This is the fourth edition (2025) of a well respected collection of stories of the early Orbost district. The 1st edition was produced in 1972 (stories collected by Mary Gilbert). This updated fourth edition builds on the previous 3 editions by adding photographs and obituaries and where possible corrections have been made. This item is significant because it tells the stories of early Orbost settlements, families and personalities from 1870's c.1940'sBook with light brown covered card board with two black and white photos, one oval and the other rectangle which has an inscription, Nicholson Street Orbost-approximately 1890. 202 pagesFourth Edition 2025. Orbost and District Society PO Box 284 Orbost Vic. 3888orbost, mary gilbert, early orbost history, book

In terms of the early history of Orbost, this photograph shows the functioning of the early method of transport which was along the Snowy River by boat. The small paddle steamer is the PS Curlip, built at Brodribb by Sam Richardson and his sons in 1890. It functioned on the Snowy River until 1915, assisting sailing boats in through the mouth of the river, and towing barges on the River. This photo is significant because if shows the functioning of the PS Curlip on the Snowy River. Two photos 2747.1, 2747.2 of the same scene. One is a b/w postcard and the other is a copy of it onto paper. The b/w postcard shows a small paddle steamer with a steam funnel towing a small row boat and two barges. One barge has a load of bags in it, and three men standing on the barge. The bow of the second barge is the only part to be seen. This entire scene is on an expanse of water, a river with trees along its banks.Underneath the photo are these words: SNOWY RIVER, ORBOST snowy river, ps curlip, river transport

The bridge shown in the background was built in the 1920s as a road and rail bridge, and was partly washed away by flood waters in 1934. There is no known history of this item.This photograph is a contemporary record of rural life in Orbost in the early 20th century.A black / white photograph of a group of young girls dressed up and posing on the banks of a river. On the left hand side of the photograph is an older man and on the right is an older lady. In the background is a bridge - the first Snowy River bridge. The photograph is on a cream coloured buff card. orbost snowy-river

This photograph shows George Temple's store which began operating C1888 in the main street of Orbost. The store stocked other stores at Bendoc supplying the gold fields. The men with their pack horses are on their way to the survey camp. George Temple, born in Yorkshire on 26/2/1832 was one of the earliest Orbost storekeepers. Temple's Store was on the corner of Ruskin and Nicholson Streets opposite the Post Office. He packed stores to the Bendoc area goldfields. The store building eventually became part of Herbert's store after Mr Temple died in May 1918.This item is associated with the very early history of Orbost. George and Mary Temple were early shopkeepers who operated a store opposite the Post Office for many years. Their daughters were very talented women, all were musical.A faded black / white photograph of men with pack horses standing outside George Temple's store, The Orbost Equitable, in the main street. It is on a cream coloured buff card.temple-george-orbost gold-fields-bendoc

From L-R : Nathan Spielvogel, Hector Young, Percy Watt and George Holden. . Taken on the front porch at Illfracombe in 1908 after the four men had enjoyed a weekend fishing There appears to be a photo hanging on the wall in the background which looks like it could be of a young Marion Watt and the family's dog, a golden retriever In "The Gum Sucker at Home: Bound for Croajingolong 1908" by Nathan Spielvogel, published in Mary Gilbert's Personalities and Stories of the Early Orbost District, 3rd edition, p. 107-116, Spielvogel talks of his trip to Orbost, and fishing with Watt, Bruce and Young aboard Percy Watt's boat, the Maris Stella. Spielvogel's story says Young was the secretary at James & Birds auctioneers and "was one of the builders of the first foot bridge over the Backwater". It says George Holden was a Bank Manager at the Bank of Victoria. (info. from Campbell Watt) This photograph shows Mr Nathan Spielvogel on the left. He was a school teacher at the Orbost State School following Mr Rowe. Nathan Frederick Spielvogel (1874-1956), teacher, writer and historian, was born on 10 May 1874 at Ballarat, Victoria, son of Newman Frederick Spielvogel, pawnbroker, and his wife Hannah, née Cohen. As well as his stories he published a number of books about the history of Ballarat. Spielvogel taught at Orbost for at least a year Nathan Frederick Spielvogel (1874–1956) was a teacher, writer and historian. As a country schoolteacher, he traveled widely in the eastern Australian outback and also made a journey to London. Spielvogel gained distinction as one of the only Australian Jewish writers of his time. Many of his early books were best-sellers. He has an association with the history of Orbost having spent a year as a teacher at Orbost. The Watt family were early Marlo settlers.A black / white photograph / postcard of four men sitting around a small table playing cards. Two of the men have pillows behind their heads. Three are smoking pipes.on back - "On R - N. Spielvogel"spielvogel-nathan-orbost

