Friday, March 5, 2021

Dixon's Bakery, Kerferd Road

In 1891, Henry Edwin Dixon, baker of Clarendon Street, South Melbourne commissioned local architect, William Elliott Wells to design a new bakery for him in Kerferd Road, which was to be built by the builders, Meyer & Austin. This is the story of the Dixon family, the Wells family and the builders.


This is an original docket, signed by the W.E. Wells, the architect, certifying that the builders, Meyer and Austin, were entitled to a progress payment from H. E. Dixon for the shop and bakery in Kerferd Road.
Image: Isaac Hermann.

Henry Edwin Dixon was born to Henry Dixon, who was a bandmaster,  and Eliza Goslin  in 1856 in Gibraltar, according to his marriage certificate or St John, New Brunswick, Canada, according to his death certificate. He arrived in Australia at the age of twenty, so had obviously done his bakers apprenticeship wherever it was he grew up. He married eighteen year Alicia Doughtery on January 27, 1879 at her house, 23 Cobden Street, Emerald Hill (South Melbourne). Alicia had been born in Belfast, Ireland, in 1861, the daughter of a sailor, Hugh Dougherty and his wife Margaret Anderson.  Henry's Edwin's address was 21 Cobden Street, next door to Alicia's family home. The 1880 South Melbourne Rate books list a Leonard Gravolin, a baker living at that address, so I believe that Henry worked for him or with him and boarded with him and his wife, Sophia (1).

Henry and Alicia had six children - Alice (1880), Emily (1882), Hugh Henry (1884), Margherita (1886), Henry Edwin (1887) and Francis Adolphus (1892) (2). The family lived for a short time at 112 Little Raglan Street, and then in 1887 Henry established his own bakery at 191 Clarendon Street, on the east side between Napier and Cobden Streets; by 1889 this property had been renumbered as 267 Clarendon Street. This was in a useful pocket of shops which included a butcher, bootmaker, furniture dealer, green grocer, grocer, and  a confectioner. George Briggs, a blacksmith, owned Henry's shop, the four neighbouring shops as well as the first three just around the corner in Cobden Street (3)


Dixon's Bakery, 64 Kerford Road, Albert Park. 
The parapet is decorated with sheafs of wheat, the main ingredient of the bakery trade.
Image: Isaac Hermann.

Around 1891 Henry and Alice purchased a block of vacant land in Kerferd Road, between Merton Street and Montague Street, and commissioned local architect, William Elliott Wells to design a property - it was a brick building of eleven rooms including a shop and bakery. The land did not have  a street number for the first ten years. The South Melbourne Rate books lists 53 Kerferd and 69 Kerferd Road while in between they have three un-numbered properties, and even as late as 1900, Henry Dixon had vacant blocks on both sides of his building. Dixon's Bakery does not get its own street number until around 1903, when it becomes 64 Kerferd Road, the street was re-numbered with the even numbers now on the west side, rather than the east side (4).


The wheat motif decorating the building.
Image: Isaac Hermann.

Henry Dixon advertised in the local papers and by 1896 the business had expanded stocking groceries as well as being a baker, pastry cook and a supplier of birthday and wedding cakes.



Advertisment for the Dixon bakery.
Emerald Hill Record April 25 1896 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/108477911

Advertisements in the 1896 papers were also the first reference I could find to Henry calling the bakery, the 'Victoria Bakery' and that same year, Henry also began advertising in the Jewish Herald. He advertised Chala loaves, which, it has been explained to me, are an essential feature of Jewish holiday and Sabbath meals and that at a commercial bakery, their preparation would be supervised or especially approved by religiously sanctioned personnel or authority (5). The reference in the advertisment, below, that all bread was guaranteed full weight, no doubt referred to the fact that Henry was charged in January 1896 with selling bread under the statuatory weight. The council health inspector had stopped his bread cart and weighed 31 loaves and found them altogether 47 ozs. deficient (6). 


Henry Dixon's advertising the availabilty of Chala loaves. 

The Dixon family had an eventful time on the night of Monday, April 20, 1910 when a storm of exceptional severity resulted in considerable damage to a cottage in Kerferd Road, occupied by Mr & Mrs Binns and their two children and Mrs Hager and her three children. The cause of the damage was the roofing from the brick stables attached to Mr. H. E. Dixon's bakery business in Kerferd-road. The roofing iron and rafters of the building, covering a space, of 45ft. x 15ft., had been lifted bodily by the wind, carted over a vacant block, about a chain, and dashed into the cottage. The impact caused the building to list right over, the side wall was almost stove in, also the roof, whilst the chimney was practically demolished. The families were lucky to escape without injury (7)

The family were tight knit and the three daughters, who never married, lived with their parents at bakery or next door at 60 Kerferd Road. Henry died on November 15, 1931 and the Emerald Hill Record published a short obituary that said, in part that he was  one of the oldest members of
the Master Bakers Society of Victoria, and as a townsman was universally liked (8)  The bakery was then operated by Henry junior until his death on April 6, 1944 and his obituary said that he will be very much missed in this 'district, where he was engaged in the bakery business all his life and that he enjoyed the high esteem and respect of his colleagues in the bakery trade (9).  64 Kerford Road  is listed in Sands McDougall Directory as Dixon's bakery until 1950 and then in 1955 it is listed as 'flats'.  Another son, Hugh was businessman in South Melbourne and he died in March 1949. His obituary said that the Dixon family conducted a bakery in Kerferd road for many years and has always been associated with local charity appeals. During the last war Mr. Dixon was an active supporter of South Melbourne Patriotic Fund (10).

Alicia died at the age of 90 on July 22, 1951. Her death was referred to at a meeting of the South Melbourne Council and Cr Wells said that South Melbourne had suffered another loss in the recent death of Mrs. Alice Dixon, well known in the municipality for her charitable work, and as the mother of the family which for long had conducted the bakery business in Kerferd road. Cr. Barry said that the Dixon family was one of the oldest established in the municipality. The late Mrs. Dixon had been a good social worker, and had been closely associated throughout a long life with local charities and with war work (11).


Mayoral portrait of W. E. Wells, 1886.
Image courtesy of Port Phillip City Collection, SM 0026

It was interesting that it was Cr Wells who paid tribute to Mrs Dixon as it was his grandfather who designed the bakery. The Wells family had a long connection to the South Melbourne Council beginning with William Elliott Wells, the architect and auctioneer. W. E. Wells was elected to Council in August 1883, was Mayor in 1886; his son Ernest Alfred, elected in 1902, was Mayor in 1906/07 and 1919/20 and his grandson, also called William Elliott Wells (but known as Elliott) was elected in 1941 and was the Mayor in 1944/45, 1945/46 (12).  The Age reported that three generations mayors is believed to be a unique record in the history of Victorian municipal government (13). One of the traditional honours of being on a Council was having a street named after you and the Wells family are recognised in Wells Street. The first references I can find to the street are in 1887, when it was described as a continuation of Palmerston Crescent (14).  


W. E. Wells Illuminated Address, presented in 1887. The illustrations at the bottom of are of the South Melbourne Town Hall and Albert Park Lake.
 Port Phillip City Collection. Image: Isaac Hermann.


W. E. Wells Illuminated Address, presented in 1887. 
 Port Phillip City Collection. Image: Isaac Hermann.

Another honour bestowed upon William Wells was the presentation of an illumintaed address in March 1887 by the Mayor and Councillors of the City of South Melbourne  to express their estimate of the service rendered by you during the term you occupied the mayoral chair, and of the great concern taken by you in the affairs of the city during the three years you have held office as councillor (15)The Wells' Illuminated Address is part of the Port Phillip City Collection.


