April 2006 - Chewton.net

FRYERSTOWN
It is often said that those who made most from the gold rush era were not the diggers but those who supplied the
diggers - the storekeepers. Some of the first to see the opportunities were those who had settled land for agriculture
prior to the discovery of gold. If in the right place, they were able to do well out of “farm gate” sales of their products
such as meat, dairy products and even vegetables, to passing travellers to the diggings.
As tent townships grew up there was a big demand for food and for all sorts of goods - picks, boots, blankets, to
mention a few. Some store keepers were there early to supply the demand and many others became store keepers by
making use of trips to Melbourne to collect their own stores and loading up the dray on the return journey with handy
goods to sell. If they found storekeeping easier and more profitable, they stayed with it, became licensed gold buyers
and made their gold that way.
A number of stores that started on the goldfields went on to establish themselves in Melbourne, the names often lasting
well into the 20 th century. Ball and Welch Ltd was founded in Vaughan in 1855 by two women bringing trunks of
haberdashery from England for sale on the goldfields. Ball and Welch became a large department store in Flinders
Street, Melbourne. Mr Godfree had a bakery in Godfree’s Lane Yapeen and also a bakery in Castlemaine. They later
traded in Melbourne as King and Godfree. Their original building in Carlton is still there on the corner of Lygon and
Faraday Streets and still trades as King and Godfree.
In Fryerstown, Hugh and Isaac Moore in 1852 opened the first store in a tent. By 1857 they needed to expand, and
later in 1870 they built a large double fronted sandstone store with storage rooms and stables at the back. In their
heyday they employed about 20 people and became Moore and Reid. Reid later became sole proprietor trading as
Reid and Co. It seems the Moore Bros then went to Melbourne and opened up in Chapel Street, Prahran (remember
Moore’s Corner?). In 1853, the Hallensteins (later of Footscray) were storekeepers at Fryers Creek but presumably
only briefly.
In 1852 William Church opened a store at Churches Flat, Fryerstown. After four years he sold out to Bergin Bros who
established a chain of 8 or 9 stores in the Fryerstown area! According to George Brown, it was reported in 1857 they
were selling 100 tons of general merchandise a week and as licensed gold buyers they were buying 1500 to 2000
pounds worth of gold a week. After a few years when the partnership was dissolved, Mr J D Bergin sold the stores
and bought a sheep station.
St Patrick’s Day on 17 March had me thinking about the Shamrock Hotel in the Irishtown area of Fryerstown. Only
a flattened area now remains, but it was notorious in its day and I am sure there would have been a few wild Irish
ghosts around on St Patrick’s Day!
The next film night is 22 April showing Man’s Favourite Sport (1963) with Rock Hudson. Also Zorro’s Fighting
Legion Ep. 3. 7.30 pm at Fryerstown Mechanics Institute Hall. Bring a chair. Kay Thorne.
Jess is preparing for Easter!
Have a Happy Easter and drive safely.
We will be closed on the 13th April
and re-open on the 19th April.
(Yes we are having a longer break)
Rhone
Mechanical Repairs
Ph. 5472 2546 or 5472 2374
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
Not a lot to report this month … in fact it is pretty quiet all round.
The only real action is new building, with plenty going on up Adelaide
Street, and action up near the railway line on Steele Street.
Relocatable homes are on the go as well, with lots of nice new
people moving in.
There’s only one house appearing on the market this month.
Cassidy’s have a 50’s house with three bedrooms for sale at 179
Main Road for only $169,000. Spend a few bob and you would
have an ‘up to the minute’ rock solid family home.
If you’re wondering what Stuart’s sign on the corner of O’Hallorans
Road and Golden Point Road is all about, drive up and have a look.
They have a nice 2 acre block on Vineyard Road for just $150,000.
It’s a beauty! Keith Richardson.
FISH IN EXPEDITION PASS
In July 2001 Issue 29 of the Chat reported that a fish survey in
Expedition Pass Reservoir had netted 2 golden perch (yellow belly),
9 red fin and 3 tench. Fish stocking of the res was reported as 1,000
golden perch a year since 1997 and 250 Murray cod a year since
2001.
A reliable source reported a recent sighting of a school of
sizeable fish near the spillway! That should be heartening news
for the many anglers who fish there.