Garfield 1971

I came across some old Bunyip & Garfield Express newspapers from the early 1970s and so thought we could take a look at what was happening in the area in 1971 - 45 years ago.

The Longwarry Dance which was held every Saturday was a huge social event. In July, Gaynor Gibson, won the ‘Girl of the night’ in front of 810 people. Gaynor was an 18 year old typist and the daughter of Hilton and Greta Gibson of Vervale. Admission to the dance was 60 cents and there was a bus from Pakenham, with a pick-up at Nar Nar Goon, Tynong, Garfield and Bunyip as well as buses from Warragul, Drouin and Thorpdale which picked up from Trafalgar and Yarragon.  In the November, Doug Parkinson performed at the dance to over 1,000 people.  The bands playing on the night that Gaynor won her title were ‘popular local bands’ Solid State, Purple Haze and Noggins and Batts. It appears that each ‘Girl of the night’ then had to face the judges again in the quarter finals and ultimately the ‘Girl of the Year’ was awarded in December, in 1971 to Marilyn Cross, a 19 year old clerk from Catani.  Marilyn won $50.00 in cash as well as a coloured photograph from Holley Studios in Warragul and ‘a garment’ from Lazanne Fashions also in Warragul.

There were weekly advertisements from Tuttons’ Self Service store at Garfield (Phone Garfield 72) and back then you could buy a large tin of Milo for 48 cents and a large tin of peaches for 32 cents. Each week there was also a big advertisement from Robinson’s SSW Foodmarket, Main Street Pakenham (Phone  Pakenham 5) as well as Permewans at Bunyip (they had two phones - Bunyip 2 or 8)

In July, the Garfield Newsagency was sold by Mr & Mrs McArthur to E.H & P.C  Vardon.  The Newsagency sold Education supplies, books and magazines, cigarettes and tobacco, toys, travel goods, sporting goods, electrical appliances, cycles and accessories.  Also advertising was Gilmore’s Garfield Sport and Cycle Store which sold a huge range of sporting goods and gifts as well as being a Tobacconist and a Hairdresser.

Gilmore's store advertisement

Bunyip and Garfield Express December 9, 1971

In July, the Garfield Progress Association advocated for a Technical School to be built in the town as they said that everyday 100 students catch the train to either Drouin or Warragul to further their education and there were 700 children travelling to secondary schools at this end of the Shire.   A Technical school was never established in Garfield but there was a report in February 1972 about Warragul Technical School going co-ed – there were 610 boys and 10 girls (all the girls specialised in art) The paper reported that the girls had settled into the school ‘in true women’s liberation fashion’ and ‘the order of the day is smart uniforms which contrasts pleasantly to the boys dress’

In November, Dorothy Anne Fashions  ‘presented a showing of colourful gay summer fashions including hot pants, swim wear, slack suits, frocks and nightwear’  The parade was opened by Colin Teese who introduced Mrs Simcocks  ‘who very capably compered the evening’  The models were Leeane Fawkner, Mollie Giblin, Mary O’Hehir, Gaynor Gibson, Debbie Matthews, Joy Tait, Margaret Jacques, June Matthews, Maarke van Donk, Lynne Lewis, Coleen Potter, June Simcocks, Carol Lupton, Penny Cox, Lesley Moyle, Jenny Lee and Denise Payne. Rhonda Cox and Helen Weatherhead ‘styled four models hair in different short and long styles’ while the fashions were being shown. The models for the hair were Corrie Naus, Edna Cox, Denise Payne and Jill Brenchley. The Parade raised $160.00 for the Swimming Pool.

The same issue as the Fashion Parade report had the headline ‘Dedication lacking says Garfield Official.’ Mr Laurie Marsh, Vice President of the West Gippsland Football League said ‘that there was something lacking in the footballer and officials of today.... The task of administration was becoming harder because it was difficult to get the dedication which marked the old players.  It was difficult to get this in these days of fast cars when so many young fellows had so much money in their pockets. It was different from the old days when players were prepared to change in an old fashioned furniture van or the scrub.’ Mr Marsh also said that this lack of dedication was not confined to the players; some umpires were ‘not very fit and not very talented’

Work commenced on the new Garfield Telephone Exchange in November. This was an automatic exchange which would allow subscribers in Garfield, Iona and Tynong to dial direct to Melbourne without going through the Exchange.

