Put together by a member of the Eltham Community Action Group in participation with various artists, writers, local business people and other local citizens and sent to Minister Maclellan, Planning Minister in the Kennet Government in protest of proposed plans to sell the former Eltham Shire Office site at 895 Main Road Eltham in order to develop a Shell Service Station and Hungry Jacks fast food outlet. The purpose was to express what is unique about the character of Eltham, why people live and work there and why such a development would be out of character and inappropriate for the Eltham Gateway along with alternative development proposals. This protest was the catalyst for the formation of the Eltham Community Action Group.Scrapbook album approx 40 x 30 x 4 cm, black hardcovers and 36 double page openings, numerous blank pages.alan marshall, alistair knox park, alistair knox, alternative proposals, ampitheatre, artists, betty langley, bohdan kucyk, bootmakers cottage, bridge street, cultural heritage map, david armfield, diamond creek, diamnond valley news, eltham art house theatres, eltham community action group, eltham library, eltham traders, eltham, flavour of eltham, george stebbing, gordon ford, hamish knox, helen lucas, hungry jacks, janet r boddy, jarrold cottage, jarrold family, john pizzey, jon weaving, lena skipper, letters, local business register, 895 main road, main road, eltham shire office, matcham skipper, ming mackay, minister maclellan, montsalvat, mudbrick, newspaper clippings, peter dougherty, peter glass, pioneers and painters, railway line, shell service station, shelltham, protests, shillinglaw cottage, shire of eltham, nillumbik shire, st margaret's anglican church, todaro, trestle bridge, wingrove cottage, charles symons wingrove

Put together by a member of the Eltham Community Action Group in participation with various artists, writers, local business people and other local citizens and sent to Minister Maclellan, Planning Minister in the Kennett Government in protest of proposed plans to sell the former Eltham Shire Office site at 895 Main Road Eltham in order to develop a Shell Service Station and Hungry Jacks fast food outlet. The purpose was to express what is unique about the character of Eltham, why people live and work there and why such a development would be out of character and inappropriate for the Eltham Gateway along with alternative development proposals. This protest was the catalyst for the formation of the Eltham Community Action Group.Scrapbook album approx 40 x 30 x 4 cm, black hardcovers and 36 double page openings, numerous blank pages.alan marshall, alistair knox park, alistair knox, alternative proposals, ampitheatre, artists, betty langley, bohdan kucyk, bootmakers cottage, bridge street, cultural heritage map, david armfield, diamond creek, diamnond valley news, eltham art house theatres, eltham community action group, eltham library, eltham traders, eltham, flavour of eltham, george stebbing, gordon ford, hamish knox, helen lucas, hungry jacks, janet r boddy, jarrold cottage, jarrold family, john pizzey, jon weaving, lena skipper, letters, local business register, 895 main road, main road, eltham shire office, matcham skipper, ming mackay, minister maclellan, montsalvat, mudbrick, newspaper clippings, peter dougherty, peter glass, pioneers and painters, railway line, shell service station, shelltham, protests, shillinglaw cottage, shire of eltham, nillumbik shire, st margaret's anglican church, todaro, trestle bridge, wingrove cottage, charles symons wingrove

Put together by a member of the Eltham Community Action Group in participation with various artists, writers, local business people and other local citizens and sent to Minister Maclellan, Planning Minister in the Kennet Government in protest of proposed plans to sell the former Eltham Shire Office site at 895 Main Road Eltham in order to develop a Shell Service Station and Hungry Jacks fast food outlet. The purpose was to express what is unique about the character of Eltham, why people live and work there and why such a development would be out of character and inappropriate for the Eltham Gateway along with alternative development proposals. This protest was the catalyst for the formation of the Eltham Community Action Group.Scrapbook album approx 40 x 30 x 4 cm, black hardcovers and 36 double page openings, numerous blank pages.alan marshall, alistair knox park, alistair knox, alternative proposals, ampitheatre, artists, betty langley, bohdan kucyk, bootmakers cottage, bridge street, cultural heritage map, david armfield, diamond creek, diamnond valley news, eltham art house theatres, eltham community action group, eltham library, eltham traders, eltham, flavour of eltham, george stebbing, gordon ford, hamish knox, helen lucas, hungry jacks, janet r boddy, jarrold cottage, jarrold family, john pizzey, jon weaving, lena skipper, letters, local business register, 895 main road, main road, eltham shire office, matcham skipper, ming mackay, minister maclellan, montsalvat, mudbrick, newspaper clippings, peter dougherty, peter glass, pioneers and painters, railway line, shell service station, shelltham, protests, shillinglaw cottage, shire of eltham, nillumbik shire, st margaret's anglican church, todaro, trestle bridge, wingrove cottage, charles symons wingrove

Put together by a member of the Eltham Community Action Group in participation with various artists, writers, local business people and other local citizens and sent to Minister Maclellan, Planning Minister in the Kennet Government in protest of proposed plans to sell the former Eltham Shire Office site at 895 Main Road Eltham in order to develop a Shell Service Station and Hungry Jacks fast food outlet. The purpose was to express what is unique about the character of Eltham, why people live and work there and why such a development would be out of character and inappropriate for the Eltham Gateway along with alternative development proposals. This protest was the catalyst for the formation of the Eltham Community Action Group.Scrapbook album approx 40 x 30 x 4 cm, black hardcovers and 36 double page openings, numerous blank pages.alan marshall, alistair knox park, alistair knox, alternative proposals, ampitheatre, artists, betty langley, bohdan kucyk, bootmakers cottage, bridge street, cultural heritage map, david armfield, diamond creek, diamnond valley news, eltham art house theatres, eltham community action group, eltham library, eltham traders, eltham, flavour of eltham, george stebbing, gordon ford, hamish knox, helen lucas, hungry jacks, janet r boddy, jarrold cottage, jarrold family, john pizzey, jon weaving, lena skipper, letters, local business register, 895 main road, main road, eltham shire office, matcham skipper, ming mackay, minister maclellan, montsalvat, mudbrick, newspaper clippings, peter dougherty, peter glass, pioneers and painters, railway line, shell service station, shelltham, protests, shillinglaw cottage, shire of eltham, nillumbik shire, st margaret's anglican church, todaro, trestle bridge, wingrove cottage, charles symons wingrove

