The Lion Statues of Berwick and Middle Park

There are a pair of Lion statues, near the War Memorial in the centre of High Street in Berwick, which had previously graced the gates of Brentwood, Berwick and Como, 181 Beaconsfield Parade, Middle Park.

Brentwood homestead, Berwick, June 22 1968. 

The recumbent lions are now in High Street, Berwick.

Photographer: John T. Collins. 

State Library of Victoria image  H2010.1/469

In July 2009 Jim Mynard wrote an article in the Pakenham Gazette about the Lions, which is transcribed here  - 

Lions with Pride by Jim Mynard
Berwick’s lions could be worth many thousands of dollars. I received a call from Mrs Janice Digby-Beste who lives in Queensland and has a close connection with and fond memories of the lions. Her family brought the pair of lions from New Zealand to take pride of place in front of their home at 181 Beaconsfield Parade, Middle Park.

Mrs Digby-Beste said her husband John’s great grandmother, Ellen Trestrail, paid £5000 to have them made in New Zealand during the 1880s. She then had them shipped to Melbourne.

She said they were carved from a New Zealand stone but wasn’t sure of which stone and said the lions were originally coloured yellow.

Berwick RSL historian Noel Sealy, who made inquiries with contacts in New Zealand, said they believed the stone would be oamaru. He said the oamaru stone was a yellow colour. We are making inquiries through Monash University about having the stone identified.

Mrs Digby-Beste said the statues were painted white after being moved to Berwick. “The lions were at our family home, 181 Beaconsfield Parade, Middle Park, until 1961. My mother and father-in-law then bought a home at Glen Iris and the lions were placed at the new house,” she said. They were the pride of the family.

Mrs Digby-Beste said her mother and father-in-law went shopping one day and a gentleman called at the house with a truck and crane when her mother-in-law’s elderly mother, Gertrude Trestrail was home alone.

“He offered her £100 for the lion statues. She had no idea of their value so took the money,” she said. She did not get a name from the man and the family had no way of recovering the statues.

The lions were later placed at the gates of Brentwood Farm on Clyde Road, Berwick by the then owner Mr Bowden, CBE, who is reported to have paid $400 for the treasures. He possibly bought them from the person who first acquired them from Mrs Trestrail.

Mrs Digby-Beste said she saw the lions at the property during a visit to her sister many years later and the next she knew of them was when they turned up at the Berwick Cenotaph.

“They are not concrete. Television personality Graham Kennedy once asked to buy them.”

“When they were at Middle Park children will come from the beach to sit on them and photographed. I still have a photo of my daughter, Elizabeth Smith, sitting on one of the statues taken when she was two,” she said.

I asked if the family expected to have the lions returned. Mrs Digby-Beste said they now had a good home and it was better to leave them in Berwick. “I think it would be nice to have a plaque made to tell of their history,” she said. (1)

The photo supplied by  Mrs Digby-Beste of her daughter sitting on a Lion 

at 181 Beaconsfield Parade.

Pakenham Gazette, July 22, 2009, p. 22

There is one small error in this article as the owner of Brentwood was Henry Wells Rowden, C.B.E., not Bowden. Brentwood had been owned since 1946 by Colonel C.M. Thomas. It was Colonel Thomas, who named the property Brentwood, it had previously been called Kippenross.  Cecil Mervyn Thomas died on July 29, 1963, but a few months earlier he had placed Brentwood, on 193 acres, up for sale to be auctioned on September 27, 1962. (2)

Auction advertisement for Brentwood, 1962

The Age, August 18, 1962, p. 7, from newspapers.com

The Pakenham Gazette reported on October 5, 1962 that the property was passed in at £72,000. It was subsequently sold at an advance of that figure to a City business man (3)  The City business man was Henry Rowden, who received his C.B.E. in 1972 for services to business, government and finance. (4).  I am not actually sure what Mr Rowden's business interests were. So it is indeed likely that it was Mr Rowden who originally purchased the Lions from man who purchased them from Mrs Trestrail, and then had them installed at the front gate of Brentwood.

Brentwood, Berwick. The double line of trees,  in the centre of the photo, are the driveway 

which goes to Clyde Road.

Labelled as: Berwick eastern side of Clyde rd bw O'Shea and  Centre pre 1988. 

City of Berwick photographer, Casey Cardinia Libraries Archive

In the mid to late 1970s the Brentwood Housing Estate commenced. Originally I thought this was on land that was part of the Brentwood land, but north of the homestead, but now I am unsure and they possibly just used the name.  The first stage of the Brentwood Housing Estate was north of Centre Road and included Bemersyde Drive, Cheviot Avenue and Greenlaw Court. This stage appeared in the 1977 Melway Street Directory, but the first land sale advertisements that I can find appeared in 1978 and 1979 (see below).

