Images and information later included in production of "From Paddocks to Parks", a history of the development of cricket in the Lilydale, Croydon, Ringwood and Ferntree Gully districts and of the Ringwood and District Cricket Association, by P.J. McCallum, OAM, Melbourne, April, 2001.2-page handwritten letter from A.T. Miles' son, Edward Temple Miles, accompanied by Ringwood Cricket Club photographs and memorabilia outlining his father's achievements.

These boots may have been made as a sample as they are a very small size and do not appear to have been worn. They come from the New Zealand International Exhibition held at Hagley Park, Christchurch from November 1906 to April 1907. This exhibition was the brainchild of the New Zealand Prime Minister, Richard Seddon who died before the exhibition opened. Nearly 2 million people visited the exhibition at a time when the population of New Zealand was less than one million. The exhibition was thus rated a success even though there was a financial loss. No information has been found on the bootmakers, H. Perry & Co. In the 19th and early 20th centuries boots were an essential item for women who often had to walk through unmade streets and muddy paddocks. This item is of interest as it is a memento of an important New Zealand Exhibition early in the 20th century. This is a pair of a lady’s light brown leather boots. The boots have long leather tongues with 16 eyelets either side to lace up the front instep. The laces are missing. The wooden heels are slightly raised. H. Perry & Co. New Zealand International Exhibition Christchurch 1906-7 vintage footwear, christchurch new zealand exhibition, 1906-7

Digital file only - Digitised by EDHS from a scrapbook on loan from Beryl Bradbury (nee Stokes), daughter of Frank Stokes.beryl bradbury (nee stokes) collection, blue gum, burges blue gum cafe, commercial bank of australia, eileen owen (nee burges), eltham high school, eltham lower park, eltham shire office, eltham state school, garnet burges, horse racing, ida pender, john wren, lavender park road, main road, opportunity shop, pryor street, race track, robbery, shillinglaw's paddock, squizzy taylor, state school no. 209, tilley's road, william garnet burges

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Digital file only - Black and white photo print on loan for scanning by EDHSalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Digital file only - Black and white photo print on loan for scanning by EDHSalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Digital file only - Black and white photo print on loan for scanning by EDHSalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Born digitalalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Digital file only - Black and white photo print on loan for scanning by EDHSalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Digital file only - Black and white photo print on loan for scanning by EDHSalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Digital file only - Black and white photo print on loan for scanning by EDHSalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

My Recollections of Eltham Past by Margaret Joy Harding (nee Joy Chapman.) My family of Elizabeth and Alec Chapman moved to Eltham in 1946 into a cottage on the opposite side of the Diamond Creek from where the little train now operates in the Lower Park. At that time Eltham truly was a country town and the Pub was the main meeting place for most inhabitants on a Saturday afternoon in the beer garden. I attended Eltham Primary School where I started as a 4-year-old (my birthday being slightly after the mid-year intake) that happened then. My mother spent a lot of days taking me back to school when I had dismissed myself and walked the one kilomtre home alone. Bremner's Common (now Wingrove Park) was a big attraction with its dam and tad poling which I found much more entertaining than school. (Mrs Bremner ran a Service Station on the site of the current one). Another attraction at this site was the circus that came a couple of times a year. Watching them put up the circus tent was very interesting and even more of an attraction was the feeding of the Lions in cages and the monkeys and elephants among the other animals that are not found in a circus these days. At school then we were provided with hot chocolate at morning recess where the mothers would prepare it in the shelter shed. The only form of classroom heating was an open fire. Worse was the warm milk given in the summer months. By the time I was near finishing at Primary school we used to be able to walk along the Main Road at lunchtime to Mrs. Mitchell's shop to a delicious hot pie. As I recall there was no supervision for this departure from the school grounds. It is interesting that some of the other children I started school with I still have contact with, in fact one is a very good friend although now living in Perth. That is the other thing about Eltham; many who grew up here continue to live in the area. Following primary school, the natural progression was to Eltham High School. There was only the main building at that time and I can remember our first assembly at the front entrance. During the time I was at High School several new class rooms were added and the school hall. I remember the musical plays such as HMS Pinafore and other classical musicals being performed. I also remember countless hours doing marching practice. The main street shops when I was young consisted of the Blue Gum milk bar at the far end, a Grocery store and a shoe maker where Coles currently stands. Opposite there was Lyon's Garage. They also provided a bus service and when we got off the train this little bus would tour the back streets taking each individual to their home, sometimes this could take quite considerable time. There was also a Black Smith next to the Chiropractic Practice opposite Alistair Knox Park, another Milk Bar/General Store on the comer of Bridge Street/Main Road where a shop currently still operates. There was also a Butcher's shop down from the pub opposite Franklin Street. The only doctor was next to the courthouse on the other side of Brougham Street. On Saturday afternoon I was occasionally allowed to go the movies in the Town Hall which also stood on the site of the Coles centre. Often the Fire Alarm would sound and everyone would run outside to watch the fire truck leave with the volunteers clutching on the back. The other attraction during summer of course was the swimming pool which was a small concrete pool filled with water pumped from the Diamond Creek, sometimes it was like a mud puddle so for me the nearer to home Yarra/Diamond Creek junction was a much better option. We swam in the water hole which was quite deep and with fallen trees and sometimes carcasses of cows and kangaroos floating past. As recreation, the churches were another attraction for the Sunday school picnics to Mordialloc in the back of the moving van with benches tied into the back for us to "sit" on. Too bad when we went around a corner! In the early days we had an Ice Man deliver the ice once a week for "refrigeration". The green grocer came around in a horse and cart as did the milkman and the bread was delivered but I constantly got into trouble for eating the middle out on the way from the box it was delivered to in Mt Pleasant road across the paddock. The milkman finally would not come down our street after his horse bolted one morning and took off across the paddock. We also had the "Pan Man" come weekly and whose visit I would avoid. Our nearest shop was where the flower stall is located opposite the Lower Park. It consisted of a Tea Room and Milk Bar. There was a Public Telephone there which was the only contact to anyone else. We were a one car family so my mother’s movements were very limited as the Eltham Station was a couple of kilometres away and a trip to the city was an event. Being an only child growing up was a little lonely however rambling along the creek with my Mum, picking mushrooms and picking cherry plums for jam and the dogs catching rabbits which we ate if we could get them away from the dogs. We also liked to go into the Lower Park during school holidays when the Greek people came to camp and they would sing and dance around the camp fire and it all seemed so different to us as this was early days of immigration. Childhood was relatively simple and carefree and I wish the kids of today had the freedom of my youth and the healthy outdoor lifestyle of the "olden days".   SHOW GIRL COMPETITION In 1965 Eltham was more like a country town than the suburb it has become today. People knew each other, if not personally then certainly of the family name. The big event for the year was a Gymkhana or show at Lower Eltham Park. I can remember marching as a teenager from the town centre to the park in the marching girls with the decorated floats. In 1965, just on a whim on the day, I decided to enter the Miss Eltham Show Girl which was a part of the festivities at the park. I seem to remember that the show mainly consisted of horse events, cattle judging and dog show. As I had not given any serious thought to entering the competition, I wore a suit that I had for work which was brown wool, with a coffee coloured shirt under, black shoes, bag, and gloves but no hat. I duly paraded for the judges and much to my surprise I was announced the winner. I eventually went on to compete at the Miss Victoria Show Girl competition which was held at the Royal Melbourne Show. There I met many country girls who were representing their rural Victoria home. I made it into a final round of judging but I think justice prevailed when someone from a country background was crowned. It was fun to go into the show as I had not really been before and to see the displays of handcraft, cooking and wood chopping events was great as well as the judging of farm animals interesting. It is hard to remember the Eltham I grew up in. The Lyons Garage company bus that actually drove you home (or close to it) when we got off the train at night. The Eltham Hotel on a Saturday afternoon a usual social meeting place where people just sat and chatted. The pictures held in the Town Hall and when the fire alarm sounded all the men just jumped up and ran to help. Suburbia has now swallowed most of that life but thankfully we at least do have the trestle bridge and parkland. Digital file only - Black and white photo print on loan for scanning by EDHSalec chapman, annie bremner, blacksmith, bremner's flat, brougham steet, bus services, circus, diamond creek, dianne bell, doctor bradbury, easter gymkhana, elizabeth chapman, eltham high school, eltham hotel, eltham lower park, eltham public hall, eltham state school, eltham trestle bridge, general store, grace mitchell, ice man, joy chapman, lyons garage, margaret harding, milk bar, miss eltham 1965, miss victoria show girl, mount pleasant road, pan man, rodda parade, shops, show girl competition, swimming pool, water hole, yarra river

