The December 2016 edition of the Beaconsfield Banner is available in both text and downloadable PDF file form. The link for the download is at the bottom of this page.
Presidents Report
Welcome to this edition of the BEACONSFIELD BANNER. After a recess of nearly 12 months this special ‘mini Christmas edition’ has been prepared. The Banner will expand in 2017 in content and advertising and is now available on the Beaconsfield Progress Association (BPA) Website. www.beaconsfield.org.au A limited supply of printed copies will be available for those without internet facilities. Our Face book page continues to be popular.
This past year has seen many achievements reflecting on the work done by our Committee, Members and others co-opted. Our Progress Association provides the link between the local residents and businesses with governing authorities predominately our local government Cardinia Shire Council. At BPA we have continued to have a good working relationship in the past year with Council staff. My thanks go to Ranges Ward Councillors, Cr Tania Baxter who retired at the recent council elections and Cr Leticia Wilmot and Cr Brett Owen who were re- elected. Cr Jeff Springfield was elected for Ranges ward.
The Anzac Memorial Service was held on 24 April and was well attended with the feedback that BPA should be proud of conducting this service. This year’s Memorial Address told of James Henry Rix and was researched and written by Penny Harris Jennings and read by Cr Tania Baxter. This service is well supported by residents and Community groups.
During the year, there were a number of Strategic Planning matters affecting Beaconsfield. The Car Park Precinct Plan has been extensively discussed with two of our members on the Advisory Group. The other major item was the Glismann Road Master Plan. There were also public meetings arranged by Cardinia Shire Council. The residents, particularly from Glismann Road and nearby properties had the opportunity to discuss the plan and make submissions.
The Carols by the Creek by Beaconsfield Baptist Church and our Association was unfortunately cancelled last Christmas due to poor weather. Let’s hope for better weather this year.
We constantly review all planning applications lodged with Cardinia Shire Council and make submissions when appropriate, if we believe some aspects may not be for the betterment of our town. Often this relates to reduced parking, building structures and siting.
The Community Noticeboards outside Woolworths are being well utilised to inform on Community matters. BPA arranged a ‘Meet the Candidates’ public meeting for the Federal Election seat of Latrobe. The meeting was well attended by over 60 people.
Our Association received a Grant of $10,000 from the Federal Government Veterans Affairs for digital display of servicemen, military history and life stories relating to service people from Beaconsfield. This project has commenced. We have investigated Touchscreens and visited Cockatoo Ash Wednesday Memorial where 2 touchscreens have been installed. The information on Honour Board Servicemen and pictures are ready to load.
BPA received a Community Wellbeing Support Grant of $2,000 from Cardinia Shire Council to enable a major upgrade of our Website. A large amount of the technical content has been written and we now have a new website. www.beaconsfield.org.au
Our Association has again been well represented in local history matters. In May, we were involved in the Casey Cardinia Local History Day – Delving into Local History at Officer Hall. We had good response from the local community. Beaconsfield is a member of the Casey- Cardinia Local History Group and we regularly attend their meetings.
Our Association is always keen to represent residents and businesses as a voice of the Community with State, Federal and Local Government. Our Association would like more people, groups, clubs & organisations to contribute their aspirations for our Community.
I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2017.
GRAEME TAYLOR
PRESIDENT BPA INC.
Ranges Ward Councillors Report
The results of the recent Council election were declared in November. Brett Owen and Leticia Wilmot were re-elected and we welcome Jeff Springfield to the team as the third ward representative. We are certainly looking forward to working together over the next 4 years to ensure that Ranges Ward continues to be well represented.
Representing the communities of Ranges Ward is an honour and we thank residents for the trust they have shown in us. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Tania Baxter for her work as a Ranges Ward council over the last 4 years. Tania has decided to return to her teaching profession and we wish her well in the future.
We wish you all a very safe and happy Christmas and New Year and we look forward to seeing many of you at different meetings and events over the coming year.
If you would like to contact us, please see our contact details below.
