MEMORIES FROM
PENSHURST'S PAST
By Jack Chesswas
1. Starting Out in Penshurst
The first common school in
Penshurst, was the two stone rooms of my present home, which is
now (1997) 137 years old. The first teacher was a Mr. Barns. My
dad, the late Mr. James George Chesswas, was born in New Zealand
in 1866 and came to Australia with his parents. He was 6 years
old. Also came was his sister, Mary Burgess, and dad's uncle
John. They first went to Queenbean, NSW, before coming to
Penshurst. Dad, father and uncle John had the first tannery in
Penshurst, close to where Mrs. Evelyn Edlich ("Tat")
now lives in Kennedy Street.
Dad began his education at the age of 6, in the old school,
subsequently our home, at 83 Bell Street, Penshurst. My mother
started in the "Barrow Brigade" during World War I,
when she had a cart with two big wheels which she and different
people pushed along. One of her helpers, dressed as a baker
selling cakes, the other as a Chinaman selling vegetables. One
day they tried to sell something to Mrs. May Faibairn. No go! So
on their way out of the home they "pinched" a pumpkin
from her garden. On another occasion, the school children were
asked to come up to the National Bank to look for a snake in the
hedge. Ivy creepers were then grown on the dividing fence between
our place and the bank. Suddenly they saw a snake in the hedge.
It was the one they were looking for.
My Dad eventually became employed as a grocer for Ah Wong, a general storekeeper in Bell St., Penshurst. One day Ah Wong said to Dad, "George, I want to go back to China to die - you buy me out?" Dad and the late JG Kruger bought him out on 18/1/1895. They were in partnership for 10 years, until Dad purchased Kruger's share.
2. My Early School Days
I started school at the age of
5. All we had for school was a slate, and a slate pencil. A Miss
Darvel was our much loved teacher. "Doey" Wally Keilar,
and Seymour Hildebrandt started school at the same time I did. We
used to have a saying:" Pussy cat Many". One night,
many years later, when my wife Jeannie and I were alone at home,
there was a phone call, and the person at the other end of the
line said," That you Jack? Pussycat Many." It was Doey!
He was high up in the telephone company and rang me to check the
lines.
I can also remember in our room the wooden part, was divided into
Babies, lst and 2nd and 3rd and 4th grades. In the fireplace
there was a blue kettle with a fold down handle. We used to sing
"Polly put the kettle on,
Polly take the kettle off,
Polly take the kettle off,
and we'll make a cup of tea.
Also, when I was in Grade 4, I said "I chased the bug around
the rug, I'll catch his blood, I will." One boy said,
"Please Miss, Jack Chesswas swore." Out came a cup with
brush and a cake of soap. The teacher was going to wash my mouth
out. I said, "Please Miss, I did not swear (not much, I
didn't, saying it quickly). "What did you say Jack?" I
told her that the other boy should have his mouth washed out too.
Another memory is that of having a cane ruler, with which I hit
Olive Eales around the legs with. The teacher then took the ruler
from me and belted me with it. Gee, did that hurt! Also, in our
grade we had Primer as our school book. We had a copy book in the
1st and 2nd grades, in which we had to write over the words. In
the 3rd and 4th grades we had to copy the lettering. Yes, we were
taught the three R's, reading, writing, and arithmetic. You did
learn allright, and were kept behind if you hadn't, and made to
write a word 100 times to learn it.
I loved arithmetic but I did mind history. I also liked Geography
and used to draw maps. I was a champion as for poetry and used to
recite the verses I knew: The curlew tolled the knoll of passing
day.
When Christmas came my Dad used to bring a large tin of boiled
lollies to the school for "a scramble". Gee, we had
fun! Once, on Show Day, we kids had a "Treacle bun"
competition. Buns covered in treacle hung from a railing. Our
hands were kept behind our backs while we had to eat our bun. We
had treacle all over our faces. Talking of Show Day, when Mr.
Jenkins was headmaster, I went to him and asked him who had
judged the map drawings. "Why", he asked? I told him
that they gave 1st prize to a map of Australia, which did not
have Tasmania on it.
My Dad owned the block where Fred Schramm's home is now, and
there was a big mulberry tree, which I and all the other kids
used to climb for mulberries. We also used to have 'Arbor Day' ,
when we kids planted trees along the Hamilton road. My late
mother also offered 10/- ($1) to any shoolboy or girl who could
make a garden of flowers in the Park, in order to keep it going.
I myself was the only one who did win the 10/- for watering the
trees, which were only shrubs at that time, and the flowers.
