Location: 1-10 Williamsons Rd Doncaster
The Fred Zerbe Family Of East Doncaster
August Zerbe came to Australia in 1857. He was from Frank-on-Oder and 25 years old. The ship he arrived on was the "La Rochelle." His future wife arrived on the same ship.
On arrival he worked for the late Mr. Guscany of Brunswick with whom he stayed for some time. He then rented land at Scoresby but lost everything in the floods of 1863.
In 1864, he came to East Doncaster where he purchased land and established an orchard and built a home of hand-made bricks in George Street, then known as Waldau Lane. There was a family of 2 sons (August & Frederick) and 5 daughters.
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| August Zerbe's house in George St |
At that time all the Zerbe family attended the Lutheran Church.
One son Frederick Carl Zerbe was born in 1868 and received his education under Pastor Schramm. He started orcharding on the property originally owned by his father, purchased more land and worked 100 acres, frontages being on Blackburn Road and both sides of George Street.
In 1909, he built the East Doncaster General Store with a residence attached, as the people of the district had to buy their provisions at Victoria Market or at Kew.
The Store and Post Office were demolished in the late 1960's.
Fred had married Marie Aumann, daughter of Carl August & Johann Aumann pioneers of the district. They had a family of 3 sons and 1 daughter - Fred, August, Albert & Annie.
The following reminiscences were related by Fred & Mary's daughter Mrs. Annie Clarkson: There were only 3 shops in Fast Doncaster in the early 1900's, the General Store and Post Office which was moved from the school when the store was built in 1909; a butchers shop owned by Mr. Bob Smith; and a shop owned by Mrs. Sykes built in 1910 that sold sweets, haberdashery, tobacco, and with a room used by a visiting barber, school dentist and banker.
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| Zerbe's Store at East Doncaster. On the left the residence, the general store and post office. The next two buildings are the hay and corn store and on the far right the Primary Producers Bank |
The garage was built in 1922 and was taken over by Vic. Clarkson in 1934.
The General Store was alongside the East Doncaster School separated by a post and rail fence. A well known sight in East Doncaster was the Zerbe's 1922 Leyland truck with solid tyres (converted to rubber tyres in 1934) as it carted loads of fruit and goods for the store, chaff and straw from railway trucks at Mitcham station, pollard, bran and wheat from Burnley flour mills, also grocery supplies from Groves & McVitty, Swallow & Ariel, Guests and many names of firms now just memories.
Butter & cheese came in 56 lb. blocks and sugar & flour in 70 lb. bags and had to be weighed out, as required. Orders were taken from householders by Albert Zerbe and later Ted Craze on horseback, and then delivered by single horse lorry.
Older members of the Historical Society will remember the small bag of broken biscuits which came with the order.
When the store was first built it was managed by Mr. Otto Kuhn. Then Albert and August took over and Fred Senior & Fred Jun. who was a member of the first A.I.F. with the help of Mary & Annie and other employees ran the large orchard.
The Store also had the daily papers that were delivered from Doncaster, and was the agency for Armstrong & Whittle - Funeral Directors.
There were 6 horses & 1 pony for orchard work and store deliveries. Large orders - straw, wheat, pollard etc. - were delivered by a big lorry and 3 horses. Small orders - a 1 horse lorry, before the Leyland truck was bought.
There was a Fire Hydrant outside East Doncaster School, on the corner of George St. & Blackburn Rd. and every Saturday after closing the store at 1.00 p.m., August Zerbe (Jun.) who had a key, would open the fire alarm and phone Box Hill Fire Station to report that the alarm was working.
The General Store hours were 7.00 am to 6.00 pm daily, Friday to 9.00 pm an Saturday 7.00 am to 1.00 pm.
Annie can remember playing tennis on the school courts and at 5.00 pm every Saturday evening would have to stop playing to take mail bag into Store. When Fred sen. died in 1934 the General Store & Post Office was closed and August went to work on the orchard.
Albert continued working in the store until Fred Jun. was killed in a car accident in 1936 and then he too went to work on the orchard.
Bob Smith the butcher would carry all the meat in his butcher's cart and cut meat as required by householders.
Mr. Binks the fishmonger had an old Chevrolet car with dickey seat that was used as a block to cut the fish.
Mr. Gallus delivered the milk daily. He had a big can of milk and would ladle out the milk into a tin billy left at the gate. Bread was delivered daily.
Annie's nephew Jack Zerbe can remember in depression times, a man coming around on a bicycle selling ice cream, a real luxury in those days, so Jack would bargain with lemons and peaches.
Entertainment in the 1920's was limited and the highlights were the dances and Euchre nights held in Wally Zerbe's (August Sen. son) barn in Blackburn Road where Syme Bodyworks now stands.
Mark Holden played the violin and Mrs. Bullen played the piano and early dances were M.C.'d by the late Beattie Beavis.
Another exciting event in the early 1930's was the prospecting for gold near one of the Zerbe's dams in George Street, water from the dam being used for sluicing, but alas no gold was discovered.
Early School days
The East Doncaster school gardens were known as the best in the district and visitors used to come from other areas to see them. The pupils would work in the gardens 1/2 day a week.
The Avenue of Honour in Blackburn Road, honouring past pupils, residents and friends who served in the 1st world war was planted and cared for on Arbor Day by the school children, but when Blackburn Rd. was widened the mahogany gums were cut down.
Mr. Fred Zerbe sen. donated the land for the swimming pool that was built by the parents. Prior to the pool being built in 1937, district school swimming sports were held in a large dam on the Zerbe property in George Street.
When Annie was attending the school there were always 2 teachers. The tennis court was built in 1923, also by the parents of pupils.
The great event for the year was the annual trip to the Zoo, paid for by Mr. Wagstaff a wealthy resident of East Doncaster who was a great benefactor to the area. They travelled in fruit wagons, the boys sitting on the tail-boards with their feet dangling over the back. Before leaving each child was given a bag of lollies and an icecream. It was a long trip to the Zoo by horse and cart, and at Mrs. Zerbe’s suggestion, Mr. Wagstaff arranged for a shop in Kew to have hot buttered buns ready for the children. At the Zoo each child was given a ticket for a ride on the donkey, the train & Queeny the elephant. Later when motor trucks were used in the orchards, these made a faster trip. They used Fred Zerbe’s Leyland with its solid tyres, August Zerbe’s Morris, Tommy Buck’s Fiat and Sam Maggs Chevrolet.
Mary Plumb writing in the 1994 03 DTHS Newsletter
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