Streets named Catani

I have been for a few drives and photographed all the Catani street signs in Victoria. There is also a Catani Place in Monash in the A.C.T., of which I received some photos from a kind Canberrian. There is also a Catani Place at Helensvale in Queensland, north of the Gold Coast, the only sign not photographed.  For a short time (1918-1919) The Boulevard which runs between Heidelberg and Ivanhoe, was called Via Catani, and I have written about this here.

Catani Boulevard, Bend of Islands. The sealed road is Henley Drive.

Catani Boulevard, Bend of Islands

Catani Boulevard, Bend of Islands, is the most scenic of the Catani streets. Bend of Islands is an Environmental Living Zone, part of the Shire of Nillumbik and the location of the Warrandyte-Kinglake Nature Conservation Reserve. The name  comes from the fact that the Yarra River bends around and there is a small island in the bend, called Moniques Island. You can see the Bend of Islands Conservation Association website, here. 

Catani Boulevard was established in 1929. Mick Woiwod, in his book Once Around the Sugarloaf (1) describes how it came about in March 1929, Ned Haughton subdivided his 320 acre estate into thirty-six lots - thirty-five of which had river frontages, averaging five acres apiece, with the remaining land-locked central block measuring 124 acres. Access to the river blocks was provided for by the construction of a circuitous road (Via Catani Boulevard), carved out with horse and scoop by Jack Kennedy, a local contractor.......Aware of Catani's universal popularity, Ned Haughton named the road through his subdivision 'Via Catani Boulevard' (2).

Aubrey Edward 'Ned'  Haughton was an auctioneer and real estate agent from the firm of Coghill & Haughton (3).  He admired Carlo Catani's vision of a grand boulevard which would run from Princes Bridge to Yarra Glen and in 1927 decided to take on the project. The Herald reported on his plans - Few citizens, perhaps, remember that the late Mr Catani, the noted Public Works officer, visualised a river boulevard from the city to Yarra Glen, where it would join the Healesville road, and at Healesville link up with the highway over the Blacks' Spur and the mountains beyond - to Sydney....Applying himself to the task of "seeing it through"  Mr A. E. Haughton (of Coghill and Haughton, city) appeals to citizens and Government departments concerned to help forward the great driveway scheme. 

Mr Haughton  divides the driveway into three sections, as follows: 1. Prince's Bridge to Heidelberg. This is being looked after by the Public Works Department. The Lake Thwaites' scheme has  been planned on this section.  2. Heidelberg to Warrandyte, via Eltham. This section can easily be arranged, as recent sub-divisons and existing Government roads need only a few additions to make it possible. 3. Warrandyte to Yarra Glen on the north side of  the river. This is the longest section, and the land is held by only a few owners. Mr Haughton considers that "the  Government should acquire the big timber areas before they are converted into week-end sites, which is likely to happen soon." (4). 

Sadly, neither Carlo's nor Mr Haughton's vision ever came to fruition. You perhaps might wonder if Mr Haughton's vision of the grand boulevard was influenced by the prospect of increasing his business through land sales along the route. Table Talk profiled him in 1914 and had this to say -  Land salesmanship is Mr. Haughton's forte, he combines with a sound, all-round knowledge of town and country values a persuasive address, which counts for a great deal at an auction sale (5). 

In 1975 you could have purchased 8 acres on Catani Boulevard for $21,000. 

The Bend of Islands area was previously part of Kangaroo Ground. 

The Age, November 15, 1975

Catani Court, Broadmeadows.

Catani Court, Broadmeadows, is in my 1973 Melway, but not in the original 1966 Melway, so this gives some idea when the Court was established. It is in the City of Hume. It was very hard to take an attractive photo of the sign; as you can see from the photo the housing estate was established before the days when power lines were placed underground. Catani Court is in a pocket of streets named after Victorian towns - Heywood, Dimboola, Cavendish, Coleraine, Timboon, Sorreno, Benambra amongst others. 

Catani Court, Burnside Heights

Burnside Heights is part of the City of Melton. Catani Court was proclaimed in 2006 according to the City of Melton Road Management Plan, see below. Catani Court is off Arbour Boulevard and some of the  surrounding street are named after parks - Como, Domain, Hyde, Regent, Centennial, so I presume that is the reason Catani was selected.

City of Melton Road Management Plan, March 2021

https://www.melton.vic.gov.au/Services/Building-Planning-Transport/Roads-and-traffic/Road-management

Catani Mews, Caroline Springs

Nine hundred metres from Catani Court, Burnside Heights is Catani Mews, Caroline Springs. Catani Mews was proclaimed in 2004 according to the City of Melton Road Management Plan, above. Catani Mews is also in a pocket of streets with Park names - Studley Park Way, Kings Domain, Edinburgh Lane and a street called Alexandra Gardens.

Catani Place, Craigieburn

Catani Place in Craigieburn, is also in the City of Hume. It seemed to be a very short street - 20 metres, if that, which lead to a gate, but I have just found that 4-10 Catani Place was sold in November 2016 in one lot as 6 residential properties being 'offered in one line' allowing purchasers to secure residential investments with commercial returns. Tenant: Department of Education & Training.  Lease Term: 15 years (comm. Feb 2003) plus options. These houses were all behind the gate, so it is a small gated community. This is the advertisement for the sale, here. Catani Place was in the 2003 Melway in dotted lines, which is what they use to denote proposed developments.  Studley Park Way, Fawkner Lane, Kings Glen are three close streets, so I presume it was named to fit into this Garden theme.

