The Orchards Of Doncaster And Templestowe - 7 Blacksmiths
Orchards relied heavily on horses. Horses were needed for ploughing, spraying and the many carting jobs in the orchard and on the roads; and horses wore horseshoes that had to be regularly replaced by the blacksmith.
The first pioneers were forced, by necessity, to do all the jobs around their farm and this included looking after their horses’ shoes. Templestowe had a blacksmith in the early 1850’s when Archibald McLaren opened a forge in Bridge Road, Bulleen. Often the early blacksmiths shops were like John and Joe Hicks forge in Anderson Street, Templestowe, merely a fire, anvil and water barrel set up in the open under a gum tree.
In the Templestowe Township, William Hunter built a blacksmith shop in 1878. William, after learning the trade from Hicks, bought land at the corner of James and Anderson Streets. He built his ‘smithy’ in the key position on the corner of his house alongside in James Street. He called himself a blacksmith and veterinary surgeon. Hunter was mainly interested in the care of animals, so in 1892 he put Sylvester Mullens in charge of the ‘smithy’ and concentrated on his veterinary work. Eight years later Mullens took over the business and William Hunter moved to Camberwell Road.
Sylvester Mullens was the son of Stephen Mullens the Warrandyte pioneer. In 1885, Sylvester went to Gisborne to learn his trade at the well-known Gardiner ‘smithy’. There were a number of apprentices who paid 2/6 a week board, and worked without wages for the privilege of learning a trade. After working for a few years at the Cherry Chum factory, he came to Templestowe.
The Hillman brothers took over Laurie’s forge in Doncaster Road near Williamsons Road in 1889. Soon afterwards, Curtis Hillman moved to the blacksmith shop that George Hislop had built on the corner of Wetherby Road. When Curtis died early in the century, his wife, Anne, carried on the business with Dan Harvey as manager. Anne married a blacksmith Fred Sleeth who was working for her. Dan Harvey went to Templestowe and took over Calder’s forge at the corner of Foote Street and Thompsons Road. Calder and Hunter were rivals on the Shire Council. When Calder was repeatedly beaten by Hunter on Council issues, Calder said he would beat Hunter in business and used his ample capital to set up a rival blacksmith shop.
As orchards flourished, so the horse population grew. Instead of the one general-purpose horse that the first settlers had, a successful orchardist would have a fair sized stable. There would be two or three draught horses for ploughing and pulling a jingle, a fast horse for a jinker or buggy, a hack to ride down to pick up the mail or round up the cows, and perhaps ponies for the children to ride to school. By 1890, a blacksmith’s shop was a busy place and every locality had its forge.
A ‘smithy’ was always active. As well as shoeing horses, there was orchard equipment to be repaired, picks and quarry tools to be sharpened, and wagon wheels to be mended. If it was made of iron, a blacksmith would make it and a blacksmith would repair it.
The fruit growing industry had its own problems not experienced by other farmers and the initiative of Doncaster orchardists, with the skill of the blacksmiths, developed specialised equipment for their own requirements. The two-wheeled cart or dray, used for all carrying jobs in the orchard, had a very high body. A day spent lifting heavy cases; onto the cart was hard work. The Doncaster coachbuilder, Hillman, built a cart with a dropped axle and lower body. A peculiarity of the vehicle was the jingling sound made by the wheel hub as it revolved around the axle, and that sound gave rise to the name, “The Low Jingle”.
Fruitgrowers appreciated the work saved by the low jingle, but found a problem with it. Because the body was low, and the top of the wheels protruded above the cases in the carts, in wet weather mud splashed over the fruit. A new version was built with smaller wheels. Hillman s jingle had the shafts level with the floor, making them too low for the horse, Tolly, another blacksmith, made an improved version of the low jingle. He used a similar body with small wheels, but the shafts were higher and were supported by curved timber brackets at the front of the cart body.
Four-wheeled vehicles were not favoured in the orchard for it was easier for a horse to pull a two-wheel cart out of soft or muddy ground. For going to market, a four-wheel fruit grower’s wagon was used. These enclosed carts protected the produce during wet, stormy weather and were more comfortable for the driver.
In 1856, Thomas Serpell proudly wrote that his family had bought an American plough! Indeed, the plough was the basic tool of any farm. In these early years, only the mould-board plough that turned over the soil was made of iron. The beam and handles were timber. One horse pulled a plough, which dug a single furrow. Different varieties of the simple plough were developed for special purposes.
For the manufacture and maintenance of all the equipment on orchards, the blacksmith filled an important role.
