A wheat silo was erected on railway land adjacent to the Sunbury Station in 1967. Frank Millett handled the operations. As bulk handling was the preferred way to transport wheat, the silo gave local cereal growers to deliver their grain to the railhead. Over the years of the operation 200 grain wagons delivered wheat annually to the silo. In 1984 the silo was dismantled and removed.

Cereal growing was one of the agricultural activities carried out in the Sunbury and surrounding areas for many years.

A non-digital coloured photograph of a metal wheat silo being dismantled. A crane is beside the silo and two men are suspended from the crane in a basket to ensure that the sheets of iron land safely on the truck.

wheat storage, silos, frank millett, cereal crops, sunbury railway station

The photograph was taken at one of the early Sunbury Shows. In April 1900 saw the establishment of the Sunbury Horticultural Society but it was in September 1915 that the first Sunbury Show was held at the Corporation Sale Yards in the form of a horse parade and sale. In 1917 the Show was held at the Old Reserve which was adjacent to the railway precinct. Today the Sunbury Show is held in October at the Clarke Oval.

Annual Agricultural Shows are important events in many towns throughout the country and in Sunbury, it still draws crowds.

A non-digital black and white photocopied photograph of a gathering of people at an agricultural show. Some people are on horseback while others are herding some cattle and a group are unloading barrels from a horse and dray.

sunbury show, agricultural shows

The property in the photograph is the winery building at Goonawarra Vineyard, which is situated on the east side of Jacksons Creek and on the north side of Macedon in Sunbury. The winery and homestead were established in 1858 by James Goodall Francis, who received a crown grant of land in Sunbury. From 1865 to the 1920s, the vineyard produced white wine grapes. James Goodall Francis died ion 1884 and the property was brought by M.P.Synott who ran merino sheep on the property. It wasn't until the early 1980s that Goonawarra reverted to be a vineyard after the property had been in the hands of a variety of owners.

Goonawarra was one of Sunbury's earliest wineries to be established in the area.

A coloured polaroid photograph with a white border, of a pathway leading to a double storey building

goonawarra winery, james goodall francis, wineries, jacksons creek

The two homesteads are Ben Eadie and Craiglee, which were two of Sunbury's earliest vineyards that were established in Sunbury. James Stewart Johnson designed and built his concrete home, Craiglee, in 1865 where the previous year he had planted out his vineyard on the surrounding 26 acres of land.The property was on the east side of Jacksons Creek on Macedon Road. He concentrated growing Riesling and Hermitage grapes. After his death in 1896, his son Wilfred continued to produce wines until the late 1920s, when he pulled out the vines and concentrated on raising sheep for wool and meat. The Carmody family purchased the property in 1961 and in 1976 decided to replant the vineyard. Ben Eadie was built some time in 1863 and settled by the Eadie family who also were millers. The winery was built into the side of a hill close to the house but the Eadie family tended to concentrate on milling and retailing.

In the earliest days of European settlement many wineries were established in the Sunbury area.

Two non-digital sepia photographs have been mounted on cardboard. They are photographs of two homesteads with bare hills in the background. They were built in Sunbury in the early days off European settlement

Ben Eadie Vic. Craiglee Sunbury 1903

john eadie, ben eadie winery, james stewart johnson, craiglee, wineries, vineyards

Scottish miller and immigrant, John Eadie established his water-driven flour mill on Jacksons Creek in Sunbury in 1861.To make of a sufficient water supply to operate the mill, he built a weir and a water-race to drive it. Some of these can be seen today. The machinery for the mill was bought from Scotland and transported here. The mill continued to operate until 1914. At that time the 20 ton metal wheel and the iron roofing removed to aid the war effort.

This mill is one of a number that were built along the water courses in the Sunbury-Bulla area to process the wheat grown in the area.

A non-digital black and white photograph in post card format of a an old bluestone mill building sited on the bank of a watercourse in a deep valley with bare hills in the background. The remains of the water wheel are at the rear of the building. A New Year greeting dated 24th Dec. 1907 has been written on the back from H.H in Bulla to his aunt, Miss M.A.Ripon who was staying with Mrs. Tricks in Canterbury at the time.

