The Corner House Drapery and the Ordish Timber Yard, Dandenong East

This postcard of Dandenong 'East' shows The Corner House, on the corner of Walker and Langhorne Streets in Dandenong and the premises of E. Ordish, Timber Merchant, in Langhorne Street.  The photograph was taken around 1909. I am not sure of the boundaries of Dandenong East however State School No. 1403 Dandenong was known as Dandenong East from around the 1930s to the 1950s. The school is located on the corner of Foster and New Street. (1)

Postcard of Dandenong 'East' corner of Walker and Langhorne Streets.

The Corner House was a drapery, previously known as The Red House. The Red House, owned by George Dobson, was sold around March 1905 to Joseph Watts, who then held a Startling Clearing Sale. (2)

Startling Clearing Sale at The Red House.

South Bourke & Mornington Journal, March 29, 1905 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66142986

The following advertisements tell the story of  The Corner House. In May 1905, The Red House was renamed The Corner House and it advertised on a regular basis in the South Bourke & Mornington Journal.  Around March 1910, Joseph Watts sold his stock to Wilson brothers, the Big Cash Drapers, of Lonsdale Street, Dandenong. 

The Red House becomes The Corner House.

South Bourke & Mornington Journal May 17, 1905 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/66143213 

Advertisement for The Corner House

South Bourke & Mornington Journal, October 7, 1908 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66148406 

Wilson Brothers acquire the stock of The Corner House.

South Bourke & Mornington Journal,  March 2, 1910 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/66201406 

Wilson Brothers advertisement

South Bourke & Mornington Journal, March 24 1909  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66199784 

Who was Joseph Watts?  Joseph Eacott Watts was born in Bristol in England to Joseph and Martha (nee Eacott) Watts.  On July 30, 1873 he married Elizabeth Gittus and they had three children - Elizabeth (1874, died aged 1 month), William Henry (1875, died in Perth in 1937) and Frank Cecil (1877, served in World War One, returned to Australia in 1919 and I have no further information.) Elizabeth's father, Thomas Gittus, was a Councillor at the City of South Melbourne and Mayor in 1893/94. Sadly Elizabeth died, aged only 28, on June 7, 1882 at their home, Clifton Villa, Palmerston Crescent, Albert Park. She was buried in the St Kilda Cemetery, and her parents, Susan and Thomas, were later buried with her. (3).

Less than six months later, the 32 year old James married 22 year old  Elizabeth Charlotte Richardson on November 6, 1882 at the Presbyterian manse in East Melbourne.  She was born in Birmingham, in England, the daughter of William and Mary Anne (nee Newport) Richardson. James and his new wife, Elizabeth had six children - Ida Beatrice (1883, known as Queenie, married Robert Ernest Crooke in 1909 and died 1949), Netta May (1885-1974), Rupert Carlisle (1889-1967), Eric Clarence (1892-1966), Vera Eacott (1896-1989) and Jean Elizabeth (1902, married Frederick Middleton in 1926, died in Adelaide in 1983). (4)

Joseph and Elizabeth were listed in the Electoral Rolls from 1905 until 1934 at 20 Elphin Grove, Hawthorn, except for the 1909 roll where their address was Dandenong, which fits in with the time frame of Watts owning The Corner House drapery. Joseph died January 30, 1937 aged 86 and Elizabeth on November 10, 1952 aged 92 years old. Joseph and Elizabeth are buried at the Booroondara Cemetery, with their daughters Netta and Vera. (5)

 The other business in the photograph was the timber yard of E. Ordish. The first reference I can find of Ordish being in Langhorne Street was from the start of October 1908 when Joseph Watts began advertising The Corner House as being next to Ordish's Timber Yard 

 

The Corner House - next to Ordish's Timber Yard.

South Bourke & Mornington Journal, November 11, 1908 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66148572 

The first advertisement for the timber yard in the South Bourke and Mornington Journal was October 21, 1908, where Mr Ordish wishes to notify the public of Dandenong and district that he has opened large and commodious yards. A year later the firm became known as E.& J. Ordish. The brothers, Edgar and John, continued at the yard until at least 1912, but in 1913 J.W. Ordish was advertising as the oldest established Builder and Timber Merchant in and Dandenong. Plans arranged for Schools, Halls, Shops, Villas and all styles Farm Buildings. (6).

The opening of the large and commodious yards

South Bourke & Mornington Journal, October 21 1908 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/66148472

J. Ordish joins the business.

South Bourke & Mornington Journal, October 6, 1909 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66200820

By 1915 A.C. W. Bailey had taken over the yard.

South Bourke & Mornington Journal, October 21, 1915 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66188662

Edgar and John Ordish were brothers, the sons of Thomas and Mary Jane (nee Ward) Ordish. They were both born Dandenong - John Whiting Ordish in 1866 and Edgar in 1870. Edgar was a builder/contractor and John's occupation in the Electoral roll was listed as a labourer and later a timber merchant. (7).

John married Easter Louisa Blackmore in 1889. They had three children - Hazel (1890, married Albert Crump in 1913, and died 1973), Myrtle (1892, married Geoffrey Collins in 1940 and died 1949 ) and Frank (1895-1897). On January 15, 1915 John enlisted in the A.I.F. He said he was 44 years old, in reality he was nearly 50. John served in the Middle East but was sent home after a time in hospital due to an internal derangement of knee and discharged in July 1916. John died on August 26, 1922 at his home in Beena Avenue, Murrumbeena, aged 55. Easter died On June 12, 1946, aged 87. (8)

Easter Ordish's obituary.

