1239.1 - Notice to BTPS members about a Social Meeting to be held at St. Cuthbert's Church Hall, Sturt St. West on 27 Jan. 1972. Notes an inspection of the proposed track to Wendouree Parade and work commenced on the depot foundations. Signed by Hal Cain, President. Printed on pink paper using Stencil process. 1239.2 - Appeal form or notice to members, seeking funds to cover the cost of acquisition of tram No. 33, ($750) and transport ($450) from Hamilton. Gives notes on history of 33 in Hamilton. Donations to be sent to the Treasurer, Mrs. Dean in Box Hill. Gives date of return of tram 33 to Ballarat as 28 April 1977. Printed on yellow paper with duplicator process.1239.2 has "Nancy's" in top right hand corner in blue ink.museums btps, appeals, hamilton, social meetings

Bendigo Advertiser ''The way we were'' from 2001. Gathering: a rifle Brigade Hotel social club meeting at Axedale reserve, early 1940. The clip is in a folder.newspaper, bendigo advertiser, the way we were

Combined Pensioners' Association Minute Book contains detailed minutes of general and committee meetings of this group 18/5/61 to 15/11/62, with meetings held at Unity Hall. Additional activities, such as Social Afternoons and meeting of sub-committees such as The Entertainment Committee are included in these handwritten minutes.bendigo, clubs

The Mechanics Institute, built c 1890, was the focal point for the Cheltenham area's social activities, public meetings, adult education, etc. until its demolition 1960 when a new Cheltenham Hall was erectedThe early settlers erected this Mechanics Institute prior to 1900 as a public meeting place, library, temperance hall and it was used for social eventsBlack & White photograph in the Moorabbin News c 1960 showing the Mechanics Institute, c1900 Nepean Highway Cheltenhamcheltenham mechanics institute, cheltenham temperance hall, cheltenham church of christ, keys robert, lepage everet, moorabin news, leader newspapers, horse drawn carts, toll gates brighton, motor cars 1900, steam engines, early settlers, bentleigh, mckinnon, parish of moorabbin, city of moorabbin, county of bourke, moorabbin roads board, shire of moorabbin, henry dendy's special survey 1841, were j.b.; bent thomas, o'shannassy john, king richard, charman stephen, highett william, ormond francis, maynard dennis, market gardeners, vineyards, orchards

Contents: • Next meeting, Speaker Panel: The Twentieth Century and Beyond • Office Bearers 2000 • Subscriptions 2000/2001 • Social Activities • May Meeting – The Twentieth Century and Beyond • Kangaroo Ground Excursion • President’s Report • More Newsy Items The Shire of Eltham Historical Society was formed in October 1967. The first newsletter of the Society was issued May 1978 and has been published continuously ever since on a bi-monthly basis. With the cessation of the Shire of Eltham in late 1994, the Society's name was revised to Eltham District Historical Society and this name first appeared with issue No. 103, July 1995. The collection of the Society's newsletters provides a valuable resource on the history of the Society's activities, office bearers and committee members, guest speakers and subjects of historical interest pertinent to the former Shire of Eltham and the Eltham District.A4 photocopied newsletter distributed to membersnewsletter, eltham district historical society, shire of eltham historical society

The Sunbury Memorial Hall was originally the Sunbury Mechanics Institute, until after World War 1. Over the years it has been the site for many different functions from social to local government meetings. The parkland in the foreground was Stawell Street, which was closed off to become included in the Village Green passive recreation area in 1979. St. Mary's Anglican Church is in the middle distance.Many social gatherings have taken place in both the hall and the Village Green over the years and is used constantly today. A coloured photograph of a cream rendered hall with a small porch in the front. A bluestone church is set in parkland in the middle distance. The street ends when a low growing hedge has been planted across from the hall boundary.sunbury memorial hall, mechanics institute, sunbury village green, st. mary's church of england

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Digital file only - Black and white photo print on loan for scanning by EDHSalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Digital file only - Black and white photo print on loan for scanning by EDHSalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Digital file only - Black and white photo print on loan for scanning by EDHSalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Born digitalalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Digital file only - Black and white photo print on loan for scanning by EDHSalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Digital file only - Black and white photo print on loan for scanning by EDHSalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Digital file only - Black and white photo print on loan for scanning by EDHSalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Digital file only - Black and white photo print on loan for scanning by EDHSalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

