Extinction Rebellion protest mural painted on the western wall of Platform 3095 cafe facing the railway station Prior to September 2016 a grouping of five trees were planted in the small garden bed on the western end of the cafe in two groups either side of the traffic sign which at that stage was the taller By October 2017 the five trees had doubled in height to about 1m above the roof line By April 2018 the trees were all about 2m above the roof line By August 2019 all five trees had been cut down and the wall was a mixture of paint patches from ongoing graffitti attacks By January 2020 the wall had been adorned with this mural which appears to have discouraged ongoing graffitti attacks but its message is tinged with irony that five healthy young trees were removed fay bridge collection, 2020-01-29, eltham, platform 3095, extinction rebellion

Robert Boyle Landscape Design created the original design and construction of the lake in 1993. They are renowned local landscape designers and have carried out numerous projects at the Cemetery, including the major upgrades to the lakeside design in 2020. Title Lakeside Maintenance and Improvement Works Url https://www.elthamcemetery.com/item/25-lakeside-maintenance-and-improvement-works Description Improvement works to the lake and surrounding area July to October 2020.fay bridge collection, 2009, eltham, eltham cemetery, lake, mount pleasant road

Situated originally on the corner of the Dalton Street road reserve west of Main Road (now present-day Wingrove Park Trail), the former Jarrold Cottage (White Cloud) was purchased by Lena Skipper following Thekla Jarrold's death in 1943. It was built by William Jarrold in the early 1850s and was here that he married Hannah Coleman in 1856. The Bootmaker's shop was built by Thekla Jarrold in 1930 for use by her friend, John Clark, a local photographer who had boarded with the Jarrold family since about 1910. In 1930 he changed profession to a bootmaker and leather worker. The shop is one of only three remaining early 20th century shops in what was Little Eltham, the others being present-day San Antionio Barber Shop at 820 Main Road and Cafe Zen Den at 736 Main Road.fay bridge collection, bootmaker's shop, eltham, jarrold cottage, main road, shops, white cloud cottage, wingrove park trail

This old footbidge is situated close to the shack that Gordon Ford built on the Yarra at Laughing Waters Road. Bernie Bragg also used to live there for a period of time. Gordon Ford and photographer Sue Winslow were married in 1965. They set up home in an old log cabin on the property Gordon had purchased in 1954 on Laughing Waters Road. Situated between the Yarra River and Overbank Road, Gordon had built a small mud-brick shack on the river and a pontoon. Over the decades the shack has been locally referred to as “the love shack”, the “rooting shack” or simply “Gordon’s shack”. Gordon and Sue commissioned local builder Graeme Rose to do a wattle and daub renovation and extension to the old log cabin on the north side of Laughing Waters Road. The work had only just been completed in 1965 when a bushfire swept through the area and destroyed the cabin. Gordon and Sue relocated to his property, Fulling, in Pitt Street, Eltham. In 1970 work started on a new house at the Laughing Waters property. Originally known as the Banana House, it is now known as Boomerang. Designed by Alistair Knox, the mud-brick house includes iron window grilles made by Matcham Skipper that puncture the curved mud walls. The grilles were made from ‘off-pressings’ from the Sidchrome tool works in Heidelberg. Gordon, Sue and family moved into the house in 1972. Their marriage fell apart and Sue moved to Sydney with the children around the same time Gordon commenced building Birrarung just below Boomerang on the Laughing Waters Road block. After the Fords moved out, Boomerang it was rented out to various share households of students, musicians, artists and environmentalists for twenty-four years. Gordon Ford sold Birrarung and Boomerang to Melbourne Water in 1999. The Laughing Waters Artist in Residence Program was developed as a partnership between Parks Victoria and Nillumbik Shire Council. Boomerang was deemed unfit for habitation so was used as a day studio only. By 2001 Boomerang was in a poor state of repair and by 2002 the last artist in residence was to use the house as a studio. Nillumbik Shire Council had been granted funds from the Melbourne Community Fund to restore both Boomerang and Birrarung but it was apparent in early 2003 that the funds would be insufficient to restore both houses. Boomerang was infested with termites which presented a risk to any occupants and so the decision was made to close Boomerang and concentrate funding on Birrarung. Boomerang was fenced off for safety and to prevent intrusion and remains ‘caged’ today (2023). However, it is readily apparent the property has been occupied by squatters over the years. By 2023 it was clear that the squatters had abandoned the property and sections of the roof structure have given away in some areas and collapsed internally. For a more in-depth description and history of the property and that of Gordon and Sue Ford, see Jane Woollard's book, "Laughing Waters Road; Art, Landscape & Memory in Eltham" published 2016.fay bridge collection, bernie's hut, birrarung, footbridge, gordon ford, gordon's shack, laughing waters road, love shack, yarra river