This photo shows people at the running of the Orbost Cup in 1890s. The Orbost Race Club was founded in 1890. Many early members were: George Morgan, James Cowell, J. Farquhar, J. Cameron, L. Herbert, S. J. Lynn, Arch. Rodwell, J. Ashby, A. W. McLeod, W. Middleton, W. Archer, J. Pleydell and J. Drew. The races were conducted on a course laid out in a paddock of Mr James Cowell at Jarrahmond. (info. from Newsletter HISTORY OF ORBOST) This item is associated with horse racing in early Orbost.A black / white photograph of a large group of men, women and children at an outing in a bush setting with a large flat area. They appear to be watching an event. Many of the women are holding opened large umbrellas. It is on a grey buff card.horse-racing-orbost orbost-race-club

This photograph was taken at the Farmers Conference held in Port Fairy (possibly June 1916). The local men in the photograph are; Archie Rodwell; Sam Lynn; Percy Nixon; Frank Nixon; John Russell; Jacob Perry; John Johnston; Keith Lynn and John Gilbert.This item is associated with agriculture which has always been a significant part of Orbost's history. The men in the photograph are prominent early settlers of the Orbost district.A large black / white photograph on a grey buff card. The photograph shows nine men, dressed in suits and overcoats standing outside a stone / brick building.on front - " Farmers Conference at Port Fairy" with a list of namesagriculture-orbost farmers-conference-port fairy

This is a photograph of Councillor Hamilton Rutherford Reed who represented North Riding 1918 - 1936. Hamilton Reed was an early settler at Goongerah. In 1868 Hamilton Reed and John Locke both of Bendoc secured a grazing area of 60,000 acres at Goongerah. About the year 1878 Hamilton Reed and C. W. Nicholson decided to, if possible, to go from Bendoc to Orbost via Goongerah, they accomplished the task in 4 days from Goongerah. (more info. Newsletter September 2004)This item is associated with the Orbost Shire Council. The shire covered an area of 9,347 square kilometres and existed from 1892 until 1994 when it became part of the East Gippsland Shire Council.A black / white head and shoulders portrait photograph of a moustached man in a suit. There is also a framed photograph.on back - "Cr H.R. Reed, North Riding 1918-1936"reed-hamilton-rutherford goongerah-history orbost-shire-council

This is the Dalgety bridge across the Snowy River. It is a steel construction.The first bridge over the river was constructed in 1888. There was a punt across the river before the bridge was built . Dalgety is a small service centre, located on the Snowy River approximately 235 km from Orbost. It was an early consideration for the site of Australia,s capital city. The Dalgety Bridge over the Snowy River has been an important item of infrastructure in the history of New South Wales for over 110 years. It was designed by noted bridge engineer J. A. McDonald,and was a technically sophisticated bridge structure for its time. This is a pictorial record of a significant structure on the Snowy River.A small black / white photograph of a large bridge over a river.bridge-dalgety-snowy-river

