Promotional brochure to Montsalvat. Admission 20 cents which was in the late 1960s/early 1970s. Present day 2026 admission is $15brochure, fishpond, graeme hardiman collection, great hall, justus jorgensen, montsalvat, promotional, studio

Black and white photograph of buildings at Montsalvatmontsalvat, eltham, hillcrest avenue

Colour photograph of the chapel at Montsalvatmontsalvat, eltham, hillcrest avenue, jorgenson

Black and white photograph looking in to entrance of stables at Montsalvatpioneers and painters, montsalvat

Colour photograph of front of old cottage at Montsalvatmontsalvat, eltham, houses

Colour photograph of crypt Montsalvat 1984montsalvat, cemeteries, eltham, crypt

Two colour photographs of kitchen utensils, etc. in old cottage at Montsalvatmontsalvat, houses, kitchen artefacts

Black and white photograph of barn Montsalvat with savage bull signmontsalvat, eltham, hillcrest avenue, signs, george w bell collection

Black and white photograph of large tree in foreground looking through a gate past a shed to the stables at Montsalvatpioneers and painters, montsalvat

Black and white photograph of metal work gates by Matcham Skipper at Montsalvat. Nonephotograph, metalwork, gates, montsalvat, matcham skipper

Four views of Montsalvat taken from publicity brochure 1. The Great Hall 2. Interior of Great Hall 3. Swimming Pool 4. Justus Jörgensen in the Great Hall atticmontsalvat, eltham, justus jorgensen, swimming pool, great hall

Montsalvat, Eltham, c.May 198835mm colour positive transparency (1 of 9) Mount - Kodak KodachromeProcess Date MAY 88Meltham, montsalvat

Montsalvat, Eltham, c.May 198835mm colour positive transparency (1 of 9) Mount - Kodak KodachromeProcess Date MAY 88Meltham, montsalvat

Images of buildings which are part of the Montsalvat Artist's colony. Buildings were designed and built by residents using materials from a variety of sources.Black and white printsmontsalvat

Montsalvat Youth Photography Prize 2023 The Montsalvat Youth Photography Competition 2023 was opened to young people aged 14 - 18, based in Victoria. Entrants were invited to explore the grounds, buildings, people, and activities of Montsalvat – to capture its essence and bring their own imagination to the process. First Prize: $1000 sponsored by Future Leaders The winner’s work printed and framed by Montsalvat for display in the Barn Gallery for a three-week exhibition slot. Second Prize: $500 Ten artists were shortlisted and placed on rotational display on Montsalvat’s website and screened in the Barn Gallery for a three-week digital exhibition. In sponsorship with Eltham District Historical Society, the shortlisted works were also to be catalogued and preserved, providing a permanent display of work for young photographers. KEY DATES: Entries opened: Monday the 3rd of April 2023 Entries closed: Friday 8th September - Midnight Finalists advised: Friday 15th September The winners were formally awarded their prize at Montsalvat on Sunday, October 8, 2023. The winners: • 1st place – Yirong Huang Enliven • 2nd place - Rhys Humphries, The Countess • 3rd Place- Jemimah Lavis Windowmontsalvat youth photography prize 2023, montsalvat, justus jorgensen

Photograph of stables at Montsalvat, Eltham. Montsalvat is an artist colony, established by Justus Jorgensen in 1934. It is home to over a dozen buildings, houses and halls set amongst richly established gardens on 48,562 m2 (12 acres) of land (Wikpedia). "Many of the buildings (including.. the stable near the animal yard) were designed by Justus Jorgensen in Gothic and/or vernacular styles using mud brick and recycled materials" - Victorian Heritage Database Photo possibly taken by Peter Bassett-Smith. No date. Montsalvat is historically, technically, architecturally, aesthetically, socially and spiritually significant to the State of Victoria.The Montsalvat complex is historically significant because it was established in 1934 by the noted artist and architect Justus Jorgensen. (Victorian Heritage Register)1 photographeltham, montsalvat, stables

