Kindly scanned from Ringwood Branch archival collectionTranscript (kindly completed by Ken Briscoe using ChatGPT) RINGWOOD BRANCH COUNTRY WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION INC. February 13, 1946 in the Ringwood Town Hall, the Mayoress, Mrs. H.E. Parker, called the meeting and Ringwood Branch Country Women's Association was formed, and would be in the Yarra Valley Group. Speaker for the day was Mrs. Wray, Group President, Yarra Valley Group. Office bearers elected were: • Mrs. Greenshields (President) • Mrs. Shields (Secretary) • Mrs. Roberts (Treasurer) At the inaugural meeting, 93 ladies joined, and the first general meeting of the Ringwood Branch was held March 7, 1946, and by the end of August the membership grew to 160. In 1946 the joining fee was 4/- and you never attended a meeting unless you wore hat and gloves. The first year, meetings were held in the main Town Hall, then they were transferred to the small hall, which had a creche next door, at the baby health centre, where mothers could leave their little ones, while mum enjoyed the meetings, demonstrations or entertainment. The Branch had a very good Choir, conducted by Mrs. Dorrie Davidson, also a very talented theatrical group. Each birthday they put on excellent stage shows, some beautiful costumes being hired from well-known Melbourne theatrical company. The 1956 Olympic stage show had some well-trained, but out of form, athletes. Highlight of the year was the Annual Ball and two Debutante Balls. New branches were formed in the district, Everard, East Ringwood, Heathmont, South Warrandyte. There was also, Ringwood Younger set, a night branch (later years was renamed Marana). It was then that our membership dropped. As more and more branches were started in the district, Ringwood was then allocated to the newly formed Maroondah Highway Group. Craft classes and demonstrations were of a high standard, with some interesting things being made such as millinery, dressmaking, pottery, etc. In 1960 when Ringwood was made a City, a C.W.A. float was entered in the procession, this was a mammoth task, as hundreds of flowers were made and wired to the float, which was in green and gold C.W.A. colours. The time came when the Town Hall was to be demolished, and we moved to the Church of England Hall, Civic Place, but after a short time, this hall was also demolished. Meetings were then held at Ringwood Library until the library was no longer available. Our last move was to our present meeting room at Lionswood. Today you dress as you wish and membership is $12.00. The Ringwood Branch in 1995 has 2 life members and 21 members. Alice Milner March 15, 1995 As a matter of interest, of those 160 members who joined in the first year, only one active member is left with the Branch

Kindly scanned from Ringwood Branch archival collectionTranscript (kindly completed by Ken Briscoe using ChatGPT) During the second World War, a group of Ringwood ladies sent tins of fat to England. When the War ended in 1946, the Mayoress, Mrs. H.E. Parker, called a meeting and a branch of the Country Women's Association was formed. The subscription was four shillings and two shillings for associate members. Meetings were held in the lower Town Hall, the President and Secretary sat on the stage, the Treasurer at a table on the floor and the hostess at the door to welcome members. Birthdays were held in the Town Hall. There was an active drama group who performed at competitions. After the Olympic Games in Melbourne in 1956, members re-enacted some of the events. A yearly ball was held for several years. Members catered for the Scout Jamboree. They looked after victims of the bush fires - the Town Hall was covered in beds. Mrs. Pratt, Senior, whose husband took up a selection in Ringwood, gave a block of land to the C.W.A., but the late Councillor Mr. Frank Corr, told his wife (a member) that the Council would not permit a hall to be built on this land so the block was sold to the Masonic Lodge for 250 pounds. Cards were enjoyed monthly in the Presbyterian Church Hall in Adelaide Street. Craft group met in the Church of England Hall in Ringwood Street.

Digitised video (3.06GB) Duration: 56 minutes. Recorded November, 2019 (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presenter: Alan Upton has spent his life growing fruit, both at the original Upton orchard in Wonga Park and at Yering on the Healesville Road. In that time, there have been many changes to not only agricultural methods and techniques but also to the local area, as covered by Alan in this video presentation.

Digitised video (4.25GB) Duration: 68 minutes. Recorded February, 2020 (Video is available for viewing at Ringwood & District Historical Society Archives by appointment)Presenter: Geoff Stock is one of the select baby-boomers who was born at the Pines Hospital that was in Adelaide Street, sent to school in Ringwood and, 66 years later, still resides in the Ringwood area. Over that period, he has seen many changes, not only to the area of East Ringwood and Heathmont but central Ringwood itself. Geoff has many stories to tell of growing up in the district - mostly humorous - but revealing the 1960s/70s lifestyle.

