Carlo makes valuable suggestions for the garden at Kyneton High School

In 1915 Carlo Catani, the Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department, received a request for a garden design for the Kyneton High School. He was clearly so well loved and respected by the public that they had no qualms approaching him for what seems to be a fairly trivial matter. However, no doubt as his son Enrico had been farming at Kyneton since he left Dookie College in 1912, the community felt they had a personal connection to Carlo. Sadly, Enrico's connection to the Kyneton area was cut tragically short by his death at Pozieres in France on July 29, 1916. (1).

The High School at Kyneton had opened in the Technical school building, on the corner of Ebden and Piper Streets in 1912, with 62 students. (2).  This building was built in 1878 as the Market building, but was only been used for this purpose for ten years, before it became the Technical School in 1888. (3). After the opening of the High School, the Technical classes were held in the building at night. (4). A new High School was officially opened in Epping Street on November 30, 1928. (5).

It was thus for a garden at the school in the old Market building that Carlo's ideas were required. The Kyneton Guardian reported in June 1915 that -
At the last meeting of the Kyneton High School Council the hon. secretary was requested to write to Mr. Catani, of the Public Works Department, thanking him for valuable suggestions re the laying out of the school garden. (6).

Were Carlo's valuable suggestions acted upon? In December 1915, it was reported that -

Mr. T. H. Stuart, head master of Kyneton High School, in his report to the school council on the year's work stated that alterations had been effected at the technical school to permit of the rooms being used for high school purposes; that a bicycle shed and other outbuildings had been erected; that the cookery room had been brought up to date, and that the office had been finished and fitted commensurately with the expansion of the school. In addition, the grounds had been graded, the garden laid out, a piano purchased and two rooms furnished with pictures. There are 130 pupils on the roll, the highest number since the establishment of the school. (7).

Was the garden actually laid out to Carlo's design? Interestingly, on the edge of the 1949 photograph below, we can see the fronds of a palm tree, a tree which Carlo frequently used in his gardens. That's enough proof for me that the School Council not only appreciated Carlo's  design suggestions, but made them a reality.

1949 photo - The Kyneton Technical School, used as the High School from 1912 until 1928. Note the palm tree on the right - part of Carlo's 1915 garden design.

Factory, Main Road, Kyneton, 1949. Photographer: Colin Caldwell.

State Library of Victoria Image H84.276/5/32A

1963 photo - The old Technical/High School building, with Carlo's palm tree on the right.

Kyneton Market Building & Old Technical School Piper St, March 10, 1963. 

Photographer: John T. Collins. State Library of Victoria Image H97.250/2054 

Footnotes

(1) Enrico Catani  - read about his school days here; read about his time at Kyneton and war service , here; and more about his war service here and here.

(2) Vision and Realisation : a centenary history of State Education in Victoria, v. 2., edited by L.J. Blake.(Education Department of Victoria, 1973)

(3) Kyneton Observer, June 30, 1888, see here; Victorian Heritage Database citation  https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/68906

(4) The Argus, July 18, 1911, see here.

(5) The Argus, December 1, 1928, see here.

(6) Kyneton Guardian, June 22, 1915, see here.

(7) The Age, December 18, 1915, see here.

Where did Elvira, Eugenia and Enid attend school?

We know that Carlo's sons attended Melbourne Grammar, but I wondered where his daughters went? Carlo and Catherine had three daughters - Elvira May, known as Vera, (born May 31, 1888); Eugenia Anastasia (born August 13, 1895) and Enid Marguerite (born November 3,  1899). I did some research on Trove and fortunately schools in the past often published reports of examinations and speech days, so I have found a few references.

Elvira attended the Strathclyde Ladies College. In December 1900, there was a report of  a Speech Day at the Strathclyde Ladies College and Elvira received a B for Conversational French. In October 1901, Elvira passed a French examination at the  Alliance Francaise of Victoria. The only other report I could find of Elvira's school days was in January 1902 when the examination results for the Strathclyde school were listed in The Australasian, and Elvira obtained  a D for French. In the 'Extra subjects' Elvira received a prize  for Drawing, a  prize for Conversational French and an Alliance Francaise Certificate. (The Australasian January 18, 1902)

The City of Stonnington has a history of  education in their area and it has this very short history of the Strathclyde Ladies College. In the 1880s, Daniel and Martha Connelly opened Cornelia College for Ladies in Horsburgh Grove, Armadale, which later moved to Albany Road.  The School was taken over by the Misses Rudd in the 1890s and renamed Strathclyde. You can read it, here.

