Carlo has a plan to bring water to the Mallee

The Argus of September 2, 1902 interviewed Carlo about his proposal to irrigate around one million acres of Mallee land by using the water of Murray River.  I have transcribed it, below, or you can read here.  The interviewer describes Carlo as an enthusiast  who is once more breathing life into this almost dead project and Mr. Catani who, though an ltalian, has a marked capacity for expressing his views in clear and pregnant English. It's  a longish article, but well worth reading and shows Carlo's big picture vision, confidence in his own ability and professional role and the fact that he was not afraid to work on proposals not strictly related to his role as the Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department.

Was his proposal ever acted upon? No. Would it have been successful if implemented?  I cannot answer that.

NEGLECTED RICHES. MALLEE IRRIGATION. FLOODING LOW LEVELS.
MR. CATANI INTERVIEWED.

Since 1897 the authorities in Victoria have been considering schemes for watering the Mallee country from the bounteous River Murray, which encircles that arid territory in a magnificent sweep of wasted waters. The question has been reported on and considered. and nothing has been done, in fact the scheme has been for some time almost abandoned. New South Wales commenced to consider the same scheme with respect to its territory adjoining the Murray in the year 1880, and already it has two channels cut, and by the time the next flood waters come will be ready to water 200 miles of country. Look at the latest reports of the Public Works committee of New South Wales and you will see that a scheme has been completed, with the exception of the regulators, to connect the Murray at Tooleybuc with Tuppal Creek and the Edwards River; and another scheme to connect the Murray at Barham with the Wakool River is also under way.

We are highly progressive people - it would be treason to dispute that - but how much more progressive must the New South Wales people be? They did not commence to think about the thing till two years after it had been mooted in Victoria, and already extensive works have been carried out, and we have done nothing but consider, and, were it not for one or two enthusiasts would have dropped the matter altogether.

Yet, unless surface levels taken by trained surveyors are false as dicers' oaths and hard-headed engineers are wild dreamers, we could water and irrigate an immense quantity of land, which is now almost unproductive at a cost comparatively trifling whilst no one who depends upon the River Murray for navigation or any other purposes would be one penny the worse, and, in some respects would be much better off.

Mallee dust storm, Manangatang, 1920.

Would Mallee dust storms have been a thing of the past if Carlo's scheme was implemented? Remember the one that hit Melbourne on Tuesday, February 8, 1983, the day before the tragic Ash Wednesday bushfires? 

Museums Victoria https://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/items/772425

"Look here," says Mr. C. Catani, engineer for roads and bridges in the Public Works department. "Look here. Here is a plan which makes the scheme almost brutally clear." Then he displays a plan which looks exactly like one of those maps or plans which financiers publish to show the rise and fall of prices of an article over a series of years, so that the course of the market may be seen at a glance. "This plan," he continued, "shows the ridges and depressions over a wide space of the Mallee country. The levels have all been accurately taken by the surveyors of the Lands department, who have walked over country surveying it into blocks. Now this horizontal line shows the level of the Murray at the height of the proposed off-take - 4ft above summer level. You an see that that line is not only above all the depressions in this stretch of country, but it is actually considerably above all the ridges. It is no use saying that the water will not go through this country, for if it can find no way round the ridges it will flow over them "

Mr. Catani is the enthusiast  who is once more breathing life into this almost dead project. He has a long and honourable career in the Public Works department, and he is impelled merely by a sense of duty to ventilate the matter. It belongs properly to the Water Supply department, but Mr. Catani has facts in his possession which he thinks should be made known, and being fortified by the strong support of Mr. Williamson Wallace, the director of agriculture, he is doing all he can to bring it once more into into region of what is immediately practicable. Mr. W. Davidson inspector-general of public works, takes no responsibility for what Mr. Catani, is doing, but he states that he has gone carefully into the facts and figures submitted by that officer, and believes that he has made out a strong case.

"The policy I advocate," says Mr. Catani who, though an ltalian, has a marked capacity for expressing his views in clear and pregnant English - " the policy I advocate is water and no channels, against the disastrous policy of channels and no water."

"My scheme," he continues," is to irrigate for cultivation purposes the whole of the northern Mallee which still belongs to the Crown. To begin with, I suggest that the area bounded on the north by the Murray, on the south of the high land in the parallel of Lake Tyrrell, on the east by the Murray, and on the west by the Mildura railway line, be operated upon. This area is about 50 miles wide east and west, and 30 miles deep north and south. It contains about 1,500 square miles or 1,000,000 acres,
of Crown land."  [Lake Tyrrell is near Sea Lake - so the southern border is essentially Sea Lake to Ultima to Lake Boga to the border/ Murray River. Area would include the euphonicly named towns of  Manangatang, Chillingollah, Chinapook. Ouyen would be on the western border, Swan Hill on the eastern border]

Mary, Annie and Norrie Ryan at their farm in Chinkapook in 1926.
Photographer: Mrs Ryan. 

