Mr Eric Sumsion was the gardening curator for Wodonga Shire in 1956. He had previously operated a bootmaker’s shop in High Street, Wodonga for many years. Eric saw the potential of the area in Wodonga now known as Belvoir Park and asked permission to work on part of the area. He eventually purchased a house adjoining the area giving him more time and easy access to work on it. The Lagoon, Lake Huon, Belvoir Lagoon, Belvoir Park and Sumsion Gardens are all names used over time for what is today one of Wodonga’s favourite recreation and picnic spots. In the 1800s river boats could enter Lake Huon from Wodonga Creek. There was a jetty south of where the water fountain is today. In later years, this jetty was used by the Clay Bird Shooting Club. From the early 1900s football and cricket were played there, and some mining leases were also allowed. At one time there were open gravel pits between House Creek and the main lagoon, and these were subsequently filled with town garbage collected by the Council. In the late 1940s, Wodonga Golf Club took over part of Belvoir Park for a 9-hole golf course with sand greens. The Golf Club House was built in 1946. The Club extended the course to 12-holes when the football ground moved to Martin Park and the course later extended to 18 holes. Under Eric Sumsion’s care the area became a magnificent area of parkland and curated gardens. After he had retired in 1961 his work was acknowledged by the Shire Engineer, Mr Bill Page, when the Sumsion Gardens were named in his honour. He was also responsible for the design and curating of many other gardens in Wodonga, including those at Sarah Coventry and Richardson Park. Eric Sumsion died in July 1988, aged 85.This item is significant because it acknowledges the dedication and commitment of Eric Sumsion to the Wodonga Community.A collection of photographic images and an advertisement related to the work of Eric Sumsion in Wodonga.eric sumsion, parks and gardens wodonga

The dam at the entrance to the Nerreman Gateway in Eltham was built according to an internationally acclaimed theory developed by the builder's father. In 1920, Victorian engineer B.A. Smith was awarded the American Society of Civil Engineers J. James R. Cross Gold Medal for his Technical Paper titled 'Arched Dams'. It was the first time this medal had been awarded outside the United States. The concrete arched dam across the Eltham West Drain was built in 1940 by B.A. Smith's son and engineer, D. B. (Bernie) Smith to water the 24 acre (9.75 ha) hobby farm owned by himself and new wife, Isa Smith. Upon completion of the dam a pump-house was constructed beside the creek but before the water could be pumped up the hill they had to dig a trench and lay 500m of 100mm water main to an elevated holding tank. The Smiths made the pump-house their home for several years until they constructed their home at the top of the hill overlooking Eltham and views extending to Kinglake. Following Bernie's death in 1983, Nerreman Park was subdivided between 1993 and 1995. Gordon Ford designed the landscaping and the pump-house was demolished. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p137 The dam at the entrance to the Nerreman Gateway in Eltham, was built according to an internationally acclaimed theory developed by the builder’s father. In 1920, Victorian engineer B A Smith was awarded the American Society of Civil Engineers J. James R. Croes Gold Medal, for his Technical Paper titled Arched Dams. It was the first time this medal had been awarded outside America. An international example of the application of Smith’s work can be found in the design of the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, Nevada, USA. Built between 1930 and 1936, it is recognised by the ASCE as one of ‘America’s Seven Modern Civil Engineering Wonders’.1 The concrete arched dam across the Eltham West Drain was built by B A Smith’s son and engineer, D B (Bernie) Smith. Bernie’s dam followed his father’s theory, having a curvature that takes maximum advantage of concrete’s great strength in compression. The water load is carried into the abutments because of this curvature, which permits a wall thickness of only 225 millimetres thick at its crest, despite the dam’s capacity of more than 4.5 megalitres. The Eltham dam was designed to water the 24 acre (9.75 ha) hobby farm belonging to newly married couple Bernie and Isa Smith. Bernie, from Armadale, and Isa, from a farm at Tyntynder near Swan Hill, were attracted to the hilly topography and the creek running through the property. It extended from Ryans Road, Eltham, to Karingal Drive, Montmorency and was adjacent to Meruka Park. The Smiths named it Nerreman Park using the Aboriginal word Nerreman meaning ‘River Bend’ as their creek had a pronounced bend.2 In 1940 the first thing Bernie did was to build a dam, and with Isa’s help, a pump-house, to secure a water supply for their cattle, pigs, chickens, orchard and vegetable gardens. It was also available for the fire-plugs, which they placed all over the property in case of bushfire. The couple built the pump-house beside the creek and installed a Tange three-plunger pump, which had originally supplied the City of Wodonga with water. But before the Smiths could pump water up the hill from the dam they had to dig a trench and lay about 550 yards (500m) of a four-inch (100mm) water main up to an elevated holding tank. The trench was dug with a single furrow plough drawn by an old draught horse. Living in rough conditions did not deter the Smiths, who made the pump-house their home, where they still lived when their first child was born in 1944. They later built their home at the top of their property overlooking Eltham, with magnificent views to Kinglake, the Dandenong Ranges and Melbourne. From 1946 it took them almost 20 years to complete the 36-square house with its 12-foot (3.6m) high ceilings. Material for the concrete roof and walls faced with sandstone, was ripped out of the ground on their property by plough pulled by tandem Clydesdale horses. Isa was a strong woman – two days before their second child was born – she set three huge sandstone boulders in place in the bottom wall of the garage. She also mixed all the cement for the house. A collapsed kitchen wall did not discourage her from rebuilding it in a week, while her husband was away working in the country. She later recalled: ‘We stood back to admire this beautiful wall we’d built and while we were looking at it, it came tumbling down’.3 Following Bernie’s death in 1983, Nerreman Park was subdivided, between 1993 and 1995. Local Gordon Ford designed the landscaping and the pump-house was pulled down. But the dam remains as a reminder of exceptional engineering4 – and of a remarkable couple.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, karingal drive, smiths dam, bernie smith, gordon ford, isa smith, nerreman gateway, nerreman park estate, dams

