Volume 4 Issue 2
Editor: Judy Davies
Inside this issue:
A Military History Lesson
2
Seven Years at Lake Tyers
4
Metung Re-commemoration
7
Big Days Out
8
The summer carnival tradition
at Lakes Entrance goes back to
the early 1950s, when it was
first established on the Esplanade.
holiday season right through the latter decades of the 20th century - an exciting treat
for families with children.
Teenagers loved it too: a chance to meet up
with boys and girls from ‘out of town’ and
the thrill of a holiday romance.
In those days there were lots of rides, sideshows, a merry-go-round - and it wouldn’t The carnival held a special place in the comhave been a carnival without a Ferris wheel. munity when the town was so much
smaller, money not so plentiful and travel,
People took their entire annual holiday in
even just to Melbourne, not nearly as easy.
January, when offices and factories closed
The whole town grieved when the last
down for a whole month or more, and
carnival packed up its tents in ….
tended to stay in one place for the holiday.
It was some consolation when the carnival
The summer school holidays were longer
site was chosen by Safeway for their supertoo, as there were only three terms per
market in the early 1990s, but another
year with just a short break between them.
piece of Lakes Entrance history had been
The carnival was a regular feature of the lost.
Carnival stalls and merry-go-round on the Esplanade c1950s
39
PO Box 723
Lakes Entrance 3909
(03) 5155 3939
Incorporation No. A0032629K
ABN 40 208 018 755
After some serious lobbying by the local tract, so we can expect to have all the fun
tourism group, the carnival returned during of the fair on Cunninghame Arm for at least
the summer of 2013-14. New operators, several summers to come.
Chants Amusements, say it is bigger and Today’s carnival, as operated by Chants Amusements.
better than ever this year with over 25
rides and games - something for all the
family - and no admission charge.
The carnival is on until 2 February, so
there’s still time for ‘a trip down memory
lane.
Chants have been awarded a five year conMore carnival memories on pages 2 and 3
Volume 4 Issue 2
A military history lesson
When a group of members visited
Lakes Entrance’s Rob Ferguson recently, we were blown away by the
range of items in his collection—
and his amazing knowledge of all
things military.
The collection includes uniforms, weapons, insignia and items of equipment
from the American Civil War, the Boer
War, both World Wars, Korea and Vietnam, as well as more recent conflicts in
Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Japanese, Russian and Chinese defence forces are also represented, with a
sprinkling of interesting and unusual
items.
Rob has a story about every item in his
considerable collection.
Rob demonstrates how to load an antique 17th century muzzle
loading gun.
He also has a comprehensive library of
publications on military topics.
Everything in the collection is original,
with the exception of some models of
tanks, planes and such.
Rob did admit that the chain mail and
broad sword were never used by a knight
of old. We all agreed that the odd replica
was excusable, as we wondered how anybody could move, let alone fight, with
such weighty accoutrements. Or see with
the helmet on.
The collection wouldn't be complete without a selection of
colourful recruitment posters.
Ads for previous
operator
Wittingslow’s in 1986
(left) and 1972 (right).
Page 2
Volume 4 Issue 2
Genuine German leather ‘pickelhaube’ helmet.
Rob Ferguson with a Light Horse Brigade plumed hat.
Asked what was his most treasured
item, Robert produced a tiny gold
badge (held in Robyn Purdy’s palm in
the photo at right.
This is a rarity in Australian militaria,
one of the original badges designed
after Federation and issued in 1902 to
Australian contingents serving in South
Africa during the South African (Second
Boer) War.
Carnival time in Lakes
Entrance: on 7 January
1978 St Brendan’s
Catholic Church burnt
down while the Ferris
wheel turned in the
background; in 1980
the same Ferris wheel
shared a serene sunset
with the scallop boat
Nea-artaky.
Rob’s favourite item: an original rising sun badge, issued in 1902
to Australian contingents serving in the Boer War.
Page 3
Volume 4 Issue 2
Seven years at Lake Tyers
In the early 1920s, Leslie Charles Fish spent seven years as Assistant
Manager at the Lake Tyers Aboriginal Station.
In 1980, a few years before his death, Les wrote the following story of
that time ...
At this particular time the (Aboriginal
Welfare) Board was anxious to bring all
the aboriginals to one central location,
and Lake Tyers was the obvious choice
with its lakes and rivers, etc.
The Board had started to build new three
-roomed cottages around an area overlooking the lake. The Govt Department
responsible … appointed a Secretary to
the Board—a Mr Parker. A house was
already built and occupied by the Superintendent of the Station, his wife and two
daughters. He had come from an Aboriginal station in New South Wales.
Previously founded by Rev Bulmer, the
station had been run by the Church of
England. Mr Bulmer had built the church,
store rooms and ten or a dozen tworoomed cottages, which by this time were
not in a good state of repair.