Eugenie attended the Harborough Girls' School, which was a 61 Rose Street in Armadale. The fourth annual prize distribution of the Harborough Girls' School and Kindergarten took place on December 17 1903 and Eugenie, who was in Kindergarten,  received a First Class prize for writing. If this was the 'fourth annual' prize night, I presume the school only started in 1900. This is supported by a report of a function held at the school on December 10, 1914 to farewell the Misses Knights, who, are a period of fifteen years are retiring from the school. (The Argus, December 21, 1914) It was co-ed school and possibly just a primary school.

In 1910,  both Eugenie and Enid were at Lauriston Girls School - Enid was listed as receiving an Honour Certificate and Eugenie received an Honour certificate and the Scripture prize. (The Argus, December 19, 1910)  According to their website, Lauriston Girls' School was established in 1901 by Margaret and Lilian Irving, daughters of the eminent Victorian educator Professor Martin Howy Irving. 

In 1913, we find a report that both Eugenie and Enid were at the Melbourne Church of England Girls' Grammar School.  Enid was in Form IV and was awarded the '2nd standard prize' and also received a prize in the Intermediate Division of the Diocescan Divinity Examination. Eugenie received a hockey stick as a Games Trophy. (The Argus, December 20, 1913)  In their Speech Day report held December 15, 1915, they had the following, lovely tribute to Eugenie, who had been school captain,  after her tragic early death at the age of 19, on August 1, 1915. How brilliant she must have been  and how tragic it is that she died so young.

Melbourne Church of England Girls' Grammar School Speech Day report, December 1915
The Age, December 18 1915

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article154921390

I have created a short list of articles that refer to the school days of  Elvira, Eugenia and Enid Catani, you can see it here, on Trove.

Carlo designs a garden for Korumburra State School

In  June 1913,  Carlo visited Korumburra with plans to design a new garden for the State School. The plans involved purchasing 2½ acres of land next to the school for the beautification of the school grounds and a play ground. 

Carlo and the beautification of the school grounds

The Argus June 4, 1913 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10788007

Korumburra - Mr Catani, of the Public Works department, visited Korumburra on Tuesday for the purpose of preparing a design for the beautification of the school ground. The director of Education (Mr Tate) has promised £50 towards the purchase of 2½ acres of land adjacent to the school for a playground for the children, provided the balance of £62 is raised in the district. An appeal will shortly be made to residents for funds. (1).

Korumburra State School. Photographer: Rose Stereograph Co. 

State Library of Victoria Image H2008.12/24

Was this playground and beautification project, in Carlo's design ever completed? I cannot tell you for sure  but there certainly appears to be some Carlo influence in this garden. Looking at the photos we have his trademark palm trees and in the photo above, you can see the use of what appear to be rock edgings - another Carlo feature used in a very much grander manner in the gardens that he designed and that bear his name in St Kilda - the Catani Gardens (2). 

Korumburra State School: postcard from A souvenir of beautiful Korumburra, c.1950.

State Library of Victoria Image H84.440/333

As a matter of interest, Korumburra State School, No. 3077,  opened in December 1890, and was eventually replaced by the building shown in the photos which was opened on March 6, 1913 (3).  An article in The Age,  had this to say about the opening The new brick State school at Korumburra was declared open on Thursday by Mr. Tate, Director of Education. Mr Tate stated that no country town in Victoria had such a fine school building as this one. There were not more than a dozen such schools in the State. The school cost about £6000. (4)

No wonder the townsfolk of Korumburra wanted a beautiful garden to go with their new school especially as, according to reports in the paper in 1911, the previous school building was so disgraceful that many parents seriously considered organising a strike (5). In May 1891 there were 40 students enrolled, in 1894 319 students, in 1900 - 491 students, 1910 - 480 students. The rapid growth in school numbers was due to coal - the first load of coal to be transported out of  the Coal Creek Mine at Korumburra took place on October 25, 1892. (6). 

Footnotes

(1) The Argus June 4, 1913, see here.  

(2) https://victoriancollections.net.au/stories/carlo-catani-an-engineering-star-over-victoria/st-kilda-foreshore-gardens

(3) Vision and Realisation: a centenary history of State Education in Victoria, edited by L.J. Blake. (Education Department of Victoria, 1973)

(4) The Age, March 7, 1913, see here

(5) The Age, November 15, 1911, see here.

(6) The history of the Shire of Korumburra by Joseph White (Shire of Korumburra, 1988)