From left to right: Stanley, Theodore, Alfred, Ronald seated. This photograph must have been taken after 1931, because that was the year Ronald contracted Polio. Stanley later drowned aged 27.Black and white photograph of the four Edwards brothers of Husband Road, Forest Hill. Father Arthur Edwards, mother Martha (nee Course)edwards family, alfred edwards, theodore edwards, stanley edwards, ronald edwards

Letter from H.T. Bishop, Shire Secretary, Shire of Blackburn and Mitcham to Mr Geo. Morton requesting valuation of land for sale for the Parks and Gardens Committee, dated 24 / 12 / 1929. Valuations provided by Geo. Martin dated 6/ 1 / 1930.Letter from H.T. Bishop, Shire Secretary, Shire of Blackburn and Mitcham to Mr Geo. Morton requesting valuation of land land values, shire of blackburn and mitcham, bishop, herbert thomas., morton, george, main street, blackburn, gardenia street, husband road, forest hill, surrey road, holland road, blackburn south, canterbury road, whitehorse road, nunawading, glendale street, williams road, south parade, tunstall

Part of dinner set owned by Donor's grandmother Martha Edwards, 42 Husband Road, Forest Hill.Founded in 1851 under the name Hulme & Booth and it was not until 1877 that the name was changed to Burgess & Leigh. Until 1999 Burgess & Leigh was still being run by the family.|In August 1999 the factory was rescued from receivers by R&W Darling and the name changed to Burgess, Darling & Leigh.|As the business grew it was moved to a new factory in the rural district of Burslem. As with all industries, potteries have seen great changes and Burslem & Leigh adapted and modernised.|The business continues to this date. See supplementary file for more information.Cream crockery dish with lid. The dish and lid have a gold rim edging and black key patten and brown floral band on the dish and lid. The dish has scalloped edge handles with gold trim and the lid has a handle with gold trim.Burleigh Ware, Brugess & Leigh, Burslem, Englanddomestic items, crockery

Part of dinner set owned by donor's grandmother Martha Edwards, 42 Husband Road, Forest HillSee NA4389.1-2 for significance of makerCream crockery jug, gold rim, decorative deep handle, black key pattern and brown floral band around jug.Burleigh Ware, Burgess & Leigh, Burslam, England (4246)domestic items, crockery

The vase was owned by Martha Edwards who lived at Husband Road Forest Hill during the 1940s and used the jug as an ornamental piece.Multi coloured vase with handle. Colours are green, yellow and beige with orange and yellow abstract flowers.Made in England 1150domestic items, ornaments / decorative, ceramics, earthenware

Martha (nee Course) and Arthur Edwards married at Forest Hill in 1899. They lived in Husband Road, Forest Hill, first with Martha's father, then in a house built by Arthur in 1910. The house still stands (in 2006)Black and white photograph of the Edwards family of Forest Hill, taken in 1930. Standing: Ronald Edwards, Theodore Edwards, Vera Edwards, Stanley Edwards, Alfred Edwards Seated: Martha Edwards, Violet Edwards, Arthur Edwards paperSee also ND5558edwards family, forest hill

Tile used by Martha and Arthur Edwards 42 Husband Road Forest Hill. House built in 1910. Stanley, Alfred and Theodore (Uncles of donor) worked at Geal Bros in the 1920's. Probably acquired tiles from Geal Bros.Geal Bros Pottery established by Albert Geal in 1903 - 1973. The pottery was sold to Jennings Homes, who established the Forest Hills Retirement Village on the land.Square tile decal design in yellow daffodilsceramics, earthenware

Relations of donor worked at Geal Bros, Stanley, Alfred, and Theodore Edwards (uncle of donor) worked at Geal Bros in the 1920's and 1930's. Probably acquired tiles from Geal Bros. Tile used by Martha and Arthur Edwards of 42 Husband Road Forest Hill. House built in 1910.A square tile with decal design of red poppy style flowers and centre cream poppy flower with green leaves and blue forget me notsceramics, earthenware

