The story of the manmade Blackburn Lake is one of lost opportunities, corporate greed, foresight and a lasting built legacy left by the Blackburn residents George A. Goodwin and Thomas R. B. Morton.
The geography of the area before the lake was created is described in an article from Victoria's Resources' Dec 1970 - Feb 1971 titled Blackburn Lake: a unique natural sanctuary and field study centre,1970 by Jean F. Field:
The reservoir was sited near the head of a tributary of Gardiner’s Creek, where the tributary had commenced to cut a deep, narrow valley at the edge of the plateau residual. This ‘deep, narrow valley’ may have taken thousands of years to form.
In 1855 the Victorian State government conducted the first sale of Crown lands in the part of the Nunawading District (City of Whitehorse) now known as Blackburn. John Woods (sometimes spelt Wood) purchased allotments 79,80,81,90,91 and 92. His allotments were bordered by Canterbury Rd in the south, Whitehorse Rd in the north, Florence St in the east and Main St in the west totalling 489 acres. Allotments 79,80 and 81 would eventually be where the Blackburn Lake was created. In the early years of his ownership, John had two tenants on his land who are mentioned in an 1856 advertisement in The Argus newspaper - 'Legislative Assembly. Supplementary List John Wood, Collingwood, builder, freehold, Bourke District Land, Nunawading, tenants, White and McGregor.'
In 1882 the Blackburn Railway station was opened and in the same year Melbourne businessman and M.L.A Mathew Davies founded the Freehold Investment and Banking Company Limited (F.I.B.C.L). The board of the company was made up of Melbourne businessmen including as Managing Director his brother Joseph B Davies and as Directors James Balfour, M.L.C., Charles Henry James and James Moodie. By c1884 Thomas R. B. Morton joined the company as Secretary.
Prior to joining the F.I.B.C.L Thomas R. B. Morton was appointed as the Government Auditor of ‘municipal accounts’ of various local councils. Thomas R. B. Morton lived in Blackburn from c1890 where he built the now council heritage protected house at 2 Gordon Crescent (named Clonmore) and later ran a well-known real estate business in the area and in Melbourne for many years. His house Clonmore was designed by A. E. Clarke who also designed the heritage listed house at what is now 87 Dorking Rd, Box Hill North for Mr. William H. Thodey.
You can read about William H. Thodey and A. E. Clarke on the McCook House page of the Whitehorse Heritage website here: McCook house Dorking Rd
Also, in 1882 John Woods sold allotments 79,80 and 81 to Edwin and Frederick Purches who then sold it to George S Coppin who then sold it to the Freehold Investment and Banking Company Limited but the final payment was not made to George Coppin until 1886. In the Crown grants, Parish of Nunawading, County of Bourke records states 13 May 1886, £9668.50 paid by Freehold Investment Co. to G.C... George S Coppin was a famous Melbourne businessman, theatrical entrepreneur, politician and philanthropist in the late 19th century. You can read about George S Coppin on the Royal Historical Society of Victoria website here: Cremorne Gardens & George Coppin - Royal Historical Society of Victoria
In 1885 The Blackburn Brick Works was opened in Alfred St close to the newly opened Blackburn railway station. In the book Blackburn – a Picturesque History, 1978 by Robin De Costa she mentions:
‘The first bricks of the Blackburn Brick Works were made by hand about 1885. The pits were originally opened by C.G. Miller, T.R.B Morton and E.W Parry, to provide clay for brick making. Initially the bricks were used to construct two square kilns and essential buildings. They erected a Hoffman kiln and up to 1895, when work ceased they produce about 150,000 bricks per year’.
In 1887 the Freehold Investment and Banking Company Limited bought an additional 1000 acres of land in Blackburn and transferred the title of the land to their subsidiary the Blackburn Company. The land was purchased to create the township of Blackburn with a lake used as a selling point as well as being its main attraction.
In the book Blackburn – a Picturesque History, 1978 by Robin De Costa she mentions:
First of all, the Freehold Investment and Banking Company of Australia Ltd., together with the Freehold Bank bought out a number of local land -owners, including John Quinlan, Alfred Rawlings, Furzer and Watt, W. Collis (who had a brickworks on his land), John Paton, H.R. Kerford, G.A. Gardiner, J.H. Watts and G.A. Goodwin.
In 1893 the renowned Australian artist Frederick McCubbin and his family were living at what is now 7 Wolseley Cres, Blackburn. In the same year he painted the famous Bush Idyll with the Blackburn Lake in the background and Feeding Time.