3. Schoolboy Pranks
For a while school was held at the Mechanics Hall, while repairs
were being done at the school. During World War 2 there used to
be an Aeroplane Spotting Station, where Miss Elsie Uebergang's
home is now. Lonies had a bakery there. I was the one who had
spotted most planes of all the 'spotters'. One Sunday afternoon I
spotted 15 in one go, and could identify all of them. My Dad
provided the binoculars he had.
A funny incident was when Andy Pye was the Minister of the
."Presy" Church. He was also the scout master. On one
occasion asked the three scouts to form fours. As for spelling I
was worst. Mick Walker had 24 out of 24 wrong. I used to sit with
Mick Walker and got 23 wrong. He and I would get 'cuts' two to
three times a day. We used to do drawings all over our books.
Mick was the son of "Stonkey" Walker, the undertaker.
Rough as bags he was. Anyhow, Mick used to bring quinces to
school. I asked, "where did you get them from, Mick?"
"Dad had them hidden in a coffin, and I 'pinched' them.
Those quinces were beaut!
When we were playing cricket, where the present pre-school is,
Mick was 'dynamite' when he threw the ball. He would hit the
blooming wicket. They played footy there too. One day I brought a
rubber cricket ball to school, and the 'thing' bounced and hit me
on the right eye. Waterson was going to give me 'the cuts'; he
reckoned I had been fighting. Today, the younger grades do not
play like we used to! "Last ups in". The last boy to
get to the corner was the hare, and we chased him! We also used
to play 'trains'; the boy in front was the engine, and we grabbed
the boy in in front of us; we were 'trucks'. Playing with marbles
was also popular. Talking of marbles, 'Tube' Groves was a
champion. One day when some of us kids were playing in front of
our home, on the footpath, 'Tube' happened to come past, and
joined in. He beat all of us, cleared us all out. He was
'dynamite'. Also tops, by cripes Geoff McDonald was the champion.
We also played cigarette cards, flicked them - the nearest to the
wall had won!. The girls used to play houses, putting stones in
squares as rooms. Also, 'hopscotch' was popular with the girls,
as was skipping. We had a lot of fun, when we played hares and
hounds around the clock and took shortcuts through the Chesswas
property, where we used to pinch fruit from the trees. That was
where Max Ewing lives now.
The three first lots of trees were planted by school pupils when
Sid Waterson was headmaster. I held the tape. The headmaster
reckoned that I had a straight eye. Most of the people reckoned
that the headmaster was mad, and that the trees would not grow.
"I shall show them", said Sid. He was right.
Jack Ryan's grandfather, Tom Hamilton used to collect
cauliflowers and cabbage leaves for his cows. He lived on the
corner of Cobb and French Streets, behind the school. My nickname
was "Rook" because my dad had a general store, and
'Stitchey' Archibald 'christened' me that.
One day Nellie Melba was passing through Penshurst, and all us
kids were lined up, waiting for her car to arrive from Hamilton.
My Dad, who was a councillor and acting Mayor of Penshurst, had
to 'do the honours'. One child greeted Nellie with a bouquet of
flowers. When she got out of town, she 'pitched' the flowers out
of the car. It was a big day in Melbourne, when her funeral
cortege, started from St. Pauls Cathedral. The crowds were lining
both sides of Flinders Street.
As kids, and attending Sunday School one afternoon in 'Presy'
School, old Davey Greig, the superintendent, said: "Boys and
girls, the good Lord does not like people who drink alcohol. He
wants all boys and girls to sign the Pledge." I was 12 and
we all signed. After Sunday school old Davey went to the Prince
of Wales Hotel and bought himself a bottle of wine. At the age of
12, I also started playing the mouth organ, and still do, but it
was not until my old school mate Jack Ryan, at the age of 79
encouraged me to entertain others.
On another occasion, I think it was Pearl Mills our teacher, who
lifted her desk lid, and out shot a mouse. She got a 'helluva'
fright. A boy was guilty of having put the mouse there.
4. Discipline at School
Another incident took place when my brothers Alec and Rob, and
Ira Gunn nearly hung my cousin Russell Keilar. His mother used to
dress him up like a sissy. That made the boys decide to hang him.
He must have escaped because he's still alive.
I vividly remember the times when we collected eggs for the
hospitals. One day Charley Lucas said," This is what you do
with an egg", and he placed one in his jaw, and another boy
hit his jaw and broke the egg - it was rotten! One April Fools
Day someone had put tacks on the best seats, and when we tried to
sit down, we soon jumped up. Our teacher was called "Teddy
Bear". One day someone pinned a foxe's tail on him. 'By
cripes, he went crook! We also had a Dr. Cole, the Health
Inspector calling on us and examined us in the Headmaster's room.
