manager’s Gun Used in Holdup at Bank The Age, Thursday 23 February 1950, page 4 It was stated in Eltham court yesterday that a youth who robbed a bank manager of his pistol, later used it in an attempt to hold-up the bank. Kay Arthur Morgan, 19, draftsman, of Castle-street, South Yarra, was committed for trial on charges of breaking and entering, and stealing a pistol and attempted robbery while armed with an offensive weapon. He pleaded guilty. The manager of Eltham branch of the Commercial Bank of Australia Ltd., Henry Clifton Cabot Wallace, said he disturbed someone in the bedroom, in which he and his wife were sleeping, at 3 a.m. on December. 9, 1949. Later he found that his automatic- pistol was missing. On December 15 a youth, who said his name was John Henderson, entered the bank and opened a new account. As the youth was leaving the bank he turned round with a pistol in his hand and said: — “I want the lot.” Spear indicated a drawer under the counter; and said.— “Here it is. Come and get it.” The youth said:— “Keep your hand away from that drawer.” Witness said Spear then drew his pistol from his hip pocket. The youth fired at them, and Spear returned the fire. “I pulled my pistol and fired, too” said witness. The youth fired again, ran out to a car and drove off. Witness and Spear fired several shots at the car. The youth was the accused Morgan, sitting in court, witness said. Evidence was given that one bullet was found in the celling and the other in the bank. Morgan was allowed £100 bail on each charge. Morgan ended up serving three years for the failed armed robbery and became a notorious criminal. He had twin sons, Peter and Doug and even though only ten years old, Morgan would get his sons to act as lookouts whilst he committed burglaries. The lads became building contractors but when the industry suffered a downturn in 1977 and they were short on cash, they returned to the family business. Over the following 23 months they undertook 24 raids on country and outer-suburban TABs and banks. Whilst robbing one country bank for the third time, just like their father, it all went wrong ending up with a police officer shot. They were nick-named the “After-dark” bandits and are considered to be Australia’s last bushrangers. They were convicted and served 17 years in prison.5 x A4 photocopied pagesbank hold-up, cba bank, det sgt mcmennemin, eltham, h.d. pettie, harry wallace, jack burgoyne, kay arthur morgan, lindsay a. spears, main road

Copy of Rose Series Postcard P. 4314. (The Rose Stereograph Company) Shows two bridge crossings over the Diamond Creek in Diamond Street, Eltham. The upper pedestrian crossing provided continual access for foot traffic during times of flood. The railway came to Eltham in 1901, the Eltham Railway Station is visible in the distance as well as a wooden bodied Tait (Red Rattler) First Class train carriage. The Tait train was first introduced in 1910 as a steam locomotive hauled carriage and in 1919 electric motor carriages were introduced however the line to Heidelberg was not electrified till 1921 and to Eltham in April 1923. The Railway General Store on Main Road is visible beyond the station and was built by Luther Haley in 1902. It was the first shop in the present day shopping centre. It was later known as lloyd's stopre (1917-1920) followed by a succession of six other owners until purchased by Eric Staff in 1939. George Rose founded the Rose Stereograph Company in 1880 and was joined by Herbert (Bert) Cutts in the early 20th Century. The pair formed a lifetime working partnership and strong personal friendship. Assisted by George’s two sons, Herbert George and Walter, and later by Neil Cutts, the Rose Stereograph Company continued its operations for more than 140 years. The company was initially built on stereographs, but as cinema took over and stereographs fell out of fashion, the Rose Stereograph Company developed Australia’s first commercially viable photographic postcard business. Specialising in postcards of iconic historical moments and significant landmarks, The Rose Stereograph Company became a staple of the Australian travel industry.This photo forms part of a collection of photographs gathered by the Shire of Eltham for their centenary project book,"Pioneers and Painters: 100 years of the Shire of Eltham" by Alan Marshall (1971). The collection of over 500 images is held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library) and is now formally known as 'The Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection.' It is significant in being the first community sourced collection representing the places and people of the Shire's first one hundred years.Digital image 4 x 5 inch B&W Negdiamond creek, diamond street bridge, eltham, eltham railway station, glass plate negative, lloyd's general store, postcard, railway station, railway store, rose series postcard, rose stereograph company, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, staffs general store, tait train, travel

