Construction of the main road from South Tawonga to the Bogong High Plains, to provide access to the construction sites for the new Kiewa Hydro Electric Scheme, was commenced early in 1938, the work being undertaken on behalf of the commission by the Country Roads Board. For the construction work, the Commission purchased three Caterpillar - model R07 - diesel crawler tractors equipped with Kay Brunerei (Brunner) hydraulically operated trailbuilders (angle dozers). This acquisition resulted from a visit to the United States of America in May, 1937 by the Construction Engineer ( Mr. C.H. Kernot) and Assistant Civil Engineer ( Mr. J.F. Douglas) where they saw this relatively new type of equipment in use. With the co-operation of the CRB, the Commission demonstrated the operation of these machines at Fishermen's Bend on 6th April, 1938. They were then sent to Kiewa where they commenced operation towards the end of the month. From South Tawonga, the route let immediately across the Western Branch of the Kiewa River necessitating the construction of a bridge 100 feet long. By the end of 1939, the excavation had been 'opened up' for a distance of 19 1/2 miles (approx. 31 km.) and of this length, 10 miles (approx. 16 km.) had been surfaced. (see KVHS 0328)The purchase of this type of mechanical equipment in road making was a huge investment, as prior to this most of the work would have been done manually with the use of picks and shovels. Not only were many months of hard manual labour saved, but a very significant amount of time in providing access to the proposed work sites for the new Kiewa Hydro Scheme. This photo is an excellent reminder of how primitive the early machinery was compared to the present but also represents the forward thinking of the State Electricity Commissions engineers in purchasing such innovative equipment.A black and white photograph of road making near Mt. Beauty in 1938. Mount Beauty hills can be seen in the background with cleared land for grazing in the fore ground.Hand printed in black ink at the top of the photograph is 'Kiewa Road Making 25/8/1938'. On the right hand corner has been printed the number 2. It has been printed on gloss Velox paper.road making, state electricity commission, caterpillar tractor, kiewa, secv

Construction of the main road from South Tawonga to the Bogong High Plains, to provide access to the construction sites for the new Kiewa Hydro Electric Scheme, was commenced early in 1938, the work being undertaken on behalf of the Commission by the Country Roads Board. For the construction work, the Commission purchased three Caterpillar - model R07 - diesel crawler tractors equipped with Kay Brunerei (Brunner) hydraulically operated trailbuilders (angle dozers). This acquisition resulted from a visit to the United States of America in May, 1937 by the Construction Engineer ( Mr. C.H. Kernot) and Assistant Civil Engineer (Mr. J.F. Douglas) where they saw this relatively new type of equipment in use. With the co-operation of the CRB, the Commission demonstrated the operation of these machines at Fishermen's Bend on 6th April, 1938. They were then sent to Kiewa where they commenced operation towards the end of the month. From South Tawonga, the route led immediately across the Western Branch of the Kiewa River necessitating the construction of a bridge 100 feet long. By the end of 1939, the excavation had been 'opened up' for a distance of 19 1/2 miles (approx. 31 km) and of this length, 10 miles (approx. 16 km) had been surfaced.The purchase and use of this type of mechanical equipment in road making was a huge investment, as prior to this most of the work would have been done manually with the use of picks and shovels. Not only were many months of hard manual labour saved, but a very significant amount of time in providing access to the proposed work sites for the new Kiewa Hydro Scheme. This photo is an excellent reminder of how primitive the early machinery was compared to the present but also represents the forward thinking of the State Electricity Commissions engineers in purchasing such innovative equipment . A black and white photograph showing the type of machinery used for road making in the 1930's. It shows a grader being towed by a caterpillar tractor.On the top left hand corner of the photograph , hand written in black ink is the words 'Kiewa Road Making 25/8/1938'. On the right hand side of the photo has been stamped in blue the Number 1. It has been developed on Velox paper (marked on back of photo) with a gloss finish.road making, state electricity commission, caterpillar tractor, kiewa