Would the farm have been a green oasis if Carlo's scheme was implemented? 

Image: Museums Victoria https://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/items/766067

How do you get the water into that area? "By a cutting about five miles long, and on an average 12ft. deep"

And the cost? "That would be about £38,000. My first estimate was £15,000,but after consulting with Mr. Wallace as to the necessity of getting the water onto the land in early winter, and quickly, I found it necessary to increase the width of the inlet from 24ft wide to 90ft wide. The cost is doubled but the capacity of the channel is trebled."

The Railways Standing Committee reported doubtfully of your scheme? "Yes; but it is evident from their report that they did not understand it. They speak of it as a scheme to cut a channel into the centre of the northern Mallee, whereas my proposed cutting is only five miles long. After that the water finds its way through the natural depressions."

Mr. Stuart Murray, engineer-in-chief of water supply gave evidence criticising the scheme did he not? "I think the committee must have misunderstood his evidence also, for it makes him state that in a minimum year there would be 490 millions of cubic feet of water short of the 1,500 million cubic feet required for the scheme. Now, the gaugings taken at Albury, at Echuca, and at Mildura during 27 years show that not merely is the 1,500 million cubic feet available in a minimum year, but actually 80 times that amount is running to waste, and no less than 300 times that amount in a maximum
year."

"The railway committee," continued Mr. Catani, "partially condemned the scheme on the evidence that in a minimum year the supply would be 490 million cubic feet short, and there was no natural depression sufficient to store that quantity. They wanted, in fact, to store a paltry 490 million cubic feet of water from one year to another, when 400 times that quantity is yearly going to waste into the sea.

When Mr. Catani takes you into figures and displays his tables, the unmathematical brain simply reels amongst the billions. It would seem as if the ocean would have to be drained to supply the Mallee with an additional 6in. of water per annum. But if the figures as to demand are great, the figures as to supply are prodigious. The gist of them is this, that one-eighteenth of the annual discharge at Echuca in a minimum year would give all that is required, or 1-57th of a maximum year.

So, not in the least discouraged by the doubts of the Railway Standing Committee, Mr. Catani boldly asserts that a magnificent and extensive scheme of cheap irrigation is being neglected.

Then, what do you want now, Mr. Catani? "I want the Government first of all to to fill in some of the blanks in the surveys which were made for other purposes. Those will give data as to the levels between the lines of levels which we now have. The leases of these Mallee blocks, which will be affected fall in in 1903. We ought to know what is going to be done by that time, for the Government will then have an absolutely free hand with all this land. It can turn the water where it likes without compensation to anybody, and it can provide for its settlement on much more profitable basis that at present."

A few words with Mr. Wallace, the director of agriculture show that he is entirely in accord with the scheme, and a strong believer in its practicability. In the "Journal of the Department of Agriculture" he published a most interesting article, comparing what is done in Egypt with what is, in his opinion, possible in the Mallee, and this he has republished in a pamphlet. Mr. Catani is prepared to bring the water cheaply to the land, and Mr. Wallace to show how best to apply it when it is there. To say the least of it, a case has most certainly been made out for immediate further inquiry.

If you are interested in reading Mr Wallace's article of 'what is done in Egypt which would be possible in the Mallee', in the Journal of the Department of Agriculture, then it is on-line on the State Library of Victoria website - here.  It is in Volume 1, No. 7 from 1902 - his article starts on page 643 - but the section on irrigation is on page 651 to 657.

Carlo suggests Wonthaggi should be called Petria.

Here's an interesting article from the Geelong Advertiser of February 28, 1910 about names for the new coal town on the Powlett River - the Premier, John Murray, had suggested Peterloo or Peterhaven, whilst Carlo suggested the more poetic, Petria.  Peter McBride, mentioned in the article, was the Minister for Mines at the time. In the end Wonthaggi won the day! There is a McBride Avenue and a Murray Street in Wonthaggi, but nothing named for Carlo. I rather like the name Petria.

Geelong Advertiser  February 28, 1910

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article150697524

NAME WANTED FOR COAL TOWN.

WHAT SHALL POWLETT BE

CHRISTENED

Dealing with the question of the naming of the township close to the State coal mine, Mr. McBride said that he was not anxious that it should be called after him. He had seen suggestions by the Premier to call it 'Peterloo' or 'Peterhaven', and Mr. Catani, Chief Engineer of Public Works, had proposed 'Petria', but he thought that the present name, Wonthaggi, was not inappropriate. was a native name, and the following was the full definition given in the text book relating to such names - "Borne, drag; to pull along; to get; to bring; to haul; to drag; lug; to procure; to fetch; to obtain; to convey." 
All those definitions, or most of them, he thought, applied to a place where the coal mining industry was carried on. He would therefore he satisfied with the name Wonthaggi, especially as it had now been put on the plan relating to the sale of the leaseholds. An avenue in the township was to be named after him, and streets after his colleagues.

