Town Talk | Street talk

We have an update on the change to our street names. Geoff Allemand has also been researching this story for a couple of years, and among the material he sent through were other surveys.

The first, which we showed you last week, was from 1855. The survey on this page today is from 1864. And here we find that Fyers St and Windham St are now Fryers and Wyndham — although Wellsford St still has the original spelling.

Curiouser and curiouser, as Alice would say! The streets named after Major Augustus Frederick Wellsford and Captain Herbert Millingdamp Vaughan remain. Major Charles Ash Windham and Captain William Augustus Fyers have been wiped from our history — sometime between 1855 and 1864.

However, we don’t know, and may never know, why. And we still don’t know how and when Wellsford lost its ‘L’. Work continues.

Back to the Crimean War

For some, it is difficult to understand why this war was so important to the Australia of the mid-19th century. Last week I mentioned that Inkerman, named after the battle, is in South Australia while Inkerman St is in St Kilda. This week, I received an email from Barbara from Mooroopna, who told me that 40 years ago she came here from North Queensland — and there is also a town called Inkerman in that part of our country.

My reading of the history tells me this was a war to stop Russia’s expansion (surprise, surprise!). With an aggressive tsar, Russia was keen to get rid of the Ottoman Empire which, after 550 years (or thereabouts) was losing ground. Both England and France wanted the Ottoman Empire to survive, as they believed it added balance to Eastern Europe. It is somewhat ironic that it was the Allies who finally brought down the Turkish Empire, around 70 years later.

The important fact, for Australia, was that so many of our countrymen, at that time in our history, had come from Britain. Their homeland was at war, their relatives and friends were on the battlefields, and it mattered. After the war, I read, many veterans began new lives here. Perhaps they were comforted by our recognition.

The name debate

What follows is an article from Melbourne newspaper The Argus on March 28, 1951. It was necessary for me to include it in my text; the quality of the existing material would not reprint clearly. Kristy, from the Heritage Museum, found it for us.

‘Why?’ they ask in Shepparton

Somewhere in England, Wales or Australia there may be somebody able to solve a problem which has had Shepparton people guessing for 95 years.

Not even the local old-timers have ever been able to explain the real significance of the names of four of Shepparton’s oldest streets. The streets whose names have never been explained are Wyndham, Willsford, Vaughan and Fryers Streets.

The man who set the historical poser was a Welsh surveyor called L. G. Wilmot, who went to the Goulburn Valley in 1885 and planned the township of Shepparton.

“Back in those good old days, surveyors had a lot of licence. They not only planned a town but they usually named most of the streets,” Mr R. West, Shepparton town clerk, said yesterday.

“Mr Wilmot named several of our streets but we can find no reason for the names he chose. He left no records of any kind. He simply came here, planned the town, signed the plan and left.

“The four names have a Welsh flavour, and we know Wilmot was a Welshman. We would like to discover how he came to choose those names.

“Nobody in Shepparton knew Wilmot and we have no idea where he went after he left here. Probably he has been dead for years but we are hoping to trace some of his relatives or friends.”

• We don’t want to confuse you; so, best I explain or correct the errors highlighted in bold text. The survey was done in 1855, not 1885, but I guess this is simply a typo because the 95 years (1855 to 1950) is correct. The journalist also gives us a third option for the spelling of Wellsford Street. Mr Wilmot’s initials were J.G.W. and he was born in England — not Wales. I’m betting our town clerk received a few responses with the name and country of origin incorrect.

‘They left their footprints’

However, it is very interesting that Ray West was puzzling over the names. He did quite a lot of work explaining our street names, as, of course, did Elsie Brady, compiling her excellent book They left their footprints. It was published by Greater Shepparton City Council in 1996. Historians and authors do their best to ensure the information they offer is as accurate as possible. However, from time to time, new information becomes available — and appears to be credible — as in this situation.

The people of Shepparton were alerted to the original names of our four oldest streets by a Sri Lankan researcher who, in 2021, just happened to be working on the life of Mr Wilmot, and his path crossed ours.

Elsie researched names of around 500 streets, plus parks, sporting facilities and other sites. We value and honour her work.

And then there is Hawdon

This may not bother anyone else, but it annoys me. In 1967, the section of Verney Rd, between Balaclava Rd and Knight St, was renamed Hawdon. Here is where thousands of our youngsters have attended school and will, into the future. Surely some of them have asked ‘Who was Hawdon?’.

In her book, Elsie clarifies that Hawdon did not come to Shepparton. He and his companion, Bonney (Bonney Court), travelled on the western side of the river. They probably camped closer to Mooroopna than Shepp.

It is my hope that with the refreshing of the southern end of Wellsford St — please note the spelling — the monument to Hawdon is removed. Promptly followed by the renaming of Hawdon St. As the years go by, we learn and adjust — to inform the future.

Please note: Our centenary was held in 1938 — 100 years from when Hawdon didn’t come here.

Billy’s badge

I received a note from Billy of Nathalia. Unfortunately, my attempts to speak to him have not been successful — so I do not have permission to use his full name. However, his note said the following:

Hi Marnie,

I look forward to Town Talk history. Regarding the one on Mooroopna Hospital: Thirty-five years ago, give or take, I found a Mooroopna Hospital badge, under an old house in Nathalia.

Billy then drew the badge for my perusal. It had Mooroopna Hospital at the top, with a sketch or pic of the building underneath. At the bottom, it carried a clue: September 1916.

The first meeting to discuss building a hospital was held in March 1876. A bank account was opened and fundraising took place. The first two-bed construction was built later that year; we don’t have a month. Could it have been September? I’m guessing, of course, but Billy’s discovery could be a 40-year commemorative badge.

I might as well continue to guess; perhaps the badge was a fundraising exercise. I made contact with the Mooroopna Historical Society. Unfortunately, the person we need is unwell at the moment.

Thanks for taking the trouble to tell us about it, Billy. It is quite a find. Good on you for keeping it safe for 35 years!

Under the clock

Electric alarms

September 6, 1910

The postal department is to be commended for the attention it is now paying to Shepparton. We are shortly to have electric fire alarms placed in the streets within a mile radius of the Post Office; and it is understood that an electric bell will be attached to the residence of every fireman, so that in the event of a fire he may be summoned without delay.

My note: This surprised me — 113 years ago!

That’s it, everyone. Be good, be kind, be happy, keep well and enjoy the sunshine.

Marnie

Email: towntalk@sheppnews.com.au

Letter: Town Talk. Shepparton News. P.O. Box 204. Shepparton 3631.

Phone: Send a text on 0418 962 507. (Note: text only. I will call you back, if you wish.)