Recorder v 19 no1 february 2017

A00188500A

Volume 19 Number 1 – February 2018

TRENTHAM AND DISTRICT

STREET NAMES

Much of the information in this article is taken from an award-winning display by the Trentham Historical Society in Ballarat 2009. A stall in 2017 at the Trentham Farmers Markets has yielded helpful conversations and contacts and many residents have been most generous with their time.

Some of the name changes have been due to changes in shire boundaries and decisions made in offices far away from the local residents. Tom Walsh, Arthur Beattie, Bruce McKenzie, John Dunn, Bill Hickey and others have been champions of the “correct” names of local roads.

We also have the Trentham Post Office Directory from 1868, very early in Trentham history, naming 187 settlers (mostly men some with families, 25 of whom were from Coliban/Little Hampton) including two women, probably widows. In 1868 in Trentham/Coliban there were 73 farmers, 45 miners, 36 timber workers, and 33 others: 5 engineers, 4 carriers, 3 butchers, 2 bakers, 2 policemen, 2 carpenters, 2 blacksmiths, 2 hotelkeepers, 2 clerks, 1 schoolmaster, 1 painter, 1 mining registrar, 1 gardener, 1 postmaster, 1 surveyor, 1 surgeon, 1 shoemaker, 1 storekeeper. The post office apparently did not cover Newbury and only some of East Trentham/North Blackwood.

Spelling is sometimes disputed, for example Stoney Creek seems to have been the spelling preferred by

locals while official government spelling “improved” it by omitting the “e” for Stony.

In Trentham and District, as in many country towns in Australia, you will find a High Street, the main street for high end shops and a Market Street for the market shops. Nearly every town had a Victoria and Albert Street. Victoria was queen for most of the first fifty years of white settlement in this district and this must have made some impact if only for a general feeling of stability “back home”. Camp Street was named for the camp where police horses were kept. Other streets and roads were named after long-term residents or descriptive of the situation or direction.

How streets are named is an interesting question. Many have been named after shire councillors who served the district. Trewhella Avenue in Daylesford is named after Councillor Dr WJ Trewhella, a first cousin of the two Trewhella Brothers.

New developments seem to be named by the developer: an example being Wallaby Jack Road in the Owls Rise development at Trentham.

If you want to know more about a particular resident, contact the Historical Society. We have tried to ascertain whether original families still have descendants in the district although with marriages between families this is sometimes hard to trace without doing a full genealogical search.

If you have any further information about street names, Trentham families and local history, or even have found gold mining shafts or old bottles on your property, please let us know.

Trentham Recorder – Volume 19 Number 1 – February 2018

page 1

TRENTHAM The name ‘Trentham’ first appears in the records in 1857, when Assistant Surveyor John Wrigglesworth completed his survey of a new parish to the south of the Tylden parish. No one is too sure where the name ‘Trentham’ came from: one theory is that Trentham was a British officer who fought in the Crimean War (1853–56). Another theory is that the source was the English village of Trentham in Staffordshire UK. It is noteworthy that there are still a large number of Wrigglesworths in Staffordshire, including at least one surveyor. We do not know which was named first, Trentham or Trent Creek. The township probably grew up where it now is because it is near the junction of the Daylesford–Woodend Road, between two creeks, it is approximately halfway between Tylden and Blackwood, and it was later the site of a gold rush. The first town lots were sold in 1864.

FAL L

SR

D

GUNYAH DR

TR

STATION ST

GE

ST

WOLFF LN

ID BR

CRANNEYS LN

PEARSONS RD

FOREST ST

BATH ST

QUARRY ST

T NT S LELA

CT

T AT

UR

SE

RD

MU

MOODIE ST

CO

RD

WALTERS ST

RA CE

IES

N

BRIEN ST

AL

ER

BE

NN

IDD

ROCKE CT

VICTORIA ST

MA

ES

LLE NS RD

GOLDEN POINT RD RAHILLS RD

Albert Street Named after Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert (b. 1819 m. 1840 d. 1861) Bath Street Named for the swimming baths that opened on Trent Creek in the late 1920s and closed in the late 1950s.

There is now a plaque at the site marking the historical site. Photos show how many people enjoyed the pool.

Trentham Recorder – Volume 19 Number 1 – February 2018

Beatties Road The road led to Charlie Beattie’s slaughterhouse. Charles 1884–1962 was a butcher and had three children with Mary Ann Berg, including Trentham historian Arthur Beattie (1911–1995) who ran a sausage skin factory and slaughterhouse. AA Beattie bought 26A on Blue Mount Road in 1961. Originally the signpost named this Gleeds Road. In 1990 Arthur Beattie pointed out to the shire that the names of Beatties and Gleeds Roads were the wrong way round so the names were reversed.

There are still descendants in the district. William is listed in 1868 PO directory as farmer.

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Blighs Road Named after the Bligh family whose house and land, mostly bush, were on the right side just short of Blue Creek. This was also known as Dights Lane after an earlier family, or Old Lyonville Road describing its destination. Percy Dight bought Block 22S in 1933. He was a house painter. Bligh’s holiday house was further along. There are still descendants in the district.

Cosmo Road This road runs south from the Cosmopolitan Hotel and becomes the Trentham–Greendale Road. It went past the Cosmo Gold Mine which adjoined the Snake Gully Company and yielded 1439 oz to 130 feet. It is commonly thought that the name Cosmo is a diminutive of Cosmopolitan, but it could easily have been the other way around. See further the discussion about Newbury and Blue Mount.

Blue Mount Road Originally called Three Chain Road because of its great width which went all the way to Newbury on early maps and then on to Daylesford. cf below Newbury and Garlick’s Lead. Nearby is Blue Mountain and Blue Creek.

Countess Road This road intersects Countess Track which leads to the Countess Mine which was two miles east of Newbury, south of Blackwood North. The mine yielded 800 oz of gold. It was a major mine, with horses trucking out under the hill, in line with the Yankee Mine.

