Posthumous tributes to Carlo

Carlo was a man admired by many people throughout Victoria and there were numerous tributes paid to him when he was alive and you can read some of them here. The tributes did not stop after his death on July 20, 1918, and this post records some of them. 

Mr Catani had a long and distinguished career in the Public Works Department as an engineer of high attainments. To his energy and enthusiasm the development of many of the popular mountain tourist resorts and beauty spots of Victoria are due, notably Mount Buffalo. He also took a keen interest in the welfare of the people in the back-blocks, and the residents of Dargo and South and East Gippsland will always remember the sympathetic manner in which he supported their requirements.
Gippsland Mercury, July 23, 1918, see here. Obituary of Carlo.

He was highly esteemed and a clever engineer, who took great interest in public improvements.
Koo Wee Rup Sun, July 24, 1918, see here. Obituary of Carlo.

Mr. Catani was a member of the St. Kilda Foreshore Committee, and the magnificent decorative work that has been effected along the frontage must be ascribed to his exceptional skill as an engineer, and one well versed in the art of beautification and landscape gardening. Always courteous and unassuming, the deceased gentleman was extremely popular in public and private life, and by his kindly disposition he had formed very many life long friendships.
Prahran Chronicle, July 27, 1918, see here. Obituary of Carlo.

At the Avon Shire Council meeting on Monday, Cr. Riggall feelingly referred to the death of the late Mr. Catani, who had shown much sympathy towards people living out-back. They all recognised the worth of Mr. Catani, who was unfortunate to lose a son in the war. He had, with the Avon Shire councillors, attended the opening of the Dargo road, and on many occasions had shown sympathy with the Dargo people. He (Cr. Riggall) moved that the council express its regret at the death of Mr. Catani, and that a letter of condolence be forwarded to his family. In seconding the motion, which was
unanimously carried, Cr. Carter stated that it was on his motion that a motion had been passed expressing appreciation of Mr. Catani's services on his retirement from the Public Works Department. Since he had entered the council he had been acquainted with the deceased, who was universally respected. He had proved a good officer, his sympathies always being with the settlers who laboured under disabilities.

Gippsland Times, August 1, 1918, see here.

Cr. Barnett said they could not get away from the fact that Mr. Catani overworked himself. He was an enthusiast who evoked enthusiasm. He was a practical man but there was poetry in all that he did.
(Cr. Love) had to admit that Mr. Catani had beautified St. Kilda until it was the envy of the Commonwealth.
Prahran Telegraph, August 3, 1918, see here. References to Carlo Catani at the St Kilda Council meeting held July 29, 1918. 

The beauty of the foreshore will ever remain as a bouquet to the memory of a good man who loved his art, and who was, at the time of his death perhaps the finest landscape gardener in Australia, though he was of such high standing as an engineer and surveyor.
The Prahran Telegraph, October 11,  1919, see here. Article about St Kilda Foreshore improvements.

This work was carried out under the immediate supervision of Carlo Catani whose work in the improvements of the River Yarra are a lasting monument to his memory.
Daily Commercial News and Shipping List, September 13, 1922, see here. Report of an address, by Gerald Wilkinson Mitchell,  to the Institute of Engineers in Sydney, referring to the Anderson Street Bridge. 

And satisfied with a first view of Buffalo as a tourists' home and pleasure place, one should turn a thought to the man who largely created it, and whose enthusiasms were never chilled by red tape or routine - the late Mr. Catani. The mountain lake has been named in his honour, but the whole place is the memorial of the kindly, lovable, Italian gentleman who was, above all things the man of vision and of action.
The Argus, December 2, 1922,  see here. The Crest Of Buffalo by Donald MacDonald. 

I have mentioned Lake Catani, another memorial to the man of vision who did so much for the conquest of the Buffalo to the everlasting gain of tourists and view finders, not to mention the merry skaters, who find there alone in the heart of winter a hit of Norway or Switzerland artificially created for their benefit.
The Argus, December 9, 1922, see here. Mountain of Silver Blue by Donald McDonald. 

Skating on Lake Catani. 

Photographer: Rose Stereograph Co. State Library of Victoria Image H93.456/27

The dream of the late Mr. Catani, the landscape engineer with a vision of beauty, will then become a reality.

Prahran Telegraph, December 15, 1922, see here  Article about St Kilda Foreshore improvements.

Our foreshore should be made into a dream of beauty. This was the vision of the late Mr. Catani, who realized vividly that our coast from Port Melbourne to Portsea with small outlay and artistic direction could be made to rival the famed Riviera.
The Herald, November 24, 1925, see here. Article about St Kilda Foreshore improvements.

Mr. Catani's work, however, included much more for which the citizens of Melbourne owe him gratitude especially as the work they know best was done as a labour of love and not as part of his official duties.....It will be admitted by the suburban municipalities that it was the work done by him that gave the lead to the movement that has resulted in the establishment of beauty spots throughout the metropolitan area.
The Argus, January 4, 1926, see here. Beautifying Melbourne: our debt to Mr Catani, maker of playgrounds.

[Sale] At the recent council meeting the Mayor (Cr. T. M. Cullinan) reported that some tourists had been chopping the willow trees that were growing on the river banks in the reserve, which, he said, was a scandalous thing. It was on the suggestion of the late Mr. Catani that the willow trees and couch grass were planted on the river bank to prevent erosion. For sentimental reasons the vandalism was to be deplored for Mr. Catani was the greatest man the Public Works department ever had.

Bairnsdale Advertiser, January 29, 1926, see here. 

Mr. Catani, for many years an engineer in the service of the Public Works Department, was the originator of the masterly and beauteous ornamentation scenes that now adorn the St. Kilda foreshore. The greater part of it, indeed, was completed under his personal supervision, and, day by day as time goes on, Nature is doing its part in adding to the glory of the resplendent effects produced. In other parts of the State, too, Mr. Catani originated and carried out engineering works of skill that stamps him as a man of exceptional ability vision and judgment. What he achieved during his career will for ever prove valuable assets to the State. By reason of the great work he did for St. Kilda, the people of that city will always hold the name of Mr. Catani in respectful reverence.
Prahran Telegraph, June 11, 1926, see here. Article on a proposed memorial for Carlo.

