The Narre Warren Cool Store

In 1891, William Bailey purchased 50 acres of land at Narre Warren, and began planting out his orchard, which was the first commercial orchard in the area (1). Other orchards soon followed as Narre Warren was considered to be a very suitable area for orchards. The Australasian in April 1919 reported on the advantages of fruit growing in the area -

The orchards and areas available for planting are within comparatively short distance from the railway station, where a central packing shed is in operation; the district is but 22 miles from Melbourne; the climate and soil are well suited for apple and pear culture, and, in addition, the district is settled by progressive fruit growers, who have an intimate knowledge of most matters affecting fruit production. When a district is within comparatively easy reach of the metropolis it has an enhanced value that, while difficult to estimate on an acreage basis, is nevertheless considerable.

In the first case it means that the cost of delivering produce on the market, an ever-recurring expenditure, is far less than that incurred by the up-country grower, and this same question of freight expenditure applies to everything that is purchased for use on the orchard; implements, spraying materials, manures, wrapping paper, cases, and numerous other items that must be obtained from the city, and this also applies to the initial costs connected with settlement. Then, too growers may, if they so choose, put their fruit on rail overnight, and travel to Melbourne by the evening train to sell their own produce. Several hundred acres now planted with fruit trees are within three miles of the local station and packing shed, served by a good level road, and this means easy haulage and expeditious handling of the crop during the height of the season. The co-operative fruit packing shed has been in operation over three seasons, and already there has been some talk of establishing cool stores so that the fruit may be held over for late season marketing (2).

The article also had profiles on local fruit growers including James Bailey, President of the Victorian Fruit Growers' Association (and son of William Bailey). James had 68 acres planted out in fruit trees - 34 acres of apples, 30 acres of peaches and 4 acres of pears (3).

Narre Warren Cool Store

Weekly Times August 21, 1926 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/223334041

In the endeavour to establish a Cool Store at Narre Warren, the Narre Warren Orchardists' Co-operative Cool Stores Co., was formed in 1923, with James Bailey as Chairman of Directors (4). Mr Bailey was the driving force behind the Cool Store as The Australasian reported - Although possessing a cool store of his own, sufficient for the requirements of his orchard, he has been the dominating figure in bringing about the erection of the new chambers (5).

The method of financing the construction of the Cool Store was reported in The Age newspaper - a first call of 6d. per share was made, which enabled the company to purchase the land. Later the share holders contributed 3/10 per 10/ share, making a total amount of £1700, and £2400 having been advanced by the State Savings Bank, the erection of the store was commenced. They had sufficient machinery to run a store of double the capacity, so that any additions would cost considerably less (6).

Aerial of Narre Warren - taken January 20, 1974. The Cool Store, which is opposite the Narre Warren Railway Station, is circled. The Railway Station moved from original location (west of Webb Street) to it's current location (east of Webb Street) in 1995. 

Image: Casey Cardinia Libraries.

The Cool Store at Narre Warren, built on an acre of land near the Railway Station (7) was officially opened on Saturday, March 7, 1925 by the State Minister for Agriculture, Murray Bourchier (8), who congratulated the share-holders on their enterprise and co-operation, and said he felt honored at being invited to start the machinery working (9).

Narre Warren Cool Store

Weekly Times April 27, 1929 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/223187736

The benefit to the area of having a Cool Store was explained in The Australasian newspaper - Owing to the demand for Jonathan apples for export, and also because this variety may usually be profitably disposed of within three or four months of harvesting, the cool chambers will be utilised mainly for the storage of the Yates and Rome Beauty kinds which are among the best storing varieties of apples grown. In the past many of the growers have been obliged to part with the bulk of their crops at prices which purchasers considered would leave them a margin of profit after paying storage expenses. With the local stores in operation there is the prospect that much of the fruit will return a more lucrative price to those who hold it until late in the season (10).

The Cool Store was designed to hold 10,000 cases of apples, but provision had been made to add two extra chambers if required. These chambers, each holding 3,000 cases were added in early 1928 (11). 