The Garfield C.W.A Annual General Meeting was held in November and Mrs H. Marson was elected President; Mrs E. Kavanagh was Secretary; Mrs L. Kellaway was Treasurer and the Vice Presidents were Mrs A. Dick, Mrs L. Kierce and Mrs V. Marsh.

Finally, the Shire of Berwick granted permission to the Garfield Christmas Eve Carnival Committee to block off Main Street, from 8.00pm to 11.00pm, between the Thirteen Mile and the bakery for the Carnival to be held on December 24. There would be the ‘usual attractions’ including hay rides, jinker rides and the arrival of Father Christmas, who would distribute free ice creams and chips.  

Koo Wee Rup ANZ / E.S. & A Bank

Banking in Koo Wee Rup started in 1905 when an agency of the London Bank at Garfield was established in the town.  In 1920, the London Bank amalgamated with the English, Scottish & Australian Bank (E.S. & A Bank) who in turn amalgamated with the ANZ in 1970.

The London Bank establishes an agency in Koo Wee Rup.

South Bourke & Mornington Journal, August 16, 1905 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/66143624

The Garfield agency of the London Bank was established in July 1904 and it was converted to a full Branch a year later, with the first manager being Clarence Adeney. So successful was the Garfield Branch that the Koo Wee Rup agency was established in August 1905 and the next year agencies at  Yannathan, Iona and Tynong.  By September 1906, the Koo Wee Rup agency was also successful enough to be converted into a full Branch, and the Garfield manager, Clarence Adeney, was placed in charge where he remained until 1920. (1)  A Branch, as opposed to an Agency, had full-time operating hours and its own manager. 

Also in 1906, Banking Chambers were constructed,  as the Lang Lang Guardian reported in September - 

Mr A. Woodman had accepted a contract from the London Bank of Australia Ltd to erect a Bank chambers and Dwelling at an estimated cost of £600. The construction is to be of oregon and plaster and it is also proposed to use tiles for the roof. (2)

Another report of the new building was in the South Bourke & Mornington Journal -

The authorities of the London Bank Australia have decided to erect a bank here, and to that end plans and specifications have been prepared by a Melbourne firm of architects. It is estimated that the structure will cost between £600 and £700, and will be an undoubted acquisition to the district. (3)

In October 1912, the London Bank purchased the site of their building for a satisfactory price as noted by the  South Bourke & Mornington Journal. (4)

On October 22, 1917, around 10.00 am there was a tragic accident at the branch when 25 year-old William Lees McClure, the Bank clerk at  Koo Wee Rup was shot. The Bank's loaded revolver had been on the counter, William removed it from the counter and placed it on a stool and when opening the cash drawer had accidently knocked the gun off the stool, it hit the ground and exploded, and a bullet entered his groin. He was taken to Nurse Campbell's Private Hospital in Dandenong, operated on, however the wound became septic and he died  on November 6. Evidence was given at the Inquest by Mr Adeney, who said it was usual for me to place the automatic  pistol on the counter, there was also another revolver for the use of the bank officials. 

William, was the son of William Lees McClure and his wife Catherine (nee Hallinan) of  Clericote, Tootal Road, Springvale, he had a sister Florrie and a brother Tom.  William was buried at the Cheltenham Pioneer Cemetery. The Inquest determined the incident was an accident. It was a senseless death and as William's father noted in his evidence - My son left my home at Springvale at 6.45 am in good health and spirits, and he had no financial or other troubles.(5)

In 1919, the original building was expanded, by building out to the footpath and adding a second storey and in October 1919 the Koo Wee Rup Sun reported that -
The contractor for the alterations to the London Bank at Koo-Wee-Rup has the work well in hand and will complete it in a few weeks. It speaks well for Koo-Wee-Rup when the local bank has to enlarge its premises. The extra room will be needed in anticipation for the next record season. (6)

E.S. & A. Bank in  Station Street, Koo Wee Rup c. 1920s

In December, the Koo Wee Rup Sun could report on the finished building -

Bank Improvements
Another exemplification as to the soundness of this district has been shown by the London Bank of Australia, for this financial Institution has had big alterations carried out in their Kooweerup premises, and tenders were recently called for the erection of another building at Dalmore. For some time past the officials have been hampered in their work by the want of more room, and this, coupled with the fact that no banking company indulges in any expenditure unless fully assured that the possibilities ahead are of the best, it is a good guarantee as to the potentialities of the swamp area.