Cranneys Lane

Bowen Street E Bowen and JF Bowen were prominent race horse owners.

Bridge Street This starts at the bridge over Trent Creek.

Brien Street Pronounced “Breen”, after Tony Moodie’s wife maiden name. Moodie was the developer of the Walters Estate around 2000.

Camp Street Camp Streets are found in many towns, named after the Police Camp where they kept their horses for the mounted police. The present police station is just around the corner in Cosmo Road. The old stables and cells are kept as the headquarters of the Trentham and District Historical Society, Camp Street although half the land once belonged to the Forestry Commission.

Church Lane This is the boundary of the block 4B from Market Street owned by the Presbyterian (now Uniting) Church who have since subdivided it. The last portion at the Church Lane end was owned by David Watson, a prominent Presbyterian, who probably donated the land to the church. The Presbyterians were the first church to own land in Trentham.

Trentham Recorder – Volume 19 Number 1 – February 2018

Cranney was one of the first landowners in Trentham in 1872, owning blocks 27 and 28 either side of Cranneys Lane and another block 71 at the end of the lane. The lane was originally further to the east. The road has been locally known as Cranneys, Bergs Lane, and O’Connells Lane, then changed by the shire to Bullengarook Road before becoming Cranneys Lane again.

Drummond Street Named after Peter Drummond, who lived on the corner of Cosmo Road having bought 10/6 and 7 in 1924 and 11 in 1936. Peter was shire president and Justice of the Peace. His son Harry’s wife, Florence, was the keeper of the keys of the Mechanics Hall for many years.

Peter’s grandson David Drummond was a councillor for Kyneton and Hepburn Shires and the first president of the Trentham Historical Society 1987–1995. There are still descendants in the district.

Evans Lane Named after the Evans family from Tylden who lived and farmed here. Tom Walsh told the shire that it was known as Evans Lane so it became official. Off Kyneton– Trentham Road east of Serendipity Hill.

Falls Road This is named for its route to Trentham Falls where Stony Creek and Trent Creek join and find their way to the Coliban River. However “Trentham Falls Road” refers to the Daylesford Road turn-off east of Trentham near Newtons Lane. This was first called Falls Lane and was only an unmade track. page 3

Feeleys Lane This is off Mulcahys Road. Feeleys were early settlers.

Bill Hickey named this after Feeley who milked white Shorthorn cows.

Forest Street Named by Dick Keogh who lived there. It runs south into the forest and can be followed through to North Blackwood/Blackwood. A wooden tramline once ran along this route from the sawmills into the railway station.

Gamble Street Named after the Gamble family. Sometimes the area is called Gambletown on the west and Frog Island on the east. In 1892 W Gamble bought 4A/3, and in 1895 S Gamble bought 6A/7. There are still descendants in the district. Frederick Gamble is listed in 1868 PO directory as farmer.

Gleeson Street Dennis Gleeson and Michael Gleeson were listed as early farmers in the PO directory 1868. Dennis bought C2 in the first sale 1871 and C3 in 1880, he was a contractor (1899) and secretary of the Racing Club in 1892. V Gleeson was Shire President in 1922.

D Gleeson bought in 1929 and V Gleeson bought C3.

B Gleeson bought 59C in 1883.

Horvaths Road Horvaths came to Trentham after the war and ran a piggery. There were other unrelated Horvaths in Mulcahys Road.

Lelant Street Will Trewhella established his ‘Sunnyside’ works in the 1890s on the western bank of Stoney Creek next to the new railway line. At that time Victoria Street came no further west than Stoney Creek; so vehicular access to the works was mainly from High Street via the western bank of Stoney Creek – along a track which came to be named ‘Lelant Street’ after the Cornish village his parents and siblings had left to travel to Victoria. George Trewhella lived in the house on the corner of Victoria and Quarry Street formerly called “Lelant”.

In 1911, Kyneton Shire acquired a strip of land to allow for Victoria Street to be constructed across Stoney Creek and up the hill to Falls Road. A century later: the Sunnyside Foundry (that developed into the Trewhella Brothers Engineering Works) has been demolished; and Lelant Street has become a delightful cul-de-sac.

Manna Lane This subdivision was done by Jurgen and Debra Rhyon who named it after the manna gum and also the biblical term “manna from heaven” because of the excellent quality of the soil in this area.

Market Street Possibly named after a fruit market run by Con Keogh on the north-west corner of Albert Street or after the cattle market on the south-west corner. Tom Walsh remembers that a market was held here each fortnight. Patrick Murphy, one of the first settlers bought five blocks along this street as well as other sites in town, so presumably thought it would have commercial worth.

Golden Point Road This is now known as Rahills Road (see below) and was the road that linked North Blackwood to Blackwood.

Golden Point is the area in Blackwood north of Macarthur Street along the Lerderberg River.

Groves Street Named after Jack Groves who was a shire councillor and in the 1950s owned the bakery begun by JWS Wolff.

Bill Hickey says that streets were often called after councillors who had served the district.

Gunyah Drive Peter Rocke owned this property, subdivided it and named it Gunyah Bend. Gunyah is an aboriginal word meaning “a place to shelter”.

High Street Every English town had its High Street where many businesses and shops were situated.

Trentham Recorder – Volume 19 Number 1 – February 2018

Matheson Street This was probably named after John (Jock) Matheson who lived on the corner of Camp and Matheson bought in 1892 6A/6. Also known as Shinbone Alley as Matheson bought a beef shinbone from Wolff’s butchers shop each week. J Matheson was the Chair of the school board for more than 30 years 1911–1938. There are still descendants in the district.

Moodie Street Tony Moodie was the developer. Around the year 2000 he divided Mrs Walters land into 100 blocks and named the new streets Moodie, Brien and Walters.

