One of seven sites in Eltham and Greensborough where the butterfly survives. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p181 The rare Eltham Copper Butterfly, Paralucia pyro-discus, was saved from near extinction by a community campaign in the late 1980s. Thanks to that effort, the butterfly, a form of the Fiery Copper Butterfly, with a wing span of only 2.5cm, can be seen in parts of Eltham and Greensborough from late November to April. As late as 1987 the butterfly was thought to be near extinction. But that year, entomologist, Michael Braby, found several colonies, including two major ones in natural bushland on Diosma Road, Eltham. However these were threatened with destruction, as their habitat was to be destroyed by a development of 71 houses. The colonies were on a 14 hectare subdivision owned by Esanda Finance, an ANZ Bank subsidiary. It would cost around $5 million, to reimburse the bank for the land.1 The butterfly, which depends on woodland, a stunted form of the Sweet Bursaria bush, and the Notoncus ant, was considered too fragile to relocate. Braby’s discovery led to a sometimes fiery two-year campaign, which even became an election issue. It involved the local community, local and state governments and the developer, before a compromise was reached. The larvae have an intricate relationship with the small black ant, Notoncus. During the day, the larvae shelter in nests made by the ants around the base of the trunk and roots of the Sweet Bursaria (Bursaria spinosa). The ants are thought to protect the larvae from predators and parasites, as they attend them from the nests to feed on the Bursaria leaves at night. In return, the larvae excrete a sugar solution, which the ants love to eat. The butterfly was first recorded in Victoria in 1893, and first collected scientifically from Eltham in 1931. But it was only officially named in 1951, by Victoria’s then top butterfly expert, David Crosby.2 However, from 1970, rapid housing development in Eltham destroyed much of the butterfly’s habitat. The discovery of several major colonies in 1987 met with great excitement, and 250 people attended the first local public meeting. The State Government commissioned Crosby to investigate how to protect the butterfly, and the council froze development for three weeks. Then Esanda agreed to suspend development for several months, until a compromise was reached. Crosby recommended that 62 of the 71 lots be kept to ensure the butterflys’ survival. However this would cost $1 million to $1.5million in compensation to Esanda.3 Greensborough MP Pauline Toner, launched a $1million fundraising campaign and many artists donated their works to the appeal. Toner offered Clifton Pugh’s painting Eltham Copper Country to millionaire Alan Bond for $1 million, after having heard that he had offered $6 million for the Van Gough painting Sunflowers. However Bond did not accept. The butterfly was considered a ‘hot’ election issue during the by-election, following Pauline Toner’s resignation. Liberal party candidate, Margaret Brown, was accused of falsely saying she had been involved in the butterfly campaign so as to win votes. Sadly, the $1million appeal fell short at $426,000, so a compromise was reached. The State Government donated the Education Department site on Eucalyptus Road, but only nine lots of the Diosma site were bought, and the rest of the development went ahead. On March 3, 1989, Ms Toner died of cancer, and the Eucalyptus Road site was named in her honour. Around 2000 the butterfly was further threatened by proposed developments on Pitt Street, facing the Pauline Toner Reserve and between Diosma and Nyora Roads. Fortunately the Friends of the ECB, with the Shire of Nillumbik, ensured that more habitat was made available.4 The butterfly now survives in seven sites in Eltham and Greensborough, including the main sites at the Pauline Toner Reserve on Eucalyptus Road, the Western and Eastern colonies on Diosma Road, and the Yandell Reserve in Greensborough.5 The butterfly survives also in Castlemaine and in the Kiata and Salisbury areas. However, it remains endangered.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 copper butterfly, pauline toner butterfly reserve

Signage in the Pauline Toner Butterfly Reserve asking visitors to keep to marked tracks. The Reserve at the corner of Pitt Street and Eucalyptus Road, Eltham is managed by Parks Victoria. It is named for Pauline Toner M.P. who after the re-discovery of the rare Eltham copper Butterfly in large numbers in Eltham in 1987 worked to preserve its habitat.Born Digitalpauline toner reserve, eucalyptus road, copper butterfly, nature reserve, walking trail, sign, erosion

Signage in the Pauline Toner Butterfly Reserve asking visitors to keep to marked tracks. The Reserve at the corner of Pitt Street and Eucalyptus Road, Eltham is managed by Parks Victoria. It is named for Pauline Toner M.P. who after the re-discovery of the rare Eltham copper Butterfly in large numbers in Eltham in 1987 worked to preserve its habitat. Born Digitalpauline toner reserve, eucalyptus road, copper butterfly, walking trail, sign, nature reserve