Dandenong Journal, June 12, 1946 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article214794040

Edgar married Jemima Lillian Anderson in 1901. They had the one son, John 'Jack' in 1904. Edgar died on May 10, 1936 at his home 42 Scott Street, Dandenong. Jemima died on July 2,  1942, aged 71. Jack married Myra Vizard in the Dandenong Methodist Church on November 23, 1935. (9)

Edgar Ordish's obituary

Dandenong Journal, May 14, 1936 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article214739599 

Given the opening of Edgar Ordish's timber yard in Langhorne Street was in October 1908  and the sale of Joseph Watt's The Corner House business was  in March 1910, I believe we can safely date the photograph on this postcard to 1909 or a few months either side. 

There is one more element of the postcard - the sender and the addressee. The sender was possibly a Jane, I can't really decipher it. It was sent to Miss Lizzie Hawking, Kogan, Queensland. Kogan is a town west of Dalby and south of Chinchilla. I currently have no other information about Lizzie. 

The back of the postcard

Footnotes

(1) References to Dandenong East School - Dandenong Journal, December 25, 1930, see here; Dandenong Journal, May 21 1941, see here; Dandenong Journal, January 9, 1952, see here.

(2) South Bourke & Mornington Journal, September 14, 1904, see here.

(3) Watts/Richardson wedding certificate; Watts/Gittus marriage The Argus, August 12, 1873, see here; Indexes to Victorian and West Australian Births, Deaths and Marriages; First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920 -  National Archives of Australia; Daley, Charles The History of South Melbourne (Robertson & Mullens, 1940); Elizabeth's death notice The Age June 8, 1882, see here and funeral notice The Argus, June 8, 1882, see here; St Kilda Cemetery records on Ancestry.com.

(4) Watts/Richardson wedding certificate; Indexes to Victorian and South Australian Births, Deaths and Marriages.

(5) Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com; Joseph death notice The Argus, February 1, 1937, see here; Elizabth death notice The Argus, November 11, 1952, see here; Booroondara Cemetery   https://boroondaracemetery.com.au/

(6) Advertisements in South Bourke & Mornington Journal on Trove; J.W. Ordish advertisement South Bourke & Mornington Journal, April 3 1913, see here.

(7) Indexes to Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages; Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com.

(8)  Indexes to Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages; First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920 -  National Archives of Australia; John death notice The Argus, August 29, 1922,  see here ; Easter's obituary Dandenong Journal, June 12, 1946, see here. 

(9) Indexes to Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages; Edgar death notice  The Argus, May 11 1936, see here; Jemima obituary Dandenong Journal, July 8 1942, see here. Ordish/Vizard wedding Dandenong Journal, December 5, 1935, see here.

Arthur McKenna and his dear Clara

I purchased this postcard, sent in December 1910, because of the painted gum leaf on the front, but the letter on the back, from Arthur to 'dear Clara', turned out to be so romantic. 

Friday Morning 12.20A.M. Leongatha Dec 30/12/10

My Dear Clara,

I received your welcome kind letter. I was so glad to get it my Queen. I hope that you are in the best of health and that you are looking well after your Precious self. I will be glad to see my love down the hill to meet me. Dear Clara I am baking to suit myself next week. Eddie don't mind. I told him that I wanted Monday night off. I will tell you all about [it] on Saturday my love one. Please excuse the writing my love you know that I wont write much on a card. Best love and kisses xxxx  From you ever loving Arthur xxxxxx

At top -  I bought a jug and two glasses for my love one like from? your mother.

After I showed this postcard at a talk I did at the Narre Warren and District Family History Group I had an email from Marianne Rocke, their newsletter editor and Upper Beaconsfield historian who wrote -
Possible match for Arthur and Clara are Arthur Hugh McKenna and Clara Elizabeth Simpson. Married 1911, first child Joseph Purcell McKenna at Leongatha in 1912, others at Kyneton. Arthur is a baker ...

This was a great discovery on Marianne's part, so this is the story of Arthur and Clara. 

We'll start with Arthur. Arthur Hugh McKenna was born in 1877 to Hugh and Sophia (nee Stevens) McKenna. Arthur was the second of four boys all born in Brighton - Hugh (1876, died aged 20 days old); Arthur; Frederick James (1879) and Horace Elliott (1882). (1)  His father, Hugh, was a blacksmith and was found drowned at Brighton Beach on January 24, 1884, aged only 28 years old. 

The Inquest into Hugh's death heard evidence from his brother Michael who stated that he knew of no reason why deceased would commit suicide as he was in good health, in a prosperous condition, and lived happily with his wife. The witness had seen deceased alive on the same day the body was found, and there was then nothing unusual in his appearance though he had been drinking a little.  Sophia also gave evidence that he had been drinking to excess for some days previously. The Verdict - The Coroner having summed up, the jury, after a short deliberation, returned a verdict that the deceased was found drowned, but there was no evidence to show how he got into the water. (2). Hugh is buried at the Brighton Cemetery, in the Church of England section.

Sophia, being left a widow with three young boys,  married Joseph Granger, a carpenter, in 1885 and had nine children with him - Joseph Francis (1886), George Edward (1888-1889), William John (1890), Ernest Stanley (1893), Emin Pasha (3) 'George' (1895), Charlotte (1898), Annie Isabella (1901), Henry (1903-1903), Roy (1903-1904). Francis was born at Prahran, George at Essendon and the others at Brighton. From around 1908, Joseph and Sophia lived at 2 Grant Street, North Brighton and they were still at that address when Joseph died on July 16, 1931 aged 77 and Sophia died on September 18,1933 aged 76. They are buried together at Brighton Cemetery, in the 'Other Denominations' section. (4). 