The illustrations from W. E. Wells Illuminated Address -  
The South Melbourne Town Hall, which was a familiar building for three generations of the Wells family.
 Port Phillip City Collection. Image: Isaac Hermann.



The illustrations from W. E. Wells Illuminated Address -  
Albert Park lake, looking towards the Bay
Port Phillip City Collection. Image: Isaac Hermann.

William Elliott Wells, the designer of the Dixon bakery, was born in Bridport Street, Dorsetshire in 1837 and arrived in Victoria in 1855. He lived in the Bendigo area and was at Eaglehawk when he married Jane Wright Fry on December 16, 1865. He was a 27 year old carpenter and Jane, who had been born in London, was 21 years old. They had eight children; the first two were born at Eaglehawk and the other six at Emerald Hill (as South Melbourne was then called) -  Eliza Alice (1866), Ernest Alfred (1868), Edith Clare (1870), Annie Eva (1873), Francis Stanley (1875), William Thomas (1877), George Elliott (1879) and Gertrude Evelyn Mary (1888) (16). 

His obituary says that after spending time in the Bendigo area he came to Melbourne and worked as a buildier before he commenced practice as an architect and auctioneer in Clarendon Street, in 1880 (17).  Given that he listed his occupation as 'carpenter' on his marriage certificate, it doesn't appear that he was a trained architect.  His obituary also says he designed the grandstand at the South Melbourne Cricket Club.  However, Susan Priestley in her history of South Melbourne writes that it was George Gray who designed the grandstand in 1886 and William Wells designed the members stand and refreshment pavilion (18). The grandstand was destroyed by fire in August 1926 (19).

There are two other works that I can attribute to W.E. Wells. In 1885 a meeting of property owners in Clarendon street was held, on Wednesday evening, which plans and specifications were adopted and tenders ordered to be invited for the erection of a new set of street verandahs, extending from Park to Bank street, on the western side. The owners having agreed with two exceptions to the proposed extension of the verandahs to the curb stone, this portion of the street will, at an early date form a splendid promenade which will, without doubt, beneficially influence the business done in the block. The preparation of the plans was entrusted to Cr. W. E. Wells, of this city, who submitted a light and graceful design, which was at once unanimously adopted (20).

The other buildings are a pair of buildings at what was 45 and 47 Dundas Place, Albert Park which were put up for auction in February 1889. The buildings are still there; the street was renumbered between 1900 and 1905, with the even numbers on the north side instead of the south side, and they are now 30 & 32 Dundas Place (21).


Advertisement for the sale of 45 & 47 (now 30 & 32) Dundas Place, 
designed and built under the supervision of W. E. Wells.



30 & 32 Dundas Place (formerly 45 & 47) designed by W. E. Wells
Image: Isaac Hermann

William Wells also operated an auction house which he established 121 Clarendon Street, at Bank Corner. This was near the corner of Clarendon and Banks Street. I presume it was called Bank Corner because the new E. S. & A Bank was erected at that intersection in 1880 and opened the next year (22).  The first mention I can find of the term 'Bank Corner' is in 1882 (23).  In 1896 the firm moved to new premises at 183 Clarendon Street, and due to the renumbering of South Melbourne streets which took place sometime between 1900 and 1905, it became 301 Clarendon Street (24)


An early advertisement for W. E. Wells


The 1896 move to 183 Clarendon Street, which was renumbered as 301 Clarendon Street
sometime between 1900 and 1905. 
Emerald Hill Record November 7, 1896 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/108481715#


Wells & Son Auction Rooms, 301 Clarendon Street.
Image courtesy of Port Phillip City Collection, SM 1442
 
William Elliott Wells, one of Emerald Hill's greatest pioneers (25), died on August 30, 1930.  His obituary (26) said he was warmly attached to the local Congregational Church, and a few years back took a prominent interest in Freemasonry, holding the office of P. G. S. W. (27) in the first Victorian Grand Lodge under the Grand Mastership of the late Geo. Coppin (28)His wife Jane had died May 23, 1923 (29) and they are both buried at the Brighton Cemetery. William and Jane's daughter, Eliza,  was married to the Reverend William Silas Pearse, who when he died in 1949 was described as one of the oldest Congregational Church ministers in Victoria (30). For  a short time in the mid 1880s and during the time William was the Mayor, the family lived at 42 Howe Crescent, South Melbourne. Their youngest daughter, Gertrude, was born in the house. It was a convenient location for the family as it was just down from the Congregational Church (31). As a matter of interest, the Wells family later lived  at 154 Kerford Road for a number of years until the early 1920s, 45 houses up from the Dixons (32)  


41 & 42 Howe Crescent, South Melbourne. 
The Wells family lived at No. 42 during the time William was the 
Mayor of South Melbourne in 1886.
Image: Paul Caine.


Mayoral portrait of E. A. Wells, 1906-07. 
Image courtesy of Port Phillip City Collection, SM 0019

The Auction business was taken over by his  son, Ernest Alfred and after Edward's death on May 17, 1950 by his son William Elliott, named for his grandfather.  Ernest and his wife Ethel (nee Thornton) were also involved in the Congregational Church, attending and holding various honorary offices in  the church in Howe Crescent for over 60 years. Their son, Henry became a Congregational Minister and their daughter a medical missionary in India Ernest also served as both the Treasrurer and Vice President of the Homeopathic Hospital, which was renamed Prince Henry's Hospital  in 1934 (33)


Mayoral portrait of Elliott Wells, 1944.
Artist: Max Casey. Port Phillip City Collection.
Image: Isaac Hermann.
I acknowledge that this painting is still under Copyright and it is reproduced here for the purpose of research only. 

In 1895, Ernest Wells and Charles Buchan Sydserff (34) established the South Melbourne TRY Boys Society. The main object of the Society was to offer to young men inducements to refrain from prowling about the streets and to persuade them to improve themselves at some of the classes which the Society provides for education in writing, book-keeping, shorthand and elocution, and so to fit them better to fight life's battle (35). 

The last element of the Dixon's Bakery docket are the builders -  Meyer and Austin. I cannot find out much about them, however in 1893 they built Samuel Coulter's house, Ulster, in Station Street, Port Melbourne. Mr Coulter (36) invited a large number of visitors to the laying of the foundation stone ceremony, including the Mayor, Cr Malcolmson and this was reported on in the Port Melbourne Standard.  At the function afterwards at the Albion Hotel, the Mayor called on Mr Austin as the senior contractor, to propose the health of Mr & Mrs Coulter.  Mr. Austin said he had much pleasure in responding to the Mayor's request. He contended that Mr. Coulter had shown great pluck in undertaking such a work at the present time. Such buildings were always a boon to any place, and as things were now the value to contractors and workmen was doubly valuable (37).


Ulster, the house built by Meyer & Austin in 1893 in Station Street in Port Melbourne, is shown here. It is the house directly behind the horse's saddle. The house immediatley to the right is Derwent house; the house to the far right is the start of Alfred Terrace.  The house on the left, obscured by the tree, is Emerald (38) which is on the corner of Raglan Street and Station Street.
Horse drawn wagon owned by Port Melbourne City Council. Photographer: Albert Jones.
State Library of Victoria Image H2007.130/13


In 1900, Samuel Coulter offered Ulster, with its amenites such as a bath, wash-house 
and 2 stall stable, for lease. 
Port Melbourne Standard, June 30, 1900 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164949748

I believe that Mr Austin, who worked with Meyer, also worked  in partnership with Anthonie Dubbledan, of Port Melbourne. Mr Dubbledan's obituary said that some of the most prominent buildings in the town were erected by him (39)In 1889 Dubbledan and Austin built a school room at the Catholic Church in Port Melbourne (40) and 1893 they built the Britannia Hotel on the  corner of  Graham and Bay Street (41). Other than this I have no other information about Mr Austin. 

