Garfield Country Women's Association: a short history

This is a short, and  by no means complete, history of the Garfield Country Women's Association (CWA), as gleaned through newspaper reports from Trove.

In February 1931, Mrs Waller, the Secretary of the Country Women’s Association toured Gippsland where she attended the inaugural meetings of six new groups - Korumburra, Leongatha, Tarwin, Foster, Yarram and on Saturday, February 14, Garfield. The Age reported that at Garfield - Mrs. Howell was appointed president, Mesdames McCleod [sic], Robertson, Waugh and Daniel vice-presidents, and Mrs. Leask as secretary. (1) Mrs Kerr-Paterson, the President of the Koo Wee Rup branch, also attended this meeting at Garfield. Mrs Kerr-Paterson was one of the inaugural members of the Country Women’s Association of Victoria when it was formed on March 12, 1928. (2)

The CWA was established to speak and act for the country women and children.....the organisation will set itself the task of improving the conditions under which women and their families live in the country, promoting social contact, encouraging the study of affairs of local government which touch intimately the home life of the people, maintaining and improving educational facilities, and securing for the country districts adequate medical and hospital facilities. (3)

At the next meeting of the Garfield CWA, held on March 5 1931, Mrs Fraser, the State President, attended and spoke on what the other country women of the world are doing. At this meeting the tea hostesses were Mesdames McLeod, Howell, Parrish and Leask. (4). A later report in July 1931 listed Mrs Jennings as secretary. By March 1932, the group had 24 members. (5)

The Koo Wee Rup Sun of February 18, 1932 reported on the first anniversary of the Garfield branch -
C.W.A. Anniversary - On Thursday evening, the 11th instant, the local branch of the Country Women's Association held an evening to celebrate its first anniversary. It took the form of crazy whist, and modern and old-time dancing for those who did not play cards. A guessing competition was won by Mr Will Crouch. Miss Shaw won the ladies' prize and Mr Wade the gents at whist. During the evening Mrs Limmer sang, and Miss Elsie Shreeves recited, and Mrs Brennan supplied the music for the dancing. There was also a stall of articles which had been made for the local hospital effort, when good business was done and will result in helping along with the hospital funds. A dainty supper was provided by the C.W.A. members, which closed a very enjoyable evening. (6)

In 1933, the office bearers were Mrs W. Mortimer, president; Mrs. Nutting, secretary; Mrs. Nilsson, treasurer and Mesdames Tutton, Burleigh, Martin and Robertson vice-presidents.(7)  In December 1936, Mrs Patterson was elected as the President, with Mrs Wilson as Secretary and treasurer and Miss Williams, assistant Secretary. (8)

Before we look at some of the activities of the group we will look at who these early office-bearers women were, as much as I could discover through the Electoral Rolls.
Margaret Howell - wife of Stanley, the E.S. & A. Bank Manager at Garfield.
Lesley Vera McLeod - wife of Garfield doctor, Kenneth McLeod. I have written about Dr McLeod, here.
Mrs Robertson - possibly Florence Ada, wife of William, a farmer of Bunyip.
Clara Waugh - wife of William Waugh, school teacher. William Waugh left the Garfield school in 1933 after 15 years and a case of cutlery was presented to Mr. and Mrs. Waugh as a token of esteem from the residents of Garfield, whilst Mrs. Waugh was the recipient of a crystal necklet from the members of the C.W.A.(9).
Alice Minnie Daniel - wife of Frederick Daniel of Mikado Park, Garfield.
Jessie Leask - wife of  George, a farmer of 14 Mile Road, Garfield.
Eva Parish - wife of Alfred, orchardist of Garfield and mother of local historian, Bill Parish.
Ruby Jennings - wife of Garfield baker, Alexander.
Mrs W. Mortimer - possibly Jane Elizabeth Mortimer, wife of William, of Oaklands, Bald Hill Road, Nar Nar Goon.
Eunice Nutting - wife of Arthur, store-keeper. I have written about the Nutting family and their time at Catani, Garfield and Black Rock, here.
Eleanor Nilsson - wife of Percival, a farmer of Tynong. In 1940, she was Secretary of the CWA West Gippsland Group (10)
Agnes Tutton - wife of Leonard, a farmer of 13 Mile Road.
Isabella Stella Burleigh - wife of Andrew, farmer of Main Drain Road, Iona.
Mrs Martin - possibly Mabel Florence Martin of Garfield.
Enid Patterson - wife of Garfield Doctor, James Patterson, who had taken over Dr McLeod's practice in 1933. In 1940 she was elected president of the CWA West Gippsland Group (11). I have written about Dr Patterson, here.
Mrs Wilson and Miss Williams - not sure who they are.

There is a plaque near the War Memorial in Main Street, Garfield, honouring the foundation members of the CWA – one is the aforementioned Agnes Tutton and the other two are Kate Hourigan, whose husband Henry was a coach builder and Agnes Towt, wife of Ernest, a saw-miller.

Garfield C W A. members: Miss A. Dohertv, Mesdames L. Chappell, F. Rigg, L. Haigh,

N. Sturzaker (Treas.), C. Simcocks.

Weekly Times August 22, 1945 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/226563046

It appears that even though the CWA had as its focus the task of improving the lives of women and children in the country, this was a very broad purview. In August 1933, Garfield members attended a conference of the West Gippsland branches at Clyde. There was a broad range of motions passed at this conference - that the law regarding the wrapping of bread should be enforced; that obstructions at all dangerous crossings be removed, and that hedges be cut down 10 feet each way to safeguard the travelling public; that the Lands department be urged to use all possible vigilance in preventing the spoliation of fern-tree gullies in Gippsland. (12).

In February 1937, Garfield hosted the conference of the West Gippsland branches and over 200 women attended. There were two main issues discussed and I expected this one where - Dr. Younger Ross (13) gave a fine address on the work that is being done for the babies of Victoria, and stated that it was now possible to send a caravan fitted up for a nurse to travel to the outback parts of the State. (14)

I was, however, surprised by the following, about the destruction of forests - It was felt that as a Coronation gesture, we should plant trees. Mrs. Russell Grimwade’s fine letter in the “Argus” of February 6 (week-end section) was discussed. It is entitled, “Nature Takes Revenge,” and deals with the terrible after-effects of the ruthless destruction of forests. All over the world it has gone on for centuries, and still man has not learned the lesson taught. Before man came trees. After may come deserts. And disasters such as floods, silting dust, storms and erosion are awaiting us, in the very near future, unless the preservation of timber and forests is put into the charge of the Forestry Department, with its men of expert knowledge, instead of under the control of the Lands Department, as at present. Members are asked to read this letter at their next branch meetings. (15)