As with all primary production, some years were better than other and 1933 was a record year for fruit export in the Narre Warren area - Approximately 51,000 cases of fruit - 5000 cases of pears and the remainder apples - were exported from Narre Warren this season. In addition, 8000 cases were sold on the Melbourne and inter-State markets, and it is expected that a further 23,000 cases will be held in cool storage for the late markets. The quantity of fruit exported constitutes a record for the district. Last year two new cool stores were erected by individual orchardists, making four stores for the district (12).

One of these two Cool Stores was erected by Robert Haysey, which held 80,000 cases (13). An unusual cool room was built in 1932 by Arthur Robinson, on his Hillsley property, at Narre Warren North. The Dandenong Journal reported on the construction - a store had been built of bluestone boulders, some of which weigh over one ton; it was cut into the side of the hill, and the walls are built of the huge stones, which were after wards cemented. Mr. Robinson is of opinion he will be able to store many thousands of cases for a considerable period, and that they will keep equally as well as in a cool chamber (14).

Arthur Robinson's bluestone cool storage shed built on his Hillsley property in 1932.

Image: Oak Trees and Hedges: a pictorial history of Narre Warren, Narre Warren North and Harkaway (Berwick Pakenham Historical Society, 2002)

The Narre Warren Cool Store wasn't the first one built in the district. As we saw James Bailey already had one on his property, however as early as 1908 Captain Jones installed a cooling plant in his packing shed at Narre Warren, you can read about it here. Captain David Jones (15) of the Victorian Stevedoring Company had purchased 560 acres of land in Narre Warren around 1898 and established a large orchard (16). Captain Jones' property was called Tan-y-dderwen, which means "Under the oak" in Welsh (17). After his death in 1926, his son Thomas Evan Jones (18) took over the property - Tandderwen Court and Tom Jones Court in Narre Warren North are named after him.

The Cool-Air machine and oil engine driving it - photographed on Captain Jones' Narre Warren property, in 1908.

The Australasian, May 2, 1908 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/139213622#

I do not know when the Narre Warren Cool Store ceased operation, but in February 1953 the Crossley Engine was advertised for sale by tender.

Tender for sale of the Narre Warren Cool Store engine

The Age February 28, 1953 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/206116830

The Cool Store was demolished in the late 1970s or early 1980s. 

The Narre Warren Cool Store in the process of being demolished.

Some of the cars in this photo have been dated - a 1977 Torana Sunbird, a post 1978 Datsun 200B and possibly a 1977 Corolla and the green car in the centre is a HG Monaro. These identifications date this photo to at least the late 1970s.

Image: Casey Cardinia Libraries.

Acknowledgement

Thank you to Tracy Howard, one of our Librarians here at Casey Cardinia Libraries, and her friends, for helping to identify the location of the Cool Store in the 1974 aerial, shown above.

Trove List

I have created a list of articles on Trove, connected to the Narre Warren Cool Store, access it here.

Footnotes

(1) I have written about William Bailey here  https://caseycardinialinkstoourpast.blogspot.com/2021/08/mr-baileys-orchard-at-narre-warren.html

(2) The Australasian, April 26, 1919, see here.

(3) The Australasian, April 26, 1919, see here.

(4) The Age, March 9, 1925, see here.

(5) The Australasian, January 24, 1925, see here.

(6) The Age, March 9, 1925, see here.

(7) The Argus, August 17, 1923, see here.

(8) Murray Bourchier, read his Australian Dictionary of Biography entry, here  https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/bourchier-murray-goulburn-madden-12235

(9) The Age, March 9, 1925, see here.

(10) The Australasian, January 24, 1925, see here.

(11) Weekly Times, August 21, 1926, see here and Dandenong Journal, April 5, 1928, see here.

(12) The Age, May 23, 1933, see here.

(13) Dandenong Journal, January 26, 1933, see here.

(14) Dandenong Journal, January 26, 1933, see here.

