- Contents
- Before The Settlers
- Templestowe
- Doncaster
- Warrandyte
- Local Government
 |
| Doncaster township looking east c1900, taken from the Doncaster Tower. Shire Hall, school, ES&A Bank, and houses in the distance. In the grounds of the Shire Hall is a heap of left-over bricks, a privy, water hole, shed, and a picket fence along Council street The large tree in the school ground has been topped DP0005 |
Before the Settlers
The first interest in our land started in 1835. At a spot in the bush three miles north of Templestowe, John Batman signed a deed with the aborigines. This deed was to give the Port Phillip Association ownership of a large tract of land which Batman's surveyor, John Helder Wedge, divided into 17 large lots. Lot 8 covered the whole area that later became the City of Doncaster and Templestowe. If Governor Bourke had approved this purchase, Mr. Arthur, a member of the Association, would have been the first owner of our land.
Two years later, Hoddle was sent to survey the Port Phillip District, as Victoria was then called. Hoddle made a survey along the Yarra dividing the land into parishes for subdivision. Opposite the junction of the Yarra and Plenty rivers, Hoddle found the Woods brothers who had a sheep station on the Yarra flats. The aborigines called this area Bulleen, meaning a resting place. The parish that was bounded by the Yarra, Koonung Creek and Deep Creek was given the name "Bulleen".
Hoddle's assistants followed up, making a detailed survey of each parish. In 1841, surveyor T. H. Nutt and his party reached Bulleen. Their job was to divide the land into sections one mile square. Each section was numbered ready for sale to settlers. As Nutt and his team cut their lines through the thick bush, they would mark the corner of each section on the nearest tree. At the corner of Blackburn and Woodhouse Roads the corner was described as - 16°, 70 links from gum tree marked No. VI and IX.
Templestowe
The area of land which now comprises the expanding suburbs of Bulleen, Lower Templestowe and Templestowe consisted of rich river lands, and steeply wooded hills, populated by natives which were purported to be rather fierce when the brothers Wood left the more settled parts of the Colony in 1836 to come to Bulleen and commence a sheep run.
They settled on the Yarra, in Bulleen at Bulleen Flats. Bulleen is a native name for that section of the Yarra, so well endowed with billabongs and lagoons, so rich in food for nomadic natives.
Neither the Woods nor their descendants stayed long at Bulleen. In fact, after two years they sold their holding to Messrs. Kerr and Laidlaw. Robert Laidlaw became a successful farmer and later a member of the Templestowe Roads Board. In the l880's, he engaged David Mitchell (father of Dame Nellie Melba), a contractor of considerable note in early Victoria, to build his home "Spring Bank" in Bulleen Road. (The name was later changed to ''Clarendon Eyre" and is now owned by the White family.)
Major Newman
Between 1836 and 1838, Major Charles Newman made a number of visits to Victoria from the sister colony, Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania). The Major, who had retired from 51st Native Bengal Infantry, had hopes of a large land grant from the Crown. His hopes were dashed, for he received only one square mile along the Yarra at Templestowe, at the junction of the Mullum-Mullum Creek and the Yarra River. During the course of his residence at Templestowe, Major Newman built two homes - Monkton and Pontville - and survived an attack by bushrangers. He gave employment to the first members of the Chivers and Cunningham families. His life was that of a country gentle man, even to the extent of constructing his own racecourse. He and four other members of his family were buried on the Estate. (Their remains were transferred to Templestowe Cemetery in 1910)
Robert Hoddle and his staff surveyed the Yarra Valley and the surrounding countryside in the early 1840's. Government policy at this time was to make land available at £1 per acre in parcels of 5,120 acres. These "Special Surveys", as they were called, became available for purchase. Robert Wright Unwin of Sydney purchased the area bounded by Yarra River, Foote Street, Church Road and Koonung Creek, calling it "Unwin's Special Survey".
Unwin proceeded to subdivide arid sell his land. However, considerable confusion arose with the adjoining Special Survey, that of “Elgar's", over boundaries and river rights, and ultimately Unwin's interest was transferred to J. Atkinson in 1843 for re-survey.
Unwin's Special Survey was later known as the Carlton Estate and was laid out as a small township surrounded by farms. It was described thus in 1863: "Carlton (Co. Bourke) a small hamlet in the Parish of Bulleen and electoral district of South Bourke. Situated on the Koonung-Koonung Creek 3 miles · south of Templestowe with which it has communication by dray track. The population is poor and scattered, being occupied on small farms and in wood cutting."
(The High Street and Doncaster Road area around the old Morning Star Hotel was the area described.)
There are two theories held regarding the origin of the name Templestowe. Some believe it was taken from the name "Templestowe" in Sir Walter Scott's novel, "Ivanhoe". Others believe the name originates from a small settlement probably housing Lord Temple's servants at his country seat at Stowe in England, which was known to exist in 1765. Whatever the origin of its name, Templestowe has grown considerably, since its first land sale held in Melbourne in 1853. The average price paid was £40 per half acre. Hugh Foot was the surveyor on this occasion. Forefathers of many present-day Templestowe residents were buyers of township lots, and of the timbered hillsides to the east of the township. Names like Chivers, Read, Cunningham, Mahoney, Bell, Pullin, Hewish, Belcher and De Carle come to mind.
The Duncan family had settled in Bulleen in the 1840's. Mrs. Duncan was the daughter of a wealthy Scottish land holder. They were successful farmers won prizes for their cheeses. They were staunch adherents of the Presbyterian faith, and the first religious service conducted in the area was held in their barn. The congregation sat on cheese vats.
On the river at Templestowe, David Bell opened the Bulleen Hotel in 1853. This hostelry, in 1863, was known as the Upper Yarra Hotel (Mundy’s). In later years it was run by the Finn family.
 |
| James Finn and his wife in their buggy, outside the Upper Yarra Hotel, Templestowe Road, Templestowe. DTHS-DP0276 |
The Years between 1850 and 1860 saw many changes. The hills to the east of the township were cleared and the timber carted to Fitzroy Market. A toll gate was erected in Thompson’s Road by the Roads Board, as a means of revenue. Great efforts were made by the people who used the road to avoid paying the toll. They crossed through adjoining farms. A punt which had operated from Heidelberg to banksia Street was replaced by a wooden bridge.
Gold was discovered in the Colony of Victoria in 1851 at Anderson's Creek. Many of the diggers passed through Templestowe on their way to the diggings. A small "show" was developed on the Carlton Estate (near Feathertop Avenue). The seam was lost. Later on, between 1880 and 1900, it was again worked to a depth of 400 feet. A horse whim was used to raise the spoil to the surface.