Mr. Catani, one of the best engineers the Victorian Government has employed. 
Sunshine Advocate, August 21, 1926, see here. Report of a speech of Cr George McKay, Braybrook Shire.  

The river would present no difficulties to navigation in America, for the great scheme of that man of  vision, Mr. Catani, would have been long adopted, and four locks above the Johnston Street Bridge would have overcome the trifling difficulties of Dight's Falls and the rapids. This name of Mr. Catani stands out in the history of the metropolis as a man of imagination and foresight. He saw the possibilities of the city waterway, and of the Yarra Valley to which it led, in all its loveliness. He planned a boulevard to Heidelberg, and the sections now constructed from Alphington to Heidelberg are part of his plan. This did not stop with roads, however. He visioned a great waterway for pleasure craft for the length of the river, so that craft could sail from the hot city to the cool valley of Heidelberg. He proposed the acquirement of small parks and picnic grounds at intervals, so that travellers could be refreshed before they turned for home. That was in 1909....

The Herald, November 27 1926, see here. Report of a speech by S. Tuxen of the Town Planning Commission. ‘

Above Dight's Falls I see in prospect the fulfilment of Catani’s dream of a noble lake, set in park lands.
The Herald, November 12,  1927, see here. Article by the  Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Sir Stephen Morell. 

I took part with him in starting the St.Kilda Foreshore Trust. I did the legal, literary, and financial part of the job and he, a landscape genius, if there ever was one, the engineering work, together with the beautification. What a man! His monuments are everywhere - at Buffalo, the Alexandra Gardens, St.Kilda, Donna Buang. As place-maker to the municipalities he is responsible for much beautification they subsequently put in hand. His reclamation work at Koo-wee-rup and at Carrum has added wealth to our country. He saw possibilities to which others were blind. It is well that his works are his memorials.
The Herald, February 4, 1928, see here.  Fifty Years In Public Life by H.O. Allen. 

The late Mr. Catani had been a public servant of long vision, and the beauty of the St. Kilda foreshore to-day was largely due to his efforts.
Prahran Telegraph, February 15, 1929, see here.  

… the poetical charm of the Italian Renaissance style may be regarded as being expressive of the virile life of this great man and his aesthetic aspiration.
The Building: the magazine for the architect, builder, property owner and merchant, Vol. 46 No. 276 (12 August 1930), see here.  Catani Memorial Tower: a review of the Competitive Designs. 

The excellent work that is often done without flourish of trumpets by public servants was again stressed when recently a memorial tablet was unveiled at Mount Buffalo to "Carlo Catani, Chief Engineer of Public Works, 1910-1917." The Minister for Public Works said that probably to no other individual was so much credit due for the opening up and development of such tourist resorts as Mount Buffalo, the Grampians, Mt. Donna Buang and the War burton, Healesville and Marysville districts.

The Australian Worker, November 12, 1930, see here. 

Mr. Catani possessed constructive imagination, and if he was apt to underestimate the cost of some of his schemes, he had the vision of a true civic idealist.
The Age, December 31, 1931, see here. Article on the Yarra Boulevard. 

More than 25 years ago it was dreamed by a great Victorian, Carlo Catani, Engineer for Public Works, whose public service today is a tradition and behind whose engineering brain lay the perceptions of a great artist.
The Herald, September 4, 1937, see here. Article on the Yarra Boulevard. 

Alexandra Avenue, whose shadowed and dappled beauty…must stand, while the City of Melbourne endures, as a lasting monument to the genius, foresight, and pertinacity of Carlo Catani.
The Argus, November 13,  1937, see here. Great Thoroughfares of the World.  

Catani has a gift for beautifying. He was one of those individuals who could dream of wonderful schemes and then apply the realism necessary to put them into effect. He was a small and wiry man with unparalleled enthusiasm for his work.
The Age, May 17, 1947, see here.  Article on Carlo, Ettore Checchi and Guido Baracchi.

Acknowledgement: I found some of these tributes by trawling through the newspapers on Trove, however I got many of them from my fellow Carlo researcher, Isaac Hermann. Thank you again, Isaac.

Plaque to honour Carlo's work installed at Morell Bridge

The Carlo Catani Centennial Commemorative Committee is pleased to announce that a plaque commemorating the work of Carlo Catani was installed on the bluestone wall of the Morell bridge on November 26, 2020. 

The Plaque

Photo: Isaac Hermann

The plaque in situ, and the Yarra River and the City

Photo: Isaac Hermann

The plaque and the Morell bridge. 

Photo: Isaac Hermann

Installation of the plaque took three years of negotiations with the City of Melbourne Plaques and Memorials Committee. Permits were also required from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, the MCC Planning Department and Heritage Victoria. This skilful and patient negotiating was undertaken on behalf of the  Carlo Catani Centennial Commemorative Committee by Isaac Hermann, who was also the convenor of the Committee. The efforts of Committee members Eddie Schubert, until recently the Heritage Officer, Department of Transport and Paul Balassone, Principal Heritage Advisor, Melbourne Water were extremely valuable in seeing this project through to fruition. 

The plaque is yet another well deserved honour for Carlo Catani and the Carlo Catani Centennial Commemorative Committee and, in particular, Isaac should be congratulated on this project.

Tributes to Carlo

Carlo Catani was the subject of many compliments and tributes when he was alive  here are some of them.Of course, many were bestowed on him posthumously, and you can read these here.

The promotion of Mr. C. Catani, of the Public Works department, to the position of engineer in charge of harbors and rivers, as well as roads and bridges, has been approved by the Governor in Council. Formerly Mr. Catani occupied the position of assistant engineer in the harbors and rivers branch. The harbors and roads branches were previously in charge of two distinct officers, but are now amalgamated under Mr. Catani, who is also entrusted with the carrying out of reclamation works. The latter duty has been discharged by him for some time past to the entire satisfaction of the Commissioner of Public Works who, together with the inspector-general, speak in the highest terms of Mr. Catani's ability and zeal.

