Ed.: To be continued. There is a total of 51 sections/"chapters". Should any of our "visitors" want our $8 CD/DVD of the full article, please email us. Proceeds fully to our society.

2. Penshurst Hotel – Day Book 1888

by Phillip Doherty

The historic landmark that is the Penshurst Hotel was built for William Murphy in 1861. By the mid 1880’s it was owned by John Frewer and was known as Frewer’s Hotel.

J Tilley bought the hotel at the start of 1888 and Victoria Tilley started a Day Book (debit account) beginning on Monday 2^nd January 1888. Customers were recorded on a numbered card as they undertook business and loans and this information was transferred to the Day Book.

The hotel had thirteen debtors the first day with well known district names amongst them. The first name recorded was Thomas Blair who collected two parcels – account two shillings. The second debtor was William Pearson (who maybe the William Pearson who had previously bought the Mount Rouse Inn from John Earls in 1864). The fourth debtor was Timothy Madigan who called in to have a heart starter. Number five was John Frewer – the previous owner.

The eleventh number in the Day book was Frank Olle who also collected a parcel followed by John Twomey 3^rd who stayed for awhile by the number of drinks recorded.

On Tuesday four new debtors signed on including John Cameron and Charles Waller. Wednesday shows that John Earls (who owned the Mount Rouse Inn in 1864 and the Penshurst Hotel in 1871) booked a bed and dinner for four shillings and was also charged for the stabling of two horses.

Owen McKenna, owner of the Victoria Hotel in 1889, dropped by for a chat. James Groggan booked a coach fare (account five shillings) and Daniel Twomey (owner of Kolor Station) collected a parcel. On Friday the Day Book records that John Cook dropped by and John Hyde had a drink and borrowed one pound. On Saturday John Hyde was back to borrow another pound, also a William Uebergang used the book but was not given a number so this was probably a “one off” situation. Another to drop by was R B Hayhoe of the Victoria Hotel.

In the first week of business forty-one customers used the Day Book to book up accounts - mainly for drinks, parcel collection, coach fares or to borrow money.

The Hotel was much more than just a pub. It was the stopover for Cobb and Co Coaches, six times a week, between Hamilton and Koroit. Later the Western Stage Company also stopped at the hotel. Horses were stabled for a shilling a night and a horse could be hired for two shillings a day with businesses including Taylor and Wilson, Cruickshank and Waters and Harrower and Daymond using this service. In addition you could hire a man (driver) to show you around the district, for example, on 25 February 1889 Richard Elijah hired horses and a man for one pound six shillings for three days.

Board at the hotel could be had for two shillings per day plus another two shillings for a meal. You could also hire a buggy for five shillings a day plus stock up with horse feed as the hotel sold oats, yeast, bran straw, chaff and potatoes and tomatoes.

The Tilley’s must have had a farm as they sold forty sheep to W Coleman at nine shillings each and a cow to George Cook for four pound. They also leased a house out for ten shillings a week (this could have been the farm house). Another income stream for the hotel was a billiard room and sending and receiving telegrams.

The Penshurst Hotel was a favorite pub for the landed gentry with the Twomeys – John (Stonefield), Daniel (Kolor), Timothy (Banemore), Edward (Langulac) as customers. The Ritchies of Blackwood and John and Thomas Hutton, Cheviot Hills, also frequented the hotel.

Councillor John Moffat of Chatsworth House visited the hotel, no doubt on council business. William Ross of The Gums used the hotel to stable his horses while in town. He also hired a servant on several occasions for seven shillings.

Dr Woodford was a regular as was Gaston Kemp who daily had two drinks but Dr Sweatnam only collected parcels as did the Reverends M Lelean and J R Anderson.

The Cricket Reserve Trustees, Race Club and Coursing Club all made use of the different services offered by the hotel. Cobb and Co driver C Byrne booked up a dinner and tea for two shillings.

Snobbery was alive and well as some of the working classes weren’t even given their formal names in the Day Book. Workers were simply noted as Old Sutton Kolor, Alec at Twomeys, Man from Gums, Maxwell, old man (Twomey’s gardener) and one customer was written down as Crow Eater. Later a sheep drover booked up a dinner and drinks and also borrowed a horse and some cash.

4/2/2009: Here, the third and final installment of Phillip's article

The most popular drink was whiskey with a bottle costing five shillings, as was gin, rum, wine and sherry. Port wine was five and six, Schnapps six shillings and dearest of all was brandy at six shillings and six pence. A bottle of larger beer cost one and six. Half a dozen small ale bottles cost five and six and half a dozen large ale cost seven and six.

