Carlo seeks supplies of Lanoline for the Italian Red Cross

The Great War caused the shortage of many products in Australia and other countries and one of these products was lanoline. This shortage also impacted Italy and Carlo Catani was asked to help resolve this problem, however in spite of Australia having the largest sheep industry in the world, we did not produce lanoline which is made from the grease of the wool. Australia imported most of its lanoline from Germany (1).

In 1912, Mr. J. B. Henderson (2), President of  Royal Society in Queensland estimated that state alone would throw away 20,000,000 lbs of lanoline a year, which at the wholesale price in Germany, 11d a pound, is approximately worth £1,000,000. As he asked - Would it not pay to have all our wool scoured, and keep this considerable sum in Queensland, instead of making a present of it to continental manufacturers? (3)

Wool washing or scouring on the Yarra; the dirt and grease removed from the wool added to the pollution of the Yarra.

Wool washing on the Yarra, 1872. Photographer: Charles Nettleton

State Library of Victoria H96.160/1729

Italy's request for lanoline in June 1915 was reported in many newspapers, firstly in The Herald -

Lanoline is urgently required in connection with Red Cross work in Italy, and Mr C. Catani, Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department, has authority to negotiate for purchasers. Inquiries which he has made recently have indicated that there is little, if any, to spare in Victoria. He urges that as lanoline is merely the fat of wool it ought to be possible in a great sheep-raising country like Australia to supply large quantities. This was one opportunity, he considered, for trade expansion. Mr Catani who has received advices regarding the shortage of lanoline, bismuth and alkaloids of certain drugs from his brother, Lieutenant-Colonel G. Catani of Florence, will be glad to give particulars to any business firms interested. (4).

Lieutenant-Colonel G. Catani was Carlo's older brother Giulio, born in 1848. He was a Doctor and the Superintendent of St John of God Hospital in Florence and during the War he was recalled from retirement to organise No. 2 Hospital in  Florence, for the Red Cross Society, in order to provide for the reception of 60,000 wounded soldiers if necessary. Despite his 67 years, he has entered upon his task with zest. He has been given the rank of Lieut.-Colonel by the Italian Government (5).

The Herald expanded upon the supply of lanoline the next day and provided some interesting statistics -

Mr C. Catani, Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department, who is Italian by birth and an excellent Australian by adoption, has been authorised to see if he can obtain in Victoria a sufficient supply of lanoline for Red Cross work in Italy. He points out that this is a great sheep-raising country and that lanoline is the refined fat of the wool. As a fact, in 1913 Australia had more sheep than any other country in the world, the number being over 85,000,000 against 80,400,000 in the Argentine, 74,000,000 in the Russian Empire, and 52,300,000 in the United States. With that fact before us, it constitutes a reflection upon our intelligence and enterprise and upon our sense of legitimate self-interest that we have not a huge lanoline works in this country. (6)

Table Talk also reported in their signature style on Carlo's involvement 

Mr. Carlo Catani, of the Public Works Department in Victoria, creator of Lake Catani and revealer of the grandeurs of the Buffalo and the beauteous possibilities of St. Kilda foreshore, has found for himself a legitimate war-time activity in these days when local landscape improvement is a drug in the market. He has heard from his brother, Lieut. Colonel Catani, at Florence, that lanoline is badly wanted by the Italians. Mr. Catani is by way of being a practical scientist as well as an engineer and a creative artist, and prospective makers of lanoline - the substance is a bi-product of the woollen industry, will find him an intelligent interlocutor for the Italian Government. (7).

