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HISTORY OF ROSEDALE
By FRANK WHITCOMBE
No. 45 of THE WEEKLY TIMES SERIES
(Continued from last week)
The Town Builder
WILLIAM ALLEN, born in London,
1892, learned his trade as a
builder and contractor in England,
and arrived in Victoria by the ship
Northumberland in 1854. He built the
Rosedale Hotel in 1858, followed by
the tannery, the original school
house, Exchange Hotel in conjunc-
tion with Chown, Geo. Rintoull's
house and blacksmith shop, Henry
Luke's store in 1859, Nambrook
homestead 1887, St. Mark's Church
of England the same year, Presby-
terian Church, later followed by St.
Mary's R.C. Church. Carpenters
were paid by him 16/ a day. All im-
ported goods came through Port Al-
bert, thence by bullock team to
Rosedale, which was the tranship-
ping and distributing place for Cen-
tral Gippsland. Horse teams con-
tinued the transit to Sale, Maffra,
Stratford, Traralgon, and elsewhere,
except Walhalla, which had to be
approached by pack horse. William
Watt used to bring backloading from
Walhalla of hides and skins for
treatment at Cansick's tannery.
In those primordial times Robin-
son kept the Exchange Hotel, where
the first bazaar was held in 1867 in
its stable, no doubt effectively swept
and garnished for the occasion. Later
a higher plane was aimed at, and
local entertainments were held up-
stairs over the new stables of the
Rosedale Hotel until the erection of
the Mechanics' Hall in 1872. To
provide against contingencies a lock-
up was brought in sections from
Stringer's Creek by T. R. Anderson
and duly assembled in 1871.
Apparently the flood legends of
later years were based upon personal
experience, the river's most threat-
ening demonstration being in 1866,
when 16 feet of water flowed over
the causeway. This was the occa-
sion of the tragic happening to Cobb
and Co.'s coach, when driver Strat-
ton and his four horses were swept
away and drowned in the swirling
waters. Lesser episodes were the
floods of 1889 and 1899, when the
depth of water on the flats was seven
feet. Although in these onslaughts
of Mother Latrobe the overflow made
approach to the town unpleasant
and risky the river never invaded its
streets, which were constructed
above flood levels.
The first sawmill, or rather pit,
was started by Patrick Murren, with
Thomas Williamson and Enoch
Portch as top-sawyers: for all the
early buildings were constructed of
pit-sawn timber.
The Teamster
Wm. Allen built the Common
School and Shire Hall when he was
between 80 and 90 years of age, and
was a fine London-taught tradesman,
but evidently a bad cook, for when
he meddled with the roasting of the
bullock donated by Donald Macleod,
of Ridge Station, in celebration of
the erection of the Rosedale Hotel,
he appears to have muddled his job.
After the fashion of the curate's
egg, which was not well and truly
laid, the meat was burnt in spots
and underdone in parts.
William Allen selected and pur-
chased 200 acres of land, and was
married in 1851 to Miss Northern.
Whatever may be urged on behalf
of the squatters who went out into
the wilderness to establish a station
and found a family estate, enduring
hardship as a part of the adventure,
investing their money as stakes in
the great gamble for landownership
and dreams of feudal suzerainty, it
was the bullock teamster who made
their lives bearable and the drover
who contributed to their progress.
These humbler members opened up
the lines of communication and bore
the heat and burden of accomplish-
ment: who dared the dangers and dis-
comfort of the unconquered bush
alongside their toiling four-footed
yokemates; or beside the mobs of
cattle under their charge, spending
wakeful nights around that camping
ground, watchful and weary lest
worse befall in the nature of a
stampede.
Teamsters at all times have been
a notably resourceful class of men,
and among their hardy number Rose-
dale produced a member, a woman
by the way, whose memory clings to
the ancient bush tracks—a Mrs Bun-
tine, who could cut out a beast from
a mob or swing a short or long-
handled stock whip with any man,
and when necessity demanded talk
to the animals in a language under-
standed of the cattle. An intrepid,
indefatigable driver of lumbering
heavy-laden waggons and a no less
redoubtable conductor of packhorse
trains, she and her roan pony on one
occasion piloted her way to Woods
Point with sufficient bacon and flour
to relieve the camp of snowed-in
miners, who cheerfully paid her
double rates in gold dust. The dis-
tance travelled by her was 50 miles,
and the feat was even then regarded as
heroic. Mrs Buntine was highly
regarded in the community, com-
manding respect which was freely
accorded her on account of her sex
and ability in meeting life's many
obstacles with a brave heart cheer-
fully.