150 pages : illustrations, maps, portraits : Includes bibliographical references and index.non-fictionPersonal recollections of the author growing up in the suburb of McKinnon, Victoria.mckinnon, prince edward avenue mckinnon, tony o'grady

183 p. : ill. (some col.), ports.Leisure activities. Social aspects. Australia. Beaches, to daterecreation, leisure, bathing customs, australia

Bibliography, p.233.non-fictionIn May 1968, Mike Towers was conscripted into the Australian army and found himself in Vietnam whithout actually volunteering for that service. A Jungle Circus is Mike's story of his 24 months in the army.vitnam war 1961-1975 - personal narratives, conscription - australia

Ill, p.88.non-fictionA guide to Australia's war heritage. To provide opportunities for future generations to understand, investigate and value these experiences, we must ensure that the significant material relating to Australia's war heritage is preserved.war memorials - australia - conservation and preservation, world war 1939 – 1945 – personal narratives – australia

Bibliography, p.280.non-fictionStories from a variety of sources, Australian and Vietnamese, about the experience of the Vietnam war.vietnam war 1961-1975 – personal recollections – australia, vietnam war 1961-1975 – personal recollections – vietnam

64 page book published by Richmond Hill Press in association with the Collingwood City Council, 1979. Includes many photographs of the City of Collingwood areas including Richmond, Fairfieldcollingwood history

Index, bib, ill, p.239.non-fictionWhat is taboo in any family or in any society is never fixed. And neither is that body of family information which everybody knows but no one talks about. Mental illness is one such subject, and it created a kind of fence around one central element of Thomson's work in the 1980s - his grandfather Hector's story. He has had the courage to take that fence down and use a range of sources to enter the no man's land of suffering and isolation which was a part of his grandfather's life, and perforce, that of his grandmother and the young child who became his father. When the first edition was in preparation, Alistair Thomson's father objected strenuously to any mention in the book of his father's (Alistair's grandfather's) mental illness; reluctantly Alistair agreed to leave out the subject. We can understand why the author's father, himself a soldier, felt so strongly. .world war 1939 – 1945 – personal narratives – australia, world war 1914-1918 - biography

In a powerful and eloquent book, Nguyen rewrites the South Vietnamese back into their own history and gives them back their voices.veterans - vietnam (republic) - interviews, soldiers - vietnam (republic) - biography, republic of, republic of vietnam, south east asia

The Vietnam War was the longest, most bitterly devisive and least successful in which Australians have ever fought. It left a legacy of suffering and rejection amoung veterans which has only recently begun to be overcome. In Memories of Vietnam some Australians who knew the was from close up look back over the years and recall their experience in their own words.vietnam war, 1961-1975- personal narratives, australian, soldiers - australia - biography

Smuggling beer in Top Secret boxes was one of the many pranks Australians got up to in Vietnam as a relief from the trauma of war. Some played kick-to-kick with a football, although exhausted after the most ferocious battle, while others masqueraded as U.S. officers to score VIP treatment. 1961-1975 - participation, vietnam war, 1961-1975 - personal narratives, australian

Smuggling beer in Top Secret boxes was one of the many pranks Australians got up to in Vietnam as a relief from the trauma of war. Some played kick-to-kick with a football, although exhausted after the most ferocious battle, while others masqueraded as U.S. officers to score VIP treatment. vietnam war, 1961-1975 - participation, australian, vietnam war, 1961-1975 - personal narratives, australian

non-fictionAn outstanding addition to the library on the Vietnam War.vietnam war, 1961-1975 -- personal narratives, american, vietnam war (1961-1975)

It takes little skill or imagination to see where you would like to army to be and when.australia. army. royal australian engineers, small ship squadron, 32nd - history

Smuggling beer in Top Secret boxes was one of the many pranks Australians got up to in Vietnam as a relief from the trauma of war. Some played kick-to-kick with a football, although exhausted after the most ferocious battle, while others masqueraded as U.S. officers to score VIP treatment. vietnam war, 1961-1975 - participation, australian, vietnam war, 1961-1975 - personal narratives, australian

An outstanding addition to the library on the Vietnam War.vietnam war, 1961-1975 - personal narratives, american

The Vietnam War was the longest, most bitterly devisive and least successful in which Australians have ever fought. It left a legacy of suffering and rejection amoung veterans which has only recently begun to be overcome. In Memories of Vietnam some Australians who knew the was from close up look back over the years and recall their experience in their own words.vietnam war, 1961-1975 - personal narratives, australian, saigon, viet cong

This in an account of one man's remarkable experience in Vietnam which can be compared in intensity with the war writings of Robert Graves. united states army, vietnamese conflict, 1961-1975 - personal narratives - american