[article by Diana Bassett-Smith in EDHS Newsletter No. 117, November 1997:] MONUMENT HUNTING THE HUME AND HOVELL WAY - Sunday October 26 1997 dawned bright and very warm. Some twenty-five members, complete with picnic baskets, met outside the Eltham Library awaiting the Cobb and Co. large coach which would be taking us on the second leg of our travels along the route of the early explorers Hume and Hovell. Stephen West was our very good driver for the day. He would be guided around the circuitous route by Russell Yeoman who had made a detailed study, not only of the intended route, but of the story of these two explorers. During the trip Russell regaled us with poetry, quotations from the Journals and the History of the Shire of Seymour, "The New Crossing Place" by Martindale, 1982, (now Mitchell Shire due to the recent amalgamations). We headed towards the Hume Highway via Greensborough and Cooper Street and proceeded north to our first stop, noting on the way Monument Hill in the distance which is near Kilmore and, according to Russell, well worth the effort to visit as the view across the valley is magnificent. Past Sunday Creek Valley, Mt Piper and Mt Disappointment, all traversed and noted and named by them. We passed through Tallarook, then onto Seymour where we took photos of the monument telling us that Hume and Hovell had passed through on the 28th of October 1824. We also deviated down Hume and Hovell Road viewing deer and emu farming and the Bellbourie property now a sanctuary. Leaving Seymour behind we travelled up the Avenel Road to the Avenel monument, pyramidal in design of four reducing square blocks with a sharply pointed peak, erected in 1924 in memory of the 1824 exploration. The day was warming up and the countryside showing the dryness of the current drought. A parallel note had been made in their journal too of 1824 of the drought appearance of the country they were traversing. At Seven Creeks, Euroa we stopped for some minutes to check the monument placed 20th November 1924 to commemorate their passage on the 29th December 1824. More photos. Russell had pointed out the abrupt termination of the distant ranges which is noted in their journal. The next monument is beside the road at the entrance to Honey Suckle Creek Caravan Park, Violet Town. The squarish shaped monument some eight feet high is topped with a simple steel cross, and was to mark the date of 28th December 1824 and built for the 20th November 1924. By now it was 12.20 and nearly lunchtime as we drove along the Warranbayne Road to Roach's Road, monument hunting without success. Though there is a large, what appears to be an old timber sign which was hard to read, maybe this was the lost monument. In many of the paddocks hay had been cut and baled or was being cut, what a contrast to the rugged country they had passed through which was smoky from the fires of the natives burning off. By 1.00 pm we were at Benalla and pulled up beside the park where abundant beds of roses filled the air with their scent and the smell of barbecued food twitched the nostrils whilst the cheerful sounds of other picnickers could be heard throughout the park. We left the bus and collected up our picnics, dispersed to the various tables and enjoyed the shade from the various European trees. 2.00 pm and we were on the road again driving along the Benalla, Mansfield, Yea road. The Swanpool monument states that they passed four miles south and returned three miles north. Then we stopped at the Barjarg monument which notes that they camped near this spot. It is again a pyramidal monument and this time topped with a steel arrow indicating their route of the 29th November 1824. Half an hour later we came to another monument, again with a steel arrow marker on top and the plaque dated the 2nd of 12th 1824. Erected on the 12th of 12th 1924. "They blazed the way that we might inherit the land." Another square based and needle topped monument appeared at Yarck near Yea and this plaque records the date of 3 December 1824. Near McGuigans Road Russell related that the expedition had lost a dog but it had found them next day, the dog was apparently torn by a kangaroo. A short while later Russell reminded us here of the problems they encountered in crossing the Goulburn River near Molesworth where banks were high, water deep and wide. "Good coat of grass but quite dry due to drought". At Yea we stopped for afternoon tea and raided the last of our picnics and looked at the monument to their journey of 1824, situated at a corner of the gardens near the bowling green. No photo – we were out of film. We returned home via Kinglake West and Whittlesea past the Yan Yean Reservoir, not full. 5.00 pm back at Eltham we emptied out of the bus and everyone, including Joan Cole, collected their things, Joan also had the major souvenir of the day, a large carp she had picked up from the river bank, her cat was in for a great feast. The day was made so interesting by the informed commentary which Russell provided. His background knowledge of the route and nature of the journey could only have come from many hours of reading and driving the area. Thank you to Russell and to everyone who made the day so informative and pleasurable. Colour photographactivities, hume and hovell, monument, seymour

[article by Diana Bassett-Smith in EDHS Newsletter No. 117, November 1997:] MONUMENT HUNTING THE HUME AND HOVELL WAY - Sunday October 26 1997 dawned bright and very warm. Some twenty-five members, complete with picnic baskets, met outside the Eltham Library awaiting the Cobb and Co. large coach which would be taking us on the second leg of our travels along the route of the early explorers Hume and Hovell. Stephen West was our very good driver for the day. He would be guided around the circuitous route by Russell Yeoman who had made a detailed study, not only of the intended route, but of the story of these two explorers. During the trip Russell regaled us with poetry, quotations from the Journals and the History of the Shire of Seymour, "The New Crossing Place" by Martindale, 1982, (now Mitchell Shire due to the recent amalgamations). We headed towards the Hume Highway via Greensborough and Cooper Street and proceeded north to our first stop, noting on the way Monument Hill in the distance which is near Kilmore and, according to Russell, well worth the effort to visit as the view across the valley is magnificent. Past Sunday Creek Valley, Mt Piper and Mt Disappointment, all traversed and noted and named by them. We passed through Tallarook, then onto Seymour where we took photos of the monument telling us that Hume and Hovell had passed through on the 28th of October 1824. We also deviated down Hume and Hovell Road viewing deer and emu farming and the Bellbourie property now a sanctuary. Leaving Seymour behind we travelled up the Avenel Road to the Avenel monument, pyramidal in design of four reducing square blocks with a sharply pointed peak, erected in 1924 in memory of the 1824 exploration. The day was warming up and the countryside showing the dryness of the current drought. A parallel note had been made in their journal too of 1824 of the drought appearance of the country they were traversing. At Seven Creeks, Euroa we stopped for some minutes to check the monument placed 20th November 1924 to commemorate their passage on the 29th December 1824. More photos. Russell had pointed out the abrupt termination of the distant ranges which is noted in their journal. The next monument is beside the road at the entrance to Honey Suckle Creek Caravan Park, Violet Town. The squarish shaped monument some eight feet high is topped with a simple steel cross, and was to mark the date of 28th December 1824 and built for the 20th November 1924. By now it was 12.20 and nearly lunchtime as we drove along the Warranbayne Road to Roach's Road, monument hunting without success. Though there is a large, what appears to be an old timber sign which was hard to read, maybe this was the lost monument. In many of the paddocks hay had been cut and baled or was being cut, what a contrast to the rugged country they had passed through which was smoky from the fires of the natives burning off. By 1.00 pm we were at Benalla and pulled up beside the park where abundant beds of roses filled the air with their scent and the smell of barbecued food twitched the nostrils whilst the cheerful sounds of other picnickers could be heard throughout the park. We left the bus and collected up our picnics, dispersed to the various tables and enjoyed the shade from the various European trees. 2.00 pm and we were on the road again driving along the Benalla, Mansfield, Yea road. The Swanpool monument states that they passed four miles south and returned three miles north. Then we stopped at the Barjarg monument which notes that they camped near this spot. It is again a pyramidal monument and this time topped with a steel arrow indicating their route of the 29th November 1824. Half an hour later we came to another monument, again with a steel arrow marker on top and the plaque dated the 2nd of 12th 1824. Erected on the 12th of 12th 1924. "They blazed the way that we might inherit the land." Another square based and needle topped monument appeared at Yarck near Yea and this plaque records the date of 3 December 1824. Near McGuigans Road Russell related that the expedition had lost a dog but it had found them next day, the dog was apparently torn by a kangaroo. A short while later Russell reminded us here of the problems they encountered in crossing the Goulburn River near Molesworth where banks were high, water deep and wide. "Good coat of grass but quite dry due to drought". At Yea we stopped for afternoon tea and raided the last of our picnics and looked at the monument to their journey of 1824, situated at a corner of the gardens near the bowling green. No photo – we were out of film. We returned home via Kinglake West and Whittlesea past the Yan Yean Reservoir, not full. 5.00 pm back at Eltham we emptied out of the bus and everyone, including Joan Cole, collected their things, Joan also had the major souvenir of the day, a large carp she had picked up from the river bank, her cat was in for a great feast. The day was made so interesting by the informed commentary which Russell provided. His background knowledge of the route and nature of the journey could only have come from many hours of reading and driving the area. Thank you to Russell and to everyone who made the day so informative and pleasurable. Colour photographactivities, hume and hovell, bridge

