Tag: history

Media Release: Lifting the lid on Victoria’s wartime history

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A new guide released by the State Government will produce hours of enlightening reading for those who have an interest in Victoria’s wartime history.

Mayor of Maroondah, Cr Alex Makin, said Remember Them: A guide to Victoria’s wartime heritage included the stories of three Ringwood and Croydon soldiers who had served in various theatres of war.

“This guide provides a fascinating glimpse into the lives of some of those who bravely served their nation during times of war,” Cr Makin said.

“Remember Them: A guide to Victoria’s wartime heritage tells the stories behind the 1000 war memorials and 700 communities across the state. It brings together tales from conflicts including the Boer War, the first and second world wars, Korea and Vietnam, and it’s well worth a read,” Cr Makin said.

The State Government will distribute the guide to all Victorian secondary schools, ex-service organisations and peak bodies.

For more information about the guide, visit www.veterans.vic.gov.au

– ENDS –

U3A Croydon Annual General Meeting

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The University of the Third Age (U3A) is a community based organisation that provides educational opportunities to retirees and seniors.  Maroondah has two local U3A organisations, with one in Ringwood and in Croydon, these two groups are part of the U3A Network Victoria, which includes other U3As across the State.

This morning I was invited to to be the guest speaker at U3A Croydon Annual General Meeting.  U3A Croydon has over 600 members and provides a range of courses, including languages, literature, history, computer studies and handicrafts.  The organisation is embarking on developing a business plan to provide a cohesive direction for the future and this demonstrates the professionalism and foresight of its committee and members.

Given that U3A Croydon is a growing organisation, one of their concerns is the ongoing need for community space.  As the guest speaker I discussed Council’s current work on assessing community needs, which will assist in identifying potential venues and meeting places for community organisations.  This project is expected to be completed towards the end of this year and will provide a centralised resource to locate community venues, making it easier for groups to plan ahead.

Like many other people in our community, the members of U3A Croydon are also concerned about the condition of Ringwood Station and several members raised questions in regard to the lack of easy access in using the Station.  While the majority of its members are located in Croydon, it is clear that an issue like Ringwood Station affects the entire municipality, reinforcing the need for further funding to create a safe, integrated and accessible transport interchange.

While the core focus of U3A is education, it is important to recognise how the group assists in providing a social outlet for its members and peer support.  The U3A model encourages collaboration between teachers and students to create a dynamic and stimulating learning environment and it is clear from the attendees at the AGM, that U3A Croydon is achieving this objective.

For further details on U3A Croydon please visit home.vicnet.net.au/~unita/index.htm

Maroondah Journal: bid to restore cottage

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The Ringwood Miner’s Cottage, a reminder of Ringwood’s history with antimony mining, was tragically destroyed by arsonists on the 20th of November.

The Maroondah Journal has reported on the aftermath of the cottage’s destruction and council’s efforts to date:

Mayor Alex Makin said discussions between the council and the historical society would take place early next year.

Maroondah Council will be considering options to restore the cottage in consultation with the Ringwood and Croydon Historical Societies. This will ensure that any replacement to the cottage is relevant to Ringwood’s history, as well as being prominent and accessible to the wider community.

“These discussions will also consider the location of the building to ensure it has greater viability and accessibility. Unfortunately there’s little that remains of Ringwood’s history and it’s therefore critical that we have some ability to recollect and remember the past.”

It is imperative that Ringwood’s history is accessible to the wider community so that we can appreciate our local history.

“The destruction of the miner’s cottage demonstrates the need for our community to assess the values we hold and to demonstrate that unacceptable and destructive behaviour will not be tolerated.”

We have the right to expect that our history will be valued by everyone within our community. Discussions need to be started around civic pride so that we can demonstrate that such behaviour is not acceptable within our community.

Delegates’ Report: Theatre, recognising volunteers and documenting Ringwood’s history

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On the 20th of October I attended the Monkami Drama Group’s Performance of the Picnic at Hanging Rock. This is now the third year of the Monkami Drama Group and it is great to see the group expanding its talents.

Monkami is a service provider for adults with intellectual disabilities and strongly believes in providing a range of opportunities for its clients, including drama and the arts. This year’s performance was another demonstration of Monkami’s commitment to the wider community and it was great to see the actors developing increasing confidence and skills during the production.

