Second half of new Lake Bolac Aquatic Club building arriving at new home on the north beach foreshore, brought down from the Flax Mill site above the bank. 1961. Pictured beside truck from left to right - Lewis Wills, Don Flett and Richard Carty. Building moved by Burrows transport.lake bolac, aquatic club, flax mill, 1961, wills, flett, carty, burrows

Shearing Team, 1938, at woolshed of "Fintry" standing in front of triple-A wool bales. Pictured from left are Lewis Whiteway Wills, Guy Rance, Lewis Wills, John Barnes, Jack Meek, Myles Graham, Geoffrey McInnes, Laurie Green and James Wills (right). lake bolac, "fintry", woolshed, shearing team: barnes, graham, green, mcinnes, meek, wills

The outlet for the overflow was originally cut in 1926 and concreted over in 1928. This photo shows flooding into Salt Creek in 1956 and looks towards the west and Rockbank. Boards were added to raise the water level of the lake. These were put in annually, below the walkway depicted, until in 1966 the level of the concrete weir was raised. Consequently the lake did not flush through as readily and it gradually silted up and the lake became shallower.lake bolac, overflow, 1926, 1928, flood, 1966, salt creek, rockbank

Water skiing began at Lake Bolac in the mid-50's. This photo was taken in the 50's at the north beach before the construction of the Aquatic Club shed. Only one boat launching ramp has been built at this time.lake bolac, water-skiing, 1950's, aquatic club

Bullock wagon carting "Eilyer" wool in November, 1903. Wagon carrying 72 bales or 13 tons of wool. Team is driven by J E Fry.wool, bullock team, 1903, eilyer,

Aerial view of the Lake Bolac Flax Mill, circa 1960. Note the pump housing in front of Guy Rance's home, the polluted water entering the lake from the pipeline and the stooks of flax to the left of the road opposite the Mill.lake bolac, flax mill, 1960, rance

Local ladies who worked at the Lake Bolac Flax Mill before the Land Army girls were sent in to take over. Back from left: Mrs Louis Park, Margaret Veale (Mortlake), Kath Bassett, Doris Barnes, Doris Brooks, Jean Murphy, Emily McInnes, Margaret Kinnersley. Front: Marion Witham, Myrtle Gale, Mrs Barnes, Mrs Amy Robertson, Marjorie Graham, Alice Veale (Mortlake).lake bolac, flax mill, land army

Travelling salesmen (hawkers) regularly journeyed from farm to farm selling useful household items like needles, thread, clothing, even cooking pots. Mr T Saker was a salesman selling drapery. He was based in Warrnambool and had a regular route to Lake Bolac and through the Western district.lake bolac, hawkers, drapery, warrnambool, western district

William Curtis, known as "Wheels", was a swagman and a local eccentric. He was an obsessive collector of wheels and towed them round the country-side, living from his cart and adding to his collection as he went.swagman, curtis, wheels

Members of the Lake Bolac Troop of the 4th/19 Lighthorse Regiment encamped at Torquay, Victoria. Back from left: Keith Davidson, Alan Hucker, Frank Shalders, Lewis Wills, Neil Robertson, Harold Hildebrandt, Donald Davidson, Eric Hose. Front: Reginald Fagg, Henry Clark, Eric Robertson, Robert Delamare, Henry Gale, Charles Geddeslake bolac, light horse, torquay, davidson, hucker, wills, robertson, hildebrandt, hose, fagg, clark, delamare, gale, geddes

Lake Bolac Tennis Club, 1895. Note the chicken-wire tennis-net. Club members shown are from left: William Veale, Alice Veale (Mrs Tom Ward), tom Ward, Annie Veale, Eva Veale (Mrs Harold Grange).lake bolac, tennis club, 1895, veale, ward, grange

Fiery Creek inlet to Lake Bolac during the 1997-2010 drought. Photograph taken from the dry lake-bed looking up the creek, towards the south.lake bolac, fiery creek, 1997-2010 drought

Lake Bolac's eastern lake-bed and beach during the 19987-2010 drought, looking south. The lake bank exposed in this photograph is an aboriginal midden about a likometer across excavated by Dr Peter Coutts in the 1970's. Radio carbon dates of charcoal from the base levels date the midden at 12,000 years old, making this one of two middens with this very early date, the other being on the coast near Warrnambool. lake bolac, aboriginal midden, dr peter coutts

The original tennis court at Lake Bolac in 1895 was located at the Recreation Reserve behind the linear development along the main road. This was a grass court, lines were clearly painted and the tennis-net was a chicken-wire fence. In the photograph are from left; Eva Veale, Alice Veale, Thomas Ward, Annie Veale and William Veale jr.lake bolac, tennis, veale, ward

