Koo-wee-rup, the racehorse

I looked on Trove to see when Koo Wee Rup had its first press mention. The earliest report was July 1, 1856 (1) however in October 1868 I found the first mention of a racehorse called Koo-wee-rup, so I thought I would tell you about the horse.  The horse’s name was usually spelt as Koo-wee-rup, so that’s the way we will spell it. 

The horse was owned by Dr L.O Patterson. I believe this was Leslie Ogilby Patterson, the son of James and Mary (nee Ogilby) Patterson of Robe Street, St Kilda.  James Patterson was also a Doctor, and was Mayor of St Kilda at one time. Leslie Patterson was involved with the Melbourne Hunt Club  and he and his wife left Melbourne for London in December 1870. He died at the age of 80, in London, on July 1, 1910 (2). It would be interesting to know why the horse was called Koo-wee-rup. 

Koo-wee-rup, was entered in the Maiden Plate on the first day of the Victoria Racing Club’s Spring Meeting which was held on Thursday to Saturday, November 5-7, 1868.  The Maiden Plate was for three year olds, over a mile and a half. A report of the race described Koo-wee-rup, like the majority of Touchstone’s progeny, appeared small and weedy. In the end, Palmerston won the race with Koo-wee-rup, who threw his rider directly the flag fell, bringing up the rear. (3).

In March 1869, Koo-wee-rup was entered the Helter Skelter Stakes of the Victorian Racing Club’s Autumn Meeting, which he won  in a canter by half a dozen lengths (4). The horse was then sold to Mr Clarke for £41 (5).  This is possibly Charles Clarke, of Diggers Rest, who is listed in various newspapers reports as owning other racehorses around this time (6). Mr Clarke entered Koo-wee-rup in the District Plate in the Woodstock Races in May 1869, which he won. However it oozed out that a protest had been lodged against him on account of his owner not residing within a radius of fifteen miles of the district. The stewards reserved their decision until a future day (7). 

In November 1870, Koo-wee-rup was entered in the Footscray Plate on Derby Day. His Royal Highness, The Duke of Edinburgh (Queen Victoria’s son) was in attendance on the day (8). According to The Argus - Koo-wee-rup was the first to show in front. Ghenghis Khan got away very badly, but soon went through his horses and took first place, Orphan being second. At the Abattoirs Koo-wee-rup again took the lead, Stockings being second, and Orphan third. Coming into the straight running, Koo-wee-rup was still leading, the others being close up, and the whips being plied freely in all directions. The Dane came to the front soon after passing the turn, and won with comparative ease, Kooweerup being second and Orlando third, Maid of the Mist fourth, the others tailing off very much. A protest was lodged against The Dane by the owner of the second horse for a cross coming up the straight running. After hearing the evidence, the stewards dismissed the protest.(9).

In March 1871, at the Geelong Races the day’s sports wound up with a Hack race, for which seven started - Koo-wee-rup won the first heat of the hack race, and broke down badly in the second (10).   In late November 1871 at the Ballarat Turf Club Spring meeting Koo-wee-rup was one of five starters in the Scurry Stakes which was carried off with ease by Koo-wee-rup, Stafford being second, and Teddington third. Koo-wee-rup, however, by a subsequent decision was disqualified, as being underweight (11).The horse was disqualified because the jockey was found to be 4 pounds underweight at the after-race weigh-in (12).

On December 15, 1871 Koo-wee-rup won the Stewards Cup at the Talbot Races, beating six others and was then sold for £42 to Mr P. Glenister (13). I believe this was Philip Glenister, bookmaker and racehorse owner (14). The final mention I could find of Koo-wee-rup was at the Croxton Park Race meeting on Boxing Day, 1871. The horse was entered in the Selling race, where he didn't place, and later at the same meeting entered in the Flying Handicap, a one mile race. Six of the ten horses that entered the race started, with Koo-wee-rup a favourite -  having a fair share of admirers at advanced odds (15). He started well - The favourite was always amongst the front division, and after Koo-wee-rup fell at the other side of the course, just as he was about to make his effort, the result appeared to be in no doubt (16).  The fall resulted in a broken leg (17). 

It was a sad end for our racehorse.

