World War 1 - Gottlob Schafter - Alleged Spy
"Lifting" Cherries at Doncaster (1908)
At the Box Hill police court on Friday, before Messrs Walker (chairman) and Ingatnells, J's.P., two boys, named respectively Herbert A. Wadham and Ernest Rohl, were charged by Constable Dent with stealing cherries from the orchard of Reinhold Dehnert, in Waldau road, East Doncaster, on December 1. Senior-constable O'Leary prosecuted, and Mr Wadham appeared for the youthful defendants. Albert Dehnert deposed that about 4 o'clock on the afternoon of Sunday, December 1, he was in his father's orchard when he saw the accused picking cherries. He chased them and they ran into the road towards two bicycles, which they mounted and rode off.
Witness followed, and Wadham fell and was caught. Wadham had some cherries in his shirt, and near where the bicycles were, two bags full of cherries were found. One was an oatmeal bag and the other a school bag. Witness took Wadham to the police station, and on the road they met Rohl, and Wadham told his mate not to come near, but clear out. Rohl would not do so, and all three went to the police station, where Constable Dent took their names and addresses. The constable weighed the cherries and found they had 21 lbs. Where they picked the cherries from were a lot of cherry boughs pulled off and thrown on the ground. The cherries were worth 2 1/2 d. per lb. Constable Dent gave corroborative evidence. Mr Wadham said his boy was evidently the worse of the two. He urged the bench not to record a conviction against the lads. They were very sorry for what they had done, and would be careful to behave themselves in future. Mr Walker administered a severe caution to the lads, and they were let off on agreeing to pay 4/- for the cherries and 11/- costs.
1908 "Lifting" Cherries at Doncaster. Reporter (Box Hill, Vic. : 1889 - 1918), 17 January, p. 4. , viewed 22 May 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article90313162
100 YEARS AGO
On Boxing Day in 1894, Henry Fromhold was at a picnic in an adjoining paddock when he saw two youths in his orchard. They had broken some branches off cherry trees and were taking them away. John Pump and some other men, who were at the picnic, came over and helped Fromhold to detain the youths while he went and called Constable Hartshorn. At the Box Hill Court, Henry Fromhold said the cherries were worth one pound. The youths who had spent the morning drinking at the Tower Hotel were given two months gaol each.
1993 03 DTHS Newsletter
DRUNK AND DISORDERLY.
Samuel Plant was charged with being drunk and disorderly at Canter-bury on Saturday, December 22nd. Prisoner pleaded not guilty and stated that he had walked to Glenferrie and back and was resting when he was arrested on a charge of drunkenness. Fined Is. and 2s. costs, in default 24 hours; time being given to pay. John Ryan, who was charged with a similar offence, pleaded guilty, and produced a certificate that he had signed the pledge for 12 months. Fined 2s. 6d. and 2s. costs, in default seven days. DAMAGING FRUIT TREES. Two lads named George Birch and John Wilson were brought up on a charge of destroying fruit trees at Doncaster. Henry Fromhold gave evidence that while at a picnic in the adjoining paddock on December 20th he noticed several youths in his garden and upon going over noticed these two with others coming out with branches of cherry trees in their arms. He told them to put them down and they did so, but afterwards returned and were about to take them off, when he sent for the police and gave them in charge. He estimated the damage done at about £1. John Pump said he was at Don-caster on the 26th of December last, and saw prisoners in conjunction with about four others in MIr. Fromhold's garden. Did not see them break the branches off. but they were carrying the branches. All made off but these two who were detained while he went for the police. Constable Hartshorn (of Melbourne) was on duty at Doncaster on the date mentioned and the last witness came to him and said he was wanted. On going to the garden, found the prisoners, who admitted they had been in the garden, but had not broken the trees. The branches produced were similar to those broken off the trees. He had seen them in the morning at the Tower Hotel, where they were with several others from Port Melbourne and were even then the worse of drink, and had evidently come out for the express purpose of creating a disturbance. Sentenced to one month each.
BOX HILL POLICE COURT. FRIDAY DECEMBEB 28, 1894. (Before Messrs. Ellingworth (Chairman), Blackburne, and Bishop, J's.P.)
1895 'BOX HILL POLICE COURT.', Reporter (Box Hill, Vic. : 1889 - 1918), 4 January, p. 3. , viewed 26 Feb 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article90364204
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| Stealing Apple c1877 (origin unknown) |
1908 "Lifting" Cherries at Doncaster. Reporter (Box Hill, Vic. : 1889 - 1918), 17 January, p. 4. , viewed 22 May 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article90313162
100 YEARS AGO
On Boxing Day in 1894, Henry Fromhold was at a picnic in an adjoining paddock when he saw two youths in his orchard. They had broken some branches off cherry trees and were taking them away. John Pump and some other men, who were at the picnic, came over and helped Fromhold to detain the youths while he went and called Constable Hartshorn. At the Box Hill Court, Henry Fromhold said the cherries were worth one pound. The youths who had spent the morning drinking at the Tower Hotel were given two months gaol each.
1993 03 DTHS Newsletter
DRUNK AND DISORDERLY.
Samuel Plant was charged with being drunk and disorderly at Canter-bury on Saturday, December 22nd. Prisoner pleaded not guilty and stated that he had walked to Glenferrie and back and was resting when he was arrested on a charge of drunkenness. Fined Is. and 2s. costs, in default 24 hours; time being given to pay. John Ryan, who was charged with a similar offence, pleaded guilty, and produced a certificate that he had signed the pledge for 12 months. Fined 2s. 6d. and 2s. costs, in default seven days. DAMAGING FRUIT TREES. Two lads named George Birch and John Wilson were brought up on a charge of destroying fruit trees at Doncaster. Henry Fromhold gave evidence that while at a picnic in the adjoining paddock on December 20th he noticed several youths in his garden and upon going over noticed these two with others coming out with branches of cherry trees in their arms. He told them to put them down and they did so, but afterwards returned and were about to take them off, when he sent for the police and gave them in charge. He estimated the damage done at about £1. John Pump said he was at Don-caster on the 26th of December last, and saw prisoners in conjunction with about four others in MIr. Fromhold's garden. Did not see them break the branches off. but they were carrying the branches. All made off but these two who were detained while he went for the police. Constable Hartshorn (of Melbourne) was on duty at Doncaster on the date mentioned and the last witness came to him and said he was wanted. On going to the garden, found the prisoners, who admitted they had been in the garden, but had not broken the trees. The branches produced were similar to those broken off the trees. He had seen them in the morning at the Tower Hotel, where they were with several others from Port Melbourne and were even then the worse of drink, and had evidently come out for the express purpose of creating a disturbance. Sentenced to one month each.
BOX HILL POLICE COURT. FRIDAY DECEMBEB 28, 1894. (Before Messrs. Ellingworth (Chairman), Blackburne, and Bishop, J's.P.)
1895 'BOX HILL POLICE COURT.', Reporter (Box Hill, Vic. : 1889 - 1918), 4 January, p. 3. , viewed 26 Feb 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article90364204
Pictures Victoria - Pictures Australia - Australia in Pictures
PictureVictoria is a Victorian Local History Project, funded from Arts Victoria, through the Statewide Public Library Development Grants. This project aims to increase the accessibility of the local history collections held by Victorian public libraries, in particular through the development of a digitisation strategy.
The primary focus of PictureVictoria is to provide a single portal for access to pictorial and photographic collections held in Victoria's public libraries. This site aims to complement existing portals, such as Picture Australia and the State Library of Victoria's Picture Collection.
Picture Victoria's limitation is that it only displays low quality thumbnails of pictures shared with it by historical societies such as ours. Internet users then have to contact the relevant historical society.
Pictures here are at high quality and downloadable at original resolution.
The primary focus of PictureVictoria is to provide a single portal for access to pictorial and photographic collections held in Victoria's public libraries. This site aims to complement existing portals, such as Picture Australia and the State Library of Victoria's Picture Collection.
Doncaster Templestowe Historical Society (DTHS) has added hundreds of photos from our collection to this catalogue with the cooperation of the Whitehorse Manningham Library.
Picture Victoria's limitation is that it only displays low quality thumbnails of pictures shared with it by historical societies such as ours. Internet users then have to contact the relevant historical society.
The system was conceived as part of a National Library of Australia (NLA) project "Picture Australia" but this project floundered.
Picture Australia has been absorbed into Trove and published on Flickr. It was originally launched in September 2000, and at that time, was a unique and ground breaking service, bringing together digitised images from cultural heritage collections around Australia for not only all Australians to see but also the world.
Contemporary images were sourced from Flickr via a series of Groups, which ensured individual contributions to Picture Australia were included in the snapshot of Australiana. We will continue with this tradition using the Trove: Australia in Pictures Group.
Picture Australia has been absorbed into Trove and published on Flickr. It was originally launched in September 2000, and at that time, was a unique and ground breaking service, bringing together digitised images from cultural heritage collections around Australia for not only all Australians to see but also the world.
Contemporary images were sourced from Flickr via a series of Groups, which ensured individual contributions to Picture Australia were included in the snapshot of Australiana. We will continue with this tradition using the Trove: Australia in Pictures Group.
Pictures here are at high quality and downloadable at original resolution.
Picture Australia's publication of free access to 346 000 high resolution photos of Flickr is part of a worldwide trend to provide free full text and full quality imagery direct to the world.
If Flickr goes bust, the library is easily moved to another service. The metadata (information about the picture) is usually embedded inside the picture to make this process extremely simple.
If Flickr goes bust, the library is easily moved to another service. The metadata (information about the picture) is usually embedded inside the picture to make this process extremely simple.
It is confusing, but NLA also have another Flickr account: Flickr: National Library of Australia.
