Batty's Island and Thomas Batty (c. 1802 -1885)

Batty's Island is an area of land on the northern edge of the Koo Wee Rup Swamp, south-east of Tynong and south-west of Garfield. It was actually an island surrounded by water before the Koo Wee Rup Swamp was drained, the main work of which took place between 1889 and 1893 (1). It is named after Thomas Batty, the original selector. Thomas was born Yorkshire in c.1802, married Nancy Buchanan in 1837; they had one daughter, Julia, who married Horace Nelson in 1869. I have more details about the life of Thomas and his family towards the end of this post.

*click on image to enlarge* Batty Island, Lot 18, clearly shown on this 1887 Parish of Bunyip map.  Both Tynong Railway Station and Garfield Railway Station (then called Hope Town) are marked on the map. The land to the right of  Batty Island was that belonging to Cyrus Mason, whom I have written about here. It was previously owned by William McKeone, whom I have written about here. 

Detail of Bunyip, County of Mornington, photo-lithographed at the Department of Crown Lands and Survey, Melbourne, by J. Noone 10. 5. 87. [1887] State Library of Victoria Image http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/204488

The first we find of Thomas Batty in the newspapers was in The Age, December 20, 1872 when the following notice appeared -  Land Act 1869 - Schedule of Applications to be considered by the Local Land Board, at  Cranbourne, on Monday, 23rd December, 1872, at ten a.m. and amongst the 22 applications was this one - Thomas Batty, parish of Nar Nar Goon, area 300a. Description: South of M'Keon's, the island.  (2). Despite the discrepancy in the size of the land, it was only 173 acres, the fact that it was described as 'the island' confirms which land it was. 

Thomas Batty's land application for 'the island'

The Age, December 20 1872, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/199378245

I presume that Thomas was successful in 1872, however there was another report in February 1877 for applications under the Land Act - and under Applications for leases under Section 20 approved was this Thomas Batty, Nar-nar-Goon, 173a 3r 4p. (3) Whether Thomas was successful in 1872 or 1877, I cannot confirm, but he certainly occupied the land and had purchased it by October 1883 (4)

*click on image to enlarge* After the Parish of Koo Wee Rup East was established, Batty Island became lot 40a of this new parish.  I have annotated this 1907 map and Batty Island is marked with an asterisk, located north of Lone Pine Road and east of Eleven Mile Road and surrounded by the Koo Wee Rup Swamp sub-divisions.

Detail of Koo-Wee-Rup, County of Mornington, photo-lithographed at the Department of Lands and Survey, Melbourne, by T. F. McGauran, 1907. State Library of Victoria http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/104853  

Thomas died suddenly on the property on July 28, 1885 at the age of 83. An inquest was held the next day, conducted by John Startup, J.P. Evidence was given by his wife, called in the document Nancy Batty; Charlotte William, who may have been a house-keeper or carer and William Joseph Thompson, the police constable who examined the body. The inquest determined that Thomas had died of natural causes. (5) He was buried at Boroondara Cemetery, in the same grave as three of his grandchildren, who died as infants (more of whom later). He left an estate of  £911. (6)

There is an amusing anecdote about Thomas and Nancy Batty. His neighbour from late 1876 was Cyrus Mason, an artist and the founder of the Buonarotti Club in 1883, a professional artists' organisation. (7) Mason hosted many artists and musicians on his property, Woodyats, and one of them Louis Lavater, shared his memories of one visit - 

 I remember that there was a dear old couple who lived on an island in the swamp, who received a letter from a Melbourne solicitor stating that they had been left a small sum of money. The old woman, who was aged 84 years - four years older than her husband - was keenly conscious of her husband's youthfulness, and it was with the greatest reluctance that she allowed him to go to Melbourne to arrange a settlement with the solicitor. She used to tell us that every time she thought of her husband among 'those Melbourne hussies' she had a 'paroxum.' Her stern disapproval of our bathing in the swamp apparently caused her a few more 'paroxums,' for she used to come down and seize our clothes and stalk away with them in righteous indignation. (8)

After the death of Thomas Batty the property was sold, however the name Batty Island stuck and we can find references to it up the 1940s.  Here are three examples - 

Shire of Berwick Council meeting report

South Bourke & Mornington Journal, October 23, 1901   https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/70047876

Shire of Berwick Council meeting report

South Bourke & Mornington Journal, June 11 1914 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/66185466

Account of  a journey to Gippsland by the Rev. G. Cox. 

Bairnsdale Advertiser, January 7 1941 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/269452166

We will now look at the subsequent owners of Batty Island. The information is from the Shire of Berwick rate books which  lists the names of the owners and their occupations; the years are the first appearance in the Rate Books, but the sale transaction may have taken place some months previously. 

1886/1887 - Henry Nelson, Publican. I can't find a connection to Horace Nelson, Thomas' son-in-law, but I feel there must be one. Interestingly, the next owner, John Geraghty also a Publican, paid the rates of the property for the last two years of Nelson's ownership, so there must also be some connection between the two, but I have no information about that and no other information about Henry Nelson.

The description of Henry Nelson's entry in the 1886/1887 Shire of Berwick rate books - 173 acres, Battys Island, Tynong.

1890/1891 - John Geraghty, publican. At one time he held the licence of the Inkerman Hotel, East St Kilda, then the Malvern Vale Hotel in Malvern, then the Commercial Hotel, Prahran and finally the  Sir Robert Peel Hotel in Peel Street, Windsor. That was where he died in September 1897, aged 50 years of age. (9)

1896/1897 - Mary Bennett, Hotel keeper. Yet another publican, but I have no other details about her.

1898/1899 - Hugh Bullen, Gentleman. Hugh died in August 1905 at his home in Mary Street, Hawthorn, at the age of 68. He  was a bachelor and left his estate to his seven siblings. Hugh had previously lived at Wooleen, in Northcote, off High Street, between Harold and Hutton Streets, where he operated a stone quarry. (10)

1902/1903 - William Pitt, Architect. When William Pitt (1855-1918) purchased this land he also acquired other parcels of land and was listed as owning 634 acres in total. Pitt was responsible for a number of high profile Melbourne buildings - the Princess Theatre, Federal Hotel (now known as the Windsor Hotel), the Rialto and the Olderfleet buildings and the St Kilda Town Hall. He was also a member of the Victorian Parliament from 1891 to 1910. (11)

1920/1921- Peter Gleeson, a land owner from Tynong. He purchased the entire 634 acres from William Pitt's estate in March 1921. By June 1922 the Gleeson family land holdings in the Iona Riding were itemised as - Mary, Peter and Joseph owning 190 acres; John, James and Florence the 634 acres including Batty Island and Thomas, Francis and Anne owning 160 acres. The Gleesons had land in the area from 1899/1900 with  Thomas and Mrs W. Gleeson being the first ones  listed in the rate books. Early on, their address was listed as Melbourne - the 1903 Electoral Roll has Thomas at Ingles Street, Port Melbourne and his occupation as a contractor. Not sure of the Gleeson family tree, but Thomas, who died in 1937, was the husband of Anne. (12)

There is an interesting account which connects the Gleeson to the Pitts.  Mr C.P. Pitt mention in the article is Charles Pavey Pitt, William's brother, who possibly managed the farm for him  - this was in the South Bourke and Mornington Journal in July 1902 -

The saying there is nothing new under the sun has been daily exemplified during the past century. The wildest imaginations of Jules Verne have become accomplished facts. Hitherto the difficulties confronting the would-be selector of swamp lands, in the way of clearing and subsidence, has to a great extent prevented a wish for these fertile spots. During the first days of settlement at Kooweerup the possibility of rolling down the "impenetrable" titree was advocated as feasable by the " Age " special reporter. The honor of practical demonstration belongs to Mr. T. Gleeson, and his invention is now working at Batty's Island under the direction of Mr. C.P. Pitt. The machine consists of an old donkey engine boiler provided with a centre axle, which supports a frame work and top roller, the latter fitted with broad flanges forming a steering apparatus or guide for the wire rope by which it is hauled to and fro. The total weight of the roller is three tons. The motive power being provided by an 8-horse power engine. In 7 weeks Mr. Pitt has rolled 130 acres. The machine does excellent work, lowering the soft peaty land some 18 inches by the first operation, and a large portion of the land has been rolled a second time and further consolidated to the extent of 6 inches. The land as rolled is being sown down down in grass, and will form an ideal dairy farm, splendid shelter being available on both sides of the flat. (13)

