Doncaster Templestowe Historical Society: July 2023

The Governor-General’s Visit to Doncaster (1920)

In February 1920, the Governor-General of Australia Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson and his wife Lady Helen visited Doncaster to meet orchardists and view and hear about the fruit-growing activities in Doncaster.
Sir Ronald was the sixth Australian Governor-General. Before accepting this post in February 1914, he had served in the British army and been a member of the British parliament. His term of office in Australia lasted from 18 May 1914 to 6 October 1920. [1]
A number of newspapers including “The Reporter (Box Hill)”, “The Argus”, “The Age” and “The Australian” all provided a detailed account of the visit which included meeting shire and government representatives, prominent citizens, orchardists and school children. There was also a visit to orchards and the central cool-store, along with an afternoon tea at Shire President Councillor John Tully’s residence.
“The Reporter (Box Hill)“ newspaper of 20 February 1920 reported on the Wednesday 18th February visit as follows [2] :-

The Governor-General and Lady Helen Ferguson visited Doncaster on Wednesday. The visit being an unofficial one was not previously announced. Notwithstanding this the residents assembled in goodly numbers, and the school children gathered in orderly file to worthily greet the vice-regal party. Their excellencies, who were accompanied by Mr. Cronin, director of the Botanical Garden, Melbourne, were welcomed on arrival by the president of the shire (Cr. J. Tully), Mr. W. H. Everard, M.L.A., the member for the district, Cr. H. J. Clay, Mr. R. A. Simmons (shire secretary and engineer), and other prominent citizens. The school children sang the National Anthem, and were thanked by the Governor-General.
The visitors were then piloted over the settlement by the leading residents, including a number of local ladies. The orchards of Mr. W. A. Webb and Mr. August Thiele are typical samples of the district's productive power, and the enterprise of its people. An opportunity was afforded in Mr. Webb's orchard to witness the provision made to meet dry periods, from which the Doncaster district is not exempt, by storage of supplies of water secured by surface catchments in the rainfall season, the water being conveyed as required to the various levels, for distribution, when, required by electric power drawn from the council's supply. The feature in Mr. Thiele's orchard is a fine plantation of oranges and lemons, which has already yielded abundantly, and grown on soil that a few years ago was amongst the despised allotments of the district, forming yet another demonstration of how a maximum of production may be obtained from soil of a very average quality by the application to it of intelligence, industry, the latest methods of drainage, soil tilth, and judicious manuring.
The central stores were visited, and the process explained by the engineer, Mr. J. Hewish. At this and the orchardists' store the governor-general was shown over the building by the engineer in charge, Mr. Sutherland, and indicated his interest and practical knowledge of these various methods of fruit storage and conservation. The central store, it might be observed, was built and for some time managed by the Government. Finally, it was purchased by the growers, and a non-paying incubus converted into a paying concern, and on a basis of low storage charges, securing a double advantage to the producer. The latest and largest store visited is a fine example of co-operative enterprise. It possesses a store capacity in cold space for over 70,000 cases, and in which is installed one of the finest machinery plants in the Commonwealth. Well might the growers feel a pride in this and other, extensive storages distributed over the settlement. Doncaster has proved that the growers can store and market their fruit as well as grow it. The extension of this thoroughness in preservation and marketing of the fruit locally will, it is hoped, find its way to an equally successful operation in the markets of the world.
Doncaster East school was passed, and their excellencies greeted by the scholars with cheers and song, under the guidance of the head teacher, Mr. R. R. Hobbs.
An adjournment was then made to the residence of Cr. Tully, where a dainty afternoon tea was provided. Miss Tully, in the absence of Mrs. Tully, entertaining their excellencies. Before the departure of the visitors, Cr. Tully expressed the pleasure of the residents in being favored by visit from such distinguished guests. Australia had had several governor-generals, but Sir Ronald Ferguson was the first to honor Doncaster with his presence. This visit, he could assure their excellencies, was much appreciated and esteemed, and would live-long in their memory. They all knew the interest his excellency had taken in agriculture generally. Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson had travelled extensively over Australia, and had not only fulfilled the high duties of his office, but had made himself acquainted with Australian resources and enterprises, while Lady Helen Ferguson had led the patriotic efforts of Australia during the war.
The Governor-General congratulated the growers on the firmly held and advanced character of their excellent orchards, and their efficient system of fruit storage. While they were close to a fine market in Melbourne, and that was a real advantage, he understood they were also sending fruit to Sydney. With the age of motor traction and good roads transport was made more and more easy of negotiation. In the North of Scotland, where he was interested, they had originally placed their butter factories adjacent to railway stations, considering this essential to safe, cheap and expeditious transport. Subsequently they quarrelled with the railways, with just cause, and were forced to resort to motor and other means of carriage. This proved so satisfactory that they afterwards placed their factories in the most convenient centres, and did without the railways by arranging their own road transport. Doncaster had grown under road transport methods.
Whilst he realised the national value in the north and drier areas of the conservation, by the State, in large water storages, and the distribution of the water to the extensive irrigation areas served, he could not help feeling greatly impressed with the high development and success of the Doncaster settlement under a system of purely, self-help and individual self-reliance, the holdings, the process of storage, and individual question being apparent in the separately owned and managed marketing being successfully handled by co-operative effort in the interest of the individual as well as the community. All this had been done without outside assistance.
Doncaster had done its duty during the war in soldiers, and the women in patriotic effort, and now that victory had been achieved essential production was being continued with increased energy. That was as it should be. He thanked them for their welcome and for their references to Lady Helen.
Mr. Everard, M.L.A. proposed a vote of thanks to Cr. Tully for the manner in which the company had been entertained, and to their excellencies his obligation for having graciously visited that important portion of his electorate. His excellency by reason of his extensive travel in Australia would be able to speak with authority on his return to Great Britain on our vast timber and other primary as well as secondary industries, while the work of her excellency would live long in the heart of the Australian people. With the abundance of fruit already being harvested locally,
All would remember the visit of the vice-regal party. Mr. Tully suitably responded to the vote, which was heartily carried. The children were granted at the request of the Governor-General a half holiday, an announcement that was unanimously endorsed by the school. Source: “The Reporter (Box Hill)” newspaper account - 1920 'THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL AT DONCASTER.', The Reporter (Box Hill, Vic. : 1889 - 1925), 20 February, p. 2. , viewed 19 Jul 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article257153519

The photograph below shows the Vice Regal party at Cr. Tully’s residence. Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson is the gentleman in the light-coloured suit towards the right of the photograph, Lady Ferguson is to his left and Cr. John Tully is in the dark suit in centre.

Vice Regal Party at Shire President Cr. John Tully’s residence at Doncaster – 18 February 1920 [3]. DP0297

Back of the photograph listing the names of the people in the picture [4]. DP0297-A

The back of the photograph also has the names of the people in the picture that were later identified by Mr P. Whitten and are as follows:
Back row – Reg Simmons, R.J. Thomas, Fred Thiele, Richard Clay, Rosamond Webb, Dorothy Webb, Nellie Stewart, Harry Clay, Nell Cameron, Tom Petty, Mrs Everard, Henry Petty, W.A. Webb.
Front row - Marjorie Webb, Elsie Edgoose, Phyllis Webb, Lily Petty, Alma Thiele, Rose Clay, John Tully, Elsie May, Lady Munro Ferguson, Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson, Eliza Petty, Belle Petty, John Petty.
Note: Some people not identified on back of photo but are thought to include Leslie Cameron (the child), W.H. Everard, August Thiele, Everard Thiele.

A question that could since be asked – “Was this visit by the Governor-General the most “high-powered” visit to Doncaster by a person in such a high-level Governmental position.

Sources
[1] Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson – National Archives of Australia - https://www.naa.gov.au/students-and-teachers/learning-resources/learning-resource-themes/war/world-war-i/australias-governor-general-during-world-war-i-sir-ronald-munro-ferguson
[2] “The Reporter (Box Hill)” newspaper account - 1920 'THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL AT DONCASTER.', The Reporter (Box Hill, Vic. : 1889 - 1925), 20 February, p. 2. , viewed 19 Jul 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article257153519
[3] Doncaster Templestowe Historical Society photographic collection – Photo Ref: DP0297
[4] Doncaster Templestowe Historical Society photographic collection – Photo Ref: DP0297-A

Further Newspaper Report (and other newspapers have the same report copy)
1920 'FRUITGROWERS' SELF HELP.', The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), 19 February, p. 6. , viewed 20 Jul 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1677985
Source: Ian Schafter writing for DTHS – July 2023

Winter Family

Tom & Eliza Petty of Doncaster

Rate Books - Shire of Doncaster - PROV records

Links from Public Records office of Victoria as at July 2023

Cashan (Cashen) Family

The George Street Reserve

The Straube family were living at Port Fairy when Frederich bought the land at Doncaster. His father had died the previous year. Now 22 years old, Frederich was head of the family. He built a house on the high land in the position of the car park behind Schramm's cottage. This handful of German pioneers were followed by others and in a few years a German settlement had formed in the area. They called it "Waldau" meaning "a clearing in the forest". The land was heavily timbered with stringy-bark and box. The only cleared land was on the farms. The roads were given German names. Victoria Street was called Bismark Street, and King Street was named Wilhelm Street. George Street was known as Waldau Lane by the Germans and German Lane by the English settlers.

Straube was one on the leaders of the settlement. The first Lutheran church services were held in Straube's house and when the congregation decided to build a church he donated a block of his land for a nominal sum.

Google Maps JUL2023

Bloom Street – The Bloom family were local fruit growers in the Doncaster area in the early to mid 1900’s. The Street name ‘Bloom’ also creates a link to the Morrison Brothers Nursery that was situated opposite Henry Street for more than 30 years.

Manningham City Council has been unable to locate existing family members to seek permission to use the proposed name and calls for consent from the family or requests family contact details from the community.

Source: https://www.manningham.vic.gov.au/news/street-name-change-proposal Jul2023

Milgate Park Estate

Letters from World War I

Letters from some record in DTHS archives possibly not accessioned transcribed by Marion McNeil in 2023. Need to find and scan originals and try to identify source,

Page 1 Letter 2 France. Oct 15th 1916

Mr Goodson

Dear Sir
Just line or two to let you know that I am well as this leaves me at present & I hope that you are the same So far I have only had the one letter from you but I hope that I will get some more from you I am still in action over here but on a quite front after what we had on the So??? This place that we are in now will do me for the winter as the winter here will hit us pretty hard as I have not had any cold for over two years now but a the present it is very cold over here now plenty of rain & mud & we have all been issued with rubber boot that come up to the thigh & and they keep out the water & the cold

By the time that you get this letter it will be Christmas & it will be hot over there but we will have a real Christmas among the snow but any rate I wouldn’t mind to be home among the frut I have not had a decent bit of fruit since I left home but that is something to look forward too I have not been to “ Blighty” yet but I expect to get there on leave any day As I write this the Huns are trying hard to ??? down on one of our earoplains but without siccess I will close now Remember me to all at Doncaster
I remain. Your old pupil

Ken Graham

(over page )

I wish you A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year.

France Sunday 28th
Dear Mr. Goodson

I suppose that you have already got my letter and cards from London. I hope
so because I have heard that a lot of our mail was lost. I am having a good time here : We are living
in tents and are camped just near the sea only a few miles south of Bolougne. I am not permitted to
tell you the name of the place but you will have a fair idea.
The French villages are very dirty the pigsty & fowlyard is between the front door and the road . Pigs & fowls use the houses just as much as the people.
Time will not permit me to give a lengthy description of the places however when I see you all I hope to be able to tell you all about them.
It is very cold here. 19 degrees of frost last Thursday . Some cold eh? I heard today that a man was (page 2 ) found frozen to death. The days are so beautifully sunny -it is too cold for clouds to be in the sky was the explanation I got. I have met several Doncaster boys - Ashby Hardidge for one. In fact Ashby came over in the same boat as I did. Hullo there’s “ fall in “ I must stop Expect to be going up to firing line in a day or two

Best wishes to all
Thos Kent

25th September. Salisbury Plains.

