In January 1900, the first case of Bubonic Plague was reported in Sydney. As a result, effected or suspected people were put into quarantine; parts of the City were cleaned up or demolished and a rat extermination programme was established. The first case in Victoria was reported in the May and the the family from Collingwood were sent to the quarantine station at Point Nepean. (1)
However, even before this case the authorities were making efforts to minimise the chance of the plague taking off in Victoria. Rats around the wharves were being destroyed; the Coburg Tip was inspected and the rubbish covered over on a daily basis as the tip was said to be the source of the rats entering the Pentridge Prison and other local councils also stepped up efforts to remove rubbish, clean drains and exterminate rats. (2)
One particular area of concern was the Moonee Ponds Creek, described in 1886 as being
a deadly fever- breeding poison; in 1888 as a
pestilential drain and in 1899 as a
festering menace to public health.
(3) Thus in March 1900, a Government deputation, which included Carlo Catani, made an inspection of this creek. The
North Melbourne Courier reported -
Inspection of the Moonee Ponds Creek
On Tuesday forenoon the Minister of Public Works (Mr. Graham), accompanied by Mr. Davidson (Inspector-General of Public Works) and Mr. Catani of the department, met representatives of North Melbourne and Flemington and Kensington at the Arden-street bridge at 10 a.m. There were present the Hon. W. A. Watt, Postmaster General and Parliamentary representative for North Melbourne; Cr. G. M. Prendergast, and Crs. G. W. Debney and A. Crighton of Flemington; Mr. W. McCall, town clerk of Flemington; and Mr. G. Offen, borough inspector of Flemington. Starting from the Arden-street bridge, the party inspected the creek at the Macaulay-road bridge and then proceeded to Barwise-street (4), and from there were driven to Brunton's mills in Laurens-street.
Owing to the recent heavy rains the creek was flushed, and there was no nuisance observable by the nasal sense, although some of the fluid in the side drain had a dark-tinged look. Some cows cropping the herbage from the black ooze between the mound on the Flemington side and the channel gave rise to anything but pleasant thoughts as to the quality of their milk, and the minister came to the conclusion with little hesitation that the work of channelling the creek as far as Brunton's drain should be proceeded with at once. This will cost £1500, and it is claimed by the officers of Mr. Graham's department that, although the complete scheme provides for the drainage of the creek to the dock, this will abate the nuisance, but it is questionable whether their expectations in this respect will be fulfilled. Brunton's mills are fifteen inches below flood level, and the owner, who erected them at a cost of £60,000, has to place barriers across his Laurens-st. entrance to stop the inflow of water at flood time, owing to the fact that the barrel drain which runs across the railway reserve is too small to carry off the water, and an open and larger drain across the reserve is needed.
The minister said he would place the matter before the Cabinet that afternoon, and endeavor to get the work of continuing the channelling to Brunton's drain put in hand forthwith. We have been informed by the Hon. the Postmaster-General that the Cabinet have decided to push on the work of channelling the creek as quickly as possible, in view of the great menace it is to the public health in its present state and the prevalence of the plague in New South Wales. (5)
These two maps are from the 1912 Moultons directory of streets for Melbourne and suburbs. On the left of the North Melbourne map, you can see Barwise Street near the Flemington Bridge; it's a continuation of Racecourse Road (and was later renamed Racecourse Road (4)); the Macaulay Station, is at Macaulay Road, even though it is not marked on the North Melbourne map, but you can see it on the Kensington/Flemington map, below. Further south, is Arden Street, where Carlo and his colleagues started their inspection of the Moonee Ponds Creek in March 1900.