George Meyer is listed in the South Melbourne Rate Books from 1881, when he lists his occupation as a shipwright. By 1886, he has purchased 71 Little Page Street, and changed his occupation to carpenter. George is at this address until 1897 at least and the only difference seems to be that in 1896 he changed his occupation again, this time to contractor (42)

The only other project that I can attribute to George Meyer is the erection of a shed at the South Melbourne market in 1895. That would appear to be a simple project but was the subject of some discussion at the South Melbourne Council meeting held May 28, 1895 - this is the report from the Emerald Hill Record - Cr. Palmer protested against the payment of £60, first part payment to George Meyer, for erection of market shed. He did so on the ground that the work was not provided for when framing the estimates. It was said that the money was to come from the surplus received from the lease of the market, but that money was used in other works. The account had not been passed by the committee, not that the members did not wish the money to be paid, but so that the council as a whole might authorise the payment. He moved that the item be excised. Cr Stead said he considered the work one of emergency as the gardeners had threatened that if some accomodation was not provided they would leave in a body. Cr. Owen could not see how the shed could come under the head of an emergency although it might be a useful erection. Cr. Gittus did not see how there could be any objection. Cr. Tope was satisfied to support the clause and let Cr. Palmer lodge his protest. Cr. White also protested against the payment on the same ground that Cr. Palmer raised. He had seen quite enough of the risks run. The account was passed for payment. Crs. Wadey, Palmer, Owen, White and Madden voting against it (43).

George later moved from South Melbourne to Ascot Vale, where he died at the age of 51 on April 1, 1909. This was followed, less than six months later,  by the death of his married daughter, twenty six year old Matta Louisa Higginbotham on August 21.  Matta had married in 1904 and she left behind four year old Linda and 2 year old Arthur. There was some happiness for the family that year as their other daughter, Linda, married Henry Dallimore on October 5, at St Pauls Church of England, Ascot Vale. George's wife, Emma died in October, 1915 (44). 

Henry Dixon, William Wells, George Meyer and Mr Austin have long passed on, but the building in which they all played a role - Dixon's Bakery in Kerford Road, is still there - 130 years later.


Acknowledgments  
A huge thank you and much appreciation goes to Anne Scambary, Arts & Heritage Officer, City of Port Phillip; Dorela Gerardi, Collections Registrar, City of Port Phillip and David Helms, Heritage Advisor, City of Port Phillip. Anne provided the copies of the Mayoral portraits of W. E. Wells and E. A. Wells, as well as the image of Wells' Auction room at 301 Clarendon Street. Dorela gave us access to W. E. Wells' Illuminated address and the Mayoral portrait of W. E. Wells (the younger) and allowed my research colleague, Isaac Hermann, to photograph them. David provided the correct identification of Ulster and also provided the information on the neighbouring properties - see footnote 37. It was Isaac who came across the 1891 docket, signed by W. E. Wells, which  inspired this story. Isaac also provided the photographs of the bakery building, the Dundas Place property and the Wells' grave at Brighton Cemetery (footnote 16) and some of the research. As always, I am grateful for his support, photographs and input. Thank you also to Paul Caine, for the photograph of 42 Howe Crescent.

Trove lists
I have created a list on the Dixon family and the bakery, access it here; and a list on the Wells family, access it here.

Footnotes
(1) The information in this paragraph comes from Henry and Alicia's marriage certificate (which includes their residential  address) and their death certificates. The South Melbourne Rate books are available on Ancestry.
(2) Henry and Alicia Dixon's children  - this information comes from the Victorian Indexes to Births Deaths and Marriages; Electoral Rolls on Ancestry and newspaper articles on Trove, which you will find on my Trove list, here.
  • Alice Elizabeth 1880 - 1968. Did not marry.
  • Emily 1882 -1970. Did not marry.
  • Hugh Henry 1884 - 1949.  Married Elsie May Scopie in 1924 and they had one daughter, Yvonne, who was for some time the pianist for South Melbourne Philharmonic Society (Emerald Hill Record, March 26, 1949)
  • Margherita 1886 -  1968. Did not marry.
  • Henry Edwin 1887 - 1944. Married Alice Elizabeth Owen in 1913. They had two children, Peggy and Hal.  Henry's obituary said that a son was a  Flying-Officer in the R.A.A.F and that Peggy was attached to the Australian Broadcasting commission (Emerald Hill Record, April 15, 1944)
  • Francis Adolphus 1892 - 1966. Married Daisy Philomena Lawlor in 1920 and she died Feb 7, 1937. He then married Helen Maud Johansen in 1947. Unlike the rest of his family Francis did not spend his life in the South Melbourne area. He was listed in the Electoral Rolls at Lancefield from 1921 until 1937, occupation grazier. He also spent some time at Fishermans Road, Five Ways. From 1954 to 1963 the was at  9 Crozier St, Bentleigh.  
(3)   This information is from the South Melbourne Rate books on Ancestry; the list of shops owned by George Briggs is from the 1889 Rate books. The information also comes from the Sands & McDougalls Melbourne & Suburban Directories, digitised at the State Library of Victoria.
(4) Date of purchase of the land comes from the South Melbourne Rate Books; in 1890 Rate books the vacant land as owned by James Tribe. The street numbering comes from the Rate books and Sands & McDougalls. The 1903 Electoral Roll lists the Dixons at 64 Kerferd Road. I don't know where my obsession with numbers comes from, but initially we had trouble identifying the building in Kerford Road as we were working on the original numbers, then we noticed the distinctive wheat  sheaf decoration on the building and that confirmed it. I say 'we' but it was actually my research colleague, Isaac Hermann who 'discovered' the building, following the advice of the City of Port Phillip Heritage Advisor, David Helms. 
Below: Sands & McDougalls Melbourne & Suburban Directories - renumbering of Dixon's Bakery and other Kerford Road allotments.


Kerferd Road, west side, 1900
Sands and McDougall Melbourne and Suburban Directory for 1900.


Kerferd Road, west side, 1905.
Sands and McDougall Melbourne and Suburban Directory for 11905.

(5) Thanks to my research colleague, Isaac Hermann, for the explanation about chala or challah loaves.
(6) The Herald, January 3, 1896, see here.
(7) Emerald Hill Record, April 30, 1910, see here.
(8) Emerald Hill Record, November 21, 1931, see here.
(9) Emerald Hill Record, April 15, 1944, see here.
(10) Emerald Hill Record March 26, 1949, see here.
(11) Emerald Hill Record, August 4, 1951, see here.
(12) These dates regarding their elections to the South Melbourne Council come from various newspaper articles on my Trove list, here.
(13) The Age, May 19, 1950, see here.
(14) Emerald Hill Record, March 9, 1887, see here.
(15) Emerald Hill Record, March 19, 1887, see here.
(16) This information in this paragraph (and below) comes from William and Jane's marriage certificate; the Indexes to the Victorian Births Deaths and Marriages and his obituary in the Emerald Hill Record, September 6, 1930, see here
William and Jane Wells' children - 
  • Eliza Ann 1866 - 1930. Married William Silas Pearse in 1897. 
  • Ernest Alfred 1868 - 1950. Married Ethel Thornton in 1898.
  • Edith Clare 1870 - 1956. Did not marry. 
  • Annie Eva 1873 - 1956. Did not marry.
  • Francis Stanley 1875 - 1917. Married Ada Elizabeth White in 1897. Killed in Action in France May 2, 1917.
  • William Thomas 1877 - ?. Married Emily Maude Crook in 1901. 
  • George Elliott 1879 - 1963. Married Myra Tilley in 1906. 
  • Gertrude Evelyn 1888 - 1961. Did not marry.

