The orthodox version of the origins and history of the Kew Elder(ly) Citizens’ Association was established by Cr. W. D. Vaughan in his book Kew’s Civic Century (1960), when he wrote that: "When Mrs. C. H. Simpson was Mayoress in 1952 she set up the Elderly Citizens’ Association to care for the needs of ages persons in Kew. The idea was strongly supported and a start was made by providing social afternoons for elderly folk at Southesk. Visiting sick people in their homes, providing firewood where needed, and other activities were undertaken by the Association. The aid of Council was sought to further the work. It was decided that a social unit for elderly folk be established at Southesk." (p.126-7). In the following pages, he describes in detail Council’s role in formally establishing the Association. This ‘official’ version was reasserted in the later Thematic Environmental History of the City of Boroondara (2012). However the origins and gestation of community of organisations is rarely straightforward. In 1965, five years after Vaughan’s book was published, the author of East Kew Women’s Club : Twenty Years : 20-7-1945-30-7-1965, writing about the period July 1947 to July 1950, described the role the Club played in establishing the Kew Elder Citizens Association. The author wrote: "At a meeting of the Kew Community Aid, the plight of many elderly people in Kew who were dependent on pensions was raised and in order to ascertain their needs the practice was begun of serving morning tea at the Masonic Hall in Walpole Street, where pensions were then paid. From this beginning the Kew Elder Citizens Association was formed in Kew with wide support, and Club members gave willing support on the committee, in helping serve afternoon tea and in entertainment." (p.4) Photographic evidence also leads to questions about Vaughan’s version of events. A framed photograph in the Society’s Collection shows a Public Meeting to form the Kew Elder Citizens Association in a room at Southesk a year earlier in 1951. Whatever version of the origins of the Association is correct, a later framed photograph in the Society’s collection shows the opening of the completed Clubrooms of the Kew Elder Citizens at South Esk by the Hon. E.P. Cameron M.L.C, Minister of Health, on 12 November 1956. The Association is still active in Kew and is currently located at Hamer Court, opposite the Boroondara General (Kew) Cemetery in High Street, Kew.Framed and titled black and white photograph taken on the occasion of a visit by members of the Kew Elder Citizens Club to Lyons "Mountain Grand" Warburton, in February 1978.community groups -- kew (vic.), senior citizens clubs -- kew (vic), club tours

This letter written by Mary Adams concerns the sale of a property, ‘my Hopkins land’, perhaps in the Warrnambool area. No information is available on Mary Adams or her ‘Uncle Jim’. There is a reference in the letter to ‘Mr Lawson’ and this may refer to a member of the Lawson family living in Warrnambool about this time, perhaps Richard Lawson who, in 1908, was Principal of a private school, Warrnambool College Academy. The Mountain Grand Guest House in Warburton was a well-known guest house in Victoria for many years and was still in existence in 1948. The letter came to the Society’s collection with other material relating to the Warrnambool Club. As no enlightening information is available on this letter or its contents it is of little importance at this time. Further research may render it a useful item to keep. This is a letter of two pages written in 1908 by Mary Adams to her Uncle Jim. The letter is handwritten in black ink. The letter is written on the green notepaper of the Mountain Grand Guest House Warburton, Victoria‘Mountain Grand, Warburton’ (on letterhead)mary adams

Guest house and surrounding bushMountain Grand Guest house 1952 Halls Gap Grampiansaccommodation, guesthouses, mountain grand

The photo is of Mountain Grand guesthouse.Photo shows a large building with verandahs in front of the on the left and right wings. Verandah on the right is semi-circular to accommodate the design of the room behind it. A large eucalyptus tree stands in the foreground. Two cars are parked beside the tree."Kodacolor print, Kodak, April-71M" stamped on back in pink.accommodation, mountain grand

Mountain Grand guest house in Autumn Guest House in Halls GapAutumn Halls Gap 87/3guesthouses, mountain grand

Photograph of post card of Mountain Grand Guest HouseGuest house in GrampiansThe Rose Series P 12199accommodation, guesthouses, mountain grand

