October - December 2017

Meetings – 8pm, Fourth Monday of each month

Rye Primary School Library - Visitors welcome

In This Issue:

Rye Historical Society Activities and Reports, incl. AGM,

A Recollection of the Disappearance of PM Harold Holt,

City Newsboys Picnic Excursions to Rye, 1911-17,

Water Supply & Sanitation on the Peninsula (Part 2 of 2),

The Back Page: Meetings, Speakers, Events & Contacts

Rye Historical Society

White Cliffs

Above: The Government supply vessel, Lady Loch, shown in 1913 about to cast off at Melbourne with more than 250 Melbourne newsboys and their adult supervisors on a day excursion to Rye. Image: The Weekly Times, March 29, 1913. Article: p 8-9.

2 President’s Report

The first year of my term as President of the Rye Historical Society has passed quickly.

When I retired from full-time employment some 20 years ago, little did I contemplate that eventually I would be taking an active part in local activities.

The experience has been interesting and has served to enable me to make a contribution to the efficient running of the Society.

For detailed information on the running of the Soci-ety, the reader is referred to the various President’s quarterly reports in the Society’s Newsletter.

In summary, the year’s activities have perhaps not been as spectacular as in recent years, for example when the Society’s Museum was being renovated and refurbished.

One of the main achievements this year has been the introduction of an Hon-our Board listing the life members who so valiantly started up and have since maintained the Society over the past 17 years.

Fund raising has been successful, coming mainly from our regular Street Stalls, the annual Book Sale and, of course, the annual “Sausage Sizzle” at Bunnings.

Membership numbers have been relatively constant with good attendances at General Meetings, including the two trial winter afternoon General Meetings.

Increasing our membership is an issue, and the Committee is investigating ways that may encourage further participation.

During the year, committee operations were divided into the following sub-groups:

Collections – Computer, cataloguing,

Displays – themes, set up, housekeeping,

Grants – sources and applications for grants,

Guest speakers,

Tours/outings,

Stalls, Sausage Sizzles, & supplies.

This plan is aimed to spread the load a bit and better acquaint “deputies” with what key individuals have traditionally been doing (efficiently and without any fuss!) on their own, as well as ensuring regular reporting. The arrangements are yet to be fully implemented, but hopefully will be running in the new year.

President’s Report (concl) & Bennett Grave Plaque 3

The newsletter has gradually grown into a very informative document and praise is due to Noel Erbs and his editorial team for their contributions.

Praise also for the team that meets every Tuesday morning to go about the vital consolidation and recording of historical documents. It is a long running and tedious process. Willing helpers would be welcome.

Thanks are due to the members of the Committee for their dedication and contribution to the successful running of the Society and a big thank you to our Secretary, Pauline Powell, for her dedication and leadership.

Finally, I would like to thank all our members for attending functions and events and look forward to your continuing support and good company.

John Bertacco, President.

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ELIZA JANE BENNETT

BRONZE GRAVE PLAQUE

Relentless weathering over 157 years has taken its toll on the headstone which marks this three month old child’s grave, making the wording difficult to read.

Earlier this year, the Society approved having a bronze plaque designed and made (to enshrine the exact wording).

Thanks are due to both Bernie Woiwod and John Hazledine (John cast the concrete base block) now that the final assembly has recently been installed on the grave area. See pictures at left and above. (photos JH)

4 RYE H S Happenings

President John introduced the day’s Guest Speaker, pavegen engineer Chris Bertacco, after members had been watching Chris as he assembled a working demonstration unit on the floor (and, of course, a few were keen to be right in there, lending a hand!).

The pavegen concept was initiated in the UK in about 2010 and Chris became involved quite early in both product development and promotion of the concept locally. (photo NE)

Presently, 110 working installations exist in 30 countries, including Australia, where there is one in Federation Square.

GENERAL MEETING, 24th July: 2pm (winter, daytime; St Andrews Church Hall)

In principle, DC electric power is generated by sealed, spinning rotor devices actuated by the repeated downward motion of segmented pavement surface elements as pedestrians walk along a thoroughfare. High traffic areas such as railway station ticketing zones can be set up so that a pavegen area provides ample power for lighting and ticketing machines for most of the day, with only a minor need for mains power backup during very low pedestrian traffic periods.

