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John Calvert Bell

27/9/2016

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PictureMary Kathleen Alexander Bell (sister) died 13 March 1978 was also buried here





​Inscription on headstone:
In memory of
John Wilson Bell
loved son of
J C and Frances E Bell
died 10 April 1896
requiescat in pace

Bellbrae takes its name from John Calvert Bell who farmed the land behind Bells Beach during the later years of his life. It is not known if Bells Beach also takes its name from his family or from the original owner of the land, William Bell (probably no relation). For most of the time he was married to Frances Ellen (nee Wilson) he lived at Calder Park, in Torquay Road, Mount Duneed. He was an early captain of the Mount Duneed Rifle Club, resigning his position in September 1900 due to the pressure of private business.

JC Bell, who was born at The Leigh, Victoria on 15 December 1861, was the elder son of James Bell and Mary Stewart (nee Singer) who both migrated from Scotland. His mother claimed to have a family tree dating back to 1050 and was an 18th cousin of Queen Victoria. She was also connected to the Lyons family of Glamis. JC Bell attended Scotch College, Melbourne in 1871 and 1872. He enrolled at Geelong College for the 1873 year.

On 6 January 1885 he married Francis Ellen Wilson, the daughter of Charles AC Wilson the Leigh Shire Engineer, at St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne. On 9 January a grand picnic, including a cricket match was held for the people of Teesdale at the Woolbrook estate. Two children were born to the couple before coming to Mount Duneed.

Clara Irene Stewart Bell was born of 7 September 1886. She entered Loreto Abbey, Ballarat, where she died on 10 May 1971.
Naomi Frances Woolbrook (Mid) Bell was born on 20 August 1887. She was the only child to marry. On 4 November 1919 she married Captain Charles Edward O'Byrne at St Joseph's Church in Malvern. She died on 23 December 1920 in Dublin, Ireland.
​Honor Calvert Otway (Queen) Bell was born on 24 December 1889. She entered Loreto Abbey, Ballarat where she stayed until she died on 31 December 1967 at St John of God Hospital, Ballarat.
​Harold George (Sonny) Bell was born on 24 July 1891 at Calder Park, Mount Duneed. He was killed in action at Ypres on 8 October 1917.
​Mary Kathleen Alexander (Girlie) Bell was born of 16 May 1894. She died in Geelong on 13 March 1978 and is buried beside John Wilson Bell at Mount Duneed Cemetery. She had lived at "Addiscot" Belbrae with her father and later lived alone in a cottage nearby.
​John Wilson Bell was born on 1 April, 1896. He died 9 days later on 10 April and is buried at Mount Duneed Cemetery.

​JC Bell became a Winchelsea councillor in the coast riding in 1889 and later was elected to the Barrabool Shire in 1897 and served in the Coast riding until 1901. In March 1901 he was appointed a trustee of the 

Mount Duneed Cemetery.
​
Two stallions were advertised at stud during the 1899 breeding season at Calder Park - a 14 hand trotting pony stallion named Sirocco and a 12 hand pony stallion named Woodland Hero.

Frances died on 17th September 1901 at Miss Murray's private hospital in Myers Street, Geelong. The funeral left the hospital at 10:30 the next morning, arriving at Bannockburn at 1:30 on the midday train from Geelong, then proceeding to Teesdale for interment.

In April 1905 JC Bell purchased grazing land near Bells Beach which was originally owned by William Bell. "Addiscot" homestead was built on this land about 1912.

On 3 March 1908 John Calvert Bell married his first wife's sister, Irene and lived at "Addiscot". She died on 15 January 1952 at a private hospital in Geelong, aged 87. She was buried in the Roman Catholic section of the Geelong Eastern Cemetery.

John Calvert Bell died on 26 July 1937 and is buried in an unmarked grave in the old Presbyterian section of the Geelong Eastern Cemetery.



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Addiscot homestead
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Girlie
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Woolbrook, Teesdale
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Woolbrook, Teesdale
Photos from Dianne Hughes Collection State Library of Victoria

John Calvert Bell should not be confused with John Bell of "Lunan" in North Geelong. This John Bell died on 4 August 1906, after an accident three weeks prior. He was a well known squatter of the Shelford district. He had four sons and one daughter.
Reported in the Geelong Advertiser 6 August 1906 page 2

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Bakers Barn

27/9/2016

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In 1966 George Albert and Joy Baker operated a general store and newsagency on Torquay Road, Mount Duneed. Newspapers were delivered to surrounding districts including Grovedale. Cooked chickens and home made ice cream were sold, catching hungry Torquay beach goers on their way home. The many varieties of ice cream became the core trade. The newsagency was sold and operated from Peter Street, Grovedale when this shopping strip opened.

