Historical information

William James Capewell, Ernest James Andrew and George Harrison all of Eltham collected the sum of £150 towards the purchase of Lot 20 Henry Street and whereby a Contract of Sale dated 30 December 1921 agreed to purchase (as Trustees of The Eltham Hall to be used in perpetuity for the benefit of the inhabitants of the Eltham District) the land, furniture, fittings and chattels from Jack Alfred Harrison, George Hugh Bird and Edward Samuel McColl for £750. The first President was declared to be Ernest James Andrew, Honorary Secretary, A.J. Morse, Honorary Treasurer, Charles Robert Nicholls and the first elective committee to be Thomas Nunn Jewell, William John Pasco, George Burchall, William James Burgess, John William Cox, Ernest James Andrew, John Michael Ryan, Frederick William Gillespie Didfield, Charles Harold Williams, Joseph Banks, Laurence Bourke, Charles Robert Nicholls, William James Capewell and James Pascal. This committee was appointed until the Annual meeting of subscribers held in January 1923 at which point all could stand for re-election (held annually). The Trust Deed was signed by Ernest James Andrew, William James Capewell and George Harrison in the presence of John Michael Ryan, Builder of Eltham, 5 August 1922.

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

7 pages typed, letter size, one page with hand swritten description on reverse

Subjects

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.