Ada Maiden, when called up to be seen by the doctor, started
howling and refused to go. She was 'christened' 'Bubby' Maiden.
When the school inspector called, he to put us through the paces
asking us about spelling, sums, etc. He asked us, "If cake
mixture was put in a tin - why did it rise up?" No one could
answer, and the inspector went crook. "Look" he said,
"it can't go out the sides, or through the bottom, it must
rise up. You are a lot of 'thickheads'.
One day I was asked to spell 'yacht'. "Easy" I said,
"Yot". One day, when in 4th grade, I told Waterson that
we had a bush of green roses at home. They all thought that I was
'funny', until after dinner I brought a green rose back to
school. A different story? When school master Stephens was the
headmaster, he had 40 sitting for the Merit Certificate. Yes, in
grade 6 you had to sit for Merit Certificate, and in grade 8 for
'Merit'. There were 208 students attending school, when I started
there. When finally the day came for me to be called for my Merit
Certificate, I had the measles, and Elsie Underwood brought it
home to me.
"Dake" Jack Keilar was working as a carpenter with his
dad Peter, doing a repair job at the school, and decided to play
a joke on the school kids. It was 8 am, and Jack rang the bell,
and the school kids came rushing to school, only to find that 
they were too
early.
We also used to go to Lake Linlithgow and Minhamite in 'Digger'
Evans' International 'Charabanc' (i.e. a van with two rows of
seats) - it was great fun!
I also belonged to the Boy Scouts, which was the greatest thing
to help me through life, because it taught me to do good turns,
without gain or reward. My brother Rob played the Kettle Drum to
march the pupils into school. We were lined up outside the school
in the mornings, so that the teachers could check to see if our
books and shoes were clean, our hair tidy, and if we had a hanky.
I did not have a 'hanky, so one boy tore his in half and gave one
half to me. On Monday mornings we were lined up in front of the
school, and we had to salute the Union Jack and recite the
"Honour to King and Country".
'Hawk' Lewis, who used to live next door to the school, had a
cockatoo, which swore 'like a trooper'. When the teacher yelled
"Attention", the cockatoo would shout "Stand at
ease you buggers". Another memory is that of the three Fry
boys starting school, i.e. 'Peter, Horrie, and Charles. One day
they were standing in front of our stone building. Incidently,
Charles used to stutter and he picked on all the boys and belted
them up. One day he 'picked' on 'Stitchy' Archibald and he
'belted hell out of' Charles. The French boys were not too bad
with their fists. We called them the 'Black Boards', which in
England would be the 'Chalk Boards', since our version is
considered 'racist'.
Another memory is that of Piggy Elford jumping out of the front
window of the stone school building followed by other boys. They
caught him down in the park, and he 'had a go in' with the
teacher. On another occasion, we were kept in after school for
about half an hour - Nell Wishart would not tell Waterson what
she had mumbled, as she had told the teacher 'to go to hell'! I
myself was not too bad with religious instructions, 'Gussy'
Briggs 1st, me 2nd, Molly 3rd.
On one occasion one of the boys had a dead snake to which he had
tied a piece of string, and when the teacher came through the
front gate, the boy would pull the snake along and frighten the
"hell out of the teacher". I also have fond memories of
a girl, Gladys Brown, who was friendly to me when at school. They
used to live near the Dunkeld railway line. Coming home from
Melbourne with Joe Ewing and Clarrie O"Meara, the driver
stopped at Geelong, where Gladys Brown was waiting. She wanted me
to stop there for a weekend, but I told her that I had to keep
going. Next day I had to go to Hamilton hospital, where I was
operated on for appendicitis. The staff told me that I swore like
a trooper, coming out of the ether - I can not tell you what
words I swore - No way!
I also remember Lizzy Walker, who used to have fits and turns and
blackout frequently. We had to put a pocket knife between her
teeth to stop her from biting her tongue. Emerson Brown lived
next door to us. His wife used to sing songs with us. Her
favourites were "rounds". Emerson used to let us out of
school early so that he could have a game of golf. We also had
school concerts, and we once put on a play called "The War
of the Roses". I was Sir White and had to ask: "Where
is the dragon? "Here I am",said Joe Walker, "I am
the dragon". On another occasion some lads, dressed up with
black faces as 'niggers'. They were singing on the stage, and
people threw lollies to them. All but 'Thumb' Hudgson stopped and
picked up the lollies. "Thumb" kept singing!
