THOMAS ANDERSON, TULLAMARINE, ARSONIST? (AND OTHER TULLAMARINE WESLEYANS.)
Tullamarine only ever had one church, the Wesleyan or Methodist Church. That was because the Catholics were more populous in Keilor and Bulla which very early had celebrations of the mass and the Presbyterians , such as the Grants and McNabs also had places of worship at Uniting Lane, Bulla, St John?s, Essendon, and Broadmeadows Township (Westmeadows). The Anglicans had one of the first churches outside Melbourne, St Paul?s, still standing at Westmeadows after 164 years and the Bulla Church, built in 1858 on land donated by Mary Greene at the south west corner of Woodlands, but relocated to Bulla Township by Major Murphy in the 1970?s because aircraft vibrations were threatening to destroy it.

Most landholdings in Tullamarine were large and the Methodists were more interested in being righteous than in becoming rich. John Carre Riddell and John Pascoe Fawkner made it possible for these virtuous yeomen to afford land by making blocks, often of 7 acres, available. Riddell?s main aim was profit but Fawkner?s motive was his adoration of the yeoman farmer according to C.P.Billot. Many Methodists also bought small blocks on the present Trade Park Industrial Estate site from J.F.L.Foster.

Charles Nash established Fairview on Riddell?s Camieston Estate and Bayview on Foster?s section 3 land. Widow, Ann Parr, bought a small block near Bayview but the longtime Parr base was ?The Elms? roughly between the northern end of today?s Link Rd and Melrose Drive. Ann?s son, James Henry Parr, took over this farm and passed it on to his son, Sam (the first beardless man young Harry Heaps ever saw), while his other son, Bill (who like his father served many terms as Keilor Shire President) , bought a part of section 2 not swallowed by the Arundel Closer Settlement and gave it the historic name, Annandale.

As we shall see, the Wesleyans first held services at Edmund Dunn?s ?Viewpoint?. No doubt Edmund was a gentle man but he had guts! His stand against the big wigs of the Melbourne Hunt encouraged farmers all around Melbourne to form a huge organization as detailed in my journal. While God ?fearing, he had no qualms about leaving Viewpoint through Stewarton or Camp Hill to avoid paying a toll at Tullamarine Junction every time he left his property.

The other denominations also held services on private properties before their churches were built. Dugald McPhail hosted Presbyterian services while leasing Spring Hill (Aberfeldie) and Mary Daniel did likewise for the Bulla Catholics at Narbonne on Oaklands Rd near Daniels Rd. George Langhorne, Melbourne?s first missionary to the aborigines, who supplied many aboriginal words to surveyor, Robert Hoddle that became names of parishes and towns, conducted Presbyterian Sunday School and services at Peter Young?s ?Nairn?, almost across the road from ?Narbonne?.

Not surprisingly the first school in Tullamarine (not counting Mr Trimmer?s mysterious school at the Springs in 1850 ) was the Wesleyan school on an acre donated by J.F.L.Foster on the inside angle of the bend in Cherie St (as shown by title documents.)

WESLEYAN.-On Sunday, September 16th, a new school-room, which will be used also as a place of worship, in connection with the Wesleyan Church, was opened. Two sermons were preached by the Rev. J. C.Symons, of Collingwood. The congregations were exceedingly good, as also the collections which were made at the close of each service. On the following Wednesday a tea-meeting was held therein, and though the weather was showery, yet the school-room was filled. Tea being over a public meeting was held, over which J. L. F. Foster, Esq., late Colonial Secretary, presided. After a short, but appropriate speech from the chairman, the Rev. B.S. Walker submitted to the meeting a statement of accounts, and urged the liquidationof the remaining debt. The Rev. J. Eggleston, of Melbourne, next addressed the meeting in an excellent speech, on education and its benefits, and was followed by Messrs. Parnham and Williams. The gratifying information that the building is free from debt was then announced, the Doxology sung, and prayer offered, when the friends departed, pleased and benefited by the afternoon's entertainment. The building issituated in Tullamarine, in the PentridgeCircuit, and is near to the Lady of the Lake Inn, on the Deep Creek Road. The ground (an acre in extent) upon which it is erected is the gift of J. L. F. Foster, Esq., and is centrally situated. Previously divine service was conducted in the house of Mr. E. Dunn, farmer, on the afternoon of every Lord's Day. (P.5, Argus, 24-9-1855.)

