Bill Parish's History of Garfield 1921 - 1930

The Souvenir booklet for the Back to Garfield celebrations held in June 1962 included a history of Garfield for each decade, written by Bill Parish (1915-1994). This is the chapter from 1931 - 1930.
I have added the footnotes. Heather Arnold,

Garfield 1921-1930 by Bill Parish

This period was marked by a boom, during which most of the shopping centre was built and farming properties were improved.

Many local people purchased their first motor cars and trucks. Radio arrived and aerial masts sprouted like the television antennas of today; some of them reaching up to 80 feet. This prosperity would later be marred by the onset of the Depression at the end of the decade.

Horses were becoming rarer and rarer on the roads, with the ever increasing number of motor cars taking their place. The last was seen of the bullock teams and due to the lack of timber, saw milling faded out. 

One of the greatest secondary industries seen in Garfield also ceased production. This was Jefferson’s Brick and Pipe works, which had at its peak employed many men and had its own railway siding (1).

Jefferson's Clay pit at Garfield. 

Image: Settlers and Sawmillers : a history of the West Gippsland Tramways by Mike McCarthy 

(Light Railway Research Society of Australia, 1999)

Those involved in the service to the public at this stage included storekeepers A.V. Tonkin, Pedersen and Tresize, Crouch Brothers, R. Pitchers, Kerr and B. Thompson; bakers Harrington, Jack and Wall Brothers; butchers Walsh, Whitehead and Faukner; plumber F. Marsh; cafe proprietors and fruiterers Little, Trotter, Isherwood, Barnes, Harris and Hannon; Doctor McLeod; blacksmiths Parke, Edis and Hourigan; newsagent W. Wright and W. Maybury; school teacher W. Waugh and police R. Mason and D. Dale.

The Boy Scout Troop was formed in 1926 under E.G. Hill. 

After a very dry season in 1925, the following year saw one of the greatest bushfires ever endured by the district. It swept from Gembrook to Pakenham and Warragul. Not a fence was left and much trouble was experienced with cattle, horses etc (2).

Electric power was supplied firstly by the Picture Theatre. A power plant was built in 1924, and this was used until the advent of the S.E.C. The main S.E.C powerlines passed through North Garfield (3).

Reconstruction of the Princes Highway was commenced at this time, as was work on the State Rivers channel, which supplied water to the townspeople (4).  

Princes Highway  between Garfield and Tynong turn-off: maintenance of granite sand surfacing 1929

Image: Public Records Office of Victoria Country Roads Board VPRS 17684  Image 28_00100

Footnotes
(1) Joseph Jefferson established a sawmill in 1877 on the site of what was to become his clay pit, off Railway Avenue. He sent this timber out via Bunyip Station until a local siding, the Cannibal Creek Siding, was built in 1885 to accommodate the timber tramline which was constructed by William Brisbane, a contractor on behalf of Francis Stewart. This tramline run for about 8 kilometres, to the Two Mile Creek, the Garfield North road basically follows this tramway. Getting back to Joseph Jefferson, his was a very successful business, as well as producing timber products such as fence posts and rails and firewood, he also mined the sand on his property to be used in the building industry in Melbourne and when he discovered clay on his property, he began making clay bricks. The 1880s was a boom time for Victoria and Jefferson could produce over 50,000 bricks per week and fire 75,000 at a time in his kiln. The Depression of the 1890s saw a decline in the building industry which flowed onto his business and the brickworks eventually shut down in 1929.

(2) Bush fire – the fire began at 2.30pm on Thursday, December 31, 1925. It was said to have been caused by campers ‘smoking out rabbits’. The fire was subdued by rain on the Sunday night/Monday morning. It was reported that around 4,000 acres were burnt out.

(3) SEC Power arrived towards the end of 1929, in conjunction with the power supplied to the Tynong Quarry. The Quarry had been established to supply the granite for the Shrine. The tender for the construction of the Shrine was given to Vaughan & Lodge Bros., in June 1928. Their tender was for £153,886. The quarry was established around this time, but it was some months later before power was supplied to the quarry. Read more about this, here, https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2023/02/tynong-short-history.html

(4) A water supply to Garfield was established around September 1930. 

There are two interesting omissions from Bill Parish’s look at Garfield in the 1920s.
Firstly, the Garfield Picture Theatre was opened. It officially opened with a Grand Ball on Monday, December 22, 1924. The theatre was built by Martin O’Donohue. It had a power house at the rear and a 230 volt generator and was thus the first source of electricity in Garfield. One of the first films shown at the Theatre was Where the North Begins, a Rin Tin Tin movie. I have written about the Picture Theatre here

https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2014/03/garfield-picture-theatre.html

Secondly, the Garfield Railway Station burnt down on Thursday, February 21,1924. There was a short report in The Argus of 25/2/1924 - The Garfield railway station was completely destroyed by a fire which occurred about 2 o'clock on Thursday morning. The fire was first noticed by the crew of a goods train who awakened the station master. Owing to no water supply being available, the onlookers were unable to prevent the flames from spreading. A few milk cans were rescued from the goods shed. A number of parcels, including two bicycles and a perambulator, and a quantity of passengers' luggage, were destroyed, in addition to departmental records. The origin of the fire is unknown.

Other posts of Bill Parish's History of Garfield - 

1901-1910 https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2021/09/bill-parishs-history-of-garfield-1901.html

1911-1920 https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2021/09/bill-parishs-history-of-garfield-1911.html
1931-1940 https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2021/09/bill-parishs-history-of-garfield-1931.html
1941-1950 https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2021/09/bill-parishs-history-of-garfield-1941.html
1951-1960 https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2021/09/bill-parishs-history-of-garfield-1951.html

Bill Parish's History of Garfield 1911 - 1920

The Souvenir booklet for the Back to Garfield celebrations held in June 1962 included a history of Garfield for each decade, written by Bill Parish (1915-1994). This is the chapter from 1911 - 1920.

I have added the footnotes. Heather Arnold

Garfield 1911-1920 by Bill Parish

As this period included the First World War, progress slowed between 1914 and 1919, but despite this, businesses were improved and many local facilities enlarged or altered, including the recreation reserve and the new school. The old school building was moved to Garfield North (1).

With the advent of War many local young men enlisted, many never to return, including W. Leeson, A. Gunnelson, E. Beswick, E. Bullock, G. Gunnelson, A. McDonald, C. Mynard, L. Plant, T. Tower, A. Watson, F. Whiston, T. Whiston and R. Evans (2). 

Towards the end of the War, a Welcome Home Committee was formed with Mr. A. Parish as the secretary and Messrs Waugh, Hunt and Drier as committeemen. Each returned man received a medal of appreciation and welcome. These functions added greatly to the social life of the community, including many concerts and dances.

