Melway edition 6, 1973 - the Casey Cardinia pages.

I was very fortunate to be given a copy of the 1973 Edition 6 of the Melway Street Directory. I love street directories as they show how the area has developed over time. In 1973, what is now the City of Casey and Cardinia Shire took up nine pages in the Melway. 

This is Key Map (Southern Section) of the 1973 Melway, as you can see pages 127, 90, 91, 108, 109, 95, 96, 110, 111 and 128 cover the Casey Cardinia area.

Page 127 - covers Clematis and Emerald. 

Page 90 - covers Doveton and Endeavour Hills. 

Page 91 -  covers Hallam, Endeavour Hills and Doveton North (which is now called Endeavour Hills)

Page 108 - covers Narre Warren North

Page 109 - covers Harkaway

Page 95 - covers Lyndhurst and Dandenong South

Page 96 - covers Hampton Park, Hallam and what is now Lynbrook.

Page 110 - covers Narre Warren.

Page 111 - covers Berwick

Page 128 - covers Cranbourne

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Reverend Alexander Duff (1824 - 1890)

The Reverend Alexander Duff played a large role in the early development of the Cranbourne area. He was born in Coagh in Northern Ireland in 1824 and obtained a Master of Arts from the University of Glasgow. He married Annie Tucker in Belfast when he was 29, around 1853, and they came to Australia soon after. Their eight children were all born in Victoria.

Alexander Duff. 

Photograph scanned from The Good Country:  Cranbourne Shire by Niel Gunson.

According to Niel Gunson in his book The Good County: Cranbourne Shire Duff was appointed by the Presbyterian Church to Dandenong on June 26, 1855 and on September 20 he was ordained. The Duffs initially lived with Alexander Cameron and conducted services in his house until Scots Presbyterian Church was opened on May 27 1860. A manse was also built at the same time. Duff also preached at Berwick in the early days and as far south as the Bass River area. He visited parishioners on his horse, Dobbin.

The original Scots Presbyterian Church, opened 1860. Thus Church was replaced by the existing Scots Church in, I believe, 1953.

A Presbyterian School opened in Cranbourne on June 1, 1856. This school was located on the site where the Presbyterian Church stands,  the first teacher being James Henry, the next teacher was Archibald Thomson. In 1862, the Commons School Act was passed and the School became Cranbourne Common School, No. 144. The School was closed in 1878 and the students moved to a new School on the South Gippsland Highway (where the Elderly Citizens are now located). In 1969, the Cranbourne State School, No. 2068, moved to Russell Street location.

State Government Gazette  http://gazette.slv.vic.gov.au/

In October 1855 Alexander was appointed the Registrar of Births and Deaths for Cranbourne and Dandenong. The Reverend Duff also held evening classes for young men and women on 'arithmetic, physics, mathematics, English, Latin, Greek, French and German. He was obviously interested in intellectual pursuits but he also valued physical activity - Niel Gunson writes that he tried his hand at black smith work and that he experimented with ways to improve cheese making. He ploughed his own paddocks and, in 1858, the Mornington Farmers Society held their ploughing competitions on his farm.

Duff retired to his farm at Cardinia in 1888 and he died on December 22 1890 aged 65. He left his entire estate to 'my dear wife, Annie Duff'. The value of his Estate was personal property of 1312 pounds and real estate valued at 1574 pounds.

Extract from Rev Duff's will dated August 11, 1884.

(Public Records Office of Victoria)

Obituary from the South Bourke and Mornington Journal December 24, 1890.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper

As we mentioned before, Alexander married Annie Tucker in Belfast around 1853. He was the son of Thomas Duff and Ann McMorran.  They had eight children - Walter (1855 - 1925, married Eva Sharp); Annie Elizabeth (1857 - 1934, married John Gason); William Tucker (1859 - 1935, married Alice Hobart); Dora Robina (1861 - 1939, married Robert Gibb); Maggie (1864 - 1938, married James Lecky); Mary Clarissa (known  as Minnie, 1865 - 1924, married Inglebert Gunnelson); Alexander (1869 - 1941, married Mary Irwin) and lastly Edward John Tucker, born and died 1877. Annie died November 24, 1905 aged 74. The three surviving sons farmed in the Cardinia area. Walter Duff, James Lecky and Robert Gibb were all Cranbourne Shire Councillors.  Mary and Inglebert Gunnelson lived in Garfield and two of their sons, Inglebert and Percy,  were killed in the First World War.

