First Church on the Powlett Coal Field

This is a postcard of the first church on the Powlett Coal Field. The township at the centre of the coal fields was named Wonthaggi (1). The State Coal Mine on the Powlett Coal Field was established to supply coal to the Victorian Railways and put an end to the dependence of Victoria on New South Wales coal.  The State Coal Mine was given Goverment approval on November 17, 1909 and within eight days the first coal was despatched to Melbourne, overlanded to Inverloch and then shipped to Melbourne (2). The railway line from Nyora to Wonthaggi was constructed in ten weeks by 700 men using 140 horses and 17 bullocks and was opened by February 22, 1910, allowing coal to be railed direct to Melbourne (3).

First Church on the Powlett coal field - this is the Baptist Church, relocated from Jumbunna.

State Library of Victoria Image H2002.135/27

By April 1910 there were 750 miners employed at the State Coal Mine. The miners initially lived in tents in a tent town, then the township site was survyed and houses and other community facilities were established and on September 14, 1910 the township of Wonthaggi was proclaimed (4).  The township plan included allotments for Churches - the allotments being allocated by ballot (5).

The results of the ballot for Churches in Wonthaggi

The Leader, May 7, 1910 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/196493592#

Which was the first Church in Wonthaggi? It was the Baptist Church which had been shifted from Jumbunna. In the 1890s coal mines were established at Coal Creek at Korumburra, Jumbunna and Outtrim. In the case of Jumbunna and Outtrim a 17 month strike in 1903/04 saw many miners leave the town and businesses close so the Church was no longer required and was moved (6).  The Baptist Church was on the coal field in February 1910.  In the history of the Church of England in Gippsland,  The Church of our Fathers by the Reverend Arthur E. Clark (7), the author writes that the Reverend C. W. T. Rogers volunteered for the appointment to the Powlett coalfields. He arrived on February 5, 1910 and was glad to accept the kind hospitality of the Baptist Missionary, Mr J.M. McCue, who offered him the shelter of the church in which to make his bed for the night (8) which obviously suggests the church building had been moved by then. It may have even been there at the end of 1909 as Arthur Clark says that the Methodists were on the coalfield from the beginning (more of which below) and the Baptists speedily followed with a building which they were able to bring from Jumbunna (9). 

A report in The Age of May 26, 1910 said on the opening of the Powlett field the Jumbunna church had been moved to Powlett, and a good site for a church had been obtained at Wonthaggi. It was a

sign of the progress already made that 51 persons had been baptised at Wonthaggi (10).  I am unsure if they moved the Jumbunna Church to the new site and also built a new Church because I came across the following, when I was researching the date the Congregational Church opened, which was in November 1910 (11). It closed in June 1913, due to low numbers (12).  A report in a paper says  that the Congregational property has been purchased by the Baptist Church authorities, who intend to remove their old building to the new site and use it as a school (13). This implies that there was a new Church as well as the Jumbunna Church. The Baptists have the distinction of having the first physical church building on the coal field, however it was the Methodists who had the first congregation on the coal field.

A Century of Victorian Methodism by Reverend C. Irving Benson (14) gives us this history of the early days of the Methodist congregation on the coal fields -  Here we were the first Church on the coalfields. On the arrival of the first batch of miners, thirty five in all, they were met by the Reverend Courtenay Thomas, who sensing the possibilities of the place, promptly secured a tent, which would accomodate 200 men, and obtaining meanwhile a supply of red-gum planks for seats, was ready to begin operations. A Sunday School was opened under the guidance of Mrs Gardiner and before long its success bacame an embarrassment, the number of children in attendance passing the 400 mark. Later, Mr D. Cock provided an iron building, which was placed on the site for the Methodist Church, and after this had been in use for a while, in 1911 a wooden structure, 66 feet by 34 feet was built (15). It opened in August 1910.

The opening of the Methodist Church building in Wonthaggi

The Argus August 19, 1910 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/10453986

The Anglicans held their first services in Mr P. Smith's billiard room then in a tent, until the Baptists offered the use of their building for morning services.  The church, built on their alloated spot in the township of Wonthaggi, was opened on June 19, 1910. It was a  wooden structure of  a type familar to all Victorians, and capable of accomodating  100 people and was built by Percy Reynolds of Coburg (16). The Presbyterian Church was opened on January 8, 1911, by the Moderator General of the Presbyterian Church,  Reverend William Stothert Rolland (17).

The Catholic Church and Convent was officially opened on Sunday, March 24, 1912 by the Archbishop Thomas Carr. This was a much grander building than the other churches - The building is on a magnificent site, is flanked by the convent, and is a very solid and durable structure. Its red tile roof and its spire, the cross on the summit of which is decked with electric lights and gives a beautiful effect at night, are the most conspicuous objects in the town from every side at a distance. Within, the building is lofty and roomy, capable of seating 800 persons quite comfortably. It is splendidly lighted day and night, and beautifully finished off (18).

The Catholic Church, Wonthaggi, 1913. Photographer: John Henry Harvey 

State Library of Victoria Image H90.161/301

The Catholic Church was also used as a school, which at the time of its opening had an enrolment of 210 students (19). The Wonthaggi State School had been established November 22, 1909 and a variety of buildings in town were used including both the Baptist and Methodist Churches, a dismanted hay and corn store and a tent (20). The permanent school, a brick building of four rooms, in Billson Street opened March 27, 1911, which was still inadequate and the 'overflow' students had their lessons in the public hall. By the end of 1911 another building of five rooms was completed, however these nine rooms were designed to accomodate 450 students and 660 children were enrolled (21).

