The building was designed by Charles Maplestone of Heidelberg, son-in-law to Anthony Beale of St Helena. Maplestone was a prominent architect who came out to Australia with his family in 1852. The foundation stone was laid by Mrs Isabella Maplestone on 11th November 1867. The bricklayers for the church were George Stebbing, H Limmer, H Spicer and a Mr Timm while Thomas Day was the stonemason. Another three years were to pass before sufficient money could be raised for its completion. It was opened by Bishop Perry on 1st November, 1870. The church bell which hung under a tree for 50 years until it was incorporated in the parish hall was brought out from England and presented by Charles Orme. In 1916, the estate of George Martin Pizzey left sufficient money to build the red brick hall, which still stands today (2023) though in January 1969 the hall and bell tower were badly damaged by bushfire. Coincidentally the former home of benefactor, George Pizzey was destroyed in the same fire. Of particular significance are the interior and exterior of the church, the Sunday school and hall with emphasis on pre-World War I fabric (excluding the 1990s additions) and the three coloured glass windows currently suspended in the 1990s entry foyer. In 2011 further alterations were made to the front of the Church. The church is historically significant because it was the oldest public building in the former Diamond Valley Shire, is amongst the oldest buildings in the Shire of Nillumbik and is associated with the early settlement of the Diamond Creek district. The church is historically, socially and spiritually significant because it has been a place of worship for over 150 years and continues to be, an important meeting place in the Shire. The church is aesthetically significant for the three stained glass windows executed by the noted stained glass manufacturers, Ferguson & Urie, as well as the supporting coloured glass windows in the church. The Sunday school & parish hall is architecturally significant because the hall is a well executed and preserved example of the work of noted church architects, North & Williams. It is historically significant because it is connected with local parishioner and Melbourne industrialist, George Pizzey, who bequeathed funds for its construction. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. National Estate Ntionl Trust of Australia (Victoria) Local significance Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p85 References: St Johns Anglican Church complex, Sunday School and Parish Hall 61 Main Street DIAMOND CREEK, NILLUMBIK SHIRE. (2023, June 7). Retrieved from https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/64023 Diamond Creek, VIC. – St John’s Anglican (2023, June 7). Retrieved from https://www.churchhistories.net.au/church-catalog/diamond-creek-vic-st-johns-anglican This collection of almost 130 photos about places and people within the Shire of Nillumbik, an urban and rural municipality in Melbourne's north, contributes to an understanding of the history of the Shire. Published in 2008 immediately prior to the Black Saturday bushfires of February 7, 2009, it documents sites that were impacted, and in some cases destroyed by the fires. It includes photographs taken especially for the publication, creating a unique time capsule representing the Shire in the early 21st century. It remains the most recent comprehenesive publication devoted to the Shire's history connecting local residents to the past. nillumbik now and then (marshall-king) collection, st john's anglican church, diamond creek, parish hall

This is an aerial oblique image looking north. It shows Kew Junction before construction of VicRoads (Country Roads Board), Murphy's (Leo's) supermarket, and office towers. It also shows a building on the land now known as the Raoul Wallenberg Reserve, the Kew Municipal Offices in Walpole Street, and St Paul's School for the Blind in Fernhurst Grove, and Kew Bowling Club in Wellington Street.An aerial photograph of Kew Junction, showing the intersection of High Street South, Studley Park Road, Princess Street, High Street and Denmark Street. A number of buildings, now demolished can be identified in the photo, including Jellis’ Bakeries on the corner of Princess Street and Studley Park Road." Annotation on reverse: "Kew Historical Society from Mr L. H. Chinner".kew junction, aerial photograph (kew), oblique aerial, st paul's school for the blind, kew municipal offices, high street kew, studley park road, kew war memorial, kew post office, kew police station, kew court house, high street south, kew, wellington street kew, denmark street kew

