100 years ago this week - Potatoes

100 years ago this week, The Australasian, in the Country Gleanings column reported on the good potato season on the Swamp.

The Australasian  June 26 1915

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article142975577

This is how the potatoes would have been loaded. 26 tons, 310 bags, loaded from Garfield.
State Library of Victoria Image H92.301/92.

The beginnings of the Royal Hotel, Koo-Wee-Rup

The January 8, 1915 issue of the Powlett Express reported on the hearing at the Wonthaggi Licensing Court  held on December 18, 1914. There were applications for ‘certificates authorising the issue of victualler’s licences’ at various towns, including Koo Wee Rup. The applicants for Koo Wee Rup were - Edmund J. Hayes, Denis McNamara, Alf E. Edney, Lyman Wildes, William Clews, Sarah Ann Kraft. The Presiding Magistrates at the hearing were Messrs P. Cohen, Bevan, and Gray. 

Opening remarks

There were six applications for conditional certificates authorising the issue of victuallers' licences in Koo Wee Rup. Three of the sites were in Station street and three in Rossiter's-road. All of the applicants agreed that only one licence was required. Mr. E. Brayshay appeared for Edmund J. Hayes, whose site was in Rossiter's-road. Mr. Shelton (for the Licensing Inspector) in this and the following applications, formally objected that the licence was not required. Mr. J. Meagher: Mr. Shelton means that six licences are not required. Mr. Brayshay: We can agree with Mr. Shelton there.

In opening his case, Mr. Brayshay said he concurred with Mr. Shelton's remarks regarding discretion of the Bench as to number of licenses that should be granted at this sitting of the court. He submitted that in coming to a decision the Bench should consider (1) The site or position of the proposed house, from the point of view of convenience of the residing and travelling public, and particularly the travelling public. In a railway town, proximity to the railway station was important. (2) The personnel of the applicant and fitness to conduct the hotel; and (3) That the applicant has the means and ability. An applicant was not entitled to speculate. Wonthaggi, as they knew, had been handicapped by want of accommodation, and people had been put to great straits to obtain it; the same in a lesser degree applied to Koo-Wee-Rup. It was a large fertile plain, and there were about 500 people within a 4 or 4½ mile radius, and about 200 residents in the town.  [Read original on Trove, here]

Edmund Hayes

He would put in a plan of the locality, and plan of buildings, containing 30 rooms, which it was proposed to erect at a cost of £3750, within 9 or 10 months. The applicant had 14 years' experience in different parts of the State, and had never been summoned for a breach of the Licensing Act. Colin Campbell, clerk of courts, and Licensing-Inspector Costelloe, admitted on oath having received the various notices, and evidence was given by L. J. Flannigan, architect, E. J. Hayes, .applicant, who kept hotels at Drouin, Nhill, and Watchem. A financial statement was submitted to the Bench. The area of the site was 3 roods 5 perches. Constable Ryan, in charge of the Drouin police station, and Cr. C. N.

Byrrell, Poowong East, gave applicant an excellent character. 

Albert Woodman, Koo-Wee-Rup, said there was a demand for accommodation. The traffic came along Rossiter-road from lona, Modella, Yannathan to Langwarrin. The area of the swamp was 90,000 acres; dairying and agriculture was the chief business. There was room for one hotel. Arthur Wm. Stevens, storekeeper, said the site was a good one, and would suit the public convenience. Constable Cole, Lang Lang, said the nearest hotels were Lang Lang and Pakenham, nine miles, and Tooradin, about six miles away. [Read original on Trove, here]

Denis McNamara

Mr. J. S. Meagher appeared for the applicant, and observed that he could show that many things that Mr. Brayshay claimed for his client, and much more in addition, appertained to his client, who was a pioneer of the district, and supplied the navvies and settlers with provisions, wading at times through icy water to do so. Settlement could not be achieved without the co-operation of a man like that. He had conducted a hotel at Carlton, and had taken an active part in procuring the petition for the local option poll. The site was in Station-street, at the corner of a street, and opposite the railway goods sheds. All business interest centred in Station-street. In view of his work as a pioneer and representative man, this applicant was entitled to a hotel.

