itellya on Family Tree Circles
Journals and Posts
THE GRAND HOTEL, MORNINGTON,VIC., AUST., AND SCHNAPPER POINT.
Mornington really comes to life on Wednesdays when the famous Main St market is held weekly. Although the car parking provision is far better than what exists at most shopping strips, you need to get there early on a pleasant Wednesday. Like Sorrento, Mornington has many historic buildings, but Wednesday is not the day to see them. The thing I like best about the market is listening to Chris sing at the Empire St mall and watching the portrait artist from near Westernport at work on her masterpieces.
I love music and several buskers spread out along Main Street.It's nice to hear good singers without the endless chatter and voting off that goes on in T.V. talent shows. A new group,www.horizon.duo.com was performing near the Grand Hotel today and I had to stop for a listen. They were so good I had to buy a C.D. The girl could match any female vocalist I have ever heard and I am very fussy. While I was listening, I was looking at the Grand...and, you know what I'm like.
Mornington was originally known as Schnapper Point in the early days, and like Rosebud was mainly inhabited by fishermen. The fish population in the bay was declining by 1877 and the use of small mesh nets in the first decade of the 1900's brought protests from local fishermen such as William Ferrier (subject of a journal.) However the Hutchins family of Mornington managed to make a living for decades after most professional fishermen had turned to other occupations or areas.
It was gazetted as a township in 1861, as was the township of Osborne* which straddled the mouth of Balcombe Creek.Osborne was expected to be the main settlement, so like William's Town (shortly after Batman and Fawkner's feud started) it was royally named. Osborne was Queen Victoria's seaside residence on the Isle of Wight and the streets were named after her children, Helena, Augusta, Maude etc. Osborne was not a great success but little Schnapper Point received a gift that aided its development, the jetty. (*That is according to the Moorooduc parish map. The following seems to indicate this is wrong.)
TUESDAY, 10th FEBRUARY.
To Follow tho Government Land Sale. Important Sale by Auction of Shelburne House,
The Residence of Robert Byrne, Esq. Schnapper Point, Fronting the Bay.To Precede the Sale of 70 One-Acre Allotments, in the same Township.
WM. TENNENT and Co. are instructed by the proprietor, Robert Byrne, Esq., to SELL by public AUCTION, at their rooms, on Tuesday, 10th inst.,Immediately after tho Government Land Sale of Property at Osborne,
The substantially-built house, in the fast-rising township of Schnapper Point, known as Shelburne House,
delightfully situated fronting tho Esplanade and Bay,and within one mile of the pier.
The property comprises two acres of ground, on which is erected a very commodious house of five rooms, detached kitchen, with very largo verandah ; also an outhouse, nearly finished, capable of being made into four rooms, together with coach-house, stabling, fowl-house, piggeries, &c, with tank holding over 10 000 gallons of rain-water, and tho whole is most substantially fenced in.
The township of Schnapper Point is rapidly advancing. A substantial stone pier, of some 300 feet, has been built; a steamer runs regularly near this very property, and, in the course of a year or so, there is no doubt that this township will become the most favorite resort near Melbourne.
On New Year's Day, 1857, two steamers took excursion parties to Schnapper Point (P.1, Argus 30-12-1856, Steam-ship Advertisements.)One must presume that the passengers were rowed ashore.
SCHNAPPER POINT.-A large and influential meeting of tho shareholders and inhabitants of Schnapper Point and neighbourhood was held at the Tanti Hotel on Saturday, the 28th of March last, to take steps to expedite the formation of tho jetty at Schnapper Point. A. B, Balcombe, Esq., J. P., in the chair. After a few introductory remarks from the Chairman, stating tho object of the meeting, and the report of the Chief Engineer laid before the Legislative Assembly this session on the projected harbour and jetty at Schnapper Point having been read, and the necessity of obtaining an answer from Government respecting their intentions with regard to the proposed works considered, the following resolutions were proposed to the meeting, and carried unanimously ; First: Proposed by Mr. Henry Howard, and seconded by Mr. John Barrett
" That it is the opinion of this meeting that, | steam communication being now established between this place and Melbourne, a jetty becomes absolutely necessary, to prevent the place from retrograding from the want of
proper landing accommodation."
Second. Proposed by R. Byrne, Esq.,and seconded by Mr.John Carruthers :-" That the following gentlemen do form a deputation to wait upon the Honourable the Commissioner of Public Works, to explain to him the urgent necessity of carrying out the jetty at Schnapper Point, and for which the sum of ?4,600 has been placed upon the estimates for 1857, and to request Government support for the above object; and that the following gentlemen be asked by the chairman to form such deputation for that purpose:-W. J. T. Clarke, Esq., M.L.C. ; Captain Anderson, M.L.A.; J. T Smith, Esq, M.L.A. ; the Mayor of Melbourne,F. J. Sargood, Esq.. M.L.A.; A.B. Balcombe , Esq., J.P.; Captain Cole; S. Cowderoy, Esq.; j J. Armstrong, .Esq.; E. Lintott, Esq.; S. Toynbec, Esq. ; and the mover." (P.6, Argus, 2-4-1857.)
THE MOVERS AND SHAKERS.
Robert Byrne, an auctioneer, was later a trustee of Mt Martha Park and a meeting chaired by Balcombe expressed its disgust that he had Sam Sherlock stripping wattle bark in the park, which was originally reserved as a site for the Governor's seaside mansion. See the advertisement re Shelburne above (in italics.) Balcombe (to whom the water fountain in the Empire St Mall is dedicated)had a Run earlier which included the township site and called his pre-emptive right "The Briars" after the family estate where the family had befriended Napolean Boneparte. Big Clarke may have had part of Jamieson's Special Survey by this time or he may have been looking after the interests of his son-in-law, James Hearn. Amazingly I could find no notice regarding the Hearn-Clarke wedding on trove and found Big Clarke's obituary via google.
DEATH OF MR W. J. T. CLARKE.
Mr W. J. T. Clarke, whose name has been almost a household word with Victorian colonists for many years past as the richest man in Australia [he was generally known as "Big Clarke"], died at his residence, Roseneath, Essendon, yesterday afternoon, at 20 minutes to 2 o'clock, in the 73rd year of his age. etc.(P.6, The Brisbane Courier, 24-1-1874.) The obituary makes no mention of James Hearn but Lenore Frost's HISTORIC HOUSES OF ESSENDON did. Lenore stated that Big Clarke had died at Roseneath, the residence of his son-in-law, James Hearn. Roseneath was later the home of William Salmon who donated Salmon Reserve to the council and after whom Salmon St (Melway 28 G1)was named. James Hearn bought about 2800 acres from the Crown on 26-2-1856 (Mt Martha between Bay St and Hearn Rd and 1404 acres as far east as Tubbarubba, adjoining Jamieson's Special Survey.)
Excerpt from my DROMANA PIONEER PATHWAY JOURNAL.
On 6-4-1891, Fred Simpson (of Seaview at Red Hill) started work at Blakeley's, part of which 140 acres is now occupied by the Consolidated School. Henry Ault's 140 acre block (Joseph Pitcher's grant, Melway 190 E-F5) was south of Blakeley's and had been bought by George Hoskins whose nephew, George William Russ was working with him. Fred's father, Joseph, did a fruit and vegetable run, which included Ellerslie, the beachside retreat of Sargood, whose main residence was the famed Rippon Lea* at Elsternwick. On occasions, Fred would do this delivery run. And who should be a servant at Ellerslie but Emily Russ, who was highly regarded by Mrs Sargood, who supplied Fred's future wife with a glowing reference. Fred met his brother in law (as they worked on 72A and 72B) before he met his bride.) I bet Emily knew all about Fred before he arrived at Ellerslie!
(* Frederick James Sargood, Esq. of Croydon, co. Surrey, England, who was one of the members for Melbourne in the old Legislative Council, and in 1856, at the first election under the new constitution, was elected a member of the Legislative Assembly for St. Kilda; m. 30th October, 1830, Emma,daughter of Thomas Rippon, Esq. (who was for several years chief cashier in the Bank of England), the brother of Dr. John Rippon,and son of the Rev. John Rippon, Baptist minister of Up-Ottery, co. Devon, &ndd. 16th January, 1871. He had issue by her (who d.20th October, 1884)- Can you see how Rippon Lea got its name? His son Frederick Thomas would have been at Ellerslie.
Residences ? Rippon Lea, East St. Kilda,Melbourne ; and Ellerslie, Mornington, Victoria, Australia.
From ebook of Burke's genealogical and heraldic history of the colonial gentry.)
J.T.Smith is the subject of one of my journals J.T.SMITH AND HIS ELECTORS. Smith,who came from Sydney to teach at George Langhorne's mission on Melbourne's botanical gardens site, soon turned to business. He built Melbourne's oldest surviving residence (google Muzza of McCrae to see the photo) and the Ascot House in Fenton St, Ascot Vale. He was also the grantee of Crown allotment 19 Moorooduc,whose north east boundary was Boundary (Canadian Bay) Rd, and built a house called Nyora.
After his death it became the residence of Henry Slaney and, soon after his death,the Ranelagh estate. A new history board near the J.T.Smith Reserve and monument, discusses the Burley Griffin- designed estate.
Henry Howard,publican of Schnapper Point, had insolvency problems in 1863 and was thanked by the acclimatisation society for sending them a native bear in 1864. The 1863 problem probably damaged his standing but it was completely destroyed when he committed a double murder at the Frankston Hotel in 1875.
CAPTAIN COLE.
To the Editor of the Argus.
Sir,-The mercantile community of Melbourne will never, surely, allow such an old and esteemed colonist as Captain Cole to set sail for England without some public demonstration of the respect and esteem he is held in by all classes of the colonists. No time is to be lost, as report says, the stern old Captain sails in the Eagle.
You will oblige by allowing this suggestion a small niche m your valuable journal.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
A MERCHANT. Melbourne, 10th May, 1855.
It would not surprise me to find that Big Clarke was a good friend of Benjamin Cowderoy. He probably received a good valuation for the required portions of his estates at Rockbank and Sunbury/Clarkefield.
Benjamin Cowderoy, Esq., and Robert Hepburn, Esq., to be valuators and arbitrators for the lands required for the Melbourne and Murray River, and Geelong and Ballaarat Bailways. (P.5, Argus, 21-8-1858.) Benjamin might have already bought some land at Schnapper Point for his small investors. He had a proposal for Geelong, where this meeting was held, and where the jetty had recently been lengthened.
VICTORIA FREEHOLD LAND SOCIETY The meeting, of the Victoria Freehold Land Society, held at the Masonic Hall on Friday evening, was well attended; His Worship the Mayor presided until other engagements compelled him to leave, when the Chair was taken by the Rev. A. Love. A deputation from Melbourne, consisting of S. M. South, Esq., J. Houston, Esq., and B. Cowderoy, Esq., were in attendance, the latter of whom (the managing director of the society) read the following half yearly report of proceedings which had been presented to the members at Melbourne.(P.5, Geelong Advertiser and Intelligencer, 16-10-1854.)
MELBOURNE,
Wednesday Evening. CENTRAL PROVINCE ELECTION.
The election of a member to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr. Hood, took place this day. There was only one candidate nominated, namely Captain Cole, who was proposed by Mr. Hull and seconded by Mr. Hammill. There being no opposition, the Returning Officer declared Captain Cole duly elected. (P.2, Bendigo Advertiser, 29-9-1859.)
ELECTION.-I hereby give notice that at the Election held by me on this day tho election fell by show of hands on Captain W. A. D. Anderson, on whom I therefore declared the election to have fallen, and a poll having been demanded I declared the polling will take place on the 21st day of the present month of October, commencing at Nine o'clock a m., and closing at Four o'clock p.m., on the same day, at the following-named places, viz. :-At Eltham, Anderson's Creek, and Yan Yean In tho Electoral Division of Evelyn, and at Eummemering near the Dandenong Bridge and at Schnapper Point, In the Division of Mornington.
A.B.BALCOMBE, Returning Officer. 10th October, I856. (P.8, Argus, 13-10-1856.)
This site was purchased by Alex Balcombe, Edward Lintott and Harry Goodall (church trustees) from John Armstrong for ?70 who donated the money back to the church building fund.(St Peter's C of E church, No 7, Mornington Historic Walk.)
SCHNAPPER POINT.-LAND for SALE, fronting
the Grand Esplanade, at Schnapper Point. Apply to S. Toynbec, solicitor, 4 Collins-street west.
(P.8, Argus, 25-6-1858.)
WHAT ABOUT ME-EE?
Dromana residents were hopping mad that Schnapper Point, with a smaller population, had a jetty while busting Dromana (supplying timber from Arthurs Seat for railways, jetties and firewood, as well as wattle bark and possibly green granite from McCrae)did not. (You'll have to read the article on trove.)
JETTY AT DROMANA, NEAR SCHNAPPER POINT.
The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956) Friday 29 October 1858 p 4 Article
... JETTY AT DROMANA, NEAR SCHNAPPER POINT. Yesterday, at 12 o'clock, a deputation of severa ... had a much larger popula- tion than Schnapper Point, a store and post 1 oftic'o were already erected, ... of a jetty at the) forruor place. The deputation, whioh was In- troduced by the Hon. J. B. Bennett, ... 1340 words
However, Dromana finally got its pier too and, at the urging of Peter Pidoto, it was extended into deeper water. Trading between the two places became easier and the tourist trade helped both towns to grow.
MR S.P. Townsend has sold the Enid, which has been used this last eighteen months for trading between Mornington, Dromana, and Melbourne, to go to the South Sea Islands. The Hunnah Moore, a larger boat, has replaced the Enid. (P.2, Mornington Standard, 17-4-1909.)
Direct communication with Melbourne by water is now being arranged for. "The Enid" which was used last year between Mornington and Melbourne, has been sold by Mr. J. G. Aikman M.L.C. to Mr. S. P. Townsend. Mr. R. Parry has leased the boat again, and the first trip will be made this week. Arrangements are being made with the fruitgrowers of Red Hill to call at Dromana for cargo.(P.2, Mornington Standard, 18-5-1907.)
TOWNSEND.-On the 22nd November, Cadet Philip Mervyn Maunsell Townsend, aged 16, beloved eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. S. P. Townsend, of Mornington. He was lost with his ship, the t.s.s. Aparima, torpedoed by a German sub-
marine. (P.11, Argus, 15-12-1917.)
It is possible that S.P.Townsend was descended from John Townsend (b. 1840, d.1918), a very early pioneer of Dromana and grantee in 1885 of 150 acres at Rosebud where his son James was born (31C and 30B, Wannaeue, at Melway G 4-6 roughly.) John was building a slaughteryard at Dromana for H.W.B.C. Wilson in 1904 when Wilson's young son was dragged from a nearby waterhole by his father, unfortunately too late. John Townsend brought the lad back to life using mouth to mouth,the earliest use of this resuscitation method I have come across on trove.A relationship to John, who was familiar with the Red Hill area from very early times, might explain the desire to help the Red Hill fruitgrowers who waited nearly two decades for a railway. The Townsend name seems to be first associated with Mornington in 1898.
The Grand Coffee Palace was designed and built by architect William Pitt for Mr. Cornelius Crowley in 1892. Opulent coffee palaces sprang up across Australia in the 1880's in response to the temperance movement which sought to promote alcohol free hotels. Crowley owned the Cricketers Arms Hotel next door and shortly after the opening of the Grand, he transferred the liquour license from the Cricketer's Arms to the Grand. The Grand Hotel was a two story brick building with a central tower. Originally a carriage way went through to the rear with stables to the west side and accommodation built over the stables. The hotel undertook extensive renovations in 1978. In the lounge Bar off Main Street original brickwork can be seen and throughout the rooms on the ground floor a display of photographs of early Mornington lines the walls.
(Web page-MORNINGTON HISTORIC WALK No 19.)
OLD MORNINGTON LANDMARK TO GO
A landmark in the Peninsula district for more than 60 years, the tower on the Grand Hotel, Mornington, is to be demolished. As it has been noticed swaying dangerously in high winds, it has been declared unsafe. At one time the tower served as a guide to mariners, and is still used by yachtsmen and fishermen as a land mark.
(P.3, Argus,16-7-1948.)
OWNERS AND LICENSEES OF THE GRAND HOTEL,MORNINGTON.
1896 L. C.CROWLEY
1899 L. CORNELIUS CROWLEY TO CECILIA POWELL
1900 L. - POWELL TO SARAH STRONGE
1902 ? MR CLAIRE STRONGE (RETURNED FROM BOER WAR.)
1904 L. OWEN CONNORS, J.O.BOWMAN
1905 L. J.O.BOWMAN
1907 L. JOHN HENRY CHANT TO MARY JOSEPHINE GOLDBERG
1909 ? MR AND MRS LOUIS HARRISON
1912 ? LOU HARRISON (RE STINKY DRAIN NOT BEING HIS FAULT.)
1914 L. AGNES HARRISON
1916 ? LOU HARRISON (SON, GEORGE KILLED IN WAR.)
1920 L. DORA GARDEN, CLARENCE D. ROBERTSON TO FLORENCE HELENA DOWNIE (DORA WAS NAUGHTY!)
1921 L F.H.DOWNIE TO ELSIE HARRIS
1922 L. MR C.D.ROBERTSON
1923. SEEMS TO BE NO REFERENCE TO THE GRAND HOTEL, MORNINGTON. A NAME CHANGE?
1927 L. GEORGE EMERY
1928 L. MR GEORGE EMERY
1932 ? MR L.NUGENT (DONATING PREMIERSHIP CUP TO M.P.F.L.
1937 O MR J.SHARP-BROWN
1940 L. J.B.NAUGHTON TO ELEANOR A.PRY
1946 L. MRS GRIEVES (CRICKET MATCH BETWEEN THE GRAND AND THE ROYAL.
1948 O. MR. MADDEN
1948 L. ALLAN DOWNES
1953 L. ALLAN DOWNES (RE SHIRLEY COLLINS CASE.) Incidentally, the George Bishop Reserve containing the playground near the Dromana Pier is named after the Dromana policeman, a recipient of the Police Valour Medal, who was involved in this case.
James Ogilvie Bowman, former proprietor of the Grand, had a two week stay in Mornington in 1907 after returning from New Zealand, but after keeping a hotel in Shepparton and then moving to the Rising Sun in Melbourne, after saying he was going out of his mind, he committed suicide in 1908.(Summary of two articles I had corrected and pasted but accidentally deleted.)
