Maryknoll - an early history and the buildings designed by Smith, Tracey, Lyon and Brock

Maryknoll, originally known as St Mary's, was established in 1949 by Father Wilfred Pooley (1912-1969) (1) as a Catholic community based on the principals of faith, family life and co-operative enterprise. This was part of a broader movement in the Catholic community, encouraged by the Melbourne Archbishop, Dr Daniel Mannix, for Catholics to move away from the distractions of the city to a rural environment and become closer to God. A National Catholic Rural Movement was established in 1939 to support Catholic farmers and Father Pooley was very keen to establish a 'City of God' in a rural area. In March 1949, 529 acres (2) of land in North Tynong off Snell Road, was sold by Reg Sykes to Father Pooley for this purpose. Father Pooley paid the deposit of 100 pounds on March 25th, 1949 and the rest of the purchase price of 4,400 pounds was lent by the Handley family of Dandenong. (3)

Father Wilfred Pooley. 

The Maryknoll settlers were encouraged to keep a few goats on

 their blocks to supply milk. (4)

Weekly Times November 5, 1952 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/224873939

The Dandenong Journal reported in August 1949 that the Berwick Council had received a letter from Fr. Pooley, who had previously been the priest at St Mary's in Dandenong , but was now of St. John’s Presbytery, West Footscray - 

stating that St. Mary’s Co-operative Society Ltd. (Reg.) has been formed with the object of establishing a co-operative settlement. “The object of the Society, he wrote, is to bring about a form of decentralisation that has not been attempted hitherto. Approved city family share holders of the Society will be provided with well constructed homes, and their own homestead blocks of from 3 to 4 acres to enable them to provide the greater part of their food requirements. A number of secondary industries suggested by the Secondary Industries Board of the Commonwealth Government, will be established to provide permanent employment. These industries will be owned and operated by the members of the Society on a co-operative basis (5). 

Father Pooley, and a goat, at the bell tower at Maryknoll

Image:  In the Wake of the Pack Tracks:  a history of the Shire of Berwick 

(Berwick Pakenham Historical Society, 1982)

As Father Pooley stated in his letter, Catholic families would relocate to the community, own a few acres of land to build a house and work in the co-operative industries which were established including a housing co-operative, a joinery, hardware store, an aerated water factory and a dairy farm (6).  In April 1951  The Advocate reported that Two Dutchmen - Peter Keysers and Gerald Hermans - industriously maintain the farm and garden and are giving every satisfaction (7).  One of the interesting projects for community was the building of the Catholic Memorial Chapel at Puckapunyal. This report is from The Age in June 1953 - 

The names of Australian soldiers who passed through Puckapunyal and Seymour camps and who were killed in the two world and Korean wars will be inscribed in a roll of honor to be placed in the Roman Catholic memorial chapel at Puckapunyal.Most of the woodwork for the building is being obtained from St. Mary's rural settlement at Tynong North (8).

The first settlers lived in 'temps', very basic dwellings without running water, electricity, gas or other 'mod cons'.  Families then moved onto their block, where a modest three bedroom house was built. The size of the land eventually decided on - two to three acres - would enable the families to grow fruit and vegetables, run chickens and keep a cow and thus be able to supply most of their own food.  (9)

Ted Knox and son, Martin, in 1959 outside their Maryknoll home.

Image courtesy of Jen Rouse.

By March 1950, The Herald reported that seven families were living at Maryknoll and another forty were waiting to move but were prevented from doing so as there was still a post-War shortage of material for housing (10).  The 1950 Shire of Berwick Rate books (see below)  list these first seven families. The entry is under St Mary's Co-operative and the settlers are -  Benjamin Desmond O'Connell, Trevor and Iris Hunter, Henry and Rita Ward, Patrick and Nancy Clancy, Thomas McSweeney, Peter and Dorothy Corcoran, Vincent and Peggy Tyler. An Argus report noted the previous occupations of the men - among the pioneers at St. Mary's are factory hands, a transport driver, a delicatessen proprietor, and a mattress maker. Only one man, Peter Corcoran, is a builder by trade. (11). It was planned that eventually 150 families would settle at Maryknoll. (12).

1950 Shire of Berwick Rate books with a list of the seven original families at Maryknoll.

One interesting fact reported in The Herald article was this - St. Mary's is becoming known for the beautiful church vestments that the womenfolk are making their spare time. The vestments, made in St. Mary's kitchens, are adding to the color of the Mass in Catholic churches throughout Australia. (13) 

 Original caption: Miss May Woollard (left) and her sister, Mrs T. Hunter, fitting Father

Pooley with one of the Mass vestments they make in their spare time.

