Moe Swamp and the Carlo Catani Memorial

Growing up on the Koo Wee Rup Swamp I was well familiar with Carlo's work there, however, a few years ago we went for a drive north of Trafalgar and came across this monument to Carlo. It's  a good looking memorial, with a list of the names -  the 'Pioneer roll of renown' - of the families that selected land on the Moe Swamp prior to 1914. I do think we could have a memorial for Carlo on the Koo Wee Rup Swamp - of course we have the town of Catani, but is that better than a memorial stone and bronze portrait?  Not sure, I rather like the monument.

Photo taken May 2021.

The Memorial at Trafalgar, on Willow Grove Road,  was erected in 1988 by the Trafalgar Bicentennial Community Committee. There is a small plaque on the north side of the rock which says Erected to commemorate the settlement of the Moe Swamp "Trafalgar Meadows" at the turn of the century. The selectors overcame many difficulties to successfully farm the area. The Moe Swamp was renamed to the more euphonious (1) name of Trafalgar Meadows around 1918. The first reference I can find in the newspapers is in January 1918, when there was a reference to the Trafalgar Meadows Drainage Area (2). The Trafalgar Meadows Drainage Trust came into existence on August 13, 1918 (3). There are numerous references to Trafalgar Meadows in the papers in the 1930s, but very few after that (4).

The bronze memorial plaque was created by sculptor, Stanley Hammond.

Photo taken May 2021. See the photo at the end of this post, taken in 2010, when the plaque had a patina.

The artist responsible for the bronze plaque was Stanley Hammond. The following information comes from Stanley's obituary, written by David Roper, which was published in The Age on March 2, 2000. Stanley Hammond was born on August 1, 1913 in Trentham. He attended Daylesford Technical School and at 17 became an assistant to Orlando Dutton and worked with him on the stone sculptures at the Shrine of Remembrance. In 1933, Stanley began working with Paul Montford, to learn to work in bronze. During the Second World War, he joined the Army and produced accurate scale models of military hardware for recognition purposes. He resumed his career after the War. His works include a bronze of Sir Walter Scott at Ballarat and one of John Batman in Melbourne. He worked with George Allen to carve the 125 ton Victorian Second World War Memorial - Fallen Warrior - which is in the forecourt at the Shrine. In 1970, he created a 3 metre bronze statue of an Australian World War One soldier which was erected in Mont St Quentin, France to commemorate the Second Division. He also created six bronze panels for the entrance to Albert Park Reserve. Stanley died February 1, 2000. 

Interesting that Stanley worked with Paul Montford as it was Paul Montford who created the bust of Carlo at the base of Memoral Clock Tower in St Kilda. You can read about this, here.

Stanley Hammond's signature.

The Pioneer Roll of Renown on the Moe Swamp Memorial

What do we know about the Moe Swamp? I have an article by Lewis Ronald East, engineer with  and later Chairman of  the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission, called Swamp Reclamation in Victoria, published in 1935 by the Institute of Engineers, Australia.  This is what he says (inter alia) about the Moe Swamp 

The Moe Swamp, which parallels the Main Gippsland Railway from Darnum to Moe, is approximately 2 miles wide and 11 miles in length. The streams which discharge into the Swamp are the Moe River and the Shady Creek, they drain 79 and 75 square miles of hilly country respectively and other smaller creeks bring the total catchment  to about 250 square miles. The reclamation of the Swamp began in 1887.  East says the 'works proposed and constructed were, however, hopelessly inadequate'. The scheme comprised a main drain through the middle of the Swamp from the Moe River to the Narracan Creek and thence to the Latrobe River and a herring-bone system of minor drains. Around the edges of the Swamp irrigation channels were constructed as well a subsidiary side drains. 

This inadequate work was  not the fault of the Public Works Department, according to East (so that mean's not Carlo's fault!)  but rather the 'Swamp Board' which designed a scheme that would 'merely be one of partial drainage that would enable the land, although subject to floods, to be utilized'.

Upon completion the land was subdivided into holdings from 15 to 150 acres and sold by auction. The first land was sold on December 3 1899 and East said the swamp from end to end was under water! Other works took place and the cost to reclaim 9,000 acres was £83,000 (although East also lists the size of the Swamp as 12,682 acres).Land sales recouped £76, 000. The works turned land that was 'practically useless' into  a very prosperous settlement chiefly devoted to dairying and root crop production.

One of the conditions of settlement was that the farmers had to maintain the drains. 'This they did not do satisfactorily' according to East, so the drainage was taken over by the Narracan Shire and the Trafalgar Meadows Drainage Area was established.

I don't know how much time Carlo spent at the Moe Swamp but here are two reports that put him on the spot.

Report about Catani's visit to the Moe Swamp to attend to the classification of the land.

Warragul Guardian August 29, 1899 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article68740721

In 1902 Catani visited both the Koo Wee Rup and Moe Swamps, with a view to widening the drains.

