HISTORY OF THE IVANHOE GARDEN CLUB
By Geoff Crowhurst
Chapter I : Setting the scene
There had been some form of gardening in Australia for about a century before the Ivanhoe Horticultural Society was formed in 1906. The aboriginal inhabitants of the continent are not known to have engaged in gardening as such, although wild fruits, seeds and roots were important sources of food. In the early settlement in New South Wales, as in Van Dieman’s Land, growing of fruit and vegetables for food was paramount. The early settlers, coming from a very different climate, were surprised how much water plants needed to grow well in dry periods. Then they had to learn to cope with drought or flood. They had to experiment too, to find the types of plants suited to the area.
The earliest gardens were very simple: most often square patches either side of a path running up to the front of a cottage. By 1800 common cottage ornamentals such as larkspur, nasturtium, hollyhock and chrysanthemum had been introduced. In that year the first trained nurseryman, George Sutton arrived. Although the bush was cleared for settlement, there was appreciation of the native vegetation, with some trees and shrubs retained. The flowering of the local wild flowers was noted favourably.
The nineteenth century was an exciting time in horticulture, with many new plant introductions and major changes in many aspects of gardening. This was the time when plant hunters went into the Americas, Asia and the Pacific in search of the new and the exotic. These intrepid men were supported in their efforts by wealthy property owners, nurserymen, or the new horticultural organizations established at that time. The Australian colonies had ships calling from India, China, Africa and South America. Some plants, such as the Jacaranda, were introduced direct from the country of origin (South America).
Sir Joseph Banks was just one of the notable plant hunters of the time. He was important to Australia, not only for sending specimens of native plants back to England, but for advising what fruit, vegetables and ornamentals should be sent to New South Wales. He continued his interest in introducing new plants to the colonies until his death in 1820. By that time the number of cottage garden plants available, especially from seed, had increased remarkably, with the most popular being roses, stocks and pinks (dianthus).
Considering the long sea voyage, the most common way of introducing plants was by either seed or cutting. Early records indicate that cuttings did not always survive: the process was quite hazardous. An important development was made in the 1830’s, however, when Englishman Nathanial Ward produced the Edwardian case, a timber-framed box with glazed panels, which worked like a terrarium. In 1833 two cases of plants were successfully sent to Sydney, and these were filled for their return with Australian plants for a nursery in London.
There were two main sources of new plant introductions. The first was wealthy private individuals, who built large homes and who could hire gardeners and labourers to construct landscaped grounds. They were best represented by William McArthur of Camden Park, who was the chief introducer of plants in the mid nineteenth century. He published extensive catalogues of these plants. The second source was the emerging botanic gardens, which assumed a major role in introducing, acclimatizing and propagating new plants. They had the co-operation of garden directors, including overseas ones, nurserymen, and major garden owners.
As we shall see in Victoria, public gardens – and in particular the botanic gardens – became an important resource for the new horticultural societies and their members. They provided a suitable venue for group excursions, and their staff were willing advisors, lecturers and judges. In the early days too, horticultural shows and exhibitions were often located within their grounds.
A colourful and often controversial figure in early horticultural circles was Daniel Bunce (1812-1872). He opened a nursery in Hobart, and published a monthly magazine, The Manual of Practical Gardening Adapted to the Climate of Van Dieman’s Land. In it are mentioned alyssum, columbines (aquilegia), clematis, daffodils, marigolds, salvia, violets and gladioli. It is interesting that the magazine included a section on native plants, and another on garden design. In 1839 Bunce moved to the new settlement of Port Phillip, where he was later to become the first director of the Geelong Botanic Gardens.
The town of Melbourne had become established at the same time as Queen Victoria commenced her reign: 1837. One of its founders, John Pascoe Fawkner (1792-1869), had earlier created in Van Dieman’s Land orchards and market gardens. He imported plants and seeds from many parts of the world. In Melbourne he established himself at Emerald Hill.
The rapid development of Melbourne was not without its downside. Much natural vegetation was destroyed, and the rivers and creeks became polluted. What are now the Fitzroy, Treasury and Flagstaff Gardens had to be developed from reclaimed land, and the Alexandra Gardens area was swampy and sometimes flooded. By 1846 the botanic gardens had come into being, the first Superintendent being John Arthur, who had previously obtained land in Heidelberg, developing a nursery to grow plants he had brought out from Scotland.
Such was the growth of Melbourne that its first horticultural society, the Victorian Horticultural Society, was established in 1848, with John Pascoe Fawkner being a founding committee member. This group was reconvened after the chaos of the initial gold discoveries as the Horticultural Society of Victoria . It was to receive a royal charter in 1885, and entitled to the prefix “Royal”. Over the years it has awarded the John Pascoe Fawkner medal to recommended members of affiliated clubs for meritorious service, including members of the Ivanhoe Horticultural Society and the Ivanhoe Garden Club. It had been preceded in New South Wales by the Australian Flora and Horticultural Society of 1826. This group was organized by an enthusiastic group of gardeners who staged successful shows of fruit and flowers, and which became popular social events.
The early growth of Melbourne resulted in what are now regarded as the inner suburbs, with many terrace houses. Unlike smaller English terrace houses, many of those in early Melbourne allowed for a small front garden, with a climber – perhaps a rose – on the verandah. The small backyard might allow space for a vegetable garden or fruit tree. Further out, wealthy mercantile and professional families established semi-rural ‘estates’, with large homes surrounded by landscaped gardens. The most successful built mansions, the best known today being Como (1855) and Rippon Lea (1870). Wealthy country graziers were not be outdone, especially in the Western District. One of the nearest country mansions to Melbourne was Werribee Park (1873).
As the suburbs developed further from the city, building blocks became larger, so that by the turn of the century the quarter-acre block was established. The front garden became a flower garden, with circular beds and paths imitating the driveways of the grand houses. Paths were often of gravel – cheap and available. Bed edgings could be of stone, wood or brick. Flowers were a mixture of annuals and perennials, and a grape vine or climbing rose might adorn the verandah, which became an important place for sitting and relaxing.
