July Excursion July 6, 2019 - Exploring Lower Plenty The predominant feature of this walk in the Bonds Road area, Lower Plenty is the large number of magnificent old River Red Gums that line the route. These trees are of the spreading woodland form of this species indicating that they must have been originally growing in a reasonably open setting. The walk also includes parts of the historic Cleveland Estate and the homestead “Rosehill” established by pioneer farmer Henry Stooke. This area was the site of the first recorded European settlement in what was to become the Shire of Eltham when the Willis brothers arrived in the late 1830s. From the southern part of Cleveland Avenue there are extensive views across and along the Yarra Valley. An article on the history of this area was contained in Newsletter edition 201, November 2011. The walk will start at the at the corner of Bonds and Stawell Roads, Lower Plenty - EDHS Newsletter No. 246 June 2019fay bridge collection, 2019-07-06, blackburn bricks, eltham district historical society, heritage excursion, rosehill homestead, lower plenty

Born on the 24th of December 1912 at the Three Mile was Wilma Wells. Her mother born into English heritage bore four children, one who died shortly after birth, while her father had Irish heritage and worked at May Day Hills as a warden and a nurse. Wilma married Ted Wells when she was 23 and subsequently had two daughters. This oral history recording was part of a project conducted by Jennifer Williams in the year 2000 to capture the everyday life and struggles in Beechworth during the twentieth century. This project involved recording seventy oral histories on cassette tapes of local Beechworth residents which were then published in a book titled: Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century Beechworth. These cassette tapes were digitised in July 2021 with funds made available by the Friends of the Burke. Wilma Wells account of her life during the 20th century is historically and socially significant to the cultural heritage of Beechworth and the surrounding regions. She details important historical places and hardships within the region that have a lasting impact which includes but is not limited to issues with race, women's societal expectations and economic struggles. This oral history account is socially and historically significant as it is a part of a broader collection of interviews conducted by Jennifer Williams which were published in the book 'Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth-century Beechworth.' While the township of Beechworth is known for its history as a gold rush town, these accounts provide a unique insight into the day-to-day life of the town's residents during the 20th century, many of which will have now been lost if they had not been preserved.This is a digital copy of a recording that was originally captured on a cassette tape. The cassette tape is black with a horizontal white strip and is currently stored in a clear flat plastic rectangular container. It holds up 40 minutes of recordings on each side.Mrs Wilma Wells /beechworth, may day hills, oral history, burke museum, wilma wells, hospital, listen, weddings, three mile, picnic

Mrs Sheila Parkinson was born in Wagga in 1916 and came to Beechworth as a young woman around 1938. Sheila trained as a psychiatric nurse at Mayday Hills hospital prior to the second World War. At that time, unmarried women were accommodated and received nursing training on-site. Shiela was obliged to cease professional training and employment when she married in 1941, which disrupted completion of her final nursing examinations. Following post-war changes to the law that allowed married women to work, Sheila returned to Mayday Hills. Sheila's husband, Don, returned to Beechworth after four years abroad as a serviceman in the Australian Air Force. Beechworth's institutions were a major source of local employment throughout the twentieth century. As well as providing limited employment opportunities to young women like Shiela, post-war European migrants from Bonegilla Migrant camp found at Mayday Hills, encouraging European migrant settlement in the district. Mayday Hills was renamed several times since its establishment in 1867. At the peak of operations, it comprised sixty-seven buildings housing over twelve hundred patients patients and five hundred staff. The hospital officially closed in 1998. Today, the decommissioned two-storey Italianate style main building stands on eleven hectares of botanical gardens under National Trust protection. The site remains a popular cultural heritage destination for visitors. This oral history recording was part of a project conducted by Jennifer Williams in the year 2000 to capture the everyday life and struggles in Beechworth during the twentieth century. This project involved recording seventy oral histories on cassette tapes of local Beechworth residents which were then published in a book titled: Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century Beechworth. The cassette tapes were digitised in July 2021 with funds made available by the Friends of the Burke.Employed as a psychiatric nurse at one of Beechworth's large welfare institutions, Mayday Hills, Mrs Sheila Parkinson recalls the