The Old Mill Sunbury

john eadie, the old mill, milling, jacksons creek

The building in the photograph is a present day view of the former Lochton Mill which was built on a bend of Deep Creek in Bulla on 1856 on property owned by Captain William Morrison Hunter.

Lochton Mill was one of a few mills that were set-up on the banks of Deep Creek in Bulla and Jacksons Creek in Sunbury.

A non-digital coloured photograph of the ruins of a bluestone mill that was built on a bend of a river. It is an elevated view and clearly shows the river's course in the deep valley as well as the surrounding hilly countryside.

lochton mill, bulla, deep creek, captain william morrison hunter, milling

The post card with its greeting was sent by a person called Edwin to his brother.

A non-digital sepia photograph in post card format of the administrative building at the Sunbury Asylum, with a New Year's greeting hand written on the back.

post cards, sunbury asylum

The administrative building along with four other buildings were part of the former Sunbury Asylum complex that operated in Sunbury on Jacksons Hill from 1876 to 1992. The white fence in the front of the photo was the boundary for The Pines golf club where patients, staff and Sunbury residents played before the Goonawarra Golf Club was established.

The Sunbury Asylum was an important institution in the town and many of the townspeople worked there over the 120 years of its operation.

A non-digital sepia photograph in post card format with a white border across the bottom, of the administrative building and other brick Victorian style buildings that were part of the Sunbury Asylum complex. A white post and rail fence is in the foreground.

sunbury asylum, caloola, the pines golf club

Sunbury United Soccer Club was established in 1973 by a group of expatriate Europeans who wanted to play the game they grew up with. Their first games were played on the recreation reserve in Evans Street on the ground designed for AFL football. (Now the site of a shopping complex). In August 1975, Sunbury United moved to its present home on seven and a half acres of sporting ground at Langama Park in Mitchells Lane . Over the years that area has developed and there are now three senior, and two junior soccer pitches with two cricket pitches and practice nets. Although there is still room for improvement to the floodlighting on the main pitch, the night games have proven successful.

The Sunbury United Soccer Club has played an important roll in district competition and is one of the many sporting clubs in Sunbury.

A non-digital black and white photograph of a soccer ground showing a set of goal posts with the clubrooms and change rooms in the background.

soccer, sunbury united soccer club, football, langama park, mitchells lane

The Sunbury Cycling Club was formed in September 1897 although prior to that date cycling was popular in the district. A popular place to cycle in those times was at Diggers Rest. In 1897 the Sunbury Cycle Club organised a race around the township. After that local bike races were organised on a weekly basis. According to the caption, the race in the photograph took place some time in 1895.

A non-digital sepia photograph backed onto board of a line of men on bicycles in a main street preparing to set off for a cycling race.

cycling, cycling races, plumpton avenue, sports clubs

The people in the photograph were enjoying a day out at a Sunbury race meeting some time in the early 1900s. Races at Sunbury began in 1886 with the establishment of the Sunbury Racecourse that was located along Racecourse Road on a section of the Rupertswood Estate on land consisting of six furlongs and two straights. The site included a patron’s stand, saddling paddock, bookmakers’ enclosure, two bars, a committee room, judges box, stables, toilets, six entrance gates and ticket boxes. Special trains from Melbourne brought patrons and horses to the Sunbury race meetings. A report in the Melbourne Argus newspaper in 1922, stated that city taxi drivers came out to Sunbury to drive patrons to the racecourse, which was located about 3 kms from the Sunbury station. Some time however, between 1886 and 1901, there was a period when the racing club had been inactive. A meeting was called in 1901 to restore the club’s activities. With a substantial loan from Mr. Clarke the committee was able to organise the installation of a turnstile, perimeter fencing and irrigation of the course by a windmill that pumped water from a recently constructed dam that was on the estate. The club continued to function until 1942, during World War 2, and did not resume activities after the end of the war. The land was eventually sold for housing development.