Theo. Lyall, farmer, Koo-Wee-Rup, said the bulk of the traffic came along Station-street. McNamara's site was higher than the the Rossiter-road site, and one hotel was needed, as the place was growing. Jas. Mornane, station master, Koo-Wee Rup gave evidence of traffic transactions, which increased 50 per cent, in two years. A survey of a new line to Yannathan and Poowong had been made. It might interfere with gate near Rossiter-road. M. D. Dalley said McNamara's site was the most central. It would be a public benefit. Though the passenger platform was on the other side, people would take a risk and cross the rails. Mr. Cohen, P.M.: After leaving an hotel.

Other evidence in support of the application was given by C. J. Moody, who said Hayes' site was no place for a hotel ; the swamp was under water four years ago, but McNamara's was high and dry. The Government had promised drainage works, but they were not yet carried out. W. C. Moody, T. J. Burhop, H. C. Hamilton, Alex. Moorey, ex-sergeant of police; D. Pollock, H. Beattie, and A. B. Backhouse (a Rechabite), Clarke, and D. J. Bourke, J.P. (Pakenham), also gave evidence. It was stated that 75 per cent. of the traffic came along Station-street. A. Fritsch, architect, said the building would cost £4000.

D. McNamara, applicant, said he was in Koo-Wee-Rup in 1893, store-keeping for six years. He had conducted a hotel at Carlton, and was now storekeeping at Koo-Wee-Rup. He got up two petitions for local option polls. He had no encumbrance on his property. (Title produced.) Mr. Meagher: Yours in the best site? Witness: I suppose that is a silly question to ask. (Laughter.) Mr. Meagher: Not at all. You have other land?—Yes, in Rossiter-road, which I bought four years ago. I bought the additional block in Station-street 12 months ago. The Station-street site was the best, and I have means to erect it.

To Mr. Shelton: He had held a wine and spirit license. Mr. Shelton: Is that your only experience of selling liquor?—I was bar-man for two years. Were you ever convicted? Mr. Meagher objected to the question. Provision was made in the Licensing Act that no conviction over three years could be used in evidence. Mr. Cohen, P.M., directed to Section 91 of the Act, regarding testimonials. They had the inspector's report. Witness stated that he was convicted for selling a less quantity than his license entitled him to sell. He was fined £30. Plain-clothes Constable Campbell said applicant had conducted the Albion Hotel, Carlton, satisfactorily. Mr. Shelton drew attention to the fact that the notices were not proved, and the necessary evidence was given by Colin Campbell, clerk of courts, and L. C. Meagher, solicitor for the applicant. Mr. Meagher asked that the Bench should not consider the conviction when coming to the decision.  [Read original on Trove, here]

  

Pumping the water out of the hotel cellar with  a Fordson tractor, 1934.  In spite of the evidence presented at the Licensing Court, the Royal Hotel site was obviously not immune to flooding.

Koo-Wee-Rup Swamp Historical Society photograph

Alf E. Edney

Mr. Sutherland appeared for applicant, whose site was in Station-street, near Rossiter-road. A.W.Stevens said that there was no excessive water lodgment in Rossiter-road, along which 75 per cent, of the traffic came. The site was dry. Mr. P.Cohen, P.M.: The Bench have evidence that 75 per cent, comes the other way: 150 per cent, altogether! A. Woodman gave evidence, and the formal notices were proven. Alf. E. Edney, retired storekeeper, Leongatha, said he was purchasing the land. He proposed to erect a house of 34 rooms, at a cost of between £2000 and £3000, with ample sanitary and

other accommodation, air gas, etc. To Mr. Shelton: Vickery had a hotel at Longwarry, and suggested to witness to apply. No one except witness had a beneficial interest in the hotel. [Read original on Trove, here]

Lyman Wildes

Mr. Barham (instructed by Messrs. Boothby and Booth by, Loch and Melbourne) appeared for applicant. The site was in Rossiter-road, south-east of the railway line. Counsel stated that hotels were more particularly for the convenience of travellers, as, for instance, the inns of older times. His client had option to purchase at £2 per foot, and the cost of the building would be £3700. C. G. Kempson, architect, said the hotel would contain 24 rooms, and take nine or ten months to erect. Mr. Cohen, P.M., pointed out that there was no provision made for a bathroom for females, in many of the plans. It was very necessary to have two bathrooms.

