Tolls
In the 1860’s, when Roads Boards were faced with miles of unmade, often impassable, roads with grossly inadequate finance and facilities, Districts were given authority to charge tolls for traffic passing between districts.A Toll Gate was placed across Doncaster Road at the junction of Elgar Road in 1866. The toll was most unpopular. Later the gate was move to the corner of High Street, as many were avoiding the gate by crossing paddocks.
Tolls did not last long and were abolished after a few years. A stone from the Templestowe quarry has been placed in the Thompson Reserve opposite the position of the gate in Doncaster Road.
Extract from Irvine Green writing in 1978 02 DTHS Newsletter
The Toll house at the corner of Doncaster and Elgar Roads
In November 1869, the Doncaster the Toll Gate was moved from Doncaster Corner to the bridge over Kennedy's Creek.Extract from 1969 11 DTHS Newsletter
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| The Toll House DTHS DP0248 |
Toll Gate Plaque
In December, representatives of the Society attended the unveiling of a monument on the Maroondah Highway. The Cairn in Hughes Park, North Croydon, was erected by the Croydon Historical Society to commemorate the site of the Old Toll Gate. The stone forming the cairn came from the Doncaster Templestowe City Quarry.1975 02 DTHS Newsletter
Commemorative Stone at Site of Toll Gate (1976 08 DTHS Newsletter). Needs research: Need text from plague. Need photos of current location (removed ??)
Toll House
The toll house at the corner of Doncaster and Elgar Roads at the rear of Lauers store. Built in 1866 for the purpose of collecting toll money from the drivers of horse-drawn vehicles, it was originally situated at Tullys corner, the corner now occupied by Doncaster Shoppingtown.
After tolls were abolished, the building was acquired by Spencer, a blacksmith, and moved to the south-east corner of Doncaster and Elgar Roads (at one time known as Toll Lane), where it remained until it was demolished about 1969.
Kay Mack writing in The DTHS Facebook Page, Apr2017
Kay Mack writing in The DTHS Facebook Page, Apr2017
YesterYear - Toll gate dispute
Picture: the triangular intersection diagonally opposite Shoppingtown when there was a toll gate in 1865, as it was in 1910.
The triangular plot diagonally opposite Doncaster Shoppingtown, the apex of the three part intersection of Doncaster, Elgar and Tram roads which until built on recently was the J. Thomson Reserve, was once the scene of wild altercations.
A plaque on a stone memorial there tells that this was the site of Doncaster's toll gate, established in 1865. At the time of the toll gate, Tram Rd did not exist and Doncaster Rd ran only as far as Church Rd.
In all, the district had only six miles (four kilometres) of formed roads: two miles 21 chains in Doncaster Rd; three miles 21 chains in Templestowe; and 35 chains in Thompsons Rd.
A gate was put across Doncaster Rd and a full-time, 24 hours a day, toll-keeper lived on the spot, which was at the time part of the property of Mr Thomas Tully.
The aim of the toll gate was to help the Templestowe Roads District Board to pay for further road construction, by collecting money from every traveller who passed that way, and for every animal with that traveller.
Carts, buggies and their horses were frequently stuck in ruts on the dreadfully boggy, soggy roads and revenue was badly needed to get the roads board out of a financial rut.
But when the toll gate opened it brought more trouble for the board, for a popular new sport came into vogue: evasion of the toll. The players, in three or four horse-drawn carts, would rush the toll gate together so that the keeper was lucky if he caught one of them.
Prices extracted from travellers were: sheep, pigs, lambs and goats, eight a penny; ox or head of beef cattle, a half penny; horse, mare, ass or mule, a penny ha'penny; gig, chaise, coach or chariot or other carriage constructed on springs if drawn by one horse or other animal, threepence; two horses, sixpence, with threepence each additional horse or animal; cart, dray or wagon with tyres not exceeding six inches, sixpence with threepence each additional horse.
Travellers in government service, ministers of religion or residents going to church were exempt from payment.
It was costly to take peaches to such during a dull sermon - the toll keeper declared them marketable goods and demanded full toll for the church-bound vehicle.
Templestowe graziers evaded the toll by driving their cattle across unfenced land.
