W E Herring and his wife arrived in Brighton in 1887 to live in Roslyn Street. They had both been active members of the Fitzroy Street, St Kilda church choir. In 1937 Mr Herring recalled church life in the 1880s and 1890s. Houses were scarce and to reach the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Were Street, Brighton Beach a creek which had no bridge had “to be crossed – in winter, with the help of a hurricane lamp – and it was no uncommon thing for the preacher, if he were a stranger, to arrive late and breathless, or not at all.” In 1907 permission was given to form a tennis club at Were Street and Mr Herring was its first president. He was also the Were street Methodist Sunday School Superintendent, the Were street Methodist church organist and a member of the church’s Trust. “The Sunday School had a fine set of teachers. The rows of well-drilled and disciplined young life that filled the platform on Sunday School anniversaries, and sang their songs under the baton of Mr Herring, constituted a promise that was amply fulfilled as the years rolled on.”* *”Fifty years ago : a little history of Were Street Methodist Church” : Issued in commemoration of its Jubilee by Members of the Trust 1887 – 1937. To celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Mr Herring composed an anthem. The Brighton Southern Cross, Saturday 26 June 1897, page 2 reported: "The diamond jubilee has been instrumental in evoking some local musical talent. Mr W. E. Herring, organist of the Were-street Wesleyan Church, not being able to find any anthem specially suitable to the jubilee services, set his musical genius to work and composed an original piece. The words are selected from the 72nd Psalm. The music is a very tuneful and well harmonised theme, which does credit to the composer's skill and taste. The anthem was rendered twice on Jubilee Sunday at the Were street Church." Stained wood turned music baton.w e herring, were street methodist sunday school superintendent, music baton, were street wesleyan methodist church

Bird family, c.1905 Back row, L-R: Janet Bird (nee Kilpatrick), George Bird, Ellen May (Nell) Bird Front row L-R: George Hugh Bird, Ernest Reginald Bird, Arthur Andrew Bird, Edwin John Bird Nicholes Photographer, Alphington According to the Sands McDougall Melbourne Directory, George. Nicholes, Photographer was first listed on the north side of Heidelberg Road, Alphington in 1904 and again in 1905. By 1906 he was still listed but with no profession. From 1907 on he was listed as a bicycle agent. On July 23, 1878, George Bird married Janet Kilpatrick (born Ayrshire) at Northcote by Presbyterian minister, Duncan Fraser. The witnesses were daughters of the minister. George gave his profession as farmer. Around 1880 or possibly earlier he acquired the property known as View Hill at the top of Pitt Street, Eltham between Pitt Street and Mount Pleasant Road and what is now Eucalyptus Road. George and Janet developed an orchard and farm around the View Hill home and had 10 children, three of whom died young. George Bird is listed in the 1977 history of the Eltham Methodist Church as Steward and trustee in the early years. In the 1950 history he is mentioned as Sunday School Superintendent. In the early 1900s, Janet regularly went to the church by horse and jinker. Janet died September 2, 1915, age 60 of endocarditis and bronchial pneumonia. At about this time, three children had married (Sarah, George and Ada) and four were living at home. However, Edwin joined the AIF in August 1915 and Ellen married in 1916 leaving two sons, Arthur and Reg, to look after their father and the property although some of the married children may have lived at View Hill for some time. From Edwin's letters, Hilda Pepper, a cousin on their mother's side) stayed with the family for some time to help. In later years, George developed glaucoma and became blind. He died December 6, 1920, aged 75 years, of diabetes mellites. Both Janet and George are buried at Eltham Cemetery, but the gravestone incorrectly gives 1921 for the death of George. The estate was divided into equal portions and distributed to the surviving members with Arthur and Ted Pepper being Executors. Ada Janet Lowe received a portion above what is now Rockliffe Street and Sis Pepper (Sarah Ann nee Bird) the portion below Rockliffe Street. Ernest Pepper built in the 1930s on the Pepper block at the Pitt Street end. George's share was along Wattle Grove and Arthur received the portion at the eastern end. Presumably the other two received portions including the top of the hill and slopes down to Pitt Street, Mount Pleasant Road and Wattle Grove. Read's (at the corner of Pitt Street and View Hill Crescent) was the first additional house brought in on wheels by a Mr Walkenden. The View Hill house was occupied by the Johanssons in the 1930s and was later damaged by fire. Source: Info provided to Marg Ball by Neil and Lyn Pepper (both deceased) abt. 2018. PANEL 1875-1920 Panels began to be produced around 1875, and were particularly suited, because of their larger size, for capturing family, or even larger, groups. They measured 8.5 by 6.5 inches (22 cm x 16.5 cm). - Frost, Lenore; Dating Family Photos 1850-1920; Valiant Press Pty. Ltd., Berwick, Victoria 1991marg ball collection, 1905, arthur andrew bird, bird family, edwin john bird, ellen may (nell) bird, ernest reginald bird, george bird (1845-1921), george hugh bird, janet bird (nee kilpatrick), nicholes photographer alphington, straw boater