Looking south towards Pitt Street and Nyora Road. Bus stop now on opposite side. Pauline Toner Butterfly Nature Conservation Reserve managed by Parks Victoria on the right hand side. Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 6 of 7 stripsKodak Gold 100-2 5095infrastructure, roadworks - gutters, shire of eltham, streets, eucalyptus road, pauline toner eltham copper butterfly reserve, pauline toner butterfly nature conservation reserve

Looking north along Eucalyptus Road, showing roundabout at intersection of Pitt Street and Nyora Road, Eltham. Parks Victoria owns and manages the Pauline Toner Eltham Copper Butterfly Reserve on the left of the image. Colour photographeucalyptus road, pitt street, nyora road, roundabouts, eltham, pauline toner eltham copper butterfly reserve, pauline toner butterfly nature conservation reserve

Looking north along Eucalyptus Road, showing roundabout at intersection of Pitt Street and Nyora Road, Eltham. Parks Victoria owns and manages the Pauline Toner Eltham Copper Butterfly Reserve on the left of the image.Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 4 stripsFuji 100eltham, eucalyptus road, nyora road, pitt street, roundabouts, pauline toner eltham copper butterfly reserve, pauline toner buttefly nature conservation reserve

Local Newspaper article promoting a community meeting for the purposes of developing an action plan to save the Eltham copper Butterfly from extinction after its discovery in its breeding place, the sweet bursaria shrub. Michael Braby, David Cameron and Pauline Toner M.P. are pictured. Early 1987. After the re-discovery of the rare Eltham copper Butterfly in large numbers in Eltham in 1987 Pauline Toner M.P. worked to preserve its habitat. Her work is recognised in the naming of the Pauline Toner Butterfly Reserve on the corner of Pitt Street and Eucalyptus Road in ElthamDigital file only - Digitised by EDHS from a scrapbook on loan from Beryl Bradbury (nee Stokes), daughter of Frank Stokes.beryl bradbury (nee stokes) collection, david cameron, eltham copper butterfly, michael braby, pauline toner

The Woodridge Estate was a major residential subdivision that was developed in many stages in the 1970s and 80s. It extended easterly from the older residential area of Eltham into what had previously been largely privately owned bushland. The subdivision design took into account the steep topography and resulted in large blocks that enabled preservation of much of the tree cover. It included a number of small parks and walkways and the one kilometre long Woodridge Linear Park. A bushland area left as a proposed school site later became the Pauline Toner Butterfly Reserve for preservation of the rare Eltham Copper Butterfly. This walk explores some Woodridge streets as well as the linear park and butterfly reserve, a hilly walk of about 3 km and includes some moderately rough tracks. Permission to visit the external grounds of two private properties to view heritage listed houses not visible from the street was granted. The walk commenced at 2pm at the access to Woodridge Linear Park in Grove Street just east of the Eltham East Primary School (Melway ref 22 B4). This free walk was open to the general public as well as Society members. Whilst COVID restrictions did not require the wearing of masks in the open, masks had to be carried and all attendees registered with name and contct number.Born Digital (41 images)covid-19, eltham, eltham district historical society, heritage excursion, woodridge estate

