Waverley Historical Society
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Waverley Historical Society Newsletter Inc October 2010 Issue No 193 WAVERLEY HISTORICAL SOCIETY CONTENTS Established in 1970 Incorporated in Victoria Page 2 Editorial; The New Committee Reg. No.: A 0006377 A Page 3 Important Dates [see also back page]; WHS Speakers; Refurbishment PATRON: Dr. Morna Sturrock AM Page 4 Refurbishment [by President Ed Hore] continued; Pioneer Spirit PRESIDENT: Page 5 Did You Know? Coming Events Ed Hore 5233 1056 Page 6 Alvie Hall: Chequered History; VALE Leila Thorpe SECRETARY: Page 7 Publication of Then and Now; Tracing Family Members Norma Schultz 9802 9332 EDITOR: Judy Borg 9802 5081 Extant Pre-Suburban Buildings : reminders of Waverley’s rural days EMAIL: [email protected] WEB SITE: www.vicnet.net.au/~whsvic POSTAL ADDRESS PO Box 2322, Mount Waverley, Vic 3149 In 1854 John Ingram, who had been gardener at a property called Bellfield in Ayrshire, SUBSCRIPTION Scotland, bought 30 acres of land including the site of this house. The first permanent $20 per household dwelling was a two-roomed brick building, still standing and in use as the demonst- ration kitchen. Later his son William further developed the property, establishing We are grateful for the continued famed orchards. (William served as Shire councillor for six years and worked to change support of the City of Monash, the name of Black Flat into Glen Waverley.) After William died, Michael Lawless bought without which we could not the sought-after property. In 1927 he added a brick frontage including the present operate as we do. verandah, which changed the old Dandenongs-facing frontage into the rear. Waverley council acquired it in 1979 to create Mount St. Neighbourhood House. WHS News 193 – Spring 2010 Page 1 EDITORIAL The New Committee As new editor, I would like to tell you of my early The President, Ed Hore, and all other Office bearers memories of Waverley, which are few but very vivid. I have been re-elected, except Jeff Turnbull, who wished grew up in Gardiner, close to the Clarke St. Oval and to step down after two years of arranging our speakers. Gardiner’s Creek. My brother was 3 years older, but we Thanks, Jeff! In addition we have four new Committee were close companions and spent most of my early members, three of whom have special office. years down the creek building cubbies and catching Your Committee 2010-11 yabbies. [Once we caught 47 and kept them in a little pool in the clay rocks… until home time – when we put Ed Hore President, Public Officer them all back in the creek.] Our most exciting time was Norma Schultz Secretary, Archivist, AEHS November 5, Bonfire Night. Philip Johnstone VP, Equipment Officer MarJo Angelico VP, Research Officer We also ran a club called the Golden Swallow Gang. Our mother, who wanted nothing for us but to play all day, Bev Anderson Treasurer Jean Walkerden Membership, AEHS delegate knew nothing of its activities. The most exciting ones Beverley Delaney Events were our “Operations”, where we gathered one or two members and took a train or tram. Quite the best was Geoff Brown Program Coordinator Ray Price Oral histories, Council liaison when we took a train from Gardiner Station to the Judy Borg Editor, Ass't Curator “country”. My brother had been on a scouting trip to Glen Waverley, but on the way I argued that Mt. Margaret Boyes Safety Officer Chris Norton Photographer Waverley must be more exciting because it was a Ray Price Oral histories, Council liaison mountain! So we disembarked and crossed the line and looked. There was a great asphalt square and far away, Diane Ward New - no portfolio facing towards us, a red brick house with a neat red Non-Committee Roles brick fence. And closer on the right, was a cream brick one, I think, and very little else to my memory. We thank and appreciate the following people who Civilization! Aagh! I was shocked, apologized to the have indicated that they are willing to continue in these Gang, and we caught the next train to Glen Waverley – important WHS roles. which took some time, since the little red box train had Anne Wardell Librarian to return to East Malvern and back again. Irene Marriott Care and Concern Disembarked at Glen Waverley, we hiked along a road Beryl Brooks, Lauris Kaye, Bev Hutchinson and past paddocks and then, tired but triumphant, up a Hospitality hill through bushland to a dam, where we boiled our John Angelico Auditor billy. I guess it must have been the later Police Academy (vacant) Database input hill. There is still room for others on committee, so if you My other strong memory of Waverley is of the would like to join the fun, talk to any of the committee - occasional Sunday drive out High Street Rd. to don't