Pte A.J. Hardidge. Head .Quarters. 3rd AustralianPioneer Batt. AiF. 3rd Division, On active Service

Dear Mr. Goodson

I now take the pleasure of writing you a few lines, I was very pleased to hear that you received the cards I sent from Cape Town We had a splendid trip over, and what I have seen of England is very pretty, London is a wonderful place I have just about been all over London it is what I call a double City There seems to me to be as many people under the ground as on top, they have under ground trains, witch they call Tube’s. The people seemed to me to be very lazy one time, they go from one platform to another in lifts or moveing stairs. I forget what the right name of them, but you either stand one the top step,and they take you to the bottom or top & one has to be careful how they step off

I put in some time watching the people go up and down, if they don’t take you down quick enough you can walk down or up, I seen a lot of Australians step off with the wrong foot, & then the both feet would go from under them & Well Mr Goodson it would take me some time to tell you all, but this will give you some ida,I also went up the London Tower, & all the great places ,& by going into all these places you can see from the oldest history. I will now tell a little bit about the people in England. I think we were all lost from when we got off the train at Waterloo till we made up our minds to find our places we were stoping at if we asked anybody were a serton place was they would stand and think for a long while & say I realy don’t know. The John’s are the only one’s that can tell you anything, I have been talking to plenty of people that don’t live so very far out from London & and they have never seen London. The English People make to mutch of wee Aust. And it seems to me if we speak to them, they think it’s a honnor. The people don’t seem to take any notice of any other soldier but a Australian. I think most of the girls are looking for a trip to Australia as they say it .

They talk about it takes 3 English soldier’s to make one Australian, well it takes 12 girls to make a one Aust-girl. England is a wonderful place, the old Dart as we call it. But the young Dart for mine. We are about two Hours & a half ride in the train from London, & twenty four hours trip to the front. I have meet a lot of chaps I know hear I was talking to Jackie Veitch & E.Hillman & they said they would write to you also. There is quite a number of us from Doncaster & round about,& we take it in turns to visit one & other. So you can see we are having a good time. We also have some Germans prismions hear & they have to work. There were Australian Gardin them & they had to take them off & put Tomies on , for there would have been some doin for the German’s are swines to geer and .sneer.. One of our chaps said to one of them By--we are given it to you’s—now. And one of them said we give it to you’s in Belgium, most of them have been captured since the first of the war. & some of them can talk very good English. They thought that there was no England left,& London was a heap of ashes & that the British fleet was brokenup, that’s the news in Germany. I don’t think they will send many more Zep’s over London, for we are getting to strong for them. There are lots of raids we never know they only get as far as the coast, now and then one sneeks through.

If there is a raid on the people get warning in the afternoon, so you can see what the scout’s are doing, you can hear them coming miles off. And the people don’t trouble till they hear the shots& and then they tumble out of bed & into the streets. Most of the big places have bomb net’s over them. I just missed seeing them the other week the time the one was brought down. two of my mates seen it come down and all. I was down the week before, so my luck was out. I went& had a look at were some of the bombs had fell. The places are built up nearly as quick as they fall. London is in darkness of a night bar the skys they lightened up by the searchlights. Well Mr. Goodson I will now close trusting all is in best of health. P.S. You must exquise this scribble & mistakes as its War Time.

From Your’s Truly, Jack Hardidge

Letter No 3. Page1. 25th September.

Salisbury Plains

Pte A.J. Hardidge

Head .Quarters

3rd AustralianPioneer Batt

AiF

3rd Division, On active Service

Dear Mr. Goodson

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

From Your’s Truly

Jack. Hardidge

Letter No4. July 18th1917

A.A.M.C Training Depot. Park House England

Dear Sir, Just a line to let you know that I am still alive & well as this leaves me at present & I hope that you are enjoying the best of health. I have had a pretty good spin here

in Blighty but I have come to the end of my teather as the saying goes & by the time that you receive this note I suppose that I will be well up ????? the shells again. I tried really hard to get a job here in one of the hospitals but there was not ???? doing as they have got a jolly lot of chaps here that came over under age and they are giving them all the jobs out of the firing line otherwise I would have got a job.

But I will go back and have another look at Fritz & I might have the luck to get a slight hit and get back to this country again. I see by the papers over here that any member of the A.I.F. who has served 1,000 days can get furlough to Ausy if he can get another recruit to volunteer to come over and take his place. It is a pretty good idea and I would like to get someone to take my place but there does not seem much chance my way but perhaps some kind endividigal will step into my place. We are having very funny weather over here now it is supposed to be summer & it has been raining for the last week. Things seem to be at a standstill over on the front now & to me the end seems as far off as ever. There is not much other news to tell so I will close Hoping to hear from you soon I remain yours sincerely Ken Graham

Letter No 5

Egypt April 23rd 1916

Dear Mr. Goodson,

Just a few lines to let you know that I am still well hoping you are the same, and knew you would be very pleased to hear from me , althow we are not allowed to write much news. I have not seen any of the boys from out our way yet, I think they have all gone away but some of them may be here yet & as it is a very big camp it is a hard job to find them. I spent Good Friday on guard but we never seen any hot cross buns, and this is the way I am spending Sunday, we are having big sports on Tuesday it is called Anzac day 25 April the day the boys landed.it is a holiday althrough the camp and it will be a big day. Well I think this is all I have to say at present I will close with love to all. I remain yours

Loving pupil Rupert

Address 11 Reeforcements of 23 Battallion Egypt or Elsewhere

Letter no 6

France July 22nd 16

Dear Mr. Goodson, Your very welcome interesting letter dated May 25th reached me a couple of days ago- many thanks for same-I have received 25 letters this week- two dated March 3rd, so I have had a great time reading all the news- makes one feel that he is not so far from home after all. Many times I have “been going” to write you a few lines but hearing from Alma that you hear of my doings and where abouts frequently from home, has made me rather dilatory in writing you direct.

I’ll just give you a few lines of my “travels” since June 18th.On that date we said fare-well to the sands of Egypt and I can assure you we didn’t shed any tears when we pulled out from port of embarkation- a fellow that wants more than a 6 months feed of sand & more than 6 flies in his tea at once is a bit of a glutton. Had a very calm & uneventful trip of 5 days across the water & no “ tin fish” troubled us. Censorship forbids the mentioning of any ports, towns, river etc that we pass or call at but you can guess where we disembarked.

About 20 of our Battery were left at the port a couple of days to unload our wagons etc. which came across on a different transport, so we had a chance to see part of the town but not the main part. Loaded our gear on trucks & we rode on the same trucks- we asked to be allowed to ride on the open trucks( in preference to carriages ) so that we could see everything that was to be seen on our journey. At 10 pm we started on the 53 hours journey- hundreds of miles-I dossed under a gun limber ; Temple Crouch and I only were on one truck so we had heaps of room but by jove it was rough lying down -there was only about 3 tons weight on springs capable of carrying 20 tons,-still as soldiers will- we slept and about 3.30 am were wakened for breakfast- the train had stopped at a station were hot water was ready for us. From that time till about 10 pm on both days we posted ourselves up in the limbers and gazed in admiration at the magnificent country the whole time,- every inch of it was grand. Down South which of course is noted for its wines, we passed thousands of acres of vineyards, well cultivated & in many instances trained up 6 feet brick walls,on the tops of which a little 2 feet “roof”of red tiles is built,- to keep the frosts off the young shoots I suppose

Page 3

Some places were a network of these walls, so you can imagine how well they looked and every back yard is in itself a small vine-yard. For miles and miles we sped along a huge river , grand river flats & at the back great mountains- magnificent scenery it was. Round the hills we wound & through great long tunnels- a couple of which took us eight minutes to travel through- & then we would strike the same river again & more beautiful hills -then on past miles of high swaying crops very full of grain everywhere in France-and fields with “meadow “ hay high and thick & bright red poppies just as thick-one would think they had been sewn-they make the fields look lovely. The holdings in France are in most cases small but every inch -regardless of the grade- that Mr Frenchman possesses he puts under cultivation- even on the mountain sides.vines are grown.

On the farms etc, not a man of military age was to be seen- old men,boys girls& women of all ages were working away-thinning ,tying & hoeing potatoes, strawberries & in fact doing everything that needs doing. Saw one girl driving a reaping machine & another very old lady ,building a load of hay

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on the wagon in great fashion & the old chap picking it up. These people gave us a great reception as we rolled along. Every 15 or 20 miles we passed through villiages of various sizes & through several large towns -at one stage we were within 15 miles of Paris. The second day’s travelling was just as interesting as the first for miles we were travelling along another big river and through tunnel after tunnel, and past huge forests of pine trees which the French have planted at some time. Every building is of brick or stone, most of them have red tiled roofs- the remainder are thatched- one never sees an iron roof in France- and always high gables. These places dotted about in the hills & valleys with high poplars and olive trees etc surrounding them, give the whole place a very picturesque appearance Some of the towns appeared to be very fine , but of course we only had a passing glance. I was quite sorry when at 3 am on the third morning we arrived at our detraining station,-another big seaport town. We unloaded our gear and then took an electric train to our camping ground about six miles out- stayed there for a short time & then entrained again on another long journey

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This time only about 20 hours, but as enjoyable as the last. Detrained and drove about 6 miles through grand country to our Billet -a big hay barn with the farm house adjoining, at which we were able to purchase bread, butter ,fresh milk & eggs. Slept on a hay bed -very comfortably. There we had a couple of showers of rain & for a few days things were very mucky . There was a decent village close by so we always kept the “pantry” well stocked. I’ve been in 4 different billets- from our last we were journeyed 20 miles by road to take up a firing position, just in front of a village that has been ,& was still being heavily shelled. We stayed there a short time & sent Fritz over our “compliments’ at intervals day and night, then at dark one night we moved closer up to the firing line & worked all that night & the whole of the next day concealing our position as best we could. As soon as we were settled we started shelling & got many quite close enough in return- most of the firing is done at night, the trenches are lit up with star & flare shells. A couple of days ago we took part in a very heavy bombardment- I was on the gun from

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6pm. Till 6am.the following morning & in that time we sent over about 400 shells from our gun .And every gun- all sizes- in the vicinity was doing the same, bombs were exploding & rifle & machine gun bullets cracking & whizzing through the air- the din was fearful. Our boys (Inf) made a big advance that night, but unfortunately were not strong enough to hold the trenches they had rushed and captured, against the heavy German Artillery fire that was poured at them & so were forced to retire, losing heavily on their way back to their own trenches- the enemy had fearful losses. My old Battalion suffered severely so I consider myself fortunate having transferred to the.??. Temple has just told me that Joe Beale was wounded in the leg, but don’t make this public if you haven’t already heard, as we are not certain. Harry Chivers too we hear was badly wounded & and unfortunately another Templestowe boy- Bert Johnston was killed. Must draw to a close now Mr. Goodson -Temple who wishes to be remembered, & I are both very well and quite happy in our present surroundings. Trust that the old scholars answered the “call” & that your concert was as big a success as past ones. Kindest regards to Mrs. Goodson & yourself yrs very sincerely. Harold B Clay

The school children might like to hear these lines so just as you wish. Remember me to all.