(15) Captain David Jones, read his obituary in The Age, December 28, 1926, here.

(16) Weekly Times, December 26, 1908, see here.

(17) Weekly Times, December 26, 1908, see here.

(18) The following information comes from family notices in newspapers and Early Settlers of the Casey Cardinia District - Thomas Evan Jones (1898-1964) married Margaret Alice Asling in 1921. Margaret, born 1897, died July 15, 1925 at Tandderwen, at the age of 28. She left behind a son, Evan David, who had been born on March 18, 1922.  Margaret was the daughter of Edward and Elizabeth (nee Meade) Asling, of Narre Warren North. 

Tom Jones remarried in 1928 to Alice Asling. Alice Asling was the half sister of Edward and thus an aunt of Margaret.
Edward Asling (1869-1961) was the son of George Asling (1846-1934) and Margaret Neville (1839-1874). After Margaret Neville died in February 1874, George married Sarah Martha Webb (c. 1854-1923) in December 1874 and one of their children was Alice (1889-1972) who became the second Mrs Jones. Sarah Martha Webb was the sister of Sidney Webb of Holly Green, Narre Warren.

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Mr Bailey's Orchard at Narre Warren

In the 1890s William and Frances (Fanny) Bailey settled in Narre Warren North and established the first commercial orchard in the area. William was born in Harrow in England, the son of a farmer (1). William arrived in Victoria in 1861 for the purpose of learning the nursery and horticultural business from his uncle, who owned the well-known Coles' Nursery at Hawthorn. For ten years Bailey worked for his uncle and then bought what was the first plant nursery in Malvern on land adjoining Elizabeth Street (2).  The plant nursery was called Malvern Nursery, and it was on the aforementioned Elizabeth Street and Toorak Road.

In 1872, William married Fanny Godwin and they had ten children, all born in Malvern - Annie Frances (1873-1944,  married Charles Brown in 1896), George Robert (1875-1960, married Florence Emma Toe in 1901), James William (1877-1962, married Lucy Agnes Webb in 1903), William Henry (1879-1942, married Christina Cameron in 1905), Rose Emmeline (1881-1891), Alfred Percy (1883-1966, married Margaret Josephine Coxon in 1910), Charles Cornelius (1885-1965, married Lilian Mary Mickle in 1911), Charlotte Myrtle (1891-1979, married Edward Percival Krummeck in 1932), Violet Emma (1891-1952, Edward George Hill in 1915), Ivy Edith May (1893-1941, did not marry) (3).

In 1891 William Bailey purchased 50 acres at Narre Warren, and began planting out his orchard then, but the family did not move there until after the birth of the last child, Ivy in 1893.  The Narre Warren property was called Bona Vista, in Bailey Road (4).

Some of William and Fannie's children remained in the area after they reached adulthood - their eldest son, George (1875-1960), had a General store in Narre Warren, operated by family members until the 1970s. George and his wife Florence built Brentwood (later called Clarinda Park) in 1904. In 1993, the address was 271-299 Narre Warren North Road, I don't think it still exists.  Another son James married, as we said,  Lucy Agnes Webb, the daughter of Sidney and Anne Webb. He was also a fruit grower. They built Araluen in 1903 and their daughter, Lucy,  lived there until she died  in April 1997 and the land was sub-divided. Araluen burnt down in mysterious circumstances a few years ago.

William died December 29, 1922 aged 81 and Frances (nee Godwin) died May 28, 1929, aged 78. 

I don't have a photograph of William Bailey, but this is his son, James Bailey with his son, Sidney James Bailey, taken c. 1918 

in their Narre Warren North orchard.

There are two reports of William Bailey's horticulture enterprise - the first is from the Weekly Times of April 15, 1899 (see here)  and the second from The Leader of February 23, 1907, (see here.)  They are interesting as they talk about the many varieties of apples grown on the Bailey property, many of which we no longer hear about, and certainly don't see in the supermarkets.