Who was Thomas Batty? His death certificate says he was born in Yorkshire and lists his occupation as a miner. This is confirmed by the 1851 Census, which gives his town of birth as Holmfirth, Yorkshire. He married on December 10, 1837 at Oldham in Manchester; he was listed as a widower. On the wedding certificate his wife was named as Nancy Buchanan. In 1843, their daughter Julia Ann was born in Stalybridge, Lancashire. This is the town the family were living in on Census night in 1851 - Thomas, 45 years old; Nancy 47 years old and Julia 8 years old.  (14)

In the 1861 Census, Thomas was not listed, he had already migrated to Australia, I believe around 1852, most likely to join the thousands of other hopefuls on the gold fields. However eighteen year Julia, was listed in Stalybridge with her 57 year old mother - whose name was listed as Agnes. I believe they arrived in Melbourne in July 1864. On September 25, 1869, Julia married Horace Nelson, with the service conducted by a Congregational Minister at Neptune Street, St Kilda. Horace was 34 years old, born in London to Robert and Mary (nee Crighton) Nelson, he was a 'Reader for the press' which I believe is a proof reader. On the marriage certificate, Julia was listed as 26 and her father Thomas as a gold miner. Her mother was listed as Agnes Buchanan. (15)

Julia and Horace had seven children - 

Florence Eleanor Lawton Nelson (born 1871, and died aged 10 months the same year)

Aubrey Joscelin Nelson (b. 1872, married Isabel Baudinet in 1900 and died in 1953)

Robert Nelson (a twin, b. 1874, and died at 2 days old)

James Nelson (a twin, b. 1874, and died at 2 days old)

Horace Julian Nelson (b. 1875, married Rose Whittey in 1916, and died in 1958)

Constance Gertude Nelson (b. 1877 and died in 1966, did not marry)

Beatrice Arabella Juliet Crighton Nelson (b.1880, married Spicer Carlton in 1909 and died in 1937)  (16)

Nancy/Agnes died on August 20, 1890. Her death certificate lists her name as Agnes, her place of death at 317 Punt Road, Richmond, which was the address of her daughter and son-in-law and she was buried in the family grave at Boroondara Cemetery with Thomas and their little grandchildren - Florence, Robert and James. Horace died July 26, 1893, aged 60 years of age and he is also buried in the family grave with his children and in-laws. Julia died April 2, 1929 at her daughter Beatrice's house in Renown Street, Coburg and she is buried at Fawkner Cemetery. (17)

Trove list - I have created a list of articles connected to Batty Island, Thomas Batty and family and the other owners, access it here.

Footnotes

(1) http://carlocatani.blogspot.com/2018/10/koo-wee-rup-swamp.html 

(2) The Age, December 20 1872, see here.

(3) South Bourke and Mornington Journal, February 28, 1877, see here.

(4) On the diagram below, which is the Batty property  - it tells you that it is Lot 40a; 173 acres, 2 roods and 29 perches and the numbers  4.10.83 show the date that the land became freehold i.e Batty was no longer leasing the property from the Crown, he had paid for it - October 4, 1883

Detail of Koo-Wee-Rup, County of Mornington, photo-lithographed at the Department of Lands and Survey, Melbourne, by T. F. McGauran, 1907. State Library of Victoria http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/104853  

(5) Inquest at the Public Records Office of Victoria, access it here https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/4E16068F-F1BD-11E9-AE98-BBBD3FA716B0?image=1

(6) The Herald, October 29, 1885, see here.

(7) https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2023/10/cyrus-mason-buonarotti-club-and.html

(8) The Argus, August 10, 1929, see here.

(9) See my Trove list, here,  for the hotel ownership and his death notice

(10) See my Trove list, here, for his death notice and other articles. The location of the property is from Sands & McDougall's Melbourne and suburban directory.

(11) William Pitt, entry in the Australian Dictionary of Biography written by Dian Langmore - https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/pitt-william-8058

(12) See my Trove list, here.

(13) The Argus, August 10, 1929, see here.

(14) Victorian Death certificate; the marriage certificate is on Ancestry.com  - Manchester, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1930; the Census records from England list birthplace, age  are are available on Ancestry.com

(15) Thomas' arrival in Victoria - his 1885 death certificate notes he had been in Australia 33 years, which makes it 1852. Arrival of  Agnes and Julia in Victoria - Agnes 1890 death certificate notes she had been in Victoria for 26 years which makes it 1864. This is (almost) confirmed by an entry in a shipping record available on Ancestry.com  - Victoria, Australia, Assisted and Unassisted Passenger Lists, 1839-1923 - the Southern Empire arrived in July 1864 and amongst the passengers were 22 year old Julia Batty and a Nancy Batty, listed as a 33 year old widow. Despite this age and marital status discrepancy, I am sure this is our Julia and Nancy.

(16) Julia's children - Indexes to the Births, Deaths and Marriages and personal notices in the newspapers.

(17) Victorian death certificate of Agnes; Boroondara Cemetery website   https://boroondaracemetery.com.au/ ; personal notices in the newspapers.

Cyrus Mason - the Buonarotti Club and 'Woodyats', Tynong

 I was going through Trove combining various words with Koo Wee Rup as a search term to see what I could discover and came up with an article in The Argus of August 10, 1929 on the Buonarotti Club - it was titled Buonarotti Club: Bohemians of the 'Eighties - Memories of noted artists by L.T. Luxton (1)

Stephen F. Mead, wrote a  history of the club, The Search for Artistic Professionalism in Melbourne: the activities of the Buonarotti Club, 1883 -1887 which was published in the State Library of Victoria's La Trobe Journal in December 2011, read it here. I have extracted a few paragraphs from his article.

Stephen Mead writes - The Buonarotti Club was instigated by the engraver, draughtsman and artist, Cyrus Mason in May 1883 at the Prince's Bridge Hotel (Young and Jackson's), on the corner of Swanston and Flinders Streets, in Melbourne.  It flourished for the next four years, eventually concluding its activities during September 1887. Mason was well acquainted with colonial literary, artistic and bohemian circles long before forming the Buonarotti Club, especially through his membership of Melbourne's Yorick Club. In the 1860s, he was one of the first illustrators of the Colonial Monthly edited by his friend Marcus Clarke, then the source of early Melbourne's Bohemian attitudes.

The Club was a professional artists' organisation that utilised literature and music to build the group into a more comprehensive artistic institution, distinct from other art and cultural societies of the period. Although it was divided into three 'sections' – 'Artistic', 'Literary' and 'Musical'- its membership consisted mainly of men and women who aspired to be professional painters. These included Frederick McCubbin, Louis Abrahams, Tom Roberts and Jane Sutherland. Admittedly literary clubs and societies were very popular in Melbourne during the 1880s, as demonstrated by the existence of the Shakespeare Society, the Shelley Society, the Burns Society and the Lamb Society. It must be stressed, however, that these groups were purely and proudly made up of amateurs, not professional writers. The Buonarotti Club differed from them in that it was artist-dominated, with members who possessed professional goals. These included painters who desired instruction, a cross fertilization of ideas and the opportunity to exhibit and receive critique from their peers to assist them in their participation in the commercial Melbourne art world.

The name of the Club 'Buonarotti' had been proposed by the founder, Cyrus Mason, to honour Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475-1564), the great Italian sculptor, painter, draughtsman and architect.

Stephen Mead concludes his article with Despite its early demise, it must be recognised that significant achievements were made of the Buonarotti Club in building up a strong code of artistic professionalism to meet the needs and challenges faced by artists of the period in Melbourne, even fostering a strong sense of artistic bohemianism in the city, and played a pivotal role with that group of artists who formed the now-designated Heidelberg School of painters. (2)

Richmond Road in 1883 by Cyrus Mason

State Library of Victoria Image H2012.271

Cyrus Mason, the founder of the Club, had a property at Tynong where he hosted artists who had painting expeditions to the shores of the Koo Wee Rup Swamp. The Koo Wee Rup Swamp, of 40,000 hectares, was drained between 1889 and 1893, you can read about it here. This means that when the members of the Buonarotti Club saw the swamp it was in its natural state and undrained. How wonderful it would be to see paintings and drawings of that.

The 1929 article in The Argus that I referred to at the start of this post had an interview with a Club member, Louis Lavater, a musician. Louis shared his memories which were of the out-of-doors excursions rather than the social activities of the Buonarotti; of finding a tiger snake as a bed companion on an excursion to Eaglemont and of killing it with a walking stick and nonchalantly turning over and going to sleep again; of happy-go-lucky painting camps on the shores of the Koo-wee-rup Swamp.