Letter 7

France 7/10/16

Dear Mr. Goodson

I received your welcome letter yesterday and it has been the two months wandering around trying to find me, it had thirteen postal marks on it this is my third letter I have wrote to you one from Egypt and one from England and this one I hope you received them alright the one I wrote from England was after I had four day leave in London but four days there is only like two hours in Melbourne.I was buzzing about like a bee in that time that at times I got lost and taking things into consideration I had of ????? look around and if I ever have the luck to get there again I will go a ?????????. Well Mr. Goodson it is close on three month since I joined the 3 Battalion in France and the only boys from out our way I have run across is H? Zerbe ,Elc??Frank Song????. Chief ???? Tom Toogood is about here but I haven’t had the luck to strike him yet we will be out of the trenches again for a while so will look him up .I get a good bit of news from home as I am getting my letters through alright & Mr. Clap writes to me now and again stating the price of butter ,eggs etc. and the girl is not worrying about me so it’s alright before I close this few lines I will give you my address. C Comp.23 Battallion as we are told anywhere as long as it’s not the beginning or the end ???

Well Mr. Goodson I will close hoping to be remembered to all. Yours sincerely Rupert. Please excuse paper, mistakes etc.

Letter 8

France Aug 19th 1916

Dear Mr. Goodson I received your welcome letter dated May 26th. And I was pleased to hear that you were in the best of health. I am in the best of health as this leaves me My Mother told me that you had written to me but the letter was delayed “ but better late than never”. You will know by this time that we are in action here & I have just came out of the trenches for a spell. It was very warm while it lasted I can tell you hotter than it ever was on the Peninsular. Our boys have taken a great part in the “ Poy Push” & have done well. The fighting here is a lot fiercer than it has ever been on this front & we are pushing the Huns here back little by little and are getting them well beaten but I can’t tell you much about the war but I can tell you things are going ( tray long) I could tell you terrible things that I have seen here and if I have the good fortune to get home safe I will only be too pleased to tell you anything that may interest you. I am keeping a dairy and I have some very interesting articales in it .It is 2 years today since I went into camp but it seems much longer to me I can tell you . I hope that your “Red Cross concert ” was a success and I wish I was home to witness it as I always took a great interest in the school concerts ever since I used to take part in them . I suppose you have heard of Harry’s death he was killed in action before this battle begun he was a game one I can tell you. We have lost two now in our family but they died for the freedom of others I was very sorry to hear of Mr. Symon’s death he ought never to have joined but he had the pluck & that’s what we want to win the war. I am very glad that so many of the young chaps have joined and are coming away I am glad that you enjoyed some of the postcards that I sent home ???? so long in Egypt I had seen all there was to be seen and I could keep you interested for hours telling you about their customs & the land .I have seen a great lot of France since we landed here & and it is a fine country dotted here and there with big towns & and the villages are very close here . We are never in tents here we are always Billited in farm houses or in the peoples purite houses and we get on very well with the French people All the men are at the war & the girls do all the work & they have to work I can tell you you can see them ploughing bringing in the harvest. This is about all the news this time . Remember me to all the people in Doncaster.

I remain your old pupil Ken Graham. P.S. A letter from you will always be welcome. Ken

Letter no 9

Hurdcott Camp

Salisbury Plains

November25th 1916

Dear Mr. Goodson I take this opportunity of writing to you ,as I feel shure you would be pleased to hear from one of your old scholars. It was my intention to call, and see you, and the old school before I left, but our Company left suddenly ,leaving me almost insufficient time to say goodbye to my relations. I embarked on the “Troop Ship Shropshire” 25th Sept. & I will never forget the time I stood in the bow of the ship watching the Victorian Coast slip away behind after we passed through the heads. We had a beautiful smooth trip. Durban was our first port of call, where we had two and one half days leave ashore, while the ship was coaling, so I had sufficient time to have a good look around the town. We left Durban on the 18th October, and on the 19th. We passed quit close to Port Elizabeth, with it’s lighthouse, from where the “ Warratar” was last seen. All the next day, before we sighted the “Cape of Good Hope” we continued quit close to the coast. It was wonderful to see the geat lofty mountains, that seem to come strait down into the sea. One huge mountain especially had five distinct peeks, that showed their heads above a long white cloud. On the 20th we steamed into Cape Town, which is almost surrounded by huge- dark mountains, that seem to be trying to push the Town into the sea . We only stayed one day at the Cape .The “Table Mountain” was a wonderful sight as seen first thing Saturday morning the 21st. Oct. when a long, white cloud lay along it, and just as we left , it cleared away, showing the mountain’s long flat, even top, that gives it it’s name. Our next call after leaving Cape Town ,was at Wakar, a French naval Station, where we took a big gun on board for defence in case of attack by submarine. The only rough weather we struck was in the Bay of Biscay where great waves like mountains, were coming over the ship’s side . We arrived at Plymouth Sound Nov 18th.,& entrained at Plymouth & had a journey of seven hours to Wool a small village in the south of England. From there we marched into Bovington Camp & after a rest of seven days , shifted to Hurdcott Camp in Salisbury Plains where we are doing solid training& marching long distances with full pack up. I am enjoying perfect health and feeling strong, & fit, & ready to go to the trenches any time. Yours sincerely Nohby B Hardidge

Letter No 10

France 26th -1-1917

Dear Mr Goodson,

I received your very welcome letter today & and as I am in a fairly warm billet and in a dashing spirit – I take very much pleasure in dropping you these few lines to let you know I am keeping well, up to the present, we had a little route march today, we stopped for a spell and there were a few little swamps about frozen with the cold weather we have had lately and thick with ice. we put in a good half hour trying to scate, it was good sport after being in the trenches. I met Fred Toogood and found him a few weeks ago, but met very few from out our ( way ) as yet I heard K Graham was slightly gassed, I don’t know for sure although I happened to be on the same front at the time I can just remember the gas shells alright. Well Mr Goodson I cannot speak this French language, I can only speak three or words that’s my limit. & as for frogs and snails they are not for me. Well I am not much of a hand at writing I am a one page artist so will close hoping to see you all again

I remain

yours sincerely

Rupert .

P.S. that Address is quite right.

Letter No 11,

Candahar Barracks, Tidworth England. April 20th 1917

It gives me much pleasure to take the pen to write to you as being one of your old scholars I feel it my duty to write you and in doing so it reminds me very much of times gone by when I would have to write my home lessons. I hope this reaches you and Mrs. Goodson in the best of health as it leaves me at present. It is now about 2 months that I have been in England and I am not climatized yet. The weather is very cold here, especially when I arrived it has snowed a great deal. & it was quite a novelty to see the snow falling & it’s very pretty too. The weather apart from being cold is quite queer. As it can be raining hard & in an hour it will be real fine, later on it will change to snow. & then peircing cold winds. The winds on Salisbury Plains are some cold. Tidworth here is on the outskirts of the plains. It is 70 seventy miles from London. It is only a small village but there are plenty of Barracks & quite a large number of troops. Yesterday the King received about (35,000 thirty five thousand) Australians from different camps on Salisbury Plains. There was Light Horse, Infantry, Artillery, and other units of the army there .We had to march past and the King took the salute at the Saluting base. All the Light Horsemen were mounted. The whole affair was a splendid & impressive sight. It was something added to my experience as it was the first time I have seen the King. Next week I shall go on four days leave, I shall visit London the city of wonder & will inspect all the old Historic places such as the Tower where the old Queens and Kings were beheaded. Chaps who seen it say the chopping block and axes are still there. Buckingham Palace. The Cathederal & such places. After I come back from there I shall reckon I know quite a lot. I haven’t seen much of England yet, but I don’t like the place much, there is no place like Sunny Australia. I am having a good time of it .The quarters I am in are very comfortable the drill is new in some respects, the food is light but good ,our beds are good and I have plenty of blankets, so taking it by the whole, things are not too bad. The trip over was a pleasant one, it took 10 ten weeks to complete, as we had 14 fourteen days at Cape Town 2 two days at Durban & 4 days at Seirra Leone- At Durban and Cape Town we got leave each day and seen all over the places of interest- Australians are thought a lot of at Cape Town , but not so much at Durban. Both places are very pretty & quaint. The black population in those cities, seem to cast a dark side to things, as it were. Easter time was very quiet here. Summer has commenced & daylight saving has started which makes a big difference this side of the world . Well Mr. Goodson I find news very scarse so I must conclude hoping that you will write in return I will remain

Yours Sinscerely Norman A Crossman

Address—No-2082 Tpr N.A. Crossman

13th Australian Light Horse

Australian Imperial Force

--Abroad --

Letter 12

France 18/2/18

Pte- A J. H

No31

Dear Mr. Goodson

I received your most welcome letter, & glad to hear that you are well again, as I have heard from home, that you had been very ill.

It is really wonderful how we Aussie’s keep in good health, & how one gets used to things. I always hear how you are, from home & I often think of my old School day’s.

And here tonight I have got the best of chum’s all good sticker’s. you must excuse my slang & scribble, Well Mr. Goodson Soldiering is like a second life in several way’s. I think sometimes that we are no more that School boys again; How nice it will be when the war is over and we are free.

There are several boy’s in same Batt from Doncaster and round about. Felise the barber & S. Barker the black smith, & two or three from Box Hill . S Barker was wounded but he is back with us again, he got a bad knock, but he is tre-bon now. It was very sad about Willie Rust & Erich Hillman & I know from what I heard about Erich he was a dinkum soldier & game, he was recommended once. I have met a lot of old chum’s over here.,still have a lot more to find.

While on Blighty furlough I met C.Watt’s on his leave as well. After seeing W. Watt’s some time before. We do have some talk of old time’s when we meet .

I find it much easier to talk than to write but we are always looking for letter’s.

I don’t like the Belgiums & the French, I don’t know too much about them,but I am swetting on going to have a look at gay Parie I must think about closing as it’s time I went to sleep so trusting that this will find you & all in the best of health, as this leaves me in the best of health Please remember me to all & my people. Close with kindest regard’s

From you old School boy Jack

Doncaster Lutheran Petition re Opening of Cerberus on Sundays

Football Boot-studder

Needs research: Details of boot-studder's role (from earliest time and changes with boot technology)

Many occupations are transformed and often dissappear with changes in technology and social practice.

One fascinating but obscure job if the "boot-studder".

This job entailed ????????????

One boot-studder, Matthew Wilmot Chapman, uncle of current member Graham Chapman, was the boot-studder for the Australian Rules Football Premiership from 1955 onwards.

Melbourne Football Club, VFL Olympic Year and Australian Premiers 1956. (A Chapman pictured in third row from front, Third person from left.) Source: Graham Chapman.
Melbourne Football Club, VFL Olympic Year, and Australian Premiers 1956. (A Chapman pictured in the third row from the front, Third person from the left.) Source: Graham Chapman.
ALLAN STUDIOS, COLLINGWOOD
BACK ROW – R. Johnson, K.Melville(Vice Capt.), R.Dowsing, C.Williams, K.Carlon, D.Rattary, A.Webb,
THIRD ROW – H.Phingsthorne, G. Pierce, M. Chapman, W.K. Scott, W.Adams, H.McPherson, L. Green, F. Fraser, C. Wilson, J. Mc. Laughlin, R. Edwards, L.D. Altera, K. Chalmers, S.A. Brownbill, N.H. King
SECOND ROW – J.C. Loughery, L.S. Millis, G. Pinfold, G.Kerr, G.Case, D.Williams, I. Thorogood, L. Mithen, T. Johnson, G. Mc. Govern. D Cordner, T.Gleeson, T.Mountain, R.Atkinson, P.Marquis, C.Laidlaw, B.Collopy, E.C.H. Taylor, J.P.Mc Grath
FRONT ROW:-- K. Carrol, R. Lane, I. Mc. Lean, I. Ridley, J. Beckwith, B. Dixon, R. Barassi, J.H. Cardwell (Secretary)
A.E. Chadwick(Chairman), N. Smith (Coach), N.Mc. Mahen(Captain), S.Spencer, T. Bull, J. Sandral, F. Adams
ABSENT:-- P.Cook, J.Lord, B.Crameri, P.Tossol, D.Jones
FINAL SCORES: MELBOURNE 17 goals 19 behind 121 points defeated COLLINGWOOD 6 goals 12 behind 48 points – V.F.L. Record

He was born in Main Road (now Doncaster Road), Doncaster (probably the family home on the corner of Frederick St and Doncaster Road. His grandmother Ellen was a witness to the birth.

