Showing posts with label Nyora. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nyora. Show all posts

Saturday, December 25, 2021

Nyora - a short history

Nyora is not actually on the Koo Wee Rup Swamp, but it is near enough and was actually just the fourth stop down from Koo Wee Rup on the Great Southern Railway line - the stations went -  Koo Wee Rup, Monomeith, Caldermeade, Lang Lang and then Nyora. In common with Koo Wee Rup it was also a railway junction. Koo Wee Rup was the starting point for the Strzelecki line which opened officially June 29, 1922 and Nyora was the starting point for the Wonthaggi line.

Nyora.
Photograph by Albert Arnell, taken between 1922 and 1929.
State Library of Victoria Image H2013.48/27

The area was originally known as Lang Lang East, part of the Parish of Lang Lang East. A township site was  proclaimed on December 23, 1886 and it was surveyed in 1887 by John Lardner an assistant survey on the Lands Department (1). He is the Lardner after whom Lardner's Track is named. 


Proclamation of the township site of Nyora
Victoria Government Gazette January 7, 1887.  http://gazette.slv.vic.gov.au/images/1887/V/general/2.pdf

The first land sales in the township, which by then was named named Nyora, were held on September 6, 1887 (2). Nyora,  is from the Aboriginal word for “wild cherry tree”(3)


Land sale advertisment for Nyora
The Herald September 3, 1887 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article241421603

Nyora, was as  we said, a station on the Great Southern Railway line. This line was opened as far as Lang Lang in February 1890 and it was opened to Nyora and Loch on November 11, 1890 (4). Shops were built, the first one opened in late 1889, including a general store and post office, bakers and a coffee palace.  The telephone was put on at the Railway station in November 1891.  The hotel opened in a small wooden building in 1891, burnt down  in November 1913 and the existing brick building was erected in 1914.  To cater to spiritual needs, the Methodist Church at Nyora started in 1922 in a building that was originally the Jeetho West State School and St Marks Anglican church was opened in October 1930. The Anglicans had previously held services in the hall (5).


Nyora Railway Station
Public Records Office of Victoria photograph VPRS 12800/P1, item H 5416

As is the pattern for most county towns  the Government set aside land for community purposes -  land for sale yards was gazetted  March 11, 1890; for the  cemetery in September 8, 1890, and a racecourse  in February 1896 (6).

The town of Nyora received a boost when the railway line to the Wonthaggi Coal field (or the Powlett Coal field as it was originally called) was opened on May 9, 1910 (7).  Nyora then became  a railway junction and thus a much busier station, with more employees. This is reflected in the fact that there were 36 names on the Nyora Honor Board, unveiled on July 12, 1918 and at least six of the men listed are connected to the Railways. I have written about the Honor Board, here.


Nyora Railway Station
Public Records Office of Victoria photograph VPRS 12800/P1, item H 5414

The first school in the area was State School No. 2523, originally called Little Lang Lang. It opened on July 1, 1883 in a building 22ft by 13ft.; it was replaced by a larger building in 1889 and changed its name to Lang Lang East in February  1890. It closed October 1903, reopened November 1904 and closed again in June 1907 (or 1908 according to one source). This school was north of the township, on a corner of Allotment 61 on the Lang Lang East Parish Plan (see map, below). I can’t work out where it is on a modern map as none of the maps seem to have a road  marked anywhere close to where the school was!  The building was removed in 1914 (8).

This is from the Parish Plan of Lang Lang East - the township of Nyora can be seen bottom left. The original school on Lot 61on Charles Humphries land, is circled in red. It was no wonder that the people on Nyora wanted a new school built in the town, it was a long way away.

There was agitation as early as 1890 for a school closer to the town, and from 1894 until 1901 many parents sent their children on the train from Nyora to the Lang Lang School. For a while the School was conducted in the Public Hall but finally on May 1, 1903 Nyora School, No. 3401 was opened (9).

The Nyora Hall commenced construction in 1891 and was completed by the April of the next year. This hall is thought to have burnt down in the 1898 bush fires and the new Hall was opened in March 1900, on a new site (which is the site of the existing hall).  This Hall was extended over the years to include a Library and other rooms. Sadly this well used hall was destroyed by fire on January 20, 1968. The Community worked hard to raise funds for the new hall which was opened on December 6, 1974 (10).

