Henri Rintel - hotel keeper, farmer and the Secretary of the Warragul Hospital

This is the story of Henri Rintel - hotel keeper, farmer and the Secretary of the Warragul Hospital from 1907 until 1922.

Henri Rintel, born in 1856, was the fifth of nine children of Moses Rintel, Melbourne's first ordained Rabbi (1)  and his wife Elvina Hart (2).  Moses Rintel, born in Edinburgh, Scotland had arrived in Sydney in 1844 where he served the Sydney Congregation as  the Principal of the Hebrew School (3).  In January 1849, he was appointed as the Reader of the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation (4).  In 1857 he established the Mikveh Israel Melbourne Synagogue (5). The Congregation built a Synagogue on the corner of Exhibition Street and Little Lonsdale Street in 1859. I have written about this building, here.  In 1877 they built a new Synagogue in Albert Street, East Melbourne (6) which is still in use.

All I know about Henri's early days was that he was keen singer with a promising baritone voice (7).  Henri established an independent life for himself from the age of twenty when he applied for a grant of land, 23 acres,  in Lardner, off Lardner's Track, near Warragul (8). The next year he leased a store at Lardner situated on three acres (9) and he purchased it in 1878 (10).  Sadly in June 1879, his store was destroyed by fire (11). It was rebuilt and destroyed again by fire in February 1881 (12).  It was Henri's burnt store that gave its name to Burnt Store Road in Lardner (13).

Henri Rintel

Image: Buln Buln: a history of Buln Buln Shire  by Graeme Butler (Shire of Buln Buln, 1979) 

Some time after this Henry left Gippsland for the Western District were he took over the Excelsior Store with a Mr Fryberg in January 1886 (14).  Fryberg and Rintel sold Drapery, Millinery, Haberdashery, Clothing, Boots, Grocery, Ironmongery, Crockery, Tinware and Stationery (15).  Graeme Butler in his history of the Shire of Buln Buln, says that Rintel and Fryberg had opened a general store business  in 1881 at the corner of Shaw and Grant Tracks (16) - the business included an agency for the Singer Sewing Machine (17).  As business partners they also moved onto Camperdown, which was a short-lived venture. Their partnership was to dissolve in October 1886 (18).

Before we look at what Henri did next, we will have  a look at Mr Fryberg. In 1885, Henri and S.L Fryberg are listed as Officers of the King Solomon Lodge, No. 422 - Henri as the Worshipful Master and Fryberg as the Senior Warden (19).  It was not surprising that Henri was a Freemason as his father, Moses, was also a member, having joined a Lodge in Sydney in 1847 and later, was also a Member of the King Solomon Lodge, No. 422 (20). A Solomon Fryberg is also listed in the membership list of the Lodge (21) and a Solomon Leo Fryberg died in St Kilda in 1940, aged 83 (22).  I believe this is the man who was Henri's business partner.

Advertisement for Fryberg and Rintel, Camperdown

Camperdown Chronicle, February 10 1886 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/22097153

After Camperdown, Henri took over as licensee of the Royal Mail Hotel on the Poowong Road for  a year from 1889 (23).  In 1890 he filed for bankruptcy, his occupation at this time was listed in reports as a store keeper of Jeetho (24).  Also in 1890 Henri married a widow, Jane Manning, and became an instant father to Jane's five children and their own son Horace, born in 1891, but more about his family life later.

In 1896 Henri was back into the hotel business and had the license of the Toolangi House Hotel (25). It was Henri that gave the hotel it's rather prosaic name, it had previously been called the 'Ye Olde Englishe Inne' (26). The Hotel was located on 220 acres and had 30 rooms (27).  Henri became involved with community life in Toolangi and was the Secretary of the Yarra Glen to Toolangi Railway League (28). We can place Henri and Jane at Toolangi until January 1901, when a clearing sale was held at the Hotel. Interestingly the clearing sale was advertised in Mrs Rintel's name, not that of Henri (29).  The Rintel family were given a social evening before leaving the district (30).

Toolangi House Hotel, owned by Henri and Jane Rintel

Toolangi House - Yea River Photographer: John Henry Harvey

State Library of Victoria Image H90.161/106

Henri and family returned to the Warragul area and Henri became involved in community life as the President of the Warragul Progress Association (31). Henri and Jane operated a dairy farm at Warragul South where they had success with the Alderney breed.  In fact, he considered the Alderney the best cow for West Gippsland (32). The Rintels retired from dairy farming in 1905 and a clearing sale was held and again it was advertised in Mrs Rintel's name, who is giving up dairying (33).  Mrs Rintel was a widow, so was the Toolangi Hotel and the Warragul farm purchased with 'her' money or was the fact that Henri had been made a bankrupt meant that he couldn't have or didn't want property in his name?

