The Megalithic Passage Tombs of Newgrange, Knowth, Dowth, Fourknocks, Loughcrew and Tara are located in the present day County Meath in Ireland's Ancient East. The Boyne Valley Mounds at Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth were built around 3200BC making them older than Stonehenge in England and the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. Built by Neolithic farming communities about 5000 years ago, the passage tombs have clear astronomical alignments such as the Winter Solstice Sunrise at Newgrange and the Equinox Sunrise at Loughcrew. Judging from the splendour and magnificence of Newgrange and Knowth it is likely that these temples of the ancestors were places of astrological, spiritual, religious and ceremonial importance, much as present day cathedrals are places of worship where dignitaries may be laid to rest. There is a lively debate about whether these wonderful megalithic structures were built primarily as burial tombs, sacred temples or astronomical observatories. While passage tomb is the traditional description for Newgrange and similar structures, chambered cairn or passage mound are the descriptions favoured by those who consider the passage tomb description too narrow. The large stones surrounding and inside the Passage Tombs are decorated with Megalithic Art such as spirals, concentric circles, triangles, zigzags and images which have been interpreted as the sun, moon and the human face. Irish passage tombs tend to occur in clusters traditionally described as a Necropolis or cemetery. The Boyne cluster includes Newgrange, Knowth, Dowth and Townleyhall. The other great clusters in County Meath are on the hills around Loughcrew. The ancient Boyne Valley passage tomb mounds at Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth have been designated World Heritage Site status by UNESCO and attract 200,000 visitors per year. The sites and Visitor Centre are managed by the OPW (Office of Public Works). Newgrange is best known for the illumination of its passage and chamber by the winter solstice sun. The site is open to the public with controlled access to the passage and chamber. Tours of Newgrange start at the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre located near the village of Donore, Co. Meath. Knowth has two passages and is surrounded by seventeen satellite cairns. The site is open to the public; however there is no public access to the interior passages and chambers. Tours of Knowth also start at the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre. Dowth is the only one of the three large Brú na Bóinne Passage Tombs which is not accessible from the Visitor Centre situated on the south bank of the river. Visitors to Dowth must drive directly to the site on the north bank, a couple of miles from the Slane / Drogheda road. Fourknocks with its short passage leading into a wide pear shaped chamber is in similar style to Tombs in Portugal. Just inside the main chamber to the left of the entrance is one of the few representations of a human face from the Neolithic Period in ancient Ireland. Entrance to Fourknocks Megalithic Passage Tomb. Megalithic Art - Loughcrew, Co. Meath Loughcrew Cairns form the largest complex of Megalithic structures in Ireland. The Cairns contain symbolic engravings similar in style to Newgrange. Like other Passage Tombs in ancient Ireland, they have clear astrological alignments.Tara was the seat of the High Kings of Ireland in the first millennium A.D. however Tara is also the site of a Passage Tomb known as the Mound of the Hostages that was built about 2,500 B.C. knowth, newgrange, megalith, ireland, world heritage, neolithic

Small booklet on the history of St Alipius' Catholic Church, Ballarat East.st alipius, catholic church, balllarat east, eureka stockade, dorothy wickham

Colour photograph of Ballarat East from the Gold Museum.ballara east

The Eureka Stockade took place at Eureka (Ballarat East) on 03 December 1854.Colour photographs of the inscription on the Diggers Grave at the Ballaarat Old Cemetery.eureka stockade, eureka diggers monument, ballaarat old cemetery, gravestone, memorial

The Eureka Stockade took place at Eureka (Ballarat East) on 03 December 1854.Colour photographs of the Diggers Grave at the Ballaarat Old Cemetery. The Eureka Flag is fluingeureka diggers monument, ballaarat old cemetery, gravestone, memorial

The Eureka Stockade took place at Eureka (Ballarat East) on 03 December 1854.Colour photographs of the Diggers Grave at the Ballaarat Old Cemetery.eureka stockade, eureka diggers monument, ballaarat old cemetery, gravestone, memorial