THE CHARACTER OF THOMAS ANDERSON.
(Tullamarine Methodist Church centenary booklet 1970.) The booklet, quoted in DHOTAMA, and donated by me should be available at the Broadmeadows Library.
From pages A 23-4 of my Dictionary History of Tullamarine and Miles Around.
The Port Phillip Directory of 1847 lists Thomas Anderson as a milkman on Main?s Estate. This estate, section 12 Doutta Galla, consisting of 640 acres was bounded by Rachelle Rd, East Keilor, Buckley St and Hoffmans Rd, extending north to a line joining Clarks Rd and the northern end of Moushall Avenue. The estate was split into parcels of about 50 acres and Thomas may have been leasing one of these. There is no certainty that he was the future Tullamarine resident.

The 1970 Tullamarine Methodist Church centenary souvenir states that Thomas was one of 18 signatories on an indenture for the sale of land to the Methodists which was enrolled in the Supreme Court of N.S.W. on 11-8-1840, one of the trustees of an original piece of church land, and one of the first trustees of the church on 4-10-1869.

In 1840, William and John Foster were granted a ten year lease on ?Leslie Park? (presumably 21 Doutta Galla and 3 Tullamarine, later granted to Wiiliam and Leslie Banks,22 Doutta Galla, later granted to his younger brother, John.)

However the Fosters would have had no power to donate the acre for the Wesleyan school at that time, so the 1840 document is a mystery. The document signed in 1840 must have related to the Wesleyans being recognized as a body able to buy land.

Thomas was a trustee of the school site, presumably in 1855. The church opened in 1870 on a site on Charles Nash?s ?Bayview?, roughly the north corner of Trade Park Drive and Melrose Drive. Charles practically donated the land so the church probably paid only the 10 shillings transfer fee.

?The conveyance?, probably of the church land but possibly of Foster?s donated acre circa 1855,was signed, sealed and delivered by Thomas Anderson in the presence of Thomas Crisp, an attourney of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria (hence after 1850.) His signature was a cross, because Thomas could not write, but his fellow trustees chose him to sign on his behalf.

Given that Charles Nash, Wallis Wright and James Henry Parr, whose families were stalwarts of the church for over a century, and Edmund Dunn were fellow trustees, this was a high honour and illustrates the respect in which Thomas Anderson was held. No wonder the hard-to- believe Cleary did not make his accusations until he had left Tulla!

INCENDIARISM.
The following proclamation is published. " Twenty-five Pounds Reward : Whereas it has been represented to the Government, that in the night of Sunday, the 7th March last, a weather- board house, the property of Messrs. Marks and Taylor, situated at Tullamarine, near Broadmeadows, was destroyed by fire :And whereas there is reason to suppose that the said house was maliciously set fire to by some evil-disposed person or persons: Notice is hereby given, that a reward of ?25 will be paid to any person who shall give such information as will lead to the apprehension and conviction of the person or persons who set fire to the said premises."
(THE GAZETTE, MAY 28 , P.7, Argus, 29-5-1858.)

Thomas Anderson and William Cassidy were brought up, on warrant, by Detective Williams, charged with arson. Solomon Lyon Marks said that he was a member of the firm of Marks and Taylor, La Trobe street. About four weeks ago he purchased 20 acres of ground and four-roomed house of Messrs. Symons and Perry. The property was situated near the Beech Tree Hotel, in the parish of Tullamarine, Broadmeadows. He saw the prisoner Anderson at the sale. Anderson asked him if he knew the property, and witness replied that he knew the person who was selling it. Anderson asked if he would take a profit on it, and made an offer, which witness refused. He offered a sum of about ?5 or ?10 profit. On seeing the property, witness was dissatisfied with it, and put it into the hands of Tennant and Co. Anderson again spoke to him about it, and on witness refusing to deal with him, replied that it would never do witness much good. The property was adjoining his own (Anderson's), and he did not want the land so much as the house.

