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.

How to spell Koo Wee Rup

Who was the first white child born on the Koo-Wee-Rup Swamp?

According to Mickle Memoirs of Koo-Wee-Rup written by Dave Mickle, the first white or European baby born in the town of Koo-Wee-Rup was John Leslie O’Riordan who was born in August 1892. John’s parents, John and Elizabeth, had opened the first store in the town in 1890. I checked the Victorian Births Deaths and Marriages Indexes (BDMs) and they list Horace Napier Mackenzie as being born in Koo-Wee-Rup in 1891, the year before John, so should Horace get the credit for being the first European baby born in Koo-Wee-Rup?  Horace’s parents were George and Grace Mackenzie. Grace was the teacher at the Yallock, later known as Koo-Wee-Rup State School, from 1888 until 1911.  The other baby listed as being born in 1892 was Andrew Clark, the son of John and Barbara Clark. I imagine these births were registered at Cranbourne as they had a Registrar of Births and Deaths, Alexander Duff, who was appointed in 1855. Koo-Wee-Rup’s first Registrar was Alexander Leithhead, who was appointed in June 1894.

Then I wondered if we could determine was the first white baby born on the Swamp, in general, not the town of Koo-Wee-Rup. There were many men working on the creation of the Main Drain between 1889 and 1893, at one time over 500 were employed - many of whom had their families with them and after the adoption of Carlo Catani’s Village settlement scheme more families arrived and lived on their allocated twenty acre block – by September 1894 there was said to be 230 families on the Swamp or 1280 persons.

Once again I checked the BDMs to see what Swamp babies I could find - Yallock, the Village settlement outside of Bayles, had eight babies listed between 1892 and 1895. One of the problems in determining birth places is that it seems that many babies in the BDMs have the place of registration listed as the place of birth. The first Registrar at the eastern end of the Swamp was not appointed until January 1, 1895 when James Pincott was appointed for Bunyip South (as Iona was previously known). In 1894 no babies were listed as being born in Bunyip South but in 1895, 49 were registered, 69 the next year and 49 in 1897. As a comparison, in 1895 only 36 babies were registered at Dandenong so that’s a lot of babies and I suspect that due to travel difficulties many parents had put off registering their children until a Registrar was appointed locally.

Even to get to Nar Nar Goon, which had a Registrar since 1887, would have been a long journey. Nar Nar Goon had 64 babies registered between 1889 to 1895. Garfield did not get a Registrar until September 1899 when John Daly was appointed and eight births were registered in 1900, these are the first births listed at Garfield in the BDMs, though it seems unlikely there had been no births in the town in the previous twenty or so years.  Previous to this it appears that Garfield babies were registered elsewhere – for instance Ingebert and Mary Gunnulson (he was a Garfield builder) registered babies at Nar Nar Goon in 1889,1890, 1892 and 1894, in 1896 at Bunyip South and in 1900 at Garfield.  George and Mary Brownbill registered babies at Bunyip South in 1896 and 1898 and Garfield in 1901.  So this shows the difficulty in determining how many babies were born on the Swamp and who was the first.

Most of these early births would not have had a Doctor present. There was one at Cranbourne, at least from 1866, though a report said that he was a clever man, but one who had the habit that many otherwise good man has fallen victim to. The Minister [Alexander Duff, the Presbyterian Minister] kept his books and instruments and for special cases he sobered up for a couple of days, the hotel being tabooed to him till he had completed the case in hand. It may well have be less risky not to have a doctor attend. A doctor visited Koo-Wee-Rup weekly from Cranbourne from around 1900 and the first resident Doctor in the town came in the 1920s. A Bush Nursing Hospital with a skilled nurse opened in Koo-Wee-Rup in July 1918. Many women, especially in rural areas, would have had a local midwife, usually very experienced but with no formal qualifications attend to her when she gave birth at home. The availability of nurses and doctors would partly account for the improvement in the infant mortality rate. In the 1890s, this rate varied from ten to thirteen percent, that is for every 1,000 babies born, 100 to 130 babies would die under the age of one. In the 1920s this rate had dropped to around six percent.

There was an interesting case reported in The Argus in May 1893 – the headline on the May 8 story was Supposed child murder at Koo-Wee-Rup. The body of baby boy was found buried in a box. The police interviewed Mrs Johnson, an experienced nurse, who had helped deliver the baby of a Mrs Parker on February 4, 1893.When Mrs Johnson had arrived Mrs Parker was lying in a miserable bed with only a piece of blue blanket for covering and alongside the bed was the dead body of a well grown fully developed male child. When Mrs Johnson returned the next day the baby had gone and she was told that the father on the baby, Michael O’Shea, had buried the baby. Subsequently Ellen Parker and Michael O’Shea were charged with causing the death of the child and arrested. You can read the full article on Trove, here.