A crowd gathers around the Eureka Stockade memorial on the 50th anniversary of the Eureka Stockade. Michael Carroll is waving the flag.eureka stockade, reunion, veterans, eureka stockade monument, anniversary, commemoration

A crowd gathers around the Eureka memorial on the 50th anniversary of the Eureka Stockade. eureka stockade, reunion, veterans, eureka stockade monument, anniversary, commemoration

The Museum of Australian Democracy was later called the Eureka Centre.An image of the Museum of Australian Democracy (later Eureka Centre) in the Eureka Stockade Reserve.eureka gardens, eureka stockade memorial gardens, eureka stockade, eureka stockade reserve, museum of australian democracy at eureka, eureka centre, eureka stockade centre, eureka stockade memorial park

Jean APPLETON (1911-2003) Jean Appleton was a painter and craftworker who studied at East Sydney Technical College and at the Westminster School, London. After seeing French sculptor Maillol's work 'The Cyclist' she was inspired to try sculpture and consequently studied under Eric Schilsky in London. With the outbreak of war she returned to Australia, thereafter teaching at high schools in the ACT and NSW and at the Julian Ashton and National Art Schools in Sydney. The first of her thirteen solo exhibitions was held at Sydney’s Macquarie Galleries in 1940. Resident in England from 1969 to 1981, she continued to teach intermittently into the late 1970s. After a difficult first marriage to artist Eric Wilson, who died, she married painter Tom Green and they settled in Moss Vale. Though her work is now represented in major state and regional collections, Appleton was like many women artists of her generation in that recognition of her work came late in life: she was in her eighties when a public gallery first presented a retrospective exhibition of her art. (https://www.portrait.gov.au/portraits/2013.92/self-portrait, accessed 15 September 2019) Jean Appleton won the inaugural Portia Geach Memorial Award in 1965 with this work. She dies in 2003.A sketched portrait of a man's head by Jean Apppleton. It may be Jean Appleton's first husband, Eric Wilson. drawing, portrait, jean appleton

Colour photograph of a double storey brick building. former ballarat east library

Colour photograph of a stained glass window on a double storey brick building. former ballarat east library, stained glass window, architecure

Colour photograph of a stained glass window on a double storey brick building. former ballarat east library, stained glass window, ballarat public library jubilee, architecture

Colour photographs of trees in the Eureka Gardens.eureka stockade memorial gardens, eureka stockade, ballarat east

Colour photograph of Ann Gervasoni posing for a photograph with her Grandfather, Gus Gervasoni, on the first day of school. Ann is wearing the old St Anne's East Kew summer uniform. The winter uniform was the same, but the tunic was in wool, and the grey shirt had long sleeves. It was worn with a blue jumper and blazer.gus gervasoni, ann gervasoni, school uniform, first day of school, st anne's east kew

A women and a child stand on a high vantage point and look over the the countryside around Camperdown, Victoria.camperdown

Colour photographs of a moon rising over Ballarat East. The photograph is looking towards the East.ballarat east, moon, mount warrenheip, townscape

Gong Gong was a locality in Ballarat East, near Fellmongers. A reservoir was built there. Situated only 10 minutes drive from the Ballarat CBD. In 2019 Gong Gong Reservoir Park is set in natural bush surrounds. There are scenics views, picnic and BBQ facilities with toilet facilities available on weekends. It is located along the Yarrowee River.photograph of Gong Gong reservoir 1908Gong Gong Ballarat - 13-4-1908 verso - note to Miss M I Wise, Gutheridge Parade, Salew. hewitt's yarrowee soap works, fellmongery, tannery, gong gong, mair street, daylesford road, o'deas, kinnane's, quin's, nestors

Black and white image of the view of Ballarat East along Main Road. The photograph was taken from the Ballarat Fire Brigade Tower.ballarat east, main road ballarat east, ballarat fire brigade, phoenix hotel

Black and white image of the a fountain in the Ballarat East Gardens. ballarat east, main road ballarat east, ballarat east gardens

Black and white image of the Ballarat Fire Brigade in Main Road Ballarat East.ballarat east, main road ballarat east, ballarat east gardens, fire brigade