Construction of the main road from South Tawonga to the Bogong High Plains, to provide access to the construction sites for the new Kiewa Hydro Electric Scheme, was commenced early in 1938, the work being undertaken on behalf of the Commission by the Country Roads Board. For the construction work, the Commission purchased three Caterpillar - model R07 - diesel crawler tractors equipped with Kay Brunerei (Brunner) hydraulically operated trail builders (angle dozers)). This acquisition resulted from a visit to the United States of America in May, 1937 by the Construction Engineer ( Mr. C.H. Kernot) and Assistant Civil Engineer (Mr. J.F. Douglas) where they saw this relatively new type of equipment in use. With the co-operation of the CRB, the Commission demonstrated the operation of these machines at Fishermen's Bend on 6th April, 1938. They were then sent to Kiewa where they commenced operation towards the end of the month. From South Tawonga, the route led immediately across the Western Branch of the Kiewa River necessitating the construction of a bridge 100 feet long. By the end of 1939,the excavation had been 'opened up' for a distance of 19 1/2 miles (approx. 31 km.) and of this length, 10 miles (approx. 16 km) had been surfaced.The purchase and use of this type of mechanical equipment in road making was a huge investment, as prior to this most of the work would have been done manually with the use of picks and shovels. Not only were many months of hard manual labour saved, but a very significant amount of time in providing access to the proposed work sites for the new Kiewa Hydro Scheme. This photo is an excellent reminder of how primitive the early machinery was compared to the present but also represents the forward thinking of the State Electricity Commission's Engineers in purchasing such new and innovative equipment.A black and white photograph of a Caterpillar diesel crawler tractor and a hydraulically operated trailbuilder (angle dozer) making a road in the Mt. Beauty area.Hand written in black ink in the top left hand corner are the words "Kiewa Road Making 25/8/1938". On the upper right hand of the photograph has been stamped the number 3. On the back is stamped the word 'Velox' severaly times, which is the make of the photograhic paper. roadmaking, caterpillar tractor, kiewa, state electricity commission

Newspaper. Norman Penrose collection: newspaper cutting depicting road making machinery on a road near Warburton. The road is being widened and remade. It is a bush road with a truck, a grader and two tractor towed scrapers.person, bendigo, norman william penrose, norman penrose collection, road making equipment

Road making with a crusher near Ken Edmondson's property.Ken Edmondson lived in the Kiewa ValleyBlack and white photo of a Crusher in the bushin the Kiewa Valley near Ken Edmondsonroad making in the kiewa valley, ken edmondson

Tom Bentley (1912-1993) was born in Lancashire (UK). From circa 1951, he was the Overseer/Superintendent of Outdoor Works for Kew City Council. Until his retirement in the 1970s, he was based at the Kew Council Depot, located in the former MTB Horse Tram Depot on the corner of Disraeli and High Streets, Kew. Accompanying the set of twelve photographs is a 12-page illustrated biography of the Bentley and Plumridge families, separately kept in the 'Bentley' subject file.Duplicate black and white positive print photograph of road works in Studley Park Road, Kew, carried out under the supervision of Tom Bentley, Overseer/Superintendent of Outdoor Works for the City of Kew. The location at which the photograph was taken is believed, by the donor, to be in the vicinity of Tara Hall (dem. 1960).city of kew, public works, road-making, studley park road, tom bentley

4 men in front of tent and wagon.Catalogue card reads, "Road making in Ringwood (very old)".

Nikolaos Vrettos with African workers, road making, Belgium Congo. Many Ithacans emigrated to African colonies, including Belgium Congo, Rhodesia and South Africa.A scanned Black & White photograph of Nick Vrettos with 4 black African men in the Belgium Congo in 1948.N. VRETTOS . IN THE KONGO ROAD MAKING IN 1948 belgian congo., road making.

1929 saw the establishment of the Ringwood Bowls Club initially located on the land now occupied by the Eastland Shopping Centre. It moved to its current location in Loughnan Road, Ringwood in 1997.Typed letter to Ringwood Borough Engineer from Arthur Blood confirming gift of land adjoining Bowling Green for road-making purposes. Dated 10th August 1930.city of ringwood bowls club, ringwood bowling club, ringwood bowls club, lawn bowls, bowling

An original photograph donated to the Kew Historical Society by the City's Engineering Department before the amalgamation of Kew into the City of Boroondara in 1994.While not all of the photographs are of Studley Park, Kew or East Kew, each photo provides a fine snapshot of the work of local government engineering departments of the period. They reveal they types of labour conducted, the techniques used and the equipment and machinery in the possession of the local government authority. Public works. Road making in the 1950s using a steam roller and a mechanical grader. Inscription on reverse: "Road making." city of kew (engineering department), road construction building, road maintenance