Holden Courtesy panel van, registration number JHE-915, and a Studebaker at St Kilda Mobile Traffic Section at rear of 145 Chapel St. St.Kilda. Circa 1965police vehicles; motor transport branch; motor transport section; holden divisional van; studebaker car

Ford Falcon XR V8 Mobile Traffic Section patrol car, registration number JYD-173, with Ken Read standing beside driver's door in full uniform. Circa April 1968. Ken Read was in charge of the Warrnambool MTS then.police vehicles; motor transport branch; motor transport section; wireless patrol; ford falcon car; read, ken

A mini having mounted the curb into oncoming traffic on Beach Road, with a Ford Falcon Camera Car parked beside it and a Volkswagen driving towards it in the background. Circa 1969police vehicles; motor transport branch; motor transport section; wireless patrol; ford falcon q car; camera car

Police vehicles; Transport Branch; Wireless Patrol; Motor Police Branch; Motor Traffic Section; Ford Deluxe car; Ford Mercury car; Tanner, Bill; Day, Alfred; Minns, Lyle; McVicar, Angus; Price, Ted; Williams, Tom; Olsen, Sid; McEvoy, Dave; Fosket, George; Spinks, ErnieFord Deluxe registration number EP-100 and Mercury JT-706 with the members of the Wireless Patrol - Bill Tanner, Alf Boots Day (driver), Lyle Minnis, Angus McVicar, Ted Price (driver), Tom Williams, Sid Olsen, George Fosket(driver) , Dave McEvoy and Ernie Spinks. Circa 1946-47

Holden Mobile Traffic Section patrol car, registration no. GKN 704, with , police light on top of vehicle, circa 1955police vehicles; motor transport branch; wireless patrol; holden car

Studebaker Lark Mobile Traffic Section Q car registration number HWA-883 on Alexander Avenue. Circa 1963police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; studebaker lark car

Photo of the rear yard of the Mobile Traffic Section offices at 145 Chapel St. St.KildaHolden ute, front view, registration number JHE-915, parked at a right angle to a Studebaker Lark, side view. Circa 1964police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; holden ute; studebaker lake car

Two door Studebaker Mobile Traffic Section patrol car at Dawson Street, Brunswick. Circa 1963police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; studebaker car

One of two Vauxhall sedans used for Mobile Traffic Section patrol dutiesVauxhall Cresta in a park with sky scraper in background. Registration number HLA-802. Circa 1962police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; vauxhall cresta car

Used by the Mobile Traffic Section for patrol and warning motorists at incidents etc.Holden courtesy van in a park with skyscraper in background. Circa 1961police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; holden courtesy van

Shows a Mobile Traffic Section car Norm Lieske, in uniform, standing beside opened passenger door of Studebaker Cruiser, registration number JJK-857. Circa 1966police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; studebaker cruiser car; lieske, norman

First Constable Norm Lieiske in a Mobile Traffic Section patrol carInterior of Studebaker with uniformed policeman talking into radio. Circa 1966Norm Lieskepolice vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; studebaker car

Studebaker Mobile Traffic Section patrol car, registration number JEM-626, outside residential property. Circa 1965police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; studebaker car

Ford Falcon sedan with emblem on passenger's door. Circa 1960. The first Falcon Mobile Traffic Section patrol car with Victoria Police badge on door.police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; ford falcon car

Ford Falcon Mobile Traffic Section Q car, registration number HGY-104. Circa 1960. Panel in the grille shows where the siren was fitted.police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; ford falcon car

Photo of a very early Falcon Mobile Traffic Section patrol car.Ford Falcon sedan with emblem on driver's door, siren on bonnet and light on roof. Registration number HHC-021. police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; ford falcon car