The Wells' grave at the Brighton Cemetery. It's interesting that it contains five members of the family - William and Jane and three of their daughters - Edith, Annie and Gertrude.
Image: Isaac Hermann.

(17) Emerald Hill Record, September 6, 1930, see here
(18) Priestley, Susan South Melbourne: a history (Melbourne University Press, 1995), p. 187.
(19) The Argus, August 14, 1926, see here.
(20) Emerald Hill Record, May 23, 1885, see here.
(21) Sands & McDougalls Melbourne & Suburban Directories - renumbering of 45 & 47 Dundas Place to 30 & 32.


Dundas Place, north side, 1900.
Sands and McDougall Melbourne and Suburban Directory for 1900.


Dundas Place, north side, 1905.
Sands and McDougall Melbourne and Suburban Directory for 1905.
(22) The Record & Emerald Hill Advertiser, December 17, 1880, see here.
(23)  Letter to the editor from W. E. Wells, Emerald Hill Record, March 24, 1882, see here.
(24)  Sands & McDougalls Melbourne & Suburban Directories - renumbering of W. E. Wells' Clarendon Street property and other allotments.



Clarendon Street, east side, 1900.
Sands and McDougall Melbourne and Suburban Directory for 1900.


Clarendon Street, east side, 1905
Sands and McDougall Melbourne and Suburban Directory for 1905.

(25) Emerald Hill Record, September 6, 1930, see here.
(26) Emerald Hill Record, September 6, 1930, see here.
(27) P.G.S.W. - Pro Grand Superintendent of Works - a Freemasons office which advices on any matter connected with building works.
(28) George Coppin - read his Australian Dictionary of Biography entry, here.
(29) Death notice, The Argus May 26, 1923, see here.
(30) The Argus, August 18, 1949, see here.
(31)  We discovered that the Wells' family lived at 42 Howe Crescent from this notice, below,  about the candidates in the South Melbourne Council election. Information about the Congregational Church can be found here, http://vhd.heritage.vic.gov.au/search/nattrust_result_detail/66610


Emerald Hill Record July 29, 1886 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article113012684


 Birth  notice of Gertrude Evelyn Wells at 42 Howe Crescent in 1881

(32) Electoral Rolls, available on Ancestry.
(33) The information about Ernest and the involvement with the Congregational Church and Prince Henry's Hospital is from his obituary in the Emerald Hill Record, May 20, 1950, see here.
(34) Charles Buchan Sydserff. Born in 1872 in Emerald Hill to John Buchan and Mary Henderson (nee Disher) Sydserff.  Charles married Helen Hart Williams in 1900. She died in 1919 at the age of 49. He then married Maggie Porter in 1920. He lived at 73 Merton Street in Albert Park and then (around 1917) moved to Merton, Suffolk Road, Surrey Hills. He was an accountant and died in 1962.  
(35) The quote is from Emerald Hill Record, September 28, 1896, see here. Information about the establishment of the Society in South Melbourne and a list of the patrons and office bearers is in 
Table Talk, November 1, 1895, see here.
(36) Samuel Lowry Coulter -  died February 11, 1925 at the age of 84. His will left his estate to his wife, Alice, and his daughter, Alice Watson, and his grandchildren John and Alice Watson - clearly they liked the name Alice. He also left various bequests to other relatives. Of interest though is that he left £1000 to the Presbyterian Church in Bridge Street, Port Melbourne; plus a further £100 for the Minister to use for the benefit of the Sunday School children and £500 for the erection of a verandah of the manse at Bridge Street Port Melbourne and for the maintenance of the manse. A manse is the house provided by the Church for a Presbyterian minister. There were two other bequests to the Church - £100 to the local minister, the Reverend John Landels and £100 to the Presbyterian Church in Killinchy, County Down, Ireland for the benefit of the Sunday School Children. His will has been digitised by the Public Records Office of Victoria. 
(37) Port Melbourne Standard, November 25, 1893, see here.
(38) The identification of the buildings and the following information was kindly supplied by David Helms, Heritage Advisor, City of Port Phillip -  Derwent, was built c. 1870 and purchased by Samuel Coulter in 1890. Emerald was designed by local architect, Arthur Bidgway and constructed in 1901, also for Samuel Coulter. Alfred Terrace was built c. 1869.


This photo shows Emerald, Ulster and Derwent - all part of Samuel Coulter's property portfolio - and  the three buildings which make up  Alfred Terrace
Station Street, Port Melbourne, c. 1907. State Library of Victoria Image H93.431/1


Samuel Coulter advertising Ulster and Derwent for lease in 1896.
Port Melbourne Standard, November 7 1896 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/165314573
 
(39) Port Melbourne Standard, November 23, 1901, see here.
(40) Port Melbourne Standard, May 25, 1889, see here.
(41) Port Melbourne Standard, November 23, 1895, see here.
(42) South Melbourne Rate Books available on Ancestry.
(43) Emerald Hill Record, June 1, 1895, see here.
(44) Death notice of George Meyer - The Argus, April 2, 1909, see here; death notice of Matta Higginbotham - The Argus, August 23, 1909, see  here; marriage notice of Linda Meyer - The Argus, November 17, 1909, see here; and death notice of Emma (nee Aslett) Meyer - The Argus, October 11, 1915, see here


Monday, March 1, 2021

Brighton Road State School, St Kilda, Boer War memorial

The Boer War was fought between British forces against the Boers, or Dutch-Afrikaner settlers in South Africa from 1899 until 1902. The War was also called the South African War and referred to as the Second Boer War. The First Boer War, fought between the Boers and the British, took place in 1880-1881, but no Australian troops were officially involved.

Australians who served  in the War were all volunteers. The Australian War Memorial website explains - Australians served in contingents raised by the six colonies or, from 1901, by the new Australian Commonwealth. For a variety of reasons many Australians also joined British or South African colonial units in South Africa: some were already in South Africa when the war broke out; others either made their own way or joined local units after their enlistment in an Australian contingent ended. Recruiting was also done in Australia for units which already existed in South Africa, such as the Scottish Horse. You can read more about Boer War on the Australian War Memorial website, here.  


Brighton Road State School, St Kilda Boer War memorial tablet
The memorial tablet, made from marble, is about 120 cm by 50cm in size. 
Image: Isaac Hermann.

This memorial tablet was erected at the Brighton Road State School in St Kilda to honour the pupils from the school who served in South Africa. The tablet was presented to the school on August 29, 1901 during a concert held at the St Kilda Town Hall to farewell a teacher, Mr Bradhurst. The concert also raised £25 for the purchase of a piano for the school (1).  The tablet was presented by Mr N. Dear. This was  Nathaniel Dear (1846 - 1903),  listed in the 1900 Sands McDougall Directory at 55 Raglan Street, St Kilda.  Mr Dear was a keen letter writer to the newspapers and had a long running dispute with members of the St Kilda Cemetery Trust, and sued the Secretary of the Trust, Charles Truelove, twice for libel (2).  The reports of these legal cases list Nathaniel's occupation variously as 'grave decorator' or monumental mason. It is likely therefore, that Nathaniel also made the memorial tablet.  


