In the first few years following the formation of the Doncaster and Templestowe Historical Society, there were two opinions concerning the origin of the locality name 'Starvation Corner', the area of land beyond the end of Doncaster Road, Donvale, the point of which was occupied for many years by a veterinary surgeon.
Some people believe that an elderly couple had died of starvation; others believed that the land was so poor that anyone would starve if they tried to derive a living from that land.
The truth appears to be that a wood carter named John Trewhitt, aged 49, who had been an omnibus driver, actually did die at or near Starvation Corner, according to Argus newspaper accounts in February 1873.
He was employed by W. J. Rutledge, owner of a large area of in that locality, to cut and deliver wood, but owing to Trewhitt's inexperience, was unable to earn enough money to provide for his wife and five young children. Putting their needs. before his own, John gradually became weak and unable to work, and not making their plight known to their neighbours, he tragically died.
Further details are available on the computer in the Schoolroom at Schramm's Cottage, in Kay Mack's compilation of personal notices.
Source: 2012-09 DTHS Newsletter
Starved to Death
A case of death being caused by absolute starvation, due to inability to earn food for a family by an occupation for which the de-ceased was unfitted, and due also to a reticence, which prevented the assistance of neighbours till it was too late, has occurred at Doncaster. The facts of the case were brought out at an inquest held on Wednesday last by Mr. Candler, district coroner. The deceased was John Trewhitt, aged 49 years, who for about the last two years was employed as an omnibus-driver, and a short time ago went to live at Don-caster, where he was engaged by Mr. Rut-ledge of Collingwood at 25s. a week, his business being to drive a woodcart between Doncaster and Collingwood. The deceased had a family, consisting of a wife and five children, the eldest eight years and a half old, and the youngest two months old, to maintain on this sum, besides himself. The manner of his death and the antecedent circumstances were thus deposed to by his wife at the inquest: "My husband continued to cart in his wood till last Monday, when he was taken weak and giddy, and in trying to lift a log he fell down in a fit. He had another fit afterwards, but he did his day's work. He was discharged from Mr. Rut-ledge's employment that day. He received some of his wages, but he was not paid all that was owing to him. The next day he was in bed all day, and had nothing to eat. We had nothing in the house. My husband could not get his money from his employer. On the Wednesday, this day week, he went out to saw, but was so weak that he could not work. On Tuesday he had some bread and butter and meat given to him. From the Wednesday he gradually got weaker, and though he had food he was unable to keep it on his stomach. During the last week be-fore he died he was not deprived of the necessaries of life. He had them through the kindness and charity of neighbours.
From the time deceased commenced to work until he fell down in a fit he never had enough food for a working man. During the time we were at Doncaster, before the deceased had a fit, I did not tell the neighbours we had not enough food—I did not like to. When they knew we wanted food they supplied us with it. On Sunday my husband became delirious, and he died on Monday, 10th inst." Dr. Ralph, who had made a post-mortem examination, deposed that the stomach of deceased was empty. The greater part of the intestinal canal was empty. There was no fat in the body, not even in the mesentery. There was effusion on the brain, chiefly effusion of serum. The diseased condition of the brain was the result of want of a sufficiency of food, not the result of mal-nutrition. Should say deceased had been four or five days without food before his death. The cause of death was effusion on the brain, chiefly of serum, the result of a starved condition of body. Having read the evidence of the deceased's wife after giving the above evidence, the witness added that "the evidence of Mrs. Trewhitt as to the deceased having had food during the last week does not alter my view as to his having undergone slow starvation previously. Probably the food he had lately was given in too large quantities, or was of an injudicious kind. After the fit he required very careful treatment." The jury found that the deceased John Trewhitt died from effusion on the brain, the result of slow starvation.
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