Prior to the election of female Councillors and Mayors in the 1960’s, the Lady Mayoress role was one of the few ways women could officially undertake civic duties. Mayoresses made important contributions to their local communities through their charity work and as ambassadors for their region on a state and federal level. They also undertook some Mayoral duties on occasions when their husband was unavailable. Mayoress Oliver was born Ellen May Robinson and she married Norman J Oliver in 1928. Ellen Oliver died in 1985 aged 82.Framed, oval photographic studio portrait. Hand coloured detail.lr, Mrs N. J. Oliver / Mayoress 1950 - 51 / 1964 - 65. ll, Raymond V Kelly / Bendigovincent kelly, studio photography, raymond kelly, ellen may robinson, norman j oliver, city of bendigo mayoress, city of greater bendigo portraits, framed copy

List of the Seating for Supper, includes Official Party, Debutantes and their Partners, and Other Guests. Official Party consisted of: Sir George Lansell, Lt General Wells & Mrs Wells, Col J W Swatton & Mrs Swatton, Cr. Oliver & Mrs Oliver, Mr F E Jackson & Mrs Jackson, Mr R C Wright & Mrs Wright, Ladies Auxiliary, Mr A V Palmer and J. Barton. Other Guests: Miss Liddell, Col. J Lockwood & Mrs Lockwood, Col P Seymour & Mrs Seymour, Major P Kennedy & Mrs Kennedy, Ladies Carpet Bowls, War Widows Guild, S. S. & A. Mothers, Eaglehawk Sub-branch, Parma Dance Club, Harcourt Sub-branch, Mr B Wood & Mrs Wood, Mr Tout & Mrs Tout, Mrs Keck, Captain Poole,event, social, victory ball, r.s.l. bendigo collection - rsl victory ball 1951 seating for supper, sir george lansell, lt general wells & mrs wells, col j w swatton & mrs swatton, cr oliver & mrs oliver, mr f e jackson & mrs jackson, mr r c wright & mrs wright, ladies auxiliary, mr a v palmer, j barton, miss liddell, col j lockwood & mrs lockwood, col p seymour & mrs seymour, major p kennedy & mrs kennedy, ladies carpet bowls, war widows guyild, s s & a mothers, eaglehawk sub-branch, parma dance club, harcourt sub-branch, mr b wood & mrs wood, mr tout & mars tout, mrs keck, captain poole

Frank Wright was a renown resident of Smeaton, where he was born. He lived at Laura Villa, and attended Smeaton State School. His father William was a gold miner and his mother's name was Sarah. Their family won many singing and instrumental awards. Frank was tutored by Percy Code and was awarded a gold medal for the highest marks in the ALCM examinations in the British Colonies at the age of seventeen years. He became the Australian Open Cornet Champion by the age of eighteen. A year later, Frank conducted the City of Ballarat Band, and later the Ballarat Soldiers’ Memorial Band. He formed the Frank Wright Frisco Band and Frank Wright and his Coliseum Orchestra. These bands won many South Street awards, and Frank as conductor won many awards in the Australian Band Championship contest. In 1933 Frank Wright sailed to England to conduct the famous St Hilda’s Band and was later appointed Musical Director of the London County Council, where he organized many amazing concerts in parks, in and around the London district. He was made Professor of Brass and Military Band Scoring and conducted at the Guildhall of Music and Drama. Frank was often invited to adjudicate Brass Band Championships around Europe, in Australia, including South Street and in New Zealand. The Frank Wright Medal at the Royal South Street competition is awarded to an individual recognized as making an outstanding contribution to brass music in Australia.Black and white photograph of a group of four men and one woman standing in front of a brick wall of a house. The roof with several chimneys extend to the top of the photo. The people are from left to right Frank Wright, Geo Oliver, Bill Clegg, Mrs Oliver and Bill Oughton. The place is South Shields, England.Written in pencil of back - Frank Wright (left), Geo Oliver, Bill Clegg, Mrs Oliver, Bill Oughton at the home of Geo Oliver, South Shields. Sept 1934frank wright, george olver, bill clegg, mrs olver, bill oughton, south shields