Catani Lane, Curlewis. The Land borders Connor Park. 

Curlewis is around 20 km past Geelong. Catani Lane is in the Curlewis Parks Estate, which was established around 2011. The Estate was originally advertised as being in Drysdale, but is now called Curlewis. Curlewis itself is an old locality. Coriyule Homestead, built in 1849 for pioneer squatters Anne Drysdale and Caroline Newcomb, is located in Curlewis. Curlewis Catholic School was established  in January 1851, changed it's name to Point Henry in 1869 and closed in December 1873. Curlewis State School, No. 1559, operated form 1875 until 1880 (6).  Catani Lane is surrounded by Chatsworth Way, Hyde Way, Centennial Boulevard and streets with English names - I can't see a connection between Catani and the other street names. Connor Park was presumably named for the pioneering Connor family (7).

Catani Avenue, Koo Wee Rup

Catani Avenue, Koo Wee Rup is in the Shire of Cardinia, as is the town of Catani. It is in the Shelton Park Estate, established around 2010. In my 2015 Melway, Catani Avenue came off Rossiter Road, and it was still like that in December 2018 when Greg, Nima and Katherine Catani visited as we took a photo of them under the sign, but part of it has now been changed to Shelton Park Drive. The street was named for Carlo Catani, who was of course responsible for drainage works on the Koo Wee Rup Swamp from 1893.

This is from the 2015 Melway Greater Melbourne Street Directory, clearly showing Catani Avenue (bottom left) running off Rossiter Road. Today that section of Catani Avenue is called Shelton Park Drive and Catani Avenue starts where it turns eastwards.

Catani Court, Newborough. 

Looking south down Dinwoodie Drive, with the Strzelecki Ranges in the background. 

Catani Court is in what appears to be a 1980s sub-division. Surrounding streets include Dinwoodie Drive - there was a Dr Collin Dinwoodie who practiced in Moe in the 1920s (Moe is the town adjacent to Newborough); Howitt Street - Alfred Howitt was an explorer; Strzelecki Road - Count Strzelecki - another Gippsland Explorer; McMillan Court - Angus McMillan - yet another Gippsland explorer; McDonald Court -  presumably George McDonald who surveyed McDonald's Track from Lang Lang into the Strzelecki Ranges.  So, am I assuming that the name Catani was selected due to his work of  draining the Moe Swamp. 

Catani Place, Monash, A.C.T. 

Image courtesy of Gaia Livni  (© Gaia Livni)

Catani Place, Monash, A.C.T. Looking down William Hudson Crescent to 

Thompson Place playground. 

Image courtesy of Gaia Livni (© Gaia Livni)

Catani Place is in Monash, a suburb of Canberra. Monash is named after Sir John Monash (1865-1931) Engineer, General and Chairman of the State Electricity Commission of Victoria. Along with Carlo, other engineers are also honoured in this sub-division by having streets named after them. Here are a few - William Hudson Crescent - William Hudson (1896-1978) - Commissioner of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme; Scratchley Place - Sir Peter Scratchley (1835-1885), Military Engineer; Ballard Place - I presume this is Robert Ballard (1839-1912), Railway Engineer; Arnot Place - Arthur James Arnot (1865-1946), Electrical Engineer; Checchi Place - Ettore Checchi (1853-1946) - Engineer, specialising in hydrography and friend of Carlo. They migrated to Australia together along with Pietro Baracchi. Steffanoni Circuit - Victor Lewis Steffanoni (1901-1974) - Surveyor and Military Engineer. You can find more information about these chaps in the Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/ The only one not listed is Mr Steffanoni, I found out about him from the Australian Capital Territory Public Place Names Act 1989 Determination No. 73 of 1990 (see here).This also gives as idea of when this sub-division was created - around 1990.

Acknowledgement

Isaac Hermann, my Carlo research colleague, compiled the original list of Catani Streets. He also supplied the photo of Catani Lane, Curlewis. I added the other photos and the details, mainly using my extensive collection of Melway Street Directories, however it was Isaac who told me about Mick Woiwod's book and thus Ned Houghton's original land sub-division on the Bend of Islands. Thanks, Isaac. Isaac also organised for the photo of Catani Place, Monash, Canberra to be taken. Thank you to Gaia Livni for taking the time and effort to photograph Carlo's Canberra street sign for me.  I was so thrilled to receive the photos.

Footnotes

(1) Woiwod, Mick Once around the Sugarloaf: the transformation of a Victorian landscape and the story of its people (Bend of Islands Press, 1992).

(2) Woiwod, op. cit, p. 197 and 201.

(3) Audrey Edward Haughton was the son of William Haughton, Town Clerk of Oakleigh, He married Jessie Cameron on May 16, 1906. She was the daughter of Ewan Hugh Cameron, M.L.A. Their wedding notice was in The Argus June 15, 1906, see here. He was profiled in  Table Talk, January 29, 1914, see here.

(4) The Herald, April 13, 1927, see here.

(5) Table Talk, January 29, 1914, see here.

(6) Curlewis School information from Vision and Realisation : a centenary history of State Education in Victoria, edited by L.J. Blake. Published by the Education Department of Victoria, 1973.

