"Cornish immigration in Ballarat tended to group together as they did in Cornish communities around Victoria. The area known as Cornishtown in Ballarat in the 1850s was settled by quiet, religions Cornish Diggers who named the rise on which they pitched their tents, Pleasant Mont. This soon became known as Mount Pleasant, and the locality continued to attract cornish immigrants who built their homes around the Wesleyan Church. This had begun as a small tent chapel where the cornish diggers could worship in the peaceful quiet offered by the mont. As compatriots continued to expand their community, a larger and more subsyantial edifice was required. This plain box like building reflected its Cornish origins in its unpretentious appearance. This building still stands in the shadow of a more recent stucture." (Ballarat's Irish Folk by Ann Colman) Samson Keast and Elizabeth Jane Forror Pascoe married at this church on Christmas day 1865. Colour photograph of a bluestone church with three arched windows down one side.mount pleasant, mount pleasant wesleyan church, pleasant mont, samson keast, elizabeth pascoe, cornish, mt pleasant

Located on the corner of Main Road and John Street, the church first served the community as the Eltham Wesleyan Church since 1881. It became the Eltham Methodist Church in 1902, the year it united with the Primitive Methodists. Eltham Wesleyans first worshipped together in the home of William and Mary Crozier, on 24 acres bounded by Mount Pleasant Road and Pitt Street. From there they moved to a slab and bark hut in 1855 (this later served as the first school run by David Clark prior to the building of a new school in Dalton Street) and the members then built a chapel in 1858 on Lot 20, Henry Street (later to become the Rechabite Hall and Eltham Public Hall). The present church on John Street was designed by architects Crouch and Wilson in the Early English Gothic style with biochrome brick window frames, buttress heads and pinnacle. Church member George Stebbing built the church, the foundations were constructed with stone from the walls of the first Eltham State Primary School (No. 209) building which collapsed in 1874 and were purchased by Robert David Taylor. Stebbing was also responsible for building St Margaret’s Church and Shillinglaw Cottage. The Roll of Honour, which presently hangs in the church hall (which also doubles as the Opportunity Shop) lists 27 members of the congregation who served in the First World War, 11 of whom never returned. The red-brick Church Hall was opened in 1931 and in 1971 further additions linked the hall and church, including a foyer, vestry, meeting room and toilets reflecting the Eltham style of that time with its simplicity, extensive clear glass, reused baked clay-bricks from the 1881 church, heavy ceiling beams and compressed straw ceiling. On June 26, 1977, the church became part of the new Uniting Church in Australia consisting of the former Methodist and Congregational and most of the Presbyterian Churches. Following of declining numbers of worshippers, the church merged with the Montmorency Uniting Church on June 23, 1996. In 2023 the Uniting church approved a plan to renovate the church. It is understood that the historic church and the hall will be retained, and the building added in 1971 is to be demolished, to make way for a new purpose-built Opportunity shop. The proposed areas to be demolished include the current foyer, toilets, crèche, etc, including the area between the hall and the former RSL. Works are expected to commence mid to late July 2023. The Society was invited by a church member to take photographs of these areas to document them prior to demolition works commencing. Ref: “Nillumbik Now and Then” by Marguerite Marshall (2008)jim connor collection, 2023-07-10, eltham-montmorency uniting church, john street, methodist church, opportunity shop, uniting church, uniting church hall

