Picnickers enjoying a Sunday outing near the Wattle Valley Estate at Hurstbridge. Copied from brochure "Wattle Valley Estate". It is believed the picture is taken at the northwest corner of the intersection of Wattletree Road and Hurstbridge-Arthurs Creek Road looking southeast towards the township (most likely where the house is located on the property of what is today No. 2 Wattletree Road)- https://goo.gl/maps/VDorwCe1rJJUapjE6 According to a comment by Jean Verso (via @nillumbikcouncil FB page 3 Jan 2020) - "This view is from Wattle Tree Road with Haleys Gully Road to the right and across the creek to William Gray's nursery at Allwood. The building to the far left looks like Dorset House. The building on the left in the middle distance is still there today and has been used for storage and as a stable/tack room for a number of years." The Wattle Valley Estate was first advertised in August 1925 as weekend building allotments by the Greater Melbourne Land and Development Company. Advertised from £28.10.0 or £60 per block. In August 1926, 30 picked allotments of 60x150 feet were put up for auction Saturday August 14, 1926 with frontages to Valley View Road and Fawkner Crescent advertised in the “Heart of the Glorious Wattle Country” and “Within 15 Minutes of the Newly Electrified Railway Station”. The Advertiser on August 13, 1926 in an article promoting the auction stated “the estate is regarded as one of the best in the district, and will be sold practically without reserve.” It is noted that an advertisement running in The Argus February 22, 1951 offered the remaining 16 blocks for sale at £12.10.0 or £200 the lot. By March 7, the remaining blocks were advertised at £17.10.0 The Wattle Valley Estate took over 20 years to sell and then people could not build on them Cross Ref EDHS_02665 Rose Series Postcard P. 4341, "View at Hurstbridge, Vic." Also, other images from sales brochure SEPP_1055 / 1056This photo forms part of a collection of photographs gathered by the Shire of Eltham for their centenary project book,"Pioneers and Painters: 100 years of the Shire of Eltham" by Alan Marshall (1971). The collection of over 500 images is held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library) and is now formally known as the 'The Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection.' It is significant in being the first community sourced collection representing the places and people of the Shire's first one hundred years.Digital image 4 x 5 inch B&W Neg1925, dorset house, fawkner crescent, haleys gully road, hurstbridge, hurstbridge-arthurs creek road, picnic, postcards, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, valley view road, wattle valley estate, wattletree road, exhibition yprl 2019-12

Possibly a picnic for returned servicemen from Gallipoli. This photo was taken in front of the Police Paddocks with the police station on the left. Model T Fords parked with soldiers, drivers and locals resting on the police paddock in front of the Queenstown (St Andrews) station. The RACV Volunteer Motor Corps service during World War One was the reason the organisation was granted its Royal prefix. Automobile Club of Victoria members volunteered their time and vehicles to collect returning soldiers and nurses from ships at Princes Pier, Port Melbourne. Trips were also often arranged for convalescing soldiers to country areas for picnics and to “revive spirits”. The soldiers were also picked up from the Austin Hospital in Heidelberg and Mont Park Military Hospital in Macleod. Queenstown (St Andrews) was a common picnic spot. The Evelyn Observer reported on June 9. 1916 "Some 75 returned soldiers visited Queenstown on Sunday, 28th ult., and were hospitably entertained by local residents who had provided refreshments sufficient for 150. Mr. Milne in an appropriate speech welcomed the soldiers, and Mr. Robison suitably responded.” The photo was reproduced page 108 of “The Diamond Valley Story" by Diane H. Edwards.This photo forms part of a collection of photographs gathered by the Shire of Eltham for their centenary project book,"Pioneers and Painters: 100 years of the Shire of Eltham" by Alan Marshall (1971). The collection of over 500 images is held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library) and is now formally known as the 'The Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection.' It is significant in being the first community sourced collection representing the places and people of the Shire's first one hundred years.Digital image, 16 x 24 and 12.5 x 9 cm and 4 x 5 inch B&W Neg sepp, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, queenstown, cars, police station, st andrews, soldiers, picnic, exhibition yprl 2019-12, gallipoli, model t ford, pioneers and painters, police paddocks, retuned soldiers

Postcard inscribed on reverse "Eltham 26.12.12" In the distance on the hill to the left of centre is the new St Mary's Catholic Church, corner of Main Road and Henry Street, Eltham (blessed 13 October 1912, later destroyed by fire in 1961). Just below the church, Shillinglaw Cottage is visible with two of the Shillinglaw trees partially obscuring the church. Photograph believed to have been taken just west of the present-day Catholic Ladies College carpark in the Inez Avenue Park region with Diamond Street running up hill behind the fence in middle of picture.Digital file only Postcards scanned from the collection of Michael Aitken on loan to EDHS, 13 Feb 2018michael aitken collection, postcards, eltham, picnic, catholic church, exhibition yprl 2019-12, shillinglaw cottage, shillinglaw trees, summer

Rose Series Postcard P. 4341 “View at Hurstbridge, Vic.” Picnickers enjoying a Sunday outing near the Wattle Valley Estate at Hurstbridge. Copied from brochure "Wattle Valley Estate". It is believed the picture is taken at the northwest corner of the intersection of Wattletree Road and Hurstbridge-Arthurs Creek Road looking southeast towards the township (most likely where the house is located on the property of what is today No. 2 Wattletree Road)- https://goo.gl/maps/VDorwCe1rJJUapjE6 According to a comment by Jean Verso (via @nillumbikcouncil FB page 3 Jan 2020) - "This view is from Wattle Tree Road with Haleys Gully Road to the right and across the creek to William Gray's nursery at Allwood. The building to the far left looks like Dorset House. The building on the left in the middle distance is still there today and has been used for storage and as a stable/tack room for a number of years." The Wattle Valley Estate was first advertised in August 1925 as weekend building allotments by the Greater Melbourne Land and Development Company. Advertised from £28.10.0 or £60 per block. In August 1926, 30 picked allotments of 60x150 feet were put up for auction Saturday August 14, 1926 with frontages to Valley View Road and Fawkner Crescent advertised in the “Heart of the Glorious Wattle Country” and “Within 15 Minutes of the Newly Electrified Railway Station”. The Advertiser on August 13, 1926 in an article promoting the auction stated “the estate is regarded as one of the best in the district, and will be sold practically without reserve.” It is noted that an advertisement running in The Argus February 22, 1951 offered the remaining 16 blocks for sale at £12.10.0 or £200 the lot. By March 7, the remaining blocks were advertised at £17.10.0 The Wattle Valley Estate took over 20 years to sell and then people could not build on them Cross Ref SEPP_1057, “Popular Picnicing at Hurstbridge” rcopied from Wattle Valley estate sales brochure.Digital file only Postcards scanned from the collection of Michael Aitken on loan to EDHS, 13 Feb 20181925, dorset house, exhibition yprl 2019-12, fawkner crescent, haleys gully road, hurstbridge, hurstbridge-arthurs creek road, michael aitken collection, picnic, postcards, rose stereograph company, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, valley view road, wattle valley estate, wattletree road