Cr. Hardy, Cranbourne Council, said applicant was well fitted to conduct the hotel. His hotel at Lang Lang was well conducted. The council had improved the drainage at Koo-Wee-Rup. The Government had a big drainage scheme in hand. Cr. Angus Cameron, Yannathan, said the drainage was sufficient to meet ordinary requirements. Wildes' site was well suited for Koo-Wee-Rup. Applicant had an excellent character. Lyman Wildes, applicant, said he was licensee of the Lang Lang Hotel, and trade would be reduced by half if he got a license at Koo-Wee-Rup; he would get rid of the Lang Lang license if successful. His site was higher than McNamara's, and well drained and dry; he had means and ability to build.

H. C. Smith, managing clerk, Messrs. Boothby and Boothby, produced the documents regarding ownership of the land and serving of notices. Patrick William McGrath, farmer, Glen Forbes, formerly licensee of Poowong Hotel, said he had known applicant at Lang Lang. The hotel was well conducted. Wildes was a hard-working, popular man, and a suitable man to hold a license in Koo-Wee-Rup; the site was very suitable, high and dry. Mr. Shelton directed attention to the Licensing Act, and cases regarding a person holding a beneficial interest in more than one license. He did not think it was an absolute bar. Licensing-Inspector Costello said the applicant's hotel at Lang Lang was well conducted. Constable Cole, Lang Lang, gave the applicant and his house a good character; he would be a suitable man to hold a license; he verified the testimonials given to Mr. Wildes by Messrs. Blake and Le Roux. Mr. Barham said that no license would be issued until the conditional certificate became absolute. Nothing should be done to debar hotelkeepers and license holders applying for a new license. [Read original on Trove, here]

William Clews

Mr. P. H. Conant, solicitor, Wonthaggi, instructed by Messrs. Croft and Rohden, appeared for applicant, the site was in Rossiter road. McNamara's site was hidden by the goodsheds, and one had to travel three sides of a square to find it. It would take a Philadelphia lawyer to find it on a dark night when it was raining, and there were no lamps. The formal notices were proved. William Clews said he was connected with hotel business for 23 years; he had held licenses for 16 years, and owned hotels at Sale, Ballarat, Traralgon and Moe; he had had no prosecutions against him; he had an option over the site of half an acre in Rossiter's-road, near Mr. Hayes' site; he proposed to build the hotel according to plans and specifications produced, at an estimated cost of £3500. He had means of his own, and was capable of carrying out the work. His property in Sale had been delicensed, and he got £490 compensation. To Mr. Shelton: The contract of sale was the only title he had to the land, of which Mr. Meikle was the owner. He had paid 10/- to Mr. Meikle for the option. The hotels he had been in were successful, but they were not fit to live in; they were good financial houses. In some of them one got wet in the beds from rain coming in. It was absolutely true. The owners got notice to put them in order. It would not pay him to do them up; he was only the licensee. He could not buy the freehold. Mr. P. Cohen, P.M.: Could not get out of the rain. [Read original on Trove, here]

Sarah Alice Kraft.

Mr. Dunn appeared for the applicant, whose site was next to Mr. Edney's in Station-street. Koo-Wee-Rup was not a holiday resort; people went there on business, which was mostly transacted in Station-street. He submitted that it was not so much the building that should be considered, it might be a big imposing house where no one would feel at home, but they should take into consideration comfort and convenience, and the experience of the applicant to make people at home. His client had many testimonials from travellers, doctors, Government officers and others. Sarah Alice Kraft, married woman, said she had 30 years' experience of hotel life; owned and conducted the Bunyip Hotel 14 years; had experience and catered satisfactorily for conditions in the Swamp. No one else was interested in her application. She had purchased 66 feet, and had an option over 14 feet. The building would cost £2700, and be finished in eight or nine months. Inspector Costello said a great many testimonials had been investigated. [Read original on Trove, here]

Concluding remarks.