PIONEERING NEIGHBOURS NEAR CARRIGG ST, DROMANA, VIC., AUST.
Frustrated that edits to my SAFETY BEACH resulted in the OH NOES page when I clicked submit, I decided to find out when the Osbornes arrived in Dromana. George Wilson was supposed to have died at Osborne House, Dromana, which was probably an error because Osborne House was in Mt Martha.(George was a pioneer in the parishes of Flinders and Balnarring and probably the son of Sarah Wilson, an early settler on the Survey, who is discussed in my DROMANA PIONEER PATHWAY journal.
Osborne was also an early township in the part of Mt Martha north of Balcombe Creek, named after Queen Victoria's seaside residence and with streets named after her daughters, such as Augusta. That's when I was led astray, finding out that the Esplanade (through Safety Beach) to Dromana was first proposed in 1910, that Mr Holden of Dromana was an early preacher at Frankston Methodist Church, and soon afterwards, that F.Holden was a true friend of John McLear. Then I found out that the true friend was Mrs Frances Holden who was, like Mrs Fred Warren*, a long-time widow in the township. I didn't find out that they were neighbours, Colin McLear had already told me that through his A DREAMTIME OF DROMANA.
(* WARREN.-On the 20th October, at Dromana, Frederick Warren, the beloved husband of Janet Warren. (P.1, Argus, 4-11-1919.)
The Township of Dromana was west of McCulloch St,the part of present day Dromana to the east, and extending to Boundary Rd, being Section 1 of the parish of Kangerong. On the coast side of the freeway were crown allotments 1-8 of section 1. C/A 1, triangular with Arthur St as its eastern boundary, was granted to William Dixon Scurfield, who built the Scurfield Hotel(later the Arthurs Seat Hotel and burnt down in early 1898) between Permien and Foote St in the Township. C/A 8, granted to Nelson Rudduck's father, Samuel,was almost triangular, except that its boundary was Ponderosa Place rather than the freeway near Pt Nepean Rd. All the other allotments were rectangular with a frontage of 200 metres, except the Dromana Hub site which went only 180 metres west from Pier St. William Grace, who received the grant for "Gracefield" in 1857, bought four of the six rectangular blocks.
Crown allotment 5, of 36 acres and 25 perches, commenced 200 metres north east of Pier St, its frontage being another 200 metres. (The Dromana hotel is right in the north west corner of Allotment 5.) It was granted to Alex P. Thompson,who had sold off two one acre frontage blocks by 1864, the year of the oldest available Kangerong Road Board assessment. Before I deal with the assessments,let's turn to page 79 of A DREAMTIME OF DROMANA.
" HOLDEN (1864) had been a miner and came from the goldfields to build a store in Dromama. This stood approximately on the corner of what is now Carrigg St. The verandah in the fashion of this time was low and shoppers stooped to pass under it. He also had a slab hut hard by. Here Peter Pidota's men were quartered. At one time, Robert Rowley and his wife, later of Rye, lived there when he was working loading craft for Peter."
N.B.
1.The name appeared in George McLear's account book in 1864.
2. I searched for Pidota on trove and found not one reference. Colin McLear and practically every rate collector gave the surname as Pidota. So did Isobel Moresby in ROSEBUD:FLOWER OF THE PENINSULA, with a twist.
'Among the craft which carried timber, firewood,wattle bark and so on to Little Dock in Melbourne was old Antonio Pidota's "Little Angelina".' Isobel was probably confusing his given name with that of Antonio Bosina, a fisherman, of Rosebud. But she made no mistake with the boat's name! A search for Pidoto revealed not only his correct surname but a maritime tradition and links with Williamstown.
THE DROMANA JETTY.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE ARGUS.
Sir,-I would wish through your columns to call the attention of the Government to tho urgent necessity that exists to deepen the water inside the breakwater at this jetty, as at present it is at great risk vessels lay there to load or discharge cargo. On Saturday last the Little Angelina, only drawing 5ft. of water, bumped heavily through the sea that was on.
Taking into consideration the growing importance of Dromana as a watering-place, it behoves the Government to give this matter their immediate attention, and thus enable the residents here to get their goods loaded and discharged at any time by any vessels of a moderate draught of water.
-Yours, &C.,PETER PIDOTO. Dromana, July 2.(P.5, Argus, 4-7-1883.)
A message from Flinders (Vic.) says.-The wrecked ketch Little Angelina on Phillip Island shore is still hold ing together. She is right up on the rocks, and at low tide can be discerncd from Flinders, distant across the bay about five miles. There does not appear to be much hope of getting her afloat. It is not known here whether any steps are likely to be taken with this object. Tho Little Angelina belonged formerly to the late Mr. Pidoto, of Dromana, and was a regular trader between Dromana and Melbourne.
(P.10, Sydney Morning Herald, 17-6-1899.)
PIDOTO.-Mrs. Pidoto, Clifton Hill, has been informed that her son, Gunner J. Pidoto, who was mentioned in despatches, and was awarded the Military Medal for conspicuous bravery, has been wounded in the chest, and left arm, and is returning to Australia. Before enlisting Gunner Pidoto was a linesman in the post-office in South Australia. He has been on active service for two and a half years. (P.6, Argus, 7-2-1918.)
Has itellya gone completely mad (like Ken Bruce)? Clifton Hill, South Australia? Why not throw in Balmain too,to make the joke complete?
N.B. 3. Robert Rowley was not "later of Rye". He and Henry Cadby Wells were, with the exception of Robert's widowed mother and her second husband, Richard Kenyon (and possibly Captain Adams of Rosebud)the first permanent settlers on the Mornington Peninsula, lime-burning together in the Sorrento area in 1840 and crayfishing together from 1849. Robert married Christine Edwards from Longford in Tasmania in 1859 and probably went to Dromana soon after.He signed the petition of 1861 asking that Robert Dublin Quinan's school be chosen for the Common School. James Holden and Sarah, George and Robert Wilson were some others who signed.
AND NOW FOR THE RATE RECORDS.
In 1864, detail was scant but Richard Watkin had a 12 roomed house (the Dromana Hotel), Alex (Collop?)had an impressive 3 roomed house (nett annual value 30 pounds) and (stores?)and Peter Pidota(sic)had a house and store (N.A.V. 30 pounds.) In 1865, the details for Pidoto and Watkin were the same but Connop(or whatever!)was missing and Alex Haldan, who had not been assessed previously, had 1 acre and a 6 roomed house, N.A.V. 25 pounds.All of these properties were on crown allotment 5 of section 1*, and almost certainly the 17 acres on which Edward Burgess was assessed in 1865, along with a hut. Connop and Haldan were probably leasing from James Holden. The hotel would have made the vicinity the ideal place for stores.
WRONG! Alex Haldan's house/ P.O. was in Dromana Township. See comment 1.
James Holden died in about 1874 so we would not expect him to appear in the 1879 rates re crown allotment 5.Peter Pidota (sic),mariner, had 17 acres,possibly bought from Burgess. The Dromana Hotel and its associated 17 acres seems to have been forgotten by the rate collector. John McLear, laborer, was assessed on 2 acres. It is likely John combined fishing with any work that was available. With Harry Copp,Fred Vine and Jonah Griffith,he was one of Dromana's four professional fishermen.
Forgetting the 25 perches, crown allotment 5 (and its 36 acres 25 perches) is fully accounted for (17 acres Pidoto, 17 acres pub, 2 acres McLear.)I believe that John was paying Francis Holden's rates for her. John had married Janet Cairns from Boneo in 1874.The 1900 assessment was the sort of effort that later had Cr Terry fuming. John McLear was assessed on one acre; no mention was made of the 17 acres associated with the Dromana hotel or the late Peter Pidoto's 17 acres.
The 1910 rates weren't much better. Still no mention of Frances Holden. Mrs Pidoto must have sold her 17 acres to G.S.Edwards who was running the Dromana Hotel (whose 17 acres weren't mentioned);the occupier was W.E.Thompson but Mrs Pidoto of Clifton Hill was paying the rates.
In 1919, Lou Carrigg was assessed on:
17 acres and hotel, part c/a 5, section 1, N.A.V. 150 pounds;
16 acres, part c/a 5 section 1, N.A.V. 15 pounds.
If I remember correctly he bought the other 17 acres soon after arriving in about 1914.
Mrs Frances Holden paid rates on 1 acre and buildings, Esplanade, part c/a 5, section 1.
The 34 acres behind the hotel became one of Dromana's two racecourses, (the other being north of Dromana Secondary College) and also served as the footy ground until about 1927 when Spencer Jackson sold it as the Foreshore Estate. John McLear's son Nip lived in his father's house till the end of his life. It was demolished to make way for extensions to the Dromana Hotel.
And by the way,Mrs Pidoto's address was given as Balmain , N.S.W. in an assessment but I can't find it.
THE NEIGHBOURS.
McLEAR. - On the 16th June, at his residence,Dromana, John, beloved husband of the late Janet McLear, and loving father of Mrs Wilson (Boneo), Mrs Pentecost (Mornington), George (Wagga), Jack, Mrs A. Griffiths, Mrs McDonald (Abbotsford), Lily, late Harry (A.I.F.), James (A.I.F., returned); true friend of F. Holden, Dromana, aged 72 years 11 months. Colonist 72 years. "Thy will be done." (P.1, Argus, 18-6-1918.)
(Mr Wilson was a cousin of Godfrey Wilson. The Pentecosts were Mornington pioneers and a family member was appointed to take care of the Schnapper Point jetty light in 1863.)
OBITUARY CENTENARIAN PASSES. The death of Mrs Frances Holden, probably the Peninsula's only centenarian, occurred at her residence at Dromana on Monday. Had she lived until October, Mrs Holden would have reached the age of 102 years. With her husband, she settled in Dromana 82 years ago and had lived there ever since. She came from Sussex, England, when a young girl. In her younger days she took an active part in movements for the advancement of the district. A good horsewoman, she used to join parties that went out hunting kangaroos. Burial took place in the Dromana cemetery where the remains were interred beside those of her husband who died about 60 years ago. The burial service was read by the Rev.A.F. Falconer. Mr Hector Gamble, of Frankston had charge of the funeral arrangements. (P.1, Frankston and Somerville Standard, 25-8-1934.)
OBITUARY
Mrs. Frances Holden who was a widow, aged 101 years has died at Dromana. She had lived in a cottage near the Hotel Dromana for very many years and had a store of reminiscences of her experiences with the blacks in the early days. (P.8,Argus, 23-8-1934.)
Mrs Holden, the oldest resident of the Mornington Peninsula, has died aged 102 years. Mrs Holden arrived from England when aged 14 years. She was in Melbourne when it was a canvas town, and she went to Ballarat in the early gold mining days with her husband, who was a mining engineer. She remembered having ridden down Sturt street, Ballarat, with mud almost up to her horse's girth. Mrs Holden is said to have been the first white woman at Dromana. (P.20, Argus, 25-8-1934.)
AT LAST WE FIND MR HOLDEN'S GIVEN NAME!
HOLDEN.?On the 30th August (passed peacefully away), at Dromana, Frances Isabell, widow of the late James Holden, aged 101 years. -At rest.(P.1, Argus, 21-8-1934.)
EARLY HISTORY. The pioneer and founder of the Methodist Church at Frankston was Mrs. Potts' father, the late Mr. John Carr. He arrived in Frankston. about 1856 or 7 and lived in the village for a time; later he started, farming. Early in 1860 he felt the necessity for a place of worship, such occasional services as were conducted, were held in the common school; so he set to work collected money, bought material and superintended the erection of a house of prayer; helping with his own labor. When finished he held services with the help of a few Christian people and a preacher named Mr Holden, who lived at Dromana. (P.8, Frankston and Somerville Standard, 19-9-1931.)
POSTSCRIPT.
You may wonder how I have such detailed knowledge of crown allotment 5, section 1, Kangerong. When I felt that more information had to be made available about the peninsula and its pioneers in August 2010 and started my research, I was concerned mainly with Rosebud. When I found that Captain Adams gave William Edwards a loan of about 200 pounds with only a 2 acre block as security and that Edwards had a hotel in 1888 that seemed to be described as being in Dromana, I started researching the Dromana hotels in ratebooks.
It wasn't easy because hotels were described as houses and then as buildings. However I worked out that the Dromana Hotel was associated with 17 acres of land and Scurfield's hotel with 5 town lots. This information, combined with nett annual values helped me to confirm the transition of owners and occupiers.Once I saw Peter Pidoto's 17 acres specified as being in crown allotment 5 , the picture was complete because I had already suspected that the other two acres of c/a 5, section 1 were Holden's and John McLear's from reading A DREAMTIME OF DROMANA.
I had spoken to Ray Stella about the Dromana Hotel before I started my examination of every year's assessment of the two hotels (from 1864 to 1898 for the Scurfield/Arthurs Seat and until 1919 for the Dromana) and he told me that John Coleman had died at the Dromana hotel after he had sold it and was about to move out.Ray showed me an internal brick wall, (probably an external wall in Watkin's original hotel) that was left intact when Lou Carrigg did his renovation circa 1927.
Ray was so interested in the hotel's history, I said I'd write a brief summary of what I discovered. When I gave it to him in late 2010, he said it would make a good place mat. Today (20-2-2013), I saw the laminated place mat for the first time and it looks great. It has a photo of the hotel in each corner: Watkin's, two from the Rose Series, and a present day shot. He left out "To be pedantic" at the start of "Watkin should have called it the Kangerong Hotel." but the meaning is made clear in the following sentence about the township's location.Ray has included my information about the Scurfield hotel and the racetrack (that Melbourne Brindle and his siblings were instructed to keep away from)and added his involvement from 1986 until today. As a clincher, he mentions that Prime Minister John Curtin lived at the hotel as a boy when his father managed it! My copy is going on the wall and I suspect that many customers will follow suit.(POSTSCRIPT 21-2-2017. The information I provided included the oft repeated error that the Dromana hotel was built in 1857. Richard Watkin stated in an advertisement that it was established in 1862!)
SAFETY BEACH AND THE SURVEY NEAR DROMANA, VIC., AUST.
See CONNELL, SARAH WILSON and GEORGE YOUNG journals.
As explained in A DREAMTIME OF DROMANA, special surveys were thought of to save the colony of South Australia. I won't delve into Wakefield but that colony was founded with the aim of attracting the better class of citizen by having a higher upset(reserve) price for land. This resulted in many people landing in Adelaide but going to the Port Phillip District (Victoria) to buy land. The Sheehans of Red Hill, near Dromana and one of the Blackwood pioneers were two documented cases of this migration.
To create a level playing field for South Australia which had a similar scheme, Special Surveys of considerable size were obtainable at a pound per acre and often displaced squatters. Big Clarke's Special Survey displaced the Jackson brothers at Sunbury and George Evans was left with only his pre-emptive right at Emu Bottom. Dendy at Brighton and Elgar near Box Hill were two other well-known special survey purchasers. The scheme was short-lived and was actually scrapped in 1841 before Hugh Jamieson took possession of Jamieson's Special Survey but Governor Gipps had not received notification.
Hugh Jamieson did not displace a squatter.Edward Hobson had moved from the Kangerong run to the Tootgarook Run before 1841. He had probably ridden along today's Bayview Rd (Hobson's Flat Road circa 1906)looking for cattle which had strayed from his Kangerong Run or spoken to the master of a lime craft forced onto a sandbar near Safety Beach (just as John Aitken had been stranded in March, 1836 when the Chile ran aground off Arthurs Seat.) However it came about, Hobson found out about lime-burning and established a kiln near Marks Avenue, just west of Boneo Rd. This gave him a dependable income, as Melbourne badly needed mortar,but better pasture may have been another reason for his move. Perhaps too he was a bit of a nomad. Not too much later he was on the move again, probably leaving James and Peter Purves to manage Tootgarook, to manage his brother's run in Gippsland, which he gave a native name related to rivers that has been corrupted to Traralgon.
Jamieson's Special Survey consisted of 5280 acres and had the same north and south boundaries as Safety Beach, with Bulldog Creek Rd being its eastern boundary. Strangely the naming of that partly closed Government road (a boundary between the parishes of Kangerong and Balnarring) has nothing to do with dogs; it most likely came from miners on the Tubbarubba diggings who were bitten by bulldog ants. Where Dunns Creek Rd now diverts south east the road used to continue to Myers Rd, on which Bittern Station was situated. The two now-closed roads formed a junction (the south east corner of Jamieson's Special Survey) towards which Junction Rd continued on from the north end of Red Hill Rd.
Jamieson did not spend much time on his survey but enough to have social contact with other early settlers such as Captain Reid (on what became Balcolme's The Briars)and the McCraes on the Arthur's Seat Run. Somebody who did live there was Mrs Newby. On 15-2-1844, Captain Reid and his wife, Hugh Jamieson and Georgiana McCrae and hubby, Andrew, visited the Survey, meeting Mrs Newby and her two daughters. Mrs Newby complained of loneliness during Captain Newby's absences at sea. On 27-7-1845,Andrew told Georgiana about the three Newby children drowning. (P. 30 A DREAMTIME OF DROMANA.) Was this true? Yes!