These cuff links were a 21st Birthday gift to Ronald Arthur Edwards from his brother Stan in August 1935. Ron had polio and had problems walking. Stan drowned in 1936 in Tonumbarry Weir spillway. Both men were sons of Martha and Arthur Edwards of Husband Road, Forest Hill. Information from the niece of both men.Gold cuff links in the shape of shields in Dunklings box. 'To Ron 21st birthday from Stan' written in pencil on lid of box.Dunklings the Jewellers Diamond House Melb & Perthcostume accessories, jewellery

This is the twenty-first key presented to Ronald Arthur Edwards in August 1935. The celebration, held at his parents home in Husband Road, Forest Hill, was attended by many well known local people who signed his birthday key. Ronald Edwards was the youngest child of Arthur and Martha Edwards. In 1929 aged 15 he contracted poliomyelitis and became an invalid. He died in 1955 at Forest Hill.This item is significant in the history of Forest Hill as all the attendees and Ronald Arthur Edwards are from the pioneering families of the area of the Shire of Nunawading.Large wooden plywood key made to celebrate the 21st birthday of Ronald Arthur Edwards in August 1935. Written on handle end in pen Ron Edwards 21st - 19.Key end signed Anna Course, Herbert Course, R.J. Bird, D.J. Bogle.Reverse side R. Course, A.H. Course, Aunt Corrie, F. Bogle, Aunt Harriet, Marjory Course, S. Edwards, Edwards, H. Edwards, E. Edwards, Doug Edwards, Charlie Course, Jean Course, Tom Bailey, H.S. Tainton, N. Tainton, ?Luen Edwards, C.W. Bird, ?S.U. Course, J. Porter, Bob Course, J.E. Bird, M.P.? Course, ?Edwards, L. Tainton, J. Bird, Shirley Edwards, H. Edwards, Ed, A.E. Edwards, Albert H..., V. Edwards, F. Smith, W. Smith, L.James, E. Galley ?, A.E. Edwards, Mother and Father. Gold traces on one side; 21 carved out in key end.See Descriptionhandcrafts, woodwork

Dr Unice (Una) Beatrice Porter, OBE, CBE (1900 - 1996) Una Porter was the youngest daughter of Frederick John Cato and his wife Fanny (née Bethune). She had 3 sisters and 4 brothers. Her father was of course the prominent businessman and co-founder of the Moran & Cato grocery company who was known for his generosity and commitment to the Methodist Church. Given this background it is not surprising that Una inherited a deep and lasting Christian faith that would become the driving force behind her own career and philanthropic activities. Una was educated at Methodist Ladies College and the English boarding school "Farringtons" however her formal education ended at the age of 14 due to ill health. By the outbreak of the First World War her sisters were married and her brothers enlisted. Una became very close to her father and assisted him in establishing hospitals and missions in Arnhem Land, Fiji and India. Una returned to formal study and matriculated at the age of 30. A niece with diabetes was the catalyst which led Una to study medicine. She enrolled at the University of Melbourne in 1933 and subsequently specialised in psychiatry with training at Prince Henry's Hospital, the Royal Park Mental Hospital and the Children's Hospital. In 1946 she took a post at the Ballarat Mental Hospital. Here she was the first female member of staff, overseeing 512 female patients. She later worked in private practice and was instrumental in the establishment of a psychiatric clinic at the Queen Victoria Hospital. Throughout her life, Una maintained a strong link with the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) and in 1963 was elected as the World President of this organisation and in 1964 she was elected Woman of the Year. Una's philanthropic work was extensive. In addition to administering the F.J. Cato Charitable and Benevolent Trust and later the James and Una Porter Trust Fund, she made substantial personal donations to hospitals, universities and community organisations including the University of Melbourne, Monash University, Epworth Hospital, Methodist Ladies College, Cato College, Queen Victoria Hospital and the YWCA. It is estimated that she gave over $1 million to various hospitals and institutions. Some of her projects included establishing a scholarship for rural female students to attend university, a Chair in Psychiatry, and extensive research into early childhood development. Una B. Porter was appointed O.B.E. (1961) and C.B.E. (1968) in recognition of her services to the community. At the age of 46 Una married James Roland Porter, an ex-RAAF squadron leader and a lifelong friend. Until this time, Dr Porter had lived at the Cato family home, ‘Kawarau’ at 192-198 Tooronga Road, Hawthorn (later Stephanie’s restaurant). In spite of having qualified as a doctor and with all her philanthropic activities, at age 43 the electoral rolls give her status as ‘home duties’! Dr Porter’s connection with Surrey Hills came after her marriage. In 1948 she and her husband bought 8 Kent Road. A black and white photograph of a screened image of a lady sitting in a winged-back chair. She is wearing a knee length dress with three-quarter length sleeves, and beads around her neck and wrist.psychiatrist, philanthropist, queen victoria hospital, mont albert, surrey hills, 8 kent road, dr una porter, mr james porter, dr unice beatrice porter, mr frederick cato, miss unice beatrice cato, mrs fanny cato, miss fanny bethune, young women's christian association, fj cato charitable and benevolent trust, james and una porter trust fund, methodist ladies college