Overall, a lively and thought provoking view of the future for an audience more used to looking back at the past! [ Look up pavegen on your computer ].

CAIN DESCENDANTS FROM SOUTH AUSTRALIA VISIT RYE CEMETERY.

During July we were pleased to welcome John and Jenny Garland from Victor Harbour, SA, which, incidentally, is situated on another Capel Sound (named after the same person as ours, but the name is no longer in use).

John is a descendant of Thomas Cain, the youngest of Owen and Sarah Cain’s children. Thomas had headed to South Australia before WW1 to work on the railway to Alice Springs.

John and Jenny were interested in all we had to show them from our archive. During the second day, member John Hazledine, a Cain descendant through one of Thomas’s older siblings, showed them around the town, high-lighting Cain areas. Photo: Jenny and John Garland with John Hazledine pictured standing beside the grave of Owen and Sarah Cain in Rye Cemetery. (PP)

RYE H S Happenings, incl 2017 AGM 5

President John then opened the evening’s “Bring A Treasure Night” program and almost a dozen members contributed a range of interesting and amusing short talks which set a positive vibe for a very chatty supper session afterwards.

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STREET STALL, 9th September:

After a fortnight of cold, blustery wet weather, on Thursday 7th the forecast for Saturday looked so poor that it was considered prudent to cancel this stall. Here’s hoping for more settled weather for our next one, on the 14th October.

GENERAL MEETING, 25th September (8pm):

President John introduced the Guest Speaker, member Noel Erbs, to present his illustrated talk: “The Rise and Fall and Rise of Peninsula Bus Services”.

Regulation of road transport post-WW1 was strongly influenced by Victorian Railways and also, to a lesser extent, by the CRB and the MMTB.

Private bus operators had to be resourceful to survive successive legislated restrictions introduced in January 1925, December 1927 and January 1931.

The TRB was created in 1934 and in July 1936 finally made its determinations for the Mornington Peninsula, paving the way for rationalisation of bus services and the progressive amalgamations of bus companies during and after WW2.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: 28th August (8pm):

After President John’s welcome, the formalities of: Minutes of the 2016 AGM, the President’s Annual Report and the Treasurer’s Report were dealt with.

All positions were then declared vacant and member Lesley Martin was invited to act as Returning Officer for the election of Office Bearers and Committee.

As the formal nominations for office bearers exactly filled the 5 positions and the formal nominations for committee members filled the remaining 7 spots, the Returning Officer declared all those members nominated duly elected.

Office Bearers for 2017/2018 were confirmed as:

President: John Bertacco, Vice-President: Lynne Woollard, Secretary: Pauline Powell, Asst. Secretary: Kristine Botha,

Treasurer: Danny Jennings. Committee Members for 2017/2018 were confirmed as:

Mechelle Cheers, Norma Cornish, Noel Erbs, Prue Found, John Hazledine, David Johnson and Bernard Woiwod.

Annual Membership: Unchanged at: $20 (single), $30 (family at one address).

Honorary Auditor: confirmed to be Mr Robert Rutherford for 2017/18. [ Refer to page 7 for the audited Treasurers Report for 2016/17 ]

6 NEW DISPLAY & RYE H S Financial Report 2016/17

RYE HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC. ABN 6666 1260 222 .

TREASURERS REPORT 30th JUNE 2017

RECEIPTS: PAYMENTS:

