Many Rainbow Nuggets in this archive. Plenty of great colorisations and a few that just made the grade but are of historical significance.
More...
In a FaceBook Private Group? Then you won't have a share button.
Please share this story with your family and friends so that they can read about the Rainbow Township, its history, and what it has to offer tourists.
Thank you very much, Don...
Click on any image below to see it in full size.
Image 1 Before
Image 1 After
Image 2 Before
Image 2 After
Image 3 Before
Image 3 After
Image 4 Before
Image 4 After
Image 5 Before
Image 5 After
Image 6 Before
Image 6 After
Image 7 Before
Image 7 After
Image 8 Before
Image 8 After
Image 9 Before
Image 9 After
Image 10 Before
Image 10 After
Image 11 Before
Image 11 After
Image 12 Before
Image 12 After
Image 13 Before
Image 13 After
Image 14 Before
Image 14 After
Image 15 Before
Image 15 After
Image 16 Before
Image 16 After
Image 17 Before
Image 17 After
Image 18 Before
Image 18 After
Image 19 Before
Image 19 After
Image 20 Before
Image 20 After
Image 21 Before
Image 21 After
Image 22 Before
Image 22 After
Image 1 - I chased this photo around in circles for months.
I chased this photo around in circles for months, and finally settled on a suitable description.
RAINBOW OF TO-DAY. 1910 page 9, gives an incorrect description:
Another good view, showing the Rainbow Manufacturing Co.'s commodious and well equipped general store. But Dawson's Rainbow Manufacturing Co. was in Railway St, round about where Ron Ismay's business is now.
Stan Fisher gives it as Federal St 1912, in his Autobiography "Team Work" but only the year is wrong. As Stan was only 2 years and four months old when the buildings burnt down, I'll accept that he was mid-guided with the year.
To the best of my ability and with the information I have been able to gather up, my description is given at the link below:
Image 2 - Cust (Stevenson) and Dart stores
Federal st Rainbow. Cust (Stevenson) and Dart stores late 1920s to early 1930s. (Mecca was being built in 1935) A mixture of horse and cart as well as Rag top Automobiles.
Image 3 - That Fleet of cars at the Garage 1926.
Mal Drendel
That would be where "Strauss Bros" Holden dealership was. GREAT photo.
That Fleet of cars at Strauss's Garage 1926.
What are they?
This vehicle ID took me about 3 months of part time Googling, but I was determined to find it. A large percentage of vehicles in the world during these years, was made up of Ford, followed by Chevrolet and derivatives, but I knew it was none of these.
The distinctive inverted "V" shape along the bottom of the windscreen was the best clue, but it also made it very hard to find. I found Wolsley, Riley, and Cubitt (very rare) with this feature, but none of them matched in with the Federal St vehicles in the old photo.
Then I came across the Fiat. Fiat selling in Rainbow in 1926 I hear you say! Well if the very first car in Rainbow came all the way from Belgium in 1910, then why not an Italian car in 1926? There were many models of the Fiat in 1926. Different body shapes, different engines, and very different add on parts. Some of these add on parts may have been fitted on the Australian Models, and some may have been left off.
Try Googling "Fiat car 1926", then click on images. You will see many with the inverted "V" windscreen and a grill that looks very much like a "T Model Ford" unit.
Note*** During WWI. Italians and Japanese were our allies. That all changed for WWII. Japanese firm Isuzu was building British Wolseley cars from 1918, which was the first car ever produced in Japan. By 1929 the Japanese were producing their own.
Other Victorian dealers such as Les Hare Garage & Engineering Works, Morwell, Victoria were selling Fiat cars in the mid -1920s.
Fiat 509 Torpedo1926
Image 4 - The "Yellow Brick Road"
This is one of my favorite photos of the Federal Street Group. As I cranked up the colour, the "Yellow Brick Road" appeared and revealed so much infinite detail. The three rows of teams moving up and down the street. The triangular timber tree guard damaged by one of the team no doubt. The flow of the dip in the street passing over King Street, and all the way down to the house on the corner of Darts Avenue and Taverner street that you all know so well. It is still there.
Still searching for a Facebook thread on this one.
Image 5 - Bullock Team Federal Street Rainbow 1905
Here is a bullock team. Could even be Cheryl's Grandfather "Happy Jack Hutchins".
Rainbow's coffee palace is the first building on the left of the image. Also used to house train travelers. Pulled down about 1924.
