Is it worth $40 million dollars (perhaps half as much again)to change the heart of a community? The Rosebud Fishing Village was Rosebud, the jetty being built roughly in the middle of it. The school was the first public building on the inland side of the beach road and of course,it was built in the HEART OF ROSEBUD. Today,Rosebud has two hearts,the second being Rosebud Plaza on the old Hindhope Estate.

On 16-5-1856, R.Glover and J.Wallace were granted crown allotment 17, parish of Wannaeue, consisting of 129 acres 2 roods and 28 perches. This was bounded by the beach road,Jetty Rd, Eastbourne and the line of Norm Clark walk (just east of Ninth Avenue.)

TUESDAY, 10th MARCH.
Parish of Wannaeue, Arthur's Seat. 129 Acres.
Four-roomed Cottage, Men's Huts, fronting Hobson's Bay, and within Thirty Miles from Melbourne by Water, and Forty-five Miles by Road.
H.A. COFFEY, for F. E. Beaver and Co., is instructed to sell by auction, at their rooms, 30 Collins-street west, on Tuesday, 10th inst., at eleven o'clock, 129 acres superior agricultural land, having a large
frontage to Hobson's Bay, and described in the Government plan as having water at a short distance from the surface ; together with a neat cottage containing four rooms and a garden ; fruit trees, fenced in. From the great rise in tho value of property in this locality, tho healthful air and the beautiful scenery, there can be no doubt but that this opportunity offers a fair chance for profitable investment to the small capitalist, or would be admirably adapted for a marine residence. The water is sufficiently deep in shore to admit the landing of provisions and goods close to the frontage. Terms Liberal.(P.2,Argus,5-3-1857.)

MONDAY, MAY 2.
Near Arthur's Seat, and Close to the Village of Dromana. Fronting the Bay.
ALFRED BLISS has received instructions from the proprietor to SELL by PUBLIC AUCTION, at his rooms, 37 Queen-street, on Monday,May 2, at one o'clock,
Section No. 17, parish of Wannaene, containing 129 acres 2 roods 28 perches, bounded on three sides by
Government roads. For the convenience of intending purchasers the above property has been cut up into 5 and 10 acre allotments. (P.2,Argus, 20-4-1859.)

On 3-9-1864,R.Glover was assessed on 129 acres,unencumbered,with a nett annual value of 16 pounds 10 shillings. By the Kangerong Road Board assessment of 2-9-1865, Richard Robert Woolcott had become the owner. Assessment No. 103 gives his name as Woolcott and he paid rates on 129 acres, Wannaeue, with a nett annual value of 6 ponds 10 shillings. By 3-9-1870 the nett annual value had risen to 10 pounds and, although the rate collector gave his Christian names,his surname was written as Woollcote. In the 15-9-1876 assessment he seems not to have been assessed but he might have been assessed under O in the alphabetical listings. Where the occupant was not clear a property was assessed against "Owner" and if the owner's name was entered if it was discovered.

In the 14-9-1879 assessment the N.A.V.was 12 pounds and remained so on 24-7-1879 although -.Woolcote now owned only 112 acres; 17 or 18 acres had been sold. If they were all 2 acres like the block that George and Susan Peatey bought in 1878,that would mean that nine blocks had been sold. By 16-7-1888 Woolcote (written only in the OWNER column)was assessed on 20 allotments,Wannaeue with a nett annual value of only 8 pounds. The next year it was written VERY FAINTLY as 40 acres and the N.A.V. was 40 pounds. Perhaps the council had decided that all building blocks must have a N.A.V. OF 2 pounds,a value that persisted well into the 1920's for vacant blocks. A modest dwelling would raise this to, or by, 5 pounds.

By 1900, many purchasers seem to have forfeited their blocks to the Commercial Bank which was assessed on 84 acres in crown allotment 17. Those definitely assessed on land in THE HEART OF ROSEBUD (c/a 17) were:
George Henry Chapman (Dromana blacksmith) 4 lots, Charles James 3 acres, Marshall (Moonee Ponds real estate agent) 7 acres, Mrs Peatey 2 acres and house lot 76, John Roberts (the postmaster) 4 lots and house, Formbisher 2.5 acres lots 74 and 85. A few more may have had land on c/a 17 but as descriptions were so vague it is impossible to be sure.

