The year 1919 marked the dawn of the new era and Doncaster and Templestowe set about with renewed vigour to try and build the new world which so many had spoken of during the long years of war. Plans were drawn up for a domestic water supply, sanitation, renewal of the motor bus service to Kew, electric light for Templestowe and several others.
In November, 1919, the local growers, in conjunction with the Kew traders, formed the Box Hill - Kew Motor Bus Company and a motor with hard tyres was purchased at a cost of £800. The service operated about 5 times daily to Box Hill and twice to Kew and ran in opposition to the Sonenberg Service to Box Hill. The Templestowe and East Doncaster (Orchardist) Cool Stores were built during the war years and the latter was enlarged to 155,000 cases capacity in 1920, the largest in Victoria outside Melbourne, and the local press had good reason to comment "that the building is now really of striking size." Before the close of the year still another cool store had been erected at the corner of Springvale and Mitcham Roads, later known as the Denvale Cool Store.
The Doncaster Branch of the R.S.S.A.I.L.A. was officially opened on August 8th, 1919, in the presence of General Brand and Sir Robert Best M.H.R. At Templestowe peace celebrations were held in the newly erected cool store in the presence of Mr. W. H. Everard M.L.A. and the Shire President, Cr. Frank McNamara, and plans were made for the building of a Memorial Hall to fill a long felt want for the residents and also to build a memorial column on a suitable site. On the King's Birthday holiday in 1920 more than 800 people attended sports on the recreation ground when it was announced that the committee had £400 in hand for the projects and that £100 had been reserved for the erection of the tablet. It was decided that the most suitable site for the erection of the column would be at the corner of Anderson and James Streets. It was unveiled by Major General Forsyth C.M.G. on December 18th, 1921, in the presence of Chaplin General Tregear, the Shire President, Cr. Harry Clay, and a large number of spectators. The Memorial Hall was built on the site of the Mechanics Institute and was opened by the then Premier, Sir Harry Lawson, on June 22nd, 1922. Sir Harry, in the course of his remarks, paid a tribute to the magnificent public spirit of the people of Templestowe; he also dealt at considerable length with the problems of decentralization, while Mr. Everard, in a short address, spoke of the 13 Templestowe soldiers who would not come back. The overall cost of the building was about £2,500 and an overdraft of about £800 remained at the time of the opening. Other well known residents noticed at the opening were the Shire President, Cr. Clay, the President of the Hall Committee, Cr. F. McNamara, the Secretary, Mr. R. W. Searby, and the Treasurer, Mr. T. H. Pett[y].
The unveiling of the soldiers' memorial additions to the Atheneum Doncaster took place on Anzac Day, 1921, it being the first year that Anzac Day was commemorated; the ceremony was performed by Brig.-Gen. Elliott. The same year, the old Templestowe Shire Hall was removed from its old site at the corner of High and Parker Streets and transported up to the recreation ground to do further service as a pavilion. Several proposals were made during the war years to sell the structure but each time it brought protests from the Templestowe people.
Though things were obviously rolling along at a good steady tempo locally, there were several reminders that things at the other end of the world were far from happy. In January, 1920, the Doncaster Council, at the earnest solicitations of the local Red Cross Society, decided to donate £20 to the Starving Children of Europe Fund and a special collection at the Doncaster Church of Christ realized £14 for the fund.
A comprehensive report of the first 5 years of the Doncaster Electrical Supply Authority ending the 31st March, 1921, showed that the scheme since its inauguration had made a total profit of £156, the total revenue had been £3,246 and the expenditure £3,060. During the year 1920 electrical supply had been reticulated along Anderson Creek and Blackburn Roads and the East Doncaster scheme had been completed along the Springvale Road. Plans had been drawn up for the reticulation of Templestowe at a cost of £4,000; after some difficulty with guarantors the work was finally got under way and was completed early in 1922. In 1921, the Council decided to employ a full time electrician and the position was advertised at a salary of £208 a year. There were more than 30 applicants, the successful one being that of William Hummerston, a returned Anzac of North Williamstown and holder of the French "Medaille Militaire"; he however resigned owing to the fact that he was unable to comply with the Council's requirements re residential qualifications in March, 1922, and Mr. J. H. Day was appointed on the same salary with the right of private practice.