Thought to have originated in Austria in 1869, postcards first gained popularity in Australia in the 1890s.They were used to send short messages to friends and family. This collection was generated by Mary Emma Elliot of Talgarno. Talgarno is a rural locality in Victoria, Australia, situated on the southern shoreline of Lake Hume, about 23 km east of Albury-Wodonga. The collection contains postcards from across the world. Mary Emma Sibley was born in Ironbark, Bendigo in 1859. She married James Elliot in 1893 and they settled at “Kelso”, Talgarno. They had two children – Mona and Sibley. Mary Emma Elliot died in Melbourne in 1944, aged 84 years. Australian postcards collected by Mrs. James Elliot between 1898 and 1915. 1405.041 weeping Rock, Sydney 1405.042 Railway Yards, Newcastle 1405.043 Botanic Gardens, Sydney, N.S.W. 1405.044 Mullet Creek, Dapto 1405.045 The Corso, Manly, Sydney 1405.046 The Gap Watson's Bay, Sydney 1405.047 Hyam Pass, Showgrounds Reserve, Nowra 1405.048 Newcastle N.S.W., "Nobby's". 1405.049 Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Sydney 1405.050 Beach, Stanwell Park 1405.051 Stroud Cutting 1405.052 The Derwent River, Tasmania 1405.053 Hume Bridge and Cooma St., Yass 1405.054 Yass River 1405.055 The Fernery, Blackheath, Blue Mountains 1405.056 Yass River at Kenilworth 1405.057 Hawkesbury River 1405.058 Market Street, Sydney 1405.059 Georges St. from Margaret St., Sydney 1405.060 'Neath Southern Skiespostcards, collecting, collections, talgarno

