The Faraday Farrago NEWSLETTER OF THE FARADAY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION INC. ISSUE NO. 18 : April 2013 The Water Race shins from the failed attempts) little paradise, the Sucker was Trazel Elliot Also a challenge to walk hell. Any animal falling into he water race was a major balancing along the narrow that swirling fast water would attraction of childhood be drawn Tin Faraday. Like the to a certain highway, it is a man-made watery pathway through the area grave. It that ties us together. With was the frequent droughts, the scary water race carried water death to be to farms, irrigating crops, carefully orchards and providing avoided at water for stock. all costs. For children growing up Once a in an isolated country area, stray calf the water race was a source fell into of interest and adventure. this trap. Having no playgrounds Dad rallied nearby, no shops, no us all, but parks, the bush became the even with playground of our youth. us kids And the water race a place helping of wonder. with ropes Behind our place it was and the an empty concrete channel old Grey during the winter but school Fergie holidays over summer gave pulling, the many weeks of time for poor calf exploring the bush and the was sadly race; a place to run and climb lost. That and play, and swim. The horrifying slow moving, shallow water, walls, side by side, as far as experience reinforced the terror with the straight sides along we could go. We were always of the Sucker! the race became our sandpit, warned about the terrible We were sure to treat monkey bars and swings. dangers of the wider parts that place with the utmost There were always tadpoles, where the water was deeper respect! And then there leeches and yabbies to be lured and the sides sloped on an angle was The Tunnel. Behind and caught. As the sides of the that would make it difficult to our old property, the slowly race were concrete, and about a get out of. And when the flow meandering race ended in the metre apart, it was a challenge was rapid in mid-summer, north at the ‘Sucker’, and the to jump successfully from one the ‘scariest’ place of all was southern end at the Tunnel. One side to the other. (There were the “water sucker” where the of two tunnels along the length many scraped and bruised water was drawn fast into an of the race, this is the longer of underground channel. In our the two. It travels underground Faraday Farrago page 1 FARADAY FARRAGO for about 800 meters below the in the 6th century BC. Parish of Faraday. Following entrances to Faradale drive and This quaint and now the passing of the Local under Houghs house (Boyles universal ‘free’ world system Government Act in 1862 moves Inn). Built by convicts and of course means taxes, and began by Roads Boards to form carved through solid granite all the rules and regulations Shires. The requirements for stone, it is a lasting historic of governance including a Shire included a contiguous monument to their hard work. It ownership of property. area of 100sq miles and an was a big scary adventure The fact that there are now annual revenue of at least 1000 for a few kids looking for more people of Greek origin in pounds. something to do, one that we Australia than anywhere else As annual revenue fell well would eventually brave for the in the world outside Athens, short of this requirement a ultimate adventure: ‘TUNNEL may make democracy a rather rate increase on all rateable WALKING’! For serious Tunnel difficult concept to reconcile. property for a period of twelve Walkers, the expedition must Where we live, and where we months was approved by the be accomplished at night. A are democratically represented Local Government Act, and the sufficiently prepared group of do not necessarily coincide, Roads Board evolved into the intrepid explorers required no and there are anomalies and Metcalfe Shire in 1865 with all more equipment than a light, apparent contradictions on the existing Parishes including and courage. And sometimes local maps of properties Faraday. the ‘older’ explorers carried a when compared to electoral In 1870 representations ‘hip flask’ for ‘inner comfort’, or boundaries. were made to the Borough perhaps to ward off the snakes The annual rates notice of Taradale and with this which slid into the race and were is regarded by many as our amalgamation the United carried down stream; and of principal annual contact with Shire of Metcalfe was born. which we were not aware. The Council, and hence with a The United Shire comprised goal was to traverse the length degree of negativity. four ridings—Taradale, North, of the tunnel, upstream, from What hasn’t changed over South and West. Faraday was the end below our property, the years is our ‘place’ on the included in the West riding. walking in the water against the map. From the earliest maps of In 1917 the Borough of current, through the darkness the Parish of Faraday produced Chewton joined the United until emerging at the far end… by the Surveyor Generals Office Shire which was then renamed wherever that was…. in 1855, and the Department of the Shire of Metcalfe with five Light shafts up to the surface Lands and Survey of 1915 and ridings—Chewton, North, every 200 odd metres shone 1957, the Parish boundary has South, Taradale and West. Each an eyrie glow on the water never changed. riding was represented by three flowing below, to momentarily Much of what is known as councillors and Faraday was light the way, and eventually a the ‘Chewton Bushlands’ is included in both the Chewton tiny speck of moon light grew in the Parish of Faraday, as riding and partially in the West bigger as we reached the end. is a considerable area to the riding. Wet and cold, we would west and north of the Faraday- The Metcalfe Shire walk home along the surface! Chewton road. A check of any continued as above until property title will confirm 1995 when, shortly prior to which Parish it is in regardless the Kennet amalgamation of Faraday-Location and of the date of occupation. Shires throughout the state, the Local Governance In contrast, over the years the South and North ridings were ridings, wards or even Shires dissolved and replaced by an theblacksheep representing Faraday residents East and Harcourt riding. has altered. Amalgamation absorbed the In 1860 the Metcalfe Road Shire of Newstead, most of the n the basis that order is Board was proclaimed as the Shires of Maldon and Metcalfe better than chaos, the first local government body and the City of Castlemaine to OGreeks introduced democracy in the area and included the form the present Shire of Mount Faraday Farrago page 2 FARADAY FARRAGO Alexander. was not a productive meeting. descendant of Faraday pioneer Faraday is now in the It was noted that a tree has John Musselwhite through John’s larger Calder Ward with one come down at Dunstan’s flat daughter Emily, who married Councillor, as is Colliban, during recent strong winds but Hugh Wilson from Taradale in Loddon and Tarrengower, with fortunately no damage was 1895. Casha loved his Faraday property, which was part of the three Councillors representing done to the nearby sign. original Musselwhite holding, Castlemaine. Research to support the 158 Years after Local and enjoyed running cattle and proposed publication of later, sheep on it. Government was first inflicted a History of Faraday has Casha was well known in on Faraday (as of 2013) we still progressed. A grant for this the district as an earthmoving get the annual rates notice to work was obtained last year. contractor and generally handy remind us that taxes are one of The committee hopes to have a person. He enjoyed fishing and the two certainties of life. first draft ready by the end of brought back many a Murray During all those years I 2013 and invites contact with Cod from his river trips. Casha can only find records of eight anyone who can contribute is survived by his wife Marion former councillors of the information or suggestions to and children Kevin and Helen. Shire of Metcalfe that lived in the researchers. the Parish of Faraday whilst serving; one Faraday resident Rural Water Supply who served on the City of Impact of the Freeway Castlemaine and one on the Shire of Mount Alexander. Coliban Water has advised araday was further Our present representative that the Harcourt Rural physically divided when in Cr Tim Barber, a third Modernisation Project will Fthe freeway opened in 2009. generation farmer who resides proceed, and it is offering to buy A number of our members in Sutton Grange, which of back existing water licenses. were affected in one way course is part of Calder Ward. The new system will provide or other—some positively, a continuously pressurised others negatively. Properties supply through a pipeline. or part of existing holdings There will be a substantial Latest Association News were compulsorily acquired, saving of water that previously rates of compensation varied drained or evaporated form considerably, and several open channels. So far 141 committee meeting was long-term residents simply customers have registered for th A held on 4 April. Currently had had enough and sold up the new supply, while another 80% of members have paid their and moved on. The Faraday 73 are not interested or haven’t membership. The committee Farrago would be interested responded.