Hail storms in the local area

Here are some reports of local hail storms in the area over the years. The rain is recorded in points - there is 100 points to the inch; an inch is 25.4 millimetres

From The South Bourke and Mornington Journal September 16, 1903  (see here) 

Iona - At mid-day on Sunday we experienced a severe hailstorm so heavy that the paddocks bore the appearance of being covered with snow.

From The Argus of November 4, 1903 (see here) 
Bunyip - There was a curious hailstorm on Sunday evening. It appeared to come from the north west and the pieces of ice were so large that windows were smashed in all directions. At Kraft’s Hotel [Top Pub] about twenty were broken and the same number at the State School. One of the pieces of ice weighed half a pound. 

The South Bourke and Mornington Journal of November 4, 1903 also reported on this storm (see here)

Iona - Hail stones weighing 8 ounces are not an every day experience or welcome visitors and the damage hail can do young growing crops in a few minutes the settlers of Iona now know to their sorrow. On Sunday afternoon, during the thunder storm which passed over the settlement the elements cannonaded the district with irregular chunks of ice - not proper hail-stones, many weighing as above stated with such force, a strong wind was blowing at the time, as to batter the roofs of the houses in a most incredible manner. All windows facing the north were immediately demolished, and in some cases the hail actually drilled a round hole through the windows without shattering the pane. The crops of onions and potatoes suffered severely. Mr. W. Carey’s best cow was struck by lightning during the storm. The township and school also suffered severely. Miss Bell who was caught in the storm on horseback fainted, but happily help was at hand and a fatal catastrophy [sic] averted. A travelling glazier would do a good trade in the town-ship.

The Argus of October 28, 1911 (see here) reported 

Mr J.A. Kirwan, store keeper at Iona was delivering when he was caught in a hailstorm and the horse, becoming restive, backed into the canal. The horse, vehicle and driver fell over the steep bank into the water. Mr Kirwan escaped with minor injuries.

From The Argus of December 20, 1911 (see here)  

Bunyip - A heavy fall of hail occurred this afternoon. The hail was as large as pigeon eggs and did a great deal of damage to the potato and onion fields and also caused considerable loss to orchardists. 

The Argus of February 19, 1913 (see here)   reported

The heavy hailstorm of Monday afternoon had a disastrous effect on the orchards at North Bunyip and Tonimbuk. Heavy yields were expected from the apple crops, but the hail, which was almost the size of hens eggs, almost cut some of the apples in two

From ‘Nature notes & queries’ column of The Argus of July 30, 1920 (see here) comes this letter from Mr Horatio Weatherhead of Tynong - 

In February 1887 there was a hailstorm at Daylesford, when jagged lumps of ice nearly a foot long and weighing up to 4lb fell. The damage to windows, roofs and crops was considerable but no-one was seriously injured. The hailstorm was referred to at the time as 'falling icebergs.'

(Horatio and his sons moved from Lyonville to Tynong North in 1909)

The Dandenong Journal of July 30, 1931 (see here) reported - 

The football match, Dalmore v. Clyde, which had been eagerly looked forward to was commenced on the new ground in Mr. Croskell’s paddock, on Saturday, but owing to a severe hailstorm was abandoned shortly after half-time. At half-time Dalmore were leading by three goals, which lead Clyde reduced to two points before the game was abandoned. Clyde had a very good chance of winning had the game been played out.

The Herald, of August 16, 1935 (see here) had this thrilling account of a cycle race. The headline was Girl Cyclist sets record through fierce hailstorm -

When Mrs Valda Unthank, the Brunswick cyclist, clipped 17mins. 15sec. off the women's road cycling record over 83 miles from the Prahran Town Hall to Wonthaggi yesterday, she battled through one of the worst storms experienced for many years in South Gippsland. Today, Mrs Unthank's badly swollen left ankle is a legacy of her fight to keep from being blown off the bicycle. "I have never experienced such weather," she said. "I averaged 20 miles an hour until I reached Pakenham, but then I had to contend with a fierce southerly gale, big hailstones and rain. I was blown right off my bicycle many times, and finally had to get off and walk for some distance."

