THE TRARALGON & DISTRICT HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC |
|
CALLIGNEE
SOUTH, 1877-1931 |
| Our President, John Power, presented the history
of Callignee South to a large and appreciative audience at our 0ctober
(1986) meeting. We were pleased to have a number of Callignee residents with
us and the stories of their experiences gave us an insight into life in the
district. John has provided us with the following notes.
On the map, Callignee South appears as a dot to the north- east of Mt. Tassie and the T.V. Towers. It's actual area extends from Merriman's Creek in the east to Flynns creek in the West, and from the junction of Tanners and the Callignee South roads in the North to the Traralgon and Balook roads to the Souh and East of Mt. Tassie. Most of the area Iies within the Rosedale Shire. It was settled a little later than the Callignee area, mainly due to its isolation and harsher climate . The first settlers were Walter Tanner, David Turner, John Draffen, David Draffen, Jnr., Margaret Savage. They were followed by G. & R. Mayfield, Thomas Arthur, George Riggall, Henry A. Curran, W.R. Betteson and John Welch. Margaret Savage came from Burrumbeet and listed her occupation as'"Servant". In 1880, she applied for a licence to take up 320 acres at Callignee which happened to be situated on the slopes of Mt. Tassie north-east of the present Channel 4, tower. It seems likely that the poor girl had not seen the land prior to taking out the licence. She wrote to the Land Commission stating that she was unable to take up occupancy due to the lack of a suitable vehicular road. The only method of transport to her selection, she stated, was by horseback from Traralgon, 17 miles along a track, a means, she declared, "for which I am not physically constructed". She requested 12 months leave of absence, which was granted, but 12 months later, when she made a similar request, it was refused. She was told that she must comply with the terms of her licence, and this she apparently did for, in 1886, she stated in an application for renewal of her licence that she had carried out $526 of improvements. She was at that time housekeeping for William Draffen Snr. In 1887 the license was transferred to William Draffen Jnr. Soon after, the selection passed into the hands of the Colonial Bank and does not re-appear in the records until 1905 when it was in the name of J.T. Collins. Years later, the No 2 Mill was situated on this property. It was to this selection that Otto Pump brought his family in 1931. They walked their 19 cows and brought their lorry, spring cart and jinker all the way from "Waroot". What a shock must have greeted them when they reached their destination ! After 3 ½ years, they moved to the property originally selected by Thomas Johnson Tanner, down at Callignee. He was the first selector in the area. Len Pump and his wife, Ruth, and son, Lindsay, still farm there, thus establishing a continuous residence for the family of 51 years on the property and 55 years in the Callignee area. Walter Tanner was the first to settle on the higher side of Flynns Creek and was probably there soon after his father who selected in 1874. The early selections were taken up under Part 2, Sections 19-20, of the Land Act 1869. The selections of Walter Tanner, David Turner, Margaret Savage and the Draffens all fall in this category. Riggalls, Currans and Maxfields were licensed under Section 32 which stipulated that the land be used for grazing. Land in this category was re-licensed under Section 42 of the Land Act 1890 as agricultural allotments subject to certain conditions. Under Sec.44 of this Act, a Grant could be made when final payment was effected. Settlers who took up selections under Sec.42/44 of the 1890 Act included W.T. Betteson, H. Crisp, Michael and Martin Loughnan and H.T. Welch. Mr.G.Riggall applied in 1893 to re-license his selection under Sec.42/44, which was done in 3 Sections comprising 256 acres, 64 acres and 4 acres. He also applied for a re- classification of his land from First-class to Second-class, but this was refused. Mr. W.T. Betteson, who, in partnership with Mr. Ikin, had conducted the first shop in Traralgon, had moved from Traralgon South to Callignee South and taken an employee, Mr.H.T. Welch, with him. Mr. Welch selected adjoining land under Sec. 42/44 and remained a resident of the area for many years. Mr.Betteson disposed of his property to the Farmer brothers and the Maxfields to Mr.A.Gilmour. In 1902, Mr.R.Esler purchased 106 acres from Mr. Maxfield. Members of the Esler family stayed in Callignee South for some 50 years, 2 of the sons taking up land under the Closer Settlement Scheme in the 1930s. Another early settler in the area was Ralph Purnell. He selected adjoining land, in 1896, under the 1890 Land Act. The property became freehold in 1913. In 1900, when Mr.Purnell applied for renewal of his licence, he listed the cost of improvements as follows:
Mr. J. Flewin took up the block originally selected by Thomas Arthur. This block had also been settled by John Hall and James Drane prior to Mr. Flewin's arrival in 1911. The Flewins remained on the property until 1931when it was sold to the Closer Settlement Board. Early Schools -
