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Page Last Updated:
Thursday, 22 November 2007 |
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Home>About the Shire of Nillumbik>Areas and townships of the Shire of Nillumbik>Eltham
| Eltham developed around what is now Main Road from the 1840s. A reserve for a village at the junction of the Diamond Creek and Yarra River is shown on maps around 1848. By 1851, the first Crown allotments were being subdivided and sold, along with a private subdivision developed by TM Holloway and known as Little Eltham. At this time, the town's centre was located around the corner of Pitt Street and Main Road.
However, the arrival of the railway in 1902 drew business further north along Main Road. The train line encouraged many painters and artisans into the area, attracted by its natural environment and proximity to Melbourne.
One of the legacies of this artistic tradition is the local architecture, particularly the use of mudbricks as a building material. Alistair Knox was perhaps the best-known exponent of this technique of construction. In 1988, Australia's first mudbrick community building, the Eltham Community Centre was opened.
Shillinglaw Cottage was built about 1878 by George Stebbing, a local builder. The building was transplanted to its present site (in Panther Place, adjacent to the Eltham Library) through public subscription financing. The cottage is constructed from handmade bricks using an unusual design featuring burnt header bricks throughout the facade.
The Eltham Library was designed by Greg Burgess and officially opened in May 1995. The building is constructed of mudbricks and recycled timbers. It won the RAIA Institutional Architecture Award in 1995.
St Margaret's Church, located in Pitt Street, was constructed in 1880 and is included on the Historic Buildings Register. The railway bridge, located adjacent to Alastair Knox Park, was built in 1901-02 and is one of the few remaining examples of timber trestle bridge architecture in Melbourne. It was the subject of a fight between residents and the railways to preserve it in the 1970s. The Courthouse was built around 1859-60 and classified by the National Trust in 1977.
The Avenue of Honour (Main Road) runs between Dalton and Brougham Streets and was planted after World War I. Montsalvat, in Hillcrest Avenue, operates as an artists commune and is home to artists and craftspeople. The first building was constructed in 1935 by artist Justus Jorgensen and in 1938 work began on the Great Hall.
Eltham also boasts an impressive collection of parks and public open spaces. These include:
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 | Eltham Lower Park - home of the Diamond Valley Miniature Railway, Lenister Farm and wetlands, and a viewing platform at the junction of the Diamond Creek and Yarra River. The area is ringed by a walking and bicycle track, and includes barbeque and sporting facilities. | | Wingrove Park, which was an Aboriginal meeting place, extends along the Diamond Creek and boasts a bicycle track and a colony of platypuses. | | Alastair Knox Park in the centre of Eltham is popular with families thanks to its duck ponds, public sculpture and facilities. | | The Pauline Toner Reserve is a haven for the endangered Eltham Copper Butterfly; it's an oasis of native vegetation in the heart of Eltham. | | The Eltham North Adventure Playground is always popular with children. It is a large undercover playground specially designed for safety and adventure. | | Just over the bridge from the Adventure Playground is Edendale Farm Community Environment Centre (further information under Environment). Edendale Farm covers 5.7 hectares (14 acres) and has a significant collection of rare and endangered farm breeds and examples of sustainable farm practices.
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