The mystery of the Stanford Fountain bluestone seats

In 1872, a fountain was erected near Parliament House in Spring Street in Melbourne. It is in a reserve which had been severed from the Parliamentary Reserve in 1863 as a site for the Burke and Wills statue, and is bounded by Spring Street, Macarthur Street and Carpentaria Place. Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills and their exploration party were the first explorers to cross the continent from south to north, leaving Melbourne on August 20, 1860 and reaching the Gulf of Carpentaria on February 9, 1861 - hence the name of Carpentaria Place. As we all know, they never made it back. A statue, by Charles Summers (1825 - 1878), was made to honour the men and erected, not in the reserve, but on the corner of Russell and Collins Street in April 1865.

This 1872 engraving shows the four bluestone seats, an integral part of the fountain design. There are some sources that say there were originally eight seats, I have addressed that issue further down.

Fountain designed and executed by William Stanford. Artist: Albert Charles Cooke. Engraver: Winston

Published in The Illustrated Australian News February 29, 1872.

State Library of Victoria Image IAN29/02/72/56

The fountain erected around May 1872 was of  bluestone and was created by William Stanford, who was a prisoner at Pentridge at the time. It had been at Pentridge, since it was completed, around September 1871.   The Illustrated Australian News of February 29, 1872 reported on the fountain and also had the illustration of it, above - This work has been designed and executed by Mr. William Stanford, who, for the last seventeen and a half years, has been an inmate of the penal establishment, having been therein immured from the early age of fifteen. It is, therefore, unnecessary to add that he is not merely self-taught in the usual acceptation of the term, but it is an actual fact that he literally never saw a work of art, worthy of the name, previous to his recent liberation from his long captivity. You can read the full article here and more of his life story in his obituary, here.  There are many reports of his life in various newspapers - they differ a bit  -  so here's one version - Stanford had been sentenced in 1853, when he was 15 (some reports say he was 13) for being involved in bushranging, then released and was caught stealing horses, so returned to gaol, but was pardoned by the Government  after he created the fountain and opened a monumental yard in Prahran. One article says that it is not surprising that William Stanford's talent was recognised by prison authorities and others. He was given lessons by Charles Summers (born in 1825), the first artist to practise sculpture in Melbourne, and creator of the Burke and Wills statue. (The Age, March 19, 1949) This makes it rather fitting that Stanford's fountain was located in the space designed for the Burke and Wills statue.

How great is this photo? It is titled, Fountain in the Parliament Reserve, Melbourne.  It is from the State Library of New South Wales collection and is dated c. 1872 -  c.1878,  so not long after the fountain was erected in Spring Street and you can see three of the bluestone seats that originally surrounded the fountain.

Views of Victoria and N.S.W., ca. 1872-1878 - photographic album, Bequeathed by D. S. Mitchell, 1907. State Library of New South Wales Image FL1059770   http://archival.sl.nsw.gov.au/Details/archive/110318895

On January 5, 1933 there was an article in The Herald (read it here) with the headline Mystery of the Missing Fountain Seats - 8 tons of basalt vanishes. The author, B.M.G. writes -
The graceful fountain carved by the prisoner Stanford was originally designed to be surrounded by four seats, each carved in bluestone in a decorative design conforming with the general scheme of the fountain. The seats were part of the whole; the fountain is incomplete without them. Stanford carried out the work on the four seats as part of his conception. They were completed and placed in position in the small open reserve in front of the Old Treasury buildings. They were there for many years, each separated from the coping of the fountain by a few feet. They were certainly in position in 1907.  Between that year and 1924 they had disappeared into thin air— a matter of six or eight tons of solid basalt. Nobody saw them being removed and nobody knows what became of them.

The next day The Herald had a follow up article - Officials of the Public Works Department are unable to throw any light on the mystery of the four stone seats which have been missing for years from around the fountain in the reserve beside the Old Treasury Building. The Public Works Department attends to the reserve.

The day after, on January 7, The Herald published this photograph with the head line There's no doubt the seats were there! But the Mystery remains unsolved.  Some of the article reads - The  mystery of the disappearance of four ponderous seats from the fountain between Parliament House and the Old Treasury Building has not been solved, but the accompanying photograph should remove any possible doubt that they really were there in years gone by.

