FOSTER, SHARP AND CROTTY OF TULLAMARINE, VIC., AUST.
itellya
EXCERPT FROM "EARLY LANDOWNERS: PARISH OF DOUTTA GALLA.
SHARP?S ?HILLSIDE? AND CROTTY?S ?BROOMFIELD?.
SECTION 20 and 21.
The north and south boundaries of both are indicated by Sharps Rd. and Spence St. Section 21 was between Barrie Rd. (named after the son of Joe Thomas who died young) and Fosters Rd (Keilor Park Drive). Section 20 runs from Keilor Park Drive to the river. In 1840 the Foster brothers were granted a 10 year squatting lease on a station called Leslie Park and this might be why much land in the Doutta Galla and Tullamarine parishes was not alienated until 1849-50. Both William and John had Leslie as Christian names and John?s friends called him Leslie. William, the older brother, bought section 21 as well as section 3 in the parish of Tullamarine across Sharps Rd. At the same time, in the early 1840?s, John bought section 20. They called their land Springs and the name was confusingly used in 1849 to describe the location of both James Laverty in Keilor Rd. and David O?Nial, who had opened the Lady of the Lake Hotel (near Millar Rd. at Tullamarine) on his property Broombank at the n.e. corner of section 3, Tullamarine.
In 1843, John horsewhipped Dr. McCrae of La Rose on 1-12-1843 because he thought the doctor had hoodwinked him in relation to the Eumemmerring Cattle Station at Dandenong, and the Doc. bolted for Sydney. It seems, despite the ?Pastoral Properties of Port Phillip? entry under Foster*, that the Fosters were dissatisfied with McCrae?s former run and stayed only 1839-40, which prompted their move to Tullamarine. (Notice that main streets in Dandenong are named after each of them.) * 1839-45 but only till 1840 under Station entry.
A fine stone house was built on section 21 and John must have lived there after William inherited and returned home, as it became known as the Governor?s house according to Joe Crotty. John Foster was later colonial secretary and as well as drafting Victoria?s constitution with his cousin, William Stawell, he served as Governor between La Trobe and Hotham.
In December 1844, one of John Foster?s native servants, Booby, was murdered by another aborigine named John Bull while driving a dray back to Springs from Melbourne. Another servant, Maurice Fitzgerald, who was driving a dray behind Booby, was a prime witness.
In 1860, Maurice Crotty, who married a McCormack* lass from Annandale, on the other side of Fosters Rd., started leasing ?The Springs?. Charles Kavanagh was the occupant of The Springs before Crotty moved in. Seven years later, Mrs. Crotty reported that someone had bought part of their farm. That was James Sharp who was probably raised on Craigllachie south of Glenloeman. Tullamarine Park Rd. was close to the boundary between Sharp?s Hillside and the portion that Maurice bought in 1868 and called Broomfield. The original Broomfield homestead was across Tullamarine Park Rd. from Allied Drive and their 1890 house was on the site of Honda?s riding school.
(*A McCormack/ Crotty/Delahey/ O?Neil family reunion was held in February 2000. The contact number of 9 739 7182 may help relatives who missed this function to make amends.)
Butcher Thomas bought Hillside in about 1940 and renamed it as Carinya Park. Sharp?s homestead was extended by Joe Thomas. Sadly, Carinya Park?s homestead was bulldozed in 1998 by Vaughan Constructions; the gate pillars made using stone from James Sharp?s original kitchen will hopefully remain.
In 1847, William O?Neil, who later received the grant for 9B with Davies and Robinson and bought Horseshoe Bend Park, was obviously leasing section 20 from John Foster. He was on ?Lesley Bank, Springs, Mt Macedon Rd? according to the directory. Lesley should be Leslie but the inclusion of bank in the farm?s name would suggest a river (which forms the west boundary of section 20) rather than the small creek running through section 21. As mentioned elsewhere, all three roads heading north (Pascoe Vale, Bulla, Keilor Rds) were called Mt Macedon Rd at various stages, but this time it meant Keilor Rd. ?Leslie Banks? may have included part of section 19 later owned by James Harrick (who was married at Williamstown in 1861 and obviously not yet in Keilor), thus extending to the road.
The Delaheys owned section 20 by 1868 and until at least 1900. Early this century, Thomas Nash, who had been leasing Hillside, bought land south of the bend in Fosters Rd, 150/1 acres straddling the section 20/21 boundary which Edward Cahill had been farming in 1868. Later he added 188 acres north of the present Botanical Gardens. The Wards and then the Williamsons farmed where Keilor Park clubs now play footy and tennis. In about 1943 Claude Butler established the Moonya Dairy Farm on the former Nash land. In 1940, James White found the famous ?Keilor Skull? while digging a sand pit at the junction of Dry (Arundel) Creek and the river. This spot (Melway 14,K/2) is at the north- western corner of both the parish and section 20.
Titles information on sections 21 and 20.
Maurice Crotty bought the north western portion of section 21, roughly bounded by Tullamarine Park Rd and consisting of 243 ? acres, for 913 ? pounds on 8-6-1868. The Crotty dairy farm, Broomfield, was a feature of the area for a century. The original house was opposite Allied Dr and the 1890?s house near the motor cycle school. Incidentally, in 1867, both Sharps Rd and Broadmeadows Rd were known as Foster?s Lane (Vol. 175 folio 509).
Section 20, between Fosters Rd (Keilor Park Drive) and the river, was leased to James Henry Smith for 5 years on 23-6-1857, the lease probably being extended for a further 5 years. On 7-9-1868 Henry and James Delahey bought 692 acres (all but the s/w corner) from Foster/Fitzgerald for 2641 pounds. This farm had been known as "Leslie Banks".
SPECULATORS.
In the land boom of the late 1880?s a railway line was proposed, along the east side of the Saltwater River, to Keilor.
This led to subdivisions at the end of Braybrook Rd (renamed as Buckley St) where Ramsay built Clydebank on the
south side and the Rose Hill and Buckley Park estates were placed on sale along Hoffmans Rd.
The Essendon Land, Tramway and Investment Co., which may have been involved in the aforesaid subdivisions,
was certainly expecting to reap quick profits along Fosters Rd. On 4-5-1889 the company signed contracts to buy the Delaheys? 692 acres (whose s/e boundary was the diagonal part of Fosters Rd) for L46 318/3/10 and Maurice Crotty?s 243 acres at the n/w portion of section 21(for L10581/4/9), while Thomas Nash contracted to buy 150 acres in section 21 from the company for L 5536/12/7. (This 150 acres fronting the east side of Fosters Rd south of the bend, and therefore including about 20 acres of section 20, had been leased by Edward Cahill for 5 years from 1-4-1866).
The rescissions of the first and third contracts were memorialised on 20-8-1890 and 1-8-1890.
On 4-5-1889 and 18-7-1889 other contracts cancelled revealed that the Doutta Galla Estate Co Ltd, Evan Roberts and
James Evans (estate agents), and the Ascot Vale Land Co. Ltd. had also been involved in the web of deals concerning the Delahey, Crotty and Nash land.
(356 808, 364 378, 376 110, 356 809, 356 810, 364 900, and V.356 folios 805, 806, 807.)
No memorial of the Crotty contract has been found but it?s a fair bet that the new Broomfield homestead near the Honda Riding School site was paid for with the speculators? money.
Joe Crotty told me that dairy farming on Broomfield was hard work for little financial gain and this claim is backed up by these James Crotty memorials, which almost certainly relate to mortgages:
388 493, 392 697, 400 361, 429 829, 435 769, 473 742, 491 469, 501 688 (14-9-1922), 516 713 (13-11-1925).