Mrs Unthank's record card checked and signed by the Mayor of Wonthaggi (Cr. S. Fincher, J.P.) is:- Departed Prahran Town Hall, 6.31 a.m. Arrived Dandenong 7.19, Hallam, 7.30, Narrewarren 7.36, Berwick 7.44, Beaconsfield 7.50, Officer 7.56, Pakenham 8.9, Koo-wee-rup 8.50, Lang Lang, 9.20½, Bass Shire 10.30, Bass 11.19, Anderson 11.40, Kilcunda 12.2 p.m„ Wonthaggi 12.34, 45 sec. Time for distance, 6hr. 3min. 45sec. On Tuesday, Mrs Unthank will visit Bairnsdale, where she will establish a

time for women cyclists from Sale to Bairnsdale, a distance of 43 miles.

The Argus of February 24, 1945 (see here) reported -

Hailstones that were found to measure 2 inches in diameter fell during a freak electrical storm that broke over Garfield late yesterday afternoon. In 45 minutes 310 points of rain were recorded. Vegetable crops were swamped, fruit crops ruined by the hail, and some shops in the main street flooded with 2ft of water. The disturbance covered an area of about five miles. The railway line was flooded near Tynong, and the afternoon train from Melbourne was delayed two hours.  

The Weekly Times of February 28, 1945 (see here) had this dramatic report of the same storm - 

Heavy rain in Gippsland - Groceries were washed from shelves into the street from a store at Tynong, Gippsland, when nearly three inches of rain fell in half an hour during an electrical storm on Monday. The rain was so heavy it penetrated the roof of the store. Lightning struck a chimney on a house at Garfield, eight miles away, and sheared it off level with the roof. Bricks crashed on the roof of the building. Others were thrown to the ground several yards away. Heavy hail fell at both towns.

The postmaster at Tynong (Mr A. Besant) had to shovel hail off the roof. At Garfield hail stones as large as marbles smashed windows. Several houses were damaged by water. It was the second severe electrical storm in the district within a week.

On the subject of hail storms, there was a big storm on the evening of Thursday,  January 17, 1963 - two days before day before my aunty was married, so Mum remembers the date clearly. These photographs were taken at Grandmas in Murray Road, Cora Lynn on Friday, January 18th! Almost like snow!

The Age of  January 18, 1963 reported that this hail storm wiped out between  80-90% of the fruit harvest in the  Doncaster orchard district ...  worst hit by the hail storm were the orchardists of the Doncaster, Templestowe, Vermont and Narre Warren orchard areas, who lost their whole year's work and income within minutes....The orchards carpeted with ripped off leaves, butts, bits of fruit and twigs look as if they were blitzed. The Pakenham Gazette of January 25, 1963 noted that the hail belt stretched right through from Narre Warren to Nar Nar Goon North...the three who had suffered most in this area were Mr Albert Warner of Nar Nar Goon North; Mr R Perkins, Nar Nar Goon  North and Mr W. Mann, Pakenham Upper. In each case practically the whole of their crops had been wiped out.

100 years ago this week - Bunyip Court

One hundred years ago, this week in January 1914,  the Bunyip Court had to deal with this case of  bicycle theft. A seventeen year old, William Ayres, was found guilty of stealing a bike from Michael Dineen, of Cora Lynn. He was sentenced to three months in gaol, an extraordinary sentence compared to what he would have got today and, of course, today his name would not be published as he is under 18. 

Bunyip Free Press Jan 8, 1914  

trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper

This article  made me wonder when the Bunyip Court first started - I found this article (below)  in the South Bourke and Mornington Journal of March 22, 1905. The Court first sat in Kraft's Hall, I'm not sure where that was, William Kraft  owned the Gippsland Hotel (the Top Pub) so it may have been connected with that.

South Bourke and Mornington Journal March 22, 1905.

The first sitting of the Bunyip Court was held on March 15 1905. The bench consisted of Mr Cresswell, the Presiding magistrate, and two Justices of the Peace, Ramage and A'Beckett. The first case concerned Myrtle Morris who was charged with having no visible means of support. Myrtle was remanded to Prahran for a further hearing.  The second case involved a twelve year old, John Mannix, who was charged with endangering property by setting fire to some scrub, which destroyed gates and fences.  He was released into the care of his father who entered a recognizance for the boy's future good behaviour. Once again, this article shows how the legal system has changed (for better or worse depending on your view point) a 12 year old would never have his name mentioned in relation to a legal trial today.

You can read more about the Bunyip Court here.

100 years ago this week - St Thomas' Horticultural Show

A three day horticultural show was held at St Thomas' Church of England in Bunyip, 100 years ago this week in December 1913. It raised fifty five pounds which went  towards building the Parsonage. The church was opened on December 28, 1902 and the Parsonage opened in June 1915.

