(In memory of Aunty Kit Knoll and the Brick Chimney)
A single wisp breathes
such volumes
from a creeper-clad farm-stone
and brick chimney
a wraithed old cowl of wood
smoke says
somebody home, a living presence
still, beneath its
all-weather’s of farm-cottage yard
and garden
and a screen door opening out, a soft
voiced "Come on in".
25 August 2003 © Wayne David Knoll
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Cortege to Beenak Creek: OBITUARY of AUNTY KIT
Katherine Winifred Knoll - nee Thompson (1915-2006)
Cortege to Beenak Creek
Leaving Monbulk, it’s early May 2006, under autumn yellow poplars, again the red dying is in the oaks, the russ brightens, the chestnuts are fallen, whole clans of colour gather for this death which we follow down Sassafras Creek under manna gums and overhanging treeferns till it becomes the Woori Yallock.
Forty, fifty cars with headlights on in the slow daytime out through Fairy Dell, rounding left at Emerald, through Avonsleigh and Cockatoo where a schoolboy salutes. Rising, to the hills, we do not stop at Gembrook, and the Telstra workers on the edge of town stand to stare at this cortege turning out onto the little-trafficked roads toward the mountains. They wonder who is this being buried? Why this cavalcade of slow respect going into the sticks? They watch gloss cars of the 21st century going back to the charcoal lands that sprung this easy prosperity, like the backs of glib beetles caught or escaping liking lemmings from the bright lights of some doom.
Now the autumn trees are erased by bark-strung bush and we enter granite country, gullies of boulder caves and underground streams, roads of muddy sand verges. Over the scrub, banksias rise up in the dim, branched in rough candelabras, full of yellow candles, the soft plumes looming. Beside these shadow-flames, near Shiprock Falls, a hearse turns east onto the narrow dirt roads, winding thinly up, following a creek towards a source, going into the townless mountain wildernesses.
Here, today, in a lonely cemetery, at a place opened for peace since Black Friday 1939 when the world burnt down, we are burying one of the WW1 and Depression-maturing children, one who was there in 39, in 41. One who spent a war building garden walls and hedges, planting trees. One who lived without fruit of her womb, but who made and gave jams, bottled fruit, made pies and clothes and treated half a thousand nieces and nephews, adopted or otherwise. One addicted to generosity, one who lived unbitterly. Also reticent, humble. It is Aunty Kit: Catherine Winifred Knoll nee Thompson, who died as she wished, at home on the farm. 1915-2006.
She did not need to fill her world with manufactured stimulus. She accepted that vast, deeper and lasting quietness. So in love with peace she knew it. She lived unhurried, a gracious lady of that modestly-veiled ancient stock, alone the last twenty four years, true queen of one valley, one hill. Here, at home, soil-blooded, stoic, a glad peasant full of the old knowing of plants, trees and wild birds, wife of pioneer stock, kind, an austral Viking, willful, tough, delightful and independent as a flame robin, and as tough on pests.
She had no children, but everybody’s were her children. She had no family, but we were all her family: to three and four generations of nieces and nephews. She never wrote a book, but a book could not contain what was written by her between unspoken lines. She loved conversation, yet words could never catch all she meant for people. She never traveled far, but her letters reached around the world.
Growing up on one South Silvan farm till eighteen, then marrying a widower neighbour, her life’s journey went like a landslip down one hill, over a single fence, she reached the next farm, but in that short step she reached for an above and to certain depths, as if real travel truly needed such travail. She worked, she did for others. Crossing fences. And here in this cortege are the many messages without borders, this world’s pilgrims are here for her, or else with an email or call from England, from America, Cambodia, from around the world. A
nd, as I spade this earth that rains down onto her well flower-arranged coffin, I can hear her words: she is commenting on the quality of the soil, appreciating this aspect, the peace in the air, the birds; and, wary of wallabies or wombats or worse, she warns of the need for this planting to be staked and firmed, to be so named with simplicity and practicality, for the gift she can still give by resting here in this geography of peace, that simple, unregarded place to be guarded well by and for us left behind.
© Wayne David Knoll 9-24 May 2006
Cortege to Beenak Creek
Leaving Monbulk, it’s early May 2006, under autumn yellow poplars, again the red dying is in the oaks, the russ brightens, the chestnuts are fallen, whole clans of colour gather for this death which we follow down Sassafras Creek under manna gums and overhanging treeferns till it becomes the Woori Yallock.
Forty, fifty cars with headlights on in the slow daytime out through Fairy Dell, rounding left at Emerald, through Avonsleigh and Cockatoo where a schoolboy salutes. Rising, to the hills, we do not stop at Gembrook, and the Telstra workers on the edge of town stand to stare at this cortege turning out onto the little-trafficked roads toward the mountains. They wonder who is this being buried? Why this cavalcade of slow respect going into the sticks? They watch gloss cars of the 21st century going back to the charcoal lands that sprung this easy prosperity, like the backs of glib beetles caught or escaping liking lemmings from the bright lights of some doom.
Now the autumn trees are erased by bark-strung bush and we enter granite country, gullies of boulder caves and underground streams, roads of muddy sand verges. Over the scrub, banksias rise up in the dim, branched in rough candelabras, full of yellow candles, the soft plumes looming. Beside these shadow-flames, near Shiprock Falls, a hearse turns east onto the narrow dirt roads, winding thinly up, following a creek towards a source, going into the townless mountain wildernesses.
Here, today, in a lonely cemetery, at a place opened for peace since Black Friday 1939 when the world burnt down, we are burying one of the WW1 and Depression-maturing children, one who was there in 39, in 41. One who spent a war building garden walls and hedges, planting trees. One who lived without fruit of her womb, but who made and gave jams, bottled fruit, made pies and clothes and treated half a thousand nieces and nephews, adopted or otherwise. One addicted to generosity, one who lived unbitterly. Also reticent, humble. It is Aunty Kit: Catherine Winifred Knoll nee Thompson, who died as she wished, at home on the farm. 1915-2006.
She did not need to fill her world with manufactured stimulus. She accepted that vast, deeper and lasting quietness. So in love with peace she knew it. She lived unhurried, a gracious lady of that modestly-veiled ancient stock, alone the last twenty four years, true queen of one valley, one hill. Here, at home, soil-blooded, stoic, a glad peasant full of the old knowing of plants, trees and wild birds, wife of pioneer stock, kind, an austral Viking, willful, tough, delightful and independent as a flame robin, and as tough on pests.
She had no children, but everybody’s were her children. She had no family, but we were all her family: to three and four generations of nieces and nephews. She never wrote a book, but a book could not contain what was written by her between unspoken lines. She loved conversation, yet words could never catch all she meant for people. She never traveled far, but her letters reached around the world.
Growing up on one South Silvan farm till eighteen, then marrying a widower neighbour, her life’s journey went like a landslip down one hill, over a single fence, she reached the next farm, but in that short step she reached for an above and to certain depths, as if real travel truly needed such travail. She worked, she did for others. Crossing fences. And here in this cortege are the many messages without borders, this world’s pilgrims are here for her, or else with an email or call from England, from America, Cambodia, from around the world. A
nd, as I spade this earth that rains down onto her well flower-arranged coffin, I can hear her words: she is commenting on the quality of the soil, appreciating this aspect, the peace in the air, the birds; and, wary of wallabies or wombats or worse, she warns of the need for this planting to be staked and firmed, to be so named with simplicity and practicality, for the gift she can still give by resting here in this geography of peace, that simple, unregarded place to be guarded well by and for us left behind.
© Wayne David Knoll 9-24 May 2006
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
HEARTNEY
Our silvan-land school played
the game 'Heartney’ !
Even the sky heard South-Silvaner's
yell: 'HEARTNÈE!'
as we threw a tennisball over our
school sheltershed,
by which If it was caught, we'd be run,
branded and 'dead' !
Stinging and singing a world before
Paul McCartney.
Each team, 'home' on one long-side of
the sheltershed,
resurrected their number as the other side
was brandéd.
All grades joined, the ground grooved, ringing
out Heartney
we belonged, right there, shed-rounding unwound
our heart's free.
As we did that shed, Flinders round Australia never
circumnavigatéd!
2002 © Wayne David Knoll
1928-1980 Silvan South Primary School, Burleigh, Victoria
This poem won the prize of a new edition Macquarie Dictionary as one of seven runners-up in the ABC- Macquarie University/ Macquarie Dictionary WORDMAP of Australia for a poem of less than 100 words based on a regionalism: that is, a word used only in a distinct locality. This poem, ‘Heartney’ - is also published on the National ABC Website, under Competitions.
http://www.abc.net.au/wordmap/competitions/default.htm
Heartney - or Hartney- as a word was used for the game in the former district of South Wandin, and played at primary schools both in Silvan & Silvan South. My father tells me his younger Chapman uncles who attended Silvan Primary school taught the game to him and his siblings who then took it to Silvan South school. It must have sown itself down the next generations from older children to younger as I never saw any teacher coaching students in Heartney.
I have also heard of a similar game played at small schools in the Broken River area north of Benalla, Victoria. My youngest brother, who is sixteen years younger than me, played Heartney there in the early 1980s, until the teachers banned the game after it became a rivalry between kids of Italian and non-Italian families. In the mid 1990s
All you need is a detached building, preferably without spoutings (for ball-return reasons) and a tennis ball. I taught the game to a group of home-schooled children at the Fusion Arts Colony in Malmsbury, Victoria . The detached building that we used at Malmsbury was a caravan-bodied Bedford motorhome.
the game 'Heartney’ !
Even the sky heard South-Silvaner's
yell: 'HEARTNÈE!'
as we threw a tennisball over our
school sheltershed,
by which If it was caught, we'd be run,
branded and 'dead' !
Stinging and singing a world before
Paul McCartney.
Each team, 'home' on one long-side of
the sheltershed,
resurrected their number as the other side
was brandéd.
All grades joined, the ground grooved, ringing
out Heartney
we belonged, right there, shed-rounding unwound
our heart's free.
As we did that shed, Flinders round Australia never
circumnavigatéd!
2002 © Wayne David Knoll
1928-1980 Silvan South Primary School, Burleigh, Victoria
This poem won the prize of a new edition Macquarie Dictionary as one of seven runners-up in the ABC- Macquarie University/ Macquarie Dictionary WORDMAP of Australia for a poem of less than 100 words based on a regionalism: that is, a word used only in a distinct locality. This poem, ‘Heartney’ - is also published on the National ABC Website, under Competitions.
http://www.abc.net.au/wordmap/competitions/default.htm
Heartney - or Hartney- as a word was used for the game in the former district of South Wandin, and played at primary schools both in Silvan & Silvan South. My father tells me his younger Chapman uncles who attended Silvan Primary school taught the game to him and his siblings who then took it to Silvan South school. It must have sown itself down the next generations from older children to younger as I never saw any teacher coaching students in Heartney.