After some years' agitation, the Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works undertook to supply Doncaster with water in 1921. The scheme embraced the laying of 9-inch pipes from the O'Shannassy Main at Mitcham to the White Horse Road and 6-inch pipes from there to Doncaster; the 2-inch pipe then running from the Surrey Hills Reservoir was to remain to provide for the needs of the extreme west end of the town. The total distance of piping was 5 miles 43 chains, and of the overall cost of £10,820. Doncaster's share was £9,010. Work on the scheme commenced about the middle of 1922, the water being first flushed through the pipes the following November and the connections to the houses taking place during December and January.
The news of the passing of two of the first line pioneers in the persons of Thomas Petty and Richard Clay in 1923 was received in the town with great regret. Mr. Tom Petty who died on the 22nd January, 1923, aged 77, was known as the father of the fruit industry at Doncaster, he came from England with his mother, Mrs. Jane Petty, at the age of 9 in 1855. He had unbounded faith in the industry and, when others said there was too much fruit grown, he planted more and urged others to plant also. His confidence and energy proved a great factor in making Doncaster one of the leading fruit growing centres of Australia. Besides his valued service to the old Bulleen Shire, he was one of the original trustees of the Atheneum, a position which he held until his death, besides countless other activities. He came from England as a Band of Hope boy and consistently kept the pledge throughout his life.
Richard Clay, who passed away on February 22nd, 1923, at the age of 81 was also an early pioneer of Doncaster. He came from England with his parents about 1851 and to Doncaster about 2 years later, the family residing near Mr. Cameron's garage for many years. Richard Clay was of a modest and retiring personality and was known for his kindly disposition; he took a keen interest in local affairs, though with the exception of a term with the old Templestowe Roads Board, he never aspired to public life. He received rather a severe blow in 1917 when his youngest son, Sergeant Harold Clay, was killed in France and his wife died almost the same week.
The opening of the Tullamore Golf Links by the Prime Minister, Mr. S. M. Bruce, on June 14th, 1924, was a great occasion for Doncaster - Tullamore said the sporting critics would prove second to none in the Metropolitan Area. Between 200 and 300 people were present and heard the Prime Minister deplore the shortage of golf links both at Sydney and Melbourne. "3 years ago" he said, "I would not be seen playing such an old woman's game, now I am quite indifferent to anything else, in fact, I have come to the conclusion that I sit in Parliament in order to fill in the intervals between the weekends." The Links were established by the old Box Hill Golf Club which became the Eastern Golf Club. The public golf links which stood opposite Tullamore for many years were opened about 7 years later and were also established by Box Hill interests and had the Mayor of Box Hill, Cr. J. K. Archer, as first President.
The cutting up of the Park Orchards Estate by Messrs. Sharp and Taylor in May, 1926, was a very original and interesting speculation. The country was originally taken up by Mr. Tom Petty who planted a valuable orchard and later sold it to Messrs. Gibb, Sell & Bright & Company. In 1926 the property was sub-divided to take the form of an exclusive club, the plan being that members should be granted the freehold of their respective lots on the condition that gates were to be erected across the entrance of each street in order that they should not be accessible to the general public. It was proposed to lay down a cricket pitch, bowling green, tennis courts, golf links etc. for the use of the members. The idea was a novel one but did not prove a great success, only about 3 blocks were sold in the first 18 months and we find the proprietors requesting the Council to take over certain streets in the estate after only a couple of years. In the early 1930s Park Road was put through to the Warrandyte - Ringwood Road which was largely due to the efforts of Mr. Julius Grant who had agitated for the improvement for more than 10 years.
Another interesting estate to be cut up about the same time as Park Orchards was Barringa Park, adjoining Oban Road. The estate was developed from virgin country by Mr. W. S. Williams Jnr. who took it up in 1903 and, within a few years, had one of the finest orchards in the district.
