Up the Creek - Early Days in the Arthurs Creek District
The principal work of local historian Bruce G. Draper, tracing the history of the Arthurs Creek district from early settlement through the twentieth century.
Collection Sequence
History and Heritage in Up the Creek: Early Days in the Arthurs Creek District
Established in the late nineteenth century by the pioneer orchardist Charles Draper, the Arthurs Creek district in the Nillumbik Shire became a hub of agricultural…
The Arthurs Creek Run
During the initial colonial occupation of the Port Phillip district in 1836, Henry Arthur, a nephew of Lieutenant-Governor George Arthur, established one of the region's…
Allwood Station
Allwood Station, situated at the junction of the Arthurs and Diamond Creeks, served as a foundational site for the development of the Hurstbridge district from…
John Bear on the Plenty
Arriving in Victoria in 1841, John Bear established a significant pastoral legacy through his New Leicester Farm at Yan Yean and his influential stock and…
The Batman Apple Tree
Located on the eastern bank of the Plenty River at Greensborough, the so-called Batman Apple Tree serves as a living relic of the region's pioneering…
Hazel Glen Run
In 1844, Patrick Reid established the Hazel Glen pastoral run in the Arthurs Creek district, marking the beginning of a long-standing association between the Reid…
Hazel Glen - Linton - Arthurs Creek Cemetery
Established in 1847 by pastoralist Patrick Reid following the death of his wife Agnes, the Arthurs Creek Cemetery originated as a private burial ground on…
Glen Ard Station
The Glen Ard station, located on the upper reaches of Arthurs Creek, evolved from a nineteenth-century pastoral run into a significant orcharding enterprise. This history…
Running Creek Station - Ardchattan
Established in 1857 by John Archibald Macfarlane, the Running Creek station at the foot of the Plenty Ranges became a central fixture of the Arthurs…
Beginnings of the Whittlesea Fair and Show
Established in 1859, the Whittlesea Fair emerged as a vital institution for the Upper Plenty farming community, facilitating the local exchange of livestock and produce…
Horticultural Settlement at Arthurs Creek
The Arthurs Creek district in the Nillumbik Shire transitioned from pastoral runs to a thriving horticultural centre following the enactment of the Duffy Land Act…
Charnwood
Charles Draper established the Charnwood orchard at Arthurs Creek in 1862, developing the property into a premier centre for pomological innovation and large-scale fruit production…
What is in a name at Murphy’s Creek
The settlement of the Arthurs Creek district during the nineteenth century was significantly shaped by the arrival of two distinct Murphy families, whose prevalence in…
Glen Donald
Established in 1864 by Scottish immigrants John and Christina McDonald, the Glen Donald selection at Arthurs Creek became the centre of a multi-generational farming and…
Waitui – the Macmillan Homestead
The Waitui homestead, situated in the Arthurs Creek district of Victoria, stands as a significant landmark reflecting the enduring legacy of the Macmillan family who…
Lobbs Hill
Situated in the foothills of the Plenty ranges, Lobbs Hill serves as a focal point for the agricultural development and pioneer settlement of the Arthurs…
Hazel Glen Wesleyan Church
The Hazel Glen Wesleyan Church, originally established in 1863 as the Linton Chapel to serve the settlers of the Plenty district, remains a significant historical…
Ryders Flat Reserve
Located within the Arthurs Creek district, Ryders Flat Reserve occupies land originally selected in 1870 by Christina McDonald and later developed by the Ryder and…
Arthurs Creek Methodist Church
Established in 1873, the Arthurs Creek Methodist Church served as a vital spiritual and social anchor for the pioneer families of the district, including the…
Murder of Henry Hurst by Burke the Bushranger
On 4 October 1866, the bushranger Robert Burke arrived at Hurst’s station on the Diamond Creek, resulting in a violent confrontation that led to the…
Hazelglen School
Established on land donated by William Reid prior to 1867, the Hazelglen School served as a foundational educational institution for the pioneering families of the…
Strathewen
The Strathewen district, situated in the upper reaches of the Arthurs Creek, was established by pioneer families including the Manns and McKimmies who settled the…
Arthurs Creek Mechanics Institute Hall and Free Library