In 1919, Henry Bucher of Brighton owned lots lots 73 and 78 (and perhaps lots 7-10);Mrs Mary Butler,c/o Mrs McDowell, a building on lot 49; Mrs Annie Eliza Cairns of "Fernvilla" (top of Cairn Rd) Rosebud, had lots 1,2,29 and 30; Mrs Elizabeth Cairns of Rosebud had lots 43-6; "Rosebud Ted" Cairns had lots 74 and 85; the Dromana blacksmith still had lots 19 and 20; A.C.Allingham*, the teacher who replaced Charles Perrin* was occupying "quarters,state school",the bill sent to the Education Department; John Fallon of Windsor had lot 80; (former?) Rye teacher Henry Horneman had lots 62,81 and 82;Mrs Hownslow had lot 23; Mrs Helen Salina Mitchell (probably from the present Woodlands Historic Park near Melbourne Airport)had lots 13-18 and buildings; Joseph Maconochie of Richmond lots 37-41 and buildings and his wife store and lot 42 occupied by P.Ditchburn*; Robert McDowell of Rosebud had lots 77 and 79 and part of lot 75 and a building; Alf and John Peatey,sons of George and Sarah the 2 acre lot 76 on the south corner of Jetty Rd and McDowell St bought in 1878 but minus the house which burnt down in 1912; Ernie Rudduck of Dromana, still alive thanks to Melbourne Brindle,William John Ferrier etc, land and store occupied by L.C.Leech; Mrs(sic) Mary B.Stone (see the Polly Vine chapter in Peter Wilson's ON THE ROAD TO ROSEBUD)LOTS 25,26,28; and Mrs Charlotte Walker of Benalla (possibly Robert McDowell's sister in law) part lot 75.
(*See ROSEBUD ROLL OF HONOUR.)

Crown allotment 18, between Adams Avenue and Jetty Rd had been subdivided before c/a 17 but only one block was sold,lot 86 of two acres on its north west corner. Robert White (Blooming Bob White bought c/a 17 in 1875 and was unaware that Charles Blackey had sold lot 86 to Jack Jones. When Bob sold the property to the (Leak/Lake brothers circa 1890)the new owners assumed that they had bought the whole 152 acres and took Jones to court to have him kicked off. Jones, who had conducted a store on his fishing village block, proved that he owned the block and built Rosebud's first proper shop on the corner. The buyer in 1913 was probably Mrs Mitchell who conducted what Isobel Moresby and Rosalind Peatey remembered fondly as a lolly shop.

W.A. KORNER WILL SELL BY PUBLIC AUCTION on the above date, on the ground,
1.All deceased's right, title, and interest in that piece of land being part of Crown portion l8, parish of Wannaeue, having frontage to Government road of 57ft. by a depth of 329ft, more or less, together with store and other improvements thereon.
2. All that piece of land, being part of Crown portion 18, parish of Wannaeue, having frontage of 60ft. by a depth of 330, more or less.Terms at Sale.W. A. Korner, auctioneer. Mornington.(P.4, Argus,6-12-1913.)

Although 150 acres of c/a 18 was a farm for nearly 40 years after R.R.Woolcott subdivided the heart of Rosebud (c/a 17)until suicide man, De Garis,launched his so-called HEART OF ROSEBUD ESTATE,lot 86 and Jack Jones' store certainly deserved to be included in the true heart of Rosebud.(See the chapter HENRY POTTON'S FARM in Peter Wilson's ON THE ROAD TO ROSEBUD.)