The account of the inquest, in The Argus of May 17 1893 (reproduced from Trove, left) said that both Ellen and Michael belonged to a rough and very unrefined order of society. The jury decided that there was insufficient evidence to convict the accused and they were found to be not guilty. A very sad state of affairs for all concerned and it especially brings to focus the hard life the early settlers lived on the Swamp, with primitive, wet conditions, no decent housing, no schooling for the children, poor wages and no medical help.

This brings us back to the first question as to who was the first white baby born at Koo-Wee-Rup or on the Swamp.  In the end, it doesn’t really matter. Of more importance is the quality of life and I can report that of the first three babies said to have been born in the town of Koo-Wee-Rup, John O’Riordan, Horace Mackenzie and Andrew Clark all had more fortunate lives than the poor, little baby born to Ellen Parker, as John lived until he was 85, Horace lived until he was 93 and even Andrew Clark (whom I know nothing else about) lived until he was 67.

Koo-wee-rup, the racehorse

I looked on Trove to see when Koo Wee Rup had its first press mention. The earliest report was July 1, 1856 (1) however in October 1868 I found the first mention of a racehorse called Koo-wee-rup, so I thought I would tell you about the horse.  The horse’s name was usually spelt as Koo-wee-rup, so that’s the way we will spell it. 

The horse was owned by Dr L.O Patterson. I believe this was Leslie Ogilby Patterson, the son of James and Mary (nee Ogilby) Patterson of Robe Street, St Kilda.  James Patterson was also a Doctor, and was Mayor of St Kilda at one time. Leslie Patterson was involved with the Melbourne Hunt Club  and he and his wife left Melbourne for London in December 1870. He died at the age of 80, in London, on July 1, 1910 (2). It would be interesting to know why the horse was called Koo-wee-rup. 

Koo-wee-rup, was entered in the Maiden Plate on the first day of the Victoria Racing Club’s Spring Meeting which was held on Thursday to Saturday, November 5-7, 1868.  The Maiden Plate was for three year olds, over a mile and a half. A report of the race described Koo-wee-rup, like the majority of Touchstone’s progeny, appeared small and weedy. In the end, Palmerston won the race with Koo-wee-rup, who threw his rider directly the flag fell, bringing up the rear. (3).

In March 1869, Koo-wee-rup was entered the Helter Skelter Stakes of the Victorian Racing Club’s Autumn Meeting, which he won  in a canter by half a dozen lengths (4). The horse was then sold to Mr Clarke for £41 (5).  This is possibly Charles Clarke, of Diggers Rest, who is listed in various newspapers reports as owning other racehorses around this time (6). Mr Clarke entered Koo-wee-rup in the District Plate in the Woodstock Races in May 1869, which he won. However it oozed out that a protest had been lodged against him on account of his owner not residing within a radius of fifteen miles of the district. The stewards reserved their decision until a future day (7). 

In November 1870, Koo-wee-rup was entered in the Footscray Plate on Derby Day. His Royal Highness, The Duke of Edinburgh (Queen Victoria’s son) was in attendance on the day (8). According to The Argus - Koo-wee-rup was the first to show in front. Ghenghis Khan got away very badly, but soon went through his horses and took first place, Orphan being second. At the Abattoirs Koo-wee-rup again took the lead, Stockings being second, and Orphan third. Coming into the straight running, Koo-wee-rup was still leading, the others being close up, and the whips being plied freely in all directions. The Dane came to the front soon after passing the turn, and won with comparative ease, Kooweerup being second and Orlando third, Maid of the Mist fourth, the others tailing off very much. A protest was lodged against The Dane by the owner of the second horse for a cross coming up the straight running. After hearing the evidence, the stewards dismissed the protest.(9).

In March 1871, at the Geelong Races the day’s sports wound up with a Hack race, for which seven started - Koo-wee-rup won the first heat of the hack race, and broke down badly in the second (10).   In late November 1871 at the Ballarat Turf Club Spring meeting Koo-wee-rup was one of five starters in the Scurry Stakes which was carried off with ease by Koo-wee-rup, Stafford being second, and Teddington third. Koo-wee-rup, however, by a subsequent decision was disqualified, as being underweight (11).The horse was disqualified because the jockey was found to be 4 pounds underweight at the after-race weigh-in (12).