This concluded the cases. Mr. Shelton said that the attention of the court might be drawn to some aspects of the cases. Mr. Dunn had put the thing on a proper basis when he referred to the convenience of the public. Reference had been made to old inns previously. He submitted that having regard to travellers and future possibilities the court should consider the (l) site of the building; (2) class of building with regard to requirements of the locality; (3) personal character of the applicant and ability to conduct the business.  [Read original on Trove, here]

Who was the winner? It was Denis McNamara. I can’t find any reports as to why he was selected over the other applicants, however he wasted no time. Tenders were invited for the construction of the Hotel in February. Mr A. Oliver won the tender for the contract price of £3,305. The finished building was a fine commodious building of nearly 30 rooms, according to the Lang Lang Guardian, and one of the finest edifices of the kind in Gippsland. The rooms were fitted out by Mr McKee of the Royal Arcade in a most up-to-date and luxurious manner.   It was officially opened on Thursday, September 9, 1915. You can read more about the Royal Hotel and Denis McNamara and family, here.

Paying your Rates - 100 years ago

How to pay your rates 100 years ago.

Bunyip Free Press May 20, 1915

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129631341

100 years ago this week - St Joseph's Convent Iona opened

St Joseph's Convent Iona opened one hundred years ago, on April 11, 1915.  The Convent housed the Sisters of St Joseph, who established a school in Columba Hall (the Parish Hall) to provide the children with a sound secular and religious education. A report two weeks later  said that three Sisters of St Joseph on the teaching staff and sixty children attend daily. (1) School continued in the Hall until it was destroyed by fire on December 26, 1927. A new brick hall (the existing hall), also used for the school, was opened October 21, 1928. A purpose built school was opened at Iona on November 26, 1961. (2)

Opening of the Convent School at Iona

Bunyip Free Press April 15, 1915  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129631211

New Convent School, Iona

The ceremony of the solemn blessing and opening of the new Convent of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Iona, was performed by His Grace the most Rev. Dr. Mannix on Sunday afternoon last. There was a very large attendance, including some from the outlaying parts of the parish, notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather. 
The Rev. J. J. Malone, P.P., of Clifton Hill, gave an eloquent touching, and instructive address on the Religious Life at the 11 o'clock mass to a large congregation.
The contributions for the day amounted to nearly £400, while donations amounting to £246 had been previously received in response to a direct appeal to the parishioners.

The opening of the Convent  in 1915

Image:  100 years of a Catholic Faith Community: St Joseph's Iona 1905-2005 by Damian Smith. (The Author, 2005)

A more detailed of this momentous event in Iona was reported in The Advocate, of April 17, 1915 (see here)

OPENING OR A NEW CONVENT AT IONA BY THIS COADJUTOR-ARCHBISHOP.

His Grace Archbishop Mannix opened a new convent at Iona on last Sunday. Notwithstanding the severity of the weather and the long distance many of them had to travel, most of the parishioners from Iona itself and the outlying districts assembled on the occasion. Between two lines of people which stretched from the gate of the presbytery to the door of the convent, his Grace walked, accompanied by the pastor, Fr. Cusack, and his assistant, Fr. Macnamara, Frs. Gleeson and O'Connor, of Essendon, Fr. Malone, of Clifton Hill, and Fr. O'Ryan, of West Melbourne. Thanks to a fortunate break in the weather, his Grace was enabled to address the large gathering from the presbytery verandah. 

His Grace, in addressing the people, said that in consequence of the forthcoming meeting to be held in the Town Hall, Melbourne, on April 28th, he was prevented from discussing the new situation created by the recent decision of the Political Labour Council.

The convent itself, which was designed by Messrs. Kempson and Conolly, and erected and furnished at a cost of over £1100, is a commodious and elegant structure, worthy of the place and people, worthy of the pastor and his predecessor, who have done yeoman service in building up a very difficult mission, and worthy of the heroic Order of the Sisters of St. Joseph, who have undertaken the task of imparting a sound secular and religious education to the children. There was something stimulating in the enthusiasm and intense religious earnestness of the large gathering, which touched his Grace and thrilled his utterance. 