1912 Moultons directory of streets for Melbourne and suburbs.
This channelling was a continuation of previous work on the Moonee Ponds Creek, which had been a concern for many years as The Age noted in their report of Carlo's visit to the Creek -
For nearly a quarter of a century the neighboring councils have been endeavoring to get the existing powers to do something to improve the condition of the creek; and the policy of how not to do it has never, perhaps, been more forcibly illustrated than in this case. Correspondence with the Railway department, visits by the Board of Health, representations by the local councils, deputations to the Government, and other public acts have helped to keep the nauseous subject dangling before the eyes
of the public; and when it is stated that the whole cost only amounts to £6700, the absurdity of the thing is sufficiently apparent. The original cost was estimated at £6000, but a start was made in the winter, so as to give the unemployed something to do, and that had the effect of increasing the cost of the work. Probably, had it not been for the unemployed the work would still be in its initial stages, instead of being, as it is, about three-parts completed. The amount already expended is stated to be £5200, and the estimated cost of the remaining portion [to Brunton's drain] is £1500. (6)
I don't believe the channelling was carried out at this time, but the creek was not cleaned up and in 1905 The Age reported that -
The creek itself is silted up in several places, most noticeably between Flemington-bridge and Barwise-street, where the silt fills the canal to within 6 or 8 inches of the top. Bagging, boulders, decaying vegetables, tins of all sorts and sizes, and the carcases of defunct dogs and goats interfere with the flow of the drainage. (7)
From this 1906 report, it appears that Carlo had designed a beautification scheme for the much maligned Creek -
In the Public Works Department, some time ago, a scheme for the improvement of the northern approach to the city by rail was formulated. The Moonee Ponds Creek was to be the centre of rockeries and palm plantations, and the whole locality was to be transformed into a charming little garden, with miniature walks and fascinating vistas. Mr Catani, in his enthusiasm. for the project, labelled the plan, 'Houi soit qui Moonee Ponds Creek'. Whether this mutilation of the old motto has any evil effect on the proposed beautification of the unsightly stream is not admitted, but the work has never gone on
with. Instead, the railway authorities have taken the matter in hand, and are effecting some prosaic alteration. (8)
We have one more reference to Carlo and his work on the Moonee Ponds Creek, in a report of a meeting of the Moonee Ponds and Aberfeldie People's Association held in July 1914 -
The subject of cleansing the Moonee Ponds creek was also under review of the [Railway] Commissioners, who claim that, although in railway territory, that Department is not responsible for having the matter attended to. As a slight solatium, Mr. Catani was to be invited to report on the question of hiding the unsightly and unsavoury area by a judicious mantling of shrub growth. (9)
Nothing came of this, and resources were obviously directed elsewhere during the Great War. In 1919, a letter from Mr Butler of Kensington, published in The Age described the creek as -
in a filthy condition, it is seldom, if ever, cleaned out. Debris and filth lay along it, being a menace to the health of people who live in the locality.....and the only time that the creek seems to get a clean out is when a flood comes down, and then the locality becomes flooded and the filthy water flows in and under the houses adjacent to the creek, causing them to become damp and unhealthy. There has been 18 inundations in this locality in two years. Most of these floods could have been avoided if the creek had been kept in a clean and proper condition, but who is responsible for looking after this creek? (10)
If it was still the Public Works Department's responsibility by then Carlo had, as we know, retired and then sadly passed away on July 20, 1918, so he could no longer provide his professional expertise on improvements on the Moonee Ponds Creek. These days, the Tullamarine Freeway, which opened in 1970 (11) essentially runs along the course of the Moonee Ponds Creek, so the landscape has changed considerably since the time Carlo and his colleagues inspected the creek in March 1900.
The Friends of Moonee Ponds Creek have an interesting website, with links to historical material, amongst other more recent material -
https://www.mooneepondscreek.org.au/
Footnotes
(1) National Museum of Australia
https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/bubonic-plague;
Bairnsdale Advertiser, May 10, 1900, see
here.
(2)
The Argus, March 28, 1900, see
here.
(3)
North Melbourne Advertiser, July 30, 1886, see
here;
Footscray Independent, January 7, 1888, see
here;
North Melbourne Courier, March 31, 1899, see
here.
(4) Barwise Street, which ran between Flemington Road and the Moonee Ponds Creek in North Melbourne was renamed Racecourse Road around 1928. (
The Age, March 16, 1928, see
here). Racecourse Road in Flemington was the other side of the Creek to Barwise Street, as you can see in the maps, above. Barwise Street was named for John Barwise, J.P. You can read his obituary in the
North Melbourne Courier of January 29, 1909,
here.
(5)
North Melbourne Courier, March 30, 1900, see
here.
(6)
The Age, March 28, 1900, see
here.
(7)
The Age, June 16, 1905, see
here.
(8)
Footscray Independent, January 6, 1906, see
here.
(9)
Flemington Spectator, August 6, 1914, see
here.
(10)
The Age, January 30, 1919, see
here.
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