Mulcahys Road A Mulcahy was a goldminer who owned some acres, A6 1872 and A7 1881, and further blocks 35, 36, 39 in 1936. The house, now gone, was about halfway up on the left. Andrew and John Mulchay (sic) are listed in the

page 4

PO directory 1868 as carters. The area is sometimes known as Strugglers Flat.

Mullins Road This road follows the pipe track from the water reservoir.

There is no information about the Mullins family.

Newtons Lane Edward Newton is listed in the 1868 PO directory as farmer. Newtons were early settlers and community leaders especially in sporting clubs. W Newton owned Lot 14 south of Newtons Lane. There are still descendants in the district.

Park Street On the earliest maps, the land west of Park Street was gazetted as “park and recreation reserve” from High Street to South Street and 100 links on each side. The area has been improved in recent years by Landcare and called Stoney Creek Reserve.

Pearsons Road Named after Isaac Pearson, formerly Tinkers Lane east of James Lane. The section from Kyneton Road to James Lane was also known as Toomeys Road. Isaac Pearson purchased two blocks 20 and 21 fronting what is now Pearsons Road in the first land sale 1857. He is listed in the 1868 PO directory as farmer. The original road to Tylden and turnoff to East Trentham was the continuation of High Street but it is said that Pearson made the turnoff further north next to his hotel at Forest Hotel Corner.

Puddingstone Road This is off Mulcahys Road. Named after the type of pebbles found in this area.

Quarry Street There was once a gravel quarry at the Victoria Street end where the lake has since been formed by damming Stony Creek. A rock on the corner of Victoria Street commemorates that in 1986 the Trentham Lions Club established the Quarry Street Reserve.

Racecourse Road Trentham residents enjoyed horse racing from 1881– 1907. Monday was Race Day. A meeting in 1888 saw 3000 people attending.

Rahills Road Named after Gerry Rahill a Kyneton shire councillor in the 1940s who lived in a house on the left of the crest of a hill above James Lane/Pearsons Road. The road was previously known as Golden Point and still is on some maps. Golden Point Road goes all the way to Blackwood.

Rocke Court Named after Peter Rocke the owner/developer who subdivided and called the area Gunyah Bend.

Trentham Recorder – Volume 19 Number 1 – February 2018

South Street This is commonly thought to be the southern boundary of the original town subdivision of 1857. However the lines on some early maps show that the township went further south. In 1871 George South bought a block of land C1 that ran for 2000 by 1000 feet along the south of South Street between Cosmo Road and Gleeson Street. He also had a house block in Cosmo Road 3A/3 and 4. George South is listed as senior constable in the 1868 PO directory.

Station Street Named because it was the route to the railway station’s goods yards, crane, long platform and goods shed.

Rail services began in 1880 and ended in the 1980s.

The coming of the railway to Trentham was vital to the town for import and especially export of local products, potatoes and timber.

Tresidder Court Named in honour of the Tresidder family. Martin and Bridget were early farming pioneers of East Trentham, son JW Tresidder was a councillor, who owned Lot 16 south of Newtons Lane. Son Martin was a keen secretary of Trentham sports. Grandson Martin was also a shire councillor. The Tresidders did not live here, owning land in East Trentham. There are still descendants in the district.

Victoria Street Queen Victoria was on the throne of the British Empire from 1837–1901. There was a need at least for a memory of home if not a desire in early white settlers to plant a small part of the empire in these parts. Note also that the Church of England was called Saint George’s.

Walters Street Fred Walters owned about 40 acres on the east side of Cosmo Road which his widow sold and has been subdivided into a housing estate around 2000. Walters owned the block on the corner of South and Gleeson in 1964 (C4) and must have bought up the rest of the land which is now bounded by Cosmo Road and Gleeson Street.

Wolffs Lane This lane runs between High and Albert Streets in the middle of the shops beside the bakery. Re-named in 2009 after JWS Wolff who was a major businessman in Trentham’s early history, with a grocery, butchery and split timber business. He bought land 2/5 in the first town sale 27 July 1866. He opened the bakery that is now known as RedBeard on Wednesday 12 October 1891. He was also a major benefactor of St George’s Church of England. He is listed as miner in the 1868 PO directory and may have been a mine manager.

West Street A small lane beside the cemetery, probably named because it runs west off Cosmo Road. page 5

NORTH BLACKWOOD/EAST TRENTHAM/FERN HILL The first Trentham Parish land sales were in August 1857. Those 23 lots were north of Pearsons Road between Stoney Creek in the east and Chanters Lane in the west. Lots south of Pearsons Road were sold around 1871. Land west of the Kyneton Road is still called “The Run” by the oldest farmers like Tom Walsh, recalling the old Woodside Run sold to the Clowes brothers in 1841 stretching 32,600 acres with Trentham near the southern boundary.

North Blackwood was settled by selectors from Blackwood in the early 1870s and was thus originally in the Shire of Ballan. Originally known as Fern Hills, when the railway came through from Woodend, the desired location for the station was moved four miles north and called Fern Hill.

Some roads and lanes are simply a track off a larger road to get to a property, e.g. Old Church Lane is really just the driveway to the old church. Kyneton Shire named Bullengarook Road in order to make it sound more important and obtain funding. In 1988 John Dunn had it changed back to Cranneys, Bergs and O’Connells.

We have taken the dangerous liberty of putting the three areas, North Blackwood, East Trentham and Fern Hill together for this document. Bill Hickey assures us that “the old Roman Catholic Church is definitely in East Trentham/Fern Hill but that John Dunn on the corner of Lagoon Road and Bergs Lane is definitely in North Blackwood”. Sacred Heart Church was closed in 2001 but the pioneer window was moved to St Mary Magdalene in Trentham. This window contains a valuable history of names from the district.