Quite a number of motor bus operators started in the early 1920s and faded out almost as quickly, one of the more established ones was Withers and Son who commenced the first Pioneer Coach to Doncaster and Warrandyte in October, 1925, when a correspondent in the "Reporter" commented :- "Withers Pioneer bus is being well patronized, its regularity, speed, low fares, and the courtesy of its driver, are all being favourably commented on." But like the others it had a struggle at the beginning and it was not until 1926 that the service was placed on a proper footing. The competition among the early operators was almost unbelievably fierce, as many as 4 and sometimes 5 different services were operating through the district at the one time.
Victor Sonenberg operated horses to Box Hill until 1922, when the service was taken over by A. Wagner and was motorized, it was later taken over by G. Larsen and still later by Andersen. It ceased when the mail contract was transferred to the opposition. Probably the first operator to run direct to the city was J. Van Lawick, who commenced the Van Lawick Motor Service between Doncaster and City in June, 1924, when it was stated that his fares were very reasonable and there would be no need to change at Victoria Bridge; however the service did not last long and quite a number of operators commenced running during 1926 and 1927. In 1926 the Country Roads Board stepped in and licenced W. Hussey to operate between Warrandyte and Ringwood, and A. Camfield and Picketts Yellow Coaches to operate between Warrandyte and the City. Cr. Smith opposed the granting of two licences, stating that more than one licence was not warranted; "at present" he said, "there are 4 buses on the route and cars are frequently brought into the service to pick up passengers and transfer them to buses further along." The view, however, was not shared by Cr. Angela Booth, who stated that at present 5 buses were leaving Warrandyte daily which was a boon to the residents, "if the service was restricted to one company the present attractive fares would probably be doubled" she said.
Even with the reduction in the number of operators the service continued to be unsatisfactory for some years and it was nothing uncommon for buses to run up to ¾ of an hour behind the time table. In 1931 the Pioneer Service was taken over by Messrs. Hudson and Mackin and a proposal was made to increase the fares. The Shire President, Cr. C. R. Hemsworth, said he took a serious view of the increases, "the young people of Warrandyte often had to travel all the way to the city to earn 15/- a week and they couldn't afford to pay 7/6 a week for fares" he said. The same year, Mr. Bickerton, a former pilot in the Royal Flying Corps and one of the pioneer drivers with the Box Hill - Kew Company 12 years before, commenced a light car service between the City, Doncaster and Warrandyte, but he was refused a licence to operate larger buses. Another service worthy of mention was the All-Red Carrying Service, which commenced a trucking service through the district in 1923 and became widely known. Transport was always a source of worry to the residents and many complaints were made about the operators, particularly in regard to speeding due to their efforts to be in first for the passengers.
In 1926 the Shire Engineer reported that only two beams of the bridge over Koonung Creek on Tram Road were sound and that the structure could be expected to collapse at any moment. "The Box Hill Council" he said, "have threatened to close their section of the road unless the Doncaster Council agrees to proceed with the repairs at once." "It is all very well for Box Hill to talk" said one Councillor, "but we just haven't the money to pay our share of the work." In a deputation to the Minister for Public Works, Mr. Goudie, Mr. Everard stated that the Doncaster Council had only been to the Government for money once in the past ten years and he thought the project was a very deserving one. The Minister commented that some of the Councils were in the habit of coming to him for money every year and he would keep this in mind when the time came for preparing the grants; nothing however was forthcoming and a small structure was erected between the two Councils, the following year.
Proposals for water reticulation of Templestowe were postponed from year to year and it was not until 1929 that the M.M.B.W. finally agreed. Early in 1930 water was laid on the following streets at a cost of £14,000:- Church, Anderson, Foote, Parker, Milne, James, McLaughlin, Union, Streets and Main, Newman's, Serpell, Blackburn, Williamson and Anderson Creek Roads.
