Sister Elizabeth McGovern, Sister Mary Lacey, Sister Mary Griffiths, and Sister Gerardus Thistlewaite were all nuns of the Brigidine Order in Beechworth in the second half of the twentieth century. They had backgrounds in teaching and office work. As nuns, their contributions to the community included teaching, running camps, being there for community members wishing to talk to them or pray, and visiting prisons and hospitals. During their time in the order, the role of the nuns in Beechworth shifted due to the closing down of the Priory School, and changes in where housing for nuns was provided. The oral history also includes stories of boarding at the convent in the 1950s, and reflections on how the experience of being a nun has changed due to increasing immersion in the modern world, and the move from convent to house. This oral history recording was part of a project conducted by Jennifer Williams in the year 2000 to capture the everyday life and struggles in Beechworth during the twentieth century. This project involved recording seventy oral histories on cassette tapes of local Beechworth residents which were then published in a book titled: Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century Beechworth. These cassette tapes were digitised in July 2021 with funds made available by the Friends of the Burke.Sister Elizabeth McGovern, Sister Mary Lacey, Sister Mary Griffiths, and Sister Gerardus Thistlewaite's interview with Jennifer Williams is revealing of the history of the Brigidine order in Beechworth, and the role religion and nuns played in the wellbeing, education, and life of the community in the latter half of the twentieth century. It is significant both for what it illustrates about the lives and motivation of the Sisters, and for what it tells us about how the role of religious education and figures shifted in Beecjhworth from 1950 onward. It is especially illuminating about the experience of women in education. This oral history account is socially and historically significant as it is a part of a broader collection of interviews conducted by Jennifer Williams which were published in the book 'Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth-century Beechworth.' While the township of Beechworth is known for its history as a gold rush town, these accounts provide a unique insight into the day-to-day life of the town's residents during the 20th century, many of which will have now been lost if they had not been preserved.This is a series of digital recordings that were originally recorded on multiple cassette tapes. The cassette tapes are black with a horizontal white strip and are currently stored in a clear flat plastic rectangular container. They up to 40 minutes of recordings on each side.Sister Elizabeth McGovern, Sister Mary Lacey, Sister Mary Griffiths, Sister Gerardus Thistlewaitelisten to what they say, listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century beechworth, nuns, brigidine sisters, brigidine convent, school, religion, prison, boarding school, modernization, food, women's history, teaching, teachers, education, hospitals, beechworth hospital, charity, old priory, father stockdale, easter, beechworth 1950s

Construction of the town of Mount Beauty commenced in 1946 and continued until 1952. It was built to provide family accommodation for workers engaged in the construction of the hydro electric power scheme. As well as housing, there was an administration building, staff hostel, merchandising centre, workmen's camps, base stores and workshops and the Mount Beauty Terminal Station. The first house was occupied in November, 1946 by the then manager of the trading store, with a frontage onto Hollonds Street. The total number of houses erected was 488, 162 custom built and 326 prefabricated. The main workmen's camp can be seen just left of the centre of the photograph and accommodated 144 men at the time of the photograph. By 1950 it could accommodate 1200men. Photo No. 1 is taken in 1947/early 1948 as there is no evidence of the staff hostel under construction. This hostel was commenced in August/September 1948 and is clearly shown in photograph No. 2, dating this photo as 1948 as it is before the completion of the bypass road connecting to the main (high plains) road. This road was constructed in 1939 and in 1948 followed the route of Tawonga Crescent. This remained in use until the bypass construction was completed in early 1949 and does not appear to be finished in this photograph.. Both photographs are taken from the power line easement adjacent to the Bright road.Significant historical pictorial record of the development of a town from grazing land. The type of terrain that had to be surveyed and then to construct roads and other infrastructure, with very little machinery, is also of prime significance in the development of the Kiewa Hydro Electric Scheme.Two photographs, both hand painted to show colours, and both of Mount Beauty c 1947/48 not long after commencement of construction of homes and facilities for workers.Photo No.1 - on back of photo, left upper corner, faintly in pencil, SPIKE, underneath this is written T Pay,. Photo No. 2 - on back of photo, left upper corner, faintly in pencil, Jmount beauty, housing, accommodation

