"The first Presbyterian Church service was conducted at the Orbost Station Homestead in 1885, during a visit by Sir William Clarke, who was accompanied by two ministers. The organist was resident Grace Jennings Carmichael. Services were later held in Mr J. W. Borland’s shop and the Mechanics Hall. In 1887, the land on which the church now stands was purchased from Mr James Hossack snr, for £50 ($100). The trustees were Mr John, Peter and Hugh Cameron, Mr John A Watt and Mr James Hossack Jnr. Timber from Richardson’s Tabbara Mill was used by builder Mr R. P. Cameron and at a cost of £311.3.7 ($622) the church was opened January 9th 1898." (from Newsletter 90 Margaret Smith) In 1928 the Sunday School hall was added to the church. Mr R.P. Cameron was the contractor for both the manse and the church. The first communion service was held on July 17 1892. the Presbyterian Church was commenced in Orbost in 1855 when the Reverend Chas Attwood was settled in pastoral charge.This is a pictorial record of the Presbyterian Church in Orbost as it was in the mid 20th century. It is now the Orbost Uniting Church hall, known as St Andrews Hall,A black /white postcard photograph of the Orbost Presbyterian Church, a wooden structure with a wooden picket fence at the front and trees on right and left sides. on back - " H Gap, Presbyterian Church Orbost"presbyterian-church-orbost religion

A new bridge over the Snowy River at Orbost was opened for traffic on June 20th 1922. It was a new timber and steel girder structure, a joint Country Roads Board — Victorian Railways venture and was built and completed at a cost of £41,000 (the steel girders came from the Flinders Street viaduct reconstruction). Subsequently it was decided not to take the railway across the river, and the bridge was only ever used by road traffic. Postcards form a vital part of social and historical records for researchers. This postcard is a pictorial record of an earlier bridge across the Snowy River at Orbost.A black / white postcard photograph of a bridge over the Snowy River at Orbost.0n front - The Rose Series P1200 copyright Bridge Over Snowy River Orbost Vic.snowy-river-bridge

This is a program for the 7th Annual Timber Ball held in August 1996. It was sponsored by the Timber Industry.Orbost has historically been based on the timber industry, but that industry has declined considerably over the last 20 years. The number of locals involved in the timber industry has declined and these balls are no longer held. Community balls and dances are becoming rarer as more home entertainment is available and musical tastes have changed. This item is reminiscent of a previous social activity.A pale mauve coloured paper folded in half as a program. Print is black. Front page is framed with a graphical musical frame. Underneath print are images of two timber trucks on either side of a tree. The wording is : "Members of the Orbost Timber Ball Committee welcome you to our 7th Annual Ball Saturday 24 August 1996.' Inside are the names of committee members and sponsors. dancing recreation orbost-timber-industry

ganai, orbost

The Orbost Rifle Club existed in the early 20th century. (There are records from 1900). It folded in the late 1970's. This book was used by the club just before it folded.Target shooting is one of the oldest organised sports in Australia. Records date back to the British Marines at Sydney Cove in 1788. The Victorian Rifle Association (VRA) was formed in 1860. One of the most important adjuncts to the militia system from 1903 to the re-organisation of 1912 was the role played by the Rifle Club movement in Australia. At the time, these clubs were seen as the reservoir of manpower for a potential guerrilla force should any invasion occur. For Australia, the invasion fear was uppermost in the minds of the population. So important were the rifle clubs for the defence of Australia that the Commonwealth provided the training staff, rifles and ammunition so the clubs could function. Members were drilled, wore uniforms and practised all the basic skills of soldiering as well as target shooting. The Orbost Rifle Club was active during this period.An almost new blue covered book for accounts and receipts. It has a navy blue spine and white print on the cover - "TUDOR DUPLICATE BOOK No. 37". It contains a record of ammunition. Only two pages of 100 have been used.orbost-rifle-club

The Orbost Rifle Club existed in the early 20th century. (There are records from 1900). It folded in the late 1970's. The secretaries at the time of this book were D.Towers and ? Healey.arget shooting is one of the oldest organised sports in Australia. Records date back to the British Marines at Sydney Cove in 1788. The Victorian Rifle Association (VRA) was formed in 1860. One of the most important adjuncts to the militia system from 1903 to the re-organisation of 1912 was the role played by the Rifle Club movement in Australia. At the time, these clubs were seen as the reservoir of manpower for a potential guerrilla force should any invasion occur. For Australia, the invasion fear was uppermost in the minds of the population. So important were the rifle clubs for the defence of Australia that the Commonwealth provided the training staff, rifles and ammunition so the clubs could function. Members were drilled, wore uniforms and practised all the basic skills of soldiering as well as target shooting. The Orbost Rifle Club was active during this period.A light brown covered book with a brown fabric binding. There is a white sticker label on the front - "Single Cash" in black print. It contains minutes .orbost-rifle-club minute-book