On December 15, 1871 Koo-wee-rup won the Stewards Cup at the Talbot Races, beating six others and was then sold for £42 to Mr P. Glenister (13). I believe this was Philip Glenister, bookmaker and racehorse owner (14). The final mention I could find of Koo-wee-rup was at the Croxton Park Race meeting on Boxing Day, 1871. The horse was entered in the Selling race, where he didn't place, and later at the same meeting entered in the Flying Handicap, a one mile race. Six of the ten horses that entered the race started, with Koo-wee-rup a favourite -  having a fair share of admirers at advanced odds (15). He started well - The favourite was always amongst the front division, and after Koo-wee-rup fell at the other side of the course, just as he was about to make his effort, the result appeared to be in no doubt (16).  The fall resulted in a broken leg (17). 

It was a sad end for our racehorse.

Trove list

I have created a list of articles on Trove on Koo-wee-rup, the racehorse as well as the owners - Leslie Patterson, Charles Clarke and Philip Glenister, access it here.

Footnotes
(1) The Argus, July 1, 1856, see here.
(2) Information from various articles in my Trove list, here. I cannot find any mention of his wife's name - I assume he was married as the shipping report listed Dr L.O Patterson (Staff Surgeon) and Mrs Patterson, see The Leader, December 10 1870, here.
(3) The Argus, November 6, 1868, see here.
(4) The Argus, November 6, 1868, see here.

(5) The Argus, March 30, 1869, see here.

(6) The Weekly Times, August 28, 1875, see here.

(7) The Argus, May 24, 1869, see here.

(8) The Argus, November 7, 1870, see here.

(9) The Argus, November 7, 1870, see here.

(10) Ballarat Star, March 3, 1871, see here.

(11) The Argus, December 1, 1871, see here. 

(12) The Australasian, December 9 1871, here.

(13) The Argus, December 16, 1871, see here.

(14) Gosford Times, December 11, 1919, see here.

(15) The Australasian, December 30, 1871, see here.

(16) The Australasian, December 30, 1871, see here.

(17) The Argus, December 27, 1871, see here.

Vervale

Vervale is a little known town or locality between Cora Lynn and Iona. I grew up in Vervale, although I often say Cora Lynn, because no-one has heard of Vervale,  Most people haven't heard of Cora Lynn either, but it's slightly more well known.  The name Vervale wasn't applied to the area until 1917, more of which later.

Vervale had a State School, and although it had three names it was never called Vervale. State School No. 3201, located on the corner of Thirteen Mile Road and Main Drain Road, was established in 1894 as Koo Wee Rup North School, changed its name in 1899 to Bunyip South and changed its name again in 1905 to Iona. The School closed December 1993. (1)

Vervale didn’t have a lot of facilities – there were no Churches, for instance. Until around 1960 Methodist and Presbyterian Services were held on alternate Sundays at the Cora Lynn Hall, or Presbyterians could attend the Iona Presbyterian Church. Catholics could attend St Josephs Church at Iona and those of the Methodist and Anglican faiths could attend Churches in Garfield. (2) There were no Vervale sporting teams – you had to go to either Cora Lynn or Garfield to play sport.

Vervale did have a  General Store and Post Office, established in 1907 by John Andrew Kirwan. John had married Alice Gleeson in 1904 and they had six children - Isabell Mina (born 1906, birth registered at Northcote),  John Andrew James (1908, Northcote), Henry Patrick (1910, Clifton Hill), Thomas Michael (1912, Bunyip South), Mary (1914, Bunyip South), Margaret Sarah (1916, Garfield).  Sadly Alice died on March 3, 1917 aged only 32. She was buried at the Bunyip Cemetery. John died only five years later, on August 22, 1921, he was buried at Fawkner Cemetery.  (3)

Alice Kirwan's death notice

The Argus, March 5, 1917 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1601447

John Kirwan's death notice

The Age, August 25, 1921 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article206711686

However, at the time of Alice's death, John had lost the right to operate the Post Office, as the Bunyip Free Press reported -  for some year residents of Iona obtained their mail at Kirwans’ store. Since Mr Kirwan was fined for selling liquor without a license the Postal authorities have removed the post office to the residence of Mr Clark. (4) This was possibly Richard Clarke, listed in the Electoral Roll in 1916 as a farmer at Iona, with his wife Ethel Edith Clarke.