John Smedley built a blacksmith and wheelwright shop in 1859, near the corner of Doncaster Road and High Street. His house and forge was on the site of the Doncaster Park Primary School, now demolished. On the door of the ‘smithy’, Smedley nailed his emblem - a large horseshoe encircling a smaller one. Smedley called his house “Journey’s End”. John’s sons, William and John continued in their father’s trade but Frank became an orchardist in East Doncaster. In the 1860’s and 70’s other blacksmiths established themselves along Doncaster Road.
In the Templestowe Township, William Hunter built a blacksmith shop in 1878. William, after learning the trade from Hicks, bought land at the corner of James and Anderson Streets. He built his ‘smithy’ in the key position on the corner of his house alongside in James Street. He called himself a blacksmith and veterinary surgeon. Hunter was mainly interested in the care of animals, so in 1892 he put Sylvester Mullens in charge of the ‘smithy’ and concentrated on his veterinary work. Eight years later Mullens took over the business and William Hunter moved to Camberwell Road.
Sylvester Mullens was the son of Stephen Mullens the Warrandyte pioneer. In 1885, Sylvester went to Gisborne to learn his trade at the well-known Gardiner ‘smithy’. There were a number of apprentices who paid 2/6 a week board, and worked without wages for the privilege of learning a trade. After working for a few years at the Cherry Chum factory, he came to Templestowe.
The Hillman brothers took over Laurie’s forge in Doncaster Road near Williamsons Road in 1889. Soon afterwards, Curtis Hillman moved to the blacksmith shop that George Hislop had built on the corner of Wetherby Road. When Curtis died early in the century, his wife, Anne, carried on the business with Dan Harvey as manager. Anne married a blacksmith Fred Sleeth who was working for her. Dan Harvey went to Templestowe and took over Calder’s forge at the corner of Foote Street and Thompsons Road. Calder and Hunter were rivals on the Shire Council. When Calder was repeatedly beaten by Hunter on Council issues, Calder said he would beat Hunter in business and used his ample capital to set up a rival blacksmith shop.
As orchards flourished, so the horse population grew. Instead of the one general-purpose horse that the first settlers had, a successful orchardist would have a fair sized stable. There would be two or three draught horses for ploughing and pulling a jingle, a fast horse for a jinker or buggy, a hack to ride down to pick up the mail or round up the cows, and perhaps ponies for the children to ride to school. By 1890, a blacksmith’s shop was a busy place and every locality had its forge.
A ‘smithy’ was always active. As well as shoeing horses, there was orchard equipment to be repaired, picks and quarry tools to be sharpened, and wagon wheels to be mended. If it was made of iron, a blacksmith would make it and a blacksmith would repair it.
Sleeth's (late Hillman's) Doncaster Orchard Implement Works (blacksmith). South-east corner of Doncaster and Wetherby Roads. Shows employees; and two fruit wagons; a low-slung jingle; and a plough. Also shows a tall girder pole with what appears to be a mail box attached to it. Signwriting on Shop: Coachbuilder. A Sleeth. Late A Hillman. Doncaster Orchard Implement Works. Hillman Implement Maker. Horse Shoes. General Blacksmiths. (Frederick Bernard Sleeth died on 25 November 1953) DP0046
A forge was always a dark place for the smithy had to see the colour of the hot iron and in the dark, the fire was always spectacular. The large bellows sent air hissing through the fire, which glowed, and spat. Close to the fire, the sound of the Smithy’s heavy hammer rang out as he beat red-hot iron on the anvil. Other equipment stood around the shop such as heavy rollers to bend iron tyres and there were always horseshoes hanging on the wall.
The fruit growing industry had its own problems not experienced by other farmers and the initiative of Doncaster orchardists, with the skill of the blacksmiths, developed specialised equipment for their own requirements. The two-wheeled cart or dray, used for all carrying jobs in the orchard, had a very high body. A day spent lifting heavy cases; onto the cart was hard work. The Doncaster coachbuilder, Hillman, built a cart with a dropped axle and lower body. A peculiarity of the vehicle was the jingling sound made by the wheel hub as it revolved around the axle, and that sound gave rise to the name, “The Low Jingle”.
Fruitgrowers appreciated the work saved by the low jingle, but found a problem with it. Because the body was low, and the top of the wheels protruded above the cases in the carts, in wet weather mud splashed over the fruit. A new version was built with smaller wheels. Hillman s jingle had the shafts level with the floor, making them too low for the horse, Tolly, another blacksmith, made an improved version of the low jingle. He used a similar body with small wheels, but the shafts were higher and were supported by curved timber brackets at the front of the cart body.
Four-wheeled vehicles were not favoured in the orchard for it was easier for a horse to pull a two-wheel cart out of soft or muddy ground. For going to market, a four-wheel fruit grower’s wagon was used. These enclosed carts protected the produce during wet, stormy weather and were more comfortable for the driver.