The Sunbury Race meetings were popular with the racing fraternity not only in the district but further afield and were deemed sufficiently important to run special trains from Melbourne to Sunbury on Race days.

A non-digital sepia photograph with a strong cardboard backing of a crowd of people dressed smartly for a day out at the races. Most of the spectators are seated in a long marquee. Three men on the RHS are looking at a horse that is lying on the ground.On the back of the card there are scribbled notes and numbers which seem to indicate the photograph has been used for a publication at some time.

sunbury race meetings, sunbury race course, racecourse road

The photograph was taken at a Sunbury Race meeting, when a sudden shower of rain caused the spectators to run for cover. Sunbury Race Course was situated along Racecourse Road about 2kms from the railway station. The land has been sold and it is now a housing estate.

The race meetings in Sunbury were well attended with special trains running from Melbourne on race days.

A noon-digital sepia photograph mounted on cardboard of a crowd of people caught in a sudden shower of rain and running for shelter at a race meeting.

sunbury race meetings, racecourse road, races, stud farms

The mural of an impression of Macedon Street in Sunbury 100 years ago was painted by Frank Breen, on the brick garage wall of the Catholic Presbytery and it faced the garden in front of the former Sunbury Courthouse. Before the railway arrived in Sunbury in 1859, Macedon Street was the town's business centre. Early local businesses and and institutions that the artist included in the mural include on the LHS former courthouse, Out Lady of Mt. Carmel and the Sir John Franklin Hotel. On the RHS are some shops and the Ballcourt Hotel.

The mural gives an impression of Sunbury's first business centre before it shifted closer to the railway station which arrived in Sunbury in 1859.

A non-digital coloured photograph of an artist's impression of a street in Sunbury 100 years ago. The photograph has been encased in a cream card with an inscription on the back.

'MACEDON STREET 100 YEARS AGO'/ARTIST: FRANK BREEN/OLD SUNBURY COURTHOUSE/ SUNBURY, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA

murals, macedon street, frank breen, sunbury courthouse, our lady of mount carmel, hotels

The building was the residence of the engineer who was responsible of managing the early electric supply that was installed in Sunbury in 1909. The town's power supply put an end to gas lighting that had been used and homes had the benefit of having electricity connected to their homes. In 1926 the State Electricity Commission took over supplying electrical power to Sunbury. The cottage is now a private home and the power house building has been demolished. he complex occupied land on the corner of Jackson and Shields Street.

At the time the electric supply was installed in Sunbury in 1909, few small country towns had electric power connected.

A non-digital scanned coloured photograph with a narrow white border of a small double fronted wooden cottage with a corrugated iron roof with trees growing behind the building.

electricity, engineer's corrage, jackson street, shields street, power supplies

There is very little information about this historic home .which is thought to be somewhere within the former Shire of Bulla and/or the Shire of Broadmeadows.

A non-digital sepia photograph in post card format of a two storey Georgian style home with a single storey extension at the rear of the house.

mansions, homesteads

The Sunbury Post Office with a residence pictured in the image was the first official post office building in the town. It opened on the corner of Brook and Evans Streets in 1892. Prior to that time postal services were conducted in an office at Sunbury Railway Station. Although the present day post office is still on the Brook-Evans Streets corner, the building has undergone many changes in services and appearances over the years.

Like many country towns, the post office offered many services to the residents over the years.

short message has been written on the back to a person in Stirling WA.

sunbury post office, sunbury railway station, brook street, evans street, post offices

The Male Hospital in Sunbury was one of the buildings that was within the grounds of the Sunbury Mental Hospital, later known as the Sunbury Asylum, that opened on 1st December 1879 on She-oak Hill ( Jacksons Hill). Patients and staff from the Ballarat Asylum were transferred there. Prior to the establishment of the Asylum, the Sunbury Industrial School occupied the site from 1865. The Sunbury Asylum, later known as Caloola, continued to operate until the 1992.

The Sunbury Mental Hospital was an important institution and was the main source of employment for Sunbury residents for 120 years. It was also one of a number of similar institutions that were established around Melbourne's outer rural centres.