The Herald, March 30, 1950 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article244326628

In June 1950, The Argus reported that the community had already built  a temporary schoolroom, a cottage for the priest, and a large sanctuary, sacristy, and classroom, which will be extended into the permanent school...and were at work on one of the permanent five and six roomed homes into which they will move in a few months. (14) Some of these early buildings were designed by the Architectural firm of Smith, Tracey, Lyon and Brock, which I have written about below. 

Father Pooley (centre) talks over the plans for the settlement with some of the men 

who are doing the construction.

The Argus, June 9 1950 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/22834306

One of the first buildings in Maryknoll was a small shelter shed, erected in 1949 and used for a Church and a School. On January 29, 1950, Father Pooley celebrated the first Parish Mass in the building. The school commenced on February 13, 1950 with five pupils taught by Sister Chanel, who came from Pakenham everyday. From 1954 until 1978, the building, located next to the current Church, was used as a Baby Health Centre. The site of this original building is marked by a plaque on a granite rock and an interpretive sign (see footnote 15 for images). 

The memorial plaque on the site of the building which served as the 

first Church and School.

Click on image to enlarge.  Image: Heather Arnold, April 2023

September 3, 1950 was red-letter day for the St Mary's settlement, when the cornerstones of community life, the Holy Family Church and the Holy Family School, were both blessed and opened by Archbishop Dr Daniel Mannix at an event attended by more than 3,000 people. This is part of the Archbishop's speech on the day, supporting Father Pooley's vision of a 'City of God' in the bush  - 

Australia needs a great many movements like that initiated by Father Pooley. We are tired of listening to people talk about the drift from the country to the cities and the necessity of decentralization. People and Governments talk much but little is done. Father Pooley, however, doesn't talk very much but he is certainly very active, and I am confident he will succeed in this great project. In all that has been done so far he has been successful, and I hope he will succeed in a greater measure in the future. When I came here today I was amazed to see this immense gathering. It shows that many people are greatly interested in the movement and are ready to give it financial help and to work and to pray for its success. I am confident that success will come.  I have unbounded confidence in Father Pooley. I hope to come here on other occasions and see all the hopes of Father Pooley justified. I thank all who have come here today. It is a great encouragement to Father Pooley, with whom, of course, I feel more or less identified in this undertaking. Without Father Pooley there would be no rural settlement here, and naturally he and I are interested in its success. The settlement has been placed under the protection of the Mother of God, and I hope that she will guide a project that will mean much for the welfare and prosperity of Australia. (16).

Holy Family Church, Maryknoll, 1980s. 

Photographer: Shire of Pakenham

The settlement was nearly destroyed by a bush fire in April 1951, as The Advocate reported -
More than 300 of the 600 [sic] acre settlement were destroyed by the fire, which got as close as 30 yards to the church, opened last year. Nearly all night the small working party at the settlement worked diligently to protect the homes which are in course of erection in different parts of the area. (17).  Perhaps Saint Mary herself did indeed protect her namesake settlement.

In 1955, the name of the settlement was changed from St Mary's to Maryknoll, to avoid confusion with other towns named St Mary's. The Pakenham Gazette of August 19, 1955,  published the following Berwick Shire report about the forthcoming opening of the Post Office, and the fact that they have put quotation marks around the word Maryknoll, suggests that the term was new and novel then.

Forthcoming opening of the 'Maryknoll' Post Office

Pakenham Gazette August 19, 1955, p. 2

The Maryknoll Post Office was officially opened on October 3, 1955, by the Berwick Shire President, Cr C.F. Greaves, and it was officially blessed by the Archbishop, Dr Daniel Mannix. Three hundred people attended the event. The Pakenham Gazette reported that the Archbishop pointed out that as far as he knew this was the first time in history a post office had ever been blessed. The report also noted that Mr Strange, Director of Post and Telegraphs, congratulated Father Pooley and said it was the first time he had attended the opening of  a non-official post office and he wished them great success and assured them of further co-operation from the Department. The Post Office building also housed the general store (18).  

As reflects a town established by people of the Christian faith, there were a number of statues around the town, including Jesus on the Cross. 

Photographer: Shire of Pakenham, taken in the 1980s.

Saint Mary and baby Jesus still look over the Maryknoll township today.

Image: Heather Arnold, April 2023

The Architectural firm of Smith, Tracey, Lyon and Brock

I came across the following images of early buildings at Maryknoll designed by the architectural firm Smith, Tracey, Lyon and Brock. You can read about the firm on the website, Built Heritage in the Dictionary of Unsung Architects section, here. This is the introduction to the article - Smith & Tracey was formed in 1949 by recent graduates Des Smith (1918-2003) and Dan Tracey (1916-1992). Shortly afterwards, they were joined by Eric "Ric" Lyon (1918-2006) and Les Brock (1920-2006), and the firm re-branded as Smith, Tracey, Lyon & Brock. It operated as such until Lyon and Brock both left around 1960, whereupon it reverted to its original name. (19). The article on the website also has a list of the firm's works.