A new bridge over the Snowy River at Orbost was opened for traffic on June 20th 1922. It was designed for future joint use by road and railway traffic, but it was only used for road traffic. During the last few years the condition of an old suspension bridge [the 1893 bridge] which was the only vehicular crossing between the town of Orbost and the railway station, caused much concern. The structure was of timber, except for the wire suspension cables of its central span of about 100 feet. A design was prepared in 1914 for a permanent bridge with five spans of 85 feet composed of plate girders on concrete piers. With great increase in the price of steel work during the war, the cost of this design became prohibitive, and the need for a new structure becoming urgent, alternative proposals were investigated. As a result the present design was adopted as providing a sem-permanent bridge at moderate cost. The new bridge spans the river about 160 feet upstream from the old bridge on a slight skew, the piers being at an angle of 80 degrees with the centre line of the bridge. It has a camber of about 2 feet 5 inches in its total length of 527 feet. ( information from Newsletter March 2014 - Lois Crisp) The photograph shows Mrs James Cameron cutting the ribbon at the opening of the Orbost Pile Bridge in 1922. This second bridge, was built by the Victorian Railways and the Country Roads Board. Constructed at a cost of 35,000 pounds and used second-hand girders from the Flinders Street- Spencer Street viaduct. On July 4 1922 it was officially opened by Mrs James Cameron. Unfortunately, her husband, who had long championed the building of the bridge so that it would be ready for the railway to continue to the border, was too ill to attend the ceremony. In fact, James Cameron died on July 13 after a long and severe illness (ref. S.R.M. 20.7.1922). There is a section of this ribbon in the collection - Registration No. 366. This is a pictorial record of a significant event in Orbost's history.A black / white photograph of a pile bridge with a suspension bridge behind it. There are many people standing on the bridge.on back - "Opening of Pile Bridge - 1922"snowy-river-bridge ceremonies cameron-mrs

The photograph shows Mrs James Cameron cutting the ribbon at the opening of the Orbost Pile Bridge in 1922. The first bridge was officially opened in August, 1893 (ref. S.R.M. 12.8.1893) by Mrs W. Watt, the mother of Councillor Watt, who presided over the opening of the 1922 bridge. This bridge was extensively damaged when a herd of cattle allegedly stampeded over it causing the cable to snap. Even after repairs it became obvious that a new bridge was needed. This second bridge, was built by the Victorian Railways and the Country Roads Board. Constructed at a cost of 35,000 pounds and used second-hand girders from the Flinders Street- Spencer Street viaduct. On July 4 1922 it was officially opened by Mrs James Cameron. Unfortunately, her husband, who had long championed the building of the bridge so that it would be ready for the railway to continue to the border, was too ill to attend the ceremony. In fact, James Cameron died on July 13 after a long and severe illness (ref. S.R.M. 20.7.1922). There is a section of this ribbon in the collection - Registration No. 366.This item is a pictorial record of a significant event in Orbost's history.A black / white photograph of a lady standing up in a motor vehicle cutting a ceremonial ribbonsnowy-river-bridge-orbost cameron-mrs ceremonies