SECOND SCHEDULE
BIRTHS in the district of Doneastin in the state. Registered by Edwind J? Symons?
CHILD
(1) No. 1214
(2) When and Where: April 7th 1910; Main Road, Doncaster, County of Burke
(3) Name and Whether Parent or Not: Mathew Willmot? (Not Present)
(4) Sex: Male
FATHER:
(5)
(1) Name and Surname, Rank or Profession of the father: Alexander Chapman, Builder
(2) Age: 47 years
(3) Birthplace: Templestowe
When and Where Married: April 28th 1909. Moe, Gippsland
Previous Issue Living and deceased: (Previous Marriage) September 13th 1885; Templestowe (No issue)
MOTHER
(7)
(1) Name and Maiden Surname of Mother: Clara Ellen Chapman
(2) Age: 33 Years
(3) Birth Place: Clunes, Victoria
(Column 5 should read 47 yearsE?J?Symons? Registrar 25/4/10
INFORMANT
(8)
Signature, Description and Residence: A Chapman; Father; Main Road, Doncaster
WITNESSES
(9)
1. Nil
2. Mrs. Ellen Smith
3. Mr. H. Hart
REGISTRAR
(10)
When registered and where: 2 th April; Doncaster
(11)
Signature of registrar: Edwin J Symons
(12)
Name if added after registration of birth: (check mark)

Matthew Chapman: Died 9 August 1977 at Sandringham.

In 1918, he moved his family to Brighton (1918 'DONCASTER NOTES.', Camberwell and Hawthorn Advertiser (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), 15 February, p. 4. , viewed 23 Sep 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article153611223)

He worked at the Sandringham Football Club (VFA).

In 1947, Matthew moved to the Melbourne Football Club with Len Toyne (who had led Sandringham Football Club to the 1946 VFA Premiership as Captain Coach with Matt as his boot studder).

Matt had a shed in his home at Arthur Street, Sandringham, just a good drop kick from Beach Oval where Sandringham played. In the shed he made boot stops out of leather to ensure the players at Sandringham and Melbourne had a firm grip of the ground. In those days, there were lots of muddy and wet grounds in the middle of winter and the players needed good stops.

Matt Chapman appears in the 5 Melbourne football Club Premiership photos from 1955 to 1960.

Source: Graham Chapman, Kalamunda, personal communication 2022. Graham is the son of Lindsay Graham Chapman 1918-2005. Lindsay was Matthew Wilmot Chapman's brother.

Title to Cnr Webb and Brackenbury Streets, Warrandyte (1937)

Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Doncaster

Templestowe Secondary College

The school was built in the early 1970’s ?

It was definitely in existence in 1985.

The Templestowe Technical School opened several years after the adjoining Templestowe Heights Primary School and the external cladding used at this time was lighter in colour compared with the dark grey ‘blocks’ as was commonly used in high schools that were constructed in the early 1960’s, for example Templestowe High School, Greythorn High School and Manningham Primary School. This is the limited information that we have.

Templestowe College 2019-10-28 Eric Chang Google Maps

Templestowe College

Templestowe College, or TC as we call ourselves, is a Victorian State school in Australia that is regarded internationally as one of the most innovative progressive schools focused on student empowerment and student centred learning. We are a school that has moved beyond student voice to enable our students to show true empowerment and action relating to the way in which the school runs and that they have had the opportunity to have a great level of control over their learning.

TC is a learning community of over 1400 people who are focused on meeting our purpose “to challenge the status quo, so that everyone is empowered to learn”. We are also a member of the Future Schools Alliance which is a group of schools around Australia who are focusing on innovation in education whilst all meeting the needs of our own communities.

The recent story of Templestowe College, or TC as we like to call it, is one based around an evolution that has been shaped by the many students, staff and family members that have been a part of our Community. It is a story that has a common focus around challenging the status quo of not just how the school does things, but what education can look like.

As a progressive school, we will always continue to challenge our own thinking, with he end goal of empowering each member of our Community.

Templestowe College itself has been operating since 1994, but our current story really starts in October, 2009 when the school took on a whole new direction. The school had not moved with the times and student numbers had fallen from 1000 students to a tiny 286 students. With just 23 year sevens there was a serious threat of the school being closed.

The College Council and a group of committed staff and students decided on a complete change in focus. Rather than remaining just another traditional school, Templestowe College would embrace its smaller size and become experts in personalised learning. TC as we now call it, was born.

Interest from students and their parents who were feeling lost or dissatisfied with the current education system and wanting to explore a new style of education, saw numbers start to climb. Following a strategic review in 2013, TC moved towards individualised learning, and by 2015 we dropped all reference to year levels, and students were able to have a greater say in their learning by selecting 100% of their course load from more than 150 electives as part of their Individualised Learning Plan (ILP).

These programs have continued to evolve since then as the school continues to meet the needs of the Community. Through the school looking for excuses to say yes to ideas from members of the Community, and using the latest research, the school is now recognised as one of the most innovative schools in Australia.

Over the following years the school grew rapidly, to now being a school with 1250 students and a total learning community of over 1400 people.

Over the years the school has had a focus on entrepreneurial learning as we look for our students to be doing real things that matter. We are not here to occupy students time or prepare students for a future that may never happen, but instead we want our students to know that they can make a difference now.

The school has continued to focus on supporting all students, no matter what their pathway may be. With new programs continually introduced to support all students to meet their needs and not just a focus on one outcome of an ATAR score, we believe that our students are able to leave school as confident learners who are ready to learn anything.

As a school we will always continue to look at ways that we can improve and offer young people true advocacy in their education and learning. As an example, at the end of 2017, College Council made the decision to remove compulsory uniform, based about a campaign led by our students.

Another example currently in place is that each year our Student Leadership program is designed by our current student leaders, working alongside staff at the school.

As part of our story, it has been intentional that some things will not change around our philosophy. Two fundamental philosophies that will never change are our “One Person Policy” and our “Yes is the Default” rule. These are what make TC so great beyond any structures, any innovations (of which we have many) or any ideas of individuals. .

Throughout the years we have moved from personalised learning, through to individualised learning, to co-creation. We are now currently in our new strategic plan titled TC:The Next Level which is based on our purpose of to challenge the status quo, so that everyone is empowered to learn.

Our new Strategic plan sees the school looking to build on our strengths, identifying what an empowered learner is and using this as a framework, as well as focusing in on new assessment measures that go beyond the narrow measures of test scores and grades. These are our Expanded Measures of Success.

Source: https://tc.vic.edu.au/ July2023

7 Cypress Ave, Templestowe Lower VIC 3107

Templestowe College Aerial 2023 Google Maps

Templestowe College Entrance 2015 Google Maps

ByWays of Local History (Doncaster Mirror) and YesterYear (Doncaster News) 1981-1993 - Joan Seppings/Webster

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Needs Images - Stephen

150 1984-04-24 ByWays DoncasterMirror

From clay band to Numphawading

BYWAYS OF LOCAL HISTORY

24/4/84

by Joan Seppings Webster

BOX HILL used to be Nunawading, Nunawading used to be Tunstall... anyone from this district who travelled back in a time machine would need a municipal history before asking directions.

A street directory even fifty years old would be no help. Street names as well as district names have had a habit of changing about.

Pottery

Tunstall, the district south of the Koonung Creek and east of Box Hill, was so named because a band of clay there was found to be similar to that in Tunstall, Staffordshire, England, which was perfect for making pottery.

A clay pit was worked there from 1853.

Tunstall Road, East Doncaster, led to Tunstall. Tunstall Square took its name from the road.

The name Nunawad-ing was originally Num-phawading, an aboriginal word meaning ceremonial ground or battlefield.

Doncaster used to be known as Vermont, before Robert Wilson named his hotel the Doncaster Arms, after his birthplace in England, in 1854.

Vermont was called ""L. L. Vale", because of the initials of its parliamentary representative, L. L. Smith MLA.

Croydon was called Warrandyte.

Before 1856 , the name Warrandyte referred to the whole area from Anderson's Creek to what is now Croydon. In 1882 the Warrandyte railway station opened at what is now the Croydon station, and the adjacent post office named Warrnadyte Railway Station Post Office.

There was also a Warrandyte Post office at Warrnadyte (as we know it now).

Merger

When the Shire of Nunawading, which is now the city of Box Hill, was proclaimed in 1872, it tried to persuade the Templestowe Roads Board (now the city of Doncaster and Templestowe) to merge with it.

In 1875 the Shire of bullen (now Templestowe Ward of our city) did amalgamate with Nunawading (Box Hill), to form the United Shire of Nunawading.

But this lasted only three months.

Mitcham used to be called New Brunswick.

Springvale Road, which links Doncaster to Box Hill, was known as Crossman's Road.

Forest

The Mullum-Mullum Creek, which runs through Donvale, and forms part of the boundary of what was

the Nunawading Roads District, later Nunawading Shire, later city of Box Hill, was called Deep Creek.

The Koonung Creek, which divides Doncaster from Box Hill and east Doncaster- from Blackburn, was known as Kennedy's Creek. The Dandenong Creek formed part of the boundary of the original Roads Board area of Nunawading (Box Hill).

And to cap it all, Templestowe was once known as Dandenong. Thomas Chivers, one of Templestowe's

first born, had it written on his baptismal certificate that his father's home was in the "forest near Dandenong."

151 1984-05-29 ByWays DoncasterMirror

KOONARRA

BYWAYS OF LOCAL HISTORY

29/5/84 by Joan Seppings Webster.

IN 1967, the municipality of Doncaster and Templestowe very nearly had its name changed to Koonarra. That was the year the (then) Shire became a city. While preparing to polish up the old brass nameplate "Doncaster and Templestowe" for the new title, someone suggested a new-look name was also needed. The arguments that followed were like those of a family in dispute over naming a baby. Doncaster wanted "City of Doncaster." Templestowe wanted "City of Templestowe."

Bulleen, the first municipal name, was suggested, but this was felt to be old fashioned.

Then came inspiration. Koonarra, the brainchild of compromise, was suggested... a name to immortalise the ancestral borders, the Koonung Creek and Yarra River.

Like relatives before the christening, ratepayers' feelings ran high, indignation seethed, polls and petitions were gathered and everyone had their say.

The first council vote on the naming was deadlocked. But the casting vote of the (then) Shire President, Stan Shepherd, was for Koonarra.

A resident, Mrs L. Hutchins of East Doncaster, telephoned the Minister for Local Government to ask that the naming be deferred until a referendum was held on the matter. A postal referendum was considered.

The Doncaster East Riding Community Development Association conducted its own postal referendum amongst 398 residents and of these, 367 were against Koonarra.

A telephone poll conducted by a local news-paper found 90 percent of people contemptuous of the proposed new name. Some of the reasons were: "No-one will know where it is." "We'll have to explain where we live." "It has no meaning." "It's a silly, made-up name." Asked what they thought of the name, many asked back: "What's that?" The few who approved Koonarra did so with reservations: "It's not so. bad, I suppose." "Worse things can happen." Some said they would prefer to pay rates at the Doncaster Town Hall rather than the Koonarra Town Hall.

In spite of public feeling, the Shire President pushed for Koonarra. Twice, in council, Templestowe and Warrandyte councillors voted for Koonarra, twice East and West Doncaster's councillors voted against it, twice voting was deadlocked, and twice the President (a Warrandyte councillor) settled the matter "once and for all," with his casting vote for the new name.

The significance of the name Doncaster and its wide recognition was eloquently put forward by Cr Les Cameron, descendant of local pioneers. Doncaster was noted for its towers. Doncaster had the first electric tram in the southern hemisphere. Doncaster built the first Government Cool Store. Doncaster still exported its fruit products, acclaimed throughout the world for their quality and keeping characteristics. Doncaster apples were known as such whether they were grown in Doncaster, Templestowe or Warrandyte. So, by inference, should its people.