Raheen is a 120 year old Victorian house owned by Richard and Jeanne Pratt. Mrs Jeanne Pratt commissioned the book and this copy was presented to Sue Barnett on a visit by members of the Boroondara Historical Societies. The visit was organised by local member Mr Josh Frydenburg. 92p. ill. bibliog., Raheen was a grand two-storey red brick house in the Italianate Style, with a prominent tower and an arcaded loggia on two levels. This book explores its history, restoration and further development over many years. 92p. ill. bibliog., Raheen was a grand two-storey red brick house in the Italianate Style, with a prominent tower and an arcaded loggia on two levels. This book explores its history, restoration and further development over many years.Endpaper: Surrey Hills Historical Society / Jeanne Pratt / 27/7/2013(mr) ian allen oam, (mr) william lawrence bailieu, ehud barak, (dr) james broadbent, (mr) robert bruce, (mr) george h w bush, (mrs) barbara pierce bush, (mr) arthur calwell, (ms) jane dennithorne, (mr) eamon de valera, (sir) james augustine gobbo, (mr) lloyd hill, (mr) william morris hughes, (lord) (mr) immanuel jakobovits, (mr) philip johnson, (cardinal) (mr) walter kaspar, moshe katsav, (mr) james robert knox, (mr) terence lane, (mr) edward latham, (mr) michael lehany, (dr) (mr) miles lewis, (mr) sam lipski am, (sir) (mr) thomas francis little, (mr) peter lovell, (mr) egidio lunardon, (mr) (cardinal) jean-marie lustiger, (mr) daniel patrick mannix, (sir) (mr) robert gordon menzies, (mr) henry miller, (mr) glen murcutt ao, (mr) benjamin netanyahu, (mr) ngo dinh diem, (mr) phillip nikolitsis, i (eoh) m(eng) pei, (mr) shimon peres, (mr) joseph reed, (mr) yves st laurent, (mr) william salway, (mr) james henry scullin, jessie serle, (mr) justin david simonds, (mrs) heliose waislitz, (miss) heliose pratt, (mr) john wren, (sir) (mr) henry john wrixon, (mr) richard pratt, (mrs) jeanne pratt, raheen, historical buildings, kew, victoria, italianate style, house names

The building was designed by Charles Maplestone of Heidelberg, son-in-law to Anthony Beale of St Helena. Maplestone was a prominent architect who came out to Australia with his family in 1852. The foundation stone was laid by Mrs Isabella Maplestone on 11th November 1867. The bricklayers for the church were George Stebbing, H Limmer, H Spicer and a Mr Timm while Thomas Day was the stonemason. Another three years were to pass before sufficient money could be raised for its completion. It was opened by Bishop Perry on 1st November, 1870. The church bell which hung under a tree for 50 years until it was incorporated in the parish hall was brought out from England and presented by Charles Orme. In 1916, the estate of George Martin Pizzey left sufficient money to build the red brick hall, which still stands today (2023) though in January 1969 the hall and bell tower were badly damaged by bushfire. Coincidentally the former home of benefactor, George Pizzey was destroyed in the same fire. Of particular significance are the interior and exterior of the church, the Sunday school and hall with emphasis on pre-World War I fabric (excluding the 1990s additions) and the three coloured glass windows currently suspended in the 1990s entry foyer. In 2011 further alterations were made to the front of the Church. The church is historically significant because it was the oldest public building in the former Diamond Valley Shire, is amongst the oldest buildings in the Shire of Nillumbik and is associated with the early settlement of the Diamond Creek district. The church is historically, socially and spiritually significant because it has been a place of worship for over 150 years and continues to be, an important meeting place in the Shire. The church is aesthetically significant for the three stained glass windows executed by the noted stained glass manufacturers, Ferguson & Urie, as well as the supporting coloured glass windows in the church. The Sunday school & parish hall is architecturally significant because the hall is a well executed and preserved example of the work of noted church architects, North & Williams. It is historically significant because it is connected with local parishioner and Melbourne industrialist, George Pizzey, who bequeathed funds for its construction. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. National Estate Ntionl Trust of Australia (Victoria) Local significance Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p85 St John’s Anglican Church stands like a beacon on the hill on Main Street, Diamond Creek. Today the church has a large congregation, but its early years were marked by a small congregation struggling to find enough money to survive. It was gold in Diamond Creek that resulted in the building of this National Trust registered property.1 This church is far removed from William Wilson’s humble barn (later the Bowling Green) where the first Anglican church services were conducted – probably the first in the district.2 In the mid 19th century services were infrequent as the Rev Francis Hales, travelling on horseback, also conducted services elsewhere, including at Heidelberg, Coburg, Kinglake, Arthurs Creek, St Andrews and Kangaroo Ground. In 1860 Diamond Creek came under the jurisdiction of the Eltham Parish. Until the mid 1860s the Diamond Creek settlement included only about 20 families who were struggling farmers. But this changed when gold was found in 1862. Then the township grew to 200 families, including miners, civil