Single A4 sheet, printed for Bus Route 12, that replaced the Sebastopol tram service. Undated, thought to be the replacement, but may be a later date. No details of operator. Gives details of services from the City on weekdays, from 6.45am to 9.15pm and to the City from 6.58am to 9.28pm on either side of the sheet. Shows for inbound services, which route number it is through routed to. Handwritten times have been added for some Saturday services for both inbound and outbound services in blue ink.Handwritten times have been added for some Saturday services for both inbound and outbound services in blue ink.timetables, buses, sebastopol

Newspaper cutting from the Melbourne Herald Thurs 14/11/1968 (page 17 Late Extra), titled "Notice to Passengers Additional Early Morning Tram and Bus Services" giving details for 21 different routes to and from the city. Gives details of the first trams Monday to Saturday, Sunday, to and from the City. Has a telephone number. Dated November 1968, signed R. C. Drummond Traffic Manager. On the rear is a part of a page giving stock market companies and prices.In red ink on the right hand side "Melbourne Herald Thurs 14/11/1968 (page 17 L. Extra),"trams, tramways, mmtb, tram routes, timetables, notices and information

Pamphlet - 4 fold DL full colour, titled "Bus replace trams - tram route 96" for the period 10 May to 18 May 2019, to undertake track work and installation of super stops in Nicholson St north of Holden St. Has alternative transport routes and stop changes. Shows the map of work and alternative services. Has the Transport for Victoria, Yarra Trams and PTV logos. Published April 2019. See Reg Item 3630 for other associated documents for this project.trams, tramways, nicholson st, route 96, trackwork, superstops, yarra trams

Instruction or Manual, brown comb binder, green covers with Metropolitan Transit logo on front cover and The Met name on rear cover, 54 single sided pages. Provides information for the training of inspectors or Operations Officers, titled "Public Transport Corporation - Tram and Bus Division - Operations Officer - Office Procedure". Has forms, procedures, traffic operations, change overs, staff issues, specials, transport cars, services, accidents, defective cars, closing of depots and general operations.trams, tramways, the met, inspectors, metropolitan transit authority, traffic officers, training, instructions, depot, staff, tram bus services

Postcard - full colour, Divided back type of MMTB Bus 583 AEC Mk111 no 583 Reg : AT083 entered service 1953 body by Martin and King - two man crew, 41 seats. Notes from Rod Atkins 24/5/2019: Bound for : "Fisherman's Bend via Williamtown Road" on Spencer Street Bridge heading south. When: It's what is missing in the photo gives us a the clue. It after 1968 as the new Stock Exchange building at 357 Collins Street is completed. but before 1973 when the new MLC building was open at 303 Collins Street on corner of Elizabeth Street. But the "2" between the destination and route number boxes on bus tells us its after November 1970. Therefore I would date the post card photograph to around 1971-1972 and prior to the start of the third viaduct between Flinders St and Spencer St. Published by National View by Murfett Publishers Australia. Has the details on the rear with place for stamp, address etc and logo.trams, tramways, king st, bridges, railways, buses, fisherman's bend

Timetable - listing the various runs, times at various timing point or locations for Doncaster Rd (Depot) - via Middleborough Rd - Box Hill - East Kew bus route, weekdays Index sheet 81 and Footscray depot - Saturday printed on yellow paper, Deer Park - Sunshine Park - Sunshine - Footscray - City index sheet 35, four pages. Each sheet has been taped on the rear for storage and hole punched. On the rear of each sheet (all the same) details of the route, time points. Front and back sheets scanned.trams, tramways, mmtb, timetables, doncaster depot, footscray, box hill