On the 5th of November I attended the Youth Volunteer Recognition Evening, which provides a chance to recognise the volunteering commitments of younger people. It was great to see the young people themselves involved in the preparation and conduction of the evening and to see that volunteerism is certainly strong within young people.

The 8th of November marked the new date of the Maroondah Festival and while the weather followed us to that date, it was great to hear the ongoing positive feedback about the new format and community involvement. I would like to commend the staff for their many hours in preparing and holding the event.

The 11th of November saw the launch of From Horse Shoes to High Heels, a history of Eastland, written by Richard Carter and introduced by our Director of City Development Phil Turner. This documented history of the Eastland site is timely given Ringwood’s status as a Central Activity District and the change that is proposed to occur.

While I believe that many people within our community would welcome change to Ringwood, it is always important to recognise the history of the area so that we can learn from the past and plan for the future. The book documents the history of the lots within what is now Eastland Shopping Centre and I do encourage people to read this history of one of the prominent locations within Ringwood.

Lastly, on the 12th of November I attended the Maroondah Volunteer Recognition Function, where we formally acknowledge the many volunteers within our City. I would like to add my congratulations to our residents that do dedicate their time to volunteering within our community.

Book Launch: From Horse Shoes to High Heels – The History of Eastland

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This evening I attended the launch of From Horse Shoes to High Heels, a history of the Eastland Shopping Centre site, written by Richard Carter, the former President of the Ringwood Historical Society.

The launch was held at the Urban Life Cafe in Ringwood and Richard was introduced by Phil Turner, Maroondah’s Director of City Development, who spoke about Richard’s knowledge of Ringwood and the municipality.

Richard discussed the significance that Eastland has had on Ringwood and the lobbying that was undertaken by the Ringwood Chamber of Commerce to secure a major shopping centre.  The book is timely given Ringwood’s status as a Central Activity District and the prominence of Eastland within these plans.

For further details on Richard’s book please contact the Ringwood Historical Society at www.rhs.org.au.

Ringwood Uniting Preschool – 50th anniversary

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The Ringwood Uniting Preschool is located in Greenwood Avenue, Ringwood near Bedford Road and was opened as an approved centre in February 1959.

The work, however, began in 1957 when a Committee of Parents and Friends discussed the possibility of starting a kindergarten to reduce the large waiting lists that existed at the time.

Today’s event included past and present staff, committee members and families, who all shared in the celebrations. I was invited to speak as part of the celebrations, where I discussed the commitment of the many people involved within the organisation and the increasing emphasis on early childhood education.

The Ringwood Uniting Church has a strong history of community involvement, through its founding of Ringwood Biala, the Ringwood Uniting Adult Daycare Service and the Ringwood Uniting Preschool.

These organisations contribute immensely to the wellbeing of local residents, through providing a range of much needed services for our community.

Delegates’ Report: Annual General Meetings and Seniors Week

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This month has marked the beginning of the Spring season for Annual General Meetings, and I had the pleasure of attending the Ringwood Historical Society AGM on the 22nd of September.

The Society documents the history of Ringwood and it is great to see renewed interest in our local history. The Ringwood Historical Society previously met on a quarterly basis, but now meets monthly covering a diverse range of topics within our community.

The Eastern Volunteers Annual General Meeting followed on the 24th of September and I was joined by Cr. Lamont and Cr. Macdonald in attending this event. Eastern Volunteers is continuing to grow strongly and is planning three major events over the course of the next year, its annual Fun Run for March, the return of its community conference in July and a Multicultural Festival planned for October.

The Ringwood Diving Club Annual General Meeting was held on the 11th of October and is a sporting club that encourages participation in diving based at the Ringwood Aquatic Centre.

Several special weeks all seemed to converge in October, including Mental Health Week, Maroondah Business Week and the Maroondah Seniors Festival.

On the 8th of October I attended a presentation on the National Seniors Association. The National Seniors Association is unique in that while it provides a social connection, it also provides significant policy advice and advocacy.

On the 9th of October I attended the Ringwood Bowls Club 80th anniversary and season launch. The Ringwood Bowls Club is a successful sporting club and has a strong community focus. The club has had an emphasis on environmental sustainability through the installation of a water retention system and is also focused on social sustainability, through developing partnerships with community organisations.