TYLDEN

Chanters Lane

Rippers Lane

FERN HILL

McGiffords Road

Mandala Road

Newtons Lane

ASHBOURNE, WOODEND

TRENTHAM EAST

NORTH BLACKWOOD

n

Alp

Alb

Mc

ert

sA

ine

Amblers Lane

Bawdens Road

k

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Beatties Lane

Gleeds Lane

Gibbs Access Road

James Lane

Hollis Road Wrights Lane

Lagoon Road

Old Church Lane

O’Connells Road

Road

Meiers Lane

n Du

McMenamins Lane

Bergs Lane

Hickeys Road

Firth

Cranneys Lane

Pearsons Road

Settlement Lane

James Lane

Kellys Swamp Lane

Lagoon Road

TRENTHAM

Mi

ll R

Campaspe Road

oa

d

s es

cc

Trentham Recorder – Volume 19 Number 1 – February 2018

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Albert Dunns Track Albert Dunn owned property along this track for 50 years. His son John is still farming in the area. The family is related to the Bawdens (see below).

Amblers Lane Named after the Ambler family. Mrs Ambler had an orchard and chickens on the east side of this lane.

The Amblers were the only family to survive the Village Settlement movement which saw 120 blocks of a mere two and a half acres opened up for city settlers during the 1890s Depression. No descendants remain in the area.

Bawdens Road This road, which runs to the west off James Lane South, was named after the Bawden family who lived in North Blackwood. Hilda, who married Albert Dunn, was a Bawden.

Beatties Lane This is not to be confused with Beatties Road in Trentham.

William Beattie owned land here as well as Little Hampton 24C in 1880 and is listed as farmer, Coliban, in the 1868 PO directory. William was one of three brothers, Charles and Arthur. Apparently they changed the spelling of their surnames to avoid confusion.

Bergs Lane Named after Bendix Berg’s family who selected block 103A/1 in 1865. He is listed in the 1868 PO directory as farmer. Over the years this road has been referred to as Gisborne Road, Bergs Lane, Hollis Lane, Bullengarook Road, O’Connells Road. This road goes out to the Trentham reservoir which was built in Berg’s paddock around 1911. There is a marker stone on the corner of Firth and O’Connells Roads.

Campaspe Road This road crosses the headwaters of the Campaspe River. It was named by the Forest Commission.

Chanters Lane Named after the Chanter family who were early settlers, and bought land in the first sale in 1857. J Chanter bought blocks C1 in 1871 and C4 and C5 in 1875. Mr Chanter was also a councillor. The area is known as Cox’s Hill.

Cranneys Lane see above under Trentham Evans Lane This is a private lane which is the extension of Newtons Lane over James Lane.

Falloons Road John Falloon was given land on the Tylden–Woodend Road after World War I in 1923 and his descendants still farm here. There are still descendants in the district.

Trentham Recorder – Volume 19 Number 1 – February 2018

Firth Road Named after James Firth who had a nursery on this road on the site which is now Firth Park. It is referred to locally as Forest Road and Bullengarook Road.

Gibbs Access Road Formerly a part of O’Connells Road, Gibbs, the recent owner (30–40 years ago), lived a short distance along the road from O’Connells corner and used an army truck to reach his property. It may have been the Cobb and Co. Coach road.

Gleeds Lane The Gleed family selected blocks on this road. J Gleed owned 53 A1 and Edward Gleed owned 53 A2 and A3. Originally called Beatties Road, but in 1990 it was pointed out that the names of Beatties Road and Gleeds Lane were the wrong way around. Edward Gleed is listed as farmer in the 1868 PO directory.

Hickeys Road There are still descendants in the district. Bill Hickey traces his forebears back to Bartholomew Hickey who arrived in 1902. One Michael Hickey is listed as farmer in the 1868 PO directory.

Hollis Road Named after the Hollis family. Over the years this has also been known as School Road, North Blackwood School Road and Grand Trunk Road. John and William Hollis are listed as splitters in the 1868 PO directory.

Kellys (Swamp) Lane Also known as “Grand Trunk”. The Kelly family owned property on this road, halfway down near the water reserve. Locally known as Kellys Lane, it got its other name from the fact that there was water in the swamp, near the Kelly’s property, all year round. James, John and Patrick are listed together in the 1868 PO directory.

Kellys and O’Connells are related.

James Lane Thomas Lloyd James owned two blocks at the Tylden end of the road bought Section 3 in the first land sale in 1857. When the Woodend–Daylesford Railway came through, Fern Hill Station was on their property. The southern end has been called Development Road or The Settlement. Part of James Lane in The Settlement and Bawden’s Road was called Blackwood Road.

Lagoon Road Formerly an impassable swamp, Lagoon Road has been locally known as Dunns Road and Dunnstown.

Mandala Road Named by Russell and Kay Deeble and is an aboriginal word said to mean “right of place to have a name”.

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McAlpines Access Track This is the access to the McAlpine’s home on C/A12 Section 12, called Journey’s End. McGiffords Road Mrs Hurlstone who owned property in the area was a McGifford.

McMenamins Lane Named after J McMenamin and family who bought 72B in 1871 on the end near the reserve. It was the previous site of Seebeck’s mill and several dwellings. There are still descendants in the district.

Meiers Lane Near the old North Blackwood School, this is named after Gottlieb Meier who selected property on either side of this track C/A 103V and 103A/2. He is listed in the 1868 PO directory as farmer.

Mill Road This road runs north-south from the end of James Lane then east into the forest. Several sawmills operated along this road over the years. It was formerly called Settlement Road.

O’Connells Road O’Connell was an early selector of a number of blocks along this road which he formed with stone from properties. There are still descendants in the district.

Old Church Lane This is really just a driveway. The former Methodist Church was located on Hollis Road. Mr Hollis donated the land on which the church was built.

Pearsons Road see above Trentham Retort Lane/Road The road was known as this because of Ricardi’s charcoal retort but was not officially named until recently following a submission by Bruce McKenzie.

Rippers Lane Named after the Ripper family early landholders Richard Ripper lived in Thistledome (locally referred to as “this’ll do me”) and his brother Alfred lived opposite. It was also called Cocks Lane by some residents in the early days. There are still descendants in the district.

