Bembridge State School, No. 4557

This is a history of the Bembridge State School, No 4557. The information, unless otherwise footnoted, comes from the two Bembridge School Building files at the Public Records Office of Victoria - VPRS 795/P0000, 4557 (1936-1956 and 1960-1961) and two files of images - VPRS 10516/P0003, Bembridge State School and VPRS 14514/P0001, Bembridge Primary School. This is a companion piece to a post I have written about the general history of Bembridge, which you can read here.

On September 15, 1936 J. McAllister of Bungower Road, Somerville wrote to the Minister of Education -
Sir,
We the undersigned parents, through our representative (Mr J. E. Kirton, M.L.A.) desire to place before you a request for a school to be built in the district wherein we reside. Many of the children named in the attached list have to walk or be conveyed over 4 miles to the Somerville School. None of the children reside within 3 miles of that school.

We are prepared to provide a block of land in a suitable position for a school. We therefore pray that favourable consideration be given to this request.
Yours respectfully.
J. McAllister.

The letter from Mr McAllister, September 1936

Public Records Office of Victoria - VPRS 795/P0000, 4557

These are the names and ages from the list provided by Mr McAllister. The information in the square brackets after the names comes from information I found on the Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com.
Jean Coghlan, age 7
Lawrence Coghlan, age 6
James Coghlan, age 6
Dulcie Coghlan, age 3½

Five miles from nearest school. J. Coghlan. [James Coghlan, Somerville. Farmer. Wife: Marguerite Madeline Elizabeth Coghlan]

Joan E. McAllister, age 10 Nov 2nd 1935
Keith W. McAllister,  age 8 May 17th, 1936

4 miles nearest school. J. McAllister. [John James Duncan McAllister, Somerville. Labourer]

Gwendoline M. Roach, age 11 Oct 1935

Margaret A. Roach, age 9, Aug 1936

Lyall L. Roach, age 7, March 1936

Elizabeth M. Roach, age 2, Feb 1936

4 miles nearest school. Lyall L. Roach. [Lyall Linwood Roach,  Somerville. Farmer]

Donald R. Dixon, age 7, July 1936
Kathleen J. Dixon, age 5, August 1936

Shirley D. Dixon, born 18 June 1936.

4 miles nearest school. R.J. Dixon. [Reginald John Dixon, Almond  Grove, Somerville. Farmer]

James A. Bradley, age 7, 24 Jan 1936

Laurence Bradley, age 9, 23 Jan 1936

4 miles nearest school. Harriet May Bradley. [Harriett May Bradley, Bungower Road, Somerville. Home Duties]

Joyce Eicke, age 14, Aug 1936

Wilma Eicke, age 6, Nov 1936

3½ nearest school. E. Eicke. 

Hazel Christy, age 8 March 1936

Tasman Henry Christy, age 6, Sep 1936

2½ nearest school. H. Christy. [Henry Christy, Somerville. Labourer]

Verna Unthank, age 10, Feb 7 1936

Marshall Unthank, age 4, July 19, 1936

3½ nearest school. Thos Unthank. [Thomas Unthank.,Somerville. Orchardist]

Edward Victor, 22 months, Oct 1935

3½ miles. W.J. Victor. [William James Victor, Tyabb. Orchardist]

Graeme Triggs, age 3½, Jan 19 1936

3 miles. W. Triggs. [William Henry Triggs, Tyabb. Orchardist]

Leonie Rye,  age 9 years. May 25 1936

3½ miles. C. Rye. [Ernest Charles George Rye, Cranbourne Road, Tyabb. Orchardist]

Lilian E. Barber, 10 years Jan 16, 1936

George W. Barber,  8 years, Oct 4, 1936

Georgina Barber, 6 years Aug 22, 1936

Isabel Ann Cowell, 2 years Apr 2, 1936.

Nearest school 5 miles.  Lilian Cowell.

Application for a School at Bembridge, September 1936

Public Records Office of Victoria - VPRS 795/P0000, 4557

A few weeks later on September 29, 1936, the official application (reproduced above) for the establishment of a State School was completed by John McAllister. It lists the students who would attend the school, if established. All the children listed above are on this official application, as well as the following four children - 

F. N. Gregory 8/5/32. Distance from nearest school 2¾ miles.

Amy Harding 2/9/1932

Lesley Harding 14/6/1936

Distance from nearest school 2½ miles.

Vera Spizzo 2/6/35. Distance from nearest school 3 miles.

On October 20, 1936 Mr K.K. Leinonen of Tooradin Road, Somerville offered a 1½ acres site "as a free gift for the purpose of erecting a state school building" - part of allotments 32 and 33, on the triangle of land formed by Tooradin -Tyabb Road and Whitneys Road. The donor was Kalle Kustas Leinonen, a carpenter, born in Finland and who had arrived in Melbourne in 1914;  he was naturalised in 1921. (1)

Mr Lienonen's donation, November 1936

Public Records Office of Victoria - VPRS 795/P0000, 4557

Also around this time a list of potential teacher accommodation was supplied - Mrs Sullivan, 20 yards away; Mr Perrotte ¼ mile away;  and  Mr Unthank 1½ miles.  As well, it was suggested that the school be named Bembridge or East Somerville.