Garfield delegates at the Dalyston CWA conference - Mesdames F. Burleigh (v-p), 

F. Marsh (treas.), N. Bassed (pres.), W. Masters, S. Laity (sec.)

Weekly Times, March 5, 1952 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/224017025

In February 1949, Garfield again hosted the West Gippsland CWA conference, attended by 150 delegates. The Dandenong Journal reported that the Branches present were - Tynong, Tooradin, Pakenham, Officer, Nar Nar Goon, Narre Warren, Lang Lang, Kooweerup, Harkaway, Garfield, Dalyston, Dandenong, Clyde North, Clyde, Cardinia, Cranbourne, Berwick, and Beaconsfield and Catani. The Catani branch was established the year before and already had a membership of 21. (16)  As a matter of interest, Garfield's close neighbour, Bunyip also had a CWA branch, established around July 1936, however they were in the Central Gippsland group, which ran from Yallourn to Bunyip. (17)

Two of the motions passed at the 1949 conference, both aimed at improving the amenity and convenience of country life were -

Tynong: “That the present railway time-table be amended to allow the 6 p.m. train from Melbourne to stop at smaller stations, instead of running “express” to Warragul. It was pointed out that residents of the smaller towns were penalised in being compelled to catch the afternoon train, as it must shortened the time available for business in the city.
Nar Nar Goon: “That the Electricity Commission be asked to facilitate the installation of light and power especially in dairying districts.” It was stated that Nar Nar Goon was promised a service two years but they were still waiting. (18)

Naturally, many of the activities of the CWA were domestic in nature – one of the first activities of the Garfield branch in 1931 was to "adopt" a Mallee family of seven children and supply them with clothing; in 1935 the ladies were given a demonstration of the many uses to which sealing wax may be applied, and demonstrations of poker work (the craft of decorating wood by burning  a design with a hot metal point) and in 1937 members enjoyed a dressmaking demonstration given by Mrs Redpath. (19)

In December 1936, it was reported that through the efforts of the Country Women's Association the Infant Welfare centres at Garfield and Bunyip have been granted a whole day a week by the Government. Sister Mitchell of Warragul visits these centres on the days allotted. This was a major achievement for local mothers as they could obtain free and professional advice on caring for their babies. The CWA continued to support the Infant Welfare Centre over the years, by donating baby clothes and money. (20)

Amongst the other practical activities undertaken by the branch - in February 1939 they arranged a kitchen and pantry tea for three families who were burnt out in the Black Friday bushfires. The Garfield women would have had great sympathy for these bushfire victims as on April 15,1937 the branch lost all their possessions when the Garfield Hall was destroyed by fire. (21). 

At the 1946 Conference at Dandenong, the Garfield delegates put forward this practical motion -
“That the C.W.A., as one of its post-war schemes, edit its own Housekeeping Book, to contain sections for cooking suitable for beginners starting life in the country, hints on first-aid, school lunches and keeping of food, with a chart showing cuts of meat.” This resolution was moved by Garfield branch, which stressed the value of such a book to the young housewife new to the country, or the ex-service girl starting domestic life afresh. Tooradin branch seconded the motion. An amendment to postpone this motion until September to enable particulars as to cost, etc., to be obtained, was moved by Mrs. K. Paterson, seconded Mrs. Rogers (Cranbourne) and carried. (22)

The branch also organised Debutante balls - I have found a report of one in November 1938, where the debs were listed as Misses O. Perkins, J. Galway. J. Hicks, J. Perkins, M. McClure, M. Preston, V. Barnes, M. Dawes, and N. Preston. The only other Debutante ball I know about was  held in July 1957 as my aunt, Marion Rouse, was one of the debs; her partner was Frank Dineen. (23)

Garfield C.W.A. members: Mesdames H. Gibson, C. F. Gates, E. Watts, V. Maud, 

S. Laity (sec.), M. Marsh (treas., and sec. Infant Welfare Committee), C. Rowlerson, 

A. Bassed, (pres.), E. Cox, D. James, J. Lindsay, E. Parr, E. Sturzaker.

Weekly Times, June 18, 1952 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/224019418

The Garfield CWA was still going strong in the 1950s. Some of their members were among the 200 delegates at the September 1952 West Gippsland group conference at Dandenong. At this conference the following motion was passed, once again showing the broad range of interests and concerns the women had -

A resolution, moved by Tynong and seconded by Garfield was carried, relating to Cruelty of Dumb Animals, and requesting that Victorian laws relating to same be brought into line with those of the other States. (24)

When did the Garfield CWA cease? I know they were in existence in 1971, as I have a copy of a Bunyip and Garfield Express newspaper from November 1971 and at a report of the Annual General Meeting  the following office bearers were elected -  Mrs H. Marson, President; Mrs E. Kavanagh, Secretary; Mrs L. Kellaway,  Treasurer and the Vice Presidents were Mrs A. Dick, Mrs L. Kierce and Mrs V. Marsh. (25)

Report of the 1971 Annual General Meeting

Bunyip and Garfield Express, November 25, 1971, p. 1

The CWA Railway Garden and playground
In July 1937, in a practical activity to directly aid local families, the Garfield CWA was granted a block of land at Garfield for a children's playground and the planting of ornamental trees by the Railways Department. (26) The playground was opened in February 1938 by the CWA Group President, Mrs Gamble, who, after congratulating the branch on its progressiveness, cut the green and yellow ribbon and declared the park open. Mrs Gamble was presented with a beautiful bouquet by Marjorie Lawson, one of the children who will be enjoying the benefits of the new playground. (27)

In January 1940, the branch planted shrubs and seedlings, the gift of the Railway department, in the new portion of the C.W.A. garden. (28) The local Council was both unhelpful and helpful – in January 1940, the council was reluctantly compelled to refuse its request for a light in the Garfield Playground and Garden; however in November 1943, council agreed to clean up the garden and playground at Garfield. (29)

Sadly, the garden was associated with a tragic accident in October 1950. The Argus reported -
Found near line - A five-year-old boy, Geoffrey Roberts, of Garfield, died after he was found lying in a deep gutter at the side of the railway line at Garfield on Saturday. Police believe that he was struck by the Warragul-Melbourne train after wandering from the near-by playground onto the line. The driver of the train did not know of the accident. (30).

Perhaps in response to this accident, the Railways decided to enforce the original conditions of the use of the land and in March 1951, the Dandenong Journal reported - 
The Railway Department advised that it had been brought under notice that swings and a sandpit had been placed on land at Garfield leased by the Department to council for beautification purposes. This was contrary to the terms of the lease. In August, 1946, the Commissioners had refused to permit council to establish a children’s playground on the land in question. It was requested that the swings and sandpit be removed as early as practicable. Councillors agreed that the equipment would have to be shifted and the Garfield Progress Association is to be contacted about the matter. (31) The playground had been  removed by October 1951 (32)

Trove list - I have created a list of articles on Trove on the activities of the Garfield branch of the Country Women's Association,  access it here.

