Trove list - I have created a short list of newspaper articles on Carlo Catani and the St Kilda Patriotic Carnival, access it here. There are photos of the Carnival in Punch, December 13, 1917, here and Punch, December 20, 1917, here and Punch, December 27, 1917, here; and Table Talk, December 13, 1917, here and here.
This blog is a tribute to Engineer, Carlo Catani (1852 -1918) Carlo worked for the Public Works Department of Victoria. His projects included draining the Koo Wee Rup and Moe Swamps, flood mitigation works on the Yarra River and the reclamation of the St Kilda foreshore. The gardens he designed at the end of Fitzroy Street were named after him as was the Catani arch bridge on the St Kilda foreshore. This blog covers Catani's professional and personal life. Heather Arnold
Friday, May 26, 2023
Carlo and the St Kilda Patriotic Carnival, December 1917
Trove list - I have created a short list of newspaper articles on Carlo Catani and the St Kilda Patriotic Carnival, access it here. There are photos of the Carnival in Punch, December 13, 1917, here and Punch, December 20, 1917, here and Punch, December 27, 1917, here; and Table Talk, December 13, 1917, here and here.
Friday, May 19, 2023
Carlo Catani and the Henley on Yarra Regatta
Alexandra Avenue, designed by Carlo Catani, was officially opened by the Duke of Cornwall and York on May 17, 1901. The land adjacent to the Avenue was turned into a public park in 1904 and this park was also designed by Carlo and was named Alexandra Gardens. In Autumn 1908, Carlo and George Cooper, laid out the Henley Lawn in the Gardens. George Cooper had worked with Carlo Catani from 1900 on the landscaping of Alexandra Avenue and at the Alexandra Gardens, where he was the head curator until 1917 (1). It was on the Henley Lawn where spectators by the thousands lined up to watch the annual Henley-on-Yarra rowing regatta.
The Australasian in 1910 had a short history of the regatta which takes place as usual on Saturday next, October 22 (the Saturday between Caulfield Cup and Derby Day). This will be the eighth Henley-on Yarra, the first having been held on March 19, 1904. There was a good deal of speculation then as to how a big social regatta would "catch on" here, where none but those immediately concerned took an interest in rowing races; but the choice of date and the foresight of the promoters in reproducing in modest way the features of the Royal Henley Regatta soon made the fixture one which claimed everyone's attention. Succeeding years have served to popularise the regatta, and each year the watchful executive, profiting by experience, adds some new attraction (2).
This post looks at any connections I can find between Carlo and the Henley Regatta, and is illustrated by postcards from my collection. The connection started as early as 1905 when it was reported that -
Through the courtesy of Mr. Davidson and Mr. Catani, of the Public Works department, the committee has been provided with certified measurements of the courses taken by boats racing on the north and south stations respectively. These show that the boat on the south station, if it starts from a line parallel with Anderson-street bridge and finish on a line at right angles to the river bank, has 7 feet 7 inches less distance than the northern crew. This discrepancy will be corrected by a special surveyed finishing line, which will be marked out to-day. (3). William Davidson was the Inspector General of Public Works.
There was a further report in 1910 - The fine lawn laid down by Mr. Catani and the officers of his department on the south bank of the Yarra, with its rockeries and shrubs, has now matured into a pretty garden. The English trees, which mark both banks of the river, have put on their new leaves, and the grass on the slopes is in perfect condition. (7)
The Palms Refreshment Room, on Henley Lawn, Alexandra Gardens took advantage of the palms planted by Carlo Catani and George Cooper. The Refreshment Rooms were built by the City of Melbourne, who held a competition for the design, which was won by Architects Messrs Blackett and Forster. They opened officially on March 19, 1927. (8) The building was renamed The Dorchester in 1946 and closed and demolished in 1990. (9)
Footnotes
(1) I have written about Alexandra Avenue, here; Alexandra Gardens, here; and George Cooper, here.
(2) The Australasian, October 15, 1910, see here.
