Talk given by Peter van Eeken to a general meeting of the Greensborough Historical Society on 18 March 2016. The topic is the early squatters of Lower Plenty and Montmorency from 1836 to 1840.4p., text and illus.lower plenty, montmorency, edward willis, james willis

Collection of articles on the Were family. Montmorency streets - Were, Binns and Wellington - are named after family members.4 pages text and imageswere family, were street montmorency, binns street montmorency, doon street briar hill

The Poulter Reserve precinct is bordered by the railway line, Main Street and the Plenty River. This booklet accompanies a guided walk around the area.20 p., text and color and black and white images.poulter reserve greensborough, main street greensborough, plenty river greensborough

History of the Greensborough and St Helena areas 1837-1900GHS produced publication113 p. black print on white paper, illus., maps.st helena, greensborough, greensborough historical society

Group of Greensborough Historical Society members at the March 2016 meeting listening to Peter van Eeken speaking about his research into the squatters of Lower Plenty. The second photo shows GHS President Noel Withers (standing) and Peter sitting at the computer. More photos of this event can be found at the GHS Resource Centre.Digital copy of colour photographs.greensborough historical society, peter van eeken

Heritage Day 2017 was celebrated by Greensborough Historical Society by a walk through Yandell Reserve, led by President Noel Withers, and the launch by Banyule Mayor Cr Tom Melican, of the Society's publication of a collection of oral histories entitled "Do you recall?" Two single pages, printed in colour, with 4 colour photographsHandwritten description of photographs on reverse; Cr Melican, Cr Melican with Noel Withers and Peter Van Eeken, audience x 2oral history, greensborough historical society, greensborough, do you recall?, tom melican

Contents: • An Innovative Way Of Communicating by Jim Connor • Next meeting – Annual General Meeting –2:00pm Saturday 12th April 2025; Guest Speaker Greg Burgess • Excursion – Saturday 3rd May – Allwood Neighbourhood House, Hurstbridge • Building a Railway by Peter Pidgeon • George Stebbing (c.1819 – 1896) by Richard Pinn • Gordon Craig Ford – Natural Australian Garden by Marguerite Marshall • Gordon Craig Ford by Jim Connor • Thomas McMurtrie Orr by Peter Van Eeken • Notice: Annual General Meeting – Saturday 12th April 2025 • Experience Eltham Cemetery by Julia DrewThe Shire of Eltham Historical Society was formed in October 1967. The first newsletter of the Society was issued May 1978 and has been published continuously ever since on a bi-monthly basis. With the cessation of the Shire of Eltham in late 1994, the Society's name was revised to Eltham District Historical Society and this name first appeared with issue No. 103, July 1995. The collection of the Society's newsletters provides a valuable resource on the history of the Society's activities, office bearers and committee members, guest speakers and subjects of historical interest pertinent to the former Shire of Eltham and the Eltham District.A4 newsletter distributed to members (Digital and A4 photocopy)newsletter, eltham district historical society

The photo encompasses what is present-day University Hill shopping complex and the Janefield Wetlands. Plenty Road is just visible to the left of the photo. Janefield was an area 18 km north-east of central Melbourne that is now part of Bundoora. In 1842 a flour mill, powered by the Plenty River, was built at Janefield, although the locality was not known by that name at that time. It seems that the name Springfield was used in the late 1840s, after a Springfield homestead, and this was changed to Janefield possibly upon the death of Jane Brock in 1847. She was the wife of James Brock, a local landowner and son of the purchaser of the flour mill. This photo is not strictly within the area of interest for EDHS but overlaps do occur at times with other Society’s interests through families and other associated connections. Eltham District Historical Society member (and Greensborough Historical Society member), Peter Van Eeken was undertaking research into this photo and approached the Local History Librarian at Yarra Plenty Regional Library to enquire about digitising the large print copy to facilitate research. Approaches were made to EDHS who had suitable facilities and were willing to accommodate and all parties agreed to add the image as part of their respective collections in partnership. Michael Lanigan, started work as a message boy at Mont Park when he left school at age 14. He worked his way up the system to become farm manager at Mont Park and Janefield Special School. He was one of the last people to drive a herd of cattle (in 1964) between the two locations along Plenty Road. He retired when the school closed around 1993. Mick pointed out the location of three remnant farm houses of the 1800s. The Brock House being the main one. Peter has been unable to find any photos of the Brock House, which what built in the late 1850s, severely burnt in the 1930s and demolished in the mid 1960s. The tree plantation along Plenty Road was established in 1930 and cut down in the mid 1980s. The Victorian Government established tree plantations at about 350 schools in the early 1930s. Briar Hill School had one but Peter is not sure about any other local schools having a tree plantation. Mick informed Peter that it was his job to remove the 14 acres of pine tree roots, after the trees were cut down (due to old age and an infestation of sap sucking insects). For Mick, this was an impossible job, so he arranged a contract, to house all the soil removed from works associated with the construction of the Greensborough Bypass, which needed temporary storage as it was too valuable, and would be great for use in road construction. The contract to store the soil was important to Mick, as the contract stipulated that when the soil was eventually removed, the tree roots had to be removed too. Which got rid of Mick's headache. Apparently, the huge mound of soil that covered the roots in the late 1980s could be seen from Briar Hill. Based on this, the photo is most likely to have been taken 1982 or 1983. The key to a final date is working out when the Board of Works Office opened but so far no information has come to light. (It was purchased by La Trobe University in 1991). The Office existed, or is hinted at, in the photo at the extreme north of the photo, opposite McKimmies Road, on the eastern side of Plenty Road. Photo on loan from Michael Lanigan via Peter Van Eeken. He cannot recall why it was taken. brock family, janefield, janefield drive, janefield wetlands, plenty road, university hill