Cardboard sign in the shape of the traditional railway station sign with black writing on white back groundOn front - Keilor Plains Railway Station|On Back - This limited edition sign commemorates the unveiling of the Keilor Plains Station name on 12 December , 2001 by the Transport Minister Mr Peter Batchelorkeilor plains railway station, railway, sign

The Sydenham level crossing gates at Keilor–Melton Road operated from the mid 1800s. The railway crossing was required when the Bendigo line opened in 1859. The crossing was a simple gated level crossing that existed to allow farm traffic across the line. The nearby station was called Keilor Road. In 1887, the Keilor Road Station was renamed to Sydenham. The crossing remained essential for farmers moving between the Keilor Plains and the Calder district. The gates remained manually operated, with railway staff responsible for opening and closing the gates. These gates operated until 2002, and when the original Sydenham Station closed, the gates were replaced with traffic lights In 2018, the entire crossing was permanently removed with a grade separation as part of the State Government Level Crossing Removal Project.sydenham railway station, keilor - melton road, sydenham

This is one of two Hume and Hovell Cairns erected in the City of Brimbank. The Sydenham cairn was erected on 19 December 1924, exactly 100 years after the explorers passed through the district. It was built by residents of St Albans and Sydenham as part of a statewide centenary program that installed 37 monuments along the expedition route. The monument has been moved twice due to road works as it was originally on the north‑west corner of Taylors Road & Sydenham Road. The first time it was relocated it was moved to position very close to the original position. The second time it was moved approximately 200 metres in a southerly direction and is now located at the Keilor Plains Station (East Esplanade). In November 2024, the Sydenham & District Historical Society held a 100‑year anniversary event for the cairn and a 200‑year anniversary of the 1824 expedition. Attendees included City of Brimbank Mayor Thuy Dang, Members of Natalie Suleyman MP’s office and local historians including Karen Schmidt and Bruce Lancashire. 5623.01 - Sydenham Hume And Hovell Monument 2nd April 2020 Photo 02.JPG 5623.02 - Sydenham Hume And Hovell Monument 2nd April 2020 Photo 03.JPG 5623.03 - Sydenham Hume And Hovell Monument 2nd April 2020 Photo 01.JPG Hume & Hovell passed here Dec. 19th 1824. Erected by Residents of St. Albans and Sydenham, December 19th 1924. sydenham, hume and hovell, keilor plains railway station

2307.01 - Newspaper Article New cop shop on schedule 2307.02 - Newspaper Article Brimbank Messenger 27 April 1999 Police plan party 2307.03 - Newspaper Article Sunshine Court may take on extra load 2307.04 - Newspaper Article Brimbank Messenger 19 April 2005 New Building made history 2307.05 - Newspaper Article Brimbank Messenger 25 May 199 Old police station 2307.06 - Newspaper Article The Advocate 15 May 1996 New cop shop Plans for $23 million law complex 2307.07 - Newspaper Article Brimbank Leader 19 April 2005 Law presence went absent including photo of St. Albans Police Station 2307.08 - Former Sunshine Police Station Location 2307.09 - Sunshine Police Station Sun Crescent 1956 to 2000 2307.10 - Case Closed On Historic Sunshine Police Station 2307.11 - Police Set Up Shop 2307.12 - Police - Save Keilor Downs Police Station Rally 2307.13 - Police - Keilor Police Station Community Rallypolice

Enrolment Documentation Sunshine West High School 1978|Extract Maribyrnong High School history|Extract Sunshine West High School history|Extract Sunshine School history|Extract St Albans School history|Extract Kealba School history|Extract Keilor Heights School history|Extract Braybrook School history|Extract Tottenham School history|Extract Albion School history|Extract Keilor School history|Extract Sunshine East School history|Extract Kororoit School history|Extract Braybrook South School history|Extract Keilor Heights School history|Extract St Albans School history|Extract Sunshine Heights School history|Extract Braybrook School history|Extract St Albans East School history|Extract Keilor Road Station School history|Extract Sunshine North School history|Extract Sunvale School history|Extract Tottenham North School history|Extract St Albans Heights School history|Extract Ardeer School history|Extract Braybrook School history|Extract Footscray North Special School history|Extract Braybrook School history|Extract Truganina School history|Extract Deer Park School history|Extract BrooklynSchool history|Extract Deer Park West School history|Extract Maidstone School history|Extract St Albans North School history|Extract Stevensville School history|Extract Keilor South School history|Extract Milleara School history|Extract Maidstone School history|Extract Maribyrnong School history|Extract Albion School history|Extract Albion North School history|Extract Avondale School history|Extract Sunshine North School history|Extract Sunshine School history|Extract St Albans School history|Extract Tottenham School history|Boundaries for country educational regions|Summary of School and their history (Contains information on both Primary & Secondary School)state school, primary school, technical school, secondary school

