A History of Violet Town and St Dunstan's Church by Rev. George Edwards
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Preface Researched and written by Reverend George W. Edwards of the Anglican Church of St Dunstan about 1984. No attempt has been made to edit the text in this document, only to put it in a new format, with sketches scanned in as images and photographs placed where appropriate. Scattered through the document are notes by the author explaining something, sometimes preceded by G.W.E., the initials of the author. All first-person comments are those of the author An History of Violet Town Introduction My interest in St. Dunstan's history grew out of reading Mwley Crocker's (and friends) "A Short History (of) Saint Dunstan's Church, Violet Town. In its brevity it left all sorts of questions unanswered; and his own remark that it ought to be enlarged and added to encouraged me to investigations of my own. If in what follows I refer to his work only to seemingly show up its errors - not so; it is only because it was this book that I started my inquiries from. In any case, it seems only fair to explain why I differ from what he gathered in good faith and what has been read by many. He begins by setting the life of St Dunstan's in the context of the township of Violet Town and its origins; and I follow him in that, beginning with what might be called Violet Town's pre-history. 1, "PRE-HISTORY:" (a) begins with the aborigines of the area; but at this stage I know nothing about them except for the attack on the Faithfull stock convoy as it passed through (now) Benalla on its way south. It would seem that Violot Town owes its inception to Government's reactions to this attack - see later page. 2. EXPLORATORY EXPEDITIONS; (a) Hume and Hovell. 1824: (i) Cairn consisting of old cast-iron street lampstand set in stones and cement and standing at roadside (High Street) outside Honeysuckle Caravan Park north of Cowslip Street intersection, (former Hume Highway). On it is "Hume and Hovell passed 4 miles south of this cairn, 28.12.1824 Erected 28.12.1924." (NB. 4 miles south would be about halfway to Marraweeney on the way to Strathbogie). (ii) "From this site (the Honeysuckle Creek squatting station homestead) they (Mitchell Forbes Scobie and his wife Flora) could ... point out about 3 miles to the east among the trees, Hume and Hovell's homeward track of 1824." (G.M.Rathbone, "Flora Scobie.") (NB. Roger Green, present occupant of this area, says the old homestead (Honeysuckle) stood where his house is now, about three minutes (a mile) out from the township on the Hayes' Road) (b) Major Mitchell. 1836: By a handwritten account signed by Mitchell seen in La Trobe Library, Melbourne, it was on his returnjourney that he passed through this locality after crossing the Goulburn River at or near the later Mitchell's Town, and following more or less taken by the 1838 survey for a road between Sydney and Port Phillip. The account reads: "October 11: Cross Violet Introduction page 33 An History of Violet Town Creek. Encamp. From the hills to the southward, some fine views are to be obtained of the snowy summits of the Australian Alps." No indication is given of where the crossing was made. A Souvenir Booklet published by the Shire Council in 1979 says that Mitchell camped oa the site of the township and G.M.Rathbone in "Flora Scobie" speaks of "Major Mitchell's Line" as where Violet Town was situated. R Ashley, in North-Eastern Historical Society Newsletter says the crossing was made a few miles east of where the township was made; but this seem in error, as the creek turns southwards just past the eastern side of the town. It is also said that he called the creek 'Violet Ponds', as e.g., "Major Mitchell and his party camped here and called it Violet Ponds because of wild violets growing about the creek and ponds." (A Few Dates Concerning Early History of Violet Town; in North-Eastern Historical Society Newsletter) The Shire Council Souvenir Booklet already referred to, makes the same statement, but whether they are related and which came first, I don't know. On that point note extract above from handwritten account of Mitchell's journey - the simple statement that they camped at 'Violet Creek', without any indication that he had named it; ALSO NOTE that a book' I picked up in La Trobe Library, which read like a transcript of the written account, had only the words about their stay, that his men called it Violet ponds, because of flowers growing there. I don't recall these words in the handwritten account. (The latter account went on to speak of crossing the Swampy river, and finding it difficult and dangerous to cross; and referred to the drowning there of Taylor. This was on Oct 13. 