Doncaster Hill

Doncaster Hill - Preserving the Hill’s Heritage

"Many who came to Manningham … believed they had found a place to live that embodied the best of both worlds - a country environment close to the city. Doncaster is one of Manningham's gateway suburbs on the municipality's southern boundary, "a cluster of suburban housing crowned by Shoppingtown, a landmark development perched high on a hill" (known today as Doncaster Hill)".

'Manningham from Country to City' 2001, Barbara Pertzel and Fiona Walters

The history of Manningham dates back thousands of years to the Wurundjeri tribe whose way of life was closely linked to the natural environment in which they lived and identified with specific tracts of land in both a physical and spiritual sense.

The first European settlers began growing wheat, vegetables and grapes in the 1830s before eventually planting orchards throughout the area.

The district's real windfall came with the discovery of gold in Warrandyte in the mid-1800s.

Local Government in the area dates back to the election of the Templestowe District Roads Board in 1856. On 28 February 1967 the Shire of Doncaster and Templestowe was proclaimed as a City and the Doncaster and Templestowe Council administered the area until 15 December 1994, when the City of Manningham formed as a result of Local Government amalgamations.

Manningham has retained many links to its heritage, with a large number of places, buildings, trees and landscapes that reflect the area's habitation by local indigenous people, gold miners and orchardists. Significant heritage locations in Doncaster Hill are protected by Heritage Overlays and will continue to be preserved for future generations. These include the Doncaster Church of Christ, the Doncaster Playhouse and the former Shire Offices.

The Doncaster Hill Heritage Trail was completed in July 2010 and offers residents and visitors the opportunity to step back in time and experience life from the early days when the first pioneers settled in Doncaster. The trail consists of a series of two interpretive signs and four sound posts which identify six key areas of historical significance within Doncaster Hill. It tells the story of our community's founders in the mid-1800s and how they settled the area. Locations include the Playhouse/Doncaster Primary School, Doncaster Church of Christ, the former Shire Offices, Doncaster Tower/first electric tram site and White's Corner/ Westfield Doncaster. The project built on Manningham Council's Memorandum of Understanding with Box Hill Institute by providing valuable 'real life' experience for 30 students. Students were involved with the preparation of the accompanying trail brochure and audio component of the sound posts. Funding of $37,727 was contributed by the Federal Government's Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, with Westfield contributing to the cost of the development and installation of a sign located on Westfield's site on the corner of Williamsons Road and Doncaster Road.

To find out more about Doncaster Hill's heritage go to . Doncaster Hill Website
Nov 2018 - Fact Sheet - Doncaster Hill

---

Doncaster Hill Heritage Trail

Late in 2009, Manningham Council decided to apply for Federal funding for the preparation of sound posts and an accompanying brochure covering the historical highlights of the area known as Doncaster Hill. A steering committee was formed, consisting of a member from our Society, one from the Church of Christ, one from Doncaster Primary Sch9ol, several Council Officers, the Heritage Architect and the student advisor from Box Hill College of TAFE. 

Our Society was to provide information and the text for the sound posts as well as appropriate photographs. A member of the Church of Christ provided material on the Church, and the school gave Information on the school in the early days. Funding was obtained, and at our first meeting discussion took place about which sites would be included. The upshot was that there would be one sound post outside the Old Shire Hall, one nearby featuring the tower, one outside the old Doncaster school and one opposite the Church of Christ. Also one interpretive sign was to be placed right outside the Church itself. 

Doncaster Shopping town was approached, and Westfield was keen to be involved, so an additional board was to be placed near the corner of Williamson's Road and Doncaster Road. Discussion followed concerning the shape and size of the Sound posts and expert help on this was obtained, The Box Hill College of TAFE students, working in conjunction with Manningham Council played a big role in this project. As a practical. exercise, advanced students worked on the graphics involved in the design, shape, colour and general aesthetics of the Sound posts. 

Also appropriate text, using information provided by our Society was prepared and voiced hy a member of Box Hill. The students went to extraordinary lengths to obtain the right sound atmosphere of sheep bleating, birds singing, creaking steps and our school bell at Schramm's Cottage was used to provide atmosphere. There were to be three buttons on each Sound post - the first to describe the Architectural style or building of the erection, the second a discussion or dialogue in the language of the time to describe the social mores of the period, and the third an event or special occurrence involving the particular sound post. The Contractor was a firm named Banana Graphics who were to manufacture and erect the sound posts in vitreous enamel. Many designs from the students were examined and finally an old style galvanised iron type with the silhouette of the bell, church and tower with an antique rusted appearance was chosen. 

The TAFE students also prepared their own designs for the accompanying brochure on the Doncaster Hill Heritage Trail. This gave the budding designers great scope for stretching their fertile imaginations, and the one finally chosen was in sepia tones, with similar silhouette images to the sound posts. 

These were in place in late June and in July a launching ceremcny was held at the Old Shire Hall. The Director of TAFE congratulated all involved in the project and stressed the advantages of the scheme as practical experience for his students. 

Councillor Graham Macmillan spoke on behalf of the Manningham Council and said he hoped the public would take advantage of the opportunity to listen to the sound posts and learn more of our Doncaster history. 

We thank the members of our Society who participated in the project. Judith Leaney, as a member of the steering committee, Kay Mack and Ken Smith who provided photos from our collection and spent quite a lot of time with Council Officers sorting through images and suggesting appropri81e ones, and Eric Collyer, who provided text and other advice. 

This is just another project in cur district, which helps in our aim of spreading knowledge of our history among members of the public, and working in conjunction with other groups in the community to our mutual advantage. 

Source: 2011-03 DTHS Newsletter