Today is the centenary of the signing of the Armistice which brought an end to the fighting of WW1. News arrived in the Western District between 8.30pm and 9.30pm on Monday 11 November 1918 while for other towns, it was the following morning. Everyone knew it was coming, the question was when. Hopes were high after the surrender of Austria and Turkey but there was still uncertainty and an unwillingness to celebrate until the official word came through.
Most towns had put in some preparation organising bands and ensuring bunting was at hand ready to decorate the streets. Early on 8 November, rumours spread around Hamilton, Coleraine and other Western District towns that the signing had taken place. But they were just rumours.
Then into Tuesday evening with an open-air concert at Alexandra Park.
“PEACE CELEBRATIONS.” Ararat Chronicle and Willaura and Lake Bolac Districts Recorder (Vic. : 1914 – 1918) 15 November 1918: 2. Web. 7 Nov 2018 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article154298902
In Penshurst, church bells rang and the Penshurst Brass Band played.
Just before 9pm, the Hamilton Spectator received a cable and immediately told those waiting in front of the offices in Gray Street. Bells rang, the bands played and people flooded into the streets. The Hamilton Brass Band was taken by motor car to Tarrington to tell residents there.
After a false start to celebrations, Coleraine took no time took to get in the spirit. On 12 November the children marched along the streets of the town.
“OUTDOOR DEMONSTRATION.” Coleraine Albion and Western Advertiser (Vic. : 1902; 1914 – 1918) 14 November 1918: 3. Web. 7 Nov 2018 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article119615803
At Casterton, the townsfolk were “delirious with joy”. There was fireworks, bands and dancing.
“Peace! Glorious Peace!” Casterton Free Press and Glenelg Shire Advertiser (Vic. : 1915 – 1918) 14 November 1918: 3. Web. 7 Nov 2018 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article152657300
Tuesday 12 November was a holiday in Casterton as it was in most places.
“Peace Celebrations.” The Casterton News and the Merino and Sandford Record (Vic. : 1914 – 1918) 14 November 1918: 3 (Bi-Weekly.). Web. 7 Nov 2018 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74222633
Some towns like Sandford and Merino waited until official word was received the following morning. At Sandford, in a prearranged manoeuvre, the sight of the flag going up the pole of the Post Office signalled the end of the war.
“Sandford Celebrations.” The Casterton News and the Merino and Sandford Record (Vic. : 1914 – 1918) 14 November 1918: 3 (Bi-Weekly.). Web. 7 Nov 2018 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74222628
At Merino, bells rang and guns fired.
“Merino Celebrations.” The Casterton News and the Merino and Sandford Record (Vic. : 1914 – 1918) 14 November 1918: 3 (Bi-Weekly.). Web. 7 Nov 2018 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74222625
Heywood held off with celebrations until official word came after 9am on Tuesday 12 November. Preparations were then quickly underway for a large demonstration at 3pm
At Portland, the Observer received an urgent wire from Reuters around 9.30pm on 11 November with the news and the celebrations began. People got out of the beds and rushed into the streets.
Tuesday was a holiday and just as well because no one would have turned up for work anyway. Port Fairy’s celebrations continued all Tuesday and into Wednesday.
In Warrnambool, people waited outside the Standard office for the news on the evening of 11 November. Fire bells started ringing as soon as the news was read out.
.Despite all the celebrations, the underlying feeling was summed up by the Warrnambool Standard.
BIRDS OF PEACE! (1918, November 14). Warrnambool Standard (Vic. : 1914 – 1918), p. 3 (DAILY.). Retrieved November 7, 2018, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74039924
Dressed in a gown of steel grey cloth, trimmed with glacé silk and a “borrowed” tulle veil, Lily Buckland married George Sparrow on 9 April 1916 at Mount Eccles. The wedding was at the home of Lily’s sister and George’s brother, Alice and Charles Sparrow.
Lillian Letitia Buckland was born at Briagolong in 1888, the eldest daughter of William Buckland and Hannah Oakley. The family lived at Toora in Gippsland. George Henry Sparrow was born at Macarthur in 1891, a son of local residents, Abijah Sparrow and Emma Peters. The first instance of a union between the two families was the marriage of Alice Buckland and Charles Sparrow in 1913. How one family from Gippsland and another from the Western District came together is unknown.
George and Lily settled at Lake Gorrie near Macarthur and started their family. Letitia Mavis Sparrow was their first child, born at Hamilton in 1917. Then Charles Robert was born in 1918. In 1920, tragedy struck the family when young Charles, just two years old, fell on a piece of wire in the backyard. The wire went up his nostril and pierced his brain and although taken to Hamilton Hospital, Charles never regained consciousness. In the same year, Lillian saw another sister, Olive, marry a Macarthur lad, returned serviceman William Louden Harman. Seven more children were born to Lily and George over the next ten years, six boys and one girl
A year after the beginning of World War 2, two of George and Lily’s boys enlisted. Allan joined up on 29 June 1940 and served with the 2/23 Australian Infantry Battalion while Roy enlisted on 14 October 1940, serving with the 63rd Australian Infantry Battalion. Allan was discharged on 15 November 1945, however, Roy a Corporal continued on after the end of the war.
On Friday evening 15 March 1946, rain began to fall on the roof of the Sparrow’s home, the likes they had never heard before. At home with George and Lily were three of their children, Mavis, Bruce and Ronald. The rain continued through the night and into Saturday night. On the morning of Sunday 17 March 1946, the Sparrow family woke to the sound of water lapping at their beds. Outside, water was rising rapidly around the property and evacuated. Leaving their domestic animals and poultry to find high ground themselves, Lily and the children climbed into their jinker with George leading the horse, guiding it along the already flooded roads.
It was increasingly difficult for George to distinguish the dangers ahead in the floodwaters, and not far from the house, a wheel of the jinker fell into a concealed hole and upturned, tipping the passengers into the water. George tried desperately to save his family but the water was deep and fast flowing. In his attempt to get help, he became exhausted, collapsed and died.
A search party was soon looking for Lily and her children. Mavis, Bruce and Ronald’s bodies were found in a hole close to the jinker, the water in the hole was over two metres deep. Lily’s body was found caught in a fence over three kilometres away, such was the force of the water. Mavis was twenty-five, Bruce twenty-two, and Ronald, fifteen. Five family members lost in a terrible tragedy. Rumours were flying that were was no need for them to leave, but servicemen who went to the house during the search supported their actions after seeing the high watermark on the walls. Sadly for the Sparrow family, when one of their surviving sons arrived at the farm the following day, he found the chooks and the household dogs and cats had survived the flood.
On the afternoon of Thursday 21 March 1946, the sun broke through the clouds as hundreds made their way to Macarthur’s Church of England for the funeral of the Sparrow family. Among the many floral tributes was a sheaf of flowers sent by the Governor of Victoria and his wife Sir Winston and Lady Dugan, including a personal message for the remaining members of the family. Just days before they had passed through the Macarthur district, including the Sparrow property, to witness the devastation.