5. My High School Years
When I attended High School in Hamilton, I had to board there, and my Dad used to drive me to Hamilton. I was lucky to get home on weekends. Later, buses started to take the students to the high schools there. Much later I remember saying to one mother:" Your children are lucky to be driven to Hamilton and back. I had to be driven to Hamilton to board. You parents should have to pay a small amount for the privilege". "No way", the mother said! "I cannot afford it". I then replied:" You parents want everything given to you by the government. You are not prepared to give anything back!" When you read and think about what school kids are given today, you can not help but remembering what we used to have. In those days the Bert Olle family had to walk along the road. Today kids are being driven to school, but now of course it is not safe to walk along the roads, for fear of being kidnapped.
Other boys who also went to High School in Hamilton with me were Leonard Walker, Keith Riley, Les Greed, and Ned Walker. I was also befriended by a girl, Marion Roscoe. Years later, when one of her brothers was already a lawyer, I asked him:" Where is Marion?" "Did you not know' she married , and giving birth to her first baby killed her." Still at high school, I was one day asked to calculate a compound interest sum, and the teacher said: "Jack, you have the right answer, but it is not the way we work it out", to which I replied:" So long as the answer is right, why worry?" On one occasion I played 'Bye, bye black bird' on the mouth organ at a concert in the assembly hall. I loved arithmetic, and still do, but when I left school, I always wanted to be an undertaker. Instead, I eventually ended up as a Newsagent, although I did help Jock Greed with funerals, when his agent 'Chas' Dean was in hospital. I never quite knew when 'Jock' was going to ring me.
6. Penshurst Traders
Dad eventually built a modern store beside the old building. At one time he employed 14 staff, including grocery and drapery managers. He had a big timber yard, and at one time and was the local agent for the T Model Ford. My mother was the daughter of Alex and Jeannie Black.
The shop was known as Chesswas & Sons and was destroyed by fire in June 1930. The Penshurst team was playing Hamilton football team when the alarm was sounded, and the game stopped so that the players could attend the fire. The match had to finish to the light of cars. Dad lost everything in the fire. Mother owned some properties which she sold in order to be able to keep the newsagenc. Mother's properties were where Max Ewing's house, 'Murnong' is guild, the old convent and the Temperance Hall, where Cameron's home was built, and where Peter Fry, Harry Bones and Clem Mibus' homes were built.
Our family had a bungalow about 12x16 ft and we shifted it to where it still is, and extended it to start a newsagency, stationery, chinaware etc. This happened during the depression years. At that time I worked in Melbourne 1929-31, and was retrenched from the Gippsland & Northern Co-Op, in Melbourne and had to come home and help out in the business. It was hard going until we got back on our feet. We had to live on two pounds a week for several months. During the depression years in the 1930's, I also used to assist the the shire engineer, the late W.J. Schooling, measuring stone and gravel heaps, and with surveying.
I helped numerous organisations in a voluntary capacity. I used to do posters for dances and balls, and ticket writing but, despite being 'born with a brush in my hand', I did not go on to study when I grew up. Nevertheless it is good to see the 'monuments' which I helped raising money for, and buildings for the community .
7. Entertainment
When I was a bit older, I and the other lads were taught old time dancing by Mrs. Jack Twomey. My eldest sister, Lex, played the piano. We learned all the dances. Mrs. Twomey was really good! One day, years later, when my wife Jeannie and I were dancing the Pride of Erin, a man said: "You are doing the Pride of Erin wrong!" "Look", I said, "you go and jump in the lake". "You blokes just do dances to suit yourselves." My Jeannie and myself were congratulated for doing the Pride of Erin in Melbourne, Warrnambool, Hamilton, and Penshurst. Two nuns, who were teaching at St. Joseph's School, praised us. They said that it was a pleasure to see us both dancing the Pride of Erin properly! Of course, it was my favourite dance.
On another occasion, we went over some of us in my Dad's utility to play football at Dunkeld. I was a goal umpire. Having played for a while, Emerson Brown, our teacher called the Penshurst footballers off the ground, Dunkeld had had a 'ring in' from Ballarat. George Cook, who had a T Model Ford bus, used to take us to footy matches. We had to walk up the hills as the Ford could not go up there with us all on board.
8. The War Years
When Dad died in 1944, I became the Secretary of the Seaside
Excursion events. I also became the Registrar of Births and
Deaths, after my Dad's death, the Bolte Government eventually
made this the responsibility of hospitals and funeral directors.