Settlement Lane This was part of North Blackwood Village Settlement and formerly referred to as Settlement Road.

Wrights Lane Named after Charles Wright who selected C/A 103Y, listed as splitter in the 1868 PO directory. It is an extension of Newtons Lane.

NEWBURY (GARLICK’S, GARLICK’S LEAD, BLUE MOUNT) The Argus 4 July 1863 notes there are about 2,000 people on the ground around the Blue Mountain rush and that a 16 oz gold nugget was found in the vicinity: “A rush has taken place to Doctor’s Hill, about two miles west of Newbury (the new name given to the Blue Mountain township).”

It is often said that the names Newbury and Garlick’s (Lead) refer to the same place, however The Kyneton Observer (quoting The Daylesford Express) in March 1864 explains that “the late rising township of Newbury, we are told, is being depopulated by the superior attractions of Garlick’s Lead, the last and richest goldfield opened in the neighbourhood. Garlick’s Lead is one mile and a half this side of Newbury, and fifteen miles from Daylesford. We are informed that the present number of persons within a moderate distance of the land is not less than 3,000.

From twenty to twenty-five stores are already erected.” The main reason for the confusion over names is that, when the population moved, the post office was moved from the original Newbury corner to Garlick’s Lead but retained the name of Newbury.

There is an intriguingly named early surveyor of Victoria, James Cosmo Newbery, who was a specialist in the metallurgy of gold but Newbury was so named before his arrival in Melbourne in 1865. Older residents recall stories of a Cosmo Newbury who in 1859 lived on what was called “Newbury’s Corner” at the turn off to Garlick’s Lead but this has not been confirmed by written records.

One Henry Garlick, storekeeper, was declared insolvent in October 1864 due to “mining speculations, family sickness, pressure of creditors, and losses by debtors leaving the district.” The Argus 19 October 1864. He is probably the same Henry Garlick who claimed to have found gold in the area known as Garlick’s Lead.

Edward Jenner is believed to have been the first settler at Blue Mountain and named both it and the creek. He died in 1886/8. The term “Blue Mount” is sometimes used to refer to the actual mountain, though this is better referred to as “Blue Mountain”. It is also an alternative name for Newbury and Garlick’s Lead. It is also the name Trentham Recorder – Volume 19 Number 1 – February 2018

page 8

for the wider registration district for births, deaths and marriages which included Trentham, hence JWS Wolff was reported to have died in 1910 at Blue Mount, but actually died in his shop in High Street, Trentham.

Early surveyors identified many geographic features by their aboriginal names. Some such as ‘Bullengarook’ have endured. Others have been overtaken as the population changed, e.g., Blue Mount once appeared as ‘Wuid Kruikk’.

Old Blackwood Road This was the original road from Trentham to Blackwood.

Reserve Road This road leads to the cricket ground reserve.

Wheeler Road No information.

Wild Dog Road This road crosses Wild Dog Creek, which runs into the Lerderberg River.

Yankee Road

Amelia Lane

Named after the Yankee Mine which yielded 4,942 oz of gold to a depth of 320 ft. It resumed operations during the 1920–30s Depression and ceased operations in 1936. It was about four miles from Blackwood and about a mile from the Countess Reef.

Named after the Amelia Mine. The mine was originally called the Triumph but a later mine manager renamed it after his wife. It was situated half a mile east of Newbury Post Office, three miles southwest of Trentham railway station. Worked in 1860–70, then abandoned, it was worked again in the 1890s. Its yield was 5067 oz to 300 ft.

TRENTHAM

oad ino R Dom

ad d Ro woo k c Bla

Named after the Beach family who lived on this road in 1872 owned L5 on the corner. The family later moved into Trentham.

This road leads down to Blue Creek which was named because it rises at the foot of Blue Mountain. It may also have been named after the blue sapphires found in it. There is now a nursery there.

Blue Cre ek

Lane Donald

NEWBURY

This road crosses Domino Creek. Some believe there was goldmining at Domino Creek but it is not mentioned in the thorough geological survey of the Blackwood– Trentham Goldfield by the Department of Mines 1906.

Possibly there was only panning for gold here.

ane lia L Ame

ne Clarkes La

Domino Road

Ke ar ne ys Ro ad

Clarkes Road This road was named after the Clarke family who lived on this road, but later moved into Trentham.

Rd

Lane hes Beac

Blue Creek Road

ad Old Blackwood Ro

Beaches Lane

Donald Lane This road was named after the Donald family who lived on this road. Clarrie Donald was sexton at the Blue Mount Cemetery.

Road Yankee

This road was named after the family who lived on this road. There are still descendants in the area.

Trentham Recorder – Volume 19 Number 1 – February 2018

Wheeler Rd

Kearneys Road BLACKWOOD

page 9

LITTLE HAMPTON While East Trentham was settled largely by Roman Catholics, Little Hampton was settled by Presbyterians (now Uniting Church). Why Little Hampton was so named is not known.

SPRING HILL Mu dlar kR d

Paradise Valley Road ack k Tr dlar Mu

Trentham–Spring Hill Roa d

ck Tra

Breheny Ln

Lakers Rd

DAYLESFORD

Day lesf ord –Tre nth am

Jacksons Lane

Gillis Road

Alexander Lane

Justice s Road

Rd pton Ham Little lyon– Glen

Fern Rd

ad s Ro heed Lock

Co lib an

Ro ad

Rothes Road

McAulay Ln

Rothes Road Moloneys Ln

Swabys Rd

LITTLE HAMPTON

Hu tto ns Ln

m ha ck Wi

Coliban Road

Landers Rd

Rd

TYLDEN, WOODEND, KYNETON TRENTHAM

Trentham Recorder – Volume 19 Number 1 – February 2018

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Alexander Lane Alexanders owned block 68A (there were two other Alexander families, cousins to Tresidders). It was once with Gillis Road part of Coliban Road. When Coliban Road was bituminised, the winding section at the southern end was bypassed and Coliban Road was extended straight from Gillis Road to the Daylesford Road along what had been a dirt track known as School Lane (because State School 1010 was located on the north-east corner of the junction). Robert Alexander is listed in the 1868 PO directory as dairy farmer, Coliban.

