Provides information about the construction of the Bourke Street lines, new silent trams and track construction in particular Thermit welding. Shows the emphasis on the use of silent trams and the methods of achieving this.Yields information about the construction of new silent trams and the Bourke Street lines.Newspaper cutting - "Quiet trams for Bourke Street" - The Herald 1 June 1955 with an article and five photographs of new trams under construction, a model of PCC 980 and track construction, including East Preston depot.tramways, trams, bourke street, new tramways, silent trams, w7 class tram, new trams, thermit welding, tram 980, model trams

Photograph looks east along Bourke Street from Queens Street showing a long line of commercial buildings into the distance all the way to Parliament House. It shows numerous cable tram, numerous horse drawn carts and carriages, pedestrians and the GPO clock tower. Postcards were a common way of quickly communicating with others before the telephone and were cheaper than telegrams. Yields information about early Bourke Street and an early communication method.Coloured postcard with location and greetings on front and postcard markings with personal message on rear. Printed top of photograph: 'Bourke Street, Melbourne. Hearty Greetings'. On the rear are postcard markings with a handwritten business message about a chair repair and an address of 'Wickes Factory, Church Street, Richmond'.cable trams, horse drawn carts, telegrams, flinders street, telephone, bourke street, parliament house, gpo clock tower

Photo of Bourke St looking east from near the Post Office, with motor cars and cable cars. The cable car set has saloon car 175 with the destination of Preston. In the background is the Leviathan store and Coles Book Arcade. The destination of Preston was short lived, introduced after the amalgamation of the Clifton Hill and Northcote lines in 1925 - see notes.Yields information about Bourke St in the late 1920's between Elizabeth and Swanston Streets.Photograph - Black and White - Bourke Street looking east - late 1920stramways, trams, cable cars, bourke street, tram 175, coles book arcade, leviathan store

Postcard -Black and white photograph of Bourke Street and Botanic Gardens Melbourne early 1900s.postcard, photograph, melbourne, postcard -black and white photograph of bourke street and botanic gardens melbourne early 1900s

One of two sets of stereographs donated by the O'Beirne family along with a stereoscope for viewing (Stereoscope is Registration no. 2014-51).Stereographic image showing people a large crowd gathered to see a procession of sailors from the American Fleet, in Bourke Street, Melbourne."12,872. THE AMERICAN FLEET IN AUSTRALIA. Procession of United States / Sailors in Bourke Street, Melbourne."stereographs, american fleet

The Kew Historical Society's postcard collection includes views of Kew, Melbourne and Greater Melbourne as well as those including overseas scenes sent or received from Europe or the Middle East. They date from the 1890s to the 2000s. These postcards may or may not include the name of the publisher or printer. A number of the cards were published as parts of popular series. A way of dating early postcards is to identify whether the reverse was divided by a central line which became the norm after 1902 in the United Kingdom. However, other postcards produced after this date do not always conform to this print layout.Monochrome postcard of Bourke Street, Melbourne, looking west from Swanston Street. The costumes of the women in the photograph would indicate the use of an earlier photograph dating from the 1885-1895.Mrs L. Clark, Ecclesbourne, Harp Road, East Kew / Wishing you many happy returns of the Day, M. Boylebourke street - melbourne, postcards -- melbourne (vic), photographic postcards

Ron Bridger was an avid collector of items related to transport, predominately Trams. These items include newspaper cuttings, pamphlets, reports, timetables, fares prices plus special items relating to events. Items from Melbourne and regional Victoria, interstate - Adelaide and Sydney, plus overseas, make up this collection. Scrapbook contains photographs and written article related to the Bourke Street trams in Melbourne, Victoria. These have been collected by Ron Bridger from various newspaper outlets - The Argus, The Age, The Herald, The Sun News-Pictorial, all printed in Melbourne. He would have been about fourteen years old when he started this scrapbook. Small lined exercise book covered in brown paper.Title of book on first page. Each article labelled with date and name of newspaper. R Bridger on back covertrams, scrapbook, bourke street, photographs, the argus, the age, the herald, the sun news pictorial, 1955, fourteen years, ron bridger collection, melbourne, as box 48a

