The Rye Historical Society

‘White Cliffs’ October - December 2016

President: Linda Berndt 5985 8187

Secretary: Pauline Powell 5985 2797

Treasurer: Danny Jennings 5985 2231

PO Box 65 Rye 3941

http://ryehistoricalsociety.weebly.com index.html

Meetings - 8pm, Fourth Monday of each month

Rye Primary School Library - Visitors welcome

“Gracefield Hotel” being demolished ca 1927, after it was sold by Kate Weir. (The notice on the wall reads: H V GILLESPIE, ARCHITECT, 443 CHANCERY LANE, MELBOURNE)

In This Issue:

A B Pre-1931 Road Names, Post Code 3941, Part 4.

2 President’s Report

Happenings 3

4 H

H 5

6 P

P 7

8 P

P 9

10 P

P 11

12

In 1939, the “Rye-Lands Estate” Sales promotion shows what we now know as Bimble Street as Bimble Avenue.

While the dictionary includes “an ambling walk” or “an astrologic connection to the number 7” for the word ‘Bimble’ , the writer is reliably advised that Bimble Street was named after the type of ti-tree widespread around Rye and that bimble wood is valued by woodworkers alongside jarrah and ironbark.

The only newspaper reference to Bimble St found so far was in a Rye Town Planning and Progress Association submission in 1945: “.. ; Brimble (*) Avenue to be cleared and formed from Weir Street to Government Road;..” [1]

Advice regarding this name suggests Elgan Avenue was adopted ca. 1960. It replaced the previous name of Capel

Avenue, ending confusion with Capel Avenue already named in Rosebud West.

The origin / meaning of the name is as yet unclear.

The name Maori Street recognises the contribution of Maoris residing on the Peninsula in the mid to late 1800s.

Hollinshed [2] mentions that certain limestone quarry gangs included Maoris and refers to the “Maori Farm”. He also included the following recollection: “Mr Rowley remembered a community of Maoris who were also fishermen and who lived in little thatched huts just below Whitecliffs, Rye.”

The Maori in NZ had been battling British administration forces to retain their traditional lands since the mid 1840s. By around 1860, the ongoing Maori War had become particularly vicious and bloody, so perhaps a few Maoris decided to try their luck in Australia.

The Ballarat Star of 13th April 1866 carried the following interesting insight:

A correspondent informs the Argus that a fishing lugger, manned by ten or a dozen stout Maories, is making Dromana her rendezvous. The crew have the assistance of a white man, who acts as interpreter between the Maories and our own people in any business that has to be transacted.

The dark skins, since their arrival in Port Phillip Bay, attended a church tea meeting in the neighbourhood of their head quarters, and took much interest in the proceedings, especially in the cakes and fruit, which they

Pre-1931 Road Names, Postcode 3941 – Part 4 of 5 13

seemed to understand better than the speeches. Our correspondent sug-gests that possibly the mission of the Maories is to procure arms and am-munition rather than flatheads and flounders.

The Mornington Standard of 26th July 1902 carried the following recollection:

In response to the enquiries of “New Zealander” in the last issue, Mr N Rudduck, of Dromana, has kindly supplied the following re the Maories who at one time were living here:

“There were nearly 20 Maories living at Rosebud about 1865. They after-ward moved to what became known as the Maori farm beyond Rye. Some of them (Patrick and Timmo) got drowned by the capsizing of a boat taking a passenger to Queenscliff, and are buried in the Rye cemetery. One named Paul died in Geelong hospital. Peter Kanaka died in the Melbourne hospital, where I think Paul’s three children (Napper, Minnie and George) also died. Pauls wife and another woman named Mary Ann were taken from here by a deputation who came over for them, as one of them was of royal blood.”

‘White Cliffs’ June 2001 noted: “Just east of White Cliffs a group of Maoris farmed. The original farm extended through to the Melbourne Road area. According to rate valuation sheets the property was known as Maori Farm, Pt Nepean Rd and Rye.”