The Argus December 22 1913  trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article7260099

Mrs Beatrice A'Beckett won eight first prizes, including that for champion carnation, roses and a collection of flowers. Amongst the other prize winners was Horace Nelson, listed in the Electoral Roll as a farmer from Bunyip; the Reverend Kent; William Kraft, who with his wife Sarah, ran the Gippsland Hotel in Bunyip. Their son, William, later became the manager of the Drouin butter factory. Another winner was  Joseph Holgate, store keeper of  Bunyip, who won the champion bloom. A couple of lads, A. Boyle and Cecil Corrigan  also won some prizes.  Miss Allen won a number of prizes for best arranged basket, ladies sprays and gents' button-holes. Miss Allen doesn't have  a first name or initial listed, so I don't know who she was; Miss P. Holland won the prize for wild flowers, but she wasn't in the Electoral Roll in 1914.

In the cookery section, Mr William Walker won the 'best plain cake made by a married man. He is listed in the Electoral Roll as a hairdresser of Bunyip. Captain Arthur A'Beckett, came second in this category - he was the husband of the prize winning Beatrice. Mr A. Boyle won the prize for the batchelor's cake. There is a Frederick and Elizabeth Boyle listed in the Electoral Rolls (Frederick is listed as carpenter) so perhaps they are the parents of Mr A. Boyle and the lad, Master A. Boyle who won prizes. The Reverend Banks won the second prize in the bachelors division. 

Home Deliveries to Cora Lynn in the 1940s and 1950s.

The Rouse family have had the newspaper delivered to Cora Lynn and Vervale since the end of World War Two. Dad remembers that Mrs Simcocks, from the Garfield Newsagency, used to deliver papers and the mail in her Chev (or it may have been a Dodge, it was a big American car). In the late 1950s, Mrs Simcocks got a VW Beetle and used that for deliveries.  We also got the mail delivered by Mrs Simcocks - apparently she took it from the Garfield Post Office to the General Stores at Vervale and Cora Lynn, where it was sorted and then delivered it with the papers.

If you lived less than two miles from the Post Office / General Store at Cora Lynn or Vervale, you didn’t get a mail delivery you had to pick it up from the Post Office.  Mrs Simcocks would also bring out small parcels such as items from the Chemist or even meat from the butchers if you rang early enough. The Rouse family on Murray Road always had the Sun News Pictorial delivered and this continued when Dad and Mum got married in 1956 and moved onto the farm on Main Drain Road. Sadly, our newspaper deliveries stopped at the end of June, 2017.

This is Grandma and Grandpa (Joe and Eva Rouse) and Delacy* the dog, taken around 1950. Joe's reading the paper, delivered that day from Garfield. I think Grandma has her apron in her hand. It's taken in front of the toilet, obviously a sunny spot!.

After Mum and Dad were married in 1956, they also had the bread delivered from the Garfield Bakery. Clarrie Lindsay delivered it on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Mum always ordered a Vienna loaf and this was delivered, unwrapped, and put into the letter box, which sometimes meant that if Mum and Dad had been out during the day it was a bit crusty when they took it out of the letter box a few hours later. In the 1950s, some of the owners of the bakery were the Umlaufts and the Lowndes.

The butcher, Mr Cumming, from Bunyip also delivered meat to Grandmas. Dad says that the butcher came out in his van and would do the butchering on the spot - the carcase had already been skinned etc, but he would just cut off chops etc to order. It sounds like a bit of a health and safety nightmare, but obviously people were made of sterner stuff in 1940s and 1950s!

This photograph shows some of the shops in Main Street in Garfield. 

It is possibly an Anzac day service as they appear to be laying a wreath, 1960s.

Mum always went to the butcher in Garfield; she went to Jimmy Fawkners, who was up near the Opp shop. She also went to Ernie Robert’s grocery shop (where the cafe is) which was a general store and also had hardware, crockery and groceries. Philip and Vera Wharington also had a grocery store in Garfield and they also stocked haberdashery.  However, around 1968 Robinsons in Pakenham opened up an experimental self service store and Mum began to shop there. Robinsons had operated a grocery store in Pakenham from the 1950s and later had the SSW store until Safeways took it over (around 1980)

Grandma, and most of the surrounding area, also had groceries and other goods delivered from Dillon’s store at Cora Lynn.  Les North, the delivery man, would come around the day before and take the order, which would be delivered the next day. The Cora Lynn store had opened in 1907 and the Dillon family took over in 1927 and operated it for decades.