I have also heard of a similar game played at small schools in the Broken River area north of Benalla, Victoria. My youngest brother, who is sixteen years younger than me, played Heartney there in the early 1980s, until the teachers banned the game after it became a rivalry between kids of Italian and non-Italian families. In the mid 1990s
All you need is a detached building, preferably without spoutings (for ball-return reasons) and a tennis ball. I taught the game to a group of home-schooled children at the Fusion Arts Colony in Malmsbury, Victoria . The detached building that we used at Malmsbury was a caravan-bodied Bedford motorhome.
Monday, March 5, 2007
The Voyage of the Ship “ CHALMERS”
The Voyage of the Ship “ CHALMERS”
bringing a first pioneer of Burleigh (South Wandin)
Hubert John HOLLIS
‘Chalmers” ship –
Hubert John Hollis, later the joint first-pioneer of Wandin South (which later became known variously as Silvan and Burleigh) with Eliza his wife’s cousin, George Parker came out from England as an impressionable twelve-year-old with his parents and siblings as the eldest child in the family of six. They sailed on board the ship , the “ Chalmers” which raised anchor from Graves End, Kent on 1st August 1852 arriving in Melbourne on 19th January 1853 .
George BAKER's DIARY
..................................................................transription by Wayne David Knoll in 2006
George Baker a passenger kept the following Diary of his passage aboard that self-same emigrant ship, the “Chalmers” from Gravesend, Kent, to Port Phillip Bay, and also of his subsequent activities on the Victorian Goldfields, 1 August 1852 to 19 January 1853
Manuscript held at the State Library of Victoria [ Boc 1719/4 MS 11374
{ Reference is made to a work which refers to George Baker – by William Howitt, in ‘Land Labour and Gold’ 2 vols p 58 ]
THE DIARY
Sailed July 29th 1852
August 1st 1852 Dropped down from the E.J. Docks to Gravesend ship “Chalmers”, Captain Smith, bound for Port Phillip with Emigrants, etc to London same day by steam boat, (Tugged to Gravesend)
August 1st 1852 Sailed from Gravesend about 3.0. Tugged as far as Isle of White ( The Downs) the Pilot left us
Log Omitted, but continued bad weather.
Wind, rain & Lightning & heavy seas & Terrible hurricane & horsesail lost
August 20th 4 O’clock Pm 6 Sails in sight. Set very light/.st
Day fair, wind . all sail set, very light wind. Average speed 7 knots Very hot.
Water not given out before 4.0 pm – of 6.0 am
Saturday August 21 Fine day. Fair wind. SW? all sail set. Ah Study sails, Average speed 10 Knots, At 4.0 p.m. a Sail Telegraphed with French from Brest. Concert in Evening
Sunday August 22 Fine day. Fair Wind SW. Yards square on. Service in Morning & Evening. A child Christened (John Chalmers Jones) this day, the child was born on board, but they ought to have named him Son Storm & make a sailor of him.
Monday 23rd Fine with Showers in Evening . Moonlight night. Sighted Madera 2.0 am till Evening. A Lecture in Evening on the Gold Regions by Mr. Noble, Passenger.
Wind S.W.
Tuesday 24th Very hot, bad water. Alterations of Messes. Concert & Dancing in the Evening.
Point Voosers (Roses) had up, off Morocco. Coast of Africa Average 9 Knots.
Wednesday 25 Hot. Service in Evening. Thermometer at 8.o pm 81 dg. At 12 p.m. 75 degrees
In shade. Appearance of cockroaches.
Thursday 26th Hot. Cloudy. Light breeze SSW. A flock of flying fish & ship Jack, remarkably large. Singing. Reciting and Dancing in Evening.
Friday 27 The rigging covered with sand from the Deserts of Sahara. 700 (100?) Miles from Shore & brought to us in the Clouds/ In the trade winds. Hot. Clouds.
Page3
Saturday August 23rd Hot. Wind S.S.W. Concert and Dancing.
Sunday 19th Hot. Wind S.W. Church Service & a Strom of Lightning & Thunder about 6.p p.m. till 9.0.
Monday 30th Dead Calm. Hot. Fair Wind.
Tuesday 21 Singing. Dancing. Hot. Fair Wind
Wednesday Sept 1 Debating Class. Very Hot
Thursday 2 Theatrical Class. Singing. Wet. Saw a shoal of Grampuses. One of the Sailors caught a Bonita about 7 lbs. A shark seen about 4’o in Morning
Includes a Drawing of the Bonita and this description:. The Bonita is found in the Atlantic Ocean & in other seas from 6 to 20 pound in weight. They are caught with a line , the bait being a piece of White Rag) ,on the surface of the water, but must not be towed or they will not touch the bait, being a very shy fish. They prey on small Flying fish & swim in shoals. They are delicate eating, having the flavour when fresh or cooked early of a pork chop. They are very tenacious of life & have great strength considering their size.
Friday Sept 3 Wet. Adverse Winds. Two (2) sails sighted.
Saturday 4th Wet Night with Lightning & thunder. Singing. Mr. Monkhouse, a passenger, struck on the head with a block from the fore Top sail.
Sunday 5th Service Morning & Evening. Rough Seas. Showery Day.
Monday 6th Fine Day, Wind. Steering S.S.E.
Tuesday 7th Wet Day. Fair Wind . Rough Sea. Sail in Sight in forenoon. Another in the Evening. Latitude 7.25, about
NOTE/ with Drawing The Porpoise is a clumsy fish as under, an inhabitant of The Deep, they are caught with a Harpoon. They swim in shoals with a Huge on at the head, in flocks of 30 or 40. Seen at night they present a pretty appearance, like lines of fire in the sea. From 3 t0 5 foot, feed on small fry.
1852. page e 5
Wednesday Sep 8th Wet. Adverse Winds. 3 Sails in sight. Service in evening
Thursday sept 9th Fine. Adverse Winds. Theatrical Class in Evening
Friday 10th A Shark caught in Afternoon about 2 cwt (hundredweight) . Small. Measures 6 feet 7 inches. Had some for dinner . Wet Night. Adverse Winds
Saturday 11th Wet. Singing in Evening. Adverse Winds
Sunday 12 Steering due W? Wind N.E. Fine. Hot. About 2º Latitude to the Line
Monday 13 Fair Weather. Adverse Winds. Singing & dancing. Sail spoken with Signals.
Tuesday 14th Fair. Foul Wind. Dancing.
Wednesday 15th Fair. Fair Wind. Dancing
Thursday 16th Fair. Adverse wind. Theatrical “Richelieu”. Singing & “Bombaste Furino”
Friday 17th Military Exercises Morning & Afternoon. Joined Fencing. Teaching Maria (Master) Adore Kind, (Adverse Winds) Fine. Only a Miles from the Line Preparations for Neptune Coming on Board.
Saturday 18 A passenger Mt Cook very bad with the Diarrhea, taken to Hospital. Adverse Winds. Fine Day. Mr. Cook died ½ past 12 night, in consequence no entertainments.
Sunday 20th Mr. Cook buried ½ past 3.0 p.m. Services. Fair Wind. Right Course. Mrs Cook’s child died.
Monday 20th Drill. Dancing. Fair Wind. S. Course. Mr. Cook’s child buried 10.Am
Tuesday 21 Fair wind. S.W. Course. No Entertainments.
Wednesday 22nd Right Course. Fine. 5.51 latitude.
Thursday 23 Recitations. Singing, nearly a failure. Right Course. Fine.
Friday 24 Fine. Moonlight. Right Course.
Saturday 25 Dancing Drill. Fencing. Attempt to get up the Old Harmonic again.
Fine. Right Course.
Sunday 26 Fine/ Warm. 6 Knots.Right Course.
Monday 27 Fine. Warm 8 Knots. Fair Wind.
Tuesday 28 Ditto Do Do
Wednesday 29 Church service Do
Thursday 30th Fine with Shower in Evening & Wet Night
Friday Oct 1st 1852 Wet all day, blowing very hard in Night. Wind fair. 31.0 Latitude, a great change in weather. Cape Pigeons, Whale Birds, Cape Hens, Boobies & Mother Cary’s chickens. A very large Thinback seen.
Saturday 2nd Ration Day. Fair Wind. Very Cold.
Sunday 3 Service / Showery. Cold. 34 ½ Latitude
Monday 4 Very Cold. Adverse Winds. Immense number of birds with Albatrosses
Tuesday 5 Becalmed. With Rain. 1 Knot
Wednesday 6 Becalmed Wet. Cold fine
Thursday 7 Fair wind. Average 9 ½ knots. Very cold. 35.00 Latitude. Sail on Starboard Bow.
Friday 8th Heavy Sea. Yards squared. Average 10 Knots. Huddy/Studdy sails set. Land seen on Starboard ----- Bow.
Saturday 9th Heavy sea. Fair Wind. S to E Very cold. A Squall about 9 ½ pm lost the Starboard Main Huddy Sail yard. With Rain. Dancing
Sunday 10th Service. S.eE. Very cold Heavy sea & wind. 10 ½ knots. A squall abt ½ past 9.0 am. Starboard for Studdy Sail Guide snapped. & Rain. Many birds about. Heavy Lurches.
Monday October 11th Fair wind. Heavy seas. Very Cold.
Tuesday 12th Fine Cold Fair Wind in Evening
&
Wednesday a terrible Gale & Awful seas
Thursday 14th Fine in morning. Evening very Squally & Gale all night, blowing terribly
Friday 15th Fine all day. 10 Knots
Saturday 16th Fine day. Caught a porpoise. After tea saw 5 Whales, Spouting & playing about ship.
Sunday 17th No Service. Too rough. Wind. Starboard fore topsail Split. Fearful Storm.
Lightning & Thunder. Sea Mountains high, beating over the ship, fore and aft.
Awful Night.
Monday 18th Fine. Very Cold. Rough sea
Tuesday 19th Wet. Heavy Seas. 9 ½ knots.
Wednesday 20th Cold and Heavy Gales & Sea
Thursday 21st Fine. Squally. Starboard foretop & Lower Studding sail booms snapped. Heavy seas all night. A shoal of Grampus see at 6.0 am.
Friday 22nd. Fine. Cold. S.E by E. Many birds about , 4 knots. Square yards. Light winds.