One of the benefits of weatherboard Church buildings or as the Reverend Clark called them a  wooden structure of  a type familar to all Victorians (22),was the ease with which they could be transported from one town to another where there was a greater need. Two Churches in Koo Wee Rup are examples of this practical activity. The Presbyterian Church building was originally the Wesleyan Church in Cranbourne and when it was no longer required, it was purchased by the Koo Wee Rup Presbyterians for 70 pounds. This church, designed by Architect Alfred Dunn, had been erected in 1888 and it was transported to Koo Wee Rup on a large trolley drawn by 13 horses and placed on land donated by Christopher Moody. The first service in this building was on March 20, 1896 (23). The Methodist Church (now Uniting) was moved from Yallock to Rossiter Road in 1932. In 1978 this building was moved to a camp in Grantville and a wooden church, the Narre Warren East Uniting Church, was relocated to the site, it was given a brick veneer and a new hall added and opened on February, 3 1980 (24).  The first Church on the Powlett Coal Fields, the Baptist Church, is also a perfect example of this sustainable practice.

Footnotes

(1) The Age, September 22, 1909, see here.

(2) Fahey, Charles Wonthaggi State Coal Mine: a short history of the State Coal Mine and its miners (Conservation Forest and Lands & Wonthaggi Coal Mine Committee, 1987). p. 11.

(3) Fahey,  op. cit., pp 11-13. 

(4) Fahey, op. cit., pp. 13-14.

(5) The Leader, May 7, 1910, see here and The Herald, May 3, 1910, see here.

(6) White, Joseph The History of the Shire of Korumburra (Shire of Korumburra, 1988) Mr White has a chapter on the various coal mines in the Korumburra region, pp. 119-135.

(7) Clark, Albert E  The Church of our Fathers being the history of the Church of England in Gippsland, 1847-1947 (Diocese of Gippsland, 1947)

(8) Clark, op.cit., pp. 259-260.

(9) Clark, op.cit., p. 261.

(10) The Age, May 26, 1910, see here and also reported on in The Argus, May 26, 1910, see here.

(11) It was opened by the Minister for Customs, Frank Tudor (1866-1922), who was also a Deacon of the Congregational Church. You can read his Australian Dictionary of Biography entry, here. The report of the opening of the Church was in The Herald, November 5, 1910, see here.

(12) The Argus, June 20, 1913, see here.

(13) The Argus, June 20, 1913, see here

(14) Benson, C. Irving A Century of Victorian Methodism (Spectator Publishing, 1935)

(15) Benson, op. cit., pp. 476-477.

(16) Clark, op. cit., pp. 260-262.

(17) The Age, January 10, 1911, see here. Read William Stothert Rolland (1846-1920) on the Geelong College website, here.

(18) The Advocate, March 30, 1912, see here.

(19) The Advocate, March 30, 1912, see here.

(20) Reports of the accomodation issues for the school can be found in The Argus, January 24, 1911, see here and  The Age, January 28, 1911, see here and in Blake, L. J (editor) Vision and Realisation: a centenary history of State Education in Victoria,  (Education Department of Victoria, 1973), vol. 3. pp. 1302-1303. 

(21)  Blake, op. cit., pp. 1302-1303. 

(22) Clark, op. cit., p. 262.

(23) Gunson, Niel The Good Country: Cranbourne Shire (F. W. Cheshire, 1968). p.166 and The Mornington Standard, February 20, 1896, see here.

(24) I have written about this and there is also a photo of the Yallock Church being moved, on my Koo Wee Rup Swamp History blog, see here.

Artesian Wells at Sale

I bought this wonderful postcard of the Artesian Well in Sale. It was posted May 21, 1909 and sent to Miss Vera Macfarlan of 223 Fitzroy Street in St Kilda and there is more about Vera at the end of this post. The postcard shows a woman and a little girl in a rather extravagant hat, with her equally well dressed doll. At first I thought these were two girls, but the one on the right has a ring on her wedding ring finger, so I think she is the mother of the little girl. Sadly, I don't know who these lovely people are but I hope they enjoyed their refreshing and health giving drink.

The search for an artesian water source to provide an economical and  consistent water supply was the subject of a report to the Victorian Parliament in April 1857, when the Victorian Geological Surveyor, Alfred R.C. Selwyn, presented his report (1) upon the economical adaptability of the system of Artesian Wells to Victoria, and to furnish a particular enumeration of the localities, if any, therein, in which by that system reasonable hope may be entertained of obtaining a plentiful supply of Fresh Water. You can read the report, here. The use of artesian water was dependent upon the extent of the underground supply, the purity of the water and the ease with which it could be obtained.
Mr Selwyn listed a number of areas where suitable conditions might possibly exist -
1. The Indented Heads and Lake Conneware district.
2. The north and north-eastern side of Western Port Bay.
3. Portions of the east side of Port Phillip Bay extending from Brighton to Point Nepean. 
4. Portions of the country lying between the east shore of Port Phillip Bay and the Koo-Wee-Rup or Great Swamp.
Many parts of Gippsland, and of the basin of the Murray, would also, I should imagine, be districts in which the requisite conditions might be found to exist.