The  Stanford Fountain photo published in The Herald on January 7, 1933 proving that the seats did exist.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article243190614

This article from January 7 mentions interviews with some 'older public servants' regarding the seats - Like the Secretary for Lands (Mr Fricke), many of the older public servants remember the seats distinctly. But they cannot fix the time when they last saw them any more definitely than that it was "many years ago." They stated that about 30 years ago, when the seats were in their position around the fountain, the garden was fenced. Later the fence was removed, and the lay-out of the garden was changed. It was possible that the rearrangement of the garden was carried out when the present King, as Duke of York, visited Australia. But they could not be certain of this.

The improvement of most of the gardens around the Treasury and Parliamentary buildings was carried out under the supervision of the late Mr Carlo Catani, who was then Chief Engineer for Public Works. The early records of this department might reveal some trace of the seats, but so far no examination of them has been made.

A Letter to the Editor on January 11, 1933  from Mr E. Wilson Dobbs of Caulfield, confirms they weren't there in 1927 and they are also not in a photograph published in Isaac Selby's "Memorial History of Melbourne" which was published in 1924.

In the end The Herald could offer no solution to the mystery of the bluestone seats. As  a matter of interest, one report (Weekly Times, May 4, 1872) says that the seats were in fact to have been pedestals for the reception of marble statues, but the Government refused to supply so expensive a material. How grand would that have been?

You can see one of the bluestone seats (or pedestals)  on the right. Beautiful photo, it's a shame the photographer is unknown, so we can't give them credit.

Stanford Fountain, 1910. 

Harold Paynting collection, State Library of Victoria Image H2009.60/52

I have included this photo as I have a crop of it below - it shows General Gordon's statue, with the Stanford Fountain, behind on the left - showing only four bluestone seats.

Spring St. from the Treasury steps Melbourne, c. 1891 - c. 1897. Photographer: J.W. Lindt

State Library of Victoria Image H2009.48/23

Was the fountain surrounded by four bluestone seats or eight bluestone seats? The Victorian Heritage Database entry on Gordon Reserve says that there was originally eight seats, but doesn't list any sources (read the report, here) The 1872 illustration looks like it had an octagonal base and according to The Illustrated Australian News of February 29, 1872  there were also eight drinking fountains, which form the principal ornaments of the lower basin: these are zinc castings of a complex character, consisting of eagles standing on shells, in the act of seizing lizards. So were there eight seats to match the eight eagles, which were cast by the talented Mr Stanford? If so, why do people only remember there being four seats in 1933? Had four already disappeared, pre-1907 when The Herald states the four seats were certainly in position? I find this unlikely, I believe there were only ever four seats, not eight. The photo from the 1870s, Fountain in the Parliament Reserve, Melbourne, only shows three seats, the fourth being obscured by the fountain; the photo from the 1890s - Spring St. from the Treasury steps (above, and with cropped version below) - clearly only shows four seats. Happy to be proven wrong, but where is the evidence that there were originally eight seats?

This photo from the 1890s, clearly shows only four bluestone seats surrounding the fountain, and I believe there were only ever four seats, not eight. See the original photo on the State Library of Victoria website, here.

Cropped  version of - Spring St. from the Treasury steps Melbourne, c. 1891 - c. 1897. Photographer: J.W. Lindt

State Library of Victoria Image H2009.48/23

Gordon Reserve was formally named in 1961. It also has also a statue by Hamo Thornycroft (erected in 1889) of Major-General Charles Gordon who died at Khartoum in 1885 and a statue of the poet Adam Lindsay Gordon erected in 1932. This statue was done by Paul Montford, who also did the Carlo Catani bust at the foot of the Clock tower in the Catani Gardens in St Kilda. You can read Montford's entry in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, here. The poet's statue replaced the Eight Hours Day Memorial that was erected in 1890 and then moved to its current location intersection of Russell and Victoria Streets.  This information, and the information at the top of the post about the severance of the reserve for the Burke and Wills statue comes from Melbourne's Historic Public Gardens: a management and conservation guide by Rex Swanson. (City of Melbourne, 1984.)