On 5-2-1868, James Sharp paid J.F.L.Foster (by then called John Foster Vesey Fitzgerald) L682/10/- for 133 acres 1 rood 10 perches. This had a Sharps Rd frontage from opposite Broadmeadows Rd to 1/3 of the way between Allied Drive and Tullamarine Park Rd. Its s/e corner was near the North/ Thomas St corner and its s/w corner was 160 m west of the start of the off ramp to Airport Dr.(176 786).
Thomas St probably gets its name from the Thomas family, which took over Sharp?s Hillside in about 1940 and called it Carinya Park. Barrie St is named after Joe Thomas?s son who died young.
James Sharp enlarged Hillside by buying 22A, of 87 acres 1 rood 28 perches, for L1114/15/4 on 10-7-1877 (267 607).
By 1893-4, Sharp had acquired 303 acres and was leasing 294 acres to Thomas Nash while he remained in the homestead on 8 acres.
HISTORY OF THE KEILOR PARK FOOTBALL OVALS.
I have been contacted by Brenda Lee, who has asked me for details of the land on which the club?s ovals are located; the following may supplement her story of how the club was formed. This information comes from Titles Office documents, Keilor Council rates, directories and oral history (Gordon Connor and Colin Williams from the pre W.W.1 days and Joe Crotty and Noel and Joe Butler regarding later times.)
The land between Sharps Rd, the lines of Barrie Rd and Spence St, and the river was granted to William Vesey Leslie Foster and his younger brother John Fitzgerald Leslie Foster on 15-10-1842. This land would have been part of Leslie Park, on which the brothers received a 10 year lease in 1840. William?s 640 acres, section 21 of the parish of Doutta Galla, was east of Foster?s Rd and John?s section 20 of 712 acres was west of it.
William sold his 640 acres to John on 31-3-1843 and returned home to claim his inheritance.
In 1847 William O?Neil, who later purchased Horseshoe Bend Farm, was leasing ?Lesley Bank, Springs, Mt Macedon Rd?, which was probably section 20, on which the clubs ovals now stand. On 23-6-1857, section 20 was leased to James Henry Smith for 5 years and it is likely that he occupied it for another five years.
On 7-9-1868, 692 acres of section 20 was bought by Henry and James Delahey for 2641 pounds. The vendor, John Foster Vesey Fitzgerald, was none other than John Foster, who had changed his name and returned home to inherit from his late brother. This was all of section 20 apart from the area including the courts running east off Fosters Rd and the western end of Ranwick Drive; the northern part of Keilor Park Drive indicates the boundary between sections 21 and 20. The Delaheys owned the land for many decades. A contract of 4-5-1889 to sell the land to the Essendon Land, Tramway and Investment Co. for 46 318 pounds was rescinded on 20-8-1890; the land boom and the prospect of a railway line to Bulla had ended abruptly. The Delahey family, and their relatives, the Dodds, also owned most of the land between Milleara Rd and the river. James Harrick was leasing the 692 acres from the Delaheys in 1900-1.
by itellya
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Itellya is researching local history on the Mornington Peninsula and is willing to help family historians with information about the area between Somerville and Blairgowrie. He has extensive information about Henry Gomm of Somerville, Joseph Porta (Victoria's first bellows manufacturer) and Captain Adams of Rosebud.
Comments
bluestonedreaming on 2012-02-04 22:02:25Hi itellya,
just joined up family tree to tell ya thta i am enjoying your Tullamarine history notes very much! SInce moving to the corner of Melrose and Tadstan drive(Broombank I am so far gathering?) ten years ago , i felt a lot of history here that appearances did not indicate was so. Have looked sporadically for information on th e internet mainly, as being oft housebound, google has been the extent of "research". . So excited to be able to read your fascinating insights and wealth of knowledge, thankyou so much for sharing! You have inspired me to make the plan for the Public Records Office this year, although I may not need it as your findings are so thorough. Marvellous!
NK
bluestonedreaming on 2012-02-04 22:04:20*make the plan for a visit to the PRO!
itellya on 2012-02-05 00:58:03Ben Kelly was one of the buyers in Ray Loft's subdivision of Broombank. He had a large block at the corner of Lancefield Rd (Melrose Drive) and Tadstan Drive.
Ben's eccentric ways are described by Leo Dineen in the following. Google "Ben Kelly, rowing" and you'll get an idea about how extraordinary this pioneer of the suburb of Tullamarine was.
THE SUBURB OF TULLAMARINE.
by me, 1998.
Tullamarine grows.
There were attempts to develop Tullamarine in the early 1890?s and the mid 1920?s. Speculator,G.W.Taylor, bought ?Gladstone? and many farms along Bulla Rd.(Melrose Drive) because his politician mate, Tommy Bent, intended to build a branch railway line to Bulla, perhaps passing through Broadmeadows Township (Westmeadows). The depression of about 1892 put an end to the railway and Taylor lost his deposit and other payments to the farm owners who regained ownership.
Soon after moving to Tullamarine in the early 1920?s, Tom Loft subdivided part of his farm, ?Dalkeith?, with lots 1-16 being bounded by Dalkeith Ave., Broadmeadows Rd., Sharps Rd. and Eumarella St. Lots 17-32 were between Eumarella and Gordon Streets. As in 1890 the land boom was followed by a ?bust? and the depression of the 1930?s, followed by a shortage of building materials during and after the war meant that little new housing was seen in the area till the 1950?s. It is unlikely, however, that Loft?s Subdivision would have sold even without these impediments; people just didn?t know where Tullamarine was!
Returned servicemen making up for lost time had caused a demand for housing in the 1920?s and this situation was now repeated. Stanley Korman bought ?Gladstone?, Palmer?s land and Gowanbrae, Denham?s Land (Catherine Ave. and Trade Park Industrial Estate) and Strathconnan as well as Woodlands and other land to the north. His efforts to develop Gladstone Park were thwarted by the M.M.B.W.?s inability to extend a water main to the estate. Thousands of small investors in Stanhill lost their life-savings but after a decade Korman sold Gladstone Park, which was in the name of a family trust, to Costains for an 8000% profit.
Joe Thomas of Carinya Park in Sharps Rd. was able to purchase Mansfield?s Triangle, Bill Parr?s old Annandale farm at the west end of Sharps Rd. and land further west, but only the first of these became a housing estate. It was part of Carinya Park which started the first real burst of development in Tullamarine; Ray Loft had sold Broombank in the early 1950?s to Ben Kelly and Walter Murphy but the people who settled here usually knew the area already. Established in March 1955, Caterpillar of Australia Pty. Ltd. purchased 110 acres and by November, the first steel had arrived for the 100 000 squ. ft. plant and before this was completed the construction of a second plant of the same size was authorised. The first grader was completed in January 1957 and by the time the factory was officially opened by the Governor, Sir Dallas Brooks, on 11-4-1960, the number of employees had risen from 55 to 650.
Another local landmark was commenced in about November 1955. This was the Village Drive-in, which occupied the site of Forum Dr., Paramount Ct. and Columbia Cl. houses. As no patrons were likely to travel to the unknown Tullamarine, it was called the Essendon drive-in to convey the impression that it was not far past the Essendon Aerodrome. Residents across Bulla or Lancefield Rd.(as it was later called) such as Alf Murray were not impressed by some patrons; not because they tested their suspensions inside the theatre but because they tried to beat the land-speed record as they took off on the gravelled exit.
