Buninyong's Freemasons' Lodge

Buninyong’s Freemasons’ Lodge.

One of the ideals brought to the gold fields of Buninyong and Ballarat was Freemasonry. In June 1854 a number of members met in Ballarat to begin the process of forming a Masonic Lodge.

Records exist which show that on the 25th June, 1854 a casual meeting was held and again on the 9th July, 1854 the second meeting was held. On the 26th November, 1854 it was decided that an advertisement should be placed in the “Spirit of the Age” and “The Ballarat Times” requesting that all of the Freemasons in the area should meet at 3 p.m. on the 3rd December, 1854 to complete the necessary arrangements for the formation of a Lodge.

The minutes show that only three members arrived for the meeting at 3 p.m., for that was the day of the Eureka Affair and doubtless groups of people would not have wanted to be seen gathering during the uproar and sedition.

Finally, on the 28 September, 1855 the Lodge in Ballarat was opened. Soon four Lodges were operating in Ballarat; they were the Victoria Lodge, the Yarrowee Lodge, the Ballarat Lodge and the United Tradesmen’s Lodge of Ballarat East. In 1867 these four lodges amalgamated to become the Yarrowee Lodge which still operates in Dawson Street, Ballarat to this day.

Just how many of the early settlers and inhabitants of Buninyong were Freemasons prior to the opening of a formal Masonic Lodge is unknown. But Buninyong was the first Lodge in the locality to open outside of Ballarat proper.

During this early period Victorian Lodges were controlled by three Grand Lodges. They were The Grand Lodge of England, The Grand Lodge of Ireland and the Grand Lodge of Scotland. In Ballarat the first four lodges which were later to amalgamate, were operating under warrants from the Grand Lodge of England. Buninyong, however, decided to form their Lodge under the auspices of The Grand Lodge of Ireland.

The first meeting was held on the 22nd April, 1858 at the Nugget Hotel with Charles J. Kenworthy as the Master, and the other two principal officers were James B. Cusack and Henry A. Corinaldi. Kenworthy and Corinaldi had been members of the Victoria Lodge in Ballarat, prior to being appointed the Master and deputy of the new Buninyong Lodge. Meetings at the Nugget did not last very long, for on the 19th November, 1858 the lodge changed its place of meeting to the Buninyong Hotel. The formal warrant arrived from the Grand Lodge of Ireland on 7th February, 1859, nominating the Buninyong Lodge as No. 413 in the Irish Constitution.

Dr Charles Kenworthy was an American who was later to figure prominently in the separation of Sebastopol from Buninyong. He was elected to the Road Board in 1860 and probably figured in the formation of the Sebastopol Masonic Lodge in 1869. I know nothing of Messrs Cusack and Corinaldi. Soon after the Eureka Affair at Ballarat, Henry Cuthbert the most prominent district Freemason at the time condemned the violence, and whilst Charles Kenworthy was a figure mentioned at Eureka, his part still allowed Cuthbert to proudly announce that no Freemason was involved in the Eureka rebellion. Those early records of Freemasonry in Ballarat give a rare insight to political and anti-government feelings by some people at the time of Eureka.

Meetings at the Buninyong Hotel lasted until 23rd March, 1864 when allegiance was changed to the Crown Hotel for the next twenty-one years. Perhaps because of the fire at the Crown Hotel meetings were changed to the Shire Hall at Mt Clear on the 11th March, 1885, but six months later - on the 23rd September 1885 - they were back at the Crown Hotel. Newspaper reports talk of saving equipment belonging to the Buninyong Lodge when the Crown Hotel burnt down.

In 1889 moves were made to amalgamate lodges from the three constitutions - English, Irish and Scottish, - into one body, and on the 20th March, 1889, a total of 138 lodges throughout Victoria joined together as the United Grand Lodge of Victoria. Because Buninyong was formed so very early, it was designated No. 23 under the Victorian Constitution. Thus, to this day, Buninyong is still the third oldest Lodge in the greater Ballarat area with Yarrowee as No. 10 in Ballarat and the Daylesford Lodge as No. 12, being the only two that are older. Freemasonry became popular in Victoria with actual lodges growing to over 800 in recent years. Membership grew from about 18,000 in the early days to over 100,000 in the 1960’s.