However, in March 1980 the Brentwood farm, including the homestead was auctioned, sub-divided into eight blocks which ranged in size from just less than a hectare to 44 hectares  (see advertisement below.) The land area was about 158 hectares or 390 acres, a much larger parcel of land than Brentwood had when it was sold in 1962. Did Henry Rowden still own Brentwood when it was sold in 1980? I am, once again, unsure; the 1977 and 1980  Electoral Roll list him and his wife, Mary, as living in Buderim in Queensland, but he may have had a manager on the property. (5) 

The Brentwood homestead, built around 1903, was demolished in 1998. There is a short history of the property at footnote (6). 

Brentwood Housing Estate

The Age, January 14, 1978, p. 44, from newspapers.com

Brentwood Housing Estate

The Age, November 10 1979, p. 50 from newspapers.com

The sale of the Brentwood property in 1980.

The Age, February 27, 1980, p. 25 from newspapers.com

The Lions were moved to High Street from Brentwood sometime around 1975, as they are shown in the photo below, dated June 1975.  They were originally located further from the War Memorial than they are today and they were moved closer possibly in the late 1980s. (7) You can see ten photos of  what I believe is this re-installation of the Lions, below. 

This is High Street Berwick, dated June 1975 and you can see the Lions near the War Memorial, but not as close as they are today. (8)

City of Berwick photographer, Casey Cardinia Libraries Archive

Berwick War Memorial, High Street, June 1986. 

You can see one of the Lions to the left of the Memorial; it was later moved closer to the Cenotaph.

City of Berwick photographer, Casey Cardinia Libraries Archive

Back to Mrs  Ellen Trestrail, who commissioned the statues of the Lions. Ellen died August 13, 1921, at 166 Victoria Street in North Melbourne, aged 77 years. Her death notices noted she was the daughter of Harriet Hutchinson, wife of the late John Trestrail, the adopted mother of Mrs Violet Foote, of Queensland and Albert and Gertrude Trestrail. (9)

Sadly, her will was the subject of a Supreme Court challenge and The Age provides this interesting picture of Mrs Trestrial and a summary of the case -

Blind Women's Will. Adopted Son V Companion. Mrs Trestrail's Estate.

Further evidence was given before Mr. Justice Mann yesterday in the disputed will of Elizabeth Trestrail, of Victoria-street, North Melbourne. The old lady was well known in the Albert Park and

Middle Park districts, where for some years she lived at "Como," a handsome brick villa, in Beaconsfield-parade, adjoining The Elms, and facing the sea. Although blind she was fond of artistic furniture, and her home abounded in oils and water-color pictures, fancy work cushions, and fine rugs and carpets. 

Having no children of her own, she adopted a son and a daughter. She died on 13th August, 1921, at the age of 77, leaving about £7000 worth of real estate. In a will made in March, 1921, she bequethed £2500 to the Methodist Central Mission for the erection of a gospel hall; an annuity of £2 a week to Jemima Pratt, her companion; some pictures to her adopted son, Albert John Trestrail, and the balance of her estate to the Methodist Central Mission. In a codicil executed two months later, the old lady obliterated her bequests to the Central Mission, reduced Jemima Pratt's annuity from £2 to £1 a week, and left the residue of her estate to her adopted son. The adopted (married) daughter, who was mentioned in earlier wills, dropped out of the later wills. Alleging that the codicil was not executed by the testatrix, that she was not of testamentary capacity, that she had no knowledge of the contents of the codicil, and that undue influence had been used by the adopted son and by his wife, Jemima Pratt lodged a caveat against the will. (10)

Jemina Pratt was not successful in challenge, as The Argus reported the grounds of the caveat failed and the codicil will be admitted to probate. (11)

The only photo I can find of 181 Beaconsfield Parade, the original location of the Lion statues.

Photographer: Centre for Urban Action, taken c. 1970-1974,

State Library of Victoria image CUASM 224/4-6, image 8.

This is a series of Polaroid Instant photographs which show the reinstallation of the Lions from what I believe was their original location in High Street, Berwick to positions closer to the War Memorial, in the late 1980s. The photos are not of great quality, but they are interesting from an historic point of view and for showing the logistics of the installation. 

The relocation of the Lions in High Street, Berwick, late 1980s.

City of Berwick photographer, Casey Cardinia Libraries Archive

The relocation of the Lions in High Street, Berwick, late 1980s.

City of Berwick photographer, Casey Cardinia Libraries Archive

The relocation of the Lions in High Street, Berwick, late 1980s.

City of Berwick photographer, Casey Cardinia Libraries Archive

The relocation of the Lions in High Street, Berwick, late 1980s.

City of Berwick photographer, Casey Cardinia Libraries Archive

The relocation of the Lions in High Street, Berwick, late 1980s.

City of Berwick photographer, Casey Cardinia Libraries Archive

The relocation of the Lions in High Street, Berwick, late 1980s.

City of Berwick photographer, Casey Cardinia Libraries Archive

The relocation of the Lions in High Street, Berwick, late 1980s.

City of Berwick photographer, Casey Cardinia Libraries Archive

The relocation of the Lions in High Street, Berwick, late 1980s.

City of Berwick photographer, Casey Cardinia Libraries Archive

The relocation of the Lions in High Street, Berwick, late 1980s.