"The Mechanics Institute movement flourished in Victoria from 1839 to 1950. It was based on the development of Mechanics’ Institutes in Scotland and England from the 1820s, which were intended to educate and enlighten the working classes. The term ‘mechanic’ in those days meant an artisan, craftsman or working man, especially those who had moved from rural areas to work in new city factories during the Industrial Revolution. The early Institutes were usually equipped with a reading room, a library and a lecture room. Although enjoying mixed success in Britain, they contributed to the development of public education and library services. The movement was adopted more enthusiastically in the colonies. It began slowly in Victoria but its expansion after the gold rushes population influx was rapid, especially in rural areas. Every suburb and town wanted to have a Mechanics’ Institute. During the 1850s approximately forty Institutes were established, with even greater growth in the period 1860 to 1900. By 1900 there were 400 Institutes in Victoria. The establishment of a Mechanics’ Institute was often a great achievement for a local community, requiring organising committees to raise substantial funds for a building site (where this had not been granted by the Government), and the building. Once built, the committee then had to purchase books, provide a caretaker or librarian, and finance the ongoing use of and improvements to the building. ‘The history of many Institutes is a story of tremendous community effort, and often, financial difficulties’. In addition to being monuments to local enterprise and community life, the Mechanics’ Institutes played a vital role as an intellectual forum, and in contributing to an informed and participatory democracy in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They provided journals and other reading matter on local, state, national and international issues, and hosted of lectures and held debates about wider issues such as Federation, colonial nationalism, defence, female suffrage, the price of land and labour. With the development of the school and technical education in the latter part of the nineteenth century, the need for community technical and adult education declined. As a result of the introduction of government library grants in 1867, many Mechanics’ Institutes incorporated a free library in their buildings to finance collection of their books. By 1884-85, there were 257 free libraries in Victoria. However, government support and library grants dropped off in the 1890s depression. Entertainment took on a greater role in the 1890s, with the introduction of moving pictures, billiards rooms, games rooms (chess), concerts and dances. The First World War had a devastating impact on many rural communities, and some Mechanics’ Institutes were no longer viable. On the other hand the early twentieth century was also a time of agricultural development, and many country towns were growing in this period. The 1930s depression further limited growth of many libraries and reduced grants substantially. In response many Mechanics’ Institutes were renamed, for example as memorial halls, in order to retain and attract more patrons (eg at nearby Sunbury). The diminishing role for Mechanics’ Institutes and the preference for larger and better appointed halls (with supper rooms, cloak rooms etc) resulted in demolition of some small Institutes. The advent of cars, radios, and television also provided other opportunities for recreation, learning and entertainment. The greater role of municipalities in providing library services also eroded the need for free libraries. While over 500 Mechanics’ Institutes or halls are extant, very few of these retain their original role as ‘diffusers of useful knowledge’. Most are still available for community purposes, as venues for meetings, socials, civic occasions etc, while others are employed as museums, shops and theatres. Most buildings are on Crown land, and managed by a delegated committee of management, who are responsible for raising revenue to maintain aging buildings. Many of those which were originally established on private land, such as Melton, have since reverted back to the Crown, and municipal Councils. The most common Mechanics Institute building form is the simple weatherboard gable building with iron roofs, notable for their ‘honest simplicity’ rather than as ‘monuments of the ancients’. At the other extreme there are some magnificent two storeyed brick and stucco structures with elaborate ornamentation (as was apparently envisaged by some in Melton in 1905-10)". The future of Melton Mechanic Institute Gazette articlelocal architecture