Set of five photocopied newsletters titled "Tram & Bus Newsletter", printed on A4 paper, two pages unless noted. .1 - Feb. 1991 - No. 1 - 7 pages stapled in the top left hand corner - Editorial by Russell Nathan, list of new staff at depots, Swanston St Walk, Z class, B1 class delivery, buses, services, AVM, new staff, happenings at Depots, ticketing, Kew Depot 75th. .2 - March 1992 - No. 3 - giving details of new starts at Glenhuntly, Malvern and South Melbourne depots, recruitment now done at the CES, Moomba services, revised timetables for North Fitzroy and Doncaster, vehicle availability (not good at all), 200km relay run involving PTC teams. .3 - April 1992 - No. 4 - wages, staff health, sand hoppers at depots, Swanston Walk, St Georges Road tram works. .4 - April 1992 - No. 5 - Awards, W class tram roofs, tram availability, conductors, Football services. .5 - June 1992 - No. 7 - Resignation packages, conductors, Unions, wages, OH&S, Roistering - HASTUS system - see also item 7232 for marketing details.trams, tramways, ptc, glenhuntly tram depot, south melbourne depot, malvern depot, north fitzroy, doncaster depot, sports, w class, maintenance, public relations, swanston st, z class, buses, services, avm, preston depot, south melbourne depot, north fitzroy, elwood depot, kew depot, sanding equipment, st georges rd, w class, conductors, football, awards, retrenchment, wages, unions, safety, hastus, rosters

Set of two notebook or lined journals, with light brown pig skin binding strips and in each of the corners binding, faint ruled Collins 4393 books with red labels on the outside binding, sewn sections, printed glued inside covers. Each book has been ruled in red ink, headed year and month, days, page totals with data entered for each depot of the distance or mileage or kilometres for each date, including separate tram and bus entries. .1 - Blue cloth covered with Letraset, black plastic strip on outside "Tram / Bus Kilometres" for the period 1-7-1965 to 30-6-1975. Notes change over to Kms from miles on 1/7/1974. Has head office contact details on the first page. .2 - Red cloth cover with Letraset black plastic strip on outside "Kilometres" drawn up for the period - 1-7-1975 to 13-11-1985, though drawn up to Jan. 1985. Has head office contact details on the first page. Has a note on the last used page about the instruction to discontinue the book on 13/11/1985 from Mr. W. Burrows.trams, tramways, tramcars, mileages, kilometres, buses, depots, distances

Set of two instructions, both printed on foolscap duplicated paper in blue ink. .1 - "Notice to One-Man bus operators - Increase in Fares as from Sunday 27th September 1964", detailing both the ordinary and children's fares. Includes instructions regarding prepaid tickets and Gibson ticket machines that are pending the delivery of new printing wheels.. Dated 17/9/1964. .2 - "Notice to Conductors and Conductresses - - Increase in Fares as from Sunday 27th September 1964" - as above, except tickets issued in the city by the Ultimate ticket machines - how the values were to be made up. Dated 18/9/1974trams, tramways, tickets, ticket machines, ultimate, gibson ticket machines

Twelve page document within yellow light card covers, centre stapled titled "Metropolitan Transit Authority of Victoria - Tram and Bus Division Cricket Association - Interstate Carnival 1985". Provides a of MTA senior people, Minister, Board and Employee Reps, MTA Cricket Association, players, honorary members, life members (including Ron Wearne), program of events, milestones of the carnivals, hours of plays. Includes cricketers from SA, Vic, WA and NSW. Events took place from 16/2/1985 to Sunday 24/2. See Reg Item 5679 for other event materials."R. Wearne" in ink on top left hand corner, three autographs on rear cover, phone number of Ron Phillips on inside rear cover and phone number for George Scott changed.trams, tramways, cricket, sports, mta, carnivals

Photo shows two buses - one Provincial Roadways, the other Ansett Road. Provincial Roadways bus is being pushed by front-end loaded.Writing on back - Zumsteins's camping. Provincial Roadways bus in trouble.transport, buses

Black and white photograph of Volvo Articulated bus in "The Met" colours, c1985, Number 06 at Doncaster depot. Has other buses in the background. Model No. B10ML on radiator. Web site: http://www.showbus.co.uk/Australia/gallery/met2.htm accessed 20/8/2013 - says under a photo of a similar bus: "In 1985 Japan took delivery of 100 Volvo B10ML articulated buses for services to the World Expo in Tokyo. The order caused a stir at the time as Japan was self-sufficient in bus production. However articulated buses were not street legal, so after the Expo the buses were all exported. Seventy nine of them ended up in Australia, popping up all over the country."On rear in ink "MTA Newly acquired Volvo Artic Bus"trams, tramways, the met, buses, doncaster, tram 6