Discarding German names in Doncaster 1916
The petition received at the January meeting of the Doncaster shire council signed by F. Zerbe and 22 other residents of Bismark, Wilhelm, and Waldau roads, requesting that these roads be re-named, and suggesting that the names be substituted of King street, Queen's avenue, and Wetherby road, was dealt with at the meeting of that body on Tuesday night, February 8. - Cr. Pickering pointed out there was a Queen's avenue in Doncaster al-ready, though it had not yet been taken over by the council. He had spoken to some of the petitioners about that. There was a suggestion that the name should be George street, and they were quite satisfied with that. Since this petition had been received, similar action was being taken, not only in Doncaster, but in Box Hill, Heidelberg, Hawthorn, and other places, as those names were not much thought of at the present time, and it would be a good thing if these were changed. He (Cr. Pickering) moved that the request be acceded to, with the exception of Queen's avenue, to be replaced by George street. With regard to Wetherby road, it was foolish to have that name on one side, and Bismark street on the other. - ln seconding the motion, Cr. Crouch thought if they were going to change Bismark street, they should call it George street right through. The president (Cr. Zerbe) was also in favor of wiping Wetherby road right out, and suggested that some other name be fitted in - Cr. McNamara asked who the street was named after. There may have been some good reason for giving it that nomenclature. - Cr. Tully contended that no monarch had been held in greater regard than Victoria, and if that title were given to the street from the main road it would not clash with any other name. - Cr. Crouch likewise supported calling it Victoria road in lieu of Wetherby road, and the motion was altered accordingly and agreed to. The following names will now be substituted :- Wilhelm street to be called King street; Waldau road to be George street; and Bismark road to be Victoria road.
1916 'DISCARDING GERMAN NAMES.', Reporter (Box Hill, Vic. : 1889 - 1918), 18 February, p. 2. , viewed 22 May 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article75164841
Beautiful Melbourne Motor Char-a-banc Trips - Blackburn & Doncaster 1910's
Beautiful Melbourne Motor Char-a-banc Trips 1910s Withers & Sons MV482635
"BEAUTIFUL MELBOURNE" MOTOR CARS have decided to make Extended Afternoon Tours from the 1st of November till the 3oth of April, and to advance the fare from 2,6 to but are making an allowance for family parties of fid. on each fare. We beg to thank our numerous patrons for the liberal patronage extended to us in the past, and hope the new trips now introduced will meet with the success they merit. We can ask no more. All-day Runs are also now introduced, which will enable those who desire to spend a day in the Country the opportunity to do no at a moderate cost. The Evening Run to Hampton, Brighton, hc., will prove a boon to those who wish to enjoy an evening run around the beach in comfort.
Waldau Town
Christmas Eve at Waldau
Fifty children played games, laughing and shouting, during the afternoon. As evening approached, their parents called them to the meal set out on tables under the trees alongside the church. Pastor Goethe led them in a hymn and prayer before they settled down to enjoy their Christmas tea.It was Christmas Eve, 1860. The year Max von Schramm had opened his school in the Waldau church. As an end to the school year, the Lutheran congregation had agreed to hold a tea meeting and Christmas celebration. Women of the church had visited families to obtain gifts and food for the festival. English friends had been invited. There was Mr. Grant, Mr. Newman, Mr. Serpell, and Mr. Clarke. Pastor Goethe had come from Melbourne for the occasion.
At dusk, the ringing of the heel invited the gathering to the church. As the children entered, they were delighted at the magnificent sight of a Christmas tree, reaching right up to the roof, covered with decorations and Christmas gifts, and brilliantly lit by many candles.
The congregation was addressed by Pastor Goethe, Mr. Thiele, Mr. Newman, Mr. Grant and Mr. Serpell. Then the gifts were removed from the tree and handed round till every child had a present. Afterwards there were prayers and singing .
As the happy group joined in the carols a feeling of goodwill and contentment spread among them. They had left their families and homes in Germany to come to a new and strange land, driven by faith and a love of freedom. They had experienced adversity, hard work, and the homesickness of isolation from their families. Now, on this Christmas Eve, these German pioneers were gathered together in a new community, established by their own hard work. This was their new home!
Irvine Green writing in 1983 12 DTHS Newsletter
Waldau Christmas
On Tuesday evening, the 24th December, a most interesting meeting was held at Waldau, known by many as Germantown. It, was the usual gathering at a German Christmas Eve. Dr. Embling, J.P. presided. The refreshments were partaken of in the open air, the chapel being appointed for the even-ing meeting; Two very handsome Christmas trees partly filled the chapel, loaded with presents; and a table at the rear of the President's chair was covered with articles for distribution among the children of the school. Waldau occupies a highly picturesque situation amid the hills, and is chiefly cultivated by Germans. The school musters nearly 50 scholars, and everything betokens the presence of an industrious population. After the opening remarks of the Chairman, Pastor Goethe addressed the meeting. B. N. Clarke, Esq;, J.P., and other gentlemen then pressed upon the friends and children present the advantages of education, especially in a young community, where every individual mind may make itself powerful for good or evil. The presents, were then distributed, and after several hours of pleasant intercourse, the friends, whose numbers densely packed the building, adjourned, until another Christmas Eve shall call them to gather to their pleasant rendezvous - "The Chapel on the Hill."1862 'NOTES AND NEWS.', South Bourke Standard (Vic. : 1861 - 1873), 3 January, p. 2. , viewed 22 May 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66903280
The Dawn Service at the old Lutheran Church site, Victoria street, Doncaster, on Easter Sunday 1973. The service was held in a clearing made for Schramm's Cottage which was to be rebuilt here after having been dismantled and removed from its original site in Doncaster Road. The congregation is here surrounded by the stones of the walls layed out in preparation for the rebuilding. Some of the people in the photograph are Eric Collyer at the organ, Muriel Green (directly behind Eric), Olaf and Glenys Soderlund on the right in the second row. DP0574
Waldau School, Doncaster
Waldau School
Waldau school was operating on the Dehnert St site since the early orchards were established. |
| 1977 02 DTHS Newsletter |
Andersons Creek, Warrandyte
In 1839, the first white settler, James Anderson, established his cattle station in an area just west of the present Warrandyte township. He erected a hut and stockyard near where the creek (Anderson’s Creek) joined the Yarra.
In 1841, James Dawson established a second station to the east of the township, about 1 mile (1.6km) From the bridge. By the mid 1840’s, Anderson had sold his holding to a Major Newman, a former officer of the Indian army.
In 1841, James Dawson established a second station to the east of the township, about 1 mile (1.6km) From the bridge. By the mid 1840’s, Anderson had sold his holding to a Major Newman, a former officer of the Indian army.
"Plassey", the Zelius Home
On the corner of Doncaster Road and Dehnert Street stands an old grey house with delicate cast iron decoration. In 1888, Martin Zelius built the house with love and care giving it the name "Plassey".
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| A standard Italianate villa, unusually elegantly carried through with metal ridge cresting and finials, patterned slate roof, double-curved verandah roof, and stuccoed front with label moulds to the windows and statuary niches flanking the door. (VHD-B2986) |
Eastern Freeway
Run, Ride, Roll the Freeway (Freeway Opening 1997)
The greater part of the DTHS archive relates to the period 1850 to 1950. But the area is constantly changing and the events of today will also be of interest to later generations.These photographs were taken on Sunday 7 December 1997, when the new extension of the Eastern Freeway from Doncaster Road to Springvale Road was opened with the invitation to the public to run, ride, roll (or walk) the freeway prior to its being open to traffic.
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| Taken from one of the bridges over the freeway and shows cyclists travelling in both directions. 1977. DTHS-dp0859 |
Schramm's Cottage Relocation
The Future of Schramm's Cottage
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Schramm's cottage in original location 1950 (DTHS-DP0537)
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A meeting of representatives of Schramm's Cottage Committee and Council was held on 2nd April. It was agreed that Schramm's Cottage should be dismantled and reerected on the site of the old Waldau Church in Victoria Street.
Tower Hotel, Doncaster
The Tower Hotel
The Tower Hotel at Doncaster was built one hundred years ago in Doncaster Road at the corner of the present Tower Street. The Hotel was built by Alfred Hummel, a gentleman farmer, who three years before had built the Doncaster Tower.Hummel had provided refreshment rooms at the base of the Tower but, after visitors had climbed the Tower, the strenuous exercise made them feel in need of something stronger than a cup of tea. Seeing large parties ignore his facilities and go off to a hotel was too much for Hummel. He was a proud Englishman who did not like to be beaten.
The Hotel that Hummel built was bigger and better than any other in the district. There were thirty nine rooms and stables for twenty horses. He called it the Beaconsfield Hotel.
His decision to build a hotel, however, caused considerable criticism both from his family and the community. Hummel had been a supporter of the temperance movement in Doncaster. The Hotel had caused them to lose credibility and his wife Jane was one of the Lawford family who were strict teetotallers.
Hummel began to have financial problems. He had invested heavily with the Tower, the Hotel, and his many land holdings. In 1885, he sold up all his properties and moved to Tasmania where he lived for the rest of his life.
The Hotel was bought by William Meader, a man with much experience in the hotel business. Meader had come from Dorset at the age of twenty four and arrived at the time of the gold rushes. Meader became more interested in the land boom than in being a publican. He leased the Hotel, now called the Tower Hotel, to John Nicholls.
Nicholls was an auctioneer and land agent who already owned a large orchard in Reynolds Road, alongside Deep Creek. He lived at South Yarra and employed G. Edwards and his wife to run the Hotel.
A party who visited Doncaster while Nicholls was host wrote a description of the Tower Hotel:
“…. I say Doncaster Tower is the place for us all. The hills are beautiful and green, the sea breeze is fresh and cool in the town, and a wire before we start to Host Nichols will find a splendid spread waiting for us on our arrival. What better can we require.”
One hour from the start from town, our friends were seated in one of the numerous large summer houses attached to the hotel, indulging in various beverages suitable to their several tastes…..
