100 years ago this week - Royal Melbourne Show

Local farmers were preparing their exhibits for the Royal Melbourne Show - 100 years ago this week - as this article from the Bunyip Free Press of September 10, 1914 tells us.

Bunyip Free Press September 10, 1914

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129629525

I wonder what 'up to date potatoes were?

100 years ago this week - it's raining!

There has been some heavy rain this week - just like it was 100 years ago!

Bunyip Free Press July 16, 1914

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129629245

100 years ago this week - Roller Skating

Roller Skating was a popular winter past-time 100 years ago - these advertisements for skating at the Bunyip Mechanics' Institute and the Nar Nar Goon Public Hall appeared in the Bunyip Free Press of July 2, 1914.

Skating at Bunyip and Nar Nar Goon

Bunyip Free Press July 2, 1914  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129629166

A Skating Carnival was held at Keast Hall (the public hall) on July 17, 1914. The Bunyip Free Press reported that In spite of the unpromising night and the state of the canal, which was running a banker, the local people turned out well and a vey enjoyable evening was spent. 

Report of Skating Carnival at Cora Lynn.

Bunyip Free Press July 23, 1914  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129629268

100 years ago this week - an escaped 'lunatic'

This is an account of the capture of an escaped patient from Mont Park Mental Hospital from the South Bourke and Mornington Journal of April 30, 1914.  The work Lunatic has now gone out of fashion to describe a person who is mentally ill. According to the Oxford Dictionary the word Lunatic comes from the Old French lunatique, from late Latin lunaticus, from Latin luna '‘ moon’ ' (from the belief that changes of the moon caused intermittent insanity).

South Bourke and Mornington Journal of April 30, 1914.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper  http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/66185203

Trooper Maher, is Stephen Maher, listed in the 1914, 1919 and 1924 Electoral Rolls as living at Pakenham. His occupation is listed as Constable. His wife was  Bridget Catherine (nee Ryan).   There is an interesting account, below, of Constable Maher having his horse taken from him, sounds like it was a bureaucratic decision made without any consultation - so no change there in 100 years. 

Dandenong Advertiser of May 7 1914

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper   http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88355315

South Bourke and Mornington Journal of  17 June 17, 1920,

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66198261

Stephen and Catherine had ten children, Rosaline (born 1886), Cathleen (1888), Florence Mary (1890), Olive Veronica (1893), Stephen Raymond (1894), John Thomas (1896), Thomas Francis(1899), Daniel Michael (1901) Leonard Joseph (1903) and Mary Monica (1905). Stephen died in 1931 aged 70 and Bridget died in 1939 aged 77

100 years ago this week - Gay life at Garfield

 100 years ago this week - from the Bunyip Free Press of February 14 2014 , under the headline Gay Life at Garfield there is a report of two men and a woman who were behaving in a disgraceful manner in the Garfield township. The Bunyip Police travelled to Garfield and found that the reports were true, so they arrested John and Elizabeth Fitzgerald and a Mr Moss. The police chartered two vehicles and transported the unsavoury cargo to the Bunyip lock-up.

At a subsequent court appearance, both men were fined £5 or ones month’s imprisonment and the ‘wife’ was fined £2 or a fortnight’s imprisonment.  As the trio were all of the nomad travelling class they couldn’t afford the fine so they were sent to His Majesty’s hominy factory in Melbourne.

 I had never come across the term hominy factory before; it means prison as apparently hominy is a slang word for prison food; hominy being a thin gruel or porridge made from cornmeal.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper

100 years ago this week - British Association Football

100 years ago this week - on February 4 1914, the Lang Lang Guardian published this article about forming a league for British Association Football or 'soccer'.  Mr Frank Garwood of Modella wanted to start the League which would cover the area between the two Railway lines - Koo-Wee-Rup to Lang Lang and Garfield to Longwarry.  There was already at least one team practically formed at Modella. Mr Garwood urged anyone interested in playing the English soccer game (NOT rugby) to contact him. 

I have no idea how it went, but I suspect that it was not successful.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper

In February 1914 Frank Garwood was appointed the Secretary of the Modella Cricket Club and at the Presentation night on April 15, 1914 he came second in the batting averages. I don't know anything else about him.