The alterations carried out consist of more room being made for the conduct of general business, a manager's office, and rooms upstairs to be used as residential quarters. The work has taken longer to carry out, than anticipated, owing to labour troubles, strikes and railway delay, but despite all these inconveniences the contractor has performed his task in a quick and thorough manner, and has earned the appreciation of the authorities in Melbourne.

The ceilings are made of picton fibre panels and moulded, and the plastering of the walls have been neatly done. New office fittings have been provided, the timber used being Queensland maple, nicely finished with french polish. A new strong room has also been erected and the building renovated throughout. (7)

The architects for the renovations were Oakden, Ballantyne and Hare. 

Oakden, Ballantyne and Hare, call for tenders for the alterations to the Koo Wee Rup Bank.

The Argus, July 8, 1919 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/4718752

E.S. & A. Bank in Station Street, Koo Wee Rup c. 1940s

During all this time Clarence Adeney was the manager. Described in one report as the genial Mr Adeney and described by David Mickle as a kind and gentle man, he left the managers position at Koo Wee Rup in early 1920 and was replaced by William Kerr Paterson, whose wife Margaret was to become the inaugural President of the Koo Wee Rup CWA when it was established in 1929. (8). Clarence then took up the part-time position operating the Yannathan bank. 

In January 1923 The Argus reported that - 

Mr. C. Adeney, J.P., of Yannathan, has been granted extended, leave of absence from the E. S. and A. Bank on account of ill health. During the last 22 years Mr. Adeney managed a number of branches of the London Bank (now the English, Scottish, and Australian Bank). He has been intimately associated with the development of the closer settlement areas, more particularly the Koo-wee-rup swamp. (8)

Clarence Adeney was born in 1869 to Henry William Howells Adeney and his wife Sarah (nee Pitman). His father was an Anglican Minister and his mother, as a matter of interest, was the niece of Sir Isaac Pitman, who invented Pitman shorthand system. Clarence married Angelina Treweek in 1895 and they had four children - Arnold (1901 in Maryborough), Henry Allen (1903 Warragul ), Dorothy (1905 Warragul), Marjorie (1906 Garfield). Clarence died aged 79 on July 10, 1948; a year after Angelina who died July 24, 1947 (9)

The Lang Lang E.S. & A Bank

The Cardinia Shire Heritage Study (10) describes the Koo Wee Rup Bank as an early example of the architectural style known as towards modernism and it is one of three former E.S. & A Banks in the Heritage Study. The other ones are the Garfield Bank, which was built in 1931 (11) and the Lang Lang Bank, which was built in 1929.  The Garfield Bank is thought to have been designed by Twentyman & Askew, the same Architects as the Lang Lang bank. (12)

The ANZ closed the Koo Wee Rup Bank on May 11, 2016, and the building is currently occupied by a Pharmacy. (13)

Trove list - I have created a list of articles on the Koo Wee Rup Bank of London / E.S. & A/ANZ Bank (and the Garfield Banks of the same names), access it here.

Footnotes

(1) History of the Garfield Bank - https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-es-anz-bank-at-garfield.html

(2) Lang Lang Guardian, September 5, 1906, p. 2.

(3) South Bourke & Mornington Journal, September 12, 1906, see here.

(4) South Bourke & Mornington Journal, October 10, 1912, see here.

(5) Inquest Deposition File, Public Records Office of Victoria https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/92888D50-F1C3-11E9-AE98-6D8B14280B73 I have written about William Lees McClure, the son of William and Catherine (nee Hallinan) McClure and his extended family, here https://victoriaspast.blogspot.com/2024/06/william-lees-mcclure-and-his-tragic.html

(6) Koo Wee Rup Sun, October 1, 1919, p. 5; South Bourke & Mornington Journal, October 16, 1919, see here. 