In 1972 Mr J Cordone purchased the freehold property. The petrol pumps were closed and the business became known as La Campagnola, selling take-away food and specialising in pizzas. Later it became a BYO restaurant. Gellati was made on the premises, with 5 vans selling to the public at coastal resorts and other venues. In 1978 a caravan park was opened. It is now named Geelong Surfcoast Highway Holiday Park and has motel units, deluxe cabins and ensuite powered sites. Odyssey Tavern and Brewery now operates at the site.

In the early 20th century a blacksmith, Harry Adolf, operated at this location. The business was later sold to Gus Cherry.

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Allotment G on this map of Feehans Road shows the location of the Baker dairy, that Ross mentioned in his comment.
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​In 1855, Charles Rowand, road engineer for Geelong and Western District purchased the 38 acre block and built a bluestone cottage in 1858. Charles Rowand was the engineer of the first Barwon Bridge completed in 1848.

​Charles Auguste Pierrehumbert leased the land and grapes were grown until the phylloxera disease put an end to the vineyards in the area.

​Robert Purdie was the owner in the 1880s. He was a native of Peeblesshire Scotland, arriving in Geelong in 1852 with his family. He died in August 1902 at the age of 86 at Mount Duneed. He is buried with his wife Helen (née Chisholm) in the Presbyterian section of the Geelong Eastern Cemetery. Helen died in August 1904 at the age of 84.

Robert's son John Purdie was a newsagent in Geelong. He travelled to Geelong from this home each day in a pony drawn jinker. He was not married and shared the house with his three unmarried sisters. He died on 18 May 1926, aged 79 years, and was buried with his sister, Helen, at the Geelong Eastern Cemetery.

When repair work was being carried out on this house, about 1959-60, a bottle containing newspapers dated 1858, a Maundy coin (4d value) dated 1854 and a letter from the original owner was found. It was reported on the front page of the Geelong Advertiser. About 1962-3 the land was subdivided and 10 acres was sold to Dr IJB Young, a horse veterinary surgeon.

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This is a copy of the letter in the bottle mentioned above. The Rowand family later had four more children and finally settled in Warrigul.
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Robert Smith Tuffs

23/9/2016

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St David's Lutheran Church Freshwater Creek
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The original St David's spire
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from Geelong Advertiser 26 March 1869
Robert Smith Tuffs was born in 1828. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Johnson and Elizabeth (née Todd) Barley, on 30 July 1848 at St Pancras Old Church, London. He sailed to Australia with his wife Elizabeth and 4 year old son Robert on the Maria Hay arriving in July 1854. They had the following children:
Robert Johnson — born 1849 in London, drowned 6 September 1865 when sailing near Brearley brothers' tannery aged 16 years.
William Johnson — born 1855 at Duneed, married Rosina Martin in 1882 at Germantown, died 20 October 1928 at a private hospital at Hawthorn
George — born 1858 at Duneed, died 9 May 1859 at Germantown aged 14 months
Thomas — born 1860 at Germantown, died 1861 at Germantown aged 16 months
Elizabeth Maria — born 1862 at Geelong, married Arthur Edward Brearley on 22 November 1890 at her parents residence, died on 4 October 1937 at Kew in Victoria
John Robert — born 1866 at Germantown, married Jessie Ramsay Naples on 11 March 1897 at the Ryrie Street Presbyterian Church, died 12 August 1942 in the vicinity of the Pentland Hills
Arthur — born 1870, died 25 October 1878 at Germantown at the age of 8 years of a most painful illness, arising from previous accidental injury to the brain

He lived at the Bay View Hotel (German Inn) during the time it was run by Felix Mulholland (1856-1864).

​He was one of the first councillors of the Shire of South Barwon, serving from 1857 to 1860. He was the first engineer for the shire from 1861 until his death in 1890. He was also the surveyor for the Borough of Queenscliffe. He designed the Wesleyan Church at Grovedale, the Lutheran Church in Grovedale, the Grovedale Primary School, Brearley brothers' tannery and St David's Lutheran Church at Freshwater Creek.​
​
He was also engineer at the Borough of Newtown and Chilwell for 25 years and while there he designed the Newtown Fire Station in Pakington Street. The station, which had a bell tower 40 feet high, was opened on 27 September 1884. To celebrate the opening of the new station, a dinner was held. He also designed the Prince Albert Bridge which crossed the Barwon River at the end of Shannon Avenue. The bridge was opened on 31 May 1889 at a final cost of £2,600 to which the government contributed £1,000. It had a span of 240 feet and piles 64 feet in length were driven deep into the river bed. At the opening the contractor, JW Tait of Western Australia, stated "The bridge is of sound timber and will last fully half a century." The bridge lasted until 1959 when repairs became necessary to prolong its life. In 1965 the road was re routed to less flood prone land and a new bridge was built 220 yards upstream. The Country Roads Board bore 80% of the cost and the two councils 10% each.