From Record (Emerald Hill, Vic. : 1881 - 1954), Saturday 12 April 1930, page 3 "On Wednesday, at the 24th meeting of the Victorian Mission to Seamen. Archbishop Head welcomed a new chaplain, the Rev. F. L. Oliver, formerly of Newcastle. Mrs. Oliver was also welcomed. The old executive was re-elected except Messrs. Durham and Holmes, who declined the honor. Lady Fraser was elected president of the Harbour Lights Guild. The Rev. \V. M. Robertson of the Port Melbourne Mission, was among the speakers."First photograph of Padre Oliver and his family at the Mission in 1930.Written in black on verso: Dad (Padre Oliver) , Miss Tracy, Mum (Mrs Oliver), Phyllis Atkins (secretary), Beverleyfrank oliver, flinders street, garden, phyllis atkins, secretary, alice sibthrope tracy, moira bird oliver (nee good), archbishop head, beverley oliver, rev. w.m robertson

Olive Wilkinson was born in 1917 in Ararat. She and her husband both worked at the Ovens Benevolent Home, with her as a temporary matron when the need arose, and her husband as the Superintendent. This oral history recording was part of a project conducted by Jennifer Williams in the year 2000 to capture the everyday life and struggles in Beechworth during the twentieth century. This project involved recording seventy oral histories on cassette tapes of local Beechworth residents which were then published in a book titled: Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century Beechworth. These cassette tapes were digitised in July 2021 with funds made available by the Friends of the Burke. Mrs Olive Wilkinson's account of her life in Beechworth and the local area during the 20th century is historically and socially significant to the cultural history of the region. She details historical events pertaining to Beechworth and her family. This oral history account is socially and historically significant as it is a part of a broader collection of interviews conducted by Jennifer Williams which were published in the book 'Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth-century Beechworth'. While the township of Beechworth is known for its history as a gold rush town, these accounts provide a unique insight into the day-to-day life of the town's residents during the 20th century, many of which will have now been lost if they had not been preserved. This is a digital copy of a recording that was originally captured on a cassette tape. The cassette tape is black with a horizontal white strip and is currently stored in a clear flat plastic rectangular container. It holds up 40 minutes of recordings on each side. Mrs Olive Wilkinsonlisten to what they say, beechworth, oral history, burke museum, wilkinson, olive wilkinson, ovens benevolent home

Typed time table for the R.S.L. Victory Ball held at the Town Hall, Bendigo on Tuesday 21st August, 1951. Signed by J. W. Swatton, Hon. Secretary Ball Committee.J.W. Swatton, Secretary.event, social, victory ball, r.s.l. bendigo collection - time table for r.s.l. victory ball 1951, mr f e jackson, sir george lansell, lt general wells & mrs wells, mrs oliver, mrs j w swatton, mrs f e jackson, cr oliver, rsl ladies auxiliary, parma dance club, mr wright, mr little, mr w lamers, mr waters, mr green, mr barton, mr palmer, mr edgar, mr orchard

Buying of Carmel Haven and formation of kindergarten after Mrs. Olive Raftis and a committee bought the historic lane which ran between Victoria St. Lois St. and Wenwood St. Ringwood East.Six pages of memorabilia about the historic lane running between Victoria Street across Lois Street and Wenwood Street, Ringwood East formed by Ringwood Council at the request of Mrs. Olive Raftis and Committee who collected and subscribed to the lane, including picture of house bought to use as a Kindergarten. 26269-1. Description of location and photograph with summary of Kindergarten activities 26269-2. Newsletter - Second meeting of ratepayers to discus lane 26269-3. Receipt from Borough of Ringwood for supply of 400 square yards of concrete path Victoria Street to Wenwood Street to Mrs. Raftis 26269-4. Receipt to Committee for 18 yards of gravel for concrete gutter. 26269-5. Receipt to Mrs. O. Raftis £5 with 2d Victoria Stamp Duty attached. 26269-6. List of contributers.

