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From: "Susie Zada" <>
Subject: Re: WAS Castlemaine and Victorian Stage Coach Co. - fares
Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2005 22:40:38 +1100
References: <BAY1-F4882670DC8A8E68AF0C56AB550@phx.gbl>


Hi Tom,

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Listerman" <>

Bits snipped ........
> The coach/hotel/pleasure/strawberry gardens combinations were an
interesting
> aspect of the times. Maldon was a high, almost waterless goldfield (apart
> from the spring at the top of the hopefully named Fountain Street and "The
> Springs" which supported the brewery at the bottom of Mt. Tarrengower.
It's
> amazing how quickly the pleasure gardens were able to spring up, even with
> the large amounts of horse manure around. Strawberry gardens were one
thing,
> but pleasure gardens which advertised shady walks between fruit trees only
a
> few years after the area opened up were probably stretching a point,
unless
> they meant grapevines on frames. However, I guess to the population
living
> on the dusty, shaley slopes of the goldfields, everything was relative,
> especially in the height of summer.

Pleasure / Tea Gardens were incredibly popular and sprung up in all sorts of
"waterless" places. The Tea Gardens at Point Henry began in the 1840s - in
an area totally devoid of fresh water (except for the mud tracks in
winter!). They brought water to Point Henry on wagons and developed acres
of gardens with English and exotic trees, sheltered seats, pathways
crisscrossing the gardens and decorative "follies" at the junctures of the
paths. A camera obscura was a major attraction and also popular were foot
races, donkey races, bands, dancing etc. The Tea Gardens were only open for
up 2 three months a year - in the height of Summer, from January to March.
In the 1870s the Point Henry Tea Gardens had almost 80,000 visitors (as
reported in the papers at the time) from the Geelong region and Melbourne!

And the strawberry gardens were to entertain the women and children - if the
menfolk wanted to spend longer having a few drinks, their wives and children
were provided for with strawberry gardens including sheltered seats etc..
One such place was Wallington - half way between Geelong & Queenscliff and
conveniently at the top of the hill after the long climb up Kensington
(Leopold) Hill - the horses and the men definitely needed a drink, and if
the women and children also had a place to rest and refresh (the strawberry
gardens) it was a good excuse to have a few more drinks! The hotel used to
advertise its strawberry gardens in the Geelong newspapers.

Not exactly the goldfields, but definitely examples of waterless uninviting
places thriving, particularly during summer!

Regards ...... Susie Z

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