Mayor Cr Brett Owen
Ph: 0418 993 370
Email: b.owen@cardinia.vic.gov.au
facebook.com/Brett Owen – Ranges
Cr Jeff Springfield
Ph: 0427 383 810
Email: j.springfield@cardinia.vic.gov.au
facebook.com/CrJeffSpringfield
Cr Leticia Wilmot
Ph: 0427 135 879
Email: l.wilmot@cardinia.vic.gov.au
facebook.com/LeticiaWilmot.Ranges
Article kindly provided by Mayor Cr Brett Owen
New Beaconsfield Fire Station
Following on from the Black Friday Fires where local community volunteered to fight with nothing more than beaters shovels and tree branches, the Beaconsfield community banded together to establish fire brigade on the 3/4/1944. Each member donated 1 Pound to establish the station. Land was donated by the council and a shed was erected on the site. The brigade outgrew this station and moved the shed to the back of the block and build the larger station at the front of the block. This station has remained in this configuration until now.
When the brigade was 1st established it operated with a single tanker, later on the brigade purchased a Ute which was then upgraded to a community funded crew cab Tanker, this was possibly the 1st crew cab tanker in the state. This tanker has provided local fire cover while the other tanker went out on strike teams and task forces to many fires including:
- 1962 & 1968 Mt Dandenong bush fires
- 1983 Ash Wednesday
- 1994 & 1997 NSW fires
- 1997 Dandenong ranges fires
- 2000 & 2002 NSW fires
- 2003 Northeast Campaign fires
- 2006 Moondarra Fires
- 2009 Black Saturday Fires
Again, with funding from the community the aging Tanker was upgraded to a new Tanker This was then converted to a pumper tanker as the community become more urban with increased structural fire risks.
The imminent arrival of a pumper would have seen the brigade operating a pumper, pumper tanker, tanker and FCV out of a station which was originally designed to hold a tanker and a car.
Brigade and community issues
As the community has grown the street has undergone a substantial transformation, businesses have now been established on both sides and opposite the station. With no onsite parking the ability to operate out of the current site has been significantly compromised. Friction was developing with local business over car parking. Members had to park a considerable distance from the station.
The combination of no off-street parking, members getting dressed beside moving vehicles, approaching from the front of the station rather than the rear presented several concerning OH&S issues. These issues could only be addressed by building a new station at a new location.
The new station
The land owner agreed to sell the current site for the new station to the CFA in December 2014. Building was undertaken by local builder J.R.Prior in February 2016 and was completed in November 2016.
New station addressed the OH&S concerns by providing
- Off street parking
- Turnout facilities separate from the trucks,
- All people movements are now from the rear of the vehicles,
- Vehicles can move into the station without reversing movements
- Vehicles can be selected on need rather than the order in which they are parked
- A shower so members to not have to take home dirt and toxic residue in their hair and clothes
Rainwater tanks are supplied to use in the toilets and for hose washing and 1200 trees, plants and shrubs have been established on the new site
In summary, the brigade had well and truly outgrown its current location.
The brigade responded to 185 incidents in FY 15/16 with the support of 61 members. Included in the brigade membership we have Juniors, brigade operational support members and 35 operational fire-fighters.
This new facility provides a safe and pleasant environment to provide fire prevention and protection to the local community both now and well into the foreseeable future.
Article kindly provided by Marc Graham – Captain of the Beaconsfield CFA
Pictured above left to right; Ground level – Colin Edwards, Bruce Eccles, unknown, Jimmy Parkes, Bob Burgess, unknown , unknown, Barry Chester, unknown, Ray Barby, unknown, unknown, Brian Unwin. On the truck – Jack Whitehead , David Hoare, David Brewster, Dennis Boyd.
If you have any information on the identity of the unknown people above please email the details to the Banner editor.
James Henry Rix
James Henry Rix enlisted for the Great War on 19 July 1915 at 29 years of age; he was 5 feet 6 ¼ inches tall, fresh faced, with blue eyes and brown hair.
He, along with fellow friends, enlisted together with a sense of adventure.
James was born in Malvern, Victoria in 1885, and after 1900 the Rix family had moved to their parcel of land in Officer to establish an Orchard.
After completing school James worked with his father Henry on the orchard which was now well established with various plantings of fruit trees on the acreage.
James enjoyed his working life and his sports, belonging to the Beaconsfield Sports Club, the Officer Sports Club and the Beaconsfield Rifle Club. He married Sarah Haw in 1908 but sadly she passed away the following year.
With the love and support of his parents Henry and Jane, and siblings Albert, Elizabeth, Violet and Mabel, James continued to work with his father on the fruit tree orchard.
