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Sandy Point
Road Somers – Its history from 1860
by Rod
Nuske
The lonely bush track echoed to the crack of a whip, as the Cobb
and Co. coach lurched and swayed its way through the bush,
startling the wallabies and kangaroos grazing along the track
sides. “ God, do you call this a road” grumbled the most
outspoken of the travellers. “We’ve been on the go since
sunrise! Aren’t we ever going to get to the bloody Island
?".
The year was 1873, and the passengers had changed to a small
coach at Hastings after setting out from the Cobb and Co. stables
in Lonsdale Street Melbourne early that morning on their way to
Phillip Island. They may also have been anxious about the weather
conditions, but knew that the ferryman George Cox would study his
weather indicators (bottles of shark and stingray oil – cloudy for
rain, clear for fine), before embarking his passengers from the
Sandy Point jetty onboard the “Alert”, for the journey across to
Phillip Island.
Prior to the road being put through to Sandy Point, they would
have had to travel by coach to Coolort (sic) and then proceed by
horse drawn vehicle at low tide along the beach to Sandy Point.
The original Parish of Bittern sub divisional plan, drawn up by
Callanan in 1860, shows an unnamed road (Sandy Point Rd.) reaching
to the eastern boundary of lot 145 (which together with lot 141 now
constitute Western Park). By 1862 Henry Peddle of Hastings was
providing a regular coach service between Frankston and Sandy Point
to connect with a ferry to Phillip Island each Wednesday and
Saturday. Cost per passenger for both coach and boat was 8
shillings.
Click Map to Enlarge
In 1864 this extension of the road to Sandy point was formalised
by a survey which included the new Sandy Point Housing Estate which
was at the tip of Sandy Point. Although the blocks were sold in
1869, only one house was ever built on the estate. This survey also
created a road (Government Road) to the beach, along the eastern
boundary of lot 145.
In 1869, Henry Howard of Hastings provided a mail service for
Phillip Island by travelling between Hastings and Sandy Point on
horseback. It is possible that “blue nose” Spears was the ferryman
who then took the mail and passengers to the Island. By 1872 Cobb
and Co. were supplying a coach service and mail delivery from
Melbourne to Sandy Point, connecting up with ferryman George Cox.
As mailman it was his responsibility to provide accommodation and
storage for as long as rough weather prevented him sailing.
The introduction of a steamer plying between Hastings, Cowes and
San Remo in the 1880’s, curtailed the use of Sandy Point as a
connection to Phillip Island. When the ship became unavailable in
1884, Cobb and Cox once again carried passengers and the mail for a
limited time.
To what extent the road was “made “ is difficult to judge now,
but obviously it was good enough for a small coach to travel on. In
1913 a decision was made by the Commonwealth Government to acquire
land to build a Naval Base. This included all of the Sandy
Point area and abutted the roads on the north and east of Western
Park. It also excised the section of Sandy Point Rd. that extended
from the northeast corner of Western Park to Sandy Point, but not
Government Rd.
As regards a fence existing between Western Park and the two
roads, topographical map C 437A dated1887 clearly shows a fence
surrounding the property, which at that time also included lot 140.
Once Flinders Naval Depot in about 1915 was fenced on the other
side of the roadways, perhaps the importance of maintaining the
Western Park northern and eastern fences was not so great, so they
fell into disrepair, and the roadways became an accepted part of
the farms grazing land.
Of interest are the different names that have been applied to
the road. First of all it was called 2 Chain Road, then Latrobe
Road, followed by Dromana and Sandy Point Road, before finally
becoming just Sandy Point Road.
Residents have walked the roads over the years, and some Western
Park owners have been accepting of these happy wanderers, but it is
an issue that has sometimes caused angry words. I am doubtful
whether Government Rd. drew much traffic, as the last section near
the beach disappears into almost impenetrable scrub. On several of
the early topographical maps, the road ceases before reaching the
beach. Those that wish to actually walk the roadways now, are
confronted by fences to be climbed, and the section of scrub on
Government Rd. which has a restriction of access and use put on it
by Dept. of Sustainability and Environment. It is obvious that
people have been illegally crossing into the Naval property near
the junction of Sandy Point and South Beach Rds., and then
proceeding down the fire break cleared by the navy which adjoins
the two roads.
Several years ago the Navy, for reasons of security and the
safety of the public (unexploded ordinance) sought legal opinion,
and erected a gate on Sandy Point Rd. at its junction with South
Beach Rd. This also effectively stopped the dumping of rubbish
which had been occuring. The gate was found later not to be
legal, so it was removed. Currently approx. 200 metres from the
road junction (roundabout), there is a fence across the roadway
with a cattle grid and unlocked gate. Further on is a cattle yard
stretching across the roadway to within 1 metre of the HMAS
Cerberus fence. This gap is fenced off at the end.
The purpose of this article is to provide a background to the
current situation where the present owner Andrew Donaldson has
requested DSE to provide a license to formalise what has been
accepted practice (use of a road reserve for grazing) for at
least the last 90 years. The Shire Council has identified the
roadways as being unused and not required for future construction,
and has informed DSE of this fact. The Navy would be supportive of
any action that would discourage people from attempting to move
through this area, and in most cases entering Naval property. As
regards to the granting of a license, it could be granted with the
proviso that pedestrian traffic be allowed if it is apparent that
this is required. In this case who would be responsible should a
pedestrian be gored and not ignored by a resident bull? The
property owner, the Council or DSE?
Rod Nuske
Note. I would like to correct the impression given in a
letter from Mark Stokes in the March issue of Somers Paper
Nautilus, regarding the donation of land to provide a roadway to
the beach. The land provided by Harry Bagot (Lot 140) and
Edmund Hope Campbell (lot 141) was given to enable an extension to
be made to South Beach Road which at that time ended at Sandy Point
Road, and had nothing to do with Sandy Point Road itself.
Ref: All Our
Somers by Dr Bruce Bennett, Fax comm.from Shire,
Verbal comm. with Tony Hope-Campbell, Parish and
topographical maps commencing 1864
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