In 1988, as part of a Defence of Mainland Australian policy, defence of facilities of strategic importance in northern Australia were allocated to Army Reserve units. ‘A’ Squadron was allocated the defence of Tindal Air Force base located 15 KM outside Katherine in Northern Territory. Consequently the Squadron deployed on Exercise ‘Northern Explorer’ to gain first-hand knowledge of operating conditions for mounted and dismounted patrolling in the area.Lance Corporal R. Van De Velde, ' A ' Squadron 8/13 VMR during Exercise ' Northern Explorer' September 1988. LCpl Van De Velde has a collection of Pandamus Palm nut prematurely ripened by fire near King River Northern Territory.

Frost pots were used by orchardists to protect ripening fruit from the effects of frost. The drum base was filled with sump oil and set out in the orchard and set alight on frosty nights. These frost pots were used by Norris' orchards. It was not unusual for the Police to have to close the Midland Highway due to the dense clouds of billowing smoke emanating from this orchard when frost was expected.A local solution to a basic problem of the Harcourt Horticultural industry.Frost Pot rounded base with sliding opening on lid and galvanised iron chimney with perforations.

Minnie PWERLE (c1910-2006) Atnwengerrp/Utopia Minnie Pwerle's Dreamings consist of elements of 'Bush Melon' and 'Awelye'. Awelys-Atnwengerrp' is depicted by a series of lines painted in varying widths and colours. These patters represent the lines painted on the top had of women's bodies during ceremonies in Minnie's country of Atnwengerrp. 'Bush Melon' is depicted using linear design of curves and circles in different colours creating a very loose and bold design. This dreaming tells the story of this lovely sweet food that comes from a very small bush and is only found in Atnwengerrp. Once very abundant and fruiting in the summer season, the Bush Melon is now hard to find. Minnie and other women used to collect this fruit (that was green in colour and then ripened to a brown colour) and scrape out the small black seeds. They would then eat the fruit straight away or cut it in pieces and skewer them onto a piece of wood to dry then to be eaten in the coming months when bush tucker was scarce. These artistic symbols carry potent spiritual meanings.. The physical creation of these Dreamings in an important part of the continuation of an ancient and rich cultural heritage. This item is part of the Federation University Art Collection. The Art Collection features over 1000 works and was listed as a 'Ballarat Treasure' in 2007.Awelye & Bush Melon Dreaming, 2004 Acrylic on canvas, over three panels art, artwork, minnie pwerle, aboriginal, anmatyerre language, atnwengerrp country

Pills Cottage about halfway from Cottles Bridge to St Andrews near 1575 Heidelberg-Kinglake Road, St Andrews. William John "Bill" Pill was born on 19th June 1894 at Diamond Creek He was brutally murdered on 21st December 1958 age 64, in his cottage. His father was John Henry Pill, born 24 November 1856, Lalone, Perranzabuloe, Cornwall, England, He died 21 December 1930 at Cottles Bridge, His mother was Jessie Ann Whatmough, born 6th June 1870. She died 21 August 1921. William John "Bill '' Pill, grew tomatoes on his rich two and a half acres. In 2024 his second cousin Steve Whatmough recalled visiting Bill in 1957 with his parents (Eric and Nancy Whatmough) and Bill showing them his tomatoes. He had a very large aeroplane propeller set up at one end on his tomato crop. He would run the propeller on frosty mornings to keep away the frost damage. His tomatoes would ripen early and would receive a premium price for them. The cottage consisted of two buildings. The one closest in the right side of the photo was the kitchen. The second building that also has a chimney was his bedroom and living room.35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfacolor Service (Blue)heidelberg-kinglake road, pills cottage, st andrews, william john pill, bill pill, john henry pill, jessie ann pill (nee whatmough), market gardener, murder, cottles bridge (vic.), tomato farm, mount - agfacolor service (blue), scan - 35mm positive

Pills Cottage about halfway from Cottles Bridge to St Andrews near 1575 Heidelberg-Kinglake Road, St Andrews. William John "Bill" Pill was born on 19th June 1894 at Diamond Creek He was brutally murdered on 21st December 1958 age 64, in his cottage. His father was John Henry Pill, born 24 November 1856, Lalone, Perranzabuloe, Cornwall, England, He died 21 December 1930 at Cottles Bridge, His mother was Jessie Ann Whatmough, born 6th June 1870. She died 21 August 1921. William John "Bill '' Pill, grew tomatoes on his rich two and a half acres. In 2024 his second cousin Steve Whatmough recalled visiting Bill in 1957 with his parents (Eric and Nancy Whatmough) and Bill showing them his tomatoes. He had a very large aeroplane propeller set up at one end on his tomato crop. He would run the propeller on frosty mornings to keep away the frost damage. His tomatoes would ripen early and would receive a premium price for them. The cottage consisted of two buildings. The one closest in the right side of the photo was the kitchen. The second building that also has a chimney was his bedroom and living room.35 mm colour positive transparency Mount - Agfacolor Service (Blue)bill pill, cottles bridge (vic.), heidelberg-kinglake road, jessie ann pill (nee whatmough), john henry pill, market gardener, mount - agfacolor service (blue), murder, pills cottage, scan - 35mm positive, st andrews, tomato farm, william john pill

