Hurstbridge articles

John Wilson and his wife Martha Burgess arrived in Port Phillip as bounty immigrants on the 18th February 1844 with their seven children ranging in age from 1 to 17. They left their home in Langley, Essex looking for better opportunities as so many others at the time did. Bounty immigrants were expected to begin […]

In April 1885, residents from Diamond Creek District met at the Literary Institute to discuss the establishment of a District Rifle Company. Mr. E.M. Bill, schoolmaster of Nillumbik State School, chaired the meeting and read a letter from the Minister of Defence, that urged residents not to be behind other districts in showing their willingness […]

In the early 1860’s, an increasing number of families were taking up and improving properties across Diamond Creek district. There was an even greater increase following the discovery of gold in Diamond Creek in 1862. Very quickly our first mine, the Diamond Creek Gold Mine, was established attracting a large number of miners and their […]

Talk given by Jean Verso at the ANZAC Day Service at Kangaroo Ground War Memorial Park on 25 April 2024. My talk today is about three local servicemen who served in WW1. My great uncles STANLEY BRUNKER VERSO and ALLAN JOSEPH JOHN VERSO from Hurstbridge, and their mate CHARLES JAMES CALLAN from Queenstown, present day […]

William Gray – Allwood Upper Diamond Creek   William Gray, who married Frances Hurst, added cider making to his business growing, selling and exporting fruit trees at “Allwood” Upper Diamond Creek after using the shared government plant of cider making equipment in 1905. William’s brother Owen produced cider at their parent’s property “Cleir Hills’ Back […]

Be sure to visit us at the Hurstbridge Wattle Festival tomorrow. We are in the same location as last year – in the Allwood Neighbourhood House Inc gardens, just inside the gate opposite the end of the railway line.

In the lead up to ANZAC Day, we would like to share some of the letters sent home during WW1 by brothers Stanley Alexander Wilson known as Boof, and Edward Colin Wilson known as Dick. We are fortunate to have a sizeable collection of letters from them to family at home during their service. This […]

The first Wattle Day at Hurstbridge 1912 Only a few months after the railway extension from Eltham to Hurstbridge was opened, a special train for a day excursion brought nearly 1,000 people from Melbourne to celebrate the Wattle Day holiday.  As the mass of passengers poured from the platform, they were greeted by photographers with […]