ELTHAM HERITAGE TOUR The Society excursion on 24th May 1992 was arranged by David Bick, leader of the team carrying out the Shire's heritage study. David selected a number of sites or buildings identified in the study, some of them lesser known components of the Shire's heritage. The tour commenced at the Eltham Shire Office at 10.00 am. Travel was by private car and mini-bus with stops at about twelve locations for commentary by David.It included a short walk in Hurstbridge and lunch at Kinglake. Highlights of the tour included: - 10 am Leave from Shire Offices - 3 Important Trees - A Physical Link to Eltham's First Settlers - Toorak Mansion Gates - A Surviving Farm House - An Intact Circa 1900 Main Street - First Settlers - Gold Miners, and Timber-getters - An Early Hotel - A Pioneering Homestead - Changing Eltham Shire - 20th Century - 4 pm Afternoon Tea and Finish Tour Extract from ELTHAM CULTURAL HERITAGE TOUR (Newsletter No. 85, July 1992, by Bettina Woodburn) "In some respects Eltham is a 'back-water' and it has its own distinctive flavour. On the outskirts the homes date from the 1960's, 70's and 80s with a sprinkling of 'earth homes', mud-brick or pise, rammed dirt. Crossing Main Road into Beddoe Street and Thompson Crescent a very pleasant drive past pines and old fence lines, front lawns unfenced, the occasional ·old farm building, we eventually looked down on a huge circular roof of a 1992 adobe home. Other distinctive places included the Pauline Toner Butterfly Reserve, Gordon Ford's splendid garden at Fulling in Pitt Street, cypress hedges and old houses in Bridge Street and in every direction Eltham's special feature - a totally treed horizon. We were now in the part of the Shire closest to Melbourne - Montmorency - not on the way to anywhere, with no through road going across it, developed in the 1950's and 1960's with conventional gardens, now converted to native plants. The rail looped between Greensborough and Eltham and a shopping street (Were Street) served the area, growing up the hill from the station. It was a typical outer Melbourne suburb with lawns and roses with patches of originality. The shopping precinct still has 1950 characteristics - walls which sloped back, projecting roofs, the original shop fronts are nearly all tiled below the old windows. There's an air of past times about the School, the Dairy, the Butcher's (now a milk bar) and the Castlemaine stone face of the Commonwealth Bank. The final stop for the tour was at the mud-brick Woodburn residence, adobe of 1949 with additions. After War Service, Bill Woodburn had commenced an Architecture course at Melbourne University and after second year in the Christmas vacation, with his wife, Betti, built the two bedroom house - with amazing saving of costs. In the three and a half months they made over 3000 bricks (external walls 18" x 12" x 4", internal walls 12" x 9" x 4"), sifted top soil for mortar and laid them, on concrete foundations and slab floor, made all the structural window frames, door frames and roof members to carry 'super six' asbestos sheets, laboured for the electrician and plumber, did all the glazing and, still without electricity, moved in in March 1949. Rooms have been added, at first with glass walls, later using concrete blocks, to accommodate three daughters and a son. The house not only grew from the earth, but also with the family."Record of the Society's history and activities and highlighting various aspects of the Heritage Study undertaken by David Bick used to create the future heritage overlay for the Shire of Eltham and later Nillumbik Shire.Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 4 stripsKodak Gold 100 5095shire of eltham historical society, activities, heritage tour, woodburn house

Shire of Eltham Archives: Series 69, Item 7 Opens with aerial views of the Shire, 85% of the shire covered by the Green wedge principal. Discusses the obligations required of the Shire to maintain the Green Wedge. The Shire covers over 27,000 hectares with a population in excess of 45,000 residents, more than 70% living in the southern 10% of the Shire in suburbs of Eltham, Montmorency, Lower Plenty and Research. 85% of the Shire in the more sparsely populated northern area which is covered by the Green Wedge. Council is committed to providing a parity of services to all residents such as garbage collection and maintenance of roads. Views of rubbish collection trucks in Montmorency. It is emphasised that the cost of these services in highly populated areas is relatively low whereas in the sparsely populated Green Wedge areas, considerable. There are hundreds of kilometres of roads throughout the Shire, many unmade and maintenance is high to check overhanging trees and erosion especially on the steep hills is expensive and disproportionate to servicing the population in the dense urban areas. Shows views of hilly gravel roads and graders at work maintaining them. Shows scenes of assessing planning applications in these rural areas which takes significantly more time as well as other services provided such as Meals on Wheels, building permits, Ranger services. Provision of recreational facilities in hilly areas requires the acquisition of expensive river flats (views of cricket ground surrounded by hills) and where not possible, costly earthmoving required. Also, views highlighting extensive tracks of natural habitat home to significant bird, animal and plant life. Shire emphasises its commitment highlighted by the Eltham Copper Butterfly which the Shire maintains small pockets of bushland to ensure its survival at significant expense (views of Pauline Toner Copper Butterfly Reserve.) Short interview with Pat Vaughan, Environmental Officer for the Shire discussing the Eltham Copper Butterfly who also mentions many other species in the Shire of high significance from bats to mammals to plants as well as the importance of the Green Wedge to Melbourne – the lungs of Melbourne - and ensuring the protection of very important habitat which requires a great deal of planning and management to look after. Views of Wingrove Park to emphasise this maintenance by machinery in some areas is too damaging and introduced species, etc must be removed by hand. Balancing the services and facilities expected by the community with the needs of the environment requires careful planning demands requires careful planning and the principals of the Green Wedge require constant attention in the face of growing need for housing. Director of Planning & Environment, Richard Allen advises there are approximately 1,300 planning permits and development applications each year ranging from simple subdivision, boundary realignments to further complicated non-urban developments for agricultural pursuits and the level of expertise required from architectural and engineering to land degradation, flora and fauna. Video finishes with aerial views and parklands, streetscapes and rural areas. VHS Video cassette Converted to MP4 file format 00:07:39; 89MBshire of eltham, video recording, shire of eltham archives, eltham shire council, eltham, building permits, cricket ground, development applications, eltham copper butterfly, garbage collection, graders, green wedge, lower plenty, meals on wheels, montmorency, pat vaughan, pauline toner reserve, planning applications, planning permits, ranger services, recreational facilities, research, richard allen, roads, rural areas, wingrove park, victoria grants commission

