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

A family on holiday in the Grampians. The deep wagon is an early form of caravan, which folded down and was ready to erect when a site was found. The man is Jack Diamond from Donald.The photo shows a family (a man, a woman, a girl and a boy) standing beside an old car pulling a deep, wooden wagon covered by a tarpaulin. A mans hat sits on the tarpaulin near the man's elbow.The wagon appears to be standing in water and there is a wooden slat surfaced bridge ortrestle to the right. A track with two signposts is in front of the car and there is thin bush in the background.recreation, camping, transport, cars

Shows sections of Franklin, John and Napoleon streets were still unmade as of late 1996 and the condition of those roads with potholes at the intersections with Bible Street.Reflects on the changing nature of the local street-scape and housesRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 7 stripsKodak Gold 100-5eltham, napoleon street, bible street, franklin street, john street

Shows sections of Franklin, John and Napoleon streets were still unmade as of late 1996 and the condition of those roads with potholes at the intersections with Bible Street.Reflects on the changing nature of the local street-scape and housesRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 7 stripsKodak Gold 100-5eltham, napoleon street, bible street, franklin street, john street

Shows sections of Franklin, John and Napoleon streets were still unmade as of late 1996 and the condition of those roads with potholes at the intersections with Bible Street.Reflects on the changing nature of the local street-scape and housesRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 7 stripsKodak Gold 100-5eltham, napoleon street, bible street, franklin street, john street

Shows sections of Franklin, John and Napoleon streets were still unmade as of late 1996 and the condition of those roads with potholes at the intersections with Bible Street.Reflects on the changing nature of the local street-scape and housesRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 7 stripsKodak Gold 100-5eltham, napoleon street, bible street, franklin street, john street

Shows sections of Franklin, John and Napoleon streets were still unmade as of late 1996 and the condition of those roads with potholes at the intersections with Bible Street.Reflects on the changing nature of the local street-scape and housesRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 7 stripsKodak Gold 100-5eltham, napoleon street, bible street, franklin street, john street

Shows sections of Franklin, John and Napoleon streets were still unmade as of late 1996 and the condition of those roads with potholes at the intersections with Bible Street.Reflects on the changing nature of the local street-scape and housesRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 7 stripsKodak Gold 100-5eltham, napoleon street, bible street, franklin street, john street

Shows sections of Franklin, John and Napoleon streets were still unmade as of late 1996 and the condition of those roads with potholes at the intersections with Bible Street.Reflects on the changing nature of the local street-scape and housesRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 7 stripsKodak Gold 100-5eltham, napoleon street, bible street, franklin street, john street

Shows sections of Franklin, John and Napoleon streets were still unmade as of late 1996 and the condition of those roads with potholes at the intersections with Bible Street.Reflects on the changing nature of the local street-scape and housesRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 7 stripsKodak Gold 100-5eltham, napoleon street, bible street, franklin street, john street

Shows sections of Franklin, John and Napoleon streets were still unmade as of late 1996 and the condition of those roads with potholes at the intersections with Bible Street.Reflects on the changing nature of the local street-scape and housesRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 7 stripsKodak Gold 100-5eltham, napoleon street, bible street, franklin street, john street

Shows sections of Franklin, John and Napoleon streets were still unmade as of late 1996 and the condition of those roads with potholes at the intersections with Bible Street.Reflects on the changing nature of the local street-scape and housesRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 7 stripsKodak Gold 100-5eltham, napoleon street, bible street, franklin street, john street

Shows sections of Franklin, John and Napoleon streets were still unmade as of late 1996 and the condition of those roads with potholes at the intersections with Bible Street.Reflects on the changing nature of the local street-scape and housesRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 7 stripsKodak Gold 100-5eltham, napoleon street, bible street, franklin street, john street