Saturday 23rd Cold. Fine. 4 knots 6 pm. Night 11& 12 knots.
Her he includes a page of 14 flags with the legebd: marry at Code of Merchant Signals Ensign Nos 1-9 plus 0, plus a 1st & 2nd Disty; a Rendezvous & a Numerical point,
Sunday 24th Oct Very cold. Strong seas. Heavy rain all day. Night, strong breeze & seas.
10 knots. Service
Monday 25th Cold. 8 knots. Noon, light wind 6 knots. Night Fresh breeze 8 knots
Tuesday 26th Very cold. Fresh breeze 8 knots. Immense flight of Ju Petrels. Night, fresh breeze 10 knots; Square yards & Studdy sails
Wednesday 27th Church Service. Light wind. Night: squally Heavy seas. Contrary Winds.
Thursday 28th Squally all day, drifting about with Contrary Winds; 3 young Albatross caught
6 feet 10 inches long from wing to wing & sold ther. Night: 6 & 8 knots.
Friday 29th Fresh breeze. Light squalls. 8 & 9 knots. Night: Strong Breeze, heavy seas, very cold. 9 knots
Saturday 30th Becalmed till 11 AM. . 12 noon strong Breeze, heavy seas. Square Yards and Shiddy sails. Rain 9 & 10 knots. Night: Cold 10 knots
Sunday 31th Fine. Very cold. 10 knots. A ship sighted at 4.0 am. Came alongside of her at 12.0 noon within 300 yards. Spoke to her by signals/answers. The “Arundel” for Port Phillip, sailed London. What ship 40-72 .. 4810 --------- ------
10 days before us, all well, passed her at 1.0 pm. She called at Plymouth & lay alongside the Chalmers in E.J. Docks. Moon Rose at 10 p.m. Cold. 10 knots.
Drawing of the ship passing Cape of Good Hope 1852 in sun(rise) or set.
Nov 1st Monday Tremendous gale all day. Very Cold with Hail very large. 10 & 11 knots.
Short Heavy seas/ The “Arundel in sight astern 6.0 pm. Night. Strong seas & much wind. Carrying only Main & Fore Topsails, close reefed. 6 knots.
Tuesday Nov 2nd Strong wind & seas. Cold & Squally. 9 knots. Night: Strong Breeze. Heavy Squalls.
Wednesday 3rd Passed St Pauls & Amsterdam Islands 4.0 am. On Starboard side. Strong wind & seas. Heavy squalls. With hail. Longitude 89.0 Latitude 40,0 South. Hatches battened down & caulked. “Arundel” in sight on the Starboard Quarter . 9 knots. Seas Mountains high & washing over the Poop & Forecastle. The Captain thinks of parving ?? ( Porving/harving} her too, Very bad Weather, Really. Bad night.
Thursday 4th Nov Very cold. Strong wind. Awful sea 10 knots. Hatches battened down. Squally.
Friday 5th nov Guy Fawkes Day. A Guy exhibited. Cold, squally 8 & 9 knots.
Saturday 6th Nov Very Cold Heavy Squall & Shipping Seas. Hatches battened & Caulked Down, 8 & 9 knots
Sunday 7th Nov. Cold. Steady fresh breeze, heavy sea. 10 knots. Yards Squared, Night. Squally . A Studding Sail Yard lost. 7.0 pm. E Longitude 100º O` 41.0 S.
Monday 8th Milder weather. Fresh breeze. 10 ½ knots. Studding sails set. Taking in Salt water all day for the hold. Night: 9 knots. Steady breeze on the Quarter.
Tuesday 9th Light wind. Fine. Yard &Studding sails set. 8 & 9 knots. E longitude 109º
South Latitude 39º
Wednesday 10th Light breezes. 4 knots/ E longitude 113º S latitude 40º. A magnificent sunset, the sky hued in a beautiful manner. Dancing. Off Cape Leeuwin.
Thurs 11th Nov Pumping water into the hold for Ballast. Dead calm. Warm & clear. Night: cold. Fresh breeze. 8 knots. The play of the Mountaineers & the Turnpike Gate played. Singing & Recitations
Friday 12th Fine, fair wind. Square yard & Studding sails set. 9 & 10 knots. Pig killed for Captain’s Table. Dancing
Saturday 13th Fresh breeze. Slight rain. 9 & 10 knots. Pumping salt water into hold. Captain gave all the ladies in the ship a plate each of Fresh Pork for Sunday Dinner (None to the Gents). Shoal of porpoises on Starboard Bow. Night: very cold. Fresh breeze with heavy head of sea.
Sunday 14th Fine. Fair wind. Square yards set. 5 Whales spouting on Lee Quarter 6.0 am. E longitude 122 ½º A flight of Cape Pigeon. Porpoises under the bows 6.0 pm. 3 very large Albatross flying astern. Church Service.
Monday 15th Strong Breeze with rain. 10 knots. E longitude 127º 25` latitude South 46 º..
A beautiful Sunset, surpassing all imagination, seen 7.0 pm.
Tuesday 16th Strong breeze & heavy seas. Rain. 131º longitude E; S latitude 46º. Porpoises under the Bow 6.0 pm. – a sign of wind
Wednesday 17th Light wind all day. 4 & 5 knots. E longitude 135º 30 `. A Quantity of Goods sold by Auction by the Passenger. Square yards. Church Service after which Dancing, rather strange, and much in the French style, A ship in sight, and signaled with, the “Diana” of London, bound to India from Port Phillip.
Thursday 18th Light wind all day. Square yards. 138º E longitude.
Friday 19th Ditto. 6 knots. Cable hauled up from the lower deck and anchors bent on and brought-over the bows. Cape Otway, Australia, sighted in Evening. Auction & Goods fetching high prices. One of the passengers caught an Albatross.
Saturday 20th Nov E. Longitude 143º Dead Calm. 2 pm running 4 knots. Land in sight from the Deck. &. 0 pm sight Cape Otway Light at 20 miles distance, from the Fore yard. It is a revolving white light, rotating once in a minute and a half. A very fine light. Land may distinguished by its colour, appearing at a great distance like curious blue cloud, like indigo, and is often taken for rain clouds, but by watching you may see it does not move & a practiced eye can see the difference directly. 10.0 pm ‘Bout-ship wind, dead ahead. Ship heading S.S.W. Slight wind. Left the Land on the Starboard Quarter. 12 p. “bout-ship. Yards braced & harp up. Heading due Nº. Close to the wind. Hazy. Little Moonlight. Fine Mackerel sky. Lighthouse in the two miles current
Note: Now in sight, everybody busily engaged packing & and of being so near our destination quite inspires. Many this night sat up to have the first glimpse of the morning. The yards and Crosstrees crowded with people in their anxiety to see the Land, much to the detriment of the sailors at work there. A Gentleman in the next Cabin, the name Moore, & a Reporter for Charles Dickens, is going out to glean scraps for the “Household Words” & many an unfortunate passenger who renders himself conspicuous suffers from his criticizing pen. There are terrific fights at the Oven, who shall take precedence in the way of baking their rolls or pies, and Rows at Dinner for the largest pieces. I have even seen two men fight for a piece of Pork in a disgraceful manner, and claw it from each other with their hands like wild Beasts. The Fore part of the ship is allotted to the youngest men & on account of the horrible din, they kick up, especially at meal times, when their food is brought down, & rows at night, we denominate them: the “Lions & Tigers”. These gentlemen he has not forgotten. There is one of the Passengers, who, at the commencement of the voyage, volunteered kindly to preach to us & read the Prayers on Sundays, but finding he did more harm than good by Swearing & acting in a very Irreligious manner after Church, his services were dispensed with, & now another, almost as bad, occupies his place.
Sat No 20th DRAWING A ship position, drawn at 12 at night and showing the course of the Wind on various points of the ship, where it does good or bad, for all vessels, wind on eth Quarter is better than right astern, but some sail better with the wind on beam, but according to the cut of her sails, - done while thinking of home, & when I shall see it again.
Sunday 21st Nov Dead calm all morning. Tacking about off Cape Otway. Very fine. Warm, Porpoises on the Starboard Quarter. A shoal of Barracuda, about 3 dozen, caught. Taste like Soles, much in the appearance of the Mackerel, but longer. A small land Quail seen, about the size of a lark. Land seen plainly about 6.0 pm. Breeze sprung up. Doubled Cape Otway, lost the Light about 9.0 pm. Ship heading E.N.E. by E. Light breeze from eth Southwest. 8 knots. Fine. Moonlight, with vivid lightning off the land.
Monday 22nd 4.0 am blowing ½ a Gale. Close reefed topsails, Yards square. 8.0am Wind lulled, in sight of Port Phillip Heads & Lighthouse. Saw the Wreck of a ship which ran aground about 7 months ago opposite the lighthouse on eth Starboard side of Bass’s Straits. Saw the wrecks of two schooners; the topmast only visible above the water. 8 ½ am. Hoisted the Jack – signal for a Pilot. (.9am Pilot came on board. The men brought with them a bunch of Australian flowers a sign of Welcome. ( Drawing of flowers- look like fringe lilies- or other 5-petalled flower] They were double Stocks and scented Geraniums, with others, just like the dear old flowers I used to cultivate so carefully at home & they brought tears into my eyes, for it made me think of poor Charly & her little garden – but only fancy, double Stocks in November.
The view of the land of Promise from the Bay is beautiful, and the little settlement of Williamstown, off which we are anchored, took my fancy so much that I got a sketch of it in my log. At 1.0 pm we cast anchor with three hearty cheers. Pilot left us. In a Melbourne Paper the Pilot left behind we had news from the Diggings. Another spot containing gold has been discovered and is called Mount Bendigo, of more extent and richness than any before found. There are at present 40,000 at the Diggings & all peaceable and quiet, no fighting or cutting throats. Labour ( mind labour) is scarce and well paid for, Carpenters 5 to 6 £ a week, Farm servants and Shepherds £55 per year, Policemen 45/- per week, Tailors 14/- a pair of trouser making, Sailors and Coasters £14 a month; and £50 for the run to England. Ships lying in the Bay; all hands left, & off to the Diggings. Captains of ships got leave from the Governor to shoot all deserters. On one ship 9 sailors were shot in attempting to escape from the vessel. The “Marlboro” has only the Caption, Mate & one sailor now, out of 40 men. The “Lady Evelyn” which started before us is in Quarantine and has the Yellow Flag flying at the masthead. The fever is in her, she has lost 120 passengers, and 3 0r 4 dying every day now. 5 of the passengers, in trying to swim ashore were shot in the water, & the Crowd? (Ground) Sharks, with which the Bay abounds, devoured their bodies. 3 other ships also are in Quarantine near us. Provisions dear in the Town. Bread 2/6 a loaf; Butter 2/- a pound ( Tea 2/- cheap); tobacco 2/- ; Mutton 7 ½ a pound. Fare to Williamstown, about a Mile 3/- in boat; to Melbourne, about 6/-, about 2 ½ Miles. Lodging 30/- a week for an apology for a room.
