The Nillumbik Story (1996)

We recently digitised another VHS tape in our collection, this time a 22 minute video produced by Jason Cameron Productions for Nillumbik Shire Council. The video celebrates what is great about Nillumbik Shire, its environment, people and culture. The video is in three parts; Part 1 focussing on Nillumbik, the shire, its name and history, Part 2 focusses on the Environment and Part 3 on the Arts.

PART 1 – NILLUMBIK (00:00-07:17)
Opening features various scenes around Nillumbik Shire. For 40,000 years Nillumbik was the home of the Wurundjeri people. Robert Hoddle gave the district its name. Jock Ryan, then president of Nillumbik Historical Society discusses the names Nillumbik and Diamond Creek.

In the late 1830s white occupation began with gold found in Warrandyte in 1851 and 12 years later at Diamond Creek -the Diamond Reef which led to the Caledonian gold rush. Jock Ryan discusses the Diamond Creek mine, which was thriving until it burnt out in 1915.

Large numbers of workmen moved into area in late 1870s to construct the Maroondah Aqueduct. With growing population of Melbourne, the nearby Yan Yean system had severely disrupted the flow of the Plenty River, forcing the closure of three flour mills there. The aqueduct came to the rescue carrying water 66km from Healesville to Preston.

When the Diamond Creek gold mine burnt down the local economy suffered but fruit growing industry had already been established and Diamond Creek became a thriving fruit growing centre. Interview with Jack Powell, a long-time fruiterer at St Andrews market, his family had lived in the area for a hundred years, 3 to 4 generations, “a lot of hard work”.

By the time the railway arrived fruit growing was no longer competitive. The railway brought the city closer and day trippers.

The Green Wedge separates the shire from the more densely developed neighbours such as Whittlesea, Doncaster, Templestowe, Bulleen and Greensborough.

Population at the time (1996) was 19,000 but links to the past remain strong.

Mudbrick houses along the Heritage Trail

The saving of Shillinglaw Cottage from demolition in 1963 and relocation brick by brick.

PART 2 – ENVIRONMENT (07:18-14:44)
Peter Brock (with Bev Brock in background) at St Andrews market discusses his childhood growing up in the district and the environment and the values it instilled upon him and his own family. The Brocks have been in the district since the 1860s.

Nillumbik Shire responsible for managing three catchment areas; Diamond Creek, Arthurs Creek and Watsons Creek. Follows the course of the Diamond Creek commencing in Kinglake through the district to its confluence with the Yarra River at Eltham at Eltham Lower Park. Highlights Eltham Lower Park community revegetation program and the newly constructed (1996) viewing platform built of new and recycled timbers at the confluence of the Diamond Creek and Yarra River. Also featured are outdoor recreation on the river and at Eltham Lower Park including the Diamond Valley miniature railway.

Sugarloaf reservoir and recreational activities and fishing. Aerial view of Memorial Park and Shire of Eltham War Memorial tower at Garden Hill, Kangaroo Ground.

Significant tourism opportunities for the shire with 3 million potential day-trippers in metropolitan Melbourne. Council and community working together to find a way to promote the shires natural and artistic assets.

At Arthurs Creek, the Brock family and neighbours working together to take care of their waterway. Petr Brock’s uncle, Sandy Brock talks about environmental management and the Arthurs Creek Landcare group and actions to eradicate blackberry problem. Having previously planted Cypress rows they are replacing them with indigenous species to improve the water supply, keeping cattle out of the creek bed to improve the quality downstream flowing into the Yarra.

Eltham East Primary School Band playing “All things bright and beautiful” merges into scenes of the bushland sanctuary set aside by the school in 1980 with unidentified teacher discusses the sanctuary and their education program and school children’s comments.

Plight of a family of Wedgetail eagles nesting in the path of a developer’s bulldozer at North Warrandyte and actions to save their nesting areas.

PART 3 – ARTS (14:45-22:00)
Arts and Jazz festival at Montsalvat featuring interviews with Sigmund Jorgensen discussing Montsalvat and its principles. Also Matcham Skipper.

Clifton Pugh’s funeral at Montsalvat and his legacy at Dunmoochin near Cottlesbridge with artists in residence, at the time, Chicago artist Charles Reddington who discusses the benefits of the experience. An unidentified female artist also talks about the program and why people are drawn to the area.

Unidentified man on street talking about the amount of talent in the area, artists, poets, musicians, authors.

Artist Ming Mackay (1918-2009) interviewed talking about the people she mixes with on “the Hill”.