Quartz from this mine was treated to recover gold and antimony at a plant constructed on Ruffeys Creek. (The remains of a stone retaining wall may still be seen.) A fatal accident precipitated the mine's closure when a miner was drowned as he blasted through to an earlier working that had filled with water.
The township of Templestowe consisted of two blacksmith's shops (Caulder's and Hunter's; the latter became Mullens), a general store run by J. Hart, two hotels (Upper Yarra and Sheahan's), a bakery in James Street, Smith's butcher shop in Porter Street and Hunter's general store, in addition to a number of "shanties" which sold liquor. Houses were mostly small two or three roomed cottages. The Mechanics Institute and Library was built in 1883 for £150.
In 1856, Mr. William Malcolm wrote to the Board or Land and Works requesting a grant of land for a cemetery. This request was granted, and Mr. James Read became the first Trustee in 1858. The cemetery was first used in 1860.
Churches
Presbyterian
The Presbyterians first held services in Duncan's barn. In 1895 services were conducted in the Mechanics Institute. A wooden church was built in 1896.
Roman Catholic
Catholics travelled to Heidelberg until 1942 when the Memorial Hall was used. After the Second World War, an army chapel was purchased and transported to Templestowe.
Church Of England
A land grant of two acres was received in 1864, at the corner of High and Foote Streets. A church was opened in 1867, but was later moved east of Anderson Street in Foote Street, and replaced by the present building in 1900.
Methodist
A church was built in Anderson Street in 1880. The building was transferred in 1932, owing to a dwindling membership.
Schools
Children of the early settlers received their education at Mr. Ferguson's Common School in Serpells Road and at a Church of England school in Foote Street, opposite the present pound.
Both these schools closed when the present State Primary School was built and opened in 1874.
One of Major Newman's daughters conducted a small school in her father's home. A number of her pupils rowed across the river from Eltham each day to attend school.
Industries
From the beginnings, wood carting, fruit growing and dairying were the principal industries. Wheat and barley were grown extensively at one time. Mr. James Read planted the first orchard in the vicinity of Serpells Road in the early 1850's. About this time, a proposal to grow grapes in large quantities was also being mooted.
Throughout the district a number of quarries existed. The largest of these was associated with Spears Templestowe Brickworks which operated for over 90 years. It closed down in 1965. Many smaller quarries supplied "spalls" for road construction. These were transported by horse and dray to roadwork sites. Knappers broke the larger stones by hand to a size suitable for road construction.
The 1900's saw many changes in communication and transport. The telephone was connected in the 1920's, Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works water mains were extended to Templestowe, and electric power was supplied by the Council.
After the 1914-18 World War I, Templestowe citizens decided to remember those who had fought and died. Some people wanted to erect a memorial monument, while others wished to extend the Mechanics Institute. A deadlock existed until Mrs. Mary Hodgson suggested that both plans be proceeded with. This was achieved in 1922.
The great awakening of Bulleen and Templestowe came about in the 1920's, when large sections of Bulleen were subdivided. It was not until the 1950's that great development, with a consequent increase in population, took place. House building then became the largest industry known in the area for a hundred years.
Doncaster
Early Settlement 1850-1885
In the 1850’s, Doncaster, or Bulleen as it was then called, was divided into three large estates - Carlton Estate, the Highland Estate and the Burnley Estate. The nearest places were Kew and Templestowe.
When the first settlers began to arrive about this time, the area consisted largely of dense, virgin scrub and timber. The early pioneers worked hard clearing the land, and it was from the sale of this timber as firewood that the first meagre incomes were earned. Large quantities of firewood and timber were carted to Melbourne and Fitzroy by horse drawn drays and bullock wagons along narrow bush tracks, oftentimes impassable in the winter. Prices ranged from 4d. to l/1d. per hundredweight.
The Pioneers
Among the earliest settlers was Joseph Pickering and his family who, in 1850, built a small house beside a fresh water spring near what is now the corner of Board Street and Church Road. This was destroyed in a bushfire which ravaged the district on Black Thursday in February, 1851. In 1854, Pickering purchased land from the Burnley Estate near Koonung Creek (in the vicinity of what is now Blackburn Road) where he resided until 1856, when he moved with his family to Doncaster and opened a general store. (Central Arcade is located there today). He had purchased a small wine store from a Mr. Dodd and subsequently enlarged it to meet his requirements. Joseph Pickering was appointed local Postmaster in 1860 and was also Registrar of births and deaths about this time. The Pickerings were devout Anglicans, and played a prominent part in the foundation of Holy Trinity congregation, Doncaster.
 |
| Doncaster Post Office 1907. Woman & Child on verandah. Age and Leader advertisements. DTHS-dp0130. CollectionsVic791899 Daniel Harvey Collection |
By 1852, John Robert Wilson had settled in the district, and occupied the land from Denhert Street east to Blackburn Road. He built a bark hut near Ruffey's Creek. In 1854 he built the Doncaster Arms Hotel. Wilson named the district "Doncaster” after his home town in England.
Thomas Petty and Johann Gottlieb Thiele both arrived in 1853, and laid the foundations of the fruit growing industry.
Thomas Petty settled near Koonung Creek (opposite Doncaster Park Primary School), where there was a plentiful supply of fresh water. He lived in a tent until a house was completed, after which time he was joined by his wife and young family from England.
Gottlieb Thiele purchased ten acres of land along Ruffey's Creek between what is now Church Road and Victoria Street. He paid £10 an acre for it and later bought a further 10 acres at the rate of £20 per acre, which was considered a high price in those days. He built a small wattle and daub home and called it "Friedensruh" (pronounced Free-dens-roo) which means "peace and rest".
Friedensruh c1910 homestead, off Victoria street, Doncaster, the home of the Thiele family since 1853, The gable section on the left was built by Gottlieb Thiele in 1853. Pictured is the east side of the house. DP0344
In the same year the Serpells purchased land at the corner of what is today King Street and Tuckers Road for £8 an acre, although the family did not reside in the district until 1856. Richard Serpell lived at Glenferrie and walked regularly to his block clearing, cutting and planting vines and fruit trees.
The Hislop family also settled in 1853. They had emigrated from England about thirteen years previously and lived for some years in Tasmania. George Hislop planted one of the first orchards in Doncaster.
Gottlieb Thiele, originally a tailor by trade, was the first of a number of German settlers who formed a small community in the area roughly bounded by King Street (originally May's Road), Blackburn Road, George Street (formerly Waldau Lane) and Church Road. This area was called "Waldau", which means "a clearing in a forest".
