Thursday, July 25, 2019

Olney House via Point Leo and Shoreham by Gwenda Owens


http://olneyfamilyarchives.blogspot.com.au


OLNEY HOUSE via Point Leo and Shoreham

Through My Eyes From 1927


Introduction:

Our residence is called OLNEY HOUSE. Named in recognition of our family.
Grandfather and Grandmother Olney or great grandfather and great grandmother or great, great grandfather and great, great grandmother, depending on generation, started our holiday life style at Pt Leo and Shoreham. Our love of the area continues to grow.

We hope you enjoy your stay at Olney House, the beaches and the hospitality offered at the many local attractions.

Below is a history of how we came to be at Shoreham.

Author: Gwenda Owens (nee Olney) born February 1926.

Gwenda Olney

Gwenda Owens
  
Bert and Gwenda Owens.


In 1919-1920 or there about, my parents Arthur Edgar Olney and Doris Gwendolyne Olney first came to holiday at Pt.Leo.  They travelled in a horse driven Piono Box Buggy from East St Kilda, with three small boys.  I was yet to be born.  They came down to the foreshore pushing their way through scattered tea-tree to East Creek, Pt Leo, sometimes referred to as Pt Leo back beach. 

Pt Leo from their first visit, remained in their minds, and eventually they decided this was the ideal place to spend much of their lives.

Prior to the first holiday visit my father and his two uncles Henry and Walter Olney had visited many Western Port sites from Tooradin to Pt Leo seeking the ideal location to fish and for Henry and Walter to live.

About 1922-24 the family helped establish a track beside East Creek which has remained the entrance to the beach ever since.

My father, Arthur Olney then applied and received a 99-year lease for a quarter acre from the State Government. In 1927 he built a boat shed at East Creek.



The Shack and track down to the beachfront.
My Uncles were professional fisherman. Their dwellings can be seen to the left of the Shack.


From my birth in 1927 my summer holidays have been spent at Pt Leo. From 1928 until 1967 my holidays centred around the “The Shack” as we called our Boat Shed.



Gwenda with her mother Doris Olney early 1930’s.
  

We slept in the camps we erected surrounding the shed. As time progressed our canvas camps were replaced by caravans built by my brothers Keith, Roy and Allan and later by my husband Bert. The cars also changed as can be seen in the photos below.



Camping around the Shack 1937-38.



Camping around the Shack 1950’s.


Christmas was always spent at Pt Leo. At the start it was just me and my three brothers. They soon had girlfriends then wives then families. We enjoyed many great holidays at and around the Shack.

We ate simple meals but never went hungry. Rabbits were plentiful in the area, fish was always on the menu and mushrooms in abundance seasonally.



Gwenda’s father Arthur Olney with garfish and rabbits.


As a small girl I remember to obtain supplies such as bread and other goods we walked to the Merricks Store. Milk was obtained from Crow’s dairy farm on the north west corner of Pt Leo Rd. and Main Rd. We needed to take our own containers to carry the milk.


Merricks Store circa 1960.


We walked everywhere. Milk was a two-mile (3.2km) return walk up Pt Leo Rd. The walk to Merricks Store was twice that distance across Miss Coles’ farm, now Pt Leo Estate. This entailed walking up the cliff on the north side of East Creek across the paddock to the wooded area, skirting what is now the Sculpture park at Pt Leo Estate. Sometimes we walked back the same way but often we walked back via the Main Rd to Pt Leo Rd. as it was mostly downhill. At that time Merricks Beach was known as Coles Beach.

Miss Coles’ house is now a staff cottage at Pt Leo Estate with a section modified to provide public toilets adjoining the magnificent sculpture park.

Around the late 1920’s my father’s two uncles Henry and Walter Olney, who also obtained 99-year leases, each built two room fisherman’s shanties at the base of the cliff behind our Shack. Uncle Henry held a professional fishing license, fishing and netting in a rowing boat. They each planted vegetable gardens and until around 1998 a large Plum tree and a Fig tree remained in the area.



The two uncles Fisherman’s homes; one can be seen left of the Shack. Circa 1937
Note the tents and camping arrangements, which would now be in the 
centre of the asphalt car park at East Creek.



