Stories of Mooroolbark

Welcome to the launch of the Stories of Mooroolbark online archive, a place where you’ll find a growing collection of local stories in written, visual and oral formats.

This online resource was initially conceived to inspire and inform public artwork proposals for the Mooroolbark Street Art Project. It was quickly realised to be a valuable resource for any number of current and future community uses, so we encourage you to become a contributor, so that it might thrive with ongoing additions into the future.

The collection begins with a selection of historical photographs from the Yarra Ranges Regional Museum showing Mooroolbark and surrounds.

‘Arbor Day, South Mooroolbark Primary School, 1903′.

Black and white photograph of a school group at Mooroolbark South Primary School on Arbor Day, 1903, the headteacher was Mr Whitley. This school eventually changed its name to Montrose Primary School.

All seem to be in Sunday best clothing and some are holding tools whilst others are holding small trees. Image Courtesy of Yarra Ranges Regional Museum.

Image Courtesy of Yarra Ranges Regional Museum.

‘Ebenezer and Edward Gray, 1904’

Ebenezer and Edward Gray sitting about a horse drawn cart piled high with wood, standing on rough cleared land. Trees in background.

The Gray family owned a dairy farm on Mooroolbark Road, Lilydale, near the present railway pass back to “The Briars”.

Image Courtesy of Yarra Ranges Regional Museum.

‘Ebenezer and Edward Gray, 1904’

Gumboots Story

Back in the day, when Mooroolbark’s roads were not sealed and they were red dirt, workers heading to the city would wear their gumboots walking to the train station. When they arrived at the station, they would change into their work shoes and leave their gumboots on the platform before catching the train to work. If you visited the train station during the day you would see a long line of gumboots along the platform, covered in red dirt. And when the workers returned that evening from work, they’d change back into the gumboots and walk home.

Image Courtesy of Vrushank Thakor, story by George Mc Donald

‘Letter, 1925’

Image Courtesy of Yarra Ranges Regional Museum.

‘Mooroolbark School c1940s’

Image Courtesy of Yarra Ranges Regional Museum.

‘Mooroolbark Town Hall. c1920s’

Image Courtesy of Yarra Ranges Regional Museum.

‘Mountain Ash and two men’

Two men stand between buttresses. These trees were part of a Mountain Ash Forest that stretched from Mt. Dandenong to Kilsyth to Mooroolbark. The trees were all felled and burnt for no reason, never used for their timber. This picture was taken in Kilsyth.

Image Courtesy of Yarra Ranges Regional Museum.

‘Grace Dodge, Slooping (1)’

Circa. 1949. This photograph was taken and placed in a negative slip by Edna Walling. The negative was then stored in her ‘portrait’ negative tin dated 1949. This single 120mm black and white photograph is of Grace Dodge standing in a field at Bickleigh Vale Village. Trees line the background. Grace wears a traditional Indian dress.

Handwritten on the negative slip, in blue pen by Edna Walling, it says “Grace Dodge, Slooping (1)”.

Image Courtesy of Yarra Ranges Regional Museum.

‘View over hull road, Mooroolbark’

Circa 1928.

Image Courtesy of Yarra Ranges Regional Museum.

‘W.E. Scales beside bark hut, 1926’

Bark hut at Mooroolbark with William Edward Scales, aged 75 years, owner. Hut built from local trees with a chimney made from kerosene tins. W.E. Scales was George Scales’ father. William Scales was born in 1850 in York, Western Australia and eventually settled in Mooroolbark with his wife and six children.

Image Courtesy of Yarra Ranges Regional Museum.

‘Mooroolbark Railway Station early 20th Century’

Talk of building a Railway Station in Mooroolbark began in 1880, with the completion of its construction celebrated at an Opening on October 10, 1887. It was the first public building in Mooroolbark and its story may come to an end with the impending level crossing removal and sky rail construction planned for 2020 – 2022.

The Mooroolbark History Group (MHG) is working with the Mooroolbark community to preserve the Station building, whether in its existing location or at a new publicly accessible site.

This display, provided by MHG, provides some insight into the history of the Station and encourages the community to share stories and ideas for its future. If you would like to contribute a story now, ask for the Stories of Mooroolbark kit at reception.

Image Courtesy of Yarra Ranges Regional Museum

‘Photograph, c1920s’

RICE. FLOWERS
Dear Jill – The cigarettes and matches were just wonderful! I had forgotten to buy some in case of visitors (I will of course dip into them too) & so they were more than ordinarily welcome. very many thanks.
Hope you have a very happy new year. from Aunt Edna. x

Sent from Edna Walling to her niece Jill (later Jill Barnes)
Place Made: Mooroolbark, Victoria, Australia

Image Courtesy of Yarra Ranges Regional Museum