Information folder containing items pertaining to Puffing Billy. Contents: -article, 'Behind closed doors', the(melbourne)magazine, undated -article, 'Billy running out of puff, in need of more folding stuff', The Age, 14th Sep 2011 -article, 'Chinese delighted to ride rails on a slow train to Gembrook', The Age, 15th Sep 2011 -article, 'New pal for Puffing Billy', Mail, 27th Mar 2012 -article, 'Train trucked in and on track', Mail, 27th Mar 2012 -article, 'New engine on track for museum', 28th Mar 2012 -article, 'All steamed up over great race', Mail, 2nd May 2-12 -article, 'Billy welcomes funding boost,' Mail, 8th May 2012 -article, 'Photo that fired interest full steam ahead', Free Press, 11th Jul 2012 -article, 'Plenty of puff left,' Mail, 17th Jul 2012 -article, 'Back to the track', Mail, 24th Jul 2012 -letters to editor, Free Press, 12th Sep 2012 -article, 'Billy's best mate', Mail, 29th Jan 2013 -article, 'Thousands run out of puff', Free Press, 8th May 2013 -article, 'Fun run has plenty of puff', Mail, 7th May 2013 -article, 'Puffed up by win', Mail, 14th May 2013emerald tourist railway

Produced as a souvenir for the Puffing Billy Preservation Society. A useful 'potted history'.Small cardboard souvenir booklet, 12 leaves plus cover, coloured photographs and text -some surface damage and soilingemerald, victoria, australia, rail services, railway stations, tourism, puffing billy, puffing billy preservation society, emerald lake park, emerald tourist railway board

Carl Axel Nobelius established the Gembrook Nurseries in 1886 on sixty-three acres purchased from an original selector after the area's gold rush started to diminish. It was called the Gembrook Nurseries as it was located in the Parish of Gembrook, but it was commonly referred to as the Nobelius nurseries after its founder; especially as control of the remaining portions of the nurseries remained with the Nobelius family until 1955. The Nobelius Nurseries had a substantial impact on the development of the township of Emerald, as local farmers were able to earn funds during the winter by working at the nursery which gave them financial resources while waiting for their own farms to become productive. The need to transport plants and trees to port quickly also contributed to the development of rail infrastructure in the region; C.A. Nobelius was one of thirteen witnesses to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways in 1898 debating a rail connection between Gembrook and Ferntree Gully, which became today's Puffing Billy tourist service. The nurseries occupied 280 acres at their peak in 1905, with more than one million trees available for sale at that time. The nursery focused on exotic fruit and ornamental species which were supplied to public parks and gardens all over the world. In several cases the nurseries were the first suppliers of the trees in Australia. Sales records show that trees were supplied to clients in Europe, Asia, the United States, Africa and New Zealand, as well as to many Councils and Government organisations around Australia, such as Melbourne's Fitzroy Gardens and Royal Botanic Gardens. Portions of the Gembrook Nurseries were sold at different times throughout the Twentieth Century, with the Emerald Country Club and Emerald Lake Park both occupying portions of the original land. In 1981 the final twelve acres were purchased by the Shire of Sherbrooke in recognition to be used as a heritage landmark in recognition of the site's significance.The photograph is significant because it depicts work processes at the Gembrook Nurseries during the early decades of the Twentieth Century; a period in which the nurseries were the leading Southern-hemisphere supplier of plants and trees to public gardens around the world. The photograph may also depict Carl Axel Nobelius overseeing his workers, which gives insights into work practices and social dynamics of the time.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on photographic paper. The photograph of a postcard or newspaper clipping depicts twelve men in clothes associated with the first decades of the Twentieth Century undertaking planting or other field work under the gaze of a man in a suit and top hat. The item is captioned 'Budding at Gembrook Nurseries.'Obverse: BUDDING AT GEMBROOK NURSERIES. /1910s, 1900s, 1890s, 1880s, 1886, 1905, carl axel nobelius, nobelius nursery, gembrook nurseries, emerald country club, emerald lake park, fruit growing, trees, farming