Left to right at rear: Ivy Flewin, Eileen Rigall, Hugh Esler (on stump) As in many other parts of the State, the selectors' first priority, once they had established a residence and a means of livelihood, was to provide a school for their children. The first school at Callignee South was built close to the present home of Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Holmes. It was built by Mr. G.Riggall and had a shingle roof. The first teacher was Miss Mary R. McNamara. The school opened in June 1890 and Miss McNamara taught for 6 months, being replaced, in 1891, by Miss Margaret McMahon who taught until 1893, when the school was closed. In 1911, there were 4 families resident in the immediate Callignee South area - Welch, Esler, Riggall and Flewin. As each family included several children, agitation commenced for the establishment of another school - the first building had presumably been burnt in the 1898 bushfire. A new school was built on land owned by Mr.R.Farmer, about a kilometre south of the first site. The first teacher was Mr. Robert Scanlan, 1911-12, followed by Mr. Henry J.Collins (who married a daughter of Mr. Walter Tanner). The re-opening of the school brought some social life to the area. Euchre parties followed by dances were held regularly. The card games were held first and then the desks were stacked at the end of the room and the settlers with their families danced to the music of the accordion and violin. Easter Monday was always Sports Day. Sheaf-tossing, wood chops and foot-running were the order of the day and large attendances were frequent. The sports continued until the beginning of the Closer Settlement Scheme. Dances continued on for many years and after the school was burnt, in the 1939 fires, they were conducted at the Thextons' home. Imports that turned to Nightmares . In about 1908, the rabbit appeared and within 10 years it had spread over the whole area. Many selections were eaten bare, and as if this were not enough, ragwort also appeared and spread like wildfire. It soon became clear that if the area was to be successfully farmed, more viable holdings were required. In the early 1900s, the Victorian Government had introduced a Closer Settlement Act, enabling the Government to purchase freehold land at a reasonable cost and lease it to suitable settlers over a long period (36 years) with the option of obtaining a Grant once all moneys owing had been paid. A section of the Richmond Vale Estate, at Carrajung, which fell within the Parish of Callignee, had been cut up and 11 blocks allotted, also some of the estate of Joseph Draffen, at Callignee, had been purchased and subdivided under the same Scheme. After World War 1, there was a great demand for land, from Soldier Settlers and others, including migrants who were anxious to become established on the land. The British Government passed the Empire Settlement Act, later to be called..the £34,000,000 Bill. This made funds available to Dominion Governments to bring out people from the British Isles, and establish them in business, trades or on the land. Agitation for more intensive Closer Settlement began early in the 1920s and interest was expressed in the South Callignee area. The Soldier Settlement Commission had purchased portions of Dodds', Bodycombs' and T.D.Tanner's land at Callignee and a number of blocks had been allotted. Among the settlers were J.Eason, A. Berryman, A. Wilson and A. Bretherton. A rumour, that a large area formerly held by Mr.T.Lyndon was to be made available for selection, led to Mathieson Davis writing to the Lands Commission to advise that a number of people would be interested in obtaining blocks should they become available. The interested parties were G.Riggall,Jnr.,Callignee; R.Thompson, Callignee; JohnNeave, Clarence Flewin, James Neave, William Fisher (Balook) and G.Esler, H.Esler, A.Whittle (Gormandale.). On 4th August, 1926, Mr. Walter West, MLA, led a deputation of Local Government representatives to see the Director of Land Settlement and outline the attributes of the local area. Representatives of the Shires of Alberton, Rosedale and Traralgon were included. In 1928, an inspection team from the Commission came to the area. They reported to the Director on 20th November, 1928, recommending that the properties owned by Bolands, Gilmours and Eslers be purchased as these were accessible and suitable for the requirements of the Scheme. They considered that the properties owned by Daniels, Lowes and Cummings on the Blackwarry side, and Riggalls, would not be suitable. Part of Riggalls' was purchased later. The report recommended that a road be constructed through Gilmours, Eslers and Bissets, and a further road along Merrimans Creek to link up with the Grand Ridge Road. Eventually when this road was built, it stopped far short of the suggested terminus. Resulting from this inspection, in due course a plan was developed. It set out in some detail the projected returns over a 10 year period, but it is rather doubtful whether other than a very few of the eventual leases reached these targets. Certainly many did not. The plan was for 3 types of blocks, categorised as follows : 1. . Type A, 140 acres. Better-class dairying block, 60% ploughable/mowable; 2. Type B, Steep dairying, 160 acres, 10% ploughable/mowable; 3. Type C, moderate steep to rolling grazing land with much prostrate timber. It was proposed to have 22 blocks. The cost, over l0 years, to the settler would be £930 (£620 plus £310 interest), and it was estimated that after this time the return to settlers would be £712 per annum. The bulk of this, £490, would come from dairying with the balance from cereal, poultry, pigs and vegetables. The initial costing, in1928, was -