A large collection of photos and documents relating to the Spaldings factory in Sunshine. These items were given to the Sunshine & District Historical Society Inc. at a reunion of ex employees of Spaldings held 24th October 2002.717.01 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - L to R Margaret Donaldson, Phyl Shimmin, Dawn Hancock 717.01 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - L to R Margaret Donaldson, Phyl Shimmin, Dawn Hancock Back 717.02 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Dawn Hancock 717.02 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Dawn Hancock Back 717.03 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Gwen Howlett & Phyl Shimmin 717.03 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Gwen Howlett & Phyl Shimmin Back 717.04 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Gwen Howlett & Phyl Shimmin 717.04 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Gwen Howlett & Phyl Shimmin Back 717.05 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Golf Ball Painting Machine 717.05 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Golf Ball Painting Machine Back 717.06 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Golf Ball Painting Machine 717.06 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Golf Ball Painting Machine Back 717.07 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Golf Ball Painting Machine Front 717.07 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Golf Ball Painting Machine Back 717.08 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Golf Ball Painting Machine 717.08 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Golf Ball Painting Machine Back 717.09 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Valda Davies, Maureen Rau, Margaret Baker, Phyl Shimmin, Dorothy Dunn & Dawn Hancock 717.09 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Valda Davies, Maureen Rau, Margaret Baker, Phyl Shimmin, Dorothy Dunn & Dawn Hancock Back 717.10 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Faye Unknown, Hanock, Thomson, McDarnid, Flemming, Taylor, Shimmin, Trembath, Dwyer, Omant 717.10 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Faye Unknown, Hanock, Thomson, McDarnid, Flemming, Taylor, Shimmin, Trembath, Dwyer, Omant, Whiteside, Unknown, Watson & Unknown 717.11 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Noreen Omant, Dahpne Thomson, Valda Davies, Phyl Shimmin, Iris Handley, M. Memeanett, J. Whiteside, P. Twigg & J. Taylor 717.11 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Noreen Omant, Dahpne Thomson, Valda Davies, Phyl Shimmin, Iris Handley, M. Memeanett, J. Whiteside, P. Twigg & J. Taylor Back 717.11 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Noreen Omant, Dahpne Thomson, Valda Davies, Phyl Shimmin, Iris Handley, M. Memmeanett, J. Whiteside, P. Twigg & J. Taylor 717.11 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Noreen Omant, Dahpne Thomson, Valda Davies, Phyl Shimmin, Iris Handley, M. Memmeanett, J. Whiteside, P. Twigg & J. Taylor Back 717.12 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Palmer, Watson, Andrews, McKenize, Menhennet, King, Davies, Hanley, Inglis, Hjorth, Shimmin & Omant 717.12 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Palmer, Watson, Andrews, McKenize, Menhennet, King, Davies, Hanley, Inglis, Hjorth, Shimmin & Omant Back 717.13 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Phyl Shimmin 717.13 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Phyl Shimmin Back 717.14 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Jenny Hill, Doris Leece, Nella Zammit, Vicki Unknown, Karen Millman, Noreen Omant & Phyl Shimmin 717.14 - A.G. Spaldings Collection -- Jenny Hill, Doris Leece, Nella Zammit, Vicki Unknown, Karen Millman, Noreen Omant & Phyl Shimmin Back 717.15 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Valda Davies, Jack Mawhinney, Phyl Shinnin & Joan Fleming 717.15 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Valda Davies, Jack Mawhinney, Phyl Shinnin & Joan Fleming Back 717.16 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Andrews, Kowk, Unkn, Shimmin, Menhennet, McKenzie, Unkn, Unkn, Omant, Inglis, Handley, Watson, Thomson, Taylor & Hjort 717.16 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Andrews, Kowk, Unknown, Shimmin, Menhennet, McKenzie, Unkn, Unkn, Omant, Inglis, Handley, Watson, Thomson, Taylor & Horth Back 717.17 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Taylor, Davies, Watson, Thomson, Koek, Omant, Smith, Whitton, Shimmin, Rau, Hampley, Coughlin & Lewis 717.17 - A.G. Spaldings Collection -Taylor, Davies, Watson, Thomson, Koek, Omant, Smith, Whitton, Shimmin, Rau, Hampley, Coughlin & Lewis Back 717.18 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Ike Burns, Margaret Johnson, Joyce Arnold, Kath Atkins, Max Smith, Phyl Shimmin 717.18 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Ike Burns, Margaret Johnson, Joyce Arnold, Kath Atkins, Max Smith, Phyl Shimmin Back 717.19 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Tennis Rackets & Tennis Balls 717.20 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Tennis Rackets 717.21 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Tennis Rackets & Basket Balls 717.22 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Soccer Balls & Bags 717.23 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - John Schmidt, Phyl Simmin, Pieter de Blaun & Arthur Mills 717.23 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - John Schmidt, Phyl Simmin, Pieter de Blaun & Arthur Mills Back 717.24 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - L to R Ron Cameron, Phyl Shimmin, Noel Aldenhoven & Peter Schafer 717.24 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - L to R Ron Cameron, Phyl Shimmin, Noel Aldenhoven & Peter Schafer Back 717.25 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Van der Hurk, Mills, Tribe, Stucey, Gathercole, May, De Blaun, Shimmin, Omant, Harris, Hume, Clemson & Goudie Back 717.25 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Van der Hurk, Mills, Tribe, Stucey, Gathercole, May, De Blaun, Shimmin, Omant, Harris, Hume, Clemson & Goudie 717.26 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Joyce Arnold, Ann Cottee & Margaret Johnson 717.26 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Joyce Arnold, Ann Cottee & Margaret Johnson Back 717.27 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Tom Tribe & Barry Priest 717.27 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Tom Tribe & Barry Priest Back 717.28 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - D. de Blawn, L. Davidson, N. Omant, J. Schmidt, P. Shimmin, P. de Blawn & A. Mills 717.28 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - D. de Blawn, L. Davidson, N. Omant, J. Schmidt, P. Shimmin, P. de Blawn & A. Mills Back 717.29 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Dave Harris, Noreem Omant & Phyl Shimmin 717.29 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Dave Harris, Noreem Omant & Phyl Shimmin Back 717.30 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Factory Maintenance Crew Allan Hariman, Alec Masson, Edgar Schultz & Dave Jones Back 717.30 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Factory Maintenance Crew Allan Hariman, Alec Masson, Edgar Schultz & Dave Jones 717.31 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Factory Maintenance Crew Edgar Schultz & Dave Jones Back 717.31 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Factory Maintenance Crew Edgar Schultz & Dave Jones 717.32 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Tony Casun (Right) & Unknown (Left) 717.32 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Tony Casun (Right) & Unknown (Left) Back 717.33 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Tony Cascun (Middle), Louis (Right), Leone Zerafa (Front) & Unknown (Left) Back 717.33 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Tony Cascun (Middle), Louis (Right), Leone Zerafa (Front) & Unknown (Left) 717.34 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Leone Zerafa 717.34 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Leone Zerafa Back 717.35 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Spaldings 25 Years Service Roll 717.36 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - 1978 Years Of Service Presentation 717.36 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - 1979 Years Of Service Presentation 717.36 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - 1980 Years Of Service Presentation 717.36 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - 1981 Years Of Service Presentation 717.36 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - 1982 Years Of Service Presentation 717.36 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - 1983 Years Of Service Presentation 717.36 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - 1984 Years Of Service Presentation 717.36 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - 1985 Years Of Service Presentation 717.36 