Alexander's brother, Robert (1827 - 1861) was also in Australia. He and his wife Margaret (c.1832 - 1902) established the Cranbourne Hotel, around 1860. It was in High Street, where Greg Clydesdale Square is now and was demolished around the 1970s. Margaret was also a Duff, perhaps a cousin, and her father operated an Inn in Coagh, County Tyrone, the birthplace of Alexander and Robert. After Robert died, Margaret married Edward Tucker (c. 1836 - 1872), who was born in America and operated a store in Cranbourne. Edward's brother William (born in Belfast)  was also in the area. What connection were they to Annie Tucker, the wife of the Reverend Duff?  Some sources say that she was the sister of Edward and William Tucker, however in the Early Settlers of the Casey Cardinia District their parents are listed as Edward Tucker and Elizabeth Moore and Annie's death certificate has her mother's maiden name as Phillips, so I am not sure.

 Cranbourne Hotel, established circa 1860, by Robert and Margaret Duff. 

Photograph scanned from The Good Country:  Cranbourne Shire by Niel Gunson.

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Lions of Berwick - Part 2

This is a series of Polaroid Instant Photographs that show the re-location of the lions from, what I believe was their original location close to the War Memorial in High Street, Berwick to an even closer location next to the War Memorial around 1985. You can read all about the lions here The photos are not of great quality, but they are interesting from an historic point of view and for showing the logistics of the installation.

You can read more about the Lions of Berwick here.

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Sustenance Applications for the Shire of Berwick and the Shire of Cranbourne

The Public  Records Office of Victoria www.prov.vic.gov.au  has just received a series of  records consisting of the applications for sustenance administered by various Shires under the provisions of the Unemployment Relief (Administration) Act 1932. We are fortunate that the records cover the Shire of Berwick, the Shire of Cranbourne and the Shire of Dandenong.

According to the PROV blog the applications for Sustenance forms contain-
applicant name, place of birth, address, age, usual trade, marital status, out of employment details, particulars of children and dependents,  information regarding assets or income,  investigation notes regarding application and application support documentation such as statements of income. You can read the full blog post here and the blog provides the links to the records. Sadly, the records are not yet digitised so you will need to visit the PROV to see the records.

There are 231 applicants for the Shire of Cranbourne and only 46 for the Shire of Berwick. I am surprised that  there is such a discrepancy between the two sets of records as I would have thought that they would have had similar populations and thus a similar amount of applications. I don't have any population figures for 1932, but in 1944 the Shire of Cranbourne was 8022  in population and the Shire of Berwick was 9950.  Of all the applicants there were three women who applied in their own right -  Celia Brown,  Daphne Jean Dixon and  Meg Wilde. There were also two married couples - Henry and Beatrice Pedersen and C.T. and P. Priestley who applied.

Shire of Berwick Applicants (VPRS 17877)