conditions faced by staff and patients at the hospital, which cared for chronically ill people from the Ovens region and patients from the Yarra Bend Asylum, Melbourne, which closed in 1925. When Sheila first began her nurse training, Mayday Hills suffered from a lack of resources and rudimentary facilities and patients frequently suffered from the cold due to poor heating and inadequate clothing and bedding. However, as the twentieth century progressed, Sheila recalls how conditions and treatments improved as a result of increased government funding of services and advances in psychiatry and pharmaceutical medicine. Mrs Sheila Parkinson's oral history recording is historically and socially significant for its witness to life in Beechworth in the pre- and post-WWII period. Sheila's story enriches our understanding of processes of modernisation with regard to psychiatric and welfare services, while the course of Sheila's professional training and employment brings attention to systemic and socio-economic barriers faced by women, as well as the valuable contribution women and migrants make in the delivery of care and ancillary services. This oral history account is socially and historically significant as it is a part of a broader collection of interviews conducted by Jennifer Williams which were published in the book 'Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth-century Beechworth.' While the township of Beechworth is known for its history as a gold rush town, these accounts provide a unique insight into the day-to-day life of the town's residents during the twentieth century, many of which would have been lost if they had not been preserved.This is a digital copy of a recording that was originally captured on a cassette tape. The cassette tape is black with a horizontal white strip and is currently stored in a clear flat plastic rectangular container. It holds up 40 minutes of recordings on each side.Mrs Sheila Parkinson /twentieth century beechworth, mayday hills, psychiatric care, benevolent asylums, nursing, wwii, psychiatric treatment, country women, psychiatric hostpital, beechworth's institutions, local employment, government institutions, listen to what they say, oral history, burke museum, sheila parkinson, beechworth lunatic asylum, beechworth mental hospital, beechworth hospital for the insane, the kerferd clinic, bonegilla migrant camp, working women, white australia policy

Mavis Jensen (nee Knight) was born in Broadford in 1920 and came to Beechworth with her family a year later, so her father could assist his father at Knight's Blacksmith at 1A Camp Street, where the Hotel Nicholas is now located. Mavis Jensen left school at the age of 13 and worked as a kitchen maid at Ovens Benevolent Asylum. She was employed as a ward assistant at Mayday Hills Hospital from 1939 to 1980, except for 1958-59 when she gave birth to her son, Noel. This oral history recording was part of a project conducted by Jennifer Williams in the year 2000 to capture the everyday life and struggles in Beechworth during the twentieth century. This project involved recording seventy oral histories on cassette tapes of local Beechworth residents which were then published in a book titled: Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century Beechworth. These cassette tapes were digitised in July 2021 with funds made available by the Friends of the Burke.Mavis Jensen's account of her life in Beechworth and the local area during the 20th century is historically and socially significant to the cultural heritage of the region. She details important historical events and hardships in the region's history that had a lasting local, regional and national impact, including Australia during war time, economic struggles, and women's societal roles in a rural area. Her oral history is particularly significant for its insights into developments in psychiatric patient treatment and care in regional Victoria, as well as women's work conditions in the mid-twentieth century. This oral history account is socially and historically significant as it is a part of a broader collection of interviews conducted by Jennifer Williams which were published in the book 'Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth-century Beechworth.' While the township of Beechworth is known for its history as a gold rush town, these accounts provide a unique insight into the day-to-day life of the town's residents during the 20th century, many of which will have now been lost if they had not been preserved.This is a digital copy of a recording that was originally captured on a cassette tape. The cassette tape is black with a horizontal white strip and is currently stored in a clear flat plastic rectangular container. It holds up 40 minutes of recordings on each side.Mavis Jensen /listen to what they say, beechworth, oral history, burke museum, jensen, mavis jensen, psychiatric hospitals, mid-twentieth century psychiatry, regional hospitals, regional mental health care, mid-twentieth century women's working conditions, mayday hills hospital., ovens benevolent asylum, beechworth hospital history

