Station Street in Berwick was renamed Gloucester Avenue after the visit of the Duke of Gloucester (1900-1974) to Victoria in 1934 for Victoria’s centenary. The celebrations were held between October 1934 and June 1935; the Centenary firstly commemorated Edward Henty's Portland settlement in November 1834 as Victoria's founding, then John Batman's pronouncement of Port Phillip as 'the place for a village', and thus the city's foundation, in June 1835. (1)
The Duke of Gloucester was the brother of Edward VIII - the Duke of Windsor - and George VI, who is the late Queen's father. In 1935 he married Lady Alice Christabel Montagu-Douglas-Scott (1901-2004, she was 102 when she died), daughter of the 7th Duke of Buccleuch. They had two children- Prince William (1941-1972) and Prince Richard (1944-), who is the current Duke of Gloucester. (2)
The Duke arrived in Victoria on the H.M.S Sussex on October 18 and departed November 19, 1934, after spending a few days visiting Tasmania. (3) He travelled all over Victoria and called in on Berwick on October 27, 1934. The original plan was for the Duke to attend the Berwick Show which was scheduled for that day, he would arrive at 5.20pm on the train, after having visited Yallourn. The Duke would be gracefully welcomed and he would view the exhibit of prize winning horses and cattle (4).
However, things did not go to plan as the show had to be postponed due to excessive flooding (5) of the Show Grounds and the Duke was instead welcomed at the Railway Station. The Show Grounds at the time of the Duke's visit were in Clyde Road, where Federation University is now located. They are now at Akoonah Park.
The Dandenong Journal reported on the visit of the Duke of Gloucester to Berwick -
Royal Visitor
A large gathering assembled on Saturday at the Berwick railway station, to take part in the welcome to H.R.H. the Duke of Gloucester. The committee of the Agricultural Society, under the leadership of the president (Cr. D. N. McBride), who was ably assisted by Mr. C. F. Greaves, past president, and Mr. W. Gamble, parade superintendent; had made complete arrangements, and a suitable area adjoining the station ground had been allotted for various bodies, including shire councillors from Berwick, Dandenong, Cranbourne and Ferntree Gully, Justices of the Peace, Returned Soldiers, Girl Guides, Boy Scouts, St. Margaret’s Girls’ School, Berwick, and all State schools within a radius of 10 miles.
Early visitors began to arrive, and prior to the arrival of the Royal train several hundred people were in waiting. The rain had ceased, and the sun shone brightly. The train, drawn by two engines, steamed in on time at 5.20, the Royal visitor immediately stepped out on to the platform, where he was received by the president of the Agricultural Society (Cr. D. N. McBride), and escorted into the Royal enclosure. Cr. McBride then conveyed the thanks of the Berwick Agricultural Society to H.R.H. for the honor conferred upon the society and the district for the Royal visit, and for the acceptance by the Duke of an honorary life membership of the society. He also assured the Royal visitor of the loyalty of all to His Majesty the King.
Cr. McBride then presented the President of the Berwick Shire (Cr. Kinsella) to His Royal Highness, who expressed the people’s loyalty to Throne and appreciation of the honor conferred by the Royal visitor, which were such as to cement the bonds of Empire. That welcome, his Royal Highness acknowledged, and expressed his pleasure at visiting Berwick.
Before departing the Duke was shown a wombat. He was delighted, and when he took his departure, amid great enthusiasm, all were delighted at the success which had attended his reception. (6)
There was another more detailed report in the Pakenham Gazette -
Duke of Gloucester Visits District. Enthusiastic welcome at Berwick
It was originally intended to hold Berwick Shoe on Saturday and to bring prize-winning stock to the railway station for the Duke to inspect. But the phenomenal rains on Tuesday necessitated a postponement of the Show and the revision of the programme.
The site chosen for the welcome would, under favourable weather conditions, have been ideal for such a gathering. It was a paddock with a gentle slope, on the north side of the station platform. Shire councilors and returned soldiers, with their wives, and Scouts and Guides were given places of honor in a reception area which had been roped off, and hundreds of children and other residents lined the sides of the enclosure. The weather, which was showery early in the day, improved during the afternoon, and the sun was shining when the Royal train arrived. But the field was sodden after the rain, and in parts where the crowd walked over, their feet churned up inches of mud.
An amplifying unit had been installed at the ground, with the loud speaker hung from a hand pine tree. A few musical numbers were “broadcast” through this unit to entertain the crowd prior to the arrival of the Royal train, and Cr. D.N. McBride, president of the Berwick Agricultural Society, made use of it to explain the form the welcome would take. Hearty applause greeted his announcement of receipt of a telegram from Mr. C.C. Gale, State Director of the Royal Visit, intimating that His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester would be pleased to accept an honorary life membership of Berwick Agricultural Society.