THURSDAY, JANUARY 13. DROMANA. DROMANA. Large Bay Frontage.
To Parties Looking for an Unrivalled Site for a Marine Residence or Farm.
C.J. and T. HAM have received Instructions from Mr. J. T. M'Kean, agent for owner, to SELL by PUBLIC AUCTION, at their rooms, on Thursday, 13th January next, at twelve o'clock, All that piece of land being Lot 17 in parish of Wannaeue, near to village reserve of Dromana, containing 130 acres, well and permanently watered by springs, and having large bay frontage. (P.2, Argus,7-1-1876.)

By 1879, -.Woolcote (sic) was assessed on an unknown number of acres with a nett annual value of 12 pounds.

ROSEBUD BAY.
That picturesque neighbourhood a little to the south west of Dromana, on the main road to Sorrento. The remaining unsold lots in the estate of R. R. Woolcott, Esq., being part of portion 17, parish of Wannaeue, each lot having an area of 1.5 acres and upwards. A new jetty, state school and other improvements have recently been added to the attractions of this place, which must ultimately become one of the most popular of our suburban watering-places.Solicitor, J. S. Woolcott, Esq., Chancery lane And SANDRINGHAM.
(P.2, Argus, 1-2-1888.)


Can the Clacton-on-Sea Estate ever become the heart of Rosebud? This estate was between Norm Clark Walk and First Avenue. There is much detail in LIME LAND LEISURE about the failure of the estate and how the shire and social agencies developed the forfeited land nearer Eastbourne Rd as a residential area for the elderly.

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 10 At 10 a m MECHANICS HALL Rosebud
Shire of Flinders RATE RECOVERY AUCTION
The Shire of Flinders through its Auctioneers Mr G. G .Austin of Frankston and Mr. S. L. Butler of Mornington as auctioneers in conjunction will sell by auction the following properties on Wednesday the 10th day of October 1951 at 10 a. m. in the Mechanics Hall, Rosebud under the provisions of the Local Government Acts
(Municipal Rates Recovery)
ALL THOSE pieces of land being Lots on Plan of Subdivision Number 6108 lodged in the Office of Titles (and which lots are more particularly set out hereunder)being part of Crown Allotments 15 and 16 at Rosebud, Parish of Wannaeue, County of Mornington.

N.B.Unless otherwise specified,all lot sizes are frontage 53 links and depth 181.8 links. A link is a hundredth of a chain (which close enough to 20 metres long) so each link equals 20 centimetres. Therefore the frontage is
53x20 cm or 10.60 metres and the depth is 36.36 metres. In (k)the depth is 219 links or 43.8 metres.

(a) Lots 46 48 54 56 58 and 62 Block A each lot having a frontage to Second Avenue.
(b) Lots 55 57 61 63 Block B each lot having a frontage to Second Avenue.
(c) Lots 50 52 54 60 62 and 72 Block B each lot having a frontage to Third Avenue.
(d) Lots 55 59 and 63 Block C each lot having a frontage to Third Avenue.
(e) Lots 56 58 60 64 66 72 and 74 Block C each lot having a frontage to Fourth Avenue.
(f) Lots 61 65 67 69 79 81 and 83 Block D each lot having a frontage to Fourth Avenue.
(g) Lots 72 84 86 and 88 Block E, each lot having a frontage to Sixth Avenue.
(h) Lots 63 69 71 73 75 93 and 95 Block F each lot having a frontage to Sixth Avenue.
(i) lots 66 68 84 94 and 96 Block F each lot having a frontage to Seventh Avenue.
(j) Lots 55 57 63 71 73 79 83 91 93 05 97 and 101 Block G each lot having a frontage to Seventh Avenue.
(k) Lots 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 and 13 Block 12 each lot having a frontage of 53 links to Ninth Avenue by a depth of 219 links* approximately. (*Presumably the east side.All the avenues seem to be 4.5 chains apart but Ninth and Rosebud Pde are 5 chains apart, an extra 10 metres.)
(l) Lots 12 16 l8 20 24 and 30 Block I. each lot having a frontage to Ninth Avenue.
(m) Lots 3 5 9 23 25 27 Block I. each lot having a frontage to Eighth Avenue.
(n) Lots l8 20 24 26 and 30 Block J each lot having a frontage to Eighth Avenue.
(0) Lots 1 3 5 7 13 15 25 27 Block J each lot having a frontage of 53 links to Seventh Avenue.
(p) Lots 2 4 14 16 l8 20 22 24 26 28 and 30 Block K each lot having a frontage to Seventh Avenue.
(q) Lots 1 9 11 15 19 and 21 Block K, each lot having a frontage to Sixth Avenue.
(r) Lots 8 10 12 14 16 l8 22 24 28 and 30 Block L each lot having a frontage to Sixth Avenue.
(s) Lots 9 13 17 25 and 27 Block L each lot having a frontage to Fifth Avenue.
(t) Lots 2 4 12 14 18 20 22 24 26 28 and 30 Block M each lot having a frontage to Fifth Avenue.
(U) Lots 1 3 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 and 20 Block M each lot having a frontage to Fourth Avenue.
(V) Lots 2 4 14 l8 20 22 24 26 and 30 Block N each lot having a frontage to Fourth Avenue.
(X) Lots 2 8 12 20 22 24 26 28 and 30 Block O each lot having a frontage to Third Avenue.
(y) Lots 1 3 7 10 21 23 27 and 29 Block O each lot having a frontage to Second Avenue.
(z) Lots 5 13 17 and 19 Block F, each lot having a frontage to First Avenue.
TERMS AT SALE etc. (P.24, Argus,6-10-1951.)