Report of the presentation of the memorial tablet by Nathanel Dear
Prahran Telegraph August 31, 1901 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/144680273

There are 25 names on the memorial tablet, one of whom was a teacher at the School. Most of these men on the State School memorial are also listed on the St Kilda Boer War memorial in Alfred Square, which was officially unveiled by the Governor of Victoria, Sr Reginald Talbot on March 12, 1905.  The memorial was designed by Arthur Peck, and I have written about it here. You can read an account of the opening in the Prahran Chroniclehere

Eleven of the men on the Brighton Road school memorial also served in the First World War, three of them were Killed in Action. Mr Dear's memorial does have  a number of mistakes including the spelling of names and the fact that he has three men listed as being killed whilst serving, when in fact only one was. However, it is a heartfelt memorial to the men who served their country and 'the Empire' and a fine example of Nathaniel's skill as a monumental mason. 


The Brighton Road State School, St Kilda. The school was officially opened on January 11, 1875. 
There were 13 staff, including the head master, Mr Hadfield. The school could accommodate 650 children and 604 children attended the opening. 
Read a report of the opening in the St Kilda Telegraph, January 16, 1875, see here.
Image: Isaac Hermann

These are the men listed on the Memorial.  The information about their rank and unit comes from the nominal rolls on the Australian War Memorial website, here. These rolls have minimal information, often nothing more than the name and the rank of the soldier. The other information comes from newspaper articles on Trove; the Electoral Rolls on Ancestry;  the Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages and the World War One records at the National Archives of Australia. 

Allan, Percy James. 
Percy is listed on the State School Roll as having been killed, but the good news is that he returned from serving in South Africa. He was a Private in the 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles. He enlisted again in Febuary 1916,  in the First World War in the 10th Field Company Engineers. He was 36 years old,  an engineer, and his next of kin was his mother, Elizabeth Allan, of Orrong Road, East St Kilda. His attestation papers list his previous military service as 18 months in the Boer War. Percy returned to Australia in June 1918 and was discharged on medical grounds having been wounded - compound fracture, right thigh caused by a gun shot. Percy was the son of John Fisher and Elizabeth (nee McGregor) Allan; he married Emma Louisa Classen in 1924 and they lived at 187 Orrong Road, East St Kilda throughout their married life. Percy died in March 1951 at the age of 71.

Anderson, David
Private, 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles. He was severely wounded at Wilmansrust on June 12, 1901. The fighting at Wilmansrust was a debacle and even the normally patriotic Victorian newspapers were critical of the action of the members of the Unit, read about it here in the The Argus of September 30, 1901. In spite of being wounded David enlisted again in World One on July 7, 1915 and Returned to Australia April 5, 1919. 
Anderson, William Fleming
William was a Private in the 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles. William also served in World War One and was Killed in Action at Gallipoli on August 7, 1915.
David and William, both born in St Kilda, were the sons of Alexander and Catherine (nee Limerock) Anderson) of 14 Scott Street, St Kilda (as it was then, Scott Street is now part of Elwood). They are both listed on the Elwood Presbyterian Church World War One Honour Board, see here.

Ashley, Aubrey Frederick 
Private, 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles. He was 'slightly wounded at Wilmansrust, June 12, 1901. Awarded pension'. In spite of being wounded, Aubrey enlisted in the AIF in January 1916 in the 37th Battalion. By then he was a 36 year old publican at the Club Hotel in Boolarra, south of Moe, in the hills of Gippsland. His next of kin was his wife, Ruby. His attestation paper notes his 12 months Boer War service. Aubrey returned to Australia in January 1918 and was discharged due to defective vision. He returned to the hotel at Boolarra, which he operated until 1945 and he died at Parkdale in October 1953, aged 75. 

Bridgeland,  Frederick Charles Lionel
Private, 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles. Frederick also enlisted in the AIF, in the 4th Light Horse Regiment in August 1914. Fred was born at Orroroo in South Australia, and he was a 32 years old traveller when he enlisted. His next of kin was his wife, Edith, whose address was Casterton. They had one daughter, Victoria Grace, born in 1905. Fred was Killed in Action at Gaba Tepe, Gallipoli on August 6, 1915.


Report of the death of Fred Bridgeland. The date of his death in his file is August 6, not August 7. 
The Argus, September 24, 1915 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1563753

Campbell, Garnet  
Private, 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles. Garnet is not listed on the Alfred Square memorial. There is a Garnet Campbell in the 1903 Electoral Rolls at 31 Kerford Road, South Melbourne, occupation labourer;  also at that address was Lydia Dora, Bertie Charles and Archibald. The Victorian Indexes to the Births, Deaths and Marriages list a Garnet Butler Campbell born to Robert and Lydia Dora (nee Ryan) Campbell in 1881, so this confirms they are the same person. Garnet  married Mary Jane Crawford in 1913, they lived at Brighton and later at Oakleigh, where he died in 1956 aged 76. I had discovered all this and was still not sure that Garnet Campbell on the Memorial was the same person as Garnet Butler Campbell, until I found this article, below, in the The Herald of July 29, 1922.


Mr Garnet Butler Campbell, a cousin of the missing Baronet, Sir John Rivett-Carnac, but of more importance it confirms that this Garnet Campbell is the one on the Memorial tablet.
If you are interested you can read about the Rivett-Carnac family, here.

Christie, Henry 'Harry'
Private, 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles. Harry is also not listed on the Alfred Square memorial. Harry enlisted in October 1914 in the AIF, in the 10th Light Horse. His attestation paper note his Boer War service. Harry was born in Melbourne and was a 34 year old sleeper hewer, when he enlisted. His next of kin was his mother, Mrs M. Christie and later his sister, Mrs Carlton, both of Subiaco in Western Australia. Harry fought at Gallipoli and was missing in action and a Court of Enquiry held in December 1916, declared that he was Killed in Action on August 29, 1915. 

Cowden, William
There are no Cowdens listed on the Nominal Roll. There was a report in the Prahran Chronicle of a dinner tendered to local men who had returned home after fighting in South Africa and one of the men was Corporal J. Cowden, who enlisted in South Africa and was wounded.


Report of the dinner held for St Kilda men who returned home after fighting in South Africa.
Read the full report - Prahran Chronicle, May 18, 1901 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165239289

This is James Cyril Cowden of 269 Inkerman Street, St Kilda. He also enlisted in the First World War. James was born in Canada, was 48 years old and a bridge carpenter when he joined up on Septemner 1915, in the 2nd Squadron, 1st Remount unit. His attestation paper noted his 13 months of Boer War service. He returned to Australia in January 1917 and was discharged on medical grounds. James and his wife, Martha (nee Dau), had a son Wilfred who seved in the Navy, on the H.M.A.S Una, and died whilst on service at Rabaul. A beautiful marble tablet was unveiled in Wilfred's memory at the Pakington Street, St Kilda Baptist Church in August 1915. You can read about it in the Malvern Standard, here. I believe that the William Cowden on the School memorial actually refers to James but I cannot explain why he is listed as William.


  Wilfred Cowden's memorial tablet which was unveiled at the Pakington Street, 
St Kilda Baptist Chutch in August 1915.
Image: Isaac Hermann

Cox William
There is a John William Cox who was in the 5th Victorian Mounted Rifle. He enlisted as a Private and was promted to Lance Corporal. William Cox does not appear on the Alfred Square Memorial.  I have no other information about him.

Dare, Douglas Henry
5th Victorian Mounted Rifles, enlisted as a  Corporal and was promoted to Sergeant. Douglas is listed on the memorial as being killed, but according to the nominal roll and the Alfred Square memorial, he survived. Douglas was born in St Kilda in 1882 to Douglas George and Frances Emily (nee Wilson) Dare;  he had a brother Norman born 1884 and a sister Emily born in 1886. Douglas senior was an Auctioneer and Estate Agent. In 1917, Norman died on active service in German East Africa. A death notice in The Argus listed his father at 43 Jackson Street, St Kilda and his mother as living in Johannesburg in South Africa. I am surmising that Douglas either remained in South Africa or moved there soon after the War, and his mother and brother followed.  In 1946, he was awarded an Order of the British Empire. He died in 1967 and is buried at a cemetery in Durban, South Africa.