Before he met Clara, in 1899 Arthur had married Mary Caroline James and they had three children - Hugh Arthur (born in Ballan 1901), Ruby Myrtle (Brighton, 1903) and Charles Gilbert (Avenel, 1906, died aged 6 months). On Arthur's marriage certificate to Clara it states that he was widower with the year 1905; I can't find  a record of Mary's death, but it is possible she died in childbirth and little Charles died six months later. The next we know of Arthur is that he is listed in the 1909 Electoral Roll at Anderson Street, in Euroa, occupation baker. (5). Where the children with him or were they being looked after by their grandparents? I don't know. 

By December 1910, Arthur had moved to Leongatha, where he was courting Miss Clara Simpson, of Kardella. Why did he move to Leongatha? That is something else I don't know.

Clara had been born in Nundah, in Queensland on September 28, 1887 to Tobias Percell Simpson, a plumber and dairy farmer and his wife, Clara Elizabeth Hosler. She had a brother Thomas William, born in 1884, another brother Tobias Percell born in 1885 and a sister Cordelia, born in 1889. The family then moved to Victoria where daughter Eliza was born in Collingwood in 1891. Kardella had been settled from 1893 as a Village Settlement, and it is likely the family moved to a property there around this time as the next five children had their births registered at Korumburra - Joseph Alexander (1895), William Henry (1897), Rachel (1898), Alex (1900) and Alice (1902). Ten children in all. (6)

Arthur's wooing of Clara was a success as they were married on June 28, 1911 at St Paul's Church of England, Korumburra. She was 23 and he was 33. Cordelia and Thomas were the witnesses (7).  Charming though Arthur no doubt was, taking on a widower with a ten year old and an eight year old was a big task, however being the eldest girl in the family with seven younger siblings Clara would have been well trained in that area. 

Kyneton as it would have looked when Arthur and Clara lived there from 1913 until 1919.

Mollison Street, Kyneton, c. 1914. State Library of Victoria Image : H90.140/633.

As Marianne discovered Arthur and Clara's eldest child, Joseph Percell, was born in Leongatha in 1912. He was followed by George Tobias in 1913, Alexander Horace in 1914 and William Frederick France in 1918 (8). The last three were born in Kyneton and the Electoral Rolls show that Arthur and Clara lived in High Street, then Mollison Street at Kyneton until 1919 when they moved back to Melbourne to 116 Moray Street, South Melbourne. (9). Even though Arthur was always listed in the Electoral Roll as a baker, it seems that in South Melbourne he operated a grocery shop, because in April 1920 he appeared at the South Melbourne Court House, having been charged with selling groceries after 6.00pm on March 24, 1920. 

From the Emerald Hill Record (10) -

Before Messrs. Kelly, P.M., M. J. O'Bryan, Machin, and Russell, JsP., at Thursday's court, two shopkeepers, named Howard E. Watt and Arthur H. McKenna, were charged with selling groceries after 6 p.m. on March 24th. Miss Elizabeth Michell, factories and shops inspectress, said that she bought half a pound of tea at 7.15 p.m. on Wednesday, March 24, in Watt's shop. Reports had been received at the department about Mr. Watt.  

Mr Watt was found guilty and fined 20 shillings. Miss Michael continued her evidence -

Miss Michael stated that at 7 o'clock the same evening she visited McKenna's shop, which was open for the sale of confectionery. She purchased a packet of cocoa. When she spoke to the defendant he said, "The little girl who served you had been told not to sell groceries to anyone." He then said, that he would apply for a permit to sell confectionery. This had been granted to him on the condition that after 6 p.m. he must keep the groceries locked up.  

Arthur was also fined 20 shillings. You forget how restrictive shopping hours used to be.

In 1924 they are listed at 153 Park Street, South Melbourne. That same year the family had a 'tree change' and moved to Goulburn Street, Cheltenham, when it was little more than a country town. 

Cheltenham as it would have looked when Arthur and Clara moved there in 1924.

Charman Road, Cheltenham, c. 1915. State Library of Victoria Image H90.140/37

From 1926 the family are listed Chesterville Road in Cheltenham, where they remained. Ruby was also living with them, she had the interesting occupation of  a book binder. Ten years later the Electoral Rolls tell us that their son Joseph was an engineer;  Alexander a printer and George a sign writer. Through all this time, Arthur was still a baker. (11)

Arthur died on October 3, 1940 at his home 13 Chesterville Road, Cheltenham. His funeral notices showed he was a member of the Star of Victoria Lodge, No. 15, a United Ancient Order of Druids Lodge. (12)

Arthur McKenna's death notice

The Age October 4, 1940  https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/204392290

Clara died September 19, 1950.She is buried with Arthur in the Brighton Cemetery, in the same grave as Arthur's father Hugh, who was found drowned at Brighton Beach all those years ago in 1884 (13).

Acknowledgment - Cannot thank Marianne Rocke enough for discovering who Arthur and Clara were.

Footnotes

(1) Index to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages

(2) The Herald, January 26, 1884, see here.