SHIPWRECKS. LOSS OF THE MARY. By the steamer Shamrock, which arrived here on Sunday, the distressing intelligence has been received of the total wreck of the barque Mary, Captain Newby, from this port to London in Bass's Straits; and we are sorry to add that no less than seventeen of her passengers have perished. The Mary left Sydney for London on the 19th of May, having on board 69 souls, including the crew, and a very valuable cargo. It was intended by the owners that she should proceed by the usual course round Cape Horn, and the Mary stood away to the southward for that purpose, but when she was off Cape Howe, the wind being at east south-east, with every appearance of a continuance from the same quarter, Captain Newby determined to attempt the westerly passage, notwithstanding the unpromising time of the year, and accordingly stood into Bass's Straits for that purpose. On the morning of the 24th May, the Mary was off Wilson's Promontory, when the wind suddenly died away, and at 10 A. M. a strong breeze sprung up from the northwest, and gradually increased to a gale with heavy rain. Thinking he had now got into a westerly wind, the captain determined to give up the westerly passage, and accordingly bore up and ran to the southward of Sir Roger Curtis' and Kent's Groups. At 6 P. M. he estimated the ship's position to be five miles south of the body of Kent's Group, fixed her course at east by north, and having been up the two previous nights, the captain went to bed, there being then a breeze from the north- west, which was sending the ship seven knots per hour. The chief mate had the watch from 8 to 12; about 11 he called the captain, saying he thought " land was handy ;" but upon the captain going upon deck, he could not see any land, and found that it was almost a calm. Broken water, however, was soon discovered off the lee beam,and a strong current was rapidly driving the ship towards it. There was no wind to make the ship answer her helm, she refused stays and drove broadside onto the rock. She first touched on the starboard bilge, then under the fore chains, and immediately parted abaft the foremast, the bows slipping off the rock into deep water; she then struck abaft, unshipped her rudder, and the topsides floated off the bottom,over the reef into smooth water. In seven minutes from the time she struck, the ship was in pieces. The most melancholy part remains to be told. Seventeen women and children were drowned and what is most extraordinary is, that not a mast was lost. Those drowned were-three of Captain Newby's daughters; six children of Mrs. Evans; Augusta and Catherine, daughters of Captain Collins, of Illawarra ; Mrs Heather, and two children, Mrs. Grey, Mrs. Turnbull, and Sarah Foulkes, servant to Mrs. Collins. How the remainder were saved we cannot understand. Captain Newby only remarks," we were saved in the long boat in the most wonderful manner." The above parties were lost in consequence of the upsetting of the whale boat, into which they had been lowered, but it has not been ascertained how this accident occurred. The reef upon which the Mary was lost lies to the north east of a rock described in the Australian Directory as Wright's rock, about three and a half miles, and is known to the sealers who visit Furneaux's Island as the north east or deep reef. etc.
(P.3, Mornington Chronicle, Sydney, 25-6-1845.)
THE OCCUPANTS AND THE SCHOOL.
1846. Henry Dunn occupied the Survey for about five years, and according to Leslie Moorhead (possibly in the Osborne State School history)Hearn's grants at Mt Martha, the two properties being jointly known as the Mt Martha Sheep Station.Henry later received grants for "Four Winds" (south corner of White's Hill and McIlroys Rd at Red Hill and crown allotments 14, 15, 10 and 9 in the parish of Moorooduc, on the south side of Mornington-Tyabb Rd between Dunns Rd and Balcombe Creek and extending halfway to Bentons rd.
1851. After Dunn's lease ended, agents were appointed and many families which were to make their mark around Dromana settled on the Survey. Worried about their run being gobbled up by the proposed Dromana Township, the McCraes had sold their lease to the Burrells. Most of the parish of Kangerong was still probably part of the run, which is why the first settlers were on the Survey.Watson Eaton and the Griffith family from America farmed together. The McLears, Pattersons (possibly later of Fingal, and the Survey again), Clydesdales, Gibsons,Henry Wilson (later changing from bullocky to butcher),the Connells (prominent in the parish of Moorooduc,Mornington and Red Hill) and Peateys were other tenants who come to mind.Another was William Cottier who was supposed to have established the Rye Hotel in Dromana in 1859 and transferred the licence to Tootgarook (about a mile east of White Cliff) leading to that township being renamed Rye.
Most of the children of these families attended a school not far south of the Wallaces Rd corner, which is discussed in A DREAMTIME OF DROMANA, (as well the tenants mentioned, in great detail!)
WHO HAD WHAT.(Rate Records.)
By the time of the first Kangerong Road Board assessment,many of the early Survey tenants had moved on. Mary Ann McLear (Graves' partner in the hawking business) had left The Willow and bought Maryfield across the road. Hawker, Charles Graves had opened a store at Shoreham and soon acquired over 300 acres in the parish of Flinders. Sarah Wilson, her sons and son-in-law (Young, Johnson>Johnstone) had moved to the west side of Shoreham Rd near Shands Rd,and the Connells had established Nag Hill between Old Moorooduc and Balnarring Rds. Peter Watson could have arrived after the 1865 assessment; his children were delivered by Susan Peatey on the survey in 1867 and 1869. In 1895 he was granted 171 acres just south of Arthurs Seat Rd between Purves and Main Creek Rds. William Marshall (detailed above) may have been the groom who tried to prevent the murder of John McLear outside Bundoora's Plough Inn and may have accompanied Mary Ann to Kangerong and may have been a grantee in the Red Hill Village Settlement in the 1890's.
3-9-1864.W.J.T.(Big) Clarke 2760 acres (i.e. untenanted); Joseph Clark N.A.V. 2 pounds; Charles Dyson, house and garden, N.A.V. 6 pounds; Watson Eaton, 100 acres, 20 cultivated,large house and garden; Abraham Griffiths (sic) no details,N.AV. 35 pounds;Henry ?, house and 20 acres; Walter Gibson hut and 36 acres; John Gibson hut and 80 acres 20 cultivated; William Marshall 2 roomed hut and 70 cres; James Mitchell hut; Charles Ray house and 1000 acres, fenced; Louis Edward (sic) Tassell house and 1000 acres (leased from Big Clarke who had not yet sold the Brokil Estate to Bruce); Henry Wilson hut.
1865.Charles Dyson had a 2 roomed house and 59 acres but my notes do not specify the Survey.Watson Eaton 210 acres and 4 roomed house; Abraham Griffiths- no details; Thomas Farnby 14 acres, 1 roomed house (survey not specified); Walter Gibson 249 acres and 2 roomed house; William Marshall 60 acres, 2 roomed house;Charles Ray 1000 acres and 2 roomed house; Edwin Louis Tassell 1000 acres and 2 roomed house.
1879. W.J.Clarke (Big Clarke's son) 2128 acres; George Elliman 10 acres; Rebecca Griffiths(sic)947 acres; Jonah(Dohn)Griffiths (sic)50 acres; Walter Gibson 525 acres; Charles Ray 400 acres.
1900. Despite properties in the parish of Wannaeue being fairly well described the rate collector had no idea where properties in the parish of Kangerong were. Some of the following property would have been on the survey, and although I could determine how much was,I can't spare the weeks it would take.
Alf Downward 1100 acres; John Calvin Griffith 1650 acres. Sir William Clarke (or Rupert Clarke)does not seem to have been assessed on at least 1200 acres;no wonder the Shire was soon nearly broke!
1910.James Connell farmer Mornington 238 acres, lots3-6 Bruce's; James Connell farmer Tuerong 230 acres 1, 2 Bruce's;Patrick Callaghan, Melbourne Agent, 242 acres Clarke's,12 acres 21 and 22 Bruce's, 152 acres 25 and 54 of Clarke's, 30 acres part 24 Clarke's,243 acres lot 55 Clarke's (and possibly another 593 acres with lot numbers but no mention of Clarke or Bruce); Alf Downward 270 acres lot 12 Clarke's, 120 acres Clarke's,508 acres lots 16, 17 Clarke's; John Calvin Griffith 205 acres lot 9 Clarke's; Walter Gibson 528 acres lots 1, 3-8 Clarke's, 400 acres 4, 9, 9A, 10 Clarke's, 130 acres 10 of Clarke's; O.A.Kefford, inspector,126 acres,lot 20 Clarke's; R.B. and S.F.Morrow 325 acres 21 and part 24 Clarke's;Ralph Godfrey Patterson 287 acres lots 18,19 Clarke's; Nelson and Jane Sophia Rudduck 130 acres lot 11 Clarke's; John E.Thompson 406 acres 13, part 14 Clarke's; Godfrey Burdett Wilson 255 acres 22,23 Clarke's.
Notice how the shire's possible bankruptcy could be avoided by rating both Griffith and Gibson on lot 9 and rating Gibson twice on his bull paddock ,lot 10! Don't let this happen to you!!
1920. Alf Downward 270 acres lot 12 special survey (henceforth s.s.);Herb Downward 509 acres 16,17 s.s.; William John McNabb replacing Patrick Fleming but both crossed out, 52acres lot 2 s.s.; William Gibson 659 acres lots 1, 3-8, 10 s.s.; Bertram John Davey 446 acres lot 13,part 14 s.s.; Owen E. Kefford 125 acres lot 20 s.s.; Jennings Brothers, Rye (crossed out) 280 acres lots18,19 s.s.; Perpetual Executors and Agency Co (Dutton owner) 318 acres lot 21, 24 s.s.;Cyril Smith, Mornington 468 acres lots 1, 2, 3, 6 s.s.; Mrs Maria Wilson (the former servant at Bruce's house and Godfrey's widow)254 acres lots 22, 23 s.s.;Ben Wilson (named after Ben Stenniken of course)150 acres lot 5 s.s.; Henry Burdett Coutts Wilson,Sorrento,100 acres part 5 s.s.;
Sam Wilson (named after Sam Sherlock, brother of the wife of Ben Stenniken) 180 acres part 5 s.s.
I thought I'd check how many acres were in lot 5, which was split among Ben, Henry and Sam Wilson.Guess what, lot 5 consisted of 32 acres! They were probably actually sharing lot 15, bounded by Foxeys Rd, Bulldog Creek Rd, Wallaces Rd and Bulldog Creek and consisting of 354 acres but the figures still don't add up as they total 430 acres. Perhaps the extra 76 acres were in lot 14.
BRUCE AND TASSELL; THE BROKIL ESTATE.
Colin McLear states that the northern (roughly) 1000 acres (north of the line of the Martha Cove Waterway)was a wedding gift to his son in law and also that the recipient was of the Bruce family that produced the Australian Prime Minister. The owner of the Brokil Estate was John Vans Agnew Bruce, who was a partner in Bruce and Cornish, the firm that built much of the Mt Alexander and Murray River Railway near Keilor Road Station (Sydenham) and Sunbury in 1858. If Bruce decided the course of the railway (past the Jacksons' old homestead block where Rupertswood was later built and through Clarkefield) one might understand Big Clarke making a present of his daughter and the 1000 acres.No relationship has been proven but given Bruce's earning capacity and a shared connection with Essendon (where big Clarke died and John Bruce lived,it is possible.) Try as I may,I can find absolutely no link between the prime minister's family and John vans Agnew Bruce.
The Lease. (From my Tassell journal.)I tried Trove to find out where the Tassell family was between 1869 and the purchase of the village settlement block and found a nugget! The Argus, 7-5-1874, page 12.
"MT MARTHA. Tenders are invited until 12 May, 1874 for a three year lease of Brokil Estate (lately occupied by R.B.Ridler, Esq. butcher, previously by the late E.L.Tassell, Esq.) containing 1024 acres of good pastoral land, well watered and subdivided, a large portion sheepproof. J.Vans Agnew Bruce, Fletcher St, Essendon."
THE SERVANT FROM RYE.
Henry William Wilson was a bullocky renting a hut on the Survey when he first came to the peninsula. Colin McLear said his hut was on Walter Gibson's No. 10 paddock of 125 acres. The subdivision plan of Clarke's Estate shows that lot 10 was actually 134 acres and 20 perches. It fronted the south side of Wallace's Rd and the Point Nepean Road and is indicated by Melway 160 J-K 3-4 and 161 A 3-4. According to the Female Drover, this farm was later owned by a Mr Harding.
Colin also said that Ben Stenniken was leasing land on the Survey.It was on a triangular block bounded by Nepean Highway,Moorooduc Road and the higher reaches of Tassell's Creek. This triangular block would have been north of McKenzie's Junction (Melway 151 C12) and the northern boundary would have been a line joining Bruce and Foxey's Rds, the northern boundary of the survey and the parish of Kangerong. According to the Female Drover, this farm was later owned by a Mr Harding.
Ben's farm was part of Bruce's Brokil Estate, north of the line of Martha Cove Waterway. Bruce's fortune came from his involvement in the Cornish and Bruce contracting firm which built a large part of the Mount Alexander (Castlemaine) and Murray River Railway in the late 1850's. I believe I have written quite a bit about him in my ASCOT VALE HERITAGE WALK journal including claims that he was Big Clarke's son-in-law and that he was of the same family as the Prime Minister.
Even further away from Rye was land in the parish of Frankston on the west side of Moorooduc Rd just north of Eramosa Rd. Alexander McLellan mentioned in 1905 that the Stennikens had owned a 401 acre property at Mt Eliza for 40 years. (P.5, Mornington Standard, 28-1-1905.)
No evidence can be found that Henry William Wilson and Ben Stenniken were on the Survey at the same time but even if they weren't, Ben would have had every chance to meet up with the bullocky in 1865 as he rode between Rye and his 401 acre property at Mt Eliza. In 1865, Henry Wilson's son,Godfrey, would have been about 15 years old. Ben Stenniken's daughter, Maria, would have been 10 years old.(A DREAMTIME OF DROMANA.) By this age Godfrey had probably overcome his fear of girl germs and as any woman will confirm,Maria would have been at the same stage of emotional maturity. They married thirteen years later.N.B. John Watt of Sorrento met his future bride (little Miss Skelton) when she was only six so this suggested first meeting in 1865 is not as fanciful as it might seem!
By the 1860's, wealthy men were building seaside retreats to escape the heat and dust of Melbourne during the summer. John Thomas Smith built Nyora at Mt Eliza,there were several early holiday retreats along the Esplanade near Mornington and Duffy was soon to subdivide his grants in the parish of Nepean. The Gentlemen would bring their families down for the whole "season", which started after the social whirl of the Spring Carnival and lasted for months; the father would return to Melbourne when business matters required it. I'm sure that John Agnews Bruce did not stay in Edwin Louis Tassell's homestead near the north bank of Brokil (Tassells) Creek; he probably built a large home, on higher ground with a view, just south of his northern boundary, Ellerina Rd. The family did not "rough it" but expected the same privileged lifestyle they were used to in Melbourne and that included servants.
Maria Stenniken would work as a servant for the Bruce family during the season. She may have slept at the Bruce home or walked along the Sea Lane, after the family had dismissed her for the night, back to the triangular block mentioned earlier. It is likely that there would have been a dwelling on the block and that one of Maria's brothers stayed there with her. Maria's servant days could have started in about 1865 and lasted till 1878 when she married Godfrey Burdett Wilson.
Godfrey and Maria would have lived at Beauvoir (still standing at 8 McCulloch St, Dromana) which Godfrey had built in the 1880's. It was named after the Beauvoir Arms Hotel in London which Godfrey's father had run before they came to Australia. Godfrey died in 1919 and his widow, Maria, lived in Burdett Cottage in Heales St until her death in 1927, after which the cottage was moved onto the highway corner frontage of Karadoc to housethe bush nursing hospital. (Henry William Wilson had married Thamer Burdett, hence Godfrey's second given name and the name of the cottage.)
Stenniken is mainly mentioned in Rye and Port Melbourne histories, with grants south west of Rye Township and the north west corner of Truemans Rd at Tootgarook but the family had a strong connection with Dromana with the town being mentioned in the death notices of a Mrs and Miss Stenniken,the former living next to the Church of England (which was built with Stenniken lime!)
THE CLARKE ESTATE.
Land Sale at Mornington There was a good attendance at the sub-divisional sale of 4,350 acres of agricultural and grazing land situated near Dromana, held at the Mornington Mechanics' on Wednesday afternoon. The sale was conducted by Mr. Keast, M.L.A., who acted in conjunction with John Buchan and Co., and J. W. Hazeldine, on behalf of the Executrix and Executor of the Estate of the late Sir W. J. Clarke.
The land was offered in suitable blocks for closer settlement, but evidently it was considered to be unfit for that purpose by Melbourne buyers, as they were conspicuous by their absence. With the exception of a Melbourne speculator, Mr P. Callaghan, who secured 1,594 acres, mostly at low rates, the rest of the estate was purchased by local residents, of whom Messrs. Gibson (710 acres), and Downward 778 acres, were the largest purchasers. The highest price paid was ?8 7s 6d per acre for 10 acres near Dromana township, the buyer being Mr.Rudduck.
The Shire of Flinders and Kangerong failed to secure the 20 acres, containing a quarry reserve. There was loud applause, when Mr. H. Griffiths' bid secured the homestead block, containing 205 acres, at ?5 per acre, and the action of a Dromana man in bidding against Mr. Griffiths, and running him from ?3 to ?5, was regarded as a most unneighbourly thing to do. The land was sold at a price, which considering the price of land in other parts of Victoria, must be regarded as very cheap, 4,076 acres were sold at an average price of ?2 4s per acre.
Mr. Keast did not waste much time over the lots, and succeeded in disposing of the Estate, with the exception of a number of frontage blocks, in under an hour. Mr. William Hewitt was present on behalf of Sir Rupert Clarke, who had sailed to England the previous day. The sales effected were as follows:
No. BLOCK Acre Rd Per Buyer Price per acre
1. 56 .1.10 W. Gibson: ?3. 2. 52.0.17 P. Callagham ?1 15 3. 25.o. 30 W. Gibson: .?5
4. 25. 1. 3 W. Gibson ?4 5. 32.0.6 W. Gibson ?4 5s 6. 129. 3. 11 W. Gibson .?3
7. 129.3.30 W. Gibson ?2/10 8. 121.4. 34 W. Gibson ?3 9. 205.1.12 H. Griffiths .?5
10.134.0.20 W.Gibson ?3/17/6 11. 130.1.18 N. Rudduck ?2/15 12. 270. 2. 11A. Downward L1/12/6
13.307.1. 5 P.Callaghan ?1 13A. 20 Qu'ry Site P. Callaghan ?3 14. 532.1.0 P. Callaghan ?1
15.354.2.0 P.Callaghan ?1 16. 260.0.37 H Downward ?1 5 17. 249. 1. 0 H. Downward ?1/5/0
18.143.2.18 G.Patterson ?2/10 19.143.0.23 G. Patterson ?2 10 20. 125.3.0 W. Kefford ?2/5/0
21.121.0.6 P.Callaghan L2/15/0 22. 127.2.37 G. B. Wilson ?3 10 23. 127. 0.19 G. B. Wilson ?4
24 226.3.6 P. Callaghan ?3 53. 5 N.Rudduck ?8/7/6 54. 5 N. Rudduck ?8/7/6
For block 55, containing 242 acres, ?1 was offered by Mr. H. P. Davey, but was passed in for private sale, as were 26 blocks, containing 5 acres each, with a frontage to Port Phillip Bay. For these blocks ?5 , was offered, the reserve being ?6. A cottage. belonging to Mrs. McNabb, of Dromana, was also offered, but failed to elicit a bid. (P.2, Mornington Standard, 27-4-1907.)