Zilles Printers was begun by Lewis Zilles in the early 1930s. It was in McKenzie Street Ballarat. His son Jeffrey also became a printer - letterpress, offset and screen printer. The business became Zilles Printers/Graphics and was in Armstrong Street and later Bell Street Ballarat. Metal plate made for T.W.Clark of 205 Bourke Street Melbourne. It is the Trade Mark stamp. Small brass coloured metal plate. Symbol and printing in reverse for stampingName of company - T.W. Clark 205 Bourke Street Melbourne written in circle with crown on top and kangaroo and emu in centre of circle. Scroll with Trade Mark at bottom of circle. Examples on various papers show stamp clearly.zilles, printers, ballarat, melbourne, t w clark, metal plate

Closing time for the Theatre Royal Melbourne’s Theatre Royal opened 16 July 1855 at 236 Bourke Street, between Swanston and Russell, in the heart of the city’s entertainment district and it was comparable in size to London’s Drury Lane and Covent Garden. It was rebuilt in 1872 following a fire, remodelled in 1904, and demolished in 1933, due in part to the Great Depression, and also to the growing popularity of moving pictures. On the site was erected Manton’s department store, then Coles, Target, and now Kmart. The Quaker Girl, a 1910 Edwardian musical comedy with long running success in London, Paris and Broadway, opened in Melbourne at the Theatre Royal on 22 July 1933. Stars Cyril Ritchard and Madge Elliott were to become husband and wife, their Sydney wedding photograph now an iconic Australian image of that time. The theatre closed 13 November 1933. MCK080 Published: The Age 4 November 1933 Featured in "Newsworthy: Melbourne in photographs 1933-1936" exhibition at East Melbourne Library, October to December 2023. Exhibition caption by project volunteer, Louise McKenzie. THEATRE ROYAL (1933, November 4). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 5. Retrieved October 16, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article203364238 Additional research by project volunteer, Fiona Collyer and librarian, Fiona Campbell: The Theatre Royal closed on 13 November 1933. During demolition in December, a worker was pinned by the legs under two tons of collapsing ceiling concrete. Miraculously he escaped with only a broken leg. A commemorative plaque was unveiled in 1937, displayed at the front of Manton's department store. The event was covered in The Age on 20 Dec 1937. It was a beautiful blue enamel and brass with the comedy and tragedy masks, one crying and one laughing, at the top with a timeline of the theatre underneath. Its whereabouts became unknown after the multiple changes with department stores on the site. In 2019 Greg Sampson set out on a mission to find it and in 2021 eventually tracked it down, on a wall behind the door of a staff tea room in Kmart. After much arduous lobbying by Greg it was eventually relocated to the Kmart arcade on the site where the Theatre Royal was originally located. Annette Cooper's history of Manton's and the Bourke Street site described the process of acquisition and demolition of the theatre: "Around 1933, the theatre came on the market – ‘a gift from heaven’ for its enterprising neighbours. Manton’s acquired the theatre and started planning for its demolition to enable the expansion of the store. William Manton and his sons, Jack and Ivor, watched the final production at the theatre, Harold Fraser-Simson’s musical comedy The Maid of the Mountains. 'It was, for the theatre-goers, a nostalgic last appearance, an emotional night, the end of an era. There were those who were mortified at the prospect of a store taking the place of their palace of dreams.' Even Whelan the Wrecker sensed the importance of the occasion and donated four bricks from the theatre to the National Museum of Victoria. They are the oldest bricks in the museum’s collection and form part of its Whelan the Wrecker collection." UNDER BIG FALL OF CONCRETE (1933, December 8). The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954), p. 1. Retrieved April 14, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article243215969 The Relocation of the Theatre Royal Plaque, Greg Sampson, https://theatreheritage.org.au/on-stage-magazine/news/item/989-the-relocation-of-the-theatre-royal-plaque Photo of theatre interior, Arts Centre Melbourne, https://collections.artscentremelbourne.com.au/#details=ecatalogue.184409 OLD THEATRE ROYAL (1937, December 20). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 10. Retrieved March 25, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205554847 AMATEUR ATHLETICS -- LIFE SAVING DISPLAY MEMORIAL PLAQUE UNVEILED (1937, December 20). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 15. Retrieved March 25, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205554863 It's smart to be thrifty: the story of Manton's department store, Annette Cooper, https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/3%20Annette%20Cooper%20-%20It%E2%80%99s%20smart%20to%20be%20thrifty%2C%20the%20story%20of%20Manton%27s%20department%20store.pdfPhotographer notations on slide: "Theatre Royale 1933 B4". theatres, 1930-1939, fires, musicals, films, department stores, demolished buildings, commemorative plaques, incidents, concrete, whelan the wrecker, bricks, kmart, bourke street melbourne, manton's department store, theatre royal, coles, target

black and white photographBourke Street, Melbourne looking West from GPO, 1897

Photograph shows a cable tram set - climbing the Bourke St hill towards Queen St. There are several other cable trams in the view along with many motor cars. In the background are the BGE building, Warburton Franki, the GPO, Foys, and London Stores. Photo late 1930s or 1940.Yields information about Bourke St cable trams.Black and White photograph - printed on plain paper.On the rear has the Copyright stamp of The Age and pencil number "KM-M-002", Ken Magor stamp, "Bourke Street Melbourne" and number 4838.cable trams, bourke st, queen st, tramways

