A DOWN goods train consisting of a G42 locomotive, a louvre van, two NQ trucks and a guard's van awaits departure from Gellibrand. Three youths are seated in the doorway of the guard' van. On the near track further NQ trucks are parked. A water tank appears in the distance.A DOWN goods train with locomotive G42 awaits departure time from Gellibrand on 14 December 1955. B/W.gellibrand; railways; locomotive g42; louvre van; nq trucks; guard's van; water tank;

Paper ticket printed onto light yellow paper with decorative border for the Ballarat Tramway Museum social group tour to Bendigo and Bylands tramway museums on 6/12/1998. Has a sketch of No. 11, side on elevation. Gives date, fare, departure time. Has been punched or cancelled by the trolley pole.trams, tramways, ticket, ballarat, bylands, bendigo

Timetable - 26 pages photocopied on foolscap paper clipped with a fold back type metal clip in the top left hand corner, MMTB for Queens Birthday Monday 16-6-1969. Has an index page on the front cover. Gives a timetable for each route, showing both trams and buses, departure time from terminus, and running times. Has various symbols for depot run in etc.Has three MMTB stamps on the front sheet.trams, tramways, mmtb, timetables, queens birthday, buses, trams

Timetable - 33 pages printed or photocopied on foolscap paper for each tram and bus routes, for weekdays, Saturdays and Sunday. Gives a timetable for each route, showing both trams and buses, departure time from terminus, and running times. Has various symbols for depot run in etc. In a style for public use. Dated May 1967 to August 1968. Full Image of route 19 sheet added 9/4/17 following a query about route 19 timetables - see image i3.trams, tramways, mmtb, timetables, buses, trams

This type of clock was used on the Port Melbourne bus route until its replacement by the Automatic Vehicle Monitoring system (AVM) to record the departure time of bus services from a specific point along the route. Possibly used at the terminus itself. Clock obtained by the Museum from the MMTB at the time of its replacement c1980. Conductors rather than drivers "Punched" the clock when this bus route was operated by half-cab buses. Was originally in a steel case when received. The Museum made the perspex insert in the front door to enable operation by a key c1985 when it was installed in the Museum's Mess Room. See item 9566 for a key that was used.Demonstrates a MMTB Cincinnati manufactured time recording clock. The MMTB also made their own.Cincinnati "bundy" clock comprising a pendulum operated clock upper section and a lower recording and printing section with a paper roll within a red painted wooden case. Has No. 81 in pencil on the clock face.tramways, buses, cincinnati, time recorder clocks

Tramway Inspectors table holder - two sheets of Perspex with a ruled card between them held with an elastic or rubber band. Use by Inspectors to hold headway cards which they hand wrote out to suit themselves and their method of monitoring services. Inspector's would use a soft pencil on the Perspex sheet to mark off the services as they past their monitoring point. Normally the card would be used to note the suburban terminus departure time, city arrival time, their monitoring point, eg a junction, and other major points. They could also record crew change overs for meals and with other trams on them and what runs their next did. (Advice from Peter Winspur 24-3-2016) Five additional blank copies of the cards from a donation of Kevin Tierney added 5/8/2016. Addition blank card from donation of Gavin Young added 22/12/2020.trams, tramways, mmtb, timetables, buses, trams, inspectors

Provided details to the crews of the trams allocated for each run number in order of the time of departure from the depot on a Sunday.Demonstrates how tramcars allocation was advised to tram crews on Sundays.Sign - made from chip board with two hanging hooks on the top, blackboard black paint and white paint "Sunday Cars". trams, tramways, sign, sec, depot, sunday services, tramcars

Printed form titled "M&MTB Almex Ticket Issuing Machine Running Journal" for use by Conductors or Bus Driver issuing Almex type tickets. Has the time of departure, tram number, counters, various checks, and fare values along with opening and closing numbers on the machine. Dated Oct. 1981.trams, tramways, tickets, conductors, revenue journal