1. Certificate of Title of Lot 22 on Plan of Subdivision No. 7894 and other material pertaining to Mary Frances Carrucan (nee Sweeney) and family connections (Digital file only)eltham, 60 kent hughes road, certificate of title, mary frances carrucan (nee sweeney)

Jarrold Cottage or White Cloud is known by many to be associated with the Skipper family, and has been since 1944 when Lena Skipper, wife of Mervyn Skipper purchased the cottage. She purchased it from the Estate of Thekla Jarrold who had died in March of the previous year. By the time Thekla died, she had lived in the Jarrold Cottage for 50 years. Thekla Alvenia Sissilia Ellian married John William Jarrold in 1888 at Clifton Hill. They started their family there but when John’s father William (who was married to Hannah Coleman) died in 1893 the family moved to Eltham. William had married Hannah Coleman in 1856 at his home in Eltham. William had arrived in the colony in 1848 so it is believed the Jarrold Cottage goes back at least to 1856 and possibly early 1850s. For a short period of time the cottage was rented to the Police as a temporary Police Station whilst a new and more permanent station was built further up the hill in 1859. The cottage was originally located closer to the Diamond Creek but was subject to flooding so was relocated to its present position on top a mound of rubble placed there from the nearby quarry next to the Dalton Street school (on Main Road). By 1916, John Henry Clark, a photographer who took many early photos of Eltham relocated from Fitzroy to Eltham and boarded with recently widowed Thekla Jarrold and her family. He changed professions from photographer to boot and harness maker around 1931 and Thekla had a small bootmakers shop built ifor him in the corner of her property next to the family home. J.H. Clark remained living at the property until his death in December 1956. At some stage after Clark's death, Lena Skipper is recorded living at the property having relocated from Montsalvat following the death of her husband Mervyn. The property continues to remain within the Skipper family as of 2023. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p47This collection of almost 130 photos about places and people within the Shire of Nillumbik, an urban and rural municipality in Melbourne's north, contributes to an understanding of the history of the Shire. Published in 2008 immediately prior to the Black Saturday bushfires of February 7, 2009, it documents sites that were impacted, and in some cases destroyed by the fires. It includes photographs taken especially for the publication, creating a unique time capsule representing the Shire in the early 21st century. It remains the most recent comprehenesive publication devoted to the Shire's history connecting local residents to the past. nillumbik now and then (marshall-king) collection, bootmaker's shop, hannah coleman, jarrold cottage, john henry clark, john william jarrold, lena skipper, police station, thekla alvenia sissilia jarrold (nee ellian), white cloud cottage, william jarrold