Set of five photocopied plans or drawings on A3 sheets of the "Port Melbourne Bus Garage" .1 - P8383 - Plan showing building layouts and adjacent land - including a Poultry Farm - dated 1938 .2 - P8416 - Plan showing parts of the adjoining properties including houses. .3 - Unnumbered - more modern architects drawing showing details of offices - c1944? - two sheets. .4 - unnumbered - drawing showing layout of repair shed, pits, offices and mess room facing Bay St. Copy of the map from Melway Street Directory No. 1 from Kevin Staines 24-2-2018 - added 9-3-2018. See image i6trams, tramways, drawings, depots, property, port melbourne, buses, maps

Report - 25 A4 pages photocopied stapled in the top left hand corner, titled "Cross-City Linking - A critique of the Report of Tram and Bus Strategic Review Committee". Prepared by R. A. Vowels in Oct. 1992, is heavily critical of the report and with serious concerns and identified a number of deficiencies. Has a table of contents. Considers the W class trams and other trams. Provides suggestions regarding alternative routing of trams. Includes some copies of newspaper clippings. Not know who commissioned the report - may have been the Union or the Public Transport Users Association. See also Reg Item 2232 for South Melbourne Depot views, See also Reg Item 2652 for a short item about the route proposals.trams, tramways, ptc, routes, w class, operations, buses, ptua

Map - 10 fold printed on heavy paper, three colours - black, green and yellow - shows 13 different routes. MMTB Routes printed in green ink. The route through Abbotsford St North Melbourne has been hand coloured in. Gives a table of route numbers. On rear gives a description of each route, departure times, fares, and list of fares. Has a photo of the Wattle Park Chalet, and a list of green fees of the golf course. On the front when folded, has MMTB logo, photo of bus, dated to operate from 16th or 17th Feb. 1957. 2 copies held. 1539i2 - low res tiff file. 1539i3 - high res tiff file - 71MB 1539i4 and i5 - scan of rear of sheet - jpgstrams, tramways, all night services, buses, wattle park, routes, fares

List within a manila document file containing: 1 - Letter, carbon copy, to Hon G. L Goudie - Minister of Public Works, forwarding a list of the Motor Bus and Motor Cab Routes in the Metropolitan Area, dated 29/11/1938 - set of three blue quarto sheets pinned together. 2 - Letter from the Secretary of the Department of Works C.C. Gale acknowledging receipt typed on quarto paper. 3 - Bound set of the list - carbon copy listing each route, description, and its impact on the tramway or railways and whether it duplicates other routes or is redundant. Approx 100 foolscap sheets stapled with brown cardboard binding strips on the left hand side. See also Reg Item 2602 for a similar 1930 listing.trams, tramways, regulations, mmtb, tramways, buses

Publicity leaflet for introduction of a new bus service 343 between Hurstbridge and GreensboroughColoured leaflet, double-sided343 (Bus service number)public transport

Set of 5 Metropolitan Transit Bus timetables, folded sheets, generally 8 or 10 sections, providing timetables for specific routes, day of week giving information on tram times at specific time points, route map, sections and fares and organisation address - 616 Little Collins St. Melbourne. All printed on yellow paper unless noted otherwise. .1 - Route 203, 204, 205, 206, 208. 209 - Bulleen, North Kew, Belford Road, Kew, Collingwood and Nicholson and Johnson St - City - April 1984 .2 - Route 223 - Williamstown Road, Footscray Railway Station, Ballarat Road and Highpoint West - July 1984 .3 - Route 246, 247, 248 - Clifton Hill, Elsternwick, Point Ormond and St Kilda Junction - July 1984 .4 - Route 256, 251, 253, 254, 252, 255 - Latrobe University, Northland, West Heidelberg - City - Aug./ 1984 .5 - Route 277, 280, 299. 281 and 268 - services via East Doncaster, North Balwyn and Kew - Warrandyte, Donvale, Shoppingtown - August 1984trams, tramways, metropolitan transit, timetables, melbourne, fares, buses, footscray, latrobe university, northland, heidelberg, warrandyte, doncaster, donvale, bulleen, north kew, williamstown rd, highpoint, clifton hill, elsternwick, point ormond, st kilda junction

Used to hold cards (e.g., bank cards, public transit smart cards, etc.) on the back of a smartphone by sticking to it (or a case) on the palm-facing side. Advertises the RTBU on one side.A recent item advertising the RTBU.Dark blue rectangular card holder with the URL for the RTBU, its logo and slogan ("The power of Union"), and its phone number. All text is printed in white. The opposite side has 3M 300LSE tape that is covered in protective paper.public transport, rtbu, unions