ALLAN, John George Montgomery (Date of Birth 25/04/1888)  ALLSOP, Frank Henry  (1897) BAKER, Herbert Frank (31/12/1894) BAKER, William (1888)  BARNES, James  (1902) BICKNELL, Charles Richard  (15/01/1886)  BOOTH, William  (15/12/1904) BOULD, Walter  (14/10/1886) BROUGH, William  (1897) BROWN, Archie Edward  (1902) BROWN, Celia  (1870) BROWN, Cyril  (31/08/1895)   BROWN, John  (1905)   BUCK, Ronald Arthur (11/03/1912)
BUCKINGHAM, Thomas Leslie (1885)  CAMPBELL, Clyde  (1896) CAMPBELL, Eric (1900) CARR, George  (1904) CARROLL, Denis  (29/01/1907) CASLEY, James Henry  (1895)
CHILDS, Leo  CLANCY, George   CLARKE, Ernest  (1897) CLINCH, Edward  (1880) COBBLEDICK, Robert William  (1891)  COLE, Gordon Keith ( 07/12/1900) CORBIN, Edward Albert  (01/10/1906) CORRY, John  (1885)  COWAN, Frederick William CUMMINS, Michael Francis  (1873 or 1875) CURLEY, James T   DALTON, Arthur Lionel (30/08/1909)
D’ANDREA, Guido  (1902) DANIEL, William Walter  (1914)  DAWES, John Cedric  (20/02/1915) DAWSON, Thomas Richard  (26/09/1898)  DEAN, J.H. DIXON, Daphne Jean  (1906) DODD, Frank Crichton  (1878) DOWLING, Joseph Henry  (28/11/1875) DUNLOP, Robert  (01/08/1902) FELTHAM, Robert Courtney  (24/12/1908) FOUNTAIN, J.A. FOX, Frederick Samuel (22/04/1884) HYDE, Thomas Alfred (15/10/1895) ROGERS, Alfred  (21/02/1896) Shire of Cranbourne Applicants (VPRS 17876)

ADAMS, Frederick George (1870)   ADDERLEY, William James (02/05/1903)     AGNEW, Thomas James ( 02/11/1905)  AGOSTA, Francesco Frank (27/04/1904)  AKISTER, Norman ( 1903) ALEC, John  (1891)  ALLARD, John Charles  (06/07/1899)     ALLEN, William Robert (1905)   ALLSOP, Edward William John (1908) ALLSOP, Harold Victor  (10/07/1911) ANDREWS, Harry  (06/05/1916) ASTON, Herbert W  ( 1905)      AXFORD, William Douglas (1909)                           BAILEY, John Wier (1913)    BALCHIN, J.S.      BALFOUR, William Scott (21/06/1888)             BARTLETT, John (1897)    BASSO, Eugenio (1903)     BAXTER, Norman Alexander (08/02/1910) BERTONCELLO, Settimo (1905)   BERTONCELLO, Settimo (1905)   BISHOP, George Juble (18/03/1887)   BLACK, Alfred   BLACK, Roy (1899)    BROUGHTON, Lemuel (Should this be Samuel?) ( 26/11/1912)  BOULD, Mervyn Earnest (1904)  BOULD, Roydon Dean (1907)   BOULD, Stanley Edward John (1908)  BRAND, Alexander King  (01/07/1903)   BRUNSDEN, Thomas Henry (1909)   BRYAN, Daniel   (09/03/1897)    BULMAN, Keith Noel          BULMAN, Vere James Frederick (1903)    BURGAN, Clarence Frederick  (05/05/1916)       BURGAN, Frederick Galloway (24/05/1895)    BURGESS, Fred (1907)      BURLEY, Hugh Lauder (1908)    BURNETT, Alexander  (19/06/1876)     BURNS, William Noble (1905)    

CADDY, Donald  (05/11/1899)  CAIN, Henry Roy (1906)  CANTY, Daniel  (26/08/1877) CASERTO, Veto  ( 06/06/1897)  CASTELLO, Rosario (03/09/1899)  CHAPRONIERE, Henry Stanley (1905) CIANCI, Domenico (1883)   CLAYDON, John William (22/12/1897) CLINTON, James (1880)   COATES, George Frederick (1903)   COCHRANE, James (05/11/1886)  COCHRANE, James Thompson (1883) COLLINS, Thomas (02/04/1897)   CONSIDINE, Leo David (09/08/1908)    CONSOLINO, Giuseppe (01/01/1990)  COOK, Frank (1901)  COOK, William  (12/02/1885)    COOTER, Stanley Ralph (1903)   COBETT, Michael James (1906)  CORBETT, Thomas Patrick (08/08/1877) CORBETT, Thomas Patrick  (8/11/1901) CORNWALL, James Arthur (1884) COSGRAVE, Alfred John (1878) COTTER, John Jack (1910) COULSON, Harry William Oliver (1882) COX, Harold William (1909) CRAFT, R  CRAMERI, Eugene Dominic (04/06/1914) CRAMERI, Joseph Francis  (1907) CRIPPS, Regional Edward  (26/01/1912) CUMMING, Alan  (06/07/1905)

