YALLOURN - A PLANNED GARDEN TOWN  (by Meredith Fletcher)

Meredith's only previous association with Yallourn had been as a student in Melbourne.  Her school had arranged a geography excursion by train to Yallourn, the highlight of the day being a briquette to take home.  By the time she came to Gippsland to live, most of the township had been removed  elsewhere or demolished.

Travellers now pass by and many are not aware that such a beautiful town once existed at Yallourn.  The town was most unusual for the times in that it was planned as  Garden Town as well as a "company town" with a life expectancy of one generation, or 50 years.

The then Chairman of the S.E.C., Sir John Monash, writing to the Premier of Victoria in 1920 regarding the housing of employees of the S.E.C., said that he favored the adoption of the design  and planning of a Garden Town to be called Yallourn (this is a combination of two local names meaning Brown Coal).  His vision was to make it an ideal town, although a company one, with electric lighting, water supply, and sewerage - in itself, unusual for these times of 1920.

The Planning Architect was A.R. LaGerche but the concept of a Garden Town came from a social reformer in England, Ebenezer Howard (1890).  Several companies in Britain took up his ideas in 1905 for company towns - Bourneville - Cadbury Chocolate, and Port Sunlight - Lever Soap Company, so the idea was not new.

As the S.E.C. was about to embark on a very large undertaking for the State of Victoria, a town would have to be built and if this were a company-owned town, they could choose the workers and exclude any trouble makers.

The first houses, built in Maiden Street, were 4 roomed cottages - 2 bedrooms, lounge and kitchen - with a fuel stove, sink, (with a cold water tap) , laundry with 2 wash troughs but no copper, and a tin bath.  The lounge room had a power point for a radiator.   This was design No. 1.   House No. 2 was of Tudor design with a tiled roof and stucco walls, comprising 3 bedrooms and an extra chimney in the lounge.  House No. 3 was of a Canadian Bungalow design, meant for staff employees.

These homes were mixed so that there were not all the same type of houses in the various streets.  The largest home was built in 1929, for Superintendent Mr. Dixon; this was of 9 rooms, (2 stories) and had hot and cold water (electric hot water service) electric stove and a garage, at a cost of £2,240 - rental £3.0.0 per week.

Two bedroom cottages were rented at 18/6 per week, and increased to 22/-.  The basic wage for workers was 17/6 per day and a lot could not afford the rental so they moved to Brown Coal Mine, and Hernes Oak where they rented land and built home from a variety of materials.

The S.E.C.  then built cheaper housing of 3 rooms plus a kitchenette, at affordable rents.

Broadway was the hub of the town, with beautiful gardens and public facilities, a theater and sports grounds all part of the layout and design.

Slides showing the construction of Yallourn and a great variety of houses photographed throughout the township were also displayed.

Our President thanked Meredith on our behalf, and we then enjoyed viewing photos while supper was served.