Carlo and the Warrnambool harbour

In 1910, Carlo drew up plans for harbour improvements at Warrnambool.  The local community had been agitating for these improvements for many years  - in fact historian, Charles Sayers* has called the story of the Warrnambool Harbour one of dying hopes, dwindled trade, frustrated ambitions and futile expenditure.

We will start with a short history of the harbour, taken from Mr Sayer's book By these we flourish: a history of Warrnambool (Heinemann, 1969)

The first jetty in Lady Bay was built in 1849, but years later it was still unfinished and ricketty and broke up in 1862. A second jetty was built around 1857, known as the tramways jetty, although it was not completed until 1874 - Mr Sayers also describes this jetty as ricketty. As early as 1864 some considered the new jetty dangerous for horses and unsafe for for pedestrians. It was called the tramways jetty as it was connected to a tramway for the transportation of goods. From the start it seems that the locals thought that the harbour could be improved by a breakwater, the opening of the Merri River mouth and an extension of the jetty.

The Tramways jetty at Warrnambool, c. 1900-1920.  Photographer: T.J Rowan

State Library of Victoria Image H81.85/16

A breakwater of 600 yards in length and to cost 110,00 pounds was approved by the Victorian Government  in 1874. Preliminary work commenced, the first allocation of money had been expended, then the money stopped, there was a roller coast change of governments in Victoria over the next few years - so by 1879 the breakwater was just a thousand of tons of concrete blocks [that] had been thrown into the bay to make a foundation at a cost of 20,000 pounds.

In 1879, Sir John Coode, Melbourne Harbour Trust engineer drew new plans - a combined breakwater and wharf, 1,800 feet long, made of concrete blocks, to be constructed at a cost of 280,900 pounds. This massive amount of money was not favoured by the Government and his amended plan reduced the breakwater to 900 feet and the cost to 140,000 pounds and by removing the sheltering parapet the cost was reduced again to 134,000 pounds. In the end the contract price for the breakwater was just over 129,000 pounds and the contractor, Arthur Dobson, was to build a breakwater, 1033 feet long, which would allow for the loading of three vessels, each 200 feet long at one time in a depth of thirty to thirty five feet of water. It started around 1885 and was completed by 1890.

From the start there was unhappiness with the breakwater - it turned out to be only 900 feet long and the locals wanted in extended another 300 feet. But on February 4, 1890 the railway reached the town of Warnambool and the Government was not keen to spend more money on the port when there was an alternate form of transport. The other issue was that the breakwater caused siltation problems in the harbour and continuous dredging was needed to keep the harbour viable. By 1910, trade through the harbour had decreased to 4,000 tons, from a high of 40,000 tons.

Lady Bay, Warrnambool, 1907. Photographer: Joseph Jordan.

This photo was taken only three years before Carlo drew up his plans for harbour improvements.

State Library of Victoria Image H96.160/1405

This is where Carlo Catani comes in. In August 1910, Carlo proposed a plan for building a dock and for dredging work that increased the berthing capacity at the harbour. The dock was to be 3,000 feet long and 800 feet wide and allow ships up to 400 feet in length. The cost of the works was 180,000 pounds (or if timber was partly used instead if concrete, 130,000 pounds).

Instead of acting on Carlo's plans, in 1914, a contract was let to increase the breakwater 300 feet, an instalment of the Coode plan according to Mr Sayers.  This work was completed but not satisfactory, and there were allegations of corruption and that the specifications for the concrete blocks had not been met. A Royal Commission was appointed and it was found that the breakwater extension was built on sand, not rock and thus the extension collapsed and the 70,000 pounds that it had cost was mostly wasted.

Back to Carlo's plans - The Warrnambool Council were happy with Carlos' plans - there is a report in the the Colac Herald of July 8, 1912 where  a deputation from the Chamber of Commerce met with the Council to get much needed harbour improvements at the local port. The had this to say about the plans  They had a capital scheme drawn up by a competent Government Engineer (Mr Catani) and approved of by the Chief Engineer, (Mr Davidson) and yet according to Mr Murray's statement at the Farmers' Convention the Government was seeking for further advice in another state. This seemed ridiculous, and there was no reason why the scheme of Mr Catani should not be immediately gone on with.  The meeting ended with this motion That Mr Murray [John Murray, M.L.A] be urged to have £30,000 placed on this year's estimates, to commence, as soon as possible the harbor improvement scheme as drawn up by Cr Catani. See the full article, here.