(3) Emin Pasha - the name is from Mehmed Emin Pasha (1840-1892) who was born as Eduard Schnitzer, and while serving the Ottoman governor of northern Albania (1870–74), he adopted a Turkish mode of living and a Turkish name.  He was a physician, explorer, and governor of the Equatorial province of Egyptian Sudan who contributed vastly to the knowledge of African geography, natural history, ethnology, and languages. Source: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mehmed-Emin-Pasha

(4) Index to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages, Electoral Rolls on Ancestry and Brighton Cemetorians website  https://www.brightoncemetorians.org.au/  Joseph's death notice in The Age, July 17, 1933, see here  Sophia's death notice in The Herald, September 19, 1933, see here and the children are listed as - Arthur, Horace, and Frederick McKenna (deceased). Joseph, Edward (deceased), John, Stanley, George, Charlotte (Mrs Hunter), Annie (Mrs Stockwell), Roy and George (deceased).  I was having trouble locating the Georges - then I found that the oldest George was born Emin Pasha Granger and I suspect that the youngest George is actually Henry, who was born in 1903, presumably Roy's twin. 

(5) Index to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages; Arthur and Clara's wedding certificate; Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com

(6) Arthur and Clara's wedding certificate; Index to the Victorian and Queensland Births, Deaths and Marriages. Kardella - Victorian Places https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/kardella 

(7) Arthur and Clara's wedding certificate

(8) Arthur's children with Mary James and then Clara Simpson - and any information that I currently know about them. Sources - Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages;   https://smct.org.au/;   https://www.brightoncemetorians.org.au/;   mytributes.com.au/notice/condolences/bill-mckenna/4534034/ ; https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/ww2

Hugh Arthur born Ballan in 1901. Married May Josephine Oates in 1929 (died 1930), then married Rose Deane (nee Howie) in 1937. Died in Brighton in 1957 and buried at the Brighton Cemetery. 

Ruby Myrtle born Brighton in 1903. Married Bernard Charles Cameron in 1950. Died in 1960, cremated at Springvale Botanical Cemetery. 

Charles Gilbert born in Avenel in 1906, died aged 6 months in Avenel.

Joseph Percell born in Leongatha in 1912. Died in 1991; cremated at Springvale Botanical Cemetery.

George Tobias born in Kyneton in 1913. Married Patricia Constance Flinn in 1939. Served in the Australian Army in WW2 from November 1943 until June 1946, service number VX93731.  Died in East Bentleigh in 1978 and buried at Springvale Botanical Cemetery.

Alexander  Horace born in Kyneton in 1914. Married Mary Teresa Armstrong in 1934. Served in the Australian Army in WW2 from March 1942 until October 1945, service number 31142 (VX77224). Died in Highett in 1983 and cremated at Springvale Botanical Cemetery.

William Frederick France born in Kyneton in 1918. Died 2012.

(9) Index to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages and the  Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com

(10) Emerald Hill Record, April 24, 1920, see here.

(11) Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com

(12) Death notice The Age, October 4, 1940, see here;   Funeral notice The Age, October 5 1940, see here. 

(13) Brighton Cemetorians website  https://www.brightoncemetorians.org.au/ 

Victorian Railways and Marion Steam Shovels

The Victorian Railways possessed a Marion Steam Shovel which they were using in 1909 on such projects as the regrading of the railway line at the Armadale Station, the purpose of which was to allow the Malvern-Prahran tram line an uninterrupted crossing above the railway at High-street. (1).  The machine was manufactured by the Marion Steam Shovel Company of Ohio, U.S.A., (2) and imported in 1907, and assembled at the Newport Railway Workshops (3). 

Caption: Regrading the Gippsland line at Toorak, Armadale and Malvern: the Marion Steam Shovel at work.

The Australasian, August 7, 1909 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/139684685

The Australasian newspaper in August 1909 had the following report, describing how the Steam Shovel worked, as well as the photograph above -

The Marion steam-shovel has recently been put to work on the regrading of the line at the Armadale station. It is the only one of the kind in Victoria, and the railway authorities state that it is giving perfect satisfaction. Excavating is effected by means of a bucket or scoop attached to a swinging arm. The bucket, after being lowered, is raided by powerful gearing, and at each lift a cubic yard of material is scraped off the face of the cutting. It is then swung round, so as to empty its load into the ballast waggons. When everything within reach has been cut away, a short length of portable track is laid in front of the shovel, along which it moves by its own mechanism, until it is in a position to make another start. Fifty waggons, holding six tons apiece, are being filled daily. The total weight would equal that of two average goods trains, but, working in a less restricted space, the machine could considerably increase this output. Providing it is not solid rock, the kind of material to be excavated does not seem to make any difference. Whether loam, gravel, hard clay, or schist, the four great steel teeth of the bucket bite this off in mouthfuls of nearly a ton, and with no more apparent effort than if it were so much butter. Money and time are both saved by the shovel, as compared with the old slow method of ploughing and scraping, for the consumption of fuel is small, and the only other expenses are the wages of the two attendants. Some heavy excavating still remains to be done, but the work ought to be sufficiently advanced two months hence to enable the down trains to be run in the cutting. The girders for the High street bridge are ready for placing in position, and this roadway, which will also carry the Malvern tramway over the railway, should be ready for traffic in November. An island platform is being built at the new station. and passengers will have access to this by subways (4). 

Marion Steam Shovel. Victorian Railways photographer.

State Library of Victoria Image H1076/224C http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/4192279

By 1911, Melbourne's rail network was in need of expansion, as The Herald in July 1913 reported - 

Standing on Prince's Bridge, and looking eastwards, on a moonlit night one may see one of the most fascinating sights in the city, the railway grid-iron over which the inward and outward bound suburban and country trains travel towards or away from each other under the signal bridges. Two pairs of lines connect the city with suburban stations on either side of Caulfield and around, and run on to the Gippsland line and branches to Wonthaggi, and also connect with the line that skirts the Bay and finds its terminal point at Mornington. In short, these two roads represent two of the important arteries of the railway system. Both goods and passenger traffic has increased rapidly of late, and it became necessary to devise means of relieving the congestion. So the duplication of the Caulfleld line was decided upon, and the actual work was put in hand in December, 1911 (5). 