This property has only changed hands last June (1888). It contains 13 acres of splendid land, with flower garden, picnic grounds, swings, track for foot and bicycle races. A roller skating track is about to be laid, and my intentions are to erect an extensive coffee palace, to be lit with electricity, for the accommodation of all classes of society. This tower, which has a world wide reputation, gentlemen. It runs up to a height of 219 feet, and is over 700 feet above the level of the sea. We have a splendid Assembly Hall, which will seat two hundred people, and is used by our guests for balls and parties in the season, several pianos, public dining hall, and private parlors. We cater for one or four hundred. Every delicacy that can possibly be procured at town establishments, we supply here at a very short notice, and no expense is spared to make this what it undoubtedly is - as near as poor mortals have to that desired goal - perfection.”
In 1895 the Tower Hotel was owned by C C Nisson and Passmore was the caterer and licensee. Alongside the bar was a small room where lamps were stored during the day and filled with kerosine. On January 25th, Nisson lit a lamp and returned to the bar to serve a customer. He looked back and saw the room filled with a mass of red flames. It was a hot north-wind day and soon the Hotel was blazing. Nisson tried to beat out the fire but was overcome with smoke and had to be carried out.
A bucket brigade was formed to carry water from the Hotel's large well to the fire. One of the Petty boys worked the pump. He pumped so hard that he broke the pump.
At the Box Hill Fire Station, the lookout saw the flames and rang the fire bell to call the fire crew from their homes. The men grabbed the first available horses and quickly harnessed them to the fire engine.
The Fire Brigade set off, hurrying along the tram line straight for Doncaster. It was a hard pull up the long hill to Doncaster Road and the horses were uneasy. They were accustomed to working on their own, pulling bakers' carts and farm carts, and did not like being harnessed alongside strange horses. Nearing Serpell's Corner, the horses jibbed and started to play up. By now the flames from the fire at the top of the hill were roaring up into the sky, all the brighter in the darkening light of evening, making the firemen aware of the urgency, but frustrated by unco-operative horses. The Captain, a large, portly man, struggled to control them, when from the side of the road a voice called out "Get off and walk. They'll go better without your weight!"
As the firemen once more got the team going, the engine moved forward to the scene of the fire, with a crowd running alongside. Amongst it, eight-year old Ted Galbus from the dairy.
At the fire; the hose was quickly dropped into the underground tank. The fire crew, despite the intense heat, manned the engine's pump. Two men on each side worked the rocking bar that forced water along the hoses. The building was a blazing inferno. As the hoses poured water onto the fire, part of the roof collapsed, sending sparks high into the sky.
The flames on the top of Doncaster Hill were seen by look-outs at Kew and Hawthorn.who sent their Brigades. It was too late to save the Hotel but they were able to stop the fire.
spreading to the Recreation Hall.
The Tower Hotel was re-built. An elaborately decorated brick building was erected in front of the old Recreation Hall. A curved drive led into the entrance with a light on a post to welcome visitors at night and there was a horse trough to refresh their horses.
In 1898, a local man, Edward Kent; took over the Hotel and ran it for six years till Wenke , became the licensee. In 1914, the Tower was dismantled and three years later the Hotel was delicensed. The building became Thomas' Grocery Store and a shop-front was added on one side. Later the shop was used by the Doncaster Mower Service and, in 1969 when Doncaster Road was widened, the building was demolished. The solicitor's office of Garry Glover now stands on the site of the Tower Hotel.
Irvine Green writing in 1981 02 DTHS Newsletter
c1910 Tom Wenke's Tower Hotel and the Doncaster Tower, both on the north side of Doncaster Road between Williamsons Road and Council Street. Among the signs on the cladding of the tower is an advertisement for Latham's prize ales. The sign on the picket fence behind the lamp post reads "Tower Hotel - Martin Wenke - Afternoon Teas - Good Accommodation". Another sign, on the front of the hotel, mentions "The Cyclists Rest", indicative of the time when cycling road races [such as the 'Kew Flyer' race] were in vogue. The original of this photo was a Kodak Post Card. DTHS-DP1058
| "Greeting from Doncaster Victoria. Looking towards Melbourne from the Tower Doncaster." Roof paint: Tower Hotel Doncaster M. Wenke. Doncaster Williamsons Cnr visible c Serpells building. Posted to Facebook by Belinda Smith. |
| After 1920. Jimmy Thomas' general store at the corner of Doncaster Road, Doncaster, Victoria, and Council Street. The shop was built on to the front of the Tower Hotel after it closed in the 1920s. The shop and the attached dwelling were demolished about 1970 when Doncaster Road was reconstructed. (DTHS-DP0135) |
Doncaster Tower
A Trip to Doncaster (1879)
HAVING a day at my disposal this week, I resolved to devote it to inspecting the magnificent view said to be obtained from the top of the Beaconsfield Tower at Doncastor, a village exactly ten miles from Melbourne, and as I enjoyed myself thoroughly, if you have no objection, I will give you a description of my trip, in the hope that it may induce some of your readers who have a few hours to spare, to go and do likewise. Shortly after leaving Kew you pass the cremetery which is most picturesquely situated on tho slope of a hill, overlooking the valley of the Yarra. It contains a number of beautiful and costly monuments, tho grounds are skilfully laid out, and as it is acknowledged to be the prettiest burying ground in the colony, tho pleasure one would derive from seeing it would well repay tho trouble of a visit. The remainder of the journey is a long an excellent macadamised road, which runs through an undulating, park-like country till Doncaster is reached. The tower is a massive wooden structure, it is nearly 200ft. high and is ascended by means of zig-zag ladders. The cost of erecting it was 1600 pound, and it contains 50,000 ft. of timber. Although I was prepared to see something grand, the view from the summit far exceeded my most sauguine expectations. On the one side I could see Port Phillip Bay, Queenscliff, and the Southern Ocean, on another, the Dandenong and Plenty Ranges were completely dwarfed by the Gippsland mountains, which rose tier upon tier behind them, till their snow capped tops seems to fade away and lose themselves in the far distance. In other directions the You Yangs, Mounts Blackwood, Buninyong, Macedon, Alexander, and many other well known land marks can easily be recognised. Melbourne and its suburbs stretch from Footscray to Brighton, and seems in the distance like one huge city. The whole of the counties of Bourke, Evelyn, and Mornington, and portions of the adjoining ones, lay like a map before you, and the scenery is so grand, varied and beautiful, that it completely beggars my powers of description, and must be seen to be appreciated. There are some powerful telescopes, and field glasses in the tower, and with the assistance of them, and the proprietor, who is always in attendance to point out the various objects of interest in the landscape, the visitor must be dull indeed who does not derive a vast amount of information, as well as pleasure, from a trip to Doncaster.By E.F.G.
Source: 1879 'A TRIP TO DONCASTER.', The Record and Emerald Hill and Sandridge Advertiser (Vic. : 1872 - 1881), 17 October, p. 3. , viewed 22 May 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article108501685
The View From Doncaster Hill (1879)
In point of variety and extent it may be fairly doubted whether there is any prospect in this part of Australia to equal that which is visible on a clear day from the tower on Doncaster hill - only 10 miles from Melbourne. On the hill Mr. Hummel, the owner of the land, has erected a tower which is itself a curiosity, because it has been constructed without any scaffolding whatever, and is so well stayed by guys that even in one of the heaviest squalls of wind was as firm as rock.
In some respects the day was unfavourable, because the distant mountains were occasionally veiled in mist. So rapid was the motion of the clouds which swept over the sky that while one quarter of the heavens glowed with the brightness of summer, another was black with the gloom of storm. There were islands of sunshine, fluctuating in outline. There were rays of golden light through rifts in the clouds. And the ranges, some clothed in Tyrian purple, others in brilliant blue. With what extraordinary loveliness they presented themselves.
The line of the horizon may be roughly described as 10 miles distant, and the expanse it embraces is girdled by a zone of mountains. Taking Arthurs Seat as your starting point, and travelling round the compass, your eye successively alights upon the You Yangs, the Pentland Hills, the Blue Mountains, Mount Macedon, the Upper and the Lower Plenty Ranges, Mount St. Leonard, Mount Mundy, Mount Juliet and the Dandenongs.
Looking westward, you can see the whole of the bay, the cliffs at Dromana, Portarlington, Brighton, St. Kilda, and the metropolis, with its belt of suburbs.
Almost every public building of any importance in Melbourne, with the exception of the Post-office, is clearly discernible by the aid of a good opera-glass, and the more prominent of the monuments in the new cemetery may be also made out by the same means. But while the distant prospect comprises such an interchange of sea and shore, of shaggy mountain and of populous city, thick with spires and towers, the intervening area is full of amenity and picturesqueness, blending large breadths of primitive bush with interspaces of cultivation. Everwhere the surface of the land undulates, like that of the sea in a heavy swell; and as you look down upon the timber, which, in some places, in rich masses, and in others is scattered in isolated bosks and groves, the foliage loses its ordinary ragged and dishevelled appearance, and presents to the eye that closeness of texture and "contiguity of shade" which lends such a charm to the deciduous trees of Europe and America. In the immediate vicinity of the point of outlook are orchards, gardens, and vineyards, in which autumn has "laid a fiery finger on the leaves"; patches of brown fallow, newly turned by the shining ploughshare; and squares of vivid green, where a late- sown crop has been quickened into sudden life by the recent rains. The villages of Eltham and Heidelberg look like a collection of toy houses embedded in moss, and the Asylum at Kew might be mistaken by a stranger for a lordly mansion dominating the deer-park of a great land-owner, and dwarfing the equally prominent Government House which a flying gleam of sunshine has caused to stand out with startling distinctness. Carrying the eye farther on in a south-westerly direction, where there is also a sudden illumination of the prospect, you can see: "The broad sea-sand Spread, ribbed and freckled, to the spray Crisp-curving to the curving land, And plashing on the pebbly strand; Beyond, the vague vast waters lay Lazily heaving in the bay."
Thirty five years later there were fears for the safety of the tower and it was dismantled.