MONUMENT HUNTING THE HUME AND HOVELL WAY (Newsletter No. 117, November 1997, by Diana Bassett-Smith) Sunday October 26 1997 dawned bright and very warm. Some twenty-five members, complete with picnic baskets, met outside the Eltham Library awaiting the Cobb and Co. large coach which would be taking us on the second leg of our travels along the route of the early explorers Hume and Hovell. Stephen West was our very good driver for the day. He would be guided around the circuitous route by Russell Yeoman wh9 had made a detailed study, not only of the intended route, but of the story of these two explorers. During the trip Russell regaled us with poetry, quotations from the Journals and the History of the Shire of Seymour, "The New Crossing Place: by Martindale, 1982, (now Mitchell Shire due to the recent amalgamations). We headed towards the Hume Highway via Greensborough and Cooper Street and proceeded north to our first stop, noting on the way Monument Hill in the distance which is near Kilmore and, according to Russell, well worth the effort to visit as the view across the valley is magnificent. Past Sunday Creek Valley, Mt Piper and Mt Disappointment, all traversed and noted and named by them. We passed through Tallarook, then onto Seymour where we took photos of the monument telling us that Hume and Hovell had passed through on the 28th of October 1824. We also deviated down Hume and Hovell Road viewing deer and emu farming and the Bellbourie property now a sanctuary. Leaving Seymour behind we travelled up the Avenel Road to the Avenel monument, pyramidal in design of four reducing square blocks with a sharply pointed peak, erected in 1924 in memory of the 1824 exploration. The day was warming up and the countryside showing the dryness of the current drought. A parallel note had been made in their journal too of 1824 of the drought appearance of the country they were traversing. At Seven Creeks, Euroa we stopped for some minutes to check the monument placed 20th November 1924 to commemorate their passage on the 29th December 1824. More photos. Russell had pointed out the abrupt termination of the distant ranges which is noted in their journal. The next monument is beside the road at the entrance to Honey Suckle Creek Caravan Park, Violet Town. The squarish shaped monument some eight feet high is topped with a simple steel cross, and was to mark the date of 28th December 1824 and built for the 20th November 1924. By now it was 12.20 and nearly lunchtime as we drove along the Warranbayne Road to Roach's Road, monument hunting without success. Though there is a large, what appears to be an old timber sign which was hard to read, maybe this was the lost monument. In many of the paddocks hay had been cut and baled or was being cut, what a contrast to the rugged country they had passed through which was smoky from the fires of the natives burning off By 1.00 pm we were at Benalla and pulled up beside the park where abundant beds of roses filled the air with their scent and the smell of barbecued food twitched the nostrils whilst the cheerful sounds of other picnickers could be heard throughout the park. We left the bus and collected up our picnics, dispersed to the various tables and enjoyed the shade from the various European trees. 2.00 pm and we were on the road again driving along the Benalla, Mansfield, Yea road. The Swanpool monument states that they passed four miles south and returned three miles north. Then we stopped at the Barjarg monument which notes that they camped near this spot. It is again a pyramidal monument and this time topped with a steel arrow indicating their route of the 29th November 1824. Half an hour later we came to another monument, again with a steel arrow marker on top and the plaque dated the 2nd of 12th 1824. Erected on the 12th of 12th 1924. "They blazed the way that we might inherit the land." Another square based and needle topped monument appeared at Yarck near Yea and this plaque records the date of 3 December 1824. Near McGuigans Road Russell related that the expedition had lost a dog but it had found them next day, the dog was apparently torn by a kangaroo. A short while later Russell reminded us here of the problems they encountered in crossing the Goulburn River near Molesworth where banks were high, water deep and wide. "Good coat of grass but quite dry due to drought". At Yea we stopped for afternoon tea and raided the last of our picnics and looked at the monument to their journey of 1824, situated at a corner of the gardens near the bowling green. No photo – we were out of film. We returned home via Kinglake West and Whittlesea past the Yan Yean Reservoir, not full. 5.00 pm back at Eltham we emptied out of the bus and everyone, including Joan Cole, collected their things, Joan also had the major souvenir of the day, a large carp she had picked up from the river bank, her cat was in for a great feast. The day was made so interesting by the informed commentary which Russell provided. His background knowledge of the route and nature of the journey could only have come from many hours of reading and driving the area. Thank you to Russell and to everyone who made the day so informative and pleasurable. Diana Bassett-Smith. Record of the Society's history of activities - Spring 1997 excursionRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 6 stripsFuji 200shire of eltham historical society, activities, pretty hill, seymour, benalla, hume and hovell, monuments

MONUMENT HUNTING THE HUME AND HOVELL WAY (Newsletter No. 117, November 1997, by Diana Bassett-Smith) Sunday October 26 1997 dawned bright and very warm. Some twenty-five members, complete with picnic baskets, met outside the Eltham Library awaiting the Cobb and Co. large coach which would be taking us on the second leg of our travels along the route of the early explorers Hume and Hovell. Stephen West was our very good driver for the day. He would be guided around the circuitous route by Russell Yeoman wh9 had made a detailed study, not only of the intended route, but of the story of these two explorers. During the trip Russell regaled us with poetry, quotations from the Journals and the History of the Shire of Seymour, "The New Crossing Place: by Martindale, 1982, (now Mitchell Shire due to the recent amalgamations). We headed towards the Hume Highway via Greensborough and Cooper Street and proceeded north to our first stop, noting on the way Monument Hill in the distance which is near Kilmore and, according to Russell, well worth the effort to visit as the view across the valley is magnificent. Past Sunday Creek Valley, Mt Piper and Mt Disappointment, all traversed and noted and named by them. We passed through Tallarook, then onto Seymour where we took photos of the monument telling us that Hume and Hovell had passed through on the 28th of October 1824. We also deviated down Hume and Hovell Road viewing deer and emu farming and the Bellbourie property now a sanctuary. Leaving Seymour behind we travelled up the Avenel Road to the Avenel monument, pyramidal in design of four reducing square blocks with a sharply pointed peak, erected in 1924 in memory of the 1824 exploration. The day was warming up and the countryside showing the dryness of the current drought. A parallel note had been made in their journal too of 1824 of the drought appearance of the country they were traversing. At Seven Creeks, Euroa we stopped for some minutes to check the monument placed 20th November 1924 to commemorate their passage on the 29th December 1824. More photos. Russell had pointed out the abrupt termination of the distant ranges which is noted in their journal. The next monument is beside the road at the entrance to Honey Suckle Creek Caravan Park, Violet Town. The squarish shaped monument some eight feet high is topped with a simple steel cross, and was to mark the date of 28th December 1824 and built for the 20th November 1924. By now it was 12.20 and nearly lunchtime as we drove along the Warranbayne Road to Roach's Road, monument hunting without success. Though there is a large, what appears to be an old timber sign which was hard to read, maybe this was the lost monument. In many of the paddocks hay had been cut and baled or was being cut, what a contrast to the rugged country they had passed through which was smoky from the fires of the natives burning off By 1.00 pm we were at Benalla and pulled up beside the park where abundant beds of roses filled the air with their scent and the smell of barbecued food twitched the nostrils whilst the cheerful sounds of other picnickers could be heard throughout the park. We left the bus and collected up our picnics, dispersed to the various tables and enjoyed the shade from the various European trees. 2.00 pm and we were on the road again driving along the Benalla, Mansfield, Yea road. The Swanpool monument states that they passed four miles south and returned three miles north. Then we stopped at the Barjarg monument which notes that they camped near this spot. It is again a pyramidal monument and this time topped with a steel arrow indicating their route of the 29th November 1824. Half an hour later we came to another monument, again with a steel arrow marker on top and the plaque dated the 2nd of 12th 1824. Erected on the 12th of 12th 1924. "They blazed the way that we might inherit the land." Another square based and needle topped monument appeared at Yarck near Yea and this plaque records the date of 3 December 1824. Near McGuigans Road Russell related that the expedition had lost a dog but it had found them next day, the dog was apparently torn by a kangaroo. A short while later Russell reminded us here of the problems they encountered in crossing the Goulburn River near Molesworth where banks were high, water deep and wide. "Good coat of grass but quite dry due to drought". At Yea we stopped for afternoon tea and raided the last of our picnics and looked at the monument to their journey of 1824, situated at a corner of the gardens near the bowling green. No photo – we were out of film. We returned home via Kinglake West and Whittlesea past the Yan Yean Reservoir, not full. 5.00 pm back at Eltham we emptied out of the bus and everyone, including Joan Cole, collected their things, Joan also had the major souvenir of the day, a large carp she had picked up from the river bank, her cat was in for a great feast. The day was made so interesting by the informed commentary which Russell provided. His background knowledge of the route and nature of the journey could only have come from many hours of reading and driving the area. Thank you to Russell and to everyone who made the day so informative and pleasurable. Diana Bassett-Smith. Record of the Society's history of activities - Spring 1997 excursionRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 6 stripsFuji 200shire of eltham historical society, activities, pretty hill, seymour, benalla, hume and hovell, monuments

