W. and C. Page’s Evelyn Store was in the centre of the Eltham township in the 1860s. It was situated on the eastern side of Maria Street (Main Road) on what was Lot 355 of Josiah Holloway’s Plan of Subdivision of Little Eltham The property is described as having a frontage of one hundred and fifty one feet six inches to Maria-street by a depth of one hundred and thirty two feet with John Street on the south side. That property is now known as 816 Main Road and is occupied by Goodstart Early Learning Eltham. William Austin Page and Charlotte Moyses were married in the last quarter of 1840 in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, England. Records of their arrival in Australia have not been found. The first record of W.A and C. Page, General Merchants is an advertisement placed in The Argus newspaper in February 1854 for The White Flag Store in Wellington Street, Collingwood. William Austin Page is next recorded in the 1856 Electoral Roll for Evelyn as a storekeeper of Little Eltham. The nature of his qualification being a dwelling house in Little Eltham. There is no C. Page recorded so it is likely that this is William’s wife. It is not known when the store was built, possibly at the direction of W. and C. Page but most likely circa 1855-1856. The Page’s previous business in 1854 being The White Flag Store in Wellington Street, Collingwood. On 21 April 1857, W.A. Page along with John Pearson, Richard Warren (owner of the Eltham Hotel), James Kiddle and Thomas Marland petitioned the Licensing Magistrates of the District of Heidelberg, seeking for better police protection for the district. They pointed out that Eltham had two hotels, a local population of about a thousand persons, a great number of them strangers employed on the public roads. The Bourke District police inspector investigated and recommended that the application be approved; and he advised the Chief Commissioner of the availability of a cottage (not very good) and a two-stalled stable with a fenced paddock of four acres, for the sum of ten shillings a week. This was William Jarrold' s cottage, on the west side of Main Road which became Eltham's first police station - with Constable George Reid in charge. In 1858 the newly established Eltham Road District Board implemented a rate charge. For the year ending October 14, 1858, William A. Page of Little Eltham was listed as the owner and occupier of a shop in Little Eltham, assessed 10 shillings based on building rate of 6d per £, the store valued at £20. The same was assessed for 1859 through 1861. The business was advertised for sale with four years remaining on the then present lease in October 1860. Apparently, there was a lack of interest as they attempted to sell the business again in September 1861 with three years remaining on the lease. Again, to no avail. No record of W.A. Page or the store appears in the 1862 rates assessment however in 1863 the store was valued at £25, owned by T. Hunniford and occupied by W.A. Page. Presumably Thomas Hunniford, purchased the property in 1862 and it may have been unoccupied for a period of time or the owner/occupier entries could have been transposed incorrectly in the rates book. In April 1863, William Austin Page, storekeeper of Little Eltham advertised his intention to have Lot 345 (sic) of Josiah Holloway’s Plan of Subdivision brought under the provisions of the Real Property Act. The property is described as having a frontage of one hundred and fifty one feet six inches to Maria-street by a depth of one hundred and thirty two feet with John Street on the south side. The actual lot described is Lot 355 and this is most likely the location of Page’s Evelyn Store. This action suggests the Pages remained owners of the property and this move was to facilitate a future sale. By September 1867 the Pages had been appointed official agents for The Leader newspaper. In January 1868 the business was once again put up for sale, the owners having been in business 12 years and desirous to return to England. Once more it did not sell and was offered again for sale in March and October of that year. Presumably businesses must have been difficult to sell in those times. No further evidence has been located so far of the Pages having sold their business, but an advertisement was placed in December 1870 offering the store and dwelling house for sale, presently occupied by the Pages. The property was finally sold January 28, 1871, by auction for £150. Whether the Pages ever did return to England, at least for a visit also has not been established but death records show William Austin Page died 12 April 1884 and his wife Charlotte died 4 August 1896. Both are buried in St Kilda Cemetery. - Research by Peter Pidgeon, EDHS, June 2026Black and white copy of photographeltham, evelyn store, general merchants, general store, shops, w. & c. page, william austin page, charlotte page (nee moyses), little eltham