This earthenware dinner plate was donated by Lorna Jensen. It had belonged to her father Wally O’Brien, who was a cyclist and had ridden in the long Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycle Classic twice. Wally was given this plate by a diving friend who had recovered it from the wreck of the LOCH ARD, on the southwest coast of Victoria. The plate had been sitting in Lorna’s mum’s china cabinet until recently when she and her husband drove to Warrnambool to donate it to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. When they stopped at a friend’s home along the way the friend removed it from its plastic bag and tea towel and carefully wrapped it in protective packaging for the rest of its journey. The plate is very similar to other plates recovered from the wreck of the LOCH ARD. It is uncertain whether the plates were personal belongings or part of the cargo. The Asiatic Pheasant pattern is a transfer design and was the most popular design of the 19th-century Victorian era. It is still being produced today. The design was produced as high-quality, decorative dinnerware by the potters in the Staffordshire, England, area from the late 1830s, but no one is sure exactly who the original designer was. The industrial age made the production of this design more affordable to the ordinary person who purchased and proudly displayed settings in their homes. The high demand for production resulted in the loss of quality in both potting and design, particularly between 1860-1914 when the design reached its height of popularity, and the results were often a poor match for the earlier pieces’ quality and detail. Some engravers would make copies of the Asiatic Pheasant design (and other designs) onto copper plates and sell them to more than one pottery producer (the Copyright Act of 1842 was intended to control this very thing). Consequently, the list of Makers’ Marks associated with the Asiatic Pheasant is well over 100. A single pottery factory could have several owners, all with their own Marks. These factors all make the dating of pieces difficult. Also, after 1891, pieces produced for export were required to be stamped with “ENGLAND”, but pieces produced for the domestic market in England did not need this stamp, so early pieces and pieces produced for the domestic market would all be without the “ENGLAND” stamp, confusing the matter. Over time the body shape of the pieces changed, the feathered, curved and fluted edges giving way to simpler, cheaper oblong shapes. The LOCH ARD belonged to the famous Loch Line which sailed many ships from England to Australia. Built in Glasgow by Barclay, Curdle and Co. in 1873, the LOCH ARD was a three-masted square-rigged iron sailing ship. The ship measured 262ft 7" (79.87m) in length, 38ft (11.58m) in width, 23ft (7m) in depth and had a gross tonnage of 1693 tons. The LOCH ARD's main mast measured a massive 150ft (45.7m) in height. LOCH ARD made three trips to Australia and one trip to Calcutta before its final voyage. LOCH ARD left England on March 2, 1878, under the command of Captain Gibbs, a newly married, 29-year-old. She was bound for Melbourne with a crew of 37, plus 17 passengers and a load of cargo. The general cargo reflected the affluence of Melbourne at the time. On board were straw hats, umbrellas, perfumes, clay pipes, pianos, clocks, confectionary, linen and candles, as well as a heavier load of railway irons, cement, lead and copper. There were items included that were intended for display in the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880. The voyage to Port Phillip was long but uneventful. At 3 am on June 1, 1878, Captain Gibbs was expecting to see land and the passengers were becoming excited as they prepared to view their new homeland in the early morning. But LOCH ARD was running into a fog which greatly reduced visibility. Captain Gibbs was becoming anxious as there was no sign of land or the Cape Otway lighthouse. At 4 am the fog lifted. A man aloft announced that he could see breakers. The sheer cliffs of Victoria's west coast came into view, and Captain Gibbs realised that the ship was much closer to them than expected. He ordered as much sail to be set as time would permit and then attempted to steer the vessel out to sea. On coming head-on into the wind, the ship lost momentum, the sails fell limp and LOCH ARD's bow swung back. Gibbs then ordered the anchors to be released in an attempt to hold their position. The anchors sank some 50 fathoms - but did not hold. By this time LOCH ARD was among the breakers and the tall cliffs of Mutton Bird Island rose behind the ship. Just half a mile from the coast, the ship's bow was suddenly pulled around by the anchor. The captain tried to tack out to sea, but the ship struck a reef at the base of Mutton Bird Island, near Port Campbell. Waves