Alistair Knox was an architect and builder who came to Eltham in 1948. Influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright and Walter Burley Griffin, he sought to create buildings that would blend into the landscape, enhanced by the planting of indigenous flora. The post-war shortage of building materials made traditional construction expensive. Adobe (mudbrick) provided a cheap and plentiful alternative, and one which would be aesthetically pleasing. Mud-brick manufacture was a problem at first. Sonia Skipper had been experimenting with Eltham clays for years to find the best mix for making bricks and render. Alistair employed her as building foreman on several of his sites. By the 1980s, he had brought mud-brick and earth building into the Australian mainstream, and a Knox-designed house had become highly desirable. Sonia said that he would craft a bespoke earthen house to fit with his client's lifestyle. He was drawn to the environmental movement, publishing three books on housing and the environment, and speaking on radio. He also served on the Eltham Shire Council 1971-1975, was Shire President 1974 and was instrumental in re-establishing the Eltham Community Festival in 1975. Alistair died in 1986 and is buried in a small garden setting at Eltham Cemetery.Born Digitaleltham cemetery, gravestones, heritage excursion, alistair knox

Alistair Knox was an architect and builder who came to Eltham in 1948. Influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright and Walter Burley Griffin, he sought to create buildings that would blend into the landscape, enhanced by the planting of indigenous flora. The post-war shortage of building materials made traditional construction expensive. Adobe (mudbrick) provided a cheap and plentiful alternative, and one which would be aesthetically pleasing. Mud-brick manufacture was a problem at first. Sonia Skipper had been experimenting with Eltham clays for years to find the best mix for making bricks and render. Alistair employed her as building foreman on several of his sites. By the 1980s, he had brought mud-brick and earth building into the Australian mainstream, and a Knox-designed house had become highly desirable. Sonia said that he would craft a bespoke earthen house to fit with his client's lifestyle. He was drawn to the environmental movement, publishing three books on housing and the environment, and speaking on radio. He also served on the Eltham Shire Council 1971-1975, was Shire President 1974 and was instrumental in re-establishing the Eltham Community Festival in 1975. Alistair died in 1986 and is buried in a small garden setting at Eltham Cemetery.Born Digitaleltham cemetery, gravestones, heritage excursion, alistair samuel knox

Teacher Miss Reynolds is shown with her 'Upper Class' in 1906 and '2nd Class' in 1907. West Beaumaris School No 84 in Charman Road Stephen Charman, 1821-1906 a market gardener, donated land for the first Methodist Chapel, Cemetery and School in Charman Rd Cheltenham 1855. The enrolment was 36 pupils with Mr Frederick Meeres as Teacher. 1863 the school is called Beaumaris Common School No 84 with 70 pupils and Walter Meeres as Teacher. 1869 another 2 acres in Charman Road were granted by the Education Board and brick building built . 1872 State School 84 Beaumaris was increasing enrollments and 1878 a new brick school was built to accommodate 174 pupils and the name changed to Cheltenham State School No.84 1894 Mentone State School No.2950 amalgamated with Cheltenham SS No.84. 1910 the buildings were in disrepair, overcrowding was increasing and renovations were made 1912 with further additions in 1925 and 1937. Post WW11 extra prefabricated Classrooms were added as enrollment increased to 1038 in 1955.. Cheltenham East State School 4754 was opened as housing development spread over the City of Moorabbin . ( J Larson Sandringham HS)1855 Stephen Charman donated land to the Methodist Church so that a School could be established to educate the children of the early settler market gardeners and farmers in the Cheltenham area . Education was valued by the general community and as well as schools they established mechanics Institutes and Libraries in Moorabbin Shire. Cheltenham State School No. 84 was among the first schools in Melbourne.2 x Black & White Photographs of Beaumaris State School pupils with Miss Reynolds in 1906 and 1907Hand written ; Warburton, B. Wooff, R. Whelan, Miss Reynoldscity of moorabbin, county of bourke, moorabbin roads board, parish of moorabbin, shire of moorabbin, henry dendy's special survey 1841, were j.b.; bent thomas, o'shannassy john, king richard, charman stephen, highett william, ormond francis, maynard dennis, cheltenham state school no.84, methodist chapel cheltenham, methodist school cheltenham, beaumaris west state school, meeres frederick, meeres walter, education, early settlers,