It was over twenty years before the first artesian well was established in Australia and this was at Sale (2).  In March 1879 (3)  John Augustus Niemann (4) struck water at  a depth of sixty feet, near the Turf Hotel (5). The Turf Hotel was located on the south west corner York and  Dawson Streets (6). Mr Neimann  also  received a tender to sink a well at the intersection of Cunninghame and Raymond Streets (7) and at a comparatively small depth he struck a flow of artesian water and the necessary construction with pipes, stand trough and tanks only cost only £280/10/- (8).

In 1880 the Borough of Sale had Niemann put down a bore near the intersection of Raymond and Macalaister Streets. At  a depth of 190' water was struck and rose to 3' above the surface. Drilling continued to a depth of 231', at which point gushed from a pipe 43' in height. The cost of the bore was: for the well 175 pounds; adjusting surface and fence 5 pounds 16 shillings; for stand, horse, trough, four 400 gallon tanks, and pipes for channels and trough, cocks etc, 100 pounds. Total 280 pounds and 10 shillings (9).  A  good supply of water was thus secured, but in time the pipes corroded, the bores became choked and the wells were eventually closed down (10). Our postcard is of this well, located on the corner of Raymond and Macalister Streets (11). The well was described as played out in an article in The Australasian in March 1912 (12).

Artesian Well in Sale. The building behind the well is the Presbyterian Church, which is on the corner of Raymond and Macaliaster Streets. Both these churches are now demolished and the exisiting building on the site was erected in 1956 (13).

Artesian Well in Sale. Photographer: Frederick Cornell. State Library of Victoria Image H87.16/31

The played out well on the corner of Raymond and Macaliaster Streets 

The Australasian March 2, 1912. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/143327643#

In Sale, after this first and other successive wells, a fourth well was sunk near the Railway Yards -  During the year a School of Arts was opened in the upper rooms of the State School, the Victoria Park well commenced to gush its strong-smelling waters, and the enterprising Mr Luke had a well sunk opposite the railway station to supply waters to the public baths (14).  I believe this was in 1884 (15).

When 'The Vagabond', the journalist visited Sale in 1885 he wrote inter alia about the town's abundant supply of artesian water In the gutters there are streams of running water procured from an artesian well sunk by the municipality. Water was struck at a depth of 230ft., and there is now an ample supply. The large tanks in Macalister-street are always filled, from which the citizens can help themselves without stint. Two troughs are also kept brimming over, and the streets thence reticulated (16).

There were issues with artesian water and its use as a household water supply -  the smell, the fact that the bores sometimes brought up sand and this clogged up the pipes and the amount of chemicals in the water had a corrosive effect. Thus in 1888 a water tower was constructed in Sale which supplied the town with water from the Thompson River.  The water supply system and the water tower was designed by engineer, John Grainger (17). This water tower has recently been restored.

The establishment of the town water supply did not stop the construction of artesian wells and in 1905 another well was sunk  in Market Square. This one was not used for a town supply for, although it had a considerable medicinal value, it also carried a strong mineral smell (18). It was reported that this well had a flow of  a million gallons per day and the motive for making this fresh search for artesian water was to fill a swamp, which the drainage of the town ran into, and which in dry seasons was a menace to the health of the public as reported by all the medical men (19).

Artesian well in Market Square, Sale. 

Pictured: Mr. -Joseph Bowman (Supervisor). Mr. Hugh Jenkinson (Expert), Mr. F. A. Pim (Expert), C. Jacobs, M. Laughlan, Mr. K. Keighley (Expert Government Foreman).

Punch August 17, 1905 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/175412051

A sixth well was sunk in 1906 when the Government was induced by the  Council to sink a 238' bore in Victoria Park. To overcome the corrosion problem this bore was lined with Californian red pine. It cost 493 pounds and gave an initial flow of 86, 000 gallons an hour. For generations the overflow of this fountain, to which was attached an iron cup, was directed to the public baths and partly supplied Lake Guthridge (20). The Herald newspaper had a report on Sale - the progressive capital of Gippsland in April 1920 and it had this to say about the Victoria Park well -The present artesian well on the Victoria Park was sunk in April, 1906, by Governmental well experts, assisted by the Mines Department boring plant.... The flow at completion was 80,000 gallons, and after 14 years' running it now discharges 75,000 gallons per day...and is still continuing to flow very freely (21).  The well also supplied a swimming baths which had a year round temperature of 62 degrees Fahrenheit (22).

The Victoria Park well, 1912

The Australasian March 23, 1912  https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/143328730#

The Victoria Park well also filled the swimming baths. The John Grainger designed water tower can be seen behinds the baths.

The Australasian March 23, 1912  https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/143328730#

This is I believe the Victoria Park well. The photo is dated c. 1920.

Photographer: John E. Hoggard. State Library of Victoria Image H98.56/68

There is another aspect to this story of wells in Sale and that is the South African or Boer War Memorial fountain, the foundation stone for which was laid in October 1909 (23) on the south west corner of Macalister and Raymond Streets (24), the same intersection as the well in our post card. It was unveiled by Colonel Foxton on December 4, 1909 and the first drink was given to Mrs Walter Lyons, who had laid the foundation stone (25).  By 1912 the Memorial was in a neglected state and was later moved to a new location on the corner of Foster and York Streets (26).  There are also accounts of artesian wells in the surrounding area at Clydebank (27) however that is another story.