Footnotes
(1) White, Joseph   Nyora: its yesterdays and today (Nyora and District Centenary Year Celebrations, 1978), p. 1.
(2) White, op. cit.,p.1
(3) Ibid
(4) Bowden, Keith Macrae  Great Southern Railway: the illustrated history of the building of the line in South Gippsland (Australian Railway Historical Association, 1970), p. 72.
(5) White, op. cit.
(6) White, op. cit.
(7) Harrigan, Leo. J Victorian Railways to '62 (Victorian Railways, 1962), p. 287
(8) White, op. cit., pp. 6 & 7. Also - Vision and Realisation : a centenary history of State Education in Victoria, edited by L.J. Blake. Published by the Education Department of Victoria, 1973.
(9) White, op. cit., pp. 21 & 22.
(10) White, op. cit., pp 22-24.



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

Soldiers on the Nyora and District Honor Roll

The Koo Wee Rup Sun  had a report on the unveiling of the Nyora and District Honor Roll, which took place on July 12, 1918. The Board was in the Nyora Hall, which was destroyed by fire in 1968. Many of the men listed here had a  connection to the Victorian Railways, not surprising as Nyora was a railway junction - the line to Wonthaggi, which opened May 9, 1910 started at Nyora, which was  a stop on the Great Southern Line. Nyora is not on the Koo Wee Rup Swamp, of course, but it is close enough. I have written a short history of the town, here.


Unveiling of the Nyora Honor Board on July 12, 1918.

What follows is information on the soldiers on the Nyora Honor Roll. I have included their Service Number (SN) so you can look up their full record on the National Archives of Australia, www.naa.gov.au

Berry, James George (SN 3354) James was 34 years old when he enlisted on June 8, 1917. He was Killed in Action in France on September 27, 1918.
Berry, Robert Ernest (SN 10323) Robert was 25 when he enlisted on September 13, 1915. He Returned to Australia February 9, 1919.
Robert and James, both farmers, were the sons of Mary Moffat Berry, of Elgrove farm, Nyora. They were both born in Little River. Their father, James, was deceased at time of the boy's enlistments.

Brown, Frederick Gordon (SN 5970)  There is a Frederick Gordon Brown, railway employee listed in the 1914 Electoral Roll at Nyora. There is a Frederick Gordon Brown who enlisted on March 30, 1916 at the age of 27. He was a shunter in the Railways, so I assume he is the same man.  His next of kin was his father, Charles, of Castlemaine. Frederick was wounded in action - gunshot wound, right arm - and Returned to Australia January 20, 1918 for a medical discharge

Champion, Henry Howard  (SN 457) Henry enlisted on  September 26, 1916. He was a 27 year old farm labourer. He was born in Wales, his next of kin was his father, Henry, of Cardiff, in Wales. His address was listed as Nyora. The Electoral Roll of 1916 has his address as Devon Meadows, Cranbourne. That makes him an early  resident of the area as the first land sales took place at Devon Meadows in 1913.  Henry Returned to Australia August 1, 1919. Henry was granted a Soldier Settlement farm, you can read his file on the Battle to Fam website, here.

Chessell, Albert William (SN 3372). Albert enlisted on April 2, 1917 at the age of 28. He was a Labourer and his next of kin was his sister, Mrs Mable Cozens, of Nyora. Albert Returned to Australia March 25, 1919.

Cochrane, Harry Stanley (SN 5762) Harry was 19 when he enlisted on March 13, 1916. He was a farmer and he was Killed in Action in France, July 4, 1918, although the Nominal Rolls state that he Returned to Australia May 29, 1919, but sadly, this is incorrect.
Cochrane, William David (SN 5761) William enlisted on the same day as his brother and he was 20 years old and also a farmer. He was wounded in action on three occasions and Returned to Australia November 8, 1918.
The boys both had their mother, Mrs Jessie Cochrane, of Musk Park, Poowong North, as their next of kin.