The former bootmaker's shop is one of only three remaining original shops from the early 20th century in what was once Little Eltham, the others being the present day Cafe Zen-Den at 736 Main Road and the former Burgoyne General Store and Post Office, present-day San Antonio Barbershop at 820 Main Road. Jarrold Cottage or White Cloud is known by many to be associated with the Skipper family, and has been since 1944 when Lena Skipper, wife of Mervyn Skipper purchased the cottage. She purchased it from the Estate of Thekla Jarrold who had died in March of the previous year. By the time Thekla died, she had lived in the Jarrold Cottage for 50 years. Thekla Alvenia Sissilia Ellian married John William Jarrold in 1888 at Clifton Hill. They started their family there but when John’s father William (who was married to Hannah Coleman) died in 1893 the family moved to Eltham. William had married Hannah Coleman in 1856 at his home in Eltham. William had arrived in the colony in 1848 so it is believed the Jarrold Cottage goes back at least to 1856 and possibly early 1850s. For a short period of time the cottage was rented to the Police as a temporary Police Station whilst a new and more permanent station was built further up the hill in 1859. The cottage was originally located closer to the Diamond Creek but was subject to flooding so was relocated to its present position on top a mound of rubble placed there from the nearby quarry next to the Dalton Street school (on Main Road). By 1916, John Henry Clark, a photographer who took many early photos of Eltham relocated from Fitzroy to Eltham and boarded with recently widowed Thekla Jarrold and her family. He changed professions from photographer to boot and harness maker around 1931 and Thekla had a small bootmakers shop built ifor him in the corner of her property next to the family home. J.H. Clark remained living at the property until his death in December 1956. At some stage after Clark's death, Lena Skipper is recorded living at the property having relocated from Montsalvat following the death of her husband Mervyn. The property continues to remain within the Skipper family as of 2023. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p47This collection of almost 130 photos about places and people within the Shire of Nillumbik, an urban and rural municipality in Melbourne's north, contributes to an understanding of the history of the Shire. Published in 2008 immediately prior to the Black Saturday bushfires of February 7, 2009, it documents sites that were impacted, and in some cases destroyed by the fires. It includes photographs taken especially for the publication, creating a unique time capsule representing the Shire in the early 21st century. It remains the most recent comprehenesive publication devoted to the Shire's history connecting local residents to the past. nillumbik now and then (marshall-king) collection, bootmaker's shop, jarrold cottage, john henry clark, lena skipper, thekla alvenia sissilia jarrold (nee ellian), white cloud cottage, shops

Information pertaining to the former Jarrold Cottage built in the early 1850s which has been in the Skipper family since 1944 Contents: 1 Journal Article: Jarrold Cottage; This quaint house survived fire and flood, Eltham Shire, newsletter c.2002, p10-11 2. Newspaper article: Cottage of 1800s, 100 Years of News Special Edition, (Leader Newspapers), August 27, 1997, p36 3. Jarrold Cottage (7), extract from tourist drive map publication (unknown) 4. Journal Article: Eltham . . . then and now, written by Judy Lewis, Eltham Town Community News, pp10-11, date unknown with hand written comments/corrections by Diana Bassett-Smith. Features Jarrold Cottage, Southernwood and Walter Withers and the former CBA Bank building. 5. Artice: Jarrold Cottage or White Cloud Cottage, compiled by Harry Gilham (2 pages)Folder of information on Jarrold Cottage consisting of 5 A4 photocopies and one A3 (colour) two page journalbootmakers cottage, cba bank, eltham, jarrold cottage, main road, southernwood, walter withers, white cloud cottage

One of two display panels prepared by Eltham District Historical Society for display in the Eltham Railway Station foyer on 5 June 2002 along with handouts explaining the significance of the occassion to train passengers. In addition, Harry Gilham presented a talk on the history of the railway at the Sociiety's May 8th meeting.728 main road, activists, centenary celebrations, display, display panel, eltham district historical society, heidelberg-eltham railway extension, local history centre, lockup