The Sparrow family were victims of one of Western Victoria’s worst natural disasters. More used to the ravages of fire, residents were to witness rising rivers and creeks over the weekend of 16 and 17 March that soon turned their part of Victoria into an inland sea.
Early in March 1946, parts of Queensland and New South Wales were under floodwaters due to a tropical cyclone. On March 10, cold, wet and windy weather hit Victoria. At 9:00 am on Monday 11 March, the previous forty-eight hours had produced 52 mm of rain in Port Fairy, one of the highest rainfall totals in the Western District for the period while 36 mm fell at Hamilton. A cyclonic depression moved across South Australia in the following days before reaching the Western District on Friday 15 March where it stopped.
The forecast for Victoria published in The Argus of Friday 15 March was for some rain developing from the west and then showers. At 9:00 pm on Friday night, the forecast was “cold and unsettled with some showers. Some heavy rain, with hail, on and south of the ranges”. That heavy rain was of tropical proportions falling from Friday night and through the weekend. By Monday 18 March, The Argus reported the floods covered the Western District from Natimuk in the southern Wimmera to the sea, and to the east to Mortlake. Police headquarters at Russell Street Melbourne said that a stretch of water up to four metres lay from Hamilton to the coast. The map below shows the extent of the rainfall.
“FAMILY TAKEN OFF ROOF” The Sydney Morning Herald,19 March 1946.
There were evacuations from many towns including Hamilton, Portland, Port Fairy, Warrnambool and Casterton. Rescuers took to boats trying to save families, many clinging to the roofs of their houses. Thousands of head of stock were lost, bridges and roads washed away, telephone lines were down and railway lines damaged. There were mass cancellations of trains and buses. Towns were cut off with little means of communication.
On Tuesday 19 March 1946, The Argus published the rainfall totals from 9:00 am on Saturday 17 March until 3:00 pm on Monday 18 March.
While many communities were flooded, the following were those most severely affected by the big flood of 1946.
MACARTHUR
Parts of the countryside around Macarthur were under three metres of water stranding families on their roofs hoping for rescue. Around nine kilometres south of Macarthur, on the Port Fairy Road, a bridge washed away. Stock losses in the district were estimated at 5000 sheep and 500 head of cattle. There was concern among authorities about the possible outbreak of disease, with livestock hanging on fences in the floodwaters. Posing a threat to rescuers were hundreds of snakes swimming in the water.
BYADUK/WALLACEDALE/CONDAH/BRANXHOLME
In the Wallacedale/Condah area, ten houses were evacuated and dairy herds were lost. Some parts were under three metres of water. Mr & Mrs Edgar Lacey and Miss Grace Tullett took refuge on the roof of the Lacey home. To shelter from the heavy rain and strong winds, they were able to remove a sheet of tin and climb into the ceiling. With them on the roof, also seeking refuge, were several snakes. A RAAF Catalina Flying boat was flown in to rescue the trio. On arrival, the pilot could not find them so he returned to Williamstown, NSW. Next, a flat-bottomed boat tried but failed to retrieve them. An amphibious car from the Army or Army “duck” was the next plan. Finally, after twenty-five hours, they were rescued but it was several days until the water subsided around their house.
Miles of fencing and roads washed away and there were heavy losses to livestock including horses and pigs. A beekeeper’s hives bobbed in the water with the stranded bees atop of the boxes. Rescuers saw thousands of snakes while delirious rabbits, marooned on high ground, were caught and their skins sold.
Branxholme had 394 mm of rain from the Friday until the Monday edition of The Argus went to print and the town was cut off by road, rail and telephone. At Byaduk, Mr Tyres rescued seven people from a raft. More were evacuated but were able to return home on Tuesday including Mr and Mrs McCready. Mr J. Scott and Miss Suttie had their homes flooded. David Kinghorn was rescued from a haystack.
HAMILTON
Hamilton saw the heaviest rainfall since records were first kept. Up until 3:00 pm on Monday 18 March 219mm had fallen in fifty-fours, the town’s largest recorded total over the same period. The highest previous monthly rainfall total was 311 mm set in December 1930. The Grange Burn, usually quietly meandering through parts of the town, quickly rose and became a raging river. Around twenty homes near the railway station were evacuated on Saturday 16 March.
Fuel depots near the creek were underwater and hundreds of oil drums from the Shell and the Commonwealth Oil Refinery depots washed down the Grange Burn, accumulating against bridges and fences. Two other fuel depots were badly damaged. One underground petrol tank pushed its way to the surface. Iron from the fuel depots wrapped around trees and plaster from a nearby factory was spread up to almost 100 metres. In those days, the Hamilton swimming pool was on the Grange Burn, at the Braeside Weir, close to the fuel depots.
GRANGE BURN AT FORMER SWIMMING POOL
Sheds beside the swimming pool were swept away and the diving tower was on a lean. At the Ballarat Road and Portland Road bridges, the Grange Burn was between 180 metres to 400 metres wide. The photo below shows the Grange near the Ballarat Road bridge as it is today
GRANGE BURN LOOKING TOWARD THE BALLARAT ROAD BRIDGE.
A view of the Grange Burn near the Portland Road bridge is below.
Many bridges and roads around the town were impassable and the drains in Lonsdale Street overflowed. The Hamilton Town Hall became “home” to around seventy evacuees and Mayor Rasmussen called on residents to take those evacuated into their homes. Water went through twenty-five to thirty homes, reaching a depth of almost a metre in some. Mr Brimacombe of Martin Street lost all but one of his 250 chooks.
By Monday 18 March, travellers marooned in Hamilton were taken to Portland. Road connections between Warrnambool and Mt Gambier reopened and by Tuesday morning, Ansetts ran a bus from Horsham to Hamilton. An Army “duck” arrived, using the town as its base.
The photos below, used with permission from Jacinta Hanelt, depict the 1983 floods in Hamilton. They show the same areas flooded in 1946 and although not as deep as those floods, they give an idea as to the extent of the 1946 floods. Despite the damage to the fuel depots in 1946, they remained located close to the Grange Burn.
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WARRNAMBOOL
In forty-eight hours at Warrnambool, 228 mm of rain fell accompanied by gale-force winds. There was flooding along the Russell’s Creek, Merri Creek and Hopkins River.
HOPKINS RIVER, WARRNAMBOOL
The 3YB radio transmitter was surrounded by three metres of water and sandbags and pumps were called for. At least seven bridges in the shire were damaged. Nearby Dennington was underwater but in South Warrnambool, only four homes required evacuation. Old residents said they hadn’t seen anything like it.
“Flood Pictures From Inundated Western District” The Argus, 19 March 1946:
During Monday 18 March, the Hopkins River was rising at a rate of thirty centimetres an hour and later that night, the river burst its banks leaving the highway up to 1.2m underwater. Meanwhile, Allansford residents were preparing to leave their homes.
And the road to Port Fairy was also cut, with the following photo showing the situation about five kilometres west of Warrnambool on the Princes Highway.
“DISASTROUS FLOODS IN VICTORIA.” Townsville Daily Bulletin (Qld. : 1907 – 1954) 21 March 1946:.