Trove list

I have created a list of articles on Trove on Koo-wee-rup, the racehorse as well as the owners - Leslie Patterson, Charles Clarke and Philip Glenister, access it here.

Footnotes
(1) The Argus, July 1, 1856, see here.
(2) Information from various articles in my Trove list, here. I cannot find any mention of his wife's name - I assume he was married as the shipping report listed Dr L.O Patterson (Staff Surgeon) and Mrs Patterson, see The Leader, December 10 1870, here.
(3) The Argus, November 6, 1868, see here.
(4) The Argus, November 6, 1868, see here.

(5) The Argus, March 30, 1869, see here.

(6) The Weekly Times, August 28, 1875, see here.

(7) The Argus, May 24, 1869, see here.

(8) The Argus, November 7, 1870, see here.

(9) The Argus, November 7, 1870, see here.

(10) Ballarat Star, March 3, 1871, see here.

(11) The Argus, December 1, 1871, see here. 

(12) The Australasian, December 9 1871, here.

(13) The Argus, December 16, 1871, see here.

(14) Gosford Times, December 11, 1919, see here.

(15) The Australasian, December 30, 1871, see here.

(16) The Australasian, December 30, 1871, see here.

(17) The Argus, December 27, 1871, see here.

Vervale

Vervale is a little known town or locality between Cora Lynn and Iona. I grew up in Vervale, although I often say Cora Lynn, because no-one has heard of Vervale,  Most people haven't heard of Cora Lynn either, but it's slightly more well known.  The name Vervale wasn't applied to the area until 1917, more of which later.

Vervale had a State School, and although it had three names it was never called Vervale. State School No. 3201, located on the corner of Thirteen Mile Road and Main Drain Road, was established in 1894 as Koo Wee Rup North School, changed its name in 1899 to Bunyip South and changed its name again in 1905 to Iona. The School closed December 1993. (1)

Vervale didn’t have a lot of facilities – there were no Churches, for instance. Until around 1960 Methodist and Presbyterian Services were held on alternate Sundays at the Cora Lynn Hall, or Presbyterians could attend the Iona Presbyterian Church. Catholics could attend St Josephs Church at Iona and those of the Methodist and Anglican faiths could attend Churches in Garfield. (2) There were no Vervale sporting teams – you had to go to either Cora Lynn or Garfield to play sport.

Vervale did have a  General Store and Post Office, established in 1907 by John Andrew Kirwan. John had married Alice Gleeson in 1904 and they had six children - Isabell Mina (born 1906, birth registered at Northcote),  John Andrew James (1908, Northcote), Henry Patrick (1910, Clifton Hill), Thomas Michael (1912, Bunyip South), Mary (1914, Bunyip South), Margaret Sarah (1916, Garfield).  Sadly Alice died on March 3, 1917 aged only 32. She was buried at the Bunyip Cemetery. John died only five years later, on August 22, 1921, he was buried at Fawkner Cemetery.  (3)

Alice Kirwan's death notice

The Argus, March 5, 1917 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1601447

John Kirwan's death notice

The Age, August 25, 1921 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article206711686

However, at the time of Alice's death, John had lost the right to operate the Post Office, as the Bunyip Free Press reported -  for some year residents of Iona obtained their mail at Kirwans’ store. Since Mr Kirwan was fined for selling liquor without a license the Postal authorities have removed the post office to the residence of Mr Clark. (4) This was possibly Richard Clarke, listed in the Electoral Roll in 1916 as a farmer at Iona, with his wife Ethel Edith Clarke.

John still operated the General Store, which possibly due to the death of his wife, he sold  in 1917 to James and Edith McMannis. (5)  I assume the Post Office was returned to the General Store when the McMannis couple took it over. In 1920 James McMannis was awarded the tender for the local mail service.

Mail Service tender

Commonwealth of Australia Gazette , September 30, 1920  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article232517605

Mr McMannis died April 9, 1959, aged 90, and Mrs McMannis died June 4, 1967, aged 88, thus ending 51 years of store ownership. (6)  I only remember going there once, it must have been just before Mrs McMannis died and all I remember was that Mrs McMannis looked really old. Given that she must have been well into her eighties and I was only about seven, it's not surprising. Mr and Mrs McMannis are buried at the Bunyip cemetery.

