This building is a fine example of a very early small brick country court house which retains its furnishings and has important associations with the early history of the Eltham township. It was used for Eltham Road Board meetings in the 1860s and later to provide additional school accommodation. It is the oldest public building remaining in Eltham and forms an important group in historic and streetscape terms with the adjoining former police residence. The survival of the furnishings (of unknown origins) is of particular significance given the building's age. This building, and the former police residence beside it, were constructed as a result of a petition by five Eltham residents in 1857. The nearest police were at Heidelberg eight miles away or at the Caledonia Diggings 21 miles away. After the construction of the Court of Petty Sessions at Eltham in 1859-60 (which was designed by the Public Works Department and built by a Mr Duncan for a cost of 536 pounds), it was used for a variety of purposes. Eltham Road Board meetings were held there until 1868 when the board was transferred to Kangaroo Ground and as the Road Board Secretary's office, until this was transferred to Wingrove Cottage in 1867. It was used as an overflow for the Dalton Street School in 1875. According to National Trust records, the Eltham Court House is a relatively rare building type. There are only six other known examples of similar small brick country court houses in the state which have small projecting entry porches and a gabled form. Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 7 stripsFuji 100Neltham, eltham courthouse, main road

35mm Colour positive transparency Mount - Agfacolor Service (Blue stepped)eltham, eltham courthouse, main road

Built in 1860, the Eltham Courthouse is the oldest public building remaining in Eltham. In its early days the building was used as the meeting place and office of the Eltham District Road Board and as an overflow classroom for the local school. The Eltham Courthouse ceased operational duties in 1984 and is now used by various community groups including Eltham District Historical Society. It was listed on the Victorian Heritage Register (Number H0784) in 1982. The building is of architectural significance because it retains intact early features. These include use of handmade bricks, simple decoration, roof trusses, timber ceiling boards, original windows, doors and associated hardware and a collection of court furniture. Additions to the court house have been done in a manner which did not interfere with the fabric of the original building. It is a fundamental asset in the Eltham Justice Precinct and is being fully restored in 2021 thanks to Nillumbik Shire Council.35mm colour positive transparency (1 of 23) Mount - Kodak EktachromeProcess Date MAY 88Meltham, eltham courthouse, main road

Viewed from outside present day Cafe Zen Den, which at the time was a nursery35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfacolor Service (Blue)cafe zen den, eltham, eltham courthouse, main road

Looking up to present day Cafe Zen Den then operated as a nursery35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfacolor Service (Blue)brougham steet, cafe zen den, eltham, eltham courthouse, main road

Adjacent to Eltham Courthouse, now Mercers RestaurantTwo colour photographseltham, eltham courthouse, main road, mercers restaurant, nautalus restaurant, restaurants

Born Digitaleltham courthouse, eltham, main road, local history centre, justice precinct

Born Digitaleltham courthouse, eltham, main road, local history centre, justice precinct

Born Digitaleltham courthouse, eltham, main road, local history centre, justice precinct

Born Digitaleltham courthouse, eltham, main road, local history centre, justice precinct

Born Digitaleltham courthouse, eltham, main road, local history centre, justice precinct

Born Digitaleltham courthouse, eltham, main road, local history centre, justice precinct

Born Digitaleltham courthouse, eltham, main road, local history centre, justice precinct

Born Digitaleltham courthouse, eltham, main road, local history centre, justice precinct