Home gardeners were being supported and supplied by an increasingly sophisticated nursery industry. Until well into the twentieth century nurseries operated on a field production system, where plants were grown in the open ground, and then either lifted bare-root in winter, or balled-up in hessian for sale. Their stock of plants was still being increased by the importation by ship of plants, seeds and cuttings. Many nurserymen were also plant breeders. They operated large general nurseries which often also offered design and construction services. Among them were John Rule of Richmond, George Brunning of St Kilda, and Thomas Lang of Ballarat, who established a Central Melbourne depot in 1868, and later moved to Cremorne (Richmond).
Lang was an enterprising and hard-working man. By 1872 his nursery extended to 40 acres, and stocked many imported plants. He became fully involved in the Ballarat Horticultural Society, being both a committee member and an exhibitor. When he made his final moved to Richmond about 1875, his catalogue listed a huge range of plants – trees, shrubs, roses, bulbs, house plants, perennials, and vegetable seeds. George Brunning was equally enterprising: his nursery was established in the fashionable suburb of St Kilda. He imported the latest varieties of popular plants. In 1887 he bought out the business of William Adamson, including the publishing rights to The Australian Gardener. This became Brunnings Australian Gardener, known to generations of gardeners, and still available today.
At about this time too, wealthy individuals began to build ‘hill station’ homes in the Dandenongs and at Mt Macedon, much as the British had done in India at Simla and Darjeeling. These allowed landscaped cool climate gardens, and encouraged nurserymen to open branch nurseries specializing in plants such as rhododendrons and camellias. These developments were given a boost by the Governor building a cottage at Mt Macedon in 1884.
In the earlier days, seed merchants were an important part of the horticultural scene, as seeds were an affordable way for ordinary gardeners to start many of their plants, as well as try new varieties. Apart from Brunnings, other merchants included Law Somner; Handasyde, McMillan & Co; and Alexander Sturrock. Handasyde, McMillan & Co traded as seed merchants, nursery proprietors and florists in Elizabeth St., Melbourne, which had become a centre for horticultural business. The firm introduced a variety of plants to Victoria, especially from the Americas. They also listed 60 native species.
The amount of written information available to gardeners in the second half of the nineteenth century was linked to increasing rates of literacy. Whereas in earlier days church records showed people making their ‘mark’ rather than sign, this had changed. The Education Act of 1872-3 made schooling free, compulsory and secular (except for fee-paying schools). Nurserymen began to provide instructional pamphlets, and newspapers included items on fruit, flower and vegetable growing. Whilst the early gardening magazines were not very successful, agricultural journals such as the Victorian Agricultural and Horticultural Gazette often included information for gardeners. The first Yates Garden Guide appeared in 1895.
The Ivanhoe-Heidelberg area was one of the first rural areas near Melbourne to be opened up. John Batman is believed to have signed his treaty with the aboriginal people upstream from Heidelberg on the Plenty River. He described the area as being lightly timbered and having rich soil. From 1837 government surveyors laid out rural sized portions of land, with sales, often to wealthy speculators from Sydney, from 1838. Some of this land was leased to tenant farmers, and some sub-divided and re-sold. By the 1840’s and 1850’s ‘gentleman farmers’ were building country villas in the area.
One of these was Joseph Hawdon of ‘Banyule’. Between 1840 and 1845 he purchased land in Heidelberg, describing it as ‘the most desirable residential district near Melbourne’. Hawdon was very much a man of the world, and liked to live well, and entertain friends in style. From the early days, the Heidelberg area was known to accommodate a considerable number of well-to-do residents.
Of the two townships that developed, Ivanhoe was always the smaller. It had a small number of houses, a butcher’s shop, blacksmith’s, and by 1853 a school and two years later a hotel. Allotments in Heidelberg (formerly known as Warringal – aboriginal for eagle’s nest) became available from 1845, with St John’s Church of England built by 1855, and the Sir Henry Barkly Hotel about the same time. The Old England Hotel, a popular venue for meetings and festivities, was built in 1848. It was described by a local historian as being popular with the young bucks of the period and popular also with honeymooning couples, who found it comfortable and set in “delightful rural surroundings”.
The steady development of the Ivanhoe-Heidelberg area was supported by mixed farming: grain crops, market gardens, orchards, and both dairy and beef cattle. The local paper referred to the problem of straying animals. About 1848 the farming activities of the area led to the formation of the Victorian Agricultural Society. By 1864 a basalt stone bridge had been built over the Darebin Creek, but the government ignored the need for a rail line, favoring other areas. The Shire of Heidelberg, covering the large area from Fairfield to Greensborough and St Andrews, was proclaimed in 1871.
In 1880 the Municipal Year Book described Heidelberg as “a pretty village and money-order office on the River Yarra, about eight miles E.N.E. of Melbourne. It is a pleasant resort for picnics and wedding parties from the city and has many characteristics of an English hamlet. There are two hotels. The district is principally cultivated for market gardens, and the growth of grapes and other fruit, 480 acres in all being devoted to these purposes. Coaches ply 2 or 3 times a day from Swanston St. There are two schools – a state and a Roman Catholic. Population of village is 573”.
Finally, in 1888, the rail line was extended from Clifton Hill to Heidelberg, although the journey from the city was a long one. The inner circle line ran through Royal Park and North Fitzroy to Clifton Hill, leading commuters to complain that they could see the dome of the Exhibition Building for an inordinate length of time. Lack of a reliable water supply also hindered growth of the area. Wealthy residents could afford to install tanks and wells, but most people got their water from rivers and creeks. Although Melbourne obtained its first piped water supply in the late 1850’s, Heidelberg didn’t get such a supply until after the 1880’s boom. Gas for street and railway station lighting became available from 1889.
The area received a boost of a different kind when in 1888 a group of artists came to the area now known as Eaglemont, and used a cottage as a base for painting expeditions. The group was led by Tom Roberts and Arthur Streeton, and was later known as the Heidelberg School of Artists. By the turn of the century the general area supported a small but growing semi-urban community. Growth was further encouraged in 1901 when a direct rail link between Collingwood and the city was opened after the construction of a tunnel. The population of Heidelberg is noted at this time as being just over 4,000 – a very considerable jump from 1888.