The Victorian Heritage Database also lists two other items of significance in Gordon Reserve - a series The women's underground public toilet is one of a group of eleven such facilities built by the City of Melbourne between 1902 and 1939. Underground toilets were then thought to be more discreet than street level toilets, as they were out of direct public view. This group is now unique in Australia.  The other feature are the Canary Palms - The five Canary Island date palm trees that can now be found at the site were planted in the early 20th Century when the plantings were rationalised and the link fences were installed that delineate the site and cordon off the General Gordon Memorial. This coincides with the time that Carlo Catani worked on the Treasury Gardens (see here) and he was an advocate of palm trees, so it is possible that they were planted under his direction. The Victorian Heritage Database citation can be found, here.

This is the fountain taken in 1949. Photographer: Colin Caldwell.

State Library of Victoria Image  H84.276/1/4C

Trove list - I have created a short list of articles on Trove, on the missing seats and the Sandford fountain, you can access it here. All the articles referenced here are on the list.

I originally posted this on my Carlo Catani blog, http://carlocatani.blogspot.com, but there is only a very tenuous connection to Carlo, the post is a  better fit on this blog.

Dr Clemente Malouf, the Bishop of Cæsarea Philippi, visits his relatives in Victoria

In 1928, Dr Clemente Malouf, visited Australia. He was the Bishop of Cæsarea Philippi, but also called the Bishop of Syria. Dr Malouf was in Australia to attend the International Eucharistic Congress held in Sydney from September 6th to 9th. This was the first time this Catholic Congress was held in Australia and celebrations started with the consecration of St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney. Bishops, Archbishops, Monsignors and Priests attended from all over the world and the event was considered to be a great success for the Catholic Church and it also had pleasing support from other Christian churches and other faiths - 
New South Wales Premier Thomas Bavin, a devout Protestant, spoke from the pulpit of St Mary's Cathedral during the official opening ceremony – an unprecedented occurrence. Later, a garden party held at Government House to celebrate the Congress and to honour Cardinal Cerretti, Australia's first papal legate, was attended by the Anglican Archbishop, John Wright, the Prime Minister, Stanley Bruce, and the leader of the New South Wales Jewish community, Rabbi Francis Lyon Cohen (1). The Congress ended with a procession through the streets of Sydney, watched by a crowd estimated to be 500,000 (2). 

After the Congress, the Papal Legate, Cardinal Ceretti, and many of the Congress delegates visited Melbourne. They stayed at various Presbyteries throughout Melbourne;  Dr Malouf was billeted at St Georges, Rathdowne Street in Carlton (3). The Argus reported that on Sunday, October 7, the Right Rev. Dr. Malouf, Bishop of Mt. Lebanon (Syria), will celebrate Pontifical High Mass in the Syro-Chaldaic rite at St. George's, Rathdown street, Carlton, on Sunday, at 11 o'clock. Members of the Syrian community are specially invited to attend (4). 

There were other reports in the newspapers about Dr Malouf - he was 66 years old and had studied at the University in Beirut (5). He resides at Banias, a little village on a pleasing site, 990 feet above the sea-level at the foot of Mount Hermon. In the diocese there are 4000 Catholics and twenty priests (6).  He had a great personality, and is loved by all who have had the pleasure of his acquaintance (7).  The Bishop was also found to have  a charming, graceful personality (a notable characteristic of the Syrian race) (8). During his time in Australia, Dr Malouf was accompanied by Father Nicholas Caba, who acted as an interpreter and a Secretary. Father Caba, is sometime erroneously listed in newspaper reports as Father Nicholas. (9).

Bishop Clemente Malouf

The Advocate, August 30, 1928 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/171651637

Dr Malouf took the opportunity of visiting his relatives whilst he was in Victoria. The first visit was to Crib Point on October 13th and 14th,  where he visited his cousin, Charles Malouf, who owned a store in the town, Charles was married to Mary and they had one son, also called Charles who was married to Nazela (10).  As a matter of interest, Charles and Nazela were married in 1916 at St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne; they then held a reception at the bride's parents house in Carlton and then another reception at the Crib Point Hall for 300 people, as the newspaper report said - the parents of the bridegroom gave a cordial invitation to everyone (11). 

