The Old Brown Coal Mine Museum in Yallourn North | History Museum

The Old Brown Coal Mine Museum

Locality: Yallourn North

Phone: +61 3 5167 1046

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25.01.2022 More photos from the George Toye collection.

23.01.2022 Transport workers at Yallourn about 1947.

23.01.2022 Due to the current situation with the Coronavirus the Old Brown Coal Mine Museum will be closed for the next 4 weeks. We will keep you posted as to when we will be opening again.

22.01.2022 Photo of overburden from the Yallourn Open Cut being dumped on what would become known locally as the "Monash Alps" or "Mount Monash". Photo taken by J.P. Campbell early 1920s. The following text was taken from a book titled "History of the SECV by W.R. Armstron-1927-1947" "In wet weather the area was a sea of mud and clay. Some idea of the difficulties caused by the spewy soil may be gained from the phenomenon which followed the excavation of the "run-in" to the open cut fo...r the power shovels. As the resultant heaps of spoil settled down, their weight and bulk caused the immediately adjacent earth to bulge until it nearly topped the nearby portion of the levee bank with which the open cut area had been surrounded. Dough provides the closest analogy, for a depression in one part caused a bulge in another. The initial operations in the removal of overburden were also a very muddy business. The spoil was disposed of by a conveyer and boomstacker on the spot, and the deposits on the north side of open cut became known as the "Monash Alps". The wet clay stuck to the conveyer or else the soupy material ran, and in their efforts to promote an even flow engineers and operatives lost their separate identities under a thick coating of mud. Here again , the bulk and weight of the overburden heaps caused a bulge in the soft earth, so much so that 3 poles of an adjacent telephone line were shoved 30 feet out of alignment." See more

21.01.2022 Supporters at the Grand Final between Yallourn North Football Club and Morwell Football Club - September 1953.

19.01.2022 Its Womens History Month so we would like to celebrate some of the women who lived in our town. ELSA MARSHALL-HALL Elsa Marshall-Hall taught the piano in her humble cottage in Brown Coal Mine. The Electoral Roll for 1928 gives her address as Reserve Street and her occupation as Musician. Her beautiful piano may have looked out of place but some of her pupils reached a very high standard.... Elsa was born in Melbourne on 17th August, 1891 and was the daughter of May and George William Louis Marshall-Hall (1862-1915). George William Louis Marshall-Hall was a well known composer, conductor and Professor of Music. He was the grandson of Physiologist Marshall Hall, the discoverer of reflex action, and a great-nephew of Samuel Hall and Engineer and inventor. George William Louis Marshall/Hall was at one time the Ormond Professor of Music at the Melbourne University. Elsa also had impressive musical credentials, and was a composer like her father. Her manuscripts are held in the Grainger Museum at the University of Melbourne. Elsa Marshall-Hall married John Thomas Ingram (or Inman) in 1917 and they had a son Hubert Marshall-Hall-Ingram (known as Marshall) and a daughter names Carman Leonora born in 1923 and died 1924 aged only 1 year. Carman died in Sale, Victoria. In 1937 Elsa was living in Yarram and by 1943 she had moved to Melbourne. Elsa died on 27th November, 1980 aged 89 and is buried in the Brighton General Cemetery, Melbourne. Taken from the Morwell Advertiser - Friday 24 August, 1917 INGRAM (INMAN) - MARSHALL/ HALL Miss Elsa Marshall-Hall, of Gormandale (daughter of late Professor Marshall-Hall, the well known musical conductor, of Melbourne) and Mr J. Ingham (Inman), of Carrajung entered the bonds of matrimony on Friday last, the nuptial know being tied by Mr J. Williams home missionary. They came into Traralgon in the afternoon train, and very soon were the cynosure of hundreds of eyes in Franklin Street. They went into Mr Crosss shop, and immediately there was a rush of customers for stamps and other trifles, the purchases (sic) being eager to make the acquaintance of the bride and bridegroom. The newly wedded couple, on going to the railway station in the evening to take the train to Cowwarr, for a short holiday, found a large concourse of people there to see them off. Confetti flew in all directions, and lusty cheers were given for Mr and Mrs Ingham. As the train steamed away half a dozen detonators exploded, and the cheering was renewed with greater force than ever. Never, says the "Journal", has a bride had such a demonstrative send off at Traralgon. "A guard of honour" was waiting at Cowwarr, and accompanied the couple to the hotel, while the kerosene tin band played the Wedding March.

