A $700,000 fire at Mitcham Primary School may be linked to an arson attempt at Blackburn Secondary College. Music equipment and computers were lost and setting up of a new science room has also been lost. Mullauna College has offered use of rooms until next year.A $700,000 fire at Mitcham Primary School may be linked to an arson attempt at Blackburn Secondary College.schools, mitcham primary school, no. 2904, cole, alan, blackburn secondary college, mullauna secondary college

A community group project steered by Bambi McLean led to the construction of the Eltham North Adventure Playground which opened off Wattletree Road in 1995. The structure was mainly wooden and included an undercover element with slides and areas to climb. It was destroyed by fire in the early hours of 16 December 2017. These phtoos were taken at approx. 2am on the morning of 16 December 2017 by 2nd Lieutenant Anthony Owen of Eltham Fire Station. A new adventure playground was built in 2018.Digital fileeltham north, north eltham adventure playground, arson, wattletree road, fire engine, eltham fire brigade, eltham fire station, eltham cfa

Newspaper Clipping from "The Post", 25-8-93. Arson attack on Mullum Primary. by Damian KempArsonists caused between $300,000 to $500,000 damage to Mullum Primary School classrooms and offices by starting a blaze at around 1 am on Monday. Up to 35 fire-fighters attended the blaze which took about 30 minutes to control. According to Detective Sergeant Phillip Hubbard of the arson squad, the blaze was deliberately lit.

In 1902 Albert E McNamara was convicted for arson and found guilty of manslaughter, after he allegedly set fire to his home, killing his young son. Police alleged McNamara set the house alight as part of an insurance fraud scheme. His wife and other children escaped unharmed, however his young son was killed in the fire. He was executed in 1902 at Melbourne Gaol. Black and white photograph mounted on cardmelbourne gaol, criminal photograph, arson, manslaughter, mcnamara, execution, capital crimes

Newspaper Clipping from the ""Post", 1-9-1993". P3. "Minister visits Mullum Primary fire site"Ther arson attack on Mullum Primary School was a tragedy and everything possible will be done to repair the school as soon as possible, Education Minister Don Hayward has promised.

Maual detailing appropriate response to non medical emergencies at the Alfred Hospital in 1981. Covers fire, evacuation and bomb/arson threatOf significance to the AHNL as all Alfred Hospital staff were required to follow these proceduresUnbound document, Title in black type on off-white background on cover pageTwo holes have been puched at the left margin. There are also some rust marks near these holes on the cover page. Previous catalogue number hanwritten [black ink] at top right of cover page. Pencil annotations on some pagesemergency procedures, hospital emergendcy procedures, alfred hospital

A community group project steered by Bambi McLean led to the construction of the Eltham North Adventure Playground which opened off Wattletree Road in 1995. The structure was mainly wooden and included an undercover element with slides and areas to climb. It was destroyed by fire in the early hours of 16 December 2017. These phtoos of the aftermath were taken at approx. 6:45am in the morning by Vicki Ward, MP for Eltham A new adventure playground was built in 2018. Digital fileeltham north, north eltham adventure playground, arson, wattletree road

Bendigo Advertiser ''The way we were'' from 2000. Everything's on fire: Killian's Walk, one of Bendigo's best-known arcades, was engulfed in flames in September, 1987. Ten million dollars worth of damage resulted. It was treated as arson and was said to be Bendigo's worst fire for 25 years. The clip is in a foldernewspaper, bendigo advertiser, the way we were

Newspaper Clipping from the ""Post", 8-9-1993". P5. "Mulluim Primary rising The arson attack on Mulum Primary School has rallied parents, teachers and students around the school, according to principal Rob Bloye."We're slowly getting the school together and we already have four portables and furniture.

Colour photographNewspaper article attached to photograph is headed- "Hedge fire was arson". A hedge valued at several thousand dollars was partially destroyed by fire at the Ringwood Bowling Club in the early hours of last Friday, 12 January, 1990, destroying a 10 metre section.