One of two display panels prepared by Eltham District Historical Society for display in the Eltham Railway Station foyer on 5 June 2002 along with handouts explaining the significance of the occassion to train passengers. In addition, Harry Gilham presented a talk on the history of the railway at the Sociiety's May 8th meeting.728 main road, activists, centenary celebrations, display, display panel, eltham district historical society, heidelberg-eltham railway extension, local history centre, lockup

edendale community farm, signs

activities, education program, eltham district historical society, eltham primary school, eltham state school no. 209, local history centre, school group, harry gilham, jim connor

eltham tennis club, tennis court, youth road

eltham tennis club, tennis court, youth road

'Worlingworth', Eltham, home of noted anthropologist the late Professor Donald Thomson and his wife Dorita Thomson. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p127This collection of almost 130 photos about places and people within the Shire of Nillumbik, an urban and rural municipality in Melbourne's north, contributes to an understanding of the history of the Shire. Published in 2008 immediately prior to the Black Saturday bushfires of February 7, 2009, it documents sites that were impacted, and in some cases destroyed by the fires. It includes photographs taken especially for the publication, creating a unique time capsule representing the Shire in the early 21st century. It remains the most recent comprehenesive publication devoted to the Shire's history connecting local residents to the past. nillumbik now and then (marshall-king) collection, banoon road, donald thomson, dorita thomson, eltham, worlingworth

Laughing Waters Walk, 7 Sep 2013 This Society excursion was a follow up to the Laughing Waters Story told to us by Jane Woollard at our Annual General Meeting in March 2013. It involved a walk commencing from the corner of Laughing Waters and Overbank Roads along Laughing Waters Road to its eastern end and returning partly over the same route - a total distance of about 2.5km. On the way we visited the two artist in residence properties, River Bend and Birrarung, to view the houses on them that are associated with Alistair Knox, Gordon Ford and others in the local mud brick and artistic community. We also able to walk around the derelict ruin which was once home to Gordon and Sue Ford, Boomerang House. An unexpected afternoon tea was offered to us by the artists in residence at Birrarung House and we had a brief opportunity to view inside the house. River Bend was designed and built by Alistair Knox for Rosemary and Bill Cuming in 1968. It sits in a deep cutting on a steep slope above the Yarra River and features floor to ceiling windows and glass doors set into mission brown timber frames and walls of reclaimed bricks in pinkish hue. Rosemary laid the brick paving around the house, a copy of the shell paving found in the ancient French town of Colmar, where the family had lived for a period. The kitchen was equipped with a 1960s stove as well as a cast iron wood stove reclaimed from Rosemary's sister's home in Armadale. Max and Tini Huygens, migrants from Holland, purchased the property in 1975 and named it Tilwinda from an Aboriginal word meaning 'hole in a rock'. In late 1981 Tini died after a short illness, but Max continued to live at Tilwinda until he moved to a retirement village in 2000 and the property was sold to Parks Victoria. Renamed River Bend, the property became part of the Laughing Waters Artist in Residency Program in 2008. Nillumbik Shire Council upgraded the property in 2012 with solar panels, a heat pump for hot water and double glazing to improve the comfort of the artists in residence and make the house more energy efficient. For a more in-depth description of the property and biographies of the various artists in residence commencing from 2008 to 2015, see Jane Woollard's book, "Laughing Waters Road; Art, Landscape & Memory in Eltham" published 2016.2013-09-07, activities, artists in residence, eltham district historical society, heritage excursion, jim connor collection, laughing waters road, river bend house