The Catholic Press of Sydney published an account of his visit to Crib Point -
After the close of the Eucharistic Congress, the Right Rev. Dr. Clement Malouf, Bishop of South Lebanon, Syria, visited the Syrian colonists in Victoria. Dr. Malouf was accompanied by Rev. Father Nicholas, of Sydney, and was the guest of his cousin, Mr. Chas. Malouf, at his residence at Crib Point, during the week-end. A reception was given in his honour on Saturday afternoon and evening by Mr. Malouf, at his home, at which Catholics from the surrounding district were presented to him. His Lordship, assisted by Father Nicholas, and attended by Mr. Jim Bachous (as acolyte) celebrated High Mass in the Syrian rite at 10.30 a.m., at Hastings, a town five miles away. Dr. Malouf preached the sermon in the Arabic language, which was interpreted by Mr. Boyd, of Ballarat. The subject of his discourse was the two great Commandments given to man by God: Thou shalt love the Lord, &c, and thy neighbour as thyself.

The Bishop presided at luncheon to a hundred visitors at Mr. Malouf 's home. An address of welcome, on behalf of the English-speaking section of the gathering, was read to the Bishop. The good wishes contained in it were conveyed to the recipient by Mr. Boyd, who also interpreted Dr. Malouf 's reply. A very fine musical programme was given by the Syrian community, which was much enjoyed by the large gathering. His Lordship, who had duties in Melbourne, was given a rousing send-off. The thanks of the Catholic residents are due to the Malouf family, in particular, and the Syrians in general, for their lavish hospitality, and for the opportunity given of meeting their distinguished co-religionist, whose charming, graceful personality (a notable characteristic of the Syrian race) won the hearts of all whose good fortune it was to meet him. The Bishop was delighted at the arrangements made for his comfort, and has promised to pay another visit to his friends in Crib Point before returning to his homeland. Dr. Malouf was motored to various points of interest, and was shown over the Naval Training Depot by Rev. Father O 'Callaghan, chaplain, R.A.N. (12). 

Visit of Bishop Malouf to Crib Point to see his cousin Charles and his family, 1928

State Library of Victoria Image H92.250/1196

Mary Malouf, died June 5, 1939 and her short obituary in The Argus noted - Many friends on the Mornington Peninsula learned with regret of the death of Mrs. Mary Malouf, wife of Mr. Charles Malouf, sen., at her home at Crib Point. She was born in Mount Lebanon, and she arrived in Melbourne with her husband in October, 1890. They had lived in Crib Point for 27 years, first establishing a business in the part of the township known as the Settlement, and later, after the occupation of Flinders Naval Depot, near the Crib Point railway station. There is one son, Mr. Charles Malouf, Jun. (13). Her husband, Charles, died December 11, 1942; they are buried at the Crib Point Cemetery (14). 

From October 19th to 22nd, Bishop Malouf was at Maffra, visiting his cousins, Henry and James Malouf, who are listed in the Electoral Roll as grocers. Also listed in the Electoral Roll for 1928 was an Amelia Malouf, who was, I believe Henry's wife. On the Sunday in Maffra, it was reported in the The Advocate that Bishop Malouf celebrated Solemn High Mass at Maffra, in the presence of an overflowing congregation. The Mass was according to the Greek-Melchite rite, and liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. After vespers in the evening his Lordship held a levee at the presbytery, and large numbers of parishioners were presented to the distinguished visitors by Very Rev. Fr. Curran, P.P., who is fluent in the Arabic language. (15). 

We are also fortunate that we have another report of the Bishop's time in Maffra - from 12 year-old, Mary O'Brien, who wrote about the occasion in a letter published in The Advocate, the Catholic newspaper. The letter was addressed to Kango, who edited the Children's Corner column in the paper - 

Dear Kango,—Some time ago Bishop Malouf visited Maffra. He arrived here on a Friday and on the Sunday celebrated High Mass before a very big congregation. The Mass was beautiful; it was sung all through to the end. After Mass Bishop Malouf gave a sermon in his own language, which afterwards was interpreted into English by Mr. Boyd, of Ballarat. After Mass Bishop Malouf received an address of welcome from the community of Maffra and district. The following day being Monday, Bishop Malouf visited the school, where he received a hearty welcome from the children. After announcing that we should have a holiday he passed out amidst much cheering. Shortly after visiting the school he went to Melbourne. We will always remember Bishop Malouf's visit to Maffra. Well, Kango, I will close.—I remain, yours sincerely, Mary O'Brien. (16). 