Also two other black and white photographs of disastrous fire damage to Jimmys Mermaid Fish Shop 15 June 1993 photographs show damage being inspected by Fire Brigade members and Arson Squad Detectives. Numbers 03795.1 and 03795.2 size 10.5 x 15.5Black and white photograph of Jimmy Garidas of Jimmys Mermaid Fish Shop, showing Jimmy standing at the deep fryer, 509 Esplanade Lakes Entrance Victoriabusinesses, fires, inspection

In March 1917, fire services attended a fire in a domestic dwelling in Carlton. When the owners returned they found that some of their clothing was missing. May Hall, 19, was later charged with stealing clothing and then burning those she did not want. Prison record for May Hall, prisoner registered number 7351, giving details of the prisoner, her crimes and the dates and places of her trials.english speaking prisoner, female prisoner, may hall, burglary, stealing, arson

Braybrook State School opened in 1873, replacing the old Albion No. 6 School that was located in Duke Street, Albion (Now Sunshine North). The school grew from a small bluestone rural school into one of the largest primary schools in Melbourne’s West, peaking at 811 students in 1960, before closing in 2008 and being demolished after a 2010 arson attack. In 1970, the school’s official name changed from Braybrook State School to Braybrook Primary School, following statewide naming reforms. In 2007, the school merged with Sunshine East Primary School and Sunvale Primary School to form Sunshine Harvester Primary School. In 2008, Braybrook Primary School officially closed and in 2009, the Braybrook campus ceased operation as part of Sunshine Harvester Primary School. In 2010, the former school buildings were destroyed by arson. The site buildings were rebuilt and today, they are occupied by the Rosamond School (specialist school), which has relocated from Rosamond Road, Maidstone.These photographs are of the Braybrook State School brick building that was built in 1925, replacing the original 1873 bluestone schoolhouse.braybrook state school, ballarat road, braybrook

Braybrook State School opened in 1873, replacing the old Albion No. 6 School that was located in Duke Street, Albion (Now Sunshine North). The school grew from a small bluestone rural school into one of the largest primary schools in Melbourne’s West, peaking at 811 students in 1960, before closing in 2008 and being demolished after a 2010 arson attack. In 1970, the school’s official name changed from Braybrook State School to Braybrook Primary School, following statewide naming reforms. In 2007, the school merged with Sunshine East Primary School and Sunvale Primary School to form Sunshine Harvester Primary School. In 2008, Braybrook Primary School officially closed and in 2009, the Braybrook campus ceased operation as part of Sunshine Harvester Primary School. In 2010, the former school buildings were destroyed by arson. The site buildings were rebuilt and today, they are occupied by the Rosamond School (specialist school), which has relocated from Rosamond Road, Maidstone.These photographs are rare examples of a school's caretaker cottage which were generally located on the school grounds.braybrook state school, ballarat road, braybrook

On 1 April 1991, fire gutted the Town Hall. Arson was suspected. The municipal art collection then valued at $800,000 was lost, including Rupert Bunny’s The Forerunners, itself valued at $250,000. Community support was immediate for Mayor Melanie Eagle and her team, and a foundation stone for rebuilding was laid only a year later by Sir Zelman Cowen. Useful debates resulted from the St Kilda Town Hall fire as to the best protection of historic buildings from fire. http://skhs.org.au/SKHSbuildings/33.htmcolour photographst kilda, st kilda town hall, st kilda town hall fire

2 Newspaper articles each with a photo. Summary: "A deliberately lit fire destroyed two classrooms and storerooms at Heathmont Primary School just one week before the school was scheduled to close. Police confirmed arson and are seeking information about a late‑model blue Ford sedan seen leaving the site around the time the fire started. Staff and students—soon to merge into the new Great Ryrie Primary School—were left distressed, though community support from nearby schools and local businesses has helped lift morale. Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact them". (Co-Pilot AI)