The Age, November 24, 1892, see here.

Mr. Catani, who as a landscape designer has few equals...

Yarragon Settlement News, June 25, 1908, see here. Referring to design by Carlo for the Warragul Park. 

Only those who have had some experience in such work fully realise the difficulties involved in landscape gardening ; in fact, it is a profession by itself, and Councillors after pondering over the problem wisely decided that it would be prudent to consult Signor Catani, who has already achieved a high reputation in landscape gardening; as the result of the splendid scenic effects which he has designed and carried out on the St Kilda road and the Alexandra avenue. It was Signor Catani who very kindly designed the Warragul park and with that artistic instinct, which is such a prominent characteristic in his own countrymen, he would naturally feel a personal interest in the ornamentation of the pleasure grounds which have been partially laid out according to his design.

West Gippsland Gazette, June 22, 1909, see here. Referring to design by Carlo for the Warragul Park. 

Mr. Catani, to whose genius and untiring efforts the completion of the work is mainly due.
Traralgon Record October 23, 1908, see here. Referring to the Mount Buffalo road. 

Acting on the suggestion of the Bright Shire Council, the Victorian Government has decided that the picturesque lake on the top of Mount Buffalo shall be named Lake Catani. This is considered to be a well-deserved recognition of the work done by Mr. Catani, chief engineer of the Public Works department, in connection with the opening up of Mount Buffalo as a tourist resort. The construction of the lake was suggested and carried out by Mr. Catani. All through the season it has been full to overflowing and has proved a great addition to the attractions of the district, being popular with visitors both for bathing and boating. It has been stocked with rainbow trout. In the winter the lake will be frozen over, and, with additions, that Mr. Catani has proposed, an area of 10 acres of shallow water for skating will be provided.

Border Morning Mail, January 27, 1911, see here. 

Mr Catani's sense of floral beauty would be also of advantage in beautifying the place.
Williamstown Chronicle, March 25, 1911, see here. Proposed work to reclaim and beautify the Williamstown foreshore

Their best thanks was due to Mr Catani, who was the brain box of the Public Works Department, and one of the most conscientious and ablest officers in the employ of the State.
Snowy River Mail, February 15, 1912, see here. Carlo and the Treasurer, Hon. W.A. Watt and Hon. James Cameron were visiting East Gippsland and this is part of  a report of a dinner at the Commonwealth Hotel in Orbost.

 Orbost in 1915 - this is how Orbost would have looked when Carlo and the 

Ministerial party visited only three years before.

In February 1912, Carlo Catani and a Ministerial party including the Treasurer, Hon. W.A. Watt, the Minister for Public Works, W.L. Baillieu and the Hon. James Cameron, visited East Gipplsand, including the town of Orbost. 

Image: Photographer: S. Vogt Studio. Museums Victoria https://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/items/773010

There exists no engineering problem to vex Mr Catani's soul for an instant.

Geelong Advertiser, June 6, 1913, see here. Need for improvement to the Barwon River.

When a jaded Minister of State goes touring in Victoria, he tries by hook or by crook to get Carlo Catani, Engineer of the Public Works Department, assigned to him as official guide and mentor. Carlo Catani is a most interesting companion on a long train or motor trip and in the bush. Incidentally he uses his conversational prestige to push forward his beneficient schemes for the making of beauty spots, good roads, new harbors and what not; in fact, he is the life and soul of the Public Works Department in Victoria, and his engineering feats have been applied with equal success to stubborn nature in the wilderness and in the Cabinet. He has done, much to make the Melbourne to Heidelberg Yarra drive an assured proposition, and in that achievement his gifts of planning and persuasion were exercised with, the best effect.
Table Talk, September 11, 1913, see here.

Mr Catani enthuses with all the poetry of the idealist, if there was one work he would go heart and soul into it was the work of beautification, as after all money-making did not satisfy the desires of human nature. 
Mount Alexander Mail, January 28, 1914, see here.  Plan to create  a lake  for recreation at Happy Valley, near Castlemaine. 

Mr. Catani, the departmental landscape beauty expert.  
Bendigo Independent, June 2, 1914, see here. Regarding the beautification of the Vaughan/Glenluce Springs area.

In response to a request for the laying out of a croquet lawn in the reserve, for the amusement of lady enthusiasts in the pleasant, game, the Borough Council has requested Mr. Catani - an accepted authority on all matters of the kind - to work the croquet ground into his scheme for the better-laying out of the area.
The Horsham Times, July 14, 1914, see here. Clearly, Councils thought there was no end to Carlo's talents.

None doubted the ability of Mr Catani, who by sheer merit had risen to the top of his profession: he knew no one in Victoria who had a higher standing professionally than Mr Catani.
Geelong Advertiser, August 12, 1914, see here. Barwon River Improvement League meeting, Hon. H.F. Richardson, M.L.C quoted.

Here is a most unique personality whom the State will remember, because each year as it passes will help to perfect his artistic work.
Ovens and Murray Advertiser  April 7, 1915, see here. This is the same article where they talked about how gets his suits made, see here.

To transform it by means of a magic wand would be foolish, and yet we make bold to say that when the scheme of beautification has finally been effected, it will look so beautiful, so perfect, serene, and so exquisitely full of "Catani ideas," that the world at large will be loth to disbelieve that the magicians wand hadn't been at work after all!
Prahran Chronicle, April 15, 1916, see here. Referring to the St Kilda foreshore. 

 He has not contented himself with designing and superintending utilitarian works but has been largely responsible for beautification schemes which have won widespread admiration....It is doubtful whether Victoria has ever had a more conscientious or industrious public officer, or one who so completely and patriotically identified himself with the advancement of the State. 

The Herald, February 15, 1917, see here. A look back at Carlo's life in his retirement.

