Henry Facey Hurst took over the management of the Allwood Station at Upper Diamond Creek (now Hurstbridge) for first settler Cornelius Haley in 1855. In 1856 he was joined there by his parents Frances and Robert Hurst and several of his siblings. Around 1858 Henry erected a substantial log bridge across the Diamond Creek upstream […]
Whittlesea Dry Stone Walls
Dry Stone Walls populate the relatively flat landscape in the rural corners of the City of Whittlesea on the outskirts of northern Melbourne. This area is experiencing rapid development. Dry stone walls were built traditionally on farms for boundaries. There are a number of references to dry stone walls in the Whittlesea Heritage Study (1992). […]
Shillinglaw Farm Eltham
The Shillinglaw farm comprised lot 90 of Holloway’s 1851 Little Eltham subdivision. It was originally 30 acres in area and situated east of the Diamond Creek and north of Henry Street. Before Phillip Shillinglaw purchased the property in the 1870s the eastern part had been acquired by the Colonial Government to establish the main road […]
Greensborough Cemetery
Like most cemeteries around the world Greensborough Cemetery was created out of necessity due in part to the harsh conditions experienced by pioneers of the township and though infant mortality was common they didn’t have it on their own. William Poulter Snr owner of land along the Plenty River donated an allotment on the corner […]
Preston District Junior Football Assocation
(Image (1958 Atlantic Picture Pageant Card) : Don Furness, 136 games with Fitzroy from 1949, previously with Preston Swimmers and just one of over 100 VFL players who started their footy careers in the PDJFA) Prior to the Second World War, there were a few “junior” football clubs (in terms of class, but not age-wise) […]
Joseph Alexander Fogg (1892 – 1970)
Joe Fogg started out his working life making felt hats until he began a change of career and started work at Northcote Swimming Baths. He became Manager of the Baths and remained in the job for 40 years, retiring at the age of 78 when the pool was closed and replaced by a new pool […]
The Coburg Bluestone Cottage
The Coburg Bluestone Cottage The Bluestone Cottage at 82 Bell Street Coburg was built in 1864. James Smith and his wife, Maria came from Ireland as assisted immigrants to Victoria in 1852. They landed at Portland and he was employed as a farm labourer. After a year the family moved to the Pentridge district where […]
Donnybrook Cemetery
Donnybrook Cemetery can be found by driving up the Hume Highway from Melbourne to Kalkallo, pass Donnybrook Road on the right, and then turn into Malcolm Street and the cemetery is directly ahead, about 200 metres On the 10th September 1857 a request was made to the Commissioner of Crown Lands, Victoria for land to […]
Family Secrets: the last hangman in England
My name is Ann Marie Johnson and I have just relocated from the Sunshine Coast, Queensland where I have lived for the past 10 years. My husband and I returned to Victoria in November 2012 and have just moved into our new home in Doreen. I have been teaching genealogy for the past 10 years […]