(7)  Koo Wee Rup Sun, December 24, 1919, p. 6

(8) Koo Wee Rup Sun, October 15, 1919, p.1; Mickle, David Mickle Memories of Koo-wee-rup for young and old (The Author, 1983). pp 73 and 87. William Kerr Paterson - https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-establishment-of-koo-wee-rup.html

(9) Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages; family notices in my Trove list; article on the Reverend Adeney, The Herald, June 30, 1928, see here

(10) Cardinia Local Heritage Study Review 2008 - Volume 5: Stage B Individual places, Draft June 2008, Context P/L., p. 173-177 of 304.

(11) https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-es-anz-bank-at-garfield.html

(12) Cardinia Shire Heritage Study; a Heritage Study of parts of the Shire previously in the Cranbourne and Sherbrooke Shires - Volume 2: Heritage Places - by Graeme Butler & Associates (Cardinia Shire, 1999), pp. 159-160.

(13) I originally wrote this in April 2016 and started it with - The ANZ Bank in Rossiter Road is closing down in the next few weeks (May 2016) so this is a look at the early history of the bank in Koo Wee Rup. It was revised in June 2024.

Report from the Pakenham Gazette of 21/3/2016 by Russell Bennett 

https://pakenham.starcommunity.com.au/gazette/2016-03-21/bank-pulls-out-of-kooweerup/

Bank pulls out of Kooweerup.

THE ANZ Bank will withdraw from the Kooweerup community in May, with the local branch closing its doors.

In a statement issued to the Gazette, an ANZ spokesman said the decision to close was a difficult one and came about after a detailed review. The Kooweerup branch will be closed from 11 May.
“We apologise to our customers for any inconvenience this closure may cause,” the statement said.
“Our review showed customers in the area are using the Kooweerup branch less and less for their banking needs, while many customers are increasingly using alternatives such as our mobile phone banking app, ‘goMoney’, internet banking or ATMs.
“We have written to our customers to let them know about this closure and to let them know where and how they can continue to do their banking. They can visit us at our Pakenham branch, which is less than 16 kilometres away, and we are exploring whether we can keep an ANZ ATM in Kooweerup, either at the current location or elsewhere.
“Customers can also use the Bank@Post facilities located at 48 Station Street in Kooweerup – 110 metres away from the branch site – which will offer deposits, withdrawals and payments for customers using ANZ debit or credit cards. We also have phone and online banking services available to customers 24/7 which can be accessed by calling 13 13 14 or by visiting anz.com.”
Kooweerup Township Committee president Ray Brown said the bank had made a commercial decision.
“It’s certainly disappointing for the town but with the latest banking technology out there, it was probably inevitable,” he said.
“The town once had the State Savings Bank (now the Commonwealth), the National Bank and the ANZ but banking has been depleted over the years.”
Mr Brown said the lack of parking outside the town’s iconic ANZ branch building had become an issue over the years.
“The building is probably past its use-by date,” he said.
Mr Brown said he thought the ANZ branch’s closure was “inevitable”, but added: “It’s still taken a lot of people by surprise”.
He said the bank was entrenched in the town when he arrived in 1970 and was “part of the fabric of the community”.
“People who rely on the bank will certainly miss out,” he said.
“They’ll look elsewhere now.
“As a committee we’re going to write to the ANZ and express our concern over it (the move).”
But Mr Brown said he couldn’t argue with the economic reasoning behind the branch’s closure.
“If you don’t use it, you lose it,” he said.
“The ANZ bank has always provided great service from great people and it’ll be missed.”
The ANZ, through its statement, said it was consulting with the branch’s staff members and is “fully supporting them through this transition period and making every effort to find redeployment opportunities for them”.