  West Gippsland Gazette  February 11, 1902  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article68718051

Acknowledgement

I wrote this post in October 2018 and it wasn't until May 2021 that I even wondered who the artist was who created the bronze plaque of Carlo and that was only because, my research colleague, Isaac Hermann, asked me the question. I went for a drive and found Stanley Hammond's signature on the plaque and did some research. Thank you, Isaac, as I believe Artists should be acknowledged for their work, so this is a belated recognition of Stanley Hammond's work on the Carlo memorial.

Footnotes

(1) Adams, John  So Tall the Trees: a Centenary history of the Southern Districts of the Shire of Narracan (Narracan Shire Council, 1978). p. 15.

(2) Narracan Shire Advocate, January 23, 1918, see here.

(3) Adams, op. cit., p. 173. 

(4) Trove https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/ -  117 references in the 1930s, four in the 1940s and one in the 1950s.

I took this photo of the memorial plaque in March 2010. Compared to the image, above, 

it seems to have been 'cleaned up' sometime in the last ten years,  as it has lost its patina. 

Carlo passes away

Carlo passed away on July 20, 1918. Here is an obituary from the Prahran Chronicle July 27, 1918. I have transcribed it, but you can read the full article here.


General regret has been expressed at the death of Mr Carlo Catani, formerly Chief Inspector of Public Works, which took place at his residence, Wyndam, Blessington Street, St. Kilda, on Saturday. A few days previously he was standing on a scaffolding superintending the erection of additions to his home, when he was suddenly seized with illness, from which he never recovered. The late Mr Catani retired from the public service twelve months ago. He was 66 years of age. 
He was born in Florence, Italy, and came to Australia as a youth in company with Mr Baracchi, formerly Government astronomer of Victoria. Mr Catani had a long and successful career in the Public Works Department as an engineer of high attainments. To his energy and enthusiasm the development of many of the popular mountain tourist resorts are due, especially Mount Buffalo. He also took a keen interest in the scheme for the beautification of the Yarra, and planned many improvements that have been carried out in the metropolis. 
Mr Catani was a member of the St. Kilda Foreshore Committee, and the magnificent decorative work that has been effected along the frontage must be ascribed to his exceptional skill as an engineer, and one well versed in the art of beautification and landscape gardening. Always courteous and unassuming, the deceased gentleman was extremely popular in public and private life, and by his kindly disposition he had formed very many life long friendships.
Mr Catani leaves a widow and son and daughter. A son, Captain Catani, was killed in action a few months back. The funeral took place at the Brighton cemetery on Monday afternoon, when there was a representative attendance, including the Mayor, Town Clerk, and Councillors of St. Kilda.

The Death notice and funeral notice for Carlo from The Argus July 22 1918

The town of Catani

Carlo was honoured by having a railway station on the Strzelecki Railway line named after him. The Railway officially opened June 29, 1922. You can read about the history of what turned out to be a short-lived railway line, here.

Report on the names of the new Railway Stations

The Age June 30 1922  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205046493

It was either the Bunyip Pioneers' Association or the Koo Wee Rup Pioneers' Association who could claim credit for suggesting the name of Catani for the railway station to the Public Works Department.

The Bunyip Pioneers' Association suggests the new railway station should be called Catani.

South Bourke and Mornington Journal  March 4, 1920 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66197618

Thr Koo Wee Rup Pioneers' Association suggests the new railway station should be called Catani

Weekly Times March 6, 1920 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/222562046

Whoever did suggest that the Station should be named after Carlo, it was a popular choice according to Niel Gunson, in his book The Good Country: Cranbourne Shire   Dr Gunson quotes the memories of H.J. Boxshall of Yallock.

Mr Catani was well known to most of the men employed on the drain work, no matter how far away or how small the drain, he would insist on having  a look at it to see how the work was progressing. He got to know many of the men by name and would sit on the drain bank and have his lunch with them. These trips meant long rides on horseback and often longer distances on foot, but it was all in a day's work for Mr Catani. Henry John Boxshall, the son of Thomas and Elizabeth (nee Mills) Boxshall, early Yallock settlers.

There wasn't anything at Catani before the station was established and the area was considered to be part of Yannathan. But a small community developed in the vicinity of the station - a general store (now closed) was built early on as the storekeeper, Robert Bush is listed in the 1921/22 Cranbourne Shire Rate books. His listing that year says there was already a building on the block and a notation in one of the columns has the date 6/3/22, which I assume was the purchase date*.

Catani State School, No. 4154, opened on January 30 1923 - in a building described as a pavilion...and which also served as a church and dance hall** The school moved to another part of town in 1927 to a new building and closed in the 1993. From various newspaper reports I have discovered that in April 1923 a Postal Receiving Office opened and in October 1923 mail deliveries were established. In November 1925 the Post Office was raised to an Allowance Office, and could also provide money order facilities (I don't know what that means). The Soldiers Memorial Hall opened October 19, 1928, and a Presbyterian Church (now Community Church) opened in April 1933. Electricity came to the town in 1936. 

From 1923, Catani had a football team with the local Junior Football Association and played home games, thus the Recreation Reserve must have been established then. 1927 is the first year I can find mention of Senior team playing.