Praise was showered on ....the handiwork of Mr Catani, chief engineer of the Public Works Department, the result of whose artistic genius the foreshore now presents such a fine ornamental picture. 
Malvern Standard, March 17, 1917, see here. Visit of Government officials and local councillors to view the St Kilda foreshore improvements.

Mr. Catani is about the only man who ever galvanised the Victorian Works Department into anything in the form of aesthetic life. 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. He was about the best story-teller the department ever had, so that, in addition to losing an able engineer, the service is parting with a pleasant social light.
Table Talk May 3, 1917, see here. Referring to Carlo's retirement.


Acknowledgement: I found most of these tributes by trawling through the newspapers on Trove, however I got a few of them from my fellow Carlo researcher, Isaac Hermann. Thank you again, Isaac.

Catani Memorial Tower: a review of competitive designs

A memorial was unveiled for Carlo on August 22, 1932 on the Upper Esplanade in St Kilda, you can read about it, here. The Building: the magazine for the architect, builder, property owner and merchant, Vol. 46 No. 276 (12 August 1930)  had a 'review of the competitive designs' of a total of 46 entries - the winning entry was designed by Norman Schefferle. The author of the article has some forthright opinions of some of the other designs - I especially liked his reviews of No. 5 - Here pretentiousness runs riot; No. 25 - shows crudity in the extreme; No. 27 - offers a superfluity of architectural bits unhappily blended and No. 34 - this is the order of the crude. You can see the original article here, but it is also transcribed, below.

The competition was organised by the Royal Victorian Institute for Architects, with the proviso that the cost of the memorial could not exceed £2500. The winner of the competition received £50 and the runner-up £25.

The Catani Memorial clock tower, designed by Norman Schefferle and officially unveiled August 22, 1932. 

Photographs chiefly of Manly, N.S.W., Melbourne, and Victoria, ca. 1900-1932. Photographer: Henry Edwin Quick. 

State Library of New South Wales Image FL345971

Catani Memorial Tower

A REVIEW OF THE COMPETITIVE DESIGNS

The Catani Memorial Clock Tower, St Kilda (Victoria), competition, the location of which is the Bay Esplanade, has been obviously won, not by the presentation of the great monumental things in architecture but by the presentation of a profusion of enrichment meticulously designed and drawn. Further the competition affords another of those singular instances in which the design that reaches second place is on totally diverse lines to that placed first. The pathos of the position, however, is that with the conditions requiring  drawings to so large  a scale as half-inch, there has been so great a proportion of  work expended in the pursuit of ideals which apparently, judging by the final result, had no chance comparatively of success. Surely it was not justifiable to ask for so much mechanical work as half-inch scale drawings involve, in  a competition of the monumental nature of this one. It is also obvious that the limit of £2500 proved highly perplexing, resulting in the conflict of large dimensions of external surfaces in cement or synthetic stone with much enrichment, and designs showing smaller dimensions for stone or terra cotta, or simplest treatment. 

Building: the magazine for the architect, builder, property owner and merchant, 

Vol. 46 No. 276 (12 August 1930)

http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-347135893

With the exception of the two premiated designs, the following notes were made before the author's names were affixed to the various designs; and there is much regret that in the presence of so many designs evincing traditional and up-to-date scholarship, including jealous regard for proportional values and pressure for simplicity combined with strong sense of monumentality, and very full suitability for the exposed foreshore, and, moreover, for a memorial to the work of an engineer, it is impossible for the writer of this review to congratulate either promoters, the assessor, or the author of the selected design. 

The design placed first, 16 (N.E. Schefferle) is of the storeyed order, the great bulk consisting of a shaft of brickwork some 12 feet square and 36 feet high on  a low stone base. Above this shaft,  which has a recessed panel on each face, is the clock storey pedimented with piers and capitals towards canted angles forming an irregular octagon. The clock faces are set amid an embarrassment  of decoration of synthetic stone. The terminal is somewhat domical copper-covered, and concludes with a weather vane cross. The entire height from the Upper Esplanade is about 56 feet. The author in his report states 'the poetical charm of the Italian Renaissance style may be regarded as being expressive of the virile life of this great man and his aesthetic aspiration." In common with other designers, there is a claim that the style is "appropriate in view of the late Carlo Catani being of Italian birth."

The second prize design by J. Smith and R. Vernon Francis was pictured

 in The Herald on July 19, 1930.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/26371419

The design placed second is (J. Smith, R. V. Francis) is an octagonal shaft rising from a specially well designed base. The summit consists of the four clock faces tilted outwards and is linked up to the shaft with carved and heavily moulded masses of detail.

1.  (Smith, Ogg & Serpell)  shows a plain shaft relieved with Renaissance recess on each side towards the ground, and possesses quite a touch of refinement. One of the very good. 

2.  (Smith, Ogg & Serpell)  Gothic in temperament and expression, revealing much ability but the detailing to be worthy of the mass would require to be far more ably handled than is the tracery shown. 

3.  (C.E. Alexander and W.L. McGowan)  is a vigorously dramatic campanile of exhibitional order, in which some features could well be wiped out to advantage.

4.  (A.W. Purnell, Round and Graham)  has the inventive spirit of freshness throughout allied with engineering touch, though the massive detailing in conjunction with the clock faces would conflict. There is   a weakness in the chamfered sides and panel at base. 

5.  (A. C. Leith)  Here pretentiousness runs riot.  "Four structural figures enclose the tracery, and each is crowned with  a modelled figure bust of Mr. Catani." These figures grow out of the angles in the style of some American work.

6.  (W. L. McGowan and C. E. Alexander)  This design is among the best, being a study in pure verticality and well handled by a master of design. The battered buttresses powerfully enhance the composition. 

7.  (C.L. Gumming)  the outstanding point of this design is the sculptural base which enshrines the memorial tablet. As in the case of several other schemes, the designer has come to grief in the terminal treatment.  

8.  (Alex N. Henderson)  An instance in which simplicity of outline and fewness of units score the absence of redundant features being very marked. There is a measure of weakness in some of the proportional values, and a general want of vigour. It, however, well embodies the sense of resistance to the elements which would prevail.