Towards the end of this decade, primary production began to boom, prices received being far ahead of any previous. Many new businesses came into being, including Barker Reidy Co., which became the present Barker, Green and Parke Pty Ltd. The Garfield Weighbridge Co. was formed with J.W. Barker, G.U. Green, E. Druir, S. Scanlon, and D. Kavanagh as shareholders. (3)

Town businessmen included H. Hourigan and G. Parke (blacksmiths); Clarke, Aspinall and Gardener (bank managers); Daly, Loutit and Waugh (school teachers); Dess, Hunt, Smith, A.V Tonkin, Harcourt (grocers and storekeepers); Stacy and Walsh (butchers); G. Scotland and R. Jack (bakers); J. Beswick and J. Betts (saddlers); Beswick, Lugton (cafes); F. Tripp (dairy); C. Louch (newsagent, on present site) 

Several fires occurred in the business area (Archer’s and Dess’s). During this period, the first motor cars appeared in the town. Those of T. Barker (T Model Ford) and H. Hourigan (Renault). This called for better road formation, including the Garfield road from the creek to the school. This work was done by H. Gee and P. Faukner (snr). 

Footnotes

(1) Cannibal Creek State School, No. 2724, opened 1886 and was located on the Princes Highway, west of North Garfield Road. It was re-named Garfield in 1887. In 1899 the School building was re-located to Garfield Road at the top of the hill, half-way between the Princes Highway and the Railway Station. In 1910 the Garfield School moved to a new building on its present site near the Railway Station. The old building was removed in 1914 to North Garfield where it became State School No.3489. North Garfield School closed in 1973. 

(2) More details on the soldiers who never returned - These men were W. Leeson, A. Gunnelson, E. Beswick, E. Bullock, G. Gunnelson, A. McDonald, C. Mynard, L. Plant, T. Tower, A. Watson, F. Whiston, T. Whiston and R. Evans

Leeson, William Herbert Charles (Service Number 1178) William, enlisted on September 26, 1914, aged 24. His next of kin was his father, Phillip. William was Killed in Action on May 2, 1915 at Gallipoli.  His grandmother, Kathleen Leeson, was the licensee of the Pig & Whistle Hotel on Cannibal Creek.   

Gunnelson, Inglebert Thomas  (SN 3160)

Gunnelson, Percy Oscar  (SN 893)  Inglebert enlisted on September 2, 1916, aged 23 and Percy enlisted August 24, 1914 aged 20.  Inglebert and Percy were the sons of James and Mary (nee Duff) Gunnelson of Garfield. James (sometimes called Inglebert) was born in Norway and was a builder. Sadly, they were both Killed in Action, Percy on May 8, 1915 at Gallipoli and Inglebert on October 4, 1917 in France.  

Thomas Gunnelson (SN3160)

Image: Australian War Memorial.

Beswick, Edwin Ezard  (SN 6725) Edwin enlisted on September 16, 1916. He was 18 years old, was born in England and his next of kin was his father, John, of Garfield.  He made a will on July 26, 1917 and left everything to his mother, Mary Elizabeth Beswick. Edwin died in France of wounds and gas poisoning on October 9, 1917. 

Bullock, Ernest (SN 6291) Ernest was nearly 21 and a farmer when he enlisted on July 7, 1916.  He was born in Murrumbeena and his next of kin was his mother, Mrs Mary Bullock, of Oakleigh. I assume that Ernest was living with his brother Thomas, who did live at Garfield, when he enlisted. Ernest was Killed in Action in France on October 4, 1918. 

McDonald, Allan Walter (SN 2474) Allan enlisted on March 3, 1916 and his next of kin was his wife, Jessie, of Garfield. He was 40 years old and a farmer. Allan Died of Wounds received whist fighting in France, on March 28, 1917

Mynard, Charles  (SN 459) Twenty one year old Charles enlisted on  August 17, 1914 and his next of kin was his father, Thomas Mynard of Garfield. Charles was Killed in Action at Gallipoli on April 25, 1915. 

Plant, Lawrence (SN 1804)  Lawrence was born in Garfield and enlisted at Tynong on  December 30, 1914 at the age of 19.   His next of kin was his father, John.  Lawrence was Killed in Action in France on May 12, 1917. 

Toner, Francis John (SN 5092)  Mr Parish has this soldier’s surname as Tower, but I believe it is Toner.  Francis enlisted at Bunyip on March 3, 1916 at the age of 33. His next of kin was his mother, Catherine Toner of Garfield.  Francis was Killed in Action in France on March 20, 1917. 

Watson, Albert  (SN 3664) Albert was 22 when he enlisted on August 25, 1915. His next of kin was his mother, Mrs Jessie Adamson of Garfield. Albert Died of Wounds, received on active service in Belgium, on March 9, 1918.  

Frederick Whiston (SN 3524)

Image: Australian War Memorial

Julian Whiston (SN 3526)

Image: Australian War Memorial

Whiston, Frederick  (SN 3524) Fred enlisted on August 2, 1915 aged 23. Fred Died of Wounds received in action in France July 21, 1916.   

Whiston, Julian Thomas (SN 3526)  Julian enlisted on August 7, 1915 aged 18. He Died of Wounds received in action in France on March 21, 1918. 

They were the sons of Frederick and Elizabeth (nee Oxenham) whose address was listed as both Garfield and Cora Lynn.  Fred was born in Garfield and Julian was listed as being born at ‘Bunyip Swamp’ on his enlistment paper, but he was actually born at Bunyip South or Iona. 

Mr Parish also lists an R. Evans, I haven’t worked out who that is. I have written about all the World War One soldiers with a connection to Garfield here

http://caseycardinia1914-1918.blogspot.com/2015/05/world-war-one-soldiers-with-connection.html

(3) Garfield  Weighbridge  was established in 1916

South Bourke and Mornington Journal, October 19, 1916

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66190806

Other posts of Bill Parish's History of Garfield - 

1901-1910 https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2021/09/bill-parishs-history-of-garfield-1901.html
1921-1930 https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2021/09/bill-parishs-history-of-garfield-1921.html
1931-1940 https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2021/09/bill-parishs-history-of-garfield-1931.html
1941-1950 https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2021/09/bill-parishs-history-of-garfield-1941.html
1951-1960 https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2021/09/bill-parishs-history-of-garfield-1951.html

Bill Parish’s History of Garfield 1901-1910

The Souvenir booklet for the Back to Garfield celebrations held in June 1962 included a history of Garfield for each decade, written by Bill Parish (1915-1994). This is the chapter from 1901-1910.
I have added the footnotes. Heather Arnold

Garfield 1901-1910 by Bill Parish

Most of the initial work on the Swamp had been completed by this time, and, at the close of the decade, most of the properties had been selected.
The townships continued to grow, with more and more businesses being established. The London Bank was built on the north east corner of Railway Avenue and the Garfield Road (1) and early managers were Messrs Adeney, Hattersley and Clarke.
The Iona Hotel was built (and rebuilt) with W. Ellis and later T. O'Donohue as owners and M. Reidy as manager (2).

Iona Hotel, Main Street, Garfield.

The Hotel opened April 1904, burnt down April 1914, 

and this building, which is the current building, opened 1915.