Carl Axel Nobelius established the Gembrook Nurseries in 1886 on sixty-three acres purchased from an original selector after the area's gold rush started to diminish. It was called the Gembrook Nurseries as it was located in the Parish of Gembrook, but it was commonly referred to as the Nobelius nurseries after its founder; especially as control of the remaining portions of the nurseries remained with the Nobelius family until 1955. The Nobelius Nurseries had a substantial impact on the development of the township of Emerald, as local farmers were able to earn funds during the winter by working at the nursery which gave them financial resources while waiting for their own farms to become productive. The need to transport plants and trees to port quickly also contributed to the development of rail infrastructure in the region; C.A. Nobelius was one of thirteen witnesses to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways in 1898 debating a rail connection between Gembrook and Ferntree Gully, which became today's Puffing Billy tourist service. The nurseries occupied 280 acres at their peak in 1905, with more than one million trees available for sale at that time. The nursery focused on exotic fruit and ornamental species which were supplied to public parks and gardens all over the world. In several cases the nurseries were the first suppliers of the trees in Australia. Sales records show that trees were supplied to clients in Europe, Asia, the United States, Africa and New Zealand, as well as to many Councils and Government organisations around Australia, such as Melbourne's Fitzroy Gardens and Royal Botanic Gardens. Portions of the Gembrook Nurseries were sold at different times throughout the Twentieth Century, with the Emerald Country Club and Emerald Lake Park both occupying portions of the original land. In 1981 the final twelve acres were purchased by the Shire of Sherbrooke in recognition to be used as a heritage landmark in recognition of the site's significance.The photograph is significant because it demonstrates the extent of stock cultivation at the Gembrook Nurseries during the early decades of the Twentieth Century; a period in which the nurseries were the leading Southern-hemisphere supplier of plants and trees to public gardens around the world. Museum acquisition records indicate this photograph was taken in the period 1908-1912.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on photographic paper. The photograph depicts a central view of cultivated fields and trees along the skyline at the Gembrook Nurseries in approximately 1908-1912.Obverse: Gembrook Nurseries - Central View /1900s, 1910s, farming, agriculture, trees, gembrook nurseries, carl axel nobelius, emerald park lake, emerald country club, parish of gembrook, fitzroy gardens, royal botanic gardens, melbourne, shire of sherbrooke

The Gembrook Nurseries, informally known as the Nobelius Nurseries after the founder Carl Axel Nobelius, began with the purchase of sixty-three acres in 1886 and boomed in the 1890s due to opportunities provided by employment-promoting schemes to develop public parks and gardens and street shade by local and State Governments around Australia. Trees were sold to more than forty councils and Government organisations in the 1890s, including the Department of Agriculture, Lands Department and Victorian Railways. The need to transport nursery products by train via Ferntree Gully rather than by bullock dray to Narre Warren was a factor in the successful petition to develop what is now known as the Puffing Billy Railway. Railway developments in 1900 included the creation of a siding and Packing Shed, known as Nobelius Station, which is featured in this photograph. The Packing Shed was able to handle 250,000 cases of fruit each year at the height of the nurseries' activities. The image shows the Packing Shed with boarded-up windows, suggesting it was taken prior to the purchase of the facility for use in the Puffing Billy Railway service. Gembrook Nurseries had an indirect influence on the development of other farms and industries in the region. As a wholesale nursery with high sales volumes it was an important employer of local people. Peak season for employees was during the cooler months, during most farmers' off-season. This provided local farmers with a source of income while their own farms were becoming established.The photograph is significant because it depicts infrastructure associated with the Gembrook or Nobelius Nurseries, a business which was instrumental to the development of Emerald as a settlement in the 19th and 20th Centuries and also influenced the development of public and private gardens and the farming of several species in Australia and internationally. The Nobelius Nursery is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. The image appears to show the Packing Shed building prior to its restoration as a tourist facility.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on print media paper. The image depicts the Gembrook Nurseries Packing Shed building with boarded up windows.Obverse: NOBELIUS NURSERIES / . WEEKEND TRADING . /1970s, gembrook nurseries, puffing billy railway, carl axel nobelius, packing shed, railway stations, farming, agriculture