The Coppick children were delighted to find their dog Paddy.
At Woodford, the local school teacher and his family were stranded in the Woodford Police Station and the post office was underwater (below). A herd of thirty dairy cows drowned.
At Killarney, stranded cows on patches of high ground, helplessly slipped into the floodwaters as exhaustion overcame them. There were huge losses to potato and onion crops and Killarney resembled a lake.
“WESTERN DISTRICTS OF VICTORIA FLOODED.” Daily Advertiser (Wagga Wagga, NSW : 1911 – 1954) 21 March 1946: 1.
The six-week-old baby of Mr and Mrs Patrick Lenehan was floated out a window of their house, the baby’s pram a substitute boat.
Stories began to emerge of the heroics in the district. Widow, Mrs Madden and her eight children were saved by Jim Gleeson in his tractor. Another farmer saved an elderly woman from her cottage and Mr J. Ryan was taken to Warrnambool Hospital after being lifted through the window of his flooded home.
Mrs Madden, rescued with her eight children by Jim Gleeson, returned to her home to begin the cleanup. She is pictured below with her daughter Dorothy cleaning silt from their carpets.
The Moyne River rose rapidly at Port Fairy leading to the evacuation of homes in the eastern part of the town.
MOYNE RIVER, PORT FAIRY LOOKING EAST.
Residents in Regent, William and Bank Streets were also evacuated with the water reaching almost a metre in Bank Street and running through houses. To the west of the town, water was up to 1.5 metres deep. Thousands of tonnes of potatoes and onions were lost, and in Port Fairy North, Steel’s bridge gave way. Every hour, reports were arriving of stranded families. Power in the town was interrupted for sixteen hours.
“Flood Waters Receding Around Port Fairy” The Argus, 20 March 1946:
The concrete wharf where fishing boats were moored broke up, threatening to wash boats out to sea. In the end, five boats were lost. Large slabs of concrete from the wharf were swept away and smashed.
PORT FAIRY WHARF ON THE MOYNE RIVER LOOKING TOWARD THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER.
Although it’s not clear, the following photo gives some indication of the torrents of water rushing through Port Fairy.
FLOOD WATERS FROM THE MOYNE RIVER, PORT FAIRY. “FLOOD WAVES LASH HOUSES” Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 – 1954) 24 March 1946: 15 (Sport Section).
By Monday 18 March, the threat had subsided slightly but more water was expected to come down the Moyne River and high tide was a concern. As a result, the fire brigade put all men in the town on standby. The main bridge over the Moyne was still standing but had taken a “pounding”. The river reached its peak on Sunday and fisherman stood in waist-deep water desperately trying to secure their boats, and their livelihoods, with some almost drowning.
LOOKING EAST TOWARD THE PORT FAIRY WHARF, MOYNE RIVER.
By Tuesday, houses on the outskirts of Port Fairy East were still half-submerged. Other families were forced to leave their homes, as weakened walls threatened to collapse while the road to Portland was expected to stay closed for some time. In the north-east of the town, built-up floodwaters tore through sand dunes. In doing so, the water escaped to the sea preventing more damage to the town.
The Town Clerk of Port Fairy spoke with John Cain Sr, then Premier of Victoria “Send us some tobacco; there is a famine in smokes here” Bacon, eggs, potatoes and other food supplies were also in short supply. Two Army “ducks” arrived on Tuesday 19 March with butter, eggs, bacon, tinned meat, yeast and tobacco. Another “duck” was soon dispatched. After rescuing stranded families (below) the “ducks” distributed food to isolated families and fodder for stock. They also collected stranded stock, taking them to safety.
There was almost one metre of water in two of Port Fairy’s hotels, including the Caledonian Inn (below). The publican of the inn waded into his backyard to rescue his poultry, then placed them in the inn’s attic. The nearby picture theatre was also flooded.
CALEDONIAN INN, PORT FAIRY
Jack and Teddy Talbot (below) had a lucky escape as a bridge collapsed just as they were approaching.
Residents in William Street (below) dried clothes and furniture after the water in their street reached a depth of over a metre. By Wednesday 20 March, wet mattresses and pillows hung over fences, furniture was in front yards and clotheslines hung between houses. Dairy farmers unable to get their milk out left cans of milk at each corner and all townspeople were allowed a jug each while the local hotels had a good supply of cream. The damage bill in Port Fairy totalled thousands of pounds.
The Port Fairy Cemetery was underwater and even by the end of March, the water was still one metre deep. Eventually, pumps were used to drain it.
PORT FAIRY CEMETERY
Today, there is a reminder of the 1946 flood at the Port Fairy Wharf.
HEYWOOD/PORTLAND
Between Friday night 15 March and Saturday morning 16 March, Portland received 144 mm of rain and low-lying land in the town was flooded. There was a call to divert the water into the sea to save the electricity and gas supplies, but all electricity and gas were cut. The sewage works were deluged and the local fire brigade was busy pumping water. The Portland Showgrounds were under 1.5 metres of water. The town was cut off from Saturday including telegraph and radio communications.
By the morning of Sunday 17 March, the rainfall totalled 203 mm. Fawthrop Swamp was inundated and parts of Bridgewater Road were covered in water. Much of the state’s tomatoes were grown in the district with crop losses eventually leading to a shortage. Local halls and hotels accommodated evacuees. A “howling southerly breeze” with huge waves hit the breakwater (below).
At Heywood, until 3:00 pm on 18 March the previous fifty-four hours had produced 335 mm rain leaving many people homeless. Travellers were also stranded as the Portland/Hamilton road was cut including at the Fitzroy River bridge. The local hotel was crowded with evacuees and emergency accommodation was set up in the Heywood Hall.
DARTMOOR
The Glenelg River rose dramatically at Dartmoor as water flowed into the river from tributaries upstream. Five hundred yards of a twenty metre high railway bridge (below) was submerged as was the highway after the river’s level rose fifteen metres. Snakes sought refuge on top of the bridge and iron washed into the pylons, acting as a safe haven for insects, spiders and lizards.
Old residents agreed it was the worst flood in memory. The Glenelg River was over 1.5 kilometres wide and only the tops of telegraph poles were visible. While rowing in the floodwaters, Mr Malseed gathered ten rabbits, twenty-four pumpkins and a number of tomatoes stuck in trees. Seventy drums that had spilt into the river at Casterton were expected to reach Dartmoor.
NELSON
Although Nelson only received 30 mm of rain over the weekend, the Glenelg River was rising rapidly as it neared the sea. A boat shed floated down the Glenelg River with two boats still attached. All sheds on the river bank were submerged as was the kiosk. The monument to Major Mitchell on the Isle of Bags was almost submerged.