(7) http://zades.com.au/gandd/index.php/bellpen/towns1/drysdale/drstreet

Carlo is appointed Chairman of the Motor Traffic Committee

The 1903 Local Government Act placed all roads under the control of the local municipality. It soon became apparent that there were a number of issues associated with this such as the fact that some Councils were spending up to sixty per cent of their budget on road maintenance (1); that there was a lack of co-operation between local Councils and that there was no overall central body to oversee road construction and maintenance (2).   In 1910 William Davidson (3), Inspector General of Public Works, recommended the establishment of a Roads Board to take control of main roads. The Country Roads Board Bill was proclaimed on January 1, 1913 and the Country Roads Board (CRB) came into existence. The first meeting of this Board was held in the chambers of the Minister for Public Works on March 31, 1913 with William Calder (4), the Chairman, W.T.B. McCormack (5)  and F. W. Fricke (6), being the other members.

At one stage Carlo Catani was considered the most likely candidate for the Chairmanship of the CRB. Punch reported in October 1912 that The Chairman of the Main Roads Board is to receive £800 a year. He will almost certainly be Mr. Catani, who has been thinking out the engineering problems of the Public Works Department for many years, and yet gets only £650 a year, a remuneration which the average successful engineer in private practice would scorn (7). The Bendigo Independent reported in December of that year that When the bill was first introduced Mr C. Catani, Chief Engineer of Public Works, was accepted as almost a "certainty" for the position of chairman of the board. Under the new State reclassification scheme Mr. Catani's position will be so improved that it is just possible he may prefer to remain with the Public Works Department (8). However in January 1913, Punch reported that Carlo had declined to leave his present position (9).

Photo of Carlo - Chairman of the Motor Traffic Committee 

(or the committee which has suggested new regulations as The Herald says)

The Herald May 22, 1916  https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/242328115

Continuing his career in the Public Works Department did not stop Carlo's involvement with roads and  roads maintenance as in February 1916 the Minister of Public Works, W. A. Adamson (10) appointed him as Chairman of the newly created Motor Traffic Committee. The purpose of the committee was to suggest legislation [to deal] with the problem of alleged destruction of roads by motor traffic (11). The other members of the Committee were William Calder and Frederick Fricke of the CRB and  A.T. Clark (12), Public Works Department Engineer of  Roads and Bridges.

The Victorian Year Books (13) give us some interesting statistics about the increasing popularity of motorised vehicles.  On June 30, 1912  there were 3,944 motor cars registered and 2,784 motor cycles; on December 31, 1916 - 10,713 motor cars and 8,123 motor cycles; and on December 31, 1918 - 15,158 motor cars and 9,928 motor cycles, so even the War didn't dint the enthusiasm for motor vehicle ownership, and thus it was not surprising that roads designed for horse traffic were not coping with more traffic and heavier vehicles.

The Committee reported back to Mr Adamson a few months later in May 1916 and recommended that legislation be enacted to (a) to protect roads from damage by the unrestricted use of heavy motor vehicles, and to require owners of vehicles to contribute toward the cost of special contribution and maintenance necessary for the case of traffic; (b) to protect roads from injury by excessive speed of heavy and light motor vehicle; and (c) to require large contribution to the fund for main road maintenance from users of motor cycles and motor cycles with side car attachment (14).

The Automobile Club (15) objected to the speed restrictions of commercial vehicles and  argued that roads should be built to suit the traffic and allow produce to be transported at the fastest speed at which a mechanically propelled vehicle can travel. The Motor Committee  said that if this was done it would cost the state £344,205,000 (16).  At the time Victoria had 68,841 miles of roads - that's about 111,000 kilometres (17).

As  a matter of interest it was recommended that the speed of heavy vehicles be restricted to eight miles per hour, but they could travel on any road. If the heavy vehicles were restricted to particular routes then the speed limit  could be increased to ten miles per hour (18). The  Automobile Club  also suggested that as a way to raise extra revenue for road maintenance all horses in Victoria should be taxed as it was ridiculous to assert that the 10,000 motor vehicles of all descriptions had caused more damage than the 562,321 untaxed horses (19). 

The Motor Traffic Act was debated in the Victorian Parliament in November and December 1918, I am unsure if it was passed. The Parliamentary debate included Mr Bayles (20) arguing that iron wheels and horses' feet were more destructive to road surfaces than motor cars; Mr Weaver (21) arguing that vehicles should be taxed on weight and not horse-power and Mr Prendergast (22) arguing that a distinction should be made between those who used motor vehicles for commercial purposes and those who used them for pleasure (23).

Carlo had an obvious interest in roads and road maintenance both from an engineering viewpoint and from the value that good roads had in opening up areas for farming and tourism. He knew that they also improved the amenity of people living in country areas by giving them better access to markets, shops, education and social activities. He was especially sensitive to the isolation of women in rural areas - It was not right to keep women in this back country unless they had proper road communication. The woman had to bear children. She was doctor, mother, teacher, everything, in this part of the world, and for her sake alone it was the duty of Governments to provide roads to enable her to get in and out. She was entitled to the same rights and privileges as the ordinary civilised being. These she could not have without decent means of communication (24).