Image: Berwick Pakenham Historical Society 

The bakery was built on the present theatre site by R. Pearl and rebuilt on its present site by G. Bird, with J. Russell following. The blacksmiths, in order, were: J. McGowan and G. Parke.
The butchers were S. Walker (east of the 14-mile road and where the first local sports meeting was held) and J. Stacy (Garfield Hill).
Storekeepers included Messrs Leithhead in Main Street; G. Archer (Garfield Hill) and Sadderwasser (Railway Avenue).
A newsagency was operated by C. Louch (3) at the Garfield Road and Railway Avenue corner. 
Railway employees at this stage included C. Mason, J. Thompson, E. Goulding and R. McLean (station master) School teachers were Mr Daly and Mrs Thomson.
Selections were still being made in the district by the forebears of the following well- known names: Towt, Brew, Keppel, Gillespie, Jeurs, Negus, Beuhne, Gaghin and Pitt.
Several Boer War veterans took up properties including Mr A. Towt of Garfield North.
Up until this time all means of conveyance was by horse or bullock and wagons and wagonettes were a common sight: buggies, jinkers, bullock teams and horsemen frequented the streets. As traffic increased the roads became worse and in many places corduroys and granite blocks were used to make them passable.
Farming became firmly established and many orchards were planted in the Garfield North area. Many of those no longer exist.
The Garfield Public Hall (4) was built at this time by a number of guarantors and the recreation reserve was instituted.

The original Garfield Hall, opposite the Railway Station.

The Hall opened November 1904, burnt down April 1937, rebuilt, burnt down again February 1984.

Image: Berwick Pakenham Historical Society.

Footnotes
(1) London Bank opened in July 1908. I have written about the Garfield Bank here

https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-es-anz-bank-at-garfield.html
(2) Iona Hotel, Garfield, opened April 1904, burnt down April 1914, current building opened 1915. I have written about the Iona Hotel here 

https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2017/08/iona-hotel-at-garfield.html
(3) Catherine Louch, wife of Albert
(4) Hall opened November 1904, burnt down April 1937, rebuilt, burnt down again February 1984. I have written about the Garfield Hall here  https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2014/06/garfield-public-hall.html

Other posts of Bill Parish's History of Garfield - 

1911-1920 https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2021/09/bill-parishs-history-of-garfield-1911.html
1921-1930 https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2021/09/bill-parishs-history-of-garfield-1921.html
1931-1940 https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2021/09/bill-parishs-history-of-garfield-1931.html
1941-1950 https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2021/09/bill-parishs-history-of-garfield-1941.html
1951-1960 https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2021/09/bill-parishs-history-of-garfield-1951.html

The Doctor’s House - 1 Main Street, Garfield

I had a query about the history of the Doctor's House at 1 Main Street Garfield (technically 1 Nar Nar Goon-Longwarry Road) and this is what I discovered after some research on Trove, the Shire of Berwick Rate Books and the Electoral Rolls.

The house when it was for sale in 2016 with Barry Plant Real Estate.

In the 1920’s Reginald James of Wahroonga Park, Garfield, was listed in the Shire of Berwick Rate Books as owning 100 acres, Lot 53A, Section C, Parish of Koo Wee Rup East. He also had another listing - a house on Part Lot 53A, Section C. When this block, 100 feet by 250 feet in size, was sold to Dr Kenneth McLeod in 1927 it had a Net Annual Value of £15. I say it was 1927, but the Rate books followed the Local Government year which ran from October 1 through to September 30, so the actual sale could have taken place anytime from October 1927 to September 1928. 

In the 1928 Rate books, the Net Annual Value of the block had increased to £34, and I believe this was when a new house was built by Dr McLeod - the existing brick house, which was used as both a residence and consulting room. Dr McLeod was appointed to the Honorary Consulting Staff at the West Gippsland Hospital in 1930 (1) and a ‘fun fact’ - he was a Cellist. The Dandenong Journal reported on a concert at the Methodist Hall in Dandenong in 1933 - The programme would not have been balanced without instrumental items, and the management were indeed fortunate in having prevailed upon Dr. McLeod of Garfield, who assisted with several 'cello numbers, with Mrs. McLeod as accompaniste. Of all instruments, the 'cello, in capable hands, is one of the most popular, and those present expressed delight at the treat given by the doctor - especially when he chose “Laargo” for his final item (2).  Dr McLeod’s wife’s name was Lesley Vera Bramwell (nee Fethers), they had married in 1920. Mrs McLeod was elected a Vice-President of the Garfield branch Country Women's Association at its inaugural meeting held in February 1931.(3)

Dr Kenneth McLeod ran the Medical Practice until 1933 when it was taken over by Dr James Patterson, who was there until 1944, although the building was still owned by Dr McLeod.  The McLeods moved from Garfield to the Caulfield area. In 1935, Dr Patterson's wife Enid, was elected President of the newly formed Baby Health Care Centre (4). Mrs Patterson was involved with the Country Women’s Association and in February 1940 was elected President of the West Gippsland Group (5). During the War she was the Commander of the Garfield First Aid Post, at the Public Hall (6). These posts had been established in case there was an Air Raid. Dr Patterson was a golfer and in 1937 was elected President of the Garfield Golf Club (7).

From 1944 until 1950, a Dr Martin owned the building and ran the Practice. Dr Martin’s first name was also Martin – Dr Martin Martin. I saw this in the Rate books, and thought surely that is a mistake, because it wouldn’t be the first mistake I have found in them when it comes to names, but I checked the Electoral Rolls and it is correct. His wife was called Rachel. They moved to 31 Murrumbeena Road, Murrumbeena after they left Garfield.

After Dr Martin, came Dr Matthew Laidlaw. He purchased the property in June 1951, according to the Rate Books. He was only there until October 1952 when Dr David Gild took over. Dr Gild had previously practiced in Healesville (8).  When Mum moved to Cora Lynn after she was married in 1956, she thought that Dr Gild was ‘old’ then, of course, she was only 21, so he may not really have been that old!

Dr Gild sold the practice around 1961/1962 to Dr Norman Stephen. Dr Gild was then listed in the Electoral Rolls at 21/226 Dandenong Road in St Kilda. Norman and Pamela Stephen had come from Lismore, in western Victoria. Dr Stephen was still at Garfield in 1972, according to the Electoral Rolls, but that’s all I can tell you. We lived at Cora Lynn and we always went to Dr Ian Hewitt at Koo Wee Rup. He delivered my two sisters and my brother; but I was delivered by his father, Dr Alan Hewitt, because Dr Ian was sick that day. We were all born at the Westernport Memorial Hospital at Koo Wee Rup, which had opened in December 1955 (9). 