The year 1930 is chiefly remembered for the wide interest taken in the prohibition poll, and local feeling ran very high. During the local option polls of 1921 there had actually been disturbances at Box Hill and Nunawading when the districts went dry. Largely attended meetings at Doncaster and Templestowe were addressed by Mrs. L. Gowie and the Rev. H. Warrald. On the Saturday before the poll, (March 22nd) a very fine procession of motor trucks came through the district laden with young people and decorated with banners urging the people to vote "Yes" for the sake of the children, the home, national life etc. The outcome of the vote was that Doncaster and Templestowe voted "Yes" --- 267 to 168 and 158 to 121 respectively, and East Doncaster and Warrandyte voted "No" 192 to 153 and 158 to 85 respectively. The overall Victorian vote was "No" 510,935, "Yes" 388,925.
During the late 1920s the electric supply department suffered hard times, in 1927 the State Electricity Commission wrote drawing attention to the bad state of the poles carrying the high tension wires from Doncaster to Templestowe, commenting that there was evidence of lack of maintenance and serious deterioration in equipment, extensive repairs, they said, should be carried out immediately. Commenting on the letter, the President, Cr. Cashen, said the finances of the electric supply authority were most unsatisfactory, the loss to the Shire the previous year was more than £100 and the repairs to High Street alone were estimated at £106. Cr. Hillhouse opposed any increases in rates and decided to leave the matter over pending a possible meeting of ratepayers. The following year the Secretary reported still another loss of £500 on the undertaking and Cr. Hillhouse said that steps would have to be taken either to reduce the expenditure or else increase the rates. Cr. Tully said that, while he agreed that the scheme was in a bad way, the loss of £500 was hardly a reliable guide; £713 had been paid off the debt and in his way of thinking the undertaking had showed a profit of more than £200. In October, 1929, the authority suffered a serious loss when the Shire garage was broken into and their T Model Ford Truck stolen. Fortunately the motor declined to negotiate the North Balwyn Hill and the truck was found abandoned in the scrub near Koonung Creek. £60 worth of equipment, however, was not recovered.
Evidence that the depression was beginning to set in in earnest was shown when Mr. J. Shorthouse resigned as electrical engineer in October, 1930, and there were 82 applicants for the vacant position, no fewer than 62 held A. Grade licences and 7 were selected for an interview. Mr. Archibald Elliot, formerly Electrical Engineer to the Heathcote Electrical Supply Authority was the successful applicant. He succeeded in bringing about a number of improvements to the scheme and held the position until his death in 1943, the position then being carried on efficiently by his son, Mr. Ray Elliot.
The enterprise shown by the Council in obtaining water and electric light was carried a step further in January, 1929, when the Shire joined the Lilydale Health Group. Under this plan the Shire shared the services of a health inspector with 4 neighbouring Councils for a contribution of £85 per year, the scheme did not prove a success, however, and the Shire withdrew from the group in April the following year and Mr. Davis, who formerly acted as Assistant Secretary, was appointed as the Shire's first full time health inspector.
The sealing or bitumening of the roads was first introduced into the Shire in 1929 in an effort to reduce the heavy repairs necessary for metalling. A 12-ton Aveling and Porter Steam Roller was purchased for the purpose and, within two years, both the Doncaster and Templestowe Roads had been sealed to beyond Blackburn Road and a start had been made on some of the cross roads. Figures supplied by the Secretary, Mr. C. G. Williams, showed that expenditure on roads and bridges in the past five years since 1926 were :- Doncaster Riding £16,503, Templestowe £9,369 and Warrandyte £6,526.
In October, 1930, Mr. A. E. White purchased the corner store which has since borne his name. The well known landmark which was once the terminal of the first electric tram in the Southern Hemisphere has been known under a number of different titles. In the 1860s it was known as Tully's Corner, Mr. Thomas Tully living adjacent to it; it was then known as Lauer's Corner after Mr. Lauer who conducted a shop opposite and, still later, was known as Beer's Corner. The present corner shop was built by Mr. Richard Serpell in 1890.
