Bridge Street Bridge Flooding on Hill’s property 18th October 1956 This view is looking west north west from the Bridge Street Bridge across the present day Eltham Skatepark. The shed visibile in the distance is directly opposite Brisbane Street where it used to run into Susan Street but now turns the corner. To the right of the shes is the site for present-dayHarris Plumbing which was formerly occupied by Sibbel Builders; to the left the site now occupied by Bunnings. At the skyline to the right of centreeline is a gap in the trees where the railway line runs. The Silver Street bridge over the railway is visible. Beware!.. our rivers are rising (1956, October 19). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 1. Retrieved August 24, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article84392304Record of various Shire of Eltham infrastructure works undertaken during the period of 1952-1962 involving bridge and road reconstruction projects, sometimes with Eltham Shire Council Project Reference numbers quoted. It was during this period that a number of significant improvements were made to roads and new bridges constructed within the shire that remain in place as of present day (2022). In many situations, the photos provide a tangible visible record of infrastructure that existed throughout the early days of the Shire. The album was put together by or under the direction of the Shire Engineer, J.A. McDonald.infrastructure, road construction, shire of eltham, bridge construction, bridge street bridge, eltham, eltham-greensborough road, 1956-10-18, diamond creek (creek), floods, floodwater, hill property, silver street bridge

Colour photograph showing view across 'Garden Hill' property to ranges beyond Healesville.garden hill, kangaroo ground, yarra glen road

J.A. McDonald produced this record in the course of his responsibilities as Shire Engineer for Eltham Shire Council.Record of various Shire of Eltham infrastructure works undertaken during the period of 1952-1962 involving bridge and road reconstruction projects, sometimes with Eltham Shire Council Project Reference numbers quoted. It was during this period that a number of significant improvements were made to roads and new bridges constructed within the shire that remain in place as of present day (2022). In many situations, the photos provide a tangible visible record of infrastructure that existed throughout the early days of the Shire. The album was put together by or under the direction of the Shire Engineer, J.A. McDonald.a. gillies, alistair knox park, benchmark studies, bend of islands, blease road, box hill state school, box hill teachers college, box hill tip, bridge construction, bridge street bridge, bridge, brisbane street, brougham steet, bulldozer, cecil street, charis pelling, cherry tree road, city of preston, cr. a. brinkkotter, cr. charis pelling, cranes, cromwell street, diamond creek (creek), diamond street, dixons creek bridge, dixon's creek road, drott, eltham leisure centre, eltham north, eltham police station, eltham, eltham-yarra glen road, f. wood, fitzsimons lane bridge, flat rock road, flood damage, floods, floodwater, footpaths and gutters, ford service garage, g. blair, garden hill, glen park bridge, glenauburn road, grand hotel, haldane road, healesville, healesville-yarra glen road, heidelberg-kinglake road, henley road bridge, henley road, hill property, hurstbridge water scheme, hurstbridge, hurstbridge-arthurs creek road, infrastructure, j. jolly, kangaroo ground, kangaroo ground-queenstown road, kangaroo ground-st andrews road, lilydale shire office, long gully bridge, long gully creek, long gully road, long gully, lower plenty bridge, lower plenty footbridge, lower plenty oval, lower plenty road, lower plenty, main road, methodist church, montmorency, mount pleasant road, new holland, old healesville road, opening ceremony, oxley bridge, para road, paul creek bridge, paul creek road, paul krafeznk, pinnacle lane, plaques, plenty river trail, plenty river, presbyterian church, prof donald thomson, pryor street, railway crossing, railway parade, rattray road, reconstruction works, reichelt avenue, research (vic.), research oval, road construction, rymers corner, shire of eltham, shire of whittlesea, silvan road bridge, silver street bridge, silver street, sir dallas brooks, smedley property, st andrews, steels creek, susan street, tarrawarra, tony carberry, uniting church, upper yarra dam, upper yarra reservoir, w.e. wolf, waterfall property, watsons creek, wattletree road bridge, wattletree road, wattletree road bridge, worlingworth, yarra glen, york street, yow yow creek

Bendigo Advertiser "The way we were" from Saturday, September 25, 2004. Making hay: Hugh Boyd's thrasher working on W.C. Hill's property in Colbinabbin about 1915.newspaper, bendigo advertiser, the way we were