Before I finish I will show you the reverse of the post card - it was sent to Miss Vera Macfarlan of 223 Fitzroy Street in St Kilda. The short note says - Dear Vera, Coming home tomorrow afternoon train arrives at half past ten. Going to Sorrento Tuesday. Norman is a little better. Yours I.Macfarlan.  Vera was born in 1884 to David and Jane (nee Cooper) Macfarlan. She married Peter Francis Smith in 1916, whose wedding notice appears below.  She died in 1959.  She had a brother Norman, born in 1878, so I presume he is the Norman mentioned on the postcard (28). I haven't worked out who I. Macfarlan, who sent the card is.

Vera's wedding announcement to Peter Smith

The Argus February 12, 1916. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2109546

Trove book list
I have created a book list on Trove of articles relating to Artesian wells in Sale, access it here.

Notes
(1) I found out about the Selwyn report in Daley, Charles The Story of Gipplsand (Whitcombe and Tombs, 1960) He writes about it on page 116. Read the Selwyn report, here.
(2) First Artesian Well in Australia - this is reported in The Argus, January 3 1903 in an article by Professor Gregory Artesian Water in Victoria, see here. Professor Gregory say the bore was sunk in 1880. The 1928 Australian Year Book also uses this date. I believe the 1879 date is correct, see note (3).

Artesian Bores around Sale from Year Book Australia, No. 21, 1928, p. 854. 

There is quite a lengthy article on Artesian water in Australia. Access it here

(3) Green, O.S Sale: the early years and later (Southern Newspapers, 1976); p. 42. Mr Green cites the March 1879 date.
(4) John Augustus Niemann. Niemann was the son of John Heinrich Niemann and Margaret Osterman. John snr died in Bendigo at the age of 87 in 1886. The family arrived in Adelaide in 1846 from Germany. They moved to Victoria around 1851, where they operated a boarding house in Maldon and then moved to Bendigo in 1859. They had three sons and one daughter, Lucy. Lucy married Thomas Devine in 1858. Information from the Bendigo Advertiser of June 24, 1886, see here. In 1881, John Augustus Niemann went to South Australia to find sources of artesian water, see here.
(5) Green,  op. cit p. 43
(6) Green  op. cit., p. 147.  The Turf Hotel was demolished in the demolished in the early 1950s.
(7) Green,  op. cit p. 43
(8) Daley, Charles The Story of Gipplsand (Whitcombe and Tombs, 1960), p. 116
(9) Green, op. cit., pp 42, 43.
(10) Daley, op. cit p. 116
(11) I established that well pictured on the postcard was located on the corner of Raymond and Macalister Streets from this photo from the State Library of Victoria. It is the same well. The building in the background is the Sale Hotel, which was located on the corner of Raymond and Macalister Streets (see Sale Licencing Court hearing from 1884, here)

Artesian Well, Sale. It was located on the corner of Raymond and Macalister Streets.  

State Library of Victoria Image  a11411

(12) The Australasian March 2, 1912, see here. This article also has the Frederick Cornell photo and the postcard photo. The article calls it the first artesian well in Sale, I believe it was the second or third one, but that's neither here nor there.

The Australasian March 2, 1912 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article143327643

(13) You can see a photo of the Presbyterian Church in the booklet In pastures green: the story of the Presbyterian Church, Sale, Gippsland, Victoria by Robert Ingpen. It was published in 1954 and the Sate Library has  digitised it, read it here. The photo of the church is on page 29 of the PDF. The information about the 1956 church comes from Mr Green on page 87.
(14) Green,  op. cit p. 43
(15) Green,  op. cit p. 43
(16) The Australasian December 19, 1885, see here. Mr Green quotes 'The Vagabond' on page 43, that's how I found out the visit to Sale.
(17) Sale Water tower - the involvement of John Grainger was listed here. Information on John Grainger can be found here on Culture Victoria. Information and a photo of the restored Sale Water Tower is here.
(18) Green,  op. cit p. 43
(19) Punch August 17, 1905, see here.
(20) Green,  op. cit p. 45
(21) The Herald April 21, 1920, see here.
(22) The Australasian, March 23 1912, see here. 62 degrees Fahrenheit is about 16 degrees Celsius.
(23) Green,  op. cit p. 45. Also - Schmitt, David Remembering and Forgetting the Boer War: the campaign to erect a Boer War Memorial in Sale published in Gippsland Heritage Journal, No. 27, 2008 (Kapana Press).
(24) Green,  op. cit p. 45
(25) Green,  op. cit p. 45 and the Morwell Advertiser, December 10 1909, see here. Mrs Walter Lyon was the wife of the Mayor and she was responsible for raising the funds for the Memorial -  thanks to David Schmitt's article for this information.  Mrs Lyon (nee Elizabeth Ritchie) died in 1921 at the age of 61. You can read her obituary in the Gippsland Times of November 24, 1921, see here. She was an interesting woman.
(26) Schmitt, David Remembering and Forgetting the Boer War: the campaign to erect a Boer War Memorial in Sale published in Gippsland Heritage Journal, No. 27, 2008 (Kapana Press).
(27) Gippsland Times, March 14 1935 see here.
(28) Information from the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages Index and the Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.

Alden family of 'Little London', Tyabb

This delightful postcard of the Queen Victoria Memorial Gardens in Melbourne was sent to Mrs Alden, of 'Little London', Tyabb on August 5, 1913 from Mary Buckley.

