Eltham: Gateway to Melbourne's Green Wedge Quiz

Answer: Wurundjeri people

Along with the Wathaurong people, these groups made up the Kulin nation occupying the area in which Melbourne was established. According to the Nillumbik Shire Council, "a number of archaeological sites remain as evidence of Aboriginal custodianship of much land within the Shire, and the Wurundjeri are recorded as having co-existed with the early white squatters and selectors."

Answer: timber cutting

Timber cutting was the first industry in the area, but it was the discovery of gold nearby that led to major growth during the second half of the 19th century. Viticulture was established by early settlers as a minor local industry, and vineyards in the northern part of Eltham and the nearby Yarra Valley are a growth industry in the 21st century.

Answer: railway arrived in 1902

The arrival of the railway in 1902 caused the center of Eltham to shift about a mile north to its present site. With the trip from the center of Melbourne reduced to under an hour, Eltham's rural environment started to attract many painters and other artists.

The railway bridge bringing the tracks into town is one of the few remaining timber trestle bridges in the Melbourne area, and was the subject of a fierce preservation fight during the 1970s.

Answer: World War I

Trees line both sides of Main Road along the southern entry to town in tribute to the local soldiers who died in World War I, including those who fought at Anzac Cove. This was a common practice in the aftermath of that conflict. More recent war losses tend to be memorialised in cenotaphs or other displays that include specific names.

Answer: Montsalvat

The complex known as Montsalvat was built by Jorgensen and his students over many years using primarily earth, stone and recycled materials. It was opened to the public in 1963. After Jorgensen's death in 1975, his will provided for a trust to administer Montsalvat as an artists' colony and function center.

The Gothic-style 'Great Hall' is a local landmark, and has been the venue for many events over the years, including the annual Montsalvat Jazz Festival.

Answer: Alistair Knox

All of these are well-known architects, although Alistair Knox (the only Australian in the group) had little official training, receiving an honorary doctorate in architecture from Melbourne University at the age of 72, in recognition of his contributions to the field during his lifetime.

Inspired by a visit to Montsalvat in 1940 and spurred on by the shortage of building materials after WWII, he pioneered the use of mud bricks and rammed earth for domestic buildings. The Alistair Knox Park, a family favorite because of its duck ponds, is situated next to the new library, which was built out of mudbrick and recycled timbers in 1995.

Answer: Shillinglaw Cottage

St. Margaret's Church and the residence located at 88 Pitt Street (as his own home) were also built by Stebbing, and are tourist sites as well as being in active use today. Shillinglaw Cottage is built so that its bricks form a chequered pattern, and it has a slate roof, unusual in the area.

Answer: Alan Marshall

The statue of Alan Marshall, leaning on a crutch and wearing a jumper said to be modeled on one of the author's favorite items of clothing, was sculpted by Marcus Skipper. "I Can Jump Puddles", the first volume of his three-part autobiography, has been translated into over thirty languages, and was made into an award-winning film in 1970.

The other three authors wrote about childhood ("Peter Pan", "Alice in Wonderland", "Tom Sawyer"), but are not Australian.

Answer: platypus

The platypus is a semi-aquatic monotreme (egg-laying mammal) which lives in burrows in the banks of freshwater rivers/creeks/streams along the eastern coast of Australia (and in Tasmania). Their webbed front feet help them swim and hunt for food in the form of small aquatic invertebrates and insect larvae.

They have a rubbery bill, which has led to them being referred to as the 'duck-billed platypus', although that is not part of their formal name. Platypuses (or platypodes, but not platypi - it's a Greek root) are rarely seen because of their reclusive nature, but most Australians are strongly in favour of their conservation as a uniquely Australian emblem.

Answer: Eltham Copper Butterfly

The Eltham Copper Butterfly (Paralucia pyrodiscus lucida) was discovered in 1938 in Eltham, but was thought to have become extinct before the re-discovery of several colonies in 1987. Public agitation by residents saw the formation of butterfly reserves on properties previously scheduled for sale and development.

There are several other smaller colonies in the area, as well as a few in other parts of central Victoria. There are plans to encourage landowners to establish further breeding colonies by transplanting larvae or pupae (with a council permit).