Len Parker's Bedford truck is featured in one of the public art mosaics in Were Street, Montmorency. Mr Parker by Grace de Visser (EDHS Newsletter No. 249, December 2019) Len Parker was a regular sight around the district for almost 40 years, selling fruit and veggies from the back of his truck to his regular customers between 1939 and 1978, first in a 1927 Chevy then a 1949 Bedford truck. Len’s connection to the Eltham district started long before he was born. His father Fred first came through the district in the early 1900s. With horse and cart buying and selling what was available at the markets using his mothers’ home in North Melbourne as his base. Fred settled and developed a market garden in the rich soil along the creek at Watsons Creek, Christmas Hills in 1903. Ada Watson was almost five years old and one of eight siblings aged two to sixteen, when her Grandfather and Father both named Christopher Watson brought the Eltham Hotel and they moved from Richmond. Ada’s mother was formerly Emily Silk whose parents Martha and John Silk had been farming in Eltham around 1858 and much later a dairy farmer in Fitzroy. In 1917 at St Margaret’s Church Eltham, Fred aged 44 married Ada aged 35 who was still living and working at the Eltham Hotel. Six years later Ada died from cancer leaving Fred with two small children, Rose five and Len three. Len as a young boy, like his father before him worked the land with horses, growing vegetables, mainly potatoes, cabbages, pumpkins, beans, and tomatoes, selling the excess at the market. Len took over from his ageing father Fred, who had established similar rounds selling door to door with a horse and cart. Len preferred mechanical horsepower to the real kind! In 1939 at the age of eighteen Len brought an old 1927 Chevy Truck. He was taught how to drive it and two weeks later got his driver’s Licence. The Chevy truck had an old wagon on the back with no doors, only hessian bags to keep the wind out! Len had paid 75 pounds for it, kept it for ten years and sold it for the same price! Len’s blue 1949 Bedford was brought new in 1950 for 900 pounds with only a tray back on it. Straight away Len had a wooden frame covered with canvas added, with a roll up front and back. In later years, more solid sides replaced the canvas. Benches were added to hold the boxes of fruit and vegetables, with room to move in the middle, a fruit shop on wheels. Len had large scales attached to a box for weighing the fruit and veggies and many a district baby was also weighed on them. Len would stop at customer’s homes, take their orders and with his big cane basket on his arm deliver their order to their door. On his rounds he always wore a big soft back leather apron and a black or navy beret. If it was cold, he wore a ‘bluey’ jacket on his tall slender frame. Len would go to the markets early Thursday morning, only buying what was not grown at home or brought from his brother in law’s orchard. On his way home Len would start his ‘rounds’ in Lower Plenty and then Montmorency and parts of Eltham. Friday’s regulars were in Research, Kangaroo Ground and Panton Hill. Saturdays were Panton Hill and Christmas Hills. When Len retired in 1978, due to changing social times, women were working more and supermarkets starting to take over; his ageing truck was retired too. In 1999 his son Jim had the Bedford restored, Len was very happy to see ‘Beddy’ all shiny and new once again with just a tray back, like when it was new. Jim still drives the ‘Beddy’ to Heritage Truck shows twenty years on. Len married, had five children and lived most of his life, (except during World War 2 when he served in New Guinea), at Watsons Creek, Christmas Hills dying there in 2006 and is buried at the Kangaroo Ground cemetery with his wife of 64 years, Stella nee Tosch 1917 - 2007. Grace de Visser, the author of this article, is the daughter of Len Parker and a descendant of the two former owners of the Eltham Hotel, both named Christopher Watson. bedford truck, len parker, panton hill, tosch property

One Tree Hill Road Looking south 2/7/62 The bridge was destroyed by bushfires 15-16 January 1962. A temporary bridge was set up to the east sideRecord of various Shire of Eltham infrastructure works undertaken during the period of 1952-1962 involving bridge and road reconstruction projects, sometimes with Eltham Shire Council Project Reference numbers quoted. It was during this period that a number of significant improvements were made to roads and new bridges constructed within the shire that remain in place as of present day (2022). In many situations, the photos provide a tangible visible record of infrastructure that existed throughout the early days of the Shire. The album was put together by or under the direction of the Shire Engineer, J.A. McDonald.1962-07-02, bridge construction, christmas hills, infrastructure, shire of eltham, victorian bushfires - 1962, bush fires, one tree hill road, property damage

Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 4 stripsFuji 1001993, briar hill, rennard property, karingal drive

Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 4 stripsFuji 1001993, briar hill, rennard property, karingal drive

Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 4 stripsFuji 1001993, briar hill, rennard property, karingal drive

Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 4 stripsFuji 1001993, briar hill, rennard property, karingal drive

Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 4 stripsFuji 1001993, briar hill, rennard property, karingal drive

Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 4 stripsFuji 1001993, briar hill, rennard property, karingal drive

Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 4 stripsFuji 1001993, briar hill, rennard property, karingal drive

Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 4 stripsFuji 1001993, briar hill, rennard property, karingal drive

Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 4 stripsFuji 1001993, briar hill, rennard property, karingal drive, mudbrick, houses

Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 4 strips (composite of three frames)Fuji 1001993, briar hill, rennard property, karingal drive, mudbrick, houses

Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 4 stripsFuji 1001993, briar hill, rennard property, karingal drive, mudbrick, houses

Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 4 stripsFuji 1001993, briar hill, rennard property, karingal drive, mudbrick, houses

Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 4 stripsFuji 1001993, briar hill, rennard property, karingal drive

J5 Bedford 52/53Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 4 stripsFuji 1001993, briar hill, rennard property, karingal drive, bedford truck

Colour photograph1993, briar hill, rennard property, karingal drive

Outbuilding.Colour photograph1993, briar hill, rennard property, karingal drive

Colour photograph1993, briar hill, rennard property, karingal drive

Colour photograph1993, briar hill, rennard property, karingal drive

Colour photograph1993, briar hill, rennard property, karingal drive

Colour photograph1993, briar hill, rennard property, karingal drive

Colour photograph1993, briar hill, rennard property, karingal drive

Colour photograph1993, briar hill, rennard property, karingal drive