Mt. Rouse & District Historical Society
*Penshurst * Historical * Tourism * Western District *
* Volcanic Trail * Victoria * Australia*
Penshurst - the First 160 Years and in its Historical Perspective
|
The Brambuk Aboriginal dancing group performing on Mt. Rouse for the first time in 200 yrs Site contents: 2. Penshurst 150 yrs (this page) 7. Explore Historical Penshurst
Former Shire of Mt. Rouse Council building, where our Volcanic Discovery Centre will soon open, and where Mt. Rouse & District Historical Society's museum are situated
Downstream from the 'Never fail spring'
The Water Gardens, with trees actually growing in the water
'Site contents: 2. Penshurst Historical (this page) 7. Explore Historical Penshurst
|
1. Penshurst - the First 160 Years Recorded Introduction Penshurst is a Victorian rural township settled at the foot of Mount Rouse, an imposing dormant volcano which stands approximately 360 metres above sea level, towering above the surrounding countryside. Mount Rouse was first sighted by Major Mitchell in 1836 and was named after the Colonial Under Secretary of New South Wales, James Rouse. Its population today is around 500. In l994 Penshurst became part of the newly formed Southern Grampians Shire centered in Hamilton, a city of some l0,000 people and situated 29 kilometers north-west of Penshurst. Prior to the above amalgamation, Penshurst was the centre for the municipality of Mount of Rouse, one of Victoria's oldest municipalities, founded in 1864. Prior to white settlement, dating from the end of the l830's, the land around Penshurst was home to permanent aboriginal tribes, well supplied with food and good water from creeks and natural springs. The co-existence of aborigines and white settlers was a failure and the district has many recorded episodes of killings and bloodshed. Aboriginal people struggled, unsuccessfully, to maintain their land and lifestyle and white settlers sought to gain access to land. Under laws aimed at protecting aboriginal people from slaughter and sheltering them collectively (regardless of tribal background) in designated areas, Penshurst briefly became an Aboriginal Protectorate. Although several were planned, Penshurst was the only one actually put into operation. It lasted between the years l840 and l849 firstly under the direction of Assistant Protector, Charles Sievwright and then Dr. John Watton. After l842 the varying aboriginal population of some hundreds of people dwindled to a very few. Finally, the unsuccessful Protectorate closed and the land was subsequently opened up to pastoral settlement. Grazing rights were thrown open to bidders and the average rental for a large station was between 200 and 300 pounds per annum. In this way large tracts of land was taken up for farming and grazing. Alongside English, Scottish and - towards the south coast - Irish immigrants were the development of German (Lutheran) communities. These latter settlers found their way to the Penshurst district due to the spilling over of migrant families from the already established (ca. 1860's) Barossa Valley settlement in South Australia. Thus, to the west of Penshurst, and up to Hamilton and beyond, can still be seen the German influence in solid Lutheran schools, churches and cemeteries with old Germanic script on tombstones. Just south of the settlement of Tabor are the crumbling ruins of the breakaway Lutheran commune established in 1852 by Friedrich Johann Krummnow. His strict religious commune lasted until 1889, before its surviving adherents returned to reside in the wider community. It began to lose its vibrancy after Krummnow's death in l880. Around the Penshurst district,
evidence of early settlers is still prominent today with the names, and
stories, of many old pioneering families still displayed in school
rolls, rate books, parish registers, road names, business names and
family histories. The past traditions of hard work, enterprise and
service to the community are, to a large extent, maintained today within
this small rural township. Penshurst still retains many fine historical buildings, a large proportion of them built in locally quarried bluestone. These include many residences and homesteads, schoolhouse and church. In addition, it once boasted six hotels, only one of which remains today - the Penshurst Hotel, ca. l860. The picture above right, shows the Bell/Martin St intersection c:a 1931. The large pine tree is long gone and would have stood in front of the Post Office. It was believed, prior to the turn of the 20th century, that Penshurst would be a major town in the South West with a streetscape laid out in generous proportions to allow for the turning of bullock trains. It was also hoped to be able to accommodate a growing and prosperous population. This ideal was not realised however, with Hamilton outstripping Penshurst and later proclaiming itself the "Wool Capital of the World". Despite this, Penshurst remains a strategically well placed crossroad for tourists and other travellers. A pleasant drive north from coastal Warrnambool, it provides access, via Dunkeld, to the Grampians. Two hours drive west of Geelong, along the Hamilton Highway, it is a convenient stopping off spot for people en-route to South Australia, or for the adventurous exploring the fascinating volcanoes dotted throughout the Western District. Despite the decline in municipal involvement, the town still boasts a hospital with substantial aged care facilities, two primary schools, good shopping for basic needs - farm and domestic - as well as catering to visitors (food, meals, coffee, antiques, bric 'a brac, books, information, rest rooms etc.). Penshurst now also houses the Volcanoes Centre, a multi-media museum exhibiting the volcanic history of the western district, as well as volcanic activity worldwide. This fascinating display, run by local volunteers, is enhanced by the opportunity to tour and learn about our own volcano, Mount Rouse. You can find out more about it by visiting the Volcanoes website. Visitors are invited to join locals in enjoying the more leisurely delights of our emerging Water Gardens, including electric barbecue, garden walks and the 'never fail' spring, the township's original water source. History lovers will enjoy a trip to the Burger Family Museum just outside Penshurst to gain an insight into the hardships and triumphs faced by this early German family from the l850's onwards. As well as being a vibrant farming community, Penshurst still finds time to hold an annual Agricultural Show (with shearing competitions), a Boxing Day Race meeting and other events organised by its Progress Association, Advance Penshurst Inc., service and sporting clubs. Leisuretime