A sepia non- digital photo in post card format of a hospital building with verandahs along a section of the front and down the side. Two nurses are standing in front. There are circular garden beds in from of the building. A message dated 23/11.09 from Gregor to Cookie has been written on the back of the card.

MALE HOSPITAL/SUNBURY

sunbury mental hospital, sunbury asylum, caloola, the hill

The church in the image is the former St. Michaels Catholic Church that was on Sunbury Road in the small Bulla township. After holding religious services at the Daniel property 'Narbonne' at Oaklands Junction until 1876, the permanent church building opened 0n 19th November 1876. Services were held there until the land was sold in the 1980s and the building was demolished despite undergoing renovations in 1978. Members of the Catholic faith then worshipped at the Sunbury Catholic Church. The note on the flip side was written by a Sunbury resident to his sister.

A post card with a non-digital sepia photograph of a weatherboard church in an open grassed area. A short note has been written on the flip side of the card.

st. michaels church, bulla, catholic church

M.G. Gregor was staying at the Sunbury Presbytery when she wrote a message on the flip side of this postcard to her niece on 23rd June 1912. She may have been employed there as a housekeeper.The Catholic Presbytery was built at a cost of 1315 pounds and opened on 25th February 1912. Father Gallivan was the first priest to reside in the new Presbytery. The Presbytery is adjacent to Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Macedon Street.

A post card of a non-digital sepia photograph of an Edwardian style brick house with a tiled roof and a return verandah. The house has a picket front fence. A handwritten message dated June 23rd 1923 is written on the flip side of the card.

catholic presbytery, catholic church, our lady of mount carmel catholic church, father gallivan

Contextual information relating to St.Mary's Church is entered on P0877. This image was used for a newspaper article

An enlarged non-digital black and white photograph with a cream border of a blue stone church with white rendered columns around the windows and door and a pitched slate roof. Two men are standing beside the porch and the vestry is visible at the rear of the main building. A bare deciduous tree is on the LHS of the image

The first building which housed Sunbury State School No.1002 was built on the corner of Macedon and Stawell Streets in the early 1870s and functioned as the local State School until 1912 when a sturdier red brick structure replaced on the same site. In 1999 Sunbury State School was relocated in the former Industrial School heritage buildings in Jacksons Hill. The existing building in Macedon Street was incorporated into the Sunbury Community Health Centre.

The school in the photograph is the original Sunbury State School NO. 1002 building, where many early Sunbury residents attended.

A non-digital black and white photograph in post card format of a crowd of children outside a school building. Four teachers are standing on the RHS of the image.

sunbury state school no. 1002, stawell street, macedon street, schools

On 17th January 1856, two acres of land was granted for the building of a school and church on that site in Macedon Street. A small temporary building was erected on the site and on 13th December 1864 the foundation stone was laid for the new stone church which was known as 'Our Lady of Mount Carmel'

Is one of the oldest churches to be established in Sunbury.

A non-Digital post card photograph of the Roman Catholic Church in Sunbury

our lady of mount carmel catholic church, macedon street, sunbury

The Government first granted land for the building of a Presbyterian Church in Sunbury in Stawell Street and Barkly Street, in 1864 and a smaller building was later erected on the site. In 1904 Rev Goyen pressed for a brick church rep[lace the smaller weather board building and the foundation stone was laid for the new church was laid by Mrs. John Duncan on 17th August 1904 and the new church opened by Lady Clarke on 13th November 1904.

The Presbyterian Church was one of the earliest churches to be established in Sunbury along with a school.

A non-digital sepia photograph in post card format of the front view of a brick church with a light picket fence across the front.

The context entry for photograph P0876 gives information about this building which ceased being a place of worship when the Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregational churches amalgamated.

A non- digital coloured photograph of the front entrance of former Methodist Church that stands on the NW corner of Barkly and Harker Streets in Sunbury. The image clearly shows the decorative wooden edges around the roof and doorway.

methodist church, barkly street, harker street

This is an early photograph of St. Mary's Anglican Church in Sunbury. On 13th October 1863, the Government granted one acre of land on the corner of Stawell and O'Shanassy Streets for the building of a church. he first service was held on 24th November 1867. After that date subsequent additions were made. The gas lamp outside the church indicates that the photograph was taken before electric power was installed in Sunbury.