D’FLORA, Matteo (1897) DON, James Gilbert  (30/12/1894) DONOVAN, Charles John (1885) DUGGAN, Raymond Stacey (08/02/1890) EDWARDS, Henry  (1906) ELLIOTT, Cecil (1886 or 1888)   ELSEGOOD, T.A.   ENGLISH, Thomas Joseph (25/06/1903) EPPS, Ernest William  (23/01/1906)  ESLER, John William Leslie  (28/10/1899) FECNHER, Edgar Phillip (1896) FECHNER, Edgar Phillip  (20/10/1896) (2 different records for Edgar Fechner)  FECHNER, William (1905) FELLHAUER, William (1899) FLESTEAD, Clifford John Stanley (09/04/1896) FERRARO, Gregoro ( 12/02/1899) FIELD, Michael Joseph (30/10/1882) FLANAGAN, Harry Albert (1894) FLENTJAR, Alfred William (1912) FLENTJAR, Alfred William (20/11/1911) FLENTJAR, Leslie James (1908) FLENTJAR, O   FRANKLIN, William James (1907) FLOOD, Percy (11/03/1881) GALLAGHER, W    GALLENTI, Desiderio (07/05/1906) GALLENTI, Saverio (08/09/1881) GALLENTI, Sebastiano (1911)  GANDOLFO, Sebastiano (1900)  GARBELLINI, William Peter (16/10/1895) GIBSON, Alexander (1897)     GILLAN, Thomas (1867)    GIULIANO, Giovanni (1887)     GLASHEEN, Edward John (1893)  GLASHEEN, Edward John (26/04/1893) (2 different records for Edward John Glasheen)  GLEESON, Clarence Michael  (02/04/1889)

 GORRIE, John Callaghan (19/07/1894) GRANT, Albert Harold (1903) GRIFFIN, Keith Albert (1917) GRIFFITHS, Henry  (18/08/1897) GROVER, Alfred Henry (1869)

GRUNDY, Reginald Henry   (18/08/1906) GUNTON, Vernon (1912)

HARVEY, John  (10/03/1888 or 10/03/1898)  HAWKINS, Elvin Thomas (1906)  HEALY, Pierce Edward (1912)  HENDERSON, David Metcalfe (1876)   HENNESSY, James  (08/07/1892) HICKEY, Michael John (14/02/1865)   HILLIER, Robert Vincent  (15/12/1889)    HOLLAND, A.W.

JACKSON, George Amess (1915) JENNINGS, Keith  (1905) KING, Frederick (1911) LEACH,  C.F LOVEDAY, William (1885) MARIO, Dorio  (1901) MARTIN, John   (02/03/1902) MATHESON, R.L   MAYNARD, Bernard James   (01/11/1905) McCARTEN, Malcolm Douglas (1909)  McCOLL, J.D.M.   McDERMOTT, James    McDERMOTT,  Phelin Thomas (25/12/1900) McEVOY, Thomas  (1890) McFARLANE, Walter (1882) McLEAN, Alexander (1893) McKENZIE , A.   McKENZIE, John George (1893) McQUADE, John   (1873 or 1875) McQUIRE, John   MELROSE, A.T   MILLS, John Beatson  (02/10/1912) MOORE, James Henry  (1879) MORGAN, Leslie Alexander  (19/08/1906) MORGAN, William Frank  (03/06/1914)  MORGAN, William John (1870)    MULLENBACH, Anton (1889)  MURCOTT, Alfred William (25/06/1904)       MURPHY, John James  (1883)  MURRAY, Henry George (1907)  MURRAY, Martin Frances  (15/10/1882)   MUSGROVE, Harry Cyril   (16/07/1890)       
       