As is often the case today, some of these estimates proved to be woefully out. In 1930, the costing for roads alone was as follows:
---------------- £26,935 The roads were built during 1930-31, the main work force comprising men on sustenance. Up to 100 men were employed with the bulk of the work being done by pick and shovel. During construction of Settlement Road, extensive blasting was necessary to remove large trees, etc. A big log adjacent to the road on the selection originally taken up by John Draffen just to the south of the present-day historic Tree Stumps, was used as a powder magazine. Prior to the decision to implement this Scheme, a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways investigated the possibility of constructing a railway line in the Callignee area. The Committee included the Hon. A.E.Chandler, MLC (Chairman), The Hon. G.C. Webber, MLA (Vice Chairman), Hon.A.Fell,MLC, J.D. Deaney, MLA, A.W. Lind, MLA (later Sir Albert Lind) and R.H. Solly, MLA. The Committee had 4 options to look at. These were :
The steep grades involved, the high cost of construction and the low return forecasted rendered any of the projects uneconomical. The Committee reported the result of their finding to Parliament on 22nd February, 1927. Two earlier surveys along similar routes had been rejected for similar reasons. The slow progress of the settlement was a matter of concern to many people and they approached Mr.Herbert Hyland, MLA (Later, Sir Herbert Hyland) to voice their concern. Mr Hyland wrote to the then minister for Lands expressing these views and pointing out that a similar project at Heytesbury was established within months whilst the Callignee Scheme was taking years. The plans of the (Land Settlement) proposal, which envisaged 22 blocks, had been forwarded via the Commonwealth to the British Government for approval as part of the Empire Settlement Scheme. It was not accepted, however, mainly on the grounds that many migrants already brought out under the Scheme had not been effectively placed. Somehow the effects of the Depression appear to have been overlooked by all concerned. Eventually, in 1931, the Scheme got under way and the 22 blocks ranging in size from 120 to 330 acres, and in value from £337 to £1,500, were offered for lease under the conditions of the Closer Settlement Act of 1928. Briefly, the terms and conditions were as follows: An application on the prescribed form was to be lodged with the Secretary of the Closer Settlement Board, Melbourne, or with the Officer conducting the Board of Inquiry, on or before 14th February, 1932. An applicant could apply for more than one allotment but would only be granted one. A registration fee of 5/- had to accompany each application and intending applicants had to satisfy the Land Board that they had sufficient assets and experience to enable them to successfully work the Iand if granted. The lease would be for a period of 41 ½ years. improvements to the value of at least 2 instalments of the purchase money were to be effected before the end of the first year, and by the end of the 6th year improvements to the value of 20% the purchase money were to be effected. Advances of up to £625 could be made on permanent improvements and provided terms and conditions were met no instalment of the purchase money would be payable within the first 5 years. During this period, in each year the lessee was to reduce at least one-tenth of the allotment to a state of clean grass or cultivation and maintain same. Applications were received quickly, some like Mr. H.A. Holmes, responding to an advertisement in one of the papers. Those who first applied included: H. Holmes, E. Thorogood, R. Esler, C. Thexton, J. Esler, G. Lawrence, L. Miles, Caton, Richards, S. Mutton, A. O'Keefe, G. Johnson, and H. Flower. G. Johnson withdrew his application; L. Miles was allotted a block but did not take it up; Mr. Holmes obtained Block 16; E Thorogood left in 1936 and Mr. Holmes applied for, and was granted, the vacated block 18, consolidating the two into one block. Likewise, C. Thexton obtained Block 19 after the original lessee left. H. Flowers vacated his Block 6B and A. O'Keefe applied for, and was granted. the additional block. Other blocks were also vacated after a short time and taken up by new lessees, such as J. Caldwell and J.S. Barker. Editor: Mr. Bob Kemp told us that during the 1960's, 3 tankerloads of milk were taken from the Callignee/Callignee South/Traralgon South areas each day and, as well, 3 times a week a cream bus returned with a full load from this district. As the re-afforestation program progressed in the hill country, the offer of a cash purchase by the companies concerned, enticed the farmers to sell their land. Thus the good quality land no longer produces food but is now planted with trees. The popularity of 5 acre blocks has brought about a further subdivision of farms, also contributing to a fall in food production. |
Photo of the Callignee South School pupils
in 1913.