The cost of the project was estimated to be £300,000 and the work was expected to have been completed at the end of 1914 (6). It was actually finished in December 1915, apart from a the new station building at South Yarra and the island platform at Caulfield. It also ran £100,000 over budget (7).  One of the end results of the work was  all the level crossings between South Yarra and Caulfield stations, were abolished (8). 

The Herald report continued with this description of the  project - 

The scheme was and is the duplication of the line from South Yarra to Caulfield by providing

up and down "fast" roads and up and down "slow" roads. The "fast" roads for country, goods, quick suburban, and race traffic, the "slow" roads for trains, with suburban passengers, stopping at

all stations. 

An important part of the scheme has been the reduction of the existing steep grades - the steepest being from 1 in 44 to 1 in 63. It was necessary to drop the lines from South Yarra to Malvern, thus doing away with level crossings, and to provide overhead bridges at some crossings. At Hawthorn the line has been, or will be dropped 12ft, at Toorak 13ft. 6in., and at Malvern 9ft. The greatest depth will be 18ft. below present level. On the other hand, the dip between Malvern and Caulfield is to be dealt with by the construction of an embankment, over which the trains will pass. Many bridges are in course of erection, and before the duplication could be entered upon land had to be purchased and expensive villas removed (9). 

One of these expensive villas was the home of Carlo Catani, Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department. His house was at 4 Elm Grove, Armadale. I have written about this here.

In July 1912, it was reported that the Railway Commissioners had 

purchased a second "Marion" steam shovel for use on the Caulfield line duplication and regrading works, and at other large excavation undertakings, and it is anticipated that the saving, which will be effected will be sufficient to cover the cost of the machine. The new machine arrived from New York in the steamer Star of Australia on Monday last, and the work of assembling the parts will be taken in hand at Newport workshops in the course of a few days (10).  The cost of the  Steam Shovel was  £3200 (11). 

At the end of October 1912,  The Argus reported on the working of the Steam Shovel -

The new Marion steam shovel purchased by the Railways department, is at present working at the Toorak station. This is the model (No. 50) that the department put into commission several years ago, but in detail it has been improved upon. The Marion is of the same type as the Bucyrus shovels, that have done such good work at Panama. The new machine has a bucket capacity of two cubic yards. In a shift of eight hours 1,000 tons can be loaded on a ballast train, but in a speed trial 180 tons have been excavated in an hour. This pace, however, cannot be kept up, for it makes no allowance for shifting the shovel. The motive power consists of a hoisting engine, and of an auxiliary engine, for pushing the spoon and bucket into the material to be excavated. As the Marion can excavate at a height of 23ft., and at a depth of 3ft. below the rails, in both cases with a working radius of 22ft., it will be seen that it has great flexibility. When it has scooped up everything within range an 11ft. length of rail is laid. The shovel propels itself along this, and is then ready to remove another semi-circular section of material, measuring 23ft. across, and, if necessary, 26ft. in thickness. (12). 

I actually own a postcard of this steam shovel, shown below, pictured at the Newport Railway Workshops.

Marion Steam Shovel at the Newport Workshop  

Back of the postcard 

Dear Katie, I trust you'll accept this as an answer to your nice letter rec'd this week. No news to make a lengthy one so sending this. Its a product of Charlie's shop - both card and engine. Was glad to get Mary's today. We'll be glad to see Dada if he comes to town. Monday is a holiday. I'm thinking of going to Brighton Sun (?)  and coming home Monday. It will be a nice spell. We hope anniversary + picnic pass off OK + that good weather prevails. With love ?

It appears the postcard was sent to Katie by her brother. The card was said to be a product of Charlie's shop, along with the engine. I am unsure what this means, but maybe Charlie worked at the Newport Workshops; or did he take the photograph and produced the postcard?  I cannot tell you. 

What was the fate of the Marion Steam Shovel? Again, I cannot tell you. There is a short article about it on Peter Vincent's website, which focusses on Victorian Railway rolling stock,   http://www.pjv101.net/cd/pages/c215m.htm

Another Marion Steam Shovel was imported in 1913 by the Commonwealth Railways  to work on the Trans-Australian Railway at Port Augusta, read about it here https://www.comrails.com/cr_locos/r_marion.html

The Marion Steam Shovel. Victorian Railways photographer. 

It appears the machine is no longer in use. It may possibly have been put aside  during the First World War and manpower and resources directed elsewhere. 

State Library of Victoria Image H1076/38E http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/4192399

Acknowledgment

My research colleague, Isaac Hermann, actually found the postcard for me. Thank you!

Trove - I have created a short list of articles on the Marion Steam Shovel, access it here.

Footnotes

(1) The Argus, August 18, 1909, see here. 

(2) More on the Company here https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Marion_Steam_Shovel_Company

(3) Peter Vincent's website  http://www.pjv101.net/  Steam Shovel article here   http://www.pjv101.net/cd/pages/c215m.htm  Also Victorian Railways to '62 by Leo J.  Harrigan (Victorian Railways, 1962)  confirms that the Victorian Railways purchased two Marion Steam Shovels between 1907 and 1914. 

(4) The Australasian, August 7, 1909, see here.  

(5) The Herald, July 15, 1913, see here.

(6) The Herald, July 15, 1913, see here. 

