Bendigo Family History Group
Affiliated with Family History Connections (AIGS)

Cobb and Co in Bendigo

An adult standing before the Shamrock Hotel in Williamson Street was overheard telling a child that Cobb & Co used to drive their horses up the cobbled service lane that is still in use today.

NO, No, No.....

The building they were looking at, the third to be erected on that site, was built in 1897, ten years after Cobb & Co had abandoned all activity in Bendigo.                                           

A photo may be found of the second Shamrock Hotel with the words “Cobb & Co, Booking Office” blazoned on the blank north wall. The booking office was actually in the adjacent building facing Pall Mall, and by 1864 had moved around the corner into Williamson Street. It was not incorporated in the hotel, but John Crowley, a part owner of the original Shamrock, was appointed as Cobb & Co local agent in 1863 so the connection was strong.                                                                 

The horses, drivers and coaches were bedded down in what later became known as the old Butter Factory diagonally opposite the Gravel Hill School gates.

 It is gone now, but was built especially for the purpose with a huge archway for the coaches, a loft to store horse fodder above the stables and a dormitory for the men.

A fully laden coach would be as high as a double-decker bus and with six horses harnessed up front would be as long as a B-double semitrailer.

One of the earliest members of the B F H G, Wes Hammill of Kangaroo Flat, was responsible for restoring one of the coaches in memory of his father who was a master coach builder. This photo taken circa 1975. 

Cobb & Co ran their first coach to Bendigo in January 1854.

In May that year one of their drivers, a young American named James Miller, was killed crossing Buckeye Creek when a horse stumbled, and the winter that year was so wet and the roads so bad that the service was cancelled until October.

Despite this, Cobb’s business acumen and organisation soon gained the firm an unrivalled fame.

Bendigo Advertiser, 20^th May 1971.

Recommended reading “A Pictorial History of Cobb & Co” by K A Austin.

Compensation to Puddlers at Kangaroo Flat

The route of the railway line had been drawn and pegged out in late 1857.  The area between Big Hill and Kangaroo Flat was mainly still crown land, but there were many puddlers working on claims in the numerous gullies which the line was to cross.

In late May 1859 they were given “Notice to Quit” by the Office of the Board of Land and Works, but some of these men had invested thousands of pounds in improvements on their claims and wanted compensation.

A public meeting was called for the 6th of June 1869 to be held at the United Kingdom Hotel, Golden Square at 8pm to discus the matter.

Mr Daniel Grove chaired the meeting, and much discussion took place. A committee was formed to petition the Government for compensation. The committee consisted of Matthew Marshall, James Butler, Benjamin Williams, John Trenowth (puddler), Daniel Grove, Thomas Vernon, (interpreter for the many Italian puddlers), Charles Redman, and W D C Denovan (Honorary secretary).

Bendigo Advertiser 7/6/1859, 3B

A few days earlier a deputation of puddlers had spoken to Mr Denovan at his residence asking for help to gain compensation. At this time, he was assisting other groups of puddlers in claims for compensation due to the Water works activities, the new Sludge channel, and large mining companies taking over their ground. Denovan was a very early arrival on the Bendigo goldfield and was described as “a conspicuous champion” of the early diggers agitating for justice in many quarters.

The next meeting of the committee was held on the 13^{th of} June at the United Kingdom Hotel when 80 persons were present. A resolution was moved by Mr Denovan suggesting the appointment of a local board to investigate and report on all claims of compensation. It was stated that some of the puddling machines had only recently been set up, so only “bona fide” claims should be recognised.

Mr Denovan sent letters to the Commissioner of Public Works asking for compensation to be granted, but a letter from Joseph Ward, secretary Department of Railways refused to recognise the claims.

A further letter to the Commissioner of Public Works stated that “our committee cannot possibly acknowledge the justice of your conclusions arrived at by you”.  Bendigo Advertiser 22-6-1859 2F

The next meeting took place by the claimants at the Gum Tree Hotel, Golden Square (1^st July 1859) to consider the conduct of the Government in its refusal to recognise their claims. The puddlers agreed to stay on the ground until action was taken.

Mr Denovan then travelled to Melbourne for an interview with Mr O’Shannessy and the Commissioner of Public Works, Mr Horne. This resulted in an agreement to set up a government board consisting of 3 members; two government appointees and one representative by the puddlers, to investigate the validity of the compensation claims, and put those they felt were genuine to the government.     Bendigo Advertiser, 19^th & 23^rd July 1859

 More local meetings of the puddlers then took place at the Gum Tree Hotel on 26^th and 29^th July. Mr Denovan proposed that the puddlers’ representative should be Mr George Brodie, a nomination seconded by James Rutter, a puddler. This motion passed unanimously. B/A 30 July 1859, 2B

It was also disclosed at this meeting that the resident Warden had refused the Steam Puddling Company permission to operate at the foot of Charcoal Gully due to the railway plan.