Garfield Progress Association

This post looks at the activities of the Garfield Progress Association (GPA) and its forerunner, the Garfield Progressive Association, mainly through the correspondence it had with the Berwick Shire. The minutes of the Shire meetings were extensively reported in the South Bourke and Mornington Journal and later the Dandenong Journal. You can find these papers on Trove http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper

The first mention I can find is in 1901 where the Progressive Association was complaining about the state of local roads - a sign of things to come as roads and drains were the usual source of complaints right up to the 1950s. For instance, in September 1901 the Association wanted ‘the scrub on the road from the Station to the State School to be cut as there was no room for traffic’ (this was when the school was located up the hill on Garfield Road) In December of that year the the GPA had written a letter to The Age newspaper asking why the Department of Public Works ‘cannot do its works properly instead of wasting public money’ - a question many people still ask today of  the Government.

In August 1903, the South Bourke and Mornington Journal had a tongue in cheek look at the town of Garfield.  The reporter interviewed an unnamed local who, amongst other things, thought that Garfield was progressing so much and the Railway station was so busy that it needed to have a station master instead of a station mistress. He went on to say that Garfield had a strong political body in the town (the Progressive Association) and that they had lots of trouble with the Iona (Ward) Councillors so they were going to ‘put  a man into council so he will do what they want him to do’.  The local would not be surprised if the GPA was the cause of the agitation to get the Federal site (Canberra) shifted from NSW to Victoria and if it was then Garfield would stand a chance of being chosen!

I can’t find many reports in the 1910s, probably because the community was pre-occupied with the war effort, but it appears that by the mid 1920s the Association was up and running again and they were obviously convinced that Canberra would remain as the Federal Capital and not be shifted to Garfield so they were back complaining to the Council about the state of local roads, especially the North Garfield Road. In February 1928, the GPA was asking for a rubbish tip to be established at Garfield. And later that same year they asked the Council to ‘guarantee’ 15 street lights.

In 1932, the GPA asked the Bills Estate for a trough for Garfield - it was at one stage located outside the hotel. These troughs were funded from a bequest from the will of George Bills, who died in 1927. His will left various bequests and the bulk of his Estate was to be made available by his Executors to Societies for the protection of animals, such as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) and for the construction of horse troughs for the relief of horses or other ‘dumb animals’. These troughs were to be inscribed with the names of George and his wife Annis.

In 1944, the GPA asked for a street light opposite the west railway crossing (sort of where the 13 Mile Road comes into town) and, of course, more road improvements. In 1945, they had turned their attention to parks. The GPA had written to the council asking how their negotiations were going with the Railways regarding the proposed extension of the park facing Main Street. ‘There is keen local interest in the beautification of this town and the additional park area would be an asset in this direction’  They later (July 1945) asked permission to plant two ash trees in front of the Baby Health Centre -  whether that was  a priority for the mothers attending the  Health Centre is another matter as in August 1943 Sister Spence had reported to the Council that ‘we are looking forward to the improvement of the old baby Health Centre at Garfield which at present is a  fine sieve for rain’

In 1946 there were the usual complaints about drains - especially the unsatisfactory drainage on the steep Garfield hill and also a complaint  was made to the Council about ‘the cattle and horses  which are permitted to wander  in streets and roads around Garfield, constituting a constant menace to householder’s gardens and trees’. The Council Ranger was instructed to ‘make a raid’

In April 1947, the GPA made advances to have the Ballarat Starch Company start a factory in Garfield - the factory would obtain starch from potatoes and the establishment of the factory would ‘provide a profitable outlet of unsaleable rejects and rubbishy potatoes’.

In August 1950, the GPA asked the Council to convene a public meeting to consider the erection of a memorial to those who had paid the supreme sacrifice in World War One and Two.  In 1953, the GPA was once again on a political bent when they supported the election of Reg Sykes to the Berwick Council. Reg was described as a ‘young man who served the the RAAF as a member of the Air Crew in the south west Pacific’. He also had a 300 acre property on the Princes Highway at Tynong.  Reg had also owned 540 acres in Tynong North which he sold in 1949 for £4,500 to the Catholic Church for the establishment of township of Maryknoll.