Not only the Clacton-on-Sea blocks were forfeited. The depressions of the 1890's and 1930's resulted in widespread unemployment and many purchasers were flat out putting food on the table. Paying rates on a holiday block would have been the lowest priority. But councils still needed to cope with road maintenance and drainage issues and were almost broke. There was a sell-off in 1946 as well, and it was suggested that returned servicemen should be given priority as purchasers. Here were the forfeited blocks near the end of the 1930's depression. 17= the heart of Rosebud (Rosebud Estate); 15 and 16= Clacton-on-Sea.

ROSEBUD PROPERTIES
TUESDAY MARCH 15
At Three O Clock At Mechanics Hall Dromana
LOT 5.-Thirty Lots Each Having a Frontage of 53 Links by a Depth of 181.8 Links and Being Lots on Plan of Subdivision No 5108 Lodged in the Office of Titles and Being Part of Crown Portions 15 and 16 at Rosebud, Parish of Wannaeue, County of Mornington.
(a) Fronting First Avenue Lots 45 47 103 Block P
(b) Fronting Third Avenue Lot 48 Block B
(c) Fronting Fifth Avenue Lot 07 Block F Lot 21 Block L Lot 16 Block M
(d) Fronting Sixth Avenue Lots 47 49 77 Block K Lot 32 Block E Lot 42 Block L
(e) Fronting Seventh Avenue Lot 50 Block F Lot 81 Block G Lot 11 Block J Lot 78 Block K
(f) Fronting Eighth Avenue Lots 70 100 102 Block G Lot 73 Block H Lots 95 07 Block I Lots 12 10 28 42 Block J
(g) Fronting Ninth Avenue Lots 04 100
LOT 6.-Lot 114 on Plan of Subdivision No. 5108 Lodged In the Office of Titles Being Part of Crown Portion 16 at Rosebud Parish and County Aforesaid frontage of 53 Links to Government Road by Depth of 277.9 Links.

LOT 7.-24 lots, Each Having a Frontage of 50 Feet by Varying Depths and Being Lots on Plan of Subdivision No. 5134 Lodged In the Office of Titles and Being Part of Crown Portion 17 at Rosebud Parish of Wannaeue County of Mornington
(a) Lots 6 7 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 l8 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Block H Fronting Spray Street
(b) Lots 27 28 Block G Fronting Spray Street
(c) Lot 35 Block B Fronting Foam Street
(d) Lot 36 Block B Fronting Government Road
LOT 8-Lots 28 29 30 Block H on Plan of Subdivision No 5134 as Aforesaid Each Lot Having a Frontage of 22 Feet 6 Inches to a Government Road by a Depth of 150 Feet. (P.14, Argus, 10-2-1938.)