Flood photos Koo-Wee-Rup

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

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

Rossiter Road

Four people in a row boat

I have seen this one dated 1916 and 1924.

Andrew Colvin's Shackcloth cycle factory

Stranded cars

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

Country Women's Association - Koo-Wee-Rup Branch 1963

This is the booklet produced by the Koo-Wee-Rup Branch of the Country Women's Association for 1963.

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Cora Lynn Races - March 28 1932

Here's the  programme from the Cora Lynn Race meeting held on March 28, 1932.

100 years ago this week - Granite quarry

It seems that quarries haven't always been unwelcome in this area - this is a report form the Bunyip Free Press of December 31, 1914. Granite from Tynong was used in the construction of the Shrine of Remembrance

Bunyip Free Press  December 31, 1914

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129630055

100 years ago this week - strychnine poisoning

This tragic report was in the South Bourke and Mornington Journal on December 24, 1914.  Sadly for this little girl, strychnine used to be readily available and was  used in many households, I presume, for rodent control. The little girl was called Olive and she was the daughter of Emanuel and Elizabeth (nee Black) Metzenthen. 

South Bourke and Mornington Journal on December 24, 1914.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66186738

Drainage of Bunyip - 100 years ago this week

Here's an interesting article about drainage (or lack of it ) in Bunyip. The drain went from the Hall, along Main Street to the Railway Hotel and the Hotel's urinals emptied into it and the householders also emptied all their 'bedroom and other slops' into it. Ah, the good old days - very smelly!

Bunyip Free Press    November 19, 1914

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129629868

100 years ago this week - Miss Bell, confectioner, fruiterer and caterer.

Feeling peckish? Then call in at Miss Bell's shop in Main Street in Bunyip and you can purchase "hot pies, tea, coffee and cocoa at all hours". You could have done this 100 years ago, as well as buying confectionery, postage stamps and many brands of cigarettes and tobacco. Miss Bell would also hire out crockery, glassware, cutlery and  a marquee for your party.

Bunyip Free Press November 5, 1914

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page14855597

We have met Miss Bell before, In January 1913, she applied to the Shire of Berwick for a permission to manufacture ice cream on her premises. We know from the Electoral Roll on Ancestry database that her name was Margaret. There is a report  of her wedding in the Bunyip Free Press of July 30, 1914 when she married Charles Marsden of Bunyip. Her father is listed as Hugh Bell, a farmer of Bunyip. The wedding took place on July 22 at St Thomas' Church of England in Bunyip and the reception was at the Cafe Cecil 'of which the happy couple are the proprietors' according to the article. I don't know if this was a different premises from her own business, because she was still paying for advertisements in the paper months after she was married, or the same business.

Bunyip Free Press July 30, 1914

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129629304

What else do we know about Margaret Bell, confectioner? Cafe Cecil was still going in December 1915 as it was supplying the catering for Sports Day. 

Bunyip Free Press December 9, 1915

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129631092

In the same paper there was also an account of another wedding, that of Arthur Weatherhead to Inez Coombs and they had their wedding reception or 'sumptious wedding tea' at Cafe Cecil after their wedding on November 11, 1915. This was of interest to me as Arthur, the fourth child of Horatio and Eleanor Weatherhead, was my grandmas's brother.  Grandma is Eva Rouse (nee Weatherhead) 

Bunyip Free Press December 9, 1915

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129631095

Margaret is listed in the 1919 Electoral Roll as Margaret Marsden, Confectioner of Bunyip. Charles is listed as a carpenter. In  the 1924 and 1936 Electorial Rolls  Charles is listed as a farmer and Margaret as Home Duties, living at Tynong, so it seems that by then her confectionery days were behind her.