Teaching at Jung

The library was gifted a number of photographs today, for our 'Wimmera in Photographs' collection.
Yes we are still accepting donations.
A couple were interesting for different reasons:
Firstly one of Jung State School in the early 1900s. It is of great clarity showing the students in the garden they manage, with the school building and attached residence in the background.

And what makes this special is teaming it with the one below from Museums Victoria's "The Biggest Family Album in Australia" collection, to see the changes in the buildings, the children's attire, and the growth of the garden.

Much of the garden's credit would be due to one of the men in the photo below (another of today's donations). The man with the cross, marked above his head - teacher at Jung from 1900 to 1920 - Mr George Page.

Mr Page was in charge of the school when it reached its peak of 80 pupils around 1910. 
A theory has been advanced as to why the men are gathered for the photograph, and we're wondering whether it is due to the ribbons on their lapels, and maybe they are White and Blue Ribboners in the Temperance League (as discussed in a previous post 'The church, the hotel, the society') as there was a branch of the Temperance Movement in Jung.
There are stories behind many of our photographs. If you wish to have some of your photos added to 'Wimmera in Photographs' just contact your local library branch.

The Church, the Hotel, the Society

This week's curly question was: where did the name for the Blue Ribbon Road originate from?

It is the road runs north for over 50kms, from Horsham to its terminus at Fryatts Rd, near Willenabrina.

It passes through the Greenland Dam, Kalkee, Garup, Sailors Home, Murra Warra, Wallup, Cannum, Aubrey, and Crymelon localities.

Some maps call it the Horsham-Kalkee Rd, for the section to the Borung Highway at the Blue Ribbon Corner.

But why 'Blue Ribbon'? This is the question that no-one - long-time residents or historical societies - seem to have the answer for.

The best guess so far is from Marj, who believes it relates to the Temperance Movement.

The Temperance Movement was a social movement upholding the ideals of an alcohol-free lifestyle, through moderation or banning the consumption of alcoholic beverages. The Movement became more radical, advocating the legal prohibition of alcohol – teetotalism. It was particularly important and developed in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It saw temperance halls and coffee palaces as an alternative to hotels, they ran lectures and films upholding family values and discouraging drunkenness, successfully implementing early hotel closing times (6 o’clock swill) which didn’t lead to a curbing of consumption. The Movement’s role began being wound back in the 1950s and 1960s in more relaxed liberal times.

Members of the Temperance Society would take the Pledge to either become a teetotaller – a soldier of the Blue Ribbon Army, or the White Ribbon – for women of the Women's Christian Temperance Union.
The Society promoted alternatives to alcoholic drinks like ginger beer, creamy sodas, and sarsparilla, served in Temperance bars and coffee palaces. 
It also gave rise to the popularity of aerated waters and cordials, and led to the establishment of a number of localised cordial factories and manufacturers (whose old bottles are now rare collectors' items).

Callawadda's old cordial factory

 

In October 1883 the people of Cannum East met in the Wallup Free Church to establish a branch of the Blue Ribbon Army. Other branches sprang up in Clear Lake, Jung, Horsham, Rupanyup, Nurrabiel, Pimpinio, Kalkee, Warracknabeal, and other areas.
There was a close link between the Society and the local churches, often meetings were held in the church buildings. Both the Kalkee Wesleyan Church (built in 1885) and Wallup Presbyterian Church, faced the Blue Ribbon Road. The Wallup Presbyterian Church was first held in the Wallup State School, till a church was built across the Wallup Church Road in 1910. Anglican services were also held in the church in the 1930s and 40s. 

Wallup Presbyterian site 1910-1973 with the school site behind

Both the Cannum East (1875-1955) at the corner of Matheson & Antwerp Rds, and the South Cannum Presbyterian churches at the corner of Boundary & Cannum Church Rds were further east.

The Women's Christian Temperance Union water drinking fountain erected in 1911 in Warracknabeal. It was inscribed with the Union's motto: "For God, home and humanity". The fountain was given to the Borung Shire and originally located at the Town Hall. In 1939 it was transferred to Anzac Park (Photo I. Phillips).
 

So if people were against drinking, where were the hotels they were campaigning against?  
One would be the Blue Ribbon Hotel on the Blue Ribbon Corner. It was originally known as Patterson’s Wine Shanty, but by 1889 it was called the Blue Ribbon Hotel. 3 acres Allotment 68A in Wallup Parish was sold to Alexander Patterson on 5th January 1882. (The Pattersons owned a number of surrounding allotments). 

By 1884 the intersection was called 'Patterson's Corner'.

 The hotel was also a 'Post Office' from 1899 (a mail bag was dropped off there).
 
It was 'Patterson's Blue Ribbon Hotel' when it was destroyed by fire in April 1903. A new 5-room Blue Ribbon Hotel was erected, but it had its licence surrendered by December 1925, and then, on 12th January 1926, it again burnt to the ground, not to be resurrected again. 


"The HorshamTimes"  Friday 15th January 1926, page 6.

 

The site of the Blue Ribbon Hotel

It would be interesting to know how many participants at the 'Blue Ribbon Raceway' were aware of this conjecture?
We would be interested in hearing from anyone who could confirm or refute this hypothesis.