Footnotes
(1) West Gippsland Gazette, August 5, 1930, see here.
(2) Dandenong Journal, July 20, 1933, see here.
(3) See my history of the Garfield CWA here  https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2023/09/garfield-country-womens-association.html 
(4) The Argus, July 25, 1935, see here.
(5) Dandenong Journal, February 14, 1940, see here.
(6) Dandenong Journal, March 25, 1942, see here.
(7) The Argus, June 3, 1937, see here.
(8) Healesville Guardian, July 19, 1952, see here.
(9) http://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2014/08/medical-matters-at-koo-wee-rup.html

Floods and fires in the 1920s and 1930s

The 1920s and 1930s were a time of floods for Koo Wee Rup with major floods in October 1923, August 1924, December 1934, April /May 1935 and October 1937. The August 1924 flood saw two feet of water through the town. The December 1934 floods were devastating, with about six feet of water through the town. The 1935 floods largely affected the surrounding area, rather than the Koo Wee Rup township; for instance, there was two feet of water through the Public Hall at Cora Lynn (it was located in the Recreation Reserve). The 1937 flood once again saw water about two feet deep through the town (1).

It wasn’t just the damage in the towns to houses, but the damage to the surrounding farms with the loss of crops, livestock, fences etc. This is from a report in The Argus of December 6, 1934 (see here) - Hundreds of dead cattle and sheep, ruined asparagus and potato crops, grazing lands covered with slime, bridges and plantations swept away, mud inches thick in houses, and business almost at a stand-still in the main street these are some of the impressions received by the Minister in Charge of Sustenance (Dr.Shields) when he visited Koo Wee Rup yesterday…..More than 2,000 carcases including cows, sheep, pigs, goats and poultry have already been disposed of. The carcases have been thrown into the main canal and floated down to Westernport. There are still about 1,000 dead animals in the district but some of these will have to be buried. 

The party was told that the carcases would be devoured readily by sharks which were plentiful in the northern end of Westernport. One resident said that they were so numerous that fishermen were afraid to put out in small craft. Countless hundreds of chickens and fowls have been destroyed by the floods Only the dogs seem to have escaped These are ravenously hungry and fight for scraps of food when it is thrown to them. (The Argus, December 6, 1934 (see here)

The 1920s and 1930s was also a time of fires and there are many reports of houses and other buildings burning down. This fire situation was exacerbated by the lack of Fire Brigades and an inadequate water supply. Reports of fires in the newspapers often ended with comments such as - As there is no fire fighting apparatus in the town, the blaze could not be checked....Residents who were awakened by the crackling of the flames, which at times shot twenty feet into the air, did what they could, but little could be saved…..the fire quickly gutted the building, while townspeople looked on helplessly without any water supply, with which to combat it (2).

It wasn’t until the 1940s that local Fire Brigades were formed. For instance, Lang Lang in August 1942, Bunyip in October 1942, Koo Wee Rup in November 1943, Bayles in February 1944 and Tooradin in March 1945 (3).

The following are some examples of fires in the local area, including shops, houses, two Halls and two Coffee Palaces (a Coffee Palace originally provided accommodation and meals, like a Hotel, but did not have a liquor licence). 

Koo Wee Rup Sun, Thursday, October 15, 1925 - At about 4.15am last Thursday a number of persons were rudely awakened by an alarm of fire, and on investigating received a shock when they found that the block of wooden buildings in Rossiter street, Koo Wee Rup, occupied by Mr D. Thomson (butcher), Mrs M. Porter (fruiterer), and Mrs J. Byron (small goods) were on fire. It was at once seen that the task of fighting the flames was a hopeless one, but efforts were made with three fire extinguishers to subdue the conflagration, but the fire had too great a hold for these instruments to be of any use. They, however, are credited with the saving of an adjoining brick shop, owned by Mr F. Ellis (draper)…How the fire originated is not known…Mr Thomson did not have time to save anything; Mrs Byron, who does not reside on the premises, also lost everything; while Mrs Potter with assistance was able to rescue some of her furniture and a few bicycles. 

The Age, May 13, 1927 (see here) - A disastrous fire occurred on Scanlon's drain, Bayles, last night, an eight-roomed house and contents being entirely destroyed. The tenant, Mr. E. Carter, was the only occupant, the family being away in Melbourne. Mr. Carter retired early and was awakened by the noise of an explosion. He was caught in the centre of the house by a wall of flame and fighting his way through the blinding smoke succeeded in reaching a window, by which he got outside. He had his right hand and arm severely burnt and was singed about the head and face. The house was owned by Mr. D. Duff. Mr Carter lost furniture, clothing, jewellery and valuables valued at £700. 

The Argus April 19, 1929 (see here) - A six-roomed house, occupied by Mr. Herbert Smethurst, of Monomeith, was, with the contents, destroyed by fire this morning. Mr. Smethurst had taken milk to the railway station, and his wife was engaged at the front of the house, when she smelt something burning, but, thinking that it was some rubbish, took no notice for a time. When she went to look later the kitchen was in flames, and nothing could be done to save the house. 

Koo Wee Rup Sun, Thursday, June 4, 1931 - Early on Monday morning last, one of the oldest residences in Koo Wee Rup, known as the Koo Wee Rup Coffee Palace, was totally destroyed by fire. It was a 10-roomed wooden building, and was erected by the late Mr O’Riordan, and for several years past has been leased to Mr B. Healy. The first notification of the fire was received by Mr Healy, who was awakened from sleep. He just had time to arouse other members of the family, who escaped with only the clothes they had on. Quickly other persons arrived at the scene, but they were unable to rescue any of the furniture, and to save the building was a hopeless task. A hose belonging to the Shire Council was secured, but difficulty and loss of time was experienced in connecting same to water main….The whole building was demolished in about 25 minutes. 

Dandenong Journal, Thursday, May 4, 1933 (see here)  - Lang Lang - At 4.30 a.m. on Tuesday, neighbors were aroused by crackling, when it was discovered that the Palace Hotel was in flames. This structure, erected fully 40 years ago, burned rapidly, and the main building was completely destroyed. Fortunately no one was injured, and the wind carried the sparks well away from the two adjacent houses. A commercial traveller, Mr. Houghton, of Melbourne, who was staying overnight, had to scramble down a side verandah post for safety. He lost a coat, vest, a gold watch and chain, and some papers and cheques. The building and stock are partly covered by insurance. From the ashes, it is hoped that, Phoenix-like, a modern structure will arise. Meanwhile Lang Lang has joined the dry area. 

Palace Hotel, Lang Lang, destroyed by fire May 2, 1933. 

The Hotel was originally near the Railway Station. It was rebuilt on McDonalds Track.

Image: Lang Lang & District Historical Society.

The Age, April 29, 1936 (see here)  - One of the oldest landmarks in Lang Lang, the Railway Coffee Palace (4), owned by Mrs. Jane Pickett, was destroyed in a spectacular early morning fire. The cause was unknown. Mr. Robert Parsons, a boarder at the house, was awakened about 4.30 a.m. by smoke, and found that the main part of the building, comprising the dining room and the kitchen, was ablaze. He quickly awakened the other boarders and the lessees of the coffee palace, Mr. and Mrs. J. Parks, and family. Most of the boarders saved their possessions. Fine work against a fierce blaze was done by Mr. Maynard, who managed to save a little furniture and a few bed clothes. Mr. and Mrs. Parks and family lost all their furniture and nearly all their clothes. Mrs. Parks' personal effects were insured for a small sum. Mrs. Pickett had the building insured. Fortunately, there was no breeze, and this saved the adjoining property. An electric light pole caught fire and the town was temporarily deprived of light. The building, which consisted of about twelve rooms, was completely gutted in about forty minutes, only the chimneys being left standing. Mrs. Parks has been lessee of the coffee palace for approximately eighteen months. Residents who were awakened by the crackling of the flames, which at times shot twenty feet into the air, did what they could, but little could be saved. 

