The Priestley family

Lang Lang pioneer Alfred Turner Priestley brought his family to Carrum for holidays in 1913. In 1918 he bought 170 pastoral acres of land north and west of the Patterson River operating a dairy farm from its northen side. In 1926 following a discussion with a friend, A.T. Priestley commenced establishing a golf course and clubhouse on the northern side of his farmland, following a storm in 1928 the clubhouse was destroyed by fire. By 1933 a new club house designed by G.B. Oliver had been built, it remains standing to this present day. A.T Priestley leased the property and business to Patterson River Club. He eventually sold it in 1947 for 35 thousand pounds. _[1]

Barry’s father Alf had been farming in the Mallee when in about 1936 he decided to move to Carrum and help his father AT Priestley with his farm. To remain independent Alf bought some of his father's land on the southern side of the river. He stayed working on AT’s farm whilst Barry’s mother Jean designed and established the new property.

During 1934 many areas of Victoria were affected by severe flooding. Carrum and the surrounding district were awash. Barry remembers being told of water flooding the golf course and coming into the clubhouse’s first floor. He stated the family unsuccessfully petitioned the necessary authorities to have the floodgates opened. Barry said his father Alf eventually took matters into his own hands and dynamited the river bank blowing out a portion of it. Dynamiting the river bank allowed the water to drain from the flooded golf course and clubhouse into Patterson River. Alf was unsuccessfully sued by the government of the day over it.

1966 the Priestley family after gaining relevant approval were instrumental in establishing a dry dock marina. The farm’s fowl pens were refurbished and became the first man made marina in the Southern Hemisphere. In 1988 the farm was sold to make way for the new suburb of Patterson’s Lakes. _[2]

The Golf House, Carrum. c. 1950's

Ken Dahlstrom remembers the first time he rode a horse was at the Priestley family's farm. He said he was about 14 years old when he started going there to help Barry Priestley muck out the chicken sheds . The farm was primarily poultry but there was also 30 dairy cows and numerous crops such as potatoes, corn and cabbages grown. Ken said was hard work, it entailed shovelling all the chicken mess from the sheds, putting it into wheelbarrows and transferring it into the waiting horse drawn spring cart. Later it would be used as fertiliser on the farm's crops.

At the end of their day's work they would go horse riding. Barry rode his stallion 'The Colt' - he had broken him in and was the only person who could ride him, Ken rode Major one of the farm's horses. Patterson River was nearby so they would often go in there with the horses for a swim or ride the them around its tracks. Sometimes they would ride down to Seaford's Crystal Pool for a dip. Ken said the experience was something he never forgot, he said it was a determining factor for him to buy his own horse. [1]

Patterson River behind the Priestley farm. c 1950's.

Patterson River from Priestley's farm. 1956

Author:

Carole Ross.

Reference:

1. Ross C. Interview Ken Dahlstrom, August 2009

2. McGuire Frank, CHELSEA, A Beachside Community, Argyle Press Pty. Ltd. 1985

3. Ross C. Interview Barry Priestley, July, 2009.

Photo Courtesy

Picture Collection, State Library of Victoria, 2010.