The continued growth of the suburbs and interest in gardening led to more horticultural societies being formed: Richmond as early as 1853, then Brighton 1862, Williamstown and South Suburban 1865, Diamond Creek (a fruit growing centre) 1884, and Brunswick in 1886. As we shall see, members of the Ivanhoe Horticultural Society frequently travelled to exhibit at these other suburban societies’ shows. The first specialist society was the National Rose Society of Victoria, formed in 1899, followed by the Carnation and Dahlia Society in 1901. Roses, carnations and dahlias were to feature prominently in Ivanhoe Horticultural Society shows, and as topics for monthly meetings of the group.
Chapter 2: The beginning
It is doubtful whether the small village of Ivanhoe in 1900 could have supported a horticultural society. The next ten to fifteen years, however, saw a rapid development of the area, with the direct rail line to Heidelberg an important factor. Electoral records indicate that Ivanhoe attracted a good cross-section of people, in trades, business and professional occupations. The presence of a blacksmith and a saddler reflected the fact that horses still provided an important means of transport. Carpenters, cabinet-makers and upholsterers benefitted from the on-going building activity. There was a local builder and an estate agent. Between 1905 and 1909, 240 new homes were built.
The decline in rural activities in Ivanhoe itself is shown by the numbers in 1908: three poultry farmers, two farmers, one grazier and a single labourer. On the other hand, Ivanhoe attracted a dozen or so people who described themselves as either ‘gentlemen’ or of ‘independent means’. For large home owners, there were three gardeners available for landscaping and care of the grounds. Women were overwhelmingly engaged in ‘home duties’, although a few were employed as teacher, nurse, dress-maker or milliner, secretary or telephone operator. The telephone service was still in its infancy. In 1905 a local business advertised that it had a telephone available at three pence per three minute call.
The Ivanhoe and Alphington Progress Association sang the praises of the area, and in the process fuelled a rivalry between Ivanhoe and Heidelberg. It publicized the attractions of the area for newcomers: public halls and churches, public and private schools, golf links, and river bathing! Free railway passes were available to people building in the district, class and duration of passes being linked to the value of the home. A home worth more than a thousand pounds gave entitlement to a first class ticket for nine years. In its publication Beautiful Ivanhoe, the Progress Association refers to the larger estates in the area: Fairy Hills, Chelmsworth, Rockbeare, Rangeworthy and Enid. To entice gardeners, it said, “Flowers, plants, trees and shrubs grow excellently. This is evidenced by the location of two nurseries in the area”.
Whilst there were already horticultural societies in the established suburbs, it was a brave move to start a society in semi-rural Ivanhoe in 1906. A small number of keen amateur gardeners used to travel together to work on the 7.15am train from Ivanhoe. After much discussion, they decided to call a public meeting with the objective of establishing a horticultural society. An advertisement was placed in the local paper, ‘The Heidelberg News and Greensborough and Diamond Creek Chronicle” on 2nd June, 1906, headed ‘Ivanhoe Horticultural Society’.
Twenty people attended the meeting, held on 8th June in the Ivanhoe State School. Cr. Thomas Latham was elected the first president, with vice-presidents R Kennedy and W Carruthers, secretary F Pizzey, treasurer R Beauchamp, and committeemen Messrs. Allen, Hodgson, Holt, Janes, Russ, Scott, Sharwood and Stillwell. These men all had some standing in the community, most being successful business or professional men, the exception being George Russ, an English trained gardener employed at the Enid Nursery. Thomas Latham (president) was the then Chairman of the Heidelberg Shire Council, Frank Pizzey (secretary) had been a school teacher in Western Australia, but had joined the family business, Geo. Pizzey & Sons, Tanners & Leather Merchants of Collingwood. Mr Kennedy (a vice-president) was a prosperous local grocer, Mr Janes a draper, Mr Sharwood held a managerial position, and Mr Stillwell worked in the printing trade.
Rather remarkably, in its first year the infant society managed to hold eleven monthly meetings, and organize both a Spring and an Autumn Flower Show. This involved a great deal of work and commitment from the committee. In October Frank Pizzey organized a concert to raise funds. Being an elocutionist and amateur actor, he arranged a number of items to be performed by his pupils, interspersed by vocal numbers from adults. The local paper reported a very large attendance at the concert, the highlight being the Trial Scene from The Merchant of Venice, with Frank Pizzey as Shylock.
It is not known how well attended the monthly meetings were, though it has to be remembered that transport options were limited. Ivanhoe village being compact, a number of members would have walked, whilst others would have used horse-drawn vehicles. Numbers would shrink on a cold, wet and windy winter’s night. Among topics covered at early meetings were cinerarias, carnations, roses (twice) and trees. One of the talks on roses was given by B V Rossi of Coburg, who was later to move to Ivanhoe and set up a successful rose nursery business. The talk on trees was given by an instructor from the Burnley School of Horticulture. These topics reflect gardeners’ plant choices at the time – a preference for annuals, perennials and roses, with shrubs and trees given less attention.
Not long after the society was established, planning commenced for the first Annual (Spring) Show, which was to be held in conjunction with a garden competition. Obviously, the committee was confident of the success of the society. Show items were to follow the pattern of earlier Progress Association flower shows, although the children’s section was extended to include horticultural items as well as drawings and paintings. The local paper supported the Society to the hilt, printing the show schedule in full on the front page in three consecutive issues.
The Spring Show was held at a hall in Fairfield, as no suitable venue was then available in Ivanhoe. Hours of opening were from 3.00pm to 5.00pm and 7.00pm to 10.00pm., with the official opening by Mr Hume Cook MHR, who was reported to have made ‘a very nice and appropriate speech…on the value of horticulture and the utility of the garden plot as a home beautifier and pleasant hobby’. Comments were made (by an unnamed official) on the merits and the defects of exhibits. One poor exhibitor was said to have shown some good roses, but to have spoilt his display by careless staging. The show was somewhat affected by prior bad weather, but the sweet pea exhibits were reported to be excellent. There were both afternoon and evening musical programmes, by a quartet, solo vocalists and a junior violinist. Apart from staging floral exhibits, the ladies’ contribution was a successful refreshment stall.