In 1907, Henri became the Secretary of the Warragul Hospital (34).  At the time it was a private hospital but on August 5, 1908 it opened as public hospital. There were naturally a number of speeches on the opening day and the President of the Narracan Shire, Cr Mahony, congratulated the committee on the work of their energetic secretary (Mr Rintel.) He deserved great credit for the manner in which he had maintained his enthusiasm and energy in working to make the project such a great success (35). The President of the Hospital Committee, Mr D. McNeil said that The committee also felt exceedingly grateful to the ladies who had inaugurated the kitchen fund (Mrs Rintel and Miss Manning) for the splendid service which they had rendered to the finances of the institution (36). 

This is now the time to take a look at Henri's family. He married, as we said, Jane Manning (nee Herity) in 1890. The wedding took place at Sale on February 25 by the Registrar of Marriages, so it was not a religious service (37).  Jane's first husband, Charles had died in 1888, when she was only 28 leaving her with five children, Charles Henty, Jane Eliza, Agnes Ellen, John Henry and Robert Francis (38). Henri and Jane were to have one child, Horace Lisle, who was born in Clunes on August 26, 1891 (39).

As a matter of interest, there was a report in Punch (40) of Henri's step-daughter's marriage. Jane wed Ernest Henry Jones, at the Catholic Presbytery in Warragul in 1910 (40).  The bride was given away by Horace, her half-brother.  The reception was held at the  Railway Hotel and a toast was made by  Mr Snowball, Grand Master of the Loyal Orange Lodge of Victoria. The report noted that both the Groom's father, Charles Jones,  and the Bride's step-father, Henri Rintel were Past Masters of the Grand Order of Freemasons. It was no wonder that the paper said that the wedding possessed some unique features (41) with that mixture of  Catholicism, the Protestant Loyal Orange Lodge and the Freemasons.

Henri's only biological son, Horace, married Gwendolyn Morey at Christ Church in St Kilda on November 17, 1916 (42).  Horace was a teacher, having graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Melbourne University and a Diploma of Teaching (43).  He enlisted in the A.I.F on July 20, 1915 and spent over a year assisting with training recruits. Horace was promoted to Lieutenant and embarked for overseas service on November 23, 1916, a few days after his wedding. He served in the 23rd Reinforcements, 8th Battalion and was sadly Killed In Action in Belgium on September 20, 1917 (44).

Horace Rintel is honoured on the Warragul War Memorial 

Unfortunately Horace's death did not bring the family together - there is a letter on his file at the National Archives from his wife Gwendolyn and one from Henri. The issue seemed to be where Horace's medals should go - Gwendolyn said that she had not been treated fairly by her husband's family. Henri wrote that Horace was secretly married unknown to any member of his family and that since his death Gwendolyn had treated them with callous indifference and if she received any medals then she would appreciate them for their monetary value only. The letters were written in 1921 and the eventual decision was the British War Medal and the Memorial scroll would go to the widow and the Victory Medal and Memorial Plaque would go to Henri (45).

I cannot tell you why Horace and Gwendolyn got married without telling the family. I don't know how they met, Gwendolyn was a 22 year old teacher and living in St Kilda at the time of the marriage (46).  Gwendolyn was Principal of Faireleight School, in Alma Road, St Kilda from 1919 until 1923 and after Faireleight closed she took up a position at Toorak College (47). She never remarried and died in 1966 at the age of 72 (48).  Horace had been teaching at Ballarat Grammar School when he enlisted and in December 1921, the school named a racing boat after him. The Head Master was reported as saying that  it was fitting that the boat should be named 'H. L. Rintel’ in memory of one who as master here in our earliest days, did so much good both in and out of school amongst the boys with whom he worked, and who afterwards gave his life for his country. The report goes on to say that on the day of the boat race the new boat was christened by Mrs Rintel in the presence of a large number of spectators (49).  Horace is remembered on two Great War Memorials -  The Memorial Gates at Ballarat Grammar, which were dedicated in May 1924 (50) and the Warragul War Memorial.

Horace's half brother, Charles Manning, was also Killed in Action, on July 7, 1915 at Gallipoli. Another half brother, John, died on August 31, 1919 at the age of 36. John has also enlisted in the A.I.F, but was discharged on medical grounds (Cardiac irregularities) (51).  Perhaps that is why Jane and Henri fought so hard for Horace's medals as they already felt they had lost so much. Jane died in Kerang on December 18, 1921 (52).  Henri had also been at Kerang, where they were living with their daughter, Jane Eliza Jones. He had to reluctantly relinquish his position as Secretary of the Hospital due to ill health, but he decided to return to Warragul to spend his last days (53).