Ada Pearling Pickering was a descendant of George Box family who migrated c 1850 and established market gardens in the Brighton area of Dendy's Special Survey 1841. Stephen Charman, 1821-1906 a market gardener, donated land for the first Methodist Chapel, Cemetery and School in Charman Rd Cheltenham 1855. The enrolment was 36 pupils with Mr Frederick Meeres as Teacher. 1863 the school is called Beaumaris Common School No 84 with 70 pupils and Walter Meeres as Teacher. 1869 another 2 acres in Charman Road were granted by the Education Board and brick building built . 1872 State School 84 Beaumaris was increasing enrollments and 1878 a new brick school was built to accommodate 174 pupils and the name changed to Cheltenham State School No.84 1894 Mentone State School No.2950 amalgamated with Cheltenham SS No.84. 1910 the buildings were in disrepair, overcrowding was increasing and renovations were made 1912 with further additions in 1925 and 1937. Post WW11 extra prefabricated Classrooms were added as enrollment increased to 1038 in 1955.. Cheltenham East State School 4754 was opened as housing development spread over the City of Moorabbin . (J.Larson Sandringham HS) 1855 Stephen Charman donated land to the Methodist Church so that a School could be established to educate the children of the early settler market gardeners and farmers in the Cheltenham area . Education was valued by the general community and as well as schools they established mechanics Institutes and Libraries in Moorabbin Shire. Cheltenham State School No. 84 was among the first schools in Melbourne. Ada Pickering was descendant of the early settler Box family who migrated c 1850Black & White Photograph of pupils at Cheltenham State School No 84 c 1915 in Prep Course A with Ada Pickeringback Ada Pearling Pickering box george, box william, box elizabeth, pickering ada, city of moorabbin, county of bourke, moorabbin roads board, parish of moorabbin, shire of moorabbin, henry dendy's special survey 1841, were j.b.; bent thomas, o'shannassy john, king richard, charman stephen, highett william, ormond francis, maynard dennis, cheltenham state school no.84, methodist chapel cheltenham, methodist school cheltenham, beaumaris west state school, meeres frederick, meeres walter, education, early settlers,

Stephen Charman, 1821-1906 a market gardener, donated land for the first Methodist Chapel, Cemetery and School in Charman Rd Cheltenham 1855. The enrollment was 36 pupils with Mr Frederick Meeres as Teacher. 1863 the school is called Beaumaris Common School No 84 with 70 pupils and Walter Meeres as Teacher. 1869 another 2 acres in Charman Road were granted by the Education Board and brick building built . 1872 State School 84 Beaumaris was increasing enrollments and 1878 a new brick school was built to accommodate 174 pupils and the name changed to Cheltenham State School No.84 1894 Mentone State School No.2950 amalgamated with Cheltenham SS No.84. 1910 the buildings were in disrepair, overcrowding was increasing and renovations were made 1912 with further additions in 1925 and 1937. Post WW11 extra prefabricated Classrooms were added as enrollment increased to 1038 in 1955.. Cheltenham East State School 4754 was opened as housing development spread over the City of Moorabbin . (J.Larson Sandringham HS) The boys wearing round collars are from the Methodist Children's Home Cheltenham 1892-1953 that was situated on land now Southland Shopping Centre 1855 Stephen Charman donated land to the Methodist Church so that a School could be established to educate the children of the early settler market gardeners and farmers in the Cheltenham area . Education was valued by the general community and as well as schools they established mechanics Institutes and Libraries in Moorabbin Shire. Cheltenham State School No. 84 was among the first schools in Melbourne2x Black & White photographs of pupils at Cheltenham State School Charman Rd. c 1910-1920 a) Cheltenham State School No 84 c 1910 b) Cheltenham State School No.84 c 1910-1920 Grade 6a) Handwritten Cheltenham ( Charman Rd ) School / probably about 1910 b) " Charman Road School / taken probably between 1910 & 1920cheltenham primary school, methodist children's home cheltenham 1892-1953, city of moorabbin, county of bourke, moorabbin roads board, parish of moorabbin, shire of moorabbin, henry dendy's special survey 1841, were j.b., bent thomas, o'shannassy john, king richard, charman stephen, highett william, ormond francis, maynard dennis, cheltenham state school no.84, methodist chapel cheltenham, methodist school cheltenham, beaumaris west state school, meeres frederick, meeres walter, education, early settlers, cancel