No doubt many of the Triangular Estate?s first residents moved there because of the employment provided by Caterpillar. Many of them were migrants such as Ilko Romaniw who moved to the Triangle in 1949. Other migrants, such as Stella Collins in 1953, settled near Malvern Ave. on an estate sold by Bruce Small, manufacturer of the famed Malvern Star bicycles and later Mayor of the Gold Coast. The resulting increase in the number of children presented a twofold problem for Tom Dunne, the teacher at Tullamarine State School 2613 at the corner of Bulla Rd. and Conders Lane (the north corner of Melrose Dr. and Link Rd.) Many children could not be accommodated and many of the new enrolments could not speak a word of English.
One child in the overflow forced to attend Essendon North Primary School was Jan Hedger who now under the alias of Jan Hutchinson carries on her late father?s fine record of community service. However Jan was not always so virtuous!
?Ceremonies lasting four days will give Caterpillar dealers, customers, officials of local,civic, trade and social organisations, employees? family and friends, the opportunity to tour the manufacturing building and also see the display of equipment?? So said the newspaper. It is unlikely that Jan and her fellow educational exiles did much touring or inspecting but upon alighting from the bus they treated themselves to the sort of afternoon tea that dreams are made of, four days in a row!
By 1959, subdivisional plans had been drawn up for 20 000 homes, new schools near the west end of Catherine Ave and in Western Ave. and Gladstone Park, and a Shopping Centre near Phelan Crt. Crotty?s ?Broomfield? and land further south to Spence St were included in this grand plan, which encompassed the area between Moonee Ponds Creek and the west end of Sharps Rd. Locals, who were worried about rumours of a gasometer being built, were staggered when surveyors told them that land was to be acquired for an airport.
This halted work on the Tullamarine hall whose foundations had just been poured on the Bulla Rd Recreation Reserve. It also spelt the end for farms such as Bayview, Sinleigh, The Elms, Ecclesfield, Gowrie Park, Glendewar, Seafield, Oakbank and Ristaro where hay-growing and dairying had been carried out for well over a century with some pig and poultry farming commencing in the 1920?s. Perhaps it had been an omen when James Lane?s Gowrie Park was used as a landing field even before Essendon Aerodrome opened; watching planes landing at Tullamarine, one is looking at the former ?Gowrie Park?. A proposal to rename airport streets in 1989 was abandoned but my suggestion of Gowrie Park Dr., near the Liquor Locker, sneaked through somehow.
Walter Murphy led a committee of citizens opposing the Jetport with the backing of Korman and others but their suggestion that Avalon was a better site was not accepted. Walter was a great leader of the Tullamarine community who organised the relocation of the Tuulamarine and Broadmeadows Township war memorials and St Mary?s Church as well as heading the committee which had reached the foundations stage for the hall.
Stanley Korman was having trouble in getting a water supply but he was not on his own. Triangle residents and those near Malvern Ave. had to cart water from a standpipe which I believe was near the Carrick Dr. corner. Residents had lengthy waits before power could be connected as well. Other problems such as poor drainage and a lack of rubbish collections made our recent week of cold showers seem fairly insignificant. Sid Hedger was later to play a huge part in getting sewerage for residents at a reasonable cost.
Roads were a nightmare. The sealed middle section of Lancefield, Broadmeadows and Sharps Rds. was only wide enough for one car and drivers using the shoulders felt that they might roll over as the camber was so steep. It was not until the early 70?s, when Cr. Leo Dineen persuaded the Commonwealth to give a substantial grant because Sharps Rd. provided access to the airport, that any of the main roads became more than goat tracks. In 1974, Cr. Gibb was riding his motor bike across the one-way bridge in Fosters Rd. on the way to a council meeting when a drunk driver sped onto the bridge, knocking him off the edge to fall several metres into the creek; bruised and soaked, he made it to the meeting but was carted off home to recover.
By 1957, Loft?s Subdivision boasted six houses, occupied by the Lloyd brothers, H.J.Bond, Frank Place, K.M.Wilson, L.Greenaway (Broadmeadows Rd.), Joe Crotty (3 Eumarella St) and Alf Cock (2 Gordon St.). Percy Hurren, who owned ?Dalkeith?, lived in the homestead on the north corner of Dalkeith Ave. By this time, Mrs. Watson who had run the post office attached to 318 Melrose Dr., had transferred to the General Store on the site of the present liquor store in the triangle. Later, the rest of Dalkeith was developed as the Broadwood Park Estate.
In the first couple of years in the 70?s there was a huge sign on the Honda corner advertising Twentieth Century City. This was the old Crotty farm, Broomfield, which is now the Tullamarine Industrial Estate. A road directory of the time shows Moore Rd extended to Fosters Rd. with Erebus St. and Kingsford Smith Drive running between it and Sharps Rd. Keilor Council had been forced by planning protocol to grant permits for this area despite being aware of its unsuitability, because of lack of consultation between the Dept. of Civil Aviation and the M.M.B.W. (which was the only body with the authority to ban housing). Rezoned from rural to residential on September 1966, it was purchased by D.D.Schoenberg?s Tullamarine Syndicate in October 1967 with the encouragement of the M.M.B.W. and the state government. However, after spending $630 000 for sewerage, water mains and other development by June 1968, the syndicate voluntarily refrained from selling house blocks, which they were legally entitled to do, because of a warning from D.C.A. in May 1968 to halt development.(Minutes of evidence to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works 1971 re proposed development of runways etc).
THE WORKERS.
The Progress Association had ground to a halt in the early 1960 as families moved away, with their farms having been taken for the airport, or stalwarts, such as Alf Cock who had been an office bearer since its inception in 1924, just plain growing old. In the mid 1960?s, the T.P.A. was given a new lease of life by triangle residents such as Leo Dineen, Ron Langtip and Sid Hedger.
The October 1965 Annual Meeting was attended by: Leo, Ron, Sid, H.Hutchinson, Ben Kelly, Ken Boots, Sid Wheller, K.Tyler, W.Walden, M.Kerschbaumer, David Axon, I.Romaniw, N.Royle, Ian McNab, D.L.Morgan, J.A.Paul, E.F.Bray, W.H.Ruszowski, C.McClusky, N.Potter, L.Heskes, Les McClusky, D. Garnar, P.&A.Murray.
Other early members, and the year of their first meeting, are:
1965. FREIBER, GOMORI, HORPINITCH, WARNE
1966. WENCZEL, LILLEY, WINNELL, SHEEHAN, LEES, TAYLOR, GUILLINE, HORMAN, WANNINGER, BECK, GETTOS, GARNAR, DENNIS, GALOS, MATUZEK, BOUCHER, LANDERYOU, KOKOJINKO, MARCHENKA, FROMKIEWICZ, PASSMORE, PAUL,
1967. DRESSLER, MURPHY, HUGHES, ERICSON, OSBORN, TEMPLETON
1968. GALACHO, CARTER
1969. MASON, WHELAN
1970. CATON, PRYSE, KENNEDY
1971. GIBB
1973. LARGE, OGIER, CHIVELL, McFARLANE, LOFTS
1974. HOWARD, CANNAVO, MILLER
1975. FARRUGIA, SCHWAB.
As can be seen, the greatest influx of members occurred in the mid-60?s. At this time there were plans for three different halls in Tullamarine. The original committee consisted of members of the Heaps, Nash, Henderson, Morgan, Thorburn, Craig, Swartz, Eddy, Denham, Rhodes, Crotty, Thomas, Doyle and Cock families with Walter Murphy as Chairman. It had received Health Dept. approval and a Broadmeadows Shire permit in 1957 but as the foundations were being poured it was announced ? that a jetport was to be established in the area and that the recreation grounds were within the area required? as Walter Murphy put it in a letter to Tullamarine Progress Association secretary, Leo Dineen, on 3-5- 1966.
