Contents: Part 1: exploration and development. Discovery p3. Native Police Depot p7. Dandenong Ranges p9. Before white men came (aborigines) p10. Early pastoralists (squatters) p12. Corhanwarrabul Run p13. Glenfern Run p14. Heathdale Run p15. Monbolk Run p16. Bushy Park Run p17. Dandenong Creek Run p18. Wat-Will-Roon Run p18. Mount Mt Misery Run p19. Cardinia Run p19. Gold p19. The forest p23. Timber reserve p26. Our heritage p29. 'Prolific in God's Gifts' p30. Lyrebirds of Sherbrooke p32. Melbourne's playground p34. Royal visitors p35. 'Save the Dandenongs' p36. Pioneers p39. Settlers of the 1870s p43. Wives and mothers (women) p44. A small community p46. 'The settlement' p47. Village settlers and free selectors p49. Settlers to commuters p54. Land subdivision p56. First World War p57. Formative years p59. The Depression p60. Second World War p62. Americans at Rowville p64. And now ... p65.

Part 2: Local government and community services. Municipal responsibility p71. Shire of Fern Tree Gully p72. Council finances p74. Subdivision p76. Founders of the shire p80. The president and councillors p82. Shire Hall p86. Council officers p87. Women invade office p92. Roads and transport p94. Berwick Roads District p95. Early road-making p96. Existing main roads p99. Public transport p100. Ringwood-Upper Fern Tree (Ferntree) Gully Railway p101. Gembrook Railway p102. Puffing Billy p105. Darling-Glen Waverley Railway p106. Coach and motor services p107. Road versus rail p108. Electrification of railway p111. Health and recreation p113. Sanitary service p115. The sick and aged p116. Infant welfare and pre-school centres p119. Reserves and parks p120. Sport p122. Indoor recreation p125. Water supply and other services p127. Lysterfield Reservoir p129. Reticulation schemes p133. Electricity supply p134. Fire, bushfires p136. Education, schools p139. Communications p141. The Press (newspapers) p142..

Part 3: the townships. Fern Tree Gully (Ferntree) p147. First settlers p148. Early bullockies p149. Thomas Dobson settles in the forest p149. Mrs Samson Selman p151. Selectors p153. Shops and public buildings follow settlement p159. Fern Tree Gully becomes a township p162. The new century p164. Arts Society founded p167. Scoresby p170. First school p172. Rowville p174. First Crown Land sale p174. Village area p177. Lysterfield p178. More selectors in the Barry Ranges p181. Monbulk Creek Valley p183. Wellington Road selectors p187. Bayswater p192. Shops and churches p195. The Basin p198. Settlers of 1878 p202. Bayswater Boys' Home p204. Boronia p205. An active community p208. Wantirna p212. Wantirna South p215. Emerald p218. First selectors p222. Nobelius' Nursery p224. Early community p227. Emerald Mechanics' Institute p228. Emerald Country Club p230. Macclesfield- Avonsleigh p231. Yellingbo p235. Avonsleigh founded p236. Cockatoo p238. Narre Warren North and East p243. Clematis p247. Menzies Creek p250. Valley of ferns p256. Selby p258. Belgrave South - Belgrave Heights p263. Subdivision of Lockwood Estate p267. An outlet road p269. Belgrave - Tecoma p272. First settlers p273. Tecoma: heart of early Belgrave p278. Land subdivision p282. Early community p284. Belgrave - a resort p288. Churches and shops p289. 'Beautiful Belgrave' p291. Tecoma founded p295. Upwey p297. 20 acre selections p300. Upwey named p303. The 'Convention' (Union Church) p306. High School established p308. Upper Fern Tree Gully (Ferntree) p310. Royal Hotel and Railway Line opened p314. Tourists at National Park p315. Buildings and quarries p317. Monbulk p320. The berry growers p324. Monbulk Jams p326. Kallista p329. The Patch p334. One Tree Hill - Sassafras - Olinda p339. Village settlers p343. Tremont founded p346. Sherbrooke p348. Burnham Beeches p350. Sassafras p351. A tourist resort p355. Olinda p358. Olinda township p362. Notes p367. Appendix 1: some important dates in shire's history (chronology) p393. Appendix 2: parliamentary representatives p394. Appendix 3: local government councillors p397. Index of names p403. (place name index available as separate publication)..