A dinner in honour of Bill Best, inaugural Director of Strathdon Community, 1 May 1978 to 12 December 1997 held on 27 November 1997 at Mount Pleasant Uniting Church, Forest Hill.A dinner in honour of Bill Best, istrathdon community, retirement villages and homes, nursing homes, best, bill, mcculloch, ron, trembath, bobbie

ENIMATIC LAND OF BIRDS THAT SING FLOWERS FROMS SEEDS THAT SPRING OF REPTILES AND FISHES CREATURES FROM THE BEGINNING SUN AND MAN AND SCIENCE THE SYMBOLS THAT SILENTLY BUILD AND CHANGE IN COOL AND WARM YOU ARE THERE AND HERE OF YESTERDAY NOW THE SPLITTING EARTH MURAL BY JOHN GILBERT 1973John GILBERT (1935- ) Born Albury, New South Wales John Gilbert worked as a teacher while completing a Certificate of Art at the Technical College in Marlborough, before moving to Ballarat in 1958. He studied at the Ballarat Technical Art School, a division of the Ballarat School of Mines (1960-1961) receiving a Diploma of Art; and Croydon College of Art, London. Gilbert was a Senior Lecturer at the Ballarat Institute of Advanced Education (now Federation University) Art Department until his retirement in the late 1970s. In John Gilbert's Mount Helen studio he produced work marked with an incised 'Gilbert'. He had acquired a concern for form and an interest in sculpture from his teacher Neville Bunning, and from the British potter Hans Coper, whom he visited in 1968. He established two potteries in Ballarat , the Edinburgh Pottery (1972-2005) located within the Sovereign Hill precinct, and the Old Ballarat Pottery (1973-1994) located in the Old Ballarat Village opposite Sovereign Hill. This item is part of the Federation University Art Collection. The Art Collection features over 2000 works and was listed as a 'Ballarat Treasure' in 2007.A large ceramic mural by John Gilbert commissioned for the wall of the E.J. Barker Library. The mural features brown and green glaze with features of indigo. The work has no particular pictorial representation. It is an arrangement of colour and form, designed for enjoyment rather than to analyse. The theme relates to the development of the Universe through basic symbols such as plant forms, fish, birds and to mans development through symbols of science and engineering. The outer edge is symbolic of earths crust being peeled away to reveal science and nature. The mural depicts the changing of seasons from Winter to Summer (left to right). The mural was completed at John Gilbert's Slate Gallery studio, Mount Helen, and took eight months to make.gilbert, artwork, john gilbert, art, ballarat school of mines, mural, ballarat institute of advanced education, ballarat pottery, ceramics, old ballarat pottery, edinburgh pottery

John GILBERT (1935- ) Born Albury, New South Wales John Gilbert worked as a teacher while completing a Certificate of Art at the Technical College in Marlborough, before moving to Ballarat in 1958. He studied at the Ballarat Technical Art School, a division of the Ballarat School of Mines (1960-1961) receiving a Diploma of Art; and Croydon College of Art, London. Gilbert was a Senior Lecturer at the Ballarat Institute of Advanced Education (now Federation University) Art Department until his retirement in the late 1970s. In John Gilbert's Mount Helen studio he produced work marked with an incised 'Gilbert'. He had acquired a concern for form and an interest in sculpture from his teacher Neville Bunning, and from the British potter Hans Coper, whom he visited in 1968. He established two potteries in Ballarat , the Edinburgh Pottery (1972-2005) located within the Sovereign Hill precinct, and the Old Ballarat Pottery (1973-1994) located in the Old Ballarat Village opposite Sovereign Hill. This item is part of the Federation University Art Collection. The Art Collection features over 2000 works and was listed as a 'Ballarat Treasure' in 2007.Large stoneware pot with brown swirling glaze design. art, artwork, john gilbert, gilbert, ceramics, stoneware, alumni, edinburgh pottery, old ballarat pottery