Precious stone with bronze medallion depicting a pair of hands mounted upon a wood base. Inscribed on plate: 'Mazda-Montsalvat Jazz Festival/ Roll of Honour/ David Dallwitz/ 1993'matcham skipper, plaque, stone, bronze, medallion, mazda-montsalvat jazz festival

As Local Government Areas were restructured in 1994, the LGA now known as Nillumbik was expected to be named "Montsalvat" after Eltham's artistic community hub. Reasons for this choice of name are given in this article.Shows the history of both the LGA name and its history.News article, black and white text and colour imageeltham, shire of nillumbik, montsalvat

Great Hall at Montsalvat built 1938-52, designed by Justus Jorgensen Covered under National Estate, National Trust of Australia (Victoria) State Significance, Victorian Heritage and Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p129 At first glance, Montsalvat, the artists’ community at Hillcrest Avenue, Eltham, could belong to another time and place. The French provincial Gothic-style buildings blend picturesquely with the introduced and native trees and farm animals on the five hectare property. But Montsalvat belongs very much to today’s Eltham, having inspired much of its creative activity and style. The use of mud-brick and recycled building materials, for which Eltham is so well-known, was largely popularised by Montsalvat. Montsalvat – unique in Victoria and probably in Australia – is registered by the National Trust and National Estate.1 Montsalvat, named after the castle of the Knights of the Holy Grail, has attracted artists and intellectuals since it was founded in 1934. For years at weekends, artists, lawyers, philosophers, politicians and others, who shared a love for what Montsalvat stood for, gathered for a meal and stimulating discussion. The focus for this gathering of talent was Justus Jörgensen, an eccentric man with vision and charisma. It was Jörgensen’s foresight that saw the creation of Montsalvat, which in 1975 was formed into a trust to benefit the Victorian people. The property was then valued at about three million dollars. It is now visited by thousands of people annually. Born in 1894 and brought up a Catholic, Jörgensen had trained as an architect. He later studied painting at the National Gallery School under artist, Frederick McCubbin, then joined the studio of artist Max Meldrum. In 1924, Jörgensen married medical student Lillian Smith, and with artist friends they travelled to Europe to study the great masters. In London Jörgensen exhibited in several major galleries. One of his still life paintings was included in the book The Art of Still Life by Herbert Furst, which featured 100 of the greatest ever still life paintings.2 In 1929, Jörgensen returned to Melbourne where Lil, now qualified, worked as an anaesthetist at St Vincent’s Hospital. They bought a small house in Brighton and Jörgensen rented a large building in Queen Street for his studio until the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria bought it in 1955. While designing and overseeing the building of a studio for his friend the famous cartoonist Percy Leason, in Lavender Park Road, Jörgensen decided to buy land for a country retreat in Eltham. So the building of Montsalvat began. Jörgensen gathered around a dozen of his friends and students from his Queen Street studio. They set to work, first at weekends then some decided to live permanently on the site. Jörgensen had seen mud-brick buildings in Spain and recognised that Eltham’s clay soil was ideal for mud-bricks and although labour intensive, it was a very cheap way of building. Jörgensen’s students and friends worked under his direction with the help of local tradesmen, including carpenter, Len Jarrold and later stone mason, Horrie Judd. In return Jörgensen would give the students a painting lesson or two. It was the Great Depression when many were out of work. Jörgensen also inspired people to give generously of money and materials. With their help Jörgensen found second-hand materials for building. Friends donated slate for roofing, discarded firebricks were used for flooring and windows and doors and a cast-iron circular staircase came from a wrecker. The students’ day started at 7am with building and domestic chores, shared equally between the sexes. The first building was used by his friends at weekends and then became a home for his wife Lil. It consisted of three rooms and an attic under a high-pitched roof. Jörgensen then built a similar structure with the same high-pitched roof as a more permanent home for his students. The two buildings were joined together with a tower and a studio for Jörgensen. While excavating for the studio a reef of yellow