A History of Lysterfield
This article has been elaborated from notes written by Fred Williams in 1949 for Cr Violet Lambert who collected such material for Helen Coulson's book "Story of the Dandenongs".
Lysterfield was called after a Mr Lyster who took up an original Grant of Land. The house now occupied by Mr and Mrs Geo Hyden was his homestead. Messrs Selman and Nixon (Mrs Brandt's father) acquired land in Lysterfield 100 years ago. The first state school where the children of those early families were educated over the years was closed.
About 1920 Mr J. Hobbs was successful in getting the school reopened prior to the building of the present school, afterwards enlarged as at present. Classes were held in the Anglican Church since removed to Upper Gully, Mr R. Scanlon being the teacher appointed. He was in charge approximately ten years.
About 1917 Lysterfield Road was formed through Buckley's, Selman's Lyons' and Taylor's properties, the first named being paid for the property, the others making it a gift to the Council. Till then the only direct road from the Gully was off Glenfern Road down "Buckley's Hill" connecting with Napoleon Road which entered Lysterfield Road (now called Kelletts Road). About 1920 Blackwood Park Road was opened up, connecting with Napoleon Road.
Mail only three times a week till late in the 20s. Till 1916, Mrs Sandford was the Post Mistress then Mrs J. Hobbs till about 1929. The Post Office remained there in the charge of Mr Gordon Hobbs and son.
Most of the roads were "dirt roads" with patches of metal or gravel till well into the 1920s. The daily rural delivery Post Office was removed to its present site (See Mr Freeman at the Post Office for dates).
Up to 1920 the remains of the charcoal burning plant on or near the present site of Mr Collins' cow shed could be seen.
Lysterfield Quarry started about 1924. Long timbers for the shaft and bins were cut in the "Lysterfield Hills" by Messrs W. Dodd and A. Poulter.
"Lysterfield Reservoir" was so named by the request of the Progress Association. Begun about 1922.
The Progress Association was formed in 1920 with meetings, for some time, held in the state school.
The Lysterfield Hall was opened by Sir George Knox in June 1931. The dressing rooms built a year or two later were also opened by him (some lining done later). The construction was done by working bees without payment to workers.
About 1928 the late Mr Gus Powell had trees planted opposite the store and the original site of the Post Office, one for each person from Lysterfield who served in World War One. A wooden guard with copper panel attached bearing name, unit etc. surrounded each tree.
At the Annual Ball of the Progress Association, the Gus Powell Memorial Cups presented by his daughters are a regular feature.
A large quantity of potatoes sold in Melbourne Market then at Brighton. The market gardens were grown by Mr Lyons.
Fred Williams
This story was first published in the August 1996 edition of the Rowville-Lysterfield Community News.
Comments
From Beth McLean (06 Jul 2004)
Can anyone please help?
The Anglican ( then church of England ) church mentioned in the HIstory of Lysterfield document.
Does anyone know the exact location the church was situated.
Also was it on Lyster land or Charsley land?
We are coming up for our 100th anniversary and are very keen to find our where the original site was.
If anyone can help that would be fantasic, please email me or ring on 9729 2701.
many thanks
beth McLean
St. Thomas' Anglican Church
Mountview Road, Upper Ferntree Gully.
From Bryan Power (11 Jul 2004)
The church was located in Wellington Road near the corner with Powell Road.
From Phil Charsley (06 Nov 2004)
Hello, and congratulations on an interesting site. I note that the Charsley family were early settlers in your area. Can anyone provide me with any further information about them? I am carrying out a One Name Study of the Charsley family, and the data is slowly building up on www.charsley.org It would help me to know the names of the original settlers, and roughly when they arrived. Also, are there any Charsleys still living in your area?
Any information, however little, could be of help. Thanks in anticipation.
Phil Charsley
From Bryan Power (22 Nov 2004)
According to Helen Coulson in her book, Story of the Dandenongs, Edward Charsley purchased The Leasowes in Lysterfield Road in 1867. Edward was a member of the legal firm of Klingender, Dickson and Charsley. His son E. Neville Charsley was a councillor for the Scoresby Riding of the Berwick Council between 1880 and 1882.
At The Leasowes the family bred racehorses notablt Glenmarkie, the sire of Glenloth, that won the Melbourne Cup in 1892.
I am not aware of any Charsley descendants still living in the area.
From Patricia Asling (07 Feb 2005)
I notice that there were Aslings settled in Lysterville. Doyou know the name of the ehad of that family? Is Lysterville now part of Victoria City? Any information would be appreciated
From Pat Asling (07 Feb 2005)
When I said Victoria City I obviously meant Melbourne. I am also looking for information about the origins of Asling St., which must be quite long as it seems to be found in several municipalities- Kingston, Preston and others.Any relevant info would be appreciated.
From Bryan Power (09 Feb 2005)
The only reference to the name Asling that I have come across is on P 389 of "Story of the Dandenongs" by Helen Coulson. It is a footnote to the last paragraph on P 182 of that book noting that H.Asling was one whose property (in Lysterfield)had been resumed in 1945 by the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission as part of the Lysterfield Reservoir catchment area.
I know of most of the people listed in the footnote but have no knowledge of an H.Asling.
It could have been that he was an owner of a bush block in that area (some were as small as 5 acres) but did not live in Lysterfield.
From vicki collins (13 Apr 2005)
I wonder if the reference to "near the present site of Mr Collins' cow shed" refers to my grandfather's milking shed. His name was Roland John Collins and he owned and ran a dairy farm on the corner of Stud Road and Ferntree Gully Road at the time the note was written. My father worked for him for many years until he bought a market garden with his brother in Jells Road in the late 1950's.
From Bryan Power (15 Apr 2005)
I think that Fred was referring to the old charcoal burning site which I believe was near the corner of Wellington Road and the present Cornish Road in Lysterfield.