From the balance-sheet, which was read by Fr. Cusack before his Grace's address, he could see, he said, that priest and people had done great work there for God and religion, and felt sure that whatever decision may be arrived at by the Town Hall meeting, the Catholics of Iona could be relied upon to adopt it whole-heartedly, and, when the time comes, put it into active execution. Judging by the generous donations received in response to the appeal made to them, Fr. Cusack should have no difficulty in wiping out the balance of the debt which lies on the mission. The contributions for the day amounted to £385, while donations of £246 had been previously received in response to a direct appeal to the parishioners. The fact that his Grace's visit was coincident with the break up of the drought opened their hearts more freely and forced them to put their hands deeper into their pockets. 

Clearly, too, they appreciate the privilege of having a staff of self-sacrificing nuns in their midst to provide for the secular and religious training of their children. As one who revisited the place for the first time after a space of twenty years, I have only to add that I was astonished at its marvellous material progress and at the no less marvellous progress of its Catholicity.

The Convent in 1922

The Advocate November 16, 1922 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page20363246

The New Convent
The building is of wood, with Californian pine dado outside. The roof is of corrugated iron, walls of lath and plaster, ceiling of stamped metal, flooring of Queensland pine. The hall, front and back, is 6 feet wide. The oratory is 18ft. by 16ft.; refectory, 20 by 16; reception-room, 16 by 11; dormitory, 16 by 15½. Other rooms are 16 by 14. There is a verandah round the front and two sides, 6ft; wide. The building is well ventilated and lighted. The parish hall has been fitted up and renovated and furnished as a school in accordance with the requirements of the Board of Health.

The works have been carried out from designs and under the superintendence of Messrs. Kempson and Conolly, architects, Oxford Chambers, Bourke-street, Melbourne, by Mr. T. Bain, contractor, Coburg.

Footnotes

(1) Bunyip Free Press, April 29, 1915, see here.

(2) The Age, December 27, 1927, see here; The Advocate, October 25, 1928, see here; Smith, Damien, 100 years of a Catholic Faith Community: St Joseph's Iona 1905-2005 (The Author, 2005), p.  63.

Growing up on a dairy farm in the 1940s and 50s.

Small family Dairy farms used to be the predominant farm on the Koo-Wee-Rup Swamp until the 1970s or so. In the 1920s, for instance, it was estimated that there were close to 12,000 dairy cattle in the Parishes of Koo-Wee-Rup, Koo-Wee-Rup East and Yallock (approximately Koo-Wee-Rup to Bunyip and south to Bayles, Caldermeade and Catani) at the same time the human population would have been maybe 4,500.

My father, Frank Rouse, grew up on a small dairy farm on Murray Road at Cora Lynn and this is his story.  Family farms relied on the (generally unpaid) labour of family members and Dad, his brother Jim and their two older sisters were expected to take part in the daily chores on the farm.

The family milked cows and separated the cream which they sold to the Drouin factory to make butter; the rest was fed to the pigs, which when they were fat enough were sold at the Dandenong Market.  This wasn’t especially profitable and around 1949 when Jim was 18 and Dad was 16, Jim got the family a milk contract.  This meant they no longer had to separate the milk; it was sold as whole milk for the Melbourne market for a much higher price and thus the family income increased by 250 per cent.  Jim had arranged the contract through Campbell Buchanan, of Cora Lynn, who was also the carrier.

Lucy Rouse (Dad's aunty) and the little girl is Dorothy Rouse (Dad's sister), c. 1938. 

When they got the milk contract the family began the change from Jersey cows, which produced less milk but more cream to Friesians, they were bigger cows, had less trouble calving and produced more milk.

However, this meant that they had to build a new cow shed. The original cow shed had been built by Frank and Jim’s grandfather when he took up the block in 1903. It had six single bails, 25-30 cows were milked daily by hand, before school and after school.  Neighbours, including Joe Storey and Johnny King had milking machines. Maybe not everyone did but Dad feels fairly sure that they were the last dairy to become mechanised.

