VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3 DECEMBER 2012 THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING! In the late 1870s the people of South Australia were feeling that war was imminent between Russia and England and the sight of a Russian battle fleet cruising around the southern coastline did little to allay their fears. It was thought that a hostile force would most likely land at Holdfast Bay so the folk at Glenelg urged the government to take immediate steps to build a military road from Glenelg northwards, behind the sandhills, to Largs Bay. Fishermen, coast guards, lighthouse keepers and seamen were warned to keep an active lookout for the approach of any enemy warships. A red electric light (very modern for its time) was to be shown from the top of the Adelaide Post Office tower giving warning to the local population. A suggestion was made that the Bay Road from Adelaide to Glenelg should have cast iron pipes filled with dynamite laid under its surface. After the Russians landed at Glenelg they would march along the Bay Road on their way to attack the city and the whole army could be blown to perdition when the pipe line was exploded. On the morning of Thursday February 26 th 1882 the residents of Glenelg awoke and gazing seaward, to their consternation, saw the Russian fleet of three ships anchored in Holdfast Bay. As war had not been declared the civic authorities of Adelaide had no alternative than to invite the unwelcome visitors to an official luncheon in the city. After this incident the local people of Glenelg pressured the authorities to quickly put into action some form of defence along the coastline. In response, two obsolete guns were sent to Glenelg and arrangements were made to have them mounted in sandbag emplacements at the northern end of the suburb. It was necessary to take the guns across the Patawalonga Creek but with true military expertise, the bridge they had constructed, collapsed and the guns had to be retrieved from the sludge of the stream. Eventually they were mounted near the mouth of the creek. However, it was a well-kept military secret that there was no ammunition for the guns available in the colony at the time! The defence project was now regarded as a national emergency and to expedite the construction of this military road and defences at Glenelg the contractor built a railway of 5 3 gauge, about three miles in length, along the shoreline. The line commenced at the St Leornards railway depot and proceeded westward along the Bay Rd turning north into Spencer Tce (now Old Tapleys Hill Rd) then left into Anderson Ave, proceeded to the Patawalonga (which was crossed by a bridge), then, after avoiding the local sewerage dump, it followed the line of sand-hills northward along what is now Military Rd. The terminus of this line was near today s Burbridge Rd. The engine used on the line was No. 2, (illustrated above), purchased in 1882 from the Glenelg Railway Company. Very little is known about the railway except that it was suggested in the South Australian Parliamentary papers of 1884 that it be extended to Grange and some sources (and military maps) suggest that this may well have eventuated. (Continued on page 2) Newsletter of the West Torrens Historical Society Inc PO Box 43 Marleston SA 5033
(The Russians are Coming - continued from page 1.) However, once the military road was constructed, the line was forgotten, became covered with sand and it was not until 1956 that some workmen engaged in laying sewerage pipes unearthed a section of the old railway and were rather bewildered as to how it came to be there. Following the completion of the military road, two modern coastal defence guns were imported from England and mounted at Glenelg giving a sense of security to the local people. What the locals did not know was that the powerful guns did not have breach blocks and The Military Bridge over the Patawalonga. they lay idle for years before being removed to Fort Largs. (Information from Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin Aug. 1952, Little Coastal Railways of the Adelaide Plains 1873-1929 by David Mack, and WTHS files). A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT. The Mellor s of Mellor Park was the title of an address given to our Society in September by Christine Roark (nee Mellor) whose father lived in the former Mellor family home (see photo left) facing today s Mellor Park and currently the Serene Nursing Home. Christine enlightened us with information about her great, great, grandfather, Joseph Mellor who came out from Holmfirth in West Yorkshire U.K. with his wife Mary (nee Fox), and settled initially at Semaphore. John Fox Mellor, a son, and enthusiastic ornithologist, married Eliza White from Fulham and they lived at Holmfirth which was west of Tapleys Hill Rd at Fulham. Their son, John White Mellor, lived at Mellor Park as did his son Reginald White Mellor (Christine s father). John White Mellor married Maude Elliott. He was a part owner in the Case Car Company and travelled extensively around the world. He was involved in the Reedbeds Rifle Club which operated for many years in Lockleys to the west of Willingale Avenue. (Willingale was a Mellor/White family name). Two of John White Mellor s daughters married Crafter boys from Elston Street in Brooklyn Park. During the month Reginald White Mellor with his wife of November the Society will be and daughter Christine (Roark). mounting a display in the Hamra Memorial Library depicting aspects of the recently refurbished Boulevard of Honour. Two members of our Society with a third volunteer cleaned, photographed and documented the plaques which honour those who enlisted for World War ll in West Torrens. The West Torrens Council are currently replacing damaged and missing plaques. An index to those persons listed will be available at the display. WTHS members photographing plaques. John Andrewartha. Page 2