Set of 25 transparencies taken on 26/2/1972 on Kodak mounts. 1204.1 - Bendigo No. 5 - just arrived at Manchester Loop near Havilah Road, Long Gully. Photo taken after tram has passed photographer. 1204.2 - No. 26 in Backhaus St. Long Gully passing William St, en route to Quarry Hill. Photo taken after tram has passed photographer. 1204.3 - No. 5 climbing the High St. Hill Eaglehawk, heading for Quarry Hill with the buildings on the West side of High St. in the background, including the Eaglehawk Town Hall. 1204.4 - as for 1204.3, but tram close up. 1204.5 - as for 1204.3, but after tram has passed photographer. 1204.6 - No. 5 at intersection of Mt Korong Road Ironbark and Calder Highway, with the AMPOL service 'station in the background. Photo taken after tram has passed photographer. 1204.7 - No. 26 en route to Quarry Hill shortly after leaving Needle Loop, passing William St., Long Gully. 1204.8 - No. 5 at California Gully Loop, picking up a passenger, with the shops at Long Gully in the background. Photo taken after tram has passed photographer. 1204.9 - No. 5 in Long Gully, en route to Quarry Hill. Photo taken after tram has passed photographer. 1204.10 - No. 2 at Eaglehawk terminus with the Eaglehawk Town Hall and Post Office in the background. Tram has two SEC roof ads. 1204.11 - No. 2 at Eaglehawk terminus, close up. 1204.12 - as for 1204.11, but through the park gates. 1204.13 - as for 1204.11, but with tram stop shelters in the foreground and buildings on the West side of High St in the background. 1204.14 - No. 2 in Mt. Korong Rd, midway between California Gully Loop and Needle Loop. Photo taken after tram has passed photographer. 1204.15 - No. 5 in Long Gully, en route to Quarry Hill. 1204.16 - as for 1204.15, but with trams departed loop. Has an ESSO service station in the background. 1204.17 - No. 26 leaves Charing Cross up View St.. Photo taken after tram has passed photographer. Has Armstrong Tyre Service, Cohns Drinks ad on a building and the T&G building in the background. Also Firestone ads on the tyre service building. 1204.18 - No. 5 waits at Charing Cross with the Alexandra Fountain in the background. Tram has two SEC roof ads, 'Everything s fine in my all electric kitchen' and 'Electricity Best for Cooking'. Has RACV, Colonial Mutual Life buildings in the background and the planting areas around Charing Cross gardens in the foreground. 1204.19 - No. 21 en route to North Bendigo arrives at Charing Cross, with passengers waiting to board. No. 5 in the background. In the background is the Fountain Gate Plaza building and the City Family Hotel. 1204.20 - as for 1204.19, but with No. 7 en route to Golden Square. 1204.21 - as for 1204.19, but closer up. 1204.22 - as for 1204.18 1204.23 - No. 25 in Nolan St. near the crossing of Bendigo Creek, running a special tram tour. 1204.24 - No. 25 on a special charter, in Weeroona Ave. at Cnr of Caledonia St. passing the Gas works. 1204.25 - Nos. 25 (showing Golden Square), 7 and 26 at Charing Cross. Has fountain in the background.Information written on in blue ink and date stamped on purple ink. 1204.1 - "No. 5 at Manchester Loop, near Havilah Rd. Long Gully." 1204.2 - "No. 26 in Backhaus St. Long Gully passing William St." 1204.3 - "No. 5 in High St. Eaglehawk." 1204.4 - "No. 5 in High St. Eaglehawk." 1204.5 - "No. 5 in High St. Eaglehawk." 1204.6 - "No. 5 in Mt. Korong Rd., Ironbark, passing Calder Highway Junctn." 1204.7 - "No. 26 shortly after leaving Needle Loop, passing William St., Long Gully. No. 5 cresting hill in distance." 1204.8 - "No. 5 at California Gully Loop." 1204.9 - "No. 5 in Long Gully" 1204.10 - "No. 2 at Eaglehawk terminus." 1204.11 - "No. 2 at Eaglehawk terminus." 1204.12 - "No. 2 at Eaglehawk terminus." 1204.13 - "No. 2 at Eaglehawk terminus." 1204.14 - "No. 2 in Mt. Korong Rd, midway between California Gully Loop and Needle Loop. 1204.15 - "Nos. 2 and 26 crossing at Long Gully." 1204.16 - "No. 26 leaves Long Gully loop for Eaglehawk as No. 2 pulls out of the far end towards Bendigo" 1204.17 - "No. 26 beginning the climb up View St. from Charing Cross." 1204.18 - "No. 5 at Charing Cross." 1204.19 - "No 21 arrives at Charing Cross from Golden Square while No. 5 awaits departure time for Eaglehawk." 1204.20 - "Nos. 7, 21, and 2 (behind which is No. 5) at Charing Cross." 1204.21 - "Nos. 7, 21, and 2 at Charing Cross." 1204.22 - "No. 5 at Charing Cross." 1204.23 - "No. 25 in Nolan St. near Bendigo creek crossing" 1204.24 - "No. 25 in Weeroona Ave. at cnr of Caledonia St." 1204.25 - "Nos. 25, 7, 26 and 2 (behind 26) at Charing Cross."tramways, trams, bendigo, eaglehawk, long gully, california gully, charing cross, north bendigo, tram 2, tram 5, tram 7, tram 21, tram 25, tram 26