MONUMENT HUNTING THE HUME AND HOVELL WAY (Newsletter No. 117, November 1997, by Diana Bassett-Smith) Sunday October 26 1997 dawned bright and very warm. Some twenty-five members, complete with picnic baskets, met outside the Eltham Library awaiting the Cobb and Co. large coach which would be taking us on the second leg of our travels along the route of the early explorers Hume and Hovell. Stephen West was our very good driver for the day. He would be guided around the circuitous route by Russell Yeoman wh9 had made a detailed study, not only of the intended route, but of the story of these two explorers. During the trip Russell regaled us with poetry, quotations from the Journals and the History of the Shire of Seymour, "The New Crossing Place: by Martindale, 1982, (now Mitchell Shire due to the recent amalgamations). We headed towards the Hume Highway via Greensborough and Cooper Street and proceeded north to our first stop, noting on the way Monument Hill in the distance which is near Kilmore and, according to Russell, well worth the effort to visit as the view across the valley is magnificent. Past Sunday Creek Valley, Mt Piper and Mt Disappointment, all traversed and noted and named by them. We passed through Tallarook, then onto Seymour where we took photos of the monument telling us that Hume and Hovell had passed through on the 28th of October 1824. We also deviated down Hume and Hovell Road viewing deer and emu farming and the Bellbourie property now a sanctuary. Leaving Seymour behind we travelled up the Avenel Road to the Avenel monument, pyramidal in design of four reducing square blocks with a sharply pointed peak, erected in 1924 in memory of the 1824 exploration. The day was warming up and the countryside showing the dryness of the current drought. A parallel note had been made in their journal too of 1824 of the drought appearance of the country they were traversing. At Seven Creeks, Euroa we stopped for some minutes to check the monument placed 20th November 1924 to commemorate their passage on the 29th December 1824. More photos. Russell had pointed out the abrupt termination of the distant ranges which is noted in their journal. The next monument is beside the road at the entrance to Honey Suckle Creek Caravan Park, Violet Town. The squarish shaped monument some eight feet high is topped with a simple steel cross, and was to mark the date of 28th December 1824 and built for the 20th November 1924. By now it was 12.20 and nearly lunchtime as we drove along the Warranbayne Road to Roach's Road, monument hunting without success. Though there is a large, what appears to be an old timber sign which was hard to read, maybe this was the lost monument. In many of the paddocks hay had been cut and baled or was being cut, what a contrast to the rugged country they had passed through which was smoky from the fires of the natives burning off By 1.00 pm we were at Benalla and pulled up beside the park where abundant beds of roses filled the air with their scent and the smell of barbecued food twitched the nostrils whilst the cheerful sounds of other picnickers could be heard throughout the park. We left the bus and collected up our picnics, dispersed to the various tables and enjoyed the shade from the various European trees. 2.00 pm and we were on the road again driving along the Benalla, Mansfield, Yea road. The Swanpool monument states that they passed four miles south and returned three miles north. Then we stopped at the Barjarg monument which notes that they camped near this spot. It is again a pyramidal monument and this time topped with a steel arrow indicating their route of the 29th November 1824. Half an hour later we came to another monument, again with a steel arrow marker on top and the plaque dated the 2nd of 12th 1824. Erected on the 12th of 12th 1924. "They blazed the way that we might inherit the land." Another square based and needle topped monument appeared at Yarck near Yea and this plaque records the date of 3 December 1824. Near McGuigans Road Russell related that the expedition had lost a dog but it had found them next day, the dog was apparently torn by a kangaroo. A short while later Russell reminded us here of the problems they encountered in crossing the Goulburn River near Molesworth where banks were high, water deep and wide. "Good coat of grass but quite dry due to drought". At Yea we stopped for afternoon tea and raided the last of our picnics and looked at the monument to their journey of 1824, situated at a corner of the gardens near the bowling green. No photo – we were out of film. We returned home via Kinglake West and Whittlesea past the Yan Yean Reservoir, not full. 5.00 pm back at Eltham we emptied out of the bus and everyone, including Joan Cole, collected their things, Joan also had the major souvenir of the day, a large carp she had picked up from the river bank, her cat was in for a great feast. The day was made so interesting by the informed commentary which Russell provided. His background knowledge of the route and nature of the journey could only have come from many hours of reading and driving the area. Thank you to Russell and to everyone who made the day so informative and pleasurable. Diana Bassett-Smith. Record of the Society's history of activities - Spring 1997 excursionRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 6 stripsFuji 200shire of eltham historical society, activities, pretty hill, seymour, benalla, hume and hovell, monuments

MONUMENT HUNTING THE HUME AND HOVELL WAY (Newsletter No. 117, November 1997, by Diana Bassett-Smith) Sunday October 26 1997 dawned bright and very warm. Some twenty-five members, complete with picnic baskets, met outside the Eltham Library awaiting the Cobb and Co. large coach which would be taking us on the second leg of our travels along the route of the early explorers Hume and Hovell. Stephen West was our very good driver for the day. He would be guided around the circuitous route by Russell Yeoman wh9 had made a detailed study, not only of the intended route, but of the story of these two explorers. During the trip Russell regaled us with poetry, quotations from the Journals and the History of the Shire of Seymour, "The New Crossing Place: by Martindale, 1982, (now Mitchell Shire due to the recent amalgamations). We headed towards the Hume Highway via Greensborough and Cooper Street and proceeded north to our first stop, noting on the way Monument Hill in the distance which is near Kilmore and, according to Russell, well worth the effort to visit as the view across the valley is magnificent. Past Sunday Creek Valley, Mt Piper and Mt Disappointment, all traversed and noted and named by them. We passed through Tallarook, then onto Seymour where we took photos of the monument telling us that Hume and Hovell had passed through on the 28th of October 1824. We also deviated down Hume and Hovell Road viewing deer and emu farming and the Bellbourie property now a sanctuary. Leaving Seymour behind we travelled up the Avenel Road to the Avenel monument, pyramidal in design of four reducing square blocks with a sharply pointed peak, erected in 1924 in memory of the 1824 exploration. The day was warming up and the countryside showing the dryness of the current drought. A parallel note had been made in their journal too of 1824 of the drought appearance of the country they were traversing. At Seven Creeks, Euroa we stopped for some minutes to check the monument placed 20th November 1924 to commemorate their passage on the 29th December 1824. More photos. Russell had pointed out the abrupt termination of the distant ranges which is noted in their journal. The next monument is beside the road at the entrance to Honey Suckle Creek Caravan Park, Violet Town. The squarish shaped monument some eight feet high is topped with a simple steel cross, and was to mark the date of 28th December 1824 and built for the 20th November 1924. By now it was 12.20 and nearly lunchtime as we drove along the Warranbayne Road to Roach's Road, monument hunting without success. Though there is a large, what appears to be an old timber sign which was hard to read, maybe this was the lost monument. In many of the paddocks hay had been cut and baled or was being cut, what a contrast to the rugged country they had passed through which was smoky from the fires of the natives burning off By 1.00 pm we were at Benalla and pulled up beside the park where abundant beds of roses filled the air with their scent and the smell of barbecued food twitched the nostrils whilst the cheerful sounds of other picnickers could be heard throughout the park. We left the bus and collected up our picnics, dispersed to the various tables and enjoyed the shade from the various European trees. 2.00 pm and we were on the road again driving along the Benalla, Mansfield, Yea road. The Swanpool monument states that they passed four miles south and returned three miles north. Then we stopped at the Barjarg monument which notes that they camped near this spot. It is again a pyramidal monument and this time topped with a steel arrow indicating their route of the 29th November 1824. Half an hour later we came to another monument, again with a steel arrow marker on top and the plaque dated the 2nd of 12th 1824. Erected on the 12th of 12th 1924. "They blazed the way that we might inherit the land." Another square based and needle topped monument appeared at Yarck near Yea and this plaque records the date of 3 December 1824. Near McGuigans Road Russell related that the expedition had lost a dog but it had found them next day, the dog was apparently torn by a kangaroo. A short while later Russell reminded us here of the problems they encountered in crossing the Goulburn River near Molesworth where banks were high, water deep and wide. "Good coat of grass but quite dry due to drought". At Yea we stopped for afternoon tea and raided the last of our picnics and looked at the monument to their journey of 1824, situated at a corner of the gardens near the bowling green. No photo – we were out of film. We returned home via Kinglake West and Whittlesea past the Yan Yean Reservoir, not full. 5.00 pm back at Eltham we emptied out of the bus and everyone, including Joan Cole, collected their things, Joan also had the major souvenir of the day, a large carp she had picked up from the river bank, her cat was in for a great feast. The day was made so interesting by the informed commentary which Russell provided. His background knowledge of the route and nature of the journey could only have come from many hours of reading and driving the area. Thank you to Russell and to everyone who made the day so informative and pleasurable. Diana Bassett-Smith. Record of the Society's history of activities - Spring 1997 excursionRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 6 stripsFuji 200shire of eltham historical society, activities, pretty hill, seymour, benalla, hume and hovell, monuments