Potential accommodation for a teacher, undated but c. October 1936

Public Records Office of Victoria - VPRS 795/P0000, 4557

On November 14, 1936, Mr Rowe, the District Inspector recommended the School be established. This good news was reported in December 1936, in the Frankston and Somerville Standard -
The efforts to have a school established in Bungower road, SomerviIle, by parents whose children have to travel a great distance to attend the Somerville State School have been brought to a successful issue by Mr. A. J. Kirton, M.L.A., who has received the following letter from the Education Department:
With reference to your representations on behalf of Mr. J. McAllister, Bungower road, Somerville, and to previous correspondence, I have to inform you, that the Department has decided to establish a school at Bembridge near Somerville. Steps are being taken to obtain the site recommended by the District Inspector and the Public Works Department has been asked, to furnish an estimate of the cost of erecting a school building on the land. When this information is supplied the matter will have further attention. (2)

Another letter from McAllister regarding the School, March 1937

Public Records Office of Victoria - VPRS 795/P0000, 4557

However by March 15, 1937, as we can see by the letter above, there was still no school in Bembridge and in the June the Bembridge Progress Association  (3) took matters into their own hands and found some suitable rooms on a property owned by the Roach family. The rooms were described as 19 ft long by 14 ft 6 inches wide and 11 feet high; 12 feet by 9 feet and the third room 9 ft by 7ft. Also available was a 2000 gallon corrugated iron water tank; a toilet and a verandah over the back door.

Letter from Mr Rolfe, on behalf of the Progress Association, regarding a temporary school, June 1937

Public Records Office of Victoria - VPRS 795/P0000, 4557

This offer was approved by the Education Department and on July 6, 1937 -  Charles Wingfield Roach, Lyall Lynwood Roach and Charles Wingfield Roach, jnr. accepted the Department's offer but they reserved the right to use the rooms for meetings, social evenings etc as at present which will not interfere with the school work, but will help the district. The Education Department would provide the furniture of the school as well as another toilet (or out-office as they were called). 

Information regarding the lease of the temporary school, July 1937

Public Records Office of Victoria - VPRS 795/P0000, 4557

Location of the temporary school site, the permanent school site and the Hall. 

Read more about the hall and the mail run, here. 

Click on image to enlarge. Image: The Way We Were by Leila Shaw (4)

All seemed promising, but months later a teacher still had not been appointed and on September 14, 1937, Mr Roach, on behalf of the Bembridge Progress Association wrote the following letter to the Education Department, outlining the lack of progress.

Dear Sir,
We wish to bring before your notice the long delay that had occurred in opening the temporary school at Bembridge. Our Assn at its last meeting reviewed the position and found it most unsatisfactory, as follows:-
15 May - Rooms offered as temporary school
2 June - As requested sent measurements of rooms etc
6 July - Accepted rent offer by Dept. £12 p.a
12 July - Lease signed by left undated
23 July - Extra out office supplied by Dept
28 July - Inspector of Public Works Dept called
2 Sept  - Desks, blackboards etc placed in rooms ready.

Four months have gone by and the members cannot understand the cause of the series of long delays that have occurred and ask that the matter be treated as urgent.

A letter outlining the lack of progress of the school, September 1937

Public Records Office of Victoria - VPRS 795/P0000, 4557

Vision and Realisation (5) the history of the Education Department, notes the school finally opened on October 1, 1937, however the teacher wasn't appointed until the November (6) so possibly the school was opened towards the end of 1937. 

Opening of the Bembridge School, 1937

Image: The Way We Were by Leila Shaw (4)

The teacher appointed was Clement Joseph Greenwood, born October 21, 1912. His first appointment was a  Junior Teacher in January 1929 at Eaglehawk North. He was only at Bembridge for a year and at the end of 1938 was appointed to Spring Road, Malvern State School; and after a number of other appointments in January 1942 was appointed to Rushworth. He resigned from the Education Department on February 2, 1943 to join the Royal Australian Air Force. (6)  In August 1944 he was promoted to the rank of  Flying Officer and in October he moved to No. 463 Squadron, and was with that unit when he was killed on the 22nd December 1944, during air operations in Lincolnshire. (7)

Flying Officer Greenwood, the first teacher at Bembridge State School

The Herald, December 30, 1944 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article246009264

The Bembridge community still hoped for a permanent school, however in December 1937, Mr Moore, a Department Inspector decided that the block donated by Mr Leoninen was unsuitable as it was low lying, so a new site was purchased by the parents, a quarter of a  mile from the Leoninen site. It was of  1½ acres on Tyabb Tooradin Road, and purchased from James Sullivan for £10. Mr  Leinonen's land was returned to him.

Receipt from James Sullivan for his block of land for the school, December 1937

Public Records Office of Victoria - VPRS 795/P0000, 4557

Location of School as marked on the Parish Plan

Public Records Office of Victoria - VPRS 795/P0000, 4557

In April 1938 tenders were advertised for the new school on the new site at Bembridge (8).

Tender advertisement for the new school, April 1938

Dandenong Journal, April 27, 1938  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article201303675

By July, the Frankston and Somerville Standard could report that the school was in the course of erection. (9)  On August 2, 1939 Mr Greenwood asked the Education Department for permission to engage a truck to transfer school property and furniture from a leased building to the new building, approx a quarter mile distant. By August 26 the boys 'out office' was removed from the leased school to the new school, and Mr Greenwood complained to the Department that for the previous two week 12 girls and 11 boys had to share the one toilet, and it was most inconvenient.  The school community moved into the new building on September 6, 1938.

Photos of Bembridge State School, undated.  

Click on image to enlarge.

You can see four of the individual photos at the end of this post (before the footnotes).