NOTES ON THE ABOVE.
Griffiths should be Griffith; the family's name was often wrongly given a "s" on the end.
The quarry site was 325 metres west of where Dunns Creek Rd turns to the south with a road frontage of another 284 metres to the west. Needless to say, it was on the north side of the road. The Clarke Estate was south of the line of the Martha Cove Waterway and was bisected by Pickings and Wallaces Rds.
MR JAGGER AND BILLY.
Billy wasn't a person. When Mr Jagger,who lived and milked a few cows on a small Survey block of about 5 acres delivered Dromana's milk,he put it into each customer's billy.
EXCERPT FROM MY "THE FEMALE DROVER:A HISTORY OF MOOROODUC".
MILK FOR DROMANA.
In the early 1930?s much of Dromana?s milk was delivered by a Mr Jagger, who had a few acres in Safety Beach, probably near Link Drive. Jagger milked a few cows himself but the bulk of his milk came from the Bournes. He would pick up their milk churns from their front gate and commence his round from there.
Between about 1935 and 1940, Mr Fenton took over the round. He had about 50 acres thought to be in the vicinity of Callas St. This was most likely James Boag?s old dairy ?by Palmerstone Ave opposite the head of Seacombe St? which became the Turner Estate. (A Dreamtime of Dromana.) Once again the Bournes were his only supplier. The Fentons called their house ?Melrose?.
Roy and Pearl Drew took over the 50 acres and the milk round in about 1940, relying on milk from the Bourne farm until the end of the war. Roy and Pearl must have had some energy left at bedtime because they had 17 children! It is likely that the Turner Estate was subdivided soon afterwards to accommodate the many young men returning from the war and making up for lost time by starting families.
Bill and Emily Bourne switched to cream production in 1945. They sold it to Mr Roberts who collected the cream cans from the front gate and took it to Moorooduc Station to be transported to Melbourne.
MR BEAN AND THE RACING CARS.
DROMANA?S MR BEAN. Herbert Josiah Bean was the man on whose property the new golf course was constructed. The land also had some sort of a speedway with a gravel surface on it. The R.A.C.V. conducted speed challenges on it; by a strange coincidence our Mr Bean was the President of the club. (Argus 1-10-1931 page 8 and 3-12-1928 page 17 re the Safety Beach circuit; proceeds went to the Dromana Bush Nursing Hospital.) Herbert sold land to Mrs Guilfoyle and their dispute is reported on page 11 of the Argus of 21-7-1926. Herbert was a merchant of Flinders Lane. It would appear that the Lochley Chase Guest House would have occupied only a small portion of Bean?s original property.
Now we will look at an article on page 13 in The Argus of 27-11-1928, about nine years after the last assessment available on microfiche.
SPORTS AT DROMANA. Opening New Course. Safety Beach, Dromana has been chosen by the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria as the site for acceleration and speed tests on Saturday, December 1st. Safety Beach is the name which has been given to a level stretch of foreshore extending from the south side of Mt Martha for about two miles to the outskirts of Dromana Township. The tests will not be held on the beach but on level gravel roads which have been laid which have been laid in a wide stretch of plain extending back from the sea to the Point Nepean road. This is an old grazing property that has been taken up recently for residential development. There are about 750 acres in the plain and the new roads which have been levelled, graded and coated with gravel, have a total length of about seven miles. The corners of the roads have been rounded and widened to allow for the swinging of the cars on the turns. The country is slightly undulating but the roads have no considerable gradients. There are some clumps of scrub on the land but a view of the whole course will be available from almost any position.
Alongside the portion of the estate where the tests will be held are areas reserved for a golf course and an aerodrome. The aerodrome will come into use on the day of the tests, for there is to be a race between an aeroplane and a car. Mr J.McLaren, an official of the Light Car Club, has arranged for a ?plane to be brought from the Coode Island Airport for the event. Mr McLaren has lately taken up flying and is having a ?plane constructed for his personal use at the Larkin Aircraft Works at Coode Island. He expects to make Safety Beach a regular rendezvous for motorists and golfers and is negotiating for daily calls to be made there by the Melbourne-Launceston aerial mail services, which is now being organised. The site is a basin of wide area in the gap between Mt Martha and Arthurs Seat.The beach road deviation which leads from Mornington Esplanade past the Mt Martha Hotel leads to the site.
THE GOLF CLUB.
Dromana's first golf course is shown on Melbourne Brindle's map of Dromana.
Apart from a few tournaments in 1913, the words golf and Dromana were not paired again until 1928.
A. 27-11-1928, page 13. An area was to be set aside for a golf course at Safety Beach. This article will be reproduced verbatim under the heading of SAFETY BEACH (after Dromama?s Mr Bean.) A. 8-10-1929, page 13. The tower on the mountain is being repaired and a nine hole golf course is being laid out. Little did those concerned realize that the concrete tower (which the new lift company wants to demolish) was to replace the old lighthouse a little more than half a decade later. The golf course would not have been connected with the local club. It was probably another initiative of Spencer Jackson, who wrote a history of Dromana two years earlier and organized a road to the tower in this year (as the plaque he presented testifies.) While Spencer did many things to advance the town, his deeds usually also assisted sales of land in his Foreshore and Panoramic Estates. The course might have also been a project undertaken by Lawson who built The Garden of the Moon. This might be an appropriate time to mention Frank Alfred Gaylor and the hotel on Arthurs Seat. The notice of his application for a licence for the Hollywood Inn appeared on page14 of The Argus of 22-11-1937 and listed conditions.
A.5-9-1930, page 10. Nearly 70 acres have been set aside at Safety Beach for a golf course. Design is left to Mr A. Russell. It will open about the middle of December. It is possible that Mr Russell was an Essendon resident, the son of the grantee of 166 acres on the east side of Collins Rd that became part of Walter Gibson?s Glenholme and the custodian of the Essendon (Moonee Ponds) Town Hall pictured on page 5 of The Argus of 9-1-1932. He had probably learned his golf on the McCrackens? Mar Lodge Estate at Essendon on the west side of McCracken St. A.22-12-1930, page 3. New Links at Dromana. Dromana Country Golf Club?s course at the foot of Mt Martha is in a rough state. There are nine holes and all command beautiful views of Port Phillip Bay, Mt Martha and Arthurs Seat. A. 21-12-1933. The President, Dr A.McDonald said that the club had been through lean times and hoped that residents would support an undertaking which was a great asset to the town. A. 24-9-1937, page 25. Applications are invited for occupancy of Dromana course, including residence*, equipment, mowers etc. retention of green fees. Apply Southern Developments Pty Ltd or Secretary Dromana Golf Club, Shire Hall, Dromana. (*Mr Bean?s house?) A. 1-6-1938, page 6. The Southern Development Co., which has 200 acres at Safety Beach, has sunk a bore (details about depths and flow.) Provision has been made for the golf course to be extended to 18 holes. A. 26-11-1938, page 6. Annual Meeting. Pres.-Mr L.E.Barnes; Sec.- Mr J.Holland. Mr Barnes might have been from Rosebud as Peter Wilson mentions that a member of the Barnes? Honey family had a holiday home there. John E.Holland was assessed on 25 acres at Red Hill near the Kindilan Society site in 1919-20.
WHERE WAS THE SAFETY BEACH GOLF COURSE THAT OPENED IN 1930?
Admittedly, the following evidence is far from first-hand. I had obtained the land plan for Clarke?s Dromana Estate and knew that the course had been on the land of R.A.C.V. President, Mr Bean, but this did not help me to pinpoint the location of the course. In desperation I paid a visit to the present golf club at Safety Beach. I thought I had struck gold when one of the chaps started telling me in great detail about the original course. Then the penny dropped. ? Is this the circa 1930 course?? I asked. Everyone was stunned and then I heard, ?Les knows!? This was Les Belot. Les had never played on the course but we did have an enjoyable chat about the horse on the green at Jack Warnock?s private course on the present Village Glen at Rosebud West.
This is the chain of evidence. Les has a mate, a member of the pioneering Red Hill Prossor family, who was clearing land with the help of a friend. This friend?s father had been a plumber and had worked at the club house of the golf course. It is possible that this fibro building, 67 Seaview Ave, had been Mr Bean?s holiday house and later Locksley Chase Guest House after World War 2. I inspected the house briefly and was able to observe that it had a huge lounge room, capable of being used for a meeting of over a hundred people or a dance. Through the same chain of information, Les learned that the course occupied the land which became, in about 1990, A.V.Jennings? ?Horizon Estate.? This was bounded by Victoria (possibly Patterson) St, Rhymer, Tonkins St and Seaview Ave. Many golf balls were discovered when the subdivision was being cleared.
It is of interest that the last mention of the club was the annual meeting at the end of 1938, Dr A.McDonald was the President in 1933, hoping that residents would support the club, J. McDonald and sons built the St George?s Course at Rye (Argus 7-6-1938 page12), a report of a tournament at Rye (Argus 27-6-1939 page 15) refers to R. Munro of Dromana winning an event there and G.W.Brown (the shire engineer according to A Dreamtime of Dromana p.171) winning an 18 hole competition at the Dromana Branch. Also that Roy W. McDonald, Dromana Real Estate Agent was advertising land at Safety Beach in 1950. The McDonalds? course at Rye, bounded by Dundas St and Golf Pde was being sold by Bill Prentice in 1952 (Argus 10-4-1952 p.2) and Ossie Pickworth?s rival, Colin Campbell, used the opportunity to establish the Rye Public Links where we now see Hogan Dr., Thompson Tce, Sarazen St, Bacchli St etc. Did the McDonalds move their operation to Safety Beach. The Carriggs had included easy access golf in their 1939 advertisements; perhaps the McDonalds had taken up the offer of 1937 to lease the obviously under-patronised course and made it a branch of their Rye operation. After 1939, the hotel no longer advertised golf and searches have found no further mention of golf at Dromana or Rye but it is certain that the Rye course was still being used.
It is possible that the Rye and Safety Beach courses operated until about 1950 and their closure caused the formation of Rosebud Park in 1951. It is possible also that the guest house, about which no advertisement has been found, ran the course as a private facility.
PICKINGS FOR THE PHEASANTS AT THE FAUNA PARK.
EXPORT OF NATIVE GAME. COUNCILLOR ADVOCATES AMENDMENT OF LAW. ENTERPRISE TIED UP WITH RED TAPE. Cr. J. Unthank told last meeting of the. Shire Council that he had been much impressed when he paid a visit to Mr. D. Picking's fauna park at Dromana. Cr. Unthank said Mr. Picking told him that the law forbidding the export of native game prevented him from disposing of a lot of stock. If he was not so tied down with red tape he could have one of the finest zoological gardens in Australia. Cr. Unthank said he saw about 200 pheasants on Mr. Picking's farm coming to the homestead to be fed. There were peacocks, emus, kangaroos, wallabies and other game moving about the farm. He (Cr. Unthank) advocated an amendment of the game laws to permit the export of a limited number of specimens of native game. (P.1,Frankston and Somerville Standard, 14-4-1934.)
STREET NAMES.
Wallaces Rd
was known to oldtimers as Patterson's Lane. Godfrey Patterson bought lots 18 and 19 fronting the highway to McKenzie's Junction (Melway 151 B11)and Wallaces Rd to its first bend (160 B3.)The Jennings Bros.of Rye had a dairy on the east corner of Rosebud Pde in Rosebud (outside which is a statue and historical plaque) and the 1919 rates show that they had been occupying lots 18 and 19.
Bruce Rd
See BRUCE, TASSELL AND THE BROKIL ESTATE above. Ellerina Rd was known to the female drover, Shirley Bourne, and the Jacksons of "Dalkeith" as THE SEA LANE. It is the boundary between the parishes of Moorooduc and Kangerong.
Pickings Rd. Refer to the article about the Fauna Park.
MAKING FRIENDS!
Miss Shirley Ann Richards, the Australian film star, with a flying phalanger yesterday when she visited the Picking Fauna Park,Dromana. (Caption for photo,P.3, Argus,27-10-1937.)
The Pickings seem to have been on the Survey from about 1923 until at least the 1950's. The Pickings boys must have had artistic talent to rival that of another Dromana lad,Melbourne Brindle. They obviously got their talent from their father, Doug.
DROMANA YOUTHFUL ARTIST
Standard (Frankston, Vic. : 1939 - 1949) Thursday 30 March 1944 p 2 Article
... DROMANA YOUTHFUL ARTIST Bruce Picking, young son and Mrs. Douglan Picking, Dromana, has commenced study National Art Gallery. A future is predicted for this sma lad. ... 27 words
Douglas Picking must have used at least part of his property for normal farming practices, one of which was breeding sheep.
HIGH PRICE FOR RAM. Cr. David Boyd, of Berwick, who has one of the leading flocks of Rye- land sheep in the State, has, for the purpose of improving his flock, purchased from Mr. Douglas Picking, of Dromana, the stud Ryeland ram, Picking's R1880. The price paid was 30 guineas which, at the present time, is an exceptionally high price for a ram.
Coutts St
I believe that Thamer Burdett was distantly related to Countess Burdett-Coutts and that the use of Coutts as a given name was an example of name-dropping, as in the case of Henry Everest Adams of Rosebud who used Vivian as a given name for his offspring and Vivyan for his vineyard (leading his descendants to wrongly believe that he was the illegitimate son of Lord Vivian.) She married Henry William Wilson and two of their children, Godfrey and Thamer,were given Burdett as second given names.Godfrey's eldest son was called Henry William Burdett Coutts Wilson. Not long before leaving Dromana to manage the family's butcher shop, H.W.B.C's young son was saved by what was probably the first use of mouth to mouth resuscitation on the Mornington Peninsula.
(See the entry for Stan Evans in my MELBOURNE BRINDLE journal.)
In 1919, the Wilsons had 684 acres of the survey,William Gibson 659 acres, Alf Downward 270 acres, Herb Downward 509 acres, and the Pattersons 280 acres (lots18,19) on which the Jennings brothers had recently finished a lease. According to Colin McLear,the Wilsons later bought much land from the Gibsons,Downwards, and Pattersons. One of the Wilson lads was involved with selling subdivided land on the survey. Coutts St was most likely named after H.W.B.C.Wilson.
Evans St. Stan Evans was a toddler when H.W.B.C.Wilson's young son almost drowned in 1904. The two boys were at a waterhole near a new abbatoir Henry was helping the carpenter,an early Dromana pioneer, to build when the Wilson lad got into difficulties.Unable to rescue him, little Stan ran to the men to alert them. Henry dragged his son out. As he was not breathing, the carpenter successfully performed mouth to mouth. Stan was involved in a humorous incident regarding sausages and a horse as a lad and was a longtime employee of the Wilsons as a butcher, resulting in a serious injury decades later. The Wilsons obviously subdivided this area. The street could have been named after the sporty Bill Evans but I think Stan was most likely the person being honoured.
(See newspaper articles in the Stan Evans entry in the MELBOURNE BRINDLE journal.)
Rymer St
Mary Ann McLear was widowed near the end of 1849 on the Plenty River when her husband was thumped on the head with a length of timber by a friend of a man who refused to pay up on a bet at a race meeting. Probably accompanied by her late husband's groom, she settled on the survey in 1851. She commenced farming at The Willow (Melway 160 E4,east of freeway)and became a partner in Charle Graves' hawking business.On 10-5-1859, Graves bought crown allotment 13, section 2 Kangerong (across the road from the Drive-In)and had a three rail fence erected by Thomas and Charles Rymer. Graves sold it on 31-1-1860 to Mary Ann, who called it Maryfield,
and moved to Shoreham where he was a shopkeeper and farmed on 374 acres.
The Rymers "also worked for George McLear at times. In 1867,they were fencing Arthurs Seat Park. Thomas Rymer drew timber from Arthurs Seat for the building of the Dromana jetty in 1874." (All from A DREAMTIME OF DROMANA.)
Thomas didn't take long to get this lucrative contract after the "Maryfield" job. He and Tim Sullivan would have been rolling in clover if they'd shared in the contract to fence the police paddock from White Cliff to the back beach which the Government proposed in 1859. (See Peter Wilson's ON THE ROAD TO ROSEBUD.)
stockyard at police paddock,Point Nepean-fencing, ?1s.11s. 3 3/4d per rod; eight gates at ?3.15s. each, ?102. 0 s.4 1/2d., Thomas Rymer ; digging waterhole and fencing at police paddock, Point Nepean-waterhole, Is. per yard ; fencing, 6s. 6d. per rod, ?85,T.Sullivan(Announcements in the Government Gazette, P.5, Argus, 28-8-1861.)
The Rymers may have moved to Frankston or Hastings, but it is possible that Charles Rymer moved to Geelong. Mrs Rymer made a donation to the Frankston Hospital in 1944.(P.1, Standard, Frankston 26-10-1944, FRANKSTON COMMUNITY HOSPITAL.) Laurie Rymer was one of the Hastings Football Club players to make in in the big time.
Laurie Rymer
Name Laurence Rymer Born 1934-07-05 Height187 cm Weight 92 kg V/AFL Clubs Collingwood
V/AFL Games 25 V/AFL Career 1955-57 V/AFL Goals 10 Brownlow Votes 0 (AUSTRALIANFOOTBALL.COM)
RYMER.-Mr. Chas. Rymer wishes to THANK all kind friends for their expressions and tokens of sympathy during the illness of his dearly loved wife,(Doris), who passed away at Geelong on August 7, 1944. A long and patient sufferer at rest. (P.4,Standard, Frankston,17-8-1944.)P.S. Chas was Isaac Charles Rymer.
Walter St
Walter St is on lot 4 of the subdivision of Clarke's Estate. As you can see above,lot 4 was purchased by Walter Gibson of "Glenholm" (which became the Monarco Estate and the Collins Rd Industrial Estate.)
Higgins St
Assuming this is the correct spelling, it is named after Judge Higgins (Chief Justice)of Heronswood whose "Harvester Judgement led to the basic wage for workers.Judge Higgins died in 1929 and lot 4 was probably subdivided for housing at about that time. George Higgens of Queen St Melbourne and Red Hill was a land agent who became a Flinders Shire councillor for the central riding which included the Survey. The intersection of Mornington-Flinders and Arthurs Seat Rds was known as Higgens Corner.George's surname was almost always given as Higgins, even in the newspaper articles and index in A DREAMTIME OF DROMANA. George may have been involved in the subdivision.