John and Phyllis Murphy designed this house and garden in Kew for Sir Frank and Lady Macfarlane Burnet in 1959, the year before Burnet and Peter Medaware received the Nobel Prize for discovering acquired immunological tolerance. For the most highly honoured scientist to have worked in Australia, Burnet's house is modest - single storey with two bedrooms. Typical of post-war suburban housing thought, the garden is a generous, and the planting a mix of existing shrubs and trees, old favourites such as camelias, hydrangeas, lilacs, and a unusually 'a thick copse of native trees'. John Murphy (1920-2004) and Phyllis Murphy (nee Slater) (1924-) are alumni of RMIT. John commenced his architectural studies at Swinburne Technical College prior to WW2, and subsequently studied at Melbourne Technical College (now RMIT University) from 1944 to 1946. Phyllis studied architecture at Melbourne Technical College from 1942, before transferring to Melbourne University's Architectural Atelier in 1944 They both completed their Bachelor of Architecture in 1949, with Phyllis topping the fourth year, and John coming in second. They established their architectural practice in 1950. One early project was their design with Kevin Borland and Peter McIntyre for the Olympic Swimming Pool (1956). Ann Carew 2018dye, paper, garden design, kew

Born in Poland in 1914, Irena Higgins completed her degree in social work at the University of Lwow [Lvov]. Migrating to Australia in 1938, she lived in various places including in Perth, Brisbane and Sydney before moving with her family to Melbourne in 1945. She initially worked at the Victorian Society for Crippled Children. Then in 1952, Irena was employed as a social worker by the Mental Hygiene Division of the Health Commission at Kew Mental Hospital (which included children). She was the first social worker employed by the Victorian Mental Health Authority to work with children with an intellectual disability. She remained at Kew for seventeen years, becoming Senior Social Worker with a staff of three other social workers, a secretary and a number of aides. Two of Irena’s significant innovations at Kew were the establishment of a Parents’ Association, and the development of a network of volunteers trained to work with families in the community. Irena Higgins remained committed to social reform following her retirement in 1984, working actively to establish the first emergency housing in Kew. In 2015, Irena’s daughter Barbara Higgins, and friend Elizabeth Watts, donated a number of her papers to the Kew Historical Society. These documents constitute the Irena Higgins Collection.Black and white photograph of Irena Higgins, donated by her daughter as part of the Irena Higgins Collection.irena higgins, kew mental hospital - willsmere, children's cottages (kew)