In 1856, Thomas Serpell proudly wrote that his family had bought an American plough! Indeed, the plough was the basic tool of any farm. In these early years, only the mould-board plough that turned over the soil was made of iron. The beam and handles were timber. One horse pulled a plough, which dug a single furrow. Different varieties of the simple plough were developed for special purposes.
For the manufacture and maintenance of all the equipment on orchards, the blacksmith filled an important role.
Source: The Orchards Of Doncaster And Templestowe By Irvine Green Published By Doncaster-Templestowe Historical Society 1985 - Original Scan.
Hunter and Mullens Blacksmiths
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| W. Hunter S Mullens General Blacksmith, Wheelwright Templestowe. DTHS-DP0507 |
At the end of 1970, the last remaining blacksmith shop in our district ceased to operate when Jack Mullens retired. Mullens smithy is on the corner of Anderson and James Streets, Templestowe, a brick building with an old timber section at the rear.
The first pioneers were forced by necessity to do all the jobs around their selection. This included looking after their horses' shoes. Templestowe, the first area of our city to be settled, had a blacksmith shop in the early 1850's. It’s years before Archibald McLaren had competition when John and Joe Hicks opened a forge in Anderson Street opposite the present shopping area, before moving to Church Road corner. They set up an anvil, fire, and water barrel in the open under a sheltering gum tree.
Doncaster settlers were without a blacksmith until John Smedley arrived in 1859. Smedley's forge was on the site of the Doncaster Park School, while George Salem had a forge at Waldau.
As orchards flourished, so the horse population grew. Instead of the one general purpose horse of the early settlers, a successful orchard would have a fair-sized stable. There would be two or three draught horses for ploughing and pulling a jingle, a fast horse for a buggy, a hack to ride down to pick up the mail or round up cows, and perhaps ponies for the children to ride to school. By 1890, a blacksmith's shop was a busy place and every locality had its forge. At Templestowe, Mullens black-smith's shop was opened by William Hunter in 1878. William's parents, Robert and Elizabeth Hunter came from Glasgow where Robert had been a ship-builder. In Templestowe, they lived on the road to Heidelberg. They also selected 300 acres on the Yarra east of Deep Creek. Here they grazed-cattle and cut timber. Robert and his eldest son Robert were both builders. In 1879, 150 acres of this land, was, used by William. Part of this is now Pygmalion Farm on Warrandyte Road.
William Hunter was a blacksmith and veterinary surgeon. After learning his trade from Hicks, William bought land in the Templestowe Village at the corner of James and Anderson Streets. He built the smithy in the key position on the corner and his house alongside in James Street. Hunter was a keen gardener. He planted an attractive garden of trees and shrubs around the house. Some of these are still growing on the vacant block.
When the first Shire of Templestowe council was elected in 1890, William Hunter was elected president – a position he filled on two future occasions. Later his brother, Thomas, was also Shire President for three years.
Hunter was more interested in the care of animals than blacksmith work, so, in 1892, he put Sylvester Mullens in charge of the smithy and concentrated on his veterinary work. Eight years later, Mullens took over the shop and William moved to Camberwell Road.
Sylvester Mullens was the son of Stephen Mullen, the Warrandyte pioneer. In 1885, Sylvester went to Gisborne to learn his trade at the well-known Gardiner smithy. He was one of a number of apprentices who paid 2/6d. a week board and worked without wages for the privilege of learning the trade. After working for a few years at the Cherry Churn factory he came to Templestowe. The Mullens were hard workers and capable of tackling any job - qualities that were ideal for the variety of work demanded from blacksmiths. Sylvester was soon successful and his business flourished.
During these years, the smithy was always active. As well as shoeing horses, there was orchard equipment to be mended, picks and quarry tools to be sharpened, and wagon wheels to be repaired. If it was made of iron, Mullens would make it and Mullens would repair it. Some considered a blacksmith capable of any job. Mrs. Tuckerband, an old German woman at Doncaster, once went to Charlie Hillman’s forge to have a tooth pulled out. She said that a blacksmith would have suitable tongs.
Even when there were no customers, there was always work to be done. Blacksmiths used to make their own nails. In a room at the rear of the shop, there was a bench where often a row of men would be making nails. They would cut off a measured length of square rod then hammer it into shape in a jig. Parts for ploughs, cultivators and vehicles were always made and kept ready for repairs. Horse shoes were made and stored on battens nailed to the Walls behind the anvil. Often hundreds of sets of shoes, all sorted into sizes, hung on the wall ready for use.
