|
|
|||
|
Indented Head Indented Head is a tranquil settlement south-east of Portarlington, on the eastern edge of the Peninsula and the western shore of Port Phillip Bay. The beach offers safe swimming and the foreshore area is very pleasant. There is an excellent bicycle track from Indented Head to Portarlington. The area is ideal for camping, fishing and walking. The area is well sourced with boat ramps, various types of holiday accommodation, and fishing.
A stone cairn on a small reserve at Indented Head marks the spot where Batman landed in May 1835, before proceeding to the head of the bay where his party encountered the future site of Melbourne, en route to the You Yangs. Memories of Indented Head as told by Lynette (Lewis) Chambers . Members of the Portarlington History Group were fortunate enough to meet up with this remarkable woman and her family during December/January 2005/06. Lynette's grandparents (father's side) came from Yorkshire and settled in what was known as German Town . (Grovedale). They had one son, and four daughters. Her father, Herbert Hague Lewis worked in Belmont stringing tennis racquets before ill-health saw the family move to Indented Head. Here he purchased a forty-acre farm from a Herbert Johnston. The farm ran between the Esplanade, McDonald Street , and Ibbotson Road with a small house backing onto McDonald Street . The old front gate to the farmhouse is now replaced with the name Lewis Street . Herbert Lewis was a hard working man, and times were tough. Once after digging up a crop of carrots, and carting them to Portarlington for the " Edina " to carry to the Melbourne market, he received a bill for the market fees, as there was an excess of carrots at that time. Herbert decided that there must be an easier way to support a family, and turned his hand to building. In the late 1920s he built some of the boatsheds for the wealthy from Geelong who had holiday blocks along the Esplanade. Eight of these still stand today, and as you can see from the concrete moulds they will be standing for a few years longer. Some people lived in the boatsheds, but after the war the Foreshore Committee stopped this. The building of the sheds provided the family with an income, with up to eight tradesmen staying with them. The wages at that time were about one shilling an hour. One of the first to build a holiday house was Steve Wrathall who made his money from selling water to the Kalgoorlie miners. He was instrumental in forming the Batman Park Foreshore Committee to manage the foreshore. He planted Golden Cyprus and Green Cyprus alternatively along the foreshore to recreate the English Countryside, but only the green ones surviving. The committee made many rules; one in particular allowed residents with property along the Esplanade, to build boatsheds in certain places, but not in front of the Reserve. When Herbert asked if he could build a shed in front of his property he was refused, until he pointed out that he owned more property then they did, and yet they had built some of their sheds in front of his farm. He built eight in total using a concrete mould, naming one "Lynford" after his parent's hometown in England . It was Steve Wrathall who thought of building the Batman Memorial to celebrate Batman's 100th anniversary landing at Indented Head. Herbert Lewis was asked to build the monument, with stone carted from the nearby sea. Herbert also built the stone and cement seat nearby. The two labourers at the time who assisted with this project were Mr Harding and Mr Willey from Portarlington. There is no documented record of this man building the boatsheds, nor building the memorial. at the anniversary landing all the accolades went to Mr Wrathall. However, those who manage the foreshore should consider placing a plaque on the seat as a memorial to Herbert Hague Lewis.
Master Mariner Captain William Chalmers Forbes. I discovered Captain Forbes when I was researching the SS Edina ; people today have many stories of him in his later years. His grandson still lives in Portarlington, and he has fond memories of Captain Forbes taking him to school in the horse and jinker. Captain Forbes and the Edina worked together for 40 years carrying passengers, and local produce across the bay. In an interview in 1898, Forbes stated that he had to date, made over 5000 trips and carried over three quarter of a million passengers. William Chalmers Forbes was born in Fife Scotland and went to sea at the age of 15. He came to Australia on the Loch Katrine in 1873, and became Master of a small trading vessel the Athletic on the Melbourne-Geelong run for about five years. He passed Indented Head regularly and expressed a desire to land there. One day he dropped anchor and rowed to the beach at Indented Head and saw this as a place where he would like to retire. This he did, purchasing over three acres of land. Although his house is still standing, the only evidence of the original house is the two internal doorways which are very small like those on ships. The tree that Forbes planted now has heritage listing thanks to the current owner. His knowledge of the sea was astonishing, and he was frequently involved in collisions with other sea faring vessels. Despite fronting the Marine Board several times, he was never charged with negligence. It was during his time as Captain of the Edina he designed a device to record a ship's distance. He fitted this device to the Edina , and after successful trials from Portarlington to Portland , patent rights were secured in 1902. These trails attracted the attention of the shipping world, and after a local syndicate was formed in 1905 he travelled first to Germany then to England to place the device on the market. There is little documentation available about the syndicate, there is a reference to the Melbourne Tramways Trust financing the venture, and in 1909 the patent was sold to a British Company with the Trust retaining a 33% interest. In England , Forbes had several meetings with the British Admiralty, and in 1905 it was fitted to the Destroyer, "Eden" to test the design. In 1906 it was fitted to the Channel Steamers, " Hermoine" and " Gladiator" which belonged to the London and Southern Western Railway Company. However in 1908, the British Navy fitted the design to four of its new destroyers, the names of two of these were The Swift and The Tartar and while the names of the Navy personnel are recorded, there is restricted access on defence records. It has taken some time to compile this information, and I will continue to extend on this story once I have access to additional material. I, like Jack Loney, believe Captain Forbes deserves a place in maritime history. If you have any stories about Captain Forbes or the Edina please phone 5259 1593 or write PO Box 188 Portarlington , Victoria , Australia. Not to be published without the permission of the author.Lorraine Stokes
Picnic Areas Numerous picnic areas are dotted along the Esplanade, and barbeque areas are signposted. Visitors are encouraged to leave the area as they find it. St Leonards Yet, as you read, it is with amazement that one man could be responsible for the development. James Langdon, a landowner in 1849 and his partner, a Melbourne merchant, Captain George Ward Cole purchased over 750 acres along the foreshore that extends from Indented Head to St Leonard's today. The wood from this land was used to heat the houses of Melbourne as Captain Cole provided the firewood. To transport the wood to Melbourne, he built a pier at St Leonard's so the ships could berth, load and unload. The township at the time consisted of a hotel, (Smileys) store and a few houses. The original hotel was located where the car parking area is now and was the major point of call for weary sailors and visitors. Unfortunately, the hotel was destroyed by fire in 1904, and the new one located across the road. Houses that have a clear view of the water replace the paddocks along the esplanade. The pier juts out a little further now and is visible as you drive from Indented Head. Various types of fish can be caught from the pier, and some of the beautiful Couta boats are moored here on a permanent basis. The Bellarine Herald November 21 1896 writes
Weekend Markets
|
 |
Dogs
are permitted along the beach area at certain times of the year,
however they must be walked on a lease unless it is a dog friendly
area.