Back to Rosedale
Coquetry is portrayed in the visi-
tors "Back to Rosedale" book, care-
fully kept in the Mechanics' Insti-
tute, intended as a record of per-
sonal impressions of the old town,
and the duration of residence there-
in. The "comebacks" were asked to
fill in the dates, but a good number
of the spaces are left blank where
some fair visitor was shy of letting
her age be deduced therefrom.
More than one lady, not to be
tricked by so barefaced a trap, writes
that she resided in Rosedale from
birth till a certain date of departure,
cheerfully acknowledged, gracefully
adding that she was delighted to
return, and thoroughly enjoyed the
"Back to School" celebrations. A
gentleman of St. Kilda, Mr Fred Lee,
candidly avowing his entry into Rose-
dale as in 1879, records his impres-
sions: "Same dear old Rosedale" and
by way of old-time notes, remarks:
"No great alteration in the town
since I left in 1882, all the old houses
appear to be still standing, and there
are very few new ones. On the cor-
ner opposite the Mechanics' Institute,
adjoining the school, we used to play
cricket against the "Backwaters," and
the games usually ended in a stand-
up fight between two members, one
from each team. The players, I re-
member, were Wally Allen, Jack
Williams, Dave Vincent, Jack Keon,
Bert Whitelaw, and Fred Napper."
Amongst those who returned to
"celebrate" as residents of 50 years
ago were W. Mooney, from 1872; J.
S. Henderson, 1876, who quaintly re-
gistered his Memo, of Impressions:—
"The old head master of the school
in my time, Mr White, once showed
me up before the scholars by telling
me to keep my mouth shut, and not
to be fly catching. Emma Portch
may remember." Mrs Charles Stagg
(nee Annie Flett), 1866: C. H. Dea-
kin, 1860; John Colegate, 1865;
Joseph Williamson, 1876; Mrs S.
Holm (nee Susan Teeling), 1874;
James Holm, 1866; J. C. Howson
(nee Anderson), 1873; Catherine
Firmin (nee Anderson), 1873; Walter
Firmin, 1873, when all household
provisions had to be carted by bul-
locks 40 miles to Scrubby Forest;
Edith Kelly, 1878, daughter at late
Rev. G. W. Kelly; George Rintoull,
1858; W. Baker. 1869, son of the
Rosedale postmaster; Mary Kidd (nee
Mary Stagg), 1874; Fanny Chown,
1879; Mary Clyne (nee Anderson),
1867; H. Rintoul, 1869; G. Whittaker,
1878: Charles Chown, 1874; F. R.
Anderson, 1870; Mrs John C. Holmes,
1875 (nee Ada Philippe), attended
school under Wm. White, Mrs White,
Miss Rentoul and Miss J. Deakin;
Mrs F. M. Harbeck, 1863 (nee Min-
nie Williams); Mrs C. Adams, 1863
(nee Carrie White); L. A. Pendle-
bury (daughter of Wm. Hobson. who
resided at Rosedale 60 years ago
with his mother, Mrs Thomas Hob-
son); J. T. Cowell, 1878; Sarah
Fisher, 1870 (nee Sarah Anderson);
Edward Cowell, 1859, memo of im-
pressions: "Added 10 years on to my
life." Sarah Nicholson, 1857 (nee
Allen (memo of impressions: "I re-
member the time when the abori-
gines were camped about the town-
ship"); J. A. Moore, 1878 (memo: "I
remember when the road to Carra-
jung was so bad that it took 32 bul-
locks to haul 500 bricks. It took
from 9 in the morning till 7 in the
evening to travel two miles, the road
in most places having to be cordu-
royed as the teams proceeded. Percy
Hobson, of Rosedale, can verify this
statement.")
Mrs Thomas Rowley (1858) lived
at the end of Queen Street. Memo: "l
remember G. and W. Stedman mak-
ing the bricks for the Rosedale
Hotel; also the first Minister (Mr
Logan) to preach at Geo. Rintoul's
blacksmith Shop, where it now
stands."
Mrs A. Clark, 1869 (nee Jeannie
Anderson).
Many names are omitted for the
reason of their owners coyness in
leaving dates blank. In every in-
stance, however, whatever the age
of the signatories they expressed plea-
sure in revisiting the scene of their
youth.
