Montville Historical Group has an exciting new Montville series of A5 books available for purchase. Book 1 Early Settlers of Hunchy, Flaxton, and Montville, 1885 to 1914 records the contribution of 20 early settlers including the Weitemeyer, Butt, Wyer, Short, Smith, Muirhead, Harvey, Skene, Dalton, Vining, Callaghan, Dart, Thompson, Dixon, Boweser and Callaghan Families.

Book 2 Fifty Years of Boom and Bust 1914 to 1964 follows the next fifty years and the next generation of settlers in Montville and includes stories from a number of sources including the children and grandchildren of early settlers.

Book 3 Fifty Years of Change 1964 to 2014 identifies people and events that have shaped Montville as the thriving tourist destination and mountain village it is today. (Available Now)

Book 4 Sawdust and Steam – The story of the Flaxton Mill, 1936 – 1963 is written by Gordon Plowman the son of Ray Plowman who embarked on his sawmilling ventures in the Flaxton Forest in 1934. The life of the Flaxton mill is populated with colourful bush characters making this a delightful read.

Book 5 Home on the Range – Memories of the Cuthbertson Family 1953 – 1965 by Ruth Barden recounts family life growing up in Montville in the fifties and sixties and includes a postscript by Laurie Grimwade (Ruth’s primary school) – Montville Pupil and Teacher.

Book 6 Silky Oaks and Camphor Laurels is a delightfully different recollection of schooling at Flaxton. It is written by Gordon Plowman.

A small number of earlier publications about Montville and the surrounding district of Flaxton and Hunchy are available.
Although many are out of print, photocopies can be made and purchased on request. Click on the images below for more details on each.

Please email Cate your order at research@montvillehistory.org.au

Payment can be made to:

Acct Name: MVA Inc.

BSB: 084004

ACC number: 501527628

Reference Code: (Type your surname and add ‘MHGBook’ and then the Number of the book in the series – eg. Patterson MHGBook 5)

Postage and handling charges for all publications

Postage costs to anywhere in Australia are:

$ 5 for an A5 book
$10 for all other size books

Overseas orders please request a postage quote by email research@montvillehistory.org.au

Book 1 Early Settlers in the series Montville Stories is an A5 book of 150 pages and tells of 20 early settlers and their contribution to establishing and shaping early Montville, Flaxton and Hunchy. Cost $25 plus $5 postage

Book 2 Fifty Years of Boom and Bust 1914 to 1964 is a 206 page A5 book compiled and edited by Cate and Doug Patterson. It follows the next fifty years and the next generation of settlers in Montville and includes stories from a number of sources including the children and grandchildren of early settlers along with newspaper articles by author and poet, Vance Palmer, the brother of Emily Palmer, the first teacher at Razorback Provisional School later Montville State School. Cost $20 plus $5 postage

Book 3 Fifty Years of Change, The People who have shaped the Montville of today, 1964 to 2014 by Doug Patterson is a collection of stories about business people and community members who have helped shape the Montville we know today. These stories are compiled from interviews with these ‘influencers’ and includes a chapter, The Great Divides – those controversial issues that threatened to divide a community.

Cost $20 plus $5 postage

Book 4 Sawdust and Steam – The story of the Flaxton sawmill, 1936 to 1963

Gordon Plowman, with the assistance of his older brother’s acute memory, recalls life in Flaxton when his family owned and worked the Flaxton Sawmill.

Cost $15 + $5 postage

Book 5 Home on the Range, Memories of the Cuthbertson Family 1953-1965 in the series Montville Stories is a 72 page A5 book by Ruth Barden who grew up in Montville in the 1950s and early 1960s. She describes her idyllic childhood and the community who helped raise her.

Cost $15 + $5 postage

Book 6 Siky Oaks and Camphor Laurels, Centenary of the Opening of Flaxton Provisional (State) School, 1922 t0 2022 is a tribute to the tenaciousness of a small community to have its own school. Now one hundred years later, Gordon Plowman looks back at how the challenges to gain this school for the Flaxton Community helped shape and grow that community.

Publications