Walter went on to say that when it became apparent in 1965 that the reserve would not be required, the committee again approached the council. In a previous reply to Leo on 20-7-65, Major Murphy, as he was commonly known,stated that the hall would cost 4000 pounds, that council assistance was likely and that a change of plans would further delay the work. The change of plans was probably a request for the hall to be built further south, as by this time the post office was on the triangle and the school on Dalkeith with the majority of Tullamarine?s population now living south of Green?s Corner.
The letter of 3-5-66 mentions a T.P.A. request for the money raised to be used for building a hall ? mile away and the difficulty raised by the request because so many of the old people who donated money had died or moved away. An enclosed legal opinion from Messrs Podem, Blaski & Co. stated ?.. it would be illegal to utilise money raised for a hall on the Recreation Reserve for the purpose of erecting a Public Hall on another site, even on one only ? of a mile away.
On 28-6-66 the T.PA. set up a provisional hall committee comprised of Ken Boots, Len Garnar, Ben Kelly plus the secretary (Leo) and President (Sid Hedger?). It was realised that fund-raising would be difficult ?after many residents had contributed to two hall funds which have not been fruitful?.
The second fund, raised to build a hall on the Carol Grove Reserve, had collapsed but proved to be the key to a solution. Leo and the President met Mrs Kelly (Ruth?) and the treasurer of the Triangle Committee, Mr Bray, on 28-2-1967 and suggested that their money be donated to Major Murphy?s committee to allow commencement of that hall; Mr Bray undertook to send a circular to residents to gauge their approval of this plan, which he clearly supported.
It was Len Garnar?s suggestion that residents be asked to support a 20c per week donation scheme and support it they did. The Tullamarine Community Hall in Spring St. was officially opened on Saturday, 15 August, 1970.
In 1971, these were some of the people keeping Tulla ticking:
PROGRESS ASS. - PRES.JOHN OSBORN, SEC.DAVE AXON
SCHOOL COMM. - PRES. KEITH RHODES, SEC. MRS. G.M.DAVIS
MOTHERS? CLUB- PRES. MRS.J.ALLEN, SEC. MRS. DORIS RORKE.
YOUTH CLUB- PRES. CR. CLIFF HARVEY, SEC. MR. I. ANDERSON
HALL COMMITTEE ? PRES. BRIAN LLOYD, SEC. MRS. RHONDA LILLY.
The position of secretary of the hall committee also involved being booking officer which is a great job if you enjoy talking to people- at all hours of the night. Bev Large took over this role for several years before moving to Romsey and was followed by Barbara Newland. The Hall Committee had representatives from all the groups which used it and it was because of this that Jan Hutchinson, a Brownie leader, became involved. She has served so long as booking officer that I?m sure that even Caterpillar would now forgive her pigging-out indiscretion in 1960! Leo Caton was a wonderful worker in the early days of the hall, almost single- handedly transforming a mere shell into an attractive, well- equipped function centre.
JOHN PETERSON REMEMBERS (C.1989)
.Tullamarine has grown tremendously over the last twenty years? Those of us who can remember that far back can also remember the open paddocks and the chatter of the Americans who were living in the area while the Airport was being built. (The Theresa St. area was developed to accommodate them. R. Gibb) The cows from the nearby Moonya dairy used to graze on the open paddocks which now are occupied by the houses in Micheline and Dawson Streets. It was not unusual to wake up in the morning with a cow peering in your window.
Many sporting teams were started by some of our energetic residents. One such club which came into being in the late 60?s was the Tullamarine Little Athletics Club?.. Some of those who played a major part in getting the Tulla club started were the Dineens, later to become the mayor and mayoress of Keilor, the Langtips, Petersens, Bennetts, and Bradleys. Later on there were the Masons Frys, Halls Aylmers, Allisons, Rentons, Gibbs and Kerschbaumers.
(John wrote much about the merit of every child in little aths. being rewarded and the long-lasting friendships which developed through the club as well as apologising to anyone he?d left off his list of stalwarts.)
THE SONIC.
This popular community newsletter, published monthly by the Progress Association and the Youth Club was just one of the things the Dineens got off the ground. Leo and Shirley probably had purple fingers and unwanted highs after nights spent working on the old spirit duplicator which was used at first but they would have had little trouble compiling news from the various organisations; they were on most of them. When I took over as editor, a more advanced spirit duplicator was housed at the house of Youth Club stalwarts, Trev. And Val Mason. A year or so later, Peter Ogier?s expertise gave the Sonic a more professional appearance with a fancy coloured letterhead. Some of the busy typists who helped in this valuable community link?s production were Pat Street, Kaye Caton, Val Mason, Bev. Large, Barbara Parker and Pam Dosser.
Yearly T.P.A. membership collections helped to finance the Sonic but advertisers helped too. They included:Chris & Venus Koutsovasilis (milk bar), Ross Scaffidi (greengrocer), John Osborn (chemist), Elaine Jones, G&C Camping Gear (17 Theresa St.), Moonya Farm Dairy, Tullamarine Plant Farm (Sid Wheller, 8 Sharps Rd.), Tulla Self Service, Chris & Helen Dzolis (milk bar on Spring St cnr.), Tulla Hardware, Joe & Ivan Kaytar (engineering), Ampol Service Station (Clarke, at cnr. of Sharps & Lancefield Rds.), Mobil Service Station (Peter Woods), Alan Kirby (T.V. repairs, 3 Fisher Gr.), Delicatessen & Milk Bar (next to butcher, Noel, Charlie &Marcel Zeidan), Electrician (5 Londrew), Removals (Noel Grist-the Kindergarten Association?s first life member), Jeannie?s Driving School, Niddrie.
The November 1973 issue of the Sonic mentions:
Many lawns being overgrown. Leo Dineen, Cr Ernie Angel, Leo Caton and myself visiting the airport to discuss the aircraft noise problem with bush- basher, Leo Caton, getting bogged in Derby St on the way home. Vice Principal, Alan Hewitt, coming to the rescue when a house in Eumarella St. lost its tiles. The Kindergarten Association?s Dinner Dance, Paper Drive and film festival, Gordon Henwood?s civic spirited action, the eyesore north of the newsagency. Mrs Dianne Goodall?s thanks for Sonic and applauding the many community activities. Convenor, Leo Dineen?s notice of a meeting on 14 November to form a tennis club with those unable to attend being asked to contact Leo or Jeff Chivell. And the Youth Club?s football, gymnastics, ballet, table tennis, guitar classes, cricket, and basketball. The Progress Association Committee consisted of C.Warne (P), R.Gibb (S), Cr. Dineen, R.Watts, I.Romoniw, K. Critchley, L.Garnar, L.Caton, and Bev. Large (A.S.). Thanks were extended to Ron Langtip for his long service as Treasurer and the retiring President, Leo Caton. Elected to the Hall Committee were: Bev Large, Ruth Kelly, Pat Street, Rhonda Lilly, Len Garnar, M.Rogan, G.Lofts, C. Warne, Reg Pryce, J.Young, Ray Cannon and L.Dineen. T.P.A. requests included vehicles not entering the proposed Derby St development (Ansair) via Derby St, the M.M.T.B. to extend their services to Gladstone Park and a sign and historical board to be placed at Green?s Corner.
The November, 73 issue continued a history of the early days of the youth club, which I will quote.
ACTIVITIES BEGIN.
Well there we were,a totally inexperienced committee of ten people (Mr Stephen Wenczel had by then been introduced to and accepted onto the foundation committee.)
However, lack of experience was well compensated for by the enthusiasm shown by all.