The Weekly Times also reported on the lanoline issue as one of the neglected opportunities in the wool industry issue -

Mr C. Catani, Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department, has been authorised by the Italian Government to obtain in Australia a large quantity of lanoline for Red Cross purposes. Lanoline is a preparation made from the grease of the wool, and Australia being the chief wool-growing country, it was naturally supposed in Italy that the lanoline would be obtainable here. The Italians will no doubt be surprised to hear that we buy our lanoline from those countries to whom we sell the wool. Even the fat and other by-products from Australian wool-scouring works are thrown away instead of being utilised, as they are by the foreigners. There is not the slightest doubt that all these facts reflect upon our intelligence as a people. At first sight it appears to be a direct admission of incompetence which impels a country with 80 millions of sheep to send away the wool to be manufactured. It is hardly that, but it is an admission of lack of enterprise. (8)

In February 1916 a start had been made towards a lanoline industry, as the Weekly Times reported -

Mr F. Tudor, Minister for Trade and Customs, gave an assurance on February 15 that if a lanoline industry was started in Australia, it would be fully protected. Mr J. H. Chambers, who holds patent rights for a wool-scouring process by cold water, and Mr W. Melvin, the first manager of the Ballarat Woollen Mills, in an interview with the Minister demonstrated that it was possible to extract lanoline. Mr Melvin stated that with lanoline at 3/ a lb - it was now 6/ - the establishment of a lanoline industry would mean £22,000,000 a year to the Commonwealth. (9)

An advertisement for lanoline

The Argus, December 31, 1913 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/7274274

22 million pounds seems an extraordinary amount of money, that would have been  a valuable addition to the Australian economy. It also seems extraordinary that we learnt nothing from the Great War lanoline shortage as in 1921 The Age reported that Australia was still not manufacturing lanoline - 

time and again attention has been drawn to the colossal loss which Australia annually suffers from the non-utilisation of by-products. Yet little or nothing has been done to remedy the defect. It is literally true that millions of pounds are running to waste annually at various factories and works throughout the Commonwealth. A notable instance is that of wool grease, or lanoline, which is not being saved in anything like the quantities that one would expect in the largest wool-producing country in the world. (10)

In 1945,  the newspapers were still talking about the production of lanoline as a potential new industry for Australia. An Argus article in June 1945 commenced with - 

When we think of lanoline memory is apt to take us back to childhood days when some kindly soul applied this refined and soothing wool fat to a grazed knee or a chafe. It may seem a little strange at first to leam that wool fat might form the basis of new industries that would have the effect of increasing considerably the value of greasy wool generally. (11)

Sadly it appears that when Carlo considered that the production of lanoline in Australia in 1915 was one opportunity for trade expansion this opportunity was never acted upon.

Trove list - I have created a list of articles on lanoline production, mainly connected to Carlo Catani's war time role on Trove, access it here.

Footnotes

(1) Various reports from my Trove list, here.

(2) John Brownlie Henderson (1869-1950) - see his Australian Dictionary of Biography entry here https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/henderson-john-brownlie-6633

(3) The Queenslander, April 6 1912, see here.

(4) The Herald, November 8, 1915, see here.

(5) The Herald, November 8, 1915, see here; A Labour of Love - the Public Works of Carlo Catani Victoria 1876-1918, by Isaac Douglas Hermann (published by the Author in 2018). Dr Catani died in Florence on January 22, 1921.

The Argus, March 21, 1921 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/1741204

(6) The Herald, November 9, 1915, see here.

(7) Table Talk, November 11, 1915, see here.

(8) Weekly Times, November 13, 1915, see here.

(9) Weekly Times, February 19, 1916, see here.

(10) The Age, January 18, 1921, see here.

(11) The Argus, June 16 1945,  see here.

Carlo attends the opening of the Dargo Bush Nursing Hospital

Carlo was present at the opening of the Dargo Bush Nursing Hospital, on November 24, 1912. William Edgar, the Minister for Public Work was also in attendance. The Stratford Sentinel reported that Mr Edgar had played a role in Dargo obtaining a Bush Nursing Centre, as after months of agitation by the Dargo community and at the urging of the local member, Mr J. W. McLachlan, M.L.A., William Edgar