NELSON, Arthur Stephen (1899)     NICHOLS, John Frederick (1883)  NIX, Martin  (1885)       NORTH, A.E    O'BRIEN, Denis    OGIER, Jack Bernard  (12/05/1907)     O'LOUGHLAN, Michael James  (07/09/1899)    PARKER, Gerald Percival  (08/07/1898)        PAYNE, George Daniel P (21/06/1916)     PEARSON, R.G.   PEDERSEN, Henry Andrew and  Beatrice   PERGANDI, W   

PERKINS, Thomas Wedge (1899)   PETERSON, Gordon Victor (1896)   PETERSON, William Magnus  (08/05/1913)    POLGLASE, A.R.    POLLOCK, James Jim  (1895 or 1896)
POWELL, G.W.   PRESTON, Henry   (14/07/1879)  PRIESTLEY, C.T and P.   PROSSER, Leslie Henry  (11/11/1896)

QUARRELL, Ivor James (1904)     RANDLE, H.G.    REES, Charles Robert (25/06/1912) RICHARDS, John Burnard Bernard  (15/01/1875)   RICHARDSON, William David (1900) RICHMOND, Arthur  (07/02/1893)   RIDGWAY, John Alfred  (1844)  ROBERTS, Edgar (31/01/1897)  ROWLANDS, Arthur James (20/07/1870)  RULE, George W

SANDS, Alfred Walter (1899) SARGENT, Benjamin  (08/10/1892) SAVAGE, Francis Frank William (1894) SAVAGE, Patrick Leslie  (07/07/1897) SCOTT, Michael Edwin (1901) SCOTT, Thomas James (1887) SCOTT, Walter Alfred  (1908)  SEELAF, George (1914)  SEELAF, George  (02/03/1884) SHARP, E.G    SHEA, Arthur Patrick (1873) SPRINGFIELD, Fredrick Arthur Courtney (1911 or 1912) SPRINGFIELD, Jeffrey William Manning  (18/09/1903) SKANE, Leonard George  (24/05/1901) STEEN, Andrew John  (30/11/1903) STENGEL, Louis  (12/08/1878) STRAHAN, David Dalmahoy  (03/05/1903) SWEET, George Mathew (06/07/1914) SWEET, John Henry (31/05/1909)

TALBOT, Walter (1897) TETLEY, C   TIMMINS, Maxwell John (09/01/1905) TIMMINS, Thomas Joseph  (08/06/1879) THOMPSON, Henry James (1910) TORNEY, William James  (14/02/1910) UREN, Edgar Spencer Still (1887)  WAKEFIELD, Alexander George (26/07/1902)  WARLOW, Victor James (1907)  WARREN, George  (1911)  WHITE, William  (17/03/1897)  WHITEHURST, John  (1907)  WILDE, Meg   WILLIS, James Christopher  (1884)   WILLIAMS, John Wilks  (1874) WILSON, Donald Alexander   (1905)   WILSON, Horace William  (1910) WILSON, Reginald William Hall (1899)  WILSON, Sydney  (1913) WITHEROW, Laurence   WOODS, Mark Phillip (1910) WRAIGHT, Harry Thomas (1889) WREGG, Leslie Frank Theodore (04/08/1902) YEOMANS, Leslie  (1906) ZAPPULLA, Stephen  (1915)

Cranbourne Shire Naturalization ceremony, 1960.

The Koo-Wee-Rup Swamp Historical Society had a pile of old Koo-Wee-Rup Suns dumped on their doorstep a while ago. Like all old newspapers they are interesting and slightly addictive reading. I came across this article from the paper of December 14, 1960 which talks about a Shire of Cranbourne Naturalization Ceremony held at the Memorial Hall in Koo-Wee-Rup. 

It is of interest for a number of reasons - firstly it lists the full name and address of each person - obviously no privacy concerns in 1960; secondly it gives us an idea of the main nationalities of the local migrants - Dutch and Italian -  and lastly I love the bit about Mrs Glasscock inviting the ladies to join their local Country Women's Association branch. I am sure they would have been made welcome, but I wonder how many took up the offer.

