Carlo visits Yarram with plans to beautify the Hospital grounds and the old Cemetery

The Gippsland Standard published this article on July 24, 1914 about a visit Carlo made to the town of Yarram on Wednesday, July 22 (read the article, here) He proposed to do something 'ornate' to the Hospital grounds and make the cemetery a 'beauty spot' including planting palm trees and erecting a band stand and a play ground for children.  Not sure if any of this happened, I will visit the town one day and tell you. However, as Carlo's visit was less than two weeks before World War One started, I would be surprised if the town would have devoted resources to such a project at that time. 

Part of the report of Carlo's visit to Yarram

Gippsland Standard July 24, 1914  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article121135366

Visit of Mr Catani

LAYING OUT THE HOSPITAL GROUNDS

PROPOSAL TO BEAUTIFY THE OLD CEMETERY

Mr C. Catani, Engineer-in-Chief of the Public Works Department, made a flying visit to Yarram on Wednesday. His mission was to inspect the local hospital grounds and make recommendations to the committee in view of something ornate in days to come. Mr Catani brought with him a comprehensive plan as a guide to future work in this direction. He inspected the grounds, made valuable suggestions as to the planting, and particular stress on the laying out of paths, so that the convalescent patients might enjoy a walk.

While in the town Mr Catani was induced to inspect the old cemetery, which some day will be made a beauty spot in the town. The trouble is the furze [gorse]. Mr Catani expressed his willingness to draw up a plan, but his idea is not flowers. He favors grass plots, shrubs, and palms with a large plot in the centre for a band stand and play ground for the children. He does not believe in the suggestion that members of the local Friendly Societies should take certain parts and carry out their own particular schemes. United, some thing practicable and artistic might be done. However, a plan will be drawn up, but Mr Catani considers that it will take a couple of years to get rid of the furze.

Mr Catani is Melbourne's beautifier. His work on the foreshore at St. Kilda is evidence of his artistic skill. Mr Catani came from Italy in 1877, and has done excellent work in and around the city. Yarram is fortunate in having his services.

What were Carlo's plans for the Hospital Gardens? This article, below from the Toora and Welshpool Ensign tells us - The plans laid before the meeting, are elaborate, providing for fernery, shelter shed, kitchen garden, lawns, and a labyrinth of paths. The tradesmen's entrance is from Commercial lane. If carried out in their entirety there will not be a prettier spot outside Melbourne.

Carlo's plan for the Hospital grounds

Toora and Welshpool Ensign October 9, 1914  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article130156268

Yarram, c. 1910. 

This is how Carlo would have seen the town when he visited Yarram in 1914. 

Image: Museums Victoria https://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/items/771714

The elms and palms in Commercial Street, Yarram, 1940s.

The Main Street, Yarram. Photographer: Rose Stereograph Co.

State Library of Victoria Image H32492/430

According to Victorian Places, the 1927 the spacious main street was replanted with Phoenix palms. I had thought that perhaps the palm trees were inspired by Carlo, however as we can see from the images above and below, the Main Street or Commercial Road, was not entirely planted out with palms.  According to John Adams' History of the Shire of Alberton  -  A beautification scheme was put forward late in 1923 to spend £5239 to place garden plots along the centre of the road [Commercial Street] but wandering stock were still a problem in Yarram. Another plan in 1925 was to plant elms down the street but the Traders' Association complained that the roots might break up the road. The Council went ahead with the planting, but in 1927 began replacing them with Phoenix palms, fencing the plots. The fencing was removed in 1939 (1). 

Carlo would no doubt have approved of the Beautification project, but I don't believe that the use of palm trees in Commercial Road was inspired by his own use of palms.

The elms and palms in the Commercial Street plantation, 1950s.

Commercial Road and Club Hotel, Yarram, 1950s. Photographer: Rose Stereograph Co.

State Library of Victoria Image H32492/5527

Acknowledgement:

 I did not know that Carlo had any connection to Yarram, until I read a paper by Anne Bourke Carlo Catani and Alexandra Avenue: The Making of a European Promenade in Colonial Melbourne and she mentioned his work at Yarram.  The paper was published in Fabrications: The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, Australia and New Zealand Volume 26, 2016 - Issue 1.  

Footnote

(1)  Adams, John From these Beginnings: History of the Shire of Alberton (Victoria) (Alberton Shire Council, 1990), p.228.