In April 1907 the Society held its first Autumn Show at the same venue in Fairfield, although this time there were negative comments about the location – too distant for some Ivanhoe residents. “A discouraging inclement day” didn’t help, although there was reported to be a very good exhibition of dahlias, chrysanthemums and begonias. Again the show was opened by a politician, local MLA Mr J G Membrey, who was to perform this function on a number of future occasions. He apparently gave a rousing speech (the local paper inserting ‘hear, hear’ and ‘applause’ in its report), concluding with remarks to the effect that horticulture was good on the domestic front, as ‘it kept husbands home on Saturday afternoons’ (laughter).
Some members of the first committee were well known identities in the district, with the local paper and other sources recording their background and activities. Thomas Latham (President) had moved with his wife and five children from Collingwood some years previously. They lived on the corner of Livingstone Street and Upper Heidelberg Road, in a property called ‘Alen Brae’. The census recorded Mr Latham’s occupation as ‘secretary’, but with the likelihood that he had a senior position with a business or company. He became Secretary of the RSPCA, and was also active in arranging the first services for the Methodist Church, which were held at the Ivanhoe State School until a church could be built. In 1899 he had been elected to the Shire Council, being re-elected with a large majority before becoming Shire President. The local paper reported in 1905 his ‘great personal popularity’ and declared that ‘He is a fair man and honest man’. A street was later named after him.
At the time the Society was established, Mr Pizzey (Secretary) lived in Livingstone St., though it appears that his home there was later demolished. He then went to live at ‘Rockbeare’, a picturesque home which originally stood on about sixty acres of land running down to the Darebin Creek. Part of it was later worked by Chinese market gardeners.
The name ‘Rockbeare’ originated from a town in Devon, although quite remarkably it had been bought by a Thomas Bear in 1857, and then acquired by W H Rocke in 1880. Mr Pizzey’s granddaughter Dorothy remembers the home having a ‘lovely garden‘, although none of that remains, and unfortunately the handsome timber fretwork framing the verandah has also disappeared. Frank Pizzey, with his organizational and dramatic abilities, was to fund raise for the Boys’ and Girls’ Grammar Schools, being for some time active in the parish of St James Church of England.
Mr R W Kennedy (Vice President) almost had a rags to riches story. He was born in County Antrum, Northern Ireland, but migrated to Australia with his parents in about 1850. As a teenager he left the family home to work in a Fitzroy grocer’s shop, continuing his education at night school. Later he was in a position to buy the grocery business. Subsequently he bought other property, and moved into real estate and finance. In 1890 he built ‘Ravenswood’, a mansion off Lower Heidelberg Road.
The extensive grounds included a long curving driveway, fountains, a conservatory and a swimming pool. His youngest daughter has recalled the garden being her father’s pride and joy. A large bed of daffodils was well known in the district. Her father, who was familiarly called “R W”, spent many hours pottering in the conservatory. The house and grounds were a popular venue for parties, fetes, concerts and dances (there being a ballroom), most of which were fund raising efforts for churches, charities or schools. The daughter also recalls that for some of these occasions hundreds of coloured Japanese lanterns would be strung through the trees. Each contained a candle which was lit by the gardener.
Mr Kennedy was to be elected President of the Ivanhoe Horticultural Society in 1909. He also served terms as president of other community organizations: the Ivanhoe and District Choral Society, the Ivanhoe Camera Club, and the Ivanhoe Lawn Tennis Club. As part of his business activities, he was to become a Director of the Melbourne Motor Co., which operated a bus between Melbourne and Heidelberg. He was probably the first person in the district to own a motor vehicle. Mr Kennedy was a staunch supporter of his church, Knox Presbyterian, to which he donated a portion of land. He also loaned St James Church of England parish nine hundred pounds for the building of their church.
Committee man George Russ had been trained as a gardener at Kew Gardens in England, but emigrated with his sister in 1899, with both of them obtaining employment at the Ripponlea estate after arriving in Melbourne. After working there, George worked in various nurseries, including the Enid Nursery in Ivanhoe at the time the Ivanhoe Horticultural Society was formed. In 1910 he became an instructor at Burnley School of Horticulture, where he remained until he retired in 1936. George maintained his contact with the Ivanhoe Society, visiting as speaker and judge, and no doubt the members were keen to benefit from his experience and his advice. At Burnley George built a reputation for being friendly and approachable, although a strict teacher, as Edna Walling was to find out. Although other instructors attracted nick names, George was always Mr Russ to the students.
Of the other committeemen, it is known that Messrs Carruthers and Sharwood were involved in the Church of England Parish of St James. Mr Carruthers was to be a church warden and Mr Sharwood was the church organist for some years. Later, in 1918-19, Mr Sharwood built a substantial home called ‘Locksley’ in Marshall Street, Ivanhoe, which still stands, and is used by the Ivanhoe Girls Grammar School under the name Sharwood House.
The men who made up the first Ivanhoe Horticultural Society committee were rather a select group, although they may have been an accurate reflection of the area from which they came, which was solidly middle class, with some quite wealthy people as well. Nearly all owned their own homes, or would do so, which was not the case for much of Melbourne. This was the time when there was unrest in the working-class inner suburbs, with social, political and religious ferment about the activities of John Wren (a Catholic). In contrast to the men of Richmond, Collingwood or Footscray, who may have been accused of spending their spare time drinking, gambling, or attending the football or the races, the genteel gardeners in Ivanhoe were tending their favourite roses, chrysanthemums or carnations, with a view to winning awards at flower shows.
The horticultural society to which they belonged was loosely modelled on the Royal Horticultural Society in England, which had its beginnings in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London. It is best known today for running the Chelsea Flower Show, which even in its early days (after 1913) charged 10 shillings admittance. The R.H.S. attracted gentlemen ‘amateurs’ – well off men with standing in the community, and senior horticultural professionals. Lectures were organized and flower shows held, with keen competition for awards. So in Ivanhoe, similar activities were taking place, reserved for the more fortunate (male) members of society. A hundred years on, members represent a wider cross-section of society, and women far out number men, except on the show bench.