On the 20th December, 1898 the meeting place of the Buninyong Lodge was moved to the Buninyong Town Hall and finally, on the 27th December 1906 the Buninyong Lodge moved into its own home in Warrenheip Street. Additional building and renovations have been made since that time, resulting in the facilities for members being one of the better Masonic Lodges in the district.

Just as Buninyong township took its name from the aboriginal name for the mount, the Buninyong Lodge used the word Boonanara [Love/Charity in Plenty] as their catch phrase; and over the years with the charity that is conducive of Freemasonry, many have been assisted by the lodge and its members. Freemasonry is a society that practices charity, with homes, hospitals and community fund raising to support that aim. A Masonic Lodge should not be confused with other beneficial orders such as the Oddfellows who also called their meetings - lodges, but were not Masonic.

It might come as a surprise to the reader that there was, and still is, a Grand Lodge of Ireland. It is situated in Molesworth Street, Dublin. Sadly, rumour without credence tends to suggest a friction between Ireland, Catholicism and Freemasonry. I am reliably informed that this is not correct. Also there appears to be some confusion between Freemasonry and the Anglican Church and I also find it hard to comprehend this, especially when one considers that since 1688 the head of the Church of England has been the British Monarch and at least six Kings, as well as numerous princes of royal blood and prince consorts, have been Freemasons since then - therefore, to argue that there is some incompatibility between the church and Freemasonry impugns the religious integrity of the monarchy. The head, or Grand Master, of Freemasonry in Victoria this year is a practicing Protestant clergyman.

Perhaps the confusion results from the idea that Freemasonry is a religion, which it is not, yet it does allow membership from all religions and creeds - Catholic, Protestant, Islamic, Jewish, and others. Fragmented bodies were brought together under a governing body in 1717 to form Freemasonry as it is known today and from that union was created the Grand Lodge of England, although mention of Freemasons Lodges appear historically well before this time. It could be that with the building of the great cathedrals of Europe, bodies were formed based on architectural principles to teach building techniques and to allow for recognition of qualifications and membership by others. The moralistic codes taught to the apprentices on these early building sites captured the imagination of enlightened men, who, free of the indentures of apprenticeship called themselves ‘Freemasons’. As one author recently wrote “If anything, it has more to be proud of than it has to conceal.” .

In the past the Buninyong Lodge has held open days during the festivals, I hope that in the future they will see fit to do the same to alleviate the mystique that tends to be associated with freemasonry and show our residents the good they do.

© Robert W. Bell. 1997.

Lindersfarne - Episode 2

‘Lindersfarne.’

By

Robert W. Bell.

This is the story of a pioneers journey to live in Buninyong. 1840 to 1914.

Although placed in an historic context, the central character, his background, his property name and his family are all fictitious.

Part 2 of a series.

In Paisley, Scotland, disaster was to strike, with the dreadful accident that befell John Stuart’s father. It was on a gloomy day in late winter 1840, when fog and misty rain obscured James Stuart’s vision and the express coach from Glasgow ran him down, catching him unawares and crushing both his legs and causing internal injuries.

James Stuart lingered for days, before gangrene set in and death came quickly, as at this time this was an untreatable condition. Of great concern was what was John and his mother going to do, they knew that the cottage was owned by the Mill, and were unsure what provision James Stuart had made for them?

After visiting James Stuart’s solicitor in Glasgow, a wonderful surprise was revealed. It was shown that James was not only the Mill Manager, but he was also a shareholder in the mill, and had left a considerable amount of money and assets to John. Because John’s mother was to be welcome at her sister’s house as a live in companion, even though she had both means and a regular endowment payment from the shares, it was only for John to decide what he should do. After dealing with the loss of his father, liaising with their solicitors and banks, and the settling of the many other arrangements, the months had rolled on and it was now August.