4 page insert of program guide, activities and information and advertisementsNewsprint insert, 4 pages3d paint city, 1994, alistair knox park, classic fireplaces & bbqs, doncal heating & cooling, edendale community farm, eltham art award, eltham arts council, eltham festival, eltham hotel, eltham leisure centre, eltham library, friends of the eltham copper butterfly, integrity diamond valley, integrity paint company, leslie avril, mgs eltham, montsalvat, pauline toner reserve, rugby oval, society syncopaters

Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p181 The rare Eltham Copper Butterfly, Paralucia pyro-discus, was saved from near extinction by a community campaign in the late 1980s. Thanks to that effort, the butterfly, a form of the Fiery Copper Butterfly, with a wing span of only 2.5cm, can be seen in parts of Eltham and Greensborough from late November to April. As late as 1987 the butterfly was thought to be near extinction. But that year, entomologist, Michael Braby, found several colonies, including two major ones in natural bushland on Diosma Road, Eltham. However these were threatened with destruction, as their habitat was to be destroyed by a development of 71 houses. The colonies were on a 14 hectare subdivision owned by Esanda Finance, an ANZ Bank subsidiary. It would cost around $5 million, to reimburse the bank for the land.1 The butterfly, which depends on woodland, a stunted form of the Sweet Bursaria bush, and the Notoncus ant, was considered too fragile to relocate. Braby’s discovery led to a sometimes fiery two-year campaign, which even became an election issue. It involved the local community, local and state governments and the developer, before a compromise was reached. The larvae have an intricate relationship with the small black ant, Notoncus. During the day, the larvae shelter in nests made by the ants around the base of the trunk and roots of the Sweet Bursaria (Bursaria spinosa). The ants are thought to protect the larvae from predators and parasites, as they attend them from the nests to feed on the Bursaria leaves at night. In return, the larvae excrete a sugar solution, which the ants love to eat. The butterfly was first recorded in Victoria in 1893, and first collected scientifically from Eltham in 1931. But it was only officially named in 1951, by Victoria’s then top butterfly expert, David Crosby.2 However, from 1970, rapid housing development in Eltham destroyed much of the butterfly’s habitat. The discovery of several major colonies in 1987 met with great excitement, and 250 people attended the first local public meeting. The State Government commissioned Crosby to investigate how to protect the butterfly, and the council froze development for three weeks. Then Esanda agreed to suspend development for several months, until a compromise was reached. Crosby recommended that 62 of the 71 lots be kept to ensure the butterflys’ survival. However this would cost $1 million to $1.5million in compensation to Esanda.3 Greensborough MP Pauline Toner, launched a $1million fundraising campaign and many artists donated their works to the appeal. Toner offered Clifton Pugh’s painting Eltham Copper Country to millionaire Alan Bond for $1 million, after having heard that he had offered $6 million for the Van Gough painting Sunflowers. However Bond did not accept. The butterfly was considered a ‘hot’ election issue during the by-election, following Pauline Toner’s resignation. Liberal party candidate, Margaret Brown, was accused of falsely saying she had been involved in the butterfly campaign so as to win votes. Sadly, the $1million appeal fell short at $426,000, so a compromise was reached. The State Government donated the Education Department site on Eucalyptus Road, but only nine lots of the Diosma site were bought, and the rest of the development went ahead. On March 3, 1989, Ms Toner died of cancer, and the Eucalyptus Road site was named in her honour. Around 2000 the butterfly was further threatened by proposed developments on Pitt Street, facing the Pauline Toner Reserve and between Diosma and Nyora Roads. Fortunately the Friends of the ECB, with the Shire of Nillumbik, ensured that more habitat was made available.4 The butterfly now survives in seven sites in Eltham and Greensborough, including the main sites at the Pauline Toner Reserve on Eucalyptus Road, the Western and Eastern colonies on Diosma Road, and the Yandell Reserve in Greensborough.5 The butterfly survives also in Castlemaine and in the Kiata and Salisbury areas. However, it remains endangered.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 copper butterfly, sweet bursaria