Social History

Toolangi-Castella District Community House

Toolangi-Castella District Community House

by Margaret O’Connell   Strengthening our community through opportunity, diversity and connection - Vision Statement 2019–2022 In 1995, under the auspices of the Kinglake District Neighbourhood House (KDNH), a local playgroup was started in Toolangi at ‘Toocom...

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Toolangi Church History

Toolangi Church History

by Joanne Priestley Church services were held in the public hall/State School from as early as 1896 with the Pastor, Reverend E.S. Chase, incumbent of St Johns Healesville, hoping for more success in 1897 than the previous summer.[i] Services were held monthly during...

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The Railway Line That Never Was

The Railway Line That Never Was

by David Pockett   Well over 100 years ago, the local Toolangi and Castella community was pressuring hard for a railway, primarily to service the timber industry. Local agitation began in 1890, following which the Yea River (Railway/Tramway) League was formed, with Mr...

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Post Offices & Stores

Post Offices & Stores

by Joanne Priestley Post offices were an integral part of early communities. Mail would be conveyed to the post office in a loose bag and then sorted by the postmaster or postmistress and held until collection. Like today, post offices offered Commonwealth banking...

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Maternal & Child Health Centre

Maternal & Child Health Centre

by Joanne Priestley In 1914, 2835 babies died before their first birthday in Victoria.[i] A committee of medical practitioners recommended that baby clinics be established in Victoria in 1916. But it was Dr Isabella Younger (later Ross) who, with three friends,...

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C.J. Dennis Memorial Hall

C.J. Dennis Memorial Hall

by Joanne Priestley The first building used as a hall in Toolangi was built in 1895 on the Toolangi Primary School site and measured 22 feet long and 14 feet wide. It was built by the local Toolangi residents and leased back to the Education Department as a school for...

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Chumlangi Co-operative

Chumlangi Co-operative

by Steve Whitemore and Lynn Dean   The year was 1979. Twelve starry-eyed urban socialists – Grant Borchers, Vicki Nobes, Steve and Anne Whitmore, Simon Harvey, Brian Tyler, Malenka Polkowski, Sally Mendes, Ian Locke, Jan Bennett, Lyn Dorrington and Colin O’Brien – met...

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‘Wirilda’ Rhododendron Garden

‘Wirilda’ Rhododendron Garden

by Joanne Priestley Introduction Toolangi is home to lush mountain forests of gigantic Mountain Ash and some incredible ‘European’ tree specimens. The Copper Beech (Fagus sylvatica f. purpurea) at ‘Arden’ was planted by C.J. Dennis and Poet Laureate John Masefield in...

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