100 years ago this week - Yallock Methodist Sunday School Picnic

100 years ago this week, on January 23 1914 the Yallock Methodist Sunday School held their picnic on the Yallock Creek. Mr Reiter provided music from his dulciphone - which I believe is a sort of gramophone and there was a freezer containing ice cream - no doubt appreciated as the heat was rather severe. 

Lang Lang Guardian January 28, 1914, page 3.

trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper

Yallock Methodist Church being moved to Koo-Wee-Rup, 1932

Image: Koo Wee Rup Swamp Historical Society

The Methodist Home Mission Station was opened in Yallock in 1907, with the hall being used for services. The Yallock Methodist Church was opened in 1909, built by Thomas Pretty. In August 1932, it was moved from Yallock to Rossiter Road, Koo-Wee-Rup and used by the Methodists and later the Uniting Church. In 1978 this building was moved to a camp in Grantville and a wooden church, the Narre Warren East Uniting Church, was relocated to the site, it was given a brick veneer and a new hall added and opened on February, 3 1980.

100 years ago this week - Bunyip Court

One hundred years ago, this week in January 1914,  the Bunyip Court had to deal with this case of  bicycle theft. A seventeen year old, William Ayres, was found guilty of stealing a bike from Michael Dineen, of Cora Lynn. He was sentenced to three months in gaol, an extraordinary sentence compared to what he would have got today and, of course, today his name would not be published as he is under 18. 

Bunyip Free Press Jan 8, 1914  

trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper

This article  made me wonder when the Bunyip Court first started - I found this article (below)  in the South Bourke and Mornington Journal of March 22, 1905. The Court first sat in Kraft's Hall, I'm not sure where that was, William Kraft  owned the Gippsland Hotel (the Top Pub) so it may have been connected with that.

South Bourke and Mornington Journal March 22, 1905.

The first sitting of the Bunyip Court was held on March 15 1905. The bench consisted of Mr Cresswell, the Presiding magistrate, and two Justices of the Peace, Ramage and A'Beckett. The first case concerned Myrtle Morris who was charged with having no visible means of support. Myrtle was remanded to Prahran for a further hearing.  The second case involved a twelve year old, John Mannix, who was charged with endangering property by setting fire to some scrub, which destroyed gates and fences.  He was released into the care of his father who entered a recognizance for the boy's future good behaviour. Once again, this article shows how the legal system has changed (for better or worse depending on your view point) a 12 year old would never have his name mentioned in relation to a legal trial today.

You can read more about the Bunyip Court here.

100 years ago this week - Iona State School, No. 3201.

This comes from The Argus of October 22,1913, 100 years ago this week.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper

The Iona State School was located on the corner of Thirteen Mile Road and Bunyip River Road at Vervale. It commenced in 1894 and was originally known as Koo-Wee-Rup North; in 1899 it changed its name to Bunyip South and then in 1905 to Iona. When the school opened on July 9, 1894 it had 83 pupils and the Head Teacher was Arthur Jamieson. By 1895, it had grown to 120 pupils and the new Head Teacher Joseph Lyons arrived in the April of that year. He had three assistants – Mr Colquhoun, Miss Alston and Mrs Lyons. Joseph Lyons remained at the school until 1903. The Teachers Residence was built in 1908; previous to this the Head Teacher had to live in Garfield.  The original building burnt down on July 6, 1913.  The new building opened on April 28, 1914 with 164 pupils. In 1942, electricity was supplied to the school and the telephone was connected in 1964.

Celebrations took place in 1964 to mark the 50th anniversary of the new building with between 500 and 600 people attending. Another celebration took place in 1989 to mark the 75th anniversary the 1914 building. Sadly, the school community could not celebrate one hundred years of education as the school was closed on December 17, 1993, seven months short of its centenary. The building is now at Nar Nar Goon and used as a Scout Hall.

Sources: On the edge of the swamp: a history of the Iona Primary School No. 3201 1894-1994 by Denise M. Nest ( Iona Primary School Back-To-Committee, 1994)
Vision and Realisation : a centenary history of State Education in Victoria edited by L.J. Blake (Education Department of Victoria, 1973)

100 years ago this week - Wife wanted

This was in a couple of newspapers, 100 years ago this week in October 1913.