FRUIT GROWING AT NARRE WARREN (By Our Agricultural Reporter.) The Weekly Times of April 15, 1899 

The cultivation of fruit has not been extensively carried out in the Narre Warren district, but a splendid object lesson is afforded, as to the possibilities of the district, by Mr W. Bailey's Bona Vista orchard, about 4½ miles from the Narre Warren railway station and 1½ miles from old Narre Warren township

The orchard is pleasantly situated on the side of one of the numerous hills to be found in the district. When Mr Bailey first started the land was heavily timbered and covered with dense scrub. He was laughed at when he stated his intention of planting fruit trees, and was told failure was bound to ensue. Being a practical orchardist, he formed his own opinion about the matter, and from the results there is no doubt as to the soundness of his judgment.

Although the orchard has only been started eight years, the growth made is simply marvellous. Pinus insignis, planted for breakwinds, would, from the growth made, lead one to suppose they had been planted at least twice that period. What strikes one on first entering the orchard is the uniform size of the trees - one tree would serve as a model for the whole of any particular plantation. The soil is of a granite nature, and at the first glance would not impress one as to its fertility.

The orchard has a north and westerly aspect, which seems to suit the trees admirably. Remarking on the size of the trees, Mr Bailey explained that he followed out a system of summer pruning, so often advised in "The Weekly Times", for by this means all the available growth is directed into the proper channel, instead of making rank growth, which has to be cut away in the winter pruning.

The whole of the orchard has been thoroughly drained by means of either tile or charcoal drains, but for efficacy Mr Bailey prefers the former. Although no insect pests have yet made their appearance, spraying is regularly carried out during the winter months as a preventive, Bordeaux being the mixture chiefly favored.

The area devoted to Peaches at the present time is about two acres, and these trees look remarkably well, with the exception of a few worked in the almond stock, and these have proved far from satisfactory, while a few have grown as freely as those worked in the peach stock. The majority are dwarfed and stunted. Why this should be Mr. Bailey is unable to explain, but it should serve as a warning to all intending planters in the district. The crops this season have been very fine, and have given good returns. The varieties most favored are Briggs Red May, Hale's Early, Early Crawford, Fosters Royal George the Comet.  The trees have been planted 15ft x 15ft. apart, and this, Mr Bailey finds, is far too close.

There are twelve acres devoted to the cultivation of apples, and these have also made very free growth. In some instances the outer growths have been brought into a horizontal position, thus causing lateral shoots to grow out, besides utilising the exuberant growth, the size of the trees has been considerably extended. This system has been more particularly observed with trees having a tendency to grow into close pyramid form. 

The following varieties give equally good results: - Rome Beauty, Jonathan, King of Pippins, Reinette du Canada, Summer Scarlet Pearmain, London or Five Crown Pippin, H.U. Cole's Prince of Pippin, and Cole's Rymer. The latter is an enormous cropper; its only fault is that it comes into bearing the same time as Jonathan. The apples are planted 20 x 20 feet apart.

The Rome Beauty apple, one of the varieties grown by William Bailey.

This illustration, dated March 1881 was done by John Charles Cole of the Richmond Nursery,  the first cousin of William Bailey (see footnote 2).

State Library of Victoria Image H96.160/2075

The three acres of pears show remarkably clean growth, and the fruit is of excellent quality. Williams's Bon Chretien, Souvenir de Congres, Bailey's Bergamot, Keiper's hybrid, Beurre d'Angon, Doyenne du Bossoch and Vicar of Winckfield are the principal sorts grown.

Plums also receive attention, but not to such a large extent as the other fruits, but from the success attained Mr Bailey would feel quite justified in the area devoted to them. Orleans, Washington, Black Orleans, Fellenberg, and Golden Drop have given the best returns. Whilst on the subject of plums we must not forget the Japanese variety, Kelsey. This kind is an enormous bearer, and is especially useful for private use. The blood Japanese Mr Bailey would advise grown as a weeping, ornamental plant, for planting on the lawn or elsewhere.

Apricots seem as much at home as the other varieties of fruits, but only the following varieties are grown to any extent: - Ouillen's Early, Moorpark, and Campbellfield's Seedling. The strawberry plantations are by no means the least important item at Bona Vista. The returns from this source have been excellent. The plants are placed in double rows, 2½ feet apart, and 15 inches in the rows. This enables the horse hoe to work readily between the rows.

Mr Bailey remarked that, to grow strawberries successfully, cultivation of the soil must be carried out the whole of the year, and not, as many growers do, leave the plants untouched directly the fruit is gathered until the following spring The manure used for this crop is principally bonedust and stable manure. The following are the varieties grown: - Marguerite, Edith Christy, Trollope's Victoria, and Arthur. The latter does exceedingly well, but, unlike the other varieties named, does not produce a second crop.

Mr Bailey has a clean lot of young fruit trees, suitable for planting this season. The collection comprises all the leading kinds of peaches, apples, pears, plums, strawberries, etc. Besides the orchard, Mr Bailey has about [illegible] acres devoted to the growth of tomatoes, peas, pumpkins, maize, and other crops, suitable for feeding purposes. (Weekly Times of April 15, 1899, see here)

A GARDEN ORCHARD. INTENSE CULTURE. [BY OUR HORTICULTURAL REPORTER] The Leader

, February 23, 1907

Mr. Bailey was a prominent member of the Royal Horticultural Society of Victoria, but after settling at Narre Warren he was forced, owing to the distance, from Melbourne, to take a less active interest in its work. The son of a strawberry grower near London, Mr. Bailey came out to Australia, and started work in Mr. J.C. Cole's Richmond nurseries (5), and, though now well advanced in years, he is still actively engaged; and working with the enthusiasm born of a natural fondness for watching and encouraging plant growth. Several sons are engaged in horticultural pursuits; two of whom are working in their father's plantation. 

The orchard, which covers 35 acres, is situated near the summit of a granitic hill, about three miles from the Narre Warren railway station. The character of the land is such that the breaking up of the soil and planting fruit trees demanded more than ordinary pluck, and endurance. Immense granite boulders jut out from the surface of the soil. To remove these extraordinary blots from an orchard site meant, digging holes, under each boulder and lighting fires. As granite carries a large percentage of water, the heat forces an expansion, which splits the rock, and thus facilitates the work of removal. The soil, of course, takes its character from the granite. Mr. Bailey reckons trees get all the potash they require, but stable manure is frequently used. The latter is applied as a mulch to the trees direct from the stables and cow bails, and thus there is no waste of ammonia, as is frequently the case when stacking in pits. 

Horses and cows are stabled the year round, and with plenty of bayonet grass, pea straw, &c., every pound of animal manure is secured, for the orchard. "It is no use running an orchard without it," Mr. Bailey remarks.  The orchard is tile and timber drained throughout, and, owing to its exposed position, the property is divided into sections by lines of pine, tree break winds, which are trimmed flat on both sides, leaving no overlapping branches near the fruit trees. The soil around the established trees is kept in fine tilth by constant ploughing and scarifying, while immediately under the trees the spade and hoe are used. 

The trees being pruned to bear low down, it is impossible to work horse implements too close. The cost of digging is reckoned, at 1d. per tree, or 5/ per acre, per annum. Owing to the tendency of the soil to wash away on this hillside orchard, paths at irregular intervals are retained in an unploughed condition, and covered with rushes. The latter is a carpet which serves the purpose of retaining the moisture and keeping weeds down, and forms one of several novel and attractive features of a well ordered plantation.

To note the fruits in detail, first place must be given to the apples of which there is an extensive collection of varieties. The trees are arranged at even distance of 20 feet each way, but in one of the recent plantings they are set out at 23 feet distances, with peach trees planted half way between in one direction only. The latter method is adopted with the view of removing the peaches after they have yielded several crops, by which time the apples are fairly established. Some dead peaches near an open drain have been allowed to stand as frames for passion fruit vines.