Wet days caused a problem. When orchardists could not work, they would bring in their repairs, but having plenty of time would stay to talk. So the blacksmiths could not get on with their work. The name "blacksmith" covers a range of skills. A farrier's job is to shoe horses. The name comes from the Latin "ferrum" meaning iron. The farrier would heat a length of iron bar in the forge fire . A large bellows worked by a rocker arm would send a blast of air into the fireplace generating a hot fire to heat the iron red hot. At first, blacksmiths used charcoal, but after gasworks were built, coke became available. The farrier lifted the red-hot bar with tongs and on the conical end of the anvil and hammered the shoe into its shape. A piece of iron at the top was drawn down forming a clip to hold the shoe in place. Eight nail holes were punched in the shoe and a groove was forged to prevent the nail heads from projecting. When finished the hot shoe was quenched in the barrel of water to harden the iron and cool the tongs.
To shoe the horse, the farrier, who of necessity knew how to handle a horse, stood with his back to the horse and drew the horse's foreleg up between his thighs. The old shoe was removed and the hoof trimmed with a paring knife. The hot shoe was pressed into the horn of the hoof to burn itself into place, then nailed in position.
Wheelwrights were an important part of a coach-building shop. Wheels sometimes broke and their iron tyres wore. The iron rim or tyre was curved into the correct diameter on a tyre bending machine and the ends were welded together. The tyre was made a fraction smaller than the wooden rim of the wheel. The iron tyre was evenly heated until it expanded enough to fit over the rim and cooled to make a tight fit.
There were also assistants called strikers who hammered the iron held in position by the blacksmith. There were coach and body builders, and painters and sign writers. Everyone in the district could tell a Mullens coach body by its distinctive style of decorative scrolls and signwriting. Blacksmiths were the service stations of the past. Their owners even looked for a similar situation when selecting a location. In fact in many places, a service station now stands on the site of a blacksmith's shop. At Templestowe, a service station has been built on the corner of Foote Street and Main Road. This was the site Calder chose for his smithy, that was later run by Dan Harvey then Crampton. A service station was proposed for Mullens corner.
The first pioneers were forced by necessity to do all the jobs around their selection. This included looking after their horses' shoes. Templestowe, the first area of our city to be settled, had a blacksmith shop in the early 1850's. It’s years before Archibald McLaren had competition when John and Joe Hicks opened a forge in Anderson Street opposite the present shopping area, before moving to Church Road corner. They set up an anvil, fire, and water barrel in the open under a sheltering gum tree.
Doncaster settlers were without a blacksmith until John Smedley arrived in 1859. Smedley's forge was on the site of the Doncaster Park School, while George Salem had a forge at Waldau.
As orchards flourished, so the horse population grew. Instead of the one general purpose horse of the early settlers, a successful orchard would have a fair-sized stable. There would be two or three draught horses for ploughing and pulling a jingle, a fast horse for a buggy, a hack to ride down to pick up the mail or round up cows, and perhaps ponies for the children to ride to school. By 1890, a blacksmith's shop was a busy place and every locality had its forge. At Templestowe, Mullens black-smith's shop was opened by William Hunter in 1878. William's parents, Robert and Elizabeth Hunter came from Glasgow where Robert had been a ship-builder. In Templestowe, they lived on the road to Heidelberg. They also selected 300 acres on the Yarra east of Deep Creek. Here they grazed-cattle and cut timber. Robert and his eldest son Robert were both builders. In 1879, 150 acres of this land, was, used by William. Part of this is now Pygmalion Farm on Warrandyte Road.
William Hunter was a blacksmith and veterinary surgeon. After learning his trade from Hicks, William bought land in the Templestowe Village at the corner of James and Anderson Streets. He built the smithy in the key position on the corner and his house alongside in James Street. Hunter was a keen gardener. He planted an attractive garden of trees and shrubs around the house. Some of these are still growing on the vacant block.
When the first Shire of Templestowe council was elected in 1890, William Hunter was elected president – a position he filled on two future occasions. Later his brother, Thomas, was also Shire President for three years.
Hunter was more interested in the care of animals than blacksmith work, so, in 1892, he put Sylvester Mullens in charge of the smithy and concentrated on his veterinary work. Eight years later, Mullens took over the shop and William moved to Camberwell Road.
Sylvester Mullens was the son of Stephen Mullen, the Warrandyte pioneer. In 1885, Sylvester went to Gisborne to learn his trade at the well-known Gardiner smithy. He was one of a number of apprentices who paid 2/6d. a week board and worked without wages for the privilege of learning the trade. After working for a few years at the Cherry Churn factory he came to Templestowe. The Mullens were hard workers and capable of tackling any job - qualities that were ideal for the variety of work demanded from blacksmiths. Sylvester was soon successful and his business flourished.
During these years, the smithy was always active. As well as shoeing horses, there was orchard equipment to be mended, picks and quarry tools to be sharpened, and wagon wheels to be repaired. If it was made of iron, Mullens would make it and Mullens would repair it. Some considered a blacksmith capable of any job. Mrs. Tuckerband, an old German woman at Doncaster, once went to Charlie Hillman’s forge to have a tooth pulled out. She said that a blacksmith would have suitable tongs.
