What makes your Nillumbik home town/area unique? Who are the characters who have made it so? What sites have significance and why? During 2005 Nillumbik Shire Council and the Literary Reference Group invited members of the community to respond to these questions, to show us the history and flavour of your place – then and now – in a 500 word anecdote. This article by Elain Rank is reproduced here with her permission.
I was ten years old when we moved to Briar Hill. Dusty unmade roads with potholes replaced the made roads and footpaths of Thornbury where we had lived. However, it didn’t take long to fall in love with this little township that fitted cosily between Greensborough and Montmorency. If ever asked by outsiders, where do you live, and you answered Briar Hill, the response was always the same, never heard of it. Apart from the quiet simple life, there was much more to Briar Hill than most folk knew, with many highly successful businesses that kept many locals employed.
Timber Mill
Freddie Squires owned the timber mill and hardware store in Sherbourne Rd. Week in, week out trucks heavily laden with logs slowly dragged up the hill to the timber yard. My sister and I were friends with two girls whose father worked at the mill. Mr Squires had built quite a few houses in Briar Hill and some were used to house his workers. Our friends lived in one of these opposite the mill in Beaconsfield Rd.
It was the responsibility of our friend’s father to keep the kilns burning at all times. Occasionally on a Saturday night, he would over indulge with his intake of beer, and he would then turn to the four of us and ask if we would do the job for him. Armed with a torch and a fox terrier at our heels, we would make our way along the dark scary path to the kilns. We giggled excitedly as though on some big adventure, but underneath we were quite afraid. After we had done the job at hand we would rush back to the house where our friend’s mother would give us a scrumptious supper. It wasn’t long before we had forgotten our scary experience, that is, until the next time.
The Hick Bros, Syd, George and Bill had a fibrous plaster factory situated on the corner of Sherbourne Rd. and Starling St. My father worked for them for some years. Fibrous plaster fell prey to a new product
Victor Board – in the early 1960’s. On the other side of the train line Lovitt Tools was becoming a thriving business and alongside them was Gaynor Shoes, which kept a lot of women casually employed as piece-workers.
Primary School
The Primary School was situated between Gladstone Rd. and Beaconsfield Rd. only a hop, step and jump from where I lived in Williams Rd. I loved that small school. In 1950 there were only three class rooms with two grades apiece. Miss Fraser had the little ones, Miss O Brien 3 & 4 and Mr. Galvin 5 & 6. {There were two more 5 & 6 teachers while I attended, Mr. Kelly and Mr. Jones, they also performed as Head Teacher.} It was more like an extended family than a school. There was a small pine plantation at one end of the school and a larger one beside the E.J.Andrew Reserve that ran along Railway Rd. to Williams Rd. They were an endowment for the school. I remember when in grade six how we all planted a tree.
The reserve was where, twice a year in May – Empire Day, and November – Guy Fawkes Day, the children of Briar Hill built a huge bonfire and roasted potatoes to eat while setting off fire works or crackers as we called them.
St. Francis Xavier School was very small as well and was on the other side of the train line. Behind this school was a favourite swimming spot for the local kids during summer. The Plenty River ran behind it and the kids had a rope tied to a branch of a large tree that hung out over the water. Kids would swing back and forth then drop from the rope into the water. One summer my friend’s brother went missing. Nobody had seen him leave the river. Tragically, his body was recovered that evening. I will never forget the funeral. It was an open coffin and my first experience at seeing a dead person. He had a rope burn down one side of his face, it was ghastly.
In Briar Hill we had a general store, a fruit shop, and a milk bar. For anything else we had to go to Greensborough. We also caught the train from Greensborough station. For many years Mr. Andrews served as Station Master. He was nicknamed Dynamite for obvious reasons. He made it loud and clear that he would stand no nonsense or bad behaviour on his station. It worked because most kids were scared of him.
Greensborough
Greensborough picture theatre was our favourite haunt on Saturday arvo’s. I think it was one shilling to get in and sixpence to spend {15 cents}. It was situated somewhere in the proximity to where the entrance to Greensborough Plaza is now. A dear couple by the name of Hevans ran the show. Mr. Hevans the projectionist, Mrs Hevans the usherette and lolly lady. One year, four of us girls knitted Mr Hevans a colourful striped hat. Some twenty years later and after his death Mrs Hevans told us that he wore that hat on and off until he died.
I think the nicest part about living in Briar Hill was that every body knew each other. When the aged were struggling to stay independent in their own home, younger women in the community kept an eye on them making sure they had a proper meal and wood cut for their fire. It was a time when neighbours relied on each other for support, and played an important role in our lives.
Local Names
I tested my memory to see how many names I could remember from my childhood days in Briar Hill. I hope some of them read this and recognise theirs.
Barber, Liebersbach, Slater, Willett, Elliott, Smith, Peters, Thornton, Dixon, Hibbert, Reid, Gardiner, Ketchell, Scholes, Hanson, Davies, Youlten, Jerome, Sparrow, Carter, Johnson, Schell, MacIntire, Godwill, Clegg, Robinson, McNamara, Rowan, Kelly, Omont, Welsh, Manhire, Taylor, Horne, Jones, Stoneman, Duerkop, Squire, Lovitt, Moss, Simondson, Hardstaff, Allett, Brailsford, Bowen, Charles, Gambrell, Davey, Gibbs, Malcom, Gaines, Barnden, Staggard, Barling, Connell, Bannerman. McKenzie.
By Elaine Rank [ nee Barnett.] ©
Image: Pixabay
I am McKenzie (mentioned above) betty, and brother ken we lived cr river st and mountain view rd. and when married (adams) we lived 44 Gladstone rd and ken lived next door, ken worked at squires for quite a while but eventually become a teacher I will be 89 oct , ken 3 yrs younger lives in w aust now I have had a number of strokes and bedridden my kids went to briar hill S,S. too till we moved, I have put an entry in greensborough historical soc book,my best friend kath sparrow lived mountain view rd but has passed on now. many happy years were spent in briar hill. betty joyner
I am trying to do our family tree and Mr Herbert Ketchell was my fathers uncle, this is all i know about my fathers side of the family.
Do you remember what Mr Ketchells wife’s name is as she must be my Grandfathers sister and it would be another piece of the puzzle.
As a child, I lived in Montmorency from about 1954 to ‘ 58.
I’m interested to find out when the Briar Hill shops were built. From memory it was before my parents left the area, towards the end of 1958. I attended Briar Hill primary school during this time.
I moved back to Briar Hill about 15 years ago.
Thanks,
Dennis
Hi Dennis,
Thanks for your comment. You may remember Briar Hill Timber & Trading on Sherbourne Road. Greensborough Historical Society have published two volumes of memories of local residents “Do you recall” which you can borrow from the library. Greensborough Historial Society and Eltham District Historical Society have images related to BH on Victorian Collections link to victoriancollections.net.au including the industrial development on Para Road.
My dad was Kenneth Gambrell and he grew up in Briar Hill during the 1940s and 1950s with his two sisters and five brothers including his twin brother Billy (William)