Construction of the main road from South Tawonga to the Bogong High Plains, to provide access to the construction sites for the new Kiewa Hydro Electric Scheme, was commenced early in 1938, the work being undertaken on behalf of the Commission by the Country Roads Board. For the construction work, the Commission purchased three Caterpillar - model R07 - diesel crawler tractors equipped with Kay Brunerei (Brunner) hydraulically operated trailbuilders (angle dozers). This acquisition resulted from a visit to the United States of America in May, 1937 by the Construction Engineer ( Mr. C.H. Kernot) and Assistant Civil Engineer (Mr. J.F. Douglas) where they saw this relatively new type of equipment in use. With the co-operation of the CRB, the Commission demonstrated the operation of these machines at Fishermen's Bend on 6th April, 1938. They were then sent to Kiewa where they commenced operation towards the end of the month. From South Tawonga, the route led immediately across the Western Branch of the Kiewa River necessitating the construction of a bridge 100 feet long. By the end of 1939, the excavation had been 'opened up' for a distance of 19 1/2 miles (approx. 31 km) and of this length, 10 miles (approx. 16 km) had been surfaced.The purchase and use of this type of mechanical equipment in road making was a huge investment, as prior to this most of the work would have been done manually with the use of picks and shovels. Not only were many months of hard manual labour saved, but a very significant amount of time in providing access to the proposed work sites for the new Kiewa Hydro Scheme. This photo is an excellent reminder of how primitive the early machinery was compared to the present but also represents the forward thinking of the State Electricity Commissions engineers in purchasing such innovative equipment . A black and white photograph showing the type of machinery used for road making in the 1930's. It shows a grader being towed by a caterpillar tractor.On the top left hand corner of the photograph , hand written in black ink is the words 'Kiewa Road Making 25/8/1938'. On the right hand side of the photo has been stamped in blue the Number 1. It has been developed on Velox paper (marked on back of photo) with a gloss finish.road making, state electricity commission, caterpillar tractor, kiewa

Construction of the main road from South Tawonga to the Bogong High Plains, to provide access to the construction sites for the new Kiewa Hydro Electric Scheme, was commenced early in 1938, the work being undertaken on behalf of the commission by the Country Roads Board. For the construction work, the Commission purchased three Caterpillar - model R07 - diesel crawler tractors equipped with Kay Brunerei (Brunner) hydraulically operated trailbuilders (angle dozers). This acquisition resulted from a visit to the United States of America in May, 1937 by the Construction Engineer ( Mr. C.H. Kernot) and Assistant Civil Engineer ( Mr. J.F. Douglas) where they saw this relatively new type of equipment in use. With the co-operation of the CRB, the Commission demonstrated the operation of these machines at Fishermen's Bend on 6th April, 1938. They were then sent to Kiewa where they commenced operation towards the end of the month. From South Tawonga, the route let immediately across the Western Branch of the Kiewa River necessitating the construction of a bridge 100 feet long. By the end of 1939, the excavation had been 'opened up' for a distance of 19 1/2 miles (approx. 31 km.) and of this length, 10 miles (approx. 16 km.) had been surfaced. (see KVHS 0328)The purchase of this type of mechanical equipment in road making was a huge investment, as prior to this most of the work would have been done manually with the use of picks and shovels. Not only were many months of hard manual labour saved, but a very significant amount of time in providing access to the proposed work sites for the new Kiewa Hydro Scheme. This photo is an excellent reminder of how primitive the early machinery was compared to the present but also represents the forward thinking of the State Electricity Commissions engineers in purchasing such innovative equipment.A black and white photograph of road making near Mt. Beauty in 1938. Mount Beauty hills can be seen in the background with cleared land for grazing in the fore ground.Hand printed in black ink at the top of the photograph is 'Kiewa Road Making 25/8/1938'. On the right hand corner has been printed the number 2. It has been printed on gloss Velox paper.road making, state electricity commission, caterpillar tractor, kiewa, secv

Construction of the main road from South Tawonga to the Bogong High Plains, to provide access to the construction sites for the new Kiewa Hydro Electric Scheme, was commenced early in 1938, the work being undertaken on behalf of the Commission by the Country Roads Board. For the construction work, the Commission purchased three Caterpillar - model R07 - diesel crawler tractors equipped with Kay Brunerei (Brunner) hydraulically operated trail builders (angle dozers)). This acquisition resulted from a visit to the United States of America in May, 1937 by the Construction Engineer ( Mr. C.H. Kernot) and Assistant Civil Engineer (Mr. J.F. Douglas) where they saw this relatively new type of equipment in use. With the co-operation of the CRB, the Commission demonstrated the operation of these machines at Fishermen's Bend on 6th April, 1938. They were then sent to Kiewa where they commenced operation towards the end of the month. From South Tawonga, the route led immediately across the Western Branch of the Kiewa River necessitating the construction of a bridge 100 feet long. By the end of 1939,the excavation had been 'opened up' for a distance of 19 1/2 miles (approx. 31 km.) and of this length, 10 miles (approx. 16 km) had been surfaced.The purchase and use of this type of mechanical equipment in road making was a huge investment, as prior to this most of the work would have been done manually with the use of picks and shovels. Not only were many months of hard manual labour saved, but a very significant amount of time in providing access to the proposed work sites for the new Kiewa Hydro Scheme. This photo is an excellent reminder of how primitive the early machinery was compared to the present but also represents the forward thinking of the State Electricity Commission's Engineers in purchasing such new and innovative equipment.A black and white photograph of a Caterpillar diesel crawler tractor and a hydraulically operated trailbuilder (angle dozer) making a road in the Mt. Beauty area.Hand written in black ink in the top left hand corner are the words "Kiewa Road Making 25/8/1938". On the upper right hand of the photograph has been stamped the number 3. On the back is stamped the word 'Velox' severaly times, which is the make of the photograhic paper. roadmaking, caterpillar tractor, kiewa, state electricity commission