SATURDAY, 21st JUNE, 1969.
The day started very early for some. Bread, donated by a Coburg bakery,had to be collected. Also a portable gas stove on loan from friends in Essendon, frankfurts from Flemington, drinks from Ascot Vale.
At 8:30 on the dot, Brian Bennett was loading his trailer with portable goal posts, footballs, basketballs, tug-o- war ropes etc.
Activities began at 9 a.m. Children! They were everywhere. Brian Bennett, Cr. Leo Dineen, Martin and Tom Allison and Stephen Wenczel volunteered their time to coach the boys at football. Christine Kennett, Dianne Tucker and Jenny Dinsdale led girls in basketball (netball). They were assisted by Mrs. Smith,a senior basketball coach.
?The hot dog stand proved an outstanding success. By the time the last one was dispensed, the toilers, Mrs. Muscat and Mrs. Allison were in a state of collapse. The children also accounted for 12 dozen soft drinks.? This is a quote from the Keilor Messenger which started early in June 1969, Editor, Cec. Rowlands was giving the club a much appreciated burst of publicity. Indeed he continued to do so for as long as we supplied him with material. Mr Keith Johnson M.H.R., a former Broadmeadows councillor, was in attendance and offered to help the club in any way possible. At this stage activities were free. The Club?s sole source of income being special efforts, the hot dog stand and donations. (If I remember correctly, Val Mason was writing this history; it is typical of Trev and Val that their names are missing!)
News and issues mentioned in other issues of the SONIC follow:
April, 1973.
Children riding mini bikes on footpaths. Cyclists riding near shop doorways. Design of the Kindergarten was underway and steps were being taken to rezone the Dawson St. site.Council officers had been instructed to contact the C.R.B. re alignments to spreed up the commencement of construction of Fosters Rd. (Keilor Park Dr.). Work on Broadmeadows Rd. would start when Fosters Rd. was finished. People were asked not to park on the service road at the Melrose Dr. shops as it endangered children going from the (mud/ dustbowl ) car park to the shops.
T.P.A. 15-3-73 MEETING. R.LANGTIP, T.SCHWAB, K.JONES, B.LARGE, M. KERSCHBAUMER, P. OGIER, L.DINEEN, R.LILLY, T.MASON, L.CATON, MRS C. DUDLEY, R.GIBB, M.MOORE,& B.LARGE ATTENDED WITH THE LAST THREE FILLING THE VACANT POSITIONS OF SEC., ASS. SEC., AND HALL COMM. SEC.
KINDERGARTEN ASS.
The treasurer, Rhonda Kuflik and her husband, Richard, were thanked for putting up with a backyard full of bottles for so long; as they wanted a lawn, the bottle drive had now ended. (I seem to remember Bev Lindsey using her garage as a drop off place on nominated dates after this.)
LITTLE ATHS.
Thanks to Monica and Frank Place and Faye and Ron McDonald for donations. Presentations were made to the children with the Sextons, Howes, Bants, Posts, McFarlanes, Eriksons, D?Agatas and Lillys being among those not mentioned previously in connection with Little Aths.(Incidentally, Carey Hall who was a junior footy champ and handy at aths. became an international cyclist.)
Little Aths. was still part of the Youth Club at this stage.
T.Y.C.
Jenny Godber was to be the new ballet teacher and the committee was comprised of Mesdames Croce, Aikas, Taylor and Pereira. The T.Y.C. football committee consisted of John Pearson (P), Ray Lofts (VP), John Petersen (TR.), Marty Allison (Sec.), John Hall, John Amott, John McDonald and Wayne Whiting; retiring officials, Ken Boots, Don Tudor and Ken Davies were thanked for their efforts. Jenny Savill, Kerri Pearson, Billy Keegan and Anthony Armstrong represented the club at a Government House function. Local children who assisted in the Red Cross Doorknock were Pam Rossely, Debra Kovac, Ian Scown, Brendan Mason, Robert Pezeli, Grant Tudor, Colin and Randall Todd and Steven Collins.
In presenting cricket trophies to Anthony Armstrong, Phillip Briggs, David Jones, John Bennett, Stephen Davies, John Wenczel, Peter Daniel and Mark Pearson, Cr.Cliff Harvey spoke glowingly of the service given by the late Sid Hedger and Ivor Anderson after whom shields had been named. President, Ken Boots, thanked coaches and the committee.
Jenny Abdilla?s gymnastics classes were popular. Volleyball would be starting soon.
May, 73 SONIC.
A Personality of The Month article featured Leo Dineen. Grandson of the Tullamarine S.S. 2613 teacher in the 1920?s (and an early Progress Association auditor and committee member), and son of a teacher, Leo settled in Tullamarine in 1961. Seven years later, he moved to Theresa St. Having joined the Progress Association in 1962, Leo started the SONIC in 1963 and served many years as T.P.A. Secretary in the 1960?s.
Inaugural President of the Keilor Little Athletics Centre, trustee of the youth club and a member of just about every committee in Tulla, Leo conveys hosts of noisy young footballers to games in his station wagon as well. First elected to Keilor Council in 1967, Leo served as Mayor in 1970-1. His close co-operation with the Progress Association has led to better lighting, the service road in front of the shopping centre, the Triangular Estate drainage scheme, and the Spring St. drain being undergrounded. To come in the near future are a pavilion, sealed car park,a storeroom added to the hall and other sporting facilities.
His wife, Shirley, the proud mother of Mike 12, Tricia 10, Tony 8, and Kevin 5, is also very active in Little Athletics activities as well as coping with her young family while Leo spends nearly every night of the week at meetings.
Kindergarten Association.
For the second month in a row over 2 tons of newspapers has been collected. The Gala Day on Queens Birthday will feature a women?s football match, again, a bike-a ?thon, and pony rides (provided by Peggy Ball).
Tullamarine Volleyball Club. Wednesdays 8:30- 10:30. Ph. 338 4148 for details.
T.Y.C.
BALLET. Mrs Barbara Potter, liason officer, has not been mentioned yet.
CONTACTS. Little Aths.-Shirley Dineen Cricket- George Armstrong
Football-Marty Allison Gym.- Mrs Pomroy
Badminton- Betty Davies Volleyball- Ray Gibb
Table Tennis- Steven Baric Ballet- Sandra Taylor
Prospective new activities- Trevor Mason
A teacher is wanted for guitar classes.
Thanks to Ian McFarlane, Wayne Martin, Cyril Milne, Frank Place, John Hall and Trevor Mason for assistance with the weekly special effort.
Basket Supper Dance 30th June. Ticket secretaries- Ian McFarlane, Val Taylor, George Armstrong, Barbara McColley, Ronnie Crawford.
First round of footy- best: U9. N.Allison &C. Hall. U11. M. Allison, J. D?Agata, E.De Francesco
AROUND AND ABOUT. Milton Cooper (Boxer) and Paul Sproule (footballer) are two residents having success in sport. Greenvale reservoir opened on 18-4- 1973.
The last document of this era that I have found is the Kindergarten Association Annual Report of 19-3- 1973. It gives some insight into the activity taking place at the time, both to raise funds and make Tullamarine a community. It is unsigned but I am sure that Sandra Braun was the Secretary.
?We are now about to enter our third year?...This past year has been marked by many and varied functions?.Ben Hall?s bazaar..was also affected by bad weather?The early part of winter seemed to be the time for demonstration parties.