This photo is taken from near the Commonwealth Hotel in Federal St, and at the back of the wagon, you can see the Saddlers on the corner of Federal and King St.
It shows firstly the Coffee Palace on the corner of Railway and Federal St, then the Cust buildings, which comprise The Argus, Kendall the Chemist, Cust and Co, Butter factory Lane, and then the Dart buildings which includes McDonald and Merrittt.
The wagon masks out what is today the two stone buildings of Thomas, and Dunn, as well as the Post Office.
The Argus moved next to where the Vogue is today, and the Chemist moved into the new Cust brick buildings.
All of the Cust and Dart buildings were fully rebuilt by October 2010, and all in brick or stone.
All of the new Dart buildings from Butter Factory Lane, to the Post Office, still stand today (four shops), and three of the Cust buildings at 3, 5, and 7 Federal St are still standing.
The new Cust buildings were taken over by Alfred Stevenson when they were rebuilt. At some point the main Stevenson (Cust) buildings vanished and the Mecca was built in their place.
Image 6 - A.G. Strauss General Merchants.
Federal Street Rainbow.
Image 7 - National Bank, Eureka Hotel
A.G. Strauss General Merchants, National Bank, Eureka Hotel (single story) Rainbow. Postcard 1907.
Note the height of the trees.
Image 8 - W, Bandel, Hairdresser
Leanne Purdy South
Not sure if you have seen this one before, but I found it whilst looking for something else.
Description Of Content: Two barbers in the doorway of 'W, Bandel, Hairdresser'. Acquisition Information: Copied from Russell Hall, 1986 Acknowledgement: The Biggest Family Album of Australia, Museum Victoria
Don:
One of the flags in the window appears to be Japanese, which means it was during WWI when Japan was one of the allied powers (friends of ours), along with Italy. 
All of that changed during WWII.
Image 9 - "Cust's Buildings," Rainbow.
RAINBOW OF TO-DAY. 1910
Fine general view of "Cust's Buildings," Rainbow.
This runs from Butter Factory Lane on the right, through to what I called shop 1 in previous posts. It is actually shop 1 today, if you count from Norm Mathews shed back down Federal St. The Oyster Bar can be clearly seen as shop 3.
Above Stevenson's store, you can see a large set of what looks like a raised ceiling and sky light openings. This above roof structure can be seen in many early photographs. It is about where the Mecca is today. I believe shops 1, 2, and 3, are actually 5, 7, and 9 Federal St Rainbow. I feel the best way to identify these old buildings is to use the current correct post office addresses. So the Oyster Bar was at 9 Federal St Rainbow.
Image 10 - Looking towards Mecca
Federal St. Rainbow. Mecca 1940s.
Still searching for a Facebook thread on this one.
Image 11 - Federal St Rainbow 1925
This picture starts from West the butchers, and you can see a little of one of the Wishart shops next door to the right. Then a reasonable shot of the old Cafe, followed by Strauss's shop, and there is a little shop next door to that, which I still have to identify. It looks like stone, but could well be a timber "Wild West" type facade.
Then the double story National Bank, which has a front verandah built on followed by the double story Eureka hotel. Hard to see what I knew as Frew's Corner, but you can see the original double story bank, and the double story Royal Hotel. Large radio masts dot the skyline. The picture is taken from one of the verandahs on the Stevenson's (Cust) buildings, just past where the Mecca is today.
Image 12 - The Federal Stores
Mal Drendel:
Going through my grandparents photos and I found this one. I thought, "Crikey, this looks like Rainbow". Got out my "1910 Rainbow book" to check for any similarities and the photo is in the book! I don't know if it's been posted before but here it is.
Don:
Cust sold it to Stevenson around the time he decided to leave town. Mind you, this is a far better quality photo than the one I have, so I'll store it away. You can see more details such as the reflection of the shops opposite in the windows, and see the line of prams outside the shop?
It is 3 to 15 Federal St. Stevenson' shops were replaced by the Mecca.
Here are 3, 5, and 7 Federal St, which still exist.
Image 13 - King and Federal Street.
A view looking from around the old Rainbow Cafe towards King and Federal Street.
Still searching for a Facebook thread on this one.
Image 14 - R.H. Gray.
I know someone will ask, "Where was this?" I have no real idea, but again at a guess, based on 1910 photos of the location of other buildings of the day, King and Federal Streets. I am thinking with the lay of the land, and the building seen up the side street, that could well be the back of the Eureka hotel in King St. Yes, there are two businesses in the one building on the corner, a bicycle shop and a Greengrocer and Fruiterer. Again in what I have called "Wild West Facade" shop fronts.