MONUMENT HUNTING THE HUME AND HOVELL WAY (Newsletter No. 117, November 1997, by Diana Bassett-Smith) Sunday October 26 1997 dawned bright and very warm. Some twenty-five members, complete with picnic baskets, met outside the Eltham Library awaiting the Cobb and Co. large coach which would be taking us on the second leg of our travels along the route of the early explorers Hume and Hovell. Stephen West was our very good driver for the day. He would be guided around the circuitous route by Russell Yeoman wh9 had made a detailed study, not only of the intended route, but of the story of these two explorers. During the trip Russell regaled us with poetry, quotations from the Journals and the History of the Shire of Seymour, "The New Crossing Place: by Martindale, 1982, (now Mitchell Shire due to the recent amalgamations). We headed towards the Hume Highway via Greensborough and Cooper Street and proceeded north to our first stop, noting on the way Monument Hill in the distance which is near Kilmore and, according to Russell, well worth the effort to visit as the view across the valley is magnificent. Past Sunday Creek Valley, Mt Piper and Mt Disappointment, all traversed and noted and named by them. We passed through Tallarook, then onto Seymour where we took photos of the monument telling us that Hume and Hovell had passed through on the 28th of October 1824. We also deviated down Hume and Hovell Road viewing deer and emu farming and the Bellbourie property now a sanctuary. Leaving Seymour behind we travelled up the Avenel Road to the Avenel monument, pyramidal in design of four reducing square blocks with a sharply pointed peak, erected in 1924 in memory of the 1824 exploration. The day was warming up and the countryside showing the dryness of the current drought. A parallel note had been made in their journal too of 1824 of the drought appearance of the country they were traversing. At Seven Creeks, Euroa we stopped for some minutes to check the monument placed 20th November 1924 to commemorate their passage on the 29th December 1824. More photos. Russell had pointed out the abrupt termination of the distant ranges which is noted in their journal. The next monument is beside the road at the entrance to Honey Suckle Creek Caravan Park, Violet Town. The squarish shaped monument some eight feet high is topped with a simple steel cross, and was to mark the date of 28th December 1824 and built for the 20th November 1924. By now it was 12.20 and nearly lunchtime as we drove along the Warranbayne Road to Roach's Road, monument hunting without success. Though there is a large, what appears to be an old timber sign which was hard to read, maybe this was the lost monument. In many of the paddocks hay had been cut and baled or was being cut, what a contrast to the rugged country they had passed through which was smoky from the fires of the natives burning off By 1.00 pm we were at Benalla and pulled up beside the park where abundant beds of roses filled the air with their scent and the smell of barbecued food twitched the nostrils whilst the cheerful sounds of other picnickers could be heard throughout the park. We left the bus and collected up our picnics, dispersed to the various tables and enjoyed the shade from the various European trees. 2.00 pm and we were on the road again driving along the Benalla, Mansfield, Yea road. The Swanpool monument states that they passed four miles south and returned three miles north. Then we stopped at the Barjarg monument which notes that they camped near this spot. It is again a pyramidal monument and this time topped with a steel arrow indicating their route of the 29th November 1824. Half an hour later we came to another monument, again with a steel arrow marker on top and the plaque dated the 2nd of 12th 1824. Erected on the 12th of 12th 1924. "They blazed the way that we might inherit the land." Another square based and needle topped monument appeared at Yarck near Yea and this plaque records the date of 3 December 1824. Near McGuigans Road Russell related that the expedition had lost a dog but it had found them next day, the dog was apparently torn by a kangaroo. A short while later Russell reminded us here of the problems they encountered in crossing the Goulburn River near Molesworth where banks were high, water deep and wide. "Good coat of grass but quite dry due to drought". At Yea we stopped for afternoon tea and raided the last of our picnics and looked at the monument to their journey of 1824, situated at a corner of the gardens near the bowling green. No photo – we were out of film. We returned home via Kinglake West and Whittlesea past the Yan Yean Reservoir, not full. 5.00 pm back at Eltham we emptied out of the bus and everyone, including Joan Cole, collected their things, Joan also had the major souvenir of the day, a large carp she had picked up from the river bank, her cat was in for a great feast. The day was made so interesting by the informed commentary which Russell provided. His background knowledge of the route and nature of the journey could only have come from many hours of reading and driving the area. Thank you to Russell and to everyone who made the day so informative and pleasurable. Diana Bassett-Smith. Record of the Society's history of activities - Spring 1997 excursionRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 6 stripsFuji 200shire of eltham historical society, activities, pretty hill, seymour, benalla, hume and hovell, monuments