The Age, April 16, 1937 (see here)  - The Garfield Public hall and contents were totally destroyed by fire at an early hour this Morning. The previous night the hall was used for a social evening, and when the place was locked up for the night everything was apparently safe. The outbreak occurred at about 1.30 a.m., how the fire originated is a mystery. When residents arrived on the scene it was impossible to save anything. The building was insured for £400, and contents for £100. Read more on the Garfield Hall, here.

Weekly Times, June 19, 1937 (see here) -Three thousand books, forming one of the most comprehensive country libraries in Victoria, were burnt in a fire which destroyed the 75-year-old Tooradin Mechanics' Institute building. Blazing fiercely when first discovered at 4.30 am., the fire quickly gutted the building, while townspeople looked on helplessly without any water supply, with which to combat it. Insured for £1000, the building contained the library, a hall and supper room. All the furniture, including a piano, was destroyed. At midnight, when members of the local table tennis club left the hall, everything appeared to be safe. Koo Wee Rup police are investigating the fire, the cause of which is unknown. As the institute was 50 yards from the nearest building, other premises were not endangered. 

Tooradin Mechanics' Institute and Library, destroyed by fire June 15, 1937.

Image: Tooradin 125 years of Coastal History, published 2001.

These accounts of fire are all unfortunate events, none of which thankfully resulted in a loss of life, but perhaps the most unfortunate example I could find was that of Mr Gilchrist, who suffered from a flood and a fire.

The Argus,  December 5, 1934 (see here)  - After having lost most of his large herd of cows in the flood, Mr. A. J. Gilchrist, dairy farmer, of Koo Wee Rup, lost his house by fire yesterday. Yesterday Mr. Gilchrist began to clean his home, which is near the township. He lit a large fire in the kitchen and placed clothing, blankets, and rugs to dry in front of it. He and other members of his family then left to search for survivors of the herd of cows. When they returned they found the house in flames. Yesterday afternoon Mr. Gilchrist and his family went to Dandenong, where they will stay with friends. The Herald of December 4, 1934 (see here) had a similar report but also said hundreds of homeless townspeople camped at the railway station looked on, powerless to fight the 30ft flames which cast a lurid light on the flooded streets.

Trove list - All the  articles, plus some others, are on my Trove list. Access it here. The only exception are the two articles from the Koo Wee Rup Sun, which is not on Trove apart from a few months of 1918.

Footnotes
(1) If you want to read a good history of the drainage of the Koo Wee Rup Swamp then read this - From Swampland to Farmland: a history of the Koo Wee Rup Flood Protection District by David Roberts. (Rural Water Commission, 1985)
(2) Quotes from The Herald, June 1, 1931, see here; The Age, April 29, 1936, see here; Weekly Times, June 19, 1937, see here.

(3) Fire Brigades -  Lang Lang - Dandenong Journal, August 12, 1942, see here;  Bunyip - Call of the Bunyip: history of Bunyip, Iona and Tonimbuk, 1847-1990 by Denise Nest (Bunyip History Committee, 1990), p. 82;  Koo Wee Rup - I have written about the early years of the Koo Wee Rup Brigade, here; Bayles - Dandenong Journal, February 9, 1944, see here;  Tooradin - Dandenong Journal, March 21, 1945, see here.

(4) Lang Lang Coffee Palace - I was under the impression that the original Coffee Palace was remodelled and extended to form the Palace Hotel, which as we know burnt down in 1933. I am unsure what this Coffee Palace was - were there two in town?  This is what I wrote when I put this post up - but Peter Hayden, Secretary of the Lang Lang & District Historical Society has cleared up the matter in an email he sent me on August 3, 2021 -

1. The Palace Hotel was originally a single storey building (c early 1890's) that operated as a Coffee Palace. The hotel at that time was the Lang Lang hotel run by John Flintoft, and the Coffee Palace was run by his wife Mary. In 1898 they extended the Coffee Palace and obtained a liquor licence and renamed it the Palace Hotel. The Lang Lang Hotel was then sold to Mr. James Sharp.
2. The railway Coffee Palace was built by the Picketts at about the same time to cover the need for accommodation for non-drinking travellers. It was located on the corner of Mains Street (Westernport Road) and Roseberry Street, opposite The Park.
3. There was also another coffee palace in town for many years, I am unable to determine yet the exact dates. It was called the Lang Lang Coffee Palace and was located in Station Street, beside the Butter Factory.  It must have closed some time before 1919 as the building became the home and surgery of Dr. and Mrs. Appleford when they came to town in 1919.

Yallock Outfall Scheme Completed - an article by W.T. Griffiths

The Yallock Outfall Scheme and the construction of the Spillway at Cora Lynn were the last major engineering works undertaken on the drainage of the Koo Wee Rup Swamp. This work was the subject of an article, Yallock Outfall Scheme Completed written by W.T. Griffiths, Dip. C.E., E.W.S., Executive Engineer, in the January 1966 edition of AQUA, the official journal of the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission.  I have transcribed it, below. The article appeared on pages 114-119 and included two photographs (one reproduced) and two plans (both reproduced). 

Yallock Outfall Scheme Completed

By W.T. Griffiths, Dip. C.E., E.W.S., Executive Engineer.

AQUA: official journal of the State Rivers & Water Supply Commission January 1966

In February, 1963 the issuing of the final certificate to the contractors who constructed the spillway ford between Koo Wee Rup Main Canal and the Yallock Outfall signified the effective completion of the Yallock Outfall Scheme.

This project was conceived after the disastrous 1934 floods to protect both the township of Koo Wee Rup and the areas of rural land along the Koo Wee Rup Main Canal from occasional flooding following heavy rain.

The Commissioners Koo Wee Rup Flood Protection District contains about 100,000 acres of land and extends from the head of Western Port Bay to the Main Gippsland Railway line. It is situated about 35 miles south-east of Melbourne.

Once known as the “Great Swamp” this area was so frequently inundated that it was practically useless. It was a hindrance to the development of Gippsland as it acted as a barrier to communication.

Reclamation works first started in 1885 (1) under the direction of the Swamp Board and later under the Public Works Department.

In 1912, following floods which demonstrated the inadequacy of the works, the Government directed the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission to prepare plans and estimates for improving the scheme, and this led to the Lower Koo Wee Rup Flood Protection District of 56,500 acres being constituted by the commission in 1917.

For a more comprehensive history of the Koo Wee Rup Flood Protection District up to the end of 1934, readers are referred to “Swamp Reclamation in Victoria, 1935” by L.R. East, C.B.E, M.C. E., M.I.C. E., F.ASCE., M.I.E. Aust. At this stage, State reclamation works had converted these swamp lands into a highly productive farming community with a population of 3, 500 persons.