Even when there were no customers, there was always work to be done. Blacksmiths used to make their own nails. In a room at the rear of the shop, there was a bench where often a row of men would be making nails. They would cut off a measured length of square rod then hammer it into shape in a jig. Parts for ploughs, cultivators and vehicles were always made and kept ready for repairs. Horse shoes were made and stored on battens nailed to the Walls behind the anvil. Often hundreds of sets of shoes, all sorted into sizes, hung on the wall ready for use.
Wet days caused a problem. When orchardists could not work, they would bring in their repairs, but having plenty of time would stay to talk. So the blacksmiths could not get on with their work. The name "blacksmith" covers a range of skills. A farrier's job is to shoe horses. The name comes from the Latin "ferrum" meaning iron. The farrier would heat a length of iron bar in the forge fire . A large bellows worked by a rocker arm would send a blast of air into the fireplace generating a hot fire to heat the iron red hot. At first, blacksmiths used charcoal, but after gasworks were built, coke became available. The farrier lifted the red-hot bar with tongs and on the conical end of the anvil and hammered the shoe into its shape. A piece of iron at the top was drawn down forming a clip to hold the shoe in place. Eight nail holes were punched in the shoe and a groove was forged to prevent the nail heads from projecting. When finished the hot shoe was quenched in the barrel of water to harden the iron and cool the tongs.
To shoe the horse, the farrier, who of necessity knew how to handle a horse, stood with his back to the horse and drew the horse's foreleg up between his thighs. The old shoe was removed and the hoof trimmed with a paring knife. The hot shoe was pressed into the horn of the hoof to burn itself into place, then nailed in position.
Wheelwrights were an important part of a coach-building shop. Wheels sometimes broke and their iron tyres wore. The iron rim or tyre was curved into the correct diameter on a tyre bending machine and the ends were welded together. The tyre was made a fraction smaller than the wooden rim of the wheel. The iron tyre was evenly heated until it expanded enough to fit over the rim and cooled to make a tight fit.
There were also assistants called strikers who hammered the iron held in position by the blacksmith. There were coach and body builders, and painters and sign writers. Everyone in the district could tell a Mullens coach body by its distinctive style of decorative scrolls and signwriting. Blacksmiths were the service stations of the past. Their owners even looked for a similar situation when selecting a location. In fact in many places, a service station now stands on the site of a blacksmith's shop. At Templestowe, a service station has been built on the corner of Foote Street and Main Road. This was the site Calder chose for his smithy, that was later run by Dan Harvey then Crampton. A service station was proposed for Mullens corner.
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| Dan Harvey's Templestowe implements works, at the east corner of Foote and Union Streets Templestowe. The photograph shows a fruit wagon, drays and carts and a group of workman outside the entrance to the works. The premises were built by A. Calder. DTHS-dp0506 |
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| Dan Harvey and unknown person at the wheel of his Vele motorcar, outside his forge at Templestowe. 1907 DTHS-dp0172 |
Along Doncaster Road, there was a blacksmith shop at all the main intersections. Some of these have a service station on the same site. Smedley's land was on the corner of Doncaster Road and High Street. Charles Hillman and David Laurie started a forge near Williamsons Road where Chequered Flag Motors stands. Then Hillman and his brother Curt ran it until Curt went to East Doncaster. Later Tolley moved the forge below Beaconsfield Street. Spencer built a brick shed for his smithy at the corner of Elgar Road. Townsend was near the Church Road corner and Hislop built a blacksmith's shop on the south-east corner of Weatherby Road. Several blacksmiths rented this shop. There was Waters, Lowe, and Curt Hillman. After Hillman's death, his wife kept the forge going until she married Sleeth. At the Blackburn Road corner the farrier, Sell, had a forge on south-west corner.
The situation at Warrandyte was different. There were fewer horses but many mining tools needed repairs. This was a true, blacksmith's work. George Sloan built a forge up the hill opposite the post office. He later closed this and, with his brother Paul, built another in a picturesque setting among the wattles on the river bank.
In 1909, Sylvester Mullens eldest son, Jack, started work in his father's forge. After the First World War, conditions began to change. In 1920, Jack Mullens built his first truck body for the family's T-model Ford. In 1927, the front of the old building was pulled down and the present brick building erected. A petrol pump was installed. Until then, petrol was bought in 4-gallon tins from the grocer. Gradually tractors took the place of horses on the orchards and blacksmiths began to close down. The district did not lose all of its horses. As orchards were sold for homes, teenage girls on large allotments kept ponies and hacks. These kept the Templestowe forge going but now Jack Mullens has retired and the blacksmith shop has closed for business.