WEST TORRENS FAVOURITE SON Robert William (Bob) Hank, passed away on June 14th 2012, aged 88 (just five days short of his 89th birthday) - a champion sportsperson and a true gentleman. Bob was born on June 19th 1923 at Mile End - the first of five children to Norm and Nellie Hank. As a result of his War service, Norm was able to take advantage of a government scheme and successfully obtained 11 acres of rich alluvial land in Lockleys where he established a market garden. The house, in Torrens Avenue, was set among glasshouses and a levee bank and surrounded by the all familiar boxthorn hedge. This ensured that when Bob and younger brothers Bill and Ray played football around the house accuracy in kicking the football was paramount as any miss kicks that landed in the boxthorn hedge had to be collected by the one responsible. Bob attended Lockleys Primary School and, later, in 1936, Adelaide High School. Bob showed his prowess at football, and in 1938, while still eligible for the Under - 16 football team, was selected for the First Eighteens. On leaving school Bob worked for a while with the Colonial Oil Refinery (BP) for a grand sum of $1.25 a week! This lasted for 17 weeks. He returned to Adelaide High School in 1940 to complete his Leaving Certificate. By then, with the advent of the war, most of Norm's gardeners had enlisted and so Bob went to work for his father in the market gardens. Football, along with cricket, was a guiding passion in Bob's life so it was no surprise that he approached the West Torrens Football Club with a view to playing for them. Initially told he was too small to play football - he went to play for Ashton against grown men in the Adelaide Hills. Bob, however, persevered, and before long established himself as one of South Australia's finest footballers. His achievements included 224 games with West Torrens, 29 games for South Australia, Magarey Medallist in 1946 and 1947. 9 best and fairest awards, West Torrens captain from 1947-1955, All Australian 1950 and 1953, South Australian captain 1947-49 and 1951-54 and a member of the Australian & South Australian Hall of Fame. The main grandstand at the Thebarton Oval is named the "Hank Brothers " stand after Bob and his brothers, Bill & Ray. Bob was a prominent cricketer as well, representing his school and West Torrens with distinction. Perhaps his greatest achievement in cricket was, while playing in a final for West Torrens, he claimed the wicket of the great Sir Donald Bradman (although Bradman was 207 at the time). All the while, however, work in the market garden continued. Each day began early with cultivation (often by hand) of the vegetables or harvesting the crop. Each Monday, Wednesday and Friday in season, the cauliflowers would be loaded and stacked on a truck ready for market. In summer the vegetables would be taken to the packing sheds where they would be graded and packed for market. On Saturdays work would finish around midday, the boys would be given a roast lunch finished with apple pie and cream then off to the football or cricket! In April of 1949, Bob Hank in the Thebarton Oval grandstand. Bob married Audrey (nee Kirk) and raised a son and three daughters. On retiring from football Bob took up golf and was a prominent member of the Grange Golf Club. Sadly Bob passed away this year. As one eulogy aptly described him "He will be remembered as a great gentleman who made an outstanding contribution to football in South Australia". Rob. Goldsmith. Page 3
THE TWO TORRENS TRAMWAY BRIDGES Horse tram services commenced in Adelaide in 1878 and by 1901 discussions were taking place about replacing these services with electric trams. After seven years of discussions on whether the system would be built and run by private or municipal companies, in January 1907 the MTT (Municipal Tramways Trust) was established. The Hindmarsh horse trams ran down North Tce and along Shierlaw Tce (Port Rd) crossing the Hindmarsh Bridge before following Port Rd to Hindmarsh. It was decided to run the electric trams through Thebarton to Hindmarsh and to facilitate this in 1908 work began on building a bridge across the River Torrens connecting Holland Street in Thebarton to Manton Street in Hindmarsh. It was completed in December 1908 and opened to horse car traffic on June 26th 1909. The horse cars now ran along the Henley Beach line from Hindley St into Henley Beach Rd and Parker St, then into Albert St and Holland St. The new electric tram line ran from Holland Street bridge. King William St down North Tce West, Port Rd, Deviation Rd, Henley Beach Rd, turning north into Parker St, thence Albert St and Holland St. The line was officially opened to electric trams on March 9 