Waldau
On Waldau Hill in 1858, these settlers built the first church in the district. Its bell tolled at dawn, noon and dusk each day to mark the time for everyone. The remnants of a small cemetery which once surrounded the church can still be found in Victoria Street (originally known as Bismarck Road) on the north side of Ruffeys Creek. Early German families included such names as Straube, Walther, Denhert, Finger, Aumann, Zerbe, Lauer, Fromhold, Fuhrmann, Tuchebaud, Wittig, Hanke, Lenkerstoff, Zander, Gunther, Berger, Meyer, Stacher, Leber, Pump, Uebergang, Schuhkraft and Rosel.
Mr. Max von Schramm was persuaded to come to Doncaster in 1860 to teach the children of the early settlers. He married Miss Kate Pickering, daughter of Joseph and Eliza Pickering, and later became Pastor of the Lutheran congregation for more than 30 years.
Settlement continued at a steady rate during the eighteen sixties and after. Williamsons Road is named after Robert Williamson who came to Doncaster with his brother David in 1854 and Robert became Bailiff of the Carlton Estate. In the same year Blooms settled at East Doncaster. About this time, John Clay bought land (where Camerons' garage is today) and established what was to become one of the best orchards in the district. In 1855, John Whitten came to Doncaster from Kew, and planted an orchard. His sons also established successful orchards. Their name is perpetuated in Whittens Lane.
The following year saw the arrival of Alfred Caldacott, a senior Government official, who at Bulleen, built "Glenfern" a home for gracious living. Caldacott used to walk to the Hawthorn railway station to reach his office in Melbourne. John Smedley noted on his arrival in 1859 "that earlier settlers built their huts close to creeks". He established a blacksmith's shop where Doncaster Park Primary School is today, and the long steep hill from there to the golf links was always referred to as Smedley's Cutting.
Henry Crouch came to Doncaster In 1862 and built a log house which incorporated part of an old ship. It is said that he built his house by the light of a candle at night, as there was no time to spare from work in the orchard during the day. The Corbetts were also early settlers in the vicinity of 'The Cottage'' In West Doncaster. Their home is still standing today.
In I860, Thomas Tully purchased 20 acres of land at Doncaster Corner (where Shoppingtown is now) for £168. His son John, in 1883, paid £900, on a deposit of £25, for a 20 acre orchard, and in the first season fruit to the value of £120 was harvested. In 1916, he was selected from 74 applicants to represent the Metropolitan Fruit Growers Association at a conference in England on fruit markets in that country. The Tully family, along with others, became leaders in the community and made notable contributions to its growth and development. Edwin and John Birkby Lawford formed a partnership in 1881 to purchase 20 acres of land. They established a fruit tree nursery and orchard at West Doncaster. The partnership was later dissolved. Edwin became a recognized authority on pear culture, and in 1905 built the first private cool store in the district. He was also largely instrumental in the formation of the first co-operative store at West Doncaster.
Other names too must be remembered, names like Buck, BeanSand, Cameron, Tatham, Holden, Crossman, D'Arcy, Hardidge, Gallus, Noonan, Winter, Taylor, Porter, Groux, Hoare, Bullock, Franklin, Lisle, Matthews and Tindal.
Fruit Growing
Doncaster can rightly claim to be the cradle of the fruit growing industry in Victoria. When the first settlers arrived in the early eighteen fifties they worked hard, first clearing the land and building their homes.
The first crops planted consisted chiefly of berry fruits and vegetables which soon found ready market in the fast growing town of Melbourne. These, together with dairy produce and eggs, provided an early income.
As the land was cleared the first fruit trees were planted, but it was not until about 1855 that areas of any significant size were established. Most of the early settlers in Doncaster had had no previous experience in growing fruit on a commercial basis. For them it was a new venture, fraught with many problems.
Early plantings covered quite a wide range in kind and variety of fruit - pears, oranges, vines, cherries, plums, loquats, apricots and peaches. By the early seventies plantings had become quite extensive and increased at a rapid rate in subsequent years. Some considered that too much fruit was being grown to be sold profitably. However, the growth of the thriving industry was further encouraged when, in 1893, the Victorian Government offered a bonus of £3 for each planting.
The Victorian fruit industry owes much to those pioneer fruit growers, who, by trial and error, found what varieties of fruit were best suited to the district and most profitable to the buyers. Among the early growers were such men as Thomas Petty, Gottlieb Thiele, Richard Serpell, Sydney Williams, John Clay, John Whitten, Henry Finger, along with many other well-known names like Ireland, Aumann, Buck, Denhert, Zerbe, Bloom, Read, Zander, Mays and Wilson. The pioneers battled hard against the problems of drought, crop failure, diseases and wind damage. Water supply, when most needed in the dry summer months, was scanty, and in an effort to supplement natural rainfall growers began to construct dams on hillsides using horses and scoops. The banks of these dams were well compacted by the continuous tramping of the horses hooves, and this proved an effective means of preventing seepage of water.
Water from the dams flowed along hand-dug channels (and later through galvanized drip pipes) to a shallow straw-filled basin dug at each tree. When steam pumps became available, dams were constructed in hollows. Doncaster's largest dam was sunk by Sydney Williams, with the help of local orchardists. It was 11 chains long and three chains wide, and had a depth of 22 feet. It covered approximately two acres and held 22 million gallons of water. Sydney Williams was the first orchardist to grow lemons, and, in 1883, won "The Leader" prize for the best fruit garden in the Melbourne district.
Thomas Petty, Richard Serpell and Alfred Thiele, in 1882, were the first men in Australia to successfully export pears to England. About ten years later, the first motor spray pump was invented by engineer Jack Russell and his father-in-law, Tom Petty. Another milestone was reached in 1905 when the first cool store was built in Doncaster. It was driven by a 16hp oil engine, and had a total capacity of 12,000 cases.
As more and more fruit was produced, additional storage space became necessary. The first co-operative store was built in West Doncaster, and, in 1914, the Orchardists' Cool Stores in Main Road East Doncaster was erected This was for many years the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.
The peak of fruit production in Doncaster and surrounding districts was reached in the 1930s, when some 20,000 acres were under production.
In 1931, The Southern Victorian Pear Packing Company (now the Bine Moon Co-Operative Trading Company) was formed in order to organize and standardize the export of fruit to the United Kingdom. Its first Directors were Tom Petty, John Tully, Edwin Lawford, Frank Moore and Arthur Ireland - all of whom were local fruit growers.
About 1860, Lewis Robinson had a preemptive right over some 432 acres of land along Reynolds Road, stretching from Anderson's Creek Road to Deep Creek. Henry White bought this land from him, and built a small stone cottage which still stands today.
Matthew Hoare, who was licensee of the Doncaster Arms Hotel, settled on the north side of Reynolds Road. West of Anderson's Creek. Mrs. Honora Kent selected 200 acres which later became the property of her three sons. John Smedley selected land opposite Henry White's property, and to the south Henry Uebergang bought land from McArthur's Estate.
