[from a contemporary report:] The Shire of Eltham Historical Society's entry in the 1986 Eltham Community Festival Parade included Ben Hall's Cobb & Co. coach along with several vintage motor vehicles and the Society's new Community Banner. Members dressed in in an appropriate costume to ride in one of the vehicles or walk along with them. The assembly point was in Cecil St. at 11.45 a.m. The Society's entry was awarded the major prize for the parade.Colour photographeltham festival, shire of eltham historical society, 1986, ben hall, elwers, marge reeves, cobb and co

[from a contemporary report:] The Shire of Eltham Historical Society's entry in the 1986 Eltham Community Festival Parade included Ben Hall's Cobb & Co. coach along with several vintage motor vehicles and the Society's new Community Banner. Members dressed in in an appropriate costume to ride in one of the vehicles or walk along with them. The assembly point was in Cecil St. at 11.45 a.m. The Society's entry was awarded the major prize for the parade.Colour photographeltham festival, shire of eltham historical society, 1986, ben hall, elwers, marge reeves, cobb and co

[from a contemporary report:] The Shire of Eltham Historical Society's entry in the 1986 Eltham Community Festival Parade included Ben Hall's Cobb & Co. coach along with several vintage motor vehicles and the Society's new Community Banner. Members dressed in in an appropriate costume to ride in one of the vehicles or walk along with them. The assembly point was in Cecil St. at 11.45 a.m. The Society's entry was awarded the major prize for the parade.Colour photographeltham festival, shire of eltham historical society, 1986, ben hall, elwers, marge reeves, cobb and co

[from a contemporary report:] The Shire of Eltham Historical Society's entry in the 1986 Eltham Community Festival Parade included Ben Hall's Cobb & Co. coach along with several vintage motor vehicles and the Society's new Community Banner. Members dressed in in an appropriate costume to ride in one of the vehicles or walk along with them. The assembly point was in Cecil St. at 11.45 a.m. The Society's entry was awarded the major prize for the parade.Colour photographeltham festival, shire of eltham historical society, 1986

View of the Eltham Railway trestle bridge near Eltham Town Park with a train either approaching or leaving Eltham Station. A Tait 'red rattler' train is on the railway. The railway was commenced in 1900 and opened in 1902. It crosses the Diamond Creek on a timber trestle bridge just below where the Eltham Library stands today to the right on this view. The line was electrified in 1923. It is one of the few remaining similiar bridges remaining in Victoria. In 1976 when this was image was taken, Victorian Railways commenced works under the bridge to replace it with an earth embankment and large culvert pipes. This was abandoned following pressure from the Shire of Eltham and community protests. Colour photographbridges, railways, eltham, trestle bridge, eltham town park

[from a contemporary report:] The Shire of Eltham Historical Society's entry in the 1986 Eltham Community Festival Parade included Ben Hall's Cobb & Co. coach along with several vintage motor vehicles and the Society's new Community Banner. Members dressed in in an appropriate costume to ride in one of the vehicles or walk along with them. The assembly point was in Cecil St. at 11.45 a.m. The Society's entry was awarded the major prize for the parade.Colour photographeltham festival, shire of eltham historical society, 1986, ben hall, elwers, marge reeves, cobb and co

The old weatherboard building, possibly dating from the 1860s, comprised a dwelling with a shop in the front room opening off a timber verandah deck which directly fronted the Main Road footpath. At the rear is a brick building of much later date which was for many years used for the bakery. The buildings were demolished for flat construction. Joh Ebeli and Elwers Howard endeavoured to preserve some parts of the house.35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfachrome Professional black (Germany) 4 dotsmain road, old eltham bakery, york street

The old weatherboard building, possibly dating from the 1860s, comprised a dwelling with a shop in the front room opening off a timber verandah deck which directly fronted the Main Road footpath. At the rear is a brick building of much later date which was for many years used for the bakery. The buildings were demolished for flat construction. Joh Ebeli and Elwers Howard endeavoured to preserve some parts of the house.35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfachrome Professional black (Germany) 4 dotsmain road, old eltham bakery, york street

