Museum feasibility assessed - lakeshistory.comlakeshistory.com/images/LakesLog38.pdfMuseum...

Incorporation No. A0032629K

ABN 40 208 018 755

PO Box 723

Lakes Entrance 3909

(03) 5155 3939

38

Museum feasibility assessed Is the proposed museum for Lakes Entrance a step closer?

Following the success of Lakes Entrance Rotary’s applications to fund a feasibility study, a con-sultant has now been appointed.

Sally Hirst has formerly held executive manage-ment roles at Museum Victoria and the Na-tional Gallery of Victo-ria.

Now with her own consulting com-pany, Sally is well qualified to assess whether the museum can be devel-oped into a workable business, on

the information provided in the brief .

Sally also looked at costings and suitabil-ity of the building, exhibition space and content, staffing lev-els and visitor num-bers.

The chief proponent of the ‘museum for Lakes Entrance’ cam-paign, Peter Jones is confident that the proposal is viable.

Sally will report to Rotary’s museum steering committee within the next few weeks.

‘Watery’ Goding RIP 2

Groups gather for Seniors Week 3

The Coming of the Motel 4

At the Movies … in Lakes 6

The Red Cross Enquiry Bureau 7

No malarkey with Malachy 7

Red Cross Calling—exhibitions to mark

centenary 1914-2014

8

Inside this issue:Inside this issue:

Museum Consultant,

Sally Hirst

Coming up …Coming up …

Sunday, 28 September | Visit to Paynesville Maritime Museum at 11.00am followed by lunch at the Fisherman’s Wharf Pavilion.

It’s still not too late to book—phone 5155 3939 or email [email protected] Car pooling is available if required.

This should be a fun day, as the PMM people are opening up especially for our group and will join us for lunch afterwards.

Editor: Judy Davies

Volume 4 Issue 1

Every community has its special

characters—people they identify

with, admire and take to their

hearts.

Having arrived in Lakes Entrance in the early 1930s, Eric ‘Watery’ Goding was one of those special characters, .

He started work for Potts dairy in Hazel Road at Kalimna, back in the horse and cart days, when householders left a jug or billy on the doorstep for the ‘milkie’ to fill from a large can with pint and quart measures.

Following Mr Potts death, Eric kept on the business, delivering daily to houses, hotels and boarding houses.

There are several stories as to why Eric was always called ‘Watery’ by the locals. The most com-mon, dating back to before the days of packaged milk, was that Eric was given to adding some H2O to the cans to make a bit of extra profit.

But, as Eric’s son Stan tells it, one early morning the milk cart was involved in an accident, resulting in a can of milk tipping out on the road.

Eric was ‘sprung’ by passers-by hosing out the spilled can. They jumped to the wrong conclusion and the rumour quickly went around town that the milk was be-ing watered down—and Eric was ‘Watery’ from that day on.

Strangely though, no-one ever thought less of him, despite the nickname. Eric was in fact a very generous man. It was probably less well-known that, even if a household was well behind with its bill,

‘Watery’ always kept delivering the milk if there were children in that house.

Eric’s son Ray joined him in the business and kept if going, long after ‘Watery’ should have retired.

Locals could always tell who was driving the truck: if the left indicator was on and it turned right (or vice versa), it was ‘Watery’!

Well into his 90s when he made his last delivery, ‘Watery’ didn’t enjoy his retire-ment for long.

He died on 22 August in a Melbourne hospital, on the eve of his granddaughter Jorja’s wedding.

Surrounded by all his family, he passed away peacefully at 10.00pm, having been

heard to say that ‘He didn’t want to be in the way for the wedding’. Al-though his be-loved Carlton football team had copped a thrashing that night, and per-haps he de-cided it was just too much to bear, was a

thought offered by son Stan.

Befitting the man, Eric’s funeral was up-beat, commencing to the sound of come-dian Benny Hill singing ‘Ernie, the fastest milkman in the west’.

Eulogies from various family members were in the same vein, one granddaugh-ter swearing she lived by the old milk-man’s saying, ‘Butter eaters make better lovers’.

On a more sentimental note, grand-daughter Jorja didn’t follow the custom of throwing her bouquet to the crowd of well-wishers at her wedding—they served as the perfect adornment on old Watery’s coffin.

There are several stories as

to why Eric was always

called ‘Watery’ by the locals.