Footnotes
(1) The Age, February17, 1931, see here.
(2) The Argus, March 14, 1928,  see here and here; Mrs Kerr-Paterson, born Margaret McAlpin Davis, she married William Kerr-Paterson in 1915; her first husband John Smerdon had died in 1914.  In the 1926 Electoral Roll he was the manager of the London Bank at Koo Wee Rup, in 1931 he was listed as an Estate Agent at Dandenong. Margaret died in Dandenong in 1954, aged 83. You can read her obituary in the Dandenong Journal of September 1, 1954, here.
(3) The Age, March 15, 1928, see here.
(4) Weekly Times, March 14, 1931, see here; Weekly Times, March 21, 1931, see here;

(5) The Argus, July 11, 1931, see here; Weekly Times, March 5, 1932, see here.

(6) Koo Wee Rup Sun, February 18, 1932, p. 4
(7) The Age, November 29, 1933, see here.
(8) The Age, December 5, 1936, see here.
(9) Horsham Times, January 20 1933, see here.

(10) Dandenong Journal, November 27, 1940, see here.
(11) Dandenong Journal, February 14, 1940, see here. Dandenong Journal, November 27, 1940, see here.
(12) The Age, August 11, 1933, see here.

(13) Dr Henrietta Younger Ross (1887-1956), read her Australian Dictionary of Biography entry here https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ross-isabella-henrietta-younger-isie-8272
(14) Dandenong Journal, February 25, 1937, see here.
(15) Ibid
(16) Dandenong Journal, February 23, 1949,  see here.
(17) The Age, July 7, 1936, see here; The Argus, March 12, 1949, see here.
(18) Dandenong Journal, February 23, 1949,  see here.
(19) The Age, June 2, 1931, see here; Dandenong Journal, March 21 1935, see here; Weekly Times, April 24, 1937, see here.
(20) The Argus, December 18, 1936, see here; The Age, December 28, 1937, see here;  The Age, December 21, 1938, see here. Weekly Times, May 4, 1940, see here. Local Infant Welfare Centres  https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2022/10/baby-health-care-centres.html
(21) The Age, February 2, 1939, see here; Weekly Times, April 24, 1937, see here; I have written about the Garfield Hall, here https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2014/06/garfield-public-hall.html

(22) Dandenong Journal, March 6, 1946, see here.
(23) The Age, November 4, 1938, see here.

(24) The Dandenong Journal, September 10, 1952, see here.
(25) Bunyip and Garfield Express, November 25, 1971, p. 1
(26) The Argus, July 22, 1937, see here.
(27) Dandenong Journal, February 23, 1938, see here.
(28) The Age, January 10, 1940, see here.
(29) Dandenong Journal, January 24, 1940 see here; Dandenong Journal, November 24, 1943, see here.
(30) The Argus, October 9, 1950, see here.
(31) Dandenong Journal, March 28, 1951, see here.
(32) Dandenong Journal, October 24, 1951, see here.

Quail Island - a history and its Koalas

Quail Island is situated at the northern end of Western Port Bay across Rutherford Inlet from Warneet. The Island was  surveyed by Francis Barrallier, a member of the crew on the Lady Nelson under Lieutenant James Grant. The Lady Nelson entered Western Port Bay on March 21, 1801. Barrallier originally named Quail Island,  Harris Island, after Surgeon John Harris who was a Magistrate and member of the New South Wales Corps. (1).  The following is a chronological history of settlement and events on Quail Island, based mainly on newspaper reports.

 Quail Island on the left;  Chinaman Island in the centre under the Warneet township. 

Quail and Chinaman Islands are separated by Rutherford Inlet or Creek.  

Cannons Creek is at the top of the photo. 

Aerial  dated October 19, 1986. Image: Casey Cardinia Libraries

At some time, Harris Island was re-named to Quail Island, named due to the number of quail on the island. This story about the quail, was published in The Australasian in May 1870. The writer had taken a hunting trip to Western Port Bay, and when they arrived at Quail Island, he was told that a certain employé of the lessees of the island, a shepherd or stock keeper probably, once took to rearing a vast number of quail there. They were his hobby, and at first he fed and petted them just like so many tame chickens, till their numbers grew beyond him. One fell day there landed couple of "sportsmen" upon this chosen spot, and when they left it no fewer than 150 brace of the petted and doubtless well-conditioned quail left with them. (2). 

Peggy Banks in her book Crouch's Beach, from camp to coastal village, Warneet explains the origin of the name of Chinaman Island -

We were told that many years ago some Chinese fishermen lived and fished there, fishing for the type of fish eaten by the Chinese. They dried them and sent them to China. were said to live on this island and they fished for the type of fish eaten by the Chinese, dried them and sent them to China. Whether this is true, I cannot say but the naming of the island seems to confirm the story. My brother thinks that it was once called Snake Island but I have not yet found any evidence (3). 

Quail Island was originally used as a pastoral run - one of the earlier lease holders appears to be James Wheatley, and possibly Henry Greer, as the following legal notice appeared in The Age of May 25, 1864.

Supreme Court case over Quail Island

The Age,  May 25, 1864 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article155012013

I presume that in the end James Wheatley retained the lease, as in August 1864 it was reported that at a meeting of the Acclimatisation Society - a letter from Mr Wheatley was read, offering the use

of a portion of Quail Island, of which he is the lessee, but it was decided to take no steps with regard to this offer for the present. (4). The Acclimatisation  Society was established in Victoria on February 25, 1861. The object of this Society was the introduction, acclimatisation, and domestication of all innoxious animals, birds, fishes insects, and vegetables, whether useful or ornamental ; - the perfection, propagation and hybridisation of races newly introduced or already domesticated; - the spread of indigenous animals, &c. from parts of the colonies where they are already known, to other localities where they are not known. (5). Even though the Society did not accept James Wheatley's offer in 1864, they  had already made inroads into Western Port as by August 1861 they had already introduced at Philip Island, 5 pheasants, 6 skylarks, 4 thrushes, 4 blackbirds. At Sandstone and Churchill Islands, 4 pheasants, 4 skylarks, 4 thrushes. (6).