Put together by a member of the Eltham Community Action Group in participation with various artists, writers, local business people and other local citizens and sent to Minister Maclellan, Planning Minister in the Kennet Government in protest of proposed plans to sell the former Eltham Shire Office site at 895 Main Road Eltham in order to develop a Shell Service Station and Hungry Jacks fast food outlet. The purpose was to express what is unique about the character of Eltham, why people live and work there and why such a development would be out of character and inappropriate for the Eltham Gateway along with alternative development proposals. This protest was the catalyst for the formation of the Eltham Community Action Group.Scrapbook album approx 40 x 30 x 4 cm, black hardcovers and 36 double page openings, numerous blank pages.alan marshall, alistair knox park, alistair knox, alternative proposals, ampitheatre, artists, betty langley, bohdan kucyk, bootmakers cottage, bridge street, cultural heritage map, david armfield, diamond creek, diamnond valley news, eltham art house theatres, eltham community action group, eltham library, eltham traders, eltham, flavour of eltham, george stebbing, gordon ford, hamish knox, helen lucas, hungry jacks, janet r boddy, jarrold cottage, jarrold family, john pizzey, jon weaving, lena skipper, letters, local business register, 895 main road, main road, eltham shire office, matcham skipper, ming mackay, minister maclellan, montsalvat, mudbrick, newspaper clippings, peter dougherty, peter glass, pioneers and painters, railway line, shell service station, shelltham, protests, shillinglaw cottage, shire of eltham, nillumbik shire, st margaret's anglican church, todaro, trestle bridge, wingrove cottage, charles symons wingrove

Put together by a member of the Eltham Community Action Group in participation with various artists, writers, local business people and other local citizens and sent to Minister Maclellan, Planning Minister in the Kennet Government in protest of proposed plans to sell the former Eltham Shire Office site at 895 Main Road Eltham in order to develop a Shell Service Station and Hungry Jacks fast food outlet. The purpose was to express what is unique about the character of Eltham, why people live and work there and why such a development would be out of character and inappropriate for the Eltham Gateway along with alternative development proposals. This protest was the catalyst for the formation of the Eltham Community Action Group.Scrapbook album approx 40 x 30 x 4 cm, black hardcovers and 36 double page openings, numerous blank pages.alan marshall, alistair knox park, alistair knox, alternative proposals, ampitheatre, artists, betty langley, bohdan kucyk, bootmakers cottage, bridge street, cultural heritage map, david armfield, diamond creek, diamnond valley news, eltham art house theatres, eltham community action group, eltham library, eltham traders, eltham, flavour of eltham, george stebbing, gordon ford, hamish knox, helen lucas, hungry jacks, janet r boddy, jarrold cottage, jarrold family, john pizzey, jon weaving, lena skipper, letters, local business register, 895 main road, main road, eltham shire office, matcham skipper, ming mackay, minister maclellan, montsalvat, mudbrick, newspaper clippings, peter dougherty, peter glass, pioneers and painters, railway line, shell service station, shelltham, protests, shillinglaw cottage, shire of eltham, nillumbik shire, st margaret's anglican church, todaro, trestle bridge, wingrove cottage, charles symons wingrove

Put together by a member of the Eltham Community Action Group in participation with various artists, writers, local business people and other local citizens and sent to Minister Maclellan, Planning Minister in the Kennet Government in protest of proposed plans to sell the former Eltham Shire Office site at 895 Main Road Eltham in order to develop a Shell Service Station and Hungry Jacks fast food outlet. The purpose was to express what is unique about the character of Eltham, why people live and work there and why such a development would be out of character and inappropriate for the Eltham Gateway along with alternative development proposals. This protest was the catalyst for the formation of the Eltham Community Action Group.Scrapbook album approx 40 x 30 x 4 cm, black hardcovers and 36 double page openings, numerous blank pages.alan marshall, alistair knox park, alistair knox, alternative proposals, ampitheatre, artists, betty langley, bohdan kucyk, bootmakers cottage, bridge street, cultural heritage map, david armfield, diamond creek, diamnond valley news, eltham art house theatres, eltham community action group, eltham library, eltham traders, eltham, flavour of eltham, george stebbing, gordon ford, hamish knox, helen lucas, hungry jacks, janet r boddy, jarrold cottage, jarrold family, john pizzey, jon weaving, lena skipper, letters, local business register, 895 main road, main road, eltham shire office, matcham skipper, ming mackay, minister maclellan, montsalvat, mudbrick, newspaper clippings, peter dougherty, peter glass, pioneers and painters, railway line, shell service station, shelltham, protests, shillinglaw cottage, shire of eltham, nillumbik shire, st margaret's anglican church, todaro, trestle bridge, wingrove cottage, charles symons wingrove

Put together by a member of the Eltham Community Action Group in participation with various artists, writers, local business people and other local citizens and sent to Minister Maclellan, Planning Minister in the Kennet Government in protest of proposed plans to sell the former Eltham Shire Office site at 895 Main Road Eltham in order to develop a Shell Service Station and Hungry Jacks fast food outlet. The purpose was to express what is unique about the character of Eltham, why people live and work there and why such a development would be out of character and inappropriate for the Eltham Gateway along with alternative development proposals. This protest was the catalyst for the formation of the Eltham Community Action Group.Scrapbook album approx 40 x 30 x 4 cm, black hardcovers and 36 double page openings, numerous blank pages.alan marshall, alistair knox park, alistair knox, alternative proposals, ampitheatre, artists, betty langley, bohdan kucyk, bootmakers cottage, bridge street, cultural heritage map, david armfield, diamond creek, diamnond valley news, eltham art house theatres, eltham community action group, eltham library, eltham traders, eltham, flavour of eltham, george stebbing, gordon ford, hamish knox, helen lucas, hungry jacks, janet r boddy, jarrold cottage, jarrold family, john pizzey, jon weaving, lena skipper, letters, local business register, 895 main road, main road, eltham shire office, matcham skipper, ming mackay, minister maclellan, montsalvat, mudbrick, newspaper clippings, peter dougherty, peter glass, pioneers and painters, railway line, shell service station, shelltham, protests, shillinglaw cottage, shire of eltham, nillumbik shire, st margaret's anglican church, todaro, trestle bridge, wingrove cottage, charles symons wingrove

