Cora Lynn Church

The Presbyterian Church and the Methodist Church used to hold services at the Cora Lynn Hall from around the 1920s to 1960.  Most people attended every Sunday regardless of which religion they were. The average congregation was around 25.  Sunday School started first at 1.30pm and Church was at 2.30pm.

Dad and his sisters and brother all went to Sunday School and Church at Cora Lynn, initially driven by horse and jinker, until the family got their first car in 1948. 

  

Cora Lynn Sunday School 1948

Back row - Fourth from left is Frank Rouse, far right is Nancy Rouse, to her left is her sister Dorothy and in front of her is another sister, Daphne. Do you recognize anyone?

Apart from Cora Lynn there was a Methodist Church at Five Mile and one at Garfield and Modella. Garfield and Modella were serviced by the Drouin Minister and Cora Lynn and Five Mile by the Koo-Wee-Rup Minister. The only Methodist Ministers Mum and Dad can remember is a Mr Rosewarne and the Rev Blainey - the father of historian Geoffrey Blainey. There was also a Presbyterian Church at Iona and Bunyip.

The Presbyterian Minister from around 1953 was the Reverend Quentin Huckson. He lived in Bunyip with his wife Peggy and their four children - Judith, John, Peter and Andrew.  Rev Huckson had a service at Bunyip every week; then went to Iona which was an 11.30am service then alternate weeks did Cora Lynn and Longwarry at 2.30pm. He also conducted a monthly service at Tonimbuk and a service at Longwarry North. He drove to these services in a Peugot 203 and Dad said he was happy to talk about his car for hours. It was an unusual car in this area as it was the first foreign car they had seen in the district.

The Reverend Huckson left the Parish on August 25 1957 but the week before he left on August 18 Mum says he ‘rounded up’ all the babies in the area that were due to be christened and did a ‘mass baptism’ of about 12 babies all at once at Iona, including my sister Megan and our cousin Bruce Forte.

Before the next Presbyterian Minister came there was a period of about 16 months where retired ministers filled in. They often came by train the night before and then on the Sunday had at least three services to conduct. The next minister was the Reverend Ron Traill who came around the end of 1958 and almost immediately closed down Tonimbuk and Longwarry North Churches, but Cora Lynn lasted a bit longer and closed at the end of 1960.

Getting back to Cora Lynn - the big occasions at Cora Lynn were the Harvest Festival and the Sunday School picnic. The Harvest Festival would receive two to three tons of potatoes, onions, pumpkins etc that would all be taken to the Presbyterian Kildonan or Canterbury Babies Home or similar Methodist Homes. The Sunday School picnic was held at Glen Cromie and many of the children got there on the back of a truck owned by Ern Wilkinson.

This brings us to the Cora Lynn congregation - here is a list of people that Dad and Mum remembers attending the Cora Lynn Church. Ern and Elsie Wilkinson and their son Keith; Jim and Mabel MacDonald and their children Lorna, Jack, Bob and Joyce; Mrs Whitta and her son Donald; Mrs Julia Clapperton and her son Keith; Dan and Corrie Kinsella; Norman and Lorna Kinsella; Mrs Aileen Higgins of Toner Road - she had 5 or 6 children including Merna, Maurice, Ron, Joy and Wayne; Mrs Jocie Clay who lived on the Nine Mile and had young children; Mrs Nell Leamon, the wife of Clarrie the Scout Master. After Mr Leamon passed away she married Cr Dick Wakenshaw, the father of Bob and Don; the Slater family - the children were Euan and twins Andrew and Mary; Jack and Grace Huntingford and children Garry, Pam and Gwenda; Harry and Florence Huntingford and children Elaine and Jim; Mrs Harker and her children Frank and Joyce; Mrs Pearl Townley, Mrs McKenzie (wife of Les), Alan and Audrey Reid and Win Reid, who was the Sunday school teacher. Win was a cousin of Alan and Audrey.  Sorry, we don’t know all the first names.

There was also the Cora Lynn Combined Church Ladies Guild which continued on for several years after the services were stopped at Cora Lynn.

This is the Cora-Lynn Combined Churches Ladies Guild c.1965

Left to Right - Mabel McDonald (nee Wilkinson), Elsie Wilkinson, Rene Huntingford (nee Stephenson), Mrs Benham, Pearl Townley, Audrey Reid, Nell Wakenshaw, Mrs McKenzie, Grace Huntingford, Corrie Kinsella and Eva Rouse (nee Weatherhead, my grandma).

I am indebted to Bruce Stephenson for identifying Rene Huntingford, as we had her listed as unknown.