Ford Zephyr Mobile Traffic Section car with unidentified person in driver's seat. Circa 1960. Photo taken in Carlton Gardens with ICI building in the background.police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; ford zephyr car

Mildura Mobile Traffic Section patrol car at Lock 3 near Mildura.Ford Zephyr, registration number HRH-911, parked under a tree with a driver and passenger inside the car. There is a man in the background standing bent over near a bicycle. Circa 1961police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; ford zephyr car

First Constable Joh Gurr 12361 of the Mobile Traffic Section with a Falcon Q car.Ford Falcon, registration number HJJ-345, with officer standing beside it and the city sky line in the background. Circa 1961police vehicles; wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; ford falcon car

Studebaker former Mobile Traffic Section patrol Car with No. 2 painted on driver's door racing at Sandown. Circa 1964wireless patrol; motor transport branch; motor transport section; sandown race track

This file contains two items: 1/Twelve photographs of the Glen Huntly, Neerim Road hand-operated railway gates, dated 1983 and November 1985, photographer unknown, and two black and white copies of two of the original photographs. Four photographs are in black and white and eight are in colour, all picturing the Gatekeeper’s shelter and/or the railway gates. Six photographs dated 1985 include the Gatekeeper, unidentified, in some photos operating the gates. 2/A three-page pamphlet dated 03/05/1979 promoting a public meeting at the Caulfield Town Hall to debate Road Grade Separation proposals for the Neerim Road and Glenhuntly Road railway crossings. Document details the proposed VicRail improvement and four alternative improvements as we as a blank questionnaire for the submission of ideas regarding the proposals to the Caulfield City Council Urban Planner. A short summary of other concerns held by two councillors and an engineer regarding the proposal is also included, as is a Railway Noise Level. Railway Pamphlet also includes a map of the area surrounding the railway crossings under discussion 1977.glenhuntly road, neerim road, caulfield, railway gates, gates, hand-operated railway gates, railways, roads and streets, railway crossings, architectural features, town halls, official buildings, vicrail, meetings, public meetings, caulfield town hall, gatekeepers, caulfield city council, elsternwick, glen huntly, caulfield park, caulfield racecourse, normanby road, dandenong road, railway buildings, railway stations, land transport, transport establishments, hordern a.g., dunstan don, hordern bill, needham j.g., advertisements, graphics, advertising, advertising signs, signs, estate agents, business people, stockdale and leggo, buildings structures and establishments, occupations, united signs, signs, communication devices, motor vehicles, glenhuntly railway station, town planning, civic and landscape art, engineers, professionals, traffic, road transport, transport, maps, documents, plans

Black and white photo: 3 storey rendered building with parapet. 8 columns at front. Driveway with grass and garden beds each side. Hinged traffic barrier at front left. Motor vehicles in front of building. In image on building ' Anne Caudle Centre' on back in grey lead pencil O 24. ( Noelene Wild 7.2000 Photo, Peter Hyett 1995. Anne Caudle Centre, main entrance from Barnard Street. ( formerly Home and Hospital for the Aged, originally Bendigo Benevolent Asylum )Peter Hyattbuildings, hospital, anne caudle centre

'Administration Instruction' - Arrangements for Bendigo Citizens' Recruiting Committee. Navy, Army personnel in conjunctions with Boxing Championships and the Motor Show. Five days of activities including instructions for Administratiion, Accom,modation, Transfer, Traffic. 5 pages; R A Myers, Chairman. Inscription: '381 High St' written on front page.organization, military, bendigo citizens' recruiting c'tee