The Victorian Year Books also have statistics on the number of people who were licensed by the Chief Commissioner to drive a motor vehicle. In 1912 there were 8,467 licenses; 1916 - 21,634 and 1918 - 27,423. I wondered whether Carlo had a licence and drove a motor car. There are many articles in the newspapers where he is driven, or 'motored', to various locations, often with politicians such as the Minister for Public Works, who I would assume had a government car and driver; or with other public servants or local councillors. I haven't come across any references to Carlo specifically being the driver, but I feel that with his interest in machinery, technology and new innovations that he would almost certainly have learnt to drive a car. Did he own a car? There was not a car listed in his assets in his Probate papers, so it doesn't appear that the Catani family owned a car (25).

Trove List
I have created  a list of articles on Trove related to the Motor Traffic Committee and the suggestion that Carlo's would be appointed as the first Chairman of the CRB, access the list here.

Notes
(1) Lay, Max Melbourne Miles: the story of Melbourne's Roads (Australian Scholarly Publishing, 2003) p. 46.
(2) Country Roads Board Victoria 1913-1963: Fifty Years of Progress (CRB, 1963), p. 14. There is also a history of the early days of the CRB in Roads for the People: a history of Victoria's Roads by W.K. Anderson (Hyland House, 1994).
(3) William Davidson, Inspector General of Public Works. Mr Davidson retired in 1912, you can read an interesting account of his life, here, in The Argus of August 24, 1912. He died  September 2, 1920 aged 75.
(4) William Calder (1860-1928) - the namesake of the Calder Highway. Read his entry in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, here.
(5) William Thomas Bartholomew McCormack - before he was appointed to the CRB he was an engineer with the Public Works Department. After William Calder's death he was appointed as the Chairman of the CRB. He died on January 22, 1938 aged 59. Read his short obituary, here, in the The Argus of January 24, 1938. Mr McCormack was the honorary engineer of the Great Ocean Road Trust and  a Memorial Arch and Tablet was unveiled in his honour in November 1939, read about this here.
(6) Frederick William Fricke, became Chairman of the CRB after Mr McCormack's death. He had previously been with the Lands Department and retired from the CRB in 1940.  Frederick's brother, Frederick Thomas Allan Fricke (they really were both called Frederick) was the Secretary for Lands. Frederick William died December 15, 1949 aged 79, read his obituary here.
(7) Punch October 24, 1912,  see here.
(8) Bendigo Independent December 25, 1912, see here.
(9) Punch, January 2, 1913, see here.
(10) William Addison Adamson (1858 - 1924). Read about him here on the Victorian Parliament website - Re-Member Former Members.
(11)  The Age July 11, 1916, see here.
(12) Alfred Thomas Clark. Appointed Assistant Engineer, Public Works Department Roads, Bridges and Harbours in October 1909 (Victorian Government Gazette October 20, 1909). Appointed as a member of the St Kilda Foreshore Committee to replace Carlo Catani in August 1918 (see here). His wife Evelyn Annie  Clark instituted divorce proceedings against him in 1920 (the file is at the PROV). This seems to have been the start of a decline in his behaviour, in 1923 he was charged with having obstructed the footpath in Elizabeth Street (see here) - must be more to that story than was reported. In July 1928 he was charged with drink driving (see here) and a month later was the subject of a Public Service Inquiry  due to alleged misconduct under the provisions of the Public Service Act (see here). The verdict of the Inquiry was not proved (see here). Perhaps connected to this, his services were Dispensed with (Victorian Government Gazette August 27, 1930). However, unless there were two A.T. Clarks, both Public Works Department engineers, there are still reports in the newspapers of Alfred working with the Public Works Department after this date (such as here), so perhaps he was reinstated. I believe his final position was as Shire Engineer at Warracknabeal (see here). He died December 19, 1949, aged 69.
(13) Victorian Year Books are digitised from 1973 - 2002, access them on the State Library of Victoria website https://guides.slv.vic.gov.au/vicgovpubs/yearbooks
(14) The Age September 7, 1916, see here.
(15) Automobile Club of Victoria, now the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria. For a history read The Crown of the Road: the story of the RACV by Susan Priestley (Macmillan, 1983)
(16) The Herald September 11, 1916, see here.
(17) The Age September 7, 1916, see here.
(18) The Herald September 11, 1916, see here.
(19) The Age September 7, 1916, see here.
(20)  Norman Bayles (1865 - 1946) Read about him here on the Victorian Parliament website - Re-Member Former Members. 
(21)  Isaac Job Weaver (1869 - 1954) Read about him here on the Victorian Parliament website - Re-Member Former Members. 
(22)  George Michael Prendergast (1854 - 1937)  Read about him here on the Victorian Parliament website - Re-Member Former Members. 
(23)  The Argus, December 5, 1918, see here.
(24)  Weekly Times, June 1 1912, see here.
(25) Probate papers at the Public Records Office of Victoria.

Anzac Memorial Highway

In February 1917 Mr Horace Washington Harrison (1), editor and founder of the Australian Motorist magazine suggested the construction of the "Anzac Highway" from Perth to Brisbane, and linking up these capitals with Melbourne, Adelaide, and Sydney and that this would be a fitting memorial to the Australian soldiers who have fallen in the war (2). 

The idea soon took hold and a correspondent with the pen name of Roman Roads wrote a letter to The Argus  suggesting that we could plant it with a double row of olive trees, symbolic of both the scene of our brave fellows' deeds, and of the "olive leaf" that these deeds will have helped to hold out to an outraged world. This tree is proof against every adversity, and shady and pleasing to the eye. Such a mammoth avenue of them would grow to yield £1,000,000 a year (3).