"Often we used to set out from Mr. Cyrus Mason's estate at Tynong for the old Koo-wee-rup swamp, with a loaf of bread, a bag of tomatoes, a bag of oysters, bottles of beer and plenty of cigarettes," said Mr. Lavater. "Painting was the first object of the expeditions, but the rough life had a zest all its own which appealed strongly to all of us and the humour! I wonder whether humour is gone from the bush roads when I think of the incidents of those excursions. I remember that there was a dear old couple who lived on an island in the swamp, who received a letter from a Melbourne solicitor stating that they had been left a small sum of money. The old woman, who was aged 84 years - four years older than her husband-was keenly conscious of her husband's youthfulness, and it was with the greatest reluctance that she allowed him to go to Melbourne to arrange a settlement with the solicitor. She used to tell us that every time she thought of her husband among 'those Melbourne hussies' she had a 'paroxum.' Her stern disapproval of our bathing in the swamp apparently caused her a few more 'paroxums,' for she used to come down and seize our clothes and stalk away with them in righteous indignation." (3)

Map of the Colony of Victoria designed, lithographed and printed by Cyrus Mason, 1854.

State Library of Victoria click here to see a high resolution version http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/119498

Cyrus Mason was born in London in 1829. He undertook an apprenticeship as a lithographer and in the May of 1853 arrived in Melbourne. In September 1856 he joined the Victorian Railways as a lithographic draughtsman and set up its lithographic printing branch. He left the Railways in 1864  had various jobs, was a member of different Artist's Societies, undertook freelance work, lectured and as we saw established the Buonarotti Club in 1883. (4) You can read a  more extensive account of Cyrus Mason's life in an article by Thomas Darragh in Design and Art Australia Online here.

Camping on the road. Artist W.H.O., lithographed and published by Cyrus Mason, 1855

State Library of Victoria Image H83.236/2

Cyrus Mason purchased 282 acres of land around December 1876 from William McKeone (5) and he called the property Woodyats. He was listed in the Shire of Berwick Rate books up until the 1898/1899 book; during this time his occupation was initially listed as a Draughtsman, but later changed to Grazier and towards the end it changed to the more refined Gentleman. Thomas Darragh says he returned to Melbourne about 1900, so this tallies with the entries in the Rate books. At Tynong, Cyrus bred Romney Marsh sheep and was a breeder of some note and participated in Stud Sheep sales, as we see from the advertisement, below.

Annual stud sales including Cyrus Mason's Woodyats stud at Tynong

Sydney Mail August 13, 1887 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/165222851?

I wanted to find the exact location of Woodyats and the Rate books list the property as Lots 16 & 17, Parish of Bunyip, and it is shown on the 1887 map immediately below. A later map from 1907, created after the Parish of Koo Wee Rup East was established, shows the allotments renumbered as 55C and 55B and part of the new Parish. The property is south-west of Garfield, facing onto what would now be Mont Albert Road. The property was on high ground on  the edge of the Swamp or the on the shores of the Koo-wee-rup Swamp as Louis Lavatar noted (6)

*click on image to enlarge*  An 1887 map showing Cyrus Mason's property, next to what was called Batty Island, the property owned by Thomas Batty. This was before the Koo Wee Rup Swamp was drained, so it would have been surrounded by water. See the 1907 map below, which shows the property in relation to later roads.

Bunyip, County of Mornington,  photo-lithographed at the Department of Crown Lands and Survey, Melbourne,

 by J. Noone 10. 5. 87. [1887] State Library of Victoria Image  http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/204488

*click on image to enlarge*  Cyrus Mason's property, south-west of Garfield, marked with blue stars. I have annotated the map and you can see it is surrounded by the Koo Wee Rup Swamp sub-divisions.

Koo-Wee-Rup, County of Mornington, photo-lithographed at the Department of Lands and Survey, Melbourne, by T. F. McGauran, 1907. State Library of Victoria http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/104853  

In June 1893, Mason wrote a letter to the editor of the Leader newspaper about the Public Works Department, their Swamp drainage works, the hardship the new settlers faced and at the same time displaying  a practical knowledge of the area -
Two years back this May The Age published a letter (7) of mine giving the history of the Kooweerup country from 1847, including the various attempts at drainage, and stating that the volume of water always flowing past my property did not reach Western Port Bay. The Public Works department now admits that my statement made then is correct and explains the disappearance of the water by the process of evaporation. As most of the land included in the evaporating area for the calculation made in my presence by a public works engineer is on the south side of the main drain, and has as much to do with the water on the north side as the Fitzroy Gardens, the evaporation theory is valueless. For many years I have endeavored to deter the Public Works officers from blundering into the Kooweerup country without providing a way out. The winter's rains, unhappily, will compel many of the 20 acre section occupiers to find a way out, as they will be surrounded by water— a result not conducive to settling the unemployed upon the land. Last January I wrote to Mr. Webb, hoping through him to save the reputation of the Public Works department by allowing its officers the credit of the discovery I am now compelled to make known, for the Minister of Public Works in four months has not even favored me with an acknowledgment of my letter. Unfortunately it may take another two years and the useless expenditure of many thousands of pounds to force the truth into the official mind, so the sooner stated the better. 

I have discovered a river in Victoria, hitherto not shown on any map, and quite ignored by the Public Works engineers in their drainage scheme. Altogether apart from the Bunyip River, there is another and far larger body of water, which enters below Garfield the Kooweerup country, spreads out in width for half a mile, having four deep channels flowing westward rapidly, gathers into a volume of faster running water 9 feet deep at the south west, corner of my property, and in a mile disappears in an immense reed bed about a mile and a half south of the 42 mile post on the Gippsland railway. This fast running river forms a chord to the curve of what is termed the main drain, out at the east end through high ground, growing timber which required dynamite for its removal. Not 1 gallon of the Kooweerup River water flows into the Government cut except after excessive rains, but passes underground on its way to Port Phillip Bay, as stated in my letter of May, 1891.

It would be laughable, if not too painful and expensive in results, to see the unemployed trying to make what is called a "subsidiary drain " across this large river! A remarkable work to give the unemployed for the privilege of settling on 20 acres when drained, and affords to us an official illustration of Mrs. Partington with her mop operating against the Atlantic. My statement that the Kooweerup River exists is definite, and can be easily tested— (1) By walking from the Bunyip railway station south one mile to the public works main drain, by the track crossing the whole of the Bunyip River water, women and children have used it for months without wetting the soles of their boots by walking over the river on laid saplings. (2) A 9 foot pole will prove the depth of running water forming my south boundary. (3) It is within the knowledge of everyone who has seen the main drain below Nar Nar Goon during April that only a mere dribble of water from the Ararat Creek flowed in it towards Western Port. Had the Public Works officers examined these three points— included in about eight miles— they must have discovered the existence of the Kooweerup River, and refrained from starting the unscientific theory of evaporation. The Kooweerup River will have to be dealt with apart from the present made drain, which is not made large enough to carry the water could it be taken from low to higher ground. As all my efforts with Ministers and officers at the Public Works department have failed in obtaining any recognition of what might be made an additional and valuable river to Victoria, I bring its existence publicly under notice, and conclude my letter with the invitation I gave Mr. Webb last January, feeling sure of courtesy at your hands. I beg most respectfully to invite your attention to what must be considered the key to successfully open the Kooweerup country, and herewith enclose a tracing showing what I actually know as facts, with that hope that you will order an investigation of the correctness of my tracing before commencing subsidiary channels. I shall be happy to lend my boat, or render assistance to yourself or any officer sent to investigate, and if advised, will meet train at Tynong station with my buggy,— Yours, &c, CYRUS MASON. (8)

Cyrus Mason also created a water lifting scheme - a method to transfer water from a creek into a tank and thus to be used for irrigation and stock water, so he was not only a talented artist but inventive as well. The Australasian newspaper, of December 24, 1892 published an article on this invention -
a simple and economical mode of lifting water, the system brought into use by Mr. Cyrus Mason, J.P., on his property, Woodyats, Tynong, is well worth the attention of anyone having the command of a running stream, and desirous of using it for irrigating green crops, small fruits, vegetables, or for watering stock. As Mr. Mason, when building his wheel, was only desirous of proving its capabilities for irrigating an orchard and perfume garden, also obtaining a head of water to work a hydraulic ram, he authorises us to say that he will have pleasure in communicating information to anyone desirous of constructing a similar wheel. (9)

Cyrus Mason's simple and economical mode of lifting water

The Australasian December 24, 1892. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article138104822

There were two aspects of Cyrus Mason's life - the engraver and artist who sought the company of like minded people in the Buonarotti Club and the farmer of Woodyats at Tynong. It was his interest in his farm that was, in the end, one of the reasons for the demise of the Buonarotti Club.

