Historical information

Photo is likely to have been taken pre-1924 when the land was subdivided.
Donor information is that this was taken from a home in Churchill Street, Mont Albert; it would be looking south towards Mont Albert Road.
Black's dairy farm occupied the area just east of Hamilton Street to near Elgar Road. It was subdivided into 88 house allotments along Churchill Street, Bruce Street, Black Street, Proudfoot Street and View Street.
The solicitors were Proudfoot & Horton, 360 Collins Street; estate agents were Duncan & Weller, 29 Queen Street.
The real estate subdivision notice on the SLV website states that Neil Black had been the owner for 50 years. To date no trace of a Neil Black has been found.
Box Hill rate books simply give BLACK as the owner in 1877 (no first name); the entry for 1878-1884 states Robert Black.
The 1909 electoral roll has entries for Mont Albert Road for Robert Black (farmer), Thomas Black (carter) & Elizabeth Black (HD).
The 1912 electoral roll has entries for Mont Albert Road for Robert Black (farmer), Thomas Black (labourer), John Arthur Black (carter) & Elizabeth Black (HD).
Robert Black died in 1920 (b. 1836) and is buried in Box Hill Cemetery (CE-*-0057). His parents were John and Margaret Black. He married Lizzie Foley in 1878. She was the daughter of Margaret & John Foley, born in 1859. She died in 1902 aged 43 years and is probably buried in the same grave, although the cemetery records record her age as 0 years.
Children:
1. James Hughbert (1880-1954)
2. John Arthur (1881-1959)
3. Alice (1882-1883) - died aged 6 months
4. Laura Elizabeth (1883-1951)
5. Thomas (1885-1965)
6. Isabella (1887-1963)
7. Eleanor (1889-1963)
8. Ada Maud (1890-1968)
9. Robert (1892-1930).
BDM Victoria states places of birth as Box Hill, Surrey Hills or Mont Albert. Many of the family are buried in Box Hill Cemetery. None of the girls appear to have married.
Communication from a descendant of John Arthur Black gives the following: "John Arthur Black, son of Robert & Lizzie Foley, married Gladys Anne Layton had 4 children, Robert, Elenore, Marion (Follett) & Annie; they had farm on Stud Road, Dandenong where they milked 30 cows that he retired to after being a earth-moving contractor with draft horses and dug irrigation ditches around Shepparton."

Significance

This is important as documentation of the area's early farming land use.

Physical description

Black and white photo of a paddock with cows and sheep grazing. On the horizon is a simple cottage with a small veranda and 2 chimneys and scattered trees.