The architect, Edward Kilburn designed Byram in the Arts & Crafts style for the industrialist George Ramsden. Construction began in 1888 and was reputed to have lasted three years. The mansion had frontages to Studley Park Road and Stevenson Street, including gardens laid out with great taste, including pleasure grounds, tennis lawn, fruit and flower garden, and paddock.The size of many of the trees in the garden indicate that many survived from the garden of Clifton Villa, the previous single-storeyed house built on the site by the Stevenson brothers. Byram had views to Melbourne and Port Phillip Bay. The house was demolished in 1960, despite opposition from the National Trust (Victoria), and its gardens subdivided into residential allotments.An early photograph of Goathland (also known as Byram, Lowan and Tara Hall). The photo shows the front of the building during the period of Sir Malcolm McEacharn’s occupation of the house (1901-11). Edward George Kilburn, of Ellerker & Kilburn, had originally designed the house for the industrialist George Ramsden in 1888. When Sir Malcolm McEacharn purchased Byram, he was to rename it as Goathland. This has led to some confusion, as Goathland was also the name used for McEacharn’s other home in St. Kilda. The period of McEacharn’s ownership represented the high point of the mansion’s history. 'Lost Glories: a memorial to forgotten Australian buildings' was published by David Latta in 1986. It tells the story of a number of significant Australian buildings that had previously been demolished. A chapter in the book was devoted to Goathland, later known as Tara Hall. To supplement the text, he sourced photographs from a range of suppliers, chiefly the Royal Women's Hospital which had once owned Tara Hall, but had sold it in 1960. This is one of the photographs donated to KHS by the author."'Goathland', The Residence of Sir Malcolm D McEacharn"byram, goathland, tara hall, lowan, studley park road -- kew (vic.), melbourne mansions, e g kilburn - architect

During construction, commentators described the house as being in the ‘Elizabethan style’. The architectural style of the exterior, with its innovatory use of red brick and Italian tiles was more influenced by American models. Edward George Kilburn, of Ellerker & Kilburn, designed Byram for the industrialist George Ramsden in 1888.This is an original small photograph of this historic Kew mansion with provenance by descent from the first owners of the house.The main entrance to Tara Hall (previously named Byram, Goathland and Lowan). The entrance, through a porte-cochère, was located on the east side of the house. Inscription reverse: KH-323 Tara Hall once stood on Studley Pk Road on vast landscaped gardens. Donated by Mr Peter Ramsden, 49 Kamilaroy Road, West Pymble 2073 N.S.W. Dec.1979."byram, tara hall, lowan, goathland, edward g. kilburn (architect), george ramsden

Edward George Kilburn, of Ellerker & Kilburn, designed 'Byram' (later renamed 'Goathland', 'Lowa' and 'Tara Hall') for the industrialist George Ramsden in 1888. The mansion, one of the most significant in Kew, was demolished in 1960.This is an original small photograph of this historic Kew mansion with provenance by descent from the first owners of the house.An angled view of the main hallway and staircase of Tara Hall (previously named Byram, Goathland and Lowan). To the right of the staircase in this Studley Park Road mansion, was a large inglenook fireplace surrounded by stucco decoration. The latter was a characteristic of the architect, Edward G. Kilburn’s late style.Inscription reverse: "Interior Tara Hall, demolished 1960. Donated by Grandson [Peter Ramsden] of original owner George Ramsden. Home was also called Goathlands [sic] during its ownership by Sir Malcolm McEacharn. Other owners - Mrs F Treadway, Count O'Loughlin, Dr Edward Ryan, Mrs Evans, Royal Womens' Hosp. KH-324"byram, tara hall, lowan, goathland, edward g. kilburn (architect), george ramsden

