The first recorded football match played injured Sunbury was in 1881 when Sunbury played Keilor on Munro's Ground which was located on land bordered by Barkly, Shields, Harker and Evans Streets.By 1892 Sunbury Club officially became known as 'The Swifts". A later game was recorded in 1895 but it wasn't until 1897 that it became a recognised football team at a meeting convened by W.A. Eadie in the Royal Hotel. Later football matches were played on railway land in Evans and Macedon Streets. In 1949 the Shire of Bulla Council passed over 26 hectares of Crown land for a new recreation ground, now the Clarke Oval. Since that time that site has been Sunbury's home ground.

Sporting clubs have played an important part in the Sunbury's social life from the latter half of the nineteenth century.

A non-digital copied black and white photograph of a men's football team standing and seated in two rows in front of a picket fence.

sunbury football club, "the swifts', football, sporting clubs

The War Memorial was erected in Sunbury. On 11th November 1919, on the first anniversary of the end of WW1, it was announced that there were plans to erect a memorial. On 15th December 1919 a final peace celebration took place at the newly erected memorial which was sited between Stawell and Barkly Streets. Since then Anzac services have terminated at that site where wreaths are laid.

A non-digital sepia photograph with a cream border of a memorial which has wreaths of flowers placed around it.

Stamped on the back - 'Velox' and 'Kodak Print' and handwritten S8798

war memorials, stawell street, barkly street

The group of men in the photograph were marching in file along Brook Street and were making their way to the War Memorial in Stawell Street. They were approaching the intersection of Brook, O'Shanassy and Stawell Streets, known locally as the 5 ways.

A non-digital sepia photograph with a cream border of men dressed in suits and hats marching in file along a tree-lined street. One man holds a wreath to place on a memorial. A service station with petrol pump are to the RHS of the photograph.

The words 'Kodak Print' and S579 are stamped on the back of the photograph.

war memorials, anzac day, brook street, stawell street, o'shanassy street, marches

The photograph was taken in 1915 at the opening of the Starkie Memorial Fountain that was erected at the intersection of Brook, O'Shanassy and Stawell Streets in Sunbury Township. Joseph Starkie was instrumental in establishing a reliable water supply which was turned on 13th March 1905. The fountain was erected in recognition of his contribution to the town 10 years later on 26th February 1915. As the town grew and the main shopping strip became busier, it was relocated to a memorial site opposite the Memorial Hall.

The Starkie Fountain is one of Sunbury's important memorials erected to celebrate an important development in the town.

A non-digital black and white photograph of a crowd of people are gathered around a monument for a ceremony. Flags are festooned above the crowd and an open parkland is in the background as well as a church. Details of the event are handwritten on the back of the photograph.

joseph starkie, j.d.starkie memorial, stawell street, sunbury, water fountain

The damaged building in the photograph is the former Diggers Rest Hotel which was built in on that site in 1854 It was a popular place during the 1970s Sunbury Pop Festivals as it was the closest hotel to the Pop Festival site. It was partly destroyed by a suspicious fire on 30th October 2008, which left the walls and chimney intact but the roof caved in. Since then there have been moves by the local community to either rebuild and reopen the venue or to demolish it.

The Diggers Rest has been one of the few early surviving hotels that were built along the former Mount Alexander Road, now Calder Highway, during the 1850s gold rush years.

This a non-digital coloured photograph of a double storey hotel building, which has been damaged by fire. The exterior walls are intact but the roof has collapsed.The building is beside a main road.

diggers rest, diggers rest hotel, hotels, calder highway, gold rushes

The former blue-stone Bulla Store and Post Office was damaged by fire in September 1992. Unfortunately it was not restored despite its heritage listing and the fire-damaged building was finally demolished. A house now occupies the site.

The Bulla Store was one of the first buildings to be erected in the little township.

A non-digital coloured photograph of a damaged blue stone building. There is no roof and the windows and doors are covered in with sheets of corrugated iron.

bulla store and post office., bulla bulla, general stores

The homestead featured on the postcard is 'Emu Bottom', which is claimed to be Victoria's oldest homestead, although over the years sections of the homestead have had to be rebuilt as result of fires so little of the original materials remain in the building. The homestead was built by George Evans in the 1830s when he squatted on a tract of land in the Jacksons Creek valley in Sunbury.

A non-digital coloured photograph in post card format of a single storey homestead with a timber shingle roof. A timber post and rail fence is across the front of the property. The post card has a crinkled edge.

'emu bottom', george evans, homesteads, jacksons creek, sunbury

The postcard shows the kitchen at 'Emu Bottom' which is almost the same as when the homestead was built in the 1930s when George Evans acquired the land and built the homestead.