Set of 39 MMTB Tram timetables, 2 fold sheets, , providing timetables for specific routes, route numbers, day of week giving information on tram times at departure time points, sections and fares, where applicable all night bus services. All signed by B. H. Misson, Traffic Manager. All sponsored by Kays Rent a Car and Motor Drome, 18-30 Mount Alexander Road, Flemington. The only one missing is Point Ormond. Not dated, based on fares - 1960 and possibly after Point Ormond had closed. .1 - Route 1, 21 - East Coburg - City .2 - Route 4, 4A, 4B - Carnegie - City .3 - Route 4D, 14 - East Malvern - City .4 - Route 5, 5A - Malvern Burke Road - City .5 - Route 6, 6A, 6B - Glen Iris - City .6 - Route 7, 7A, 7B, 7D - Camberwell - City .7 - Route 8, 8A - Toorak - City .8 - Route 9, 9A - Northcote via St Georges Road - City .9 - Route 9, 9B, 10, 12 - Sth Melbourne Beach, St Kilda Beach - City .10 - Route 10,11 - West Preston - City .11 - Route 15, 16 - St Kilda Beach - City .12 - Route 15, 22 - Moreland - City .13 - Route 18, 19, 20 - North Coburg - City .14 - Route 27, 28 - Hawthorn - Spencer St .15 - Route 42, 44, 45 - Mont Albert - City .16 - Route 48, 40, 41 - North Balwyn - Spencer St .17 - Route 49 - Essendon (Matthews Ave) - City .18 - Route 50, 54, 57, 58, 60 - West Maribyrnong - City .19 - Route 55, 56 - West Coburg - City .20 - Route 59 - Essendon Aerodrome - City .21 - Route 61, 62, 64, 65 - East Brighton - City .22 - Route 69 - Kew Cotham Road - St Kilda Beach .23 - Route 70, 71, 76 - Wattle Park - City .24 - Route 74, 75, 76 - Burwood - City .25 - Route 77, 80 - Prahran - City .26 - Route 78, 79 - North Richmond - Prahran .27 - Route 82 - Moonee Ponds - Footscray .28 - Williamstown Road - Footscray - Tram and bus .29 - Ballarat Road - Footscray - Tram and bus .30 - Russell St - - Footscray - Tram and bus .31 - East Brunswick - City .32 - Domain Road - City .33 - West Heidelberg - City .34 - Sunshine - City via Ballarat and Footscray Roads .35 - Sunshine - City via South and Dynon Roads .36 - Sunshine Park - City .37 - Garden City - City (Victoria St) .38 - Queens Bridge - Fisherman's Bend via Ingles St .39 - Queens Bridge - Fisherman's Bend via Lorimer St and Princes Bridge - Fisherman's Bend via Williamstown Rd.All have the route number in ink on the front cover - see image 5691i.jpg for standard cover.trams, tramways, mmtb, timetables, melbourne, fares, route 1, route 22, route 4, route 4a, route 4b, route 4d, route 14, route 5, route 5a, route 6, route 6a, route 6b, route 7, route 7a, route 7b, route 7d, route 8, route 8a, route 9, route 9a, route 9b, route 10, route 11, route 12, route 15, route 16, route 22, route 18, route 19, route 20, route 27, route 28, route 42, route 45, route 44, route 48, route 40, route 41, route 49, route 50, route 54, route 57, route 58, route 60, route 52, route 56, route 59, route 61, route 62, route 64, route 65, route 69, route 70, route 71, route 76, route 74, route 75, route 76, route 77, route 80, route 78, route 79, route 82, williamstown rd, ballarat rd, russell st, route 96, domain rd, west heidelberg, sunshine, garden city, queens bridge, fishermen's bend

The book advertising MMTB's Special tourist bus, giving overall tour details on page 1, including fares, time of departures and reservations. Each tour has a map showing the route, details of the tour route with notes and photographs. Page 14 shows a maximum traction tram on the reserved track in Dandenong road and page 30, W2 488 outbound in Victoria Parade. Page 32 has an advertisement for the Round Trip by Tram 1/-. Front cover has details of the departure times and fares and a photo of the Tourist Bus. The supplementary sheet has been prepared for the tours that operated daily from Sun Sept. 17 to Friday May 31, except Anzac Day. See item 10133 for the 1938 version.Demonstrates the work of the MMTB providing sightseeing tours using a special bus and its publicity methodThirty two page landscape booklet on semi gloss white paper with off white cover and single supplementary white sheet tipped onto the inside of the front cover titled "See Melbourne's Beautiful Beaches and Garden Suburbs from a Special Bus". Saddle stapled, printed letterpress. Text printed in black and green ink. Cover green ink only. trams, tramways, mmtb, bus tours, melbourne, sightseeing