Subjects had a long standing connection with the Mission Visual Record of Mission staff. The Oliver family played a significant and long term role as a family in the leadership, maintenance and publicising the services and role of the Mission from 1930-1960. Articles, a film and regular lectures and canvassing were used to generate funding and awareness of the importance and significance of the Mission to Shipping services for Australia. The Oliver's son Rodney also served on the board in later years and daughter Barb Kent also provided support for many years.Black and white gloss print photograph depicting Padre Frank Oliver with his wife Moira in the courtyard garden of the MTSV circa late 1950s.Hand written in black texta; Frank Oliver and Mrs Oliver in the garden at the Missionfrank oliver, moira oliver, chaplain, mission to seafarers victoria, moira bird, garden, flinders street

Refer Cat No 4783Envelope rectangular shape brown colour, red P.O stamp, stamped by P.O, stamped in purple typed address in black, rear is plainStamped, “Area 18B Hornsby”, typed, “Mrs Oliver Foster Rosedale Rd St Ives”.envelopes, military, hornsby

HMAS Bataan 1952. An Australian Warship in the Korean War. "The author explores the variety of tasks and risks undertaken by the ship and her company in circumstances that were always challenging and sometimes highly dangerous" - Professor Jeffrey Grey.Hard cardboard cover, deep blue buckram with gold print on spine. Dust cover mid blue background, sea image, dark blue & gold print on front, spine & back. Sepia photos of HMAS Bataan on front & back covers. Gun crew on front flap, men on side of fo'c'sle back flap. 294 pages, cut plain paper illustrated with black & white photos, maps & diagrams.Handwritten in black on front fly leaf: Donated by Mrs Olive Pell BENDIGO DISTRICT RSL MUSEUMbooks-military-history-navy, korea

Newspaper clippings of 4 photos.Captions are: (1) "A dainty basket of dahlias arranged by a girl student at Burnley Horticultural School yesterday for the Royal Horticultural Society's display of autumn blooms in St. Kilda Town Hall." (2) "Miss Freda Lette arranging a basket of Madame Edouard Heriot roses for Mrs. J. S. Oliver at the National Rose Society's show in Melbourne Town Hall." (3) "Gardening girls (pupils at the Burley Horticultural School) taking in their dahlia exhibits at the Royal Horticultural Society Show at the St. Kilda Town Hall today." (4) " Floral Beauty and a fair admirer at the Royal Horticultural Show - Miss Jean Scott, of Burnley Horticultural School, with three choice specimens of gladioli, champions in their class. Left: Emile Aubrun variety, grown by Mr. G. Swensen, Ballarat. Also see B99.1046. (5, 6) Charlemagne and Sunnyside varieties, grown by Mr. R. Hayes, Ballarat."burnley horticultural college, students, female students, burnley horticultural gardens, freda lette, madame edouard heriot roses, mrs j.s. oliver, national rose society, flowers, dahlias, jean scott, royal horticultural society, royal horticultural show, g. swensen, r. hayes, national rose society show, gladioli

Framed oil painting on canvas panel depicting railway station and view looking north across main street of Ringwood 1920.Bottom of frame marked "Ringwood 1920". Written on back - "Early Ringwood about 1920" and "Mrs. Olive Vass 27 James Street Ringwood 8701528".