The people, led by East Doncaster Councillor Russell Hardidge, collected 2434 signatures on a petition and presented this to council and the Minister for Local Government.

It was November, 1966. The proclamation of the city (and its name) was set for February 28, 1967.

The clock struck, the offical pen wrote, and with no time left for counter-petitions, the old "Doncaster and Templestowe" dies were recast.

Medals for school children could at last be struck, letterheads printed and invitations issued for the

"city celebrations." Guests would know where they were going, and ratepayers where they lived.

Maybe if no time limit had been set, some other monikers mooted might have succeeded. We might have lived in Donwarrenstowe or Templedytecaster.

152 1984-06-05 ByWays DoncasterMirror

BYWAYS OF LOCAL HISTORY

5/6/84 END OF THE ROAD

by Joan Seppings Webster

AT the turn of the century, the intersection of Doncaster and Blackburn Roads, marked "the end of the road." On one corner stood the primitive Methodist Church, then a small, one- oomed building, and opposite it, on the south-west corner, was a blacksmith's smithy. East beyond this point were only rough tracks, and a few huts.

Escaped criminals are said to have hidden out in the surrounding bush.

The land was poor. It was much better in the west of Doncaster, where there were some alluvial deposits. Those who tried to cultivate land in East Doncaster did not fare so well as those in Doncaster. Some failed to make a living at all from it.

The intersection of Doncaster-Micham-Old Warrandyte Roads became known as "Starvation

Corner," and one story goes that an old couple who tried to farm here, starved to death.

A map of 1844 shows Templestowe "moderately timbered with gum, oak and honeysuckle. Good soil;" Doncaster "moderately timbered with gum and oak, good soil," and East Don- caster and Donvale "thickly wooded, stringbark and box." The south of East Doncaster was labelled "Stringbark Ranges." This is how East Doncasterites came to be known as "stringbarkers." Soils below stringy bark trees are typically poor.

There were no shops then at East Doncaster Junction, and no shops at Tunstall Square.

153 1984-06-12 ByWays DoncasterMirror

BYWAYS OF LOCAL HISTORY

June 12 1984

by Joan Seppings Webster

Our forbears last ??? 60-70 ???? - women in ???? longer today. ???? time has ???? to nearly ???a 35 hour week. ???? The march ???? doesn't ???? forward. We ???? think that time???? automatically???? quality of life ???? step by step ???? the procession of various "revolutions" which culminate in the technological revolution of the 20th century.

If "Progress" is measured by working hours or forebears were certainly worse off than us in their daily routine. But ancient ancestors were better off. And so were the Aboriginals on to whom Europeans foisted the so-called benefits of civilisation.

Hunter-gatherers of over 10,000 years ago worked only a 19-hour week. This is the conclusion of noted anthropologist Richard Leakey.

He has found that hunter-gatherer societies of today work only a 19-hour week, and spend the rest of the time socialising.

They spent less time sharpening stone axes and more time sharpening up communication skills, learning how to win friends and infleunce people, understanding themselves, others, their environment, life- and being more happy and less aggressive.

Today, with more leisure time, there is less communication time. Not only TV and video, but hor-rendous amounts of school homework build walls between the minds of family members. Walls of indifference. Barriers to understanding and em-pathy, tolerance and kindness.

Sundays are as busy as any other day, buzzing about on trips, each group separated from the other in its capsule. Shut off insulted from the lives of others and becoming more and more insular.

Women of today are still "gatherers" for their society. They still collect the food. But as transport for the 19th century pioneers was mostly shank's pony, a shopping trip then, though work, was also a social ac-tivity. Walking meant one went to shop nearwhere one lived, and where those who lived in your vicinty also went.

The market place was a social place, where you met those you knew. Today, a shopping trip by car is expanded over many sub-urbs, suburbs which were once separate townships, and over all that area covered, a woman may not meet a soul she knows to whom to say "hello."

Where a walking shopping trip is possible today, there is not the socialising oppor-tunity of yesteryear. En route, the gardens will be empty of potential chatters, the kitchens not forthcoming of a friendly cuppa to break the erstwhile heavy-laden home journey. Chats and cuppas may not have helped the economic turnover, but they did oil the wheels of social culture.

The human is a social animal. Sociability led our homonoid roots to send out shoots towards homo sapiens. What are the "benefits of civilisation" if they undermine our humanness?

154 1984-06-19 ByWays DoncasterMirror

BYWAYS OF LOCAL HISTORY

19/6/84

by Joan Seppings Webster

DONCASTER Hill, the most pronounced hilltop in this municipality, and the gateway to the city, was once under the sea.

A small whale-shaped area east of Williamson's Rd. and over both sides of Doncaster Rd. to just before Church Rd., is the only sandy, gravelly soil within the city. The rest is clay.

Between 35 and 50 million years ago when that land had already been low lying for about a further 35 million years, the seas rose. Sandy marine sediments were laid down, which became gravel.

At the time, it wasn't only the Doncaster Hill (Shoppingtown) area which was under the sea.

The continents were not of the shape by which we know them today. When the sands of Doncaster Hill were deposited, the true carnivores such as mice and squirrels, the mastadons, the archaic monkeys and erect apes had begun to ap- pear, along with the first flowering plants.

Then, about four million years ago, when the first one-toed horse evolved, when the land bridge rose between the Americas and transitional pre-human primates may have used stone tools, the land which was to become the city of Doncaster and Temple- stowe also rose. Streams cut through the exposed land, the sands eroded away and remained only on some hill-tops.

So that hilltop along which most of us drive frequently, is very special geologically.

Who knows what fossils may be buried beneath the bitumen?

Later, about one million years ago, at about the timel of the emergence of stone age humans in the last Glacial period, volcanic activity along the Kew, Northcote, Preston, Bun-doora line sent lava flows which dammed the Old Yar-ra River at Kew. This slowed the flow of the river's water and created meanders.

Alluvial deposits up to 12 feet thick were created along the Yarra Valley and in the shallow valleys of its the Koonung, Ruffey and tributary streams such as Mullum- Mullum Creeks.

When quarries were made along Ruffey's Creek in the early days of settlement in the 1850s, the alluvial soil was discovered and carted to the orchards.

In the municipal gardens there is a sunken track running east and west from about the SEC transmission line to Victoria St. This was a right-of-way which gave access from Victoria St. (then called Bismark St.) to the quarries.

155 1984-06-26 ByWays DoncasterMirror

BYWAYS OF LOCAL HISTORY

26/6/84

by Joan Seppings Webster

THE stone of which many Doncaster buildings are made is older than the hills older than the hills from which it was quarried.

The hilly landscape as we know it, rounded hills sixty metres above broad, shallow valley floors made their last uplifting about 15 million years ago and weathered and eroded between that time, through the last Ice Age of 25,000 years ago to this time. But the attractive stone is 350 million years old.

Its colors were added 15 to 35 million years ago at the last folding up of the mountains, when tronstone. from earlier sand sediments ran red bands through the weathering mudstone mantle. A good example can be seen in the Victoria Street cutting near the Old Lutheran Cemetery and Schramm's Cottage.

Most of this municipality's topography was carved out of this 350 million year old Silurian mudstone and sandstone. (The exception is the top of Doncaster Hill, which is sand). They formed from sediments deposited on a deep sea bed, when the main life forms were crablike creatures, invertebrates.

It was a time, roughly half way through an era of 300 million years, which was marked by a rhythm of ups and downs, of alternating submergences and emergences of land, the Palaeozoic Era. (The Silurian Era, during which our stone was laid down, was named after a Welsh tribe the Silures, which gave much trouble to the Romans during the occupation of Britian). The climate during this time was very

mild.

The first quarry to extract the Silurian mudstone was opened up in the 1850s, mainly to build houses. It can be seen in the municipal gardens, immediately west of Church Rd. In the 1860s

and 1870s the rock was used for roadmaking, but was found to be too soft, and the quarry was abandoned. This is called the Western Quar-ry.

In 1930 it was reopened to rebuild the chancel of Holy Trinity Church of England in Church St. The stone used for the main building in 1869 is believed to have come from another quarry near the

corner of Church Rd. and George St. Another quarry was dug west of Church Rd.

About 100 million years after this Silurian stone was formed, earth movements folded the rocks into slopes about 12 km apart with minor folds within the major folds. These were high peaks weathered down to a plateau and deep valleys which which, with another violent upheaval, tilted the region

towards the southern coastline, 200 to 150 million years ago.

There's been some changes around here and those mottled stones have seen them all.

156 1984-08-18 ByWays DoncasterMirror

Pioneers had a nursing crisis

BYWAYS OF LOCAL HISTORY

14/8/84

by Joan Seppings Webster

BY 1880, our city had had state education for a few years and a first-rate library.

People could catch a train from Box Hill to Melbourne. But if they were ill, it was self-help.

Melbourne had a hospital from 1848, but no trained nurses until after 1880.

For 120 years, the skilled hands of trained nurses quietly touched their way into all contours of the land: hospital and home, outback and industry.

Europe's hospitals evolved from priories, Australia's from prisons.

From the First Fleet, Australia's hospitals were built on the convict system, for convicts, and managed in the military style by government-appointed surgeons.

"Nurses" were jailers, trusty convicts and later, convalescent male patients and "dirty, frowsy-looking old women, slatternly untidy young ones, all greasy with their hair down their back."

Protege

This was what Florence Nightingale's star protege, Lucy Osburn, found when she arrived in Sydney in 1868 to reform the hospital nursing system. Five years later she had transformed patient care, raised the status of nurses, and obliterated menial "ser-vant" tasks from their duties.

Her "determination, moderation and wisdom," said Sir William Windeyer, QC, brought about a Royal Commission into the administration of charitable institutions. Sir William condemned the old hospital system, and Miss Osburn was given the green light to proceed unhindered with the Nightingale system.

Sparks from the Nightingale lamp spread through the colony like a bushfire, razing tangled undergrowths of mismanagement, cauter-izing apathy and self-interest of authorities, clearing the ground for a new science.

Before Lucy Osburn, "the Lady Nurse from Leeds" and her five Nightingale nurses, Australian hospital patients were frequently locked in at night and left. Medical treatment see-sawed between blood letting and the daily issue of porter. Hygiene was a dirty word.

Patients had lain for weeks without even hands or faces washed because, Lucy found, "the doctors said they were not to be disturbed."

Suffering

When she engaged laundry women, and the bed linen could be changed, patients had to be lifted on to a different bed, as the one in which they had lain rotted away, the mattresses often just the shape of the patient's body from head to foot.

Most doctors had done little to alleviate the hour by hour suffering and degradation of their

patients. Hospital committee members, half-drunk at times, wandered in and out of wards shutting the windows which the Nightingale nurses had opened for ventilation.

Convalescing patients snatched food from the dying. They cooked their food in the ward. Noise and "pranks" were such that the chaos was like bedlam. One day, above the stench of infected wounds and vermin- infested woodwork and the open drains which ran beneath the floors, the smell of singed wool and roasting flesh floated.

In the middle of the ward, "well" patients danced gleefully around a pyre. They were roasting the body of a just dead Solomon Islander.

The only hospitals were for the indigent. Most ill people stayed at home, terrified of being sent to hospital. The sick rich prayed for kindly friends: and the poor, for a quick release to heaven.

(Continued next week.)

157 1984-08-21 ByWays DoncasterMirror

Nurses cleaned the wards

BYWAYS OF LOCAL HISTORY

21/8/84

by Joan Seppings Webster

Continued from last week:

LOCAL news in 1868 was the laying of the foundation stone of Holy Trinity Church of England. Interstate news, our people would have read,

were headlines that foretold the laying of a new system of care and comfort for the sick. Nightingale nurses had arrived in Sydney, and the Press raved that they were "trained, not only to nurse, but to teach."

