Black Saturday stories

Projects are beginning to emerge to record the devastation of Black Saturday that is already part of our history. "Black Saturday: stories of love, loss and courage from the Victorian bushfires" edited by John McGourty has just been released. Copies are availble for loan and are also in our local history collections. Contributions from reporters and photographers from News Ltd. Easy to read, but heart wrenching accounts of Black Saturday that has been described as "the most disastrous peace time event in Australia's history", includes personal experiences of the reporters and photographers there to report the events to the rest of the world.
You can add your own online review of this book via the online catalogue.

People are encouraged to contribute their stories to Wikinorhtia: documenting life in Melbourne's north, where there are already some accounts to be found under the disasters category.

Created in response to the 2009 Victorian bushfires, STORYBOARD provides a creative space to share your photos, videos, artworks and stories with others who have been affected by this devastating event. An ongoing project, STORYBOARD is also a safe place to archive your precious images and record local histories.

STORYBOARD will also play an important role in gathering primary resources that will be of use to the Country Fire Authority (CFA) and the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) with community education programs.
Launching 10 May 2009

Plenty War Memorial Gates

Plenty Historical Society are to be congratulated on their project to restore and re-dedicate the War Memorial Gates at Plenty. The committee are looking to contact descendants or relatives of the following names as recorded in the minutes of the Plenty War Memorial Community Centre Committee between 1945 and 1954, as well as the list of those persons from Plenty who served during World War 2.
World War 11 service men and women from Plenty

NAVY:

R. Deacon,
F. Durham,
R. McGregor,
A Twilley,
W. Weir

AIR FORCE:

L. Baxter,
N. Baxter,
K. Doherty,
W. Dwyer,
Dorothy Faneco,
Isobel Faneco,
J. Faneco,
W. Faneco,
B. Hall,
Marjorie Harris,
R. Harris,
E. Hughes,
R. Hughes,
W. King,
K. O’Doherty,
L. Perry,
Joyce Weir,
W. Whittingham,
D. Winsor

ARMY:

G. Anderson,
G. Arman,
E. Churchward,
G. Churchward,
M. Churchward,
W. Connelly,
H. Dove,
C. Dunkley,
P. Dwyer,
L. Everett,
E. Ewert,
N. Ewert,
E. Fielding,
J. Harris,


A. Hawkins.
N. Hopkins,
J. Hussey,
J. Jenkins,
C. Keith,
G. Keith,
J. Keith,
M. Keith,
W. McCallum,
F. McDonald,
D. McLennan,
J. McLennan,
I. McQueen,
W. Pringle,
G. Rudd,
J. Stokes,
J. Threader,
J. Treloar,
W. Upton,
Marjorie West,
H. Weiland

Names included in the Plenty War Memorial Community Centre Minutes.

K Bagley
R Beale
A Brereton
Mrs Brereton
F W Durham*
L Elwers
Mrs L Elwers
Cr W Elwers*
S Fellows
Mrs S Fellows
Mr Gawne
Mr Healy
J Laidley
B Lierse
R Thomas
J Upton
Mrs J Upton
C Walker*
Mrs Walker*
H White
K White
J Wilson
L Wilson
Merle Walker – Entrant in Popular Girl Competition

All persons who attended the first Public Meeting held on 24th September 1945 were elected to the Committee.

• Persons who maintained continuous membership of Committee from 1945 until 1953.
Visit the Plenty Historical Society for contact details

Funding available for heritage projects

The Federal Government has recently promised $60 million in heritage funding as part of its $650 million jobs fund project. The heritage funding will provide support for projects to protect, conserve and promote Australia’s National Heritage Listed places, National Trust properties, community heritage including locally significant places and natural heritage. Grant applications are being encouraged, please not the required criteria. More information can be found at

Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.