The book advertising MMTB's Special tourist bus, giving overall tour details on page 1, including fares, time of departures and reservations. Each tour has a map showing the route, details of the tour route with notes and photographs. Page 14 shows a maximum traction tram on the reserved track in Dandenong road and page 13, W2 488 outbound in Victoria Parade. Page 31has an advertisement for the Round Trip by Tram 1/-. Inside Front cover has details of the departure times and fares and a photo of the Tourist Bus. The supplementary sheet has been prepared for the tours that operated daily from Sun Sept. 18 to Friday May 31, except Anzac Day. For the 1939-1940 version - different bus on cover. - Reg Item 1838.Demonstrates the work of the MMTB providing sightseeing tours using a special bus and its publicity methods.Thirty two page landscape booklet on semi gloss white paper with off white or cream cover and single supplementary white sheet tipped onto the inside of the front cover titled "See Melbourne's Beautiful Beaches and Garden Suburbs from a Special Bus". Saddle stapled, printed letterpress. Text printed in black and green ink. Cover green ink only.tramways, trams, mmtb, melbourne, bus tours, sightseeing

This diary was kept by Captain Richard Farrell, who served in the Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps, 2nd Composite Ordnance Depot from 11 March 1967 until 26 Feb 1968 covers the dates 04/02/68 until his departure(which includes the time of Tet Offensive). In addition to recording his day-to-day activities, he details his involvement in collecting evidence for the Court Martial of Private Knight of 2nd Advanced Ordnance Depot, Catering Corps. Knight was charged with 'grievous wounding' for the stabbing with a bayonet of Corporal Holt during a fight in/around the canteen known as the Arnold Club on 22 October 1967. He also records the inquiry into the death of SAS Sgt Geoffrey Baines on 22 October 1967, killed while disposing of grenades down a well.Approximately 100, 2-hole punched foolscap pages of hand-written diary of Captain Richard A Farrell of Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps. Document is a B&W copy.vietnam war, ordnance, 2nd advance ordnance depot, richard a farrell, farrell, captain farrell, stabbing, knight, private knight, corporal holt, 22 october 1967, october 1967, arnold club, court martial

Thirty two page landscape booklet on semi gloss white paper with off white or cream cover and single supplementary white sheet tipped onto the inside of the front cover titled "See Melbourne's Beautiful Beaches and Garden Suburbs from a Special Bus". Saddle stapled, printed letterpress. Text printed in black and green ink. Cover green ink only. The book advertising MMTB's Special tourist bus, giving overall tour details on page 1, including fares, time of departures and reservations. Each tour has a map showing the route, details of the tour route with notes and photographs. Page 14 shows a maximum traction tram on the reserved track in Dandenong road and page 30, W2 488 outbound in Victoria Parade. Page 32 has an advertisement for the Round Trip by Tram 1/-. Front cover has details of the departure times and fares and a photo of the Tourist Bus. The supplementary sheet has been prepared for the tours that operated daily from Sun Sept. 18 to Friday May 31, except Anzac Day. Ballarat Tramway Museum has a similar item, 1939-1940 version - different bus on cover. - Reg Item 1838.trams, tramways, mmtb, bus tours, melbourne, sightseeing

William Crabb was later a well respected manager of the Victoria United GMC, Ballarat after leaving the Bucca Bucca region in Queensland.Digital copy of an illumination presented to William Crabb, mine manager at Beacon Gold Mine, Bucca Bucca. We also wish to record our appreciation of the interest you have always shown in the progress of the District, and more particularly the Mining industry. As a Mine Manager, we have found you to be equitable and just to your Employees, whilst at the same time faithfully serving our Employers. We know that you have always had the welfare of your men and the District at heart, and we are as heartily sorry at our loss, which your departure necessitates." (signed) William S Bryce James Demming Thos. G. Fraser, A. Griffith, A. Moncrieff, John Parry, N. Danvers Power, H Skinner, G. Strathen, Trevor W. Alley, William Peter J.P., James Marles, Joseph Smith and 45 others.illumination, william crabb, victoria united gold mine, beacon gold mine, upper bucca bucca, william s. boyce, james dennings, thomas f. fraser, a. griffith, a. moncrieff, john parry, n. daery-porter, h. skinner, c. strather, trever w. alley, william peter, james marles, joseph smith