Put together by a member of the Eltham Community Action Group in participation with various artists, writers, local business people and other local citizens and sent to Minister Maclellan, Planning Minister in the Kennet Government in protest of proposed plans to sell the former Eltham Shire Office site at 895 Main Road Eltham in order to develop a Shell Service Station and Hungry Jacks fast food outlet. The purpose was to express what is unique about the character of Eltham, why people live and work there and why such a development would be out of character and inappropriate for the Eltham Gateway along with alternative development proposals. This protest was the catalyst for the formation of the Eltham Community Action Group.Scrapbook album approx 40 x 30 x 4 cm, black hardcovers and 36 double page openings, numerous blank pages.alan marshall, alistair knox park, alistair knox, alternative proposals, ampitheatre, artists, betty langley, bohdan kucyk, bootmakers cottage, bridge street, cultural heritage map, david armfield, diamond creek, diamnond valley news, eltham art house theatres, eltham community action group, eltham library, eltham traders, eltham, flavour of eltham, george stebbing, gordon ford, hamish knox, helen lucas, hungry jacks, janet r boddy, jarrold cottage, jarrold family, john pizzey, jon weaving, lena skipper, letters, local business register, 895 main road, main road, eltham shire office, matcham skipper, ming mackay, minister maclellan, montsalvat, mudbrick, newspaper clippings, peter dougherty, peter glass, pioneers and painters, railway line, shell service station, shelltham, protests, shillinglaw cottage, shire of eltham, nillumbik shire, st margaret's anglican church, todaro, trestle bridge, wingrove cottage, charles symons wingrove

Bicentennial/Heritage Week Display, "The Eltham Tradition", Eltham Shire Office, 17-22 April 1988 Colour photographactivities, eltham shire office, heritage display, heritage week, montsalvat

Contents: • The Carnival is Over….well just about! By Jim Connor • Society Christmas Function • 50 Years ago…..1967 by Liz Pidgeon • Our 50th Anniversary Celebration Dinner • Eltham 1950 s– Childhood Reminiscences – Part 1 by Ann Constable • A Squatter’s Life on the Plenty River at ‘Wanstead’: The 1837 Diary of James Louis Willis by Anne Paul • 80th Anniversary of Rob Roy Hill Climb • Montsalvat • Our Sponsors • Contacts for the Eltham District Historical SocietyThe Shire of Eltham Historical Society was formed in October 1967. The first newsletter of the Society was issued May 1978 and has been published continuously ever since on a bi-monthly basis. With the cessation of the Shire of Eltham in late 1994, the Society's name was revised to Eltham District Historical Society and this name first appeared with issue No. 103, July 1995. The collection of the Society's newsletters provides a valuable resource on the history of the Society's activities, office bearers and committee members, guest speakers and subjects of historical interest pertinent to the former Shire of Eltham and the Eltham District.A4 newsletter distributed to membersnewsletter, eltham district historical society, shire of eltham historical society

Michael Wilson learnt the craft of Goldsmithing after seeing well known sculptor and silversmith Matcham Skipper working in his studio at Montsalvat in and around 1970. This work is a gift to the Eltham Community in recognition of his twenty five years of developing his goldsmith skills and operating his business within the Shire. Wilson officially opened his commercial premises in 1985. Michael Wilson is a local jewellery maker. His work is influenced directly by the environment in which he lives. This sculpture is representative of his distinctive style of work as a nationally and an internationally recognised Designer and Goldsmith. Made of steel and powdercoated in aluminium with a concrete base. Decorative elements such as the ring encasing the cicada and the cicada's wings are guilded with 24ct gold leaf. The steel rod is burgundy in colour with the cicada painted a dark olive green to represent the 'Green Grocer' variety common in Eltham. The colours used in this sculpture match the surrounding Elm and Ash trees in the landscape. N/Apublic art, cicada, wilson, gold, green grocer, jewellery

Eltham was a creative hub during the twentieth century, attracting innovative visual artists, architects, writers and film makers to collaborate, forging lifelong friendships and artistic legacies. Skipper produced this bronze sculpture of friend, Composer George Dreyfus for the then Shire of Eltham Art Award. Matcham Skipper (b.1921 NZ - d. 2011 Melb.) was a renowned local sculptor, jeweller and builder and an accomplished teacher, designer, ironworker, and photographer. His work is held by many museums and public collections in Australia and overseas. He was a long term resident of Montsalvat in Eltham with his family deeply involved in the building and evolution of this artists colony, which was the vision of architect and painter Justus Jorgensen. George Dreyfus (b.1928 Germany - arrived 1939 Aus) is an Australian contemporary classical, film and television composer. He has composed numerous film and television scores, including Tim Burstall's 'The Adventures of Sebastian the Fox' (1963), 'A Steam Train Passes' (1974), 'Rush' (1974), 'Dimboola' (1979) and 'The Fringe Dwellers' (1986). It was the score for 'Rush' which brought him wider recognition. He has written four operas, two symphonies, chamber music and film scores spanning five decades. Dreyfus is well known for having worked with the late director, writer and producer Tim Burstall, a key figure in Australian postwar cinema and local who lived in Eltham. Burstall was instrumental in rebuilding the Australian film industry in the 60s, creating groundbreaking Australian films including 'Stork' and 'Alvin Purple'. Figurative bronze bust of well known Australian composer George Dreyfus. He is wearing a shirt underneath a sweater. His left arm/hand is placed over his chest. His eyes are half closed as if immersed in the music. A green patina can be seen in areas on the sculpture. Signature and date cast (incised with tool) onto the back shoulder blade: 'MATCHAM SKIPPER 1987'ek prac 2015, montsalvat, eltham, george dreyfus, matcham skipper, bronze, bust, tim burstall, sculpture, rush

Sue Ford (1943-2009) was an important practitioner in the wave of 1970's Australian feminist photographers. Ford regularly took intimate and candid pictures of artist friends, such as 'Neil Douglas Research 1964', documenting a time in Eltham when Montsalvat and Dunmoochin played an important part in the early attraction of artists to the Nillumbik area. Artist, conservationist and activist Neil Douglas (1911-2003) is best known for his garden at the Bend of Islands, Kangaroo Ground where he formed a co-operative for like-minded people who wished to live in harmony with the bush and wildlife. His love of nature and the beauty and fragility of the bush are constant themes that often run parallel in his ceramic works and paintings.Sue Ford and Neil Douglas were artists of national significance who both lived in the local Nillumbik area in the mid to late twentieth century. They were part of a community of artists integral in forging a dynamic artistic spirit, heavily inspired by the region's landscape and its people. Black and white silver gelatin photographic print of Neil Douglas plein-air painting in his rose garden at Research. Ed.1/3N/Aford, douglas, silver gelatin photograph, bend of isles, research, kangaroo ground, garden, environment

Lesley Sinclair studied art at the National Gallery School in Melbourne in the 1920s, and lithography at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. She became a member of the Melbourne Society of Women Painters and Sculptors, but rarely exhibited her work. She was a student of Justus Jorgensen and a founding member of the Montsalvat group in Eltham. She lived at Montsalvat and taught painting until her death.