Colour photographs of a house at 77 Magpie Street, opposite the Ballarat Observatory. The house was demolished not long after the photographs were taken.magpie street, ballarat east, architecture

Eureka battle was fought on 3 December 1854, with the soldiers attacking the miners on the Eureka Lead, Ballarat East. Before the actual battle there were skirmishes and unrest. McIntyre, the author of the letter was arrested after the burning of Bentley's Eureka Hotel.The letter is dated 29 March 1855, the location being Bakery Hill. It is a digital copy of a letter from McIntyre who was present at the burning of Bentley's Eureka Hotel. McIntyre was arrested with Fletcher. It is important that a digital copy of this letter is preserved, as it is one of the rare original letters of eyewitness accounts that have survived from the mid 1850s in Ballarat.8 jpeg files and one pdf file of the handwritten Andrew McIntyre letter. eureka, mcintyre, fletcher, eureka hotel, bentley, riot, ballarat, vern, eureka stockade, andrew mcintyre

Pearce's Park is situated on the corner of Barkly and Gladstone Streets, Mount Pleasant (although it is sometimes described as being in Golden Point and Ballarat East). Isaiah Pearce was an owner of a goldmine and mayor. He built Clowance House in Barkly Street and chose not to build around Lake Wendouree as he thought it was snobbish. Since Pearce's death, the home has been a maternity hospital and a women’s boarding house. It includes a marble-effect entrance, fireplaces, ceilings and cornices. Photograph of Pearce's Park in Mount Pleasant.ballarat east, pearce's park, mount pleasant

A photograph of a plaque in the shape of a star, and a flagpole on Bakery Hill, commemorating the Bakery Hill Monster Meeting of 1854, when the Ballarat Reform League was launched. The plaque is in St Paul's Way, in close proximity to St Paul's Anglican Church.bakery hill, monster meeting, eureka stockade, plaque

Yields information about the Bakery Hill / Victoria St hill area.Colour slide - 35mm - of Ballarat single trucker 31, about to descend the Bakery Hill in Victoria St, inbound. Tram has the destination of Gardens via Sturt St West. Has the Stones Corner building in the background, Mack Hotel and an advertisement for Beaurepaires tyres. Tram 31 has an a Twin Lakes advertisement and Bliss Bombs (To read pack: Tilt Tram) roof advertisement. Photo taken by Chas Bevan on Saturday 19-12-1970. Note the change since the roundabout for Humffray St was built."Ballarat trams ? Highway. East 19-12-70 - Myers Xmas"tramways, trams, victoria st, bakery hill, stones corner, humffray st, tram 14, tram 17

Main Street Procession c1900 in front of Methodist Church looking East. Constable on Horseback visible. Possibly the Ballarat dragon making the date 1906 or it could be the Chinese See Yup Society Dragon, the head of which is still preserved in their South Melbourne temple. Businesses from left, Carters Boot Shop, Post Office Hotel, G. Mahanke Bakery, J.H. Stabb Stawell Coach Factory, Speedwell Cycles, W.J. Jenkinson Bootmakers, Bone Saddle & Harness Factory, W. Whiteside Taylors. Big Hill is visible in background and possibly the Market Building roof above the G. Mahnke sign. Sop In Trove the only mentions of a Chinese parade at Stawell was for Easter Monday 1906, and this occasion did feature a dragon – the costumes, banners, and dragon appear to have been borrowed from Melbourne, and it is suspected that this was the See Yup Society Dragon, the head of which is still preserved in their South Melbourne temple. At the time that this photo was taken there were only three Chinese communities in Victoria which are now known to have had parade regalia and a dragon – Bendigo, Ballarat, and Melbourne. The Melbourne dragon was the smaller of these, and that seems to match with what you can see in the photo, as does what appears to be a striped horn (frustratingly the pole obscures most of the dragon’s face). All three dragon heads still survive today, as does some of the original parade regalia, but Bendigo’s collection and dragon is the most complete. The remains of the See Yup Society collection have still to be properly studied and conserved. I would also note that if this photo was from Easter Monday 1906 then Bendigo and possibly Ballarat Chinese communities would not have been able to make their dragons available as both would have been preoccupied with their own towns’ Easter festivities. Photo taken from the Town Hall balcony of procession looking towards corner of Wimmera Street stawell businesses streetscape, chinese