Public Records Office of Victoria VPRS 10516/P0003, Bembridge State School  

Mary Clifford took over as the Head Teacher at Bembridge after Mr Greenwood left, I presume at the start of 1939.  Mary had been born April 15, 1914, and appears to have had a number of short term appointments before Bembridge. She resigned from the Education Department March 8, 1941 and I have no other information about her. (10)  During her time a shelter shed was erected at the cost of £19 10 shillings, of which the Education Department would pay £9/15, and the school community had to pay the rest, as well as engage the contractor. 

Bembridge School Committee - Robert Storey, James McAllister, Ralph Colwell, Thomas Unthank (President) and Mrs Alice Roach (Secretary). 

Image: The Way We Were by Leila Shaw (4)

In June 1939, the Frankston Standard reported on Empire Day activities at Bembridge  - Twenty-seven adults were present at the Bembridge State School on May 19, when Empire Day celebrations and a bazaar were held. The children sang Empire songs and formed a pageant. During the celebrations the school committee presented a new flag to the school. The bazaar, organised in conjunction with the Junior Red Cross, raised £3/1/2. The amount will be sent to the Children's Hospital. A memorable day closed with afternoon. (11)

Bembridge School, 1939

Image: The Way We Were by Leila Shaw (4)

Mary Clifford left at some unknown time and a Miss Conole appears in the 1939 photo, above, this is possibly Grace Eliza Conole. (12)  However, in July 1939, Miss  Edna  May Fitzgerald, was in charge.  Edna was born August 6, 1917, and in common with Mary Clifford had also held a number of temporary positions within the Department; she resigned from the Department on November 22, 1942, due to her marriage to James Lemmon. (13) One of Edna's first duties was to write to the Education Department about the water tank, as the overflow was too high and it leaked onto the porch and flooded it.

Interestingly enough, the 1939 photograph, above, shows 19 children at the School but three years later in February 1942 there were only five students attending the school. This sharp and fast decline in numbers confirms Education Department District Inspector Bacon's description of the area -  this is not  a very "stable" area.   In the February of 1942,  Head Teacher D. M. Tyzack (14) wrote a three page letter to District Inspector Bacon of  the Department with a list of the children, their dates of birth and distance from school -

Lyall Roach March 8, 1929 2¼ miles  
James Bradley January 24, 1929 3 miles
Marshall Unthank July 19, 1932
Betty Roach February 28, 1934 2¼ miles
Bonny Spizzo June 1935

The children were in Grades 8, 6, 4, 3 and one.

D. M. Tyzack's report to District Inspector Bacon, March 1942

Public Records Office of Victoria - VPRS 795/P0000, 4557

D. M. Tyzack's report to District Inspector Bacon, March 1942

Public Records Office of Victoria - VPRS 795/P0000, 4557

D. M. Tyzack's report to District Inspector Bacon, March 1942

Public Records Office of Victoria - VPRS 795/P0000, 4557

In response to the Tyzack report, on February 11, 1942 District Inspector Bacon wrote in his report that due to the small number of pupils and the fact that no accommodation for the teacher could be found within four miles of the school the teacher has been withdrawn owing to boarding difficulties and has been placed elsewhere. Recommendation that the school be formally closed.

On July 14, 1943 Mr C. Roach wrote to the Department asking for the school to be re-opened on September 1 as they had eight eligible children who could attend - Mrs Felmington - 3, Mrs Peterson - 2, Mrs Roach, Mrs Spizzo and Mrs Unthank - one child each. There were also other children in the area who were underage, but could attend in a few years - Mrs De Bernardi - 2, Mrs King 3, Mrs Walker and Mrs Bradley who had three children who boarded with her. All the parents, wrote Mr Roach, are most anxious that the school reopen  at once, because of  the eight children ready, only three are attending school. 

A week later, Mr Roach, filled out an official form listing all the children who could attend the school, and their date of birth and distance from school.

Marshall Thomas Unthank 19/7/1932  1½ miles.

Elizabeth Mary Roach 28/2/1934 ¼ mile

Bonnie Vera Spizzo 1935 1 mile

James Patrick Walker  9/10/1930 2 miles

Raymond Michael Walker 26/7/1932 2 miles

Rosemary Thornell  22/8/1937 2 miles

Elizabeth Mary Petersen  15/5/1936 2 miles

Robert Nelson Petersen  1/9/1938 2 miles

James Edward Felmingham  26/8/1934 1 mile

David Ronald Felmingham  21/6/1936 1 mile

Alice Marie Felmingham 6/8/1938 1 mile

There were also four children who could attend school in the future

Ivan Albert Thornell 16/7/1939 2 miles

John Bremner De Bernardi 19/1/1939 1½ miles

Georgina Barker  22/8/1931 1¼ miles

Isabel Cowell  2/4/1934 1¼ miles

There was a question on the form regarding whether board was available for a female head teacher and the answer was Yes, - Mrs Skerry, half a mile from the school.

Mr Roach's application to have the school re-opened, July 1943

Public Records Office of Victoria - VPRS 795/P0000, 4557

On September 24, 1943, Mr Roach wrote to Mr Kirton, his local M.L.A on importance of school to the district.
Dear Sir,
Last July we made application for the reopening of the Bembridge State School No 4557. Time is running on and the school is still closed and the parents are very disappointed. Some say that if the school does not reopen they will have to leave the district and others are quite sure that with the school reopened more people will come to our district. It's an old saying, no school, no progress or prospects for the family man. Bembridge is an isolated district not served by rail or motor bus service, and with petrol and other restrictions some of the residents are without transport and are unable to take their children to other schools which are too far away, and walking is out of the question. We appeal to you, sir, to think of the children's future and what education, or lack of it will mean to them in later life, and to help us to have the school reopened at the earliest possible date.
Yours truly
C.W. Roach.