1. News clipping: Author recalls Eltham's early days; story by Linley Hartley, photo by Ron Grant; Diamond Valley News, Thursday, May 24, 1983, p26 (On reverse side, p25, "A pot for every purpose" about potter Joan Armfield with references to artis Davd Armfield) 2. Three pages typed copy of John Handfield's original letter to Blanche Shallard (of the Shire of Eltham Historical Society), 16 May 1989 detailing the Handfield family's life in Eltham and various personalities between their arrival in 1919 and departure in 1928. With a postscript that John Handfield returned in 1961 to a house designed by friend Robin Boyd and built 1961. At the time of the letter John and Esta Handfield had been the only owners. 3. Note from John Handfield to Ron Smith about a proposed talk (to the Historical Society?) to tell the story about the writing of Friends and Brothers. Proposed title of talk "You Never Know What's Around The Corner" plus several copies of book reviews • Photocopy of news clipping; The rector who created a vision; Review by Bishop Holland; Newcastle Morning Herald, c.1980 - Book review of FRIENDS AND BROTHERS, The Life of Father Tucker, Founder of the Brotherhood of St Laurence and Community Aid Abroad, by John Handfield, Hyland House Publishing Pty Ltd • Photocopy of news clipping; The clergyman whose monuments continue to do good; Review by Geoffrey Hutton; Publication unknown, c.1980 - Book review of FRIENDS AND BROTHERS, The Life of Father Tucker, Founder of the Brotherhood of St Laurence and Community Aid Abroad, by John Handfield, Hyland House Publishing Pty Ltd • Photocopy of news clipping; Helper of the defeated; Review by Sandy Murray; Publication unknown, c.1980 - Book review of FRIENDS AND BROTHERS, The Life of Father Tucker, Founder of the Brotherhood of St Laurence and Community Aid Abroad, by John Handfield, Hyland House Publishing Pty Ltd • Photocopy of news clipping; Friends and Brothers by John Handfield; Review by Bishop James Grant; Publication unknown, c.1980 - Book review of FRIENDS AND BROTHERS, The Life of Father Tucker, Founder of the Brotherhood of St Laurence and Community Aid Abroad, by John Handfield, Hyland House Publishing Pty Ltd • Photocopy of news clipping; Off and running on his third career by Stuart Sayers; Writers & Readers, The Age, Saturday 17 January 1981 • Photocopy of news clipping; Determined to succeed; Review by Roy Cassin; The West Australian, n.d. - Book review of FRIENDS AND BROTHERS, The Life of Father Tucker, Founder of the Brotherhood of St Laurence and Community Aid Abroad, by John Handfield, Hyland House Publishing Pty LtdFolder of information on John Handfield, author, Elthamjohn handfield, joan armfield, david armfield, handfield family, eltham, 16 homestead road, handfield house, anne hunniford, dave lyon, esta handfield, mechanics insitute, mr bond, rechabite hall, robin boyd, rutter family, bishop reginald stephen, clem christesen, desmond annear, dr kent hughes, ethel boake, handfield street, john harcourt, kooringoorama, lady longstaff, nina christesen, peter street, shillinglaw farm, sir john longstaff, stanhope, yarra braes, a. copeland, alf baker, baker's cottage, ballakian, belackian, beulah alice rutter, bill withers, bird brothers cash grocer and fruiterer, blacksmith, burgoyne grocery store, butcher, david rutter, donald rutter, e. copeland, edward gadd, ernest james andrew, fanny withers (nee flinn), hubert rutter, jack baker, jack ryan, june rutter, margery withers, newsagency, oakley, ronnie baker, silver street bridge, tessie baker, walter withers, burke and wills, father g k tucker, frederick oliver handfield, friends and brothers (book), muriel elizabeth handfield (nee cochran), ss victoria, st laurence and community aid abroad, stanhope house, theodore louis hopton handfield, book review

Longmore set aside his life as a farm-hand in Geelong, Victoria, when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force at age 21. Private (Pte) Roy Longmore, 3rd Reinforcements, 21st Battalion, of Bannockburn, Victoria enlisted on 13 July 1915; and he embarked from Melbourne aboard HMAT Anchises on 26 August 1915.[2] After training in Egypt, was sent to the Battle of Gallipoli where he was a tunnel digger with the 2nd Division, burrowing underneath the Turkish positions and laying mines. After evacuation from Turkey, he fought at Pozières, Armentières, and Villers-Bretonneux.[1] He was wounded three times in France and was momentarily given up for dead when he was shot as the Armistice in November 1918, approached. He later recalled, "We were patrolling in a gully when suddenly half a dozen Germans appeared over a hill armed with machine guns and opened fire. Jerry riddled me, knocking me flat on my back, and the last I heard was 'Longy's had it, they got him.'" Fortunately, his fellow soldiers saw him move and rescued him.[3] Lance Sergeant (LSgt) and returned to Australia on 16 March 1919 as a member of the 2nd Pioneer Battalion.[2] Civilian life[edit] After returning to Australia in 1919, his injuries made returning to farm work impossible, so he drove a taxi in Melbourne. Another change caused by the war was more telling. Before, he had hunted rabbits; but he later explained that when he returned home, he no longer had an appetite for firing at anything alive.[3] Longmore married and had one son, Eric.[1] The one-time LSgt Longmore died peacefully in his sleep at a Burwood Nursing Home aged 107 on 21 June 2001. He was the second last Anzac to die.[2] At his death, Australia honored him one final time with a state funeral.[3] Australian "legend"[edit] In 2000, Longmore was recognized as one of the "Australian Legends." His name and photograph were honored as part of an annual series of commemorative postage stamps issued by Australia Post since 1997. The stamps commemorate living Australians "who have made lifetime contributions to the development of Australia's national identity and character".[4] Longmore lived to fully enjoy this honor.[3] Longmore's 45-cent Legend stamp displays the soldier's portrait as a young man, photographed just prior to his departure for Gallipoli. Formal photographs of the other two ANZAC centenarians complete this stamp set. In addition, a fourth stamp features the 1914-15 star medal which was presented to all those who fought in campaigns during those war years.[5] These stamps, designed by Cathleen Cram of the Australia Post Design Studio, commemorate the story of events and people shaping contemporary Australia.[6] The Longmore stamp honors him as an individual and as a representative of all 68,000 soldiers at Gallipoli whose actions affected Australia's evolving self-image.[7] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_LongmoreFramed painting of Roy Longmore wooden frame glass fronted