In November, 1934 the Commission submitted a Schedule of Works for Government approval among which was a item of $200,000 (2) for flood protection in the Lower Koo Wee Rup and Cardinia Flood Protection Districts, as they were known before amalgamation into the Koo Wee Rup Flood Protection District in 1962.

Only a few days after the submission of this schedule, a disastrous flood swept through the area causing very severe losses the 40,000 cusec flood discharge from the Bunyip River being nearly four times as great as any flow previously recorded.

The Commission, realising the need for further protective works, secured grants from Unemployment Relief and Commonwealth funds to begin carrying out the most urgent works affecting the Cardinia area.

Flood Relief
The preparation of a scheme of flood relief for the Yallock end of the lower Koo Wee Rup District presented a much more difficult problem, but after extensive investigations, a detailed proposal was prepared and estimated to cost $295, 000.

It was emphasised by the Commission that, even with an expenditure of this order, complete protection could not be provided to all lands in the District in the event of a flood of similar dimensions to that of 1934.

These protective works for the Lower Koo Wee Rup District – known as the Yallock Outfall Scheme – provided for levee banks to form a narrow floodway alongside the main canal in which overflows from the canal would be contained in all but the most exceptional floods. From this floodway water would be led to the Yallock Creek and thence to Western Port Bay.

Locality plan. 'Site of works' refers to the location of the Spillway at Cora Lynn.

AQUA: official journal of the State Rivers & Water Supply Commission January 1966, p. 115

Because of the complex flood problem in this area and the contentious nature of the works the Commission recommended to the Royal Commission on Water Supply, then sitting, that its proposals should be examined by an independent expert. The Royal Commission agreed to this and Mr. E.G. Lupson, M.I.C.E., was appointed for this purpose. In his report of July, 1937, he substantially concurred with the Commission’s proposals. In a joint report submitted to the Government, the Commission, the Victorian Railways and Mr Ritchie recommended the construction of the Yallock Outfall Scheme at the estimated cost of $400, 000 and that the scheme should be considered as a State project.

Earthworks for the banks of the Yallock Outfall commenced late in 1939, but due to the war and its aftermath, progress was slow and they were not completed from Western Port Bay to the Main Canal at Cora Lynn until the 1956-57 financial year.

Meanwhile, at the request of landowners, whose properties would be affected by the proposed floodway alongside the Main Canal, the Commission attended a meeting of these landowners at Cora Lynn on December 4, 1953. In addition to requesting the Commission expediate the scheme, the landowners suggested the construction of a short spillway just upstream of Cora Lynn to divert floodwaters, in excess of the Main Canal’s capacity below that point, to the Yallock Outfall. Such a spillway would remove the necessity of using approximately 275 acres of farmland for the floodway.

The Commission examined this suggestion in detail and, having found it to be practicable adopted it as part of the proposed work in July 1960 (3). 

Tests
Model tests were carried out at the Commission’s Hydraulic Experimental Station at Werribee to determine the type and size of spillway which would be required to split the flow accurately in the Main Canal at Cora Lynn, leaving only the safe flow of 4,000 cusecs to continue on down the Main Canal to Western Port Bay.

The design was thus based on diverting, to the Yallock Outfall, 10,000 cusecs out of a possible 14,000 cusecs flood in the Main Canal, and continuing to provide road access along the south-eastern bank of the Main Canal.

Cross Sections of the Ford and the Yallock Outloo (Figures 1 & 2)

 AQUA: official journal of the State Rivers & Water Supply Commission, January 1966, p. 118

Consideration was given to enlarging the Main Canal above Cora Lynn to 14,000 cusecs but no further action was taken because it was found that the Canal was enlarging itself by erosion. Arising from this, the short section of channel connecting the Main Canal to the Yallock Outfall has been excavated to take only 6, 000 cusecs although there is enough room between its banks for excavation to the ultimate 10, 000 cusecs capacity. (See Fig. 2, above.) An interesting fact noticed during the model tests for the side spillway was that, for lengths of spillway exceeding 200 feet, there was no significant increase in discharge.

View of spillway from south, showing the 'hump' in the Main Canal' to direct water over the ford.

AQUA: official journal of the State Rivers & Water Supply Commission, January 1966, p. 116

Some way had to be found to divert the surplus flow in the Main Canal over the spillway. This problem was solved by providing an earthen hump in the opposite bank [which would direct the] water (4) over the spillway. The final overall length of the spillway – which was also designed as a ford – was approximately 400 feet, the extra length being due in part to the approach grades and to an increase in effective length as a result of the hump mentioned above.

Contract
On May 16, 1962 the contract for the construction of the ford between the Yallock Outfall and the Koo Wee Rup Main Canal was sealed, Janus Constructions Pty Ltd being the contractor

Protracted wet weather, together with unsatisfactory blue clay which was encountered made it necessary to excavate 3 to 5 feet extra depth of cut to enable a satisfactory subgrade to be constructed.

During compaction of the ford bank, some of the sand filling from one sandpit caused considerable trouble because it had a high moisture content and contained sufficient fine particles of clay to make the fill spongy under compaction. This material had to be removed and replaced with an evenly graded sand fill. (See Fig 1., above.) The ford was surfaced with a  high quality asphalt pavement as concrete would have been too costly and inflexible.

Following competition of the contract for the ford, the Commission awarded a contract for the installation of flashing warning lights at the approaches to the ford to Glorad Engineering Services Pty. Ltd. These lights, designed after liaison with the Shire of Berwick and the Traffic Commission, commence operation when the Main Canal rises to 3 inches below ford level.

Shortly after the lights commence operating, the District staff close the gates at each end of the ford and traffic is thus detoured.

From the completion of these works to the present time there has been no major flood flow in the Main Canal. There have been only 11 occasions when small flows passed over the ford, and on each occasion the warning light system worked satisfactorily.

In conclusion, it is interesting to note that the granite beaching used on the downstream apron of the ford and which was obtained from a quarry at Tynong North, is reputed to be the same granite as that used in the Shrine of Remembrance.

This photo (which was a slide) was taken by my Dad, Frank Rouse, in November 1971, during a flood. You can clearly see the grantite beaching, as described above. This is my brother Michael, he's in the Yallock Outfall and we are looking towards the Main Drain or Main Canal as Mr Griffiths calls it in his article.

This is the spillway at Cora Lynn, taken November 13, 2004. The Main Drain or Canal is on the right and the water is flowing across the spillway to the Yallock Outfall Drain on the left.

The spillway was modified sometime after this photo was taken, maybe around 2010 and there is now a pipe under the ford, which diverts water to the Outfall. 

Image:  Heather Arnold

Footnotes

(1) Drainage works commenced in 1889, not 1885.

(2) In spite of the fact that this article was published in January 1966, before we  converted to Decimal Currency on February 14, 1966 all amounts of money are referred to in dollars rather than pounds.