Mary wrote - Dear Mrs Alden,

We arrived safe here. Uncle Jack met us at the station. We got here at ten past seven. We are just going out to look for work. I wonder how we shall get on? I don't think work and I will agree, somehow, after the pleasant time at Little London. I give my love to all, 

Yours affectionately, 

Mary Buckley

The Alden family settled in Tyabb in 1901. The family consisted of Albert, his wife Mary (nee Newcombe) and children Albert Allen, known as Bert and Ivy Mary. We are fortunate that Albert Alden was interviewed in the Weekly Times in 1913 (1), 1918 (2)  and 1933 (3) , so we have some interesting sources of information about the family.   Mr Alden had been on a family farm with his father and brothers at Surrey, 7½ miles from London Bridge. The farm grew both fruit and vegetables and twice  a week Albert took the produce into Covent Garden market.  However, due to the ill health of family members Albert and Mary decided to sell their interest in the family farm and move to Australia.

They purchased 150 acres at Tyabb, and called their property, Little London. The land was situated on a nice elevation within a mile of the Tyabb railway station.  The soil consisted of from 12 to 18 inches of friable loam on a substrata of congenial clay (4).  They paid just over £6 and acre for the land which had nine acres of apricot trees planted and the rest was was covered in tree and scrub.  The Aldens spent another £5 per acre to clear 60 acres to establish the orchard (5). It is hard to imagine Tyabb now in a state of natural bush with the original wildlife, but there was an account in the Mornington Standard in May 1902 of Mr Alden's encounter with this wildlife - Some little time ago Mr Alden secured a splendid specimen of iguana, which measured 6ft 3½ in length and 18in in girth. Having captured it in his own paddock he is justly proud of it, and it is now stuffed and preserved in all its naturalness (6).  I wonder what became of this example of the taxidermist's art?

Orchards, of course, take  a long time to establish themselves, thus in the early years the family grew vegetables for an income.  By 1913, the first interview in the Weekly Times, the Aldens were exporting 2,500 cases of fruit, mainly apples and sending another 500 cases to the Melbourne and interstate markets. Twenty years later, in 1933, it was reported that the Aldens during the past season, 3760 cases having been sent abroad, of which more than 3000 cases were apples of the Jonathan, Five Crown, Dunn's (or Munroe's Favorite) and Sturmer varieties, and the remainder Josephine, Packham's Triumph and Broompark pears (7). The Aldens were not the only orchardists who exported their fruit. Fresh produce was a large export earner for Australia at this time, the 1934 Commonwealth Year book reported that in 1932/33 the value of the fresh apples Australia exported to the United Kingdom was £1,676,525; to Germany it was £169, 631 and to Sweden £28,540 (8).

The Tyabb and Somerville area was well known fruit growing area and in the Weekly Times article from 1933 they reported There are about 125 growers within a three-miles radius of that centre [Tyabb], and the latest crop is estimated at 140,000 cases, of which approximately 85 per cent, was apples. Deliveries at the Tyabb co-operative trading and cool stores totalled 56,000 cases (9).

Tyabb Cool Store, c. 1915,  used by the Aldens and other local growers.
The cool store was officially opened April 21, 1914. It is now an Antiques centre.

Image: Somerville Tyabb and District Heritage Society

https://cv.vic.gov.au/stories/a-diverse-state/postcards-stories-from-the-mornington-peninsula/

The three Weekly Times articles go into great detail about the varieties planted and the farming methods adopted by the Aldens, but we wont go into that here, we will have a look at their personal and social life. From the start there are accounts in the local papers of the Alden family partaking in community activities. By 1904, Albert was the President of the Tyabb and Hastings Fruitgrowers Association (10) and in August 1911 he was elected to the Frankston and Hastings Shire Council, defeating the Shire President, Cr H.P. Woodhouse in a surprise result (11).  Arthur was Shire President in 1917 and 1929 (12) and he retired from the Council in 1938. This was the same year his wife Mary died on August 19, at the age of 80.  The local paper reported that Mrs. Alden was an old resident of the district, and was held in high esteem by a large circle of friends (13).  Arthur died June 1, 1951, aged 88.

Their daughter, Ivy Mary had married Arthur Edward Benton, of Clifton Park, Tyabb on September 23, 1915 at All Saints Church at Tyabb. It was a very pretty wedding and the church was beautifully decorated with white roses, double white stocks, lilies and marguerites, and, as the occasion was
favored with beautifully fine weather, a large assembly of relatives and friends turned out to witness the ceremony. The bride was given away by her father and was beautifully attired in white silk, orange blossom wreath, and veil, and carried a shower bouquet of white roses, double white stocks and asparagus fern (14). Arthur was also a farmer and an orchardist and the couple had five children, George, Irene, Len, Edna and Myrtle (15).  Ivy Mary died on June 25, 1962, aged 69.

Arthur and Mary's son, Bert, who was also an orchardist, became a local councillor when he was elected in September 1942. He had married Ruth Unthank (nee Foubister), a widow with one son, Eric, in 1937 (16).  Bert died December 7, 1966 aged 75.  Arthur, Mary, Bert and Ivy Mary are all buried at the Frankston Cemetery (17).

What do we know of Mary Buckley, who sent the original postcard to Mrs Alden after her pleasant time at Little London? Nothing, but I hope that she eventually found work which agreed with her.