List of former and current schools in the City of Brimbank. This includes churches in the former City of Sunshine and City of Keilor.This report records current and former schools in the City of Brimbank as of 15th March 2026.Name Albanvale Primary School Albion Primary School No 4265 Albion State School No 4265 Albion Church of England School Albion Common School No 6 Ardeer High School Ardeer Primary School No 4848 Ardeer South Primary School Sunshine College Sunshine Technical School Annex Braybrook College Braybrook High School Braybrook Private School(s) Braybrook Secondary College Braybrook State School No 1102 Caroline Chisholm Catholic College Christ The King College Christ The King Primary School Dinjerra Primary School Footscray College of TAFE (Braybrook Training Centre) Rosamond School St. Johns College Tottenham Crossing Primary Tottenham North State School No 4703 Tottenham Technical School Braybrook Junction State School / Braybrook South State School Braybrook South Private School Brooklyn State School No 4710 Cairnlea Park Primary School No 1434 Deer Park North Primary School Deer Park Primary School No 1434 Deer Park Secondary College Deer Park West Primary School No 5032 Derrimut on Kororoit Creek State School No 1434 Kororoit State School No 1434 St. Peters Chanel’s Primary School Victorian University Secondary College – Junior Campus Copperfield College Mac Kellar Primary School Derrimut Church of England School No 192 Truganina Common School No 192 Western Institute & University of Melbourne Kealba High School Kealba Secondary College St. Albans Park High School Calder Rise Primary School Keilor Church of England School No 1578 Keilor Primary School Keilor State School No 1578 St. Augustine’s Primary School Keilor Downs College Keilor Views Primary School Monmia Primary School Keilor Park Primary School Copperfield College Kings Park Primary School Movelle Primary School Resurrection Catholic School Footscray North Special School No 4792 Maidstone Common School No 394 Maidstone National School No 394 Maidstone Primary School no 4658 Maidstone Private School (Mrs Douglas's School) Maidstone Private School No 791 (Miss Webb's School) Maidstone State School Baltara School Maribyrnong College Maribyrnong High School Maribyrnong Primary School No 3736 (1st Site) Maribyrnong Primary School No 3736 (2nd Site) Maribyrnong Private School Raleigh's Punt Church of England School St. Margaret’s Primary School Kororoit School No 1933 New Cambridge Common School No 919 Rockbank State School No 919 Brimbank College Catholic Regional College St. Albans Holy Eucharist Primary School Jackson Specialist School Jamieson Park Secondary College Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School St. Albans East Primary School No 4741 St. Albans Heights Primary School No 4948 St. Albans High School St. Albans Meadows Primary School St. Albans North Primary School No 4811 St. Albans Primary School No 2969 St. Albans Secondary College St. Albans South Primary School St. Albans Technical School Stevensville Primary School No 5047 University Park Primary School Victoria University St. Albans Campus Victorian University Secondary College – Senior Campus Western Institute Footscray College of TAFE Sunshine Campus Sunshine College Sunshine East Primary School No 4645 Sunshine Harvester Primary School Sunshine Primary School Sunshine State School Sunshine Technical School Sunvale Primary School No 4818 Albion North Primary School No 4855 Furlong Park School for Deaf Children St. Bernadette’s Primary School Sunshine Christian School Sunshine High School Sunshine North Girls Technical School Sunshine North Primary School No 4745 Sunshine North Technical School Victoria University Sunshine Campus Glengala Primary School Marian College Sirus College - Sunshine Ibrahim Dellal Campus St. Pauls Primary School Sunshine College – West Campus Sunshine Heights Primary School No 4744 Sunshine Secondary School – West Campus Sunshine Special Developmental School Sunshine West High School Sunshine West Primary School Catholic Regional College Sydenham Copperfield College Emmaus Catholic Primary School Keilor Road Station No 1641 Sydenham - Hillside Primary School Sydenham Primary School Sydenham State School Sydenham West Primary School Taylor Lakes Primary School Taylors Lakes Secondary College Tottenham State School No 4707 Truganina Common School No 192 Truganina Common School No 192 school, schools

The Braybrook Road Board proclaimed on the 28th May 1860, and subsequently on the 23rd January 1871, renamed to The Shire of Braybrook. The Braybrook Roads Board and Shire of Braybrook were the earliest form of local government for the entire district that later became Sunshine, and its jurisdiction originally stretched all the way west to Toolern Creek near present‑day Melton. This means that much of what we now think of as “East Melton” and “Rockbank” was once governed from Braybrook.Mention in this document includes Charles Grimes and John Batman, two of the district's early explorers, the local aborigine clans, Kororoit Creek, Keilor Plains, Rockbank Inn and the Rockbank Beam Wireless Station.Shire Of Melton Heritage Study Environmental History David Maloney May 2007charles grimes, kororoit creek, derrimut, first nation, aboriginal, aborigine, hume and hovell, rockbank inn, keilor plains, john batman, rockbank, rockbank wireless station

