NATIMUK AREA, EARLY HISTORY
Until the 1940s an Aboriginal clan group know as the Djurite Balug, part Jardwadjali language group, lived in the area around Mount Arapiles (Djurite). It is surmised that Aboriginal occupation of the area goes back tens of thousands of years but the oldest carbon dating is 5,170 years from an excavation at nearby Mt. Talbot. The name Natimuk reportedly comes from the Jardwadjali word for little creek.
The first European visit was in July 1836 by Major Sir Thomas Mitchell. He climbed Mt Arapiles on the 23rd naming it after a hill in Spain near the Battle of Salamanca (1812) during the Penninsula Wars. From Arapiles he noted the bark and grass huts coated with clay of the Djurite Balug people.
Mitchell's wagon wheels cut deep ruts in the wet winter soils and these led squatters into the area he called Australia Felix. Explorer Edward John Eyre passed this way as well in 1838. From 1846 Aboriginal people were forced out of the area by a combination of the loss of traditional resources, disease, malnutrition and genocide.
The Wilson Brothers took up Vectis Station briefly in 1844, William Firebrace took over in 1845 and ran it until 1860 when the Wilsons returned. Firebrace named Vectis after his home on the Isle of Wight. Around 1870 the first selectors, including many German refugees, moved onto this station after the Wilson's freeholded lots of land. In 1860 Burke and Wills acclimatised 26 imported camels on the station before their ill fated expedition. Other colourful visitors to the area in the early years were, in the 1850s, the bushrangers Captain Melville, Dan Morgan and Frank Gardiner. The painter of royalty Nicholas Chevalier visited in 1863 and his grand painting of Arapiles still hangs in the National Gallery.
A TOWN'S BEGINNINGS...
The first settlers at Natimuk Lake were Henry Speher and his wife Anna Gross, Ernst Haustorfer and Gottlieb Klowss, E.Boehm and Williams. Along the creek were Morrisons, McCuish, Werner, Heinrich Sudholz, Dixon, W.Gladigau, H.Schmidt and Lange. Many of these families are still in the town or district.
In 1874 Eastone Johnstone surveyed a township 3.5 kilometres west of Natimuk to be called Durrabool. This plan was dropped in favour of a town at the present site on the creek where the teamsters camped. There was here already a store that Alex and David Mitchell had built. The town was surveyed in August 1875. It is thought that the pug house of Henry Schmidt was the first in town (see note 38).
HERITAGE TRAIL
Start: Post Office, Main Street (See Map)
1 Post Office, 3409: The post office in Natimuk was variously in a store, a grain store, and on Schmidt's farm on Lake Road and its official name changed from Natimuck Creek (with a c), to Possum Hill or Creek, Orville and finally back to Natimuk. The present building was opened on July 17, 1890. This was the site of one of the town's many previous police stations.
2 Colonial Bank: Now a private residence this two storey building was originally the Colonial Bank built in 1888. It became the E.S.& A.Bank in 1918 but this bank closed in 1930 during the depression. This was also the early home of Dr. Clyde Fenton O.B.E who despite being reputably a 'bit of a tearaway' in his youth went on to become reportedly the 'most celebrated of all flying doctor pilots' . In 1928, with a De Haviland Gypsy Moth, he started the Northern Territory Aerial Medical Service.
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3 77 Main St. Famous now for its milkshakes, 'The Willows' was once a Doctor's residence. The vine covered brick shed to the right was at one time the bakehouse of an adjacent bakery run by Scholes Emmet, Wik and finally Wilkins.
4 71 Main St. This home surrounded by flood prevention levees at one stage was the home of Emmie and Hilda Schurmann. Hilda was a graduate from the Conservatorium of Music (Melb) and travelled the district as a music teacher. It was also the home of Carl Schurmann, grandfather of short story writer Ted Schurmann.
5 In May 1893, James Carrol, a 48 year old proprietor of a coaching business, drowned here in the main street when he fell into swirling flood waters.
6 Hidden here is what is possibly the oldest commercial site in Natimuk which houses a dilapidated pioneer oven.
7 65 Main St. The National Hotel: The first National Hotel on this site was built in 1887, but like many of the earlier buildings in the town was burnt down, in this case in a 1891 fire. It was rebuilt in brick , re-opened in 1892 and has outlasted all other competition. Trevor and Robyn Smallacombe, have been the proprietors since 1979.
8 The Natimuk Masonic Lodge was founded on December 21, 1897, however the present building was not to take its current form until 1953 when a new supper room was built on the front of the temple.