?The highlight of the year was without doubt the Gala Day held on Queen?s Birthday weekend. All members of the committee co-operated very well to make this day the outstanding day it no doubt was, but special thanks are given to Mr. Ray Gibb who donated so much of his time towards making this day a function to be remembered. There were stalls set up inside the hall and afternoon tea was provided also; however during the morning the local children took part in a runathon which raised a considerable amount of money, then the parents and other interested people enjoyed a barbeque whilst the children queued eagerly for hot dogs and pony rides! In the afternoon much hilarity was seen at the ladies? football game against the lady members of the local youth club, who took the field under the name of Mason?s Mashers?.September was again a busy month for the committee with a baby show and a fashion parade. Thanks are extended to Mrs. Elaine Cardona for all the effort she put into making the baby show a success- and it only went to show how many babies there were in Tullamarine.?and thanks are extended to Mrs. Lyn Milley who undertook the organising of the successful fashion parade. ..Early in November there was a luncheon showing of the Myer spring catalogue and all who attended expressed their enthusiasm. Two street stalls were held and thanks are given to those who man the stall and local residents who donate the wonderful cakes which are no small part of the success of such stalls. Cookery books were typed , run off and sold.
During the latter half of the year Mr. Ray Gibb and Mr John Storey organised several paper drives and bottle collections. Thanks are extended to both and especially to Ray, for the immense amount of work involved in the paper collections. Also we must thank the local husbands who assisted, and Mr. Noel Grist for the frequent use of his furniture van for removal of the papers to the depot.
As regards the bottle collections, thanks must be given to our President (Bev. Cassar) and Treasurer (Rhonda Kuflik) who have done most of the collecting alone and even risked a fracas with the garbage collectors to make a few extra dollars for the kindergarten. Toy parties were held shortly prior to Christmas?The local chemist Mr.J.Osborn was nominated to pick the winner ? which turned out to be a committee member!
Everyone in Tullamarine will agree that the year was finished with a rousing send off at the Community Centre with our first ever cabaret ball. Socially this was about the most successful function ever held by the Association and the thanks for this must go to Mr. John Storey who not only worked to make the administrative arrangements a success, but also took time off work to assist in decorating the hall?.
Financially this year has been extremely successful, but this is due in the main to the wonderful support received towards our weekly donation campaign, which is nearing its final stages now. Especial thanks are given to all our tireless workers who unfailingly give of their time and efforts each week, and we must also thank the local residents who have so willingly donated this money. It is thanks to these people that our bank balance now stands in excess of $3,500. (This amount would have bought a house block in Tulla in 1971!)
During the year we regretfully accepted the resignation of our inaugural President Mrs. Deanna Johnson, who due to family circumstances, moved back to Queensland. Rhonda Kuflik has been an able and energetic treasurer. I know I speak on behalf of all committee members?when I express our very sincere thanks to our President, Beverley Cassar, who stepped into Deanna?s shoes when she left and has unfailingly given of her best to make sure the various functions are a success.
(Three people who worked hard for the kindergarten were Alan Kirby, Carol Wright and Doug Fraser, especially in the paper drives. Maureen Leahy also gave great service, as did Bev. Lindsey who was also a prime mover with the scouts.)
MORE GREAT WORKERS.
As sure as women gossip, I?ll leave somebody off the list but chats with Frank Thom, Maureen Leahy and Bev Lindsey today have oiled my rusty memory.
SCOUTS. Penny and Wayne Killen, Dora and Trevor Still, Cliff Staggard, Mick Dowell, Ivan Gellie, Molly and Eric Allen, Stan and Ellen Wright, Gary and Bev Lindsey, Ian McFarlane, Gordon Henwood, Pat Pieroni, Bob Ratten, Bill and Audrey Walden, Frank Thom, Ross and Ron McDonald (unrelated), Mal Fry, Dawn Torode, Ivy Lilly.
KINDERGARTEN. Ian Goudie (who also gave the football club long service as a trainer and served it as secretary), Bill Collins, Roy Hollis, Ron and Anita Dawson, Prue Hicks, Ron Farrugia, Graeme Smith, Doug Fraser, Mike and Heather Keenan, Richard & Annette Benson, Mike & Dianne Leahy.
SONIC EDITOR. Ian Howard.
SCHOOL. Doug Fraser, Kevin Jones, Ray Lofts, Vivien Sutherland (canteen), Doris Rorke (garden), Reg Pryse, Peter Gordon, Ray Gibb, Frank Thom (sprinkler system).
GUIDES. Mrs Gregg. HALL COMMITTEE. Ray Cannon.
Tullamarine Progress Association.
The minutes book reveals some of the community?s concerns.
19-4-73. Airport noise, poor state of road shoulders near railway bridge.
17-5-73. Drains in Lancefield Rd. north of Greens Corner.
21-6-73. Police station needed.
19-7-73. Stop sign at Carrick Dr, flat policy and Tadstan Dr. sewerage requested. Residents asked for suggestions re renaming Lancefield Rd.
15-11-73. Council workers strike for eight weeks. With the approval of state union secretary, Neil Cole, Ray Gibb organises a collection of Tulla?s maggot- ridden garbage. With Dave Calder?s truck and collectors such as Carol Wright and Dieter Behrendt, after a threatening confrontation at Keilor tip, all of Tulla?s rubbish was disposed of.
21-2-74. Police asked to supervise traffic leaving drive-in. Lancefield Rd. beautification (mounds).
Railway station requested near Caterpillar.
21-3-74. Need to solve traffic problem near bridge before Cadbury Schweppes opens. (It opened in January 1975.)
18-4-74. Cleaning of Spring Creek needed.
20-6-74. Whistling noise from Frozen Foods is annoying residents.
18-8-74. Sewerage in the Malvern Avenue area.
31-10-74. Kindergarten Association asking for temporary use of hall.
4-12-74. Slowness in installing requested stop signs due to need for traffic counts say the councils. Fence needed for creek in Dawson St.
28-3-75. Lack of action by Keilor City Council re storage room for hall. Ron Langtip and Cr.Gibb attended the first meeting of the Keilor Park Progress Association.
26-5-75. T.P.A. presses for duplication of the railway bridge. Oval at Spring St. to be ready for next football season and the pavilion by Christmas. Youth Club Storage shed. (It was placed about where Tulla players enter their change rooms.)
28-8-75. A special meeting is held so that ward councillors Dineen, Tagell and Gibb can explain why they, with Crs. Hall, Free and Heinze, called for the sacking of Keilor Council. Municipal Administration Inspector, B.C.Kelleher?s report in September confirmed claims about council officers: attempting to discredit councillors and the Town Clerk, having suspicious land dealings, responding ?Bullshit? to a statement in a meeting by the Town Clerk with the Mayor taking no action. He also stated that the Mayor had not exercised the degree of authority necessary to maintain even reasonable control over meetings. The guilty officers had sided with the City Engineer in a power struggle with the Town Clerk some years earlier, as had the councillors with whom they were conspiring.
THE LATER 70?S.
By this time, Tullamarine was filling up and most of the facilities, such as the library in 1978, had been provided. This meant more time could be spent in the home and the frenetic hard yakka, which had developed Tulla so quickly, was no longer necessary. But those who shared this toil have fond memories of mates and achievements.
DO YOU REMEMBER?
The tyre service south of the K.F.C. site and the frequent black-smoke fires.
Social basketball on the outdoor court at Spring St. and then at Niddrie High.
Youth Club Basketball teams playing at the Showgrounds (teenagers such as Kevin Morrison playing open age) and later younger lads at Morgan?s factory in the creek valley.
Youth Club Coffee Nights every Friday night until mid 1978.
The first under 13 football team starting games at about 8:30 every Saturday morning with Jeff Chivell as Coach, Noel West and Ted Jennings as officials and Betty Davies providing 100 decibel support.