​He was a committee member of the Geelong Permanent Investment and Benefit Building Society which began in 1867.

He died on 27 July 1890 at the age of 62 and is buried in the Church of England section of the Geelong Eastern Cemetery.​ At the time of his death he owned two small farms at Germantown. These were sold in 1902. One of nearly 41 acres, was sold to Mr Andressen for £19/5/- per acre. The second, which comprised 18 acres, was purchased by Mr O Renzow for £21/15/- per acre.​
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Newtown and Chilwell Fire Station on left. The town hall and the surveyors office on the right. The fire station, built in 1884 in the Lombardic Romanesque style, was built by Charles Mills at the contract price of £305.

​On 6 September 1865 his son Robert Johnston Tuffs drowned at the age of 16.
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from The Age 9 September 1865​

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Prince Albert Bridge — Public Records Office Victoria VPRS 12800/P1, item H 2789
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Another son, John Robert Tuffs, born in 1866 at Grovedale, was the second engineer of the Shire of South Barwon from September 1890 to 1915 and the engineer of the Borough of Newtown and Chilwell from 1900 to 1921. He had wide experience at other shires. Living at Leigh Creek he became secretary and engineer of the Bungaree Shire Council about four years prior to his death on 12 August 1942.

He died while driving his car to Melbourne when he was overcome by a heart attack. He lost control of the car, which crashed through a fence and fell over a 20 foot embankment. The mishap occurred within three of four miles of Bacchus Marsh on the Ballarat side, in the vicinity of the Pentland hills. He left a widow and two daughters. He was buried at the Ballarat Cemetery.

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Annie Brien

16/9/2016

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Annie Brien migrated from Ireland, with her parents Henry and Deborah (née Brown) Brien, on the Chandernagore arriving in Australia in July 1854 at the age of 13 years.
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Mount Duneed Cemetery has many excellent examples of the work of the early stonemasons of Geelong. This beautiful Clement Nash monument erected in memory of Annie Brien had cracks in the base about a year ago when this photo above was taken. On my last visit to the cemetery I was sad to see a large piece of the base broken away, and with nothing to support the marble, it fell resulting in a break across the middle of the marble.

​Annie, aged 52 years, was buried on 29 March 1892.
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Freshwater Creek School

9/9/2016

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Freshwater Creek school at Mount Duneed
Teachers
1858 — J Bowen
​1859-63 — William H Wake
1864-68 — Robert Brooks
1869-71 — Joseph Edwards
1872-82 — Thomas Job
​1883-84 — ​ Thomas P Martin
1884-90 — Herman EFJ Lampe
1890-1903 — John Clappison
1903-17 — ​John R Hawse
1918-19 — Annie I Walsh
1920-25 — Russell C Hanby
​1925-26 — Mary G Murray (Mrs Smith)
1926 — Sidney Pring
1927-30 — Harold McGregor
1930-34 — Harry L Tucker
​1934 — Eileen J Lynch (Mrs King)
​1934-37 — Sidney H Gray
​1937 — Rosina E Milne
1937-42 — Ernest St J H Bingham
​1942-47 — Malcolm Greer
1942 — Sarah M Seward (Mrs)
1943 — Nancy H Hanrahan
1947 — ​Kevin P O'Hagan
1947-53 — Laurence G McFarlane
1954 — Kenneth M Kirk
1954-64 — Thomas J Kingston
1965-67 — David Singleton
​1967-69 — Donald T Reeves
1969-71 — Howard W Willis
1971-75 — Robert W Smith
1975-77 — Graham F Brown
1977-79 — George W Meadows
1980-82 — John C Evans
​1983 — Kevin C Collard
​1983 — Mrs Helen M Kreeck


The school was shifted to the grounds of Deakin University in what was called the Australian House Museum. The university had a bare paddock in front of the original buildings which became a site for early timber houses that were threatened with demolition. Subsequently the school was shifted to the grounds of Mount Duneed Regional Primary School after the house museum ceased to exist. After the move, railings and handrails were added to the front verandah and stairs, a pair of posts was added beside the stairs, the chimney was removed, the two metre long finials on the gables were removed and the double window on the right side was again replaced. This window was originally a single one and had been changed to a double with two sheets of plain glass the size of the present window. This is why it looks a little large for the style of the building.​
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Freshwater Creek school at Mount Duneed
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