Conroy, John Patrick (SN 1123 / 2146)  I am not one hundred per cent sure this is the right J. Conroy, but he is the best fit I can find. John was a railway repairer, his next of kin was his sister, Johanna Conroy of Cranbourne. He is listed in the 1914 Electoral Roll at Kernot, which was three stops down the railway line from Nyora on the Nyora to Wonthaggi line. John enlisted at the age of 32 on September 28, 1914;   he was wounded at Gallipoli and returned to Australia and then re-embarked in April 1916 and was Killed in Action in France September 26, 1917.

Glover, Abraham Samuel (SN 1916) Abraham was a 21 year old farmer when he enlisted on April 3, 1916. He Returned to Australia July 1, 1919.
Glover, Roderick Thomas (SN 4199A) Roderick enlisted on November 25, 1915 at the age of 24 and he was also a farmer. Roderick married Florence Ada McWilliams when he was in England in February 1917. He Returned to Australia July 3, 1919.
Abraham and Roderick were the sons of Thomas and Hetty Elizabeth (nee Harvey) Glover, of Nyora. Thomas was the son of Abraham and Ann (nee Lee) Glover. Three of Thomas' nephews also served - Robert and George Glover and Abraham Patullo, you can read about these three boys on my Heath Hill post, here.

Gordon, Bertrand Denman (SN 5982)  Bertrand was  a porter in the Victorian Railways and he enlisted on September 2, 1916 at the age of 30. Less than a year later, on May 3 1917 he was Killed in Action in France. His address on the Embarkation Roll was Nyora.  Bertram's father, Thomas, of Majorca was his next of kin.

Hansen, Arnold Alfred  (SN 5458)  Arnold enlisted on April 5, 1916 at the age of 21. He was a farmer, and he lived at Nyora with his wife Florence Victoria Hortop Hansen. Arnold Returned to Australia July 4 1919. Arnold applied for a Soldier Settlement farm, you can read his file here, on the Battle to Farm website, however he was not successful as the Board did not consider it suitable for the purposes of Soldier Settlement. The farm Arnold applied for was owned by Mr Hortop, so presumably this was his father-in-law, or some relation to his wife, as Hortop was her second middle name.

Hills, R
Hills, T. F
My best guess for these two are brothers, Robert and Thomas Frederick Hill. Robert was born in Lillimur, between Kaniva and Serviceton, so very close to the South Australian border and Thomas was born in Murtoa. Their parents were George and Mary (nee Jackson) Hill and they were living at Hallam or Hallam's Road as it was called then, when the boys enlisted. 
Hill, Robert (SN 1591) Robert was a 19 year old farmer when he enlisted on August 2, 1915. Less than a year later on July 20 1916 he was Killed in Action in France.
Hill, Thomas Frederick (SN 4516) Thomas enlisted on September 6, 1915 at the age of 23. He was a Police Constable. He was wounded in action, gun shot wound right arm. He Returned to Australia March 13, 1918 and was discharged on medical grounds in the June. 
Another brother, David, also enlisted - David  Ernest Hill (SN 4645) enlisted on October 4, 1915, He was a 21 year old labourer.  David Returned to Australia August 29, 1919. 
What is their connection to Nyora? I do not know, I may have the wrong people, but I can't find any Hills who enlisted with an obvious connection to Nyora. If you have any more information, I would love to know.

Horsburgh, Albert (SN 1931) Albert enlisted on April 3, 1916. He was a 22 year old farmer. Albert was wounded in action on three occasions and a gun shot wound to his right arm resulted in it being amputated. Albert Returned to Australia July 31, 1918.
Horsburgh, George (SN 1932) George enlisted on the same day as Albert, he was also a farmer and was 25 years old. George Returned to Australia December 12, 1918. George was a granted a Soldier Settlement Farm, you can read his file here, on the Battle to Farm website.
Horsburgh, James (SN 675) James enlisted on August 22, 1914, he was a 22 year old carpenter. James Returned to Australia October 14, 1918. James also served in World War Two in March 1942 in the 23rd Battalion Volunteer Defence Corps. James was also granted a Soldier Settlement Farm, you can read his file here, on the Battle to Farm website.    
Horsburgh, Robert (SN 1933A) Robert enlisted on the same day as Albert and George, he was a 29 year old farmer. Robert was Killed in Action in Belgium, October 1, 1917.
The boys were the sons of Robert and Margaret (nee Watt) Horsburgh of Nyora.