I am not sure if the story is true, or if the lovelorn cheesemaker found himself a tall, fair lump of  a Protestant for a wife,  but either way, it's a great story!

The Adelaide Mail October 18, 1913 page 5.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article59639808

100 years ago this week - Bunyip Court case

This appeared in The Argus of September 16, 1913 - 100 years ago.

From Trove  http://trove.nla.gov.au

Victor Little (1892-1939) was the fourth of five children of James Little and Hannah Hughes. James had land at Iona and Little Road was named after the family. Victor and his wife Mareia lived at Iona and his occupation on the Electoral Roll is listed as a Dealer. They are both buried at the Bunyip Cemetery.

There is a Thomas McGuire listed in the Electoral rolls of 1909 at Bunyip South, occupation is farmer. Margaret McGuire is listed at same address. I presume that they are the same couple buried at the Bunyip Cemetery - Thomas, died 1933, aged 82 and Margaret (nee Fitzsimmons) died 1921, aged 67. They have three sons buried at Bunyip as well, Thomas John, died 1922 aged 33; William Patrick, died 1928, aged 38 and Peter James died 1952, aged 58. 

100 years ago this week - an account of two acccidents near Pakenham

An account of two dray accidents appeared in the South Bourke and Mornington Journal, 100 years ago this week, in May 1913.

South Bourke and Mornington Journal May 8, 1913. Page 5.

100 years ago this week - Food production

One hundred years ago, this week in March 1913, this appeared in the West Gippsland Gazette, and is a reminder of what a rich area this once was for food production.

West Gippsland Gazette   Tuesday 4 March 1913, page 7

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper

At Iona, a Creamery run by the Fresh Food and Frozen Storage Company, was opened in 1897 and by 1900 it had 50 suppliers. The Creamery operated until around 1907. In 1906 Drouin Co-Operative Butter Factory established a factory in Iona on the corner of Little Road and the Main Drain. It closed in October 1928 and was demolished in 1930. Another butter factory, operated by Holdenson and Neilson, operated in Iona from 1912 and was taken over by the Drouin Co-Operative Butter Factory in April 1921. If you have been to Iona recently, it is hard to believe that it ever sustained two butter factories.  Cora Lynn also had a cheese factory, click here to find out more about it.

This is a photo of my grandparents (Joe and Eva Rouse) farm at Cora Lynn, taken in 1928. It was typical of the many small farms on the Swamp.

100 years ago this week - the Bunyip

This interesting account of  a Bunyip appeared in the South Bourke and Mornington Journal, 100 years ago, in February 1913.

South Bourke and Mornington Journal Thursday 20 February 1913, page 2.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper

100 years ago this week - the state of the drains

This was in the The Argus, 100 years ago this week, in February 1913. 100 years on, local residents are still concerned about the state of the drains, so no change there.  It's a bit hard to read, so I have copied the text, below.

The Argus February 5,  1913 page 11

trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper

Sir, It is about two years since the big flood on the Koo Wee Rup Swamp and the Government promised to clear out the main canal and remove the sand and silt which had accumulated in it and so prevent it from overflowing again. But nothing has been done and if heavy rains fall there will be a recurrence of the flood and much valuable produce will be destroyed. It is scandalous that the Government, after spending so money in reclaiming this rich country, should allow the canal to silt up, where for a small outlay, it could be kept clear. The cost of this should be borne by the settlers at so much per acre. They would gladly pay to make themselves safe from floods. I hope that Mr Watt will keep his promise over this matter and instruct the Public Woks Department to proceed with the work before the coming winter. 

Yours etc    K.W.R  Feb 4

Mr Watt was William Alexander Watt, Premier of Victoria from May 18 1912 to December 9 1913 and December 22 1913 to June 18, 1914.

100 years ago this week - Ice Cream manufacturers

This is from a report, in the South Bourke and |Mornington Journal, 100 years ago this week,  of  the Berwick Shire Council Meeting held on Saturday, January 11 1913 and refers to applications to make Ice Cream at Garfield and Bunyip.