On Tuesday 25 September 1888, Charlie Mibus pulled in to collect the drinks for a family celebration (we hope). He purchased two cases of brandy, one case of whiskey, one case of tokay wine, one dozen English ale and a gallon of rum. The total cost was ten pound and eighteen shillings which is a great deal of money considering that Lottie Wilsher commenced work at the Hotel for fifteen shillings per week – or the equivalent of three bottles of whiskey.

At one stage Penshurst had five hotels. The Shearers Arms, Penshurst Hotel, Prince of Wales, the Victoria and the Cricketers Arms. Also close by was the Mount Rouse Inn at Boram Boram, the Halfway Hotel at Purdeet and the Union Hotel at Croxton East. For a short period in 1874 the Mount View was open at the eastern end of Bell Street.

Two interesting items noted in the Day Book was that W Tobin collected a coffin from the coach for twenty shillings and Richard Barnes borrowed five pound and one shilling and then another three pounds from Joseph Tilley at the May 1890 Wickliffe races. Neil McNeil and Co, who were building the spur line (railway) to the quarry at the back of Mt Rouse, were charged for Mr Butler’s for breakfast, dinner, tea bed and a horse for eleven shillings per day – presumably Mr Butler was managing the project.

The Day Book documents the comings and goings of daily life in Penshurst. It records hundreds of names, reveals peoples occupations, the various sporting clubs that existed, and the types of supplies bought in and out of the township. It also provides a glimpse of peoples social lives and the constant movement of people through Penshurst.

This valuable record is in the archives of the Mt Rouse Historical Society. While we have a good pictorial record, the Day Book provides a written diary of activity associated with the Penshurst Hotel.

Phillip Doherty, 27/9/2008 

3. Twomey family and Kolor Station - Phillip Doherty

Penshurst 

John Joseph Twomey, his wife Margaret and six children arrived aboard the Royal Consort in 1844.  It seems another three children were still in Ireland.  John Twomey was listed as a labourer on the ship records but this maybe so he could qualify for a free passage - labourers being in much demand.  Little is known of the Twomey's first years on the Port Phillip district of NSW (as Victoria was known then). 

The first record of the Twomey farming enterprises is in 1852 when John Twomey Jr took over the lease of the Old Stockyard run from William Buckley (later transferred to John Snr).  John Twomey Jnr bid for £420 per annum for eight years was accepted for the vacated run known as Kolor which had been surveyed out of the Aboriginal Protectorate.  John Snr's daughter Honara arrived aboard the Argyle in 1853.  The eldest daughter Katherine stayed in Ireland. 

In 1859 Denis Twomey, the 5th son of John and Margaret, died aged 24.  Another son Timothy was with his father at the Old Stockyard and Daniel was in partnership with John Jnr at Kolor.  Records show that they had both signed a petition for a Police Station in Penshurst in 1860.  Edward, the youngest son was also now buying land with his brothers in the Parish of Yatchaw East and Langulac. 

The 1862/3 Shire of Minhamite records show that Edward, John and Daniel had bought 4695 acres in the Parish of Langulac expanding Kolor south.  The following year John Twomey Jnr was elected to the Mount Rouse Council. 

The Shire of Mount Rouse first ratepayers' book 1864 records J & E Twomey owning land in Yatchaw East, John and Daniel Twomey owning Kolor 10837 acres valued at £1500 and Timothy owning 1079 acres at Yatmerone. 

Then tragedy struck in 1865 as John Jnr went missing form the ship Edina traveling from Warrnambool to Melbourne.  John left a widow and four children.  The children had all been born at Kolor Mount Rouse.  It appears that John's widow Mary and the surviving partner in Kolor, Daniel couldn’t agree on a settlement so they ended up in court:

"Tuesday 16 April

At Mr Stubbs rooms, Collins St, West Melbourne

The Kolor Station and Stock

Mount Rouse

Warrnambool district in the colony of Victoria

To be sold pursuant to the decree of the Supreme Court of the colony of Victoria.  Made in the cause of Twomey V Twomey with the appropriation of Frederick Wilkinson esquire, the master in equity of the said court by Mr Stubbs at his sale rooms, No 81 C

The Kolor Station.

Situated at Mount Rouse in the Warrnambool district in the colony of Victoria.

Particulars of the property.

13010 acres, 2 rood, 31 perches of freehold land.

1105 acres, 1 rood, 5 perches of land held on leases, under the land act 1862 under which 12s 6p per acre have been paid and on payment of an additional 7s 6p per acre the purchaser will be entitled to grants of the fee.  About 318 acres of crown Land held under the departing license at £13-6-8p per annum.  2 half acre allotments in township of Penshurst 1 quarter acre allotment in North Hamilton – Improvements on the Station.