(3) The Age, October 24, 1905, see here.
(4) The Argus, October 26, 1908, see here.
(5) Table Talk, October 22, 1908, see here.
(6) The Argus, October 20, 1908, see here.
(7) The Australasian, October 15, 1910, see here.
(8) The Age, December 11, 1925, see here; The Herald, December 11 1925, see here; Table Talk, March 17, 1927, see here.
Monday, April 10, 2023
Carlo Catani and the Caulfield Racecourse
The area occupied by the Caulfield Racecourse, operated by the Victorian Amateur Turf Club (VATC) (1), has been the subject of on-going disputes regarding public access to the land for well over 120 years. The land had been used for racing since 1859 (2) and that same year Trustees were appointed to the site, which had been set aside for racing and other purposes of public recreation.
This post is not a detailed history of the alienation of this public land by a private organisation but these three excerpts from the newspapers tell the story.
The few individuals who have laid marauding hands on public property, who have deliberately filched a public recreation ground, have not only done a grave wrong to the district in monopolising public lands, but they have become a downright nuisance.
There is no need to point out how the powers of the V.A.T.C. have extended until they have established virtual ownership of a public recreation ground. Not withstanding the fifteen days as the limit of the club's occupancy, it fenced off a large area for lawn and stands, betting ring, bird cage and saddling paddock, and forbade the public to trespass on these illegally acquired reserves on pain of expulsion. The area so absorbed in defiance of the original grant is being constantly extended. Land is set apart for training tracks. While training is going on the public cannot use the training ground, which is necessarily an extensive territory. The club charges fees for training horses, and imposes regulations on jockeys and trainers using the course that would be considered harsh in the German army. Some of the oldest stagers of the Heath have been brought before the V.A.T.C. committee and fined for offences such as crossing the course on horseback during training hours. Fancy fining a member of the public for going on to public land! What kind of a public spirit is it that calmly yields to such treatment? What influences were at work that bulldozed local bodies and progress associations, and made them submissive tools of the V.A.T.C. in respect of action which under any Government jealous of public rights would have led to prosecution, and in England would have aroused one of those stirring and historic demonstrations against the local land grabber for the maintenance of the right of way. (6).
"(1) The deepening of the lake and the using of the excavated material to level the depressions formed by the promontories and mounds.
"(2) Facing in the margin of the lake with stone, forming little points, bluff, etc., so that the subsidence of the water within the lake in summer time would not mean a reduction of the area of the lake, etc.
"(3) Forming paths, draining, and gravelling them, the path round the lake being the main feature, and the area between the path and the rocks on the water's edge being covered with buffalo grass.
"(4) Formation of land for sports and gatherings.
"(5) Water supply for grass, and stand pipes for drinking taps for the public.
"(6) Formation of flowering beds; also plantation of flowering shrubs, so as to maintain a succession of blooms.
"The financial arrangement, at present arrived at, is that the club should supply the necessary funds for the improvements at the rate of L500 per annum for five years, and that the trustees should do the necessary works and keep them in order. It seemed, however, that it would be in the interests
of all parties to effect substantial improvements at once, so as to have the place made sightly and available for recreation purposes, and to this end I would suggest that the club be requested to advance at once L1125, and to pay in the future on the reduced contribution of L275 per annum. The total
would be the same at the end of five years. If the proposal were adopted I would suggest that the following be carried out at once:—
1. Deepening lake and filling depressions — L350.
2. Facing margin of lake with stone — L300.
3. Forming paths, gravelling, and planting buffalo grass— L250.
4. Forming and planting lawn — L75.
5. Water supply and seats— L100.
6. Clearing and planting south end — L50.
Total outlay — L1125. (8).