paid a visit to the Crooked River Country [where] he expressed the opinion that here was a place where a nurse should be sent, and he promised to use his best endeavors to favorably impress the Bush Nursing Council with the idea. As a result of his influence and sympathy the Executive Committee of the movement were pleased to promise their co-operation, and a meeting of residents of the Dargo district was held to consider whether they could raise enough money to finance the scheme. The salary of the nurse - £135 per annum - was a big proposition for mountain people to tackle, but they had the promise of Government aid, and they evolved a plan which has surmounted the trouble. Each householder in the district has promised to pay 1/ per week to the fund, and this will bring in some£60 per annum. The Hon. William Pearson has most generously promised £20 a year, and the Avon Shire Council have shown their sympathy by giving an annual subsidy of £25. It is expected that £35 per annum will be the amount of the Government aid so that the financial success of the scheme is assured. (1). 

Dargo in 1916, four years after the opening of the Bush Nursing Centre

Museums Victoria https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/items/771723

The Gippsland Times reported on the opening of the Dargo Bush Nursing Hospital -

Fine weather favored Her Excellency Lady Fuller (2) on her first trip to Dargo. Bright sunshine prevailed throughout yesterday and to-day and the long journey, over difficult and dangerous roads, was accomplished without any mishap. Four motor cars left Stratford for Dargo at 11 o'clock yesterday. Lady Fuller travelled in the Hon. Wm Pearson's car. Flags were flying above the mountain roadway in honor of Her Ladyships visit and at intervals along the route, the settlers and their families turned out and gave her excellency a hearty welcome.

Many of the dwellers in the remote parts left their homes early on Friday in order to be present at Dargo last night then Her Excellency arrived. The visitors were so numerous that private residences were availed of and tents erected to accommodate them. In addition to Lady Fuller there were travelling in motor cars the Hon. W. H. Edgar, Minister of Public Works, Mr. Catani, Chief Engineer, Dr. Edith Barrett (3), Dr. Janet Greig (4), Miss Michaelis (5) (of the Melbourne Bush Nurses Council), Dr. and Mrs Hagenauer, Sale, Dr and Mrs Hozier of Stratford, Mr. Roy Pearson and Miss Pearson (Kilmany), Rev. Pelletier, of Maffra, other visitors included Mr and Mrs J. Mills, who have taken a great interest in the scheme.

This morning Lady Fuller was present at the Church service conducted by the Rev. E. F. Pelletier. In the afternoon, in the presence of a large gathering, at the Mechanics' Institute, Her Excellency duly installed Nurse Brown  as the first bush nurse in Dargo. Lady Fuller spoke in laudatory terms of Nurse Brown's qualifications for the duties and stated how necessary it was in a district such as this where doctors and nurses were so far away that a nurse having Nurse Brown's skill and ability should be available to help in cases of need. Her Ladyship concluded by pinning a brooch on Nurse Brown's uniform.

Others who spoke were Mr. W. H. Edgar, Rev. Pelletier, Dr. Barrett, Dr Greig, Dr. Hozier, Mr. Roy Pearson (who apologised for his father's absence), Mr King and Mr. M'Lachlan, M.L.A. After the ceremony Mrs W. Rigall entertained Her Excellency and party at tea. Mr. Riggall provided horses for Her Ladyship and some of the visitors and they had a successful ride into the mountains. 

To-night the Hon. W. H. Edgar delivered an address at the local Church. Her Excellency and party will leave early to-morrow morning for Stratford where Lady Fuller will be further welcomed at half-past two o'clock (6).

Interesting that Mr Edgar delivered the address at the Church service, however he was Methodist lay preacher and the brother of the Reverend Alexander Edgar, the Superintendent of the Central Methodist Mission at the Wesley Church, so he was well experienced in this area (7). 

Nurse Brown had been at Dargo for a few weeks before she was officially installed by Lady Fuller and the opinion was that Nurse Brown has already won golden opinions, and seems to be satisfied with her surroundings (8). 