Many Ithacans who settled in Melbourne opened cafes or milk bars within the CBD or in the surrounding inner suburbs. Adams milk bar is reputed to be the first milk bar to open in Melbourne at 227 Bourke Street.A scanned photograph taken from a black and white image of the interior of a milk bar. Two men are sitting at the counter while a man and a lady are behind the counter. The following has been written on the photograph: 16=6=1938, Adams Original Milk Bar ADAM THE FIRST MILK BAR IN MELBOURNE AT 227 BOURKE STREET. 16.6.1938

Letter from H.W.C. . Simpson, office of J. Ellison, Solicitor, Clarke buildings, 130 Bourke Street, Melbourne , dated 17 December 1889. re cheque for 100/-/- sent from Connelly, Tatchell & Dunlop. Green one penny stamp at the foot of the documentbusiness, legal, j. ellison, solicitor, connelly, tatchell & dunlop, j. ellison, solicitor.

This is a commentary on the transformation of Bourke Street over 100 years.Note: this does not correspond to the 'Bourke Street' Chapter in 'The Book of Melbourne and Canberra', The Griffin Press, Adelaide 1966 (whereas items D140, D141, D142 correspond to chapters in this book).Typewritten, pencil edits, quarto, 3 pagesmelbourne, bourke st, st patricks, william wardell, harold freedman, robin boyd, manuscript

Rose Series postcard P.3497, titled "Bourke Street looking to Parliament House, Melbourne". Photo looking east from near Queen Street with one double decker bus at the Elizabeth Street stop with other buses in the distance. Two trams can be seen in Elizabeth Street on either side of Bourke Street. A horse drawn cart can be seen climbing the hill. On the northside of the Bourke Street can be seen, Warburton Franki & Co, Electrical Engineers; Coles & Garrard, Optometrist; General Post Office (GPO); Myer; Buckley and Nunn and Foy's department stores. Yields information about Bourke Street mid to late 1940s.Postcard - printed real photograph with Rose Stereograph Co. name on the rear.tramways, trams, bourke st, buses, elizabeth st, mmtb buses, leyland, td5c class, rose series

Illustration, black and white, printed on gloss paper, reproduction of a MMTB report of photographs of the "Resilient crossings - Bourke Street - William Street Intersection", mid to late 1950's? May be from an MMTB Annual Report. Shows the nature of the crossing with the resilient inserts - it did not work as planned.trams, tramways, bourke st, william st, trackwork, construction

Rose Series postcard P.4693, titled "Bourke Street Looking West, Melbourne". Photo taken from the north side of Bourke St between Swanston St and Russell St. Has a number of double decker and single deck TS11c based on twin rear lights in view. A W2 class tram is waiting on the south side of Bourke Street in Swanston Street. Photo late 1940s. The former cable tram tracks remain in the street. the Foys Department store is on the right. Yields information about the eastern end of Bourke St in the late 1940s.Postcard - printed real photograph with Rose Stereograph Co. name on the rear.tramways, trams, bourke st, buses, mmtb buses, leyland, td5c class, w2 class, swanston st, ts11c class, rose series

Typed notice or instruction of foolscap paper titled "Reconstruction of Tram Tracks in Elizabeth Street at Collins and Bourke Street", giving tram arrangements for Elizabeth Street services - other services not affected. Advises of bus arrangements to and from Lonsdale St for Sunday 26/11/1978. Signed by R. C. Drummond as Traffic Manager.Has in ink in the top left hand corner "66 Con"trams, tramways, mmtb, trackwork, elizabeth st