Bunyip Dramatic Society

When my father, Frank Rouse, was young - around 17 to 19 years of age -  in the early 1950s, he was a member of the Repertory Society or Dramatic Society in Bunyip. The Company put on plays at the Bunyip Hall and the Cora Lynn Hall.  The plays were usually two acts long, with an interval. Dad doesn’t remember the names of any of the plays but in one play he played the role of an English gentleman on a train who kept getting off the train at the wrong station and in another he played the role of a Minister of Religion.

The Society had maybe 15 to 20 members who also made the stage sets; Dad built the train for the play which was set on the train. 

His acting career started largely because he had the essential attributes of being young, male, tall and willing. Another member of the Society was Win Reid who taught Dad at Sunday School at Cora Lynn and she organised the Sunday school concerts and also taught elocution and encouraged Dad to join the Repertory Society. It was a short lived acting career which was fun while it lasted and he still remembers the advice he was given which was ‘to speak to the back row, so your voice carries’

Other members of the Society were Hughie Pound who ran the Radio store in Bunyip, where Loretta’s Hairdressing is now located; Colin Flett who had  a general store, with a good range of hardware, where the Bendigo Bank is; Frank Harker who lived on Eleven Mile road at Cora Lynn (all that remains of his house are the two palm trees in the paddock); Don and Pat Whysall – Don was in the Fire Brigade and Pat was a teacher; Betty Storey, who lived on Murray Road, a neighbour of the Rouses; Dad’s oldest sister Nancy; Nelly Dixon (nee Edis) married to Geoff Dixon, who was a builder; Russell and Elizabeth Spence  - remembered as ‘an older couple’ and Arthur Holgate, who was ‘quite old’. Mr Holgate was the local Registrar of Births and Deaths and is remembered in our family because he incorrectly registered the date of my sister Megan’s birth in 1957. He wrote the registration date down as the birth date and we didn’t find out until she had to apply for a birth certificate 20 or so years later.

Denise Nest has a paragraph about the Dramatic Society in her book, The Call of the Bunyip: history of Bunyip, Iona and Tonimbuk 1847 to 1900.  She mentions a few other names apart from the ones Dad remembers - Rex Taylor and members of the Thomas and Roberts families.

The Bunyip Dramatic Society is believed to have been established under the auspices of the Council of Adult Education (CAE) which was formed in 1947 to encourage, inter alia, community activities including the performing arts*. The CAE also held drama summer schools and I came across this report, from The Argus, December 27, 1956 of Arthur Holgate attending that year. He was 72 at the time, so it is no wonder that Dad, who was 50 years younger, remembered him as being 'quite old'. The article is also interesting as it lists the range of occupations of people involved in amateur theatre at the time.

Report of Arthur Holgate attending a CAE Drama Summer school.

The Argus December 27, 1956 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71773285

* Victorian Drama League website  https://vdl.org.au/from-convicts-to-covid-19-amateur-theatre-in-victoria/

Bunyip and the Koo-Wee-Rup Swamp 1887

This account of the township of Bunyip and the Koo-Wee-Rup Swamp comes from the South Bourke and Mornington Journal of August 3, 1887.  Click here to access this article on Trove

From an occasional Correspondent.

"Vare iz de downsheep" The interrogator was a foreigner, and the person questioned was, Mr. Barrow, the local storekeeper of the "rising" township of  Bunyip. For Bunyip, by the way, is at present only a small hamlet; in fact it is able to do very little more than 'claim to have, a ''local habitation" as well as a name. Nevertheless it has two hotels, well conducted by Messrs. Hanson and Finch. These two hostelries, with Mr. Barrow's general store, amicably uniting themselves pretty well form the township. There are also one or two unpretentious dwelling houses about, and a State School, of which Mrs. Skinner is the tutelary genius, lies back a little out of sight. 