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - 1986 Years Of Service Presentation 717.36 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - 1987 Years Of Service Presentation 717.36 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - 1988 Years Of Service Presentation 717.36 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - 1989 Years Of Service Presentation 717.37 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Spalding On Q Newsletter Volume 3 No 4 April 1972 717.37 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Spalding On Q Newsletter Volume 4 No 3 March 1973 717.37 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Spalding Questor World Newsletter Volume 5 No 9-11 Sept, Oct - Nov 1974 717.37 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Spalding Questor World Newsletter Volume 7 No 1-3 Jan - March 1976 717.37 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Spalding Questor World Newsletter Volume 7 No 4-7 April - July 1976 717.37 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Spalding Spalding Questor World Newsletter Volume 6 No 1-2 Dec 1974 & Jan - Feb 1975 717.37 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Spalding Spalding Questor World Newsletter Volume 6 No 5-6 May - June 1975 717.37 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - The Spalding Star Newsletter Volume 1 No 1 August 1988 717.37 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - The Spalding Start Newsletter January 1989 717.38 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - 1990 Years Of Service Awards 717.38 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - 1991 Years Of Service Awards 717.38 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - 1992 Years Of Service Awards 717.38 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - 1993 Years Of Service Awards 717.38 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - 1994 Years Of Service Awards 717.38 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - 1995 Years Of Service Awards 717.38 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - 1996 Years Of Service Awards 717.39 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Social Annual General Meeting Minutes 1953 - 1976 717.40 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - 1976 Price List Effective 1st January 1976 717.40 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - 1976 Price List Effective 1st May 1976 717.40 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - 1977 Price List Effective 1st August 1977 717.40 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - 1977 Price List Effective 1st January 1977 717.40 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - 1978 Export Price List 1st August 1978 717.40 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - 1978 Price List Effective 1st February 1978 717.40 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - 1979 Price List Effective 1st December 1979 717.41 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - The Spalding Social & Sports Club Journal From 1934 717.42 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Newspaper Article - That's a lot of balls, fellahs Gary Buckenara & Tommy Tribe 717.43 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Golf Illustrated Article - 1943 Memo Defence Contracts Wood Consumption 717.44 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Golf Illustrated Article - Spaldings From The Beginning Page 72 717.44 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Golf Illustrated Article - Spaldings From The Beginning Page 73 717.44 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Golf Illustrated Article - Spaldings From The Beginning Page 74 717.45 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - The Factory 717.47 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 R - L Stan Henry, Mrs. Betty Henry, Frank Saliba, John Willaton & Laurie Mottin 717.48 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 R - L Stan Henry, Mrs. Betty Henry, Frank Saliba, Mrs Saliba & Laurie Mottin 717.49 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 Norm Carlton 717.50 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 L - R Frank Ford & Norm Carlton 717.51 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 L - R Frank Ford, Unknown & Norm Carlton 717.52 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 L - R Frank Ford, Unknown & Norm Carlton 717.53 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 Unknown 717.54 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 L - R Noram Carlton & Unknown 717.55 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 Unknown 717.56 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 L - R Norm Carlton & Phyl Shimmin 717.57 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 Unknown 717.58 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 Unknown 717.59 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 L - R Norm Carlton & Unknown 717.60 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 L - R Norm Carlton & Ron Cameron 717.61 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 L - R Unknown, Unknown, Unknown & Phyl Shimmin 717.62 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 Crowd 717.63 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 3rd From Left Norm Carlton & 5th From Left John Willaton 717.64 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 Front L - R W. O'Brien, Mrs M. Harrison, D. Parsons & D. Webster 717.65 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 Front L - R Les Noble, Wally O'Brien & Unknown 717.66 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 Crowd 717.67 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 Crowd 717.68 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 Eric Wegener At Table 717.69 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 Crowd 717.70 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 Crowd 717.71 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 L - R Unknown, Unknown, Unknown & Unknown 717.72 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 Spaldings Products 717.73 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 L - R Unknown, Unknown, Unknown & Unknown 717.74 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 L - R Unknown, Unknown, Unknown & Unknown 717.75 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 L - R Unknown, Unknown, Unknown & Unknown 717.76 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 L - R Unknown & Unknown 717.77 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 L - R Unknown, Unknown & Unknown 717.78 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 L - R Unknown, Unknown, Unknown, Unknown & Unknown 717.79 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 Norm Carlton & Unknown 717.80 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 L - R Unknown & Unknown 717.81 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 Mrs B. Foxcroft 717.82 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 2002 Norm Carlton & Unknown 717.85 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Index Folder (Blank) 717.86 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Visitors Book 717.86 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Visitors Book 10th April 2015 717.86 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Visitors Book 28th April 2015 717.86 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Visitors Book Schools Exhibition October 2016 717.87 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 - Spaldings Reminiscence Day Large Flyer 717.87 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 - Spaldings Reminiscence Day Small Flyer 717.87 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 Documents - A Glimpse From The Past By Alma Smith 717.87 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 Documents - How Tennis Balls Are Made 717.87 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 Documents - How Tennis Rackets Are Made 717.87 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 Documents - Letter Norm Anderson 717.87 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 Documents - Newspaper Article A Tribute To The Past P. Shimmin, R. Cameron & N. Carlton 717.87 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 Documents - Newspaper Article Spalding Returns Serve J. May, P. Shimmin, N. Omant & J. Arnold 717.87 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 Documents - Reunion Attendence List No 1 717.87 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 Documents - Reunion Attendence List No 2 717.87 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 Documents - Spaldings Family Planning Reunion D. Coupe, P. Shimmin & R. Cameron 717.87 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 Documents - Spaldings Sporting Goods Products 717.87 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Reunion 2002 Documents - Splading Our Fifty Years In Australia 717.88 - A.G. Spaldings Collection - Spaldings Cricket Team Premiers B Grade Season 1936-37 Team Photographspaldings, ballarat road, sunshine north