Taking board and lodgings in Glasgow to give himself time to consider his situation; the eighteen year old took to exploring his surrounds. He again visited the Tontine where coaches left Glasgow for all parts of the country. He found that in 1758, 274 subscribers, each contributed £25 (on the plan of the Neapolitan, Lorenzo Tonti, whereby the survivor fell heir to the property), and built the Tontine Assembly Rooms. Now that Glasgow largely controlled the tobacco trade, the magnates met daily in an open space in front of the rooms. [Even in 2004 the Tontine Hotel still stands on this site. Auth.]

Walking past Mein’s Hotel John could hardly believe his eyes, there stood Mr. Dennistoun, who was associated with the Clyde Company, and John’s travelling companion from two years earlier. Mr. Dennistoun recognised John and introduced him to Mrs. William Williams (nee Jane Reid) and her travelling companion Miss Patterson.

After exchanging information John expressed a keen desire to travel to Australia and seek his fortune in the newly emerging colony. After consultation with his mother, and the withdrawing of £450.00, John visited many manufacturers, wholesalers and merchants buying up goods suitable for re-sale in the colony. [Prices of household goods in Australia were often three times more than the price in Britain. Auth.] Thus, armed with goods for sale and letters of introduction to various people in the Port Phillip District, John sought passage from Scotland to Australia.

Carefully he examined the shipping reports. Studiously he sought information on the shipping lines, the ships’ Masters and the comfort of the vessels. The end result was his paying £10 for a ticket for himself and his goods to travel on a coastal vessel leaving Greenock on the Clyde for London, where he trans-shipped to the ‘Argyle’.

To be continued …

© Copyright. Robert W. Bell. Buninyong. 2004.

Lindersfarne - Episode 1

‘Lindersfarne.’

By

Robert W. Bell.

This is the story of a pioneers journey to live in Buninyong. 1840 to 1914.

Although placed in an historic context, the central character, his background, his property name and his family are all fictitious.

Part 1 of a series.

John Stuart was born in semi rural Paisley, just eight short miles (13kms) out of Glasgow in Scotland on 30 January 1822. His parents were considered middle class for the time, for his father, James Stuart was the manager of the Paisley Woollen Mill. The Stuart’s detached cottage stood in grounds larger than the average size block, owned by James Stuart’s employer. It was surrounded by well-tended gardens, and Mary, John’s mother, in today’s terms, would be considered as having home duties.

John had the added advantage of being an only child. This was somewhat unusual for the time, because most families ranged anywhere up to fifteen (sometimes more) children. Due to the financial status of the family, John was well nourished and well cared for, unlike the children of Mr. Stuart’s workers who lived in small, cramped and more often unsanitary conditions. These surroundings led to many early deaths, for it was a time when many households were ravaged by typhoid, influenza and the debilitating effect of poor diet.

The poorer areas of Glasgow were in an even much sadder state of affairs than Paisley, where there were workhouses for the poor, and infantile deaths were at an alarmingly high figure. Glasgow had as its port facility Greenock where vessels arrived and departed for many international ports carrying the produce manufactured in the industrial Glasgow and the emigrants seeking a new home with possibilities.

John grew into a strong healthy sports minded boy and commenced his schooling aged four years at the Paisley Grammar and Preparatory School. Because his father was required to visit the company’s office in Edinburgh, John at the age of sixteen travelled with his father into Glasgow where, from in front of the Tontine the coach left to travel the forty-four miles (70Kms) to Edinburgh.

This journey was to later have an impact on young John, because one of the passengers was John Dennistoun of the Clyde Company in Glasgow. During the trip Mr. Dennistoun told John stories of Hobart Town, the Australian bush, the Aboriginals and the Clyde Company’s representative George Russell’s desire to own a number of properties in the Port Phillip District of New South Wales. The Port Phillip District was the former name of Victoria where Major Mitchell an explorer had described the land as “Australia Felix”, ideal for sheep and other farming pursuits.