Tassell Rd
Edwin Louis Tassell leased the Brokil Estate from 1860 (according to Colin McLear)until his death. This was the northern 1000 or so acres of Jamieson's Special Survey, between Ellerina/Bruce/Foxey's Hangout Rds and the Martha Cove Waterway. The waterway is fed by the Brokil Creek which was named by an early surveyor and gave the estate itsname. locals, however, dubbed it Tassell's Creek for over a century and I have asked the council to put Tassells Creek signs at each end of the underpass. "Tassel" Rd was obviously sourced from rate records where Edwin was written as Edward etc. See my TASSELL journal.
Osborne St
The Osborne contribution to Dromana's sporting life as players and officials was tremendous. George Osborne served as a delegate to the League and the award to the best and fairest in the Nepean Football League is called the George Osborne Medal.
Shand St
BLACKWOOD, VIC., AUST., THE HISTORY BUFF AND BUSHWALKER'S PARADISE.
Oh to be in Blackwood town
One hundred years ago,
When axes, picks and shovels
Were a'swinging to and fro.
Blackwood is a town in Victoria, Australia. The town is located on the Lerderderg River, 89 kilometres north west of the state capital, Melbourne. Blackwood is in the Shire of Moorabool Local Government Area and had a population of 235 at the 2006 census.[1]
The town was founded in 1855 during the Victorian gold rush and at one stage had a population of around 13,000 prospectors. The Post Office opened on 22 September 1855 and was known as Mount Blackwood until 1921.[2]
Attractions include the State Park and Wombat State Forest, a mineral spring, miners' cottages from the 1860s and Mount Blackwood, an extinct volcano offering panoramic views of the surrounding area.
Blackwood is so-much better described in that one verse than in wikipedia. As I jogged a hundred metres at a time up the Old Blackwood Coach Road, my mind was on a coach driver applying the brake with all his strength so the coach would not overtake his weary team and cruelly kill the horses. As I threaded my way up the ridges between the ruts, I could well imagine axles being broken and passengers, already bruised from the jolting, seeking shade or helping while repairs were carried out.
Blackwood is no Bendigo, Castlemaine or Maldon, time capsules filled with beautiful architecture. But it has the beauty of discovery about it and for those who like to combine fitness with the thrill of discovery,the Blackwood area is just the ticket. Blackwood has a tiny population now but amazingly has a newsletter of such quality that it can truly be called a magazine, and many organisations that require hard working volunteers to serve on many of them, so that the terrific community spirit can be maintained.
The type of hard work described in the first verse of the late Grace Rayner's Blackwood (A haven in the hills) was typified by Ray Meade, who served on the Cemetery trust and progress association as well as being president of the cricket club, social club and crown reserves committee. This history is dedicated to the late Ray Meade.
MARGOT HITCHCOCK. Margot is in the process of writing a history of Blackwood and its pioneers. As my aim is to supplement existing histories, not repeat it,, I will summarise the articles she has written for the Blackwood News so you know what information is available, but not include it in my work. Margot is willing to help people
with genealogical detail about any of their family who have been Blackwood pioneers. Margot would also appreciate any anecdotes, photos etc that you can supply. She can be contacted by email on
Margot has replied to my email and provided some valuable information.
Tyrrell should be spelt Terrill. The pioneer after whom the backtrack and the street (joining old Golden Point Rd to Golden Point Rd at the pub corner) were named was Byres, not Byers as I had written.
The school site at Golden Point is listed on old maps of Blackwood and a photo of the school is in my Aspects book. Blackwood North was not the main food growing area as food and sheep farms were also in Green Hills, Blackwood and a Chinese Market was where the Sport Ground is.
Mt Blackwood was named after Captain Blackwood of the 'Fly'.
There is information about the aborigines of the area in her books.They are:
1. 'Aspects of Early Blackwood - The Goldfields, The Landmarks, The Pioneers' by Alan J. Buckingham and Margot F. Hitchcock. (89 pages including photos and index - with information on early gold mining days and the pioneers - $ 14 or $16 including postage.)
2. ' Some History of Simmons Reef, Blackwood', compiled by Margot Hitchcock for the Blackwood & District Historical Society.(55 pages and 51 photos plus index with information on the early Quartz mining in Simmons Reef - $13 or $15 including postage.)
�The Story of Blackwood� � a small booklet of 8 pages with brief information on Blackwood � �The Beginnings, Gold, The Diggings, The Township, Quartz Mining, The Surrounding Districts � Barrys Reef, Simmons Reef, Golden Point, The Cemetery, Blackwood Today, and a map of 'Where to Go, - What to see.� Produced by the Blackwood & District Historical Society. Cost $4 from the Society or $5 posted.
Available from the Blackwood & District Historical Society Museum at the Old Police Stables Blackwood, open 1st Saturday of every month 10-30am - 12.30pm. Or can be purchased from the 'Garden of St. Erth', Blackwood Post Office, Blackwood Hotel, Mineral Springs, Caravan Park -or
For orders - contact Margot Hitchcock, email - margothitchcock@bigpond.com
If I don't summarise an article, it's because I don't have that newsletter.Variations in spelling are as found in articles. Descendants of pioneers who may never have lived in Blackwood are included in the surname list for genealogical purposes.
April-May, 2011.Graves in the Blackwood Cemetery. John Wightman started the first steam sawmill at Barry's Reef, Blackwood in 1866. Details of his wife, children and their spouses.(Kennedy, Dunlop, Thompson, Wolters.)
June-July, 2011.Silas Gay, mine manager, Blackwood. Excellent biographical and genealogical detail. It is interesting that the evidence of Albert Sweet was included in the police report regarding the accidental death of Silas in 1898.
December 2011-January 2012. Holes in the rock wall at the sports ground resulting from a competition displaying a skill used in mining; drilling holes in which dynamite was inserted.Results from the 1902 sports. The race behind the spring on the Shaw's Lake side of the Lerdie was constructed by Vincenzo Cocciardi.
(Cocciardi, Strangman, Coleman,Healy, Daymon,Terrill, Kathleen Maxwell.)
Also, World War2 Memories from Jack Rayner and Alan Wellsley Griffin and SOME EARLY MEMORIES OF BLACKWOOD by Don Owen.(Richards, Walker, Simmonds, Bricker,Dr Wisewould, Dwan, Sweet, Tyrrell, Callaghan.)
The historical society seem to have the police stables as its Museum. I'll have to check that out next time I'm up!
June- July, 2012. LAST BIG NUGGET FOUND IN BLACKWOOD.Much genealogical information about Tom Matthews, his spouse and children. (Tom Matthews, William Walters (wrong)/Waters (correct), Brennan/Brannan, Beasley, Considine, Eccleston, Wells.) Also a trip down memory lane by Kathy Blair. (Matthews,Cann, Tyrell, Gribble, Sweet, Shaw, Broad, Denman, Webster, Morgan, Amery, Hill, Walker, Seymour.) Tom Matthews used to play accordian at the dances. Kath used to go to school at Golden Point. I wonder where the school site is!
August-September, 2012.FLOOD AND LOSS OF LIFE AT BLACKWOOD. Two of John and Jane Williams' children had died from Scarlatina and two others were affected, one recovering and the other taken to Melbourne by Jane for treatment. While she was away another son drowned, during a heavy flood in mid 1861, while returning from the post office at Golden Point.(Williams, Harry.)
Also a poem UP HOME (NORTH BLACKWOOD) by Minnie Turner (nee Bawden) circa 1920's, (Elliott, Service, Brown, Bawden, Goudie, Cassidy, Thomas) and DOES BLACKWOOD HAVE A NORTH? by Jimmy Olsen (Dunn,Berg, Rodgers, Lillis, Meredith, Millyard, Donnely, Guppy, Bawden, Wright, O'Connel, Meier, Stewart, Ambler.) In 1865, Charles and William Dunn were the first settlers at Blackwood North, which became the foodbowl of the diggings.
Just two points on behalf of family historians, if you write poems about your family or the people of an area: (a)write notes, giving surnames, maiden names etc for such as Aunt Annie, Uncle Tom; (b)names in a list provide very little information so if you can't work some detail into the actual poem, try to add a note about each surname. For example one family might have had a huge number of children, another might have been a dairy farmer while most others grew spuds etc. For example:
BLACKWOODIANS.
Jack Rayner sat on council;1
War dangers did he face.2
He's living still up in Lourdes Hill3
With fond memories of Grace.4
1.Jack was a Ballan Shire councillor from -- to --.
2.Jack served in world war 2. See details in the December 2011-January 2012 edition of Blackwood News.
3. Grace Power bought the log cabin in Clarendon St, which overlooks Jackson's Gully, in 1938, according to her poem THE LOG CABIN (at the age of 17 according to Jack.)Given the name of the Rayner residence,it is no surprise to see the name, Power,mentioned in her THE CHURCH UPON THE HILL (St Malachy's Catholic Church.)
4.Jack married Grace Power at----on---- etc.
See how much information can be extracted from just one verse but a family historian isn't going to guess what it is and must be told the background. To avoid littering the poem with numbers, I prefer to write a page of notes corresponding to the verse numbers. e.g.
verse 1. Jack was a Ballan Shire councillor from -- to --.
Jack served in world war 2. See details in the December 2011-January 2012 edition of Blackwood News.
Grace Powell bought the log cabin in Clarendon St, which overlooks Jackson's Gully, in 1938, according to her poem THE LOG CABIN (at the age of 17 according to Jack.)Given the name of the Raynor residence,it is no surprise to see the name, Power,mentioned in her THE CHURCH UPON THE HILL (St Malachy's Catholic Church.)
Jack married Grace Power at----on---- etc.
IN THE BEGINNING.
I know nothing of the first inhabitants of the Blackwood area but I hope to remedy this. Despite expecting to find that the first white inhabitants were a lawless lot,quite the opposite was generally the case. I have not had time to ascertain whether the Pyke brothers' run included the Blackwood area,but if they attended Patrick Phelan's meeting at Blackwood, I doubt they would have voted for him.
A cursory glance at the voters' roll for the Mt Blackwood Division of the West Bourke electorate (Page 6, Argus, 22-5-1856)has revealed where the various diggers and storekeepers etc. were resident and the person after whom Vigor St was named. The Mr Langhorne who chaired Patrick Phelan's meeting, was probably Edward Langhorne, a householder at Red Hill, that is, near the present hotel and store. I will leave it for readers to look at the roll; Margot may include it in her book.
A description of several Runs near Blackwood can be found on pages 1 and 4 of The Argus of 3-10-1848. With boundaries described in some instances as ploughed lines,or as adjoining a run leased by a named person, it is difficult to determine which of several runs encompassed the Blackwood area. One item discovered from a description of one of the possibilities, Run 152, is that the native name for Mt Blackwood was Moonia.
Mt Blackwood was obviously named by 3-10-1848 but I have found nothing to indicate after whom it was named. I believe it was named after Vice-Admiral Henry Blackwood (Nelson's third in command who had no surviving children to succeed him as Baronet according to one source but not the one about Francis Price Blackwood), the Hon.Henry S.Blackwood or Francis Price Blackwood. The Blackwood River in Western Australia was definitely named after the Vice Admiral.
Blackwood, Francis Price (1809�1854)by Ann Mozley
Francis Price Blackwood (1809-1854), naval officer, was born on 25 May 1809, the second son of Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Blackwood and his third wife Harriet, n�e Gore. He entered the navy at 12 and obtained his first commission in August 1828. In 1833 on the East India Station he was appointed to command the Hyacinth, in which he first visited Australia and contributed hydrographic data on the north-eastern coast. He was promoted captain in 1838.
In 1841 Blackwood was appointed to command the corvette Fly in the first hydrographic survey commissioned by the Admiralty for exploring and charting the north-east Australian coast. The Fly, fitted with costly instruments, and carrying two scientists, Joseph Jukes, geologist, and John MacGillivray, zoologist, sailed from Falmouth in April 1842 with the cutter Bramble, under the charge of Lieutenant Charles Yule. After a stop in Hobart Town from August to October, the two ships called at Sydney and began the survey in December 1842.
In the next three years the Fly charted from Sandy Cape to Whitsunday Island, including Swain Reefs and Capricorn Islands and the broad passages between, and marked the outer line of the Barrier Reef from 16� 40' S. to 9� 20' S. Early in 1844 a beacon was successfully erected on Raine Island to mark the best passage through the reef. Meanwhile the Bramble completed a survey of Endeavour Strait. Late in 1844 the Fly visited Surabaya and returned in April 1845 to chart a track for shipping from Bramble Cay to Endeavour Strait (Great North-East Channel) through Torres Strait. The expedition then surveyed 100 miles (161 km) of the south-east coast of New Guinea, charting the dangerous off-shore shoals and the mouths of several rivers. The discovery of the Fly River commemorates their work. After a call at Singapore, the Fly returned to Sydney by way of the Swan River, and in December 1845 sailed for England. Next year Blackwood entered Jesus College, Cambridge, and on 12 October 1848 he married Jemima Sarah Strode. He died on 22 March 1854.
The records compiled under Blackwood were important not only for hydrography but also for the detailed sailing directions, many of which still appear on modern charts. In addition to the astronomical observations for the hydrographic survey, magnetic observations on sea and shore were made. The expedition was one of the earliest to visit Papua and bring back detailed reports of the natives.
The Hon. Henry S. Blackwood is appointed one of the Queen's Messengers for foreign service. (P.4, The Argus, 25-9-1849.)
And something closer to home for the next Blackwoodians' trivia night:
Maurice Baldwin BLACKWOOD - (born 1882 Britain died 1941 Australia).
Captain of the Stonecrop, a British E-boat sunk in the First World War,
became an admiral in the Royal Australian Navy in the Second World War.
A great grandson of Sir Henry Blackwood.
(Dennis Bell Burnaby, B.C. on rootsweb. The Blackwoods were also prominent in the U.S.A.)
THE ROADS AND THE ORIGINAL TOWNSHIPS.
4 corrections, most recently by culroym - Show corrections
MOUNT BLACKWOOD DIGGINGS.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)24th September, 1855.
"What is Mount Blackwood like?" This question is frequently asked of a visitor from these diggings when in town. As it is likely to prove a very interesting place in many ways to the community at large, in the gra- dual development of the prodigious wealth known to exist there, it may be not uninteresting to your distant readers to give a brief description of the district in question.
In the first place, it is certainly a very mountainous one consisting entirely of a continued series of precipitous ranges, generally running, as near as may be, north and south, covered by a dense forest of trees and numerous perennial plants and shrubberies. Golden Point, where the Government Camp is located, and where a township is in process of being surveyed in allotments, is situated on a large sloping bank, close upon the main creek. On either side it is hemmed in, east and west, by very steep ranges. Further up the main creek, about a mile or so, is the celebrated Red Hill, where a considerable quantity of gold has been obtained. Both at the Red Hill and Golden Point, from the want or utter absence of any thing in the shape of sanitary regula- tions or preconcerted arrangements for that important object,an intolerable stench salutes the nostrils of the passers by , and from the same unfortunate cause, one may easily predicate that when summer comes on death and the doctor will be actively engaged among the inhabitants of those two abominably filthy spots At the Red Hill, the main creek is divided into the important tributaries, one coming down from the Yan- kee's, or Acre's Quartz Mining Reef, and the other from Simmons's Reef, numerous other smaller tributaries running into them, along the high ridges overlooking the Yankee Creek tributary.(P.6, Argus, 25-9-1855.)
THE OLD BLACKWOOD COACH ROAD.(Shown as King St on a Bushwalkers' association map.)
The Old Blackwood Coach Road went straight to Golden Point, which makes sense because that's where gold was first found on 14-11-1854. It emerges onto Clarendon St between Albert and Victoria Sts,closer to the latter. The original continuation was the North Blackwood Road. Heading south the road climbs very steeply and for this reason huge ruts,almost on the scale of the Grand Canyon, develop in rainy weather so it must have been worrying for coach drivers and very uncomfortable for passengers. The only good thing about the ruts, when I was running to heaven up this road, was that having to look intently for a safe footfall, so I wouldn't break a leg, distracted my mind from the climb ahead that went on and on and on. This road (also known as King St) meets the Morning Star track, a continuation of Golden Point Rd.
THE NORTH BLACKWOOD ROAD.
In DOES BLACKWOOD HAVE A NORTH? (P.5, Blackwood News August-September 2012), Jimmy Olsen states that this was the main route in and out of town in the 1800's,the Fern Hill-Blackwood Rd.
SETTLEMENT AT NORTH BLACKWOOD.TRENTHAM, WEDNESDAY.
It is proposed to place 200 families on some very rich land near Laver's Mill, close to Fern Hill, North Blackwood. Each family is to have two acres of land for a building site and garden and then there will be in addition to this 1,000 acres on the fringe of the state forest to be worked by the men in occupation of the two acres. They will work on the company system, dividing the profits made out of it on equal terms.
(P.6, Argus, 19-10-1893.)
While searching for "Fern Hill",I discovered an article (P.6, Bacchus Marsh Express,6-10-1906) which mentions the Fern Hill Railway Station and Charles Dunn, who with brother William,pioneered Blackwood North.
Mr. Charles Dunn, jun.,it should be mentioned, is a most public spirited man, and, with his father, pioneered this region over 40 years ago, living for two years in a hollow tree (big enough to turn a dray in) while subduing the wilderness. He thinks nothing of walking all day in these acclivities and declivities, and on Sunday last walked to Blackwood and back to send a message by Cr. Walters to Ballan to the Ed. to invite the party to luncheon on the Tuesday.
THE OLD TRENTHAM ROAD.
If you head down Martin St from the pub and ignore the curve to the left (the Trentham road until the bypass was built),continuing straight down to the river past Whalebone St, you're on the old Trentham Road. It intersects with Yankee Road after a fairly steep climb. I've run up this hill once and down once with much discomfort resulting each time. (See FUN? RUNS AND STROLLS.)
GOLDEN POINT ROAD.
This road, starting at the pub corner, curved slightly to the north before heading due south into Jacksons Gully to a leftie hairpin and a climb back to the direct route (with Hettie the Hen on your right!) This section has been replaced but can be clearly seen, with a plaque on the slight curve to the north. It states that gold was first found at Jacksons Gully by two teamsters on 14-11-1854. Golden Point Rd runs east to the river, turning right at the big rock to climb steadily past the log cabin, zig zag around a gully and pass the Byers Back Track before levelling out.At thispoint,it becomes the Morning Star Track which heads west and south west to meet the Greendale-Trentham Rd, intersecting with Thompsons Rd on the way.