In November 1865, The Argus published this story about Quail Island, which fortunately for Mrs Fordham the lady involved, had a happy ending. She may have been the housekeeper for James Wheatley - 

Last Friday, about two o'clock in the afternoon, while Mr. M'Hugh was surveying the creeks in Western Port, at the back of Quail Island, he heard a faint noise, something like an effort at a "cooey!" Looking in the direction of the sound, he discovered a female form waving something as a signal of distress; he made directly for the spot, and sent a couple of men on shore to ascertain what was wrong, when a poor woman was discovered in a helpless state from hunger, exposure, and thirst, lying down in a swampy place, among the mangroves, cold and wet. After discovering the state she was in, and where she belonged to, Mr. M'Hugh had her brought on board at once and conveyed to Quail Island station, and handed over to the proprietors. She is housekeeper in the above establishment, and had occasion to go to Cranbourne on Monday last, when, on returning on Wednesday, after having reached the island, she lost the track, and, being short-sighted, could not find it again, so she wandered about as long as she was able, until she became exhausted, having neither food nor water. At last she laid herself down in the scrub, where she was discovered after being three nights in the open air. On hearing human voices and the splash of oars she made one desperate effort, and succeeded in making herself heard and seen, but from the exhausted state she was found in, she would probably not have survived another night, and she was saved by the will of Providence, for the place is quite unfrequented, being among lofty mangroves. The poor woman's name is Fordham; she is a widow, and is a very respectable and industrious person. (7).

The following notice appeared in the Victoria Government Gazette of April 24, 1866, that Quail Island was temporarily reserved for Acclimatization purposes.

Reservation of Quail Island 

Victoria Government Gazette, April 24, 1866, p. 896. 

https://gazette.slv.vic.gov.au/images/1866/V/general/47.pdf 

The Acclimatisation Society this time made use of the Island and at a meeting in August 1867, the Secretary could report that nine black Indian partridges and seven Cape partridges had been sent down to Quail Island, for liberation. (8)

In September 1866, James Watson, who later became the President of the Royal Australian Historical Society, visited Quail Island to help with sheep dipping. Whilst he was there he released ten pairs of rabbits on the Island. The rabbits had been obtained from Thomas Austin, of Barwon Park, the man 'credited' with introducing the rabbit into Australia.  This is Watson's description of Quail Island - 

As the shores of the inlet at the crossing-place are low flats and treacherous to walk on, a thick track of tea-tree had been laid, so that the horses got safely to a sapling bridge that connected the island to the mainland. The total acreage was about 1,500 acres of flat open land on the south and timbered low hills on the north, with two good-sized water-holes or lagoons, which were the haunt of water-fowl and ducks. Mud flats lay all round the shore, covered with mangrove. On this most unsuitable place were about 800 or 900 ewes, with a fair percentage of lambs, and 300 wethers....that the island was a most unsuitable place; this was so, because the flat damp ground on the shores gave the sheep foot-rot, and great numbers of them had to be treated for that before being "dressed" and dipped. (9)  You can read Watson's  interesting account, here.

In July 1868, Quail Island was offered for sale. The size of the island was listed as 4,000 acres, more than double the size it was listed as in the 1864 legal notice, above.  The Island is described as -

It comprises about 4000 acres of good, sound, open country, well watered by three permanent lagoons, and is adapted for stock, sheep having thriven well there. The island is connected with the main land by a bridge, and is only 40 miles from town. There is a good three roomed house and sheep-yards. (10)

Sale of Quail Island

The Argus July 7, 1868  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5820845

This advertisement (above) regarding the sale of Quail Island give us some idea of development on Quail Island - a three roomed house and connected to the main land by a bridge, as described by Watson, above.  You can see one of the 'permanent lagoons' or dams in the aerial photo at the top of the post. In January 1898,there were bushfires all throughout Victoria and the area between Tooradin, Frankston and Cranbourne was swept absolutely clean (11).  Thousands of pasture was destroyed and miles of fences and much livestock. (12) Quail Island was also burnt and whether the house on the Island survived this fire, I cannot say.

I found another interesting article which mentioned Quail Island. In September 1890 a report into the drainage of Melbourne and disposal of sewerage was tabled in the Victorian Parliament. On the subject of sewerage disposal, the report looked at locations for an ocean outfall. I have reproduced the section in full, and we should all be grateful that Rutherford Creek (Inlet) proved to be unsuitable. 

Western Port Outfall - This spot was the upper part of Western Port, near Quail Island. It is only half the distance between Cape Schanck and the city, and it was clearly a point of outfall which I was bound to consider carefully. I have worked out the fact that mean low water of the cycle of tides at the head of Rutherford's Creek, in Western Port, was 1.29 feet lower than the Melbourne datum, and that mean high water was 5.28 feet above that datum, showing a mean rise of 6.57 fact as against only about 2.5 feet in Port Phillip Bay. With such rises and falls the tidal currents must be more rapid than those in Port Phillip Bay, and in order to test them I had a series of float experiments made. From these observations it is manifest that if crude sewerage were discharged at the head of Rutherford's Creek at all states of the tide the great bulk of the suspended solids would never get out to sea at all, but would be washed ashore and deposited on the mud flats north of French Island. Sewage put into the main channel a mile south of Quail Island, just after high water of a spring tide, would only travel less than 10 miles seawards before it would be met by the rising tide, and would then return on its tracks. It would seem as if the flood and ebb tide should practically balance each other, and, except as influenced by winds, that there should be but very slight seaward travel of floating matters. If the whole of the shores of Western Port and its islands were to be disappropriated, and for ever remain unsettled and unoccupied, there might be some justification for selecting Rutherford's Creek as the point of outfall for the untreated crude sewage of Melbourne, but under no other conditions could it, in my opinion, be utilised for this purpose. (13)

I have traced the leasehold holders of Quail Island, through the Cranbourne Shire Rate Books; it was part of the Parish of Sherwood. The first time I could see Quail island itemised separately in the Rate Books was in the 1874/75 year with Edward Blurton being the lease-holder; the next year John Halstead had taken over. I have no other information about Blurton or Halstead. After Halstead, in 1876/77 Alexander McLean Hunter was listed. Hunter also had the Balla Balla run, on Rutherford Inlet at the north end of Western Port from May 1872.  Alexander Hunter had Quail Island until 1884/85. The rights to the Island were advertised for sale in September 1878 (see advertisement below), but I don't understand how that fits with the fact that Hunter seemingly already had the rights.

