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The Doncaster Coolstores - History - 1902 to 1972

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Opening of First Govt Cool Store in Doncaster, March 16, 1905 (NLA)

Introduction
This article looks at the planning, history, construction, operations and closure of the principal Cool Stores which existed in the Doncaster, Box Hill and Templestowe areas in the years 1902 to 1972. It is essentially a compilation of images and supporting text.

 

Author
Bob Padula OAM, MIEAust, CPEng, ARMIT (communications) published August 2020  

 CONTENTS

1. EARLY HISTORY
2. COOL STORE ERA
3. GOVERNMENT COOL STORE

3.1 CONSTRUCTION

3.2  EQUIPMENT

3.3 DISASTERS

3.4 REBUILT

3.5 CLOSURE
4  DONCASTER COOL STORE

5. WEST DONCASTER COOL STORE COMPANY
6. BOX HILL ICE AND COLD STORAGE PTY. LTD
7. TEMPLESTOWE  ORCHARDISTS COOL STORE
8. LAWFORD'S COOL STORE AND ORCHARD 9. PETTY's ORCHARD


 

Land sale poster of Jan 14 1888 for the Doncaster Heights Estate; the West Doncaster Cool Store was later built on the NE cnr of Main Doncaster Rd and Beaconsfield St, (SLV)                                                                                 

Land sale, Doncaster Heights Estate, Jan 14, 1888. Doncaster Tower in distance (SLV).

Early History
In 1841 Frederic Unwin, a Sydney solicitor, bought 5,120 acres (20.7 km2) of land, including most of the present suburb of Doncaster, from the Crown for one pound an acre under the terms of the short-lived Special Survey regulations. The area was sometimes known as Unwin's Special Survey. 

 

The Doncaster region was settled in the 1860s and 1870s, predominantly by German settler orchardists. The German community was named Waldau,  but the name Doncaster gradually became commonly accepted. A Lutheran church was the first one in Doncaster in 1858. A Lutheran school opened in 1860 and a denominational school in 1861. Doncaster Post Office opened on 17 May 186

 

Cool Store Era
In 1841 Frederic Unwin, a Sydney solicitor, bought 5,120 acres (20.7 km2) of land, including most of the present suburb of Doncaster, from the Crown for one pound an acre under the terms of the short-lived Special Survey regulations. The area was sometimes known as Unwin's Special Survey. 

 

The Doncaster region was settled in the 1860s and 1870s, predominantly by German settler orchardists. The German community was named Waldau,  but the name Doncaster gradually became commonly accepted. A Lutheran church was the first one in Doncaster in 1858. A Lutheran school opened in 1860 and a denominational school in 1861. Doncaster Post Office opened on 17 May 1860. 

 

Government Cool Store
The first large cool store was the Government Cool Store, in Main (Doncaster) Rd, Built in 1905, it was not run efficiently and was later taken over in 1913 by a private co-operative of Doncaster orchardists. It was located in an orchard.opposite the extant Athenaeum Hall. 

 

 Construction
This was carried out in four stages.

The engine room and six chambers at the front of the East store were erected. During succeeding years, six more chambers completed this building then stage 3 consisted of six chambers at the front of the west building. Finally, ten chambers were added at the rear.

A local builder, Mr May, was selected by the cooperative. May lived in Doncaster Road in the solid Queen Anne house he had built next to the Church of Christ. It was on May's recommendation that the architectural firm of Purchas and Teague designed the building. They introduced some character into the design of the massive structure. This was the age when complicated Gables were a feature of house design. By putting a third gable at the front to join the two ridges on the west building, he avoided what could have become an uninteresting large shed.

Equipment
The refrigeration equipment was supplied by The Firm of RH Werner and Co Pty Ltd. It is interesting now, when natural gas is making gas engines popular for industry, to note that the cool store was equipped with a gas engine. A Ruston-Hornsby suction gas engine drove the compressor. Gas was produced from charcoal and during the height of the season, four Stokers were employed working two a shift. Cool air was circulated through the stores, with timber flaps controlling the flow of air into the chambers.

When completed the store was a show piece. In fact, for many years, it was the largest cool store in the southern hemisphere. Visitors from interstate and overseas came out to inspect the building. Mr. May's reputation was made, and won him contracts to build stores in New South Wales and New Zealand. The first engineer, Rod Sutherland, who had supervised the installation of the equipment, also gained a reputation as an engineer.

 

William Webb was secretary of the Orchardists' Cool Stores till he resigned in 1924. His son-in-law, GA Grover was appointed secretary, a position he held till the co-operative was dissolved. Mr. Grower's first task was to convert the Co-operative from a proprietary to a public company. Membership of the Co-operative had grown to 104 shareholders, which was higher than the law allowed for a proprietary company.