18.01.2022 John Pace working on his Yallourn Power Station cake. Taken from SEC magazine - March 1984.

17.01.2022 Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. The Museum is closed for Christmas and the New Year but will reopen on Sunday 5th January, 2020.

16.01.2022 Fabulous work by RTL Transport relocating this former Yallourn Town Square fountain to the Old Brown Coal Mine Museum grounds.

16.01.2022 The Old Brown Coal Mine Museum is back to normal opening times. Sundays 10am - 4pm and Mondays and Tuesdays 10am - 3pm.

13.01.2022 To listen to the sound of the Emden whistle, check out the comments on Linda's original post on Gippsland History page.

13.01.2022 Fairfield Guest House in Yallourn.

13.01.2022 Happy 65th birthday Yallourn North Fire Brigade.

13.01.2022 Who remembers this? Does anyone have any information on this car rally at Loy Yang Open Cut thanks.

12.01.2022 This photo is titled - "Lifting the "B" drums into position". Yallourn "B" Power Station about 1936.

12.01.2022 SEC workers - date unknown

12.01.2022 close up of the Pay Day photo taken in 1925 outside the SEC Main Office building.

12.01.2022 Thank you to Sale Cemetery and "History Behind The Headstone" for this recognition regarding the grave of Andy Anderson.

11.01.2022 On 14th Feb 1944 bushfires were burning to the north and west of Yallourn. At 5pm the wind gusted hot and fierce and fires broke out over a wide area of the Yallourn Open Cut. The strong winds blew the sprinkler water away from the coal faces and the fire quickly took hold. Dredgers, power shovels and other plant were set alight. (taken from book titled Yallourn Power Station A History 1919-1989 by Col Harvey)

11.01.2022 A boomstacker dumping overburden from the Yallourn Open Cut onto "Mount Monash" Photo taken by J.P.Campbell 1924.

11.01.2022 Construction of buildings in the West Camp, Yallourn 1949/50

10.01.2022 The Meers family arrived in the Brown Coal Mine about 1916. Mrs Meers and her daughters were the first females to live in the settlement. The "Marquee" school can be seen in the centre of this photo behind Savage's shop, and also some of the rough workers huts known as "The 12 Apostles" a bit further back among the trees. Photo was taken in 1918 as the marquee used for the school was destroyed during a storm in December 1918.

10.01.2022 Electrical HQ?? at Yallourn 1970s.

10.01.2022 We are pleased to let everyone know that the Old Brown Coal Mine Museum is once again open to the public on Sundays from 10am - 4pm. In accordance with current covid health regulations the use of masks and hand sanitiser will be mandatory on entry to the building and social distancing of 1.5 metres will be maintained.

09.01.2022 Three dredgers working in the Yallourn Open Cut. Note the six horses pulling cart (heavy roller?). Photo taken in 1926

08.01.2022 Group of SEC Commissioners outside the drying sheds of the Yallourn Brickworks in 1921. Sir John Monash centre of photo, the sole female is Bertha Monash, his daughter.

07.01.2022 The Old Brown Coal Mine Museum has a collection of photos taken by photographer Mr George Toye. Here are some examples of his work.

07.01.2022 In December 1920 a contract for the erection of a brickworks in Yallourn was let. Plans became a reality in 1921 and a satisfactory trial run was made with brickmaking machinery on 27 Feb 1922. Before this, bricks had been made by hand. Suitable clay was limited so experiments were conducted using local and Morwell clay. This resulted in the birth of the architecturally desired well known pink brick. In 1924 the brickworks were producing 6,000,000 per year and a tile making plant had been installed. For many years Mr W. H. (Dad) Brewer was in charge of the brickworks.