ISLE OF BAGS, GLENELG RIVER, NELSON
Rubbish began to collect at the mouth of the river until the water’s force washed the sandbar out to sea. Meanwhile, residents worked hard to save their bridge (below)
TODAY AT NELSON A HIGH CONCRETE BRIDGE SPANS THE GLENELG RIVER
COLERAINE
Coleraine’s rainfall to Saturday 16 March at 6:00 pm was 122 mm. A flood warning was issued at 2:00 am Sunday morning in the lower part of the town. Bryan Creek rose rapidly flooding shops and houses. Stranded Mrs J. Torney and her baby were rescued from the golf course clubhouse. Over a metre of water sat in the yard of the Post Office (below) by noon Sunday and reached the eaves of some houses.
By Monday 18 March, 186 mm of rain had fallen on the town and residents were cleaning silt from their homes. One house, under 1.8m of water in the days before, was left with 50cm of silt. Damage to bridges had blocked the road from Coleraine to Merino and the suspension bridge washed away. There were also large stock losses and miles of fencing demolished.
CASTERTON/SANDFORD
At Casterton, the Glenelg River swelled quickly reaching a height of 6.45m on the river gauge. Seventy drums from the local tip rolled into the river and travelled downstream. By Monday, there were still fears for the safety of three men. Six streets in the town were flooded and Mr Frank Daley and his eighty-three-year-old mother were rescued by police in a boat.
Thirty metres of pipe serving the town’s water supply was washed away while the Major Mitchell monument, south of the town was almost submerged. At nearby Sandford, the McCormack family were stranded. On Monday 18 March, police and an Army “duck” tried to reach them. They were later reported safe.
Just as the water in rivers and creeks was beginning to ease, the following weekend the rain started to fall again. The totals for the period are below, with towns further east of the original floods affected.
On Monday 25 March, Port Fairy was once again isolated and evacuations were considered. Macarthur was expecting floods worse than experienced a week earlier and the Eumerella River burst its banks after reaching a depth of over three metres. Families were evacuated at Bessibelle. The towns of Koroit, Hawkesdale and Branxholme were all at risk of flood. At Allansford. the Hopkins River reached the height of the week before but continued to rise before dropping 1.2 metres on Wednesday 27 March.
At Casterton, the police were warning residents the Glenelg and Wannon Rivers could burst their banks. Homes at Byaduk evacuated a week earlier were again vacated. At Wallacedale and Condah floodwaters still remained from the week before. An Army “duck” was called to Tyrendarra to save a family isolated by the Fitzroy River and Darlot’s Creek. Portland was also cut off via the Princes Highway due to water over the road.
Flooding was reported at Beech Forest and residents living along the Gellibrand River prepared themselves to evacuate. By 29 March, over half a metre of water lay on the Ocean Road at Lower Gellibrand. Meanwhile, at Cobden, 63 mm fell on Saturday 24 March flooding paddocks and stranding cattle. At nearby Cowley’s Creek, stud sheep were rescued from the creek. At Camperdown, a total of 104 mm was recorded over the weekend. Port Campbell, reported the heaviest falls in its history and the township was isolated with over a metre of water over the road. Stranded campers were billeted at the Port Campbell Hotel (below).
By 27 March, the sun was shining in Warrnambool for the first time in two weeks, but the damage bill and impending recovery left a gloomy forecast for the Western District. Before the floodwaters subsided on 20 March 1946, The Age reported the total damage bill could exceed £2,000,000. On 30 March 1946, the Border Watch reported 150 houses were destroyed and 150 sheds damaged. There were losses to ryegrass seed and potato, tomato, onion and apple crops. One hundred bridges were destroyed. The damage bill for bridges and roads alone, published in The Age of 5 April 1946, was estimated at £76,500. Of that, £25, 300 was in the Warrnambool Shire. By the end of March, the Army “ducks”, vital during the disaster, returned to Melbourne.
On 1 July 1946, twenty-seven men from the flood-affected areas received silver and bronze medals from the Royal Humane Society for their rescue work. They included fishermen and policemen. The men presented with silver medals were:
What could I share for a Christmas Eve Trove Tuesday? Something Christmassy of course. With many new Western District newspapers now at Trove, I thought I would see what was happening on Christmas Eve in the towns that missed out on a mention in the Christmas posts from the previous two years. The year was 1915 and country was suffering with WW1 and drought .
Coleraine put on the usual Christmas Eve of last minute shopping and the Coleraine Brass Band.
Coleraine Albion. (1915, December 30). Coleraine Albion and Western Advertiser (Vic. : 1914 – 1918), p. 2. Retrieved December 17, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article119606385
Business was brisk at Casterton and the Casterton Times took the opportunity to rib the pessimists of the district, who I can only imagine had predicted doom for Christmas trading given the events of the time.
Casterton News. (1915, December 23). The Casterton News and the Merino and Sandford Record (Vic. : 1914 – 1918), p. 2 Edition: Bi-Weekly. Retrieved December 17, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74767421
Because of electricity restrictions due to the war, some of the shop displays could not be highlighted as well as earlier years.
Castern News Printed Monday and Tuesday Evenings. (1915, December 30). The Casterton News and the Merino and Sandford Record (Vic. : 1914 – 1918), p. 2 Edition: Bi-Weekly. Retrieved December 17, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74767457
You would be hard pressed to find most of these goods in a shop in Penshurst these days, but in 1915, Chesswas’ had it all.
For those in Hamilton, if a buggy shaft broke or a horse lost a shoe over Christmas, shanks’ pony would have had to suffice until January 3rd when the coachbuilders, farriers and blacksmiths of the town resumed after their well earned Christmas break.
The first keynote speaker was Lisa Gervasoni, a town planner dedicated to Heritage conservation and a member of the Daylesford & District Historical Society, among other things. She gave a great talk about using Google Maps to help with family history research and then showed us the usefulness of the Victorian Heritage Database (VHD). Timely, as I had considered a post about the VHD as I think it is a valuable resource for those researching families from Victoria.
The Victorian Heritage Database is a collection of Heritage places and precincts in Victoria including Heritage studies completed by local councils around the state.
While writing Passing of the Pioneer posts, if I see a property name in an obituary, I head straight to the VHD. If the property is on the database, most times I can find more about the obit’s subject. There is always a history of the building, property, etc offering a wealth of information
In May Passing of the Pioneers, one obituary belonged to Mary Laidlaw (nee Learmonth). She and her husband David lived at Eildon” in Hamilton. A search found information about the house, the architects Ussher and Kemp, and the Napier Club purchasing the building in 1939, the year of Mary’s death. Not only was I able to expand on the obituary, I learnt something of a house that it is a Hamilton landmark and has intrigued me since childhood.
“EILDON”, HAMILTON
The VHD was useful when I researched The Parisian, the 1911 Melbourne Cup winner because his owner John Kirby lived at “Mt Koroite Station” opposite Coleraine Racecourse. On the VHD entry for “Mt Koroite” I found out more about John and even what he did with his winnings from the Melbourne Cup.
The VHD is useful when researching a cemetery and I have used it for cemetery related posts. There are photos of headstones and the Byaduk Cemetery entry even has a photo of Jonathon Harman’s headstone. A short history of the town is given and a history of the cemetery, early burials, and notable “residents” and more.
