CONTENTS
1. Aborigines. Billoo’s people; Early European contact; Resources p1. Gathering places; Monbulk p3. The native police; Living with the squatters p4. Violence p5. Decline p7. 2. Squatters p11. Corhanwarrabul run, Rev. James Clow; The first overlanders p11. Lease conditions; subdividing Corhanwarrabul; Monbolk becomes Mun Bulk p12. The environment p13. 3. Men of the forest p15. Naturalists p15. Mast Gully to Monbulk p17. Harmony Vale; Surveyors p19. 4. Gold miners p23. Early discoveries; the lucky Germans; further prospecting p23. The rush to the Emerald Creek p25. Naming the diggings; further discoveries; payment of the reward p27. Old Emerald p28. Decline of the diggings p29. 5. Farmers p33. Selection on the pastoral runs; Wandin Yallock p33. Turner’s Run; Glenfern p34. Monbolk; Cardinia – the Main Range p35. East Woori Yallock – the goldfields p36. Eucalyptus p38. 6. Axemen and tourists p41. The Patch; Working the timber; The Ridge p41. Timber mills; sightseers; efforts at conservation p43. Increase in tourism p44. 7. Builders and bankrupts p47. The land boom; Country seats; Landslide p47. Dodd’s Track; Building: brick and weatherboard; Ferntree Gully p48. The goldfields p50. 8. The unemployed p53. The plight of the unemployed; the proposed solution p53. For and against p54. The village settlements p55. 9. Selectors p59. Locals; City dwellers p59. Builders p60. Seamen p61. Labourers; Robert Hughes; Conditions of settlement p62. Temporary dwellings p63. 10. Village settlers p67. Building; Monetary aid p67. Clearing; Abandoned blocks p68. Planting; More land p69. Leaseholders p70. 11. Wives p73. Houses; Washing; The fireplace p73. Food; Neighbours p75. Supplies; Clothes; Midwives p76. 12. Teachers p79. Early schools p79. John Osborne p80. Olinda and Mount Dandenong p82. Payment by results p83. Mr Tipping; Mr Gregory p84. 13. Traders p87. Sugar bag farmers; Mail p87. Carriers; Early storekeepers p88. Butchers; Bakers p89. 14. Fossickers p93. New strikes; Fossickers p93. Quigley’s Reef p94. The fossicker’s life p96. Further finds; Decline of the goldfields p97. 15. Bullockies p101. Tracks; Bullockies p101. Teams p102. 16. Timber millers p105. The threatened forests; Timber mills p105. Working the timber p106. George A’Vard and J.T. Mahony p107. Workers in the mills p109. 17. Roadmakers p111. Ferntree Gully Shire; Lillydale Shire p111. Railroads [railway] p112. Early road makers p114. Contractors p116. Back roads p117. 18. Survivors p119. Giving up p119. Hanging on; Fires p120. The 1898 tragedy p122. The last straw p123. The East Riding p124. 19. Growers p127. Experience; Captain McAllister; Early crops p127. Pickers; Market p128. Development p129. 20. Jam makers p131. First prospects; Difficulties p131. Monbulk Jam p132. 21. Children p135. Picking; Errands p135. Cows and pigs; Earning a bit extra p137. Fires; Creeks p139. Snakes; Mine shafts; the Bald Hills p140. Entertainments p141. 22. Widows p143. Coming alone; Funerals p143. Carrying on p144. 23. State kids [orphans, wards of state etc.] p147. Homes; Families p147. State kids p148. 24. Preachers and parishioners [religion] p153. Early pastoral care; Methodists; Sunday schools p153. Building p154. Home missionaries; Lay preachers p155. Church of England [Anglican]; Organists; Catholics p156. 25. Committees p161. Organisations; Hospital Committee; Monbulk Progressive Association p161. Railway League; Recreation Reserve Committee p162. Achievements p163. 26. The sick and injured [health] p167. First aid p167. Doctors; David Hill p168. Illness p169. Home nursing; Accidents p170. 27. Visitors p173. Guest houses p173. Holiday parties; Mrs Aeneas Gunn p174. ‘Sunnyside’ p176. Rose Charman’s Cottage p177. 28. Shopkeepers p179. Nation’s Store [Robert Nation] p179. Siddle’s Store and Post Office; Bakers p181. Burnt out [bushfires] p183. 29. Teenagers p187. Working at home p187. Working away; Girls p188. Social life; Pranks p190. 30. Patriots p193. Empire Day 1914; The Settlement in 1914 p193. War; Enlisting p194. Departure p195. The Home Front p196. Gallipoli; Conscription p197. 31. The second generation p201. The men return p201. Employment; the Jam Factory p202. 32. Drivers p205. Road conditions; Motor transport p205. The railways war p206. Service cars; Landslides p209. Buses; Motor bikes; Accidents p210. 33. Nurses and doctors p213. Sister M.E. Galagher and Dr Francis; Dr Elef Jorgensen p213. Nurses; Baby Health Centres p216. Epidemics p217. 34. Schoolchildren p219. Schools; Going to school p219. Schoolrooms; Lessons p220. Boys; Playtimes p221. After school p222. Annual events; Improvements in the 1930s p223. 35. Weekenders p225. The villages; Weekenders p225. Prominent visitors p229. Guest houses p231. Changes p233. 36. Joiners p235. Halls and balls; Concerts p235. Films and radio p236. Progress associations; Churches; Sporting clubs p239. Scouts and Guides; Ladies’ groups p240. 37. Loners p243. Fossickers; Retired men p243. Remittance men; Women p244. ‘Blackwood’ Smith; ‘Smasher’ Wakeman p245. ‘Old Jake’ Matthews; Later years p246. 38. Jobseekers p249. On the dole p249. Timber workers; ‘On the wallaby’ p250. Fossickers; Construction workers p253. 39. Housewives p257. Shopping p257. The butcher, the baker p258. Economising p259. Electricity; Schooling p260. 40. Victims p263. Summer danger p263. Timber mills; Further fires p265. Black Friday 1939; Murder p266. Salvaging the timber p267. 42. Wartime workers p269. Leaving; Reserved occupations p269. The Jam Factory; Evacuation; Carrying on p271. The Post Office; Returning p273. Tourists; Community activities p276. 42. Migrants p279. Early migration; Arriving p279. The Dutch p281. Making a home p283. Shopping p284. Working for the Jam Factory p285. Settling in p287. 43. The baby boomers p289. Houses; Conservation p289. Organisations; Mrs Aeneas Gunn and the RSL p291. The Main Street in the late 1950s; George Sands, ‘Carrot King’ p292. 44. Young and old p295. Old shire, young shire; Fresh fields and forests new p295. Boom town – more or less p296. Children p297. Senior citizens; ‘Nathania Springs’ renewed; More jam p298. Old dangers, new equipment [fire] p299. 45. Businessmen p303. The new Main Street; Rotarians [Rotary] p303. The Jam Factory p304. New developments; Hobby farmers p306. The school p307. Wellington Cottage; The Dandenong Ranges Music Council p308. 46. Towards 2000 p311. Conservation; Disasters p311. Hard times again p312. Reflections p313. Index p317.