The years 1890 - 1893 are chiefly associated with the crash of the land boom, and are looked upon as a period of financial distress and hardship, but, strange to say, this period must be looked on as one of the most progressive and important in Warrandyte's history. It was during this time that the Anderson's Creek (now the Grand) Hotel was built, big improvements were made to the Warrandyte Hotel, and for the first time the town possessed a public hall worthy of the name.
The old Mechanics Institute, which the older residents will remember stood on the site now occupied by the Baby Health Centre, was built in the year 1890 through the generosity of some public spirited citizens who accepted bank guarantees to the extent of some hundreds of pounds.
The building of a fine new hotel at Warrandyte that would equal anything outside the City of Melbourne was first mooted in the halcyon days of the latter 80s, but it was not until the year 1892 that any practical efforts were made to bring it to pass. Writing in the Evelyn Observer of January 25th that year, the Anderson's Creek correspondent stated: "The new hotel to be erected on the site of the old Anderson's Creek Hotel, for so many years conducted by Mr. Grant and now being carried on by Mrs. Hayes will start immediately." The name of the hotel was changed to the Grand, soon after the town was renamed in 1906. About the year 1894 the Warrandyte Hotel was considerably enlarged and improved by Mr. Frank Trezise and Warrandyte could boast of having the two finest hotels outside the metropolis.
A criminal law case of some interest which reflected on the application of justice in those days was heard at the Anderson's Creek Court of Petty Sessions in April, 1892. It appeared that a young German seaman by the name of Fitzwacken stayed overnight at the Warrandyte Hotel and, the following morning, Mr. William Brown noticed that several articles of wearing apparel, including a gold watch and chain, a felt hat etc., were missing. Fitzwacken was seen leaving the town wearing the hat and Constable Williamson and several volunteers gave chase; they caught up with him at Deep Creek, but Fitzwacken noticed them coming and took to the bush. Constable Williamson's horse refused to take the fence and threw him rather heavily, but he and Mr. Kent continued on foot and succeeded in capturing the culprit.
On seeing the horse return riderless to the town, there was quite some alarm, and a large party of men set out for the scene, but Fitzwacken had submitted quietly and was lodged in the lock-up. At the trial a Mr. Emerson pleaded that Fitzwacken should be allowed to return to his ship, as he had come from a good German family and if he missed the ship he might never be able to return to his home again. He personally offered substantial bail to see that he left the country. Captain Selby, J.P., said that, though it was a painful duty for honorary justices to pass a sentence of imprisonment, he felt they would have to do their duty and Fitzwacken was sentenced to 6 months' jail; Mr. Emerson protested that he would appeal, but it appears to have been the last that was heard of the case.
On November 25th, 1892, a public meeting was called at Warrandyte to consider a statement from the Commercial Bank to the effect that they were not satisfied with the progress that had been made liquidating the hall overdraft, speakers stated that they were of the opinion that the bank's action was harsh in the extreme, but decided to form a committee comprising of Messrs. P. Whelan, J. Blair, W. Oldham, Hartrick, F. and H. Squires to canvass the town for subscriptions so as to relieve the guarantors of their heavy financial liability.
The year 1893 is chiefly remembered for the Chatty Incident (noted elsewhere) but there was another incident that year which the old timers often used to speak of. It appears that, one day in July, our local "mine host" and mining speculator John Sloan were walking through some old mine workings when he suddenly encountered a large brown snake, some five feet in length. He attempted to kill it, but the reptile faced him and would have bitten him had he not ran through the drive, intending to go up the ladder to the surface; but in his hurry to get away he knocked against his partner, Mr. W. Brown, and they both fell into the well - a distance of 8 feet - with at least five feet of water. The snake, which was either trying to get away or else following them, also fell into the well, where all three swam around together until their cries were heard and ropes were lowered to pull the two excited miners out of reach of their disagreeable companion. The snake was eventually killed.
Anderson's Creek was known to some by the sobriquet of "Sleepy Hollow" but it probably became a township of some importance to the outside world on May 11th, 1894, the occasion being a ministerial visit from Mr. McColl, Minister for Mines, who was accompanied by Mr. Alfred Hewitt, Secretary for Mines, as part of their program to promote gold mining in Victoria. A considerable time was spent in inspecting the mine workings in the district, but the highlights of the day was a magnificent banquet at the Grand Hotel, when the Eltham and Templestowe Councillors turned up in force and Cr. Hunter, President of the latter made a long speech from the verandah of the newly erected hotel.