The  Anzac Highway concept was also taken up by  the Road Users' Association. This group had been around for well over  a decade, starting as the National Touring Association. In 1905 it changed its name to the Touring and Good Roads Association (4) and in January 1917, the name changed again, this time to the Road Users' Association (5).  The original purpose of the Group, as the name suggests was a touring association and one of the members was George Broadbent. Mr Broadbent (1863-1947) was a keen cyclist who held many Australian and Victorian records, including that of riding 203 miles (327 km) in 24 hours on a penny farthing - apparently that record has never been beaten, so if you are up for  a challenge (and happen to have  a penny farthing bicycle handy), then give it  a go. George began producing maps initially for cyclists but later for other road users and formed the company,  Broadbents Official Road Guides (6).

The Secretary of the Road Users' Association was Eric Boult and he wrote an article, published in the Truth newspaper about the Anzac Highway. The idea that the road should be a monument to fallen soldiers was expanded upon. As well, Mr Boult compared the Anzac Highway to the Roman Roads in Britain - now, these Roman roads have lasted because they were well built-far better built than those of our Country Roads Board and it is probably desirable that this highway, if built, should be constructed up to as high a standard as possible, with a view to making it thoroughly permanent (7). 

The road would also have a number of other benefits - it could be built entirely by returned soldiers from labourers to engineers. It would also provide ongoing employment as returned soldiers could be employed as patrol men along the route. The road would open up land for settlement and thus would permit very large numbers of returned soldiers being settled on the land. The road would also be of  military value and would aid in the defence of the country as well as being of benefit to motorists generally (8). 

There were also various suggestions that plaques and memorials to fallen soldiers would be erected along the length of the road and that members of the public or communities could donate money to have, for instance, a bridge built to honor  a fallen soldier (9).  Each state would be responsible for their section and could incorporate existing roads into the project or make new roads. The proposed road was compared to the Lincoln Memorial Highway which was being built across the United States (10).

In early May the Road Users' Association formed a committee to  provisionally formulate a scheme to give effect to the proposition (11).  Amongt those on this committee were William Edgar, President of the Association (12).  Mr Edgar was the former Minister for Public Works (13). Also on the committee was Carlo Catani, the recently retired Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department. A report of his retirement function in Table Talk quotes Mr Edgar as saying Mr. Catani would in future bear the honor due for the work of the proposed Anzac memorial highway to link up the Australian States. It was at his suggestion that this scheme has been put before the public, and it has a very worthy object in its proposed employment of returned soldiers (14).  The first job of this new Committee was to obtain the co-operation of kindred groups in other States or if none existed, the automobile club (15). 

This was a very grand scheme but in the end it was only partially successful as there is no Anzac Highway which links Brisbane to Perth. There is an Anzac Highway in South Australia which runs from Adelaide to Glenelg. As early as August 1917 the proposal was made to widen this road, which was called Bay Road,  with the addition of  a tram track down the centre along with memorials to soldiers, resurface it and add landscaping and rename it the Anzac Highway (16).  From reports in the newspapers it seems to have been referred to as the Anzac Highway from the early 1920s, but the name was officially changed in November 1924 (17).  In 1925, there were plans to plant the entire length of the Highway with Norfolk Island Palms. Sir Sidney Kidman, the pastoralist, donated £250 towards the project and Adelaide Register reported that to plant the tree and erect guards costs £2 2/ each tree, and it has been decided by the Treeplanting Advisory Board that a contribution of that amount would carry with it the privilege of having a tree dedicated to the memory of any fallen soldier and a tablet placed on the guard (18). 

The Adelaide Chronicle wrote One cannot imagine a more fitting memorial than the living evergreen tree typifying as it does, the ever-present memory of our glorious dead, their heroic achievements, and their final sacrifice that we might be free. Many of them came from the country, and loved the flowers and trees, and would not have hesitated to select a living tree as their monument (19).

Anzac Highway / Bay Road, in South Australia, flooded. 1926.

State Library of South Australia Image B 28557

We did have an Anzac Highway in Victoria, it is now known as the Great Ocean Road. The road from Barwon Heads to Warrnambool was proposed in December 1917 by Cr Howard Hitchcock (20), Mayor of Geelong as a memorial to the fallen soldiers (21).  Early the next year, Cr Hitchcock, Mr. Fricke, of the Country Roads Board and Mr Edgar, the Road Users' Association President and  others toured the area and were impressed. Mr Edgar had this to say the scenery was one magnificent panorama of ocean views, rugged coast line, and undulating forest country. The country is second to none in Victoria as a tourists' resort. The vegetation is luxuriant (22).  The Road Users' Association  appointed Mr C. Catani to represent us in any action which may be taken (23).   Early reports in the press referred to the road as a part of the Anzac Memorial Highway, but the  Trust that was established on March 22, 1918 to oversee the project was called the Great Ocean Road Trust, so that appears to be the favoured name from the start (24).

Sadly, Carlo passed away only a few months later on July 20, 1918 so he played little role in the development of the Great Ocean Road, even though he was a committee member of the Trust (25).  It was Cr Hitchcock who oversaw the project as the President of the Great Ocean Road Trust and generous benefactor towards the project. Cr Hitchcock passed away August 22, 1932 (on the day that the Catani Memorial Clock Tower was officially dedicated) just three months before the roadway was officially opened on November the 26th by Sir William Irvine, the Lieutenant Governor of Victoria. Sir William paid tribute to Cr Hitchcock -
Before proceeding to the task which I am here to perform, I must express my profound regret that he to whose energy and devotion the completion of this Ocean road is mainly due has been called away on the eve of the consummation of his life's ambition. But no nobler monument could be erected to the memory of the late Mr. Howard Hitchcock than that which his own enthusiasm has taken such a large part in creating, and which will always be associated with his name (26).