Slab house of four compartments. Slab store. Kitchen and stable. Fruit garden. Stockyard. Milking yard and potato ground. Sheepwash and woolshed.  About 16 miles of stone fencing. 7 ½ miles of wire fencing. Log and brush fencing.

STOCK

21600 sheep as follows

8073 ewes 2,4,6,8 tooth

1940 aged ewes

7208 wethers all ages

86 rams

4221 lambs, weaned

456 head of cattle

68 horses including some good brood mares and about 12 geldings, broken to saddle, wool press, plough and cart, house furniture and station utensils given in. The station is distant about 20 miles from Hamilton and about 40 miles from Belfast and Warrnambool.

Fredk Wilkinson

Master in Equity"

Daniel Twomey managed to buy back Kolor at the public auction for around £9000 (he was entitled to half the proceeds). In 1867 he was elected to the Mount Rouse Council for the riding of Penshurst.

The Twomey men were renowned as sportsmen.  The Hamilton Spectator reported on a major kangaroo hunt on Twomeys’ Banemore Station, where five hundred kangaroos were killed by one hundred horsemen.  Regular snipe and hare shooting parties were regularly held on all Twomey properties.

Within a year of buying back Kolor Daniel Twomey started to build Kolor homestead.  The honor of laying the foundation stone was given to his father John Joseph Twomey.

The original slab house mentioned in the sale notice was believed to have been where the elm trees are at Ray Morton’s house on the Warrnambool Road.  This would link with the Kolor bluestone woolshed across the road which was built at the same time as the Kolor homestead.

Cornelius, another son of John Snr, had stayed in Ireland to be trained as a priest at All Hallows College.  Cornelius later arrived on the ship Great Britain and eventually became Parish Priest at Tumut NSW.  He died in Melbourne in 1882, the same year that Edward took over ownership of Langulac Station (south of Kolor).

Records of the day reveal that Daniel Twomey, although quiet and unassuming man was one of the most popular figures in Western District in the early days.  He was a very generous host and took an interest in all sports.  He married Ellen Cameron, from Penola station S.A and they had two sons and two daughters.   His wife later died on a trip to Europe and Daniel died not long after in 1891 aged 60.

Edward Twomey looked after Kolor until Daniels eldest son Francis O’Connor Twomey (who was being educated in England) came of age.

By the time Francis took over the property the wool industry was in a state of depression and most of the estates around Penshurst were being leased out for dairying. Dairying was rapidly expanding so most of Kolor was divided into dairy farms and leased.

By 1912, Francis Twomey was listed as having 5000 acres at Kolor with another 4524 acres sold to C.R Tulloh (South Kolor Estate).  This may have something to do with the settling of the estate of Francis’s brother Daniel John who died on a trip to China the same year.

Francis Twomey was a long time President of the Racing Club and the Penshurst Gun Club where regular live bird competition shoots were held at Kolor.  

In 1915 Francis enlisted in the First Australian Imperial Force 54 Battalion.  An original Anzac he was wounded at Gallipoli, later transferred to France, again wounded at Pozieres.  It was at Bullecourt where he was wounded yet again but gained a Commission in the field after the battle.  Francis O’Connor Twomey was killed at Hargicourt 1st October 1918.  He was 41 and unmarried.

With no heirs to take over Kolor and his two sisters living in London, the last of Kolor Station (2714 acres consisting of the homestead and eight share farms) was sold in 1929.  Kolor had been in the Twomey family for 77 years.

Phillip Doherty, June 2008

4. Year of the Big Sun – 1914/1915

Phillip Doherty

In 1913 rainfall in western Victoria was well below average for the normally wet April- July period. As the Victorian Meteorological Bureau (the Met) records: timely rain in early Spring then saved the wheat crop and raised prospects. However there was to be no such respite the following year. Southern Victoria started off very hot, suffering from widespread bushfires in February and March.

Good rains fell over most of Eastern Australia in March April 1914 but extremely dry conditions then set in over most of the southern half of the country.

The Penshurst Free Press of 4 July 1914, reported that the long dry spell is causing uneasiness amongst the farmers whose dams are not yet full…in September, to make things worse, a plague of caterpillars descended on the district, doing great damage on the Gums and Blackwood Estates…the caterpillars appeared to be increasing in numbers and if the present weather conditions continue much longer it will be a sad outlook for the whole district.

The Free Press also noted that grass is very short and the ground in most places is as hard as mid summer. The frosts have caused the grass on the sides of hills to wither and have had a trying effect on young trees and potato crops.