Koo-Wee-Rup Sun December 14, 1960

37 naturalized at Kooweerup ceremony last Thursday

Australia's march to nationhood was speeded on its way on Thursday evening when 37 people accepted full Australian citizenship at a Naturalization ceremony at the Kooweerup Memorial Hall. Shire President, Mr Russell Smith, administered the oath before a large crowd. Present also were Shire Councillors L.J Cochrane, M.L.A; P.B Fechner;  McL Greaves and H. Evans; Shire Secretary Mr Tom Grant and the Rev Father J. Opie.

Cr Smith congratulated the candidates on the wonderful steps they had taken in becoming Australian citizens and wished them every success in the land of their choice.

Mrs M. Glasscock on behalf of the Kooweerup C.W.A., presented each lady candidate with a spray of flowers and invited then to join their respective C.W.A branches.

Rev Father Opie warmly welcomed the candidates into full  Australian citizenship. He said that the parents had made great sacrifices for their young families who were already full Australians in every sense of the word.

After the ceremony the people present enjoyed a supper provided by the Pre-School Association.

Those naturalized were: Mrs  Elizabeth Catharina Boekel, Bounndary Road, Kooweerup; Petrus Boekel, Boundary Road, Kooweerup; Vito Castello, Salmon Street, Kooweerup; Antonio de Pasquale, Station Street, Kooweerup; Alfridus Johanus Hoogenboom, Olive Road, Devon Meadows; Eugen Kohler, 79 William Street, Cranbourne; Mrs Hedwig Katharina Kohler, 79 William Street, Cranbourne; Mrs Ursula M. Meiberg, 84 Walter Street, Cranbourne; Gaetano Pepe, Station Street, Kooweerup; Mrs Marianna Pepe, Station Street, Kooweerup; Luigi Raffa, 28 Gardiner Street, Kooweerup; Adrianus van den Bogaart, McDonald Drain Road, Kooweerup; Mrs Petronella Gerarda van den Broek, 'Spring Meadows', Clyde North; Mrs Johanna van der Valk, South Gippsland Highway, Tooradin; Johannes van der Valk, South Gippsland Highway, Tooardin; Loduvicus van der Valk, South Gippsland Highway Tooardin; Catharine van der Valk, South Gippsland Highway, Tooradin, Mrs Catharina Susanna van Os, Victoria Road, Pearcdeale; Wilhelm van Os, Victoria Road, Pearcedale; Douwe Winsemius, Pakenham Road, Kooweerup; Miss Janke Winsemius, Pakenham Road, Kooweerup; Mrs Trijntje Winsemius, Pakenham Road, Kooweerup; Mrs Francisca van den Bogaart, Kooweerup.

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Fern Tree Gully and Gembrook line or the Puffing Billy Railway line

Puffing Billy is one of Victoria's most popular tourist attractions and is also one of the most popular tourist railways in the world, it has around 350,000 visitors each year. You can read all about Puffing Billy activities and access the time table on their website http://puffingbilly.com.au/  - the website also tells you how you can become  a volunteer with Puffing Billy - they have over 1,000 volunteers who undertake  a range of roles. 

The Fern Tree Gully and Gembrook line opened on December 18, 1900, closed in 1954 and re-opened as a tourist railway 1955 to 1958 and then  re-opened again  in July 1962 and had been going strong ever since. You can read more of the history here. Puffing Billy starts at Belgrave, the next stop is Menzies Creek and the other four stops - Emerald, Lakeside, Cockatoo and Gembrook  are in the Cardinia Shire, so here is look at some historic photos of the Puffing Billy or Free Tree Gully and Gembrook line as it was first called, from the State Library of Victoria photograph collection.

Since I have posted these photos I have had some correspondence from a reader, Andrew, who has provided some additional information about some of the photos. His comments are in italics. Thank you Andrew.

View of encampment near railway line, possibly Gembrook. This photo has Gembrook inscribed in pencil on the back and was possibly taken during the construction of the line, late 1890s.

Max Thomson Collection, State Library of Victoria Image H2013.70/9

  This is a construction camp taken on the bend just before "Pinnock's Cutting" which is just before Pinnocks Road on the approach to Emerald.