During World War 2, I was assistant Air Raid Warden, for which
services I eventually received a Certificate in appreciation of
patriotic response. But after 50 years of services, I did not
know that I could have marched with the Returned 'Diggers' on
ANZAC Day. I used to help the Penshurst Branch of the R.S.L.
selling poppies and badges and making signs for them, and was
eventually made an Honorary Member. During the war years, I also
helped the late Lee Kirkwood to raise money for the Comforts
Funds, and the Red Cross. Lee conducted the community singing and
Christmas carol singing in the Methodist Churches in Dunkeld and
Penshurst, while I was the lantern operator, together with the
late Mrs. Adeline Ryan, our pianist at the time. I was also stage
manager, and Lee Kirkwood compered the Methodist Musical
Competitions many years ago.
9. Going into Business
After my father's death, I took over Dad's business in partnership with my mother for 16 years. We eventually also bought out the Newsagency section of the grocery shop, which was owned by the late John J Collins, licensed grocer.
My mother died in her 92nd year. The Newsagency business was then the oldest Newsagency in Victoria and had been in the Chesswas family for 83 years when I subsequently sold it in July 1978.
I also had the pleasure of being the Manager of the Western District 'Talkies' for 23 years. Although I was not the actual projectionist, I still got a lot of pleasure there. I was also Master of Ceremonies at various balls and dances, where I used to play the drums at supper time, together with the late Mrs. Adeline Ryan as pianist. I also compered concerts and community singing .During the depression years I had also worked as night telephonist at the local Post Office, two weeks on, two weeks off, for 18/9 a week, and later for 1 pound a week.
Later, I also worked for 6 months in the late Alf Baulch's grocery, when he leased T Madigan's store, and was paid 4 pounds 10 a week, until he went into liquidation. I loved that job, and the grocery trade. Once Penshurst had five grocers, i.e. Tom Eales, John J Collins, Chesswas & Sons, T Madigan, , and CB Cook. There were four drapers, i.e. Tom Eales, Chesswas', Jimmy Briggs, and Madigans. There were two bakers , L Leslie, and H Lonie, two butchers Ross Clark, and Dan Buckley, one undertaker, first John Colliss, and later Tom Walker, two lolly and fruitshops; Mrs McClintock had one of them, Mrs. Cameron Barber the other. I can not remember the very earliest ones, but certainly in my time Chris Baulch, and Dick Downes. Martha McClintock also owned the fruit shop years ago. We also had two plumbers, McNeice & Hetherall, and S Cottrill, two blacksmiths - Edlich's, and Hustlers. Where my shop is there was an old building housing Molesworth the Solicitor. At one time Penshurst had seven hotels, but do not ask me their names, although I do remember the Prince of Wales, which was destroyed by fire seven years ago. And of course we still have the Penshurst Hotel.
10. 'Mods and Con's' Coming to Penshurst
One of my early memories was when my aunt Mary Chesswas had
the pleasure of cutting the ribbon to switch on the electricity
in Penshurst. The late Walter Burger told me an electricity
company was going to start in Penshurst, but it fell through. The
first swimming pool originated after a public meeting was called.
Dad moved a motion to have a concrete swimming pool built, near
the Donkey Engine Pump Shed, at the side of the park. He was
seconded by the late John Waller, but the motion was lost, and a
bigger swimming pool was built. Too big it was. After Dad's death
my mother and other family members were sitting on the front
lawn, when the late Norman Fry came walking home together with
another man, saying when passing our place:" We should have
listened to George Chesswas about the swimming pool. He was
right. What have we got now? A big dam". But we had a lot of
fun in the old baths. In later years the new Olympic pool was
built, partly including the old, and concreted. I myself was, for
a short time, a member of the Swimming Pool Committee.
11. Modern Enterprises Coming to Penshurst
We had two garages early; Tom Hill bought Olle's General Store and turned it into Penshurst Motors, now owned by Val and John Farley. The first garage was situated behind the Penshurst Hotel, beside Ross & Clarks Butchery. The late Jack Ryan Snr. had the other garage, beside Madigan's, and later owned by Cottrill's Plumbers. It was destroyed by fire.
The old galvanised building beside the Shire Office was, at one time, Cooks Hay & Corn Store. Mr Cook operated an engine to run the dynamo for Jack Madigan's silent movies. Gee, those were the days, when the movies were shown in the old Mechanics Hall. The stage was also the Dress Circle. The late Kitty Kelly played the piano, and the late Adeline Collins (Jack Ryan's wife) used to help Kitty to turn the music over. Jack Madigan really had some good shows. Most of us used to attend, and at halftime we used to go down to the cafe for a hot pie at McNeice's shop. The four brick shops still standing, were built for Dad in 1911. My grandfather, Alexander Black, had a flour mill where Thornton's Engineering is now. One day someone neglected to top up the boiler with water. It cracked, and that was the end of the mill.
