Life in Queenstown – St Andrews
By Gaye Ponting
St Andrews - Queenstown Historical Society
2007
I would like to share with you what I have learned about living life in St Andrews. From my own personal experience, and from what I have researched through newspapers, education files, inquests, public records and from talking to people who once lived in the area.
The first people who moved across this land were the aboriginal people, the clan for this region were known as the ‘Wurrundjeri’. They had the ability to adapt to living from the land and its seasons over thousands of years. In 1835 the ‘township’ of Melbourne was claimed by Europeans and 40,000 years of living stopped for the Wurrundjeri. A window into their life and how they existed is through the native bush and animals that are still present in the district today. Luckily, there have been people in past generations that recognised the importance to preserve our wilderness. We have many reserves and the Kinglake National Park that now covers 21,600 hectares.
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[edit] Kinglake National Park
The Park began in 1928 with 4000 hectares. The first ranger was Shelley Harris, who lived and went to school in Queenstown. He also served in the Australian Army served in the Boer War for 12 months at the age of 37. He then served in the First World War at Fleurbaix and Baupaume. He was gassed twice and convalesced in Richmond England and was discharged in 1917. He is buried at Queenstown Cemetery.
[edit] Discovery of Gold
European settlement began in this district in late 1853- 1854 with the discovery of gold in Spanish Gully in Smiths Gully by George Boston and his party. The first gold was discovered in Warrandyte in 1851. The area from Warrandyte to Queenstown was known as the Caledonian Diggings and it was part of the St Andrews Mining Division. Within months of this discovery, a mining village at the rush to Caledonia was knows as Market Square – opposite Queenstown Cemetery. Gold was being extracted from One Tree Hill and in any gully and creeks in the surrounding area.
There were some interesting names of mining claims, reefs and companies – Old Boomer, New Boomer, Perseverance, The Late Hustlers, Eureka, Welcome Reef, Lancashire hero, Slaughter Yard Rush and Never-Too- Late-to-Mend! In 1864, 45 reefs were totally abandoned.
By 1890 records show nearly 25,000 oz’s of gold were extracted as quartz reefs – Yow Yow 7,500, One Tree Hill 7,500, and Panton Hill – Orams reef – 9000 ozs.
There are still many mine shafts and tunnels in St Andrews today. They are well hidden away with the regrowth of native bush and by the common weed – ‘the blackberry’.
Over the next 80 years, there were still many men and their working parties that continued to search and find this shiny, yellow metal. During the Great Depression, 1929-1933, the Government supplied picks and shovels to men who wished to fossick for gold in Queenstown. The Shire of Eltham was deeply concerned about the sanitary conditions and the threat of a serious health outbreak. A group of local miners and the local Anglican Minister, Rev. Whitworth, purchased a block of land and erected a log hut. This hut provided shelter and a kitchen where these men and their families could take refuge. Euchre nights and dances were held on a Saturday night at the Community Hut. In the late 1940’s the hut burnt down and the land was donated to St Andrews CFA in 1951, where it stands today.
[edit] Farming
As the gold ran out, some families – The Ninks, Mullers, Sabelbergs,Cant, Dugdale, Mittons - stayed and turned their talent into farming their land, There were many orchards, growing a variety of fruit – apples , pears plums, peaches, quinces raspberries, and strawberries. The Ninks were known as the Peach kings – grew the best peaches – they use to grow grapes not for the wine but for the leaves. As they would wrap the peaches in an individual leaf, making the presentation of the fruit delectable and thus get a higher price at the market.
They would leave for Victoria Market on a Monday at 11 am and arrive in Melbourne on Tuesday at 3 am. The family owned 2 wagons each wagon would carry 100 cases. They went to market 3 times a week. The Ninks also had a sawmill in Ninks Road in the early 1900’s Most of the orchards by the 1940’s had been sold. Only a few remnants of old trees remain in the district. However only a couple of valleys away is Strathewen where the Apted family are still running a profitable orchard of apples.
With the influx of people to this region, services are required.
The first is being the St Andrews Post Office. It started in 1856 by W. Watson and sons and was leased out to William Morton and was paid an annual salary of ₤100. In 1857, John Corke Knell took over – 9 years later he applied for a license for the St Andrews Hotel – which is where it stands today – john died in 1867. (We believe the first owner of the St Andrews Hotel was Frederick Theis.)