The name Vervale was adopted for the area in 1917, when at a Berwick Shire Council meeting held on September 8th 1917 it was recorded that communication had been received from the Post Master Generals Department approving the change of name of the Post Office  from Kirwan's to Vervale.  (7) 

The adoption of the name Vervale

South Bourke & Mornington Journal, September 13, 1917  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66192725

The name was then adopted for the surrounding area which had previously had various other names. It was sometimes referred to as Kirwans; however, the Shire of Berwick Rate Books listed ratepayers in the area with the address of either Cora Lynn or Iona. In the 1916 Rate Books, some of these same ratepayers had Clarke’s Post Office as their address (after the new Post office manager). From the 1917 Rate books the name changed to Vervale, which was first written as Vere Vale. (8). Vervale means “green valley”, a bit  ironic as  it is just flat Swamp land. 

Vervale General Store and Post Office, taken 1967 or 1969.

National Archives of Australia photograph. www.naa.gov.au

However, Vervale does have one claim to fame as it was the first place in Victoria in which asparagus was commercially grown. Thomas Roxburgh, who was a Shipping Agent, planted the first commercial crop of asparagus at his farm on Fallon Road,  Cheriton Park, though locally it was referred to as Roxburgh Park. The earliest reference I can find to this planting is an article in The Argus from 1912.

Asparagus Culture

The Argus,  May 8, 1912, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11673611

It's a bit hard to read - so here's what it says.   Asparagus Culture.  Bunyip, Tuesday. - Mr Roxborough, an enterprising resident of Melbourne, who owns land on the Koo-wee-rup Swamp, has grown nine acres of asparagus at Iona, and a jam company has offered to erect a canning factory on the land if he grows 20 acres.

The jam company, was, I presume A.J.C., as the farm was later called the A.J.C farm. Even though it says Iona it was really Vervale, but as I said before, Vervale  wasn't used as a name until about 1917. You can read more about Thomas Roxburgh and asparagus growing, here.

Footnotes

(1) I have written about the school here   https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2018/06/early-swamp-schools.html

(2) I have written about the Churches here   https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-1910s-spiritual-decade-for-iona.html and here https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2015/11/cora-lynn-church.html 

(3) John Andrew Kirwan, was the son of Henry Patrick and Sarah (nee Crowe) born in Geelong in 1868. Alice was the daughter of James and Margaret Gleeson. Information about the children from the Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages.

(4) Bunyip Free Press, December 2, 1915, see here.

(5) Shire of Berwick Rate Books

(6) Death dates - headstone at Bunyip Cemetery -https://www.australiancemeteries.com.au/vic/cardinia/bunyip.htm  James McMannis was the son of  Frank and Ann (nee Fitzgerald) McMannis, born in Piggoret in 1869. Edith Carter McMannis, was the daughter of Phillip and Charlotte Emma (nee Taylor) Williams, born in 1879 at  Mologa (between Pyramid Hill and Mitiamo). They married in 1904. 

(7) Other reports of the name change - 

Dandenong Advertiser, September 13, 1917 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/88818260

Pakenham Gazette, September 14, 1917 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/92155922

(8) Shire of Berwick Rate Books

Koo Wee Rup township

This is a short history of the various institutions in the town of Koo Wee Rup.

Schools
The first School was established in 1884 between Koo Wee Rup and Bayles (at Bethunes Road) with 22 pupils. It was known as the Yallock School, until 1903 when the name was changed to Koo Wee Rup. In 1910, the school moved to Rossiter Road (to the Secondary College location) and a new building was built in 1915. In 1953, the Higher Elementary School was completed. This School included both primary and secondary classes (Forms 1 to 3 or Years 7 to 9). The School became a High School in 1957 and shared the building with the primary school students until November 1960 when the Primary School opened in Moody Street.  St John the Baptist Catholic School opened in 1936.

The arrival of the Methodist Church in 1932.

Koo Wee Rup Swamp Historical Society photograph.

