Edwardes (who, like his son, is referred to as Dyer Edwardes in some sources) had arrived in New South Wales in 1828 after spending some time in China. In 1832, he went into a partnership with Matthew Dysart Hunter, and they imported goods from France and Batavia and also had most of the China tea trade. Edwardes returned to England and in June 1835 he married Martha Sharp in Warwickshire. Their son, also called Thomas Dyer Edwardes, was born July 21, 1847 in London. (Hunters Hill Trust Journal, April 1992) According to his obituary in the Sydney Morning Herald of March 3, 1885, Edwardes returned to Australian in 1844 and 1873. I presume the visit listed as 1844 (was it actually 1843?) was when he purchased the land at Preston.
When Thomas (the son) was about 20 he came to Victoria and apparently spent about ten years here. He sub-divided some of his father's land and Forster writes that one estate was known as the Leamington Estate, after the Edwards family home place in England. The settlers were described as stout-hearted for as late as April 1915 they were carrying water to their houses and taking washing up to 1½ miles to be done.
In 1878, Thomas (the son) was back in England where he married the grandly named Clementina Georgina Lucy Drummond Villiers and they lived at Prinknash Park, Gloucester. They had a daughter, Lucy Noel Martha, who was born on Christmas Day (hence the name Noel) in 1878. Noel, as she seems to have been known, married the Earl of Rothes in 1900. As an exciting twist to the Edwardes story - Thomas and Clementina and their daughter, Noel the Countess, all sailed on the Titanic! Thomas and Clementina disembarked at Cherbourg in France, however Noel continued on to New York. She survived the sinking as did her travelling companion, her cousin, Gladys Cherry, and her maid Roberta Maioni. You can read about the Countess and her parents on the Encyclopedia Titanica. This a great website that has biographical information on all the Titanic passengers and an interesting account of the spirited Countess in the lifeboat. You can access the post on the Countess, here, and that links to the others who travelled with her.
Edwardes died on February 10, 1926 in Naples and he left an Estate of £206,463 - with property in England and Victoria. The beneficiaries were his daughter and her children. There were various codicils to the will including one dated July 31, 1924, that said that he and his wife had agreed to live apart - she was left some money in the will and an annuity. Another interesting codicil that was reported was that he had recently joined the Holy Catholic Apostolic Roman Church, and desired his body to be cremated and the ashes placed in a mausoleum to be built on a piece of land which he wished consecrated as a Roman Catholic burial ground. (The Herald, August 10, 1926) The Encyclopedia Titanica website entry on Edwardes (see here) says that it was his wish that Prinknash be given to the order of Benedictine monks who still occupy the estate. Even monks have website these days, you can view it here You can also read about them and Mr Edwardes here https://btsarnia.org/2017/10/04/prinknash-and-fr-dolling/
Before we leave both of the Thomas Dyer Edwardes and move onto Carlo Catani, Thomas (the son) donated a peal of thirteen bells to St Paul's Cathedral in Melbourne, in 1889. You can read about the Dedication service and a description of the bells, here. The St Paul's Cathedral website (see here) it is one of the few peals of thirteen bells outside the British Isles. Thomas also donated £3,000 toward the cost of the £6,000 organ which was installed at St Paul's Cathedral.
The bells of St. Paul's Cathedral.
Donated by Thomas Dyer Edwardes.
Australasian Sketcher December 26, 1889
In September 1914, Thomas Dyer Edwardes donated thirty four acres of land for a park and lake to the Shire of Preston, so this was part of the land that his father had purchased in 1843. The Argus of September 16, 1914 had this report-
At the Preston Shire Council meeting on Monday evening a letter was received from the solicitor for Mr Thomas Dyer Edwardes's Leamington Estate, North Preston intimating that Mr Edwardes (who is at present in Great Britain) had acceded to the councils request that he would present to Preston citizens land for a recreation reserve and lake site. Instructions had come to hand that 34 acres should be handed over for this purpose. This announcement was received with warm applause.
The land in question forms portion of what was once an artificial lake, but the embankment was carried away by floods some years ago. It is understood that the council intends to rebuild the weir, and to name the area "Lake Edwardes."
A letter to the Editor of the Preston Leader, December 4, 1915 from Mr J.S. McFadzean of the Reservoir Progress Association can add more information about the history of the site - on the site of the lake that was formerly constructed by private enterprise in 1888. With a dam some 60 yards wide and 22 feet high-of which more than half is still standing solidly-a fine sheet of water of over 25 acres in extent was at that time impounded on the Edgar Creek. There were boat sheds and refreshment rooms there, sports were held on the lake, and a start was made to connect Heidelberg and Coburg by tram running past the lake. Then the collapse of the land boom put an end to this great improvement work which would have made Preston one of Melbourne's show places if it had been carried through.
At the Council meeting of April 12, 1915 the following motion was put - Cr. Howe moved that a letter be sent, through Mr. Membrey, M.L.A, to Mr. Catani, of the Public Works Department, asking that he prepare a plan for the laying out of Edwardes Park. (Preston Leader April 17, 1915) In June the Northcote Leader reported that Mr. Catani, chief engineer of the Public Works Department, has already visited Preston to advise as to the best means of laying out Edwardes park.... Cr. Howe reported that Mr. Catani was most enthusiastic in regard to the site, and his visit, so far as the council is concerned, was very satisfactory. Another report said that when Mr. Catani, chief engineer of the Public Works Department, first visited it he was charmed with its natural features and greatly enamoured with its possibilities of beautification. (Northcote Leader August 5, 1916)
Before the park was officially opened on Saturday July 29 1916 the Shire had purchased another 12 acres of land to add to the park; the Reservoir Progress Association had fenced the whole property and by the September over 700 trees had been planted. The opening ceremony was attended by many residents and Mr J. G. Membrey, M.L.A, Shire President, Cr C. Stanlake, Mr Henty who was representing Mr Edwardes and Mr J.S. McFadzean of the Reservoir Progress Association. Trees were planted on the day by Mrs Membrey, Mrs Stanlake, Mrs McFadzean and Mrs Rae.