The chapter on Tara Hall formed the introduction to 'Lovely Old Homes of Kew' by Dorothy Rogers.This work forms part of the collection assembled by the historian Dorothy Rogers, that was donated to the Kew Historical Society by her son John Rogers in 2015. The manuscripts, photographs, maps, and documents were sourced by her from both family and local collections or produced as references for her print publications. Many were directly used by Rogers in writing ‘Lovely Old Homes of Kew’ (1961) and 'A History of Kew' (1973), or the numerous articles on local history that she produced for suburban newspapers. Most of the photographs in the collection include detailed annotations in her hand. The Rogers Collection provides a comprehensive insight into the working habits of a historian in the 1960s and 1970s. Together it forms the largest privately-donated collection within the archives of the Kew Historical Society.A photographic reproduction of a plate published by H. de C. Kellett in 1891. The original photographer was J.F.C. Farquaher. The photograph shows Tara Hall (the Byram) in Studley Park Road. The house was demolished in 1960.Tara Hall. Built 1888 (see story). Taken from old faded photo. Not printed. Tara Hall now demolished - taken from old faded photo of Clifton House. [sic]byram, goathland, tara hall, dorothy rogers, studley park road (kew)

At the beginning of the 1890s, the Kew businessman and Town Councillor, Henry Kellett, commissioned J.F.C. Farquhar to photograph scenes of Kew. These scenes included panoramas as well as pastoral scenes. The resulting set of twelve photographs was assembled in an album, Kew Where We Live, from which customers could select images for purchase.The preamble to the album describes that the photographs used the ‘argentic bromide’ process, now more commonly known as the gelatine silver process. This form of dry plate photography allowed for the negatives to be kept for weeks before processing, hence its value in landscape photography. The resulting images were considered to be finely grained and everlasting. Evidence of the success of Henry Kellett’s venture can be seen today, in that some of the photographs are held in national collections.It is believed that the Kew Historical Society’s copy of the Kellett album is unique and that the photographs in the book were the first copies taken from the original plates. It is the first and most important series of images produced about Kew. The individual images have proved essential in identifying buildings and places of heritage value in the district.This is the earliest known photograph of the exterior of Byram (later Tara Hall). It shows the original red brick fence, its asymmetrical gate and gateposts, with a large terra cotta gargoyle surmounting the higher of the two. The architect, Edward Kilburn designed Byram in the Arts & Crafts style for the industrialist George Ramsden. Construction began in 1888 and was reputed to have lasted three years. The mansion had frontages to Studley Park Road and Stevenson Street, including gardens laid out with great taste, including pleasure grounds, tennis lawn, fruit and flower garden, and paddock. The size of many of the trees in the garden indicate that many survived from the garden of Clifton Villa, the previous single-storeyed house built on the site by the Stevenson brothers. Byram had views to Melbourne and Port Phillip Bay. The house was demolished in 1960, despite opposition from the National Trust (Victoria), and its gardens subdivided into residential allotments.A View in Studley Park Roadkew illustrated, kew where we live, photographic books, henry kellett, byram, tara hall, goathlands

A set of architectural drawings of additions to Goathland (originally Byram, and later Goathland and Lowan). The drawings, by the architect William Pitt represent additions to the size of Goathland. Pitt had previously worked with the original architect of the house, Edward George Kilburn, of Ellerker & Kilburn, who had designed Byram for the industrialist George Ramsden in 1888. 'Lost Glories: a memorial to forgotten Australian buildings' was published by David Latta in 1986. It tells the story of a number of significant Australian buildings that had previously been demolished. A chapter in the book was devoted to Goathland, later known as Tara Hall. To supplement the text, he sourced photographs from a range of suppliers, chiefly the Royal Women's Hospital which had once owned Tara Hall, but had sold it in 1960. This is one of the photographs donated to KHS by the author.Six black and white architectural drawings by the architect William Pitt for additions to the home of Sir Malcolm McEacharn in Studley Park Road. The original is in the collection of the State Library of Victoria."Sir Malcolm D. McEacharn, Kew"william pitt, malcolm mceacharn, architects -- melbourne (vic.) -- william pitt, architectural drawings, byram, tara hall, goathland