The Q class were introduced as bogie flatwagons in the 1870's. Large Q wagons as shown were built to the 1920's In the early 1900's, some Q wagons were modified for Pintsch Gas traffic with a small pump motor cabin at one end and a tank for carrying the gas. Other conversions for traffic were as required. Examples were: sheet glass, skeletal underframes between workshops In 1926 the railways built two narrow gauge Garratt locomotives. As normal wagons were unsuitable for moving these locomotives a special skeletal wagon was built. The engines were split into units for transportation. It featured axle bearings and boxes from steam engines, had hinged buffers that could drop out of the way during loading/unloading. It also featured 'strap' rail along the deck. The wagon was Q 129. This wagon was also available for general narrow gauge rolling stock. Q wagons were numbered from 1 to 136. Service History: *Q 129.VA - 1/ 6/1926 NWS Built new H/brake & drop buffers. For traffic of Narrow Guage stock 31/ 1/1931 NWS Into Workshops - 16/ 6/1931 NWS Out of Workshops (50 days) 6/11/1931 NWS Into Workshops - 27/11/1931 NWS Out of Workshops (22 days) 24/ 8/1936 NWS Into Workshops - 10/ 9/1936 NWS Out of Workshops (18 days) 27/11/1936 NWS Into Workshops - 26/ 2/1937 NWS Out of Workshops (Light repairs) circa 1960 - Photograph SL20 p32, loaded with 7NA / /1975 - Photograph #393 / /1976 - Photograph #553, #554 19/ 3/1979 - Condemned - 10/ 4/1979 - Off Register - 10/ 4/1979 - Sold (to) ETR, Belgrave / /1989 EME Body [GRE]. [SXC]: 29/3/92, MEL127E5, Puffing Billy at station Historic - Victorian Railways - Transporter wagon used to carry and transfer 2' 6" Narrow gauge rolling stock over Victorian broad gauge (1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) main lines to the narrow gauge lines. Q 129 was unique, it was built to transport narrow gauge locomotives. Transporter Wagon made of Steel and wrought Iron129Q129q, puffing billy, transporter wagon

Train Destination Disc Until the 1980s Melbourne suburban trains used a system of discs by day, and illuminated market lights by night, to indicate their destination. Placed on the front of trains to advise a Signalman in the Signal Box the destination of the train. This disk was used on NK1 the Whitfield Motor when it was used by Puffing Billy Railway Info from the diagrams from the 1953 Victorian Railways General Appendix. Black + is Lilydale, Belgrave other Destination Disks were Disks Williamstown Black II Newport Workshops Red = Changed in 76 to Black + Newport-Altona shuttle Red X Werribee Red X St Albans Black X Upfield Black = Broadmeadows Originally Red X changed in 1976 to Red = Epping Black II Hurstbridge Red X Lilydale, Belgrave Black + Alamein Black X Glen Waverley Black = Dandenong Black II Frankston Red = Sandringham Red X St Kilda Originally Black II changed in 1976 to Red X Port Melbourne Red X changed in 1976 to Black X Flinders St - Spencer St Local Red II Showgrounds Red = plus extra white disk on opposite front disk bracket; if only one event, Display Large White 1 and yellow side disk with set number. If two events, second event special trains flip this disk and show large Black Disk with white numeral 2 Race Special Red = plus extra white disk on opposite front disk bracket; if only one event, Display Large White 1 and yellow side disk with set number. If two events, second event special trains flip this disk and show large Black Disk with white numeral 2 For example, Flemington Race trains and Caulfield Race trains on the same day. Flemington carries Red = and White 1 and yellow set number on the side Caulfield carries Red = and Black 2 with yellow set number disc on the side. There was one disc which was never to be used in normal traffic, that was the "Red Cross"; it was reserved for Red Cross trains only.Historic - Victorian Railways - Destination Disk - Black cross - Lilydale, Belgrave Lines This disk was used on NK1 the Whitfield Motor when it was used by Puffing Billy Railway Train Destination Disc Round tin sign painted white with a black cross on white background and a mounting bracket on the rear. Placed on the front of trains prior to the mid 1970s to advise a Signalman in the Signal Box the destination of the train. Black Cross puffing billy, destination disc, victorian railways, lilydale, belgrave lines