Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens, Sherbrooke

U3A Emerald Autumn Newsletter 1 April 2019

CONTENTS From the President ...... 2 Hills Hub update ...... 3 Over The Hills Singers ...... 4 Art History ...... 6 Environmental weeds ...... 6 English Language and Literature ...... 7 Botanical Art ...... 7 Calligraphy and Botanical Art, by Mandi Keck ...... 8 The Book Issues Group ...... 8 Current Affairs ...... 9 Australian History ...... 9 Garden Group ...... 9 Flowers for the Home ...... 11 Poetry to Delight ...... 12 Genealogy ...... 13 Wine Appreciation ...... 13 U3A Expo, November 2018 ...... 14 Photography ...... 15 Table Tennis ...... 16 Yoga ...... 17 Patchwork Class ...... 17 Musicians Sharing ...... 18 Toxicology Pollution and the Environment ...... 19 Member contributions ...... 20 Along Old Emerald Road, Dorothy B Williams ...... 20 Community notice re Lilydale Sailing Club volunteering opportunity ...... 23

U3A Emerald Autumn Newsletter 2019 1 From the President Welcome to another exciting year at U3A Emerald. We have signed up many new members and our membership has shot passed 300 already! The signs are good for another record membership year. We have also commenced several new classes, some with new tutors and some with tutors from past years. Many thanks to our volunteer tutors, who contribute so much. And thanks also to those members who assist in organising their classes. Members will have noticed that the new Community Hub construction continues at pace. Most of the external wall framing is complete and we should soon see the roof and wall cladding being added. For the rest of this year we will continue to hold classes in various venues around Emerald, Cockatoo and Kallista and we appreciate the hospitality local organisations have extended us. Details of the Hub layout are included in a feature later in this newsletter. Our Annual General Meeting will be held at 2:00 pm on 30 April at St Joseph’s Church Hall. This year will see the retirement of three committee members and already we have some members indicating they will nominate to join the committee to assist with the smooth running of our organisation. Please mark this date in your diary and come along to support your committee and help guide the future of our friendly and growing group. I recently attended the U3A Victoria Annual General Meeting and was most impressed with the work being done to strengthen and grow U3A in Victoria. Areas that have relatively low membership are being targeted to help growth and regional workshops are planned to assist in training committee people and tutors. The state organisation is becoming more professional in order to attract increased government funding. Many members I have spoken with over recent months will be aware I am retiring as President at the AGM in April. I have been in the role for 5 years and feel it is time for some fresh ideas and new energy. The committee is a group of dedicated, enthusiastic and hard working members and I know they will continue to grow and improve our organisation. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all tutors and members who have contributed so much and provided support and friendship over many years. U3A is a significant part of my life and I value its people and activities. I’ll continue to see many of you in the classes I attend and at the opening of the Hub! Best wishes Mal Bowmaker

U3A Emerald Autumn Newsletter 2019 2 Hills Hub update The Hills Hub construction is well underway and, as the building takes shape, it’s a good opportunity to revisit the design and facilities that our new home will provide. On the ground floor is the main hall looking out over the recently refurbished sports oval. The new hall is 10% larger than the previous Emerald Hall. The main hall is equipped with two folding walls, allowing the space to be divided into two or three separate rooms. Also, on the ground floor is a community lounge with tea station, a reception area and administration space. U3A will be able to maintain an office and help desk at the main entrance. Workshop space to provide for the Men’s Shed and other craft-based activities faces the roundabout. On the first floor (via the lift), there are two dedicated meeting rooms with a separating folding wall. One of these rooms has a wet area to support art and craft classes. There is a third smaller room to provide for other meeting activities. Also, with the local radio station having moved to Upwey, more space is available for meeting and training activities. A second community lounge and tea station is also on the first floor. Drawings and views of the building are available on the Shire website. Open www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/hillshub scroll down and click on View Hills Hub design images. Importantly for us at U3A, Cardinia Shire has indicated the Hub will be managed to attract not-for-profit community groups to use the facility. Your U3A Committee has been keeping the Council informed of our class schedules and the growth in our membership. We have maintained a close working relationship with the Council throughout this project and I expect the benefits will flow to U3A over a long period. Moving to the Hub promises to be a most exciting time for U3A and many other community groups. Mal Bowmaker