Gembrook, c 1900

State Library of Victoria Image H35215/27

A new railway line, a new opportunity for pranksters! This photo is called 

'Accident - Gembrook railway - a joke' Photographer: Mark James Daniel. Dated August 26, 1900.

State Library of Victoria Image H92.200/359

Railway Station, Gembrook, c, 1900

State Library of Victoria Image H35215/26

Gembrook Train, c. 1900

State Library of Victoria Image H35215/25

Taken at Upper Fern Tree Gully.

Railway line, Gembrook, c. 1907

State Library of Victoria Image H41019

The water tank between Selby and Aura (Menzies Creek), where the 1953 landslide happened (about where the photographer was standing).

Steam train dropping off passengers, Clematis Station, c. 1910s. This station was called Paradise Valley when it opened in 1902, the name was shortened to Paradise in 1908. The area was known as Paradise until 1921 when a public meeting voted to change the name to Clematis, after the wild clematis creeper that grew prolifically in the area. 

State Library of Victoria Image H2009.29/85

Gembrook Train, Victoria, c. 1912. This is a great photo - the women in their lovely hats, the interesting hand tinting of the photo, the lack of cars which is a reminder of the days when most people walked to all local activities.

State Library of Victoria Image H84.414/11

Taken at the level crossing just after leaving Upper Ferntree Gully about where the big bend is in the road at the bottom of the "mad mile".

Railway Station, Gembrook.

 Date range listed is 1920s to mid 1950s, but it is believed to be more likely taken around the time of the First World War.

Rose Series postcard, State Library of Victoria Image H32492/2159.

The narrow gauge train, Cockatoo.

Date range listed is 1920s to mid 1950s.

Rose Series postcard, State Library of Victoria Image H32492/2165

Taken just after the train had crossed the Cockatoo Creek bridge on its climb into Cockatoo.

Puffing Billy, 1950s. Photograph is dated at SLV as 1950-1954, but this may be taken between 1955 and 1958 when it first ran as a tourist line.  Photographer: Percy Spiden

State Library of Victoria Image H2008.121/51

This was taken at the Selby-Aura Road level crossing in Selby, and appears to be a works train just prior to the reopening to Menzies Creek in 1962.

Lakeside Station. Lakeside opened 1944, but this looks like it was taken late 1950s or early 1960s.

 I wonder who these people are?

State Library of Victoria Image H2010.137/17

This looks like it was taken early to mid-'50s (just before or after closure) as the track-bed isn't overgrown.

Greetings from, Emerald Lake, c. 1976

State Library of Victoria Image H41350

 This was taken sometime after 1965 on the same bend as the first photo on the approach to Emerald.

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Yannathan State School re-union November 28, 1964.

This is an account of a reunion, held November 28 1964,  of pupils who attended Yannathan State School. It is an interesting list of names and surprisingly for the time includes the women's maiden names and married names and, as it also has a few snippets of Yannathan history, it is a valuable source of family and local history. We don't have very much about Yannathan on this blog, so I have transcribed the article for you.

Koo-Wee-Rup Sun, December 2, 1964.

Big crowd enjoy reunion at Yannathan

Every pioneer family who selected land in the Yannathan area was represented by one or more of their children at a get-together of ex-pupils at the at the Yannathan State School last Saturday afternoon.

The re-union was held for pupils who had attended the school in the 1900 to 1914 period. Over 150 former pupils and friends attended the occasion coming from many areas as far away as N.S.W.

The oldest scholar was Mr Joe Smethurst of Melbourne who is 84 and attended the school 77 years ago.

Original school buildings

The school building was built 88 years ago in 1876 and except for a few new windows the present school is the original building. It was originally built near the site of the present Yannathan store and moved to its present site about 1890. 

Beautifully cut, trim lawns and gardens provided a delightful setting for the occasion. The school and grounds had been prepared by the head teacher, Mr Palmer, assisted by Peter Aldrick.

After the picnic lunch, old pupils who had not seen each other for years swapped yarns and recalled incidences from their old school days at Yannathan. So busy were the old friends chatting together that there was hardly time for any formal speeches, however a former pupil, Mr Norman Ridgway of Yea, moved a vote of thanks to the organisers on behalf of all the visitors. This was seconded by Mr Harry Smethurst of Athlone.