Present day location of Nongkhai Thai Eltham restaurant Formerly the location of: Luther Haleys Bakery and General Store (Sep 1902-1917) - Hayley built this store, which was the first store erected in the present-day Eltham shopping district Hannah Lloyd's General Store (1917-c.Feb 1920) Various owners Staff's General Store (c.1939-Feb 1965) then demolished Ray Staff Eltham Big Star Food Centre (c.1965-1967) Eltham Big Star Food Centre (Staffs new building c.1965-1967) A Country Heritage Furniture and Homewares (?-2006) Newspaper advertisement: Leader Associated Newspapers, 100 Years of News Special Edition, August 27, 1997, p6; A Country Heritage Newspaper advertisement: Diamond Valley Leader, 4 September 2006, Closing Down Sale, A Country Heritage In February 1965, Staffs Railway Store, the oldest business premises in the Eltham shopping district was demolished. Formerly a self-service grocery, restaurant and electrical repair shop, the building for many years housed Eltham’s only ‘family’ grocer and feed store. Earlier it had appeared to have been the town’s bakery. The building had been purchased in late March 1939 by Mr Eric N. Staff. At the time of E.N. Staff’s purchase there were huge bakers’ ovens located at the rear and the building also had a well and four toilets for employees. When the ‘pictures’ came to Eltham with the opening of the Eltham Public Hall across the road in 1941, Mr E.N. Staff extended the business and opened a milk bar and sweet shop. Further extensions re-established the tea rooms of days gone by. Mr E.N. Staff conducted business for about 15 years before handing over the reins to his son, Ray Staff. When his son Ray took over, the milk bar and tea rooms were closed for several years but the milk bar and was later re-opened and subsequently became a greengrocers and later again, a restaurant. The tea rooms section was converted to an electrical repair shop about 1955. Electoral Roll records for 1967 record Raymond Charles Staff at 929 Main Road, Eltham, grocer, and in 1968 at Lot 4, Hillcrest Avenue, Eltham, taxi truck operator. Staff’s store appears to have occupied 929-933 Main Road and the Eltham Big Star Food Centre was centred around 931 Main Road. It would appear that Ray continued to run the business for approximately two years after the original store was demolished and a new supermarket was built. Today, 931 Main Road is the Nongkhai Thai Restaurant and is precisely where the original Staffs store stood. Even though the facade has been modified at eye level with new larger windows, the upper facade is identical to that of the new Eltham Big Star Food Centre of 1965/66. But how did the original building, the oldest premises in the 1965 era shopping centre come about? On August 12th, 1902 at the Eltham Courthouse, appearing before T. Smallman, Esq,. Police Magistrate, and Messrs. W. Duncan and W.J. Taylor, Justices of the Peace is Luther Haley, baker. Wilfred Henry Johnston, by his agent Stanley Ernest Elder had applied for a warrant of ejectment under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1890 against Luther Haley from the bakery premises at the corner of Main Road and York Street. From the evidence presented we learn that Mrs Burgoyne of Eltham had purchased the property some months earlier from Mr Johnston, which consisted of a store and bakery establishment at Eltham occupied by Mr. Luther Haley, and whose lease expired some little time back, and up to the present time, Mr. Haley was not prepared to leave. He informed the court that he is unable to secure at Eltham a suitable house in which to carry on his business, but was building a place near the railway station which he expected to be done in about three weeks time, and he is then prepared to give up possession of the premises he now occupies. Mr Smallman informed the defendant, Luther Haley, that he will have to quit the premises in three weeks from the present date, and that a warrant of ejectment would be issued. However he also informed Mr Haley that he would order the warrant to lie in the office for three weeks from that date. The premises under construction referred to by Luther Haley in court were situated on the western side of Main Road, near the railway station slightly opposite present-day Arthur Street. It was opened around September 1902 as a General Store, Bakery and Tea Rooms. This was the original building in the present-day shopping precinct. At the time the only thing nearby was the railway station. Luther Haley’s business appeared to prosper and he would have catered to not only the locals abut also day visitors by train on Sundays coming up from Melbourne, offering fresh baked produce, tea rooms and summer drinks. The fields across Main Road running between present day Arthur Street and Luck Street were known as Haley’s Paddock and at times were used for community festivities and picnics. A newspaper report on the annual State schools picnic held at Haley’s Paddock on March 11, 1904 described it as “quite close to the railway station, and is quite capable of holding comfortably 10,000 people. With its ample shade and hilly surroundings, it is an ideal place for any gathering.” Luther Haley successfully ran his general store, bakery and tea rooms until 1917 when he and his family departed the district and moved to Westgarth Street in Northcote where he changed careers and became a publisher. It was then taken over by Hannah Lloyd and became known as Lloyd’s Railway General Store from 1917 to 1920. From then it had a succession of owners, one as short as two months until March 31, 1939 when the Grocery Business formerly carried on by Mr. T.K. White of Eltham for the previous eight years was purchased by Mr Eric N. Staff of Research and became known as E.N. Staff’s Railway Store. The ownership timeline for the store is as follows: Luther Haley Sep 1902-1917 Hannah Lloyd 1917-c.Feb 1920 Messrs J.R. & N.E. Lee 1920-Sep 1922 A. & E. Copeland Sep 1922-Sep 1925 Mr Price Sep 1925-Nov 1925 Mr Warren Nov 1925?-Nov 1926 A.W.J. Edwards Nov 1926-1931 T.K. White 1931-Mar 1939 Eric Staff Apr 1939-c.1954 Ray Staff c.1954-Feb 1965 then demolished Ray Staff Eltham Big Star Food Centre c.1965-1967 THROWBACKTHURSDAY: ELTHAM BIG STAR FOOD CENTRE, MAIN ROAD, 1966 https://elthamhistory.wordpress.com/2020/04/16/throwbackthursday-eltham-big-star-food-centre-main-road-1966/eltham, businesses, a country heritage, property, shops, main road eltham, a. copeland, a.w.j. edwards, big star food centre, e. copeland, eric staff, general store, hannah lloyd, j.r. lee, lloyd's general store, luther haley, n.e. lee, price, ray staff, staffs general store, supermarket, t.k. white