U3A Emerald Autumn Newsletter 2019 3 Over The Hills Singers

On the octave scale of 1 - 8, the members of Over The Hills Singers are climbing to 8 very rapidly. We have developed a lovely tone and are conquering the part-singing beautifully under the supervision of Graham Dunstan and Ros Winter. Anne Taylor does the warm-ups at the beginning of each session and the wind-downs at the end with some relaxing unison joyful songs, after which the air around the packing up is filled with voices quietly singing or humming their favourite tunes. It’s a lovely vibe. Until the Emerald Hub is finished we are still using the hall of the Evergreens (adjacent to the Emerald Arts Society) at the corner of Anne and Church Streets. A sincere thank you to the Evergreens for the use of this facility as it is great for parking and its suitability is terrific. We use our own keyboard, which, when our accomplished accompanist Gaye Dunstan inadvertently hits an innocent key just lurking in the top band of tabs, bursts into a jingling jazz or a rip-roaring rock and roll. Gaye feverishly fumbles for the ‘off’ button, while Graham races to the rescue. This is so unexpected and funny, it soothes the strenuous straining for the top notes and provides an hilarious hiatus. We are lightening the choice of songs this year and at present are singing a medley from My Fair Lady with Deed I Do, Swing Time, Oklahoma, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, I got the Sun in the Morning, Autumn Leaves and others of the same ilk. The Gypsy Rover swings over the hills to join us - a favourite from last year, and this we will dust off for a possible inclusion in a cluster of songs for a PAVE concert in April in which we will take part with two other choirs from Cockatoo and Gembrook. Storytellers and other musicians are also involved. As well, we’ve been invited to take part in a combined U3A Choral concert on 16 June at Aquinas College, Ringwood, starting at 2:00 pm and ending about 4:00 pm. We have planned to have many more familiar, exciting songs for the rest of the year, too. So now it’s full steam ahead as we forge into the unpaid entertainment industry. Last year most of the choir was able to join in with a wonderful vocal coach - a conductor of three other choirs and three orchestras, who came to give us a one-day workshop in the comfortable home of the Dunstans. It was Robert Dora who specialised in voice as his main

U3A Emerald Autumn Newsletter 2019 4 instrument when obtaining his musical degrees. We are hoping we will have another intensive musical session with him again sometime soon as it was such a worthwhile stimulating, gladdening experience.

A few members have said farewell for various reasons related to age - often health, travelling, or grandparenting commitments, but we have welcomed some new members and they have broadened our scope and sound. It’s really rewarding to sing in a friendly group like ours because group singing is most exhilarating and releases one from the cares of every day into a zone of cloud nine in the seventh heaven! It takes something incredibly intimate - a sound that begins inside you, shares it with a roomful of people and it comes back as something even more thrilling: harmony. The benefits of singing regularly seem to be cumulative. Singing releases endorphins, the feel-good chemicals in the brain, because the deep breathing needed to sing draws more oxygen into the blood and causes better circulation. It’s also an aerobic activity and a natural stress-reducer. Study after study has found that singing relieves anxiety and contributes to quality of life. Dr Julene K Johnson, a researcher who has focused on older singers, recently began a five-year study to examine group singing as an affordable method to improve the health and well being of older adults.

To belong to our OTHS is only $40 as a U3A member. This is a bargain compared with some other choirs, which have to pay for the conductor, the accompanist, the music and the hire of the venue. We even provide the songs although you have to provide a folder to hold your music sheets.

We do chip in for sustenance for the break in the middle to socialise. We meet Wdnesday afternoons from 4:00 to 6:00 pm.

So… there you go - even if you think you can’t sing you’ll be surprised at how you can raise your voice and just enjoy making music. It’s really good for you! And such an enjoyable way to make harmonious friends. We need basses particularly - but anyone is welcome! The ability to read music is a bonus but not absolutely necessary.

Come and join us and spread your wings as MOTHS! (Members of Over The Hills Singers).

Anne Taylor

U3A Emerald Autumn Newsletter 2019 5 Art History Civilisations – a global exploration of thousands of years of visual culture.