broke over the ship and the top deck was loosened from the hull. The masts and rigging came crashing down knocking passengers and crew overboard. When a lifeboat was finally launched, it crashed into the side of LOCH ARD and capsized. Tom Pearce, who had launched the boat, managed to cling to its overturned hull and shelter beneath it. He drifted out to sea and then on the flood tide came into what is now known as LOCH ARD Gorge. He swam to shore, bruised and dazed, and found a cave in which to shelter. Some of the crew stayed below deck to shelter from the falling rigging but drowned when the ship slipped off the reef into deeper water. Eva Carmichael had raced onto deck to find out what was happening only to be confronted by towering cliffs looming above the stricken ship. In all the chaos, Captain Gibbs grabbed Eva and said, "If you are saved Eva, let my dear wife know that I died like a sailor". That was the last Eva Carmichael saw of the captain. She was swept off the ship by a huge wave. Eva saw Tom Pearce on a small rocky beach and yelled to attract his attention. He dived in and swam to the exhausted woman and dragged her to shore. He took her to the cave and broke open a case of brandy which had washed up on the beach. He opened a bottle to revive the unconscious woman. A few hours later Tom scaled a cliff in search of help. He followed hoof prints and came by chance upon two men from nearby Glenample Station three and a half miles away. In a state of exhaustion, he told the men of the tragedy. Tom returned to the gorge while the two men rode back to the station to get help. By the time they reached LOCH ARD Gorge, it was cold and dark. The two shipwreck survivors were taken to Glenample Station to recover. Eva stayed at the station for six weeks before returning to Ireland, this time by steamship. In Melbourne, Tom Pearce received a hero's welcome. He was presented with the first gold medal of the Royal Humane Society of Victoria and a £1000 cheque from the Victorian Government. Concerts were performed to honour the young man's bravery and to raise money for those who lost family in the LOCH ARD disaster. Of the 54 crew members and passengers on board, only two survived: the apprentice, Tom Pearce and the young woman passenger, Eva Carmichael, who lost all of her family in the tragedy. Ten days after the LOCH ARD tragedy, salvage rights to the wreck were sold at auction for £2,120. Cargo valued at £3,000 was salvaged and placed on the beach, but most washed back into the sea when another storm developed. The wreck of LOCH ARD still lies at the base of Mutton Bird Island. Much of the cargo has now been salvaged and some were washed up into what is now known as LOCH ARD Gorge. Cargo and artefacts have also been illegally salvaged over many years before protective legislation was introduced. One of the most unlikely pieces of cargo to have survived the shipwreck was a Minton porcelain peacock - one of only nine in the world. The peacock was destined for the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880. It had been well packed, which gave it adequate protection during the violent storm. Today, the Minton peacock can be seen at the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum in Warrnambool. From Australia's most dramatic shipwreck, it has now become Australia's most valuable shipwreck artefact and is one of very few 'objects' on the Victorian State Heritage Register.Flagstaff Hill’s collection of artefacts from LOCH ARD is significant for being one of the largest collections of artefacts from this shipwreck in Victoria. It is significant for its association with the shipwreck, which is on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR S417). The collection is significant because of the relationship between the objects, as together they have a high potential to interpret the story of the LOCH ARD. The LOCH ARD collection is archaeologically significant as the remains of a large international passenger and cargo ship. The LOCH ARD collection is historically significant for representing aspects of Victoria’s shipping history and its potential to interpret sub-theme 1.5 of Victoria’s Framework of Historical Themes (living with natural processes). The collection is also historically significant for its association with the LOCH ARD, which was one of the worst and best known shipwrecks in Victoria’s history.Plate, earthenware dinner plate recovered from the wreck of the Loch Ard. Blue transfer design (Asiatic Pheasant) with a clear over-glaze. The outer rim is scalloped. Printed within cartouche on underside of plate "_ H E C L " Printed within cartouche on plate "_ H E C L "flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, tom pearce, eva carmichael, loch ard, asiatic pheasant design, dinnerware, ceramic plate, wally o’brien, dinner plate

