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.
Source: 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.Source: Extract from 1969 11 DTHS Newsletter
 |
| 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.
Commemorative Stone at Site of Toll Gate (1976 08 DTHS Newsletter). Needs research: Need text from plague. Need photos of current location (removed ??)
Source: 1975 02 DTHS Newsletter
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.
Source: Kay Mack writing in The DTHS Facebook Page, Apr2017
Source: Kay Mack writing in The DTHS Facebook Page, Apr2017
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
Toll Gates
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
Source: 1981-03-18 Toll Gates ByWays DoncasterMirror.
044 1981-03-18 Toll Gates ByWays DoncasterMirror. Needs proofreading
March 18, 1981 ByWays of Local History by JOAN SEPPINGS WEBSTER "
THE TOLL-GATE QUESTION.
However hackneyed this subject may he, we cannot help recurring to it at the present time'. The navigation of the Murray will soon be closed for the season, and the road will ouce more be our sole dependence for the conveyancee of goods from the Metropolis. The state of that road has for years been felt to be a grievance by almost every resident in these districts, and countless are the remonstrances that have been made by them against Government,?.! neglect. The result of these remonstrances is, however, only too well known: abundance of fair promises, but only very poor performance. Here and there a small piece of good road has been made, but by far the larger portion of- the highway between these districts and Melbourne, is at the present time worse by many degrees that the original bush tracks. With the exception that the most dangerous of the rivers and creeks on the route are now bridged over, a journey from the Metropolis to the Ovens and Murray Districts is at the present day as perilous an cuter priso as jt was when our gold fields were first opened, now upwards of fourteen years ago. But while thus overlooked as regards means of communication, we have not been equally overlooked in the matter of taxation. Although contributing an equal share to the general revenue, with other portions of the colony, we have by no means equally participated in the expenditure of that revenue. While Ballarat, Oastlewains, and Bendigo are furnished with both good macadamised roads and splendid railways, the largo and important gold fields' and townships of the Ovens and Murray Districts have a miserable bush track as their only means of communication with j the Metropolis. Not only this, but j gince the Local Government Act came into force and the control of the roads has been handed over to the various local bodies through which it passes, that track — or road, or whatever it may he called — has become literally barricaded with toll-bars. Between Beech-worth and Melbourne, a distance computed at something like 1S5 miles, there are no less than fourteen toll-gates, through which every ton of goods conveyed to this portion of these districts must pass. Now, one would think that the high rate of carriage incidental to a long and bad road would of itself bo quite sufficient without such an infliction as this. But no, the resident of these districts is not sufficiently taxed ; he must be mulcted for the cost of a highway that has never been formed. The carriers say, and with the greatest truth, that they too are also severe sufferers by this infliction. The charge made for a waggon and six horses at each of these toll-bars is three shillings and sixpence (3s 8d) each way, or seven shillings (7s) going and returning, so that the unlucky teamster has to pay £ 18s tor tolls alcme out of the money he has earned by a trip from Melbourne to the-Ovens and back. When we corns to consider that that trip in general occupies something like threo weeks, and that the waggons as a rule return empty, it must ho allowed that the carrier can only have a very small margin (if any) left for himself, after paying for horse feed, wear and tear, &c. Were there anything to justily the imposition of tolls to this frightful extent, the ease would be entirely difl'erent. But tliero is absolutely nothing. Although patches of good road exist here and there, yet these ara of no benefit whatever to the teamster, at least so far a3 carrying extra loading is concerned. That individual must take tire state, of the road from his starting point to his destination whilst calculating the quantity of goods he will be able to convey ; and thus it is that in 1888. with carriage at £3 per ton, a waggon cannot be more heavily laden than it was in 1858 with carriage at £13 per ton. Now there is no doubt but this state of things requires alteration. The carrier may possibly sudor for a time, but it is ihe residents of these disticts who will he the sufferers in the long run. Until a line of railway ia established between the Ovens and Murray Districts and the metropolis, the road will be the principal medium for the conveyance of our supplies of sea-borne goods. Such being the case, it is surely the- height of , felly to. allow those engaged in the conveyance of these goods to be driven off that road by the excessive taxation imposed on them by these tolls. If, by their means, the carriers' occupation is rendered an unenumerated one, he must of course betake himself and his waggon elsewhere. We cannot be expected to be so much of a philanthropist as to work for nothing, and keep his horses as well. ; Were the river to be depended on all the year round, the case would be entirely ; different ; of course, we would have our i goods conveyed by the cheapest route. ' In such case, it would matter comparatively little although the number both of 1 tollgates and charges were infinitely in- j creased, as little or no traffic would pass \ through them. But, unfortunately, the ' river is not to be depended on to any j great extent at any time, and for a large portion of the season.it is utterly useless j for the purposes of carriage. It is therefore only to our own interest to. take cars that the carrier by the road has no unnecessary drawbacks to contend with. The tax ultimately falls on the consumer, and is paid by him, not by the carrier. Goods, we should ihink, were sufficiently dear m these districts without having such a per centage as this added to their cost. It is a matter in which the public are greatly interested, and we hope they will see it to be their duty to speak out on the matter;.