OLD GOLDEN POINT RD.
As mentioned previously, the Old Blackwood Coach Road is very steep and is easily eroded.When the present centre of Blackwood (Red Hill) also became an important mining venue, it made sense to make a new and slightly less steep road directly to that area. I believe that old Golden Point Road skirted the upper reaches of Jacksons Gully to connect with Clarendon St, Golden Point.(Jack Rayner thinks my theory makes sense.) Old Golden Point Rd east of Campbell's Cutting is a dead end but has two houses of interest. Norm Campbell, a steward on Merchant ships, loved Blackwood and built Cambrae from whatever material he could scrounge in 1939.
The next house was owned for ages by the Simmons family. Across the road is a gum tree which was planted by Mr Simmons but was accidentally pruned with a mower, resulting in today's fascinating three gigantic, conjoined trunks.
THE WALKING TRACKS.
FUN RUNS AND STROLLS.
Before you cross the bridge at the mineral springs there are two short walks you can take. If you go left for only about a hundred metres,the track comes to a waterhole and a big rock from which children love to launch themselves into the water. This provides a good opportunity to teach water safety, such as how water holes can be very deep in places, and rocks, submerged logs etc can be hidden under the surface so exploring by wading should come before jumping, while noting current strength and planning exiting points should be taught.
If you follow the river to your right, you will find some interesting information about the gold mining era.
If you cross the bridge and turn left up some steps, the track will take you to Shaw's Lake where there are information boards in regard to history and walks. Primary school children can manage the climb with a few rest stops and it's a good jog for the athletically minded being not too steep and not too root and reef affected once you get up the hill a bit.
You can also drive up the North Blackwood road to Shaw's Lake Rd and try some of the circuit walks near the lake. Jogging up to the lake on the North Blackwood Rd is less difficult than the Old Blackwood Coach Rd (King St) but the climb does go on and on.
If you go straight down Golden Point Rd past the North Blackwood turn off till you reach the river, you will see a huge rock across the river. We always called the rock "The Sphinx" because it had the lion shape, even including the haunches, the absence of a human face not detracting too much from the comparison. It can be climbed fairly easily and safely by children of eight or so, presenting a splendid photo opportunity and making them feel like heroes. Jumping into the waterholes is a no no, being far too dangerous, but a short swim is possible, even in dry weather.
Golden Point Rd turns right and commences a long climb near the sphinx. Blackwood is a great place for stirring the imagination, not just historically as in Grace Rayner's THE DESERTED SHACK. No matter how tired the children were after walking to the sphinx, they just had to walk part of the way up the hill. For there was the Three Little Pigs' house;a log cabin sitting right beside the road. They didn't have to be inside it to provoke a bit of Drama.
The bridges at the springs and at the start of the North Blackwood road could not be crossed by the children without dad spending at least ten minutes being a troll!
My favourite runs were from the springs to Shaw's Lake returning down the North Blackwood Rd, the Byre's Back Track to O'Brien's Crossing, the Golden Pt Rd/Morning Star Track/Greendale-Trentham Rd and old Golden Point Rd circuit,and the previous circuit shortened by going cautiously down the Old Blackwood Coach Road.
One glorious hot moonlit night, I fancied a naturally illuminated run up Old Trentham Rd from Martin St to Yankee Rd, but when I turned after the bridge I ran straight into a puddle, and learning my lesson quickly, slopped back home. One day, feeling extra heroic, I tried the North Blackwood, Yankee Rd, Old Trentham Rd circuit and again came to grief on the last-named track. Reefs were a worry in places on the way to Five Ways,on most of Yankee Rd and for a while as I turned left for the last leg. Soon the road smoothed and, hearing some thumps, I took the opportunity to spot the roos. You guessed it; I tripped on a reef and did my very best Superman impression,removing most of the skin from my forearms and knees. And it was a long way to the Lerdederg, even if it was downhill!
Late one overcast afternoon I was about to reach a crest as I climbed Golden Point Rd from the sphinx when I saw an Alsatian's head appear. Oh no,a feral dog! But it was a kangaroo which received as big a shock as I had
and took off like a dragster. Another day on the Byre's Back Track, I heard a single thump behind me as I commenced a zig zag around a gully. It was a koala which had jumped to finish its descent of a big gum.Magic! I eased my way slowly towards the lovely creature which stared curiously at me.I crossed its too-close line and up the tree it went with a speed that would put Spiderman to shame. Magic!
THE EVENTS.
Easter is a busy time at Blackwood with the woodchop, parade and concert being major events. Dances were once higlights when I was much younger.
Recalling the first verse of Grace Rayner's poem,which starts this journal, where she wished she could be in Blackwood "one hundred years ago", if you have the same desire, you can combine it with the chance to become an Australian Champion. The Australian Gold Panning Championships will be held at the Blackwood Cricket Ground on 24 March 2013. Results do not depend on luck. For details, contact Marcus (0418 474 427) or Geoff (0408 396 644). Powered sites are available at the mineral springs caravan park for only $25 per night but it would be wise to book early on 03 5368 6539.
JOHN EDOLS.
See comment 2.
THE WATER TOWER AT RYE, VIC., AUST., (and water on the Mornington Peninsula.)
Hi (ITELLYA'S REAL NAME!)
I always wondered about this.
On the corner of Kent Road and Observation Drive there used to be an old limestone building, a water tower and about 100 metres away a Well. All constructed out of Limestone. It was all demolished in the late 1980?S . Any idea who owned this property?
Regards Steve
Henry Cadby Wells walked through Rye before it ever existed and probably before anyone lived or quarried lime there. Owen Cain arrived to quarry lime at Tyrone soon afterwards, but after the birth of Henry's daughter on the site of Sorrento's Koonya hotel, (Owen, almost losing his four year old daughter!)Therefore, when Henry's descendant says jump, I ask how high? Another factor that prompted this journal is the lack of discussion regarding water supply on the peninsula. I'm not talking about reticulation by the authorities because it seems that provision of water and electricity to the fort at Pt Nepean had a strong relationship to the coastal towns receiving their supply.
Towns on the peninsula were obviously situated near a water source, such as the spring below the site of the Dromana Bowling club that fed a ti tree swamp or a creek. Rosebud had Adams' Creek (The Avenue), Eeling Creek which now flows under the Tom Salt Park car park and Peatey's Creek (Murray Anderson Rd.) People obviously used tanks, which are most often mentioned in school histories, but I have not seen any mention of who used to bring water when the tank was empty or where they obtained their water. How did the isolated limeburners, such as those at Canvas Town (cnr Tasman Dr and Canterbury Jetty Rd) obtain water?
Bores would have been too expensive for most pioneers. The late Ray Cairns explained how a spring was opened up on a high part of Maroolaba at Fingal to irrigate lower ground. In ROSEBUD:FLOWER OF THE PENINSULA, Isobel Moresby told how Smythe, a Flemington tanner,opened up a spring on the southern half of Burrell's pre-emptive right on Arthurs Seat to water his wattle plantation.
Were there any creeks at Rye and Sorrento with a reasonably constant supply? What were their names? Was it hard washing clothes using bore water? Who refilled tanks? I ask anyone with knowledge of how the pioneers coped in regard to water to supply their information in COMMENTS.
And now back to Steve's query.
I might be able to work out who had it but you must mean the corner of Observation and Valley or Kent and Sussex. Whether the first corner or the second corner that I specified, the tower would have been in crown allotment 12 of Rye Township, the first corner being just inside the south east corner of c/a 12 and the whole township. Therefore, I will examine the 1914 ratebook, which I know describes property locations fairly well, to see who had c/a 12, Rye Township of 98 acres 2 roods and 9 perches..
I thought the tower might have been built by James Little Brown (restorer of rabbit and ti tree infested land into beautiful pasture and councillor after whom Browns Rd was named) but the information I gathered for his entry in my SHIRE OF FLINDERS journal seems to dispel this theory. He did own the land bounded by Dundas, Collingwood and Napier Streets and the south boundary of the Kanasta Caravan Park. His homestead, Hillcrest, at 1 May St was built using lime from the last firing of the big kiln on the fire station site.
South of Brown's crown allotments 1,2,3,section 5 and the cemetery, all the land east of Dundas St was granted to William Allison Blair, a lime merchant. The part occupied by the golf course was situated in crown allotments 10, 11 and 12 of Rye Township, a total of 199 acres 1 rood and 35 perches,the land south of the Dundas St/Golf Pde corner being crown allotments 4, 20 and 21 of the parish of Nepean, a total of 374 acres 2 roods and 37 perches.(The Jennings' Kariah, bounded by Dundas St, Browns Rd and Weeroona St was said to consist of 212 acres but I believe that should be 221 acres, being crown allotments 20 and 21 Nepean, extending north to the freeway reservation.)
On crown allotments 10, 11 and 12, Rye Township was St George's Golf Links, a nine hole course which was constructed in 1935 by John McDonald and his two sons, Jack and Max. The course, bounded by Dundas St and Golf Rde, was subdivided circa 1954 as the Ryelands Estate by a young bloke from the Prentice real estate firm who soon after moved to Rye, but originally parked his car at the end of Lyons St as his office. There's an advertisement for the estate in the Argus Mornington Peninsula supplement in December, 1954.
It seems the water tower, whose location you mentioned was not used to water the golf course unless the details that follow describe a second method of supplying water that made the tower redundant. Water from the bore near the old homestead (now in Athol Court) was pumped into a twenty thousand gallon tank atop of what is now Highview Court and then reticulated to the nine greens." (P.14, Rye Township 150th Anniverary Edition-Southern Peninsula News.)
WHO OWNED THE WATER TOWER?
Although blindness and insanity were rapidly approaching before I made my breakthrough, I have made some progress. By the way, I've made your query the subject of my latest journal in the hope that somebody with personal experience regarding the water tower, homestead and well, all constructed of limestone and in crown allotment 12, Rye Township, will be able to supply further information.I though it was a good opportunity to remind the Nepean and Rye Historical Societies that every time they mention Robert Rowley, they should spare a thought for his lime-burning and cray fishing partner, Henry Cadby Wells.
I chose the 1914 assessment as the best place to start because I knew that property locations were described well. Hoping for a short cut, as the entries are alphabetical in each section, I looked for McDonald and Jennings but found neither. After going through the entire west riding, which took about two hours of squinting at entries written with diluted ink (only one tiny bit more legible than invisible ink),I found no mention of crown allotments 10, 11 and 12, Rye Township (between the Kanasta Caravan Park and the Dundas St/ Golf Pde corner, c/a 4 Nepean, south to the freeway reservation or crown allotments 20 and 21 Nepean, which I assumed to be Dod Jennings' Kariah.
I have a very naughty computer that sends emails (without me clicking send) and it did just that at this point. Steve replied:
Thanks, where do you find this information. It was the corner of Kent & Sussex. We lived on Golf Parade (all dirt roads at that time). At the time it was situated in thick bush. A Greek family (Passouilis) purchased some of the land, demolished the buildings and built a house. The Well was all that remained. On the opposite side of kent Road there was a limestone slab like a pestle (hollowed out on the inside).
The reason I missed the golf course land was because it was referred to as c/a 10, 11, 12, section A, Nepean. I did, however find that David Swan, carter of Rye, was assessed on crown allotment 10 and buildings,Rye. (Folio 84 >, assessment number 1681.) The nett annual value of David's property was 12 pounds; I did not record an acreage, perhaps because there wasn't one recorded but the NAV seems reasonable for a suburban allotment of 52 acres adjacent to the township. I also found that William Laverton Thompson, of Rye, importer, had crown allotments 1,2,3 section 5, immediately north of David Swan's land, that by 1919 had been purchased by James Little Brown.
The fact that Blair had been granted c/a10 and it was occupied by David Swan in 1914 recalls a huge battle between Charles Gavan Duffy and William Allison Blair that I discovered while researching Sidney Smith Crispo. They were acquiring huge tracts of land, Blair in both Wannaeue and Nepean, Duffy only in the latter parish. They were accusing each other of using unfair tactics and Duffy accused Swan, who did much fencing for Blair, of being a dummy bidder for Blair.
In view of Sorrento becoming so successful so early and dominating the west riding, it may surprise you to find that there was no township of Sorrento until well after Rye Township was declared. Crispo of Manners-Sutton/Canterbury (Blairgowrie) and "Eastbourne", who was an official of the Coastal Survey, suggested to the head of the Lands Department that a piece of land in dispute between Duffy and Blair be declared a village because there was no way to determine which had submitted his application first. It was declared soon after and the blocks sold in a flash.
Next, I tried the 1915 assessment, knowing I would at least find Jennings and Kariah. I did! Not knowing their given names, the rate collector had written:
Jennings, Rye, farmers, 221 acres and buildings,c/a 20, 21.(folio 72, Ass. No. 1431.)
My belief that Kariah consisted of 221 acresand not 212 had been proven.
J.L.Brown (called John in practically every assessment, but actually James) was assessed on 202 acres, c/a 10, 11, 12, section A, Nepean.(folio 66, A.N.1310.) I believe he was the builder of the water tower. As well as grubbing out ti tree and installing rabbit proof fencing, he reticulated water to water troughs. The limestone house and well may have been constructed by J.L.Brown as well but may have also been the work of P.and D.Sullivan. The map on page 57 of LAND LIME LEISURE shows: 11, marking the site of their first lime kiln in the Rye area, in almost the south east corner of the township, with the latitude perfect but an underarm throw too far east.
Dennis Sullivan, after Melbourne had been amazed by their gigantic cucumber and his wife, Honora, offended against the Masters and Servant Act, took his family to the Heads where they built a limestone IRISH BOG HOUSE in 1843 and burnt lime.They were dispossessed in 1852 by the construction of the Quarantine Station and son Patrick move lime burning activities to Rye. Blair would have dispossessed them again when he was granted 10, 11, 12 Rye Township (or section A Nepean) on 16-3-1869. I would be amazed if Blair built a homestead because he had no intention of residing on the land, only wanting the lime under it. Therefore, I believe the Sullivans built the limestone house and well sometime between 1852 and 1869.
My only question remaining concerned crown allotment 4, Nepean,south of the Golf Pde corner to the freeway reservation where it adjoined the Jennings' Kariah. Extending from Dundas St to the parish boundary with Wannaeue, Weeroona St, and consisting of 153 acres and 30 perches,it was granted to Blair on 19-6-1867.S.Lucas of Rye was assessed on 153 acres, crown allotment 4 Nepean in 1915. (folio 72, A.N. 1138.) He was also assessed on 36 section A Wannaeue of 158 acres which was being occupied by Ernest Keal. This latter piece of land,granted to Blair in 1875, was directly across Weeroona St from Kariah and adjoined the Tootgarook pre-emptive right. It must have been subdivided by 1919 and J.R.Jennings had 96 acres of it, according to the rate collector while Edward Keal of Rye was assessed on the whole 153 acres. Sounds just like the Brindle-McKeown debacle on Gracefield at Dromana! Talk about double-dipping!
LEAVE THE ROSEBUD FISHING VILLAGE (VIC., AUST.,) ALONE!
When I first started holidaying in the Rosebud area in the mid 1960's, I thought it was strange that there were houses between the road and the beach at Rosebud. During my research,I discovered that that this collection of houses is properly termed the Rosebud Fishing Village. In Isobel Moresby's ROSEBUD; FLOWER OF THE PENINSULA, she stated that the earliest fishermen living on the site had been crewmen of the "Rosebud", which was stranded in 1855 at a place marked by a cairn between the bike path and the fence of one of the fishing village blocks.
The first blocks in the Rosebud Fishing Village were granted (bought from the crown) on 16-8-1872. The idea of alienating this land was so fishermen could gain title to the land on which their dwelling had stood for some time. Henry Bucher, from Boston in the U.S.A. was the earliest documented resident there. He arrived in 1863 and his daughter, Rose was born in 1867, thought to be the first white child born at Rosebud. In 1872 and 1873, most of the fishermen had bought their blocks and in 1874 the land was gazetted for the Mechanics' Institute(which was used for the school until part of the present site was purchased from Woolcott in the 1880's.)
None of the other fishermen along the coast were given the right to buy the blocks on which their huts stood, the Watsons near the Heads, the Hutchins at Mornington, later Chatfield at Rosebud West and from about 1913, Walter Burnham on the site of the skate-park near Boneo Rd, his nearby ti tree jetty being painted from east and west by the great Arthur Boyd as a teenager. The Government probably only established the Rosebud Fishing Village because there was such a concentration of dwellings in such a small area.
The alienation of the village made sense because the residents were coastal dependent. Over time the blocks passed to others. For example, Fort Lacco's block on the west side of Durham Place passed to his sister in law, Emily Durham (nee King.) She had earlier married a Greek fisherman and had a son called Tony, who changed his surname when Emily remarried and was the grandfather of Judith Mavis Cock; better known to you as Judith Durham of The Seekers, she was born in 1943 and spent her first six summers in the timber house which has been demolished. Evelyn Gough, early women's libber and grandmother of Arthur Boyd, Edward Campbell, Lord Mayor of Melbourne, George Fountain,the last Mayor of the borough of North Melbourne, and Australia-wide hero, William Ferrier, were some of the later residents of the Rosebud Fishing Village.
My aim here is not to discuss the families that would be mentioned as part of a Heritage Walk along the Rosebud Fishing Village, but if your surname is in the surname list,your ancestors were probably grantees of village blocks/fishermen or ratepayers in 1879, 1900,1910 and 1919 and the Rosebud Fishing Village is part of your heritage. I urge you to support the Mornington Peninsula Ratepayers' and Residents' Association in their opposition to the building of a 3-4 storey apartment/cafe complex at 1A-1B Jetty Rd. If this permit is granted,it will be open slather for all the other blocks and the remaining heritage remnants. It was once described as a pretty little village (see below)but if this is allowed, the heritage of the village will go the same way as that of the once beautiful St Kilda Rd.