A rare photo of Eric Goding, loading up the milk van.

Supplied by Stan Goding

Volume 4 Issue 1 Lakes Log

We’re at the Mechanics Hall on Saturday, 11 October with an exhi-bition of photographs from Lakes Entrance’s early days.

As part of Seniors Week, the Society is joining with other community groups to make a ‘big day out’ of it.

Our stand will feature images of familiar places around the town—contrasting an early view with a current one. This is al-ways popular with the public, with lots of memories being triggered.

The Girls of our Town register will also be open, as we continue to encourage local women who have had an impact on Lakes Entrance and surrounding areas to seek acknowledgement.

We emphasise that it’s not just about women in business or politics, but also those who have served the community in a volunteer capacity through local organi-sations, or made a contribution in other ways.

A display of some of the women already on the register will be on display.

This promises to be a fun day for our vol-unteers manning the stand, and we invite members and friends to come along.

Other groups involved include Rotary, U3A, the Family History Group, Garden Club and Neighbourhood House.

There will be items for sale and work-shops throughout the day.

Annual General Meeting The Society’s annual general meeting was held on 13 September, with the main office bearers being re-elected for a further term.

Membership fees for the 2014-2015 year remain altered, although a review of the family membership category was flagged.

A highlight was the award of life membership to Society stalwart Marie Fish.

During over twenty years membership Marie has served in a variety of roles, including several years as President.

Marie is also well-known as an organiser of group activities, a meticulous researcher and author of various small publications, including ‘Carpentertown: a history of the cottages at the New Works’.

Following the AGM, members celebrated another successful year with lunch at the Kalimna Hotel, overlooking Reeve Channel and the Entrance.

Above right: Marie Fish received Life Membership award from President Robyn Purdy

Right: Members enjoy lunch , and the view, at the Kalimna Hotel

Groups gather for Seniors Week


T he Mitchell Valley Motel at the top end of Main Street

was built in late 1957.

It was the second motel in Victoria and the first in a country area.

Although long demol-ished, it is listed on the Victorian Heritage data-base.

Bairnsdale—the first country motel

I n 1959, the £75,000 Nowa Nowa hotel-motel was opened by no less a luminary than Victoria’s then

Minister for Transport, Sir Arthur Warner.

Sir Arthur was convinced that people would not travel if they had to stay in poor accommodation. First class facilities would bring more visitors … and more money to be spent in the local area.

Nowa Nowa’s new motel included four-teen guest rooms, approached through a sound and heat insulated verandah.

The rooms had all the latest features: shower alcoves, washroom and toilet.

Each bedroom was decorated in a differ-ent colour scheme with wall-to-wall car-pets, chenille bedspreads, striped blinds and a vanity table with drawers and a small stool.

Nowa Nowa was next … in 1959

Back in the early 1950s, the influ-ence of the motor car on tourist travel was being felt, with Australia having the second highest number of cars per head of population in the world.

The motoring public was looking for facili-ties similar to those offered in the days of travel by coach and horses—a place where reasonably priced, clean accom-modation could be obtained, along with a meal and a drink, to relax at the end of a hard day’s driving.

And, of course, location, location, loca-tion— on the main road at the entrance to a town.

The ubiquitous motel originated in Amer-ica in the 1930s—then called ‘motor courts’. Early motels consisted of simple cottages or a string of single storey rooms with associated parking.

Australian motel operators knew that if their business failed, the buildings could always be converted to chicken sheds—another growth industry of the 1950s and 60s.


T he first motel in Lakes Entrance was Frank and Nancy Crea’s Glenara.

In 1947, the Creas had bought the Glenara Guest House, with accommoda-tion for 30 people, but the Creas had a vision of the future: they could see that the guest house era was coming to an end.

More people owned cars and wanted to enjoy their mobility. The motel gave them that, and privacy. It was the saviour of country tourism.

The new Glenara opened in the early 1960s. It was the biggest in all Gippsland and could accommodate 280 guests.

The famous Glenara murals were painted by an artist named Demetri Cah, from Trieste in Italy. There are eighteen murals and they took him over a year.

Frank Crea was determined to create a happy atmos-phere for holiday makers.

In the early years, guests were entertained by con-certs and films. There were

tennis courts and a play-ground for the children. And, of course, excellent food.