Douglas Dare's O.B.E. Basutoland is now known as Lesotho.

Gardiner, John Fraser
Listed as Gardener on the memorial.  Private, Victorian Citizen Bushmen.  'Invalided Australia, arrived May 2, 1901'.  John was farewelled at a function at the St Kilda Town Hall Library on March 1, 1900 (see below). John was born in St Kilda in 1879 to Charles Fraser and Grace (nee Sinclair) Gardiner. He is listed in the 1903 Electoral Roll at 86 Westbury Street, St Kilda, living with his sister Catherine and brother George, but I have no information about him after this. 


Farewell to the St Kilda soldiers, including John Fraser Gardiner, Garnet Campbell and Edwin Knox
Read the full report - Prahran Telegraph, March 3, 1900 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/144602188

Gordon, Archibald 
There are two men named Archibald Gordon listed on the Nominal Rolls and they both enlisted in the 3rd Queensland Mounted Bushmen; one of them may be our Archibald, but I can't tell.  Archibald's name does not appear on the Alfred Square Memorial. 

Hoad, John Charles
A former teacher at the school. Major General, 1st Victorian Contingent. You can read his Australian Dictionary of Biography entry, here

Hutchinson, Henry Hall 'Harry'. Lance Corporal, promoted to Corporal. Severely wounded, June 28, 1901 at Bethel. Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazette July 29, 1902).
Hutchinson, Luke. Trooper. 5th South Australian Imperial Bushmen.
Surnam spelt Hutchison on the memorial tablet. Harry and Luke were both born in St Kilda, Harry in 1878 and Luke in 1880, the sons of Joseph and Martha (nee Hall) Hutchinson. Harry is listed in the Electoral Roll in 1913 at Hopetoun, his occupation was draughtsman. In 1919, he had moved to Mildura and was a supervisor at the First Mildura Irrigation Trust. He died in Mildura in 1937, aged 59. I have no information about what happened to Luke, except that according to Harry's death notice (below) Luke predeceased his brother. This research is complicated by the fact that there was another Luke Hutchinson born in St Kilda, in 1874 - to George and Catherine (nee McRae) Hutchinson.  There is a Luke Hutchinson in the Electoral Rolls at 122 Barkly Street, St Kilda, but at the same address is a Thomas Alston Hutchinson, another son of George and Catherine, so it is not 'our' Luke.


Death notice of Harry Hutchinson. 
The Argus November 27, 1937 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11127917

Knox, Edwin 
Listed as Edward on the memorial. Private, Victorian Citizen Bushmen. 'Drowned at Wanderboom, February 26, 1901'.  Edwin was the son of Henry Matthew and Elizabeth Emily (nee Smith) Knox. Henry was the City of St Kilda rate collector. After his death the St. Kilda Rifle Club, of which Henry was a Captain, and the St. Kilda Tradesmens Club, of which Henry was Secretary, raised money to erect a memorial to Edwin. The memorial, a drinking fountain, was unveiled by Sir George Turner, Commonwealth Treasurer, on February 23, 1902. It was located on the corner of the Esplanade and Fitzroy Street, St Kilda. The Prahran Telegraph had this description of the fountain - The iron portion of the fountain was supplied by Messrs Peel and Kirkpatrick. brass and iron founders; the base is of bluestone, and the whole structure was erected by Mr E. Gough. The bluestone is 3 ft. 7 ins. in height, the fountain, from the ground to the top being 9 feet high. Mr E. W. M. Crouch fulfilled the duties of honorary architect in a manner that gave every satisfaction (3).  All that remains of the original memorial (4) is the bluestone base and the plaque. In 2012, it was restored with a modern interpretation of the fountain  and is located in the Cleve Gardens in St Kilda. You can read about it on the Monument Australia website, here.


The unveling of the Edwin Knox memorial fountain


The Edwin Knox memorial fountain in Fitzroy Street
Fitzroy Street, c. 1912. State Library of Victoria Image  H96.200/80

MacCartney, James
There is an Edward James McCartney who enlisted in the 6th Queensland Imperial Bushmen; a John Irwin McCartney who enlisted in the Victorian Citizen Bushmen and a Robert Augustine Macartney who enlisted in the 1st Victorian Mounted Rifles. Given that this memorial tablet is not without errors,  one of these men may be 'our' James, but I don't know. John Irwin McCartney died of wounds at Rustenberg Hospital on July 31, 1900, and a report in The Argus of August 8, 1900 says he lived at Melrsoe Street, Richmond. James MacCartney is not listed on the Alfred Square memorial.

Mullen, Leslie Miltiades
Private, 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles. Leslie had a distingushed military career and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. During World War One, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and Croix de Guerre, and was twice mentioned in despatches. He moved to Tasmania in 1914 and from 1921 was the President of the Tasmanian R.S. L. You can read his obituary in the Hobart Mercury of March 19, 1943, here and his Australian Dictionary of Biography entry, here.


Lieutenant Colonel Leslie Mullen

Parrott, Stanley Hamilton
Lance Corporal, 2nd Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse. In 1910 Stanley married Fanny Maria Lowe and in August 1914 he enlisted in the AIF in the Field Artillery Brigade 2, Brigade Ammunition Column. At the time of enlistment he was 32 years of age, his occupation was seaman and his next of kin was his wife of 29 Pakington Street, St Kilda. Stanley was awarded the Croix de Guerre and he returned to Autralia, December 1918.  Stanley died in June 1962, aged 80 and he is buried at the Brighton Cemetery.

Pummeroy, Robert
Listed as Pumeroy on the memorial. Lance Corporal, 2nd Victorian Mounted Rifles. His was a cook.  There is a Robert Pummeroy listed in the 1903 Electoral Roll at 42 Rosamund Street, St Kilda and I believe this is the man on the memorial.  His occupation is a plumber. Robert had married Rosa Dix in 1895 and by 1909 they were living in Clifton Hill and later moved to Preston. Robert died July 1948, aged 74.

Short, William.
Not listed on the Nominal roll and does not appear on the Alfred Square Memorial. There is an Arthur James Short who enlisted in the 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles, that's the closest I can get.

Thomas, William
There are thirteen men listed on the nominal roll with the name William Thomas, including two who enlisted as Privates in the Victorian Imperial Bushmen. It is likely that the man on the memorial is one of those two, but I have no other information. 

Tompsitt, Sidney Clarence 
Private 2nd Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse. Sidney (whose name is also spelt as Sydney in some sources) was born in 1880 to Clarence and Mary Ann (nee Gravenall) Tompsitt. In the 1903 Electoral Roll he was listed at Kipling Street, St Kilda, his occupation was a bootmaker. That same year he married Elsie May Poole. In the 1906 Electoral Roll he was in Wagin in Western Australia, however Elsie was not listed with him. Sidney then moved back to Victoria and he died in 1909 at only 29 years of age. As you can see from the death notice, below, there was no mention of Elsie, so it appears the marriage did not last. 


