Historical information

This photograph shows the main road near Bellbird, East Gippsland, in 1924. This road would have been the Princes Highway, a main thoroughfare through to New South Wales.
Bellbird Creek is a small rural location between Orbost and Cann River.
There was no township at Cabbage Tree at this time. The Cabbage Tree Creek township was established to support the booming timber industry of the mid 20th century. Five timber mills worked full time supporting the families that were drawn to the area's wealth of natural resources.
Nestled on the banks of the Cabbage Tree Creek, the township was built by those mills to house their workers. Today although the timber mills have disappeared, some of the buildings still remain. Little now remains to remind of the saw-milling history apart from photographs and some relics - a boiler and a brick furnace. There was also a thriving agricultural community farming dairy, beef, seed beans and fresh peas and beans that were sent to the Victoria Market in Melbourne. Dairy farming still plays an essential role in the township.

Significance

this is a pictorial record of the Princes Highway, the main road from East Gippsland to the New South Wales border.

Physical description

A large black / white photograph of a very wet and boggy bush road.

Inscriptions & markings

on front - "Main Rd near Bellbird 1924"