A house of four rooms was erected for
the Assistant Manager and Matron. The
building of the new cottages was proceeding as the natives left their previous
homes and came to live at Lake Tyers.
Altogether, the move was quite satisfactory and eventually the number on the
station was approximately 240.
concerts had been erected. Church was
conducted each Sunday by the Superintendent and was always fairly well attended.
Concerts were held at regular intervals
and proved very popular with the natives,
who were always anxious to participate.
The daughters of the Super, Bruce Ferguson, were always to the fore in matters of
this kind.
The Station was visited by a doctor, who
was always on call in cases of emergency
and a dispensary was on hand for certain
medicines.
All native males were issued with two
suits a year. A sewing room was set up in
a cottage with a number of machines, in
the charge of my wife, who taught the
natives to use them and most made their
own dresses, which were cut out by Mrs
Fish. She also visited the cottages twice a
week to endeavour to advise on cooking
and see that the cottages were kept in a
reasonable state of cleanliness.
All meat was killed on the station and
brought up to the concrete butcher’s
shop. Most of the fat stock were bought
in the sale yards at Bairnsdale.
In the ensuing year, a general room with cont Page 7
billiard table and large floor space for
About Les Fish—
Les was born at Sarsfield in the 1890s to Alfred and Rachael Fish.
The family later moved to Kalimna West, where Les attended school with his sisters
and brothers. The total enrolment at the school was no more than thirty at the time.
The school building had been erected by the community and rented to the Education
Department, which supplied the teacher.
Les left home when he was fifteen, and enlisted for service in World War 1 while still
very young.
Page 4
He served as a signaller in the 30 Battery 8th Field Artillery Brigade and was overseas
for nearly four years.
We fenced in certain areas where we the station was closed to other fishercould grow all our vegetables. About men.
three or four natives were constantly en- Visitors were allowed on the station on
gaged on this work. A number of areas certain days of the week, between the
were under potatoes. Cows were milked hours of 3-5pm and supplemented the
and milk distributed by Mrs Fish to income of those natives who had suffimotel
was the
mother with young children. The
A team
of…cient
desire to make and sell boomerangs
horses for cultivation was available
with
savior
of country
and the women, baskets and mats.
plows( sic) and harrows.
tourism
We were concerned to keep the ableA blacksmith in charge of one of the na- bodied engaged in some kind of labour,
tives who had worked at a shop in earlier but chiefly surplus labour was engaged in
years.
clearing land for cultivation and crops.
The coffins for those who had died were A large dam was built adjacent to the stavery well built by our carpenter and burial tion, holding a lot of water. We built a
carried out by Mr Ferguson, and some- large bank across the junction of two gultimes by myself. A death of a resident lies, with the object of providing work
was always a three days period from and growing peas to sell.
work.
Our first crop came in for a lot of opposiBread was baked at Nowa Nowa, ten tion from the local growers in the area,
miles distant and delivered to the station who were of the opinion that they were
twice a week. Rations were provided to contributing taxes for the upkeep of the
the natives on two days a week, mainly natives, who paid no taxes and were supsugar, bread, flour, baking powder and plying a market that should have been
various other commodities, and of theirs. This was upheld by the Board and
course, tobacco to the men and most of discontinued.
the elderly woman
Altogether, life was very pleasant, and
A motor boat, provided along with petrol, when our daughter (who was born at
oils etc. proved to be a great asset. A Lake Tyers) had reached the age of six,
large seine boat was also owned, with a we decided to submit our resignation.
large seine net. This was a great boon as
we could always get large hauls of fish The Board paid for all our expenses and
when needed to supplement our meat fares for our move to Maryborough,
supplies. The area of water adjacent to where we had previously acquired a
property.
Volume 4 Issue 2
Les Fish (right) with brother Willie prior to their departure for the battlefields of World War 1.
Willie was killed in action in Flanders and is buried at the Oxford Road
Cemetery at Ypres.
Above: Happy days—kids swimming at Lake Tyers
Page 5
Volume 4 Issue 2
Little known facts about World War 1
Tiny Andorra, with no standing army and
no navy—the entire military at that time
consisting of 10 part-time soldiers—was
one of the first states to declare war on
Germany in August 1914.
It was also one of the last to declare it
over: with their demands left out of the
Treaty of Versailles process, Andorra remained in a state of war with Germany
until the start of World War 2, some 25
years later.
Until 1918, the unofficial national anthem
of the German Empire was ‘Heil dir im
Siegerkranz’, which had the same tune as
‘God Save the Queen’.
Unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones,
were first developed during WW1.
The Hewitt-Sperry Automatic Airplane, a
kind of aerial torpedo, first flew on 6
March 1918.
Kaiser Wilhelm with full
moustache.
One of the earliest casualties of WW1
was the German language in America.