Old timers recalled how pupils came many miles to attend the Yannathan School, some walking from Bayles and Yallock, while others rode ponies from Monomeith and Caldermeade. In its hey day there were 62 pupils on the roll at the school and many at the re-union expressed amazement at how they ever fitted into the tiny school.

Her father opened the first Yannathan store

One of the ex-pupils at the afternoon was Mrs Liddle of East Malvern, formerly Vida Nelson, whose father, the late William Nelson, opened the first general store in Yannathan in the 1870s, on the site where the present store stands today.

The fist mail run

Another visitor, Mr Norman Ridgway of Yea is the brother of Walter Ridgway who delivered the first mail run in the Yannathan district. Travelling by horse and jinker the mail came from Monomeith to the Yannathan Post Office and onto Heath Hill.

Another old timer at the re-union was Mrs Willis of Oakleigh, formerly Annie Smethurst, aged 79. The youngest pupil at the afternoon was Mrs Howlett of Glenroy, formerly Crissie McKay The oldest mother at the gathering was 86 year old Mrs Mark Ridgway of Frankston who was presented with a gift by Mr Norman Ridgway.   To conclude the re-union afternoon tea was provided by the Yannathan Mothers Club, followed by the singing of Old Lang Syne.

Amongst old scholars present were: Elsie Anderson (Mrs Stewart, Sandringham); Annie Orchard (Mrs Bateson, Archies Creek); George Beer (Blackburn); Ted Cozens (Monomeith); Millie Casey (Mrs Chandler, Dandenong); Bert Coates (Mathoura, N.S.W); Eardley Coates (Koo-Wee-Rup); Jessie Coates (Mrs Wadsley, Koo-Wee-Rup); Ruth Carson (Mrs Clarke, Templestowe); Dorothy Carson (Mrs Adeney, Sandingham); Les Edey (Yarram); Claude Einsiedel (Koo-Wee-Rup); Vic Lineham (Deniliquin); Ruby Lineham (Yannathan); Elsie McCraw (Mrs Greaves, Croydon); Gladys McCraw (Mrs Greaves, Kyabram); Ethel McKay (Mrs Wilson, Box Hill); Maggie McKay (Mrs Bowman, Glen Alvie); Myrtle McKay (Mrs Grayson, Ashburton); Pearl McKay (Mrs Trewin, Archies Creek); Chrissie McKay (Mrs Howlett, Glenroy); Claude McKay (Glen Alvie); Edie Matthews (Mrs E. Dwyer, Koo-Wee-Rup); Frank McCraw (Yannathan); Dorothy McLeod (Mrs Head, Yannathan);  Harry Hawkins (Warragul); Jessie Hawkins (Mrs Collins, Warragul); Marjorie Hawkins (Mrs Rhodes, Warragul); Maud Leeson (Mrs Crispin, Kew); Alf Leeson (Lang Lang); Ted Leeson (Longwarry); John Orchard (Inverloch); Rich Orchard (Almurta); Dave Orchard (Glen Alvie); Mavis Patullo (Mrs M.McCraw, Yannathan); Silvia Patullo (Mrs Greaves, Bairnsdale); Norman Ridgway (Yea); Vera Ridgway (Frankston); Tom Hatty (Yannathan); Ruby Stephens (Mrs Thompson, Bayles); Vida Nelson (Mrs Liddle, East Malvern); Joe Smethurst (Melbourne); Annie Smethurst (Mrs Willis, Oakleigh); Herb Smethurst (Blackburn); Harry Smethurst (Athlone); Myrtle Smethurst (Caulfield); Clarrie Smethurst (Mlebourne); Nita Smethurst (Mrs Gardiner, Mooroolbark); Jessie Wright (Mrs Luke, Mornington); Nellie Wright (Mrs McFadgen, Moorabbin); Alice Wright (Mrs Pither, McKinnon); George Wright (Shepparton East); Arthur Wright (Shepparton East): Dick Wakenshaw (Cora Lynn).

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