The Gembrook Nurseries, informally known as the Nobelius Nurseries after the founder Carl Axel Nobelius, began with the purchase of sixty-three acres in 1886 and boomed in the 1890s due to opportunities provided by employment-promoting schemes to develop public parks and gardens and street shade by local and State Governments around Australia. Trees were sold to more than forty councils and Government organisations in the 1890s, including the Department of Agriculture, Lands Department and Victorian Railways. The need to transport nursery products by train via Ferntree Gully rather than by bullock dray to Narre Warren was a factor in the successful petition to develop what is now known as the Puffing Billy Railway. Railway developments in 1900 included the creation of a siding and Packing Shed, known as Nobelius Station, which is featured in this photograph. The Packing Shed was able to handle 250,000 cases of fruit each year at the height of the nurseries' activities. The image shows the Packing Shed prior to the purchase of the facility for use in the Puffing Billy Railway service. Gembrook Nurseries had an indirect influence on the development of other farms and industries in the region. As a wholesale nursery with high sales volumes it was an important employer of local people. Peak season for employees was during the cooler months, during most farmers' off-season. This provided local farmers with a source of income while their own farms were becoming established.The photograph is significant because it depicts infrastructure associated with the Gembrook or Nobelius Nurseries, a business which was instrumental to the development of Emerald as a settlement in the 19th and 20th Centuries and also influenced the development of public and private gardens and the farming of several species in Australia and internationally. The Nobelius Nursery is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. The image appears to show the Packing Shed building prior to its restoration as a tourist facility.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on print media paper. The image depicts the Gembrook Nurseries Packing Shed building. The building is made from weatherboard and features a brick chimney. There is also a tall tree standing next to the chimney.Obverse: IUS NURSERIES / TRADING ... /gembrook nurseries, puffing billy railway, carl axel nobelius, packing shed, railway stations, farming, agriculture

The township of Emerald was settled after gold was discovered in the area in 1858. Emerald's 'square mile' was established and roads between the township, other towns in the region and Melbourne were established (with alterations to the original layout in the intervening years). From these first years of the settlement roads and services to support the transport of goods (from businesses making and repairing carts and drays to mechanics' workshops to service cars and industrial vehicles) were integral to the economic survival and development of the township. Closely associated with the history of Emerald is the history of the Gembrook or Nobelius Nurseries, which transported trees and other plants to parks and private gardens in Melbourne, in other Australian locations and in many other countries. Impassable roads to transport goods in Winter, and the difficulty of transporting goods by bullock team or horse and cart over a route that at that time went via the railway station at Narre Warren led to Carl Axel Nobelius and other local business owners successfully lobbying the Victorian Government to build the narrow gauge railway to the Ferntree Gully line that is now operated as the tourist attraction 'Puffing Billy.' Puffing Billy was primarily a goods transport service, but did transport passengers in both directions of travel for both everyday needs and recreational purposes. The Puffing Billy service did not remove the need for local families and businesses to provide their own transport options, however, whenever they needed to move smaller loads or to access places not served by the railway lines or stations. In the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries transport options included carts of various sizes pulled by horses, oxen or bullocks. In the 1920s and 1930s cars (which had existed in Australia in early forms from approximately 1896) began to replace horses as the primary mode of transportation across Australia. By the end of the Second World War cars dominated transport options in rural areas as well as urban. Correspondingly, businesses to service vehicles shifted from focusing on repairs and maintenance of harnesses and cart structures to the repair and servicing of cars and other vehicles. Museum records indicate that the image was taken in the Shell Service Station in Emerald in approximately 1990. There is still a Shell Service Station in Emerald, located at 336-338 Belgrave-Gembrook Road, though it is now part of the Coles Express network.This image is significant because it provides insights into the development of automotive and engineering workshop businesses in the region, part of the progression from wheelwright and cartwright businesses in the days of oxen drays to businesses servicing cars and other vehicles. As part of this, it also provides insight into the equipment available at the time the photograph was taken, which is speculated to be the late 1980s or early 1990s. Identification of the two men pictured may also help ascertain the significance of the image.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on print media paper. The image depicts two men standing in front of a piece of mechanic's workshop equipment on which a Bridgestone tyre has been loaded. One of the men is wearing long-sleeved overalls, the other is wearing dark trousers and a polo-neck T-shirt. Museum records indicate the photograph may have been taken at the Shell Service Station.Obverse: BRIDGESTONE / SF-340 EAGER /emerald, victoria, australia, transport, automotive services, shell service station, cars, motor vehicles, puffing billy, businesses, local business