In 2001, the Crea family sold Glenara to the RSL, and while much has changed, the murals are still there.

Frank Crea’s dream … the fabulously

modern Glenara motel in the early

1960s.

The Glenara guest house was

originally owned by Captain

Masters, whose wife Julia was

sister to Annie Maria Road-

knight.

Masters sold the guest house

to a Mr Palmer, a fish agent,

who sold to the Creas in 1947.

Then laundry service and continental breakfasts were offered, although in the early days few motels provided restau-rant facilities.

Gradually in-room features such as air-conditioning, telephone, radio and televi-sion became standard equipment.

In addition, linen, towels, crockery and kitchen uten-sils were all supplied—providing the traveller with complete independence.

Some Victorian tourism operators were quick to realise the motel’s potential.

One of the first was Wilson’s Promontory National Park Committee of Manage-ment, which had established a ‘motor

court’ at Tidal River by 1951.

There were eleven lodges, each with from three to six beds.

Minimally equipped, these lodges did not compare with the standard of the American motels, but the idea was hugely popular and there was a constant demand for ac-commodation.

The first ‘motel’, as we understand the term today, built in country Victoria, was the Mitchell Valley Motel, established at Bairnsdale in 1957.

The motel … was the

savior of country

tourism

Page 5

Volume 4 Issue 1

Glenara today—now the

Lakes Entrance RSL—with

accommodation, meals

and poker machines.

Lakes Log

At the movies … in LakesAt the movies … in Lakes

T he Lakes Entrance Prince

Regent Theatre opened in

time for the summer

holiday season of 1926-27.

It was an impressive structure of fibrous cement, with seating for 550 people. The interior was hard-plastered with an ‘artistic’ colour scheme.

Incorporating shops on either side, the new theatre and palais de danse straddled two blocks on the Esplanade.

Special flooring was laid for dancing, and there was a stage suitable for concerts with a large orchestral well right in front.

The owners, Combined Victorian Theatres, proudly announced that the new theatre would have electric lighting, generated from its own plant. Automatic dimmers were installed inside for maximum impact. At night, the lights could be seen from miles around.

Another modern amenity, sewerage, was also available with the installation of a septic tank.

Volume 4 Issue 1

The Lakes Entrance Prince Regent Theatre and

palais de danse— constructed of fibrous

cement — in 1926.

In 1949 the Prince Regent was bought by

Stanley and Jessie Mackay, and remained in the

Mackay family until their son Eric closed the

doors for the last time in 1975.

W hen Combined Victorian Thea-tres went broke, the Prince Regent was taken over by

their rivals, the Glover Family, trading as Tanjil Theatres Pty Ltd, in 1933.

The Glovers also established a travelling cinema operation in Gippsland, based at Lakes Entrance, under the name of Great Eastern Circuits

Brothers Jack and George Glover oper-ated a circuit divided into two sections. One week, the circuit went to Yarram and surrounding towns and travelled to Omeo, Benambra, Swifts Creek and Bu-chan in the alternate week.

But on Saturday nights, the Glovers were always in Lakes Entrance to put on a show for the local community.

The Glovers were responsible for every aspect of the show: exhibition, advertis-ing, ticket sales, record-keeping, mainte-nance of the generator and projectors, and maintaining good relationships with the owners of the halls where they showed the films.

The travelling movie show was very popular in rural towns until around the time of World War 2.

O ne Saturday afternoon, the mati-nee was called off and the audi-ence, largely of children, was

sent home after the children released an army of crabs in the theatre.

This sort of behaviour was rare at Lakes Entrance, where Mrs Cath Broome (wife of theatre manager, Harold) was well known for maintaining strict discipline.

Most of the children and young people who attended the Prince Regent were terrified of Mrs Broome. One of her tac-tics for keeping good order was achieved by seating the girls on one side of the theatre and the boys on the other.

Thanks to Anne Wilson for ‘From Talkies to Television: Picture Shows in Gippsland, 1930-1956’

Lakes Log

Volume 4 Issue 1

The Heritage Network’s

ambitious ‘East Gippsland’s

ANZACs’ project has

commenced, with Bruthen’s

Malachy Tarpey coordinating

the collection of information.

The project aims to bring together the details of all East Gippslanders who served in World War 1 for publication in a book—to be launched in April 2015 to mark the centenary of the Gallipoli landing.