Gwenda with her future sister in law Olive who married Roy Olney.


During the Second World War my Uncle’s houses were occupied then subsequently demolished by defence forces and the leases relinquished. The army placed barbed wire entanglements and installed gun emplacements on the Pt Leo headland. A cave was built under the gun emplacement and remained in an eroded form until the early 1960’s. My boys played in the area from time to time.

The war meant the early life style for our families at Pt Leo was over. Fortunately, we were able to retain the boat shed.


Early Photo of Surf Beach and sand dunes, 
note lack of vegetation and wooded stumps where a jetty once stood.


After the war, holidays quickly resumed, I was married in 1948 to Bert Owens who was very keen on fishing and shared my love of Pt Leo.

Bert and I together with our three children Colin, Douglas and Geoffrey continued to camp at Pt Leo. Many friends were made with our co-campers, wonderful times were had by all.

Holiday life was simple, swimming, sunbathing, sailing, fishing and at night card games. Beach walks to the surf beach or to Shoreham or Merricks happened every second day. We entertained ourselves and loved it. Eating out was rare. For a special event such as a birthday we would eat at the Periwinkle Golden fleece roadhouse at Shoreham. Ham steaks were popular.

Before mains water, water was obtained from a well located on the top of the cliff top to the left side of where Murray Drive meets Western Parade. From the 50’s we would get regular deliveries from the butcher, baker and the ice man. Ice blocks were essential for our coolers.



Picture taken 1954 shows Point Leo Point (headland) to the south, 
and the point at the centre of the photo with a low tree is where the fresh water well was located. 
 Gwenda with eldest son Colin.



Throughout the 50’s Christmas in the Shack was shared with my brothers Keith and Roy and their families. Allan and his family had moved to Sydney. 

Christmas lunch was a big effort as the combined families were quite large and to get everyone seated around the home-made table on trestle seats was difficult. My mother cooked for everyone on the old cast iron wood stove in the boat shed. The old wood stove cooked most of our meals and heated the solid-state Irons used to iron clothes. The old table still exists in our current boat shed.

Fishing in the sea and in East Creek was enjoyed by the men with plentiful returns. Whiting, flathead, garfish and flounder were always available. Eels from East creek were regarded by some as a delicacy but by others, especially the children, as retched. 

East Creek was regularly blocked by sand build up. It was always a great event when the creek blockage was dug out and let escape into the sea. The trench dug to about two spade widths and 20m long expanded to up to 5m wide of gushing water. At other times we would all swim and play in the creek as the water was always fresh and clear. 



                                          The Griffith family's boat shed roof can be seen to the extreme left. 
                                   The Olney Shack to the right of photo on the bank of East Creek, Pt Leo in 1930s.


I lost my mother, Doris Olney in 1961. My father, Arthur Olney after living for many years in Fethers Rd Balnarring, between the Westernport Yacht Club and Merricks Creek moved north and settled in Hervey Bay Qld. He made the trip back, returning about Christmas each year until he could no longer do so, finally coming home in 1978 and passing away a few months later.

Our family’s association with Point Leo includes my cousin Nancy Heath who resided in the house on the corner of Pt Leo Rd and Western Parade which is now owned by Simon Trigger of Trigger Bros Surfing. She had previously lived in a home built by my father around 1936 before moving to the corner residence.

A fire which raged across the open paddock which is now the powered caravan park unfortunately contributed and led to her death.

My Mother was a cousin to Joyce and Cyril Smith who lived in Western Parade, Pt. Leo, their residence was named Bali Hi. 

Lotti Woods opened and ran the General Store from where many campers were able to get core grocery items and other miscellaneous perishables, which was very much appreciated by the camping fraternity. I am unsure when the store opened, but think it was around 1960. Lottie sold the store and moved to Queensland.  

At the request of the Foreshore Committee, in 1967 the old Shack was demolished to make way for a turntable and car park to enable better public access. This part of the beach (East Creek) had become very popular. The family was given permission to establish a boat shed at the other end of the camping area, and was allocated what is now camp-site 1.



Our new boat shed (Shack) with caravan and annex on Camp site 1 (Circa 1970).



My grand-daughter Cheryl is on the catamaran.