Advertisement for Mountain Grand Halls Gap A Mangle was the proprietor Electric Light, Hot water service, Hot dinners, Week-end parties catered for Tennis Court, Bowling Green, one minute from swimming poolAdvertisement for Guest HouseAGFA quality paper made in Germanymedia, advertisements, accommodation, mountain grand

2 post cards and 1 photo of post cardGuest House in GrampiansTaylor Series No 14 Valentines' post card a genuine photoaccommodation, guesthouses, mountain grand

Appears to be older period possibly 1940s because of the age of the carGuest on verandah, car at side of Guest Houseaccommodation, guesthouses, mountain grand

Photograph of post cardUpdated railing on verandah of Guest houseThe Rose Series P 12199accommodation, guesthouses, mountain grand

A photo of the Comfort Station in the Halls Gap Picnic and Camping Reserve.The photo shows a wood and stone building at the rear of a clearing with a large eucalyptus tree growing close to the front of it. In the background is heavy bush. A tent or large cloth can be seen on the right beside a large tree stump.buildings, mountain grand

Group photograph of Briar Hill Senior Citizens club at Mountain Grand Warburton in 1969.Digital copy of black and white photograph.briar hill senior citizens club

Group photograph of Research Senior Citizens Club at Mountain Grand Warburton 24/02/1969.Digital copy of black and white photograph.simons family, grimshaw street greensborough

On Dec.25, 1940 Sylvia Vyanna Morgan passed away. Dorothy had married Roy Warren from Myrtlebank Guest House and Thomas had married Edna Kennedy. In 1942 Nina married Arthur Mangle and in 1946 built Mountain Grand Guest House opposite Grampian House. By 1950 Morgan decided to sell Grampian House and moved to Stawell. The new owners of Grampian House were Fredrick Charles Kingston, a successful bus company operator from Stawell and his daughter Ethel May Mathews who together with her husband Des built the adjoining famous Kookaburra Cafe in 1946. Fredrick had also built a bowling green next to the cafe. In the late 1950's Grampian House Guest House was leased to several people including Mr & Mrs. Hudousek, Paul Loren and people with surname Virtue. It was during this time that the front veranda and pergola were demolished and the house modernised. Nina Mangle and her two sons Arthur & Charles purchased the property and operated it as an overflow for Mountain Grand Guest House. Well known artist Neil Douglas operated a studio on the premises and Horsham identities Evan and Barbara Mackley housed a museum of furniture and artefacts on the site. Advertisement and photo of Grampian House. accommodation, guesthouses, accommodation, grampian house

A colour photograph of a visit by the grand-daughter of Nicholas and Louisa Caire to "The Hermitage" at Narbethong in Victoria.A colour photograph of a visit by the grand-daughter of Nicholas and Louisa Caire to "The Hermitage" at Narbethong in Victoria. "The Hermitage" was built by photographer John William Lindt as a home and guesthouse in 1894. John Lindt had previously photographed the mountain scenery of the Black Spur and purchased 71 acres and subseqently built his home and guesthouse from where he continued his career. "The Hermitage had a garden designed by John Lindt's friend, Ferdinand von Mueller, who was at one stage the Director of the Melbourne Botanic Gardens. The garden featured New Guinea tree houses from which John Lindt made frequent panoramas of his property and the surrounding forest of towering mountain ash. Aged 81 Lindt died of heart failure during disastrous bushfires on 19 February 1926 at the Hermitage. He was survived by his wife Catherine who continued to run ‘The Hermitage’ guest house before she retired to the city. John Lindt, in collaboration with Nicholas John Caire, produced a tourist booklet on the area around "The Hermitage" in 1913.the hermitage, john william lindt, narbethong, victoria, black spur, ferdinand von mueller, melbourne botanic gardens, new guinea, catherine lindt, nicholas john caire

Presented to the Ballarat School of Mines from Changzhou Educaiton Delegation. A Chinese calligraphic banne a a famous poem 'On the Stork Tower' written in the Tang Dynesty by Wang Zhihuan. The Sun along the mountains bows; The yellow river seawards flows. You will enjoy a grander sight; By climbing to a greater height. wang zhihuan, poem, tang dynasty, stork tower, changzhou, chine, calligraphy

