Construction of the Kangaroo Ground tip was required following filling and closure of the Susan Street tip and overflow site near the Eltam Trestle bridge35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfacolor Service (Blue)graham road, kangaroo ground, kangaroo ground tip

Construction of the Kangaroo Ground tip was required following filling and closure of the Susan Street tip and overflow site near the Eltam Trestle bridge35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfacolor Service (Blue)graham road, kangaroo ground, kangaroo ground tip

Construction of the Kangaroo Ground tip was required following filling and closure of the Susan Street tip and overflow site near the Eltam Trestle bridge35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfacolor Service (Blue)graham road, kangaroo ground, kangaroo ground tip

Construction of the Kangaroo Ground tip was required following filling and closure of the Susan Street tip and overflow site near the Eltam Trestle bridge35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfacolor Service (Blue)graham road, kangaroo ground, kangaroo ground tip

Construction of the Kangaroo Ground tip was required following filling and closure of the Susan Street tip and overflow site near the Eltam Trestle bridge35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfacolor Service (Blue)graham road, kangaroo ground, kangaroo ground tip

Construction of the Kangaroo Ground tip was required following filling and closure of the Susan Street tip and overflow site near the Eltam Trestle bridge35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfacolor Service (Blue)graham road, kangaroo ground, kangaroo ground tip

Construction of the Kangaroo Ground tip was required following filling and closure of the Susan Street tip and overflow site near the Eltam Trestle bridge35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfacolor Service (Blue)graham road, kangaroo ground, kangaroo ground tip

Construction of the Kangaroo Ground tip was required following filling and closure of the Susan Street tip and overflow site near the Eltam Trestle bridge35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfacolor Service (Blue)graham road, kangaroo ground, kangaroo ground tip

Construction of the Kangaroo Ground tip was required following filling and closure of the Susan Street tip and overflow site near the Eltam Trestle bridge35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfacolor Service (Blue)graham road, kangaroo ground, kangaroo ground tip

Construction of the Kangaroo Ground tip was required following filling and closure of the Susan Street tip and overflow site near the Eltam Trestle bridge35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfacolor Service (Blue)graham road, kangaroo ground, kangaroo ground tip

Construction of the Kangaroo Ground tip was required following filling and closure of the Susan Street tip and overflow site near the Eltam Trestle bridge35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfacolor Service (Blue)graham road, kangaroo ground, kangaroo ground tip

Construction of the Kangaroo Ground tip was required following filling and closure of the Susan Street tip and overflow site near the Eltam Trestle bridge35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfacolor Service (Blue)graham road, kangaroo ground, kangaroo ground tip

Construction of the Kangaroo Ground tip was required following filling and closure of the Susan Street tip and overflow site near the Eltam Trestle bridge35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfacolor Service (Blue)graham road, kangaroo ground, kangaroo ground tip

In 1981 the Shire of Eltham Historical Society was asked by the Victorian Place Names Committee to comment on a proposal by the Shire of Eltham to assign names to parklands in Eltham as follows:- "Eltham Common" - the area between the municipal offices, Main Road, the Eltham railway -line, and Panther Place and containing Shillinglaw Cottage. The Shire has advised that this name has been used locally for the site since about 1975. "Alistair Knox Park" - the area bounded by the Eltham railway -line, Panther Place, Main Road, Bridge Street, and Susan Street, and through which flows the Diamond Creek. The area has been known locally as "Eltham Town Park" The proposed name "Alistair Knox Park" had created some local controversy with a number of reversals of the Council's decision and letters to the local paper both for and against the proposal. The society was reluctant to be drawn into this controversy particularly as there were known to be members with strong views both for and against the proposed name. The society appreciated the work done by Alistair Knox both in the formulation of the park concept and in its development but because of the controversy generated by the proposed naming and also because of the wide general use of the park by the public·, the name Eltham Town Park was felt more appropriate. The society noted that there was no outstanding historical associations with the land comprising the park which would warrant naming the park after any particular person, place or event. No objection was raised to the Eltham Common proposal as set-out above. The decision was made in the knowledge that Alistair Knox had been associated with the society over many years and was a prominent figure in the recent history of Eltham. He was regarded as a key figure in the environmental building movement and in particular was renowned for his use of mud bricks as a building material. He served as a councillor of the Shire of Eltham from 1971-1975, his final year as Shire President. It was during these years that the proposals to create the park in its present form were shaped and Alistair played a leading part in the decision to make it a landscaped passive recreational park rather than a sporting area. The parklands comprise a section of the Diamond Creek valley. The creek itself flows through the centre of the area which is overlooked by steep hills on each side. The parks form part of the land purchased from the Crown in 1851 by J.M. Holloway and then subdivided into allotments and called "Little Eltham". While most of the area was subdivided into residential lots the creek valley was subdivided into lots suitable for small farms. Some further subdivision took place over the years and the whole of the parks now comprises eight separate titles. A list of some of the former owners has been compiled but exhaustive research on all owners has not been carried out. The ownership of one parcel has been traced back to when it was purchased from Holloway by John Hicks Petty in 1874, long after it was subdivided. Other families owning land within the area over the years included Lyon, Rees, Clark, Waterfall, Carrucan, Graham, Hill and Morant. The character of the valley area has remained rural while development occurred on each side. Early photos show the area as orchard and grazing land. In 1901 the railway was constructed through the area resulting in the timber trestle bridge across the Diamond Creek. which is an important feature of the park landscape. A memorial obelisk to the Eltham servicemen killed in World War 1 was erected at the south eastern corner of the park. The site is now within the intersection of Main Road and Bridge Street and the memorial was shifted in the 1950s to the Eltham R.S.L. clubrooms. Following the financial failure of the local sub-branch, the memorial obelisk was again relocated to the Eltham War Memorial building precinct in 2011. During the early 1960's the Council started purchasing the land which now comprises the parks. In the late 1960's the area to the east of the Diamond Creek was used as a garbage tip and filled above the flood plain of the creek. When this area was filled the tip was transferred to the west side of the creek. From the early 1970's the area has been progressively developed as a park for passive recreation with ornamental lakes, extensive tree planting and landscaping. The character of the valley before the days of the tip has been recreated and this has earned a Landscape classification from the National Trust, an unusual honour for a man-made landscape. The parks are not only attractive in appearance. The large number of people using them, particularly at weekends and holidays is evidence of their popularity and the foresight and careful planning of local residents, Councillors and Council Staff. 35mm colour positive transparency (1 of 23) Mount - Kodak EktachromeProcess Date MAY 88Meltham, main road, alistair knox park, eltham town park

