The damaged building in the photograph is the former Diggers Rest Hotel which was built in on that site in 1854 It was a popular place during the 1970s Sunbury Pop Festivals as it was the closest hotel to the Pop Festival site. It was partly destroyed by a suspicious fire on 30th October 2008, which left the walls and chimney intact but the roof caved in. Since then there have been moves by the local community to either rebuild and reopen the venue or to demolish it.The Diggers Rest has been one of the few early surviving hotels that were built along the former Mount Alexander Road, now Calder Highway, during the 1850s gold rush years.This a non-digital coloured photograph of a double storey hotel building, which has been damaged by fire. The exterior walls are intact but the roof has collapsed.The building is beside a main road. diggers rest, diggers rest hotel, hotels, calder highway, gold rushes

A black and white photograph of a weatherboard house and garden known as Bayview Farm at Diggers Rest. It is the home of Uraina and Eileen Cullinan situated at 111 Davis Road, Diggers Rest.on back: BAYVIEW / 111 DAVIS ROAD / DIGGERS RESTcullinan, uraina, eileen, diggers rest, bayview farm, chris, davis road, george evans collection

A sepia photograph Bayview Farm at 111 Davis Road, Diggers Reston back: Bayview-111 Davis Rd / Diggers Restcullinan, uraina, eileen, bayview farm, diggers rest, davis road, george evans collection

A black and white image of a group of people at a dance in the Diggers Rest Hall. This venue was used by the people of the district for many years.on back: E & U / Cullinan / Diggers Rest / OLD HALLcullinan, uraina, eileen, chris, farming, farms, bayview farm, diggers rest, diggers rest hall, george evans collection

A black and white photograph of a man shearing a sheep with shears in a farmyard with water tanks in the background with a stack of feed bags. The property if Bayview Farm, Davis Road, Diggers Rest.on back: BAYVIEW / DAVIS ROAD / DIGGERS RESTcullinan, uraina, eileen, diggers rest, bayview farm, chris, davis road, farmers, shearers, george evans collection

fictionA mystery novel set in Wodonga, Victoria after World War 2. In 1947, two years after witnessing the death of a young Jewish woman in Poland, Charlie Berlin has rejoined the police force a different man. Sent to investigate a spate of robberies in rural Victoria, he soon discovers that World War II has changed even the most ordinary of places and people. Taking a room at the Diggers Rest Hotel in Wodonga, he sets about solving a case that no one else can – with the help of feisty, ambitious journalist Rebecca Green and rookie constable Rob Roberts, the only cop in town he can trust.mystery fiction, wodonga post world war 2

This is a photograph of the pupils at the Diggers rest State School No. 2479 taken on 18th March 1924.A sepia photograph of the students at Diggers Rest Primary School No. 2479schools, education, teaching, classrooms, diggers rest, clark, kath, le nephew, ernie, education department, mcpherson, archie, duncan, george, davis, velda, howie, russel, cullinan, urania, george evans collection

A family photograph of Chris Cullinan Snr., his wife Eileen, his sons Herbert and Chris. Jnr and daughter Rose at Bayview Farm, Diggers Rest.on back in ink: CULLINAN FAMILY c1913 / "Bayview"/111 Davis Road /Diggers Rest/ CHRIS. SNR. EILEEN. Herbert/Chris Jnr/Rosecullinan, uraina, eileen, chris, rose, bayview farm, diggers rest, farm, clothing and dress, george evans collection

A black and white photograph three horses harnessed and working with four men during harvest.on back: GROUP / DIGGERS RESTcullinan, uraina, eileen, bayview farm, diggers rest, harvesting, hay bales, horses, horse drawn vehicles, george evans collection

A black and white photograph of four men gathering hay to make hay stooks in a paddock.on back: STOOKING / DIGGERS RESTcullinan, uraina, eileen, bayview farm, diggers rest, harvesting, hay bales, horse drawn vehicles, george evans collection

A sepia photograph of two men and three children standing near a horse drawn dray loaded with hay.written on back: Load of Hay 1920 / Diggers Resthay bales, harvesting, diggers rest, cullinan, uraina, eileen, bayview farm, horse drawn vehicles, 1920s, george evans collection

A black and white photograph of two females sitting in a horse drawn buggy in front of a timber and corrugated iron shed. One female has been identified on the back of the photograph as Uraina Cullinan. The other is not known.on back: wrtten in pen; "The morning drive" / Uraina Cullinan - ? / DIGGERS RESTcullinan, uraina, eileen, bayview farm, diggers rest, hay bales, horse drawn vehicles, george evans collection

A black and white image of Miss Uraina Cullinan kneeling on the ground holding a sheep at her farm "Bayview" in Diggers Rest.on back: Uraina Cullinan / Diggers Restcullinan, uraina, eileen, chris, farming, farms, bayview farm, george evans collection

The old Calder Highway before the construction of the duplication of the Calder Highway between the Railway crossing and Plumpton Road.A coloured panoramic view of the old Caler Highway at Diggers Rest. It is unmounted.old calder highway, diggers rest, plumpton road, railways, george evans collection

A black and white photograph of a group of school children and their teacher taken at the Diggers Rest State School No.2479. Eileen and Uraina Cullinan are amongst this group but not identified.on back in ink: E & U CULLINANcullinan, uraina, eileen, chris, bayview farm, diggers rest, farms, farming, clothing and dress, harvesting, schools, diggers rest state school, education, george evans collection