Desmond (Bill) Thomas moved to Beechworth when he was one year old. He was born in 1923 and his family moved to Beechworth in 1924. His father was offered a job in Beechworth as a leather tanner. His first job was in the Tannery in Beechworth. However, in 1938 he was involved in a accident at the Tannery that resulted in him losing his arm. The Zwar Brothers acquired the Tannery in 1877 and it operated until 1961. His interests included bushwalking and nature. When he was younger he would often go ferreting instead of going to school. His favorite place to visit was near Stanley. This included Zwar's paddock and Eldorado. One of his first memories was when he went to Sunday School at the Methodist Church. He remembered Miss Peach as the Methodist Superintendent. He eventually had to leave that Sunday School because of his behavior. This oral history recording was part of a project conducted by Jennifer Williams in the year 2000 to capture the everyday life and struggles in Beechworth during the twentieth century. This project involved recording seventy oral histories on cassette tapes of local Beechworth residents which were then published in a book titled: Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century Beechworth. These cassette tapes were digitised in July 2021 with funds made available by the Friends of the Burke.Desmond (Bill) Thomas' oral history has important historical significance for the local Beechworth region. The Zwar Brother's Tannery was a large part of Beechworth and had a long history. Both Mr Thomas and his father has contributed to this history because they both worked there. Mr Thomas' both of the bush and nature demonstrates the history of ferreting and bushwalking in this region. Desmond (Bill) Thomas has made many contributions to his community but also the history of Beechworth. This life tells us many things about the struggles and joys of living in and around Beechworth. This oral history account is socially and historically significant as it is a part of a broader collection of interviews conducted by Jennifer Williams which were published in the book 'Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth-century Beechworth.' While the township of Beechworth is known for its history as a gold rush town, these accounts provide a unique insight into the day-to-day life of the town's residents during the 20th century, many of which will have now been lost if they had not been preserved.This is a digital copy of a recording that was originally captured on a cassette tape. The cassette tape is black with a horizontal white strip and is currently stored in a clear flat plastic rectangular container. It holds up 40 minutes of recordings on each side.Desmond (Bill) Thomasleather tanner, leather, beechworth tannery, tannery, tannery accident, bushwalking, bushland, nature, ferreting, school, sunday school, beechworth methodist church, church, baptist church, beechworth, oral history, recording, 1924, listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century beechworth, listen to what they say, jennifer williams, burke museum, zwar brother's beechworth tannery, zwar bros. tannery

Olive Wilkinson was born in 1917 in Ararat. She and her husband both worked at the Ovens Benevolent Home, with her as a temporary matron when the need arose, and her husband as the Superintendent. This oral history recording was part of a project conducted by Jennifer Williams in the year 2000 to capture the everyday life and struggles in Beechworth during the twentieth century. This project involved recording seventy oral histories on cassette tapes of local Beechworth residents which were then published in a book titled: Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century Beechworth. These cassette tapes were digitised in July 2021 with funds made available by the Friends of the Burke. Mrs Olive Wilkinson's account of her life in Beechworth and the local area during the 20th century is historically and socially significant to the cultural history of the region. She details historical events pertaining to Beechworth and her family. This oral history account is socially and historically significant as it is a part of a broader collection of interviews conducted by Jennifer Williams which were published in the book 'Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth-century Beechworth'. While the township of Beechworth is known for its history as a gold rush town, these accounts provide a unique insight into the day-to-day life of the town's residents during the 20th century, many of which will have now been lost if they had not been preserved. This is a digital copy of a recording that was originally captured on a cassette tape. The cassette tape is black with a horizontal white strip and is currently stored in a clear flat plastic rectangular container. It holds up 40 minutes of recordings on each side. Mrs Olive Wilkinsonlisten to what they say, beechworth, oral history, burke museum, wilkinson, olive wilkinson, ovens benevolent home