This medallion is a proof of that found on the Nillumbik Shire Mayoral Chain. Silver round medallion, depicting a shield with coat of arms containing clockwise from left: a bull, a vase of flowers, a ram and a bunch of grapes. Two pin holes at 12 and 6.matcham skipper, medallion, silver, jewellery, coat of arms

Poor video quality (noise and interference), incomplete and unedited raw footage. A video documenting the demolition of the Shire of Eltham offices at 895 Main Road Eltham under the direction of the Commissioners appointed for the new Shire of Nillumbik and some of the communities activities surrounding the event. The building was demolished exactly 25 years after the southern wing housing Engineering and Planning on the upper level and the Eltham Library on the ground level was opened in celebration of the Shire of Eltham's centenary. Video has lots of distortion and noise, and sections of clips dubbed over. Immediate initial footage of Jenni Mitchell talking about asbestos claims in the Shire Offices (Sigmund Jorgensen standing behind her) advising Council did a review of the building several years previously and had been cleared of health problems. Cuts to group of people standing outside front door of offices but possibly voice dub over not related ? Then the date 27 Jul 1996 on a scene flashes on screen immediately followed by an edited clip intro of title and credits with classical music track. It then opens with Jenni Mitchell driving to the Shire Offices on Saturday 27 July 1996 at 11.00am. Footage of Main Road past Pitt Street, Alistair Knox Park then entering Shire Office driveway which is fenced off and contractor signs hanging up. Scenes at rear of building showing some internal demolition has commenced. View of the Administration wing. More clips of road driving, Alistair Knox Park, Eltham Library and visitor car park for Shire Offices. Cuts to a group of people standing in access to visitor carpark with new Eltham Library in background, one being immediate former Shire of Eltham President, John Graves. Scenes of people looking through chain link fence and security guard checking front door. John Graves being filmed that someone informed him the Shire was offering the building to the Community Health Centre for $2.3 million and that if they had been offered a price of $1.1 for what it apparently was sold for they would have snapped it up. View of truck loaded with brick rubble literally struggling to ascend the hill of Library Place to exit into Main Road. Cuts to a scene looking at Eltham War memorial Hall through the Memorial Gate, then the Shillinglaw trees and large banner sign ‘Delta Demolitions’ hanging on office façade. Views of front door, old library and bluestone wall. Scene (31 Jul 1996) filmed at night of several white crosses with “RIP Community” and “RIP Democracy”. Scene (1 August 1996) again driving along Main Road towards the Shire Offices then scenes of the offices showing substantially more demolition to exterior, groups of people standing on footpath outside watching, Delta heavy demolition machines, woman holding sign “Democracy where have you gone …”, the odd person in full protection gear and breathing apparatus hand carrying materials out to place on rubbish pile in front of people standing on footpath watching (with no protection) and then stamping on it to break it creating dust, security person in hard hat (no other protection) wandering around, many groups standing around watching, news film crew, person standing on roadside edge holding signs facing traffic stating “Pirate Planning” and “ Grant us your ears” also sign on back of parked car “Elthams High Jacks”, another sign “Community Democracy”, views of crosses in Main Road median strip “RIP Community”, groups of people on footpaths and reporters conducting interviews, footage of unknown person standing with Jenni Mitchell and Sigmund Jorgensen advising people have the right to protest, Jenni Mitchell urging people to ask questions of local MP and Council and Sigmund Jorgensen referring to the three historic Shillinglaw trees with demolition machinery operating in background, Jenni Mitchell and others installing more crosses in median strip; demolition machines operating inside and outside the building, more views of onlookers including Sigmund Jorgensen then Police approaching on footpath, workers and machinery continuing to operate, views of the old library being demolished, the former Community Services department, security personnel. Scene (2 August 1996) more heavy demolition machinery in operation smashing building up, people standing around southern wing watching, view overlooking Eltham Library of train pulling in to Eltham station. Scene (7 August 1996) more heavy demolition and people wandering around with only hard hat protection, no dust protection, comments from one operator dumping a bin of material stating “wait till there’s a Hungry Jack’s here, you’ll be laughing, fuel, videos, hamburgers. You’ll be up with the rest of the world soon, you’ll have electricity and everything here, ha ha ha ha”, more heavy machinery demolition and breaking up of materials, view of Hitachi train going by and Administration wing, view inside the front door opening of the staircase leading to upper level, person walking around operating heavy machinery with a hose spraying rubble (no protective gear other than hard hat interspersed with edit cuts of meeting of Commissioners and independent observers on panel as well as members of the community in public gallery. Nillumbik Shire CEO Barry Rochford addressing the meeting., Chief Commissioner Don Cordell directly addressing Jenni Mitchell with respect to permission to take photographs, Barry Rochford continues to address the question asked of Council about the valuation of the former Shire of Eltham Office building/site, public gallery calling out asking why was building demolished, what was the urgency. Scene (14 August 1996) views of southern wing, previous single demolition operator again mocking people filming, operators working in and around building, Shillinglaw trees and largely demolished front, heavy demolition equipment at work, piles of building rubble, hose spraying water over rubble, large trucks arriving for rubble removal and loading of truck. Scene (21 August) more of the same, building virtually down, Shillinglaw trees standing tall and alone, water spraying on rubble and wattle in bloom. Cuts to Council meeting with public onlookers. Barry Rochford walks out, Wayne Phillips addresses meeting explaining one or two people shouting, members of the community challenging Council (Commissioners) about why due process appear to have been subverted. Former Shire President Robert Marshall in public audience, cuts back to Shire office carpark entrance site and sign hung on fence in front of library “Think Again!” and people standing around observing awaiting a protest demonstration erecting a large sign on stilts stating “Shell No!”, people singing a revised version of God Save the Queen (God Save Us All), Sigmund Jorgensen in attendance, Jenni Mitchell, Sigmund Jorgenson and others address the protest crowd, followed by people mingling, music being played then people standing around the cleared site circumference all with arms linked (video very broken up with noise) then chants “Save the Gateway” and “No Shell for Eltham” and more music and singing “Put up a parking lot”. The crowd then proceeds to walk along the footpath of Main Road. Scene (15 Sep 1996) meeting at Montsalvat in Great Hall addressed by Sigmund Jorgensen discussing a recently published list of the Commissioner’s to senior Council Officers of banned Nillumbik people, others encouraging people to view proposed plans for the site and lodge objections. Specific issues regarding asbestos claims are also addressed. Harry Gilham addresses the meeting on the subject of the Eltham War Memorial and Memorial Gardens and how Council believe a roundabout in the vicinity is of greater importance. Views of various artworks on display (for auction) and music performance in the Barn Gallery. Meeting addressed by Sigmund Jorgensen discussing an appeal against Council granting a permit to Dallas Howgate to develop the site and that the Minister has called the matter in to be decided by the governing council. This is followed by an auction of paintings. 0.05 - Jenni Mitchel, Sigmund Jorgensen and Peter Doughtery in background. 0.18 - Jock Kyme in front of building – David Essex, Marg Johnson on his left-hand side. 5.34 - John Graves – ex Shire of Eltham Councillor and President. 9.02 - Unknown person being interviewed. 9.30 - Jenni Mitchell, unknown person, Mark Burns, community activist. 10.04 - Sigmund Jorgenson, Jenni Mitchell. 12.04 - Police members 21.33 - Nillumbik Council offices 7 August 1996 Barry Rochford CEO, Vin Heffernan Commissioner, Don Cordell Chief Commissioner, Kevin Abbott Commissioner, unknown person. 28.00 - Barry Rochford CEO 28.05 - Kahn Frankie - in commissioner’s seat after commissioners and council staff have vacated the council chamber. 28.26 - Wayne Phillips, State Liberal member for Eltham, addressing community in response to questions. 28.36 - Mark Burns, community activist addressing gallery. 28.48 - Ken Hines, ex Shire of Eltham Councillor and President. 29.34 - Ken Hines, ex Shire of Eltham Councillor and President standing, Robert Marshall, ex Shire of Eltham Councillor and President seated in front. 29.41 - Karen Gerhards, community activist. 30.06 - Marg Johnson with loud hailer, next to Jock Kyme, community activist. 31.32 - Marg Johnson with possibly Frank Burgoyne?, Sigmund Jorgensen, Jock Kyme. 35.35 - Harry Gilham at meeting at Montsalvat on 15 September 1996. 35.43 - Sigmund Jorgenson at lectern. 36.42 - Marg Jennings. 37.47 - Mark McDonald, Jim Connor, ex Shire of Eltham Councillor in background. 36.28 - John Cohen, ex Shire of Eltham Councillor and President. 38.56 - Ken Hines, ex Shire of Eltham Councillor and President. 41.11 - Harry Gilham, president of the Eltham District Historical Society. 43.55 - Sigmund Jorgensen in Long Gallery at Montsalvat, at start of the art auction to raise funds for community action. 45.50 - Unknown person conducting art auction. VHS Video cassette (poor quality) Converted to MP4 file format 45:01, 535MBvideo recording, 895 main road, alistair knox park, artworks, auction, barn gallery, barry rochford, community health centre, dallas howgate, delta demolitions, demolition, don cordell, eltham, eltham library, eltham shire office, eltham war memorial, eltham war memorial gate, eltham war memorial hall, great hall, harry gilham, jenni mitchell, john graves, library place, main road, memorial gardens, mervyn hannan, montsalvat, pitt street, protest, robert marshall, roundabout, shell oil, shillinglaw trees, sigmund jorgensen, sign, wayne phillips