John still operated the General Store, which possibly due to the death of his wife, he sold  in 1917 to James and Edith McMannis. (5)  I assume the Post Office was returned to the General Store when the McMannis couple took it over. In 1920 James McMannis was awarded the tender for the local mail service.

Mail Service tender

Commonwealth of Australia Gazette , September 30, 1920  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article232517605

Mr McMannis died April 9, 1959, aged 90, and Mrs McMannis died June 4, 1967, aged 88, thus ending 51 years of store ownership. (6)  I only remember going there once, it must have been just before Mrs McMannis died and all I remember was that Mrs McMannis looked really old. Given that she must have been well into her eighties and I was only about seven, it's not surprising. Mr and Mrs McMannis are buried at the Bunyip cemetery.

The name Vervale was adopted for the area in 1917, when at a Berwick Shire Council meeting held on September 8th 1917 it was recorded that communication had been received from the Post Master Generals Department approving the change of name of the Post Office  from Kirwan's to Vervale.  (7) 

The adoption of the name Vervale

South Bourke & Mornington Journal, September 13, 1917  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66192725

The name was then adopted for the surrounding area which had previously had various other names. It was sometimes referred to as Kirwans; however, the Shire of Berwick Rate Books listed ratepayers in the area with the address of either Cora Lynn or Iona. In the 1916 Rate Books, some of these same ratepayers had Clarke’s Post Office as their address (after the new Post office manager). From the 1917 Rate books the name changed to Vervale, which was first written as Vere Vale. (8). Vervale means “green valley”, a bit  ironic as  it is just flat Swamp land. 

Vervale General Store and Post Office, taken 1967 or 1969.

National Archives of Australia photograph. www.naa.gov.au

However, Vervale does have one claim to fame as it was the first place in Victoria in which asparagus was commercially grown. Thomas Roxburgh, who was a Shipping Agent, planted the first commercial crop of asparagus at his farm on Fallon Road,  Cheriton Park, though locally it was referred to as Roxburgh Park. The earliest reference I can find to this planting is an article in The Argus from 1912.

Asparagus Culture

The Argus,  May 8, 1912, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11673611

It's a bit hard to read - so here's what it says.   Asparagus Culture.  Bunyip, Tuesday. - Mr Roxborough, an enterprising resident of Melbourne, who owns land on the Koo-wee-rup Swamp, has grown nine acres of asparagus at Iona, and a jam company has offered to erect a canning factory on the land if he grows 20 acres.

The jam company, was, I presume A.J.C., as the farm was later called the A.J.C farm. Even though it says Iona it was really Vervale, but as I said before, Vervale  wasn't used as a name until about 1917. You can read more about Thomas Roxburgh and asparagus growing, here.

Footnotes

(1) I have written about the school here   https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2018/06/early-swamp-schools.html

(2) I have written about the Churches here   https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-1910s-spiritual-decade-for-iona.html and here https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2015/11/cora-lynn-church.html 

(3) John Andrew Kirwan, was the son of Henry Patrick and Sarah (nee Crowe) born in Geelong in 1868. Alice was the daughter of James and Margaret Gleeson. Information about the children from the Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages.

(4) Bunyip Free Press, December 2, 1915, see here.

(5) Shire of Berwick Rate Books

(6) Death dates - headstone at Bunyip Cemetery -https://www.australiancemeteries.com.au/vic/cardinia/bunyip.htm  James McMannis was the son of  Frank and Ann (nee Fitzgerald) McMannis, born in Piggoret in 1869. Edith Carter McMannis, was the daughter of Phillip and Charlotte Emma (nee Taylor) Williams, born in 1879 at  Mologa (between Pyramid Hill and Mitiamo). They married in 1904. 

(7) Other reports of the name change - 

Dandenong Advertiser, September 13, 1917 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/88818260

Pakenham Gazette, September 14, 1917 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/92155922

(8) Shire of Berwick Rate Books

Koo Wee Rup township

This is a short history of the various institutions in the town of Koo Wee Rup.

Schools
The first School was established in 1884 between Koo Wee Rup and Bayles (at Bethunes Road) with 22 pupils. It was known as the Yallock School, until 1903 when the name was changed to Koo Wee Rup. In 1910, the school moved to Rossiter Road (to the Secondary College location) and a new building was built in 1915. In 1953, the Higher Elementary School was completed. This School included both primary and secondary classes (Forms 1 to 3 or Years 7 to 9). The School became a High School in 1957 and shared the building with the primary school students until November 1960 when the Primary School opened in Moody Street.  St John the Baptist Catholic School opened in 1936.