The house at "Fintry" Lake Bolac, the home of Lewis Whiteway and Victoria May Wills and family and then of Lewis Wills and his wife Amy and their family. The house was constructed in 1906, the materials having been brought up from Geelong by ox-drawn dray. The fence of the tennis court can be seen extreme right with the bay-window of the sitting room through the wire netting. On the road is a wagon-load of redgum for use as strainer-posts.lake bolac, wills, fintry, ox-dray

Racing cars parked outside the blue-stone Public house at the cross-roads, Lake Bolac. Local spectators have gathered to admire and learn.lake bolac, car racing

Horse-drawn harvester at Lake Bolac, circa 1930's. Oats are cut and the sheaves are bound by the machine. The sheaves are then stooked before being carted to the stacks. Vic Moreton is on the seat of the binder with Ernie Brown carrying a sheaf.lake bolac, oat harvest, moreton, brown

James Wills of "Fintry" Lake Bolac carting bags of wheat with his International truck which was purchased for Goodall's, Mortlake. The truck was able to carry 35 bags of wheat.lake bolac, fintry, wills, internation truck, goodall, mortlake

Stacking flax on J.T. Murray's property at Lake Bolac as there was no more room on the Lake Bolac Flax Mill site. Pictured are Joe Bassett, J.T. Murray and his boys, Ewen, Alister and George.lake bolac, flax mill, murray, bassett

Grubbing rocks at "Boswell Park" Lake Bolac, in order to prepare the ground for ploughing and cropping. Most ground on the Western District volcanic plains had to be prepared in this way before the soil could be tilled. "Boswell Park" was run by the Moreton family.lake bolac, boswell park, grubbing rocks, moreton, cropping

Loading wool bales onto a horse-drawn wagon at "Eilyer", Lake Bolac. Note the 'trolley and pull' manual method.lake bolac, eilyer, loading wool

Lake Bolac Football Club, 1935 Premiers of the Hamilton League. Game played at Dunkeld. Players: back left - J Lacy, Leo O'Rorke, Jim Wills, Col Graham, Don Graham, Neil (Rusty) Graham, Alec McMaster, Pat Murphy. 2nd Row - JT Murray, Murray Rees, Lloyd Osmond, Martin Quinlivan (Capt.), Bern Nicholson, Lou Duncan, Norm Kinnersley (Vice C.). Front - Cliff Murray (Trainer), George Hucker, Ian Robertson, Jack Veale (mascot), Bill Watson, Fred Drever, Watt Nicholson (Trainer).lake bolac, football club, drever, duncan, graham, hucker, kinnersley, lacy, mcmaster, murphy, murray, nicholson, o'rorke, osmond, quinlivan, rees, robertson, veale, watson, wills

Lake Bolac High School Colts Cricket Team - early 1960's. Team Members: Back from left - Ken Thom, George Hucker, Russell Park, Kevin Perry, Ivan Hucker, Murray Thom. Centre row - Russell Adams, Richard Thom, Jim Knight, Ern Harkin, Neil Thom, Claude Moore. Front - Allan Knight, Murray Knight, Ron Wilson.lake bolac, cricket, 1960's, adams, harkin, hucker, knight, moore, park, thom, wilson

A Lake Bolac District representative cricket team outside the London Hotel in Hamilton, Victoria in 1882. Driver, E. McMillen.lake bolac, london hotel, hamilton, cricket, 1882

Locals gathering near Lake Bolac with their horses and greyhounds , circa 1900.lake bolac, coursing

Some local people in attendance at the opening of the first Public Tennis Court at Lake Bolac on January 1st, 1896. Those shown are - Louis Murray, Kitty Murray, Lil Veale, William Hargreaves, Ewen Graham, Tuck Howlett (with racquet) Ethel Veale, Fred Leach, Billy Leach, Thomas Archer. lake bolac, tennis, 1896, archer, graham, hargreaves, howlett, leach, murray, veale

Shopping at the Veale Brother's Store at the Lake Bolac crossroad. Transition era between horse drawn and motorised vehicles, circa 1920. Adults shown are Mrs G Veale and Mr O'Rorke. lake bolac, veale's general store, veale, o'rorke

Second Lake Bolac Bush Nursing Centre, Glenelg Highway, Lake Bolac. 1933-1957.lake bolac, bush nursing centre

Jack Simpson with Jean and Kath Bassett carting salt from the salt lakes north of Lake Bolac. The harvesting of Salt from the salt lakes was the earliest industry recorded as taking place in the district, predating the pastoral industry. In 1841, G A Robinson was passing between the fresh water and salt lakes and recorded a party of men all the way from Manifold,s loading salt onto a wagon. Local aborigines also used salt from these lakes as a trading item.lake bolac, salt harvest, g a robinson, manifold, simpson, bassett

Football Grand Final between Willaura and Streatham teams at the original Recreation Reserve at Lake Bolac, 1951. On the hill in the centre background are the original weatherboard football clubrooms, which were later replaced by a brick building.lake bolac, football grand final, 1951, willaura, streatham