This is the Warragul Hospital as Henri would have known it.

Image: The Path of Progress: from forests of yesterday to homes of to-day by Hugh Copeland (Shire of Warragul, 1934) Photographer: H. S. Reeves.  The image has been cropped.

Henri had many visits from his old friends and his Masonic brethren raised money for a tricycle for Henri to help him get around. This was reported in the West Gippsland Gazette where Mr. Rintel said he could not thank them as he would wish. The loss of his only son at the war, followed by the death of his sister, and then his wife, had left him feeling very desolate at times, and this spontaneous act of kindness and remembrance was like a ray of sunshine in the gloom (54).

His Masonic friends were not his only visitors, Hugh Copeland, in his history of the Shire of Warragul, says that Henri was a friend of Sir John Monash, and 'the little doctor' (Dr Maloney, M.H.R.), who visited him in hospital before he died there (55).

We will return to the West Gippsland Gazette for their final tribute to Henri Rintel who died on Saturday, March 3, 1923 - Death of Mr Rintel - Impressive Masonic Service - Many friends throughout this district will regret to learn of the death on Saturday night, at the Warragul District Hospital, of Mr. Henri Rintel, the late secretary of that institution. For many years he held that post, until failing health compelled him to relinquish it, and he went north to Kerang to join his family. As he did not improve, he felt a keen desire to return to his favorite institution, and after several months of weary illness, he passed away on Saturday night. It is not too much to say that the late secretary was one of the original founders of the Warragul District Hospital in 1908, and it was he who did all the original organising work in converting the private institution into a public district hospital. For many subsequent years he filled the position of secretary and collector, and it is largely due to his untiring energy and his unbounded enthusiasm that the institution was placed on such a substantial foundation, and has been the means of untold blessing and relief to thousands of sufferers in the intervening years. Surely one could hardly conceive or wish for a more beautiful and enduring memory than this to know that one's constant efforts had been usefully directed to the benefit and blessing of his fellow men and women. Now the work is over, and the realisation of what he has been able to do should contribute to that serenity and peace of soul which is to be so earnestly desired.

The funeral took place yesterday morning, the cortege leaving the Masonic Hall - where full Masonic honors were accorded the deceased shortly after 11 o'clock the service at the grave was conducted by the Rev. P. W Robinson, and the beautiful and impressive ritual of the Masonic Order was read by Bro. Cromie, W.M. and participated in by a number of the brethren of the Gippsland Forest Lodge (56).

Henri's unmarked grave at the old Warragl Cemetery.

Henri's funeral, which took place on Monday, March 5,  was conducted by the Anglican Minister and so I wondered if Henri still had a connection to his Jewish faith. Jane was not Jewish, thus Horace was not Jewish: his enlistment papers have his religion as Church of England. We know that Henri did not have  a religious wedding. There are two references to Henri's Jewishness in The Path of Progress, a history of Warragul, published in 1934. One reference refers to him as a well-known Jewish character (57) and another reference describes Henri as a Jew, with a fund of Yiddish anecdotes (58).  The Hebrew Standard of Australasia, a Sydney paper did report on August 25, 1922 that Mr. Henri Rintel, one of the surviving sons of the late Rev. M. Rintel is an inmate of the hospital at Terang (59). Apart from getting the town wrong, it was Kerang not Terang, they did consider that one of the sons of Melbourne's first Rabbi was still of interest to the Jewish community.  I believe that in spite of the funeral being conducted by the Anglican Minister that Henri never converted to Christianity and reading the funeral report it seems that the most prominent feature of the service was the Masonic component. Rabbi Moses Rintel, was a dedicated member of the Freemasons and held the position of the Very Worshipful Provincial Grand Chaplin for fifteen years and Henri's dedication to the Freemasons was as enduring as that of his father (60).

Henri is buried at the Warragul Cemetery in an unmarked grave, but he is remembered in the town by Rintel Court. Rintel Court is off Landsborough Road and is close to where Henri's fine homestead  was located (61).   It is also a few 100 metres from the Warragul Hospital, the  institution that he worked tirelessly for as the Secretary for over fifteen years and where he passed away.

Rintel Court, Warragul

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Trove list
I have created  a list of newspaper articles on Henri Rintel and his family, you can access it here.