Report of the death of Robert Horsburgh
Lang Lang Guardian October 31, 1917   http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article119514812

Humphries,  George  (SN 1081)  George was nearly 36 years old when he enlisted on January 4, 1915. He was a roads and bridges contractor, from Nyora, and his sister, Sarah Wildes, of Yannathan his next of kin. George Returned to Australia May 12, 1918 and was discharged on medical grounds - 'chronic rheumatism'

Johnson, Leslie Robert (SN 2935) I presume this is the right L.R Johnson - there is a Leslie Robert Johnson on the Electoral Roll in 1916 at Nyora, his occupation is rabbit trapper and there was a Leslie Robert Johnson who enlisted on January 31, 1916, he was 22 and his occupation was a driver. His next of kin was his mother, Mary, of Fitzroy. Leslie Returned to Australia June 2, 1919.

Laidlow, R  I am not sure who this is. The only Laidlow I can find who enlisted was born in Sydney and enlisted in Perth, so I do not believe he is our man. The surname is more likely to be Laidlaw. I have two possibilities - Reuben Campbell Gordon Laidlaw (SN 13959) who enlisted at the age of 25 on July 13, 1915. His next of kin was his mother, Mary, of Ballan. Reuben was awarded the Military Medal and Returned to Australia May 11, 1919. His occupation was Railway Signalman, so he was possibly based at Nyora. The other possibility is Rodney Goulburn Laidlaw (SN 2037), he was a blacksmith, he enlisted at the age of  28 on May 24, 1917. He Returned to Australia May 6, 1919. His next of kin was his father, Robert of Cranbourne. His address in the 1914 Electoral Roll was Bass  - so clearly neither Cranbourne nor Bass are next door to Nyora, they are however not a long way from Nyora either, so it is possibly him. If you can identify this man, I would love to hear from you.

Littledike, Henry Hensler Neville (SN 3092)  Henry enlisted on November 6, 1916 at the age of 29. Henry was born in Nyora.  He was a bacon curer, his next of kin was his mother, Abigail, of Greensborough. Henry Returned to Australia January 14, 1919.


Louis Moulton
Australian War Memorial Photograph DASEY2278

Moulton, Louis Leeds (SN 2744) Louis enlisted at Korumburra on July 12, 1915. He was a 29 year old carpenter. His next of kin was his mother, Charlotte, of Port Macquarie in NSW. Louis died of wounds July 26, 1916, he had received a gunshot wound which caused a  compound fracture in the left femur.

Noonan, Richard Hugh (SN 5990)  Richard was a leading shunter with the Victorian Railways when he enlisted on September 2,  1916. He was living at Nyora and his next of kin was his father, Richard, of Moriac. Richard Returned to Australia January 30, 1918 and was discharged on medical grounds in the April of the same year.

Payne,  Richard Stanley (SN 1691)  Richard enlisted on July 24, 1915, he was 26 years old and his next of kin was his wife, Lilian May, of Nyora, she later moved to Bait Street, St Kilda. Richard Stanley Payne is listed in the Electoral Roll at Nyora in 1914, 1916 and 1917. His occupation is baker, there is also a Lilian May Payne on the same roll. Richard's enlistment papers says that he is a blacksmith, so that does not tally with his Electoral roll occupation, so possibly one of them is a mistake. Richard was discharged on medical grounds on June 16, 1916 suffering from rheumatism. In the 1925 Electoral roll Richard and Lilian were living in Waverley Road in Malvern and his occupation was baker, so I would say that was the correct calling.