ClippingFire caused about $500,000 damage to Ringwood Secondary College at the weekend. More than 50 firemen battled to contain the blaze which began about 10.20pm on Saturday in the school's central block. This is the second serious fire at the school in two years. MFB district officer Phil Taylor described the fire as "the biggest in the eastern district since the last fire at the school". The arson squad is investigating the fire. Photograph: Croydon MFB senior fire fighter Peter Barker surveys the gutted school wing.

clippingSifting through the wreckage after Ringwood High School's fire last week, principal Mr Peter Cowell was still in shock. Damage estimates are as high as $700,000 but the value of some of the equipment and resources gathered over the school's 30 year history can never be replaced. Fire units from as far away as Box Hill and Surrey Hills combined to give a total of 10 units fighting the fire. The arson squad is investigating the cause of the fire. Article includes a photo of assistant principal, Mr Gerry Robinson, sitting among the wreckage of the fire.

Summary: A fire destroyed a block of 10 former classrooms at the old East Ringwood Primary School site around 3 a.m., causing about $200,000 in damage. Detectives, including Senior Detective Boyd McKittrick, believe the blaze was deliberately lit, noting several smaller fires around the grounds. Two Ringwood firefighters received minor injuries while containing the blaze. The site had been sold just a week earlier to Wilbow Peck Corporation, whose general manager Robert Boscarato said the damaged building was already scheduled for demolition and the area would now be cleared for safety. A nearby historic red‑brick classroom was saved with only minor damage. Authorities urged anyone with information to contact the arson squad or Crime Stoppers. (Co-Pilot 4/7/2026)Photo Caption: "NOTHING LEFT: fire completely destroyed a block of 10 classrooms at the former East Ringwood Primary School site early Monday morning. The buildings were due to be demolished early next month"

Victoria Police Gazette No. 25 dated Thursday, June 18, 1863, containing notices about: murder, arson, highway robbery and stealing from the person, housebreaking and stealing from dwelling houses, felonies and offences not otherwise described, miscellaneous information, inquests, courts, property lost, property found, horses and cattle, escaped prisoners, deserters from merchant vessels, ticket of leave holders and extracts from Otago Police gazette. Also a list and description of horses and cattle reported to the police as stolen during the week ending 16th June, 1863, a list and description of horses and cattle reported to the police as found or those recovered by the police and not claimed during the week ending 16th June, 1863, a list of prisoners to whom tickets of leave have been issued and a list of prisoners reported as discharged from the penal establishments during the week ending 17th June, 1893.Victoria Policeessential services, police, victoria police gazette, victoria police gazette, law and order

Irish-born Thomas Sweeney is regarded as the first settler in Eltham. He was transported to Sydney in 1823 after being convicted of arson. He was granted his freedom in 1838 and married Margaret Meehan in the same year. They moved to Melbourne and in 1842 Thomas purchased 110 acres beside the Yarra River in the vicinity of present-day Sweeneys Lane. He called the property ‘Culla Hill’ and built a small slab hut (reputedly with Wurundjeri help; Margaret is said to have run an informal hospital for them in return). This was followed in 1846 by more substantial buildings consisting of a three-roomed Irish-style ‘longhouse’ and a barn made of stone and handmade bricks, with doors large enough to accommodate a fully loaded wagon. When the gold rush came, Thomas prospered by selling meat and potatoes to the prospectors, enabling him to purchase a further 308 acres in 1856. He promoted the construction of a bridge over the Plenty River and the establishment of a school at Eltham. Roman Catholic Church services were held at Culla Hill in the early years. When he died in 1867, he was regarded as a respected member of the community. Thomas and Margaret are buried in Eltham Cemetery with many of their descendants. Their first son John continued to farm Culla Hill until his death in 1909. Culla Hill passed out of the Sweeneys' possession in 1939. The house and barn remain today, though lesser outbuildings have gone. The facade of the house is much the same as it was in the 1840s. Sacred To the memory of Thomas Sweeney Who died Sep 6th 1867 Aged 65 years May his soul res in peace Also his wife Margaret Died Oct 3rd 1884 aged 73 years And their daughters Annie Died Aug 22nd 1860 aged 21 years Johanna Died Aug 19th 1872 aged 22 years Margaret Died 7th Sep 1913 aged 72 years R.I.P. Also In Memory Of John Sweeney Died 24th May 1909 Aged 65 years Also of his wife Ellen Died 8th March 1910 Aged 64 years R.I.P Also In Memory Of Caroline Infant daughter of John & Ellen SweeneyBorn Digitalannie sweeney, eltham cemetery, gravestones, johanna sweeney, john murray, margaret sweeney, mary ellen drain, mary murray, thomas drain, thomas sweeney