Tues 23rd Nov Preparing to go ashore, a subscription for the sailors made up, took 2 shares. The Steward & Cook ran away. Formed a party to go to the Diggings. 4 of us.
Wednes 24th Nov Wrote to Mother. Went ashore to Melbourne in the Steamer, charge 4/- a passenger, and 13/- for
Sunday 5th 1852 Dec Started at 8.0 am. Cocoa and Bread for breakfast. A terrible road. In the Bush the road is very bad up & down hills, Cows and horses lying dead every now & then by the road side, having fallen from exhaustion, & been left there. Across the plains, with the hot wind blowing, the Mosquitoes, the Fine Sand and Flies, with your trousers full of Ants, and stooping under a heavy pack, all these combined show a slight specimen of the joys, not only of Englishmen, but of what we undergo in attempt to make a fortune in a hurry. Stopped in the Plains at 12.00 noon, not a house to be seen, no trees or herbage, Nothing but a sun burnt desert, the roads teaming with sand, & extending for many miles. Started again after a dinner of cold coffee and biscuit. Pitched the tent at the entrance to the Black Forest. Miles done 16. Had a supper of Parrots and Partridges shot. Bushrangers made there appearance in Evening & began asking questions as to where we were bound, & then, after looking about them, rode away. On guard 2.0 am till 4.0. Horrid Cold. I had just turned in when all the people who had encamped near us came running out, all armed, with they cry of “Bushrangers” and directly after we heard the tramp of a troop of horses along the avenue, coming towards us. They turned, however, and passed us on the other side. Too dark to see, but I suppose there were about a dozen, all expectation. The others kept on guard all night, but I went to bed, being tired. No further interruption that night.
Monday 6th Dec Through the Black Forest, so called from the black appearance of the trunks of all the trees, as if burnt with a fire. 12 Miles through it. Awful roads, very fatiguing. Searched about for Water, none to be had. The heat in this part of the country is equal to India. After walking 5 hours came upon some water in a Cart rut, more like pudding than water, from the sand in it. Drank by all of us. An Opossum shot, about the size of a rabbit. Stopped for dinner. Had water and biscuit with Oil of Peppermint on it. Away again in the hot broiling sun. Met party of diggers coming to Town to spend their Christmas. Desperate looking men with Guns continually in their hands & at full cock for fear of an attack. Pitched tents at 7.0 pm. Miles done 21. Supper: Cocoa, bread & beef.
Tues 7th Dec Started 8.0 am after breakfast of cocoa and biscuit. Noticed the reverberation of the firing of a gun in mountains, like thunder. Had tea: Bingoo & Cocoa with Bread 4/- a loaf. Across the plains today & in the Bush passed several sheep stations with flocks of a thousand each. Stayed at night at Kineton, near the river. Catching crawfish. Had a bathe. Miles done 16.
Wed 8th Dec Started 8.- am . Met a digger, favourable accounts. Mount Bendigo and Cohram recommended. Went 12 miles, pitched in the forest of Kineton. A terrible storm with lightning & thunder rattling down the prairies. Some beautiful parrots shot. Rain all night. Very fatigued. The sand worn into my feet underneath. It is not the distance that tires, but the slow pace to follow the dray uphill & through ruts in the road.
Thursday. 9th Breakfast: Coffee and Bingoo . Started 9.0 am. A terrible insect about 3 inches long and the shape of a centipede found under the pillow of one of our party. It was shown to the driver who said the Sting was deadly, & no person had been known to survive in 5 hours. He could not remember the name. I should have liked to preserve it to bring back to England, but they destroyed it. A narrow escape. , am. 5 parrots shot.
Arrived at Forest Creek Diggings, the Entrance 12.0 am. Pitched at Commissioners Office. Charge for Conveyance of Luggage £4.0.0. – in a fix about 10/- in hand amongst us. Never say die, keep up your spirits. Mean to look for work tomorrow. Many people digging. Average about ½ oz a day. Very hot and much water in the holes. Was offered £3.0.0 for our barrow, and £6.0.0. for a gun. Refused. Wanted more. A dinner Suet Pudding & Beef, the first pudding since I have been ashore. Every thing very dear. No milk to be had.
bringing a first pioneer of Burleigh (South Wandin)
Hubert John HOLLIS
‘Chalmers” ship –
Hubert John Hollis, later the joint first-pioneer of Wandin South (which later became known variously as Silvan and Burleigh) with Eliza his wife’s cousin, George Parker came out from England as an impressionable twelve-year-old with his parents and siblings as the eldest child in the family of six. They sailed on board the ship , the “ Chalmers” which raised anchor from Graves End, Kent on 1st August 1852 arriving in Melbourne on 19th January 1853 .
George BAKER's DIARY
..................................................................transription by Wayne David Knoll in 2006
George Baker a passenger kept the following Diary of his passage aboard that self-same emigrant ship, the “Chalmers” from Gravesend, Kent, to Port Phillip Bay, and also of his subsequent activities on the Victorian Goldfields, 1 August 1852 to 19 January 1853
Manuscript held at the State Library of Victoria [ Boc 1719/4 MS 11374
{ Reference is made to a work which refers to George Baker – by William Howitt, in ‘Land Labour and Gold’ 2 vols p 58 ]
THE DIARY
Sailed July 29th 1852
August 1st 1852 Dropped down from the E.J. Docks to Gravesend ship “Chalmers”, Captain Smith, bound for Port Phillip with Emigrants, etc to London same day by steam boat, (Tugged to Gravesend)
August 1st 1852 Sailed from Gravesend about 3.0. Tugged as far as Isle of White ( The Downs) the Pilot left us
Log Omitted, but continued bad weather.
Wind, rain & Lightning & heavy seas & Terrible hurricane & horsesail lost
August 20th 4 O’clock Pm 6 Sails in sight. Set very light/.st
Day fair, wind . all sail set, very light wind. Average speed 7 knots Very hot.
Water not given out before 4.0 pm – of 6.0 am
Saturday August 21 Fine day. Fair wind. SW? all sail set. Ah Study sails, Average speed 10 Knots, At 4.0 p.m. a Sail Telegraphed with French from Brest. Concert in Evening
Sunday August 22 Fine day. Fair Wind SW. Yards square on. Service in Morning & Evening. A child Christened (John Chalmers Jones) this day, the child was born on board, but they ought to have named him Son Storm & make a sailor of him.
Monday 23rd Fine with Showers in Evening . Moonlight night. Sighted Madera 2.0 am till Evening. A Lecture in Evening on the Gold Regions by Mr. Noble, Passenger.
Wind S.W.
Tuesday 24th Very hot, bad water. Alterations of Messes. Concert & Dancing in the Evening.
Point Voosers (Roses) had up, off Morocco. Coast of Africa Average 9 Knots.
Wednesday 25 Hot. Service in Evening. Thermometer at 8.o pm 81 dg. At 12 p.m. 75 degrees
In shade. Appearance of cockroaches.
Thursday 26th Hot. Cloudy. Light breeze SSW. A flock of flying fish & ship Jack, remarkably large. Singing. Reciting and Dancing in Evening.
Friday 27 The rigging covered with sand from the Deserts of Sahara. 700 (100?) Miles from Shore & brought to us in the Clouds/ In the trade winds. Hot. Clouds.
Page3
Saturday August 23rd Hot. Wind S.S.W. Concert and Dancing.
Sunday 19th Hot. Wind S.W. Church Service & a Strom of Lightning & Thunder about 6.p p.m. till 9.0.
Monday 30th Dead Calm. Hot. Fair Wind.
Tuesday 21 Singing. Dancing. Hot. Fair Wind
Wednesday Sept 1 Debating Class. Very Hot
Thursday 2 Theatrical Class. Singing. Wet. Saw a shoal of Grampuses. One of the Sailors caught a Bonita about 7 lbs. A shark seen about 4’o in Morning
Includes a Drawing of the Bonita and this description:. The Bonita is found in the Atlantic Ocean & in other seas from 6 to 20 pound in weight. They are caught with a line , the bait being a piece of White Rag) ,on the surface of the water, but must not be towed or they will not touch the bait, being a very shy fish. They prey on small Flying fish & swim in shoals. They are delicate eating, having the flavour when fresh or cooked early of a pork chop. They are very tenacious of life & have great strength considering their size.
Friday Sept 3 Wet. Adverse Winds. Two (2) sails sighted.
Saturday 4th Wet Night with Lightning & thunder. Singing. Mr. Monkhouse, a passenger, struck on the head with a block from the fore Top sail.
Sunday 5th Service Morning & Evening. Rough Seas. Showery Day.
Monday 6th Fine Day, Wind. Steering S.S.E.
Tuesday 7th Wet Day. Fair Wind . Rough Sea. Sail in Sight in forenoon. Another in the Evening. Latitude 7.25, about
NOTE/ with Drawing The Porpoise is a clumsy fish as under, an inhabitant of The Deep, they are caught with a Harpoon. They swim in shoals with a Huge on at the head, in flocks of 30 or 40. Seen at night they present a pretty appearance, like lines of fire in the sea. From 3 t0 5 foot, feed on small fry.
1852. page e 5
Wednesday Sep 8th Wet. Adverse Winds. 3 Sails in sight. Service in evening
Thursday sept 9th Fine. Adverse Winds. Theatrical Class in Evening
Friday 10th A Shark caught in Afternoon about 2 cwt (hundredweight) . Small. Measures 6 feet 7 inches. Had some for dinner . Wet Night. Adverse Winds
Saturday 11th Wet. Singing in Evening. Adverse Winds
Sunday 12 Steering due W? Wind N.E. Fine. Hot. About 2º Latitude to the Line
Monday 13 Fair Weather. Adverse Winds. Singing & dancing. Sail spoken with Signals.
Tuesday 14th Fair. Foul Wind. Dancing.
Wednesday 15th Fair. Fair Wind. Dancing
Thursday 16th Fair. Adverse wind. Theatrical “Richelieu”. Singing & “Bombaste Furino”
Friday 17th Military Exercises Morning & Afternoon. Joined Fencing. Teaching Maria (Master) Adore Kind, (Adverse Winds) Fine. Only a Miles from the Line Preparations for Neptune Coming on Board.