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Sale of Quail island

The Argus, September 19, 1878 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5949005

Alexander Hunter was also involved in other properties as his 1893 obituary notes - 

The name will invoke in many old colonists still living recollections of stirring days in early Melbourne. In the early Forties the five Hunters were well known both in connection with pastoral pursuits and as daring and successful gentleman riders, for in steeplechasing they had no rivals in their day; and the remarkable spectacle has at times been afforded of all five riders in the same race over the Flemington course, when the grand-stand was built close down by the river side. With the five brothers of whom Mr. Alexander Mclean Hunter was one, there came out also their two cousins, John and Campbell. The names of the five brothers were Aleck, James, John, Frank, and William, their father being a well-known writer to the Signet, in Edinburgh, and one of an old Scottish family with whom sport was a tradition. They came to Victoria in connection with the firm of Watson and Hunter, the latter being uncle of the five brothers and father of the other two already mentioned. Messrs. Watson and Hunter, came to Victoria as agents for a Scottish company, with which the Marquis of Ailsa and other noblemen were connected, to buy up squatting, agricultural, and city properties, and gradually acquired a wide extent of country in different parts of the city and country. (14)

After Alexander Hunter, the Rate books show that Donald Tolmie is listed as the leaseholder of Quail Island from  1885/86 until 1887/88. In May 1885, Tolmie purchased the 1876 acre Balla Balla property from Alexander Hunter. 

Sale of Balla Balla

The Argus, May 30 1885 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article6081053

From 1888/89, Charles De Arth (also called De Ath) is in the Rate Books occupying Quail Island until 1899/1900, the next year his name is crossed out and in July 1901 this notice (see below) appeared in South Bourke and Mornington Journal, reporting on the proceeding of the Cranbourne Police Court. 

De Arth was a retired sea captain. (15).

Court case involving Charles DeArth

 South Bourke and Mornington Journal, July 3, 1901 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article70047452

After De Arth, James Ridley had the Quail Island lease from 1901/02 until 1912/13; Ridley also had land at Pearcedale; he was the manager of the English, Scottish and Australian Bank at North Melbourne. (16). Then Francis Callanan took it over. By then it was listed as 2000 acres although it had been variously listed as being of 3,000 or 4,000 acres - perhaps by this time they could accurately measure the island. Callanan was at the island until 1915/16 when the Rate Books have the annotation 'Abandon' and 'Reverted to the Crown.' Frank Callanan was a Cranbourne Shire Councillor from 1905 until 1918. His grandfather, James Smith Adams had the Balla Balla property from 1854 until Alexander Hunter purchased it. His mother, Margaret Adams, had  married Michael Callanan, who was the Victorian Surveyor General; they also had the 1,200 acre Coolebah property at Pearcedale. (17).

In 1909, Quail Island was inspected by the Minister for Lands, Mr McKenzie. The Argus reported -

After visiting Quail Island, at Westernport Bay, this week, the Minister for Lands (Mr. M'Kenzie) is convinced that the place is suitable for the establishment of a labour colony, to replace the existing farm for unemployed which is conducted at Leongatha. The land occupied by the present farm at the latter place is considered to be too valuable for its present use, and Mr. M'Kenzie considers that the colony could be conducted satisfactorily upon the poorer land at Quail Island, leaving the Leongatha property available for more important purposes. There are 2,000 acres of land on Quail Island, and plenty of timber. The place can be reached along a narrow neck of land, which is partly submerged at high tide, and Mr. M'Kenzie says an embanked road could be constructed along this neck at a small cost. The climate is good, and there will be no difficulty in obtaining water. Quail Island is nine miles from Cranbourne railway station. (18)

The Labour Colony did not go ahead and after Francis Callanan abandoned the Quail Island lease I can find no other lease holders so I presume that it was unoccupied. In March 1928 it was proclaimed a 'Sanctuary for native game.' (19) 

Quail Island proclaimed a Sanctuary

Victoria Government Gazette, March 21, 1928, p. 1041

https://gazette.slv.vic.gov.au/images/1928/V/general/45.pdf 

The next time we hear of Quail Island is when koalas were transferred there from French Island. The Argus of January 15, 1930 reported that -

The transference of koalas, popularly known as "native bears," from French Island to the small Quail Island, in accordance with a promise made by the Fisheries and Game department to the residents of French Island has begun. In the weekend many families of koalas were captured also transferred in boats over the five-mile strait between the two islands. On their new sites there are large thickets of manna gums, which will provide them with their favourite food. The residents of French Island complained that the koalas were present in such numbers that they denuded every gum tree within their

reach, and they asked for permission to thin them out by shooting, or alternatively to have them removed from the island. As the koala is rigorously protected all the year round in Victoria, the second alternative was chosen, and on their new island where there is no settlement , they will remain unmolested. (20)

Two years later, The Herald in May 1932 also spoke about the koalas being removed, thus the process of removal to Quail Island and neighbouring Chinaman Island was still taking place. This article talks about Mr R.H. Bennetts, from the Department of Fisheries and Game as the welfare officer for the little migrants (21) so this must be the same R. Bennetts who took the two photographs, below.

Koalas being placed in boxes to be transported from French Island to Quail Island, 1930.

Photographer: R. Bennetts

Museums Victoria https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/items/765587

Another photo taken at the same time by, Mr Bennetts, of the koalas and the boxes they were transported in from French to Quail Island.

Museums Victoria https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/items/771048

In April 1933, The Age reported that -

Recommendations have been made by the Fisheries and Game department that a further 150 to 200 koalas should be transferred from French Island to Quail Island, in addition to the 200 transferred in the past two years. It was explained yesterday that the manna gums on the south and south-west portions of French Island were infested with blight, and insect pests, and the food supply for the koalas was proving inadequate. Quail Island, with an area of 3000 acres, offered a satisfactory area and sanctuary the animals. (22)

In June 1933,  Mr F. Lewis, the Chief Inspector of Fisheries and Game was confident that transferring the koalas to Quail Island had been fully justified. He had never seen koalas anywhere looking healthier than those on Quail Island. Mr Lewis added that the transfer had been made in pursuance of the department's policy of distributing the bears over the islands of Westernport Bay. He believed that ultimately through bush fires, shooting and general interference the koalas on the mainland would disappear, but it was hoped to preserve them on the islands. It was estimated that there were only 1,000 bears in Victoria. (23)

However, fast forward ten years to 1943 and there were various conflicting reports and letters in the papers about the health of the koalas on Quail Island - they were either starving due to lack of feed or else they were in a state of good health. (24)  

In March 1944, The Age reported the Chief inspector of Fisheries and Game (Mr. Lewis) has recommended the transfer of a number of koalas from Phillip, Quail and Chinaman islands in the coming months. (25).  The next month The Herald could announce that the transfer of 700 koalas without any casualty from Phillip, Quail and Chinaman Islands to safer areas on the mainland was completed last week after a three weeks rush job by a big staff of employes of the Fisheries and Game Department, the Chief Inspector (Mr F. Lewis) said today.... The bears new homes were at Daylesford, Mount Alexander, Creswick, Strathbogie, Rufly, Trentham, Kyneton, Coranderrk and Buchan, the last four being new reserves for the animals. The Kyneton site was part of the Black Hill reserve and that at Trentham part of the Wombat Forest. (26) 

There is an interesting film on YouTube, Koalas removed from Quail Island, filmed around 1944, about the removal of the koalas to a site near Trentham. You can view it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IEhbC6M7EA

Koala in crate which is being transferred from French Island to Quail Island

Argus newspaper collection of photographs, State Library of Victoria Image H2004.100/1011

It appears that there were still Koalas on Quail Island in the 1950s  (27) and in August 1960 the Regulations for the care, protection and management at the Chinaman Island and Quail Island Koala Reserves  was gazetted, so presumably there must have been some koalas to protect. (28)  Are there still Koalas on the Island?