As mentioned above the Government was being inundated with claims for compensation from various groups of miners, and the editor of the Bendigo Advertiser seemed to consider there were other more important matters to be followed up in his newspaper. It is not until 26^th June 1860 that we can get an inkling of how the claims of the Kangaroo Flat puddlers culminated. A letter to the editor began with the paragraph, “Gentlemen, I am glad to see that the Government have at length been forced to admit the justice of the claims for compensation of those puddlers and other residents on the line of railway whose property has been destroyed, and I sincerely hope that the compensation will be paid over to them without any further delay. Mr Brodie who was a member of the board appointed to investigate the claims of these men and report upon them deserves credit for his exertions in the matter.”

Murder at Terrick Terrick

MURDER AT TERRICK TERRICK
At a BFHG meeting several years ago, Helen Stevens gave a most interesting illustrated history of the history of Terrick Terrick, (just north of Mitiamo), and one member brought along a story of murder on the Terrick Plains.
The story began with a report in the Bendigo Advertiser on 5th July 1858. The mysteriousdisappearance of Martin Loeman, an Austrian, had  been remarked upon. He had been working on a puddling machine at Snob’s Gully with a German mate, Christian Von See.
On 14th June the two men had set off northward with a horse and cart to search for a horse which had wandered off into the bush. Ten days later Von See returned alone saying his mate intended to keep looking north to the Murray. All those people who knew Loeman thought this strange as he did not speak English, and they persistently questioned Von See.
Loeman was known to have had money, and Von See none, yet now Von See was freely indulging in liquor.
Rumours eventually reached the ears of Constable T Ryan, who went to interview the woman who had been living with Loeman, and after examining the various articles still in the cart returned by Von See, arrested him on suspicion.
Two policemen were sent to follow the trail north as various aspects of Von See’s ever changing story were contradicted. Then on 7th August the newspaper headlines screamed:
“ATROCIOUS MURDER AND BURNING OF THE BODY.”
A shepherd working on the Terrick Terrick station found the burnt remains of a body and the grisly remains were described with great gusto by the news reporters.
An inquest was held in Bendigo on 17th August to determine the cause of death and identification. A number of witnesses were called and after consultation for about three quarters of an hour, a verdict of wilful murder was returned against Von See.
The prisoner was then formally committed to face trial for wilful murder at the next Circuit Court sitting to be held at Sandhurst on 4th November.
An extensive report of this trial was published in The Bendigo Mercury on 15th November.
Although the evidence was circumstantial His Honour had no qualms in accepting the verdict of guilty and sentencing Von See to be hanged.
Martin Loeman’s remains were buried at the White hills cemetery on 18th August.
Christian Von See was hung at Melbourne Gaol on November 29th, 1858.

PETITION UNDER THE MUNICIPAL ACT 23rd March 1860

WHITE HILLS, SANDHURST

The petitioners state that they are householders within the meaning of the Act 18 Victoria No.15, and reside within the portion of the Municipal district of Sandhurst described, and which they desire to have created into a separate municipality,

viz. –Commencing at a point called or known by the name of Simon’s Point on the north-west; thence in a straight line to a point called or known by the name of Washington Haycock’s Point on the north-east; thence in a straight line south to a point to the north of a bridge called or known by the name of King’s Bridge, taking the northern part of the said bridge as the boundary, and from Simon’s Point on the north-west as aforesaid to a point north of King’s Bridge aforesaid to a straight line with the said point drawn from Washington Haycock’s Point to the north of King’s Bridge aforesaid in a straight line with the said point drawn from Washington Haycock’s to the north of King’s Bridge as aforesaid, as delineated on the plan in the petition.

They further state that the area of the locality above described does not contain nine square miles. Nor is any one point therein distant more than six miles from any other point, and that it contains a population of householders of not less than three hundred.

That, although resident in the municipal district of Sandhurst, they are subject to great loss and inconvenience in consequence of their remoteness from its business centre and the courts there situated:

That they are therefore of opinion that the erection of their locality into a distinct municipal district will confer a great benefit on themselves and all others there resident and tend greatly to its prosperity.

And the petitioners pray as follows:-

Your petitioners therefore pray your Excellency that you will be pleased, with the consent of the Legislative Council, to declare by proclamation, the said locality to be a municipal district by the name of "The White Hills Municipality” or by such other name as your Excellency may think fit, and that your Excellency will be pleased to define the limits and boundaries thereof.”

