The Webster family disembarking from a 7 NB passenger carriage at Laver's Hill in c.1920. B/W. lavers hill; colac; beech forest; railways;

Locomotives 5A and 14A on a siding at Colac with a boy standing in front. In the background an engine shed and goods sheds, while on the left hand side a louvre van and NQ truck. B/W.colac: beech forest; railway; loco 5a; loco 14a;

The 1963 Victoria Railways Annual Report stated: "Owing to the paucity of traffic the provision of a regular goods train service on the Colac-Weeaproinah narrow gauge line has involved substantial operating losses in recent years . . . As it was evident that the cost of retaining the service was quite disproportionate to the small amount of traffic offering, the line was closed."B/W. On the 27 June 1962 locomotive G42, 13 NQR wagons, several loaded with wood, and an NC guard's van negotiate Scanlon's curve near Tulloh. Three staff occupy the wagon next to the engine. On the horizon a house amidst a tree.weeaproinah; tulloh; scanlon's curve; railway; colac; beech forest;

B/W. A mixed goods train headed by an NA class locomotive taking water at Kincaid, the fireman looking at the camera, the driver hanging from the entrance to the enging, and a boy standing in front of the engine. kincaid; colac; beech forest; crowes; railways;

On 8 March 1962, after the line from Crowes to Weeaproinah was shut down. Beginning at Crowes, groups of gangers started removing the tracks, loading them into NQR open wagons pushed by locomotive G42.B/W. Four empty NQR open wagons with a group of gangers tearing up the lines.crowes; beech forest; weeaproinah; railways;

Banool station is 34.1 km down the railway line from Colac: this photograph was taken 34.6 km down the line, half a kilometre onwards.B/W. A bend in the line 21.5 miles (34.6 km) looking south.banool; beech forest; railways;

B/W. Two inspecting officers examining newly built lines near Wimba in 1902.wimba; railways; beech forest; colac;

A bite on the Beechy. Norman Houghton. Norman Houghton; Geelong (Vic); c.2011. 7 p.; refs. Paper.beech forest; colac; railways; gellibrand; wyelangta; lavers hill; crowes;

B/W. Between Dinmont and Ditchley, a man on a railway bridge overlooking a waterfall in 1919. dinmont; ditchley; beech forest; waterfall; railways;

"The Gesture" was an independent organ of the Deaf and Dumb having no direct connection with any single organisation. Its aim was to help all agencies established to promote the advancement of the Deaf and Dumb. The aim was to be the "Voice" of the Deaf and Dumb of Australasia". To educate the public as to the real condition and needs of the afflicted brothers and sisters, to bring prominently before the hearing and speaking community the peculiar difficulties and obstacles that Deaf Mutes have to encounter in the battle of life. The magazine was named "The Gesture" with the single object of impressing upon the minds of the hearing friends the uncontrovertable fact that whatever the system of instruction the Deaf Mute invariably resorts to the manual alphabet and the language of gesture as the only expedient means of communication with those similarly afflicted.The "Gesture" is significant as the first national newsletter of the Australian Deaf.No. 12 New Series; Pink Cover; Size 29.5Hx14.5W; 24 pagesdeaf newsletter, vicdeaf newsletter, australian deaf newsletter,sidney weetman, blackburn, farm and home, mr and mrs e. j. d. abraham, mr and mrs j. e. muir, m. l. miller, henry harrison brown, beech forest, mr hood, washington state school, olaf hanson, ella wilcox, e. cork, the manchester conference, french national conference,

Games at the "Ditch": centenary history of Beech Forest's Ditchley Park sports ground. Norman Houghton. Soft cover. ii, 31p., illus. March 2011. Publisher: Norman Houghton. Design: Kelly McKiernan Printer: Officeworks

Written on mounting board: Fr Ryan indicating the priest upper left and below image "Picnic Phillips Track" Verso has "Colac & Beech Forest."

