The Shire of Whittlesea: the Outbreak of War

According to the Municipal Directory of 1918, the Shire of Whittlesea comprised Arthur’s Creek, Bruce’s Creek, Bundoora, Doreen, Eden Park, Epping (population 625), Mernda,  South Yan Yean (700), Merriang, Morang (South, 725), Nutfield, Scrubby Creek, Tanck’s Corner, Thomastown (283), Whittlesea (800), Woollert, Woodstock (275) and Yan Yean.  All of the place names today remain with […]

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A Gift from Egypt

In 1917, a young soldier on leave took a day trip down Port Phillip Bay in the excursion steamer Reliance. On the return trip, while there was a “sing-song” around the piano, he was joined where he was sitting apart, by a young girl to whom he’d been introduced earlier, “and we talked.” Sam continued, […]

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Andy Williams

Andy was born in Bentleigh on February 14, 1944. He Moved house to Heidelberg at age 5. Andy attended Heidelberg state school, he walked 1.5km every morning to get there. Andy then moved to watsonia tech. Qualifications: Fitting and turning tradesman, Diploma of production engineering 1961 started a 5 year fitting and turning apprenticeship. 1st […]

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World War 1 : Women in Uniform

The City of Brunswick : Elizabeth Gertrude FLEMING Annie Frances GRIFFIN Mabel Lucy HUTCHINSON Linda FLOWER Alice Elizabeth KITCHEN/KITCHIN Blanche Catherine KILSBY Charlotte Joan McALLISTER (O.B.E)  Flora MELVILLE Elvina Mary OVEREND BLANCHE Lily RICKETTS Sarah Jane PROCTER Olive Mary ROSE Florence WILLANS Blodywn Elizabeth WILLIAMS The Town of Coburg : Milanie Treleavan AMBLER  Octavia Ione […]

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World War 1 Casualties : The Shire of Heidelberg

World War 1 : The Shire of Heidelberg The original scope of the project was to research the areas covered by the Yarra Plenty Regional Library, i.e. the existing municipalities of Banyule, Nillumbik  and Whittlesea. This proved somewhat difficult in assess just where some of the outlying settlements would have fitted into today’s topology, hence a later decision was to instead take Dr. […]

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The Shire of Heidelberg : Boer War Volunteers

Given the total number of Victorians that volunteered and were accepted for the Boer War was only around 3,600, the enlistments from Heidelberg Shire were not great (volunteering and being accepted were two different things – most of the contingents raised had far more men offer their services than could actually be fitted into the restricted number of places available. There […]

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