Before Penshurst Butter Factory was built, Penshurst had a Creamery out on the Warrnambool road. When the first Butter Factory was built my mother broke a bottle of champagne over the engine. My Dad was the first Managing Director. He and a chap named Barns used to ride push bike to the farmers and station owners in the area to raise the capital to build the factory. There were many dairies which provided cream to the factory so that it could make the butter.
12. Public Transport
Yes, Penshurst was a busy town many years ago, and there were no cars so people shopped in their own town. There were no supermarkets in those days.
A daily train service operated between Hamilton and Warrnambool, and delivered the newspapers as well, which were sometimes late. When the railwayline was being built, nine men lost their lives in accidents and many were buried in the Boram Cemetery, where the coffins were taken on a lorry. I can remember an incident one evening, when the train ran over a cow, near the black bridge. Several of the trucks were derailed and grain was spilt everywhere. There was also a railway line to Dunkeld, which was turned around by a turntable at the Penshurst Station. The trains were often used to run up to the gravel pits to get a load of ballast for the use on the rail tracks. On one occasion a truck got loose, and ran back to the staion, where it finally derailed.
Billy Evans had an old International bus with hard tyres, and used to take the football teams to play in the various towns. Of course, he had to leave very early, since the bus only travelled at 18 miles/hour. Bill also used to run a weekly bus service to Hamilton on Fridays.
13. Sobriety, or the Lack Thereof
Another feature of Penshurst was Pearson's Coffee Palace in Bell Street. On many a night one of their boarders would come home "drunk as a goose". One evening, this fellow, stone drunk as usual and dead to the world had a prank played on him. A couple of people went to the chook yard, got a rooster, and placed it at the end of the drunk's bed. At dawn, the rooster crowed, and the fellow got such a fright that he fell out of the bed. Did he ever drink alcohol again?
I am uncertain who was the undertaker at the time, whether it was John Colliss, or Tom Walker. Tom married one of the Colliss daughters and carried on the business, when John Colliss died. Whoever of them was the owner at the time, had another boarding house, and again, one of the boarders used to come home drunk. On one occasion someone picked up the drunkard and put him in a coffin, leaving the lid open, so that he could breathe. When he woke up in the morning, he said "God, I am dead". It surely cured him from the alcohol.
14.Dead Ends, or the Final Say at Boram Boram
I remember another incident, when I was 12 years old. An old Indian hawker had died, and the coffin with the body in it had been left in the Court House until the funeral. 'Porker' (Eric Cook) took out a load of wood for the cremation. A pyre was made, the coffin was put in place ('buttered'), and the fire was ready to be lit. However, the attendants could not light the fire, so they had to drive back, got into Dad's store and asked if he had anything to start a fire with. Dad:" Yes, these things came in yesterday"; the fire was lit, and when the coffin was burning away, the Indian sat up and the people ran frightened in all directions. Tom Walker then said: "You silly buggers, he is dead - isn't he? He can't hurt you. Not like the bloke we burnt in Macarthur, where the box burnt up, and the bloke in the coffin stood up. It took six shots with a gun to make the bugger lie down."
On another occasion, when Hawk Leurs died, his funeral was to leave the house after a service commencing at 3 p.m. The hearse didn't turn up. O'Halloran, the Funeral Director, left the hearse under a tree and was in the pub. He came at 4 p.m.
People used to walk out to Boram Boran for the funerals, following the hearse. The undertaker walked in front of the hearse all the way to the cemetery. My grandmother, Jeannie Black, was the first "white" baby to be born in Mortlake, where she also died. Her parents lived at Garvoc. My grandmother was married to Alex Black and both were buried in Boram Boram. Many, many years later I was instrumental in getting the road to our local cemetery, Boram Boram, sealed for which I take much of the credit. On the way back from a funeral, on a very dusty day, I was asked by one of our locals if I could write a letter to the Penshurst Free Press in this matter, which I did, and my late wife also did so. The Shire of Mt. Rouse and its councillors agreed to seal half the road. At another funeral, the late Des Greed said to me, " Jack, I read in the old Free Press that you wrote a letter about having the Cemetery Road sealed, but only half was done." "Yes", I said, "and I will get the other half done too!" And it was eventually done.