The Government's decision not to proceed with the building of the Kew - Doncaster Railway in November came as considerable disappointment to the local residents, as it had been recommended by the Railway Standing Committee and was regarded as a virtual certainty; a number of residents who engaged in land speculation in anticipation of a rise in prices were lobbed with the properties in the midst of a severe financial depression, however, in spite of the dullness of the times, progress was continued to be made. A new police station was erected at Doncaster during 1930, the East Doncaster Hall was opened June, 1932 by Mr. W. H. Everard on land generously donated by Mr. August Zerbe; another site was also offered to the committee by Mr. Buck in Blackburn Road, but was considered to be too far from town.
The effects of the depression on the district appear to have grown gradually worse for we find in November, 1930, a correspondent in the press lamenting that there were 9 registered unemployed in Doncaster compared to only three a few weeks before; by 1932, however, the number of unemployed averaged more [?]0 but was still less than that of Warrandyte where the total often exceeded 50. Growers also were experiencing difficult times; peaches and pears seldom averaged more than 5/- a case and sometimes the market dropped to as low as 1/- a case. During the hard times of the early thirties the Doncaster churches made several praiseworthy efforts to assist Melbourne charities, just as they had done in the great depression of 40 years before. The Triangle Club on one occasion provided a Christmas Dinner for more than 200 underprivileged children of Collingwood.
In August, 1933, local growers expressed opposition to a proposal by the Centenary Council to build a Boulevard along the Yarra from Heidelberg to Warrandyte. Speaking at a deputation of protest to the Doncaster Council Mr. Harry Clay said the road was needed neither for commerce nor pleasure. "Warrandyte" he said, "was well served with two first class commercial roads and four tourists' roads". Cr. Hillhouse expressed the opinion that considerable harm would be done to the orchardists along the route by having a winding road put through their properties; if the Centenary Council were determined to build the road he thought it would be better for it to run along the north bank.
Good Friday, 1937, a day of hot and strong north winds, proved a disastrous day for Doncaster; about 5 o'clock in the morning a fire started in the engine room at the Orchardists' Cool Stores in East Doncaster and soon the whole building filled with more than 50,000 cases of fruit was ablaze. Hearing the loud explosions, a crowd soon gathered while firemen hurried from Box Hill and Kew and succeeded in preventing the flames from spreading to an adjoining chamber. A temporary engine was installed to provide cool air for the adjoining chamber within 48 hours and, within a few months, the directors had the store completely rebuilt - nevertheless the loss to the growers and shareholders was very considerable.
On April 18th, 1937, a large assemblage witnessed Archbishop Mannix lay the foundation stone for White Friars Carmilite Novitate at Park Road, Donvale. In his address, Dr. Mannix paid a tribute to the long history of the Carmilite Fathers and their mission work in the South Sea Islands. The total area of the Monastery Grounds was 116 acres and the estimated overall cost was £23,512. Distinguished personages who attended the opening included :- Mr. Keirnan M.L.C., Mr. W. H. Everard M.L.A., the Mayor of Port Melbourne - Cr. Woodriff; the Doncaster Shire President - Cr. Hillhouse, and the Secretary, Mr. C. G. Williams.
Five days after the opening of White Friars there was another distinguished event for Doncaster - this time it was 100th birthday celebrations of Mr. H. Denhert who had resided in the town continuously since 1860 and was regarded as the last of the first line pioneers. Many of the older residents of Doncaster and Templestowe called to see him that day including Mr. Thiele, aged 93. A two-tier cake with 100 candles made by his daughter, Mrs. Fitzgerald, added charm to the occasion. Mr. Denhert, who died on the 13th January, 1940, was born at Breslau, Saxony, on the 23rd April, 1837, and came to Australia at the age of 17; he resided first at Abbotsford and later engaged in transport to the goldfields. On taking up his property in George Street, East Doncaster, it was heavily timbered virgin country, but he gradually cleared it and soon had 22 acres of grapes under cultivation, the largest vineyard in the district. Some years later he switched to pears and was equally successful with them, earning the title of the Pear King.