A particular triumph for Alfred Joseph Towers was his win at the Romsey and West Bourke Agricultural Society's Annual Potato Show in 1927, taking the trophy from the best potato growers in Victoria, and from the Romsey district in particular, which at that time was famed for its potato production and quality. His father, David Towers, came second in the cup competion. Romsey and West Bourke Agricultural Society, Annual Potato Show, 14 June 1927, Second Prize, for Cup Competition, exhibited by D. Towers (Beech Forest). A.R. Wilson, President: H.M. White, Secretary.romsey; west bourke; potatoes; prize;

At its peak the Beech Forest railway employed more than 21 people between Colac and Crowes tending the line the trains ran over. The gangers (the men in charge of the track gangs) tended to be promoted into the Otways but many of their subordinate repairers were local recruits. A few of the men who worked on the original construction gangs of 1900-1902 remained and obtained positions in the track gangs along the line. The track was maintained by seven three-man gangs based at Colac, Barongarook, Gellibrand, Banool, Beech Forest (2), and Lavers Hill. The ganger for Beech Forest 2 gang resided at Wyelangta. However, the track gangs lessened as the line shortened. Three men with spades on the line, thought to be at Barongarook, c.1925. B/W.barongarook; railways; track gangs;

Stanley Blackson, an employee of Briar Hill Timber was killed by a flying piece of timber at Briar Hill Mill, near Beech Forest1 page transcribed from Trovebriar hill timber, stanley blackson

Colour. After closure of the railway line, Gellibrand looking towards Beech Forest on 26 April 1964. The station buildings and water tank are still standing as well as clear impressions left by the tracks. Telephone lines are marked. A person is near the water tank.gellibrand; railways;

End of the line: a history of the Beech Forest to Crowes extension railway, 1911-1962. Norman Houghton. Artwork, layout, printing: Desktop Dynamics. ISBN: 978 0 9593013 7 3. Soft cover. iv, 54p., illus, diagrams. Published: 2011. Publisher: Norman Houghton.

J.D. (Jack) Skinner of Chapple Vale was the founder of the Otway Tennis Association. He became President and was later awarded Life Membership of the Association. He recognised the need for an award for junior tennis and instituted this trophy to be awarded from 1962.J.D. Skinner Tennis Trophy, Otway Junior Association. Pitcher-shaped EPNS on top, bakelite bottom, seven shields inscribed with names of winning teams 1962-1988.1962-63 Wyelangta 1963-64 Ferguson 1964-65 Wyelangta 1965-66 Wyelangta 1971-72 Carlisle River 1972-73 Beech Forest 1973-74 Beech Forest 1974-75 Wyelangta 1975-76 Wyelangta 1976-77 Lavers Hill 1977-78 Carlisle River 1979-80 Lavers Hill 1980-81 Lavers Hill 1981-82 Carlisle River 1982-83 Wyelangta 1983-84 Ferguson 1984-85 Wyelangta 1985-86 Wyelangta 1986-87 Johanna White 1987-88 Fergusonj.d. skinner; tennis; trophy; otway junior association;

Orange pennant flag listing towns on and near the Great Ocean Road. List of town names on pennant - (west to east) Mortlake, Warrnambool, Nirranda, Terang, Port Campbell, Lavers Hill, Colac, Beech Forest, Apollo Bay, Wye, Birregurra, Forrest, Deans Marsh, Peterborough, Princetown, Lorne, Eastern View, Airy's Inlet, Anglesea, Torquay, Geelong, Barwon Heads.GREAT/ OCEAN/ ROAD/ TRUST. Map of Area/ Route of the Great Ocean. (Orange - on wire stand. Printed on both sides.) great ocean road trust

In 1955 staff numbers were reduced to an absolute minimum with one track gang at Beech Forest and one at Colac, one of whose members resided at Gellibrand. No new sleepers were issued to the track gangs after 1955/56, cut down ones being used instead. Albert Denning, the son of a Gellibrand selector, worked at Driver's planing mill and Hitt's Lardner mill before joining Victorian Railways in 1928 as an engine cleaner at Beech Forest and Crowes, the last one in both places. He later became a track repairer at Gellibrand and worked with this and the Colac track gang until 1962. Bill Jamieson was a track repairer on the Colac-Gellibrand gang from the 1950s until 1962, and witnessed the official policy of minimum maintenance in the last years of the line.B/W. 201mm x 254mm. In c.1950, the Colac track gang near Kawarren, featuring, from left to right, Bill Jamieson, Albert Denning, and Don Loury on an NKS motor trolley..colac; kawarren; railways; track gangs;

Opened with the line as Bunding its name was changed to Wimba in November 1902 and remained as this until the line closed. The line was briefly flatish at this point until climbing more than 1000 feet to Beech Forest, so a water tank was placed on the side of a hill about 100 metres south of the station. Loco 14A takes water at this tank.B/W. Locomotive 14A, NU louvred van, and others, take water at Wimba in c.1961. Water tank top right.wimba; railway; loco 14a;