15. Ambulance and Hospital
Penshurst's first ambulance was purchased by money donated by collection. It was garaged at Billy Evans' until we got our new ambulance station. I was on the committee for 30 years and a life governor. Our ambulance service was manned by volunteer drivers, who did a mighty job day and night, whenever the ambulance was required. I myself was a member of the Ambulance Committee, while we still had our own ambulance service. Later I was also the Secretary of the Penshurst Auxilary Ambulance Service, and was the Penshurst representative on the Committee, for which I was presented with a tankard bearing the ambulance insignia. I was eventually honoured with a Life Governorship after 30 years of service to the ambulance organisations. I loved this involvement. The ambulance service was eventually taken over fully by the Glenelg Ambulance Service HQ in Hamilton.
The late Janet Watt was our doctor in those days, and she was also here when we got our new Memorial Hospital. The then Manager Secretary of Hamilton Hospital, was also responsible for our district hospital, but would not actually do anything to get the hospital functioning. Our hospital board president, Pastor Weibush, came to me and asked if my wife Jeannie would go to the hospital and get it ready for the opening and running as well. My answer was:" Pastor, I am agreeable, but it is up to Jeannie". Next morning Jeannie went to the hospital in uniform and told the sisters present, Srs. Dawn Ley, Lois Herman, and one of the domestic staff, Jean Heatherall, and possibly others I can not remember: "The Hospital is now open, and you are all on duty". Jeannie and the other staff got busy to list everything that was needed for the Hospital . The Manager Secretary Keith Pittock was asked to write down the list of the requirements. After a few minutes, Jeannie asked Mr. Pittock to read back what he had written. He had not written down one single item! Jeannie said "Mr. Pittock, you had better write down everything I tell you, and if the items are not at this hospital by 3.30 pm, I have a truck standing by to come and get the goods!" All the items were at the hospital by 3.30 pm that day, and the hospital was ready for its first patient. Wasn't Dr. Watt pleased? Jeannie was the first Charge Sister (Matron, now Director of Nursing). The very first patient was Mrs. Elsie (Garry) Uebergang; the first baby born there was Steve Nicolson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Nicolson, and Bill Keilar was the first to die there. I myself was a member of the Hospital Committee for about a year.
My wife Jeannie was the Tutor Sister at Hamilton Hospital, when I first met her. That was on the postponed Guy Fawke's Night in 1953, and we were married 10/7/1954. We were married for more than 28 years. On Good Friday in 1983, having played with our dog, Jeannie complained of heart pain. The then doctor rushed Jeannie to hospital, with a serious coronary attack. She was taken to Intensive Care in Hamilton and died at 7 am on Easter Monday 4/4/1983, shortly before her 71st birthday. The funeral took place at Christ Church Cathedral, Hamilton, two days later on her birthday. Jeannie was a wonderful person and we shared a very happy marriage. I was very proud of her and believe I was a better man for marrying her.
16. The New State School
It should be remembered that Alister Robertson donated a portion of his Kolor property for the new State School to be built there. It started when the school committee experienced problems where to build; I am taking some credit for getting it going; when I attended the opening of Heywood's new ambulance station, by Mr. Malcolm Fraser, I asked Mr. Fraser if he could do something to help us get a new school? "Mr. Chesswas, it is a State matter", he said. "But Mr. Fraser, couldn't you poke your nose in and help us?" A couple of months later a Governement man called in to see me and said, "Mr. Chesswas, the new school will be commenced in about one month's time." Wasn't I pleased?
There were several other schools in the district, at Lake Linlithgow, Boram Boram, Purdeet, Burnbrae, Gazette, and Kolor. There could have been others, which I do not remember.
17. Sparrow's Nest at the Catholic School
I can also remember when the then new Catholic School was built. It is a nice school, but like all schools today, there are no big families, so school attendances are low. There was an old wooden Catholic school there, which was shifted but I do not know where. It has had many happy memories of card parties and dances. They sold the bricks for the fencing for 10/- each, and I bought some.
One day Fr. Glennen said to me: "Jack, 'Sparrow' (George Olle) is to be evacuated from the old red house behind the church. So up a tree I went and got a bird's nest, put it into a good cardboard box, with tissue paper, and added a ticket: "Hearing you are to be evacuated. Sent you this nest; tents are very much dearer - prices on application". I tied the box up and labelled it "Mr. George Olle". I left it at Penshurst Hotel, at the Ansett's depot. Jack O'Connor brought the parcel to George.
Did he go crook when he opened it. He blamed "Snowy" McLean. The police constable, Jack Ryan reckoned that it was a great joke. Another time, a storm blew "Snowy" McLean's dunny away and left the can just sitting there, so I printed a sign and put it on Schramm's Electrical's door; "Snowy" worked there - "Lost one outer house, finder please return to "Snowy" McLean."