Laughing Waters Walk, 7 Sep 2013 This Society excursion was a follow up to the Laughing Waters Story told to us by Jane Woollard at our Annual General Meeting in March 2013. It involved a walk commencing from the corner of Laughing Waters and Overbank Roads along Laughing Waters Road to its eastern end and returning partly over the same route - a total distance of about 2.5km. On the way we visited the two artist in residence properties, River Bend and Birrarung, to view the houses on them that are associated with Alistair Knox, Gordon Ford and others in the local mud brick and artistic community. We also able to walk around the derelict ruin which was once home to Gordon and Sue Ford, Boomerang House. An unexpected afternoon tea was offered to us by the artists in residence at Birrarung House and we had a brief opportunity to view inside the house. Birrarung is situated near the end of Laughing Waters Road. It was built in 1974 by Graeme Rose for Gordon Ford who he had asked to build him a small ‘bach’. Builder Peter Jarvis who did his apprenticeship with Alistair Knox for a couple of years recalled there were no drawings. It evolved as more funds became available. Graeme would source second-hand building materials around which he would shape the house. The fireplace was built with chicken wire over which it was rendered with faro cement. A brick floored glass studio, added later, faces a wall of boulders pressed into a manmade cliff, a large pond the link between the rock wall and glass studio. A waterfall, fed by river water, no longer functions. The property became part of the Laughing Waters Artist in Residency Program with the first artist taking up residency in 2001. For a more in-depth description of the property and biographies of the various artists in residence commencing from 2001 through to 2015, see Jane Woollard's book, "Laughing Waters Road; Art, Landscape & Memory in Eltham" published 2016.2013-09-07, activities, artists in residence, eltham district historical society, heritage excursion, jim connor collection, laughing waters road, birrarung house

Laughing Waters Walk, 7 Sep 2013 This Society excursion was a follow up to the Laughing Waters Story told to us by Jane Woollard at our Annual General Meeting in March 2013. It involved a walk commencing from the corner of Laughing Waters and Overbank Roads along Laughing Waters Road to its eastern end and returning partly over the same route - a total distance of about 2.5km. On the way we visited the two artist in residence properties, River Bend and Birrarung, to view the houses on them that are associated with Alistair Knox, Gordon Ford and others in the local mud brick and artistic community. We also able to walk around the derelict ruin which was once home to Gordon and Sue Ford, Boomerang House. An unexpected afternoon tea was offered to us by the artists in residence at Birrarung House and we had a brief opportunity to view inside the house. Gordon Ford and photographer Sue Winslow were married in 1965. They set up home in an old log cabin on the property Gordon had purchased in 1954 on Laughing Waters Road. Situated between the Yarra River and Overbank Road, Gordon had built a small mud-brick shack on the river and a pontoon. Over the decades the shack has been locally referred to as “the love shack”, the “rooting shack” or simply “Gordon’s shack”. Gordon and Sue commissioned local builder Graeme Rose to do a wattle and daub renovation and extension to the old log cabin on the north side of Laughing Waters Road. The work had only just been completed in 1965 when a bushfire swept through the area and destroyed the cabin. Gordon and Sue relocated to his property, Fulling, in Pitt Street, Eltham. In 1970 work started on a new house at the Laughing Waters property. Originally known as the Banana House, it is now known as Boomerang. Designed by Alistair Knox, the mud-brick house includes iron window grilles made by Matcham Skipper that puncture the curved mud walls. The grilles were made from ‘off-pressings’ from the Sidchrome tool works in Heidelberg. Gordon, Sue and family moved into the house in 1972. Their marriage fell apart and Sue moved to Sydney with the children around the same time Gordon commenced building Birrarung just below Boomerang on the Laughing Waters Road block. After the Fords moved out, Boomerang it was rented out to various share households of students, musicians, artists and environmentalists for twenty-four years. Gordon Ford sold Birrarung and Boomerang to Melbourne Water in 1999. The Laughing Waters Artist in Residence Program was developed as a partnership between Parks Victoria and Nillumbik Shire Council. Boomerang was deemed unfit for habitation so was used as a day studio only. By 2001 Boomerang was in a poor state of repair and by 2002 the last artist in residence was to use the house as a studio. Nillumbik Shire Council had been granted funds from the Melbourne Community Fund to restore both Boomerang and Birrarung but it was apparent in early 2003 that the funds would be insufficient to restore both houses. Boomerang was infested with termites which presented a risk to any occupants and so the decision was made to close Boomerang and concentrate funding on Birrarung. Boomerang was fenced off for safety and to prevent intrusion and remains ‘caged’ today (2023). However, it is readily apparent the property has been occupied by squatters over the years. By 2023 it was clear that the squatters had abandoned the property and sections of the roof structure have given away in some areas and collapsed internally. For a more in-depth description and history of the property and that of Gordon and Sue Ford, see Jane Woollard's book, "Laughing Waters Road; Art, Landscape & Memory in Eltham" published 2016.2013-09-07, activities, eltham district historical society, heritage excursion, jim connor collection, laughing waters road, boomerang house, gordon ford