Sources
(1) Moses Rintel (1823-1880) - You can read his entry in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, here. Rabbi  Moses' appointment is also discussed in length in The Jews in Victoria in the  Nineteenth Century by Lazarus Morris Goldman, published by the Author in 1954.
(2) Moses Rintel and Elvina Hart (1823-1904) married on August 22, 1849. She was the daughter of John and Isabella (nee Levy) Hart. They had nine children Henri John (1850-1850), Isabella (1851-1921), Myer (1853-1914), Edward (1854-1913), Henri (1856-1923), Simeon (1858-1919), Walter (1859-1925), Adelaide (1862-1916) and Sarah (1867-1893).
(3) Goldman, Lazarus Morris The Jews in Victoria in the  Nineteenth Century (The Author, 1954) p. 62.
(4) Goldman, op. cit., p. 62.
(5) Goldman, op. cit., Chapter 12 - A New Congregation.
(6)  Goldman, op. cit., pp 250, 251.
(7) The Leader, December 24, 1875, see here.
(8) Butler, Graeme Buln Buln: a history of Buln Buln Shire (Shire of Buln Buln, 1979) p. 211.
(9) Buter, op. cit., p. 210.
(10)  Butler, op. cit., p. 210.
(11)  Butler, op. cit., p. 210.
(12)  Butler, op. cit., p. 210.
(13)  Butler, op. cit., p. 210. Also mentioned in Copeland, Hugh The Path of Progress: from forests of yesterday to homes of to-day  (Shire of Warragul, 1934) on page 434,
(14) Camperdown Chronicle, January 23 1886, see here.
(15) Camperdown Chronicle, February 10, 1886, see here.
(16)  Butler, op. cit., p. 211. Not really sure where the intersection of Shaw and Grant Track is.
(17)  Butler, op. cit., p. 211.
(18)  The Argus, October 27, 1886, see here.
(19) Jewish Herald, December 11, 1885  see here.
(20) Members of the early Australian Lodges can be found on Ancestry, where the Ireland, Grand Lodge of Freemasons of Ireland Membership Registers, 1733-1923 and the United Grand Lodge of England Freemason Membership Registers, 1751-1921 have been digitised.
(21) Henri and Solomon Fryberg are both registered in the King Solomon Lodge, No. 422 on May 1, 1881. See Note 20, above.
(22) Index to Victorian Birth, Deaths and Marriages, https://www.bdm.vic.gov.au/
(23) Warragul Guardian, May 9 1890, see here.
(24) The Age, September 27, 1890, see here.
(25) Lilydale Express January 8, 1897, see here.
(26) Lilydale Express January 8, 1897, see here.
(27) Lilydale Express, April 3, 1896, see here.
(28) Healesville Guardian, May 12, 1899   see here.
(29) Evelyn Observer, January 11, 1901, see here.
(30) Healesville and Yarra Glen Guardian, January 18 1901, see here.
(31) West Gippsland Gazette, February 14, 1905, see here.
(32) West Gippsland Gazette, August 25, 1903, see here.
(33) West Gippsland Gazette, November 7, 1905, see here.
(34) West Gippsland Gazette, July 2, 1907, see here. This is the first reference I can find if Henri being listed as Secretary.
(35)  West Gippsland Gazette, August 11, 1908, see here. Comprehensive report of the opening and the work required to bring the old building up to scratch.
(36)  West Gippsland Gazette, August 11, 1908, see here.
(37) This information comes from the Marriage certificate.
(38)  Jane's children with her first husband, Charles Manning, come from the Victorian and New South Wales Indexes to the Births, Deaths and Marriages.
(39) This information comes from Horace's Birth certificate.
(40) Punch, January 13, 1910, see here.
(41) Punch, January 13, 1910, see here.
(42)  This information comes from the Marriage Certificate.
(43)  West Gippsland Gazette, January 5, 1915, see here.
(44)  National Archives of Australia - First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920  see Horace's file here
(45) National Archives of Australia - First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920  see Horace's file and the letters from his wife and father here
(46)  This information comes from the Marriage Certificate.
(47)  The Argus, November 19, 1923, see here.
(48)  Index to Victorian Birth, Deaths and Marriages, https://www.bdm.vic.gov.au/
(49)  Ballarat Star, December 17, 1921, see here.
(50)  Ballarat Star, May 5, 1924, see here.
(51) National Archives of Australia - First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920
(52)  Her death notice was in The Argus, December 20, 1921, see here.
(53)  West Gippsland Gazette, March 6, 1923, see here.
(54)  West Gippsland Gazette, February 7, 1922, see here. The sister he refers to is Isabella Rintel (Mrs Abraham Stern) who died February 3, 1921.
(55) Copeland, Hugh The Path of Progress: from forests of yesterday to homes of to-day  (Shire of Warragul, 1934),  p. 435. Sir John Monash - Engineer and General, read his Australian Dictionary of Biography entry, here. Dr Maloney is William Robert Maloney - Doctor, Politician and Humanitarian, read his Australian Dictionary of Biography here.
(56)  West Gippsland Gazette, March 6, 1923, see here.
(57) Copeland, op. cit p. 38.
(58) Copeland, op. cit., p. 435.
(59) Hebrew Standard of Australasia, August 25, 1922, see here.
(60) Jewish Herald, September 10, 1880, see here.
(61) Copeland, op. cit., p. 18.