(7) The Argus, January 12, 1916, see here; The Argus, October 17, 1914, see here. 

(8) The Argus, April 14, 1915, see here. 

(9) The Herald, July 15, 1913, see here.

(10) The Age, July 25, 1912, see here. 

(11) The Age, December 13, 1912, see here. 

(12) The Age, October 31, 1912, see here. 

Boroondara Cemetery Postcards

An unusual subject for postcards is that of Cemeteries. I have three postcards of Fawkner Cemetery, sent  by Martha Bamber to her family in Sydney in the 1920s, you can read about them here.  Here are two more from my collection, both from the Boroondara Cemetery, Kew.

The land for the Boroondara Cemetery (also known as the Kew Cemetery) was set aside in late 1855, I can't find an actual gazettal date, and the earliest references I can find are in reports in the newspapers of the need for a Cemetery at Richmond. As there was no suitable land in Richmond, they had to look further afield and the site in Boroondara was mentioned. It was described in this November 1855 letter to the editor as a very fine and suitable place as a cemetery for Hawthorne and Kew, but will in no way benefit Richmond.

Letter to the Editor - the first reference I can find to the Boroondara Cemetery.

The Argus, November 15, 1855. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4823438

A month later, the following article in The Argus reported that the people of Kew had been granted 32 acres of a Government Reserve on Bulleen Road (now called High Street) for a Cemetery. The remaining 26 acres could be made available for the people of the Municipality of Richmond (1) for a Cemetery. I have written about the Richmond Cemetery, here.

This article about the desire for a Cemetery for the inhabitants of the municipality of Richmond includes a reference to the Boroondara Cemetery. 

The Argus, December 13, 1855 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/4825642

The Boroondara Cemetery bounded by High Street (Bulleen Road) and Parkhill Road, in Kew. The Recreation Reserve was the area set aside for the Richmond Cemetery.

Borough of Kew, Parish of Boroondara, County of Bourke. Surveyed and compiled by Holland Loxton, 

 drawn by Edmund Adderley. Published by Arnall and Jackson in 1888. 

State Library of Victoria http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/117382

The first Trustees for the Boroondara Cemetery were appointed in December 1858. They were Henry Box (2), Thomas Judd (3), John Charles Lloyd (4), Thomas Johnson (5), Jabez Bunting Chambers (6), John Sharp Denbigh (7), Christian Finger (sen.) (8), Thomas Cubitt Balmain (9) and Michael O'Grady (10).

Trustees appointed to the Boroondara Cemetery

Victoria Government Gazette, December 21 1858 http://gazette.slv.vic.gov.au/images/1858/V/general/170.pdf

The Boroondara Cemetery website (11)  notes that the Cemetery was surveyed in 1859 and that the first burial was that of Ellen Quick, who was buried on March 12, 1859. Ellen was only 36 years old when she died on March 9  from Phthisis (Tuberculosis). Ellen had been born in Mangotsfield, Gloucestershire, England  to Thomas and Patience (nee Petherham) Derrick. She married John Quick, a stonemason, in Bristol in 1848, at the age of 25. The couple arrived in Melbourne on the Duke of Northumberland in January 1849. Their four children listed on her death certificate were - Samuel William aged 9; Marianne aged 5; Lucy Ellen aged 3 and Edward John aged one year (12). A very sad situation, though sadly not uncommon in those times, for the family to lose their mother, when she was so young and when the children were so young.  Ellen was buried in the Baptist Section, her funeral bring conducted by the Baptist Minister, Mr Foy (13). The death certificate lists two witnesses to the burial - her brother Samuel Derrick (who was also the Informant) and Uriah Whidycombe, whose name you might expect to find in a Charles Dickens novel. John Quick died August 22, 1899, aged 83 and is buried in the same grave (14).

The Age published this interesting letter in 1936, in response to a query about the ship, the John Bunyan. The letter is from William Bevan about his grand-parents, Thomas and Patience Derrick and their two daughters who arrived in Melbourne in 1852; no doubt to join their other daughter, Ellen Quick.  The letter states that one of the daughters married Uriah Whidycombe, who was a crew member on the John Bunyan. So that explains the connection to Ellen Quick, he was her brother-in-law.

Letter to The Age from Ellen Quick's nephew, William Bevan.

The Age, May 16, 1936 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/19258691

Postcard of the entrance to the Kew Cemetery

As I said, I have two postcards of the Kew Cemetery. This one shows the Caretaker's Lodge and Administrative Office, built in 1860 and designed by Charles Vickers (1820-1883) (15). There were various later additions, designed by Albert Purchas (1825-1909) (16), an Architect and member of the Cemetery Trust, including the clock tower which was erected in 1899.  The Booroondara Cemetery is heritage listed, you can read the Victorian Heritage citation, here.

The erection of a handsome tower, in which will be  a large clock....

The Age, June 14, 1899 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/202618497

A Temple Tomb, Boroondara

Image has been cropped. Produced by Godfrey B. Roberts, 143 Glenferrie Road, Glenferrie (17)

My other postcard is the Springthorpe Memorial, erected in 1897 by Dr John Springthorpe (1855-1933) (18) for his wife, Annie. The Victorian Heritage database notes that  It was designed by Harold Desbrowe Annear and includes Bertram Mackennal sculptures. It contains twelve columns of deep green granite from Scotland supporting a Harcourt granite superstructure, and a glass dome roof of lead lighting (19).

