Grace Mitchell (nee Whieldon) was born in Yarram Gippsland, second of nine children. After her father died, the family moved to Creswick. She left home at age 12 to earn a wage to help the family, including as a matron at the School of Mines in Creswick and, after moving to Melbourne, as dietitian at Royal Melbourne Hospital. After marrying Arthur Mitchell, they moved to Mount Pleasant Road, Eltham, in 1948. Because Arthur had an accident and was not able to work, she did various jobs before starting a cake shop in their house; she also cooked at Montsalvat,. She was also a tailor and dressmaker, studied psychology and journalism, her crochet.patterns were published in 'New Idea' as a girl when she also started carving wood.She knew many artists, writers, etc.As a widow, in her late 60s, she enrolled in a diploma of arts course, majoring in sculpture and print-making. Contents Newspaper article: "Amazing Grace!", Diamond Valley News, 7 July 1981. Newspaper article: "A way with wood", The Age, ?1999. Diamond Valley News, 30 April 1985. Describes life of Grace Mitchell, just turned 80, who began carving wood as a girl. Newspaper article: "Paging women to celebrate", Heidelberg and Diamond Valley Weekly, 12 February 2008. To promote nominations for 'Celebrating Nillumbik Women', designed to honour women, Grace and Jenni Mitchell are featured. Newspaper article: "Celebrate history and her story", Diamond Valley Leader, 20 February 2008. To promote nominations for 'Celebrating Nillumbik Women', designed to honour women, Grace and Jenni Mitchell are featured. Newspaper article: "Eltham artist's will to live", Diamond Valley Leader, 27 October 2010. Grace Mitchell recovering in Austin Hospital. Order of Service: A celebration and thanksgiving for the life of Grace Mitchell, Montsalvat Eltham, 19 April 2011. Newspaper article: "Death of an Eltham icon", Diamond Valley Leader, ?20 April 2011. Obituary of Grace Mitchell with tributes from Ona Henderson, Sigmund Jogensen, Jenni Mitchell. Newspaper article: "Amazing Grace remembered", Diamond Valley Leader, 27 April 2011. Report of Service for Grace Mitchell at Montsalvat. Newspaper article: "Thanks Eltham for your kind messages", Diamond Valley Leader 18 May 2011. Letter from Jenni Mitchell, thanks for messages. Newspaper article: "Eltham all-rounder a remarkable gem", The Age, 13 May 2011. Obituary for Grace Mitchell. Newspaper article:"Search for home for ark art", Diamond Valley Leader, 11 November 2011. Grace Mitchell's work 'The Ark" 1983, is on display at local MP's office, seeking a home in a public collection. Newsletter article: "Jenni Mitchell - 'May mother Grace'", Eltham District Historical Society newsletter No.207, November 2012. Notice that Jenni Mitchell will talk about her mother's work at the November meeting. Flier: Eltham South Fine Art Studios and Gallery, 7 October-18 November 2012"Grace Mitchell 1916-2011: The Artist's Work: A Selected Retrospective". Handout: Sheet to accompany Eltham South Fine Art Studios and Gallery, 7 October-18 November 2012"Grace Mitchell 1916-2011: The Artist's Work: A Selected Retrospective". Biography of Grace Mitchell.Newspaper clippings, A4 photocopies, etcgrace mitchell, jenni mitchell, alan marshall, clifton pugh, robert helpmann, katherine hepburn, phillip institute of technology, celebrating nillumbik women, austin hospital, mount pleasant road eltham, montsalvat eltham, sigmund jorgensen, ona henderson, helen coleman, gail pritchard, school of mines creswick, mitchell's homemade cakes and pies, susan toole, eltham cemetery, arthur mitchell, mervyn hannan, vicki ward