I was born in Guildford W.A. on 12 November 1940 and at an early age took an interest in painting. Over the years (between lapses) I have completed several hundred pieces of work including pencil and crayon sketches, lino cuts, oil colours - and water colours which have been my main focus. As painting has always been a hobby I’ve never bothered with selling my work through an art gallery - but have donated a good deal of work to fundraisers and charity auctions with some paintings attracting large prices, I’ve also sold quite a number (some years ago) via Joels Auctions before they went up-market, others have gone to friends and family. My pleasure has been in completing painting, I’ve never bothered about recovering costs (including framing) but happy when people take an interest in my work - and I know pictures have gone to a happy home – additional pleasure comes when people remind me they love the painting, sometimes I’ve forgotten what they have and other occasions have been able to see them in their homes and loved they way they have fitted-in. Regarding the little painting of the Bicentennial sailing ships – I did it as a quick sketch at the time (1988) when the ships departed Melbourne sailing down Port Phillip Bay - with the view to doing a larger painting which never eventuated and it has remained in my possession until recently when I decided to dispose of my remaining work/s as I have to move and ‘down-size’. As you will appreciate it is a very simple sketch but it captures a notable moment in time and would be very happy if the MTS could find a place for it in their collection. As it happens I spent 9 years in the Royal Australian Navy and feel a close connection to seafarers and would be honoured that you might wish to include the picture in your collection. Marine art, Maritime artKimberley Dunstan, Mission to Seafarers CollectionSmall rectangular oil painting (landscape format) depicting sailing shipsSigntaure of the artist bottom left corner: KHD At the back in black ink: 1988 / Kim Dunstan / Port Phillip Bay / Bicentennial Fleet Departure / From End Of Martin St Brightonbicentennial, 1988, fleet, kim dunstan, kimberley dunstan