Some doctors came to appreciate the benefits to both patient and themselves. Others jealously tried to keep the nurses at the level of servants.

The board of The Sydney Infirmary, which had accepted the new nurses as an experiment, appointed a layman as manager to superintend accounts and servants. And there started the split-status of the nursing profession, perpetuated today, and the root of much of to- day's industrial dispute.

Extremely jealous of the Nightingales' position Superintendent John Blackstone paid the cleaners, and would not al- low them to take orders from the nursing sisters. Proper patient care and thorough reform could only come after a thorough

cleaning of the bug- infested hospital. Blackstone would not al-low the cleaners to do it. It was against Florence Nightingale's principles for her lady nurses to waste their talents on these tasks, but because of Blackstone, the servants would only clean the wards as a special favour to the new sisters. So to get done what needed to be done, they had to do it themselves.

The original nurse women worked in miserable conditions. They slept in cubicles at the end of wards, merely screened from the patients' beds.

"My first endeavour was to reform that crying abuse," Lucy wrote to Florence Nightingale.

Miserable

She found them a dormitory with four-poster beds, wash stands and looking glasses, taught them how to do their hair and to be personally clean, and put them in uniforms - white caps, aprons and lilac dresses- the recognised Australian nurses' uniform until very recent years.

Within six months of this change, the hospital had "a creditable staff of neatly dressed women, cheerful and willing to work, obedient and docile in receiving instruction."

Lucy Osburn began lectures, and the other sisters taught in the wards.

But ward administration was still chaotic. Doctors refused to discuss treatment or write orders. Officials stamped and raged at nurses before their patients until they cried.

The two resident doctors hated Lucy Osburn and tried every trick to be rid of her intrusion. They laid formal charges of interference with treatment against her to the board when a patient was given a medicine they had discontinued.

But Lucy Osburn was a great opportunist. She turned the trap to advantage by using it to explain that the Nightingale system was for the doctor to "express his wishes" to the sister, who in turn took responsibility for telling the nurses and in no way was a doctor to go direct to the untrained nurses.

Politics and religion both came into the nursing controversy. Henry Parkes had invited the Nightingales and "was like a father" to them. James Martin was "bent on squashing improvements at the hospital."

Sisters were a "Popish plot," because of their title and because they wore veils.

Miss Osburn investigated by a Select Committee, on charges of Bible Burning (torn old books infested with lice) and accused of murdering a patient.

But by 1870, the hospital's annual report boasted one colonial-trained nurse, 18 nurses, and six probationers, as well as a housekeeper and 12 servants for 159 patients.

Fractures

It reported "a marked improvement in the condition of the patients due to the introduction of the new system."

By 1873, her nurses "set fractures and put in sutures." That was two years before the Shire of Bulleen was born. A Royal Commission into Miss Osburn's work gave the green light to systematic nurse training.

The idea caught on that patient welfare increased in direct ratio to the skill of the nurse attendant and, though many doctors still condemned training nurses as "a dangerous practice," hospitals all over the country applied for Lucy Osburn's trainees. She did a "roaring trade" in private nurses.

Haldane Turriff, Miss Osburn's most senior Nightingale, became first: matron of Melbourne's Alfred Hospital in 1871, and began Victoria's first school of systematic nursing in 1880. After this, a family could hire a trained live-in nurse to care for a very ill member.

Lucy Osburn died in Harrogate, England, nursing in the slums of London, and left a legacy of 700 pounds to the daughter of Sir William Windeyer, whose high praise at the end of the Royal Commission in 1873 had meant the turning point in her work, and the turning point in Australian nursing up till today. It meant a changed attitude to health for families.

158 1984-08-28 ByWays DoncasterMirror

'Free' hospital service

for subscribers only

BYWAYS OF LOCAL HISTORY

28/8/84

by Joan Seppings Webster

FEW of our city's pioneers were ever like-ly to have been to hospital.

Itinerant workers and gold diggers, poor and without a home, may have been. For many years, the Melbourne Hospital was the only one in the colony, and it was too far away from Doncaster. Orchardists would have a doctor call at home.

Superintendent La-Trobe bolstered the small grant the first Melbourne Hospital received from the New South Wales colonial government by handing to the hospital finances the fines from drunkards and straying cattle.

If that idea could be transposed today to the fines from over .05 motor car drivers, and straying cars which cause accidents, the hospital care-cost crisis might resolve itself naturally.

But, in 1839, before Melbourne had a public hospital, it had the motto of the first sickness benefit society, the Union Benefit Society: "United to Relieve, Not Combined to Injure."

Membership was restricted tomen aged 17 and 37. Women were expected to have a man subscribe for them. Men in safe jobs paid 2 pounds and sixpence on the second Monday of each month; those in dangerous jobs such as gunpowder millers paid three shillings. A surgeon's salary was maintained by society members -one shilling a quarter, in advance. This surgeon would make house calls.

For a woman to be admitted to the Lying-in Hospital (forerunner to the Melbourne Women's Hospital) she had to be approved as worthy by the ladies' committee.

These ladies would go through the tents and hovels where the poor mothers-to-be lived, demanding to see their marriage lines. No husband, no hospital benefit.

But most women were confined at home by a midwife. Around the turn of the century, the local midwife was a Mrs Hakins. (I would like to hear from readers who have had handed down to them, stories of local midwives, local "nurse- women" and of problems of obtaining medical help in pioneering days.)

In 1876, if a stranger to Melbourne struggled ill along to the Melbourne Hospital, he would first be asked: "Where's your ticket?" It was supposed to be a free hospital, but was only free to subscribers, or those recommended by a sub-scriber.

The alone and ailing hospital porter to first find person being told by the his subscriber, wouldn't know where to look for one. Luckier listless ones pub or big store, to ask the management for the use of a subscriber's card.

But, even armed with this, each patient had first to "pass the committee” before being passed on to a doctor. The trials of our jaundiced Job had only just started. His precious card was of little prac-ticality unless someone had also warned him to bring his own empty bottle for medicine.

The doctor might prescribe medicine. The dispensary might make up. the prescription. But the patient could not carry it home without his bottle.

Outside the hospital door, an old Irish woman reaped her own hospital; benefit, selling pre-loved bottles for sixpence.

159 1984-09-04 ByWays DoncasterMirror

Land boom changes face of Doncaster

BYWAYS OF LOCAL HISTORY

4/9/84 by Joan Seppings Webster

"WHEN we remember Doncaster in the early fifties without a road, a fence or a house, just a dense forest, beautifully undulating, but with no running streams and rather poor soil, and compare it now with its comfortable,

commodious, well-kept homes, fine orchards and flower gardens, we feel we must admire and always honor the men and women who by their energy, industry and thrift made this district such a striking example of independent effort."

John Tully was referring to the 1850s when he wrote this in 1934.

Settlers came in 1854 to 1860, when there was a land boom and the Carlton Estate was subdivided into 20-acre blocks. Between six and ten pounds an acre was paid.

In the next land boom in the mid-1880s, blocks were sold at between 200 and 400 pounds an acre and the first building block subdivisions were made on Main Rd. for up to six pounds a foot.

John Tully wrote of the early pioneers: "Their in-itial activity was to carve out a space in the timber on which to erect their humble homes."

"Practically the whole of the district was heavily timbered with stringybark, messmate, appletree, yellow, grey and red box, peppermint, wattle, white gum and a few she-oaks."

"As many as 80 loads of wood a day left the district, drawn by one-, two-, three-horse teams carrying up to three tons...most of which found its way to the Fitzroy wood. market, for fourpence to one shilling and one pence a cwt.

"Kew was then a half- way resting place for man and beast."

"The evenings were enlivened by the rattle of returning drays and the singing voices of the drivers, for they were a happy band, such favorites as "Annie Laurie," "Ben Bolt," "Kathleen Mavourneen," "Little Brown Jug" and "Bonnie Moon" being popular songs of the period.

"Among the noted songsters were Edwin Wilson (Wilsons Rd., Melways Map 47 B2), H. Crouch, F." Smedley and L. Holden."

Now all we hear of returning drivers is the pounding pandeinonium of peak-hour traffic, the car stereo has taken the

place of happy voices and the "beautifully dulating"" contours of the countryside sheathed in bitumen.

Even its spirit, its magnificent view, as precious to Doncaster as the sea to any beachside suburb, is to be screened from the people by high-rise building development.

160 1984-09-18 ByWays DoncasterMirror

Ghostly rider haunts road to homestead

BYWAYS OF LOCAL HISTORY

18/9/84

by JOAN SEPPINGS WEBSTER

ARE there ghosts in Homestead Rd.Templestowe?

Homestead Rd. was the track to the homestead of Templestowe's first settler and extensive landowner, Major Charles Newman.

This was his second homestead, Monkton, built in the 1850s and demolished in 1968, his first being Pontville, built further east by the Mul-lum Mullum Creek on a line with Blackburn Rd.

This was built in the early 1840s and still stands.

Alongside the track to Monkton homestead, now Homestead Rd., the Newman family members were buried in their private cemetry. This practice was common in the early days.

When the land was subdivided into orchard blocks of up to 20 acres each in 1906, authorities ordered the graves to be transferred to the Templestowe cemetry.

But were they?

The story goes that the contractors did not bother to dig up the remains and remove them to the cemetry,

says Mrs Hazel Poulter of Templestowe.

"My father told me that only the tombstones and iron railings were removed from the Newman family cemetry graves."

The bluestone base for the tombstones were still visible on their original site until the 1930s, she says.

Mrs Poulter's family of James and Harriet Morrison bought Monkton in 1908, with 13 acres of land, for a holiday home.

It was said that the ghosts of Major Newman rode a white horse around the property at night.

Maybe the sad ghost of his son, Thomas, walks on moonlight nights, longing for his lost love.

Thomas had been his father's acknowledged heir, affirmed in the major's will of 1860. But then Tom fell in love with Victoria Webb.

Major Newman had an enmity for her father, John Webb. He altered his will to stipulate that if Thomas married Victoria, or any daughter of John Webb, he was to be disinherited and Thomas's sister Mary Anne Newman was to have the property.

Tom Newman defied his father and married Vic-toria. But they had only a few short years of hap- piness together. In 1869, he"

died, leaving a distraught and destitute Victoria, with two little daughters. He was buried in the Monkton family cemetery.

Mary Anne Newman was a compassionate woman. She allowed Victoria and the little girls to live at Monkton.

Newmans Rd., the south-western extension of Monkton Rd., was the southern boundary of some of his 10,000 acres.

161 1984-09-25 ByWays DoncasterMirror

25/9/84

Pioneer records first history

BYWAYS OF LOCAL HISTORY

by JOAN SEPPINGS WEBSTER

JOHN Tully, whose name is on J. J. Tully Drive, which leads to Schramms Reserve and the Doncaster Bowling Club behind the municipal offices (Melways map 33 F12), published the first history of Doncaster.

Mr Tully wrote, in 1934, that the first name given to the district was Vermont, but was changed to Doncaster about 1852 on the suggestion of Wil- liam B. Burnley, who in 1847 bought the land bounded by Doncaster, Elgar and Blackburn Rds. to the Koonung Creek, and had come from Doncaster, England.

When John Tully wrote his history, the boundary of Doncaster started "at the Koonung Creek bridge on Main Rd. (border now with North Balwyn) up High St. to Ayr St., thence north to Manningham Rd., east along that road to Williamsons Rd., north along that road to dividing fence between S. Crouch and Thos. Williamson, east along that fence to Church Rd.,

thence north along that road to dividing fence between P. Cashen and W. Jenkins, north along that fence to Reynolds Rd:, east along that road to Andersons. Creek Rd., thence norther-ly along that road to Deep Creek,

then up that creek to southerly boundary of Allotment 138A, along that boundry to Mitcham Rd., along that road. northerly to dividing fence between F. Thiele and F. Corbett, south along that fence to Corbett's south boundary, thence westerly to Koonung Creek, along that creek westerly to starting point at bridge."