St Peter's Memorial Church Kinglake was destroyed in the 2009 bushfires and rebuilt and re-consecrated in 2014. The author, Jillian Durance, is a grand daughter of Charles and Ivy Partington.160 p., illus. (some col.) paperback."To the Greensborough Historical Society, best wishes - Jillian Durance 2017"st peters memorial church kinglake, bushfire, kinglake

Valentine Series No.2428. Postcard of the Grand Canyon, Grampians." Valentine Publishing Co. Melbourne and Sydney" ---"Valentines Real Photo Series" on reverse of postcard.There are rocky ranges on both sides with a gap in the middle. A mountain range is in the background.scenery, grampians ranges

Strathewen Public Hall, social and spiritual centre was later lost in the Black Saturday fires 2009. The Strathewen Community decided a community hall was needed in 1901. In 1902 locals built the hall with messmate trees. It was located on the Cottlesbridge-Strathewen Road. The first function was a Grand concert and Balll attended by about 120 people. Several denominations held Church services and Sunday School services in the Hall. It survived several bushfires until after this photo was taken when it was destroyed in Black Saturday, 9 February 2009. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p89 Strathewen was settled late, largely because it was difficult to access.1 Early selectors found it a struggle to survive. They had to do everything themselves, from felling trees for buildings, to taking produce to market along bush tracks that they had helped cut. Small dairy farms were typical but fruit became the district’s prime produce. The first settlers east of Arthurs Creek were brothers John and Duncan Smith whose station Glen-Ard was probably operated as a sheep run. Other early settlers were the Mann family, who were to donate land for the hall, provide postal services and John Mann was an Eltham Shire councillor from 1916 to 1919.2 In 1873 James Mann, his wife Jane and their six children, settled on 207 acres (83.7) (Lang Fauld Farm) on both sides of Eagles Nest Road, from the foot of Mount Sugarloaf to the bank of the Arthurs Creek. In 1883 James took up another selection on Chads Creek. It was very hard work and at times he was well behind with his rent. However the family had a good social life, attending the Primitive Methodist Church at the Arthurs Creek Township and on New Year’s Eve throwing a party for all the locals. By 1874 James Mann’s younger brother, John, selected 311 acres (125.8ha) between Eagles Nest Road and upper Arthurs Creek. He called it Carseburn after his home parish in Scotland. Tragically in 1875 John drowned in the Yarra River, at Richmond.3 John Mann’s oldest son, also John, later purchased Duncan Smith’s land, which he named Violet Glen. He was to give one acre (0.4ha) of this land for the Strathewen Hall site. A Mann family diary written at Carseburn in 1897, tells how the district’s name was selected. Strathewen is derived from ‘strath’ meaning ‘broad mountain valley’ and from the name of Ewen H. Cameron, the local parliamentarian for almost 40 years. ‘George Brain came around to get a petition signed to get a post office up here and we had to vote for a name—Strathewen, Glen-Ard, or Headcorie’.4 It was at Carseburn that a public meeting in 1901, decided to build the Strathewen Hall on the Cottlesbridge-Strathewen Road. In 1902 the locals built the hall with messmate trees. The first function was a Grand Concert and Ball attended by around 120 people and several Protestant denominations took turns to hold church services and Sunday School there. Fortunately the hall has survived bushfires to be the town’s spiritual and social centre.5 The area continued to develop and in 1909 a post office operated somewhere at Strathewen and from around 1916 at Carseburn.6 It was not until 1914 that land was bought to establish the Strathewen State School on School Ridge Road. The residents paid £100 to build it on two acres (0.8 ha) while the Education Department contributed £30 and leased the building annually for £1. When teacher Miss Mary Golding opened the school in 1917, it had no equipment.7 But in 1921 the Education Department provided desks and a hexagonal shelter shed (now a rare style in Victoria) and took control in 1925.8 By 1917 Strathewen was booming.9 George Apted had built a coolstore in 1916, and local orchardists bought storage space until the 1950s. This allowed the area to supply the market in and out of season. Guesthouses catered for growing tourism. In the mid 1920s Mrs Eleanor Sparkes built the guest-house Singing Waters, which operated through the 1930s. Her daughter Mrs Vera McKimmie, ran it until the 1950s and the house remains in Chads Creek Road. In the Great Depression land was cleared for timber to be sold as firewood and there was small scale sawmilling. However the orchard industry diminished for several reasons including the 1939 bushfires and rapid changes in production methods. Today the Apteds still operate an orchard and farm at Glen-Ard, which straddles the border between Strathewen and Arthurs Creek. It includes the southern part of Duncan Smith’s original Glen-Ard selection.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, strathewan public hall

