The latest exhibition curated by History Monash Inc features the collection of T.G. Newton & Co., a prominent real estate agency in the Oakleigh region.
This company had its origins in an earlier real estate agency in Oakleigh offering land subdivisions in and around the area for sale from 1875.
Once T.G. Newton was established by Thomas George Newton it became the most recognised real estate agency in the area. The company’s well-known catch cry was “His name’s Newton – he sells real estate.”
The T.G. Newton exhibition features subdivision maps, contracts of sale, leases, correspondence, auction notices, ledgers and other items. The dates of items in the collection range from 1875 to 1925 inclusive and include hand-written documents, reflecting the language and real estate law of the time. Correspondence to Tom Newton came from solicitors dealing with settlements of estates, various government bodies and the local Oakleigh Council as well as lessees and purchasers of land.
Items in History Monash’s T.G. Newton collection have been catalogued and there is capacity for visitors to the exhibition to search the collection via computer. The catalogue is a valuable addition to family research for people with family who lived in the area from 1875 to around 1925.

History Monash Inc launched the exhibition on Tuesday 29 July 2025. (See photos below.) The exhibition can be viewed for free at the Monash Federation Centre on Tuesdays until the end of 2025 between 10 am and 2 pm. (Please check the HM website – News – in case changes are made to this at short notice.)

History Monash Inc President, Edda Williams, speaking at the launch.

Edda Williams and Ralph Bartlett, President of Waverley Historical Society, at the launch.