Irvine Green A.I.A.P. writing in 1971 08 DTHS Newsletter
Andrea Simmons (Facebook 2017) remembers: "I was one of those teenage girls who needed my horse shod 1968 - 1972. Jack was such a character. No phone bookings, just turn up on a Saturday morning and wait, often a couple of hours!
William Hunter built this Blacksmith shop in 1878. In 1900, S Mullens took over the business which was run until 1972. This corner is now the site of Vibrante Restaurant. https://www.vibranterestaurant.com.au/
It is planned to incorporate the chimney in Finger's Barn. The Barn is being moved to Schramm's Cottage by members of Doncaster Apex.
1973 08 DTHS Newsletter
John Mullens 74 is a most popular fellow among the youngsters of Doncaster and Templestowe.
After school and on Saturdays, he is surrounded by kids and horses for John is a farrier, one of the last around Melbourne.
The forge where he shapes and shoes for the kid's horses is almost 100 years old and has always been operated by Mullens, a family which pioneered the district.
Horse riding is a popular sport amongst the youngsters of this growing city only 10 miles from Melbourne and John Mullens is kept busy at the forge assisted, of course, by his young clients.
Picture Caption Top Left: For almost 100 years, the men of the Mullens family have plied their trade around this old brick forge.
Picture Caption Top Right: the the craggy face of a disappearing tradesmen... John Mullens peers into the future that spells doom for most who carry on his trade.
Picture Caption Bottom Left: In former days perhaps, an apprentice, but now just a boy with a horse. Kevin Whighton, 13 of Templestowe holds Belle while she is shod.
Picture Caption Bottom Middle: The gnarled sure hands mould a horseshoe with supple pressure and persistent strength rare in the age of automation.
Picture Caption Bottom Right: Still glowing, the shoe goes to the anvil to take shape under the farriers hammer.
Picturescope Newsday 30Oct1969
John Smedley set up a forge east of the junction of Doncaster Road and High Street. The long steep hill up to the Eastern Golf Links was known by local residents as Smedley's cutting.
David Laurie had a forge west of the intersection of Doncaster and Williamsons Roads. This was later moved to the vicinity of Beaconsfield Street and in 1889 was taken over by the Hillman brothers.
Spencer built a brick forge for his "smithy" near the intersection of Elgar Road Road.
George Hislop set up a blacksmith's shop on the south east corner of Doncaster and Wetherby Roads. Several blacksmiths rented the business in subsequent years most notably Curtis Hillman. After Hillman's death his wife kept the forge going until she married Fred Sleeth who then conducted the business. The Hillmans were also coach builders and made wagons and carts for local orchardists and designed the "LowJingle" a two-wheel cart with a dropped axle to ease the work of lifting heavy fruit cases onto the cart. These were used for all carrying jobs on the orchard. Four-wheeled wagons were used to convey fruit to the markets and were frequently also used as the family conveyance.
To service the requirements of residents in East Doncaster, W. Sell established himself as a farrier on the south west corner of Doncaster and Blackburn Roads.
The situation at Warrandyte was different. There were fewer horses but many mining tools needed repairs. This was a true, blacksmith's work. George Sloan built a forge up the hill opposite the post office. He later closed this and, with his brother Paul, built another in a picturesque setting among the wattles on the river bank.
In 1909, Sylvester Mullens eldest son, Jack, started work in his father's forge. After the First World War, conditions began to change. In 1920, Jack Mullens built his first truck body for the family's T-model Ford. In 1927, the front of the old building was pulled down and the present brick building erected. A petrol pump was installed. Until then, petrol was bought in 4-gallon tins from the grocer. Gradually tractors took the place of horses on the orchards and blacksmiths began to close down. The district did not lose all of its horses. As orchards were sold for homes, teenage girls on large allotments kept ponies and hacks. These kept the Templestowe forge going but now Jack Mullens has retired and the blacksmith shop has closed for business.
Irvine Green A.I.A.P. writing in 1971 08 DTHS Newsletter
Andrea Simmons (Facebook 2017) remembers: "I was one of those teenage girls who needed my horse shod 1968 - 1972. Jack was such a character. No phone bookings, just turn up on a Saturday morning and wait, often a couple of hours!
Vibrante Restaurant (2017)
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| Vibrante Restaurant Website Background showing Templestowe Motor Body Works. Previously Hunter & Mullens Blacksmith 2017 |
Mullen's Blacksmith Shop
The heart of a blacksmith shop is its chimney and fireplace. When the chimney from Mullens Blacksmith shop was offered for the Schramm's Cottage Project, it was eagerly accepted. In May, members of the Society and pupils from Templestowe High School, with Mr. and Mrs. Eagles, loaded the brick from the chimney into Mr. Ivan Peter-Budgeës truck and moved them to Schramm's Cottage.It is planned to incorporate the chimney in Finger's Barn. The Barn is being moved to Schramm's Cottage by members of Doncaster Apex.