Awarded to Mrs Eva Snow. Mrs Snow was born Eva Williams, on 5 August 1901, in Octavia Street, St Kilda. As a girl she attended the Windsor Methodist Church in Upton St with her parents, her sisters and brother. She also went to the Sunday School there. Her grandfather, Mr Kingham, was the Superintendent. If a student attended Sunday School for a full year without missing once, they were awarded a silver star. For 4 years perfect attendance the gold star with laurel wreath was awarded. Eva was awarded hers when she was about 11 years old. Eva moved to Murrumbeena with her family and joined the Methodist Church, then a small wooden building in Dandenong Road. In 1998 she was a member of St Giles Uniting Church, Murrembeena.B066 Star shaped with wreath behind award."METHODIST SUNDAY SCHOOL WINDSOR"methodist sunday school windsor, eva williams, eva snow

Members of the Presbyterian faith were among the first settlers in the North-east of Victoria, and in the year 1842 the Presbytery of Melbourne requested the Rev. Peter Gunn, Minister of the Gaelic Church, Melbourne, to visit Presbyterians along the Murray River. This was the first of a series of annual visits, and was of a missionary nature. In May 1851, the Rev. David Hunter Ballantyne was appointed to the Wodonga district based out of Albury. In 1860 the Presbytery of Beechworth was formed, and from it two large presbyteries have grown - Wagga Wagga and Beechworth. In the early days the services at Wodonga were held in the old court house, which still stands. Wodonga Presbyterian Church continued as part of the Parish of Albury until the end of 1887, when it was placed under the administration of the Session of the Beechworth Church, with a home missionary in charge. Mr William Cooper was placed in charge for the first months, then Mr William Smith, a city missionary who had recently arrived from Scotland, was appointed. Mr Smith conducted a cordage factory at Stonleigh. He remained as missionary in charge for the next 10 years, and in that time the church steadily progressed. Plans were made for the erection of the building which now stands in High Street, Wodonga. Mr John Whan was a Founding Member of the Church and was appointed Sunday School Superintendent, an office which he held for 46 years, rendering extensive and valued service to the church and congregation. With a growing congregation and realising the challenges presented to the Church by changing conditions, land for a new church was sought. In September 1950 property was purchased in Nilmar Avenue in Wodonga and the new Presbyterian Church St Stephens became their new home. With the amalgamation of the Presbyterian and Methodist Churches, the new Church became the Uniting Church. The original Presbyterian Church was later sold to the Free Serbian Orthodox Church.These photographs are significant because they provide evidence of the changing nature of religious worship and groups in Wodonga.A collection of black and white photographic images depicting the first Presbyterian Church at Wodonga. The Church was later taken over by the Free Serbian Orthodox Church.presbyterian church, free serbian orthodox church, wodonga churches