[Photograph] taken in 1886 of 'Elm Grove' occupied by John and Mary Ann Talbett and family, in Britnell's, now Middleborough Road. [Newspaper cutting].wattle and daub, talbett, john, talbett, mary ann, elm grove, britnell's road, middleborough road

P Bird's timber merchant brick premises established 1918 and original building with staff lined on the street.Sepia photo mounted on cardboardHandwritten family history of original donor "Ruby Sweetland daughter of Frederick & Emma Sweetland Hay N.S.W./ granddaughter James & Mary Ann Adelaide Collier, Box Hill./ now wife of Alexander Thomas Gunn of Hepburn Springs Vic 1976/Mary Ann Adelaide Collier nee Britnell, was born on way out/to Australia in the St. Vincent Gulf in a sailing boat near Adelaide/ Sth Australia, hence the name of Adelaide/ Alexander Thomas Gunn's grandfather owned the No 1 Country Hotel Licence at Kangaroo Flat "The Glasgow Arms/Hotel. near Bendigo Victoria, about 1840./ They had a family of 6 boys & 5 girls/4 boys Tom, Dan, Jack & Alexander took up land in Thorpedale/ Victoria about 1860 & paid 1 [pound] an acre for it. This land was covered/ in dense forest fern tree & fern gullies & would rain for 6 months/ in this district was the tallest tree in the world height 365 feet./ Palling splitting was main source of living for many years after being/ cleared now produces the best potatoes in Victoria. Very pretty hilly country"bird's timber yard, businesses, bird> p., timber yards, timber merchants, employees

Document by Marjorie De Freyne Bishop of Box Hill Historical Society on three pioneer families - Talbett, Bedford and Britnell.talbett, henry, bedford, charles james, britnell, jonah