Membership 1200.00 Postage 182.85

Donations 280.00 Newsletter 375.70

Trading Table 728.70 Stationery 317.70

“Monster” Book Sale 893.75 Transfer to Term Deposit 1500.00

Supper 147.30 Signs 160.00

Street Stalls 1322.40 Supper AGM & Cemetery Tour 100.00

Cemetery Books 70.00 Internet Access & New Device 209.00

Pizza Night 210.00 SEHA Annual Subs 20.00

Cemetery Tours 215.00 C.A.V. Annual Return 55.80

Bunnings Sausage Sizzle 2282.80 Costs Pizza Night 225.95

TOTAL RECEIPTS: 7349.95 Donation Rye Beach Comm Centre 50.00

Rosebud West Books for resale 70.00

Opening Gen Acc Bal at 1/7/2016: 3416.51 Speaker Gift 10.00

Excess of Receipts over Life Members Board 90.00

Payments to 30/6/2017: 2182.15 Life Members Badges 110.00

Closing Balance at 30/6/2017: 5598.66 Rye Primary School Rent 550.00

R.H.S.V. Insurance & Affil. Fee 570.80

Opening Term Deposit at 1/7/2016: 5904.95 P.O. Box Renewal 124.00

Interest Received 172.28 ANZAC Day Flowers 60.00

Transfer from Gen Acc 27/7/2016: 1500.00 New Display Cabinets (3) 386.00

Closing Term Dep at 30/6/2017: 7577.23 TOTAL PAYMENTS: 5167.80

THE OLD SCHOOLHOUSE - A NEW DISPLAY Three new glass cabinets were recently set up in

a free standing group, as pictured at right. Prue was soon busy laying out a display of the replica fish stored in our collection. These originated from the Mitchell property “Seaview”, and are accompanied by explanatory information sheets.

Glass cabinets are hard to photograph, so to quote Molly Meldrum: “Do yourself a favour….” and drop in for a look around some time soon.

On the subject of displays, the committee has agreed to support any members researching the history of the Boonwurrung-Bunurong peoples (and their ultimate fate) in the area surrounding Rye, thereby adding to our library plus creating an appropriate information panel to go on display.

A Recollection of the Loss of PM Harold Holt 50 Years Ago

A personal account contributed by Bernard Woiwod

The loss of our 17th Prime Minister occurred on the 17th December and here we have the 50th Anniversary occurring in 2017! Maybe a numerologist could make something of the number 17! On the 17th December 1967, I was a member of the Frankston CIB and with another detective we received a mysterious instruction from D24 to make haste towards Portsea and further instructions would follow. As we proceeded towards Portsea we were instructed to meet with an Army Officer at the gate to the Quarantine Station.

All very mysterious we thought as we 'made haste'. We met with the Officer and he advised us that the Prime Minister had gone swimming and had not re-turned. He escorted us to Cheviot Beach where quite a heavy swell indicated that it was not the best of swimming conditions. There he introduced us to several persons who had accompanied Mr Holt to the beach earlier. At this time we were the only Police in attendance and search operations were just getting under way with divers and offshore craft out beyond the breakers.

We knew that some ‘Top Brass' would be on the scene very soon so we did what good detectives should do and took two of the Holt party, Mr Stewart and Miss Gillespie, to the Officers Cadet School offices and obtained statements. They told of Mr Holt going into the water, being followed for a short distance by Mr Stewart who decided that it was too rough to venture far. Mr Holt kept swimming and disappeared in the surf and was not sighted again.

It was after 6pm when we returned to the beach but nobody wanted to talk to a couple of lowly detectives. As the Federal Police had now taken charge of the rescue operations, we adjourned to the Gillespie holiday home to partake of some refreshments before returning to our office by 10pm!

Below: Explanatory Memorial Sign at Cheviot Beach. (BW)

8 “Newsboy’s Picnic” Day Trips to Rye

In 1895, Mr William Mark Forster founded “The City Newsboys’ Try Society” in an effort to improve the prospects of at least some of these boys, many from poor families and barely literate, who routinely sold newspapers in Melbourne.

Edith Onians, a well educated young woman of independent means, began teaching a group of newsboys in the evenings in 1897. Realising the importance of what she was doing, she soon transformed the organisation into the “Melbourne City Newsboys Society” and then made it her life’s work, variously holding the positions of Honorary Organizer and Secretary through to 1955.

In 1911, 1912, 1913, 1915 and 1917, a day trip aboard a steam ship to Rye was organised for these city newsboys, each time proving extremely popular.

The Age, 19th March 1913

NEWSBOY’S PICNIC

Between 250 and 300 newspaper boys formed the lively freight of the Lady Loch yesterday. The occasion was the annual picnic of the Newsboys Soci-ety, and this year the jovial company made Rye the principal scene of their hilarity. Mr J J Griffin, the manager of the society, Miss Onians, Captain Tick-ell, Mr Robert Patterson, Mr Greig Smith and the band of grown up helpers had their hands very full and their hearts in their mouths on several occasions on the voyage down, owing to the liveliness of the youngsters. Rye was reached in safety and there sports, swimming and the nondescript pleasures that boys always find to occupy a holiday were indulged in. A tired and happy band returned to the city in the late evening, acknowledging on all sides that it had been the finest day of the whole year.