Thought to have originated in Austria in 1869, postcards first gained popularity in Australia in the 1890s.They were used to send short messages to friends and family. This collection was generated by Mary Emma Elliot of Talgarno. Talgarno is a rural locality in Victoria, Australia, situated on the southern shoreline of Lake Hume, about 23 km east of Albury-Wodonga. The collection contains postcards from across the world. Mary Emma Sibley was born in Ironbark, Bendigo in 1859. She married James Elliot in 1893 and they settled at “Kelso”, Talgarno. They had two children – Mona and Sibley. Mary Emma Elliot died in Melbourne in 1944, aged 84 years.Australian postcards collected by Mrs. James Elliot between 1898 and 1915. 1405.021 Crystal Palace R I Jenolan 1405.022 Snowball Cave, Lucas, Jenolan, N.S.W. 1405.023 The Great Zig-Zag 1405.024 Sydney Harbour and Botanical Gardens 1405.025 Barren Jack Works 1405.026 Mountain Homes, Illawarra 1405.027 The Weir, Yass 1405.028 Forest Creek Falls, Yass 1405.029 Yass Town 1405.030 Musgrove Point 1405.031 St. Clements Church of England, Yass 1405.032 Watson's Bay, Sydney 1405.033 Coal Mine Gully, Blackheath, N.S. W. 1405.034 Barren Jack, Murrumbidgee River, Yass 1045.035 The Heads, Sydney Harbour 1405.036 Hyde Park, Sydney 1105.037 Court House, Bourke 1405.038 Oldham 1405.039 Thirroul 1405.040 Blake's Exchange Library, Alburypostcards, collecting, collections, talgarno

Thought to have originated in Austria in 1869, postcards first gained popularity in Australia in the 1890s.They were used to send short messages to friends and family. This collection was generated by Mary Emma Elliot of Talgarno. Talgarno is a rural locality in Victoria, Australia, situated on the southern shoreline of Lake Hume, about 23 km east of Albury-Wodonga. The collection contains postcards from across the world. Mary Emma Sibley was born in Ironbark, Bendigo in 1859. She married James Elliot in 1893 and they settled at “Kelso”, Talgarno. They had two children – Mona and Sibley. Mary Emma Elliot died in Melbourne in 1944, aged 84 years. Australian postcards collected by Mrs. James Elliot between 1898 and 1915. 1405.061 Mechanic's Institute, Albury 1405.062 Kiama, N.S.W. 1405.063 Dean Street, Albury, N.S.W. 1405.064 Union Bank and Post Office, Temora 1405.065 Middle Harbour, Sydney 1405.066 Sydney University, Sydney 1405.067 Botanic Gardens, Sydney 1405.068 Bridge Street, Sydney 1405.069 Botanic Gardens, Sydney 1405.070 the Two Bridges, Yass 1405.071 Court house, Yass 1405.072 Church of St. Augustine, Yass 1405.073 The Grotto, Church of St. Augustine, Yass 1405.074 Hume and Hovell Monument 1405.075 Flat Rock, Middle Harbour, Sydney 1405.076 the Dam, National Park, New South Wales 1405.077 Hamilton Hume's Monument, Albury Gardens 1405.078 the weir, Yass 1405.079 Lane Cove River, Sydney, N.S.W. 1405.080 Suspension Bridge, North Sydneypostcards, collecting, collections, talgarno

Thought to have originated in Austria in 1869, postcards first gained popularity in Australia in the 1890s.They were used to send short messages to friends and family. This collection was generated by Mary Emma Elliot of Talgarno. Talgarno is a rural locality in Victoria, Australia, situated on the southern shoreline of Lake Hume, about 23 km east of Albury-Wodonga. The collection contains postcards from across the world. Mary Emma Sibley was born in Ironbark, Bendigo in 1859. She married James Elliot in 1893 and they settled at “Kelso”, Talgarno. They had two children – Mona and Sibley. Mary Emma Elliot died in Melbourne in 1944, aged 84 years. Australian postcards collected by Mrs James Elliot between 1898 and 1915. 1405.001 Botanic Gardens Sydney 1405.002 Yass 1405.003 Dead Beat 1405.004 Clifton Cliffs, Illawarra 1405.005 The Bridal Veil Falls, Leura 1405.006 Path to Bell Fall, Leura 1405.007 Fern Grotto, Leura 1405.008 Marguerite Cascades, Leura 1405.009 The Botanic Gardens and Harbour, Sydney 1405.010 Botanical Gardens - Sydney 1405.011 National Park, Sydney N.S.W. 1405.012 Caves House, Jenolan Caves, N.S.W. 1405.013 Coast scene, Wattamolla 1405.014 Looking-glass Rock, Hawkesbury River 1405.015 The Harbour, Kiama 1405.016 River Scene, National Park N. S. Wales. 1405.017 Church of England, Cootamundra 1405.018 Flood, 1917 1405.019 Murray River 1405.020 Bathurst postcards, collecting, collections, talgarno