In spite of these clear suggestions from Carlo the VATC decided they would rather spend £500 per annum for five years (9). In December 1911, the Trustees of the land wrote to the Caulfield Council that it was proposed to carry out, as far as practicable, the scheme propounded by Mr. Catani to beautify the lake, and form the surrounding paths. In 1910, £390 6s 7d., had been expended on improvements, and in 1911, £359 19s 10d. (10). However, four years later, in July 1914 it was reported that the trustees were endeavouring to carry out Carlo's scheme of improvements (11). By then, of course, the project should have been nearly complete. The reality was that the VATC simply didn't care about improving public access and public amenities for the local people, even with pressure from community groups. In September 1914, for instance -
The Glenhuntly branch of the A.N.A. is strongly in accord with the motion carried on August 14 by the Caulfield City Progress Association regarding the encroachments on the rights of the public by the trustees of the Caulfield Recreation Reserve, Public Park and Racecourse, and further, the branch desires to support the request to the Minister of Lands asking for an increase in the number of trustees by the election of three public spirited citizens who reside in immediate vicinity of the reserve.(12)
In 1922, due to the demand for greater public use of the racecourse, the Minister for Lands decided that 10 acres to be permanently reserved on the Neerim road side for use as a public park and gardens. The high fence at present enclosing this area will be removed and re-erected on a line to be defined by the Minister, adjoining the racecourse. The new outer fence adjoining the public road will be sufficient only to protect the hedges and ornamental shrubs (13). This is what is now called Glenhuntly Park (14). At the same time, another four acres was also set aside for recreation. The areas are both shown in the map below.
Fast forward 100 or so years and what has changed? A 2014 Auditor's General report which examined the effectiveness of the management of the reserve by the trustees found that conflicts of interest have not been adequately managed and preference has been afforded to racing interests with insufficient attention given to use of the reserve for recreational pursuits and as a public park (15).
In April 2021, a glowing press release from Andrews Labor Government announced that they had launched a plan to transform the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve into a people-friendly community recreation space....Over the next 15 years the reserve will become an increasingly accessible and activated space, supporting diverse uses and events. Access into all reserve areas will be improved and parts of the reserve that currently are not accessible will be opened to the public (16). It appears that progress still moves at a glacial pace when it comes to the public's right to access their own land on the Caulfield Racecourse site. Children who were just starting school in 2021, can look forward to better access to the Reserve in 2036, when they will be half way through University.
Trove list - I have created a short list of articles on Carlo's report and public access issues to the Caulfield Racecourse. Access the list here.
Footnotes(2) Murray, John R and Wells, John C From sand, swamp and heath...a history of Caulfield (City of Caulfield, 1980), p. 170.
(3) The Argus, January 18, 1906, see here.
(4) Ibid
(5) The Age, November 4, 1911, see here.
Monday, April 3, 2023
Carlo Catani meets John Wren
Saturday, January 14, 2023
Bridge at Gilbert's Ford, Middle Creek, Yinnar
Carlo Catani was involved with the construction of many bridges in the State and he had a small role in the eventual building of a bridge across Middle Creek at Gilbert's Ford in Yinnar, in Gippsland.
The community had been agitating for this bridge for some time as the ford was dangerous. In 1898 the Morwell Council had applied for money for the bridge but had been unsuccessful (1).
A report in the Morwell Advertiser in August 1899 noted the danger the ford presented -
On Tuesday evening, last week, Mr. J. Cahill, of Jumbuck, and a man who was working for him, narrowly escaped being drowned. It appears they were returning from work both mounted on a heavy draught horse. All went well till they reached Gilbert's Ford across Middle Creek, which, in consequence of the recent heavy rains, was running a banker. At one side of the ford a large log is lying in the creek and the force of the water running underneath has excavated a large hole, and whilst crossing the ford the horse Cahill and his man were riding, fell into the hole and threw both men over the log into the current. Cahill, with much difficulty, managed to reach the bank in an exhausted state, after being carried down the stream about three chains. His man, however, was carried about eight
chains down, and just when he thought it was "all up," or rather "all down" with him, he managed to lay hold of some support and eventually reached the bank in safety, but exhausted and bruised. This is the same spot where Mr. W. Tulloch met with an accident about two years ago, when his horse and hearse were stranded in the creek, the former being drowned whilst the latter remained under water for two days. Other accidents have also occurred at the same place, and it is quite evident a bridge is urgently required to replace the ford, which is very dangerous, and most unsafe for crossing when the creek is high, and it is to be hoped the local shire council will consider the matter at an early date and get their engineer to report on the matter before any lives are lost (2).