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.

Mary Jane Gardner, Furrier, of Watten Villa St Kilda

Early in 1877 Mrs Mary Jane Gardner took up residence at Watten Villa in Park Road (1) in St Kilda. This was  a detached villa, about twenty rooms, containing every convenience (2).

Advertisement for the newly constructed Watten Villa.

The Argus December 16, 1876  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5912568

She lived there with her four children - ten year old Mary Jane, eight year old Alice, six year old Charles and four year old William (3). The enterprising Mrs Gardner operated two businesses from this commodious villa - a boarding house and a Furrier showroom and workroom.

Mrs Gardner's advertisement seeking boarders

The Herald May 11, 1877  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article244265798

It was through Mrs. Gardner's boarding house business that I first came across the English actress,
Emily Soldene who stayed here whilst her Repertory Troupe was playing at the Prince of Wales Opera House in Melbourne. Emily later wrote about her time in Melbourne we lived at St. Kilda, at Mrs. Gardiner's [sic] and she described Watten as  - a long, low house of one storey, built on piles, with a broad passage running down the centre, and ten or twelve rooms opening off on each side (4). You can read more about Emily Soldene, here.

Mrs Gardner's advertisement for her Furrier business at Watten Villa.

The Argus April 17, 1878  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article244519053

Mrs Gardner was also a talented furrier, who advertised that she was a Royal Warrant holder - 'by appointment to the Duke of Edinburgh.' Prince Alfred, the Duke of Edinburgh (1844 - 1900) who was the second son of Queen Victoria and had purchased some of her furs. The Herald of April 11, 1877 had an article on the rising popularity of furs due to the advent to England of a royal bride from Russia, where the use of warm furs is found so necessary and convenient, caused recently, an unbounded run upon furs by English ladies.....This fashionable mania for furs extended, of course, to these colonies, where the latest fashions in London and Paris are closely watched and quickly assumed (5). The Russian Royal bride was the Grand Duchess Marie of Russia, the daughter Tsar Alexander II  who married Prince Alfred in 1874.

The article continues As an instance of the favor which furs at present find in the eyes of Melbourne ladies, it may be mentioned that, within the last few days, Mrs Gardner, of Watten Villa, Park road, St. Kilda, has made, to the order of the lady of an eminent physician in Collins street east, a large seal jacket, which cost no less than 130 guineas. We have seen this beautiful and costly garment, and must say it is most creditable as an article of Victorian manufacture, and would do credit to any London house. The jacket is trimmed with sable tails -which alone are valued at 100 guineas -and lined with black silk. It will readily be understood that Mrs Gardner, having manufactured articles which have been worn by Her Majesty the Queen and Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, has been well qualified to execute such an extraordinary order as that which she has just completed. During one of his visits to these colonies, His Royal Highness, the Duke of Edinburgh selected at Mrs Gardner's establishment, which was then in Collins street west, articles of fur, as presents to Her Majesty the Queen, and the Princess of Wales, to the value of £300. 

At Watten Villa there is to be seen a perfect museum of beautiful articles manufactured from the skins of the dingo, native bear, and other Australian animals. The presents which His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh brought home to his Royal Mother and sister-in-law were designed as specimens of Australian natural products, utilised for fashionable attire. Articles made from the dyed skin of the opossum are very much worn in Victoria, and are elegant and expensive. Mrs Gardner's stock includes articles composed of the skins of the skunk, beaver, squirrel, ermine, silver fox, red fox, chinchilla grebe and many other animals; which are turned into jackets, handmuffs, coirnrettea, victorines and so forth. Some of the furs, both native and foreign, shown at Watten Villa are extremely beautiful, and well worthy the inspection of the streams of fashionable ladies that constantly pour into that beautiful villa on the St Kilda beach (5). 

It would appear from the article that Mrs Gardner's business was a profitable one, however according to the City of St Kilda Rate books (6) she is only listed at Watten Villa for 1877. Now is the time to go back to the start of Mrs Gardner's life to see the path that took her to Watten Villa. She was born in Bris in Lancashire in England in January 1833 to Richard and Sarah (nee Axil) Hamer and married William Eddleston in May 1851. They at least one child, a daughter Sarah Ann in 1855. William died in August 1855. All these events occurred in Lancashire (7). The next we find of Mary Jane is that she marries 44 year old Frederick Gardner in Westbury, in Tasmania (8).  Frederick was a furrier and Mary Jane worked with him and learnt the business (9). When Mary Jane arrived in Tasmania and how they meet I cannot tell you.