The old weatherboard building, possibly dating from the 1860s, comprised a dwelling with a shop in the front room opening off a timber verandah deck which directly fronted the Main Road footpath. At the rear is a brick building of much later date which was for many years used for the bakery. The buildings were demolished for flat construction. Joh Ebeli and Elwers Howard endeavoured to preserve some parts of the house.35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfachrome Professional black (Germany) 4 dotsmain road, old eltham bakery, york street

The old weatherboard building, possibly dating from the 1860s, comprised a dwelling with a shop in the front room opening off a timber verandah deck which directly fronted the Main Road footpath. At the rear is a brick building of much later date which was for many years used for the bakery. The buildings were demolished for flat construction. Joh Ebeli and Elwers Howard endeavoured to preserve some parts of the house.35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfachrome Professional black (Germany) 4 dotsmain road, old eltham bakery, york street

The old weatherboard building, possibly dating from the 1860s, comprised a dwelling with a shop in the front room opening off a timber verandah deck which directly fronted the Main Road footpath. At the rear is a brick building of much later date which was for many years used for the bakery. The buildings were demolished for flat construction. Joh Ebeli and Elwers Howard endeavoured to preserve some parts of the house.35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfachrome Professional black (Germany) 4 dotsmain road, old eltham bakery, york street

The old weatherboard building, possibly dating from the 1860s, comprised a dwelling with a shop in the front room opening off a timber verandah deck which directly fronted the Main Road footpath. At the rear is a brick building of much later date which was for many years used for the bakery. The buildings were demolished for flat construction. Joh Ebeli and Elwers Howard endeavoured to preserve some parts of the house.35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfachrome Professional black (Germany) 4 dotsmain road, old eltham bakery, york street

The old weatherboard building, possibly dating from the 1860s, comprised a dwelling with a shop in the front room opening off a timber verandah deck which directly fronted the Main Road footpath. At the rear is a brick building of much later date which was for many years used for the bakery. The buildings were demolished for flat construction. Joh Ebeli and Elwers Howard endeavoured to preserve some parts of the house.35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfachrome Professional black (Germany) 4 dotsmain road, old eltham bakery, york street

The old weatherboard building, possibly dating from the 1860s, comprised a dwelling with a shop in the front room opening off a timber verandah deck which directly fronted the Main Road footpath. At the rear is a brick building of much later date which was for many years used for the bakery. The buildings were demolished for flat construction. Joh Ebeli and Elwers Howard endeavoured to preserve some parts of the house.35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfachrome Professional black (Germany) 4 dotsmain road, old eltham bakery, york street

Photo taken immediately prior to the demolition of the old baker's shop on the corner of Main Road and York Street, Eltham. Joh Ebeli and Elwers Howard endeavoured to preserve some parts of the house. The old weatherboard building, possibly dating from the 1860s, comprised a dwelling with a shop in the front room opening off a timber verandah deck which directly fronted the Main Road footpath. At the rear is a brick building of much later date which was for many years used for the bakery. The buildings were demolished for flat construction. Publicity at the time was oriented toward moves to preserve the weatherboard building which came from a number of individuals including members of this society. The society had no official connection with any proposal to retain the building or any part of it on any other site. The issues involved were part of a wider consideration of the matter of preservation of historic buildings. In this case the Society and in particular the committee had been aware for some years of the impending demolition. The possibility of the preservation of the building had been canvassed on a number of occasions. The Society’s view was that whilst the baker’s shop was an interesting old building which contributed to the character of Main Road, it was not of sufficient importance to wage an organised campaign for its preservation. It considered that if the building were to be preserved for historical reasons it would be far more feasible to retain it in its present location than to re-build it on another site.35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfachrome Professional black (Germany) 4 dotsmain road, old eltham bakery, york street

