What sort of lives do old scout dens lead ? What do these community buildings become when there’s no longer a scout or guide group?
Last week on our morning walk, my husband, Paul, and I dropped in on the Qld Wood Turners situated on the Norman Creek park near Juliette Street. It’s at the bottom of Dunnellan Street where it turns into Pine.
The building was absolutely bursting with people working lathes, saws, and planers, creating all manner of objects from all sorts of timber.
Downstairs were the toy makers, experts in tiny.
If you have an interest in wood turning, this is the place to be – check it out here.
Our guide on the day was Brian Dodson, member since 2002. Brian proudly explained the building was a former scout den. He wasn’t sure of the company.
The wood turners had added a large meeting room, almost doubling it in size, but at its core was a den.
I looked back across the creek to the former Stephen’s guide hut in Baron Street — now home to the Norman Creek Catchment committee.
I emailed a girl friend who used to be a Stephen’s Girl Guide. Yes, she did remember a scout den ‘across the ditch’, the ditch being Norman Creek. She couldn’t remember if the scout group was Stephens though.
There had been a Stephens Scout den in Annerley – in Waldheim Street. Could this Pine Street den have been a second one?
I am following that trail …. There are many questions what was the group? When, and how long did it run for? Did the den have other uses? What records do Council keep? What do the scout archives say? How is the den remembered?
Qld Wood Turners: side of original scout den. Window shades are recent.Qld Wood Turners: former scout den end.Inside QLD Wood Turners – hive of activity.Former Stephens Guide hut, Baron Street. Now Norman Creek Catchment Committee.Looking across from former scout den to former Stephen’s guide hut.Looking ‘across the ditch’, Normal creek to the former scout denRear of former Stephens Guide Hut.Rear of former scout den. Far end is a recent extension. Front door of former scout den.
Visitors to the ASHG history room (Yeronga Community Centre, 62 Park Rd., Yeronga) can see a ‘petrol iron’ on display in the cabinet.
The petrol iron or gas pressure irons were manufactured as early as 1900. The types of fuel used included petrol, alcohol, methylated spirits and kerosene. The pump was used to build up pressure in the fuel tank. The petrol/kerosene iron is on loan from local resident Ros Watson who responded to a call out from ASHG.
ASHG has been engaging with residents and former residents of Villa Street, Yeronga to tell the history of the street. The petrol iron was mentioned in books written by two former residents of Villa Street.
Jessica Anderson nee Queale lived at 56 Villa Street in the 1920s and early 1930s with her parents Charles and Alice Queale. Jessica went on to become a well known Australian writer. Her collection of short stories Stories from the Warm Zone and her Miles Franklin Award winning novel Tirra Lirra by the River and Starting Too Late, Meanjiin, 2003 draw on her memories of life in Villa Street.
Ivy May Lidia Marsh (nee McDonald)lived with her family at 33 Villa Street for part of her childhood in the early part of the 20th century. She wrote a record of ‘some of her’ life for her family who have kindly agreed to her record being quoted from.
Both mention the ‘petrol iron’ in their writings. Ivy May Lydia Marsh (nee McDonald) explains why the petrol iron was seen as a great improvement by her mother and Jessica Anderson’s (nee Queale) recalls the petrol iron being seen as a risk by some.
“Saturday morning, I would help mother do the ironing with a petrol iron. This was a great improvement on the old Mother Pots irons. To get the old Mother Pots irons really hot we had to have the door shut and the stove very hot. Petrol irons were irons with a tank on the back which was filled with petrol. We would light a flame between the tank and the sole plate. The iron would get hot but we would not be sweltering in a hot room with the fire going Autobiography of Ivy May Lydia Marsh(nee McDonald)
“One of our (neighbours) coming to the house one day and seeing me ironing my school uniform with a petrol iron, gave a little shriek. ‘Alice, aren’t you afraid to let her use that thing? She could blow herself up.’ Why should she do that’ humorously enquired my mother. ‘She is not stupid. She has been taught how to use it….’Jessica Anderson, Starting too Late, Meanjin, 2003
Photos below: 56 Villa Street, Yeronga and 33 Villa Street, Yeronga
ASHG has been engaging with former and current residents of Villa Street, Yeronga to gather stories, photos and documents that tell the history of Villa Street.
It is a work in progress. On Tuesday 7 May at 7.00 pm the Villa Street team will share some of the early findings about this beautiful street.
The talk will follow the business meeting at 6.00 pm.
Want to find about about the Clifton Hill street with no front doors; learn more about the history of Villa Street or; hear about the rise and fall of service stations in Annerley… then come along to our Talking History nights..
Want to see our display of historical maps and documents about the local area – drop in Wednesday morning. And.. watch out for more information about Saturday drop in days from April.
Do you have photos or stories to share about Villa Street? Email us on [email protected]
Are you interested in knowing more about us? come along to our business meetings and stay for Talking History – 1st Monday of the month except for public holidays (April and May meetings and Talking History on Tuesday 2 April and Tuesday 7 May).
Intrigued – come along to our monthly Talking History on Tuesday April 2nd7.00 pm and hear Kate Dyson present the story of Dickebusch Street, the Clifton Hill Street with no front doors.
The talk follows ASHG’s monthly meeting at 6.00 pm. All are welcome.
Note ASHG monthly meetings fall on the first Monday of each month except for public holidays. The 1st April is the Easter Monday public holiday so the April meeting and talk is on Tuesday April 2nd.
There was another good roll up for Monday night’s Talking History with Michael Macklin on the topic of the name Yeronga and the question of whether the name comes from the Indigenous language of the area – it seems it did.
You can learn more about the naming of Yeronga and other local suburbs in The Stories of Stephens, an ASHG publication, Chapter 12 (Untangling ‘Stories of Stephens’ Place Names by Dr Neville Buch, Dr Ray Kerhove and Dr Michael Macklin) of
The publication, Stories of Stephens, is available for sale ($25) from the ASHG local history room open Wednesday mornings 9.00-12.00 noon, by contacting annerleystephenshistorygroupin@gmail or buy it from Annerley Meats, 502 Ipswich Rd., Annerley.