Miss Evans, the Director of Nursing of Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS) is holding a meeting with some RDNS Sisters in a room at RDNS Headquarters, 452 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne. Mary Evans was born in Adelaide in 1915. She completed her General Nursing Training at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and her Midwifery Certificate at the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital in Melbourne. Mary worked in the Midwifery section of Melbourne District Nursing Society from 1943–1945, and then qualified as a Maternal and Child Health Nurse. Gaining a Scholarship from MDNS in 1959, she studied and investigated District Nursing practices in England, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Canada and the USA, which had a profound impact on the planning of MDNS. As Deputy Matron, then Matron from 1963, she began implementing her 5 point plan of - Education, Liaison, Ancillary Services, MDNS Centres in strategic areas and Home Health Aides. Miss Mary Evans retired as Director of Nursing of, the now, Royal District Nursing Service in 1978 and became an adviser to the Australian Council of Community Nursing Services. In 1981 she was awarded an O.B.E. for services to District Nursing, and as recognition for her leading role in Community nursing in Australia. From 1986-1990 she was heavily involved in the running of the Baxter Retirement Village. She was also Vice President of the Airdrie Retirement place for nurses in Canterbury. Mary Evans was placed on the Honour Roll of Victorian Women in 2001. Miss Mary Evan, O.B.E. died in early 2004.Black and white photograph of Miss Mary Evans, Director of Nursing of the Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS), with a group of RDNS staff. Miss Evans is sitting in a floral patterned lounge chair on the far right hand side. The other staff are sitting in a semi-circle in matching lounge chairs and couches. In attendance are Sisters: P. Holdsworth, B. Harris, E. Holland, M. Campbell, H. Beckett, J. Wilkinson, J. Tarn, E. Anderson. Some are partly hidden. Miss Evans has short dark curled hair and is wearing her grey uniform skirt and jacket. The rdns insignia can be seen on her upper left sleeve. The Sisters are wearing their grey short sleeve uniform frocks; some are wearing cardigans. The RDNS Insignia can be seen on the upper sleeve of some Sisters. A small round table with papers on it, sits beside Miss Evans and a rectangular coffee table in front of some of the Sisters. A plain carpet is on the floor and in the background two windows with long side curtains can be seen.Photographer Stamp. Quote No. 5 Aroyal district nursing service, rdns, rdns matron, miss mary evans, sister pat holdsworth, sister betty harris, sister e. holland, sister m. campbell, sister h. beckett, sister joanne wilkinson, sister joan tarn, sister ellen anderson

Nillumbik Shire Council transferred to the former Diamond Valley Shire Offices in Greensborough after municipal restructuing. The offices became the official Nillumbik Shire Council Offices on 16 October 1995. The former Shire of Diamond Valley Civic Centre or Shire Office building was officially opened on 26th February 1972. Archtiects were A.K. Lines, McFarlane & Marshall and it was built by L.U. Simon Pty Ltd, The Diamond Valley Shire had been created in 1964 from part of the City of Heidelberg. On December 15, 1994 the Shire of Nillumbik was established. Under the Council amalgamations imposed by the Kennett government, the Shire of Eltham, Shire of Diamond Valley and City of Heidelberg ceased to exist with the establishment of Nillumbik Shire Council and the City of Banyule.The new Nillumbik shire surrended the west riding from Eltham to Banyule but in place gained parts of the former Diamond Valley Shire which itself had been created in 1964 from parts of the City of Heidelberg. Three unelected and non-local Commissioners were put in place by the government bringing democracy into question by many members of the local community. The Commissioners determined to abandon the former Shire of Eltham offices located in Main Road, Eltham and in turn occupy the former Shire of Diamond Valley offices located at the boundary of the new shire with Banyule, in Civic Drive, Greensborough. In July 1996 the Commissioners sold the former Eltham Shire Offices and had them bulldozed leading to many years of communiity protest over the process and future development applications. The site has remained vacant ever since. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p43 It was the need for roads that led to this district’s first council. In 1853 a committee was formed to improve the rough roads, some in Kangaroo Ground being almost impassable in winter.1 The committee fundraised by voluntary levies and grants to improve in particular, the main road between Kangaroo Ground and the Plenty River. From this committee arose the Eltham District Road Board, in 1856, which was the precursor to the Eltham Shire Council. The Board’s first chairman was Kangaroo Ground farmer, John Barr. Secretary was the former committee’s secretary, Andrew Ross, Kangaroo Ground’s first school teacher, and founder of the district newspaper, The Evelyn Observer.2 Most of the board’s income came from a toll-house north of the Lower Plenty Bridge, which funded such projects as a road from Kangaroo Ground to the Caledonia Diggings. In 1871 the Shire of Eltham was proclaimed, with its boundaries the same as those of the Road Board, and Councillor A Donaldson of Kangaroo Ground was the first president. Eltham was at the southern tip of the shire, which extended north to Kinglake and east beyond Yarra Glen. In 1878, part of Kinglake was added to the shire, while the area east of Watts River, near Healesville was removed. In 1912, then again in 1958, the shire was further reduced. Yarra Glen, Steels Creek, Tarrawarra, parts of Healesville and Christmas Hills, were transferred to the Shire of Healesville. In 1972 a smaller area, at Kinglake, was transferred to the Shire of Yea, leaving 277 square kilometres in the Eltham Shire. Perhaps no other Victorian municipality has had so many meeting places. Although from 1858 to 1904, the council convened at the office in the home of Secretary Charles Wingrove, the board, and later the council, also met at other more central locations.3 The board moved from the Fountain of Friendship Hotel to the Eltham Courthouse, to the Kangaroo Ground schoolhouse. It then met at the Kangaroo Ground Hotel, which some considered put it in danger of interruptions by people ‘the worse for liquor’.4 In 1885 the council met at the hall on Mr J Donaldson’s land at Kangaroo Ground. After Wingrove’s retirement, the council rented space at the Kangaroo Ground General Store and Post Office. Then, in 1917, the council bought the former office of The Evelyn Observer, after its printing works transferred to Hurstbridge. In 1934, fire destroyed the shire office, which was temporarily relocated to the Kangaroo Ground home of Shire Secretary, Mr P J McMahon. In 1941, the shire office moved to a new building (which included a public hall) in Eltham, at the corner of Arthur Street and Main Road, where the Eltham Village Shopping Centre was eventually built. Growth required new offices, which opened in 1965, on the former Shillinglaw property in Main Road.5 In 1994, as part of municipal restructuring under the Jeff Kennett Liberal Government, most of the Eltham Shire formed part of the new Shire of Nillumbik. It joined with the north section of the Diamond Valley Shire and parts of the Healesville and Whittlesea municipalities. The Diamond Valley Shire had been created in 1964, from part of the City of Heidelberg. Turbulence followed Nillumbik Shire’s formation. Under the Commissioners the council transferred to the former Diamond Valley Shire offices in Greensborough, and the Eltham council offices were demolished. In March 1997 the first five-member Nillumbik Council was elected. But, in October 1998, the government suspended the council and appointed an administrator . Early in 1999, shire residents voted to increase councillors to nine: comprising five ward councillors and four shire-wide councillors. Elections were held in March 1999. Then, before the March 2002 elections, nine new wards were created.6 In 2008 these were reduced to seven. Today [2008] the council governs a varied population of more than 60,000 people living in townships and on bush properties in the green wedge.This 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, greensborough, nillumbik shire council offices, civic drive

