The interview is one of a series recorded in 2013-2014 to document memories and experiences of the Williamstown Botanic Gardens Cyril Curtain was born in Williamstown in 1928. He attended North Williamstown Primary School and Williamstown High School. Shortly after marrying he purchased a house on the Esplanade, where he still lives and in which this interview took place. Cyril’s work in conservation of the natural and built heritage is highly regarded. The recently developed Cyril Curtain Reserve in Williamstown is named in his honour. In this interview Cyril discusses the Gardens and the foreshore area including the beach and L A Parker Reserve A primary source of information on memories of the Gardens.CD and transcript of interview with Cyril Curtain and his memories of the Gardens and surrounding environs.fish pond, curator, cannons, williamstown botanic gardens, hobsons bay city council, aviary, pinetum, centennial reserve, midsummers night dream, cable tram car seats, infrared photography, , rotunda, gloucester reserve, 1934 storm, national trust, bateman house, clarke statue

The interview is one of a series recorded in 2013-2014 to document memories and experiences of the Williamstown Botanic Gardens Loris was born and grew up in Williamstown. She lived across the street from the Gardens at 122 Osborne Street with her parents and siblings. A primary source of information on memories of the Gardens from the 1950s until the time of the interview.CD and transcript of interview with Loris Wood about her memories of Williamstown Botanic Gardenswilliamstown botanic gardens, hobsons bay city council, fish pond, cannons, aviary, adam lindsay gordon, pinetum, fearon reserve, band platform, clarke statue, ernie anderson, osborne street, weddings, horses, gardeners cottage, curators lodge

The original postcards in this series (2013.002 to 2013.018) were generously loaned to Williamstown Botanic Gardens by a private collector for copying. The postcards are evidence of the interest the gardens held as a subject for postcard publishers. The text and images provide a snapshot into fashions, social interests and concerns of the time. The professionally produced images provide a pictorial history of Gardens including changing planting styles, various structures and features of the Gardens eg the aviary, cannons, the fountain, the second Curator’s Lodge and gates. The images offer an opportunity to compare garden vistas with the present day. This postcard is evidence of the placement of two of the cannons relocated from Fort Gellibrand in 1906 and that they were in place in the Gardens in 1924. They were removed from the Gardens in the 1960s. These same cannons remain a feature on the Williamstown waterfront in 2013. The image also shows the original Elm Avenue plantings. A sepia scene looking west towards statue of Alfred Thomas Clark, with cannons on either side of statue pointing east down what is known as the Palm Avenue. The statue is surrounded by a white fence consisting of posts and a top rail. The top of the statue is hidden by the branches of the elm trees. It appears that the elms are in the process of either losing their leaves or new leaf growth. A cactus plant can be seen beneath the lower branches of the elm tree of the right closest to the camera. The cannons were moved from Fort Gellibrand to the Gardens in 1906.Front: VALENTINE’S, M.356 ELM AVENUE WILLIAMSTOWN GARDENS MELBOURNE, VICTORIA. REAL PHOTO. Reverse: vertical on left side of card and underlined: ‘Published by the Valentine & Sons Publishing Co. Ltd. / Melbourne, Sydney & Brisbane’. Top centre of card: Contains logo of ‘VALENTINES / REAL PHOTO SERIES / POSTCARD’. Top right hand corner is stamped ‘BRANCHES (enclosed in a scroll) / SYDNEY / LONDON / DUNDEE / DUBLIN / CAPETOWN / MONTREAL / TORONTO’ The card is dated ‘29/12/24’ and addressed to ‘Dear Leah Alf & Dad’ signed by ‘Margaret’. postcard, gardens, post-card, williamstown-botanic-gardens, hobsons-bay-city-council, statue, clarke, alfred-thomas-clarke, cannon, elm, cactus, 1924, fort-gellibrand, 1906, armstrong, clark

Black and white photograph. Group (outside) with building in background (under construction) and tripot/foundation stone with block and tackle in foreground. Inscriptions: on front - 'GP69', 'the foundation stone of the new Baptist Church at Eaglehawk (A. Levy, Photo). Names:: W.G. Stephens, J.P. President of Baptist Union (printed). Rev. S.G. Goble, Fred Morris, Fred Foot, Rev. Boreham (hand written in blue ballpoint pen). On reverse - Half of a photograph with inscription on statue 'to the Hon. Sir William John Clarke, Bart. LLD. MLC, Victoria's Tribute', 'RHSV stamp (GP69). History of object: Previous Acc. NO. GP69. Photograph Bendigo Advertiser 4.7.2000A Levyperson, group, baptist church, eaglehawk

The Sunbury Gun was placed in this airconditioned room in the Village Green after it was restored. A coloured photograph of the Sunbury Gun in the Village Green precinct.gun, sunbury, village green, starkie fountain, fountains, clarke, william (sir), russell, janet (lady), starkie, joseph, war memorials, monuments and statues, church of england, churches, george evans collection

Robert Clark was the editor of the Ballarat Courier newspaper.Statue of Robert Clarke in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens.robert clark, statue, ballarat botanical gardens

On 18 July 1891, a statue of local MLA Alfred Thomas Clarke was erected in a circular plot at the intersection of the major axial paths. AT Clarke was Williamstown's representative in the Legislative Assembly from 1871 to 1887, and a Commissioner of Trade & Customs in the third Berry Ministry. He did his utmost to defend Williamstown against the Melbourne Harbour Trust and was also the founder of the Advertiser. The statue was sculpted by Enrico Luchinelli in Cararra marble. The likeness was taken from a photograph.The postcards are evidence of the interest the gardens held as a subject for postcard publishers. The text and images provide a snapshot into fashions, social interests and concerns of the time. The professionally produced images provide a pictorial history of Gardens including changing planting styles, various structures and features of the Gardens eg the aviary, cannons, the fountain, the second Curator’s Lodge and gates. The images offer an opportunity to compare garden vistas with the present day. This postcard shows the main east-west axial path with a typical Victorian/Edwardian mown grass strip which in turn borders formal shrub beds with herbaceous plantings. The Cordylines which line the avenue in this image were replaced by Mexican Fan Palms (Washingtonia robusta) planted in 1915, which in turn were replaced with the same species in 1987 A colour image of main east west axial path looking towards the statue of A C Clarke enclosed with a white fence. The path is lined with grass, shrubs and Cordylines. This image is before the Cordylines were replaced with palm trees, which was 1915.Front: ‘The Botanic Gardens, Williamstown’. Reverse: Top ‘POST CARD’ Left side ‘The Space may be used for Correspondence’; Right side: ‘For Address Only.’ Top right corner is a red Victorian one penny stamp. The card is addressed to Mr R Fraser / Collins St. / Essendon from his niece, whose name is unclear. postcard, gardens, post-card, williamstown-botanic-gardens, hobsons-bay-city-council, garden-path, cordylines, clarke, 1891, enrico luchinelli, cararra marble