Historical information

Author Alan Marshall lived at Eltham from 1955 to about 1981.

Alan owned land at Research and often lived there in his caravan while he was writing. A story about this land is told by John Morrison in "The Writer and the Swagman", which appears in his book "Australian by Choice."

Local people also remember Alan living in his caravan beside an old house occupied by his friend, artist Neil Douglas, which was situated on the site of the present-day Eltham College oval and owned by the Pelling family at that time. It is understood that the land owned by Alan Marshall was nearby in Cassells Road.

Vivienne Turner of Eltham recalled that her family had a photo of Alan and his caravan at Research and a copy was provided to EDHS in 2003. The caravan was a Sunliner model.

See EDHS Newsletter No 151 July 2003

Physical description

Black and white photograph, injet print on paper