Frederick was a  furrier of some note according to this article in The Herald of February 15, 1864
A few days ago we examined a quantity of rugs, carriage mats, etc, prepared and dressed by Mr H. Gardner, furrier, 66 Collins street, from furs principally obtained from various Tasmanian animals, including the black opossum, the native cat, the tiger cat, etc. These furs are very much superior to anything of the kind in Victoria, and many of them compare favourably with the Canadian furs. Mr Gardner has carried on the business of a furrier in Launceston for many years, and has recently opened the above establishment, he contemplates offering in the coming winter season a very beautiful selection of furs, for ladies and children's wear (10).

The Great Hall of the Intercolonial Exhibition. Both Frederick and Mary Jane Gardner had displays of fur products at this Exhibition.

Artist: Arthur Charles Cooke. Engraver: Frederick Grosse.

Published in Australian News for Home Readers on October 26, 1877  State Library of Victoria Image IAN27/10/66/8-9

http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/237846

Frederick also exhibited at the Intercolonial Exhibition held in Melbourne October 24, 1866 until February 23, 1867. The Exhibition showcased the arts, agriculture and industry of the various Australian colonies and New Zealand and was visited by over 270,000 people in the four months that it was open (11). You can see the full catalogue of the Exhibition, here.  Frederick's exhibition in the 'Animal products' class was listed as a Trophy of Australian opposum rugs and ladies furs. His exhibit won the prize medal in his class for a superior and choice collection of manufactured colonial furs for ladies' wear, and for the general excellence in preparation and workmanship of the black, grey, and ring tailed opossum, cat-skin, and emu rugs. Mary Jane also had an  Honourable mention is also due to Mrs. Gardner for an elaborate and interesting birdskin table cover (12). 

The Intercolonial Exhibition medal, which was perhaps given to Frederick Gardner for his prize winning display of furs.

The medal was designed and modelled by Charles Summers, who created the Burke and Wills statue (13).   The design represents Victoria, receiving her six sisters, who each bring some contribution peculiar to the industries of the several colonies represented on the occasion.

The Australian News for Home Readers, March 20, 1867  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63170725

The couple had the four children Mary Jane, Alice, Charles and William, born between 1866 and 1873; however in October 1879 Mary Jane filed for divorce on the grounds of desertion. Her divorce deposition (14) makes for some interesting reading. Mary Jane alleges that in June 20, 1873 Frederick announced that he was leaving and would no longer support her or the family. He accused her of having committed adultery with His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh when he was on a visit to Melbourne in the year of one thousand and seventy eight and had had  a child of which his Royal Highness was the father. As a matter of interest, Duke undertook the first ever Royal tour of Australia from October 1867 until June 1868. Also as a matter of interest, Mary Jane gave birth to daughter Alice on November 2, 1868. Mary Jane denied that she had an affair with the Duke, which seemed rather implausible.

The deposition says that  Mary Jane had supported her family with no assistance from Frederick, that Frederick was violent towards her and that he had returned to live in London in 1875, but returned to Victoria in September 1879 and is now endeavouring to obtain possession of my property and to compel me to return to live and cohabit with him.  The Court found in favour of Mrs Gardner His Honour said he had no doubt that the property was the result of Mrs. Gardner's separate earnings (15). 

So we know that Mrs Gardner was at Watten Villa in 1877 and 1878. In her divorce deposition she describes herself a Hotel keeper. In September 1878 Mary Jane was granted the licence for the Victoria Hotel in Victoria Street, Carlton and began offering good accommodation for boarders (16). The Hotel, sometimes advertised as being in Alfred Place, Victoria Street Carlton, was located between Cardigan and Lygon Streets, on the corner of Orr Street.

Mrs Gardner's advertisement for boarding at her Hotel.

The Argus, January 16, 1879  https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5928596?

Mrs Gardner had the hotel for about  a year until October 1879 (17) and after that I can't trace her until January 1888, when she is listed in the Borough of Port Melbourne Rate books at 86 Nott Street, occupation furrier. She is then listed at various residences in Port Melbourne until 1894 (18). I then lose track of her until 1915 when she was recorded as the next of kin on her son Charles' AIF enlistment papers, her address being 1 Fawkner Street, South Yarra. In December 1917, she notifies Base Records Office of her change of address to 200 Marrickville Road, Marrickville in Sydney. Mary Jane dies in Sydney July 29, 1920; while her eldest daughter Mary Jane had been living in Sydney since the mid 1890s (19).  Frederick died on December 9, 1909, aged 94, at the Victorian Home for the Aged and Infirm at Royal Park (20).