Between Falkirk and Linlithgow, Mr. Dennistoun pointed out Laurence Park now the home of Colonel Ross, son-in-law of Thomas Learmonth, who, with his sons was also in Hobart. Mr. Dennistoun also told John stories of the Clyde Company with its offices in Glasgow, and the newly acquired sheep station in the Barrabool Hills near Geelong in the Port Phillip District.

Also by the time he was sixteen John was being tutored for the possibility of eventually having the opportunity of entering a University, but John dreamed of taking a ship and travelling to Australia to see for himself the country Mr. Dennistoun had earlier talked about.

To be continued …

© Copyright. Robert W. Bell. Buninyong. 2004.

Getting about in the last century.

Today its an easy matter to take a run into Ballarat or down to Geelong. Cars, Motorcycles, Trains, Buses even the bicycle allow us to travel distances easily and comfortably. In some future edition of the Buninyong and District Community News we will bring you some information on how the early settlers came to Buninyong, but for this issue we will look at the township of Buninyong and how people travelled, and also what tradesmen and contractors used for transportation.

First, in the period prior to the turn of the century the most popular form of transport was often called Shank’s Pony - walking. To travel anywhere for most people was to walk. People living out of town would need to walk to fetch the groceries, the meat, and to visit the Doctor. Some trades people would deliver the goods, but generally people walked into town and back home again. Ballarat being 7 Miles (11 k’s) from Buninyong often meant that if they had business to carry out in Ballarat it would be a walk there and back. Those with a load might have pushed a wheel barrow or pulled a hand cart to carry their goods or belongings.

Up the scale of transportation was the horse. A horse allowed the rider a certain amount of freedom. This freedom allowed the traveller to journey to Ballarat in an hour or two or even Geelong in a day. The goods able to be carried on the horse was limited. Next up the scale was the horse and cart. Goods could be carried and more than one person could make the trip.

Those more fortunate had a buggy. Just as the horse and cart were the standard family sedan of today, the buggy was a high performance vehicle. With narrow wheels, fine spokes and a light-weight construction the buggy was the roadster. The finer vehicle was the carriage - the limousine of today. Used by the wealthy the carriage was the ultimate form of transport.

Commercially, the mainstay or semitrailer of today was the bullock wagon. The slow and purposeful team would haul goods from Geelong to Buninyong and on to Ballarat. Records show us that in the winter the trip of a fully laden wagon hauled by bullocks could take three weeks because the drivers and operators found themselves constantly bogged, and at times they needed to cut saplings to lay on the roadway to allow the wagon to move. The heavy utility was the horse drawn wagon and the lighter vehicle was the dray. The flat top wagon was often called the lorry.

Around Buninyong township the dray would have been a common vehicle. The coach was the bus of today and the Great Leviathan passed through Buninyong on its way to Geelong. The Great Leviathan carried up to 80 passengers. Coach’s also passed through Buninyong on their way to Portland and up country to the Pyrenees. The horse drawn cab was the local taxi. Passengers would be carried throughout the district in these four wheeled half timber and half canvas vehicles.

Roads were built by man power. Men using shovels, picks and other tools. Later in the last century sophisticated horse drawn vehicles were added to the councils equipment with horse drawn grading blades and tip drays making life easier and road construction quicker. Wool was carried from the farms to the markets in Geelong by huge wagons drawn either by horses or bullocks.

From 1889 the train service operated between Buninyong and Ballarat. Terminating at where the tennis courts now stand, the train allowed Buninyong residents to travel to Ballarat to join the Melbourne and Geelong trains. The passenger service ended in 1930 and goods traffic ended in 1947.