At this time our lives were changing, in the early 60’s my two brothers Keith and Roy who had always holidayed with their families at Pt Leo built nearby holiday houses, Keith at Balnarring and Roy at Shoreham.

Roy’s house in Howard St Shoreham was the first built on the estate in the area known as New Shoreham where Olney House is located. 60 years later Roy’s house still remains in the family.

As my brothers’ interest in the “Shack” waned, Bert and I took over. Colin our eldest son is now responsible for the Shack (boat shed). He has inherited our adoration for Point Leo.

In 1976 a major weather event occurred. After several days of severe west to south west winds and huge seas, erosion caused massive havoc to our beach. Tons of sand disappeared; many shrubby trees just fell into the water and were washed away.



                                  The family filling sand bags to prevent the shack from being undermined in 1976.



More than sand bags were required to save our shack and foreshore land, 
as that whole recreational and camping area was far too valuable to see it disappear.




Ports and Harbours decided to construct a rock wall to save the area. The swiftness of the erosion was unbelievable. 
My father on viewing the wall said “the sand will return”, I remarked “never”!


My father was adamant the sand would return. He said erosion was cyclical influenced by weather, sand movement and tides; that sand will continue to move and create fresh erosion in one area while relocating sand to other areas. He said it has always happened and always will; that the many modern day, so called, man-made impacts were theories which did not take account of history.

He was right. Today the rock wall is covered with sand build up and the surf beach is eroding. Of the 22 steps in the stairs down the rock wall to the beach (photo below) only 5 are now visible.

In 1994 after another bout of high winds and huge seas the Shack was threatened again the seas taking large rocks from the wall, how mighty the power of the water. 



                                    
It was amazing to see the camping area covered with the smaller back fill rocks that were 15cm and larger, originally placed behind the wall, now littering the area.  Once again the wall required massive maintenance.



Post and rail and second Rock wall in place following repairs in 1994.



 Erosion caused by the 1994 storm.



                                                                          Rocks littering the camping area.


In all my 90 years plus at Pt. Leo the story of the erosion was the most dramatic.

I must mention that in the early days the cliffs in this area including along East creek were mostly bare, with very little vegetation. It is very different now, plenty of trees have been planted and the cliffs and surrounding areas are covered with vegetation.

In the early 1980’s my second son Doug chose to holiday with his family at Shoreham. Getting a suitable site at Pt Leo was nigh on impossible. Close to Pt Leo the quiet, natural setting of Shoreham was appealing. A leisurely or brisk walk between the two camping grounds became the norm with Doug and Mary’s children spending much time at the Pt Leo Surf Life Saving Club.

The family friendly Shoreham experience has been great for Doug’s family with lifelong friendships formed. A mirror image of my Pt Leo days.




Point Leo Surf Beach with Life Saving Club in the background. circa 1984.
Gwenda’s husband Bert with good friend and fellow camper Bob Schreiber.



The sand begins to return at East Creek. photo 1996.



The sand continues to return and foreshore grasses are established 2012.



Photo looking towards Merricks 2016.



East Creek spit 2016


Our family continues to camp and holiday at East creek, Pt Leo and Shoreham. Me, my bones are not what they once were and I leave this beautiful camping experience at Pt Leo and Shoreham to my sons, their wives, children and their children’s children, my great grandchildren. I know their love for the area is strong.

Recently the family purchased a property at 24 Pine Grove Shoreham. I am proud they have called the property Olney House. I know my parents who started the Pt Leo/Shoreham experience would be equally proud.


I acknowledge and give credit to the work of Gwenda Owens (with the help of her son Doug).  I have enjoyed reading this piece of history.  I married into the Olney family in 1964 and have fond memories of camping with the Olneys at Pt Leo from 1960.

If you wish to contact me, please email me at joyolney@gmail.com

Should you wish to stay at Olney House you can book a holiday through Home Away/stayz
https://www.homeaway.com.au/holiday-rental/p7690764


Friday, May 31, 2013

Olney family reunion in Geelong 8 August 1999

http://olneyfamilyarchives.blogspot.com.au


In August 1999 there was an Olney family reunion in Geelong, Victoria to celebrate 150 years since the first Olney family came to Australia (Peter's family).  At this reunion a book, compiled by Keith R.Collyer "The Family of Charles and Martha Olney" was launched.  Then in September 1999 I went to Brisbane for the launch of a book written by Glen Petfield "The Australian Petfield Family 1888-1999" (Joy's family). At that time neither of us knew much more than who our grand parents were.  I soon became hooked and have developed quite a passion for family history.