Thomas R.B. Morton
By 1888 T.R.B Morton was the Secretary of the Blackburn Company and the Freehold Investment and Banking Company Limited and also at one time the Manager of the Freehold Bank. In the same year he was elected as a councillor in the Nunawading Shire Council and went on to serve as president from 1891 to 1892 before retiring in 1897. He then came out of retirement and was re-elected in 1899 becoming president again in 1900. He obviously like being on the Council and went on to serve a further two terms with a third term in 1909 to 1910 and finally a fourth term from 1918 to 1919.
Also, in 1888 the Blackburn Company built an embankment made up of handmade bricks (from the Blackburn Brick Works) on the Gardiner’s Creek (originally known as Kooyongkoot Creek) to create the Blackburn Lake. In a study titled Blackburn Lake: a unique natural sanctuary and field study centre,1970 by Jean F. Field’ mentions:
The embankment was raised effectively to the level of the gently undulating land into which the steep valley was incised, so that the level of the resulting reservoir, and of the present lake, blended smoothly in a natural manner into the surrounding landscape.
In an article in July 1889 in The Reporter – Box Hill in regard to the purchase, preparation and the creation of the land for the building of the township of Blackburn it is mentioned:
‘one of the principal attractions which the town possesses is a lake, the greater part of which is natural, the only artificial work being a ponderous earth embankment, which, besides banking up the water, answers the purpose of a bridge along the route of Canterbury road. In some parts of the lake the water is fully 50 feet deep, and when the water rises to a certain height it runs into a bi-wash, thence into the bed of the lake, and eventually finds its way to the sea. The scenery around the lake is romantic, and when ones in the centre of the bank and casts his eye up the lake he is able to revel in the beauties of nature’.
‘a company which was well known as the ‘’Blackburn Company’’, purchased a large area of land on both sides of the railway for the purpose of establishing and forming a new township in close proximity to the Blackburn railway station. The management of the estate was entrusted to the care of Mr. G.A. Goodwin, who selected the land and made the purchase on behalf of the company. Though only some two years have passed since the land was bought by the company, the substantial improvements in the way of street formation, and the erection of pretty and substantial buildings is surprising and incredible.’
‘in preparing this site for a township Mr. Goodwin had first to remove the timber, and he has done so in such a manner that the place will always present a park like and romantic appearance’.
‘this is a very great improvement to the place, and shows that Mr. Goodwin has acted with care and discretion in carrying out the work allocated to him. It is the intention of the company to bring the estate under the Transfer of Land Statute, and at the present time proceedings are being taken to effect this desirable end’.
In 1888 George A. Goodwin and Thomas R. B. Morton were listed in advertisements as the representatives to contact to purchase land in the Blackburn Park subdivision.
By December 1889 the Blackburn Company had transferred the land to the Freehold Investment and Banking Company Limitedas an article in December 1889 in The Reporter – Box Hill mentions:
The directors of the Freehold Investment and Banking Company of Australia Lmtd., engaged a special train on Saturday, 29th November, and Conveyed about 200 ladies and gentlemen to their estate at Blackburn. At this time the subdivision was known as Blackburn Park and later as the Blackburn Township Estate.
In 1891 the Blackburn & Tunstall Property Co. Ltd was created to sell the subdivision. The book Blackburn – A Picturesque History by Robyn Da Costa mentions:
‘The following year a new company, of which Morton was a director, Blackburn & Tunstall Property Co., took over the Nunawading land of Freehold Investment and Banking Company. Some of the shareholders were connected with the earlier company and one or two were Blackburn residents. The value of the lands was nearly £250,000*, but the new company failed to raise enough money to pay for them, and as the Land Boom burst it was unable to sell land to meet its obligations’. * equivalent to $43,000,000 today.
‘It’s main shareholders were: ……..The only local shareholders were ……G.A. Goodwin, 50 shares…Mrs A. Goodwin 25 shares……T.R.B. Morton,250 shares’.
In October 1891 after posting an eight percent dividend the Freehold Banking and Investment Company went into liquidation. In February 1892 at a meeting of Freehold Investment and Banking Company shareholders Thomas R.B. Morton, C.G Miller, J.M. Gillespie and J.B. Davies the Managing Director were appointed liquidators of the company. It appears that after a number of unsuccessful attempts to restructure the company it was wound up in c1895.
As can be seen above Thomas was involved in a number of business’s when in 1895, he started a cattle market in which is mentioned in Box Hill by Andrew Lemon - ‘Morton made a much more successful move for the advancement of the district when he started a fortnightly cattle market at Box Hill directly opposite the station in Main Street in July 1895. At first it opened on alternate Thursdays, then alternate Wednesdays, and finally became a weekly affair well into the twentieth century’.