Landscape by Chinese artist Fan Kuan b.990AD Artist – guess who! The theme of this course is to look at and consider the formative role art and the creative imagination have played in the making of humanity itself and the civilised life. What has driven humanity to depict itself and its surroundings from time immemorial to the present day? Food for thought! Beginning with 11,000 year old Prehistoric cave paintings both in the West and in Australia, we have travelled to several countries looking, not only at early images of humans and animals, but also at architecture and sculpture in early cultures such as the Olmec of Mexico, the Ife of West Africa and the Nabateans of Petra in Jordan, not forgetting Ancient Greece and Egypt of course! Travelling on, in our next two sessions we will first be ‘Picturing Paradise’, a program in which we will be looking at the rise of landscape painting as a genre in its own right with a fascinating look at how China led the way! Then on to ‘The Eye of Faith’ when we will travel to Cambodia, India, Italy, Turkey and Greece in order to evaluate the impact religious art in all its forms has had on civilisations down the ages. Helen Waring Environmental weeds

Do you suspect that you have environmental weeds on your property? Would you like more information and some options for dealing with them?

We could finish over a cuppa with a chat: why bother, what’s native to here, where to get information, and what’s our role in ‘looking after the locals’.

I am offering to visit your place and have a wander; however, I would like this to be open to other U3A members (max 8).

Date and time to suit you. First in first served and I can commit to three visits before the deadline for the next newsletter.

Karen Alexander Mobile 0439 306 829 Email [email protected]

U3A Emerald Autumn Newsletter 2019 6 English Language and Literature Our class has welcomed two new members this year, Bill and Heinze and we are a full complement of sixteen eager participants. We started the term with a study of great libraries around the world, both ancient and modern, and were impressed with the amazing architecture and wonderful designs of these very important buildings. Our next session was a round table discussion about books that have left a strong impression on each of us. We had a morning of Not-So-Trivial Pursuit, which created some good-humoured rivalry among the teams. The writing and painting of Edward Lear was much appreciated at our next session, while our latest bit of fun was a literary game called Cutthroat, which provided some energetic competition from all. Lorrie has guided us through our first book - Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods, which has had us all laughing out loud at his hilarious descriptions of his hike along the Appalachian Trail. It is exhilarating to be part of such a responsive and informed group of people. Kay Craig Botanical Art Botanical Art has gained four new members this year and I look forward to seeing their progress during the classes. We have revised the technique of layering washes, as this is a very important part of creating a botanical portrait and have discussed various ways of working with coloured pencils. Future classes will look at drawing and painting fruit and vegetables, creating careful compositions and working on different backgrounds. The Zentangle Method is popular with several of our members so this is another area for us to explore. Every now and then we will go back to drawing as this is the basis of botanical art and is very effective in gaining greater knowledge of a particular plant. Thanks to all class members for their enthusiastic participation. Kay Craig

Autumn Garden by Kay Craig

U3A Emerald Autumn Newsletter 2019 7 Calligraphy and Botanical Art, by Mandi Keck

The new calligraphy class is fabulous! New friends, new skills and lots of laughs… Also, as usual, Kay’s Botanical Art class is great and we have new members and are always learning new techniques as she challenges us to try new things. Mandi Keck

The Book Issues Group This month the topic is Political Leadership. Laura Tingle wrote a major work, Follow the Leader, which appeared in the Quarterly Essay magazine. During March we are reading some reviews of her work and we will have a discussion on 1 April at St. Joseph’s Church Hall at 9:15 am. You are most welcome to come along and participate. At this meeting members will select a new reading for April and we will meet 4 weeks later on 6 May at 9:15 am. If you are interested in joining our group please contact me. Dick Bartley

U3A Emerald Autumn Newsletter 2019 8 Current Affairs We meet on the first and third Monday of the month at St Joseph’s Church Hall, and you are most welcome to come along and see what happens. I usually develop a list of topics including contributions from members. This list is emailed to the class. At the start of our meeting we prioritise the list of topics and sometimes add more. Recent topics include: v What is the wash up of the Medivac bill? v The George Pell verdict. v Given the weekend we have just had, do you feel safe living in this area? v The number of ministers leaving federal parliament. v Revealing 3838. v Who is responsible for the problems with the Murray Darling plan? v What are the pros and cons of a Crown decision? We spend about ten minutes on each topic and hope to learn a lot more about that issue. Dick Bartley Australian History This year we are continuing reading The Australians by Tom Keneally. We spend the first hour reviewing a chapter or two. In the second hour we look at a current history topic, a book review or a film or TV program about Australian history. Recently, we looked at the life of John Wren (Power Without Glory) Matthew Flinders, the Sydney Cove gold diggers in America, and Australia In Colour. You are most welcome to come and try our class. Dick Bartley Garden Group Our gardens are dry and barely hanging onto life; so it is with many of the gardens we had planned to visit. Clearly the owners want us to see them at their best, so we have had several cancellations of planned visits this year. This has made planning a bit difficult for our group. In February we visited Michelle and John's garden (see the photo at left). They only water the vegetable garden but their choice and placement of plants throughout their steeply sloping garden was a sight for our eyes. Colour and form created picture after picture. It was hard to believe we were in a garden in the middle of a very dry, hot summer.