L.T Luxton, the writer of the newspaper article I have referred to at the top of this post, quotes an un-named female member of the club and she attributes the decline of the Club to -
Cyrus Mason's move to Tynong. He was elected president. From that point to the time when Cyrus Mason retired to live in the country and the club 'petered out,' three years elapsed-one year as a men's club and two years as a mixed club. A short life if you like, but a very merry one. (10)

Louis Lavater, in the same article, also attributes the demise of the club to the resignation of key members -
"The end of all clubs," replied Mr Lavater, extending his hands, "Chance carried away a few of the dominant personalities, such as Longstaff, Julian Gibb and Cyrus Mason, and soon there were not enough strong personalities left to carry the dead weight of that section which has to be carried in every club. A slow 'petering-out,' and in a year, or two years - gone!" (11)

Family information

Cyrus married Jessy Montagu (nee Campbell) in 1853. They had, I believe, 10 children - I have listed them here with any details I can confirm (12) - 
Cyrus - born 1854, married Louise Scroggie in 1882 and died in 1931 in New South Wales.
Jessy Harriet - born 1855 and died January 27, 1857.
Arthur John - born 1857, married Hattie Adelaide Devol in Kansas City, Missouri. 
Walter and Willie - born and died in April 1859 - Walter on April 15 at 4 days old and Willie on April 22 at 11 days old.
Laura - born in 1860, married Richard MacDonnell in 1883 and died in 1935.
Herbert Reuben - born in 1861, died in 1885 in Queensland.
Valentine Frank - born 1864, died in 1944.
Constance - born 1866, married Frederick Kneebone in 1890 and died in 1952.
Theodore - born in 1867, died in 1947 in New South Wales.

After Cyrus and Jessy left Tynong they moved to Florence Street, Mentone; then to Gordon Street in Sandringham, and from there to Fitzroy and East Melbourne. (13)

Cyrus Mason died August 8, 1915 at the age of 86 and his wife Jessy died November 21, 1909 aged 84. They are buried at St Kilda Cemetery with little Jessy and the babies, Walter and Willie. Also on the headstone, which is shown below, is their grandson, Arthur Robert Mason, Killed in Action in France on August 28, 1918.  There is also the quite unusual smaller headstone on the same grave for Jessy's daughters from her first marriage to George Conway Montagu - Edith who died at the age of 63 in May 1911 and Jane who died in August 1938, aged 93. (14)

The Mason family grave at the St Kilda Cemetery, with the rather unusual second headstone for the Montagu sisters, the step-daughters of Cyrus Mason.

Photo: Isaac Hermann.

We will finish off this post with this beautiful poem, Noon at Woodyats, Tynong, by Grace Elizabeth Jennings Carmichael (1867-1904) , a member of the Buonarotti Club, published in The Australasian on January 21, 1888, under the name of  Jennings Carmichael (15). Grace died in London just before her 37th birthday. You can read more about her short life in her Australian Dictionary of Biography entry, written by Lyndsay Gardiner, here.

Noon at Woodyats, Tynong
It is a day to dream one dream,
And then in full content to die,
Bearing away in memory
The colours of that cloudless sky;
The odour of the fragrant green
As 'mid its seeded spears we lie,
The motion of those throbbing wings
That up the bluey distance fly.

It is a day to dream one dream
Of earthly peace, forgetting all
The bygone gleam of darker days -
The keen cold blast and sullen fall
Of slant grey rain, the leafless range
Of solemn poplars straight and tall.
The burial thoughts mid-year June,
That wrap the earth with sable pall.

A day to dream one dream of trust,
Untortured by foreboding fears,
To drink in joy the breezy gust
That round this spreading lightwood cheers.
To clasp dear Hope with eager arms.
And look with eyes undimmed by tears,
While memory blots away for once
The sorrow of the yesteryears.

In the broad march the colours glow,
Nut browns and blues and shading gold,
Deep purples fill the dimpling clefts
Between the wooded mountain folds.
On yonder gradual slope the clear
Transparent summer-sunlight holds
No wraith of shadow standing bright
Against the circle of the wolds.

A day to dream one dream of rest -
Oh friends, your happy voices ring
So freshly from the glowing lawn
That glistens through the sombre wing
Of yon old fir; sweet is the sound
The echoes to my senses bring.
Fainting soft pictures of content
That ever to the brain will cling.

I ween 'twere happy so to die.
To see this perfect world alight,
Just as the shadow of th' eclipse
Falls in irrevocable might;
To close loth eyes, their vision rich
With earth sweet largesse, full and bright;
Then in that view to sink away
Into the silence of the night.

Sources:
Darragh, Thomas Cyrus Mason in Design and Art Australia Online, see here.

Mead, Stephen The Search for Artistic Professionalism in Melbourne: the activities of the Buonarotti Club, 1883 -1887 in the State Library of Victoria La Trobe Journal No. 88 December 2011, see here.

Trove list: I have created a list of newspaper articles referenced in this post, access it here.

Footnotes
(1) The Argus, August 10, 1929, see here.
(2) Mead, Stephen The Search for Artistic Professionalism in Melbourne: the activities of the Buonarotti Club, 1883 -1887 in the State Library of Victoria La Trobe Journal No. 88 December 2011, see here.
(3) The Argus, August 10, 1929, see here. The 'dear old couple who lived on an island in the swamp' were Thomas and Agnes Batty, I have written about them here   https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2023/10/battys-island-and-thomas-batty-c-1802.html 
(4) Darragh, Thomas Cyrus Mason in Design and Art Australia Online, see here.

(5) William McKeone also spelt as M'Keone advertised his property for sale in December 1876 - it was described as adjoining the Koo Wee Rup Swamp and as one of the nicest little farms within many miles around. I have written about William McKeone in my history of Tynong, here.
(6) The Argus, August 10, 1929, see here.
(7) The Age, May 23, 1891, see here.
(8) The Leader, June 10, 1893, see here.
(9) The Australasian, December 24 1892, see here.
(10)  The Argus, August 10, 1929, see here.
(11) Ibid

(12) Indexes to the Victorian, New South Wales and Queensland Births, Death and Marriages; Personal notices in the newspapers.
(13) Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com
(14) St Kilda Cemetery headstone transcriptions on Ancestry.com
(15) The Australasian, January 21, 1888,  see here.

The establishment of the Koo Wee Rup Country Women's Association in 1929

The Country Women’s Association (CWA) of Victoria was formed on March 12, 1928. The aims of the organisation were 

to speak and act for the country women and children.....the organisation will set itself the task of improving the conditions under which women and their families live in the country, promoting social contact, encouraging the study of affairs of local government which touch intimately the home life of the people, maintaining and improving educational facilities, and securing for the country districts adequate medical and hospital facilities. (1)

Mrs Kerr-Paterson of Koo Wee Rup was one of the inaugural members of the CWA executive committee and the inaugural President of the Koo Wee Rup branch. This post looks at the life of Margaret Kerr-Paterson (also known as  Margaret Paterson) and the Koo Wee Rup Branch of the CWA. 

CWA Inaugural Conference, Margaret Kerr-Paterson on left.

Some of the women who attended the conference which resulted in the formation of the Victorian Country Women's Association. Left to right: Mrs Patterson [sic] (Koo-wee-rup), Lady Masson, Lady Mitchell, and Mrs. O. Hicken

(Shepparton). Inset: Miss Fitzpatrick, organising secretary of the Country 

Women's Association of New South Wales.

The Argus, March 14, 1928 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3917825

Margaret was the eldest child of Samuel Pope Davis and his wife Margaret Calder Thompson; they had  married in 1869.  Samuel was a publican, but had previously been a jockey and won the 1864 Melbourne Cup on Lantern, owned by Hurtle Fisher. The Melbourne Cup started in 1861 and the first two races were won by Archer, ridden both times by Johnny Cutts; the 1863 race was won by Banker, ridden by Harry Chifney, whose real name was Henry Dawes, which makes Samuel only the third jockey to win the Cup. (2). 

Lantern, the winner of the 1864 Melbourne Cup, ridden by Margaret's father. 