One of the partnerships the Bowls Club has developed is with the Ringwood Spiders and is great to see that the Club mentioned the Ringwood Spiders Trophy Presentation Night as one of its highlights. The Club is planning further community events including a jazz evening in November and partnerships with Eastern Volunteers.

Lastly, I attended a combined Ringwood U3A, North Ringwood Seniors and Enjoying Planned Retirement Luncheon on Saturday the 17th of October.

It is great to see the members of each group supporting each other and I would like to commend the committee members and members for the holistic view of the facility. In addition, I would also like to commend the council officers that have supported these groups and responded to the concerns that they have raised.

Ringwood Bowls Club – 80th anniversary and 2009 Launch Bowls Season Launch

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The Ringwood Bowls Club is located at 2-12 Loughnan Road and includes two grass and one artificial green, as well as a clubhouse that also serves as a function centre.

Tonight the club celebrated its 80th anniversary and the launch of the 2009 Lawn Bowls Season. The Ringwood Bowls Club has had a long history with Ringwood and was originally located in Miles Avenue before being relocated to Loughnan Road due to the expansion of Eastland in 1994.

Today, the Bowls Club is focused on its future sustainability, including investing in water tanks to reduce water consumption and on partnerships with other community organisations.

The Ringwood Bowls Club recently hosted the Ringwood Spiders to celebrate their trophy presentation evening and the Spiders aim to participate in lawn bowls during the Football off-season.

These emerging partnerships and emphasis on sustainability will ensure that the Ringwood Bowls Club will continue to have a vibrant future.

Ringwood Historical Society – Melbourne's early history

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Tonight’s Ringwood Historical Society meeting discussed Anne Lister and her role in the early women’s suffrage movement for Australia. In 1893 Anne assisted in the formation of the United Council for Women’s Suffrage and began giving public lectures on the movement from 1895.

While she is currently not as well known as other women involved in the suffrage movement, Anne was extremely prominent in the campaign for women’s voting rights and gave an extremely well regarded address at the National American Convention on Women’s Suffrage in Washington DC in 1904.

The second speaker at tonight’s meeting discussed Melbourne’s early water infrastructure, which consisted of lead piping and concrete. The techniques required in repairing and constructing these pipes were discussed, as was the history of the former Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works, which oversaw the maintenance and delivery of this infrastructure.

Book Launch – "A Quiet Painter" by Shirley Jones

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Shirley Jones is a local Ringwood East resident, historian and artist who has published several books about art and history. This evening Shirley launched her latest work entitled a ‘Quiet Painter’, a biography on the life of James Alfred Turner, an early Croydon resident and renowned painter.

James Alfred Turner was born in 1850 and migrated to Australia from Yorkshire in the United Kingdom when he was 22, with his brother Charles who was 23 at the time. At this time James was already a dedicated art student and quickly became an artist seeking commissions.

The rail line through to Lilydale was completed in 1882 and made the townships along the rail corridor, such as Croydon much more accessible for people in Melbourne. James had already visited the Croydon and Kilsyth area from the mid 1870s and purchased a property opposite the intersection of Colchester Road and Mount Dandenong Road in Kilsyth.

The 20 acres he purchased had a small dwelling surrounded by bush and natural bush landscapes were a prominent feature of James’ paintings.

James was a prolific painter and regularly exhibited his works. In 1903 James’ rural landscapes were re-produced for postcards and became extremely popular, resulting in reproductions well into the 1930s.

Throughout his 36 years in Australia, James produced at least 600 paintings until he suffered from a heart attack on the 15th of April 1908. James’ wifeMary Ann passed away on the 10th of October 1950 at the age of 87.

While James’ artwork fell into obscurity shortly after his death, interest in his works was renewed in recent years and the JA Turner Artist Trail in Croydon, as well as the JA Turner Room in the Maroondah Art Gallery at Federation Estate bear his name.

Shirley’s book a ‘Quiet Painter’ encapsulates the life of James Alfred Turner and the significance of this early colonial painter. Copies of the book are available for purchase through either the Ringwood or Croydon Historical Societies.