Walter Withers once lived at the corner of Bolton and Brougham Streets, Eltham. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p105 Walter Withers, one of Australia’s most famous artists, once lived in Southernwood, the weatherboard house at the corner of Bolton and Brougham Streets, Eltham. Withers, one of the first prominent artists to live in Eltham, was known for his lyrical paintings of the Australian bush and is associated with the Heidelberg School of artists. Withers was born in 1854 at Handsworth, Warwickshire, England, the grandson of an artist. He studied art at the Royal Academy of Arts, London. But in 1882 his father, opposing an artistic career for Withers, ordered him to go to Australia. However, after working as a jackaroo on several country properties for 18 months, Withers resumed painting in Melbourne, where he enrolled in evening art classes at the Melbourne National Gallery school of painting under G F Folingsby. Employed as a draughtsman by William Inglis & Co, then by Ferguson & Mitchell, lithographic printers, Withers produced portraits in black-and-white for several periodicals. His work was exhibited in the Old Academy, Melbourne. At this time he met and became life-long friends with artists Frederick McCubbin, Tom Roberts and Louis Abrahams. In 1887 Withers went to England and married Fanny Finn. They lived in Paris for awhile, where Withers studied at the Academie Julian. After his return to Melbourne in 1889, Withers lived at the artist camp at Eaglemont, then moved close to the Charterisville mansion, where he established a studio and sub-let cottages to other artists. Around 1892 Withers opened a Collins Street studio, had his first exhibition, and started giving painting classes. One of his pupils was Norman Lindsay, also to become a prominent artist. Withers had long been attracted to Eltham, but had to wait until 1903 to live there, after the railway line was extended to Eltham in 1902. He could then commute to the painting classes he gave in Melbourne. Withers lived on the two and a half acres (1.0ha) Bolton Street property with his wife and five children. They were joined for a short time by prominent painter Sir Hans Heyson who took lessons from Withers. Withers added a studio to the Queen Anne/Edwardian style seven-bedroom home, which had been built in 1891. Each bedroom included a fireplace and most rooms had 12 foot high (3.6m) ceilings. The house retains several fine leadlight windows. Withers painted his largest canvas The Return from the Harvest in 1905, at his Eltham studio. He is represented in national, state and regional galleries, and in many private collections in Australia and abroad. In 1904-05 Withers was president of the Victorian Artists’ Society. Withers at times stayed during the week at his studio in Oxford Chambers, Melbourne, and on weekends and holidays with his family at Eltham. Withers lived in Eltham until his death in 1914, aged 60 years. He had been plagued by rheumatism and in later life by heart and lung disease. It is said he died of a stroke peacefully in a rocking chair in front of the lounge-room fire. He is buried at St Helena in the St Katherine’s Anglican Church cemetery. In 1983, the auction of the house sparked fears that it would be pulled down, or substantially altered. Fortunately the new owners decided to retain the house. Some security was given to the house’s future when it was later included in the Heritage Overlay to the Nillumbik Planning Scheme. The property is also important because it is one of only a few left in the district, which were once owned by noted artists. These include three in Warrandyte: one formerly owned by Penleigh Boyd, another by Frank Crozier, and the other by Danila Vassilieff; and two in Eltham: Percy Leason’s in Lavender Park Road and Justus Jörgensen’s Montsalvat. A small park at the corner of Bible and Arthur Streets, Eltham is named in Walter Withers’ honour.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, bolton steet, brougham steet, eltham, southernwood, walter withers house