I have searched property names and town names, but not surnames and Lisa’s talk made me realise I should. Individuals may be listed as builders of a property or a labourer on a station. My search of towns had found some references to my family members but I thought for the purpose of this post I would search specific family names.
None of my family were owners of large holdings or houses but the Diwell family were bricklayers and George Jelly was a builder, so maybe there was a chance.
When searching the VHD, use the “Advanced Search” form (below). It will give you more results than the “Simple” search.
There are plenty of options to narrow down a search, but I only used the field “with all of the words“.
An entry on the database will include the location, statement of significance, history and description of the building or otherwise. There is a Google Maps link with both the aerial view and Street View and most times there is a photo or photos.
Now for my results. I did find entries I had seen before when searching towns, but there were some new things. What all the results show is the different ways your family members can be found at the Victorian Heritage Database.
HADDEN
My search started with the Haddens on my mother’s maternal line. I had two relevant matches. The first was about a Bills Horse Trough, in the Lions Park on the Glenelg Highway at Glenthompson installed in the 1920s.
A BILLS HORSE TROUGH (Portland Gardens)
While the horse trough had nothing to do with a Hadden, the entry has a history of the site, previously a blacksmith shop run by Donald Ross. The other blacksmiths that operated in the town are named including the shop of Harold James Hadden, my 2nd cousin 1 x removed.
I knew Harold was a blacksmith and that he lived in Glenthompson during that time period, but I didn’t know he ran his own blacksmith shop.
Another entry under “Hadden” was found on a previous search of “Cavendish” and is about gg uncle William Hadden, son of William Hadden and Mary Mortimer. In 1913, he purchased the Cavendish Cobb& Co Depot and Stables (below) and the adjacent property on the corner of Hamilton Road and Scott Street, Cavendish. The 1914 Electoral Roll lists William’s occupation as a blacksmith, useful with a Cobb & Co depot. However, in 1915, the train came to Cavendish taking passengers away from Cobb & Co.
By 1919, William was living at Kiata near Nhill in the Mallee, running the Kiata Hotel. I am not sure if he had sold the Cobb & Co depot by that time but he never returned to Cavendish and died in Geelong in 1927.
HARMAN
A “Harman” search brought up not a building but a roadside Memorial plantation at Byaduk, sadly in poor condition. The trees, planted in memory of the Byaduk soldiers that served during WW2, have not been maintained over the years. My 1st cousin 3 x removed and grandson of James and Susan Harman, Leonard Roy Harman, was killed during the war as was another Byaduk man A.R.McNair. The Southern Grampians Shire Heritage study on this site reported that much of the significance and integrity of the site had been lost.
The Memorial planting was the only “Harman” reference found until I did a “Byaduk” search. Then I discovered that a search of “Harman” did not bring up any references to “Harman’s”. This was after I read the report about the Byaduk General Store ruins. The general store is thought to have opened around 1863 when another early shop opened, Joseph Harman’s, bootmaking shop.
DIWELL
I then turned to Mum’s paternal side and searched the Diwells.
Surprisingly the result took me back to Cavendish, a town I never thought they had links to. However, I found my gg uncle William Diwell, a bricklayer, was the contractor that built the Cavendish Memorial Hall in 1920.
It was no surprise William Diwell was a bricklayer. The following entries are about his father and grandfathers, all bricklayers or builders.
Firstly, St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Merino. Builders Northcott and Diwell built the church in 1868. That would be ggg grandfather William Diwell and I am assuming Northcott is George Northcott of Merino. George owned Merino’s Commercial Hotel (below) and the Cobb & Co Station. From the VHD I discovered they received £126/15/- for the job and that they had also built the Merino Free Library and the Mechanics Institute.
The next Diwell match was for the Sandford Mechanics Hall (below). I knew from a transcript of the booklet, Back to Sandford Centenary: 1957 on the Glenelg and Wannon Pioneers site, William Diwell senior had a link to the building of the Mechanics Hall but only that he suggested that it be made of brick and not wood. The VHD shed a little more light on a conversation that took place between William and the committee secretary J.S. Anderson in 1864, but in doing so, it leaves me questioning the entry
From the Back to Sandford booklet,I knew that William ran into Mr Anderson on the Casterton Road. Anderson told William of the plans to call for a tender for the building of a wooden hall. William suggested a brick building and that Mr Anderson should take the idea to the committee before advertising. The committee thought it was a great idea and they called for tenders for a brick hall.
Turning to the VHD, the report continues on from the above story but cites rate book entries from 1863 that Richard Diwell of Casterton was a brickmaker or bricklayer. Richard was my gg-grandfather and he was nine in 1863. It continued with the story that William suggested Anderson go back to the committee, but added that William had a proposal, maybe an offer of funding. The committee agreed to the unknown proposal and the tender process began. The tender was won by James McCormack.
The thing is, the hall was not built until 1885, 19 years after William Diwell met Mr Anderson on the Casterton Road. William had been dead 14 years. So he could hardly be credited for a brick hall, surely. Also, why is Richard Diwell mentioned? Did they mean William or was Richard involved later when the hall was built when, as a 30-year-old bricklayer, it was more realistic?
JELLY
I found entries for George Jelly, my ggg grandfather, and father-in-law of Richard Diwell. George built the Anglican Rectory (below) in Henty Street Casterton in 1887.
What particularly interested me came from a spontaneous search I did for the variation “George Jellie”. It brought up the Coleraine Anglican Church. The history of the church referred to the original structure built in 1853 by Casterton contractor, George Jellie. My George Jelly did not arrive in Victoria until 1855 aboard the Athelate with his wife Jane and daughter, Mary. According to his obituary, they first went to Murndal at Tahara, run by Samuel Pratt Winter, and then on to Casterton. George and Jane’s firstborn child in Australia was my gg-grandmother, Elizabeth Ann Jelly at Casterton in 1856.
That beggars the questions, was there a George Jellie, contractor of Casterton in 1853, or did the first building at the Coleraine Anglican Church not get constructed until around 1856 by which time George Jelly had arrived in the town? More research is needed on that one.
George’s obituary credits him for building the Casterton Mechanics Institute also, however that building is not on the VHD.
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While the Victorian Heritage Database is full of useful information, I do wrestle with it on occasions as it takes on a mind of its own. I use a Firefox browser and I think it doesn’t agree with the database. I have tested Chrome and it seems a lot happier. Another problem I occasionally have is when clicking on a link to VHD from Google or Western District Families. I get a message that my session has ended. If that happens, page back and click again and it will come up.
More on Lisa Gervasoni. Lisa has over 300,000 photos on Flickr and they are also found with a Trove search. Lisa’s photos of landmarks and war memorials, often come up in my searches of Western Victorian towns. When I have wanted to see what something in the Western District looks like, Lisa’s great photos have been there. Thank you, Lisa.
More on the VAFHO conference. It was great to finally meet in person, Liz Pidgeon from the Yarra Plenty Regional Library and Infolass blog, who I have known on social media for some time. I also met Craige from the Mortlake Historical Society. You should check out the great Facebook page he is running for the society.
