Harry and Amanda celebrated Christmas at home, with their children and Annie their maid. The year 1857 had been a tumultuous year. Hopefully 1858 would be more normal. The townsfolk were in a festive mood. New Year was an exciting time in Robe Town. The Scottish immigrants always celebrated New Year with ‘Hogmanay’; a great time of festivity as they welcomed in another new year. There would be music, feasting, bonfires and lots of laughter; and at night people brandishing flaming wooden torches. The celebrations could go for days. Harry thought to himself, ‘The Scots certainly know how to celebrate!’
Scottish families in Robe Town and further afield converged on the town. Huge bonfires were piled up on Town Beach in readiness for the midnight hour. Scottish pipers and drummers, dressed in their Clan’s tartan kilts, were ready for the night’s events. The New Year was always welcomed in with the singing of ‘Auld Lang Syne’.
Harry and Amanda left Annie at home with the children and joined in the festivities. It was a great way to welcome in the New Year. Although they were not Scottish they appreciated the Scottish New Year celebrations. They stayed for a couple of hours after midnight and then went happily home.
The year 1858 started well. The town’s prosperity was secure. The Chinese invasion had made many people rich. The building boom continued; Larry Cooper, the local stone mason was very busy. He had to employ extra men to keep up with the demand for his services. Extra tradesmen were hired from Adelaide. Robe Town was enjoying its place as a boom town in south east, South Australia. A local Chamber of Commerce was inaugurated. The amount of exports through Port Robe was steadily increasing. Up to a thousand bullock teams per year were processed.
The general increase in prosperity augured well for spiritual growth in Robe Town’s inhabitants. Father Julian Tenison-Wood of the Roman Catholic Church at Penola commissioned the building of a chapel at Robe Town. Robe Town was part of his diocese, which stretched from Mount Gambier to Robe Town. His congregation in Robe Town were mainly Irish folk. The new chapel would be constructed of local limestone. His Robe Town congregation were pleased with this news.
A small Free Presbytery Kirk was already under construction to cater for the Scottish community; and could also be used as a private school. Not to be outdone by these efforts the local gentry decided a Church of England church should also be commissioned and built. The Church of England, Bishop in Adelaide was contacted for his input.
Meanwhile the magnetic telegraph line from Adelaide was slowly approaching Guichen Bay. In the opposite direction the line from Melbourne had already reached Mount Gambier and was nearly to Penola. Plans had been drawn up for telegraph stations at Port Robe and Mount Gambier and construction had begun. As these were government projects they were given top priority. The telegraph stations were to be manned during the day and operators were to be available, on call, for emergencies during the night.
Summer evenings with their long twilights, were times for relaxing and socialising. This was the season for balls and dances. The local inns and hotels did a roaring trade. The winter rains and subsequent low land flooding severely impeded travelling to and from Robe Town.
George Ormiston and his wife Susan usually held a couple of balls in their mansion ‘Green Gables’ during summer. These balls were popular with the local gentry and the well-to-do. Dances were held in various venues in the town with everybody welcome. Visiting musicians and bands were in great demand. Classical music buffs were also catered for with visiting ensembles. The well-to-do also held musical evenings in their own homes. The Irish folk held their own dances; where Irish music and dancing were enjoyed. The Scots not to be outdone held their own gatherings; with the swirl of bagpipes and the beat of drums.
The population of Robe Town worked hard; but also knew how to relax and let off steam. Horse racing was a popular pastime. The local race course was a popular venue. Horse racing and steeplechase riding were enjoyable pastimes for many people. Young Lindsay Gordon, a former Mounted Police Trooper from Mount Gambier was held in high esteem; as a horse breaker and rider.
Although he was tall and lanky he had already won some races and placed well in others. He was also known to be a bit of a poet. He published his poems under his full name Adam Lindsay Gordon. He and Father Julian Tenison-Wood were good friends. Father Julian encouraged Lindsay in his poetry writing. Father Julian was a well known scientist and geologist and had written books on these subjects. He had a great desire to see the children of Irish immigrants educated by the Catholic Church.
The town was well catered for with two banks. The National Bank of Australia and the State Bank of South Australia had branches in Robe Town. Each vied with the other for the upper hand in wooing wealthy customers. It was rumoured that a new flash hotel would be built in town by a wealthy Scotsman.