MONUMENT HUNTING THE HUME AND HOVELL WAY (Newsletter No. 117, November 1997, by Diana Bassett-Smith) Sunday October 26 1997 dawned bright and very warm. Some twenty-five members, complete with picnic baskets, met outside the Eltham Library awaiting the Cobb and Co. large coach which would be taking us on the second leg of our travels along the route of the early explorers Hume and Hovell. Stephen West was our very good driver for the day. He would be guided around the circuitous route by Russell Yeoman wh9 had made a detailed study, not only of the intended route, but of the story of these two explorers. During the trip Russell regaled us with poetry, quotations from the Journals and the History of the Shire of Seymour, "The New Crossing Place: by Martindale, 1982, (now Mitchell Shire due to the recent amalgamations). We headed towards the Hume Highway via Greensborough and Cooper Street and proceeded north to our first stop, noting on the way Monument Hill in the distance which is near Kilmore and, according to Russell, well worth the effort to visit as the view across the valley is magnificent. Past Sunday Creek Valley, Mt Piper and Mt Disappointment, all traversed and noted and named by them. We passed through Tallarook, then onto Seymour where we took photos of the monument telling us that Hume and Hovell had passed through on the 28th of October 1824. We also deviated down Hume and Hovell Road viewing deer and emu farming and the Bellbourie property now a sanctuary. Leaving Seymour behind we travelled up the Avenel Road to the Avenel monument, pyramidal in design of four reducing square blocks with a sharply pointed peak, erected in 1924 in memory of the 1824 exploration. The day was warming up and the countryside showing the dryness of the current drought. A parallel note had been made in their journal too of 1824 of the drought appearance of the country they were traversing. At Seven Creeks, Euroa we stopped for some minutes to check the monument placed 20th November 1924 to commemorate their passage on the 29th December 1824. More photos. Russell had pointed out the abrupt termination of the distant ranges which is noted in their journal. The next monument is beside the road at the entrance to Honey Suckle Creek Caravan Park, Violet Town. The squarish shaped monument some eight feet high is topped with a simple steel cross, and was to mark the date of 28th December 1824 and built for the 20th November 1924. By now it was 12.20 and nearly lunchtime as we drove along the Warranbayne Road to Roach's Road, monument hunting without success. Though there is a large, what appears to be an old timber sign which was hard to read, maybe this was the lost monument. In many of the paddocks hay had been cut and baled or was being cut, what a contrast to the rugged country they had passed through which was smoky from the fires of the natives burning off By 1.00 pm we were at Benalla and pulled up beside the park where abundant beds of roses filled the air with their scent and the smell of barbecued food twitched the nostrils whilst the cheerful sounds of other picnickers could be heard throughout the park. We left the bus and collected up our picnics, dispersed to the various tables and enjoyed the shade from the various European trees. 2.00 pm and we were on the road again driving along the Benalla, Mansfield, Yea road. The Swanpool monument states that they passed four miles south and returned three miles north. Then we stopped at the Barjarg monument which notes that they camped near this spot. It is again a pyramidal monument and this time topped with a steel arrow indicating their route of the 29th November 1824. Half an hour later we came to another monument, again with a steel arrow marker on top and the plaque dated the 2nd of 12th 1824. Erected on the 12th of 12th 1924. "They blazed the way that we might inherit the land." Another square based and needle topped monument appeared at Yarck near Yea and this plaque records the date of 3 December 1824. Near McGuigans Road Russell related that the expedition had lost a dog but it had found them next day, the dog was apparently torn by a kangaroo. A short while later Russell reminded us here of the problems they encountered in crossing the Goulburn River near Molesworth where banks were high, water deep and wide. "Good coat of grass but quite dry due to drought". At Yea we stopped for afternoon tea and raided the last of our picnics and looked at the monument to their journey of 1824, situated at a corner of the gardens near the bowling green. No photo – we were out of film. We returned home via Kinglake West and Whittlesea past the Yan Yean Reservoir, not full. 5.00 pm back at Eltham we emptied out of the bus and everyone, including Joan Cole, collected their things, Joan also had the major souvenir of the day, a large carp she had picked up from the river bank, her cat was in for a great feast. The day was made so interesting by the informed commentary which Russell provided. His background knowledge of the route and nature of the journey could only have come from many hours of reading and driving the area. Thank you to Russell and to everyone who made the day so informative and pleasurable. Diana Bassett-Smith. Record of the Society's history of activities - Spring 1997 excursionRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 6 stripsFuji 200shire of eltham historical society, activities, pretty hill, seymour, benalla, hume and hovell, monuments

MONUMENT HUNTING THE HUME AND HOVELL WAY (Newsletter No. 117, November 1997, by Diana Bassett-Smith) Sunday October 26 1997 dawned bright and very warm. Some twenty-five members, complete with picnic baskets, met outside the Eltham Library awaiting the Cobb and Co. large coach which would be taking us on the second leg of our travels along the route of the early explorers Hume and Hovell. Stephen West was our very good driver for the day. He would be guided around the circuitous route by Russell Yeoman wh9 had made a detailed study, not only of the intended route, but of the story of these two explorers. During the trip Russell regaled us with poetry, quotations from the Journals and the History of the Shire of Seymour, "The New Crossing Place: by Martindale, 1982, (now Mitchell Shire due to the recent amalgamations). We headed towards the Hume Highway via Greensborough and Cooper Street and proceeded north to our first stop, noting on the way Monument Hill in the distance which is near Kilmore and, according to Russell, well worth the effort to visit as the view across the valley is magnificent. Past Sunday Creek Valley, Mt Piper and Mt Disappointment, all traversed and noted and named by them. We passed through Tallarook, then onto Seymour where we took photos of the monument telling us that Hume and Hovell had passed through on the 28th of October 1824. We also deviated down Hume and Hovell Road viewing deer and emu farming and the Bellbourie property now a sanctuary. Leaving Seymour behind we travelled up the Avenel Road to the Avenel monument, pyramidal in design of four reducing square blocks with a sharply pointed peak, erected in 1924 in memory of the 1824 exploration. The day was warming up and the countryside showing the dryness of the current drought. A parallel note had been made in their journal too of 1824 of the drought appearance of the country they were traversing. At Seven Creeks, Euroa we stopped for some minutes to check the monument placed 20th November 1924 to commemorate their passage on the 29th December 1824. More photos. Russell had pointed out the abrupt termination of the distant ranges which is noted in their journal. The next monument is beside the road at the entrance to Honey Suckle Creek Caravan Park, Violet Town. The squarish shaped monument some eight feet high is topped with a simple steel cross, and was to mark the date of 28th December 1824 and built for the 20th November 1924. By now it was 12.20 and nearly lunchtime as we drove along the Warranbayne Road to Roach's Road, monument hunting without success. Though there is a large, what appears to be an old timber sign which was hard to read, maybe this was the lost monument. In many of the paddocks hay had been cut and baled or was being cut, what a contrast to the rugged country they had passed through which was smoky from the fires of the natives burning off By 1.00 pm we were at Benalla and pulled up beside the park where abundant beds of roses filled the air with their scent and the smell of barbecued food twitched the nostrils whilst the cheerful sounds of other picnickers could be heard throughout the park. We left the bus and collected up our picnics, dispersed to the various tables and enjoyed the shade from the various European trees. 2.00 pm and we were on the road again driving along the Benalla, Mansfield, Yea road. The Swanpool monument states that they passed four miles south and returned three miles north. Then we stopped at the Barjarg monument which notes that they camped near this spot. It is again a pyramidal monument and this time topped with a steel arrow indicating their route of the 29th November 1824. Half an hour later we came to another monument, again with a steel arrow marker on top and the plaque dated the 2nd of 12th 1824. Erected on the 12th of 12th 1924. "They blazed the way that we might inherit the land." Another square based and needle topped monument appeared at Yarck near Yea and this plaque records the date of 3 December 1824. Near McGuigans Road Russell related that the expedition had lost a dog but it had found them next day, the dog was apparently torn by a kangaroo. A short while later Russell reminded us here of the problems they encountered in crossing the Goulburn River near Molesworth where banks were high, water deep and wide. "Good coat of grass but quite dry due to drought". At Yea we stopped for afternoon tea and raided the last of our picnics and looked at the monument to their journey of 1824, situated at a corner of the gardens near the bowling green. No photo – we were out of film. We returned home via Kinglake West and Whittlesea past the Yan Yean Reservoir, not full. 5.00 pm back at Eltham we emptied out of the bus and everyone, including Joan Cole, collected their things, Joan also had the major souvenir of the day, a large carp she had picked up from the river bank, her cat was in for a great feast. The day was made so interesting by the informed commentary which Russell provided. His background knowledge of the route and nature of the journey could only have come from many hours of reading and driving the area. Thank you to Russell and to everyone who made the day so informative and pleasurable. Diana Bassett-Smith. Record of the Society's history of activities - Spring 1997 excursionRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 6 stripsFuji 200shire of eltham historical society, activities, pretty hill, seymour, benalla, hume and hovell, monuments