The arrival of the Methodist Church in 1932.

Koo Wee Rup Swamp Historical Society photograph.

Churches
The Presbyterian Church is the oldest Church in the town. The building was originally the Wesleyan Church in Cranbourne and when it was no longer required, it was purchased by the Koo Wee Rup Presbyterians for 70 pounds. This church, designed by Architect Alfred Dunn, had been erected in 1888 and it was transported to Koo-Wee-Rup on a large trolley drawn by 13 horses and placed on land donated by Christopher Moody. The first service in this building was on March 20, 1896 (1). The first Catholic Church was built in 1902 and the current church was opened December 1962.  The Anglican Church was built in 1917. It closed in 2012 and the congregation moved to the Uniting Church. The Methodist Church (now Uniting) was moved from Yallock to Rossiter Road in 1932. It is shown in the photograph, above. In 1978 this building was moved to a camp in Grantville and a wooden church from Narre Warren East, was relocated to the site, it was given a brick veneer and a new hall added and opened on February 3, 1980.

Health
A Bush Nursing Centre was opened in 1918. On May 23, 1923 the Fallen Soldiers' Memorial Hospital opened in Station Street; and the Westernport Memorial Hospital in  Rossiter Road on December 4, 1955. The Hospital Ladies’ Auxiliary was established in July 1955.  In 1946, the Infant Welfare Centre was opened in a room at the Memorial Hall and in 1953 the Pre-School opened.

The Koo Wee Rup Hall, before the 1923/24 extension

Koo Wee Rup Swamp Historical Society photograph

Community Groups and Amenities 

A Cricket Club started in 1893, the Recreation Reserve opened in 1906, and a football team had started by 1907. The Koo Wee Rup Public Hall opened in April 1903, a brick front was added in 1923/1924 and it was renamed as a Memorial Hall. It was demolished in 2002. The Royal Hotel was erected in 1915. The Koo Wee Rup Sun was first published in 1918, taking over from the Lang Lang Guardian which had commenced publication in 1902. The Masonic Lodge commenced in 1923. The Wattle Picture Theatre was opened in 1927, the same year the Koo Wee Rup Electric Light and Power Company began supplying limited electricity to the town. SEC power was switched on in the town in 1935. In 1929, the first Koo Wee Rup Scout Troop was formed. To add further to the amenity of the town in 1930 the water tower and the water supply system opened and in 1943 the Fire Brigade was formed

Railways
The Koo Wee Rup Railway station was opened on August 18, 1889. The Station was originally called Yallock and was re-named Koo Wee Rup in 1892. In 1922, Koo Wee Rup became a railway junction with the opening of the Strzelecki railway line. This line was closed in stages and the last stretch from Bayles to Koo Wee Rup closed in 1959. Passenger services to Koo Wee Rup ceased in June 1981 were reinstated December 1984 and ceased again in July 1993.

Oldest buildings in town
The 1884 School building, which had moved from Bethunes Road to Rossiter Road, was shifted again in 1919 to become the Island Road School. The School closed in 1974 and ten years later the building moved back to the Primary School site in Moody Street.
However, the oldest building still on its original site is the house, “The Grange”, off Sybella Avenue. This was built in 1887-88 for Andrew and Agnes Hudson, though sadly Andrew died just before they moved in. Agnes, nee Johnston, was firstly married to Alexander Mickle. Alexander and Agnes were the great grandparents of Local Historian, David Mickle.

Footnote

(1) Gunson, Niel The Good Country: Cranbourne Shire (F. W. Cheshire, 1968). p.166 and The Mornington Standard, February 29, 1896, see here.

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.

Cora Lynn General Store

The Cora Lynn was opened in 1907 by George Petrie Murdoch.  As we saw in the last post George and his father, George Petrie Murdoch Senior (1851-1934), were some of the earliest owners of township allotments in Cora Lynn. George Petrie Murdoch, junior, was born in Bunyinong in 1872 to George and Alice (nee Dean) Murdoch. He married Emma Rose Parker in Balranald in NSW in 1897 and they had the following children  - 

Arthur Charles (born 1897, birth registered at Bunyip South, alter called Iona.  Arthur served in World War One and is listed on the Cora Lynn War Memorial, here and the Iona Honour Board, here)

Mary Ellen (1899, Bunyip South)

Baby girl (1900, Bunyip South, died one day old)

Hugh James (1902, Balranald)

Allan John (1904, Bunyip South)

Lily (1906, Bunyip South)

Stanley (1907, Bunyip South)

Archibald William (1909, Dandenong. See an example of his poetry, here)

Alice Jean (1911, Bunyip South)

Emma Murdoch died in March 1920 aged only 39 years old and is buried at the Bunyip Cemetery. George married Mary Jane Whitta in 1921 and they lived in Bayles, where they had opened the Bayles General Store in January 1921 (read about this here.) They were still in Bayles in 1963 according to the Electoral rolls, but the 1967 Electoral roll lists him at Booran Road, Caulfield South. Mary Jane died 1963, aged 86 and George died on Christmas Day, 1971, aged 99 in Glenhuntly.  