U3A Emerald Autumn Newsletter 2019 9 The first Monday in March was hot so we stayed at St Joseph's, got to know a little about each other and our gardens, did a Garden Quiz and watched a video on growing roses in all their varied forms. April Fools Day will find us at the Cactus Garden near Berwick, with afternoon tea at the Wenzell's wonderful, welcoming home and garden. From then on the weather will bring us beautiful autumn gardens. The plans and dreams for our gardens are on hold but large or small we all have dreams for our ‘patch of dirt’, and it’s lovely to share them with like-minded people. Below is a photo of the Blue lotus garden (taken this summer) and a spring garden, just to remind us how green and lush a garden can be. Edith Colley

U3A Emerald Autumn Newsletter 2019 10 Flowers for the Home We started the year off making a summer bouquet and with the heat and dryness of summer everyone was delighted to take these home. Many of the group have attended this class for some time now so it is exciting for us all to see what is being made. Group members continue to hone their skills, attempting some European techniques and discussing types of flowers used for these pieces.

This month autumn has arrived, so for this class I have chosen rich, warm colours. We are all delighted to welcome Lenoar back after quite a long time away.

Elaine Hahn

U3A Emerald Autumn Newsletter 2019 11 Poetry to delight This year we have a class of twenty-three, which is close to the limit of twenty-five at Chestnut Gardens. We meet at 10:00 am on the first Tuesday of the month.

Last month we explored the poetry of Thomas Hardy perhaps better known for his novels (such as The Major of Casterbridge, The Woodlanders and Jude The Obscure) and the poetry and prose of that great Welsh poet Dylan Thomas… Do not go gentle into the good night… Rage rage against the dying of the light…

Then we listened to Dylan Thomas himself reading A Child’s Christmas in Wales. What a treat that was.

This month we’ll be looking at the works of Edward Lear (The Owl and the Pussycat) and Lewis Carroll (The Walrus and the Carpenter). Which of these two great poets wrote The Jaberwocky, The Dong with a Luminous Nose, Father William, The Pobble who has no Toes, The Lobster Quadrille, The Duck and the Kangaroo? These and several more will be read by Alan Bennett and Richard Burton at tomorrow’s session.

Mac Craig

Thanks Stuart Hodgson for these two bits of fun.

U3A Emerald Autumn Newsletter 2019 12 Genealogy We started the year early in January with two classes in the Emerald Library, Beginners and Advanced. Often in February and March we have to contend with total fire ban days when numbers are often down so we like to get this earlier start to avoid losing any of the ten sessions a year for each class. In April, the Public Records Office Victoria (PROV) https://prov.vic.gov.au is visiting Emerald Library and several members have booked a time for consultations. They are a great source of early Australian records – such as wills, land and inquests. PROV will be open to the public so why not book a time with these very helpful people. And it’s all free. The library may not be available for us after July due to building works in connection with the hub so we will be looking for a new base that has solid internet facilities. We have quite a number of people going off on holidays so numbers will be down a bit in second term. Hilary Thomas Wine Appreciation Why wine appreciation? You might drink wine because it gives you confidence, makes people more interesting and makes you feel smarter by the glass. But why on earth would you want to learn about wine? Well, have you ever noticed that the more you know about cricket, classical music or a country, the more you appreciate it? It’s the same with wine. It’s what I call, value adding. First Tasting – Friday, 15 February The Wine Appreciation course started off with a bracket of Australian sparkling and Champagne, two chardonnays and two bottles of shiraz. Yummmm! Second Tasting – Friday, 1 March The next tasting focused on Pinot Noir. Jeff Ross contributed four bottles. They were all different. As they say, variety is the spice of life. This tasting led us into visiting Paternoster Wines two weeks later. Third Tasting – Friday, 15 March The Paternoster visit: Paternoster is a local winery run by Phil Hession and Carlin Payne, specialising in premium Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Their wines were outstanding, elegant and still improving after fourteen years because that’s the style of wine they make. We even got to taste tank samples, barrel samples and a 2005 Pinot Noir. We learned about growing and processing. We learned about ageing wine and the rewards and vagaries of producing cool climate wine. We learned heaps.