In July 1900, it was reported that for some time past the local council have been endeavouring to impress upon the Public Works Department the urgent necessity of having a bridge erected at Gilbert's ford, and other necessary work carried out immediately, and brought such pressure to bear, that Messrs Catani, engineer for Public Works, and Reed, Surveyor-General, visited Morwell yesterday (3).
The Morwell Advertiser reported on this visit of Carlo and Joseph Reed, and started with a description of Gilbert's Ford -
"Gilbert's ford" is becoming quite famous, and if its whole history was written it would certainly be interesting as well as exciting, and if a verbatim report of what Mr. Bryson and others have said regarding it was included, its history would be most thrilling. This ford, known as Gilbert's, is one across Middle Creek, between Messrs Walker's and Bryson's properties, and directly in front of Mr A. Gilbert's gate, about ten miles from Morwell, and five from Yinnar. When the creek is in a normal state the water at the ford is about half a chain in width and shallow, but being at the foot of a range of hills the water comes down in a body after heavy rain, and in the space of an hour or two the water will rise from a depth of 18 inches to nearly as many feet, making it quite impassable for traffic, and in consequence suppliers to the Middle Creek creamery have been unable to deliver their milk for several days, being completely cut off.
The matter was repeatedly brought under the notice of the local shire council who recognised that a bridge was necessary. Steps were taken to have the work placed among the first and most urgent works so be carried out under the Special Grant, but for some reason or other the Public Works department "wiped it out." The people interested were naturally much disappointed whilst the council were indignant and eventually brought such pressure to bear that Mr. Catani, engineer for public works and Mr. Reid, Surveyor-general, visited Morwell on Thursday last week, and in company with the council, were driven out to the ford in P. Dunbar's drag (4).
Friday, January 6, 2023
Carlo displays an ignorance of the value of Red Gums
Mr. Carlo Catani, Engineer of Roads and Bridges, in the Public Works department, was examined concerning the work of constructing levees, which is being carried out on the banks, of the Goulburn River. The work now in progress, he said, extended 40 miles along one side of the river, and would cost about £5000. The work would greatly enhance the value of land in the vicinity, as it would protect it from floods. He admitted that there was a probability that a forest of red gums - a tree that requires periodical inundation to live - would be destroyed, but did not think that in any case the timber there was particularly valuable. Red gum timber was but little used for building bridges, although useful for sleepers and paving blocks.
The Chairman: What puzzles us is why the public first should he called upon for £38,000 to improve private owners' property.
Mr. Catani said that there were at least 20,000 acres of land which, at present, would not fetch £1 an acre, even if 20 years were given in which to pay. it. After the completion of the levees the land could be sold for £3 per acre. A written offer had been made some two years ago to buy the whole of the land protected by the Cobram levee at £2 10/ per acre. The work was to be carried out by workmen recruited from the ranks of the unemployed. The unemployed had become quite an institution.
Mr. Ham: Yes; a Government Institution.
Mr. Catani: Well, every year £5000 or £6,000 has to be spent as a sop to the unemployed. (Laughter.) This work was intended to relieve the hard times of these people.
It was decided that the commission should pay a visit of inspection to the works as soon as the necessary arrangements could be made.
Monday, December 19, 2022
Carlo and the bridge over the Glenelg River at Casterton
Mr. Catani, engineer of roads and bridges connected with the Public Works department, visited Casterton to-day for the purpose of making an official inspection of the bridge over the Glenelg which it is proposed to replace this season by a new structure. Plans recently prepared by the shire engineer were submitted to Mr. Catani, who seemed impressed with the urgent need for the work. The patching up of the old bridge has been going on for years, and for some time past it has been regarded as so insecure that notice boards have been posted on each end warning carriers against crossing with loads exceeding four tons. (2).