Cora Lynn store, c.1910. 

Peter Corcoran standing in front with bicycle.
(Photograph from the Berwick Pakenham Historical Society collection)

The Weekly Times of November  16, 1907 published a letter to Uncle Ben, one of the editor's of the children's pages about Cora Lynn and the store his father was building -

Arthur Murdoch's letter

Weekly Times of November  16, 1907 

 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/222777407#

Cora Lynn, 7th October.— Dear Uncle Ben,

This is the first time I have written to you. I would very much like to see my letter published in "The Weekly Times." I go to school every day, and I am in the second class. I have two miles to walk to school. We have a football at school, and we have great fun with it. My father is getting a new store

built in Cora Lynn. It will only be about two chains from the school. We are having lovely weather here now. The grass is looking beautiful in the paddocks. My sister has a little pet lamb. There are a good many hares about here. My father shot one yesterday. There are a great many snakes here this season. I killed a small one last week. With love to yourself, Aunt Connie and the little children in the cots - I remain your loving friend, ARTHUR MURDOCH, aged 10 years and 3 months.

Cora Lynn, possibly 1911. The building on the right is the E.S.& A. Bank, 

and the store is next.

This was a postcard my grandfather sent, read the story here. 

George Murdoch opened a store in Bayles in 1921 (see here) and operated the Cora Lynn store until 1922 when Alexander and Elizabeth Beatrice Chisholm took over. The Electoral rolls list her as Elizabeth Beatrice, but her death notice as Beatrice Elizabeth, so I will call her Beatrice.  Alex had married Beatrice Knox in 1920 and they had a daughter Jean, who was born in December 1921. Jean attended Cora Lynn State School in 1926 and 1927. I haven't found anything much about their time in Cora Lynn, they left in 1927, but in the 1931 and 1937 Electoral Rolls the are at 158 Victoria Street, Richmond and his occupation is Postmaster. In the 1943 and 1949 Electoral Rolls, they are at 3 Wishart Street, Kew, and again his occupation is that of Postmaster.  Elizabeth died in March 1953, aged 68,  at 21 Church Street in Abbotsford. Her death notice in The Argus,  lists  Alex and Jean as well as Jean's husband, Phil, and their daughter, Susan. Alex was in the 1954 Electoral Roll at 21 Church Street, occupation Postmaster; then in the 1958 to 1967 Electoral Rolls he was living with his daughter, Jean and her family in Hortense Street, Burwood. He died in 1968

Death notice of Beatrice Chisholm

The Age, March 16, 1953  https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/23233441

Death notice of Alexander Chisholm

The Age, April 16, 1968, p. 14

The Chisholms had the Cora Lynn store until 1927, when Edwin Ernest and Sophia (nee McMahon) Dillon took over. The couple had married in 1910  in Woods Point and Edwin (known as Ted) at first supported the family by gold mining, but then decided to go into the hotel business in various country towns. Before they arrived in Cora Lynn they operated the store at Woods Point. 

'

Mr Chisholm leaves the Cora Lynn store and Mr Dillon arrives.

The Argus, June 25, 1927  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3862859

Ted and Sophia had six children Doreen (born 1911), Phillip (1914), Molly (1918), Eddie (1920), Joyce (1925) and June (1930). Sadly,  Ted died August 7, 1932, aged only 49, clearly a shock to the family and the community.  Doreen and Phillip then helped their mother run the store and they were assisted by Elva Watson and Frank Hester.

The death of Edwin Dillon

Koo Wee Rup Sun August 11, 1932 p. 1

Dillon's Store, c. 1930s

Image courtesy of Des Dineen.

Dillon's Store, c. 1950s.

Image courtesy of Val Slade.

As the years went by the children married - Doreen married local farmer Harry Dineen in 1938; Phil married Aileen McGrath in 1939 and they lived at the store with Sophia, until she retired to Warragul in 1950, where she died March 25, 1968. Joyce married Raymond Jarred in 1946. In 1950, Eddie married Mary Egan, whose grandparents had arrived on the Swamp in 1893; Molly married Ray Hammond in 1954 and June married George Krygger, who worked at the store. 