The houses that used to be where the Melrose Drive Shopping Centre is now.
The open drain that ran through the Spring St. Reserve; the children used to have great fun chasing rats.
Tullamarine- Ascot Vale, coached by Ken Newton and with a nippy young rover named Robbie McDonald, playing at the Melrose Dr. Reserve in about 1972 before moving to Fairbairn Park. This club merged with Essendon Baptists- St. Johns with the new club commencing at the newly- finished Spring St. oval and immediately setting about smashing Doutta?s E.D.F.L. consecutive A Grade premierships record. The oval was constructed by Frank Thom who served the scouts, School and Kindergarten well: his wife Carol was a member of the Kindergarten Association committee. Those who contributed to the five consecutive A Grade flags were: A.BENT 75-9; P.OWEN 75-9; T. HOPE 75,6,8,9; T.HERSBACH 75-9; A.FISCHER 75,6,7,9; J.GLEN 75-9; S.SPARK 75-9; G.O?BRIEN 75-8; A.DELALANDE 76-9; R.McDONALD 75-8; B.PATERSON 75-6; A. PATERSON 76-8; G.PATERSON 76-8; J. ANDERSON 76-8; P.WHITE 77-9; P.MUTIMER 75,6,9; I.LUMSDEN 75,7,9; S.DAVIES 77-8; R. PARKER 76-8; G.HARRISON 75,8,9; B.TREGONING, S.BORDINGNON, C.SMITH, J.BORDIGNON(C.C.), C.FRASER IN 1975; J. FLETCHER, R.WOODS, R.JONES 1976; L.FROST, D.LOVECOTT, M.PEARCE, J.WELSH 1977; P.SMITH, G.LARKIN 1978; J.EDWARDS (COACH),M.CLARKSON,A.SIMIC,T.LAVERDE, J.POTTER, M.DUNCAN, K.ROBERTS 1979.
Peter Owen?s dazzling play for Tulla. For one who couldn?t get a game in the under 17?s, the level of skill and determination he displayed was amazing. He coached the last two premiership sides and coached Strathmore to the next year?s flag.
Tulla?s miraculous effort to come back from a seven goal deficit in the last five minutes and win the B Grade flag under Gary Crane?s coaching in 1981. The club?s other B grade premiership was won with Graeme Harrison at the helm in 1993.
Postscript.
Of course I forgot some workers. Here are the ones I?ve recalled already.
Alma Prest (Guides) and her husband (school committee).
Linda Smith (Sonic typing and Guides)
Heather Keenan (Hall booking Officer between Bev Large and myself)
Frank Townsend ( Teenage Coffee nights )
Doug Troon (Teenage Coffee Nights) and Glenys (Brownies).
Colin and Grace Miller (Stalwarts of Neighbourhood Watch for ages.)
Ray Scicluna (Kindergarten committee)
Spouses such as my wife,Val Gibb, and Charlie Cassar etc. who gave much ?behind the scenes? support.
SNIPPETS FROM THE PAST. By Leo Dineen.
(Unfortunately this had to be summarised due to limited space.)
One of the most remarkable community achievements resulted in the building of the Tullamarine Hall. Keilor Council agreed in 1967 to build a hall if the community raised $4000. The Progress Association hall committee, led by Len Garnar, asked each resident for 20c per week which was collected from the meter box every Sunday morning, mainly from the Triangle Estate and the area near Gordon St.
One of the identities of the era was Ben Kelly. Often seen working in his vegetable garden in the early hours of the morning and returning to his home at the Tadstan Dr. corner, in his uniform of blue overalls and army coat, with a wheelbarrow of purchases from the shopping centre, as Progress Association president, Ben demanded punctuality and at 8 p.m. a line would be ruled in the attendance book to indicate that any further signatures were of latecomers. (Much more on Ben in ?Before The Jetport?.)
The early meetings of the Progress Association (formed at a meeting convened by Tom Loft in 1924) were held on the first Monday night of the month MOONLIGHT PERMITTING.
The organiser of the 22-11-1998 reunion was one of the hardest workers for the community but arrived at a council meeting one night appearing as though he had gone five rounds with a crocodile, having been forced off the narrow Fosters Rd. bridge by a speeding car.
Tullamarine in 1960.
? A milk bar/ garage (Green?s Corner) at the corner of Mickleham and Bulla Road.
? Housing only as far west as Gordon St. and Christopher Crescent, with other houses past Tadstan Dr. and on the Triangle Estate.
? Unmade streets on the Triangle with stagnant water in poorly drained gutters.
? One small Infant Welfare Centre off Carol Grove.
? No Broadmeadows Rd. School as the old school (S.S.2613) was in its last year of operation at the Conders Lane corner. (Nth. Corner of Link Rd. and Melrose Dr.)
? NO hall, tennis courts,kindergarten,doctor, chemist, sporting teams, youth club or sewerage and only a couple of shops.
Did you know that the architect of the original pavilion building designed the Great Southern Stand at the Melbourne Cricket ground? His name?. Darrel Jackson.
itellya on 2012-02-05 01:37:15
itellya on 2012-02-05 02:32:31Thanks janilye.
itellya on 2012-02-05 02:33:46
bluestonedreaming on 2012-02-06 04:01:54That is fascinating and fantastic amount of info! woow thanks!
I googled ben kelly quickly and found a trove piece that mentioned him. He sounds a character form your descriptionindeed! He must have been on t he land opposite me, as i am the east corner of melrose and tadstan(closest to broadmeadows Rd0. Units are popping up everywhere, i am a little sad all the houses are being purchased and demolished. looks like the house next to northedge units (next to 7-11,the old Greens corner i now know) has been sold in readyness for more units.So between my place and ht eocrner, i notice on my walks thta one house remains - obvioulsy quite strong to resisit the real estate harassment i imgine. i have had cold callings even at my unti form Agents tryign to entice to sell! Such is "progress" eh?
How interesting that some things have changed yet others not! there is still so much talk of a railway,now propsed behind my parents house in Churchill Ave, alhtogh many believe it won't eventuate. Reading about a station once asked for at Caterpillar factory is interesting, as my family an dI have often discussed some kind of action group to get a station there. Also there was talk of *if* the train line eventuted behind Churchill and onto th eairport (proposing underground station and tus,perhaps partly under the gorund through those paddocks..which are rapidly being eaten up by fatcories built ont he once designated land of clearance / no buildings by the airport), we would try to rally for a station for Tulla at the veyr least! it would make sense at Caterpillar now what with Westfield being right there and the gowanbrae estate flourishing.
Very sad on people losing life sacings on investments. My parents lost house deposit savings when first married to a man who "sold" thme land in lancefield thne fled with the cash back to ireland ! Grandparents led a life of poverty due to hard earned savings being lost in a similar fashiomn. Very sad those things happen.
i wonder what Walter Murphy would htink of melbourne's second airport finally eventuating at Avalon when he fought so hard for it to be THE Melbourne airport!
Sewerage probelms gosh!!! We have had small sewerage and drainage problems on this block of unit shere at Tadsrtan drvie ove rth elast decade, how curious.
WHat a shame your suggestion of aero names for local streets was not taken on board! however, I do appreciate the names along melrose knowing they come form history and the farms thta wer eonce there named accordingly. I ma curious as to what tadstan Drive is named after? everythign else seems to have a family name or property name as street name, so I am curious to know if you can enlightne me on Tadstan?? have mused if it was part of a reference to Stanhill?
itellya on 2012-02-06 06:22:25The house next door to North Edge was Major Murphy's. It should be preserved and I intend to write a letter to the Hume Leader about this.