Although the town was growing there were no Government schools. Education was mainly for the children of the wealthy; those who could afford private school teachers or governesses. Working class families could not afford the fees. Unless the children could be taught privately they remained illiterate. Tradesmen usually handed down their knowledge and skills to their sons. Business people usually passed on their knowledge and experience to their children.
The children of Robe Town generally had a good lifestyle. Fishing was a popular pastime with the local boys. The jetties were fine places to fish; when work ceased for the day. Town Beach and Long Beach were great places for families. You could kick a football around, or play a game of beach cricket.
The long summer twilights were good times to be down on the beach. Some wreckage from the shipwrecks was still around, but the wind, rain and surf had cleaned up most of Long Beach. Port Robe was certainly set in a picturesque part of the coast. Sailing ships and steam ships at anchor added to the idyllic scenes.
By March work on the new telegraph stations at Port Robe and Mount Gambier was nearing completion. Once the lines were connected, no longer would they have to rely on despatches via coach or steam ship. News could be transmitted by the magnetic telegraph and arrive within minutes in Adelaide; and vice versa. The telegraph lines were steadily approaching the outskirts of Robe Town. In May 1858 the lines were connected. A lot of testing and adjustment was necessary. There was a problem with the submarine cable on the Adelaide line. Charles Todd, Observer and Superintendent of Telegraph, South Australia reported the news to the commissioner of Public Works.
In a letter dated Guichen Bay, June 18th he stated the causes of the problems.
“With the ordinary arrangement of the batteries, the platinum pole is brought to earth on the western (Adelaide) end of the line so as to correspond to the Victorian system. The strength of the current in this was at Goolwa, 49 degrees; at Guichen Bay, from 3 degrees to 8 degrees. But by putting the platinum pole to earth at Guichen Bay and the zinc at Goolwa, the strength of the current increased at Guichen Bay to 79 degrees and decreased at Goolwa to 14 degrees.”
Testing and adjusting continued through June into July. On Tuesday, 20-July-1858 a telegram was received at the Robe telegraph station via the South Australian Magnetic Telegraph. It was received at 8:35 am. The telegram consisted of 19 words and was sent by the Bishop of Adelaide to George Ormiston with his greetings. The inter-colonial telegraph line from Adelaide to Melbourne, via Port Robe and Mount Gambier, was now open for business.
Construction work on Saint Mary’s Star of the Sea, Roman Catholic church was on schedule; and was due to be commissioned by the end of the year. The foundations for the Church of England church building were in progress. This church was due for completion in early 1859. It was situated close to the Free Presbytery Kirk building.
Work had also started on a new inn for the town. A wealthy Scotsman, Peter McQueen was financing its construction. Some of the scrolled teak doors, salvaged from the Koning Willem 2 had been purchased for use in the upstairs rooms. This was going to be a quality establishment. It would certainly enhance Robe Town’s accommodation options.
With the advent
of the magnetic telegraph line to Port Robe; Harry Medcroft found himself with an additional portfolio. As the telegraph station would be used frequently in emergencies, the Government in Adelaide decided that the station should be under Harry’s supervision. His experience in coordinating responses to emergency situations had been noted; and subsequently he was chosen to be the South Australian Government’s, Officer In Charge of the Port Robe facility.
The telegraph station sprang into action in emergencies. At night, the sound of galloping hoofs or gunfire in the distance meant the station needed to be manned. The doors were hurriedly opened and the lamps were lit. On cold nights more logs were placed on the open fire in readiness for the messengers.
George Ormiston used the telegraph frequently, as did other traders in Robe Town. Urgent orders could now be placed with suppliers in Adelaide or Melbourne via telegram. This saved many days delay in shipment of their merchandise. Urgent official government despatches between Adelaide and Port Robe were conveyed in minutes; this was very helpful in emergency situations.
By October 1858 the Catholic Church building was nearing completion. The walls were up and the roof was under construction. Father Julian was pleased with the progress. Windows and doors had been ordered and were ready to be fitted. The floor had already been laid. When the roof was on the windows and doors would be fitted. By the end of 1858 the church was officially opened and named Saint Mary’s Star of the Sea. Saint Mary’s Star of the Sea was opened for services in time for the Christmas festive season.
The Church of England church building was also nearing completion and was on schedule for opening in early 1859. As 1858 drew to a close, the inhabitants of the Guichen Bay area reflected on a good, prosperous year with no major disasters.