(3) I only have  a photocopy of a photocopy and the last sentences in the two columns on page 117 are illegible. I believe the date os July 1960, but I may be wrong.

(4) As per footnote 3 - I assume this is correct - bank [which would direct the] water - but cannot read the words between bank and water. 

Rythdale - the origin of the name

Rythdale is a locality towards the western end of the Koo Wee Rup Swamp. It is a small pocket of land bordered on three sides by Pakenham South; on the south by Koo Wee Rup North and also partially on the west by Cardinia. It was a Soldier Settlement area - Soldier's Road in Rythdale is a reminder of this fact. The properties which were sub-divided by the Closer Settlement Board to create this Soldier Settlement area were known as McGregor's and Hagelthorn's. McGregor's of 2,208 acres was divided into 37 blocks with an average size of 60 acres and Hagelthorn's of 1,560 acres, had 14 blocks with the average size of 111 acres (1).

The new settlers needed a school and on November 10, 1924 McGregor's Estate School, No. 4231 opened in a room of a house. It later moved to a house until the new hall opened in  February 1927 and the school relocated there. The school closed in September 1951 and the pupils moved to Pakenham Consolidated School.  In December 1970, the Council Building Inspector ordered the Rythdale Hall to be demolished. (2). 

The name of the area changed in 1926 to Rythdale and on September 30, 1926, the name of the school was also changed (3).  There seems to be some mystery as to where the name came from, Les Blake in his Place Names of Victoria (4) book says it is apparently a coined word and this is repeated in Look to the Rising Sun: a history of Cardinia and District (5).

However, I came across this article (reproduced below) about James Cuming's estate, Rythdale in the South Bourke & Mornington Journal of January 27, 1909, and this is clearly the source of the name of the town.

 The Rythdale Estate: Koo Wee Rup Swamp

A visit was paid a few weeks ago to the above estate, and, as affording an example of what can be done with apparently irreclaimable wastes, may be of some interest to readers. This estate, comprising some 1,600 acres, was bought five years ago by Mr Jas. Cuming, jun. of the firm of Messers Cuming, Smith & Co. It was then overgrown with ti-tree and "tussocks," and in winter the most part under water, and, only about 50 acres cleared. Mr Cuming was, however, fortunate in securing the services of a very able and capable manager in Mr. Ed. Wright, formerly of the Goulburn district, a gentleman of wide experience and dogged pluck, and under his supervision this property has been transformed from a wilderness into one of the most cultivated and up-to date farming and grazing estates in this State. 

It is divided into 23 paddocks, containing six dams with three windmills on different portions of it. At the time of visiting, the reapers and binders were in full swing, and some 16 hands busily employed. Besides the large produce enterprise Mr Cuming makes a speciality of pedigree Ayrshire stock and Clydesdale draught horses. The dairy herd is composed of 15 pedigree Ayrshire cows, 10 pedigree calves and two pedigree Ayrshire bulls. All these cows are prize winners at different shows in the State; several at the Royal Agricultural Show; and only lately one young bull was sold for 32 guineas and resold immediately for 50 guineas, winning at the last Royal Agricultural Show in a class of 40 yearling bulls. 

 Cora, a typical example of the Ayrshire females in the herd of Mr. J. Cuming, jun., 

of Rythdale Stud Farm, Pakenham. 

Leader December 18, 1909 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/197074981#

The Clydesdale draught stock are a splendid collection, some prize winners and one champion, including a beautiful Clydesdale stallion. There is also a small select stud flock of 1000 Leicester sheep; grazing for fattening purposes. Close to the homestead a new tank has been sunk, 19ft. x 17ft., capable of holding 40,000gal.; a silo, carrying 60 tons of ensilage; milking sheds, 15 stalls with three loose boxes and feed-room; separating-room; men's-room; boxes for stallions and bulls; stables for 20 horses; and two large sheds each being capable of receiving 200 tons of hay. 

All work such as chaff, wood cutting, &c. is done on the estate. There has of course been a large outlay in reclaiming this land, but it clearly shows what enterprise can do, and too much praise cannot be given to Mr Cuming for the example he has set, and Mr. Wright for the work he has done. The monthly wages alone average from £50 to £80. The cream from the dairy herd is sent weekly to Melbourne; the cow test is carefully kept every week and milk weighed, each cow making from 10 to 13lbs of butter per week. 

The article finishes off with Mr Cuming's other interests - a farm at Shady Creek, also large manure manufactory at Yarraville, an acid and tar manufactory and, saw mills at Warburton, where alone he has £40,000 in the last two years (8).

It was, of course, the manure and acid and tar manufactories at Yarraville which enabled Mr Cuming to finance his agricultural pursuits. James Cuming (1861-1920) was the son of James and Elizabeth (also known as Betsy, nee Smith) Cuming. James senior and his brother-in-law, George Smith and a Melbourne merchant, Charles Campbell, purchased Robert Smith's acid works in Yarraville in 1872. James was born in 1835 in Aberdeen, Scotland (as were Smith and Campbell) and undertook a farrier's apprenticeship. In the 1850s the Cuming family migrated to New Brunswick in Canada (9).

James senior moved from Canada across the border to Portland in Maine (where James junior was born), before migrating with Betsy and the children to Victoria in 1862. He established a forge and with the money he saved was able to buy the acid works in partnership. The business was called Cuming Smith & Co. James was self taught in Chemistry, studying it at night at the Melbourne Public Library and thus had scientific knowledge and more importantly drive and energy (10).  The Company expanded, took over a bone mill (bones were used to make fertilizer) and then moved into the superphosphate business.

In 1897, Cuming Smith & Co. combined with Felton, Grimwade & Co.'s acid and chemical works at Port Melbourne and James junior became the General Manager of the Company (11). Around the time James Cuming purchased Rythdale, Cuming, Smith & Co. was the largest and oldest manufacturers of manures and acids in Australasia (12) and their plant occupied 14 acres at Yarraville (13) and in the busy season employed over 600 men (14).

James junior did not have to study Chemistry in the Public Library after work like his father. He and his three brothers were educated at Melbourne Grammar School and James undertook further study in industrial chemistry (15). Such was his interest in Chemistry that in 1923, three years after his death, the James Cuming Memorial Chemistry building was presented to the University of Melbourne by Cuming, Smith & Co., in his memory (16). 

A delightful informal photograph of James Cuming, junior, and his wife Alice (nee Fehon) and their children - Alice, Henry, baby 'Mac', Will and Jack. 

Image: John Lack's A History of Footscray (Hargreen Publishing 1991) p. 173.

The first record of James Cuming junior owning land on the Koo Wee Rup Swamp was in the 1903 Shire of Berwick Rate books where he is listed as owning  557 acres, being Lots 4a and 4b, Parish of Pakenham and 282 acres, being part Lots 65a and 66a, Parish of Nar Nar Goon (17). Lots 4a and 4b were bounded by Cardinia Road on the west, Watson Road on the north, Toomuc Creek on the east and Wenn Road on the south. The Lots in the Nar Nar Goon Parish were on the east side of Toomuc Creek, south of Watson Road (in fact they were originally owned by G. Watson) and west of Koo Wee Rup-Pakenham Road. The locality of Rythdale is located right in the middle of his holdings that were situated on the east of Toomuc Creek. 