activities include camping, swimming, bowls, football, netball, tennis, walking (around the township, water gardens and/or the walking trail up Mount Rouse, down into the crater and along the tourist road.) For the less energetic, good coffee and cake at Madigan's, a refreshing drink and/or meal at Penshurst Hotel or a tasty take-away at the Penshurst Newsagency/Milk Bar may lead to an enjoyable browse through the books at Rurik's Shed or the opportunity to find a small treasure in the old and antique offerings of past times. History lovers may get the opportunity to visit the former Courthouse, which now is home to the Mt. Rouse and District Historical Society. The Society is seeking grants and assistance to fully restore the old building, which houses its "Information Centre" and genealogical research unit. Further information on Penshurst and its history can be found at the present website. The past l60 years of recorded history doesn't stop here. Future plans to improve the township will take advantage of its natural assets, its volcano, spring, flora and fauna as well as its built or developed infrastructure and amenities. Residents encourage the desire for continual town beautification and development, and in particular the updating and restoration of some of the township's historic buildings which survive but in somewhat fading glory. A start has been made with the erection of plaques on l2 of the town's notable buildings. The next l60 years of Penshurst's life and progress will be aimed at the provision of a progressive, attractive, friendly environment with a fair blend of the old and new and, in particular, a community which will remain a good place to live, work and play, and one which will always have a welcoming hand ready for the newcomer and the stranger. This page was updated in February 2008 from the original "Penshurst - the First 150 Years. 2. A 22,000 years perspective The area around Penshurst is in the country of the Djab wurrung language group of Aboriginal people, very close to the border with the Dhauwurd wurrung language group people to the south. The Djab wurrung language is apparently some 5,000 years old according to linguists, but the people referred to a previous group as the Old People. It is presently believed that Aboriginal people lived in this area some 22,000 years prior to the arrival of Europeans. Thus the Old People of this region lived through the last Ice Age here, and the local stories tell of the volcanic activity of some of the cones in terms of fire and rocks coming from the mountains. James Dawson published first hand impressions and study of the traditional way of life as he observed it as a European settler sympathetic to the Aboriginal people and described substantial wooden framed dwellings weatherproofed with "bark, thatch, sods and earth", and more fragile temporary dwellings used in Summer and during travelling. In some parts of the Western District stone dwellings were built. He described cooking methods and a very broad range of dietary items, including many plant and animal foods, giving a good, broad nutritional base. The Djab wurrung people participated in eel fishing in early Autumn at Mt William Swamp and Lake Bolac, and in mid Summer emu and other game were hunted near Hexham. Mount Rouse and the spring near the base of it was an important traditional meeting place for neighbouring groups. The booklet "The People of Gariwerd" (see references) gives much interesting information about the traditional way of life of the Djab wurrung for those wishing to read further detail. Major Mitchell passed through the region in 1836, and the area was green and lush. Shortly after, squatting began, but a drought was also developing. The Aboriginal people blamed the drought on the coming of the Europeans. In 1838 contemporary accounts tell of Lake Burrumbeet drying up and in the following three years the biggest rivers in the area were either dry, or ran for only a few weeks. There was inevitable friction between the European squatters and the Aboriginal inhabitants. The Europeans saw wonderful grazing land, unaware that many years of maintenance went into keeping the Australian "garden" tidy and productive. The Aboriginal people took sheep for food when the sheep ate the yam daisies and other herbs produced by mosaic burning and careful digging over many years and the kangaroos and other game were driven off the land for the sheep to graze. Some of the warfare has been documented. In the Penshurst environs Tuurap Warneen, a local Aboriginal doctor, was shot near Mount Kolor (Mt Rouse) in early 1840. Patrick Codd, an overseer at the Grange, Strathkellar was killed at Mt Rouse in May 1840, apparently in retaliation. In June 1840 seven Aboriginal people were killed and many wounded at Muston's station, east of Mt Rouse in retaliation for an attack on the station earlier in the year. In September 1842 an Aboriginal person was killed at Mt Rouse for sheep stealing. In 1841 Kolorer (Mt Rouse) was gazetted as an Aboriginal Reserve, and was opened on 12th February 1842. It was shortlived, used only between 1842 and 1843. The station forced John Cox to leave land considered very valuable for fattening sheep, causing ill feeling within the European community. The station was run in an orderly fashion, and a full account of the daily routine can be found in Jan Critchett's book "A Distance Field of Murder" on page 146. The Aboriginal people were ordered to the Reserves by the Native Police, and although they did go there, at Mt Rouse at least, they tended to drop in for a while, go away and perhaps drop back again. The population was fluid. Estimates suggest the pre-European population of Djab wurrung to be around 2,000, reduced by about 70% by 1845. Some people died of gunshot, some from introduced disease, poisoned flour, arsenic laced blankets and simple starvation as access to traditional food was cut off, the soil compacted reducing yields, and the development of the drought conditions. Reports put the numbers at only a few hundred by 1860 and the remaining people were moved to reserves at Framlingham and Lake Condah in the 1870s. References: "The People of Gariwerd" by Gib Wettenhall, Aboriginal Affairs Victoria 1999 "A Distant Field of Murder" by Jan Critchett, Melbourne University Press, 1990 "Scars on the Landscape" by Ian Clark, AIATSIS report 1995 "Australian Aborigines" by James Dawson, facsimile edition AIAS , 1981 (original 1881) Elizabeth Hatfield Acknowledgement: I would like to thank the people of the Winda Mara Aboriginal Corporation who continue the work of Aboriginal cultural heritage management, for their help with this document. March 2008
|
Tuesday, 25 March 2008