Another early pioneer in East Doncaster was William Sell who married a daughter of George Holden, another early settler, who lived in Beverley Street. William Sell was an estate agent during the land boom and a Director of the Box Hill and Doncaster Tramway Company Limited. During the 1920's, he was Estate Agent for Park Orchards.
John Ireland and his family settled in Beverley Street and planted an orchard. George Knee lived in a hut on Deep Creek south of Old Warrandyte Road, and George Sullen owned the property where Woolworth's stands today.
Deep Creek was also the location of the first school to be built in East Doncaster.
Athenaeum Hall
The first moves to establish a public hall in Doncaster were made m 1863 by a temperance group known as the "Band of Hope". They had been conducting meetings at the Methodist Church in East Doncaster.
A meeting was called and Alfred Hummel donated an acre of land. In 1871, the first stage of the hall, incorporating a library, was completed. The library was renowned for its fine collection of reference books. Through the efforts of Mr. Oswald Thiele and a committee, improvements were made to the hall and library in 1877. Pastor Schramm played a leading part in the establishment of the hall and library, and was its President for over thirty years.
Churches
Lutheran
The first church in Doncaster was built by the Lutheran congregation in 1858 on an acre of land donated by Mr. J. Straube. It was a small building constructed of wood and plaster and had a shingle roof. The church, dedicated on 28th December, 1858, was surrounded by a small burial ground in which 44 adults and 72 children were laid to rest.
(Most of these children died during an outbreak of diphtheria for which there was no cure at the time.)
School lessons were conducted in the church by Mr. Max von Schramm from 1860 -1865. By 1891, the cost of keeping the old church in repair was so great that it was decided to build a more substantial house of worship. This, the present brick church, was dedicated on 21st April, 1892, during the ministry of Pastor Schramm at a total cost of £1,303/4/4. A manse was built in 1909 and the church hall in 1932.
Church Of England
Anglican services were first started in 1854 in the home of Mr. J. Pickering. Later, services were held in the Lutheran Church and then in Grant's Chapel, a Baptist meeting house which was erected about 1860.
The foundation stone of Holy Trinity Church was laid on 1st June, 1868, and the church was openened in an unfinished state on Easter Monday, 28th March, 1869, at a cost of £630. Stone for the walls was quarried from Beanland's quarry in Church Road (formerly Strip Road). A porch and wooden chancel were added in 1886. In 1932, the wooden chancel was replaced by a sandstone one to complete the original design. The first Priest in charge was Rev. A. Maxwell, from 1886-1888. Sixty-four years after the laying of the foundation stone, the completed church was consecrated on 11th June, 1932 by Archbishop Head.
Methodist
Early services were conducted in private homes by visiting and local preachers until a permanent house of worship was opened on Easter Sunday, 1886. This was a small wooden building purchased for the sum of £50 and transported from Warrandyte to East Doncaster by means of bullock wagon. This small building served as a house of worship, Sunday School and school for 18 years. Eventually it proved too small, so, in 1884, a new wooden church was built at a cost of £300, and the original building was then used as a Sunday School for a further 45 years. New accommodation for the Sunday School was provided in 1911. By 1912, forty scholars were listed on the rolls. As new families arrived in the district, membership of the congregation continued to grow and in April 1961, a new hall was built to cater for the various needs of a growing congregation.
Church Of Christ
Doncaster Church of Christ had its beginnings in 1863 when a small congregation was formed by nine foundation members, at a meeting in the home of Mr. Thomas Porter, senior. Gospel services were held in Grant's Chapel, and at the home of Mr. Lauer at Doncaster Corner.
In 1864, a small weatherboard church measuring 22 feet by 18 feet was erected on land given by Mr. R. Williamson in Main Road. This served as a house of worship for some 25 years. A Sunday School was formed in 1872. In 1886 it was decided to purchase additional land alongside for a larger church. This was built in brick at a cost of £600, and opened in October, 1889. During building operations, services were conducted in the State School opposite for a weekly rental of five shillings. In 1957, a new church, incorporating several ancillary rooms linking the old building with the new, was opened.
St. Philip's Church Of England, Deep Creek
Before the latter part of 1906, there was no church at Deep Creek. Rev. A. R. Raymond, Vicar of Holy Trinity, was asked to make enquiries about the cost of a church. Land was donated by Mr. H. Pump. A building fund was organized and a small wooden church was duly completed, free of debt, on 4th November, 1906, only five weeks after the contract was signed. Total cost was £100/13/-. A church hall was added in 1955. St. Philip's congregation is still part of the Doncaster Parish.
Schools
The first known school in Doncaster was that conducted by a Mr. Mueller for the purpose of teaching the children of the German settlers. About the same time (1856), the Misses Finch taught in their home in High Street. About 1860, the Misses Wilson taught in their home in Wilson's Road, while in 1866, the Misses Faulkner held classes in the Methodist Church, East Doncaster.
Doncaster State School No. 197 originated from a denominational school held in the original Lutheran Church, Victoria Street, commencing in 1860. In October, 1860, it had an enrolment of 23 pupils. The first teacher was Mr. Max Schramm who accepted the position on 29th April, 1860. Besides teaching the three "R's" of the ordinary school curriculum, special attention was given to the teaching of religion.
In 1863, the school became a Common School, responsible to the Board of Education. By this time the Church building was becoming cramped due to increasing numbers of pupils. Apart from not being in a central position, its suitability for use as a school was limited by the building itself.
An application was made to the Board for a building grant. However, owing to the struggling poverty of the settlers who were unable to match the grant, the application was withdrawn. Consequently, Mr, Schramm erected, at his own expense, a new building in Doncaster (previously Main) Road which was part of the E.S. & A. Bank. In 1875, the school become State School No. 197 with Mr. A. O. Thiele as Head Teacher. With the change in status came a revised curriculum, with the result that religious teaching was abolished.
By 1886 the increased number of children and the poor state of the school building prompted the Education Department to acquire a block of land near the old school and erected upon it the "old building" of the present school, with accommodation for 158 pupils.
Mr. W. E. Goodson, Head Teacher (1896-1920) was the fore-runner of the modern physical education teacher. He taught swimming in the dam at the rear of the school. His enthusiasm may have influenced the parents who voluntarily built the school swimming pool in 1937.
East Doncaster State School No. 2096 has its origin in the private school conducted in the Methodist Church, and the Deep Creek State School.
The latter school was opened in October, 1878, and occupied a five-acre site on the south-western corner of Reynold's and Anderson's Creek Roads. The first Head Teacher was Mr. Thomas Couchman.
The average attendance during the first year was 28, but during the 1880's numbers dropped considerably. Diseases such as scarlet fever and typhoid caused the school to be closed for periods of weeks on end.