be shy! You can see that roles are doubled up a bit Dandenong Creek in my father’s Ford V8. I clearly - help would be appreciated. Non-committee roles are remember the old “canoe tree” on the right, just past also available. Any help in preserving the past for future Springvale Rd. – and that with the coming of generations is appreciated! “civilization” in the form of McDonalds, was moved in part to Valley Reserve. Judy Borg WHS News 193 – Spring 2010 Page 2 Coming WHS Events alleys. He has also found evidence of the game being played over time, out in Melbourne's suburbs. October 24th Meeting 40th Birthday Celebrations Geoff Brown, our new Events Coordinator, has also arranged an interesting speaker for our October 24 Our celebration this year - organized by Beverley meeting at St. Philips. David Kemp will speak on the eye Delaney, is again at St.Philip’s. On Sunday, 3rd October, catching Syndal Baptist Church and complex at the 2.30pm, it is sure to be a great success. The tables will corner of High Street Rd. and Blackburn Rd. For those be decorated with colourful runners and flowers, while waiting at the traffic lights, the focus seems to be on the ladies are encouraged to wear pearls for the special 40th attractive restaurant at first floor level! occasion, and men blue ties. WHS’s exciting new publication “Then and Now” will be launched by Anna November 25th Christmas Meeting Burke M.P., no doubt to great acclaim. After a most successful party last year at 100 year old “Hazelwood”, it was decided to arrange our Christmas Update on Room Refurbishment gathering this year at another historic house: the Mount St. Neighbourhood House in Glen Waverley, see p.1, As most members do not regularly attend our General that is 154 years old. Meet at 4.30 pm; please bring a Meetings or visit the Society’s rooms you would not be festive plate. Melway: 71 D2 aware of the current state of our rooms and the need for us to have moved off-site for a few months. Acting Summer Closure on the suggestion of one of our members, we have therefore included this update in the Newsletter. Our Wednesday work time will be in recess from December 8 until January 26, but enquiries can still be directed to MarJo Angelico, [email protected] Open Day 2011 Australia Day, Jan.26, will again be Open Day at WHS. Thursday 24th February 2011 Our first night meeting for 2011 will be held in a venue yet to be decided. Let us hope it will be in our newly furnished rooms! WHS Speakers DAN PRIOR – who spoke at the September Meeting at The refurbishment includes the construction of a secure Alvie Hall is a lawyer by profession and had an interest workspace (to house the Society’s electronic in researching the exclusively Aussie game of Two-up. equipment), upgrade of the existing and the He wrote a thesis on the game for the Honours year of construction of a second store-room (both of which will his law degree. He was particularly interested in be available to the Society), construction of storage researching the inner suburbs of Melbourne where the cabinets and display cabinets on the east and west walls game has been played (illegally) in pubs and small of the main room, along with repairs and improvements to the windows, floors and electrical wiring. The WHS News 193 – Spring 2010 Page 3 parquetry floor in the main room also needed to be to what was considered to be a “safe” place on the first repaired (again) following water damage, not caused by floor. But the Council’s Occupational Heath & Safety us, to it for the second time in eighteen months. A Officer decided the cabinets were unsafe because they passenger lift is also being constructed to allow easier had too much lateral movement, and could not remain access to the rooms. on the floor. With our own glaziers advising the cabinets could not be re-built if all of the glass was Although the Council appointed Project Manager had us removed at the one time, the cabinets were removed as back in the rooms by the end of last month, delays and part of the building debris. Negotiations with the variations (which are not unusual for these types of Council regarding replacement cabinets will resume projects) mean that it will be still some time before the when the project is nearer to completion. rooms will be available again. It would be unrealistic and unreasonable to expect that the Monash Council Our aim, at this stage, is to have all of the collection would expend significant sums on the improvements to returned to the rooms prior to the end of the year and the rooms if they were to remain solely for the use of a for everything to be properly and safely stored in the small, but important, society within part of the new accommodation by Australia Day next year, when municipality.