Regulations for Quail and Chinaman Islands

Victoria Government Gazette, August 24, 1960, p. 2890

https://gazette.slv.vic.gov.au/images/1960/V/general/82.pdf

There was talk in the early 1960s of turning Quail Island into a jetport but, as we know, that never happened. 

Quail Island to be a  jetport

The Age,  July 6, 1962 p. 9 from Newspapers.som

This map shows Quail Island; Watson Inlet to the east of the island and Rutherford Inlet to the west. The towns of Hastings, Tyabb, Somerville, Pearcedale and Tooradin are shown clock-wise from bottom left. South of Quail island is French Island and just north of French Island is Barrillier Island, named for the surveyor from the Lady Nelson.

Image cropped from  - Australia 1:126,720. Sheet J55N, I & II. Victoria, Berwick prepared by Australian Section, Imperial General Staff; surveyed in 1920 by Survey Section, R.A.E.

State Library of Victoria http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/115229 

Quail Island is now a Nature Conservation Reserve and some of the waters around it are part of the Yaringa Marine National Park. Quail Island and Watson Inlet are also of State Geomorphological Significance - you can read about this, here on the Victorian Resources Online (VRO) website. The VRO is is no longer being updated and is now archived. This is what it says  -

Geology/Geomorphology: Watson inlet is funnel-shaped with a main central tidal drainage system and many small tributary tidal creeks. The entire inlet is mangrove fringed and landward of this is a wide salt marsh zone. There is a tidal watershed at the head of the tidal creeks linking Watson Inlet and Rutherford Inlet north of Quail Island. Quail Island preserves an undisturbed topography developed on Cranbourne Sands, with important examples of the associated inter-dune swamps and lakes. There are relict sandy spits and beaches behind a broad mangrove fringe. On the eastern shore of the island, opposite the Warneet jetty, erosion of the edge of the salt marsh exposes a former gravel beach resting on the eroded surface of the Warneet Beds.

Significance: State. This is the least disturbed mangrove and salt marsh area on the mainland shore of Westernport Bay. It is a major site in Victoria to study the nature of sedimentation in a mangrove environment and the role of the mangroves in prompting sediment accumulation. The area of Cranbourne Sands topography is one of the largest of these areas left undisturbed in the Westernport region. The relict sandy spits are of similar significance to that described at Bungower Point (Site 79) [near Hastings] (29)

I wonder how many Quail are still on the island and if they are the descendants of the ones that a shepherd or stock keeper probably, once took to rearing on the Island. (30)

Trove List - I have created a list of newspaper articles connected to Quail Island, on Trove, you can access the list, here.

Footnotes

(1) Cole, Valda Western Port Chronology 1798-1839: Exploration to Settlement (Shire of Hastings Historical Society, 1984)

(2) The Australasian, May 14, 1870, see here.

(3) Banks, Peggy Crouch's Beach , from camp to coastal village, Warneet (The Author, 1995) p. 36.

(4) The Age, August 11, 1864, see here.

(5) The Argus, February 26, 1861, see here.

(6) Victorian Farmers Journal, August 10, 1861, see here.

(7) The Argus, November 1, 1865, see here.

(8) The Age, August 14, 1867,  see here.

(9) Watson, James Personal Recollections of Melbourne in the 'Sixties. This was a look at various events and activities of the 1860s including this story - Dipping Sheep on Quail Island. The story was published in the Victorian Historical Magazine, v. 12, June 1928 available on-line at the State Library of Victoria. See more here.

(10) The Argus July 7, 1868, see here.  

(11) Gunson, Niel The Good Country: Cranbourne Shire (Shire of Cranbourne, 1968), p.171

(12) Reports of the fire - The Age, February 1, 1898, see here; The Argus, February 2, 1898,  see here.

(13) The Age, September 24, 1890, see here

(14) The Argus, January 6, 1893, see here.

(15) Gunson, op. cit., p. 121.

(16) The Age, February 1, 1898, see here

(17) Gunson, op. cit; Margaret Callanan's obituary - Mornington Standard, January 27, 1917, see here.

(18) The Argus, May 29, 1909,  see here.

(19) Victoria Government Gazette, March 21, 1928, p. 1041, see here.

(20) The Argus, January 15, 1930, see here.

(21) The Herald, May 26, 1932, see here.

(22) The Age, April 26, 1933,  see here.

(23) The Argus, June 10, 1933, see here.

(24) See articles in my Trove list, here.

(25) The Age, March 1, 1944, see here.

(26) The Herald, April 24, 1944,  see here.

(27) The Age, May 10, 1952, see here.

(28) Victoria Government Gazette, August 24, 1960, p. 2890, see here.

(29) Victorian Resources Online  https://vro.agriculture.vic.gov.au/dpi/vro/portregn.nsf/pages/port_lf_sig_sites_watson

(30) The Australasian, May 14, 1870, see here.

This is an improved and expanded  version of a post, which I wrote and researched, which appears on my work blog, Casey Cardinia Links to our Past.

Koalas at Yannathan and on the Koo Wee Rup Swamp

This post looks at references to koalas at Yannathan and more broadly on the Koo Wee Rup Swamp.   

In May 1891, Cyrus Mason wrote a letter to The Age newspaper, about a Surveying party who in the 1860s were forced to eat koalas to survive   - 

Surveyors are again at work where Mr. Surveyor W. S. Urquhart traversed 44 years since named the area south of his line "Koo-wee-rup " and wrote "deep water " upon his splendid plan (No. 2) of the traverse of the country between Melbourne and the Bunyip River. Some 30 years back Mr. (Sir Graham) Berry and others sent a surveyor and party to explore and report upon the Koo-wee-rup country with a view to their private use. They started from Lyall's, at Western Port, pushed their way on the south side, were reduced to starvation, only kept alive by eating native bears, until they reached the Bunyip River, when the strongest of the party managed to reach the hotel on the main road and obtained food, this investigation ending in some pencil markings upon the map in the Crown lands department.(1).

You can read more about Cyrus Mason, of  Woodyats, Tynong, here.