George A. Goodwin
George A Goodwin’s involvement in the Nunawading District (City of Whitehorse) began in 1873 as The Age newspaper mentions: 'Mr. G. A. Goodwin informs us that he is coming out for South Bourke'. The electoral district of South Bourke ran from Templestowe to Dandenong and from Hawthorn to Vermont. George was unsuccessful in being nominated as a candidate.
In 1875 George’s occupation was listed as ‘Crown Land’s Agent’, but in the same year The Argus newspaper in regard to the local council elections mentions:
‘Shire of Nunawading – There will be contest in each of the ridings of this shire. The following are the nominations…. ‘Centre riding …. George A. Goodwin…...
There was one vacancy in the Central Riding for the position of ‘councillor’ with the Shire of Nunawading. Four candidates ran for election – George A Goodwin, John Keogh, J.C.M. Fisher, and Samuel Collier. George A Goodwin came fourth and therefore he was not elected.
In September 1877 George in conjunction with Ernest J Petherick held the first of their monthly auctions of farm animals at the Doncaster Hotel on the corner of Blackburn and Doncaster Rd’s.
According to Title records in 1877, George bought 25 acres of land in the Nunawading District in L.L. Vale at what is now 142 Boronia Rd, Vermont. At this time the Dandenong Creek ran along the eastern side of the property.
An advertisement in 1879 in The Argus newspaper placed by George Goodwin regarding the sale of the farm house/land mentions:
‘A Beautiful Situation, nice RESIDENCE,14 miles east of Melbourne, 26 acres, stream of water, fruit flower garden, cultivation paddock. Goodwin, 22 Swanston – street north’.
This above advertisement seems to indicate that the farm house/residence was built between 1877 and 1879.
By c1881 George and Annie may have been living in Blackburn as their children were born in Box Hill - Lottie in 1881, Ernest in 1883 and Frederick in 1885.
George was very busy in the real estate business as in 1880 he was operating a real estate business in Swanston St, Melbourne and by 1882 he was also operating a real estate business in Blackburn. An advertisement in The Age newspaper in December 1882 mentions:
‘At Box Hill, Blackburn, Emery’s-hill, Ringwood, Lilydale, - Land, all sizes and prices. Address Miller & Goodwin, land agents, Blackburn’.
It appears that the farm house/land in Vermont did not sell in 1879 as in 1882 George places an advertisement in The Age newspaper for the sale of the same farm house/land again:
‘A very choice spot, Land; fine fruit garden; commodious house; water frontage. Address Goodwin,
L. L. Vale’.
If you are interested in reading further about Goodwins farm house in Vermont you can read about it on the Vermont – A story of a community website here: Weston Favell (Greenways)
– it is an interesting story.
By 1886 George was conducting monthly auctions at Downing’s Travellers Rest Hotel in Blackburn -now the Blackburn Hotel.
1887 was a busy year for George as he was running monthly auctions at Downing's Travellers Rest Hotel as well as on site auctions of farms and homes. He was also appointed as land selector and developer by the Blackburn Company and was responsible for preparing the company’s land for the building of the new township of Blackburn. In the same year he placed advertisements in The Age newspaper for tenders for ‘sinking shaft’, ‘road making’, ‘clearing and grubbing 60 chains road’, ‘fencing’ and ‘supply 200,000 bricks’ and in 1888 ‘pump wanted, immediately, suitable draw water 300ft’.
In 1889 The Reporter mentions the number of people working on the Blackburn site: We believe we are correct in stating that there are 100 men employed upon the estate.
In 1890 George purchased land bordered by Chapel St, Whitehorse Rd and Railway Pde in Blackburn and in 1891 he built his home near the corner of Whitehorse Rd and Railway Pde, the area was later known as ‘Goodwins Corner’ for many years. He later built a small office on Railway Pde near Whitehorse Rd (near the pedestrian overpass) where he operated his auction business from.
As a result of the 1890’s Depression, land in the Blackburn Township Estate did not sell and it took many years for all of the land to be sold.
As already mentioned in the book Blackburn – A Picturesque History by Robyn Da Costa, George Goodwin and his family’s involvement is mentioned:
The company directors then formed a new Blackburn & Tunstall Property Co. Ltd to buy, sub divide and sell the Blackburn Township Estate. It’s main shareholders were: ……..The only local shareholders were ……G.A. Goodwin, 50 shares…Mrs A. Goodwin 25 shares……T.R.B. Morton,250 shares.
In 1891 George Goodwin, Thomas R. B. Morton, Captain Hanby and S. Collier ran as candidates in the Nunawading Shire Council elections for the Blackburn Riding, Thomas R. B. Morton was elected.