Much of the information I will share in these Olney blogs has come from a book compiled by Keith R.Collyer "The Family of Charles and Martha Olney" in August 1999, reprinted with corrections and expanded by Joy Olney and Valmai Olney August 2006, edited by Fiona Olney-Fraser, printed and bound by Ross Olney at ROBO Marketing.
A copy of the book can be purchased by contacting Ross Olney at rosco.olney@gmail.com 

I acknowledge and give credit to the copyright work of Keith R.Collyer (desceased) in his book "The Family of Charles and Martha Olney". This extract below is from the Dedication.

"The Geelong reunion on 8 August 1999 was dedicated to Charles Olney born 1804, and his wife Martha (nee Purser) born 1806, who migrated from Pulloxhill, Bedfordshire on the "Medway" with their nine children and future son-in-law, William Rutland.  Their eldest daughter Ann was married and stayed in England.  After one hundred and two days at sea the family arrived at Point Henry near Geelong on 9 August 1849".

I have added to the blogs my own photos taken in 2007 while visiting England with family, also other family photographs taken more locally.

Descendents of  David and Louisa Olney on 8 August 1999

Descendents of David and Louisa Olney 8 August 1999

Descendents of David and Louisa Olney 8 August 1999

Olney cousins - Peter Olney, Diane Miniards, Margaret Cross, Marjorie Olney August 1999

At the reunion on 8 August 1999 I met Valmai Olney and she said there was "a difference of opinion" on some aspects of the research included in "The Family of Charles and Martha Olney" reunion book. Much of the information contained in the book came from another book "From Codicote to Carievale, The Olney Family" by A.Gordon Keys. Larry Olney from Canada had engaged A.Gordon Keys at great expense to have the Olney family researched in England, taking 4 years to have the book finally published in 1991. 

I acknowledge and give credit to the copyright work of A.Gordon Keys (desceased) in his book "From Codicote to Carivale, The Olney Family".

In 2002 I went about discovering for myself what the "difference of opinion" was by reading both books and studying Valmai Olney's Family Tree - and I found the problem!

In 2003, soon after my discovery, a number of Olneys were invited by Barbara & Ross Olney to meet Larry & Anita Olney who were visiting Australia. Peter and I were asked to have Larry & Anita stay with us.  Yes, the Larry Olney who had financed the book "From Codicote to Carievale, The Olney Family".  I took courage to show Larry the error - he was very gracious in accepting the error as it was quite obvious when pointed out. 

Ross Olney and Joy Olney went about correcting and reprinting "The Family of Charles and Martha Olney" in 2006. 

The error was basically about a James Olney christened 6 February 1748, married to Ann and a James Olney christened 2 August 1745, married to Anne French. They were mistaken to be the same person. James Olney born 1748 was the grandson of William and Sarah Brownsell, while James Olney born 1745 was the grandson of Richard and Mary Clarke. William and Richard were brothers.  Three generations later the book continues with the correct lineage from James Olney 1745 and Anne French.  Their son Francis Olney born 16 August 1778 and Elizabeth Irons had 10 children. Their second child was Charles Olney born 1804 and married to Martha Purser - the subjects of our reunion book.  

The emphasis of the book "From Codicote to Carievale, the Olney Family" was on "our William", "our Samuel", and "our James". It should have been about "our Richard, "our Richard" and "our James". Because A.Gordon Keys did so much research on the Olneys of that era, and as William and Richard were brothers, information about William and Sarah, Samuel and Sarah, James and Ann and their descendents has been included.  This helps us understand what life was like in those days.

The following extract is from "The Family of Charles and Martha Olney" compiled by Keith R.Collyer and found in the Dedication.
 
"Charles was accidentally shot on 10 April 1868 at age 64.  He is remembered by the sad, confident and appropriate quote from Proverbs 27 on his headstone".