Gordon Ford and photographer Sue Winslow were married in 1965. They set up home in an old log cabin on the property Gordon had purchased in 1954 on Laughing Waters Road. Situated between the Yarra River and Overbank Road, Gordon had built a small mud-brick shack on the river and a pontoon. Over the decades the shack has been locally referred to as “the love shack”, the “rooting shack” or simply “Gordon’s shack”. Gordon and Sue commissioned local builder Graeme Rose to do a wattle and daub renovation and extension to the old log cabin on the north side of Laughing Waters Road. The work had only just been completed in 1965 when a bushfire swept through the area and destroyed the cabin. Gordon and Sue relocated to his property, Fulling, in Pitt Street, Eltham. In 1970 work started on a new house at the Laughing Waters property. Originally known as the Banana House, it is now known as Boomerang. Designed by Alistair Knox, the mud-brick house includes iron window grilles made by Matcham Skipper that puncture the curved mud walls. The grilles were made from ‘off-pressings’ from the Sidchrome tool works in Heidelberg. Gordon, Sue and family moved into the house in 1972. Their marriage fell apart and Sue moved to Sydney with the children around the same time Gordon commenced building Birrarung just below Boomerang on the Laughing Waters Road block. After the Fords moved out, Boomerang it was rented out to various share households of students, musicians, artists and environmentalists for twenty-four years. Gordon Ford sold Birrarung and Boomerang to Melbourne Water in 1999. The Laughing Waters Artist in Residence Program was developed as a partnership between Parks Victoria and Nillumbik Shire Council. Boomerang was deemed unfit for habitation so was used as a day studio only. By 2001 Boomerang was in a poor state of repair and by 2002 the last artist in residence was to use the house as a studio. Nillumbik Shire Council had been granted funds from the Melbourne Community Fund to restore both Boomerang and Birrarung but it was apparent in early 2003 that the funds would be insufficient to restore both houses. Boomerang was infested with termites which presented a risk to any occupants and so the decision was made to close Boomerang and concentrate funding on Birrarung. Boomerang was fenced off for safety and to prevent intrusion and remains ‘caged’ today (2023). However, it is readily apparent the property has been occupied by squatters over the years. By 2023 it was clear that the squatters had abandoned the property and sections of the roof structure have given away in some areas and collapsed internally. For a more in-depth description and history of the property and that of Gordon and Sue Ford, see Jane Woollard's book, "Laughing Waters Road; Art, Landscape & Memory in Eltham" published 2016.jim connor collection, laughing waters road, boomerang house, gordon ford

