Historical information

The photograph is from the album of Ivy Child. It shows a rare scene of the Mountain Grange Homestead. Mountain Grange was built by Thomas Hand on his 306 acres. By 1881 he had completed the homestead and a large barn. Thomas Hand died suddenly in 1888 and his family took over the property. His son William Hand lived in the homestead until 1931 until it was demolished due to white ants. The great barn was demolished in 1930. A new home was built and Will stayed until 1939 when the property was sold to the Shire of Lillydale. It is now the site of the Kalorama Oval. This photograph is c1927

Ivy May Child (1910 – 1989) was the daughter of Arthur Edward (Ted) Child (1878 – 1964) and Ethel May Madden (1888 – 1970). Ted Child was the son of Matthew Francis Child (1839 – 1933) and Martha Jeeves (1857 – 1926). He was the grandson of one of the early pioneers Francis Child. Ivy grew up on the family property on Childs Road and took many photographs. Most of these are glued into her photo album. The album covered the years from c1927 – 1932. Ivy married Henry William Burgess (1906 – 1968) in 1944.
The photographs remain in their original state in the album with individual copies made.

Physical description

Black and white photograph showing a cleared area. There is a wire and posr fence in the foreground, a tall row of pine trees across the centre with two buildings visible. One in front of the trees RHS and he other in a gap in the centre. A crop has been planted in two long rows centre right of the photograph.

Inscriptions & markings

Handwritten below the photograph in the album: MOUNTAIN GRANGE