Photo taken immediately prior to the demolition of the old baker's shop on the corner of Main Road and York Street, Eltham. Joh Ebeli and Elwers Howard endeavoured to preserve some parts of the house. The old weatherboard building, possibly dating from the 1860s, comprised a dwelling with a shop in the front room opening off a timber verandah deck which directly fronted the Main Road footpath. At the rear is a brick building of much later date which was for many years used for the bakery. The buildings were demolished for flat construction. Publicity at the time was oriented toward moves to preserve the weatherboard building which came from a number of individuals including members of this society. The society had no official connection with any proposal to retain the building or any part of it on any other site. The issues involved were part of a wider consideration of the matter of preservation of historic buildings. In this case the Society and in particular the committee had been aware for some years of the impending demolition. The possibility of the preservation of the building had been canvassed on a number of occasions. The Society’s view was that whilst the baker’s shop was an interesting old building which contributed to the character of Main Road, it was not of sufficient importance to wage an organised campaign for its preservation. It considered that if the building were to be preserved for historical reasons it would be far more feasible to retain it in its present location than to re-build it on another site.35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfachrome Professional black (Germany) 4 dotsmain road, old eltham bakery, york street

Newspaper article: Was woman found in well put in it? Diamond Valley Local, 16 February 1954, story of wife of baker found in well before Burgoyne family purchased bakery. Newspaper article: Bakery goes ... locals protest, The Valley Voice, 18 July 1979, Joh Ebeli protests about planned destruction, history of building memories of Alistair Knox. Note on demolition of Eltham Bakery building, 1979, by Joh Ebeli who tried to save front of house with friend names Elwers. Photocopy newspaper article: Murder mystery at bakery, History comes to life for old building, 4 November 1979, Harry Burgoyne remembers his grandfather John James Thomas Neville Burgoyne bought bakery in 1896 at time of body found in well, bakery build 1860-1864, sold in 1921. Photocopy newspaper article: Public meeting called over Eltham restaurant proposal, Diamond Valley News, 4 October 1988, protests re proposal for motel and restaurant. Photocopy newspaper article: Fresh tales at an old mine, Diamond Valley News, 4 October 1988, Ausminde Pty Ltd applied for renewal of exploration licence at Old Tree Hill Mine, last mined by Stan Bone and Bill Wallace, photograph of Russell Yeoman at site. Photocopy of line drawing, The Bakery, by Joh Ebeli, 1978. Photocopy of photograph, Old Bakery, next to house built 1880. Photocopy of photograph with Old Bakery in background. On August 12, 1902, 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 it is made known 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 was unable to secure at Eltham a suitable house in which to carry on his business, but he was building a place near the railway station which he expected to be done in about three weeks time, at which time he would give up possession of the bakery. Mr Smallman informed the defendant, Luther Haley, that he would 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 refered 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. In June 2024 Annie Hackrath shared a memory of living in the old bakery: "My husband and I lived in the old bakery for 18 months in 1978-9 , husband Geoff used the old bakery out the back as a wood workshop, making turnery and handcrafted furniture. The front shop was operated as a “sometimes” art gallery which we called “Gouge and Grain”. There were old sheds against the back fence which we thought were probably stables from the bakery days. Lovely memories of the old place which had so much character and seemed to attract a multitude of interesting creative people! Sad that it was pulled down; a friend salvaged some of the lead light glass in the old doors and included it in a new door panel for us."main road, eltham, property, shops, businesses, eltham bakery, burgoyne family, joh ebeli, alistair knox, harry burgoyne, john james thomas neville burgoyne, one tree hill mine, stan bone miner, bill wallace miner, russell yeoman, henry rech, ausminde pty ltd, john street, bridge street, judy paynter, art gallery, gouge and grain, annie hackrath, geoff hackrath