The year 1898 must rank as an important year in the history of Warrandyte as it marked the first attempt by the townspeople to obtain telephone communications with the outside world. The one factor which had told against the development of the town was its isolation. A telegraph wire that had been laid to Kangaroo Grounds in the year 1884 had been of some assistance in cases of emergency, though it was not a financial proposition to lay one to Warrandyte.
The telephone lines were spreading rapidly throughout the colony in the 1890s and at last it had dawned on the locals that they were also entitled to its wonderful benefits, the first mention of the possibility of obtaining the wire was in the Evelyn Observer of April 22nd, 1898, and stated :- "The residents of Warrandyte are desirous of obtaining telephone communications with Melbourne, either by extending the line from Heidelberg or Kangaroo Grounds, and on Wednesday last, Mr. Cameron M.P. introduced a deputation to Mr. Duffy, Post Master-General, with the view of obtaining this boon. The Post-Master General promised to send an officer who would report to him first, as to the cost of running the wire on the ordinary poles secondly, as to the cost of running it on growing trees, and thirdly, as to the probable revenue to be gained. Subsequently the request will be decided."
A few weeks later the Anderson's Creek correspondent of the journal wrote:- "There is now some chance that the telephone communications connected by the way of Kangaroo Grounds will be an accomplished fact. The money, I believe, has been promised and the guarantees obtained."
The unfortunate burning down of J. A. Burns' Post Office Store at Kangaroo Grounds on Christmas Eve, 1898, hindered the project for some time but it was an established fact by the year 1900.
Warrandyte was still very much of a frontier township even in the year 1900; an interesting account of this is given in the diary of Thomas Hawkes, resident of Growlers Hill for more than 80 years, in an account of the loss of his young son by snake bite:-
"I may mention that the markets were very poor in those days after the break of the land boom, small wages and not much money in circulation, but I managed to get along, my family growing up helped me a great deal. On one summer morning in the year 1900, my eldest son (18 years old) had gone to the market with a load of firewood and brought back some loading for a neighbour up the river. I met him at the bridge at Warrandyte and delivered the load for him. I was coming back to the bridge when I saw my mate, Charlie Rose, galloping across in my spring cart with my small son "Chappie". I got out of the dray and tried to stop him, but he would not and my neighbours in the township told me my son had been bitten by a snake and he was going to Templestowe to meet the doctor, who was coming half way to Finn's Hotel. The doctor did all he could and sent him home hoping that he would be alright; I kept him out on the road all night but in the morning I could see he was dying and called his mother who clasped the child in her arms."
The 1890s were not allowed to pass without taking the toll of the old residents, among whom was William Collins who passed on in the year 1891. A resident of Warrandyte continuously since 1857, Collins lived in a picturesque cottage on the site of the recreation ground kiosk. As Warrandyte representative on the Board of Advice, a landscape gardener and taxidermist and captain of the local cricket club for 34 years he was held in the highest public esteem. The death of William Hutchinson J.P. on the 5th July, 1896, removed another colourful personality. Born at Cairncastle, County Antrim, Ireland in 1838, Hutchinson spent some time with the Irish Constabulary and came to Australia in 1859; he declined an invitation to join the Victorian Police Force and purchased his pound bend property about 1870. He married a daughter of Mr. C. F. Blair in 1873. During his long residence at Warrandyte, he showed that he was very public spirited, serving the district both as a Councillor and honorary magistrate. His funeral was the largest seen in Warrandyte at that time.
Another distinguished personage who died about this time was Andrew Ross, a nephew of the arctic explorer Sir John Ross. Ross was not exactly a resident of Warrandyte, as he resided practically all his life at Kangaroo Grounds but his public activities were felt over a large area of the Upper Yarra. Born in Scotland in 1814, he migrated to Sydney in the early 40s and was the first man to advocate steam shipping communications between Australia and England. He later came to Melbourne and was the first teacher at the Scotch School (now known as Scotch College). In 1855 he opened a boarding school at Kangaroo Grounds with about 12 students, among other things he worked a small piece of land for the purpose of instructing scholars in farming methods and was known to bring out instructors from Melbourne for this purpose. Strange to say his experiment proved that the district was suitable for growing sugar-cane. In 1862 he presented a weather diary which he had kept during his early years in Australia to the Meteorological Society in London and was personally thanked by the society for his valuable collection. After a residence of more than forty years at Kangaroo Grounds he returned to England where he died in 1896.