The Warrnambool Amateur Turf Club was first formed in September 1859, but didn't become a properly constituted club until April 1873, when a meeting was held at the Commercial Hotel, now the Whaler's Inn, and a committee was elected.Part of the present racecourse of 100 acres was set aside as a racing and recreation reserve in August 1855. It is one of the finest racecourses in Australia, ringed by the gentle slopes of a huge basin.The first race meeting was held on the course in August 1858. The Warrnambool Racing Club has managed racing at Warrnambool since it was formed on 5 April 1873.Apart from a number of smaller meetings held throughout the year, the feature of racing in the district is the Grand Annual Steeplechase. The first steeplechase over the now famous cross-country course was run on 13th June 1872 then known as the Grand Annual Steeplechase. The paddocks now know as Brierly and Granters were first used on that date. The course, over four miles, was made up of different kinds of jumps including a stone wall, a log fence, a ditch and parapet, a paling fence and numerous post and rails. The name Grand Annual was first used for this steeplechase in May 1895. It is the longest horse race in Australia, and the thirty three fences of the course, the most of any steeplechase in the world is raced over 5,500 metres. The three day May racing carnival is the major racing event on the horseracing and social calendar. Many of these race booklets relate to those May meetings. The Warrnambool Racecourse has been the home of district racing clubs such as Woodford, Purnim and Koroit over the latter part of the 20th century. The Woodford Racing club holds their annual meeting after Christmas each year. The Winslow races were held from approximately mid-19th century to around 1946. It began as a small picnic race club in Tobin’s paddock to a splendid race course on the property, “Green Hills” owned by Mr. John O’Keefe about one mile north of the Winslow township.. The annual meetings held on New Year’s Day drew crowds of seven to eight thousand people. All of these books contains family names which in some cases are still strongly linked to horse racing in the district.These booklets are a tangible link to a great sporting and social event in the Western District. A collection of programmes for race meetings. They relate to Warrnambool, Woodford, Purnim, Winslow and Victoria Racing Club meetings in the period 1922 to 1931. All are soft card covers with approximately 16 pages in each in white paper. They are numbered as follows: 001250.1 WRC Soft green cover with blue text 01/05/1923 001250.2 WRC Mauve cover with blue text 03/05/1923 001250.3 WRC fawn cover with red text 06/05/1924 001250.4 WRC Orange cover with blue text 08/05/1924 001250.5 WRC Soft green cover with light brown text 05/05/1925 001250.6 WRC Soft green cover with red text 07/05/1925 001250.7 WRC fawn cover with brown text 04/05/1926 001250.8 Woodford racing Club soft pink cover, Blue text 01/04/1922 001250.9 Woodford racing Club green cover, Blue text 07/04/1923 001250.9 Woodford racing Club grey cover, Blue text 05/04/1924 001250.10 Woodford racing Club grey cover, Blue text 05/04/1924 001250.11 Woodford Racing Club green cover, Blue text 22/11/1924 001250.12 Woodford Racing Club green cover, brown text 04/04/1925 001250.13 Woodford Racing Club orange cover, blue text 10/04/1926 001250.14 Woodford Racing Club pink cover, green text 10/04/1926 001250.15 Warrnambool Racing Club pink cover, blue text 18/11/1922 001250.16 Warrnambool Racing Club pink cover, red text 13/11/1926 001250.17 Warrnambool Racing Club cream cover, brown text 15/11/1924 001250.18 Warrnambool Racing Club cream cover, green text 18/01/1922 001250.19 Warrnambool Racing Club grey cover, blue text 15/01/1924 001250.20 Warrnambool Racing Club cream cover, blue text 13/01/1925 001250.21 Warrnambool Racing Club pink cover, blue text 15/01/1925 001250.22 Warrnambool Racing Club olive green cover, blue text 12/01/1926 001250.23 Warrnambool Racing Club blue cover, blue text 14/01/1926 001250.24 Warrnambool Racing Club soft green cover, blue text 13/01/1931 001250.24 Warrnambool Racing Club orange cover, black text 16/01/1930 001250.25 Warrnambool Racing Club orange cover, black text 16/01/1930 001250.26 Purnim Racing Club green cover, blue text 19/05/1924 001250.27 Winslow Racing Club pink cover,black text 21/04/1923 001250.28 Winslow Racing Club green cover,black text 06/12/1924 001250.29 Victoria Racing Club cream cover,green text 11/07//1923 001250.30 Victoria Racing Club cream cover, red text 14/07//1923 Most of the booklets have markings with place getters and jockeys marked in pencil. Warrnambool Racing club books have R U Forbes, C T Alexander A H Davies and William White as secretaries. Woodford club has Thomas Gleeson as secretary, Winslow 's secretary is W Latta and Purnim is P J Kelly. The local booklets are printed by The Modern Print Co Koroit St Warrnambool.warrnambool, warrnambool racing club, winslow racing club, woodford racing club, purnim racing club, victoria racing club