Discusses the restructure of Eltham and Diamond Valley Shires in 1994. In this article, the present 'Nillumbik' is referred to as 'Montsalvat'.Newspaper clipping, one page, black and white image and black text.shire of diamond valley, shire of eltham, banyule

Situated in King Street, Eltham, Alistair Knox built his home and office in 1962-1963 with mud-bricks made from the local soil and recycled materials blending the house with bush around it. Knox popularised the Eltham earth building movement, begun by Montsalvat founder, Justus Jorgensen. Alistair Knox (1912-1986) was also an Eltham Shire Councillor 1971-1975 and Shire President in 1975. He established the inaugural Eltham Community Festival in 1975. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p145This 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, alistair and margot knox house, alistair knox design, mudbrick construction, eltham, king street

Image 2D Great Hall at Montsalvat built 1938-52 View of mud brick section of Main Hall Designed by Justus Jorgensen The Alistair Knox Collection The Alistair Knox Collection is a series of mounted enlarged photos of mud brick houses and related subjects. The collection is understood to have been put together by Alistair Knox although it is the work of several unacknowledged photographers. For some years it was held by the Building Department of the former Eltham Shire Council and was then passed to our Society for safekeeping. Some of the photos have been used in Knox's books and from time to time some of them have been part of various historical displays. As far as we know there has not been a public display of the whole collection which numbers about forty photographs. The collection has been copied on to slides for the purpose of this meeting and to be retained as part of the Society's pictorial collection. Alistair Knox 1912 - 1986 is acknowledged as the founder of Eltham's mud brick building movement. Many of the buildings shown in the collection are of his design and he was also involved with the construction of several of them. Others are the work of his contemporaries and associates such as Peter Glass, Gordon Ford, and John Harcourt. (EDHS Newsletter No. 145 July 2002)Handwritten notes in pencil re details of building, year of construction, owner, designer, builder, etcmontsalvat, great hall, houses, justus jorgensen, mud brick construction, alistair knox collection

Image 2C Barn at Montsalvat 1946 Built by Matcham and Sonia Skipper Designed by Justus Jorgensen The Alistair Knox Collection The Alistair Knox Collection is a series of mounted enlarged photos of mud brick houses and related subjects. The collection is understood to have been put together by Alistair Knox although it is the work of several unacknowledged photographers. For some years it was held by the Building Department of the former Eltham Shire Council and was then passed to our Society for safekeeping. Some of the photos have been used in Knox's books and from time to time some of them have been part of various historical displays. As far as we know there has not been a public display of the whole collection which numbers about forty photographs. The collection has been copied on to slides for the purpose of this meeting and to be retained as part of the Society's pictorial collection. Alistair Knox 1912 - 1986 is acknowledged as the founder of Eltham's mud brick building movement. Many of the buildings shown in the collection are of his design and he was also involved with the construction of several of them. Others are the work of his contemporaries and associates such as Peter Glass, Gordon Ford, and John Harcourt. (EDHS Newsletter No. 145 July 2002)Handwritten notes in pencil re details of building, year of construction, owner, designer, builder, etcjustus jorgensen, montsalvat, houses, matcham skipper, mud brick construction, sonia skipper, the barn, alistair knox collection

Image 2B Montsalvat Early Pise cottage built 1935-36 designed by Justus Jorgensen The Alistair Knox Collection The Alistair Knox Collection is a series of mounted enlarged photos of mud brick houses and related subjects. The collection is understood to have been put together by Alistair Knox although it is the work of several unacknowledged photographers. For some years it was held by the Building Department of the former Eltham Shire Council and was then passed to our Society for safekeeping. Some of the photos have been used in Knox's books and from time to time some of them have been part of various historical displays. As far as we know there has not been a public display of the whole collection which numbers about forty photographs. The collection has been copied on to slides for the purpose of this meeting and to be retained as part of the Society's pictorial collection. Alistair Knox 1912 - 1986 is acknowledged as the founder of Eltham's mud brick building movement. Many of the buildings shown in the collection are of his design and he was also involved with the construction of several of them. Others are the work of his contemporaries and associates such as Peter Glass, Gordon Ford, and John Harcourt. (EDHS Newsletter No. 145 July 2002)Handwritten notes in pencil re details of building, year of construction, owner, designer, builder, etchouses, justus jorgensen, montsalvat, pise construction, alistair knox collection

Image 2E General view of Montsalvat mud brick buildings including two storied studio The Alistair Knox Collection The Alistair Knox Collection is a series of mounted enlarged photos of mud brick houses and related subjects. The collection is understood to have been put together by Alistair Knox although it is the work of several unacknowledged photographers. For some years it was held by the Building Department of the former Eltham Shire Council and was then passed to our Society for safekeeping. Some of the photos have been used in Knox's books and from time to time some of them have been part of various historical displays. As far as we know there has not been a public display of the whole collection which numbers about forty photographs. The collection has been copied on to slides for the purpose of this meeting and to be retained as part of the Society's pictorial collection. Alistair Knox 1912 - 1986 is acknowledged as the founder of Eltham's mud brick building movement. Many of the buildings shown in the collection are of his design and he was also involved with the construction of several of them. Others are the work of his contemporaries and associates such as Peter Glass, Gordon Ford, and John Harcourt. (EDHS Newsletter No. 145 July 2002)Handwritten notes in pencil re details of building, year of construction, owner, designer, builder, etcmontsalvat, houses, mud brick construction, alistair knox collection