During WW1, these papers were full of war news, locals enlisting, send offs, letters homes, the work of locals to do their bit for the war effort and of course, the casualties.
Trove is a great for finding WW1 books and photos. You can search for an individual, a battalion or a battlefield and you are bound to find something to give you a little more information about your family member’s wartime experience . Photos held by repositories such as the Australian War Memorial are all cataloged at Trove. One search can find so much from many places.
As it’s Trove Tuesday, I have some WW1 treasures from one of my favourite papers The Casterton News and the Merino and Sandford Record.
The first article, reported on the first Anzac Day on April 25, 1917 and how Casterton marked the occasion.
“Anzac Day.”. (1917, April 26). The Casterton News and the Merino and Sandford Record (Vic. : 1914 – 1918), p. 3 Edition: Bi-Weekly. Retrieved April 23, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74489110
Following is a letter home by Norman Seymour to his mother in Casterton. He wrote of his brother James, and the pride he felt that James was at “the great landing at Gallipoli”. This is a great example of how useful these letters are. Norman wrote of many men from the local district including Hector Patterson and his wounds.
It is a lovely letter, as many of them were, and it makes you wonder if a 21-year-old man today could write home to his mother in the same way. I also love his closing sentence. If you know Casterton, you will know exactly what he means.
Our Soldiers. (1915, September 16). The Casterton News and the Merino and Sandford Record (Vic. : 1914 – 1918), p. 4 Edition: Bi-Weekly. Retrieved April 23, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74766366
I checked the NAA and brother James Seymour did come home, but only two months after the publishing of Norman’s letter. He developed enteritis in September 1915, was hospitalised and sent home in November.
Norman Edward Seymour served with the 3rd Light Horse and did make it to Gallipoli on October 8, 1915. In October 1917 he developed septic sores and that led to his return home in December that year.
When I finally get my post finished for the ANZAC Day Blog Challenge,(Anzac Day 2014 the way I’m going) you will see more examples of how Trove can enhance the story of your WW1 hero.
This is a particularly interesting find as my ggg grandmother, Margaret Diwell, who appeared as a witness at George’s murder trial, also arrived on the Duke of Richmond, along with her husband William. This answers the question has to how she came to know the Waines, other than the fact they lived reasonably close together.
I have a database of Duke of Richmond arrivals and I did a search but no George Waines. I then went to an online passenger list of the Duke of Richmond that I often refer back to. No George Waines.
So a-Troving I went. An article from the Bendigo Advertiser, reporting on the hanging of Waines, supported his arrival on the Duke of Richmond. But there seems to have been a case of mistaken identity Waines was keen to amend before his death.
EXECUTION OF THE CONVICT WAINES. (1860, July 18). Bendigo Advertiser (Vic. : 1855 – 1918), p. 3. Retrieved February 3, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article87945170
Back to the Duke of Richmond passenger list. George’s wife was Jane so I thought I would look at first names instead of surnames. Sure enough, there was a George and Jane Whainer both aged 29 from Yorkshire. George’s age matches his birth date of 1823, but Yorkshire? Both the Casterton Historical Society Newsletter and the article above, state George was born in Dorset, England, with the Bendigo Advertiser narrowing it down to Sherborne.
Back to Trove and look what I found:
POPULATION OF THE GOLDFIELDS. (1860, October 22). Bendigo Advertiser (Vic. : 1855 – 1918), p. 3. Retrieved February 3, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article87947401
George was from Sherburn, Yorkshire, Sherburn as opposed to Sherborne, Dorset. This and the claim George “was one of the most notorious poachers in the district” helps support something I found on the England and Wales, Criminal Registers (1791-1892). In 1849, George Waines of Yorkshire was sentenced to three months imprisonment on a charge of larceny. Maybe he wasn’t as squeaky clean as he wanted people to believe. No matter the impression he tried to project, nothing could save him from the gallows.
Using FreeBDM I found a marriage of George Waines in 1847, registered in the Scarborough district of Yorkshire. From the same Volume, there are two Janes, Jane Winter and Jane Jewett.
That settled, back to the original aim of my post, the friendship between Margaret Diwell and the Waines, particularly Jane. So it seems they met on the Duke of Richmond, the same ship another set of ggg grandparents sailed on, James and Susan Harman. The Diwells spent around five years in Portland after arrival, then they went to Casterton in 1858. The CHS newsletter says that once in Casterton, the Diwells lived close to both the Waines and the Hunts. As the Hunts purchased land off George Waines in 1856 at Casterton, the Waines must have arrived in town before the Diwells.
It sounds like Jane Waines would have been a good friend. The CHS newsletter describes her as “a comely woman, a vivacious personality full of joy and fun…”. George was not described in such a favourable way, although he did hold Jane in high regard.
EXECUTION OF THE CONVICT WAINES. (1860, July 18). Bendigo Advertiser (Vic. : 1855 – 1918), p. 3. Retrieved February 4, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article87945170
Of course, I did wonder what happened to Jane after George’s death. George had thoughts about what she should do.
THE CASTERTON MURDER. (1860, April 30). The South Australian Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1858 – 1889), p. 3. Retrieved February 6, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1204764
On the Victorian Marriage Index, a Jane Waines married Thomas James Brooks in 1861. From there I lose her. I can not find a death record for either Jane or a Thomas James Brooks that I can definitely say is them. I can’t get a lead on the town Jane lived in so that is making it hard to search for her at Trove. I wonder if she stayed on in Casterton? Did Margaret Diwell see her again? Did Margaret and Jane’s relationship falter during the trial period, given Margaret also knew Mrs Hunt well. So many questions.
As the Harmans were also on the Duke of Richmond, I have a picture in my mind of James Harman back in 1860, then at Muddy Creek, looking up from his paper of choice, maybe the Hamilton Spectator and Grange District Advertiser and remarking “Do you remember the Waines and the Diwells from the ship, Susan?”
This post was part three of a series of posts about the Casterton Murders. You can read the first two parts on the following links:
When I visit my local library and see masses of newsletters from the region’s family history and historical societies jammed into cardboard magazine holders, I think that while such a resource would be useful, where would I start? Being a working mum with limited time, they are just not an option. Also, membership of those societies would be great as I would receive a newsletter in the mail, but again my current status means I have to give consideration to each membership/subscription I take out.
Luckily some societies have newsletters available on their websites and I can read them easily from home when I choose. Newsletters online that are the most helpful to my research are from the Casterton and District Historical Society (2005-2012) and the Warrnambool Family History Group (1990-1999 & 2004). Both include a list of the main topics in each newsletter allowing me to easily select an issue.
The Casterton newsletter, “Historical Happenings” has items relevant to different areas of my research such as the History of the Casterton Racing Club Inc, a series of articles about the Hunt murders and Dance Halls, and Orchestras of Casterton. There is also information about surrounding towns such as Merino, Sandford and Wando Vale. The March 2011 newsletter even recommends a new magazine called “Inside History.” I’m sure many of us would endorse that recommendation! The newsletter opens as a Word document.