Death notice for  Sydney Tompsitt.
The Argus September 24, 1909 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article198486257

Wells, George Murray Wells
Private, Victorian Imperial Bushmen.
Wells, Thomas Henry 
Private, Victorian Imperial Bushmen and Private 2nd Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse.
The men are the sons of William and Hannah Maria (nee McKane) Wells; they were both born in St Kilda, Thomas in 1879 and George in 1880. The brothers moved to Western Australia where they both enlisted in the AIF, both in the 10th Light Horse Regiment, 12th Reinforcements. Henry enlisted in August 1915, he was 38 years old and a carter, his next of kin was his wife, Elsie Mary of Leederville. He returned to Australia March 1919. George enlisted in October 1915, he was 35 and his occupation was a lumper (a dock labourer who unloads cargoes).  His next of kin was his wife, Mary Theresa Wells, of West Perth. He returned to Australia in August 1919. The brothers lived the rest of their life in Western Australia and Thomas died in 1935 and George in 1950,


Thomas Henry Wells' death notice March 1935
The West Australian, March 9, 1935 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32839723


George Murray Wells' death notice
The West Australian August 22, 1950 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article47881953



Acknowledgements
I wish to acknowledge Isaac Hermann for supplying the photographs of the Brighton Street School memorial tablet, the one of the school and Wilfred Cowden's memorial plaque. I would also like to acknowledge Sally Wall, the St Kilda Elsternwick Baptist Church administrator, for kindly arranging access for Isaac to photograph Wilfred's plaque. Thank you!

Footnotes
(1) Prahran Telegraph, August 31, 1901, see here.
(2) I have created a list of newspaper articles on Trove, relating to Nathaniel Dear. You can access it here
(3) Prahran Telegraph, March 1, 1902, see here. I have created a list of  newspaper articles on Trove, connected to the death of Edwin Knox and the erection of the memorial fountain, access it here.
(4) When did the fountain disappear from the memorial? There is a Rose Series postcard, which the State Library of Victoria has dated as c.1945 (see here) which shows the memorial intact and another postcard which I believe is from the early the 1960s which shows only the base. If these dates are correct then the fountain disappeared sometime after 1945 and before 1960.


This image is dated c. 1945 and shows the intact memorial fountain.
Fitzroy Street, St Kilda. Photographer: Rose Stereograph Co. State Library of Victoria Imag6 H32492/6378. 
Download a high res version here http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/59715


This is a later image, possibly early 1960s and all that remains of the memorial is the bluestone base and plaque. 
Fitzroy Street, St Kilda: Photographer: Rose Stereograph Co. State Library of Victoria Image H32492/6985
Download a high res version here http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/66927

Monday, February 15, 2021

The Old Stone Bridge at Dandenong


The Old Stone Bridge, Dandenong. 
Photographer: Hammond Photo, Dandenong.

The Dandenong Advertiser (1) in June 1918 had a report on the stone bridge at Dandenong. The bridge crossed the Dandenong Creek at Lonsdale Street, which is part of the Gippsland Road.  
How many times have we heard this reiterated in the past, when there were not any railways, and the whole traffic of Gippsland and South Gippsland passed over "The old Stone Bridge'' The vehicular traffic outside the coaches to Sale, and Grantville was not heavy, but thousands of fat cattle from the rich pastures of Gippsland and South Gippsland passed over the bridge, in charge of competent drivers, and, regularly you would see good old Henry Beattie (2), of Yallock, pass over with his draft of beautiful Hereford bullocks, walking in front of his horse, with an oilskin on the saddle, nursing his cattle for the Flemington market. It was a long journey then and prices were short, and graziers had to be careful. "The Old Stone Bridge" was built some 60 years ago; by a firm of bridge builders from Melbourne. Many persons referred to it as a bluestone bridge, but it was constructed of granite, quarried from a reserve, just a mile up the creek from the bridge......The Gippsland road is a three chain stock route extending from Sale to Albury and away through New South Wales to distant Queensland (3).

It is interesting that the Gippsland Road, now called the Princes Highway, was once considered part of a national stock route. There was, of  course, a large stock market at Dandenong and the Newmarket yards in Flemington.


A tragic accident on the Dandenong Creek bridge in 1842. 
Manton's station was based around modern day Tooradin.
Port Phillip Patriot August 15, 1842    http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article226510185

The 'old stone bridge' was built in 1866 -1867, but it was not the first bridge over the creek, this had been built around 1840 and G.R.F., in his book Reminiscences of Early Dandenong  (4) described this bridge as a chock and log affair.... which was swept away about the year 1848 or '49 (5). He goes on to say in 1850 a new wooden bridge was built of more pretentious design...but...it was not built so firmly as the first one, the work of the old pioneers. For very soon after its erection it was pronounced unsafe, and the flood in 1864, being  a fierce one, moved it so much out of positon that it was decided to replace it with a stone structure (6).


The 'old stone bridge' was the third bridge over the Dandenong Creek, this 1849 advertisment 
is for tenders for the second bridge, a wooden bridge.
The Argus, December 15, 1849  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4773917

Tenders for the stone bridge were accepted at a meeting of the Dandenong District Roads Board at their meeting held on July 28, 1866. The contract was awarded to J. Nichols (7)


Report from August 1866 of the Dandenong District Roads' Board meeting where the tender for 
the 'new' stone bridge was discussed and decided.
The Herald  August 2, 1866  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article244425036 

Colin Skidmore in his history of Laurel Lodge (8) writes that Nichol [sic] was in continual strife with the Council  over the bridge contract, and after  a number of special meetings, and unresolved disputes, a special Board meeting had before it a letter from Nichol offering to let the matter be decided by arbritation, and appointed Mr R. Huckson as his representative. Thus it appears that Huckson may have worked for Nichol on the construction of the Bridge, and he may well have taken over the completion of the contract (9). 


This  report from February 1867 of a Dandenong District Roads Board meeting shows some of the frustration that the Board had with Mr Nichols and his progress. 

The stone bridge was opened around May 1867 (10). It was built of granite. G.R. F writes the granite which comprised the bulk of the structure, was got out of the quarry near the corner of Wedge and Power street and the coping stones were quarried at the Richmond Quarries, Burnley (11). Robert Huckson, the man generally considered to be the builder of the granite bridge, had arrived in South Australia from England in 1849. In 1855 he came to Melbourne where he was joined by his three brothers James, William and Thomas. The brothers worked together and won the contract in 1856 to erect the Treasury Buildings. Other governemnt contracts followed including that of the Gabo Lighthouse in 1860. During this time Robert was living at 220-222 Victoria Parade in East Melbourne, but he then moved to Dandneng where he erected a number of buildings such as the first Royal Hotel. He built Laurel Lodge, in Langhorne Street in Dandenong in 1867 (12). Laurel Lodge is still standing. This land had previously been owned by Janet Bowman (13) and Huckson sold the property in 1872 to James Lecky (14). 


A public meeting was held in May 1867 to make plans for the opening of the stone bridge

In November 1916 the Dandenong Advertiser reported that Some years ago, when the meandering verdure clad Dandenong creek was straightened to allow the flood waters to get away more rapidly, and thus save the low-lying lands and houses in around Dandenong from inundation, it was considered at the time, that it was a good and necessary work, and so it was, because we will not now ever have a serious flood. But the work has proved an expensive one, as the erosion in the creek has been very decided as in some places the chasm is 30 ft. deep and 60 yards wide (15). This erosion impacted not only the stone bridge but other bridges as well When the erosion commenced, away down Keysborough, and a massive weir was put in the creek to stop its progress, a heavy flood came along, and the flood gates and weir were washed away down to Mordialloc. Later, the erosion crept up to the Hammond road bridge, and that disappeared. The railway bridge stood the shock, but had to be fortified by a small train load of boulders, but the force of the waters and the fall of earth let most of the stone down below the bridge. Still the piles are driven right down to what appears to be rock, and they are not likely to shift. The falls are now gradually approaching the stone bridge on the Gippsland road, at the foot of Lonsdale-street, and it will be almost impossible to save the structure, and a fine old landmark will be obliterated (16).