Images like the one on the postcard provide visual information relating to past domestic living and life.

A non-digital coloured photograph in post card format with a crinkled edge, of a lady in a kitchen cooking over a Firestone. A large dresser is to her right and had a display of china plates and bowls on the open shelves.

kitchens, emu bottom, george evans, sunbury

The garden in the image was taken in the grounds of Glenara Homestead at Bulla, which was owned by Alister Clark of rose breeding fame. Refer to entry P0951 for the information relevant to the Clark family.

A non-digital black and white photograph with a cream border of a large garden. A tower is seen in the distance and a pottery urn on a pedestal is to the LHS at the meeting of a pathway.

'Glenara' is the homestead, which is situated in the Deep Creek valley at Bulla. It was the home of Walter Clark, who moved from NSW to Victoria in 1853 and purchased land on the banks of Deep Creek. Four years later in 1857 his homestead was completed. In the same year Bulla Racing Club held its first annual meet on the property. Later that year, Alister Clark purchased the homestead from the family estate and began developing an extensive rose garden on his property.

Alister Clark developed varieties that are adaptable to Australia's climate such as the Lorraine Lee rose and his rose breeding achievements led him to international recognition as a rose breeder of note.

A non-digital black and white photograph with a white border of large single story Italianite homestead in a creek valley and surrounded by lightly timbered hills

glenara homestead, bulla bulla, walter clark, alistair clark, roses, rose gardens, deep creek

The property in the photograph is 'Emu Bottom' possibly after George Evans leased it, as the caption across the image reads 'Holly Green' 1860.

An old non-digital black and white photograph with a cream border of a rural property showing the homestead on the RHS and three out buildings and trees in the background. A man is standing with a horse and open dray on the lower RHS of the image.

'emu bottom', holly green, george evans, sunbury, homesteads

The fountain in the image is at the entrance to the 'Emu Bottom' homestead. George Evans squatted on land to graze sheep, along the Jacksons Creek Valley, originally known as Buttlejork Valley, in 1836 and built the homestead from local Silurian sandstone and timber. Over the years it has had a number of owners. In the 1920s the property was renamed 'Holly Green' by H.L Webb after a property in Narre Warren.In the 1950s it was renamed 'Emu Bottom'. Over the years a number of fires have destroyed parts of the building and as a result, little of the original building remains. The fountain was erected in 1936 to mark the centenary of the property as well as 100 years of European settlement in theSunbury area. The property is now a private residence and function centre.

'Emu Bottom' is one of the oldest homesteads in Victoria.

A small non-digital sepia photograph with a cream border of a fountain, with a horse trough around the base, at the entrance of a rural property.

'emu bottom', holly green, sunbury, jacksons creek, buttlejork valley, george evans

The two storey house is 'Ardcloney. Dr. William Faulkner, formerly from Queensland, had it built for his residence in 1911. The property also included a garage, which accommodated his automobile and accommodation for his chauffeur. Owners in more recent times were Keith Campbell, who previously owned 'Willowbank' in the old Broadmeadows township and Bill Landeroo a former Victorian State MP. The buildings and surrounds have been redeveloped and the property is now the Sunbury Day Care Hospital.

'Ardcloney' is one of Sunbury's significant historical properties in the town.

A non-digital black and white photograph of a two- storey Californian style mansion in a garden setting. The ground floor is constructed of bricks and the upper storey of timber. The roof is tiled. The image is a copy of an original photograph.

ardcloney, dr. william faulkner, sunbury, sunbury day care hospital

The photograph was taken some time after the end of World War 1. It was a Welcome Home reception for those men who had enlisted to fight in World War 1 and were lucky to return home. The reception took place in the Sunbury Fire Station which was located in Evans Street.

At the end of World War 1, the local Sunbury community held a number of Welcome Home receptions to acknowledge the part played by many local men and women in World War 1.

A non-digital black and white copy of a photograph of a lot of men at a reception seated at long tables in a large hall. There are flags from a number of countries festooned across the room.

welcome home receptions, world war 1, sunbury, defence forces

The photograph was taken to welcome home the Sunbury men who had fought in overseas battles during World War 1.Those who were not wearing their uniforms had been discharged as a result of injuries but they were eligible to be included in the Welcome Home functions that took place after 1918.

Many men from Sunbury enlisted in the defence forces during World War 1. Sadly some did not return while others did come home.