Interestingly, an eye witness report of Maori men, women and children (est. 20 persons) living in the Black Rock area ca 1870-1895 is also on record. As with those at Rye, these people had boats and earned money by selling fish and shellfish. Unfortunately, no ready explanation of their origins is recorded. [3]

Re the name Weir, Hollinshed [2] noted:

“The White Cliffs Inn served until 1876 and after that Patrick Sullivan’s

“Gracefield” Hotel, first under Patrick, then under his daughter, Kate Weir.”

The “Gracefield” Hotel featured in the July - Sept 2006 issue of ‘White Cliffs’, from which the following paragraph is reproduced: “Kate continued to run the hotel until 1927, when she sold out to a Mrs Hunt. Mrs Hunt demolished the wattle and daub building and erected a modern brick hotel.”

The photograph on the front cover shows “Gracefield” hotel being demolished.

Sources:

[1] Standard, Frankston, 22/3/1945, (* = presumably a typo error) [2] Hollinshed C N; Lime Land Leisure, Shire of Flinders, 1982. [3] Sandringham Historical Series, The First People of Black Rock.

Researched and written by Noel Erbs

14 Pre-1931 Road Names, Postcode 3941 – 4 of 5 (concl.)

“Gracefield” Hotel News Mentions 15

The Argus, 18 May 1882

A meeting of the inhabitants of Rye and district was held at Sulli-van’s Gracefield Hotel, on the 13th inst, Mr John Cain, JP, in the chair, for the purpose of taking measures to obtain an extension of the pre-sent jetty.

Resolutions were passed appoint-ing a committee to communicate with the members for the district, urging them to bring the matter under the notice of the Commis-sioner of Customs, and to point out to him the vital importance of the matter to the people of Rye. The meeting was quite unanimous in supporting the object for which it was called.

nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11541160

The Argus, 31 March 1922

Raid on Storeroom.

SORRENTO, Thursday. A burglary was committed at Gracefield Hotel, Rye, early this morning. The lock on the storeroom door was forced open, and a quantity of ale, spirits, money, and jewellery was sto-len. Mrs. Weir, the licensee, esti-mates her loss at nearly £20.

Later in the day a man threatened the wife of Mr. Whitehead, manager of the Woyna Dairy, near Rosebud, but, after examining the contents of the house, left without taking anything. Mounted Constable Gren-fell, of Sorrento, was informed.

nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4675055

The Argus, 17 Feb 1882

A meeting of the Rabbit Commit-tee of the Shire of Flinders and Kangerong took place at the Grace-field Hotel, Rye, on Tuesday, Mr. Robert Anderson, of the Schanck, in the chair. It was deter-mined that an urgent appeal should be made to the Govern-ment to poison the rabbits which infest the quarantine ground. It appeared from the remarks made at the meeting that the residents of the eastern portions of the shire are taking vigorous measures to lay down the poi-soned grain from the back beach in Westernport Bay to the shores of Port Phillip, and so in a steady progressive march towards Point Nepean.

The residents of that part of the shire feel, however, that their la-bours will be in vain unless the quarantine ground - which is a perfect rabbit warren - is dealt with simultaneously. Mr. Ford, of the Portsea Hotel, calculates that it will take him some 50 or 60 bags of poisoned wheat to cover his ground, which is overrun with rab-bits from the quarantine ground.

One holder of a selection of 600 acres is said not to have enough grass to feed a horse. The rabbit committee meets again at the shire hall, Dromana, on Satur-day next, at 4 p.m., to receive the decision of the Government.

nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11532367

Meetings and Guest Speakers.

18th January Committee Meeting

26th January Australia Day Stall and bus tour. Rye foreshore.

22nd February General meeting. Guest speaker Mr…… Bendigo Bank.

28th March General meeting. Guest speaker to be announced.

Last Friday of the month. Rye RSL Happy Hour. 5 - 6pm

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