Published in 2 places;
Source: 1879 'THE VIEW FROM DONCASTER-HILL.', The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), 15 April, p. 7. , viewed 07 Mar 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5939498
Source: 1879 'THE VIEW FROM DONCASTER HILL.', South Bourke and Mornington Journal (Richmond, Vic. : 1877 - 1920; 1926 - 1927), 16 April, p. 3. (WEEKLY.), viewed 07 Mar 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article70011929
Reprinted in: 1985 06 DTHS Newsletter
One hour from the start from town, our friends were seated in one of the numerous large summer houses attached to the hotel.
…. like 60,000 pounds. I have a branch office near the hotel here, and my private residence is at South Yarra. My manager, Mr G. Edwards, and Mrs. Edwards attend to everything in connection with the hotel, and I only occasionally come out here for a little rest and recreation. I find myself much better always for the change.
This property has only changed hands last June (1888). It contains 13 acres of splendid land, with flower garden, picnic grounds, swings, track for foot and bicycle races. A roller skating track is about to be laid, and my intentions are to erect an extensive coffee palace, to be lit with electricity, for the accommodation of all classes of society. This tower, which has a world wide reputation, gentlemen. It runs up to a height of 219 feet, and is over 700 feet above the level of the sea. We have a splendid Assembly Hall, which will seat two hundred people, and is used by our guests for balls and parties in the season, several pianos, public dining hall, and private parlors. We cater for one or four hundred. Every delicacy that can possibly be procured at town establishments, we supply here at a very short notice, and no expense is spared to make this what it undoubtedly is - as near as poor mortals have to that desired goal - perfection.
The modes of transit from the metropolis are various - as your party came, by drag or buggy, or horse-back, or train to Kew (fares: first return, 7 ½ d.), and otherwise; thence Coach (2s. return) or train to Box Hill (fares: first. 1s.), and from thence by conveyance which meets every train at the station. The latter is most convenient."
Source: Extracts From The Australian Sketcher 1888 reprinted in 1977 08 DTHS Newsletter
In some respects the day was unfavourable, because the distant mountains were occasionally veiled in mist. So rapid was the motion of the clouds which swept over the sky that while one quarter of the heavens glowed with the brightness of summer, another was black with the gloom of storm. There were islands of sunshine, fluctuating in outline. There were rays of golden light through rifts in the clouds. And the ranges, some clothed in Tyrian purple, others in brilliant blue. With what extraordinary loveliness they presented themselves.
The line of the horizon may be roughly described as 10 miles distant, and the expanse it embraces is girdled by a zone of mountains. Taking Arthurs Seat as your starting point, and travelling round the compass, your eye successively alights upon the You Yangs, the Pentland Hills, the Blue Mountains, Mount Macedon, the Upper and the Lower Plenty Ranges, Mount St. Leonard, Mount Mundy, Mount Juliet and the Dandenongs.
Looking westward, you can see the whole of the bay, the cliffs at Dromana, Portarlington, Brighton, St. Kilda, and the metropolis, with its belt of suburbs.
Almost every public building of any importance in Melbourne, with the exception of the Post-office, is clearly discernible by the aid of a good opera-glass, and the more prominent of the monuments in the new cemetery may be also made out by the same means. But while the distant prospect comprises such an interchange of sea and shore, of shaggy mountain and of populous city, thick with spires and towers, the intervening area is full of amenity and picturesqueness, blending large breadths of primitive bush with interspaces of cultivation. Everwhere the surface of the land undulates, like that of the sea in a heavy swell; and as you look down upon the timber, which, in some places, in rich masses, and in others is scattered in isolated bosks and groves, the foliage loses its ordinary ragged and dishevelled appearance, and presents to the eye that closeness of texture and "contiguity of shade" which lends such a charm to the deciduous trees of Europe and America. In the immediate vicinity of the point of outlook are orchards, gardens, and vineyards, in which autumn has "laid a fiery finger on the leaves"; patches of brown fallow, newly turned by the shining ploughshare; and squares of vivid green, where a late- sown crop has been quickened into sudden life by the recent rains. The villages of Eltham and Heidelberg look like a collection of toy houses embedded in moss, and the Asylum at Kew might be mistaken by a stranger for a lordly mansion dominating the deer-park of a great land-owner, and dwarfing the equally prominent Government House which a flying gleam of sunshine has caused to stand out with startling distinctness. Carrying the eye farther on in a south-westerly direction, where there is also a sudden illumination of the prospect, you can see: "The broad sea-sand Spread, ribbed and freckled, to the spray Crisp-curving to the curving land, And plashing on the pebbly strand; Beyond, the vague vast waters lay Lazily heaving in the bay."
Thirty five years later there were fears for the safety of the tower and it was dismantled.
Published in 2 places;
Source: 1879 'THE VIEW FROM DONCASTER-HILL.', The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), 15 April, p. 7. , viewed 07 Mar 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5939498
Source: 1879 'THE VIEW FROM DONCASTER HILL.', South Bourke and Mornington Journal (Richmond, Vic. : 1877 - 1920; 1926 - 1927), 16 April, p. 3. (WEEKLY.), viewed 07 Mar 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article70011929
Beaconsfield Tower, Doncaster Hill (1880)
This tower is an immense wooden construction, 200 foot high and was erected by it's proprietor, Mr Hummel for the sole purpose of obtaining the extensive and magnificent view which it commands. Situated on the top of Doncaster Hill, from it's upper gallery the visitor obtains at grand panoramic view of the Dandenongs, the Plenty Ranges, Kew, Melbourne, Mount Macedon, Keilor Plains, Port Phillip Bay, and, on a clear day, Port Phillip Heads. From the ground floor to the first gallery (height 100 foot) the sides of the tower are enclosed, and one has the feeling of starting up a shaft instead of down one. From the first to the second gallery, the height is 60 foot, and for this distance, as well as for the remaining 4o foot, the tower is open to all the winds of Heaven. The Ascent so far is achieved by means of a strong winding wooden staircase, but after the second gallery is reached, the enterprising excursionist must trust the safety of his neck to and nearly perpendicular ladder. We need not remark that the majority of visitors, having achieved the upper gallery, content themselves with the view it offers and take the rest for granted. This is the third tower erected on the spot by Mr Hummel, the two former ones having been blown down. The present structure cost about 1000 pounds. It is a place of resort on high days and holidays, the public being privileged to toil up it's innumerable stairs at the rate of one shilling a head. There is a temperance hotel attached to the tower and there are some pleasantly wooded paddocks about for the use of picnic parties. Cabs run from Kew to Doncaster two or three times a day in the season, but good pedestrians will find the distance (5 or 6 miles) a pleasant and exhilarating walk through the grassy undulating country about.
Source: The Australian Sketcher. Saturday, August 14, 1880
Beaconsfield Tower (1880)
I went to the top with a friend who sworeSource: 1880 'Beaconsfield Tower.', Melbourne Punch (Vic. : 1855 - 1900), 20 May, p. 3. , viewed 22 May 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article174556666
He was never so near to heaven before ;
I said that, if wise, he had better remain,
For he never would be so near again.
Doncaster Tower (1888)
…. things into consideration, I say Doncaster Tower is the place for us all. The hills are beautiful and green, the sea breeze is fresh and cool in the town, and a wire before we start to Host Nichols will find a splendid spread waiting for us on our arrival. What better can we require.”One hour from the start from town, our friends were seated in one of the numerous large summer houses attached to the hotel.
…. like 60,000 pounds. I have a branch office near the hotel here, and my private residence is at South Yarra. My manager, Mr G. Edwards, and Mrs. Edwards attend to everything in connection with the hotel, and I only occasionally come out here for a little rest and recreation. I find myself much better always for the change.
This property has only changed hands last June (1888). It contains 13 acres of splendid land, with flower garden, picnic grounds, swings, track for foot and bicycle races. A roller skating track is about to be laid, and my intentions are to erect an extensive coffee palace, to be lit with electricity, for the accommodation of all classes of society. This tower, which has a world wide reputation, gentlemen. It runs up to a height of 219 feet, and is over 700 feet above the level of the sea. We have a splendid Assembly Hall, which will seat two hundred people, and is used by our guests for balls and parties in the season, several pianos, public dining hall, and private parlors. We cater for one or four hundred. Every delicacy that can possibly be procured at town establishments, we supply here at a very short notice, and no expense is spared to make this what it undoubtedly is - as near as poor mortals have to that desired goal - perfection.
The modes of transit from the metropolis are various - as your party came, by drag or buggy, or horse-back, or train to Kew (fares: first return, 7 ½ d.), and otherwise; thence Coach (2s. return) or train to Box Hill (fares: first. 1s.), and from thence by conveyance which meets every train at the station. The latter is most convenient."