L-R (facing camera): Irene Gerard, - , David Essex, Faye Shepard, Peter Bassett-Smith, Harry Gilham. Wal Delaney on far right. 40th Anniversary Celebrations of the founding of Eltham District Historical Society (formerly Shire of Eltham Historical Society) in 1967Colour photo print 100 x 150mm40th anniversary, celebrations, david essex, eltham courthouse, eltham district historical society, fay shepherd, harry gilham, irene gerard, peter bassett-smith, wal delaney

L-R: - , David Essex, Faye Shepard, Sue Law, Peter Bassett-Smith, Irene Gerard, Harry Gilham, Margaret Ball, Alison Delaney, Jim Connor (back to camera), Wal Delaney, - ,. Two members centre front (back to camera) unidentified. 40th Anniversary Celebrations of the founding of Eltham District Historical Society (formerly Shire of Eltham Historical Society) in 1967 Colour photo print 100 x 150mm40th anniversary, alison delaney, celebrations, david essex, eltham courthouse, eltham district historical society, faye shepard, harry gilham, irene gerard, jim connor, margaret ball, peter bassett-smith, sue law, wal delaney

L-R: Irene Gerard, Jim Connor, David Essex, Fay Shepherd, Peter Bassett-Smith, Harry Gilham Colour photo print 100 x 150mm40th anniversary, celebrations, david essex, eltham courthouse, eltham district historical society, fay shepherd, harry gilham, irene gerard, jim connor, peter bassett-smith

L-R: Doug Orford, Irene Gerard, Jim Connor, David Essex, Fay Shepherd, Peter Bassett-Smith Colour photo print 100 x 150mm40th anniversary, celebrations, david essex, doug orford, eltham courthouse, eltham district historical society, fay shepherd, irene gerard, jim connor, peter bassett-smith

L-R: Russell Yeoman, Harry Gilham, Alison Delaney, Wal Delaney, - , - , - , Colour photo print 100 x 150mm40th anniversary, alison delaney, celebrations, eltham courthouse, eltham district historical society, harry gilham, russell yeoman, wal delaney

L-R: - , Peter Bassett-Smith, Harry Gilham, Margaret Ball , Alison Delaney, Wal DelaneyColour photo print 100 x 150mm40th anniversary, alison delaney, celebrations, eltham courthouse, eltham district historical society, harry gilham, margaret ball, peter bassett-smith, wal delaney

People include Diana Bassett-Smith, Jo McCormick, Joh Ebeli, Doug Orford, Irene GerardColour photo print 100 x 150mm40th anniversary, celebrations, diana bassett-smith, doug orford, eltham courthouse, eltham district historical society, irene gerard, jo mccormick, joh ebeli, russell yeoman

The Eltham Courthouse annex was the venue for the Society's 40th anniversary celebration lunch on Saturday, 14th July 2007. Guests included: L-R: - Ron Gordon (Nillumbik Historical Society), Judy Wadham, - , Lilas Scale, Peter Bassett-Smith, Diana Bassett-SmithColour photo print 100 x 150mm40th anniversary, celebrations, diana bassett-smith, eltham courthouse, eltham district historical society, judy wadham, peter bassett-smith, 40th anniversary, celebrations, ron gordon, diana bassett-smith, judy wadham, peter bassett-smith, lilas scale, eltham district historical society, eltham courthouse annex

The Eltham Courthouse annex was the venue for the Society's 40th anniversary celebration lunch on Saturday, 14th July 2007. L-R: - Ron Gordon (Nillumbik Historical Society), Lilas Scale, Peter Bassett-Smith, Diana Bassett-Smith, Vicki Court (Royal Historical Society of Victoria)Colour photo print 100 x 150mm40th anniversary, celebrations, ron gordon, lilas scale, peter bassett-smith, diana bassett-smith, vicki court, eltham courthouse annex, eltham district historical society

Part of the Eltham Justice Precinct, the building was fully restored in 2021 by Nillumbik Shire Counciljim connor collection, justice precinct eltham, eltham court house

Part of the Eltham Justice Precinct, now the Local History Centre, home of Eltham District Historical Societyjim connor collection, justice precinct eltham, eltham court house, local history centre, police residence

Part of the Eltham Justice Precinct, now the Local History Centre, home of Eltham District Historical Societyjim connor collection, justice precinct eltham, eltham court house, local history centre, police residence

Part of the Eltham Justice Precinct, now the Local History Centre, home of Eltham District Historical Societyjim connor collection, justice precinct eltham, eltham court house, local history centre, police residence