Two items about the Attwood Family: A seventeen page computer typed copy of the memories of John Attwood, compiled by Colin Smith in January 2002. Includes memories of his childhood, contact and impressions of local identities including Merric Boyd and others; the retailers and business owners in the Murrumbeena area, the trains and railway stations, picture theatres and other businesses. A photocopy of an article taken from the Herald Sun newspaper 06/11/2007. Myra Attwood, wife of John, local business person in Murrumbeena Newsagency; includes brief local history of family and Myra’s personal hobbies, till the time of her death. Also a newspaper clipping of her death notice, unknown source and date.emily street, murrumbeena, elsternwick, railway stations, signal boxes, beena avenue, murrumbeena state school, primary schools, attwood john, attwood myra, attwood rhonda, attwood colin, attwood warren, attwood murray, attwood janine, attwood susan, attwood michael, attwood greg, attwood gerard, black bridge, outer circle railway, murrumbeena newsagency, newsagents, murrumbeena railway station, railway stations, book binders, stevens alf, sykes harold, attwood motors, neerim road, boyd merric, boyd mrs., timber houses, outbuildings, artists, trains, car parks, christie’s woodyard, ferguson cam, railway accidents, ardyne street, north road, dalny road, brett street, barnes family, newspapers, roads and streets, soils, flower growing, market gardens, world war 1939-1945, land subdivisions, air raid precautions, bicycles, drawing, springthorpe park, mass media, murrumbeena shopping centre, butcher shops, grocer shops, green grocers, shoe shops, confectionary shops, barber shops, beck george, bowyer ralph, rennie bill, bookmakers, presbyterian church, methodist church, hanna’s milk bar, sunday school, woodland bill, ssw grocery chain, drays, woodland alec, lee ron, jewellers, bakeries, fish shops, dressmakers, delicatessens, east bentleigh, selkrigs family, pottery, heads’ garage, head lindsay, head doug, head clarry, head ron, murrumbeena road, car retailers, petrol pumps, motor vehicle repair shops, billy one motors, bird mr., real estate agents, w.b. tonks and company, sparrow mr., pidgeon mr., hardware stores, florist shops, murrumbeena post office, tile shops, gardens, murrumbeena chamber of commerce, kiosks, gardeners, carnegie citizens band, spurway nursing home, argosy theatre, cinemas, dance halls, the capri, theatre groups, caulfield council, the blowfly train service, billiard rooms, printers, hammond olsen and company, l.j. miles and company, moody’s real estate agency, paddocks, flats, es&a bank murrumbeena, esanda bank murrumbeena, state savings bank murrumbeena, commonwealth bank murrumbeena, fuel merchants, hobart road, golden fleece service station, quince’s buses, bus services, ardyne street, timber yard, gow mr., railway parade, shell service station, pharmecies, house miss, bicycle shops, barnhill les mr., fliner mr., boot makers, widdop peter, moran and cato’s, grocers, pizza shop, car yards, classic caravan, o’brien kevin, wrought iron work, williams mr., candle making factory, lights, power tom, gates, fences, whitelaw monier tiles, whitelaw bill, hanna rex, dandenong road, cumloden grammar school, independent schools, emmaus rest house, oakdene, house names, taranto bob, hanson cab service, billy one motors, grey mr., horse troughs, horse drawn vehicle, taxis, board roy, buick cars, charleston’s bakery, carnegie, rosstown hotel, corum’s dairy, kangaroo road, reids dairy, dalny road, reid shaver, racehorses, cove’s dairy, wilson street, police, murrumbeena police station, dunoon street, murrumbeena park, footballers, gangs, liberal party, labour party, united australian party, uap, woodland alec, liquor shops, johnson suzanne, singers, taylor squizzy, boyd family, artists, criminals, skase christopher, skase charles, sunaria competition, herald and weekly times, ralph j.w., j.h. ralph butchers, butcher shops, pennington gardens, home units, flats, schrape frank, builder, smith colin, mansions, death registers, hockley myra, esperanto, book keepers, accountants, solicitors