Category: Snapshots of the past

A photograph of Rural City of Warragul councillors stepping back in time with a council meeting held at the Old Shire Hall on July 13, 1993.

The meeting was held in the former council chamber of the Old Shire Hall to mark the centenary of the first council meeting held in the building in 1893.

Councillors used the original councillor and shire president chairs, but the council table could not be used because it was too small for the expanded council.

At the meeting are (clockwise, from left) Cr Joy Ryrie, Cr John Roberts, Cr Ron Oliver, Cr Gary Blackwood, Cr Kevin Collis, Cr Chris Morris, engineer David Powell, Cr lan Clark (mayor), town clerk Geoff Davey, deputy town clerk David Young, assistant town clerk Peter Finlayson, Cr Kevin Tyrrell, Cr Brian Davies and Cr Arthur Hewson.

The Old Shire Hall was opened in May 1893 and its first council meeting was on July 5. It was used by council until the premises in Civic Place were opened in 1964.

The Rural City of Warragul, Shire of Buln Buln, Shire of Narracan and some parts of Shire of Upper Yarra later amalgamated to form Shire of Baw Baw in December 1994.

Photograph and information courtesy of the Warragul and District Historical Society.

This ‘Snapshot of the Past’ was previously published in Warragul Gazette on 25 June 2019.

The society’s museum at the Old Shire Hall in Warragul displays a range of historical photographs. This image is number 10426.

A photograph of the Warragul Brass Band in 1907.

Note the bandmaster’s uniform in the centre of the photograph.

In 1885, a meeting was held at the Athenaeum to inaugurate a brass band.

The band made its first public appearance in 1889 at the Queen Street intersection on the reserve; this was prior to the Shire Hall being constructed in 1892.

On Thursday, March 21, 1889, the band played its first paid performance at the Warragul show.

The band—now the Warragul Municipal Band—has had several name changes over the years but has been in continuous existence since 1888. This is despite struggles to maintain its presence during the world wars and Great Depression.

Photograph and information courtesy of the Warragul and District Historical Society.

This ‘Snapshot of the Past’ was previously published in Warragul Gazette on 11 June 2019.

The society’s museum at the Old Shire Hall in Warragul displays a range of historical photographs. This image is number 10649.

A photograph of Edward R. Jones’ General Store at Buln Buln c.1910.

The proprietor and staff are posed in front of store along with two horse and carts each side of the gentleman in the jinker.

The Universal Provider was the post office, telephone exchange, state bank agent and agent for the London Bank of Australia.

Photograph and information courtesy of the Warragul and District Historical Society.

This ‘Snapshot of the Past’ was previously published in Warragul Gazette on 16 July 2019.

The society’s museum at the Old Shire Hall in Warragul displays a range of historical photographs. This image is number 10362.

A photograph of Penny’s Parlour Coach in 1937.

Tom Penny ran coaches from Noojee to Warragul as well as to Korumburra, Leongatha, Inverloch, Wonthaggi and Cowes daily.

This photograph was taken in Railway Park in Queen St near the Warragul Railway Station.

In the foreground, is the path leading to the railway station.

The coach is parked in front of the Canary Pines of which there were originally six. Today there is only one left.

Photograph and information courtesy of the Warragul and District Historical Society.

This ‘Snapshot of the Past’ was previously published in Warragul Gazette on 28 May 2019.

The society’s museum at the Old Shire Hall in Warragul displays a range of historical photographs. This image is number 10333.

A photograph of a busy Warragul Saleyards c.1930s.

From the early 1900s, a commercial saleyard was run by Skews and Patterson. It was situated opposite the railway trucking yard as advertised in the West Gippsland Gazette on February 6, 1906.

On July 14, 1937, the Warragul Shire Council decided to buy the saleyards owned by Richard Skews and Son as well as a yard owned by the Gippsland and Northern Co-operative Co Ltd to establish a municipal saleyard at Warragul.

Councillors considered that Warragul was ideally situated in the country at Gippsland for stock markets.

Since then, council sold the saleyards to a private company. The yards have been owned by three private companies.

Photograph and information courtesy of the Warragul and District Historical Society.

This ‘Snapshot of the Past’ was previously published in Warragul Gazette on 21 May 2019.

The society’s museum at the Old Shire Hall in Warragul displays a range of historical photographs. This image is number 10182.

A photograph of the State Bank at 27 Victoria St, Warragul.

The building was constructed by Miller Bros. in 1902 for the State Savings Bank of Victoria at a cost of £1700.

In 1941, the building was extended, adding a further bay to the northern end. Further additions were made in 1976.

The State Bank of Victoria became part of the Commonwealth Bank in the 1990s and the branch was closed.

The building is today the location of Advantage Pharmacy.

Photograph and information courtesy of the Warragul and District Historical Society.

This ‘Snapshot of the Past’ was previously published in Warragul Gazette on 13 November 2018.

The society’s museum at the Old Shire Hall in Warragul displays a range of historical photographs. This image is number 10183.

Warragul Fire Brigade members captured with their appliances outside the fire station in Queen St in the 1890s.

Amongst the men is brigade captain Ted Fowler who is third from right in the front row.

The Warragul Fire Station was built in 1893. It was located opposite where The Gazette building is located today.

A bullock team later moved the station to Smith St where Lawson’s Radio was for some years and, more recently, Nicho’s Megasports.

It was—in 1883 that the fire brigade approached the council for its co-operation in establishing a fire brigade.

On May 24, 1888, the whole north side of Queen St—between the Railway Hotel and the Gazette building—went up in flames. The fire burnt out the old Crown Hotel and six shops.

Photograph and information courtesy of the Warragul and District Historical Society.

This ‘Snapshot of the Past’ was previously published in Warragul Gazette on 6 November 2018.

The society’s museum at the Old Shire Hall in Warragul displays a range of historical photographs. This image is number 10557.

A photograph of the Warragul Public Hall in Williams Street in 1900.

The public hall was located approximately where the Centrepoint Arcade entrance through to Coles Warragul sits today.

A company was formed during the latter years of the 1800s to erect a skating rink and public hall.

This fine building was built capable of holding 1200 people in Williams Lane—which was later expanded 4.5 metres wider and renamed Williams Street. The floor was especially constructed for skating.

On August 13, 1918, a presentation named “Honour the Brave” was held at the hall. It was described as, “a memorable gathering of the citizens of Warragul and all the surrounding districts assembled at the public hall. on the occasion of the official welcome home to our returned soldiers and the presentation to them of official certificates from the Warragul Shire Council”.

The Warragul Public Hall was burnt down in 1923 at the same time the Warragul Theatre was completed.

Photograph and information courtesy of the Warragul and District Historical Society.

This ‘Snapshot of the Past’ was previously published in Warragul Gazette on 23 October 2018.

The society’s museum at the Old Shire Hall in Warragul displays a range of historical photographs. This image is number 10061

A photograph of earthmoving contractor Russell Cook with a Giant Gippsland earthworm.

The earthworm was found in the bucket of his front-end loader when levelling a house site at Ryans Rd Buln Buln in 1988.

The Giant Gippsland earthworm is listed as an endangered species

Under the current environmental regulations, if Giant Gippsland earthworms are located on a subdivision, they are protected.

The earthworms grow up to three metres and have been mistaken for snakes in the past.

Photograph and information courtesy of the Warragul and District Historical Society.

This ‘Snapshot of the Past’ was previously published in Warragul Gazette on 24 September 2018.

The society’s museum at the Old Shire Hall in Warragul displays a range of historical photographs. This image is numbered: 03\10588 and 11058