Funerals were conducted using either a respectable horse drawn wagon or a horse drawn hearse. Local deliveries made by the Butcher or Grocer used a trap or covered cart. The Police were mounted and needed to rush to the scene of the crime on horseback. The fire brigade advanced from the hand cart to the horse drawn appliance

The roads were wet and boggy in the winter and dry and dusty in the summer with bitumen being a more recent improvement. All of the horses, carts, wagons and vehicles needed the expertise of the blacksmith and wheelwright. Instead of the service and tune-up we give motor vehicles, the blacksmith would shoe the horses, mend the axles, grease the hubs, put iron tyres on the wheels, and repair the metal fastenings. The wheelwright would replace the spokes in the wheels, and repair wooden parts. Therefore, the blacksmith and wheelwright was the service station of today, and instead of mass production the carriage builders in local communities looked to the individual needs of their clients.

When the first settlers came to Buninyong back in 1838 they came with a dray and horses. Soon after the area was serviced with bullock wagons, after which came the people on foot and the drays and carts carrying miners to the Eldorado gold-fields of Buninyong, Ballarat, Clunes and beyond. Permanent settlement brought with it the cabbies, the hearses, the carriages and coaches. Then came the train which preceded the motor car.

Formal surveys were carried out to determine the layout of towns, but the streets on the survey were but lines upon a plan - it took residents to fulfill the dreams set down by the government of the day. Roads were dismal tracks often impassable during a severe winter, but, with the election and formation of a Road Board, drainage and road formation became a serious endeavour to improve transportation. Thus the passage of travel improved and distances became easier to traverse. The introduction of the road building techniques of Macadam saw the introduction of bitumen, tar and hot mix surfaces quickening the pace.

The adventure which took Ballarat residents to Buninyong for picnics lessened, the great excursion to Lal Lal for the races passed, and the drudge of walking and horse riding as means of travel gave way to the combustion engine. The early open bone shaking automobiles became more sophisticated - they became enclosed, more powerful, air conditioned and jammed full of technical wizardry. Perhaps we should not crave for the past modes of travel, especially in winter, but the advent of the motor car has cost us something; that which we have lost, is the sense of adventure and the excited expectation of travel.

Copyright. Robert W. Bell. 1997.

Early Settlers (Part 1) The Preparation.

Early Settlers - The Preparation.

The decision to emigrate to Australia was not taken lightly. Those contemplating moving to the new lands were usually a much better class of citizen than has been previously thought. When we consider that an average wage in 1850 was around £50 a year. £50 today represents about $26,000.00.

Passengers on the immigration ships paid from £40 to £70 ($20,800.00 to $36,400.00) for a cabin. Immediate accommodation on the ship was £25 ($13,000.00) and steerage was priced between £15 and £18 ($7,800.00 to $9,360.00) for the voyage and all of these were for a one way passage. Today we would consider the cabin accommodation as first class, the intermediate as second class and the steerage as third class. Also today one can fly to England for between $900 economy class and $1, 800 first class - one way.

By air today we can leave London and arrive in Melbourne after a delay of 40 hours with about 28 hours actual flying time. In 1850 if travelling by steam ship the journey took eight weeks, and if by sail, the journey was completed in between three and four months. In sailing ships some horror trips took up to six months and a few never completed the journey having been wrecked on the way.

Warnings were issued to those thinking about making the journey to Australia. Intended travellers were warned to only deal with the owners of the ships or their advertised broker and to be very wary of agents usually referred to as emigration sharks ready to dupe the traveller. Today we are protected by guarantee and government regulations, but 150 years ago no such warranty was offered. Many paid over money only to find the ship did not exist and the scoundrel well gone. In such a case the person duped had no recourse than to return to his labour and save up again.

In the 1850’s inspectors were appointed to ascertain the condition of the ship and the accommodation offered, however, it would appear that in many instances the inspectors were either lax or susceptible to bribes from unscrupulous ship owners. An extract from the time tells something of the problems in respect to food:-

Our first meal at sea for eleven was at least half bone, and as hard to cut as a cable. It was not only hard and dreadfully salt, but very bad. One of the passengers told me he saw the casks carefully covered over directly the inspector came on board at Gravesend. I myself saw some salt beef or horse quite green and stinking. A party of six had been served today to a pound and a half of bone with one pound of sinew on it. The best dinner was potatoes and biscuit. ... It is a piteous sight to see the poor children, who throw this stuff out of their plates, and their wretched mothers unable to give them anything else except hard biscuit, which their little teeth are quite unable to masticate.