Rosedale in its teens was catered
for by Henry Luke in the columns
of the Gippsland Guardian, which in
after years gave place to the Rose-
dale Courier, at present conducted by
Mr A. Simpson in the capacity of
proprietor and editor of the only
paper printed within the shire.
Rosedale Sports
Willing and good triers, Rosedale
Football Club members have been
contending against more than the ave-
rage bad luck in having to part with
such good men as Ben Lunn, Martin
and Harold Craven, now playing in
metropolitan teams. Some other old
players were Whitman and Jack An-
derson. Prominent promoters of
local football are Cr. C. Ayres, Messrs
W. Burley, Savige and E. Mclntyre.
Willow Park, as its name may im-
ply, is a sylvan retreat of several
acres within a bend of the Latrobe
River, an arcadia for campers, half
a mile removed from the post office.
Every convenience for a gipsy life
under a leafy canopy is provided by
an understanding and sympathetic
progress committee, even to the ex-
tent of al fresco kitchen shelters in-
clusive of fuel and swings and may-
poles for the children. Fish are
abundant in the encircling running
river.
On the recreation reserve provision
is made in the new pavilion and
grandstand, donated by Hon. E. J.
Crooke, of Holey Plain, for seating
some 50 spectators; in addition to
which there are training and dress-
ing rooms with shower baths for the
players; and refreshment rooms with
kitchen attachment for the general
public.
Cricket is played on a concrete
pitch, half a mile from the post office,
in the recreation reserve, under plea-
sant conditions. The club has won
trophies for fielding and batting and
bowling averages; and under the pre-
sidency of Mr A. M. Savige and Sec-
retary E. Mclntyre, a renewed keen-
ness has been imparted to the mem-
bers.
Rosedale Tennis Club has a mem-
bership of 45, and two asphalt
courts to play on. Its office-holders
are Mr L. Butler, president; Mrs W.
H. Holloway and Mr Charles Burley,
jun., vice-presidents; and Mrs Treloar
and Miss M. Cairns, joint secretaries.
Rosedale Race Club (Mr Archie
Bowman, president, and Mr Geo. H.
Budge, secretary) runs its Easter Cup
meeting, at which £200 in distributed
in prize money, on an attractively
laid out course (one mile 5½ chains),
situate one mile and a half from
town. The property is invested in
trustees, and possesses a grandstand
with seating accommodation for 500,
80 horse stalls, saddling paddock,
shaded by pinus insignis trees,
luncheon rooms, and all racing club
accessories. Patrobus made his first
run here before becoming a national
hero.
Civic Institutions
The Rosedale Red Cross Society,
under the presidency of Mrs Devlin,
assisted by Miss F. M. Cairns, secre-
tary, holds fortnightly meetings, and
devotes the greater part of its ener-
gies to keeping the Children's Ward
of the Gippsland Hospital, Sale, well
stocked.
A Baby Health Centre is open,
every Thursday under the guidance
of Sister Huntley from Sale.
Rosedale Rifle Club (President, Cr.
Charles Ayres, Captain Silvester, and
Secretary C. Hobson) numbers 30 ac-
tive members, and practises on the
butts, half a mile from the post office,
at a double set of targets ranging
from 200 to 800 yards.
To an energetic progress associa-
tion, under the presidency of Mr
George H. Budge, the town is in-
debted for its electric lighting in-
stallation from Yallourn, continuous
telephone service, and other conveni-
ences. Mr A. M. Savige is the secre-
tary. The last-named gentleman, as
headmaster of the State school, was
doubly interested in the planting last
year of 100 young trees of the pinus
insignis species.
Floriculturally, the Mechanics' Hall
burgeons in the spring and bursts
out at the time of autumn shows in
a riot of color, contributed by prac-
tically every known flower with which
the local gardens abound ; the more
sober liveried vegetables furnishing
evidence of prolific yields from the
kindly region soil. The president and
secretary are Messrs. George H.
Budge and A. M. Savige respectively.
The Honor Roll of those who en-
listed from the shire contains 277
names, inclusive of 54 of those who
made the supreme sacrifice and are
enshrined in the Council Chamber on
a beautiful tablet of Australian black-
wood. The president of the local
branch of the R.S.S.I.L.A. is Mr. Fre-
derick Scholes, and the secretary is
Mr. P. W. Hobson.