mud-stone was found and then used in construction. The next building was the Great Hall, to be used for dining, exhibitions and meetings and completed in 1958, after a halt during the war. Whelan the Wrecker donated the stone-framed windows from the building that housed the Victorian Insurance Co. in Collins Street, which had been demolished in the 1930s. The swimming pool was donated and cubicles were built for the students with their initials marked in tiles on each doorstep.1 One of Jörgensen’s great abilities was to recognise how to use material which harmonised. He would comb through wreckers’ yards for what he needed. Regarding his buildings as sculptural pieces, his first consideration was for the aesthetic quality of a building and only then for its functionality.2 At Montsalvat, Jörgensen found he was able to put his ideas into practice without compromise and those who worked with him had to conform to his ideas. With the Jörgensens, the colony’s original nucleus consisted of the Skipper family – Mervyn and wife Lena, daughters Helen and Sonia and son Matcham,who was to become an eminent jeweller and sculptor represented in National Gallery collections throughout Australia and in European museums.3 Other members were Arthur Munday, Lesley Sinclair, Helen Lempriere, Ian Robertson, John Smith, George Chalmers, John Busst and Sue Van der Kellan; also Jörgensen’s three sons – Max, Sebastian and Sigmund – and Saskia, Sonia Skipper and Arthur Munday’s daughter. Montsalvat went through some hard times when local gossips spread rumours of sexual shenanigans at Montsalvat. However Montsalvat also had many local supporters – especially amongst the local tradespeople. The colony was certainly unconventional – with Jörgensen’s wife Lil (and son Max) and life-time partner Helen Skipper, (mother of Sebastian and Sigmund) living at Montsalvat. Sonia Skipper says in her biography that the group were ‘very conscious of their responsibilities to each other and a desire to make their relationships work’.4 By World War Two many buildings around the Great Hall were completed. Jörgensen was a pacifist, as were most of his students. Some of the Montsalvat community enlisted while others engaged in essential services like dairy farming and market gardening for the war effort. It was then that Jörgensen constructed farm buildings. After the war many well-known personalities such as Clifton Pugh, landscape gardener Gordon Ford, and builder Alistair Knox, were drawn to Montsalvat. They learnt that building was not a ‘sacred cow’ only for professionals, but that anyone who was willing to get their hands dirty could do it. The post-war shortage of materials also encouraged builders to follow Montsalvat’s lead in reusing materials. When Jörgensen died in 1975, his influence did not – thanks largely to the vigilance of his son, Sigmund, who became its administrator. The weekend dinners have gone, but in 2008 about 14 artists still work at Montsalvat – some living there – including a couple who have been there since its early days. Under Sigmund’s direction Montsalvat further expanded its activities which included festivals, art exhibitions, concerts and weddings. Sigmund completed the Chapel, then the Long Gallery next to the pool, After the barn burnt down, he replaced it in 1999 (the builder was Hamish Knox, Alistair’s son) with a new gallery and entrance and added a restaurant. Sigmund has been careful that any new building blends in with the character of Montsalvat. In 2006 Montsalvat was restructured for its continued financial viability and with the help of Arts Victoria a new executive officer was appointed. A representative board from the wider community was established, which includes members from the former Montsalvat Trust including Sigmund Jörgensen – who is now the heritage and arts adviser to the new company Montsalvat Ltd.5 Today, visiting Montsalvat one still sees artists, students and visitors enjoying the unique and beautiful surroundings.This collection of almost 130 photos about places and people within the Shire of Nillumbik, an urban and rural municipality in Melbourne's north, contributes to an understanding of the history of the Shire. Published in 2008 immediately prior to the Black Saturday bushfires of February 7, 2009, it documents sites that were impacted, and in some cases destroyed by the fires. It includes photographs taken especially for the publication, creating a unique time capsule representing the Shire in the early 21st century. It remains the most recent comprehenesive publication devoted to the Shire's history connecting local residents to the past. nillumbik now and then (marshall-king) collection, eltham, great hall, montsalvat