Mr Roach's letter stressing the importance of the need for a school in Bembridge, September 1943

Public Records Office of Victoria - VPRS 795/P0000, 4557

The Bembridge community was successful and on September 27, Mr Bacon D.I recommended that the school reopen and that he understands that a married woman now employed temporarily by the Department, lives within a reasonable distance...she could manage this school, if available. 

On September 29, 1943 it was announced that "a teacher will be appointed as soon as practicable" The school did reopen, but I don't have the exact date. The School file at PROV provides some statistics of the enrolments over the next four years - 
October 1944 - Average attendance 10, net Enrolment 13
February 1945 - Average attendance 9, net enrolment 14
February 1946 - Average attendance 5, net enrolment 9 - 4 boys, five girls.

April 1947 - Enrolment was 9 -  4 girls, 5 boys.

Undated photograph of Bembridge State School pupils

Public Records Office of Victoria VPRS 14514/P0001, Bembridge Primary School

By March 1946, the school committee wrote to the Education Department about the need for the school to be repainted; they had asked requested this also in September 1944 and mentioned that the school has a neglected appearance externally. A year later  (1947) they complained again about a continual stream of water coming through the ceiling  and flooding the porch. In December 1948 the Department could report that General repairs and external painting had been completed.

Some of the teachers during this time were Zoe Barbara McRobert, she was there April 1950; and D. MacKenzie, who was there in April 1951 (15). It appears that the teachers did not stay for long at Bembridge. In August 1952, Stanley John Spencer transferred  to the Bembridge school (16)  and less than a year later in June 1953,  Stanley was transferred to Frankston East and the Education Department ruled that owing to the small enrolment of seven pupils  it will not be possible to appoint  a successor  at once. This effectively closed the  Bembridge School.  

Bembridge School is unstaffed, June 1953

Public Records Office of Victoria - VPRS 795/P0000, 4557

As a matter of interest, in Vision and Realisation it states that in 1953 the departure of a family of seven so depleted the dwindling attendance that the school closed.  (17)  I don't believe this is correct, that a family of seven attended the school at this time. In March 1955 District Inspector Walker wrote a report about the Bembridge School and stated that there seems to be no likelihood of the building be required for school purposes, in its present position. He also wrote that two of the last students had transferred to Pearcedale, two to Somerville and three had left the area. If they had all come from the same family, as noted in Vision & Realisation, then you would expect that they would all would have moved on to the same school.

Bembridge School no longer required, March 1955

Public Records Office of Victoria - VPRS 795/P0000, 4557

District Inspector Walker's report also recommended that the buildings - the school room, shelter shed and lavatories -  be shifted to Baxter, No. 3023 as their enrolment was increasing.  This was done by March 1956; in July 1961, the Bembridge School site reservation was officially revoked and the school site was sold by the  Education Department. 

Bembridge School site officially revoked.

Public Records Office of Victoria - VPRS 795/P0000, 4557

So this was the end of the Bembridge State School and even though it was short-lived, we need to recognise the years of  hard work the local community put into establishing and maintaining the school for the education of their children.

Bembridge State School, undated. 

Public Records Office of Victoria VPRS 10516/P0003, Bembridge State School  

Bembridge State School, undated. 

Public Records Office of Victoria VPRS 10516/P0003, Bembridge State School  

Bembridge State School, undated. 

Public Records Office of Victoria VPRS 10516/P0003, Bembridge State School  

Bembridge State School, undated. 

Public Records Office of Victoria VPRS 10516/P0003, Bembridge State School  

This post on the history of Bembridge State School is a companion piece to a post I have written about the general history of Bembridge, which you can read here.

Trove list - I have created a list of articles from Trove, on Bembridge. Access it here. 

Footnotes

(1) Kalle Kustas Leinonen - Naturalisation record - National Archives of Australia   https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=39954

(2) Frankston and Somerville Standard, December 4, 1936, see here.

(3) Bembridge Progress Association, I have written about this group here.

(4) Shaw, Lelia The way we were: adventures, feats and experiences of pioneering families of the Mornington Peninsula (Somerville, Tyabb & District Heritage Society, 1998), p. 191.

(5) Vision and Realisation: a centenary history of State Education in Victoria, edited by L.J. Blake.  (Education Department of Victoria, 1973), v. 3, p. 475. This is the entry from Vision and Realisation for Bembridge (even though, I don't believe it is all correct)

Bembridge School opened on 1st of October 1937 in three rooms on Roach's farm, which the Department rented for £1 a month. During the stay of HT Mary Clifford the Department purchased 1½  acres of land from James Sullivan for a token payment of £10, and commenced building a new school. HT Greenwood established  the new school in October 1938. At the outbreak of war, this young man enlisted in the RAAF, and was killed in action over Germany. In 1953 the departure of a family of seven so depleted the dwindling attendance that the school closed. Two years later, the Bembridge school room was moved to Baxter No. 3023.

(6) I found out about Clement Greenwood's military service from Vision and Realisation (see footnote 5). Clement Joseph Greenwood - Public Records Office of Victoria Teacher Record Books, VPRS 13579/P0001 https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/3DA1AA46-F7E4-11E9-AE98-2958C879CFD5?image=290

(7) Education Department, Victoria War Service Record, 1939-1945. (Education Department, 1959), p. 35.