Still another distinguished resident to die about this time was Mr. C. F. Blair; he came to Anderson's Creek in the year 1865, after being in the employ of the Ordinance Department of the East India Company at Fort George, India for 21 years. He died on December 5th, 1900; his sister, Miss Caroline Blair, opened the private school in the Court House at Warrandyte in 1859.
The turn of the century is noted for the call to arms for the Boer War and Warrandyte - in common with other country towns in Victoria - figured in the various patriotic activities. Father O'Callagan, in a sermon in the Mechanics Institute, drew attention to the number of Irish Generals who were serving at the front, while the citizens were busy forming a local rifle club and a 800-yard range was established at the rear of the State School. Some difficulty was experienced in enrolling the 40 members necessary for the Government grant of £10 towards the erection of the butts, but, with the aid of some members from Kangaroo Grounds, this was finally achieved and the range officially opened by Mr. Cameron on September 28th, 1900, the honourable member scoring a bull's eye at 200 yards off his first shot. The three Warrandyte residents who saw service at the Boer War were Messrs. E. W. Swanston, J. B. and Vernon Thomas.
The year 1900 also marked the dawn of the "federation" and the first payment of the old age and invalid pensions were made the following year when the Warrandyte recipients had a good reason to complain, as they had to walk all the way to Kangaroo Grounds to collect their pensions which then only ranged from 5/- to 7/6 per week.
It is interesting to note that the removal of the police station from its original site on the Hill (adjacent to the recreation ground) to the old wooden house which still stands on the town side of the present police station took place in May, 1901. The house was formerly a general store and butcher shop conducted by J. McGill who transferred his establishment to the main shopping block.
On February 14th, 1902, A. Poynter - a farmer of Wonga Park - was charged in the Anderson's Creek Court with the careless use of fire and fined £20, the magistrate remarking that it was a particularly bad case. Evidence was given to the effect that his neighbour, Walter Pulsford, had told him that he was running considerable risk in burning off on such a hot day, but Poynter had merely replied that it was a "splendid day" and he wanted to get rid of the rabbits. The fire had later got out of control and done considerable damage to Pulsford's and other neighbours' property, and when they called to complain he had picked up an axe and threatened to use it on them if they didn't clear out.
The generosity and spirit of mateship shown by the pioneers was at very much alive and evident at a complimentary concert given to Mr. Alex McCulloch who had become blind through illness. The Chairman, Cr. J. Smith said that they had not seen such a fine array of talent at Warrandyte for many years; artists had come from as far afield as Lilydale and Melbourne to give their services. A cheque for £20 was later presented to Mr. McCulloch.
However, a rather parochial attitude existed towards a concert and ball held at Warrandyte in aid of the building fund for a hall at the village settlement of Wonga Park. The concert was only a partial success and correspondents commented that the absence of Warrandyte people was rather too conspicuous.
By the year 1903 the last surviving residents of the 50s had passed away. The last two were Mr. James Sloan and Mrs. W. Masterton. Mr. Sloan died on September 18th, 1901, and Mrs. Masterton on February 10th, 1902. They both came to Warrandyte in the year 1854, but there is some doubt as to who was actually the first.
The long felt want for better gradients on the road between Warrandyte and Deep Creek was remedied during the years 1904 and 1905, but only after a considerable difference of opinion between the Council and the people of Warrandyte was ironed out. Dissatisfaction with the route chosen by the Council was brought to a head by the holding of two indignation meetings in April, 1905. Writing in the Evelyn Observer of March 31st, 1905, a "Warrandyte Ratepayer" stated:- "The Government is good enough to grant us £450 towards the cost of a new road around the Melbourne and Deep Creek Hills. The Shire got their Engineer to survey two routes, which he calls the Blue Line and the Pink Line. Now the Blue Line runs up Circtail Gully, a grade of 1-in-40 and then down Harris Gully about 1-in-18; a naturally straight road, which the majority of ratepayers are in favour of, and the one recommended by the Surveyor General. The Shire Council, however, is adopting the Pink route, a grade of about 1-in-16 and as crooked as the Yarra River. In fact, to get 500 yards up the Melbourne Hill you have to take a wind of about 3/4 of a mile. The Councillors have adopted the Pink route simply because it runs past some of their properties and there is no doubt they would fight the Blue route tooth and nail for their own personal interests."