An original photograph donated to the Kew Historical Society by the City's Engineering Department before the amalgamation of Kew into the City of Boroondara in 1994.While not all of the photographs are of Studley Park, Kew or East Kew, each photo provides a fine snapshot of the work of local government engineering departments of the period. They reveal they types of labour conducted, the techniques used and the equipment and machinery in the possession of the local government authority.Public works. Road making in the 1950s using a steam roller and a mechanical grader. Inscription on reverse: "Road making." city of kew (engineering department), road construction

Reproduced from "Illustrated Melbourne Post" 18 April 1866This 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 Print 16.5 x 22 cm (Held at Eltham Library)sepp, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, other areas, road construction, woods point

Colour photograph

A copy of an early wood engraving of the construction of the road over the Black Spur in Victoria.A copy of an early wood engraving of the construction of the road over the Black Spur in Victoria. The Black Spur is known to be one of Victoria's most scenic drives. The road winds through a majestic forest of trees and tree ferns from Healesville to Narbethong and is part of the Maroondah Highway.black spur, wood's point, narbethong, maroondah highway, victoria, wood engraving

Colour photo taken of a 33mm slide of the Creek road being constructed in June 1961 (Note first sign of brick veneer in street.)creek road mitcham, tresider, dot, road construction and maintenance

An original photograph donated to the Kew Historical Society by the City's Engineering Department before the amalgamation of Kew into the City of Boroondara in 1994. While not all of the photographs are of Studley Park, Kew or East Kew, each photo provides a fine snapshot of the work of local government engineering departments of the period. They reveal they types of labour conducted, the techniques used and the equipment and machinery in the possession of the local government authority.Public works. A high retaining wall holds back an embankment on a steep slope around which a road turns. It is believed that the photograph dates from the 1920s. Inscription on reverse: "A difficult corner designed to obviate the use of steps. / Pedestrians using the road in front of the dwellings step off the pathway at the telegraph pole".city of kew (engineering department), engineering, road construction building

Collection of photographs of rural life on Skelton property at Scotsburn early 1930sThis photograph shows an example of the rural activities in the early 1930s in ScotsburnMoving machinery and road repairing on the Skelton family property at Scotsburn in the early 1930s"Uncle Joe centre making the road to house because Dr. became bogged" "Kitty & Ernest, Tom"rural life, scotsburn, skelton family, transport

This photo is one of a collection of photos taken during Alan Niemann's - Drainage-Road Making Scheme.Two black and white photo of the northern and southern ends of Haig Avenue, Edithvale. The road is unmade with grass growing on the road, is rutted with large puddles, houses line both sides and electricity poles are both side of the road. unmade street, aspendale, alan niemann, drainage-road making scheme, haig avenue, edithvale

This photo is one of a collection of photos taken during Alan Niemann's - Drainage-Road Making Scheme.Black and white photo of Fifth Avenue, Aspendale. The road is unmade with grass growing on the road, is rutted, houses can be seen on the left and electricity poles are both side of the road. unmade street, aspendale, alan niemann, drainage-road making scheme, edithvale, fifth avenue

This photo is one of a collection of photos taken during Alan Niemann's - Drainage-Road Making Scheme. First Avenue runs between Station Street and Sixth Avenue.Black and white photo looking east along First Avenue, Aspendale. The road us unmade and rusted with vegetation growing on the road, houses and electricity poles line both sides. unmade street, aspendale, first avenue, alan niemann, drainage-road making scheme

This photo is one of a collection of photos taken during Alan Niemann's - Drainage-Road Making Scheme. Elsie Grove runs between Station Street and Randal Avenue, Chelsea.Black and white photo looking east along Elsie Grove, Chelsea. The road is unmade and rutted with large puddles, houses line both sides and electricity poles are on the left side of the road. The photo has been taken from Station Street.unmade street, aspendale, alan niemann, drainage-road making scheme, elsie grove

Probably the Bassett-Smith property at Menzies Road, Kangaroo Ground. Probably one of a series of photos (not identified in EDHS collection) showing purpurted excavation works, possibly road making. No date 1 colour photographBack: "N.B. the left hand side of the excavation was once used in a similar manner but is once more under pasture." 17 peter bassett smith, kangaroo ground, road making, pasture, farm