th 1910 and remained in use until January 1923. The Holland St bridge had been planned to be 38 feet (11.6m) wide to carry vehicle traffic, but as the two councils (Thebarton & Hindmarsh) refused to pay the 2000 for the additional width a 16 feet (4.8m) wide, a bridge suitable for trams only was built, and the MTT funded the 1,550 cost. The bridge is of reinforced concrete and is carried by two rather unique trestle type piers in the river bed. The roadway is supported by four two feet high by one feet wide concrete beams approximately 12 metres long from pier to pier. The reinforced concrete was supplied by the South Australian Reinforced Concrete Company. In 1922 the MTT decided to duplicate the track (which would now run to Findon) and as the streets in Southwark were rather narrow they decided to cross the Torrens at Cawthorne Street, one street east of Holland Street, so that a second line could be used for the trams on their return journey to the City. Down trams would now run along Port Rd into George St along Albert St, whilst the up trams followed Cawthorne St, Light Tce and Shierlaw Tce to North Tce. This Holland St bridge 1948. bridge was of similar design to the one at Holland St. The Cawthorne Bridge was officially opened on 14 th Jan 1923. The last tram ran to Findon on the 17 th October 1953 making the two bridges redundant for trams. In 1954 MTT handed the two bridges over to the two councils to avoid their demolition. Subsequently, after some strengthening by the Highways Dept, in May 1962, both bridges were opened to traffic, but, with a 5 ton limit to eliminate trucks. In 1966 with the very bad corrosion and flood waters undermining the northern abutment and pier of the Cawthorne Bridge, it was condemned, and closed to all traffic and later demolished. Subsequently Cawthorne Street was closed off at Anderson Street on the northern end approaching the bridge and the land was acquired by the Nathan Brewery. Page 4
In 1986 the load limit on the Holland St bridge was reduced to two tons and in May 1990 because of the corrosion it was closed to vehicle traffic following the widening of Adam Street but remained open to pedestrians. The French pioneered the use of reinforced concrete construction after Sir Henry Bessemer (Britisher) invented mild steel in 1856.The very first reinforced concrete building in the world was a block of flats in Paris, France in 1903 and in the next few years many mistakes were made world-wide in its use. The two outside beams of the Holland Street Bridge are in the same state of corrosion. Moisture and oxygen has entered the porous concrete and caused Tram crossing Cawthorne St bridge. corrosion to the steel bars. There are three one inch bars at the bottom corner at each side of the beams. This is a poor design as it makes a large area for corrosion products to build up and spall the concrete away. The steel straps carrying the bars were buried half an inch deep in the concrete and the large rods are only one inch deep which is nowhere near deep enough. The twelve bottom anti- expansion bars on the two outside beams are fully exposed for the full 35 metre length of the bridge, seriously compromising the integrity of Holland St bridge with Nathan Brewery on left 1953. the structure. Apart from corrosion by the weather, much of the damage would have resulted from the electrical potential in the ground and concrete being higher than in the rods, causing the current and atoms to flow from the rods, creating the extensive corrosion products. The high ground potential would have been produced by the tramways electric propulsion system. The two piers also have corrosion and exposed rods. The Cawthorne Bridge had even worse corrosion when it was condemned. On the 8 th November 2010 barricades were erected at both ends of Holland Street Bridge totally closing it to all traffic. The conservation position is that this bridge, pictured left, is a significant reinforced concrete tramway relic with heritage integrity, meriting preservation, and provides a useful function to local communities. Holland St bridge corrosion 2012. Ken Sutter Page 5
Kitchen s soap & candle factory at Southwark (Thebarton) with Holland Street bridge in foreground 1908. Wedding of Peter and Moyna Giles at Keswick Methodist Church December 4 1954.. Page 6
Model train ride at the Mile End Railway Museum. West Richmond Uniting Church tennis players in 1991. Page 7
THE Extracts RICHMOND from the files BLOCKS of the West Torrens Historical THE Linfoot Society family settled on one of the Richmond Blocks in the THE LOLLIE KING OF TORRENSVILLE. Albert Cann Smyth, born 1882, began a business from around 1908 as a confectioner in O Connell St North Adelaide and from 1910 had a stall in the Adelaide Central Market. In 1917 he opened a confectionery factory at 2 Jervois Street Torrensville and used a T model Ford with an enclosed canopy to do his deliveries. Albert died in 1923 and his wife Alethia kept the business going. A son, Albert Clarence James (known as James), aged 15 when his father died, was sent to Sydney to study the trade. Returning after 5 years he found the business had been allowed to run down. Alethia had new premises built at the rear of her house in Rankine Rd New Mile End around 1925 and the business prospered. Under James s guidance the