On Monday, the 8th March, witness received letter from the landlord of the Beech Tree Hotel, and on going to the house, which he had purchased, found it burned down. He did not see the prisoners, and had no conversation with them afterwards. He had never seen the prisoner Cassidy that he knew of. Cross examined by Mr. Read : Witness gave L250 for the property. He left no one in special charge of the property, but asked the landlord if he would be kind enough to look after it. There were a good many workmen about the place.

-William Cleary, steward of the Lunatic Asylum, Yarra Bend, said that about the beginning of March he was residing with a Mr. Corcoran, in a place adjoining the paddock in which stood the house which had been burned down. On Saturday, the 6th March, at night, witness saw a light in the house, and, thinking it strange, the house being empty, went up to look at it. The middle wall of the house was then burning. Witness went and got some water, and extinguished it. This was about 8 o'olock in the evening. Saw neither of the prisoners that evening and went home.

On the following (Sunday) evening, witness was again passing the house and also by Mr. Anderson's. In the kitchen belonging to the latter witness heard some conversation going on about the fire, but could not tell who were in the kitchen, nor who was speaking. Returning back, about half an hour afterwards, he saw Anderson standing about 44 yards off the house. This was past 8 o'clock.

Witness was about 60 or 65 yards from Anderson. Passing on, he looked back, when he had gone about 20 yards, and saw Anderson walk up to the back-door of the house, and go in. He next saw a light, like that of a match or candle. He then went home and had supper, and went to the stable to attend the horses. As he opened the door a glare of light shone on the passage, and looking to the house he saw that it was on fire. A number of people were running towards it, and witness ran too. Before he reached it the roof fell in. He saw Anderson and his son, andAnderson said it was a bad job, as he had wanted to buy the house.

Cross-examined by Mr. Read : Never heard of a reward offered for the discovery of the authors of the fire until he had seen it in the office. The day after the fire a sergeant of police came to inquire, and witness told him that the neighbors had some suspicions about the persons who might have done it, but did not know who it was. He further told the sergeant, on being asked if he knew anything more about it, that he (witness) was not in the Government service then, and did not know anything more. Did not know how many times he had seen the sergeant afterwards. Knew nothing about rewards, and despised them ; and if he had any conversation with the police, it was in consequence of their thinking, perhaps, that he was unwilling to tell what he knew.

Saw the sergeant on a subsequent day, at his (thesergeant's) own house. Went to the house himself. Went through Moonee Ponds*. Moonee Ponds was not far from the station at Broadmeadows, the station to which witness alluded. Never spoke a word about rewards. Had often been to the sergeant's before. The sergeant was an acquaintance of his.
(*Moonee Ponds is a reference to the creek; the suburb did not exist.)

Saw a trooper at Flemington. Had been in the police, about three yearsago, at Ballaarat, Buninyong, Creswick's Creek, and other places. Resigned in consequence of the reduction in pay. Was not dismissed. Some time In May, Mr.Nicolson wanted to see him. Had never seen a detective to his knowledge. Oneof them had come out to tell him to come into Melbourne, but did not know that he was a detective. Another came out on Friday last with a summons.

Thedetective did not tell him there was a reward offered, to witness's knowledge. Saw Mr.Nicolson four-or five weeks ago. Did notwish to say anything to him at that time, because it was not to his interest to do so. His reason was that be was living with hiscousin at the time, near Mr. Anderson's, and he thought that if he said anything about hissuspicions he would not receive some money due to him. Would swear he had a conversation with Mr. Anderson on the night of the fire.

The Mayor asked Mr. Nicolson if he had any other evidence, as he did not attach much weight to that of the witness. Mr.Nicolson said if his Worship would allow the witness to explain he thought everything he stated would appear quite consistent. He would, however, call another witness.