Saturday 18 A passenger Mt Cook very bad with the Diarrhea, taken to Hospital. Adverse Winds. Fine Day. Mr. Cook died ½ past 12 night, in consequence no entertainments.
Sunday 20th Mr. Cook buried ½ past 3.0 p.m. Services. Fair Wind. Right Course. Mrs Cook’s child died.
Monday 20th Drill. Dancing. Fair Wind. S. Course. Mr. Cook’s child buried 10.Am
Tuesday 21 Fair wind. S.W. Course. No Entertainments.
Wednesday 22nd Right Course. Fine. 5.51 latitude.
Thursday 23 Recitations. Singing, nearly a failure. Right Course. Fine.
Friday 24 Fine. Moonlight. Right Course.
Saturday 25 Dancing Drill. Fencing. Attempt to get up the Old Harmonic again.
Fine. Right Course.
Sunday 26 Fine/ Warm. 6 Knots.Right Course.
Monday 27 Fine. Warm 8 Knots. Fair Wind.
Tuesday 28 Ditto Do Do
Wednesday 29 Church service Do
Thursday 30th Fine with Shower in Evening & Wet Night
Friday Oct 1st 1852 Wet all day, blowing very hard in Night. Wind fair. 31.0 Latitude, a great change in weather. Cape Pigeons, Whale Birds, Cape Hens, Boobies & Mother Cary’s chickens. A very large Thinback seen.
Saturday 2nd Ration Day. Fair Wind. Very Cold.
Sunday 3 Service / Showery. Cold. 34 ½ Latitude
Monday 4 Very Cold. Adverse Winds. Immense number of birds with Albatrosses
Tuesday 5 Becalmed. With Rain. 1 Knot
Wednesday 6 Becalmed Wet. Cold fine
Thursday 7 Fair wind. Average 9 ½ knots. Very cold. 35.00 Latitude. Sail on Starboard Bow.
Friday 8th Heavy Sea. Yards squared. Average 10 Knots. Huddy/Studdy sails set. Land seen on Starboard ----- Bow.
Saturday 9th Heavy sea. Fair Wind. S to E Very cold. A Squall about 9 ½ pm lost the Starboard Main Huddy Sail yard. With Rain. Dancing
Sunday 10th Service. S.eE. Very cold Heavy sea & wind. 10 ½ knots. A squall abt ½ past 9.0 am. Starboard for Studdy Sail Guide snapped. & Rain. Many birds about. Heavy Lurches.
Monday October 11th Fair wind. Heavy seas. Very Cold.
Tuesday 12th Fine Cold Fair Wind in Evening
&
Wednesday a terrible Gale & Awful seas
Thursday 14th Fine in morning. Evening very Squally & Gale all night, blowing terribly
Friday 15th Fine all day. 10 Knots
Saturday 16th Fine day. Caught a porpoise. After tea saw 5 Whales, Spouting & playing about ship.
Sunday 17th No Service. Too rough. Wind. Starboard fore topsail Split. Fearful Storm.
Lightning & Thunder. Sea Mountains high, beating over the ship, fore and aft.
Awful Night.
Monday 18th Fine. Very Cold. Rough sea
Tuesday 19th Wet. Heavy Seas. 9 ½ knots.
Wednesday 20th Cold and Heavy Gales & Sea
Thursday 21st Fine. Squally. Starboard foretop & Lower Studding sail booms snapped. Heavy seas all night. A shoal of Grampus see at 6.0 am.
Friday 22nd. Fine. Cold. S.E by E. Many birds about , 4 knots. Square yards. Light winds.
Saturday 23rd Cold. Fine. 4 knots 6 pm. Night 11& 12 knots.
Her he includes a page of 14 flags with the legebd: marry at Code of Merchant Signals Ensign Nos 1-9 plus 0, plus a 1st & 2nd Disty; a Rendezvous & a Numerical point,
Sunday 24th Oct Very cold. Strong seas. Heavy rain all day. Night, strong breeze & seas.
10 knots. Service
Monday 25th Cold. 8 knots. Noon, light wind 6 knots. Night Fresh breeze 8 knots
Tuesday 26th Very cold. Fresh breeze 8 knots. Immense flight of Ju Petrels. Night, fresh breeze 10 knots; Square yards & Studdy sails
Wednesday 27th Church Service. Light wind. Night: squally Heavy seas. Contrary Winds.
Thursday 28th Squally all day, drifting about with Contrary Winds; 3 young Albatross caught
6 feet 10 inches long from wing to wing & sold ther. Night: 6 & 8 knots.
Friday 29th Fresh breeze. Light squalls. 8 & 9 knots. Night: Strong Breeze, heavy seas, very cold. 9 knots
Saturday 30th Becalmed till 11 AM. . 12 noon strong Breeze, heavy seas. Square Yards and Shiddy sails. Rain 9 & 10 knots. Night: Cold 10 knots
Sunday 31th Fine. Very cold. 10 knots. A ship sighted at 4.0 am. Came alongside of her at 12.0 noon within 300 yards. Spoke to her by signals/answers. The “Arundel” for Port Phillip, sailed London. What ship 40-72 .. 4810 --------- ------
10 days before us, all well, passed her at 1.0 pm. She called at Plymouth & lay alongside the Chalmers in E.J. Docks. Moon Rose at 10 p.m. Cold. 10 knots.
Drawing of the ship passing Cape of Good Hope 1852 in sun(rise) or set.
Nov 1st Monday Tremendous gale all day. Very Cold with Hail very large. 10 & 11 knots.
Short Heavy seas/ The “Arundel in sight astern 6.0 pm. Night. Strong seas & much wind. Carrying only Main & Fore Topsails, close reefed. 6 knots.
Tuesday Nov 2nd Strong wind & seas. Cold & Squally. 9 knots. Night: Strong Breeze. Heavy Squalls.
Wednesday 3rd Passed St Pauls & Amsterdam Islands 4.0 am. On Starboard side. Strong wind & seas. Heavy squalls. With hail. Longitude 89.0 Latitude 40,0 South. Hatches battened down & caulked. “Arundel” in sight on the Starboard Quarter . 9 knots. Seas Mountains high & washing over the Poop & Forecastle. The Captain thinks of parving ?? ( Porving/harving} her too, Very bad Weather, Really. Bad night.
Thursday 4th Nov Very cold. Strong wind. Awful sea 10 knots. Hatches battened down. Squally.
Friday 5th nov Guy Fawkes Day. A Guy exhibited. Cold, squally 8 & 9 knots.
Saturday 6th Nov Very Cold Heavy Squall & Shipping Seas. Hatches battened & Caulked Down, 8 & 9 knots
Sunday 7th Nov. Cold. Steady fresh breeze, heavy sea. 10 knots. Yards Squared, Night. Squally . A Studding Sail Yard lost. 7.0 pm. E Longitude 100º O` 41.0 S.
Monday 8th Milder weather. Fresh breeze. 10 ½ knots. Studding sails set. Taking in Salt water all day for the hold. Night: 9 knots. Steady breeze on the Quarter.
Tuesday 9th Light wind. Fine. Yard &Studding sails set. 8 & 9 knots. E longitude 109º
South Latitude 39º
Wednesday 10th Light breezes. 4 knots/ E longitude 113º S latitude 40º. A magnificent sunset, the sky hued in a beautiful manner. Dancing. Off Cape Leeuwin.
Thurs 11th Nov Pumping water into the hold for Ballast. Dead calm. Warm & clear. Night: cold. Fresh breeze. 8 knots. The play of the Mountaineers & the Turnpike Gate played. Singing & Recitations
Friday 12th Fine, fair wind. Square yard & Studding sails set. 9 & 10 knots. Pig killed for Captain’s Table. Dancing
Saturday 13th Fresh breeze. Slight rain. 9 & 10 knots. Pumping salt water into hold. Captain gave all the ladies in the ship a plate each of Fresh Pork for Sunday Dinner (None to the Gents). Shoal of porpoises on Starboard Bow. Night: very cold. Fresh breeze with heavy head of sea.
Sunday 14th Fine. Fair wind. Square yards set. 5 Whales spouting on Lee Quarter 6.0 am. E longitude 122 ½º A flight of Cape Pigeon. Porpoises under the bows 6.0 pm. 3 very large Albatross flying astern. Church Service.
Monday 15th Strong Breeze with rain. 10 knots. E longitude 127º 25` latitude South 46 º..
A beautiful Sunset, surpassing all imagination, seen 7.0 pm.
Tuesday 16th Strong breeze & heavy seas. Rain. 131º longitude E; S latitude 46º. Porpoises under the Bow 6.0 pm. – a sign of wind
Wednesday 17th Light wind all day. 4 & 5 knots. E longitude 135º 30 `. A Quantity of Goods sold by Auction by the Passenger. Square yards. Church Service after which Dancing, rather strange, and much in the French style, A ship in sight, and signaled with, the “Diana” of London, bound to India from Port Phillip.
Thursday 18th Light wind all day. Square yards. 138º E longitude.
Friday 19th Ditto. 6 knots. Cable hauled up from the lower deck and anchors bent on and brought-over the bows. Cape Otway, Australia, sighted in Evening. Auction & Goods fetching high prices. One of the passengers caught an Albatross.
Saturday 20th Nov E. Longitude 143º Dead Calm. 2 pm running 4 knots. Land in sight from the Deck. &. 0 pm sight Cape Otway Light at 20 miles distance, from the Fore yard. It is a revolving white light, rotating once in a minute and a half. A very fine light. Land may distinguished by its colour, appearing at a great distance like curious blue cloud, like indigo, and is often taken for rain clouds, but by watching you may see it does not move & a practiced eye can see the difference directly. 10.0 pm ‘Bout-ship wind, dead ahead. Ship heading S.S.W. Slight wind. Left the Land on the Starboard Quarter. 12 p. “bout-ship. Yards braced & harp up. Heading due Nº. Close to the wind. Hazy. Little Moonlight. Fine Mackerel sky. Lighthouse in the two miles current
Note: Now in sight, everybody busily engaged packing & and of being so near our destination quite inspires. Many this night sat up to have the first glimpse of the morning. The yards and Crosstrees crowded with people in their anxiety to see the Land, much to the detriment of the sailors at work there. A Gentleman in the next Cabin, the name Moore, & a Reporter for Charles Dickens, is going out to glean scraps for the “Household Words” & many an unfortunate passenger who renders himself conspicuous suffers from his criticizing pen. There are terrific fights at the Oven, who shall take precedence in the way of baking their rolls or pies, and Rows at Dinner for the largest pieces. I have even seen two men fight for a piece of Pork in a disgraceful manner, and claw it from each other with their hands like wild Beasts. The Fore part of the ship is allotted to the youngest men & on account of the horrible din, they kick up, especially at meal times, when their food is brought down, & rows at night, we denominate them: the “Lions & Tigers”. These gentlemen he has not forgotten. There is one of the Passengers, who, at the commencement of the voyage, volunteered kindly to preach to us & read the Prayers on Sundays, but finding he did more harm than good by Swearing & acting in a very Irreligious manner after Church, his services were dispensed with, & now another, almost as bad, occupies his place.
