FLYNN HISTORY   -  (Don Macreadie)

He told the life of James Manton Flinn, from whom the district derived its name.  Chief Constable Flinn arrived at Port Albert in 1849, with a staff of 3 constables.  In later life he lived in the Rosedale area.

The Snake Ridge Run was taken up by John Reeves, in 1842, and managed by John King.   In 1866 it was divided into two Runs, one being called "The Sydney Cottage Run", named after Sydney King who had a cottage there.  The whole of the Flynn area was within this Run.

The first resident landholder at Flinns Creek is thought to have been Ben Taylor, a Canadian, who was married to Mary Ann Buntine, daughter of Hugh Buntine, of Bruthen Creek Inn.  His widow, Agnes Buntine (nee Davidson), the well known lady bullock driver, married Michael Dave Hallett on February 14th 1873.  He had selected land on Flinn's Creek near where it flows into the Latrobe River.  She lived there until her death in 1896.

The Flinn's Creek area was very popular with those wishing to select land.  Don told of Public Land Selection being held at the Sale Court House by the Land Board on March 14th, 1866.  It was more like a lottery.  There were 20 blocks to be selected and 1,500 people crammed into the Court House to put in their applications.  These were put into a ballot box and those whose names were pulled out were the successful applicants.  Don was able to list them all and he told us the location of each block.

There was trouble when the name "John Wright" was pulled out, as 4 John Wrights claimed to be the right "John Wright".  It was resolved, by each one having to write his name and these were then compared with the writing on the successful application so that the correct John Wright was named the successful applicant.

When the 42nd Section of the Land Act was amended to allow selection up to 30 miles distant from a gold mine,  all the land in the Parishes of Rosedale and Loy Yang became available for selection.  Applications were received for about 4,700 acres on Flinn's Creek and another 1,500 acres on other portions of the Sydney Cottage Run.

There was great competition for these blocks - in one instance, there were 17 applications for one piece of ground.  Again, Don was able to name all the successful applicants and state the area of their selection.   He quoted the Gippsland Times of July 1869, reporting:

"A large population is rapidly springing up in Rosedale and Traralgon.  Many thousands of acres previously the resort of cattle and kangaroos is being converted into pleasant farms.  Along the banks of Flinn's Creek several good homesteads have been erected and many landowners are only waiting for the Spring weather to start building.   Fencing is being rapidly proceeded with and some of the enclosed paddocks are being prepared for farming operations".

The first township site reserved in the area was known as Flinns Creek Township.  Rural School No. 25 was opened there in 1871, earlier than the Traralgon School.  In 1874 it became Flinn's Creek State School No. 1320.  The Flinn's Creek Post Office also operated in the township site, and a Church of England was built there.

In 1883 a petition, signed by 37 residents, protested against the rumored closure of the school.

As the population grew, other schools opened in the area.  Flinn's Creek Upper, S.S. 2311, opened in 1880.  Loy Yang No 2607 opened in 1884.  Various petitions were signed by residents regarding the closures and re-openings of these schools and the working of 2 schools on a part time basis.  Don listed the relevant dates and the names of signatories as well as the lists of teachers.

Don said that the coming of the railway was a great boon to Flinn.  By 26th January, 1875, the clearing party had reached the creek; by June 1876, engine sheds had been erected, and 2 camps for man as well as barber's shop had been set up.  Messrs. Miller and James purchased 14 acres from Mr. Pether, and a timber mill, known as Dockendorff's Railway Sawmill, commenced operations and quite a township sprang up, including houses for the mill employees, an hotel, two restaurants and a recreation hall.  Storekeepers from Rosedale and Traralgon did a great trade.

The mill consisted of an engine house, office, a blacksmith's shop, and a repair shop.   The 16 h.p. engine worked a vertical and 2 circular saws.  Red gum trees were purchased from neighboring landholders; 36,800 sleepers were cut, 120,000 super ft. of bridge timber and 25,000 sawn rails, as well as a large quantity of timber for gates, culverts, and drains.  There were 16 teams of bullocks working constantly , hauling logs to the mill.

The platform at the railway station was built in 1878 and cattle yards were erected.  The official opening was held in 1884, presumably after station buildings had been added to the platform.  This became a very busy station, and for some years had both a stationmaster and a porter.   In August 1898, 169 head of cattle and 449 sheep were trucked to Melbourne, as well as 11 tone of maize and 3¼ tons of butter and cream.

A township in the vicinity of the railway station was surveyed in 1882.  Once again, a petition was sent to the Education Department for another school, and , eventually Flinn's Creek Railway Station School No. 2944 opened in a rented building.  It was not until 1924 that a permanent school (the brick building still in existence) was ready for occupation.  This school was called Flynnstead.  It closed in 1949.

Don told many details of these schools and of the hotels of the district, the Mechanics Halls, and sporting activities.  His well researched life stories of early settlers were of great interest to listeners. 

Members were surprised at the amount of information Don had collected about the district and many congratulated him on his work.  He concluded his talk by saying that he much regretted the change in the spelling of "Flinn" to "Flynn".