The Nillumbik Festival was introduced as a replacement for the Eltham Festival following the disbandment of Eltham Shire Council in December 1994 and the creation of Nillumbik Shire Council. It was an attempt to draw away from Eltham and be more inclusive of the wider communities in Nillumbik. However other local communities had their own festivals and the concept of a Nillumbik Festival was never widely accepted by the community and it shortly reverted back to the Eltham Fesitval in 1997. Page 5 Photo: Acting Sen-Sgergeant Paul MacNicholl of Eltham Police with Jamie-Lee Teagley and friends at the Nillumbik Festival on Saturday Page 6 Photos: Nillumbik Chief Don Cordell with Parade leader Jock Read & Lofty Roma O'Callaghan and Brian McKean of Plenty Valley FM - 88.6 Artist Ray Macminn of Diamond Valley arts Society exhibition The Eastside Jazz Band lead the way in Saturday's Nillumbik Festival Eltham Football Club fellas fly the flag for the Panthers in Main Road Eltham Lionesses Marcia Whitely, Peggy Lear, June Cook & Kath Elliott ALP's Sherryl Garbutt, Harry Jenkins, Sig Jorgensen and Jenny Macklin Diamond Valley Arts Society's Don Cook paints with oils on Saturday It's amaxing who'll you'll meet at the Nillumbik Festival Page 7 Photos: Eltham MLA Wayne Phillips with Jaga Jaga candidate Michelle Penson Greens candidate Julie Coulston with Geraldine Ryan at Knox Park The Anti Ring Road Organisation march on, you guessed it, Main Road Lower Plenty Primary School had an imaginative display in the Parade The Melbourne Kyokushin Club show their defence skills on Saturday Brian Harvey of Diamond Valley Sports Complex at the Fitness Expo Michael Jerrard and president Trevor Taylor of Greensborough- Diamond Creek Apex Jock Kyme drives the Democratic Nillumbik Association float on Main Road Page 8: Letter: Time for a new Eltham Festival by Sigmund JorgensenNewsprint1995, eltham festival, nillumbik festival, 1st eltham brownies, 1st eltham scouts, alistair knox park, allwood house belly dance, anti ring road organisation (arro), brian mckean, circus of chaos, democratic nillumbik association, diamond valley people for nuclear disamament, don cordell, drum group, eastside jazz band, eltham cfa, eltham community health centre, eltham east primary school, eltham fire brigade, eltham football club juniors, eltham north primary school, eltham primary school, eltham ses, eltham south primary school, eltham steam and stationary engine society, grand parade, harry jenkins, jean austin, jenny macklin, jock read, john cust, john huf, julie coulston, kevin abbott, kevin austin, lofty (horse), lower plenty primary school, lyn allison, main road, melbourne kyokushin karate school, montmorency garden club, montmorency south primary school, montsalvat coachlines, nillumbik commissioners, nillumbik garden club, north warrandyte fire brigade, panther place, peter burton, plenty valley 88.6 fm, pryor street, rats of tobruk memorial pipes and drums, research fire brigade, research primary school, robert guy, roma o'callaghan, sheryl garbutt, sigmund jorgensen, tim newhouse, wayne phillips m.p., woodridge pre-school, diamond valley vineyards, dutch social club, edendale community farm, eltham bowling club, eltham eagles in-line hockey, eltham football club, eltham rugby football club, eltham vineyards, ginger garlic, kingstan berries, silvie's delectables, vili's pies, wycliffe bible translators

Various short pieces of writing, some dated, earliest 1971, latest in 1997. Gwen Baker (1928-2005) was a foundation member of EDHS. See Also Newsleter 162, May 2005 GWENDOLINE MARGARET BAKER NEE BOWES 1928- 2005 Gwen Baker as we knew her, often used her full name in her writings and even acknowledged her maiden family name as a means of reinforcing her own personal identity. Gwen died on 28 Februrary 2005 and has been buried at Arthurs Creek Cemetery in accordance with her wishes. It is typical of her humour that after visiting the site she wrote: "I have seen the Cemetery, so if I wake in sleep it has a nice view" Gwen was a foundation member of our Society. We remember her mainly for her contribution to our meetings, her witty comments or questions to our speakers and, of course, her collection of plants that she contributed to help the finances of our Society. Her friends in the Society also remember her cards and brief letters on a wide range of subjects. Gwen's wide range of interests included pottery, poetry and of course her gardening. She was an active member of many organizations including the Red Cross, Catholic Church, Nillumbik Garden Club and the former Eltham Arts Council. Her small self- published booklet of poems and writings starts with tins item written at 2am on Easter Sunday 1975. THOUGHT The seeming steady stillness of this quiet night has varied sound to one who sits and thinks of life. Of times of your of pleasant things and if the future has in store a place to be - a reason to exist. One hears a bird upon the roof scratching at his mate while in the distance a car goes by returning home quite late. A neighbours dog goes forth and bark! then stillness once again, like sunshine after rain. and so the thinker having heard and thought, carefully turns out the light and goes to bed. 41 pages (20 A4 pages cut in half). Folder 76 from Harry Gilham Collectionpoetry, creative writing, gwen baker