The next Head Teacher, Mr. Kelso (1880-1890) and the parents urged the Education Department to move the disease-stricken school.
Acting on the advice of an inspector, the Department purchased one acre (part of the present school property), and in 1886, when the school buildings were being moved to the new site, the children joined those being taught in the Methodist Church. From that time the two schools became one, and Mr. Kelso began referring to his school as East Doncaster — a name which became official in 1893,
A teacher's residence was provided and in 1887, a post office was opened at the school. Added to the school in 1889 was a gymnasium, paid for in equal proportions by the parents and the Education Department.
The school developed a fine civic sense under Mr. R. Hobbs, Head Teacher (1918-1921). An Avenue of Honour, Honour Books of former students who served in the Great War, extensive gardens and clubs were some of his achievements.
The Land Boom, 1882-1890
Family land holdings remained relatively unaltered until the 1880's, when the sons of pioneer settlers began wanting land to establish their own orchards. Some settlers sold out and their holdings were developed by men who had grown up to be orchardists. Unoccupied land was bought from the Crown and orchards planted.
The pioneering work had been done and the way lay open for fruit growing to commence on a large commercial basis. Mr. Tom Petty was very enthusiastic and active in planting new orchards, and his name and Doncaster's became synonymous with fruit growing in Victoria.
From 1884-5 to 1888-9 the Leader Newspaper awarded a silver cup for the best orchard in the Doncaster and surrounding district. The winners were all Doncaster growers — S. Williams, T. Petty, J. Petty, F. Thiele and E. Lawford.
While the area under orchard cultivation was increasing, so the great "Land Boom" was gaining momentum. New suburbs were created virtually overnight where there had previously been green fields.
Several companies were formed with the purpose of buying and subdividing land at Doncaster for residential purposes. One of the first subdivisions which took place at Doncaster was the '"Heights of Doncaster" Estate which offered 55 allotments for sale in January, 1888. In 1888-9, many vacant blocks sold for £200—£400 per acre.
The Tower
Mr. A. O. Hummell was a wealthy Englishman who settled in Doncaster in the 1860's and became a gentleman farmer. He was also a competent engineer, and the wonderful panoramic views from Clay's Hill gave him the inspiration to build an observation tower. In 1879, he successfully erected the famous 285 feet high steel and Oregon "Doncaster Tower" which was a landmark for 35 years. Mr. Hummel charged 1/- for the experience of climbing the tower. The wooded tower paddock served as an ideal picnic spot. Near the tower, Hummel built a hall and a hotel, and many parties were held there.
The Tram
In October, 1888, the Box Hill and Doncaster Tramway Co. Ltd. was formed to buy one of two electric trams being exhibited in Melbourne. The Company planned to take advantage of the railway to Box Mail (1882) and the look-out at Doncaster. A route was laid out from Box Hill to Doncaster, a distance of 2 1/4 miles.
At this time there was much talk of the proposed railway to Doncaster, and it was considered by many that the tram would provide the Government with the excuse for shelving the Bill. After a great deal of bitterness the tramway was formally opened on 14th October, 1889. In 1892, however, due to bitter disagreement with a landowner, whose property the tramway traversed, the service was disrupted and after some months the Company found it was unable to meet its liabilities. Subsequently, a new company was formed and the route altered so as to avoid the disputed ground.
This was 1892, after the collapse of the land boom, and traffic was dwindling. In an effort to keep the tramway going, the Company leased its plant to its driver and engineer, Mr. H. J. Hilton, for 1/- d. per week. But even this was not enough to save Australia's first electric tramway. The tram made its last journey on 6th January, 1896.
Serpell's Store
At Doncaster Corner was the red brick store built by Mr. Richard Serpell in 1890. It was a speculative venture, and Mr. Serpell hoped to profit from the expected influx of new residents. However, the boom crashed and the shop remained a “white elephant" for years. The first tenants were Messrs. Watkins and Collyer.
Depression
With the collapse of the land boom, orchardists saw the price of their produce slump to their lowest level ever. Tramps or swaggies were frequent sights in the district. Orchardists were plagued by men seeking work at cheap rates.
After having bought land at high prices and subdividing it (and in some cases causing injury to the orchards) speculators found they could neither sell nor let it at a profit. In one case, after having paid £5,000 in cash as earnest money for a large orchard, a speculator had to give it again to the owner. Some orchards fell into incompetent or careless hands, or became partially neglected, and became breeding grounds for fruit diseases.
However, Doncaster came through the Land Boom still retaining its rural loveliness.
In the early 1950's, subdividers again moved into the area after land. Higher rates, together with attractive offers of money for broad acres, have largely brought about the great change in Doncaster's character. The nostalgic scene of an orchard in blossom, or of the orchardist picking fruit for the local or overseas market is rapidly becoming a thing of the past, in its place are streets and roads bearing such old Doncaster names as Thiele Street, Lawford Street, Denhert Street and Fromhold Drive.
Warrandyte
The pioneers
In 1839, James Anderson with bis "ticket of leave" and aboriginal stockmen, drove a herd of cattle on to a flat area of land where a creek flowed into the Yarra, west of the present township of Warrandyte. They had completed a mammoth journey, overlanding cattle from Sydney, in search of land in the new colony of Port Phillip. Anderson paid £10 for a squatting licence and built huts and stockyards. At first there were no boundaries, so he had a free range, but when the parish was surveyed, the station was allotted half a square mile and given the name Warrandyte station. This area was too small to run cattle so Anderson sold his lease to Major Newman and moved to another area.
James Dawson and his wife came from Linlithgow in Scotland in 1840. On the same ship was George Selby and his wife Penelope. With a third partner, Patrick Mitchell, they formed a cattle station east of the town in the area now known as Selby. The same survey reduced their land to 640 acres so the partnership opened stations at Corhanwarrabul and later at Port Fairy.
There was a depression in Australia during 1842 and 1843. The flood of settlers, that was expected by Nutt when he reduced the area of the runs did not arrive.
Dawson renewed his licence and used the name Warrandyte left vacant by Anderson. The Warrandyte run covered over eight square miles from Anderson's Creek past dumping Creek and south to the present Maroondah Highway.
A third cattle station of eight square miles, came into the area when Lewis Robinson opened his Anderson's Creek Run in 1884. His homestead was in the south where the present Old Warrandyte Road crossed Deep Creek.
Aborigines
In 1841 an aboriginal reserve of 1103 acres was established at Pound Bend and for a mile south.
This was one of the reserves of the Port Phillip Protectorate, established by the British Government in 1839, as a humanitarian effort to help the aborigines. The chief protector, George Robinson, and his four assistants were given instructions to care for the aged and sick, provide blankets and rations, to train the able-bodied men in agriculture and other trades, and to find them jobs. £25,000 was spend in the first five years. Pound Bend was the home of the Yarra blacks under the protection of protector William Thomas.