It appears that George and Thomas R. B. Morton continued to work together occasionally as they are listed as co-agents in selling properties.
George was very active in the community and in 1910 he was elected as the President of the Blackburn Progress Association, served as Chairman of the Blackburn State School committee, Secretary of the Blackburn Gymnasium Club and was the Vice president of the Blackburn Sports Club.
George A Goodwin died at his home Ferney on Whitehorse Rd, Blackburn in October 1916.
The meeting minutes of the Nunawading Shire Council were reported in the Camberwell and Hawthorn Advertiser in November 1916 and mentions:
Goodwin had interested himself in the early advancement of Blackburn, and practically at his instigation and enterprise was the formation of the Blackburn Lake; also in conjunction with Cr Morton and others was a member of the Company that built the hall; and he was likewise prominent in securing the beautiful grounds they have had there.
In 1908 the Adult Deaf and Blind Society bought 75 acres on the northern side of the lake including the Refreshment Rooms/Cottage, four row boats and a jetty that was built by the Freehold Investment and Banking Company Limited c1889. The society built a Federation/Queen Anne style home (opposite Gwenda Ave) that was opened in 1909 as the Home for Aged and Infirm and Training Farm for Feeble-Minded Deaf Mutes which was later renamed the Adult Deaf Society. Fourteen acres of the land around the main building were used to grow a variety of flowers including roses, carnations, chrysanthemums, dahlias, daffodils, violets and gladioli which were sold locally as cut flowers to hotels, boarding houses and markets in Melbourne for many years. This provided work for the residents and funding for the Society.
A wonderful film of the Adult Deaf Society home includes footage of the buildings, the lake, Blackburn station and the flower farm from c1912 as well as a garden Party from c1926 can be viewed here: Vicdeaf History 02 - Home Wings for the Deaf & Flower Farm in Blackburn
In 1910 at a meeting to form the Blackburn Swimming Club was mentioned in The Reporter newspaper:
‘the chairman, Mr E J D Abraham stated in opening the meeting, that he will do all in his power to make the club a success, but he reminded the young people that its ultimate success would depend to a great extent upon themselves. It was unanimously decided to form a swimming club’.
E J D Abraham was also the Superintendent of the Home for Aged and Infirm and Training Farm for Feeble-Minded Deaf Mutes. He was also active in promoting the lake as a place for picnicking and day trippers. In a c1912 promotional brochure for the lake mentions:
‘All descriptions of Picnic requisites may be obtained at the Refreshment Cottage in the park. Hot water, milk, summer drinks of all kinds, lollies, tea, sandwiches, scones, etc. etc., at Moderate Prices. Cold water’. Swings, bats, balls, etc., provided without charge. Boats on hire by the hour or half hour. Ample provision for erection of Marquees, boiling of water, etc’.
The swimming club ran for a number of years, but in Robin Da Costa's book Blackburn: a picturesque history in regard to the Swimming Club she mentions:
The Club was forced to disband in 1931 owing to the ravages of vandals.
In 1954 the Melbourne University Film Society sponsored the University Experimental Film Unit to make a fictional film at the Blackburn Lake called The Wheel. The film is about a boy who runs away from home when he learns he is to be sent to an institution and eventually finds happiness with another family on a farm.
The film was directed by Gilbert Brealy and the cameraman were John Anderson and Lindsay Tassie. The actors were John Storey as the boy, Malcolm Powell from the Mitcham Repertory Company as the convict boy, John Beresford as ‘old Jim’, Margaret Henderson as the mother, Norma Dickason as the farmer’s wife, Eva Strasser as the milk maid and Beth Brown as the nurse. It was first screened at the Union Theatre, University of Melbourne in May 1954.
After searching for a few months, I managed to find the only copy in existence at the National Film and Sound Archives in Canberra. The film has not been digitised but it ‘will eventually be digitized and preserved for future generations’ and therefore it is currently not available to view online or in person at the National Film and Sound Archives in Canberra.
THE BLACKBURN LAKE SANCTUARY
Edna Walling
The renowned Melbourne landscape designer Edna Walling was invited by the Nunawading Council to attend a meeting in regard to the Blackburn Lake and surrounding vegetation.
In the Nunawading Council meeting minutes for June 1962 a report was compiled and submitted by Cr F. H. Burns and Cr K. Satchwell by in regard to a meeting earlier that month at Blackburn Lake mentions:
‘Report on meeting with M.M.B.W. representatives at Blackburn Lake on Thursday, 7 June 1962: Present: Mr K. Ussher, Planning & Highways Branch M.M.B.W. Mr Hughe, Mr Neale, Mr Smith – Drainage Branch M.M.B.W. Miss Edna Walling, Landscape Consultant invited by Nunawading City Council. Cr.F. Burns and Cr. K Satchwell.’