City of Berwick photographer, Casey Cardinia Libraries Archive

The relocation of the Lions in High Street, Berwick, late 1980s.

City of Berwick photographer, Casey Cardinia Libraries Archive

The historic Lion statues are an interesting part of the history of Berwick and Middle Park, and a monument to Mrs Ellen Trestrail and her artistic personality.

Footnotes

(1) Pakenham Gazette, July 22, 2009, p. 22

(2) Colonel Thomas ownership and change of name to Brentwood from Heritage of the City of Berwick: Identifying and caring for important places, prepared by Context Pty Ltd, 1993, pp. 190-193. Death notice - The Age, August 1, 1963, p. 16.

(3) Pakenham Gazette, October 5, 1962, p. 11

(4) Mr Rowden's C.B.E. - https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/45679/supplement/6289/data.pdf

(5) Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com. Henry Rowden died July 25, 1982, aged 74.

(6) Date of construction from Heritage of the City of Berwick (see Footnote 2). Date of demolition - 

The Pakenham Gazette of May 6, 1998 published a letter from Elsie Hoare of Berwick about the Davy family who lived at Kippenross, later renamed Brentwood, property in Clyde Road and the establishment of the Berwick Presbyterian Girls School in 1920. The letter is about an interesting part of Berwick's history. It is transcribed here -
I wonder if you would be interested in the following story. In recent months it must have been obvious to anyone driving along Clyde Road in Berwick that the land behind the great cypress pine trees at No. 121 is being cut up for development. Unfortunately the lovely old weatherboard home, built around the turn of the century and known as Brentwood is to be demolished and another little piece of Berwick's history will slip away unnoticed.

Tucked away at the end of its long driveway, Brentwood is not visible from the road and has largely escaped attention, although the adjacent housing estate has been called by the same name. In 1912, however, the property at 121 Clyde Road was called Kippenross - distinct from Kippenross House which is part of St Margaret's complex, and was occupied by the Davy family newly arrived from drought stricken Balranald in New South Wales.

Humphry Davy, a distant relative of Sir Humphry Davy, inventor of the miner's lamp, his wife Mercy and their nine children looked forward to the opportunities offered by Berwick's greener pastures and soon settled into their new life here. While the Davy boys, Humphry junior, Cyril and Arthur began the task of planting the many trees that still line the property and driveway today, Humphry senior set about stocking his paddocks with sheep with the intention of building up a sheep station like Glen Dee, the station the family had left behind in Baranald and which is still in operation today. As Berwick had no public hall, Humphry Davy planned to build one and had plans drawn up in readiness.

However the winter that year was one of the wettest on record and within ten short months before Humphry could put his plans info action he fell victim of pneumonia from which he did not recover. 
Left to carry on, Mercy Davy was naturally anxious to keep her young family about her and while the younger children were still being taught by the governess who had come down from Balranald with them, Mercy began plans for their secondary education.

With her boys established as borders at Brighton Grammar School it seemed logical for the two youngest girls Myrtle and Cynthia, to follow their oldest sister (also named Mercy and later to become Mrs Charles Greaves) to board at Presbyterian Ladies College, then in East Melbourne. However Mrs Davy was reluctant to send any more of her girls away. It was time Berwick had a college for young ladies, and a branch of PLC would be very suitable. With this object in mind Mercy Davy canvassed other mothers in the area to discuss the idea and in due course a founding committee was formed with Mrs Davy one of the six mothers.

As a result of their efforts, in 1920 the Berwick Branch of the Presbyterian Ladies College, named Presbyterian Girls School, was opened, on the site where St Margaret's now stands. Mrs Myrtle Martyn (nee Davy) second youngest of the Davy girls and now 95 years old, is still living in Berwick and remembers well being one of the first 'day girls' to attend one of Berwick's brand new girls schools. Although no formal recognition has ever been made of the Davy name, Mrs Martyn is justly proud of her mother's part in the school's beginning.

Mrs Martyn is saddened to know that her childhood home must yield to the demands of progress. In its grander days Kippenross/Brentwood supported servant's quarters and a workmen's dining room as well as the usual quota of stables and out buildings. The interior of the house, with its timber panelling and marble fireplaces with carved overmantles was a fine example of its type and it is ironic to note that while the genuine article is being demolished, the federation style has never been more popular, with copies in various sizes popping up wherever new estates are being established.

(7) Date of relocation of the Lions closer to the War Memorial - I have really just guessed it was the late 1980s. As the June 1986 photo of the War Memorial shows, they had not been relocated then. 

(8)  I had posted this photo on the Casey Cardinia Heritage Facebook page, and had looked at it many times, but had not noticed the Lions before until Paul Poulton pointed them out to me in a comment he left. 

(9) There were five death notices for Mrs Trestrail in The Age, August 16, 1921, see here.

(10) The Age, August 18, 1922, see here.

(11) The Argus, August 23, 1922, see here.

Acknowledgement - This is an updated and expanded version of a post, which I wrote and researched in 2015, that originally appeared on my work blog, Casey Cardinia Links to our Past.