The establishment of the Arthurs Creek Mechanics Institute Hall and Free Library in 1886 represented a significant milestone in the social and cultural development of…
Arthurs Creek Fruit Growers Association
Established in 1890 at the Mechanics’ Institute, the Arthurs Creek Fruit Growers Association sought to professionalise local agriculture through the shared expertise of prominent district…
Hazelglen Hall
Established in 1896 on land donated by Richard Bassett at the intersection of Bannon’s Lane and Doctor’s Gully Road, the Hazelglen Hall served as a…
Arthurs Creek Post Office
Established in 1889 following a public meeting at the Mechanics Institute, the Arthurs Creek Post Office served as a vital administrative and social hub for…
Doreen Hall and Recreation Reserve
During the early twentieth century, the residents of the Hazel Glen district, later known as Doreen, campaigned for a dedicated public space to support their…
Hurst’s Bridge Memorial Park
Established in the aftermath of the Great War, the Hurst’s Bridge Memorial Park stands as a testament to the community efforts of the Hurstbridge district…
One of the mob
During the interwar period and the early years of the Second World War, the agricultural community of Arthurs Creek, Streamville, and the surrounding districts relied…
The School Fence - a matter of perspective
During the Second World War, Merv Draper and Dick Allen constructed a new post and wire fence at the Arthurs Creek Primary School to prevent…
Local Waterways
The waterways of the Arthurs Creek district, including Running, Deep, and Peter’s Creeks, have long shaped the environmental and agricultural character of the region. From…
The Willows and the Running Creek at Charnwood
The Draper family property Charnwood, situated along the Running Creek in the Arthurs Creek district, serves as the focal point for this examination of environmental…
The 1900 Bushfire at Arthurs Creek
On 26 February 1900, a catastrophic bushfire devastated the Arthurs Creek and Yan Yean districts, obliterating fencing, livestock, and homes across a fifteen-mile front. Drawing…
Arthurs Creek Rifle Club
Established in March 1900 at the Hazelglen Hall, the Arthurs Creek Rifle Club emerged during the Boer War period to foster community marksmanship and military…
Boer War South Africa 1899 to 1902 - Mafeking again
During the Boer War in 1900, Trooper W.A.V. Reid of the Victorian Battalion served in the Transvaal region, providing firsthand accounts of military skirmishes near…
Boer War South Africa 1899-1902
On 19 August 1901, the community of Arthurs Creek gathered at the Mechanics Institute to celebrate the safe return of Trooper W.A.V. Reid from service…
Interlude at Charnwood
This correspondence from Florence Reid to her sister Ada, written in September 1892, offers a rare glimpse into the social interactions and daily routines of…
Bassett Family Cricket Eleven
During the early twentieth century, the Bassett family established a prominent reputation within the Arthurs Creek district for their contributions to both local agriculture and…
Arthurs Creek Football Club
The Arthurs Creek Football Club was established in 1912 to compete in the Bourke-Evelyn Football Association, fostering community engagement through sport across the district. This…
The Orchardist and his Fruit Wagon
During the Federation era and the First World War, orcharding formed a demanding pillar of the Arthurs Creek community, requiring long, arduous journeys to transport…
Gentle Zephyrs over Lomas
During the interwar period, the Arthurs Creek district served as a vital site for the trial and refinement of agricultural mechanisation, notably through the demonstration…
John Ryder - Early Settler
John Ryder (1821–1902) was a foundational pioneer of the Arthurs Creek district who, alongside Charles Draper, selected the initial allotments under the Duffy Land Act…
James Chester Draper
James Chester Draper (1905–1998) was a dedicated Victorian police officer and community leader whose life spanned the transition from pioneering orcharding in the Arthurs Creek…
Early Days
This account traces the early European occupation and agricultural development of the Arthurs Creek district, beginning with the initial explorations of Joseph Tice Gellibrand and…
The Church of the Irish Martyrs
The construction of the Church of the Irish Martyrs at Arthurs Creek during the interwar period marked a significant expansion of the Diamond Creek parish,…
Frank Dalby Davison’s Bush Diary
In 1951, the noted Australian author Frank Dalby Davison (1893–1970) and his wife Marie settled at Folding Hills, a small dairy and pig farm in…