1973 08 DTHS Newsletter
Farrier John's dying skill keeps kids' horses in shoes
John Mullens 74 is a most popular fellow among the youngsters of Doncaster and Templestowe.
After school and on Saturdays, he is surrounded by kids and horses for John is a farrier, one of the last around Melbourne.
The forge where he shapes and shoes for the kid's horses is almost 100 years old and has always been operated by Mullens, a family which pioneered the district.
Horse riding is a popular sport amongst the youngsters of this growing city only 10 miles from Melbourne and John Mullens is kept busy at the forge assisted, of course, by his young clients.
Picture Caption Top Left: For almost 100 years, the men of the Mullens family have plied their trade around this old brick forge.
Picture Caption Top Right: the the craggy face of a disappearing tradesmen... John Mullens peers into the future that spells doom for most who carry on his trade.
Picture Caption Bottom Left: In former days perhaps, an apprentice, but now just a boy with a horse. Kevin Whighton, 13 of Templestowe holds Belle while she is shod.
Picture Caption Bottom Middle: The gnarled sure hands mould a horseshoe with supple pressure and persistent strength rare in the age of automation.
Picture Caption Bottom Right: Still glowing, the shoe goes to the anvil to take shape under the farriers hammer.
Picturescope Newsday 30Oct1969
Blacksmiths
Blacksmiths were an integral part of any farming community in past times, and along the main Doncaster Road, there was a "smithy" at each major intersection. They were kept busy shoeing horses as well as making tools and repairing implements for local orchardists.John Smedley set up a forge east of the junction of Doncaster Road and High Street. The long steep hill up to the Eastern Golf Links was known by local residents as Smedley's cutting.
David Laurie had a forge west of the intersection of Doncaster and Williamsons Roads. This was later moved to the vicinity of Beaconsfield Street and in 1889 was taken over by the Hillman brothers.
Spencer built a brick forge for his "smithy" near the intersection of Elgar Road Road.
George Hislop set up a blacksmith's shop on the south east corner of Doncaster and Wetherby Roads. Several blacksmiths rented the business in subsequent years most notably Curtis Hillman. After Hillman's death his wife kept the forge going until she married Fred Sleeth who then conducted the business. The Hillmans were also coach builders and made wagons and carts for local orchardists and designed the "LowJingle" a two-wheel cart with a dropped axle to ease the work of lifting heavy fruit cases onto the cart. These were used for all carrying jobs on the orchard. Four-wheeled wagons were used to convey fruit to the markets and were frequently also used as the family conveyance.
To service the requirements of residents in East Doncaster, W. Sell established himself as a farrier on the south west corner of Doncaster and Blackburn Roads.
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| The premises first established by W Sell on the south west corner of Doncaster and Blackburn Roads. Looking east along Main Road (now Doncaster road) towards Donvale. |
The increasing use of tractors replacing horsepower in later years gradually brought about the demise of local blacksmiths and the last surviving business in Doncaster, at the corner of Doncaster and Wetherby Roads, closed about 1960.
Doncaster A Short History Collyer 2013 - DTHS Edited by Eric Collyer
Doncaster A Short History Collyer 2013 - DTHS Edited by Eric Collyer
Sell - Farrier
Grandpa's blacksmith shop on the corner of Blackburn Rd and Main Rd. Tyres and harrows leaning against the wall. Still have some of the tools he used there, and even some of the books that have the jobs he did for people; shoeing horses, pointing ploughs, repairs etc. I would say this would've been taken in the 20s, so I don't suppose many people would remember it.
(Trevor Sell writing in Facebook 2017)
Side Note: Also William Sell was an agent in East Doncaster, in a land sale in Box Hill around 1923. (Craig Martin writing in Facebook 2017)
BEHIND our modern motor service stations lies a rich history of village blacksmiths. Blacksmiths operated their forges and shod horses on the same sites which are now occupied by modern service stations. Attracting the passing traffic was the name of the game then, as it is now, so both the smithies and their modern counterparts favored corner sites.
All main intersections along Doncaster Rd had a smithy. A traditional smithy car link on the south-west corner of the inter-section of Doncaster and Williamsons roads has recently passed into history.
A new commercial building has replaced the Chequered Flag Motors, which was the original site of Charles Hillman and David Laurie's forge. The forge was later moved to a site slightly west of Beaconsfield St, which was until recently Bob Jane's car sales.