This photograph shows the pile drivers at work in the construction of the viaduct across the Snowy River flats. The Snowy River Floodplain Railway Bridges, two sequential and exceptionally long and low timber railway bridges on the Snowy River floodplain just west of Orbost, were built in 1916, and provided the original terminus point for the Bairnsdale-Orbost railway. The bridges are 770 metres and 183 metres long respectively. The shorter bridge is of uniformly 4.57 metre timber-beam construction, and has a sweeping curve in its deck. The longer bridge has a combination of 4.57 metre and 6.1 metrespans, and two 3.66 metre spans. The bridges are constructed from 'Southern Mahogany', Eucalyptus Botryoides, which grew along the coast east of Bairnsdale. The Snowy floodplain bridges were initially built in the context of an early twentieth-century interest in American-style 'Developmental Railways', designed to open remote areas to closer settlement, even if that meant running at a loss. The line was closed in August 1987. (information from Victorian Heritage Database)This item is associated with the history of the Orbost-Bairnsdale railway line and therefore reflects the role that the rail line played in the social and economic history of Orbost.A black / white photograph of the farming flats at Orbost during the construction of the East Gippsland railway.orbost-railway east-gippsland-railway viaduct-orbost transport railway

The white woman of Gippsland, or the captive woman of Gippsland, was supposedly a European woman rumoured to have been held against her will by Aboriginal people in the Gippsland region of Australia in the 1840s. Liam Patrick Davison (29 July 1957 – 17 July 2014) was an Australian novelist and reviewer. He was born in Melbourne, where, until 2007, he taught creative writing at the Chisholm Institute in Frankston. Davison and his wife Frankie, a teacher at Toorak College, were both killed on 17 July 2014 aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 This, his third novel, was shortlisted for both The Age Book of the Year and the Victorian Premier’s Awards.This is a useful research tool on the history of indigenous and settler relationships in early Gippsland.A book titled "The White Woman" by Liam Davison. It is the story of the search for the lost white woman in Gippsland, Victoria, 1846. The cover has a black and white picture of forest with the title in white print.Bottom left corner - orange sticker Orbost Secondary Collegedavison-liam aboriginal-history

This was a project of Year 10-3 at Orbost Secondary College produced in 2000.This is a useful reference book on early Orbost.A 40 pp book produced by Orbost Secondary College Year 10.3 students in 2000. It is plastic covered and titled "Memories of Our Parents' Childhood Years. On the front cover is a collage of photographs.On front cover is a sticker - Orbost Secondary College.orbost-history reminiscences orbost-secondary-college

David Gordon Paten was born in 1917 in Orbost, Australia. He was the son of Evelyn Paten ( nee Roberston) and Thomas Paten who came to Orbost in 1893 and in 1907 began growing fancy bean seeds for H. James. He built the first private flood levee bank in the district. (ref Mary Gilbert) The book was edited by Kate Greenland on behalf of her grand-father, David Paten.This book of memoirs is a valuable reference for research into the early 20th century social history of Orbost.A 56 pp book with a plastic sheet cove. It is spiral bound in black plastic and is titled David Paten Memoirs. It was edited by Kate Greenland on behalf of her grand-father, David Paten.orbost-history paten-david

The book was written by Deborah Hall in order to preserve the memories of Orbost locals as well as to record its early history. Local history tends to be less documented than other types, with fewer books and artifacts than that of a country or continent. Many local histories are recorded as oral tales or stories and so are more vulnerable than more well known issues. Because it records in a scholarly way the meories of local residents, Deborah Hall's book is a commonly used reference for the early history of Orbost and districtA 158 pp book titled In Times Gone By Orbost on the Snowy River. It is a photographic record of early Orbost and District. It has a dark green coverwith a photograph of the first pile bridge over the Snowy river at Orbost. The book was authored by Deborah Hall.orbost-history reminiscences hall-deborah

This is a 2nd edition of an earlier print, 1978. It has been revised and edited by John Phillips for the Orbost & District Historical Society in 2010. Harry Grosvenor was the headmaster at Newmerella School from 1962 to 1972. Harry was deeply involved in the 1978 publication by the Newmerella Progress Association called: Newmerella - Valley of Plenty. The book is a pictorial history of the early Newmerella district ( west of the Snowy River ).This is a local history book written by Harry Grosvenor a local author.A paperback book, titled Newmerella Valley of Plenty. The front cover is brown with white text and has three b/w photographs of the Snowy River flats as sen from the Newmerella hill. One is a photograph of the railway line with a steam train on the rail viaduct. newmerella-history