The constitution states that the object of the Society is to relieve the wants of the poor -especially women and children- by suppyling them with clothing ,boots, food, fuel and other necessaries. The members of the Society to be councillors wives and representatives of Religious organisations.The President shall be the Mayoress. the positions of Treasurer and Secretary shall be Honorary. Mrs. McCaskill , whose husband was a Councillor at that time was the first President, a position she held for many years. There were 32 Ladies Benevolent Societies in the metropolitan area at this time. By the early 2000s there only a few left and Ringwood was one of the last to close about 2008 when it was absorbed into the Citizen's Advice Bureau. Various typed and hand written documents relating to the Ringwood Ladies Benevolent Society formed in 1929. 1- Constitution and Rules. 2- First Annual Report dated 1930. 3- Financial report submitted to The Charities Board of Victoria. 4- Receipts and expenditure for year ending 30th June 1930. 5- List of Societies affiliated with the Central Council of Victorian Ladies' Benevolent Societies. 6- Notification of first Annual Meeting of the Society in 1930. 7- Miscellaneous documents and newspaper clipping relating to the Ringwood Ladies Benevolent Society.

2 Black and White photos of the Ringwood Methodist Church. Photos undated, but these buildings were demolished in 1963. These photographs are in the presentation album given to Vera Wigley in memory of her husband, builder Evan Wigley. See Registration Numbers 11002-00 to 11002-10 for the full set of photographs. Old Methodist Church

2 Black and White photos of the Ringwood Methodist Church roof during demolition in 1963. (Photos undated). These photographs are in the presentation album given to Vera Wigley in memory of her husband, builder Evan Wigley. See Registration Numbers 11002-00 to 11002-10 for the full set of photographs.

2 colour photos taken during construction of the Ringwood Methodist Church in 1963. Photos undated. These photographs are in the presentation album given to Vera Wigley in memory of her husband, builder Evan Wigley. See Registration Numbers 11002-00 to 11002-10 for the full set of photographs.

4 small and 1 large colour photo taken during Opening Day Ceremonies for the Ringwood Methodist Church in 1963. Photos undated. These photographs are in the presentation album given to Vera Wigley in memory of her husband, builder Evan Wigley. See Registration Numbers 11002-00 to 11002-10 for the full set of photographs.

2 small colour photo showing the main building wall with Cross, facing Station Street, Ringwood in 1963. Photos undated. These photographs are in the presentation album given to Vera Wigley in memory of her husband, builder Evan Wigley. See Registration Numbers 11002-00 to 11002-10 for the full set of photographs.

2 colour photo showing the extensions behind the main Church for Kindergarten, creche etc, facing Greenwood Ave, Ringwood c1963. Photos undated. These photographs are in the presentation album given to Vera Wigley in memory of her husband, builder Evan Wigley. See Registration Numbers 11002-00 to 11002-10 for the full set of photographs.

2 colour photo showing the interior of the newly built Methodist Church in Station Street c1963 These photographs are in the presentation album given to Vera Wigley in memory of her husband, builder Evan Wigley. See Registration Numbers 11002-00 to 11002-10 for the full set of photographs.

3 colour photo showing the Altar inside the newly built Methodist Church in 1963. These photographs are in the presentation album given to Vera Wigley in memory of her husband, builder Evan Wigley. See Registration Numbers 11002-00 to 11002-10 for the full set of photographs.

Colour photo taken from the interior of the Methodist Church, looking towards the stained glass window. These photographs are in the presentation album given to Vera Wigley in memory of her husband, builder Evan Wigley. See Registration Numbers 11002-00 to 11002-10 for the full set of photographs.