The gatehouse, one of the heritage buildings on the grounds of Montsalvat, the artists' colony in Eltham founded in 1934. This area was built 1939/41 originally as a garage, store and cool room with a painting studio above.This photo forms part of a collection of photographs gathered by the Shire of Eltham for their centenary project book, "Pioneers and Painters: 100 years of the Shire of Eltham" by Alan Marshall (1971). The collection of over 500 images is held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library) and is now formally known as 'The Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection.' It is significant in being the first community sourced collection representing the places and people of the Shire's first one hundred years.Digital image Print 16 x 21 cm (Held at Eltham Library)P.M.G. Department (Neg. No. 4695J)eltham, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, montsalvat, sepp, gatehouse

Founder of Montsalvat Reproduced Page 106 of Pioneers & Painters, edited by Alan Marshall (1971) Note: print in book and print copy are mirror imaged There was probably little earth building done in the district in this century until 1934, when Justus Jorgensen, architect and artist, bought land in Eltham and with his students and followers commenced to build the fascinating complex of buildings now know as ‘Montsalvat’. These buildings and his use of materials, both local stone and earth, and reclaimed materials, were to have a remarkable influence on the Eltham district-particularly in the period following World War II. The first building at ‘Montsalvat’ was a picturesque house of or rammed earth with a high-pitched roof. Jorgensen has used a variety of building materials but it is possibly his use of earth, both pise-de-terre and mud brick, which has had the most influence on the environmental building in Eltham in the post war years. By the end of the 1940s, an impressive array of adobe and pise buildings had been completed. – Alan Marshall, 1971, “Pioneers & Painters”This photo forms part of a collection of photographs gathered by the Shire of Eltham for their centenary project book,"Pioneers and Painters: 100 years of the Shire of Eltham" by Alan Marshall (1971). The collection of over 500 images is held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library) and is now formally known as the 'The Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection.' It is significant in being the first community sourced collection representing the places and people of the Shire's first one hundred years.Digital image 4 x 5 inch Clr Reversal (3) Print 21 x 16.5 cm (printed in mirror image)justus jorgensen, montsalvat, pioneers and painters, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection

Re-claimed material were used during the construction of Montsalvat, the artists colony in Eltham. The swimming pool was donated and cubicles were built for the students with their initials marked in tiles on each doorstep. Covered under National Estate, National Trust of Australia (Victoria) State Significance, Victorian Heritage and Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p131This collection of almost 130 photos about places and people within the Shire of Nillumbik, an urban and rural municipality in Melbourne's north, contributes to an understanding of the history of the Shire. Published in 2008 immediately prior to the Black Saturday bushfires of February 7, 2009, it documents sites that were impacted, and in some cases destroyed by the fires. It includes photographs taken especially for the publication, creating a unique time capsule representing the Shire in the early 21st century. It remains the most recent comprehenesive publication devoted to the Shire's history connecting local residents to the past. nillumbik now and then (marshall-king) collection, eltham, montsalvat, swimming pool

First Montsalvat pise building, Built 1934-35, Designed by Justus Jorgensen, Founder of Montsalvat. This building was used for many years as a dining room and kitchen. The Alistair Knox Collection (Image 2A) The Alistair Knox Collection is a series of mounted enlarged photos of mud brick houses and related subjects. The collection is understood to have been put together by Alistair Knox although it is the work of several unacknowledged photographers. For some years it was held by the Building Department of the former Eltham Shire Council and was then passed to our Society for safekeeping. Some of the photos have been used in Knox's books and from time to time some of them have been part of various historical displays. As far as we know there has not been a public display of the whole collection which numbers about forty photographs. The collection has been copied on to slides for the purpose of this meeting and to be retained as part of the Society's pictorial collection. Alistair Knox 1912 - 1986 is acknowledged as the founder of Eltham's mud brick building movement. Many of the buildings shown in the collection are of his design and he was also involved with the construction of several of them. Others are the work of his contemporaries and associates such as Peter Glass, Gordon Ford, and John Harcourt. (EDHS Newsletter No. 145 July 2002)Handwritten notes in pencil re details of building, year of construction, owner, designer, builder, etcmontsalvat, houses, justus jorgensen, pise construction, alistair knox collection