Bob (Herman) Hymans (a former member of the Royal Netherlands Navy) was born in Bloemendaal, Holland on 30th September 1922. During World War II he fought against the Japanese in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) and was imprisoned in Changi and on the Burma Railway. After gaining qualifications as a Ski Instructor, Bob arrived in Falls Creek in July 1950. Working as an Instructor and Supervisor at Bogong Lodge, Bob decided his future was in accommodation. He was successful in negotiating an indenture for land from the State Electricity Commission (SEC). It took Bob two years to build his Grand Coeur Chalet but, tragically, it was burned down in August 1961. Bob also built the first Chairlift in Australia. This was a single chairlift and the structure was built from wooden electricity poles. He was constantly full of new ideas and proposals for the village. Bob Hymans died on 7th July 2007. This Collection of documents and letters tells the story of Bob's endeavours to develop Falls Creek into the ski village it is today.This item is significant because it documents actions taken by the Falls Creek Tourist Area Management Committee in their role overseeing the Tourist Area.A circular from the Management Committee prior to the 1970 season. The official season opening time was to be midday on 12th June 1970. Clubs were asked to register their race dates for the season. A wide range of information covered topics including: slope improvements; Village expansion with 20 new sites available: a new reception centre and the upgrade of the sewage treatment system to cater for 3,000 bed capacity. The CRB was widening the road between Howmans Gap and Falls Creek. Consideration was also being given to new tows and chairlift. Prices for tows and Ski School for the upcoming season were included. A detailed Financial Report was included. An expression of thanks and best wishes was extended to Jack Andrew on his retirement.falls creek tourist area management committee, falls creek administration, bob hymans

Tile used by Martha and Arthur Edwards 42 Husband Road Forest Hill. House built in 1910. Stanley, Alfred and Theodore (Uncles of donor) worked at Geal Bros in the 1920's. Probably acquired tiles from Geal Bros.Geal Bros Pottery established by Albert Geal in 1903 - 1973. The pottery was sold to Jennings Homes, who established the Forest Hills Retirement Village on the land.Square tile decal design in yellow daffodilsceramics, earthenware