Picnic poster advertising Annual Picnic Mount Dryden Good Friday March 31st 1899media, flyers

Railway survey camp 1880 After choosing the route, the rail survey was undertaken followed by the construction of the line in less than a year. By Nov 1881 access by rail for Heatherlie to Melbourne was a reality Railway survey camp Heatherlie quarry; 11 men, some standing, some reclining in front of 6 army style tentsstructures, tents

Watkins created his sculpture for an exhibition in Melbourne 1866: "I dressed the pillar about 2 foot 6 inches high and 16 inches square and proceeded to carve in each panel representation characteristic of Victoria 1st Panel a Kangaroo in a small scrub thicket, 2nd an Emu amongst a clump of little flowering correa; 3rd the Wimmera Down and on the 4th side my name and the date AD 1866 On the top of the pillar was an urn of globular form to represent the seed pod of the Eucalypti with spreading leaves underneath" Extract taken from 'Victoria's Wonderland' a Grampians history Monument now in private handsHeatherlie Quarry; Obelisk : Photo shows stone monument created by Francis Watkins using materials from quarry Photo shows two sided view of monument with large stone on topquarrying, mt difficult quarry

Photo shows old rail bridge, surrounded by bush & passing over what appears to be a creek. Bridge is supported by wooden trestles. structures, bridges

1880-1902 Land owned by Robert and Sarah Graham who owned a large portion of land best described as Upper Fyans Valley. At some time after 1880, they sold a parcel of the land under Sundial Peak to David Austin who built a slab hut. C1896, The land was sold to James and Amy Balmain which they named 'Bellfield' Amy was a daughter of John D/Alton who built the Stawell Water Supply System. Balmain purchased the vacant school cottage at Burnt Bridge and moved it to 'Bellfield' Over the next six years the house was enlarged to accommodate their growing family but sold in 1902 following the death of Amy Balmain.House with addition People leaving house by horse and carriage, people standing in groundsState Library Victoria, Rose's Australasian Views Victorian Series photographed and published by George Rose 123 Chapel St., Windsor, Victoriabuildings, houses, bellfield

1902-1906 During this period, 'Bellfield' was known to have had three owners, a Mr Barrett, then a Mr Brand, then the firm Mitchell Bros. and White. C1907 Marshall White bought 'Bellfield' and succeeded in getting the government to improve the road up the valley. 1910 'Bellfield' opened as a guest house with a Mrs Matilda Thompson employed as manageressSundial peak in background overlooking housebuildings, houses, accommodation, bellfield

During the period 1924-1967 Bellfield operated as a licenced hotel. It became a popular destination for couples on their honeymoon The hotel was razed to the ground by fire in 1967 and was never rebuilt. The Grampians Motel now occupies the sitephotograph shows right hand section of Bellfield Hotel with woman on verandah to the right of bare tree Wonderland Range behindcopy done by AGFA Dec 99accommodation, hotels, bellfield

Bellfield was a licensed hotel as of 1924 In July of that year, with the addition of a licensed building brought from Armstrongs, the enlarged establishment was opened as Bellfield HotelGuesthouse with car in foreground Sundial Peak in backgroundThe Rose Series P10079people, johnson, bellfield

Post Card with date on backFront view of Guest House Background Sundial PeakPost card Correspondence Addressaccommodation, guesthouses, bellfield

By 1950 Hotel Bellfield was owned by Mr and Mrs McMullin In June 1952 the staff quarters at the rear of the main building was destroyed by fire. As the staff accommodation comprised seven detached bungalows, similar to those in the photograph, it was possible to isolate the fire from spreading to the main building.Guest house with bus in foreground Wonderland Range in backgroundThe Rose series P 4894 copies Kodak Picture maker, Agfaaccommodation, guesthouses, bellfield

Snow in the GrampiansSnow at Bellfield Car in foregroundaccommodation, guesthouses, bellfield

Bellfield opened as a guest house with a Mrs Matilda Thompson employed a manageressGuest House with guests in the front of the house and beside a car Cars parked in foreground Sundial peak in backgroundThe Rose Series P 4894structures, tents, bellfield

Hotel Bellfield was totally destroyed by fire in 1969 Lou DeClifford was owner at that time and did not renew the hotel licence but later built a motel known as Grampians Motel on the same site.Guest House with car in foregroundThe Rose Series P 10079accommodation, hotels, bellfield

Early stages of buildings with Warren family before becoming Guest HouseBuilding with residents in foreground with additional buildings1 photo mounted on cardboardbuildings, myrtlebank, people, warren

C 1910 The Warren family in foreground of buildings of Myrtlebank in early stageEarly stages of building Residents in Halls Gap with out buildingscopy Agfa H/GAP 0007 NNNBAbuildings, myrtlebank, people, warren

Residence of Warren family overlooked by Upper Halls Gap range Site now under Lake BellfieldBuildings of Myrtlebank overlooking paddock Back drop Upper Halls GapPhoto mounted on cardboardbuildings, houses, myrtlebank