St. Mary's Anglican Church is one of the earliest places of worship to be built in Sunbury.

A non-digital sepia post card photograph of a small bluestone church with a slate roof with a wooden picket fence and two gates across the front. A gas lamp is on the pathway.

Peter Collett's signature is on the back as well as a sticker with number 7 written on it

st. mary's church of england., o'shanassy street, stawell street

The church in the photograph is the former Methodist Church which is on the NW corner of Barkly and Harker Streets inn Sunbury. It was built on land donated by Thomas Woods at Lot 14 Barkly Street where in 1870 a small weatherboard building was built. In 1879 John Browning gifted land at 13 Barkly Street for the building of a new brick church on that site. The brick church continued to be a place of worship until the June 1977 when the Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregational churches came together and worshipped as the Uniting Church. St. Andrews Uniting Church have been the owners of this building since that time.

A non-digital black and white photograph of a little Church building with the words Methodist Church written across the bottom of the image.

methodist church, methodism, barkly street, harker street, uniting church

The earliest record of the Sunbury Aussies Rules football is in 1881when a match was played between Sunbury and Keilor. In 1892 the team officially became known as The Swifts. Some of the players have been identified in the image. They are - Standing: J.Fisher, W.Wider, L.Drew, R. Grant, A. Oserham, I. Gilchrist, B. Campbell, A.F. Daniel, E. Campbell and W. Eadie. Seated: P. Whelan, E. Whelan, C. Whelan and E. Meeking.

The Sunbury Football Club is one of the earliest and oldest sporting clubs to be still in existence today.

A non-digital black and white scanned photograph of a football team taken some time in the early 1900s, showing 21 players and the coach. photographed in an open area. The image has been printed on A4 paper and a list of names is attached.

sunbury football club, "the swifts', j.fisher, w.wider, l.drew, r. grant, a. oserham, i. gilchrist, b. campbell, a.f. daniel, e. campbell and w. eadie. seated: p. whelan, e. whelan, c. whelan and e. meeking.

The photograph was taken of swimmers at the water hole at The Nook in Sunbury in 1917. The pool at The Nook was the town's only swimming area from 1916 to 1966, when an Olympic size swimming pool was built in Ligar Street.

A non-digital sepia photograph mounted on cream board of eight young men sitting on a grassy area and dressed in swimwear c1917.

sunbury swimming club, the nook, swimming, sports

This is a photograph of the first committee of the Sunbury Swimming Club which was formed in 1916. The club used the pool at The Nook near Eadie Street. The area had shade trees, a drink fountain, seats, change rooms and diving boards. In 1966 an Olympic size swimming pool was opened in LIgar Street, as a result of a whole community effort. The site at The Nook became a popular passive recreation area.

The pool at The Nook was a popular meeting place for Sunbury residents in the hot summer months for fifty years

A non-digital sepia photograph backed onto a beige board of seven people standing on a diving board that is over a natural water hole. Four men are dressed in swim wear and two ladies are in full length dresses. A man standing on the end of the board is wearing a suit.

sunbury swimming club, the nook, swimming, sporting clubs

The Sunbury Football Club, known as 'The Swifts' was formed in 1897 and the early matches were probably played on Munro's which was a stretch of land bounded by Evans, Barkly, O'Shanassy and Shields Streets. Later land adjacent to the railway line, now Sunbury Shopping Centre was where football was played until Clark Oval was opened in 1953. Since then it has been the town's main sporting venue and the site for the annual show and other events. In this photograph the football match is being played on the Clark Oval with the clubrooms visible in the background.

The Sunbury Football Club is one of a number of sports clubs established vin Sunbury.

A non-digital black and white photograph of a football match being played on an oval. The clubrooms are visible in the distance.

sunbury football club, clark oval, "the swifts'