Image 2E General view of Montsalvat mud brick buildings including two storied studio The Alistair Knox Collection The Alistair Knox Collection is a series of mounted enlarged photos of mud brick houses and related subjects. The collection is understood to have been put together by Alistair Knox although it is the work of several unacknowledged photographers. For some years it was held by the Building Department of the former Eltham Shire Council and was then passed to our Society for safekeeping. Some of the photos have been used in Knox's books and from time to time some of them have been part of various historical displays. As far as we know there has not been a public display of the whole collection which numbers about forty photographs. The collection has been copied on to slides for the purpose of this meeting and to be retained as part of the Society's pictorial collection. Alistair Knox 1912 - 1986 is acknowledged as the founder of Eltham's mud brick building movement. Many of the buildings shown in the collection are of his design and he was also involved with the construction of several of them. Others are the work of his contemporaries and associates such as Peter Glass, Gordon Ford, and John Harcourt. (EDHS Newsletter No. 145 July 2002)Handwritten notes in pencil re details of building, year of construction, owner, designer, builder, etcmontsalvat, houses, mud brick construction, alistair knox collection

Image 2B Montsalvat Early Pise cottage built 1935-36 designed by Justus Jorgensen The Alistair Knox Collection The Alistair Knox Collection is a series of mounted enlarged photos of mud brick houses and related subjects. The collection is understood to have been put together by Alistair Knox although it is the work of several unacknowledged photographers. For some years it was held by the Building Department of the former Eltham Shire Council and was then passed to our Society for safekeeping. Some of the photos have been used in Knox's books and from time to time some of them have been part of various historical displays. As far as we know there has not been a public display of the whole collection which numbers about forty photographs. The collection has been copied on to slides for the purpose of this meeting and to be retained as part of the Society's pictorial collection. Alistair Knox 1912 - 1986 is acknowledged as the founder of Eltham's mud brick building movement. Many of the buildings shown in the collection are of his design and he was also involved with the construction of several of them. Others are the work of his contemporaries and associates such as Peter Glass, Gordon Ford, and John Harcourt. (EDHS Newsletter No. 145 July 2002)Handwritten notes in pencil re details of building, year of construction, owner, designer, builder, etchouses, justus jorgensen, montsalvat, pise construction, alistair knox collection

Image 2D Great Hall at Montsalvat built 1938-52 View of mud brick section of Main Hall Designed by Justus Jorgensen The Alistair Knox Collection The Alistair Knox Collection is a series of mounted enlarged photos of mud brick houses and related subjects. The collection is understood to have been put together by Alistair Knox although it is the work of several unacknowledged photographers. For some years it was held by the Building Department of the former Eltham Shire Council and was then passed to our Society for safekeeping. Some of the photos have been used in Knox's books and from time to time some of them have been part of various historical displays. As far as we know there has not been a public display of the whole collection which numbers about forty photographs. The collection has been copied on to slides for the purpose of this meeting and to be retained as part of the Society's pictorial collection. Alistair Knox 1912 - 1986 is acknowledged as the founder of Eltham's mud brick building movement. Many of the buildings shown in the collection are of his design and he was also involved with the construction of several of them. Others are the work of his contemporaries and associates such as Peter Glass, Gordon Ford, and John Harcourt. (EDHS Newsletter No. 145 July 2002)Handwritten notes in pencil re details of building, year of construction, owner, designer, builder, etcmontsalvat, great hall, houses, justus jorgensen, mud brick construction, alistair knox collection

2018-04-09, Damian Skipper, Fay Bridge Collection, Montsalvatfay bridge collection

Opening of 'Our Eltham: Artistic Recollections'Born Digitaleltham, montsalvat

Opening of 'Our Eltham: Artistic Recollections'Born Digitaleltham, montsalvat

Opening of 'Our Eltham: Artistic Recollections'Born Digitaleltham, montsalvat