Smith, Tracey, Lyon and Brock worked on many projects for the Catholic Church including Christian Brothers College in Warnambool in 1950; St Joseph's School in Springvale in 1952; St Joseph's Benalla in 1953 and  St Vincent de Paul's Homeless Men's shelter on Flemington Road (Ozanam House) in 1954 (20).Their other projects are listed on the Built Heritage website, referred to above.

They also designed the Holy Family Church at Maryknoll.

Original Caption - This is Holy Family Church-School, opened by Archbishop Mannix of 

St. Marys Rural Settlement, Tynong North, on September 3. The building was erected from a design by Smith and Tracey, architects, Sydney-road, Brunswick, who also prepared the large-scale map of the settlement which appeared last week. The erection of the first seven permanent homes is now being undertaken and these will be occupied by settlers, at present housed in temporary quarters in the vicinity.

 The Advocate, September 14 1950 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article172514072

This is the large-scale map of the settlement prepared by Smith, Tracey, Lyon and Brock, referred to in the caption, above. 

The Advocate, September 7, 1950, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article172513827

Proposed Presentation Convent, St Mary's North Tynong Convent at Maryknoll designed by Smith, Tracey, Lyon and Brock. It was never built.

 The Advocate, March 20, 1952. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article172523794

Smith, Tracey, Lyon and Brock also designed houses for the Maryknoll settlement.  One of these designs was reported upon in The Argus in November, 1954.

House designed by Smith, Tracey, Lyon and Brock for Maryknoll

The Argus, November 1, 1954 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23459042

This is the transcription of the article about the Maryknoll house -

Home for County - by Harry Perrott,  Argus Property Writer

Until comparatively recent years, it was not unusual to see a house, originally planned for a suburban allotment, built on a farm or in a rural setting. Many country people evidently thought they could not have the convenience of "town" living without using a "town" house plan. This, of course, is not so, and the small house illustrated here has all the conveniences of modern planning, but is essentially rural in character.

The plan is a simple rectangle in shape and has a low pitched roof, covered with corrugated asbestos cement sheets. External walls are of 10in. Baltic weatherboards. Provision has been made for another bedroom and a verandah to be added. The door into the third bedroom will be in the space now used for a cupboard between the bathroom and bedroom. The two bedrooms are 11ft. x 10ft. and 13½ft. x 10ft. and both are fitted with built-in wardrobes.

The kitchen, 13½ x 10ft., is divided by a fitment so that one section can be used for meals or other purposes. For economy, the kitchen and living room fireplaces have been combined in a common chimney stack. The sun room, 10½ x 10ft., is another interesting and useful feature of this part of the house. The living room, 15 x 12ft., has deep windows and double doors opening on to a 6ft. wide verandah. There is a service hatch from this room into the kitchen.

The house is one of a series of low cost houses designed by Smith, Tracey, Lyon and Brock, architects, for a rural community at St. Mary's, via Nar Nar Goon, in Gippsland. (21). 

Plan of the house, described and shown above, designed by Smith, Tracey, Lyon and Brock for Maryknoll.

The Argus, November 1, 1954 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23459042

Trove list - I have created a short list of newspaper articles from Trove on the establishment of Maryknoll, access it here. I also have a list of articles which mention the firm of Smith, Tracey, Lyon and Brock, you can access it here.

Footnotes

(1) Wilfred Alexander Pooley was born in 1912 in Geraldton, Western Australia to William Horace Pooley and his wife, Amanda Josephine Anderson, who had married in Geraldton in 1905. William was born in Fitzroy in 1882 to Alfred and Ruth (nee Sparrow) Pooley. Amanda was also born in Victoria, in 1886 to Joseph and Mary (nee Kenny) Anderson. Why they both ended up in Geraldton, I cannot tell you. William and Amanda had four other children -

Doris - born in Geraldton in 1906, married Maurice Henry Wighton in 1928 and died in Malvern in 1982. 

William Alfred - born in Geraldton 1909 - died aged 15 months in 1910.

Melva - born in Geraldton in 1918, married Cornelis McMahon in 1941 and died in 2005.

Reginald Victor - born in Fitzroy in 1922, married Doris May McIvor in 1945 and died in 1996.