An interesting example of the passing out of favor of a good apple is shown in a patch of the Yates variety, grafted on the butts of what used to be John Toon trees. The latter used to pay well until the Jonathan came into favor, and so it had to give way to a more profitable variety. The Jonathan is one of the best apples grown in this orchard. Trees growing 20 feet apart had branches touching when they were six years old, and yielding five cases of fruit per tree. They are now over ten years old, have yielded regularly every season, and one year the trees yielded 50/ per tree through export consignments.

Cox's Orange Pippin - a variety grown by William Bailey

This is a wax model, made in the Melbourne Museum 

by Joy Dickins, August 1, 1949.

Image: Museums Victoria https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/items/413345

"This is the land for Jonathans," Mr. Bailey remarked, and, pointing to a tree bearing a good half crop, added: "That is the way I like to see them growing. Last year half a crop, this season the same, and it will be repeated next year. Grown like that you get a better grade, better size and better quality." A number of Rennettes were cut back and grafted with this popular variety, and good crops are now in sight. 

Comparatively small quantities of this orchard's produce is exported, the fruit being grown to meet the requirements of local markets. How ever, one of Mr. Bailey's sons took 500 cases to England on the steamer Geelong, a steamer in which the engineer took particular care in regard to the maintenance of an even temperature in the fruit storage room throughout the voyage. For this reason chiefly, Mr. Bailey states, the care in selecting good fruit and careful packing was not wasted, and Jonathans, Bismarks and a few Cox's Orange Pippins opened up in London, as sound as on the day they were packed. High prices were realised, and in regard to Cox's Orange Pippin especially Mr. Bailey is convinced that it is one of the best paying apples if landed in England in good condition. A few Munro's Favorite are grown, but owing to the tendency of the skin to split near the stalk, a failing of this variety common to the cooler districts of the State, it is not favored. 

The Jonathan apple, another variety grown by William Bailey.

This is a wax model, made in the Melbourne Museum 

by Joy Dickins in 1950.

Image: Museums Victoria Collections https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/items/385107

From ten year old Bismarks 20 bushels of fruit per tree have been taken. Red Astrakans started to color three weeks ago, and this is a late season. The latter is on the market now. Mr. Bailey keeps for a day or two after picking, and by the time they are marketed the fruit is very juicy and attractive. Odd varieties are dotted about the orchard, such as Lord Suffield and Cornish Gilliflower. The latter is a very pretty streaked apple, known in Tasmania as the Ribstone. It is an old English variety, and is blight proof. There is a good show of fruit on the Rome Beauty trees, a result due to the thrip insect attacking the blossom, which in this variety blooms very late in the season. This pest threatens to become a most serious menace, especially to late varieties, such as Rome Beauty. Like Munro's Favorite, the Cleopatra is better suited to the warm districts north of the Dividing Range, but in this orchard a few trees are showing good crops of clean fruit, "because they were sprayed at the right time."

One of  the best paying apples grown here is the Gravenstein, a variety which has become so popular in local markets that a Melbourne salesman said, "If I were planting an orchard it would, comprise Gravensteins for the most part." These trees produce very strong, sweeping branches, and while 20 feet distances suit certain upright growing varieties, Mr. Bailey would prefer, now that Gravensteins are established, that they had the freedom of 25 feet distances. 

In commenting upon the low-lying branches which sweep the ground beneath his apple trees, Mr. Bailey remarked, "You can cut off a branch at any time, but you cannot grow another one in that position in a single season. Fruit on these low-hanging branches are not affected by the wind; it is easier to pick, and the tree is easier to spray."  Particulars regarding the culture of other fruits, will be given in a second article. (The Leader of February 23, 1907, see here. A follow up article was in The Leader of March 2, 1907, see here, and it discussed the other fruits grown on Mr Bailey's orchard )

Footnotes

(1) William's obituary in The Argus of  January 3, 1923 (see here), says he was engaged with his father in fruit growing. An article in The Leader of  February 23, 1907, see here, says he was the son of a strawberry grower.