Dr George Clendinning and others were trustees of the Church of England (St Paul's) A number of enlargements of the Ballarat East maps. .4) Bakery Hill, Humffray Street, Victoria Street, Ballarat Youth Council .5) Specimen Vale, Victoria Street, Eureka Street, Housing Commission .10) - Tomber Reserve, York Street, Spencer Street, Bennett Street, Wilson Street, Rodier Street, Richard Street, Fussell Street, Turpie Street, Stockade Street, Ballarat Rifle Range Lal La Street, Clayton Street, Eureka Street Sheet 2 - Yarrowee Creek, High Street, Dinney's Dam, Binney Street, Oliver Street, Humffray Street, Morres Street, Finch Street, Scotts Parade, Rice Street, HOrnby Street, Queen Street, Newman street, King Street, Napier Street, Sim Street. Sheet 3 - Russell Square, Victoria Street, Orphan Asylum, Ballarat Orphanage, Lofven Street, Haines Street, Yarrowee Creek, Ching Who Coey, Chinese, Stawell Street, Rice Street, Lane Street, Humffray Street, Nelson Street, Coffield Street, Morres Street, Western Highway, Rodier Street, Scott Parade, Canterbury Street Sheet 4 - Orphan Asylum, Ballarat Orphanage School, Fortune Street, Scotts Parade, Water Street, Ritchie Street, Humffray Street, Brophy Street, Thompson Street, Victoria Street,Humffray Street Church of England Reserve, Strickland Parade. Mount Xavier Recreation Reserve, Charlesworth Street Catholic Church Reserve. Sheet 5 - Western Highway, Mount Street, Fortune Street, Finlay Street, Jones Street, Ryan Street, Water Street, Brandbury Street, Humffray Street. Sheet 6 - Barkly Street, Ebden Street, Grenville Street, Cameron Street, Peel Street, Young Street, Victoria Street, Steinfeld Street, Haymes Street, Bond Street, Anderson Street, Eastwood Street, Mair Street, East Street, Haymes Crescent Sheet 7 - Murphy Street, Queen Street, Dyte Parade, Princes Street, Midland Highway, York Street, Dodds St, Wilson St Otway Street, Specimen vale, King Street, Gray Street, Little Dodds Street, Eureka Street. Sheet 9 - Richards Street, Fussell Street, Stockade Street, Orphan Asylum, Ballarat Orphanage, Elford Street, Russell Street, Ross Street, Charlesworth Street, Lalor Street, Stockade Street, Wilson Street, York Street, Eureka Street Sheet 10 - Eureka Street, York Street, Elford Street, Wilson Street, Mount Street, Turpie Street, Timber Reserve, Mount Xavier Sheet 11 - Yarrowee Creek, Humffray Street, Barkly Street, Morton Street, Cobden Street, Morton Street Wesleyan Church, Pryor Street, Albion Street, Bradshaw Street, Ballarat Woollen Mills, Tannery, Mount Pleasant. Sheet 12 - Magpie Street, Grant Street, Gladstone Street, Cobden Street, Fraser Street, Grenfell Street, Robertson Street, Bond Street, Barkly Street, Vine Street, Sovereign Hill, Ballarat Observatory, Pearce Street, Bond Street. Sheet 13 - Murphy Street, Larter Street, midland Highway, Geelong Road, gales Street, Lal Lal Street, Clayton Street, Dodds Street, Elsworth Street Sheet 14 - Eureka Street, Eureka Stockade Memorial Park, Eureka Stockade Reserve. York Street, Joseph Street, Kline Street, Charlesworth Street, Chamberlain Street, Trevor Street, Belford Street, Queen Street, Murray Street, Eureka Tiles, Orphan Asylum, Ballarat Orphanage. Sheet 18 - Scotts Parade, Stawell Street, Fortune Street, Victoria STreet, Railway Line, Haines Street, Eureka Street, Elford STreet, Brophy Street, York Street, Clayton Street, Elsworth Street, Barkly Street, Humffray Street, Midland Highway, Princes Street ballarat youth council, ballarat east, bakery hill, humffray street, victoria street, st paul's anglican church, humffray street state school

20 acres of land at Forest Hill Nunawading on Canterbury Road next to Wesleyan Chapel.20 acres of land at Forest Hillwesleyan chapel, willson, henry, hunt's lane, forest hill, mount pleasant methodist church

non-fictionThe Forest Hill Uniting Op Shop has been renovated and re-opened following closure during Covid restrictionsmount pleasant methodist church, st. ninians uniting church blackburn south, wesleyan chapel, opportunity shops

Three Ballarat churches boast stained glass windows by Amalie Feild - St Andrew's Kirk, Lydiard Street Uniting Church, and the Mount Pleasant Methodist Church boast stained glass windows were made to Amalie's design. Colour photograph of World War One memorial stained glass windows in the Lydiard Street Uniting Church. The windows were designed by Amalie Feild (later Colquhoun). The windows were made by Tarrant in 1920.stained glass, lydiard street uniting church, amalie feild, world war one memorial, amalie colquhoun, lydiard street wesleyan church

