Extract from President’s Report
Three Historical Markers are to be erected in the City, to commemorate the Toll Gate to be situated at the Thomsons Reserve on the Corner of Doncaster and Tram Roads.The next will be on Finn's Reserve in honour of "Finn’s Pub" and bricks from the original building will be used for this.
The third will be for the State Crusher on the river bank at Warrandyte. It is hoped that on completion a suitable ceremony will be held to highlight the occasion. Our Society has supplied information, design, bricks and wording for the plaques; so we hope you will be able to attend when they are finished and unveiled.
1975 11 DTHS Newsletter
Historic Markers and Monuments
Awareness of history can be the catalyst which turns the people of a locality into a community. Historic markers and monuments provide accents to help build this awareness.New markers have recently been erected by the council and with these additions, the City is gaining a rich collection of monuments. Acting on suggestions of the Historical Society, the council has commemorated the Toll Gate at Doncaster, the Upper Yarra Hotel at Templestowe, and the State Crusher at Warrandyte. These have been added to existing monuments, such as War Memorials, Reserves, the Tully Drive and the newly-formed Muriel Green Drive, buildings and the Gold Memorial.
Churches have always been aware of the importance of memorials. Stained glass windows, gates, and church furniture donated in remembrance of past members bring history into the church, giving a timeless atmosphere. Worshippers can find the peace of mind that goes with being in a secure permanent building.
War memorial
In the 1920’s, War Memorials were being erected to the soldiers who had given their lives during the First World War. At Warrandyte a simple monolith was placed high up above the road outside the new R.S.L. building. At Doncaster, sculptured panels with an honor roll were attached to the front of the Athenaeum Hall. When a public meeting was held at Templestowe in 1922, Mrs. Carl Aumann suggested that both a Memorial Hall and a Monument be erected. The machine gun that was part of the memorial at Doncaster was confiscated by the army on the outbreak of the 1939/1945 War. When Doncaster Road was rebuilt and widened, the front of the Athenaeum Hall, including the old entrance and projection room, had to be removed. The panels were replaced on a newly-built front wall with steps leading up to them.
The memorial standing in Anderson Street opposite James Street is possibly in a hazardous position. Already, cars that have failed to take the corner, have crashed through the fence on either side of the monument. If damaged, the sculptured decoration and the round columns would be difficult and expensive to replace. Twenty years ago the attractive miniature brass cannon, that surmounted the structure, was stolen. In Templestowe, between Parker and Foot Streets at High Street, is the City Services Park. The park was formed at the instigation of the secretary of the R.S.L. A stone opposite the entrance simply states - "Lest We Forget”. It is to be hoped that these words still have meaning for the next generation. This land has great historical significance, for it was the first home of local government in the city. In 1872, the Roads Board Office was built here. Later, the building became the Shire Hall and the Shire Pound was on the same land. Tt seems an oversight that this fact is not commemorated in the park.
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.
Upper Yarra Hotel
The first hotel in the the district the "Upper Yarra" was built in Templestowe in 1852. Twenty years later James Finn replaced the original building with a new hotel on an adjacent block. The character of James Finn did much to make the "Upper Yarra" part of the life of the district. The hotel was de-licensed in the 1920's and in its later years became a favourite subject for painters and photographers. A cairn built with bricks from the hotel marks the position of the Upper Yarra Hotel.
State Crusher
During the depression of the 1890's the Government looked to gold mining to aid the economy. As encouragement to mining at Warrandyte a State Crusher was built. The crusher, driven by a large waterwheel, was erected on the south branch of the Yarra, just upstream from the bridge. By the 1920's the crusher was no longer required. There was a demand that it be kept there as monument to the days of gold mining. However, the State Crusher was moved to another goldfield. A cairn has been placed near the road above the site of the crusher and waterwheel.
Discovery of Gold
In 1935, a group of Warrandyte residents erected a memorial to mark the first discovery of gold in Victoria. There appear to be several anomalies
about the Gold Memorial. it ie generally stated that the first discovery of gold in Victoria was at Clunes. The wording on the monument states: "Gold found here June, 1851, by Louis J. Michel and Party” yet it is situated on the site of Michel and Habberlain's discovery in July, 1851. Several men had found gold in Victoria before 1851. Possibly the first discovery was near Warrandyte in 1842. The reward that was offered in 1851 was for the discovery of a payable goldfield. When gold was found at Clunes, it was kept quiet at first and was reported the day after Michel had reported and openly published his discovery. The Warrandyte goldfield that resulted was the first goldfield in Victoria. Michel had fulfilled all the requirements to be claimed officially as the first discoverer of gold in Victoria.
On 30th June, 1851, Louis Michel and his party found gold in a quartz reef where the road crosses Deep Creek at Warrandyte. The gold was tested and the authorities inspected the reefs, but, at that time, the technique for extracting gold from quartz was not known in Victoria. Michel, with one of his party, W. Habberlain, returned and found alluvial gold in Anderson's Creek on 13th July. Evidently, these details were not known to the committee who erected the Gold Memorial.
Plans to build Shoppingtown were being prepared before the Doncaster/Templestowe Historical Society was formed. The Box Hill Historical Society wrote to Westfield asking that the history of that corner be commemorated in some permanent form. Our Society after its formation followed up this request. Bricks were purchased from the red brick Corner Store when it was being demolished. These bricks were used as the basis for a commemorative walk placed in the car park outside the main entrance to Shoppingtown.
Irvine Green writing in 1978 02 DTHS Newsletter
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