In 1914 German was the second most
widely-spoken language in the United
States—it was taught in schools and used
by some newspapers, but at the height of
the war, German street names were
changed and German books burned.
The first countries in the world to introduce daylight saving time were Germany
and Austria-Hungary.
Called ’sommerzeit’ it was used during
WW1 to conserve coal for the war effort.
During WW1, woman instructors taught
fighter pilots how to fly.
Marie Marvingt, known as ‘La fiancée du
danger’ flew combat missions—flying
bombing routes over Germany.
Some Russian women and one Belgian
also flew combat missions.
When he served in WW1 Hitler had a full
Kaiser-style moustache, but trimmed it
down to his iconic toothbrush style to
better fit his gasmask.
The British army had 100,000 homing
pigeons, which were used to carry messages to and from the trenches. Where
other methods failed, pigeons had a success rate of 95%.
The Imperial Camel Corps was formed in
January 1916 from Australian infantry
battalions recuperating after Gallipoli to
deal with the revolt of pro-Turkish tribesmen in Egypt’s Western Desert.
The Germans were so rattled they took
hawks to the frontline—so some pigeons
dodged bullets and shellfire only to succumb to birds of prey.
One pigeon saved the lives of 194 soldiers, getting his message through deFour battalions were eventually formed. spite being shot through the breast,
The 1st and 3rd were entirely Australian, blinded in one eye, covered with blood,
the 2nd was British, and the 4th was a mix and with one leg hanging by only a tenof Australians and New Zealanders.
don.
The Imperial Camel Corps in action
Page 6
Volume 4 Issue 2
Metung’s WW1 chronicler, Anne
Bell was the instigator of a moving
ceremony at St John’s Church on 9
November.
The Rev. Barbara Logan led the service,
after a stirring procession, with Amazing
Grace played on the bagpipes. The REV.
Bruce Grey, Chaplain at the RAAF Base,
East Sale, gave the address, and the service closed to the mournful
sounds of the Last Post.
Having researched all the
men listed on the WW1 honour boards at the church and
Metung RSL, Anne set up a Bugler Graham Hall had
website and published a book hoped to play a bugle
dedicated to those local hethat had been used at
roes.
Gallipoli …
Bugler Graham Hall had hoped
to play a bugle that had been
used at Gallipoli, but unfortunately, he was unable to borrow
it for this occasion.
But not content to rest on
her laurels, Anne organised a
100 year remembrance service for the men on Metung's
roll of honour.
Following the service, the roll of
honour was called, and a friend
or family member stepped forward to place a small memorial
cross bearing the name of each WW1 solInvitees included local dignitaries and the dier in the church grounds.
families of those who served in the Great Anne had arranged the purchase of the
War—resulting in a capacity crowd of distinctive crosses and special poppies in
nearly 150 people in the small, timber Scotland—where they are made by incachurch.
pacitated servicemen.
Left: ‘We will remember them’ - a blaze of red
poppies in the grounds of St John’s Metung commemorating local WW1 servicemen.
Below left: The service concludes to the sound of
the Last Post.
Below: Lakes Entrance Historical Society’s Marie
Fish with the cross commemorating her cousin
Vince Dyte, who served at Gallipoli and was
awarded the Military Medal.
Page 7
Volume 4 Issue 2
Big days out in Autumn
is at the historic Macalister Hotel,
Planning is well underway for our Lunch
followed by a trip to the robotic dairy,
first group days out in 2015.
including a history of dairy farming in the
An evening ‘picnic at the New Works’ is area.
scheduled for Sunday, 22 February. Leaving at 4.00pm, we’ll cruise out to the
Entrance with a full onboard historical
commentary, while looking for dolphins
and seals.
On arrival at the New Works jetty, enjoy a Above: The sugar beet factory at Maffra - a major industry in the
stroll along the boardwalk and/or the area between 1896 and 1948.
New Works Village Walk to soak up some
more history before a well-earned picnic Further details will be circulated closer to the
dinner.
dates.
On Sunday, 29 March we take a bus down Anyone wishing to register their interest is into Maffra for a day out exploring the vin- vited to contact Marie Fish on 5155 3939 or
tage Motor Vehicle Collection and the email: info@lakeshistory.com
Sugar Beet Museum.
Members and friends get together for our
annual Christmas lunch at the Ferryman
Café in Lakes Entrance.
We’re on Facebook
Facebook users are invited to take a
look at the Lakes Entrance History
Centre page.
Lakes Entrance History Centre
The page is already attracting ‘likes’
which will increase as it is developed.
Please feel free to add a comment or
upload images, and of course, we
would love you to ‘friend’ us.
In memoriam - former Federal Government Minister Tom Uren, who died on 26 January last.
We can thank Mr Uren for establishing the Australian Heritage Commission in 1975 (replaced by
the Australian Heritage Council in 2004) and the consequent compilation of the Register of the
Page 8
National Estate.