3. OVERLANDERS AND SQUATTERS (a) John Hepburn, Joseph Hawden and John Gardiner: Left Howe's station on the Murrumbidgee with cattle during October 1836, arriving in Melbourne near Christmas time. They followed the Major's (Mitchell) Line and passed the 'Ovens' and what is now called the Broken River, to reach the Goulburn River. Only these are mentioned, and with no detail. On 15th January, 1838, Hepburn and Hawden started from Strathallen in N.S.W. - "We reached the 1. I didn 't notice this in the hand written copy 2. from book containing Mitchell's report. Seen 24. 2. 1984 - Comingfiom south after three or four chains - "We encamped - near the bank of a running stream in which were also some deep pools and which, from somejlowers growing three were named by the men Violet Ponds" Introduction page 34 An History of Violet Town Goulburn, surveying all the fine-looking country, and saw many beautiful spots - very beautiful spots - between the Ovens and the Goulburn ..." (Extract from Letter from Victorian Pioneers,' 1969 edition - but Hepburn's diaries are in La Trobe Library, and may have more detail.) (b) Joseph Hawden, with mailman John Conway Bourke and the first overland mail Port Phillip to Sydney, left Melbourne on January 2, 1838. After arriving at the Goulburn River they rode thirty miles and stopped for the night at a well-watered creek. Next day they travelled sixty miles and reached the Ovens River. By present maps, it would seem likely that the well-watered creek was at or near the present Euroa. No mention of either a "Violet Creek" (or Ponds) or water at present Benalla. (Extracted from his diary - quoted in Wangaratta 1824- 1963) (NB. Further particulars re mails, from E.Baker, Post Office Historian; information from P.O. records, Government Blue Books, Government Gazettes; article in Victorian Historical Magazine, copies 1972-4 bound together. Bourke was met at Howlong by a mailboy who took it to Yass, by coach thence to Sydney. Same on return trip. Time allowed each way - fortnight. Hawdon received £1,200 for the year's contract. On May 12, 1838, quicker mails and a weekly service was petitioned for - to be two days Sydney to Yass and eight days Yass to Melbourne. On Jan 7, 1839, William Rutledge received the contract. Post Offices were opened at Broken River and Seymour Jan 1, 1845, E.B.Green received the contract.) 12 November 1838: Petition for quicker mails between Sydney and Melbourne and a weekly service. Granted it to be two days Sydney to Yass, eight days Yass to Melbourne. ('First years at Port Phillip' - La Trobe Library) (c) Major Mitchell's enthusiastic description of the country he had seen brought many squatters southwards, from 1837 onwards; but there are few comments about their journeys amongst the "Letters from Victorian Pioneers," (1 969 edition) Peter Snodgrass, who arrived at Melbourne in Hay 1838 spoke only of there being no residents north of the Goulburn River except two houses of accommodation at the Murray and Ovens Rivers. John Templeton, who took up the Seven Creeks station in Octobor 1838, said there were only two stations occupied between the Ovens and Goulburn rivers - Hughes at Avenel, and Major Anderson at Mangalore. (NB. According to some accounts of the attack on the Faithfulls at the Broken River, a section of the stock were ahead of those attacked further south - qv. Faithful's Creek between Violet Town and Euroa -but I can't recall any mention of a 'Violet Creek or Ponds') 4. First Port Phillip Road Survey: I have a copy of this survey, which is marked,"copied by Robert Hoddle, Surveyor, April 21 st, 1838." I have no record of the actual survey period, which would be contained in Survey Department files of the time. It could be the survey done by H.C. Butler and G.C. Stapylton, who left Gundagai on March 22, 1838; the plan being forwarded to the Surveyor General in Sydney on June 13, 1838. I have been told that Hoddle was acting Surveyor General in Melbourne, (or Surveyor in charge) but in any case the "copied" would mean the drawing out in an office, whether Melbourne or Sydney. (This all needs checking in official files, as above; but the actual surveying obviously took place before the copying out of April 2 1, 183 8. "Violet Creek" is marked on it (only as a watercourse) - a short line either side of the road - and another longer stream is shown on eastern side of road only, dropping away to south. It could the the Violet Creek, which trends that way. Also shown are the Goulburn River and 'Septimus Creek', which is the southernmost of seven creeks close together, south of Violet Creek.