firm continued to grow and around 1950 they transferred to a new factory at 394 South Rd Richmond. The business is now known as Smyth s Confectionery. Smyth s delivery vehicle. SOME DEFUNCT WEST TORRENS STREET NAMES. Sir Donald Bradman Dr is made up of several streets. From the mid-1950s to 2001 the road was named Burbridge Rd. Burbridge Rd in turn previously had several names. The section between Marion Rd and Bagot Av was from at least the 1920s known as Cowandillah Rd; the section of Burbridge Rd between Bagot Av and South Rd was known as early as the 1880s as Rowland Rd, while the section of the road between South Rd and the eastern boundary of West Torrens was, from about the same time, called Hilton Rd. Cowandillah, Rowland and Hilton Rds were all renamed as part of Burbridge Rd in the mid-1950s. The main reason for the change was that, at that time, the road became one of the major connections between Adelaide and the new Adelaide Airport - having three separate names was confusing to many. Burbridge Road was up- Sir Donald Bradman. graded from 1991 as part of the Adelaide Alive! project. The completion of the project in 2001 saw the road renamed as Sir Donald Bradman Dr from 1 January 2001. Geoff Grainger. Page 8
INKBERRY TREE. The Inkberry tree, (Pircunia or Phytolacca dioica) is a rather unique one and is a native of Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina in South America. It is also known as the Ombu tree. The sign pictured below has been erected in Wentworth, New South Wales beside a growing specimen of the Inkberry Tree. It states that it is believed a traveller from South Australia planted this tree on a roadside as he travelled along the Murray, Darling and Lachlan rivers on a journey to Sydney in the 19th century. Several seedlings were planted at intervals including one at the Balranald police station and three are known to exist in Sydney. We have good reason to believe that the traveller was John Morphett of Cummins House at Novar Gardens, and that the seeds came from a magnificent specimen still growing in the grounds of the heritage house today. There are only a few known specimens in Australia. The name Inkberry is derived from the fact that the berries were at one time crushed to make a dye suitable for use as a writing ink. Water is stored in the trunk of the tree and the sap is poisonous to humans and animals. Caldicott s store and post office, Hilton c1897. The Inkberry Tree sign in Wentworth New South Wales. CALDICOTT S STORE. Robert and Elizabeth Caldicott operated a general store and post office at 127 Rowland Rd Hilton for 23 years from 1895. Robert was a West Torrens councillor, JP and an elder and deacon of the Grote St Church of Christ. A very upright and well-regarded gentleman is how his family recalls him. The Caldicott s had a rather large family of 17 children of whom 12 survived to adulthood. Bob Caldicott (of ABC TV and radio fame) was a grandson. This two storied building survives on Sir Donald Bradman Drive having under gone many alterations. It is now incorporated in the Hilton Seafood and Yiros shop. Part contributed by Dr. Geoffrey Bishop - president SAHS. Page 9
NOTABLE HOMES OF WEST TORRENS Working in the gardens at The Pines 1875. THE PINES North Plympton..part 2. (Continued from Volume 4 No.2). John Martin s store at 94 Rundle St had begun as a modest partnership between Otto Peters and John Martin (of The Pines Plympton) on 24th October 1866, but eventually Peters went out of the business. The young twin Martin boys were only a year old when their father, John Martin, died on November 25th 1889 aged 49 years. The family continued to live at The Pines and Mrs Martin remarried on 14th April 1891 at Christ Church, North Adelaide. Her second husband was Henry Stanley Bleechmore, a sharebroker. They had one son, Clive by this marriage. In 1906 the property was transferred from the executors of John Martin s will to his daughter Ada Ethel Mary Martin. The Bleechmore s, Ada Martin and her bachelor brother Royden, continued to live in the home for many years. In 1941 Miss Martin sold the property to the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. The aim of the sisters was to provide shelter for under privileged girls and women, to offer protection and care for those entrusted to them, and to develop as fully as possible the human and spiritual potential of the individual in order that she might eventually live a normal, healthy life within the Society. The first community of Sisters numbered three they had come from the Convent of the Good Shepherd at Abbotsford in Victoria. A laundry was established to provide occupation and training in industrious habits and also to provide an income to satisfy the needs of the rapidly increasing numbers of girls and women admitted. No Government subsidy was available at that time. The first person went into their care on 4th September 1941. The laundry and dormitory were opened officially on 11th December 1942. The average age of the girls at that time was around the late teens. The Sisters worked side by side with them. Some of the land was cleared of surplus trees and bushes. This work was carried out by a team of bullocks belonging to Mr Austin and this was thought to be the last such team in South Australia. From the farm which was set