U3A Emerald Autumn Newsletter 2019 13 Fourth Tasting – Friday 29 March Gaye Dunstan will be providing bottles of Pinot Gris for our tasting that day and to learn as much as we can about this wine. Did you know that Pinot Gris is exactly the same as Pinot Grigio? Gris and Grigio mean grey in French and Italian respectively. Did you know that a bunch of Pinot grapes has a similar shape to a pinecone? Pinot is French for pinecone. And because things always come in threes and I like asking questions, did you know that Pinot Gris is a mutation of Pinot Noir? The only difference is that Pinot Gris lacks the colour gene of Pinot Noir. What’s Next? That’s the fun part, we don’t know. Each member gets an opportunity to choose a theme, a wine style or variety. They are usually presented masked and sometimes play the options game with two or three of the wines. This is the only time that you may get some wrong. What’s It All About? It’s social, supportive and fun. Besides, after high school, university or a PhD, this might just be the last tier of a higher education you get to experience. Got to go now. It’s wine o’clock. See you soon. Henk Van den Bergen

U3A Expo, November 2018

U3A Emerald Autumn Newsletter 2019 14 Photography This year we’ve seen a few new faces start in the Photography class, and there are some pretty sharp shooters amongst them. As we operate as two groups most of the time, there is still an opening for anyone else in the U3A family to join us. We meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays at 10:00 am at the Evergreens’ Hall, Church St, next to the Arts Society. For a very recent class, a number of members made the trip to Monash Gallery of Art to see an exhibition entitled Still Life. As well as this sort of trip, we intend to visit a garden or two, see at least one more exhibition, welcome a visiting presenter or two and most of all, develop and practise our photography skills. In the following image, is Henk looking at a vase of flowers, with the intention of photographing it, or is he viewing a photograph of a vase of flowers? Paul Bianco

U3A Emerald Autumn Newsletter 2019 15 Table Tennis We play twice a week at our temporary venue at Cockatoo Stadium. We are a very dedicated group and haven’t lost any members with our move from our old home in the Emerald Hall. Often the highlight of the day is when someone has a birthday, which is celebrated by ringing a bell, presenting a bun with candle, and singing.

Morning teas are very sociable with lots of discussions over coffee and biscuits. The first Friday of each month has a special morning tea with lots of hilarity and good shared food.

Christmas is at Rose Cottage each year, with Kris Kringle, Trivia competitions, good food and good company.

We are coming up to our tenth anniversary, which we will celebrate with a BBQ at the Stadium.

Tutors - Linda Andrews and Ray Schmidt

U3A Emerald Autumn Newsletter 2019 16 Yoga Most of us would like improved health, less stress, a fitness routine that isn’t boring and doesn’t feel like hard work, and a better ability to focus; and it shouldn’t be surprising that yoga provides all of these benefits and more, with a series of physical and mental exercises which are adaptable to any age and fitness level. Yoga is so much more than simply a series of positions or movements. Couple this with mindfulness practice (which is really part of yoga, after all) and our ability to live in the moment and experience life to the fullest is considerably enhanced. Mindfulness is a practice which is generally learned through appropriate meditation, but it quickly develops to a state of mind which guides our everyday lives, making them more fulfilling and productive. Our yoga group meets at 9:30 am Thursday mornings at St Josephs Church Hall and, after a short, guided mindfulness meditation, proceed with one of a series of yoga routines, varied week by week to provide exercises which help to keep us fit and supple. For many of us, the session ends at one of the local cafes for coffee and conversation Ray Schmidt Patchwork Class We started the year with a couple of new members but we were sad to say farewell to Marjorie Wright who has gone north to live. We wish John and Marjorie well in their new digs at Mansfield. The ladies have been busy over the summer months starting new projects or continuing on with current projects. I look forward to seeing the completed articles very soon.