As the Department agreed with the Council the protests largely came to nothing and the Pink route was put through with some minor modifications. Dissatisfaction with the Templestowe Council was felt in Warrandyte for some time and in 1907 an indignation meeting was held to protest against mismanagement of the Council affairs. Speakers stated that the financial position of the Council was far from satisfactory and not a penny piece was being spent in the Warrandyte Riding. The Shire President, Cr. Hunter, stated in reply that the funds were just not sufficient to go around. The late Shire Secretary had stolen the sum of £631 from the Shire of which the bank had made up only £231, leaving £400 to be made up between the two ridings. It was then resolved that no further action would be taken and a vote of confidence was carried in Cr. Hunter.
The discovery of the Caledonian Mine which Dr. Jutson describes as the one really bright spot in the history of the Warrandyte Gold Field, was made towards the close of the year 1905. The mine employed as many as 250 men and was a fine corollary to the hardships that had been experienced on the field for so many years. The past decade had been a bright one for mining, though nothing of outstanding worth had been achieved, the only really successful mine being that of the Victory, which was located on the main South Anti-Cline on the Third Hill; in the eighties it had been worked under the title of the Young Colonial and was later known as the Warrandyte Claim. It was taken over by Messrs. Sabelberg and McGill in 1896 and re-christened the Victory, between that year and 1899 it yielded no less than 1570 oz. of gold. The claim was sold to a Melbourne Syndicate for £1,000 cash in 1897 - they sank the main shaft to a depth of 320 ft.
The Caledonia was first worked under the name of the New Haven in 1903 but it was not until 1905 that any worthwhile yields were made, the inkling of the mine's phenomenal success was made by a correspondent signing himself Bronte, in the Evelyn Observer of August 17th, 1905. He stated:- "The new discovery of the South Drive of the Caledonia Claim at Selby's paddock will cause a substantial revival of mining interest in the district."
The September crushing of that year yielded 145 oz. from 80 tons of quartz crushed and a few weeks later the yield went 314 oz. from 140 tons. According to the annual report of the Mines Department, the mine produced a total of £51,069 worth of gold from a total of 12,653 tons of quartz crushed. The paid up capital of the mine amounted to £6,250 and dividends amounted to £12,563.15. 0, by far the most successful and by far the richest mine in the Upper Yarra districts. The mine was officially declared open by Mrs. Fitch, wife of a director, on September 26th, 1906, the day being marked by a long speech from the Hon. Ed. Miller. The principal attraction among the hundreds of motor and horse-drawn vehicles that came to Warrandyte for the occasion was a huge motor bus which had brought visitors from the city, it was possibly the first motor bus to come to Warrandyte.
Towards the end of 1908, the returns fell away as water began to creep in, and as in the case of the Yarra Tunnel Claim it was found impossible to keep it down. In February, 1909, the Government made a grant of £750 to the Company in an effort to keep the mine working, but it was found impossible to continue and the machinery and equipment was sold in April. In all, the main shaft was put down to a depth of 620 ft. and the mine worked on 6 different levels. Next to the Caledonia; the Pit Tail with £8,250 and the Victory with £6,280 worth of gold produced were Warrandyte's richest claims since records have been kept. The following table compiled by Dr. J. T. Jutson and published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, 1911, shows the production of gold found in quartz at Warrandyte from the commencement of the Mining Surveyors' Reports in October, 1861, to June, 1911. Dr. Jutson states that the figures cannot be accepted as entirely accurate as surveyors sometimes had difficulty in obtaining accurate information from the miners. As no returns are available for the period previous to 1861 and for the alluvial gold found I believe that an estimate of twice this figure would be quite a conservative one.
| Period | Tons. | Total Yield oz. Dwt. Grs. | Aver. Per Ton oz. dwt. grs. | Value | Per oz. |
|--------|-------|--------------------------|----------------------------|-------|---------|
| 1861-70 | 863 | 1023 10 2 | 1 5 2 | £4,144 | £3.16. 0 |
| 1871-80 | 2135 | 3663 16 3 | 1 14 8 | 14,583 | 3.19. 6 |
| 1881-90 | 917 | 1123 11 2 | 1 4 12 | 4,425 | 3.18. 9 |
| 1891-00 | 3751 | 3263 8 10 | 17 11 | 15,054 | 4. 0. 0 |
| 1900-10 | 15397 | 13135 15 0 | 19 14 | 57,543 | 4. 0. 0 |
| Totals | 21044 | 22275 0 17 | 1 1 4 | £95,749 | |
To this figure the sum £7,066 should be added as the yields from the workings of Mullock heaps and the two Diorite Dykes.
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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