MONUMENT HUNTING THE HUME AND HOVELL WAY (Newsletter No. 117, November 1997, by Diana Bassett-Smith) Sunday October 26 1997 dawned bright and very warm. Some twenty-five members, complete with picnic baskets, met outside the Eltham Library awaiting the Cobb and Co. large coach which would be taking us on the second leg of our travels along the route of the early explorers Hume and Hovell. Stephen West was our very good driver for the day. He would be guided around the circuitous route by Russell Yeoman wh9 had made a detailed study, not only of the intended route, but of the story of these two explorers. During the trip Russell regaled us with poetry, quotations from the Journals and the History of the Shire of Seymour, "The New Crossing Place: by Martindale, 1982, (now Mitchell Shire due to the recent amalgamations). We headed towards the Hume Highway via Greensborough and Cooper Street and proceeded north to our first stop, noting on the way Monument Hill in the distance which is near Kilmore and, according to Russell, well worth the effort to visit as the view across the valley is magnificent. Past Sunday Creek Valley, Mt Piper and Mt Disappointment, all traversed and noted and named by them. We passed through Tallarook, then onto Seymour where we took photos of the monument telling us that Hume and Hovell had passed through on the 28th of October 1824. We also deviated down Hume and Hovell Road viewing deer and emu farming and the Bellbourie property now a sanctuary. Leaving Seymour behind we travelled up the Avenel Road to the Avenel monument, pyramidal in design of four reducing square blocks with a sharply pointed peak, erected in 1924 in memory of the 1824 exploration. The day was warming up and the countryside showing the dryness of the current drought. A parallel note had been made in their journal too of 1824 of the drought appearance of the country they were traversing. At Seven Creeks, Euroa we stopped for some minutes to check the monument placed 20th November 1924 to commemorate their passage on the 29th December 1824. More photos. Russell had pointed out the abrupt termination of the distant ranges which is noted in their journal. The next monument is beside the road at the entrance to Honey Suckle Creek Caravan Park, Violet Town. The squarish shaped monument some eight feet high is topped with a simple steel cross, and was to mark the date of 28th December 1824 and built for the 20th November 1924. By now it was 12.20 and nearly lunchtime as we drove along the Warranbayne Road to Roach's Road, monument hunting without success. Though there is a large, what appears to be an old timber sign which was hard to read, maybe this was the lost monument. In many of the paddocks hay had been cut and baled or was being cut, what a contrast to the rugged country they had passed through which was smoky from the fires of the natives burning off By 1.00 pm we were at Benalla and pulled up beside the park where abundant beds of roses filled the air with their scent and the smell of barbecued food twitched the nostrils whilst the cheerful sounds of other picnickers could be heard throughout the park. We left the bus and collected up our picnics, dispersed to the various tables and enjoyed the shade from the various European trees. 2.00 pm and we were on the road again driving along the Benalla, Mansfield, Yea road. The Swanpool monument states that they passed four miles south and returned three miles north. Then we stopped at the Barjarg monument which notes that they camped near this spot. It is again a pyramidal monument and this time topped with a steel arrow indicating their route of the 29th November 1824. Half an hour later we came to another monument, again with a steel arrow marker on top and the plaque dated the 2nd of 12th 1824. Erected on the 12th of 12th 1924. "They blazed the way that we might inherit the land." Another square based and needle topped monument appeared at Yarck near Yea and this plaque records the date of 3 December 1824. Near McGuigans Road Russell related that the expedition had lost a dog but it had found them next day, the dog was apparently torn by a kangaroo. A short while later Russell reminded us here of the problems they encountered in crossing the Goulburn River near Molesworth where banks were high, water deep and wide. "Good coat of grass but quite dry due to drought". At Yea we stopped for afternoon tea and raided the last of our picnics and looked at the monument to their journey of 1824, situated at a corner of the gardens near the bowling green. No photo – we were out of film. We returned home via Kinglake West and Whittlesea past the Yan Yean Reservoir, not full. 5.00 pm back at Eltham we emptied out of the bus and everyone, including Joan Cole, collected their things, Joan also had the major souvenir of the day, a large carp she had picked up from the river bank, her cat was in for a great feast. The day was made so interesting by the informed commentary which Russell provided. His background knowledge of the route and nature of the journey could only have come from many hours of reading and driving the area. Thank you to Russell and to everyone who made the day so informative and pleasurable. Diana Bassett-Smith. Record of the Society's history of activities - Spring 1997 excursionRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 6 stripsFuji 200shire of eltham historical society, activities, pretty hill, seymour, benalla, hume and hovell, monuments

MONUMENT HUNTING THE HUME AND HOVELL WAY (Newsletter No. 117, November 1997, by Diana Bassett-Smith) Sunday October 26 1997 dawned bright and very warm. Some twenty-five members, complete with picnic baskets, met outside the Eltham Library awaiting the Cobb and Co. large coach which would be taking us on the second leg of our travels along the route of the early explorers Hume and Hovell. Stephen West was our very good driver for the day. He would be guided around the circuitous route by Russell Yeoman wh9 had made a detailed study, not only of the intended route, but of the story of these two explorers. During the trip Russell regaled us with poetry, quotations from the Journals and the History of the Shire of Seymour, "The New Crossing Place: by Martindale, 1982, (now Mitchell Shire due to the recent amalgamations). We headed towards the Hume Highway via Greensborough and Cooper Street and proceeded north to our first stop, noting on the way Monument Hill in the distance which is near Kilmore and, according to Russell, well worth the effort to visit as the view across the valley is magnificent. Past Sunday Creek Valley, Mt Piper and Mt Disappointment, all traversed and noted and named by them. We passed through Tallarook, then onto Seymour where we took photos of the monument telling us that Hume and Hovell had passed through on the 28th of October 1824. We also deviated down Hume and Hovell Road viewing deer and emu farming and the Bellbourie property now a sanctuary. Leaving Seymour behind we travelled up the Avenel Road to the Avenel monument, pyramidal in design of four reducing square blocks with a sharply pointed peak, erected in 1924 in memory of the 1824 exploration. The day was warming up and the countryside showing the dryness of the current drought. A parallel note had been made in their journal too of 1824 of the drought appearance of the country they were traversing. At Seven Creeks, Euroa we stopped for some minutes to check the monument placed 20th November 1924 to commemorate their passage on the 29th December 1824. More photos. Russell had pointed out the abrupt termination of the distant ranges which is noted in their journal. The next monument is beside the road at the entrance to Honey Suckle Creek Caravan Park, Violet Town. The squarish shaped monument some eight feet high is topped with a simple steel cross, and was to mark the date of 28th December 1824 and built for the 20th November 1924. By now it was 12.20 and nearly lunchtime as we drove along the Warranbayne Road to Roach's Road, monument hunting without success. Though there is a large, what appears to be an old timber sign which was hard to read, maybe this was the lost monument. In many of the paddocks hay had been cut and baled or was being cut, what a contrast to the rugged country they had passed through which was smoky from the fires of the natives burning off By 1.00 pm we were at Benalla and pulled up beside the park where abundant beds of roses filled the air with their scent and the smell of barbecued food twitched the nostrils whilst the cheerful sounds of other picnickers could be heard throughout the park. We left the bus and collected up our picnics, dispersed to the various tables and enjoyed the shade from the various European trees. 2.00 pm and we were on the road again driving along the Benalla, Mansfield, Yea road. The Swanpool monument states that they passed four miles south and returned three miles north. Then we stopped at the Barjarg monument which notes that they camped near this spot. It is again a pyramidal monument and this time topped with a steel arrow indicating their route of the 29th November 1824. Half an hour later we came to another monument, again with a steel arrow marker on top and the plaque dated the 2nd of 12th 1824. Erected on the 12th of 12th 1924. "They blazed the way that we might inherit the land." Another square based and needle topped monument appeared at Yarck near Yea and this plaque records the date of 3 December 1824. Near McGuigans Road Russell related that the expedition had lost a dog but it had found them next day, the dog was apparently torn by a kangaroo. A short while later Russell reminded us here of the problems they encountered in crossing the Goulburn River near Molesworth where banks were high, water deep and wide. "Good coat of grass but quite dry due to drought". At Yea we stopped for afternoon tea and raided the last of our picnics and looked at the monument to their journey of 1824, situated at a corner of the gardens near the bowling green. No photo – we were out of film. We returned home via Kinglake West and Whittlesea past the Yan Yean Reservoir, not full. 5.00 pm back at Eltham we emptied out of the bus and everyone, including Joan Cole, collected their things, Joan also had the major souvenir of the day, a large carp she had picked up from the river bank, her cat was in for a great feast. The day was made so interesting by the informed commentary which Russell provided. His background knowledge of the route and nature of the journey could only have come from many hours of reading and driving the area. Thank you to Russell and to everyone who made the day so informative and pleasurable. Diana Bassett-Smith. Record of the Society's history of activities - Spring 1997 excursionRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 6 stripsFuji 200shire of eltham historical society, activities, pretty hill, seymour, benalla, hume and hovell, monuments