In 1842 relations between settlers and aborigines in Port Phillip district deteriorated seriously. A native police force was formed by Henry Dana. He chose the Yarra tribe as recruits as they were a "fine race, well made and above average height". As an inducement, they were given a uniform of green jackets with possum skin facings, black trousers with red stripes, and caps with red bands. The native police were frequently referred to in complimentary terms by contemporary writers. The force was disbanded on Dana's death ten years later.
Warrandyte station was sold to John Thomson. In 1854 the land was wanted for settlement. Thomson claimed a pre-emptive right of 200 acres for £1,000 around the homestead. Four years later this was sold and a group, formed The Elliott Freehold Company. It was in 1883 that Captain Alfred Selby bought the property and the area became known as Selby.
The Gold Discovery
In an attempt to win the prize offered for the discovery of gold in Victoria Louis Michel and his partner William Habberlain prospected the Upper Yarra area. They were successful in finding alluvial gold at a bend in Anderson's Creek. They made this discovery on 13th July, 1851. Another discovery of gold at Clunes was earlier, but owing to the distance from Melbourne it was not reported till later. The gold committee considered both claims for the reward but decided to wait before making a decision as one of the terms required the find to lead to the establishment of a gold field.
In 1853, a committee found that Michel was the first to publish a gold discovery and was paid £ 1,000. Actually the reward was paid for a discovery of quartz that Michel had made on an earlier expedition on June 30th. When the quartz was discovered, it was not considered seriously, as the technique for extracting gold from quartz was not known in the colony at that time.
Although not a rich field, Warrandyte can claim several firsts; the first reported discovery of gold in Victoria, the first officially declared gold field (named the Victoria field), the first area to have a gold commissioner, and the first issue of gold licences.
Progress at Warrandyte was a continuous series of booms and slumps. The next boom started in 1854. The freely available alluvial gold in other areas had become harder to find and miners had begun digging for quartz. Warrandyte was rediscovered.
Shafts were being sunk along the hills above Anderson's Creek and a village of tents had grown up. Large tents housed stores such as the Diamond accommodation store owned by E. H. Cameron, who later became postmaster, and Littledales Accommodation tent on the main road near where Stiggant's Road was made.
This was different from the early goldfields. No longer did men leave their occupations in the hope of making a quick fortune from gold. These men had become miners. That was the life they had chosen. Some had wives and families and were ready to form a community. It was this spirit that led to the formation a Cricket Club in 1855, one of the first in Victoria. A sports ground was set aside for them on Anderson's Creek. Ten years later a miner pegged a claim on the ground. The keen cricketers hurriedly organised a petition. As a result the Recreation Ground was gazetted by the Lands Department in 1865.
The Township Of Andersons Creek
At the end of 1856, the town was surveyed and given the official name - The Township of Warrandyte, but the name Anderson's Creek continued to he used. In January of the following year, the first land sale was held. Twenty-five blocks were sold from £5 - £8 each. In 1856, also, a punt was installed to give access to the gold fields north of the river. It's landing was behind the present post office. The punt was 25 feet by 10 feet and the fees were 3d. for persons. 1d. for sheep, 6d. for cattle and 9d. for bullocks.
in the same year, Charles Brackenbury was appointed Anderson's Creek's first Magistrate and Goldfields Warden.
Houses replaced the tents and permanent buildings began to appear. Patrick Geraghty had built a hotel the year before. It was an imposing building with two gables each side of the entrance. There were 10 rooms, a bar, a detached kitchen and outbuildings. Geraghty was more interested in gold and sold his hotel to Hewitt before it was opened. It was called the Union until 1870 when the name was changed to "Warrandyte Hotel".
Schools
Applications for a school were made in 1856.
The two rival school boards, the Denominational and National Board both sent inspectors to the area. They found 50 children ready to attend school. Both inspectors urged their boards to start a school before the other. The Government was only prepared to grant £25 but the Church of England opened a school under Head Teacher Thomas Edington Downard. It did not last long however. In 1873, James Eccleston Walker was appointed Head Teacher of the Anderson's Creek School. He was in charge of the transfer to the new stone building that James Sloan built in 1875. This fine building is still in use.
The main force behind the opening of the schools was Henry Frencham, a father of six children, who at the time was manager of Thomson's Warrandyte station. Frencham was a gold fields pioneer. In 1840, he joined the staff of the Port Phillip Gazette. He made a gold discovery at Bendigo and his reports started the Bendigo gold fields. While at Anderson's Creek, Frencham discovered the Caledonia gold field in the Diamond Valley and later was Manager of the Magnet Gold Mining Co.
There were seven reefs being mined in the fifties. The richest was the Bendigo on First Hill. Rich quartz was being mined but the miners were having trouble. Techniques of crushing were still new and Anderson's Creek quartz was exceptionally hard. At one time 1,000 tons of quartz was piled up waiting to be crushed. Several attempts were made to establish crushers. Either costs were too high, or the machinery did not work satisfactorily. James Sloan solved the problem by a "do-it-yourself" method. He used a sledge hammer and extracted £400 worth of gold. The Sloan family was to play an important part in the community of Warrandyte.
Alluvial gold from the Yarra occupied the miners during the summer when the river was low. Coffer dams were built around sections of the river bed. The water was bailed out, and silt from the cracks in the river bed was panned for gold.
By 1860, the rush had ended. Once again a slump had stopped Warrandyte's progress.
Land settlement
At this time 50 people were settled on the land, a few miles from the township. At South Warrandyte, the first settler was George Tortice. In 1852, after living at Hawthorn for a few years, Tortice selected land east of Halls Road on Holmes Creek, and built slab house. In the following years, Milne and Moses Dickson and Alex Speers settled south of Tortice. Speers moved up to a election on the Yarra at Deep Creek.
Many such as Thomas Falconer came as miners and later settled on the land. Close to the township there was James Russell in Thomson's Gully, Stephen Mullen and Thomas Colman. Stephen Mullen arrived in 1872 as a miner and settled in Jumping Creek Road. A signwriter's mistake changed the name to Mullens when taking over Hunter's blacksmithing shop in Templestowe; a name that stayed with the family.
West of the village, Alex Speers settled on the Yarra, David Tindall, Thomas Buck and John Hutchinson selected land on Old Warrandyte Road. In 1852, Hutchinson had come from Dublin where he had been a policeman. His family played an important part in public life, as Pound Keepers and on the Shire Council.