I urge you to email the Manager, Strategic Services, Mornington Peninsula Shire on custserv@mornpen.vic.gov.au and object to the granting of the permit for the 3 or 4 storey apartment/cafe complex on 1A-1B Jetty Rd on the grounds that its bulk and appearance does not conform to the historic character of the 130 year old Rosebud Fishing Village. A copy to the Mayor, Lynn Bowden (lynn.bowden@mornpen.vic.gov.au)would be helpful. Submissions close on 14-2-2013.
Read about the pretty village and the hero.
(P.2, South Bourke and Mornington Journal, 17-10-1877; A QUIET OUTING.)
The morning dawning bright and beautiful, we according to arrangement started in good time along an excellent metal road, our guide pointing out, as we proceeded, the beautifully situated seat of the late J. B. Burrell, Esq., J.P., and the South Channel Lighthouse, with the remarkably neat quarters of the lightkeepers. Passing the tidy looking vineyard of Capt. Adams, we suddenly came to the end of the metalled road and delved into pure sand at a place which we were told was called the 'Rosebud' fishing village, consisting, as most fishing villages do, of a number of straggling cottages and huts, the fleet of boats, with their sails glistening under the sun in the distance, accounting for the seeming want of life on shore.
(P.7, The Argus, 27-3-1878; THE TORPEDO DEFENCE OF THE SOUTH CHANNEL.)
Having made a careful survey of the locality, Captain Ellery has .decided that the most suitable spot in the channel for laying down torpedoes is the nnrrow portion near the little fishing village of Rosebud, just beyond Dromana. The channel here is about two miles wide, but owing to the shallowness of the water on either side only about a mile and a half will have to be laid with torpedoes.
(P.4, Mornington Standard, 29-7-1897.) FLINDERS AND KANGERONG SHIRE. (Extract.)
ROSEBUD. A small fishing village on Port Phillip bay at foot of Capel sound and Arthurs seat; 3 miles from Dromana. Louis Anderson, postmaster. Population, 90.
(P.3, Mornington and Dromana Standard, 9-10-1909; A VISITOR'S IMPRESSIONS OF THE PENINSULA.)
Three miles from Dromana is the pretty little fishing village of Rosebud, which lovers of quietude and nature study might do worse than select for their holiday. It possesses a post office, Mechanics' Institute, jetty, and a fine beach.
(P.2, The Argus, 28-3-1946.)
Crown Land Sought At Rosebud. Mr Galvin, Minister for Lands, was asked yesterday by a deputation from Rosebud and surrounding seaside centres for an acre of Crown land, close to the Rosebud Recreational Reserve, for the erection of public utilities, including a hall, library, and infant welfare centre. He was opposed to the alienation of the people's land unless it could be proved that the use of the land by the public would not be stopped, Mr Galvin said. However, he would inspect the area.(P.2, The Argus, 28-3-1946.)
The footy ground (shown in the Rose series) was on today's Village Green, with its south boundary only about 30 metres from the Rosebud Hotel and the publican's son, Doug Bachli, honed his golfing skills on the ground. Mr Galvin's comments were very similar to the Coastal Management Plan and if the character of the fishing village is to be destroyed by greedy developers, the Crown needs to reverse the alienation of the fisherman's village by resuming the land.
FERRIER THE HERO.
The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929) Monday 27 November 1905 p 4 Article
... FERRIER THE HERO. The heroism of Mr. William Ferrier, who distinguished himself in rescue work in ... Australia. Mr. Ferrier went out to the wreck in a dinghy, and it is appro priate that the members of the ... This club is forwarding a gold medal for presentation to Mr. Ferrier, with the following inscription:- ... 235 words
Sorry but I didn't have time to open the pages and correct the text.
THE HERO OF A WRECK. PRESENTATION TO W. FERRIER.
The North Western Advocate and the Emu Bay Times (Tas. : 1899 - 1919) Friday 15 December 1905 p 3 Article
... THE HERO OF A WRECK. PRESENTATION TO W. FERRIER. Melbourne, Thursday.-A public presentation puDiic pre sentation was made last night to William Ferrier, the hero of the La Bella wreck at Warroambool on the night of Novem ber 10. The young man waa accorded an enthusiastic ovation. ... 47 words
HERO OF SHIPWRECK 32 YEARS AGO Queenscliff Fisherman's Death QUEENSCLIFF, December 20.
The Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954) Tuesday 21 December 1937 p 9 Article
... HERO OF SHIPWRECK 32 YEARS AGO Queenscliff Fisherman's Death QUEENSCLIFF, December 20. Hero of a wreck rescue 32 years ago, Mr. William Ferrier (57), fisherman, of Queenscliff, died after a seizure ... near Warrnambool, Mr. Ferrier put out in a 14ft. dinghy through heavy seas and rescued the captain and ... 200 words
Family Notices
The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956) Saturday 16 July 1927 p 13 Family Notices
... 1 1 roderick Pi ace perfect peace FrRRIlR- On the 15th Jills it her pirents resid,nee, Rosebud, Beach street Queenscliff, I lien Lobe! (Jean) dearls loved eldest daugh ter of William and I ranees Ferrier dearlv loved slsler ol Aal AMIlic Alice F rink Stelhen Colin, Jack, Nelson Olive Afansls, ... 10052 words
feature story - Wooden Boat
www.woodenboat.com.au/features/story.asp?story=10316
MyState Australian Wooden Boat Festival .... the organisation handed over a cheque to his good mate Lewis Ferrier to assist in the upkeep of his boat 'Rosebud.
Rosebud, Victoria - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosebud,_Victoria
Rosebud is a sea side town on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia .... called the Harbour Master at Queenscliff, gave the same name to his fishing boat. ... ships that Ferrier did on the internal timber lining of the South Pile Lighthouse.
[PDF]
Queenscliff Maritime Weekend - Queenscliff Harbour
www.queenscliffharbour.com.au/.../HarbourNews_Apr2011.pdf
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
Wooden Boat Shop set up an impromptu office ... Lewis Ferrier's fishing boat Rosebud, was drawn up to the ... wooden boat and more to the point, I love the way ...
Here's the submission that I sent to council.(seventh try and...
Oh noes. The page I requested is not here. Again! )
THE HISTORY OF DROMANA, VIC., AUST.,BY FRANKIE. (PART 1.)
THIS JOURNAL IS INTENDED TO CONVEY MY ADMIRATION OF THE FIRST AUSTRALIANS. I HAVE CHOSEN TO TELL THIS HISTORY, WHICH COVERS A PORTION OF AUSTRALIA'S HISTORY ON THE SAME RATIO AS A PIMPLE TO AN ORANGE, THROUGH THE PERSON OF ONE OF THESE FIRST AUSTRALIANS. AS IT IS ENTIRELY FACTUAL, THE FIRST AUSTRALIAN IS FACTUAL, BUT IN CASE ANY OFFENCE IS CAUSED TO OUR FIRST PIONEERS, HIS NAME HAS BEEN CHANGED.
"TANTI", A HISTORY TOLD THROUGH THE MOUTH OF AN ABORIGINAL BOY, AND DEALING WITH ABORIGINAL CUSTOMS, IS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE MORNINGTON PENINSULA LIBRARY.
All facets of this story are true, gathered from scores of histories, except for Frankie's family's supposed involvement with them.
I'm a white fella now, so if you happen to come across me on the two bays trail or Eatons Cutting Road, you'll never recognise me. I was born in about 1832, about three years before John Batman (who had plenty of mates from the Sydney mob) and that dwarf, John Pascoe Fawkner, started squabbling over who was the founder of Batmanville, Bearbrass, the Settlement or whatever, finally named after the Prime Minister (instead of the King,because the sandbar would hamper its progress, making William's town a better site.)
I died in 1851 at the age of 19. Now you white fellas probably don't know this, but when we die, we come back as white fellas. That's why the mob on the other side of Nerm took such good care of William Buckley who escaped from Sullivan's Bay near Sorrento in 1803; they thought he was a re-incarnated member of their mob.We usually go walkabout after we die but I decided to hang around in case the other white fellas were not as considerate to my country and Kulin as Georgiana and Henry*, whom I met at the age of 13 while Henry was building Georgiana's house on Wonga. (The house is still there and you call it the McCrae Homestead.) So I've been keeping an eye on your mob (in my retirement!) for 161 years.(*Tuck.)
When I saw itellya's journals at an internet cafe, I just knew he was the bloke to write my story. He told me he was too busy, still having to finish his journals about Melbourne Brindle,the dictionary history of Red Hill and so on, but his obsession finally got the better of him. But he said I had to quote sources so that people would believe what I said. I said, "Listen Sport, (love that word)my people have been keeping their history alive by word of mouth for thousands of years and I don't recall the elders quoting sources. When I told the policemen about the four masons asking the Maori fisherman from Rosebud to take them to the quarantine station, he didn't want sources, just what I saw. And that's what my story is!"
The oldest piece of history I know comes from the dreamtime. I learned it, along with the men's and women's places and so on,when I was preparing for manhood. It was a vast plain with a river running through it where the Boon Wurrung could hunt and fish. We didn't have a name for places; names were more like descriptions of features of the place. Wonga (Arthurs Seat) was our word for the pigeon, very populous in the scrubby bushland on the mountain and our phrase, corrupted to rename the Saltwater River, means "I can hear a ring-tail possum."
My dad and the rest of our clan used to get together with the Wurundjeri where the Fitzroy gardens are now. One day he was standing near the waterfall that used to be near William St, when Surveyor Wedge pointed to the tumbling water and said "Name?" Dad replied, "Yarra Yarra," referring to the tumbling water, not the river, but the river was given this name because of a misunderstanding.It used to flow out between the Heads, with an S shaped course near Corsair Rock which is one of the factors making the rip dangerous, and meet Launceston's Tamar River in Bass Strait. Nerm rapidly filled with water during an incredible storm that was probably caused by earthquakes. We could no longer walk across Nerm to the Werribee River, which was our boundary with the Geelong mob but we still retained the coastal strip, south of the Freshwater River, to Werribee.
We shared a lot of vocabulary with the Wurundjeri, who shared it with other mobs so the pigeon is recalled by places as far apart as Wonga Park and Yarrawonga. We got on fairly well with the Wurundjeri, who lived north of the Yarra and east of the Maribyrnong and owned the famous Mt William axe quarry near Lancefield.The close correlation of our vocabularies probably had as much to do with our marriage partners coming from the other mob as did our shared festivities. We were far more wary of mixing with the mobs near Geelong and Dandenong. (Don't you love the music in our words?)
My dad stayed at George Langhorne's aboriginal mission where Melbourne's botanical gardens are now. He used to help in the garden and remembers when Tullamarine (called Bunja Logan by the white fellas)got into trouble for stealing potatoes. Tullamarine later got into real trouble for leading an attack on John Aitken's "Mt Aitken" but he and Gin gin escaped the first lockup by setting fire to the thatched roof. A fella called John Thomas Smith came down from Sydney to teach at the mission school but the money wasn't much good so he went into business. The next thing you know he's built Ascot House at Ascot Vale and Nyora at Mt Eliza, which became the Ranelagh Guest House.
I remember John Aitken. I was about four, so it would have been in early 1836 that the Chili went aground near Dromana. All of Aitken's sheep had to be carried ashore. Mum and the other lubras, who were collecting yam roots near the shore, called my dad and the other men who helped Aitken save his flock. The terrified sheep were in poor condition and it was only after grazing on what became the "Dalkeith" Run for some time that they were ready to tackle the long walk to Melbourne.
I remember John Pascoe Fawkner too. When the Princes Bridge over the Yarra was almost finished, Georgiana McCrae took me up to see the opening. She went to see her good friend and fellow culture vulture, Governor Latrobe, and took me with her.As luck would have it, the Governor's wife was indisposed and Georgiana pretended to be her. I thought the deception was hilarious but Georgiana swore me to secrecy. Okay, I broke the promise but keeping it for about 113 years is almost 113 years better than the average woman can manage.
(I don't know who janilye is but itellya said I'd better add: janilye excepted!)
Anyway I saw this little man, only 5 feet 2 inches tall, acting as if he owned the place.Georgiana told me how Captain Lancey, on Fawkner's behalf, had arrived at the waterfall, after being warned off by Jemmy Gumm and the others left at Indented Head as watchdogs when Batman returned to Launceston. Fawkner had to be put ashore to settle some financial matters so the Enterprize could leave but he started a seasickness excuse to explain his absence. When I arrived home, I didn't breathe a word about Georgiana's deception despite everyone asking me why I was sniggering to myself.
I did mention Fawker though. My dad told me how he met Fawkner when they both only about 10 years old as the clan moved along the Nerm coast. As boys do, they played at wrestling, climbing trees, drawing on the ground and digging with sticks and making rude noises with their armpits. Dad showed young Johnny two things. The first thing was a game called Marngrook which involved kicking and catching a possum skin ball. Already a budding capitalist, young Fawkner dismissed the idea as a money-making scheme. He stuck to this decision even though dad suggested a name-change might improve its popularity, perhaps something short like AFL.
The second thing was shown during their drawing and digging with sticks. In places where there had been a cooking fire the strange white stuff under the ground had turned to powder. Dad showed Johnny what happened to the powder when it was wet. Captain Collins left Sullivan's Bay soon afterwards to establish Hobart, taking John's father and the other convicts(minus Buckley)as well as the militia and free settlers. Young Johnny was brought up well (in the den of iniquity that Hobart was) by his mother, Hannah (nee Pascoe)after whom a street on Gowanbrae was named at itellya's suggestion, and would have got to know Robert Rowley's parents. Robert's father, a former soldier, drowned while combining boat-fishing and drinking and his mother married Richard Kenyon.Robert's mother and stepfather were the first longtime lime burners near the Heads and John Fawkner was a very early lime merchant in Melbourne. I'm not sure but the Kenyons probably worked for Fawkner.
Talk of Robert Rowley reminds me of when I was about eight or nine and met his mate, Henry Cadby Wells. You might wonder how Wells Rd got its name. Explorers in the Western district raved on about how my people were so clever building eel races there. But we had them everywhere; Solomon's Ford at Avondale Heights, Eel Race Rd at Seaford and so on.Mum, dad and I had one at Eeling Creek that today enters the bay through a drain under the car park on the east side of Tom Salt Park at Rosebud. We had just cooked a huge eel when along came a young white fella and his pregnant lubra. They had followed bullock tracks from Melbourne and despite a couple of day's rest at Stone's hotel to break their walk, they were exhausted, especially the missus.
My dad was a compassionate man so he invited the young couple to share our eel and some conversation, and camp with us for the night which was fast approaching.My dad was also a clever man and a realist.Even though I was a toddler, he insisted that I speak to George Langhorne and other white fellas at the mission school to learn English. He, himself, learnt most of his English from that wonderful man, Protector Thomas, as well as helping Thomas to compile a vocabulary of our language. This mainly happened while Thomas was waiting, with increasing impatience, to get to Tuerong so he could get the Boon Wurrung away from the corrupting influence of Melbourne. Chief Protector Robinson, a well-motivated man, because of his delays, was responsible for the demise of my people-as much as his lack of understanding of connection with country and his decision to settle Truganina's mob on Flinders island led to theirs. Mum and I continued our education at Tuerong until with much wailing and pleading, and lubra's trailing the cart, Protector Thomas was forced to return to Melbourne because of his wife's ill-health.
So it was that we were able to carry on a fluent conversation with the young couple. Hannah told us that they had lost their first child, Mary, (then called Polly at the captain's suggestion)and said that they would give the same name and nickname to their soon-to- be-born child if it was a girl. (It was and they did, Polly being born on the site of the Koonya Hotel at Sorrento, the first child born to permanent settlers on the Peninsula.)
Henry asked dad what the tree on the foreshore with the twisted branches was and why it didn't grow further inland. He was talking about ti tree and dad said that it would be everywhere if we didn't do our regular burns
to maintain open woodlands and make hunting easier. (A trick James Little Brown used to restore a rabbit and ti tree infested hinterland 69 years later.)
Henry had been puzzled by two very faint, and obviously rarely used, dray tracks near Arthurs Seat, one heading up the hill just before a ti tree swamp (and a spring that fed it) and another set that disappeared into the sea near the rocks. Dad explained that drays could get around the rocks on the sand but they had to wait for low tide. I asked Henry where he was going and why. I don't have to tell you where he was going. He was going there to burn lime in partnership with Robert Rowley. Robert had visited the Kenyons in 1839, but probably did not join their partnership,perhaps for personal reasons. He obviously retained his connection with the Apple Isle as he married his bride, Christina Edwards, in Longford, Tasmania. Henry and Robert probably worked together for about half of the 1840's but their market was affected by the 1840's depression, which caused a downturn in demand for mortar. Henry returned to his bootmaking trade in Richmond.More of these two later in relation to crayfishing.
There were few people near Arthur's Seat in the 1840's. There were limeburners from what is now Marks Ave to Point Nepean, the most easterly being established by Edward Hobson before leaving the Tootgarook Run in the capable hands of Peter Purves and tending his brother's Run (and naming the area Traralgon from the local mob's phrase for something to do with rivers.)The market gardening and Masters and Servants Act-breaking Sullivans arrived at the Quarantine site in 1843 but had to move east in 1852, machinery-breaking activist and ex-convict, James Ford supposedly jumped ship, named Portsea, gained a wife and gardening expertise from the Sullivans, and prospered. Owen Cain arrived in the early 1840's and set up his limeburning operation on Tyrone, experiencing heartburn when his 4 year old daughter became lost in the wilderness for four days,refusing to answer searchers' calls in case they were from a savage (Like me!) The Skeltons were early limeburners on Shelley Beach which should be called Skelly (short for Skelton)Beach.
Nearer to Arthurs Seat were the Meyricks on the Boneo Run, a succession of occupants on the Cape Schanck Run, the McCraes on the Arthurs Seat Run and Henry Dunn who leased Jamieson's Special Survey (formerly part of Edward Hobson's Kangerong Run) from 1846 to 1851. It was fairly quiet near Arthurs Seat and there were plenty of kangaroos so there was no need for us to kill sheep or cattle to survive;in the name of SPORT that was soon going to change!
END OF PART 1.
Hang on, I just had a flood of memories from the 1840's.The first one was from Tuerong when I thought the English had two different kings at the same time. Protector Thomas was telling me about the king and his crown, beautiful horses and carriage and so on. When I asked him where the King lived, he pointed to the bit of land sticking out into Nerm where we used to get the fish you call schnapper and said, "Far away over the sea." Then we sang a hymn about the king of Hebben. I asked if this was the king of England and Mr Thomas said he was the king of everywhere.Then I enquired where he lived and he pointed up in the air. That made sense; if you're king of everywhere, you'd need a high lookout to keep an eye on all your subjects.