The South Bourke & Mornington Journal of June 8, 1887 published an article of a trip from Berwick to Yannathan. The route taken was the Berwick-Clyde Road, the South Gippsland Highway, through Cranbourne, then through Monomeith and to Yannathan. In the article, the unnamed writer said that Yannathan was 'swarming' with koalas or bears as they were called -

At Yannathan my business was completed and left me a day to look about the locality. The place swarms with "bears.'' In nearly every other tree they are to be seen. The name "bear" quite intimidates the "new chum," but no need of fear, for they are truly harmless beasts living on the gum leaves, and I am told are rapidly killing the gum trees as effectually as if they had been "rung" (2).

Six years later there was another account of koalas at Yannathan, this one painting a far bleaker picture of their numbers. This was a letter published in the Weekly Times on July 1, 1893, addressed to Uncle Ben the editor of the children's section.
A Bear. — Yannathan.
Dear Uncle Ben,
This is my first letter to you. I am going to tell you a story about a bear. One morning early about three o'clock when my sisters were in bed they heard something scratching. They thought at first that it was the rats, but soon they knew that it was too loud for them. They looked down towards the window where the noise came from. Seeing a shadow like a man's hand, they got out of bed, went to the window and looked out. Then they saw a bear which had climbed up the wall and was trying to hold onto the window, but could not. Mother, who was in another room, heard them laughing. She asked what was the matter, and they told her, so she got up and went outside, and took the bear off the window and put him on the ground. In the morning when we got up it was in a pear tree in the garden. The bears that are about here are quite harmless. They are very scarce, but when we first came into Yannathan there was a great number.
I remain, your affectionate niece, Sarah Aitken, aged eleven years and eight months (3).

The Koala or 'Australian Bear'

Australian Bear, c. 1880-1890. State Library of Victoria Image H29682/3

The cause of the decline in koala numbers in Yannathan can be attributed, mainly, to habitat loss due to the clearing of land for farming. Dr Niel Gunson in his book The Good Country: Cranbourne Shire writes that early settlement in the Yannathan district started on the western boundary in 1875 and by 1878 all the dense forest country had been selected (4). Clearing at Yannathan began as soon as the settlers could undertake the work, it has been said of this thick bush country (paperbark, tea tree, blackwood, silver wattle, musk tree and clematis) that 'when cleared it proved to be the best land in Gippsland' (5).

This interesting article about fauna on the Koo Wee Rup Swamp in 1894/1895 comes from a column in The Argus of September 12, 1934 called Nature Notes and Queries by Alec H. Chisholm. Mr Chisholm also notes land clearing as the reason koalas and lyre birds disappeared from the Koo Wee Rup Swamp.

Koalas at Koo-wee-rup

Stating that he has been very interested in the discussion on koalas' food trees, E.A.B. (St. Kilda) recalls that in the years 1894-95 he was camped at the Koo-wee-rup swamp and saw many koalas in swamp gums there. The trees were on a narrow ridge parallel with and about 20 chains east of the main drain, and the ridge was entirely surrounded by real swamp and tea-tree. A young koala taken to camp would climb tea-trees and black-woods, but would not feed there, although he throve on leaves from the swamp gums. That young bear was kept for about three months, and was never seen to drink. The writer wonders, therefore, if the moisture in leaves is sufficient for them. It is added that the swamp gum ridge was cleared for cultivation and the koalas disappeared. In the clearing of the eastern end of Koo-wee-rup many lyrebirds must have been destroyed. (6).

The koala was also killed for 'sport'. There was a report in March 1882 about a fishing and hunting trip to the Bass [River] district which mentioned the amount of sport they were going to have! Ducks, swan, hare, native bears, 'possoms and fish were to be got without the least exertion (7). Given that the koala was also called the 'Australian sloth' it is no wonder that they could be got without the least exertion.

Koalas did however, sometimes fight back. This report is from May 1904 -

A boy, aged 10, named Stanley Anderson, living at Lang Lang, noticed a native bear in a tree, and climbing up to it attempted to catch it by the ears. The bear made an attack on young Anderson, tearing his left arm very badly, and also making its teeth meet in his thumb. (8) 

The koala was also a component of the fur trade, not, however, the high-end garment segment of the market. This is part of a report from 1880 - Another numerous marsupial is the native bear, or Australian sloth, possessing a short matted wool, and a thick pelt unamenable to softening influences. These inoffensive creatures are most tenacious of life, and when they are killed, sorely test the patience of the skinner. The best of the skins are made into carriage rugs, but the majority are only fit for mats (9).

The 'Australian Native Bear' was considered cute enough to feature in this postcard from c. 1908, even if some people still thought they were only fit to become a mat.

Australian Native Bear. Study by Muir. State Library of Victoria Image H42748/12

In Victoria, koalas gained some protection in December 1898, when they were deemed to be native game and thus protected (10). This gave them year round protection, though this was objected to by the Fur Buyers' Association who thought koalas should only have protection for part of the year. As a matter of interest in 1899 the Fur Buyers' Association spokesman, Mr Coles said that last year on the London market a total of 176,000 skins were offered. New South Wales sent 134,000 and Victoria and Queensland 51, 600. This showed that there was not such a slaughter going on here as there was in New South Wales (11). The Government did not alter the year round protection for koalas and in 1938 strengthened their protection by including injuring and molesting the animals as well as destroying them within the scope of the bill (12).

Of course protection from slaughter did not protect the koala from habitat loss, and one solution for this was to re-locate koalas from one area to another such as in the 1930s from French Island to Quail Island. You can read about this here. Quail Island is at the northern end of Western Port Bay. It also appears from the following two reports from the Dandenong Journal in the 1940s  that some koalas were moved to Tooradin 

Tooradin - The ever-popular teddy bears (koalas) are now on view about the foreshore and surrounding gums. Apparently they are enjoying a brief sojourn at “the Port” preliminary to their retirement for the tourist season and from the small boy menace which by regrettable past experience they have learnt to avoid. (13)

Native Bears in the Manna gums at Tooradin are a popular feature to tourist bus passengers making a stop over for teas. When fires and disease affected the feeding trees at Chinamen [sic] Island in Westernport, the Fisheries and Game Dept, released a fair number of bears on this locality, hence their numbers. (14)

To finish off - it appears that boys were often blamed for the decline in koala numbers. In a 1931 report about transferring koalas from Phillip Island and  French Island to Quail Island and Chinaman Island -

It was considered useless to attempt to form colonies on the mainland until boys with pea-rifles learned to leave the koalas alone and other persons learned not to take them as pets. (15).