Members of the Eltham District Historical Society transfer collection items from storage into their new home. Previously occupied by the Parks and Environment Department of Nillumbik Shire Council (L-R: Mark Gillham, Margaret Ball Vice President, Sue Law Immediate Past President, Harry Gilham President) Nillumbik Shire Council Commissioner Vin Heffernan (1996-97) worked with Harry Gilham to obtain use of the former Eltham Shire Parks and Gardens office at 728 Main Road for use by the Society. Harry as a younger man had played in the scrum for Heidelberg Football Club along with Vin's brother who was on the wing. Apparently Heffernan was able to access $30K to spend on the site to fix it up for occupation.Colour photo print 12.5 x 19 cmLeaser Newspaper Groupmargaret ball, mark gilham, police residence, sue law, 728 main road, activities, eltham, eltham district historical society, harry gilham, justice precinct, local history centre

Members of the Eltham District Historical Society transfer collection items from storage into their new home. Previously occupied by the Parks and Environment Department of Nillumbik Shire Council (L-R: Mark Gillham, Margaret Ball Vice President, Sue Law Immediate Past President, Harry Gilham President) Nillumbik Shire Council Commissioner Vin Heffernan (1996-97) worked with Harry Gilham to obtain use of the former Eltham Shire Parks and Gardens office at 728 Main Road for use by the Society. Harry as a younger man had played in the scrum for Heidelberg Football Club along with Vin's brother who was on the wing. Apparently Heffernan was able to access $30K to spend on the site to fix it up for occupation.Colour photographeltham district historical society, harry gilham, margaret ball, mark gilham, sue law, local history centre, 728 main road, activities, eltham, justice precinct, police residence

Kangaroo Ground's first school began in 1851 with 22 pupils from the district's ten families. It was a single room school located further south on the site, which also served as a Presbyterian church. The first teacher was Andrew Ross. The school building was used as a Post Office between 1854 and 1858 and during 1857 also served as a Court of Petty Sessions. With a growing farming community, a new building was warranted and the original Sate School No. 352 was closed and a new building, State School No. 2105 was oipened October 1, 1878. A residence for Head Teacher Henry Wallace School was erected in 1879 attached to the left of the school building. That residence is now home to the Andrew Ross Museum, which opened in 1993. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p35 In a corner of the Kangaroo Ground Primary School playground stands an old weatherboard building. This structure, attached to the former teacher’s weatherboard residence facing Main Road, first served as a school in 1878. The former residence, built in 1879, houses the Andrew Ross Museum, which opened in 1993. It is named after the school’s first teacher,1 who also founded The Evelyn Observer newspaper, which began on the site in 1873. Later the printing presses were moved to brick newspaper offices by the Kangaroo Ground Hotel, which became the Shire of Eltham offices. However Kangaroo Ground’s first school began in 1851 for 22 pupils from the district’s ten families, in a slab building further south on this site. Andrew Harkness and other settlers campaigned for the building, which was built on half an acre (0.2ha) donated by local farmer, James Donaldson. Builder was Samuel Furphy, father of the novelist Joseph.2 The single room measuring 30 feet x 18 feet (9m x 5.5m), was unlined and the green slabs shrank, allowing the wind and rain entry through cracks except when they were stuffed with paper.3 The building served as a Presbyterian church as well as a school, where fees were 18 pence a week for education. Young men also attended evening classes there in winter. At one stage, a corner of the room was curtained off for the schoolmaster’s living space, and the platform, which was used for sleeping, was also the pulpit during church services. Teacher Andrew Ross also took church services when the minister was unable to attend, which happened frequently as he had long distances to travel on the bad roads. In 1857 the school building was also used as the Court of Petty Sessions, and from 1854 until 1858, it served as a post office. During the gold rush fossickers on their way to the Caledonia Diggings at Queenstown (now St Andrews) prospected the district, but did not remain long, as the fields were not rich in gold. But the farming community grew, until by 1878 the population warranted the building of State School No 2105 – the present one-roomed tongue-and-groove lined building measuring 49 feet x 18 feet (15m x 5.5m), to accommodate 60 children. The old school, No 352, was closed, and the new one opened on October 1, with Henry Wallace as head teacher, assisted by work mistress Annie Johnston. Early teachers included Messrs Smith, Hamilton and Prosser, with sewing teachers Misses Sweeney, Limerock and Oliver. In the early 1920s a small room was built on the front veranda of the teacher’s residence, and used as a State Savings Bank agency until about 1934. In 1928 the schoolroom’s three-tiered floor was replaced by a flat floor and teacher’s platform (which has since been removed). A half-glassed partition wall then divided the large room into two rooms in which the old style form-type desks were replaced with dual desks. The small playground, surrounded by pine trees and a picket fence, was extended in 1931 with an additional acre or so (0.4 ha) of land. During World War Two the school faced closure because of a fall to seven in the enrolment, but by 1946 it had increased again to 45. Mr Eric Morgan was head teacher and Mrs Margaret Banks was assistant head teacher, a position she held for ten years. In 1955, under the head teacher Mr V Gardiner, who taught there for 13 years, the school won a prize for the best-kept garden and school ground in the inspectorate. A district subdivision increased the enrolment in 1968 to 65 and a bus service was established. After the hall which had been used for lessons was demolished late that year, the pupils met in the original fire brigade meeting room (now the tennis club, diagonally opposite the general store). The new school building with a storeroom and staffroom was built in 1974.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, kangaroo ground, andrew ross museum, eltham-yarra glen road, kangaroo ground primary school no. 2105, kangaroo ground state school, state school no. 2105