Enlisting for the Great War on 19 July 1915 James was considered fit for active service. He was assigned to unit 3rd Divisional Train, Army Service Corps, given the rank Driver and the Service No 10918.
The Beaconsfield community in support of their local recruits celebrated their enlistment and departure with a dance to which the proceeds would aid the Red Cross Funds, on 4 August 1915. This gave the community the opportunity to collectively wish the new recruits, including James, their best wishes and support for their departure to the training camp and then the Great War.
James began training on 22 November 1915 at the Broadmeadows training camp and continued there until 25 March 1916. On completion James embarked aboard the HMAT Persic, the ship arrived in England on 3 June 1916; he continued training in England before departing for France on 24 November 1916.
For two and a half years James was a transport driver on the battlefield in France, although his war record reveals very little of his life during this time the operation of the 3rd Division Train involved the following:
Division and Brigade Trains were logistic support and supply units under the command of the Division.
Without logistics, there is no combat. Ammunition, food, water and equipment supply and maintenance are vital components of the combat power of an army.
During the First World War, the challenge had become enormous indeed. Division Trains were a prime mechanism to ensure the Army could move and fight. The tasks of the trains and motorised columns varied. The basic tasks of train companies were to carry baggage and resupply food, provisions and water for the headquarters and units of the division.
In addition, the Train companies supported Division units with a wide variety of general tasks from providing drivers for headquarters units and field ambulances, to carting road making materials and engineer stores, using sledges to evacuate casualties through the mud, providing transport for postal deliveries, repairing unit equipment, and operating makeshift pack transport units. This, by any man’s standards, would be an arduous task.
Returning to England after the war, James met English born Mabel Hill and on 8 May 1919 they married at St Pauls Church in Liverpool, England. They embarked for Australia on 2 July 1919. James arrived back in Melbourne on 18 July 1919 and was later discharged from the Australian Imperial Forces on 4 September that same year. James and Mabel lived at the orchard, ‘Fairview’, Officer where they had their own family, two girls, Laurel and Elizabeth.
James had experienced the full extremities of life, the tragic death of his first wife while pregnant and the horror of the Great War, and then after the war creating his new life with his wife Mabel, children and lifelong friends while living in the beautiful countryside in Beaconsfield/ Officer.
In later years James suffered from the debilitating ailment, Acute Rheumatoid Arthritis, inflammation of the joints, and he was in terrible pain. On 23 March 1938 James succumbed to his illness and died, only 53 years old. The cortege on entering the Berwick Cemetery for burial drove through a guard of honour formed by returned soldiers; a tribute that the footprint of war inflicted on James Rix was, and is not forgotten.
Researched, compiled and written by Penny Harris Jennings. This article was read at the Beaconsfield Anzac Memorial Service by Cr Tania Baxter on Sunday 24th April 2016.
Researched, compiled and written by Penny Harris Jennings. This article was read at the Beaconsfield Anzac Memorial Service by Cr Tania Baxter on Sunday 24th April.
Correspondence
All correspondence to P.O. Box 217, Beaconsfield Vic 3807 or email banner@beaconsfield.org.au
Meetings are held on the 3rd Tuesday of each month, 7.30pm at the Beaconsfield Community Complex, O’Neil Rd. We encourage and welcome all Beaconsfield residents to come and attend these meetings. Come and air your concerns, raise issues or just come for some information.
The next three meeting dates will be:
- December 20th
- February 21st
- March 21st
Articles Welcome
Have your say on local issues, submit anecdotes about Beaconsfield past/present, letters to the editor or articles of general interest are welcomed.
These can be emailed to the editor at banner@beaconsfield.org.au
All articles must contain the contributor’s name and contact details for verification purposes.
Next Issue of the Banner
The next issue of the Beaconsfield Banner will be March 2017 and will be expanded and provide opportunity to advertise your local business.
Deadline will be 1st February 2017.
If you would like to advertise in the Beaconsfield Banner and also the Beaconsfield Website please email the editor at banner@beaconsfield.org.au
Disclaimer
The claims of advertisers in the Banner are not endorsed by the BPA and opinions expressed are those of the author not the publisher. Whilst every care has been taken in preparing this newsletter there may be something that has been overlooked or printed incorrectly. Please contact us if articles or advertisements do not appear as you intended.
Some articles and photos are covered by copyright. Please have the courtesy of contacting us if you wish to copy any part of the Banner.