Travelling east along Doncaster Rd, you can see the site where Hislop the blacksmith pumped his bellows into the fire and fixed horseshoes in his smithy shop on the corner of Doncaster Rd and Wetherby St. A Caltex service station replaced it until it, too, was demolished. After Hislop, the blacksmiths on this corner were Mr Lowe, Mr Curt Hillman. Hillman's widow and then Mr Sleeth.
On the south-west corner of Doncaster and Blackburn roads, opposite the Methodist Church, the Ampol service station stands on the site formerly occupied by the farrier J. Sell.
In Templestowe, former smithy sites include 2 Union St which was built by a blacksmith called Caulder. Later it was let to Dan Harvey and later still, the smithy Crampton. It is now an Ampol service station.
On the corner of Anderson and James streets. William Hunter worked a forge in 1878, which later became Sylvester Mullens. Older people would no doubt remember how as children they warmed their hands at the forge tire on the way to school.
A local blacksmith was versatile. He not only shoed horses, but was an adept bonesetter and manipulator. William Hunter of Templestowe is credited with being a veterinary surgeon. However, his version of veterinary surgery was very limited. His variety of tongs (long handled pincers for grasping hot metal) often doubled to pull teeth.
The blacksmiths made and mended anything made of iron. They shod horses, sharpened picks and tools and made nails by cutting a measured length of square rod which was hammered into shape in a jig. Many jobs were similar to those needed for cars today. Blacksmiths did 'wheel-alignments' when a wagon wheel broke. Spare parts were kept at forges for ploughs, cultivators and other horse-drawn vehicles just as service stations today keep them for Cars. There were smith-coach body builders, such as Mullens, with painters and signwriters for new vehicles and smash repairs.
Around 1927, Mullens installed the district's first petrol pump. Until then, the few car owners bought petrol in four gallon tins from the grocer. Some of Doncaster-Templestowe's black-smiths serviced the district's first cars while still servicing horses.
Doncaster & Templestowe News. 6NOV1991
Side Note: Also William Sell was an agent in East Doncaster, in a land sale in Box Hill around 1923. (Craig Martin writing in Facebook 2017)
Smithies Helped Build our Cities
BEHIND our modern motor service stations lies a rich history of village blacksmiths. Blacksmiths operated their forges and shod horses on the same sites which are now occupied by modern service stations. Attracting the passing traffic was the name of the game then, as it is now, so both the smithies and their modern counterparts favored corner sites.
All main intersections along Doncaster Rd had a smithy. A traditional smithy car link on the south-west corner of the inter-section of Doncaster and Williamsons roads has recently passed into history.
A new commercial building has replaced the Chequered Flag Motors, which was the original site of Charles Hillman and David Laurie's forge. The forge was later moved to a site slightly west of Beaconsfield St, which was until recently Bob Jane's car sales.
Travelling east along Doncaster Rd, you can see the site where Hislop the blacksmith pumped his bellows into the fire and fixed horseshoes in his smithy shop on the corner of Doncaster Rd and Wetherby St. A Caltex service station replaced it until it, too, was demolished. After Hislop, the blacksmiths on this corner were Mr Lowe, Mr Curt Hillman. Hillman's widow and then Mr Sleeth.
On the south-west corner of Doncaster and Blackburn roads, opposite the Methodist Church, the Ampol service station stands on the site formerly occupied by the farrier J. Sell.
In Templestowe, former smithy sites include 2 Union St which was built by a blacksmith called Caulder. Later it was let to Dan Harvey and later still, the smithy Crampton. It is now an Ampol service station.
On the corner of Anderson and James streets. William Hunter worked a forge in 1878, which later became Sylvester Mullens. Older people would no doubt remember how as children they warmed their hands at the forge tire on the way to school.
A local blacksmith was versatile. He not only shoed horses, but was an adept bonesetter and manipulator. William Hunter of Templestowe is credited with being a veterinary surgeon. However, his version of veterinary surgery was very limited. His variety of tongs (long handled pincers for grasping hot metal) often doubled to pull teeth.
The blacksmiths made and mended anything made of iron. They shod horses, sharpened picks and tools and made nails by cutting a measured length of square rod which was hammered into shape in a jig. Many jobs were similar to those needed for cars today. Blacksmiths did 'wheel-alignments' when a wagon wheel broke. Spare parts were kept at forges for ploughs, cultivators and other horse-drawn vehicles just as service stations today keep them for Cars. There were smith-coach body builders, such as Mullens, with painters and signwriters for new vehicles and smash repairs.
Around 1927, Mullens installed the district's first petrol pump. Until then, the few car owners bought petrol in four gallon tins from the grocer. Some of Doncaster-Templestowe's black-smiths serviced the district's first cars while still servicing horses.
Doncaster & Templestowe News. 6NOV1991
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