Laughing Waters Walk, 7 Sep 2013 This Society excursion was a follow up to the Laughing Waters Story told to us by Jane Woollard at our Annual General Meeting in March 2013. It involved a walk commencing from the corner of Laughing Waters and Overbank Roads along Laughing Waters Road to its eastern end and returning partly over the same route - a total distance of about 2.5km. On the way we visited the two artist in residence properties, River Bend and Birrarung, to view the houses on them that are associated with Alistair Knox, Gordon Ford and others in the local mud brick and artistic community. We also able to walk around the derelict ruin which was once home to Gordon and Sue Ford, Boomerang House. An unexpected afternoon tea was offered to us by the artists in residence at Birrarung House and we had a brief opportunity to view inside the house. Gordon Ford and photographer Sue Winslow were married in 1965. They set up home in an old log cabin on the property Gordon had purchased in 1954 on Laughing Waters Road. Situated between the Yarra River and Overbank Road, Gordon had built a small mud-brick shack on the river and a pontoon. Over the decades the shack has been locally referred to as “the love shack”, the “rooting shack” or simply “Gordon’s shack”. Gordon and Sue commissioned local builder Graeme Rose to do a wattle and daub renovation and extension to the old log cabin on the north side of Laughing Waters Road. The work had only just been completed in 1965 when a bushfire swept through the area and destroyed the cabin. Gordon and Sue relocated to his property, Fulling, in Pitt Street, Eltham. In 1970 work started on a new house at the Laughing Waters property. Originally known as the Banana House, it is now known as Boomerang. Designed by Alistair Knox, the mud-brick house includes iron window grilles made by Matcham Skipper that puncture the curved mud walls. The grilles were made from ‘off-pressings’ from the Sidchrome tool works in Heidelberg. Gordon, Sue and family moved into the house in 1972. Their marriage fell apart and Sue moved to Sydney with the children around the same time Gordon commenced building Birrarung just below Boomerang on the Laughing Waters Road block. After the Fords moved out, Boomerang it was rented out to various share households of students, musicians, artists and environmentalists for twenty-four years. Gordon Ford sold Birrarung and Boomerang to Melbourne Water in 1999. The Laughing Waters Artist in Residence Program was developed as a partnership between Parks Victoria and Nillumbik Shire Council. Boomerang was deemed unfit for habitation so was used as a day studio only. By 2001 Boomerang was in a poor state of repair and by 2002 the last artist in residence was to use the house as a studio. Nillumbik Shire Council had been granted funds from the Melbourne Community Fund to restore both Boomerang and Birrarung but it was apparent in early 2003 that the funds would be insufficient to restore both houses. Boomerang was infested with termites which presented a risk to any occupants and so the decision was made to close Boomerang and concentrate funding on Birrarung. Boomerang was fenced off for safety and to prevent intrusion and remains ‘caged’ today (2023). However, it is readily apparent the property has been occupied by squatters over the years. By 2023 it was clear that the squatters had abandoned the property and sections of the roof structure have given away in some areas and collapsed internally. For a more in-depth description and history of the property and that of Gordon and Sue Ford, see Jane Woollard's book, "Laughing Waters Road; Art, Landscape & Memory in Eltham" published 2016.2013-09-07, activities, eltham district historical society, heritage excursion, jim connor collection, laughing waters road, boomerang house, gordon ford, gordon's shack, love shack

Laughing Waters Walk, 7 Sep 2013 This Society excursion was a follow up to the Laughing Waters Story told to us by Jane Woollard at our Annual General Meeting in March 2013. It involved a walk commencing from the corner of Laughing Waters and Overbank Roads along Laughing Waters Road to its eastern end and returning partly over the same route - a total distance of about 2.5km. On the way we visited the two artist in residence properties, River Bend and Birrarung, to view the houses on them that are associated with Alistair Knox, Gordon Ford and others in the local mud brick and artistic community. We also able to walk around the derelict ruin which was once home to Gordon and Sue Ford, Boomerang House. An unexpected afternoon tea was offered to us by the artists in residence at Birrarung House and we had a brief opportunity to view inside the house. Birrarung is situated near the end of Laughing Waters Road. It was built in 1974 by Graeme Rose for Gordon Ford who he had asked to build him a small ‘bach’. Builder Peter Jarvis who did his apprenticeship with Alistair Knox for a couple of years recalled there were no drawings. It evolved as more funds became available. Graeme would source second-hand building materials around which he would shape the house. The fireplace was built with chicken wire over which it was rendered with faro cement. A brick floored glass studio, added later, faces a wall of boulders pressed into a manmade cliff, a large pond the link between the rock wall and glass studio. A waterfall, fed by river water, no longer functions. The property became part of the Laughing Waters Artist in Residency Program with the first artist taking up residency in 2001. For a more in-depth description of the property and biographies of the various artists in residence commencing from 2001 through to 2015, see Jane Woollard's book, "Laughing Waters Road; Art, Landscape & Memory in Eltham" published 2016.2013-09-07, activities, artists in residence, eltham district historical society, heritage excursion, laughing waters road, birrarung house, fay bridge collection