The Great Ocean Road, near Lorne. 

This great image gives a good idea idea of the obstacles faced in the construction of the road.

Photographer: Rose Stereograph Co. State Library of Victoria Image H90.160/82

...........................................................................................

Acknowledgement: I found out about Carlo Catani's connection to the Anzac Highway and the Great Ocean Road, from my research colleague, Isaac Hermann. Thanks, Isaac!

Trove List - I have created a list of articles connected to the Anzac Highway, Carlo Catani's involvement and various other things I have written about in this post, access it here.

Notes
(1)  Horace Washington Harrison was the secretary of the Victorian  Chamber of Automotive Industries, which he founded around 1912 and the editor and founder of the Australian Motorist. According to his obituary, in 1950 he held the oldest driving licence in Victoria. Mr Harrison died in 1952, aged 73. His obituary was in the Herald, August 13, 1952, see here.
(2) Reported in The Argus February 12, 1917, see here.
(3) The Argus February 15, 1917, see here.
(4) Table Talk, February 16, 1905, see here.
(5) Geelong Advertiser,  January 25, 1917, see here.
(6) Information about George Broadbent comes from his Australian Dictionary of Biography entry by G.F. James, read it here.
(7) Truth, March 3, 1917, see here.
(8) Truth, March 3, 1917, see here.
(9) Geelong Advertiser May 9, 1917, see here.
(10) Albury Banner and Wodonga Express, March 2, 1917, see here.
(11)  The Argus May 5, 1917, see here.
(12) Mr Edgar took over as President in March 1917 - The Herald, March 12, 1917 see here.
(13) 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.
(14) Table Talk May 17, 1917, see here.
(15) The Argus May 5, 1917, see here.
(16)  The Adelaide Advertiser August 8, 1917, see here.  I initially found out about the connection about the Anzac Highway originally being called Bay Road from a document on the Australian Garden History Society website. The document is on Avenues of Honour, see it here.
(17)  The Adelaide Advertiser November 7, 1924, see here.
(18)  The Adelaide Register, October 26, 1925, see here.
(19)  The Adelaide Chronicle, October 31, 1925, see here.
(20) Howard Hitchcock (1866 - 1932) You can read about his life here, in his Australian Dictionary of Biography entry, written by Ian Wynd, here. I initially found the connection between Cr Hitchcock and the Great Ocean Road in the Victorian Heritage Database citation, see here.
(21) The Argus December 4, 1917, see here.
(22) The Herald February 18, 1918, see here.
(23) The Herald February 18, 1918, see here.
(24)  The report of the formation of the Great Ocean Road Trust can be read in the Colac Reformer of March 23, 1918, see here. References to the Great Ocean Road as part of the Anzac Memorial Highway can be found in the Herald of March 22, 1919 (see here)  where they are discussing the screening of  a new film of the Great Ocean Road, which was a comprehensive pictorial presentment of the route the proposed Anzac memorial highway will follow. George Broadbent wrote an article called The Great Ocean Road: Inception and Development and writes inter alia that it is further intended that the Great Ocean road shall be an Anzac memorial highway. It's a very informative article with photographs and  a map, read it in The Argus of April 29, 1922, here.
(25) Colac Reformer March 23, 1918, see here. The Committee of the Great Ocean Road Trust, as listed in the Colac Reformer were President, Cr Hitchcock, Mayor of Geelong; Vice-presidents, Cr Swinton, Warrnambool; Hon. A. Bell, M.L.C. Ballarat ; Messrs J. D. Deaney, Jas. M'Donald, Robt. Purnell, Duncan M'Lennan, M's.L.A. Committee - Cr J. Hancock, Colac; Hon. W. H. Edgar, M.L.C.; Mr P. H. Lock; Hon. T. Livingston, M.L.C.; Mr G. Broadbent, Cr W. Fletcher, Messrs W. B. Volum, John Pettit, C. Catani, Ed. Black, J. M'Phillimy, J. T. Anderson (Lorne), G. F. Sydenham, G. S. Mackay (Warrnambool), A. K. Stanford (Apollo Bay). Treasurer - Union Trustee Company of Australia. Organising secretary, Mr E. E. Hendy
(26) The Argus November 28, 1932, see here.

Carlo and the Boolarra to Foster Road

In July 1900,  Carlo visited Morwell and announced that as soon as the consent of the affected land owners had been obtained then a gang of 100 men would be provided to make a road from Boolarra to Foster. An agreement had been made with all the landowners along the route, in fact they had provided their land for no payment, apart from Mr Primrose.  Mr Primrose said that the road would cut off access to a spring, which was his only permanent source of water and he thus wanted compensation. In the end the Council did negotiate a compensation figure with him (1).  I am not sure of the exact route of the road but it left Boolarra went through Mirboo East, over (or around?) Mount Fatigue to Foster. 

The map shows the road from Boolarra to Foster, 

Mount Fatigue is also marked on the map.

Eastern half of Geo. R. Broadbent's road and railway map of Victoria, 1920s. 

