Bert Masefield's parents came from Lancashire to Surrey Hills, his education ending because of the depression when he went to work at an orchard at Hastings. When his father list his job as a cabinet maker, he bought an orchard at Cottlesbridge and Bert joined them, ploughing with a horse. He met and married Ethel Smith who had grown up at Panton Hill; her great grandparents Sarah and Samuel Smith came from Lancashire where they had a cotton mill and iron foundry, settling at Smith Gully between Panton Hill and St Andrews. Their son Edwin married Louisa Purcell whose parents owned the Caledonie Hotel at Smiths Gully; they had 12 children and settled on a property in Cherrytree Road. Son Edwin left Panton Hill school aged 11 in 1885 and worked with his father and uncle fencing the family property. Edwin had nine children, Ethel being the seventh. Aged 14, she gained a scholarship to Stotts Business College. Berth and Ethel, when they married, bough a property in Cherrytree Road. In 1941 Bert, a ham radio enthusiast, joined the RAAF as a radio mechanic, serving in Townsville and New Guinea until 1945. Over time, they subdivided their property. Bert worked for ten years as property officer for Eltham Shire Council; his work included coverting Three Chain Road (or Gumtree Road) into a huge firebreak. Now retired, Bert spends time speaking with radio operators around the world and the couple are involved with sports including the Montmorency Bowling Club; they were foundation members of the Hurstbridge Bowling Club. Marjorie North (nee Cooper) was 14 when her family moved from the city to Montmorency when the railway station was first built in 1923. Marjorie described her memories of Montmorency at that time. She and sister Connie were keen tennis players, playing at Greensborough. By 1927, they had arranged, though shire engineer Ben Johnson, to rent land from the Council for 10 pounds a year; Mr Paragreen levelled the land. The club held a dance every three weeks in a school room with piano for music. She won the singles, doubles and mixed doubles championships in 1929 at the first championship. Contents Newspaper article: "Round the world on radio waves," Diamond Valley News, 30 September 1986, outlines Bert and Ethel Masefield's lives. Newspaper article: "Stalwart recalls the early days," Diamond Valley News, 30 September 1986, outlines Bert and Ethel Masefield's lives.Newspaper clippings, A4 photocopies, etcbert masefield, elthel masefield, ethel smith, cherrytree road panton hill, samuel smith, sarah smith, smith gully victoria, caledonie hotel smiths gully, stotts business college, montmorency bowling club, hurstbridge bowling club, eltham shire council, edwin smith, louisa purcell, parragreen of para road, ben johnson, montmorency tennis club

Samuel Smith came to Australia about 1849 with his wife and family, settling at Queenstown and, with the gold rush, established an abattoir. A descendant, Marjorie Smith Motschall wrote about the family in 'Wild WoodDays at Panton Hill'. Many descendants have lived in and around Eltham. The family had four generations of butchers, including Keith, who had a shop in Kew. Contents Photocopy of handwritten notes: Samuel Smith biography. Typed version of handwritten notes: Samuel Smith biography. Letter L Adam to Eltham Shire, 6 March 1884. Seeking information about the Smith family in Yarra Glen: Samuel Smith and Eliza Hurst. Photocopy of page from magazine National Trust Australia (Vic), no date (possibly 1993). Keith Smith closed his butcher shop, Kew, and donated equipment to National Trust, possibly to go to Gulf Station. Newspaper article: "Smith family's fortunes yielded to modern technology - in 1850", Diamond Valley News, 10 March 1987. Newspaper clippings, A4 photocopies, etcsamuel smith, eliza hurst, keith smith, gulf station yarra glen, james smith, queenstown, st andrews, sarah smith, richard smith, mary smith, edwin smith, thomas smith, john smith, ralph smith, marjorie smith motshall, wild wood days at panton hill book, louisa purcell, st andrews church queenstown, cherry tree road panton hill, beaumont house panton hill, edwin james samuel smith, violet bartlett, ethel may smith, mary louise smith, violet smtih, fred smith, alan smith, cemetery smiths gully road st andrews, russell smith, joan smith, joyce smith, ethel smith, grand hotel yarra glen