Appears guest house completed at new locationGuest House built, garden not completed People on verandah and car beside buildingPhoto taken by Mr Holmesaccommodation, guesthouses, myrtlebank

Information supplied with accommodation details Victorian Country Hotel, Guest and Boarding House Guide "Myrtle Bank" The Grampians Electric Light, Sewered, Hot and Cold Water Service, Asphalt, Tennis Court, Milk and Cream from our own farm, Motors meet all melbounre Trains, The Most Up-to-date house in the Grampians, Through Tickets issued by Govt. Tourist Bureau, Telephone : No. 1 Halls Gap Tariff: 12/ per day L 3/3/0 per week. Proprietress Mrs A. F WarrenGuest House and grounds with Tariff information and servicesQuality paper made in Germanyaccommodation, guesthouses, myrtlebank

Occasional picnic trains took large groups of visitors to the base of the mountain range & sometimes as far as the quarry. Other journeys terminated at Fyan's Creek station on the south side of Mt. Dryden. Most trips were Sunday School & church outings - some on the annual Good Friday picnic day. spring was also a popular time.Photo shows train at siding. Man standing on engine roof with bucket in hand; woman in right-hand corner looking on; passenger standing at open carriage door. R 333 written on back of engine car. Engine turned back to front.transport, trains

Men in front of Myrtlebank Guesthouse.Four men on horseback and one man standing, in front of guest house108 m CNNA 10A06 Dec 99 Gold reef Photosaccommodation, guesthouses, myrtlebank

Early stages of guest houseGuest House and grounds Driveway leading up to house has a wagon in foreground before the bridge was builtAgfa Quality paper made in Germanyaccommodation, guesthouses, myrtlebank

Guest House and driveway leading up to it with a brdigeThe Rose Series P 10082accommodation, guesthouses, myrtlebank

Photograph of Myrtlebank Guest House in Upper Halls GapGuest House and other buildings behind wooden fenceThe Rose Series P 13883accommodation, guesthouses, myrtlebank

Residence of owner of guest house MyrtlebankOriginal residence of Myrtlebank with garden in foregroundKodak professional endura paper buildings, houses, myrtlebank

Appears to be earlier photo of Warren family prior to C1910Family of George Warren seatedAGFApeople, warren, myrtlebank

unknown women but believe a Warren of MytrlebankLady in formal portrait with 2 people partially cut out of photo AGFA 997M BN12 21 MAR03 Wimmera imagingpeople, warren, myrtlebank

Large families were the norm, rather than the exception up to the time of the World wars. perhaps the senseless destruction of those young lives sickened humanity- perhaps the increased taxes and cost of living resulting from the wars caused a necessary reduction in family size. Perhaps the independence won by women as they carried on their daily lives without their men, made mothers say, "Enough" The Warren family farmed the fertile Fyans Creek flats in the Grampian Mountains of Western Victoria. Some say Halls Gap was so named because the bushranger Hall holed up there in the early days. The rugged slopes and hidden gullies could have hidden a whole gang of bushrangers, but little remained undiscovered to a wandering family of 12 children growing up with their flocks and herds grazing the ranges. A tired rider could nod off, safe in the knowledge a trusty stockhorse would plod steadily homeward into the night. Responsibility quickly made youngsters capable and reliable. Then Australia went to war. There were three older brothers, then the girls, then young Frank. All the men went, including Frank. So the girls had to run the farm alone. Their mother had her hands full with the youngsters, still attending school, a daily walk over the mountain to Pomonal and return. But the loss of the men's casual wages from timber cutting and labouring jobs, meant great hardship is some method of earning a cash income had to be devised. Paying guests! That was it. So Myrtle Bank Guest House was born. City folk flocked to the mountain resort. High stepping mountain horses met them at the Stawell raid-head, with the tall and beautiful Warren girls driving them in experienced fashion, their auburn hair sometimes falling from its pins to fly free, as the dray bowled along towards the hills. The would hitch up their skirts to saw and chop wood for the stoves and fires. They milked cows and delivered calves. They shore sheep and trimmed their feet. They mustered their cattle as the seasons rolled by, and the paying guests watched and participated, fascinated. With laughter and song, the girls would wash up in a tin dish, throw on their house clothes to wait on table, sing and play piano, violin, accordion, enjoying the talk of the city and that other world so far away from their mountain home. The simple country menu was a hit, and the homemade bread, butter, jams and preserves, fruit and vegetables sent guests staggering to their armchairs. Picnics, hikes, goodbyes and welcomes blurred as the years of the war dragged by. Bookings were made and remade as the new enterprise became established. Peace was declared. the men returned A whole new building rose with two floors, inviting verandahs and bathrooms. Myrtle Bank would remain a family business all its lifetime, until buried below the Bellfield Dam, by which time more than one the girls had joined their beloved Frank, lost on Flanders Field. Article in book or magazine describing life at Myrtlebank during war years Other article written from letter from soldier P Lillis to his sister 3rd article of woman from country enlisting in WAAF Submitted by Carol of Bannockburn, Submitted by D Langley Submitted by Meryl of South Frankstonaccommodation, myrtlebank, people, warren