Old Weekly Times Reader
Mr. James Bunston, of Nambrok,
whose father was one of the early
pioneers of 1846, has lived in the dis-
trict for over 76 years and incident-
ally has been a subscriber to the
Weekly Times for 66 years. The
earlier part of his life was spent as
a drover and teamster, constantly
meeting along the track such mates
as George Lethbridge, Rob Clark, Pat
Mooney, Jim Hickey, Bob Gleeson
Charlie Gordon, Bob Stammers, Bar-
ney Keirghan, John and Campbell. All
good men and true, eager to swap
yarns and the latest news of which
they were the accredited custodians
and duly delivered with personal
emendations (a fortnight old but
eagerly snapped up), on arrival in
Rosedale ; and still further along the
road improved with age and additional
details. Their stopping places when
they could make them by nightfall
were the Hunt Club at Wuruk Wur-
ruk, the Rosedale Hotel (Paul Can-
sick), Bridge Inn (John Shiels), Tra-
ralgon Hotel (Duncan Campbell)
Peter Smith's at Morwell, Henry Mil-
ler's Retreat (Moe), Nichol Brown's
at Shady Creek, Ned Connor's (Bun-
yip), Souter's (Berwick), Dunbar's
Dandenong Hotel where the cattle
grazed for half a day before pushing
on for Melbourne. Good tables were
kept all along the route for the
drovers of "fats" but the men in
charge of "stores" had to camp how
and where they could dependent
upon the pace of their cattle which
could not always do their stages.
Tom Plows and Con Heidelbrandt
and a driver known as Hell Fire Bill,
were three of Cobb and Co's whips
between Sale and Moe via Rosedale;
but they were all live wires of half
a century ago and are little more than
memories now to a lessening few, who
picture them in the past against a
background of bush Paradise which
they themselves are but beginning to
appreciate because their rough days
are past and gone and mellowed by
the passage of time.
Still it is not all fantasy and there
are many whose dreams assume new
shape and picture their little town of
500 rising from somnolence at the
reveille of closer settlement.
Meanwhile Rosedale is an ideal spot
for a rest cure !
Station "Stuck Up"
Under the heading of "Fifty Years
Ago Today," in The Herald Janu-
ary 16, 1930, appeared the following
item : — "Excitement has been caused
in Gippsland by the sticking up of
Mr. Crooke's Holey Plain Station at
Rosedale, by a French half-caste, who
spoke English well."
Count George de Thouars, as he
termed himself, was working at the
Holey Plain during 1879. When the
family returned to their town resi-
dence he was taken down as a handy
man. Sometime later De Thouars
left and went up to Holey Plain, had
a meal there and then produced a
revolver and bailed up seven hands
in the men's hut, and two men and
four women in the house. He used
to go from one to the other and
make them call out their names. He
had a narrow escape for his life ; an
old Rosedale carpenter, Harry Rin-
toul by name, was one of the men in
the house. A breech-loading gun and
some cartridges were handed to him,
but as he had never used anything
but a muzzle loader, and was under
the impression a cap had to be placed
on the striker, and as none could be
found no use was made of the gun.
"I would have winged him," he after-
wards said, and as he was a deter-
mined old character, no doubt he
would have.
In the meantime the men in the
hut had been made to load a number
of cartridges, for an Express rifle Mr.
Crooke had just brought back from
England. They did so with revolver
bullets, instead of the proper ones,
so shooting would be very erratic. A
man was ordered to run the horses
in, which he did, although he could
have ridden to Rosedale for assist-
ance. Selecting a quiet mare, and
taking a supply of provisions, De
Thouars went into the ranges. De
Thouars undoubtedly did it for love of
notoriety. The Kelly gang were in
the midst of their career, but there
was this important difference : the
Kellys reigned in the midst of many
sympathisers, who supplied them
with all requirements, and informa-
tion. This man was a stranger —
every man's hand was against him,
no food obtainable except what he
could shoot, so he was forced in a few
days to abandon his career of glory,
and meeting the Rev. Mr. Scott on
the Port Road he gave himself up
and was tried at Sale before the late
Judge Stevens, and received a sen-
tence of 15 years. At the same ses-
sions a man was found guilty of
sticking up the bank at Moe. The
manager was plucky, and went for
him. After the collapse of the Kelly
gang representations were made to
the authorities and De Thouars
(which turned out not to be his right
name) was released.
$