'Worlingworth', Eltham, home of noted anthropologist the late Professor Donald Thomson and his wife Dorita Thomson. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p127 Dubbed as ‘Australia’s Lawrence of Arabia’ anthropologist Donald Thomson lived much of his life in Eltham, at Banoon Road. On his retirement as Professor of Anthropology in 1968, The University of Melbourne professorial board compared Thomson to Lawrence of Arabia because of his work for Aborigines and his controversial personality. Although Thomson is now recognised for his huge contribution, during his lifetime he suffered opposition and his life has been described as ‘tragic’.1 Thomson failed to gain the recognition as a scientist that he felt he deserved and he failed to alter government policy towards Aboriginal people. But towards the end of his life in 1970, anthropologists were moving towards the type of research he had done and the movement to grant land rights to Aborigines was strengthening. Thomson is best known for his anthropological fieldwork in Cape York, Arnhem Land and Central Australia, but he is also known for his scholarly contributions to ornithology and ecology. Thomson documented every aspect of the daily and ritual life of the Aboriginal world of Cape York and Arnhem Land in the 1930s and 1940s. The huge collection in Museum Victoria includes 11,000 photographs, 7500 items of material culture, 1000 botanical and zoological specimens and 4500 pages of field-notes.2 The film Ten Canoes used Thomson’s photographs as a source. Thomson bought the Eltham property known as Worlingworth in 1934. The single-storey 60-square house standing by the Yarra River was built in 1922-23. It is one of the last in Eltham to survive with its farm setting intact. It is also one of the few substantial residences built in the Eltham Shire from the late 19th century to the early 20th century, which signalled a major change in the area towards the residential municipality it is today.3 The original section, built in the mid 1860s, of rose pink hand-made bricks and stone quarried on the property, was incorporated in the new red-brick house built in 1922. An immense oak tree by the house grew from an acorn brought by Patrick Armstrong who first bought the land in March 14, 1862. Armstrong named Worlingworth after his forbears’ village in Suffolk, England. Worlingworth saw grand days when Commander Alan A Barlee (R.N.) bought it in 1922 after winning the Calcutta Sweep. The property then included a nine-hole golf course, a tennis court, a bowling green, a boathouse and a boat-ramp.4 For most of his career Thomson, who was born in 1901, was attached to The University of Melbourne. In 1935 he represented the Commonwealth Government at Caledon Bay in east Arnhem Land to investigate and mediate for four Aborigines accused of killing five Japanese and three Europeans. In 1938 Thomson was awarded a PhD in Anthropology at Cambridge University, and during his career, he received several medals from British Societies, who perhaps appreciated his work better than their Australian counterparts. From World War Two, Thomson suffered a string of hardships, beginning with severe wounding in Dutch New Guinea (for his military service in New Guinea he was awarded an OBE) and he was invalided from service in 1944. That year he was diagnosed with diabetes. A fire in 1946 destroyed what Thomson regarded as perhaps the best record he had made of Aboriginal life – the 20,000 feet, (6096m) of film he had shot in Arnhem Land. In 1954 he and wife, Gladys, divorced. The next year he married his technical assistant, Dorita McColl. Several times during his career Thomson had major disagreements. For instance Professor P Elkin constantly opposed his work. He also opposed Thomson when he campaigned vigorously in 1947 against the establishment of a rocket range at Woomera, South Australia, because of the threat it posed Aborigines. Thomson resigned in frustration from the Victorian Aborigines Welfare Board in 1967, after serving for ten years, because he found that his advice was disregarded. His ashes were scattered over Caledon Bay from the air.This collection of almost 130 photos about places and people within the Shire of Nillumbik, an urban and rural municipality in Melbourne's north, contributes to an understanding of the history of the Shire. Published in 2008 immediately prior to the Black Saturday bushfires of February 7, 2009, it documents sites that were impacted, and in some cases destroyed by the fires. It includes photographs taken especially for the publication, creating a unique time capsule representing the Shire in the early 21st century. It remains the most recent comprehenesive publication devoted to the Shire's history connecting local residents to the past. nillumbik now and then (marshall-king) collection, banoon road, donald thomson, dorita thomson, eltham, worlingworth

Photo display relating to the work of Eltham anthropologist Professor Donald Thomson (1901-1970) who was renowned for his work researching Aborigines across Central Australia. Part of the Bicentennial/Heritage Week Display, "The Eltham Tradition", Eltham Shire Office, 17-22 April 1988. "The Photographic record which forms part of the Donald Thomson collection housed at the Museum of Victoria, by arrangement with the University of Melbourne contains 10,580 negatives. The collection also includes 5,700 artefacts and 4,500 pages of field notes. Cumbersome camera equipment and glass negatives often had to be carried hundreds of miles by pack horse, on small boars and other means. Three documentary films have been made, two by the BBC and released in over 18 countries and third, made by Academy of Science (1987) is for Year 12 Biology students. 28,000 feet of film record of Arnhem land was destroyed whilst in Commonwelath Government Custody." Two colour photographsactivities, eltham shire office, heritage display, heritage week, donald thomson, collection

