The people were attending the annual Fireman's Ball which was one of the popular events held in Sunbury.

Dances and formal balls and other community social events were popular in many towns throughout the country.

A black and white photograph of a group of people in fancy dress assembled in a large hall.

fireman's ball, sunbury, memorial hall

The waterway is the Deep Creek at Bulla. Originally this was the site of one of the earliest mills in the district.

In the early days of European settlement a number of mills were established on the banks of both the Jackson and Deep Creeks in Bulla and Sunbury.

A coloured photograph of a valley surrounded by hills with the ruins of a stone building on the horseshoe bend of the creek.

deep creek, mills, bulla bulla

The people are looking at a photographic display mounted by the former members of the Sunbury & District Heritage Association. The event was the Sunbury Fair, which was staged on the Sunbury Village Green every year in March. A parade through the town took place in the morning and in the afternoon community groups mounted displays on the Village Green.

The Sunbury Fair was a popular annual community event amongst the townspeople.

A coloured photograph of people looking at a display of photographs in an outdoor area.

sunbury fair, village green, sunbury & district heritage association

The building is the Bulla Community Centre, which replaced an older hall that was situated in the Bulla Sports Ground precinct in Greene Street. Over the years many community activities have been staged within the precinct such as district school sports, local dances and community social group functions.

A black and white photograph of a brick building with large windows and a return verandah.

bulla community centre, bulla township

These are the original wrought iron gates which served as the entrance to St. Andrews Uniting Church, formerly St.Andrews Presbyterian Church. They were erected there in 1922 and were made at H.V.McKay's Sunshine Harvester foundry, at Sunshine. H.V McKay was a member of the Presbyterian Church in Sunbury. Originally the gates opened onto Stawell Street, which ran at an angle between O'Shanassy and Barkly Streets. Apart from a small area leading to the Memorial Hall the rest of Stawell Street has been incorporated in the Village Green in Sunbury.

The gates were restored and erected on their original site in 2000.

A scanned coloured photograph of white painted wrought iron double gates with two smaller gates on either side and supported by stone pillars. A church building is just beyond a grassed area.

st. andrews church, st. andrew's uniting church, wrought iron gates

The mural of the artist's image of early Sunbury was painted on the garage wall of the Sunbury Presbytery. It could be viewed from the former court house garden. The first businesses opened in Sunbury in Macedon Street between Jacksons Creek and Jackson Street. The view in the mural is looking east towards Jacksons Creek.

When the railway service reached Sunbury in 1859, the business area then relocated from Macedon Street to the Evans and O'Shanassy Streets precinct. Some businesses still exist at the original Macedon Street site.

A coloured scanned photograph of a mural which was painted on a brick wall.

murals, early sunbury, macedon street

The Dodge water truck was used in the past by the Sunbury Country Fire members.

Country Fire Authority is a volunteer fire fighting organisation attached to many rural towns throughout Victoria and in an important organisation for the state.

A black and white scanned photograph with a white border of a fire fighter's water truck. It is parked in a cleared area with a line of trees in the background.

water truck, dodge truck, country fire authority

The Starkie drinking fountain was erected to commemorate the work done by Joseph Starkie to formation of the Sunbury Waterworks Trust in 1905. This later led to the establishment of a water supply system in Sunbury. Originally the fountain was at the intersection of O'Shanassy and Brook Streets. As the shopping centre expanded, the fountain was moved to a reserve in the Village Green.

The establishment of a town water supply system in Sunbury in the early years of the nineteenth century was quite an achievement.

A coloured photograph of a drinking fountain set in a grassed area. Parked cars can be seen in the background.

sunbury waterworks trust, joseph starkie

The people are looking at a photographic display mounted by the former members of the Sunbury & District Heritage Association. The event was the Sunbury Fair, which was staged on the Sunbury Village Green every year in March. A parade through the town took place in the morning and in the afternoon, community groups mounted displays on the Village Green.

The Sunbury Fair was a popular community annual event that had wide support in the town.

A coloured photograph of people looking at a display of photographs in an outdoor area.

sunbury fair, sunbury & district heritage association, village green

The photograph is of the Jacksons Creek taken in the vicinity of Mill Falls, near the former 'Springvale' winery, which was downstream from the Sunbury township. In 1971 the Shire of Bulla purchased 'Springvale' site and established the town's sewerage plant.

The former 'Springvale' winery was one of a number of wineries that were established in Sunbury in the 19th century.

A scanned coloured photograph with rounded corners of a valley with a meandering stream with a small dammed section in the foreground. There is a line of trees across the distant hilltops.

mill falls, springvale winery, jacksons creek

The Bulla Sports Ground, along with the clubrooms and community centre were updated in 1990. Prior to then they were used for various district sporting events but over the years they were becoming run down. They are sited in Green Street.

Over the years many local sporting competitions have taken place on the Bulla Sports Ground and has been a focal point for the town's activities.

A black and white photograph of a sports oval with a building in the distance. A wooden post and rail fence is in the foreground.

bulla sports ground, green street

Before the Shire of Bulla built permanent offices in Macedon Street, the council used to meet in the Memorial Hall and had rooms there to conduct regular business. Some cottages were demolished to build the new offices which were completed and opened in 1966. Over the years as the shire's population increased, further additions were added. After Sunbury became part of Hume City Council, the former council building was occupied by Wester Water and Vic Roads.