William had a number of occupations over the years - whilst living in Geraldton, the Electoral Rolls list his occupations as a Railway employee and then a Fisherman.  Around 1920, the family moved to Victoria and in 1921 and 1924 the Electoral Rolls show the family lived at 343 Smith Street in Fitzroy and William was a Confectioner. In 1927, they were listed at 501 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy and William had changed occupation again - he was now a carrier. In the late 1920s they moved to 201 Plenty Road in Preston and William was still listed as a carrier. They were in Preston until around 1936 (last address there was 21 Jessie Street) and the next we know of William is that in 1943 he is living in Meeniyan in South Gippsland and working as a plumber. By 1949 he is back in Melbourne, living with his daughter Doris at 7 Park Road, Glen Iris, and still a plumber.

Perhaps Amanda wanted a more settled life because she did not move to Meeniyan with her husband; from the 1937 Electoral Rolls she is listed at 10 Holyrood Street in Hampton. Reginald lived with her until he enlisted in the Army in December 1938, he said he was 18 years and 8 months old. In reality, he was two years younger as he lied about his age. In April 1942, Reg was discharged from the Army and joined the Navy, where he served until  December 1945. Amanda died on Christmas Eve, 1949, aged 64; and William on December 20, 1952, aged 71. They are buried together at the Brighton Cemetery.

Death notice of Amanda Pooley

The Argus, December 26, 1949 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22800810

Obituary of William Pooley

The Advocate, January 8, 1953 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article175357509

Father Pooley was ordained in 1941 and served at St Mary's Parish, Dandenong, from August 1942 until December 1948. He then served at St John's West Footscray until the establishment of Maryknoll. He was at Maryknoll until 1968, when the Maryknoll Parish combined with the Iona Parish and Father Pooley went to Iona and Father Herman Hengel took over the Maryknoll Presbytery. Father Pooley died on April 13, 1969, aged only 57 years old, and is buried at Maryknoll Lawn Cemetery. 

(Sources: Maryknoll: history of a Catholic Rural Settlement by Gael White (The Author, 1982 and republished in and updated and expanded edition by Artistic Wombat in 2002); A Parish carved from the Bush - The Centenary history of the Dandenong Parish, St Mary's, 1883-1893 compiled by Greg Dickson (St Mary's Centenary Committee, 1983); birth and death notices and Indexes to Victorian and Western Australian Births, Deaths and Marriages; Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com and WW2 Nominal Rolls, see here.)

Father Pooley's modest plaque on his grave at the Maryknoll Lawn Cemetery.

Image: Heather Arnold, April 2023

(2) The land had  been listed in some sources as 540 acres but the Shire of Berwick Rate books list the acreage as 529, part Crown Allotment 135, Parish of Nar Nar Goon. 

Shire of Berwick Rate book entry from 1949, in the name of St Mary's Co-operative Society Ltd, c/o 76 Eleanor Street, West Footscray. 

Click on image to enlarge.

The Rate Books from 1950 have this list under St Mary's Co-operative - the original settlers, but still part of 529 acres, Crown Allotment 135.

(3) White, Gael Maryknoll: history of a Catholic Rural Settlement (The Author, 1982 and republished in and updated and expanded edition by Artistic Wombat in 2002)

(4) The Advocate, April 27, 1950, see here - Goats supply a higher nutriment content in their milk - are less difficult to feed and they live mainly on surplus food and scraps usually found about any area. A special breed of goats - the Saanen - will be reared, three being already at the settlement. These supply milk and butter for some of the children.

(5) Dandenong Journal, August 17, 1949, see here.

(6) White, op, cit

(7) The Advocate, April 5, 1951, see here.

(8) The Age, June 20, 1953, see here.

(9) White, op, cit.; and various articles on the settlement in my Trove list, see here. 

(10) The Herald, March 30, 1950, see here.

(11) The Argus, June 9, 1950, see here.

(12) Various articles on the settlement in my Trove list, see here. .

(13) The Herald, March 30, 1950, see here. 

(14) The Argus, June 9 1950, see here. 

(15) Interpretive sign, installed next to the existing Church by the Maryknoll Historical Society.

The Maryknoll Historical Society Interpretive sign.

Click on image to enlarge.

Image: Heather Arnold, April 2023

The plaque on the granite rock, marking the site of the first Church/School.

Image: Heather Arnold, April 2023

(16) The Advocate, September 7, 1950, see here.

(17) The Advocate, April 5, 1951, see here.

(18) White, op, cit.; '300 at blessing of Maryknoll Post Office', Pakenham Gazette, October 7, 1955, p. 6

(19) Built Heritage P/L https://www.builtheritage.com.au/dua_smithtracey.html

(20) Ibid

(21) The Argus, November 1, 1954, see here.

This is an updated and expanded version of two posts, which I wrote and researched, which appear on my work blog, Casey Cardinia Links to Our Past.