The grave of Thomas Sweeney, former convict turned respectable citizen. The Murray and Sweeney families were both early settlers of the Eltham district and connected by marriage. Their family plots are located side by side in the Catholic section of the Eltham Cemetery. Irish-born Thomas Sweeney is regarded as the first settler in Eltham. He was transported to Sydney in 1823 after being convicted of arson. He was granted his freedom in 1838 and married Margaret Meehan in the same year. They moved to Melbourne and in 1842 Thomas purchased 110 acres beside the Yarra River in the vicinity of present-day Sweeneys Lane. He called the property ‘Culla Hill’ and built a small slab hut (reputedly with Wurundjeri help; Margaret is said to have run an informal hospital for them in return). This was followed in 1846 by more substantial buildings consisting of a three-roomed Irish-style ‘longhouse’ and a barn made of stone and handmade bricks, with doors large enough to accommodate a fully loaded wagon. When the gold rush came, Thomas prospered by selling meat and potatoes to the prospectors, enabling him to purchase a further 308 acres in 1856. He promoted the construction of a bridge over the Plenty River and the establishment of a school at Eltham. Roman Catholic Church services were held at Culla Hill in the early years. When he died in 1867, he was regarded as a respected member of the community. Thomas and Margaret are buried in Eltham Cemetery with many of their descendants. Their first son John continued to farm Culla Hill until his death in 1909. Culla Hill passed out of the Sweeneys' possession in 1939. The house and barn remain today, though lesser outbuildings have gone. The facade of the house is much the same as it was in the 1840s. Sacred To the memory of Thomas Sweeney Who died Sep 6th 1867 Aged 65 years May his soul res in peace Also his wife Margaret Died Oct 3rd 1884 aged 73 years And their daughters Annie Died Aug 22nd 1860 aged 21 years Johanna Died Aug 19th 1872 aged 22 years Margaret Died 7th Sep 1913 aged 72 years R.I.P. Also In Memory Of John Sweeney Died 24th May 1909 Aged 65 years Also of his wife Ellen Died 8th March 1910 Aged 64 years R.I.P Also In Memory Of Caroline Infant daughter of John & Ellen Sweeney Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p55 From the piety and poverty of 19th century Eltham, 20th century artists and environmentalists, to today’s comfortable middle class, Eltham Cemetery records it all — and more. A visit to Eltham Cemetery reveals an important social record since its beginnings in 1858. The cemetery was situated on about six acres (2.4ha) (now around 4.8ha) at the corner of Mount Pleasant and Metery Roads.1* It is thought that Metery Road was originally called Cemetery Road, but in the early 1940s, a resident, possibly a councillor, objected to the name resulting in the change.2 Much can be gleaned about the developing Eltham community from burial styles and the names of former local residents. Originally the cemetery was divided into Christian denominations, like others of that time, following the United Kingdom burial system. In 1861 the cemetery included Church of England, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic and Wesleyans (later Methodist) sites. Graves also indicated social class. Some had grand tombstones, perhaps fenced with ornamental cast iron railing, but most in the 1860s and 1870s were constructed of modest stone slabs.3 This indicated the poverty of the district, which was largely inhabited by farmers on small landholdings. A poignant reminder of the high rates of infant mortality of those times, are the many infants and young children recorded on the headstones. Major changes occurred in the cemetery in the late 20th century as Christian adherence weakened and society became more egalitarian and informal. In the early 1970s a non-denominational lawn section for burials was established. Since then all new areas have been non-denominational to accommodate the more diverse local community. Now, instead of large ornamental headstones, some mourners have chosen boulders, reflecting the natural Eltham style, while others choose graves in the lawn areas or niches in walls. In the late 1970s, the University Donor Section was established north-west of Candlebark Lawn for those who donated their bodies for The University of Melbourne medical research. In the early 1980s the natural Australian garden style, popular in Eltham, was mirrored in a new section called Ashes Walk. Local landscape architect Gordon Ford, who had popularised this style, designed the Walk using boulders shaded by native plants beside curved pathways. Landscape architect Robert Boyle later redesigned Ashes Walk and developed other parts of the cemetery in keeping with this style.4 Appropriately Ford, who died in 1999, was interred in the Native Garden Section in a cluster of sites shaded by a large eucalyptus tree.5 By 2007, about 6400 interments were recorded in the Eltham Cemetery. Close inspection reveals notable names in the district’s history. The grave of Thomas Sweeney, a former convict who became a respected citizen, can be found in the Roman Catholic section near the path. Eltham Primary School’s first headmaster, David Clark, is buried in a modest grave in the Church of England section to the east of the path from the main entrance. Sir William Irvine, Victorian Premier from 1900 to 1902, whose grave is in the north-east Presbyterian section was at various times Victoria’s Chief Justice, Deputy Governor and Treasurer.6 Further south is the grave of social reformer Bertram Wainer, born in Scotland in 1928 and died in 1987. He campaigned to legalise abortion and exposed police corruption in allowing illegal ‘backyard’ abortions. Other prominent local residents interred in the cemetery include: Justus Jörgensen, who founded Montsalvat; Alistair Knox, the mud-brick housing pioneer and Eltham Shire Councillor from 1971 to 1975 and President in 1975; Clem and Nina Christensen, who had a major influence on the literary development of post World War Two Australia. Others were: composer Dorian Le Gallienne; artist Peter Glass; Stephen Dattner, a prominent Melbourne furrier; ALP parliamentarian for Greensborough, Pauline Toner and political scientist and commentator, Professor William Macmahon Ball.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, annie sweeney, caroline sweeney, ellen sweeney, eltham cemetery, graves, gravestones, johanna sweeney, john murray, john sweeney, margaret sweeney, mary ellen drain, mary murray, thomas murray, thomas sweeney

