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

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

A cream rectangular paperback history book bound at the spine with spiral black plastic. The front cover has an illustration of a coach with three horses standing on a dirt road outside a weatherboard house. The title page has the details of the author and compiler who researcehd the book. Inside there is a poem by Jean Nation Sept 1989, Special Acknowledgements, a Foreword and Introduction. The book contains information about the early settlement of the Nation family in the Goldrush days. There are photographs, family trees and full details about their lives and those around them. Pp. 102.non-fictionRobert 'Bert' Nation (R.S. Nation) was a pioneer coachman and mail contractor in the Dandenong Ranges of Victoria. He established a vital horse-drawn coach and mail service connecting the Belgrave Railway Station to the newly settled village of Monbulk. The coach journey was challenging, traversing the steep and heavily timbered dirt tracks of the Dandenong Ranges before the road network was well-developed.coaches, horsedrawn coaches, horsedrawn vehicles, vehicles, dandenong ranges - history

Lyon Bros Eltham Motor Garage originally opened as an old tin shed garage in 1923 alongside Dave Lyon’s weatherboard home, a Californian bungalow at present-day 856 Main Road, Eltham in the dip between York and Henry Streets - there was a wood yard and garage at the back. That house remains standing today (2026). It later became a Chiropractor’s practice now operating as Eltham Cosmetic Clinic. Earliest advertisements for the business date from March 1923 – 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) Between May 1942 and December 1945 [based on a newspaper article "Eltham Killed in Brownout" (1942, May 15). Eltham and Whittlesea Shires Advertiser (Vic. : 1940 - 1942), p. 3. Retrieved May 23, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57496549 and aerial photos taken in December 1945], the brothers relocated the business to 283-287 Main Road Eltham, opposite Arthur Street. The garage was an official RACV Road Service Station and offered vehicles for hire in addition to conducting repairs. It was also an Agent for Shell petrol. During the war Dave was working in the garage one night with a motor running. He was almost unconscious, and Jack Burgoyne happened to stop off with his truck and went and dragged him out. John Lyon used to live on the comer of Bridge Street and Main Road on top of the cliff. He was later killed in an accident at Rosanna railway crossing 29th Feb, 1960 [Source: Doug Orford]. This photo is dated circa 1964 and the address is clearly 283-287 Main Road however by 1971 street numbers had been revised to present-day numbering and by the time the site had been redeveloped as Lyon Bros. Ford the address was 953 Main Road. 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."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 Neg953 main road eltham, 1963, automobiles, businesses, eltham, eltham lyon, eltham motor garage, lyon bros. garage, main road eltham, motor vehicles, racv road service station, shell service station, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection