A charabanc or "char-à-banc" is a type of horse-drawn vehicle or early motor coach, usually open-topped, common in Britain during the early part of the 20th century. It has "benched seats arranged in rows, looking forward, commonly used for large parties, whether as public conveyances or for excursions." It was especially popular for sight-seeing or "works outings" to the country or the seaside, organised by businesses once a year. The name derives from the French char à bancs ("carriage with wooden benches"), the vehicle having originated in France in the early 19th century. In Australia a modern similar type of bus or motorcoach, with a lateral door for each row of seats, survived up to the 1970s and was referred to as side loader bus; but all or most of them were not open-topped. (Wikipedia)

Two pages relating to buses, char-a-bancs and trams in Ballarat

bus, tram, char-a-banc, john lucas, john j. mckenna, hugh williams, a.b. smith, thomas pascoe, h.g. whiteley, walter hearne, thomas james, george skinner, sydney stapleton, hugh george lake, oscar cruikshank, robert taylor, thomas powell, wilmot, j.p. bennett

The Port Phillip Farmers Society was instituted in 1848. It was reported by the Ballarat Agricultural Society in 1859 that flax was grown in the Ballarat district. Flax was sown at Brown Hill on 04 October 1858, the seed saved, and the flax beetled on 28 February 1859. The exhibitor was T. MCKenna who was the first flax produced in the colony.

'Sample of Flax Plant First Prize Awarded to Mr T. McKenna 1857"

port phillip farmers society

Photo of a white invitation card with blue printed writing and gold edge

brown hill hotel social club ball, brown hill hotel, brown hill, dot dilges, condor

brown hill hall, father christmas, christmas

brown hill, slater

Ed Bawden sits in front of a tent with a sign "Brownbill Diggings License Office. The event is the Brown Hill Family Fun Night.

ed bawden, brownhill diggins, brown hill, family fun night

Twelve photographs from the Harris photograph album.

brown hill, warren harris

Twenty five children in the Brown Hill State School Grade One school photo.

brown hill state school, brown hill primary school, education, school