Sat No 20th DRAWING A ship position, drawn at 12 at night and showing the course of the Wind on various points of the ship, where it does good or bad, for all vessels, wind on eth Quarter is better than right astern, but some sail better with the wind on beam, but according to the cut of her sails, - done while thinking of home, & when I shall see it again.
Sunday 21st Nov Dead calm all morning. Tacking about off Cape Otway. Very fine. Warm, Porpoises on the Starboard Quarter. A shoal of Barracuda, about 3 dozen, caught. Taste like Soles, much in the appearance of the Mackerel, but longer. A small land Quail seen, about the size of a lark. Land seen plainly about 6.0 pm. Breeze sprung up. Doubled Cape Otway, lost the Light about 9.0 pm. Ship heading E.N.E. by E. Light breeze from eth Southwest. 8 knots. Fine. Moonlight, with vivid lightning off the land.
Monday 22nd 4.0 am blowing ½ a Gale. Close reefed topsails, Yards square. 8.0am Wind lulled, in sight of Port Phillip Heads & Lighthouse. Saw the Wreck of a ship which ran aground about 7 months ago opposite the lighthouse on eth Starboard side of Bass’s Straits. Saw the wrecks of two schooners; the topmast only visible above the water. 8 ½ am. Hoisted the Jack – signal for a Pilot. (.9am Pilot came on board. The men brought with them a bunch of Australian flowers a sign of Welcome. ( Drawing of flowers- look like fringe lilies- or other 5-petalled flower] They were double Stocks and scented Geraniums, with others, just like the dear old flowers I used to cultivate so carefully at home & they brought tears into my eyes, for it made me think of poor Charly & her little garden – but only fancy, double Stocks in November.
The view of the land of Promise from the Bay is beautiful, and the little settlement of Williamstown, off which we are anchored, took my fancy so much that I got a sketch of it in my log. At 1.0 pm we cast anchor with three hearty cheers. Pilot left us. In a Melbourne Paper the Pilot left behind we had news from the Diggings. Another spot containing gold has been discovered and is called Mount Bendigo, of more extent and richness than any before found. There are at present 40,000 at the Diggings & all peaceable and quiet, no fighting or cutting throats. Labour ( mind labour) is scarce and well paid for, Carpenters 5 to 6 £ a week, Farm servants and Shepherds £55 per year, Policemen 45/- per week, Tailors 14/- a pair of trouser making, Sailors and Coasters £14 a month; and £50 for the run to England. Ships lying in the Bay; all hands left, & off to the Diggings. Captains of ships got leave from the Governor to shoot all deserters. On one ship 9 sailors were shot in attempting to escape from the vessel. The “Marlboro” has only the Caption, Mate & one sailor now, out of 40 men. The “Lady Evelyn” which started before us is in Quarantine and has the Yellow Flag flying at the masthead. The fever is in her, she has lost 120 passengers, and 3 0r 4 dying every day now. 5 of the passengers, in trying to swim ashore were shot in the water, & the Crowd? (Ground) Sharks, with which the Bay abounds, devoured their bodies. 3 other ships also are in Quarantine near us. Provisions dear in the Town. Bread 2/6 a loaf; Butter 2/- a pound ( Tea 2/- cheap); tobacco 2/- ; Mutton 7 ½ a pound. Fare to Williamstown, about a Mile 3/- in boat; to Melbourne, about 6/-, about 2 ½ Miles. Lodging 30/- a week for an apology for a room.
Tues 23rd Nov Preparing to go ashore, a subscription for the sailors made up, took 2 shares. The Steward & Cook ran away. Formed a party to go to the Diggings. 4 of us.
Wednes 24th Nov Wrote to Mother. Went ashore to Melbourne in the Steamer, charge 4/- a passenger, and 13/- for
Sunday 5th 1852 Dec Started at 8.0 am. Cocoa and Bread for breakfast. A terrible road. In the Bush the road is very bad up & down hills, Cows and horses lying dead every now & then by the road side, having fallen from exhaustion, & been left there. Across the plains, with the hot wind blowing, the Mosquitoes, the Fine Sand and Flies, with your trousers full of Ants, and stooping under a heavy pack, all these combined show a slight specimen of the joys, not only of Englishmen, but of what we undergo in attempt to make a fortune in a hurry. Stopped in the Plains at 12.00 noon, not a house to be seen, no trees or herbage, Nothing but a sun burnt desert, the roads teaming with sand, & extending for many miles. Started again after a dinner of cold coffee and biscuit. Pitched the tent at the entrance to the Black Forest. Miles done 16. Had a supper of Parrots and Partridges shot. Bushrangers made there appearance in Evening & began asking questions as to where we were bound, & then, after looking about them, rode away. On guard 2.0 am till 4.0. Horrid Cold. I had just turned in when all the people who had encamped near us came running out, all armed, with they cry of “Bushrangers” and directly after we heard the tramp of a troop of horses along the avenue, coming towards us. They turned, however, and passed us on the other side. Too dark to see, but I suppose there were about a dozen, all expectation. The others kept on guard all night, but I went to bed, being tired. No further interruption that night.
Monday 6th Dec Through the Black Forest, so called from the black appearance of the trunks of all the trees, as if burnt with a fire. 12 Miles through it. Awful roads, very fatiguing. Searched about for Water, none to be had. The heat in this part of the country is equal to India. After walking 5 hours came upon some water in a Cart rut, more like pudding than water, from the sand in it. Drank by all of us. An Opossum shot, about the size of a rabbit. Stopped for dinner. Had water and biscuit with Oil of Peppermint on it. Away again in the hot broiling sun. Met party of diggers coming to Town to spend their Christmas. Desperate looking men with Guns continually in their hands & at full cock for fear of an attack. Pitched tents at 7.0 pm. Miles done 21. Supper: Cocoa, bread & beef.
Tues 7th Dec Started 8.0 am after breakfast of cocoa and biscuit. Noticed the reverberation of the firing of a gun in mountains, like thunder. Had tea: Bingoo & Cocoa with Bread 4/- a loaf. Across the plains today & in the Bush passed several sheep stations with flocks of a thousand each. Stayed at night at Kineton, near the river. Catching crawfish. Had a bathe. Miles done 16.
Wed 8th Dec Started 8.- am . Met a digger, favourable accounts. Mount Bendigo and Cohram recommended. Went 12 miles, pitched in the forest of Kineton. A terrible storm with lightning & thunder rattling down the prairies. Some beautiful parrots shot. Rain all night. Very fatigued. The sand worn into my feet underneath. It is not the distance that tires, but the slow pace to follow the dray uphill & through ruts in the road.
Thursday. 9th Breakfast: Coffee and Bingoo . Started 9.0 am. A terrible insect about 3 inches long and the shape of a centipede found under the pillow of one of our party. It was shown to the driver who said the Sting was deadly, & no person had been known to survive in 5 hours. He could not remember the name. I should have liked to preserve it to bring back to England, but they destroyed it. A narrow escape. , am. 5 parrots shot.
Arrived at Forest Creek Diggings, the Entrance 12.0 am. Pitched at Commissioners Office. Charge for Conveyance of Luggage £4.0.0. – in a fix about 10/- in hand amongst us. Never say die, keep up your spirits. Mean to look for work tomorrow. Many people digging. Average about ½ oz a day. Very hot and much water in the holes. Was offered £3.0.0 for our barrow, and £6.0.0. for a gun. Refused. Wanted more. A dinner Suet Pudding & Beef, the first pudding since I have been ashore. Every thing very dear. No milk to be had.
Friday, March 2, 2007
Coming from Places that Go off the Map
Burleigh, Victoria, Australia, The World, The Universe
Coming from Places that Go off the Map.
I was conceived and raised to maturity in Burleigh, an outlying district in the parish of Wandin Yallock in the Dandenongs-Upper Yarra valley area of Victoria.
Our Knoll family farm is still there in 2007. There is a road there called Knolls Lane
For the first ten years of my life my family picked up our mail from the Burleigh Post Office, at the farmhouse of R.R (Joe) and Eva Parker, on the hill in Wiseman Road, Burleigh. This was always a friendly and kind place to visit. Going there set the default for me in how welcoming I expect a place should be, and how a real neighbourhood community should function. People stood on the roadside out the front, or paused in the driveway, and gathered at the kiosk awning as they met, to talk. I never heard an unkind word there.
I now know that the Parkers' are very distant relatives. Their ancestors were co-pioneers, English cousins of my early family. The relationship links back to a tiny rural village called Widford, in Hertfordshire, north of London. My great aunt told me that when she used to go to the Burleigh post office at the old Albert & Janie Parker House (with shop) before 1951, she went in past the property nameplate on the gate that read ‘Widford”. The post office moved a half a mile up the hill to the then younger Parkers in 1951, before I was born.
From the time I started primary school I walked a detour up the hill, and into the farm drive, to the little kiosk awning on the side of the house that made this post office, with my older brother (and later my sister) on the way home from school, to pick up our mail.
Burleigh consisted mainly of that Post Office at Parkers', and an idea of a place to be identified with, that existed in a circuitous looping network of hill and valley roads, and a village farm spread of finger-gridded properties. The area was all called South Wandin before World War One.
Burleigh had no defined borders and it merged in unnamed places in the east. Then, it was crossed over by Monbulk one way, and by Silvan in the other and more particularly by Silvan South. The un-denominational local church, called the Gospel Hall was clearly in Burleigh but when finally signposted was said to be in Silvan South.
'Burleigh' is prior to Silvan. Burleigh was in existence from 1908, whereas the rest of South Wandin came to be called Silvan in only 1917 after a community vote for a name change.
The children of Burleigh attended the Silvan South Primary school in my day. That was where we wrote on the inside covers of our exercise books after our name: Burleigh, Victoria, Australia, The World, The Solar System, The Milky Way Galaxy, The Universe.
It was at that school that we were told the old stories of local history and our pioneers, and these were largely tales of my own ancestors. This located our young sensibilities better than any GPS. Four generations of local stories stirred the blood to gel us into intimacy with that locality.