Nurse Amy Marguerite Brown was born in Birmingham and trained at the Birmingham Infirmary. Later she was sister in charge at the fever hospital of the Metropolitan Asylums' Board, London. For some time she was a sister at St. George's Infirmary, Fulham road, London. She then joined the staff at the East End Mothers' Home -  this is in the poorest and most squalid part of London. Not only does it shelter penniless and desolate women at maternity time but the sisters in their scarlet print frocks and white aprons hasten to the women in the tenement houses, acting as midwives and providing as much nourishment and fuel as funds permit. Nurse Brown answered an advertisement in the London  newspaper for Bush Nurses and she arrived in Victoria with with her colleague, Rita Sprott, who was assigned to the Welshpool Bush Nursing Hospital - these two nurses have taken sole charge of more than two hundred maternity cases. (9). In 1914, she married farmer, Martin Joseph Hurley,  and they lived in Boisedale and later at Athlone. They had three children and Amy died in 1974, aged 93 years of age. (10).

Dargo Bush Nurse, Amy Brown

The Herald, November 12, 1912 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/241799487

In a later report we learn more of the role of Mr Edgar on the day - 

The Hon. W. H. Edgar expressed his pleasure at being present that day as a representative of the Government. He was indeed proud to know that Her Ladyship had consented to be with them that day to perform a ceremony which was without doubt, the most important that had ever been performed in Dargo; that of installing a Bush Nurse. In Nurse Brown they had a girl who was peculiarly adapted to fill such a position, and he hoped they would be as kind to her as they possibly could. Although Dargo was one of the oldest towns in the State, it was one of the least known, but the events connected with the present visit would bring it prominently before the eyes of the people of Victoria (11).

There were two interesting reports about this Vice-Regal trip to Dargo - this first one is about the novelty of motor cars in Dargo and the makes of the cars - 

Seven motorcars whizzing down the street at Dargo was a sight never before seen in that pretty township, and is not likely to be again contemplated for many years. What a sensation they created to the inhabitants, and what disgust they caused the horses, the previous Kings of the winding mountain roads ....The cars to make the trip were a Daimler, Ford, Ford, Overland, Buick, Austin, Itala, owned in order by Hon. W. Pearson, Mrs Hagenauer, Dr Hozier, Dr. Hagenauer, Dr Reid, and the latter two were supplied on behalf of the Government by Mesrrs McCarey and Doran of Melbourne, who personally attended. Mrs O'Brien's F.N. car went as far as Bulgoback, and Mr and Mrs J. Mills took their Siddeley Deasey past Stockyard, and from there on travelled per buggy (12).

Then there was this report about the gallant Carlo - 
An old man named Mathieson, was riding along the road on Monday morning at the time of the motors' return journey from Dargo. The steed was not partial to the purring contingent and shied and threw the old man, dislocating one of his fingers and causing abrasions to his hands. Mr Catani acted the Good Samaritan and offered him a seat in the car to his destination, essaying the task of riding the horse himself. However, neddy refused to behave quietly and the popular chief engineer, obedient to orders from hind-quarters, landed forcibly on the road. Although somewhat shaken he was not seriously hurt, and the damage was soon repaired by Dr. Reid (13). 

Trove list - I have created a list of articles on the opening of the Dargo Bush Nursing Hospital, access it here.

Footnotes
(1) Stratford Sentinel, November 29, 1912, see here.

(2) Lady Fuller - born  Norah Jacintha Phipps, the wife of the Governor of Victoria, Sir John Fuller.

(3) Dr Edith Barrett (1872-1939) - Australian Dictionary of Biography entry - https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/barrett-edith-helen-5143 

(4) Dr Janet Greig (1874-1950) Australian Dictionary of Biography entry - https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/greig-janet-lindsay-jenny-7047

(5) Alice Michaelis (1873-1963) - Life Governor of the Queen Victoria Hospital and a member of the Victorian Bush Nurses Association committee. Alice was the fourteenth and last child of Moritz and Rahel (nee Gotthelf) Michaelis. Her brother, Frederick David Michaelis, was the chairman of the committee which erected the memorial clocktower to Carlo in 1932, see here.

