McKinnon was a small community in East Brighton settled mainly by market gardeners but it had a State School, Churches, a hotel opened by Thomas Bent's father, Post Office and some shops. After WW1 land close to the railway line began to be sold and new homes and various shops were built. A Progress League was well supported and new hall built. McKinnon Rd Shopping precinct did not prosper as expected and some attribute this to the failure to secure the Hoyts picture theatre c 1925. Hoyts instead built the theatre in Centre Rd Bentleigh and this took a lot of trade away from the shops in McKinnon Rd.McKinnon was settled by market gardeners and after the train line arrived more houses and shops were built so that the small community developed through the 20thCBlack & White photograph showing the crowd of local residents celebrating the opening of the McKinnon Progress hall c1925mckinnon progress league, mckinnon railway station, ormond state school, hoyts picture theatres, centre road bentleigh, wyles jim, mckinnon hotel, gardeners arms hotel, bent james, smith j l; smith , chaff cutter, horse drawn carts, toll gates brighton, motor cars 1900, steam engines, early settlers, bentleigh, mckinnon, parish of moorabbin, city of moorabbin, county of bourke, moorabbin roads board, shire of moorabbin, henry dendy's special survey 1841, were j.b.; bent thomas, o'shannassy john, king richard, charman stephen, highett william, ormond francis, maynard dennis, market gardeners, vineyards, orchards

John Box 1841 - 1913 the 4th son of George and Mary Box, was born in Withyham, Sussex England and came to Australia in 1856 with his parents. He lived and worked on his fathers market garden in East Brighton ( now Bentleigh) for several years and then rented a property in Tucker Road in 1862. John married Martha Sheldrake and they had 10children who were all born in East Brighton ( now Ormond ). After Martha died 1895 John Box married Eleanor Rushall c1900 Eleanor (Nellie) Rushall b 1866 in Fitzroy daughter of George Rushall b 1823 in London and Mary Ann Jones b 1823 in Battersea, who arrived in Portland 1849 and later settled in Fitzroy. George was an Auctioneer and was elected to Council 1874 becoming Mayor of Fitzroy 1875 and the family enjoyed the benefits of their prosperity. She had singing lessons with Dame Nellie Melba. His business foundered during the 1892/93 Bank Crash. However Nellie is recorded as the owner of the 10 roomed Terminus Hotel in Williamstown a favoured watering hole for the sailors from the many ships that came to the port. Nellie had a daughter Lavilla who sadly died aged 1 year in 1898. Nellie is then recorded as a housekeeper to a medical doctor in Cockatoo and later working for John Box, in Brighton. She married John Box in 1900 and they had 3 children Nellie, Jack and Alexander. After John Box died 1913, Nellie rented a house on the family estate in Oakleigh. She raised 2 other children Ray and Thelma and received some income by caring for several welfare children. In her later years Nellie lived with each of her children who had inherited from the John Box Estate when they turned 21 years. John Box is the brother of William Box who, with his wife Elizabeth Box, lived in Box Cottage . John Box was a pioneer market gardener in East Brighton now Bentleigh. He married Martha Sheldrake and they had 10 children. The eldest daughter Rebecca was a Methodist Missionary in China and Alonzo, their 9th child, served in the Army WW1 at Gallipoli, France and Flanders. Rebecca sent the hand embroidered Chinese silk material for the Wedding Dress worn by Mary Closter at her marriage to Alonzo Box 1918. After Martha died he married Eleanor Rushall and they had 3 children. John was well respected by the community and also a Methodist lay preacher. Box Cottage Museum, a reconstruction of an early settler hut, is named after the Box family who resided there 1865 -1913 . William Box who, with his wife Elizabeth Avis Box and 13 children, lived and farmed on the block of land in Jasper Road, East Brighton ( now McKinnon / Ormond) that was part of the Henry Dendy Special Survey 1841. Three black and white photographs of Eleanor Rushall the 2nd wife of John BoxA Nellie Rushall; B Mum ( Nana) C possibly 'Eleanor'* box william, box elizabeth, box george, box john, sheldrake martha, box alonzo, box mary, box rebecca, rushall eleanor, moorabbin, bentleigh, brighton, ormond, market gardeners, pioneers, early settlers, withyham sussex england, rushall george, fitzroy melbourne, terminus hotel williamstown, williamstown melbourne,

Document. Connelly, Tatchell & Dunlop. Legal papers. 1 - 1909 - 1910 - Richardson James re costs, re sale of Hotel, you ats Police, re Poole. Includes accounts from Miss McKinnon, 'Inverness' Private Hospital, McKenzie Street, Bendigo, Long W J (Surgeon) Rowan Street Bendigo, Wallis Alf E & Co (Stock & Property Agents), Peters A L J (Pharmaceutical & Dispensing Chemist). Mentions Guidice Mr, Intemann Mrs, Anderson Mr, Golden Gate Hotel, Crofts Mr, Caulfield Hall Inebriate Asylum, Shelbourne Hotel.cottage, miners, connelly, tatchell & dunlop, richardson j, poole, mckinnon miss, inverness priv hospital, long w j, wallis a e & co, peters a l j, guidice mr, intemann mrs, anderson mr, goden gate hotel, crofts mr, caulfield hall inebriate asylum, shelbourne hotel