Engraver: Robertson. Image first appeared in The Australian News for Home Reader on 

November 25, 1864. State Library of Victoria Image  IAN25/11/64/8

In December 1879 at a licensing hearing, Samuel applied a certificate authorising the issue of a Publican's Licence for a house at Rankin's-road, to be known as Station Hotel, containing eight rooms, exclusive of those required for the use of the family. He was was unsuccessful  as the building was a wooden affair, which was by no means suitable to the place, or the wants of intending customers. He was eventually successful as his Palace Hotel was erected, on the corner of Rankins and Racecourse Road, by 1882.  In 1892, Samuel was elected as a Councillor to the Borough of Kensington and Flemington. (3). He and Matilda had nine children - Margaret McAlpin (1871), Grace Matilda (1874), Beatrice Sherman (1875), Samuel Ernest (1878-1878), Samuel Albert (1880), Victor Newton (1882), Unnamed boy (died at one day old in 1883), George William (1885) and Oscar Calder (1887). (4)

Their marriage was not all smooth sailing as in July 1893 Matilda charged Samuel with assault and asked for maintenance. The Age reported on the hearing held at the Flemington Magistrate's Court  -

Matilda Davis stated that on Wednesday last her husband asked her to go to a ball with him, but the notice was too short, and she declined. This greatly annoyed him and he went by himself. On Thursday morning, after some words, the defendant rushed at her and caught her by the throat, threatening to choke her. The barman interfered and enabled her to get away. The defendant had often previously ill treated her, and she now desired separate maintenance, as she was afraid any longer to live with him. In answer to defendant, she denied being an habitual drunkard, and said that she never drank at all until driven to it by his ill treatment and neglect. She had not thrown things at him or tried to stab him. She informed the bench that her husband had an income of £1000 a year, and she asked for £2 weekly for maintenance. (5)

The barman, Alfred Hambridge, supported Matilda's evidence and the result of the hearing was the bench, after consideration, fined Davis £5, with £3 3s. costs, for the assault, and made an order against him for £2 weekly maintenance. (6)   Matilda died suddenly that same year, at the age of 43, on December 29, 1893 at the Palace Hotel, where she was sitting in the dining room, talking to her daughter Grace, when she suddenly fell back in her chair and expired before medical assistance could be procured.  Her obituary said she was very much liked by those who knew her good qualities. (7). Samuel died May 13, 1897 at the age of 50.  His estate was left to his children and the Executors advertised the Hotel for lease for a five year term in February 1898, with the income being held in Trust, as he still had young children. (8)

The Hotel Victoria, Albert Park, in 1906, Margaret's home after her

 marriage to John Smerdon.

The Australasian, September 8, 1906 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article139175344

At the time of the death of her father, Margaret was 26; her sister Grace was already married, so I presume that she and her 22 year old sister, Beatrice, looked after the younger children. On September 25, 1901 Margaret married John Smerdon, in Sydney. John Smerdon was also a publican and the time of their marriage he had the licence of the Hotel Victoria in Albert Park, which he held until September 1905; he then moved to the Greensborough Hotel, then the Duke of Wellington Hotel in Flinders Street and in April 1912 took the licence of the Cricket Club Hotel on the corner of Fitzroy and Princes Street in St Kilda. They were living there when he died November 12, 1914. (9)

The Cricket Club Hotel, St Kilda, c. 1870, as it would have looked when John and Margaret Smerdon lived there. 

It was built in the 1850s and replaced in the 1920s with a three storey building. (10)

Smerdons Hotel Fitzroy Street St. Kilda.

Harold Paynting Collection, State Library of Victoria. Image  H91.40/382

The next year in 1915,  Margaret married William Kerr Paterson. His address at the time was 48 Dalgety Street in St Kilda, barely a five minute stroll from the Cricket Club Hotel.  William was born in Ballarat in 1876 and it appears that the couple adopted the surname of Kerr-Paterson, from his middle name and surname, and that is how Margaret was frequently referred to in the newspapers.  By 1917, they had moved to Talbot, where he was the manager of the London Bank (later called the E.S & A. Bank) and in January 1920 he was transferred to the Koo Wee Rup branch. (11). 

In March 1928, as we know Margaret was elected to the CWA Victoria Executive and in March 1929 the Koo Wee Rup Branch was formed and she was elected President. (12). There are very few reports of the activities of the branch in the Koo Wee Rup Sun. The paper frequently announced that it welcomed reports of activities of various groups, so it appears that the CWA may not have supplied  reports. As  a matter of interest, in May 1931, Koo Wee Rup was reported to have 32 different organisations, which as the Sun reported, seems incredulous, given the size of the population. (13).

The very first newspaper report I can find of the branch was in the Weekly Times of  May 11, 1929 -

[CWA] Centres had been formed at Beaufort, Upper Beaconsfield, Bendigo, Broadford, Cranbourne, Crib Point, Corowa, Euroa, Flinders, Kallista, Koo-wee-rup, Macedon, Monbulk, Mortlake, Myrtleford, Rushworth, Sale, Terang, and Yarra. (14)

On August 23, 1929, Mrs Kerr-Paterson convened a meeting at Tooradin to establish a branch there. (15).  The next month the Weekly Times could report on a meeting of the Koo Wee Rup CWA - 

At the monthly meeting, on August 28, a discussion took place regarding the rest room. Mrs Patterson [sic] and Mrs Hewitt waited on the hall committee and obtained the use of the hall kitchen on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, from 2 till 5 o'clock. Members will take charge in turn. A stove, towels and other conveniences will be in the room for the use of visitors. The 500 tournament being very successful, it was decided to hold two more during September. A fancy dress ball is to be held on October 8 to raise funds. Members will do the catering in order to save expense. Mrs Benston is secretary and Mrs Hewitt assistant secretary. (16).

One of the major projects of the CWA was establishing rest rooms for women, when they visited town. Women came in off the farms, perhaps on a market day or their shopping day and they had  no toilet facilities and nowhere to feed their babies, so these rest rooms were a necessity. Of the women mentioned in the report, above, Mrs Hewitt was Vera Hewitt, the wife of Koo Wee Rup Doctor, Alan Hewitt and the mother of Dr Ian Hewitt, who between then served Koo Wee Rup from 1925 until 1995. Mrs Benston is Elizabeth Gray Benston, the wife of Peter, a farmer of Koo Wee Rup. (17)

In September some members of the Koo Wee Rup branch participated in the CWA Handicrafts Exhibition at the Melbourne Town Hall and in November 1929 the Weekly Times reported again on the branch - 

the CWA ball which was organised by members of the branch was a great success, and the proceeds will add considerably to the funds. On October 30 there were 22 members present at the meeting and all greatly appreciated the demonstrations on rug making and soft toys given by Mrs Colles and Miss McLean, of Upper Beaconsfield. Several new members were enrolled and more are expected shortly. The annual meeting was arranged for Thursday, November 14. Mrs C. Benston is the secretary. (18)

The first report of the CWA in the Koo Wee Rup Sun which I could find was in February 1930 when they noted that the branch had donated  a sack of potatoes and a case of groceries to the associations' holiday home at Black Rock. The next month, Mrs Kerr-Paterson chaired the meeting to establish a new branch at Clyde and in July, the CWA decided give prizes for the best garden and look at securing land for a 9-hole golf course and croquet lawn. (19)

Koo Wee Rup CWA

Koo Wee Rup Sun, July 10, 1930. p. 4

The most informative report of the activities of the  CWA was in the Koo Wee Rup Sun in August 1930 -

There was a large attendance of the Kooweerup branch of the Country Women's Association on Wednesday afternoon, the 30th ult.,held in the local Memorial Hall. Many members of other branches were present. Mrs W.K. Paterson presided. The hall was beautifully decorated with gum tips, heath and blue irises. Various games and competitions were held and created great merriment. Community singing was also indulged in, Mrs F. Potts rendering invaluable service by presiding at the piano. Miss Isobel Mills excellently gave two pianoforte solos.

Mrs Murray Waller, organising secretary, delivered a very educational lecture on the aims and objects of the association.  She emphasised that the organisation was non-political and 'non-sectarian'; that the chief purpose in view was to teach various handicraft which would be of service in their daily life. From the teaching imparted, many members have been able to take up various occupations, and she quoted many instances where success had been achieved. The association had done a lot of good samaritan work, but they must not look upon the organisation as a benevolent society.

Mrs Hardy  of "Glen Leith," Dalmore, presented Mrs Waller with  a magnificent bunch of violets. A dainty afternoon tea was provided by members.

Mrs Paterson in moving  a vote of thanks to Mrs Waller, referred to the happiness which suffused members at seeing so many present from other branches. The principal idea of the association was to learn something with the view of imparting it to others. Mrs G. Stevens, in seconding the motion, referred to the pleasure she felt at hearing Mrs Waller. She had on other occasions heard her lecture, and had derived much help and profit from same. Mrs J. Mickle, a former resident of Kooweerup, congratulated the local branch on the good work which it was carrying out.