Source: 1866 'THE TOLL-GATE QUESTION.', Ovens and Murray Advertiser (Beechworth, Vic. : 1855; 1857 - 1890; 1892 - 1955), 24 November, p. 2. , viewed 23 Jan 2026, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article198657541
TEMPLESTOWE DISTRICT ROAD BOARD. DONCASTER ROAD TOLL.
Fresh TENDERS will be received by the board of this district, up to 4 o'clock p.m. on Monday, the 30th day of December, 1872, for the LEASE of the above TOLL and Cheek gates, from the 1st day of January to the 31st day of December, 1878. A cash deposit of £10 must accompany each tender. Conditions can be seen at the Board-room, Templestowe. The Board do not bind themselves to accept the highest or any tender. By order THOMAS O'BRIEN Clerk of the Board. Templestowe. December 20, 1872
Source: 1872 'Advertising', The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), 28 December, p. 2. , viewed 23 Jan 2026, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5845229
TEMPLESTOWE DISTRICT BOARD.
TENDERS will be received until 4 o'clock p.m. on Thursday, 10th day of Decemher next, for the LEASING of the DONCASTER TOLLS, for one year from the 1st day of January to the 31st day of December, 1870, both days inclusive, subject to the usual conditions, which may be seen at the office, where printed form of tender aid all information relating thereto may be obtained. The Board do not bind themselves to accept the highest or any tender. By order, S. RICARDO, Clork of the Board. November 23,1809.
Source: 1869 'Advertising', The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), 24 November, p. 3. , viewed 23 Jan 2026, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5808423
ROAD BOARD.- BOROONDARA.
The ordinary meeting was held on Thursday; Mr. Murray, the chairman of the board, presiding. The other members present were Messrs. Taylor, Ragg, William-son, and Robinson. The minutes of the pre-vious meeting were read and confirmed. The correspondence included letters from the clerk to several parties; and a letter from the Nunawading Road Board stating that Messrs. Boardman, Keogh, and Yeomans had been appointed as representatives of the Joint Toll Committee on the part of that board, and re-questing that a committee of this board might be appointed, and a meeting held to con-sider the subject of a redistribution of the toll funds of the White Horse and Delany's Toll roads. The board, on the motion of Mr. Taylor, seconded by Mr. Ragg, declined to allow their Toll Committee to meet to re-open the subject. A deputation from the Templestowe Road Board, consisting of Messrs. Tatham and Orr, attended, to apply for liberty to remove a toll-gate on the Don-caster road to a more favourable position; to which the board consented. A report was read from the Road Board Conference recently held at Hockin's Hotel, Melbourne, giving an account in detail of their proceedings, and accompanied by a letter from the secretary requesting a contribution of three guineas towards expenses. The consideration of the question of payment was postponed until next meeting. The clerk reported with re-ference to the notice of motion given by Mr. Cope, for this meeting to consider the resolution of the board respecting the enforcing of fines against contractors, and whether the same should be rescinded or otherwise, that after an accurate search no such resolution could be found amongst the records of the board, and that it appeared from a number of one of the local journals, which was produced, that it was merely a suggestion of Mr. Robinson, on which no action had been taken. On the motion of Mr. Taylor it was resolved, after debate, that Mr. Nicolls should be paid the balance of his contract for the Norwood-road, less £10 for fines, provided he paid the labourers who had been engaged in finishing the contract. The chairman and engineer reported the result of their conference as a deputation respecting the White Horse road to Mr. Steavenson, assistant-commissioner of roads and