Carlo Catani worked with many people during his career with the Public Works Department (PWD), everyone from the Premier of Victoria to the labourers who carried out the physical work on the PWD projects such as draining swamps, constructing roads and building bridges. I came across this short article from the Warragul Guardian in February 1897, of Carlo presenting a gift to a Mr Abbott -
Koo-Wee-Rup. Mr. Abbott, who superintended the drainage works on the Kooweerup Swamp for about four years, but who is now acting in a similar capacity on the Yarra improvement works, was on Saturday presented with a handsome gold albert. The presentation was made by Mr Catani, engineer of the Public Works department, in Mr Leithhead's store, who explained that the gift came from the residents and settlers, who had recognised his gentlemanly qualities. (1)
Who was Mr Henry 'Harry' Abbott? He was an Overseer working on Public Works Department projects and I have found these other references (reproduced below) to him working on the Koo Wee Rup Swamp, the Yarra Improvement Works, the Domain Drive, the road over Mount Fatigue from Foster to Boolarra, and work on cleaning out the dock at the Echuca wharf. (2)
February 1894 Koo Wee Rup Swamp
The Wilderness Reclaimed Flying Trip to Koo-Wee-Rup Swamp by 'A Surprised Visitor" - Steps have been taken to wards the formation of a Progressive Association, and, according to a notice I saw posted on the paymaster's tent (Mr. H. Abbott), its objects are "to watch over the general interests of the settlement, and to take such steps as will tend to its advance, development and progress." (3)
April 1896 Koo Wee Rup Swamp
Cranbourne Police Court. Monday, March 30. Before Mr. Smallman, P.M.
Bockholt v. Wm. Norton, Board of Land and Works garnishees.- Order for 41 4s. and 10s; costs.
Same v. John W. Norton, Board of Land and Works garnishees. - Order for £2 14s. 9d. and 15s. costs.-Mr. Coburn for Bockholt, appeared to apply for orders and Mr. Abbott (the overseer at the Swamp works), appeared to represent the Board. (4)
February 1897 Yarra Improvement Works
At the City Court yesterday, Robert M'Intyre was prosecuted for stealing £3 15a., the moneys of his mates, whose wages he had drawn. Accused pleaded guilty. William Hennings said he was a laborer employed at the Yarra improvement works. Accused, witness and two other men named Driver and Duffy were working together on the butty gang system. They appointed M'Intyre their ganger and entrusted him with the drawing of the money that fell due to them. On the last occasion he drew £3 15s., but did not divide it among them. On previous occasions he had always handed over the money when he obtained it. When they went to his house to see him he was the worse for drink. He said he would pay the money as soon as he could earn it. Michael Duffy gave similar evidence. Both witnesses stated that they knew nothing wrong of accused, and had no complaint to make of him previous to this. Accused said that when he drew the money he had to go some distance before he could see his mates. On the way he called at a hotel, and lost all the money. He had a wife and child to keep, and, if the bench would allow him a month's time, he would pay all the men what he owed them. Henry Abbott, overseer of the works, said accused had told him he was going to make good the amount. The bench let accused off with a month's imprisonment, for which he humbly expressed thanks, his wife at the same time leaving the court weeping with their infant. (5)
July 1900 Boolarra to Foster Road
Foster - On Wednesday and Thursday labourers arrived in Foster and Toora to commence operations in opening up tracks, &c., to gain access to the large areas of Crown lands in the Mount Fatigue reserve. A start was made on Thursday under Mr. Abbott, the overseer. (6)
September 1900 Boolarra to Foster Road
Foster - Owing to disagreement and dissatisfaction with the overseer in charge of the unemployed on the Mount Best and Mount Fatigue roads in Upper Toora, the whole of the men went out on strike on Wednesday morning. The men complain that sufficiently detailed assistance is not given in laying out the various sections of the work for the several gangs, and that the prices fixed for the work are inadequate to enable a man to earn a decent wage. Mr. Harry Abbott, overseer of the Foster gang, has received instructions from Mr. Catani, the engineer of Public Works, to accompany the paymaster on Thursday evening, and endeavour to smooth over the differences. (7)
November1900 Boolarra to Foster Road
Foster - Mr. Harry Abbott, overseer of the works being carried cut by the Public Works department in opening up the Mount Fatigue reserve, received notice of removal on Wednesday, and left immediately. (8)
April 1901 Domain Drive
Mr H. Abbott, Overseer-in-charge
The Argus, April 16, 1901 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/10545705
Government Domain Drive went through the Domain, from Government House Gates to South Yarra. (9)
Government Domain Drive, is labelled as South Yarra Drive on this c. 1911 map.