South Bourke and Mornington Journal January 16, 1913 page 5.

From Trove http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper

In the 1914  Electoral Roll, Catherine Louch was listed as the Newsagent at Garfield. Margaret Bell of Bunyip is listed as a 'Confectioner'.  Commercial production of ice cream was relatively new in Australia. According to the book Cream of the Country: a history of Victorian dairying by Norman Godbold (Dairy Industry Association of Australia, 1989) ice cream became popular around 1910 and there were many manufacturers. They originally used custard in the ice cream but this was revoluntionised by Fred Peters, an American, who had arrived in Sydney in 1908 with his mother's ice cream recipe which used only pure dairy products. It took Peters four year to accumulate enough money to go into the ice cream business  and when he did in 1912 the demand for his 'American' style ice cream was amazing. Peters Ice Cream is now part of Nestles.

I don't know how successful the new ice cream making ventures of Catherine and Margaret were, however in the 1919 Electoral roll Catherine is still listed as the Newsagent, but in the 1924 Electoral roll there is a Catherine Louch listed in the St Kilda area and her occupation is listed a 'Confectioner', so it seems likely that her career started in Garfield. You can read more about Margaret here.

100 years ago this week - Hotels

This was in the South Bourke and Mornington Journal of December 19, 1912, 100 years ago this week. It is an interesting listing of local hotels - many still in existence. 

Click on the image to enlarge it.

Starting from the top - the Border Inn, also known as the Berwick Inn, is still operating. It was established in 1857 by Robert and Susan Bain. After Robert's death in 1887, Susan took over as licensee until her death in 1908. Bourkes Hotel at Pakenham is on the Princes Highway where it crosses the Toomuc Creek. It was started in 1850 by Michael and Kitty Bourke and was originally called the La Trobe Inn. Michael died in 1877 and it was then operated by Kitty until 1910. The Cardinia Park Hotel at Beaconsfield still operates. It was originally called the Bush Inn and would have opened in the 1870s or 1880s. The Racecourse Hotel at Eumemmerring - not sure where  this was exactly, however it would have been on the Princes Highway near the Eumemmerring Creek. The Pakenham Hotel is the one near the Railway station. When it opened around 1880 it was known as the Gembrook Hotel; the existing building dates from 1929. The Gippsland Hotel at Beaconsfield, is now known as the Central hotel and was built on the Princes Highway near where it crosses the Cardinia Creek. It was started around 1855 by David and Janet Bowman. The existing building dates from around 1928. The  Gippsland Hotel at Bunyip is known as the Top Pub and was built around 1925. The Hallam Hotel is still operating on the original site, it started around the early 1870s. The Iona  Hotel at Garfield still operates, it opened in 1904, burnt down in 1914 and the existing building dates from 1915. The Nar Nar Goon Hotel is also still operating,  though the original building, built in 1883 for Michael O'Brien,  burnt down. The New Bunyip Hotel, was on the Princes Highway where it crossed the Bunyip river, it started in the 1870s. The Pine Grove Hotel, first started in the 1880s in Upper Beaconsfield and still exists. The Railway Hotel in Bunyip was built in 1924 to replace the 1890s building which was destroyed by fire, it is still operating. The Ranges Hotel in Gembrook apparently started in the 1890s and has been extended over the years.  I don't know about the next four hotels - the Albion, the Bridge and the Club Hotels in Dandeong and the Bridge Hotel in Mordialloc. The Cranbourne Hotel was opposite the Motor Club Hotel in High Street Cranbourne and the building was demolished in the 1970s. The  Halfway House Hotel at Lyndhurst no longer exists, it was opened in 1871. The Motor Club Hotel at Cranbourne, known as Kellys is going strong, the existing building was built inn 1926.

The Hotels in the second column are outside my area of knowledge, apart from the Paradise Hotel, which is listed at Paradise Valley, this is now known as Clematis.

100 years ago this week - Weather

This is a weather report from the South Bourke and Mornington Journal of December 12, 1912. The 'terrific storm' happened Monday, December 9.