Captain Charles Ferguson was born in Scotland in 1813. He was the Master of the "Rajah" from 1838 to 1850 on voyages from England to Australia and vice versa. He became the First Chief Harbour Master for the port of Melbourne in 1852 after being the first Harbour Master and Water Police Officer in Geelong for 12 months. On the 5th of April 1841, the Rajah sailed with James Donovan M.D. as Surgeon Superintendent, and the Rajah sailed from Woolwich with 180 female convicts. The Rajah arrived on the 19th of July in Hobart, with 179 females (one died during the voyage) and 10 children. Miss Kezia Elizabeth Hayter was the matron on board. On page 28 of the "Sailing directions for Port Phillip, in the colony of Victoria including the ports of Melbourne and Geelong", a mention is made of the Mariner's Hospital and Floating Church soon to be established. There were discussions to built the hospital in Williamstown but instead the Government decided to build it in Melbourne. The Harbour Master and a commiittee decided to use the water police hulk, Emily, left unsold in 1856, to create a floating church: the Bethel was open in July 1857 with Reverend Kerr Johnston as Chaplain. Latrobe wrote a letter to Captain Cole in 1869, a few months after learning his death : "To Captain George Ward Cole † [from a draft in another’s hand] Clapham House, Lewes, Sussex, January 28th, 1869. My dear Captain Cole, Last mail will have taken out the sad intelligence of the death of our excellent old friend, Captain Ferguson. This will have been a terrible blow to his children and to his friends in the colony, who may have held reason to expect his early return to his home, with a not unreasonable prospect of ultimate restoration to health and activity. In the course of last October I went up to town with one of my children, mainly with the purpose of finding my way to Pinner, where he and Mrs. Ferguson were staying with an intimate friend. I found him in excellent health and spirits, and enjoying the prospect of a speeding resumption of the service to which he had devoted his best days, and upon the furtherance of which his entire energy was still directed. A week or two later Captain and Mrs. Ferguson went to Dover for change of air, and being still under the impression received from the advisers by whom they had been guided during their residence at a hydropathic establishment at Matlock, felt encouraged to plan almost immediate return to the colony by the Jerusalem early in December. However, certain misgivings in the mind of a medical gentleman, then in England, under whose care Captain Ferguson had at one time placed himself in Williamtown, led them to consider it judicious before departure to take the advice of some surgeon of eminence in London. Accordingly they came up to town at the close of November. The first London practitioners they consulted shook their heads, and advised consultation with Sir Wm. Ferguson. The result was that amputation, without loss of time, was pronounced necessary. The rest is soon told. He received the painful intelligence with calmness and full resignation to God's will, and underwent the operation at King's College Hospital with exemplary firmness and Courage on the 28th of November. Perfect success seemingly attended it, and there seemed, humanly speaking, to be every prospect of a prompt cure and early convalescence; everything seemed in his favour. A few days later, however, all was clouded by symptoms of hospital fever (pyoe æm ia). This resisted all control, and finally carried him off on the 27th of December, just one month after the operation. He had lived a Christian life, and his death was the peaceful and resigned death of a Christian. It was a melancholy satisfaction to me to be able to join a few friends in following his remains to their resting place in one of the outlying London cemeteries on the last day of the year. You know Mrs Ferguson well, and will be prepared to hear me say that her whole conduct and demeanour throughout this period of suspense and bitter trial has been worthy of her high character and steadfast principle. Come what will, and happen what may, I have the fullest conviction that neither the widow nor the children will be forsaken, however doubtful and clouded the future may appear, in consequence of the irreparable loss which, they have sustained. And now, dear Captain Cole, it is possible that you may already have heard all this from other sources, but I have dictated it to you under strong impulse, for I feel assured that there is no member of the community in which you live who will more sincerely deplore the loss of Captain Ferguson on private grounds; at the same time that there is no one who, from long acquaintance with his official character and services, will be in a better position to estimate their real value or the loss which the colony has sustained. The circumstances in which Captain Ferguson's family are left not only demands the utmost display of sympathy and interest on the part of friends, but may call for decided and prompt action; therefore I cannot rest satisfied without discharging what I consider my duty, and seeking to strengthen your hands as far as I may in bringing the character of his long services before the existing colonial authorities. Of his private career previous to his entering the service of the Colonial Government in 1851 nothing need be said. Captain Ferguson was appointed as the Harbour Master at Geelong in April, 1851 – a few months before the separation of the colony from New South Wales. He there did excellent service in a variety of ways calculated to advance the interests of the port, and to introduce www.latrobesociety.org.au 27 order, where, from circumstances, but little order had hitherto prevailed. His was the first appointment of this class in that locality. The separation of the colony from New South Wales took place in the month of July following. Shortly after, the late Captain Bunbury resigned the Harbour Mastership of Port Phillip. Captain Ferguson was at once (February, 1852) appointed to succeed him, and from that time performed all duties of Chief Harbour Master of the colony. The previous year (May 1851) the first gold discoveries in New South Wales had taken place, and in the month of August those of our colony followed. At the time of Captain Ferguson’s taking charge of the Port of Melbourne their influence had begun to be fully felt, and in no department more seriously than in that of the Harbour Master. This is no place for statistical details, but they must bear me out in reminding you of a few facts connected with our late friend’s career. At the time of separation that department comprised only 30 individuals of all ranks, and when he took charge the number was much reduced. There were at that time, according to the returns, no fewer than 54 vessels, registering 26,785 tons, in Hobson’s Bay alone. The crews on arrival numbered 1,235 men. Of this number only 463 remained on board, 500 having deserted, and the rest having been discharged by arrangement or pure necessity. For the first six months after Captain Ferguson’s assumption of office as Harbour Master the duties of Police Magistrate and Chief of the Water Police were superadded, and how much labour they involved may be surmised from the fact that from 1st of April to the 31st July, 1852, four months only, no less than 236 marine cases were brought before the bench at Williamstown - sometimes as many as 30 in a day. A year later (March 1853) the returns