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This project will see the transcription of a Cash Book (1895-1908) from the nationally significant Gembrook/C.A. Nobelius & Sons Nursery Collection, held by the Emerald Museum, Victoria. At its peak, the Nobelius Nursery was the largest fruit and ornamental tree exporter in the southern hemisphere. The Emerald Museum’s Nobelius Nursery sub-collection includes a series of nationally significant cash books and ledgers from the Nobelius Nursery. In 2024, the digitisation of 23 hardcover and paperback catalogues and ledgers from this collection was undertaken, with the support of a NLA Community Heritage Grant. The Nobelius cash books are historically and socially significant as the entries give an insight into the growth of the company, and the details payments from local and other government offices and overseas customers, as well as significant companies associations and people. The earlier account books also detail wage payments. 

While the ledgers are currently being made available on Victorian Collections and Trove, it is expected the transcription of key fields of data will contribute to research and studies across multiple disciplines. This project may benefit the approximately 419,600 students studying agriculture, environmental, commerce and related studies at vocational and tertiary levels across Australia (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2022). Moreover, horticulture is Australia's third largest agricultural industry, and admissions into higher education horticulture-related programs have increased by 20-30% since 2020 (Greenlife Industry Australia, 2021). The information contained in these documents is crucial for a whole variety of researchers, such as those studying international relations, companion planting, climate change, economics during WWI, and the introduction of exotic plant and tree species to Australia.