Used for writing text with some permanence. Advertisement of the RTBU is printed on one side.A recent item advertising the RTBU.Black, cynlindrical retractable pen with the text "RTBU," the union's phone number and the website for its Victorian branch printed in white.public transport, rtbu, unions

Used for writing text with some permanence. Advertisement of the RTBU is printed on one side.A recent item advertising the RTBU.Black, cynlindrical retractable pen with the text "RTBU" and the union's phone number for its Victorian branch printed in white.public transport, rtbu, unions

Calendar - folded A3 sheet, printed single sided on gloss paper, full colour for 2008, with a photo of C 3019, photographed in Bourke St on the top. Published by the RTBU, has contact numbers, e-mail addresses, public holidays and pay days marked. At the base, has an advert for the Victorian Railways Institute - VRI. Was contained within Reg Item 1179.trams, tramways, yarra trams, rtbu, unions, calendar, tram 3019

One of two photographs donated by Charles & Bernard GraydenBlack & White photograph of the Phillip Island to Dandenong Tourist Bus with people starting to board.On back: Bernard Graham Deaken's Pi - Dandenong Bus Service"phillip island tourist bus, tourist transport phillip island, charley grayden, bernard grayden

Photograph of MMTB Bus 553 (an AEC Regal Mark 3) - see https://fleetlists.busaustralia.com/vicdisp.php?search=AEC3M accessed 24/4/2019 with a young boy standing in front of the bus. Another Mk 3 is behind. Photographed at North Fitzroy Depot showing Garden City via Port Melbourne Route 2.. Another bus has a Park Drive Cigarette advertisement. Kodak cardboard mount slide, taken by Peter Moses, slide mount dated Feb. Taken early 1977.In ink on slide "1977 Brendan with Melbourne Buses"trams, tramways, buses, north fitzroy, garden city, port melbourne, tram 553

Black and white photo of the Automatic Vehicle Monitoring AVM sign post / transmitter for trams and buses mounted on a pole..1 - On the rear in ink - AVM Detector for Trams and buses"trams, tramways, automatic vehicle monitoring, avm, the met

Set of 14 MMTB timetables for various bus routes, dated July 1969. Generally includes Sat and Suns, Good Friday and Christmas day as well as weekdays, unless noted otherwise. Also includes a map of the route, detailed time points, sections, connecting services, fares, and organisation address - 616 Little Collins St. Melbourne. Have been folded into eight or ten portions. All on white paper unless noted otherwise. Items shown with an # - have a sticker modifying timetable information details on the front page. Items shown with a % are larger size sheets of paper, folded into 10. 1155.1 - Clifton Hill - Elsternwick # .2 - Garden City - City # .3 - Fishermen's Bend - City .4 - Box Hill - East Doncaster via Blackburn, Mitcham via Donvale PO and Mitcham - Ringwood via Eastland .5 - Warrandyte via Templestowe, via East Doncaster, Donvale PO - City % .6 - Warrandyte, Park Orchards Ringwood .7 - Williamstown Rd., Footscray Railway Station, Ballarat Rd # .8 - Latrobe University, Northland, West Heidelberg - City # % .9 - Deer Park, Sunshine Park, Sunshine, Footscray - City # .10 - as above, but for Saturdays and Sundays on pink paper # .11 - Box Hill, Heidelberg, Templestowe .12 - Box Hill, North Blackburn .13 - East Kew, Box Hill, Doncaster .14 - Bullen, North Kew - City # % Images of a sample of documents added 16-11-2013. mmtb, timetables, melbourne