Source: Extracts From The Australian Sketcher 1888 reprinted in 1977 08 DTHS Newsletter
1889-1893
"To Doncaster Tower by electric tram is one of the most pleasant novel withall cheapest of outings. Magnificent view from the tower. Book Princes Bridge Station to Doncaster via Box Hill, Return Fare 1/6. Trams meet every train up to 6 o/clock PM. Tram and Rail Return 1/6. Timetable in conjunction with Victorian railways. (Timetable Details) Special trips by Arrangement. Apply to H.J.Hilton, Box Hill. Printed at the “Reporter” Office, Box Hill". Reproduction poster dated circa 1970’s. Original poster published circa 1889-1893. https://nla.gov.au:443/tarkine/nla.obj-573398013
1890
1890 - Poster advertising the Doncaster Tower and Tram (bpadula June2021)
Whitehorse Hotel at bottom right. View north along Elgar Rd, Doncaster Tower at top, 1904 (bpadula June2021)
From the Tower (1907)
1907 NW view from Doncaster Tower. Williamsons Road running left to right. Richard Serpell's orchard in the centre. Henry Crouch's house on the west side of Williamsons Road. Arthur Taylor's house to the north of Serpell's on the east side of Williamsons Road. A large dam at the left bottom of the photograph and also a bush paddock was probably the rear of Mrs Annie Goodson's property in Doncaster Road, adjoining the Tower Hotel. DTHS-DP0174
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| DP0174 Google Maps View Simulation 2018 |
Date unknown
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| "Greeting from Doncaster Victoria. Looking towards Melbourne from the Tower Doncaster." Roof paint: Tower Hotel Doncaster M. Wenke. Doncaster Williamsons Cnr visible c Serpells building. (Posted to Facebook by Belinda Smith). |
Main Road Doncaster c1910 Looking west along Doncaster Road showing the Doncaster Primary School, the Church of Christ, and the Doncaster Tower. DP0173
Foolhardy Sailor (1908)
Edward Cathcart, an able seaman, paid a visit to Doncaster yesterday, and climbed the Doncaster Tower. Filled with a de-sire to exhibit the prowess of the mercantile marine, Cathcart announced his intention of descending one of the stays. Half-way down he lost his head, and after a moment's hopeless clutching for a grip he fell to the ground. He sustained severe injuries to the back and hands, and was afterwards admitted for treatment at the Melbourne Hospital.1908 'FOOLHARDY SAILOR.', The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), 20 April, 1908 p. 5. , viewed 24 May 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10678381
Doncaster Tower (c1910)
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| Doncaster Tower c1910 stereoscope NLA182775883 |
1914 Doncaster Tower - Demolished
After having stood for the best part of half a century on the highest point of Doncaster hill, the pride of residents and tile wonder of visitors, that ancient landmark the Doncaster Tower, having shown signs of the ravages of time and dry rot, is now in "the hands of the destroyers," a crew of experts with an up-to-date plant having commenced operations preparatory to "falling" the immense structure, which it is intended shall "measure its length" towards the north from which quarter "many a fierce gale has howled o' winter nights thro' the staunch stays and rigging."
Great local interest is being taken in the removal, and many expressions of regret are heard that the old building is doomed.
But it appears that after all Doncaster is not to be long without a "tower," it being the intention of the proprietor of the Tower Hotel to erect an even finer building on this site, this time of steel, with which object in view it is understood that he has arranged to purchase an immense quantity of disused railway lines, fish plates, &c. The new tower, which is being designed by a leading firm of architects in Melbourne, is to be 40 feet "nearer the sky" than its predecessor, and the plans include provision for an afternoon tea room in the base. "Reporter."
Source: 1914 'DONCASTER TOWER.', The Reporter (Box Hill, Vic. : 1889 - 1925), 16 January, p. 7. , viewed 04 Jul 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article75089051
1914 'DONCASTER TOWER.', Heidelberg News and Greensborough and Diamond Creek Chronicle (Vic. : 1914 - 1916), 24 January, p. 2. , viewed 04 Jul 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89084752
The Doncaster Tower Unearthed (1971)
A log, part of the foundation of "The Tower", was unearthed during excavations for the Esso Service Centre.
1971 05 DTHS Newsletter
1971 05 DTHS Newsletter
The Tower (1978)
In 1878 he successfully erected the famous 285 feet high steel and oregon "Doncaster Tower" which was a landmark for 35 years. Mr. Hummell charged 1/- for the experience of climbing the tower. The wooded tower paddock served as an ideal picnic spot. Near the tower, Hummell built a hall and a hotel, and many parties were held there.
1978 08 DTHS Newsletter
The Tower (1980)
For thirty-six years the tower stood on the hill at Doncaster. It was a magnificent structure 87 metres high. Alfred Hummell, a wealthy gentleman, farmer built the tower on a site between the present Council and Tower Streets in 1878.Hummell came to Doncaster during the 1850's. Ten years later he bought land at the top of the hill in Doncaster Road. His home, "Bayview", was a large twin gabled house, with a coach house attached. To take advantage of the view Hummell built a lookout 30 metres high alongside his home. A few months later it blew down in a storm. He built a taller tower on a new site further along the road. It was also short lived. One morning Mrs. Pickering, who lived in a cottage close to the tower, found that her door would not open. The tower, which had blown down during the night, had missed her cottage by inches.
Hummell was not to be beaten. He designed and built a still larger tower, on a site opposite his home. It was an ambitious project. Built of Oregon, it was 87 metres to the top of the flag pole. This time chains and steel cables were added to guard against the wind.
The top half was built first, then the lower section was constructed around it. The guy ropes were attached and the top half hauled up into place. Supporting struts held the tower in place.
An enclosed staircase led up to a platform 42 metres high. From there ,open stairs led to the top platform and a straight ladder to the flagpole. In a wind the tower swayed and creaked. It took a good head for heights to climb to the top platform. The view was awe-inspiring; from Bass Strait in the south, to Mount Disappointment in the north, from Matlock Ranges in the east, to Buninyong and Warrenheip Ranges in the west. It was called the Beaconsfield Tower.
The Doncaster Tower and Tower Hotel 1881
In conjunction with the Tower, Hummell built a large entertainment hall and tea rooms. There was a picnic ground and racecourse. At the base of the Tower a man in a top hat and frock coat sat at a table to collect the one shilling to climb the tower.
Horse drawn Drags came out from Melbourne with picnic parties. After climbing the tower they often felt the need for something stronger than tea, and went down the road to the hotel.
In 1881 Hummell built a hotel alongside the tower. It had thirty-nine rooms and stables with twenty stalls.
Hummell had also invested heavily in land. With the building of the Tower Hotel he had over extended his finances. In 1885 he sold up all his assets and moved to Tasmania.
William Meader was the first of several owners of the renamed Tower Hotel and Tower. One hot evening in 1895 the old Tower Hotel burnt down. A new building was erected in front of the Hall. It was built of brick with a fine facade and entrance. The hotel was delicensed in the 1920'$. The building was used as a grocery store, and a motor mower shop till it was demolished in preparation for the widening of Doncaster Road.
The Tower stood for thirty-six years. It dominated the countryside. From all around Doncaster it could be seen as an accent on the skyline. It was a landmark and a destination for a Sunday walk. For a boast, a local boy, Wilfred Crouch, slid down one of the guy ropes of the tower. A visiting sailor tried the same stunt but slipped and fell to his death.
At the beginning of the century there were constant fears for the safety of the tower. Frequent inspections were made, but no one wanted to risk living under the tower. Eventually in 1914, as a safety measure, the tower was demolished. The timber was sold at auction. Much of it was used to manufacture fruit cases by local orchardists. The last remaining relics are a log used to anchor a guy rope and the top of the flag pole. These are displayed in Schramm's Cottage.
Published by DTHS in 1980 in a booklet titles "The Tower & The Tram" ISBN 095009207X See Original Scan.
The Tower Hotel (1981)
The Tower Hotel at Doncaster was built one hundred years ago in Doncaster Road at the corner of the present Tower Street. The Hotel was built by Alfred Hummel, a gentleman farmer, who three years before had built the Doncaster Tower.Hummel had provided refreshment rooms at the base of the Tower but, after visitors had climbed the Tower, the strenuous exercise made them feel in need of something stronger than a cup of tea. Seeing large parties ignore his facilities and go off to a hotel was too much for Hummel. He was a proud Englishman who did not like to be beaten.
The Hotel that Hummel built was bigger and better than any other in the district. There were thirty nine rooms and stables for twenty horses. He called it the Beaconsfield Hotel.
His decision to build a hotel, however, caused considerable criticism both from his family and the community. Hummel had been a supporter of the temperance movement in Doncaster. The Hotel had caused them to lose credibility and his wife Jane was one of the Lawford family who were strict teetotallers.
Hummel began to have financial problems. He had invested heavily with the Tower, the Hotel, and his many land holdings. In 1885, he sold up all his properties and moved to Tasmania where he lived for the rest of his life.
The Hotel was bought by William Meader, a man with much experience in the hotel business. Meader had come from Dorset at the age of twenty four and arrived at the time of the gold rushes. Meader became more interested in the land boom than in being a publican. He leased the Hotel, now called the Tower Hotel, to John Nicholls.
Nicholls was an auctioneer and land agent who already owned a large orchard in Reynolds Road, alongside Deep Creek. He lived at South Yarra and employed G. Edwards and his wife to run the Hotel.
A party who visited Doncaster while Nicholls was host wrote a description of the Tower Hotel:
“…. I say Doncaster Tower is the place for us all. The hills are beautiful and green, the sea breeze is fresh and cool in the town, and a wire before we start to Host Nichols will find a splendid spread waiting for us on our arrival. What better can we require.”
One hour from the start from town, our friends were seated in one of the numerous large summer houses attached to the hotel, indulging in various beverages suitable to their several tastes…..
This property has only changed hands last June (1888). It contains 13 acres of splendid land, with flower garden, picnic grounds, swings, track for foot and bicycle races. A roller skating track is about to be laid, and my intentions are to erect an extensive coffee palace, to be lit with electricity, for the accommodation of all classes of society. This tower, which has a world wide reputation, gentlemen. It runs up to a height of 219 feet, and is over 700 feet above the level of the sea. We have a splendid Assembly Hall, which will seat two hundred people, and is used by our guests for balls and parties in the season, several pianos, public dining hall, and private parlors. We cater for one or four hundred. Every delicacy that can possibly be procured at town establishments, we supply here at a very short notice, and no expense is spared to make this what it undoubtedly is - as near as poor mortals have to that desired goal - perfection.”
In 1895 the Tower Hotel was owned by C C Nisson and Passmore was the caterer and licensee. Alongside the bar was a small room where lamps were stored during the day and filled with kerosine. On January 25th, Nisson lit a lamp and returned to the bar to serve a customer. He looked back and saw the room filled with a mass of red flames. It was a hot north-wind day and soon the Hotel was blazing. Nisson tried to beat out the fire but was overcome with smoke and had to be carried out.
A bucket brigade was formed to carry water from the Hotel's large well to the fire. One of the Petty boys worked the pump. He pumped so hard that he broke the pump.
At the Box Hill Fire Station, the lookout saw the flames and rang the fire bell to call the fire crew from their homes. The men grabbed the first available horses and quickly harnessed them to the fire engine.