Part of a presentation, "Roads and Byways of the Shire of Eltham", by Russell Yeoman to the 12 September 1990 Society meeting. Slides shown included copies of old photos and recent images ranging from the suburban streets of Eltham and Montmorency to the mountain roads of Kinglake. In the byways category are views of some iof the Shire's bicycle paths including then recently completed sections of the Main Yarra Trail at Lower Plenty.35mm colour positive transparency (1 of 37) Mount - Agfachrome Agfa CS System black 8 dotsinfrastructure, roads, aerial photographs, main road, montmorency, montmorency south primary school, grand boulevard

Part of a presentation, "Roads and Byways of the Shire of Eltham", by Russell Yeoman to the 12 September 1990 Society meeting. Slides shown included copies of old photos and recent images ranging from the suburban streets of Eltham and Montmorency to the mountain roads of Kinglake. In the byways category are views of some iof the Shire's bicycle paths including then recently completed sections of the Main Yarra Trail at Lower Plenty.35mm colour positive transparency (1 of 37) Mount - Agfachrome Agfa CS System black 8 dotsinfrastructure, roads, grand boulevard, montmorency

Copy photo of the Montague Football Club Grand Final team 1960sport - australian rules football, montague football club, b atkins, c furzer, r mckenzie, m mahady, g fleming, m bayliss, a parker, b cooper, w morrow, k darrigan, t mountain, j ray, w tyrell, j crowley, a dennis, i fitzgerald, s alexander, j o'keefe, w watts, k ross, i welsby, m o'flynn, t parkinson, r oldman, l ollington, k mcfee, r stewart

Each Court had its unique name which was its Charter. The Charter was to be displayed at meetings. The Methodist Order of Knights was the official youth organisation of the Methodist Church of Australasia. It originated in Hurstville, NSW, on the 4th October 1914 by the then Mr and later Rev Alex Bray. Alex Bray was a Sunday School teacher and spoke to his class of the Knights of the Round Table. In 1917 the Order of Knights was officially recognised by the Sunday School Dept of the NSW Methodist Conference. Courts spread thoroughout Australia. In 1927 the High Court of NSW called for designs for a badge and in 1929 the General Conference of the Methodist Church of Australasia recognised the Order as an approved Organisation. In 1938 the Senior Section was organised into Degrees of Sincerity, Service and Sacrifice; the Junior Section into Pages' Degree with advancement to Esquire. In 1954 the Junior Section was reorganised into two groups: Pages 8 to 11 years and Esquires 12 to 15 years. The Knight's Motto: "Live Pure, Speak True, Right Wrong, Follow Christ the King, else wherefore born?" Courts of the Order: General Conference Department of the Christian Education - General Court - Provincial High Court - District Court - Local Court - Senior Court - Intermediate Court - Junior Court . Regalia: All members of the Intermediate and Senior Courts wore regalia consisting of a cloth shield superimposed by a cross of light and dark blue ribbons, and supported by a cloth collar. Esquire and Degree of Sincerity regalia: White collar and white shield. Degree of Service regalia: Green collar and shield. Degree of Sacrifice: Scarlet collar and shield. District Court regalia: Blue collar and gold shield. High Court regalia: Gold collar and purple sheild. General Court regalia: Purple collar and shield. Officers of the local courts wore their symbols as part of their regalia. Order of Knights Charter for the Methodist Church of Australasia Order of Knights. The Charter is for the Belgrave Junior Court of the Mountains. It is dated 5th May 1936 and is signed by Leslie G Poyser, Knight Grand Commander and Joseph McIlroy, Governor."Belgrave Court of the Mountains. COURT No 48" "5th May 1936" "Leslie G Poyser" Joseph McIroy"lesie g pyser, joseph mcilroy, order of knights, methodist order of knights