Deep Creek has since been renamed as part of Templestowe and Donvale comes into the eastern boundary.

John Tully snr. was born in Doncaster in 1864, four years after his father Thomas, an Irishman, had built a modest home north east of the junction, Doncaster Williamsons Rds.

As an orchardist and a councillor, he contributed much to the fruit growing industry, and to the social development of his community.

Thomas was among the earliest local growers who saw their economic future in fruit, rather than vines or vegetable berries. His fruit was in the first shipment of refrigerated fruit sent to England, in 1882, along with Tom Pet-ty, Alfred Thiele and Richard Serpell.

In 1914, orchardist selected John Tully to investigate methods of handling fruit at British and European ports and markets... His talks with importers, and report to the growers led to many improvements both to orchardists and overseas' importers.

He was one of the first directors of the Blue Moon Fruit Co-operative Limited, which was formed in 1931 and operated in Railway Rd., Blackburn, until recently.

He was elected as a councillor for the newly formed Shire of Doncaster, old. He was three times in 1890, when only 26 years old. Shire president, and served the council for three terms of varying length until 1922.

He was 70 when he wrote his history of Doncaster.

162 1984-10-02 ByWays DoncasterMirror

2/10/84

Kangaroo tracks guided workers in early industry

BYWAYS OF LOCAL HISTORY

by JOAN SEPPINGS WEBSTER

OUR city's municipal gardens, called grandly the Botanical Gardens were originally to have been named the Ruffey Creek Municipal Gardens, after the creek which runs through them.

But the name of the brothers for whom the creek was christened was not Ruffey. It was Raffey. Mis-spelling by Assistant Surveyor William Wedge in 1837. caused it to be in-correctly marked on maps and the mistake has been perpetuated for 150 years.

The five Raffey brothers had a cattle station between Koonung Creek and the Yarra River, just east of the present Yarra Valley Country Club.

It was one of three such cattle runs in the area They were among the first white persons to make use of the district, but cannot be called settlers, as they simply ran cattle through the bushland.

The brothers had another cattle-grazing run along the Merri Creek at the same time. By 1841, they moved their stock away to Cranbourne. This was the year Unwin bought 5,120 acres between the Koonung Creek and Templestowe, the first man to hold title to the land.

After the cattle came the sawmillers and charcoal burners. Charcoal was at the time the only fuel which would give enough heat for the working of iron, and was much in demand by blacksmiths. Charcoal was obtained from the residue of burnt timber.

In the municipal gardens, on a slope about midway between the north and south boundaries of the park, and just east of Church Rd. (where it used to be called Strip Rd.), was a charcoal burner's site.

A little south of this, where the creek forked east to Church Rd. and south to what is now McCallum Rd., was a ford used by those who needed to travel to or from Melbourne or Kew and Warrandyte. It was then part of the main trunk road. route, called the east-west trunk road.

People such as sawmil-later settlers and miners lers, charcoal-burners and who travelled from Melbourne Town through Hawthorn and passed Kew, crossed the Yarra River on a flat bottomed punt and moved along this east-west trunk road, the first part of which is now known as Doncaster Rd.

At North Balwyn, it forked towards Templestowe. At Williamson's Rd. (then known as Ferguson's Rd.), it again branched off, this and the remnants of this time towards Warrandyte, branch can be seen in the park on the east side of the old ford.

The tracks were glorified by the name ""road."" They were so rough that bullock wagon was the only method of transport. By standing in the park, about 200 yards downstream of Church Rd. a district dip on the land shows where the old bullock wagon track went.

Just west of this, other side of the old ford, is the remains of a quarry.

(Sawmillers are credited with having laid the route for what later became our main roads. But the saw- millers were no surveyors; they only followed kangaroo tracks. Ridge Roads such as Doncaster Rd. were kangaroo tracks.)

Early settlers, whose cultivated land became the park, were the families of Thiele, Crouch, Williamson and Pullen. Crops grown there were first berries, vines, wheat and later fruit peaches, apples, cherries, nectarines, pears, plums, quinces, oranges and lemons. The site of the park was still being used as orchard or pasture in 1974.

When Doncaster-Templestowe Council passed the resolution to create the park in 1966 it was proposed that its design be based on the theme of orchard plantations, with color and blossom in all seasons.

163 1984-08-23 ByWays DoncasterMirror

German people make new life

23/8/84

BYWAYS OF LOCAL HISTORY

by JOAN SEPPINGS WEBSTER

THE brick homestead at 50-52 Serpells Rd. was built in 1886 by Friedrick Schuhkraft, a first generation Australian of German descent.

Fred Schuhkraft was born on his father's orchard, which was at the level of King St., at the northern end of, and to the east of, Victoria St. At that time, Serpells Rd. did not exist.

Schuhkraft senior, Gottfried, had come from Mutenberg and at first lived in what is now Camberwell. There he married Maria Fankhauser, who had migrated from the Austrian Tyrol in 1849 to escape religious persecution. The Austrian Emperor Francis 1 (1792- 1835), and his successor, the feeble-minded Ferdinand, tried to sup-press all political freedom and in 1848 almost every class and nationality un-der rule of that monarchy broke into revolution.

Austrians had the choice of becoming Roman Catholics or leaving the country as exiles. Maria Fankhauser was in a group of 400 who were so banished from their native land.

On marriage, she and Gottfried settled at East Doncaster, on the King St.-Reynolds Rd. property.

When he was 24, Fred Schuhkraft married Mesina, the eldest daughter of Reinhold Denhert, the "pear king." The Denherts lived on an orchard on the south side of what is now George St., about one third of the way between Victoria St. and Blackburn Rd., near where the Waldau Primary school is now, by Denhert St.

By this time, 1885, Serpells Rd. had been cut through from Williamson's Rd., east on an angle, subdividing the land into irregular shaped blocks. Fred Schuhkraft bought one of these and on it began to build his dream home (see previous article). In 1908, he sold up and moved to Croydon.

The house was bought a few years later by the Rasmussen family, who finally completed Fred Schuhkraft's dream.

Niels Rasmussen, a Dane from Karebek near Copenhagen was a farmer turned sailor who reverted again to farming when he disembarked

at Melbourne in 1884 and found farm labouring work in East Doncaster with German families. He carted bricks for Fred Schuhkraft, little knowing then that he was helping to build the home of his unborn son Charles.

When Niels married Emily Jane Hunter of Doncaster Rd., step-daughter of Patrick D'Arcy, they rented an orchard in King St., but were sold up of all their personal possessions by the bailiff when they could not pay the rent.

They tried again near Ruffey's Creek, in Church Rd., with packing cases for chairs and straw for bedding and made good.

By 1903, Niels Rasmussen not only owned his own orchard, but also rented the former Schuhkraft property.

Nearly 20 years later, his son Charles took his bride Alfrieda Aumann, from Warrandyte, to the house on Serpells Rd., enlarged it, and completed it as its original builder had intended.

164 1984-10-30 ByWays DoncasterMirror

30/10/84

Boggy roads to Shire Hall awaiting rail line

BYWAYS OF LOCAL HISTORY

by JOAN SEPPINGS-WEBSTER

ON the site of the Old Shire Hall, in Council St., was planted the first seed of civilisation: in Doncaster.

There, in 1852, what is believed to have been the first building structure in the district, was erected. It was a bark hut, built as a home by Bill Thompson.

On this high ridge track to the Anderson's Creek diggings (Warrandyte), Bill's bark hut was said by a folk-historian of 1916, Thomas Robinson, to have been the only house between Richmond and Bulleen. Bulleen was the name of the whole Parish as far east as Springvale Rd.

When the Shire of Doncaster Hall was built there in 1892, this site was expected to be the centre of a busy railway terminus township.

A railway to Doncaster has been held to the nose of Doncaster development, like a carrot, since 1888.

When plans for the Shire Hall were being considered, the railway was expected to come from Box Hill and end at the top of Doncaster Hill. In 1926, it was expected to come from Kew, and end "opposite the Shire Hall,"

Local government began in our municipality in 1856, with the Temple-stowe Roads Board, which governed Templestowe, Doncaster and Doncaster East until 1875, when the area was declared a shire, and chose the name "Shire of Bulleen." The two ridings of Templestowe and Doncaster were administered from Templestowe.

In 1890, the Doncaster Riding committed an Act of Severance, and in 1892 was proclaimed the Shire of Doncaster. From the moment of severance, there was much discussion and dissension about the location of the new seat of local government, and whether it could be afforded at all, with most roads still muddy bogs.

The management of the newly built Athenaeum Hall boosted its rental for a while by renting a room for council meetings. Richard Serpell, the man in middle of so much of Doncaster's development.

and a landowner of a variety of properties, was also generous and community-minded. He offered choices of blocks of land on which to build a Shire Hall.

The East Doncaster ratepayers, though doubtless pleased at being spared the cost of the land, would rather have had any money spent on making travelling to the hall from their end of the Shire made easier.

Doncaster Rd., east of Church St., was almost impassable in wet weather. Otherwise, build the hall in the east, they said.

But the councillors, with their vision splendid, opted for a site "close to the future railway station." How could they know that for a century, routes of railway proposals would snake will-o-wisp- like across the hills and valleys, never to settle at rest?

The Shire Hall was intended to be an imposing building, with planned additions to its "phase one" which would make the entrance from Don-caster Rd. But the building boom burst, and it was never extended.

From 1915, the whole Shire, first still called the Shire of Doncaster but from 1926 called the Shire of Doncaster and Temple-stowe, was administered from Council St., until the forerunner of the present municipal offices was built in 1957.

The site has another historical twist. In 1860 a wooden Baptist Church was built there, Grant's Chapel, but was moved in 1864, to the south side of Doncaster Rd.

165 1984-11-06 ByWays DoncasterMirror

6/11/84

BYWAYS OF LOCAL HISTORY

by JOAN SEPPINGS-WEBSTER

THE OLD house with elegant bay windows and wide verandas at the corner of Atkinson and Clarke Sts., Templestowe, was designed by the same architect who planned the

Exhibition Buildings, Melbourne Town Hall and Wesley, Scots and Independent churches of Melbourne.

The house is classified by the National Trust, as are nearly a score of other buildings by this architect.

The family for whom Joseph Reed created the house, moved to it from a crowded cottage which had evolved from a red gum and bark hut.

This was the Smith home, built for James and Eliza Smith in 1890. It is constructed of imitation- stone board. There are even "cornerstones" made of thick timber to look realistically staunch.

Its style is described by architectural experts as "elegant, with well proportioned panels placed under windows and on doors and chimneys. Chimney wind-baffles have a motif which repeats that of the elaborate cast iron decorations along the veranda."

The house has six main rooms divided by a centre passage.

The rooms have high ceilings profusely decorated with plaster mouldings. A special feature is a built-in sideboard which has a waterfall painted on it.

James Smith's elder brothers had also living to palatial homes. progressed from primitive

One was well known "Ben Nevis" near the corner of Bulleen and Thompsons Rd.

They had preceeded James and the rest of the family to Australia, having migrated in 1854.

When they saw the opportunities to better themselves, they did what many present-day migrants do, and wrote home urging the family to come.

They wrote glowing reports of the rich grazing land they had found along the Yarra river flats at Templestowe.

James was 18, with younger brothers and sisters. His parents were John and Elizabeth Smith, community minded and capable. They expanded their land holdings, and expanded their family.

Seventy-seven years later, they had at least 450 descendants, who were traced for a family reunion in 1934.

In 1871 James married a daughter of one of Templestowe's earliest pioneers, Thomas and Elizabeth Hicks. James and his Eliza built their hut in Atkinson St, just east of Anderson St. It was strong and simple.

Offcuts from felled and sawn mighty redgums, which had proudly graced the rivers bank, provided the uprights for the walls. Gaps where the uneven split logs did not meet were covered with bark,

nailed firmly in place.