Part of the original cottage named Culla Hill built by Thomas Sweeney (a former convict) remains as a small section of today’s house. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme National Estate National Trust of Australia (Victoria) Local Sifgnificance Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p19 Thomas Sweeney, a former convict who became a respected citizen, once lived on a property at what is now the corner of Sweeneys Lane and Culla Hill, Eltham. As Sweeney was one of the district’s first settlers, the property is registered by the National Trust. Thomas Sweeney was born in 1802, son of impoverished tenant farmers in Tipperary County, Ireland. He became a ploughman, then at 21 he was sentenced to hang for setting on fire the house of Patrick Guyder at Gullshill. It is said the arson was due to a dispute over undelivered guns to a social justice guerilla group, the White Boys, of which Sweeney was a member. But the sentence was commuted to life transportation to Australia in 1823.1 Apparently in Sydney he became a servant to James Chandler at Botany. Soon James Chandler leased his farm and became a catechist on the Hawkesbury River, so Sweeney was reassigned to a former convict, John Brown, at Liverpool. Later Sweeney was assigned to George Brown of Lake Illawarra. In 1831, Sweeney was granted a ticket-of-leave and bought a boat to carry goods between Illawarra district and Sydney Town. He married his first wife who had come to Australia as a free woman. However she drowned after bearing him a daughter. In 1838, one month after he had received a conditional pardon, Sweeney married a blacksmith’s daughter, Margaret Meehan, newly arrived from Ireland. They then moved to Port Phillip and squatted on the south side of the Yarra River, about seven miles (11km) from Melbourne. Around 1842, Sweeney bought 110 acres (44.5ha) in the parish of Nillumbik for £110. He built a slab hut 12 x 10 feet (3.6m x 3m) and then his homestead, Culla Hill, a typical Tipperary style cottage, now known as Sweeney’s Cottage. It was here that many generations of Sweeneys lived for almost 100 years. Culla Hill became a social centre for the district and the Catholic community used it as a church. Sweeney was apparently on good terms with a tribe of Aborigines living on the river nearby, who helped him build his house.2 Sweeney proved himself a civic-minded leader. In 1844, he led a call for a bridge over the Plenty River. He was on the first school board and supplied the first grain for Eltham’s mill. Sweeney profited during the gold rush, not by gold digging, but by providing supplies for nearby fields and others as far away as Beechworth.3 Thomas Sweeney died in 1867 and was buried at the Eltham Cemetery, leaving two sons, five daughters, and 300 acres (121.4ha), as well as Culla Hill. Culla Hill – by then reduced to 75 acres (30ha) – was sold out of the family in 1939, then renamed Sweeneys. The present Sweeneys Lane, running diagonally through the original holding, was the track to the house. Part of the original cottage remains as a small section of today’s house. The dining-family room fronted by a veranda is original, and although there have been some changes, the cedar door and most of the small 12-paned wooden-framed windows are original. The walls are made of the original hand-made brick. After buying the property in 1952 Mr and Mrs Burston demolished a dilapidated slab hut, a three-roomed detached kitchen and cellar, as materials needed to restore them were very difficult to obtain so soon after the war.4 However the barn remains almost in its original condition. It is believed to have been built from stone quarried on the property. Now roofed with iron sheets it was probably originally thatched. The sandstone barn has a peaked roof supported by the original saplings and a doorway large enough to accommodate a fully loaded wagon.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, culla hill, eltham, sweeney's cottage, sweeneys lane, thomas sweeney