This is a trophy awarded by an association of Friendly Societies in Warrnambool in 1933. Friendly or Benefit Societies have operated in Warrnambool since 1860 when the Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows Lodge was formed. Benefit societies such as this were set up mainly for social reasons and to assist members in times of sickness or to provide insurance in case of illness or hardship. Other societies had specific aims such as the promotion of temperance or allegiance to a particular church or country. The Australian Natives Association (A.N.A.) the winner of this trophy was set up in Warrnambool in the late 19th century and it was an active society with regular meetings, discussion groups, lectures and campaigns for the social justice issues of the day. The A.N.A. in Australia was influential in promoting nationalism and campaigning for Federation. The A.N.A merged with the M.U.I.O.O.F some years ago and operates today as the benefit group, Australia Unity. The trophy won by A.N.A. in 1933 was for quoits, a popular indoor game in the 1930s and still played today, mainly on social occasions. This trophy is of interest as it dates from the 1930s and is connected with the Warrnambool Friendly Societies of the time and especially the Australian Natives Association (A.N.A.)This is an electro plated nickel silver cup with two side handles, a short stem and a round silver base. An inscription is on one side of the cup. The cup is much stained. ‘Warrnambool & District United Friendly Benefit Societies Association Quoits 1933 Won by A.N.A.’friendly societies warrnambool, australian natives association warrnambool