Jim Henderson has written several books about the Wareiwa and Hospital Creek area.This is a useful reference item.A 40 pp book titled Crossing The Bar , Stories,Songs, Poetry. On the front cover is an early photograph of two coaches and horses on the sand bar at Lakes Entrance at the Gippsland Lakes. In the top right corner is a photograph of part of the memorial plaque erected by the Jonson family of Tostaree in 1993. " In memory of the coach drivers Cunninghame-Orbost 1886-1916." The book was compiled by Jim I. Henderson.Jim Henderson 31/10/1993wairewa nowa-nowa hospital-creek waygara transport-history-east-gippsland

The book and program were produced as part of the 50 year celebrations of Orbost Rotary Club. This is locally written history book which is a useful research tool.Two dark blue covered books with 124 pp. There is gold lettering on the front cover ; ROTARY CLUB OF ORBOST FIFTY YEARS OF SERVICE 1947-1997 50th Anniversary Celebrations. In the top left corner is the Rotary International symbol. The book title has gold corner frames. Two yellow single page programs for the celebratory dinner held at Orbost Motel Lodge on 31/5/1997. It has the Rotary International symbol. the East Gippsland Shire logo and an early Orbost Shire coat of arms. 2192.1 - has autographs /signatures in the back 2192.2 - Ruth Leggerotary-orbost

Oral histories as told to the Grade 6 children of Orbost North Primary School in 1988 Project funded by Country Education Contains interviews of: Mrs Florence Sheills (nee McDonald); Mrs Lily White (nee Wickham); Mrs Gladys Matthews (nee Fox); Mr Jim Holden; Mrs Marj. Henderson (Smith); Mrs Alice Slatter (nee Gibbs); Mrs Edith Emily Hughes (nee Courtnage); Mr Gordon Malcolm Farmer This item is significant because it tells stories of local histories. A thin paper back, stapled, cream cover, black print black and white 44 page bookletEARLY DAYS ORAL HISTORIES as told to the Grade 6 children ORBOST NORTH PRIMARY SCHOOL 1988oral history, orbost, grade 6, orbost north primary school

This book was won by Daisy Close, born in 1899, of Murrangowar. She was Ethel Pike's mother. Daisy Close married Ed Jensen. The Jensen family lived at Murrangowar in the 1890's. they were farmers and relatives still live in Orbost.This book, together with a writing box form part of the history of the Close family who were early settlers at Murrangowar in the late 19th century.A grey- covered hard back book with black and orange illustration. The title is in orange print.Prize awarded to Daisy Close 1st class For most popular child in the school SS 3693 Murrangowar Dec 12th-1911book close murrangowar

This bassinet was used for new born babies at the first Orbost Hospital. It would have been used before 1961 as in August 1961, the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Orbost Hospital bought ten new chrome plated cribs for the hospital nursery. These new cribs were on wheels and could easily be taken to the wards. (ref. Orbost Hospital History, Personalities and Stories by Margaret Hollands)The Orbost Hospital was completed by the end of October 1929 after more than twenty years of agitation and preparation. Orbost is an isolated town and the importance of the medical service in the community is immense. This crib is a reminder of its early history.A very rusty wire baby's bassinet. it is oval shaped and has four connected legs. It could be hand made.bassinet health orbost-hospital medical, bassinet health orbost-hospital medical

The original document was published as a hard cover book and was funded by Country Education for Orbost North Primary School. It describes the social life and customs of the older people in Orbost.A black and white printed A3 photocopy of document produced by Grade 6 children of Orbost North Primary School. 44pages.orbost social-life orbost-north

This riding crop is a short type of whip without a lash, used in horse riding, It would have been used by a rural family in early Orbost.Horses played a vital role in the agricultural history of Orbost. This item is connected to that role.Two whips. .1 is a small leather riding whip with metal casings and small metal horse head at one end. This is a lady's riding crop. .2 is a very long buggy whip with metal casings. Both are hand-made.equestrian whip leather-work