'Lost Glories: a memorial to forgotten Australian buildings' was published by David Latta in 1986. It tells the story of a number of significant Australian buildings that had previously been demolished. A chapter in the book was devoted to Goathland, later known as Tara Hall. To supplement the text, he sourced photographs from a range of suppliers, chiefly the Royal Women's Hospital which had once owned Tara Hall, but had sold it in 1960. This is one of the photographs donated to KHS by the author.Tara Hall, Studley Park Road, circa 1957. The front of Tara Hall (previously named Byram, Goathland and Lowan). This triple-storey mansion with its elaborate gabled, steeply-pitched roofs and verandah was set back from Studley Park Road and concealed by a high brick fence. E. G. Kilburn, of Ellerker & Kilburn, designed Byram for the industrialist George Ramsden in 1888. Typed inscription on reverse: "Tara Hall at the time it was a home for nurses from the Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne. (Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne)."byram, goathland, tara hall, lowan, studley park (kew), george ramsden, sir malcolm mceacharn, edward george kilburn (architect), studley park road (kew)

'Lost Glories: a memorial to forgotten Australian buildings' was published by David Latta in 1986. It tells the story of a number of significant Australian buildings that had previously been demolished. A chapter in the book was devoted to Goathland, later known as Tara Hall. To supplement the text, he sourced photographs from a range of suppliers, chiefly the Royal Women's Hospital which had once owned Tara Hall, but had sold it in 1960. This is one of the photographs donated to KHS by the author. The Drawing Room, Tara Hall, circa 1957. A reception room in Tara Hall (previously named Byram, Goathland and Lowan). The room is presumed to be the original drawing room. In the La Trobe collection, there is a drawing by Charlie Hammond, depicting a group of painters who are gilding the elaborate stucco ceiling of this room. The drawing is dated 16 September 1889. The elaborate stucco decoration is characteristic of E. G. Kilburn’s late style. Kilburn, of Ellerker & Kilburn, designed Byram for the industrialist George Ramsden in 1888. Typed inscription on reverse: "A sitting room, one of many handsomely decorated rooms at Tara Hall.( Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne)."byram, goathland, tara hall, lowan, studley park (kew), george ramsden, sir malcolm mceacharn, edward george kilburn (architect), studley park road (kew)

'Lost Glories: a memorial to forgotten Australian buildings' was published by David Latta in 1986. It tells the story of a number of significant Australian buildings that had previously been demolished. A chapter in the book was devoted to Goathland, later known as Tara Hall. To supplement the text, he sourced photographs from a range of suppliers, chiefly the Royal Women's Hospital which had once owned Tara Hall, but had sold it in 1960. This is one of the photographs donated to KHS by the author. Porte-cochere, Tara Hall, circa 1957. The main entrance to Tara Hall (previously named Byram, Goathland and Lowan). The entrance, through a porte-cochère, was located on the side of the house facing east. During construction, commentators described the house as being in the ‘Elizabethan style’. The architectural style of the exterior, with its innovatory use of red brick and Italian tiles was more influenced by American models. Edward George Kilburn, of Ellerker & Kilburn, designed Byram for the industrialist George Ramsden in 1888. Typed inscription on reverse: "Goathland, also known as Tara Hall (Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne)."goathland -- kew (vic), byram -- kew (vic), tara hall - kew (vic), studley park road

'Lost Glories: a memorial to forgotten Australian buildings' was published by David Latta in 1986. It tells the story of a number of significant Australian buildings that had previously been demolished. A chapter in the book was devoted to Goathland, later known as Tara Hall. To supplement the text, he sourced photographs from a range of suppliers, chiefly the Royal Women's Hospital which had once owned Tara Hall, but had sold it in 1960. This is one of the photographs donated to KHS by the author. The Staircase at Tara Hall, circa 1957. An angled view of the main hallway and staircase of Tara Hall (previously named Byram, Goathland and Lowan). To the right of the staircase in this Studley Park Road mansion, a large inglenook fireplace was located, which was surrounded by stucco decoration. The latter was a characteristic of E. G. Kilburn’s late style.Typed inscription on reverse: "The Staircase at Tara Hall. Above the ornate fireplace is the legend 'Come When You Mind, A Welcome Find'. (Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne)." byram, goathland, tara hall, lowan, studley park (kew), george ramsden, sir malcolm mceacharn, edward george kilburn (architect), studley park road (kew)