9.   (H. Desbrowe Annear)  Though on different lines, this has much in common with No. 3, being of the universal exhibition order which can hardly claim for position or memorial purpose.

10.  (Alec. S. Hall)  This is of the ponderous order throughout, heavily glazed and with a specially restless base.

11.   (Sale and Keage)  is expressive of lack of harmony between base, shaft and summit.

12.   (Sale and Keage)  A design of considerable ability, the work of a master mind throughout, and ranks as one of the very ablest. The manner in which the base is treated is admirable, while the clock well expresses itself as a distinctive timepiece above a slightly tapering shaft pierced in four directions and terminating in a bit of  festooned enrichment; the heavy mouldings would , however, interfere with the clock faces.

13.  (I.G. Anderson)  Of the obelisk order, surmounted with an Ionic cupola having a  stepped summit. The base is somewhat unhappy, but the general proportions, however are good.

14.   (Oakley and Parkes)  show a well-proportioned pylon in a composition which presents much acceptable severity in view of proximity to sea, and the nature of the profession of Catani.

15.   (Thos. J. Power)  presents  a bit of design which scores by simplicity, and which with fuller regard to the various recessed surfaces and projections would be greatly added.

16.  See before.

17.  (Irwin and Stevenson).   In this there is a marked originality of high order, with touches of capable detailing. The report shows in a few terse well-expressed words that the basis and working out are symbolic. A bit of really good designing with the resultant simplicity. 

18. (W. and R. Butler and Martin)  An example of  modernity which has much appreciable merit, and ranks among the best. But why so small a clock-face  and so deeply recessed? The report well emphasises  "the necessary suggestion of strength and permanence so particularly desirable in the exposed position of the seafront...and this memorial will seem to defy the elements..."

19.   (M.H. Norris and Colin Dixon)  shows much of the ordinary, though the position and handling of the clock face score above many other designs.

20.  (R. Morton Taylor)  has some good proportions, but is of the common-place. 

21.  (H. Anderson).  A picturesque  structure, but woefully weak in primary principles of  monumental design. The author claims, however, that in view of the life of Catani as a poet and visionary these factors, in conjunction with the gaiety of the locality, should be expressed.

22.  (Robt O. Ellis and Deane B. White)  A well-proportioned plain shaft with a tiled roof, the heavy eaves of which, however would throw the clock far too much in shadow. 

23.   (Robert B. Hamilton)  has a very able and effective design which ranks, though of a piquant nature, among the best. The manner in which the upper portion is recessed at angles is well managed, and is suggestive  of some greater inherent values than those expressed.

24.   (A. J. Inches)  in his design with open vistas at base gives evidence of earnest effort. 

25.  (W.J. Gilroy)  shows crudity in the extreme.

26.   (Holdsworth and Cusick)  have designed a structure of highly pretentious character having a pavilion-like base and an open summit-storey above the clock.

27.  (W.H. Ford)  offers a superfluity of architectural bits unhappily blended. 

28.  (S.C. Meyer and Geo. W. Manson)   A specially powerful vertical mass of brickwork in which stonework is effectively introduced in base and at angles, and summit of upper part.

29.  (H.G. Bottoms) has a design on which the Corinthian order of shaft and clock terminal hardly harmonise; and is an instance in which the structure appears far narrower at base than a summit. The author requires to note optical illusions in relation to composition.

30. (Marcus R. Barlow)  Another of the "Exhibition" class,  showing a phase of the "modern" tendency well worth developing. This ranks among the good designs.

31.   (L.D. San Miguel) I could not find this.

32.  (Richardson and Wood, and D.R. Gillam)  shows some good detailing in constituent parts, but hardly a success as a clock tower.

33.  (Richardson and Wood, and D.R. Gillam)  This ranks in the interesting class, and possesses much merit, though suffering unfavourably in the handling of the terminal.

34.  (J. Rowsell). This is of the order of the crude.

35.  (Harry J. James)  is essentially of modernist order influenced by Swedish and Finnish work, and though highly crude in parts has decidedly good possibilities. 

36.  (A.R. La Gerche and W.E. Gower). This shows one of the very best, and gives throughout evidence of strong architectonic power. The massing, proportional values, recessing  and touches of relief are allied with well-defined restraint and full regard to position.

37.   (A.Ikin) Here a strong measure of symbolism has aided the design, which possess distinctive individuality. But the hour glass and its flame are really too superfluous.

38.  (Bohringer, Taylor and Johnson). Throughout there is evidence of  particular care in regard to both mass and detail. One of the happiest efforts on view of the spirit of modernity contrasting with traditonalism. The lofty base seawards ranks high,.

39.  (No name attached)  This shows good proportional values, but the effect of the terminal sculpture would be entirely lost.

40.  (Gustave Pillig) Though a juvenile effort in the sculpturesque direction, the author should persist in imaginative design.

41.  (O'Rourke and Obeth)  A tower-like structure with an external winding staircase, truly quaint, with clock in minaret.

42.  (J. Scarborough and A.C. Lyons).  A valuable bit of pure design of nature of a square pylon with stop-chamfered angles resulting in irregular octagon at summit. The entrance doorway is essentially memorial, and the whole composition bears the imprint of genius in exceptional measure.  

43.  (Arthur H. Cutler) revels but slight knowledge of present architectural advance, presenting a boldly tapering structure, and storeyed, terminating in a cupola. 

44.  (A.C. Collins). This is in a class by itself, and reveals considerable merit as a study in sheer forms. The idea of the sculptural base is excellent, but requires far more consideration.

45.  (H.H.& and F.B. Kemp). Monolithic in character, this contains practically, if not, all the essential elements of design and in excellent measure; and is particularly well adapted for the exposed position on the sea front. 

A few of the competitors also submitted models.