The Weekly Times, 4th March 1911

Built by Campbell, Sloss & McCann of South Melbourne as a lighthouse supply ship in 1886, Lady Loch, (pic, right) was named in honour of the wife of Sir Henry Brougham Loch, Governor of Victoria from 1884 to 1889. As a State asset, presumably she was made available for the Newsboys Picnics, at no cost, as a social gesture.

Before the 572 ton paddle steamer, Ozone, added Rye on one day a week to its regular bay service in 1913, the Lady Loch, at 487 tons, would have been one of the largest vessels ever seen tying up at the Rye jetty. (NE)

“Newsboy’s Picnic” Day Trips to Rye 9

Above: Newsboys Picnic scenes at Rye; Weekly Times, 29th March 1913. (ack “trove”)

Below: Newsboys Picnic scenes at Rye; Weekly Times, 6th March 1915. (ack “trove”)

10 Water Supply & Sanitation on the Peninsula (Part 2)

Mornington Standard, 29th Oct 1904.

CORRESPONDENCE

From George Hill, Sorrento, applying for extra payment in connection with his sanitary contract owing to the in-creased duties.

It was decided that tenders be invited for carrying out the work and that the secretary procure 40 or 50 new pans.

The Argus, 16th February 1887.

THE TYPHOID FEVER EPIDEMIC

Seven more deaths from typhoid fever were reported to the Central Board of Health yesterday, and the list of cases was augmented by 24, of which 17 had been received in the Melbourne Hospi-tal during the last week. …...

We are requested to state that a case of typhoid fever, which was reported to the Central Board of Health as having occurred at Sorrento, did not occur there but at Rye. …...

Introduction In Part 1, we looked at the supply side of the ledger of life’s needs. Now, in

Part 2, it is time to look at the disposal side. No doubt early settlers accepted some fairly basic sanitation arrangements based around chamber pots and an outhouse/dunny/thunderbox either using a sanitary pan (contents disposed of by

shallow burial), or built over a pit (the ‘long-drop’). Either way, contamination of the ground water seeping into any nearby wells always remained a possibility.

Systematic Waste Disposal

The number of mentions in newspapers suggest that Sorrento led the calls for establishing a formal waste disposal system, but it was a long time coming.

Dromana and Rye also got mentions, although the first one for Rye, from 1887, highlights a lurking problem known to result from poor sanitation (below).

For at least 80 years, the humble sanitary pan, pictured, was accepted as part of daily life on the Peninsula.

Local Councils were responsible for public health matters and retained the services of a Health Officer (often a local medical practitioner).

Contracts were also let to engage a sanitary contractor who carried out the weekly exchange of an empty pan for a full pan and then emptied all the full pans at a site approved by Council.

In the case of Rye, that disposal site was along present-day French St, Rye.

One method involved emptying pan contents into the furrow which had been created by using the cart horse to pull a single furrow mouldboard plough to cover the previous week’s nightsoil. Repeated with the new lot. Facilities for rinsing freshly emptied pans before being re-issued were generally non-existent.

Water Supply & Sanitation on the Peninsula (Part 2) 11

Mornington Standard, 7th Dec 1907.

CORRESPONDENCE From H Waack, sanitary inspector at

Sorrento, applying for an increase in pay. On motion of Crs Clark and Cain to be offered, from 1st January next, 5s per pan per half year. Carried.

Pictured at right is a horse drawn sani-tary pan conveyance, ca 1900. It has two levels and would likely carry 2 deep from each side and maybe 5 front to back thus totalling an estimated 20 + 20 = 40 pans.

The inner suburbs of Melbourne were commonly surveyed with service lanes for the “dunny man” to access outhouses without entering private property.

Such laneways were a rarity in country towns, where residents accepted that the “dunny man” must have clear access to their outhouse (and, in return, he hoped their dogs were chained up, too!).