 South Bourke and Mornington Journal December 12, 1912  http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper

100 years ago this week - Railways and Monomeith Railway Station

This appeared in The Argus, on November 26, 1912, 100 years ago this week. It has both a Railway connection (one of my historical interests) and a Swamp connection as Dalmore and  Koo-Wee-Rup were Swamp Stations and Tooradin, Monomeith and Caldermeade were on the edge of the Swamp.

\

The Argus,  November 26, 1912 page 10 from http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper

This line is part of the Great Southern line - the line to Dandenong  (part of the Oakleigh to Bunyip section) opened October 8, 1877. Dandenong to Tooradin, with stations at Lyndhurst, Cranbourne, Clyde and  Tooradin opened October 1, 1888. Dalmore (originally called Peer’s Lane, then Koo-Wee-Rup West) and Koo-Wee-Rup (originally called Yallock) opened August 19, 1889. Monomeith (originally called Glassock’s), Caldermeade, and Lang Lang (originally called Carrington) opened in February 1890. The line went all the way to Port Albert by 1892.

Patsy Adam-Smith wrote about the Monomeith Railway Station in her book Hear the train blow. Her mother was station mistress and post mistress and her father was a fettler. She wrote that Monomeith had no pub, no shop nothing but us. The Railway Station was also the Post Office. The family lived on a house on the platform and Patsy went to Monomeith School until it closed in 1933 and she then travelled by train to Caldermeade School. The family were at Monomeith during the 1934 flood. This is (partly) what  Patsy wrote about the flood - At home we were perfectly safe because of the house being off the ground up on the platform. On the second day Mum heard on the radio that homeless people were being brought into the Railway station at Koo-Wee-Rup. She walked in to help. Where she walked on the five-foot the swirling waters lapped over her shoes, the ballast had been swept away and the sleepers were held up only because they were fastened to the rails. The whole line in parts was swinging…..Dad and other fettlers brought in scores of people who had been cut off on high ground or in the ceilings of their homes. The water had run over the land so suddenly that most people were taken unawares. The Bush Nursing Hospital was caught this way. The fettlers cut through the roof of that building to take out the patients…… Mum, helping patients out of the boat when it reached Koo-Wee-Rup station found Dad’s coat around an old lady who had only a thin nightdress beneath it.

Sadly, none of the Monomeith railway buildings remain. According to a report in a  Korumburra & District Historical Society newsletter, that we received a few months ago at the Koo-Wee-Rup Swamp Historical Society,  passenger services beyond Dandenong  ceased in June 1981 but goods services continued to operate. In 1992, the goods trains ceased and this is when the line beyond Leongatha was taken up. The passenger service to Leongatha was reinstated on December 9 1984 and continued to run until July 23 1993. The trains now stop at Cranbourne.

100 years ago this week - Motor Club Hotel Cranbourne

100 years ago this advertisement appeared in the South Bourke and Mornington Journal of November 21, 1912 for the Motor Club Hotel (more commonly known as Kellys) at Cranbourne. Cranbourne is not really part of the Koo-Wee-Rup, being on the western edge, but it is part of my area of interest, so I will be talking about it in future posts.

J.Taylor respectfully announces that he has purchased the Freehold of the above established hotel and invites a share of public patronage. It is the home of the Commercial traveller, has first class cuisine and meals (second to none) at all hours. There is a Large billiard room with two up-to date tables and all appointments as well as the best stabling in the district, six loose boxes and 16 stalls. The Hotel cab meets all trains.

The site of the Motor Club Hotel has been occupied by a Hotel since  the Mornington Hotel was built around 1860 by Thomas and Elizabeth Gooch. By 1912, at least, it was known as the Motor Club Hotel, which may have been related to the birth of the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria in Tooradin or may have reflected the fact that Cranbourne was a popular destination for early motor car excursions. 

The Kelly family, who were also licensees of the Cranbourne Hotel (which was situated where Greg Clydesdale Square in High Street is now located) took over the license of the Motor Club Hotel in June 1919. 

The existing Motor Club Hotel, was built around 1926 - it is pictured above, most likely just after it was built. This picture is from the Cranbourne Shire Historical Society collection. The picture, below, was taken in the 1960s.