RobertCluckton*, a senior constable stationed at Broadmeadows, said he knew the house inquestion, and proceeded to it on the night of the fire. He then saw Anderson, and the lastWitness, who pointed out the prisoner (Anderson) as the person who was suspected of having set fire to the place, adding, that he would tell him more on the following day. Witness went to see him on the following day, but could not get anything out of him, as his (Cleary's) cousin was by, and he did not like to say anything in his presence.

The presence of the cousin, and the fear that he would losehis situation if he said anything of what he knew about Anderson, were the reasons he gave to witness for not saying more. He afterwards, on the 5th of June, called on witness, and told him what he had seen about Anderson going into the house on the night of the fire.

This was before witness knew anything of a reward being offered. The reward did not reach the station until the Monday following, though it was dated the27th May. Cleary, on calling, said he was leaving his place, and could now tell witness what he knew. Mr. Nicolson said the date was nothing, as a document was often dated much earlier than it was received at the out-stations. Mr.Hackett* concurred in this remark, that the date was nothing to the point. Mr. Nicolsonstated that he had further corroborative evidence to produce, and the prisoners were remanded,-Anderson being allowed bail, as before, in two sureties of ?600 each, and the other prisoner being liberated on his own recognizance of L100. (P.6, Argus, 22-6-1858.)

(*Hackett St,the boundary between Chandos and Broadmeadows Township, was probably named after the Mayor.)



The report on page 6 of The Age of the same date (22-6-1858) gives much the same detail with some exceptions. I had thought that Symons and Perry were the previous owners of the property but they were auctioneers and the sale was conducted in their rooms in Melbourne. That was why Marks went to see the property later. The name of Cleary?s cousin is given as Conoran; I believe that Corcoran (or Cochrane as seen later) is more likely correct. Thomas Anderson allegedly told Cleary that he?d wanted to buy the block but a Jew had outbid him. The name of the Broadmeadows trooper was given as Robert Crighton*.


Also the Mayor?s opinion of Cleary?s testimony contains more detail. ?The Mayor asked if there was any other evidence, as he did not believe a single word the man had uttered. After some further examination by Mr Read and an attempt on the part of Mr Nicholson to bolster up the case, the Mayor said it was incredible that a man who had been so long in the police and had such frequent opportunities of communicating with the officers, should conceal the offence and then come forward to charge the prisoners with the offence. He was totally unworthy of belief.?
If the Mayor had such a low opinion of the star witness why was the case not dismissed out of hand?
? Inspector Nicholson asked for a remand, on the ground that Mr and Mrs Beechy had been subpic/iaed as witnesses, but were not in attendance. The prisoners were on bail. ?Mr Read opposed the remand, on the ground that their evidence could not be material, and he had witnesses in Court who would most distinctly prove an alibi.?

Inspector Nicholson seems to have needed the assistance of an amateur sleuth such as Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple, Father Brown or Australia?s own flapper, Miss Fisher!
He probably didn?t care who suffered, as long as he got a conviction. It?s a pity that Read?s witnesses in court were not named; some of their names might have already been mentioned (Parr, Wright, Nash, Dunn and maybe Foster.)

I thought I?d never discover the outcome of the case but a POLICE COURT, ANDERSON, ARSON, 1858 trove search bore fruit. Cleary?s cousin was accorded a third surname (Corcoran, Conoran and now Cochrane.) I now know exactly who built the house that was burnt down and where it was.

The Alleged Arson. ? The two men Anderson and Cassidy, who stand charged with arson at Broadmeadows, were again brought up for examination. John Beechy, a policeman, sworn, said : On the evening of the 7th of March my nephew told me Scarlett's house was on fire. I called one of my men, and we went down to the place together. By the time we got there the roof and walls had fallen in. There was no one within a hundred yards of the fire. The people present said they did not like to go up until some one else came. The question then arose who set the place on fire. I saw a man coming with a lantern. He stood about seventy yards from the fire ; did not know who the person was. By Mr Read : I know a man named Cochrane. Cleary lived with him. A person could not go to the police station near Broadmeadows without
going out of his road. Constable Lerment, a trooper deposed that he was at the fire; he saw Cleary there. Some time after the fire Cleary said if a warrant was offered, he could give evidence that would convict the perpetrator. The bench were of opinion that there was not the slightest evidence to support the charge. In fact, suspicion seemed to rest
elsewhere. The prisoners were accordingly discharged. Mr Read applied for the committal of Cleary for perjury. The magistrates declined to accede to this request, and said if he (wanted to?) institute any proceedings, he must take the ??? (P.6, The Age, 26-6-1858.)