Another name was “the nightman” but with street lighting rare prior to about 1930, pan collection was often done in the pre-dawn hours, especially on an overcast night near or at new moon.

ABOVE: Pictured in early 2017, this historic stone wall beside the access lane at the southern boundary of The Continental Hotel, Sorrento, shows three red brick infills. No doubt each bricked-up opening originally featured a hinged wooden door. (NE)

Mornington & Dromana Standard 3rd October 1908.

CORRESPONDENCE

From E Rudduck, secretary of the Dromana Progress Association, asking that sanitary pans now stored in the pub-lic pavilion be removed.

Cr Shaw said this was rather an unsa-voury matter and the pans certainly did not smell too sweet, but where could they put them?

He would move that the Engineer do his best to have them removed.

Seconded by Cr Marsden and carried.

BUSINESS

Shaw, Chapman: That alternate tenders be called for sanitary service at Dromana:

(1) weekly during summer,

(2) for whole year. Carried.

Clark, Cain: That tenders be called for sanitary services for Sorrento, for 3 years. Carried.

But that is jumping ahead of our-selves a bit! It is time to get back to looking at progress (or lack thereof!) on the Peninsula in the early 1900s.

At right, and on the following page, are some newspaper reports of the deliberations of Flinders & Kangerong Shire Council in the years up to WW1.

Note that the fee per pan more than doubled over the six years from 1909 to 1915 (partly as a result of inflation).

The issue of fees payable for septic systems during 1911 is interesting.

And one assumes that only large houses would have sufficient roof area to reliably capture enough rainfall to service a septic tank system.

12 Water Supply & Sanitation on the Peninsula (Part 2)

While the “dunny man” had long been a vital part of his community (even though the nature of his work was hardly likely to advance his social standing), as the 1960s became the 1970s, fewer and fewer contractors had paying work.

After WW2, sewer networks were gradually extended into outer Melbourne suburbs. Purpose-built pan emptying facilities allowed contents from outlying homes to be consigned to a sewer instead of landfill. Pan contractors found their traditional work becoming a regular day job, as suggested by the photo at right, from the mid-1950s.

The “nightman” would need to be fit, as the occasional full pan could weigh up to 30kg and the capped pan was normally slung up onto one shoulder (usually padded) and then carried out to the vehicle as per the photo below.

This work practice sounds like an OH&S ‘bad back’ claims scenario these days!

Water Supply & Sanitation on the Peninsula (Part 2) 13

Mornington & Dromana Standard 11th Dec 1909.

TENDERS The following tenders were accepted

on the recommendation of the Finance Committee:

1. Sanitary Service, Dromana - H. Purdy, 8s 4d per pan.

[Followed by 14 tenders for other matters]

Mornington & Dromana Standard 10th Dec 1910.

TENDERS The following tenders were accepted

on the recommendation of the Finance Committee: . . . . .

[the final tender in this list was as below]: Sanitary Service, Sorrento - H. Purdy, 13s per pan per annum.

Mornington Standard, 11th Mar 1911.

CORRESPONDENCE From Public Health Department, enquiring as to what action Council intends taking in respect to the West Riding Health Officer’s recommendations. Cr Marsden:

As to the tip, this has been attended to. Re extension of sanitary service to Portsea, it was decided to convene a pub-lic meeting. As to inspection of septic tanks, the engineer was instructed to in-spect same. Carried.

Mornington Standard, 10th June 1911.

CORRESPONDENCE From Hon W Pitt, MLC, re charge for sanitary service. His property was sewered and had septic tanks etc. Cr Terry said he had tabled a motion that the owners of septic tanks be charged half rate, but it had lapsed. Cr Marsden thought it unjust to charge for services not rendered.

Consideration deferred.

Dandenong Advertiser, 29th April 1915

Flinders & Kangerong Shire Council

TENDERS Sanitary service - G. White, Sorrento, 18s per pan.

[* RBA: 18 shillings in 1915 = $89 in 2016]

Mornington & Dromana Standard 11th Feb 1911.