Chapter 3: The early years (to 1920)
There was a steady growth in the number of dwellings within the Shire of Heidelberg from the beginning of the century. In 1901 they totalled 817, but this number had doubled within ten years, and doubled again by 1920. Land was made available from the sub-division of the earlier estates, such as Chelsworth, although most development followed the rail line, with the areas further away being occupied by gentlemen’s villas or small farms. The new homes often stood rather starkly in the landscape – former farm paddocks – until tree plantings softened their outlines. Farms and market gardens remained along the Yarra River and the Darebin Creek, keeping the country look and feel of the area.
In 1914 market gardening attracted the first Chinese to the area, who created their neat and well tilled plots along the river and creek. They were men who were unable to return to their homeland, but worked extremely hard to make a living. One woman recalled that “mum would send me and one of my aunties to the Chinese gardens…Whatever you wanted they would cut fresh from their garden, spring onions, lettuce …” and another that “ The Chinamen used to carry these big baskets on the their shoulders, they had a rod across and they’d work in the light of the moon“. The locals were also intrigued by the idea of planting according to the cycles of the moon.
On one occasion the sight of succulent, well-grown lettuce in a Chinese market garden led a 53 year old man and his son to attempt the theft of 12 dozen of them. They were thwarted in their efforts, however. Vigilant local police officer Senior Constable Ripper (a ripper of a copper?) apprehended them a little after midnight, and they were hauled before the local court to be punished for their misdeeds. The Chinese remained in the area until a major flood in 1934 destroyed all their gardens.
One of the most notable sub-divisions created the Mount Eagle Estate, designed by Walter Burley Griffin, with its irregular plan, curving roads and public parks. Substantial numbers of existing trees were retained. Some of the homes built showed distinctive architectural styles, such as Harold Desbrowe Annear’s three homes at the top of The Eyrie. Others followed the Queen Anne style, including some in Marshall Street. But despite the number of sub-divisions, development was slow, with many estates only partly developed by 1920.
Although the rural atmosphere of the area attracted home builders, it also attracted many day visitors on public holidays. Numbers surged after the direct rail line was opened in 1901, and then extended to Heidelberg, and later Eltham. On Cup Day in 1904 Ivanhoe had to cope with 3,000 visitors and Heidelberg 7,000. Considering these numbers, it is not surprising that there was damage to orchards, fruit stolen, and wild flowers (especially wattle) picked. Visitors also interfered with boats moored along the river.
Debate ensued about the value of conserving the natural bush land, especially near the Yarra, and managing the demand for recreational facilities. There was a growing demand, however, for parks, sports grounds for football and cricket, and tennis courts and bowling greens, as well as shelters for picnickers. Along the river swimming clubs had already been established, with the Heidelberg Council allowing bathing at any time, provided that bathers wore neck to knee costumes! Boathouses catered for those wishing to hire a boat. The river flats in the area were often referred to as the ‘lungs’ of the city.
It was in this time of change and development that the Ivanhoe Horticultural Society sought to consolidate itself. Membership gradually increased over the years, so that by 1920 there were over 200 members. People joined, including junior members, by way of being elected. On occasions up to ten new members were elected at the one meeting. Monthly meetings and flower shows continued to be the main activities of the Society. Attendance at monthly meetings tended to fluctuate quite widely, from anywhere between 15 to over 70. The June meeting in 1916 attracted only 25 male members, it being reported the night was too cold for the women to venture out. At the Annual General Meeting in 1919 concern was expressed over the low attendance at monthly meetings, though a few months later there was reported to be a very large attendance for “well-known naturalist” Mr A H E Mattingley, who gave an illustrated lecture entitled “Amidst Australian Palm Islands and on Her Coral Strands”. An honorary lanternist assisted him.
Most monthly meeting lecture topics were more prosaic. The most common topic over this period of time was rose culture in one form or another, with a member of the National Rose Society of Victoria often the presenter. Local members George Russ and B V Rossi also lectured on roses. There was an emphasis on growing roses for exhibition, with much attention to detail at all stages from planting to preparing the individual blooms for staging. Other common topics, also with a view to exhibition, were carnations, dahlias, chrysanthemums and gladioli. At the October meeting in 1907 Mr F Pockett of the Malvern Gardens was the speaker. He was said to have gained prizes for his chrysanthemums both in Australia and in England. During his talk several people were observed taking “copious notes”.
To round out the lecture programme, a variety of other topics was covered. As a reminder that these were serious gardeners, we could note topics such as care and maintenance of lawns, propagation of plants, improvement of garden soil, pests and diseases, and plant breeding. When fruit tree expert Mr E Wallis spoke at the June meeting in 1917, it was recorded that 29 questions were put to him. A range of other topics completed the programme: landscape gardening, colour photography, Australian flowers, and verandah gardening, with Mr Harold Alston providing one of the more intriguing lecture topics with “Mistakes I have made and how I have remedied them”.
The Society had gained sufficient reputation and status to attract experienced and well known speakers. At the time he spoke to the Society Harold Alston had an orchard, but he also developed a large garden at Diamond Creek, with a particular interest in roses and daffodils. He was to become a prominent horticultural journalist, working for ‘The Leader’ and then ‘The Age’. He judged at horticultural shows, and was a prominent member of both the Royal Horticultural Society of Victoria and the National Rose Society of Victoria. In his retirement he prepared revised editions of Brunning’s The Australian Gardener.
Another speaker of note was John Cronin, then Director of the Melbourne Botanic Gardens. He had worked his way up from being a labourer at the Gardens to gardener, and then as an orchard inspector with the Department of Agriculture. In 1908 he became Principal of Burnley School of Horticulture. John Cronin’s special interest was in plant breeding: he achieved outstanding results with dahlias and watsonias. He was valued as a lecturer, and as a judge at horticultural shows. At the Botanic Gardens he had to cope with labour shortages both during and after World War 1.
Curators of municipal gardens were also valued as speakers. During the early days speakers came from Queens Park in Moonee Ponds, the Fitzroy Gardens and from the Malvern Gardens, as noted above. Quite often these men would have to come by train, and to accommodate them, they often spoke at the beginning of the meeting, so they could catch a train just after 9.00pm. On one occasion a speaker arrived late, having missed his connecting train in the city. All the speakers were men, and they were speaking to a largely male audience. Although there were undoubtedly interested female members, their main role was to provide the supper, although this was to change in the period following the war.