Picture of St. Albans Police Station before being moved to a much larger complex at 1 Copernicus Way, Keilor Downs 5667 - Main Road West - St. Albans Police Station Photo 01.jpgmain road west, st. albans, st. albans police station

Postcard Railway Museum North Williamstown|List of Railway Stations from Footscray - Sunshine and when they opened and closed|Letter regarding historic railway wagons dated 24 July 1979|Letter from Victorian Railways regarding QR wagon donation Dated 20 August 1979|Letter from Historical Society regarding wagons manufactured at Qright and Edwards Works. Dated 24 July 1979|Letter and Photocopy of Steam Locomotive 3801 at Anderson Road Level Crossing 23 April 1973|Drawing of Footscray Junction to Sunbury listing opening and closing dates|Large Drawing of Braybrook Junction Signal box tracks|Brochure for Steamrail Victoria The Vintage Train Mystery Tour on 1 July 1984|Bridge Inspection report for Devonshire Road Foot Bridge dated 26 March 1992|Complaint about goats tresspassing dated 7 July 1868|Drawing Footscray Junction Proposed alterations to Signal Arrangements 19 February 1900|Newspaper article Brimbank Messenger 8 September 1998 Technology signals new rail era about the closing of Sunshine Signal Box|Letter for amendment to 1994 Book of rules and Operating Procedures for Sunshine. Drawing of signalling Diagram included dated 19th May 1996 Sunshine Issue of Caution Orders|Photocopy of The Victorian Railways Magazine dated Aug 1929 Australias Highest Railway Bridge|Photocopy of Spencer Street - Sunshine showing extra train commencing Tuesday 3 May Dated 30 April 1921|Correspondene from Secretary of the Victorian Railways Books Series 422|Photocopy of Special Train Circular S2966 Special Funeral train for HV McKay funeral on 22 May 1926|Newspaper Article The Advocate Tracking History showing photograph of Tom Rigg dated 29 April 1998|Photocopy of Victorian Railways Timetable Dec 1865|Newspaper Article about Paddy Doyle an old locomotive Dated 20 May 1925|Extract from a book about the Big Bridge across the Maribyrnong River September 1927|Newspaper Article about Project Albion Maltese Club Dated 2 September 1992|Newspaper Article about Paddy Doyle and Patsy Dooley Dated 1925|Letter and a list in chronological events for the Braybrook Junction in 1908 smash dated 12 April 1988|Photocopy of the persons employed by the Melbourne and Hobsons Bay United Railway Company on 30 June 1878|Photocopy of Tom Riggs speech as a guest speaker at the Sunshine Historical Society dated 14 August 1988|Newspaper Articl e remembering Australias second worst rail disaster 90 years after dated 13 May 1997|Photocopy of the List of the Dead and addresses for the Rail disaster 27 April 1908|Photocopy of Selection of Names for S Class Locomotives|Photocopy of Maroona to Ararat Station Details|Notes about railway guages in Australia|Photocopy of a Letter regarding Main Road St Albans Railway Station Crossing Dated 6 May 2001|Brochure St Albans to Sydenham Rail Electrification Project Bulletin 2 May 2001|Brochure St Albans to Sydenham Rail Electrification Project Bulletin 3 December 2001|Brochure St Albans to Sydenham Rail Electrification Project Bulletin 4 January 2002|Newspaper Article Star Plainly its Keilor showing photograph of Keilor Plains Dated 18 December 2001|Newspaper Article Brimbank Leader showing All aboard for Keilor Plains Dated 18 December 2001|Media release regarding St Albans to Sydenham dated 12 December 2001|Brochure Its Steam Day Tours 1984|May of Victorian Railway|Brochure of North Williamstown Railway Museum|Photocopy of Map from Footscray and Bacchus March Line 12 June 2003|Newspaper Article Brimbank Independent Residents angry over freight rail decision dated 3 February 1998|Newspaper Article Advocate Greater respect urged for dead and rescuers Dated 16 December 1998|Extract Railway intercommunication Between Werribee and Braybook Junction|Newspaper Article Star Mixed Blessings for the HV McKay building in Devonshire Road added to Victorian Heritage register dated 16 April 2002|Newspaper Article Star Sydenham rail its electifying dated 18 December 2001|Newspaper Article Herald Sun Rail Horror at Sunshine Dated 27 May 1999railways

Places of Historic Interest in and around St Albans|The ABC Radio mast and transmitter station|The Blue stone Culvert bridge|Sydenham railway station|Robertsons Upper Keilor Homestead|A Sheep Dip|The Overnewton Venue|The Overnewton Gatehouse|Anderson Cottage|the Hume and Hovell Cairn| Keighlo|St Albans Railway Reserve Grasslands|The Anderson Farm House|The St George Fee Serbian Orthodox Church|The Agnes Stevens farmhouse|The Stensons Family Farm|The Errington Reserve Gates|The St Albans Community Youth Centre|St Albans Town Plan|St Albans Uniting Churchst. albans, harrsion

