Various news articles pertaining to the January 1965 Victorian bushfires specifically with a focus on fires at Eltham North. Specific Eltham Shire districts mentioned include Eltham North and veteran Herald staff photographer Bert Rodda on page 1 • 3 Die as Bushfires Sweep the Hill: 10 homes burn at Nth. Eltham, p1 (Illust.) • 100 dogs die, p1 • Taken on the run, p1 (Illust.) • Fire runs wild at Eltham, p3 (Illust.) • 10-mile front out of control; Gippsland area ablaze, p3 • Trapped, but saved by wind, p3 tom fielding collection, victorian bushfires - 1965, victorian bushfires – 1965, eltham north, bert rodda, glen park road, short road, research (vic.), wattle glen, diamond creek, warrandyte, eltham, gippsland, mrs g. maher, bill dancy, eltham north store, bushfire damage - buildings

Second publication following the success of the 2002 edition, aims to provide the local community with a comprehensive resource, promoting local businesses and services. This edition has broadened the demographic to include 14 suburbs.Soft cover book of colour display advertisements for business's located in Chirnside Park, Doncaster East, Donvale, Kangaroo Ground, Lilydale, Nth Croydon, Nth Eltham, Nth Ringwood, Park Orchards, Research, Templestowe, Warrandyte, Warranwood and Wonga Park areas arranged by category as listed in the contents page. Includes a sprinkling of historical images and brief descriptions of each area. Also includes lists of Child care, Churches, coming events and schools. 63 pagesbusiness directory, chirnside park, doncaster east, donvale, kangaroo ground, lilydale, nth croydon, nth eltham, nth ringwood, north eltham, park orchards, research (vic.), templestowe, warrandyte, warranwood, wonga park

This edition includes a report on the Progress Association's May 1975 meeting, Councillors' reports, Community News... we must keep it going, Kinder news, Progress in social welfare in Diamond Valley, Greenhills Amateur Basketball Club, From the Council Chamber, How to start a compost heap, Letter to the Editor, This and that, The Eltham Living and Learning Centre, Open forum. A digital copy of this Newsletter is available from Greensborough Historical Society.Newsletter, 20 p., illus.greenhills and north greensborough progress association, greenhills

Promotion of health: Family Medicine Programme, Graeme Davies give us... The case against "Soda pop", Food additives, Pharmacists can help, T.A. and you, Eltham Living & Learning Centre, This and that, Letters to the Editor, The Penguin Club, Recreation study for Region 14, Diamond Valley Learning Centre, Federal government Assistance to Diamond Valley, Kalparrin, Remember the Progress Association, Nursing Mothers Association, School and Kinder news, Scout news. A digital copy of this Newsletter is available from Greensborough Historical Society. Newsletter, 32 p., illus.greenhills and north greensborough progress association, greenhills, apollo parkways progress association, apollo parkways

This edition includes a report on the The Apollo Parkways Progress Association's February 1976 meeting, A feeling of belonging together. Developers play havoc... with our natural heritage, Meet the natives, This and that, Cameo of Johnny Chester, Public open space policy, From the Council Chamber, Letter to the Editor, School and Kinder news, Diamond Valley Repertory, Eltham Film Society. A digital copy of this Newsletter is available from Greensborough Historical Society.Newsletter, 28 p., illus.greenhills and north greensborough progress association, greenhills, apollo parkways progress association, apollo parkways

This edition includes a report on the Apollo Parkways Progress Association's January 1976 meeting, Community voice... Apollo Parkways Progress Association beginnings, Farewell O'Donnells, Eltham Living and Learning Centre, This and that, Nillumbik Community School, Diamond Valley Repertory, Meet the natives, Guide news, Greenhills Amateur Basketball Club, School and Kinder news, Nursing Mothers Association. A digital copy of this Newsletter is available from Greensborough Historical Society.Newsletter, 24 p., illus.greenhills and north greensborough progress association, greenhills, apollo parkways progress association, apollo parkways

This edition includes a report on the Progress Association's July 1973 meeting, Councillor's report, Re-cycling Scheme to continue, In the public interest, The subdivision of our district, Open forum, School and Kinder news, Letter to the Editor, Eltham Film Society, Churinga news. A digital copy of this Newsletter is available from Greensborough Historical Society.Newsletter, 24 p., illus.greenhills and north greensborough progress association, greenhills

This edition includes a report on the Progress Association's June 1973 meeting, Councillor's report, Re-cycling Plan for Diamond Valley, Diamond Valley Repertory, Eltham Film Society, School and Kinder news, The Plenty River: Fricker Avenue Reserve, Open forum,.Newsletter, 24 p., illus.greenhills and north greensborough progress association, greenhills