The Warrnambool newsletter, “The South-West Genealogist“, includes indexes of Pioneer women of Victoria, school records, and a lot of information on Irish settlers. There are also many birth, deaths, and marriages in the regular column “Historicals” and there are 19th-century BDMs notices from the “Hamilton Spectator” which have been most useful. The newsletter opens as a PDF document.
Thank you to both for providing such a wonderful online resource.
I love it when my ancestors find their voice and through their own words give something of their personalities. Obviously, their voice is not audible, but through Letters to the Editors, wills or even as witnesses for an inquest, it is then easier to imagine them speaking.
In my post Witness for the Prosecution, I wrote of ggg grandmother Margaret Ann Turner, married to William Diwell, and her experience as a witness in a murder trial in 1860 at Casterton. Previous newspaper reports had only mentioned her role, but an extensive report of the trial in thePortland Guardian and Normanby General Advertiser of 20 April 1860 brings Margaret to life as she describes her conversations to the defendant, George Waines, prior to his arrest. Of course, give consideration to the abilities of the person recording the events.
This article tells me a lot about my ggg grandparents. It reconfirmed they were in Casterton in 1859 and Margaret said they were residing in a hut owned by Mr Hunt. Also, Margaret must have been good friends with Mrs Waines spending a lot of time at their house, including dining there on occasions. She makes no mention of William or the six children.
CIRCUIT COURT. (1860, April 20). Portland Guardian and Normanby General Advertiser (Vic. : 1842 – 1876), p. 2 Edition: EVENINGS. Retrieved November 10, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article65443361
More revelations. George Waines dropped his wife off at Margaret’s hut one night. Mrs Waines then stayed a further two nights with George returning each night to take Mrs Waines away. Margaret stated she left on 15 June 1859 because she couldn’t bear to see Mrs Waines put through such torment. So did Margaret leave her own hut and if so, where did she go? Once again where were William and the six children? One would think if William was around during these events, he too would have been called as a witness. William was a bricklayer and worked in surrounding towns so this may explain his apparent absence.
Notice too that Margaret describes the Waines’ abode as a “house”, but the Diwells and Hunts lived in huts. They were most likely slab huts like the one below.
The Waines lived in a “house” so it may have been more substantial like the one below, or perhaps larger if George Waines’ aspirations were any indication.
“Family in front of their house on cleared land somewhere in Victoria” F. J. Stubbs & Co. Photographer [ca. 1858-ca. 1908] Image courtesy of the State Library of Victoria http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/73293
Another thing that caught my attention was Margaret’s mention of a sister from Portland. That sent me scurrying to the records as I have never found any of Margaret’s siblings and I would have thought they were back in Surrey. A quick search of the1841 UK Census records (again) and the Australian Death Index gave me nothing, but I will keep searching. Or was it just a ruse by Margaret to throw Waines off his interest in her mail.
It is sometimes difficult not to think of ggg grandparents as anything but old. Reading this latest find has reminded me that Margaret was only thirty-six during the events leading up to the trial which has also reminded me that Margaret lived for only another nine years after the trial. She was forty-five when she died, only a little older than me. Margaret never became the old woman I must stop myself imagining her as.
There has also been another development in my family’s association with the Hunt murders. Another descendant of my ggg grandfather George Jelly contacted me recently. George’s daughter Elizabeth married Margaret Diwell’s son Richard in 1877.
Judy was kind enough to send me a copy of George’s obituary. It tells of George’s swimming prowess and how he dived for the bones of the Hunt’s in the Glenelg River. Unfortunately, I cannot find anything in the various reports about George’s efforts, despite it being mentioned that there was a river search and bones found.
Naturally, I had to rejoin the Gould Genealogy Family History Through the Alphabet Challenge at “W”. W is for Western District and that means a lot to me not only because this blog “Western District Families”. I was born and raised in the Western District and all the families of my maternal lines, going back six generations, chose to settle in the wonderful Western District.
One of the highlights of the Western District is the geography. Entering from the east, the Western Plains lead to the rise of the Grampians and on to the volcanic plains and green rolling hills beyond. To the south are the forests of the Otways, the south-west coastline and volcanic Tower Hill. And there are the rivers, meandering through the countryside to the sea.
I will take you on a geographical journey through the Western District, just a glimpse really, beginning with two colonial artists, Nicholas Chevalier and my favourite, Eugene Von Guerard. These artists and others traipsed around Victoria sketching and painting. Von Guerard also travelled to Tasmania, New South Wales, South Australia and New Zealand. Looking at their paintings reminds me of the lives they lived for the sake of their art.
Chevalier’s sketch shows the Serra Range including Mt Sturgeon and Mt Abrupt at the southern end of the Grampians.
Moving south-west, dormant volcano Mt Eccles near Macarthur has played a part in my family history. My gg grandfather Reuben James Harman, son of James Harman, owned property at Mt Eccles. It was also a favourite fishing spot of my grandfather Bill Gamble.
I prefer von Guerard’s depiction of Lake Surprise, the crater lake of Mt Eccles, to my own (below). I remember as a child asking about the name “Lake Surprise”. The answer: When you get to the top of the crater and see the lake, you get a surprise. Fair enough.
LAKE SURPRISE, MT ECCLES CRATER LAKE
It’s the photo of my grandfather Bill Gamble during the 1930s that is my favourite.
A little north of Mt Eccles is the volcanic lava flow, the Harman Valley at Byaduk, named after my Harman family. In the distance is the source of the lava, Mount Napier.
THE HARMAN VALLEY, BYADUK
South of Mount Eccles is beautiful and historic Port Fairy, the last port of call for the Moyne River, with its origins east of Macarthur, before it reaches the sea.
MOYNE RIVER, PORT FAIRY
Moving east from Port Fairy is Tower Hill, another dormant volcano.
TOWER HILL
Next is Warrnambool. The cemetery has a great view toward the Hopkins River close to the end of its 271 kilometre journey through the Western District from near Ararat to the sea at Logans Beach, one of the whale nurseries along the south-west coast,
WARRNAMBOOL CEMETERY OVERLOOKING THE HOPKNS RIVER
South-east of Warrnambool is the famous Loch Ard Gorge, named for the Loch Ard which wrecked on the treacherous coastline. The only two survivors, Tom Pearce and Eva Carmichael were washed on to the beach at Loch Ard Gorge.
I find standing on the beach in the Gorge a haunting experience.
LOCH ARD GORGE
East along the coastline is one of the most iconic views, not only of Victoria but Australia.
THE 12 APOSTLES
North-west, and back where we started, are the Grampians.
HALLS GAP, GRAMPIANS
The Grampians are a perfect place to leave the subject of the Western District and move on to another “W” which has been a part of my family since the 1860s, the Wannon River…
W is for…Wannon River
The Wannon River begins its’ flow at the base of Mt Abrupt in the Southern Grampians. It flows toward Dunkeld, around the base of Mt Sturgeon and leaves the Grampians heading north-west toward Cavendish. Along the way, it passes by Mokanger, the workplace of both the Mortimers and Haddens. Through Cavendish, it passes close to the cemetery, burial place of members of those two families.