Miss Evelyn Jensen was born in 1908 near Mytleford Road in Beechworth. Miss Jensen was a twin but she also had twelve brothers and sisters. Miss Jensen went to school when she was nine years old but did not enjoy it. Her father was a nozzleman and had a role in finding and collecting gold. More specifically, a nozzleman operated a steel barrel with an interchangeable brass nozzle that sprayed high pressure water onto rock and similar surfaces. This broke down the surface for gold to be found. Unfortunately, when he began most of the gold was already gone. Miss Jensen's mother died when Miss Jensen was sixteen. As a result, Miss Jensen had to take care of the children and run the house. This included looking after a few months old baby. Her father was away at work most days so all of the responsibility fell on her. Her grandmother was present but she was too old to help Miss Jensen. Miss Jensen and her family lived a very long way from the main town and often had to carry kerosene tins full of water half a mile to their house. This was because they have no access to water at their home. This lack of water also meant they had to either bathe in the creek or carry the water back home for a bath. On wash day, they washed their clothes in the creek too. Miss Jensen never married but continued to provide for her family. She spent her days gardening and cooking. They did not have much money so gardening was a way that they provided food for themselves. This oral history recording was part of a project conducted by Jennifer Williams in the year 2000 to capture the everyday life and struggles in Beechworth during the twentieth century. This project involved recording seventy oral histories on cassette tapes of local Beechworth residents which were then published in a book titled: Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century Beechworth. These cassette tapes were digitised in July 2021 with funds made available by the Friends of the Burke.Miss Jensen's oral history is significant because it demonstrates the struggles of living remotely during this early part of the twentieth century. When Miss Jensen's mother died, she had to take on a lot of responsibility and did not have much support. This history sheds light on these struggles of being a young caregiver but it also gives details on how large families lived in isolated places. An example of this is the way that Miss Jensen often had to do the washing in the creek because that was the only place there was running water. In addition, Miss Jensen's story is significant because her father was a nozzleman. It indicates one of the processes was used to find gold. This oral history account is socially and historically significant as it is a part of a broader collection of interviews conducted by Jennifer Williams which were published in the book 'Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth-century Beechworth.' While the township of Beechworth is known for its history as a gold rush town, these accounts provide a unique insight into the day-to-day life of the town's residents during the 20th century, many of which will have now been lost if they had not been preserved.This is a digital copy of a recording that was originally captured on a cassette tape. The cassette tape is black with a horizontal white strip and is currently stored in a clear flat plastic rectangular container. It holds up 40 minutes of recordings on each sideEvelyn Jensen /mytleford road, beechworth, three mile creek, three mile beechworth, twin, nozzleman, goldrush, gold rush, work, mother, young mother, children, siblings, baby, grandmother, father, isolation, bush, water, watertanks, kerosene tins, wash day, bath day, creek, gardening, provide, poor, money, oral history, twentieth century, recording, story

Franics Read known as Jock, was a life time resident of Eltham. He served in the Navy in WW2. He was well loved as a long time school crossing supervisor and member of EDHS with a remarkable memory of his life's experiences. Contents 1. In Memory of "Jock" Francis Percival Read 11.09.1915 - 22.12.2010; Funeral Service Booklet (3 copies), A4 card folded. Held at St Margaret's Anglican Church, Pitt Street, Eltham, Friday 7th January 2011 at 11:00 AM 2. News clippings - Clip Clop Lollipop!, Diamond Valley News, 14 Dec 1976, p1 - Jock Read with horse, Smokey, Diamond Valley News, 1978 - School Crossing Supervisor Jock Read with horse, Lofty, Diamond Valley News, 1982 - Families shed a tear for Tackey, Diamond Valley News, 23 Apr 1985 - For fallen friends, Diamond Valley News, 16 Nov 1992 - Lollipop man calls it a day, c.1996 - Local digger leads the march, Nillumbik Mail, 3 May 2000, p5 also “Our Anzacs remembered” - Rain holds off for people's march through memories, c.2001 - For Sale; 52-54 Henry Street, Eltham, Barry Plant Real Estate, The Weekly Review, 14 Mar 2002 - Wartime's memories of mates. Photo "Jock Read stands proud in front of the Australian flag in his front yard", Diamond Valley Leader, 19 Apr 2006, p1 - Keeping the Anzac spirit alive, Diamond Valley Leader, 19 Apr 2006, p10 - Meaningful life well lived by Jim Connor, Diamond Valley Leader, 16 Feb 2011, p25 3. Draft of obituary by Jim Connor published in Diamond Valley Leader 16 Feb 2011 4. Jock Read Memorial notes 5. Jock Read Distinguished Life Member, Eltham District Historical Society 6. Distinguished Life Member presentation to Jock Read by Eltham District Historical Society at Chatsworth House, 26 July 2010 7. Photographs (qty 3) 10 x 15 cm of Jock Read at the Distinguished Life Member presentation by Eltham District Historical Society members at Chatsworth House, 26 July 2010 (Photographer