John William Springthorpe had married Annie Constance Maria Ingles in 1887. She was the daughter of John and Maria (nee Hale) Ingles of Vaucluse, Richmond. They had four children - daughter Dorothy who lived for 22 days in December 1887; daughter, Enid, in January 1889; a son in November 1890 and another baby boy who was born prematurely on January 23, 1897, the same day that Annie died aged 30. His death notice lists his children as Enid Totton, Lance and Guy (20).

The Ballarat Star in July 1898 had this report on the monument and gives all the credit to Bertram Mackennal -

 A Splendid Monument

One of the most sumptuous and artistic pieces of monumental sculpture ever seen in Melbourne will shortly be erected in the cemetery here. It has been designed and is being erected by Mr Bertram Mackennel, a native of this city, at his studio in London. It takes the form of a circular Greek temple, with columns of black and an entablature and plinth of white marble. The dome is composed of rose-tinted glass, through which soft and tender light fails upon the recumbent figure of a beautiful young female, the size of life, carved in the purest Carrara marble, and to which a faint flash of life will be given by the illumination from above. This figure rests on a sarcophagus, and at its head will stand a small statue of Love and at its foot one of Grief. The latter, by the way, is exhibited in the Royal Academy this year. When completed the whole work will have cost £2000, the munificent commission of Dr Springthorpe, of Collins street east. This pathetic and beautiful tribute to the memory of a wife, taken out of this life in the bloom of youth, will be unique of its kind in the Melbourne Cemetery, and will mark a new departure in art as applied to mortuary purposes, Mr Mackennal is also busily at work preparing the model of the statue of the Queen which is to be erected in marble in front of the

Town Hall in Ballarat West (21). 

Two different women - Ellen Quick and Annie Springthorpe - both died young and left young children behind, and both found eternal rest at the Boorondara Cemetery.

Footnotes

(1) Richmond was created a Municipality on April 24, 1855; proclaimed  a Town, September 28, 1872 and a City, February 17, 1882. (Victorian Municipal Directory and Gazetteer, 1940)

(2) Henry Box - Died February 1882, aged 82. Buried in the Church of England section. I believe this is Henry Box as listed in the 1860 Sands, Kenny & Co.'s commercial and general Melbourne directory as a Merchant and a Saddlers' and Coachmakers' Ironmonger of Little Collins Street. 

(3) Thomas Judd - Died May 1915, aged 93. Buried in the Presbyterian Section. A officer of the Customs Department; read his short obituary in The Australasian of June 5, 1915, here.

(4) John Charles Lloyd - Died November 1887, aged 64. Buried in the Presbyterian Section. His death notice has his address as Bella Vista, Alma Road, Caulfield.

(5) Thomas Johnson - Possibly the Thomas Johnson who died May 1907, aged 86 and is buried in the Wesleyan Section. 

(6) Jabez Bunting Chambers - Commission Agent, declared Insolvent  in 1855 (The Argus, November 18, 1854, see here; The Argus, February 15, 1855, see here).  Appeared as a witness in a case at the Kyneton Court in 1883 (see report in Kyneton Observer of May 10, 1883, here).  Died in Lancefield in 1888 aged 71.  I have no information as to his connection to the Kew area.

(7) John Sharp Denbigh - Died February 1875, aged 48. Buried in the Baptist Section. An officer of Mining Department. There was a hearing into Mr Denbigh's death in 1876 where it was alleged that it was caused by tyrannical treatment and overwork by the Secretary of mines, Mr Brough Smyth.  Reports in The Age, February 16, 1876, see here; The Argus, May 2 1876, see here and a brief follow-up article in The Argus of August 16, 1876, see here. There any other articles on Trove about the hearing into Brough Smyth's conduct. 

(8) Christian Finger - Died August 1884, aged 85. Buried in the Lutheran Section. In the 1870s he was the Trustee of land in East Melbourne reserved for a Lutheran Church and School; he was listed as a farmer of Boroondara (The Argus, November 1, 1872, see here)

(9) Thomas Cubitt Balmain, of Thornton Lodge, Kew.  - Died aged 36, 1864.Buried in the Unitarian Section. Chief Clerk in the Public Works Department. Death notice The Argus, January 19, 1864, see here ; information about a compensation claim for his wife in The Argus, May 12, 1866, see here. Information about the sub-division of the Thornton Estate, here.

(10) Michael O'Grady - Died January 1876, aged 51. Buried in the Catholic section. The Hon. Michael O'Grady, M.L.A. Obituary in The Herald of January 8, 1876, see here; Obituary and the report of his funeral in The Advocate of January 8, 1876, see here. Public subscriptions were invited for a memorial to Mr O'Grady and there is an illustration of it in The Advocate of January 5, 1878, here.

(11) Boroondara Cemetery https://kewcemetery.com.au/

(12) Information from Ellen's Death Certificate; England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915 and Victoria, Australia, Assisted and Unassisted Passenger Lists, 1839-1923 - both from Ancestry.com

(13) Joseph Foy -  the following is from A sketch of Boroondara by James Bonwick, published in 1858 and digitised at the State Library of Victoria (see here)

Mr Joseph Foy, most laudably commenced Sabbath morning and evening service at his house in the then wild bush, south of Cotham Road, in March 1853. No place of worship existed within two miles of it. The form of service was a Prayer meeting, following an address from Mr Foy; who without much literary ability, had a fluency of speech, and and honest desire to do good to his neighbours. A Baptist Chapel was opened in the Cotham Road in September 1854. 

Reverend Foy, died on May 3, 1879 aged 69 and is buried at the Boroondara Cemetery. 

(14) Boroondara Cemetery website;  Ellen's Death certificate and John's death notice.