up, there came a plentiful supply of eggs, milk and vegetables as well as bread and butter which were made on the premises. Eventually it became more economical to buy these commodities. The girls learned to dress make, cook, sing and play musical instruments. They were encouraged to participate in short plays and concerts which were a feature of celebrating special occasions. They entered exhibits in the Royal Adelaide Show knitting, crocheting, dressmaking, fruit preserving and cake decorating. At one time they gained sixty first prizes. Sport was encouraged so a swimming pool was a welcome addition to the other playing facilities. Education up to Intermediate standard was provided. Over the years a great number of persons had been cared for at the Pines, John Martin. Bullock team at The Pines. averaging fifty persons at any one time. Girls remained in the care of the Sisters until their parents were able to take them, or they could be suitably placed elsewhere. After a time efforts were made to create a more home-like atmosphere within the institution smaller groups were formed with a Sister as a Group Mother, thus allowing a more personal approach to those in her care. The physical set-up of the living quarters was arranged in a more homely fashion with facilities provided for group cooking, recreation and personal preferences. The Sisters have very happy memories of those days. (to be continued). Page 10
COMING EVENTS FOR YOUR DIARY WEST TORRENS HISTORICAL SOCIETY MONTHLY MEETINGS at Kandahar Commencing at 7:45pm Monday January 28th: No January meeting due to January 28th being a public holiday. Monday February 25th: General meeting. Audio visual The Unique bus stops of Sir Donald Bradman Dv Bring reports and items for discussion. Monday March 25th: Annual general meeting. Speaker: Peter Brice The History of the Sea Rescue Squadron at West Beach. Please bring supper. Monday April 22nd: Special meeting: Anzac and the Boulevard of Honour. Please bring supper. Month of May: About Time history month - watch for details. WTHS will be mounting an exhibition on Small Businesses and Industries in West Torrens. Website access to Local History through the West Torrens Library. The West Torrens Historical Society web-site is users.chariot.net.au/~wths/ THE West Torrens Historical Society is currently digitalising all its files in partnership with the West Torrens Hamra Centre Library. This is an ongoing project. Hundreds of WTHS files photographs, images, documents, transcribed interviews and newspaper articles are already accessible via the Hamra Centre Library s website. To help you access these files, follow these instructions: Go to the City of West Torrens website http://www.wtcc.sa.gov.au At the top of the Home Page click on Library and then in the drop-down box Library Web Catalogue. This will open the Home Page of the West Torrens Library Service. At the top of this page click on Collections. This will take you to a search page; click on Local History. This will open the search page for Local History; follow the search instructions. DISCLAIMER - COPYRIGHT Views and opinions expressed in articles in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the views of the West Torrens Historical Society Inc. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy of the articles printed, responsibility is not accepted for any errors they may contain that are out of our control. If a work of copyright has been inadvertently included and the copyright holder prefers that the work not be made available, please contact the West Torrens Historical Society and the record will be removed from general access. PRIVACY ACT A Member s or Friend s personal information collected by the Society, e.g. name, address and telephone number, will only be used for the forwarding of the newsletter and relevant information concerning the Society. The information will not be shared, sold or given to a third party without the Member s or Friend s consent. Any emails received will be treated as above, however any information sent by email will be at the sender s risk and the Society will not be held responsible for any unintended use or disclosure of this information. SUBMISSIONS TO NEWSLETTER Submissions to the newsletter are welcome but their publication is at the discretion of the Newsletter Committee and can be given to Members or sent to PO Box 43 Marleston SA 5033. Page 11
Friends of the West Torrens Historical Society Inc. Application for Membership Please post to: The Secretary West Torrens Historical Society Inc. PO Box 43 Marleston SA 5033 MEMBERSHIP FEE: $15 I/we wish to become a (member/renew membership) of the Friends of the West Torrens Historical Society Inc. I enclose my membership for 2013. Name(s):.. Address:... Postcode:. Contact Details: My own interests are:.. Phone: Signature(s): Mobile: Email:. Please make cheques payable to West Torrens Historical Society Inc. Membership is renewable in March each year. West Torrens Historical Society Contacts: Website users.chariot.net.au/~wths/ Secretary: (08) 8356 9768 President: (08) 8443 3380 emails: grays67@bigpond.com aja@aka.net.au Correct as at December 2012. BOOKS NOW AVAILABLE: Gateway City $5; West Torrens Suburb Names $5; A Pictorial History of West Torrens $10. (postage extra) While limited stocks last! Page 12