100 years ago this week - Kirwan's store at Vervale

100 years ago this week - John Kirwan, store owner, was caught illegally selling alcohol. Kirwan's store, at Vervale, was on the corner of the Thirteen Mile and the south side of the Main Drain. I have written about the store and its owners - The Kirwan family and James & Edith McMannis, here.

Seizure of Liquour from John Kirwan.

Dandenong Advertiser September 23, 1915  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88661288

SEIZURE OF LIQUOR AT BUNYIP.
A large quantity of whisky, beer, and stout in cases, was seized on Koo-wee-rup Swamp on Friday by Constables Allen and Anstee, of Bunyip. For some time the police have suspected that there was trafficking in liquor at Iona, and they watched the store owned by John A. Kirwan. They saw a man leaving the store with a bottle of whisky, and he admitted to the police that he obtained the liquor at
Kirwan's. The police took the liquor to the Bunyip police station, and Kirwan will be prosecuted on one or more charges of having trafficked in liquor illicitly.

100 years ago this week - Dalmore Roads

100 years ago this week comes this report from the Lang Lang Guardian  of September 8, 1915 about Dalmore ratepayers prepared to pay extra to get their roads fixed.  Apparently Dalmore was a 'quagmire covered with scrub'  The roads were partly bad as a great many tons of potatoes were being sent to the Dalmore Station. Dalmore Station had opened on October 1, 1888, it was originally called Peer’s Lane, then Koo-Wee-Rup West, then Dalmore. 

The School at 'the end of Ballarto Road' was the Cardinia State School, No. 3689, which had opened on November 3, 1911. The Church they are referring to is the Cardinia Presbyterian Church which was completed in October 1915.

Lang Lang Guardian  September 8, 1915.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article119512856

100 years ago this week - Junior teacher position available

Want a job as a teacher? Then apply to the Bunyip State School. You must be over 16, apply in your own hand writing, and prepared to pay a fee of 2/6 to sit the examination!

Junior Teacher wanted at Bunyip.

Bunyip Free Press,  August 26, 1915 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129630790

Junior Teacher.
The head teacher of the Bunyip State School (Mr. T. Slattery) has been instructed by the Education Department to invite applications for the position of junior teacher, which is now vacant in the school. The candidates must hold the merit certificate or have passed the Junior Public or higher examination of the University, and be over 16 years of age. They must apply in their own handwriting, stating full Christian names and date of birth to the head teacher, and be prepared to pay a fee of 2/6, to be handed to the officer conducting the examination.

100 years ago this week - Iona citizens support the War effort

It's always interesting to read local newspapers and see how they either make or report pronouncements on international matters. This report looks at the meeting of Iona citizens held around the anniversary of the declaration on the Great War. The meeting was held in Columba Hall, the hall at the Iona Catholic Church.

Meeting of Iona residents

Bunyip Free Press August 19,  1915

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129630757 

IONA.
The recent recruiting meeting held in Columba Hall was very largely attended. Cr. Carney (President of Berwick Shire) occupied the chair, and apologised for the absence of Mr. W. S. Keast, M.L.A., who had to preside at a meeting at Dandenong. When Cr. Carney took the chair the audience rose and sang the National Anthem. The chairman moved the following motion -

"On the anniversary of declaration of war, this meeting of the Iona citizens records its inflexible determination to continue to a vigorous end the struggle in maintenance of those ideals of liberty and justice which are the common and sacred cause of the Allies."

The motion was seconded and supported by Rev. Father McNamara and Mr. Minton, and on being put to the meeting was carried by acclamation. The Iona Brass Band (under Band master Legg) rendered a number of patriotic selections. The meeting closed with votes of thanks, ringing cheers for the Allies and Australian troops, and a cheer for the chairman.

Mr Rodger the baker at Bunyip - 100 years ago this week

Hers is  a great advertisement from Mr Rodger the baker and general storekeeper at Bunyip in the Bunyip Free Press of July 22, 1915. In keeping with the nationalistic and imperialistic times, Mr Rodger advertises No fancy Foreign cakes kept on my counter

Henry Rodger is listed in the Electoral Rolls as a baker in Bunyip from 1903 until 1924. In 1928 he is listed as a retired baker. He was married to Hannah and she died August 10, 1926 and is buried at Bunyip Cemetery. Henry died December 17 1937 and he may well be buried with his wife but he is not on the gravestone. They  had three children Aldred (died 1969, aged 72, buried at Bunyip), Ada and Jessie.

Boys' football match - 100 years ago this week.

From The Lang Lang Guardian of July 21 1915, comes this account of a a football match between the boys at Yallock and Yannathan State Schools. Yannathan won the match 8.8. to 2.3.

Lang Lang Guardian July 21, 1915

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page13333641

Lots of familiar names - McCraw, McKay, Lineham, Games etc.