The book was collated by Debbie Hall. Orbost Fire brigade was founded in 1919. The first captain was George Hodgson, assisted by Lieutenant Reg Macalister, Secretary J.F.McCoy and fifteen members. .As there was no fire station the ree l ( a cast off fro m the Bairnsdale Brigade ) w as kep t in the shed at the back of the Council Chambers until the present Station was built in 1922 in its present location in Gladstone Street, Orbost. This book is a written record of the first one hundred years of the Orbost Fire Brigade.Two copies of a paperback book with a white cover and red print. On the cover is a photo of a fire truck in a rectangular frame. The book was produced for the 75th Anniversary of Orbost Fire Brigade 1919-1994. The book contains black and white photographs of Fire brigade activities and extracts from the "Snowy River Mail".In blue pen - "Presented to the Orbost Historical Society from Orbost Fire Brigade - November 12th 1994"book orbost-fire-brigade

The two bridges on the railway viaduct, which crosses the Snowy River floodplain at Orbost, were built from local Southern Mahogany. The bridge on the Bairnsdale end (770m) is now the longest in Victoria. Despite various attempts to extend the line, the station stayed on the western side of the Snowy River. (info. Helen Martin)This item is associated with the history of the Orbost-Bairnsdale railway line and therefore reflects the role that the rail line played in the social and economic history of Orbost.A black / white photograph / postcard of the Orbost township in the background and the railway viaduct over the flats in the foreground.photo caption - The Rose Series P.479 copywright SNOWY RIVER FLATS, ORBOST, VIC"east-gippsland-railway orbost-viaduct

This photograph shows the former Orbost Police Station in Wolseley Street before it was demolished and a new larger brick building was built behind it in Lawson Lane - late 1980s.This is a pictorial record of a significant community building no longer existing.A large black / white photograph of the Orbost township police station. It is a weatherboard building surrounded by trees. A sign "POLICE" is hanging from a pole.on back - " Orbost Police Station in Wolseley Street, Donated by Debbie Hall 31/8/94"orbost-police-station

Ron Peck machined the driving sprockets for Bren Gun Carriers which were sent to North Africa. The Rats of Tobruk, the Egypt and Rommell campaign used these munitions. He boarded at Orbost House while doing 12 hour day shifts.During WW11 munitions and defence equipment were manufactured by state government and private engineering firms, co-ordinated by the Commonwealth government. They worked together to meet Australia’s defence needs and create ‘mass production, on a nation-wide scale, of materials and articles of a higher degree of complexity and accuracy than had before been attempted in Australia. These sprockets were manufactured locally.Two metal sprockets for a Bren Gun carrier. One metal ring gear.munitions sprockets bren-gun-carrier peck-james-ronald orbost-motor-works

Councillor J.D. Torley was the chair of this committee. The Bicentenary of James Cook in Australia was commemorated in Australia in 1970. The British explorer Lieutenant (later Captain) James Cook sailed and charted the East Coast of Australia in 1770, and claimed the eastern seaboard of the Continent for the British Crown. This was not considered the official bicentenary of Australia, but rather the mapping of the Eastern coastline.This item reflects the commemoration of a significant event in Australian history.750 is a red coloured plastic folder. The front cover has "SHIRE OF ORBOST" in gold print with the shire seal beneath it. It contains event programs, flyers, booklets, letter heads, souvenir programs, a catalogue for an art contest and minutes of the committee meetings. 750.1 is a manila folder which contains a program and tickets to the 1770 Ball held on Friday 17th April,1970. It also contains letter heads, envelopes and copies of correspondence concerning the Captain Cook 1970 centenary celebrations.cook-james centenary-1970 orbost-shire-council

Used as a tourist souvenir of Orbost. Possibly made and distributed via the Slab Hut (Orbost Visitor Information Centre) in 1980's/1990's.The souvenir is an important component of the tourist experience with most tourists bringing back mementos and souvenirs as evidence. Fridge magnets are popular as souvenir and promotional items because they are relatively cheap to manufacture and very portable for tourists. This item is an example of a typical souvenir of Orbost.A rectangular shaped flat fridge magnet with a colour photograph of the Orbost War Memorial and the words " ORBOST VIC" on one side. The reverse is a grey/ black flat surface."ORBOST VIC"souvenir frig-magnet