The Millbank Estate was a parcel of land close to the centre of the shopping area of Bacchus Marsh which was sub-divided and offered for sale in 62? lots on the 4th October 1888. The lots had frontages to Ballarat Road (Main Street), Maddingley Road (now Grant Street), Turner Street, Millbank Street, Clarinda Road (now Clarinda Street), and an unnamed street south of Turner Street (possibly known as Grant Street at this time) which connected to Maddingley Road through the vicinity of the present day Bacchus Marsh Hospital. This was a significant sub-division of land and represented a major expansion of residential housing in Bacchus Marsh in the late 19th century. The map includes a wealth of detail about the time of the sale, where it will take place, who the selling agents were, the deposit terms for purchases and details of a special train from Melbourne to Bacchus Marsh on sale day. The location of the allotments in relation to the shopping and commercial area of Bacchus Marsh, Maddingley and the railway station are indicated on an inset map within the overall map and poster. The Millbank Estate area was an area which had once belonged to the Grant family who were prominent early citizens of Bacchus Marsh and lived in a house in this area known as 'Millbank'.This land sale map is a typical example of housing estate land sales advertising maps produced by real estate agents in this era. The map is significant for the detailed information it provides about when and where land was sold for new housing estates in Bacchus Marsh in the late nineteenth century.Single page map showing land allotments for sale at auction in Bacchus Marsh in October 1888. A significant portion of the map is missing from the bottom right side. land sales bacchus marsh, land subdivsion bacchus marsh, housing estates land sales bacchus marsh, grant family bacchus marsh, millbank estate land sales

Jacana Primary School was established in 1959 during a period of rapid suburban development in Melbourne’s northern suburbs. The post-war era saw significant investment in public infrastructure, including schools, to support growing communities shaped by migration and housing expansion. Jacana, located near Broadmeadows, became home to many working-class families, including newly arrived migrants, contributing to a rich and diverse social fabric. By the early 1980s, schools like Jacana Primary were not only centres of education but also vital community hubs. Sporting activities, particularly team sports like soccer, played a central role in student life. They promoted physical health, teamwork, and social inclusion, while also reflecting broader cultural influences—especially as soccer gained popularity among migrant communities. The 1983 soccer team photograph captures this dynamic period, showcasing the importance of extracurricular activities in fostering school spirit and community engagement. It also reflects the values of public education at the time: equity, participation, and the celebration of diversity. Such images serve as enduring records of how schools contributed to shaping local identity and cohesion during a transformative era in Melbourne’s suburban history. This 1983 colour photograph of Jacana Primary School’s soccer team captures the energy and camaraderie of a school that served as a cornerstone of its community from 1959 until its closure in the early 2000s. More than a simple team portrait, the image reflects the vibrant sporting culture that was integral to student life and community engagement during the early 1980s. The photograph preserves cherished memories of teamwork, school pride, and youthful enthusiasm, offering insight into the social dynamics and extracurricular values of the time. It stands as a visual testament to the role of sport in fostering inclusion, resilience, and a sense of belonging among students—qualities that defined Jacana Primary’s enduring legacy in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.A colour photograph of a school Soccer team on satin finish photo paper.PH-4465 (white label) Top Left Corner PH-5431(blue label) Top Right Corner Manufactures mark; Fujicolor/ Paperjacana primary school, photograph, school photograph, education, soccer team, 1983

Newspaper clipping contained within Reg. Item 2488, page 25 and 27, from The Courier, Sat. 19 June 1937, titled "Story of Ballarat's Horse Trams", 1887 to 1913. Report of a paper presented to the Ballarat Historical Society by Inspector H. P. James the previous Tuesday night. Comprises four columns of text, pasted into the book titled "Of Other Days". General image of page 25 - see image btm2489i1.jpg. For page 27, see image btm2489i3.jpg - shows positioning of Reg. Items 2490, 91 and 92. Notes details of the genesis of the system, personalities involved with the construction, details of the works, depot, Duncan and Fraser car builders, early workers, formal opening, services, extension to Sebastopol, the horses, drivers, uniforms, (and on page 27) collection of fares, housing for the staff, horse feed (chart), passenger loads, conductors, rail and track cleaning and general operational notes. Has photo of a horse tram, with two drivers and conductors and handwritten note, remarking about the Conductor's "Receivers" in the photograph. See image btm2489i2.jpg Two hand written notes in ink, give details of Mr. Bob Haines and Matthew Buckley. Note Item Not formally Numbered.Numerous on page, mainly in ink.horse trams, sebastopol, crews, depot