Front cover discoloured, title: Czerny, 40 tägliche Übungen (Exercices journaliers - Daily Studies) Opus 337. (Ruthardt) Edition Peters No. 2409L. Clarke Paid Mrs. Dodd Olive M. Walter

Envelope addressed Miss E Goetze, MacKenzie St , Bendigo. Written on Front. Mayor's Ball. Invitation Bendigo Councillor N J & Mrs Oliver to Miss E Goetze Mayoral Ball Wed 6th June 1951.City of Bendigobendigo, council, mayoral ball

Letter from Leon Scott to Mrs. Olive Dobbyn, dated 9th July 2007 in reference to the music for the deb presentation. Some music is listed and the dances they have learnt are also listed. Letter written on paper with Scott's (Bendigo) Pty. Ltd. Letterhead and signed Leon.Scott's (Bendigo) Pty Ltd, 19 Victoria Street, Eaglehawk.communication, postal, letters, peter ellis collection, scott's (bendigo) pty ltd, olive dobbyn, leon scott

The dramatic bible reading contest was suggested to take place on Wednesday 29th September [no year given]. The contest was to be in three sections: Junior passage for girls 12 years and under; Senior passage for Rays 12 years and over and Choral Reading passage for any aged Ray. Comrades were not eligible to take part. Sections one and twoSingle sheet of white paper with typed details of the MGC Vic/Tas Rays dramatic bible reading contest. There is a handwritten name and address on the top left of the document and Section two has been highlighted with two pen lines."Mrs Andrewson 11 Olive St."methodist girls' comradeship rays' section, dramatic bible reading contest, methodist girls' comradeship vic & tas