His wife Eliza Smith (Band) Hotelier of St Andrews took over running the establishment. In 1869, she remarried Robert Smith. Eliza was also registrar for births deaths and marriages. The hotel and post office remained in Eliza’s family for 60 years. Eliza was a well respected figure in the town. She died in 1911 aged 74 years and she is buried in Queenstown Cemetery. An excerpt from her obituary in the Evelyn Observer – ‘Her genial disposition, hospitable nature and tact made her an ideal hostess and gained her numerous friends. The hotel became widely know as homely and a good place for travellers. How many times she has bidden farewell to her parting guests and they have looked forward to a renewal of their visit to this little village of Queenstown.’ Today the dining room is known as Eliza’s room, where hangs a large picture of her.
The Hotel is a significant entity in the town, over the years it has been the place for entertainment of many important functions. Wedding receptions, Harvest Festivals, The Caledonia Cricket Club, St Andrews Rural Fire Brigade recorded its first meeting in 1916 and Election polls were held in the Lodge room in 1888. Even today people are lured back to the hotel for the food, music, friendly atmosphere and to see the line up of motorbikes parked outside every weekend.
The following comment was made by “Barney” in 1882 –‘ That some people seem to think that the “pub” is a fit and proper place for church, parsonage, school, mechanic’s institute, and all public business.’
[edit] Police Paddocks
Opposite the hotel was the Police Paddocks. The police station was operational in the late 1850’s. The town had one mounted constable and one senior foot constable. The Court of Petty Sessions began in 1861 and serviced the area for thirty years - most cases were of a minor nature – sly grog selling, drunk and disorderly, fining parents for not having their child vaccinated and for not sending them to school. The police station ceased operating in 1917. The police quarters were moved to Doncaster East School in 1920 and were to be used as a teacher’s residence.
One of the many jobs police had to do was to gain evidence of the many deaths that occurred in the town. They would then bring the body or what was left of the body back to St Andrews Hotel or the Court House in readiness for a magisterial inquiry. One such case was in 1893 – ‘Finding of human remains in Kinglake – The skeleton of a man was brought to the St Andrews Hotel, Queenstown, by Mounted –Constable Stewart. A Kinglake man Fuller Craske found the remains. Craske states he sent a message to the police at Whittlesea but the messenger forgot to deliver it. The remains appear to have lain in the bush for three or four months. The bones were clothed in dark check tweed trousers, grey tweed coat, strong lace up boots. A pair of shoes were under the head, apparently for a pillow. The identification of the remains will be very difficult, as there is little left but bones, a bush fire having been present.’
One of the earliest inquests was in 1858 of Thomas Rhodes. He died from chronic bronchitis and he also attempted suicide by cutting his throat with a razor. ‘ He said he saw nothing but poverty before him and he was determined to put an end to his existence.’ In the next few cases the medicine and the level of care given by Doctor Godfrey Bradford is questionable. In 1858 Dr Bradford states that he is legally qualified medical practitioner however 3 years later he states – ‘I am not a legally qualified practitioner – I have no diploma but I am a member of the College of Surgeons.’
A child Alexander Williams aged 5 ½ years was suffering typhus fever. The Doctor gave him calomel with antimony – every 3 hours, next day he was given 10 grains of rhubarb – The young lads leg was swollen – so – marshmallows were applied. The next day he was given mercury and chalk. Another medical practitioner was called to give evidence – ‘there was not the slightest sign of typhus – The treatment by Doctor Bradford was certainly not the proper treatment. The cause of death was inflammation to the heart caused by the absorption of pus into circulation from the thigh.’
Another case he attended was that of George Clark who died from peritonitis in 1859. He was given a wine glass of quicksilver on 2 occasion’s. ‘Dr Bradford came in the evening very much intoxicated … he was able to walk but badly…he sometimes lost his centre of gravity.’ Senior Constable Bird of Queenstown stated ‘he was drunk but not drunk enough to be put in the watch house. He was in a similar state the next day.’
There are two other significant buildings that has a wealth of history – they have survived bushfires and floods – The Anglican church and the State School.
[edit] Anglican Church
The church was built in 1868 – The Dean of Melbourne gave the opening service in 1869. It was reported in the Melbourne church news – It was built on the best site of the township. The following morning a tea meeting was held – the ladies performed their part well and spared no cost or pains in spreading the tables with a most sumptuous repast, to which about 200 sat down.