18. Not so Innocent New Year's
Pranks
Penshurst used to get a good going over with the white wash on
New Year's Eve. On one occasion someone put up a sign from
Madigan's store, to the "Monument Painting Place". On
yet another occasion Roy Schramm's T Model Ford was winched up by
a crane in the Shire Yard. Lonies Baker's cart as put in a bowser
hole in front of Shramm's electrical. Stonkey Walker's hearse in
front of Penshurst Hotel, with a notice "For the dead
drunks". Bill Forest asked me to help him to right his
baker's cart. It tipped over in Chesswas St., and we found a
dozen bottles of beer. Some fools missed out?
19. Community Services
At the age of 15, I started doing community work.I was also the Honorary Secretary of Penshurst Rural Fire Brigade, under the captaincy of the late Garry Uebergang. I was presented with a Special Badge for my services, and my name is still on the Fire Brigade's Roll of Honour.
During later years, I was also a playing member of the Penshurst Bowling Club, from 1959-95, when my heart condition forced me to give bowls away. I was presented with the Super Veteran's badge. For many years, I was a member of the Penshurst Race Club and participated in the Penshurst Easter Monday Races. I am no longer member. They eventually amalgamated. Another organisation I belonged to for many years was the Friends Club. Incorp., and I have also been on the committee of the Penshurst Football Club. For six years I was also a correspondent for the Hamilton Spectator, and a short time also for the Sun News Pictorial, and the Trading Post.
I was honored for my community work, when I was presented with the Lions Club Community Service Award on 26/6/1996.
Penshurst has a lovely Bowling Green and Club House, and the Tennis Club also has a nice Club House. But it is a crying shame to see that the courts are only seldom used. Also, the Race Course has a good administration building, and we have good Senior Citizen's Club Rooms. I myself have been a member for many years, and I was also a committee member. We also have a Pre-School and Infant Welfare Rooms as extensions to the Shire Offices.
Penshurst also has an asset which is the envy of many others, and that is the water supply. The spring has never dried up - it has been going for years and years.
After the proprietor of the Free Press, Henry Ross had a stroke, he coud not carry on, which was a great pity. But the Penshurst News, which is published fortnightly at the Shire Offices by volunteer workers and sell for 50 cents is serving the town and the district. It is a good publication, and those volunteers who publish it deserve the highest praise!
20. The Memorial Hall
I suppose that I would be in real trouble if I failed to talk of our Memorial Hall. It started with the old Mechanics Hall. I was for years one of the committee members. The Mechanics Hall was eventually demolished, all bar one wall, and the new brick Memorial Hall was built on the old site. And a lovely hall it is! There are many towns which are envious of our hall. The original stone wall left standing never had the wear weather wise, as it was part of the old hall supper room. This wall is still in use as a supper room wall. An annex was added to the Catholic Church side of the hall, to provide more floor space. I had the pleasure of being President of the Hall Committee for seven years, having been on the Mechanics Hall Committee, when I was co-opted to the new hall committee, when all was in motion to collect funds for the new building. My late wife Jeannie was the Secretary.
21. Reflections on Our Assets - and the Future
We also have a wonderful Memorial Hospital and Nursing Home, and
also 10 new units on the hospital grounds, for older folks, who
can live there under the care of the Hospital. The Botanical
Gardens has many trees and pondage and its care should not be
forgotten. I myself used to water many of the trees in our local
park. Also, where the Penshurst Rail station was, there is now a
new Fire Station and training ground. You can also drive almost
to the top of Mt. Rouse for a barbeque.
During later years I was on one occasion Penshurst's candidate
for the 'Penny Serenade', run by the radio station 3HA, and
compered by Ron Athalwood. The event was conducted in order to
raise money for hospitals in the transmission area. I received a
silver cup, donated by three anonymous donors, for my help to
raise the first $100,000. Votes were one penny each.
I do not know what else I can tell about Penshurst, only that it
is a pity that the town does not have more support. But the
supermarkets in the bigger towns lure folks away from their own
towns. It is our own townsfolks who can make or wreck the town!
I dare say that there is much more early history of Penshurst I
have forgotten about. Perhaps other 'oldies' could write it up!
I wish the Penshurst Reunion all the best and that it will
continue for years to come. I can not promise to attend them all
in the future, since it depends on my health, and on the weather.
…………………………………………………
JACK (JOHN) CHESSWAS.
Penshurst, 28th July, l997.
These papers were transcribed by Erik and Ruth Pihl in August l997, and donated to the Mount Rouse & District Historical Society, by the author.
Friday, 09 June 2000