State Library of Victoria - see the entire map here http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/120451

There is an informative account of what happened the day after negotiations with Mr Primrose were completed from the Morwell Advertiser of August 3, 1900 -
The next day, Mr. Catani accompanied by Mr. Smith, engineer, and Mr. Morris, works overseer, brought a gang of about 30, men from Melbourne with him. On arrival at Morwell they were met by the shire president and shire engineer, who accompanied the party to Boolarra by the mid-day train.

At Boolarra there was quite a crowd of residents waiting to receive the party. The place where a start was to be made is about two miles south of Boolarra on what is known as the East Mirboo Road, on the deviation through Mr. Primrose's block. Mr. Catani was anxious that the men should get out at once and pitch camp. Arrangements were made with Mr. Cummings to take out the tents, swags, tools, etc., which settled a difficult matter, for the road is in such a dreadful state that it requires a good staunch horse to take an empty dray. Mr. Cummings, however, has an excellent team of horses, and delivered his load at the camping ground before sunset.

The next trouble was to secure horses to convey the party out, for Mr. Catani was anxious to inspect the road himself for some miles out. The Boolarra people, however, soon came to the rescue, and owing to the kindness of Messrs. ScanIon, Latter, Christian Jones and others, every man of the party was supplied with a good horse. Cr. O'Grady, Messrs. Scanlon and Jones also joined the party at Boolarra. The starting point at Primrose's was carefully examined by Mr. Catani who gave the engineer, Mr. Smith, instructions regarding the manner in which certain work was to be carried out. 

The road was followed and carefully examined as far as Mr. Miles Mayall's, when owing to the lateness of the hour it was resolved to return. Two or three places were considered good camping ground but it was eventually decided to make the first camp close to Mr. Vinall's. Metal was met with along the road and Mr. Catani said that if sufficient could be obtained the road would be metalled the whole distance.

In speaking to the men Mr. Catani said they would be on piecework, on the batty-gang system, and it was expected that an average man doing an honest day's work, of eight hours, would make 6/6 a day. If men were good axemen they would be put on clearing, if better at forming they would be put on to it, and so on. Where the timber was large he recommended that the men work in gangs of four or six. They would be supplied with jacks and all necessary tools. In connection with local men being put on, he said that as soon as their names were registered they could go to work. It was his intention to put on a gang of 100 men, and if there were not sufficient men the balance would be sent from Melbourne. A start was made on Wednesday morning and good progress has been made. (2)

Mirboo Road, Foster, c. 1910. 

This gives you some idea of the massive amount of work that was required to construct this road.

Museums Victoria https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/items/770364

Men were also employed to work on the road from the Foster end and the Weekly Times of August 4, 1900 said that the camp is situated about three miles from Foster, on the Deep Creek, and it is quite an interesting spot just now, giving one the idea of a digging rush. The report also spoke of the advantages of the road to the settlers and the Shire - it opened up land for selection, it provided access for existing settlers and, importantly for  a farming area,  it provided better access for their produce   - the road which is destined to open up one of the finest tracts of country in South Gippsland, besides finding an outlet for a large number of settlers, who have for years been hemmed in....[the road lead into]  the 50,000 acres of rich agricultural land in the Mt. Fatigue (3) country still unselected. ....Dairying is beginning to show signs of reviving after the winter, but it is rather early yet to speak of the prospects. The output should be considerably increased this season, especially as these new roads are giving an outlet for cream carts, instead of pack horses. (4)

There was a rocky start to the project, seemingly related to the Public Works Department Overseer, Harry Abbott, as the next three newspaper articles show.

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. (5)

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. (6)

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. (7)

By January 1902, The Morwell Advertiser reported that the road was nearing completion, Carlo visited the area to inspect the work - Mr Catani traversed the two lines of road, and expressed himself well pleased with the care and judgement exercised in selecting the easiest grades and carrying out of side-cutting and formation generally, which are in charge of Messrs Kelly, Bouchier and Morrissey. (8) 

In May 1903, Carlo was back in the area, inspecting the road again The Inspector-General of Public Works, Mr. Davidson, and Mr. Catani, Engineer in Chief, returned to Foster on Wednesday evening after a trip over the road from Foster to the junction of the Toora road, and thence via Mount Fatigue to Toora. The object of their visit was to inspect the roads after the heavy traffic of bullock waggons engaged at paling carting. Both gentlemen expressed strong opinions on the damage which the roads have sustained, and consider that stringent measures should be used to prohibit carting during the winter season. (9)    As you can see, the conditions of rural roads not being suitable for the traffic that is required to traverse them, was an issue then and is still an issue, so not much has changed in the past 116 years.

Boolarra Road, Foster, c. 1945 - 1954. Victorian Railways photographer. 

The negative of opening up land for selection, which this road did, was the subsequent land clearing, obvious in the photo. 

State Library of Victoria Image H91.50/1021

The road construction in the area was obviously of an economic and social advantage to the locals but it came at a heavy financial cost to the Government. The Argus of February 25, 1902 reported -
that the Ministry had determined to abolish the day labour system in connection with the South Gippsland roads near Mount Fatigue.  If it were not such a serious matter for the taxpayer, this decision on the part of the Government would be laughable Departmental reports show clearly that it is a mere shutting of the door after the horse has fled. Two sums of £15,000 each have been almost expended in the making of roads in the "Green Area" and the Mount Fatigue country in South Gippsland. The small sum of about £1,500 only remains available out of those two votes. That a large amount of the money already expended has been absolutely wasted is now beyond dispute.