Rouse family farm, 1928.  Dad remembers it as 'acres of mud'

The new cow shed was built by Frank and Jim and, because of the conditions of the milk contract, the shed needed concrete floors and walls. For the concrete they needed sand, so they had to take the horses and dray up to the end of Dessent Road to the Main Drain. There was no levee bank then so they walked the horses, attached to a scoop, down into the drain where they pulled the scoop along, filled it up with sand and pulled it up the bank where Dad and Jim shovelled it onto a flat section then later shovelled it all into the dray, which belonged to their neighbour the aforementioned Johnny King, take it home and shovel it out.

They had purchased a second hand 2hp Rosebery petrol engine which powered the concrete mixer, thus the floor and lower wall (five feet high) were built (using formwork, not bricks) and the rest of the walls were timber, with a corrugated iron roof. The dairy, connected by a 6 ft wide breezeway also needed to be concreted.   Once the shed was built, Joe (Jim and Frank’s dad) purchased a second hand Mitchell milking machine plant from a farm in Koo-Wee-Rup. It took 90 minutes to get to Koo-Wee-Rup with a wagon and three horses – then Frank and Jim had to take the plant apart, load them and then they had to put them back together and install the machines. The plant was powered by the Rosebery engine.  After this, the family milked 45-50 cows. The Rouse family had four horses, which Dad describes as ‘3 reasonable and one mongrel’ – the best two were called Ned and Rats.

Dad had been used to working with horses as when he was 15 he worked a team of horses for Sandy Priest who lived near Bayles. He used to plant crops, scuffle spuds etc. Sandy was also a top cattle breeder and often topped the sales at Newmarket. Dad was actually paid for this work which was a bonus as they never got paid at home.  Sandy Priest, who lived somewhere on the Bayles - Longwarry Road had 100s of acres, his land backed up to the Railway Line, but he lived in a small shed.  His bed was two spud bags stretched over poles, there was a stove in the shed and a windmill outside which filled a trough for water.  When Dad was about 16 he grew some spuds on Sandy’s land and which he rented and then paid the rent in labour.

Rouse farm at Cora Lynn, c. 1930s

Around the time of the construction of the cow shed, Jim and Frank also began growing potatoes together, at home. Initially, all the work was done by horses but it wasn’t long before they purchased a brand new grey Fergie tractor - it was petrol, 16 hp and even though they were only aged 19 and 17, the Company financed them.  Four years later, in 1955, they purchased 60 acres from Johnny King, in Sinclair (now Bennetts) Road at Cora Lynn. It was, we believe, about £6,000 but he allowed them to pay it back a certain amount per year – he had always been a good support to them. Jim and Frank milked cows for a year or two after that, then other family members took over and the Rouse dairy farming came to an end on June 22, 1960 when all the cattle and plant were sold at a clearing sale. 

100 years ago this week - Cora Lynn Ball

This report of one of the best balls ever held in Cora Lynn comes from the Bunyip Free Press of March 11, 1915.

The Ball at Cora Lynn

Bunyip Free Press, March 11, 1915 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129630397

Cora Lynn Ball. A Great Success
The annual Ladies' Ball at Cora Lynn was held at Keast Hall on Monday evening last. There was a very large attendance, the building being crowded. Visitors attended from Iona, Garfield, Tynong, Kooweerup and Bunyip, whilst the local residents were also well represented. The dressing of the ladies was above ordinary of such functions, whilst the supper and general arrangements were provided on such a scale that reflected great credit on the hon. secretary, Mrs. M. Rigby. Mr. D. Danson officiated as M.C, in his usual able way, and first-class music was provided by Miss Leight and Mr. Hoggin. During the evening a waltzing competition was held and the winners were Miss Stella Shipton and Mr. McMillan. The ball was voted by most of the visitors as one of best yet held at Cora Lynn or the district.

Flood photos Koo-Wee-Rup

These are some photographs of  Koo-Wee-Rup and surrounds in what maybe the 1924 flood or the 1934 flood from the  Koo-Wee-Rup Swamp Historical Society collection.

This is the Railway bridge, there  are people at either end of the bridge. 

Rossiter Road

Four people in a row boat

I have seen this one dated 1916 and 1924.

Andrew Colvin's Shackcloth cycle factory

Stranded cars

Drying out after the flood, this is possibly the 1934 flood.