This stencil was used to mark bags of dried bean seed, in this case Brown Beauty bean seeds, produced by farmers in the Orbost district and clean and bagged by Fisher Bros., seed bean merchants of Orbost. This stencil is significant because it was specially made for the seed bean industry which was a major industry in the Orbost district for the first half of the 20th century. A galvanised iron sheet from which words have been cut out to form a stencil. BROWN BEAUTY BEANS 1948 CROP PRODUCE OF AUSTRALIA SOUND, CLEAN, FRESH ORBOST, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA PACKED FOR LAMBERT OVERSEAS PTY LTDseed-beans bag-stencil farming

This collection was compiled by Peter Fagg who worked as a scientist with the Department of Sustainability and Environment (now DELWP) to study dieback in eucalypts. He specialised in the silviculture of the eucalypt forest types of South-East Australia for most of his 40-year career, which started with the Forests Commission Victoria. He was in Orbost from 1968 - 1973. The contents of the book are all related to sporting groups in Orbost at the Mechanics Hall. Peter Fagg was the Publicity Officer for the group as well as president. He was also associated with the Orbost municipal bands.This item is related to Peter Fagg, a prominent member of the Orbost community. The item is a record of sporting activities in Orbost.A hard-covered book with a green spine and a green thatched cover. It contains financial statements, newspaper cuttings, photos which have labels hand-written in pen, minutes and a brief history of the Orbost Mechanics Hall.on front cover in black marker - Affiliated Sporting Bodies of Orbost ( Mechanics Hall Committee)fagg-peter sport-orbost mechanics-hall-orbost

The first Orbost Brass Band was formed in 1889. Around 1908 the town band split and the Orbost Workers' Band was formed. Eventually the two bands merged in 1913 to reform as the Orbost Municipal Band under conductorship of Charles Spink. The band continued for many years but was later disbanded and again reformed. This was to happen a number of times, the last time being in 1961 and continuing through to the late 1970's. Further info and Ref: In Times Gone By - Deborah Hall The various Orbost bands over the years played a major role in community activities providing entertainment and musical experiences for the many members.A black / white photograph of a group of band members in uniform and holding their instruments. In the front is a young boy holding drum sticks standing in front of a large drum which has ORBOST MUNICIPAL BAND written around its circumference. It is on a white buff card under glass in a white wooden frame.on front - Orbost Municipal Band -1965 with a typed list of names

This item was used by Victorian Railways 1970's/1980's. It was used at Orbost Railway Station for the consignment of timber from Orbost to Westall.. Westall was a major timber-receiving depot near Dandenong, Victoria. Westall railway station is located on the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines in Victoria, Australia. It serves the south-eastern Melbourne suburb of Clayton South, opening on 6 February 1951. Westall station was opened as a workers only platform on 16 October 1954. It was provided for the adjacent Martin & King railway coachbuilding factory. The station was opened to the public on 1 June 1959 when all trains on the line began stopping there. The Bairnsdale-Orbost railway was opened in 1916 to serve the agricultural and timber industry. Because of the decline in traffic and heavy operating costs, the line was finally closed in August, 1987. Orbost Railway Station was opened on Monday 10 April 1916 as the terminus of the Orbost railway line, and closed in 1987. The station was located on the west side of the Snowy River despite the town of Orbost being on the east side of the river, in order to save on the costs of a bridge over the river, which at the time had highly variable levels. This item is associated with the history of the Orbost-Bairnsdale railway line and therefore reflects the role that the rail line played in the social and economic history of Orbost.An unused brown/buff coloured goods/freight consignment envelope used by Victorian Railways, this one for timber from Orbost to Westall. It is DL size.2497-78 VICTORIAN RAILWAYS G.F 63 From ORBOST to WESTALL MASS Tonnes kg Vehicle No Contents TIMBER Consignee Date orbost-bairnsdale-railway westall

Orbost Aero Club began in 1969 with Basil Dowie as Chair, David Nixon as Secretary/Treasurer. The group went into recess from 1977-1991 closing in 1997. The mid 1960s were boom years in flying training in Australia and the number of Aero Clubs grew rapidly. The Club played a significant role in the establishment of the small airport at Marlo and in the ongoing operation and development of the airport over the years particularly for patient transfer by aerial ambulance. The Orbost Aero Club Club played a significant role in the establishment of the small airport at Marlo and in the ongoing operation and development of the airport over the years.A buff coloured folder with green cloth spine binding. It contains a copy of the Certificate of Incorporation (18.8.1983) of the Orbost Aero Club. It contains legal documents pertaining to Section 24 of the Companies act 1961. These are carbon copies.On cover - Orbost Aero Club Memorandum of Articles of Association Bottom right corner - Mosley & Palmer Solicitors Orbostorbost-aero-club