At the Glenelg Shire Council meeting of November 19, 1897, the motion was passed to call for tenders for the new bridge (3) and at the December meeting it was reported that five tenders were received...and that of Burgess and Sons, of Digby, £1135, was accepted (4).
A month later in January 1898 the Shire Engineer, William Henry Scott (5) reported to the Council meeting that -
A consignment of piles for the new bridge at Casterton had been delivered, and it was expected that work would be commenced within about 10 days (6). The Age noted that on February 14, the first pile of the new bridge over the Glenelg River at Casterton was driven today by the contractors, Messrs. Burgess and Sons. (7).
In mid-April, the Hamilton Spectator, had this update the contractor for the new bridge over the Glenelg is making fair progress, but is hampered by the difficultly of obtaining the necessary teams to deliver the big timber. The long drought has helped them considerably, and the hope to have the heaviest portion of the work completed before the river begins to run (8).
The bridge was completed towards the end of June and officially opened on July 7, 1898 by the wife of the Shire Engineer, Mrs Scott and after the opening ceremony the President will entertain his colleagues and the contractors at a dinner at Mrs. Schofields hotel (9). The Weekly Times reported that a public demonstration was held to celebrate the event (10), by which I presume they mean a celebration and not a protest.
In 1918, the bridge was twenty years old and it was re-decked -
The work of re-decking the bridge over the Glenelg at Casterton, which had been in progress for about five weeks, was completed yesterday. The re-decking of the bridge involved the taking up of 2,000 feet of old timber, and replacing it with a like quantity of now stringy bark planks 8in. x 4½in., and the work of removal and replacing was necessarily delayed through it being carried on with-out interruption of traffic over the bridge, which on the contrary frequently interrupted the re-decking operations. An excellent job has been made, by the men engaged, with Mr J. Davis as foreman, acting under supervision of the Shire Engineer (Mr F. A. Wilson), and it is gratifying to learn that it was found in connection with the re-decking work, that the beams, piles, and other wood-work of the main structure were thoroughly sound, and apparently in as good condition as when the bridge was erected nearly 20 years ago, under, direction of a former Shire Engineer, Mr W. H. Scott. The new deck provides smooth going for traffic, and it is expected that it will, like its predecessor, stand for about 20 year's wear. The cost has not yet been fully computed, but is expected to be below the Engineer's estimate.(11).
This was the third bridge over the Gleneng River at Casterton - the first one was a low-level structure, known as Kirby's bridge, built in the 1850s. The second bridge was built in 1867, a high-level bridge down stream from Kirby's Bridge. The 1898 bridge was replaced in1937 by a concrete bridge, opened by the Governor of Victoria, Lord Huntingford, on December 2, 1937. On the same day, Lady Huntingfield opened the remodelled Hospital at Casterton (12).
On a side note - the photograph, above, shows Mohr's Bridge Inn. Samuel and Myrtle Isabel Mohr are both listed in the Electoral rolls at Casterton as hotelkeepers from 1914 until 1919. In October 1919, the Bridge Inn closed as it had been deprived of its license at a Licences Reduction Board hearing, because it was considered not necessary for the convenience of the public or the requirements of the locality (13). The owner was compensated £735 and the licensee £150. The building was reported to have been sold for removal (14). As a matter of interest the Hamilton Spectator reported in July 1898 - The will of James Doyle, late of Carapook, farmer, has been filed. The estate is valued at £8641, which is left to the widow for life, and to be distributed amongst the children subsequently. There is a special clause in the will instructing his executors to sell his property, the Bridge Inn at Casterton, as he did not wish any of his children to engage in the trade of a publican (15).
And so ends the story of the only connection I can find between Carlo and the town of Casterton.
Trove list - I have created a list of articles on the 1897 bridge at Casterton and the Bridge Inn, access it here.
Footnotes(1) The Argus, October 20, 1897, see here.