But still Bunyip may be designated as a rising township, for it stands prominently upon a steep "rise" overlooking the great Koo-wee-rup Swamp. To the foreigner's enquiry, "vare iz do downsheep," the interrogated resident replied with a majestic and comprehensive sweep of the hand, which took in the whole of the vast municipal settlement, "it is here." The foreigner looked puzzled and gazed earnestly round the whole sweep of the horizon, and then a bright idea penetrated his befogged intellect. "Oh! over de hill" he said, and was about to rush on thitherward to seek the goal of which he was in quest; but he was intercepted in his intention by the resident, who rejoined-"No; here. This is the township. Circumspice!"  It was calculated to wound the civic patriotism to have thus with minute emphasis pointed out the locality in which one lives, but there is nothing for it but to remit it to the category of "another injustice to poor old Ireland," and Bunyip must bear its trials with what heroic fortitude it can. 

I don't have any photos of Bunyip from 1887, but this is the Gippsland Hotel (Top Pub) and Main Street in 1908.

Photograph from The Call of the Bunyip by Denise Nest. 

It was only the other day that a young lady in a passing train, looking out over the dreary stretch of Koo-wee-rup Swamp with its forest of dead timber, expressed somewhat emphatically, if not euphoniously, the opinion that this was the last place the Creator made, and was left unfinished by Him. But then the day was a gloomy one, and the prospect from the train was not enlivening. Had the critic been able instead to have stood on the summit of the hill on which the township stands, on a bright day and have seen the magnificent view of the Cannibal ranges, and a sweep of mountain scenery right away to the snow-covered Baw Baw; and again, out over the Koo-wee-rup Swamp, the hills and the sea (ships being sometimes even discernable to the naked eye) had this opportunity been afforded to the fair critic, she would doubtless have been less severe in her comments. More than this, had she been gifted with prophetic, not to say poetic, vision she would have had presented to her mind's eye a still more attractive picture, when the now dismal-looking Koo-wee-rup Swamp shall be moved by the industry of the husbandman, and picturesque homestead with beautifully verdant fields shall gladden the eye and heighten the beauty of the even now splendid panorama. 

And this enhancement of the beauties of the locality should not be hidden in the very far distant future, and that some are far-seeing enough to perceive that this is evident from the fact that at a recent sale of Bunyip land lots at the outside boundary of the suburban area realised as much as £6 per acre. During his election tour Dr. L. L. Smith pledged himself to get the reclamation of the Koo-wee-rup Swamp entered upon as one of his first Parliamentary works, but the hon. gentleman substituted a trip to England, and since his return has forgotten to redeem his promise. But the work is one which must inevitably be undertaken before very long, for such a splendid tract of richly fertile country cannot long be allowed to lie waste within so short a distance of the metropolis. Here is a direction, Mr.Editor, in which your pen, so long wielded in advocacy of the interests of this district, might usefully be exercised. Meanwhile Bunyip is dependent for its existence upon the firewood trade. In a small place like this little can be expected in the way of social news. The arrival and departure of mails and trains constitute the excitements of the place.

Cora Lynn Church

The Presbyterian Church and the Methodist Church used to hold services at the Cora Lynn Hall from around the 1920s to 1960.  Most people attended every Sunday regardless of which religion they were. The average congregation was around 25.  Sunday School started first at 1.30pm and Church was at 2.30pm.

Dad and his sisters and brother all went to Sunday School and Church at Cora Lynn, initially driven by horse and jinker, until the family got their first car in 1948. 

  

Cora Lynn Sunday School 1948

Back row - Fourth from left is Frank Rouse, far right is Nancy Rouse, to her left is her sister Dorothy and in front of her is another sister, Daphne. Do you recognize anyone?

Apart from Cora Lynn there was a Methodist Church at Five Mile and one at Garfield and Modella. Garfield and Modella were serviced by the Drouin Minister and Cora Lynn and Five Mile by the Koo-Wee-Rup Minister. The only Methodist Ministers Mum and Dad can remember is a Mr Rosewarne and the Rev Blainey - the father of historian Geoffrey Blainey. There was also a Presbyterian Church at Iona and Bunyip.

The Presbyterian Minister from around 1953 was the Reverend Quentin Huckson. He lived in Bunyip with his wife Peggy and their four children - Judith, John, Peter and Andrew.  Rev Huckson had a service at Bunyip every week; then went to Iona which was an 11.30am service then alternate weeks did Cora Lynn and Longwarry at 2.30pm. He also conducted a monthly service at Tonimbuk and a service at Longwarry North. He drove to these services in a Peugot 203 and Dad said he was happy to talk about his car for hours. It was an unusual car in this area as it was the first foreign car they had seen in the district.