Works of local artists are displayed Eltham Library Community Gallery and Wiregrass gallery with a new coffee shop at the Wiregrass making it an even more popular destination.

Music at St Andrews Hotel (may be a little bit country) and the Saturday market where likely to hear anything. Sellers and patrons at the market asked about what attracts them to the market and where they came from. Scenes of poets/authors giving readings.

CREDITS
Music by John Greenfield from the CD Sweet Rain “The Snow Tree”, Uncle Music UNC 2001
Cameras – David Mirabella and Peter Farragher
Editor – Olwyn Jones
Written and Produced by Jason Cameron
A Jason Cameron Production for Nillumbik Shire

ThrowbackThursday: Early Days Recalled at Eltham

#ThrowbackThursday – Today we revisit an article recalling nearly 90 years of first-hand Eltham history as published in The Advertiser newspaper, 80 years ago on November 21, 1941.

Reproduced from Eltham and Whittlesea Shires Advertiser, Friday, November 21, 1941, pages 4-5 (via the National Libray of Australia’s Trove website)

BLACKS CAMPED IN TOWNSHIP

PROBABLY the oldest living pioneer of the Eltham district still resident there is Mr. Edmund Williams, who is over 91 years of age.
Mr. Williams was born in the Goulburn River district, but came to Eltham when a baby and has continued to live there ever since.

Although he admits to his 91 years, Mr. Williams would pass for a man 20 years younger and still tends a small orchard and has excellent sight and hearing.

He is keenly interested in the development of the district; and considers that the new hall and offices will be a marked asset to Eltham.

With faultless memory, Mr. Williams recalled yesterday that 90 years ago Eltham consisted of heavily timbered bush country wherein friendly blacks used to roam at will.

“As long as we provided them with food and tobacco there was never any trouble,” said Mr. Williams. “They used to ask us for rum, too, but we were careful never to give them that. They used to camp on a site between the original Eltham Hotel and the present Church of England sometimes for a week at a time. On those nights we used to have a great time throwing boomerangs.”

HARD TIMES

“The district was divided up into two acre blocks and people used to live in bark houses. Later, I bought a lot of these out and established a large orchard. I think this district was the ‘cradle’ of the fruit growing industry in Victoria. That came later, though.

“The people of our parents’ generation had a very hard time here. They lived in poverty, really. We grew wheat and potatoes, and all they could do was to grow enough of these to provide enough flour to last through the next winter.

“Bread and spuds. That was our staple diet in those days and we got heartily sick of it. But we thought ourselves lucky. As long as we got the bread, we didn’t ask about butter. There was no outside work available at all.

“When we went to town, it took us half a day there and the same back. It didn’t give us much time there, but then we had so little money that it didn’t take us long to complete our business. The only meat we had, had to come from town, and even then we had to take just what we could get.

“At that time,” added Mr. Williams, “There was a steam flour mill, owned by Mr. Henry Dendy who formerly had large properties at Brighton: a brewery and a tannery in Eltham. We took our wheat to the mill to have the flour made.

BEER FROM CREEK WATER

“The brewery used to use water from the creek to make the beer, and there were a dozen beer shanties between here and Kangaroo Ground that did nothing else but sell beer.

“Ultimately, all these businesses were forced to leave this district because we had no railway and the cost of bringing the raw materials here by bullock waggon was too costly.

“We had bush-rangers and cattle thieves to contend with, too. We couldn’t say anything to them, be-cause if we did they would pay us out at night.”

60 YEARS IN ELTHAM

Mrs. Morris, widow of the late Mr. William Morris who conducted the hotel which was first known as the ‘Fountain Inn’ but which was later re-named the ‘Evelyn Hotel’, has been living in Eltham for nearly 60 years.

For 33 years, prior to its being de-licensed, Mr. and Mrs. Morris conducted the hotel. Mrs Morris recalled that in the year Glenloth won the Melbourne Cup, Mr. Morris went to the Cup for the first and only time. While he was away a party of picnickers just took possession of the hotel – and of Mrs. Morris’ baby – and did terrific damage.

“Despite hard times – some days we might make 3d. and others 6d. – we lived and reared families,” said Mrs. Morris. ‘It was a struggle, but we got through. A lot of our business came from passing market gardeners and wood carters.

“The roads could hardly be described as such. We travelled by coach from the Globe Hotel in Swanston Street and always changed horses at the Old England Hotel at Heidelberg. “Later I began catering, and soon built up a reputation. It was a renowned fact that ‘You could always get a good feed at ‘Morris’ Hotel.’”