9 Shire building (1962). In 1994 The Shire of Arapiles was amalgamated with Horsham.
10 Court House: This lovely brick building, on what was originally the chosen site for the Post Office, opened as a court house in July 1891. Two Justices of the Peace, A. Duncan and R. McClure, saw 100 cases, mostly for non-payment of water rates, failure to send children to school and for the non-destruction of rabbits. At one point after WW1 the Court House doubled as a hospital during a fierce influenza outbreak in the town. It was gazetted as a Historical Museum on February 8th, 1964 and is currently open on the second Sunday of every month or by appointment (ask at the pub for a contact number). Beside the Court House is a memorial to John Dixon Derry 'a leading engineer' who was responsible for the Natimuk and Arapiles Channels in the late 1880s.
11 The Uniting Church: The Presbyterian Church is thought to have been the second church built in Natimuk, about the year 1877 and for the first ten years was ministered by Rev. Thomas Grey. The present building however was moved to the site around the time of the amalgamation when it became the Uniting Church.
12 St. John's Catholic Church: There were at one time seven churches in Natimuk. On July 8th 1876 the first Mass in the area was said by the Rev. Father O'Sullivan at a property on Noradjuha Road. As the congregation grew the venue varied, from the Mechanic's Institute, occasionally the dining room of the then Carrick's National Hotel and at various residences. A church was built on this site and opened in September 1889 however a fierce storm in 1897 weakened the building and eventually it was pulled down and another built.
13 St Aidan's Anglican Church: This church's congregation started in 1886. Rev. W.K Forbes' first service was on April 11th, the same date that in 1890 saw the church building dedicated.
A The Showground: The previous showground site was considered inadequate so the venue was moved here. The first show on this ground was in September 1920. It rained all day. The stone gates were built in memory of a former president of the A & P Society, E.M.Smith who died in a tractor accident in 1960.
B School: This was originally the venue for Natimuk's showgrounds. Natimuk's longest established body is the Natimuk Agricultural and Pastoral Society (A&P) which was started on May 14, 1877 at a meeting of the Natimuk Progress Society. The first show was held on September 19, 1888.
C This stately old home was built by Sissons, Natimuk's premier builders, and is over a hundred years old. The Lutheran Pastor Nock lived here for 40 years until the early 1940s.
D Between the properties at 21 and 19 Main Street is an old Woolmer power pole, and another on the opposite side of the street (see Site 36).
14 No 16. Natimuk's original hospital, around the 1880s, was opened by a Mrs Duncan on the site of the present day RSL Hall in Main Street. This house however, now a private residence, was Dr Bird's Hospital for about 20 years. Doctor Bird came to Natimuk in 1895 and died around 1919. Later a Nurse Fergusson ran the hospital..
15 OUR HOME: This hedge was originally carved by Don Emmerson, grader driver (1948), Shire overseer (1950) and Superintendent for Arapiles Shire from 1970 to when he retired in 1974. Emmerson divined the water for the Centenary Camping Ground at Mount Arapiles in 1969. The Hedge has since been removed (circa 2005)
E 'Wahroonga': This home was built by Alfred Lockwood in 1921. He was the proprietor/editor of 'The West Wimmera Mail' from his arrival in 1899 to 1951. He had one daughter, Freda. Of five sons his eldest Lionel reached the naval rank of Surgeon Rear Admiral and became Director-General of Australian Medical Services. Rupert became an internationally renowned journalist after experiences in the Spanish Civil War. Douglas, during 27 years in Darwin, wrote thirteen books on the Northern Territory. Frank and Allan, who both still live in Natimuk, retired in the 1960s after having been the manager and editor respectively of the 'Wimmera Mail-Times'. Allan Lockwood has written several books on the history of Natimuk.
F 'Parklands': This grand home was built in 1920 by Heinrich Sudholz, the son of one of Natimuk's original settlers (of the same name). A previous wooden building at this site was shifted to the present site of the Natimuk Bush Nursing Hospital and became the Parklands Private Hospital.
16 There are some lovely old wooden houses along this street.
17 The present site of the saleyards was once that of one of Natimuk's largest industries, the flour mill belonging to Bretag and Kuse. It was built around 1875 however in 1906 it was moved to a site near the old Railway Station. In January 1920, the then Noske's mill, burnt to the ground. This was a blow to the town's industry. There were reports of "the smell of burnt wheat permeating the town for weeks".
18 When the mill was operating the mill dam was built here on the creek. The Wartook to Natimuk/Arapiles channel was the first government irrigation channel system in Australia. The first water reached Natimuk on January 15th, 1888.