Donated by Gwen Mousleysunshine, history

Mary Tolhurst M&DHS - March 29th Dunvegan Willows Park Melton 1992 Ladies Oral History Day Graham Minns President Ray Radford MC Sound recording transfer to CD 2011 by Tom Wood Edited typescript by Wendy Barrie 2013 I was born in Rockbank, and when I was five years old moved to Toolern Vale and started and finished school there. Toolern Vale only consisted of the Store, Post Office and shop, where you could buy your fodder, and pollard supplies, the Hall, the little Church and the bluestone School. The School changed shape three times from the 1800s[1869] til the time I went there. There was four generations of my family that went there and it was destroyed by fire in 1965. Marjorie nee Myers Butler. Yes, I remember along with it your lovely Ronisch piano. Mary, quite true! Marj what you say about the Ronisch piano. When I came the age to learn music my mum and dad couldn’t really afford it, but still what parents do for their children. They had Marj go along with them and pick this lovely Ronisch piano. It was known round the district. Everyone commented about the loss that lovely piano. After leaving school it was war time, 1939, then it was work, When I was 7 year old I was put out into the cow yard. In 1940 when the soldiers were going away our milk was confiscated it had to go to Bacchus Marsh. It used to go the Sunbury to be brine cooled and then go to Melbourne. Then they took it then to the Lifeguard Milk Factory at Bacchus Marsh. It had to go as condensed milk to the soldiers. This year is 50 years of the Land Army. I was an unofficial Land Army but they still kept check on me. I went onto married life and I followed the cows right through [howls of laughter] and we went on until the 1965 fire. That’s when we got out of the cows. Marjorie asks, was Granny Watts your grandmother or great grandmother? Mary: She was my great grandmother, the midwife of Melton. The 1965 fire started ¾ of a mile above our place, Frank Ryan’s sheds were burnt and his house was saved, then it wiped the School out, the Hall, the Church the Post Office and Store and little house that was Charlie Charlton’s in the early days. Mrs Wilson’s place was saved by the Fire Brigade by pulling boards off the side, and from there it went over the hill and it was stopped at the Rockbank Railway Station. If it had of got over the railway they said it would have gone into Werribee. A lot was burnt out in that strip. Mary nee Nixon Collins: 18 houses burnt that day. Audience question, did Melton get burnt that day? Ray: No. It came down through the Toolern Vale road and cut across about a mile and a half from the cross roads at Toolern Vale from north westerly to the south east and cut through over the Keilor road. Mary: It came in across the creek at Funstons in Toolern, then through Jim Minns. Dorothy was it your place then [nee Knox Beaty] to Ken Beatty’s and from there it went through to Doug McIntosh’s and to Cockbills and the wind changed and it came across to the railway line, and that is where they stopped it. [the cause of the fire was controversial, they had been burning off the night before and there was some talk of someone starting it. It was very hot and very strong wind, it was a terrible day] Ray: When the fire went through McIntosh’s they had a haystack on the north side of their house and the haystack got caught and the fire burnt a hole through the side of the house and the boys pyjamas on the bed. The house was saved. It came through like and express train roaring at you, I was at McIntosh’s when it went roaring past. You couldn’t see, dust and ash and tremendous heat. The fire started about 12 o’clock Jack [husband] said to me, fire, I said where, where? Just up the road, what have I got to do? and he went out and he had gone to the fire and left me. I tried to get the animals and I put out buckets of water, putting the buckets of water out saved my life. Chas Jones and another friend of his came in and they picked up the buckets of water, I thought I had better get out because the fire was on the haystack up the paddock and when I went to go out through the north side of the house and couldn’t get out, I’ll go through the front gate so I went around the other side of the house. I got caught there and Chassy Jones and his friend came round carrying the bucket of water and I panicked. He threw the bucket of water over me. Well that is what saved my life because I was damp, whenever we tried to leave the ball of fire came over me and over my shoulder and my hair was scorched. Chassy Jones lost his truck and Keith Watt his big truck because he had the water tank on it and they couldn’t get out of the yard. Granny Watt’s house, the first private hospital had condemned and Jack and I pulled it down and had it moved up to Toolern and had it in the yard a fortnight and it was all burnt and we didn’t get the shed we wanted. Every 13 years right up until Ash Wednesday fires, there has always been fire close at hand. The 1952 fire went down the back of the house, the 1965 fire took the house, and the house that I live in now, it is the third house that has been on that spot. When the Hunters owned it, Mrs Hunter was nearly burnt in her bed. They had a 13 roomed house. In 1924 the house burnt down, and there was another house was built there and that was the one that burnt down. Edna: So Mary built a brick veneer house. Marjorie: like the three little pigs [laughter] Collins - Mary M &DHS - March 29th 1992 Ladies oral history day at Dunvegan, Willows Park Melton. Graham Minns President Ray Radford MC Sound recording transferred to CD 2011 Edited typescript by Wendy Barrie 2013 Mary Collins nee Nixon born in Terang 1907 down in the