A non- digital black and white photograph of a group of men with one little girl seated and standing in four rows in front of a large screen. Most of the men are wearing army uniforms, one is in a sailor's uniform and others are in civilian dress.

world war 1, defence forces, sunbury

The Sunbury Gun was originally donated to the Shire of Bulla by the Clarke family. For many years it stood at the intersection of Barkly, Stawell and Macedon Streets. Over the years it became very dilapidated and as traffic along Macedon Street gradually increased it was decided to refresh and relocate it to a triangular site opposite the Memorial Hall in 1970. In March 1982, the weathered Sunbury Gun was restored and housed in an atmospherically controlled glass case and displayed again in the triangular site opposite the Memorial Hall along with the War Memorial and the Starkie fountain.

A non-digital black and white photograph of a gun in a large building.

sunbury gun, memorial hall, clarke family, stawell street, barkly street

The men in the photograph are former councillors and they are at an ordinary meeting of the Shire of Bulla council, which took place on 15th July 1974 at the Old Shire Offices in Bulla. Council usually met at the Council Offices in Sunbury but there were times when they met at the Old Shire Offices in Bulla. The people are from L-R: M.Donovan, J.Watson (Deputy Shire Secretary), John Kelly (Shire secretary), C.E.Cook, J.P. (Shire President), John McKerrow ( Shire engineer), D.W.Dumbrell, A.V.Mitchell (Deputy Shire Engineer - Standing), J. Kelly, Eric Boardman (Regional News Gazette - Back to Camera)

A non-digital black and white photograph with a cream border, of ten men seated around a table conducting a meeting in a room.

Information about the event is filed with the photograph in the pocket.

shire of bulla, old shire offices, bulla, councillors, council meetings

The Fanning Family home, 'Sunnyside', was built in Loemans Road after William Patrick Fanning migrated from Thurles, Co Tipperary, Ireland. He was one of the early farmers in Bulla. He and his wife, Catherine had five children. Since he and his wife died their descendants continued to live at 'Sunnyside' in Bulla.

The Fanning family were one of the early settlers in Bulla during European settlement.

A photocopied black and white non-digital photograph of a man, lady and young girl standing behind a picket fence outside a weatherboard Victorian cottage with a galvanised iron roof. The family are smartly dressed in clothes fashionable in the 1890s.

A label with 'The Fanning Family' printed on it has been stuck on the side of the photograph.

'sunnyside', bulla bulla, fanning family, loemans road

Woodlands Homestead is the building in the photograph and the people standing at the entrance must have been invited by the former Shire of Bulla to visit the property when it became a tourist attraction. Des. Dumbrell, the gentleman wearing the light safari suit and standing in the front was one of the local councillors when Woodlands was opened to the public in the 1990. The park later became a home for retired racehorses.

Woodlands Park became a popular tourist park within the area with many varied attractions which include the prefabricated homestead, native fauna and flora and mt. Gellibrand, the highest point in the park.

A non-digital black and white photograph with a cream border, of a partial view of the entrance to a homestead built from stone with a galvanised roof. Nineteen people are gathered as a group at the main entrance. A palm tree is immediately behind the group with larger trees in the background.

woodlands park, woodlands homestead, oaklands junction, shire of bulla

The people in the photograph are outside the Sir John Franklin Hotel which was one of the first hotels to be established in Sunbury in the early days of European settlement along Macedon Street. It continued to operate into the first half of the twentieth century.

A non-digital black and white photograph with a cream border. of twenty two people and a dog standing and sitting outside a hotel building.

sir john franklin hotel, hotels, sunbury

George Evans is the man in the photograph. He arrived in Hobart from England on 1st September 1825 and later came to Victoria in 1836.With a flock of sheep he squatted on land along the Jacksons Creek valley north of Sunbury and built his homestead (known as Emu Bottom) on his holding.

George Evans was one of the first European Settlers to take up land along the Jacksons Creek in Sunbury.

A non-digital sepia studio photograph of a bearded man sitting on a chair and holding a telescope across his lap.The photograph is mounted on cream cardboard.

george evans, emu bottom, squatters

The women in the photograph were members of the Sunbury Red Cross in 1915 and was taken during the years of World War 1 at 'Rupertswood Mansion' one of the Clarke family's homes. Over those four years the local people supported the war effort in many ways. School children knitted garments for the soldiers, Food parcels were sent away to the Front. Local events were held to raise money for the war effort. Many events supporting the war effort took place at Rupertswood and the Sunbury Red Cross frequently gathered at the mansion.

On the Homefront members of the Sunbury community worked tirelessly to support the war effort and leading this movement was the local Red Cross.