Except in coastal NSW, drought became widespread and severe from July to October. Across large areas of the southern states the period May through October 1914 remains the driest such period on record.

Locally, conditions only worsened as the weather heated up in October and the hot dusty days had a disheartening effect through out the district. The price of horse feed rose alarmingly.

Tom Johnson (Stock & Land Columnist, Diary of a Farmer) wrote that the Year of the Big Sun began well in the Western District but ended up with an almost rainless Spring and there was no grass until the following May. I was then very young however I don’t think I’ll forget the starving animals - the dead and dying sheep, cattle and horses. Tom’s family was farming at Laanecoorie in the Bendigo district.

According to the Met rain in the eastern states in November and December did replenish farm dams and generated some grass growth, but dry weather returned early in 1915 to most eastern areas. It was not until April 1915 that the drought began to break in most of Victoria and for NSW, May. Even then the May rain was too late for strong pasture growth because of cold weather.

Our local district diarist Keith Cameron of Greenwood wrote "Drought very bad, worst since Grandpa was a little boy, good hay very scarce. Keith was working as a boundary rider for J S Ross of North Gums and recorded the ongoing dry.

Here the second installment of Phillip Doherty's article:  

Keith’s observations provide an insight into the daily tasks undertaken during the big dry. The following have been taken from his 1915 diary entries.

Jan 6 Cold showery weather, stock all tucked up.

Mare Kitty died in No 5 (paddock)

25 No 5 pulling necks (rabbiting)

26 Putting netting around stables to stop rabbits there is a power of them about the buildings

28 Got 27 rabbits out of the woodheap (north Gums)

Cycled to Hawkesdale

Feb 1 Took 62 lbs of rabbit skins to Colin (brother)

Jim McNiece pulled up pump in No1 mill

Warracknambeal horses have fallen away terribly of late

Pulled a cow out of the creek (cleaning out dams)

15 Robin (brother) started work for Leslie Murray (Burnbrae)

23 Dave (horse) in the creek (Mustons)

25 Mustered 7 horses in No 1, should have been 8, one down (the horses were sent to Ararat)

Mar 4 First sheep pulled from dam (dead) Chanter died (horse)

I don’t remember such a day in my lifetime. Frightful wind from the NW and dust was appalling. Could not see 5 chains off in the paddock. The loose grass and manure piled up against logs and hollows inches in depth.

10 Picked up 19 bags of spuds at Purdeet railway station (cattle feed)

15 Boiling taties for horse feed (mixed with chaff)

16 Eeling (in the mud) at dip dam

17 Old Dave (horse) drowned in creek.

20 Very cold - hard on the stock.

22 4 dams are nearly dry, too boggy for sheep.

30 Very cold again, the poor stock do feel it.

31 Shot my horse McKie bogged in the No 17 creek (paddock)

Apr 6 Drafting the worst sheep off to feed

Grand fall of rain 46 points

Steady rain at North Gums 27 points, Dolly died in the creek.

Saw an eye doctor in Melbourne about my eye, scratched by a possum (younger days)

The grass is looking well now but needs rain.

May 13-18 Cold wet and windy

20 Still picking up spuds from the Purdeet Station (spuds came from Haberfield Bros, Koroit)

Australian losses at the Dardanelles in today’s paper were 36 dead and 200 wounded. Amongst the latter was Penshurst lad Private W J Lewis. 

24 Picked up 6 tons of mangols (swedes) @ 24 pounds. Skinning lots of (dead) cattle.

June 26 Very blowy but fine, shaved the whiskers then cycled to Penshurst for football match Penshurst V North Hamilton. Penshurst beat North Hamilton by 3 goals 8 behinds.

29 Death of Mr Fairlie and F J Olle Gallipoli, both school teachers.

7/7/2009. Here the third and final installment of Phillip Doherty's article:

July 6 Penshurst Station busy place, 6 trucks of imported Lucerne hay.

8 Recruitment night at Penshurst. Des Kelly, Alf Downes and Phelps volunteered.

What Keith’s diary shows is that even as the drought broke early in April 1915, there was not enough feed for the cattle and horses going into a cold wet winter. Keith spent a lot of time skinning the cattle and horses that had either starved to death or drowned in the muddy, boggy Muston’s creek. Keith Cameron volunteered for the fist AIF but was later invalided home because of his eye. Des Kelly was killed in action.

Nowadays we have the ability to bring in fodder and truck out stock. The farmers in the 1914/15 drought had very limited options – they were also coping with the start of the Great War which eventually enlisted over 140 young men from district families.

Ed.: Thank you Phillip for providing so much research information. This is really the "lifeblood" of our society. 

Index page

Wednesday, 04 November 2009