WHERE WERE THEY?
From page A 23, DHOTAMA. The earliest Broadmeadows ratebook seen (1863) records that Thomas Anderson was assessed on four blocks of land on the east side of Bulla Rd. It is probable that three of these were lots 12,13 and 26 of Riddell and Hamilton?s Camieston Estate purchased by John Anderson or lots 29, 30 and 31 purchased by James Anderson. The earliest Keilor ratebook (1868) shows that Thomas Anderson had 8 acres on the west side of Bulla Rd.

Across Melrose Drive from Strathconnan Square was Anderson?s Lane which left the main road at a right angle before turning due (magnetic) west to provide access to blocks on Fawkner?s section 6/7 subdivision. On the north side of the corner, fronting Bulla Rd, was a block purchased by George Bendrey (volume 2 folio 972.) It was surrounded by the Parrs? ?The Elms? on its north and west sides. Thomas Anderson possibly bought a fair portion of this block and built a house opposite Wright (now Springbank) St. The property seems to have absorbed other Fawkner subdivision blocks, growing to 102 acres (mainly west of today?s Link Rd) and then shrank back to 41 acres, being occupied by Robert Foster Anderson (who married Miss Drain of Broadmeadows Township in 1881) before his move to Greenvale by 1920, Alf Hounslow who called the farm Sinleigh, and, from the early 1940?s, John and Bertram Anderson who ran a piggery according to Harry Heaps whose block is now occupied by Strathconan Square. The block fronting Bulla Rd purchased from John and Bertram circa 1960 for the airport is almost identical to George Bendrey?s original purchase.

It would be the greatest coincidence for three unrelated lots of Andersons to occupy the same land for about a century so I strongly suspect that Robert Foster Anderson and John and Bertram were related in some way to the falsely accused Thomas.

The house that Thomas was accused of burning down was Scarlett?s according to John Beechy, the policeman. George Scarlett was the original purchaser from Fawkner?s land cooperative of lots 31 and 32 (and from a sale advertisement), apparently lot 30 to the west of a subdivision lane, which like the three lots ran south from Andersons Lane to Post Office Lane. The location of lots 30-31 can roughly be given as Melway 5, part C, and D, 10. The inferno would have been on one of these blocks.

John Beech bought a large block (58 acres or so) which fronted Bulla Rd and also extended south from Anderson?s Lane to Post Office Lane (roughly Melway, 5 F, part G 10.). The Beech Tree Hotel was across Bulla Rd from a point midway between the Tullamarine Reserve and the Henderson Rd corner. Beech bought the land on 1-5-1851 (volume M folio 481.)

It must have irritated the Wesleyans to have two pubs (the Beech Tree and the Lady of the Lake ) so close to their farms. The Lady of the Lake burnt down but was quickly replaced by the Junction Hotel at Green?s Corner (opposite the plaqueless Camp Hill Park) which operated till about 1929 before another Methodist , Tommy Loft of Dalkeith, had it closed down due to the debauchery of clients such as Squizzy Taylor. When the Seafield school and the Wesleyan school were replaced in 1884 by State School 2613 Tullamarine, it was built on the north corner of Conders Lane so it would be as far as possible from such dens of iniquity.


This church, more than any other, promoted temperance, abstinence from drinking, smoking and swearing. I just wonder if Thomas Anderson gave Cleary a dressing down for breaches of one or more of these and Cleary sought revenge!

MAP TO BE PROVIDED TO BROADMEADOWS HISTORICAL SOCIETY.