CORRESPONDENCE [From] G Baars: re installation of septic tank at Back Beach Coffee Palace, Sorren-to. A lengthy letter was read, from Board of Public Health, in which it was stated that septic tanks were cess pits within the meaning of the Health Act. Under section 253 of the Health Act, 1890, the council had power to deal with same with regard to Mr Baars as to non-payment of pan fees [to] the council. ……… [a robust discussion followed, see NOTE 1 below, Ed]

NOTE 1: Cr Marsden praised the function of septic tanks and argued that it was unfair to charge a pan fee for a service not rendered. Cr Rudduck countered that it was not fair to other ratepayers that a council permit for a septic system would relieve the applicant from contributing the normal annual pan fee. Cr Terry noted that in the city & suburbs, installation of a septic system did not relieve the applicant from the annual pan service fee, but he was amenable to council meeting septic tank owners halfway. Cr Buckley then challenged the current practice of charging the full annual pan fee for a property occupied for less than 6 months each year. Now clearly facing an impasse, Cr Stanley moved that the secretary write stating the request would be considered later on. Cd. NOTE 2: Tootgarook: a pre-WW1 subdivision to the east of Rye; Hindhope: a pre-WW1 subdivision of an area between First Avenue and Boneo Road, Rosebud; and Clacton [-on-Sea]: an ambitious WW1 era subdivision of the area from First Avenue to Ninth Avenue.

Mornington Standard, 10th April 1915.

SANITARY EXTENSIONS Pursuant to notice, Cr Macfarlan moved the extension of sanitary provisions so as to in-clude Portsea, Rye, Rosebud, subdivisions of Tootgarook, Hindhope and Clacton. [NOTE 2]

Geelong Advertiser 12th March 1910.

SORRENTO NO SANITARY ARRANGEMENTS

Constable Rawlings, as Inspector of Nuisances for the Shire of Flinders and Kangerong, proceeded against a camper in a tent on the beach for not making proper sanitary arrangements. He was fined 20/-.

14 Water Supply & Sanitation on the Peninsula (Part 2)

With the priority focus between the wars being on a water supply in the Dromana - Sorrento district, any future sewerage system was just a dream. And, no doubt, those who advanced the need for sewerage became cautious in the face of news items such as below right, which refers to an apparent cost blow-out with a stand-alone system being installed at Mornington in 1940-41.

The Argus, 13th May 1941.

High Cost of Sewerage Connections

MORNINGTON, Monday: At the monthly meeting of the sewerage authority, Cr P Walsh complained that house connec-tions with the sewerage scheme were costing more than the ratepayers were originally informed. They had been told that the cost would not be higher than £30 or £35, but the average at present ranged from £46 to £50. He considered ratepayers had a just cause to complain. The sewerage engineer (Mr Brewer) said the increase was due to higher costs and structural alterations. There had been a great increase in the price of pip-ing and fittings. Ministers of the State government who will visit the Peninsula shortly to offi-cially open the peninsula water supply to Dromana, Rosebud, Rye and Sorrento, are being invited to open the Morning-ton sewerage scheme on the same day. Either Mr Lind, the Deputy Premier, or Mr Dunstan will perform the ceremony.

During the 1950s, there was some forward planning going on, as per the 1955 news item below. The technical investigation reported was conducted by the MMBW, which explains why SR&WSC Annual Reports up to the mid-1960s do not mention any sewerage plans for the Dromana - Sorrento area.

After WW2, the recently installed reticulated water supply allowed septic tanks to become the standard for new builds. The news item below confirms this post-war attitude re septic tanks.

Frankston Standard 28th February 1946.

ROSEBUD SCHOOL NEWS The School Committee has rejected a pro-

posal of the Education Department to in-stall additional sanitary accommodation of the present type. The committee demand that a septic tank system be installed.

The Argus, 6th September 1955

SEWER HAS TO WAIT Chelsea, Dromana, Frankston and Rye will be without sewerage for at least

five years following a £15,000 investigation by the Board of Works (MMBW).

Mr J C Jessop, Board chairman, said yesterday investigation of a scheme to discharge sewage into the sea at Cape Schanck, had shown at certain times of the year currents flowed inshore.

“This does not mean the whole scheme will have to be abandoned, but modifications will have to be made”, he said.

Mr Jessop said a purifying plant en route could overcome the trouble, or a sewage farm similar to that at Werribee could be established…….