Botanic Gardens. Photo-lithographed at the Department of Lands and Survey, Melbourne,
by W.J. Butson and drawn by F.S. Hilcke, c. 1911.
State Library of Victoria http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/166011
December 1902 Koo Wee Rup Swamp
The Workless - Koo-Wee-Rup Complaints. Official Reply.
The Minister of Public Works, having called for a report concerning the complaints of two of the unemployed, known as the Leongatha men, made in the "Herald" on the 5th last., has received it from the Inspector-General. Mr Davidson encloses reports from the Engineer of Reclamation Works, Mr C. Catani, and the overseer, Mr H. Abbott.
The gist of these reports is as follows:- 1. That the men were met at the station by Mr Connors. 2. The cart (or the conveyance of their swags was engaged by the overseer, and the department will have to pay for it. 3. The price offered these men. viz., 5d per yard in peat, without wheeling, in a small drain, is the largest paid in Koo-wee-rup Swamp at present. 4. The local men were never offered the work at 6d per yard or any other price, but they have taken it since these men left at 5d. and were very glad to get it, as they will make over 7s per day. 6. There are now only five Leongatha men left on the job. 6. The other 22 men who have left will cost the department - Twenty-two passes at 3s, 5d, L3 15s 2d; food for 22 men guaranteed, L5 10s; tools for 22 men, say, at 3a, L3 6s; tents for 22 man guaranteed, say, 2s, L2 4s; cartage of swags, L1. Total, L15 15s 2d.
Mr Abbott, in his report, says, with regard to the delay complained of by some men in getting to work, "If they had not wasted time over the beer they had had, they could have started a bit earlier." He adds: "The five men who are at work are making 3s 6d per day. They are not improving very much, as they are unsuitable for the class of work. I have got six good men (Gray's gang) in the drain with them, who will make over seven shillings per day." (10)
February 1915 Echuca Dock Works
An inquest on the body of Thomas Boland, who died suddenly at the wharf dock on Wednesday afternoon, was held yesterday by Mr M. O'Bryan, Deputy Coroner. Deceased was employed with others at excavation work at the dock, and collapsed during the afternoon. He was removed to the shade of the wharf, and although a doctor was called in he expired......Henry Abbott, overseer at the works, stated that deceased commenced work at the dock on Tuesday afternoon. He did not complain of being ill, and nothing unusual about him was noticed. At about 3.30 on Wednesday witness was checking the number of men with the time book, and found one of the workmen missing. He made inquiry, and Boland was pointed out, lying in a shade at the wharf. Witness examined him, and as he appeared very ill sent for the doctor and the police. Dr. Ebsworth arrived and attended to the patient, and remained with him until he died about half an hour later. Witness had not previously known the deceased......The Deputy Coroner found that Thomas Boland died at Echuca on the 17th day of February, 1915 from heat apoplexy, as per the doctor's evidence. (11)
So who was Harry Abbott? I don't know. It appears by the 1894 entry, that he was initially a paymaster, and thus likely worked with George Clowser, who I have written about here. You would have to assume Harry was born no later than 1870, given the level of responsibility of his roles, so to start, I looked for the deaths of any Henry or Harry Abbotts who would have been born in a suitable time frame and came up with the following. A Henry Abbott died in 1934, but he was with the Melbourne & Metropolitan Board Works from 1884 as a Register of Meters and later an Inspector; another Henry Abbott died in 1935 but he worked for the Colac Shire Council for over 40 years; another died in 1937, but he was a Contractor (builder) and another in 1943, but he was a Grocer; another still died in 1946 and he was a Bendigo business man. There was a Harry Abbott who died in 1928, but he was a farmer and one who died in 1947, but he was a Managing Director. (12) So, no satisfactory matches there and it's more than possible he died interstate or overseas.
