CARRAJUNG, BLACKWARRY and KJERGAARD

Despite pouring rain, a large line-up of cars assembled in Kay Street ready to set out on our excursion on 23rd November, 1986. It was a pleasant surprise when we drove out of the rain at Gormandale and had clear skies from then on.

First stop was made at the old Carrajung Hotel, long de-licensed, which is now the home of Mr. and Mrs. Barry Alford who have partially restored the building and planted a beautiful garden. Mr. Alford had arranged a display of photographs on the veranda and he gave a short resume of the history of the hotel. We were then invited to inspect the garden which was greatly admired.

Our next move was to the school grounds, for lunch. The Head Teacher and school Council kindly allowed us the use of the school to display photographs, early plans of the district, etc. Mr. W. Cuthill, a Vice-President of our Society, presided and amongst the ex-pupils who attended were Mrs. Ella Daniel (nee Hall), of Yarram, and Mrs. Audrey Hunt (nee Faulkner) of Maldon, who brought photos of school groups and others of historical interest. 

Mr. Jack Tanner, a son of Jonathon Tanner, one of the earliest selectors in the district, told us that his father had a butter factory on Bruthen Creek. Selectors brought their milk to the factory where it was separated and butter made from the cream. The butter was then taken by horse-drawn wagon to Port Albert for shipment to Melbourne. He bought Barnie Tanner's selection and also Thompson's, where he had a cattle run and would hold a muster once a year. The Blackwarry country was marvellous before the rabbit came and Mr. Tanner had three prosperous dairy farms there.

We heard of the famous Carrajung New Year's Day sports, attended by crowds from miles around to witness a variety of events such as foot races, high jumps and a horse-race along the road. One year, when Alf Hitchcock's mount arrived at the finish at the top of the steep hill, it kept on galloping down towards Yarram. Evidently it took some time to pull him up as it was an hour later when horse and rider re-appeared.

The Wood Chops attracted many noted choppers, including the champion Joyce brothers and the 0'Rourkes. We heard, too, of the dances at Carrajung and Blackwarry, with music provided by Luke McDermott on his violin and his daughter, Rene, at the piano. Roller skating was another popular pastime. Mr. Tanner, senior, had the first car in the district and so he was called on to take any sick or injured people to the doctor or hospital.

(Photo left, by H.T. Cooper, taken near Ryton Junction on the Grand Ridge Road,  showing the prowess of the Gippsland woodchoppers.  If you look carefully, you can see the springboards all the way up the tree, and at the very top, about 50mm from the edge of the picture you can see the figure of the woodchopper!)

Mrs. Bittner spoke of a later era, when she was employed at the school as a Sewing Mistress for years and there was an enrolment of from 30 to 40 pupils. Carrajung had a football team and on Saturday nights there would be a football tea at the Hall, followed by a dance. The Post Office, which had been moved further down the road towards Willung South, was run in conjunction with a store. Although much improved from those of earlier times, the roads were often dangerous during heavy rain owing to land slips. Bert Wight ran the mail by car from Traralgon to Yarram and many residents travelled to Traralgon with him, for their shopping trips.

Mrs. Marjorie Missen, daughter of Mr. David Daniel who compiled a history of the district, read extracts from it, giving us a great deal of factual information in a very short time. She told us the sports ground was purchased from Luke McDermott and gave a further description of the varied programme of the sports meetings. The school was opened in 1907, on a 3-acre site which had been reserved as a Police Paddock; it was half-time with the Carrajung South school until 1911 when the enrolment reached 23 and the school was made full-time. In March 1915, the new School building was opened, with Mr. Russell, whose services to the district are well known, in charge. The school garden won the A.N.A. prize many times.

Mrs. Missen also directed our attention to the Honour Roll which contained so many names; she told us that during World War II, Carrajung pupils adopted a Yarram soldier who had no relatives, writing to him and sending parcels during the time he was overseas.

The first Hall, built in 1891, was destroyed by fire. The new Mechanics Institute opened in l901 with a grand bazaar followed by a concert and dance. Most people came on horseback as the roads were only mud tracks. During the war years 1914-1918, all entertainments were held for patriotic funds and in those 4 1/2 years Mr. Bob Graham and Mrs. Morgan of Gormandale , played for all the dances free of charge. The Carrajung Cemetery is on Willis Road, just off the Yarram road. Mrs. Missen has full details of the establishment of this cemetery and the marked graves in it and quoted some of them.

The Post office was at the hotel until 1911 when Luke McDermott was appointed Postmaster. The mail came from Rosedale on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, en route for Yarram, and returned from Yarram on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Horses were changed at Carrajung and we saw the site of the stables. The two main landowners were G.V.Clarke, of Richmond Vale, 1028 acres, and Biggs Bros., at Brookside , with 1941 acres. The former was sold in 1904 to the Closer Settlement Board which divided it into 11 dairy farms. In 1907 Brookside was auctioned, buyers of the main part being Nightingale brothers.

After the 1914-1918 War, 5 Returned Soldiers were settled on dairy farms there. At Blackwarry, Mrs. Missen showed us where the Post Office, conducted for many years by the Daniel family, had been and also the site of the school and hall. Mrs. Daniel showed us the gold medal and certificates presented to her husband by the people of Blackwarry when he returned from World War 1. In 1914, the population was 145 and 29 young men enlisted for service in the A.I.F Of these, 6 were killed in action .

At Kjergaard, we accepted the kind hospitality of Mr. and Mrs. Dodd, retreating from the strong winds into the comfort of their home close by the site of the Kjergaard Hall which was built by the local people to serve also as a school.

Mrs. James (nee Cookson) who had travelled all the way from Tasmania to be with us, told us that their family home "Myrtlebank" had stood on the property just opposite. She displayed a number of photographs of her family and their home. Her grandfather was one of the earliest selectors, arriving soon after Mr. Kjergaard. The only way of carrying in their belongings was by packhorse and her father, who was only 8 at the time, lost one of his boots in the soft mud as he trudged through a section that they called "the glue pot", and he had to finish the journey with one bare foot. Their first home was burnt down in1907, when Mrs. James was 1 year old, but flowers still bloom where the old garden was, beyond the pine trees. When school was first held, with an enrolment of about 30, the hall had no chimney - just a space left for it to be built when funds could be raised to meet the cost. That first winter brought heavy falls of snow which drifted in through the space, and when the small children became too badly affected by the freezing conditions, our speaker was sent to take them to her mother for first aid treatment.

The hall was officially opened the following year, with a grand concert attended by a large crowd, from as far afield as Rosedale. Vocalists included her mother (who had been a well known professional singer in Melbourne before her marriage), Myrtle Tanner who had been a member of the Melbourne Philharmonic Society for years and had sung in Melbourne Town Hall, and Mr. Russell, Headteacher of the Carrajung school, also a trained singer with a lovely voice. Mr. Cookson recited, and Mr. James, then only 9 years old sang an aria "Ben Bolt" from Trilby, and was encored again and again.

Mrs. James told us that she was about 11 years old when her mother died. She left Kjergaard for a while but returned when she was 14 to housekeep for her father. She continued her education by correspondence, even learning music this way and practising on the hall piano.

The old Kjergaard home, behind the chestnut tree, was being used as a shed by the new owners, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Cumming who had built a new house in front of it when Mrs. James lived at Kjergaard , and the teachers boarded with them.

Although the roads were dreadful, muddy in winter and dusty in summer, residents journeyed to Blackwarry and Carrajung to dances and sports, and all entertainments at Kjergaard were well attended from long distances.

Mrs. James had many amusing anecdotes to tell us and everyone voted the day excursion to have been most enjoyable.