This saucer came from the Warrnambool Congregational Church and was probably part of a set of crockery used by the church members at social gatherings. The Warrnambool Congregational Church was founded in 1862 when Robert Winton and Thomas Nayler conducted a meeting in Warrnambool to consider the possibility of forming a local Independent church. The first minister was William Pentland and the first church was in Liebig Street. A notable member of the Congregational Church was Samuel Nettleton who was the Superintendent of the Sunday School for 60 years. In 1940 a new church was opened in Henna Street. In 1973 there was a merger of the Congregational Church and the Methodist Church, resulting in the formation of the Uniting Church in 1977. In 1976 the former Congregational Church in Henna Street was sold to the Salvation Army. This saucer is of interest as a memento of the former Congregational Church in Warrnambool. It comes from the early 20th century days when the church would have had a strong following in the city. This is a cream-coloured saucer with double gold edging around the outer rim. The lettering in the middle of the saucer is black and white. The inside of the saucer is much stained. ‘Warrnambool Congregational Church’warrnambool congregational church, history of warrnambool

This is one of a series of eighteen plaques which commemorated some of the winner of the Grand Annual Steeplechase which is held each year in Warrnambool. The first Grand Annual was held in 1872 as the Warrnambool Handicap Steeplechase. Buxton was the winner in 1963. Local racing steward of 50 years experience, Mr Frank Beattie, ranks the performance of buxton as among the best. He won the Brierly steeplechase on the Tuesday of the 3 day race meeting and won the grand Annual two days later ridden by jockey Noel Cole. This series of plaques were painted by local artist Leslie Lamey and were originally in the members enclosure at the Warrnambool RacecourseThese items relate to a significant part of Warrnambool's sporting and social history..1 Painted white rectangular tin plaque with rolled edges with painting of jockeys silks and cap. The colours are green brown and yellow in opposing squares on the front with brown sleeves. The cap is yellow. Six holes are around the edge. .2 Galvanised rectangular brass plate with engraved black text .1 Buxton and Hoadsville in red and black texta on back of plaque. .2 Mr & Mrs K Bullock BUXTON Winner of the Grand Annual Steeplechase 1963.warrnambool, grand annual steeplechase, noel cole, buxton