(8) Dandenong Journal, April 27, 1938, see here.   

(9) Frankston and Somerville Standard, July 8, 1938, see here. 

(10) Mary Clifford - Public Records Office of Victoria, Teacher Record Books, VPRS 13579/P0001 https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/3DAAD20D-F7E4-11E9-AE98-A7A45B914C07?image=23

(11) Frankston Standard, June 2, 1939, see here.

(12) Grace Conole - Public Records Office of Victoria, Teacher Record Books, VPRS 13579/P0001    https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/3D91F3CA-F7E4-11E9-AE98-077F27427057?image=473

(13) Edna Fitzgerald - Public Records Office of Victoria, Teacher Record Books, VPRS 13579/P0001 https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/3DAC319E-F7E4-11E9-AE98-D93307599BA2?image=235

(14) D. M. Tyzack - no other information, as does not have  a file at Public Records Office of Victoria Teacher Record Books

(15) Zoe McRobert and D. MacKenzie - do not have  a file at Public Records Office of Victoria, Teacher Record Books. 

(16) The Argus, August 5, 1952, see here.  

(17) Vision and Realisation: a centenary history of State Education in Victoria, op. cit., v. 3, p. 475.

Bembridge - a short history

This post is a short history of the Bembridge area and is a companion post to my history of the Bembridge State School, No. 4557, which operated from 1937 until 1953. You can read this here. 

Before we start, the name Bembridge comes from the Old English and means place lying this side of the bridge (1)

This map, based on the Tyabb Parish Plan, was drawn by Leila Shaw and appears in her book The Way We Were. (2) You can see the location of Bembridge, formerly The Saltmans, top right.         

The Saltmans

The area was originally known as The Saltmans, presumably due to its low-lying situation,  and the earliest references I can find to it are in connections to bushfires in the 1890s. 

The Argus in February 1895 reported - The plains known as Saltman's, which adjoin Westernport Bay, have been blazing for days past, and the thermometer has varied from 98deg. to 102deg. for the last four days. The place is enveloped in smoke, and news is still coming to hand of further destruction by a fire which is now raging towards Langwarrin. (3)

The Saltman's on fire

The Argus, February 15, 1895 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9345976

Three years later in February 1898, The Argus had this report - 

On Sunday, another fire was raging on the "Saltman's" Plains, which is a reserve of several thousand acres bordering the Westernport Bay, and kept the beaters busy to stop it from running into the properties of Messrs. Batchellor, Pike, Morrison, and McKirdy. Nearly the whole of the Langwarrin Estate is burnt, and there is hardly any of the "Saltman's" unconsumed. (4)

Another fire occurred in January 1905, as reported by the Mornington Standard - 

Several large fires have broken out in this district during the past week. A large portion of the Saltman's Plains, extending to the Westernport beach, has been burned. (5)

The area, possibly Crown land,  was leased as a whole and in November 1902, Mr E. A. Sage placed this public notice in the Mornington Standard - 

All Stock running on Saltman's Plains, Tyabb, will be impounded from this date. E. A. SAGE, Lessee. (6) This is, I presume, Edward Arthur Sage, listed in the 1903 Electoral Rolls as a butcher from Somerville. 

The term, The Saltmans was still in use to describe the area in the 1930s  - for instance in a report of yet another fire in 1932 - 

Bush Fires - Several fires broke out on Saturday last. In two cases homes were endangered at The Saltmans, a dozen neighbors had difficulty in keeping the fire at a safe distance from the home of Mr. Beglehole. (7)

In 1934 we learn of young John Nash's accident -

While playing in a paddock near his parents' residence, John Nash, the four-year-old son of Mr and Mrs S. Nash, of The Saltmans, was kicked on the head by a horse. He received a compound fracture of the skull. After examination at Somerville he was removed to the Children's Hospital. (8)

However, by 1936 when there was agitation for the School, newspaper reports always referred to the area as Bembridge -  with this exception in December 1936 when the Frankston and Somerville Standard reported on the new school thusly - The news that the Education department has decided to build a school at Bembridge, usually known locally as "The Saltmans," has intense satisfaction to resident that quarter. (9)

Detail of Plan of the agricultural area of Tyabb, 1865. 

Click on image to enlarge. 

The Saltmans is top right, in the vicinity of Tyabb Water Holes

Office of Lands and Survey, Photo-lithographed by J. Noone.

State Library of Victoria http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/166429

Bembridge Estate at The Saltmans

In January 1906 the following advertisement appeared in various newspapers for the new Bembridge Estate which was, as a later advert noted,  A rare chance for you to get a farm of your own (10). Bembridge Estate - We have just received instructions to sell this wonderfully well situated land, in blocks from 10 to 50 Acres: price £5 per acre. £1 per acre deposit, balance to suit. See this immediately, as it is specially good. Birtchnell Bros. & Porter,  82 Swanston-st. (11)

Bembridge Estate

Weekly Times, January 13, 1906 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article225183421

Sales may well have slowed down two months later when yet another fire swept through the area -

The Saltman's Plains, about 2000 acres bordering Westernport Bay, took fire, and the flames spread with great rapidity, crossing into Mr. Miller's property. A large quantity of fencing was burned, and the orchard, which was laid out in English fashion, was destroyed. Some of the out-buildings were also burned. On Monday the property owned by the executors of the late Wm. Craig, adjoining the Saltman's, was severely damaged by the fire, the house and fencing being burned. (12)