Brehenys Lane Martin and Ellen Breheny were the first settlers on the property. They had three sons – Michael and Peter were killed in World War I, and Martin Jr was the executor of their wills, and probably inherited the property. He had a daughter Mrs Sheedy who left it to her daughter Mrs O’Donaghue. It was next owned by the Tom Brothers, then Neil and Gerald Rothe followed by Terry South.

Another version of the history is that Michael Breheny sold the land to his brother William in 1874 and William sold to Martin in 1883.

Coliban Road This was named after the Coliban River which it parallels.

Fern Road This is part of a newer development 30–40 years ago which runs from the springs. The Justice family owned the land before this.

Gillis Lane The Gillis family owned block 73. Gillis Road was once (with Alexander Road) part of Coliban Road (see above).

John Gillis is listed in the 1868 PO directory as farmer, Coliban. Descendants are still in the area.

Huttons Lane This was named after Cleaver Hutton who once lived in the hut (now derelict) in the laneway.

Jacksons Lane/Road Joe Jackson lived here most of his life. His wife lived there till 1982, before being admitted to the Trentham Hospital where she died aged 103. Joe’s son, John Jackson, lived on this road from 1955 until his death in 2005. One John Jackson is listed in the 1868 PO directory as farmer, Coliban.

Justices Road Walter and Maryann Justice bought land in the original subdivision and their descendants still farm here. Walter however only had six acres, not enough to support a family, so he worked for the Forestry Commission. For 35–40 years the dirt lane was called Prices Road after another family. Ron Justice, youngest son of Walter and Maryann, advocated for a name change in the 1970s and to have it sealed. The original house burnt down and their daughter Grace died in the fire. There are still descendants in the district.

Trentham Recorder – Volume 19 Number 1 – February 2018

Lakers Road off Coliban Road, no further information Landers Road off Coliban Road, no further information Lockheeds Road This was named after the Lockheeds who lived at the end on the corner of Wickham Track and Fern Road. The house has since been rebuilt.

McAulay Lane Block 60B was owned by Mr McAulay but sold to Jim Moloney round about 1900, so some residents think of this as Moloney rather than McAulay Lane.

Moloneys Lane Block 59A is landlocked by other farms. The Moloneys had a house on the 40 acre block and used to come out through the water reserve (or other people’s farms). The Moloney family came out from Ireland (Tom, Con, John, Jane, Vera and Maimie).

Mudlark Road Named after the Mudlark Mine on Mudlark Creek. A revival took place in 1930s when Sutton and Sons crushed tons of stone for a return of 15 oz of gold from a narrow reef.

Paradise Valley Road The subdivision between Spring Hill Road and Rothes Road was done by Barrie Bruton who called it Paradise Valley.

Rothes Road Several members of the Rothe family (John, Fred, Dave, Neil, Gerald) owned properties along this road. There are still descendants in the district. School Road (not School Lane) is part of Rothes Road.

Salisbury Road Salisbury was a councillor who lived on Snowden’s Hill at the Lauriston end of Salisbury Road.

Swabys Lane Block 56B was owned by J Brown in the early 1920s, sold to Tom Swaby as a soldiers’ settlement. Tom had five children. After Tom died his widow lived there for a few more years, and sold it to Noel Swift about 1970.

The lane passed Swaby’s property and joined up with Mudlark Road.

Wickham Track Jack Wickham lived at the far end. He owned a shop in Market Street Trentham.

Wicker Road Jack(?) and Ethel Wicker owned property near the school in Little Hampton and descendants still live in the area.

Ethel was a Jackson (see above).

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Eva Sabo Eva was born in Yugoslavia 13 May 1921. She married Joseph Sabo 7 February 1939 aged seventeen. They came to Australia 17 March 1954 with their three children, Teresa, Frank and George. Eva remembers being sick the whole journey and that the men and boys lived separately from the women and girls.

The family soon moved to Wodonga until they got their papers to move to St Albans. Joseph was away all week bush cutting while Eva worked cleaning houses. Her Aunt Anna Bednir had a weekend house in Newbury and they often visited, until one day in the 1970s Joseph jokingly asked the real estate agent Clive Peuker if he had any properties for sale. Clive suggested a number of properties and they bought the very last which was on the corner of Victoria and Falls Road for $4,700. Bordering on the foundry land, it had been owned for 100 years by the Trewhellas.

Eva Sabo

TRENTHAM

MY CORNER OF

Eva and Joseph used it as a holiday home but in the 1980s came to live fulltime in Trentham. They took walls out and made tiny rooms larger and welcomed many visitors. In the garden they grew carrots and tomatoes and had a wonderful garden of rhododendrons. She laughs about a recent occupant of the old house who dug up all her lily of the valley plants thinking they were weeds. The Sabos were welcomed by friendly neighbours, especially Kit Manning from across the road and her uncle Norm Robson next door, who offered lots of information about the old house.

Eva and Joseph Sabo’s wedding.

Eva was treasurer of the Ladies Guild at St Mary Magdalen’s Church and it was in her time they decided to open an Op Shop in the old school.

She remembers every last detail of the day her husband died in 1997 but is philosophical that he did not suffer long. Her Christian faith is quietly evident and she is an appreciative regular at the church services conducted in the Trentham Aged facility where she now lives. She is surrounded by photos of her family and as she relates her history her mind is still sharp about names and dates. She suggests her good age is due to family genes as her brother lived over 100 years. The future of the old home is now in her family’s hands.

The Sabo family.

If you have a short story or facts about your corner of Trentham and District, please send it to the editor (petasherlock@gmail.com) Trentham Recorder – Volume 19 Number 1 – February 2018

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NEWS & NOTES

Curator’s comments Someone asked the question the other day, “Why was Trentham established where it is and why was it called Trentham?”

In an address to the Kyneton Historical Society George Trewhella stated “In April 1857 John Wrigglesworth made a survey of land in the southern section of ‘Woodside’, and on 10 August that year the first land sale in the Parish of Trentham was held in Kyneton. The Parish name was presumably given by Wrigglesworth or one of his superiors, when plans for the sale were being prepared.

The origin of the name has been variously given as Lord Trentham, General Trentham of the Crimean War and Trentham in Staffordshire, England. An inconclusive amount of research failed to show that either of the gentlemen existed, so the probability is the 9 Septem English town.” b er

1 8 65 Blue Moun tain Dig gin gs : We be will be sh lieve that ortly laid A new tow o u t by Mr U surveyor, nship rquart, th between T e Governm ylden and ent Blue Moun By this co tain dig gin urse aurife g s. rous groun for Courth d will be a ouse, Poli voided as ce Station communit sites etc., and y receive The references to early Trentham (in the box at right) the agricu the benefi their door. lt ural t o f having a It will be appeared in the Trentham Gazette of November 1937. township in the vic hamlet of at in ity of the Trentham. present li ttle So it would appear that Trentham was established so 25 Novem b er 1 8 6 3 that it lay between the gold bearing area to the south T h e T ownship o and the farming land to the north. f Newbury has been – Blue M appointed ountain G John Cook, Curator a place w oldfields Sessions hereat a will in futu Court of P re be held etty .

This recog nition of th e Minister o importanc e of Newb f justice Editor’s note: John has also found intriguing evidence will be fo ury by the the Attorn llowed, w ey-Genera that “there is still a Wrigglesworth in Staffordshire e p re l sume, by naming o residents ne or tw of the n who is a surveyor. I can find no connection to our o e g ig e ntlemen, hbourhood Peace. We presume M as Justice man”. Could it be that Mr Wrigglesworth brought s of the r Shuter, th Blackwoo d, will pre e Police M side at the agistrate a memories of his hometown in naming Trentham? first meeti t The Trenth ng of the C am towns Many thanks to John for this titbit, and we look ourt. hip was the Police surveyed site was g forward to more comments in future Recorders. in 1864 azetted in buildings and 1865. And on the sit If you have a question for him, let us know. in 1866 th e a t from New 3 – 5 Cam e p Street w bury in 1 866 and ere moved 14 April 1 o pened for 866. business on

This was land between the Coliban River and Chanters Lane and south from the southern boundary of the Parish of Tylden and what is now Victoria Street and Pearsons Road. It was farming land and the blocks were from 99 to 505 acres in size.

Trentham Recorder – Volume 19 Number 1 – February 2018

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Bushfire season If you use “trove.nla.gov.au/newspapers” you may have noticed that more newspapers come on line all the time. Recently published issues of the Kyneton Guardian and Kyneton Observer have given us more information about the early days of Trentham.

Below is an account of one of the earliest bushfires that threatened to wipe out the fledgling township in December 1876. For today’s residents worried about Code Red days, we can see that Trentham is endangered by fires from both north and south. Note the accompanying damage to the economy of townsfolk and farmers. A few identifying notes have been added and the long article has been broken into paragraphs.

EXTENSIVE AND DESTRUCTIVE FIRES Monday evening The most venerable Blue Mountaineer does not remember any day that could compete with last Saturday, on the score of heat. The wind blew strongly from the north-west, and felt as if it emanated from a hot blast furnace, while the smell of fire impregnated the air to a most disagreeable extent. In the afternoon the devouring element came down on the township at racehorse speed, from the direction of the Union Saw Mill [Enders Bridge on the Daylesford Road], destroying on its course a considerable amount of fencing and crops, and all efforts to retard its advance were futile. Mr Fisher’s house on the west bank of Stoney Creek was burned to the ground, and the sparks from it falling on Mr Donaghy’s cowshed, set fire to that and other outbuildings, which were speedily consumed. The dwelling was only saved by almost superhuman exertions. Mr Drummond’s blacksmith shop [corner of High and Quarry Streets] likewise took fire, but fortunately very little damage was done to it.

It was then discovered that the stables occupied by Mr Fox, almost in the heart of the township [either the stables at the Cosmo or Dashwood’s in High Street opposite] were in flame, and the small band of volunteer firemen had enough to do to save it. At this critical time the wind shifted, otherwise the whole village would have been levelled to the ground. A sharp attack of thunderstorm accompanied by a little rain cooled the air, but still the fire continued and seemed intent on more mischief. Too much praise cannot be given to Constable Webb, Messrs J.W.S.Wolff, Wm.Brown, Wm.Roach, H.Drummond, and others to whose meritorious exertions the safety of the township is mainly due. Not only did they display the most remarkable energy and pluck during the stifling heat and smoke of the day, but they remained up all night to guard against any fresh incursions that might be made by the enemy. Should this meet the eye of any of the police authorities, I trust they will take especial notice of the services of Constable Webb, whose conduct entitles him to more than mere recommendation.

On the other side of Trentham towards Blackwood, the whole forest was in flames, the houses in Newbury having a narrow escape. I hear of two homesteads belonging to small farmers being burned. A great quantity of fencing has been destroyed, crops have suffered severely and an immense quantity of split timber which was lying in the bush ready for conveyance to market, has been reduced to ashes. While the young timber in the forest is totally destroyed as far as the fire extended. It is melancholy to look at the charred trunks of trees, thousands of which will never resume their foliage.

How the fires originated is not known of course, as usual they were started by “nobody”, who deserves hanging if he could only be got hold of.

While you are googling Have you checked out the collection of photos from the Museums Australia (Victoria) collection?