The Eltham Community and Reception Centre was Australia's first public mud-brick building. Commissioned in 1977 by Eltham Shire Council, led by Shire president (and architect) Robert Marshall, architects Whitford and Peck were asked to design a multipurpose facility in mud-brick and timber. The official opening was performed by the Hon. R.J. Hamer; E.D., M.P., Premier of Victorai on Saturday, April 22, 1978. Architects: Whitford & Peck Pty Ltd Quantity Surveyor: D.J. Cant & Associates Structural Civil Engineers: Charlett & Moore Pty Ltd Landscape: Peter Glass, Dennis Edwards Mech Elec: Lobley Treidel & Partners Pty Ltd Acoustics: Riley Barden & Kirkhope Builder: L.U. Simon Pty Ltdjim connor collection, eltham community and reception centre, eltham community centre, mudbrick construction

Robert Boyle Landscape Design created the original design and construction of the lake in 1993. They are renowned local landscape designers and have carried out numerous projects at the Cemetery, including the major upgrades to the lakeside design in 2020.jim connor collection, eltham, eltham cemetery, lake, mount pleasant road

Site of the former Eltham Shire Council offices and Public Hall, opened November 21, 1941. Council built new offices at 895 Main Road in 1964 and the site was sold to Woolworths in 1970.jim connor collection, arthur street, ella bache, eltham shopping centre, eltham village, eltham village shopping centre, main road, shopping centre

jim connor collection, eltham, eltham cemetery, mount pleasant road

The Pavillion was an extension to the Eltham Living and Learning Centre which was opened 8 October, 1994 In 1857, tanner John Pearson purchased three and a half acres of land in Little Eltham, at the western end of Pitt Street, with a 70-foot frontage to Maria Street (Main Road) and stretching down to the Diamond Creek for £100. He contracted Benjamin Oliver Wallis to build house for him. Wallis, a mason by trade who originated from the Cornish village of Newlyn, migrated to Melbourne in 1853 and was shortly engaged by Richard Warren to build the Eltham Hotel, which opened in 1854. When Warren fell into financial difficulty in 1858, Wallis purchased the hotel. That same year, Pearson constructed a tannery below the house with access to the water in the Diamond Creek. When Pearson became bankrupt in 1867, Wallis similarly acquired the house from Pearson’s creditors in 1868 and lived there until his death in 1896. For some of this time the house was in the name of Wallis’s son Richard but following his death in 1888, ownership reverted to his father. It was purchased by retired teacher Richard Gilsenen in 1899. Gilsenen was made acting head teacher at the Eltham State School in 1906 following the sudden death of head teacher John Brown. In the 1950s the house was bought by retired engineer Dr Alfred Fitzpatrick and his wife Claire who made various modifications to house goats and poultry as well as structural modifications to the house. In the early 1970s, Eltham Shire Councillors Frank Maas and Don Maling proposed an extended communities’ activities program be set up and the Commonwealth Grants Commission was approached for financial assistance. In 1974 a $50,000 Commonwealth Grant was received by the Shire Council to acquire the Fitzpatrick property as part of the planning to establish an extended communities’ activities program. The Fitzpatricks moved next door and Claire taught at the new Living and Learning Centre, which began in 1975, one of the first community education centres in Victoria.jim connor collection, eltham, eltham living and learning centre, living and learning centre, pavilion

jim connor collection, anz (eltham), eltham shopping centre, main road

jim connor collection, eltham shopping centre, main road, thompson's pharmacy

jim connor collection, commercial place, eltham shopping centre, pryor street

Now Studio 1030jim connor collection, eltham shopping centre, 1030 main road, main road, todaro