I became a friend of the McCraes' tutor, John McLure, and George McCrae, and when I was 8, we followed Georgina and a man I thought was a doctor (because his name was Surgeon Franklin) as they walked to the top of Arthurs Seat. I asked George if Surgeon Franklin used a saw and John chuckled," It's Siiiir John because he is a very important man and has been the Governor of Van Dieman's Land. He climbed to the top in 1802 with his uncle, Matthew Flinders, so they could see the size of your Nerm."
THE McKEOWNS OF RED HILL AND DROMANA, VIC., AUST.
I recommend that you read my HILL HILLIS and GRACEFIELD journal first.
I WILL FIX UP THE FORMATTING SHORTLY BUT RIGHT NOW I INTEND TO HAVE SOME FUN WITH AN OFFBEAT HISTORY OF DROMANA.
THE McKEOWNS OF RED HILL AND DROMANA.
The McKeown grants at Red Hill are discussed at some length in my Red Hill and Hill Hillis journals.Colin McLear has much information about the family in his A DREAMTIME OF DROMANA, mainly on pages 86-7. As shown earlier, the family's move to Dromana would have occurred in 1885 the year he vacated Musgrove Farm and occupied Gracefield, not 1889 as stated by Colin.
Colin lists James and Catherine's twelve children,providing the birth and death year of each.(if you would like the details request this in comments.) James and his second child,Henry, built the Aringa Guest House in about 1892 on the corner of Foote and Clarendon Sts. (It will be interesting to see if we can find which corner from the 1919 rates!) There is a picture of Aringa on page 49. Confusingly, Colin said, on page 130, that the land set aside for a National School,on the north westcorner of McArthur and Clarendon Sts, was part of the site occupied by McKeown's Aringa guesthouse.
Only two of the seven daughters married and the idea of establishing Aringa was to provide the girls with a livelihood. Colin vaguely states that only one son married but luckily I can find out his name from a man who was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia on Australia Day, 2013 for services to the community and veterans. He is Ian McKeown, a retired soldier and long-time member of the Dromana Historical Society. It was Henry (b.1865 d. 1916) whose descendants carry on the McKeown name;Edith was the last of James and Catherine's offspring to die, apparently having chalked up a century (1886-1987), but had become Mrs Bill Dyson.The other daughter to marry was Maud (1876-1945), who married Archibald Vine Shaw.
A descendant of this marriage has requested Cr Graeme Pittock to have a reserve near Edith Place and Atunga Terrace named the McKeown-Shaw Reserve.(Copy of letter at museum in DROMANA FAMILIES folder.) Edith Place was probably named after Mrs Bill Dyson.
Colin said that Bill was the only son who stayed in Dromana and the others moved away to work for the railways or P.M.G. Colin was born too late to know of Arthur's orchard at Melway 159 F 11. Arthur was probably forced off his land by the depression which started shortly after Colin's birth. James (1867-1935), the third child and second son, was one of the railway employees.
JUDICIAL AND LAW NOTICES
After the expiration of fourteen days from the publication hereof application will be made to the Supreme Court of Victoria in Its Probate Jurisdiction that LETTERS of ADMINISTRATION of the estate of JAMES HUTCHISON McKEOWN, formerly of Dromana, in the State of Victoria, but late of Branxholme in the said State, station master, deceased, intestate, left unadministered by Isabella Hervey McKeown of Aringa, Dromana aforesaid, spinster, deceased, the administratrix of the said estate may be granted to Ethel May McKeown, of Dromana aforesaid, spinster, a sister and one of the next of kin of the deceased.
Dated this 20th day of May 1935 WILLIAM S COOK A, MCCALLUM Temple Court 423 Collins street Melbourne. (P.1, Argus,30-5-1935.)
It mystifies me that beautiful Eva (photo on P.87 of Colin's book) did not find a husband. As well as her looks, Eva, who was fond of ferns, needlework and painting, regularly won prizes related to those interests at the Dromana show. Eva would have been about 16 at the time of the Boer War, in which her brother Ernie fought, and she may have given her heart to one of his comrades who never returned (and could never marry another.) Sounds like a good plot for a women's weepie anyway!
Ernest went to the Boer War with 5VMR (VICTORIAN MOUNTED RIFLES) and settled on the land in Queensland after this elaborate welcome home.
DROMANA. A troop of horsemen rode as far as Mt. Martha to meet and escort back Trooper M'Keown. The cavalcade formed up two deep and gave three cheers. A saddle horse being provided, our soldier had to mount and take his place in the ranks. Reforming, they rode back to Dromana, two greys leading, on one our gallant 5th man, on the other our veteran of the Seaforths, bearing the ensign which was floating gaily over the other's head. People rushed forward to greet the warrior; bouquets and bows were given. At the school Mr Rogers gave the children a few words of Imperialistic exhortation and called for three cheers. Our hero was then escorted home and invited to the social that evening by Constable Edwards.
A concert and social was held in the Mechanics' Institute on 1st May to welcome home Trooper E. M'Keown, of the Fifth Contingent. The hall was packed and crowds at the door could not get in. Amongst the returned soldiers were Troopers Allison and Purves. The weather was perfect and everyone seemed to come together for a real night's enjoyment, and they were fully satisfied ere the meeting terminated. Was nought wi'oot the lassies, 0 !" And the committee were wise in emulating that great king's example in calling on the ladies to help. The result was that the bare walls of the hall were transformed into a leafy bower-verdant with graceful fronds, bright with many a flower ; a special item being a large "Welcome home," in cotton on a red ground, and neat khaki rosettes, with red white and blue ribbon, the handiwork of Mrs H. Wilson.
With rural punctuality, i.e.five minutes past time, Constable Edwards took the chair, a duty which he filled with more grace than ease, but he was favored with the handling of a good programme, each number being filled and well rendered, besides being very appropriate,such as "The Old Brigade," "The Young Brigade," "Charge of the Light Brigade," "Deathless Army" and, best of all, "Home SweetHome," by Mrs H. W. Wilson.
A special feature of the evening was a presentation of a travelling bag to Trooper M'Keown from his friends and town men. The bag is fitted with all toilet requisites and a silver plate, suitably inscribed outside. The
honor of presenting fell by election on Mr Buchan who, wearing the medal and clasp for Imperial service in Central Asia Chitral-spoke feelingly on the sore point in connection with the Fifth, and said many people condemn those gallant men, themselves never disturbed at night by more than a fox in their hen house, whereas
that troop of men were placed in one of the most trying ordeals men were ever called upon to endure, but they had behaved right well, and so wisely that Wilaumsrust, as far as they are concerned, was no bug-bear on the history of Australia, but, with all the other gallant acts, went towards the great flag of peace which, if slowly, was surely being woven o'er the veldt of South Africa. "We present this bag to you," he said, "as a token that we esteem you as a townsman and admire you as a soldier and a man." Trooper M'Kcown suitably
responded, after which " Rule Brittania" and "National Anthem" brought the enjoyable proceedings to a close. Supper was then served in true Dromana style, and games and dancing occupied those who are of the " light fantastic' till the sma' oors o' the morn. Amongst those who contributed to the musical programme were Messrs Rogers, Wheeler, Simpson, Moore, B. Wilson and Miss E. Boag.
The festive spirit of Dromana was fully gratified on Tuesday night at an "At Home," given by Mr and Mrs M'Keown, of " Aringa," in honor of their soldier son. Seventy-three people assembled and a happy evening was spent by one and all. Untiring in their efforts the Misses M'Keown, ably assisted by Miss Kellet, were able to see their preparations developing into fruition of full fun and frolic Young folks, old folks and folks of middle age in each room--some few and some more numerous--engaged according to taste in different games-shooting gallery, quoits, music, singing and dancing.
Supper was served at 11 p.m, during which one person, at least, got a shock and surprise. Mr Buchan was quietly listened to as he gave an account of how, when the the Caledonian Singers were being driven by Mr F. Counsel, a horrible accident was averted by his (Mr C.'s) careful and steady handling of the 3 horse team. A bolt had broken in the brake lever, consequently the pressure relaxed and the drag got away on the horses. It was on Red Hill cutting it occurred, where certain death for a few moments stared us all in the face, but to a kind and gracious providence we felt our gratitude was to our plucky driver, and I was commissioned by the Caledonian Singers to present you, Mr Counsel, with the token of their gratitude and regard (The article
consisted of a neat morocco case, enclosing two razors) Mr Counsel showed by his silent eloquence that he was too much taken by surprise to speak, too grateful to express his feelings.
A hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr and Mrs M'Keown and family for the happy evening. The roosters again being awakened early by the sound of retreating hoofs at - o'clock.
(P.2, Mornington Standard, 10-2-1902.)
Colin was born in 1928, so this helps to give a time frame to his statement on page 86: "The Gracefield orchard was a magnet in my childhood for the local boys with a streak of Huckleberry Finn in them. By then Bill McKeown looked after it and here he kept hundreds of beehives, the honey from which was marketed by Barnes Honey. He also traded honey and vegetables down the Peninsula." (Mr Barnes, who had a holiday house in Rosebud, probably organised the contract himself.)
In 1900, James McKeown was assessed on 250 acres, 14 acres, 2 lots, Kangerong. Pretty meaningless, but at least you'll remember that the 250 acre property was "Gracefield". We'll possibly get some detail on the others later. The penny dropped in 1910 and James was assessed on the 22 acre Gracefield homestead block instead of the whole 250 acres.He was also assessed on 1 lot 2 of 3 Dromana,and 14 acres 2 lots and buildings Kangerong.
THE 36 ACRES.
Arthur John McKeown,orchardist, of Dromana was also assessed in 1910. Arthur (1873-1937) was the sixth child and fourth son. He had 34.5 acres (four fifths of 2, 11, 13, 14 Kangerong) and 36 acres near tower (late Rudduck) Kangerong. The description again is vague but luckily I had researched the exact 36 acres in the course of writing ADAMS'CORNER.
Crown allotments 5 and 6 of section D of 18.0.20 and 18.0.13, a total of 36 acres and 33 perches, were granted to Captain Henry Everest Adams on 27-11-1863. This land was located on the western side of Towerhill Rd and today adjoins Arthurs Seat Park to the north and west, its southern boundary being a straight line just north of Arthurs Seat Rd and touching in places,with its corners at the parking area near Arthurs (Hotel) and Seawind Lane/Fitzgerald Rise (part of Towerhill Rd.)Roughly,its location can be given as Melway 159 right half E11 and left half F11, with Nestle Court being on c/a 6.
Adams' neighbour across Towerhill Rd was George Henderson, a butcher and Flinders and Kangerong shire councillor, and Ben Hards who had a large grant across Pindara Rd in the parish of Wannaeue also received the grant for allotment 4, downhill from the old sea salt's grant. As you can see, "near tower" was a fairly apt description of the 36 acres. Was it just a bushblock? In the notes I made, the land was fenced by 1874 (soon after Henry's son, Robert Henry Adams had married the 19 year old Mary Jane Hopcraft, Gentlewoman, with Robert claiming that his parents had married before his birth!) Mary Jane had soon resolved not to live in the same house (later called Hopetoun House, on the site of the McCrae Carwash) as Henry not only over-indulged in the consumption of his Vivyan Vineyard produce but wanted Mary Jane's children to try it.By 1877, Robert had applied for a lease of land in the acute angle formed by the north end of Tucks Rd and Mornington-Flinders between the grants of William Hopcraft across the former road and John Hopcraft across the latter.
By 1880, the young couple had virtually kicked the captain out of Hoptoun House and he went to live with friends in South Melbourne. He didn't live much longer. I've spent two hours or more looking, in vain, for a circa 1880 advertisement placed by Captain Adams who was leaving the district and wished to sell his 36 acres.
THE Friends of Mr HENRY EVERIST ADAMS,of Dromana, are respectfully invited to follow his remains to the place of interment,the Melbourne General Cemetery.(P.8, Argus, 4-11-1881.)
NOTICE is hereby given, that after the expiration of fourteen days from the publication of this notice application will be made to the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria, in its Probate jurisdiction, that PROBATE of the LAST WILL and TESTAMENT of HENRY EVERIST ADAMS, late of Vivyan Vineyard, near Dromana, in the colony of Victoria, landowner, deceased, be granted to Eliza Adams, of Vivyan Vineyard, near Dromana aforesaid, the widow of the said deceased, and sole executrix named in and appointed by the said will.Dated this 7th day of November, 1881.HUGHES and MICHIE. 53 William-street, Melbourne, proctors for the said Eliza Adams. (P.3, Argus, 7-11-1881.)
By 1882, Robert Adams was assessed on the 36 acres,a situation repeated until 1887 inclusive. In 1888 an unknown person was leasing the 36 acres from the owner, R.Adams. From 1889 until 1896 inclusive, Nelson Rudduck was leasing the 36 acres from Robert Adams.From 1897 to 1903 Mrs Jane Rudduck (not a widow!) was assessed on 136 acres (100+36) and in 1906 on 36 acres near the tower.I think that this is a reasonable chain of evidence that the Rudducks had Henry Everest Adams' grants.
AND, OF COURSE, THE CHAIN OF EVIDENCE IS CONTINUED IN THE 1910 RATES WHEN ARTHUR McKEOWN'S 36 ACRES IS STATED AS BEING "LATE RUDDUCK" AND "NEAR TOWER".
By 1919, Arthur had 66.5 acres, being crown allotments 3 to 6 of Section D, Dromana (Township.) This took his boundary north to adjoin the present back fence line of the houses on the south side of Wunda St (Melway 159 F9.) He may have been forced off his land by the depression circa 1930 while Colin McLear was still a toddler, which would explain why Colin remembered Bill but not Arthur.
Bill had 23 acres and orchard, crown allotment 2, section E, Dromana (Township.) This is a poor description because c/a 2 consisted of 15 acres and 14 perches. I believe that the 23 acres was a description of c/a 1 of 23 acres and 2 roods immediately over Palmerston Ave from Verdon St. To quote Colin:"(James and Henry) also developed another orchard on the side of Arthurs Seat above the head of Verdon St." I believe crown allotment 2 was called the orchard and Bill, still tending the Gracefield orchard and keeping hives there as well, lived on c/a 1. Therefore his land was between Towerhill Rd and Caldwell Rd (adjoining Gracefield) from Palmerston Ave (the freeway) to the Maud Rd/Michael St midline. I believe that when Bachelor Bill died, the 23 acre c/a 1, fronting Palmerston Ave was left to his sister Maud (Mrs Archibald Vine Shaw), after whom Maud St seems to have been named, or perhaps a portion, with another portion going to Mrs Bill Dyson (nee Edith McKeown)after whom another street would appear to have been named.
James McKeown's mystifying 14 acres in 1910 was probably crown allotment 2, section E, Dromana Township of 15 acres and 14 perches, where he and Henry "had developed an orchard above the head of Verdon St,the same block that I presume was Bill's orchard in 1919." His two lots, Dromana, were probably crown allotments 9 and 10, section 2, Township of Dromana,granted to fellow Red Hill pioneer, F.E.Windsor.Being on the north (beach) side of Clarendon St between Foote and McArthur Sts, this makes sense of Colin McLear's claim that Aringa was: (a)on the corner of Foote and Clarendon; (b)on the north west corner of McArthur and Clarendon.
NAMES THAT HAVE VANISHED FROM the SURNAMES LIST for my journal "ASCOT VALE HERITAGE WALK". (part 2)
I happened to notice that a large proportion of the surname list for the ASCOT VALE HERITAGE WALK journal had disappeared. The missing surnames are listed here and in this surnames list so I can check that none disappear from this surname list too.
HIGGINS, WILLIAMS, MCFARLANE, STEWART, FAIRBAIRN, MORGAN, MACKINTOSH, MOORE, KAWKA, BARLOW, SMITH, STRONGMAN, JACKSON, GILLESPIE, COOK, MURDOCH, ABRAHAMS, MCKENZIE, ANDERSON, BURCHETT, RAWSTHORN, DAVEY, WILLMAN, DREW,
DIXON, BREEZE, FLEMING, BLOOMFIELD, BULLEN, BRUNTON, LEITH, MCCULLY, CURRIE, TAYLOR, FENTON, COLE, MCDOUGALL, POMEROY, CLARK, CAMERON, BUCHANAN, TURNER, PUCKLE, RILEY, WREN, NATHAN, (46 SURNAMES)
The same thing happened here so I will break this into part 1 and part 2.
Part 1 will contain a surnames list for the first 24 surnames (Higgins to Drew) above.
This journal (part 2)is to place ( and hopefully keep)the following surnames in the surnames list:DIXON, BREEZE, FLEMING, BLOOMFIELD, BULLEN, BRUNTON, LEITH, MCCULLY, CURRIE, TAYLOR, FENTON, COLE, MCDOUGALL, POMEROY, CLARK, CAMERON, BUCHANAN, TURNER, PUCKLE, RILEY, WREN, NATHAN,(22 names.)
NAMES THAT HAVE VANISHED FROM the SURNAMES LIST for my journal "ASCOT VALE HERITAGE WALK". (part 1)
I happened to notice that a large proportion of the surname list for the ASCOT VALE HERITAGE WALK journal had disappeared. The missing surnames are listed here and in this surnames list so I can check that none disappear from this surname list too.
HIGGINS, WILLIAMS, MCFARLANE, STEWART, FAIRBAIRN, MORGAN, MACKINTOSH, MOORE, KAWKA, BARLOW, SMITH, STRONGMAN, JACKSON, GILLESPIE, COOK, MURDOCH, ABRAHAMS, MCKENZIE, ANDERSON, BURCHETT, RAWSTHORN, DAVEY, WILLMAN, DREW, DIXON, BREEZE, FLEMING, BLOOMFIELD, BULLEN, BRUNTON, LEITH, MCCULLY, CURRIE, TAYLOR, FENTON, COLE, MCDOUGALL, POMEROY, CLARK, CAMERON, BUCHANAN, TURNER, PUCKLE, RILEY, WREN, NATHAN, (46 SURNAMES)
The same thing happened here so I will break this into part 1 and part 2.
Part 1 will contain a surnames list for the first 24 surnames (Higgins to Drew) above.