Document is labelled 'Draft'. Future status unknown.Folded black and white tourist map. Includes descriptive text and advertising. Draft.emerald, victoria, australia, dandenong ranges, victoria, australia, tourism, puffing billy railway, bimbimbie wildlife park, macclesfield trout farm, emerald lake park

Carl Axel Nobelius established the Gembrook Nurseries in 1886 on sixty-three acres purchased from an original selector after the area's gold rush started to diminish. It was called the Gembrook Nurseries as it was located in the Parish of Gembrook, but it was commonly referred to as the Nobelius nurseries after its founder; especially as control of the remaining portions of the nurseries remained with the Nobelius family until 1955. The Nobelius Nurseries had a substantial impact on the development of the township of Emerald, as local farmers were able to earn funds during the winter by working at the nursery which gave them financial resources while waiting for their own farms to become productive. The need to transport plants and trees to port quickly also contributed to the development of rail infrastructure in the region; C.A. Nobelius was one of thirteen witnesses to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways in 1898 debating a rail connection between Gembrook and Ferntree Gully, which became today's Puffing Billy tourist service. The nurseries occupied 280 acres at their peak in 1905, with more than one million trees available for sale at that time. The nursery focused on exotic fruit and ornamental species which were supplied to public parks and gardens all over the world. In several cases the nurseries were the first suppliers of the trees in Australia. Sales records show that trees were supplied to clients in Europe, Asia, the United States, Africa and New Zealand, as well as to many Councils and Government organisations around Australia, such as Melbourne's Fitzroy Gardens and Royal Botanic Gardens. Emerald Museum records indicate that this photograph of the Gembrook Nursery was taken in the vicinity of Carramar, the family home built by Carl Axel Nobelius. The sixteen-room mansion was one of the premier estates in the region and was visited by guests including Dame Nellie Melba and the Governor of Victoria, Sir Reginald Talbot. The building still stands amongst gardens that feature original Gembrook Nurseries plantings. Portions of the Gembrook Nurseries (and the Carramar estate) were sold at different times throughout the Twentieth Century, with the Emerald Country Club and Emerald Lake Park both occupying portions of the original land. In 1981 the final twelve acres were purchased by the Shire of Sherbrooke in recognition to be used as a heritage landmark in recognition of the site's significance.The photograph is significant because it depicts the built environment and stock cultivation at the Gembrook Nurseries during the early decades of the Twentieth Century; a period in which the nurseries were the leading Southern-hemisphere supplier of plants and trees to public gardens around the world. Museum acquisition records indicate this photograph was taken in the vicinity of the 'Carramar' estate, the home of the Nobelius family.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on photographic paper. The photograph depicts cultivated fields, roads, fencing and buildings at the Gembrook Nurseries; in the vicinity of the 'Carramar' estate.Obverse: 70 / (?) nt /1910s, 1890s, 1900s, carl axel nobelius, gembrook nurseries, nobelius nursery, carramar, farming, buildings, agriculture, dame nellie melba, reginald talbot, emerald country club, emerald lake park, shire of sherbrooke