The first sign of action appeared in the 1967-68 SR&WSC Annual Report, as at the top of the next page, with occasional progress notes in following years.

Water Supply & Sanitation on the Peninsula (Part 2) 15

“SEWERAGE AUTHORITIES: Five new Sewerage Authorities were constituted during the year: Anglesea, Apollo Bay, Birchip, Dromana-Rosebud, and Tor-quay, bringing the total number of Sewerage Authorities to 89, in addition to the Geelong Waterworks and Sewerage Trust and the Latrobe Valley Water and Sewerage Board [LVW&SB, Ed]. These Authorities operate under the gen-eral supervision of the Commission which itself operates the Eildon system”.

From the SR&WSC Annual Report, 1968-69: “Construction of new schemes began at Dromana-Rosebud, …..“

And the Annual Report for 1973-74 noted: “The bayside Sewerage Authorities of Frankston, Mornington & Dromana-Rosebud were allocated additional funds to accelerate their current sewerage works programmes and so reduce pollution in Port Phillip Bay. These Authorities also received additional funds to connect public toilet facilities to the sewers”.

In 1976 it was reported that: “Four new sewerage schemes at Cranbourne, Dromana-Rosebud, Merbein and Robinvale commenced operation during the year, bringing the total number of systems to 101”.

It is worth noting that after the Shire of Flinders moved to its new Rosebud offices in May 1976, the then vacated Dromana council office building was saved from an uncertain future when the SR&WSC moved its administrative headquarters there.

Finally, it is not known if there was any local ceremony marking the completion of the Dromana-Rosebud system in 1976 after so many years of talking, but such things did happen elsewhere.

At right, a real “dunny” is being lowered onto a bonfire for its triumphant cremation after dark by members of the APEX Club of Trafalgar, once the LVW&SB Trafalgar-Yarragon sewerage scheme finally became operational in late 1985. (image: Bruce James)

Recommended Reading: “The Dunny Man”, by John D Gardner, SBR Press, 2009. ISBN 978 0 646 51754 4 (pbk).

Researched and written by Noel Erbs

HOT, THIRSTY WORK 61 YEARS AGO: The Argus, 3rd Jan, 1956.

It was near a Nepean Highway hotel yesterday morning. A man stood uncertainly at the side of the highway, his hands full. A constable sized up the situation. He stepped out and held up the traffic. Cars came to a halt. The man crossed the highway in safety to his car . . . . . . and passed the three beers in to his friends!

Coming Meetings, Guest Speakers and Events.

14th October: Street Stall, 10am - 1pm, near PO. (Cakes etc welcome, no cream)

21st October: SAUSAGE SIZZLE at Bunnings. Big Day Roster: 8am - 4pm.

23rd October: Cttee meets @ 6:30; General Meeting @ 8pm, Guest speaker: Mr Rod Deakin, a surveyor (now retired) will present a talk on the

Black-Allan line, the straight portion of the Victoria/NSW border which runs NW from Cape Howe to the Murray River.

27th October: Rye RSL Happy Hour, 5 - 6pm. Meal afterwards optional.

24th November: Rye RSL Happy Hour, 5 - 6pm. Meal afterwards optional.

27th November: Christmas Party will be held at 17 Maori Street, Rye, @ 5:30pm. A range of finger food provided; BYO drinks. Cost $20 /head, to treasurer by 20th November. Cheque or Cash or by Direct Debit directed to: Rye Historical Society; BSB 633000; A/N 115183857.

9th December: Street Stall, 10am - 1pm, near PO. (Cakes etc welcome, no cream)

24th December: Museum Closed. Enjoy the Christmas Break !

31st December: Museum Closed. Happy New Year !

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THE BACK PAGE October - December 2017

The Rye Historical Society, PO Box 65, Rye 3941 http://ryehistoricalsociety.weebly.com index.html

Museum: “The Old Schoolhouse”, Collingwood St, Rye

President: John Bertacco, Vice-President: Lynne Woollard, Secretary: Pauline Powell, Hon. Treasurer: Danny Jennings.

Editorial Committee: Bernie Woiwod, John Bertacco, Noel Erbs

Reports on RHS activities (w/photos if possible) and contributed articles for the next issue of “White Cliffs” always welcome. Copy deadline 28th Dec.