In 1857, tanner John Pearson purchased three and a half acres of land in Little Eltham, at the western end of Pitt Street, with a 70-foot frontage to Maria Street (Main Road) and stretching down to the Diamond Creek for £100. He contracted Benjamin Oliver Wallis to build house for him. Wallis, a mason by trade who originated from the Cornish village of Newlyn, migrated to Melbourne in 1853 and was shortly engaged by Richard Warren to build the Eltham Hotel, which opened in 1854. When Warren fell into financial difficulty in 1858, Wallis purchased the hotel. That same year, Pearson constructed a tannery below the house with access to the water in the Diamond Creek. When Pearson became bankrupt in 1867, Wallis similarly acquired the house from Pearson’s creditors in 1868 and lived there until his death in 1896. For some of this time the house was in the name of Wallis’s son Richard but following his death in 1888, ownership reverted to his father. It was purchased by retired teacher Richard Gilsenen in 1899. Gilsenen was made acting head teacher at the Eltham State School in 1906 following the sudden death of head teacher John Brown. In the 1950s the house was bought by retired engineer Dr Alfred Fitzpatrick and his wife Claire who made various modifications to house goats and poultry as well as structural modifications to the house. In the early 1970s, Eltham Shire Councillors Frank Maas and Don Maling proposed an extended communities’ activities program be set up and the Commonwealth Grants Commission was approached for financial assistance. In 1974 a $50,000 Commonwealth Grant was received by the Shire Council to acquire the Fitzpatrick property as part of the planning to establish an extended communities’ activities program. The Fitzpatricks moved next door and Claire taught at the new Living and Learning Centre, which began in 1975, one of the first community education centres in Victoria. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p59 It’s a centre for sharing knowledge and friendship and it stands on the former hub of Eltham’s original township near Pitt Street. The Eltham Living and Learning Centre, with around 2000 participants a year, began in 1975 as one of the first Community Education Centres in Victoria. Classes ranging from macramé to wine making to environmental living have enriched the lives of thousands of people through the generosity of tutors sharing their skills free of charge. The centre’s heart is the brick cottage, built in 1858 by tanner John Pearson. He bought the three and a half acre (1.4ha) allotment fronting Maria Street (now Main Road) and stretching down to the Diamond Creek. The allotment formed part of a 316 acre (127.8ha) subdivision, owned by Josiah Holloway, called Little Eltham, north of the original Eltham Reserve.1 The allotment then passed through the hands of several speculators before it was sold to Pearson for £100 in 1857. Mr Pearson’s children attended the Eltham Primary School from 1864 to 1867. But creditors took possession of the property when his tannery folded in 1867. It was then sold to publican Benjamin Wallis, who owned the Eltham Hotel at the corner of Pitt Street and Main Road. In 1899 the property was bought by Richard Gilsenan, who became acting head teacher of the Eltham Primary State School in 1906. In the 1950s, retired engineer Dr Alfred Fitzpatrick and his wife Claire bought the property, and made structural changes. Claire, a journalist and community campaigner, modified and built pens for goats and poultry, a stable, a garage and planted fruit trees and a vegetable garden. In the early 1970s a young woman called Carina Hack approached Gwen Wesson at the Diamond Valley Learning Centre (Victoria’s first Community Education Centre) about starting a community centre. Following Wesson’s suggestion, Hack spoke to Shire President Alistair Knox ‘one bleak rainy afternoon, sipping hot drinks and discussing life’.2 Eltham Shire Councillors Frank Maas and Don Maling proposed a community activities program and the council received a $50,000 Commonwealth Government Grant for this venture.3 The Fitzpatricks sold their property to the council and moved next door and Claire taught at the new centre, which Hack named. Eltham obviously wanted such a centre as Hack recalls. ‘During the next two months we had about 50 volunteers working day, night and weekends, scrubbing down, plastering and painting walls, replacing floors, repairing fences, recycling furniture, sewing curtains and cushions, donating furniture, toys, equipment, clean-ing and gardening…’4 The first enrolment day saw a queue stretching up the driveway nearly to the gate and the first sessions attracted 270 people a week. Soon the outbuildings were converted into pottery studios and a large workshop. From 1979 the Eltham Art and Craft Market was held in the centre’s grounds and the Friends of the Centre ran it from 1980. A former program coordinator, Margaret Johnson, remembers enrolment day in the late 1970s and 1980s, when hundreds of people would queue – and some even camped overnight! Overnighters were greeted in the morning with fresh tea and toast. Another tradition was The Enrolment Day Cake with Recipe, given to volunteers. ‘One happy Enrolment Day fell on February 14 and let’s just say that St Valentine found some willing participants, paying $2 for a kiss.’5 Meanwhile the participants’ children could play at the Council Eltham Lower Park house in Hohnes Road, later in Susan Street. But the centre has had difficulties too. In 1990 a fire destroyed the stable and the police suspected arson. However the pavilion was built in its place.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, benjamin oliver wallis, claire fitzpatrick, don maling, dr alfred fitzpatrick, eltham living and learning centre, frank maas, john pearson, richard gilsenen, tannery