The Age, August 23 1899 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article202614711

(15) Boroondara Cemetery website. Charles Vickers (1820-1883) - more information on the Kew Historical Society website   https://kewhistoricalsociety.org.au/khs/the-arts/

(16) Albert Purchas (1825-1909) - more information - Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation website  https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P003876b.htm and short obituary in The Argus, September 30, 1909, here.  

(17) Postcard image - the original postcard  has the image printed at a slight angle, so I straightened it up, but you can see it below. Godfrey Roberts of 143 Glenferrie Road, who published the postcard, established his Photographic Studio in June 1914, read about this here, in the Hawthorn, Kew and Camberwell Citizen of June 5, 1914.

(18) John William Springthorpe - Australian Dictionary of Biography entry   https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/springthorpe-john-william-8610

(19) Victorian Heritage Database citation https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/617

(20) Various Family notices in the newspapers; Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriage.

Life and death in two notices.

The Age, January 25, 1897 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9149644

John Springthorpe's death notice

The Age, April 24, 1933 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204882341

(21) Ballarat Star, July 18, 1898, see here.

Postcards of Upper Beaconsfield

This post shows some postcards of Upper Beaconsfield from my own collection. The photos may have been taken earlier, but two of the postcards are postmarked 1907 and I believe the cards were most likely produced around this time. The first 15 years or so of the twentieth century were a boom time for postcards - they enabled people to send  a short message involving commercial transactions (see here) or for personal reasons (see here) or to extend seasonal greetings (see here) - the sort of transactions that we would make today with a quick phone call, email or text message.  They were also a source of cheap souvenirs for holiday makers to either keep as a momento or to send to family and friends at home. There is an interesting history of postcards on the Australia Post website, see here.

Stoney Creek Road, Beaconsfield

This is Stoney Creek Road, Beaconsfield. Beaconsfield Upper was originally called Beaconsfield, but gained the 'Upper' due to the establishment of the Beaconsfield Railway Station, which opened December 1, 1879. The settlement which developed around the Station was at one time called Lower Beaconsfield, however when a new Post Office was established there in June 1891, the town around the Station was officially known as Beaconsfield and the town in the hills, Upper Beaconsfield (1). The town is officially known as  Beaconsfield Upper. Stoney Creek Road was once known as the Main Gembrook Road (2) and runs in an arc from the Beaconsfield-Emerald Road, where it returns to a few kilometres north. Stoney Creek is a tributary of the Cardinia Creek.

Burke's Road, Beaconsfield

This is labelled Burke's Road, Beaconsfield. I presume this is Bourke's Creek Road which runs from the Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road at Pakenham Upper and meanders along past the R.J. Chambers  Flora and Fauna Reserve to the Beaconsfield-Emerald Road at Dewhurst, which is north Beaconsfield Upper.  Bourke's Creek is a tributary of the Toomuc Creek.  Bourke's Creek is most likely named for the Bourke family who took up Minton's Run on the Toomuc Creek in 1843 and established the La Trobe Inn, also known as Bourke's Hotel, on the Gippsland Road (now the Princes Highway) around 1850 (3).

Scene, Upper Beaconsfield

This area shown in this postcard is known as Charing Cross, a triangular area at the intersection of Beaconsfield-Emerald Road and St Georges Road and Salisbury Road. The image used in this postcard dates from 1898 (4) and shows the General Store. The term Charing Cross comes from the area in London and according to the Encyclopaedia Britannica the name derives from the Old English cerring (“a bend in the road” or “a turn”) and refers either to the nearby great bend in the River Thames or to a bend in the Roman road that ran west from London (5).

South Bourke and Mornington Journal February 4, 1891

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article70398657

This is the  first mention I could find in the newspapers of the term Charing Cross was in 1891, when George Craik (6) wrote to the Shire of Berwick on behalf of H. J. Williams (7) to erect a verandah on the shop.

Upper Beaconsfield, Victoria

This postcard shows a bucolic scene at Beaconsfield Upper. 

Footnotes
(1) Wilson, Charles W. Upper Beaconsfield: an early history (The Author & the Upper Beaconsfield Association, 2013), p. 44.
(2) Wilson, op.cit., p. 31.
(3) Thomas Bourke was the son of Michael Bourke (c. 1814 - 1877) and his wife Catherine (also known as Kitty, nee Kelly, 1819-1910). They arrived in Melbourne in 1839 and settled on Minton's Run,  a property of 12, 800 acres on the Toomuc Creek in Pakenham in 1843. Around 1850, they established the La Trobe Inn, more commonly known as Bourke's Hotel. Michael and Catherine had the following children -  James (born 1839), John (1840), Thomas John (1843), Mary Anne (1844), Michael James (1845), Catherine Agnes (1846), Daniel (1848), Mary Lucy (1850), Ellen (1851), Milo Peter (1853), David Joseph (1859), Margaret Frances (1860), Cecelia (1862) and Agnes (1864).  (Source:  Early Settlers of the Casey-Cardinia District, published by the Narre Warren & District Family History Group in 2010)
(4) Wilson, op.cit., p. 107, 107
(5) https://www.britannica.com/place/Charing-Cross
(6) George Craik (1840-1918) You can read about George on Marianne Rocke's excellent and extensive website, Residents of Upper Beaconsfield, https://upperbeaconsfieldhistory.au/ George's entry is here.
(7) H. J. Williams - not sure who this is - Marianne lists a Henry Jabez Williams and a Henry Joseph Williams, but they don't seem to be associated with the store.


A version of this blog post, which I wrote and researched, also appears on my work blog - Casey Cardinia Links to Our Past.