Full page newspaper clipping featuring the March 1965 Victorian bushfires. Items include: Photograph - TWO-WOMAN BUCKET BRIGADE, Mrs Henry Marsden (left) and Mrs Moureen Ellis, whose fire-fighting efforts yesterday were highly praised today by their Eltham neighbours, carry out mopping-up operations Photograph - DOGS MADE HOMELESS by the fire in North Eltham yesterday are being cared for at First-Constable Doug. Mummery's kennels at Eltham and here is kennel maid Helen Oliver, 17, with some of them today. The two basset hounds are owned by Mr Bill Guy who lost about 100 daschund and basset hound puppies and dogs in the fire. Photograph - He died at Eltham [Picture of John Lawrence Coleman] Builder Mr John Lawrence Coleman, 31, of Main Rd., Eltham, one of three men burnt to death yesterday in the fire at North Eltham. The other two were XXXXX, 33 who lives opposite the Colemans and Mr William Elwers, 64 of Batman Rd., Eltham. John Lawrence Coleman (1934-1965) born January 10, was the son of Raymond John Coleman and Hanna May (Gillet) Coleman. He married Margaret Frances Dare in 1955 and was the father of two children. He died whilst attempting to rescue an older man trapped in the bushfire at North Eltham on March 3, 1965 Other news stories of the day:  Bushfires rage in Victoria, Snowy: Three dead (1965, March 4). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 1. Retrieved May 19, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article131758981 Includes two photos of the fire in North Eltham “Firemen make for safety as fire rages in Upper Glen Park Road, North Eltham, Victoria. The smoke hides a house.” and “A house explodes into flames at North Eltham, Victoria. Firemen said bottled gas went up.” Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Thursday 4 March 1965, page 1 ________________________________________ Firemen make for safety as fire rages in Upper Glen Park Road. North Eltham. Victoria. The smoke hides a house. A house explodes into flames at North Eltham. Victoria. Firemen said bottled gas went up. Bushfires rage in Victoria, Snowy: Three dead MELBOURNE, Wednesday.—Three people died today in a bush» fire which raged through North Eltham, about 15 miles from Melbourne. The victims were three men. A fourth man is feared to be dead. Another bushfire. sparked off by the heatwave sizzling over south-eastern Australia, is burning out of control in the Kosciusko State Park, in the Snowy Mountains. Firefighters fear that if it reaches pine forests up the Yarrangobilly River, they will be powerless to stop it. The three victims of the North Eltbam fire were trapped by flames in a valley. Their bodies were found only a few yards apart. They were named by police tonight as Mr. George Crowe, 78, of North Eltham, William John Ewers, 64, and John Laurence Coleman, 31, both of Eltham. The other two have not been identified. They are believed to be a man aged about 40 and an 18-year-old youth. At least 12 homes were destroyed by the fire, the worst in Victoria since 1962, when eight lives were lost and hundreds of homes burnt down at Warrandyte. At one time the township of Eltham was threatened, but a cool change swept in from the south and held back the wall of flames. More than 100 dogs, worth about £4,000, died when the fire raced through two kennels in Short Street, Eltham. and Upper Glen Park Road, North Eltham. A trickle of water Residents ran into the streets as the blaze raced towards their houses. Others frantically dug firebreaks around their homes. Mrs. Sue Recourt wept when firemen arrived while she was vainly trying to stop the flames with a trickle of water from the garden hose. A stack of firewood was blazing, but the firemen managed to save the house and rescue four goats. Many homes in Eltham were saved after flames had crept to within feet of their fences. Students at North Eltham State School had to be evacuated when the blaze threatened the building. Fire fighters were severely hampered by lack of water and narrow roads. The blaze, which began in above century heat, turned toward Wattle Glen, where two houses were gutted. Then the flames raced towards Hurstbridge to the north. Firemen battling desperately, controlled the fire late this afternoon. Five forest fires were still burning in Victoria tonight.   IN VICTORIA THIS WEEK Tragic lack of central fire authority (1965, March 9). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 2. Retrieved May 19, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article131759928 Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Tuesday 9 March 1965, page 2 ________________________________________ IN VICTORIA THIS WEEK Tragic lack of central fire authority From Rohan Rivett It was the worst week for Victorian fire fighters since Black Friday 27 years ago. On that day one pilot up in a spotter plane said afterwards: "It seemed at times that half the State was on fire." This time, for three days on end, Gippsland men, women and children had moments of conviction that their towns would have blackened into anonymity before the weekend was out. The week began with horror at Eltham on the North-eastern edge of Melbourne. Eltham today is something of an artists' colony. Oil painters, water colourists, potters and sculptors proliferate. A number of University folk have emulated the example of Professor MacMahon Ball who pioneered the way by moving to Eltham and carving a home out of the bush in the thirties. Innermost Eltham is barely 14 miles from the G.P.O. Farthest Eltham stretches miles beyond. It served to illustrate the tragi-ludicrous truncation of Victoria's fire control. Part of Eltham is under the protection of the Melbourne Fire Brigade. But this responsibility ceases at some invisible and incomprehensible line — apparently determined by the meanderings of the water mains. At this point everybody's property throughout the rest of Eltham is dependent on the Country Fire Authority. Half an hour before midday on Wednesday, a fire suddenly started on the West side of Upper Glen road on the edge of Eltham. Before the fire brigade could arrive, it was burning on a widening front through timber and high grass north of Eltham. Two wind changes in rapid succession saw the fire leaping Diamond Creek. With a freshening wind it struck home after home in three streets. More than one of them exploded suddenly as if hit by an incendiary bomb. There is no piped gas in the Eltham area, hence many housewives use bottle gas. The flames outside caused the bottles to explode. Altogether twelve homes were completely incinerated and four more were badly damaged. Thirty prize dogs perished. About three hours after the fire started it raced suddenly down a gully hillside trapping an elderly man. Two other men apparently raced to the rescue. Flames caught the three men within yards of each other, not 200 yards off the Upper Glen Park Road where safety lay. They were burned to death. Next evening an angry and convincing secretary of the Fire Brigade Union, Mr. W. M. Webber, came on television and appealed to the people of Victoria to end the ridiculous and dangerous dualism in fire-fighting control. The Eltham fire, he said, had precisely illustrated the situation. The Metropolitan Fire Brigade area touched Eltham, but where the fire had gutted and killed, was just outside its area. Mr. Webber said his union had constantly urged one authority for the State with a complete reorganisation of fire protection. On Wednesday the union had repeated its call for an inquiry into fire protection in Victoria to the Chief Secretary, Mr Rylah. "No matter how close the liaison between the two organisations, there are always divided sections of thinking," Mr. Webber told viewers. "I don't know how much tragedy the com-munity can take before it demands that it is properly protected." Rumours that differences in gauge between taps and hose nozzles (as between the two authorities) accentuated the damage were denied by fire chiefs who said that all appliances were now carrying adaptors so that hoses could be linked to mains everywhere. But there is grave concern in the Metropolitan Fire Brigade's higher councils at the action of several Federal authorities with projects in and around Melbourne. They are installing non-standard equipment without reference to the State authorities or any dovetailing of appliances and equipment. Public alarm was not diminished by the publication on Friday and Saturday of a heart tearing letter from the young widow of John Lawrence Coleman, 31 year old father of two, who had died in the flames apparently trying to rescue the old man trapped in the gully. By that time, a Vast area of Gippsland was in flames and the troops had been sent in to back up the overworked and often helpless fire-fighters. By Saturday, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Stoneham, who has previously demanded a Royal Commission into fire-fighting arrangements, repeated his demand. To add to the Chief Secretary's worries he was publicly rebuked for allegedly implying on television that lives had been lost at Eltham because people went to the wrong place at the wrong time. In a letter to the Press, Professor MacMahon Ball pointed out that two of the men involved were experienced bushmen who had gone "to help an old man in great danger fully aware of the danger to themselves". As Victoria faced its sixth day of total State-wide fire ban, it looked likely that even official resistance was not going to silence the demand for one central authority to control the fire fiend. At the moment, the 400 square miles where two million Victorians live in Greater Melbourne are divorced from the rest of the State in planning, communications, equipment and control of personnel. No one doubts the whole-hearted co-operation and willingness to back each other up of the M.F.B. and the C.F.A., both at top-level and among the firemen themselves. However, when a city straggles so deeply into the country side, the absence of a single authority, to oversee and analyse the fire threat as a whole, suggests suicidal policy of divide and fuel. Emphasis of the tragic loss of a member of a pioneering family who died whilst helping others in his communitybushfire, cfa, country fire authority, fire brigrade, glen park road, heroes, john lawrence coleman, north eltham, victorian bushfires - 1965, volunteers, william john elwers, fire fighter, frank martin, george john crowe, ken gaston, orchard avenue, doug mummery, helen oliver, mrs henry marsden, mrs moureen ellis