A coloured image of Miss E. Cullinan with four calves in her garden at Bayview Farm, Diggers Rest.on back in ink: EILEEN CULLINANcullinan, uraina, eileen, chris, bayview farm, diggers rest, farm, clothing and dress, george evans collection

A black and white photograph of thirty-one children taken at the Diggers Rest State School on 18 August 1924. There are seventeen boys and fourteen girls. Two girls are Eileen and Uraina Cullinan of Bayview Farm.on back in ink: E & U CULLINANcullinan, uraina, eileen, chris, bayview farm, diggers rest, farms, farming, clothing and dress, harvesting, schools, diggers rest state school, haystacks, george evans collection

A photo of Old Calder Highway in Diggers Rest with houses on one side and a manmade waterhole on the other side beside the railway line. The railway crossing can be seen in the background next to the railway station.A colour photograph of a waterhole on the side of the road and beside a railway line. It is unmounted.old calder highway, diggers rest, diggers rest railway station, railways, george evans collection

This photograph is of the duplication of the Calder Highway at Diggers Rest in the vicinity of Plumpton Road.A coloured panoramic view of the construction of the duplication of the Calder Highway in the vicinity of Plumpton Road. It is unmounted.calder highway, diggers rest, highway duplication, road construction and maintenance, plumpton road, george evans collection

The building which has been damaged by fire is the former Diggers Rest Hotel which was the only surviving hotel along the Calder Highway between the towns of Keilor and Gisborne a distance of approx. 32kms A coloured photograph of a grey rendered building, along a roadside, which has been damaged by fire with a temporary fence surrounding the building. diggers rest, hotels

A sepia photograph of a haystack being built with a bale elevator at the side and a hay cart at the end at Bayview Farm.on back in ink: HAYSTACK AT 'BAYVIEW'/ABOUT 1934 / 60' (feet) long, 20' (feet) high, 25' (feet) wide / ELEVATOR APPROX 25' (feet) long / 70-100 tons of hay / "Bayview" / 111 DAVIS ROAD / DIGGERS REST 3427cullinan, uraina, eileen, chris, bayview farm, diggers rest, farms, farming, clothing and dress, harvesting, haystacks, george evans collection

A black and white photograph of two horses harnessed up to a cultivator. A young girl and a man are standing behind it.on back: DIGGERS RESTcullinan, uraina, eileen, chris, cultivators, horses, farm and garden equipment, agricultural implements, george evans collection

Sepia photograph of two drays that have teams of horses harnessed to them. There are three men in the image and they are backdropped by tall trees.on back: DIGGERS RESTcullinan, uraina, eileen, chris, cultivators, horses, farm and garden equipment, drays, farming, bayview farm, agricultural implements, george evans collection

The small one roomed school is closed at the site along the Calder Highway and was relocated to the new school building in Plumpton Road at Diggers Rest. The former school building became the club rooms for the Diggers Rest Bowling Club when the new school opened in the late 1980s.A coloured photograph of the former Diggers Rest Primary School. The small one roomed weatherboard building with a corrugated iron roof has sheets of iron across the windows. The building is being prepared for relocation. A post hole digger is behind the building.diggers rest primary school, education department, diggers rest bowling club, george evans collection

A black and white image of twelve turkeys in a farm yard. In the background on the LH side there is a tree and a picket fence next to the farm gate and shed with a wire fence and tree.on back: Melton Shire Council Meeting / Diggers Restcullinan, uraina, eileen, chris, farming, turkeys, farms, bayview farm, george evans collection

A black and white photograph of a group of men working a threshing machine and building a haystack during hay making in 1922.cullinan, uraina, eileen, bayview farm, diggers rest, harvesting, haystacks, machinery, agricultural machinery, farm and garden equipment, hay bales, 1920s, george evans collection

A black and white photograph of twelve men, one horse and three greyhounds in a white wooden frame with glass, at a meeting of the Plumpton Greyhound Races. George Evans (Micko) is standing on the left of the horse's nose; Frank Evans is holding the horse and Bill Aitken is in the light coloured cardigan and bow tie.sports and recreations, greyhound racing, dogs, whelan, kevin, evans, george, aitken, william, kelly, john, frank, plumpton road, diggers rest, plumpton greyhound races, george evans collection

A black and white photograph of men, one horse and four greyhounds in a white wooden frame with glass, at a meeting of the Plumpton Greyhound Races. George Evans (Micko) is pictured second from left; Frank Evans is on the horse and Bill Aitken is in the light coloured cardigan.sports and recreations, greyhound racing, dogs, whelan, kevin, evans, george, aitken, william, kelly, john, frank, plumpton road, diggers rest, plumpton greyhound races, george evans collection

A black and white image of Eileen Cullinan with her two dogs 'Lassie' and 'Bobby' on her farm "Bayview" in Diggers Rest.on back: Eileen Cullinan / Lassie / Bobbycullinan, uraina, eileen, chris, dogs, farming, farms, bayview farm, clark, william, sheep, drenching, george evans collection

A black and white image of Uraina Cullinan and William Clark with dog 'Bobby' in a sheepyard on her farm "Bayview" in Diggers Rest.on back: Uraina Cullinan / Bobby / Wm Clarkcullinan, uraina, eileen, chris, dogs, farming, farms, bayview farm, clark, william, sheep, drenching, george evans collection