In bargaining for children’s fare parents sometimes forgot to stipulate for full rations of food and water, and found too late, to their horror, that their children were only allowed half or quarter supplies.

Passengers were required to furnish their own cabins, berth or sleeping place. The owners of the ships supplied nothing but an empty space. Therefore, equipping for accommodation during the voyage became the responsibility of the traveller. A typical list of furnishings included mattresses, pillows, blankets and sheets. A wash basin and jug, two quart and one pint pot, one or two drinking mugs per person, teapot, coffeepot, tin plates and dishes, a few knives, forks and spoons, a vessel for holding the days allowance of water and a filter, a ship candle-lamp with spare candles, a stool or seat, a mirror, brushes and combs, soap, disinfectants and other toilet items. Passengers were also urged to take extra stores to vary the monotony of the food supplied by the ship owners. These included flour, tea, coffee, cocoa, sugar, eggs greased and packed in salt, suet, butter, cheese, currants, raisins, pickles, lemons, preserved meat, bottled beer, wine and brandy. One is forced to ask just what the ship actually supplied. Meat, potatoes, biscuits and water appear to be the staple diet provided as part of the fare.

Emigrants were warned that on the day the ship sailed there was often a lot of confusion, and the cook may be so drunk, that no meals would be provided. It would be well, they were told, to have some sort of a picnic for the first days meals.

We can imagine after much shouting and bustle the ship’s sails being unfurled and amid tearful farewells, moving slowly from the dock. A matter of hours later the swell of the open sea would add to the discomfort with people still trying to get organised amid vomiting children, the smell of pitch and tar, and the arguments associated with claiming space and accommodation and all of the other changes experienced by people, who, prior to this day had never even seen the ocean, let alone a ship and the clutter of ropes, spars and canvass.

Those in cabin accommodation would be standing aloof looking down on the wretched steerage class travellers, who were only permitted on deck for a short time and would spend most of their journey below decks amid the stench of unwashed bodies, urine and sea sickness.

The intended traveller had been warned that if they had made their arrangements judiciously before embarking, they may reckon on a pleasant and prosperous voyage, with health and happiness at the end of it. To be continued. © Robert W. Bell 1997

Buninyong Botanical Gardens.

The Buninyong Gardens.

On the southern track of Buninyong near a larger water hole now called ‘The Gong’ an area was set aside as a public reserve. This was the area that watered the horses of the Police Camp in the early 1850’s. Earlier still it was probably the camping ground for those taking wagons, stock and provisions into the newly found pasturelands; for Buninyong was an important place on the stock routes to Portland Bay and Central Victoria.

The early council decided that Buninyong should have a botanical garden and moves were made to achieve that end. The enjoyment of the Buninyong Gardens began with the enclosure of the area at a cost of £100 applied for in 1864 from the Government to complete the fencing and improvements. Springs in the area ensured an adequate supply of water and the eventual obtaining of plans, plants and seeds from Dr. von Mueller made for an enchanted place to be visited by generation after generation during the next one hundred and thirty years.

The choice of Dr. Ferdinand Jakob Heinrich von Mueller to supply the plan was a wise one, for Dr von Mueller became synonymous with botanical gardens throughout Victoria. Born in Rostock, Germany, von Mueller migrated to Australia in 1847 and was appointed the Government Botanist for Victoria. He was the Director of the Melbourne Botanical Gardens from 1857 to 1873. In 1869 the King of Wurtemburg made von Mueller a hereditary baron for his services to botany and in 1879 he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George by Queen Victoria. Baron Sir Ferdinand von Mueller, by his life’s end in 1896, had amassed 350,000 botanical specimens. He had written and published countless numbers of papers and books on Australian plants, some entirely in Latin.