MONUMENT HUNTING THE HUME AND HOVELL WAY (Newsletter No. 117, November 1997, by Diana Bassett-Smith) Sunday October 26 1997 dawned bright and very warm. Some twenty-five members, complete with picnic baskets, met outside the Eltham Library awaiting the Cobb and Co. large coach which would be taking us on the second leg of our travels along the route of the early explorers Hume and Hovell. Stephen West was our very good driver for the day. He would be guided around the circuitous route by Russell Yeoman wh9 had made a detailed study, not only of the intended route, but of the story of these two explorers. During the trip Russell regaled us with poetry, quotations from the Journals and the History of the Shire of Seymour, "The New Crossing Place: by Martindale, 1982, (now Mitchell Shire due to the recent amalgamations). We headed towards the Hume Highway via Greensborough and Cooper Street and proceeded north to our first stop, noting on the way Monument Hill in the distance which is near Kilmore and, according to Russell, well worth the effort to visit as the view across the valley is magnificent. Past Sunday Creek Valley, Mt Piper and Mt Disappointment, all traversed and noted and named by them. We passed through Tallarook, then onto Seymour where we took photos of the monument telling us that Hume and Hovell had passed through on the 28th of October 1824. We also deviated down Hume and Hovell Road viewing deer and emu farming and the Bellbourie property now a sanctuary. Leaving Seymour behind we travelled up the Avenel Road to the Avenel monument, pyramidal in design of four reducing square blocks with a sharply pointed peak, erected in 1924 in memory of the 1824 exploration. The day was warming up and the countryside showing the dryness of the current drought. A parallel note had been made in their journal too of 1824 of the drought appearance of the country they were traversing. At Seven Creeks, Euroa we stopped for some minutes to check the monument placed 20th November 1924 to commemorate their passage on the 29th December 1824. More photos. Russell had pointed out the abrupt termination of the distant ranges which is noted in their journal. The next monument is beside the road at the entrance to Honey Suckle Creek Caravan Park, Violet Town. The squarish shaped monument some eight feet high is topped with a simple steel cross, and was to mark the date of 28th December 1824 and built for the 20th November 1924. By now it was 12.20 and nearly lunchtime as we drove along the Warranbayne Road to Roach's Road, monument hunting without success. Though there is a large, what appears to be an old timber sign which was hard to read, maybe this was the lost monument. In many of the paddocks hay had been cut and baled or was being cut, what a contrast to the rugged country they had passed through which was smoky from the fires of the natives burning off By 1.00 pm we were at Benalla and pulled up beside the park where abundant beds of roses filled the air with their scent and the smell of barbecued food twitched the nostrils whilst the cheerful sounds of other picnickers could be heard throughout the park. We left the bus and collected up our picnics, dispersed to the various tables and enjoyed the shade from the various European trees. 2.00 pm and we were on the road again driving along the Benalla, Mansfield, Yea road. The Swanpool monument states that they passed four miles south and returned three miles north. Then we stopped at the Barjarg monument which notes that they camped near this spot. It is again a pyramidal monument and this time topped with a steel arrow indicating their route of the 29th November 1824. Half an hour later we came to another monument, again with a steel arrow marker on top and the plaque dated the 2nd of 12th 1824. Erected on the 12th of 12th 1924. "They blazed the way that we might inherit the land." Another square based and needle topped monument appeared at Yarck near Yea and this plaque records the date of 3 December 1824. Near McGuigans Road Russell related that the expedition had lost a dog but it had found them next day, the dog was apparently torn by a kangaroo. A short while later Russell reminded us here of the problems they encountered in crossing the Goulburn River near Molesworth where banks were high, water deep and wide. "Good coat of grass but quite dry due to drought". At Yea we stopped for afternoon tea and raided the last of our picnics and looked at the monument to their journey of 1824, situated at a corner of the gardens near the bowling green. No photo – we were out of film. We returned home via Kinglake West and Whittlesea past the Yan Yean Reservoir, not full. 5.00 pm back at Eltham we emptied out of the bus and everyone, including Joan Cole, collected their things, Joan also had the major souvenir of the day, a large carp she had picked up from the river bank, her cat was in for a great feast. The day was made so interesting by the informed commentary which Russell provided. His background knowledge of the route and nature of the journey could only have come from many hours of reading and driving the area. Thank you to Russell and to everyone who made the day so informative and pleasurable. Diana Bassett-Smith. Record of the Society's history of activities - Spring 1997 excursionRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 6 stripsFuji 200shire of eltham historical society, activities, pretty hill, seymour, benalla, hume and hovell, monuments

MONUMENT HUNTING THE HUME AND HOVELL WAY (Newsletter No. 117, November 1997, by Diana Bassett-Smith) Sunday October 26 1997 dawned bright and very warm. Some twenty-five members, complete with picnic baskets, met outside the Eltham Library awaiting the Cobb and Co. large coach which would be taking us on the second leg of our travels along the route of the early explorers Hume and Hovell. Stephen West was our very good driver for the day. He would be guided around the circuitous route by Russell Yeoman wh9 had made a detailed study, not only of the intended route, but of the story of these two explorers. During the trip Russell regaled us with poetry, quotations from the Journals and the History of the Shire of Seymour, "The New Crossing Place: by Martindale, 1982, (now Mitchell Shire due to the recent amalgamations). We headed towards the Hume Highway via Greensborough and Cooper Street and proceeded north to our first stop, noting on the way Monument Hill in the distance which is near Kilmore and, according to Russell, well worth the effort to visit as the view across the valley is magnificent. Past Sunday Creek Valley, Mt Piper and Mt Disappointment, all traversed and noted and named by them. We passed through Tallarook, then onto Seymour where we took photos of the monument telling us that Hume and Hovell had passed through on the 28th of October 1824. We also deviated down Hume and Hovell Road viewing deer and emu farming and the Bellbourie property now a sanctuary. Leaving Seymour behind we travelled up the Avenel Road to the Avenel monument, pyramidal in design of four reducing square blocks with a sharply pointed peak, erected in 1924 in memory of the 1824 exploration. The day was warming up and the countryside showing the dryness of the current drought. A parallel note had been made in their journal too of 1824 of the drought appearance of the country they were traversing. At Seven Creeks, Euroa we stopped for some minutes to check the monument placed 20th November 1924 to commemorate their passage on the 29th December 1824. More photos. Russell had pointed out the abrupt termination of the distant ranges which is noted in their journal. The next monument is beside the road at the entrance to Honey Suckle Creek Caravan Park, Violet Town. The squarish shaped monument some eight feet high is topped with a simple steel cross, and was to mark the date of 28th December 1824 and built for the 20th November 1924. By now it was 12.20 and nearly lunchtime as we drove along the Warranbayne Road to Roach's Road, monument hunting without success. Though there is a large, what appears to be an old timber sign which was hard to read, maybe this was the lost monument. In many of the paddocks hay had been cut and baled or was being cut, what a contrast to the rugged country they had passed through which was smoky from the fires of the natives burning off By 1.00 pm we were at Benalla and pulled up beside the park where abundant beds of roses filled the air with their scent and the smell of barbecued food twitched the nostrils whilst the cheerful sounds of other picnickers could be heard throughout the park. We left the bus and collected up our picnics, dispersed to the various tables and enjoyed the shade from the various European trees. 2.00 pm and we were on the road again driving along the Benalla, Mansfield, Yea road. The Swanpool monument states that they passed four miles south and returned three miles north. Then we stopped at the Barjarg monument which notes that they camped near this spot. It is again a pyramidal monument and this time topped with a steel arrow indicating their route of the 29th November 1824. Half an hour later we came to another monument, again with a steel arrow marker on top and the plaque dated the 2nd of 12th 1824. Erected on the 12th of 12th 1924. "They blazed the way that we might inherit the land." Another square based and needle topped monument appeared at Yarck near Yea and this plaque records the date of 3 December 1824. Near McGuigans Road Russell related that the expedition had lost a dog but it had found them next day, the dog was apparently torn by a kangaroo. A short while later Russell reminded us here of the problems they encountered in crossing the Goulburn River near Molesworth where banks were high, water deep and wide. "Good coat of grass but quite dry due to drought". At Yea we stopped for afternoon tea and raided the last of our picnics and looked at the monument to their journey of 1824, situated at a corner of the gardens near the bowling green. No photo – we were out of film. We returned home via Kinglake West and Whittlesea past the Yan Yean Reservoir, not full. 5.00 pm back at Eltham we emptied out of the bus and everyone, including Joan Cole, collected their things, Joan also had the major souvenir of the day, a large carp she had picked up from the river bank, her cat was in for a great feast. The day was made so interesting by the informed commentary which Russell provided. His background knowledge of the route and nature of the journey could only have come from many hours of reading and driving the area. Thank you to Russell and to everyone who made the day so informative and pleasurable. Diana Bassett-Smith. Record of the Society's history of activities - Spring 1997 excursionRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 6 stripsFuji 200shire of eltham historical society, activities, pretty hill, seymour, benalla, hume and hovell, monuments