Photocopies of some pages mentioning the Museum. Part of a letter by P H MacGillivray, President, Report on the Botany Class, Report on the Chemistry and Metallurgy Classes, The Museum, including what exhibits, attendance of visitors and opening times. A number of pages of Donations to the Museum from 1/7 1891 to 30/6/1892, including the names and address of the donors. There is a list of the Classification of Specimens (received during the year). Also mentioned is Botany - Lecturer - J B Lillie Mackay and Zoology - Lecturer - J B Lillie Mackay. There is also a part of the printing about Architectural and Geometrical Drawing, Machine and Building Construction - Teacher - W H E Nicolai.museums, peter ellis collection, bendigo school of mines, dr macgillivray, rev j garlick, dr colquhoun, mr g alec thomson, mr j eardsley edwards, dr quick, j m harcourt, j robshaw, r bloomfield rees, j d crofts, w h carwardine, dr dendy, professor marshall hall, professor baldwin spencer, department of education, sir frederick mccoy, baron von mueller, j w faul, john robshaw, henry jackson, j b lillie mackay, melbourne university, mr a south, department of forestry, mr perrin, the pharmacy board of victoria, education department

Photo - see pdf file for further information. Number Brief Description RT055 Bundoora Extension - RT056 Bundoora Extension - tram 261 - "Special" route 00 RT057 Bundoora Extension - tram 86 - "Bundoora" route 86 RT058 St Kilda - Esplanade - Carlisle RT059 Relay - Danks St RT060 "City Brunswick St" - route 12 RT061 tram 1003 - "City Brunswick St"- route 12 RT062 track work on route 12 RT063 tram 774 - "City Brunswick St"- route 12 RT064 track work RT065 light rail - tram 2005 - "Depot" RT066 light rail - tram 273 - "Port Melbourne" - route 111 RT067 St Kilda Light Rail Station -tram 291- "St Kilkda Beach - route 06 RT068 St Kilda Rd - tram 830 - "City" - route 6 RT069 StKildaRd-tram928-"??"-route05 RT070 St Kilda - tram 272 - "East Brunswick" - route 96 RT071 Elizabeth St Terminus - tram 80 - "Ascot Vale" - route 9 RT072 West Coburg Reserved Track - tram 78 - "Domain & St Kilda Rds" - route 56 RT073 West Coburg Terminus - tram 66 - "Domain & St Kilda Rds" - route 56 RT074 West Coburg Terminus - tram 87 - "Domain & St Kilda Rds" - route 56 RT075 Batman Ave Terminus - tram 118 - "Wattle Park" - route 70 RT076 Collins St Terminus - tram 1022 - "West Preston" - route 11 RT077 North Balwyn Terminus - tram 255 - "City - Lonsdale St" - route 48 RT078 Kew Cotham Rd Terminus - tram 865 - "St Kilda Beach via Balaclava Rd" - route 69 RT079 St Kilda esplanade - Carlisle - tram 946 - "Kew Cotham Rd" - route 69 - tram 295 - "East Brunswick" - route 96 RT080 West Preston Terminus - tram 943 - "St Kilda Beach" - route 10 RT081 Mont Albert Terminus - tram 250 - "Mont Albert" - route 42 RT082 Carnegie Single Line - tram 998 - "City" - route 67 RT083 Carnegie Single Line - tram 736 - "Carnegie" - route 67 RT084 Carnegie terminus - tram 736 - "City" - route 67 RT085 East Brighton Terminus - tram 914 - "City" - route 64 RT086 St Kilda Jct - tram 998 - "East Malvern Darling Rd" - route 3 & tram 969 - "City" route 3 RT087 Bourke St Spencer St - tram 271 - "St Kilda Beach" - route 96 RT088 Preston Railway Overbridge - "Northcote via St Georges Rd" - route 9 RT089 Victoria Parade - tram 906 - "Mont Albert" - route 42 & tram 252 - "City" - route 42 RT090 Victoria Parade - tram 1025 - "City Spencer St" - route 31Demonstrates the work of Robert Thomson in photography, collection and/or production of slidesAssembled album in a black presentation folder of 36 colour slides, collected or produced by Robert Thomson. All photographs have been scanned and placed on the Museum's G drive. A list of all photographs with details has been compiled. melbourne, tramways, trams, track construction

Bendigo Art Gallery was founded in 1887. Typed and signed letter from Gordon Thomson, Deputy Director of the NGV addressed to Mr W. B. Bolton at Bendigo Art Gallery. Letter is on National Gallery of Victoria letterhead requesting photographs and information about the gallery on behalf of UNESCO for publication in the International journal 'Museum'. The letter has a postcard of the gallery taped to top left. Possibly related to Cat No 0305.Postcard lower centre; Murray Views No 35. Art Gallery, Bendigo Victoriabendigo art gallery, city of greater bendigo tourism