Whether or not the land at the Bembridge Estate was a suitable purchase for farmers was a matter for debate.  In April 1907 the Somerville Fruit-growers', Horticultural, and Agricultural Association, invited Dr Cherry, of the Agricultural Department to inspect the land and give a lecture to the locals as to the result of his inspection (13). The Weekly Times reported -

The settlers on the Bembridge estate, Saltman's Plains, have been given an encouraging opinion regarding the producing qualities of their holdings by Dr. Cherry, Director for Agriculture. In response to a request, Dr. Cherry recently inspected the land and told the settlers that it only required working to sweeten it and make it productive. Old farmers, who have spent the best of their lives in the district, have stated that the land is practically useless as it had never produced anything but sparse, stunted timber and short scrub. (14)

In January 1912, an advertisement for the re-sale of two of the blocks, promoted the area's orcharding credentials. 

Bungower Road, part of Bembridge's Estate. 4 miles Somerville, 3 miles Tyabb - 45 acres of Orchard Land, in two blocks of 10 and 35 acres, being lots 2 and 7, on plan of sub-division 4716, and being part of Crown allotments 29 and 30. 12 acres cleared, 1000 fruit trees. 3 and 4 years planted, together with a 3-roomed horse, stable and shed. This property is situated in the centre of the finest fruit growing district in Victoria. Title, certificate. Terms--£50 cash, and balance by yearly instalments of £5 with 5 per cent interest added. For further information apply Birtchnell Bros and Porter, 82 Swanston-street. (15)

It appears then, that many fruit trees had been successfully planted and they had survived 3 to 4 years, so perhaps the land wasn't practically useless as some of the old timers had opined in 1907. Alternatively, the poor land may have been the impetus for farmers to find another source of income, such as coal mining. This report is from  October 1910 - Mr V. J. Fraser, of the Bembridge Estate, Somerville, is continuing his boring operations for coal on his property, near Somerville. About 12 feet of stuff has been passed through, which shows signs of good coal. Mr Fraser's bore has reached a depth of 140ft, and he has procured additional lengths, and continued boring on Friday. It is highly probable that a good quality seam will be struck within a few feet from the present depth, as the prospects are very promising. (16) In spite of the optimism, there is no evidence that coal was ever found. 

Bembridge Progress Association

The push for the School also seemed to inspire other civic zeal - the Progress Association was formed in May 1937, as reported by the Frankston and Somerville Standard -
Convened by Mr. McAllister, a meeting of residents of Bembridge district was held at the property of Mr. C. Roach, jnr., on Saturday. At the meeting a body to be known as the Bembridge Progress Association was formed. Mr. C. W. Roach, senior, was elected chairman, and Mr. C. Rolfe, secretary. (17) These men were John James Duncan McAllister, Somerville, a labourer; Charles Winfield Roach jnr, Somerville, a farmer and Cedric Charles Rolfe of Waikato, Tyabb. (18)

This report on the Progress Association from July 1945, tells us something about organisation and mentions a few local people - A pleasant function was held in the Progress Association's rooms on July 14 when Mr. Harry Boakes was farewelled prior to his departure for Bungower Road, Somerville. Mr. Boakes who had been a resident of Bembridge for 20 years, was thanked by the president (Mr. W. A. Elliott), for his grand work for and on behalf of the Association. Mr. Elliott said that Mr. Boakes was one of the oldest members, and his wisdom and counsel would be missed. Mr. Roach Senior, said that when the Association held a social evening that Mr. Boakes was the first at the rooms and helped with all the work getting the rooms ready for the evening's entertainment. He would (and felt sure he spoke for all others), miss Mr. Boakes, and trusted that he would be able to attend sometimes at the social evenings held by the Association. The president, on behalf of the Association, presented the guest of honor with a gift. Mr. Boakes, in a neat speech, thanked one and all. Mr. Felmingham has purchased the property recently occupied by Mr. Boakes. (19)  

Bembridge Social Club and the Hall

At some time during the Second World War, a Bembridge Social Club was also established; this report of the 1945 Annual General Meeting lists some of the members -
The Annual General meeting of the Bembridge Social Club was held last Saturday night in the club rooms, Bungower Road, when the new committee was elected; all retiring members with the exception of the secretary (F. Kahl) who resigned and did not offer himself for re-election, were re-elected as follows: President, Mr. Geo. Spence, vice-presidents, Messrs. A. Douglas and Mr. W. Perritt; committee, Messrs. Turner, Dobby, Pratt, Spriggs, and Levy; hon. secretary and treasurer, Mr. R. Manby. (20) 

There was a need for a local hall, and after the school closed in 1942 the Education Department allowed the Bembridge Social Committee to hold card parties for Patriotic purposes in the building as well as fortnightly social evenings.  (21)  However after the re-opening of the School another venue was required and the Bembridge Social Club took up the challenge and in January 1944, as reported,  the resourceful residents at Bembridge have purchased a suitable building, which they intend to erect as a public hall. (22)  The Hall was put into good use straight away with two Euchre parties being held in aid of the Red Cross. (23) The Hall was located in Bungower Road, and regular card nights, followed by a supper, where held throughout the War years.

Detail of the Bembridge section of Mr Roach's  Mail Run map, as drawn by Leila Shaw, showing the Hall location in  Bungower Road and the school location in Tyabb-Tooradin Road.

Click on image to enlarge.