(6) Gippsland Times, November 25, 1912, see here. 

(7) William Haslam Edgar (1858-1948) - member of the Legislative Council from 1904 to 1913 and from 1917 until 1948. Source: Parliament of Victoria Remember database, see here; Reverend Alexander Edgar (1850-1914) Australian Dictionary of Biography entry  https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/edgar-alexander-robert-6085   

(8) Stratford Sentinel, November 22, 1912, see here.

(9) The Herald, November 4, 1912, see here 

(10) Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages; Electoral Rolls on Ancestry; Martin's death notice in The Age, October 23, 1971, p 23 on newspapers.com (below)

(11) Stratford Sentinel, November 29, 1912, see here.

(12) Maffra Spectator, November 28, 1912, see here.

(13) Stratford Sentinel, November 29, 1912, see here.

St Kilda City Council: Carlo's 1914 re-subdivision and Carlo urged to nominate in 1917

The City of St Kilda was re-subdivided from three wards into four wards in April 1914, the new boundaries being based on the plan devised by Carlo Catani.   

There had been agitation for this increase in wards for years, as the Prahran Telegraph reported in October 1909 -

At the St. Kilda Council meeting last evening Councillor Stedeford moved - " That this council, at its next meeting, take the necessary steps to constitute a new ward, dividing the city of St. Kilda into four Wards, in lieu of three wards as at present constituted." The proposal had been before the council during the past nine or ten years, but had been postponed for various reasons, the main objection being that the vacant Crown land at Elwood had not been sold. Some of the land had now been sold. There had been a large increase of settlement in the South Ward. The area was twice that of the other wards, and the number of ratepayers was nearly twice the number of the other two wards. (1).

In October 1912 at a Council meeting Cr. Hewison moved that the public works committee be directed to take into consideration the advisableness of resubdividing the city into four wards, and report to the council. The number of ratepayers in the three wards was noted as 1400 and 1300 in the North and West wards, and over 2000 in the South. The motion was lost on the casting vote of the Mayor and this was his reasoning -

The Mayor (Cr. O'Donnell) stated that when the matter was previously discussed it was decided that nothing be done until the Elwood land had been sold. He would not vote for an additional ward being created until that eventuated (2).

John Butler Cooper, in his History of St Kilda explains how the four wards eventually came to fruition  -

The marvellous developments of the southern portion of the City of St. Kilda, that followed the subdivisional sales, by the Government, of the reclaimed lands at Elwood, was such that it disturbed the balance of municipal representation in the Council, and obviously suggested the advisability of resubdividing the city into four Wards, with the consequent increase in the number of councillors from nine to twelve. Prior to that the business of the City was carried on by nine councillors, representatives from three Wards, and that had been so from November 27, 1868, when it was proclaimed in the Government Gazette that St. Kilda was divided into three Wards, respectively, the North Ward, the South Ward and the West Ward.

The St. Kilda Council faced the position created by the development of Elwood. It received a petition from certain ratepayers desirous that a new Ward of the City should be created. A plan of the proposed subdivision, prepared in October, 1913 by Carlo Catani, at the desire of the Hon., the Minister of Public Works was approved at a conference held between the St. Kilda Council, and the petitioners. Copies of the petition were issued for signature, by ratepayers in favor of the resubdivision of the City of St. Kilda into four Wards (3). 

The Conference accepted Carlo's scheme of sub-division with the exception that the name of the Central Ward be substituted for that of the proposed Balaclava Ward, and South Ward for that of the proposed Elwood Ward. (4). 

The re-subdivision into four wards was gazetted on April 8, 1914. All nine councillors were stood down, and the first election under the new boundaries was held on August 27, 1914. The successful candidates were -

Central Ward : T. G. Allen, J. H. Pittard, J. J. Love; North Ward : H. F. Barnet, H.B. Gibbs, F. G. Hughes ; West Ward : E. O'Donnell, R. A. Molesworth, G. B. Renfrey ; South Ward : Burnett Gray, J. H. Hewison, H. McL.Duigan. (5).