* the dog was named after Grace De Lacy Evans, of Vervalac, Iona. She married Percy Pratt on June 24, 1919. Mr Pratt is on the Iona Honour Board, you can read about him and the other soldiers with an Iona connection, here.

Agnes Mickle - Pioneer woman

Alexander and Agnes Mickle (nee Johnston) arrived in Victoria in October 1857 on the ship, Blackwall. Agnes was 28 and Alexander was 27. They had tried to come to Australia the year before but their boat, the Mull of Kintyre, was shipwrecked just after it had left Scotland. They both came from Berwickshire, on the Scottish border.  Alexander was the third of the Mickle brothers to arrive in Melbourne, with John having arrived in 1838 and Thomas in 1841. John Mickle, who along with his partners, William Lyall and John Bakewell, had amassed a large amount of land which they divided up in 1856. John Mickle’s share included parts of the Yallock Run, which he renamed Monomeith and Alexander and Agnes came out to manage this property.

Alexander and Agnes took a bullock dray from Melbourne to Tooradin, then went by boat to the mouth of the Yallock Creek. They lived in the original homestead until 1860 when a new house was built. In November 1861, Alexander died suddenly from appendicitis and peritonitis and Agnes was at Monomeith, eight months pregnant and with her two children David, aged 3 and Isabella Margaret, nearly 2. The only other person on the property was “the lad” John Payne, who had to ride into Cranbourne for the Police to make arrangements for the burial. Their third child, John Alexander, was born four weeks later on Boxing Day, 1861. [Much of the information in these first two paragraphs comes from Dr Niel Gunson's book The Good Country: Cranbourne Shire (Cheshire, 1968).]

Agnes Mickle

Their son, David, was the grandfather of the local historian Dave Mickle. He has written various books and was instrumental in establishing the Koo-Wee-Rup Swamp Historical Society. Dave Mickle has written about Agnes, but no where does he write about what must have been the sheer horror (or so it seems to me) of the situation that Agnes was in - alone on the farm at the Monomeith; no close neighbours; about 30 kilometres from the nearest town which was Cranbourne, which at the time was a small town with a population of 115; and two little children and a baby on the way.

The management of the Monomeith property was taken over by Andrew Hudson, who was a cousin of the Mickles. Andrew planted wheat and operated a dairy farm. Agnes married Andrew on May 17, 1865 and had two more children, Agnes Lilly, who was born in 1866 and in 1868, when Agnes was 40, she gave birth to James Johnston.  Andrew and Agnes and family moved from the Monomeith property to Protectors Flats near Lang Lang, where along with the dairy farm, they also grew tobacco. In 1879, they moved to the Warook property on the Yallock Creek and built a house (not the existing Warook house) and a dairy. They leased this, on a ten year lease, from William Lyall. Towards the end of this lease they started building The Grange, in Koo-Wee-Rup. Sadly, before they moved, Andrew Hudson died suddenly at the age of 55 on August 3, 1888. Agnes, a widow once more, moved into The Grange a few months later on October 1.

After Andrew died it seems that her sons, John Mickle and James Hudson, took over the farm and they operated Koo-Wee-Rup Dairies, where they purchased milk from local farmers and made cheese, then later (after 1899) James worked on his own and milked  cows and produced cheese.

Agnes also faced the death of her two daughters, who both died within a year. Isabella Margaret had married Richard Scott of Poowong in 1886 and had six children. She died in February 1902. Her other daughter, Agnes Lilly, had a more tragic life. She married George Hook in 1899 and their first child, Isaac, died in 1905, aged 5. Their second child, George was born on February 2, 1903 and sadly Agnes Lilly passed away six days later on February 8. Dave Mickle, in Mickle Memories of Koo Wee Rup writes that little George, was adopted by his uncle, John Mickle and his wife Laura (John Mickle being the child Agnes gave birth to, four weeks after Alexander died)

Agnes Hudson died on December 10, 1913 aged 86. Her obituary (which is transcribed below) in the Lang Lang Guardian of December 17, 1913 describes her as having had a long, useful and honourable life …the deceased lady who was loved and respected by those who had the privilege of knowing her, possessed the sterling attributes of the great Scottish race whose early pioneering enterprises left such as impress on the early land settlement in the colonies…. her mind was bright and active to the close.. and her health was remarkably good.  This is a tribute to a remarkable pioneer woman, Agnes Hudson, who survived a ship wreck, the birth of five children, the death of two husbands and that of her two daughters.