This work forms part of the collection assembled by the historian Dorothy Rogers, that was donated to the Kew Historical Society by her son John Rogers in 2015. The manuscripts, photographs, maps, and documents were sourced by her from both family and local collections or produced as references for her print publications. Many were directly used by Rogers in writing ‘Lovely Old Homes of Kew’ (1961) and 'A History of Kew' (1973), or the numerous articles on local history that she produced for suburban newspapers. Most of the photographs in the collection include detailed annotations in her hand. The Rogers Collection provides a comprehensive insight into the working habits of a historian in the 1960s and 1970s. Together it forms the largest privately-donated collection within the archives of the Kew Historical SocietyA view of Tara Hall from Studley Park Road, originally photographed by J.F.C. Farquhar in 1891 for the photographic album 'Kew: Where We Live', published by Henry Kellett. This image of the mansion has been used in a number of publications. The house was demolished in 1960.tara hall, goathland, byram, ramsden, dorothy rogers

'Lost Glories: a memorial to forgotten Australian buildings' was published by David Latta in 1986. It tells the story of a number of significant Australian buildings that had previously been demolished. A chapter in the book was devoted to Goathland, later known as Tara Hall. To supplement the text, he sourced photographs from a range of suppliers, chiefly the Royal Women's Hospital which had once owned Tara Hall, but had sold it in 1960. This is one of the photographs donated to KHS by the author.Central Hall, Tara Hall, circa 1957. The central hallway and grand staircase of Tara Hall (previously named Byram, Goathland and Lowan). This photograph provides the clearest evidence of the scale and building materials selected by Edward George Kilburn, of Ellerker & Kilburn, for the industrialist George Ramsden in 1888. These include the murals on the second floor, the use of skylights, and the vaulted wooden panelling. byram, goathland, tara hall, lowan, studley park (kew), george ramsden, sir malcolm mceacharn, edward george kilburn (architect), studley park road (kew)

'Lost Glories: a memorial to forgotten Australian buildings' was published by David Latta in 1986. It tells the story of a number of significant Australian buildings that had previously been demolished. A chapter in the book was devoted to Goathland, later known as Tara Hall. To supplement the text, he sourced photographs from a range of suppliers, chiefly the Royal Women's Hospital which had once owned Tara Hall, but had sold it in 1960. This is one of the photographs donated to KHS by the author. The Grand Staircase of Tara Hall, circa 1957. The central hallway and stairs of Tara Hall, (previously named Byram, Goathland and Lowan). Edward George Kilburn, of Ellerker & Kilburn, designed this Studley Park Road mansion, of which the hallway was a significant feature, for the industrialist George Ramsden in 1888. Tara Hall, one of the great houses in Kew was demolished in 1959-60. Possibly Marc Strizic, photographer (1928-2012). Typed inscription on reverse: "The Grand Staircase of Tara Hall (Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne).byram, goathland, tara hall, lowan, studley park (kew), george ramsden, sir malcolm mceacharn, edward george kilburn (architect), studley park road (kew)

'Lost Glories: a memorial to forgotten Australian buildings' was published by David Latta in 1986. It tells the story of a number of significant Australian buildings that had previously been demolished. A chapter in the book was devoted to Goathland, later known as Tara Hall. To supplement the text, he sourced photographs from a range of suppliers, chiefly the Royal Women's Hospital which had once owned Tara Hall, but had sold it in 1960. This is one of the photographs donated to KHS by the author.A detailed photograph of the main gable on the front of Tara Hall (previously named Byram, Goathland and Lowan). The façade included detailed terra cotta mouldings. The Kew Historical Society was gifted a remnant of this façade (ie. ‘East or West’) in 2013. The use of applied terra cotta decoration by the architect Edward George Kilburn, of Ellerker & Kilburn, is typical of his style of the period. Mark Strizic (1928-2012), photographer. byram, goathland, tara hall, lowan, studley park (kew), george ramsden, sir malcolm mceacharn, edward george kilburn (architect), studley park road (kew)