1950 decade HAY FORK - A local invention. Bill and Arthur Gillespie and Bon Barrie In the early 1950’s Bill Gillespie of Bulmans Lane had been experimenting in developing a machine to improve the collection of hay sheaves at harvesting and stack building time. The ripened crop was cut by a reaper and binder which bundled the storks into sheaves tied with binder twine. The reaper and binder was towed by a tractor by the mid 1940s previously teams of draught horses were used to pull the reaper and binder. A photograph taken at the Barrie farm shows three binders the first being towed with a tractor and the others with horse teams. Two workmen were needed to operate the binder when cutting a crop. The sheaves collected on the binder and released onto the ground and were scattered across the paddocks. Using a conventional two pronged pitch fork the harvest hands collected the sheaves and placed each one cut edge on the ground in an upright position and layered with about 15 sheaves into an apex shape to form was is known as a stook. The shape of the stook allowed for drying and draining of water if rain had occurred. Prior to the invention of the mechanical hayfork this was a laborious task requiring each sheaf to be pitched onto a tray truck and moved to the location of the haystack. The mechanised HAYFORK was operated by one person on tractor greatly reducing the need for gangs of labourers. At harvest time farmers had relied on itinerant teams of workers descending on the district looking for work. The three Barrie brothers on their adjoining farms combined forces to cut their crop at its optimum time while the weather was in their favour. Up to many 20 workers at times formed a team in earlier times. Agricultural university students were also keen to gain practical experience in the field. Each of the brothers had a particular skill, and Tom Barrie was the expert on stack building. The district haystacks had a distinctive shape and could be recognised by their builder. Bill Gillespie’s first operational HAY FORK consisted of a large 13 pronged fork situated forward of the truck cabin. It was attached with iron girders and mounted on the rear of the cabin to the tray of his British Bedford truck. It was constructed in metal and iron and welded in the farmers work sheds. The mechanism was raised and lowered by the driver scooping along the ground to pick up a complete stook to raise high enough to deposit all the sheaves in one stook onto the stack or truck tray. The fork section was released by a rope and operated by the driver in the cabin. This model was trialled on the Barrie farm at Ferris Lane. It proved to be very successful and the Barrie/ Gillespie brothers went on to develop a HAYFORK which attached to a tractor and was operated with a series of levers and was raised and lowered hydraulically. It was detached from the tractor when stacking was completed. In its early days farmers travelling along the Western Highway called at the Barrie farm at Ferris Lane to inspect its construction and operation of the invention. It became a widely adopted by farmers throughout the State. It was being used on Wattie Palmer’s farm on Bridge Road Melton South in 1997. Farming in Melton, hay growing and stack building. agriculture, local identities

Blue hard covered 35 page book with an address, a reponse from Prince Alfred, and a number of signatures.To his Rotal highness Prince Alfred Ernest Albert Duke of Edinburgh K.G. &c &c &c May it please Your Royal Highness. We the undersigned, being Colonists of Victoria wirh expressions of a Century and upwards venture to approach you Royal Highness with expressions of unaltered loyalty to Her Majesty's throne and person, and our very sincere and heart congratulations to your Royal Highnedd on your auspicious visit to his distant dependency of the British Empire. We can confiently assure your Royal Highness that however attractive Republicans Institutions may be to many young communitites generally Victoria is in the main free from the taint of any such prediliction. The loyalty and attachment to Monarchial Government of those numbered amonst her older Colonists have been strenghtened bu their enlarged and by the deep connection ever increasing with their ripening years that their material interests will be best protected by the perpetuation of the intimate connexion with the Great Empire over which Her Majesty rules - an Empire the Language, Laws, Customs and Institutions of which it is their privelige to inherit. We may be allowed to esteem the visit of your Royal Highness to these shores as of teh utmost importance, regarded from the Imperial as well as from a Colonial point of view. Your Royal Highness has now had an opportunity of satisfying yourself, and may bear testimony on your return to Europe that the Colonists of Victoria, although they have left their Mother COuntry, have not lost the spirit of enterprise, the energy, the self-reliance, the love of law and order which distinguish the British Race - and that in common with their fellow countrymen at home they possess qualities, the possessoin of which by her peple has made England great and glorious amongst the nations - while your presence here proves to the Colony at large, be especially to our Colonial born youth that Her Majesty 's solicitude for our welfare is unabted. Wish a sincere hope that the visit of your Royal Highness to the other COlonies of the Australian Group may be gratifying to you, and your ultimate return to the Royal Circle safe and attended with every happiness. We beg leave to remain, With the greatest respect, Your Royal Highness' Most humble and most obedient servants, Signature Date of arrival in the Colony. Edward Henty Novr 19th 1834 Francis Henty Decr 9th 1834 John Pascoe Fawkner Oct 9th 1835 Many ignatures follow including John Wilson Novr 1841 Joseph Bickett 27 September 1842 Theophilis Dredge January 1839 Archibald Fisken August 1839 Samuel Legge April 1841 David Coghill March 1838 Joseph L'Estrange 1849 December Thomas W. Wills Dec 1839 James Cuthbert November 1840 John Lamb May 1838 John Hogan November 1839 William Higgenbotham Born Oct 19th 1840 Richard Winter January 1840 Alexander Aitken Born Melbourne June 30 1842 William Cross Yuille February 1837 George Black Decr 1840 Peter Scott Sept 1840 Robert Hoddle March 1837 Henry Darlot September 1839 W. Bacchus 1837 C.B. Hutton Feby 17th 1842 H. Gerrard Feby 1839 Thomas P. Scott 10 August 1838 William Rutledge 19th Decr 1829 in Sydney, at Melbourne in July 1838 Rodk Urquhart March 1842 Thomas Black Septr 1842 J.B. Were November 1839 Thomas Anderson 1839 John Bull June 1842old colonists, prince alfred, address, edward henty, francis henty