DTHS - Twenty Five Years A Society - 1992

Doncaster - Templestowe Historical Society and Schramm's Cottage are inseparable.  The society originated from an historical exhibition in Schramm's Cottage in 1967.  The Shire of Doncaster and Templestowe was to be proclaimed as a City and to mark the occasion the council arranged an art festival.  One of the events planned was an historical exhibition in the old stone cottage built by Pastor Max Schramm.  The enthusiastic group who set up and ran the exhibition then decided to form an historical society. 

Display in the dining room of Schramms Cottage for the Historical Exhibition at the Arts Festival in 1967.

The meetings to organise the new society were held in the supper room of the Athenaeum Hall supper room but once formed, it met in Schramm's Cottage.  The cottage was unfurnished so we obtained old forms from the Athenaeum Hall and the Templestowe Memorial Hall.

The first President was Frank Rogan and the Secretary, Muriel Green.
From the start, meetings were well attended and soon members started researching the history of the district. 

DP0559 | First meeting in rebuilt Schramm's Cottage | Members of the Doncaster and Templestowe Historical Society at the first meeting in the rebuilt Schramm's Cottage. Gehard Heilman was the stone mason who rebuilt the walls. (Photograph mounted with caption) | Doncaster  Schramms Cottage|Burgess, Steven|Johnston, Gail|Wilson, Gail|Beavis, Jean|Burgess, Ted|Burgess, Ross|Collyer, Eric|Sharp, Gwen|Underwood, Myra|Burgess, Phyllis|Holmyard, May|Beed, Ethel|Crouch, Violet|Beed, Jack|Holmyard, Max|Beavis, Beatty|Heilman, Gehar |

The first meeting in the partly rebuilt Schramms Cottage took place on February 1975.  The meeting was a work evening to sort and clean up furniture and equipment that had been stored for several years.

Standing: Steven Burgess, Gail Johnston (nee Wilson), Jean Beavis, Ted Burgess, Ross Burgess, Eric Collyer.

Sitting: Gwen Sharp, Myra Underwood, Phyllis Burgess, May Holmyard, Ethel Beed, Violet Crouch, Jack Reed, Max Holmyard, Beatty Beavis, Gehard Heileman, Muriel Green, and Hugh Sharp.

The year 1969 became a busy year. First, we hosted the Eastern Region meeting. For the occasion, we hired the Templestowe Memorial Hall and our secretary, Muriel Green, gave a talk on Pioneer Women.
Later, the Royal Historical Society took gold as the theme for their biennial conference with a tour to Warrandyte gold areas. Six of our members acted as guides in the buses for the trip through Templestowe, Warrandyte and Doncaster. Lunch was at Warrandyte and we provided afternoon tea in Schramm's Cottage. 

| Doncaster Shoppingtown  1976 Main entrance and tower facing Williamsons Road from the position of the plaque commemorating the Box Hill to Doncaster tram, the Doncaster tower, and Serpell's store. DP0114

Members of the historical Society seated around the heritage walk at Shoppingtown during a tour of Doncaster in 1973.  Published in 1992-03 DTHS Newsletter

The same year Shoppingtown opened. Our society persuaded Westerfolds to include a feature to commemorate the historic sites at the corner of Doncaster, Williamsons and Tram Roads. We collected some bricks from Serpell's red brick store, called White's Corner, that stood on the corner. These were used to make a heritage walk in front of the main entrance to the Mall.

The next year, the historical society produced its first publication, "Doncaster Templestowe and Warrandyte since 1837". Eric Collyer and Ken Smith wrote the chapter on Doncaster, Brian Mullens on Templestowe and Warrandyte was written by lrvine Green. The pages of the booklet were printed by a printer then members collated bound and trimmed the publication. One thousand copies sold in four weeks. The next year we printed another five hundred copies, that sold out shortly afterwards. The 'profit from this booklet put the society on a sound financial footing. 

Once again Schramm's Cottage became the centre of the society's activities. Doncaster Road was to be widened but the cottage was in the way and had to be demolished. After a general outcry and publicity the council called a public meeting which formed a committee to raise money, move and rebuild Schramm's Cottage. We held a second exhibition, also in the cottage. Once again all the rooms were filled with displays photographs and articles lent by families in the district. Over nine hundred school children and nearly two thousand adults visited the cottage. The money raised went to Schramm's rebuilding fund. 

Rebuilding Schramm's Cottage 1973 showing the courses of stonework up to the height of the window sills and the window and door frames in position. DP0567

The Lutheran church offered their old church ground as a site for Schramm's Cottage, then the committee raised money, organised working parties and eventually, after many building problems and the work of over one hundred volunteers, the cottage was opened. It became the headquarters of the Doncaster-Templestowe Historical Society. We had a permanent home and our membership grew to a healthy one hundred and fifty and has remained steady. 

Doncaster had two historical features, the Doncaster Tower and the Box Hill-Doncaster Electric Tram. The historical society adopted the tram as its symbol but later we changed it to Schramm's Cottage that being more appropriate. 

In 1975, Doncaster and Templestowe celebrated their centenary as a municipality. This was an historic occasion so the society presented a program of events. An historic pageant in the Rieschiecks Reserve pavilion combined with a reunion for members of old families, a stage production at the Doncaster High School, with the title "One hundred Years Of Music", and a Pioneers Ball at the 'Athenaeum Hall. 

Also the erection of three historic cairns; these commemorated the site of Toll Gate at Doncaster, the Upper Yarra Hotel at Templestowe and the State Crusher at Warrandyte. With Schramm's Cottage reopened, the activities of the society changed. 

At weekends, we opened the cottage to the public so a roster of members manned the cottage and working parties made improvements. Buildings were added, historic orchard equipment arranged in the sheds and a garden planted and tended. During the week, school classes and social groups visited the cottage, also weddings in Schramm's garden became popular. 

A grant from the council financed the first of a series of publications designed primarily for students. Ten of these have been printed on the historical societies own printing press. 

c1976 The President, Irvine Green, speaking at 10th anniversary of Schramm's Cottage.

In 1985, the society took part in celebrating the historic occasion of one hundred and fifty years of Victoria. As the climax of a program of events, the society held a ball in the Athenaeum Hall. Again, in 1988, we celebrated the occasion with activities and again a ball, this time a gala affair in the ballroom of the Veneto Club. 

Opening of Schramm's Cottage 1976 - The President of the Doncaster and Templestowe Historical Society, Mrs Muriel Green, speaking. DP0557

The removal and renovation of Atkins House showed that our society was still an active group. Forty nine of our members worked on the project that significantly increased the interest of Schramm's Cottage historic centre. 

Atkins' Orchard Cottage being moved from Currawong Bush Park in 1988, where it had been temporarily placed, to Schramm's Cottage. The photograph shows the cottage on the low loader travelling west in Reynolds Road near Springvale Road. The cottage originally was built by Ben Atkins on his property in Newmans Road Templestowe. DTHS dp0570

Now the renovation of Schramm's Cottage completes twenty five years of activities by the Doncaster-Templestowe Historical Society.

Irvine Green writing in 1992 03 DTHS Newsletter