53 John Street | Gun Alley Stories Lilydale Historical SocietyMax Sheldrake2023-10-26T17:06:39+11:00
53 John St Stories
Gun Alley Stories
Introduction
This was another of the group of properties purchased by Robert Black from John Hutchinson’s executors for £80 on November 11, 1880. It was sold to Mary Beddoe’s whose father William Scott operated a bookmaker’s shop at the Olinda Creek. A home was built on the land during the 1890s and was owned by David and Henry Briers from 1922 to 1949. During this time one of the tenants was Melville Maynard who leased the property which was home to three generations of his family until the 1950s.
Audio introduction
Throughout the Gun Alley pages you will see references in old articles to £ (pounds). £1 = $2; 10/- (10 shillings) = $1; 5/- (5 shillings) = 50 cents. Please note: this does not reflect the value of the money but serves as an indication only.
Using the map:
- Click on the map icons for a brief overview of each location’s historical significance.
- To read the location’s associated Gun Alley Stories, click on ‘More Details’ in the icons pop-up window.
- You can also click and drag to move around the map and use the + and – buttons on the right to zoom in and out.
Timeline
John Hutchinson
William Hutchinson & Louis Deschamps ( – 11/11/1880)
Robert Black (11/11/1880 – 6/09/1890)
Mary Beddoe (6/09/1890 – 3/5/1922)
Alfred Clutterbuck (3/5/1922 -8/12/1922)
David and Henry Wilfred Briers (8/12/1922 – 16/08/1949)
Melville Maynard
Bob & Dorothy Holt
Harold Bernard & Clara Lillian Briggs (16/08/1949 – 25/9/1958)
Rocco & Eva Di Cesare (25/09/1958 – 15/05/1970)
Filomena Stagnitti (15/05/1970 -6/05/1978)
Eric Anderson & Dorothy Jean Pike and Rodney Anthony & Robyn Lee Hunter (6/05/1978 – 14/04/1981)
Willowbank Investments Pty Ltd (14/04/1978 –
Robert Black
Robert Black was born in Ballysally, Coleraine, County Derry, Ireland in 1934, the fifth son of John Black and Sarah Sheriff. After an education at Coleraine and Temple Moyle Agricultural College, Robert set sail for Australia, arriving in March, 1857. He joined John Kerr on an exploring expedition travelling through New South Wales and Queensland before arriving in Victoria. After renting, they later purchased a 500 acre farm near Lilydale from Paul de Castella.
The partnership lasted until 1870 when Robert Black visited Ireland where he married Mary Jane Moore on September 14, 1870. The couple returned to the district via San Francisco and Chicago. On his return, Robert purchased the Cooring Estate at Coldstream where he lived until his death at the age of 92 years in 1926.
Robert Black named his property Coldstream the name taken for the railway station. Later, the township, then named The Lodge, became known as Coldstream.
In 1900, he purchased the late Colonel Hutton’s property adjoining Coldstream and turned his attention to grazing. This property known as Cooring Yering, Bald Hill (the quarry) and Rowes Mount comprised about 1260 acres. The homestead was built by David Mitchell on the Cooring Yering po