An original photograph donated to the Kew Historical Society by the City's Engineering Department before the amalgamation of Kew into the City of Boroondara in 1994.While not all of the photographs are of Studley Park, Kew or East Kew, each photo provides a fine snapshot of the work of local government engineering departments of the period. They reveal they types of labour conducted, the techniques used and the equipment and machinery in the possession of the local government authority.Public works. Roadmaking machinery in the 1950s using a tip truck and other equipment. Inscription on reverse: "Road making. Date?" city of kew (engineering department), road construction maintenance

An original photograph donated to the Kew Historical Society by the City's Engineering Department before the amalgamation of Kew into the City of Boroondara in 1994.While not all of the photographs are of Studley Park, Kew or East Kew, each photo provides a fine snapshot of the work of local government engineering departments of the period. They reveal they types of labour conducted, the techniques used and the equipment and machinery in the possession of the local government authority.Public works. Roadmaking in the 1950s using a steam roller. Inscription on reverse: "Road making. Date?" city of kew (engineering department), road construction building

An original photograph donated to the Kew Historical Society by the City's Engineering Department before the amalgamation of Kew into the City of Boroondara in 1994.While not all of the photographs are of Studley Park, Kew or East Kew, each photo provides a fine snapshot of the work of local government engineering departments of the period. They reveal they types of labour conducted, the techniques used and the equipment and machinery in the possession of the local government authority. Public works. A photograph of a suburban street under construction using a steamroller. Neither the street nor the location has been identified. It is believed that the photograph can be dated to the 1920s. Inscription on reverse: "Road making. (?1920s cars)".steamroller, road construction building, city of kew, city of kew (engineering department)

The, horse drawn metal scoop ,guided by a man, was used to clear earth for road making. Well before the introduction of motorised, mechanical graders and trucks the painstaking, labour-intensive work was undertaken by large teams of sturdy men using strong horses such as the draught horse. Roads were needed by the market gardeners to transport their produce to market. Later as the heavy wagon loads continually caused ruts and general degradation of the roadways a Plateway system was installed so that the wagon wheels could roll along the rails thus protecting the roadways. August 31st 2021 Ron Nash, from WA, informs us "The men and horses pulling earth scoops in the photo are not moving earth for road making - they are excavating an "earth tank", or dam, as described in common nomenclature today. This skill was known as "tank sinking", and tank sinkers were active in many rural and remote areas in the 1800's and early 1900's, establishing sizeable dams for important water reserves for community and farm and railway use. With the advent of mechanised equipment such as bulldozers, the trade of tank sinking was still carried out, but on a faster basis. I am a former tank sinker and earth moving contractor, now long retired." Early settlers in Moorabbin Shire had to build the roads, plateways, drains, as the settlement of the land, in Dendy's Special Survey 1841 Brighton, spread and market gardeners need to transport their produce to market. Their most valuable possession was the draught horse that was used for ploughing, drawing carts and these scoops.Black & White photograph showing many horses pulling metal scoops guided by men to move earth for road making in Moorabbin Shire c 1900Back Handwritten Informationplateway, roadworks moorabbin shire, draught horses, metal scoops, paviers, box alonzo, smith j l; chaff cutter, horse drawn carts, toll gates brighton, motor cars 1900, steam engines, early settlers, bentleigh, mckinnon, parish of moorabbin, city of moorabbin, county of bourke, moorabbin roads board, shire of moorabbin, henry dendy's special survey 1841, were j.b.; bent thomas, o'shannassy john, king richard, charman stephen, highett william, ormond francis, maynard dennis, market gardeners, vineyards, orchards

Ron Setford and his wife Grace Setford lived in Tanner Avenue, East Kew, from c.1946 to c.1995. A keen photographer, he recorded the changing face of Kew over a 20 year period. Apart from 30 photographs of built structures and places in Kew dating from 1960 and 1961, 145 of his 35mm colour slides chronicle the development of the F19 (later renamed Eastern) Freeway through the Yarra Valley in Kew over a five year period from c.1972 to c.1977. This important collection was donated to the Society by his granddaughter in 2025.This collection of 175 35mm slides is of local and statewide significance, owing to its subject matter, particularly the major development of road transport infrastructure during the 1970s with the construction of the Eastern Freeway. The photographer also took care to annotate and date most of his slides which enable the researcher to pinpoint temporal and spatial locations.Chemically altered 35mm slide"Road making / Feb 75 / Freeway near Belford Bridge"ron setford, eastern freeway, f19 freeway