MONUMENT HUNTING THE HUME AND HOVELL WAY (Newsletter No. 117, November 1997, by Diana Bassett-Smith) Sunday October 26 1997 dawned bright and very warm. Some twenty-five members, complete with picnic baskets, met outside the Eltham Library awaiting the Cobb and Co. large coach which would be taking us on the second leg of our travels along the route of the early explorers Hume and Hovell. Stephen West was our very good driver for the day. He would be guided around the circuitous route by Russell Yeoman wh9 had made a detailed study, not only of the intended route, but of the story of these two explorers. During the trip Russell regaled us with poetry, quotations from the Journals and the History of the Shire of Seymour, "The New Crossing Place: by Martindale, 1982, (now Mitchell Shire due to the recent amalgamations). We headed towards the Hume Highway via Greensborough and Cooper Street and proceeded north to our first stop, noting on the way Monument Hill in the distance which is near Kilmore and, according to Russell, well worth the effort to visit as the view across the valley is magnificent. Past Sunday Creek Valley, Mt Piper and Mt Disappointment, all traversed and noted and named by them. We passed through Tallarook, then onto Seymour where we took photos of the monument telling us that Hume and Hovell had passed through on the 28th of October 1824. We also deviated down Hume and Hovell Road viewing deer and emu farming and the Bellbourie property now a sanctuary. Leaving Seymour behind we travelled up the Avenel Road to the Avenel monument, pyramidal in design of four reducing square blocks with a sharply pointed peak, erected in 1924 in memory of the 1824 exploration. The day was warming up and the countryside showing the dryness of the current drought. A parallel note had been made in their journal too of 1824 of the drought appearance of the country they were traversing. At Seven Creeks, Euroa we stopped for some minutes to check the monument placed 20th November 1924 to commemorate their passage on the 29th December 1824. More photos. Russell had pointed out the abrupt termination of the distant ranges which is noted in their journal. The next monument is beside the road at the entrance to Honey Suckle Creek Caravan Park, Violet Town. The squarish shaped monument some eight feet high is topped with a simple steel cross, and was to mark the date of 28th December 1824 and built for the 20th November 1924. By now it was 12.20 and nearly lunchtime as we drove along the Warranbayne Road to Roach's Road, monument hunting without success. Though there is a large, what appears to be an old timber sign which was hard to read, maybe this was the lost monument. In many of the paddocks hay had been cut and baled or was being cut, what a contrast to the rugged country they had passed through which was smoky from the fires of the natives burning off By 1.00 pm we were at Benalla and pulled up beside the park where abundant beds of roses filled the air with their scent and the smell of barbecued food twitched the nostrils whilst the cheerful sounds of other picnickers could be heard throughout the park. We left the bus and collected up our picnics, dispersed to the various tables and enjoyed the shade from the various European trees. 2.00 pm and we were on the road again driving along the Benalla, Mansfield, Yea road. The Swanpool monument states that they passed four miles south and returned three miles north. Then we stopped at the Barjarg monument which notes that they camped near this spot. It is again a pyramidal monument and this time topped with a steel arrow indicating their route of the 29th November 1824. Half an hour later we came to another monument, again with a steel arrow marker on top and the plaque dated the 2nd of 12th 1824. Erected on the 12th of 12th 1924. "They blazed the way that we might inherit the land." Another square based and needle topped monument appeared at Yarck near Yea and this plaque records the date of 3 December 1824. Near McGuigans Road Russell related that the expedition had lost a dog but it had found them next day, the dog was apparently torn by a kangaroo. A short while later Russell reminded us here of the problems they encountered in crossing the Goulburn River near Molesworth where banks were high, water deep and wide. "Good coat of grass but quite dry due to drought". At Yea we stopped for afternoon tea and raided the last of our picnics and looked at the monument to their journey of 1824, situated at a corner of the gardens near the bowling green. No photo – we were out of film. We returned home via Kinglake West and Whittlesea past the Yan Yean Reservoir, not full. 5.00 pm back at Eltham we emptied out of the bus and everyone, including Joan Cole, collected their things, Joan also had the major souvenir of the day, a large carp she had picked up from the river bank, her cat was in for a great feast. The day was made so interesting by the informed commentary which Russell provided. His background knowledge of the route and nature of the journey could only have come from many hours of reading and driving the area. Thank you to Russell and to everyone who made the day so informative and pleasurable. Diana Bassett-Smith. Record of the Society's history of activities - Spring 1997 excursionRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 6 stripsFuji 200shire of eltham historical society, activities, pretty hill, seymour, benalla, hume and hovell, monuments

