This article is largely based on Bill Massey’s (dec) anecdotes and recall from Robin Massey’s childhood. Effie Massey also assisted with reminiscences. To the south of Burgundy Street, behind a number of businesses, runs Forge Lane. Nondescript it may be but it can lay claim to some historical significance. It is the only physical clue […]
Eltham Barrel restaurant
The Eltham Barrel restaurant was situated off Main Road, Eltham towards Research. The barrel shaped building was constructed in the late 1960s. It was claimed to be the biggest barrel in the world at the time according to a now deleted article on Wikipedia. It had a capacity to hold over 8 million litres. Built […]
Movie making in Eltham
In 1928 a short film was filmed in Eltham called “Borrowed Plumes”. Local houses for the on location film shoot and local people were featured in the film according to press reports in “The Advertiser”. It was produced by local resident Mr E. C. Lyall and his Kooringarama films company probably named for an Eltham […]
Mill Park Writing Group
The Mill Park Library Writing Group was formed in March 2009. It all began with an author night at Mill Park Library with guest author Alice Pung. Alice Pung has won many awards for her writing for instance for her book Unpolished Gem. She won Australian Newcomer of the Year in the 2007 Australian Book […]
Diamond Creek Bridge
I believe the first bridge to span Diamond Creek was built by my great-grandfather Joshua Higgs in1853. Joshua was also a renowned artist and this is his original sketch painting of that structure which was the first of many construction works he completed after leaving England in 1852. Much of his fine art and history […]
Orient Theartre
The Orient Theatre was the only picture theatre in Heidelberg. It was situated in Yarra Street one house block away from Mount Street and the Heidelberg Station. The theatre was independently owned, unlike the Hoyts chain of theatres, one of which was at Ivanhoe. The Orient opened on 21 December 1933 and closed in 1966. […]
Peacock Inn Hotel
On 7th September 1854 Horace Bastings applied for a liquor license for the Peacock Inn. Whilst Horace was building the Peacock Inn, his brother Edwin was building the general store across the road. The next year Horace passed the license on to 21 year old George Plant, a recent arrival in the colony who became […]
Book Launch of Chinese Settlement in Whittlesea
By Arthur B.W. Yong, B App Sc JP Author and Project Coordinator The Book of Chinese Settlement in Whittlesea: Our Chinese Community Our Stories was launched on Saturday 9 February 2009 2.00 pm at the Mill Park Library. The launch was well coordinated with very entertaining cultural performances and memorable speeches. There were over 160 […]
Sonia Skipper
Sonia Skipper, a founding artist of Montsalvat died in 2008. A Retrospective of her work was held at Monstsalvat, Eltham in January 2009. The paintings span a lifetime of work and include pieces from her early paintings under the tuition of Justus Jörgensen to recent pastel works on paper. Sonia grew up around Ivanhoe and […]
The Cradle of St Andrews
Around 1977, a St Andrews local, Reg Evans, made a wooden cradle for his friends’ baby. The cradle is built from 200 year old cedar collected from a forest in New South Wales (which no longer exists) and more recent Victorian timber. Beautifully carved antique chair backs form part of the cradle. Other carvings are […]