John Lawrence Coleman (1934-1965) born January 10, was the son of Raymond John Coleman and Hanna May (Gillet) Coleman. He married Margaret Frances Dare in 1955 and was the father of two children. He died whilst attempting to rescue an older man trapped in the bushfire at North Eltham on March 3, 1965 He died at Eltham (Herald, 4 March 1965, p3) [Picture of John Lawrence Coleman] Builder Mr John Lawrence Coleman, 31, of Main Rd., Eltham, one of three men burnt to death yesterday in the fire at North Eltham. The other two were XXXXX, 33 who lives opposite the Colemans and Mr William Elwers, 64 of Batman Rd., Eltham. * * * Frank Martin was a volunteer with the Eltham rural fire brigade at the time of the 1965 bushfires which burnt Eltham North and Research. Frank was asked to assist with the removal of three bodies from the back gully (now Orchard Avenue). They were badly burnt and one was found stuck under a fence as though trying to escape. Volunteers John Coleman Jnr, William Elwers and George Crowe were killed trying to protect Eltham from bushfire – they were local heroes. At the time, John Coleman Jnr was survived by his wife Margaret and two young children – John 11 and Vicky 2. Margaret Coleman lived in the family home until 1992 when she sold it and moved to Tasmania to be close to her son. She died in 1997 aged 65 years. 75 yr old Ken Gaston grew up on Edendale farm, which was originally a poultry farm but is now owned and run by the Shire of Nillumbik as an educational farm for schools and visitors. He was Captain of the Eltham rural fire brigade in 1965 when John Coleman Jnr was burnt to death in the Eltham North bushfires serving as an unofficial volunteer. He was able to draw where the original Wattletree Road was and at the time was verified with the location of some remaining bitumen and a post from the original bridge over the Diamond Creek located near the junction of the Diamond Creek and another small creek which is further down from Research or Christmas Creek as locals refer to it. The original Main Road ran behind Colemans before the railway line was built beyond Eltham in 1912. (Information recorded by Harry Gilham, President EDHS c.2011) * * * Bushfires rage in Victoria, Snowy: Three dead (1965, March 4). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 1. Retrieved May 19, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article131758981 Includes two photos of the fire in North Eltham “Firemen make for safety as fire rages in Upper Glen Park Road, North Eltham, Victoria. The smoke hides a house.” and “A house explodes into flames at North Eltham, Victoria. Firemen said bottled gas went up.” Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Thursday 4 March 1965, page 1 ________________________________________ Firemen make for safety as fire rages in Upper Glen Park Road. North Eltham. Victoria. The smoke hides a house. A house explodes into flames at North Eltham. Victoria. Firemen said bottled gas went up. Bushfires rage in Victoria, Snowy: Three dead MELBOURNE, Wednesday.—Three people died today in a bush» fire which raged through North Eltham, about 15 miles from Melbourne. The victims were three men. A fourth man is feared to be dead. Another bushfire. sparked off by the heatwave sizzling over south-eastern Australia, is burning out of control in the Kosciusko State Park, in the Snowy Mountains. Firefighters fear that if it reaches pine forests up the Yarrangobilly River, they will be powerless to stop it. The three victims of the North Eltbam fire were trapped by flames in a valley. Their bodies were found only a few yards apart. They were named by police tonight as Mr. George Crowe, 78, of North Eltham, William John Ewers, 64, and John Laurence Coleman, 31, both of Eltham. The other two have not been identified. They are believed to be a man aged about 40 and an 18-year-old youth. At least 12 homes were destroyed by the fire, the worst in Victoria since 1962, when eight lives were lost and hundreds of homes burnt down at Warrandyte. At one time the township of Eltham was threatened, but a cool change swept in from the south and held back the wall of flames. More than 100 dogs, worth about £4,000, died when the fire raced through two kennels in Short Street, Eltham. and Upper Glen Park Road, North Eltham. A trickle of water Residents ran into the streets as the blaze raced towards their houses. Others frantically dug firebreaks around their homes. Mrs. Sue Recourt wept when firemen arrived while she was vainly trying to stop the flames with a trickle of water from the garden hose. A stack of firewood was blazing, but the firemen managed to save the house and rescue four goats. Many homes in Eltham were saved after flames had crept to within feet of their fences. Students at North Eltham State School had to be evacuated when the blaze threatened the building. Fire fighters were severely hampered by lack of water and narrow roads. The blaze, which began in above century heat, turned toward Wattle Glen, where two houses were gutted. Then the flames raced towards Hurstbridge to the north. Firemen battling desperately, controlled the fire late this afternoon. Five forest fires were still burning in Victoria tonight.   IN VICTORIA THIS WEEK Tragic lack of central fire authority (1965, March 9). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 2. Retrieved May 19, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article131759928 Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Tuesday 9 March 1965, page 2 ________________________________________ IN VICTORIA THIS WEEK Tragic lack of central fire authority From Rohan Rivett It was the worst week for Victorian fire fighters since Black Friday 27 years ago. On that day one pilot up in a spotter plane said afterwards: "It seemed at times that half the State was on fire." This time, for three days on end, Gippsland men, women and children had moments of conviction that their towns would have blackened into anonymity before the weekend was out. The week began with horror at Eltham on the North-eastern edge of Melbourne. Eltham today is something of an artists' colony. Oil painters, water colourists, potters and sculptors proliferate. A number of University folk have emulated the example of Professor MacMahon Ball who pioneered the way by moving to Eltham and carving a home out of the bush in the thirties. Innermost Eltham is barely 14 miles from the G.P.O. Farthest Eltham stretches miles beyond. It served to illustrate the tragi-ludicrous truncation of Victoria's fire control. Part of Eltham is under the protection of the Melbourne Fire Brigade. But this responsibility ceases at some invisible and incomprehensible line — apparently determined by the meanderings of the water mains. At this point everybody's property throughout the rest of Eltham is dependent on the Country Fire Authority. Half an hour before midday on Wednesday, a fire suddenly started on the West side of Upper Glen road on the edge of Eltham. Before the fire brigade could arrive, it was burning on a widening front through timber and high grass north of Eltham. Two wind changes in rapid succession saw the fire leaping Diamond Creek. With a freshening wind it struck home after home in three streets. More than one of them exploded suddenly as if hit by an incendiary bomb. There is no piped gas in the Eltham area, hence many housewives use bottle gas. The flames outside caused the bottles to explode. Altogether twelve homes were completely incinerated and four more were badly damaged. Thirty prize dogs perished. About three hours after the fire started it raced suddenly down a gully hillside trapping an elderly man. Two other men apparently raced to the rescue. Flames caught the three men within yards of each other, not 200 yards off the Upper Glen Park Road where safety lay. They were burned to death. Next evening an angry and convincing secretary of the Fire Brigade Union, Mr. W. M. Webber, came on television and appealed to the people of Victoria to end the ridiculous and dangerous dualism in fire-fighting control. The Eltham fire, he said, had precisely illustrated the situation. The Metropolitan Fire Brigade area touched Eltham, but where the fire had gutted and killed, was just outside its area. Mr. Webber said his union had constantly urged one authority for the State with a complete reorganisation of fire protection. On Wednesday the union had repeated its call for an inquiry into fire protection in Victoria to the Chief Secretary, Mr Rylah. "No matter how close the liaison between the two organisations, there are always divided sections of thinking," Mr. Webber told viewers. "I don't know how much tragedy the com-munity can take before it demands that it is properly protected." Rumours that differences in gauge between taps and hose nozzles (as between the two authorities) accentuated the damage were denied by fire chiefs who said that all appliances were now carrying adaptors so that hoses could be linked to mains everywhere. But there is grave concern in the Metropolitan Fire Brigade's higher councils at the action of several Federal authorities with projects in and around Melbourne. They are installing non-standard equipment without reference to the State authorities or any dovetailing of appliances and equipment. Public alarm was not diminished by the publication on Friday and Saturday of a heart tearing letter from the young widow of John Lawrence Coleman, 31 year old father of two, who had died in the flames apparently trying to rescue the old man trapped in the gully. By that time, a Vast area of Gippsland was in flames and the troops had been sent in to back up the overworked and often helpless fire-fighters. By Saturday, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Stoneham, who has previously demanded a Royal Commission into fire-fighting arrangements, repeated his demand. To add to the Chief Secretary's worries he was publicly rebuked for allegedly implying on television that lives had been lost at Eltham because people went to the wrong place at the wrong time. In a letter to the Press, Professor MacMahon Ball pointed out that two of the men involved were experienced bushmen who had gone "to help an old man in great danger fully aware of the danger to themselves". As Victoria faced its sixth day of total State-wide fire ban, it looked likely that even official resistance was not going to silence the demand for one central authority to control the fire fiend. At the moment, the 400 square miles where two million Victorians live in Greater Melbourne are divorced from the rest of the State in planning, communications, equipment and control of personnel. No one doubts the whole-hearted co-operation and willingness to back each other up of the M.F.B. and the C.F.A., both at top-level and among the firemen themselves. However, when a city straggles so deeply into the country side, the absence of a single authority, to oversee and analyse the fire threat as a whole, suggests suicidal policy of divide and fuel. Emphasis of the tragic loss of a member of a pioneering family who died whilst helping others in his communitybushfire, cfa, country fire authority, fire brigrade, glen park road, heroes, john lawrence coleman, north eltham, victorian bushfires - 1965, volunteers, william john elwers, fire fighter, frank martin, george john crowe, ken gaston, orchard avenue

