Sixteen page booklet published and distributed by the Thomson Motor Car Co. Ltd of Melbourne in 1900, to record the first overland journey by a motor vehicle in Australia. The steam car driven by its inventor and builder Herbert Thomson and his cousin Edward Holmes travelled from Bathurst NSW to Melbourne between 30 April and 9 May 1900 (790 km) in 56 hours of actual driving. Holmes' notes on the trip are recorded in this booklet which was intended to publicise the firm and its new 'Light Model' steam car. The booklet includes photographs and illustrations.pioneer motor vehicle, herbert thomson, overland travel australia, bathurst to melbourne, steam cars, thomson motor car co. ltd

With the visit of the American Fleet to Melbourne in early September 1908, volunteers from the the Automobile Club of Victoria took 100 officers on an excursion to the Black Spur past Yarra Glen on the 4th September 1908. (The area we know today as the Yarra Valley). The convoy travelled through Eltham, Research and Kangaroo Ground, where a group of women gathered to wave to them. This was one of the first motor vehicles to pass through Research. The visit of the American Fleet was a big deal at the time. A Program of activites was compiled. City buidlings were illuminated, a State reception was given and a concert was held. The Federal Parliament sat in Melbourne at that time. This photo was made using a home-made camera constructed by the photographer Tom Prior (brother of Mrs E.R. Reynolds). Reproduced on p86 of 'Pioneers & Painters'This photo forms part of a collection of photographs gathered by the Shire of Eltham for their centenary project book,"Pioneers and Painters: 100 years of the Shire of Eltham" by Alan Marshall (1971). The collection of over 500 images is held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library) and is now formally known as 'The Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection.' It is significant in being the first community sourced collection representing the places and people of the Shire's first one hundred years.Digital image 4 x 5 inch B&W Negsepp, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, research (vic.), u.s.a. fleet, automobile club of victoria, drive, excursion, visitors, welcome, usa fleet, us fleet, waving, tom prior, pioneers and painters, reynolds prior collection, u.s fleet

The Lyon Bros Eltham Motor Garage opened in 1923 at 283-287 Main Road Eltham, opposite Arthur Street. Messrs Lyon Bros., Eltham, advertise that they have opened a motor garage near the post office, where a car or petrol may be procured day or night, and repairs effected. (The Advertiser, 2 March 1923) The garage was an official RACV Road Service Station and offered vehicles for hire in addition to conducting repairs. Community memories after posting this photo on Facebook include: "I can remember my dad putting 2 shilling pieces into a bowser to get petrol after hours." Lyon later built new premises which were subsequently demolished.This photo forms part of a collection of photographs gathered by the Shire of Eltham for their centenary project book, "Pioneers and Painters: 100 years of the Shire of Eltham" by Alan Marshall (1971). The collection of over 500 images is held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library) and is now formally known as the 'The Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection.' It is significant in being the first community sourced collection representing the places and people of the Shire's first one hundred years.Digital image 4 x 5 inch B&W Negsepp, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, eltham, automobiles, businesses, george w. bell collection, lyon, lyon bros garage, main road, motor garage, motor vehicles, petrol bowser

Man in top hat standing beside the car is most probably the Reverend John P. Carney (born 1880 Ballaghaderreen, Country Mayo, Ireland - ordained at All Hallows College, Dublin, Ireland) who spent all his years as a priest in the Melbourne Archdiocese, arriving in Melbourne in 1902. He was appointed Assistant priest at St Francis Melbourne then at Castlemaine and Gordon. He left Gordon to the pastor of the new mission at Diamond Creek where he spent about five years before moving to Footscray and later Yarraville. The automobile has been identified as a Unic Taxi built in the United Kingdom about 1908 though the actual date of this particular vehicle is unclear. The registration number 7788 was issued prior to 1910 at which point they changed to numerals only of the form nnn-nnn. Reproduced on p93 of 'Pioneers & Painters'.This photo forms part of a collection of photographs gathered by the Shire of Eltham for their centenary project book,"Pioneers and Painters: 100 years of the Shire of Eltham" by Alan Marshall (1971). The collection of over 500 images is held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library) and is now formally known as 'The Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection'. It is significant in being the first community sourced collection representing the places and people of the Shire's first one hundred years.Digital image 120 format B&W negative Original sepia coloured postcard (10 x 15 cm) with cracking Black and white photograph duplicate (16.5 x 25 cm) with some corrections to mask cracksInscribed on reverse 'R.C. Parish Priest, Eltham'sepp, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, parish priest, automobile, john p carney, diamond creek, unic taxi, pioneers and painters, eltham, motor vehicles, rev. john p carney

The photograph was taken (and donated) by George W. Bell during the period of fire, c.1963-c.1964. The actual fire station was built c.1930 and was in use till c.1964 when a new fire station was built on the opposite side of Main Road. The building, originally situated just south of Arthur Street, on Main Road was ultimately relocated in 1970 to Research Park for use by the 1st Research Scout group. The site is now part of the current Coles supermarket and Eltham Village complex. The Fire Trucks are an Austin STU (small town unit) on the left and an Austin urban pumper on the right. This photo forms part of a collection of photographs gathered by the Shire of Eltham for their centenary project book,"Pioneers and Painters: 100 years of the Shire of Eltham" by Alan Marshall (1971). The collection of over 500 images is held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library) and is now formally known as 'The Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection.' It is significant in being the first community sourced collection representing the places and people of the Shire's first one hundred years.Digital imageaustin stu fire truck, austin urban pumper, eltham, eltham fire brigade, fire station, fire truck, george w. bell, motor vehicles, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection