4.3 …Essay school prize…..A Fishy job, yuk!...a Girlfriend…and Holiday makers…working for a Newspaper…”We Want’s,” and a Looming Financial Depression..
…Essay school prize….
I’m not a student “egghead.” Not like “Bertie the Brain.” . Far from it. If anything I was a stocky very fast runner and a thug on the Footy field. I love getting in and foxing the ball. But…..
He was in a year above me, but we were great mates especially on the footy field. He was tall and gangly, but when he hit you, crikey! it hurt. He was a bit different from my other mate Buzza Lyons.
“Attention all!” the Headmaster, Mr. Robert Sillett, was addressing the whole School at Assembly.
“ I have just told you who the Dux of the school is, and the names of the 4 boys who have Matriculated, now to another matter.”
“The winner of the Intermediate class, Best Short History of the Gippsland Lakes, is Phillip Duncan.”
At that announcement there was pretty weak applause.
“For his efforts the Gippsland Travel Company, and The Gippsland Times Newspaper, have jointly donated him a prize and will use his 1 page summary, displayed in a prominent position, on their Tourist and Passenger Steamers, and reproduced in the Newspaper.”
Gippsland Lakes Historic Development Summary
By P.Duncan May 1890.
1858…. Schooner Georgiana Smith, Captained by Malcolm Campbell, sailed through the Reeve’s entrance.
1858….P.S. Endeavour constructed. by Mr., McArdell. Following year on a very high flood, got it to Latrobe Wharf.
1860….Lakes became attractive to businesses, and trading. Holidaying people catered for.
1869….Captain Cadell of Murray River Fame, surveyed as far as Marlo on the Snowy River for an all tide Port.
1869….Suez Canal in Egypt completed. Saving Steam driven ships weeks of travel to Australia.
1869….Victorian Warship Cerberus arrived in Victorian waters.
1871….First Stage of artificial entrance at Cunninghame commenced.
1879….Melbourne to Sale Railway completed.
1883….Swing Bridge at confluence of Latrobe and Thomson rivers, just above Latrobe Wharf, completed.
1885….First Cable Tramway in Victoria in operation.
1888….Railways extended from Sale to Bairnsdale.
1889….Lakes Entrance officially completed and opened.
1890….Sale Canal and Swing Basin completed.
The prize was a writing set. Two pens, a small jar of black and red ink, and a small blank diary. I don’t think I will use it.
I was hoping that I might have received a copy of some of the Poet A.B.”Banjo” Paterson’s works. Maybe Old Pardon, The Son Of Repreive, or Clancy of the Overflow or The Man from Snowy River. Or even some of Adam Lindsey Gordon’s poetry, The Fields of Coleraine, who was a good horseman like Banjo Paterson. He was also a jockey who raced over steeple fences, really big, about 6 foot. But he shot himself deliberately at Brighton. I don’t know why!
Mr. Sillett, always read out loud, to some classes, the poetry and other articles that he read in the Australian Bulletin Newspaper and what might educate us.We even knew how and why the Poet used the nickname “Banjo.”
I loved hearing the horse poetry. I was lucky, I can read very well and quickly. I live in a place here at Sale, where there are a lot of characters, and I often ask a lot of seemingly daft questions, but I do like to know things. How things started, and who owns what, all that sort of thing.
But I must admit I did not want to go on another 2 years and do a matriculation to University. It took a lot of talking with Dad to get his permission to leave. Like he said, He and Mum paid a lot of money to educate me and they didn’t want to see it squandered. So it was up to me to prove I could get, and hold down a decent job. In the meantime I could go back to School. It cost a lot of Dad’s money to keep me at School. It was not like other Schools where kids and girls of all ages sat together, and were taught reading writing and Arithmetic for only a few hours a day.
I guess I was lucky, the Old Man, had got me a job during School Holidays, by talking to his boss, Mr. Timms, who had won the contract to build the railway from the Rail Station to the Fish Wharf at the Swing basin. It was driving a horse with a small cart, back and forwards, either filled with wood for the Boilers of the Steam Machines, Steam Pumps, working on the Swing Basin, or carrying rocks for the backfilling of the wharf piles.
Building The Wharf at Sale.
Very early Sale Railway Station.
I usually only made 3 trips a day but it gave me a few bob in the pocket, that I could give Mum. Dad was usually always away either working on making Gippsland roads better, or making and stabilizing railway tracks, in the area for the heavy trains use.
My Dad, had heard that Mr. Alfred Deakin, the Victorian Minister for Water was going to address interested parties at the Town Hall on Water Irrigation Methods that he said seen in America. He made me accompany him, but I left the address, only understanding a little. After all why do we need a lot of water when we are surrounded by it.
…A Fishy job, yuk!..
“ Can you tell me what that basket weighs?”
Of course I could.” 2 stone 4 lbs.” I said after checking the arms positions on the clock face.
“Correct,” the Railways Supervisor said.
I was being interviewed, and being tested by the Railway Station Master at Sale, for a job.
I had kept my eye on the Port of Sale development, and the amount of Fish that was shipped to Melbourne. I eventually heard about a job for a junior boy to operate the Railway Scales that weighed the Fish Baskets. Right up my alley! If I could get it, and convince Dad, that I could earn a living and give away School..
Port of Sale. Rail meets Steamers
I was lucky I talked, and talked, my way into that job. Crikey the smell, whew!
Packing fish for the Rail at Sale then to Melbourne Markets.
Maybe some of the fish had been caught by some of my relatives who lived in the Bairnsdale area. Some lived on the Avon River at Clydebank, some more at Stratford and even some on the Mitchell River flats above the town. We rarely saw them but our families did catch up occasionally at local Race Meetings or big social events or even some Footy matches.
A Fishing encampment on the Lakes.
The Railway had recently been completed to join Bairnsdale to Maffra to Sale, but Bairnsdale was still a distance away. I did know it was hard life fishing in all weathers, and then the catch had to be at markets in Melbourne, before the fish went off. Lots of rivalry existed between Sale people and Bairnsdale people. The Bairnsdale people reckoned that Sale people had the easy bit because of the Railway, and got rich at the expense of Bairnsdale. Even the paddle Boats based at the two Ports had lots of unofficial races over the years to decide which was the quickest and best.
Bairnsdale Wharf.
My best fun was usually every second day. Buzza and I would “borrow” the horse kept at the Carriage Building works and ride it out to the Carriage builder’s paddocks between Sale and Colindale. There we helped the caretaker, an old guy feed and put the horses in different paddocks. We were able to select the quiet horses and had a bit of galloping fun.
Quite a few times we went catching Possums or Rabbits so that we could dry out the skins and sell them to the local markets, or to the Navies working on the Canal and Railway, for gloves or soft footwear. We always skirted around the Goal, with its grim foreboding walls. It was a fearsome place. Lots of our mates talked about the hangings, and tortures carried out there. We were always fearful some convicts might breakout and murder us.
...a Girlfriend…
Anyway all went ok, until the day I was stickybeaking around the Sale railway station, and I happened to see this sheila. Gee! she looked good. I found out her name was Annie McLeod, and she helped her mother serve the Railway customers with teas and scones etc for Mr. George Rust who had the Railway Cafeteria contract business when the Trains pulled in or departed. Trains now appeared to be the way most people travelled between Melbourne and the Lakes.
The middle one.
I always managed to see Anne when her Father was not present. He was usually working at the Railway yards as a Fitter anyway.
I was allowed by her Mum to accompany her to Saturday afternoon Scottish Country dancing in the big hall. That was fun, but the music played by bagpipes and accordions was a bit funny. And the seemingly endless marching up and down in columns, was a bit funny. But it did give me the opportunity to talk with her. Particularly at the rest times.
I asked her lots of daft questions, like how she and her Family came to Victoria.
An Immigration Poster in England.
Annie and her girl friends were always on about the Woman’s Suffragette Society and Henrietta Dugdale and what she said, and how it could affect them. She also desperately wanted a bicycle, so that she could be as free as a bird and ride to wherever she wanted.
At that time I couldn’t understand what it was all about. I understood when they discussed Caroline Chisholm and her efforts to help immigrants to Victoria, and particularly her efforts in building small rest houses for Miners and their families on the way to the Gold fields at Daylesford.
..And Holiday maker’s….
Most of the holidaying people now also came by train. It appeared that a Train L:ine was to be built linking Dandenong, to Port Albert. It would include Tooradin, Lang Lang, Loch, Korrumburra, Leongatha, Meeniyan, Fish Creek, Foster, Tora and Welshpool. How that would affect the Sale Tea Rooms, where Anne worked, I had no idea.
A `lovely’ time on the Lakes
Holiday makers came to Sale very early after Mr. Guthridge’s Shipping Company was formed in 1868. They came to live for a while in an area that was not like Melbourne. Shooting, Fishing, Picnics and just being near the water in the Bush. Even a famous British writer called Anthony Trollope visited the area. The tracks and what little roads must have been horrendous to use. I suppose the Rail from Melbourne to Sale completed in 1879 made things a lot easier for Tourists.
Mr. Hott’s Royal Mail Line of Coaches between Sale and Port Albert prospered. In competition with Cobb and Co. His Coaches were advertised to leave the Criterion Hotel Sale at 8am Daily, and arrive at Port Albert at 2.30 pm. They also left Port Albert at 5am to return to Sale at 2.30 pm, but also visited other small Towns on the way
Having a Picnic at Ocean Grange 1890
At one time the Steamers that were base in Bairnsdale, Sale and other places used to have “unofficial races.” It got so important and so dangerous that the Maritime Board finally had to take action. Big fines were issued to the Shipping Companies to prevent it continuing. People had and would be hurt.
Some Day Trippers on the Lakes.
Football Clubs and Cricket Clubs used to find the Lakes very congenial. Not just the Hotels benefited. Most of the businesses, with food , clothes and equipment benefited.
An office was opened with the name Thomas Cook and Co. They used to advertise that you could book Tickets with them and go anyware in the World
Holiday Cottages of Cambelltown. The natural Lakes entrance.
…Working for a Newspaper…
"Is that you Phillip?”
I was a little startled that I was being addressed by the distinguished gentleman in a suit and hat. “Yes Sir,” I replied.
“You probably don’t remember me but I am the Proprietor, of The Gippsland Times. My name is Robert Stanton Overend.”
“I gave some money towards your history Competition at your School last year. I did use your compilation in my Newspaper.”
“Thank you Sir,” I replied.
“I see that this is where you work. Look we are a Town of about 3500 people now in Sale, and I want to make my Newspaper bigger and better. You could perhaps help by working for me, possibly as a Cadet. How about doing a small test for me that would help me see if you are capable enough to work for me on my Newspaper.”
.
Wow! I was flabbergasted.”Yes Sir. When can I do the Test?”
"Well” he replied, “I see by my Newspapers fixtures list that your footy team has a bye this Saturday afternoon. Why not come to my office at 1.30 pm?”
Mum made me look smart, with shiny shoes and neatly pressed pants and shirt.
The test turned out to be reading or scanning the last 12 months papers. All 104 editions, made up of several a week. I had to be able to identify :-
1. The Big 3 Advertisers.
2. Identify any Big changes that may have happened on the Gippsland Lakes.
3. Identify Important Political events.
Crikey, all of this reading in 2 hours, and then explaining it all in 1 hour.!
“Sit down here, young Man, now let’s have your summary.”
I thought I had better organize a story so my lack of knowledge, or my lack of understanding would be acceptable.
“Well Sir, I think I can divide it up into 4 areas.”
“ First. The advertisements from the Hotels and various other Business Houses look to be steadily repetitious. Even Mr. Sillett, my Headmaster from the Gippsland College still advertises, and so does Mr. Rust the Proprietor of the Gippsland Railway Station Tea Rooms where my friend Anne works for her Mum.”
“Hmm” the Proprietor said.” Good now name a few of the Advertisers.”
I did.
I continued,” Lots of things seem to concern the local population. Such as use of the Lakes for Fishing, Commercial and amateur. Also the ability to enter and depart the Lakes using the ocean, affects all the Lakes Ports.”
“Mr. Alfred Deakin, the Waters Minister studied Water Irrigation in America, and has addressed several meetings in the area about water conservation that should be adopted here, to help keep growing crops continuously for local consumption, including our Flour Mill, and for Melbourne Markets.”
“Good, good. Now let me ask a question. What do you know about the wish for Federation?”
Part of The Debate.
“Well the person you have in Melbourne who telegraphs you important information believes it is right for Australia.”
“Do you believe that? Do you think it will affect Gippsland Lakes area?”
“I don’t understand why Victoria should have to join other States, and I don’t know how it will affect the Lakes area.”
“Good, good! If you knew everything I wouldn’t bother employing you. Do you want to join me, because if you do you will have to learn, and learn, and then learn some more.”
“Yes please Sir,” I replied.
…”We Want’s, and Looming Financial Depression…
Everything was well, I told Anne. I was excited about my interview and how exciting my Cadetship was.
Mr. Robert, made sure that I experienced, and did every aspect of the Newspaper on a regular basis, for limited amounts of time on most days. He was a Printer by Trade, so he understood what I had to learn.
From slicing the paper, delivering the printed copies to outlets for sale. From delivering small squares of paper with the advertising details to the Advertisers for their approval. Collecting some monies and writing a receipt out for the money.
Mixing the inks to print. Swinging on the hydraulic arms of the Press machinery to force the printing onto the paper. Making up the words with alphabetic characters and numbers onto the little printing blocks. Boy oh boy! I was learning a lot.
Things went very well for several months, then one day Mr. Robert said I was to accompany him to a meeting on “Gippsland Development and Sale in Particular,” that was to be held at the Town Hall. Very important people and some not so important would give small speeches. I was to pick him up in his Horse and Buggy at his home, and take a writing pad and some pencils, to take notes on what I thought was important.
After the Meeting I was to take him Home, someway out of Town then stable his horse and buggy at Cobb and Co. in Town. He would ride his new Bicycle into the business premises next day.
Now that Mr. Dunlop, the Scotsman, had invented the pneumatic tyre, bicycles were now comfortable to ride. In fact lots of people in the Towns and Bush bought them. Rabbit Fence patrols, swagmen, shearers and drovers, even Clergymen and Dentists. The bicycles didn’t require feed and water.
Better than “Shanks’s Pony!”
There were some very influential people present at the Meeting that was Chaired by the Mayor. Mr. Alan McLean member of the Legislative Assembly of Victoria was there, so was his rich landowning friend Mr. McAllister. Mr. Carlo Catani an Engineer from the Public Works Department. Mr. Alfred Deakin, Minister for Water couldn’t attend because of debating starting up a National Government. And smaller self interest groups.
Everybody wanted something!
The Sheep people wanted to keep their lands…
The Mayor, representing businesses, wanted the Town and district to grow…
Private Land developers wanted land to sell…
Immigrants, ex gold miners and Navies that worked on the Railways wanted…
Gippsland Lakes Steamers, Tourist Developers, and Horse Coaches wanted…
The Public Works Department wanted more Train Lines, drainage and water canals…
On and on!
On my way to dropping Mr. Robert home. He accepted an invitation to spend some time with a few selected people at a Private Party after the meeting. I was to wait for him.
Finally I was able to take Mr. Robert home, he had an aroma of cigar smoke and port around him. He gave me an instruction.
“Phillip tell all my employees to be present in the Newspaper Office at 10am tomorrow."
The next day we all gathered in the largest space, for Mr. Robert to speak.
“Everyone, I feel I must tell you about what I learned last night after the Public Meeting. I am afraid things are going to get financially very difficult for everyone in Australia over the next months and possibly years.”
This sounded a bit threatening for all of us.
“The reason is complicated, but what I have learned, it is all about money.”
“First the Pastoralists have been extending their large holdings into even bigger ones. Some covering millions of square acres. The monetary returns to Australia from sheep is enormous. To expand the Pastoralists, have had to borrow money. Usually from Banks that have access to English or European money.”
“Second the price of the sheep clip in England and Europe has just about halved in the last ten years. Therefore it is harder for the Pastoralists to repay interest on their loans.”
“Thirdly the English and European money lenders have also lent a lot of money to people in Argentina. That country is having similar problems to Australia.”
“Fourthly, our State Governments have an obligation to provide land and space to all the immigrants it has been sponsoring from England and Europe so that they may live properly.”
“Fifth, all State Government’s have an obligation to provide or assist the Communities in developing Industries such as Food, Clothing. Meaning Flour mills etc.”
“Sixth, every State Government is busily extending Railway Lines so that isolated Bush Towns can all be linked to their capital Cities. That costs a lot of tax Payers money.”
“In summary. Banks have been closing down. Pastoralists and the Businesses that reply upon them have been closing down. Money is going to get tight and scarce. A lot of people are going to suffer. Even that Big Mining operation at Broken Hill, where they mine a lot of Tin and Silver, and have issued general Shares for Sale to the Public, is starting to have economic problems.”
I don’t understand what is going to happen. I’ll just have to work as hard as I can.
Not! a World Financial Balancing Act.