CAVENDISH OLD CEMETERY
From Cavendish, the river begins a southward journey toward two of the Hamilton district’s jewels, the Nigretta and Wannon waterfalls. As the river progresses west, the Grange Burn joins the Wannon north of Morgiana, having flowed from just east of Hamilton, the city founded on the Grange. This section of the Wannon river was another favourite fishing spot of my grandfather Bill Gamble.
On the river flows to Tahara and then Sandford. I have family links to Sandford with Julia Harman, daughter of James Harman residing there with her husband George Holmes. Two children were born at Sandford including WW1 casualty Arthur Leonard Holmes. My gg uncle William Diwell also spent some time around Sandford. In 1914, he completed extensions to the St Marys Church.
The Wannon River then joins another great river of the Western District, the Glenelg River, having passed through some of Victoria’s most beautiful countryside. It is not surprising Joseph Hawdon, travelling overland to Adelaide with Lieutenant Alfred Miller Mundy of the 21st Regiment in 1839, endorsed Major Thomas Mitchell’s description five years earlier. Major Mitchell followed the Glenelg River from its beginnings in the Grampians through to the sea at Nelson. It is little wonder all my direct ancestors stayed in the Western District after settlement.
(1839, September 26). Launceston Advertiser (Tas. : 1829 – 1846), p. 1 Supplement: SUPPLEMENT. Retrieved October 11, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page8723904
After the merge with the Wannon, the Glenelg flows on to Casterton where I have many family links. My ggg grandfather George Jelly, the father of Elizabeth Ann Jelly, was one man who could say he had conquered the river. His obituary read:
“He was a remarkably good swimmer and by his abilities in this direction was instrumental in saving many persons from drowning and rescuing the bodies of many others who had perished in the river”
He even dived for the bones of Robert and Mary Hunt, murdered by George Wains in 1860.
By the time the Glenelg River reaches the sea, it, the waters of the Wannon and Grange Burn have passed by many of the places my ancestors lived, worked, fished, swam and were laid to rest.
NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE GLENELG RIVER, NELSON
The Wannon River between the Nigretta Falls and the Wannon Falls, about twenty kilometres from Hamilton, would be the section most frequented by myself and my family before me. My own memories come from family visits, Sunday drives with Nana, school excursions and birthday parties.
Wannon River Scene – Washbourne, Thomas J. photographer.Image courtesy of the State Library of Victoria Victorian Patents Office Copyright Collection (VPOCC) http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/53092
Wannon River Scene Washbourne, Thomas J.,photographer. Image courtesy of the State Library of Victoria – Victorian Patents Office Copyright Collection (VPOCC) http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/52931
THE WANNON RIVER AT THE WANNON FALLS
Of the two waterfalls, I prefer the Nigretta, especially after rain. The Wannon Falls could be described as pretty in the way the water drops off the edge, but the Nigretta Falls are, at times, spectacular.
NIGRETTA FALLS ON THE WANNON RIVER Image courtesy of the State Library of Victoria – collection: Cogger album of photographs http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/41740
The Vagabond (John Stanley James) described the Nigretta Falls in his series “Picturesque Victoria” for The Argus. In the 4 April 1885 edition of The Argus, The Vagabond wrote of his visit to the Wannon. He enjoyed the hospitality at the Wannon Inn and then marvelled at the “miniature Niagara”
This photo taken in August this year by my friend Catherine, after some good rain, sees the Nigretta looking like the miniature Niagara Falls described by The Vagabond.
NIGRETTA FALLS – Image courtesy of Catherine Huisman
My grandfather, Bill Gamble, took the following photo in the 1930s
It was pleasing to see that the old viewing platforms still remain at the Nigretta Falls.
NIGRETTA FALLS VIEWING PLATFORM
An impressive wooden staircase now leads down to the falls, but the original steps remain.
The Wannon Falls (below) holds memories of walking beyond the viewing platform, down to the rocks and behind the falls, but only when they were flowing lightly as they are in this photo. A new viewing platform now prevents such precarious escapades, even undertaken while on school excursions!
WANNON FALLS
I have two framed prints of the Wannon Falls by Louis Buveot, painted in 1872. One hangs on a wall as a constant reminder of Hamilton, the Wannon River and the waterfalls. The original work hangs in the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery. To see the original click on the link – Wannon Falls
The topic of the Wannon River gives me an opportunity to share my all-time favourite family photos. As a little girl when I first saw Nana’s old photo album, these photos captured my imagination. When Nana came to live with us she kept her photo albums in her wardrobe. I would take them down, sit on her bed and go straight to the photo below. It was near the beginning of the album which had black, much-turned pages.
From right: Nana, (Linda Hadden), my great-grandmother (Sarah Elizabeth Harman) and my great auntie Alma’s (Nana’s sister) mother-in-law Mrs Issac William Short (Catherine Gissane Tilley). They are standing on the original lower viewing deck. The photos from a day at the Wannon were originally very small. It wasn’t until I enlarged them on a computer, that I noticed Nana’s coat hanging on the railing.
I think the reason I like this photo because Nana looked exactly like she did when I knew her, but with long braids and I still can’t believe she was only about fifteen. Even the small research assistant thought Nana was the lady in the middle when he first saw it. He only knew her as an older person and does not think of her as having been a child too.
The second photo was taken from the lower viewing deck, looking toward the upper level. I didn’t like standing here as a child and as you can see the rail was high at the front and difficult to see over and to the right of Nana was a gap between the fence and the rocks. I much preferred the lower deck.
My grandfather Bill, before he married Nana, liked to visit the Wannon Falls too, although he didn’t stick to the viewing platforms.
In more recent years, a rotunda was built at the Wannon Falls reserve with information about the waterfall, the local geography and history.
On our visit, the small research assistant said “Look Mum, they even have family history here for you” He was right. There is a lot of my family history at the Wannon Falls.
Try to get your head around this article I found at Trove. It appeared in The West Australian and the Adelaide Advertiser in December 1951 and is about my first cousin 4 x removed, Amelia Harman, daughter of Jonathan Harman. Amelia married Christopher (Chris) Bell of Heywood in 1901. They had three children, Millicent Irene (born 1901), Clarence Jonathan (1902), and Christopher George (born 1903) all born at Heywood. Clarence died in 1905. At least one girl is a descendant of Christopher George Bell. At the time of the photo, Christopher was working as a senior constable of police at Casterton. He would have been around 48 then, so I’m guessing Cheryl of Casterton is Christopher’s daughter.
Amelia had an older daughter, Elsie May, who married Herbert Skipworth at Heywood in 1909. Therefore, Helen Skipworth is likely to be a descendant of Elsie and Herbert. That leaves Lynette Wilmot, who also would likely be a descendant of Elsie May and Herbert.
Another amazing thing is the three girls are all nine months old! At the time of writing, Cheryl, Helen, and Lynette would be 61. If they or any other Bell family members see this, I would love to confirm the various family relationships. Amelia was around 87 at the time of this photo. She died in 1956, aged 91.
Western District Families 
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