possibly Jim Connor) 8. Photographs (qty 9) printed on 3 sheets of A4 photo paper of Jock Read at the Distinguished Life Member presentation by Eltham District Historical Society members at Chatsworth House, 26 July 2010 (Photographer unknown) 9. Transcript of audio tape recorded by Peter Bassett-Smith with Jock Read at the old Police Residence, 728 Main Road, Eltham during Heritage Week display, 28 Apr 1990 10. Transcript of audio tape recorded by Denis Ward of Old characters and other folk around Eltham: a chat with Jock Read and Doug Orford at Eltham District Historical Society meeting held 10 May 2000 11. Interpretative transcript of audio tape EDHS_01636 Jock Read Tape 1 – 2002 12. Transcript of audio tape Main Road Eltham: a chat with Jock Read and Doug Orford at Eltham District Historical Society meeting held 10 Sep 2002 13. Baker's Run - List of names and deliveries forming Jock Read's Baker's run and discussed at meeting held 10 Sep 2002 15. Jock Read - when asked what he used to do around about 14. Nillumbik Council Item; Jock Read Eulogy 16. Photocopy of photo: Wedding Party; Jock Read and Beryl Olivia Burgess, St Katherine's Church, St Helena 17. Celebration of the life of Beryl Olivia Read nee Burgess 1 December 1924 - 17 July 2008harry gilham collection, jock read, frances percival read, 728 main road, alison delaney, bakers delivery run, blacksmith, building industry, david johns, diana bassett-smith, doug orford, funeral service, gwen orford, harry gilham, henry street, heritage week, i remember (poem), industry, jim connor, lofty (horse), matlock police (tv show), peter bassett-smith, russell yeoman, shamus (horse), smokey (horse), sue law, tackey (horse), wally, eulogy

Date estimated to be circa 1912 based on the style of printing on the reverse of the card - Kodak Austral paper for real photo postcards, the paper was manufactured c.1908-1914 (See also POSTCARDS ON KODAK PAPER - IS IT POSSIBLE TO "DATE" THEM? http://tps.org.au/bb/viewtopic.php?t=115) Brougham Street was created in Josiah Holloway's 1851 subdivision of Little Eltham. It was one of several east-west streets shown on the subdivision plan as crossing the Diamond Creek. The western part was named Wellington Street on the subdivision plan but was later changed to conform with the name of the eastern part as acknowledgement of the continuity of the street. It is not known when the first bridge was constructed in Brougham Street however it was certainly mentioned at Council’s meeting of 2 June 1884 as being in a dangerous state of repair. This photo (c.1895) of an old bridge shows a very low-level simple log girder bridge crossing the creek at a right angle and so the approaches involved bends in the road alignment. This bridge was generally known as Kaylocks Bridge or Kaylock’s Crossing after the owner of the adjoining land. It was most likely built from around the mid-1850s, or a crossing of some fashion established as Richard George Kaylock, butcher of Little Eltham and his wife Emily Ann settled there in 1854. His property was in Wellington Street (now Brougham Street) and apparently extended across the Diamond Creek. The land on the western side of the creek was farmed, the house being on the eastern side. Kaylock's Bridge formed part of the original coach road to Eltham and in 1922 was described as an "old rustic bridge". Its low level and insubstantial construction made it susceptible to flood damage, necessitating frequent closures until repairs could be carried out. In September 1922, Council called for tenders for a new timber bridge to be constructed at Kaylock’s crossing. An engineering assessment carried out for the Council by Macleod Consulting at the time of the replacement suggested that the construction details indicate that it was in the 1900s, however this dating could possibly have been the result of numerous repairs undertaken over the years to flood damage. The tender was awarded to Mr Weller of Kangaroo Ground who commenced work in February 1923 on a higher-level timber trestle bridge. Work was slowed due to illness of the contractor and the accidental death of a man in March 1923 following the collapse of the bank after he had jumped into a hole that had just been blasted. The bridge was completed around July 1923 at which point the old structure was pulled up, marking what was described in the ‘Advertiser’ newspaper as the passing of an old and well-loved landmark in the district. In April 1924 the approach to Kaylocks bridge was washed away during the heavy flooding that destroyed the Main Road bridge. The western side was repaired, and an extra span was added to the eastern side using timber from the destroyed Main Road bridge. The bridge was again severely damaged four months later in August 1924 When a lack of finances delayed repairs to the Bridge Street bridge in 1931 (also referred to as Obelisk Bridge at the time), traffic had to detour via Brougham Street for some time. Local residents feared that the Bridge Street bridge might never reopen. Kaylocks Bridge was constantly subject to damage by floods. In the 1934 flood it was submerged by two feet of water. In more recent times the bridge was again severely damaged by flooding and repairs made. A new bridge and adjoining footbridge were constructed in 2009.Digital file only Postcards scanned from the collection of Michael Aitken on loan to EDHS, 2 Sep. 2022michael aitken collection, eltham, postcards, bridge, brougham street, diamond creek (creek), kaylocks bridge, wellington street