Full page newspaper clipping featuring the March 1965 Victorian bushfires. Items include: Photograph - TWO-WOMAN BUCKET BRIGADE, Mrs Henry Marsden (left) and Mrs Moureen Ellis, whose fire-fighting efforts yesterday were highly praised today by their Eltham neighbours, carry out mopping-up operations Photograph - DOGS MADE HOMELESS by the fire in North Eltham yesterday are being cared for at First-Constable Doug. Mummery's kennels at Eltham and here is kennel maid Helen Oliver, 17, with some of them today. The two basset hounds are owned by Mr Bill Guy who lost about 100 daschund and basset hound puppies and dogs in the fire. Photograph - He died at Eltham [Picture of John Lawrence Coleman] Builder Mr John Lawrence Coleman, 31, of Main Rd., Eltham, one of three men burnt to death yesterday in the fire at North Eltham. The other two were XXXXX, 33 who lives opposite the Colemans and Mr William Elwers, 64 of Batman Rd., Eltham. John Lawrence Coleman (1934-1965) born January 10, was the son of Raymond John Coleman and Hanna May (Gillet) Coleman. He married Margaret Frances Dare in 1955 and was the father of two children. He died whilst attempting to rescue an older man trapped in the bushfire at North Eltham on March 3, 1965 Other news stories of the day:  Bushfires rage in Victoria, Snowy: Three dead (1965, March 4). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 1. Retrieved May 19, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article131758981 Includes two photos of the fire in North Eltham “Firemen make for safety as fire rages in Upper Glen Park Road, North Eltham, Victoria. The smoke hides a house.” and “A house explodes into flames at North Eltham, Victoria. Firemen said bottled gas went up.” Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Thursday 4 March 1965, page 1 ________________________________________ Firemen make for safety as fire rages in Upper Glen Park Road. North Eltham. Victoria. The smoke hides a house. A house explodes into flames at North Eltham. Victoria. Firemen said bottled gas went up. Bushfires rage in Victoria, Snowy: Three dead MELBOURNE, Wednesday.—Three people died today in a bush» fire which raged through North Eltham, about 15 miles from Melbourne. The victims were three men. A fourth man is feared to be dead. Another bushfire. sparked off by the heatwave sizzling over south-eastern Australia, is burning out of control in the Kosciusko State Park, in the Snowy Mountains. Firefighters fear that if it reaches pine forests up the Yarrangobilly River, they will be powerless to stop it. The three victims of the North Eltbam fire were trapped by flames in a valley. Their bodies were found only a few yards apart. They were named by police tonight as Mr. George Crowe, 78, of North Eltham, William John Ewers, 64, and John Laurence Coleman, 31, both of Eltham. The other two have not been identified. They are believed to be a man aged about 40 and an 18-year-old youth. At least 12 homes were destroyed by the fire, the worst in Victoria since 1962, when eight lives were lost and hundreds of homes burnt down at Warrandyte. At one time the township of Eltham was threatened, but a cool change swept in from the south and held back the wall of flames. More than 100 dogs, worth about £4,000, died when the fire raced through two kennels in Short Street, Eltham. and Upper Glen Park Road, North Eltham. A trickle of water Residents ran into the streets as the blaze raced towards their houses. Others frantically dug firebreaks around their homes. Mrs. Sue Recourt wept when firemen arrived while she was vainly trying to stop the flames with a trickle of water from the garden hose. A stack of firewood was blazing, but the firemen managed to save the house and rescue four goats. Many homes in Eltham were saved after flames had crept to within feet of their fences. Students at North Eltham State School had to be evacuated when the blaze threatened the building. Fire fighters were severely hampered by lack of water and narrow roads. The blaze, which began in above century heat, turned toward Wattle Glen, where two houses were gutted. Then the flames raced towards Hurstbridge to the north. Firemen battling desperately, controlled the fire late this afternoon. Five forest fires were still burning in Victoria tonight.   