Western District and we shifted to Melton when I was 5 and a half then I started school here in Melton, and spent all my school life at Melton State School, next to the Church of England, it’s called the Primary School now. I got my Qualifying and Merit Certificate then I left School because there wasn’t a High School. When I was 16 I got and job in the Melton Post Office and I worked there, I was the first girl in Melton to deliver the mail, and worked on the telephone and the Bank business. Mrs Ross and myself behind the counter, there were about 500 – 600 people in the Shire at that time and now when I go into the new Post Office there is 36,000 here there’s still 2 people behind the counter [laughter from the audience] and wait in a queue right out to the door. Times haven’t changed much have they! There was a manual telephone and you had to ring the handle, and there were eight subscribers when I went there and when I left there were 46 I had coaxed that number to join the telephone, even the police station didn’t have the phone on. The two Hotels and the two Chaff mills and Mr Ernie Barrie, Parkers the butcher, the Shire Office was No 8, and the Police house was next to the Courthouse on the corner. They were number 9. I can remember a lot of the numbers still. The Post Office was the Agency for the Commonwealth Bank [comment from audience member] I used to do the Bank business too, I left after four years there, mother wasn’t very well. The Inspector who used to come up to the Post Office asked me if I would take up casual Post Mistress and to go around the different districts but I refused and when Mrs Ross’s holidays were due I was the replacement. I wasn’t 21. I loved my work meeting everybody and most people had horse and jinkers and when the elderly would come in there would be Mr Tom Morrow, he only had one arm and Mrs Dunn came from Bulman’s road in their horse and jinker. They were elderly I would see them pull up out the front and quickly get their mail and run out to them because they didn’t have to get out of the jinker to tie up their horse. If someone had a baby in arms I would tear out and hold the baby while they got down. Mrs Ross was very very strict. I had to sweep the Post Office, she had a couple of mats and there would be a threepence or a sixpence under the mats show she knew whether I lifted the mat, I was whether I was honest or not. Graham: How much were your wages? I got 27/7 pence a week for a 52 hour week. I had to work every holiday except Good Friday and Christmas Day and even when it was Monday holiday I always had to go to work from 9am - !0 am, the Post Office was always open. In the winter I had to wait until twenty past six in case there were any telegrams to deliver. I delivered them on a push bike. One time Tom Barrie told me this years afterwards. I used to go home for lunch. We lived on the Keilor road and I used to ride my bike home. On the hot days the boys used to go and swim in the swimming pool down near a turn in the creek there was a hole where the boys would swim in the nude, they didn’t have any bathers and they didn’t have any watches in those days. Tom Barrie said they always used to watched for me as I was always about 3 minutes past 1, my lunch hour was from 1-2. One particular day they missed seeing me and swam on, and of course they were all late for school when they got back and were all kept in a night. I did get a fortnight holiday. I loved my work and I knew everyone in the district right from Toolern Vale to the Marsh and everybody at Melton South. Did you listen into conversations on the Switchboard? Oh no. [laughter] Melton did not have electricity then. I had to fill the lamps everyday with kerosene. The Staughton Memorial was outside the Post Office. It had four posts with the chain looped around it, and that’s where the people used to tie up their horses. Marjorie nee Myers Butler comments about sitting and swinging on the chains. Mr Fred Coburn lit the acetylene gas light in the Memorial. It was the only streetlight in Melton. There was no electricity until 1939. Ray Radford comments about another gas street light which was on the corner of Station road. [later] Mary passes around her school photos. Mary mentions the names of those who have passed away, Maisie McDonald, ,Marian Wraith, Hilda McCreey, and Valda McDonald. I have written the names on the back. Marjorie comments about Marie Jongebloed and Greta are the only two girls left out of big family of ten I think there were [hesitates] 4 or 5 girls and the rest were boys. Mary. Flora Woodley, Dorrie Flynn and Margaret McDonald are still alive. They are my age we were all born about 1907. Marjorie points out herself in a later photo [1921 and 1922 School ] Mary mentions the name Walsh and identyfies following names, the Parker boys, Ken Beaty, Malc and Linda Cameron, Maisie Mc Donald, Ted Radford, George Nixon, Norman Minns, he was later the Shire Secretary of Werribee. One of the Woodley girls. [Maisie Arthur] Marjorie: Rosie Shearwood, June Whiting Mary. Lily Mc Donald, she has passed away. Isabel Harrison nee Tinkler, she lives at Werribee, Doreen Rogers, Marjorie Walker, Jess McIntosh, Mary Gillespie. Mr Malone was the Junior teacher Mr Roe and Miss Cooke. Fred Myers, my sister [Elizabeth] and the year was 1921. Myers (Barrie) School Photo Collection. Many of the names were identified at the 1970 Centenary of Melton State School No. 430. Edna Barrie organised, compiled and typed the lists to accompany these photos for the year 1921. The 1922 photo shows the higher grades. Ladies Oral History Day event held by Melton and District Historical Society, article featured in the Telegraphlocal identities, local special interest groups