Footnotes

(1) The Age, May 23 1891, see here.
(2) South Bourke & Mornington Journal, June 8, 1887, see here.
(3) Weekly Times July 1, 1893, see here.
(4) Gunson, Niel The Good Country: Cranbourne Shire (Cheshire, 1968), p. 112.
(5) Gunson, op. cit., p. 114
(6) South Bourke & Mornington Journal, March 15 1882, see here.

(7) The Argus, September 21, 1934, see here.

(8) Great Southern Advocate, May 12 1904, see here. 
(9) The Argus, December 9 1880, see here.
(10) Victoria Government Gazette, December 9, 1898, p. 4238, http://gazette.slv.vic.gov.au/images/1898/V/general/109.pdf
(11) The Herald, July 11 1899, see here. The Fur Buyers' Association was also referred to as the Furred Skin Buyers' Association (The Herald, July 3, 1899, see here) I am not sure which is correct, and it doesn't really matter now, 120 years later, however I do like to be historically accurate.
(12) The Argus, December 14, 1938, see here.

(13) Dandenong Journal, November 10, 1943, see here.

(14) Dandenong Journal, November 24, 1948, see here.

(15) The Argus, May 9, 1931, see here.

A version of this post, which I wrote and researched first appeared on my work blog, Casey Cardinia Links to our Past.

Application for a Hotel in Bayles

The Age of December 12, 1930 published the following advertisement of a notice of application for a victualler's licence at Bayles, from Edward Parnell Buckley -

Application for a victualler's licence at Bayles 

The Age, December 12, 1930  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article203271532

The licensing Court hearing of the application was held on February 10, 1931 and The Argus reported on this hearing - 

Liquour Licence for Bayles. Application Withdrawn.

Application was made to the Licensing Court yesterday by Mr Luke Murphy on behalf of Edward Parnell Buckley for the issue of a victualler's licence at Bayles, a township in the Koo-Wee-Rup district. The Court consisted of Messrs R. Barr (chairman), J. Lock and V. Tanner. Mr Gamble (instructed by Messrs W.B. and O. McCutcheon) opposed the application on behalf of certain residents and ratepayers of the neighbourhood, and Mr. L.J. Murphy opposed on behalf of other residents of the district. Mr. Gamble said that he had a petition opposing the issue, signed by a majority of the ratepayers within a radius of three miles.

Superintendent Ashton submitted a report, in which he said that he did not approve of the issue of the licence. The site was away from the main road, and there were other hotels four miles and a half distant. There were fewer than 100 residents of the township of Bayles. Evidence on behalf of those opposing the application was that there were only 271 adult residents in the area served by the proposed hotel, and that there were only three mixed trains a week to the Bayles railway station.

Mr Luke Murphy and that it was proposed to erect an hotel costing £3,500. There were 3,000 to 4,000 acres under potatoes in the area, and many sportsmen visited the district in the quail season. The chairman said that the amount of trade at the proposed hotel would apparently be microscopical. There had never been a time at which the Court had to be more careful not to encourage purely speculative ventures. Mr Tanner said that no evidence had been submitted to show that a hotel was required. Mr. Luke Murphy withdrew the application. (The Argus, February 11, 1931, see here) 

So that was the end of a Hotel for Bayles.

Edward Parnell Buckley was born in 1889 in Balnarring to John and Catherine (nee Dore) Buckley. He was the second youngest of their eleven children -  his siblings were David, Elizabeth, Nellie, Mary, Michael, Patrick, John, Thomas, Catherine and Annie, who were born between 1867 to 1892. His father John, died on January 14,  1920 and his obituary in The Advocate notes some interesting facts about his life -

Mr. John Buckley - One of the oldest pioneers of the Mornington Peninsula passed away on Wednesday week in the person of Mr John Buckley, of "Erinslea," Balnarring. The deceased was born in Tipperary, Ireland, 82 years ago, and came to Victoria in the year 1856, settling in Balnarring. A few years after he married a daughter of the late John Dore, "Mt. Ararat,'' Pakenham. Deceased took an active part in all matters relating to the Church. Mass used to be celebrated for a number of years in the deceased's house till St. John's Church was erected.....Deceased took an active part in all public matters. He was a member of the first Roads Board and, of the shire council. The funeral, which took place on Thursday week, was largely attended, the cortege being a mile long. A widow, six sons, and five daughters are left to mourn their loss. (The Advocate, January 31, 1920,  read the full obituary here)

Informative death notice of John Buckley. Interesting for those times that all the 

eleven children survived until adulthood.

The Herald, January 14, 1920 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article242160095

Edward was listed in the 1914 to 1931 Electoral Rolls as a farmer at Balnarring. He died on October 20, 1932, aged only 42 and is buried at the Crib Point Cemetery. It would be interesting to know why he applied  for a victualler's licence at Bayles in 1930, after many years of farming at Balnarring. 

Edward Buckley's death notice

The Age October 22, 1932 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205487531

Catherine Buckley  died in 1937 - this is her obituary -

Nonegenarian Passes - Mrs. Catherine Agnes Buckley died at her residence at Balnarring on October 11, aged 92 years. She was an Australian native, having been born at Pakenham. She was one of the pioneers of the Balnarring district, where she settled with her husband, the late Mr. John Buckley, 70 years ago. In spite of her great age, Mrs. Buckley's memory was remarkably retentive and she could relate happenings of many years ago quite clearly. She had a family of 11 children-six sons and five daughters. One son and one daughter predeceased her. One of her sons is Cr. David Buckley, a member of the Flinders Shire Council. Another son, Mr Thomas Buckley, is a stationmaster and is now stationed at Camperdown. The funeral took place in the Crib Point Cemetery on October 13. There was a large gathering of mourners at the grave, many old friends travelling long distances to be present. Many beautiful wreaths were placed on the coffin. Requiem Mass was celebrated at the Balnarring R.C. Church by the Rev. Fr. Fitzpatrick, who also read the burial service. (Frankston and Somerville Standard, October 22, 1937, read the full obituary, here)

The Dore family - John (c.1808 - 1895) his wife Betty (nee Elizabeth O'Connor, c. 1808 - 1876) and their children Edward, Thomas, Patrick and Ellen had arrived in Melbourne in September 1841; six more children were born after their arrival.  In 1844, John Dore and Michael Hennessey took up the Mount Ararat Run at Nar Nar Goon of 1,900 acres. The partnership existed until 1855. Hennessey then moved to Dandenong and built the Bridge Hotel and later took over the Eumemmerring Hotel. In the 1860s, Dore purchased the 640 acre Mt Ararat pre-emptive right. He later purchased another 387 acres and his son Thomas 300 acres so they held a total of 1,300 acres. The property was later bisected by the railway line when it was built in 1877. ( Source - From Bullock Tracks to Bitumen: a brief history of the Shire of Berwick  published by the Historical Society of the Berwick Shire, 1962)