The Reverend Huckson left the Parish on August 25 1957 but the week before he left on August 18 Mum says he ‘rounded up’ all the babies in the area that were due to be christened and did a ‘mass baptism’ of about 12 babies all at once at Iona, including my sister Megan and our cousin Bruce Forte.

Before the next Presbyterian Minister came there was a period of about 16 months where retired ministers filled in. They often came by train the night before and then on the Sunday had at least three services to conduct. The next minister was the Reverend Ron Traill who came around the end of 1958 and almost immediately closed down Tonimbuk and Longwarry North Churches, but Cora Lynn lasted a bit longer and closed at the end of 1960.

Getting back to Cora Lynn - the big occasions at Cora Lynn were the Harvest Festival and the Sunday School picnic. The Harvest Festival would receive two to three tons of potatoes, onions, pumpkins etc that would all be taken to the Presbyterian Kildonan or Canterbury Babies Home or similar Methodist Homes. The Sunday School picnic was held at Glen Cromie and many of the children got there on the back of a truck owned by Ern Wilkinson.

This brings us to the Cora Lynn congregation - here is a list of people that Dad and Mum remembers attending the Cora Lynn Church. Ern and Elsie Wilkinson and their son Keith; Jim and Mabel MacDonald and their children Lorna, Jack, Bob and Joyce; Mrs Whitta and her son Donald; Mrs Julia Clapperton and her son Keith; Dan and Corrie Kinsella; Norman and Lorna Kinsella; Mrs Aileen Higgins of Toner Road - she had 5 or 6 children including Merna, Maurice, Ron, Joy and Wayne; Mrs Jocie Clay who lived on the Nine Mile and had young children; Mrs Nell Leamon, the wife of Clarrie the Scout Master. After Mr Leamon passed away she married Cr Dick Wakenshaw, the father of Bob and Don; the Slater family - the children were Euan and twins Andrew and Mary; Jack and Grace Huntingford and children Garry, Pam and Gwenda; Harry and Florence Huntingford and children Elaine and Jim; Mrs Harker and her children Frank and Joyce; Mrs Pearl Townley, Mrs McKenzie (wife of Les), Alan and Audrey Reid and Win Reid, who was the Sunday school teacher. Win was a cousin of Alan and Audrey.  Sorry, we don’t know all the first names.

There was also the Cora Lynn Combined Church Ladies Guild which continued on for several years after the services were stopped at Cora Lynn.

This is the Cora-Lynn Combined Churches Ladies Guild c.1965

Left to Right - Mabel McDonald (nee Wilkinson), Elsie Wilkinson, Rene Huntingford (nee Stephenson), Mrs Benham, Pearl Townley, Audrey Reid, Nell Wakenshaw, Mrs McKenzie, Grace Huntingford, Corrie Kinsella and Eva Rouse (nee Weatherhead, my grandma).

I am indebted to Bruce Stephenson for identifying Rene Huntingford, as we had her listed as unknown.

100 years ago this week - Kirwan's store at Vervale

100 years ago this week - John Kirwan, store owner, was caught illegally selling alcohol. Kirwan's store, at Vervale, was on the corner of the Thirteen Mile and the south side of the Main Drain. I have written about the store and its owners - The Kirwan family and James & Edith McMannis, here.

Seizure of Liquour from John Kirwan.

Dandenong Advertiser September 23, 1915  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88661288

SEIZURE OF LIQUOR AT BUNYIP.
A large quantity of whisky, beer, and stout in cases, was seized on Koo-wee-rup Swamp on Friday by Constables Allen and Anstee, of Bunyip. For some time the police have suspected that there was trafficking in liquor at Iona, and they watched the store owned by John A. Kirwan. They saw a man leaving the store with a bottle of whisky, and he admitted to the police that he obtained the liquor at
Kirwan's. The police took the liquor to the Bunyip police station, and Kirwan will be prosecuted on one or more charges of having trafficked in liquor illicitly.