Apart from the former Shire of Bulla Roads Board office built in Sunbury in the 1860s, the 1966 building is the first council building to be built in Sunbury.

A black and white photograph of a single storey office building and the surrounding garden. There is a light pole in the foreground.

shire of bulla, council offices

The young lady in the photograph is Sophia Alice Victoria Benzley who was born on 16th December 1974 at he Gap and died in Carlton 0n 12 December 1956 at Sandringham. At the age of twenty five she married Norman henry Hallo in 1897 at Carlton. The couple had eight children. They were Hilda b. 1899, Norman 1901 - 1979, Olive 1903 - 1958, Howard b.1905, Thelma b. 1907, Leonard b. 1911, Beryl b. 1913 and Constance b. 1916. The Benzley family acquired land and settled in Sunbury in the mid 1800s. Later generations of the family lived at 7 Barkly Street opposite the former Sunbury State School and had a little shop.

The Benzley family were farmers and business people who settled in Sunbury from the 1850s onwards.

A sepia studio photograph with a cream border of a young lady taken in the late years of the 19th century.

benzley family, sophia alice victoria benzley

The lady in the photograph is Ethel Pringle, who was the youngest daughter of Jacob and Amelia Benzley.

The Benzley family were early vingerons and business people in Sunbury.

A copy of a black and white studio photograph of a fashionably dressed lady seated on a bench and holding a folded umbrella. A hand written message is in the bottom RH corner of the photograph.

MUCH LOVE/ ETHEL

ethel pringle

William Alfred Benzley and his wife Mary are the couple in the photograph. William Alfred was the son of Jacob and Amelia Benzley who were early business people and vignerons in Sunbury.

A scanned sepia studio photograph with a cream border of a lady and a man. The man is seated and the lady is standing beside him.

william alfred benzley, mary benzley, vignerons

Schlossberg Vineyard was situated along Vineyard Road in Sunbury, between Winilba and the Calder Highway. It was established by Felix Frederick Bubeck, who arrived in Australia from Rotenberg (near Stuggart) in the 1860. In 1866 he acquired 60 acres of land on Bald Hill and established the vineyard. In 1880, claret produced on the property received an honourable mention when it was exhibited in Bordeaux, France,

From the mid 1850s a number of vineyards were established on the hillsides overlooking Vineyard Road. The east facing outlook that captured the morning sun was ideal for growing grapevines. Other vineyards were also established in the area at the same time.

A black and white copy of a postcard of two photographs mounted on the one card with the original handwritten message photocopied on the back.

To my dear brother & sister with love and good wishes for a Merry Xmas & a prosperous 1909. Thanks for the paper Your loving sister Marie. You will think it a good photo You will see the trees have grown almost hiding the house. Mr. A Senling, Cheetham St. Kalgoorlie Sth. WA

felix frederick bubeck, schlossberg vineyard, bald hill, vineyards

The photograph is of the Woodland Homestead at Bulla which was sited along the Moonee Ponds Creek. William Pomroy Greene and his wife Anne, emigrated from Scotland and arrived in the Port Phillip area in December 1842.. He acquired the Crown land at Gellibrand Hill in 1843 and built the prefabricated homestead which became known as Woodlands. The people in the photograph, taken about 1859 - 60, are L- R: Possibly Sir Willian Stawell, ?, little Anne Catherine Greene at 2 years, Rawdon Greene, Mrs. Greene and Smith ( a butler).

The Greene family were one of the early European settlers to acquire land in the Bulla Bulla district. The Woodlands property is now a national park and the significant Gellibrand Hill is within the park.

A black and white photograph of 3 men, a lady and a child standing in a garden in front of a homestead. A wooden post and rail fence is in the foreground

woodlands homestead, greene family

The photograph was taken at the Sunbury Fair possibly in 1977 when Bert Kelly, who is the man in the foreground, was the Shire President. Every year in March the Shire of Bulla held the fair in which community groups participated in a parade in the morning and the afternoon was given over to entertainment by local groups and displays on the Village Green. The lady, wearing a dark patterned dress and standing immediately behind Bert Kelly is Shirley McKerrow. Mrs Mommsen is standing next to him and the young man 2nd from extreme right is Graham Gibb. Her husband, Frederick Christian Mommsen was a former Shire of Bulla councillor.

The Sunbury Fair was a popular annual event that took place in Sunbury and allowed local groups to participate.

A black and white photograph with rounded corners of a group of people in a parkland. gathered around an elderly lady and a man.

bert kelly, sunbury fair, village green, shirley mckerrow., graham gibb, mrs. mommsen

The stone wall is part of the terraces that were built into the hillside at the winery at Goonawarra. They were constructed in the early days when the vineyard was established to terrace the hillside for growing vines. The winery was originally established by Joh Goodall Francis, a former member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. He acquired a parcel of crown land and proceeded to develop it as a vineyard. The terraces were built by vignerons, who were employed to work on the property.

Goonawarra Winery was one of a number of vineyards that were established in the Sunbury area in the 1800s. The volcanic soil and temperate climate were ideal for grape growing.

A coloured photograph of a stone wall with a notice to the left of the wall and long dried grassland in the front. A barbed wire fence is in the foreground.

terraces, vineyards, goonawarra, james goodall francis