A feature of the monthly meetings, which continues to this day, was the competitive flower and plant display. In this early period, the items for competition would change from month to month, reflecting the change in seasonal flowers, particularly annuals. During their flowering season, roses always featured.
Very early on, a points system was devised for competitors, with a penny per point awarded, a tally for each competitor being made at the end of the year. As well as a monetary prize, from time to time the most successful competitors were awarded certificates, medals or trophies. At one meeting in 1917, it was noted that representatives from the Essendon Horticultural Society were present to observe how the points system operated. Each month the local paper reported not only the speaker for the evening, and the substance of his talk, but also gave full results of the monthly competition.
Flower shows were obviously very important, not only for demonstrating what the Ivanhoe gardeners could achieve, but also to broadcast that achievement both in the local and wider community. A district garden competition was run in conjunction with the Autumn Flower Show, which in these earlier days was always considered the better of the two yearly shows. From 1913 and until after the war, the Spring Show was replaced with a members’ only display. For both the garden competition and the flower show there was an open section, to cater for the better off householders who could afford to hire gardeners, whereas the amateur section was for what we would call hobby gardeners. The shows also included a novice section.
For some years finding a suitable venue was a problem. For the Autumn Show in 1909, the Presbyterian Hall was not big enough, and a marquee had to be hired. This was still the case in 1912, when a marquee was used to house the pot plant and vegetable entries. The show schedule for this show reflected the popular flowers of the time: zinnias, dahlias, cosmos, celosia, delphiniums, miniature sunflowers and petunias. Apart from competitive entries, shows always included substantial displays from other sources, particularly the local Enid Nursery. Other display exhibitors included Errey Bros. of Camperdown with their gladioli, the Alexandra Gardens, Harold Alston, and after he moved his rose business from Coburg to Ivanhoe, B V Rossi.
The show in April, 1913 was from all accounts most successful. In its report the local paper, under the heading “Annual Show a Record Success”, enthusiastically proclaimed “In all directions the scene was one of intrinsic splendor, blazoned with every hue and tint of flowering plants….the hall was far too small for the large crowd that assembled, which was considered more numerous than in past years”. In addition to show plants mentioned above, this show specifically catered for begonias, maidenhair ferns and palms.
Flower displays were, of course, subject to the vagaries of the weather. Entries for the show in 1917 were reported to have been affected by the “unseasonal weather”, which resulted in lower entries and poorer quality exhibits. This apparently did not deter the public, with about 500 present when the Hon. D McLeod, Chief Secretary, opened the show. The National Anthem was played by the Ivanhoe Symphony Orchestra and sung by the audience. For the first time refreshments were provided, with the proceeds going to patriotic funds.
Some members enhanced the reputation of the Society by successfully exhibiting at other shows. Exhibits of roses, dahlias, chrysanthemums and cut flowers earned members prizes at suburban shows in Brighton, Fitzroy, Footscray, and Oakleigh, as well as at the National Rose Society of Victoria and Royal Horticultural Society shows. In 1915 the Society itself was a major winner, with the best cut flower display by a horticultural society at a Melbourne Town Hall show. It followed this up with a similar award – against eight other societies – the following year.
The Horticultural Society was involved in other activities. In the winter months fruit tree pruning demonstrations were arranged, with an important contributor being Mr E L Wallis, an orchard supervisor with the Department of Agriculture. He served a term as president of the Society from July 1916, and then in the early 1920’s also served terms as secretary. Fruit trees demonstrated on included apples, pears and peaches.
At the annual general meeting in 1913 it was announced that the club was obtaining for members fourteen truck loads of garden sand from Carrum. Presumably this was in fact sandy soil, perhaps to lighten the local clay soil for growing carnations, bulbs and other plants that preferred an open soil. A current member can still remember similar soil being bought and used many years later.
From time to time excursions were arranged. In both 1911 and 1912 there were successful drag outings to the Melbourne Botanic Gardens. Drags were coach-like vehicles pulled by four horses: they were hired for two shillings each. Then in 1919 members enjoyed a train trip to the Bayswater area for a wild flower excursion. This was led by Mr P R St John from the Botanic Gardens, with participants having been urged to bring trowels, so that plants could be taken home.
From time to time the committee involved itself with local community matters. In 1910 the Council was urged to protect a land-mark red gum tree by taking over a vacant block and making a reserve. In the same year the committee discussed a proposal to beautify the local rail station by planting trees and shrubs. Following concern about the spread of oxalis, in 1911 a letter was dispatched to the Department of Agriculture requesting that it be declared a noxious week. An on-going effort saw money raised at shows by the sale of flowers donated to the Austin Hospital and the Red Cross.
To be successful, the Ivanhoe Horticultural Society had of course to generate sufficient funds to support its meetings and shows, and to cover other operating costs. After its first year of operation the Society was left with a balance of two pounds and fourteen shillings, which was considered a good result. In 1908 a concert was organized to raise funds, which was very successful, with over four pounds profit. On more than one occasion the committee members themselves made contributions to the prize fund and to support flower shows.
Despite their best efforts, the Society ran its Autumn Shows at a loss in 1909 and 1910, but recovered to make a profit in 1911, helped by a donation from local member of parliament Mr Membry. In these early years the Society was assisted by a grant from the Department of Agriculture. The immediate pre-war years must have been prosperous ones, as by 1914 the Society could boast a credit balance of over forty four pounds. The following years were less positive, however, owing to the combined effects of war and severe drought.
The war had an affect on everyone, with the local paper reporting Ivanhoe servicemen killed or injured, recruiting efforts, and fund raising related to the war effort. Over 112,000 men enlisted from Victoria, with 47 from the small Ivanhoe district. Approximately half the men who saw overseas service either lost their lives or were injured. Support for the war was largely based on loyalty to the British Empire, and was far from universal, as was highlighted by the conscription issue.