The Fire Brigade set off, hurrying along the tram line straight for Doncaster. It was a hard pull up the long hill to Doncaster Road and the horses were uneasy. They were accustomed to working on their own, pulling bakers' carts and farm carts, and did not like being harnessed alongside strange horses. Nearing Serpell's Corner, the horses jibbed and started to play up. By now the flames from the fire at the top of the hill were roaring up into the sky, all the brighter in the darkening light of evening, making the firemen aware of the urgency, but frustrated by unco-operative horses. The Captain, a large, portly man, struggled to control them, when from the side of the road a voice called out "Get off and walk. They'll go better without your weight!"
As the firemen once more got the team going, the engine moved forward to the scene of the fire, with a crowd running alongside. Amongst it, eight-year old Ted Galbus from the dairy.
At the fire; the hose was quickly dropped into the underground tank. The fire crew, despite the intense heat, manned the engine's pump. Two men on each side worked the rocking bar that forced water along the hoses. The building was a blazing inferno. As the hoses poured water onto the fire, part of the roof collapsed, sending sparks high into the sky.
The flames on the top of Doncaster Hill were seen by look-outs at Kew and Hawthorn.who sent their Brigades. It was too late to save the Hotel but they were able to stop the fire.
spreading to the Recreation Hall.
The Tower Hotel was re-built. An elaborately decorated brick building was erected in front of the old Recreation Hall. A curved drive led into the entrance with a light on a post to welcome visitors at night and there was a horse trough to refresh their horses.
In 1898, a local man, Edward Kent; took over the Hotel and ran it for six years till Wenke , became the licensee. In 1914, the Tower was dismantled and three years later the Hotel was delicensed. The building became Thomas' Grocery Store and a shop-front was added on one side. Later the shop was used by the Doncaster Mower Service and, in 1969 when Doncaster Road was widened, the building was demolished. The solicitor's office of Garry Glover now stands on the site of the Tower Hotel.
Irvine Green writing in 1981 02 DTHS Newsletter
Mr Hummel's First Tower (1984)
Dust, leaves and twigs flew across the road as the wind shattered the air around the school. Annie Serpell crouched back against the school wall where she was sheltering from the storm with her friend Johanna Zander. Across the road the wind whistled as it blew through Mr. Hummels Look-Out. They could see it swaying in the gale. "My ! if you were up there you'd be blown right off" said Johanna. ìYou'd be blown all the way to Box Hill" said Annie. It had been so different the day her father had taken her up the look-out. At the top, Annie had been afraid to look down.Her father Alfred Serpell had pointed out their house at the bend in Whitten's Lane. She had thought it was like a doll's house in a toy farm. Her eyes followed the road down to the corner at Elgar Road and looking higher had seen Box Hill in the distance. In the excitement of seeing places she soon lost her fear and even looked down at the school and Mr. Schrammís new house alongside. Its tin roof was bright and the stone walls looked like the walls of their own house. There was The Athenaeum Hall that Uncle Thomas had designed and her own church at the rear. They moved across the platform and saw Mr. Lawford's new brick house. The sun was reflecting from its tin roof.
Down Doncaster Road they could pick out Mr. Corbett's houses and the Morning Star Hotel in the valley. Only a few months before, the farmers and orchardists from all around Doncaster had seen the tower rise above the trees as they worked on the land. It was a proud day for Alfred Hummel when he opened his lookout and received the praise and compliments of the community.
Hummel, the wealthy gentleman farmer had, soon after his arrival, impressed the people of Doncaster. When a Church of England was planned, Hummel purchased two blocks of land. He presented one to the church and the other for the Athenaeum Hall. Alfred Hummel married the beautiful Jane Lawford. His small house in Wilsons Road was not good enough for the stylish Alfred Hummel. He purchased William Bowers farm at the top of Doncaster Road and build a fine new home. The new building surrounded Bowers old cottage with twin gables either side. A coach house with quarters for Hummel's workmen completed the farm. With its new timber shingles, freshly painted weather boards and fretwork barge boards "Bay View" was an impressive building. In 1877, the magnificent view from Doncaster Hill inspired Hummel to add a lookout alongside his house. The tower he built, destined to be the first of three, rose one hundred feet high and provided a full 360 degree view of the surrounding country. That was three months ago and now Annie Serpell, remembering the day she had climbed up the tower, looked up to the platform at the top. On this blustery day, the thought of being up there was frightening. She looked away. ìItís bending" shouted Johanna, Annie looked back and saw the high tower moving. It leant right over and with a tremendous roar, crashed to the ground.
Irvine Green writing in 1984 06 DTHS Newsletter
The Doncaster Tower - Second Attempt and Final Achievement (1984)
The door wouldn't open. Mrs. Pickering pushed it again but the door only moved a few inches. It was stopped against a solid object. Eight years ago when her husband Joseph had died, Mrs. Pickering had moved out of the Post Office and now she lived in a small hut alongside the Church of Christ. That night she had slept well, lulled by the wind and rain. Now, in the calm of morning, her door wouldn't open - it couldn't - the tower had blown down during the night and lay only a few inches from her door.Alfred Hummel's second attempt to build a tower had failed. Again he was feeling the agony of being humiliated in the eyes of the community. His proud mind began to form plans to retrieve his prestige. He would build a new tower. Chains and cables would defeat the pull of the wind. It must be tall - a small tower would be an admission of defeat. It would be tall - taller than any building in Melbourne. An attraction that would attract sightseers and picnic parties and there would be a refreshment room and a large hall at the base of the tower.
Hummel's spirits lifted as he tackled designs and structural problems. He stopped calling himself a gentleman farmer and gave his occupation as engineer and architect. A new site was selected on higher ground across the road. The tower was to be two hundred and eighty five feet high and built of Oregon beams. Shipwrights were brought out from England to carry out the construction. The top half was built first, then the lower section was built around it. Guy ropes were attached and the top half hauled up into place. A network of thick Oregon beams - some over two hundred feet long - supported the Tower.
The Tower was visible for miles around. It dominated the countryside and was a landmark and destination for a Sunday walk. An enclosed staircase led up to a platform one hundred feet high. From there, open stairs led to the top platform and then a straight ladder to the base of the flagpole. In the wind the Tower swayed and creaked. It took a good head for heights to climb to the top platform. The view was awe inspiring from Bass Strait in the south, to Mount Disappointment in the north - from Matlock Ranges in the east, to Buninyong and Warrenheip in the west. Hummel named it the Beaconsfield Tower.
The Tower was opened in 1879 with a dinner for two hundred in the entertainment hall. Alfred Hummel presided over the dinner and received praise and compliments of the guests. Once more he was the social leader of Doncaster. There were dinner parties at Bay View for the elite of Doncaster and Hummel led picnic parties into the hills. Some of the ladies and gentlemen rode to the picnics. Miss Jane Serpell being a very picturesque figure attired in a riding habit and small black bell tapper and blue veil. Hummelís Tower became a tourist attraction. It was featured in the illustrated papers and during the International Exhibition the next year, the Tower attracted visitors from overseas. Horse drawn drags brought picnic parties from Melbourne. Hummel had built tea rooms to cater for visitors, but after climbing the Tower they often felt the need for something stronger than tea. Seeing men ignore his tea rooms and go off to the hotel was too much for Hummel. In 1981 he built a hotel alongside the entertainment hall. It was bigger than any other hotel in the district. There were thirty nine rooms and stables for twenty horses. On the thirteen acres surrounding the Tower, there were picnic grounds with swings for children and a small racecourse.
Hummel had married into a family of strict teetotallers. Building the hotel cast a cloud on the Hummelís family life. In 1885, Alfred Hummel sold all his properties and left Doncaster. He lived in Tasmania until his death in 1903.
Bay View was sold to Tom Petty and remained in the Petty family till it was demolished ten years ago.
The Hotel was taken over by William Header who became one of the Directors of the Box-Hill-Doncaster Tram. In 1895, the timber Hotel building was burnt down and was replaced by a brick building. The Hotel was de-licensed in 1921 and was demolished when Doncaster Road was widened in 1971.
The Tower was dismantled in 1914.
Irvine Green writing in 1984 09 DTHS Newsletter
The Tower (2013)
Doncaster Tower and the Tower Hotel. The Wenke's hotel was built in 1895 to replace the original hotel building that was destroyed by fire. A car is parked in front of the hotel. The 285 feet high tower was built in 1879 and demolished in 1914. DTHS dp0170
Alfred Hummel a wealthy Englishman settled in Doncaster in the 1860’s and became a gentleman farmer. He purchased William Bowers farm at the top of the hill on Doncaster Road and built a fine new home that he called “Bay View”.
In 1877 the magnificent view from Doncaster Hill inspired Hummel to construct a lookout beside his home. The tower he built was destined to be the first of three; it rose 100 feet above the ground with a full view of the surrounding countryside. The tower was short lived however. Only three months after it was built, a strong windstorm toppled the tower.
Hummel resolved to build another tower higher than the first. It too, suffered the same fate. One morning Mrs. Pickering who lived close by, discovered that her door would not open properly. She pushed again, but still the door would budge no further. It was blocked by the tower that had blown down during the night missing her small cottage by inches.
Hummel was not to be beaten. Humiliated, he resolved to retrieve his prestige in the community and built yet another tower bigger, better and stronger than the previous two. He attached chains and cables to resist even the fiercest of gales.
He selected a new site on higher ground across the road. The tower, built of oregon beams, was to stand 285 feet high. He brought out shipwrights from England to construct the tower. They built the top half first, then built the lower section around it. Guy ropes were attached and the top section was hauled up into place. A network of thick oregon beams, some over 200 feet long, supported the tower.
The tower, visible from miles around was a dominant landmark on the skyline. An enclosed staircase led to a platform 100 feet high. From the first landing open stairs led to the second landing. The flagpole was reached by a straight ladder from the second level. In the wind, the tower swayed and creaked. The view from the upper landing was awe inspiring extending from Bass Strait in the south to Mount Disappointment in the north and from Matlock Ranges in the east to Buninyong and Warrenheip in the west. Hummel named it the Beaconsfield Tower.