Station facilities for the travelling public on the narrow gauge line at Colac Railway Station were non-existent for many years. Tickets were purchased from the broad gauge booking office and the travellers then had to walk with their luggage over the rough, potentially ankle-twisting, stone approaches, through the goods yard and wait in the open amongst the mud holes alongside the narrow gauge departure track. In 1922 a footbridge was erected over the broad gauge lines, and a passenger shelter and small goods shed were built on the departure track.B/W. At Colac Railway Station, an locomotive 8A with five NQR wagons, an NM livestock wagon and a NBDBD combined passenger and brake van destined for Beech Forest, with either the driver or the fireman peering out of the engine, three youths standing at the front of the engine, and a group of people, including a woman, standing near the livestock wagon. A multi-storied shed and two houses are in the background. 179mm x 280mm picture.colac; railway; narrow gauge; na locomotive;

Wimba station opened with the line in March 1902 as an unnamed stopping place, and a water tank for locomotive requirements was placed on the side of a hill about 100 metres south of the station. Locos bound for Beech Forest stopped at the passenger shelter at the station, uncoupled, and moved forward to the water tank. Goods were loaded and unloaded during this pause. The station and the tank closed with the line.B/W. Engine 14A, an NUU louvre van and an NC guard's van at the Wimba Tank, with fireman L. Moore on the roof of the cabin running water into the engine's tank. The guard returns to his van.wimba; railways; water tank;

This type of trolly is known to date from prior to 1910 and were in use before petrol engines were used to transport workmen along the railway lines. The exhibit was located at Colac in 1961, after being used on the Colac to Beech Forest and Crowes narrow gauge railway. This type of trolly was built in two versions; one for the Victorian Railways broad gauge lines, and one for the narrow gauge lines.Historic - Victorian Railways narrow gauge - track work vehicle. This vehicle was used in the days before petrol engines were used to drive vehicles transporting workmen along the railway line.C2N Type Trolly - Victorian Railways Gauge 2'6" Trolly Has a flat piece of wood that you would stand on with four metal wheels, one under each corner.c2n, trolley, victorian railways, hand power, narrow gauge, puffing billy, trolly

Pile Siding was opened in December 1915 because of the Pettit Brothers sawmill and pile extraction operation. The siding was a spur with points facing Beech Forest with a timber tramway feeding the siding. During 1916/17 Pettit's sent away 5,000 tonnes of timber before moving to another site, after which loading dropped to insignificant proportions. Pettit's again occupied the site from 1924 and traffic rose to major levels again.B/W. A six horse-drawn timber tram at Pile Siding station in c.1920. Two timber workers are seated at the centre. Stacks of timber are awaiting collection. Note the bare tree trunks in the background. pile siding; weeaproinah; railways; tramways;

In 1902 a ballast siding was opened 4km south of Gellibrand to provide materials for track construction. A spur siding, with points facing Beech Forest and a capacity for six trucks, was cut into the side of a slope. Above this was erected a loading bin and chute. The stone proved to be of durable quality so the siding continued in commission after 1902 for track re-ballasting work. By the mid-1920s Victorian Railways found it more economic to use ballast from Penshurst, so the siding was closed by 1925 and the rails lifted.Photograph; B/W. Gellibrand Ballast Loading Sitegellibrand; ballast; railways; siding;

George Sydenham was appointed as Colac Shire Valuer and rate collector in 1890 which threw him into direct contact with the Otway people at a time when the first selectors were suffering badly. He would have heard their frustrations and grievances in great detail. When Secretary to the Colac Committee for the Railway Extension to Beech Forest he used his magic lantern slide shows from 1896 to support his case for a railway, by lauding the place and its potential, both for settlement and for timber production.The Otways through the magic lantern: commentary and glass slides of George Sydenham - lecture held in 1896. George Francis Sydenham. 1st ed. Colac (Vic); Colac and District Historical Society; 2013. iv, 118 p.; illus., map. ISBN 9780 6469 122 02 Soft cover.colac: otway ranges; history; coasts;

The G42 Garratt Steam Locomotive was one of two heavier more powerful locomotives that operated on Victoria's narrow gauge railways. These Beyer Garratt locomotives were built in Manchester, England and delivered in 1926. They were numbered G41 and G42. They operated on the Colac–Beech Forest–Crowes line and the Moe–Walhalla line respectively. After the line from Moe closed in 1954, G42 was sent to Colac, where it worked until closure of that line in mid-1962. At that time the G41 was in poor condition and was scrapped. G42 was offered to the Puffing Billy Preservation Society.A black and white photocopy of a goods train and carriages.surrey hills, trains, goods carriages, g42 garratt steam locomotive, puffing billy preservation society, victorian railways