The settlement of Cabbage Tree Creek is located on the Princes Highway, 27 km east of Orbost in East Gippsland. The creek, which flows through undulating forest, takes its name from the patches of Cabbage Fan palms growing along its course. A school commenced classes in 1913, but enrolment was small and at times the school operated part time with several other small schools in the area. The school building served as a hall for the district. About 1946 two sawmills commenced operations at Cabbage Tree Creek, and the Forests Commission ranger was stationed in the area. The increased population allowed the school to have more teachers and make improvements. In 1953, a new prefabricated building was erected on a new site. However, by the 1970s employment in the timber industry was unstable and the population decreased. By 1974 the school again had only one teacher and eventually closed in 1993 to amalgamate with the Orbost primary School in Ruskin Street, Orbost. (Ref. VictorianPlaces)The school bell is a signal that tells a school's students when it is time to go to class in the morning and when it is time to change classes during the day as well as when students are dismissed from school. In most schools today it will be a tone, siren, electronic bell sound, a series of chimes, or music played over an intercom but often still called "the school bell". This item reflects the history of Cabbage Tree Creek as well as the technological changes in the school system.Brass bell with incised double lines on bottom edge and top near handle, featuring descriptive notation on front face. Bell has long wooden handle shaped and incised with four lines at base before brass housing with singular screw holding handle in place. Object is showing signs of wear, with blackened handle and patches of green oxidisation.SCHOOL BELL / SS No 3812 / CABBAGE TREE CREEK / PRIMARY SCHOOL / 1913-1993 / FORMALLY INCORPORATED / INTO / ORBOST / PRIMARY SCHOOL / 1994cabbage tree, east gippsland, cabbage tree creek, cabbage tree creek primary school, orbost primary school, school bells

This is a photograph of Alice Swallow's hotel at Cabbage Tree. The settlement of Cabbage Tree Creek is located on the Princes Highway, 27 km east of Orbost in East Gippsland. The first white settler arrived in the valley in 1887 cutting a dray track from Marlo to the south-west. Several families cleared the alluvial flats, growing maize, peas and beans and raising pigs, cattle and sheep. Later the farmers milked cows, sending cream to Orbost. In the late 1890s, small quantities of alluvial gold were found in the creek. A school commenced classes in 1913, but enrolment was small and at times the school operated part time with several other small schools in the area. The school building served as a hall for the district. From the 1920s the Cabbage Tree Hotel catered to drivers on the improved Princes Highway. (info. from Victorian Places)This is a pictorial record of Cabbage Tree, East Gippsland in the late 20th century. It shows a building that no longer exists.A black / white photograph of a small, single - storey wooden building in a bush setting. There are people standing in front of the building with a horse and wagon nearby. In the foreground is a wagon with four horses hitched to it and the driver seated behind the horses.

This large and very heavy stone was donated by Albert Emphield. Where he found it is unknown, but he worked in the Orbost forest areas and lived at Cabbage Tree Creek.Aboriginal usage, tool manufacture.A large rock of generally oval shape and with a number of flatish surfaces and hole indentations which were identified by archaeologist Dr Joanna Freslov 2.6.2008 as being used by Aboriginal people as a grinding or tool-sharpening stone.aboriginal-grinding-stone

The Cabbage Tree Creek township was originally established to support the booming timber industry of the mid 20th century. Five timber mills worked full time supporting the families that were drawn to the area's wealth of natural resources. The settlement of Cabbage Tree Creek is located on the Princes Highway, 27 km east of Orbost in East Gippsland. The first white settler arrived in the valley in 1887 cutting a dray track from Marlo to the south-west. Several families cleared the alluvial flats, growing maize, peas and beans and raising pigs, cattle and sheep. Later the farmers milked cows, sending cream to Orbost. In the late 1890s, small quantities of alluvial gold were found in the creek. A school commenced classes in 1913, but enrolment was small and at times the school operated part time with several other small schools in the area. The school building served as a hall for the district. From the 1920s the Cabbage Tree Hotel catered to drivers on the improved Princes Highway. (info. from Victorian Places)This is a pictorial record of Cabbage Tree, East Gippsland in the late 20th century. It shows a building that no longer exists.A small black / white photograph of a single storey timber building. On a sign below the roof is "Cabbage Tree Hotel". The hotel is surrounded by a wooden picket fence. A man and woman are standing on either side of a motor car parked on the roadway in front of the building.on back - on label - Cabbage Tree Hotelcabbage-tree-hotel