This map shows geological features, suggests the last basalt flow, and includes alotments and names of Mining Companies. Although this map has no date on it the Ballarat Industrial School is used for dating purposed. The Ballarat Industrial School ran from 1869-1879, but the term Ballarat Industrial School Reserve was still in use in 1898 and possibly beyond.Geological Map of Ballarat with 3 holes in the left hand side. The map indicates the position of Lake Wendouree, Township of Warrenheip, Ballarat East, Industrial School Reserve, Winters Swamp, Police Paddock, Wyndholm Premptive Right (Salton and Waldie), Black Hill, Vale Park Reserve, Pennyweight Hill, Little Bendigo, Black Swamp Lead, monte Christo Reef, Chinaman's Gully, Miners Rest, Pincotts Dam, Northumberland Gully. It also show the following goldmining companies: City of Ballarat, Kohinor, Hand and Band, Great North West, Northern Junction, Kneeshaw, Rossers Freehold, Silurial.ballarat, warrenheip, lake wendouree, ballarat east, winters swamp, winter swamp, wyndholm premptive right, cemetery, vale park reserve, little bendigo, kneeshaw co., industrial school reserve, kirks dam, pincotts dam, black hill, wombat hill, dead horse gully, miners rest, mt rowan, salton and waldie, rose hill co, great north west no 1, rose's freehold co, hand and band co, police reserve, police paddock, mount rowan, ballarat industrial school reserve, market reserve, winter's swamp, kneeshar co, monte cristo line of reef, chinaman's gully or black snake, milkmaid's gully, ballarat gold field, bakery hil lead, old gravel pits lead, golden point lead, eureka lead, miner's rest, yarrowee creek, leigh creek, black swamp lead, yorkshire reef, nil desperandum reef, cockatoo lead, hit or miss gully, herbert werner frederick de nully, pennyweight hill, esmond's lead, ash's lead, nightingale lead, john bull gully, gladstone reef, whitehorse reef, petticoat creek, pincott's dam, frenchman's gully, tim's crushing plant, jenkin's gully, california gully, drake's creek, sulton and waldie, ballarat undustrial school, ballarat & mariborough railway

A party of surveyors camped by Yuille's Swamp (later Lake Wendouree) and surveyed the countryside for a map to be produced by the Geological Survey of Victoria. In November 2004 the Central Highlands Regional Library presented a special edition of 200 copies of the 1861 map reproduced from a copy in their collection. Original 1861 map of Ballarat showing streets and leads. Blue dots indicate gold leads, and red lines indicate auriferous quartz reef and outcrops of quartz veins."Compiled & Drawn from the Survey of Mining Surveyors Davidson, Fitzpatrick and Cowan & the Plans in the Surveyor General's Office by J. Brahe, 21st October 1861. R. Brough Smyth, Secretary for Mines. The Honourable J.B. Humffray, M.L.A. Commr of Mines.”ballarat, map, ballarat east, lake wendouree, survey, mines, robert davidson, ballarat gold field 1861, yuille's swamp, wendouree swamp, little bendigo diggings, gold leads, old post office hill, specimen hill, bakery hill, black hill, dead horse creek, brown hill, pennyweight hill, clayton hill, soldiers hill, golden point, gum tree flat, white flat, poverty hill, chinese village, robert brough smyth, ballarat map 1861, ballaarat vineyard, dead horse gully, deadhorse creek, invermay, black hill flat, gaelic church, police reserve, magpie range, dalton's flat, caadian lead, rifle butts, powder magazine, bathing house, government camp, gold office, chinese, llanberrris, victoria theatre, charlie napier hotel, united states hotel, grape's hoel, clayton's hill, cattleyard hill, free trade hotel, esmond lead, bakery hill, black hill lead, juvenile reformatory, ballarat orphanage, lady barkly lead, triffet's slaughter yard, little bendigo, melbourne road, t. cowan, thomas cowan