Historical information
Alexander Robert Edgar, President of the Victoria and Tasmania Conference of the Wesleyan Methodist Church by Certificate of Consent of Sale dated 28 November 1901, declared that the Conference of the Church held in Melbourne, 27 February 1894, agreed to the sale by the Trustees of Lot 20 Henry Street. Indenture dated 15 November 1901 between Revd. Barnabas Shaw Walker, Minister of the Pentridge Circuit, Joseph Cooper, Gardener of Keelbundora, Samuel Jeffrey, Farmer of Jika Jika, John Brown, State School Teacher, Robert David Taylor, Gardener and Isaac Hill, Dealer, all of Eltham, the Trustees conveyed the land to William John Taylor the Younger, Gardener, George Knapman, Blacksmith and Isaac Hill junior, Carrier, all of Eltham and Trustees at the time for a Friendly Society known as the Hope of Eltham Tent No. 195 Victoria District Independent Order of Rechabites for the sum of £40. The conveyance was received into the Office of the Registrar General, State of Victoria, 12 December 1901.
Originally purchased in 1856 from Thomas Roberts, Yeoman of Little Eltham, for £10 for use by the Wesleyan Chapel, represented by indentured Trustees, Rev. Barnabas Shaw Walker, Minister of the Pentridge Circuit, Francis Thomas, Farmer of Keelbundora, William Harriman, Blacksmith of Nillumbik, Nicholas Rodda, Farmer of Nillumbik, Aaron Grimshaw, Farmer of Greensborough, Joseph Cooper, Gardener of Keelbundora, Peter Dredge, Scholmaster of Jika Jika and Samuel Jeffrey, Farmer of Jika Jika.
Lot 20 of Subdivision of Portion 13, Section 4 of the Parish of Nillumbik in the County of Evelyn was located on the southern side of Henry street in Little Eltham North, where the current Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church is situated. It became the location of the Eltham Rechabite Hall. In 1893 a new hall was built and further enlarged in 1919. At the commencement of 1922, the property was purchased from the Independent Order of Rechabites with publicly subscribed funds and a new hall built at a cost of £750 and improved road access constructed to reduce the grade, running from Dudley Street to Henry Street. This hall was eventually replaced with the new Shire Offices and Hall built on the corner of Arthur Street and Main Road, which was opened in 1941.
Significance
Traces the earliest history of the Eltham Public Hall in Henry Street and the various names, occupations and abodes of the Trustees associated with the property
Physical description
6 pages typed, letter size, one with hand written description on reverse
Subjects
- aaron grimshaw,
- blacksmith,
- edmond perry,
- eltham public hall,
- eltham rechabite hall,
- eltham wesleyan chapel,
- francis thomas,
- george knapman,
- george smith,
- henry street,
- hope of eltham tent no. 195,
- i.w. lucas,
- isaac hill,
- james blanch,
- james chapman,
- james william brown,
- john brown,
- john jenkins peacock,
- john jones,
- john neale,
- john van mangerhoussen weiss,
- joseph cooper,
- joseph morris holloway,
- josiah atwool,
- keelbundora,
- lancelot iredale,
- little eltham,
- little eltham north,
- lizar elliott,
- mark blanchard,
- methodist church,
- nicholas rodda,
- p. mather,
- peter dredge,
- rev barnabas shaw walker,
- robert david taylor,
- samuel jeffrey,
- samuel moor munce,
- thomas roberts,
- thomas wheaten bowden,
- trustee,
- victoria district independent order of rechabites,
- wesleyan methodist church,
- william harriman,
- william hebblewhite,
- william john munce,
- william john taylor,
- william matthews,
- william rose
References
- Eltham - Public Hall (Henry Street) and Eltham Rechabite Hall Public list of relevant newspaper articles accessed via the National Library of Australia website, TROVE. References and history of the original Eltham Public Hall (1922) in Henry Street, which was publicly purchased in December 1921 from the Wesleyan Methodist Church and a new building erected at a cost of £750. Lot 20, Portion 13, Section 4, Parish of Nillumbik, County of Evelyn was originally purchased by the Wesleyan Church in January 1856 from Thomas Roberts for £10 and was the location of the original Wesleyan Chapel until a new Methodist church was built. The Hall was also known as the Eltham Rechabite Hall prior to its sale in 1922 to the public. The Public Hall was superseded in 1941 with the opening of the new Shire of Eltham Offices and Public Hall at the corner of Arthur Street and Main Road.