In an article from Victoria's Resources' Dec 1970 - Feb 1971 titled Blackburn Lake: a unique natural sanctuary and field study centre,1970 by Jean F. Field mentions the involvement of the renowned garden designer Edna Walling:
‘In 1962 the Metropolitan Board of Works, which owns the water, decided to deepen the lake to form a ponding basin to stop flash flooding in the lower reaches of Gardiner’s Creek after heavy rains. This would have meant complete destruction of the natural lake concept, and many conservationists urged Council to discuss with the Board an alternate plan. The Nunawading Council ultimately invited Miss Edna Walling, well known landscape architect, to give an opinion on the lake’s potential, and she ranked the lake area with the Botanic Gardens of Melbourne. Miss Walling’s findings were accepted by Council, and later a plan was drawn up to build a wall at the southern end of the lake and to construct its outlet in such a way as to maintain its existing water level for most of the time, allowing temporary flooding of a small area of the eastern bank on its perimeter. This would in no way damage the bordering fine stand of Melaleuca ericifolia, which can tolerate inundation at times without damage’.
In c1963 Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) upgraded the existing lake wall and built a small ‘glory hole spillway’ that flows under Lake Rd so that flooding downstream could be mitigated. As a part of this upgrade, the 1888 built bridge was demolished and the gap replaced with piping under the newly built section of the lake wall and road.
Robyn Da Costa in the book Blackburn – A Picturesque History in regard to the land around the lake mentions:
‘In 1964 the Nunawading Council purchased sixteen acres of the Adult Deaf Society land surrounding the lake the fifteen acres of Lake, at a cost of $182,000*. Camberwell Grammar School purchased sixteen acres of the south-eastern corner, and this has remained completely undeveloped. The Council’s acquisition of sixteen acres at that time was a notable achievement’. * equivalent to $3,000,000 today.
‘The Adult Deaf Society built a new complex on their land at the corner of Central Road and Lake Road, and in 1972 the original home and additional outbuildings were demolished’.
‘The land was then available for sale, and its ‘Residential C’ zoning made the likelihood of a housing estate an immediate threat to the survival of the Lake area. However, widespread support from groups and individuals encouraged the Nunawading Council to purchase the fourteen acres from the Adult Deaf Society. This was achieved in 1975, at a cost of $850,000 (the Australian Government contributed $260,000 from the National Estate, the Nunawading Council $450,000, and the State Government $140,000). The Lake Sanctuary today supports a wealth of native flora and fauna and is beyond doubt one of the best, if not the best, bird localities within the metropolitan area’.
In the research paper by Blackburn resident Tony Kjar titled Blackburn Bushland Corridor,2019 he mentions:
In 1975/76 the City of Nunawading, with the support of some community donations, purchased 5.8ha from Camberwell Grammar plus 13.4 ha from the MMBW.
In 1976 the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) awarded a Landscape Classification to Blackburn Lake. The citation states:
‘those parts of the physical environment, both natural and man-made, which in the Trust’s view are essential to the heritage of Australia and which must be preserved ……. the area is an oasis in suburbia which it is now engulfed. The lake and its environs remain largely in their natural condition, providing a haven for many bird species’. ‘The importance of the environmental values provides a major link between residents and has led to greater social cohesiveness’.
To view a drone’s eye view of Blackburn Lake please click here:
Blackburn Lake Sanctuary in Melbourne by Drone [2.7K 60fps]
The future for the City of Whitehorse
Since the early 1850’s the land around what became known as the Blackburn Lake has been used for farmland, mining, a flower farm and orchards and since its creation in 1888 it has been used as a source of irrigation water, recreation, diving and swimming competitions, concerts, boating, film production and by schools for swimming lessons.
In 1965 the lake was declared a sanctuary and continues to be enjoyed by locals today but without the variety and number of community and other events that used to take place there.
Recognition of the work done by Blackburn residents George A. Goodwin and Thomas R.B Morton in creating the Blackburn Lake should be acknowledged. More information such as pamphlets and heritage interpretation panels should be available to visitors and local residents about how and when the manmade lake was created and its relationship to surrounding housing developments since the late 1880’s.
The Whitehorse council and those interested in preserving our heritage should consider ways of recognising George A. Goodwin and Thomas R.B Morton’s contributions and legacy.
Sources:
©Whitehorse Heritage