On January 13th, 1939, disastrous bushfires raged over a large portion of the Shire and caused the loss of two lives:- Mr. Fred Topping of Warrandyte and Mr. Ernest Schafter of East Doncaster who collapsed while fighting the outbreak and died in St. Vincent's Hospital. Only the previous week the Shire President, Cr. J. J. Tully, had opened a bushfire relief appeal in the Shire. Little did he think, commented the local press "that there would be such a dire need for it within the boundaries of his own municipality".
September of the unhappy year witnessed the outbreak of hostilities and within three weeks a meeting was convened by the Shire President, Cr. Edward Miles, for the State Emergency Precaution to appoint district and area wardens and the Red Cross Company, comprising of Dr. P. G. Commons, Mesdames J. Jutson, J. Sell, E. Nelson and F. Smedley and Misses M. Sell and V. Spratt. The first farewell to soldiers took place at the Atheneum in January, 1940, when presentations were made to R. Zerbe, C. Crouch, L. Davidson, R. and H. Hyman and A. Simpson, while at Templestowe more than 250 people gathered at the Memorial Hall a few weeks later to bid farewell to D. H. Roe, P. Chivers, E. Armstrong, L. Hodgson, E. Finn, G. East, J. Johnston, A. Smith and P. Davidson.
Mr. Edgar, a qualified instructor of the National Emergency Service, stressed the need for a greater state of preparedness in an address at the Atheneum in April, 1940. He said the international situation, particularly the recent events in the Far East, had rendered it mandatory that the Australian people should prepare for any emergency. "We are well acquainted with the slogan 'help us to help you'" he said, "but the people must realise that the subject underlying these precautions is really 'help us to help ourselves'". The gravity of the position is not fully realised by many people, or else they would be only too willing to prepare themselves for the time when it will be important that each should play his or her part for the general good" said Mr. Edgar.
Despite the gravity of the international situation and the many calls made on the people for patriotic causes, it is pleasing to note, however, that the deserving causes at home were not forgotten. The Shire continued to play an important roll in raising funds for the building of the Box Hill and District Hospital right through the war years. The East Doncaster State School, which has maintained a cot at the Childrens' Hospital since before the year 1920, is by far the oldest of any cot maintained by a school at the institution. The following letter received by the H.T., Mr. F. Jutson, in May, 1942, is typical of many letters of appreciation received by the school :-
"Sir,
I have received from the Lord Mayor's Fund a cheque for £50 representing a donation from the pupils of the East Doncaster School for the maintenance of a cot in their name at the institution. I again convey to the Head Teacher and Scholars the deep and sincere appreciation of my committee and myself of the really splendid support you continue to render us.
It is remarkable to us that, whilst the children are helping in so many ways towards the patriotic funds etc., you are still able to render us the assistance as being the case for so long past. This is indeed evidence of the interest you all take in anything appertaining to the welfare of the sick and crippled children, and you have my assurance that your donations are of great help to us in our effort on their behalf. Were it not for the kind help of such good friends as yourselves, we could not carry on to the same extent the work we are doing to restore our patients to normal health; and I can only say that we are deeply grateful for your wonderful generosity."
Signed...J. N. Bennett, Secretary.
The war years are probably remembered more than anything else for the passing of several early pioneers whose names are inseparably linked with the public life of the Shire. These include Frank McNamara, the genial Templestowe Councillor who died at his residence in Wandella Avenue, Kew, on the 21st June, 1940; John Tully who passed away in June, 1941 was one of the finest public spirited men that Doncaster has produced; he was a Councillor of the Doncaster Shire during 1890-91 and from 1903 to 1922. A pioneer of the fruit growing industry, he was closely associated with Tom Petty during the great expansion of the fruit growing from 1900 to 1914, he was a lifelong communicant with the Church of Christ and had the honour of being Victorian President of that church in 1918; he was also an active member and player of the Doncaster Heights Cricket Club for more than 60 years. In 1940 he published his interesting history of Doncaster which merited wide appreciation; the Box Hill Reporter commented at the time of his death, that this one action alone "entitled him to the gratitude of the community".