Aerial view of Edwardes Park and Lake, December 21, 1928. Ten years after it opened, there has been very little landscaping carried out.
Photographer: Charles Daniel Pratt.
Photographer: Charles Daniel Pratt.
State Library of Victoria Image H91.160/1754.
Click here if you want a higher resolution version http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/20210
The locals were very optimistic about the park, even hoping that a large ornamental lake be formed in the park, which it is hoped will eventually become one of the attractions of the metropolitan area. (Brunswick & Coburg Star, February 25, 1916). The land, as we said before, already contained a lake, where the embankment had washed away and Harley W. Foster wrote that J. S. McFadzean and others organized the construction of a concrete weir and spillway in 1919 and this allowed the Preston Rowing Club to be reformed. The Preston Leader of September 23, 1916 said that a plot has been made to be planted with trees by relatives of those who have fallen on the battle field. I don't believe this ever happened, however, the new weir which was erected, using a Repatriation grant (perhaps organised by the community minded Mr McFadzean) was inset with an Armistice Memorial stone. The weir was officially opened April 3, 1920 by Brigadier-General Brand. (The Age, April 5, 1920, read about the opening, here.) During the Depression, men were employed on weeding and bluestone edging the Edwardes Lake.
Edwardes Lake, Reservoir, c. 1945-1954. Victorian Railways Photographer.
State Library of Victoria H91.50/267
On February 5, 1935 The Age published a letter from 'A Resident' of Reservoir about Edwardes Lake, which points out years of Council neglect - Residents are pleased to note that the council is about to do something. Mr. Ben. Johnson's statement that the Preston council cannot be accused of neglect is humorous. Why was the grass allowed to grow so rank that the newly purchased cutting machine could not cut it ? What will happen to the young trees recently planted if a fire starts in this rank grass ? The council is patting itself on the back because it planted these trees; so it must, accept full responsibility if they are destroyed by fire. The town clerk talks about schemes for improvement. Residents have been listening to this talk for years...... Twenty years ago a mere handful of residents decided to form working bees and improve the park. They first of all fenced it, then planted hundreds of trees, and cared for them. They did their job well, as can be seen by the growth made by these trees. Then the rowing club members constructed the fence around the arena, and even the Preston council became enthusiastic. The members decided to help the sporting bodies, and commenced filling In the holes in the arena. That was two years ago. To day the job is still unfinished. The council's efforts fizzled out, and last year the Eastern carnival, usually held, was abandoned because the controlling bodies will not allow their members to compete for games because of the danger of sprained ankles, &c....
The next year it was reported that Preston council needed finance to carry out a scheme of beautification of Edwarde's Park and Lake. With that object in view, application was made to the Employment Council asking for a grant of £3000 to carry out the work. At its meeting this week the council was disappointed to learn that the grant cannot he made just yet. (The Age June 25, 1936)
Before we get onto Carlo's plans for the park, I came across this interesting proposal for the park. The Preston Leader of February 20, 1915 reported on this visionary plan - F. W. Donovan wrote to the council on Monday evening suggesting that it would be a mistake to apply the "pretty little flower-garden method" in dealing with 36 acres. A plan should be laid down on bold lines that could be gradually and permanently developed....the retention of some of the virgin forest, which had been such a glaring omission in the past. The site, in his opinion, was unique in its possibilities to produce a good representation of the native flora and fauna. It could be made a sanctuary for the protection of Australian bird life, where the cry of the plover and the cacchination of the laughing jackass could be heard. The artificial lake could be stocked with wild duck, and other aquatic game could "claim kindred and have their claims allowed"
Edwardes Park and Lake, Reservoir, attributed to Carlo Catani.
We have this plan, above, which is attributed to Carlo Catani, however my research colleague and Catani authority, Isaac Hermann, feels that it is unlikely that he would have named the drive after himself and I have to agree as, from all accounts, Carlo was modest and did not seek out the limelight. This plan was presumably a Council plan and the original (which currently appears to be lost) was from the City of Preston and thus possibly inherited by the Darebin Council.
When Harley Foster published his history of Preston in 1968 he wrote while the lake was used for pleasure boating, and for the Rowing Club, which was strong and successful in the twenties, the rest of the park was little developed, and has not reached its potential to this day. It does appear that even though Carlo was charmed with its natural features and greatly enamoured with its possibilities of beautification - this beautification may never had taken place.
Sources:
Preston: Lands and People, 1838-1967 by Harley W. Forster (F. W. Cheshire, 1968) Thomas Dyer Edwardes and Woolwich by Diana M. Drake published in the Hunter's Hill Trust Journal, April 1992. https://huntershilltrust.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Vol-21-No-1-April-1992_Part1.pdf
There are some interesting photos of Edwardes Lake and Edgars Creek, which was dammed to form the lake, in this report Knowing our creek: a history of Edgar's Creek by Stephen Northey published by the Friends of Edgars Creek in 2007) Read it here.
I have created a select list of articles, from Trove, on Thomas Dyer Edwardes - the father and the son - and Edwardes Park and Edwardes Lake which mention Carlo Catani. The List can be accessed here and includes any articles which I have referred to in this post
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