To von Mueller’s discredit, he is said to have introduced paspalum grass and water cress which quickly became weeds, and he is known to have promoted the growing of brambles to provide florists with suitable foliage for making wreaths.

With the opening of the rail link between Ballarat and Buninyong the gardens became the picnic Mecca for people from far and wide. At one time there was a resident gardener and caretaker, a classical fernery was included, and the ponds, paths and garden beds made for an attractive setting.

In December 1901 the Queen Victoria rotunda, erected by the residents of Buninyong, as a token commemorating the death of the Queen, was opened by Mayor Coxall. The words of Proverbs 22.2 “The rich and poor meet together. The Lord is the maker of them all,” has reminded the visitor for the past ninety six years of the fragility, the uncertainty and the future of man. For our forefathers in 1901 chose the Proverb that stressed the importance of moral virtues, as opposed to the vices. The first verse of Proverbs 22 is “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.”

The inner walls of the rotunda has been marked with graffiti by countless numbers over time. First the crude markings of the pen knife and lately the damage by ‘texta’ pens. But graffiti is usually overmarked by graffiti and just as at Pompeii, sometimes the markings themselves become historic. Such were the markings made by some young men in 1916, when, on the inner north east wall the pen knife cut the following words deep into the woodwork.

AIEF, 10th Brigade - A. B. Coxall - D. M. Kennie - sailed for Egypt - May 27th 1916 - 39th Battalion - B Company.

A stark reminder of the young of the district who went to war for King and Country in the 1914 - 1918 conflict. Sadly the markings were destroyed by several well aimed karate kicks in the late 1980’s and today possibly the author’s photograph is the only tangible reminder of the marks left by Coxall and his mate all of those years ago. The A.I.E.F. stood for the Australian Infantry Expeditionary Force.

Older residents might recall or be able to identify who AA, HH, CA, RS, EH and the other initials near the 1916 markings were, among the young blades of the town !

And again, the First World War left us another reminder in the form of the baths constructed of concrete by returned servicemen and used for swimming from around 1919 until the 1950’s. These former baths may have also been a supplementary water supply for the gardens and ponds; now they have been delightfully fashioned into a little garden of retreat by the willing, yet rarely thanked, Gardens Committee. A sign on the old wall tells us a charge of 1d (One penny) was made to enter.

With spring, there emerges in the Buninyong Gardens a new world of blossom and growth. The birds have began to build their nests and the wild fowl and ducks are grazing on the lawns. When one stands in awe under the massive trees chosen all of those years ago, it is hard to realise that today from the little seedlings of von Mueller, great trees have grown, some of the individual specimen’s must weigh more than 10 tonnes, cover perhaps 2,000 square metres, and include something like 16 kilometres or more of branches and twigs.

Once the pleasure ground of the Victorian age - it fell into disrepair and neglect - only to rise again, thanks to the dedicated few, to stand majestic as a haven for you and yours to enjoy. The still waters of the pond, the mysterious island, the rustic bridge and the ghosts of the past which are our heritage - The Buninyong Gardens.

© Robert W. Bell. 1997.

Place Names.

Place Names.

When Victoria was first settled, then later, with the finding of gold, it was left to our forefathers to distinguish one place from another by giving it a name. These area names grew from reference to a geographical feature or a single hut to a township. The names used sometimes came from Aboriginal descriptive terms, other times a place was named with pangs of homesickness, remembering what had been their home twelve thousand miles away. It was not uncommon to name a place after the settler, important people of the time or a battle won and lost. Other place names were quite naive or primitive, even to the extent of lacking imagination. When the early settlers to the Buninyong district arrived in Victoria, it was usually at Geelong and making their way ‘up country’ these are the place names, they became familiar with.

GEELONG: from the Aboriginal word ‘Jillong’ meaning either “Place of the Cliff” or, “ White Sea Bird”.