The Cora Lynn store, known far and wide as Dillon's Store, was run by Phil and Eddie until Eddie left about 1960 to take up farming. Phillip and Aileen then operated the store until they retired in 1973. This ended  46 years of ownership, of the store but not the Dillon connection to the community, especially the football club and Mary Dillon's noteworthy contribution as the long-term Secretary of the Koo wee Rup Potato Festival Committee. The store was then operated by the Thompsons, then the Van den Berghes, then Norm and Kim Dalziel, then the Simons and it closed in 1999. 

Acknowledgement

The Dillon family information comes from a short history of the family supplied to me by Val Slade; she received the information from Helen Uren (nee Dillon). I am unsure if Helen wrote the history or it was another family member; if so happy to acknowledge the author. 

Cora Lynn township plan and early land sales

This is the Cora Lynn township plan. This shows the original township allotments and the first owner of the allotments after the Government land sales. 

Township of Cora Lynn plan - the town is split between the Parish of Koo Wee Rup and that of

 Koo Wee Rup East.

Click on image to enlarge.

See the entire plan on the State Library of Victoria here 

http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/93024

In Section T some of the sales must have taken place in 1904 as Allotments 14a to 14c have a purchase date of  June 28, 1904. Land sales were generally advertised in the newspapers and I have found this report in The Argus of October 5, 1909 with Allotments 10b, 10d and 10f of Section T for sale - each about half an acre. According to the Plan, above, George Petrie Murdoch Senior (1851-1934) and George Petrie Murdoch Junior (1872-1972) purchased this land and the other adjoining allotments. George Junior also operated the Cora Lynn store, which opened in 1907 on what I believe are Allotments 14b & 14c, Section F; J.L. Stein being listed as the land owner on this plan. More information on the  Cora Lynn store, see here.

Crown land sales, including blocks at Cora Lynn

The Argus, October 5 1909 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/10738242/357108

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.

Cora Lynn Cheese Factory

Cora Lynn Cheese Factory, 1998.

Image: Heather Arnold

The Cheese Factory at Cora Lynn is  a prominent landmark, and as you can see by the date on the factory, it was established in 1910. This photograph was taken in 1998 and it has since been refurbished. I have tried to find out the exact date of the opening, but can only conclude from the following newspaper reports that it was in November 1911. The factory was was established by the Drouin Co-Operative Butter Factory.  The factory was remodelled in 1932 and at that time had around 500 regular suppliers. (1) The factory appears to have closed in the late 1940s and then re-opened for a short time time in the early 1950s. (2)

In August 1910, it was reported that the shareholders of the proposed cheese factory at Cora Lynn asked the Lands department to sell them some land on which to build a factory. The initial price of the land  was £50 per acres, which was considered too high and it was later reduced to £30 per acre.

Proposed Cheese Factory at Cora Lynn

The Argus,  August 3 1910 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10449147

The land was acquired and a tender was accepted in October 1910 to build the factory from W. Hughes for £290. 

Tender accepted from W. Hughes.

The Argus, October 15 1910, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10469183

   The Factory was under construction in December 1910.

Factory under construction

Berwick Shire News,  December 7, 1910, p. 2

In January 1911, it was reported in the Bunyip and Garfield Express that -

The local cheese factory is now approaching completion, and the floors are now being put in. Within the next few weeks the company expect to have the building ready for the machinery, which will be  installed immediately.

Approaching completion

Bunyip and Garfield Express, January 24, 1911, p. 2

There were a number of 'optimistic' newspaper reports which noted that the factory had been completed, such as this one in January 1911 - 

Cora Lynn making rapid strides

The Argus, January 31, 1911, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10875263

However, in March 1911, The Leader reported - The dairy farmers around Cora Lynn are complaining of the delay in completing the new cheese factory, as they are missing the flush of the season. (3)  On April 8, The Leader reported - The new cheese factory at Cora Lynn, on the Kooweerup swamp, has been completed. (4)  The building may well have completed, but it was still a long way from being opened.

In August, the factory still had not opened, but they were apparently planning something extra special, as the Bunyip and Garfield Express, reported -

Speaking of the cheese factory reminds this writer that there is no official mention of the opening date, but when the matter is fixed, I understand that the opening  is to be something extra special, and it is expected that Mr. Newton of the Gippsland Co-operative Butter Factories Company will attend, and several other public speakers. 