administration workers and shopkeepers. The resulting growth of Church of England adherents prompted them to petition the Government in 1866 for land to build a church. The area chosen, on which the original building still stands, was at the centre of the proposed township. Today church leaders believe that this conspicuous location is one of the reasons for its exceptional growth. Prominent architect Charles Maplestone designed the building as he did the Presbyterian Church at Kangaroo Ground. St John’s, which is still intact, was built in the Gothic Revival style with the traditional rectangular plan of a central nave and sanctuary at the end. It is typical of small churches built in Victoria at that time, with polychromatic hand-made bricks, a porch, diagonal buttresses and a slate roof.3 The church was officially opened by Lord Bishop Perry on November 1, 1870. But during the next 40 years, due to the varying fortunes of gold mining, the church struggled to remain viable. In 1909 it separated from the Eltham Parish to form a parish with Greensborough. Life became more difficult with the privations of World War One. Then disaster struck in 1915 when fire destroyed the Diamond Creek Gold Mine, wiping out the major livelihood of most parishioners. However the church’s morale was lifted in 1916, when it received a bequest to build the red brick hall, from late parishioner and prominent leather manufacturer, George Pizzey. As prosperity grew, in 1924 the congregation separated from Greensborough, but they rejoined in the 1930s Depression. In the 1950s the wider population soared, impacting on St John’s, and it became a separate parish, becoming responsible for six churches at St Andrews, Hazel Glen, Hurstbridge, St Helena and Yarrambat. As parishioner numbers outgrew the building, extensions were added in 1989 and then in 1993, blending in well with the original building. Church members have made a huge contribution to the local community. John Ryan was a Heidelberg Shire Councillor for 25 years from 1931, Mayor in 1939 and headed several local sporting and other organisations. His son Jock became a clergyman and a local historian heading the Nillumbik Historical Society. Another parishioner, Dr Ted Cordner, came to Diamond Creek in 1920. One of his sons Donald, who was a local doctor, won the Brownlow Medal, was President of the Melbourne Cricket Club and President of the Melbourne Grammar School Council. Roy ‘Monty’ Vale was a state Liberal MP and was related to May Vale, a member of the Heidelberg School of Artists.4 In the early 21st century St John’s Anglican Church is one of the fastest growing congregations in Melbourne. References: St Johns Anglican Church complex, Sunday School and Parish Hall 61 Main Street DIAMOND CREEK, NILLUMBIK SHIRE. (2023, June 7). Retrieved from https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/64023 Diamond Creek, VIC. – St John’s Anglican (2023, June 7). Retrieved from https://www.churchhistories.net.au/church-catalog/diamond-creek-vic-st-johns-anglican This collection of almost 130 photos about places and people within the Shire of Nillumbik, an urban and rural municipality in Melbourne's north, contributes to an understanding of the history of the Shire. Published in 2008 immediately prior to the Black Saturday bushfires of February 7, 2009, it documents sites that were impacted, and in some cases destroyed by the fires. It includes photographs taken especially for the publication, creating a unique time capsule representing the Shire in the early 21st century. It remains the most recent comprehenesive publication devoted to the Shire's history connecting local residents to the past. nillumbik now and then (marshall-king) collection, st john's anglican church, diamond creek

Newspaper clipping from The Herald, Monday 29 Dec. 1958, page 13 about the re-opening of the Box Hill - Doncaster tramway on 27/6/1891, the story of the tramway, involvement of Mr. Hilton, the Doncaster Tower, disputes with land owners, and its final closure on 6/1/1896. No author given for the article.trams, tramways, box hill, doncaster, tramways

A black and white photograph of Bendigo Teachers' College staff taken in 1955 in front of the Lookout Tower in Rosalind Park. The staff members are - Mr. F. Courtis, Mr. H. Taylor, Mr. T. McCabe, Mr. G. Hayter, Miss J. Burnett, Mr. M. Pratt, Mr. A. Fry, Mrs. F. Petrie, Mr. R. Strauch, Miss D. Hollyock, Mr. C. Barker, Miss J. Coad, Mr. L.J. Pryor, Miss B. Cowling, Mr. M. Brown. See 3320.100bendigo, education, bendigo teachers' college staff, la trobe university bendigo collection, collection, education, bendigo, tertiary education, teacher training, staff, bendigo teachers' college, photo, photos, photograph, photographs, history, miss j.c. burnett, mr. geoff pryor

Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), Monday 6 August 1928, page 9 ________________________________________ RINGWOOD WAR MEMORIAL CLOCK TOWER UNVEILED A CIVIC CEREMONY. The people of Ringwood have erected a beautiful stone clock tower at a cost of £1797, as a memorial to those who served in the war. The unveiling ceremony was performed by the mayor of Ringwood (Cr. W. Mackinlay) on Saturday. “Bleak conditions with showers intervening prevailed at Ringwood on Saturday afternoon, when the unveiling ceremony of the soldiers' memorial clock tower, performed by the mayor (Cr. W. Mackinlay) took place in the presence of a Iarge and representative gathering. The ceremony was solely a civic one. A majority of members of the local branch of the R.S.S.I.L.A. had wished that Sir John Monash be invited to take a prominent part in the proceedings, but the trustees elected otherwise. The Salvation Army band from Box Hill rendered suitable music, while Sergeant E. P. Taylor (37th Battalion, A.I.F) sounded the Reveille and The Last Post impressively. Among those present were Mr. Edgar, M.L.C., the vicar of Ringwood (Rev. E. E. Robinson), Rev. G. McLaren (Methodist), the memorial trustees (Cr. J. B. McAlpin, Messrs, J. W. Barrett, A. H. Locke, J. A. Williams and A. G. Ashley). The last two mentioned are president and honorary secretary respectively of the local branch of the R.S.A. Soldier delegates from Camberwell and Mitcham were also present. At the outset the mayor said a few words would not be amiss concerning why the memorial had been so long delayed in being erected. In September, 1919, a public committee was formed, with Mr. A. V. Greenwood as chairman, to consider the erection of a suitable memorial to the soldiers. Among the more important suggestions had been the building of a hall and clubrooms on land generously offered by Mr. R. W. Dawes. This project had been abandoned, also the proposed erection of a huge memorial building, at a cost of £5000, on the site of the present town hall. As two years had passed without anything of a definite nature eventuating it was decided to elect five trustees, comprising three citizens and the president and secretary of the Returned Soldiers' Association with full power to act. In all propositions the trustees had been faced with financial difficulties, but about the time of the completion of the plans of the memorial tower Ringwood became a borough, and the new council was appealed to, and provided £500 to make the erection of the memorial possible. The architect, (Mr. H. Norris) had refused to take anything beyond out-of-pocket expenses (£16), while the engineer (Mr. Lucas) had saved a goodly sum by supervising the work. The total funds at the disposal of the trustees, including the council's donation, was, in round figures £1807. The tower complete would cost £1690; honor roll, £77, and fees paid for various designs had amounted to £30. The total expenditure was £1797, leaving a credit balance of £10. Before the unveiling the mayor, in again addressing the citizens, said he deemed it a privilege to perform such a task in connection with so splendid a memorial. The citizens had erected it as an expression of heartfelt gratitude in memory, first of all, of those heroes who gave not only their services, but their lives, when the call came in the common cause of right and liberty, upon which the British Empire was built. This memorial was also the tribute of the citizens in a degree of appreciation to those men who so un-selfishly and ungrudgingly volunteered their services in the Great War. The memorial, while commemorating the glorious deeds of Australian manhood, was not intended, in any sense, as a glorification of war. The memorial would tend to bring to one's mind the blessing of peace in contrast to the curse of hostilities. They were gathered there that afternoon to do honor to all those who volunteered for service to the Great War, but they wished to assure the friends and relatives of those who paid the supreme sacrifice of their sincere sympathy and trust. If ever in the future this fair southern land of ours was threatened by an invader he felt sure that Australian manhood would not hesitate to rally to the call to duty and defend the freedom of their country. Following prayer by Rev. G. McLaren (Methodist), the memorial clock tower was unveiled, the acting mayoress (Mrs. Mackinlay) cutting the cord, after which the making over of the memorial to the borough council took place, the president of the local branch of the R.S.A. (Mr. J. A. Williams) stating he had pleasure in accepting the key on behalf of the trustees. As the council was the permanent governing body the key would be handed back to the mayor, the memorial being given into the safety and custody of the council. During the proceedings the hymns O God, Our Help in Ages Past and Lest We Forget were rendered, the choirs of various denominations joining in the singing. Benediction was pronounced by the vicar of Ringwood (Rev. E. E. Robinson).” Black and white photograph (2 copies- one original mounted on cardboard backing)Written on rear of backing of original: "Opening of clock tower by Mayor W. Mackinlay, 4.8.1928." Written on back of copy" "Mayor Mackinlay dedicating Ringwood clocktower in original position at end of Warrandyte Rd. 1928. Maroondah Hwy on right."