This cast iron kitchen appliance was made in England in the early 1900's and shipped to the "colony" Australia. This was before World War II and the "growing up" of a colony to an independent member of "the British Commonwealth". It was a period when most appliances (be they household) where manufactured in England and shipped to Australian ports. It was not until the late 1960's that the Asian manufacturing giant woke up and started to dominate the market palce.This domestic kitchen appliance is very significant to the Kiewa Valley because it highlights the "made at home" period when food processing was made "in house" due to inability to source food from specialised shops e.g. the butcher or slaughter houses. It was a period before mass food processing factories were established and roads constructed up to the standard for distribution to semi remote regions such as Kiewa Valley was in the beginning of the 1900's.This cast iron (malleable iron) mincer for meat products has a large "funnel" to direct "chunks" of meat to the grinding "wheels". These "star" shaped wheels with "teeth" of three different cutting surfaces (fine, medium and coarse) provide for texture types of the final meat product. The meat is placed into the "loading" funnel and push downwards(gravity feed) through the mincing chamber and out through the front side. There is a long "screw worm" which is rotated by turning the handle. The appliance is table mounted by a vice "G" screw on clamp (hand operated). "BEATRICE No. 3" and "MADE IN ENGLAND", "P 3181"household cast iron appliances, food processors

Shows sections of Franklin, John and Napoleon streets were still unmade as of late 1996 and the condition of those roads with potholes at the intersections with Bible Street.Reflects on the changing nature of the local street-scape and housesRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 7 stripsKodak Gold 100-5eltham, napoleon street, bible street, franklin street, john street

Planimetric maps are two-dimensional representations of the Earth's surface, showing the location and spatial arrangement of features such as roads, buildings, and bodies of water.A very clear map showing the Kiewa Hydro Electric Scheme in two dimensions to include the construction done by the SECV.Black and white Map of the Kiewa Area from Mt Beauty to the High Plains covering the Kiewa Hydro Electric Scheme and surrounds. Drawn on 11th May 1966kiewa hydro electric scheme 1966

Planimetric maps are 2 dimensional representations of the Earth's surface, showing the location and spatial arrangement of features such as roads, buildings, and bodies of water. The parish maps show the occupiers with leases or licences of the land. These are updated by the Department of Lands regularly. The names of early settlers of the Kiewa Valley occupying land by lease or licence are shown. Many of these familie's descendants still live in the Kiewa Valley.1. Kiewa Area Planimetric Map (photo) 2. Wermatong, County of Bogong Parish Map 3. Mulllindolingong, County of Bogong Parish Map 4. Mullagong, County of Bogong Parish Map All black and white kiewa valley. parish maps. land owners

This photograph was probably taken at the site of McKay Creek Power Station. Excavation of this site did not commence until 1951 but road access(a narrow track) was provided in 1948 and widened in 1954. The logs would have been milled for timber at the State Electricity Commission's mill at Howman's Gap and thus provided a much needed source of timber for construction of camps and houses as there was a general of shortage of this commodity. Because of trouble with landslides in this area, a decision was made to place the machine hall of the power station underground instead of on the surface. Restricted financial resources and the repositioning of the power station retarded construction activities and it was not completed until early 1961.. An excellent pictorial record of the general working conditions, type of machinery and vehicles in use in the 1950/s.Black and white photograph showing logging equipment, fallen logs.Handwritten on the back of the photograph "Logging at McKay Creek)logging, mckay creek, timber, machinery

Original (1874) bridge in Bridge Street, Eltham looking east over the Diamond Creek towards Maria Street (Main Road) at Little Eltham. In the distance to the right on Maria Street is the Methodist Church (1881), now Uniting Church, and the adjacent Commercial Bank of Australia branch building (1878). Part of a slide show presentation "Bridges & Waterways of the Shire" by Russell Yeoman to the 13 September 1989 Society meeting. The presentation included slides of historic photos from the Shire of Eltham Pioneers collections as well as several recent views.Photo of original 1875 timber and gravel surface bridge over the Diamon Creek in Bridge Street with views of orchards representative of the farming lands as well as the development along the northern end of Maria Street.Black and white photograph copybridge street, bridge street bridge, cba bank, diamond creek (creek), eltham, little eltham, main road, maria street, methodist church, uniting church