Mr Catani eulogised

This interesting report of a meeting of the St Kilda Council, from the Malvern Standard of May 26, 1917 is, as the headline suggests, a eulogy to Carlo, who had just retired from the Public Service.  What we learn, inter alia, is that his work on the St Kilda foreshore was admired, that he had retained his juvenility notwithstanding the great work he had done throughout the State - that's a bit of an old fashioned way to say young at heart (or I think it is, anyway). We also find out that he had no interest in becoming the Mayor of St Kilda and that in 1879 it was his duty to plan out the Lower Esplanade. 1879 - only three years after he arrived in Victoria. Carlo also reveals that he could not see how any objections could he raised to the taking of sand for the work of beautification because the foreshores were just as much public property as the sun that shined to give us warmth. Apparently, not everyone agreed with that view and yes, it is hard for me to write that not everyone thinks he is perfect, but there you go. Finally, another thing we learn about Carlo is that he made reference to indecorum on the beaches, saying that while police efforts were put forward to put down soothsayers, so firm steps should also be taken to stamp out the indecorum referred to. Interesting that he equates indecorum on beaches with soothsayers, clearly he didn't approve of them as well.

You can read the article on Trove, here, and it is transcribed, below.

St Kilda Esplanade, 1875. Artist: Elizabeth Parsons. 

This is only four years before Carlo said he started his work on planning out the lower Esplanade in St Kilda; this view must be almost as he had seen it for the first time.

State Library of Victoria Image H36676/17

MR. CATANI EULOGISED.
At the meeting of the St Kilda Council on Monday evening Mr. C. Catani, who recently resigned from the Public Works Department, was present by invitation. Another visitor was Mr. R. G. McCutcheon, M.LA.

The Mayor (Cr. Barnet) said it was the desire of the council to express appreciation of Mr. Catani's services not only to St Kilda, but the whole of the State. Mr. Catani had had a great deal to do in making Elwood what it was, and it was his mind that had also brought the beautification work along the foreshore generally. They all admired the great work he had done. It was admired not only by citizens of St. Kilda, Victoria, and from other parts of the Commonwealth, but from other parts of the world. From early morning till late at night Mr. Catani had given his time to beautifying the foreshore. It would ever stand as a monument to his handiwork. For 41 years he had been connected with the Public Works Department, and during that time he had been associated with important works in other parts of the State. It was well to know that Mr. Catani would continue to act as a member of the St. Kilda Foreshore Committee. They all hoped that Mr. Catani would live long to continue the good work he had only commenced. They were proud of Mr. Catani, and were deeply appreciative of what he had done for St. Kilda.

Other councillors also added their quota of praise of Mr. Catani.

Cr. Love said Mr. Catani still retained his juvenility notwithstanding the great work he had done throughout the State. He looked forward to the time when Mr. Catani might possibly occupy the position Cr. Barnet occupied that evening as Mayor (Mr Catani smiled, and shook his head in the negative). Mr. Catani's fine work of beautification would stand as a monument to his memory.

Cr. Hewison spoke of Mr. Catani's strong individuality, which, he said, no doubt was the cause of his having such marked influence over his fellow members of the foreshore committee.

Cr. Sculthorpe said he would have liked to have seen more of Mr. Catani's handiwork at Elwood. Crs. Hart, Allen, Hughes and Pittard added their eulogies of Mr. Catani's work.

Mr. McCutcheon said he was extremely sorry that Mr. Catani had resigned from the public service. He had given magnificent service to the State, and during his long career in the Public Service he had gained the good-will and esteem of all with whom he had come in contact.

A summer day on the Beach at Elwood  - it looks about the 1930s. 
I cannot see any indecorum going on there, nor any soothsaying for that matter, but perhaps that type of behaviour only happened in St Kilda, not Elwood.

State Library of Victoria Image H32492/1216

Mr. Catani, in rising to respond, was received with applause. He said that he really did not feel worthy of all the kind things said of him, but he would not be human if he were not deeply appreciative of the kind sentiments expressed. It was because of private reasons (Mr. Catani said) that he had resigned from the Public Service. Becoming reminiscent, Mr. Catani gave some interesting particulars of the early days of St. Kilda, and said that it was in the year 1879 that it was his duty to plan out the Lower Esplanade. Even at that period he was inspired with the great possibilities that were in store for the Esplanade. Making reference to the sand question. Mr. Catani said he could not see how any objections could be raised to the taking of sand for the work of beautification. He hoped to see a foreshore drive from Port Melbourne to Sorrento. What had already been done was only a decoy duck. The Brighton Council say they want their beach left as it is, but the whole of the foreshores were just as much public property as the sun that shined to give us warmth. In conclusion, Mr. Catani made reference to indecorum on the beaches, saying that while police efforts were put forward to put down soothsayers, so firm steps should also be taken to stamp out the indecorum referred to (Applause.)

Mr. Catani was subsequently chief guest in the mayoral parlor.

A tribute to Carlo - What a man!

In The Herald of February 4, 1928 (1)  Mr H. O Allan looked back on his 51 years in the Lands Department in the Victorian Public Service, having started his career at the Lands Office in Sale in 1877.  As The Herald described the article  - Mr H. O. Allan, who has just retired from the position of Under Secretary of the Lands Department, after half a century of service, has in this special article recalled for readers of The Herald some of the many stories, mostly gay, with which his memory is stored. Yes, it was indeed described thus, and is a perfect example of how our language had changed over the years. However, the important piece of his recollections for us is his tribute to our friend, Carlo Catani.

Mr Allan's praise of Carlo

The Herald  February 4, 1928  https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/243902653

This is the transcription - I cannot end this short article without paying  a tribute to the late Carlo Catani. I took part with him in starting the St Kilda Foreshore Trust. I did the legal, literary and finance part of the job and he, a landscape genius if ever there was one, the engineering work together with the beautification. What a man! His monuments are everywhere - at Buffalo, Alexandra Gardens, St Kilda, Donna Buang. As pace-maker to the municipalities he is responsible for much beautification  they subsequently put in hand. His reclamation work at Koo Wee Rup and at Carrum have added wealth to the country. He saw possibilities to which others were blind. It is well that his works are his memorials. No others has been proposed by his fellow citizens, who have honored less worthy men.