Malachy has the task of contacting family history and historical societies across the Shire, and obtaining information for inclusion in the ANZACs database.

He is also organising information sessions in the larger communities, inviting historians, family members and other relatives to talk about their ‘soldiers’. Any items of memorabilia and/or photographs are also being sought.

Sources of all information featured in the book will be duly acknowledged.

To date, Malachy has organised forums in Buchan and Bruthen, and will be working with Heritage Network member groups to hold a session in a town near you soon.

Anyone who has a story, documents or photographs relating to a local ANZAC, is

invited to contact Heritage Network East Gippsland on 0423 190 242 or email [email protected]

No malarkey with Malachy

Malachy Tarpey—coordinator of the East

Gippsland’s ANZACs book project.

Vera Deakin (youngest daughter of Prime Minister Alfred Deakin) and Winifred Johnson (a member of the Syme newspa-per family) opened the Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bu-reau in Cairo on 21 October 1915.

Cooperating closely with the British Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau, their tasks were: obtaining information about the missing, ascertaining details about the death and burial of those who had been killed or died from wounds, and keeping relatives informed about sick and wounded soldiers in hospitals.

The Red Cross Enquiry Bureau obtained lists of missing men from the Australian Defence records and searchers then went out to camps and hospitals seeking infor-mation.

Most of the missing were found to have died, but occasionally a voice from a hos-

pital bed would declare, ‘I am not missing’ – to the joy of the Red Cross searcher.

Enquiries to the Red Cross were channelled through various information bureaux in Australia, largely funded by the legal profession.

Vera Deakin moved the Red Cross Bureau to London in 1916, where she supervised a staff of about 30 people and also coordi-nated with the new Red Cross prisoners of war department.

The Australian Enquiry Bureau’s legacy is an archive of 32,000 files giving accounts of the fate of individual soldiers in all theatres of the war. These files can be viewed on the Australian War Memorial website.

The Red Cross Enquiry Bureau

Vera Deakin, born on Christmas

Day 1891 and died on 9 August

1978 at South Yarra.

Lakes Log

An interesting piece was offered to us recently. Identified as a seamen’s chest, the trunk was originally sturdily built, with dovetail joints and rope handles.

Unfortunately, it didn’t mean our acquisi-tions criteria—the damage and many re-pairs effected over the years have ne-gated its artefact value, but we still won-der about its origins.

What vessels did our seaman crew on, and what inspired him to paint the im-ages of other ships on the inside of his trunk lid?

While the fine three-masted sailing vessel in the centre of the lid is clearly marked Mount Howe and the sinking ship on the right is the Corangie, (going down under

full sail) we have been unable to decipher the name of the vessel on the left—perhaps Reulberlay. This ship has masts and a funnel.

And what is the significance of the red and black checked flags?

Information on any of these vessels would be most welcome, although there is no record of them sailing our waters.

If anyone would like the old trunk, rather than see it go to landfill, please contact the Society on 5155 3939 or email [email protected]

Yo ho ho, what’s the history Yo ho ho, what’s the history

of this old seamen’s chest?of this old seamen’s chest?

The ‘Mount Howe’

rope handle would

have threaded

through here

dovetail joints

Volume 4 Issue 1

Red Cross calling—with exhibitions to

mark centenary 1914-2014

I n August 2014, Red Cross in Australia celebrated its centen-ary and is highlighting the role

the organisation played during World War 1.

The Royal Historical Society in Melbourne is currently featuring a major exhibition ’The Australian Red Cross in the Great War’.

The exhibition contains striking images, most on display for the first time, convey-ing the nerve-centre of the Australian Red Cross in Melbourne, remarkable fundrais-ing in Victoria and compassionate pro-jects at home and abroad.

A wonderful opportunity for anyone visit-ing Melbourne, the exhibition is open weekdays between 10am—4pm until 12 December.

On the local scene, a new exhibition fo-cusing on the work done by the East Gippsland branches will be opening at the Bairnsdale museum at the end of August.

Coordinated by Anne Macarthur, Deputy Chairman, Red Cross Victorian Division and respected member of Lakes Entrance Historical Society, this exhibition pays tribute to the fantastic contribution our grandmothers and great-grandmothers made to raise funds and provide comforts for AIF troops fighting overseas.

Lakes Log

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