Signed; JAMES  EAGAN  WALL  (Chairman)

              WILLIAM  MUIR (Honorary Secretary)

The Ball 6th July 1881

Select the pdf icon to open/view/print.

The ball in honor of the Princes’ visit took place in the Corn Exchange. The decorations used at the Mayor’s ball underwent no alteration with the exception that underneath the motto, “Welcome”, the words, “to our Princes” were placed. Shortly after seven o’clock the guests began to arrive and an hour afterwards the interior of the Exchange presented a most brilliant appearance. The music was exceptionally excellent, nearly the full strength of Mr. Monaghan’s band being engaged. As the Princes and Governor, accompanied by the Mayor and most of the councilors...read on for more detail and the guest list

The Cherry Tree Hotel

THE CHERRY TREE HOTEL

ORIGINALLY CALLED THE BRICKLAYERS’ HOME.

an article by Rita Hull

Many people have heard of the old Cherry Tree hotel but its history and exact where-abouts are little known.

Between 1890 and 1914 it was probably the most popular place for picnics, with large visiting groups from businesses, shops, societies, clubs and even Sunday School picnics.

Photos published in the Bendigonian newspaper often attest to this.

Built in the district locally known as Cherry Tree, on the northern slope of Big Hill, it was situated on the corner of Tuckerman Lane, on allotments 34 and 55. The back allotment stretched down to the creek with a good horse paddock; the soil was good for fruit trees, (the remnants of the orchard can still be seen), it was far enough from the dirty smokey mines in Bendigo to be green and peaceful, and probably far enough from town not to be troubled by the licensing inspector.

William Morgan was the original owner and his first locally born child was baptised in 1854. At a government Land auction in November 1857 allotment 34 was bought for £24 plus £100 for improvements by Edwin Gray. Morgan must have bought it from him soon after, and it was January 1862 when Morgan obtained the title to allotment 55 adjoining,

In an 1859 Directory William Morgan is listed as running a restaurant at Cherry Tree. Three years later a report in the Bendigo Advertiser says gold was found in a “hole nearly opposite the Bricklayers’ Home, known as Morgan’s Store, between Big Hill and the Carriers Return public house.” The Carrier’s return was where Andy’s Earthmoving yard is now. No doubt Morgan was getting quite good patronage at his restaurant from the hungry workers building the railway line at the end of the lane.

William Morgan was a bricklayer from Hereford, UK, and as his children were baptised by Rev Raston of the Wesleyan church in Kangaroo Flat, we can assume he was a Methodist and non-drinker. William died 16^th March 1872 aged 54, and it was some time after this that a Hotel licence was applied for by his widow Charlotte and the name “Cherry Tree Hotel” was adopted.

Charlotte Morgan held the licence, with help from family members, until her death in September 1889 at the age of 70. By this time the Hotel was re-known for its pleasure gardens and delightful afternoon teas.

Donald Mathieson, later the owner of The Grove, a large property on the south side of Big Hill, bought the Hotel and ran it himself for several years before leasing it out. Mathieson died in January 1901 and his son sold the hotel to Cohn Brothers of Brewery fame. From this time on there were a number of different licensees listed in the rate books.

Reminescences published in 1971 speak of the beautiful gardens, a maze, little summer houses with rustic tables for afternoon teas and a small zoo comprising monkeys, aviaries and of course peacocks. There was also a pavilion and sports arena well equipped with a good cycle track and two cricket wickets. Well conducted sports were frequently held there and old time dances were held in the pavilion.

A booklet published in 1907 carried the following advertisement:-

CHERRY TREE GARDEN AND BIG HILL

Picturesquely situated about six miles from the city, the Cherry Tree Gardens are a favourite resort for pleasure seekers. There is a daily service from the city via Kangaroo Flat (fare I shilling). Enjoyable parties may be arranged to drive to the Gardens and thence to Big Hill, a point of vantage which unfolds a beautiful panoramic view of hill and dale. 

By the 1920’s, after sixty years, the gardens and building were losing their freshness,  the expectations of society had rapidly changed since the War, and motor cars were taking picnickers much further afield. The only activities were now centred around the dances and sporting events.

The Licence Reduction Board, sitting in June 1927, decided time was up for the Cherry Tree Hotel; Mrs Newton, the owner, was granted £500 compensation and Molly McCue the licensee was granted £100 and by Christmas the hotel was no longer a Hotel.  

Tom Hustler

Select the pdf icon to open/view/print.

An excellent research story by Ian & Pam Belmont

Like to read more like these? Ian has researched 19 cemeteries in the Bendigo region and his latest USB has many, many stories just like these.