BATESFORD: John and Alfred Bates travelled from Tasmania and took up land along the Moorabool (q.v.) River. This spot became an easy crossing or ‘ford’ across the river.

MOORABOOL: Aboriginal for ‘Cry of the Curlew’ or ‘Ghost’.

GHERINGHAP: Aboriginal word for (i) ‘a kind of white gum tree’, (ii) ‘Black Wattle Blossoms’.

BANNOCKBURN: Robert (the) Bruce a Scottish warrior defeated Edward II at the battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Erroneously, the nearby Bruce Creek is said to be named after Robert Bruce, instead it was named after James Bruce an early settler.

LETHBRIDGE: Previously named ‘Muddy Waterholes’. Lethbridge was named after one of the officials who superintended the building of the Geelong - Ballarat Railway.

MAUDE: Joshua Maude Wooley settled in the nearby Anakie Hills in 1836/37.

MEREDITH: Settled by Charles Meredith who came from Tasmania with the first settlers.

ELAINE: Said to be from the poem by Alfred (Lord) Tennyson ‘Lancelot and Elaine’. The area was also called ‘Stoney Rises’ and ‘Mt Doran’. Mt Doran is the name now used for the settlement to the north of the present Elaine. (I have never been able to find any reference to support the often quoted reason for naming Elaine, Meredith and Maude; as being after the daughters of a surveyor!)

CLARENDON: During the Crimean War) Lord Clarendon was the British Governments’ Foreign Minister.

LAL LAL: From the Aboriginal “A clashing of the waters” in reference to the Lal Lal Falls and the roaring torrent it sometimes becomes after rain.

SCOTSBURN: Originally called ‘Burnt Hill’, then later ‘Scott’s Marsh’. Settled by Andrew Scott in 1838. The Scottish word for a small stream or brook is ‘Burn’. Therefore the name could be a corruption of Scott’s Burnt Hill or Scott’s Burn (Stream).

BUNINYONG: Buninyong took its name from Mt Buninyong. The Aboriginals called the Mount, Bonan-yong meaning “Man lying on back with raised knees”. Being; that when viewed from a distance the Mount has this appearance.

DURHAM LEAD: The lead comes from the gold lead found by deep shaft mining. Durham after the City of Durham in England.

GARIBALDI: Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807 - 82) was an Italian Patriot who led the Red Shirt Legion in the fight for Italy’s Independence in 1860. Many Italian’s were on the gold fields and sought to recognise Garibaldi’s efforts concerning the unification of Italy into a Kingdom.

CAMBRIAN HILL: Named by Welsh Miners - Cambrian is the ancient Latin name for Wales.

NAPOLEONS: Napoleons’ Lead was so called because of the nickname given to its discoverer - a portly, yet dignified miner who his associates of the time called Napoleon. This explains why it differs from Napoleon (of France), the ‘s’ denoting an abbreviation.

MAGPIE: More correctly Magpie Gully, after the proliferation of the bird by the same name.

GUMS (The): Very rarely heard of now days. This was the flat area where the Sebastopol - Buninyong and the Sebastopol - Cambrian Hill Roads meet. Named because of the stand of uncleared Gum Trees which once stood at the corner.

COBBLERS: Again, a place name very rarely, if ever, mentioned today. It was an area situated at the Cambrian Hill end of Sebastopol (q.v.). Cobblers, “clumsy workma(e)n”, or an English slang word for a ‘ a load of old rubbish’ or more than likely in this case, “a drink of wine”; because of the sly grog shops in the area. In this general district the name Cobblers appears several times near places such as Creswick, Yandoit, Mount Egerton, Sebastopol &c.

SEBASTOPOL: The anglicised name of SEVASTOPOL, a Russian Fort finally captured by Britain and her allies in 1855 during the Crimean War). Other references to the Crimean War as place names include, Inkerman, Balaclava, Redan &c.

© Robert W. Bell. Buninyong. 1997.