We do, however, have a photograph of him, taken in 1912, along with his other Public Works Department (PWD) colleagues. I will concede that there may have been another Abbott in the PWD, but I like to think it's our Harry Abbott.
Officers of the Public Works Department (State).
Photographer: Algernon Darge.
Mr Abbott is third from the right, in the third row from the front and
Carlo Catani is in the second row from the front, fifth from the right.
Punch June 20, 1912 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article175618291
Front Row.- Messrs. Mackay, Dimelow, Sawyer, Couve, Morris, Robinson, Hassett, Swanton, Whitley, Bult, Cutler.
Second Row. - Messrs. Harvey, Kerr, Brown, Brittingham, Watson (Chief Architect), E. T. Drake (Secretary), W. H.Edgar (Minister of Public Works), W. Davidson (Inspector-General), C. Catani (Chief Engineer) C. Clowser (Acting-Chief Clerk), Jamieson, Austin, M'Kenzie.
Third Row.- Messrs. Cartwright, Gibbs, Stevens, Klingender, Campbell, Kennison, Cazaly, Cook, Fricke, M'lntosh, Thomas, Robertson, M'Cormick, Ridoutt, Hall, Neal, Moore, Searle, Clarke, Keeley, Couchman, Abbott, Simpson. Spiers.
Fourth Row. - Messrs. Pooley, Hooks, Hewitt, Tingate, Chambers, Pike, Cobby, Greenless, Glass, Campbell, Lewie, Neylon, Matthews, Kennedy, Symons.
Back Row. - Messrs. Gleeson, Lynar, Coney, Fulton, O'Sullivan, Connelly, Grant, Smart, Dewar, Gluth, Clarke, Pollock, Mather, Doig, Bult, Birchell, Hendy.
If you have any information on Harry Abbott, Public Works Department Engineer and a man of gentlemanly qualities, I would love to hear from you.
Footnotes
(1) Warragul Guardian, February 12, 1897, see here.
(2) Koo Wee Rup Swamp - see https://carlocatani.blogspot.com/2018/10/koo-wee-rup-swamp.html; Yarra Reclamation Works https://victoriancollections.net.au/stories/carlo-catani-an-engineering-star-over-victoria/a-straighter-yarra; Also this from The Age, April 22, 1901 (see here) - During last week a considerable number of men were provided with employment through the Government labor bureau. The officer in charge of the bureau reports that 30 laborers were sent to the Colac-Beech Forest railway works; 40 to the Lillydale-Warburton line, including 20 local men; 20 to the water works at Birchip; 6 to the Collingwood railway; and 75 to the Yarra improvement works and the Domain drive. At these metropolitan works the men are receiving only a fortnight's engagement, in order that those who state that they are in destitute circumstances may take their turn at earning something within a convenient distance of their homes. During the week employment was also found for three pitcher setters on the Domain drive, and for four pitcher setters at the Moonee Ponds Creek. Nine stonebreakers were sent to Epping and Preston at the request of the local shire council. Of 60 men registered for town work 10 accepted and 50 declined offers of work in the country. Domain Drive - see Footnote 9.
Foster to Bolarra Road - https://carlocatani.blogspot.com/2019/06/carlo-and-boolarra-to-foster-road.html;
Echuca Wharf - I will write about this one day, but this was the project - Ballarat Courier, February 10, 1915, see here.
(3) Warragul Guardian, February 6, 1894, see here.
(4) South Bourke & Mornington Journal, April 1, 1896, see here.
(4) The Age, February 23, 1897, see here.
(5) The Argus, July 21, 1900, see here.
(6) The Argus, September 7, 1900, see here.
(7) The Argus, November 2, 1900, see here.
(8) The Argus, April 16, 1901, see here.
(9) The Age, May 11, 1901, see here.
(10) The Herald, December 13, 1902, see here.
(11) Echuca and Moama Advertiser, February 20, 1915, see here.
(12) Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages; Electoral Rolls on Ancestry; death notices in the newspapers on Trove.