I have looked at the history of the first twenty five years of the building and when Mrs Gardner had Watten Villa it was owned by James Maxwell Clow, who had possession of it until 1880 (21).  Clow was the son of  the Reverend James Clow, who conducted the first Presbyterian service in Victoria in December 1837. You can read Reverend Clow's entry in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, here. James Maxwell Clow held a large number of Government appointments, here is  a selection listed in the Victorian Government Gazettes (22) - Appointed Assistant Commissioner of Crown Lands for the Goldfields district at Mount Alexander on February 14, 1852;  Resident Magistrate for the Districts of Mt Egerton, Steiglitz and Ballan on May 5, 1856; Warden of the Goldfields January 4, 1858; Chinese Protector February 28, 1859 and Police Magistrate at Steiglitz December 28, 1868

As well as Watten Villa, Clow owned a number of other St Kilda properties. His nephew, Daniel Wilkie, managed these properties from March 1875  to December 1878 and we  know this because Clow went  to Court in June 1879 to recover £5,500 from him. You can read an account of the court case, here. The article also reported that the properties brought in an annual income of £750, which was a substantial income. For comparison a tradesman such as baker, saddle or tanner earnt up to £3 per week or £156 per annum and a house maid only £36 per annum (23). Clow's wife, Jane, died at Kilfern, Mary Street St Kilda in April 1881 and he died at Seacroft, Beaconsfield Parade, St Kilda in April 1894 (24).

The next owner of Watten Villa was St Kilda grocer, Matthew Egan, who had the property from 1881 until 1892 (25) when the St Kilda Rate books list the owner as the A. D.M. Bank. The only other thing I know about Mr Egan was that in March 1892 he took over as ‘the landlord of the Mitre Tavern’ in Melbourne, according to the Prahran Telegraph of March 26, 1892.

Watten Villa was being operated as a boarding house all thorough this time and from various sources (26) I can tell you that the operators were Henrietta McDonald from 1878 until 1879; Emma Mahany from 1880 until sometime in 1883, when Abraham Levy took over. Abraham Levy was a tobacconist and it was Mrs Frances Levy who operated Watten Villa as a boarding house (27).  The Levy's were there until 1892, when Clara Kong Meng took over for a short time.

Mrs Levy's advertisement  seeking boarders at Watten Villa.

The Argus, June 14, 1886  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article6098971

The Levy's also advertised Watten Villa in German - '3 minutes from the Station. Pleasant apartment, good German cuisine' according to Google Translate.

The Argus June 4, 1887  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article7915854

Around September 1893, the property changed names from Watten Villa to Ancona (28), and I believe this was when the Watt family took over the boarding house. Charles Watt is listed in the Rate books in 1894 and the Watts were there until at least 1901 (29).

Watten Villa no longer exists, but there are two large palm trees and other mature trees on the block. The palm trees especially may have been there when Watten Villa was a boarding house.

Photo: Isaac Hermann.

What was the fate of Watten Villa?  It was in the 1893 Rate Books that the street numbers in the area were first listed and we find that Watten Villa or Ancona was 15 Park Road (later changed to Street). According to a 1897 MMBW plan at the State Library of Victoria, Watten Villa 15 Park Street is three properties from Mary Street and this property today is now 19 Park Street, so at some time the street was renumbered. View the plan here.  The house is demolished and it is now the back garden of a property which faces Beaconsfield Parade.

This crop of the 1897 MMBW plan shows Watten Villa at 15 Park Road, the third property from Mary Street (next to the 615 number)

Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works detail plan, 617, 616, 615, 614, City of St. Kilda, 1897. 

http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/120734

Acknowledgment - Some of this research was done either by or in conjunction with my research colleague, Isaac Hermann. He also found the photo of the Intercolonial Exhibition medal and discovered that the street numbers in Park Street had changed so that No. 15 in the 1890s  is now No. 19.

Trove List - I have created a list of articles on Trove, every article referred to here is on the list. Access it here.

Footnotes
(1) Park Road was later renamed Park Street. It is one street back from Beaconsfield Parade, it starts at Fitzroy Street and runs to Fraser Street.
(2) The Argus, December 16, 1876, see here.
(3) The dates of birth of the children come from the Mary Jane Gardner's Divorce Petition, dated October 21, 1879 - Victorian Divorce Records, held at the Public Records Office of Victoria and published on Ancestry.com. Mary Jane (1866-1950) married John Hallihan (1865-1900) in 1888; Alice Maude (1868-1942) married James Frederick Gardiner in 1889; Charles born 1870, I have no other details; and William Gardner (1873-1932) served in the First World War, SN 4493, and had the unusual occupation of a Comedian.
(4) Emily's description of Watten Villa comes her story of her trip from Sydney to Melbourne by Cobb & Co coach in the book They came to Australia: an anthology, edited by Alan Brissenden and Charles Higham (F.W. Cheshire, 1961). Emily's story was published under the title A coach ride to Melbourne.