show that the number of vessels in the harbour in Hobson’s Bay alone were 91, tonnage 43,754; and passing on to the still later returns of May, 1853, two years after Captain Ferguson’s assumption of office, we find from the records that the number of ships in port had increased to 129; tonnage, 63,292; crew on board on arrival, 2872, and at the date of report, 1628; the amount of desertions at that time having, however, proportionally diminished, in consequence of the abatement of the gold fever, caused by the non-success attendant upon the labours of thousands at the goldfields. The above numbers take no account of the large number of vessels and amount of tonnage lying at the wharves at Melbourne or elsewhere. From these figures alone it may be judged what must have been a struggle in which the Chief Harbour Master was engaged from the very outset to secure order, and answer the innumerable calls on every branch of his department, at the same time that there was for many months an almost complete impossibility of securing subordinate agency, such as boatmen, pilots, and police, at any price. But I may bear witness to the untiring diligence, energy, and self-devotion with which Captain Ferguson grappled with the difficulties of his position, and the seemingly insurmountable obstacles which stood in his way. Ashore and afloat he was always ready, showing the same directness of purpose, intelligence, and forgetfulness of self. He shunned no responsibility, and turned his hand from no work, whether within or beyond the ordinary scope of his duty, which the hard necessity of the times forced the Government to bring under his notice. Already in 1852, when the overflowing of our gaol and stockade rendered the adoption of other methods of restraint absolutely necessary, and addition to the existing buildings could not be thought of, it was Captain Ferguson who first suggested the employment of hulks; and it was with his personal assistance and supervision, and under his unflagging energy, that the three first of these – the Success, the President, and the Sacramento – were purchased, fitted up, and made available for the purpose in view, and the rules and regulations for the employment and safety of the men afloat and ashore prescribed and carried out. He carried the same energy into every branch of his department, and his influence was soon apparent. His subordinates of every class became actuated by his spirit. As time moved on, the range of his duties, both ordinary and extraordinary, increased. In the formation of the quarantine station at the heads, in the management if not the erection of lighthouses, sailing directions, port and wharf regulations, buoys, signal stations, www.latrobesociety.org.au 28 steam dredging &c., he was the main and most active agent. The whole pilot establishment and regulations, men, and vessels, were under his charge; and when I left the colony in May, 1854, the entire range of ports outside Port Phillip Heads from Point Lonsdale to Portland, as well as that of Geelong had felt the influence of his intelligent supervision and care. The entire department of Chief Harbour Master, which I have numbered at the period of separation about thirty individuals, then numbered 230. The character of Captain Ferguson’s unbroken service during the fourteen years which have elapsed since I left the colony must be well known to the Government and the people he has served so long and so faithfully. I confine myself to recalling to mind those earlier, and what must have been the hardest and most difficult, period – none can know how difficult but those who were in that fierce struggle for the maintenance of order under so many disadvantages; and on this subject I have spoken advisedly and with reason, for I may truly say he worked under my own eye. I had sincere regard for the man, and just pride in the qualities of his heart, head, and hand. Whatever mistakes may have been made by the Government of the colony in those hard and difficult times (and I am quite ready to admit that there were many, especially if the past is to be judged by the light of the present), I never have hesitated in believing that, in appointing Captain Ferguson to the office he has so long filled, it was the right man in the right place. I shall be heartily rejoiced to find that the Government and inhabitants of the colony admit that this has been the case, and to learn that they have not forgotten the strong claims of one who has served them so long and so faithfully, and who, removed by God’s providence, so to say, in the maturity of his powers, has left a widow and young family behind him. I have done, I leave you to make use of this communication, or any portion of it, which you may think judicious and called for. There may be among Ferguson’s friends those who may not be sorry to be reminded of facts. By-the-bye, I may mention as a proof how completely Captain Ferguson’s mind was engrossed by devotion to his public duty, that while in Dover, only ten days before the operation, he took an opportunity to drag himself up into the lantern of the S. Foreland Lighthouse, and made a most careful scrutiny of the whole apparatus and arrangement, with a view of the adoption of any hint for the perfection of those under his charge in the colony. And now, goodbye. I trust this will find you in good health, and in comparative vigour. Believe me ever, dear Captain Cole, Yours very truly, C. J. La Trobe"The attempt for a floating church was made as early as 1853 following similar examples in London like the Seamen's Hospital. Captain Ferguson was instrumental in the foundation of the Bethel Church.Digital copies of the 37 pages ; 22 cm.1854, hobsons bay, geelong, melbourne, williamstown, sandridge, mariner's hospital, floating church, seamen's hospital, captain charles ferguson (1813-1868), kezia elizabeth hayter (1818-1885), rajah quilt, prison hulks, water police, harbour master, harbor master, gaols

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Digital file only - Black and white photo print on loan for scanning by EDHSalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Digital file only - Black and white photo print on loan for scanning by EDHSalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Digital file only - Black and white photo print on loan for scanning by EDHSalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Born digitalalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Digital file only - Black and white photo print on loan for scanning by EDHSalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Digital file only - Black and white photo print on loan for scanning by EDHSalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Digital file only - Black and white photo print on loan for scanning by EDHSalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Digital file only - Black and white photo print on loan for scanning by EDHSalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

Vicki Spicer collection, including a short note and her return address, of programmes illustrating performances by the Bendigo Operatic Society. The Student Prince, Lilac Time, Brigadoon, Carousel, The New Moon, South Pacific, Anything Goes, Oklahoma, Victoria and Her Hussar, Show Boat, Seagulls Over Sorrento, Rose Marie, You're in Love, The Student Prince, No! No! Nanette, The Lilac Domino, The Desert Song, Jack and The Beanstalk, No Rhyme or Reason, Morning Departure, Stalag 17.Vikki Spicervikki spicer, bendigo operatic society