First Montsalvat pise building, Built 1934-35, Designed by Justus Jorgensen, Founder of Montsalvat. This building was used for many years as a dining room and kitchen. The Alistair Knox Collection (Image 2A) The Alistair Knox Collection is a series of mounted enlarged photos of mud brick houses and related subjects. The collection is understood to have been put together by Alistair Knox although it is the work of several unacknowledged photographers. For some years it was held by the Building Department of the former Eltham Shire Council and was then passed to our Society for safekeeping. Some of the photos have been used in Knox's books and from time to time some of them have been part of various historical displays. As far as we know there has not been a public display of the whole collection which numbers about forty photographs. The collection has been copied on to slides for the purpose of this meeting and to be retained as part of the Society's pictorial collection. Alistair Knox 1912 - 1986 is acknowledged as the founder of Eltham's mud brick building movement. Many of the buildings shown in the collection are of his design and he was also involved with the construction of several of them. Others are the work of his contemporaries and associates such as Peter Glass, Gordon Ford, and John Harcourt. (EDHS Newsletter No. 145 July 2002)Handwritten notes in pencil re details of building, year of construction, owner, designer, builder, etcmontsalvat, houses, justus jorgensen, pise construction, alistair knox collection

The grave of Thomas Sweeney, former convict turned respectable citizen. The Murray and Sweeney families were both early settlers of the Eltham district and connected by marriage. Their family plots are located side by side in the Catholic section of the Eltham Cemetery. 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 Sweeney Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p55 From the piety and poverty of 19th century Eltham, 20th century artists and environmentalists, to today’s comfortable middle class, Eltham Cemetery records it all — and more. A visit to Eltham Cemetery reveals an important social record since its beginnings in 1858. The cemetery was situated on about six acres (2.4ha) (now around 4.8ha) at the corner of Mount Pleasant and Metery Roads.1* It is thought that Metery Road was originally called Cemetery Road, but in the early 1940s, a resident, possibly a councillor, objected to the name resulting in the change.2 Much can be gleaned about the developing Eltham community from burial styles and the names of former local residents. Originally the cemetery was divided into Christian denominations, like others of that time, following the United Kingdom burial system. In 1861 the cemetery included Church of England, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic and Wesleyans (later Methodist) sites. Graves also indicated social class. Some had grand tombstones, perhaps fenced with ornamental cast iron railing, but most in the 1860s and 1870s were constructed of modest stone slabs.3 This indicated the poverty of the district, which was largely inhabited by farmers on small landholdings. A poignant reminder of the high rates of infant mortality of those times, are the many infants and young children recorded on the headstones. Major changes occurred in the cemetery in the late 20th century as Christian adherence weakened and society became more egalitarian and informal. In the early 1970s a non-denominational lawn section for burials was established. Since then all new areas have been non-denominational to accommodate the more diverse local community. Now, instead of large ornamental headstones, some mourners have chosen boulders, reflecting the natural Eltham style, while others choose graves in the lawn areas or niches in walls. In the late 1970s, the University Donor Section was established north-west of Candlebark Lawn for those who donated their bodies for The University of Melbourne medical research. In the early 1980s the natural Australian garden style, popular in Eltham, was mirrored in a new section called Ashes Walk. Local landscape architect Gordon Ford, who had popularised this style, designed the Walk using boulders shaded by native plants beside curved pathways. Landscape architect Robert Boyle later redesigned Ashes Walk and developed other parts of the cemetery in keeping with this style.4 Appropriately Ford, who died in 1999, was interred in the Native Garden Section in a cluster of sites shaded by a large eucalyptus tree.5 By 2007, about 6400 interments were recorded in the Eltham Cemetery. Close inspection reveals notable names in the district’s history. The grave of Thomas Sweeney, a former convict who became a respected citizen, can be found in the Roman Catholic section near the path. Eltham Primary School’s first headmaster, David Clark, is buried in a modest grave in the Church of England section to the east of the path from the main entrance. Sir William Irvine, Victorian Premier from 1900 to 1902, whose grave is in the north-east Presbyterian section was at various times Victoria’s Chief Justice, Deputy Governor and Treasurer.6 Further south is the grave of social reformer Bertram Wainer, born in Scotland in 1928 and died in 1987. He campaigned to legalise abortion and exposed police corruption in allowing illegal ‘backyard’ abortions. Other prominent local residents interred in the cemetery include: Justus Jörgensen, who founded Montsalvat; Alistair Knox, the mud-brick housing pioneer and Eltham Shire Councillor from 1971 to 1975 and President in 1975; Clem and Nina Christensen, who had a major influence on the literary development of post World War Two Australia. Others were: composer Dorian Le Gallienne; artist Peter Glass; Stephen Dattner, a prominent Melbourne furrier; ALP parliamentarian for Greensborough, Pauline Toner and political scientist and commentator, Professor William Macmahon Ball.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, annie sweeney, caroline sweeney, ellen sweeney, eltham cemetery, graves, gravestones, johanna sweeney, john murray, john sweeney, margaret sweeney, mary ellen drain, mary murray, thomas murray, thomas sweeney