Churches
The Presbyterian Church is the oldest Church in the town. The building was originally the Wesleyan Church in Cranbourne and when it was no longer required, it was purchased by the Koo Wee Rup Presbyterians for 70 pounds. This church, designed by Architect Alfred Dunn, had been erected in 1888 and it was transported to Koo-Wee-Rup on a large trolley drawn by 13 horses and placed on land donated by Christopher Moody. The first service in this building was on March 20, 1896 (1). The first Catholic Church was built in 1902 and the current church was opened December 1962.  The Anglican Church was built in 1917. It closed in 2012 and the congregation moved to the Uniting Church. The Methodist Church (now Uniting) was moved from Yallock to Rossiter Road in 1932. It is shown in the photograph, above. In 1978 this building was moved to a camp in Grantville and a wooden church from Narre Warren East, was relocated to the site, it was given a brick veneer and a new hall added and opened on February 3, 1980.

Health
A Bush Nursing Centre was opened in 1918. On May 23, 1923 the Fallen Soldiers' Memorial Hospital opened in Station Street; and the Westernport Memorial Hospital in  Rossiter Road on December 4, 1955. The Hospital Ladies’ Auxiliary was established in July 1955.  In 1946, the Infant Welfare Centre was opened in a room at the Memorial Hall and in 1953 the Pre-School opened.

The Koo Wee Rup Hall, before the 1923/24 extension

Koo Wee Rup Swamp Historical Society photograph

Community Groups and Amenities 

A Cricket Club started in 1893, the Recreation Reserve opened in 1906, and a football team had started by 1907. The Koo Wee Rup Public Hall opened in April 1903, a brick front was added in 1923/1924 and it was renamed as a Memorial Hall. It was demolished in 2002. The Royal Hotel was erected in 1915. The Koo Wee Rup Sun was first published in 1918, taking over from the Lang Lang Guardian which had commenced publication in 1902. The Masonic Lodge commenced in 1923. The Wattle Picture Theatre was opened in 1927, the same year the Koo Wee Rup Electric Light and Power Company began supplying limited electricity to the town. SEC power was switched on in the town in 1935. In 1929, the first Koo Wee Rup Scout Troop was formed. To add further to the amenity of the town in 1930 the water tower and the water supply system opened and in 1943 the Fire Brigade was formed

Railways
The Koo Wee Rup Railway station was opened on August 18, 1889. The Station was originally called Yallock and was re-named Koo Wee Rup in 1892. In 1922, Koo Wee Rup became a railway junction with the opening of the Strzelecki railway line. This line was closed in stages and the last stretch from Bayles to Koo Wee Rup closed in 1959. Passenger services to Koo Wee Rup ceased in June 1981 were reinstated December 1984 and ceased again in July 1993.

Oldest buildings in town
The 1884 School building, which had moved from Bethunes Road to Rossiter Road, was shifted again in 1919 to become the Island Road School. The School closed in 1974 and ten years later the building moved back to the Primary School site in Moody Street.
However, the oldest building still on its original site is the house, “The Grange”, off Sybella Avenue. This was built in 1887-88 for Andrew and Agnes Hudson, though sadly Andrew died just before they moved in. Agnes, nee Johnston, was firstly married to Alexander Mickle. Alexander and Agnes were the great grandparents of Local Historian, David Mickle.

Footnote

(1) Gunson, Niel The Good Country: Cranbourne Shire (F. W. Cheshire, 1968). p.166 and The Mornington Standard, February 29, 1896, see here.

100 years ago this week - Food production

One hundred years ago, this week in March 1913, this appeared in the West Gippsland Gazette, and is a reminder of what a rich area this once was for food production.

West Gippsland Gazette   Tuesday 4 March 1913, page 7

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

At Iona, a Creamery run by the Fresh Food and Frozen Storage Company, was opened in 1897 and by 1900 it had 50 suppliers. The Creamery operated until around 1907. In 1906 Drouin Co-Operative Butter Factory established a factory in Iona on the corner of Little Road and the Main Drain. It closed in October 1928 and was demolished in 1930. Another butter factory, operated by Holdenson and Neilson, operated in Iona from 1912 and was taken over by the Drouin Co-Operative Butter Factory in April 1921. If you have been to Iona recently, it is hard to believe that it ever sustained two butter factories.  Cora Lynn also had a cheese factory, click here to find out more about it.

This is a photo of my grandparents (Joe and Eva Rouse) farm at Cora Lynn, taken in 1928. It was typical of the many small farms on the Swamp.