Other notable pioneers who passed on about this time were :- Mark Holden who died on January 9th, 1942, aged 84. A. F. Thiele died the following November aged 86, and Mr. W. E. Goodson, head teacher of the Doncaster State School for more than 20 years, died on July 21st, 1944, aged 80. Mrs. Caroline Aumann died in her 100th year on February 20th, 1945, and Mr. Edward Miles, the Templestowe Councillor, died on the 31st March, 1945, aged 75.
The East Doncaster Cool Store which was largely destroyed by fire on Good Friday 194[?], was by a remarkable coincidence severely damaged by fire on Good Friday, 1948; again the inconvenience was minimised by the prompt action of the directors and a large quantity of fruit was saved.
Other important events in recent years were the opening of the Doncaster Bowling Green in 1952 by Sir William Angliss, and the Schramm Reserve in 1958 which today ranks as one of the prettiest recreation grounds in the Metropolitan Area.
The new Municipal Offices were officially opened by the Shire President, Cr. W. R. Oliver, in September, 1958, at a total cost exceeding £35,000. A noticeable feature of the Council is the frequent changes that have taken place at the Council Table in recent years. The father of the Council is Cr. A. E. Ireland, who first took his seat in August, 1922, and was M.L.A. for Mernda from 1947 to 1952. Other Councillors who have represented the Doncaster Riding in recent years are William R. Garrett M.L.C. who was first elected in 1954-55, Cr. M. J. McKenzie first elected in place of Cr. Horsfall in 1952, and held the seat until he retired in 1958. Cr. W. A. Smith retired in 1954 after 24 years continuous service to the Shire, Cr. R. G. Hillhouse retired in August, 1956, after 34 years continuous service - a record for the Shire. Other Councillors who served Templestowe well were Crs. J. D. Fetherstone, E. L. Newbigin, S. S. Swilk and R. S. Andrews.
The Warrandyte Riding has also seen considerable changes. In August, 1953, Cr. J. V. Colman, the last of the original Warrandyte Riding Councillors elected in 1926, retired and his place was taken by Cr. W. F. Botton, a member of an early English tobacco family; Cr. Botton has worked hard for the cause of Warrandyte in the seven years that he has been in the Council. In 1955 Cr. H. G. Adams, who had represented Warrandyte continuously since 1933, was defeated by Cr. W. B. Kennedy in a close count. Other Councillors who represented Warrandyte were J. B. Hutchinson, Lindsay H. Gown, Edmund U. Domeyer, A. P. Withers and W. K. Wilson.
The end of the Second World War saw the Shire in an entirely different situation to that of the close of the First World War. Transport had improved out of sight, buses were operating throughout the Shire until as late as 11 o'clock in the evening. Electricity had been reticulated practically throughout the Shire and water had been reticulated over a good part of it - in short the residents were enjoying every comfort and convenience of town life.
The outward growth of Melbourne, which had been temporarily checked by the war, soon commenced again in earnest, and it was not long before growers realized that it would not be an economical proposition to continue with the beautiful orchard properties that their forbears had worked so hard to develop, the great natural beauty of the estates, which necessitated their inclusion in the Green Belt - plus the reticence of the owners to give up the way of life in which they have been reared - has, to a certain extent, retarded the development in comparison to the neighbouring Shires around Melbourne, though the population had increased almost four-fold in ten years from 4,300 in 1950 to 15,000 in 1960.
Changes in the past 20 years have been almost too numerous to mention, the era is far from completed and it is difficult to foretell what the outcome will be. Organizations are fighting for the retention of the Green Belt and the preservation of the Yarra Valley as a National Park, but whether they are successful will probably depend largely on the foresight and co-operation of the local residents.
Source: We believe from handwritten notes in records that the following text is an unpublished manuscript in 2 volumes (Ch1-11 and Ch12-21) written by Louis Radnor Cranfield (1927- 14 Oct 1992) F.R.HIST.S. (Fellow of the Royal Historical Society). Find a Grave Record. National Library of Australia Record.
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