The Eltham Bookshop has been at the forefront of cultural and literary life in Eltham for many years. Meera Govil’s shop is packed with books on all topics and Meera and her staff have the knowledge to help customers find exactly what they need. Her commitment to all things literary extends beyond the shop, as […]
Tag: Nillumbik Cultural Bus Tour
Nillumbik Cemetery
In 1867, 2 acres of land was set aside and trustees from 6 denominations appointed to oversee establishment of the Nillumbik cemetery at Diamond Creek. It stands as a record of the pioneering families of the district and little has changed little since its foundation, although a fire early in the 20th century destroyed fences, […]
Alan Marshall’s bungalow
Alan Marshall (1902-1984) is one of Eltham’s favourite sons. A well known Australian author, his association with Eltham began in 1918 when his family moved to Diamond Creek. In 1920 he got his first job as junior clerk at the Shire of Eltham Offices in Kangaroo Ground. He lived in the fibro-cement bungalow behind the […]
Living and Learning Nillumbik
The brick cottage at the heart of Living & Learning Nillumbik was built in 1858 by tanner John Pearson. It passed through the hands of several owners before Claire and Alfred Fitzpatrick bought the property in the late 1950’s and created a working hobby farm, with pens for goats and poultry, stables, fruit trees and […]
Eltham Courthouse
The Courthouse and police residence next door were built in 1859/60 after concerns were raised that with a population of 1000, 2 pubs and many passing through to the goldmines, the fledgling township was in need of a lawful presence. After many years of helping uphold the law, it ceased operation in 1984 and has […]
John St Mud Brick Precinct
No. 70 Famous local landscape designer Gordon Ford’s philosophy could be described in 3 words – “keep it simple”. Eltham Garden Retreat is a stunning example of this; 2 mud brick cottages set amidst a hectare of native gardens with natural paths, ponds and waterfalls. Gordon Ford (1918-1999) worked with Alistair Knox and Ellis Stones […]
Eltham Copper Butterfly
The ”’Eltham Copper Butterfly”’ ”Paralucia pyrodiscus lucida” is restricted to a few scattered areas in central and western Victoria, It was discovered in 1938 at Eltham, and a marked reduction in the abundance of the the butterfly was noted during the 1950’s until, eventually, the sub-species was feared to have become extinct. In 1987 the discovery […]
Eltham Lower Park
Prior to the extension of European people into the lands of the Nillum-bik in the late 1830s the Wurundjeri people had been meeting for thousands of years at the junction of the Diamond Creek with the Yarra River, in the area now known as Eltham Lower Park. The first European settlers were squatters or leaseholders. […]