Mrs Paterson responded, and alluded to the pleasure at seeing Mrs Mickle and others from distant parts present.  The success of the gathering, she said, was due to the secretary and all members, who worked unitedly together.  This afternoon (Thursday) an address on horticulture will be delivered at the meeting of the branch in the Memorial Hall, and a welcome is extended to everybody to attend. (20)

Other Koo Wee Rup CWA activities in 1930 and early 1931 included an upholstery demonstration and a raffia work demonstration; they also held a stall to assist the Deaf and Dumb Institution and there was this well-attended meeting in August 1930 when -

 A very enjoyable social afternoon was held by the Kooweerup branch of the Country Women's Association last Wednesday, in the Memorial Hall, Kooweerup. The hall was decorated in charming fashion with wattle, gum, violets and iris. The president, Mrs K. Paterson, and members of the committee welcomed 150 guests, including visitors from other country branches. The afternoon opened with community singing, and later the secretary of the C.W.A., Mrs. M. Waller, gave an address on the work of the association in all parts of the world. A delightful programme of games and competitions had been arranged. (21). 

On February 14, 1931, the ever busy, Mrs Kerr-Paterson attended the inaugural meeting of the Garfield Branch of the CWA. (22)

Prominent CWA members, Margaret Kerr-Paterson is standing second from left.

Prominent members of the Country Women's Association of Victoria, who attended

the exhibition and annual meeting recently. (Back row left to right)— Mesdames Black (Tarwin), Kerr-Paterson (Koo-wee-rup), Murray Black ( Tarwin), R. Balmer (Bendigo), K. Amos (Manangatang), and Webb (Wangaratta)

(Front row)— Mrs O Hicken (Shepparton). and Mrs R. G. Beggs (Beaufort)

Weekly Times, May 2, 1931 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article223333619

Then in the September 1931, the Kerr-Patersons left Koo Wee Rup for Dandenong, where William became an Estate Agent. (23). There were three farewell presentations. The first one, on September 9,  was hosted by the Ladies Guild at the Anglican Church. The Vicar, Reverend  Dodd, referred in excellent terms of the work Mrs Paterson had performed for the church. Mrs Dodd then presented Margaret with a suede motor car cushion, with initials worked thereon. (24).

On September 28, there was a community function at the Memorial Hall where the Kerr-Patersons were the special guests. The first presentation was from  Mr A. Eason, who on behalf  of the Bank employees presented William with an attache case and Margaret with a set of useful ornaments. Then Dr A. Hewitt, on behalf of the townspeople, euologised the guests for the manner in which they had interested themselves in practically every public movement. Cr G. Bowden, on behalf of the district farmers, paid a tribute to the sympathy and help which they had always received  from the guests....Mr. M. Bennett, M.L.A., said they were extremely sorry to lose such public-spirited citizens....they had been to the fore in all public functions and had endeavoured to advance the interests of the town and district. Mr Bennett presented William with a handsome writing desk, also a wallet of notes and Margaret was given a beautiful wristlet watch. (25)

A month later, on October 28, another function was held, this time by the Koo Wee Rup CWA. The new President, Mrs D. McCulloch, in eulogistical terms referred to the work performed by Mrs Paterson, and on behalf of the members presented her with an electric kettle. The  Cardinia CWA branch gave her an oak butter dish. (26). Mrs McCulloch, was Marion Minnie McCulloch, wife of David of Harewood Mains, Dalmore.  

The only reference in the newspapers to the Koo Wee Rup CWA after the reports of the departure of Margaret Kerr-Paterson was from September 1932, when members attended the third birthday party of the Tooradin CWA (27)  The branch may have continued, but I suspect that Margaret was the driving force the branch and it closed down not long after she left.  As we know, there were 32 organisations in Koo Wee Rup at the time, so the women had many other options for serving the community. However, on November 9, 1944, the Koo Wee Rup CWA was reformed and I have written about the first  meeting of this newly established group, here.

Margaret Kerr-Paterson continued her community service  in Dandenong - she was the inaugural President of the Dandenong CWA, which was formed in May 1933 and Convenor of the Women’s Voluntary National Register, who provided help for soldiers in camp or those enlisting at Dandenong,as well as aid to refugees in Europe (28). She was also involved with the Dandenong Red Cross Auxiliary, the Dandenong Hospital Appeal committee and was the Inaugural President of the Dandenong Public Hospital Auxiliary. The Dandenong Hospital opened in April 1942. (29)  

In recognition of the long connection with the Country Women's Association, Margaret was awarded Life membership in 1946. This is part of the Dandenong Journal report of the occasion- 

On Tuesday afternoon, December 10th, a very enjoyable time was spent in the Assembly Room when Mrs. Kerr-Paterson was the guest of members of different branches of the Country Women’s Association. Mrs. W Rogers, Group president of West Gippsland, received Mrs. Paterson, and as she entered the room members sang "For She’s A Jolly Good Fellow.” In welcoming the guest of honor Mrs. Rogers made her a presentation of a very lovely basket of pink roses, carnations and blue delphinium, and in a most sincere speech, spoke of the high esteem in which she is held,  and the great love all have for her. She then presented Mrs. Paterson with a life membership badge of the Association and in pinning it to her coat expressed the hope that she would wear it for many years to come. With it went the love and good wishes of members.

On recovering from her surprise, Mrs. Paterson thanked those members who had made the presentation possible and said that it was one of the proudest and happiest moments of her life. Continuing in reminiscent vein she referred to the beginning of the C.W.A. in Victoria, when she became the first Group president in Gippsland and travelled as far afield as Sale. She spoke of the high ideals of the C.W.A. and urged members to continue to work for the advancement of those ideals which aim to help and better the conditions of the country women. (30)

Margaret died on August 26, 1954, aged 83 and William died on April 7, 1961, aged 85. Margaret's obituary described her as a woman of fine character and  a sterling citizen and we can truly say that her efforts with the Country Women's Association made a positive and practical effect on the lives of many rural women. (31) [I need to add that even though this post was really about Margaret and the CWA, I was just amazed and excited to find that her father had won the Melbourne Cup; it was such a surprise discovery]

Trove list - I have created a list of articles connected to the Koo Wee Rup CWA and the life of Margaret Kerr-Paterson (nee Davis), access it here.

Footnotes

(1) Report of formation - The Argus, March 14, 1928, see here and here; The Age, March 15, 1928, see here.
(2) https://www.races.com.au/melbourne-cup/melbourne-cup-history/past-winners/1861-to-1870-melbourne-cup/ ; The Herald, September 9, 1909, see here.

(3) Application for Hotel licence - The Age, November 17, 1879, see here; Application refused  - The Herald, December 15, 1879, see here;  First mention of Palace Hotel I can find - Essendon and Flemington Chronicle, September 22, 1882, see here; Election to Council - Essendon Gazette, September 1, 1892, see here.

(4) Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and marriages.

(5) The Age, July 26, 1893, see here.

(6) Ibid

(7) Obituary - Essendon and Flemington Chronicle, January 5, 1894, see here;

(8) Short obituary - The Argus, May 15, 1897, see here. Will and Probate papers at Public Records Office of Victoria;  Hotel advertised for lease - The Argus, February 12, 1898, see here.

(9) Marriage notice - The Leader, October 5, 1901, see here; Hotel licences - see various  newspaper notices  in my Trove list, here ; Death notice - The Argus, November 14, 1914, see here.

(10) A history of the Hotel can be found here https://skhs.org.au/SKHShotels/Elephant.htm

(11) William's parents were John Paterson and Jane McConnochie. Addresses in St Kilda and Talbot - Electoral Rolls on Ancestry;  The Argus, January 27, 1920 see here.

(12) Date of the establishment of the Koo Wee Rup branch - Twenty-one years : a brief history of the  Association since it was formed in 1928, published by the Country Women's Association of Victoria in 1949. Available on-line at the State Library of Victoria http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/131587

(13) Koo Wee Rup Sun,  May 7 1931 p. 4

(14) Weekly Times, May 11, 1929, see here.

(15) Weekly Times, August 31, 1929, see here.

(16) Weekly Times, September 14, 1929, see here.

(17) Electoral Rolls on Ancestry; The Hewitts   https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2014/08/medical-matters-at-koo-wee-rup.html

(18) The Argus, September 21, 1929, see here;  Weekly Times, November 23, 1929, see here.

(19) Koo Wee Rup Sun, February 13, 1930 p. 4; Koo Wee Rup Sun, July 10, 1930. p. 4

(20) Koo Wee Rup Sun, August 7, 1930 p. 2

(21) See my Trove list, here,  for activities. Report of meeting is from The Age August 1, 1930, see here.

(22) I have written about the establishment of the Garfield CWA here   https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2023/09/garfield-country-womens-association.html

(23) Occupation from Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.

(24) Koo Wee Rup Sun, September 17, 1931 p. 1.

(25) Koo Wee Rup Sun, October 1, 1931 p. 1.