The barometer was either made or sold by T. Gaunt & Co. of Melbourne, a manufacturer, importer and retailer of a wide variety of goods including jewellery, clocks and watches, navigational and measuring instruments, dinnerware, glassware and ornaments. Thomas Gaunt photograph was included in an album of security identity portraits of members of the Victorian Court, Centennial International Exhibition, Melbourne, 1888. (See below for further details.) Admiral Fitzroy Pattern Barometer History: The stick mercury barometer was named after Admiral Robert Fitzroy of the Royal Navy (1805-1865) for his detailed instructions on how to interpret the weather, which were included with the instrument. Fitzroy was the captain of the HMS Beagle, also a weather forecaster to Charles Darwin and the second Governor of New Zealand. He developed many different types of barometers and was the first person to introduce the science of weather forecasting to the British Isles. A local manufacturer of scientific instruments, Thomas Gaunt, produced the barometer that was adapted for the southern hemisphere by Robert Ellery, the State Astronomer based at the Melbourne Observatory. In the original sale catalogue for Gaunt's, the item is described as "Gaunt's Fitzroy Barometers" and it was priced from 25/- to ₤9.9s. History of Thomas Gaunt: Thomas Gaunt established Melbourne's leading watchmaking, optical and jewellery business during the second half of the 19th century. Gaunt arrived in Melbourne in 1852, and by 1858 had established his own business at 14 Little Bourke Street. Around 1869 he moved to new premises in Bourke Street on the corner of Royal Arcade. Gaunt's shop quickly became a Melbourne institution. Gaunt proudly advertised that he was 'The only watch manufacturer in the Australian colonies'. While many watches and clocks may have had Gaunt's name on the dial, few would have been made locally. Gaunt did make some watches for exhibitions, and perhaps a few expensive watches for wealthy individuals. Gaunt's received a telegraph signal from Melbourne Observatory each day to correct his main clock and used this signal to rate and repair ship's chronometers and good quality watches. His main horological manufacturing was directed at turret clocks for town halls, churches and post offices. These tended to be specific commissions requiring individualised design and construction. He made the clock for the Melbourne Post Office lobby, to a design by Government Astronomer Robert Ellery, and won an award at the 1880-81 Melbourne International Exhibition for his turret clock for the Emerald Hill Town Hall. He became well known for his installation of a chronograph at Flemington Racecourse in 1876, which showed the time for the race, accurate to a quarter of a second. The firm also installed the clockwork and figures for Gog and Magog in the Royal Arcade. Thomas Gaunt also developed a department that focused on scientific instrumentation, making thermometers and barometers (from imported glass tubes), telescopes, surveying instruments and microscopes. Another department specialised in electroplating for trophies, awards and silverware, and the firm manufactured large amounts of ecclesiastical gold ware and silverware, for the church including St Patrick's Cathedral. There are no records that disclose the number of employees in the firm, but it was large enough for Gaunt to hold an annual picnic for the watchmakers and apprentices at Mordialloc from 1876; two years previously they had successfully lobbied Gaunt to win the eight hour day. Gaunt's workforce was reportedly very stable, with many workers remaining in the business for 15 to 30 years. Gaunt's wife Jane died on September 1894, aged 64. They had one son and six daughters, but only three daughters survived to adulthood. Two became nuns at the Abbotsford Convent and one daughter, Cecelia Mary Gaunt (died 28 July 1941), married William Stanislaus Spillane on 22 September 1886 and had a large family. Gaunt died at his home in Coburg, Victoria, leaving an estate valued at ₤41,453. The business continued as T. Gaunt & Co. after his death. The barometer is historically significant as an example of the work of Melbourne’s leading scientific instrument maker, Thomas Gaunt. The barometer has social significance as an example of the type of scientific equipment that Thomas Gaunt expanded his horology business into producing. Further social significance lies in the fact that Robert Ellery, the Government Astronomer who designed the local version of the barometer, had a direct connection with the Melbourne Athenaeum founded in 1839 as the Melbourne Mechanics' Institution. Its purpose was "the diffusion of literary, scientific and other useful information". There are also records of a T Gaunt as a subscription and committee member of this the Athenaeum organisation during the 1870s and 1880s which may be Thomas Gaunt, unfortunately still unverified.Stick mercury barometer known as the Admiral Fitzroy Barometer. It comprises an oblong wooden case with glass front panel, ornate pediment, barometer with bulb cistern (empty of fluid), cleaning brush with printed instructions for interpreting information given by the gauge affixed to left and right face of instrument. Includes a thermometer. The barometer appears to be intact. Adapted to the Southern Hemisphere. Special remarks by Admiral Fitzroy. Made by Thomas Gaunt, Melbourne. Manufacturer's details are on back of wooden casing. Rear has upper and lower brass screw plates for securing to vertical surface."Manufactured by Thomas Gaunt, 14 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne. "flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, barometer, admiral fitzroy, thomas gaunt, thomas gaunt of melbourne, clockmaker, admiral fitzroy barometer, barometer instructions, gaunt’s fitzroy barometer, gaunt’s of melbourne, gog and magog designer, horological manufacturer, meteorological instrument, melbourne athenaeum, melbourne mechanics' institution, melbourne observatory time signal, robert ellery government astronomer, scientific instrument, stick mercury barometer, thermometer, weather forecast, t gaunt & co