This bridge was built in the 1920s as a road and rail bridge, and was partly washed away by flood waters in 1934. After the end of the first World War the Victorian Railways considered an extension of the railhead across the river at Orbost, and in 1922 a new timber and steel girder structure, a joint Country Roads Board — Victorian Railways venture, was built and completed at a cost of £41,000 (the steel girders came from the Flinders Street viaduct reconstruction). Subsequently it was decided not to take the railway across the river, and the bridge has only been used by road traffic. This is a pictorial record of an early bridge across the Snowy River at Orbost.A large black / white photograph of the Orbost Snowy River bridge. There is a large copy as well as a postcard copy in sepia.on front - Snowy River Bridge Orbost H.D. Bulmer - photo - Lake Tyers.snowy-river-bridge-orbost

This ledger was used by the Shire of Orbost from 1906 to 1910. The item was donated to Orbost & District Historical society from P.R.O.V. as a Place of Deposit (POD) item for safe keeping by a local history group or museum. The shire covered an area of 9,347 square kilometres and existed from 1892 until 1994 when it became part of the East Gippsland Shire Council. Orbost was at first included in the Bairnsdale Shire from 1882 and was later part of the Tambo Shire. Because of travelling distances the Croajingalong Shire was created in 1892 (name changed to Orbost Shire 17.2.1893 with James Cameron as the first Shire President. In 1994 it amalgamated to become part of East Gippsland Shire Council. In Australian suburbs and rural towns where the sewer wasn't connected, people usually had an outside toilet. The toilet seat was made of a plank of wood secured at its ends to the walls of the building with a large round hole in the middle. Underneath was the removable sanitary pan and on a regular basis, usually weekly, the full pan was taken away and replaced with an empty one. This was the job of the sanitary carter. the sanitary depot was in Martins Lane, Orbost Development of the Orbost Wastewater Treatment Facility began in the 1960’s with the construction of four treatment lagoons. Shortly after the construction of the lagoons the sewerage system was installed throughout Orbost.This item is a record of accounting for the local government. The collection of sanitary pans was a necessary service before the Orbost township was had its own wastewater treatment facility.A large register of pan fees for the Shire of Orbost. A black hard cover book with red binding and marbled end pages. Entries are hand-written in black ink.On spine - "PAN FEES REGISTER: in gold lettering. In centre of front cover in gold - "SHIRE OF ORBOST (underlined) PAN FEES REGISTER"orbost-shire-council ledger-pan-fees sewage orbost-township-sanitary-service

This book was used by Orbost Shire Council at the "Back to Orbost" celebrations in 1937 and again in 1963. The item was donated to Orbost & District Historical society from P.R.O.V. as a Place of Deposit (POD) item for safe keeping by a local history group or museum. The book was presented to the president, Jacob Perry, as a token of esteem and in appreciation of his interest and services to the movement. Jacob Perry was an Orbost farmer. Born 1874. Died 1950. He was a Boer War veteran , 4th Victorian Imperial Bushmen. He was a shire councillor and worker for school affairs. The book was used again on Friday, 8th March to Saturday, 16th March 1963.This item is a record of an early Orbost celebration and a useful reference tool.A green covered hard back visitors' book with a red spine and gold lettering on the front cover. It contains names and addresses and comments from those who attended the "Back to Orbost" celebrations in 1937 and in 1963. Entries have been hand-written in ink (1937) and biro (1963).On front in gold framed rectangle - "BACK TO ORBOST 27th FEBRUARY TO 6th MARCH 1937"visitors'-book back-to-orbost-celebrations perry-jacob

This is a book written by a local historian containing historical information pertaining to Orbost and the surrounding district. A spiral bound book of 191pp. On the front and back covers are coloured print of the Morgan Barn c 1900, an original watercolour, artist unknown. The book documents the distinctive slatted barns of the lower Snowy River, Orbost, Victoria. The book was published by the Orbost Historical Society and was written by May Leatch and Ngaere Donald. It contains B/w photographs, drawings and stories of the barns and their histories.history-agriculture-orbost barns-slatted