U3A Emerald Autumn Newsletter 2019 17 Karen Black Musicians Sharing The Musicians Sharing Group would very much like a couple more ‘melody line’ instruments to join us. If you play flute, oboe, clarinet or violin we would love to hear from you. We have a fun time making music on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month. Those who wish can present a solo or small group item. Currently, as a group we are playing/learning Sixteen Tons, Piano Man, And the Band played Waltzing Matilda, Trepak, I still call Australia Home. If you are interested please contact Gaye. Email: [email protected] or phone 5968 5220. Gaye Dunstan

U3A Emerald Autumn Newsletter 2019 18 Toxicology Pollution and the Environment In its second year, Pollution Toxicology and the Environment again has an enthusiastic band of participants, including many new faces, and others who have come along for the ride yet again! We began the year with a potted history of human interactions with toxic chemicals, discovering why Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim is a famous name in the history of poisoning (he’s otherwise known as Paracelsus; aka the ‘Father of Toxicology’) and how man’s relationship with toxic materials has been long, and often colourful. In our second session, we examined how environmental scientists make their measurements, and why very small amounts of chemicals can have devastating effects. From there, it was a short step to researching the effects of various types of toxicants, and in our most recent session, we looked at metal toxicity, asking why mercury can cause cats to dance and whether lead caused the downfall of the Roman Empire. Coming up will be a session on the legacy of contamination left by the widespread use of DDT and its close relatives, amongst which is a group of chemicals that I have been studying for over 40 years. Later in the year, we will be looking at global environmental catastrophes, from the Dust Bowl to Chernobyl, the very modern problems of plastics and the new swathe of chemicals we innocently use in our daily lives. We’ll be seeing how nutrient releases cause red tides via eutrophication, why plastics are such a major cause for concern in our marine environments, what happens when you press that flush button, and even whether or not we should bring back the milk bottle! Two new sessions will feature this year. The first of these, ‘Where have all the flowers gone?’ will look at loss of habitat and biodiversity, deforestation, the consequences of acid rain, and whether the fate of orangutans and bees has already been sealed.

The other, which I have called ‘No sex, please, we’re genetically disinclined’ will examine the consequences of genetic and chemical manipulations on reproductive systems, resulting in disturbances to the balance of nature.

Of course, the big question of climate change will also feature as the final session of the year, and is sure to provoke animated discussion! But from my perspective – it’s happening, and we need to do something about it urgently. Make sure you come along and see why! Thanks to all attending for being such enthusiastic supporters of this course. Our numbers have been such that we have had to change venues to comfortably fit everyone in, but now we are settled, I am greatly looking forward to presenting the rest of this course for you. Bruce Richardson

U3A Emerald Autumn Newsletter 2019 19 We hope to see you at our AGM on Tuesday 30 April at 2:00 pm at St Joseph’s Church Hall

Member contributions Along Old Emerald Road, Dorothy B Williams

Recent bushfire warnings included some unusual place names. Who was ‘Peter the Swede’? It was one ‘Pete the Swede’ who partnered Big Pat O’Hannigan in the discovery on the Emerald Creek that set off the Emerald gold rush. Big Pat’s Creek is in the Warburton area.

The names of early prospectors were commonly used to identify the creeks they worked. ‘Parson Jack’ Emerald, one of the earliest, came seeking the 1851 secret discovery by the ‘Lucky Germans’, who made a fortune in a month and disappeared back to Germany, without claiming the proffered reward. Young Ben Simcox took up a claim beside Emerald, and later explained that they were located on the tributary of the Emerald Creek, where his ‘Nathania Springs’ became a huge tourist attraction in the early years of the Monbulk settlement. The earliest map locates the ‘Emerald Diggings’ lower down on Emerald’s main creek. When this upper tributary proved disappointing, Emerald departed to parts unknown, leaving only his name and his log hut behind him, while Simcox returned to Collingwood. When geological surveyors forced their way with great difficulty through the ‘densely scrubby’ Dandenongs to the Yarra in 1855, they too got lost, and saw no promise in its resources but the probability of gold. This encouraged Magistrate McCrea to assemble a prospecting party in 1858, with two Irishmen, Walsh and Geraghty. On their way to the Dandenong Ranges they collected an American, Yankee Jack McEvoy, whose brother Yankee Jim leaves his name on a creek up the Yarra Valley, also the ruffian known as Big Pat O’Hannigan who is remembered by Big Pat’s Creek. Big Pat then caused them such trouble as they worked on the Cockatoo Creek that Gold Warden Warburton Carr had to put him in irons. He was out on his own then.

