The former Shire of Ballan commissioned this work which ties in with the formation and early years of the Ballan Shire Historical Society. It is a collection of articles, works and memoirs written and compiled by James Henry Walsh, an early resident of Ballan, that have been edited for publication by James Turner. The book contains maps and photographs and is fully indexed. It is considered by some to be the foremost reference work on the history of Ballan.The book is significant as it is a comprehensive collection covering the history of Ballan. It is a limited edition and now out of print.A soft covered book, ivory in colour. Printed on the cover is - "The Walsh Papers. Edited: J.L.Turner. Memoirs of the early settlement of Western Victoria and, in particular, Ballan Shire: 1830 -1875. Written and compiled by James Henry Walsh (1863 -1930) of Ballan." The back cover is a full page sepia photograph of James Walsh (head and shoulders only) and the printed number "ISBN 0 95599911 1 5". Book No.106. 312 pages.The book bears the stamp of the Ballan Shire Historical Society and the handwritten marking "Receipt P.1." Book No.106 and Reg No. (VC) 00909 in pencil.walsh james henry, ballan memoirs, turner j l, ballan history

School Council, Members of Staff, Editorial, Principal's Page, Magazine Committee, Obituary - Rupert P. Flower, Literary Society, Prominent Personalities, Science School, News and Notes, Prize Presentation, The Apprentices, Boys Sport, Sun Youth Travel Memoirs, The Art School, His Majesty the Late King George VI, Commercial Notes, Gleanings Here and There, Junior School, Girls Sport, Sport, House Notes, Junior Technical School Students', Roll Call - Diploma Students 1952Pale blue soft covered magazine with navy blue titles.ballarat school of mines, magazine, mr bryan, c. sanos, s. deans, j. williams, r. simpson, c. g. fairbank, d. treadwell, e. aitkens, g. birkett, g. allen, f. benjamin, s. gillespie, r. hullick, h. mccallum, h. harris, j. walton, e. walsh, j. stevens, b. clark, rupert p. flower, john bechervaise, w. keith hindson, a. james tinney, walter c. tooth, john d. bethune, vilma sansom, betty clark, travers duncan, joyce wilson, lex lockhart, jim w. beattie, joyce stevens, slim ingleton, a. eddy, john howard, douglas george dean, edgar bartrop, colin mck. henry, tom adams, max kennedy, jeff coward, o. j. nilsen, j. skuja, s. rowe, w. maddox, a. kinnane, d. fraser, a. carpenter, john james, b. flavel, j. murray, d. schmidt, g. habel, t. duncan, l. matthews, n. spiers, b. smith, a. tonnisseu, r. ingleton, j. bethune, j. mills, j. mcneil, b. schreenan, w. carlyon, d. stevens, l. j. hillman, k. hindson, r. furlong, j. beattie, b. taylor, g. heyes, l. quilliam, r. archer, a. johnson, m. gillin, t. seabrook, m. phillips, j. sawyer, c. restarick, j. saggers, g. ditchfield, j. tinney, don stewart, j. faneco, m. stevens, w. tooth, ron simpson, bill maxwell, graham searle, jim tinney, k. treloar, j. barnes, s. j. deans, lynette j. blomeley, georgina cox, heather mcgregor, janet saunders, heather harris, elizabeth mcarthur, norma coffield, pat lavery, imelda lee, gloria white, valerie westbrook, cynthia stone, janice thompson, clare mooney, glenys perry, faida lewis, betty clarke, marion volk, isla veal, valerie yates, coralie mckenzie, lorraine digby, barbara henderson, deidre wilson, margaret henderson, barbara ngip, glenys sleeth, anne duncan, l. dwyer, elaine leishman, j. jenkin, stirling gillespie, w. bridges, b. baldock, b. braybrook, e. mackie, r. braybrook, c. grose, b. mackie, c. garnham, c. schmidtke, t. lugg, j. copeman, b. tozer, g. mathews, n. sutherland, r. lambert, j. sanders, m. quick, j. collier, g. pike, r. digby, r. quayle, r. sharp, n. brogden, r. lyons, p. stevens, j. bastin, b. kay, k. duncan, b. golding, l. norman, b. murnane, k. hocking, c. sealey, b. langdon, f. weightman, m. birch, r. stevenson, r. stewart, r. haintz, k. mccoll, k. jarvis, l. hocking, d. curtain, r. lazarus, e. boak, j. fletcher, b. orchard, j. squires, n. pike, j. shrader, l. reynolds, m. ritchie, g. smith, d. parkes, g. templeton, m. wunhym, v. vincent, d. robertson, d. lang, l. horwood, d. searle, d. new, v. jolly, a. minotti, b. beaumont, m. marshall, e. bowen, j. rogers, d. cody, e. kinnane, j. cunningham, j. schrader, r. horgan, j. white, n. flood, j. matthews, h. gale, k. mitchell, v. rowse, j. mayne, a. gilbert, b. warrillow, g. gilbert, n. quick, m. hall, d. furlong, n. lyons, j. richards, j. jones, l. major, d. baldock, d. dow, g. ruddick, d. howell, j. caddy, b. singleton, b. powell, r. sharpe, c. lockhart, l. daff, c. sharpe, d. irish, l. dow, a. douglas, n. twaites, j. courtney, l. beacham, n. c. cartledege, cliff sealey, j. f. collier, e. g. mackie, m. g. quick, b. l. collinson, j. n. bastin, g. e. timmins, valerie mills, j. a. jenkin, w. cowan, i. mitaxa, n. c. leckie, r. j. austin, n. coffield, d. quilliam, r. courtney, f. m. kilfoyle, p. nunn, king george vi