Who was Mr Allan? Mr H. O. Allan was Henry Octavius Allan, the son of  John McMahon Allan and  Caroline O'Farrell, who had married  in 1845. In spite of Henry's middle name which suggests he was the eighth child, I can only find six other siblings - Maria Catherine (born in Port Fairy in 1846 and died aged 13 in 1859); Francis Erskine (1849, Port Fairy); Caroline Mary (1855, Warrnambool); John William (1857, Warrambool); unnamed baby girl (Tallangatta, 1859);  Agnes Christine (1861,married Heheage Murray Gibbes in 1890 and died 1926, aged 65) and Henry Octavius (1862, Warrnambool). (2)

Henry's father John was one of the first squatters in the Western district of Victoria and when he died on January 22, 1877 at the age of 68, the family were living in Sale. Caroline died on October 30, 1901 at the age of 77. Henry married Amy Mary Mooney, the widow of William Francis Mooney, in 1910 and after he retired in 1928 from the Lands Department, they moved to Kalorama.  Henry died in St Kilda on July 10, 1930, aged 68 and Amy died on October 2, 1947, aged 84. There were no children of the marriage,  however Amy had six children with her first husband. (3)

Henry's career and community activities are described in his obituaries (4), but this lovely tribute to Henry  was published in The Age -

The various reserves of the State and particularly of the metropolis had a zealous guardian in the late Mr. Allan. But for his appreciation of their value to the present generation and what benefit they

must be in years to come, and his determination to protect them in the face of much opposition, large sections of some of the parks might have been lost to the public. His interest was made more real

by his active participation in the control and management of several parks for many years. He was for a long time secretary of the Albert Park management committee, and filled a similar position for

the. St. Kilda foreshore committee, with which he evinced a keen interest up to the time of his death. He played no insignificant part in preventing the alienation of a large section of the foreshore, and, on the other hand, he did much to bring about the present beautification. As chairman of the Mount Dandenong reserve up to the time of his death, his chief object was to preserve its wonderful beauty for the people of the metropolis. He had taken very active and effective steps to prevent the removal of native shrubs. He practically lived on the reserve. (5)

Another obituary noted his sporting prowess - he was a successful athlete during his youth, Mr Allan gained distinction at swimming, tennis, football, and cricket. (6). His brother, Francis Erskine Allan, was also a sportsman and one of the members of the First Australian Eleven, which visited England in 1878. (7) 

H.O. Allan contributed greatly to the development of Victoria with his advocacy for parks and open spaces, and nearly 100 years after his death we should be grateful for his work and carry on his legacy of protecting open space and park land from development and commercialization.

Footnotes

(1) The Herald, February 4, 1928, see here. 

(2) Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages; Agnes' marriage notice - The Leader, June 28, 1890, see here, I can't find her birth listed in the Indexes.

(3) The Australasian, February 17, 1917, see here; father's death notice - The Argus, February 2, 1877, see here; mother's death notice - The Argus, November 2, 1901, see here; Henry's death notice - The Argus, July 11, 1930, see here. Amy's death notice - The Argus, October 4, 1947, see here. Henry's wife Amy (nee Dyer) had married William Francis Mooney in 1882 and they had six children - Clement Morgan (1884), Vincent William (1886), Gwendoline Agatha (1888), Madelaine Coleta (1891),  Allan Robert (1891) and William Francis (1897). William died June 7, 1908 (death notice - The Argus, June 9, 1908, see here and obituary - The Advocate, June 13, 1908, see here)

(4) Obituaries -  The Age, July 11, 1930, see here; The Argus, July 11, 1930, see here; The Australasian, July 19, 1930, see here;

(5) The Age, July 11, 1930, see here

(6) The Argus, July 11, 1930 see here.

(7) The Australasian, February 17, 1917, see here.

Catani Clock Tower unveiled at St Kilda in 1932

The residents of St Kilda erected a memorial to Carlo Catani, in the form of a clock tower,  which was unveiled on August 22, 1932, on the Upper Esplanade.  The St Kilda Council had set aside £750 at their Estimates meeting in November 1929 for the memorial. In the December it was announced that Competitive designs are to be invited, under the auspices of the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects. The cost of the tower is not to exceed £2500. A premium of £50 will be paid for the best design, and £25 for the second (1).  

The St Kilda Foreshore Committee matched the Council's contribution and donated  £750 (2). The Prahran Telegraph reported on how the rest of the finance would be obtained -  Town Clark, Mr F. Chamberlin (3) , explained that the rest of the money would come from allocations of local carnivals in past years [where] there is available the sum of £635; Messrs. H. F. and L. Phillips, of the Palais de Danse, have promised a donation of £50. The article goes on to say that although there will be no direct appeal for subscriptions voluntary contributions would be gladly received by the Town Clark, St Kilda. (4). 

The competition received 46 entries and they were assessed by Thomas Buchan (5)  President of the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects. In July 1930, he selected, and it was accepted by the St Kilda Council, a design  in the Italian Renaissance style by  Geelong Architect, Norman Schefferle. (6)  A review of all the designs was written up in  Building: the magazine for the architect, builder, property owner and merchant, Vol. 46 No. 276 (12 August 1930) - you can read it here.

The Clock Tower under construction. Photographer: Albert Jones.

This image has been cropped, see the original at the State Library of Victoria 

here http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/43083

Carlo's daughter, Enid, was in attendance at the unveiling where the Chairman of the Memorial Committee, Frederick Michaelis (7), said the tower was a worthy memorial to a worthy friend of St Kilda (8). At the foot of the clock tower was a bust of Carlo Catani, by sculptor, Paul Montford (9).  The bust is mounted on a sandstone plinth, with a bronze plaque which includes the words A great Public Servant of Victoria 1876 - 1917.  The bust was unveiled by long-term St Kilda Councillor, Edward O'Donnell (10), who also had the honour of starting the clock's mechanism.

This fabulous photo, by Isaac Hermann, shows the bust of Carlo at the foot of the clock tower, with one of Carlo's palms in the background and the shadow of a palm on the tower.