The Methodist Order of Knights was the official youth organisation of the Methodist Church of Australasia. It originated in Hurstville, NSW, on the 4th October 1914 by the then Mr and later Rev Alex Bray. Alex Bray was a Sunday School teacher and spoke to his class of the Knights of the Round Table. In 1917 the Order of Knights was officially recognised by the Sunday School Dept of the NSW Methodist Conference. Courts spread thoroughout Australia. In 1927 the High Court of NSW called for designs for a badge and in 1929 the General Conference of the Methodist Church of Australasia recognised the Order as an approved Organisation. In 1938 the Senior Section was organised into Degrees of Sincerity, Service and Sacrifice; the Junior Section into Pages' Degree with advancement to Esquire. In 1954 the Junior Section was reorganised into two groups: Pages 8 to 11 years and Esquires 12 to 15 years. The Knight's Motto: "Live Pure, Speak True, Right Wrong, Follow Christ the King, else wherefore born?" Courts of the Order: General Conference Department of the Christian Education - General Court - Provincial High Court - District Court - Local Court - Senior Court - Intermediate Court - Junior Court . Regalia: All members of the Intermediate and Senior Courts wore regalia consisting of a cloth shield superimposed by a cross of light and dark blue ribbons, and supported by a cloth collar. Esquire and Degree of Sincerity regalia: White collar and white shield. Degree of Service regalia: Green collar and shield. Degree of Sacrifice: Scarlet collar and shield. District Court regalia: Blue collar and gold shield. High Court regalia: Gold collar and purple sheild. General Court regalia: Purple collar and shield. Officers of the local courts wore their symbols as part of their regalia. Order of Knights Charter for the Methodist Church of Australasia Order of Knights. The Charter is for Belgrave Court of the Mountains. It is dated 10th April 1933 and is signed by Harold V Carroll, Knight Grand Commander and A Vincent Ballard, Governor. The Charter is glued to a piece of plywood."Belgrave Court of the Mountains" "10th April 1933" "Harold V Carroll" "A Vincent Ballard"order of knights, methodist order of knights, harold v carroll, a vincent ballard

"Dear Alice" Is a collection of 142 Postcards from Australia and around world, almost all of which are addressed to Miss Alice Evans, No. 2 Cox Gardens, Williamstown, dated between 1905 - 1909. These postcards form part of a collection found in the ceiling of No. 2 Cox Gardens by a local builder and carpenter Gordon Peterson. Peterson was contracted to demolish the house in the mid 1970's. The cards were held in the Estate of Gordon Peterson, along with a photo of the cottage, before demolition until donation to the historical society by his descendants in 2024. Alice Edith Evans was born in Williamstown in 1885 to parents Benjamin Samuel Evans (1833-1900), a bootmaker from Ruabon, Denbighshire, Wales and Catherine (nee Jones) (1850-1915) from Eaglehawk, near Castlemaine. Alice had three older step sisters, and two younger brothers, Benjamin and Samuel, who sadly died in infancy. Alice’s father, Benjamin, had been married previously, his wife dying during childbirth, leaving him with three daughters to care for. After leaving school, Alice was employed as a clerk with Trevor Jones & Co. (real estate agents), until her declining health prevented her from working. She was an active and well known member of the Welsh Church and Sunday School on Ferguson Street and enjoyed singing and playing in local concerts. Well known in the community, a Grand Benefit Concert was organised in her honour on 9th April, 1910, at the Mechanics Institute, Williamstown. Hosted by Mayor Cr. Wymark, the event featured a delightful program of musical performances, showcasing both individual talents and the Carlton Club Choir. Tragically, Alice passed away due to the effects of her illness on 3rd December 1910, at the age of just 25. She is buried in Williamstown Cemetery. The postcards, written between 1905 to 1909, illustrate the social history of residents and everyday life at the turn of the century, using postcards as a means of communication.This postcard forms part of the collection of 142 Postcards. This postcard is a black and white photograph of a typical mountain pathway with person with a pack and hat on.Typical mountain pathwayalice evans postcards, mountains, walking, nature, exploring