Lake Bulleen

Bolin Swamp

Bulleen Road, Bulleen (192.08)
Bolin Swamp contains one of a group of remaining billabongs within the Bulleen and Templestowe area, and one of few along the metropolitan course of the River Yarra. Within the billabong is a fine stand of River Red Gums, individuals of which possibly pre­ date white settlement.

The remaining vegetation is mainly exotic grasses and Solanum species, with an Elm copse to the south west slope.

Natural drainage is cut off by an embankment at the eastern end of the billabong. The southern bank is undergoing development as a residential subdivision which will be a future source of environmental weeds.

The Bolin Swamp area is of great significance to the Wurundjeri, the Aboriginal group associated with the Melbourne region.

A botanical assessment and management plan are required to safeguard the billabong and Red Gums, and to direct the elimination of environmental weeds and re-establishment of an indigenous vegetation community.

Of State significance for its natural and cultural values.

Excerpt from: City of Doncaster and Templestowe Heritage Study 1991 Richard Peterson p. 21
http://www.manningham.vic.gov.au/file/26126/download

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Lake Bulleen and the Aborigines

In 1837, surveyor Robert Hoddle designated the land between the Yarra-Yarra River and the Koonung-Koonung Creek the "Parish of Bulleen", because Bulleen was the native name for the Yarra at Mr. Wood's station.

Petty's Orchard

150 Years of Fruit Growing

Petty's Orchard on the river flats at Templestowe is now a demonstration orchard run by the Board of Works. The original old fruit shed has been faithfully restored to its original conditions and a section of the orchard has been set aside for visitors to inspect. There is a car park and an area for displays.
On Saturday 2nd March 1985, there will be an opportunity to visit this beautiful area, when the Historical Society will hold a field day with the theme "150 Years of Fruit Growing".
An interesting program is being arranged with displays and demonstrations showing the way it used to be. Ploughing, picking, sorting, and grafting are among the items on the program.
The afternoon is planned for March when the Jonathon Apples will be ripe.
The Orchard Museum has only been made possible by gifts of equipment from the district. The Museum is a valuable record of fruit growing methods and equipment of the past. Without such a collection of equipment knowledge of the industry would become lost. The latest equipment is a set of wheels on an axle, and Cool Store trolleys donated by Mr. & Mrs. W.L. Smith. Orchard Equipment has also been donated by Messrs. Doug Zerbe, Jim Clay, Les Hardidge, J. Aumann and Harold Morrison

1984 12 DTHS Newsletter

Petty's Orchard Restaurant & playground 2017 Photo: SanjithJoseph GoogleMaps

Bare Knuckle Fighting

Prize Fight in the Bush

All night long the rumbling of carts and traps never ceased along the road to Warrandyte. That morning Elijah White woke with a start as his brother shook him. "Come on Tiger" he whispered, "It's time to go". Elijah leaped out of bed and pulled on his clothes. The three brothers Sam, Harry and Elijah, called "Tiger", crept out of their house being careful not to disturb their father.

Henry White was a lay preacher of the church and they knew he wouldn't approve his sons watching a prize fight. They could hear the sound of traffic from down the hill and hurried along half running down the road. Turning into Warrandyte Road the boys crossed Deep Creel and then turned left where a track led into the bush.

Bare knuckle fighting had a great hold on the public in the seventies and word soon spread that Battling Carstairs was to challenge Harry Sellers for the middle weight Championship of Victoria. Sellers was an American, known as the "Happy Niggerî. Twelve years earlier he had been beaten by Tom Curran for the Championship of Victoria. For that match there had been a prize of 600 Pounds and after two hours Harry Sellers had been knocked out of the ring battered and blinded by cuts to the eyes.