35mm colour positive transparency Mount - Black and Whiteeltham trestle bridge

Situated on the Yarra River, 5.5 kms south of Christmas Hills on private property. This timber trestle bridge is said to have been built some time after 1907 by Melbourne master-builder, David Mitchell (the father of Dame Nellie Melba), to connect his two "Henley Farm" properties with Lilydale. In earlier days, when the McPhersons owned the property, their children used a punt to cross the river to attend Yering Primary School. This private bridge is best viewed from the end of Wendy Way. - Source: Christmas Hills Past and Present, Yarra Glen & District Historical Society, 2004.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 '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.9 x 12.5 cm printshire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, warrandyte, henley bridge

Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white negative transparencygeorge coop collection, railway bridge, trestle bridge, walhalla, echuca

Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white negative transparencyd-1, d-class diesel locomotive, fyansford, fyansford cement works railway, george coop collection, mooroobool river, trestle bridge

In background, No. 6 locomotive, a Hudswell Clarke 0-4-2SToc locomotiveDigital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white negative transparencyd-1, d-class diesel locomotive, fyansford cement works railway, george coop collection, hudswell clarke 0-4-2stoc locomotive

Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white negative transparencyd-1, d-class diesel locomotive, fyansford, fyansford cement works railway, george coop collection, mooroobool river, silos, trestle bridge

Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white negative transparencyfyansford, fyansford cement works railway, george coop collection, hudswell clarke 0-4-2stoc locomotive, mooroobool river, silos, trestle bridge

Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodachrome colour positive transparency mounted in cardboard Kodachrome mountProcessing date FEB 64d-1, d-class diesel locomotive, fyansford, fyansford cement works railway, george coop collection, mooroobool river, trestle bridge

Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodachrome colour positive transparency mounted in cardboard Kodachrome mountProcessing date FEB 64fyansford cement works railway, george coop collection, hudswell clarke 0-4-2stoc locomotive, mooroobool river, trestle bridge

35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfacolor Service (Blue)eltham, eltham central park, eltham trestle bridge, floods, trestle bridge

Former Eltham Shire Council offices in backgroundDigital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodak Safety 5063 black and white transparencyeltham shire office, eltham trestle bridge, harris (blue) train, princes bridge railway station

Former Eltham Shire Council offices in backgroundDigital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodak Safety 5063 black and white transparencyeltham shire office, eltham trestle bridge, harris (blue) train, princes bridge railway station

Former Eltham Shire Council offices in backgroundDigital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodak Safety 5063 black and white transparencyeltham shire office, eltham trestle bridge, harris (blue) train, princes bridge railway station

Former Eltham Shire Council offices in backgroundDigital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodak Safety 5063 black and white transparencyeltham shire office, eltham trestle bridge, harris (blue) train, princes bridge railway station

Former Eltham Shire Council offices in backgroundDigital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Kodak Safety 5063 black and white transparencyeltham shire office, eltham trestle bridge, harris (blue) train, princes bridge railway station

Digital TIFF file Scan of 9 x 13 cm black and white print575m, eltham trestle bridge, harris (blue) train, panther place