List - 7 foolscap sheets, duplicated, stapled in top left hand corner, titled "Official opening of Bourke Street - Northcote Routes at East Preston Depot 24th June 1955 at 3.00pm", listing the guests and the tram departure times along the route and those travelling on their own transport. Lists some 240 people overall. Lists their position or body representing for about half of the people. Dated 23/6/1955trams, tramways, east preston, bourke st, opening, new tramway

Rose Series postcard No. P 981 titled "Bourke Street Melbourne Vic,". The photo looks east from Queen St. Several cable trams are in the view. There are signs for Osram lamps and valves, a car park, BGE, Film House, Commercial Bank and Thomas Evans Pty Ltd. See item 8076 for a similar image.Yields information about Bourke St c1940.Postcard - printed real photograph with Rose Stereograph Co. name on the rear.trams, tramways, cable trams, bourke st

The postcard looks along east along Bourke Street from west of Elizabeth Street towards Parliament House. The GPO is prominent in the view. Has at least four cable trams in the view and a number of horse-drawn carts. The telephone pole lines are yet to be removed. Rear of postcard has "Printed in Germany" on the rear. Photo c1910Yields information about Bourke St at the corner with Elizabeth St.Postcard Divided back, unused, number 169342tramways, cable trams, elizabeth st, bourke st, post office, gpo

Printed invitation on off-white card with MMTB letter head invitation to the "Official Opening of the Bourke Street - Northcote Electric Tramway", Friday 24th June 1955 at 3pm at the new tramcar depot in Plenty Road Preston. Has been handwritten for "H. S. McComb Esq." in blue ink. Has a map of the route, the Nicholson St line show dotted and schedule for completion in 1956, details of the project and a brief history of the route.trams, tramways, opening, civic functions, bourke st, preston depot, northcote, cable trams

Black and white postcard of young man wearing jacketdark suit. Shirt collar is rounded, dark tie Hair short and clean shaven Melbourne Victoriafashion

Part of Old Lintonians collection; No. 45.Carte de visite portrait of a young man wearing shirt, jacket with wide lapels, and bow-tie.In pencil on back: "R.Caldwell". "45" written in pencil on top left corner.r. caldwell, old lintonians collection

Sepia Carte de Visite portrait of young boy wearing jacket and tie."?Bennett"bennett family

Rose Series postcard No. P 10532 titled "Bourke Street Melbourne", looking west from near Swanston Street. Has two cable trams in the far distance. The new Myer Emporium building dominates the north side. Buckey and Nunn's along with the GPO are visible. A building construction hut is visible on the top of the Melba and Brittania Theatres veranda on the left. The conversion of this theater occurred in 1938.Yields information about Bourke Street c1938Postcard - printed real photograph with Rose Stereograph Co. name on the rear.trams, tramways, cable trams, bourke st, rose series

Rose Series postcard No. P 3589, titled "Bourke Street looking to Parliament House, Melbourne". The photo looks east from Queen Street. There are several cable trams in the view. Has signs for Gibson, the Victoria Hotel, Osram lamps and valves, BGE, Myer, Foys, Danks, Thomas Evans, Donald Macintosh gun maker, and the Evans House, The Commercial Bank of Australia. See item 8071 for a similar image.Yields information about Bourke St c1939.Postcard - printed real photograph with Rose Stereograph Co. name on the rear.trams, tramways, cable trams, bourke st

Rose Series postcard P.1083, titled "Bourke Street Melbourne", showing a busy scene outside Buckley & Nunn Limited store and the Myer Emporium. In the view are two double-decker buses, two single-decker buses in the wartime livery with white mudguards and white rear panels. one horse-drawn cart is on the opposite of the road. There is a gas producer pack on the back of the car parked on the left-hand side of the photograph. Also in the view are signs for London Stores.Yields information about Bourke St early 1940s.Postcard - printed real photograph with Rose Stereograph Co. name on the rear.tramways, bourke st, buses, world war ii, td5c class, ts8c class, mmtb buses, rose series