Gold Mines
There had been some rich yields on Fourth Hill. Some up to 20 and 30 oz. per ton. It was in an effort to get down into the main reef that led Moore and Geraghty to tunnel into the hill in 1859-1860. They pegged a claim 600 x 200 yards and, with the aid of a light tramway to remove the rock, tunnelled 400 feet into the hill. The Fourth Hill tunnel was important in the history of mining at Anderson's Creek. Up till then the mines had been individual efforts. One or more miners would work a mine. They shared the work and expenses and shared the profits - if any. Moore and Geraghty employed men and paid them wages thus bringing some financial stability to a miner's family.
Another large scale venture was carried out at Thomsons bend. Clark and Brown employed 56 men to dig a canal and so expose the river bed around the bend.
Some men had the ability to find gold. One of these was Henry Stiggants. He came to Anderson's Creek in 1864 with his son. They travelled as many settlers did in a bullock wagon taking 2 days to come from Melbourne. On the way, they came up to another party who had a wagon pulled by one bullock led by an old horse. Henry and :his son were fascinated by the other wagon. The old horse would keep going to sleep and each time he slowed down the bullock would give the horse a hard butt in the rump. Within 3 weeks of arriving at Anderson's Creek, Henry Stiggants had found 500 oz. of gold right in the centre of the town. They discovered the rich Masterton reef and the Pig Tail from which they obtained £12,000.
The Punt
In 1861, the punt was replaced by a bridge opening up a route to goldfields at Queenstown and the pastoral areas around Yarra Glen. In 1863, the Yarra experienced one of its three big floods. The first was in 1839, then another in 1863 and again in 1934. The bridge was washed away and landed in a coffer dam downstream.
In the middle 60's, Anderson's Creek came to a standstill. There was no means of crossing the river, quartz mining stopped because there was no crusher, and the police station closed down owing to lack of a population. Ten years earlier there had been 400 people, but now the population dropped to below 200 and large mobs of goats roamed over the land.
In 1868, Lewis Grant built a water wheel on the river's edge. It drove a four head battery that operated very successfully while the river was flowing. A concrete block from the crusher can still be seen behind the post office. Once again quartz could be mined. New life started for Anderson's Creek.
Pound Bend Tunnel
In 1870, David Mitchell formed the Evelyn Gold Mining Company to tunnel through the hill at Pound Bend. The aim was to divert the river leaving three miles of dry river bed for dredging. The tunnel is 634 feet long, 18 feet wide and 14 feet deep. The rock was removed by a flying fox to the north bank of the river at the upstream end. A dam was built on a rock bed just beyond the entrance.
When dredging started the silt was found to be 50 feet deep in places and beyond the ability of their equipment. The tunnel had cost £2,400 and although £8,000 of gold was obtained working expenses were too high so the company went into liquidation.
New mining companies continued to be formed during the 70's such as "The Magnet" by Grant and Frencham, and Stiggants "Pig Tail Co".
The population increased. At times during the 70's there were 1,000 people in Anderson's Creek and there were four hotels in the town. There were wild scenes in the main street on Saturday nights. The wildest part was outside Floyns Hotel where fights were frequent. Anderson's Creek had reached its biggest boom.
A new bridge was built in 1875 (a strong one this time). It lasted till the present bridge was built in 1955.
Warrandyte became a part of the Shire of Bulleen at the elections in 1876. Lewis Grant, George Holloway and Henry Stiggants were elected to represent Warrandyte although Grant resigned.
Gold was discovered in the Diorite Dyke on the land of the Elliott Freehold Co., who worked the mine. For several years the Dyke produced good returns. Then, in 1882, they met financial trouble and closed.
There was prosperity in Australia during the 1880's, but gold has a fixed price and when other prices rise, gold is no longer an attractive investment. While the rest of Australia enjoyed a boom, Anderson's Creek faced depression.
The wild days were over. Two hotels closed down in 1883. With no work from mining companies, many miners pegged claims of their own or reworked old mines, such as John Chatty and his partner who successfully reworked the Fourth Hill tunnel. These miners could have left and found good jobs but by working harder than any labourer they would, in an average day, win perhaps six grains of gold - one shilling's worth. They would take the gold down to the store and exchange it for provisions; a loaf of bread or a tallow candle and return to their humpy for the night. Tomorrow there was always the possibility of a rich find.
Selby
Warrandyte station was taken over by the Shire and sold by auction. Captain Alfred Selby the new owner had served in the Crimean War. The old homestead consisted of two main timber buildings and two bungalows. The larger building had a kitchen, dining room and three bedrooms with a cellar underneath as a protection from the blacks. Captain Selby made many improvements to the homestead including a water supply from the river and a footbridge to the island. During the depressed years, Selby's Black Swan mine helped keep the town going. He worked the mine on tribute, which means the miners were given a percentage of the gold produced.
However, Anderson's Creek did get some benefit from the boom years. There were tourists and holiday makers. It was to cater for them that the large Anderson's Creek Hotel was built in 1892. When the name of the town was changed, the hotel was called "The Grand". From the earliest gold days there had been frequent visits from writers who all wrote poetic descriptions of this village on the river. In 1856, Geraghty's Union Hotel provided accommodation for tourists. In fact, Mr Ginger was ready to put up visitors in 1851 and later had a cafe on Melbourne Hill. After gold mining was finished, Captain Selby built a boarding house on his land.
Just as gold mining suffered during a time of a prosperity, a national depression gave gold mining an opportunity. In 1894, the Government looked to gold to help the country out of the depression. During the next three years a new start was made and new companies were at work.
The Lewis brothers built a large new water wheel upstream from the bridge to drive a State Battery. A dam was placed across a reef of rock leaving a water race that would run, even when the river was low. The wheel was 15 feet in diameter and 6 feet wide.
Some rich strikes were made. In one year the Victory mine earned £3,000. Selby became a small gold field in itself. As well as the Dyke and the Black Swan, there were Grant's shaft, the Newhaven, Sloan's mine and Upton's shaft. It was here that Warrandyte's richest mine was discovered in 1905, the "Caledonia". By the time water seepage forced this mine to close in 1909, gold to the value of £51,000 had been taken from it.
State Battery
With the closing of the Caledonia, mining came to an end. Compared with other gold fields, the finds at Warrandyte were not spectacular. Some used to call it a "poor man's gold field". The total amount of gold reported at Warrandtye was estimated to be £100,000.
In 1935, a cairn was erected in Anderson's Creek at the spot where Louis Michel discovered gold. The inscription reads: "Gold found here June, 1851 by Louis J. Michel and party discoverers of the first gold field in Victoria. Erected 1935."
Park Orchards
Three attempts were made to subdivide the land that became Park Orchards. Each attempt failed. In 1856, three square miles of South Warrandyte were subdivided into farming allotments, but the area of Park Orchards was left and remained virgin bush. During the land boom, the Freehold Investment and Banking Company of Australia, one of the most notorious land boom companies, bought a large area of land, some of it from Falconer and Kendall. This company went into liquidation without carrying out any subdivision plans.