05.01.2022 Workers being presented with a John Monash book and gold watches

05.01.2022 Photos of the Old Brown Coal Mine Museum gardens taken by Warren Xerri - Spring 2020.

05.01.2022 Horse pulled Dobbins being filled by a Dragline, Yallourn. 1.2.1929.

04.01.2022 The Temporary Power Plant. Built in 1921 to supply electricity for the construction of the Yallourn "A" Power Station and the general Yallourn area and camps. The site chosen was located south of the Latrobe River in a flat area known as Savages farm. All generation fuel for the power plant came from the Brown Coal Mine Open Cut (later to be known as Yallourn North Open Cut). When the first unit in the new Yallourn Power Station became operational on 15th June, 1924, the Temp...orary Power Plant was declared surplus and plans were made for its removal. It shut down on 1st September, 1924 but was destroyed by fire just 5 days later. The cause of the fire being a spark from an oxy-acetylene torch used during the demolition. The 1925 SEC Annual Report said that: "The Plant as a whole, operated efficiently from the outset, although the burning of raw brown coal for large power station purposes had not hitherto passed the experimental stage in this country". (Information taken from the book titled "Yallourn Power Station A History 1919-1989 by Col Harvey) See more

04.01.2022 Group of Yallourn North Brownies and Guides. Back row l-r: Gwen Fielder (Brown Owl), Helene Skinner (Guide Captain), Marie Gorman, Bev Greenlees.

03.01.2022 Its Womens History Month so we would like to celebrate some of the Women who lived in our town Our first Teacher MRS NELLIE IRWIN nee MISS NELLIE JONES In her own words:... We were another of the families who had formerly lived at Walhalla and came to Brown Coal Mine when the mine started. I was school teaching at Walhalla and found myself teaching some of the children from Walhalla in the Marquee tent the Mines department provided at Brown Coal Mine in 1918. I was supplied with 6 discarded desks, a table, a chair and an easel. The earthen floor was full of fleas so a lot of scratching went on. We soon moved to a little cement sheet hall hot in summer and cold in winter, but no fleas as there was a floor. On the weekend there would be dances and concerts, so on Monday morning there would be a great re-arranging of furniture before we could commence. In emergencies men would also be bedded down there. Once, during the 1920 strike there were about 12 hefty policemen brought in to keep the peace. I objected to this, but was up against Dr Herman, who, as head of the Mines Department was king of the castle and everyone obeyed him excepting me but then I worked for the Education Department! We still remained good friends and he often bought visitors in to see me, including the Governor. I taught school there for 10 years, with more rooms and more helpers, and although there was never much money about, the mothers did a wonderful job of sending their children to school clean and tidily dressed. A common sight was to see men coming up from the mine after work carrying a sack of coal on their backs for the family fires. This was allowed, so long as they did not use a vehicle to cart it. At first I lived in a tent, and nearby was a Church of England Missionary Mr Vizard, a wonderful man who helped every body. My step father built a house for us, and later my sister, who also taught school for a time, had a shop built which she operated for several years. I used to help in it after school. I remember the Strongs, Meers, Tolson, Graham and Pickard families. Although I now live at Benalla I still consider myself a Gippslander, being born at Walhalla. My parents had a farm at what was then Upper Moondarra, before Walhalla started. See more

02.01.2022 Happy 40th birthday to the Yallourn North Bowling Club, what a long way you have come, from this muddy mess to what it is today.

02.01.2022 This photo was found in our collection of unknown photos. Does anyone recognise where it was taken.

01.01.2022 Due to the response the offer of free mulch from the Old Brown Coal Mine Museum has finished. Thanks everyone.

01.01.2022 Construction workers at the Temporary Power Plant (T.P.P.), Yallourn - circa 1921

01.01.2022 Yallourn/Trafalgar Ladies cricket team wins Country Cricket Championship - article taken from SEC magazine, March 1939. Team members were from Yallourn, Brown Coal Mine and Trafalgar.