On arrival of the train at the beflagged station platform, the Duke and his party were escorted to the centre of the reception area, where two flag-poles had been erected and Union Jack and the Australia flag were fluttering in the breeze.
The appearance of His Royal Highness was the signal for three hearty cheers. As the party halted beneath the flags a band recording of the National Anthem was played and amplified.
Turning to the Duke, Cr McBride said:- “May it please Your Royal Highness : It is my pleasant privilege, Sir, to ask you to accept the grateful thanks of the Berwick and District Agricultural Society for the great honor you are conferring on us by your presence here to-day. We realize this honor is ours not only because we are the oldest Agricultural Society in Victoria but also on account of our consistent effort through the years to help in raising the standard of stock in our district as well as presenting to our patrons a first class country picnic show. It had been hoped to have some prize winners here for your inspection, but the rain has made it impossible for us to hold our show, so that part of to-day’s programme has had to be cancelled. With your permission, Sir, I will now ask the President of the Shire of Berwick (Cr Kinsella) to speak some words of welcome.
Cr Kinsella said:- “We, the people of Berwick and district, are, Your Royal Highness, delighted to have this opportunity of expressing our unwavering loyalty to the Throne of His Majesty the King, and tender to Your Royal Highness a most cordial welcome to our district. Your presence here to-day brings vividly before us the fact that our forefathers – those men of sterling worth who pioneered this land of ours – not only laid so surely the foundations of our material development, but brought with them and fostered in us, their descendents, that wonderful spirit of loyalty, love of freedom and tolerance to all men which has always been so characteristic of British people. We are proud that we are British, proud and delighted to have your Royal Highness with us, and we trust that you will carry with you a peasant memory of your visit to our midst.”
Cr. McBride again addressed the Duke and said had to refer to a further splendid honor His Royal Highness was conferring on the Agricultural Society by consenting to become a life member. The Society’s history went back to the year 1848, which so far as Victorian institutions were concerned was quite ancient, and during that whole period only ten honorary life members’ badges had been issued. On behalf of the officers and committee he asked His Royal Highness to accept the badge, representing the highest compliment they could offer.
His Royal Highness, who was accorded a tremendous ovation, in a brief response thanked the Agricultural Society for asking him to become a life member and said it was a great honor to be the eleventh life member of the oldest Agricultural Society in Victoria. He also expressed his thanks for the welcome extended to him, and said it gave him great pleasure to be present.
The Duke was then escorted around the reception area, and inspected guards of honor of Guides, Scouts and returned soldiers. The large gathering gave him rousing reception, with cheers and clapping.
There was another outburst of cheering following an announcement by Cr. McBride that it was the wish of His Royal Highness that the teachers should give the school children a day’s holiday.
Under the impression that the Royal party were on their way back to the station to entrain for Melbourne, the crowd broke through the ropes surrounding the enclosure and pressed forward to catch another glimpse of the Royal visitor. But His Royal Highness was on his way to inspect a wombat, which Cr. R. Ure had crated and brought to the ground for his inspection, and the people gathered round in a circle.
When the Duke and members of his party proceeded to the station many followed in their wake, and again there were resounding cheers in which the gathering gave expression to its feelings of loyalty. (7)
Two years later at the Berwick Shire Council meeting held on August 21, 1936 a petition was presented asking that Station Street be renamed Gloucester Avenue as a memento of the Duke's visit. The Council agreed. (9)
The Duke of Gloucester was the Governor General of Australia from January 1945 to January 1947 and visited Berwick privately during that time (10). He was invited to the 1945 Berwick Show, but was unable to attend but sent a message that he well remembers his previous visit to Berwick in 1934, which he enjoyed very much (11).
Trove list - I have created a short list of articles on Trove connected to the visit of the Duke of Gloucester to Berwick, access it here.
Footnotes(1) McCubbin, Maryanne Centenary https://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM00316b.htm
(2) Cunneen, Chris First Duke of Gloucester (1900–1974) https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/gloucester-first-duke-of-10313
(3) Sunraysia Daily, May 29, 1934, see here.
(4) Dandenong Journal, October 25, 1934, see here and here
(5) Dandenong Journal, November 1, 1934, see here
(10) Early days of Berwick and its surrounding districts - Beaconsfield, Upper Beaconsfield, Harkaway, Narre Warren and Narre Warren North, complied by Norman Beaumont, James Curran and R.H Hughes. It was first published in 1948. 3rd edition, pages 63 and 64.
A version of this blog post, which I wrote and researched, also appears on my work blog - Casey Cardinia Links to Our Past.