Fire at the Cathedral Hotel! Bird’s eye view These firemen on the roof of the Cathedral Hotel are very bold in their approach to firefighting! One heroically aims a firehose at the roof while another holds onto the flagpole with one hand as he walks around the narrow edge, three storeys up! Onlookers from adjacent buildings make the most of their front row view, and The Age reported that on street level, hundreds of people gathered to watch, enthralled by “a thrilling spectacle when three firemen walked along the stone coping on the top floor of the building and, despite the clouds of smoke and sheets of flame which shot through the roof they ripped off the hot slate tiles and provided an outlet for the flames”. The Cathedral Hotel was built in 1883 and demolished in 1966 to make way for the City Square. Featured in "Newsworthy: Melbourne in photographs 1933-1936" exhibition at East Melbourne Library, October to December 2023. Exhibition caption by project volunteer, Louise McKenzie. Photographer notations on slide: "Fire at Cathedral Hotel Swanston St City March 1936 B104" Description: View looking down on roof of the Cathedral Hotel showing 16 firefighters battling a fire. There is smoke coming through the roof. Onlookers watch from adjoining buildings, not perturbed by the proximity of the fire. The firemen look bold and impressive in their brass helmets. Research by project volunteer, Louise McKenzie: The Age reported on 4 March 1936 that the fire broke out in rubbish between the roof space and wooden ceiling of the Cathedral Hotel at 4.30 pm. “The Eastern Hill fire brigade was notified by telephone, and an almost simultaneous call was also received at fire brigade headquarters from a street alarm.” These red fire alarm call boxes were typically installed on street corners, and when the knob was turned, a pulsed electric signal corresponding to the box’s number was received at fire headquarters. A large detachment of firemen with full fire-fighting equipment, including two large extension ladders, were quickly on the scene, pouring vast quantities of water into the hotel, causing several hundred pounds of damage to hotel and guest property, but quickly bringing the fire under control. Lengths of hose had to be carried through the front entrance and up several flights of stairs. On street level hundreds of people gathered to watch, but were controlled by police in order to keep them at a safe distance and ensure that tram and motor traffic was not seriously disorganised. The crowd were enthralled by “a thrilling spectacle when three firemen walked along the stone coping on the top floor of the building and, despite the clouds of smoke and sheets of flame which shot through the roof, they ripped off the hot slate tiles and provided an outlet for the flames”. The firemen are noteworthy for their highly polished brass helmets, known as Merryweather helmets, based on those of French sapeurs-pompiers and introduced to the British Metropolitan Fire Brigade in London in 1868. Metal helmets are conductive, a safety issue as the use of electricity became widespread, so a composite cork and rubber helmet was introduced in London from 1936. In Queensland, traditional brass helmets remained in service until 1970. The firemen are very bold in their actions – one heroically aiming a fire hose at the roof of the building, another holding onto the flagpole with one hand as he walks around the narrow top edge of the roof, three storeys up! The onlookers from adjoining buildings are interested in the spectacle, rather than dismayed by the fire. Lettering around the building exterior reads "Cathedral Hotel - Erected 1883". Prominent signage for “Richardson’s whisky, brandy, gin & rum" sits along the edge of the roof. The Cathedral Hotel was located on the corner of Swanston Street and Flinders Lane. It was built in 1883, and its name derived from St Paul’s Cathedral on the south side of Flinders Lane. It was demolished in 1966 as Melbourne City Council wished to create a City Square. Robyn Annear notes that at the time, the development was referred to as “Whelan’s Square” due to the large number of buildings which needed to be demolished to create the Square. Ironically the Hotel had been the victim of a previous fire in 1917, when its then licensee, also named Whelan, was charged with two failed arson attempts. References: No title (1936, March 4). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 13. Retrieved February 5, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205256255 FIRE AT A CITY HOTEL. (1936, March 4). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 12. Retrieved February 5, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205256231 FIRE IN ROOF OF CITY HOTEL (1936, March 4). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 8. Retrieved February 5, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11018696 Hotel Roof Fire Draws Crowd (1936, March 4). Examiner (Launceston, Tas. : 1900 - 1954), p. 8 (DAILY). Retrieved February 5, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article52000751 'Flinders Lane Melbourne 1966', Peter Andrew Barrett, Facebook, 12 June 2020, https://www.facebook.com/120943481324886/photos/a.512123662206864/3025002490918956/?type=3 Fire Alarm Call Box, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_alarm_call_box Research notes, 'A city lost and found', Robyn Annear, https://robynannear.com/docs/whelan-the-wrecker-notes.pdfPhotographer notations on slide: "Fire at Cathedral Hotel Swanston St City March 1936 B104".fires, hotels, 1930-1939