IN VICTORIA THIS WEEK Tragic lack of central fire authority (1965, March 9). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 2. Retrieved May 19, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article131759928 Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Tuesday 9 March 1965, page 2 ________________________________________ IN VICTORIA THIS WEEK Tragic lack of central fire authority From Rohan Rivett It was the worst week for Victorian fire fighters since Black Friday 27 years ago. On that day one pilot up in a spotter plane said afterwards: "It seemed at times that half the State was on fire." This time, for three days on end, Gippsland men, women and children had moments of conviction that their towns would have blackened into anonymity before the weekend was out. The week began with horror at Eltham on the North-eastern edge of Melbourne. Eltham today is something of an artists' colony. Oil painters, water colourists, potters and sculptors proliferate. A number of University folk have emulated the example of Professor MacMahon Ball who pioneered the way by moving to Eltham and carving a home out of the bush in the thirties. Innermost Eltham is barely 14 miles from the G.P.O. Farthest Eltham stretches miles beyond. It served to illustrate the tragi-ludicrous truncation of Victoria's fire control. Part of Eltham is under the protection of the Melbourne Fire Brigade. But this responsibility ceases at some invisible and incomprehensible line — apparently determined by the meanderings of the water mains. At this point everybody's property throughout the rest of Eltham is dependent on the Country Fire Authority. Half an hour before midday on Wednesday, a fire suddenly started on the West side of Upper Glen road on the edge of Eltham. Before the fire brigade could arrive, it was burning on a widening front through timber and high grass north of Eltham. Two wind changes in rapid succession saw the fire leaping Diamond Creek. With a freshening wind it struck home after home in three streets. More than one of them exploded suddenly as if hit by an incendiary bomb. There is no piped gas in the Eltham area, hence many housewives use bottle gas. The flames outside caused the bottles to explode. Altogether twelve homes were completely incinerated and four more were badly damaged. Thirty prize dogs perished. About three hours after the fire started it raced suddenly down a gully hillside trapping an elderly man. Two other men apparently raced to the rescue. Flames caught the three men within yards of each other, not 200 yards off the Upper Glen Park Road where safety lay. They were burned to death. Next evening an angry and convincing secretary of the Fire Brigade Union, Mr. W. M. Webber, came on television and appealed to the people of Victoria to end the ridiculous and dangerous dualism in fire-fighting control. The Eltham fire, he said, had precisely illustrated the situation. The Metropolitan Fire Brigade area touched Eltham, but where the fire had gutted and killed, was just outside its area. Mr. Webber said his union had constantly urged one authority for the State with a complete reorganisation of fire protection. On Wednesday the union had repeated its call for an inquiry into fire protection