Trove list: I have created a list of articles on Trove, connected to the Alden family, you can access it here.

Sources:
(1) Weekly Times April 19, 1913, see here.
(2) Weekly Times December 14, 1918, see here.
(3) Weekly Times September 16, 1933, see here.
(4) Weekly Times April 19, 1913, see here.
(5) Weekly Times April 19, 1913, see here.
(6) Mornington Standard March 10, 1902, see here.
(7) Weekly Times September 16, 1933, see here.
(8) Commonwealth Year Book, 1934.  Copies of the Year book have been digitised from 1908 to 2010 and are available on the Australian Bureau of Statistics website, here.
(9) Weekly Times September 16, 1933, see here.
(10) Mornington Standard, October 22, 1904, see here.
(11) Mornington Standard, August 26, 1911, see here.
(12) Frankston: Resort to City by Michael Jones (Allen & Unwin, 1989)
(13) Frankston & Somerville Standard, August 26, 1938, see here.
(14) Mornington Standard, October 9, 1915, see here.
(15) Children are listed in Arthur's death notice in The Argus of June 12, 1945, see here.
(16) Ruth's first husband Gordon Percy Unthank died July 22, 1932. His death notice was in The Argus July 23, 1932, see here.
(17) Frankston Cemetery has some on-line records  and there are also photos of Albert and Mary's grave; Bert and Ruth's grave and Ivy and Arthur Benton's grave    https://www.australiancemeteries.com.au/vic/frankston/frankston.htm

Albert Drayton's accident - an epic tale of survival and mateship

I bought a postcard of the Melbourne Fire Station, mainly because it was very pretty with the horse shoe of forget-me-not flowers. The post card is addressed to Alice Drayton, Jumbuk, Yinnar, Gippsland. The letter reads -
Dear Alice,
I must send you a few words and tell you that I am back in town now and very happy and busy. I stayed a days [sic] at Trafalgar and had a good with [sic] my uncle. I will send you my photo as soon as I get it taken. How is your brother Albert and all of you. Hope you are all well, as it leaves me. 
M. Blucher.

The message to Alice Drayton

Who were the Draytons? Alice and Albert were the children of  Robert and Mary Drayton. They had married in 1878 and had six children -

Mary Jane  - born 1879 and registered at Yea.  Died at King Parrot Creek in 1879 aged 10 days old.

Ada Caroline Brown - born 1881 at Yea.   Died in South Melbourne in 1883 aged 2 years old.

William Albert  - born in 1883 at Yea.  Married Matilda Henrietta Koenig in 1921. Albert died in Traralgon in 1960,  aged 77;   Matilda Henrietta died in 1979, aged 82. They are both buried at the Hazelwood Cemetery. Matilda was the daughter of John and Annie (nee Cameron) Koenig. John Koenig was born into a German Lutheran family at Harkaway, read about this here. He was also a pioneer of the Jumbuk area, read his obituary, here. 

Ellen Maud (known as Maud) - born 1884 at Yea. Maud married Peter James Jarvie in 1905. Peter was a Boer War Veteran, and sadly took his own life in 1915, at the age of 43, leaving Maud with five young children. Maud married Arthur Cecil Vere Pritchard in 1918; he died in 1936 aged 48. Maud died in Dandenong, in 1950 aged 66. 

Alice Mabel - born in 1887 at Yea.   Died in Dandenong in 1972, aged 85.

Caroline Anne  - born in 1889 at Reedy Creek.   Died in Prahran in 1971,  aged 82.

To finish off the genealogical information - Mary Drayton was born Mary Firth, the daughter of James Firth and Mary Loutett. She had been married in 1867  to James Duff and they had two boys - John Firth Duff born in 1868 and  James Duff, born in 1870. I don't have any information about the fate of James, Mary's husband, but I presume she was a widow when she married Robert Drayton. Mary died in Garfield, in 1925 at the age of 78; Robert also died at Garfield in 1927, aged 79.

The 1903 Electoral Roll has the family living at Yinnar and Robert is listed as a grazier and in the 1909 roll the family are listed at Jumbuk, the address on the postcard. The writer of the card, M. Blucher (of which more later) asks Alice - How is your brother Albert? As it turns out, we can find out how Albert was because on July 3, 1908, Albert had an accident which was reported on in the newspapers. It was an epic tale of survival, community spirit and mateship. The report, transcribed, below, is from the Morwell Advertiser, July 10, 1908 (see here)

Morwell Advertiser, July 10, 1908  https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/65871831?

THE JUMBUK ACCIDENT.

ALBERT DRAYTON CARRIED TO MORWELL. A JOURNEY OF 20 MILES.

As briefly mentioned in our last issue, Albert Drayton and William Langford met with a serious accident whilst engaged felling a huge tree in the hills. Langford, we are pleased to say, has almost recovered from injuries received, but Drayton, who was much more seriously hurt, is still in a critical condition, but is progressing as favorably as can be expected.

