The opening of the Whittlesea railway in 1889 saw stations established at South Morang, South Yan Yean and Yan Yean, the names causing considerable confusion (particularly between the latter two)
The impetus for a change had been building for some years and a public meeting held in the Yan Yean Mechanic’s Hall on 7 October, 1911 presided over by the President of the Shire, Cr. Robert Bassett decided to ask the Government to change the name of the district from South Yan Yean, a motion moved and passed that the name of “Plenty” be sent in, and failing the Government accepting that, the name ” Mernda”‘ to be substituted, although one dissident moved an amendment that the existing name be retained, otherwise he would have to alter the name on his milk cans! [1]
Early in 1912, the Whittlesea Council formally moved to have South Yan Yean altered to Plenty, but met with a rebuff from the Postmaster-General’s Department as there was a post office of that name in Tasmania, and while “Mernda” was acceptable to the Railways Department, it was not to the postal officials : no reason was initially given, but it later emerged that there were concerns over confusion with a town “Merinda” in Queensland. It was suggested the name “Yangoora” had been submitted to the Secretary of Railways, this also rejected as too close to Yarragon in country Victoria. [2]
Regardless of the rejection, Whittlesea Council continued to push for the name “Plenty” with both the Postal and Railways Departments through the local M.L.A., Robert Harper, the situation developing into a classic “chicken-and-egg” scenario with the Railways unwilling to change to a name that was not acceptable to the Postal Department and the latter adamant that “Plenty” would not be allowed.
(In mid-1912, there was a half-hearted move to re-name Scrubby Creek to Linton Vale, but not seriously considered as there was already a Linton in Victoria : the name was subsequently altered to the rather mundane Humevale in 1925).
On 25 February, 1913, a two-man deputation (Crs. Thomas and James) attended on the Deputy Postmaster General and took a different tack, insisting that they were not really asking for a new name, just the restoration of that by which the district was known prior to construction of the reservoir. Cr. William Reid later produced hard evidence in the form of two envelopes addressed to his father in 1851 and 1855 bearing the official postmark “Plenty”. [3]
It is unclear what changed the attitude of postal officials, but on 21 March, 1913, the Evelyn Observer was able to report “we have it on good authority” that the Postmaster-General had decided to allow the name of South Yan Yean to be altered to Mernda. The first official report on the change appeared in The Herald of 9 April, 1913. [4]
At the April meeting of the Whittlesea Council, a letter from the Postmaster-General was tabled, confirmed that he had given approval for the name of the post office at South Yan Yean to be changed to “Mernda” and reiterating that he could not consider Plenty because of the office in Tasmania. He also suggested a case had come to notice in which complaints were made by residents of Trafalgar in Western Australia who had mail intended for them to be delivered in the town of the same name in Victoria. [5]
“Mernda” is believed derived from a Woiwurrung (Wurundjeri) word meaning earth.
Despite the late change, an Electoral Division of Mernda was one of the original 75 seats proclaimed in 1900 prior to the first Australian election following Federation on 1 January, 1901. The electorate spread to include Lilydale, Mitcham, Seymour and Yea, and following a redistribution on 13 July 1906, the towns of Gisborne and Kyneton.
Throughout its existence, the seat was held by just one man, Robert Harper, who retired from politics after another re-distribution on 1 February, 1913; Harper previously held the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of East Bourke which included most of the area to the north of Melbourne. [6]
[1] Evelyn Observer : 13 October, 1911 : http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60654778
[2] Evelyn Observer : 16 February, 1912 : http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60655212
[3] Evelyn Observer : 14 March, 1913 : http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60656938
[4] Evelyn Observer : 21 March, 1913 : http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60656981
[5} Evelyn Observer : 25 April, 1913 : http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60657199
[6] Australian Dictionary of Biography : http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/harper-robert-6572