Dressed to make the film

Now that 'The Dressmaker' film has hit the theatres and the DVD has been released, people are looking to see who and what they recognise (refer to earlier post 'Done and dusted' of filming scenes in the Wimmera). Here is a location guide to film settings, with screen shots from the DVD matched to actual places.

Dungatar looking up the hill to Molly's

Dungatar town exteriors - Mt Rothwell near Little River (room interiors - Docklands Studio)

The approach to Jung

Silo - distant views - Jung, except for the CGI superimposed on Mt Rothwell landscape (close-ups - Docklands Studio) 

 << The real Jung silos beside the Melbourne-Adelaide rail-line.

Below - the silos as in the film with Gyton Grantley (playing Barney McSwiney) sitting on the lid of the steel bin.

Jung silos looking west

 Dance exterior - Sailors Home Hall (interior - Williamstown)

Sailors Home Hall with the Blue Ribbon Rd in front

The Sailors Home Hall & toilet block

Molly's burial - Jerro Cemetery

Mourners at the Jerro Cemetery

The Jerro Cemetery, north of Jung on the Greenhills Road

Wedding church - unknown

Longerenong Homestead

Wedding breakfast - Longerenong Homestead

The marquee on the front lawn at the homestead

Side view of the Longerenong Homestead

Winyerp Theatre exterior - Murtoa (interior - Yarraville)

Murtoa's Mechanics Institute Hall

Football match - Jung Recreation Reserve

The massive gums surrounding Jung Rec Reserve

The pavilions at the Jung Rec Reserve

Train - Victorian Goldfields Railway (Muckleford Station and steam locomotive D3 639)

Leaving Muckleford for Maldon

Done and dusted

Now that location filming has finished for 'The dressmaker' and all the movie stars have left, we can reflect on some of the scenery which will may appear in the finished product.

Dawn in the Wimmera

Here are some of the pics from the film's Facebook page, including this quote - 
"We're bowled over by the warm welcome we've had in the Wimmera! 
Thank you so much to all of the locals out there."
While in the area the crew filmed at Jung - the Rec Reserve - for the story's football match.
Here are  two different moods on the approach to town.

Then of course there was the wedding scene, shot at Longerenong homestead, what a backdrop!

And after the wedding of course the wedding breakfast. Apparently their inspiration for the wedding dessert table came from Mrs Beeton's famous English cookbook (believe some of the old school fundraiser books would have been great sources, or the Green & Gold and PWMU Cookery Book), and their grandmother's secret recipes.They sent reference photos to the Oven Door Bakery in Horsham and  got this in reply.

As well as the Wimmera, other filming was undertaken at the studios in Docklands in Melbourne, and at Mt Rothwell near Little River.

Visitors to Mt Rothwell

It looks authentic - Molly's house from the Dungatar main street.

That is till you add in the film-crew

Now it is a wait for the editing/production process and release of the film in the middle of 2015.

In the beginning - G.J. Coles

As the Coles supermarket chain celebrates its 100 years of operation, it is fitting to mention the Wimmera's links to the foundation of the dynasty.

George Coles (1833-1866) and his brother James emigrated to Victoria in the gold-rush year of 1853. George married Jane Clipsham the following year in 1854. They had four sons - George (born in Daylesford), James, Frank and Fred all born in St Arnaud.
George lived in Daylesford, St Arnaud and Stuart Mill before moving to Jung and marrying Elizabeth Scouler. They had 10 children before Elizabeth died giving birth to Gracie the eleventh in 1900.

Sir George James Coles (1885-1977) of G.J. Coles of retail fame, was born on 28 March 1885 at Jung, the second of the children and eldest son. 
The Coles family had a store, blacksmith and hotel at Diapur, and later a store at Nhill.
In May 1888 Mr George Coles (Senior & father of G.J.) built a general store in Miram (Allotment 11 Section 5), and with the assistance of Mr Castles carried on the business until 1892. The building later became the Post Office, proprietors office, and No. 2 Bulk Store. Thomas & Adelaide Butcher succeeded Mr Coles, and he held a wine & spirits licence. When the Butchers left the district in 1899, the store closed, and concerts, dances, and school (rented by the Education Department) were all held in the building.
In April 1903 Mr Phillip Wheaton purchased the building from Cordner Brothers (who had purchased it earlier in the year) and commenced business, Mr W.A. Brown joined the staff in 1913. and was a partner from 1924/6 to 1937.
The current building was built on the old site by the Mills family in 1929, and opened on 18th September 1929.

Wheaton's Pioneer Store in Miram

Under the ownership of generations of Wheatons the store grew, becoming a cornucopia - extending beyond groceries to drapery, footwear,  millinery, glassware, menswear, timber, hardware, iron, motor oils, wireless receivers... It provided an electricity supply for the town, a permanent water supply, eggs from their poultry farm, a Freisian dairy herd for fresh milk, cream & butter, and a meat supply from their beef herd. Equipped as a Post Office the store had a postal service and van delivery of goods.

Meanwhile G.J., in partnership with his brothers Jim and Sir Arthur, he opened a store in Smith Street, Collingwood. in April 1914.
Sir George died on 4 December 1977 at his Toorak home and was cremated. His estate was sworn for probate at $986,486. The family business continued to expand, forming a partnership in 1968 with an American company in the establishment of K-Mart (Aust.) Ltd. With the takeover of the Myer operation in 1985, Coles Myer Ltd became the largest private employer in Australia.