MONUMENT HUNTING THE HUME AND HOVELL WAY (Newsletter No. 117, November 1997, by Diana Bassett-Smith) Sunday October 26 1997 dawned bright and very warm. Some twenty-five members, complete with picnic baskets, met outside the Eltham Library awaiting the Cobb and Co. large coach which would be taking us on the second leg of our travels along the route of the early explorers Hume and Hovell. Stephen West was our very good driver for the day. He would be guided around the circuitous route by Russell Yeoman wh9 had made a detailed study, not only of the intended route, but of the story of these two explorers. During the trip Russell regaled us with poetry, quotations from the Journals and the History of the Shire of Seymour, "The New Crossing Place: by Martindale, 1982, (now Mitchell Shire due to the recent amalgamations). We headed towards the Hume Highway via Greensborough and Cooper Street and proceeded north to our first stop, noting on the way Monument Hill in the distance which is near Kilmore and, according to Russell, well worth the effort to visit as the view across the valley is magnificent. Past Sunday Creek Valley, Mt Piper and Mt Disappointment, all traversed and noted and named by them. We passed through Tallarook, then onto Seymour where we took photos of the monument telling us that Hume and Hovell had passed through on the 28th of October 1824. We also deviated down Hume and Hovell Road viewing deer and emu farming and the Bellbourie property now a sanctuary. Leaving Seymour behind we travelled up the Avenel Road to the Avenel monument, pyramidal in design of four reducing square blocks with a sharply pointed peak, erected in 1924 in memory of the 1824 exploration. The day was warming up and the countryside showing the dryness of the current drought. A parallel note had been made in their journal too of 1824 of the drought appearance of the country they were traversing. At Seven Creeks, Euroa we stopped for some minutes to check the monument placed 20th November 1924 to commemorate their passage on the 29th December 1824. More photos. Russell had pointed out the abrupt termination of the distant ranges which is noted in their journal. The next monument is beside the road at the entrance to Honey Suckle Creek Caravan Park, Violet Town. The squarish shaped monument some eight feet high is topped with a simple steel cross, and was to mark the date of 28th December 1824 and built for the 20th November 1924. By now it was 12.20 and nearly lunchtime as we drove along the Warranbayne Road to Roach's Road, monument hunting without success. Though there is a large, what appears to be an old timber sign which was hard to read, maybe this was the lost monument. In many of the paddocks hay had been cut and baled or was being cut, what a contrast to the rugged country they had passed through which was smoky from the fires of the natives burning off By 1.00 pm we were at Benalla and pulled up beside the park where abundant beds of roses filled the air with their scent and the smell of barbecued food twitched the nostrils whilst the cheerful sounds of other picnickers could be heard throughout the park. We left the bus and collected up our picnics, dispersed to the various tables and enjoyed the shade from the various European trees. 2.00 pm and we were on the road again driving along the Benalla, Mansfield, Yea road. The Swanpool monument states that they passed four miles south and returned three miles north. Then we stopped at the Barjarg monument which notes that they camped near this spot. It is again a pyramidal monument and this time topped with a steel arrow indicating their route of the 29th November 1824. Half an hour later we came to another monument, again with a steel arrow marker on top and the plaque dated the 2nd of 12th 1824. Erected on the 12th of 12th 1924. "They blazed the way that we might inherit the land." Another square based and needle topped monument appeared at Yarck near Yea and this plaque records the date of 3 December 1824. Near McGuigans Road Russell related that the expedition had lost a dog but it had found them next day, the dog was apparently torn by a kangaroo. A short while later Russell reminded us here of the problems they encountered in crossing the Goulburn River near Molesworth where banks were high, water deep and wide. "Good coat of grass but quite dry due to drought". At Yea we stopped for afternoon tea and raided the last of our picnics and looked at the monument to their journey of 1824, situated at a corner of the gardens near the bowling green. No photo – we were out of film. We returned home via Kinglake West and Whittlesea past the Yan Yean Reservoir, not full. 5.00 pm back at Eltham we emptied out of the bus and everyone, including Joan Cole, collected their things, Joan also had the major souvenir of the day, a large carp she had picked up from the river bank, her cat was in for a great feast. The day was made so interesting by the informed commentary which Russell provided. His background knowledge of the route and nature of the journey could only have come from many hours of reading and driving the area. Thank you to Russell and to everyone who made the day so informative and pleasurable. Diana Bassett-Smith. Record of the Society's history of activities - Spring 1997 excursionRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 6 stripsFuji 200shire of eltham historical society, activities, pretty hill, seymour, benalla, hume and hovell, monuments