She was a guest house called "Myrtlebank" and she was a very gracious old residence in a near perfect setting, surrounded by the towering peaks of the Grampian Mountains in Victoria. She was visited by thousands in her time, many of whom returned year after year to enjoy her hospitality. I first visited her 40 years ago and she won my heart from the moment I saw her. In those days, guest houses were in their prime - motels were unheard of. To this day, I can recall the delicious meals at "Myrtlebank" with pure country cream and home grown produce featuring largely. All the guests would gather in the enormous sitting rooms warmed by huge log fires in colder weather and , in the evenings, all sorts of games would be played, charades being first favourite with young and old alike. Several days a week a bus would pick up guests, along with those from other guest houses, and surrounding areas would be visited. Mostly, though, we walked - sometimes right across behind the Wonderland Range to Mount Victory. Now, "Myrtlebank" is no more. The site where she once stood is at the bottom of the Bellfield Lake, covered forever with fathoms of water. But I and many others will always remember and love her. Letter to paper with photograph of MyrtlebankSubmitted by Mrs O. Woolcock, Tottenham Vic who won $15 prize describing accomodation for guests at Myrtlebankaccommodation, guesthouses, myrtlebank

Until the closure 40 years ago, the Myrtlebank Guesthouse near Halls Gap in the Grampians was a thriving family - run business. In 1962, all that changed when the government of the day purchased the land on which the guesthouse stood and some neighbouring farms and houses. For almost 40 Years, the remains of the buildings have been submered under the man made reservoir known as Lake Bellfield. Due to drought, the eater levels have dropped steadily and, in the past month, the memories underneath Lake Bellfield have come to the surface. Local resident Don warren 70, has been to have a look. His grandmother Anne Flower Warren, was 56 when she opened the guesthouse in 1916. Widowed, the year before after a horse kicked her farmer husband, Mrs Flower needed to provide for their large family. "She had 13 children - seven daughters. I think she built it to look after the girls," Mr Warren says, "The whole think was built on a 500 acre farm." With the guesthouse sited in the centre of the farm, the land was divided between two of her sons- Mr Warren's uncle working one side and his father taking the other. For Mr Warren, the grounds of the two-storey guesthouse were an extension of a huge rural playground in what he remembers as an idyllic childhood. "I used to get taken over there and I'd sit there and watch her make all the toast for the guests. It was quite full all the time - maybe 40 or 50 people. It was a great big place - very grand. In the bedrooms I can remember the great big bowls full of water to wash your face in. There was a big dining room, too. My grandmother was a great cook." By the time of Mrs Warren's death in 1936, her eldest daughter also Anne, had officially taken over the running of the business. "It was in the family right until the last bit. The youngest daughter, Auntie Hilda, took it over right at the end. they got a notice to say that's it - it's over There was no way out of that one." Mrs Ida Stanton, 78, is the historian for the Halls Gap and Grampians Historical Society. Can she remember it when it all happened? "Of course" she says "It's only 40 years ago" Her memories of Myrtlebank are of a place popular with honeymooners, who would often return year after year, bringing their families with them. "There was a lovely ballroom where they used to invite the Gap people and the tourists in to have balls. During the war it was one means of making money to send stuff over to the soldiers." Seeing just the stumps of the guesthouse and what had been his family home, Mr Warren says the bitterness is still there. "The hardest part was poor old dad. He was 70 years old when he got turfed out. Dad had been a farmer all his life - 214 acres, he had, and he got 22,000 quid. Had to move into town" Also showing beneath the drying lake is the concrete slab of the new home Mr Warren planned after his marriage to wife Anne in 1955. Another lost dream. " I was the only child, I was going to take over the farm, but that all changed. You can't take it over when it's full of water.Newspaper clipping of history of Myrtlebank by Don Warren and photo of Don at old site of pooland guest House photo Article by Claire Halliday from newspaper 2002accommodation, guesthouses, myrtlebank

1875-1876 The residence of John and Catherine D/Alton built on site of present Colonial Motor Inn. 1900 Owned by Langley family, "Morningside" was now taking in paying guests. 1909 Leased by James and Grace D'Alton who continued to run a small guest house. Late 1920s a small building was erected to serve as PO and telephone exchange. C1980 Guest house closed. 1982 Morningside demolished.Weatherboard house, picket fence 5 people Alexandria and Laura Sheridan, Catherine D/Alton, Meg Sheridan, a man standing at fenceMorningside 1875-76 John D'Alton and 2nd wife Catherine Fulton nee (Denholm), her mother and Aunt Mrs Sheridan original front now the back of Colonial motel Rose'e Australasian Views. Vitorian Series. Photographed and published George Rose, 123 Chapel St Windsor, Victoriabuildings, morningside, people, d'alton