Return Ball, Entrée Card with blue printing. Ball held at the Town Hall, Thursday, 12th July, 1951. Cr N.J. Oliver, Mayor. Ticket in name of Miss E. Goetze and numbered 315.document, invitations, mayoral ball, document, return ball entrée card, cr & mrs n j oliver, miss e goetze

Belonged to Mrs Calder Oliver (Donor's mother)Bobbin lace. Large bertha collar of Maltese lace.

Belonged to Mrs Calder Oliver (donor's mother)Bobbin lace. A large Maltese lace collar.

Charlton Methodist Church c.1928Sepia Photograph/postcard of Ladies Guild Charlton Methodist Church c. 1928 in front of church Back - ? , ? , Marion Jenkins, ? , Murtle Jenkins, Miss Rotherham, ? , ? , Lois Proctor, Mrs Dew Centre - Mrs Olive Curnow, ? , ? , Gladys Procter, Edith Curnow, Linda Jenkins, Cassie Curnow Front - Mrs Armitage, Hilda Jenkins, Edna Shorton, Mrs Curnow Rev. A.G. Day Charlton Minister 1924 -1929 (on back?)charlton methodist church, dew, jenkins, rotherham, proctor, curnow, armitage, shorton

Fashion accessory. Home made or hobby lace. Belonged to Mrs Calder Oliver (donor's mother)Tape lace dress front. Machine made tapes with needle made fillings