The photograph of Henry Sutton used in this book was provided by Federation University Historical Collection.Hard copy green cover with black over spine, about Australian inventors, 32 pages with index, includes; Maria Skyllas Kazocos Richard Smith James Harrison Henry Sutton Hugh MacKay Lawrence Hargrave Walter Hume David Unaipon Arthur Bishop Mervyn Richardson David Henshaw Ralph Sarich Ben Lexon Alan Walshaustralian inventors, maria skyllas kazocos, richard smith, james harrison, henry sutton, hugh mackay, lawrence hargrave, walter hume, david unaipon, arthur bishop, mervyn richardson, david henshaw, ralph sarich, ben lexon, alan walsh

Return of the commissioning plaque to the City of Bendigo Victoria. The H.M.A.S.Bendigo 50th Anniversary was on the 10th May 1941 to 12 May 1991military, world war 2, h.m.a.s. bendigo, 50th commissioning anniversary h. m. a. s. bendigo, hmas bendigo association, ansett airways, mr ray burton, eric spooner, laurie bower, james (doc) walsh, colin (doc) reinke, dean thomas, wally eves, noel (lofty) bushell, laurie (banjo) patterson, lex dalgleish, bendigo naval cadets, lt peter covinton-thomas, captain s j griffith, captain j h dowson, mrs burton, rear admiral mike hudson, commadore jeffrey a morten, army survey unit bendigo, lt col r van den tol & mrs van den tol, chief superintendent fox & mrs fox, bendigo naval club, mr des norman & mrs norman, bendigo r s l, mr henry o'halloran & mrs o'halloran, mr john barnes & mrs barnes, welcome stranger motel/reception centre, mr john walsh, st andrews uniting church

HardbackR. Boyd LH 19 (pencil, faded), Penleigh Boydancient history, walsh st library

