The Shires of Whittlesea and Epping : 1918
According to the Municipal Directory of 1918, the Shire of Whittlesea comprised :
Arthur’s Creek, Bruce’s Creek, Bundoora, Doreen, Eden Park, Epping (population 625), Mernda, South Yan Yean (700), Merriang, Morang (South, 725), Nutfield, Scrubby Creek, Tanck’s Corner, Thomastown (283), Whittlesea (800), Woollert, Woodstock (275) and Yan Yean.
(The handful living at Tanck’s Corner can be excused for being confused – it also was listed under the Shire of Eltham – fortunately no one from there was listed as a casualty).
All of the place names today remain with the exception of possibly the best – the inhabitants of Scrubby Creek took themselves a little too seriously and decided in 1925 to change the name to the more respectable (but very mundane) Humevale.
There were two other local areas not mentioned in the Directory.
Separation (so-named because there was a subdivision in 1851, the year Victoria separated from New South Wales) was a small settlement about a kilometre west of Mernda, and Glenvale, the latter notable for a senior cadet camp which had the facility to accept local enlistments.
Population-wise, Whittlesea was one of the smaller in the state, but at the start of the war, it was only a shadow of its 1918 glory.
Prior to 1915, both the Shires of Whittlesea and Epping functioned independently, but both were in financial difficulties and on 1 October, 1915, the existing Shire of Epping was abolished and the area that it covered was effectively merged into Whittlesea, viz., Eden Park, Epping, Merriang, Thomastown, Woollert and Woodstock.
Epping was declared a District on 25 July, 1864, became part of Darebin Shire on 7 October, 1870 and renamed as Epping 22 March, 1894. Before the amalgamation with Whittlesea, the area covered 81 square miles and boasted a total of 315 dwellings and a population of 1315 people.
Whittlesea was declared a District on 12 December, 1862, a Shire in 1870 and with the boundaries redefined ion 31 May, 1897.
In 1918 and after the inclusion of Epping and its environs, Whittlesea covered 215 square miles, had 822 dwellings and population of 3,280 (compared with Eltham, 200 square miles, 810 dwellings and a population estimated at 3,500). The Municipal Directory of 1915 before the merger with Epping shows the townships within Whittlesea had a total population of 1950.
During the way years, Whittlesea did not have its own newspaper, but the local affairs were covered in some detail by the Evelyn Observer (from 1917 known as the Eltham and Whittlesea Advertiser) as well as the Preston Leader which include the areas covered by the Shire in casualty lists, although it rarely gave details of a serviceman’s demise or private life.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Shire
Arthur’s Creek : Agricultural and fruit-growing district with state school, church, public hall, mechanic’s institute and free library. Rail to Hurstbridge, 22¾ miles, fares,2s.6d. and 1s.8d., coach at 9.15 am, fare 1s. C. Murphy, pm (post master).
Bruce’s Creek : Settlement on creek towards Wallan with state school. Beautiful falls 3 miles distant. Rail to Whittlesea, then three miles.
Bundoora : Horticultural district. Rail to Regent, 7¾ miles, fares 6d and 5d., coach at 6.45 am, 5 miles, fare 6d. M. Emms, pm.
Doreen : Dairying district with state school, post office, public hall, church, athletics club, recreation ground and store. Rail to Mernda, coach 2 miles, fare, 6d. W. H. Gentz, pm.
Eden Park : Hamlet three miles from Woodstock. W. Ellwood, pm.
Epping : Agricultural and dairying district on Darebin Creek with post office, two state and denominational schools, three churches, public library (over 400 vols), hall, police station, hotel and cemetery. Rail, 13 miles, fares 1s.6d, 1s.2d. E Garside pm.
Merriang : Pastoral district. Rail to Beveridge, 26 miles, fares, 3s.2d and 2s. 4d., thence three miles. H McDenn, pm.
Morang (South) : Agricultural township on Plenty River with state school, place of worship, Rechabite and Unity halls, insurance agency and two hotels. Rail, 16¾ miles. Fare, 1s.3½d and 11½d. E. Purvis, pm.
Mernda (South Yan Yean) : Agricultural township with state school, savings bank, post office, three churches, branch of bank, mechanic’s institute (Shire offices), recreational and Rechabite halls, athletics clubs, coffee palace and hotel. Rail, 20 miles. Fares 1s.6d and 1s.2d. E. Garside, pm.
Nutfield : Fruit-growing district, Rail to Heidelberg, coach at 9.15 am, four miles, fare 1s.
Scrubby Creek : Settlement with state school and post-office. Rifle club. Rail to Whittlesea, coach Mon, Thu, Sat, three miles. Fare 1s.
Tanck’s Corner : Fruit-growing district. Rail, Diamond Creek, 19½ miles, fares 1s.6d and 1s.1d, hence three miles.
Thomastown : Agricultural town on Epping-road with state school, two churches, post-office, hotel. Rail 11 miles, fares 10d. and 8d. B. Clinnick, pm.
Whittlesea : Agricultural and pastoral township at foot of Plenty Ranges with post, telegraph and money-order office, state school, four churches, mechanic’s institute, branches of two banks, court house, free library, insurance agency, agricultural society, coffee palace and two hotels. Rail, 28½ miles, fares 3s.2d and 2s.4d. M. Lockwood, pm.
Wollert : Agricultural and dairying district. Rail to Epping, hence four miles E. G. Pittard, pm
Woodstock : Farming and dairying district. Rail to Donnybrook, 20¾ miles. Fares, 1s.10d, 1s.4d., thence four miles. Dennis Tuttle, pm.
Yan Yean : Agricultural township as base of Plenty Ranges with state school, post-office and telephone office, store and cemetery. Agricultural society, Locate of large storage reservoir supplied by Silver and Wallaby Creeks and Upper Plenty River and Jack’s Creek.