(5) The Herald, April 11, 1877, see here.

(6) City of St Kilda Rate Books from 1859 to 1900, available on Ancestry.com.
(7) Mary Jane Gardner's family information comes from various sources on Ancestry - mainly the English Birth, Death and Marriage records and Census records. Her daughter by her first husband, Sara Ann Eddleston came to Australia to live in 1866 at the age of 11, accompanied by her maternal grandmother. She married Francis Joseph Fleming in 1873 and died in 1894.
(8) Frederick and Mary Ann's marriage was published in the Launceston Examiner on July 20, 1861, see here.
(9)  Mary Jane Gardner's Divorce Petition, dated October 21, 1879 - Victorian Divorce Records, held at the Public Records Office of Victoria and published on Ancestry.com.  She wrote that  I assisted my husband in his business as a Furrier and that previous to her marriage to Frederick she worked as a domestic servant.
(10) The Herald, February 15 1864, see here.
(11) The Argus, February 25, 1867, see here.
(12) The Argus, February 14, 1867, see here. Mrs Gardner's birdskin table cover was made of Penguin skin.
(13) Charles Summers (1825 - 1878) see his Australian Dictionary of Biography entry, here. He also gave lessons to William Stanford, who created the fountain in Spring Street whilst he was in Pentridge Gaol, read about this here.
(14) Mary Jane Gardner's Divorce Petition, dated October 21, 1879 - Victorian Divorce Records, held at the Public Records Office of Victoria and published on Ancestry.com.
(15) The Australasian, October 25, 1879, see here.
(16) Mrs Gardner was granted the licence of the Victoria Hotel on  September 17, 1878, see here. The advertisement for board at her hotel comes from The Argus, January 16, 1879, see here  
(17) Charles Smart advertises in The Argus of October 31, 1879 (see here)  that he has taken over Gardner's Family Hotel.
(18) Borough / Town of Port Melbourne Rate Books from 1860 to 1901 available on Ancestry.com
(19) Buried at Rookwood General Cemetery in Sydney - Ancestry.com.
(20) I bought Frederick's  Death Certificate. He was listed as a widower on his Marriage Certificate available on-line on the Tasmanian Archives website and I had hoped that his death certificate may have some detail about his first marriage but it said 'particulars of marriage not known.' It did, however list his occupation as a Furrier so I know I have the right certificate.
(21) City of St Kilda Rate Books from 1859 to 1900, available on Ancestry.com.
(22) Victorian Government Gazette, 1836 -1997, http://gazette.slv.vic.gov.au/
(23) The list of wages comes from an article in The Argus of January 5, 1868 - The Colony of Victoria in 1878 a look at the history, industry, demographics and other facts about Victoria. Read it here.
(24) Death notice for Jane Clow was published in The Argus, June 19, 1881 and for James Clow in The Argus, April 9, 1894
(25) City of St Kilda Rate Books from 1859 to 1900, available on Ancestry.com.
(26) The names of operator's of Watten Villa come from the City of St Kilda Rate Books; Sands and McDougall Melbourne and Suburban Directory at the State Library of Victoria, see here and advertisements in newspapers on Trove, see my Trove list, here.
(27) Abraham and Frances Levy were married on September 13, 1865 in Melbourne by Rabbi Moses Rintel. She was daughter of William and Sophia (nee Hecht) Neuman. Abraham died November 30, 1911 aged 77 and Frances died March 28, 1926, aged 80. They are buried at the Melbourne General Cemetery. They had six children - Fannie, Minnie, Victor, Tessie, Myer and Jack. [Marriage notice in The Argus, September 19, 1865; Abraham's death notice in the Prahran Telegraph December 9, 1911 and Frances' death notice in The Argus, March 29, 1926. The information about her parents comes from the marriage notice and the Victorian Index to Births, Deaths and Marriages]
(28) The last mention I could find of the building being called Watten Villa was a ‘For Sale’ advertisement in The Herald on February 25, 1891, see here. The first mention of the name Ancona was an advertisement in The Argus September 26, 1893, see here. The name could have changed earlier but I feel it would have been unlikely that the Levy's changed the name in 1892, because they had established their business as Watten Villa.
(29) City of St Kilda Rate Books from 1859 to 1900, available on Ancestry.com. There was also a Death notice of an Arthur Watt, of Ancona, Park Road, St Kilda, the son of Charles Watt, in The Argus, August 29, 1901,  see here.