Ernest and Harry Poole
Australian War Memorial Photograph P03887.001

Poole, Ernest James (SN 2512a)
Poole, Harry (SN 2423)
Ernest and Harry both enlisted on June 5, 1916. They were both born in Clyde, Ernest was 27 when he enlisted and Harry was 22. They were both farmers. Their next of kin was their father, Harry, of Poowong, and their mother was Elizabeth, nee Jennings. Sadly, both boys were Killed in Action - Ernest on September 15, 1917 and Harry on October 21, 1917.


A letter from Elizabeth Poole asking for 'the plaque' for her '2 boys', Ernest and Harry, poignantly signed 'Their mother'.
National Archives of Australia www.naa.gov.au
First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920


Rowe, Clive Terril (SN 2246)
Rowe, Vernon Wasley (SN 12814)
Clive and Vernon were the sons of Alfred Rowe, the Station Master at Nyora, he was transferred to Cressy in November 1916, having arrived at Nyora from Morwell in October 1915. Clive was 18 when enlisted, on March 17, 1916 and he was a draper. Vernon was 19, when he enlisted on January 25, 1916, and he was a grocer. Clive Returned to Australia March 28, 1919 and Vernon September 22, 1919.

Stewart, Frederick Richard (SN 5468)   The Great Southern Advocate, a Korumburra paper, had a list of  'Volunteers from the Shire' in their March 2, 1916 issue (see here) and it listed a Frederick Stewart of Nyora.  As it appears that he enlisted in early 1916 and his initials were F.R. Stewart according to the Honor Board report, the the most likely man I can find is Frederick Richard Stewart , and as he enlisted in Leongatha on February 22, 1916, I believe this is correct. Frederick was 22 years old when he enlisted, and he was a baker. I wonder if he worked with Richard Payne, listed above, who was also a baker? His next of kin was his mother, May Merriman of Kew. Frederick Returned to Australia September 6, 1919.

Stewart, Norman James Campbell (SN 517)  Norman enlisted on April 28, 1915 at Wonthaggi, his occupation was listed as miner and he was 21.  His next of kin was his mother, Mary, of Nyora. Her address later changed to Boort Railway Station; her husband William was the Station Master at  Nyora from around 1913 to 1915. Norman Returned to Australia January 14, 1919.

Stewart, W.  William and Mary Stewart (see above) had  another son, William, born in 1890 at Toolamba (east of Tatura, north of Murchison)  he was listed in the 1913 Electoral Roll at Nyora, occupation clerk. I believe this is the W. Stewart listed on the Honor Roll, but can't work out who he is exactly and can't find  a record at the National Archives that matches that information. Which may mean I am wrong, so if you know who this person is, I would love to hear from you.

Uren, Edgar Albert (SN 672) Edgar was a  fireman with the Victorian Railways and he was 24 when he enlisted on January 24, 1917. His next of kin was his father, Thomas, of Melbourne and he Returned to Australia July 7, 1919. What was the connection to Nyora? Edgar was listed in the 1918 Electoral Roll at Nyora, so I presume he was living there when he enlisted.

Wuchatsch, Benjamin George (SN 504) Benjamin enlisted on October 5, 1914. He was a 22 year old labourer. Benjamin was awarded the Military Medal. He Returned to Australia July 10, 1919.
Wuchatsch, Frederick Joseph (SN 1174/1208) Frederick enlisted on September 21, 1914 at the age of 24. He Returned to Australia September 24, 1918. Frederick's initial application is missing and a replacement form lists him as Francis Joseph, however the Embarkation and Nominal Roll list his name as Frederick.
Wuchatsch, Raymond Royal (SN 39) Raymond enlisted on March 22, 1915. He was a 24 year old grazier. He Returned to Australia April 8, 1919. Raymond made two applications for a Soldier Settlement Farm, you can read the applications here and here, on the Battle to Farm website.
The brothers were the sons of August Wuchatsch, of Bena, and his wife, Sarah, whose surname is listed in the Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages as Grundil, Grendel, Grundel, Greedel and Gruendel, so I presume one of these is the correct spelling.


The obituary of August Wuchatsch, the father of Benjamin, Frederick and Raymond.
Great Southern Advocate, May 3 1917 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article130740157

Another version of this post, which I wrote and researched, has appeared on my work blog Casey Cardinia Commemorates: Our War Years