Eltham Courthouse Officially Reopened (Jim Connor, EDHS Newsletter No. 263 April 2022) In the Conservation Management Plan prepared in 2006 for the Eltham Justice Precinct there is mention that more than 350 court houses have been built by the Public Works Department since 1856, when the Department was established. It also states Eltham was in an early group of 'Victorian Free Classical' structures, featuring a projecting entry porch and gabled roof. Characteristically, this group shares a simple, rectangular shape, central placement of the court room with smaller-scale offices set back at the sides or rear of the court room, arched openings, and decorative string courses. The Statement of Significance listed in the Victorian Heritage Register states: ‘The Eltham Court House dates from the time when the town was largely self-contained. It was initiated in response to itinerant gold prospectors who turned to crime when their quest was unsuccessful. This type of localised solution is characteristic of the self reliance preserved in Eltham today. The court house is an important symbol of the spirit which makes Eltham distinctive as a community.’ It also states: ‘The Eltham Court House, built in 1860, is one of only two intact examples in the state of this simple design with projecting entry.’ So with this background it is most appropriate this valued historic building has recently been the subject of a total restoration, as detailed in previous newsletters. This was a major project undertaken by Nillumbik Shire Council. At a small function in the Eltham Courthouse, on 23rd March 2022, Nillumbik Shire Council Mayor Fran Eyre declared the fully restored building officially reopened. In doing so the Mayor spoke about the earlier law and order function of the court and the importance of this building to the Eltham community. Wingrove Ward Councillor Geoff Paine then highlighted the importance of historical societies and groups within the shire and their valued activities in recording and preserving their local history. EDHS president Jim Connor thanked everyone involved with the project and provided an overview of the history of the courthouse. Michael Ioannides, Council’s project manager, spoke about how the restoration process proceeded and those involved in undertaking the works required. Cr. Natalie Duffy, various council officers, EDHS executive committee members, as well as representatives of the head contractor Ducon Building Services and the heritage advisors, RBA architects and Conservation Consultants, were also in attendance, as was a representative of Nillumbik U3A. After the formal part there was some light hearted interpretation of how past legal proceedings may, or may not have, occurred within this courthouse, before some refreshments were shared in the former second courthouse at the rear, which is now utilised by Nillumbik U3A. This was a successful celebration of a very worthwhile project.Born digital image (38)conservation consultants, cr. geoff paine, cr. natalie duffy, ducon building services, eltham courthouse, eltham district historical society, eltham justice precinct, jim connor, mayor cr. fran eyre, michael ioannides, nillumbik shire council, nillumbik u3a, opening ceremony, rba architects, restoration project

William Jarrold's cottage on left was used by the Police 1858-1860. The Court house and Police precinct (upper right) were opened in 1859-1860 Photographer: J.H. Clark John Henry Clark was the youngest of three boys born to William Henry Clark (1823-1877) and Maria White (1843-1914). He and his brothers, William Charles Clark (1872-1945), Clement Kent Clark (1874-1912) operated a photography business (Clark Bros.) from 25 Thomas Street, Windsor near Prahran during the period c.1894 to 1914. Following death of Clement in September 1912 and their mother in 1914, the Clark Bros business appears to have dissolved, the premises demolished, and a new house was under construction in 1915. John set up business independently in 1914 operating out of 29 Moor Street, Fitzroy where he is registered in the 1914 and 1915 Electoral Rolls. By 1916 John had relocated to Eltham where he continued his practice as a photographer and took many of the early images around the district of Little Eltham. Around 1930 John changed professions and opened a small cobbler's shop in 1931 near the pond opposite Dalton Street adjacent to the Jarrold family cottage. He never married and continued his profession as a bootmaker from this little shop, maintaining a close relationship with Mrs Jarrold for the rest of their lives. His bootmaker shop remains today beside the Whitecloud cottage and is one of only three remaining shops in the area from the early 20th century. There are a couple of images of Eltham taken by Clark Bros. in the Eltham District Historical Society collection, one such example being Hunniford’s Post Office with Miss Anne Hunniford out front (EDHS_00140 - marked on the back of the print, Clark Bros., 25 Thomas St. Windsor), which would date this image between c.1894 and 1914. Other early images of Eltham taken by John Henry Clark are marked on the face “J. H. Clark Photo” and it is assumed these are dated between 1914 and 1930. It is noted that the Grant of Probate for John H Clark of Eltham South dated 5 April 1957 (513/387) records his occupation as "X Photographer".Sepia postcardNotations in biro 'A. Petrie', rest in pencil as follows Telegraph poles show one wire No 1918 Avenue of Honour trees c.1907 Jarrolds house No shop at White Cloud on fence line Police Residence has extensions Chimney on wash house Office Brickwork on stables Lock-up, entry and window end Light lamp - cnr Dalton and Maria streets Surface damage to lower left cornermain road, eltham, maria street, dalton street, william jarrold, jarrold cottage, police residence, courthouse, j.h. clark photo