It was renamed "Doncaster Central Cool Stores". but was also locally known as the Orchardists'  Cool Stores.

Disasters
Orchardists were accustomed to disasters. Pests, drought, and hail were a constant threat, but in 1931 they were not prepared for a new disaster. In February of that year a serious fire badly damaged much of the stores,  which were subsequently rebuilt at the same location. Then on Good Friday, March 1937 a hot north windy day, fire destroyed the east building which housed the refrigerating plants.

Rebuilt store opened
In 1938 the store was reopened after the 1937 fire. In the new building the chambers were 54 feet by 28 feet, each capable of holding 6,800 cases, giving the store a capacity of 140,000 cases. Two horizontal oil engines with a total horsepower of 246 operated the plant. The direct expansion system was used making the new store the more popular of the two.

Closure
In 1972, after 59 years of service, the Orchardists’ Cool Store closed, symbolising the end of Doncaster as an Orchard District. The buildings were demolished and the site redeveloped for residential and commercial usage.

E. Doncaster Cool Store
This was built in 1913 on three and a half acres of land in Main Doncaster Rd, on the SW corner of Blackburn Rd.The site is now part of the Devon Shopping complex, 958-960 Doncaster Rd,which includes Nando's Portuguese Restaurant! An information board, showing early photos and details of the store, is located just off Doncaster Rd, adjacent to the car park 

It closed down around 1968 and the site was subdivided and redeveloped for residential and commercial ventures.                       

 

The West Doncaster Cool Store Company
This was built in 1911 and was the first cooperative fruit cool store in Australia, holding  16,000 cases. The capacity was increased to 36,000 cases in 1916.

W. Doncaster store - engine room 1920s (NAA)

W. Doncaster store in demolition phase 1965 (NAA)

iI closed down on November 30 1965 after negotiations for the sale of the building and land had been concluded and the facility demolished. .The store was located on the NE corner of Main Doncaster Rd (present-day 593 Doncaster Rd) and Beaconsfield St. The site is now occupied by a car sales' company. 

The Box Hill Ice and Cold Storage Pty Ltd
This was sited at  40 Doncaster Rd, Box Hill, now 40 Dorking Rd. It was built in 1912. In 1947, most of the store was destroyed by fire and was progressively restored. It  closed in 1966 and demolished..

The site was then used for residential accommodation, and is now an Aged Care facility. 

Note:There were two Doncaster Rds in the early days! They were Doncaster Rd (Box Hill), which ran from Whitehorse Rd to a dead end, later renamed Dorking Rd and extended in 1965. The original Doncaster Rd was known as  the "Main Doncaster Rd" (Doncaster).

Templestowe Orchardists Cool Stores

This was built in 1913 on three and a half acres of land in Main Doncaster Rd, on the SW corner of Blackburn Rd.The site is now part of the Devon Shopping complex, 958-960 Doncaster Rd,which includes Nando's Portuguese Restaurant! An information board, showing early photos and details of the store, is located just off Doncaster Rd, adjacent to the car park

Lawford's Cool Store
Edwin Lawford senior was born in Box Hill in 1858, was educated at Scotch College, and for a short time became an assistant teacher at the Melbourne Deaf and Dumb Institution. He then established an orchard and nursery business in Doncaster in partnership with his brother John Birkby Lawford. After the partnership was dissolved he purchased more land and decided to specialize in pear growing. He built a small cool store and was an originator (with John Petty) of the West Doncaster Cool Storage Company. 

The orchard and cool store were ultimately closed to makeeway fr rsidentil development. A legacy is Lawford St, connecting Carnavon St with the scenic Lawford St Reserve, adjoining the expansive golf club.

 

c1910 Edwin Lawford house and sheds (built 1881) at north end of Carnarvon Street alongside Williamsons Road.

In 1904 Edwin Lawford built a cool store, and this is thought to be the building that can be seen at the rear of the house. 

The house in the far distance belonged to Henry Crouch.

 

 

TIMELINE OF IMPORTANT EVENTS DESCRIBED IN THE TEXT

1841	Edwin Unwin buys 5120 acres of crown land in what would later become part of Doncaster-Box Hill area.It was known It was known as the Unwin Special Survey
1860	Lutheran School commenced
1860s	Settlement commenced in the Doncaster region
1858	Lutheran Church built
1860	Doncaster Post Office commences
1861	Denominational school commences
1890s	Many cool stores built
1905	First Government colol mstiore built
1913	Government cool store ownership transferred to a Cooperative - renamed Doncaster Central Cool Store