As the Yarra became unsuitable as a source of water, several attempts were made to find alternative sources for the growing population of Melbourne. It was not until 1891 that the efforts to sewer Melbourne came to fruition with the setting up of the Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW), now known as Melbourne Water. From 1891 until 1992, it was the responsibility of the MMBW to safeguard public health by providing a sewerage system and a safe water supply system. In 1992, The MMBW merged with a number of smaller urban water authorities to form Melbourne Water. Denine Moloney made history at the MMBW as the Board’s first female apprentice gardener, at the young age of 16. Denine was part of a team that cultivated and distributed up to 140,000 plants a year from the nursery complex that was housed on Warrigal Road, in Moorabbin. The large trees, shrubs and various other plants were all used in Board beautification projects. At the time, Denine lived with her parents and rode her bicycle to and from work each day while she attended Oakleigh Technical College one day a week as part of her apprenticeship. Denine’s ambition was to become a professional landscape gardener after her apprenticeship was completed, and four years later was in fact appointed as head gardener at Jells Park in 1983. Denine was not the last woman to work as a gardener at the Board, bringing with her two female assistants at Jells Park in caring, maintaining and distributing the Board’s horticulture. This staff newsletter highlights the significant achievement of Denine Moloney, becoming the first female gardener to work at the Board. This captured achievement highlights women's career advancement at the MMBW and within the Victorian public service, whilst having historic and social associations with the many women's rights movements of the 1970s.gardener, woman, melbourne metropolitan board of works, mmbw, staff, newsletter, 1970s

Yields information about the track maintenance activities of the track gang in Ballarat, the work they did, notes, names and other information.Collins Australian Diary, No. 324 printed by Collins Bros, dark red card covers, sewn sections with ruled sheets providing a diary for 1965, one week per double page. Has "useful information" sheets at from the diary. Used by the SEC Ballarat track gang to record their daily work, leave, welding, track cleaning, truck driver etc In the Memoranda section (last page) gives names and leave due and work arrangements for those without leave during the Christmas - Jan. period. Lancaster Wiseman Lakey Edwards Fish Dowie Smith Batty Cooper Butcher Loose contents 1. Important dates- part of a very fragile sheet of paper - account numbers for various jobs. 2 - 19/12/1965 - part of the cover "The Society Courier - June 1960 - a SEC Social League newsletter" and part of a desk calendar for 10/12/1963, with hours worked on particular jobs and account numbers. 3 - last sheet of Memoranda - on the back of a sheet of Regulations and Acts (SEC manual) - handwritten notes regarding leave entitlements 4 - inside rear cover - sheet showing gang names, with additions/cross outs including a note that H. Dowie passed away on 9/12/1965. Other names not in above list: J.Whatmore W.Hicky? P.Cartledge W.D.Strange C.Kingston? B.Sarah G.Cooper J.Butcher Coombs David Coon tram, trams, sec, ballarat, depot, trackwork, rails, scrubber tram

A few pages from a Legacy Newsletter that recounts the speech of Sir Robert Menzies, former Prime Minister at a Legacy luncheon. The notation H63/1 in blue pen shows that it was part of the archive project that was trying to capture the history of Legacy. A record that the speakers at Legacy functions were from very different walks of life and the subjects spoken on were many and varied.White foolscap paper with black type part of a newsletter article about Robert Menzies being a guest speaker x 4 pages.history, speech, robert menzies