Image: The Way We Were by Leila Shaw (24)

The local Council was initially unaware of this new public building in their Shire, and it was the subject of discussion at a Council meeting - Without realising that it was breaking a Council by-law, Bembridge, in a spirit of enterprise, arranged for the removal of a building from Pearcedale for use as a hall. This was explained in a letter to Frankston Council on Friday night. As the building complied with Council regulations, it was decided to issue a belated permit. (25)

The Hall receives a belated permit

Frankston Standard, February 11, 1944 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article75049512

In March 1945, the Frankston Standard could report that the Bembridge Social Club has decided to offer its rooms in Bungower Road free to any religious order caring to avail themselves of same for services, Sunday School, etc. It is hoped that the churches will be able to accept this offer. (26)

Concerns of the District
In  May 1945, the following report of the Progress Association meeting was published in the Frankston Standard -
At a public meeting convened by the Progress Association the following matters were discussed and the attendant motions passed:
Re public telephone: "That the sectary write to the P.M.G. Department re a public phone at Bembridge, and find details of cost,, etc." It was stated that Mr. C. Grice had some time ago promised financial help. Mr. A. Sullivan informed the meeting that, if it was necessary to have a caretaker that the phone could be erected at or near Mr. Sullivan's home.

Re roads: "That the secretary write to the Council requesting that a deputation meet the engineer and inspect roads in the district."

Re bus: "That further representation for a bus be made, and that the route be from Pearcedale along the Somerville Road to Eromosa Road corner, then along Mc Kadies Road to junction, of Tyabb-Tooradan Road, thence along Tyabb-Tooradin Road to Pearcedale, thence to Dandenong, returning the same way." Views expressed by various speakers showed how this, service could and would help the district.

Re public hall: "That the secretary write to the Social Club inviting the Social Club Committee along to discuss ways and means of transferring the Social Club's rooms to a committee to be appointed, and known as the Hall Committee." Speakers pointed out that as the district had no public hall, and as a block of land has been offered on which a hall could be erected, it seemed as if the money spent on enlarging and improving the Social Club's rooms would be more to the advancement of this district than building a new hall. The matter rested in the hands of the members of the Social Club (it was pointed out), who only can say whether they are prepared to co-operate and make their rooms into a hall which the district can be proud of. It was suggested that the Hall Committee should consist of nine members, three from each of the Social Club and the Progress Association and three from outside of both these, with an outside chairman. It was also pointed out that neither side would lose its individuality. (27)

I have no information as to the fate of the Bembridge Hall.

The state of the roads

The locals were not just concerned about the state of the roads in 1945, this had been an issue since the Bembridge Estate was established in 1906. In May 1909, for instance the Frankston and Hastings Shire received the following letter from - Messrs Dawson, Park, Cornack, Sullivan, Malony, Thornell, Anderson, and Koersten, residents on " Bembridge Estate," requesting early attention by council to bad road on north side of the estate before the winter sets in. (28)  

Eight years later in 1917 the Engineer for the Shire of Frankston and Hastings presented this report on the road to The Saltmans - 

This road traverses a wet, peaty flat and no useful results would be obtained by forming the road unless it is drained and gravelled. This work would cost say £200. Some useful work could be done by forming about 15 chains of the Bungower road at the Eastern end. This work would only cost £6. A motion to work on the 15 chains of road was carried. (29)

In May 1945, the Frankston Standard reported that -

The Bembridge roads are in a bad state, and to obtain improvements the Centre Riding councillors (Messrs. Noble, Firth and Webb), and the shire engineer were invited to meet the Progress Association in Bembridge. About 12 members met the councillors, engineer and assistant engineer, and after a discussion the party set off on a tour of inspection of the different roads. On the tour Messrs. Rolfe and Elliott acted as spokesmen for the residents, and put the case for improvements, which were promised on different roads, also drains to be cleaned and culverts repaired. The councillors said improvements would be carried out as soon as possible if the residents would help with the labor problem. (30)

By 1948 the area actually had a bus service, but the roads were still so bad that, as reported in the Dandenong Journal, residents were in danger of losing the Frankston-Bembridge bus service because of the bad state of Boundary Rd  between Robinson’s Rd. and Golf Links Road. (31)

Government Services

A convenient service to the locals was provided by the Government in late 1937 when a rural mail delivery service was established (32) with Charles Roach being the first delivery man. His memories of this are published in Lelia Shaw's book The Way We Were -

I organised the first Road-side Postal service from Somerville via Frankston/Flinders Road, Dandenong Road, Pikes Road, Witney's Road, Bungower Road and  return to Tooadin -Tyabb Road and right to Boundary road and end of run.....When the Postal Inspector came around, he altered some of it and said that those living off the road in isolated houses could put their mail box on the roadway as set out. I was not allowed to go to isolated boxes.

I won the first contract in 1937 and delivered the main and daily papers on a push bike. The roads in those days were bad and hard on the bike when loaded......When I first started, I think it was over 20 miles...a big  post box was erected on on the corner of Bungower  Road and Tooradin-Tyabb Road and residents could post their letters there. I did the delivery for  fourteen years.... I was sick on two days during the 14 years and my niece did the delivery  one day and nephew the other day (Gwen and Lyall Roach) (33)

Gwen Roach, who helped her uncle out with his mail run, on her wedding day, October 6, 1945, to Frederick Stephen Piper.

Image and wedding report - Frankston Standard, October 18, 1945, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article75055339

Charles Roach's Mail Run map, as drawn by Leila Shaw.

Click on image to enlarge.