In the early 1880’s , the minister travelled and gave services in Panton Hill, Christmas Hills, Upper Diamond Creek, Smiths Gully, and Queenstown in later years after St Matthews was opened he no longer attended Panton Hill but made his way up the mountain to Kinglake. In 1889 a parsonage was built over the years this was the residence for the minister and in later years it was a rental property to local families. It gradually fell into disrepair and the Shire had it condemned. It was burnt down by the local CFA as an exercise, in the early 1970’s. In1960, due to dwindling numbers in the congregation services ceased. In the mid 1980’s the St Andrews Primary School was relocated to its present site and the council wanted the church demolished or relocated, as the School had purchased the land it was on.. There was a huge outcry by the local community about this proposal. Thankfully the church remains in its original location.
[edit] Queenstown State School
Queenstown State School 128 – began as Caledonia Diggings in 1858. We believe classes were given in a tent and then a hut – On the main road on the left before Butterman’s track.In the first 30 years there were a few colourful head teachers. Thomas Downard was not punctual, no books, no blackboard and very few scholars! Robert Harris was forever writing to the Education Dept. about the lack of equipment. He was also not happy about the opening of the school in Smiths Gully in 1866. It is interesting to note that Mr Harris taught at Smiths Gully in the 1880’s before it closed down and he suggested that it should amalgamate with Queenstown.
In 1878 Mr Von Zeigler made the following comments about this scholar – Selena Noistette a half caste girl of 14. She will have good stock because she was of mixed breed. Noisette and the chinamen’s child were the brightest children in the school because they were mixed breed – the same as farmers change their bulls and as Scotchmen with English females.
In 1882, the new school and residence was built on its current location on the corner of Caledonia Street and School Road – now the Community Centre. The building was relocated from Smiths Gully – It was originally built in 1876. In 1984 the new St Andrews School was built in its current location.
[edit] Ghost Schools – Hidden by Time
Smiths Gully began in 1866. It was a log sided building, plastered walls, earthen floor a calico/bark roof. It was located near Salters Rush Rd and Smiths Gully Road. In 1876 a new building and teachers residence was built as a violent gust of wind blew the roof off the old school house. In 1882 this building was moved to Queenstown and was replaced with a smaller building. The school closed for good in 1886. The building was used for divine service on Sundays and a local resident, Mrs Aitkins wished to rent it out. Finally the building was moved to Panton Hill in 1894.
Queenstown North School opened in 1909. John Nink donated his land for the school building. It was situated about 100 metres after Olives Lane. This school operated for a short time providing education for the residents in Ninks Valley and Strathewen. It closed in 1924.
A private school began in 1929 by the Try Boys Society called the Clifden Home School on a property where the Ninks family once had their saw mill. The Queenstown North school building was moved to this site until 1938 when the Try Society moved to Harkaway near Berwick. So the school building was on the move again to Calignee South (South of Taralgon)to replace that towns school after the 1939 bushfires. There was still life in this old building as it headed further south twelve miles away to Jumbuk in 1947. The headlines in the local paper read – “Looks Death in the Face a Hundred Times” ‘Mr bill Duff a sawmiller From Balook asked if he could transport this building. Many a time the towering load chained to the truck lurched perilously over the bank on the curves – the driving wheel inches off the ground. Thirteen hillmen pulled and strained till the skin was lifting from their horny hands, fighting to prevent their school, truck and driver disappearing into the gulch below. Around Bulga Park along the Grand Ridge Road , at snails pace the cavalcade moved……………………. At one point, over a sheer 400 ft drop, it seemed almost inevitable that transport and school were going on the long drop. Only herculean effort prevented this. Ropes were anchored around butts of trees to avert threatened disaster. For two days Bill wrestled with this job death staring him in the face a hundred times……’
[edit] St Andrews CFA
St Andrews CFA began in 1916, we discovered this through the advertisement of their Annual General Meeting in the Evelyn Observer. Also from the book Painters and Potters that the kangaroo Ground Brigade rejected the amalgamation with Queenstown. We believe some equipment, mainly beaters were kept at the Mullers residence in St Andrews North. There is little information about the Brigade for the next twenty years. From 1942, there are minute’s books that document the bushfire brigades existence. In 1951 the Brigade was donated a block of land by Mr Niclasen a trustee of the Caledonia Club. And that’s where the station is today. It was suggested to the Brigade to purchase the triangular piece of land next to the hotel – I wonder how quick the turn out time would be and would the fire fighters be sober. Over the years the truck was parked up on a slope so it could be roll started and in 1968 the truck was parked outside the hotel on really hot days.