TOM COLLINS–from the reel to reel tape recording at Melton 1969 In the years between 1890 and to about 1913 Melton was a quiet little hamlet alongside the Toolern Creek, once called the Pennyroyal Creek, 24 miles from Melbourne on the Ballarat Road. There was a fair amount of woodland left around it, mostly grey and yellow box with sheoak, and golden wattle, which in spring time made a rather attractive setting. Most of the premises were in the main or High Street, with its line of elm and pepper trees on each side. Unitt, McKenzie and Henry streets each contained only a few dwellings. Hotels were four in number, Minns’s, Mrs Hay licencee, now Mac’s, Golden Fleece – Sheblers. The Royal or Ryan’s as it was then called, later Graham had the licence, and the Raglan - Kilpatricks had the licence and afterwards Tom Manning. This was situated about where Mr K. Young had his residence. There was a store attached to the hotel until about 1900. Both the Royal and the Raglan were delicensed, later on the Royal being converted to a green grocery and a boarding house, the Raglan was demolished. The Royal green grocery and boarding house was kept by E Carew and after he retired, E Radford. The Post and Telegraph Office was on the opposite side of the street to the Raglan Hotel about two doors west of the Shire Hall and was kept by Mrs Ferris and Lady Farmer until her retirement, when it was carried on by Miss Lottie Ross. A store was attached to the Post Office and was sometimes used as a store and at one time housed the National Bank. There were two full time banks at Melton, the other being the Commercial which built premises about 1904 and on the corner of High and Smith Streets, which it still occupies. Mr G Egan was the manager of the Commercial and Mr Stradling and later Mr Lee of the National. However as business was not thought good enough they reverted to a part time branch operated from Bacchus Marsh. Grocer shops were Chalmers, with a news agency and drapery now Arnolds, Jongebloeds had the bakery. Mr Fox also a produce merchant, was where Melton Real Estate is now, it was later occupied by Buchanans, Atleys, and Mrs Ross. Not long after the War Mrs Ross built the Post Office, since demolished where Miss Lottie Ross was the Post Mistress and later built the store which she conducted. It was later turned into a factory and in now the barbers shop. McNichols was just west of the Minns Hotel. He travelled as far a Ballan weekly, buying calves and dairy produce for sale in Melbourne. Afterwards he sold the business and bought Minns Hotel and changing the name to Macs. Blacksmiths were three in number. Blackwoods – later James Byrnes next door to Jongebloeds. Alex Cameron who learnt his trade with Blackwoods had his shop about the rear of where Ken Youngs Garage is now he later moved to the north west corner of High and Alexander Street. He was also the Registrar of Birth and Deaths and Electoral Registrar. After his retirement he was weighbridge keeper at Melton South. Two of his sons were engaged in the carpentry trade, but both died at an early age. Whittingtons shop was a few doors east of the Mechanics Hall and it was later occupied by Gordon Macdonald who did business there until about eight years ago. The butchers of the period were George Graham, that is where Mandy Lees hairdressing establishment is now. Euan MacDonald had premises later occupied by Whittingtons blacksmith shop. Later shifting next door. He left here about 1901, he slaughtererd animals at a slaughter house right where Chas Jones now resides, it had previously been a slaughter house and butcher shop of that site. George Spring also operated as a butcher for two or three years about the 1900 or so. Ted Simpsons shop was where John Kontek now has his Estate Agency, he used it as an branch shop from Bacchus Marsh bringing meat from there by a two horse lorry. Jimmy Butler the manager was well known and loved, his son was later a steeplechase jockey. The Court House and Police Station would be built sometime before 1900. The Constables at the time were McGuire, later Wade, Riely and McKenzie after that Robert Wilson and Seinfort were here, they were a bit later on. The Mechanics Hall was first opened by Ryan of the Royal Hotel who sold it to the Hall Committee. It was on Unitt Street and it was moved by McLellans the house shifters from Unitt Street to its present site. Bluestone premises formerly occupied by the bootmaker Carew, were later demolished and replaced by the brick frontage to the Hall. Keith Orensini [?] the local bricklayer built brick portion to the Hall. In the cottage adjoining the Hall a Frenchman named Baudin, had a boot repairing business.This cottage was the later residence of J Hill, a local carpenter and builder from whom I learnt my trade. Granny Watts was the well known local nurse and operated the Mid-Wifery Hospital in Yuille Street on the Sherwin Street corner. Mrs Nissen was on the opposite side of Yuille Street a short distance nearer the township. She conducted the laundry. Carew had a greengrocers shop next door to the Post Office in the High Street for some time before transferring to the Royal Hotel site. He also bought [?] calves for killing. W Cecil was a tank maker and also had a produce round, he lived on Pyke and Sherwin Street. Later Gus Shebler, builder and carpenter engaged in tank making being well known for good workmanship. Shebler was very energetic in forming the Gun Club which met for a good number of years where the golf course now has its headquarters. Of the four churches only three are in use, Christ Church, Scots and St Dominics. The Methodist closed down but later transferred to Melton South. Monthly stock sales were held at the yards in Unitt Street at Minns Hotel by McPhail Auctioneers, later held by McCarthur and McLeod. After the Council built the pound and sale yards they transferred sales to these premises, but lack of patronage caused them to be abandoned. A familiar sight in the district was blind Bob Nixon, who lived in a tumbled down cottage in Centenary Road near W Coburns, being led by his dog down the road to Melton, that is Palmerston street, to the Post Office, butcher and baker for his supplies and then back home. He was able to do his own cooking and other chores. Sundays he would come down Raleighs Road to the back of the church and tie his dog to a tree. Someone, mostly one of the boys would guide him into the church and out again after the service, when the dog would lead him home again. State School 430, a two roomed bluestone building it was the only school in the district, none at Melton South. The nearest would be Rockbank and Toolern Vale. Scholars had a fair distance to walk in most cases. The teachers were Mr T Lang Headmaster. I put a query here, Miss Winters, I’m not certain of the name, Mrs Skinner and Miss Silke as Assistant Teachers. Miss Augusta Cecil and Miss Maud Lang were Junior teachers. One boy who attended the school about the turn of the century was Hector Fraser who resided with his parents in Keilor Road, where Jim Gillespie now lives. He was an excellent gun shot and at the age of about 17 years his father took him to France or Monaco where he won the Gran Prix for pigeon shooting and became the champion boy shot of the world. However he died there from pneumonia. He shot under the name of “Parvo”. The Melbourne Hunt Club used to meet in Keilor Road north side just east of the Toolern Creek on what was originally Pykes Run. This was also the place where the races were held and the Sports Meetings. Dave Murphy, employed at Clarke’s Rockbank Station usually provided the fox which he liberated for the Club. Greyhound coursing was usually held on Moylans property Mt Kororoit, or Mt Misery as it was known then. Later it was held at Melton Park, Mr Matt Carberry was the judge and Percy Cook the slipper. Early in the 1900’s the Recreation Park was created and the Caledonian and the ANA sports meetings were held there, they were annual events. L Paterson from Melton South was a successful competitor in all the cycling events as a young man. He later in life became the Deputy Chief Officer of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade. The present Chief Officer of the Fire Brigade is John Paterson, nephew of his, and spent his early life in Exford where his father was manager of the Exford Estate. Notes Tom Collins was born c 1895. He lived on the south side of the Ballarat Road near the intersection of Keilor Road.Historical image of Palmerston Street in Meltonlocal architecture, landscapes of significance

