On his arrival from Scotland c 1857, James Keir commenced a communion service in his home on the Nepean Road. By 1859 the group-which included such other names as Allen, Brough, Cameron, Fairlam, Holdsworth, Le Page, Meeres, Monk, Organ, Penny, Perry, Potts, Sears and King-had built a small chapel near the corner of Wickham and Chesterville Roads. During 1858, a group had also begun meeting in the Charman family home on the corner of Charman and Balcombe Roads. Names associated with this group included Bodley, Charman, Fisher, Hayes, Hilliar, Judd, Moysey and Ruse. In 1860 they built a chapel on the corner of Charman Road and Patty Street. It was enlarged in 1866 and it became the meeting place of the two groups when they came together around 1870. They were able to buy land near the corner of Chesterville and Nepean Roads, and erected a new brick chapel on the site in 1878. This chapel, of course, continues to be an integral part of the life of the Southern Community Church and was one of the three worship venues for the 150th Anniversary celebration in 2007. The Southern Community Church was formed by the amalgamation of the Cheltenham, East Bentleigh and Hampton Street Churches of Christ in 1993, and a comprehensive new facility was designed and built to accommodate the ever-increasing activity of the amalgamated church. It was opened on 30th November 1997. ( Southern Community Church website 2019)c1878 - continuing The Church or Christ Cheltenham was one of the first places of worship established in Cheltenham by the early settlers. The settlers came together, in private homes at first, to support each other spiritually and physically and later built brick Churches for Sunday services and established social and sporting clubsBlack & White photograph as a postcard invitation to the 40th Anniversary of the Church of Christ corner Chesterville Rd and Nepean Highway Cheltenham ( ? 1900)Front Printed ; Church of Christ Cheltenham Back Printed ; POST CARD / One Penny Postage within Commonwealth / The address only to be written here/ One penny Stamp/ Sunday School Anniversary, / OCTOBER 27TH & OCTOBER 30TH / TO WHICH YOU ARE / CORDIALLY INVITED Handwritten in ink ; H.W. got the cramps in the pants. He took some pills then ran over the hills undatedearly settlers, bentleigh, mckinnon, parish of moorabbin, city of moorabbin, county of bourke, moorabbin roads board, shire of moorabbin, were j.b., o'shannassy john, king richard, charman stephen, highett william, ormond francis, maynard dennis, market gardeners, vineyards, orchards, keir james, lepage frank, lepage everest, holloway josiah, bruton henry, keys robert, judd clarence, fairlam percy, meeres william, southern community church, cheltenham, cheltenham church of christ

The City of Moorabbin Historical Society was formed c 1960 by a group of Moorabbin residents who were concerned that the history of the area should be preserved. A good response to a call for items related to the historical area of Moorabbin Shire brought donations of a wide variety of artefacts which are now preserved by the current members of CMHS at Box Cottage Museum . Helen Stanley, Secretary of CMHS, began producing a Newsletter for members in April 2007 to provide current information and well researched items of historical interest.Helen Stanley has produced a bi-monthly Newsletter, 2007 - 2013, for the members of the City of Moorabbin Historical Society that contains well researched interesting historical items, notification of upcoming events, current advice from Royal Australian Historical Society , Museums Australia Victoria and activities of Local Historical Societies. The Newsletter is an important record of the activities of the CMHS. Tom Sheehy, past President of CMHS, was an Historian and Author of ‘Battlers Tamed the Sandbelt’. 2 x A4 paper printed on 3 sides Issue 10 of the bi-monthly, City of Moorabbin Historical Society Newsletter produced by Society member and Secretary, Mrs Helen Stanley in February 2009. The Victorian Bushfire tragedy around Marysville is still unfolding as this Newsletter is written. The first meeting for the year is February 22nd and subscriptions are due. An excerpt is transcribed from the City of Moorabbin Historical Society Newsletter October 1962, “A Piece of History in Ormond” by an unknown eyewitness author, describing the original “Box Cottage” situated in Mr J. Reitman’s cement products factory at 306 Jasper Road, Ormond prior to demolition. The current Editor gives information obtained from further recent research . An Article by Tom Sheehy, past President and Historian, February 1979 “The Vineyards of Moorabbin”. The ‘Brighton Estate” began when Henry Moor brought Vine cuttings from Camden NSW 1848 and they were productive after 3 years. Many Vineyards then appeared from Port Phillip Bay to East Boundary Road and produced 2/3 of the annual Victorian grape crop. Disease or insect caused failure in1858 and the land reverted to market gardens. A coloured photocopied photo of Box Cottage 2005. CITY of MOORABBIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY / FEBRUARY 2009 NEWSLETTERcity of moorabbin historical society, stanley helen, sheehy tom, melbourne, moorabbin, brighton, cheltenham, ormond, bentleigh, vineyards, fruit growing, vine diseases, winemaking, grapes, market gardeners, pioneers, early settlers, moorabbin shire, box cottage museum, dairy, port phillip bay, brighton estate, moor henry, cambden estate, reitman j., reitman w., cement, pottery, jasper road ormond, east boundary road brighton, dendy’s special survey 1851, point nepean road, south road brighton, thomas street brighton, north road brighton, county of bourke, box h., box william, bruton william, brighton brewery, parish of moorabbin, parish of prahran, markets, shingle roof, weather-board, downward mr., mckinnon