Needless to say, here the toll keeper's business ran at a loss. So in 1869 the gate was moved to near the present freeway entrance, where Doncaster Rd crosses the Koonung Creek, and the problems of road tax collection was shared with the neighbouring parish of Booroondara.
A move by the Templestowe District Roads Board to have a toll at the corner of Thompsons and Templestowe roads was defeated by the petition of residents who pleaded hardship.
To the almost bankrupt board, which only wanted to keep the residents in communication with the outside world, this pleas seemed unwarranted.
When a commissioner of roads and bridges requested a report on the amount of road construction carried out, the Templestowe Roads Board had to reply that it did not have any funds.
Source: Doncaster and Templestowe News p.38 - Wednesday, August 19, 1992
044 1981-03-18 Toll Gates ByWays DoncasterMirror. Needs proofreading
March 18, 1981 ByWays of Local History by JOAN SEPPINGS WEBSTER "A GIG, chaise, coach or chariot or other carriage constructed on springs drawn by one horse or other animal " ... the vehicle drawn fits this description. It stands across the part of Doncaster Rd., where a toll-gate would have stopped it for 3 pence in 1866. THE oasis of green atop Doncaster Hill diagonally opposite Shoppingtown and known as the d. Thomson Reserve was once a scene of wild altercations. This is now the apex of the three-part intersection of Doncaster, Elgar and Tram Rds., but at the time Tram Rd., did not exist. And Doncaster Rd., ran east only as far as Church Rd. In all. the district had only six miles of formed roads: three miles 21 chains Templestowe Rd., two miles 21 ch., in Doncaster Rd., and Thompsons Rd. ch. in New Year's Day 1866, marked the beginning of a new and controversial era on vhat 1S now hat vati is Son. Aster's hat day astory a toll gate pened was on what then Thomas Tully's operty, A full-time (24 hrs a day) I-keeper lived on the spot and residene ster toll date and 1877 for 24 pounds. The Templestowe District Roads Board, (forerunner of the municipal council), was in a financial rut, it appears, and persuaded the Boroon-dara Roads Board (which included Camberwell) to put the toll site here, not at the Kennedys (now Koonung) Creek crossing in Doncaster Road in the hope of acquiring much needed revenue. Revenue was needed not only to get the board out of a financial rut but to help its operations. horses and The carts, buggies were getting in literal ruts on the dreadful boggy, soggy roads. When opened the toll gate was there were more troubles. A popular new sport came into vogue: Evasion of the toll. The players, in three four-horse or drawn carts, would rush the gates of the toll together and the toll- keeper was lucky to catch one of them. Prices extracted by the toll-keeper from travellers were: sheep, pigs, lambs and goats - eight a penny; ox or head of beef cattle . half penny; horse, mule LalC, • 1½d; gig, ass chaise, coach or chariot carriage or other springs, constructed on if drawn one horse or other animal - 3d; two horses - 6d, and 3d each additional horse of animal; cart, dray or wagon - 6d; and 3d for each additional horse, with tyres not exceeding six inches. Those government service, ministers of religion or residents going to church were exempt from paying. It was costly to take peaches to suck during a dull sermon. The toll-keeper declared demanded the demander ete e goods and for the vehicle, even though it was going to church. Templestowe graziers evaded the toll by driving their herds of cattle across untenced land on what was then known as the Carlton Estate and also known as Unwins Special Survey Templestowe District Roads Board to have a toll at the corner of Thompsons and Templestowe Roads was defeated by the petition of residents who pleaded hardship To the almost bankrupt board, which only wanted to keep the residents communication outside with 1n world, this the plea seemed unwarranted. When a Commissioner of Roads an d Bridges requested a report on the amount of road construction carried by the Templestowe District Roads Board it had to reply that it did not have any funds
The Toll house at the corner of Doncaster and Elgar Roads
Needs text extract from links and harvard references
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/198657541
https://blogs.slv.vic.gov.au/such-was-life/victorias-intercolonial-exhibition-1866/
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5845229
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5808423?searchTerm=doncaster%20elgar%20road%20toll%20house
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5781931
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/70083638?afterLoad=showCorrections
Sabbath School, Doncaster
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/89086473?searchTerm=The%20sabbath%20School%20templestowe%201913
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