You could be right in your theory about Tadstan Drive being linked to Stanley Korman. The maps on pages 196 and 197 show land purchased by Korman's companies between 1954 and 1959. The first shows that he bought land right up to Hughie Williamson's "Dunvegan", by then owned by Hill, and confirms that he indeed purchased Strathconnan and Denham's land (now Catherine Ave and Trade Park.) You will notice that Broombank and the 18 acre Junction Estate (to Londrew Court)are not included in either map.
Ray Loft had subdivided Broombank in 1952, most likely along Millar Rd (named after his wife's family) to start with. My reason for believing this is that, at this time, the centre of activity was still to the north with the school at the Conders Lane (Link Rd) corner and the post office on the site of Henderson Rd until, (perhaps late) 1959. Perhaps Korman purchased the Tadstan Drive portion in about 1960 to join onto "Strathconnan".
Incidentally, Strathconnan is shown as having been purchased from Kay but the owner's name was actually Kaye. He was probably a Pole (like Ilko Romaniw and others on the triangular estate)and when he first bought Strathconnan his name was recorded in rate books as Kowarzic. He was the manager of Australian National Airways until Reg Ansett took it over to form Ansett-A.N.A.
itellya on 2012-02-06 06:30:44I forgot to mention that there is not even one white pages entry for TADSTAN, residential or business! The only result on google for TADSTAN (apart from street names) is an entry in the Cairns Post which is so blurry that the surname might not even be Tadstan. There are streets in Clayton South and Donvale with the name.
bluestonedreaming on 2012-02-08 07:02:34i do hope Majot Murphy's house can be prserved! i do recall seeing a very small red placard asking for objuections to be submitted to the ocuncil ,maybe in december? All the trees along the fence shared with Northedge have been removed. I have laways liked that house,it's roses and concrete fornt fountain.
Interesting Tadstan missing from the white pages. I noticed as I checke dout many of your melway refernce shere on the net, tadstan drive is missign from the initial look at pg 5. Odd.
itellya on 2012-02-18 03:54:14I made a mistake about Bridget Madden being Maurice Crotty's daughter. She was his sister. This mistake will be corrected in bold type in the journal when I have time. I will also be adding information about the Maddens in this journal and the one about the Inverness Hotel. The Maddens were related by marriage to the Daniel family of Narbonne.
jadethan on 2013-07-30 18:53:31I have a photo of old Tullamarine taken around 1960 or perhaps earlier. It looks like it was taken from the top of the old drive in screen. I can send it to you if you can provide an email address.
My family lived at 76 Broadmeadows Rd from 1953 till the 80's or later. My mother Ruth Kelly was involved with the Tullamarine Progress Association for a long time. There was a thermometer in the window of Garner's newsagency for quite a while showing how much money had been raised to build the community hall.
My father, Frank Kelly, ran a welding shop behind the service station at the corner of Bulla and Mickleham Rd's in the 50's and early 60's. I believe the original service station was the same building that used to be the old pub which, legend has it, was once frequented by Squizzy Taylor.
I can remember picnicing by the creek when the western side of Broadmeadows Rd was largely farmland. There used to be a nice spot where it ran under Sharps Rd and there was a stand of large pine trees providing shade. It's just a dip in the road now.
My eldest sister could provide a lot of information on what Tulla was like back in the 50's and 60's.
itellya on 2013-07-31 12:13:33I knew Ruth and her mate, Rhonda Lilley well. They loved badminton and were heavily involved with the Hall Committee.Do you remember the putrid burning tyres in the yard near the shops? Cec and Lily Green ran a garage/shop in the old Junction Hotel and one day had a visit from a retired policeman who showed them a bullet that lodged in a door when the police tried to arrest Squizzy Taylor.
I can't really use the photo as I'm almost completely doing Mornington Peninsula history but Elayne Whatman of the Broadmeadows Historical Society would probably love a copy. Send me a private message and I'll give you her email address as well as my phone number. If your sister doesn't want to write her own journal about Tulla in the 50's and 60's, we could have a chat and I'll write the journal.
jadethan on 2013-07-31 21:06:06How do I send you a private message?!
No, I don't remember the burning tyres. I do remember the bonfires the local kids used to build for cracker night each year. A favourite area was in the triangular paddock at the northern end of the shops.
I used walk around the cars at the drive in selling Heralds and Sporting Globes when I was in primary school. My brother was pictured with a small group in the Argus when the drive in first opened. Lots of memories.
itellya on 2013-11-01 18:23:48Australasian Chronicle (Sydney, NSW : 1839 - 1843) Saturday 22 July 1843 p 4 Article
... Government Gazette -0 - TUESDAY, JULY 18. His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to appoint the following gentlemen to be magistrates of the territory and its dependencies, viz , John Fitsgerald Leslie Foster, Esquire, of Leslie Park, Port Phillip; etc.
itellya on 2013-11-01 19:37:42THE NEW MINISTRY.The Argus, Thursday 12 March 1857 p 5.
John Vesey Fitzgerald Foster, Esquire, to be the Colonial Treasurer or Treasurer.
Charles Gavan Duffy, Esquire, to be the Commissioner of Public Works.
Charles Gavan Duffy was acclaimed as a hero as soon as he arrived in Victoria, and was soon in parliament. He had fought to protect the rights of tenant farmers in Ireland who were being tossed off their small farms by landlords; many of these evictees were diggers whose mining rights gave them a vote. Duffy was granted much land in the parish of Nepean but not the site of the village of Sorrento. He and William Allison Blair were well-reported opponents in court, involving accusations of dummyism, and there was doubt about which of them had made a selection application for the Sorrento site first. S.S.Crispo suggested the dispute could be solved by selling the land as a village. Its name was provided by Duffy who was impressed by Sorrento in Italy.
John Pascoe Fawkner did not mince words. In this letter,he lets Foster and Duffy have it with both barrels!
Mr. Duffy says. " He had left home an invalid, to seek repose under a new sky." What a farce ! This is said in January, 1856, and on May 12th the Argus records his advent at Warrnambool, headed, " Mr. C.G. Duffy in the West." He comes out strong
-as strong as he possibly could have done at fifteen years of age, and perhaps as ill-informed. He alludes to the Government of his countryman, the great Dodger of Australia, and Mr. La Trobe, and talks of their mismanagement as if it was the act of the present Government, seemingly totally ignorant of the change that has taken place,and blinking the question that it was his friend and countryman Mr. John Vesey Fitzgerald Leslie Foster-I love to give the whole name -that exhibited the
"reckless profusion" and " supposed insolvency." (P.6, Argus,7-6-1856.)
itellya on 2014-04-26 06:11:51Lot 4 (M'Cormack). Parish of Tullamarine-Small farm of 21 acres, all enclosed, with slab hut, portion of Section No. 7, subdivision by Mr.Fawkner,
(P.2, Argus, 21-4-1865.)
FROM JOURNAL.
In 1860, Maurice Crotty, who married a McCormack* lass from Annandale, on the other side of Fosters Rd., started leasing The Springs.
Joe Crotty's grandson told me that the McCormacks had a 44 acres farm called Chesterfield on the south side of Annandale Rd east of today's Lambeck Drive,whose southern boundary was an extension of the line of Sharps Rd. This was leased from George Annand,the grantee of section 2,Tullamarine. The McCormacks fled north to the Corryong area to escape retribution after being involved in hanging an aborigine. Maurice's wife heroically placed her body in the way to prevent a revenge killing.After this,they may have returned to Tullamarine and bought three 7 acre lots on Fawkner's subdivision.
eizzak2 on 2021-01-04 10:24:22Such wonderful detail, I really enjoy your writings.