This is an ongoing project for the Trentham Historical Society to get as many photos as possible saved on their site, but others can also add photos.

It is possible for the THS or donors of the photos to choose whether the photos should be public or private.

Check: www.victoriacollections.net.au and search for Trentham.

Many thanks Trentham local Peter Young spoke on ABC 774 at 5 am one recent Sunday morning about the little town of Trentham in their “Spot on the map” segment. These delightful 30 minutes are usually taken on by local historians. As none of the committee was available, Peter stepped in with a little coaching from Susie Spence and made Trentham sound like a good place to be.

Thank you. We wonder who else was up at that early hour?

Kyneton Guardian, 20 December 1876

Trentham Recorder – Volume 19 Number 1 – February 2018

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Membership All subscriptions were due at the end of our financial year on 1 July 2017. Please pay your subscription to any committee member, or send a cheque to THS, PO Box 52, Trentham, 3458, remembering to include your name, postal address and an email address if possible. If you wish to pay directly into our Bendigo Bank Account the numbers you need are: BSB 633–000 Acct# 144055670 Trentham and District Historical Society please add your name to make it clear for our treasurer’s records Membership for 2017–18 has now risen to $20 for one person, $30 for two people at the same address, and $10 for a pensioner. This happened at the last AGM and has now come into effect. It is hoped this small rise will help balance the books, paying for printing and postage for the Recorder.

Contacting us You can contact THS by email at hs@trentham.org.au.

The Society’s webpage is at www.trentham.org.au/historical-society.

If you wish to speak to one of the committee, you can phone (our phone numbers are on the ‘calendar’ page), or you can drop in at the Old Police Station in Camp Street one Saturday or Sunday when John Cook is on duty. He puts up an ‘Open’ sign in the street outside.

Publications The following society publications are still available: • Take a Walk Around Trentham. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5

A Trentham Timeline Monday 19 February 2018 at 7.30 pm Trentham Neighbourhood Centre General meeting followed by Peta Sherlock presenting the first draft of a timeline of Trentham history.

All welcome.

Members, can you help?

Once again we are exhibiting our Dr Gwen Wisewould historical display in the old stables at the Police Station to complement the Easter Art and Craft Show’s portrait prize in her honour.

We hope to keep it open as long as possible over that weekend Friday 30 March to Monday 2 April. If you can spare a few hours to welcome people, please let Susie or Ronda know. You do not need to know a lot about Dr Gwen, as the exhibit speaks for itself.

• Trentham Falls Reserve. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7 • George Trewhella, Early History of Trentham (revised edition). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12 • A Hard Day’s Work: growing spuds around Trentham.. . . . . . . . . . . . $7 • Celebrating Trentham’s Sporting History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10 • Trentham’s Sporting History (a CD of photographs). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5 • ‘A blessing to the townsfolk’: Trentham Bush Nursing Hospital 1932–1998. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10 • Postcards from Trentham and Blackwood.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10 • Trentham at War: (with 2014 addendum) Boer War, World War 1, World War 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12 • Recorder 1988 – 2013 (CD). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20 (from the society when the police station is open, or $25 posted)

All our publications are available from the Old Police Station when it is open, and all except the Sporting CD and the Recorder CD are also available from Helen in Jargon, the Newsagency, and from Trentham Books, 19 Victoria Street (open weekends).

For mail orders, write to PO Box 52, Trentham, remembering to include your return address and a cheque made payable to Trentham Historical Society (except for the CD add $2 for postage to the total cost of the publications).

Trentham Recorder – Volume 19 Number 1 – February 2018

TrenTham aT War Boer War, World War 1, World War 2

by Ina Bertrand & Jan Robertson

TrenTham & DisTricT hisTorical socieTy inc.

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CALENDAR 2018

February 2018 Recorder due – Trentham street names Friday 9

*8 pm, Lions Club Dance

Monday 12

7.30 pm, committee meeting, Trentham Library

Monday 19

7.30 pm, General meeting, ‘A Tentham Timeline’ Trentham Neighbourhood Centre

March 2018

Trentham and District Historical Society, Inc President Ronda Hall 5424 1453 Vice President Tony van Rensburg 0414 759 388

Friday 9

8 pm, Lions Club Dance

Monday 12

7.30 pm, committee meeting, Trentham Library

Friday 30

Gwen Wisewould exhibition at the Old Police Station over the Easter weekend (Can you help? – see page 15)

Curator/Treasurer John Cook 5424 1386

Monday 9

7.30 pm, committee meeting, Trentham Library

Friday 13

*8 pm, Lions Club Dance

Secretary Susie Spence 5424 1272

Monday 16

7.30 pm, General meeting, Trentham Neighbourhood Centre

April 2018

May 2018 Recorder due – A Trentham Timeline

Recorder Editor Peta Sherlock 0421 871 126 petasherlock@gmail.com

Saturday 5

Great Trentham Spudfest

Mission Statement

Friday 11

8 pm, Lions Club Dance

Monday 14

7.30 pm, committee meeting, Trentham Library

To promote the general awareness of the Trentham and District present and past history along with the role this area played in Australia’s history.

This will be achieved by: • collecting, preserving and displaying items of historical interest for the education and enjoyment of the community; • preserving and maintaining the Historical Reserve known as the Old Police Complex; • facilitating research.

June 2018 Friday 8

*8 pm, Lions Club Dance

Monday 11

7.30 pm, committee meeting, Trentham Library

Monday 18

7.30 pm, General meeting, Trentham Neighbourhood Centre

*Remember that the Lions Club supports the Historical Society by donating the proceeds of every second dance.

It is always an enjoyable night for those who love to dance!

You can also assist by volunteering to be on the door or to provide food for supper or help in the kitchen on the night.

Please contact John Cook (5424 1386) or Susie Spence (5424 1272).

Trentham Recorder – Volume 19 Number 1 – February 2018

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