bridges, who stated that he would have to take the opinion of the Attorney-General as to whether payment for the expenditure incurred could be made be-yond the amount proposed by the depart-ment. The engineer reported that it would take about £200 to complete Fitzpatrick's contract at Ewart's-bridge, and payment of £62 on account was ordered. The report of the engineer with respect to Ewart's bridge and Downing's-road was read and adopted, and also his report respecting the Doncaster-road. He also laid before the board, in ac-cordance with instructions given at last meeting, a general report of the several roads in the district, giving a special account of the state of each of them. The report was read and adopted. A return of the amounts due
to each road in the district was brought up and read. The letting of the tolls of Delany's toll-gate was postponed. The treasurer re-ported payments into the bank since last meeting of £102 2s. 8d. Payments were ordered to the amount of £133 8s. ; and the board adjourned.
OAKLEIGH AND MULGRAVE.—The ordinary meeting was held on Thursday. Mr. May, the chairman, presided. The question of whether the board should meet monthly in-stead of fortnightly was discussed, and it was resolved that the meetings should be held monthly. Payments to the amount of £241 were made.
TEMPLESTOWE ROAD BOARD.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15. Present—The Chairman (Mr. E. Tatham), and Messrs. Clay, Thompson, and Rutledge. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. CORRESPONDENCE. From the Railways and Roads department, stating that the Roads and Bridges depart-ment had been amalgamated with it, and that the office of the latter was now closed.—Re-ceived. From the same, informing the Board that the 10th clause of the regulations for main road construction did not apply to engineers who were appointed before the Shires Statute became law.—Received. From the Shire Council of Matlock, in reference to the abolition of the office of Government Inspecting Engineer. Received. From the Central Board of Health, recommending the Local Boards of Health to cause an inspection to be made of churches, school-rooms, assembly halls, places of amusement, and all other public buildings in their respective districts, in order to ascertain if such buildings are thoroughly ventilated and drained, and also provided with sufficient and safe means of egress, as well as with proper appliances for the extinction of fire. Received. The Clerk laid on the table a copy of the proclamation of the Road District of Templestowe, together with a plan of the same, on which were shown the boundary lines and limit of the district. The Board having inspected the same, the Clerk was instructed to take steps to have the different properties valued in that portion of the district between the parish boundary of Bulleen and the Deep Creek lately taken up under the Land Act. The Chairman reported that the deputation appointed by this Board at a former meeting waited on the Boroondara Board to ask for a more equitable distribution of the Doncaster toll fund, and that the Boroondara Board promised to send a reply after the subject had been considered. The Clerk was instructed to advertise for tenders for the lease of the Doncaster toll and check-gate in the usual way. It was moved by Mr. Rutledge, seconded by Mr. Clay, and carried, that tenders be called for the supply of 1,400 cubic yards of road metal for the Doncaster road ; the same to be opened at next meeting. Mr. Rutledge gave notice that at next meeting he would move that a rate of 1s. in the £ be struck on all the rateable property in the district. Payments amounting to £25 6s. were passed, and the Board adjourned until 30th November, at three o'clock p.m.
Source: 1871 TEMPLESTOWE ROAD BOARD South Bourke Standard (Vic.: 1861 - 1873), 24 November, p. 3. , viewed 23 Jan 2026, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article70083638
No comments:
Post a Comment