  

Bishop Malouf at St Mary's Catholic Church in Maffra 

His Eminence, Bishop Malouf, supported by Father Nicholas and the Rev. Father Curran (Parish Priest) 

at St. Marys R.C. Church, Maffra.

Weekly Times, November 24, 1928 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/223180647

The Malouf Brothers had purchased the Maffra store in 1926, and were obviously still in town in 1928 when the Bishop visited, but by the 1931 Electoral Roll, Henry and Amelia were listed at Murchison Street in Carlton. (17). 

On Saturday, October 27, Bishop Malouf visited another cousin as the Herald reported -
Dr. Clement Malouf, Bishop of Syria, who came to Australia to attend the Eucharistic Congress, was the guest on Saturday evening of Mr Joseph Malouf, a cousin, at Heidelberg road,  Clifton Hill, when a dinner was given to him prior to his departure for Sydney. Among the large gathering present were Mr Perry, of the English Speaking Union; Mr C. Ramia, who represented the Syrian community in Melbourne; and Father Nicholas, Bishop Malouf's secretary (18). 

On Monday, October 29 Bishop Malouf went off to Mansfield, to visit more cousins, this time Michael Malouf, who with his wife Emily conducted a cafe and greengrocery business in the town (19).  The Age had a short report of the visit -
Bishop Malouf, of Syria, who was a central figure at the eucharistic Congress in Sydney, arrived at Mansfield on Monday night. He is on a visit to his cousin, Mr M. Malouf, who is in business in Mansfield. He was entertained at a dinner on Monday night, and celebrated mass at the Roman 

Catholic church on Tuesday morning. Bishop Malouf is accompanied by Father Nicholaus, the head of the Syrian church in Sydney. The Malouf family has had a bishop of the name in the Syrian church for several hundred years. Bishop Malouf will leave for Albury on Thursday. (20)

Michael Malouf, died May 27, 1947 at Mansfield, aged 63; his death notice lists that he was the father of Pauline, Marjory, Mavis, Kevin, Patsy and Valerie. Emily died in 1972, aged 77 (21).

Bishop Malouf returned to Sydney after his visit to Victoria, where he stayed with his brother. In April 1929, he laid the foundation stone for St Clements Church in Brisbane, the first Syrian Church in Queensland. Dr Malouf, died at the age of 82 in 1941, in Syria (22). 

Trove list - I have  created a list of articles connected to Bishop Malouf's visit to Australia, access it here.

Footnotes
(1) Frappell, Samantha International Eucharistic Congress 1928 from The Dictionary of Sydney  https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/international_eucharistic_congress_1928
(2) Ibid
(3) The Advocate, September 27, 1928, see here. The article has a full list, interesting as it shows how many Churches and Presbyteries there were in Melbourne at the time.

(4) The Argus, October 6, 1928, see here.

(5) The Age, October 17, 1928, see here.

(6) The Advocate, August 30, 1928, see here.

(7) Frankston and Somerville Standard, October 19, 1928, see here.

(8) The Catholic Press, October 18, 1928, see here.

(9) Father Nicholas Caba died at the age of 44 in 1932. Read his obituary in the Catholic Freeman's Journal of November 17, 1932, here.

(10) Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com

(11) Wedding report in the Mornington Standard, February 12, 1916, see here.

(12) Catholic Press, October 18, 1928, see here.

(13) The Argus, June 9, 1939, see here.

(14) Frankston Standard, December 18, 1942, see here.

(15) The Advocate, October 25, 1928, see here.

(16) The Advocate, November 22, 1928, see here.

(17) There is a report in the Gippsland Times of October 28, 1926, see here, which says Mr H. Malouf recently purchased the grocery business. Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com

(18) The Herald, October 29, 1928, see here.

(19) Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com list Michael's occupation as greengrocer, but an article in The Age of December 5, 1931, see here, about an attempted arson attack on his property, describes him as a cafe and fruit proprietor. 

(20) The Age, October 31, 1928, see here.

(21) Death notice in The Argus, May 28, 1947, see here. Emily's death date from the Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages.

(22) Freeman's Journal of December 6, 1928, see here, has an interview with Bishop Malouf, who was staying with his brother at Rose Bay. Foundation Stone at St Clements - Southern Cross, April 5, 1929, see here. Short obituary of Bishop Malouf in The Advocate of August 28, 1941, see here.