'Lost Glories: a memorial to forgotten Australian buildings' was published by David Latta in 1986. It tells the story of a number of significant Australian buildings that had previously been demolished. A chapter in the book was devoted to Goathland, later known as Tara Hall. To supplement the text, he sourced photographs from a range of suppliers, chiefly the Royal Women's Hospital which had once owned Tara Hall, but had sold it in 1960. This is one of the photographs donated to KHS by the author.The Vestibule, Goathland', 1901-11. The vestibule of Tara Hall (originally Byram, and later Goathland and Lowan). The vestibule was entered through a porte-cochère on the east side of the house. Visitors entered the mansion through the vestibule before progressing to the main hallway. The main rooms of the house were accessed through the latter on the ground and first floor. The photograph gives some idea of the decorative style of furnishings during this era. The Vestibule - "Goathland"byram, goathland, tara hall, lowan, studley park (kew), george ramsden, sir malcolm mceacharn, edward george kilburn (architect), studley park road (kew)

The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) plans were produced from the 1890s to the 1950s. They were crucial to the design and development of Melbourne's sewerage and drainage system. The plans, at a scale of 40 feet to 1 inch (1:480), provide a detailed historical record of Melbourne streetscapes and environmental features. Each plan covers one or two street blocks (roughly six streets), showing details of buildings, including garden layouts and ownership boundaries, and features such as laneways, drains, bridges, parks, municipal boundaries and other prominent landmarks as they existed at the time each plan was produced. (Source: State Library of Victoria). This plan forms part of a large group of MMBW plans and maps that was donated to the Society by the Mr Poulter, City Engineer of the City of Kew in 1989. Within this collection, thirty-five hand-coloured plans, backed with linen, are of statewide significance as they include annotations that provide details of construction materials used in buildings in the first decade of the 20th century as well as additional information about land ownership and usage. The copies in the Public Record Office Victoria and the State Library of Victoria are monochrome versions which do not denote building materials so that the maps in this collection are invaluable and unique tools for researchers and heritage consultants. A number of the plans are not held in the collection of the State Library of Victoria so they have the additional attribute of rarity.Original survey plan, issued by the MMBW to a contractor with responsibility for constructing sewers in the area identified on the plan within the Borough of Kew. The plan was at some stage hand-coloured, possibly by the contractor, but more likely by officers working in the Engineering Department of the Borough and later Town, then City of Kew. The hand-coloured sections of buildings on the plan were used to denote masonry or brick constructions (pink), weatherboard constructions (yellow), and public buildings (grey).The streets and built structures in MMBW Detail Plan 1294 & 1295 were surveyed in 1903 and released to contractors in 1904. This plan is one of two in the collection where the lithographers amalgamated two separate plans. Both plans include sections of Studley Park. Dominating the south and west corners of Kew Junction are the Clifton and Kew Hotels. The Kew Hotel, owned by Patrick O’Shaughnessy was one of the oldest in Kew. MMBW plans were amended over time to take account of new subdivisions such as that which created Merrion Place. Of the four mansions shown in Studley Park Road, three remain – ‘Field Place’, the home of Frances Henty, ‘Leaghur’ and ‘Darley’. ‘Byram’ (later ‘Goathland’, then ‘Tara Hall’) was an architectural marvel. Designed in 1888 by E.G. Kilburn for the paper magnate George Ramsden, it was demolished in 1960. While an earlier sale of the southern section of Byram had created Tara Avenue in 1927, the demolition of the house in 1960 enabled the extension of Tara Avenue northward.melbourne and metropolitan board of works, detail plans, mmbw 1294, mmbw 1295, cartography

At the beginning of the 1890s, the Kew businessman and Town Councillor, Henry Kellett, commissioned J.F.C. Farquhar to photograph scenes of Kew. These scenes included panoramas as well as pastoral scenes. The resulting set of twelve photographs was assembled in an album, Kew Where We Live, from which customers could select images for purchase.The preamble to the album describes that the photographs used the ‘argentic bromide’ process, now more commonly known as the gelatine silver process. This form of dry plate photography allowed for the negatives to be kept for weeks before processing, hence its value in landscape photography. The resulting images were considered to be finely grained and everlasting. Evidence of the success of Henry Kellett’s venture can be seen today, in that some of the photographs are held in national collections.It is believed that the Kew Historical Society’s copy of the Kellett album is unique and that the photographs in the book were the first copies taken from the original plates. It is the first and most important series of images produced about Kew. The individual images have proved essential in identifying buildings and places of heritage value in the district.Before true aerial photography became possible, photographers such as J.F.C. Farquhar were compelled to shoot their images from the highest vantage point. Here, it is presumed to be the roof of Xavier College, from which the panoramic view extends west towards the rise of Studley Park. The houses in the foreground face the southern end of Gellibrand Street. Wellington Street is at an angle to the camera with the Queen Street intersection on the near right. The wooden building behind the large horse paddock on the other side of Gellibrand Street is the Kew Recreation Hall, built 1888, demolished 1960. It was reputed to have one of the finest dancing floors in or around Melbourne. The Bowling Green at the rear of the Hall belonged to the Kew Bowling Club. Further west is the Kew Railway Station on Denmark Street, opened to the public in 1887. At this period, much of Studley Park was locked up in large landholdings, dominated by large mansions such as ‘Byram’. Bird's Eye View Looking Westkew illustrated, kew where we live, photographic books, henry kellett, denmark street, kew recreation hall, kew bowling club, wellington street