From the booklet "RAINBOW OF TO-DAY. 1910"
Compiled and Published by J. EDWARD ROBERTSON. OCTOBER, 1910.
Mr. R.H. GRAY, Fruiterer and News Agent, Stationer, etc. Mr. R.H. Gray has been established in Rainbow some 3 years, and conducts in a most creditable manner a large and flourishing fruit, vegetable, and news agency business; also, he holds several agencies. His commodious premises are in Federal-street, and one portion is always well stocked with vegetables, fruits, etc., which are obtained from various markets three times each week. The other department is devoted en the news agency and stationery, and Mr. Gray is sub-agent for the " Weekly Times," " Herald," and " S.A. Chronicle."
Image 15 - The Saddlers
It isn't hard to pick where the Saddlers were located. You can pick the shop on the left hand side of it very easily. See picture below.
From the booklet "RAINBOW OF TO-DAY. 1910"
Compiled and Published by J. EDWARD ROBERTSON. OCTOBER, 1910.
Messrs. W. & T. Livingston, Saddlery and Harness Manufacturers, Federal Street, Rainbow.
Messrs. W. and T. Livingston's saddlery and harness establishment has enjoyed gradually increasing prosperity during the past five years, and today it is a very up-to-date business in every respect, employing a large number of competent workmen; in fact, a few years ago only one hand was employed today there are six.
Image 16 - Federal St Rainbow 1911
I think this photo was on the Vic library site. There would have been two sets of pole systems, one for power (32VDC) and one for telephones. In other photos, you can see the telephone lines on a pole right outside the post office, that has many insulators installed, so my guess is that this is the butter factory power distribution that went straight down the centre of Federal street.
However it is an important clue to the age of many other photos, as you can see the height of the trees, and the installation of the electric power distribution.
I have placed a second Facebook thread here, as there is more info on the 32VDC power system. Dawson's power distribution system operated for 52 years up until November 1962. That means it started in 1910, even thought this image is quoted as 1911.
Image 17 - Farrall's Garage corner
Farrall's Garage corner of King and Federal Street Rainbow. Not a good original shot and not a good conversion, but worthy of storing it here.
Still searching for a Facebook thread on this one.
Image 18 - Bullock Teams. King and Federal Streets.
Was a hard conversion. I think the photographer had a camera dipped in tar.
Year? Tree heights = 1909-1910?
Image 19 - Another Parade
Another Parade, possibly Anzac day. Lighthorsemen very strongly represented, so I would imagine it wasn't long after the soldiers returned home from WWI. Photo believed to be taken in 1919.
You can see all the way up past the Mechanics Hall to Dart's Avenue.
Looks like the photo is taken from the top deck of the Eureka Hotel in King St.
Image 20 - Federal Street looking from Darts Ave. 1909
This was a 1909 coloured postcard that was so fire-damaged that I decided that it wasn't worth putting any time into.The more I looked at it, the more I realised that it was of historical significance as it has a view of the bottom end of Federal street, taken from Darts Ave, in a time period that I have very few photos of. The height of the trees, the Royal Hotel single story, the Eureka double story, plus the lack of electrical poles down the middle of the street, make it certainly look like around 1909.
Image 21 - Federal Street looking from Railway St. 1920s.
Recently discovered Photograph. July-2021
Year seems to be about right. After the great fire of 1910, and before the MECCA was built in 1936. Cars replacing horses. Power poles went up in 1911?
Image 22 - Federal Street Empire Day 1911.
Date May 24 1911.
The celebration of Queen Victoria's birthday on May 24 was renamed Empire Day in 1903 after her death in 1901. It was celebrated throughout the British Empire culminating in fireworks and bonfires in the evening. The last celebration of Empire Day in Australia took place in 1958.
The recently formed Rainbow band is followed by the Fire Brigade members. You can see the crossbar of the large-wheeled fire cart, that has the brass hydrant attached to the right-hand side. and finally the school children, with some leading them on horses.
The lamp post interests me. I believe when this photo was taken in 1911 that the 32VDC street light system was operating, so this may well have been an electric light.
Or was it installed as oil or kerosene fired lamp prior to Dawson's electricity supply? It can be seen in other early photos, but I also wonder when it was removed.
In a FaceBook Private Group? Then you won't have a share button.
Please share this story with your family and friends so that they can read about the Rainbow Township, its history, and what it has to offer tourists.
Thank you very much, Don...