This minute book documents activities, meetings and finances of the Childers Cove Progress Association between 1932 and 1938. Meetings were held in various location including the Criterion Hotel, Mepunga School, Cove School and the homes of various members.This minute book is of social and historic significance naming many district families associated with this community organisation in the period 1932-1938Red ink stamp Childers Cove Progress Associationchilders cove progress association, minute book, drake, laidlaw, mcgennan, abraham, murnane, mcdowall, keogh, boyle, bonnett, criterion hotel, mepunga school, cove school

The Centenary of Warrnambool in 1947 drew crowds of 20000. It was generally felt that the celebrations excelled anything that had been seen in the city in the last 100 years. There were numerous activities held over the weekend including an elaborate street parade which was followed by joining the 4500 children at sports and picnic celebrations at the showgrounds. The Warrnambool and District Turf club also held a race meeting to aid the Hospital and raised 740 pounds. It was estimated that 20000 attended the finale bonfire and fireworks in Albert Park. This is a hand made item to commemorate the occasion. This item has local historical, artistic and social significance as it relates to a major event in the history of the city.Crocheted rectangular with angled corners, doyley with Warrnambool centenary 1847- 1947 worked in pattern in centre of piece. Cream linen.Warrnambool 1847 Centenary 1947warrnambool, warrnambool centenary , warrnambool centenary 1947, centenary doyley 1947,

The Rotunda in the Warrnambool Botanic gardens was constructed in 1913 at a cost of 297 pounds. It is situated toward the central eastern side of the gardens and is visible from many viewpoints in the gardens. The building is octagonal in shape with a steeply pitched tiled roof with the bandstand open area elevated to approximately 3 metres. The gardens designed by William Guilfoyle, commenced in 1866 have been a popular meeting place as well as entertainment and social community events. This dish would have been a souvenir or memento. A common souvenir type object .Small white china dish with square baseand fluted sides and lined edge.Transfer print of the rotunda at the Warrnambool Botanic gardens in black. fine black line around edge of dish.Botanic Gardens Warrnambool in black text below print on front of dish, made in Cechoslov 12 below crown with RKG inside the crown.warrnambool, warrnambool gardens rotunda, warrnambool botanic gardens

This plate comes from the Congregational Church in Warrnambool. It was probably part of a set of crockery used by church members at social events. The Warrnambool Congregational Church was established in 1862 when Robert Winton and Thomas Nayler set up a meeting to discuss the possibility of establishing an Independent Church in Warrnambool. The first minister was William Pentland and the first church was opened in 1864 in Liebig Street. Samuel Nettleton was a notable early church member, being Superintendent of the Sunday School for 60 years. A new church was opened in Henna Street in 1940. In 1973 the Congregational Church merged with the Methodist Church to form the Uniting Church in 1977. In 1976 the former Congregational Church in Henna Street was sold to the Salvation Army. This plate is of interest as a memento of the former Congregational Church in Warrnambool. In the early to mid 20th century this church was a strong and influential force in the Warrnambool community. This is a cream-coloured dinner plate made of china. The gold bands around the edge of the plate are now almost obliterated. The lettering in the middle of the plate is black and white. The plate has several chips on the edge and is somewhat stainedWarrnambool Congregational Church’warrnambool congregational church

The glass comes from Eckers Hotel (Dooleys/Taylors/Eckers Hotel), once a well-known hotel in Warrnambool (on the east side of Liebig Street, between Lava and Koroit Streets). It was established by James Dooley in 1875 and closed in 1962. Joseph Ecker, who changed the name to 'Eckers' in 1913, was the licensee from 1910 to 1932. The name 'Eckers' was retained until the hotel closed. Eckers Hotel had a fine reputation as a comfortable and well-managed hotel and many sporting meetings were held there. The hotel building was demolished and the site today is occupied by an estate agency.This item has social significance significance as a glass with an inscription of a Warrnambool hotel (Eckers) and retained by a patron (Harry Heathcote, a local Warrnambool man) when the hotel closed. A drinking vessel made of clear glass. It is cracked from top to bottomWarrnambool, 'Eckers Hotel' Map of Australia with 'A.H.A' inscribed inside and the number '7' underneatheckers hotel warrnambool, joseph eckers, warrnambool