View from Old Stone Bridge, Dandenong, c. 1900.
 This image is cropped, see the original here http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/336472
State Library of Victoria image H2014.1013/151.

A decision was made to replace it. This was not a popular decison with everyone, especially the Dandenong Advertiser -  It seems a thousand pities that this old landmark—the good old key to Gippsland, should have been allowed to fall without some effort being made to save it. It was said that two contractors had guaranteed to secure the bridge for all time for a sum of between £250 and £300. If that were so, what a pity it is that the structure shouldhave been allowed to collapse without a hand to save, and that the whole of the road traffic of Gippsland should have been diverted in the middle of winter by a detour road which was execrable in its incidence.... the a shame that the traffic should be diverted over a morass—for you could not call the state of Hammond road, with the abnormal traffic on it, anything else (17). 

The new bridge was designed by the Dandenong Shire Engineer, R.H. Woodcock, who incidentally purchased Laurel Lodge in 1918 (18). It was built by the Country Roads Board (C.R.B.), the contractors were Reilley Brothers (19) and officially opened by the Premier of Victoria, Mr Lawson (20), on August 29, 1919. The wife of the Dandenong Shire President, Mrs Abbott (21) had the honour of cutting the ribbon. William Calder, the chairman of the  C.R.B., was also present at the opening. The total cost of the bridge, including all the necessary road construction was £4,435 (22).


The Peace Memorial Bridge at Dandenong which was officially opened in 1919.
The Bridge at Dandenong. c. 1925. 
Photographer: Valentines. State Library of Victoria Image H2009.98/14

There were two interesting aspects of the day. Firstly a 'time capsule' was installed. The South Bourke & Mornington Journal reported that on the day the Shire President eunumerated the documents and newspapers contained in a bottle found in the foundations of the old bridge .... and which had been deposited in the new bridge, in company with more recent productions in regard to documents and newspapers (23).  When the bridge was enlarged in 1938 the 'time capsule' was recovered and it was reported that in a bottle behind the memorial stone were found copies of two daily newspapers- dated December 19, 1866, and a copy of the Journal which was published on July 24, 1919 (24). The original  balustrading on the west side of the bridge, still remains. 

Secondly and more importantly, Mr Groves M.L.A, was called upon to unveil the tablet in the of the bridge, which had been provided to perpetuate the memory of fallen heroes at War (25). The tablet reads In honor of the brave men who gave their lives to save civilisation and to commemorate the declaration of Peace. June 1919 (26). The decision to erect the memorial tablet on the new bridge at Dandenong and an existing bridge over the Dandenong Creek at Mordialloc was made at a Dandenong Council meeting held July 28, 1919 -  Cr Groves said he thought a tablet should be placed on Mordialloc bridge, in memory of local fallen heroes in the great war. He was prepared to have the work done at his own expense. On motion of Crs Colenso and Burden, the offer was accepted with thanks. On motion of Crs Harris and Colenso, the matter of having a similar tablet placed on the bridge on the Main road at  Dandenong, was left in the hands of the Centre riding members (27) The bridge is known as the Peace Memorial Bridge and the Victorian Heritage Database (28) says there are two other bridges in the State with that appellation - at Omeo and Mordialloc.  


The Peace Memorial Bridge, in October 1937, during a flood.
Image:  Historic Waterways  Photo Library - this photo was, I believe, taken by the State Rivers & Water Supply Commission.


The Peace Memorial bridge, 1938.
Country Roads Board photographer. 
Public Records Office of Victoria VPRS 17684/P0003/4854, 38_00158


Trove list
I have created a list of articles relating to the stone bridge and the Peace Memorial bridge over the Dandenong Creek, at Dandenong. You can access the list, here

Footnotes
(1) The Dandenong Advertiser commenced publication in 1874, and ceased in 1959. The publisher was James W. Swords and later taken over by other family members.
(2) Henry Beattie, of Mt Aitken, purchased the Yallock Estate, of 2, 719 acres, near Koo Wee Rup, in May 1875. It had been part of the Western Port holdings owned by John Mickle, John Bakewell and William Lyall. Beattie had arrived in Victoria from Scotland in 1854 and worked with John Aitken at his Mt Aitken Station, in the Sunbury area. Beattie later purchased Mount Aitken, operating a Hereford cattle stud, in fact it was considered to be one of the best Hereford studs in Australia. He was also the first to import pedigree Shropshire sheep to Australia. I believe it was his son Henry, who managed the Yallock Run. Henry Snr was a member of the Melton Shire for forty years. He died on August 10, 1906.  You can read his obituary in The Age, here. The Yallock Estate was put up for sale in 1915, read about this here.
(3) Dandenong Advertiser, June 20, 1918, see here.
(4)  G.R.F.,  Reminiscences of Early Dandenong  - George Fenton Roulston, publisher of the South Bourke & Mornington Journal, later the Dandenong Journal. He wrote the book in 1935 and it was republished by the Dandenong & District Historical Society in 1992. 
(5) G.R.F., op.cit p. 99
(6) G.R.F., op.cit p. 99
(7) J. Nichols - This is John Nichols - his surname is also listed as Nicholls, Nicol, Nicholl. I don't know anything else about him, partly because I don't know the correct spelling of his surname.
(8) Skidmore, Colin Laurel Lodge, No. 51 Langhorne Street, Dandenong (Dandenong & District Historical Society, 1973). I first found out that Robert Huckson built Laurel Lodge from his entry on the East Melbourne Historical Society website, https://emhs.org.au/catalogue/emvf0172 and this entry led me to Colin's book.
(9) Skidmore, op. cit., p. 2.
(10) The Age May 15 1867, see here
(11) G.R.F., op.cit p. 99-100.
(12) Skidmore, op. cit., p. 2.
(13) Janet Bowman, established the Gippsland Hotel at Beaconsfield and organised and paid for the cutting of Bowman's Track.  I have written about her, here. You can read her obituary in the Dandenong Journal, here.
(14) James Lecky, owner of Gin Gin Bean at Officer. You can read about the Lecky family, here.
(15) Dandenong Advertiser, November 23, 1916, see here.
(16) Dandenong Advertiser, November 23, 1916, see here.
(17) Dandenong Advertiser, June 20, 1918, see here.
(18) R. H. Woodcock - Robert Hopper Woodcock. He took up the position of Shire Engineer in 1911, and  purchased Laurel Lodge in 1918. The Woodcocks, Robert, his wife Nellie, had three daughters, Beatrice, Dorothy and Constance. Robert died June 1951, Nellie in 1971 and in 1972, their unmarried daughter, Dorothy sold Laurel Lodge to the Dandenong Council. It is now part of the historic Heritage Hill complex, see here. The information in this footnote comes from Colin Skidmore's book on Laurel Lodge and Robert's death notice in the Dandenong Journal of June 20, 1951, see here.
(19) Reilley Brothers - listed as Reilley Bros., in the South Bourke & Mornington Journal, here, but I believe that the surname is actually spelt Reilly - there is a report that they built the main outlett channel, Waranga Basin, here.
(20) Sir Harry Sutherland Wightman Lawson, read his Australian Dictionary of Biography entry, here.
(21) Mrs Abbott - Ellen Ada Abbott, wife of John Abbott,  storekeeper. He died in 1938, see his obituary in the Dandenong Journal, here.  Mrs Abbott died in January 1965. 
(22) Information about the bridge opening comes from South Bourke & Mornington Journal September 4, 1919, see here.
(23) South Bourke & Mornington Journal September 4, 1919, see here.
(24) Dandenong Journal, May 25, 1938, see here.
(25) South Bourke & Mornington Journal September 4, 1919, see here.
(28) South Bourke & Mornington Journal, July 31, 1919, see here.