(2) Cooper, John Butler The City of Malvern: from its first settlement to a City (Speciality Press, 1935), p. 124.  His uncle, was Mr Thomas Cornelius Cole (1810-1889, the brother of William's mother, Annie Cole). Two of Mr Cole's sons also had nurseries - John Charles Cole (1838-1891)  had the Richmond Nursery and Henry Ungerford Cole (1843-1904), a Hawthorn Nursery. Another son, the Reverend Thomas Cornelius Cole (1836-1879)  was the vicar at Malvern. You can read about the family in the entry written by Richard Aitken, in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, here and information about the Nurseries in The Australasian, August 19, 1876, here.

(3) Information from the Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages https://www.bdm.vic.gov.au/research-and-family-history/search-your-family-history

(4) William Bailey is listed as owning 50 acres from the 1891/1892 Rate Books. As all the children were born in Malvern I am assuming they moved after the birth of Ivy in 1893. This is confirmed by the fact that William is listed in the Malvern Rate Books (available on Ancestry.com) in 1893, but not 1894. 

(5) See Footnote 2 - this implies he was at his cousin's nursery, not his Uncle's nursery

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Mr Ablethorpe's orchard at Gembrook

The Leader newspaper of March 14 1903 had an interesting report on the Beaconsfield, Gembrook and Pakenham Horticultural and Fruit Growers' Association. The report said that it was one of the 'most progressive of  its kind in Victoria' and was one of the largest in the State. The article continues on describing some of the orchards in the area and finishes up with an interesting description of Mr Ablethorpe's farm at South Gembrook, which grew a veritable cornucopia of  fruits and berries.  You can read the full article here on Trove.

Charles and Emma Ablethorpe are listed in the 1903 Electoral Roll at Gembrook South. Charles died in 1904 at the age of 67 and is buried at Pakenham Cemetery. Emma is listed in the 1909 Electoral Roll and Emma is still at Gembrook South in the 1913 Rolls. Emma married Henry Lello in 1919, and they lived in Northcote and she died July 5, 1922 and Henry died three years later. We have met Emma before in this blog as she was one of 30,000 Victorian women who signed a petition agitating for female suffrage in 1891. You can read more about this here.

Here is the account of Mr Ablethorpe's orchard

Twelve years ago Mr. C. Ablethorpe established a 9-acre orchard at South Gembrook, and, in conjunction with his son-in-law, Mr. Warren, this small plantation has been worked without the aid of outside labor. There are some remarkable examples of the district's adaptability to fruit culture, as the trees and plants comprise apples, pears, peaches, oranges, lemons, plums, quinces, grapes, wineberries, tree tomatoes, chestnuts, white and red currants, gooseberries, Cape gooseberries,

raspberries, strawberries, figs, cherries, loquats and other fruits. Some apricot trees were chopped out, and black currants fail to set. Peaches and gooseberries form the leading fruits in this compact but prolific orchard, and the results are attained solely by means of hand cultivation. A vine hoe (a five pronged implement) is used. The orchard  being on a steep slope the soil is pulled over once a year by means of the long prongs, the only other implement used being an ordinary hoe. The growth of tree tomatoes here is remarkable, and as Mr. Ablethorpe often receives up to 14/ per case, and never less than 4/, it is surprising that more attention is not given by gardeners to this ornamental and profitable plant. There are 4000 gooseberry bushes, producing an annual average of 10 tons of fruit, the yield sometimes reaching as high as 15 tons. The fruit trees are planted at 24 feet distances with gooseberry bushes 8 feet apart in two rows between the trees. 

Mention might be made of the work carried on by several other growers in Gembrook and Beaconsfield, but at present Mr. Ablethorpe's orchard may be noted as a remarkable example of what can be done on a few acres in the Gembrook and Beaconsfield districts. Nine acres have practically supported two families for the past twelve years, and the limit of production is certainly not yet in sight.

Gathering gooseberries at Gembrook (c. 1882 to 1902)

Photographer: Charles Rudd  

State Library of Victoria Image H39358/73

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