(26) Koo Wee Rup Sun, November 5, 1931 p. 1.

(27) Weekly Times, September 3, 1932, see here. There is nothing on Trove and I checked the Koo Wee Rup Suns (which are not on Trove)  from 1931, 1932,1933 and 1934 and could not find anything.

(28) The Age, May 26, 1933, see here; Dandenong Journal, June 5, 1940, see here;  Dandenong Journal, June 26, 1940, see here.

(29) Dandenong Journal, September 20, 1939, see here; Dandenong Journal, November 30, 1938, see here; Dandenong Journal, July 10 1940, see here

(30) Dandenong Journal, December 18, 1946, see here.

(30) Obituary - Dandenong Journal, September 1, 1954, see here; Margaret and William were both cremated at Springvale Crematorium.

Garfield Country Women's Association: a short history

This is a short, and  by no means complete, history of the Garfield Country Women's Association (CWA), as gleaned through newspaper reports from Trove.

In February 1931, Mrs Waller, the Secretary of the Country Women’s Association toured Gippsland where she attended the inaugural meetings of six new groups - Korumburra, Leongatha, Tarwin, Foster, Yarram and on Saturday, February 14, Garfield. The Age reported that at Garfield - Mrs. Howell was appointed president, Mesdames McCleod [sic], Robertson, Waugh and Daniel vice-presidents, and Mrs. Leask as secretary. (1) Mrs Kerr-Paterson, the President of the Koo Wee Rup branch, also attended this meeting at Garfield. Mrs Kerr-Paterson was one of the inaugural members of the Country Women’s Association of Victoria when it was formed on March 12, 1928. (2)

The CWA was established to speak and act for the country women and children.....the organisation will set itself the task of improving the conditions under which women and their families live in the country, promoting social contact, encouraging the study of affairs of local government which touch intimately the home life of the people, maintaining and improving educational facilities, and securing for the country districts adequate medical and hospital facilities. (3)

At the next meeting of the Garfield CWA, held on March 5 1931, Mrs Fraser, the State President, attended and spoke on what the other country women of the world are doing. At this meeting the tea hostesses were Mesdames McLeod, Howell, Parrish and Leask. (4). A later report in July 1931 listed Mrs Jennings as secretary. By March 1932, the group had 24 members. (5)

The Koo Wee Rup Sun of February 18, 1932 reported on the first anniversary of the Garfield branch -
C.W.A. Anniversary - On Thursday evening, the 11th instant, the local branch of the Country Women's Association held an evening to celebrate its first anniversary. It took the form of crazy whist, and modern and old-time dancing for those who did not play cards. A guessing competition was won by Mr Will Crouch. Miss Shaw won the ladies' prize and Mr Wade the gents at whist. During the evening Mrs Limmer sang, and Miss Elsie Shreeves recited, and Mrs Brennan supplied the music for the dancing. There was also a stall of articles which had been made for the local hospital effort, when good business was done and will result in helping along with the hospital funds. A dainty supper was provided by the C.W.A. members, which closed a very enjoyable evening. (6)

In 1933, the office bearers were Mrs W. Mortimer, president; Mrs. Nutting, secretary; Mrs. Nilsson, treasurer and Mesdames Tutton, Burleigh, Martin and Robertson vice-presidents.(7)  In December 1936, Mrs Patterson was elected as the President, with Mrs Wilson as Secretary and treasurer and Miss Williams, assistant Secretary. (8)

Before we look at some of the activities of the group we will look at who these early office-bearers women were, as much as I could discover through the Electoral Rolls.
Margaret Howell - wife of Stanley, the E.S. & A. Bank Manager at Garfield.
Lesley Vera McLeod - wife of Garfield doctor, Kenneth McLeod. I have written about Dr McLeod, here.
Mrs Robertson - possibly Florence Ada, wife of William, a farmer of Bunyip.
Clara Waugh - wife of William Waugh, school teacher. William Waugh left the Garfield school in 1933 after 15 years and a case of cutlery was presented to Mr. and Mrs. Waugh as a token of esteem from the residents of Garfield, whilst Mrs. Waugh was the recipient of a crystal necklet from the members of the C.W.A.(9).
Alice Minnie Daniel - wife of Frederick Daniel of Mikado Park, Garfield.
Jessie Leask - wife of  George, a farmer of 14 Mile Road, Garfield.
Eva Parish - wife of Alfred, orchardist of Garfield and mother of local historian, Bill Parish.
Ruby Jennings - wife of Garfield baker, Alexander.
Mrs W. Mortimer - possibly Jane Elizabeth Mortimer, wife of William, of Oaklands, Bald Hill Road, Nar Nar Goon.
Eunice Nutting - wife of Arthur, store-keeper. I have written about the Nutting family and their time at Catani, Garfield and Black Rock, here.
Eleanor Nilsson - wife of Percival, a farmer of Tynong. In 1940, she was Secretary of the CWA West Gippsland Group (10)
Agnes Tutton - wife of Leonard, a farmer of 13 Mile Road.
Isabella Stella Burleigh - wife of Andrew, farmer of Main Drain Road, Iona.
Mrs Martin - possibly Mabel Florence Martin of Garfield.
Enid Patterson - wife of Garfield Doctor, James Patterson, who had taken over Dr McLeod's practice in 1933. In 1940 she was elected president of the CWA West Gippsland Group (11). I have written about Dr Patterson, here.
Mrs Wilson and Miss Williams - not sure who they are.

There is a plaque near the War Memorial in Main Street, Garfield, honouring the foundation members of the CWA – one is the aforementioned Agnes Tutton and the other two are Kate Hourigan, whose husband Henry was a coach builder and Agnes Towt, wife of Ernest, a saw-miller.

Garfield C W A. members: Miss A. Dohertv, Mesdames L. Chappell, F. Rigg, L. Haigh,

N. Sturzaker (Treas.), C. Simcocks.

Weekly Times August 22, 1945 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/226563046

It appears that even though the CWA had as its focus the task of improving the lives of women and children in the country, this was a very broad purview. In August 1933, Garfield members attended a conference of the West Gippsland branches at Clyde. There was a broad range of motions passed at this conference - that the law regarding the wrapping of bread should be enforced; that obstructions at all dangerous crossings be removed, and that hedges be cut down 10 feet each way to safeguard the travelling public; that the Lands department be urged to use all possible vigilance in preventing the spoliation of fern-tree gullies in Gippsland. (12).

In February 1937, Garfield hosted the conference of the West Gippsland branches and over 200 women attended. There were two main issues discussed and I expected this one where - Dr. Younger Ross (13) gave a fine address on the work that is being done for the babies of Victoria, and stated that it was now possible to send a caravan fitted up for a nurse to travel to the outback parts of the State. (14)

I was, however, surprised by the following, about the destruction of forests - It was felt that as a Coronation gesture, we should plant trees. Mrs. Russell Grimwade’s fine letter in the “Argus” of February 6 (week-end section) was discussed. It is entitled, “Nature Takes Revenge,” and deals with the terrible after-effects of the ruthless destruction of forests. All over the world it has gone on for centuries, and still man has not learned the lesson taught. Before man came trees. After may come deserts. And disasters such as floods, silting dust, storms and erosion are awaiting us, in the very near future, unless the preservation of timber and forests is put into the charge of the Forestry Department, with its men of expert knowledge, instead of under the control of the Lands Department, as at present. Members are asked to read this letter at their next branch meetings. (15)

Garfield delegates at the Dalyston CWA conference - Mesdames F. Burleigh (v-p), 

F. Marsh (treas.), N. Bassed (pres.), W. Masters, S. Laity (sec.)

Weekly Times, March 5, 1952 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/224017025

In February 1949, Garfield again hosted the West Gippsland CWA conference, attended by 150 delegates. The Dandenong Journal reported that the Branches present were - Tynong, Tooradin, Pakenham, Officer, Nar Nar Goon, Narre Warren, Lang Lang, Kooweerup, Harkaway, Garfield, Dalyston, Dandenong, Clyde North, Clyde, Cardinia, Cranbourne, Berwick, and Beaconsfield and Catani. The Catani branch was established the year before and already had a membership of 21. (16)  As a matter of interest, Garfield's close neighbour, Bunyip also had a CWA branch, established around July 1936, however they were in the Central Gippsland group, which ran from Yallourn to Bunyip. (17)

Two of the motions passed at the 1949 conference, both aimed at improving the amenity and convenience of country life were -