Mary Tolhurst M&DHS - March 29th Dunvegan Willows Park Melton 1992 Ladies Oral History Day Graham Minns President Ray Radford MC Sound recording transfer to CD 2011 by Tom Wood Edited typescript by Wendy Barrie 2013 I was born in Rockbank, and when I was five years old moved to Toolern Vale and started and finished school there. Toolern Vale only consisted of the Store, Post Office and shop, where you could buy your fodder, and pollard supplies, the Hall, the little Church and the bluestone School. The School changed shape three times from the 1800s[1869] til the time I went there. There was four generations of my family that went there and it was destroyed by fire in 1965. Marjorie nee Myers Butler. Yes, I remember along with it your lovely Ronisch piano. Mary, quite true! Marj what you say about the Ronisch piano. When I came the age to learn music my mum and dad couldn’t really afford it, but still what parents do for their children. They had Marj go along with them and pick this lovely Ronisch piano. It was known round the district. Everyone commented about the loss that lovely piano. After leaving school it was war time, 1939, then it was work, When I was 7 year old I was put out into the cow yard. In 1940 when the soldiers were going away our milk was confiscated it had to go to Bacchus Marsh. It used to go the Sunbury to be brine cooled and then go to Melbourne. Then they took it then to the Lifeguard Milk Factory at Bacchus Marsh. It had to go as condensed milk to the soldiers. This year is 50 years of the Land Army. I was an unofficial Land Army but they still kept check on me. I went onto married life and I followed the cows right through [howls of laughter] and we went on until the 1965 fire. That’s when we got out of the cows. Marjorie asks, was Granny Watts your grandmother or great grandmother? Mary: She was my great grandmother, the midwife of Melton. The 1965 fire started ¾ of a mile above our place, Frank Ryan’s sheds were burnt and his house was saved, then it wiped the School out, the Hall, the Church the Post Office and Store and little house that was Charlie Charlton’s in the early days. Mrs Wilson’s place was saved by the Fire Brigade by pulling boards off the side, and from there it went over the hill and it was stopped at the Rockbank Railway Station. If it had of got over the railway they said it would have gone into Werribee. A lot was burnt out in that strip. Mary nee Nixon Collins: 18 houses burnt that day. Audience question, did Melton get burnt that day? Ray: No. It came down through the Toolern Vale road and cut across about a mile and a half from the cross roads at Toolern Vale from north westerly to the south east and cut through over the Keilor road. Mary: It came in across the creek at Funstons in Toolern, then through Jim Minns. Dorothy was it your place then [nee Knox Beaty] to Ken Beatty’s and from there it went through to Doug McIntosh’s and to Cockbills and the wind changed and it came across to the railway line, and that is where they stopped it. [the cause of the fire was controversial, they had been burning off the night before and there was some talk of someone starting it. It was very hot and very strong wind, it was a terrible day] Ray: When the fire went through McIntosh’s they had a haystack on the north side of their house and the haystack got caught and the fire burnt a hole through the side of the house and the boys pyjamas on the bed. The house was saved. It came through like and express train roaring at you, I was at McIntosh’s when it went roaring past. You couldn’t see, dust and ash and tremendous heat. The fire started about 12 o’clock Jack [husband] said to me, fire, I said where, where? Just up the road, what have I got to do? and he went out and he had gone to the fire and left me. I tried to get the animals and I put out buckets of water, putting the buckets of water out saved my life. Chas Jones and another friend of his came in and they picked up the buckets of water, I thought I had better get out because the fire was on the haystack up the paddock and when I went to go out through the north side of the house and couldn’t get out, I’ll go through the front gate so I went around the other side of the house. I got caught there and Chassy Jones and his friend came round carrying the bucket of water and I panicked. He threw the bucket of water over me. Well that is what saved my life because I was damp, whenever we tried to leave the ball of fire came over me and over my shoulder and my hair was scorched. Chassy Jones lost his truck and Keith Watt his big truck because he had the water tank on it and they couldn’t get out of the yard. Granny Watt’s house, the first private hospital had condemned and Jack and I pulled it down and had it moved up to Toolern and had it in the yard a fortnight and it was all burnt and we didn’t get the shed we wanted. Every 13 years right up until Ash Wednesday fires, there has always been fire close at hand. The 1952 fire went down the back of the house, the 1965 fire took the house, and the house that I live in now, it is the third house that has been on that spot. When the Hunters owned it, Mrs Hunter was nearly burnt in her bed. They had a 13 roomed house. In 1924 the house burnt down, and there was another house was built there and that was the one that burnt down. Edna: So Mary built a brick veneer house. Marjorie: like the three little pigs [laughter] Mary Tolhurst member of the Melton & District Historical Society in the Melton and Moorabool Leader local identities, local special interest groups