Image: The Way We Were by Leila Shaw (34)

Detail of the Bembridge section of Mr Roach's  Mail Run map, as drawn by Leila Shaw, showing the Hall location in  Bungower Road and the school location in Tyabb-Tooradin Road.

Click on image to enlarge.

Image: The Way We Were by Leila Shaw

In 1948,  the following letter was published  in the Frankston Standard regarding electricity supply (or lack thereof)

Sir,--It was a pleasure to read in this week's' "Standard" your outspoken comments regarding the lack of electricity on the farms throughout the Mornington Peninsula. People between Somerville, Tyabb and Bembridge have asked for it many times. Apart from the inconvenience of petrol irons and kerosene lamps, they are too expensive. Could the Commission help the farmers, who, if several yards off the road, are charged £36 or more to bring electricity to the house, and that, usually has to be paid within a month ? Could that money be spread over the five years, like the guarantee, as the initial expense has prevented many farmers having electricity installed?

Again thanking you for bringing to the fore such an important matter as the need for electricity on our farms.-Yours etc.,

G. A. CAMM, Somerville, 20/3/48 (35)

I have no information about when Bembridge was supplied with electricity.

War Service

I can find two men with a Bembridge connection (apart from Clement Greenwood, the first teacher at the school, whom I have written about in the School history, here) who enlisted in World War Two, but there would be more than that - nearly 200 men who were born in Somerville enlisted and over seventy men had Somerville as their address on enlistment (36) and some of these men would have been from Bembridge. The ones we know about are Sergeant Jim Coghlan (VX126854 (V80138) and Corporal Cedric Rolfe (VX5678) (37)

Sergeant Jim Coghlan

Weekly Times, December 6, 1941 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article224829265

Corporal Cedric Rolfe

Frankston Standard, January 7, 1944 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article75049137

Last Reference

The last reference on Trove I can find to Bembridge is in August 1952, referring of the appointment of  Stanley Spencer to the school;  as it turned out he was the last teacher at the School, so that seems appropriate (38). We'll finish off this potted history of Bembridge with the following report  which appeared in the Country News section of The Age in 1941 - 

With the aid of traps and ferrets, a Bembridge trapper caught 500 rabbits at Bembridge in two days.(39)

Many rabbits

The Age, August 22, 1941 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205172951

Bembridge is remembered today by Bembridge Road, which runs off Tooradin-Tyabb Road. A Bembridge golf course was located on Bembridge Road from 1995 until around  2019. It is now Mornington Green Cemetery.

This short history of the Bembridge area and is a companion post to my history of the Bembridge State School, No. 4557, which operated from 1937 until 1953. You can read this here. 

Trove list - I have created a list of articles from Trove, on Bembridge. Access it here. 

Footnotes

(1) Mills, A.D A dictionary of British Place names (Oxford University Press, 2003)

(2) Shaw, Lelia The way we were: adventures, feats and experiences of pioneering families of the Mornington Peninsula (Somerville, Tyabb & District Heritage Society, 1998). Map is from page 6.

(3) The Argus, February 15, 1895, see here. 

(4) The Argus, February 2, 1898, see here.

(5) Mornington Standard, January 14, 1905, see here.

(6) Mornington Standard, November 15, 1902, see here.

(7) Frankston and Somerville Standard, January 23, 1932, see here.

(8) Frankston and Somerville Standard, November 2, 1934, see here.

(9) Frankston and Somerville Standard, December 11, 1936, see here.

(10) The Australasian, March 17, 1906,  see here.

(11) The Age, January 3, 1906, see here.

(12) The Age, March 7, 1906, see here.

(13) The Argus, April 1, 1907, see here.

(14) Weekly Times, April 27, 1907, see here.

(15) Mornington Standard, January 27, 1912, see here.

(16) Mornington and Dromana Standard, October 8, 1910, see here.

(17) Frankston and Somerville Standard, May 21, 1937, see here.

(18) Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com

(19) Frankston Standard, July 26, 1945, see here.

(20) Frankston Standard, February 22, 1945, see here.

(21)  Bembridge School Building files at the Public Records Office of Victoria - VPRS 795/P0000, 4557 (1936-1956 and 1960-1961)

(22) Frankston Standard, January 21, 1944, see here.

(23) Frankston Standard, February 4, 1944, see here.

(24) Shaw, Lelia, op. cit., p. 191

(25) Frankston Standard, February 11, 1944, see here.

(25) Frankston Standard, March 15, 1945, see here.

(27) Frankston Standard, May 3, 1945, see here.

(28) Mornington and Dromana Standard, May 8, 1909, see here.

(29) Mornington Standard, September 15, 1917, see here.

(30) Frankston Standard, May 31, 1945, see here.

(31) Dandenong Journal, February 18, 1948, see here.

(321) Frankston and Somerville Standard, January 21, 1938, see here.

(33) Shaw, Lelia, op. cit., pp 190-192

(34) Shaw, Lelia, op. cit., p. 191

(35) Frankston Standard, April 1, 1948, see here.

(36) Weekly Times, December 6, 1941, see here; Frankston Standard, January 7, 1944, see here 

(37) https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/ww2 

(38) The Argus, August 5, 1952, see here

(39) The Age, August 22, 1941, see here.

(40) https://www.thehotelconversation.com.au/news/2019/08/05/nine-hole-golf-course-sale-melbournes-mornington-peninsula/1564984510; https://www.mpnews.com.au/2022/02/08/ashes-to-forests-eco-friendly-burials/