Tynong: “That the present railway time-table be amended to allow the 6 p.m. train from Melbourne to stop at smaller stations, instead of running “express” to Warragul. It was pointed out that residents of the smaller towns were penalised in being compelled to catch the afternoon train, as it must shortened the time available for business in the city.
Nar Nar Goon: “That the Electricity Commission be asked to facilitate the installation of light and power especially in dairying districts.” It was stated that Nar Nar Goon was promised a service two years but they were still waiting. (18)

Naturally, many of the activities of the CWA were domestic in nature – one of the first activities of the Garfield branch in 1931 was to "adopt" a Mallee family of seven children and supply them with clothing; in 1935 the ladies were given a demonstration of the many uses to which sealing wax may be applied, and demonstrations of poker work (the craft of decorating wood by burning  a design with a hot metal point) and in 1937 members enjoyed a dressmaking demonstration given by Mrs Redpath. (19)

In December 1936, it was reported that through the efforts of the Country Women's Association the Infant Welfare centres at Garfield and Bunyip have been granted a whole day a week by the Government. Sister Mitchell of Warragul visits these centres on the days allotted. This was a major achievement for local mothers as they could obtain free and professional advice on caring for their babies. The CWA continued to support the Infant Welfare Centre over the years, by donating baby clothes and money. (20)

Amongst the other practical activities undertaken by the branch - in February 1939 they arranged a kitchen and pantry tea for three families who were burnt out in the Black Friday bushfires. The Garfield women would have had great sympathy for these bushfire victims as on April 15,1937 the branch lost all their possessions when the Garfield Hall was destroyed by fire. (21). 

At the 1946 Conference at Dandenong, the Garfield delegates put forward this practical motion -
“That the C.W.A., as one of its post-war schemes, edit its own Housekeeping Book, to contain sections for cooking suitable for beginners starting life in the country, hints on first-aid, school lunches and keeping of food, with a chart showing cuts of meat.” This resolution was moved by Garfield branch, which stressed the value of such a book to the young housewife new to the country, or the ex-service girl starting domestic life afresh. Tooradin branch seconded the motion. An amendment to postpone this motion until September to enable particulars as to cost, etc., to be obtained, was moved by Mrs. K. Paterson, seconded Mrs. Rogers (Cranbourne) and carried. (22)

The branch also organised Debutante balls - I have found a report of one in November 1938, where the debs were listed as Misses O. Perkins, J. Galway. J. Hicks, J. Perkins, M. McClure, M. Preston, V. Barnes, M. Dawes, and N. Preston. The only other Debutante ball I know about was  held in July 1957 as my aunt, Marion Rouse, was one of the debs; her partner was Frank Dineen. (23)

Garfield C.W.A. members: Mesdames H. Gibson, C. F. Gates, E. Watts, V. Maud, 

S. Laity (sec.), M. Marsh (treas., and sec. Infant Welfare Committee), C. Rowlerson, 

A. Bassed, (pres.), E. Cox, D. James, J. Lindsay, E. Parr, E. Sturzaker.

Weekly Times, June 18, 1952 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/224019418

The Garfield CWA was still going strong in the 1950s. Some of their members were among the 200 delegates at the September 1952 West Gippsland group conference at Dandenong. At this conference the following motion was passed, once again showing the broad range of interests and concerns the women had -

A resolution, moved by Tynong and seconded by Garfield was carried, relating to Cruelty of Dumb Animals, and requesting that Victorian laws relating to same be brought into line with those of the other States. (24)

When did the Garfield CWA cease? I know they were in existence in 1971, as I have a copy of a Bunyip and Garfield Express newspaper from November 1971 and at a report of the Annual General Meeting  the following office bearers were elected -  Mrs H. Marson, President; Mrs E. Kavanagh, Secretary; Mrs L. Kellaway,  Treasurer and the Vice Presidents were Mrs A. Dick, Mrs L. Kierce and Mrs V. Marsh. (25)

Report of the 1971 Annual General Meeting

Bunyip and Garfield Express, November 25, 1971, p. 1

The CWA Railway Garden and playground
In July 1937, in a practical activity to directly aid local families, the Garfield CWA was granted a block of land at Garfield for a children's playground and the planting of ornamental trees by the Railways Department. (26) The playground was opened in February 1938 by the CWA Group President, Mrs Gamble, who, after congratulating the branch on its progressiveness, cut the green and yellow ribbon and declared the park open. Mrs Gamble was presented with a beautiful bouquet by Marjorie Lawson, one of the children who will be enjoying the benefits of the new playground. (27)

In January 1940, the branch planted shrubs and seedlings, the gift of the Railway department, in the new portion of the C.W.A. garden. (28) The local Council was both unhelpful and helpful – in January 1940, the council was reluctantly compelled to refuse its request for a light in the Garfield Playground and Garden; however in November 1943, council agreed to clean up the garden and playground at Garfield. (29)

Sadly, the garden was associated with a tragic accident in October 1950. The Argus reported -
Found near line - A five-year-old boy, Geoffrey Roberts, of Garfield, died after he was found lying in a deep gutter at the side of the railway line at Garfield on Saturday. Police believe that he was struck by the Warragul-Melbourne train after wandering from the near-by playground onto the line. The driver of the train did not know of the accident. (30).

Perhaps in response to this accident, the Railways decided to enforce the original conditions of the use of the land and in March 1951, the Dandenong Journal reported - 
The Railway Department advised that it had been brought under notice that swings and a sandpit had been placed on land at Garfield leased by the Department to council for beautification purposes. This was contrary to the terms of the lease. In August, 1946, the Commissioners had refused to permit council to establish a children’s playground on the land in question. It was requested that the swings and sandpit be removed as early as practicable. Councillors agreed that the equipment would have to be shifted and the Garfield Progress Association is to be contacted about the matter. (31) The playground had been  removed by October 1951 (32)

Trove list - I have created a list of articles on Trove on the activities of the Garfield branch of the Country Women's Association,  access it here.

Footnotes
(1) The Age, February17, 1931, see here.
(2) The Argus, March 14, 1928,  see here and here; Mrs Kerr-Paterson, born Margaret McAlpin Davis, she married William Kerr-Paterson in 1915; her first husband John Smerdon had died in 1914.  In the 1926 Electoral Roll he was the manager of the London Bank at Koo Wee Rup, in 1931 he was listed as an Estate Agent at Dandenong. Margaret died in Dandenong in 1954, aged 83. You can read her obituary in the Dandenong Journal of September 1, 1954, here.
(3) The Age, March 15, 1928, see here.
(4) Weekly Times, March 14, 1931, see here; Weekly Times, March 21, 1931, see here;

(5) The Argus, July 11, 1931, see here; Weekly Times, March 5, 1932, see here.

(6) Koo Wee Rup Sun, February 18, 1932, p. 4
(7) The Age, November 29, 1933, see here.
(8) The Age, December 5, 1936, see here.
(9) Horsham Times, January 20 1933, see here.

(10) Dandenong Journal, November 27, 1940, see here.
(11) Dandenong Journal, February 14, 1940, see here. Dandenong Journal, November 27, 1940, see here.
(12) The Age, August 11, 1933, see here.

(13) Dr Henrietta Younger Ross (1887-1956), read her Australian Dictionary of Biography entry here https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ross-isabella-henrietta-younger-isie-8272
(14) Dandenong Journal, February 25, 1937, see here.
(15) Ibid
(16) Dandenong Journal, February 23, 1949,  see here.
(17) The Age, July 7, 1936, see here; The Argus, March 12, 1949, see here.
(18) Dandenong Journal, February 23, 1949,  see here.
(19) The Age, June 2, 1931, see here; Dandenong Journal, March 21 1935, see here; Weekly Times, April 24, 1937, see here.
(20) The Argus, December 18, 1936, see here; The Age, December 28, 1937, see here;  The Age, December 21, 1938, see here. Weekly Times, May 4, 1940, see here. Local Infant Welfare Centres  https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2022/10/baby-health-care-centres.html
(21) The Age, February 2, 1939, see here; Weekly Times, April 24, 1937, see here; I have written about the Garfield Hall, here https://kooweerupswamphistory.blogspot.com/2014/06/garfield-public-hall.html

(22) Dandenong Journal, March 6, 1946, see here.
(23) The Age, November 4, 1938, see here.

(24) The Dandenong Journal, September 10, 1952, see here.
(25) Bunyip and Garfield Express, November 25, 1971, p. 1
(26) The Argus, July 22, 1937, see here.
(27) Dandenong Journal, February 23, 1938, see here.
(28) The Age, January 10, 1940, see here.
(29) Dandenong Journal, January 24, 1940 see here; Dandenong Journal, November 24, 1943, see here.
(30) The Argus, October 9, 1950, see here.
(31) Dandenong Journal, March 28, 1951, see here.
(32) Dandenong Journal, October 24, 1951, see here.