The tower was officially opened in 1879 with a grand dinner for two hundred guests in the entertainment hall. Hummel’s tower became a tourist attraction. It was featured in the illustrated papers, and during the International Exhibition the following year, the tower attracted visitors from overseas. Horse drawn drags brought picnic parties from Melbourne.
Hummel had ambitious plans to attract sightseers and picnic parties. There would be a refreshment room and a large hall at the base of the tower. He built tea rooms to cater for visitors, but when men preferred to go to a nearby hotel in the district, he resolved to build his own hotel alongside the entertainment hall. With 39 rooms and stabling for 20 horses, it was bigger than any other hotel in the neighbourhood. On the 13 acres surrounding the tower there were picnic grounds and a small racecourse.
In 1885 Hummel sold his properties in Doncaster and moved to Tasmania. The hotel was taken over by William Meader. In 1895 the timber building was destroyed by fire and replaced by a brick building. The hotel was delicensed in 1921 and eventually demolished when Doncaster Road was widened in 1971. The tower had been dismantled in 1914 because of fears for its safety.
Source: DTHS Doncaster A Short History - Eric Collyer 2013
Tower model in the perspex case
In 1877 the magnificent view from Doncaster Hill inspired Hummel to construct a lookout beside his home. The tower he built was destined to be the first of three; it rose 100 feet above the ground with a full view of the surrounding countryside. The tower was short lived however. Only three months after it was built, a strong windstorm toppled the tower.
Hummel resolved to build another tower higher than the first. It too, suffered the same fate. One morning Mrs. Pickering who lived close by, discovered that her door would not open properly. She pushed again, but still the door would budge no further. It was blocked by the tower that had blown down during the night missing her small cottage by inches.
Hummel was not to be beaten. Humiliated, he resolved to retrieve his prestige in the community and built yet another tower bigger, better and stronger than the previous two. He attached chains and cables to resist even the fiercest of gales.
He selected a new site on higher ground across the road. The tower, built of oregon beams, was to stand 285 feet high. He brought out shipwrights from England to construct the tower. They built the top half first, then built the lower section around it. Guy ropes were attached and the top section was hauled up into place. A network of thick oregon beams, some over 200 feet long, supported the tower.
The tower, visible from miles around was a dominant landmark on the skyline. An enclosed staircase led to a platform 100 feet high. From the first landing open stairs led to the second landing. The flagpole was reached by a straight ladder from the second level. In the wind, the tower swayed and creaked. The view from the upper landing was awe inspiring extending from Bass Strait in the south to Mount Disappointment in the north and from Matlock Ranges in the east to Buninyong and Warrenheip in the west. Hummel named it the Beaconsfield Tower.
The tower was officially opened in 1879 with a grand dinner for two hundred guests in the entertainment hall. Hummel’s tower became a tourist attraction. It was featured in the illustrated papers, and during the International Exhibition the following year, the tower attracted visitors from overseas. Horse drawn drags brought picnic parties from Melbourne.
Hummel had ambitious plans to attract sightseers and picnic parties. There would be a refreshment room and a large hall at the base of the tower. He built tea rooms to cater for visitors, but when men preferred to go to a nearby hotel in the district, he resolved to build his own hotel alongside the entertainment hall. With 39 rooms and stabling for 20 horses, it was bigger than any other hotel in the neighbourhood. On the 13 acres surrounding the tower there were picnic grounds and a small racecourse.
In 1885 Hummel sold his properties in Doncaster and moved to Tasmania. The hotel was taken over by William Meader. In 1895 the timber building was destroyed by fire and replaced by a brick building. The hotel was delicensed in 1921 and eventually demolished when Doncaster Road was widened in 1971. The tower had been dismantled in 1914 because of fears for its safety.
Source: DTHS Doncaster A Short History - Eric Collyer 2013
Explanatory Labels: 
Hummell's Tower - Not to Scale - Tower St, Doncaster Road, Council Street
Explanatory Labels:
Hummell's Tower - Not to Scale - Tower St, Doncaster Road, Council Street
From the above the Tower location was at -37.7869614527327, 145.12844175676145 or very close to. Source of above measurements ??? unknown.
Model of Hummell's Tower, Doncaster
Made by Alfred A perry 1975. Scale 1/8 in = 1 ft
Tower Description
1st Platform 144 ft (44m)
2nd Platform 230 ft (70m)
Top of Flagpole 285 ft (87m)
Materials: Steel and oregon
Built 1879
Demolished 1914
Guys: Chains and steel ropes fastened at platforms.
The Tower
The tower in the perspex case is a model of the Beaconsfield tower - a will known landmark in Doncaster from 1979 until 1914. It was built by Alfred Hummel to take advantage of the panoramic views around this countryside. The tower supported by steel cables was demolished in 1914 because of fears that it might no longer be safe.
Source: Push button audio recording built into Schramm's cottage as at June 2021
High profits
Source: Push button audio recording built into Schramm's cottage as at June 2021
Alfred Hummel earns fame in the Doncaster story. He ran tea rooms on the Doncaster Rd., and later a hotel, but is better remembered for his 285 ft. tourist tower. About 1877, Hummel had a bright idea to bolster trade at his tea rooms. He built a wooden tower about 100 ft high so patrons could enjoy the panoramic view. Unfortunately, the tower could not withstand the force of the wind, and was demolished. Hummel built a stronger tower nearby, but this also fell to the wind. however, Hummel, was a true entrepeneur. Across the road, he built a third tower, 285 ft. high and anchored it strongly. Mr Hummel was in business again and his new tower was a huge success, attracting tourists from all over Melbourne.
Hummel built a hotel nearby and named it the Tower Hotel.
The tower's popularity as a tourist attraction was such that a local company was formed to run a tramway service between the tower and the nearest railway station at Box Hill. In 1888, Richard Serpel formed the company and was joined by fellow directors W. Mader and W. Snell. They acquired one of only two electric trams available in Australia. Its route of almost three miles is now known as Tram Rd., and is the main link between Doncaster and Box Hill. The tram ran for several years until it was closed in 1896 in the depression which followed the collapse of the land boom.
40 passengers
The tram car was an open car with six wooden benches which seated 35 to 40 passengers. It weighed six tons when loaded and was driven by a 15 hp electric power for which was generated by a small power house on the banks of Bushy Creek half-way along the route. The trip took 15 minutes and the tram sometimes reached 14 mph but slowed to about 6 mph on the steep slopes.
Many thousands of tourists climbed the oregon ladders to reach the top of the tower and enjoy the view. When the tower was considered unsafe in 1914 it was pulled down.
Hummel prospered from his enterprise, and gave about three acres of land as sites for Holy Trinity Church and the Athenaeum Hall.
Logs unearthed
The Esso service station between Tower and Council St’s. now occupies the site of the tower. When excavation for the service station was begun several years ago, several huge logs were earthed. These had been used to anchor some of the steel cables which added to the strength of the tower.
Cr Muriel Green, President of Doncaster- Templestowe Historical Society, told the News that pieces of the anchor logs had been given to the society. The society also has the wooden cap which surmounted the flagpole on the tower.
Source: Doncaster East Yarra News 1/7/1975
Tower Flagpole is Unearthed
When the tower was standing from 1879 to 1914 the flagpole was 285 feet above the log. Workmen building the new service station on the corner of Doncaster Rd., and Tower St., unearthed the log. Marks from a chain used to support the tower can be clearly seen around the centre of the log which is still perfectly preserved.
Sandra is a seventh generation descendant ot two pioneers of the district: Friedrich Stecher and Johann Pump. She is a member of 3rd Templestowe Guide Group.
Guide Sandra Neal stands between the top of the flagpole and an ironbark log from the foundations of the Doncaster Tower
Source: Unknown. Dated 1971
Doncaster Templestowe Historical Society - 50th Anniversary 2017
Schramms Cottage Complex Open Day
Saturday 29 April 2017, 10 am to 4.30 pm. Schramm's Cottage Complex Rieschiecks Reserve, Muriel Green Drive, off Victoria Street, Doncaster
Warrandyte School No 12 (1875) - 42 - 52 Brackenbury Street
A tent housed the first school at Warrandyte and a few planks formed the seats, but 29 years later, classes were held in a solid stone building. Opened in 1858, as a Church of England school, two years later it had the unusual experience of being moved to another town. There was a lull in mining at Andersons Creek, as Warrandyte used to be called, so many families moved across the river to the Caledonia Goldfield.
In the early 1860's Government grants were no longer available to Denominational Schools, so Andersons Creek school that had returned to the corner of Forbes Street became Common School No. 12. The low number did not mean that it was the twelfth school. At this time schools were numbered in alphabetival order, so Andersons Creek was twelfth on the list. The building now had to comply with new regulations. The roof had to be raised so that the walls could be heightened by three feet. Structurally, the building was weakened and soon became dangerous, so eventually a new building was recommended by the District Inspector.
In 1875, a new timber school was planned for Andersons Creek. A member of the School Committee, William Masterton, had been a stone mason before coming to Victoria. The Committee decided that the new school house should be built of stone. The estimated cost using local stone was £543/9/0. Masterton resigned from the School Committee, and with a fellow miner James Sloan as a partner, built the new school.
There were similarities in the life of both Masterton and Sloan. Both had come to Andersons Creek in the early days of gold mining; both had been stone masons; both men had children at the school and both were among the few early gold-miners whose descendants are still living at Warrandyte.
They built a stone schoolhouse designed on the lines of an English Village School, with simple and pleasing proportions. The steep gabled roof had a single ridge. At the east end was an entrance porch and along the side a simple row of windows.
Inside, the school was divided into two rooms. Stone for the walls came from a quarry in the hills behind the school. The stoneówork shows a high standard of craftsmanship. Rough squared stone blocks of varying sizes were laid in regular courses giving a neat finish. Bricks, the colour of which harmonised with the stone, were used around the door and window openings to give a straight edge for the joinery.