MONUMENT HUNTING THE HUME AND HOVELL WAY (Newsletter No. 117, November 1997, by Diana Bassett-Smith) Sunday October 26 1997 dawned bright and very warm. Some twenty-five members, complete with picnic baskets, met outside the Eltham Library awaiting the Cobb and Co. large coach which would be taking us on the second leg of our travels along the route of the early explorers Hume and Hovell. Stephen West was our very good driver for the day. He would be guided around the circuitous route by Russell Yeoman wh9 had made a detailed study, not only of the intended route, but of the story of these two explorers. During the trip Russell regaled us with poetry, quotations from the Journals and the History of the Shire of Seymour, "The New Crossing Place: by Martindale, 1982, (now Mitchell Shire due to the recent amalgamations). We headed towards the Hume Highway via Greensborough and Cooper Street and proceeded north to our first stop, noting on the way Monument Hill in the distance which is near Kilmore and, according to Russell, well worth the effort to visit as the view across the valley is magnificent. Past Sunday Creek Valley, Mt Piper and Mt Disappointment, all traversed and noted and named by them. We passed through Tallarook, then onto Seymour where we took photos of the monument telling us that Hume and Hovell had passed through on the 28th of October 1824. We also deviated down Hume and Hovell Road viewing deer and emu farming and the Bellbourie property now a sanctuary. Leaving Seymour behind we travelled up the Avenel Road to the Avenel monument, pyramidal in design of four reducing square blocks with a sharply pointed peak, erected in 1924 in memory of the 1824 exploration. The day was warming up and the countryside showing the dryness of the current drought. A parallel note had been made in their journal too of 1824 of the drought appearance of the country they were traversing. At Seven Creeks, Euroa we stopped for some minutes to check the monument placed 20th November 1924 to commemorate their passage on the 29th December 1824. More photos. Russell had pointed out the abrupt termination of the distant ranges which is noted in their journal. The next monument is beside the road at the entrance to Honey Suckle Creek Caravan Park, Violet Town. The squarish shaped monument some eight feet high is topped with a simple steel cross, and was to mark the date of 28th December 1824 and built for the 20th November 1924. By now it was 12.20 and nearly lunchtime as we drove along the Warranbayne Road to Roach's Road, monument hunting without success. Though there is a large, what appears to be an old timber sign which was hard to read, maybe this was the lost monument. In many of the paddocks hay had been cut and baled or was being cut, what a contrast to the rugged country they had passed through which was smoky from the fires of the natives burning off By 1.00 pm we were at Benalla and pulled up beside the park where abundant beds of roses filled the air with their scent and the smell of barbecued food twitched the nostrils whilst the cheerful sounds of other picnickers could be heard throughout the park. We left the bus and collected up our picnics, dispersed to the various tables and enjoyed the shade from the various European trees. 2.00 pm and we were on the road again driving along the Benalla, Mansfield, Yea road. The Swanpool monument states that they passed four miles south and returned three miles north. Then we stopped at the Barjarg monument which notes that they camped near this spot. It is again a pyramidal monument and this time topped with a steel arrow indicating their route of the 29th November 1824. Half an hour later we came to another monument, again with a steel arrow marker on top and the plaque dated the 2nd of 12th 1824. Erected on the 12th of 12th 1924. "They blazed the way that we might inherit the land." Another square based and needle topped monument appeared at Yarck near Yea and this plaque records the date of 3 December 1824. Near McGuigans Road Russell related that the expedition had lost a dog but it had found them next day, the dog was apparently torn by a kangaroo. A short while later Russell reminded us here of the problems they encountered in crossing the Goulburn River near Molesworth where banks were high, water deep and wide. "Good coat of grass but quite dry due to drought". At Yea we stopped for afternoon tea and raided the last of our picnics and looked at the monument to their journey of 1824, situated at a corner of the gardens near the bowling green. No photo – we were out of film. We returned home via Kinglake West and Whittlesea past the Yan Yean Reservoir, not full. 5.00 pm back at Eltham we emptied out of the bus and everyone, including Joan Cole, collected their things, Joan also had the major souvenir of the day, a large carp she had picked up from the river bank, her cat was in for a great feast. The day was made so interesting by the informed commentary which Russell provided. His background knowledge of the route and nature of the journey could only have come from many hours of reading and driving the area. Thank you to Russell and to everyone who made the day so informative and pleasurable. Diana Bassett-Smith. Record of the Society's history of activities - Spring 1997 excursionRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 6 stripsFuji 200shire of eltham historical society, activities, pretty hill, seymour, benalla, hume and hovell, monuments