Cooper published this interesting table of the statistics of the four wards in October 1913. The table was prepared by the Town Clerk, Mr. F. W. Chamberlin. 

Statistics of the four St Kilda wards in 1913. 

Carlo Catani also presented similar and extra statistics, see footnote 6.

Source: John Butler Cooper History of St Kilda  (7).

The well respected Carlo, was urged to stand for Council after his retirement from the Public Works Department. In March 1917, the In the Barber's Shop column of the Prahran Telegraph, which was written under the pseudonym of Figaro, reported this -
It has been suggested to me that Mr. Catani, who is retiring from the public service, and who is a resident of St. Kilda, would make a very fine councillor, from his knowledge of public works, if he could be induced to enter the council. I pass the suggestion on to those who are more actively engaged in electioneering than myself. (8).

The same paper reported in June 1917 -
A requisition was presented by a number of influential ratepayers to Mr. Carlo Catani, J.P., asking him to nominate for a seat in the St. Kilda Council for the south ward at the coming elections. After consideration, Mr. Catani declined. (9). 

The St Kilda Town Hall, as Carlo would have known it.

A portico and new foyer were added in 1925 and the brick was rendered in 1957 (10)

State Library of Victoria Image H84.346/75

It's a shame that Carlo never stood for election, he no doubt would have romped home at the head of the poll, however even though he had retired he was still involved in other civic activities such as the St Kilda Fore Shore Committee and from May 1917 he sat on the bench at the St Kilda Magistrates Court as an Honorary Justice (11). 

Trove list - I have created a list of articles on the lead up to the 1914 re-subdivision of the City of St Kilda, which will give some extra information on the process of the change, access it here. 

Footnotes

(1) The Prahran Telegraph, October 9, 1909, see here.

(2) The Age, October 2, 1912, see here.

(3) Cooper, John Butler The History of St Kilda from its first settlement to a city and after 1840 - 1930, v. 2 (St Kilda City Council, 1931), pp. 178-179. 

(4) The Argus, October 28, 1913, see here.

(5) Cooper, op. cit., p. 179.

(6) From the Prahran Telegraph, October 4, 1913, see here. 

The figures attached to Mr. Catani scheme of re-subdivision are as follows:

West ward. — Rateable property, 345 acres, reserves 177 acres, total, 523 acres; valuation, £102,087; ratepayers, 1611, population, 9076, probable increase in ten years, nil ; valuation in ten years, £102,087.

North ward.— Rateable property 436 acres, reserves 62 acres, total 498 acres; valuation, £74,159; ratepayers 1580, population, 7204, probable increase in ten years to 10,686, probable valuation, £84,845.

Balaclava Ward. — Rateable property, 382 acres, reserves, 43 acres, total 425 acres, valuation £65,826; ratepayers, 1752, population 6740, probable increase in ten years to 17,667, probable valuation, £83,493.

Elwood ward. — Rateable property, 555 acres, reserves, 94 acres, total 649 acres; valuation, £49,898; ratepayers, 1444, population, 4466; probable increase in ten years to 39, 076 probable valuation, 

£88, 974.

Totals. — Rateable property, 1719 acres, reserves, 379 acres, total 2009 acres; valuation, £291,970; ratepayers, 6387, population 27,436; probable increase in ten years to 67,429; probable valuation, £359,399.

(7) Cooper, op. cit., p. 179.

(8) Prahran Telegraph, March 17, 1917, see here.

(9) Prahran Telegraph, June 30, 1917, see here.

(10) Town Hall history http://skhs.org.au/SKHSbuildings/33.htm

(11) St Kilda Fore Shore Committee - https://victoriancollections.net.au/stories/carlo-catani-an-engineering-star-over-victoria/st-kilda-foreshore-gardens St Kilda Magistrates Court - http://carlocatani.blogspot.com/2022/03/carlos-time-as-honorary-justice-at-st.html