This structure remained as the nucleus of the house and of the family, as both were extended.

Around the walls, the cooking utensils were hung; up the wall were steps to a ceiling store- room. On the floor the growing family played "Concerts".

James Smith started with an orchard but changed to dairying and built up a herd of forty milkers, the chore of Eliza and her two eldest daughters.

It was in 1889, after 18 years of marriage that the man who had come to this new, raw country at 18 years of age, had prospered well enough to build a fashionable home.

166 1984-11-13 ByWays DoncasterMirror

13/11/84

BYWAYS OF LOCAL HISTORY

by JOAN SEPPINGS WEBSTER

The battle for good roads

THERE are two Serpells Rds. in the municipality. One in Doncaster going into Templestowe, and the other in East Don-caster. They are both named for different properties of the same family.

Jane Serpell was the matriarch of the family which bought its first land-in 1853, in the East Doncaster area. Her youngest son, Richard, played a big part in the development of the community, and owned many parcels of land.

Until late in the century, Doncaster Rd. was only reasonably surfaced as far as the Church Rd. corner (travelling east), and East Doncaster people had great trouble travelling to and from Melbourne, or Kew, for market, especially in winter.

But the road from Heidelberg to Melbourne was macamadised and East Doncaster people began to clamor to the Roads' Board for a route to join their end of the world to the Heidelberg Rd. at Templestowe.

Another im-petus to the second route idea may have been that a Toll Gate was across Don-caster Rd.

The suggestion was to extend Serpell's Rd., East. Doncaster, which flanked the southern boundary of Richard Serpell's land as it straddled Blackburn Rd., and take it west to Foote St., which gave access to the bridge at Heidelberg.

But property holders along this western part of the proposed route were. very concerned that their land

would be cut in two, which meant not only working split lane, but the cost of new fencing."

The controversy meandered on for nearly a .decade, and by the time any action was taken, the Roads Board had progressed to the Shire of Bulleen and the school which East Doncaster children attended had been moved from Reynolds Rd. to George St., and most people had forgotten the original purpose of the through road.

In 1884, the shire announced that the proposed Serpells Rd. route was ready to roll, but it had not been

surveyed right through from west to east Doncaster only as far as the level of Tuckers Rd. To provide land for the access road, some orchardists whose land it would traverse had donated land, and others had donated money.

One such donor was John Read, of Templestowe, who had donated land on the ex- press condition that it was for the purpose of joining east and west. When the road stopped short, at a dead end, he was furious and refused to sign the transfer papers of the land.

Then, the shire looked back over the history of the proposed road and agreed that a connecting road would be built, but not as originally planned. It put in Tuckers Rd., south to King St.

167 1984-11-20 ByWays DoncasterMirror

Toll gate charged a cent a horse

20/11/84

BYWAYS OF LOCAL HISTORY

by JOAN SEPPINGS WEBSTER

ON the land-island between Tram and Elgar Rds., where they intersect with Don-caster Rd., is a small patch of park. In this park is a stone memorial cairn, which few are likely to read.

It is a park SO inaccessible because of traffic flow and lack of car parking space that visitors would be unlikely to drive around to the north-east side of Elgar Rd., to Elgar Ct. (Melways map 47 D1) to find the small area where one may stop a car.

It is also unlikely that many would use this park as a destination for walks, there to sit on the three park benches provided and drink in the traffic spectacular, lulled by the hum of motors and refreshed by their fumes.

Nevertheless, the green patch is a restful site to the sore eyes of drivers, as they enter the gateway to our city, and it is the site of historical traffic battles.

A plaque on the stone memorial there tells that this was the site of Doncaster's Toll Gate, put up

in 1865.

The aim was to collect money from every travel-ler, and for every animal with that traveller, to help pay for road construction.

A gate was put across Doncaster Rd. A horse was tolled one cent, a large cart nine cents and a quarter of a cent a goat, sheep or pig.

Then, as now, vehicles travelled in convoy except that the old con- voys were not"

endless. As they lined up at the Toll Gate, the first in line paying and the rest preparing to charge through free, as connived together, could they ever have imagined the intersection of today? They could scarcely imagine the roads being surfaced!

On the opposite corner of the intersection, the north-west corner of Williamsons Rd., about 20 years after the Toll Gate was moved down the hill to the Koonung Creek where it crosses Doncaster Rd., and the road- tax problem shared with the adjoining municipality of Booroondara, a device to help, rather than exploit, horse-traffic was erected.

It stood for more than 50 years, a memorial to kindness to animals, and at the same time memorial to the apathy towards the plight of horse transports before that time.

Before the erection of horse troughs, just how did hot and thirsty horses fare? Especially after pulling a load up slopes such as Doncaster Hill, dragging drays through boggy valleys, or being galloped post-haste to the pub further up the hill by the 19th century equivalent of a P-Plater on the burn?

George Bills and his wife Anice loved animals and donated enormous sums of money to their welfare. Perhaps their best known charity at the time was George Bills Horse Troughs, which he paid to have placed at strategic spots throughout Australia.

Doncaster and Temple-stowe had seven horse troughs, some of which were George Bills' and amongst the first, in the 1890s, was that on the north-west corner of Williamsons Rd.

168 ByWays DoncasterMirror

BYWAYS OF

LOCAL HISTORY

by JOAN SEPPINGS-WEBSTER

The churches converted!

CHURCHES have always made converts. But two of the churches in Doncaster- Templestowe were themselves converted.

The Methodist church building at the corner of Blackburn Rd and Doncaster Rd was converted from a butcher's shop in 1866. St Anne's, Park Orchards, was con-verted from an army hut.

The first religious services were held in the homes of pioneers, and gradually, as more settlers came and money could be pooled for church building, the different de- nominations erected their special places of worship.

Donated

Often there was no need to raise money for church land, as Doncaster-Temples-towe landowners were always generous and community minded, and many of the blocks of land on which stand churches, schools and halls were donated.

Until recently, there was never a large Pre-sbyterian following in the municipality, yet the first church service is believed to have been held by a group of Presbyterians who gathered in a barn on Alexander Duncan's property in Bulleen Rd, Templestowe, in 1842.

Lutheran and Church of England were the two de-nominations Doncaster, and in East Doncaster were the Methodists.

The Lutherans built their first wooden chapelin 1858 on the site where Schramm's Cottage museum now stands.

They shared this with the Church of En-gland until Holy Trin-ity was built in Church St. in 1869.

The brick Lutheran Church in Victoria St. was built in 1892.

The Methodist Church butcher's shop was bought for 50 pounds from its War-randyte owner and carted by bullock wagon along the rough rutted roads, which were little better than tracks, to East Doncas-ter.

This building was used for 63 years as a church, and later as a Sunday School.

St Anne's, Park Orchards, was not only a converted army buil-ding, but also had been the Templestowe Catholic church for 22 years before being moved east.

The little church was built in 1943 by Ted Sheahan of Temples- towe, then a builder for the Catholic Welfare Organisation, as an army chapel at Camp Pell, the wartime name of the army camp in Royal Park.

It was the only specially built wartime chapel con- tracted for the welfare organisation.

It was bought from the Army in 1946 by the Templestowe Roman Catholic parish and was trundled

along to its new site on a truck. When the Temples-towe Catholics built a bigger church in Her-lihy's Rd, the former Army chapel from Atkinson St. was given to the Park Orchards parish.

Church move

A Baptist congrega- tion bult what was known as Grant's Chapel in the 1860s.

It was on or about the site of the old shire hall at the corner of Council St. and Doncaster Rd. in the 1860s.

But it was later converted to a Church of Christ. In 1863 it was moved over the road, probably by Shank's pony, to the site of the present Church of Christ.

(Acknowledgements to Brian Mullens, D&T Historical Society and Mrs Alice Latimer).

169 ByWays DoncasterMirror

THE HOUSE THAT Ben built

ON the south side of Newman's Rd is a rather dilapidated timber homestead cottage.

Its drab brown facade is almost hidden by an overgrown lemon orchard.

The house had a past, and an owner-builder, as colorful as the ancient trees which light up its

hillside, as if to hold a candle to the faded days gone by. The Aumanns have owned the house since 1928 and the gate bears the family name.

Historically, it is known as the Atkins house, built in the 1860s by Ben Atkins. The timber used in its"

construction is believed to be 200-year-old Indian teak from a wrecked ship. Ben Atkins was a battler. To save money to build a home for his mother, he walked to Queensland and back, droving sheep. He was only 12.

Bad luck and bushfire had brought the family to Templestowe in 1851.

That year was Black Thursday, February 6, when Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania were exten-sively burnt. Victoria then was still part of New South Wales, but the fires ravaged about a quarter of the region which was to become the colony of Victoria that year.

Black Thursday

Black Thursday, 1851, the temperature was 47.2 (116.9F).

"Butter melted into oil, bread when just cut turned to rusk. Meat on the table became nearly black,

as if burnt by fire, a few minutes after being out," the Australian Journal of William Strutt tells us.

A hurricane of hot winds carried burning debris far out to sea.

On that day, the ss Henry Edward was sailing off Lawrence Island. Her captain, Mayban, wrote in the log:

"Large flakes of fire flying above the ship." Flying embers set fire to the rigging "so that the sails fell down on the deck."

In this holocaust, Ben, 7, his sister Caroline, 3, and their parents, Samuel and Eliza, were trapped.

Samuel, the hapless younger son of gentry whose birth-sequence caused him to be ineligi-ble for inheritance, had brought his young family to Australia in 1848 and worked as a farm laborer.

First, he worked at Mt Macedon for 35 pounds a year and keep, then moved to near Lilydale at a place called White Flats. But wherever he went, fires raged.

The children were lucky not to have been dry-roasted in the tin trunk in which they sheltered.

Perhaps they were well covered by clothing or a woollen blanket.

In the effort to protect his wife and children, Samuel was badly burnt, and died a few years later. In

between time, the family moved to Templestowe.

On his father's death, young Ben set out on his epic droving feat. He came back with enough money to

help his mother buy land from Major Newman, on which

they built a slab hut and gradually planted an orchard.

As they prospered, Ben built a three-roomed house with a veranda. Made of timber, it had a shingle roof.

Later he enlarged it with three more rooms and put galvanised iron over the shingles.

Times became bad again for the battlers in the 1890s, during the depression. There was no work, no one could buy their fruit.

Ben and his younger brother, Jack, felled trees and exchanged firewood for food, and tried gold mining at Warrandyte and anti- mony mining at Templestowe.

Ben Atkins died in 1928, aged 84, and Caroline a year later. They were remembered as self-made and self-taught.

Ben taught himself to read and write. He was a great story-teller and a good judge of horses, while

Caroline and Jack were amateur artists.

(Acknowledgments for some of these facts from the

Doncaster-Templestowe Historical Society.)

Pages

The Governor-General’s Visit to Doncaster (1920)

Winter Family

Tom & Eliza Petty of Doncaster

Rate Books - Shire of Doncaster - PROV records

Cashan (Cashen) Family

The George Street Reserve - Rieschieck's Reserve

The George Street Reserve

Bloom Family

Milgate Park Estate

Letters from World War I

Doncaster Lutheran Petition re Opening of Cerberus on Sundays

Football Boot-studder

Title to Cnr Webb and Brackenbury Streets, Warrandyte (1937)

Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Doncaster

Templestowe Secondary College

Templestowe College

ByWays of Local History (Doncaster Mirror) and YesterYear (Doncaster News) 1981-1993 - Joan Seppings/Webster

YesterYear - Doncaster News - 240-254

YesterYear - Doncaster News - 210-239

YesterYear - Doncaster News - 190-209

YesterYear - Doncaster News - 176-189

ByWays of Local History - Doncaster Mirror - 170-175

ByWays of Local History - Doncaster Mirror - 150-169