U3A Emerald Autumn Newsletter 2019 20 After battling through scrub where he claimed ‘no white man had ever been before’, with new chum Pete the Swede. In January 1859 they struck it lucky on the lower end of Emerald’s creek. Hundreds followed. Back came Emerald and Simcox, the latter to his old claim where Jack Emerald’s abandoned old log hut still stood. There he settled on the basis of his miner’s right, until official settlement enabled him to establish Monbulk’s historic ‘Nathania Springs’, where he recorded his memories of Parson Jack. The Irish party with the Yank now left the Cockatoo Creek to rejoin O’Hannigan. ‘Parson’ Jack’, ironically nicknamed for his coarse language, returned from parts unknown to prospect a small gully behind the present Monbulk Pony Club. Diggers returning to fossick there during the Depression of the 1890s passed on memories of him to Monbulk Settlement’s first baby, Aldy Coulson. Emerald identity Gus Ryberg also wrote of Jack Emerald. Yet he cannot be found among Births, Deaths and Marriages. When four hundred diggers got together in March 1859, an inaccurate list of discoverers’ names was read out, including Pete the Swede and Dutch Harry, but omitting Yankee Jack and Big Pat O’Hannigan. Walsh had claimed for the Cockatoo Creek find as ‘portion of the Emerald Diggings’ in January. The Woori Yallock’s eastern tributaries became known as East Emerald. ‘Emerald proper’ signified the gold camp and stores along the Emerald and Sassafras Creeks, where Kirkpatrick’s store first accommodated the policeman. ‘Old Emerald’ Road began as a pack track bringing goods from Lilydale to ‘Emerald proper’. It seems a shame that municipal boundaries now divide the ‘Emerald’ goldfield at its most extensive. ‘Scotty’s creek’ was not yet Menzies Creek, while ‘Irishtown’ was sometimes used to distinguish the ‘Emerald proper’ gold camp. In May the site of the future Emerald township was surveyed and named ‘Main Ridge’, but nobody took up any blocks. The policeman was later moved there, as more central for the ‘Dandenong Ranges Goldfields’. The population soon diminished to 50-60 on the broader ‘Emerald’, although a number stayed on their claims until the 1890s forest subdivision made ownership possible within the Monbulk Forest. Some of the storekeepers had moved to ‘East Emerald’ (Avonsleigh and Macclesfield) where they could buy land; but on the slope above the Sassafras Creek (named earlier by a botanist) two Kirkpatrick children rest forever. As late as World War 1, when Monbulk’s settlers spoke of going to the Emerald stores, they meant ‘Emerald proper’, not ‘Main Ridge’. When an official hearing was set to decide who was eligible for the Government reward for discovery of the ‘Emerald Goldfields’, the name included ‘the Emerald proper’, Cockatoo Creek, and Scotty’s creek. The squabbling began. At this second meeting Geraghty claimed for November 1858, before Big Pat’s find. He was now asked to describe the area. ‘He couldn’t,’ Gus Ryberg maintained. ‘He was illiterate’, not unusual among the Irish rebels. Helpfully the chairman asked, ‘What does it remind you of?’. ‘The Emerald Isle,’ replied Geraghty - referring to impenetrable forest and the ‘Bald Hills’. A newspaper reporter’s mention that the diggings were named for the ‘Irish party’ was no doubt a welcome assumption. This second meeting settled nothing.

U3A Emerald Autumn Newsletter 2019 21 A Select Committee tried again in 1863. The principal speaker Henry Frencham was an educated Irish squatter at Warrandyte. ‘It was he who named the diggings’ Geraghty said: the Caledonia (the Plenty) and the Britannia (Warburton, then known as Yankee Jim’s) and the Emerald’ (not Hibernia?). Local use of the Emerald name conveniently now commemorated both the first prospector, and the Irishmen who struck it rich - but not the Dutchman, the Swede, or the Yank. Now Big Pat O’Hannigan claimed alone, without Pete the Swede, for ‘Emerald proper’; also for Warburton (‘Big Pat’s creek’) a year later. McCrea counterclaimed for the Emerald, Britannia and Nicholson (McCrea’s creek) goldfields, giving the names of three of his mates, but adding Geraghty and O’Hannigan only after prompting. Warburton Carr wrote, ‘When I first heard the name of Mr McCrea as the discoverer of some goldfields there I thought there was some misapprehension.’ When Pete the Swede (Peter Petersen) turned up to claim, the reward had already been dispersed. It now seems he had very likely headed north. The skull in the mountain stream

What of Jack Emerald? There are no official records of Jack Emerald’s life and death, but ‘absence of evidence’ is not ‘evidence of absence’.