The story about how the name Burleigh came to be that was taught at school was that one of the Wiseman brothers, or their agents, rode up to look at the land selected on their behalf (By my Hollis ancestors) and found many “burrs” (meaning, no doubt, ’bidgee widgee’) growing there. The tale goes that these sticky burrs velcroed themselves to the gentleman’s socks and boots. So he called the place Burr-Leigh, shortened to Burleigh.
This account always struck me, even as a child, as inadequate, especially in terms of naming significance, and as too slight an event or a reason to name a district after.
It was only in September 1999 when I contacted a Victorian post-office history buff and researcher, that I found the Post office archive for Burleigh and became aware of the existence of the early name of Burleigh House. Burleigh House, which shortened and gave its name Burleigh, was further west than where it was in my father's or in my childhood, at a farmhouse site on what is now the main Monbulk Road. There, both the post office and its prototype in the earlier Telegraph Receiving Office were situated.
I have heard no word, and have no record of where the name Burleigh House came from. But it is recorded in the annals of South Wandin ( now Silvan) as a place where trained singers were want to stay, and attend Mechanics Hall functions by carriage.
I believe Burleigh was situated on (or opposite) the property occupied by the well know Tulip Farm of the Tesselaar Family. Burleigh House may have moved later to the England’s house, on the corner of Wiseman Road and the Main road (Later Ceasare’s house).
But in looking at the parish plan and reading the electoral rolls, and histories records, there comes the suggestion that the Buerle family in residence in that area may have leant their name to this heritage. I believe this name comes originally from Germany and would have been pronounced Bueller, (as in Ferris’s day off) but an English reading would soon make Burleigh of that spelling Buerle.
This area features on Map 123 of the Melway Street Directory. For many years it had the district appellation BURLEIGH across that page. But the Upper Yarra Shire (taking a cue from the Lillydale Shire before them] have dropped all references to Burleigh in their conception of local geography. To my knowledge there never have been any road signs pointing the way to Burleigh. And now for the last five years the Melbourne Melway Street Directory cartographers have dropped the name Burleigh off that map.
But in 2007 there is a irrigation and pump business called ‘Burleigh Enginering’ in Monbulk Road, (technically in Monbulk), ‘Burleigh Flower’s in Wiseman Road (Burleigh) and the former Gospel Hall church building, now a private residence of an owner who has talked to the locals and glorified the improved high gabled house with a name “ Little Burleigh”. And if you go to Google Earth you will find Burleigh named there, overwritten across the satellite pictures of this region of the globe.
KNOWING The Place You Come From Is Knowing a Little of Yourself
At the conclusion of her book about the tiny townlet of Lyonville on the Great Dividing Range of upland Central Victoria, near Trentham - ‘Charlie’s Story - The Life and times of a Country Town ' published in 1999 by Melbourne University Press, Lynn Sunderland writes:
“Towns like Lyonville have something elemental in their existence: the ancient pattern of community and shelter and sustenance that draws people together for a time and then releases them to their unknown futures. The nature of such towns is fixed in time and purpose, like the single clear note of a bell. It may be that they have no capacity for metamorphosis, no chance to change endlessly with the times. When a mill closes, workers must go. School numbers and church congregations fall away. Houses stand empty, the fruit falling unheeded in gardens gone wild. Young people move away and the old sit quietly in summer heat behind drawn blinds. Smoke drifts from chimneys on cold, still mornings and leaves blow against empty shopfronts. When someone like Charlie closes his doors on the last General Store in town, that delicate and vital network of human community is damaged in some final way.”
The pattern that knits the Social Fabric is an intricate and fragile skein. Who does love the country itself if those born to it are displaced? Nobody knows it like natives to it. Nobody knows its story like those whose parents and grandparents leave a legacy of generation who have lived and died in a chosen place.
Tiny towns like Lyonville, and indeed, district valley communities without commercial centres like Burleigh even more so, in this consumer society, are a most endangered species. A culture that had come to belong has been marginalised and fragmented. This socially cohesive communities have been divided and so conquered destroying that fabric and that glue of belonging together that was making a nativity in an native spirit of belonging to a place and
its country.
Writing of Burleigh I am holding on tight to the elbows of the good strong roots of my heritage against the tide of this flood of nowhere-being as it rises from the mainstream and tries to engulf and drown out all life at the wings.
Coming from Places that Go off the Map.
I was conceived and raised to maturity in Burleigh, an outlying district in the parish of Wandin Yallock in the Dandenongs-Upper Yarra valley area of Victoria.
Our Knoll family farm is still there in 2007. There is a road there called Knolls Lane
For the first ten years of my life my family picked up our mail from the Burleigh Post Office, at the farmhouse of R.R (Joe) and Eva Parker, on the hill in Wiseman Road, Burleigh. This was always a friendly and kind place to visit. Going there set the default for me in how welcoming I expect a place should be, and how a real neighbourhood community should function. People stood on the roadside out the front, or paused in the driveway, and gathered at the kiosk awning as they met, to talk. I never heard an unkind word there.
I now know that the Parkers' are very distant relatives. Their ancestors were co-pioneers, English cousins of my early family. The relationship links back to a tiny rural village called Widford, in Hertfordshire, north of London. My great aunt told me that when she used to go to the Burleigh post office at the old Albert & Janie Parker House (with shop) before 1951, she went in past the property nameplate on the gate that read ‘Widford”. The post office moved a half a mile up the hill to the then younger Parkers in 1951, before I was born.
From the time I started primary school I walked a detour up the hill, and into the farm drive, to the little kiosk awning on the side of the house that made this post office, with my older brother (and later my sister) on the way home from school, to pick up our mail.
Burleigh consisted mainly of that Post Office at Parkers', and an idea of a place to be identified with, that existed in a circuitous looping network of hill and valley roads, and a village farm spread of finger-gridded properties. The area was all called South Wandin before World War One.
Burleigh had no defined borders and it merged in unnamed places in the east. Then, it was crossed over by Monbulk one way, and by Silvan in the other and more particularly by Silvan South. The un-denominational local church, called the Gospel Hall was clearly in Burleigh but when finally signposted was said to be in Silvan South.
'Burleigh' is prior to Silvan. Burleigh was in existence from 1908, whereas the rest of South Wandin came to be called Silvan in only 1917 after a community vote for a name change.
The children of Burleigh attended the Silvan South Primary school in my day. That was where we wrote on the inside covers of our exercise books after our name: Burleigh, Victoria, Australia, The World, The Solar System, The Milky Way Galaxy, The Universe.
It was at that school that we were told the old stories of local history and our pioneers, and these were largely tales of my own ancestors. This located our young sensibilities better than any GPS. Four generations of local stories stirred the blood to gel us into intimacy with that locality.
The story about how the name Burleigh came to be that was taught at school was that one of the Wiseman brothers, or their agents, rode up to look at the land selected on their behalf (By my Hollis ancestors) and found many “burrs” (meaning, no doubt, ’bidgee widgee’) growing there. The tale goes that these sticky burrs velcroed themselves to the gentleman’s socks and boots. So he called the place Burr-Leigh, shortened to Burleigh.
This account always struck me, even as a child, as inadequate, especially in terms of naming significance, and as too slight an event or a reason to name a district after.
It was only in September 1999 when I contacted a Victorian post-office history buff and researcher, that I found the Post office archive for Burleigh and became aware of the existence of the early name of Burleigh House. Burleigh House, which shortened and gave its name Burleigh, was further west than where it was in my father's or in my childhood, at a farmhouse site on what is now the main Monbulk Road. There, both the post office and its prototype in the earlier Telegraph Receiving Office were situated.
I have heard no word, and have no record of where the name Burleigh House came from. But it is recorded in the annals of South Wandin ( now Silvan) as a place where trained singers were want to stay, and attend Mechanics Hall functions by carriage.
I believe Burleigh was situated on (or opposite) the property occupied by the well know Tulip Farm of the Tesselaar Family. Burleigh House may have moved later to the England’s house, on the corner of Wiseman Road and the Main road (Later Ceasare’s house).
But in looking at the parish plan and reading the electoral rolls, and histories records, there comes the suggestion that the Buerle family in residence in that area may have leant their name to this heritage. I believe this name comes originally from Germany and would have been pronounced Bueller, (as in Ferris’s day off) but an English reading would soon make Burleigh of that spelling Buerle.
This area features on Map 123 of the Melway Street Directory. For many years it had the district appellation BURLEIGH across that page. But the Upper Yarra Shire (taking a cue from the Lillydale Shire before them] have dropped all references to Burleigh in their conception of local geography. To my knowledge there never have been any road signs pointing the way to Burleigh. And now for the last five years the Melbourne Melway Street Directory cartographers have dropped the name Burleigh off that map.
But in 2007 there is a irrigation and pump business called ‘Burleigh Enginering’ in Monbulk Road, (technically in Monbulk), ‘Burleigh Flower’s in Wiseman Road (Burleigh) and the former Gospel Hall church building, now a private residence of an owner who has talked to the locals and glorified the improved high gabled house with a name “ Little Burleigh”. And if you go to Google Earth you will find Burleigh named there, overwritten across the satellite pictures of this region of the globe.
KNOWING The Place You Come From Is Knowing a Little of Yourself
At the conclusion of her book about the tiny townlet of Lyonville on the Great Dividing Range of upland Central Victoria, near Trentham - ‘Charlie’s Story - The Life and times of a Country Town ' published in 1999 by Melbourne University Press, Lynn Sunderland writes:
“Towns like Lyonville have something elemental in their existence: the ancient pattern of community and shelter and sustenance that draws people together for a time and then releases them to their unknown futures. The nature of such towns is fixed in time and purpose, like the single clear note of a bell. It may be that they have no capacity for metamorphosis, no chance to change endlessly with the times. When a mill closes, workers must go. School numbers and church congregations fall away. Houses stand empty, the fruit falling unheeded in gardens gone wild. Young people move away and the old sit quietly in summer heat behind drawn blinds. Smoke drifts from chimneys on cold, still mornings and leaves blow against empty shopfronts. When someone like Charlie closes his doors on the last General Store in town, that delicate and vital network of human community is damaged in some final way.”
The pattern that knits the Social Fabric is an intricate and fragile skein. Who does love the country itself if those born to it are displaced? Nobody knows it like natives to it. Nobody knows its story like those whose parents and grandparents leave a legacy of generation who have lived and died in a chosen place.
Tiny towns like Lyonville, and indeed, district valley communities without commercial centres like Burleigh even more so, in this consumer society, are a most endangered species. A culture that had come to belong has been marginalised and fragmented. This socially cohesive communities have been divided and so conquered destroying that fabric and that glue of belonging together that was making a nativity in an native spirit of belonging to a place and
its country.