19 Historical marker. This plaque commemorates the passing by of Major Thomas Mitchell on 22 July 1836.
20 The Memorial Band Rotunda: Originally built in 1921 the rotunda was a way to wind up a comfort fund started for WW1 soldiers.
21 This elegant old house, now a private residence, was once the Natimuk hotel built by Heinrich Sudholz circa 1876. It was burnt by fire in 1881 and was rebuilt in stone in 1884.
22 84 Main St. This shed is all that remains of the Beard and Sisson engineering works (1879) that in the late 1800s was the largest agricultural machine works in Victoria, employing 105 people in 1894.
23 Lutheran Church: The largest religious denomination in Natimuk is that of the Lutheran congregation. Services started as early as 1872, with the towns first pastor Pastor C. Schoknecht starting on Easter Sunday, 1874. At one stage the town boasted two Lutheran churches until St. James amalgamated with St.Paul's in 1966. The present St.Paul's held it first service on January 1st, 1967.
24 The Natimuk State School: (No 1548) This brick building was the senior classroom of Natimuk's school, added in 1890. The school itself started on April 19, 1875 and had 170 pupils in its first year. In 1962 the new school at the other end of town opened.
G 70 Station Street: This house, another built by Sissons, is over a hundred years old and was the site of the police station before the present one.
25 117 Main St. This very old house, the home of Natimuk's first climbing instruction business and equipment shop, was a boarding house for many years.
26 Limestone houses: 115 Main St was built by stone builder Emil Krieg but the date is unknown. No 113 is thought to be even older and has a colonial oven at the rear. Both are private residences.
27 The fire brigade started in 1890 and this building was put up in 1959. It was previously the site of Kubale's foundry.
28 109 Main St. This house was built by the Rosel family. Lou Rosel was an early proprietor of the National Hotel. His mother sold shoes from the front room of this house.
29 103 Main St. This limestone residence was an old police station and a shed in the back yard is the old lock-up.
30 The Soldiers Memorial Hall: Originally called the Mechanics Institute this building has served many functions, including as a site for school, Mass and court proceedings. Although the Institute started in the late 1870 the present building was not erected until 1909. On August the 15th 1891 the Natimuk Mechanics Hall was packed for a demonstration of the Edison phonograph.
31 96 Main St. Craft Shop: This Mount stone building was the site of a general purpose store, Kiefel's Wine Saloon ('Fancy Goods and Stationer's Shop').
32 Bakery: This was built in 1897 by G.T Haase and housed his bakery. He was followed by bakers Ern and then Reg Jory.
33 National bank: This private residence and cafe was once the National Bank, which was opened in 1908 by William Zeal MLC, the then director of the bank. The first National bank office in Natimuk however was in a section of the Masonic Hall.
34 91 Main Street, The Natimuk Brass Band Hall: The Natimuk Brass Band was formed in 1885 but underwent a recess from 1930 to 1947 due to all their instruments being destroyed in a store fire. When they reformed they had a credit balance of 2s6d. Ironically this building was the fire station until 1959.
35 Mr H.C. Woolmer moved his coach-building works here from the Main St in 1908. The brick garage was built in 1920 and in 1927 he built the adjacent power-house (which generated 230 volts), with electric street lights coming to Natimuk in March of the same year. The Natimuk Electric Supply joined with the SEC in late 1956.
36 The silo: The distinctive concrete silo is the first sight many people get of Wimmera towns. This one first received wheat in December 1940 and has a capacity of 110,000 bushels. The vacant area beside the silo was once the site of a busy railway yard, bag stacks, goods shed, station master's home and three other houses as well as the railway station. The railway line first made it here from Horsham in 1890.
37 5 Schmidt St. 'Flowerdale' : This house, partly made of pisé, is the oldest standing house in Natimuk, built for the Schmidt family in the late 1870s or early 1880s.
We hope you enjoyed your walk around our town.
STOP PRESS MAY 2000
The Horsham Rural City Council has added some plaques to the front of selected buildings around town. These feature what appear to be extremely poor photocopies of newspaper photo's of the buildings in their heyday
Oct 2001
They’ve done it again - more photo’s of the town in it’s heyday sprinkle the footpaths of town. We’ll soon be living in a museum. Thank god the Horsham Rural City has indicated this isn’t going to happen, by locating an industrial building at the entrance to the museum/town. Cynics suggest this is to stop Natimuk ever winning the TIDY TOWNS comp - It’ll work