No official opening date yet....

Bunyip and Garfield Express, August 29, 1911, p. 3

On September 5, 1911 the Bunyip and Garfield Express reported on a speech from Mr A. Jeffers, a director of the Drouin Butter factory, where he mentioned a possible reason why the Cora Lynn factory wasn't yet opened - 

He hoped to see the local cheese factory started in a fortnight, or, at the latest, on October 1. If the suppliers could guarantee 200 gallons of milk daily, it could start immediately, but one thing they must remember that the running expenses of the factory would amount to £3 per week, and that would be debited against the local factory; therefore the full supply should be forthcoming before the factory opened. 

Part of Mr Jeffers' speech

Bunyip and Garfield Express, September 5, 1911, p. 3

One month later, on October 3, 1911 the Bunyip and Garfield Express reported again on the Cora Lynn factory, and it still had not opened -

Speaking generally, fodder is not too plentiful, consequently, the opening of the cheese factory had been delayed beyond the date first anticipated. Referring to the factory, it is considered locally that once supply comes forward this industry will be the support of the district, since we are situated at a distance from the railway line. This means a considerable time on the road with consignments, whilst the cheese factory is right in the district.

The factory is still delayed 

Bunyip and Garfield Express, October 3, 1911, p. 3

Three weeks later on October 24, there was another report on the progress of the Cora Lynn factory in the Bunyip and Garfield Express -

The local cheese factory will be opened at an early date, and the manager (Mr Sherridan) is busy making preparations. Only 200 gallons daily are required to keep the factory working, but it is expected that the supply will greatly exceed this once the season starts. A number of farmers are adding to their dairy herds, and judging from the number of cattle in the district the supply should not be far short of 600 gallons of milk daily. The factory is a commodious building consisting of a vat room, engine room and cheese room, and should prove sufficient for the requirements of the district for some time to come.

Cheese factory to be opened soon.....

Bunyip and Garfield Express, October 24, 1911, p. 3

The manager noted in the above article was John Robert Sheridan, listed in the 1913 Electoral Rolls as a Factory Manager of Cora Lynn, also listed was his wife, Emily Florence. Their two children, Raymond and May,  were enrolled at the Cora Lynn State School in 1911. In the 1914 Electoral Rolls, the family had moved to Milawa,

I cannot find any report of the official opening of the factory, however the November 21, 1911 edition of the Bunyip and Garfield Express could finally report that the Cora Lynn Cheese factory was actually open -
The local cheese factory is now opened for business, and the supply coming forward is very satisfactory and is increasing daily. It is estimated that the district is at present capable of supplying 500 gallons per day which will be close up to the full capacity of the factory.

The Factory is opened

Bunyip and Garfield Express, November 21, 1911, p. 3

In December, the Bunyip and Garfield Express reported on the good progress of the Cora Lynn factory -

Since the opening of the cheese factory there has been a great increase in the milk supply thereto. On the opening day 80 gallons were supplied, now it has reached 400 gallons and there is a large daily increase, and it is expected that the supply will reach 500 gallons daily this week. The machinery is working to full capacity at present, and will shortly have to be supplemented. General satisfaction is expressed amongst the farmers with return from the factory, as they are much higher than the home separator. 

Cora Lynn Factory going well

Bunyip and Garfield Express, December 5, 1911, p. 3

The factory was remodelled and enlarged in 1932 and it was officially re-opened on September 28, 1932, by the local M.L.A., Matthew Bennett. The Age reported - 

The Cora Lynn cheese factory erected on the latest designs, has been officially opened. It will have a capacity of more than treble the present output. During the past fortnight the milk received at the factory was 319,110 lb., three times the quantity received at the two factories operating at Iona and Cora Lynn for the corresponding period thirteen years ago. At the Royal show the factory gained third prize for cheese over six mouths old. The company is entirely co-operative. The new factory was opened by Mr. Bennett. M.L.A., in the presence of a large gathering of suppliers, shareholders

and others interested. (5)

The Cora Lynn Cheese factory opening ceremony

Weekly Times, October 22, 1932 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/224466396

Trove list - I have created a list of articles on Trove, on the Cora Lynn Cheese factory. Access it here.

Footnotes

(1) The Argus, September 29, 1932 see here; The Age, September 29, 1932, see here.

(2) See articles on my Trove list, here.

(3) The Leader, March 4, 1911, see here.

(4) The Leader, April 8, 1911, see here.

(5) The Age, September 29, 1932, see here.