* The Local Government year used to run from October to September thus the 1921/22 Rate Books cover October 1, 1921 to September 30, 1922 so his store was erected sometime in that period. The Cardinia Local Heritage Study Review 2008: Volume 5 - Stage B Individual Places (Draft June 2008), prepared by Context P/L, actually says Robert Bush purchased the land July 13, 1922. Either way, Robert Bush is definitely listed in the 1923/24 Rate books as a Storekeeper at Catani. 

  **Vision & Realisation: a centenary history of State Education in Victoria

Carlo Catani - a short biography

The town of Catani, in West Gippsland,  is named after Carlo Catani who was one of the Engineers in charge of the Koo-Wee-Rup Swamp Drainage scheme. I thought it would be interesting to find out a bit about the man behind the name.

Carlo was born on April 28, 1852 in Florence in Italy. He was the son of Enrico Catani, who was a merchant, and Augusta Geri. He was educated as a Civil Engineer at the Technical Institute of Florence. Carlo and his two friends, Pietro Baracchi and Ettore Checchi, arrived in Melbourne, via New Zealand, in September 1876.

Carlo Catani

Image from the Koo Wee Rup Swamp Historical Society

The trio were employed as draftsmen by the Department of Lands and Survey. In 1880, Catani was registered as a Surveyor and in 1882 he and Checchi joined the Public Works Department as Engineering draftsmen. By 1886, they were both assistant Engineers. Checchi (1853 - 1946) went on to become an Engineer with the State Rivers & Water Supply Commission when it was established in 1906. Baracchi (1851 - 1926)  became the Acting Government Astronomer for Victoria and later joined the Commonwealth Government as an Astrologist and Meteorologist.  Catani was promoted to the Head of his Section in 1892. In 1893, the Public Works Department resumed the control of the Swamp drainage works from private contractors and Catani was appointed as the Engineer. Catani implemented the Village Settlement Scheme. Under this Scheme, all workers had to be married, accept a 20 acre block and spend a fortnight working on the drains for wages and a fortnight improving their block and maintaining adjoining drains. The villages were Koo-Wee-Rup, Five Mile, Cora Lynn, Vervale, Iona and Yallock.

Catani was also responsible for the first mechanical equipment used on the Swamp. He had ordered the Lubecker Steam Bucket Dredge in 1912 and it arrived in 1913 at a cost of £4,700. It weighed 80 tons and had a capacity of 61 cubic metres per hour. A labourer at the time dug about 8 cubic metres per day. It was used on the Lang Lang River, then on the Main Drain, Cardinia Creek and Yallock Drain.

Catani’s other work with the Public Works Department included flood mitigation works on the Yarra River. He was responsible for planting the elms, oaks and poplars along Alexandra Avenue. He designed the Morell bridge. The laying out and planting of the Alexandra Gardens was also carried out under Catani’s direction. His last major project was the reclamation of the St Kilda foreshore. The gardens he designed at the end of Fitzroy Street were named after him as was the Catani arch bridge on the St Kilda foreshore. There is a bronze bust of Carlo Catani on the Clock tower on the St Kilda esplanade. Contemporaries of Catani said that he 'saw possibilities to which others were blind' and that he had 'unfailing courtesy and a kindly nature.'

Carlo was naturalised in 1892. He married Catherine Hanley of Port Fairy on May 18 1886 at the Free Church of England in Fitzroy, by the Reverend Nathaniel Kinsman,  They had six children, Edoardo or Edward (b.1886 and d.1887), Elvira May (1888-1947), Enrico Ferdinando (b.1891-killed in Action in France in 1916), Ettore Luigi (1893-1967), Eugenia Anastasia (1895-1915) and Enid Marguerite (1899-1950). Catani died July 20,  1918 at the age of 66 and is buried at the Brighton cemetery. Catherine died in 1925, aged 68. None of the children married.

I looked at Enrico's Military Record at the National Archives of Australia and found that he was Killed in Action on July 29 1916. Enrico was a Second Lieutenant, had served at Gallipoli before serving in France. He was buried at Cemetery Post Station, near Pozieres. However in a interesting and poignant twist, in 1932 the body of an 'unknown' soldier was exhumed from another location and this was identified through the identification disc and other personal effects to be Enrico Catani. There are a series of letters in Enrico's Military file between the Australian War Graves Service and Enid Catani regarding this discovery. In the end Enrico was buried again in the Serre Road Cemetery near Beaumont Hamel, in France. The body of the Officer, who was initially thought to be Enrico, now has a headstone stating that he is an 'unknown Australian Lieutenant'. In one of the letters Enid sent to the Government regarding the discovery of her brother's body, Enid said that her surviving brother, Ettore, had never recovered from the shock of Enrico's death and is under the care of the Master-in Equity of the Supreme Court. The Master-in-Equity looked after people who did not have the legal capacity to care for themselves. It sad to think that effectively, the family lost two sons to the First World War.

Most of this information comes from the article on Carlo Catani, written by Ronald McNicoll, in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, access it here.


I originally wrote this post for the Koo Wee Rup Swamp Historical Society newsletter and it also appears on my  'work' blog http://caseycardinialinkstoourpast.blogspot.com