Wagon wheels were required equipment in Australia early days. They were used for transporting goods, commodities, agricultural materials, supplies, and sometimes people. Horse-drawn wagons are an important part of Orbost’s agricultural history.Two large solid elm bullock dray wheel hubs. They have a hole through the centre for spokes and have cut out sections at the sides. They are possibly hand-made. 456.1 is lighter coloured.wheel-hubs transport-bullock handcraft carving

Wagon wheels were required equipment in Australia early days. They were used for transporting goods, commodities, agricultural materials, supplies, and sometimes people. Horse-drawn wagons are an important part of Orbost’s agricultural history.A hand carved wagon spoke made of treated ironbark.wagon-spoke transport handcraft carving

Many Orbost babies were weighed on these scales in the early 1920's.The Orbost Hospital has always been a significant part of local history and present. This item reflects that.Large metal baby scales and weights with attached white cane baby basket.Back- Approved 17 serial Hscales medicine-nursing baby-scales wicker-basket orbost-hospital

Wagon wheels were required equipment in Australia early days. They were used for transporting goods, commodities, agricultural materials, supplies, and sometimes people. Horse-drawn wagons are an important part of Orbost’s agricultural history. A large wagon wheel with 14 wooden spokes and hub. There are steel bands around the hub.wagon transport agriculture wheel

This book was purchased new by Orbost & District Historical Society. Written by Buchan historian, Rhonda Coates, the book was commissioned by Tubbut Neighbourhood House following a commemoration event in 2002 when many people gathered for a special day organised by Sister Helen Barnes and the Tubbut community. (ref. Bombala Times)This book is a useful research item.A paper back book, titled McKillops Bridge, written by Rhonda Coates. On the front cover is a photograph tractors crossing the bridge during the Great Snowy River Tractor Stampede ( The Snowy River Tractor Strampede, a 560-kilometre journey, is organised by the Bega and District Historical Machinery Club every January - the first being held in 2009.) this photograph is inset over an earlier phpotograph by Howard Bulmer c 1936. The book contains the history of the bridge, photographs of the bridge and times before its construction.On front fly-Orbost &District Historical Society Incmckillops-bridge

This item was used at The Men's Club Orbost in Livingstone Street, Orbost.This item is representative of the leisure activities of people during the nineteenth century and early 20th century. The Orbost Men's Club no longer exists. It is also significant as being associated with the history of Australia's leading manufacturer of billiard tables, Alcock of Melbourne who were established in 1854 and are still in business today.Billiard table iron; a heavy iron of cast metal. This has a large, rectangular face with attached, cast metal handle. This was used for pressing the cloth of a billiards table. Engraved/embossed on handle is ALCOCK THOMSON & TAYLOR PTY LTDrecreation billiards billiards-table-iron men's-club-orbost

The 1Tambo & Orbost Times was published between 1887 and 1903. It later became the Bruthen and Tambo Times. This item is a useful reference for the early history of East Gippsland.A double spread folded newspaper. Tambo & Orbost Times. It is dated November 10 1888. This newspaper has been laminated.newspaper-tambo-orbost-times

This is a photograph of Nathan Spielvogel.. Nathan Frederick Spielvogel (1874-1956), teacher, writer and historian, was born on 10 May 1874 at Ballarat, Victoria. as well as his stories he published a number of Books about the history of Ballarat. Spielvogel taught at Orbost for at least a year and this book reflects that time. Spielvogel was a teacher, writer and historian. As a country schoolteacher, he traveled widely in the eastern Australian outback and also made a journey to London. Spielvogel gained distinction as one of the only Australian Jewish writers of his time. Many of his early books were best-sellers. He has an association with the history of Orbost having spent a year as a teacher at Orbost Spielvogel was a teacher, writer and historian. As a country schoolteacher, he traveled widely in the eastern Australian outback and also made a journey to London. Spielvogel gained distinction as one of the only Australian Jewish writers of his time. Many of his early books were best-sellers. He has an association with the history of Orbost having spent a year as a teacher at Orbost.A black / white portrait photograph, head and shoulders, of a man with a goatee beard and moustache and wearing a large hat. he is wearing a buttoned waistcoat, jacket and bow tie.spielvogel-nathan author-spielvogel