This photograph shows the main road near Bellbird, East Gippsland, in 1924. This road would have been the Princes Highway, a main thoroughfare through to New South Wales. Bellbird Creek is a small rural location between Orbost and Cann River. There was no township at Cabbage Tree at this time. The Cabbage Tree Creek township was established to support the booming timber industry of the mid 20th century. Five timber mills worked full time supporting the families that were drawn to the area's wealth of natural resources. Nestled on the banks of the Cabbage Tree Creek, the township was built by those mills to house their workers. Today although the timber mills have disappeared, some of the buildings still remain. Little now remains to remind of the saw-milling history apart from photographs and some relics - a boiler and a brick furnace. There was also a thriving agricultural community farming dairy, beef, seed beans and fresh peas and beans that were sent to the Victoria Market in Melbourne. Dairy farming still plays an essential role in the township. this is a pictorial record of the Princes Highway, the main road from East Gippsland to the New South Wales border.A large black / white photograph of a very wet and boggy bush road.on front - "Main Rd near Bellbird 1924"road princes-highway bellbird-creek-1924

This photograph was taken at what is now the Young’s Creek picnic area which is located on the site of an old sawmill, once owned and operated by L.E. & H. Williams, dating back to the early 1920’s. The mill was eventually sold, dismantled, and the machinery transferred to a sawmill at Cabbage Tree Creek. there are still some items of old sawmill debris. The old steam engine at the edge of the car park is the remains of the mill’s former power plant. This portable steam engine was constructed in Leiston, Suffolk, in England.This is a pictorial record of a popular recreational area in the Orbost district in the late 19th century.A black / white photograph of a wooden bridge over a creek in forest setting. There is a second copy.on back - handwritten "the Young's Creek Bridge June 1897"young's-creek-orbost bridge-young's-creek

William Garnet Macalister's parents, Thomas Mewburn and Ruth Hannah Macalister, owned and operated "Orbost House". William Garnet Macalister was born at Bairnsdale in 1884 and at Sale, aged 72, in 1958. He operated a line of coaches conveying passengers and parcels from Orbost to Cabbage Tree Creek, Club Terrace, Cann River and surrounding districts. The service departed from Orbost on Wednesdays and from the Cann River Hotel on Fridays. He was also Orbost's first milkman. He married Ethel Roda SAYERS in 1909. ( Information from John Phillips) The Macalister family is associated with early Orbost.A copy of a b/w 1920 wedding photograph. It is in a wooden frame. The photo is of a groom, William Garnet Macalister, seated with his bride, Ethel, Roda Macalister, standing on his right an arm at his back.Handwritten on back - WILLIAM GARNET MACALISTER - SON OF THOMAS MEWBURN MACALISTER RUTH HANNAH MACALISTER OF ORBOST HOUSE B 1910 died 2003 (93 years old) ETHEL RODA MACALISTER (nee SAYERS)macalister-william macalister-ethel orbost-house

This knife was used by Lottie Rem who ran the cookhouse at Astergren;s Timber Mill at Cabbage Tree in East Gippsland from 1954 until 1966.. It was bought in Orbost around 1957 - 1958. Sited on the banks of the Cabbage Tree Creek, the township was built by the timber mills to house their workers. Although the timber mills have disappeared, some of the buildings still remain. The "Cook House" and "Manager's House" are two buildings. The Cook House was built to supply meals to the workers of the Alstergren Mill. Some of the original interior walls were made from hessian and wallpaper. The few houses to survive to today are now used as private dwellings.The Cabbage Tree Creek township was established to support the booming timber industry of the mid 20th century. Five timber mills worked full time supporting the families that were drawn to the area's wealth of natural resources. this item is associated with the history of Cabbage Tree.A stainless steel serrated edged knife with a cream coloured handle (bone?)on blade -""Made in Sheffield expressly for Orbost Hardware and Timber Co, Orbost"alstergren-timber-cabbage-tree rem-lottie cook-house-alstergren's-timber-mill bread-knife-orbost-hardware

Tonghi Creek is 66km north - west of Orbost. Prior to the sealing of the Princes Highway west of Orbost, the road surface was anything but good, even by C1917 when cars started to use the road. From Orbost the old road via Marlo to Sydenham was abandoned for the new location which traversed more rugged country via Cabbage Tree, Bell Bird and Club Terrace to Cann River, and the reason for this diversion was on account of settlements being established at Murrungowar and Club Terrace, at which latter place there was a temporary rush to obtain gold. This road was constructed by the Public Works department and a maximum grade of 1 in 19 was adopted, and as speed was not to be catered for the grade followed in and out round the spurs and gullies, resulting in a maze of turns and twists which required a good deal of skill on the part of the horse driver to negotiate." - Bairnsdale Advertiser, Friday, May 2, 1947. (More information from Newsletter February 2010)This item is a pictorial record of roads in the early 20th century in East Gippsland.A large black / white photograph of a bridge over a small creek, surrounded by bush. The photograph is mounted on a thick cream coloured card.on back - "Bridge at Tonghi Creek 1918"tonghi-creek-bridge country-roads-east-gippsland