The roof was covered with wooden shingles as an iron roof would have cost £20 extra. Later when the shingles cracked and began to leak they were covered with iron. It was not till 1902 that the school bell was installed on its wooden stand where it still stands outside the porch.
During the 1920's the population of Warrandyte increased and more accommodation was needed at the school. A third room was added on the south side. The addition was designed with complete disregard for the appearance of the old stone schoolhouse. Although internally the one building, the quality of the old building sets it apart from the southern wing as though they were completely separate buildings merely pushed close together.
Perhaps at some future date the school authorities may remove the unfortunate addition. Then the old stone schoolhouse, while fulfilling a school purpose, may stand on its own as the No. 1 historic building of Warrandyte.
Source: Irvine Green writing in 1971 02 DTHS Newsletter. Drawing from 1971 02 DTHS Newsletter. Reprinted in 2000 12 DTHS Newsletter
Of local significance as the earliest school remaining in the municipality, with particular importance for the Warrandyte community, and of interest for the use of local sandstone and the demonstration of considerable stonecraft skills in its construction.
http://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/22635
Warrandyte school No 12, centenary 1875-1975 : souvenir programme ; 16th August, 1975, centenary celebrations.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/31401108
Place No. 14
Designer H.R. Bastow, Chief Architect,
Warrandyte's first school (c.1856) was a Church of England school, soon closed owing to a lack of pupils as Warrandyte's diggings were deserted for more promising places. Schooling re-commenced in 1863 in the court house while the first Andersons Creek School No. 12 was being built on a site in Yana Street. This school was opened in 1875. The name changed to Warrandyte Primary School in 1908 [1].
This school was completed on 20 July, 1875 under the direction of Chief Architect H.R. Bastow, by the builder William Bolger of Collingwood, at a cost of 543.9.0 pounds. The stonemasons were William Masterton and James Sloan. The stone was quarried in the valley behind the school by the builder. In 1903 the timber shingled roof [2] was covered with iron and the gable vents removed. In 1925, a rendered brick classroom with a porch was added, gable-end windows were enlarged, metal roof vents, a stove and a screen were added, the galleries removed and a timber shelter shed built.
The 1875 school has brick quoins around the windows, and stone window sills. It is constructed of ashlar sandstone with a gable roof. It is a characteristic 80-type single room school, altered by the removal of galleries and finials, the addition of a rendered brick classroom, porch and roof vents, and the enlargement of the gable-end windows. The porch has some architectural pretensions, influenced by English Baroque through Sir John Vanbrugh.
The porch has three bays, the central bay rising as a gable, a strong cornice line with the central entrance bay, decorated with ruled courses and pilaster strips. There is a timber shelter shed.
Some comparisons are Templestowe Primary School (173.07) and Doncaster East Primary School (194.23).
Creation Date 1875 Change Dates
Associations Local Themes
James Sloan and William Masterton - sto 6.03 - Schools
STATEMENT OF Of local significance as the earliest school remaining in the municipality, with particular SIGNIFICANCE importance for the Warrandyte community, and of interest for the use of local sandstone and the demonstration of considerable stonecraft skills in its construction.
Heritage Register Listings Register
Heritage Schedule External Paint Controls: On VHR: Internal Alteration Controls: Prohibited Uses:
VHR Ref No:
Manningham Heritage Study Context Pty. Ltd. page 430
Warrandyte Primary School No.12 time capsule was buried in stone August 1975.
https://www.facebook.com/warrandytehistoricalsociety/posts/1632970840248805
Anderson's Creek's earliest school was a tent school established about 1856. Classes were then taught in the Court House and later in a split slab building by Mrs Rosa Pretty. In 1863 the Board of Education declared the Anderson's Creek Common School No.12 on its alphabetical list. However by 1874 the old school building was reported as becoming increasingly dilapidated with parents reluctant to send children to a cold and draughty school. The resulting pressure and demands from parents and residents led to a new school building of local stone (quarried from nearby Whipstick Gully) and built by local miners and stonemasons William Masterton and James Sloan.
Extract from 'Wonderful Warrandyte A Portrait' by Valerie Polley. Copies available from Warrandyte Historical Society Museum.
In the early 1860's Government grants were no longer available to Denominational Schools, so Andersons Creek school that had returned to the corner of Forbes Street became Common School No. 12. The low number did not mean that it was the twelfth school. At this time schools were numbered in alphabetival order, so Andersons Creek was twelfth on the list. The building now had to comply with new regulations. The roof had to be raised so that the walls could be heightened by three feet. Structurally, the building was weakened and soon became dangerous, so eventually a new building was recommended by the District Inspector.
In 1875, a new timber school was planned for Andersons Creek. A member of the School Committee, William Masterton, had been a stone mason before coming to Victoria. The Committee decided that the new school house should be built of stone. The estimated cost using local stone was £543/9/0. Masterton resigned from the School Committee, and with a fellow miner James Sloan as a partner, built the new school.
There were similarities in the life of both Masterton and Sloan. Both had come to Andersons Creek in the early days of gold mining; both had been stone masons; both men had children at the school and both were among the few early gold-miners whose descendants are still living at Warrandyte.
They built a stone schoolhouse designed on the lines of an English Village School, with simple and pleasing proportions. The steep gabled roof had a single ridge. At the east end was an entrance porch and along the side a simple row of windows.
Inside, the school was divided into two rooms. Stone for the walls came from a quarry in the hills behind the school. The stoneówork shows a high standard of craftsmanship. Rough squared stone blocks of varying sizes were laid in regular courses giving a neat finish. Bricks, the colour of which harmonised with the stone, were used around the door and window openings to give a straight edge for the joinery.
The roof was covered with wooden shingles as an iron roof would have cost £20 extra. Later when the shingles cracked and began to leak they were covered with iron. It was not till 1902 that the school bell was installed on its wooden stand where it still stands outside the porch.
Warrandyte Primary School, Brackenbury Street, 1970 showing the original stone-built school with the cement-rendered brick entrance that was added in 1925. The original building was built in 1875. DP0243
Perhaps at some future date the school authorities may remove the unfortunate addition. Then the old stone schoolhouse, while fulfilling a school purpose, may stand on its own as the No. 1 historic building of Warrandyte.
Source: Irvine Green writing in 1971 02 DTHS Newsletter. Drawing from 1971 02 DTHS Newsletter. Reprinted in 2000 12 DTHS Newsletter
WARRANDYTE PRIMARY SCHOOL (SCHOOL NO. 12)
42-52 Brackenbury Street WARRANDYTE, Manningham CityOf local significance as the earliest school remaining in the municipality, with particular importance for the Warrandyte community, and of interest for the use of local sandstone and the demonstration of considerable stonecraft skills in its construction.
http://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/22635
Warrandyte school No 12, centenary 1875-1975 : souvenir programme ; 16th August, 1975, centenary celebrations.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/31401108
WARRANDYTE PRIMARY SCHOOL (SCHOOL NO. 12)
42 - 52 Brackenbury Street, WarrandytePlace No. 14
Designer H.R. Bastow, Chief Architect,
Warrandyte's first school (c.1856) was a Church of England school, soon closed owing to a lack of pupils as Warrandyte's diggings were deserted for more promising places. Schooling re-commenced in 1863 in the court house while the first Andersons Creek School No. 12 was being built on a site in Yana Street. This school was opened in 1875. The name changed to Warrandyte Primary School in 1908 [1].
This school was completed on 20 July, 1875 under the direction of Chief Architect H.R. Bastow, by the builder William Bolger of Collingwood, at a cost of 543.9.0 pounds. The stonemasons were William Masterton and James Sloan. The stone was quarried in the valley behind the school by the builder. In 1903 the timber shingled roof [2] was covered with iron and the gable vents removed. In 1925, a rendered brick classroom with a porch was added, gable-end windows were enlarged, metal roof vents, a stove and a screen were added, the galleries removed and a timber shelter shed built.
The 1875 school has brick quoins around the windows, and stone window sills. It is constructed of ashlar sandstone with a gable roof. It is a characteristic 80-type single room school, altered by the removal of galleries and finials, the addition of a rendered brick classroom, porch and roof vents, and the enlargement of the gable-end windows. The porch has some architectural pretensions, influenced by English Baroque through Sir John Vanbrugh.
The porch has three bays, the central bay rising as a gable, a strong cornice line with the central entrance bay, decorated with ruled courses and pilaster strips. There is a timber shelter shed.
Some comparisons are Templestowe Primary School (173.07) and Doncaster East Primary School (194.23).
Creation Date 1875 Change Dates
Associations Local Themes
James Sloan and William Masterton - sto 6.03 - Schools
STATEMENT OF Of local significance as the earliest school remaining in the municipality, with particular SIGNIFICANCE importance for the Warrandyte community, and of interest for the use of local sandstone and the demonstration of considerable stonecraft skills in its construction.
Heritage Register Listings Register
Heritage Schedule External Paint Controls: On VHR: Internal Alteration Controls: Prohibited Uses:
VHR Ref No:
Manningham Heritage Study Context Pty. Ltd. page 430
Warrandyte Primary School No.12 time capsule was buried in stone August 1975.
https://www.facebook.com/warrandytehistoricalsociety/posts/1632970840248805
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| Warrandyte School c Stone building 2017 (School Website) |
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| Warrandyte PS 1975 SLV |
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| Warrandyte PS 1975 SLV |
Anderson's Creek's earliest school was a tent school established about 1856. Classes were then taught in the Court House and later in a split slab building by Mrs Rosa Pretty. In 1863 the Board of Education declared the Anderson's Creek Common School No.12 on its alphabetical list. However by 1874 the old school building was reported as becoming increasingly dilapidated with parents reluctant to send children to a cold and draughty school. The resulting pressure and demands from parents and residents led to a new school building of local stone (quarried from nearby Whipstick Gully) and built by local miners and stonemasons William Masterton and James Sloan.
Extract from 'Wonderful Warrandyte A Portrait' by Valerie Polley. Copies available from Warrandyte Historical Society Museum.
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