A non-digital sepia photograph with a narrow cream border of a group of well-dressed women posing for a photograph in front of a large mansion. A note on the back states that it is an original photograph which was taken in 1915.

sunbury red cross, red cross, world war 1, rupertswood mansion, sir william clarke

The twenty five debutantes made their debut in Sunbury at the Memorial Hall late c1950s or early 1960s. Mrs Aitken trained the girls for the event.

Debutante Balls were a popular annual event in the local Sunbury community and were well attended. They were organised by the Community and/or the Shire of Bulla,

A non-digital black and white photograph of twenty five debutantes with their teacher posing for their official photograph. The names of some of the participants have been listed on the back of the photograph.

debutante balls, debutantes, sunbury, memorial hall, mrs. aitken

The photograph was taken at the Sunbury Presentation Ball in c1940. The participants are Back row L-R - 1. Ron Forbes, ---, ---, ---, ---, Bernie McMahon, ---, ---, ---,---. Front Row L-R: ---, ---, ---, 4. Thelma Dunn, 5. Pat Hayes, ---, 7. Mary Morrison, 8. Judy McDougall, ---, ---. Flower Girl Fay Webb and Page Boy Alan Webb are standing in front of the group.

Debutante Balls were popular annual social events that were usually staged by the local Sunbury community or the Shire of Bulla. They were held in the Memorial Hall and were well attended by people in the district.

A non-digital black and white photograph with a cream border showing ten debutantes and their partners along with the flower girl and page boy posing for a photograph.

debutante balls, sunbury, faye webb, alan webb, ron forbes, bernie mcmahon, thelma dunn, pat hayes, mary morrison, judy mcdougall, flower girls, page boys

The Gisborne Football Club organised a ball, which was held in the local Community Chambers on 26th May 1937. Judging from the number of people in the hall, the event was well attended.

Functions like balls organised by local groups such as sporting clubs have been popular and well attended by the people living in country towns across the country.

A non-digital sepia photograph in post card format of a group of people in a large hall, posing for a photograph in front of a stage. Streamers are decorating the venue with gumtree branches on either side of the stage.

A Memento of the Footballers' Ball inborn 26. 5. 37

gisborne football club, football, gisborne, sporting clubs, balls, social gatherings

The people photographed were attending a ball in Sunbury organised by the local Firemen to raise funds for the local fire service. It took place on the 26th August 1936 in the Sunbury Memorial Hall (formerly Mechanics Institute) in Stawell Street.

Local fund raising social functions like balls were well supported on country towns across the country and were a way of raising the necessary money for the organisations to keep functioning.

A non-digital sepia photograph in post card format of a group of people at a social function, posing for a photograph in a large hall. Details of the event, the donor and maker are on the back of the photograph.

A Memento of the Firemen's Ball, Sunbury 26.8.36

sunbury firemen, balls, social functions, stawell street, memorial hall

The people in the photograph were attending a ball organised by the Sunbury School Mothers' Club in September 1936. It was held in the Sunbury Memorial Hall ( formerly the Mechanics Institute) in Stawell Street, Sunbury.

Local fund raising social functions held in country towns were very popular and well-supported by the community. In 1936 Sunbury State school was a small two-roomed rural school which catered for the children in the district.

A non-digital sepia photograph in post card format of a people in a large hall at a community dance. Details of the event, the maker and the donor have been hand written in pencil; on the back.

A Memento of the Mothers' Club Ball Memorial Hall Sunbury 5.9.36

social gatherings, balls, memorial hall, sunbury mothers' club, stawell street

The 11 workmen are standing at the Sunbury railway crossing facing towards the south. It was in Station Street. In the distance the Sunbury Asylum hill is on the LHS. The men are from the Diggers Rest railway gang. Standing in the immediate front is Jim Brain and front left is Malic Cahill, seated is the ganger, Clary Grimmet, 3rd from right is Phil O'Conner, son of Frank and 5th from left is Mick Frouly.

It wasn't until 2023 that the level rail crossing at Sunbury was removed by redirecting Station Street under it as part of the Victorian Government's program to remove level rail crossings in built-up areas.

A black and white non-digital photograph with a cream border of 11 men standing at a closed country rail crossing. The photograph has been pasted onto a piece of brown light cardboard. In formation about the people in the photograph is on a separate sheet of paper.

sunbury rail crossing, station street, railway gangers, railways, jim brain, malic cahill, clary grimmet, frank o'connor, mick frouly

The small wooden bridge is spanning an arm of the Moonee Ponds Creek in its upper reaches in Greenvale near Woodlands Park, possibly along Providence Road.

A non-digital black and white photograph with a white border of a timber bridge spanning a small creek, which is under a roadway. A country home is visible on the opposite side of the road.

bridges, greenvale