It appears that both men were felling a giant tree, about seven feet in diamater, for the purpose of split ting palings out of it. As is customary with these large trees, which enormous butts, a "landing" was fixed some twelve or fourteen feet from the ground. As a general rule these big trees begin to "crack" some minutes before they fall, and men on landings are thereby warned in ample time to reach the ground and stand clear. In this case the tree, which was about a mile from Drayton's home, gave practically no warning. This was due partly to the fact that the cuts on each side were put in above one another so that the tree would fall in a certain direction, and the tree was really cut through before it gave any warning of falling. A slight crack was heard, and on looking up the men saw that the tree was falling, and then jumped for their lives. In all probability they would have escaped injury, but for the fact that soon after starting to fall the tree crashed into the top of another, tree threw it back on the men. The head of the tree, which was broken off by the collision, came down where the men were standing, and it is a marvel they were not killed on the spot. Both men state that they fully expected to be killed, and can scarcely account for their escape, as huge limbs and large pieces of wood that came crashing down are strewn all over the ground where they were.

Langford believes that the axe handle which he held in both hands above his head saved him and partly turned off a limb that struck him on the head. Drayton fell once and on getting to his feet again was struck by a huge limb across the hips and pinned against another log. Fortunately Langford, who was in a very dazed and injured condition, was able with much difficulty to get the log off his mate, and call for help. Albert lay in a helpless state, but was quite conscious. His father, brother and sister were soon on the spot, and assisted by Langford, they carried him home on a mattress placed on a door. Dr M'Lean was summoned, but as the night was dark and roads bad, it was some hours after the accident before the doctor was able to treat the injured men. On examination, the doctor found that Langford had escaped with a few severe bruises and shock, but Drayton was badly crushed across the lower portion of back; the pelvis was broken, hip joint fractured, and he was otherwise seriously injured. 

Subsequently Dr McLean (Morwell) and Dr. McLean (Traralgon) held a consultation in
connection with the case, and it was resolved that the injured man should be carried on a stretcher into Morwell, being in too critical a condition to stand the journey in a vehicle. This meant a great undertaking as the distance to Morwell was twenty miles, and the road in a bad state. The recommendation was, however, no sooner made than there were ample volunteers for the arduous
task. A stretcher was procured from Morwell on Monday, and early on Tuesday morning practically all the men in Jumbuk and Jeeralang were at Drayton's home ready to render wholehearted service. 

Dr. McLean visited the patient on Monday and remained with him all night and prepared him for the journey next morning. A start was made at ten o'clock, there being nearly forty men present, and carrying the injured man in relays of six they set out on the trying journey. Steady rain was falling, and the road was muddy and slippery, but nevertheless splendid progress was made, the "team" being changed at frequent intervals. Dr. McLean accompanied the "caravan" most of the way as it was thought possible the injured man, may collapse during the way and the doctor's services would be required. Fortunately such was not the case, which was no doubt due to the great care exercised throughout the journey by the bearers of the stretcher. At Billy's Creek ford which was running strong, two of the strongest men took the stretcher, and with boots off, waded across the stream without a mishap.

The party arrived at Miss Townsend's private hospital, Morwell, at five o'clock, the journey having been accomplished in seven hours, which is considered excellent time considering the state of the country passed through. The men have to be congratulated upon their efforts and there is something about their actions that one might call "practical Christianity" that cannot be too highly commended. We understand that Drayton is now progressing favourably, and the doctor has every hope of his recovery. (Morwell Advertiser, July 10, 1908, see here)

We came across this postcard addressed to Albert Drayton, No. 1 Ward, Melbourne Hospital, City. It is just a classic postcard - the writing on the front at the bottom left says I believe this gum leaf came from Jumbuk - well I think it says that. Albert may have been in the hospital for further treatment related to his accident.

The postcard reads - Morwell 4-6-09 Was surprised to hear you had gone to town. Hope you will soon be quite well again. Am laid up myself with poisoned foot. Will be glad when over and I get about again. Sincerely yrs [yours] K. Sheen. There is a Kathleen Bertha Sheen listed at Morwell in the 1909 Electoral Roll.

The tale of Albert Drayton became part of the folklore of the area and the story was revived in 1942 in the Morwell Advertiser as part of their Harking Back column written by E.L. Vary, J.P. There is a description of the accident, along the lines of the report transcribed, above, and Mr Vary ends with
I cannot remember the names of all these men but amongst them were W. A. Young, Christie Kleine, Jim Duff, Geo. Firth and W. Gow. He, was taken to Miss Townsend's hospital, then situated in Commemcial Road, where he spent many months and now Albert, though not the powerful man he was, is like Johnnie Walker, "Still going strong," (Morwell Advertiser,  October 1, 1942, see here).  It is interesting to see the names of some of the men who helped Albert out - Jim Duff would be his half brother and George Firth is no doubt another relative, perhaps a cousin on his mother's side.

We know Albert married Matilda Koenig in 1921, I don't know if they had any children. Albert was involved in the Jumbuk Rifle Club, in fact he was stilling winning competitions at rifle clubs when he was 66 years old (see here).  According to the Electoral Rolls, they spent most of their married life on the farm in Jumbuk. They had the misfortune of having their hay shed, buggy shed, separator room and pig-stye destroyed by fire in 1922 (see here). As for Alice, she never married and by 1949 was living at 29 Scott Street in Dandenong with her sister Caroline. She must have kept the post card all her life, then after her death in 1972 it was obviously kept by someone else - maybe a niece or nephew until 2020 when it found it's way to EBay.

Who is M. Blucher, the writer of our postcard? The 1909 Electoral Rolls have a family of Bluchers living at Jumbuk that year - Augusta, Frederick, Herbert, John, John Jnr, Margaret Frances, Margaret Frances (she is listed twice) and Sophia. I believe our writer is almost certainly connected to this family. In 1908,  Jane and William Blucher (incorrectly spelt as Bloucher) were listed in the Electoral Roll at Trafalgar - he was  a farmer. William is possibly the uncle that the writer stayed with at Trafalgar. That's as close as I can get to identifying M. Blucher.