In the Gold Rush years, disorganisation and lack of official manpower led to many gaps in the records. Did he have reason to use an assumed name? Did he jump ship, leaving no clue to his birthplace? Did he never marry? But why no death records? Whatever happened to Parson Jack? Did he gain enough from his claim to take up a cattle run to the south, as Gus Ryberg said, and just move on again to parts unknown? Was he murdered for his gold as Simcox wrote, or was this assumed because he mysteriously disappeared?

There were many murders and disappearances in the chaotic Gold Rush days. Bodies lost in the bush by accident or intent were not always found. Even a dead kangaroo can completely disappear within a couple of weeks as its bones are cleaned and scattered by predators.

When the policeman was summoned from ‘Main Ridge’ to the Cockatoo Creek in the 1870s to investigate some trouble over miners’ rights, only his helmet and saddle were found at his campsite. His body was never heard of again. Without a body, how were date, location and cause to be recorded, and to whom? Who would report it? Rumours and assumptions abound.

U3A Emerald Autumn Newsletter 2019 22 When a battered European skull was found in a mountain stream near Silvan in 1891, it was assumed to be that of ‘an unnamed man who had mysteriously disappeared in 1884’. Was it Jack Emerald’s head, washed down in floods and carried on to Lilydale, just as his name flooded over the area, before being carried up to Main Ridge?

Dorothy B Williams

Sources: State Library of Victoria archives. Newspapers. Local informants. Dorothy Williams is a published author of several histories and novels Community notice re Lilydale Sailing Club volunteering Opportunity Posted by Trish Carpenter Subject: Lilydale Community Sailing Club Lilydale Community Sailing Club runs sailing days at Lilydale Lake, for all members of the community, and particularly for people with disabilities. We call these programs, Sailability, and they run on Tuesday and Wednesday between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm, from the beginning of September through to the end of May, with an approximately one-month break over the Christmas/New Year period. As the majority of the clients who attend these programs have both physical and intellectual impairment, we need a dedicated team of volunteers who assist the clients in embarkation, sailing, and disembarking. The sailboats are especially designed to be ultra stable, and easily sailed, and are made up of two classes: Hansa 2.3 metre and 3.03 metre dinghies.Volunteers usually arrive around 8:30 - 8:45 am, as the boats need to be rigged and put on the water if clients are to begin sailing by 10:00 am. Since the revamp of the club in 2012 we have had a steady increase in demand for the Sailability programs, and now cannot provide any more places on the two days we operate. To offer a third day of Sailability, we need to engage a further team of volunteers to help. We are looking for active retired or semi retired people who would like to learn to sail, and support our aim to include people of all abilities in this fun activity. The roles we need to fill vary from coordinating clients at the dock for their turn at sailing, collecting payments, assisting clients to safely enter and exit the boats, wheeling boats from the Boatshed to the waters edge with the assistance of trolleys and electric scooters, rigging and sailing boats. While all this may sound daunting, it's all relatively easy to learn in a couple of days, with ‘on the job’ training from experienced volunteers. We also use hoists, cranes and a forklift to prevent the need of any heavy lifting. Volunteers become club members for free, and can gain new skills of sailing, and even power boat licence/operation if they wish. The best bonus for most of our volunteers is to see the smiles of enjoyment and appreciation of the people we take sailing. If you are interested, or even just curious, please contact the club Commodore, Steve Beitzel, on 0419567511, or just pop down to the Lillydale Lake jetty at the rotunda on the days we sail, as indicated earlier in this article. Further information and a video of our volunteers in action can be found online at... Lilydale Community Sailing Club website... https://lilydalecommunitysailingclub.weebly.com or on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/sailingforeveryone.lillydalelake/ We are a club ‘for those who've always sailed, or never sailed, and everyone in between!’ ... I've included a picture (next page) and I will put up a video on the above links that shows our volunteers in action if the readers wish to view. Thank you very much, and best regards Steve Beitzel, Commodore, Lilydale Community Sailing Club

U3A Emerald Autumn Newsletter 2019 23 And a big thank you to all our contributors. You make us proud to be a part of U3A Emerald. Mac Craig (Newsletter Editor) and team Helen Waring, Cheryl Padgett and Dale Allen U3A Emerald www.u3aemerald.org.au Help Line: 0490 805 743

U3A Emerald AGM We look forward to seeing you there on Tuesday 30 April at 2:00 pm

U3A Emerald Autumn Newsletter 2019 24