The chemist made an entry for each prescription for medicine that was given to a customer, and the date presribed. This entry was a handy reference for repeat prescriptions. Chemists who worked in Orbost included Henry Cottman; James Alfred Dubois Williams; Harry Arthur Murray; Miss P.E .Mason (Phyllis Estelle?); Miss Sybil Monica Buzza; Thomas James Frayer; Australia Shaw; James David Torley; John William Zimmer; Dalkeith William Steele; William Thomas Hollingsworth; E.E. Cohen; R.S. Anderson; Frances John Perry Faith Everard Pardew and Charles Anthony Wurf.These books have a clear association with Orbost. They provide a record of the ailments treated by the chemists over its long history, and the types of remedies used to treat them. They show the evolution of therapeutics and the development of diverse treatments The books are interesting in giving the names of the people who came to the shop and for the prevalence of diseases that were being treated. Sixteen ledgers to record prescriptions. Information details of patients' names, medications and prescriptions are hand-written. Details of individual ledgers are in catalogue folder.orbost-pharmacies medicine drugs prescription -records

The Orbost Butter and Produce Co Ltd was registered on June 1st 1893. The site of the factory was purchased at a cost of five pounds from Mr James Cameron. (See In Times Gone By - Deborah Hall) The Orbost Butter and Produce Co. Ltd was registered on June 1st 1893 and was an important source of income to the Orbost district.A time sheet book. Some of the front pages have been torn off.The back page, p 100, has been filled in. Each page is printed with "ORBOST BUTTER & PRODUCE CO LTD." at the top with details of the employee, pay rates and hours worked to be hand-written.orbost-butter--produce-company

The Sergeant, senior Constable, or Constable on duty at Orbost Watchhouse, received all charges against prisoners brought in by different constables, ascertained their nature and if satisfied it was a proper charge was obliged to record the name of each prisoner and the particulars of the offence. This information was recorded in a charge book. Recorded also were details pertaining to the charge itself included: the charge number; the date and hour of both the apprehension and the recording of the charge in the Charge book; personal details of the person being charged including name, address, date and place of birth, a short summary of the nature of the offence and any other relevant details which followed the charges. In general entries became less detailed over time but the format of the entries and the type of information collected remained similar.This book is associated with Orbost and provides insights into the nature of crime as well as the experiences of police and victims in Orbost.A large, heavy register with hand-written entries. Pages are ruled with columns and printed headings. It also contains an indexed list of names and dates in a separate section at the back.charge-booh-orbost-police-station crimes law

In 1861 the Lake Tyers Mission Station was established by the Church of England missionary Reverend John Bulmer, to house some of the Gunaikurnai survivors of the conflict. The peninsula, which has a lake on each side, was known to its traditional owners as Bung Yarnda.A black and white photograph of an older, bearded Aboriginal man. He is sitting outdoors in front of a leafy bush. He is wearing a suit.Black Andy of Lake Tyers ORBOST 1/3/21 L.G.W. photo 741lake-tyers photograph

These photographs are pictorial records of the signs at the Orbost town entry points.Three black / white photographs. 3277.1 is a sign on stone pillars at the top of a hill - "WELCOME TO SNOWY RIVER COUNTRY ORBOST TURN LEFT". 3277.2 shows a road leading into a town. There is a sign on the left - "ORBOST" and a service station on the right. 3277.3 shows a row of newly planted trees between a road and a school.3277.1 on back - "WELCOME TO SNOWY RIVER COUNTRY - ORBOST sign - Princes Highway - Newmerella" 3277.2 on back - "East Gippsland Shire Sign on eastern approach to ORBOST., in Salisbury Street, near Orbost Secondary College" 3277.3 on back - "Tree planting in Salisbury St, Orbost in front of Orbost High School looking west towards Orbost township"photographs-orbost orbost-township-entry salisbury-street-trees town-entry road-signs-orbost

The first Orbost Presbyterian Church was opened on January 9 1898. It was built by Mr R. P. Cameron for three pounds. The Harvest Festival display was always put together by the church ladies. The Festival was a family friendly festival celebrating the end of summer.This item is reminiscent of the late 19th - mid 20th centuries when church-going was more common.A black / white photograph of inside the Orbost Presbyterian Church decorated with rural produce and flowers for the "Harvest Festival". It is on a white buff card with a blue photographer's stamp in the bottom left hand corner.on front - stamp -" Herbert Sherwood" on back - "M. Gilbert, Orbost" - "Mrs J. Sterling, 6 Marine Parade , Elwood"church-presbyterian-orbost harvest-festival