Mr. Catani writing on the same subject, remarks - "The cost per mile has been on on average £850, or about 50 percent more than contract price. The explanation of this is that most of the men are unfit for this heavy work, many of them being old men, earning as low as 4/- per day. The lowering of the earnings in one case renders possible the raising of the earnings of the good men to 10/ and 11/ per day (if the average of 7/ is to be maintained), with the result that the best men do not exert themselves as they ought for fear of showing too big a return. It is a fact ascertained on all public works that the retention of a number of inferior workmen lowers the standard of the rest."

"Another had effect or the present system is that what are known as the local unemployed (who, by the way are the best men we have) are not in reality unemployed at all, but farmers and selectors in the district, who prefer to earn 50/ per week under the Government than 30/- on their own farms."

It was on the strong recommendation of Mr Davidson and Mr. Catani that the Ministry was induced to turn from the wasteful system of day labour as far as the South Gippsland roads are concerned. (10) 

We will finish this post with an account of the benefits of the road that was published in the Morwell Advertiser on May 30, 1902 - The works on the Boolarra-to-Foster road have been completed, and are already proving a boon to the residents of the district who are now enabled to take good loads to places where it was formerly a difficult task to get an empty dray this time of the year. The road is frequently used by persons travelling to and from Foster, and it is quite a pleasant ride, and can be done comfortably in half a day. (11)

Trove list - I have created a short list of articles on the Foster to Boolarra Road, mainly connected to Carlo's involvement, on Trove you can access it here. 

Footnotes

(1) Morwell Advertiser, August 3, 1900, see here.

(2) Ibid

(3)  Mt Fatigue was named by explorer, Count Strzelecki, reflecting the effort it took him and his party to climb to the top. This is from this website http://mtkosciuszko.org.au/ which you can read in both English and Polish, if you have that linguistic skill.

(4) Weekly Times August 4, 1900, 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) Morwell Advertiser, January 24, 1902, see here. 

(9) The Age May 11, 1903, see here. 

(10) The Argus, February 25, 1902, see here.

(11) Morwell Advertiser, May 30, 1902, see here.

Korumburra Shire cannot make a decision on a new road proposed by Carlo

In 1912, The Age had a report on the inaction of the Korumburra Shire regarding a new road in Strzelecki which the locals wanted and had contributed to, that had reports and plans drawn up by staff at the Public Works Department, including Carlo and that the State Government had offered funding towards.  I am sure that the residents of Strzelecki wished that all bureaucrats were like Carlo about which is written -  Probably he was able to do so much with the slow moving civil servants around him because he was blessed with unusual vigor himself and could paint a rosy scheme in treble languages (1) but it seems that even Carlo's vigor and  ability to paint a rosy scheme could not move the Korumburra Council into action.

The Strzelecki road proposal (transcibed below)

The Age  February 19, 1912  https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/197397711#

An Irresolute Council. Long Wrangle about a Road.

Korumburra, Sunday - The proposal to open up a new road known as M'Laity's road, Strezleckie, has been before the local shire council for the past 2½ years. At almost every meeting the matter has been discussed, and at time acrimonious exchanges have taken place between councillors. In the beginning a committee of the council, inspected the road and recommended its construction, provided satisfactory financial arrangements were made. The settlers interested have contributed upwards of £100 in money and in work. Three officers from the Public Works department, Messrs. Catani, M'Cormack and Kermode, have at various times inspected the road, and reams of paper are covered by reports, maps, plans, &c., in regard to it. A grant of £300 was also promised by the Government towards the cost, which was estimated at £647. At the last meeting of the council a petition was received from a majority of the owners and occupiers of the country to be served by the road, asking for a separate rate. This petition was ordered to lie on the table for one month. Cr. Fitzgerald, who has been championing the
cause of the settlers who want the road, submitted a motion accepting the Government's grant and the route proposed by Mr Catani, but on being put to the vote the motion was lost. In order to ascertain the definite position of the council, it was suggested that a resolution "That no further action be taken in the matter" be put. Crs. Western and Eakins moved to this effect, but the motion also was lost. Thus the council is in a unique position, neither in favor nor against the proposal, while the settlers, who have contributed work and money, are in great straits for a passable outlet for their produce, on account of the inaccessible nature of the country.

Was the road ever opened? I cannot find it listed in the VicRoads State Directory, so it may have been built under another name or not at all. 

Commmercial Street, Korumburra, c. 1910

Korumburra would have looked like this in 1912 when Carlo visited. 

State Library of Victoria Image H84.233/185

The Shire Offices are on the right of the photo, with the arched doorway and windows. According to Joseph White in his The history of the Shire of Korumburra (3) they were officially opened on March 18, 1908. The building had previously been used as a shop, known as Huckell's building, and had been offered to the Shire for 650 pounds. They did not accept the offer, so it was sold and the new owner then offered to sell them the building for 700 pounds, which is what the Council paid for it! They then spent 150 pounds on renovations. New Shire Offices were opened on March 26, 1956. 

Footnotes
(1) Table Talk May 3 1917, read article here.

(2) The Age  February 19, 1912, see here.   
(3) The history of the Shire of Korumburra by Joseph White (Shire of Korumburra, 1988)