Ever wondered what a tuberculosis isolation hut looks like?
Or perhaps a basement with a rarely seen open fireplace?
These things and much more can be experienced right here in Knox.
There is a treasure trove of information and history in Ferntree Gully just waiting to be explored.
Ambleside Homestead c1890, located at 3 Olivebank Road, has been the home of the Knox Historical Society since the 1970’s, as per our benefactor’s request.
Unlike Knox’s other two historic homesteads, Millers and Stamford which were purchased by the council, Oliver David and his family generously donated to Knox Council, 2 acres of land and outbuildings including a one bedroom cottage predating the formal homestead, to the people of Knox “on the proviso it was not to be subdivided but used for the preservation of Knox history”.
Operating with 100 per cent volunteer help, the Society provides school history programs, research services, community programs and group tours, historical presentations and historical tours of the Ferntree Gully Cemetery.
We also hold around 20,000 school photos dating back to the 1800’s and more than 500,000 documents and artefacts. We held a very successful Twilight Christmas market for the first time in 2022 with free activities for children, a craft market with local artisans and will be hosting that again this December.
So if you are one of the many who have always been meaning to “visit that place in Ferntree Gully”, or you have some hours to spare volunteering, we would love to see you.
Open Thursdays and Fridays from 10am to 1pm and Sundays from 1pm to 4pm, Ambleside is on the National Trust Register, an accredited museum with Australian Museums and Galleries Association Victoria and a registered Place of Deposit with Public Record Office Victoria.
Email: khs@relics.com