The grave of Thomas Sweeney, former convict turned respectable citizen. The Murray and Sweeney families were both early settlers of the Eltham district and connected by marriage. Their family plots are located side by side in the Catholic section of the Eltham Cemetery. Irish-born Thomas Sweeney is regarded as the first settler in Eltham. He was transported to Sydney in 1823 after being convicted of arson. He was granted his freedom in 1838 and married Margaret Meehan in the same year. They moved to Melbourne and in 1842 Thomas purchased 110 acres beside the Yarra River in the vicinity of present-day Sweeneys Lane. He called the property ‘Culla Hill’ and built a small slab hut (reputedly with Wurundjeri help; Margaret is said to have run an informal hospital for them in return). This was followed in 1846 by more substantial buildings consisting of a three-roomed Irish-style ‘longhouse’ and a barn made of stone and handmade bricks, with doors large enough to accommodate a fully loaded wagon. When the gold rush came, Thomas prospered by selling meat and potatoes to the prospectors, enabling him to purchase a further 308 acres in 1856. He promoted the construction of a bridge over the Plenty River and the establishment of a school at Eltham. Roman Catholic Church services were held at Culla Hill in the early years. When he died in 1867, he was regarded as a respected member of the community. Thomas and Margaret are buried in Eltham Cemetery with many of their descendants. Their first son John continued to farm Culla Hill until his death in 1909. Culla Hill passed out of the Sweeneys' possession in 1939. The house and barn remain today, though lesser outbuildings have gone. The facade of the house is much the same as it was in the 1840s. Sacred To the memory of Thomas Sweeney Who died Sep 6th 1867 Aged 65 years May his soul res in peace Also his wife Margaret Died Oct 3rd 1884 aged 73 years And their daughters Annie Died Aug 22nd 1860 aged 21 years Johanna Died Aug 19th 1872 aged 22 years Margaret Died 7th Sep 1913 aged 72 years R.I.P. Also In Memory Of John Sweeney Died 24th May 1909 Aged 65 years Also of his wife Ellen Died 8th March 1910 Aged 64 years R.I.P Also In Memory Of Caroline Infant daughter of John & Ellen Sweeney Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p55 From the piety and poverty of 19th century Eltham, 20th century artists and environmentalists, to today’s comfortable middle class, Eltham Cemetery records it all — and more. A visit to Eltham Cemetery reveals an important social record since its beginnings in 1858. The cemetery was situated on about six acres (2.4ha) (now around 4.8ha) at the corner of Mount Pleasant and Metery Roads.1* It is thought that Metery Road was originally called Cemetery Road, but in the early 1940s, a resident, possibly a councillor, objected to the name resulting in the change.2 Much can be gleaned about the developing Eltham community from burial styles and the names of former local residents. Originally the cemetery was divided into Christian denominations, like others of that time, following the United Kingdom burial system. In 1861 the cemetery included Church of England, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic and Wesleyans (later Methodist) sites. Graves also indicated social