The Victorian Government did not commit to Carlo's plans, then the First World War intervened and the work on the harbour was suspended and as Mr Sayers said, it remained that way. Even as late as 1944 the Warrnambool Shire still hoped to revive Carlo's plans as they urged that dredging and the building of a dock along the lines of the Catani plan of 1910 be commenced.  Nothing came of the effort, wrote Mr Sayers, so Carlo's plans for the Warrnambool harbour were never acted on. Mr Sayers says the Warrnambool harbour is now just a playground. 

The Breakwater, Warrnambool. (Rose Stereograph Co)

State Library of Victoria Image H32492/1720

According to Charles Sayers, commercial traffic in the port ended in March 1942 due to the depth of water, which in 1944 was reported to be just over seven feet at the harbour entrance, due to siltation. So this dates this photo to some time pre-1942.

* Charles Edward Sayers, known as C.E. Sayers, was born in Bendigo in 1901 and was a journalist with The Age, a writer of novels and a writer of history. He died in 1979, you can read about him, here, in the Australian Dictionary of Biography.

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)

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)

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.

Enrico Catani - War Services of Old Melburnians

In 1923 Melbourne Grammar published War Services of Old Melburnians recording the names and World War One military history of past students. Carlo's son, Enrico Ferdinando, was one of these students and I have transcribed his entry. He was listed in the book as Eric Frederick Catani, so had obviously anglicised his name. Enrico sounds like a lovely man who was loved and respected by all who knew him and what a tragedy it is that he and 60,000 of his fellow Australians were killed in the prime of their life.

Photo of Enrico from War Services of Old Melburnians

Eric Frederick Catani who was killed in action in France on 29^th July 1916 was the elder son of Mr. C.D.T.M Catani. He was born in 1891 and was at school from 1905 to 1909. In his last year at school he was in the football team. On leaving school he went to Dookie Agricultural College, where he took his Diploma in 1912. He had a farm near Kyneton when war broke out, but he gave it up and enlisted on 28th April 1915 and was appointed 2^nd Lieut. in 21^st Battalion. “Puss” Catani, as every old boy of his time knew him, was a good fellow and a good sportsman and he made a splendid soldier. He was one of the troops on the “Southland” when she was torpedoed and was on Gallipoli from 4^th September 1915 to the evacuation on 20^th December. During that time he was away for three weeks, sick and wounded. He was acting as machine-gun officer nearly all the time he was on the Peninsula. During the Lone Pine engagement a 6-inch high explosive shell burst on the edge of his machine gun. It killed two of his men, wounded the other two, and buried him and his gun, and it was sometime before he was dug out and could not speak or hear for a day afterwards.

On his return to Egypt he was made Transport Officer and Staff Officer of Railways at Ismailia, and eventually rejoined his battalion, in which he had on 26^th August 1915 been promoted to Lieutenant, and went to France and was killed soon after the Australian went onto action. A brother officer writing says: “He was the best and cheeriest of friends a man could have, and the life and soul of the company whether things were going well or ill. I never saw him downcast or out-of-sorts even when things were at their worst, and I hardly think there was a man better loved by officers and men in the division. His platoon would do anything for him and were inconsolable at his loss. On the night of 29^th July I was ordered to take my company to hold a small trench which was the key to Pozieres. It meant marching in pitch black through a perfectly hellish barrage which the enemy were throwing behind the village. “Puss” was my senior company officer, and as my place was at the front I sent him to the rear charged with that most difficult and all-important of tasks - keeping the men blocked up when the shells began to take toll of the ranks. How well he did his job you can imagine when I say that looking back after getting through the barrage, I found the company blocked up as if on parade. The losses had not been inconsiderable, but his cheery voice and unfailing courage had caused every gap to be immediately filled. As they filed past me into some temporary cover, as I expected, he greeted me with ‘Cheer oh! Pretty warm trip, wasn’t it?’ I left him in charge and went to make a reconnaissance of our new position. When dawn broke he was missing, and though we spared no effort we found no trace of him. I hung on for days in the hope he had been wound and evacuated through the English troops on our left, but was finally forced to report him ‘Missing, believed killed’. In him I lost one of my very best friends and the most capable officer I had”

His Colonel writes: “He had won the respect of, and endeared himself to, both officers and men. He was one of the keenest officers that any commanding officer had under him, that together with his happy disposition and cheerfulness under all conditions made him a general favourite. He gave his very best, and was devoted to his duties. Australia has reason to be proud of her boys, and your son was a noble example even to Australians”

Cover and front page of War Services of Old Melburnians, complied by J. Beacham Kiddle, O.B.E.

This is the group photo - 1. E.B McKay; 2. C.C.D. St Pinnock; 3.E.A. Dyson; 4. K.R. Stephenson; 5. E.F. Catani; 6. J.H.R. Butler; 7. W.S. Campbell; 8. H.L. Franklin. 

'The School will  not forget"

"You, our brothers, who, for all our praying,

To this dear School of ours, come back no more"