Bushfire behaviour is influenced by many things including temperature, relative humidity, forest type, fuel quantity and fuel dryness, topography and even slope. Wind has a dominant effect on the Rate of Spread (ROS), and also bushfire size, shape and direction. Fuel arrangement is as important as fuel quantity (tonnes/ha). Fibrous and ribbon bark, together with elevated and near-surface scrub fuels act as ladders which lead flames into the tree canopy. But the availability of fuel to burn depends largely on its moisture content. When it exceeds 20-25% not much will burn, whereas 12-15% is generally ideal for fuel reduction burning, but if the moisture content drops as low as 7-10% virtually everything will ignite, and fire behaviour becomes extreme. During the afternoon of the Ash Wednesday bushfires on 16 February 1983 fuel moisture contents were recorded at Stawell as low as 2.7%. Fine fuels like leaves and bark can rapidly absorb moisture after a shower of rain, or from the air when the Relative Humidity (RH) is high, and the temperature is low. Conversely, they can also dry out very quickly. So even though the overall fuel quantity in the forest doesn’t change, the fine fuel availability can increase rapidly from zero after rain to many tonnes per hectare as the fuel dries out. This can happen over a few hours on hot and windy days. Heavy fuels like logs on the ground take longer to dry out. Since the 1930s foresters, firefighters and researchers have been working to develop quick and reliable techniques for measuring fuel moisture content. One of the most accurate methods is slowly drying a sample of fuel in a conventional oven for 24-48 hours to remove all the moisture and measuring the weight difference, but this takes time and is not practical in the field when rapid measurements are needed. But oven drying is often used as a benchmark to compare other methods. Microwave ovens are faster but can cause uneven drying and even char the fuel. They are also not very practical for use in the field. Some mathematical models rely on weather records such as rainfall, wind speed, evaporation, cloud cover, shading, relative humidity, slope, aspect and season of the year to predict soil and fuel moisture. The Keetch-Byram Drought Index of soil dryness is the most common. But complex fuels with leaves, twigs, grass etc make the predictive models often inadequate for fine fuels. The most common technique in Victorian forests until recently was the trusty Speedy Moisture Meter. Originally developed in England during the 1920s for measuring moisture in wheat and other grains it was adapted for Australian forest fuels in the 1950s (I think). Fuel was first ground using a Spong mincer, often attached to the bullbar of a vehicle, and a small sample placed into the Speedy together with a measure of calcium carbide and then sealed. A chemical reaction created gas pressure which was read on the external dial. There were important techniques with cleaning, mincing and using the chemicals with the Speedy to give reliable readings, but it was quick, inexpensive, robust, portable and practical in the field. It was used routinely before igniting a fuel reduction burn or measuring fuel moisture differentials on slash burns. But in about 1996, Karen Chatto and Kevin Tolhurst from the Department’s Creswick Research Station developed the Wiltronics Fuel Moisture meter which measured electrical resistance. Wiltronics is an Australian owned company operating from Ballarat. The final result was a kit that was portable, accurate and could reliably measure fuel moisture contents between 3% and 200%. Although expensive, it is now widely used by fire agencies around the world which has virtually relegated the Speedy to the back cupboard.Prototype Fuel moisture meterT-H Fine Fuel Meterforests commission victoria (fcv), bushfire, forest measurement