At the foot of the clock tower is a bust of Carlo by Paul Montford. 

Photo: Isaac Hermann.

This article from The Argus reports on the unveiling. 

An account of the unveiling of the Clock Tower, which is transcribed, below.

The Argus August 23, 1932 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/4469746

The report of the unveiling of the Clock  Tower, from The Argus - 

CATANI CLOCK TOWER - Unveiled at St. Kilda.

After the death of Mr. Carlo Catani, a former chief engineer of the State Public Works department, in 1918, it was decided to erect in his memory a clock tower on the upper esplanade at St. Kilda. The tower, which occupies the site of the old band rotunda on the esplanade, was completed at a cost of about £2,800, collected from residents of St Kilda. It was unveiled before a large gathering yesterday. Among those present was Miss Enid Catani, a daughter of the late Mr. Catani. The tower, which is built in brick in Italian renaissance style, was designed by Mr. N. E. Schefferle. It will be illuminated at night. At the foot is a bronze bust of the late Mr. Catani by Mr. Paul Montford.

The chairman of the memorial committee (Mr. P. D. Michaelis) said that the tower was a worthy memorial to a worthy friend of St. Kilda. The mayor of St. Kilda (Councillor H. Moroney) said that the State was full of monumental tributes to Mr. Catani's genius. Councillor Edward O'Donnell, who unveiled the bronze bust and started the mechanism of the clock, recalled Mr. Catani's enthusiasm for the beauty of the St Kilda foreshore. The Minister for Public Works (Mr. Jones) was represented by the chief engineer for public works (Mr. G. Kermode).

The Clock Tower is a landmark in St Kilda, and the subject of many photographs and postcards, some of which you can see here.

Footnotes

(1) The Herald, December 17, 1929, see here. 

(2) The Age December 18, 1929, see here.
(3) Frederick William Chamberlin, City of St Kilda Town Clerk . According to his obituary he was born in England, arrived in Victoria in 1881, appointed assistant Town Clerk in 1897 and became the Town Clerk on  May 1, 1913.  Mr Chamberlin died suddenly on October 11, 1934 when he collapsed outside the Town Hall on his way to a Council Public Works Committee meeting. He was 62 years old.  You can read his obituary in The Argus, here and The Age, here. This is irrelevant to the clock tower story, but of interest - Chamberlin's daughter, Marie (1902 -1993) was a Senator. She married  Robert Tweeddale Breen in 1928, he was a Mayor of the City of Brighton and this gave Marie a public role and she was involved in groups such as the Brighton Baby Health Centre Association and Victorian Family Council. In 1945 she joined the newly established Liberal Party,  and stood for the Senate in the 1961 election, she did not seek re-election when her term expired at the end of June in 1968. She was made Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in June 1979. Dame Marie Breen died in June 1993. Read more about her, here, on the Senate website.

(4) Prahran Telegraph, March 14, 1930, see here.
(5) Thomas Johnston Buchan (1874 - 1962) became President of the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects in 1930. He was a partner in the Architectural firm of Laird and Buchan. He began his career in 1891 in Geelong when he was articled  to  J. A. Laird, where in 1906 he became  a Partner in the firm. He studied at the School of Architecture at the Gordon Institute of Technology. The firm designed Churches, banks, houses and some outstanding architectural memorial, which are among the leading ornaments of Geelong. Source: The Herald, February 25, 1930, read the article here.
(6) Norman Edwin Schefferle (1899 - 1983),  also studied at Gordon Technical College in Geelong, but he as he was younger than Thomas Buchan, so their time at the College did not overlap. Schefferle was with the firm Schefferle and Davies.  He designed Geelong's Art Deco Carlton Hotel built in 1936, the Point Henry Signal Station ( the Geelong Harbour Control building) built 1939 and the Kilmore Hospital in 1953.  As well, he designed the Caulfield War Memorial, unveiled in 1932. Read more about Norman Schefferle, here.
(7) Frederick David Michaelis (1861 - 1935) was a partner in the firm of Michaelis, Hallenstein & Co, leather merchants. He was a member of the St Kilda Foreshore Committee and the St Kilda Cemetery Committee and on the Board of Management of the Alfred Hospital. He was also a supporter of Wesley College, where he went to school. Like Carlo Catani, Mr Michaelis, had a son who died in the First World War - his son Frank Moritz Michaelis (Service number 31586) enlisted on August 23, 1916 at the age of 24 and died of disease on May 14, 1917. Another son, Archie, was a Lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery, you can read his biography in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, here.  You can read Frederick Michaelis' informative obituary in the Hebrew Standard of Australasia, here and shorter obituaries  in The Age, here and in The Argus, here.
Michaelis, Hallenstein operated a very large tannery in Footscray, you can read about it and see photos of it on the Living Museum of the West (LMW) website, here. They were said to be the first employers to introduce the eight hour day for their employees. The Company also had their own World War One memorial to their nineteen employees who lost their life in the War - Frank Michaelis is listed on the memorial as well.There is a photo of the memorial on the LMW website. I have done a blog post on the Michaelis, Hallenstein Tannery war memorial on my Victoria's Past - Rescued and Retold blog, here.

(8) The Argus August 23, 1932, see here.  

(9) Paul Montford. Paul Raphael Montford (1868 - 1938)  was born in England and worked there until he came to Australia at the age of 54. His work includes the statue of Adam Lindsay Gordon in Gordon Reserve in Spring Street and the George Higinbotham sculpture near the Old Treasury Buildings. You can read his Australian Dictionary of Biography entry, by Jenny Zimmer, here.
(10) Edward O'Donnell was a St Kilda City Councillor for 44 years, inaugural member of the St Kilda Foreshore Committee (formed in 1906) and Chairman of the Committee from 1919. He died in 1933 at the age of 88.  O'Donnell Gardens in St Kilda is named for him, where there is an elaborate fountain erected as a memorial, which was unveiled in August 1935. You can read his obituary in The Argus, here