Part of James Cuming's Dispersal sale advertisement, October 1912. 

The entire advertisement is reproduced in Footnote 18.

The Age October 22, 1912 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/203318494

The first reference to Rythdale as the name of Cuming's property is in December 1905 (19). He was not in the area for long as he had a clearing sale in October 1912 where he disposed of his livestock, plant and equipment as well as 640 acres. The sale advertisement said that he had already sold the homestead block (20).  There are references in the newspaper of Frederick Hagelthorn owning Rythdale from around 1916 until 1920 (21). In 1918 the Berwick Shire Rate Books list Hagelthorn's holdings as 993 acres - Lots 64a, 64b, 65a, 66a and 93, Parish of Pakenham; 251 acres Lot 95, Parish of Nar Nar Goon and 232 acres Lots 90 and 97, Parish of Nar Nar Goon - a total of 1,476 acres. 

Hagelthorn was a Stock and Station agent as well as a member of the Legislative Council from 1907 until 1919. In his Parliamentary career, he championed farming interests and steered bills dealing with closer settlement, railways, water distribution and education through the ponderous deliberations of the Legislative Council whose members objected to his barn-storming tactics (22). One hundred years down the track this interest in Closer Settlement and selling some of his land to the Closer Settlement Board would seem like a conflict of interest.

I firmly believe that the small town of Rythdale took its name from Cuming's property, later owned by Frederick Hagelthorn. James Cuming had died in 1920, but it is more than possible that it was Hagelthorn who suggested the name of Rythdale for the new town.

What is the origin of the name Rythdale? It does not appear in the Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Placenames (23).  However, there was a house in Moseley, a suburb of Birmingham, in England called Rythdale. I found the following references in the Birmingham Daily Post on Newpapers.com, an Ancestry.com add-on. The database includes English, Scottish, Irish, American and Canadian papers but the Birmingham Daily Post provided the only results on the name apart from twenthieth century references to the local town. The earliest report came from 1873. 

The first mention I could find of Rythdale was this advertisement for a servant in 1873. 

Birmingham Daily Post October 22, 1873

Death notice of Eleanor Howes of Rythdale, Moseley

Birmingham Daily Post  19 November 19, 1886, 

Advertising Rythdale for lease

Birmingham Daily Post  February 16, 1888.

Sale of Rythdale, Park Street, Moseley

Birmingham Daily Post February 16, 1895 

There were two other references I found to Rythdale which are closer to home. There was a property at Byaduk, south of Hamilton in Victoria called Rythdale. It was owned by Thomas Harper. His daughter Selina married Albert Brand in October 1899 (see notice, below) and his sixth daughter, Annie married Archibald Forsyth in September 1902 (24).

Marriage of Selina Harper, of Rythdale, Byaduk.

Hamilton Spectator, November 11, 1899 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/226135418

The other reference to a Rythdale I found was that of the Reverend Rythdale Richards. He was an Evangelist who, in April 1890, held services in Hastings and Dromana with Miss Gilbert, the talented lady Evangelist (25).  I have no other information about him, but it is a curious and unusual given name.

The Reverend Rythdale Richard preaches at Dromana.

Mornington Standard, April 26 1890 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/6393233

I cannot connect James Cuming junior or his wife Alice Fehon, whom he married in 1885 (26), to Rythdale in Moseley, Rythdale in Byaduk or the Reverend Rythdale Richards, so as yet I do not know why Cuming called his property Rythdale.   However, it was a name that had been used before Rythdale the town on the Koo Wee Rup Swamp came into existence and Cuming's use of the name for his property is clearly the source of the name of the town.

Trove list

I have created a list of articles on Trove on James Cuming and Rythdale, access it here.

Footnotes

(1) Gunson, Niel  The Good Country: Cranbourne Shire (Cheshire, 1968). p. 273.

(2) Williams, Eileen & Beard, Jewel  Look to the Rising Sun: a history of Cardinia and District including Rythdale and Pakenham South (Back to Cardinia Committee, 1984) 

Vision and Realisation: a centenary history of State Education in Victoria, edited by L.J. Blake. (Education Department of Victoria, 1973)

Look to the Rising Sun has two photos of Rythdale School pupils - one from 1929 the other from 1935 and also a full list of students. 

Demolition of the Rythdale Hall

Koo Wee Rup Sun December 2, 1970 p. 10

(3) Williams & Beard, op. cit., p. 64.

(4) Blake, Les  Place Names of Victoria (Rigby, 1977), p. 232.

(5) Written by Eileen Williams and Jewel Beard, see footnote 2.

(6) James Cuming (1861-1920). Read his entry, written by John Lack, in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, here.

(7) South Bourke & Mornington Journal January 27, 1909, see here.

(8) South Bourke & Mornington Journal January 27, 1909, see here.

(9) Information about James Cuming senior comes from 

Lack, John  A History of Footscray (Hargreen Publishing 1991)

Cuming, James  James Cuming: an autobiography. Edited by John Lack and M. A. Cuming (City of Footscray Historical Society, 1987)

Footscray's first 100 years: the story of a great Australian City (City of Footscray, 1959)

(10) Information in this paragraph as per Footnote 9. The quote about James Cuming's drive and energy is from John Lack's History of Footscray, p. 93.

(11) James Cuming's entry, wrtten by John Lack, in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, here.

(12) Ovens  & Murray Advertiser, September 2, 1905, see here.

(13) The Leader, September 16 1905, see here.

(14) Healesville & Yarra Glen Guardian September 23, 1905, see here.

(15) As per Footnote 11.

(16) See my Trove list, here, for reports of the opening.

(17) Shire of Berwick Rate Books, available at Casey Cardinia Libraries.

(18) James Cuming's Dispersal sale advertisement from The Age, October 22, 1912, see also here.

(19) Weekly Times December 23, 1905, see here.

(20) The Age October 22, 1912, see here. Sale advertisement reproduced in Footnote 18.

(21) See my Trove list, here, for reports.

(22) Frederick Hagelthorn (1864-1943), read his entry, written by J. W. Graham, in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, here.

(23) Ekwall, Eilert The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names (Oxford University Press, 1951)

(24) Annie Harper's wedding report was in the Hamilton Spectator of September 23, 1902, see here.

(25)  Mornington Standard, April 19, 1890 see here and Mornington Standard, April 26, 1890, see here.

(26) James Cuming married Alice Fehon on February 3, 1885 at St John's Church in Footscray. She was the daughter of William Meeke Fehon (1834-1911), read his Australian Dictionary of Biography entry, here. James and Alice had six children - William (b. 1885), James (1887-1888), Henry (1888), James (1890), Alice (1894) and Marianus (1902). 

Marriage of James Cuming and Alice Fehon, 1885

Footscray Independent, February 7, 1885 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article73246780