Eltham's original Wesleyan Methodist Church Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p97 The pretty Uniting Church building at the corner of John and Main Roads Eltham has served the community since 1881.1 Originally called the Eltham Wesleyan Church, the church became the Eltham Methodist Church in 1902, the year it united with the Primitive Methodists.2 As the church community developed, influencing and being influenced by the wider community, its buildings changed accordingly. Eltham Wesleyans first worshiped together in 1850 at the home of William and Mary Crozier on 24 acres (9.7ha) bounded by Mount Pleasant Road and Pitt Street. From 1855 the Wesleyans worshipped in a slab-and-bark hut; then in 1858 in a chapel on Henry Street close to Maria Street (now Main Road). Meanwhile, in 1860, the Primitive Methodists opened a brick chapel at the corner of Susan and Bridge Streets. The John Street building – in the Early English Gothic style with biochrome brick window frames, buttress heads and pinnacle – was designed by architects Crouch and Wilson. Church member George Stebbing built the church as he did Eltham’s St Margaret’s Anglican Church and Shillinglaw Cottage. The Church Honour Roll is a poignant reminder of how church members have served the wider community: 27 members enlisted and 11 died in World War One. Despite the Great Depression, 1931 was a time of expansion for the church. Its red-brick hall was opened by prominent Methodist and philanthropist F J Cato of the Moran and Cato Grocery chain. The hall enabled the church to attract people from outside through activities like its gymnasium – with 40 boys and youth participating – and the girls’ callisthenics club, which competed at the Ballarat South Street Competitions. The church also held concerts, bazaars, picnics and sports, with badminton and tennis played on the church court at 23 John Street. Two stained-glass windows commemorate tragic events. A dove representing the Holy Spirit and Comforter marked the death in 1936 of member Effie Lowerson from scarlet fever at 14 years. The other depicting the Biblical story A sower went forth to sow, commemorates Ross Gangell, who died in 1961 at 23 years of a rare blood condition. Eltham’s population expanson resulted in the growth of the church and an extension in 1971, designed by member and architect Colin Jones. The church was linked to the hall and additions included a foyer, vestry, meeting room and toilets. The design reflected the Eltham style of the time, with its simplicity, extensive clear glass, reused baked clay-bricks from the 1881 church, heavy ceiling beams and solomite (compressed straw) ceiling. On June 26, 1977 the church became part of the new Uniting Church in Australia consisting of the former Methodist and Congregational and most of the Presbyterian Churches. In 1981 membership peaked at 159 – about 20 years after most Protestant churches – and continued to reach out to the wider community.3 In 1987, 147 children attended Selihoo, the weekly after-school program organised with St Margaret’s Anglican Church. From 1993, the church with other local churches, participated in LINC (Love in the Name of Christ), helping the wider community in various ways including babysitting, transport, gardening and visiting. Despite such initiatives, church numbers declined, and on June 23, 1996, the church merged with the Montmorency Uniting Church.4 However, the church continued to proclaim its message of love in community service and strong social justice action, such as in Jubilee 2000, supporting debt relief to the world’s 45 poorest countries. Some of the many church members who have had an outstanding impact on the wider community include Philip Shillinglaw, farmer and poet, and Arthur Bird (after whom the Arthur Bird Reserve is named), a pioneer orchardist and the Sunday School Superintendent for 33 years. Others were: the Rev Dr Cliff Wright, who established the Methodist Youth Fellowship and was prominent in the World Council of Churches, the Rev Brian Howe, who became Deputy Prime Minister and Tim Marshall, awarded the Order of Australia in 2000 for his work on salinity.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 uniting church, eltham methodist church

This pulpit fall commemorates the second Wesleyan church structure that was brought to Mount Pleasant from Clayton's Hill and erected at the corner of Morton and Tress Streets. It was about 30 feet long, 18 feet wide with slab sides and a canvas roof. The Rev Theophilus Taylor was one of the first preachers to conduct services in this church. It was the second church on the site, the first being a canvas tent erected in 1854. In 1857 a third, wooden, church was built with side buttresses and was later enlarged by transepts on each side. The Rev. Albert Briggs was the minister at Mt Pleasant in 1955. [Source: Peers, T. (compiler) 'Mount Pleasant Church 1855 - 2005' ]Cream crochet sewn onto rose coloured curtain fabric with a gold tassel. "'MT PLEASANT CHURCH CENTENARY 1855 1955"mt pleasant methodist church ballarat, rev theophilus taylor, rev albert briggs