"Boast not thyself of tomorrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth."

Charles Olney is buried under a large Peppercorn Tree at Geelong Eastern Cemetery

Charles Olney's tombstone
The following extract is from "The Family of Charles and Martha Olney" compiled by Keith R.Collyer in the Dedication.


"Charles Olney is buried at Geelong Eastern Cemetery (Church of England section OA506).
A plaque has since been added to the headstone in memory of Martha’s death on 7 January 1889.

Although born nearly two hundred years ago and so far away, we can experience and appreciate their care for their family - now us - in the epitaph in the Rutland family Bible."

                             
                               "Martha Olney died 7 January 1889 Dearest Grandmama"



Martha Olney 1868 in Ballarat
The following Foreword by Ross Olney is included in the book "The Family of Charles and Martha Olney" compiled by Keith R.Collyer (desceased).

     "The Family of Charles and Martha Olney" 

Foreword by Ross Olney November 2005

Many families write books about themselves detailing their origins and the history of the day as a result of identifying their forebears. This book is no different in that respect, however the original work was not that of an Olney by name, but by Keith R. Collyer who passed away on 14 February 2003.

Keith became interested in the Olney name as a consequence of having two great grandmothers who were born “Olneys”. He became fascinated not so much with the Olney name, but with how his two great grandmothers were or were not related to each other. He found that both great grandparents were children of Charles and Martha Olney who migrated to Australia in 1849. To add to this intrigue the two Olney sisters (Elizabeth and Emma) married two Rutland brothers (William and George). We believe they were the first Olney family to migrate to Australia however they were not the only one. How the other Olneys are related to Charles and Martha is unknown at this stage. Much of the early history in this book was researched and written by A. Gordon Keys and has progressively been updated and corrected.

Keith as a descendant of Charles and Martha Olney identified over 3000 descendants of both sex, not just “males”, with the name Olney. Keith, with the assistance of his wife Madge, Rob and Lyn Olney, my wife Barbara and I, arranged a gathering to celebrate 150 years since the arrival of Charles and Martha Olney in Australia. The first edition of the book was published to coincide with this event and over 300 people, mainly descendants, attended the reunion in Geelong on 8 August 1999.

Genealogy could be an exact science, the data is available somewhere. It is finite and many family members have knowledge of this detail or that. Unfortunately in practise, genealogy is like a game where it is easier to connect the dots than find the dots to connect. Consequently this is a “living” work. New information comes to light which can enhance, modify or make redundant what was thought to be accurate at the time; hence this book has been corrected, expanded and republished several times. This process has been assisted significantly by contributions from Valmai Olney and Joy Olney. This edition is unlikely to be the last. We will continue to look at expanding the early history of the Olneys and add to the growing list of descendants of Charles and Martha in Australia. We have an extensive database and are always happy to provide details and accept information to expand the knowledge base, and to assist people to discover their connection to Charles and Martha Olney. To access some of the data more easily and keep it up-to-date more readily, a website has been created (see inside front cover). We trust you enjoy reading this book. In turn we ask that you help us keep it “alive” by advising us of any changes, corrections, suggestions or additions.

Through the efforts and dedication of the numerous people mentioned above, many people and future generations will be able to track their connection to the arrival of Charles and Martha Olney in Australia and back to England as far as 1549.


Please note: Ross Olney was the keeper of the Olney family tree, but in 2020 he handed it over to Joy Olney. If you have information that needs to be corrected or added to, please contact Joy Olney by email -  joyolney@gmail.com

You can order your own hard copy of "The Family of Charles and Martha Olney" by clicking on -
http://olneygenealogy.weebly.com

If you wish to contact the author of these Olney Family Archives blogs with corrections or further information, please email Joy Olney at joyolney@gmail.com

These blogs have been written as another way of sharing the Olney family history with those interested. They do not cover all branches. My interest primarily is with the "David" Olney branch with parents Charles and Martha Olney.

Peter and Joy Olney were fortunate enough to visit England in 2007 and visited many of the churches, places, houses  and villages written about in the books by Keith Collyer and A.Gordon Keys.  More recent generations in Australia are also included in the Olney Family Archives Blog.