I have created  a list of articles on Trove on Albert Drayton, his accident and his family and connections, access it here.

Ten Best Citizens of Victoria 1905

I was given this post card by a friend, Isaac, who is a collector of postcards.  It shows one of the Ten Best Citizens of Victoria and I wanted to know who the other 'best' citizens were and so naturally I went to Trove to find out. It turns out that the competition in The Herald took place in 1905 with the voting closing on May 29, so this was two years before this postcard was sent (more about that at the end of this post)

The Weekly Times of June 3, 1905 had the results of the poll -

The results of the Ten Best Citizens poll

Weekly Times June 3, 1905 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/222767399#

Here's a summary of who these people are -
Sir John Madden  John Madden (1844-1918)  lawyer, member of the Legislative Assembly, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and Lieutenant Governor of Victoria. You can read more about him here, in the Australian Dictionary of Biography (ADB). I have recently acquired the John Madden postcard.

Sir John Madden postcard, sent to Miss MacMeikan, Newlands, Apsley. 

Postmarked Apsley September 1, 1905. 

Janet, Lady Clarke  Lady Clarke (1851 - 1909) was born Janet Snodgrass and married William Clarke (1831 - 1897) in 1873. They lived at Rupertswood in Sunbury and Clivenden in East Melbourne. Her entry (see here)  in the ADB said her enthusiasm and drive made her a vigorous supporter of philanthropic, cultural, educational and political movements. Janet Clarke Hall at Melbourne University, founded in 1889 to house female university students, is named after her.

Mr T. Bent, M.L.A  Sir Thomas Bent (1838 - 1909)  Premier of Victoria February 1904 to January 1909 - revered by some, reviled by others - read about him in the ADB here.

Sir George Turner, M.P  Sir George Turner (1851 - 1916) Premier of Victoria September 1894 to December 1899. He was later elected to the Federal Parliament and became the Federal Treasurer. His ADB entry is here.

Miss Sutherland  Selina Murray Sutherland (1839 - 1909)  worked with neglected children and established, amongst other organizations,  the Neglected Children's Aid Society and  the Society in Aid of Maternity Hospital Patients.  Her entry (see here) in the ADB, written by Ruth Hoban, rates her contribution to society with that of Caroline Chisholm.

Rev. A. R. Edgar  Alexander Robert Edgar (1850 - 1914)  The Reverend Edgar is the subject of our postcard - he was a Methodist Minister and social reformer. he was the superintendent of the Central Methodist Mission at Wesley Church and involved in the anti-sweating movement and fought against the exploitation  of workers. How glad I am that I have his postcard, the Reverend Edgar is, along with Miss Sutherland, my favourite people from this list. Read his ADB entry here.

Mr W. H Irvine, M.L.A  Sir William Hill Irvine (1858 - 1943)  Premier of Victoria  from June 1902  - February 1904. Read about him, here.

Sir Samuel Gillot,  M.L.A  Sir Samuel Gillott (1838 - 1913) Lord Mayor of Melbourne and member of the Legislative Assembly - read his ADB entry, here.

Mr A Deakin, M.P  Sir Alfred Deakin (1856 - 1919) Prime Minister on three occasions - 1903-1904, 1905-1908, 1909-1910. Read his ADB entry, here.

Mr George Coppin  George Selth Coppin (1819 - 1906)  Actor, theatre manager and owner, Richmond City Councillor, Member of the Legislative Council. Read more about him in the ADB here.

These photos of Ten Best Citizens of Victoria appeared in The Herald on June 1, 1905.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/242193605#

The postcard was sent on March 25, 1907 to Mrs R. Moore of Glenferrie Road in Malvern, by Charlie. This is what Charlie wrote - Another for your collection. I suppose by this time your new album will be getting a bit weighty. Trust you and Uncle Dick are well. I am just the glassy. My album is nearly full. I forgot to get Olive Ebbott's ad from you, if I get it I'll have  a lark. Love from Charlie.

So what can we discover from this card?  Charlie was the nephew of Dick or Richard Moore of Glenferrie Road and  both he and his aunt collected postcards. The Electoral Roll of 1905 has a Richard Inghley Moore and Sara Isabel Moore at 61 Glenferrie Road, Malvern - his occupation was a confectioner. According to the Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages Richard married Jane Lewis in 1876, she died in 1899 and he then remarried in 1903 to Sara Isabel Potts (born 1866).
Richard died in 1930, aged 76 and I can't work out when Sara died.

The Australasian  July 18, 1903

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article138688343

I do not have any other information about Charlie. He mentioned 'Olive Ebbott's ad'  Olive Ebbott  (born 1885) is in the 1908 Electoral Roll at 72 Union Street, Malvern with a Leslie and a Reginald Ebbott who, I believe, are her brothers. Next door at 82 Union Street are  Elizabeth (nee Temby) and Phillip Ebbott - her parents. Phillip Ebbott was a wood dealer, so did the ad concern a job or perhaps Olive took in boarders? I don't know. You can read about the Ebbott family in the Malvern Historical Society Newsletter from April 2007 - access it here. It also has some photographs of the family.