RACING CLUB – 1867

Councillor E. J. Andrew recalled that his father, the late Mr. W. B. Andrew, came to Eltham with his cousin, Mr. Henry Dendy who built the flour mill. Mr. Andrew senr., was also a member of the Eltham Council.

Mr. Andrew was secretary of the old Eltham Racing Club which used to hold meetings on the lower park. The first meeting was held on February 28, 1867 and the prizes were quite good.

“The first market held in Eltham was, in 1875 and this flourished for a considerable number of years. Mrs. Andrew senr., with her first husband, Mr. Harper, used to conduct the ‘Fountain Inn’, and when Mr. Andrew came to Eltham he opened a business on the site now occupied by Mr. F. H. Collis. Councillor Andrew was born there more than 60 years ago.

In addition to being a business man, Mr. Andrew was a carpenter and builder and on April 24, 1862 he was presented with a set of tools by the citizens of Eltham in recognition of his work in assisting with the erection of St. Margaret’s Church of England.

FIRST CRICKET TEAM

“When he came here from Brighton, my father brought with him records showing that he was the first secretary of the Brighton Cricket Club and he also brought the records of the first matches played between Brighton and Melbourne teams,” said Cr. Andrew, “The matches took place between 1842 and 1847, and were the first record cricket matches played in Victoria. Since then my brother and I presented the records to the National Museum.

Councillor Andrew, referring to the bad state of the roads, said that in early times there was a toll gate at Lower Plenty. The cottage had since been removed and was now occupied by his sister, Mrs. Kilpatrick, in the Main street of Eltham. One of the four red gum posts which formed part of the toll gate was also there and still giving yeoman service.

Mrs. Kilpatrick recalled some of the early settlers in the names of Hollo-way (after whom the township was first named), Sweeney, Fawkner, Kilpatrick, Williams, Carrucan and Hannaford. The descendants of these families are still living in the district and Mr. Neville Burgoyne who is at present conducting the post office is a descendant of Mr. Hannaford. He is the fourth or fifth generation to conduct the post office.

Eltham has never been the scene of any particularly large gold discoveries. There has been gold found there, but it has chiefly been small amounts on private properties and not enough to cause a rush.

LANDMARKS

Of the landmarks in the Eltham district, probably the most notable is St. Katherine’s Church of England at St. Helena.

This was erected by Major Anthony Beale and named ‘Rose Chapel’ after his wife. Major Beale served on the island of St. Helena in the employ of the East India Company during the time Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled there.

The chapel was the first place of worship in the district and, probably, the first burial ground. Many of the pioneer settlers are found in the little graveyard.

Another, but much more recent landmark, is the War Memorial at Kangaroo Ground which was erected to commemorate those residents who had served in the Great War.

A committee was formed under the title of The Shire of Eltham War Memorial League and after the memorial was completed a balance of £125 was handed over to the council.

At the wind up meeting it was decided to forward a letter to ex-Councillor Rutter informing him of the satisfactory conclusion of the work which was initiated by him as founder of the League.

The League then disbanded, but the Memorial Tower on the highest point in the district will stand for all time as a tribute to the heroes of the 1914-18 conflict.

Reference:

1941 ‘EARLY DAYS RECALLED AT ELTHAM’, Eltham and Whittlesea Shires Advertiser (Vic. : 1940 – 1942), 21 November, pp. 4-5. , viewed 23 Oct 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57495642

Laughing Waters Road – Jane Woollard

Eltham District Historical Society Meeting

13 April 2016 at 8pm

Eltham Senior Citizens’ Centre, Library Place, Eltham

Our Annual General Meeting was held April 13, which included the presentation of annual reports and the election of office bearers for the coming year. Jim Connor who was re-elected as President announced at the meeting that our membership base now stands at 79.

At this meeting Jane Woollard spoke about her recently released book titled “Laughing Waters Road: Art, Landscape and Memory in Eltham.”

Jane, who was the local history officer at the Shire of Nillumbik has a detailed knowledge of the history of our area, as well as an extensive background as a writer, theatre director and teacher. She has woven together the experiences and art making of more than eighty artists, who since 2001 have been in residence at Laughing Waters in Birrarung House and Riverbend, together with Wurundjeri, European and family histories to create an evocative account of a very special place in Eltham.

A large number of members and guests attended the meeting to hear Jane talk about her experiences over the four years it took to write the book. Jane sprinkled excerpts from notable sections within the book throughout her talk. Following on from this, Jane took a number of questions from the audience some of whom also shared their own experiences of Laughing Waters Road and the people who have lived there.

As at all of our meetings, new members and visitors are most welcome.