Brougham Street was created in Josiah Holloway's 1851 subdivision of Little Eltham. It was one of several east-west streets shown on the subdivision plan as crossing the Diamond Creek. The western part was named Wellington Street on the subdivision plan but was later changed to conform with the name of the eastern part as acknowledgement of the continuity of the street. It is not known when the first bridge was constructed in Brougham Street however it was certainly mentioned at Council’s meeting of 2 June 1884 as being in a dangerous state of repair. This photo (c.1895) of an old bridge shows a very low-level simple log girder bridge crossing the creek at a right angle and so the approaches involved bends in the road alignment. This bridge was generally known as Kaylocks Bridge or Kaylock’s Crossing after the owner of the adjoining land. It was most likely built from around the mid-1850s, or a crossing of some fashion established as Richard George Kaylock, butcher of Little Eltham and his wife Emily Ann settled there in 1854. His property was in Wellington Street (now Brougham Street) and apparently extended across the Diamond Creek. The land on the western side of the creek was farmed, the house being on the eastern side. Kaylock's Bridge formed part of the original coach road to Eltham and in 1922 was described as an "old rustic bridge". Its low level and insubstantial construction made it susceptible to flood damage, necessitating frequent closures until repairs could be carried out. In September 1922, Council called for tenders for a new timber bridge to be constructed at Kaylock’s crossing. An engineering assessment carried out for the Council by Macleod Consulting at the time of the replacement suggested that the construction details indicate that it was in the 1900s, however this dating could possibly have been the result of numerous repairs undertaken over the years to flood damage. The tender was awarded to Mr Weller of Kangaroo Ground who commenced work in February 1923 on a higher-level timber trestle bridge. Work was slowed due to illness of the contractor and the accidental death of a man in March 1923 following the collapse of the bank after he had jumped into a hole that had just been blasted. The bridge was completed around July 1923 at which point the old structure was pulled up, marking what was described in the ‘Advertiser’ newspaper as the passing of an old and well-loved landmark in the district. In April 1924 the approach to Kaylocks bridge was washed away during the heavy flooding that destroyed the Main Road bridge. The western side was repaired, and an extra span was added to the eastern side using timber from the destroyed Main Road bridge. The bridge was again severely damaged four months later in August 1924 When a lack of finances delayed repairs to the Bridge Street bridge in 1931 (also referred to as Obelisk Bridge at the time), traffic had to detour via Brougham Street for some time. Local residents feared that the Bridge Street bridge might never reopen. Kaylocks Bridge was constantly subject to damage by floods. In the 1934 flood it was submerged by two feet of water. In more recent times the bridge was again severely damaged by flooding and repairs made. A new bridge and adjoining footbridge were constructed in 2009. Part of a slide show presentation "Bridges & Waterways of the Shire" by Russell Yeoman to the 13 September 1989 Society meeting. The presentation included slides of historic photos from the Shire of Eltham Pioneers collections as well as several recent views.Photo of earliest known crossing of the Diamond Creek at brougham StreetPostcard photo printbrougham street, eltham, wellington street, kaylocks bridge, bridge, diamond creek (creek)

Sign on trail - what is a wetland Newsletter No., 234, June 2017 Heritage Excursion - Saturday 1st July - Eltham Lower Park - Walk and Talk Eltham Lower Park has played an important part in the history of our area since the early days of European settlement when it was used by local residents as an informal racecourse. Prior to that its location at the junction of the Diamond Creek and the Yarra River made it an important meeting place for the Wurundjeri people. The park combines formal elements and sporting facilities with remnant bushland that is of environmental significance. It is home to sporting and horse riding clubs, popular play spaces and the Diamond Valley Miniature Railway, which attracts large numbers of visitors. The park will be the venue for our July excursion which will comprise a walk of about 3.5 km around the park and adjacent areas. Along the way we will discuss the history and natural history of the area. The path along the creek and the river provides a pleasant and scenic walk. This walk on Saturday 1st July is about 3.5 km in length and will take 2 to 2.5 hours. It will start at 2pm at the Main Road car park at the front of the park. (Melway ref 21 H 10). Born Digitalheritage excursion, activities, eltham district historical society, eltham lower park, sign