Tom Petty of Doncaster bought 300 acres of this land in 1900. He had an arrangement with the bank to look after it for 7 years for £8,000. He planted a large orchard and built homes for his men.
In 1926, the timber merchant, John Sharp, bought the land and planted a pine forest on part of it. The rest was subdivided to form an exclusive dub with a chalet and golf course. The 1930 depression brought the third failure.
South Warrandyte School
In 1902, Mrs. Agnes Holloway presented a petition signed by 19 residents of Parsons Gully asking for a school in South Warrandyte. Two years later the school started in Colman's house with Miss Ada Hill as Head Teacher.
The next year, residents paid £6 for a block of land for the school, and a building was moved to it from Little Yarra Junction. In 1907, the new school opened with David Dillon as Head Teacher.
Thick bush land separated Tom Petty's estate from the school. Harry Brown who lived there blazed a trail through the bush. His children Ellie, Ethel and Harry, with the others from Petty's orchard, were able to follow the axe marks on the trees to go to school with the Tortice, Colman, Mitchell and Zoch children.
During the 1880's, Anderson's Creek had been changing from the atmosphere of a mining town. A library was formed and in 1890 a Mechanics Institute was built. In 1900, the residents were given direct communication with Melbourne when a telephone service was installed. The Anderson's Creek Hotel was No. 1 on the exchange.
Churches
The Anglicans had built a small church in 1870. By 1906, this church, no larger than a hut, had become inadequate and St. Stephens was built. The next year the Roman Catholics no longer had to travel to Heidelberg for services when St. Gerard's was erected. During the 1939 bush fires both these churches were destroyed. They were rebuilt in 1941.
Township Area
Official documents at Warrandyte carried both names - Anderson's Cheek and Warrandyte. In 1908, a petition asked for one name to be made official. Warrandyte was decided upon. The name comes from the aborigines: Warren" means to throw, and "dyte" the object aimed at. The area around Wonga Park had been a meeting place for tribes to hold games of boomerang and spear throwing. Surveyor Hoddle who favoured aboriginal names selected the name for the parish.
In 1913, the township was given another facility when a bus service to the city was opened, but Warrandyte was not lit by electricity until 1935.
After 70 years of service, the old Warrandyte Hotel was burnt down in 1925. Three years later, a new Mechanics Institute was built on the site. The old hall, that had been north of Yarra Street was demolished.
On the vacant land a Baby Health Centre was built in 1935. It was the first centre in the Shire and was built with funds raised by local effort. Sister Olive Houghton was the first sister-in-charge.
The beauty of the township on the Yarra was an attraction to artists. Among them were some well known names such as Penleigh Boyd, who also became the first President of the Warrandyte R.S.S.I.L.A., Prank Crozier, official war artist of 1914-18 War, whose paintings now hang in the War Museum in Canberra, and Jo Sweetman who is represented in the National Gallery. In 1957, the many residents interested in the arts formed the Warrandyte Arts Association.
A tourist attraction started in 1958 when John Hipwell and five potters formed Potter's Cottage. At first they used a cottage, north of the Yarra, built by the Sloan family during the gold mining days. The group moved three years later to the Jumping Creek Road corner using the cottage Zoch had built 70 years ago on land that had been Parsons Timber Mill.
Early pioneers who settled under the giant forest gums had opened up Warrandyte but the foundation of the town was due to the discovery of gold. Around Warrandyte relics of the past still remain. The river flows through the canal dug in 1860, but now widened by many floods to look like the original course. Above the bridge, the piles of the State Battery still remain and a fast current still flows through the water race. Below the bridge, a concrete block from Grant's water wheel and timber of the landing where the punt tied up in the 1850's can be seen along the water's edge, and lines of stakes, remains of the coffer dam that William Westgarth admired in 1857 still run out from the bank. In the hills above the Gold Memorial, tunnels are still in good condition and the Pound Bend tunnel and the safe paddling pool it provides are tourist features of Warrandyte.
Local Government
In an effort to avoid a repetition of the American War of Independence in Australia, the British Government formed certain policies. A "Miniature British Constitution" was planned to make the Australian colonies as much like England as possible. The colonies were to be arranged into counties, the counties divided into districts and parishes. The Parish of Bulleen was in the County of Bourke and the district of South Bourke. The Council of the County of Bourke was formed, but there was opposition to this scheme that did not suit local conditions, so the council found itself with no money and no authority. It soon lapsed. Parishes continued to be used to organise land sales and the County of Bourke and its districts remained as boundaries for electorates, and Police Districts.
In 1856, the Templestowe Roads Board was formed. At this time, when there were no public halls or buildings, it was the custom to use hotels for official occasions, such as public meetings or inquests. The Roads Board was elected at a public meeting held in Mrs. Bell's Bulleen Hotel, which later became "Finn's Upper Yarra".
In 1875 Warrandyte was added to the municipality, and from the Roads Board the Shire of Bulleen was formed. By 1890, Doncaster had outgrown Templestowe and Warrandyte. Doncaster separated forming its own shire which used to meet in the old Shire Hall in Council Street. In 1917, the Shire was reunited and a few years later renamed the Shire of Doncaster and Templestowe. When the Shire began to grow with suburban settlement, a new Shire Hall was built in 1955. Growth continued rapidly and in 1967 the Shire became the City of Doncaster and Templestowe.
Local government has come a long way since the days of the Roads Board. Now our Council provides a whole range of services to the community. Such facilities as roads, parks and playing fields are provided and maintained. We are given protection by the Health and Buildings Inspectors, and our families are given assistance with Baby Health Centres and a Home Help Service. These are some of the many activities, all of which owe their origins to a Roads Board whose sole function was to improve the roads that were then merely bush tracks, muddy in winter, dusty in summer.
This history was prepared from research compiled by the members of the Doncaster-Templestowe Historical Society. The Society wishes to thank all who supplied information and acknowledges the following:-
- The Latrobe Library.
- The Royal Historical Society Library.
- The Mines Department Records.
- Royal Historical Society Paper.
- The History of Warrandyte by L. Cranfield. Ringwood Historical Research Group paper.
- History of Anderson's Creek Police Station by W. L. Radden.
- Van der Hewel Architectural essay on Warrandyte. John Tully. History of Doncaster.
- J. K. Moir "Doncaster Tram".
- Lutheran Centenary History.
- The Methodist Church.
- The Church of Christ.
- East Doncaster State School.
- Warrandyte State School Historical Documents. History of Warrandyte. Senior Constable Moss. Leader Newspaper.
- The Late Mrs. M. Hodgson.
- The Late Miss Selina Serpell.
- St. Philip's Church
No comments:
Post a Comment