Plum Cottage is covered by Heritage Overelay HO256 in the Nillumbuk Planning Scheme This two-lot land holding was created as a subdivision and sold to Charles Stuart McNeil by May 1955. Sometime in the period 1955-1960, the builder-designer, John Harcourt had created a pise house on the site, straddling the two subdivision lots. The designer, John M. Harcourt was a pioneer builder in pise-de-terre and mudbrick in the Eltham Shire, Eltham being synonymous with alternative lifestyles and building practises until the onset of suburbia in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. This hipped-roof house is set high above Main Road on a V-shape plan characteristic of the Arts & Crafts style, with rammed earth or pise walls, timber joinery and a cement tiled roof. The V shape plan was used by important English and Eltham Arts & Crafts designers. The use of natural materials such as stone and timber construction is an essential part of the Arts & Crafts style and Harcourt’s work. So too is the application of the style on both the exterior and interior of the house as a holistic concept. The house adjoins the Lim Joon adobe house built and designed by Alistair Knox in the same era (HO119), thus forming a distinctive pair, both using an uncommon plan form. This house was identified in the Shire of Shire of Eltham Heritage 1992 as contributory to the Eltham Gateway Conservation Area, then proposed as an urban conservation area (now Heritage Overlay Area). Land Ownership Emily Jane Smith of 12 Woodside Street Fitzroy owned Crown Allotments 1 & 2 Sections 14, 27 by August 1918, selling to William Henry Smith of 12 Woodside Street, Nth Fitzroy May 1921. (John) James Isherwood of Main Road, Eltham owned the property by 1928 (the year of his death) with the beneficiary of his estate and next owner of this site being his widow, Minnie Maria Isherwood of Cemetery Road, Eltham. His holding in Main Road included parts of what was described in rate records as allotments1 & 2 Section E6. In the late 1930s, early 1940s her son Alfred John Isherwood was also rated for the land around this site, with the rated nett annual value varying between £2 and £5. Alfred Isherwood also lived at Main Road, Eltham with his wife Ellen: her early death at the age of 24 was reported in the Argus of 1923. Part of the Isherwood land was divided off and sold to Charles Stuart McNeil by May1955. Sometime in the period 1955-1960, the builder-designer, John Harcourt had created a pise house on the site, straddling the two subdivision lots. The house is visible on an aerial photograph from 1960s. Reputedly the house was called Plum Cottage and erected for Harcourt’s mother-in-law. A garage was added in 1959. Charles McNeil died in1971 aged 87: he was the son of Don McNeil and Margaret Arkell. Available rate records from the construction era start in the of the 1970s (1972-3) and list Mr H.C. & M/S A.V. Charity at 616 Main Road Eltham of this property with a nett annual value of $740. More recent valuer's data describes the property as lots 1 & 2 LP25668, located in the Central Riding of Eltham Shire, owned by Ann Valerie Charity and later, in 1990, by the Chincarini family. Building Description This hipped roof 11 .5 square house is set high above Main Road on a characteristic-shape plan and has rammed earth or pise walls, timber joinery and a cement tiled roof. The V-shape plan was used by Important designers such as C.F.A. Voysey (UK) who interpreted medieval domestic architecture as part of the Arts & Crafts style of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The pise walls are covered with a textured render while the cement roofing tiles are also seen in the Harcourt Hill examples. Reputedly the ceiling joists are of a deep section and span long lengths with no need for hanging beams in the roof space. The ceilings are low and panelled in main rooms with apparently Caneite soft board infill panels between the exposed ceiling beams. These are painted white but may have been stained at one time. The focus of the house is the large living area with its vast random stone fireplace. Significance Plum Cottage is significant to the locality of Eltham because: Historically: • Plum Cottage is closely associated with the important historical theme of earth construction evident in Eltham and elsewhere in the Shire since theear1y Arts & Crafts inspired creations at Penleigh Boyd's The Robins (1912, HO101) and those at Montsalvat (1934-, HO82) but more prominent from the Second War period when earth building in Eltham was promoted in national periodicals as an alternative building method that avoided the building materials shortages of that era; • The choice of the earth building technique also expresses the theme of refuge or alternative living, synonymous with Eltham in the early to mid 20th century; • as a good example of domestic architecture from John Harcourt who was the first major post Second War figure in an important phase of Eltham’s earth building development, using his characteristic Old English or Arts& Crafts style that relies in this case on the pise wall construction, pitched roof forms, exposed ceiling joists, half timbering, random stonework, and panelled internal wall finishes. Architecturally: • Plum Cottage's pise wall construction is uncommon among the early earth-walled structures in the Shire, that are mainly of adobe or mud brick, and as a building material is uncommon among the Shire’s suburban dwellings generally which are clad typically with either fired clay bricks or timber boarding. Aesthetically: • Plum Cottage is a good and well preserved example of a modern Old English or Arts & Crafts style earth-walled building in the Shire • For the proximity of the significant Lim Joon adobe house designed by Alistair Knox adjoining to the north, providing a distinctive earth wall house pair, with uncommon plan forms. Reference Heritage Assessment of Plum Cottage, 616 Main Road, Eltham; Graeme Butler & Associates 2010main road, eltham, property, houses, (john) james isherwood, alfred john isherwood, ann valerie charity, arts and crafts style, charles stuart mcneil, chincarini family, eltham gateway zone, emily jane smith, h.c. charity, heritage assessment, john harcourt, john m. harcourt, lim joon house, main road eltham, minnie maria isherwood, pise construction, plum cottage