Working-class families tended to be more directly affected, as more working-class men were unemployed, and therefore likely to enlist. Even in middle-class Ivanhoe most people would have known someone who had enlisted. The community too, would have been affected by the downturn in business (except those benefitting from supplying the armed services) and the rise in inflation.
When most amateur sports groups suspended activity for the duration of the war, gardening would have provided a valuable escape from the generally grim overseas news. Imports of garden products and new plants would of course have stopped. Many women became involved in auxiliaries supporting the war effort, either making goods or raising money. The Horticultural Society did its bit. In 1916, when there was no Spring Show, ten guineas was donated to Patriotic and Red Cross funds. Proceeds of the flower sales at the Autumn Flower Show were donated to the Belgian Fund and to the Austin Hospital.
In an account of the show in the following year, the president was reported to have spoken of people’s hopes for “a great and glorious victory and that peace would be declared before the next (autumn) show”. When that victory was finally secured, the Society decided that returned soldiers should be entitled to twelve months free membership.
During this early period one of the hardest working men in the Society was W H Collins, who was secretary from 1910 to 1914. At the Annual General Meeting when he retired from this position, he was accorded a well-earned vote of thanks, whereupon he was elected president for the following year! In 1922 Mr Collins again accepted the position of secretary, and then rather than take a well-earned rest, took up the duties of treasurer for a number of years. He died, whether from over-work or other causes, in 1935, having lived a very full life.
For many years Mr Collins had been a head teacher with the Education Department. Apart from the Ivanhoe Horticultural Society, of which he was elected a life member, he was involved in many other community organizations, both in Ivanhoe and further afield. He was an active member of the local Methodist Church, being a lay preacher and Sunday School teacher, and was also closely associated with the Independent Order of Rechabites. He had served as a Justice of the Peace. His home was initially in Abbotsford Grove, but he later moved to 63 Locksley Road, which is now occupied by a modern housing development.
Whilst the Horticultural Society may have been an important focus for many gardeners in the area, suitable local gardens were quite often the venue for other organizations’ functions. The grand garden at ‘Ravenswood’ has already been mentioned as such a venue. In 1914 the Ivanhoe Croquet and Tennis Club held a Grand Garden Fete and Gymkana, whilst in the same year Madam Melba opened a Garden Fete and Bazaar in aid of the Convent of Mercy (Heidelberg). Both the Church of England and the Catholic Church held garden fetes to raise money. A Rose Fete held by the former church in 1919 was assisted by prominent I.H.S. members Messrs. Amos and Sharwood.
With roses being such popular garden plants, and such prominent show exhibits, the rosarian B V Rossi became an important member of the Society. He was born in Italy and later trained there as a lithographer. As a young man his expertise led to a three year stint in Egypt where he was employed illustrating the Koran. Then, intending to sail to the U.S.A., he stopped off in Melbourne en route, but decided to stay. Mr Rossi first lived in Fitzroy, and then after getting married, in Coburg. It was at this time that he became interested in rose growing, having been ‘converted’ by local rosarian Frederick Buzaglo. Although Mr Rossi continued to work as a lithographer, he also started a carnation and rose nursery. He brought out his first catalogue in 1900.
In about 1912 Mr Rossi moved to Ivanhoe with his son Julius, his wife having died several years earlier. In Ivanhoe he bought six acres in Ford Street, where he established his Roseland Nursery. With Italian flair, and with his love of poetry and gorgonzola cheese, the bearded Mr Rossi introduced vitality into the rather staid Melbourne rose growing circle. He became known as the ‘Rose Wizard’.
According to the local paper, he had already established his reputation well before moving to Ivanhoe, to that time having won more first prizes, championships, gold and silver medals than all other professional exhibitors put together. As a member of the Ivanhoe Horticultural Society Mr Rossi continued to show and win prizes with his roses, no doubt believing that this was equally good for his business.
In 1913 his rose nursery advertisement in the local paper referred to 25,000 roses being available, as standards, half-standards, dwarfs and climbers. A catalogue could be sent post free. In the following year an article headed ‘Modern Rose Culture’ described the preparations for a new rosarium, the soil being trenched to 2 ½ feet, with horticultural pipes being laid underneath for drainage. Most of the roses to be planted would be ¼ standards.
The other local nursery of note was the Enid Nursery, in the vicinity of Upper Heidelberg Road. It had been named after an earlier estate of the same name, and was for a time run by John Brundrett, from the same branch of the Brundrett family that began a nursery in Moonee Ponds, later specializing in roses and moving to Narre Warren in 1926. The Enid Nursery was very supportive of the local horticultural society, frequently providing displays for its shows, and Mr Brundrett addressing its monthly meetings from time to time.
As already mentioned, founding committeeman George Russ worked at the Enid Nursery. Another employee was Bob Hastie, a Scottish trained gardener who came to Australia as a free settler and began earning a living as a market gardener. His daughter remembers him having honed his propagating and pruning skills at the nursery, where boilers provided hot water to heat the glass-houses. There were also shade houses made of wooden slats, with aspidistras among the plants grown there. An odd touch, showing the importance of horses in the early days, was that for a time the nursery stood a Clydesdale stallion, for anyone wanting to breed from.
These early years of the Society coincided with what is often called the Federation period, and in this time of heightened national sentiment, several horticulture related movements operated. The first, Arbor Day, originated in the U.S.A. and was promoted in Australia by the Australian Natives Association – the A.N.A. had been founded in Melbourne in 1871, members being Australian born males over 16 years of age. It had pushed for federation, and took up a number of reformist causes, e.g. women’s suffrage and welfare of aborigines.
Arbor Day was celebrated on various dates around Australia – although usually in autumn – to encourage children to plant and preserve trees. It is noted that in 1916 the Horticultural Society co-operated with the Ivanhoe Progress Association and the local school committee to celebrate Arbor day.
The other movement led to the celebration of Wattle Day on September 1st each year. This celebration resulted from the activity of the Wattle Blossom League, a women’s auxiliary of the Australian Natives Association. Wattle Day as such was first celebrated in 1910, when seeds were sown, trees planted, and sprigs of wattle worn. After the war the emphasis of the day changed to that of supporting charities. Although it was popular, Wattle Day never really became a national day.