Writing of Burleigh I am holding on tight to the elbows of the good strong roots of my heritage against the tide of this flood of nowhere-being as it rises from the mainstream and tries to engulf and drown out all life at the wings.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
BURLEIGH Post Office
BURLEIGH
Burleigh is a deeply rich volcanic soil district of both the Dandenongs and the Upper Yarra Valley. Burleigh is situated east of the Silvan Dam [or Reservoir] which submerges the western boundaries of the area in the Stoneyford & Coralfern Creeks. Burleigh can be roughly defined as being contained in the north by the Middle Creek up its Ferndale tributary, and in the south by the length of Stoney Creek - which is also the Monbulk border of the local land district.
'Burleigh' is prior to Silvan. Burleigh was in existence from 1908, whereas the rest of South Wandin came to be called Silvan in only 1917 after a community vote for a name change.
Burleigh was once an open wet schlerophyl forest of messmate trees on the upper slopes which could be driven through with a horse and wagon, and the white gums [manna and mountain grey gum] in the valleys, with the lower creek gullies full of treeferns and fern understories appreaching in thickness and varieties to the the nearby Dandenongs rainforests.
As borderlands of what were once the rainforests of Monbulk, Burleigh is the most southerly part of that area of the Parish of Wandin Yallock. In the east, parts of it go down to wilder 'bulls-wool' tussock and pasture lands, once called 'Kelly Country' after a large landowner there, or 'Kangaroo Country' for its more open-country wildlife, on the once-native-burnt grassy downs leading down to the floodplains of the Woori Yallock Creek. If the main Monbulk -Lilydale road are to be thought of as its screened frontage, then the grassed and tea-treed Woori downlands of Burleigh constitute its hunting grounds, its wild backyard.
As a district Burleigh or Wandin South can be said to have four institutions which have given it a sense of substance as a place in the minds of those elsewhere, where the real substance was and is, of course, in the stories and lives of the intrepid people who settled in its dripping shadows and struggled to open it up to ongoing productivity, to live and work on Burleigh's slopes, hilltops and creek valleys. I hope to publish some diary accounts of some such settlers and battlers.
The Four Main Institutions in chronological order are;
1. The Try Boys Society Farm at " Fernydale House" 1890s and early 1900s till WW1.
- This was defined as being "near Lilydale". [At the corner of Ferndale & Monbulk-Seville Roads]
2. The Burleigh Post Office - 1908-1963 - See below
- Monbulk -Liydale Road, (early) the Wiseman Road, Burleigh
3. The Silvan South Primary School -1928-1982
at the corner of Monbulk-Seville Road and Reeves (Link) Road
4. The Gospel Hall & Sunday School & Christian Endeavour - 1932-1992
- at the Third Junction Corner of Monbulk-Seville Road & Wiseman Road as you go east.
An Archive of
Burleigh P.O.
From [ Post Office National Archives Series B 5846 11 ]
Burleigh House R.O. ( Recieving Office ) Opened 8-10-1908
1908 telegrams: transmitted 9, recieved 5, [Note: TELEGRAMS ONLY]
1909 telegrams: transmitted 24, recieved 5, value £1. P.M. Salary £2
1910 telegrams: transmitted 32, recieved, 13 value £1. P.M. Salary £2 Questions about office open? No information from 1910 - 1916 ?
Burleigh House Post Office
Opening of Recieving Office (R.O) in charge of Miss Daisy England M 14/837
26-7 –1916 Miss D England resigns.
1-1-1917 telephone office closed
5-7-1917: R.O transferred to her mother Mrs J England.
Name changed to BURLEIGH
Burleigh Post Office
26-6-1917 Mrs J England resigns in favour of Mrs Luckhurst from 30-6-1917
13-7-1917 (1759) Residents petition to remove Office to Mr G (George?) Parker’s residence (near the Corner Wiseman [Monbulk-Seville} Rd & Monbulk Rd?)
12-12- 1917 Mrs J England asks for money due to her
11-4-1918 J (J) Parker RO asks Re allowance due 6 months
6-6-1918 Silvan MS renewed for 1 year from 1-7-1918
4-2-19 J.S. Wylie on behalf of Wiseman, Hawkins, Low states Contractor would not deliver close in wayside boxes
13-7-1920 J (Jim) Parker : Re allowance insufficient
11-8-20 Telephone-Telegraph facilities granted
17-6-1922 PM Desires telephone removed to another part of the building
5-4-1927 Office removed to the residence of Mrs J J (Janie) Parker (Albert Parker's "Widford" Wiseman Rd)
5-6-1942 Assistance Miss Jean Frances Parker (Janie's daughter)
14-2-1942 - A H (Alfred/"Unk") Hollis - Complaint - P.O. not provided with letter box
30-12-1942 approval to pay Military allotments
27-1-1944 approval to pay Old Age / Invalid Pensions
13-5-1946 Assistance - Edith Martha (Judy - Janie's daughter) Parker
20-5-1946 approval to pay war pensions
30-1-1951 resignation of P.M. (Postmistress). New: Eva Parker (Joe's wife, Janie's daughter in law)
1- 6-1951 illegible entry - office moved up Wiseman Road (from"Widford' up the hill in Wiseman Rd)
1- 8- 1951 advance increased
19-3-1954 A.H.A. increased
22-11-1963 resignation of postmistress (Eva Ellen Parker nee Turner)
15-12-1963 Burleigh Post Office - Permanently closed
Burleigh is a deeply rich volcanic soil district of both the Dandenongs and the Upper Yarra Valley. Burleigh is situated east of the Silvan Dam [or Reservoir] which submerges the western boundaries of the area in the Stoneyford & Coralfern Creeks. Burleigh can be roughly defined as being contained in the north by the Middle Creek up its Ferndale tributary, and in the south by the length of Stoney Creek - which is also the Monbulk border of the local land district.
'Burleigh' is prior to Silvan. Burleigh was in existence from 1908, whereas the rest of South Wandin came to be called Silvan in only 1917 after a community vote for a name change.
Burleigh was once an open wet schlerophyl forest of messmate trees on the upper slopes which could be driven through with a horse and wagon, and the white gums [manna and mountain grey gum] in the valleys, with the lower creek gullies full of treeferns and fern understories appreaching in thickness and varieties to the the nearby Dandenongs rainforests.
As borderlands of what were once the rainforests of Monbulk, Burleigh is the most southerly part of that area of the Parish of Wandin Yallock. In the east, parts of it go down to wilder 'bulls-wool' tussock and pasture lands, once called 'Kelly Country' after a large landowner there, or 'Kangaroo Country' for its more open-country wildlife, on the once-native-burnt grassy downs leading down to the floodplains of the Woori Yallock Creek. If the main Monbulk -Lilydale road are to be thought of as its screened frontage, then the grassed and tea-treed Woori downlands of Burleigh constitute its hunting grounds, its wild backyard.
As a district Burleigh or Wandin South can be said to have four institutions which have given it a sense of substance as a place in the minds of those elsewhere, where the real substance was and is, of course, in the stories and lives of the intrepid people who settled in its dripping shadows and struggled to open it up to ongoing productivity, to live and work on Burleigh's slopes, hilltops and creek valleys. I hope to publish some diary accounts of some such settlers and battlers.
The Four Main Institutions in chronological order are;
1. The Try Boys Society Farm at " Fernydale House" 1890s and early 1900s till WW1.
- This was defined as being "near Lilydale". [At the corner of Ferndale & Monbulk-Seville Roads]
2. The Burleigh Post Office - 1908-1963 - See below
- Monbulk -Liydale Road, (early) the Wiseman Road, Burleigh
3. The Silvan South Primary School -1928-1982
at the corner of Monbulk-Seville Road and Reeves (Link) Road
4. The Gospel Hall & Sunday School & Christian Endeavour - 1932-1992
- at the Third Junction Corner of Monbulk-Seville Road & Wiseman Road as you go east.
An Archive of
Burleigh P.O.
From [ Post Office National Archives Series B 5846 11 ]
Burleigh House R.O. ( Recieving Office ) Opened 8-10-1908
1908 telegrams: transmitted 9, recieved 5, [Note: TELEGRAMS ONLY]
1909 telegrams: transmitted 24, recieved 5, value £1. P.M. Salary £2
1910 telegrams: transmitted 32, recieved, 13 value £1. P.M. Salary £2 Questions about office open? No information from 1910 - 1916 ?
Burleigh House Post Office
Opening of Recieving Office (R.O) in charge of Miss Daisy England M 14/837
26-7 –1916 Miss D England resigns.
1-1-1917 telephone office closed
5-7-1917: R.O transferred to her mother Mrs J England.
Name changed to BURLEIGH
Burleigh Post Office
26-6-1917 Mrs J England resigns in favour of Mrs Luckhurst from 30-6-1917
13-7-1917 (1759) Residents petition to remove Office to Mr G (George?) Parker’s residence (near the Corner Wiseman [Monbulk-Seville} Rd & Monbulk Rd?)
12-12- 1917 Mrs J England asks for money due to her
11-4-1918 J (J) Parker RO asks Re allowance due 6 months
6-6-1918 Silvan MS renewed for 1 year from 1-7-1918
4-2-19 J.S. Wylie on behalf of Wiseman, Hawkins, Low states Contractor would not deliver close in wayside boxes
13-7-1920 J (Jim) Parker : Re allowance insufficient
11-8-20 Telephone-Telegraph facilities granted
17-6-1922 PM Desires telephone removed to another part of the building
5-4-1927 Office removed to the residence of Mrs J J (Janie) Parker (Albert Parker's "Widford" Wiseman Rd)
5-6-1942 Assistance Miss Jean Frances Parker (Janie's daughter)
14-2-1942 - A H (Alfred/"Unk") Hollis - Complaint - P.O. not provided with letter box
30-12-1942 approval to pay Military allotments
27-1-1944 approval to pay Old Age / Invalid Pensions
13-5-1946 Assistance - Edith Martha (Judy - Janie's daughter) Parker
20-5-1946 approval to pay war pensions
30-1-1951 resignation of P.M. (Postmistress). New: Eva Parker (Joe's wife, Janie's daughter in law)
1- 6-1951 illegible entry - office moved up Wiseman Road (from"Widford' up the hill in Wiseman Rd)
1- 8- 1951 advance increased
19-3-1954 A.H.A. increased
22-11-1963 resignation of postmistress (Eva Ellen Parker nee Turner)
15-12-1963 Burleigh Post Office - Permanently closed
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