in Victoria to the Chief Secretary, Mr Rylah. "No matter how close the liaison between the two organisations, there are always divided sections of thinking," Mr. Webber told viewers. "I don't know how much tragedy the com-munity can take before it demands that it is properly protected." Rumours that differences in gauge between taps and hose nozzles (as between the two authorities) accentuated the damage were denied by fire chiefs who said that all appliances were now carrying adaptors so that hoses could be linked to mains everywhere. But there is grave concern in the Metropolitan Fire Brigade's higher councils at the action of several Federal authorities with projects in and around Melbourne. They are installing non-standard equipment without reference to the State authorities or any dovetailing of appliances and equipment. Public alarm was not diminished by the publication on Friday and Saturday of a heart tearing letter from the young widow of John Lawrence Coleman, 31 year old father of two, who had died in the flames apparently trying to rescue the old man trapped in the gully. By that time, a Vast area of Gippsland was in flames and the troops had been sent in to back up the overworked and often helpless fire-fighters. By Saturday, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Stoneham, who has previously demanded a Royal Commission into fire-fighting arrangements, repeated his demand. To add to the Chief Secretary's worries he was publicly rebuked for allegedly implying on television that lives had been lost at Eltham because people went to the wrong place at the wrong time. In a letter to the Press, Professor MacMahon Ball pointed out that two of the men involved were experienced bushmen who had gone "to help an old man in great danger fully aware of the danger to themselves". As Victoria faced its sixth day of total State-wide fire ban, it looked likely that even official resistance was not going to silence the demand for one central authority to control the fire fiend. At the moment, the 400 square miles where two million Victorians live in Greater Melbourne are divorced from the rest of the State in planning, communications, equipment and control of personnel. No one doubts the whole-hearted co-operation and willingness to back each other up of the M.F.B. and the C.F.A., both at top-level and among the firemen themselves. However, when a city straggles so deeply into the country side, the absence of a single authority, to oversee and analyse the fire threat as a whole, suggests suicidal policy of divide and fuel. Emphasis of the tragic loss of a member of a pioneering family who died whilst helping others in his communitybushfire, cfa, country fire authority, fire brigrade, glen park road, heroes, john lawrence coleman, north eltham, victorian bushfires - 1965, volunteers, william john elwers, fire fighter, frank martin, george john crowe, ken gaston, orchard avenue, doug mummery, helen oliver, mrs henry marsden, mrs moureen ellis

Various news articles pertaining to the January 1965 Victorian bushfires specifically with a focus on fires at Eltham North. Specific Eltham Shire districts mentioned include Eltham North on page 1, 2, 3, 28-29 • Fire Kills 3, p1 (Illust.) • Fire on their heel, p2 (Illust.) • Flames catch, kill 3 as they run: 12 house go, p3 (Illust.) • It doubled back, p3 • Helpers highly praised, p3 • Blaze kills 100 puppies, p3 (Illust.) • Scenes from Eltham’s Black Wednesday, pp28-29 (Illust.) tom fielding collection, victorian bushfires - 1965, victorian bushfires – 1965, glen park road, eltham north, sunny pine, bushfire damage – buildings, back gully, gippsland, glenmaggie, briagolong, george john crowe, john lawrence coleman, william john elwers, creek road, wattle glen, bill guy