"A perpetual spring in the adjacent creek provided a steady supply of fresh water to the site on which the homestead is built. Although we can not be certain of the identity of the builder, the first stage of ‘The Willows’ homestead appears to have been constructed in the mid 1850s. The house is situated on Crown Allotment No.1 (No Section), Parish of Kororoit, an allotment of 5 acres 3 roods 4 perches. Although it had surveyed the land, the Crown did not offer it for sale until 22nd November 1861, at which time it was purchased by Charles March Williams. (Although the property is directly opposite and immediately adjacent to the Township of Melton, and was sold as ‘Suburban Allotment 33’, it was situated within the Shire of Braybrook rather than the Shire of Melton until 1917.) Considerable improvements had taken place on the land prior to the Crown sale. When CM Williams purchased the allotment in November 1861 he paid £23.5.0 for the land itself, and valued the improvements at £400. Even allowing for some exaggeration by Williams, this is an extremely high valuation for improvements, and must have included a house. Some local research has claimed that in 1858 Williams had taken over the interest of a Mr Parkinson in the property, and that Parkinson built the house upon taking possession of the land c.1855. It was definitely built by 1861, when a map shows a square building on the site marked as ‘House’. The property is important in the district for its association with the establishment of the pound. The district pound had been established in 1854, when George Scarborough of Mount Cottrell (Mt Cottrell Road, south of Greigs Road) was appointed pound-keeper. Scarborough resigned in 1857. The pound was moved to Melton following agitation from local farmers and Charles March Williams appointed pound-keeper on 26th April 1858. Williams, the son of a doctor, had been born in London. Reminiscences of local residents of the time, as recorded in the Express newspaper, note Williams’ success in breeding horses on the property. Sales of up to 60 guineas were noted. Whether this was from Williams’s own stock or from unclaimed pound stock is not made clear. Williams appeared before a government inquiry in 1860 and advocated registration of all stock brands in the State. Williams died in 1862 leaving a widow, Catherine, and five living children aged 15 years to five months. At the time of his death Williams had entered negotiations with one Matthew Devenish and had a mortgage of £100 on allotments 1 and 2, Parish of Kororoit. Catherine Williams was appointed pound-keeper on 2 September 1863, with her eldest son Charles as her assistant. Her tenure was short for on 22nd March 1864 George Minns senior paid Matthew Devenish £135 for allotments 1 and 2 Parish of Kororoit (considerably less than Williams had claimed the property was worth in 1861) and on the same day paid William Tullidge £45 for the adjoining allotments 3 and 4. In April 1867, James Ebden Minns, the newly married son of George senior became the owner of The Willows property having entered into a mortgage arrangement with his father to the extent of £200. At the time George Minns was residing in Kaarimba having left Melton in 1867 for a short trip to England and upon his return having taken up a selection in the Kaarimba district with his son Frederick who had a hotel licence there. James paid out the mortgage on 2-1-1873. James Minns was appointed pound-keeper in 1872; in 1885 the pound was moved elsewhere and Minns purchased the old pound site and added it to his farm. The Willows residence underwent a major change about this time. A two room extension, similar in style but with a lower elevation was added to the original rear of the house with a chimney matching the distinctive originals. Window arrangements did not match the original but became a feature of the façade when the new addition became the front of the building. Six buttresses were attached to the east and west walls of the old building, two to the south wall and the whole rendered with mortar to give the appearance of dressed stonework around the windows. Galvanized iron was placed over the shingles and a verandah added on three sides. By 1876 The Willows was the homestead for a thriving mixed farm of 340 acres of which 156 was rented from a H. Ruck. In October of that year the Australasian travelling reporter visited and reported on the property. In common with the nearly every other property in the district the farm had ‘recently’ (generally within the last two years) abandoned cultivation of crops, and turned over completely to cattle pasture. Butter making was the principal occupation of the farm, which had about 50 head of cattle, a large proportion of which were milking cows. The reporter also noted that a ‘large number of pigs are kept upon this farm and are found to be very profitable stock’. Their manure was used in an orchard and garden in which ‘large quantities of lucerne and prairie grass are grown for the use of stock when ordinary feed is scarce’. Two bores attached to deep brick lined wells supplied water for the house in addition to the farm. A commodious timber barn and necessary sheds had also been constructed. Access to the property was improved following the construction of the bluestone ford across the creek c.1887, when the recreation ground came into use. Prior to this date it may have been that the crossing referred to as ‘Mr Minns bridge’ was used. This appears to have been a flimsy structure and has but two references in Council reports in the Melton Express in the 1880’s. It is believed that in the late 1890’s a timber building was added near the rear of the building to house a kitchen, ablutions and laundry rooms and rooms for seasonal workers. This was attached to the house by means of a trellised walkway using the original front entry to the house (long since the back door). A photograph of this building appears in a local history of Melton. This was demolished in recent decades during the period when the house was tenanted (after the Minns family had left). James Minns son, George, took over the property following his marriage to Alice Walsh in 1903. James and Caroline moved into a house on the former JH Games property at the eastern end of Henry Street. George held the position of Shire Secretary for Melton for 40 years. He was a most prominent member of the community being Secretary to, among others, the Melton Coursing Club, the Shooting Club and the Cemetery Trust. He also rode with the hunting parties who sported across the Plains and were entertained at Mount Kororoit. George and Alice had one son, Norman who followed his father into local government and became Secretary of the Shire of Werribee completing a record term in this position. George retired to Werribee in 1951, where he died in 1965. The National Trust records note that James Ebden Minns and his sons were ‘leading men of the district, Justices of the Peace, and Shire Councillors’. It claims that Sir Thomas Bent was a frequent visitor. The Willows passed into the hands of George’s grandson, Bruce Minns and the property was let for a number of years. In the 1960s it became vacant and was subject to vandalism. Major structural problems arose with the part demolition of the roof, the loss of windows and doors and holes dug into and under the floorboards. The outbuildings were particularly targeted. Following widespread public support, the Shire of Melton purchased the house, with 3.75 acres of land, in 1972. In 1975 the Shire of Melton and the Melton and District Historical Society were successful in nominating the building for National Trust classification, and then the Australian Heritage Commission’s Register of the National Estate. The AHC particularly noted its ‘townscape importance’. It was envisaged that the farmhouse would form ‘a picturesque centrepiece to Melton’s planned … historical park, along with Dunvegan bluestone cottage … and similar structures as they become available.’ In a time of great Melton’s ‘satellite city’ development the Council spelt out its broader vision in its submission to the AHC: ‘Melton is destined to become, by the end of the present century, a city of between 75,000 and 100,000 people. Significant relics of the past, such as ‘The Willows’, regrettably will be rare in that situation. It is essential that sufficient tangible links with Melton’s pioneering days remain to promote in the new community a sense of history and continuity’. Under the direction of ‘The Willows’ Restoration Committee and consultant architect John Hitch, all outbuildings, with the exception of the garage and toilet, were demolished and the dwelling house restored. Finances were provided by the Shire of Melton and the National Estate Grants Program, and considerable amount of voluntary labour was provided by the local community. The orchard was removed, and remaining wooden buildings were relocated to provide an open vista for visitors to the Park. The property was furnished with donations from district families keen to preserve this example of pioneer life in the area. The Willows became the headquarters of the Melton and District Historical Society". Invitation to the family reunion at the Willowslocal identities, pioneer families