Situated at the eastern end of York Street, Eltham, 'Shinrone', the former home of Professor William (Mac) MacMahon Ball was one of the first in the Shire of Eltham to incorporate mud-brick. Professor MacMahon Ball, a political scientist, writer, broadcaster and diplomat and family moved to York Street, Eltham in 1945 into a timber cottage built around the 1890s and in poor repair. Mac asked Alistair Knox to renovate the home and he expanded the living area and added verandahs. In 1948 Montsalvat artist and sculptor Sonia Skipper supervised the building of most of the mud-brick studio. Neighbour Gordon Ford made the mud-bricks. Mac also asked John Harcourt, who had worked with him as a journalist in shortwave broadcasting, to build a pise (rammed earth) and stone addition to the largely timber house. Harcourt built two bedrooms - including an attic bedroom - a balcony with a shower and toilet, a nd a fireplace and chimney of local stone. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p141 At the eastern tip of York Street, Eltham, stands Shinrone, the former home of one of Australia’s intellectual leaders. Professor William Macmahon Ball, was one of the first to bring Asia as a foreign policy issue to the Australian public.1 He was a political scientist, writer, broadcaster and diplomat. The house was one of the first in Eltham Shire to incorporate mud-brick,2 because of the acute shortage of building materials after World War Two. Its novice builders later become leaders in Eltham’s built and garden design. Mac (as he was usually called), who was the son of a Church of England minister, was born in Casterton, Victoria in 1901 and died in 1986. In 1945 he helped establish the United Nations, as political consultant to the Australian Delegation at the San Francisco Conference.3 Then in 1946 Mac was appointed British Commonwealth Representative on the Allied Council for Japan, which is recorded in detail in his diary.4 In 1948 Mac led an Australian Government Goodwill Mission to South East Asia. However, Mac was perhaps most successful as an academic and public speaker.5 He was a commentator on the Australian Broadcasting Commission, from the early 1930s to the early 1960s. He was also Controller of the Short-Wave Broadcasting Unit during World War Two, which later became Radio Australia. From 1923 he taught at The University of Melbourne, then became foundation Professor of Political Science in 1949 and was Chair until his retirement in 1968.6 In 1942, as the government expected a Japanese invasion, Mac’s wife Katrine and their only child Jenny, moved from Kew to Eltham as temporary evacuees. However Mac and Katrine lived in Eltham for almost the rest of their lives. After staying with friends, they rented a house in Reynolds Road, where, as it was wartime, they needed to keep horses for transport and a cow and poultry for milk and eggs. In 1945 the family moved to the house at York Street, which was then a timber cottage, built around the 1890s and in poor repair. The underground well, cellar and part of the garden are all that remain of what stood on the original 18 acre (7.3ha) allotment. Thanks largely to Katrine’s hard work, the house was gradually renovated and extended. The long rambling house was partially built by several young neighbours, who were inspired by the cheap mud-brick and stone building style of Montsalvat, the Eltham artists’ colony. Mac asked Alistair Knox to renovate Shinrone, named after an Irish village near Katrine’s family home. Knox later popularised the mud-brick style of house construction, for which Eltham became known. He expanded the living area and added verandas. In 1948 Montsalvat artist and sculptor Sonia Skipper supervised the building of most of the mud-brick studio. Another neighbour, Gordon Ford, who was to have a major influence on the Australian garden style, made the mud-bricks. Mac also asked John Harcourt, who had worked with him as a journalist in short-wave broadcasting, to build a pisé (rammed earth) and stone addition to the largely timber house. Harcourt built two bedrooms – including an attic bedroom – a balcony with a shower and toilet, and a fireplace and chimney of local sandstone. With pioneering work naturally came mistakes, including one particularly dramatic incident when Harcourt was building walls with unsupported sections. Jenny Ellis, Mac’s daughter, remembers being awakened from sleep by a thundering shudder. The wall of her room had fallen down – fortunately away from her! In 1950 artist Peter Glass – another neighbour and later landscape designer – built Katrine a mud-brick pottery. As a result, the house features at one end Harcourt’s characteristic steep gable roof, while at the other the flatter construction characteristic of Knox. Mac referred to the home as the Eltham ‘experimental building site’.7 Surprisingly, the combination works, perhaps partly because it has the warm inviting feel of timber, mud-brick and stone.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, eltham, alistair knox, gordon ford, john harcourt, mudbrick construction, pise construction, professor macmahon ball, shinrone, sonia skipper, york street

Situated in King Street, Eltham, Alistair Knox built his home and office in 1962-1963 with mud-bricks made from the local soil and recycled materials blending the house with bush around it. Knox popularised the Eltham earth building movement, begun by Montsalvat founder, Justus Jorgensen. Alistair Knox (1912-1986) was also an Eltham Shire Councillor 1971-1975 and Shire President in 1975. Knox established the inaugural Eltham Community Festival in 1975. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p145 Lack of money was a strong incentive for Alistair Knox to do what he did best when he built his house and office at King Street, Eltham in 1962-63. He used mud-bricks from local soil and recycled materials, characteristically blending the house with the bush around it. The result was a work of art. Knox popularised the Eltham earth building movement,1 begun by Montsalvat founder Justus Jörgensen. He was also an Eltham Shire Councillor from 1971 to 1975 and Shire President in 1975. For Knox mud-brick building was not just a building style, but a spiritual experience and a way of relating with nature. At 40 he rediscovered God and his building reflected his theological, political, philosophical and particularly environmental world view, which was far ahead of its time.2 He also contributed to building development in his use of concrete slab foundations when stumps and bearers were the norm. Knox was introduced to mud-brick construction in 1940 by Jörgensen, then shortly after, Knox joined the Navy. In 1946 Knox studied Building Practice and Theory at Melbourne Technical College (now RMIT University). There he befriended fellow student and artist Matcham Skipper who belonged to what was then called the Jörgensen Artists’ Colony. Knox decided to build an earth building in Eltham, partly because the post-war huge building demands resulted in expensive and scarce building materials. He asked artist Sonia Skipper for help who, with Matcham, had constructed mud-brick buildings at the Artists’ Colony. The simple rectangular low-lying house at King Street is framed by native plants and a 3.6 metres wide pergola surrounds the building. Wedded to the landscape, a door in every room at the perimeter, opens outside. The property also includes a forge, a small hut built by son Macgregor at 15, and a mud-brick tower for chickens. Building materials were foraged from a wide variety of sources. Some of the joinery material came from old whisky vats. When the Oregon of the highest quality ‘was put through the wood-working machines, it gave off a deep smell of whisky that made the whole atmosphere exotic and heady’.3 Amateur builders, including schoolboys from Knox’s Presbyterian Church, made some of the mud-bricks. But the building was finished with the professional help of Yorkshire builder, Eric Hirst. Inside, the light is subdued with the mud-brick, beamed timber ceilings and floors of slate, timber or orange-brown tiles. Skylights, with rich blue and red leadlighting, illuminate one entrance area and this feature is repeated as edging on the door. The centre of the house is like a covered courtyard, with rooms built around it. The central room, 11 metres x 7 metres, was built in the same proportions as Knox’s mud-bricks. Clerestory windows on four sides infuse the room with a soft light. A huge brick fireplace extends beyond one corner and opposite is a small one where timber can only be placed vertically. The slate for the floor was discarded from the Malthouse Brewery now used as a theatre in Southbank. In the middle is a large refectory table and benches that seat 18. Like much of the house, it is rugged, yet beautiful. Made of Western Australian Jarrah by Macgregor with a chain saw and an adze, it retains knot and nail holes. Each wall has an opening, 2.4 metres at the ends and 3.6 metres at the sides. Only one has doors and these concertina doors are made of the backs of old church pews. The main bedroom has an ensuite with a marble hand basin discarded from the Victorian Parliament building; and a dressing room, where two wardrobes of polished timber recovered from a tip are attached to the walls. Separate from the house is the strikingly original circular-shaped office made of bluestone sourced from the original Army campsite at Broadmeadows.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, alistair and margot knox house, alistair knox design, mudbrick construction, eltham, king street