Berwick, Victoria

Originally part of Cardinia Creek Run and named by an early leaseholder, Robert Gardiner, after his birthplace, Berwick-on-Tweed. Subdivision of the area began in 1854 and soon a store, post office, hotel and other businesses were established. Wheat, barley and potatoes were grown, with a flour mill in operating for several years. Dairy farming and cheese making later became the main activities. The Berwick Agricultural Society, started in originally in 1848 as the Mornington Farmers' Society, is one of the oldest farmers' society in Victoria.

The building of a coach road from Melbourne to Gippsland, with a railway along the same route in 1877, spurred continued development. Wilson's quarry opened in 1859 and supplied ballast for the railway line. A spur line connected with Berwick railway station to transport the metal. The quarry was an important industry, working fairly continuously over the years. Many years after it's closure and reclamation from a dump site, the quarry was donated to the City of Berwick and has been developed as Wilson Botanic Park.

A picture of Berwick taken in 1957

Berwick was proclaimed a Town in 1861. This was followed by the founding of the Berwick Roads Board in 1862 and its proclamation as a Shire in 1868 with a policeman now stationed there for the first time. In 1902 the Shire headquarters were moved to Pakenham.

As well as a State School, a Boys' Grammar School operated from 1882 to 1922. St Margaret's Girls' School (originally called Berwick Presbyterian Girls' School) opened in 1920 with Junior boys being admitted during the 1960s. It ceased providing boarding placement in 1978.

An airfield was established in 1938 for private use. It was later used for gliding from 1948 to the early 1960s. In 1968 Casey Airfield was taken over as a commercial operation. Now, mainly due to the encroaching residential area, the land is the site of a TAFE college and a campus of Monash University.

In 1973 the Shire was subdivided, forming the City of Berwick and the Shire of Pakenham. In 1994 most of the City was amalgamated with most of Cranbourne Shire to form the City of Casey.

Berwick's census populations have been 60 (1861), 636 1891), 887 (1954)and 67,713 (2001).

The poplar trees lining the High Street and on into Beaconsfield were planted as an Avenue of Honour to commemorate the fallen in the First World War. Originally name plaques were supposed to have been mounted at the foot of each tree but this was never carried out, despite the plaques being produced.

Berwick was also the home of Edwin "Teddy" Flack, Australia's first Olympian and Olympic gold medal winner (800m and 1500m at the inaugural Athens Olympic Games). He was laid to rest in Berwick Cemetery, and is commemorated by a statue in the main street. [1]

Possibly Berwick's most famous resident was Richard Casey, later Baron Casey of Berwick and Governor-General of Australia. His home of Edrington has now been converted to an aged care facility.

[edit] The Berwick Inn

The Berwick Inn, on the corner of High St and Lyall Rd, was licensed at Berwick in 1857 as the Border Hotel. The original one-storey section is now the bar. The two-storey section was added in 1877 as the railway approached. The western section was built later in the century. The first licensee was Robert Bain who owned the town's first store/post office and donated the land on which the shire hall was later built.

The Border Hotel was an important local centre in the early days. Aside from being the first pub on the townsite it was also a stopping place for coaches en route to Gippsland ,as it involved climbing the hill in Berwick the horses were watered and rested then they stopped at Beaconsfield over the hill to rest after the climb and descent. Bain was the first secretary of the Berwick Roads Board and its initial meetings were held at the hotel from 1862 to 1865. The first local police court was held at the hotel in 1865 and it also served as a licensing court.

[edit] Library

Also in High St is the Berwick Mechanics' Institute and Free Library, built in 1862 at the corner of Peel and Edward Streets. In return for a nominal rent Robert Bain agreed, in 1878, to lease a block of his land to the library for 500 years, so long as a library remained on the property for that period. In 1880 it was moved to its present site and extended the following year.

[edit] Calisthenics

Berwick is also the home of Berwick Calisthenics Club, located at Akoonah Park. The club is one of the longest running sporting associations in Australia, operating for almost 40 years.

[edit] References

Books

Beaumont, N.E. "Early days of Berwick and its surrounding districts of Beaconsfield, Upper Beaconsfield, Harkaway, Narre Warren and Narre Warren North". 3rd ed. 1979.
Berwick-Pakenham Historical Society. "In the wake of the pack tracks: a history of the Shire of Berwick, now the City of Berwick and the Shire of Pakenham". 1982.
Wells, J.C. "Berwick: some aspects". 1980.

[edit] External link

Coordinates: -38.041° 145.349°

Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Street Directory, MSN Maps and Multimap.
- Satellite image from Google Maps, WikiMapia and Terraserver.
Australian Places - Berwick

Suburbs and Rural Townships of the City of Casey
Berwick \| Blind Bight \| Cannons Creek \| Clyde \| Clyde North \| Cranbourne \| Cranbourne East \| Cranbourne North \| Cranbourne South \| Cranbourne West \| Devon Meadows \| Doveton \| Endeavour Hills \| Eumemmerring \| Hallam \| Hampton Park \| Harkaway \| Junction Village \| Lynbrook \| Lysterfield South \| Narre Warren \| Narre Warren North \| Narre Warren South \| Pearcedale \| Tooradin \| Warneet