In the Federation period changes in gardening accompanied the spread of quarter acre block housing. Improvements to the hand lawn mower (invented in England in 1830), the introduction of a piped water supply, and use of the rubber garden hose all made the lawn a more popular part of the garden. Better strains of hardy lawn grass also helped. The suburban garden could therefore boast expanses of lawn, curving paths, and flower beds. Bedding plants such as primulas became very popular. Roses were more often grown as standards of varying heights. Although cars were not much seen until after the war, side driveways began to appear, and the first garages.
Some features of the garden were borrowed from those found in the larger and professionally designed gardens of the wealthy. Cement was used to fashion figures, animals and urns to place as focal points. Garden seats too, whether of iron or wood, were strategically placed, though more for effect than use. The bush house or fernery, often made of timber lattice-work, came into vogue, and was placed at the side of the house. Common plants grown there were ferns, palms, balsam and fuchsias. The grandest fernery in Melbourne was built at Ripponlea. Some gardens also featured rockeries.
This was an era before the advent of the garden or landscape designer, so the gardens of the more affluent were often designed by the architects who designed their homes. The architect could easily argue, of course, that the design of the garden had to blend with that of the house. Some of the ‘gardenesque’ ideas from England were used, together with features from Italian gardens. Larger gardens could therefore include terraces, stone walling, fountains and ponds, and pergolas linking the house to the garden. Hedges and other devices to create ‘garden rooms’ were employed.
To meet growing demand, nurseries began to specialize, with a few concentrating on popular flowers such as roses, dahlias and sweet peas. New nurseries of note were the Ormond Plant Farm, W Bones & Son (Carnegie) and Warner Nurseries (Auburn), who specialized in advanced trees and shrubs. Their motto was ‘Everything for the Garden‘. At this time, seedlings of popular bedding flowers were grown in the open ground, and then bundled up for sale. Timber trays were first introduced for tomato plants.
In the Dandenongs, nurseries were set up to specialize in cool climate plants like rhododendrons and camellias. Chief among them were the Woolrich nursery at Olinda, Bert Chandler’s ‘Como’ nursery at The Basin, which he inherited from his father, and the Nobelius nursery at The Patch. Nursery practices were becoming more systematic and scientific, and the practice of growing plants in containers was gradually introduced. The growing professionalism of the industry had been expressed in the formation of the Nurserymen and Seedmen’s Association in 1903.
Chapter 4: the inter-war years (1920-1940)
The 1920s have been called the Roaring Twenties, though the post-war period was not kind to everyone. Unemployment remained high following the war. The soldier settlement plan, whereby returning servicemen were placed on small farms, was largely unsuccessful. Although Australia still ‘rode on the sheep’s back’, farmers and graziers were still subject to the vagaries of climate and fluctuations in the export price of their produce. Some were also affected by a series of four devastating bushfires from 1919, culminating with the devastation of ‘Black Friday’ in 1939. City dwellers, however, benefitted from steady growth of industry. The S.E.C. was formed in 1919, and with the opening of the Yallourn open cut coal mine, electricity was brought to Melbourne in 1924, and later to country towns.
Existing boot and shoe factories expanded, and new industries to produce glass, paper, chemicals and other products were established. Then Ford and General Motors built factories for car assembly. Labour was in part augmented by British migrants, whose passage to Australia was assisted. So it was that during the 1920s factories outgrew rural industries as a source of wealth, and that by about 1929 Melbourne reached a population of 1 million. The city itself saw the arrival of Sidney Myer and his Bourke Street store, and in the suburbs steam trains gave way to electrified ones, and the old cable trams were replaced by electric trams and buses. Mid radius suburbs such as Ivanhoe were becoming prominent, though areas beyond Heidelberg, Blackburn and Glen Waverley were still rural, and popular with Sunday hikers.
The development of Ivanhoe as a suburb was steady rather than spectacular. Subdivision of the old estates had begun pre-war, when for example the prime Rockbeare estate was advertised in 1911 with ‘88 magnificent Business, Mansion and Villa Sites’. Many more subdivisions occurred over the years, with most sites of quarter acre size. Homes of generous proportions already occupied the most desirable and elevated sites, with good views, such as the upper side of Studley Road. A photograph taken in the 1920s above Norman Street, shows the rail crossing (with gates) and a number of homes on the sloping land to the east, but with open country before a wide band of trees marks the course of the Yarra River.
One of the more interesting subdivisions saw the demise of the Enid Nursery, when developer A V Jennings opened up the Beaumont Estate in 1935 around Melcombe Road. New homes incorporated a variety of styles, most in red brick, but some more angular ‘moderne’, in cream brick. Oh, that homes in new estates these days were as varied and elegant! A V Jennings then turned its attention to East Ivanhoe, where they opened up the Beauview Estate.
Despite any effects of the depression, development in the Ivanhoe-Heidelberg area led to the proclamation of the City of Heidelberg in 1934. By 1937, when the new Town Hall and Municipal Offices were opened, population of the area exceeded 25,000. A photograph from the tower of the Town Hall looking east, shows homes occupying all the land through to East Ivanhoe, with a just a little open area this side of the river.
Activity in the Ivanhoe area seems to have gone along quietly, though no doubt its residents were very relieved that the war was over, and that business could return to normal. As already mentioned, suburban development proceeded by way of the early, large estates being broken up. For example, the prime Rockbeare Estate came on the market pre-war, with advertising for ‘88 magnificent Business, Mansion and Villa Sites’. Other estates followed in the post-war years, though sales were slow. A photograph taken in the 1920s shows railway gates (the Marshall Avenue crossing) with a number of new homes on the sloping land to the east, though with spaces between them, and then vacant land stretching beyond to a wide band of trees marking the course of the Yarra River.
Large homes already occupied the most desirable sites, usually elevated and with good views, such as the upper side of Studley Road. Smaller sites, occupying ‘the quarter acre block’, were developed on flatter land, such as that west of Waterdale Road. The most popular design for homes on such sites became the Californian bungalow, with some variations. Many such homes were of timber, though others were finished with a stucco rendering, and a few were brick. A smaller number of homes owed their design to southern European influence, such as the Spanish Mission inspired style, with tiled roof and arched porticos.