The Winter 2023 issue of 'Roundabout', the Monbulk Historical Society's newsletter is now available online here.
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We welcome your feedback on the newsletter and hope you enjoy reading it.
When Roads Were Tracks
A history of the roads of Monbulk, Kallista, The Patch and Sherbrooke
This award-winning 250 page book is Monbulk Historical Society's most ambitious project to date documenting the development of Monbulk, Kallista, The Patch, Sherbrooke and the history of the naming of the roads of these local towns. We are excited that this book won the Local History Project Award at the 2019 Vistorian Community History Awards.
The names of the roads and tracks are a window into the history of the area and the families that have made it what it is today. The book also includes the history of the tourist tracks, the tracks throughout Sherbrooke Forest and brings together a unique collection of historic photographs and maps.
We found a lot of local and family history that had not been documented before so we decided to include that in this book before it gets lost. As a result we ended up with 250 pages covering over 200 roads and tracks and including about 600 images. The final book was printed in full colour which has helped bring the history to life. The books are available for $45.
Where Hawks Fly
125 Years of the Monbulk Football Netball Club 1895-2020
“WHERE HAWKS FLY - 125 Years of the Monbulk Football Netball Club 1895-2020” is a book about the history of Monbulk Football Netball Club and produced to celebrate their 125th anniversary this year. The history includes every known Monbulk Senior, Reserve, Unders, Veterans, Womens and Netball A, B, C, D and Under 17s team photos, match results and ladders over these years.
Over 3,000 individuals are mentioned in this 560 page A4 book with over half of them seen in this unique collection of 1,150 photographs. Brief histories of Monbulk Junior Football and Monbulk Netball Clubs are also included along with many junior football and early netball/basketball team photographs as these clubs have been closely associated with MFNC as far back as the 1930s. Early newspaper articles of incidents and achievements of team members and the Club have also been incorporated in the book.
The book is a joint project of Monbulk Historical Society and the Monbulk Football Netball Club and has been compiled by Armin Richter and Jill A’Vard.
Both clubs are very grateful to the organisations and individuals for their wonderful sponsorship to go towards the printing of the book. The books are selling for $65.
Monbulk’s Hunger for History
This 62 page colour book has lots of tasty family recipes handed down from generation to generation together with family stories dating from Monbulk's early settlement through to the many cultures we have in Monbulk today.
“Monbulk’s Hunger for History” is available for just $20.00 each.
Monbulk’s World War I Diggers
A collection of service histories of the men and women from Monbulk and District who served in Word War I 1914 - 1918.
This 124 page book is a collection of profiles of the Monbulk and District Diggers who fought in WWI. Profiles were first compiled for the 100th anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli 2015 and displayed in the Monbulk RSL. Each profile includes information of their military records, family histories and photos where possible.
Researching these men revealed the horrific conditions, illness and injuries the men went through while being away from their loved ones for far longer than anyone expected at the time. It brought home the relationships of this small community and how brothers, fathers, sons, cousins and brothers-in-law all left their families who had to ‘keep things going’ at home until their return.
The book is available for $15.
About Monbulk Historical Society
Monbulk is located 42 km east of Melbourne in the midst of the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria.
Monbulk Historical Society was established around 1982 and began the preservation of many documents and photographs donated to the Society covering the townships of Monbulk, The Patch, Kallista and Sherbrooke and the families who pioneered these towns. Records of the history of these settlements date back to 1893. The collection also includes the publications of oral histories and newspaper articles of local families. Much work has been done to record the history of settlement in the area that began in 1893 but there is more to do. We preserve any documents or photographs given to the Society for research and publication.
Our street address:
Monbulk Living & Learning Centre 21 Main St Monbulk VIC 3793
Our postal address:
PO Box 98 Monbulk VIC 3793
Our location:
Our Aims
To record and document local history.
To preserve material, documents or photographs given to the society for research.
Publication of pamphlets and literature for sale.
To help and advise the community on local history
Buy a Publication
Our books Hunger for History, When Roads Were Tracks and Where Hawks Fly are available at Community Bank Monbulk & District Bendigo Bank, Monbulk Living and Learning Centre (Monbulk Hub), direct from Monbulk Historical Society using the online order form or contact us in person or via explore@monbulkhistoricalsociety.org.au.
For any of our other publications please contact Monbulk Living and Learning Centre or us directly.
Interested?
Have you wondered about the history of Monbulk, The Patch, Sherbrooke or Kallista?
Do you enjoy learning about the people and places that led to our community being what it is today?
Has your family played a part in the history of the district?
The name Monbulk, had varied spellings, Monbolok or Monbolac, was first applied by pastoralists to a run to the south, then to Monbulk Creek, and later was the original name of Belgrave railway station.
Timber, gold and berries were the products that drew the earliest residents to the present Monbulk area.
For the aboriginals, Monbulk was a 'hiding place among the hills'. They were seasonal visitors to the steep gullies of the Dandenongs, and took their sick and injured to the waters of Nathania Springs.
Monbulk was definitely the meeting place of at least two of the tribes for corroborees. Many native spears and stone axes have been found at the site of the Monbulk football ground.
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Winter 2023 Newsletter
Monbulk’s Hunger for History
Monbulk’s World War I Diggers