Obituary - Death of Mrs Hudson

From the Lang Lang Guardian December 17, 1913.

On the 10th inst., there passed away one of the oldest, if not actually the oldest, resident in the district, Mrs Hudson, who, after a long, useful and honorable life, has gone to join “the choir invisible.” The connection of the deceased lady with this State, embraces a period of time antecedent to the history of the ordinary pioneer. Born in Berwickshire, Scotland, Mrs Hudson, then Mrs Mickle, came out to Victoria with her husband, and shortly afterward arrived at Tooradin in a bullock dray. Leaving Tooradin, they passed up the mouth of the Yallock Creek in a boat, but were unfortunate in being stranded on a mud bank. 

She lived on the Yallock Estate for a time and in 1858 settled at Monomeith, where she lived for a number of years on the property upon Mr H, Glasscock now resides. Here her husband died, and some years after she married Mr Hudson. Mrs and Mrs Hudson lived for a time at Lang Lang, on the property lately occupied by Mr Jos. Doyle on the Lang Lang River. After that they took a long lease of the property known as “Worrock”, now owned by Mr C. Greaves. Afterwards they purchased a part of the Yallock estate, known as the “Home run,” and here the late Mr Hudson died, just about the time of the expiration of the lease. 

The deceased lady then came to Koo Wee Rup, some 24 years ago, where she resided to the time of her death. By her first marriage she had three children, Messrs John and David Mickle, who are well known residents of the district, and the late Mrs Scott. By her second marriage she had two children: the late Mrs Hook and Mr Jas. Hudson, now occupying and carrying on the property. The deceased lady, who was loved and respected by those who had the privilege of knowing her, possessed the sterling attributes of the great Scottish race whose early pioneering enterprises left such an impress on early land settlement in the colonies. Though she lived to the ripe age of 86 years, she did not outlive her sympathies with the affairs of the world around her. Her memory was wonderfully retentive, and her mind bright and active to the close. She was a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church, which she attended until deafness prevented her following the services and her health was remarkably good.

The funeral took place at the Cranbourne Cemetery on Friday, and was attended by a large number of mourners. 

100 years ago this week - Iona State School, No. 3201.

This comes from The Argus of October 22,1913, 100 years ago this week.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper

The Iona State School was located on the corner of Thirteen Mile Road and Bunyip River Road at Vervale. It commenced in 1894 and was originally known as Koo-Wee-Rup North; in 1899 it changed its name to Bunyip South and then in 1905 to Iona. When the school opened on July 9, 1894 it had 83 pupils and the Head Teacher was Arthur Jamieson. By 1895, it had grown to 120 pupils and the new Head Teacher Joseph Lyons arrived in the April of that year. He had three assistants – Mr Colquhoun, Miss Alston and Mrs Lyons. Joseph Lyons remained at the school until 1903. The Teachers Residence was built in 1908; previous to this the Head Teacher had to live in Garfield.  The original building burnt down on July 6, 1913.  The new building opened on April 28, 1914 with 164 pupils. In 1942, electricity was supplied to the school and the telephone was connected in 1964.

Celebrations took place in 1964 to mark the 50th anniversary of the new building with between 500 and 600 people attending. Another celebration took place in 1989 to mark the 75th anniversary the 1914 building. Sadly, the school community could not celebrate one hundred years of education as the school was closed on December 17, 1993, seven months short of its centenary. The building is now at Nar Nar Goon and used as a Scout Hall.

Sources: On the edge of the swamp: a history of the Iona Primary School No. 3201 1894-1994 by Denise M. Nest ( Iona Primary School Back-To-Committee, 1994)
Vision and Realisation : a centenary history of State Education in Victoria edited by L.J. Blake (Education Department of Victoria, 1973)

100 years ago this week - Wife wanted

This was in a couple of newspapers, 100 years ago this week in October 1913.

I am not sure if the story is true, or if the lovelorn cheesemaker found himself a tall, fair lump of  a Protestant for a wife,  but either way, it's a great story!

The Adelaide Mail October 18, 1913 page 5.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article59639808