class. Some had grand tombstones, perhaps fenced with ornamental cast iron railing, but most in the 1860s and 1870s were constructed of modest stone slabs.3 This indicated the poverty of the district, which was largely inhabited by farmers on small landholdings. A poignant reminder of the high rates of infant mortality of those times, are the many infants and young children recorded on the headstones. Major changes occurred in the cemetery in the late 20th century as Christian adherence weakened and society became more egalitarian and informal. In the early 1970s a non-denominational lawn section for burials was established. Since then all new areas have been non-denominational to accommodate the more diverse local community. Now, instead of large ornamental headstones, some mourners have chosen boulders, reflecting the natural Eltham style, while others choose graves in the lawn areas or niches in walls. In the late 1970s, the University Donor Section was established north-west of Candlebark Lawn for those who donated their bodies for The University of Melbourne medical research. In the early 1980s the natural Australian garden style, popular in Eltham, was mirrored in a new section called Ashes Walk. Local landscape architect Gordon Ford, who had popularised this style, designed the Walk using boulders shaded by native plants beside curved pathways. Landscape architect Robert Boyle later redesigned Ashes Walk and developed other parts of the cemetery in keeping with this style.4 Appropriately Ford, who died in 1999, was interred in the Native Garden Section in a cluster of sites shaded by a large eucalyptus tree.5 By 2007, about 6400 interments were recorded in the Eltham Cemetery. Close inspection reveals notable names in the district’s history. The grave of Thomas Sweeney, a former convict who became a respected citizen, can be found in the Roman Catholic section near the path. Eltham Primary School’s first headmaster, David Clark, is buried in a modest grave in the Church of England section to the east of the path from the main entrance. Sir William Irvine, Victorian Premier from 1900 to 1902, whose grave is in the north-east Presbyterian section was at various times Victoria’s Chief Justice, Deputy Governor and Treasurer.6 Further south is the grave of social reformer Bertram Wainer, born in Scotland in 1928 and died in 1987. He campaigned to legalise abortion and exposed police corruption in allowing illegal ‘backyard’ abortions. Other prominent local residents interred in the cemetery include: Justus Jörgensen, who founded Montsalvat; Alistair Knox, the mud-brick housing pioneer and Eltham Shire Councillor from 1971 to 1975 and President in 1975; Clem and Nina Christensen, who had a major influence on the literary development of post World War Two Australia. Others were: composer Dorian Le Gallienne; artist Peter Glass; Stephen Dattner, a prominent Melbourne furrier; ALP parliamentarian for Greensborough, Pauline Toner and political scientist and commentator, Professor William Macmahon Ball.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, annie sweeney, caroline sweeney, ellen sweeney, eltham cemetery, graves, gravestones, johanna sweeney, john murray, john sweeney, margaret sweeney, mary ellen drain, mary murray, thomas murray, thomas sweeney