Manuscript - 3 foolscap typed - 1st page a title page, titled "North Melbourne electric Tramway and Lighting Company", written by Peter Duckett. Not dated, possibly late 1940's. Outlines the history of the formation of the company, the routes, track construction, depot, power house, car barn, rolling stock, tramcars, overhead and take over by the MMTB - "what is now one of the worlds finest electric tramway undertakings."trams, tramways, nmetl, essendon, keilor rd, saltwater river, track construction, essendon depot, power station

Proposed Closure of Roads & Railway Land Alexandra Avenue and Service Street Request of inquiry into the M&MBW operations Turkish disaster appeal request of financial assistance Proposed assignment of lease The Hub Lease of land Scout Hall Lowe Cresent Castley Hall Financial Statement Proposed Name Railway Station Deer Park Lot 272 Beela Court Nuisance conditions of truck parking Proposed purchase o Garbage Tip Proposed Liquor Licence Albion Rovers Soccer Club Proposed name part of St. Albans City of Keilor Acquisition of Tip site from Albion Reid Pty Ltd Sale of land Laurel Street to Education Department Proposed Indoor Heated Swimming Pool Council Officers Reports city of sunshine, alexander "alex" george gillon, the hub, sun crescent, sunshine, lowe crescent, castley hall, simmie street, deer park railway station, deer park, albion rovers soccer club, selwyn park, albion, laurel street, st. albans, beela court, sunshine west

Proposed Closure of Roads & Railway Land Alexandra Avenue and Service Street Request of inquiry into the M&MBW operations Turkish disaster appeal request of financial assistance Proposed assignment of lease The Hub Lease of land Scout Hall Lowe Cresent Castley Hall Financial Statement Proposed Name Railway Station Deer Park Lot 272 Beela Court Nuisance conditions of truck parking Proposed purchase o Garbage Tip Proposed Liquor Licence Albion Rovers Soccer Club Proposed name part of St. Albans City of Keilor Acquisition of Tip site from Albion Reid Pty Ltd Sale of land Laurel Street to Education Department Proposed Indoor Heated Swimming Pool Council Officers Reports city of sunshine, alexander "alex" george gillon, the hub, sun crescent, sunshine, lowe crescent, castley hall, simmie street, deer park railway station, deer park, albion rovers soccer club, selwyn park, albion, laurel street, st. albans, beela court, sunshine west